InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Compelled By Love ❯ Downhill From There... ( Chapter 5 )

Compelled by Love

By: Jazmin Turner

Chapter Five:

Downhill From There…

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"I am surprised Kagome, very surprised. You have such a big mouth I was afraid that you had blabbed to Sango," Noburo purred.

"If the life of one of my friends is in danger, I'd do anything for them," Kagome snarled. "And if you go back on your promise and harm one hair on Sango's head, you are as good as dead, got it?" Noburo made a mock expression of fear.

"Oh, dear Kagome, you have me trembling!" Kagome glared daggers at him as she side stepped a groaning servant dragging one of her suitcases to the carriage.

"I mean it. You touch Sango, mom, or anyone else and I'll make sure you die slowly and painfully," she rumbled dangerously.

"Kagome! I'm shocked! I am your father and you would kill me?"

"Drop the act Noburo. I know you aren't my father, so please stop trying to act like him. It's getting rather old."

"Kagome, over here!" The angered expression on her face melted away when she saw her mother and Sango standing on the steps. She pulled up the long edges of her skirt(so she wouldn't trip and embarrass herself) and ran over to them.

"Oh Kagome, I wish Noburo would have told me about his little decision before shipping you off to an unknown Kingdom!" Tears glittered in Queen Higurashi's eyes, but Kagome could still pick up the undertone of harsh venom in her voice. She clutched her daughter to her chest. "I tried stop him, but as you know, the King has more power than the Queen! I don't know what to do!" She sniffled again and her grip tightened on Kagome.

"I'll be fine Mama. I am a hanyou after all, right?" Kagome forced a smile on her lips to reassure her trembling mother. Noburo's influence was already starting to destroy the life that she had once known and she didn't enjoy it in the least.

When Queen Higurashi finally released her, she turned to Sango and hugged her tightly. She was the one Kagome was most afraid for. If Noburo went back on his promise…Well she didn't want to think about it.

"I'm sorry," Kagome muttered, raspy voice muffled by Sango's dress.

"For what?"

"Leaving you."

"It'll be fine, Kagome. You just watch out for yourself."

"And you, too."

"Huh?"

"Nothing." Kagome put on another fake smile and dashed back down the steps. She shot Noburo a warning look and climbed into her carriage. The coachman whipped his horse and the great beast started to gallop fiercely until the carriage was out of sight.

Sango sighed and turned to go back inside of the castle to do her chores.

"Oh Songho!" Noburo yelled.

"Yes?" she asked suspiciously, stopping in her tracks.

"I need to talk to you."

"Um…okay." Noburo put a reassuring hand on the small of her back and led her back to the castle. Neither she, nor the Queen, nor any of the servants milling about outside the castle noticed the small, sharp dagger that he pulled from his pocket.

"We have much to talk about indeed."

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"How dare you mother!" the prince screeched. "Marrying me off to some stupid wench without my consent!"

"Kouga dear!" Queen Ookami soothed. "She is not some stupid wench! She is rumored to be very, very beautiful and she is a hanyou, not a weak human."

"A hanyou!" Kouga roared. "That's even worse! Hanyou are the scum of the earth! Heh! They're not even worthy enough to be called scum!" His clouded cerulean eyes burned into his mother's softer brown ones.

"Look Kouga, sweetie, it's already be decided. Princess Kagome is probably in her carriage on her way right now."

"WHAT!"

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Inuyasha tossed a bored glance towards Miroku, who was curled up on the large, comfy futon, head bent over his work, while his quill whizzed across his parchment. He had been in that awkward position over the last hour and the only sounds in the room were the loud scratches of his quill.

"Are you done yet," Inuyasha moaned. "I'm bored." Miroku let out an irritated sigh and threaded his fingers through his messy bangs.

"Just because you don't have to do any work for your banquet, Inuyasha, doesn't mean I don't! I'm not royalty after all!"

"Touché!"

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room shortly afterwards, until the doors to the room where pushed open. The old, rusty hinges let out an agonizing squeak of protest that could have woken the dead. A small, balding man with shaggy eyebrows and huge black eyes fidgeted nervously before them.

"Yes?" Inuyasha sighed.

"I am the official messenger for the Higurashi Kingdom. I have a message from princess Kagome." He swept down in a regal bow. Excited, Inuyasha jumped up and snatched the envelope from the man.

"You may leave." He bowed once more before scuttling out of the room. Miroku, suddenly interested in the letter, paused in his work to peer owlishly over the hanyou's shoulder. Inuyasha snorted and batted him away before impatiently ripping open the envelope.

He eagerly scanned the letter for a few seconds.

"Well?" Miroku asked nosily.

Inuyasha didn't reply but his death grip on the letter slipped and he let it fall to the ground.

"What's wrong?" The monk bent down and picked up the letter. "Inuyasha?"

In a pained, quiet voice, he whispered, "Read it." Miroku swallowed then nodded before reading aloud.

"Dear Inuyasha. I am no longer in love with you. I have found someone bigger, better, stronger, and much more handsome to be with. I don't want to go to your low class banquet and hang out with you ever again. I hate you! I am getting married in two months and I hope to never see you again. Sincerely, Kagome."

Miroku let out a choked gasp.

Inuyasha slammed his balled fist against the wall and made a large hole.

"GOD DAMN! That conniving b*tch!"

"Calm down," Miroku said soothingly.

"Calm down?" Inuyasha roared. "That little freaking backstabber is getting married! In two months! DAMN!" The hanyou removed his hand from the hole only to make another one right next to it. "How could she do this to me?!" A fierce growl vibrated

"This…this isn't right! Kagome wouldn't…"

Inuyasha slammed his back against the wall and slid down to rest on the floor

"How do we know Miroku? We've only known her for a month and a few weeks. She could have been hiding all sorts of things from us. Her whole cheery façade could have been fake…" He murmured. The pain was evident in his smoldering amber eyes as he fixed Miroku with one of the most serious, piercing stares he had since his father died. "Our whole relationship could have been based on a lie."

The monk opened his mouth several times before finding the proper words to say.

"Could someone have…forced her to write a letter? I do not believe that Kagome would do something so…wrong. Even though we have only known her for a bit, if she was evil, we could have figured it out by now." Inuyasha glared at Miroku.

"Who the hell would have forced Kagome to do something like that!? Queen Higurashi is too kind and Sango would never think to do something like this. And her father is dead…" Inuyasha let a trouble sigh escape his lips before standing up.

"We don't know anything for sure Inuyasha," Miroku said in his deep, soothing voice. "We can't just jump to conclusions. No one can fake love like she did, Inuyasha."

The hanyou paused in mid-walk to stare at his best friend.

"Huh?"

"Everyone but you could see that she was madly in love with you. Every time she looked or talked about you her eyes would gleam. She treated you like you were a gift from the gods…she cherished you. Despite everything you took her through, she stood by your side and she helped and cared for you and about you. Inuyasha. Tell me. How could she fake that?"

Inuyasha, for once, was utterly speechless.

"So you don't think Kagome was behind that letter?"

"No." Miroku shook his head slowly and handed Inuyasha the epistle. "Is that her handwriting?"

He nodded.

"Yes."

"Seems like we're in a rut then…" Miroku murmured. He cast a look at the parchment and quill he had left across the room, but he no longer had the desire to finish the plans. His friend was in need of help and condolence and he wasn't going to let him down.

Inuyasha suddenly stood up and began walking to the doors.

"Where are you going?!" the monk shouted. "The banquet is in a three days!" Inuyasha shot Miroku a pissed look over his shoulder and a scowl formed on his lips.

"You imbecile. I'm going out to find Kagome."

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As the sun slowly sunk behind the horizon, Kagome let out an anguished sigh and blew her bangs out of her eyes. She cupped her check in her hand and stared out at the thick, forest below. Glaring wistfully at the threatening bars jammed into her windows, that shoved any thoughts of a heroic escape to the back of her mind, Kagome was reminded of the freedom beyond her window. And freedom reminded her of Inuyasha. If she did somehow manage to escape this cold prison not worthy of being called a castle and she managed to find him…what then? He would probably cast her away and find a much more suitable demon to be his bride.

Noburo had made sure that he had wrung every bit of joy from her life before shipping her off to this hell hole. The castle lacked the warmth that she was used to. Instead of lively paintings, ruby red carpets, and the gleaming sunlight pouring into every room, there was only darkness in the bleak, shadowy halls that made her shudder and draw her new shawl tightly around her small shoulders. The food was tart and drab - nothing like the tender meats and fresh fish that she was so used to tasting. The servants were bitter - they shot her dirty looks behind her back and she was able to catch whispers and rumors drifting through the halls with her sensitive hearing. She knew why the maids and servants hated her - she was a cursed hanyou. She was neither human, nor demon, she was just in between, bordering between two the races.

And that scared them.

But more than anything, she was shocked to find that she liked the prince. Not in the same way that she adored Inuyasha, but simply on friendly terms. He was sweet, flirtatious, and very generous. But he was also a bit dim and definitely dense - he didn't know when to take a hint.

But I won't marry him! I can't! Not when Inuyasha…she swallowed. Not when Inuyasha…probably hates my guts…I screwed up badly this time…Maybe doesn't think that he can trust me anymore! Maybe…maybe…he despises me for the letter that I wrote…So either way…I'm going to lose this situation. Either I marry Kouga and become miserable or be scorned by a depressed Inuyasha…Damn Noburo! He figured this out from the start! As soon as he managed to worm his way sneakily into the kingdom, he got Mama under his thumb and me shipped off to a foreign Kingdom to marry an utterly clueless dimwit!

As she fumed silently, a flash of silver flitted by the window. She gasped, jumped up from her spot, and pressed her face against the cold, iron bars. It had to be Inuyasha…it had to be…He was the only one with hair that beautiful…

"It's Inuyasha…He has come to rescue me!"

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EVIL CLIFF HANGER! ^__^;;

Anyways, I know, I know I put this fic on hiatus and I said that I lost chapter five, but I managed to find that and coupled with my long break from writing it, my creative juices are now officially flowing and I'm back in business - ahh…too much kiddy TV…I'm beginning to sound corny…stupid sisters. >.<

I know I haven't updated in three months, but cut me a break! I have an excuse…well actually I don't…I have no life…Let's just blame it on the lack of inspiration and laziness.

Please review! And if you want to get the nitty gritty (TOO MUCH KIDDY TV) on this fic, AKA sneak peaks, you can chat with my via e-mail s k a i i w o l f @ m s n . c o m <<< take out the spaces, or by AIM (Tempest0Zero0)

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SHOUT OUTS!!!!!!!!!

Call Me Shiggy - Pretty violent, eh? Well hopefully you won't have to do any serious damage to my Inu-chan. ^^;; Let's just say he believes the letter 50/50…wait…is that even possible??

Anime-freek-89 - Thanks ^__^. Be prepared for lots of angst, okay? This is going to be the angstiest (my own little word. Tee hee) since Entrapment. Well remember…karma….is it…what goes around comes around! And Noburo is gonna get some! And Kagome's situation is gonna get a lot worse…

If you want to have a little section dedicated to my response to you, rather than just saying: this is amazing! Plz update!, give me something to smile about. I might start giving out little awards to the best reviewer for one chapter. ^__^

SO REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!