Hello everyone Monty here! I just wanted to give a huge apology for how long it has taken me to update and continue this story!
I have been in and out of the hospital for the past year and I recently moved so everything has been kind of hectic!
but I am back, and you can expect several new chapters this coming week as I upload the ones I've been working on!
I want to say thank you to everyone that has been giving me such kind review! You guys are wonderful!
Let's continue on with the story!
as always: I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters, this is purely fan-made and I received nothing for writing this except the enjoyment of the readers.
Chapter two
Kagome sat back, her eyes focused on the shackles attached to the woman, they were a shiny dark grey with black markings etched into them, curling around the metal were words. Kagome shifted closer, to get a better look. On the woman's right wrist the words seemed to repeat themselves throughout the design. Conceal, Contain, Subdue. To say Kagome was confused was an understatement, but the girl's curiosity burned. 'I wonder what the words mean…' moving to the left wrist she noticed it was almost identical but the words repeated were Suppress, Withhold, Obscure. A frown graced Kagome's face, what could those mean. Hovering her hands over the jewel, the young priestess attempted to call the jewel to her, it pulsed with a dull hum, but the words and designs glowed a dark purple before a shock was sent through Kagome's hand and up to her elbow.
"Ow!" Flinching back she shook the offended limb, wincing at the sudden pins and needle feeling of the blood flowing back, "What the heck, well at least now I know that those are seals…" The sound of rustling brought her gaze down to the woman, her arm was raised to her head, and her brows furrowed and she struggled to sit up. Kagome didn't miss a beat and placed her hand on the woman's back to assist her to sitting position. When her hand was lowered from her face, the woman tilted her head to meet Kagome's eyes. Kagome was startled at first, the woman's eyes were a deep royal blue, not to be marred by the dirt and blood that covered her face, more vibrant than any she had ever seen, at least on human's anyways.
"K-Kagome?" The woman spoke softly, and her eyes glazed as if she were trying to remember, Kagome gave her a warm smile that seemed to sooth the woman.
"Yes, my name is Kagome, can you tell me what your name is?" The woman frowned and tilted her head.
"Tsuyoi… I think, I'm afraid I don't remember…. Where am I?" Kagome listened to her, and the way she spoke was so out of place for the utter confusion she held.
"I found you in the middle of a field, you were wounded… do you remember what happened?"
"I was… walking, I think I was looking for something, or someone," she rubbed her temples with her fingers, "Then there was… pain, excrutiating pain, like my soul being torn from my body and then it went dark... I - I don't remember, there's nothing after that…." Her eyes widened and she leaped to her feet, causing Kagome to topple backwards in surprise at the sudden action. "I remember a sword, my sword, and a woman… she took it from me…" the shackle on her left started to glow and Tsuyoi fell to her knees, gripping her head cringing. Kagome was by her side in an instant.
"Hey, are you okay?" Worry filled her eyes, Tsuyoi was visibly shaking under Kagome's hand, "Tsuyoi?" She raised her eyes to meet Kagome's, her face puzzled at their position.
"Kagome, what happened?" Kagome looked at her in question.
"You were talking about what happened to you, you mentioned a sword and a woman who took it before your head started hurting.."
"A sword? I don't remember a sword… I only remember you.." Suppress, Withhold, Obscure. The words repeated through her mind and suddenly Kagome's head snapped up! 'Of course! The shackles!'
"Those shackles on your wrist are blocking out your memories!" Tsuyoi's eyes traveled down to her wrists where the metal bands held firm, tears pricked her eyes and she looked to Kagome with an expression that made her seem so lost, it broke Kagome's heart. Her eyes hardened and she stood, extending her hand. "Come on, I'm taking you to Kaede, if there's anyone who would know what to do it's her!"
"You would help me?" Tsuyoi's eyes filled with hope, Kagome smiled.
"Of course, I could never just leave you… and at least this way we are both together… Now how about we find you a spring to wash up in, I have a yukata in my backpack you can wear" Kagome helped Tsuyoi to her feet, she was happy to have someone depend on her again, it made her feel needed, "I think there was one this way…"
Tsuyoi smiled happily and followed Kagome, looking curiously at the yellow bag she had slung over her shoulder. The two spoke lightly, mainly just Kagome asking questions about what Tsuyoi could recall, she remembered the date, though she was a few days off, which gave Kagome the idea that she had been laying there for a day or two, Tsuyoi could remember her favourite colour: teal. Her favourite season: Winter. Her favourite flower: Tiger Lilies. But she couldn't remember why they were her favourites, nor why she would get this far off look and smile lightly whenever the wind brought the scent of the west to her nose. Tsuyoi knew of everything she learned, how to track, to hunt, but it seemed as if everything personal about her past was gone.
Kagome was curious, the way this woman spoke, her mannerisms, the way she walked all screamed of high breeding, and what she was wearing was oddly similar to Inuyasha's brother, Sesshomaru's garb… just more feminine and without the armour, and ripped in several places. They reached the spring and Kagome helped Tsuyoi undress and step into the water, pulling out her bathing supplies, Tsuyoi looked at the shampoo bottles.
"What are those Kagome?" Kagome opened the bottle and offered it to Tsuyoi to smell, "Oh, it smells like lavender!"
"It's called shampoo, it's for your hair, we make it in the village I am from…" Kagome chuckled at the childlike wonder on Tsuyoi's face, she dipped into the water before sitting in front of where Kagome was perched so she could wash her hair. Kagome took her time, getting the grime and tangles out of Tsuyoi's hair with a comb.
"Tell me more, of your village, I see you carry so many strange items, like your odd 'back sack' and your clothes" Kagome giggled.
"Back Pack. And these clothes are a uniform I use for school, all the girls where I'm from wear them" Tsuyoi gave Kagome a smile, "Though I admit that it's not my first choice of clothing, dip into the water and rinse your hair" Tsuyoi nodded and sank into the water, the dark hair that was tangled and covered with dried blood and dirt was now hanging to her thighs and held a dark wine colour red, Kagome handed her a towel. "What about you, do you remember anything of where you may have come from?" Tsuyoi looked down in thought.
"I remember a garden, filled with lilies, I think I spent a lot of time there, at least I know I would now if I could remember where it was!" Tsuyoi chuckled, Kagome would have laughed with her but was watching as Tsuyoi expertly wrapped the juban around her body and followed with the light green yukata and the obi. Watching Tsuyoi tie the obi only solidified that there was much more to this girl than Kagome had previously thought. Tsuyoi smiled at Kagome, who returned it.
"Well, now we need to get to Kaede's village… which is located near bone-eater's well-"
"Oh I know where that is! It's that direction!" Tsuyoi spoke happily, Kagome's eyes widened.
"Are you sure?" Tsuyoi nodded.
"I know, trust me, I can feel it" Kagome shrugged on her backpack and smiled.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" And the two set off, following Tsuyoi's judgment, chatting. For once Kagome felt like she was at ease, there was no nagging sense of foreboding like there was when traveling with Inuyasha. Only questions formed, of things she would take note to ask Kaede of.
-with the group-
Shippo was the first to realize that Kagome was gone, he had turned to show her a picture that he drew, of himself and her playing tag, just to find she was no longer there. The young kistune voiced his worry to the rest, and they all seemed as confused as he was. No one had noticed her leave. Maybe what Inuyasha's miko said was true… Kikyō had come to him shortly after she joined and told him that he could come to her if he needed anything, Shippo had refused saying Kagome was tired, she worked very hard for everyone and she deserved a little break. Shippo was wary at first but he would do anything to let his Kagome rest, so he turned to Kikyō more… hoping that the girl who had become a big sister to him would return to her smiling self. Now however she was gone.
"The wench left with my jewel shards!" Inuyasha shouted angrily, stomping around the camp, "Get ready to leave, we're going after her, she couldn't have gotten very far" Sango looked to Miroku sadly, she regretted what she had said to Kagome, her sister… After Miroku had gotten hurt she had let her fear take over, she didn't mean the harsh words, and now she blamed herself, she didn't even think of Kagome taking off on her own.
"Miroku, what if she gets hurt?" The monk turned to her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"I am much more worried about what will happen if we find her…" his eyes shifted over to Inuyasha, who was seething and mumbling under his breath about 'how dare she leave' and Kikyō's cold dead eyes watching them unblinking, "let us just hope she is safe for now… come along Shippo!" The kitsune jumped to perch on Miroku's shoulder and they set off in search of their missing friend, but Miroku couldn't help but to feel a dark aura lurking around them, he shuddered and pulled his staff closer. Whatever it was, it seemed to emanate from the clay priestess at Inuyasha's side, but if the other's couldn't feel it, then he would have to keep a close eye on her...
I explained a little bit about what was happening with the group, and why they acted the way they had. |to a certain "guest" reader, I was not using character bashing as an excuse to get where I wanted, I was looking through a realistic standpoint and anyone who has gone through stress would probably "snap" at anyone, I know my bestfriend and I go through an argument at least once every time college finals come around.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you all think!
-Monty