Disclaimer: InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. This is a not for profit fan work.
A/N OH BOY, did I ever forget about this. I'm sorry, I got completely sidetracked by another project. But, you know what, I'm going to pick this up again, because writing a bunch of things at once is fun!
Chapter Five
Dinner had been a quiet affair. It quickly became clear that Sesshoumaru wasn't much of a conversationalist and his servant, Jaken, was offended to be even close to a human. InuYasha was more upset than he had let on about having his brother around. After dinner, though, Sesshoumaru declared that he and his vassal would find a place to sleep nearby instead of imposing on his brother. With a promise to meet at dawn, Kagome was left alone with InuYasha for one last night.
She sat by the fire after tidying up, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked out at the sky and saw those stars again. She wouldn't be able to see them again for a while, likely. If all went well, she'd be spending the next night in a cell somewhere while everything was sorted out. She'd be able to see her family soon, and a dozen other things. While she didn't know exactly what would happen, she was excited that she could finally find out.
"So," InuYasha said as he sat next to her, "You'll be home tomorrow."
"Closer to home, at least," she replied, keeping her eyes firmly on the stars. "Thank you."
"Keh," he scoffed, as he so often did when she tried to thank him. "Just doing what's right."
"A lot of people wouldn't have done what you did for me, right or not," she said, her eyes trailing over his features in the firelight. It made his snowy hair look almost yellow. Her eyes stopped on the ears as they so often did. They looked so soft, and her hands itched to touch them. The thought struck her that this was probably her last chance.
He caught her not so subtle glances and smirked. She blushed, embarrassed at being caught. He seemed self-conscious of them at times. Now that she thought about it, Sesshoumaru didn't have the same kind of ears. She looked at them again.
"Why doesn't Sesshoumaru have the same kind of ears?"
The way he stiffened told her at once that was the wrong question, but before she could apologize, he was talking.
"His mother was a demon."
She frowned, very confused now. "What do you mean? Of course she was a demon."
He looked even more uncomfortable now. She wondered what else it could mean, saying Sesshoumaru's mother was a demon. What else could be the mother be? A dog?
"Mine was human."
She visibly started at the news. How was that possible? There weren't any humans over on this side of the Wall. She tried to think of any women that may have been sent over, but she couldn't think of any. The judge at her trial had said she was the first woman sentenced to exile in over a hundred years. So, he was half human? She had never heard anything about that even being possible. How were humans and demons even able to have children? She suddenly had a million questions she wanted answers to, but she didn't say a word about them.
"You don't have to…"
"It's ok," he interrupted. "I haven't talked about her in a long time." He turned to look up at the stars, and he suddenly felt so far away from her. "Her name was Izayoi."
She nodded, not sure what to say. What was the appropriate response to something like this?
"She wasn't sent over here by mistake like you," he said, his voice distant as if he were talking to the stars and not to her, "She killed a man who had tried to force himself on her. He had been a powerful man, with a powerful wife and brother. They couldn't stand the scandal, so she was sent here. My father found her, wandering lost in the woods, and took her in."
"But, this must have been over a hundred years ago," she said, knowing that she was the first woman sent over in at least that long.
"Almost 200 years ago."
She looked at him. She had known he was older than he looked, but she hadn't thought that old.
"They fell in love, and, eventually, I came around."
"What happened to her?"
"She died," he said softly, "A fever."
She reached over and took his hand, squeezing it comfortingly. "I'm sorry."
"It was a long time ago," he said, though he didn't take his hand from her's. She nodded.
"I lost my dad," she said after a moment. "When I was 12. He was hit by a car."
"A car?" he asked.
She thought a moment. "These big, metal boxes on wheels that go really fast and let people get from one place to another."
"Oh," he said, though it was clear he still didn't understand. "I'm sorry."
"Thanks," she said, her thumb rubbing the back of his hand unconsciously. As soon as she noticed, she stopped. She was leaving the next day. What was she doing?
"You look at them a lot."
She blinked. "Huh?"
"My ears."
"Oh," she said, her cheeks flushing as her eyes betrayed her by fixating on them again. "Well, they're cute, and they look soft."
He was quiet a moment, and then took the hand that was holding his and brought it up to his head. "Go on."
She looked him in the eye, as if to say 'really?' before she brought her second hand up. Tentatively, she touched the back of his ears with the lightest touch. It was soft, and warm. She stroked them lightly a few times, glancing at his face from time to time to make sure she wasn't doing anything wrong. As she gained confidence, she began to rub them as she had the ears of her cat back home. Buyo loved the way she scratched his ear and, from the dopey looking grin on InuYasha's face, he seemed to like it too.
She chuckled at it, breaking the spell. He reached up, removing her hands, and she became very aware of how close their faces where. She could feel his breath on her skin and their foreheads were nearly touching. Her heart skipped a few beats when his hand was suddenly on her jaw, his thumb caressing her check.
Something crackled, and they pulled apart to see that the logs in the fire had shifted. She chuckled, a nervous chuckle to cover what felt all too alive in the rest of her body. She was leaving the next day. She would never see him again. What had she been thinking?
InuYasha was standing, his face hidden in shadows. She didn't try to see it.
"You'd best get some sleep. We've a long day tomorrow."
She nodded, though she didn't stand quite yet. She was still trying to catch her breath. She heard him head back into the den, setting about his normal nightly routine as she looked back up to the stars. It was going to be a long day indeed.
InuYasha had woken her before dawn and they had been on the move ever since. It had taken her almost a week to get to the hut, but the way they were gobbling up ground, she was sure it would take much less time this way.
She had been nervous when they had first set out. After all, riding on InuYasha's back for an extended period sounded like a bad idea all around. She could walk just fine, after all. She knew now what it was a good idea to take the ride. Still, it felt odd to be pressed against his back like this, his hands on her thighs. She was grateful that she was at least wearing pants and that it wasn't direct skin contact. She was blushing enough at the inappropriateness of the contact. Still, if it got her to the Wall today, then it was worth it.
She had her bag of supplies, though she had left somethings in the cave. The cooking pot, most of the rations, little things she gave as gifts for his help. She wouldn't need it where she was going.
By midday, the Wall was visible, looming and oppressive. She could understand why so few demons chose to live this close to it. She had never realized how foreboding it was, though she had lived with it all her life hanging there. She had forgotten it was there, before. She doubted she'd ever be able to forget now.
It was mid afternoon when they reached the base of the Wall. She looked up at the massive structure, remembering the faces of her family looking over the top as she had been lowered down into what she had thought was her death. She squeezed InuYasha's shoulders one last time before she found her feet under her and stepped back, once more allowing for a proper distance between them.
"So," he asked, ignoring the little signs of nervousness, "what now?"
Sesshoumaru walked along the Wall, looking at the blocks intently. After a few paces, he found what appeared to be a chunk of wall that jutted out only a few inches. She watched as he opened some kind of panel and pulled out an old fashioned phone, a coiling cord connecting it to the Wall. He held it up to his ear awkwardly as he explained that these devices were located every so often in order to allow easy communication. They had been installed some 50 years before.
They waited a few moments before there was a clear sound coming from the other end, a clicking, and then a voice. It was so loud, the demon pulled it away from his ear and even she could hear the voice from a few feet away.
"Hello? Hello, hello?" It sounded like a young man, and he sounded very nervous.
"Hello," Sesshoumaru said, a little louder than necessary, into the receiver. "This is Sesshoumaru, lord of the Western lands. I invoke parley."
"Um, uh, General Muso is not available right now…"
"Unacceptable," Sesshoumaru snapped and even she jumped. "Protocol, as laid out in the treaty, states clearly that the person in charge will always be made available as soon as possible to one of the clan leaders should he request parley."
There was some general chatter in the background, though she couldn't make out any clear words. Sesshoumaru appeared displeased with the delay.
"Hello? Sesshoumaru?"
"Lord Sesshoumaru," he corrected.
"Yes, um, Lord Sesshoumaru, the General will be able to meet with you in half an hour. On the, the top of the wall where you are now."
Sesshoumaru nodded. "Acceptable." He hung up without another word. Kagome had never seen a more awkward phone conversation.
"So, up, huh?" InuYasha asked, looking up to the top of the wall. "Never been up there before." He knelt in the way he had earlier so she could get on his back with ease. "Well, best we get going."
She had been up there once before. She swallowed nervously as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he took hold of her legs. She looked up the nearly sheer wall. "Can you really just jump up there?" Shouldn't the Wall be tall enough to prevent that?
"Keh, just hold on."
She did, and he leapt. It felt almost as if she were flying. She looked up, watching the peak grow nearer, though not quite near enough. When they began to lose height, InuYasha used the Wall to boost himself high. It took two more of these wall jumps to make it to the top and land on the walkway on the top of the wall. Sesshoumaru simply floated up with his odd cloud ability.
The wind hit them as they looked out over the Wall to the city beyond. She smiled, seeing the familiar skyline once more. There was a gap between the wall and a chain link fence, and then a larger gap before the buildings began. At one time, it had been a small town, but as the population had grown, the little small towns had slowly filled in and were now just called Tokyo. The sun was setting and the lights were turning on, causing the horizon to glow with the light of thousands of light bulbs. Her home. They weren't close enough to make out people, and there was only the faint sound of cars, but she felt almost as if she were home. The homesickness she had been fighting off for so long suddenly flooded her.
"Is that," said InuYasha, unable to hide the look of amazement on his face, "where you live?"
She nodded. "Yeah." She wondered where, exactly, along the wall they were. She didn't think she could see the shrine from here, but it was hard to be sure. She wasn't sure if he was more impressed or off put.
"It is certainly different than it was last time I saw it," said Sesshoumaru. "You humans move so fast.
She nodded. "That we do."
There was the sound of metal on metal and they all turned to where a door was opening. Out walked a group of men, most armed with rifles aimed at them. At the back was the general, an aide with a tablet in his hands to the right and behind. She recognized him from the brief visit he had paid to her before she was sent over the wall, a formality. InuYasha began to growl, which only caused the guns to be swept towards him, but a look from Sesshoumaru had him quieting down.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, I presume," said the general. He was a tall man, though he still barely came to the demon lord's shoulder. His face seemed young, and kind, at least, more than would seem to fit a general, but she knew he was a colder man than he appeared. General Muso and the others in charge of the Wall appeared on a semi-regular basis on TV talking about the challenges they faced, the dangers. "I am General Toshio Muso. It is an honour to speak with you. It has been quite some time since anyone has invoked the right of parley." He turned to her and InuYasha. While he had stopped growling, he was still standing between her and the human group.
Sesshoumaru nodded and then motioned to his brother and herself. "My brother, InuYasha, and Kagome Higurashi."
The general nodded. "Yes, I thought I recognized you. Hello again, Ms. Higurashi." His words were polite, but the tone was not.
"General," she acknowledged, more nervous than she had expected.
He nodded and then turned back to Sesshoumaru. "My Lord," the words felt awkward in his mouth. "What can I do for you?"
"There has been a violation of the treaty regarding Lady Kagome's sentencing," he said. He looked at complete ease, as if this were all normal. Kagome couldn't help but wonder if either of the demons here knew what a gun was and what it could do. When the treaty had been signed, guns were just starting to arrive in Japan.
"Oh?" asked the general, his tone just polite enough. "Remind me the details?" He was addressing the aide with the tablet.
"Higurashi, Kagome," replied the aide after typing in a few things on the tablet, "age 18, sentenced to 2 years exile for sheltering a demon."
The general nodded, as if it were all coming back to him now. "Yes, yes. What is the problem?"
Sesshoumaru frowned. "The treaty is quite clear that only murderers are to be sent into our lands. You will take her back and ameliorate the situation immediately."
The general was, clearly, not accustomed to the tone the demon was taking with him, but maintained his calm. "I'll have you know we followed the terms written in the treaty exactly. Her crime warrants exile. In fact, 2 years is a rather light sentence, the lightest I've ever seen."
InuYasha bristled at the words, but didn't speak.
"As this Sesshoumaru has said, the treaty states clearly that only murderers are to be sent over the wall." He pulled out a scroll and handed it to the general. "This is an exact copy of the original treaty. As you can see, there is no mention of sheltering a demon as a crime worthy of exile. Only murder is a crime worthy of this sort of punishment."
The general took the scroll and unrolled it, looking over the words without really reading it. He then handed it to his aide who did seem to actually read it. His brow furrowed as he compared what was on the paper to something on the screen in front of him.
"What would you have me do?" the general said after a moment.
"Take the girl and see that she carries out her sentence somewhere more acceptable," Sesshoumaru said, nothing in his manner betraying that he was speaking to someone who could refuse him. "And see that the terms of the treaty are upheld, as is your job.
The general seemed uneasy, if only just. Kagome could understand why. There were two demons on the top of the wall, within sight of Tokyo. He had likely never spoken to a demon before, he had no idea what they were like. And, as a general, he was likely not used to being talked down to as Sesshoumaru was.
"Quite right," he said, and Kagome felt relief wash over her. She hadn't been sure they would bend like this. "It will take some time, but I will see to it that Ms. Higurashi is sent somewhere more appropriate for her sentence and that these disparities are sorted out."
"Is this to your satisfaction?" Sesshoumaru asked, turning to her for the first time since they had arrived at the wall.
She started, a little surprised that she was being asked her opinion in the matter. After her intial hesitation, she nodded and bowed. "It is. Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru." The demon lord nodded, as if this simply his due.
Sesshoumaru nodded. "Very well. I will return to confirm these matters are sorted by the equinox."
"Of course," the general replied as the aide made a note. "Ms. Higurashi, if you will come with me?"
She nodded and took a step forward, pausing as she passed InuYasha. She suddenly felt her heart jump into her throat as she looked into his amber eyes for what would surely be the last time. They had known this was coming, but they hadn't really said goodbye. He was smirking, as if all this was no big deal, but she had to resist the urge to hug him. With people watching, she didn't want them to think she was too close to these demons.
"Thank you, InuYasha," she said at last. "For everything."
He nodded. "Don't go getting yourself into anymore trouble, wench."
She smiled. "I'll do my best."
She held his eyes for another moment before she had to turn and walk towards the general. Guided between the armed men, she was escorted into the elevator. The general bowed awkwardly to the demons before he and the aide joined them. The doors closed and she couldn't help the way her stomach churned when the general looked at her.
"Now, what the hell are we going to do with you?"
Kagome hadn't been sure what to expect once she arrived at the Wall. A cell, likely, as the authorities discussed what was to be done with her. She recalled the cell she had spent the night before being sent down into the forest beyond the wall. A cot with a threadbare blanket that had a smell to it that made it difficult to sleep, a utilitarian toilet in a corner and tiny sink, cold cement walls. She had cried herself to sleep that night, not for the first or last time since this ordeal had started. Maybe she'd be allowed a shower, or a hot meal, or even some tea. She had a sudden craving for anything sweet and fatty, but she knew that after a month and a half of living on little more than plain rice and meat, her stomach wouldn't react well to anything too rich.
Instead, she was lead to what looked like a boardroom, with a long table surrounded by leather chairs, a big screen along one wall and a projector in the ceiling. She was escorted inside and then left there, the door locked behind her. She sat in one of the chairs, enjoying the feel of the cushion, and slowly spun herself around. There was nothing else to do, after all.
She wondered what they would do. This was, as far as she knew, unprecedented. No one came back from beyond the wall. No one had been escorted back by a pair of demons who demanded that she was there improperly. There were probably a lot of people to call.
She stilled the chair when she heard the door unlock. Looking to the door, she watched as the general, his aide, and a few other men entered the room. She gasped, ever so slightly, as she felt the aura of the general. It was faint, and had certainly been drowned out by both Sesshoumaru and InuYasha earlier in the day, but there was definitely a demonic aura coming from General Muso. She schooled her face, knowing that she couldn't give a hint of it. Besides, she could be wrong. She had never felt a human's aura. Maybe Muso had spiritual powers. Either way, she thought it safer to not reveal too much.
"Well, well, well," the general said, pulling a chair out so he could sit across from her. "Ms. Higurashi, I must admit, I have never seen anything like it. A pair of demons escorting a human to the Wall, and one of them Sesshoumaru the human hater himself. Most impressive. How did you do it?"
She sat silent, not sure what to say.
"Some kind of witch, hmm? Magic? You come from a shrine family, so maybe some spiritual powers?"
"I've never had any," she said, denying the powers she couldn't wait to tell her grandfather about.
"So, was it your body, then? Did you let those beasts use you for a whore?"
"They did no such thing!" she replied, struggling to keep a cool head. The men with him had riffles, and she didn't doubt that they were loaded and that they would eagerly shoot her if it became necessary.
He reached in and grabbed her chin, moving her head so he could get a good look at her from all angles. After a moment, he released her.
"Whatever it was, there's no time for us to find out. I've spoken with the prime minister about this apparent treaty violation they were so upset about. They made it all up," he looked at her as if she were some idiot. "Pure know why they would do that, but they did."
She looked at him, feeling any chance of hope leaving her quickly. "So, what is going to be done with me?"
"Well, obviously, we are sending you back. We'll move a little, put you in at a different point along the wall so you don't run into your friends again. And then, some other demon will kill you and everything will go on as it was supposed to."
"What?" she asked, standing quickly though she immediately sat again at the sound of rifles shifting around her. "You're just going to send me back out there?"
"You were sentenced to two years in exile. Just be glad the powers that be didn't decide to add more time to your sentence. Not that it will matter that much."
The general made a motion and a pair of guards took her by the shoulders. She didn't fight back, knowing she had no chance of escaping. She didn't do anything to resist as they cuffed her and lead her out of the room.
And here we go. Something bigger is going on here! Of course. It would have been too easy, and unsatisfying, to end it already. There is still so much to do!
Thank you for reading! 3