Disclaimer Part I: The characters of Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me. Aster and Dayandhi also belong to me. As unlikely as it would seem at first glance, this is a continuation story, not AU.
Inuyasha: A Fugitive Fairytale
Chapter Twelve
Saying Goodbye
"Kagome Higurashi, the Court finds you guilty on all charges."
Kagome blinked.
"What?"
"Take her away. Wipe the memories of her unfortunate victims and send them back to where they belong." The trio who acted as the judge spoke eerily in unison. They looked human. But they sounded eerily robotic. The one in the middle (possibly a woman, difficult to tell really) slammed down the gavel, making everyone jump.
"Next case."
Kagome looked pleadingly at Aster, her shaking hands clasped at her chest. "But... but there was no trial! They didn't let me tell them what happened! That can't be right?"
Aster took her elbow and started leading Kagome out of the courtroom without a word and with a face of stone. The young woman barely noticed the other crowd of people waiting to stand trial as she was pulled quickly out into the hall, which was also full. She struggled to keep up.
"But it isn't fair! And what about Inuyasha? And the others? Are they okay? What are you going to do with them? Am I going to jail? Am I being executed? What about my family? My mother?"
"Hush, girl," hissed Aster. "Just come along quietly."
"QUIETLY???" You have got to be out of your mind!"
"Come quietly or I swear I will put you out right now."
Kagome closed her mouth, but she was furious now. She HAD to know if Inuyasha was ok. She tried to dig her heels in and force Aster to stop, but suddenly the other officer, Dayandhi, was right behind her with his hand at her back. Morbidly she wondered if he would be the one to shoot her, like he shot her friends.
She followed them out of the main corridor and into what appeared to be something similar to an elevator.
"Correctional Facility Ninety-Seven."
"Where are we going?" asked Kagome as the doors began to close.
Aster looked at her and almost smiled. "Jail."
"You have ninety-seven jail cells?"
"No. Two hundred and fifty jails, each holding one hundred cells. Your friends are lucky they are in Ninety-Seven."
The door closed and Kagome snorted. "Lucky?"
The doors opened again and they were suddenly staring at an empty corridor lined with cells.
"Yes. Ninety-Seven is simply one of the holding facilities for our more... reluctant guests. It means that they will soon be going home. After their memories are erased they will no longer be a threat to us, and their futures will go on as they should. They are innocents."
"Did we just teleport?" Kagome spun around to look at what she thought was an elevator. But the door that was there was gone. "Was that a porthole? A wormhole? How'd that happen?" Could she use that way as an escape route once she managed to free Inuyasha and her friends?
"The less you know, the better off you are, Ms. Higurashi," said Dayan. His smile told Kagome he knew what she was thinking. She tried to smile innocently, but failed.
"So... Inuyasha gets to go home?"
Aster nodded. "Yes. They all do."
She breathed a sigh of relief, her knees sagged. At least he wasn't going to be stuck in jail too. Or... or executed. She tried not to think of her fate.
"Am I going to be held here, too?"
The officer didn't look at her. Instead she looked down the hall. "I brought you here so you could say good-bye. I thought you might like that."
Tears pricked her eyes. "Yes. Thank you."
As they walked down the corridor Kagome noticed how very silent it was. Their footsteps echoed loudly. She peeked into cells as they passed them, and every prisoner was asleep. It seemed odd because everything was so brightly lit. How could they possibly be sleeping?
They stopped in front of an empty cell. For one terrifying moment, Kagome thought she was going to be locked up. Then she noticed two tiny forms lying on a pillow.
"Salt! Pepper!"
"They sleep. It is a spell. They cannot wake up."
"I want to say good-bye." They fairies looked so sweet and peaceful.
Aster shook her head. "I will not wake them up. They will not remember you or... or anything about what has happened. They will be put back where and when they belong. You won't even be a memory. And I won't have them suffer heart ache unnecessarily."
Kagome nodded.
"Good-bye, Salt," she whispered. "Good-bye, Pepper. Thank you for all your help, for your company. I know you'll find your twinkles." A lump formed in her throat and she hand to stop speaking.
Aster put a hand on her shoulder.
"Will they be okay?" she sniffled.
"If you like... I can show you."
Kagome nodded... though she was confused. Aster smiled, then the world started shifting and swirling.
........OlO........OlO........OlO........OlO........
"Let's go see Saga at school!" squealed Sugar happily as she fluttered around the park bench. "I know we'll find a Twinkle today!"
Pepper rubbed her eyes tiredly as Salt yawned as the chewed half-heartedly on the piece of waffle Saga had left them earlier. Sugar giggled and spun around before she started flying in the direction of the school. Salt stuffed the last bite of waffle in his mouth and started after her. He had only gone a few feet when he stopped in mid-air and turned around to wait for Pepper. Oddly, he couldn't stand the thought of having her too far from him.
"Come on," he called impatiently. "Don't you want to find a Twinkle?"
Pepper brushed off the crumbs from her dress and flew to join Salt. She looked up into the sky, only a few stars left in the morning light.
"I think... I think there is a Twinkle up there," she told him.
"There's nothing up there but stars, Pepper." He didn't sound convinced, but they both looked up at the sky.
"Come on!" called Sugar. "Let's hurry!"
Salt and Pepper hurried after their pink haired friend, smiling as once again they were caught up in her enthusiasm and joy. Just as they were about to enter through the classroom window, Pepper turned and looked back up at the last remaining star.
"Good-bye," she whispered.
........OlO........OlO........OlO........OlO........
Kagome noticed that Aster turned quickly away. Somehow she didn't think Pepper's good-bye was meant for her... but for the officer. Suddenly she realized that this was not an easy task for her, and some of Kagome's anger dimmed.
She followed the officer down the hall until they came to another quiet cell. Her nose told her who it was even before she caught site of his long red hair. Kurama always seemed to have the scent of roses clinging to him. She smiled. It was a comforting smell. She would miss it. She would miss his kind eyes and gentle ways.
"Goodbye, Kurama."
He stirred. Slowly he sat up and strolled to the bars groggily.
"We will find a way to keep you safe, Kagome."
She shook her head. "It's okay."
"Hurry, Miss Higurashi. Our time is limited. Say your goodbyes quickly."
Kagome nodded sadly. She didn't want to think about what she was hurrying towards. She didn't want to think about what was in store for her once she left her friends for the last time.
The young man reached behind his ear to pull out his rose whip, but he paused, and instead pulled out a rose and handed it to her through the bars. She took it gratefully, trying to not let tears fall. She almost laughed when she saw the razor sharp thorns and pointed end. Kurama had handed her a weapon.
"You are a very wonderful person, Kurama. And I will miss you. You work so hard making everyone else happy. You need to make sure that you make YOU happy too. You are a very important person."
He smiled at her.
"One day you will have to introduce me to that lucky fox kit of yours," he said. "I would be most pleased to meet your family."
"Of course," lied Kagome. He wouldn't remember her after today, or her family, or his interest in meeting another fox demon. Her friendship would be forgotten. "I would love for you to meet them." That, at least, was the truth. Perhaps meeting Kurama might have had a calming effect on Shippo.
She smiled back at him.
"We need to move on, Miss Higurashi."
Kagome glanced at the officer before turning back to her friend. "Promise me that you will look for your own happiness, Kurama. I want a solemn oath."
He laughed. "I promise."
Then he yawned. Then slowly he walked back to his bunk and slipped into deep sleep.
"The spell doesn't hurt him, does it?"
Aster shook her head. "No. He simply falls into deep sleep." She paused, as if deciding how much information she should share. Then she continued walking. "It is like a great nothingness when they sleep. No dreams. Nothing. Before they wake I simply erase all memories of you and your... adventure."
"How?"
The officer rubbed her head.
"Can... Can I see how things turned out for him too?"
Aster sighed, then looked up and down the corridor before nodding. She reached towards Kagome once more.
---{ ---{ ---{ ---{ ---{
Kurama shook his head. He smiled good naturedly at the teasing of his friends for falling asleep on them like that. Maybe he was more tired than he thought. It had only been for a moment... but...
It just seemed like he missed something very important. Yoko, the demon inside of him, was stirring. He was restless.
"So what about it?"
Kurama blinked at Keiko's smiling face. "I am sorry, I must not have heard you."
She smiled at him, making Kurama feel that his team leader was an idiot for ignoring the girl most of the time. Perhaps he should have a word with Yuusuke.
"I wanted to know if you wanted to come along with me to the movies with some friends." Her voice became light as she sing-song'ed, "Then we're going to hit the arcade."
His first instinct was to decline. He had training to do. Demons to fight. Fire demon to watch after so he doesn't run amok. And a team leader to keep out of trouble. But something in the back of his mind stopped his words. They were troubling because he couldn't recall actually hearing them before.
Promise you will look for your own happiness.
"I would be delighted," he agreed. He wasn't sure who was more surprised, Keiko, Yuusuke, Hiei, or himself.
"You ain't goin' off with Keiko alone!" shouted the spirit detective.
"This will prove amusing," said the fire demon as he vanished from sight.
Kurama followed Keiko as she scolded Yuusuke for his manners, and he kept an eye on where Hiei was following invisibly in the trees. Perhaps the voice was right. Perhaps it was time to find his own happiness after all. The question was... where to look.
"Where does one look for their own happiness?" he asked himself.
-Oh... I have some suggestions.
Usually Kurama ignored Yoko's voice. Usually it was certain to be up to no good. This time, however, the red haired young man decided to listen.
---{ ---{ ---{ ---{ ---{
Kagome blinked rapidly.
"You can't stop it there!" she cried.
Aster tried to keep from smiling. Her lips curled at the ends. "All you need to know is that he is okay."
"But where does he go? What does he do?"
"He will search for his own happiness I suspect."
"How? Who? Where?"
Aster shook her head. "That is none of our business, Kagome. Don't forget, the more you know, the more dangerous you are."
Kagome shut her mouth, even though she was fiercely curious. Part of her was glad that he took her advice though.
Wait...
He took her advice? But he was supposed to have forgotten about her. Forgotten about everything she said. Does that mean that maybe there was hope that Inuyasha would be able to hear her last words? Maybe he would remember when he woke up. She would get a message through to him!
Kagome bumped into Aster, who was studying her face. Kagome tried to act as if nothing was wrong. She brought the rose up to her face to smell it in order to hide the expression on her face. The hope.
Then she noticed the two sleeping Pokemon.
"I won't ask you to wake them," she said. "But... can I pet them one last time?"
Aster unlocked the cell, and Kagome entered. She knelt down on the cold floor and stroked the fur of the two Pokemon.
"You two are the bravest protectors," she told them in a whisper. "Thank you very much. And please... please take care of each other."
She hugged them each in turn, burying her face in their fur and trying to keep from sobbing. It was too late to keep from crying. She wiped her eyes and gave them both one last petting.
"I'll miss you," she told them.
"You don't have to do this," said Aster as she locked the door once more. "You won't remember them any more than they will remember you. There's no need for you to go through so much pain."
Kagome's lips pressed closed. Trying to speak now would just cause more tears.
"Would you like to see their future?"
She almost nodded. Then remembered that Pokemon were captured and held in tiny Pokeballs, only released to fight in battles. Was that the fate for her brave Growlithe and Evee? It would break her heart to know.
"Can you... can you take them someplace else?" she begged. "Anywhere else. They can stay with you! They are very sweet. And protective! And friendly! And they don't make messes! Please don't take them back there. You don't know what they do to those poor Pokemon! They live in tiny little balls and forced to fight like little furry gladiators! Please don't do that to them! Please save them!"
Aster shook her head sadly. "My job is to make sure that we interfere with the time flow as little as possible. Removing two creatures is in direct violation of the law. And for someone like me to break the laws of time..." She visibly shuddered. Then she looked back down the hall to where the fairies slept. "No. I dare not risk it."
Then the officer smiled. And reached towards Kagome. The miko backed up quickly, not wanting to see a trainer holding her friends captive.
"I think you might want to see their future after all."
Kagome bit her lip, then nodded.
^..^ ^..^ ^..^ ^..^ ^..^
Growlithe woke up and sniffed the air. Evee stirred beside him. He got up and walked a few feet. He growled at an approaching Trainer, determined to keep him far away from the evee. He had to protect her.
"Come on out, Pachirisu!"
Evee came up to his side and nudged him. She wanted him to take a second look. To not fight blindly. His nature was to attack, not to figure out strategies. She nudged him again and Growlithe looked closer at the Pachirisu. He cocked his head to the side. There was something familiar about it.
"Eveeee."
Growlithe nodded in understanding. He bolted to the right as Evee raced to the left. Instead of attacking the electric Pokemon, Growlithe leapt at the Trainer. More specifically, the Pokeball in his hand. Growlithe let his entire body slam into the Trainer.
The Trainer topples to the ground, thanks to Evee hitting him from behind at the knees. Growlithe chomps down on the Pokeball, crushing it in his powerful jaws.
"Ouch! Stop that!"
"Growwwwwwl."
"Pachi?"
"Attack Pachirisu! Shock attack!"
The electric Pokemon was slightly stunned. She looked at the fallen Trainer that was calling, then looked at the two Pokemon waiting at the edge of the tall grass.
"Eveeee!"
"Pachiiii!" The Pokemon raced towards the evee.
Growlithe waited until Evee and Pachirisu had passed before turning a smirk towards the yelling trainer. Then he turned and scratched up dirt at him with his back feet.
The Pokemon continued to run happily.
^..^ ^..^ ^..^ ^..^ ^..^
Kagome tried not to laugh.
"Did..." she smothered a giggle. "Did they turn into some sort of Pokemon vigilante group?"
Aster smiled back at her. "Well, these three will run across a couple other Pokemon you might remember. And they, for lack of a better term, created their own pack. By working together they manage to stay free of trainers and battles. And on occasion free other Pokemon who are mistreated."
Kagome wiped her eyes.
Aster looked at her kindly. "They live happily. And free. They spend their lives protecting each other."
Kagome nodded. Her friends would be fine. She would miss them, though it made it ache less knowing that they would be okay. Better still... they had heard her as well. She was sure of it!
She was still trying to decide the best message to relay to Inuyasha when they stopped once more.
"Are you sure you want to talk to this one?" asked Aster with a look of distaste on her face. "I could accidently keep him asleep forever."
Kagome peeked into the cell and smiled at the mess of long white hair. He looked sweet and peaceful. The description nearly caused her to laugh to herself. But it was too somber of a moment for the amusement to last for long.
"I'm sure.
An arm moved to over his eyes. Then his legs swung out and he was sitting up. His eyes took in every detail of what was going on in front of him, though he appeared to be moving lazily.
"I am going to enjoy killing you," he told Aster, voice dripping with venom... and promise. Slowly he stood and began walking towards the cell bars. Ever so briefly he glanced at Kagome before locking glances with Aster once more. "I will hunt you down. It won't be quick. It won't be painless. Your screams will echo for eternity.
Kagome's mouth dropped at the calmness in his voice as he threatened to kill Aster. To her credit, the officer did not seem the slightest bit nervous. Irritated, yes. Scared, no. Dayan, however, looked like he was going to shoot if one more word was said
"Bakura...
"Not now, Kagome."
"Bakura!"
"Do you MIND?"
"I can't believe I'm actually going to miss you..."
He turned to her, looking very grim, and somehow taller than she remembered. She could see that he was struggling with his temper. As he gripped the bars, his knuckles started turning as white as his hair.
"We'll get out of this, girl. I'll get us out of here."
She shook her head. Even if he could somehow escape, they would be caught. And what if they were right? What if by her traipsing across time she was messing up how history was supposed to unfold. She never thought she was hurting anyone by going to the past to be with Inuyasha. It never even occurred to her that she would change history. Bakura needed to be home. Bakura. How did HE end up trying to be her savior? She supposed that even evil spirits could have their moments. It was just a shame that he lived such a sad and solitary life. If only...
"Next time a hand is offered in friendship, take it, Bakura. Because I have a feeling you would be a friend like no other." She tried to smile. But it hurt saying goodbye.
"Don't give up, Kagome! These two are nothing. NOTHING!"
His hand shot through the bars to grab Aster's throat, but he missed by only inches. Kagome shook her head. He just wasn't going to give up. She supposed giving up really wasn't in his nature. Gently she reached up and touched his hand.
"Take care of yourself, Bakura. Everyone deserves to be happy. After all these years, you are given a second chance at happiness... don't waste it."
His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he dropped heavily to the floor.
"Bakura!"
"He's fine," Aster assured her.
"But he fell! Didn't Kurama walk back to his bed first?"
"Yes well... Kurama was polite."
Dayan laughed as he started pushing Kagome down the walkway once more.
"Don't I get to see his future?"
"What? You want to see him vowing revenge on some kid's ghost while they play cards?" Dayan asked, still obviously amused by his partner's likely uncharacteristically vindictive behavior.
Kagome ignored him and turned pleading eyes to Aster.
"Please? He is my friend."
Aster sighed, rubbed her head, and mumbled under her breath. She closed her eyes and her mouth twisted into a frown. Kagome watched as her frown slipped into a smile. Then the officer opened her eyes and reached for her. This time Kagome was expecting the odd fuzzy feeling as she viewed the future.
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"What happened?"
"He just fell, I didn't do nuthin'!"
"Let's just go."
"I can't believe you guys!" Something soft touched Bakura's face. "You okay?"
He blinked sleepily and his eyes began to focus. Looking down at him with concern was the girl, Anzu. What was he doing on the ground? He reached up to brush her hand away angrily, but his hand froze halfway. He heard a soft voice, gently telling him to take the hand of friendship. That was just stupid. She was not his friend, she was the Pharaoh's girl. And she wasn't offering her hand in friendship, she was just a soft hearted girl trying to help.
"Back away from him, Anzu! He's dangerous!" Suddenly she was yanked away from his view, to be replaced by his hated enemy. The Pharaoh looked down at him suspiciously. "What trick is it you play, Bakura? Leave her out of your schemes. You will not harm her."
Smoothly Bakura rolled to his feet and stood, towering above the Pharaoh.
"The girl is safe from me."
He turned to Anzu, looking at her, really looking at her for the first time. He didn't hate her. He hated her friendship to his enemy. What would it be like to have one such as her as a friend? Why was he even contemplating friendship? It was useless. He needed vengeance and power, not friendship. Everyone deserves to be happy. Now where did that thought come from? He looked at her as she continued to watch him worriedly, surrounded by her friends. Didn't she want to be a dancer? Did her friends ever go to watch her dance as she goes to cheer them in their battles? Did she not teach that blonde idiot to play the game? Why did she not battle then? Perhaps... perhaps she was not as happy as she would like others to think. Perhaps she needed a friend to stand up for her.
You would make a friend like no other.
... maybe a friend like him?
Ducking his head he hid a grin. It was possible to have a friend. He didn't know how he knew, but it was true. How strange. Never before had he even considered having a friendship of his own. Was Ryo's weakness rubbing off on him? Maybe he hit his head too hard when he fell.
"Bakura... Are you okay?"
Slowly he stuck out his hand to her. "Thank you for your concern... Anzu."
"The fall must've rattled his brains," he heard one voice say.
"I think he's faking."
"Be careful, Anzu."
But the girl grinned back at him, and put her hand in his. Quickly he removed his hand, then threw a triumphant smile (baring of teeth) over his shoulder at the males in her group.
This could actually be fun.
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"You're just doing that to torture me, aren't you?"
Aster chuckled, then turned and began walking once more. "Why do you even care about him? He's not a good man, Kagome. He's borders on evil. A demon."
Kagome shrugged. "Even a demon can feel. And I have a feeling Bakura hasn't had much in life to make him smile."
"Still trying to change the world, Ms. Higurashi?"
Kagome opened her mouth to answer, then snapped it shut. Wasn't changing the world what got her in this mess to begin with? She shook her head. No time to think on any of that. She had to focus on what she was going to say when she saw Inuyasha. Her palms began sweating and her heart started beating hard.
Inuyasha.
Could she bear to say good-bye to Inuyasha?
She couldn't even imagine life without him in it.
But she had to have faith in him. He would find her. He always finds her. He always saves her. He'll remember her words and come find her.
"Where will you be taking me?" She needed a clue, somewhere for him to start searching.
"Home."
Kagome stopped in her tracks.
"Home?"
Aster glanced at her partner, then nodded. "Your memories will be erased." She bit her lip then continued. "All memories up until the day you met Inuyasha and trespassed into the past. Your family will think you've had an accident and have amnesia."
"But they'll..." They will remember Inuyasha. Won't they?
She kept her questions silent, but Aster answered them anyhow. "Every person who had contact with Inuyasha will have to have him taken out of their memories. He will simply be some boy you met one day. No one special. Easily forgettable."
Tears pricked at Kagome's eyes. Inuyasha was anything but forgettable. Just as she was wiping at her eyes they stopped. This time it was her Inuyasha who was lying on a cot in a cell. Only he was thrashing in his sleep. Moaning, claws flexing. It ached to see him like that.
"Wake him up," Kagome said when he continued to sleep restlessly.
A hand fell on her shoulder. Dayan was looking at her sympathetically. Aster's eyes looked downwards before meeting her eyes.
"He is too dangerous to wake. It is difficult keeping him under. We cannot allow him to wake up. Not until his memories are erased and you are long gone. You will have to say your goodbyes from here."
Her heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vise. It hurt to breathe.
"Please... please!"
Her clenched hand flew to her heart. The thorns from the rose she still held dug into her palm, but no pain could compare to this. Her breaths came short and fast. Her head began to whirl as she began to hyperventilate.
"Come along, Kagome," said Aster sadly as she pulled her arm. "This was a bad idea. Let's just get you home."
"NO! Inuyasha! INUYASHA!!!"
Kagome fought Aster's hold, struggling to reach the cell.
"Please! I have to talk to him!" She began to panic. Not get a chance to say goodbye to him? Never see him again? Never... "NO! Please! I haven't told him I loved him yet! He doesn't know! HE HAS TO KNOW!"
Maybe she could steal a key. Maybe the rose could help! It was a weapon wasn't it? Kagome screamed, kicked, hit, and squirmed, eventually getting one arm free enough to slash at her captors with the razor sharp rose thorns. But it was only her own blood that was drawn. A push to the back of her knees had her falling.
From the corner of her eye, Kagome saw Dayan nod to Aster. Then the world roared and faded.
"INUYAAAASHAAAAA!!!!!"
ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo
ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo
ooOOooOOooOOooOOoo
Author's Note:
I'm sorry if people found the last chapter (and probably this one too) a little confusing because of the time skipping. You didn't see Kagome and group go into the book from Fushigi Yugi, it just alluded to it. And in this chapter the transportation to court was skipped (trust me, it was boring... people just slept and/or cried).
Author's Note 2:
I almost thought about typing out The End right there just to be Evil Pixie Dust, but in the end decided against it. There will only be one more chapter to go. Oh, and I apologize for the inability to keep my tenses straight. It has always been my biggest problem, I swear I try!