InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Heaven ❯ Revelations ( Chapter 19 )

Dark Heaven

 

Chapter 19

 

Revelations

 

“I think she's waking up,” Kikyo muttered. Kaede nodded and ran two fingers over Kagome's forehead.

 

“After so many years, the Angel has grown into a fine young woman. Seems like just yesterday she was whimpering in my arms,” Kaede mused. Kagome fidgeted slightly and slowly opened her eyes. “Ah, she awakes at last,” Kaede smiled. Kagome jumped up and plastered herself to the wall.

 

“Kagome, please!” Kikyo pleaded. “We're not going to hurt you.” Kagome narrowed her eyes.

 

“How do you know my name?” She demanded. Kikyo cleared her throat.

 

“Perhaps we should start over. I am Kikyo Tama, Councilor Three. This my secretary Kaede. The two of you have a history, I believe,” Kikyo gave Kaede an urging look.

 

“Aye, my Lady. Before I served under Kikyo, Kagome, I was a servant under Councilor Nine.”

 

“And I care why?” Kagome snapped.

 

“The young woman who served as Councilor Nine fifteen years ago was none other than Naomi Higurashi,” Kaede explained. She and Kikyo waited for Kagome's reaction. The girl darted her eyes back and forth. A Councilor and her secretary had taken her, but why hadn't the Council been alerted? Why wasn't she in chains and being held at gunpoint?

 

“And?” Kagome asked after a while. Kikyo and Kaede shared a look of surprise.

 

“You…don't know who you are?” Kaede whispered. Kagome glared at her. “Kagome, Naomi was your mother.” Kagome blinked.

 

“I…sorry?” She muttered. Kikyo nodded and watched as Kagome slowly sat down.

 

“Seventeen years ago, Councilor Nine Naomi Higurashi gave birth to a seemingly human girl with angel wings. For two whole years the Councilor debated on what to do with the child, to exile it to Horai with no evidence it was a hanyou, or allow it to live in Haven as a human which it clearly wasn't. With a majority seventy-five percent vote, the Council voted to have Naomi's child executed.” Kagome's eyes clouded, and the young woman hung her head.

 

“I was there for it all, I served as your mother's secretary before I served Kikyo,” Kaede continued. “She fought valiantly for your safety, but it was no use. She fled with you the top of this tower when the execution was ordered. She pushed you into the air to escape, turning her back on us for your safety.”

 

“Not all of us,” Kikyo corrected. “Three Councilors voted to have you live with us. I was among them.” Kagome sighed heavily.

 

“What happened to her?” She whispered. Kikyo and Kaede exchanged a look.

 

“She leapt from the top of the towers after you fled,” Kaede said. Kagome nodded and closed her eyes, tears sliding down my cheeks.

 

“And my father?”

 

“Naomi's husband was human, a man named Keitaro. He fled during the debates after your birth. We don't know what happened to him,” Kikyo replied. Kagome nodded again and kept crying. Kaede stood and put a hand under her chin, tilting her head up and smiling at her.

 

“You have her eyes,” She told her. Kagome gave her a small smile.

 

“She would be proud of you,” Kikyo added. “Naomi was a great advocate for the fostering of youkai-human relations. She was always in favor of the peaceful solution.” The three women sat in silence for a moment.

 

“Hi…Higurashi?” Kagome asked. Kikyo raised an eyebrow. “My mother…you said her name was Naomi Higurashi?” Kikyo nodded. “Then I…”

 

“Kagome Higurashi,” Kikyo confirmed. Kagome sucked in a breath and smiled through the drying tears. After fifteen years, she had a mother. And a past. And a name.

 

“Kagome, Kaede and I have been trying to contact you for the past decade. We were your mother's closest friends, and I'd like to think we can be yours,” Kikyo explained. “Sadly, we cannot do much beyond offer you our friendship and try to keep Naraku off your back, but…be known that you have allies here in the Council.”

 

“Thank you,” Kagome said, standing. “What about Kagemusha?” Kikyo and Kaede shared a look of confusion.

 

“Who?” Kikyo asked.

 

“Kagemusha,” Kagome repeated.

 

“The House of Taisho member? What about him?” Kaede asked.

 

“He…the one I was fighting with,.” Kagome explained. “Did you two not know he was here?” Kikyo narrowed her eyes and nodded at Kaede.

 

“Call the Council. We must discuss this,” She ordered. Kaede nodded back and left the room.

 

“I have to go,” Kagome said, turning to leave. “I have to get out of here before dawn.” Kikyo nodded and looked at the clock. It was nearly three in the morning. Kikyo sighed and looked back as Kagome tied her cowl back into place around her head.

 

“Yes. Please, contact me if you need anything,” Kikyo reminded. “There's an elevator to the roof down the hall to the left. Here,” she stood and took a jacket from the coat stand and draped it over Kagome's shoulders to hide her wings.

 

“I'll be seeing you,” Kagome said, closing the door behind her.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“My own father ordered Angel's execution,” Hunter muttered, looking out over Haven from the roof of an abandoned warehouse, once used for steel storage. “Why would he give me such orders through Kagemusha, instead of directing them to me?” Hunter bowed his head. He bared a fang and growled.

 

“I can't let my feelings get in the way of this,” He hissed. “Toga…father, ordered her death.” Hunter looked up and scanned the skies for Angel. “She killed Kagemusha…she struck the first blow.” Hunter leapt off the roof and into the streets of the city below.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Kagome flapped her wings and turned to head for her apartment. She had to get back and try to sleep off the Inuyasha and Kagemusha ordeals. Sure, if she didn't go in tomorrow Sango would understand, but that was no excuse.

 

A scream caught her attention, and Kagome looked down. A young woman lay on the street as a car drove away.

 

“That's my car!” The woman protested, futilely running after it. Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed, swooping down. The driver must have spotted her, because he sped up. Kagome went higher and began to dive for speed. The car turned sharply, and Kagome gasped, turning and narrowly avoiding a streetlight in the process. The car sped up even more, and finally slammed into a steel garbage bin. The car exploded in a blast of fire, and Kagome landed on a roof to watch. She looked down at the wreck and tried to make out anything from the fog.

 

“I gave her the number of a good dealer. She'll be fine.” Kagome spun around as Hunter swung his feet over the roof behind her and climbed up.

 

“You're so consider. Why the hell did you steal her car?” She demanded. Hunter shrugged.

 

“I needed to get you attention. Somehow I doubting asking nicely wouldn't work.”

 

“Well, you got me. What's up?” Kagome asked. Hunter sighed.

 

“You know, I liked you, I really did. But my duty comes first. I was ordered to come here on the behalf of the House of Taisho. Toga Taisho, my father, ordered me to determine if you were a threat to our society.” Kagome stepped back at Hunter's words. This was new, she had only ever heard of the Inu-no-Taisho having one son.

 

“So?” Kagome muttered. Hunter raised his hands and cracked his knuckles.

 

“I'm sorry, really. But you killed a member of the House. Kagemusha is dead.”

 

“He attacked me first,” Kagome replied.

 

“Maybe, but if he attacked you he had good reason,” Hunter explained. “As I said, I was to determine if you were a threat to us. And now I have an answer.”

 

“So, what? You're gonna kill me now?” Kagome asked.

 

“Yes,” Hunter said simply. Kagome looked around and grabbed a fence pole around an air conditioner unit, and pulled it free with a clang.

 

“Then I'll have to defend myself…like I did to Kagemusha,” She snapped. Hunter sneered.

 

“I'd like to see you try,” He hissed. The youkai drew back a claw and dashed. Kagome spun her makeshift weapon and jumped away. Hunter let out a snarl as the steel pole slammed into his head and rolled him to the ground. He slowly climbed to his feet and looked up as Kagome took flight. Hunter leapt up into the air and wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist. Kagome's eyes went wide as the two plummeted to the ground. Kagome felt hard steel under her back as they landed on something on the road.

 

Hunter stood and slashed, and Kagome rolled aside, four deep gashes raking down the steel. Kagome looked down to see a framework of steel beams. The two had apparently fallen on a transport rig for cars. Hunter slashed, and Kagome grabbed a beam and swung down to the lower level. Hunter swiped at a brace for the ramp to the upper level, and the ramp fell. Kagome ducked and shielded her eyes from the shower of sparks as the car skidded down the steel and crashed on the road behind them.

 

Hunter jumped down and wrenched apart the ramp as Kagome slowly slipped to the front of the vehicle. Kagome reached the front and ducked out to the side, hanging onto the side of the speeding vehicle. Hunter jumped out to balance on a narrow step on the side as well, and Kagome opened the door of the cab. The driver turned and screamed as Kagome struggled to hang on.

 

“Stop the truck!” Kagome screamed. The driver shook his head and pushed open his door, jumping out. Kagome pulled her wings in and squeezed over to drive the truck. “I knew I should have taken those lessons from Sango,” she muttered. The sound of tearing steel filled the cab, and Kagome turned to see Hunter rip the door off. Kagome raised her hands to catch Hunter's wrists as he dove for her throat, and the truck swerved. Kagome ripped Hunter's hands away and punched him in the jaw, knocking him back to roll on the road. Kagome turned and followed suit, diving out the open driver's door at the truck turned, skidded, and tipped over.

 

Kagome picked herself up with a cough as the truck exploded into flame. She looked over her shoulder at the wreck, then looked forward again as Hunter stood in the middle of the street before her.

 

“Fire at your back, me at your front,” Hunter called. “It's over Angel.”