InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow's Warrior ❯ Visit to the Past ( Chapter 4 )

Here is a long chapter for all my readers. The next one is almost done as well so I should have it out by next weekend latest. Special thanks to Goose for helping me edit.

Eef aka Fefe

Tranquility is lost to that shrouded figure. A mind of torment is all she has. Seeing the past she needs to conquer, her will is driven to be mad.

Belonging and peace is what she is after, but two worlds apart is where she is found.

- - - - - -

The door opened as soon as Sango knocked. An old woman stood at the entrance with a welcoming expression and obvious joy upon seeing her visitor.

"Come child," The woman kindly motioned for Sango to follow her into the house. "I won't have you standing in the doorway, come inside. I've been expecting you to call. We have much to say to each other and many questions to answer I'm sure."

Stepping through the opening, Sango took a few seconds to scan a room on which she now laid fresh eyes. In the last two years, many abnormalities about Kaede and her house, which Sango had always wondered about, were explained.

Kaede had always been the old, strange woman at the edge of the village. She was often critiqued by the gossips of the town and mothers warned their children away from someone "so peculiar". Her habits were eccentric and bizarre in the eyes of the Empire. She did not follow the social norms in the slightest. Despite the caution and even fear towards Kaede, she was the first person sent for when someone got sick or advice was needed, and so would never be completely shunned from the village.

Kaede had always lived in the same house for as long as Sango could remember. It bordered the woods on the far side of the village. It was well that she, for the most part, was separate from Agnus; not only did she not fit in very well, her house was some what of an oddity compared to the neat little town. In a world of small, square, and white stone houses, it stood out like a sore thumb.

The house was a wooden, two story building with a circular shape. It consisted of two stories constructed of solid oak beams, with a thick plaster coating the outside neatly. Covering the plaster was an elaborate design of green, brown and gold, which looked remarkably like the forest it backed. The door was made of hard oak and stood between two beautifully carved posts. Around the house on all sides were windows of a similar design.

The inside of the house mirrored the outside in its oddity. It was a cozy and cheerful with a number of rooms that divided like pieces of pie on two floors. There were no doors between the rooms; instead colorful curtains divided the spaces. The stairway to the second floor was a spiral flight of steps in the center of the house. Nearly all of the furniture was dark wonderfully carved wood, covered with colorful and warm blankets.

As a child, Sango's mother used to visit Kaede regularly and bring her along as a treat. Even after her mother's death Sango frequently visited Kaede despite the social stigma attached to it. It had been like a second home, and at times one she felt she belonged to more to her own. Despite the familiarity in everything Sango truly felt like she was looking at everything with new eyes.

As familiar as the layout had been as a child, the same design now seemed second nature to Sango. She had lived in a nearly identical house as Kaede's for the last two years. For the house which seemed so odd to the empire, was the standard design that the Natives, the Shikons, used in their capital.

As soon as the door closed, Sango turned towards Kaede and respectfully bowed, "Yes we have much to talk about, Lady Kaede. I thank you for your hospitality."

Kaede looked slightly taken aback by Sango's proper address, "There is no need for such formalities between us. I haven't been addressed in such a manner in many a years."

Shuffling into the adjoining room she motioned for Sango to follow, "Now let us fix something nice to drink. Then we will sit down and you can tell me of everything that has occurred since our last parting."

- - - - -

There was a loud pounding that Sango wished would stop.

Bum bum, Bum bum.

She felt it through a good deal of her body, but in her head that she felt as if it was tearing her apart.

Trying to shift herself so to drive the noise away, she barely turned before a shot of pain tore down her back.

"Argggh!" she cried out before her pride could stop her from voicing the pain she felt.

Cracking her eyes, Sango blinked a few times before realizing that it made no difference. The room was pitch back, only a faint sliver of light under one of the curtains showed that her eyes were indeed open.

`It must still be night.' was the only hazy thought that penetrated the numbness she couldn't seem to shake.

A shuffling came from outside the room and the curtain was drawn aside revealing Kaede with a candle and a tray. Coming over to where Sango sat propped up on a bed, Kaede set down what she was carrying and handed Sango a mug.

"Come, child, drink this, it will clear your head a bit. You don't have much time to gain your sense before I must send you off."

Sango nodded, she had not forgotten what had happened when she had passed out. The knowledge had burned its way through her mind and onto her heart. The knock on the door, the fire that filled the once happy home, she would never forget the last look on her brother's face or her mother's shriek to run. Her life as she knew it was gone and so she must run.

Unsteadily she pushed herself up from the bed and swung her legs over the edge.

"Have they come here yet Kaede?" Sango asked, while sipping from the mug.

"Not directly, there was someone snooping around the house not long ago. Whatever happened wasn't general knowledge for troops. From those I have spotted this is one of the General's `elite' operations."

Sango nodded again, she had guessed as much as that from the faces she had seen in the brief moments before getting knocked unconscious. They were those kinds of people one was smart to avoid, General Naraku's private squad.

Kaede continued, "Most of those fools think that you are a weak and useless girl and not a vital threat to this mission. For that you are lucky. Regardless, they'll be after you as a witness. Once you are no longer around to tell your story, a rose tinted glass will be placed over this incident. The truth behind it will not want to be brought to light."

Standing, Kaede shuffled across the room and scooped up a bundle.

"Now is not the time to contemplate occurrences, child. You must leave, they will be here soon."

As if on command, a banging came from the door. Kaede moved quickly back to Sango and handed her the belongings.

"Here is your sword and a little food to sustain you for the journey." Kaede whispered as she led Sango to a back window, "You are not well enough to make it as it is, but we have no choice. The only thing we can do is pray that you will make it."

Standing in front of the exit, the older woman turned and, as lightly as possible, embraced the younger one.

"Now you must listen to me child, go into the forest directly behind the house and follow the worn path. Stay in the forest and do not travel along any well known routes. Do not stop and do not turn back until you find them. Now go!"

"Until I find who, Kaede?" Sango managed to whisper while getting shoved out.

"It's not important. Just go!"

- - - -

After sitting down at the table with something to drink, Sango told Kaede some what had occurred after there parting that one fateful night. She spoke of the journey through the forest and how she was eventually found by Kagome, and brought to Celedig.

Kaede took in everything with sympathetic nods, knowing that Sango skipped details on the difficulty and pain of the journey.

"When I got news of your arrival at the capital I was relieved, child. All accounts of your coming have varied in some degree. It is good to finally hear it from you."

Sango shifted in her seat. There were things she needed to know from Kaede, things that had been bothering her during her time in Celedig. Now, after she had satisfied Kaede on the details of her journey, was the time to ask.

Taking a breath and she turned towards her old friend.

"Kaede, why wasn't I told about you and my mother being Shikon? I was old enough to understand the truth."

Kaede shut her eyes for a second and signed. She had known this question was coming but it made it no easier to answer.

"Child, it was one of your mother's wishes for you and your brother to not know unless fate deemed it so. When she left the Shikons and married your father, she dedicated her life to being a good citizen of the empire. She moved to the capital and raised both of you there just as any other loyal mother would have. When your father was moved back to Agnus, it was hard on your mother to move back to a place built to conquer her people. You as a child were so loyal and steadfast in your dedication to the Empire that she couldn't bare to ever give you the moral dilemmas that she had to deal with herself.

"Also, you forget about your father. It was scandal enough that he had married a native, though it wasn't a widely known fact. For his children to be brought up in anything less than in a perfect Empire way would not have been good for him. At the time I agreed with both of them, but I also moved to Agnus so your mother would not feel so alone."

Standing Kaede walked over to a cupboard and shuffled through its contents.

She continued, "Besides child, you speak as if you never had a clue of the truth."

Taking out a small package Kaede came back to the table and set it down. "As I remember you were still raised by your mother. There was no way she could ever completely change and so had plenty of Shikon influence, at least according to your father's superiors.

"Did you never wonder as a child why you, a girl, were trained to fight just as all the rest of the boys? It is not highly thought of to have a daughter who can fight. The laws banning females from any sort of combat and training are proof of that. It was your mother's wish to have you learn to fight so you would be able to defend yourself. Your father, God bless him, could never tell your mother no. Honestly, he was more than happy to agree, him personally thinking that you could fight better than all the boys. You were the pride of his heart."

Kaede had a sad smile on her face as she thought back on the happy family she had once watched grow, and eventually torn apart. Now the daughter sat in front of her searching for the answers and reasons things had happened to them.

Sango's eyes were downcast and glazed over. She loved to hear about her parents, especially her mother, but memories always tore her apart when she realized that all the happiness in them had come to a brutal end.

Kaede recognized the lost and sorrowful look on Sango's face. To derail her from the current path Sango's mind was set on she changed the subject.

"Tell me Sango, have those two fool bothers managed to kill each other in the process of running the capital?"

Sango returned to herself and smiled a little. Kaede might be old and far away from the capital, but no one could accuse her of being under--or--misinformed. Even though Sango was only telling Kaede news she must already know, she was grateful for the diversion it provided her.

- - - - -

Sango stared at the blue sky overhead just visible through the forest cover. She stood on a small porch watching white puffy clouds as they drifted lazily overhead. Everything here seemed so peaceful.

For two weeks, Sango had been almost entirely confined to bed rest. Her hostess, Kagome, wouldn't even let her think about lifting a finger or exerting any effort until she had healed and was thoroughly rested.

When she arrived in the native capital two weeks earlier, Sango had been in bad shape. On top of being thoroughly exhausted, she also sported a number of burns and a long gash down her back. She had a raging fever and most of the first few days at Kagome's were little more than a blurred memory now.

Today was the first day Kagome pronounced her well enough to rise and go out, which meant today was when she went in front of the leaders of the Shikon.

She couldn't say honestly that she would prefer to stay in bed for another week, but going in front of leaders of a people whom she had spent her whole life standing against, wasn't something to which she was looking forward.

Only two weeks earlier, she would have given her life in a second for the Empire in fighting against a people whom all her life people had referred to as savage, barbaric, and provincial. It was these natives, though, that showed her mercy and help when she was sure no one else would. Her hostess treated her like royalty and with more kindness than she had ever witnessed in her life.

A small boy appeared at the door and stood there awkwardly shifting his weight and staring eagerly around the porch. It was Kagome's brother, Souta. He didn't live with Kagome but he had often visited in the last week.

"Lord Sesshomaru requests you to present yourself in front of the council." The boy announced, "Once you dress come outside and I will lead you."

The boy then made an over exaggerated formal pivot and almost seemed to march out of the room.

Sango stared absently at the spot where the kid had once stood and sighed. `I guess its time.'

Numbly she padded her way over to a stack of clothes on a chair near the door. The clothes were given to her by Kagome. Sango wondered vaguely where her own faded dress had gone to but it mattered little. She was already wearing some sleeping clothes provided by her hostess, and though she felt guilty by imposing on Kagome so much, the newest set of clothes were a nice gift. Appearing in clothes from their culture couldn't hurt her in facing the native leaders.

The first article on the pile was a pair of grey pants. They were loose and warm looking, having been made of something that resembled a more comfortable version of wool. Next in the pile was a dark blue high slit skirt with a red embroidered hem. Having seen Kagome where something similar to it, Sango surmised that it went over the pants and was a show of formality and rank. After that was a loose beige colored shirt made out of nice linen. Her hostess had also provided her with a cloak and a pair of plain brown boots.

Sango felt strange in the new clothing, almost like a wolf in a sheep's skin. No matter how she looked and acted, she could not forget that to these people she was an enemy. The clothes also spoke of the difference in life styles, even if it was subtly. Here women were allowed to wear pants and they were allowed to make a difference.

This may seem like a very small and mundane detail but to Sango it meant the world. Back home a female wearing pants was a scandal, one she as a child had few qualms with breaking. It is hard to fight in skirts and dresses and Sango had always worn pants to train with her father. That was before the laws against female combat.

The Empire had not for the last hundred years smiled upon woman participation in military or combat. It had taken that stance so to separate itself from the cultures it conquered every day, including the Shikons, where women were as involved as men in combat and leadership. Four or so years ago, the Empire enacted harsh rules against female participation in military and combat related fields. They had torn Sango's dreams of following her father in the army apart, and left her feeling out of place, though she would never admit to it. At the time she was still blindly loyal to the Empire.

Once done dressing, she exited Kagome's house. Glancing around at the houses around her Sango took in her location. Having arrived at night and confined mostly to her room at the back of the house, she had seen none of the house's surroundings besides the forest.

Kagome's house was at the end of a road and backed on a dense forest. In front of the house there was a path that ran straight into what appeared to be a fairly large town. There were a few houses near by and all of the houses, including Kagome's, resembled Kaede's back in Agnus. The round and strangely designed houses gave her a small sense of comfort that she desperately needed.

"Are you ready to go?" Souta's voice broke her from her thoughts.

Nodding, Sango followed the boy down the street and into Celedig.

It took about twenty minutes to get to the center of town, for Celedig was a large town and the pace they had was easy. The forest surrounded the town on all and even as they made their way farther in the trees freely grew around most of the buildings.

The architecture was the same carved and painted wood throughout the town but nearly every house was painted differently than the last. The shops farther in to town were similar in style with inviting open doors tempting those on the street with goods. All the streets led to the center of town where the market and palace were located.

There were a number of people throughout the town. Spring had come not long ago and people from all over the Shikon lands had made their way to the capital to trade. As Sango made her way, people stopped and watched her. Their eyes followed her wearily not sure how to react to the outsider. A few waved, some glared but none dared come close to her.

With her head held high and her steps sure and direct, Sango walked into down the street portraying none of the gut wrenching feelings currently playing havoc through her. She was a soldier, a warrior and would be damned before she showed any weakness before these people.

After what seemed like a year and a second at the same time, her guide stopped and pointed at a building on the far side of a circular plaza where the street had led.

"This is the center of town." Souta said motioning around the plaza, "In front of us is where you are going. It is the palace and government quarters for the Shikon's."

He turned and continued into a building that appeared to be larger versions of the other houses connected together. The entrance was two enormous ornate double doors pulled back to reveal a great, decorated circular room.

As soon as Sango and Souta passed through the large entrance, the doors were pushed closed. A final thud sounded as they were secured in place. Silence filled the hall replacing the noisy bustle of the town. Its whole affect was gave the feeling of entering another world.

A tall, domed ceiling topped the entrance room. It was two levels high held up by round wooden pillars along the sides. Between the pillars were carved doors leading off in a number of directions. In front of them hung a decorate painting of a dog.

"It's the royal family crest." Souta mentioned when he saw Sango staring at the painting. "Come this way."

Going through a door to the left he led down to a narrow hallway and up a spiral staircase. Coming to the top, guards nodded curtly at Souta, letting them pass without sparing a glance towards his captive.

"They will be waiting for you straight ahead." Souta said pointing to the partially opened door ahead.

Sango stepped quietly forward trying to not make any noise and peered into the room. No one spotted her, being involved in their own discussions. Sango recognized Kagome sitting next to a man with white hair and gold eyes with a murderous expression. At the far end of the table sat a man who looked nearly identical to the angry man except his dress looked royal and his face was blank of all reactions. He must be Lord Sesshomaru guessed Sango. Scanning the rest of the table at the various people sitting there, her attention was stolen by a man not sitting at the table.

"I don't care who sent her, her father was part of the Empire army. She shouldn't be even allowed in this city." A tall man with long, brown hair pulled back across his neck, was striding back and forth in front of a long table.

"O shove it you asshole, you know damn well that Kaede doesn't vouch for just anyone. If she says we should give her a chance, then we should. She can help us more than you ever could." The man next to Kagome glared at the man in front of him.

"You're just afraid to go against Kaede. What, afraid she can kick your ass just like everyone else can." Spat back the brown haired man.

"You little bitch…"

"BOYS!!!" Kagome's voice cut off the white haired man just as he was about to leap over the table. "I don't care to have you fighting like little children today. Kouga, Inuyasha is right Kaede doesn't vouch for just anyone. I have been around Sango; she has been my guest for the last two weeks. If she wanted to hurt me or any of us, she would have."

Sighing she continued, "Look, after everything Kaede has told us and everything she has gone through we should give her a chance. Sango has nothing left, and right now she is the enemy of our enemy. Isn't that enough for us to take her in even if she might not help us?"

"But how will we know if she'll stay." Asked a strange looking old man across from Kagome.

"Why don't you ask her?" The room went silent as Lord Sesshomaru spoke for the first time. "She has been standing at the door for the last ten minutes."

- - - - -

"O those boys are always the same." Kaede chuckled as she leaned back in her chair. "I bet you wondered at first how they ever got anything done with all the arguing they do up at the capital. I don't know how they would ever get along with out Kagome there sometimes. Even Lord Sesshomaru realizes she keeps the place together."

After leaning forward and pouring more tea, Kaede settled back into her chair. "Now tell me child, what are the plans for you here? I must admit of communication with the capital is slipping now that Kagome has shouldered more responsibility. Only the broad goal of this mission do I know. It must be quiet something to keep it so under wraps."

Sango's face took a more solemn appearance at the mention of the reason for her visit home. "Kagome has put a lot of effort into keeping this very quiet. There have been a few changes in the plans but for the most part they remain the same."

- - - -

`One whole year and I still haven't learned why they brought me here.' Sango paced back and forth outside the familiar meeting room as Sesshomaru and his few closest advisors spoke alone.

She wasn't naive to them needing her for something; she had never forgotten the conversation from her first day. They spoke of if she wanted to help, and the truth was if it had anything to do with going against Naraku she would give her life to help.

For months she had sat on in the larger meetings with the full cabinet listening and eventually discussing policies with in the Shikon lands and especially with the border. In the last few years there had been a build up of Empire military along the borders. This was particularly suspicious do to there have been a peace, even if it was highly strained, for the last hundred years. Something was happening.

Something was also being planned to stop it. Sango knew she had a part in it, but what? She wanted to help. She wanted to get that bastard Naraku back for all that he had done.

"Sango, stop pacing and come in." Kagome's voice came from the door way where her head was poked out.

Entering Sango did the customary bow before standing, in an almost military fashion, before Lord Sesshomaru. To his left sat his second in command, his brother Lord Inuyasha, while on his right sat his wife, the Lady Rin. Lady Kagome, Lady Kaede's representative as head of foreign policies, took her seat next to Inuyasha. The rest of the council was not present.

Sesshomaru cleared his throat and spoke in the direct and calm manner so familiar to him. "I am sure that you, Sango, have already figured out that there is more to us keeping you here in Celedig than our overactive sense of hospitality. We wish for you to help us on something that can be more easily explained if you know all the facts. Rin would you please brief Sango on the knowledge we have acquired. I believe you will find a number of points of particular interest."

Rin calmly nodded and began, "As you know shortly after Sesshomaru took over rule about three years ago that there was a dramatic build up along the Empire's boarders to our land. Soon after, we received reports of unrest throughout the Empire from our spies.

"You yourself must have noticed the changes happening throughout the Empire, and realized that it was indeed slowly falling apart or at least on the far edges. Through our spy networks it had come to our attention that the current emperor is turning a blind eye towards much of the problems preferring ignorance in the place of painful truth. General Naraku, taking great advantage of this neglectful rule, is soon planning to not only split from the Empire but to also conquer the Shikons, so to set up his own empire.

"I need not tell you Sango what the price all of this will exact not only the Shikons but also those from the Empire. You have seen what Naraku has done and it is important for us to stop him. For it is unlikely that the emperor will see to destroying Naraku if he is strong enough, so we must do it before he ever is. To do this he must not know we know and that is why this meeting is so selective."

Rin finished, and looked at the others to make sure she wasn't missing anything overly important.

Sango, who had barely moved throughout the story, nodded at its conclusion and spoke, "You all must already know that I will help you, whatever it is. I have one request, however, that I can be there to see that bastard die."

Sesshomaru nodded, "We expected you would ask such a thing and your request is granted. Now Kagome will you please go over the mission."

Shuffling through a stack of papers, Kagome handed Sango a scroll tied with string. "Here are a number of things you will need. Maps, drawings, most of the intelligence we have gathered in detail. I will go over the basics of what we are planning now; you can sort through that stuff later.

"Your most obvious goal is to eliminate Naraku. How this gets done is up to you. We all have great faith in both your skills and judgment. However this is not your only objective. You must also acquire both Naraku's official seal and a number of papers proving his treachery against the Empire. While making sure Naraku is taken out soon is a top priority we must also hold off the Empire's knowledge of this till we can firmly take back our land. It is important to have the seal to send false messages to hide the truth as long as possible. On the contrary however, we also need to be able to convince the locals not to side with Naraku in fighting us. We want him out not a blood bath of innocents. "

"I understand," Sango replied as she scanned over a few of the sheets. "How much time till this happens?"

"You get one year to plan and execute this." Sesshomaru stood motioned towards his left. "Lady Kagome and my brother will assist you and I prefer to keep this as quiet as possible."

Rin followed as Sesshomaru made his exit but just as she touched the door she turned. "Sango, there was something else that we thought you should know. Your father learned about Naraku's plans also. We believe that was why your family was murdered."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thank you to all of those who reviewed my last chapter.

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