Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha
"Urgh…where am I?"
"You are in Sesshoumaru-sama's room."
Heavy eyes snapped open and the girl sat up immediately, only to fall back onto the bed with a groan, clutching her head.
"There there," soothed the voice gently, "Try to sit up more slowly young lady, you have been sleeping for a long time."
"How…how long have I been sleeping for?" mumbled the girl as a pair of withered hands plumped her pillows up before helping her sit up against the feathered pillows.
"Just over a week now."
"What? Over a week!" the girl sat up abruptly again before flopping pitifully back onto the pillows.
She peered through dizzy eyes at a little old lady with hair of snow white tied sensibly away from her weathered face bustling around the room, her eyes roaming curiously around the room. The room was coloured with shades or royal reds and russets. Like the inside of a toasty fire, rich warm colours canvassed the room, drawn and covering one side of the room were deep mahogany curtains with golden tassels. Dark Oakwood in the form of drawers, a desk in the corner, and the stands of the four poster bed on which she lay, silky sheets draped gracefully over her prone form and a warm cheery fire crackled merrily in the fireplace opposite to her, its warmth throwing a gentle light on the fluffy marron rug that carpeted the floor between two plush leather armchairs.
The little old lady bumbled over to where she lay and peered through sharp twinkling eyes at her own wide ones. Deep wrinkles etched her face, ones that told of a face that had seen much smiling and laughter, from the crow's feet to her eyes to the permanent smiling lines on her cheeks. A corner of her wizened mouth was pulled up as the old lady patted her hand comfortingly.
"This is the eighth morning that you have lain here young lady, now, do you have a name that I may address you by or should I continue to call you young lady?"
The girl shifted uncomfortably, "No, I have no such title," she paused, hesitating. "Kagome…my name is Kagome."
The old lady nodded thoughtfully, "Mm mm, Kagome is a nice name young lady. I shall call you Kagome then," she released Kagome's hand and bustled over to the pile of clothes that sat inconspicuously in the corner, "My name is Kaede. You may also address me as Obaa-san if you like."
She shuffled back to where Kagome lay and draped a simple light blue dress over the covers, "I am the head housekeeper," she continued as she laid out a few more bits and pieces.
Kagome eyed her warily, "Kaede, where am I? What happened to me?" She looked down at the clean bandages that wrapped around her shoulder, a dull pain continued to throb, but it was bearable.
"As I said before, you are in Sesshoumaru-sama's room," she sat on the edge of the bed and assessed Kagome. "I do not know what happened to you, all I know is that Sesshoumaru-sama came barging home and carried you up to his room. He scattered all the staff left and right as he barked for my assistance to come see to your wounds. It was very close for you, you know. Had he delayed any longer you may no longer be with us. You have been sleeping here ever since."
"So you were the one who healed me?"
Kaede chuckled, "Sesshoumaru-sama asked if I required his help, but Master of the house or no, I'm sure that every girl deserves some modesty."
Kagome peeked under her covers and blushed a deep red when she realized she was naked beneath the sheets. "Th-thank you," she stuttered as she looked down. Many of the wounds and gashes on her body had already faded to angry red lines and welts. Apart from her shoulder, everything seemed to be in working order, although a little sore.
Kaede smiled, "Thank me not Kagome, it is Sesshoumaru-sama who saved your life."
Kagome looked at her and smiled, "Sesshoumaru-sama is it? Then it is him I must thank." She gazed at her hands thoughtfully, trying to call to mind the events that led to her laying there.
She ran her memory back. There was that final fight with Naraku. He had tossed her into the air, and as she flew through the air she had known with an absolute certainty that she was going to die. She remembered crashing through the trees, her body knocked about by the branches as she fell. Pain engulfed her everywhere and she could feel the ground rushing up to meet her when there was a flash of pink. Then she knew nothing. When she came to, she was lying on the dirt floor of a bottom of a well. Yes, she remembered now. She had climbed up to the top of the well, confused and delirious with pain. She saw light and stumbled towards it when she noticed two figures standing in front of her. Two males. She had been about to call out for their help when she spotted the strange markings on one wrapped with fur on his shoulder and the fluffy ears on the other. They had been…they had been…
Kagome sat up straighter as goose bumps rose on her flesh. She stared at Kaede "Youkai," she whispered.
She was charging. A blow struck her from behind. She lay on the floor defenceless. The sun glinted off impossibly silver white hair, blinding her. Evil eyes of amber gold glinted back at her. Sharp claws coming reaching down for her. Dark chuckles hissing from serpent teeth as they came closer, and closer…
Kagome recoiled back in horror, "You! What have you done to me?"
Kaede eyed her curiously as she reached a questioning hand to Kagome.
Kagome slapped the offending hand away, "Do not touch me you rat!" she snapped. "Why have I been bought to the dwelling of such filth!" she scooted further to the other side of the bed.
Kaede cocked her head to the side and smiled faintly, "I would hardly call this home that I have looked after for more than sixty years filth, Kagome. I keep it immaculately decorated and cleaned. I had known the second you opened your eyes that you were not a normal girl. The circumstances surrounding your arrival were questionable enough."
Kagome narrowed her eyes at Kaede, "Do not say my name scum! What know you of me?" she pulled the sheets closer to her body.
Kaede's faint smile widened as she settled her short stature back onto the edge of the bed. Kagome growled in protest and edged further away.
"Young lady, I know not who you are, nor where you come from. I have my own suspicions, but I would like you to tell me yourself ("I'll tell you nothing!")," she paused. "You seem very confused my dear ("Don't dear me!") so I shall clarify a few things for you. You are in the Mansion of the Inu Taiyoukai, home to Sesshoumaru-sama, current Head and Master of the house, as well as his younger brother Inuyasha-sama. We are located in the city of Tokyo, in Japan. The date is currently the 12th of November, you are in the twenty first century now."
Kagome glared at her wordlessly.
"I'm also human," Kaede added thoughtfully.
"Lies!" spat Kagome.
Kaede raised an eyebrow and got off the bed, "What part of me looks youkai to you Kagome?" she did a little twirl.
Kagome stayed silently. The image of Naraku clear in her head.
Kaede sighed and proceeded her way over to the seething girl. "Kagome," she said softly. "Humans and youkai have co-existed in peace for centuries now. We live in a society where youkai and humans live side by side"
Kagome jerked as if she had been hit, "Impossible," she croaked.
Kaede smiled, "It is true Kagome."
Kagome gritted her teeth and turned her face away, "Impossible," she repeated stubbornly, "There is no way that humans and youkai could exist in harmony together. If you saw what my eyes have seen..." she shuddered and her eyes clouded with tears as the sounds of past battles and screams echoed quietly in her mind. "Youkai feed with pleasure on humans and their suffering," Naraku's laugh rang faintly in her ears. "I could never forgive the youkai for what they have done."
Kaede watched Kagome's form quietly. Finally she spoke, "Your wounds run much deeper than the physical. Your spirit has been hurt terribly, Kagome."
Kagome turned her face to Kaede, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "You know nothing Kaede. I will never, ever, forgive Youkai. Not in this lifetime, not in the next." She turned her face away again, "If you have bought me to health and nursed me to be a sacrificial lamb, then get it over and done with and leave me to my fate," she announced with an air of finality.
A loud rumble rolled through the room like an impeding storm.
Silence.
Kagome could feel the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair turn bright red.
"Perhaps," ventured Kaede slowly, "even the sacrificial lambmay need to eat?"
Kagome opened her mouth to argue but shut up as her stomach gurgled in protest again.
Loudly.
She buried her face under the sheets to hide the hot burn that she could feel radiating off her cheeks.
"Fine, you win," came her muffled half-hearted reply.
…
Kagome eyed the kitchen warily as she perched alone on a stool in front of a large granite kitchen table. Curious items affixed her attention as she allowed her eyes to wander over the strange things that littered the benches and table tops. A shiny metal object in the corner was currently blowing steam out like a hot spring, while a very large white stone-like block hummed quietly to her left. She had been left dumbstruck when the boisterous fat lady Kaede had introduced to her as Cook opened the stone-block and produced meat and eggs from within the depths of its belly.
They had called it the Re-free-je-rate-tor.
She dubbed it the Magical Farm Animal. It was obviously alive.
"So," she started hesitatingly, "Where do you breed these manner of beasts?" she motioned vaguely to the fridge.
"Hm?" both Cook and Kaede looked back at her from the stove where they had been chatting while Cook whipped up a quick breakfast for their petite guest.
They both looked over to the fridge. Cooked instantly boomed into laughter as Kaede smiled widely at a red Kagome, "My dear, that is no manner of beastie. It is a creation of humans."
Kagome sucked in a breath, "Magic?"
"No Kagome, not magic. It is created from technology, a term we use to encompass all the skills and knowledge developed to create practical solutions to life. Humans created this using technology amongst the many other things you see lying around this house."
Kagome stared blankly at her.
"Here's your breakfast lovely!" interrupted Cook loudly as she plonked a massive platter piled with bacon, eggs and toast in front of Kagome.
Kagome looked down at the steaming pile in front of her before sniffing the food suspiciously.
"Well I never!" exclaimed Cook, "Young lassie, no one that has eaten my cooking has ever ended up in questionable sickness!"
Kaede patted her arm reassuringly "There, there. Kagome just needs a little time to adapt. I dare say this will be her first time eating such a meal."
Cook sniffed disdainfully but deposited a set of cutlery next to the plate anyway.
The two watched as Kagome poked at the eggs and meat a little before delicately nibbling away. Then, as if someone had switched the fast forward button, she began to take bigger bites and chewed faster until within seconds she was attacking the food with such voracious gusto that Cook had to lift up her apron to cover her face as food flew everywhere.
"See, Cook? I have never seen anyone enjoy your cooking as much as she does," pointed out Kaede as she too, joined Cook behind the protection of her apron
Cook laughed throatily as she dodged a toast crust, "It's been a while since I've had anyone appreciate my cooking as much as this little one does, I like her already!"
Moments later the storm began to die down as Kagome finally sat back onto her stool, a satisfied smile on her face as she patted her stomach. The utensils still lay next to her plate untouched.
"Thank you very much for the meal," she mumbled demurely.
Kaede covered up her bubbling laughter behind a quiet cough as Cook threw her head back and, with hands on her hips, boomed resoundingly in laughter. She reached over and ruffled Kagome's hair fondly.
"Anytime, little one."
…..
Inuyasha jumped as a hand banged loudly against the dark tinted glass that separated the back of the limo to the compartment he was sitting in. His ears flattened tightly against the top of his head as the hand slid squeakily down the misty glass.
"Ooooh, Sesshoumaru-san!" moaned a muffled feminine voice as the limo rocked to the steady thumping from the back.
"Oooooh yeeesssss!"
Inuyasha groaned and clapped his hands over his ears as he slouched lower into his seat.
"Ooooh my gooood!"
"Oh yeess!"
"Nooo!"
"Yeeees! Yees!"
"YES!"
"YES!"
"YES!"
"YEEEEEEESSSS!"
Feeling a nerve pop in his forehead, Inuyasha jumped up in his seat and rolled over to the window where he rapped sharply on the window
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WOMAN! CALM THE FUCK DOWN!"
The window winded down and Sesshoumaru's face popped into view. He stared deadpanned at Inuyasha.
"Hello brother."
Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak when a woman with soft elegant features appeared next to Sesshoumaru. Her dark hair plastered wetly to her pale face, sweat trailed enticingly down her long slim neck. Her cheeks were rosy and her lips swollen seductively. The musky smell of sex wafted through the gap straight into Inuyasha's face.
"Please, Inuyasha. You're just jealous that you're not even half the man that Sesshoumaru-san is," she rolled her large brown eyes, "He can do things to me with one hand, no, one finger that you wouldn't even be able to dream of doing."
Inuyasha scowled.
The girl giggled," Don't worry, you're almost home anyway. I know it must be such a turn on for you, but just try not to blow before you get home ok?" she blew him a kiss and began to pull Sesshoumaru back into the dark recesses of the back compartment.
Inuyasha gaped flabbergasted at her comment as the window slid back up again, but not before he caught Sesshoumaru's mouth twitch up smugly.
"Now," continued the girl, her voice muffled through the glass, "How about I treat you to my super special XXXX and XXXX and while I'm at it I'll also XXXX? I am going to blow your mind Sesshoumaru-san."
Inuyasha groaned and flopped back onto the leather seats, closing his eyes tightly and burying his head in his arms, he hummed loudly and tried his best to ignore the moans and thumping that escalated again.
"Ahhhhh~!" Thump thump.
'Fuck my life.'
…
"I cannot believe you just did what you did."
Sesshoumaru looked down at Inuyasha in amusement as the limo pulled away from the front of the mansion.
"Why little brother, I did it for your benefit."
"And exactly how was that for my benefit?" shot back Inuyasha
"You wanted to know if my women were starfishes. I decided the best course of action would be to demonstrate to answer your question clearly and clear up any confusion you may have had."
Inuyasha groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead.
"That was a joke Sesshoumaru, I almost forgot about it. I was wondering why you decided to bring along a guest so out of the blue after school. You're usually more smooth and suave then that. I should have guessed when you offered her the back of the limo." Inuyasha wrinkled his nose, "It's going to stink in there for days."
The two of them watched as the girl popped her head out of the limo and give them a cheery wave just as the limo turned at the gate and out of sight.
"Still, who would've thought that she was such a sex fiend? I mean come on, Tomoe Haruka? Even her name is so straight laced. She's pretty and intelligent as hell, but she wears glasses and always has her hair in a bun," Inuyasha tapped his chin thoughtfully, "I heard she takes Flower Arrangement and Tea Ceremony classes, which is why I never even bothered to try for her in the first place."
Sesshoumaru turned up to the stairs where two butlers held the large grand entrance doors open.
"I can't believe I thought she was a prune."
Sesshoumaru glanced at his younger counterpart in amusement.
"Behind every shy, demure lady prowls a wild vixen Inuyasha"
…
Kagome strolled down the hallway slowly with Kaede as the old lady shuffled along the wooden floor leisurely. She had led Kagome around the mansion for the better part of the day but there was still so much of the house they hadn't covered, so many rooms to be shown.
Kagome had insisted that they stop to take a break for the old lady, but Kaede had laughed off her concern. They had met most of the staff that ran the mansion and kept it in top pristine condition, and through the course of the day Kagome found herself slowly relaxing and cautiously trusting the old lady little by little. Kaede and the rest of the staff, she gathered, were as human as they come. They were very friendly too. With not one person that she had met so far commenting or openly staring at her mismatching eyes. Something she had learned to live with back home.
"Kagome, is there anything in particular you would like to see?"
Kagome shook her head and smiled gently at the old woman.
"No, I'm happy to go wherever you would like to go Obaa-san"
"Did you need to rest? I know you must be getting tired since it's still the first day since you've woken. You will still be a little weak."
Kagome shook her head again, "No, I'm fine Obaa-san, I like all this walking. It's helping me stretch and work out the sores in my body anyway." Truthfully, she was starting to feel a little weak, and would have been grateful for a break, but she refused to be shunted back into that filthy room again.
Kaede nodded thoughtfully, "Hm hm, alright then," she looked at the little pocket watch she hung off her waist. "Well, I suppose since we're in the front hall we may as well make our way to the lobby. They'll be home any second now."
Kagome nodded absentmindedly as her mind wandered off again.
'Humans and Youkai living in harmony side by side…'
Kaede had explained the coexistence of youkai and human, and how it worked. But a large part of Kagome continued to recoil in horror as she took in Kaede's story.
Humans and Youkai?
It just wasn't right.
They had just reached the top of a magnificent set of stairs when two of the men that she had met earlier hustled forward to pull open two strikingly handsome doors made of polished wood.
"Welcome back, Sesshoumaru-sama, Inuyasha-sama!"
Their voices echoed loudly in the vast lobby and the two butlers bowed as two figures stepped through the doors.
Kagome's blood froze in her veins as her wide eyes took in the familiar long silver tresses, those bright golden amber eyes and those frightening markings and alien dog like ears that adorned the two men standing distantly below her.
Fury and disgust roared in her body as her fists clenched tightly, she trembled as waves of anger and revulsion crashed through her. Her hands instinctively shot up to grasp the two swords on her back. She felt a twinge as they grabbed empty air. She no longer had her weapons.
Looking around her eyes landed on a large elegant vase that stood on a small table in the hallway. Sprinting towards it, she grabbed it with both hands and rushed to the edge of the stairs, ignoring the sharp pain that resulted in the aggravated movement.
Kaede gasped as Kagome leapt to the vase and ran off with it held high over her head.
"Kagome!" she called desperately as the girl reached the top of the stairs.
…..
"Kagome!"
Both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru looked up as Kaede's voice rang clearly through the lobby.
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened and Inuyasha's bugged as they both took in the petite girl that they had both saved the previous week standing at the stop of the staircase with the priceless China Ming dynasty vase that had been given to Sesshoumaru as a business gift from one of his closest corporate clients held high over her head.
Her eyes blazed a fire of contempt that offset the soft baby blue summer dress she wore.
One of the butlers stepped forward, "NO! NOT THE MING VASE!"
"DIE YOUKAI SCUM!" the girl screamed as she hurled the vase with frightening strength at the two of them.
Sesshoumaru managed to leap out of the way and watched in bemusement as the vase clocked the back of Inuyasha's head and knocked him to the ground.
A collected gasp of horror resounded as the priceless vase smashed to pieces on the floor.
The girl leaped onto the rail of one of the stairs and slid down, her furious eyes bore into Sesshoumaru's own cool amber ones.
Her eyes of glittering sapphire and icy silver promised death.
…..
Hope you liked this chapter. I know this story is a little slow to get moving. Terrible habit, sorry.
Review and let me know what you think!