The Other Side

Chapter 11

Illusion

Kagome followed InuKimi throughout the hallways in disbelief. If she didn't stay close to her, she would have gotten lost by now. They took so many turns, went up two flights of stairs before finally coming to the right room. Kagome was dizzy by then.

InuKimi waved a hand to the bed in the room, telling Kagome to sit there while she finds something for her to wear. She came back a few minutes later with some of the most beautiful kimonos Kagome has ever seen. "You may pick out which you want," she said, gently laying the outfits down on the bed next to Kagome.

She was actually allowed to wear one of them? She inwardly squealed before grabbing the closest one; it was blue with white canes all over. Its sash was black; plain and simple. InuKimi helped her get into it before Kagome said anything. "Are you sure I can wear this?" Kagome asked, suddenly nervous that she would be her clumsy self and damage it.

"Every guest of the West is allowed their own set of outfits," she answered, making Kagome feel like she wasn't special for whatever reason. Kagome looked to the ground as InuKimi took in her appearance before gasping softly. "Oh my." InuKimi simply stared at the woman on the bed. She could easily see through the illusion that was on Kagome. She wondered if the woman before her knew of this as well.

"Is there something wrong?" Kagome was worried, that much InuKimi knew.

"Do you by chance know of the illusion that is on you?" Damn her curiosity. Kagome blinked and shook her head. InuKimi grabbed her wrist, dragging her in front of the large mirror across the bed. "Tell me what you see in there," she told her, pointing a clawed hand to the mirror.

"I see myself."

She felt the woman run her finger down her spine; she shivered at the touch. InuKimi tapped her forehead with a flick; Kagome flinched, closing her eyes at the sudden pain. What was going on? "Now what do you see?"

Kagome opened her eyes and stared at her reflection. She gasped loudly, watching her hands cup her face. That was her? Her eyes were slanted, the color of her eyes of that of an ocean; light blue fading to dark blue. She had eye liner; a deep blue. There were markings on her cheeks; one azure single stripe on each side, high on her cheekbone.

Her eyes scanned the image before staring at her hair, which was now down to her hips. They then settled back to her face, not believing it, followed by the crescent moon on her forehead. It was the same as Sesshomaru's and InuKimi's. "But... how?"

"That my dear, even I do not know," she said, enjoying Kagome watching her reflection. She was amazed that this woman had the markings of the West. It was rare to find someone that had the markings like Kagome did-if not, ultra-rare, especially with a woman. The males always have them; the females would get them after they mated. "I am willing to help find out though."

Kagome slowly nodded before she started to notice the little things, like how everything sounded different. In fact, she could hear the men in the training grounds, metal against metal. She turned to InuKimi, who was smiling at her. "Well, this is odd... Is it permanent?"

"Yes; I have released your illusion."

"For the better?"

InuKimi pondered on that. Kagome was right though; was it for the better to have released it? Perhaps it was there for a reason. If that was the case, she blamed her curiosity. "That doesn't matter anymore if it was for the better or not. It's been released. You can continue living without having spurts of your original power coming out. Now it's just you and you only."

Reviews are welcomed.