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Mother in Heart Protector in Soul

Chapter 2: Trouble That's Due

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Kagome took a deep breath and readied herself to face the couple.

"Feh. I thought I smelled something strange. Didn't think you'd come back, Kagome." Spitting out his words as if they tasted bad, Inuyasha was tactful as always.

"Why would I have not returned, Inuyasha? Do you really think I would have left Midoriko's task unfinished?" her eyes burned with anger at the accusation.

Kagome could feel her grip tighten on the small cup, and quickly placed it next to the kettle. She rose to meet the hanyou's gaze; her own blue eyes darkening to a deeper indigo with her emotions. She saw his eyes narrow; the amber coloring looking more like a muddy brown. Funny how they used to look more like gold.

Before she could place any more thought into it, a woman came into the sitting room to welcome Kikyo and Inuyasha back home.

"Mistress, do you want me to set another bowl for dinner?" the old woman obediently offered to take the basket of plants that had been collected. She didn't face Kikyo directly, and only bowing as far as her old body would allow.

"Yes, Noriko, do set out an extra setting. And please leave the cuttings to the side." Surprisingly, Kikyo smiled and pushed the straw basket into the old woman's hands. Kagome was shocked to see that Kikyo could manage a smile of any kind. This was such a contrast to Kikyo's usual dark and somber expression. Nevertheless, Noriko quickly did as told and left to the kitchen to prepare the evening meal.

Kikyo wasn't fazed at all by Kagome's sudden appearance in her home, and walked straight to the table to sit in a spot that was obviously hers. Inuyasha, her husband and mate, followed after her much like an obedient dog would after it's master. There was no sense of warmth or any comfort in how they looked at Kagome. It was hard to tell from their expressions; it was either anger or disdain, and Kagome didn't like either of them.

"Now, Kagome, I have to ask," Kikyo said. Unfeeling brown eyes clashed with Kagome's blue gaze, "What did Midoriko tell you three years ago? What is the nature of your return?"

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The two children and the Kitsune woman tirelessly tended to the flowerbeds that lay around the sanctuary walls. The woman wore a cotton kimono that was dark green with a matching apron. She carried a few tools, and had her hands deep into the soil as she worked. She sang - her voice was light, and the song was a happy one. Even the children couldn't help but join in, even though Shippo's voice was horribly off key at times. Soon, their work was done, and Shippo and Rin's moods were lifted. Gone was the solemn worry from just moments before.

"Oh! Ami-san, come look what I found!" Rin's excited voice called out.

The old Kitsune woman moved from her work towards Rin. Even though she was blind, her youkai gifts allowed for easy movement. The young girl pulled her to what she had found, and Ami easily identified it as a small plant. It gave a sweet smell, one that was tinged with a scent similar to fresh ground ginger. Ami smiled as she noticed the hems of Rin's silk sleeves covered in dirt - the light green and purple floral pattern was blending into the garden quite nicely.

"Ah! I see you found a little bud. Oh, it seems like this one needs special care." Ami reached down to the earth, cupping the flowering bud carefully. When her hands touched the plant's petals her spiritual energy enveloped the plant allowing her to see it's shape. The vibrating energy showed her a short plant that was tightly bound; it had yet to bloom in the warm spring weather.

"How can you tell, Ami-san?" asked Shippo.

Ami explained that as young child she learned how to use her spiritual energies to compensate her lack of eyesight; much like how a bat youkai would see in dark caves, she used her spiritual energy to sense her surroundings. Instead of clicking her mouth to eco-locate she would push the energy against objects and the resonating image would be 'seen'.

"What's it called, Ami-san?" Shippo asked, his curiosity piqued at the strange plant Rin had found.

Through the blurriness, Ami was able to discern that the plant's origins were safe; there was no poison in the scent radiating from the bud. Most of the poisons she had encountered usually emitted a rotting type of musk, one that was distinct to a variety of poisonous plants

"It seems, young master, that our little hime has found a Doragon no namida." she smiled at the kit.

"Wow! How cool!" Shippo exclaimed using the word he heard his surrogate mother often use.

She felt her eyebrow raise at the strange word. "Yes indeed, young master. This is a special plant - one used to help provide a cure to many ailments and poisons." Ami explained carefully handling the new bud.

The Doragon no namida, or Dragons' Tears, was named for the holy dragon who had shed tears for their beloved, or so the story goes. The petals of the flower were a pale blue color tinged with small flecks of green throughout the plant. When it bloomed, each petal and center pistil could be made into a medicine. The roots of the Dragon's Tears could easily become tangled with other plants and quickly die if left unattended. It would be one that she would have to keep an eye on. Any small amount of medicine from this plant was rare and could help many people.

"Ami-san! Ami-san?!" a frantic voice rushed in the garden. A flurry of light browns and blacks indicated the uniform of a servant from the family wing. The young woman collapsed in front of the Ami and the children in a state of near estuation.

"P-please Ami-san! Madam Kasumi is most vexed at the children's disappearance from the tutoring halls." the servant gasped, trying to regain air back into her lungs. She was one of the few human servants to work at the shiro, and she did not have the stamina that the youkai had. "She threatens to tell Sesshomaru-sama about their frequent disappearances! Please! You must prevent him from knowing!"

The young woman desperately looked from the children back to Ami's sitting form. "I-if Madam Kasumi reveals what the children have done, all the servants will be punished. It will seem as if we are not doing our duty! Please!" she bowed, her voice wavered between tears.

"Hmm… I see. Do not worry, dear. I will make sure that Madam Kasumi understands what really happened." The children looked from the servant to Ami, curious of what her smile meant. She gracefully rose from the ground and reached out her hand, "Come along kits. Let us vanquish a beast."

Rin and Shippo rushed after, trailing just a few feet behind. They exited the flower garden and left the servant to her tears. The halls were lined with numerous doors and servants who bowed as they walked by. Ami stopped once she recognized where she was. Not caring to knock, Ami pushed aside the doors and entered the room.

What she saw was the signature aura of a Dragon youkai - one who had an impressive amount of hidden strength, judging by her pulsing aura. Plumes of smoke from an expensive tobacco swirled around the room. Ami could sense that the dragon was irritated by her presence, and she gave a grin to show off her canines.

Ami spoke first, "My, my, Madam. It seems I find you in a state of disarray, as usual. Perhaps I should ask our Lord for benevolence and unburden your assigned work." She was careful in choosing how to prod the dragoness into speaking. Centuries of living with her ailment had taught to plan her battles carefully. She could feel the presence of the two kits by her side; they were sure to be curious of what was going on.

The dragon youkai spoke with a raspy voice, "If Lord Sesshomaru came to hear that his wards were not taken to their tutors, it would be a black mark against us all."

Ami smiled, "I understand your feelings, but you have to remember that the young ones do not fare well being cooped up in rooms all day."

"So! You thought it better for them? You decided to fill their time with frivolous activities in the gardens?" Madam Kasumi interrupted.

"Nonsense! I only have their best interests in mind. The gardens provide the benefit of teaching to balance their hard studies with nature." Ami countered.

Madam Kasumi scowled, "Your idiotic notion has been noted. But make no mistake: they are placed under MY care when our lord is gone." she grabbed her pipe and took a long drag. The slow breath of smoke dissolved into the fumes of the air.

"Hiei, Yuuko you may enter now." the dragoness commanded.

A screen slid open and two youkai, a male and a female, entered the room. Bowing before Madam Kasumi, they faced Ami with authority.

"Madam Kasumi, has made a decision to leave the teaching of the young ones to us." the male named Hiei spoke with a deep voice.

The female, Yuuko, followed suit, "They will not be allowed to fall behind on their teachings. Their play time with you will not be allowed until they show that they have earned that privilege."

Ami fumed with anger, her tail bristling and swishing to and fro.

Madam Kasumi smiled and greedily smoked, filling the air with more obnoxious fumes.

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"My return, Kikyo, is not anything that concerns you. And remember that it was Midoriko that gave ME this duty." Kagome could feel her nails biting into her palms, but she wasn't going to let her anger get the best of her. She wouldn't let Kikyo know how much she got under her skin.

"So why the hell did you come back here, wench?" Inuyasha spoke.

"I came here to talk to Kaede, Inuyasha." Kagome said.

The comment caused the half-demon to laugh, like it was the funniest thing he had ever heard. Holding his sides, he gave her a toothy grin, "Oh, that's rich. Really? You're too stupid to even realize that she's not here."

Kagome knew this, as Kaede's aura could not be felt anywhere in the home. "I know that, Inuyasha. That's why I wanted to know where she lives. This used to be her home, if you remember at all."

"What my dear mate means, is that my sister has left this plane of existence, Kagome. She is dead." Kikyo gave the news with indifference.

Kagome was stunned. Her body felt heavy as the emotions overcame her, she couldn't even stop the tears. Noriko returned right at that moment, her hands full with trays of food. She halted only for a moment, showing concern over the girl who was crying and collapsed on the floor.

Kikyo saw her servant's hesitation and reprimanded her quickly, "Noriko, attend to your duties. Do as you're told."

The old woman quickly set down three bowls of rice and various side dishes on the table before disappearing back to the kitchen as Kikyo commanded. Inuyasha paid no attention to Kagome, and immediately grabbed at his food and ate ravenously. Small pieces of food and rice flew everywhere. His manners hadn't changed at all, and it was in stark contrast to Kikyo's elegance of steady eating.

"Kagome, there is nothing for you to cry about. My sister was old, and Kami called upon her to leave this earth. It is natural." Kikyo spoke as if she was speaking of the weather.

Kagome's head snapped up, "How could you be so cruel? YOUR sister died and you don't even shed a tear." She stood up and walked over, slamming her hands against the table. The dishes rattled from the impact.

"Oi wench! That's my food you're messing with!" Inuyasha's retort fell on deaf ears. The tension between the two mikos before him was reaching it's breaking point.

Kikyo placed her chopsticks down with care before she raised her hand and quickly slapped Kagome across the face. She purposely struck the younger miko with her ringed hand, cutting Kagome's cheek in the process.

"Watch your words, girl. Remember you are in MY home. I will not have anyone lecture me." her voice cut sharply through the room. Even Inuyasha stopped eating to look up at his mate.

Kagome put a hand to her cheek in shock. The red flash of her own blood smeared against her palm surprised her. Maybe she should have defended herself and fought back. She thought against it though; she knew she could hold her ground, but the situation didn't need both of them reduced to a catfight. Kikyo roughly grabbed her wrist and wiped it clean. Kagome sat reluctantly as Kikyo cleaned her face with a soaked rag from a bowl of warm water. A whiff of mint and citrus caught Kagome's attention. The water looked murky, and smelled strongly like ginger. There was something else, though. She couldn't figure it out.

"I cared for my sister, but know this: she lived her life as Kami saw fit." Kikyo wrung the cloth into the bowl and set it aside. "Eat your food, Kagome. Then we may talk."

Kagome suddenly did as she was told, submitting to the other miko. Her mind was overcome by a white haze.

Kikyo's mouth twitched, and she had to stop herself from smiling. There was no doubt that the girl had power, but she lacked the cunning skills that one needed to have in the current era. Her naivety would cause her end. Ignoring Inuyasha's shouts for more food, she left the room to gather more ingredients for the next part of her plan. The potion she had in mind would cause Kagome to spill her secrets.

In the last three years, Kikyo had accumulated her knowledge of herbal medicines. It was three years of taking advantage those sought help from her, and three years of hunting witches for their secrets. She stirred the potion, not even bothering to hide the strong scent. It had come together quite nicely. Yes, the girl would not even remember what she had told them. The side effects would be too overwhelming.

She poured the potion into a bowl and returned to the room. Kikyo was pleased at the sight of Kagome slowly eating like a puppet held by strings. She pushed the potion against Kagome's lips and commanded, "Drink this, Kagome. All of it."

Kagome did not even pause before the liquid passed between her lips, and fell completely under the effects. Kikyo spoke the spell needed to solidify the connection as she held her hand against Kagome's forehead. The younger miko's arms fell limp and her eyes exhibited an eerie glow. The spell was successful.

A small clank on the table alerted Kikyo to her mate's empty bowl .The hanyou looked at Kikyo, "Feh. I didn't think you'd use that already." He stood up and brushed off bits of rice from the red haori he always wore.

"We don't have time to waste. We must know the true reason for her return." Kikyo maintained her composure as best she could. But underneath it all, she was angry. Why would this little speck of a miko be given a purpose when SHE was the one that was elder and wiser? She faced Kagome, seeking the answers she wanted, "Kagome, tell me why you came back. What did Midoriko tell you to accomplish?"

Kagome's voice didn't hold any sense of firmness. Her words slurred as she spoke, "I was to return in three years to find an important item that she wanted destroyed."

Kikyo's curiosity piqued, "What item? Why does she want it destroyed?"

"It's a scroll. She said it needed to be destroyed because it carries the power to freely enter hell's domain." Kagome's voice got weaker with each passing word.

"How does Midoriko expect you to find this scroll?" she watched the girl's face scrunch, as if it was difficult to remember.

"I dunno… she told me to find it and destroy it…" Kagome repeated.

Kikyo stared at Kagome in disbelief. Either Kagome was lying very well, or she genuinely did not know how to find the scroll. She scowled at her reincarnation and placed two fingers on Kagome's forehead. "Jitsugen shinai yō ni nemurimasu." her spoken incantation caused Kagome to collapse to the floor. She checked her pulse, making sure of the full effects of the potion. Just looking at the other so-called miko made her more angry. SHE should've been the one chosen for Midoriko's task.

"Inuyasha. Noriko." she commanded. Inuyasha was there quickly, and the old woman followed, awaiting her next request, "Inuyasha, put her in the furthest room from our quarters and my medical chamber. Get her out of here. Noriko, gather the girl's plates and tea and throw it all in the fire. We have no need of they anymore." With that, she left the two and exited the room.

Noriko gathered the cups and bowls, and stopped for a moment when she saw the cup used to give Kagome the potion. She turned her head slightly, seeing that Inuyasha had already slung the girl over his shoulder like a sack of rice. She pitied the girl, for she had seen her mistress use the same potion on others before. Mistress Kikyo only used it when she needed answers that were not given willingly.

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Shippo did his best to stay standing next to Ami. It was to protect her, of course, he told himself. But all he really wanted to do was hide behind her like Rin was doing. He looked at the situation, and contrary to what they were yelling at each other, he really did pay attention to his studies. The first rule he learned was to see who you were fighting against, and that's exactly what he was doing. Or at least, what he was trying to do. No matter how many times his nose twitched while trying to scent the two strangers, he couldn't figure out what kind of youkai they were.

The two youkai were dressed in dark earthy colors of greens and reds to match the chestnut color of their skin. Their pale yellow hair made them look even more foreign. The male, Hiei, had one side of his head shaved, while his remaining hair had been braided intricately with knots and beads. Yuuko's hair was braided in a similar fashion, with added charms and small sticks. There was also a distinctive red streak in her hair. Shippo's attention was driven back to Ami as she continued to speak on their behalf against Madam Kasumi.

"You cannot do such a thing! Kits such as they, need to be outside in nature as much as they are to learn from their studies." Ami argued. She ignored the two strangers in the room. Their presence failed to provoke her.

"How foolish of you to argue with Kasumi-sama." Hiei's voice was a stern tenor.

"She is the one who was given the title in our lord's lands and also given charge over his wards while he is away." Yuuko said with a more lyrical tone.

Ami harshly spat out, "Yes, oh yes. Let us all fall to her whims. But you are overstepping your boundaries!"

A loud crack thundered throughout the room. Kasumi stood from her low desk and walked just a few feet in front of Ami. "Enough! My decision is made. They will be settled in their rooms until our lord returns."

Madam Kasumi nodded to the two youkai and they went forward to separate the children. Shippo jumped towards them bravely with a glare, daring them to get past him. Ami's hand gently touched the kit's shoulder, stopping any further confrontation.

She knelt down and spoke to the children, "It will be all right, kits. Lord Sesshomaru will return in two days. You may show him how much you have learned when he arrives."

"B-but I want to be outside! Why can't we learn outside? It's boring always reading scrolls. Kagome-mama always taught us to learn with nature." Rin cried.

"Rin hime-san, who is this Kagome you speak of?" Ami's eyebrows rose. As far as she knew, the girl and the kit were both orphans.

The girl immediately brightened up, "Oh! Kagome-mama is the pretty lady that travelled with Lord Sesshomaru's brother. When Rin got lost, she met with Kagome-mama and she read to Rin until Lord Sesshomaru found us!" she beamed up at Ami, "I wish Kagome-mama was here again." Rin pouted.

Ami was quite mystified, and nodded, "Do your very best, and I am sure our lord will settle this matter. You two will be allowed equal time back in the gardens soon enough."

"You are wasting time. Come, young master Shippo. You start calligraphy promptly." Hiei sharply called as he reached for the fox kit. Ami's pointed look through her cloudy eyes caused him to hesitate for a moment, before he successfully tugged the tiny fox away from her and down towards the learning halls. Rin hugged Ami tightly before she too was forced to follow Yuuko out of the room.

"Really, fox," Madam Kasumi sneered at Ami, "I do not understand how our lord comes to let you have such leeway in this household. But I will remember to tell him just how much disobedience you have instilled into his wards."

Ami smiled wickedly, "Well, I guess I will await my fate then, Kasumi-sama. Until then." She turned her heel and left the dragoness in the wicked smoke-filled room.

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Kagome awoke to the strangest sensation in her head. She felt heavy, and couldn't fathom how she made it into the room she was in. Trying to remember what happened last night made her head hurt. It was almost as if she didn't have any memories at all. It felt so wrong. Something must have happened, but what that was, Kagome didn't know. What she did remember was the news of Kaede's death. The memory brought a fresh wave of sadness over her, and she struggled to pull herself together.

Sitting up and ignoring the nausea welling up in her gut, she finalized her decision. Step one: leave, get supplies, and head out to find Sango and Miroku. Step two… well, she would cross that bridge when she had to.

There was no way she was staying here any longer, and no telling what would happen next.

"My lord, do you require anything? Drink or food?" a woman spoke.

"No, I do not require of anything."

"Very well, my lord." she smiled and turned away from him. Outside, she watched as her brother tended to the field that they owned. She had a feeling that what Sesshomaru-sama needed was due to arrive very soon.

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Jitsugen shinai yō ni nemurimasu. : Roughly means To Sleep and never realize, I just used a online translator and hopefully it worked. ':)

Chapter was edited to due the amazing efforts of watermarkit

Cheers to my readers !

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