AR: Hey people! How did y'all like my last chapter?
K: It ended so soon!
AR: I think we established that in the last chapter, Kagome. Weren't you listening to me when I said that?
K: Uh...
AR: I'll take that as a 'no'...
K: I was so listening!
AR: Sure, you were listening, but not to me. You were listening to your head that was telling you something about Sesshomaru. Ooh, Kagome!
K: Hey! Do you know what people say about assuming things, AR?
AR: Yup yup. It makes an ass of you and me! But, I'm right, so I don't care!
K: I...uh...hey!
Y: Kagome...AR! You weren't lying! Look at her face!
Ka: Yeah, it's beet red.
K: -sighs and runs out of the room-
Se: What an interesting argument...
AR: Oh, Dust Bunny...we haven't even begun to rag on you!
Katara: Well, while these guys argue this out, which, by the way, AR may just win, I'll just introduce the chapter for you.
AR: No! I wanna introduce it! We can continue this while the chapter is going on! I'm gonna keep this short, so here's the chapter and anything that is copywrited, it's not mine. Happy reading! And now back to our previous discussion...
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I learned from you that
I do not crumble
I learned that strength is
Something you choose
All of the reasons
You keep on believing
There's no question
That's a lesson
I learned from you
(Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus: I Learned From You)
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Don't Fall Away
Chapter Fifteen: A Slow Day
It took a few moments for Kagome's plea to register in Sesshomaru's mind. He then realised that her spirit had cracked. Sesshomaru held her tighter.
"Do not worry." he said softly. "I will not leave you...ever."
"Do you promise? If that was a promise you just made me...you can't break it, Sesshomaru...ever."
"I never break a promise, Kagome." Sesshomaru reassured her. Kagome smiled into his chest and let a few tears slip down her cheeks.
"Thank you."
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Ozai burst through the doors of the southern palace, almost throwing them off of their hinges, and called the closest servant. The young girl rushed over and fell at his feet. She could sense his anger and didn't want to make it worse.
"Take my stuff to my chambers, you useless wench." Ozai demanded harshly. "And don't touch anything!"
"Y-yes milord." the girl stammered. She scrambled to get off the floor, but Ozai seemed to think she was being slow. He picked her up by the back of her uniform and threw her out the door.
"Sesshomaru, that bastard. I will get what I want, even if I have to start a war against the West to do it."
"Milord, there is a letter for you." another female servant said. She took a small roll of parchment from inside her sleeve and handed it to Ozai.
Ozai snatched the document away from her and opened it. As he got further into the letter, his smirk grew larger. He rolled it back up.
"I'm leaving again. Sousha is in charge." With that said, he turned and strode out the door.
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Kagome awoke the next morning with a splitting headache. She moaned and rolled over, pulling the blankets over her head. She would have been able to fall back to sleep had she not needed to go to the bathroom. Kagome sighed and slipped out of her bed. She put on a simple white kimono with sakura flowers on the shoulders and lining the bottom of it and tied Rekuiemu to her obi.
A few moments after Kagome had relieved herself, she had decided to pay a visit to the library. It was still rather early, so the only living things in the halls were the servants and a guard here and there. Every now and then, a guard would stare. Kagome quickened her pace and only slowed down when they were far enough away that she could only faintly feel thier aura.
'Is this what I am resorting to?' Kagome asked herself. 'Have I been defiled so bad as to forever be afraid of the opposite sex?' Kagome stopped walking. She looked strait ahead of herself with an expression of determination and defiance. She thought of all her friends and she knew that they would be there for her, no matter what. She then thought of Sesshomaru, he would be there as well; he promised her that he would.
"No." Kagome said aloud, as if to convince herself more. "That will not happen to me, I won't let that happen to me."
Kagome continued walking, keeping her hard expression and telling herself that it would never happen, over and over again. She soon arrived at the library and pulled open the large mahogony doors. The library was a large and brightly lit room, at least three stories high, with shelves and shelves filled with infinite numbers of books and scrolls. Kagome walked along the shelves, pulling out books at random intervals. She finally chose one and made herself comfortable in an upholstered chair, letting her legs hang over one arm and propping her head up with her elbow on the other.
Kagome lost track of how long she had been there and had gotten so into her book that she didn't hear the footsteps heading for her sanctuary. When she heard the door open, she looked up from her already half finished book. When she realized who it was, Kagome returned her attention to the volume in her hand.
"Hello, Yukana." Kagome greeted. "What do ya want?"
"Kami, Kagome. You almost gave us a heart attack!" Yukana exclaimed.
"What did I do?" Kagome asked, looking up from the pages of her book.
"You disappeared! We had no idea where you went." Yukana explained, shaking her head. "I better go tell everyone else that I found you."
"Okay." Kagome shrugged and continued her reading. Yukana gaped at Kagome, wondering how she could just wave something like that aside, even if it did seem a trivial matter, they had almost panicked when she wasn't in her bed when Kaori went to wake her up. The other demoness shook her head and left, leaving Kagome to her book.
I don't know how else to put this
It's taken me so long to do this
I'm falling asleep and I can't see strait
My muscles feel like a melee
My body's curled in a U shape
I put on my best but I'm still afraid
Propped up by lies and promises
Saving my place as life forgets
Maybe it's time I saw the world
I'm only here for a while
But patience is not my style
And I'm so tired that I got to go
Where am I supposed to hide now?
What am I supposed to do?
Did you really think I wouldn't see this through?
Tell me I should stick around for you
Tell me I can have it all
I'm still too tired to care and I got to go
I get to go home in one week
But I'm leaving home in three weeks
They throw me a bone just to pick me dry
I'm following suit and directions
I curl up inside for protection
I'm told what to do and I don't know why
I'm overexisting in limbo
I'm over the myths and placebos
I don't really mind if I just fade away
I'm ready to live with my family
I'm ready to die in obscurity
'Cause I'm so tired that I got to go
Where am I supposed to hide now?
What am I supposed to do?
You still don't think I'm gonna see this through?
Tell me I'm a part of history
Tell me I can have it all
I'm still too tired to care and I got to go
Oh yeah
Oh yeah yeah yeah yeah.
Still too tired to care and I gotta go
Still too tired to care and I gotta go
Still too tired to care and I gotta go
Yeah, yeah
Still to tired to care and I gotta go
Go home
Still to tired to care and I gotta go
Yeah yeah
Still to tired to care and I gotta go
Kagome sighed and closed the book. She then rose from her chair and walked outside and onto the balcony. The miko-inuyoukai closed her eyes and leaned on the rails, breathing deeply and letting the scent of the garden below cleanse her senses.
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"This is an interesting development."
"Indeed. Kanna, you are dismissed. Send Kurayami in here." The small girl nodded and walked out. A few moments later Kurayami walked through the arch that led to Naraku's "office".
"What do you want this time?" she spat.
"Watch your tounge, wench." Naraku warned. "You did not kill the miko, why?"
"I didn't feel like it." Kurayami stated simply. "Besides, the miko would be more use to you alive."
Naraku got a thoughtful look on his face. Kurayami smirked. 'Yes, fall right into it, Naraku. Your stupidity will be your downfall.'
"Explain what you are thinking." Naraku ordered.
"'Tis simple." Kurayami began. "I happened to catch a little moment between your miko and the taiyoukai. If you take her out of the picture, you'll hit him in his weak spot."
"I like the way you think, but how are we to get her away from them?"
"Her weakness lies with the children and her group." the demoness reasoned. "Did it ever occur to you that threatening them would make her come willingly?"
"You are a sharp one, Kurayami. It is a shame that you hate me so." Kurayami rolled her eyes in disgust. Naraku turned to the other man.
"After we have the troublesome wench, what do you suggest we do with her? We cannot kill her." Naraku said. The other man's eyes flashed.
"I would have no objections if she were to be kept with me." he answered.
"Then it's settled. Kurayami, you are dismissed." Naraku announced. "I will waive your punishment this time. Let me tell you that the next time you disobey a direct order, you will wish that I let you die when your village was attacked."
"I've been wishing you let me die for a while." Kurayami stated defiantly. She turned on her heel and walked out of the room.
"I would have beheaded that girl ages ago, if I were you." the other man said.
"So would I, but she had the potential to be of use to me."
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Kagome left the library a few minutes later. It had to be around lunch time, but she really wasn't hungry, so Kagome figured it wouldn't hurt to test out her sword on something in the woods.
'So now you're looking for trouble?'
'Of course not. I'm going to let trouble find me.'
'Why?'
'I need something to test this thing out on.'
'I know what else you could be doing.'
'And what, pray tell, would that be?'
'You could always keep up on your end of the deal and start training the apprentice mikos.'
'I could do that...but isn't Sakurako still in the hospital wing?'
'Then you could always go visit her.'
'Why would I want to do that?'
'Let's see...maybe because you put her there in the first place?'
'It is such a shame when you have a fight with yourself...and lose!'
'Hehehe...now get going.'
'Fine, but you had better leave me alone before I get there, or I might just change my mind.'
'Deal. I'm out now. Toodles!'
Kagome sighed and turned around. She hated when her conscience won. She had really wanted to test Rekuiemu, but after she thought about it, she couldn't fight with a sword anyway, so it was kind of a good thing that she had lost the argument.
Kagome walked up and knocked on the door. A few moments later the door opened and revealed the castle's healer, Moonle.
"What can I do for you, Lady Kagome?" Moonle asked.
"I have come to see Sakurako. Is she still here?"
"Yes, right this way, milady." Moonle opened the door fully and let Kagome in. She then led her into a back room.
Sakurako was laying on a futon, wide awake. She glared at Kagome when she walked in. Moonle bowed slightly and left the small room.
"Have you come to finish me off?" Sakurako asked bitterly. Kagome frowned.
"No, I came to see if you were okay." Kagome stated. Sakurako looked at her with a confused expression on her face.
"You did?"
"Yes."
"But I thought that you hated me." Sakurako admitted.
"I never said that I hated you, Sakurako." Kagome said.
"You never said you didn't, either." Sakurako muttered.
"My personal opinion of you was just that you needed to learn a little bit of respect and self-restraint. To tell you the truth, I didn't like you, but I didn't hate you either."
"Oh...sorry." Sakurako said sheepishly. "But I have to do this. I need to do this so that my dad will be proud of me. He always told me that I was a mistake and that I would never amount to anything. I have to show him that I can do something worthwhile." Kagome smiled softly at the girl and nodded.
"Well, in that case, we'll start as soon as you feel better." Kagome reassured her with a smile. "Good luck." Kagome stood up and left the small room.
"Leaving so soon?" Moonle asked.
"Yeah, I have to go speak with Sesshomaru reguarding Sakurako." Kagome said, smiling. Moonle nodded and Kagome walked out the door.
Considering that it was the middle of the day, the halls were rather empty. Kagome made her way to Sesshomaru's study, the most obvious place where she should look first. She knocked on the door, but there was no answer.
"That's strange...he's usually in there..." Kagome said to herself. She shrugged and decided to find Rin and Shippo instead. On her way to Rin's room, Kagome passed by Sango's room. She heard multiple voices so she walked over and put her ear to the door.
"Do you think she'll be okay?" Sango asked.
"I don't know...she seemed a bit off when I saw her earlier." Yukana said. "She really didn't seem to care that we had been looking for her all day. And yesterday she screamed bloody murder when InuYasha went to pick her up."
"Why would she do that?" Kaori inquired.
"How am I supposed to know?" Yukana snapped. "All I know is that Sesshomaru said he wants her under constant watch from now on."
"Then why is nobody watching her?" Miroku cut in.
"Uh..."
"Because she's standing outside the door." Tanrei said, examining her claws.
"What?! Why didn't you say something earlier?" Yukana exclaimed.
"I thought you knew." Tanrei stated simply.
Kagome heard rustling and then somebody trip.
"Ow! Yukana! You stepped on my foot!"
A few moments later, Yukana opened the door and came face to face with a rather confused Kagome. Yukana sweatdropped.
"Oh...hi, Kagome. Do you need anything." Yukana asked, scratching the back of her neck. Kagome nodded.
"Have any of you seen Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked. Yukana shrugged.
"I saw him a few hours ago." Kaori offered. "He was heading for the dojo."
"Okay. I'll see all of you later, then." Kagome turned around and headed for the dojo.
"Wow...usually she would have yelled at somebody...she is acting strange."
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AR: Well, I'm done now!
IY: Is it me or are you getting lazy in your old age?
AR: Hey! I'm not old!
IY: Sure, you're not...
AR: Kagome!
Se: She left, remember?
AR: Oh...well maybe I am getting old...and senile!!!!! I don't wanna go crazy!
Y: Too late...
AR: Do you guys wanna know what happened the last time somebody made me mad?
Ka: Is that a threat, AR?
AR: They ended up in the hospital and I was expelled.
Y: Uh...are you serious...Sesshomaru, get her away from me!
AR: Haha! I was kidding, you idiot.
Ka: That was a mean joke, AR!
AR: -smirks-
M: Hey, Angel-sama...don't you have another story going as well? I believe it only has one chapter and you promised another one a while ago.
AR: I said that I would get it out eventually. Besides, I have no ideas for that story! And I thought I told you to stop calling me 'Angel-sama'?
M: Hehehe...should I run?
S: Yes.
M: -runs-
AR: Well, I'm going to catch the monk. Toodles! -runs after Miroku-
Se: She's such an idiot.
AR: I heard that!