/N: You all feel so bad for poor Inuyasha stuck to the bed. I can't stop giggling, it looks like he already charmed you :D
Beta: Cstorm86
9.
Kagome was annoyed. For the past couple of days she couldn't get to visit Inuyasha when he was awake. Either she ran late, accompanying her mother, or had to entertain guests. Or, plainly, she couldn't shake off Souta. She couldn't just tell others that she had to go and see a fae hidden in the other room. Well, she knew that at some point she was going to let Souta in on the secret, but she didn't want to do it just yet.
The truth, as uncomfortable as it was to admit, was that she enjoyed her secret. She couldn't get to learn to be a priestess like Souta, but she had a fae that she could talk to, while he had no idea of their extraordinary man.
She felt bad for not releasing the fae, who clearly had been imprisoned for a mere misunderstanding, but she told herself she'd release him as soon as she was certain she could stop him if she had to. And for this, she needed his name.
She visited Inuyasha a couple of times during that time, but it was not as exciting as it was when he was awake. Sure, she had ample time to admire his handsome face and adorable ears, but his blazing eyes were closed and she couldn't talk to him.
But she was nothing, if not creative, so she decided to communicate with the fae with a pencil and a spare notebook. She left him a note the previous day; the notebook opened on the first page, her neat handwriting covering a portion of the sheet. The pencil was tied to the notebook with a thick length of yarn.
It was a simple message, an apology for not making it to see him when he was awake. An inquiry about his true name. A question if he maybe wanted something to eat or drink - she figured out the magic kept him sustained, but maybe he craved something tasty she could smuggle into his room. She assured him of her good will, that she wanted to be his friend and wouldn't misuse his true name.
Kagome entered the hidden room after lunch, excitedly peering inside. It was the first time she managed to get free today, and she couldn't wait to read his response. She spotted the notebook beside the fae, who was snoring peacefully. His braid was long undone, the silk flowers discarded on the floor next to the bed. She ignored them in favor of the notebook, snatching it quickly from the bed, a part of her expecting his hand to grab hers as she moved closer.
The notebook safely in her hand, the pencil dangling in the air, Kagome went to her chair and sat down to read his reply.
Which turned out to be impossible.
Under her message, filling the rest of the page, was a stylized sketch of a forest, with a deer standing proudly in the forefront. She looked in awe at the detailed picture, marveling at the depth of the picture obtained with only twisting and swirling lines, short strokes of the pencil and clever shapes. It took her a minute to realize that the deer was depicted not in the proud stance of a mighty stag, that was usually the case for such type of paintings. No, this one was bunched, arching his back and standing on wide-spread legs. His head, adorned with branching antlers, was lowered in an angle.
Kagome gasped when she finally realized what he was doing.
He was pooping.
"Inuyasha!" she glared at the sleeping fae. Was he telling her that her words were worthless? Or maybe just teasing her? Or... Was he even able to read human writing? He most certainly had limited knowledge of human customs, not knowing their writing was not that big of a stretch, since many humans were illiterate. Maybe fae had their own writing?
To test this hypothesis, Kagome turned the page and wrote only one sentence on the top of the page. It read: "Inuyasha is stupid." Then she left the notebook where he could reach it.
With that, she left the room.
This time she didn't make it for the sunset, because she had to help her mother pack for tomorrow's charity picnic. The whole family was going to be there, and Mrs. Higurashi wanted to make sure they were prepared. Kagome almost managed to make it to her room before the sunset, but sadly, as she opened the door, the light faded from the wall opposite to the window - a clear sign she was too late.
She ran to Inuyasha's room anyway, just to find the fae fast asleep. The notebook was in a different spot and Kagome happily retrieved it, opening it without moving to her chair.
Under her message was another, this time composed of both a picture {an angry dog face} and a short sentence.
"Wench is being a wench," it read.
This time when she left the room, Inuyasha had both the forelocks of his magnificent hair braided in two lovely plaits with big red flowers dangling from them.
.
The day was perfect for a picnic - the sky was littered with little fluffy clouds and the wind was gentle as it swept across the town park where the charity picnic was held. Old maple trees provided additional shade from the sun, flowerbeds seemed to overflow with colorful and fragrant flowers. Among it all were scattered little tables and stalls, nicely dressed people walking and sitting around, enjoying the afternoon. Among them were both her grandpa and mother, talking to their friends and socializing. Souta was playing with a group of other boys, trying to throw a circle on a pole or any other game they were partaking in right now.
Kagome was dressed in a white dress with frills on the hem of the skirt. Her hair was braided and thrown over her shoulder.. She smiled at the scent of the fae tree flowers she'd stuck in her ribbon. She hoped Inuyasha wouldn't mind and planned to bring back something sweet for him as a thank you gift.
She sat beside a small white table, on one of four chairs that surrounded it. Beside her sat Momiji and Botan, her new friends. They were daughters of Lady Tsubaki, who was one of the organizers of the picnic and also Mrs. Higurashi's old friend. Lady Tsubaki was a widow, her husband had been an officer in the army and had died a few years ago, leaving his family a small fortune and a nice mansion in the town. The community respected Lady Tsubaki and her daughters were two charming girls that immediately gained Kagome's friendship. Momiji was the youngest and a bit naive, while Botan was easy to excite, but also had a teasing streak to her.
The trio enjoyed a pleasant talk in the shade of the maple tree standing over their table, each holding a bowl of shaved ice. That is, until Botan gasped.
"Oh goodness! Look! It's Lord Kagewaki! And he's looking our way!" she gasped in her excited whispered yell she used when she tried to be quiet.
"He's so dreamy!" Momiji clasped her hands in front of her, her eyes full of admiration.
Kagome glanced to the side and saw the young lord standing near a flowerbed. He wore a white shirt and dark pants, his hair falling over his shoulders in glorious waves. As he looked towards their table, his rusty eyes twinkled. Momiji beside her gasped, but Kagome decided that, albeit handsome, his eyes had nothing on the mysterious glint of golden eyes of a certain someone.
The young lord smiled and walked towards them, making the two other girls swoon. Kagome returned his smile when he bowed
"Good afternoon, ladies," he said in his smooth voice. "May I ask you for a walk, Miss Higurashi?"
"Um, sure," Kagome glanced to the side to see the sisters looking at her with wide eyes. Botan smirked, obviously amused by the twinkle of jealousy in Momiji's eyes. It was no secret that the younger one had a major crush on the young lord and would've done anything to go for a walk with him.
Kagome stood up and started to walk beside the young lord, following a path he chose. It was one of the less frequented ones, but at no point in time were they hidden from view of anyone who wished to see them. It just gave them the illusion of being alone, with fewer people being able to overhear.
"I am so glad we can talk, Miss Higurashi," Lord Kagewaki said as he looked down at her, a soft smile on his lips. "I wanted to do so for quite a long while."
"Oh, thank you, I guess. What do you wish to talk about?" Kagome blinked up at him.
"We both are very much alike," he declared and cast a quick glance towards a nearby group of people. "We're sublime, people that see the more magical side to the mundane world."
Kagome frowned a bit at that. What had he meant by that?
"I am afraid I don't understand," she said slowly. The walk lost some of its appeal.
"Oh, you might not be as advanced in studies as I am, but I am capable of recognizing a similar spirit. You are not one to settle down, pleased with the hand the fate gave you. You crave knowledge, knowledge that is hidden from those with less ambition. I talked to your grandfather, you wished to be a miko once."
"Well, yes," Kagome bit her lip and cast her eyes downwards. "I wanted to learn, but grandpa didn't allow me."
So, Lord Kagewaki seemed to be one of those people obsessed with studying new things. It made sense, from what she'd heard, he used to study far away and read a lot of books.
"That's a pity, a lady as smart and spirited as you are, you'd have been a wonderful priestess or a scholar even," he nodded. "Alas, the world of knowledge is closed to you as long as you remain in the custody of your honorable grandfather."
"I don't mind that much," Kagome smiled at the man, who blinked at her in surprise. She couldn't really tell him that Souta was telling her what he'd learned and that she also had a fae friend living in the room next door. "I learn what I can and I'm grateful for the opportunities fate gives me."
"An admirable answer," Lord Kagewaki commented. "If you ever desire to broaden your knowledge of matters such as literature, maths, alchemy and arcana of old customs, I will gladly be your guide and my library is a field where we could admire the beauty and magic that is knowledge."
"Thank you," Kagome said. The offer to visit his library was a generous one, but she didn't like his weird attitude. Sure, he was nice enough, but there was something off in his tone. A suspicion that he was one of the so called 'mages' rose in her heart. They were rather rare, but eccentric people, who studied strange things and sometimes did even stranger experiments. Her father had once told her about an old friend of his that was this way. Her father had liked the man, but had cautioned Kagome to be careful around people like him. According to her father, mages were often too focused on their studies to notice other things. They were capable of both forgetting to eat for days while studying or cutting open a lamb to inspect its insides.
"Miss Higurashi, may I ask what type of plant creates flowers such as the one that adorns your hair?" asked the man walking beside her. Kagome's hand rose to caress the fragile petals.
"Oh... I..." she started. A vision of Lord Kagewaki going up to the fae tree to inspect it, armed with a saw and scissors, flashed through her mind. The tree was Inuyasha's, she knew that, and she didn't like the idea of someone performing experiments on it. Maybe it'd make Inuyasha ill or something?
"This is a paper flower I made. I thought it was lovely, so I put it in my hair."
"Ah, I see. A work of inspiration," Lord Kagewaki said, awe in his voice. "Only a lofty mind would stray from the narrow paths of mundane flowers to create a thing that doesn't exist, only for the visual pleasure."
"Oh.. Yes...?" Kagome uttered, secretly glad. It seemed that the young lord, while looking for new and strange things to learn, had no idea that the fae tree was in the shrine.
The rest of the walk around the park went smoothly, Lord Kagewaki speaking about odd and exotic plants from the continent, obviously pleased with Kagome listening to his lecture. It was actually pretty nice. He obviously had a lot of knowledge, sharing information on bizarre herbs from other lands and what they were used for. Sadly, he had little to say about the plants one could find in the forests and fields of the countryside.
When she rejoined Momiji and Botan, she had to tell them any detail of their talk, but the girls were more focused on how he looked or how he praised her creativity than on his vast knowledge of botany.
Still, Kagome was glad when she and Souta went home. Her grandpa and mother stayed for the evening concert, but she was tired and Souta seemed exhausted after a whole day of playing with friends. Kagome looked forward to a quiet evening, especially since she was going to be able to see Inuyasha today. Actually talking to him was such a fun experience.
At home she and Souta parted ways, the boy going upstairs to change out of his finest clothing. Kagome was going to do the same, but before that she decided to leave a small box of cookies for the Hojos in the kitchen. She exchanged a few words with the maid and then went to her room.
She realized something was very wrong when she saw her door wide open and heard an enthralling song filling the corridor, quiet like a whisper, sweet like honey, making her tired body relax and her thoughts to slow down... She felt an urge to follow it to its source and just lay there, basking in the melody.
Kagome knew that it had to be Inuyasha, playing his weird flute again. But, as magical as his song was, she still was aware of its charm and was able to shake it off.
But that didn't make her feel any better.
When she looked inside her room, she saw that the hidden door was wide open, despite being left closed and locked by her own hand earlier that day. She saw a shadow move in the forest room and her bag dropped to the floor when the realization hit her.
The spell was woven not for her this time.
Inuyasha was charming another person.
Her little brother.
.
Souta was pleased with how the day had turned out. The picnic hadn't been a total bore which was good. He'd made a few new friends and had spent a lot of time playing with them, just being an ordinary boy. It was nice to spend time with his peers. And he planned on spending time with them as often as his chores and studying let him.
As he walked down the corridor to his room, Souta heard a noise. Kagome's door was opened and swayed a bit, probably because of a draft. He shook his head, she'd probably left the window open or something.
He was about to move past the door, when another sound caught his attention. A soft tune, barely over a whisper. He focused on it, curious.
It blossomed and swirled around him like petals of an apple tree, falling from the branches and scattering all around him. The boy opened his mouth slightly, as if he could taste the sound. It was so sweet, somehow, and so alluring. It was like a promise of a honey pie or a forest stream on a hot day, practically calling out to Souta to move closer, to follow the music, to waltz towards its source.
Without thinking, the boy walked inside Kagome's room and then towards a small door that was partially obscured by the wardrobe. He reached up and turned the carved key in the keyhole, then pushed the door open.
With a gasp of awe, Souta entered a wild forest. The picturesque place was alight with the sunlight, but also seemed to glow on its own, giving off the warm, friendly vibes that put his startled mind at ease. After a second of hesitation, Souta stepped onto the dry leaves that covered the ground and moved towards the center of the enclosure.
There he sat, the most magnificent entity Souta had ever seen. His hair glowed silver and seemed to sway as if it was underwater. His canine ears were perked up and turned his way. A pair of golden eyes observed him carefully, but with no ill intent behind the intense gaze. The mouth blowing into the flute seemed to barely keep from smirking. The man's features were sharp and handsome, intimidating but not scary. His aura, Souta noted, was powerful, but held no malice. It filled the whole place, just like the sunlight did, making the air thick, but not stiffening.
"Are... are you a fae?" Souta whispered. The musician nodded never stopped playing. He was dressed in weird, loose fitting red clothing, half of his body hidden from view by a pile of leaves on top of him. That was when Souta noticed that there was an arrow sticking out of his chest. It had to be painful. And it had to hinder his ability to play an even lovelier song.
Souta wanted to hear it, a melody of freedom and power, a melody that he could dance to, without tiring, for hours. In his heart, he wanted to see this man free, not pinned to a bed, closed away from the wild hills and forests he loved.
Step by step, he approached the fae, feeling as if his mind was a pool of warm water he had to wade through to give his limbs orders to move. He stood over the bed, his hand half-raised as he looked into the golden eyes of the fae.
"Souta, no!" Kagome's cry came to his ears, dull and dry. The boy blinked and saw his sister lunging forward and throwing herself over the midsection of the man, grabbing the flute and pulling it out of the nimble, clawed hands of the fae. As soon as she did that, the arms wrapped in wide red sleeves wrapped around the girl.
"Kami," Souta gasped and took a hasty step back, his heart rate speeding up as the honey-like fog lifted from his mind. Here he was, in the presence of a supernatural being, that held his sister in his arms as she lay on top of him. A wide, fanged grin spread across the fae's lips, his eyes twinkling.
"Hey, Kagome," he snickered.
A/N: Next update should be next Sunday.
Wbat will they do now?
