Alright already! You people have been after me for a while to continue
this story. Especially Kat49. I've finally gotten off my duff and
resurrected the hardcopy with the chosen sequence of events. I've been
focusing on my other ficcie, Unnamed Master since I've had a wealth of
ideas and wanted to get them down asap.
This chappie is to all of you who've berated me since I've momentarily halted work on Kagome Hurt. I hope you're happy.
Kagome Hurt: Chapter 9
Kagome was a little unsettled. While she gave Rin a big hug, it was more to calm her own nerves from what had almost occurred. If she hadn't been there, Jakin would have struck this precocious child.
What worried her more was her response to that threat. She had just acted as if Shippo were threatened. Not only that, but she did so on such an instinctual level, she even scared herself. Kagome knew in her soul that she meant every word, and that certainty came out in her demeanor toward the toad youkai. No wonder he was hyperventilating in the hydrangea bushes.
Before she could get too hysterical about what kind of sadistic monster she had become, an explosive sneeze from behind her jolted her out of her thoughts.
Said sneeze drew Rin's attention as well, and Kagome was perplexed to see none but the lofty arrogant Sesshoumaru about. Surely...
What was this?! A look of confusion crossed his delineated features and he just rubbed his nose! A smirk began to bloom on her face, was soon followed by an inaudible snicker and was almost followed by a full blown laugh when eyes warmer than previously chilled gold pinned her to the rock she was perched upon. 'Almost' being the operative term.
Kagome was surprised at herself when all visages of emotion fled her face. She still felt the bubblings of raucous laughter rumbling within her chest, but nothing made its way to her features. Even her eyes were a blue so chilled that they matched a glacier's deep depths.
~-~-~-~-~-~
Sesshoumaru was stunned. Well, not so much stunned as a mite disappointed. While he would never suffer anyone, let alone the human wench to laugh at him, he had almost wanted to hear the rising gales of mirth of the one whose scent kept reminding him of the beloved night.
That she cleared her expression of any trace of amusement was also something to note. Most ningens lacked any sense of self control. What else might she be hiding under her normally cheerful expression?
"Rin. You will see to Ah Un. They have been neglected as of late."
With a wide smile and a quick hug to the silver haired taiyoukai's leg, Rin pranced down a garden path presumably on her way to pay attention to the double headed mount Sesshoumaru sometimes uses.
When Jakin made as if to follow like he is usually ordered to do, the wrinkled old male first looked to his master, who nodded, and then, tremblingly, to the female on the rock. Kagome, narrowed her eyes at him in warning before letting the barest nod of her head to signal his dismissal.
Jakin made his escape with as much dignity as he could muster, grumbling all the way about the kowaii ningen, but only out of her hearing range.
When the raven haired human looked back to the only other occupant of the garden, she lifted an eyebrow in a blatant mockery of his own gesture and waited.
Sesshoumaru thought that it might just be a sign that she was beginning to know her place, and that as the lord of the Western lands, it was his right to speak first in any situation.
"So what brings you into my circle of vision, Sesshoumaru? Wanted to check up on your 'investment'?"
Well, there goes that theory.
"You are wanted by Hitori, miko. You will be present for dinner again this evening, and attend Rin tomorrow after further combat lessons. That is all this Sesshoumaru needs to say to you."
With that pronouncement, he turned and paced silently back towards the sheltered entrance to the castle. Kagome watched him out of sight, and caught the fact that with every other step, the end of his fluffy tail would noticeably twitch to the left.
By the time the door closed on his form, Kagome was cross eyed and red faced with suppressed laughter. Five seconds later, with the clack of her bokken dropping from its perch on the rock, laughter echoed throughout the garden, wafting through the halls of the castle, and uplifting all who caught a wisp of it.
Deep within the bowels of the stonework, Marisa lifted her head with an ear quirked to the outside and allowed herself a small smile. Yes. Kagome-san would indeed be a very good addition to the household. What her great uncle had mentioned to her grandfather now was starting to make sense.
Eavesdropping on family was always a good way to gain information. Now, if only she could get her new mistress to stumble upon that secret room grandfather was so enamored over.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
After her abrupt afternoon laugh fest, Kagome located her instructor through use of her middling powers. He was again waiting in ambush for her in the corridor outside her room. From what she picked up in his aura, she knew that he knew that she knew he was there. Did everybody get that?
Kagome, still in her combat kimono, blended in with the shadowy corners of the hall and the two opponents commenced stalking each other. It was a game of wit and skill. The first one to tag the other won. Or in Kagome's case, either tag or reach her room before being tagged.
Kagome tried something she had worked on in the Inu-tachi group. Twisting the strands of her aura, the raven tressed miko quickly fashioned a shadow likeness under the cover of her suppression technique. The fledgling priestess had discovered early on that unless she was able to keep her powers under strict wrap, all sorts of youkai, dark mikos and seekers of power would be able to hunt her down. It was even more imperative once the Inu-tachi had a sizable amount of Shikon shards to protect. That much concentrated power needed to be covered, and as a result, the miko's suppression technique was by far, state of the art.
The shadow likeness was based somewhat on Naraku's puppets. Given the appearance and aura of the creator, shadow likenesses were insubstantial, but were able to carry a hint of the powers the creator possessed. Kagome had only just completed a trial run of these illusions of hers before the last infamous fight with Inuyasha, so the technique wasn't quite tried and true yet.
And this showed up most alarmingly when she finished the technique and sent it in one direction while she went in another. With only a moment's hesitation, Hitori went after the real Kagome and basically pile drived her into the floor.
Sprawled out with a severe ache in her ribs, the stunned ningen could only gasp as she tried to regain breath. Hitori, the sadistic bastard that she thought he was, calmly composed himself after their rough and tumble antics and stood waiting.
After a minute's work with her innate healing, Kagome was able to face her sensei with something of a surprised look.
"How...?"
"That was a good try, child. I was almost fooled."
"But how-?"
The old youkai sighed and motioned to the entrance of her room.
"We'll speak inside, where readily available ears can't hear."
Glancing around rapidly, Kagome was almost on the verge of self- chastisement for letting her guard down when her search aura reported to her senses that no one was within range, either human or youkai range.
"Hitori-san - there is no one-"
"I know, child, but it is always justifiable to err on the side of caution."
Leading the way, Kagome tossed over her shoulder the comment, "We have a saying where I grew up too. 'Better safe than sorry.'"
The grizzled features looked upon her with mild pleasure.
"It is good to hear that such truths are universal, then, and that wisdom is not lost on the young."
Kagome glanced once around the stark room that was her refuge and idly noted the antique clothing aired and neatly placed in the armoire. The flowers in the bowl on the table had been replaced, and she could detect a hint of Rin's doing what with the beautifully chosen garden flowers interspersed with ragged looking but lovingly arranged weeds.
As she settled herself gingerly next to the table, Hitori began pacing a little back and forth in front of the door. When he kept this up without speaking immediately, Kagome's patience became a little tried as she found herself almost nodding off to sleep. Such a boon was not to be hers though, as the long hair silvered with age snapped like a whip when her sensei suddenly turned to look at her.
"What you did in the hallway was remarkable, child. The only thing wrong with it was that you forgot one thing. You did not alter your own personal essence when you made your move. I could immediately tell which was the real you since you still felt more like the Kagome that I had gotten to know. The duplicate you made was smaller in your essence."
"Heh...I call it the Shadow Likeness. I only just thought it up in the last few weeks. Next time I'll remember to either change or suppress my - what did you call it? My essence?"
"Yes. As a fully trained master at arms, I have had to learn about human warriors, as distasteful as it is. While any youkai can sense other demon's fighting spirits, it takes much effort to train oneself to see a ningen's. I have done so to the benefit of the western lands. None have breached these walls while I was in charge!"
"And I'm sure Lord Fluffy-sama was duly appreciative," she interjected wryly into his minor rant.
Brought back to himself, Hitori gathered his lost train of thought before proceeding.
"All right, girl. I just wanted to tell you that you have a new schedule in this household, which Sesshoumaru-sama has given his permission to."
"Che, fine. Lets hear what Fluffy said was ok for girls to do in their spare time."
Hitori quirked his lips at this derogatory nickname.
"Mornings will be spent in the dojo, learning basic offense with bokken, staff, and your choice of specialty weapon. Breakfast afterwards is with Rin, and the remainder of the morning will be trying to keep the young ward occupied with her education. Afternoons we will work on the more metaphysical aspects of your training. Most of that will have to be done on your own, since I have no idea exactly how human miko powers work, but we will try to adapt it to your combat abilities. Lunch is your own affair sometime during that period, but the Lord insists that you attend dinner each night with himself and his court, when it is called into session. Evenings are your own."
At this time, the aging inu-youkai paused to regard his charge. He chuckled at the swirly eyes she displayed in jest before whapping her upside the head.
"Ow!" she exclaimed before rubbing her head and grumbling about old sadistic youkai who want to annoy her to death.
"All right already. I get the point."
"That is right youngling. We'll whip you into shape sooner than you can say 'Inuyasha and Naraku, sitting in a tree!"
At her goggle eyes, Hitori bounces out of the room cackling with all the mad glee he can muster. Fine times were coming for this castle, and he was the harbringer for the biggest change yet! He can just feel the mayhem he can cause, all with a legitimate reason.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Lets not forget to cutaway to a moody gloomy castle in the middle of nowhere where our favorite asshole of an Onigumo hanyou resides.
'Yipe! I will have to punish Kagura again. She knows better than to send cold winds to chill my spine.'
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Oh, and with the Inu-tachi, the heavily bruised fuzzy eared hanyou got a sudden urge to reexamine his lunch's ramen for no apparent reason.
'I can't be sick. I'm never sick. Its all that blasted tajijya's fault. I've got a concussion...Damn her, and damn Kagome for worrying us all and not showing up.'
Notable people I need to keep track of and their roles:
Kagome: heroine, of course. Miko of medium skill, not fully trained in her powers, medium at archery, and abysmal at offensive combat. Pretty good at defense.
Sesshoumaru: at turns Kagome's antagonist as well as possible love interest. Taiyoukai of the western lands, half brother to Inuyasha, holds the swords toukijin and tensaiga. Very dangerous, very protective of his lands and honor. Tries to keep an emotional chill with everyone.
Rin: ward to Sesshoumaru. A bubbly bright child of about 6-8, sees Kagome as her substitute mother, sister, and friend. Just starting her education, and can be counted on to watch Kagome's training. Can be used as a hyper plot point if necessary.
Marisa: self-appointed maid to Kagome. Fox/kitsune demoness, short, nice, but clever and sly. Wants what's best for the lands, and sees Kagome as a way for everyone to benefit. Granddaughter to the ancient lorekeeper who has a special room waiting for Kagome.
Hitori: aging combat man at arms dog demon. Once led the castle's defenses, now is being gently led into retirement with one last pupil to teach. Despite stereotypes, is not a pervert. Sees Kag as a way to help lands as well as show Sess he's not all washed out.
Inuyasha: hanyou who was kag's first love interest. He does not betray kag with kik. Kag ran away because he compared the two of them thoughtlessly. Tries to hide his emotions with bluster and denial. Holder of the tetsaiga. Has a set of rosary beads which Kag uses to 'osuwari' him.
Shippo: Kag's unofficially adopted kitsune son. Precocious, trickster, loving, clingy, protective but easily scared.
Sango: Kag's friend, tajijya, basher of hentai perverts. Strong character, slight sense of humor, has a good sense of right and wrong, is kinda falling for the houshi but also denies her feelings since everything she cares for ends up dead. Wields a really big boomerang
Miroku: hentai pervert and houshi. Is attracted to the strong willed Sango. Kind of a neutral party in terms of Inuyahsa and Kagome's friendship. Is cursed to have a hole in his hand that sucks everything in it, if its not covered with rosary beads. Will eventually suck him in as well.
Naraku: asshole
This chappie is to all of you who've berated me since I've momentarily halted work on Kagome Hurt. I hope you're happy.
Kagome Hurt: Chapter 9
Kagome was a little unsettled. While she gave Rin a big hug, it was more to calm her own nerves from what had almost occurred. If she hadn't been there, Jakin would have struck this precocious child.
What worried her more was her response to that threat. She had just acted as if Shippo were threatened. Not only that, but she did so on such an instinctual level, she even scared herself. Kagome knew in her soul that she meant every word, and that certainty came out in her demeanor toward the toad youkai. No wonder he was hyperventilating in the hydrangea bushes.
Before she could get too hysterical about what kind of sadistic monster she had become, an explosive sneeze from behind her jolted her out of her thoughts.
Said sneeze drew Rin's attention as well, and Kagome was perplexed to see none but the lofty arrogant Sesshoumaru about. Surely...
What was this?! A look of confusion crossed his delineated features and he just rubbed his nose! A smirk began to bloom on her face, was soon followed by an inaudible snicker and was almost followed by a full blown laugh when eyes warmer than previously chilled gold pinned her to the rock she was perched upon. 'Almost' being the operative term.
Kagome was surprised at herself when all visages of emotion fled her face. She still felt the bubblings of raucous laughter rumbling within her chest, but nothing made its way to her features. Even her eyes were a blue so chilled that they matched a glacier's deep depths.
~-~-~-~-~-~
Sesshoumaru was stunned. Well, not so much stunned as a mite disappointed. While he would never suffer anyone, let alone the human wench to laugh at him, he had almost wanted to hear the rising gales of mirth of the one whose scent kept reminding him of the beloved night.
That she cleared her expression of any trace of amusement was also something to note. Most ningens lacked any sense of self control. What else might she be hiding under her normally cheerful expression?
"Rin. You will see to Ah Un. They have been neglected as of late."
With a wide smile and a quick hug to the silver haired taiyoukai's leg, Rin pranced down a garden path presumably on her way to pay attention to the double headed mount Sesshoumaru sometimes uses.
When Jakin made as if to follow like he is usually ordered to do, the wrinkled old male first looked to his master, who nodded, and then, tremblingly, to the female on the rock. Kagome, narrowed her eyes at him in warning before letting the barest nod of her head to signal his dismissal.
Jakin made his escape with as much dignity as he could muster, grumbling all the way about the kowaii ningen, but only out of her hearing range.
When the raven haired human looked back to the only other occupant of the garden, she lifted an eyebrow in a blatant mockery of his own gesture and waited.
Sesshoumaru thought that it might just be a sign that she was beginning to know her place, and that as the lord of the Western lands, it was his right to speak first in any situation.
"So what brings you into my circle of vision, Sesshoumaru? Wanted to check up on your 'investment'?"
Well, there goes that theory.
"You are wanted by Hitori, miko. You will be present for dinner again this evening, and attend Rin tomorrow after further combat lessons. That is all this Sesshoumaru needs to say to you."
With that pronouncement, he turned and paced silently back towards the sheltered entrance to the castle. Kagome watched him out of sight, and caught the fact that with every other step, the end of his fluffy tail would noticeably twitch to the left.
By the time the door closed on his form, Kagome was cross eyed and red faced with suppressed laughter. Five seconds later, with the clack of her bokken dropping from its perch on the rock, laughter echoed throughout the garden, wafting through the halls of the castle, and uplifting all who caught a wisp of it.
Deep within the bowels of the stonework, Marisa lifted her head with an ear quirked to the outside and allowed herself a small smile. Yes. Kagome-san would indeed be a very good addition to the household. What her great uncle had mentioned to her grandfather now was starting to make sense.
Eavesdropping on family was always a good way to gain information. Now, if only she could get her new mistress to stumble upon that secret room grandfather was so enamored over.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
After her abrupt afternoon laugh fest, Kagome located her instructor through use of her middling powers. He was again waiting in ambush for her in the corridor outside her room. From what she picked up in his aura, she knew that he knew that she knew he was there. Did everybody get that?
Kagome, still in her combat kimono, blended in with the shadowy corners of the hall and the two opponents commenced stalking each other. It was a game of wit and skill. The first one to tag the other won. Or in Kagome's case, either tag or reach her room before being tagged.
Kagome tried something she had worked on in the Inu-tachi group. Twisting the strands of her aura, the raven tressed miko quickly fashioned a shadow likeness under the cover of her suppression technique. The fledgling priestess had discovered early on that unless she was able to keep her powers under strict wrap, all sorts of youkai, dark mikos and seekers of power would be able to hunt her down. It was even more imperative once the Inu-tachi had a sizable amount of Shikon shards to protect. That much concentrated power needed to be covered, and as a result, the miko's suppression technique was by far, state of the art.
The shadow likeness was based somewhat on Naraku's puppets. Given the appearance and aura of the creator, shadow likenesses were insubstantial, but were able to carry a hint of the powers the creator possessed. Kagome had only just completed a trial run of these illusions of hers before the last infamous fight with Inuyasha, so the technique wasn't quite tried and true yet.
And this showed up most alarmingly when she finished the technique and sent it in one direction while she went in another. With only a moment's hesitation, Hitori went after the real Kagome and basically pile drived her into the floor.
Sprawled out with a severe ache in her ribs, the stunned ningen could only gasp as she tried to regain breath. Hitori, the sadistic bastard that she thought he was, calmly composed himself after their rough and tumble antics and stood waiting.
After a minute's work with her innate healing, Kagome was able to face her sensei with something of a surprised look.
"How...?"
"That was a good try, child. I was almost fooled."
"But how-?"
The old youkai sighed and motioned to the entrance of her room.
"We'll speak inside, where readily available ears can't hear."
Glancing around rapidly, Kagome was almost on the verge of self- chastisement for letting her guard down when her search aura reported to her senses that no one was within range, either human or youkai range.
"Hitori-san - there is no one-"
"I know, child, but it is always justifiable to err on the side of caution."
Leading the way, Kagome tossed over her shoulder the comment, "We have a saying where I grew up too. 'Better safe than sorry.'"
The grizzled features looked upon her with mild pleasure.
"It is good to hear that such truths are universal, then, and that wisdom is not lost on the young."
Kagome glanced once around the stark room that was her refuge and idly noted the antique clothing aired and neatly placed in the armoire. The flowers in the bowl on the table had been replaced, and she could detect a hint of Rin's doing what with the beautifully chosen garden flowers interspersed with ragged looking but lovingly arranged weeds.
As she settled herself gingerly next to the table, Hitori began pacing a little back and forth in front of the door. When he kept this up without speaking immediately, Kagome's patience became a little tried as she found herself almost nodding off to sleep. Such a boon was not to be hers though, as the long hair silvered with age snapped like a whip when her sensei suddenly turned to look at her.
"What you did in the hallway was remarkable, child. The only thing wrong with it was that you forgot one thing. You did not alter your own personal essence when you made your move. I could immediately tell which was the real you since you still felt more like the Kagome that I had gotten to know. The duplicate you made was smaller in your essence."
"Heh...I call it the Shadow Likeness. I only just thought it up in the last few weeks. Next time I'll remember to either change or suppress my - what did you call it? My essence?"
"Yes. As a fully trained master at arms, I have had to learn about human warriors, as distasteful as it is. While any youkai can sense other demon's fighting spirits, it takes much effort to train oneself to see a ningen's. I have done so to the benefit of the western lands. None have breached these walls while I was in charge!"
"And I'm sure Lord Fluffy-sama was duly appreciative," she interjected wryly into his minor rant.
Brought back to himself, Hitori gathered his lost train of thought before proceeding.
"All right, girl. I just wanted to tell you that you have a new schedule in this household, which Sesshoumaru-sama has given his permission to."
"Che, fine. Lets hear what Fluffy said was ok for girls to do in their spare time."
Hitori quirked his lips at this derogatory nickname.
"Mornings will be spent in the dojo, learning basic offense with bokken, staff, and your choice of specialty weapon. Breakfast afterwards is with Rin, and the remainder of the morning will be trying to keep the young ward occupied with her education. Afternoons we will work on the more metaphysical aspects of your training. Most of that will have to be done on your own, since I have no idea exactly how human miko powers work, but we will try to adapt it to your combat abilities. Lunch is your own affair sometime during that period, but the Lord insists that you attend dinner each night with himself and his court, when it is called into session. Evenings are your own."
At this time, the aging inu-youkai paused to regard his charge. He chuckled at the swirly eyes she displayed in jest before whapping her upside the head.
"Ow!" she exclaimed before rubbing her head and grumbling about old sadistic youkai who want to annoy her to death.
"All right already. I get the point."
"That is right youngling. We'll whip you into shape sooner than you can say 'Inuyasha and Naraku, sitting in a tree!"
At her goggle eyes, Hitori bounces out of the room cackling with all the mad glee he can muster. Fine times were coming for this castle, and he was the harbringer for the biggest change yet! He can just feel the mayhem he can cause, all with a legitimate reason.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Lets not forget to cutaway to a moody gloomy castle in the middle of nowhere where our favorite asshole of an Onigumo hanyou resides.
'Yipe! I will have to punish Kagura again. She knows better than to send cold winds to chill my spine.'
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Oh, and with the Inu-tachi, the heavily bruised fuzzy eared hanyou got a sudden urge to reexamine his lunch's ramen for no apparent reason.
'I can't be sick. I'm never sick. Its all that blasted tajijya's fault. I've got a concussion...Damn her, and damn Kagome for worrying us all and not showing up.'
Notable people I need to keep track of and their roles:
Kagome: heroine, of course. Miko of medium skill, not fully trained in her powers, medium at archery, and abysmal at offensive combat. Pretty good at defense.
Sesshoumaru: at turns Kagome's antagonist as well as possible love interest. Taiyoukai of the western lands, half brother to Inuyasha, holds the swords toukijin and tensaiga. Very dangerous, very protective of his lands and honor. Tries to keep an emotional chill with everyone.
Rin: ward to Sesshoumaru. A bubbly bright child of about 6-8, sees Kagome as her substitute mother, sister, and friend. Just starting her education, and can be counted on to watch Kagome's training. Can be used as a hyper plot point if necessary.
Marisa: self-appointed maid to Kagome. Fox/kitsune demoness, short, nice, but clever and sly. Wants what's best for the lands, and sees Kagome as a way for everyone to benefit. Granddaughter to the ancient lorekeeper who has a special room waiting for Kagome.
Hitori: aging combat man at arms dog demon. Once led the castle's defenses, now is being gently led into retirement with one last pupil to teach. Despite stereotypes, is not a pervert. Sees Kag as a way to help lands as well as show Sess he's not all washed out.
Inuyasha: hanyou who was kag's first love interest. He does not betray kag with kik. Kag ran away because he compared the two of them thoughtlessly. Tries to hide his emotions with bluster and denial. Holder of the tetsaiga. Has a set of rosary beads which Kag uses to 'osuwari' him.
Shippo: Kag's unofficially adopted kitsune son. Precocious, trickster, loving, clingy, protective but easily scared.
Sango: Kag's friend, tajijya, basher of hentai perverts. Strong character, slight sense of humor, has a good sense of right and wrong, is kinda falling for the houshi but also denies her feelings since everything she cares for ends up dead. Wields a really big boomerang
Miroku: hentai pervert and houshi. Is attracted to the strong willed Sango. Kind of a neutral party in terms of Inuyahsa and Kagome's friendship. Is cursed to have a hole in his hand that sucks everything in it, if its not covered with rosary beads. Will eventually suck him in as well.
Naraku: asshole