The sounds of screaming awoke Sango and Kaede. As Sango rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, Kaede rushed over to Kagome and shook her awake. Kagome had her head resting on the window sill, as if she tried to evade sleep.
Kagome awoke with a yawn and a stretch. Mid-stretch however she looked concerned. Sango asked quickly
"Kagome, are you ok? Did you have another dream?" Kaede watched Kagome for any indication of another dream. Kagome just shook her head slowly and looked into Sango's eyes.
"That's the thing, I did not dream last night." Kagome answered as Kaede tied her Kimono and slid her hair piece into her hair. Once she was dressed she picked up Sango's and Kagome's things and tossed them at them.
"Get dressed girls, we can discuss this later. Right now you need to get dressed. With the screaming outside the girls have been chosen. If you are not chosen we need to run out of here as fast as possible." Kaede said as she walked over to the window.
Sango quickly dressed, she brushed her hair back with her fingers before sliding her hair piece in. Kagome however took a few nudges from Sango to continue getting dressed. For some reason Kagome was so out of it that Sango was starting to become concerned.
Once the girls were dressed Kaede quickly led them out of the Inn. As they walked through the village back to where they had signed up yesterday they saw an array of dismay. There were women screaming and crying. There were men fighting. There were boys who were beating each other with sticks.
As they continued to walk, to Kagome, everything seemed to appear in slow motion. Soon they got to the root of the problem. A giant scroll was hung up where the tables from yesterday had sat. In elegant script, name after name was listed.
Some guards stationed near the sign had to restrain villagers who were attempting to burn, change, or destroy the sign. Kagome felt frozen as she read each name. She felt her body tense up, ready to flee if her name was not listed. Sango was seventh on the list. Kagome could hear a sigh of relief next to hear from Sango. But she did not hear a sigh of relief yet from Kaede.
Kagome continued to read, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and there it was. Kagome Higurashi in elegant hand writing, Kagome heard sighs from Kaede and Sango. Though for Kagome, it was not a sigh of relief, she felt a stone drop into her heart. She felt like now her whole life was changing; now she had no way to go back to the academy, back to her home. She was now officially the princes' property. Now she either won, or she died.
The guard from yesterday walked forward and said quietly so none of the screaming villagers would hear,
"Go north into the forest. Go until you see a red ribbon. From there take a right and go until you see a green ribbon. Then go around the tree and continue straight, you should see a cave with vines hanging in front of it. Inside there is where the winners will meet. Go there and you will be escorted to the middle kingdom."
Kaede dipped her head softly in acknowledgement and then she herself screamed and yelled,
"My daughters were the prettiest! Why were they not chosen?" It shocked Kagome and Sango a bit, but then they noticed the guard talking to them had created a scene. So the girls did what they should and started to cry.
The villagers' attention changed back to the scroll, and while they were starting a ruckus, Kaede grabbed both the girls' arms and ran into the forest. They ran as fast as they could but then they heard a yell,
"Where did those girls from earlier go!? Shouldn't they be as mad as we are!?" With that Kagome felt her heart grow heavy. Kaede looked back slightly and said
"Hurry girls! We haven't much time!" With that the girls picked up pace. Then they saw the red ribbon fluttering on a tree branch. Sango hiked up her kimono skirt and leaped to grab it. She rolled to safety and continued running, the red ribbon clasped tightly in her hand.
Kaede smiled at her and Kagome grinned and gave her thumbs up. They took a sharp right and continued forward. Soon though they heard branches breaking and another yell,
"Where are they now!? They couldn't have gotten far!" Kagome turned around abruptly stopping, pulled a piece of paper from her kimono and a sharp rock. She cut her finger slightly and started to write in blood on the paper.
Once the paper was finished she stuck it on the back of a tree and prayed for a moment. Before long they heard more breaking branches and Kaede grabbed Kagome's arm and started to run. As they ran Kaede grabbed Kagome's hand and a white light surrounded their hands.
Once the white light faded Kaede let go and Kagome's hand was healed. Back with the villagers they had followed the footsteps until they reached the spot where Kagome's paper was. The footsteps had vanished and the Villagers turned back west, confused of the way they came. The sutra glowed softly; its work had been accomplished. Once all the men turned around the footsteps started to appear and the sutra started to dissolve, nothing but dust in the wind.
Once the sutra dissolved Kagome stopped running and smiled. Sango and Kaede stopped and looked at her smile. Then they realized they were safe and started to walk. Before long a green ribbon laid hanging on a branch in the tree. Again Sango ran, jumped, grabbed it, and rolled to safety.
They went around the tree and continued on for a little while. All of them were sweating, panting, and exhausted from the run they had just endured. Though their prayers were answered and they saw the vined cave. Kaede pushed the vines open to see a carrying carriage and multiple servants of all races. A woman then walked up to them, her ears were pointed and she had markings on her face.
She bowed deeply to them and said
"Hello and welcome contestants. I am Sayuri; I will be helping you prepare for the travel." Kaede nodded and scanned the room.
"The girls just ran a ways, clean them up would you." Sayuri commanded. Then two woman stepped forward their eyes were shut tightly. Kagome and Sango watched them wearily until they opened there eyes and their mouths and suddenly they were floating. They felt their bodies being scrubbed and their hair being washed but for the life of them they were in bliss.
Then just as soon as it came, it left. Kagome looked confused as she stared at her hands. The scars on her hands from the hard labor she endured at the academy were gone. Her grimy dirt nails were now polished and elegant. Then she noticed that her dress had been changed, no longer was it a beautiful green. Instead it was cream with pink sakura blossoms flowing across it. The tie that closed it was also pink.
Then she touched her hair to find it not just braided down her back but it was braided in an updo. Between the loops of the hairdo that was created was a hair pin that resembled a chopstick, except it felt cold, like glass?
Kagome looked at Sango then and noticed the same exact thing. Sango was wearing a replica of her dress and her hair was done in the same fashion. Kagome looked excitedly at the hair piece in Sango's hair to find it was made of glass and it was engraved with the same blossoms on the dress.
Then Kagome looked back to the two who had caused her a day dream moment and noticed their eyes and mouths were closed. One hiccupped then and covered her mouth. Kagome was utterly confused, but Sayuri noticed and explained what had just happened.
"These two are Vasari, they are used only once every choosing. They take the contestants and devour all of their imperfections and then dress them with choosing clothes until they are separated by the princes'. The imperfections are food to them; they will be sated until the next choosing." With that the two Vasari stepped back and muzzle like structures and eye coverings were placed on them before they were ushered away.
Sayuri then smiled and bowed before gesturing to the carrying carriage.
"Your majesties the carriage awaits you and so does the middle kingdom." Kaede stepped forward and got into the carriage. Kagome and Sango followed suit and then sheer curtains were dropped over the sides. Soon it was lifted; Kagome looked outside through the sheer and almost screamed in fear at the men who were lifting the carriage.
They were not humanoid; they were reptilian with bulging eyes and green skin. Before Kagome could comment Kaede grabbed Kagome's hand and squeezed it. Then Kaede leaned back into her seat and Sango took Kagome's hand.
Sayuri yelled a command to the reptiles in a language that Kagome could not understand, but the men started to go forward in a steady march. Kagome looked out of the back of the carriage and made eye contact with Sayuri. Sayuri then placed her hand over her heart and bowed. It was the utmost sign of respect and was only used for royalty.
Kagome looked at her hands again and smirked in sarcasm, she was royalty now right, until she was executed for not being what a prince wanted.
Sango and Kagome fell asleep soon after, exhausted from the run they endured. Kaede on the other hand stayed awake until the moon was high in the sky. She smiled at the moon this time and whispered
"You're watching over them aren't you? Please continue to do so the length of the competition." She placed her hand over her heart then and bowed before resting her head on the side of the carriage and closing her eyes.
Sunlight hit the carriage and Kagome's face. With a sigh she opened her eyes slowly. She stretched slightly and looked outside the carriage. What she saw made her gasp loud enough to awake Kaede and Sango.
"What is it Kagome? Are you ok?" Sango asked with sleep still in her eyes. Kagome just grabbed Sango's hand and with the other she pointed to the outside of the carriage.
"Sango I am ok! Look, Look at all of this!" Kagome said exuberantly. Sango opened her eyes then and felt her mouth drop in amazement. Kaede just smiled softly with her arms crossed as she watched the girl's glee.
They were entering the middle kingdom. It was completely surrounded by walls that were at least three hundred feet tall. The buildings were built closely together to be able to accommodate for more people. There were all manner of people walking around the village.
Kagome saw a woman who had a beak and had feathers covering her body. Sango saw a man who was able to break stone with his bare hands. They continued to observe all the different people in the village until they started to approach another wall.
This wall was not as high, maybe only twenty feet. There was a man standing by the massive doors though. His hair was striking red and his eyes were a vibrant green. He had a blue kimono on. When the carriage got close enough the man called out in the same tongue Sayuri did and the reptilian men stopped and lowered the carriage.
The sheer coverings were lifted and the man walked forward so he was clearly in our sights. He placed his hand over his heart and bowed deeply before speaking
"Good morning Majesties. I am Shippo I will be-"He was cut off however with a shocked expression on his face, he turned around slowly to see that Kagome had a hold on his tail.
She poked at it and was giggling until she felt a tug on her arm from Sango. Kagome then bowed and apologized
"I am sorry Shippo; I did not mean to interrupt. I have not seen such before and I could not resist I apologize." Shippo then touched her shoulder and said calmly
"Your majesty please do not bow to a servant such as I. As for my tail it is alright but please respect the customs." He took his hand off Kagome's shoulder with a smile before continuing what he was saying earlier.
"I will be your majesties servant for your stay here. Right now I will escort you into the palace to where you will be staying for your remainder of the competition." He then put his hand out for Kagome who took it to help her out of the carriage.
He did the same for Sango and then Kaede. When he walked up to the massive doors he raised his hand and called out in a new language that Kagome had never heard before. The doors opened and Kagome bit her tongue to prevent her jaw from opening. Then she took a deep breath and started to follow Shippo. This is where she was going to live from now on, she might as well get used to it.