Note: This is a Drama/Action/Adventure/Tragedy/Romance/Angst. And it is rated M. There will be death in this story and perhaps there will be rape.
Deleterious Deploration
Chapter 1
Dated the year 1497:
I've been caught. I was imprudent, disregarding the warnings my own instinct was handing out to me. Many times I ask myself, why?
Why did I follow them?
Safety, yes.
But why did I really?
I suppose it was his eyes.
I still have not sought out his name and now have no intention of learning it. He is a sick, sick man, taciturn but sick. I miss my family, what more can I say?
I shall be exiled in the morning.
Skinned and eaten—
Alive.
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If anything had seemed more unreal—untouchable than this it had to have been the day her father died. She remembered watching as he was swallowed into the bright light (in truth it had been the sun obscuring her vision). The moment had been ambiguous but alas she survived, as did her brother.
She shook her the thought from her head, disregarding the befuddled glances the woman, Kikyo, was giving her. She sat around a fire, though the sun was still skating across the ground, two women by her side.
Kaede, the village priestess or so she had been told, and Kikyo, the woman she met previously in her journey, claiming to be the priestess of the forest of Inuyasha. When Kagome had asked her about the 'Inuyasha' character, a dark look, almost one of malevolence overtook her tawny orbs.
She sighed, her shoulders heaving in the exhaling of her breath.
Silence.
Not a word was said as Kaede stirred the clumps of mainly herbs, soybeans, rice, and some meat, foreign to Kagome's taste.
Kaede smiled at her, handing her a porcelain bowl, chopsticks over the top. Kagome bowed her head in respect, though not sure how to act in the fourteen hundreds. Surely a bow would mean no more than respect right? Kikyo was handed a bowl also, but put hers down against the wooden floor. Kagome mimicked her as Kaede served a bowl for herself.
"Ye must eat Kagome. After, I will explain all that I can."
Kagome nodded and began eating, Kikyo following in suit and then Kaede.
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"So, um, why am I here exactly?" Kagome asked, setting her now empty bowl down once again. Kaede smiled benevolently.
"My sister and I are not quite sure…" Kikyo answered.
"No Kikyo. I do happen to know."
"What?"
Kaede brushed it off, turning her full attention to Kagome. "Ye are my sister's reincarnate, that is why ye look so much like her. Ye hold a journal in ye's possession, am I correct?"
Kagome blinked at her unsurely. How had she known that the journal or book, whatever the woman wanted to call it, was in her possession? It was just downright creepy. She still did not fully accept the fact that she had somehow 'traveled' through time in her dreams. Sure, Carl Sagan may have said time traveling was possible but what did an American looney know?
She hesitantly handed the journal over to Kaede. "Here," she murmured. The old woman gave a curt nod of the head and snatched the leather book from Kagome's hands, Kikyo watching with sheer interest.
"How far along have ye read?"
"Um…to the part where he says they're going to kill him…"
Kaede laughed. "My dear, it is not a 'he'."
"Oh," Kagome said with a light blush. How was she supposed to have known that?
"Sister," Kikyo began. "How did you know of all this?"
"Simple knowledge. If ye had read the scripts and prophecy as ye were told instead of carrying on the tryst with the hanyou, Inuyasha, ye would have known," she answered, Kikyo's expression turning sour. Of course, Kaede had meant no disrespect to her sister nor Inuyasha but the name hit Kikyo like a ton of bricks.
"Oh my," Kaede said. "I have forgotten what I was going to tell ye."
Kagome nodded. "It's okay," she answered; though she had a good feeling that the 'thing' Kaede was going to tell her was important, very important.
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The moon was now shining, bathing the dirt ground in its beauty.
Kaede had given her back the journal, promising after a good night's sleep she would remember what it was she wanted to tell her about the book. Much to her dismay, she was also provided with the traditional garb of a priestess.
"So nice," Kagome murmured, a light wind ruffling the tips of her ebony hair. Sleep would have done her good, but after the day she was having, quiet seemed the only thing to calm her nerves.
She took a few steps forward, looking around before continuing further into the forest. Kikyo had forbid her to set foot upon the land, anywhere near the forest of Inuyasha but curiosity had taken a hold of her.
The leaves crunched simultaneously beneath her sandal bearing feet, the feeling of excitement taking her over. What lay in the forest that was so forbidden? Another shrine perhaps? A plethora of demons? She shivered at the thought.
A few more steps and she stood in front of the sacred Go-shinboku God-tree, which her family had protected for hundreds and hundreds of years. Perhaps that was the reason Kikyo and Kaede kept such a keen eye upon it? They did, after all, make it sound like they were descendants of her family.
Her eyes soon adjusted to the dark. She saw a bit of white and red, merged against the darkness. Is that what I think it is?
She was about to venture further to examine the mysterious 'object' pinned against the tree when a voice stopped her.
"Girl, what are you doing out here?"
She gasped and turned around, placing a hand to her heart. Thank Kami; it's only one of the villagers.
"I—uh…you see—"
"Kagome, did I not forbid you to venture out here?"
Kikyo. Whoops.
"I'm sorry I was curious…"
"Come," Kikyo, instructed, the man behind her glaring at her, even though she was the 'special visitor'. Or whatever they call me… she thought, following Kikyo away from the Go-shinboku God-tree. She turned to take one last look at the tree.
Is that really a—
—boy?
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"I found her amidst the forest of Inuyasha last night sister, she does not listen well." Kikyo's voice was hard as Kagome listened through the thin walls; the two probably convinced she was asleep.
Oh, she was far from it.
Still it was but ten o' clock, or so her 'sundial' said.
"She is but a child Kikyo. Patience is the key. Being here can not be easy for her—we still do not know where she is from."
Kagome sighed. She didn't even know where she was from at the moment. Perhaps her life was lie…
The dream theory still lingered in her thoughts. In truth, it was the only thing keeping her sane. I'm sure I'll wake up anytime…Mama will be cooking breakfast, Grandpa will be lecturing Souta about sutras and Buyo will be doing what he always does—sleep. Everything will be back to normal soon…
No matter how many times she told herself that, it did not seem to convince her further. In fact, it just seemed to make the situation all the more real.
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Dated the year 1497 (before the onslaught):
A dream keeps recurring to me. It is about a boy—or perhaps he is a man—I am not quite sure myself. He's always pinned against a tree—his auric eyes closed, the most solemn expression upon his face.
I don't know how he gets there—its just flashbacks of his life.
And I see the priestess, Kikyo.
I only know of this boy because I ventured into the 'Forest of Inuyasha'.
Well, I'm guessing the boy is—
Inuyasha.
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Sleep had soon overcome her. She had not been able to get past the lines—'A dream keeps recurring to me.' Everything else had been ambiguous.
"Kagome, wake up," Kikyo's voice hissed at her.
Kagome groaned and rolled over, slivers of sunlight being let in one at a time before Kikyo fully took of the bamboo covering that rested over the window, and then the brightness hit her full force.
Her head ached from the lack of sleep, her eyes heavily.
"Come Kagome. Kocho and Asuka will assist you in picking herbs."
That had not been the first thing she wanted to hear when she awoke. Picking herbs was like picking weeds—either way you were outside, in the sun, getting dirty.
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"Not that one Kagome-san," Kocho giggled, trying to hide the sudden burst of laughter behind her hand. Asuka rolled her eyes at the two, though the same age as Kocho, she looked at life more like Kikyo did—work, seriousness, death.
How drool. Kagome thought at Asuka's glare. Obviously Kikyo was rubbing off on the poor girl; and to think, she looked no more than eight years old at the most. Had Kikyo been like this as a child?
"Hey Kocho-chan?" Kagome whispered, making sure Asuka could not hear.
"Yes Kagome-san?"
"What do you know of the forest of Inuyasha?"
Kocho gasped. "Oh no, no, no Kagome-san. You must not bring that up around her. It brings bad luck."
Oh really now?
"How come?"
"That's what Kikyo-san said," she whispered back, Asuka giving them suspicious side-glances as they slacked off from their work to talk.
"Really? Please Kocho-chan, you can talk about with me," Kagome prompted. "I'm a priestess remember? It's ok."
Kocho's eyes widened. "Oh! Yes, I remember! Forgive me Kagome-san." The child gave a short bow. Kagome rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"There's no need for that Kocho-chan."
"Whatever you two are talking about, Kikyo-san will find out," Asuka muttered haughtily, picking up her basket of herbs before disappearing into the hut where both elder priestesses' resided.
"It's okay Kocho-chan, she won't find out. Now, what do you know about Inuyasha?" Kagome said reassuringly, seeing the child's panic filled eyes at Asuka's words.
"Um—well, Kikyo-san used to love him."
Love?
"One day, he betrayed her, using her for the Shikon No Tama…he said he wanted to become human for her but then turned around and tried to steal it from her, wanting instead to become full demon."
I've heard this story from my grandfather! No wonder it sounded so familiar.
"It was because he was hanyou right? And then she pinned him to a tree with a sacred arrow? Only, she was able to heal herself in time before death reached her," Kagome finished.
Kocho nodded with a grin. "Yes! Kagome-san's got it!"
Kagome laughed and ruffled the girl's hair, Asuka coming back out with a glare in her eyes. Kagome rolled her eyes.
She really needs to loosen up…
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Screams.
Flames.
Smoke.
What's going on? Kagome asked herself, wandering back through the forest. She had gone in search of a special herb Kikyo had wanted and now found herself atop a cliff, watching as flames licked the tops of houses, the huts collapsing one by one.
She didn't know how she had gotten on top of the cliff but she surely wasn't going to try and get back down. It seemed too dangerous at the moment, even if the village looked as if it needed her help.
And that's when she saw it—
Kikyo being lifelessly dragged from the hut, her clothes torn; Kocho and Asuka were crying, on their knees in front of the demons.
Kagome gasped, tears pouring down her cheeks.
She scrabbled to a standing position, not being able to bear it as Asuka was thrown to the ground, the demon ripping open the top of her hiori, exposing her young, supple skin to the wind.
I have to help them!
She panicked, looking around for a way out. Going back through the forest would take too long. She grabbed a hold of a rock, and slowly steadied herself before beginning to climb down the cliff like structure.
That's when she slipped…
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A/N: That warning up there obviously does not apply to this chapter, but perhaps the next, I'm still a bit 'iffy'. Well, I hoped you liked it. Actually, this is the first story where I have it all planned out. Like what's going to happen and everything. I didn't get a lot of reviews for the first chapter. : ( I was disappointed. Oh well, not everybody likes stories like this. Anyways, review!