-v.V.v-
Kagome took a deep breath and turned. She never would have thought they would be there so fast. She had wanted to leave only later on. But now there was nothing she could do against it. So she kept her calm as she walked towards the pair.
The woman and man stood beside a shiny black limousine. She had long black hair, looking a bit like Kagome, wearing simple black office pants and a red blouse underneath a black blazer. The man wore a similar combination, a black suit with a dark red shirt underneath. His curly long black hair fell down his back, short bangs covering his forehead, dark eyes glinting dangerously.
"So you decided to come with us?" he asked with a smug smile.
Kagome eyes cut across to the school, before she turned back to the pair. "Something like that."
"I see." the woman said, a similar smug smile gracing her features.
"But first, I need my things." Kagome added calmly.
"Leave that filth behind, dear." The woman answered, taking her arm and helping Kagome into the car.
"There are holy sacraments under them. Some remnants of my ancestors."
"Then we will of course get your things, right Kikyo?" the man said.
"Of course, Naraku."
The car went silent as they drove to the Taisho manor. The car stopped in front of the door.
"Shall we help you, dear?" Kikyo asked Kagome.
"No, thank you. It is not much I need. And Mr Taisho will recognize you. I won't cause him any trouble."
"I see. Though I wanted to repay his kindness towards you." Naraku answered, his grip on the seat lightening.
Kagome inclined her head before she climbed out of the car and went into the big manor. After she had been to the guest room and had taken the few really necessary items, she went down the stairs and met Mr. Taisho, who was coming out of the living room.
"Kagome?"
"Ah, Mr Taisho."
"Shouldn't you be at school? And what is with that bag in your hands?"
Kagome went down the last few steps and bowed before Inuyasha's and Sesshomaru's father. "Thank you for your hospitality. I will never forget your kindness."
His eyes widened. "You are going?"
"Yes." she answered while straightening. "I will not endanger you and your family any further. I have found another way, with which I won't endanger anyone."
"But..." he paused, searching for the right words the first time in his long life. "Please, let me help you!"
"No, Mr Taisho." she answered firmly. "I won't put you in such danger."
His eyes widened and he shook his head, syllables tumbling out of his mouth.
Kagome smiled sincerely and sadly. "Fare well, Mr Taisho. Please tell your sons that too."
As she turned he reached out to her, but failed to reach her. She was too far away now. The door closed behind her and he stood there, frozen, for a few seconds before he lunged for the door and threw it open, only to see Kagome inside a black limousine, which was driving out of the drive. And a face next to her.
"Naraku?!" he shouted, trying to get after the car.
Inside the car, Naraku sighed. "He's stubborn."
"Don't hurt him." Kagome said, her eyes fixed onto Naraku's. He slightly sensed her powers behind that command.
Kikyo inclined her head. "If it is your wish, dear."
"It is."
"So be it." Naraku huffed and the car sped up after a hand sign.
Mr Taisho desperately looked after the disappearing form of the black limousine.
Mumbling to himself, he raced back to his manor.
"That's what she meant with not endangering anyone! But she herself is in danger...!"
He raced into his office opening a locked drawer, taking out a file about the prophecy Kagome was involved with – no, the prophecy which revolved around Kagome.
-v.V.v-
The driver of the black limousine announced that they reached their goal.
"Thank you, Kagura. Safe and fast as always." Naraku answered casually, not sparing one glance, helping Kagome out of the car.
"This is one of the few places where you are completely safe, no one will be able to ruin your purity. And you won't be found, no matter how hard they try, dear." Kikyo added, taking Kagome's hand in hers and leading her towards the grand entrance of the manor.
Kagome learned that this manor was out of the city, at the hills where the richest of the rich resided. The neighbors were far enough away to notice nothing, the true owner not known to public.
"You have quarters for your own, within certain boundaries you can go here where you want. There is a special room, for your meditations and holy work." Naraku explained, curtly while he lead her through different hallways. "It is of importance for everything, whereas you need to be the center of it. Only truly pure persons can stay there longer than a minute."
They reached a door, Kikyo slid it open slowly. "This is not it, behind that curtain, the door to the holy room lies-"
"Thank you." Kagome interrupted Kikyo's explanations, her face void of emotion. "I will cleanse myself in there now, there is much I have to get off."
"Are you certain you don't want to rest first?" Naraku asked, curious.
"I can do without. This needs to be first. It will be my rest." she answered, only slightly turning towards him.
"We will take your things to your room then-" he began.
"No." she said, turning back towards the open door. "You should not touch them. They are holy. They will stay in this room."
"As you wish." Naraku and Kikyo answered, bowing their heads and taking a step back.
"I will find my way through the hallways alone. Do not come for me before tomorrow's sunrise."
"Of course." Naraku answered, looking at the tall-standing Kagome through clenched eyes. She did not look at them as she walked in and closed the door. Her eyes had been full of pride, power and experience, too much experience for such a young woman.
-...-
Only after they left the hallway and sat down in a room to drink tea, Naraku looked at Kikyo who looked worried. But before he could ask, she started.
"She slowly awakens."
"You think so?"
"Yes. If we can't keep her here, it will be of no use. It will be our destruction."
"Threaten her with the death of close ones?"
"No. When she awakens, she... she will leave them behind for a greater sake."
"Hm..." Naraku nodded. "But it seems like she will cooperate for now."
"If only for now. Her powers will call for something else. We must have a close eye on her."
"You remember the time you felt it?" he shot a glance at Kikyo, a dangerous glance.
"A bit." she held her head high, eyes on his. "But you know it left me shortly after. I wasn't the chosen one. But she is. So we have to be careful."
-...-
Kagome sunk down onto her knees, just after she had entered the room behind the curtain. It wasn't very big, a cushion in the center of it, in front of a small shrine. She felt the holy power in this room, felt safer.
"Stay strong." she told herself. "Stay strong."
She deeply breathed in, then out. Kneeling onto the cushion, then changing into the lotus seat, she began meditating, searching for peace and power. The strength, confidence and calm she had shown to Naraku and Kikyo had been a mask, though she had acquiesced more of it since they first appeared in her life.
Now she was searching for it again, gaining knowledge was her goal, meditating to get into contact with spiritual beings, holy persons that lingered in the in-between to help her fulfill the prophecy. She wanted to understand what was in front of her.
And she wanted to forget the faces of the ones she left. Mr Taisho, Sango and Kohaku, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. It hurt a bit to think about it, but she could not have stayed. She knew from the beginning that she couldn't stay.
Kagome felt like that since she could remember, the feeling of fate pulling her, telling her where to go, the feeling of a life she could not control, a fate she could not escape. She somehow knew her whole life that she wasn't normal, she was special, and she would lose the ones she loved because of that.
Kagome took a deep breath. Concentrating, she hummed to herself, putting away the harsh and sad memories and faces, looking towards the future. It was something she could change, not unchangeable like the past, hammered into stone, never to change.
So she took another deep breath and immersed herself into meditation once again.
-v.V.v-