A/N: Okay, thank you everyone that has read and reviewed. I really loved the reviews. I didn't think chapter twenty-seven was as good as you made it sound, but I'm glad that it was. I had a real hard time trying to get everything to sound dramatic and sad. This story is like my first, and I have never written this much before with such a plot, so I hope that I'm doing a decent job.
Thank you for keeping up with my story and reading it this far. It truly has touched me. So I hope you will like this next chapter. It is going to have all the answers that you need! Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Answers
Sango and Miroku made it back to the town without any troubles. They had returned near morning and decided to wait for the next night to sneak into Ximong's home to find the evidence that the need to free Mr. Matsuo.
"Hurry up, Sango," Miroku called to her from the bottom of the stairs.
Quickly, Sango skipped down the stairs. She had a black piece of cloth tied around her neck and a dagger handing from her waist.
"What was taking you so long to get ready? It's not like you have to dress up for this," he said sounding annoyed. He was not too thrilled about breaking into Ximong's house in the first place. If they were to get caught, his future would be ruined. Yet, he couldn't think of a better plan to save Mr. Matsuo.
"Oh, Miroku. Give me a break. I had to just find some things. It's been forever since I've been back in my house."
Miroku nodded. "Come on, my lady, then." He gestured to the front of the door and Sango walked ahead.
The streets were deserted. Sango and Miroku walked in the shadows silently. They came upon Ximong's house. All of the lights were all off.
"It's through that window, Miroku. That should be the Ximong's office. Do you think you'll be able to get me over the gate?"
He looked around reluctantly. The gates were locked and, thankfully, there were no guards. "Alright, step in my hands and I'll throw you over."
Miroku put his hands in front of him, one on top of the other and Sango stepped gently on top of them. He tossed her up lightly, and she grabbed the top of the gate and jumped down onto the other side. Miroku then took a couple of stepped back and jumped to the top as well.
"Shh," Sango whispered. She was hunched over by the wall under a window. "I think his office is in here." She pulled open the window and climbed in, followed by Miroku. Surely enough, it was Ximong's study.
They quickly searched the instant they were in the room. Sango took out a candle that she had brought and lit up a match. The flame eerily illuminated the room.
Miroku pulled open drawers and started shuffling through the papers and Sango rummaged through the things on his desk.
"Sango!" Miroku saying a little too loudly.
"Quiet! Do you want to get us caught?" Sango said, her tone almost as loud as his.
"Sorry. But I think I found what we need," he told her coolly. He had opened up a little drawer that had been kept locked with a piece of wire. "Here are the documents that show that Sesshomaru has transferred the rice to Ximong, and here are letters discussing their plan. It's all here. Suga was right. There was evidence." Miroku held up a whole stack of papers.
"Oh my god! We have found it!" Sango said excitedly, giving Miroku a warm hug. "Hurry, let's get out of here." She pulled him up by the hand.
Sango was out of the window when they heard someone approaching. Miroku tried to quickly climb out, but it was too late.
"Where do you think you're going, Miroku?" Kouga said. He looked at them, already holding up his sword.
"Run for it!" Miroku cried to Sango who was standing there frozen.
Miroku leaped out of the window with Kouga right behind him. "Get out, Sango!" He took out his sword to distract Kouga, so Sango would be able to get over the gate.
As soon as Sango was over, Miroku jumped up away from Kouga's reach and went over the gate.
"We have to get back to the palace," she told him quietly, her eyes stuck on Kouga. Miroku put the papers under his robe and took her hand to make a run for it back to Sango's house.
"Get back here!" Kouga screamed at from the other side of the gate. He was fumbling with hands to find the keys to the gate. "Guards! We've had intruders! Get after them!"
At once, the gates were open and four men bolted after Miroku and Sango.
Miroku and Sango made it back to the house out of breath. The guards were still chasing after them and the only reason that they were able to lose them for the moment was because it was dark and they had able to hide in the shadows and slip away.
They mounted on a single horse and rode off into the night.
"That…was… close…" Sango breathed. Her head rested on Miroku's back.
"I'm just glad that we got it." He patted his chest where the papers were stowed.
"Thank you. I couldn't have done any of this without you." Sango said as she closed her eyes. She finally felt comfortable around him. It was a safe feeling. He had fought with Kouga to give her time to escape and had traveled with her for this long to prove her father's innocence. He had transformed in her eyes.
"That's what I'm here for, Sango. Go to sleep now. We'll be there soon."
And she did fall asleep. The warmth on his back felt good. He had finally been able to prove to her his intentions and feelings towards her. He loved her and would do anything for her.
&
The queen stared at the teeth marks. Yes, they were teeth marks. There was no mistake. Yet, why did Kagome possess teeth marks. She remembered that she had bitten her daughter to be able to recognize her later on, but Kikyo had teeth marks.
Was it a coincidence? No, it couldn't be. "Guard, get me a bucket of water. Splash this girl so she wakes up."
Kagome was soaking wet when she sputtered back into life. "What are you doing?" she moaned. Her whole body ached and her head throbbed. She was so weak she could hardly keep her eyes open.
"The teeth marks…" the queen started, "where did you get them?"
"Why do you care? You just want to kill me, you witch." Kagome's wounds were still open and fresh. Each strike that the queen had inflicted her had ripped her heart as well. There was no love left in the world.
"I want to know where you got those teeth marks!" the queen said, her voice rising.
"They were on me when my aunt found me on her doorstep. I have one on each arm. Satisfied?" Kagome's voice was dropping, She didn't have the energy to think anymore. Why was the queen even asked her these things. It's not like mattered to her.
"On each arm?" The queen rolled up her other sleeve. Sure enough, she saw another set of teeth marks.
"Yeah…" Kagome's eyes began to close.
The queen didn't understand. There were two sets now, not just one. She had only given her child one set of teeth marks. Instantly, she knew that she had to go to find Michiko. There was something going on and she had to find out.
&
"Michiko, you can't have the princess of China executed," Suga said, rubbing his forehead. He was pacing back and forth in front of his wife in their front room.
"Kagome killed Kikyo. She killed our daughter, Suga. You can't just not do anything about it."
"But Kikyo isn't our real daughter. We have treated her as her own, but she isn't our blood," Suga said in defense.
"She's our daughter. We raised her ever since she was born. It doesn't matter if she wasn't ours," sadness filled her voice, "She had always loved us as her parents. Kikyo never even knew."
"You can't leave the child there," Suga told Michiko, but she wouldn't listen. Nothing was going to stop her. "The queen is going to find out that we have gotten rid of her daughter. She was the princess of China. She's going to have us all executed when she finds out. Michiko, your breaking our promise to raise her child."
His wife was not going to have this. She had already left the princess on a doorstep of a restaurant. She couldn't possibly go back. She had a right to do that after the queen had taken away her son.
"Our son will become king. We couldn't have given him a better future. It's a good thing that the queen has taken him as her own son. The least we can do is take care of her daughter. You must go back before it's too late," Suga begged.
"No."
"Please… you must understand…"
"He was my son, Suga! I will never get to see him grow. He will never call me 'mother.' We'll find another a child. The queen will never know. There is an orphanage just a few miles away. We'll be able to adopt of new born baby girl."
Suga closed his eyes and stopped pacing. There was no way that his wife was going to change her mind. If he was to go to the place where Michiko had dropped off the baby and bring her back, his wife would only torment her. He didn't want the child to suffer. He then nodded reluctantly and would regret it for the rest of his life.
"You have taken this too far. You have to tell the queen. You have to stop this." Suga said forcefully.
"No, I will not. The queen deserves this terrible fate. She is killing her own daughter, maybe even torturing her to death. She has taken away our only son, and now she will be killing her only daughter. It's karma."
Suga could not believe that this was his wife. She was acting like a cruel, heartless person. "I'll tell the queen myself if you don't. I have made the mistake once, and I will not stand by and see Kagome get killed."
Michiko laughed. Her husband gapped at her. She didn't even care. "You're going to save a girl that has killed our daughter and was traded for our son! You're more insane than me."
He was not going to continue this with his wife any longer. He was going to tell the truth, and if the truth was going to cost him his life, he was willing to give it after what Kagome had gone through because of him; he deserved the punishment.
&
Kagome was released and taken to another cell. This one was cleaner and had a little window for some to light to seep in. A tray of food was shoved under the door, and Kagome ate quickly.
The food rejuvenated her immediately. Still her wounds were all over her body and every single position that she got in pained her.
Finally she was able to think about what the queen had asked her earlier- the teeth marks. What did the queen care? Today, Kagome had seen a very different side of the queen. She had hit her hard, and it was only until she had fainted that the queen had stopped. Kagome couldn't believe that the queen could have turned so cold.
In the end, Kagome lied on the cold stone floor and fell asleep. Nothing made sense anymore, and it seemed like they never would.
&
"Your highness," Michiko said as she bowed to the queen. There had been a message earlier for her to come immediately to see the queen.
"Stand. I want to ask you something." The queen waved her hands to signal to the servants and guards to leave the room. Once they were alone, she continued, "Who is my real daughter?"
Michiko looked startled at the question. "Kikyo is your daughter, your highness," she replied as if nothing had happened.
"I want the truth," the queen persisted.
"Kikyo is your daughter. You have given me to raise her ever since the first day that she was born. I was never given anything in return, and yet I still did it for you. Your highness, you have taken away my son, and now you are questioning who your daughter is? It is Kikyo, how do you want me to prove it to you?" Michiko shook away all the fears and worries that she had that the queen had figured out Kagome was her daughter. She sounded confident, and even made the feel bad for asking such a question.
&
Sango and Miroku reached Suga's home by morning. Miroku dismounted and helped Sango down.
Suga was sitting on a wooden bench in the front yard. "Sango… Miroku," he said deeply, "you're back. Did you find the evidence?" He sounded tired and exhausted.
"Yes, we did. The papers were exactly what you told us they would be," Sango reported, "Can we go and free my father now?" She was ready to see her father.
"We will go at once, but there is more than this that we will have to clear up."
Sango and Miroku exchanged glances. What was Suga talking about- more than one thing has to be cleared up? What was the other thing? Instead of questioning him, they followed him onto the carriage to the palace.
&
Suga worked quickly once they were in the palace. He got everyone he could together. Everything was coming out, and it was going to come out today.
Inuyasha sat down in the room where his meetings would usually take place, except the people how were before him were completely different.
To his right, the queen sat on her chair and in front of him, Sesshomaru and Suga stood. Just behind them were Sango, Miroku and Michiko and in the very back still in chains were Kagome, Naraku, and Yang Matsuo. It couldn't have been a more awkward crowd.
Kagome kept her eyes down. Sango and Miroku were trying to ask her how she had ended up like this but had to remain silent. Inuyasha looked at Kagome and Yang. He wanted to release them. He wanted to set things right again with Kagome. What kind of emperor was he if he couldn't even be able to do that?
Inuyasha looked at everyone. What was happening? Suga didn't tell him when he had told him that there was a meeting.
"Suga, explain yourself," Inuyasha inquired as soon as everyone had bowed.
"Your highness, today I would like to come forward with a couple of issues," Suga told him, sweat forming on his forehead. He was nervous. What was going to said today was going to have drastic consequences.
"Continue."
"First, Sango and Miroku have some evidence to prove Mr. Matsuo's innocence."
Sango and Miroku stepped forward as Suga took a few steps back. Miroku reached into his robe and pulled out the papers that he had stowed away earlier. "These documents show that Sesshomaru and Ximong have a relationship. These letters discuss their plan on framing Yang Matsuo and also it indicates…," he paused of a second, reading the letter himself, "a plan for taking over the throne," Miroku's voice lingered. He had not had the time to read over these papers and was just skimming it over now. The news startled him. Sesshomaru and Ximong weren't just planning on accusing Yang, but they also wanted to dethrone Inuyasha.
Miruko continued on, "There is also some paperwork here that show the transaction of the bags of rice. This proves that the rice was not Mr. Matsuo's in the first place." He took the papers and handed them to Inuyasha to read over.
Yang looked relieved. He was finally going to be set free. His daughter had saved him. She had gone to find the proof that he needed. Just her presence had raised his spirit. And now he wanted to jump up and wrap his arms around her.
In the front of the room, Sesshomaru looked unworried. It seemed like all the evidence pointed to him for treason, yet still he was able to keep his cool.
Inuyasha looked over at Sesshomaru, finally understanding his official's motives. "It states here, Sesshomaru, that you wrote and I quote, 'Ximong, I have sent the rice over. We must act quickly. Take the rice and place it all in his storage during the night. You will be able to rule your city and I my empire.' What do you have to say to this?"
"You can't use those pieces of paper as evidence. He could have written them under my name. You don't have any solid proof. I have done nothing over the years to serve to the best of my abilities to your father and now you." He seemed unwavering and collected. He knew that Inuyasha could not get rid of him. He was all too powerful in the palace. If he were to leave, the palace would crumble from disorder.
"Naraku, would you come forward?" Suga stepped in. "I want to know if there is any relationship between you and Sesshomaru?" During the time that Sango and Miroku had been gone, he was able to poke around for evidence on his own. To his surprise, he found that there has been some communication between Sesshomaru and Naraku.
Now, Sesshomaru looked worried. If Naraku was going to tell everyone here in the room the truth, there was no way he could get away with what he had done. During this whole time he had forgotten that Naraku was even in the room.
Naraku looked over at Sesshomaru quickly. He shook his head slightly at him. Then Naraku faced Inuyasha to speak. "Inuyasha, we met once again. I will not deny that I have tried to kill you for the throne which rightfully belongs to me."
"An act that you will pay with your life," Inuyasha added.
"So I see no point in holding back the truth then, since either way I'm going to be dieing." He held up his arms, showing everyone his chains. "Sesshomaru was the one to help me get into the palace that one night that I broke into your room. He had promised me the throne if I could kill you and I would give him all the power he wanted in return. Yet, once I was unable to complete my task, Sesshomaru disappeared. He didn't ever try to help me, and this is what he gets for betraying me." Naraku whipped his head over to face Sesshomaru, who was now gazing ahead in disbelief.
"How could you do this to me Naraku? You're the traitor, not me. I was working on a way on getting you out," he lied, "Everything you had just said ruins everything that we wanted to do. I should not have been foolish enough to ask for your help. I could have done this all myself and claim the throne for myself," Sesshomaru said in anger and frustration.
Inuyasha could not believe what he was hearing. Sesshomaru had just openly claimed that he was going after the throne. "Enough. Sesshomaru, I never trusted you and now I have a good reason for not doing so. Guards, chain him up and release Yang Matsuo."
Yang rubbed his wrists. They were still red from the chains. Sango ran to him immediately. "Father! You look so tried. I'm so sorry it took me this long."
"Sango, my dear daughter," he said through tears. "I had thought that I had lost you."
Their beautiful reunion was interrupted by Sesshomaru's yelling. "Let me go! You can't tie me up! I'm the highest ranking official here." Sesshomaru tried to fight off the guards, but he soon lost by the numbers. "Inuyasha, you're going to regret this. I hold the armies and make the big decisions around here."
"I'm not going to kill you Sesshomaru because you have done so much for China," Inuyasha said calmly, ignored what Sesshomaru had previously said. "I will sentence will life down south in the rural areas were you will be a farmer and never hold a sword or command an army ever again."
"Inuyasha! Don't you-"
"I'm the emperor and will be called that. Guards, gag him."
A guard stuffed a wad of cloth into his mouth and only muffled sounds were coming out now.
"Suga, I thank you very much for bring this to my attention. Without you, I don't know what troubles he would have caused."
"It is my duty," Suga replied solemnly.
The room went quiet. Everyone was still thinking about what had just occurred in the past few minutes. Sesshomaru had been working with both Ximong and Naraku to dethrone Inuyasha and Yang had been innocent this whole time.
Inuyasha took a deep breath before remembering, "Suga, you said that you have come here with more than one issue. What is the other?"
Michiko knew this whole time that her husband was going to tell everyone that Kagome was the queen's daughter. She wanted to stop him but she knew that she couldn't. They were all standing there, what else could be done? So she stood by idly and watched it all unfold.
Suga shifted, looking more uncomfortable by the second. He had to tell them. There was no other way. The truth was going to be known. Everything was going to be made clear today. "Kagome is the princess of China."
The queen nearly fainted at the words. Kagome was her daughter then. She had almost killed her own daughter. She had given Kagome away and then nearly killed her… she didn't deserve being her mother.
Inuyasha nearly jumped from his seat at this. Kagome was the princess… then that meant that they were siblings… he didn't understand. "Explain yourself!"
The official nodded. "Nineteen years ago, the queen had given birth to a princess. She knew that if she didn't give birth to a son there was a likelihood that she and her daughter would both be executed. Not taking this risk, she switched her daughter with my son, Inuyasha."
Everything seemed to have turned upside down. Inuyasha was Suga's and Michiko's son and Kagome was the princess of China.
"What?" Sango, Miroku, Kagome, and Inuyasha said at the same time. They all were not comprehending what Suga had just said.
"It is the truth. I thought that I would never tell anyone this, especially you, Inuyasha, but things were all taken too far. Kikyo was never our daughter. We had adopted her so she could take the place of Kagome. My wife had placed her on a doorstep of a restaurant that very night she was born."
"Kagome…" the queen was finally able to say.
"I can't… be the princess of China. This is just so wrong. How could you have given me up the day that I was born," she directed the question to the queen.
The queen's hands were shaking. "I didn't have a choice. We could have been killed…" her voice dragged on.
"Then Michiko, you set everything up, didn't you?" Kagome said, hardly unable understand the truth.
Michiko looked at Kagome. Her face brought anger and injustice to Michiko. "Kikyo died in your hands. She was my daughter," she said hysterically, "You were going to have to pay the price, and I was going to have your own mother kill you for the act!"
"You're sick. You were the one to leave me, not my parents. You left a baby on a doorstep with no note… just teeth marks." Kagome couldn't handle all the emotions any longer and tears started to fall from her eyes.
"Your mother had given you one and I gave you the other. It was only to recognize you now," Michiko replied.
"Kagome, I'm so sorry." The queen left her seat and ran down the steps to Kagome. "Kagome, my dear child."
Instead, Kagome drew away. "You're not my mother," she said coldly.
"Kagome… I know I have done so many things wrong, but please you have to forgive me for my actions. I didn't know." Again she tried to embrace her daughter and Kagome pulled away again.
"Not right now. Get these chains off me. I didn't kill Kikyo. Do you believe me now that I'm the princess?"
Sesshomaru started to wrestle with the guards that held him and broke away, pulling the gag out of his mouth. "No, you didn't kill Kikyo, Kagome. I was the one to tell her to kill you. It was all my plan and it would have worked if she hadn't screwed up. That girl probably did accidentally kill herself. Killing you, Kagome, would be killing the princess and breaking our emperor's heart. I would then be able to come forward with the knowledge that Inuyasha was not the true heir. I had kept this secret myself for the past nineteen years. That night I had sent a spy and I found out the awful truth. I would only be able to take over after the princess was killed or else there would be heir to the throne. I was so close to having all of China!" he said, sounding almost victorious. Guards again held him back from running up to Inuyasha.
"Remove her chains now and take Sesshomaru away," Inuyasha said.
Guards quickly removed her chains and Kagome stood upright.
"Okay," the queen finally nodded. "This must be hard on everyone to learn all of this today."
Everyone nodded. Then Yang remembered something. "Suga, this explains why you have always wanted me to look after Kagome. I never knew how you could have even known the young child and I let my own daughter play with her all these years. I had not done much for her."
"Yes, that is why. I couldn't keep an eye on her myself. Thank you for what you have done in my place."
"No. I could have done so much more. I'm so sorry Kagome. I could have given you an education or given you money. I could have done so much more, my princess…"
"No, don't say that. You were almost like a father to me."
Yang nodded and Sango hugged Kagome, touching her wounds. "Kagome… these wounds?"
"It's nothing." Kagome didn't want to talk about it.
"I hope that everything that was said today, remains a secret," Suga added and turned to leave, pulling his wife along with him. He was glad that the queen didn't want to give her a punishment and didn't want her to realize that she hadn't.
Naraku was taken away by the guards.
"Kagome, we're going to Suga's place for now. Are you coming with us?"
Kagome looked over at Inuyasha. He stared right at her. There was still some things that they had to settle.
"You guys go ahead."
They nodded understandingly and left, following Suga back to the carriage.
A servant then led the queen back to her bedroom to get some rest.
Finally Inuyasha was able to speak to Kagome alone. He got up from his seat and walked down to her.
"Kagome…" he whispered.
"Inuyasha…" she said, her voice cracked.
They both looked at each other of a long moment. They tried to read each other's faces. Kagome took a step forward towards him and he wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm sorry, Kagome."
A/N: OMG! The truth is completely out! Finally, finally, finally! Was everything crystal clear? I sure hope so. Okay, just a little more and then I'm going to be done. How much longer do you want this story to be? Please review!