Chapter 18

Thank you everyone who has reviewed so far! Also, I may not be updating as much as usual because I'm working on a lot of other stories too (even though I'm not posting them but it's best to have chapters prepared), so sorry for the inconvenience.

One more thing... I realized that I accidentally changed Akane's hair and eye color from black and green to gray and violet... oops. But I like the gray and violet so I'm keeping it that way.

Kagome was hesitant to tell them anything. They were strangers! And the head of the village didn't seem to pleased with her presence, though the shrine keeper continued to tell her that there was nothing to worry about. Kagome looked at Akane. She had soft, very sweet features. Kagome found that it reminded her of her mother, with the exception of the silky gray hair and vibrant violet eyes. Kagome sighed quietly. She was about to speak up, but stopped, looking down. Akihiro groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Demon, you must tell us what happened if you want her help." He said. Kagome looked up at him with a glare.

"You don't understand how hard it is for me to tell you what happened." She growled out. Akihiro only returned her glare, not threatened by her.

"Well maybe I would understand if you told us what happened." He said.

"Akihiro, please." Akane told him.

"Are you serious!" Kagome shouted, tears threatening to spill out. "I have been through something horrible that I never even want to think about, and you expect me to tell two strangers what happened! You wouldn't understand!" Akihiro's glare stayed put.

"Who's to say I wouldn't? You don't me, and I don't know you, so we don't know what the other has been through in our lives, but don't go assuming that I haven't been through something horrible either. Remember, I am a regular human, and you are demon, a princess no less. You obviously have it easier." He said, his voice low. Kagome's angry expression melted into one of shock and she looked down again, not saying a word.

Akane looked between the two. She gave Akihiro a pointed look, telling him that she would discuss his attitude later and he sighed, looking to the side. Akane looked back down at Kagome, softly grabbing her chin and lifting her head up to look her in the eye.

"I am terribly sorry for my friend's attitude. He has not had the best of experiences with demons, so he does not favor them much." She said with a soft smile. She heard Akihiro quietly scoff behind her.

"That's an understatement." He mumbled under his breath. Akane shot him a quick look and he kept his mouth shut. Kagome looked at Akane and nodded.

"Now, are you ready to tell us what happened?" Akane asked her. Kagome hesitated, then nodded again.

"I am." She responded. Akane smiled and let go of her chin, getting comfortable. Akihiro sighed and sat down, getting comfortable as well, knowing that it would be a long story. Kagome took a deep breath and began to tell her story, but she asked a question first.

"How long was I asleep?"

"A day. Your wounds healed overnight." Akane answered. Kagome nodded, her hand going to her stomach. Even though it healed, it still felt sensitive. She could also feel a very slight raise in her skin which she assumed was a scar.

"Well, the day before, it was after lunch, but it wasn't close to sunset yet. I was in my room when my sister knocked at my door. She asked me if I wanted to go have a walk with her outside the castle grounds. I told her no at first, because my father said that I was not allowed to leave the castle because someone might sense my miko powers and try to take me away, but she said that she already asked our father who said said yes so I went along.

"We got out of the castle and I began to talk about how I was happy that we were finally spending some quality time together and we can finally have a better relationship because my we were always distant from one another. I was really the only one talking, and I got so lost in the conversation that I didn't notice that we walked into the deep part of the forest." At their confused faces, she explained to them about the forest.

"It's a forest in the southern lands where all the especially dangerous animals and demons roam. A lot of people are afraid to go in there, me especially." Kagome explained. Akane nodded and Akihiro raised an eyebrow.

"Why doesn't your father just handle the creatures in that forest?" He asked her.

"While it is apart of his lands, he honestly wants nothing to do with that part as even if there were no creatures there, nobody would go in there because of the dense foliage that makes it impossible to see by the human eye. Demons, on the other hand, either live in open fields in a village, or they travel. So he never bothered with the area." She explained. Akihiro nodded.

"Well, when we did notice where we were, Kikyo stopped, and said that she heard something. I didn't hear anything, but she was always more powerful than me, so I just went with it. She told me to stay where I was so she could investigate it and she went off into the forest. I was standing where I was and I felt like something was watching me. I looked around and that's when I found a half demon by the name a Naraku standing before me. He was wearing a baboon pelt, but his head was showing." She said. Akane and Akihiro straightened up at the mention of Naraku.

"Naraku? As in the half spider demon Naraku?" Akihiro asked. Kagome nodded, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"Is he someone important?" Kagome asked, not really knowing the significance of the half demon.

"Yes, he is known throughout the lands as the most vicious and cold hearted assassin out there. He has never been spotted during one of his jobs. He is a homicidal maniac." Akane explained. Kagome's eyes widened.

"What kind of connection could he possibly have to you?" Akihiro asked.

"Well, when I asked him what he was doing here, he told me that I really wouldn't want to know why. Then he said my name, so I asked him how he knew my name, then he told me that my sister told him. He began to say that my sister hired him to do what he wanted with me. I was confused and began to deny it. I looked for my sister but she wasn't around.

"I asked him what he was going to do to me, then he stabbed me in my stomach with... I think it was a tentacle from his body. It was a horrible feeling. I could barely stand up. Then he pulled it out and feel to my knees. When I dropped to the ground, I saw a small, pink orb covered in my blood. He picked it up before I could really get a good look at it.

"I know he pumped some of his miasma into my body when he stabbed me. The wound and the miasma should have killed me, but it didn't. I think it was because of my power. Anyway, that was when my sister burst out of the forest and I can barely remember what she was saying because I was extremely dizzy, but I could make out her accusing him of not saying he could kill me. He said that she was the one to say that he could do whatever he wanted to me. I thought she would deny it, but she was silent.

"Naraku was about to take off when I called out for my sister. I tried to pull myself up, but I couldn't so I reached out to her. I needed her help, and she was the only one there who would help me. Then Naraku grabbed me. I was nearly unconscious then, but I could hear my sister's protests against what he was doing. I passed out then. When I woke up again, I was in his arms and we were flying through the air. I panicked and began to struggle. When I got an arm free, I reached into my sleeve and took out my dagger and stabbed him in the chest, trying to get away. I think I must have hit something because a bright light shined and he dropped me. I was falling from the sky, I saw what I think almost a million beams of pink and white lights zoom across the sky. I hit something and then I passed out. I assume that it when you found me." She finished her tale. Akane gave her a pitying look.

"I can't believe that your own sister would hire someone to kill you." She said, shocked. Kagome shook her head vigorously.

"No! I refuse to believe that my sister would do that." She said.

"But Naraku-" Akane was interrupted.

"For all I know, Naraku was lying. My sister showed signs of caring for me before I was taken. I know she loves me, she just can't show it." Kagome said. Akihiro shook his head.

"Typical demons. Always starting wars among your own kind." He said. Kagome glared at him.

"You are one to talk. I constantly hear my father complaining about the wars humans start in his lands. We demons are less willing to kill our own kind than you people are." She said. Akihiro crossed his arms, a scowl on his face.

"You two must stop fighting." Akane said. They both looked away. Akane sighed.

"Now, you must be feeling emotionally drained Princess Kagome. Why don't you get some rest and we will discuss things tomorrow, alright?" Akane suggested. Kagome nodded.

"That's great." Akane grabbed Akihiro and pulled him out of the room, letting Kagome rest again.

It might be a while before I update again (having a bit of a writers block with the next few chapters). Also, I have other stories I will be working on (I have big plans). Sorry, once again, for the inconvenience.