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Chapter 06 - Birthday

By my twentieth birthday, I've been living in this twisted reality for some time. Let's say that I found a way to live here and not get myself into trouble. I mastered my ability to fake emotions since most of the time I couldn't allow anyone to know what I was really thinking. Considering that I used to talk or yell first and then think about what I said, it was quite difficult for me to change. However, after some practice, it became kind of natural for me.

Unfortunately, I didn't find much information about Naraku which would help me in any way. Once in a while I tried to go back into the past through the well, but it never worked. If it did, I would have stayed there or I would change whatever caused this. Even if I managed to change it, I would probably stay in the past anyway. I was fed up with these people around me and even if they acted normally again, I am sure I wouldn't be able to get rid of the memories. They would remind me of this situation for the rest of my life.

Not that they were acting very differently, but the little differences were probably worse than if they behaved completely unlike themselves. For a while, everything seemed to be perfectly normal, and then someone said or did something, which immediately brought me back to reality. It was always as if someone slapped me straight across my face.

In this reality, being a priestess meant that I had to attend special lessons where I've been prepared for my future duty by one older priestess. She was very strict, but also kind. When I went to this lesson for the first time, well, first time for me, she seemed to be disappointed by the fact that I obviously forgot all of our previous lessons. Thankfully, she knew about my accident in the well, so I didn't have to come up with any other excuse. Though, she took in her head that I have to catch up with everything I forgot, so the lessons were usually very tiring. But even though that I was falling behind with my studies, sometimes she found a while and we were just talking. These talks were usually about her previous pupils she was teaching, and about what these girls were doing for the living. From these talks I learned some interesting things.

For humans, priestesses were something like more powerful nurses, who were called by anyone who didn't see any other way for getting help with cure for some illness, when they had troubles with some curse and such things. This was usually the last option, because not all people could afford it considering that due to the low numbers of priestesses, it were quite costly services.

For demons, priestesses were usually just some kind of cops. When some demon gone wild and acted against the rules, they were called to catch those demons and bind them, so they could be taken to the preparation camp. That was probably the place, where most of the demons worked, though I heard the rumors, that even some priestesses were part of it.

As for the other demons, some were owners of prospering companies, where they were hiring humans to do the work for them. They also had the main word in all political manners. Although only humans were present when some crucial questions were discussed, nothing could be approved without agreement of the demons in charge of certain issues. It gave to humans some kind of feeling that they can make decisions of their own, but it was just an illusion. In the end the demons always did only what they wanted, no matter what was originally decided by humans. It didn't seem to bother anyone though.

There were also some, who monitored what the humans were studying, so they wouldn't be taught anything what could be potentially dangerous for them. There was also the possibility that even my studies to become priestess were monitored, but I couldn't be sure and no one ever confirmed it to me. Not that I asked.

Other thing, which was completely in hands of demons, was justice. That was probably the only thing I kind of admired in this reality. Because they weren't fiddling with the criminals, there was really low criminality in the whole country, but the punishment was often really exaggerated. Even only for a small crime, people usually got the death sentence and ended up in the hunting fields.

The result for disobedient demons is quite clear and the only way for them to avoid becoming slave is, if they get killed while they are pursued. Though, some rumors say that even those in the end became slaves. How it was done, no one ever knew and even I couldn't think of any way how could Naraku bring dead back to life. Well, I couldn't figure out a lot of things about him, and I already somehow accepted the fact that probably everything is possible in here.

The doorbell disturbed me from my thoughts and I went to open it. It was Ayumi, Eri and Yuka, the only people other than my family, whom I invited to my birthday.

"Happy Birthday Kagome!" They cheered happily right after I opened the door. I thanked them with smile and let them in. They immediately found their way to the living room, where the party took place, and gathered around the table with all kinds of desserts, chips and other kinds of food prepared by my mum.

At first we were just talking, laughing, enjoying each other's presence and all the food. Then came the time for presents. The one who started it was Souta. He handed me some box wrapped in decorative wrapper, and I immediately started to open it.

It was a wooden box, but not just some ordinary wooden box. On the top side there was photo of our family from when we were at an amusement park two months ago. We asked some passer-by to take the picture, but I would never thought that Souta would use it like this. A few tears escaped from my eyes unconsciously. It was so touching.

"There's nothing inside so you can fill it with anything you find important. This way, you will have all your important things together in one place with us. Even if you move away." Souta smiled kindly and I hugged him.

"Thanks Souta, it's really nice from you." I told him and he blushed a little.

"We have something for you too." Ayumi quickly stepped in, Eri and Yuka standing close behind her. I looked at them and their smiles told me that they were planning something mischievous. They handed me together one decorative paper bag and when I took it from them, they started to giggle. They were trying to stay calm, but it obviously didn't work. I peeked in the bag and saw just some black leather clothes.

"What is that?" I asked and pulled the cloth out.

"What is this supposed to mean!" I almost yelled when I figured out what it was. The girls burst out laughing, Souta and grandpa just cocked their heads and mum's eyes slightly widened. I quickly shoved it back to the bag and glared at my friends.

"What's wrong Kagome? Don't you like it?" Ayumi asked innocently between the laughs. I just kept glaring at them.

"We were browsing through the stores, wondering about what to get you." Yuka added, but was stopped by another wave of laughs.

"And when we saw the costume of Catwoman in one of them, we just couldn't resist." Eri finished still laughing. I stared at them with raised eyebrows for a while and then sighed with chuckle. Their innocent cheerfulness was bringing the feeling of some kind of normality into my life.

I left them in their laughing state and turned at mum and grandpa. They didn't have anything in their hands and it confused me. Not that I would want the presents that much, I really didn't care about that, but this was strange. Grandpa never missed any opportunity to give one of his supposedly powerful stuff to someone and mum…Well, she was my mum and I was her daughter. She's been always taking care of me. I didn't really need her to give me something on my birthday because she's been giving me something my whole life. It may have been my birthday, but other than that it was a day like any other. So technically there was no need for any gifts at all, but it's natural to expect something. It didn't have to be something big or gorgeous, just something small to show that the one cares for the other.

"We were thinking about it for some time and when we discussed it at length. We decided that for your twentieth birthday we should give you something really special." Mum started and I already had really bad feeling about that.

"We decided that we will give you a slave as a birthday gift."

I stared at her in disbelief. What did she say? A slave? I didn't want a slave. I had already hard time enough to act around Kei how it was expected. I couldn't have my own slave. For what reason anyway? I didn't need some poor puppet to serve me.

I glanced over my friends and saw the excitement on their faces. Of course, in their minds there was no one who wouldn't want their own slave. Some people had even more of them. I, however, didn't want any part of it. Yet, if there was someone like that, they would look suspicious. I didn't want to look suspicious. I couldn't, if I didn't want to meet Naraku personally.

"That's great mum!" I wrapped my arms around her neck and imitated the excitement I saw on my friends. Mum just chuckled.

"I knew it would make you happy." She smiled and I smiled at her. But my thoughts were completely different. She couldn't possibly choose a worse gift for my birthday.