"The palest ink is better than the best memory."
-Chinese Proverb
Chapter Three: Introduction of Chaos
"Any luck with the search?" Shippou asked, nervously wringing his little paws as he looked up at Sango and Miroku. The pair of friends re-entering the humble hut of the priestess Kaede. The fox kit was obviously concerned for their lost companion, the fur of his arms a bit ruffled from all of his anxious behavior.
"I'm afraid there is nothing yet." Miroku answered with a serious look on his face. Sitting down near the stew that had been left over the fire to keep it warm. "It's a pity Inuyasha is such an idiot. The least he could have done is tell her instead of letting her catch them like that…again."
"A little late to worry about that now." Sango put in wisely. "He did go back to her time for us to see if she was there. We know that she's still here somewhere and we need to do what we can to find her. I doubt we'll get much more help from Inuyasha with Kikiyo keeping him busy. With his temper I don't imagine he would be a great help to our search anyway."
"It's been a long time though." the fox kit pulled at one of his ears as he spoke to them, crawling onto Miroku's shoulder by grasping the thick purple fabric of his robes and pulling himself. "I mean…do you think she's still okay? Why wouldn't she have come back by now? Or at least gone back home?"
"Who can say?" Miroku sighed a little as he sat down in the hut, tired from a long few days of searching. "He broke her heart, you can't really blame her for not wanting to risk coming in an area where she would be reminded of that."
Sango watched Miroku's observations thoughtfully and slightly surprised at his insight to a woman's feelings in this area. Finally nodding in agreement when she realized Shippou was looking at her for some sort of confirmation.
"I have to agree." She ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know where she could have gone without being seen though. I'm not willing to believe that something could have happened to her but for Kagome to go without being seen by any local village for such a long time isn't faith inspiring. We will have to keep searching. She'll turn up, she's always managed before."
"Master Miroku!" The squeaky voice of Hachi reached them from above somewhere a moment before the frightened demon ran into the small shack. "I found this in the woods! Here, here."
The raccoon held up one of Kagome's shoes to the monk with a grin of victory at having spotted it at all. "I found it at the bottom of a cliff and was worried that she might be dead but there wasn't a body anywhere…just a lot of blood. It smelled really bad, was pretty gruesome…but that means she has to be somewhere right?"
"Bottom of a cliff?" Sango asked with concern coming into her eyes as she thought about that. "That's pretty far to the edge of the area we asked you to search Hachi. It's really close to…"
She didn't finish the thought aloud, glancing to make certain that Miroku was on the same page as her.
"Sesshomaru's territory." He finished for her with a equally worried nod, smacking the racoon with his staff for making the fox kit seem alight with new worry at his description of the scene. "But yes, if you found one of her belongings there then likely the next best step would be to speak to people in that area of the country."
"That guy?" Shippou asked nervously, the demon lord had always frightened the bejesus out of the tiny fox. "Do you think he'd even answer if we asked if he'd seen her? He might just try to kill us."
"It's possible after the final battle with Naraku." Miroku didn't seem convinced of it himself given the doubtful tone of voice. "It's the first lead we've found in a while as to her whereabouts though."
"We have to at least try then." Sango agreed. "It'll take us a while to get there even with Hachi though. Want to leave in the morning?"
"Yeah…want to stay the night with me?" Miroku asked with a sly smile, his hands wandering to Sango's bottom. "I saw you appreciating my understanding of a woman's heart."
The resounding slap and slam of the door left Shippou rolling his eyes and the monk smiling despite the redness forming in his cheek.
"Keep dreaming Monk." Sango snapped with irritation as she left. "You don't know anything."
ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo
Kagome stared at the door after the very odd man left, who would get a tattoo on their forehead? He had a certain natural regal appearance that inspired respect but his attitude and demeanor ruined the fact that he was so attractive.
She shook her head and leaned back to rest as she'd been bid, not because she was told to but because she realized she really did need to relax with everything that had happened.
"Is he right?" she wondered as she settled an arm over her eyes gently. The gesture was somehow comforting even as he helped block out more of the light in the room than the curtains did. "How much of my memory did I lose if I did lose some of it? I thought amnesia meant I forgot everything, even my name…but I remember my name and my family and my friends and school… I've got to find a phone soon though so I can contact someone and get out of this strange place."
She eventually drifted off to sleep with her thoughts, waking sometime later to the noise of someone ruffling through the dresser. She blinked in surprise at what she was seeing, idly wondering if she was dreaming.
A stunning woman with a long set of folded dragonfly wings coming from her back was calmly folding linen and putting it away. The wings appeared to be faceted blue and green stained glass, though it was hard to see where or how they attached to her back because amazingly bright silver hair was falling over them almost like a shiny cloak. She was wearing a fairly simple Kimono with a low back because of the unreal appendages. She turned with a smile when she realized that Kagome was awake.
"Oh. I didn't mean to disturb you lady…" she started to apologize when the teenager started to scream and backpedal away.
Kagome had seen her eyes and started to freak out. The Dragonfly demoness had green eyes that were faceted and stuck out a bit from her head much like the animal that she partially embodied. The many reflections of her bruised face staring back at her was a little much for the girl without memory of demons to bear.
"Miss…I…please don't scream." the servant seemed suddenly anxious and glanced at the door.
Kagome backed further away on the large bed, wanting to cradle herself or bite herself and wake up but the pain from her injuries already told her that she wasn't still asleep. She very very badly wished she was asleep so she could wake up from this nightmare.
"You'll wake the Lord and he'll be unhappy with my service." the woman looked back to the supposed invalid she was suppose to be caring for. Kagome backed so far she fell from the bed and barely managed to catch herself, her whole brain threatening to send her into a feint from the quick movement and impact.
"A bit late for that." Sesshomaru's deep tenor reached them from the bathroom door, there must have been another connecting room with it for him to have arrived that way. "What is going on here Emera?"
The voice made her feel a little better, mostly because even if the man was strange he at least was apparently in control of whatever the woman was.
"I was just folding her some clothing and putting it away as once she starts to walk commonly again I'm sure she'll want a clean change from time to time. When she woke and looked at me she just started screaming as if she expected me to attack her." The woman bowed as she rushed her words to explain. "My greatest apologies for causing this disturbance to your slumber Lord Sesshomaru."
"Don't dwell on it Emera." the lord answered, instead looking at Kagome as he considered things. "Take your leave of us, you may return to work with her in an hour."
"Yes Lord." The woman bowed lower, which hadn't seemed possible, and then swept from the room without much of a sound as Kagome was still pulling herself back to her shaky feet.
"Ow…" she complained aloud at her clumsiness, blushing again as Sesshomaru continued to stare.
"Why is it you were so rude to Emera? Was she displeasing in some way?" He asked with the same cool he always seemed to possess. "Did I not tell you that I was having a demon healer come to work with you?"
"Wait…" she pulled herself to where she was sitting on the bed, paling at his explanation. "You are telling me that she's a demon? That's not possible, demons aren't real."
He stared at the woman again for a long time, curious of her odd claims and behavior.
"Where were you raised that you don't know of demons?" He finally asked, the intrigue was peaking even his rare interest. This woman got stranger and stranger each day. It would make sense if she had lost some of her memory, but if she remembered a family then she must have been from someplace where demon races were uncommon. He couldn't think of any of those offhand, and her appearance placed her as a native to Japan.
"I'm from one of the shrines in Tokyo." She answered, still wanting to disbelieve what she'd seen. Grasping at the thought that maybe it was just a really cruel practical joke. "Everyone knows demons aren't real. They're just stories to frighten or entertain people."
"You are mistaken." He replied with a flick of his wrist, summoning his energy into the long ribbon like whip that he sometimes used just to show her the power. "You are staying in an estate full of us. Don't start screaming again though unless you want me to gag you."
That much paused her thoughts of more noise and an attempt to run away, her brown gaze following the weaving ribbon of yellow energy.
"No one here will harm you, you are under my protection." He explained. "You will allow Emera to tend to you so that you will recover faster. Your priestly powers allow you a greater regeneration than most humans so hopefully soon I'll be able to send you safely on your way."
She nodded a little, completely uncertain of just how she was suppose to act and at a loss of anything else to say. This was a little more than she was willing to believe, she laid herself back down with a wonder if she wouldn't wake in her bed late for school in the morning and tell this all to her friends as some fanciful dream.
"What did he call me? A priestess? This is all too much…maybe I'm hallucinating cause of the hit to my head."
ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo
"How long do you plan to hold that mortal here? Subjects within the grounds are growing concerned with her continued presence now that she's awakened." The voice was calm but serious as the speaker stared at Sesshomaru from swirling snowy eyes.
The man appeared to be nothing else than a simple servant, wearing a tailored black suit with tails and immaculately white gloves, short alabaster hair fell to just above his shoulders with bangs interrupting the view of his unique vision. He wore paired long-daggers for weapons that could be seen settled at his belt. Similar to the Japanese wakasashi's but curved in such a way that changed their weapon style enough to not fit the exact name. His expression was difficult to read thanks to the fact that the emotions his eyes expressed constantly seemed to shift chaotically.
"What are you suggesting Rimida?" Sesshomaru asked, looking almost bored with the conversation's sudden turn. "That I should go out of my way to bring pointless concerns of my servant's to ease? That is below my position."
"I realize that and nor am I saying you should do anything at all." The man offered a small shrug and widening of his hands. "But you should be aware of the whispers that occur. My sister hears much and sees more. It is my duty to pass such information on to you. She sees trouble in the future that she is unable to place that circles that woman and her so far unknown position within this house. Though she did also mention her continued presence would possibly lead to great prosperity for the western lands."
"Saiya has seen things involving the human?" Sesshomaru was more interested but that was only shown by the boredom disappearing from his tone. He didn't show any actual intrigue but the sudden lack of tedium gave away his true feelings to those who knew how to look.
"Only what I just mentioned, I don't pretend to know what her visions mean. I have never had the seer's blood of most of my bloodline." He shrugged a little. "My area of interest lies elsewhere as you are aware. Do you require anything else of me while I'm here my lord?"
The demon lord leaned back as he considered what he'd just been told, resisting an urge to drum sharp claws on the desk where he'd been trapped all morning. He had paid a pretty penny for such rare wood to be imported, and then more for the craftsman capable of making what he wanted, he wouldn't scratch if no matter how mind-numbing the day became. If the woman was now in the visions of his best seer, then there was something more to her than he originally knew. Even if she might bring trouble it was never a good idea to ignore what fate's mistress' had to say about the future.
"I want you to give up your teaching in the fields for a while and take up guarding our mortal guest until further notice. If what you say about the unrest is true your presence should deter people getting ideas about harming her." He nodded slightly and returned to the papers in front of him as a silent dismissal of his guard.
The man nodded once, bowing before leaving the office without much sound, nearly floating over the ground as he walked…so easy was his movement. Her room not being far from the office made a short trip before he knocked on the door.
"Come in." Came a nervous female voice in response.
He stepped into the room, glancing over the woman laying in the bed and her still heavy injuries before he closed the door again. He could sense her fear and with what he understood of her loss of memory and lack of real knowledge of demons he couldn't blame her for the nervousness in his presence.
He approached but remained far enough away that he wouldn't take personal damage if her holy powers happened to flare at his presence.
"You have no need to be fearful lady." His voice was hardly comforting more than slightly confusing, it also seemed to shift through more emotions than she could follow. "I am Rimida, a demon of Chaos as it were. I'm here to let you know that I've been assigned as your personal guard to help put your mind at ease while you are a guest at my lord's estate."
"A bodyguard?" She didn't seem less anxious by the news, wringing her hands in her sheets as she glanced to her lap and then back to him. "Why, do I need one?"
"It is a simple precaution. Besides, given your stress at your being here the lord believed it might be easier for you to have someone around to be of aid so you would perhaps be less scared of your surroundings." He explained as he watched her, picking up details about her by her movements and watching her as she stared.
"Your eyes are really…moving…aren't they?" She asked curiously. It was hard not to be trapped by a pair of eyes that moved.
"Yes." He smiled at her, remembering that humans enjoyed such odd details. "It's a part of my blood you could say."
"You seem really organized for a chaotic person." She added, as if already just accepting him as her personal solider.
"It's a matter of personal taste." He said mysteriously. "If I ever tell you not to look at me however, I would greatly appreciate if you would simply listen. My true form could be harmful to the psyche of most other creatures. I wouldn't wish for it to cause you harm."
"Oh…" She nodded a little, trying to take all of the strange information in. "So why are you wearing a suit if you are here to protect me? Shouldn't you have armor or something?"
She thought it better not to dwell on just how looking at his 'true' form might effect her psyche.
"My clothing works as armor." He replied without offering further explanation. "How are you feeling?"
"A little better now that I've been able to learn a little more from Emera and she's been doing what she can to heal me but I guess having priestly powers makes it harder for her…I don't' understand a lot of all of this still. It seems more like a dream than reality." She smiled tiredly, as if just thinking about it took energy out of her.
Yet, she had a natural cheerfulness that was infectious and Rimida had to admit that he didn't mind the mortal that much. He'd never been one that was interested in causing harm to those of lesser power than he so her throwing such a kink in Sesshomaru's usually perfectly run house was something that was close to his heart given what demonic race he represented.
"I shouldn't bother you too much at the moment." He nodded to her again. "I will be outside so if you need anything just call for me. Rest well lady."
"Kagome." the girl corrected as she yawned, starting to fall asleep again at the suggestion. "Just call me Kagome."
"Lady Kagome then." He winked as he left the room, closing the door.
"I think this will be a fun job at least." He thought to himself as he leaned against the wall nearby.
"Rimida?" A surprised voice reached his ears and he turned to look at another of the demons within the large estate that worked for Sesshomaru. "Why is the captain of the guard wasting his time in the halls when there is so much training for the young ones to be done?"
The smaller male had brilliant green eyes and matching long hair that was pulled back in a simple ponytail, he wore light leather armor that was black in color and had a nasty looking red short sword on his belt that seemed to pulse with some sort of negative energy. He had a slightly shocked expression on his pressed, hawk like face.
The paler demon grinned back at him callously. "I suppose I'll be kind and take that as a greeting for one's superior. What is a scavenger like you doing in this part of the estate, Tuay?"
"I was just taking a walk Captain Rimida." The smaller man shrugged indifferently. "No reason to get so touchy just because you were demoted to common bodyguard. I suppose then that the girl everyone's talking about is staying in the room behind you. Funny that that's the room reserved for the lord's eventual mate isn't it?"
"Seems news travels fast. I'll have to recommend the troops workload is doubled if people can afford to spend their time gossiping like hens." He returned with a shrug. "It is the most secure place, I suggested myself that it be used when I knew that the lord would be looking out for another mortal girl. I'd hate to see a repeat of what happened to Lady Rin a few months ago." "Oh yes, the demon that attacked the young one." Tuay put on a sad expression. "It was a pity that they never caught the people behind that particular event."
"I'm sure you feel that way." Rimida answered with a simple shrug. "Either way, I see you in this area again when you are banned from it and I'll have to throw you into the prison won't I? I was never actually demoted from my real position after all. I have no patience for the vulture clan."
"No need to threaten Captain. It doesn't become you. I'll be on my way." He tipped a non-existent hat and moved along the corridor again, disappearing around the corner moments later.
The chaos demon stared after him for a long while, narrowing his churning stormy gaze as he thought about the many things such a visit could possibly mean for him and the lady resting within the room behind him, blissfully unaware so far of the many political issues that were being spun in a deadly web around her person.
"I guess that Sesshomaru had the right person in mind when he picked me out for this. I've been wanting an excuse to kill that little rat for years now, hopefully he'll give me a reason. Whatever happens, this promises to be a great amount of fun for me."
The thoughts brought a dark smile to the suited demon's face as he leaned back against the wall again and cast his eyes toward the ceiling to wait.
End Chapter
I combined a couple of the original chapters of Shattered to make this chapter of the remake for Rimida and Kagome. I wanted to work on it a little more so I figured I'd just do it this way and have a longer single chapter than two shorter ones. Also, the initial appearance of Rimida - yay. I loves him.
-Aura
P.S. I appreciate the few reviews I've gotten again but I'd really love to see some more uh…love? I guess. Or something.