It wasn't true.
She knew it wasn't true.
But something within her was convincing her it was, and Kagome was helpless to stop it. Whatever had slithered into her mind was making itself at home, feeding on her insecurities. She should've known better than to trust Hakudoushi—about anything.
The child didn't feel fae, but the power certainly did, and she had a feeling it had to do with that weird ball tucked into his blanket. The baby had yet to let go of her, regardless of how hard she'd pushed back. But her body still refused to respond. It had to be another spell.
It wasn't a very good one, considering she could still talk, but they'd been talking as if she wasn't even there. She'd hoped they'd reveal something about the person behind their plan, but then they'd started badmouthing Sesshoumaru, and she hadn't been able to stay quiet.
And now she couldn't even see.
Her power protected her from physical harm, and she'd thought she'd honed her reiki enough to keep vipers like Hakudoushi and whoever the baby was out, but she'd been too distracted to keep an eye on both of them. Was Entei even still there? Was he a part of the plot to get her alone?
Another tendril of the infant's power latched onto her mind, and Kagome flinched. They'd done their research, using her compassion against her long enough to invade her mind and immobilize her. Who knew how long it would be until someone would come looking for her—and if there would even be anything left of her when they did.
She shuddered at the thought of what someone like Shippou or any of the other children would find. Their plan included keeping her and the king apart for some reason, though they'd remained relatively tight-lipped about the reason why.
The only place her power had made a difference was in Bokuseno's glade. It kept the atrocities at bay, creating a haven where she felt safe. She'd clearly taken that for granted, which was probably why Hakudoushi had cornered her before she'd re-entered the castle.
Now she was trapped.
Trapped and doomed.
Kagome mentally shook her head. No. She wasn't trapped here. There was always a means of escape. If the baby was related to Hakudoushi, and she suspected he was considering the similarities, then that meant he was fae. She didn't have any iron, but they still didn't understand the versatility of her power.
She hoped.
"Hope is not something that will do you much good here," the infant sneered. She felt him moving around, probing at the recesses of her mind. It was dark and cold, and she tried to push him away, but he'd firmly attached himself to her heart. "There is no one to help you here."
"I can help myself," she bit out. "I'm not afraid of you." She tried to imagine a barrier, but he was in too deep. She had to get him to let go.
"The king would've been better off if you never appeared."
"Only according to you." She knew she'd made a difference. He'd been nothing like what she remembered, a shell of his former self when she'd first seen him, but he still hadn't been able to leave her alone. Something kept pulling him in, and she chuckled at the memory of standing over him in his own bed.
"You are nothing to him."
A calmness settled over her heart, the baby's talons not feeling so sharp. "Maybe. But I'm still going to help him. I'm still going to fight for him." So what if the king hadn't recognized her at first? She'd rectified the situation, forcing him to look at her until he'd remembered.
And oh, how he remembered.
"You are nothing," he repeated.
"At least I have a name," she taunted. "And you may know it, but I never gave it to you." Her chest felt warm. "You are nothing. Not to me or this land. And even if I can't defeat you, I'll help those powerful enough to do it." A crack appeared in the darkness, specks of light shining through, and she straightened her shoulders.
The child felt more solid, though she couldn't discern his location. Reiki pooled around her fingers, and she took a steadying breath. He was still here, but the ties were looser.
"Even if I have to give all of this up," she said, indicating the power around her hands. "Even if it sends me back, even if he forgets me again, I'll still help him. This is his land, and he remains king." She spat out the last word, emphasizing her point as the crack in the darkness grew. "It's you who are nothing. You're the ones having to rely on dreams and his weakened state before making your move. You'd never have the nerve to do it when he was at full power."
The infant's jabs were indecipherable now, a mix of scoffs and garbled rebuttals that refused to take form. Kagome wove her reiki into a ball. "I'll make sure to let him know the next time I see him." Bracing herself, she blasted the crack, and the darkness shattered like glass.
It was like being trapped in a snow globe, her power falling like rain as the illusion broke. The infant wailed, burns appearing on his skin, and Kagome found she was finally able to move. She shoved him away, rolling into a defensive stance as she faced Hakudoushi. His expression shifted between shock and fury as he looked at the flailing baby.
"You failed," he said.
"She is different," the infant bit out, reaching for his brother. The orb slipped from his blankets, and Kagome reached for it, keeping them from retrieving it. Now that it wasn't in the child's possession, and she wasn't being distracted by his weird mental perversion, she could sense his fae blood. His aura was exactly the same as Hakudoushi's.
"Triplets?" she asked, though it seemed odd that two of them would be so much older.
"I was kept asleep until my skills were needed," the baby said.
"Guess you'll have some explaining to do when whoever you work for finds out it didn't help," she said, sliding the ball into her pocket. It didn't feel evil, so she might be able to put it to better use later on—once she figured out what it did.
Now that they'd discovered her true identity, there was no point in hiding. She rose to full height as she stared them down. Neither male blinked, calculating their next move. Kagome wasn't about to attack first—she knew better than that—but she wouldn't leave herself defenceless, either.
"What's your endgame?" she asked, knowing they weren't about to answer. That would be too easy.
Hakudoushi strapped the baby to his chest, gripping his spear with both hands as he began to circle her. "Give up now, and your death will be quick."
"Yeah, right," she said, rolling her eyes. "You left me to rot in a dungeon. And that was before you knew who I was." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Did you really expect me to fall down that hole?"
"You would not be the first."
Kagome shuddered, unable to hide her reaction. Fae dealt in exchanges, though they did their damnedest to ensure the deals ended up in their favour. Death had never been a part of that. She'd survived through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, fighting her way to the castle beyond Meikyuu's outer city, to take back the child Sesshoumaru had stolen. And he'd kept his word when she'd won, returning her and Souta to their rooms in a flurry of lightning and white fur.
She might've only bargained for Souta's life if she knew how far down the rabbit hole her victory would send him. Biting the inside of her cheek, she mentally shook her head. No, she wouldn't have. She'd have found another way to escape, leaving the king to his proverbial ruin. She'd been too cocky back then, even with Gramps naming her a prodigy.
What she would've done, was make sure Meikyuu was protected from scum like Hakudoushi. They'd somehow infiltrated Sesshoumaru's inner circle, gaining his trust long enough to put themselves in positions of power and then using it for their own personal endeavours—whatever they were. But how would syphoning the king's power help them? All it did was drain the land of its beauty and life.
A crumbling castle did them no good, and Sesshoumaru would remain king until he passed the duty onto someone else. And he wasn't about to do that. There wasn't even anyone in line for the throne.
A crunch of grass was her only warning before Hakudoushi struck, the blade missing her by less than an inch. Kagome spun out of the way, throwing a blast of reiki in his direction before creating a weapon of her own. She was better with a bow—which shrine maiden wasn't?—but he was too close for that, so she chose daggers instead.
She tried to slice the baby free on the off chance he was boosting his power, but Hakudoushi shoved the butt of his spear into the ground. He turned a sharp corner, her blade narrowly missing his feet before he righted himself.
"How unbecoming of a lady," he said, dragging his spear along the ground.
"What would you know about ladies?" she shot back. They continued to circle each other, and she wondered what kind of spell he'd cast to keep them from being interrupted. His powers weren't strong enough to hide hers, and Sesshoumaru had been supplemented enough that he would recognize them if needed.
Flexing her hands, her daggers merged into a sabre, and she spun it around so he knew she meant business. He appeared unimpressed, but there was a flicker in his eyes before he flew through the air, blades clashing. Kagome half-wished he was youkai, as she could just fry him and be done with it, but like time, magic flowed differently here, and she wasn't sure if her reiki would even properly harm him.
She'd been bread to heal, and only her connection with the elements allowed her to create weapons at all. Most miko and monks required a conduit—a physical object that their power would flow through before attacking. Even Gramps had been surprised when she'd been able to do it without one, immediately doubling her lessons.
Exploring her power had never been an option. She was always taught to harness it through drills and scrolls. But here… Kagome rolled her shoulders, the handle of her sabre encircling her arm. Her power was a part of her, pulsing in time with her heart, and she had no issues reflecting Hakudoushi's attempts to subdue her.
He hopped around like a frog, never staying in one place long enough for her to land a hit. She growled in frustration, a well-placed barrier causing him to stumble and giving her the chance to land a blow to his leg.
He cursed, jumping over her this time as he swatted out the flames. "This is why you were meant to stay in the dungeon."
"I know, I know. You can't take me anywhere." She smirked, readying her weapon again. "Isn't it a shame?" The baby murmured something, and his spear began to glow. Kagome dug her heels into the ground, flaring her power in response.
They were all surprised when Entei stepped between them, snuffing out Hakudoushi's attack. He'd been grazing nearby, seemingly unperturbed by their fight, but now that she'd been freed from the infant's hold, he was more inclined to pick sides. Kagome straightened, placing a hand on his back.
She realized too late what Hakudoushi's ploy had been, creating a circle of toadstools in their battleground. She'd have fallen for it, too, if the flames around Entei's feet hadn't turned them to dust. "Thank you," she said. The beast whinnied, flipping his mane to the other side, and she stepped beside him. "Looks like another loss for you," she mocked.
Hakudoushi glared at her, muttering "Traitor" under his breath before twirling the spear as if it weighed nothing. He tensed as he readied his next attack but paused as the baby whispered something in his ear. Kagome strained to hear but didn't chance stepping closer. She still didn't know their endgame, but she'd had enough brushes with death for one day.
"Are you sure?" Hakudoushi asked, not taking his eyes off her. The baby nodded, grabbing a lock of hair when it looked like his brother was going to ignore his orders. He gripped the handle of his weapon, and then they were gone, disappearing in a cloud of silver smoke.
She wanted to relax, but instincts screamed, refusing to let her guard down. They could have simply reappeared inside the castle walls for all she knew. She patted Entei's nose. "I don't suppose you'd let me ride you?" He snorted but lowered his head. There was no saddle, but Kagome found she didn't need it, easily sliding onto his back.
Everything centred around the king. Regardless of her involvement, it all had to do with him and his power. And she wasn't about to sit idly by while parasites such as Hakudoushi and his siblings sucked the life out of Meikyuu. Sesshoumaru needed to know of their betrayal. He was still under their spell in some way, though she'd been able to sever the strongest parts of it during their time together.
She'd free him. She just had to find him.