Sweetest Tears
Disclaimer: I, wolfYLady, own nothing as I am nothing more than a humble writer whose entertainment comes from manipulating fictional characters. The characters depicted in this story belong to their respective owners and creators. Again, I own nothing!
Summary: Kagome was done being a hero; in fact, she was happy to live the life of an average college student and feed the occasional youkai in the park. After her grandfather's death, Kagome's life is disrupted when she's kidnapped by an Ogre, claiming her as his bride.
Enjoy!
As the first day of spring arrived amidst lingering winter chills, Kagome Higurashi felt an unnatural coldness settle deep within her bones. The phone call that morning had shattered the calm of their home; they raced to the train station, all in the hope of making it to the hospital in time to say their final goodbye. But they would arrive too late, and the news of her beloved grandfather Shiro's sudden passing hit them hard. It felt like winter had descended once again upon their family, even as the first buds of spring bloomed on barren tree limbs outside.
Shiro had been a larger-than-life figure, a wild and free-spirited man who had lived life on his own terms, with little regard for societal norms. He had often been criticized for his many extra-marital affairs, and the supposed children left as a result, and his reputation had been sullied by rumors of his reckless escapades. He was free-spirited and irresponsible, living solely for the moment and leaving everything up to chance.
Kagome had always been close to her grandfather, who had taught her to cook and had given her unwavering support when her spiritual powers had "reawakened" (as he called it) at the age of fifteen following her accidental trip through the well on their family shrine. She remembered how he would jokingly express his jealousy of her adventures in the distant past as she regaled him with tales of her time with Inuyasha and the others. He always promised to take her to the Hidden realm when she turned twenty, an adventure they would sadly never be able to take.
And yet, as the day of his funeral came, Kagome was awed by the throngs of mourners that came to pay their last respects; the lines of people seemed endless, and stories of his wild exploits were exchanged like war stories. For ever one person who despised him, there was another who admired him. But amidst the cutting remarks about his personality, there was a shared sense of respect for the man who had lived so fiercely and who had left an indelible mark on those whose lives he had touched. A softer and kinder side of Grandfather Shiro emerged, leaving an indelible impression on those present.
Grandpa Akihito Higurashi, who had known Shiro the longest and had traversed realms with him, sang his praises the loudest, sharing stories of their wild exploits with a mix of laughter and tears.
As Kagome perused the photo albums left behind, she smiled despite her overwhelming urge to cry. Grandpa Shiro would never have wanted her to cry. "Oh, that's a photo from the Hidden realm," Grandpa Akihito came over to her, his eyes taking on a nostalgic twinkle. It was a black-and-white photo from nearly fifty years ago. ." This is from our stay at Tenjinya." He took the time to point himself and Shiro out, looking youthful in matching uniforms and cloak-like jackets. Her grandfather's smirk was forever captured in black and white, radiating an air of mischief.
'So, besides Grandpa Shiro and Akihito, everyone else in the photo must be a youkai.'
Her gaze briefly lingered on the man in the center of the photo; for some reason, she imagined him to have glowing red eyes. Kagome closed the photo album, joining her family, eager to hear more tales of her grandfather. Although he was gone, the stories of Shiro's vibrant life would live on, forever a testament to the free-spirited and audacious man that he was.
~o.O*O.o~
The air was heavy with the sweet fragrance of cherry blossoms, petals swaying delicately in the slightest breeze before being scattered across the concrete. As beautiful as it was, Kagome was more interested in the small creatures crowding her feet.
With winter over, the small group had emerged from their hibernation ravenous; luckily, they were vegetarian as far as she knew.
As Kagome looked down at the group of low-level kappa that had claimed the park's pond as their territory, she smiled as she offered them a sweetened cucumber. It had become her daily routine to feed the smaller youkai in the area, and the small creatures were now familiar with her presence. Most humans were unable to see these supernatural creatures unless they possessed spiritual abilities, and even the humanoid ones had the ability to blend in seamlessly with humans.
"I'll see about coming back tomorrow. Stay safe," Kagome whispered as she stood up, straightening her skirt. She tugged her cardigan tighter around her frame to fend off the lingering chill in the air.
Up ahead was the Torii gate that marked the steps leading to the park's central shrine; Kagome stopped momentarily, surprised to see a masked humanoid youkai. "I'm hungry," their deep voice sent a chill down her spine. They donned a white oni mask, a striking contrast to their black and blood-red robes lined with pale gold and golden tassels, with fur at the collar of his haori. She did her best to steer clear of the humanoid youkai, especially those who didn't blend in with humans. If they preferred to remain unnoticed, she wouldn't acknowledge them.
"I'm hungry!" His voice grew louder the closer she got.
'I can't let him know I can see him.' Kagome continued walking, hoping to avoid the youkai.
"I said I'm hungry." He was talking right at her now, demanding an answer.
Kagome slumped in defeat. How could she ignore him now?
Stopping in front of him, Kagome pulled out her bento from her yellow backpack, wrapped in red and green cloth. "Here." She held it out to him, and he raised his head. She could feel the heaviness of his stare from behind the oni mask. "You're hungry, right? It was supposed to be my lunch, but you need it more."
He reached out, his long black claws tipping his ghostly white hands, accidentally cutting the back of Kagome's hand.
She hissed, frowning at the cut before shaking her head. "Just don't go around attacking humans, 'kay?!"
He raised his mask, though most of his face was hidden; Kagome was surprised by the hald she could see. 'He's young.'
"Thank you," his voice was still just as deep, but it had lost the ominous growl. He looked to be enjoying it.
"You're welcome," she whispered. "I'm running late for class; if you wouldn't mind leaving the lunch box when you're done, I'll pick it up on my way back." She then turned away, taking off in a jog.
Even though it seemed impossibl, she swore she could hear him whisper: "It's delicious, Kagome."
She shook her head and continued to class.
Despite making it in time to the lecture hall, Kagome's mind wandered back to the youkai she had encountered in the park. She rarely encountered humanoid youkai, and even when she did, her interactions had been limited since her return from the past three years ago. Her grandfather Shiro had always warned her about the dangers of these creatures.
Kagome clearly remembered her grandfather's warning: "Don't let yourself get too involved with the supernatural. Your spiritual abilities are a gift and a curse; they make you a target. Don't let your guard down around them- especially with an oni."
Until today, all the ones she'd met had been large with bright blue or red skin and low intelligence, nothing like what her grandfather said, but the one today seemed exactly like the one her grandfather warned her about.
Her heart sank with grief. Had it really been a month ago? It felt like an eternity. The days had blurred together with all the preparations and then the memorial ceremony. Her mother often said she'd never known anyone so full of life. And with him gone, the world seemed a little dimmer for it.
Grandpa Shiro was her father's father, who seemed to spend most of his time at the shrine after her father's passing, often disappearing and reappearing at random intervals. Her maternal grandfather, Akihito, was Shiro's lifelong friend and occasionally accompanied him on mysterious excursions to the "hidden realm."
Growing up, Kagome dismissed her grandfathers as eccentric old men with fanciful notions about mythical creatures, set on fulfilling the roles of priests when demons didn't exist. But all that changed when she was transported back in time after falling down the well and battling the very beings her grandfathers had warned her about.
Shiro had told Kagome that it was understandable she didn't believe their tales, considering her spiritual powers had been sealed away following some accident when she was a child. Her mother was tight-lipped about the incident, always hushing Shiro when he tried to bring it up. However, Kagome did know that the trauma had caused her family to move to the Higurashi shrine to live with her grandparents Saori and Akihito, who, unlike Shiro, had put down roots in the area. Being the free spirit he was, continued to roam about, but he did start making more frequent visits after the accident and practically lived at the shrine during the year she fought to complete the Shikon no Tama. Shiro referred to the sudden "reawakening" of her powers as a kind of rebirth. Still, Kagome could never shake the feeling that something terrible had happened to cause them to be locked away in the first place.
Kagome would give anything to have one more surprise visit from Shiro and to hear his unsolicited advice that only made sense in hindsight.
~o.O*O.o~
Having only one class for the day, Kagome was free after just two hours. She had used the following two hours in the peaceful solace of the university's library, pouring herself over countless books, assignments, and notes. By the time she checked her watch, it was 1 pm. Seeing as she'd given her lunch to the youkai, retrieving her bento box, preparing a meal at home, and continuing studying after finishing her chores at the shrine seemed like the next thing to do.
When she arrived, the park was slightly quieter than she remembered. The pale sunlight added a pleasant touch to the beautiful scattering of sakura petals that had fallen from the blossoms. Kagome looked around the stairs to the small shrine; a breeze swept the steps, revealing a wrapped bento below the scattered petals. Two distinct handkerchiefs enclosed the box: one was hers, and another patterned one was tied together. Adorning it was a wooden hair accessory with a sparkling floral bud.
'It's beautiful,' Kagome murmured, admiring the shine of the deep amethyst stone and the intricately carved petals. 'Maybe he's a nice youkai?' Then again, it wasn't like a youkai to leave a favor unpaid. Though she didn't think her lunch was worth such a precious piece of jewelry.
An inopportune grumble from her belly interrupted her admiration of the accessory, and she slumped against the stairs. "I should see if he ate everything." As Kagome began to unwrap the intricately folded tenugui, yokai energy rose up. The patterns on the handkerchief started to blur and bleed into each other, forming an ink-dark blot that marred her skin like a thick tar. Within moments, the once ornate cloth had become an ominous, murky shadow quickly consuming her.
Before she could react or call upon her reiryoku, a frenzied wind tore through the park's serenity, its turbulent howl dominating the peaceful soundscape. This otherworldly gale began pulling at her with unseen force, ushering her deeper into the dark void and swallowing the world around her.
The overwhelming sense of falling into nothingness engulfed her. She was gasping for breath as though drowning in the blackness that smothered her senses, muffling the sound of her beating heart.
Then her grandfather's voice echoed in the hollow pit; "Don't let yourself get too involved with the supernatural. Your spiritual abilities are a gift and a curse; they make you a target. Don't let your guard down around them- especially with an oni."
Through the relentless tide of the blackness emerged a familiar silhouette, the youkai with the haunting oni mask. Stretching his arm out to Kagome, he wrapped his arm around her, drawing her into a warm embrace. His ethereal aura infused into her, infiltrating her being and dissolving her fears.
The pitch-black void around them crackled to life as his mellifluous voice broke the silence. "Welcome to the hidden realm," he began, his words oozing an alluring enchantment that held her captive. "My bride."
wolfYLady: I had been playing with this idea for a while and finally got around to writing it! If you like it, please be kind and leave a review!
Until next time!