InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Spellbound Destiny ❯ Chapter 3: Twilight Memory ( Chapter 3 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lady Elviria 
Revised. Fixed some grammatical and spelling errors and tweaked some sentences.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Hentai / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 06.24.2011 | Updated On: 12.09.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.7K | Visits: 539 | Status: Work In Progress
Revised. Fixed some grammatical and spelling errors and tweaked some sentences.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Hentai / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 06.24.2011 | Updated On: 12.09.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.7K | Visits: 539 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Takahashi Rumiko is the genius who does. ^_^
Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. A few have truly touched my heart and make me realize again why I love to write. As to AwaitingMyBlackKnight's (from ff.net) comment about Kikyou, I, too, was getting sick of her always coming back to life (and am still a bit mad that she didn't die sooner). It does show how Kagome is such a kind-hearted girl, constantly saving her rival. I will say this: Kikyou will not be coming back to life in this story. However, Inuyasha will be dwelling on her death for a while because, to him, it is so fresh in his memory. If you truly love someone (significant other, friend, relative, etc.), their death will mark you for the rest of your days. The pain will lesson and in time you can heal but that does not happen over night and that is how I will be dealing with Inuyasha's reaction to Kikyou's death. And now, for the third chapter. Enjoy! ^_^
Spellbound Destiny
Chapter 3: Twilight Memory
Well, he's really just awake not alive. He's been alive for the last fifty years, just 'sleeping,' Kagome berated herself. Her hand, the one that had grasped the arrow, moved without her notice to rest on Inuyasha's shoulder. She rested the lower half of her body against his while her eyes stared into unfathomable golden ones. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, his stare somewhat unnerving. His nose twitched before he opened his mouth to speak.
“Oi,” he said rudely. “What are you doing here, Kikyou?” Inuyasha's mind was fuzzy. He said the first thing that had popped into his head after getting a look at the girl's face. His mind and heart rebelled at seeing Kikyou again. He remembered clearly how she had pinned him to this tree, how she had betrayed him.
His brows furrowed when his nose twitched and picked up the most delicious scent he had ever smelled. It was sweet and exotic with deep undertones of something he could not name. It was a scent he would have remembered if he had ever encountered it before. It was not the scent of freshly bloomed lilies and lotuses that Kikyou had.
Inuyasha shook his head as the girl in front of him became angry. He tried to clear his mind so he could think better but the girl made it difficult when she opened her mouth to speak. His eyes landed on her exquisitely formed and delicate rouged lips.
“My name isn't Kikyou. It's Kagome. Higurashi Kagome.” Kagome had never before been mistaken for one of her deceased relatives. Sure, she resembled Kikyou. Everyone who had known Kikyou said as much. But she was never mistaken for her. How could he not see the difference? And why would he speak so rudely to her? For that matter, why did he even speak to her at all? If he didn't know who she was, then wouldn't the proper thing be to just keep his mouth shut? And his speech was so rude, too! He was a prince. His manners should have been better, as her's were even after six years without use.
Inuyasha blinked, then stared at Kagome for a few minutes, assessing her. She did hold a resemblance to Kikyou but he now noticed the differences as he stared at her longer. Kagome's hair was styled like a court lady, not the simple pulled back way Kikyou always wore regardless of where she was. Kagome's eyes were also different. They were deeper, a warmer shade of brown, shining with an inner light that Kikyou never had.
Continuing his perusal of the girl in front of him, he noticed the rest of her attire. She was dressed like a court lady. Her kimono a finely made creation with not a single stitch out of place, done in the same house colors as Kikyou's family. Confusion lit his face. She had said her name was Higurashi, Kikyou's family name. Could Kikyou have had a child? That seemed improbable. Enough time had not passed for Kikyou to have had a child Kagome's age and Inuyasha couldn't think of anyone she would have been willing to have a child with. He was the only one that she had showed any interest in.
“Oi, you, who are you really?” Inuyasha directed at her. He didn't like being in the dark.
“My name is Kagome. Ka-go-me. Use it!” Kagome fumed. Kouga was rude but this guy was far worse. Nothing that came out of his mouth was politely directed.
Without thinking about the consequences, Kagome moved her arms to her hips, her anger getting the better of her. She had been steadying herself on the tree limbs with one hand and her other on Inuyasha's shoulder. With both hands removed, she felt herself begin to fall backwards. Inuyasha made a quick decision and cut the tree limbs encasing his body with his claws. He moved with lighting speed and caught Kagome around her waist. Her arms, flailing before to try to catch her balance, fastened around his chest. She buried her face into his red haori, waiting for her heart to stop its rapid pace.
Not used to the close contact, Inuyasha pulled away quickly. “You still haven't answered my question. I've never heard of a Kagome from the Higurashi royal house. Who are you?” he enunciated each word carefully and covered his slight embarrassment by staring down at her intimidatingly. He did a fair job impersonating his father when Inutaisho dealt with an insubordinate soldier.
Kagome stared back at him equally, not taking his attitude. “I told you. I'm Higurashi Kagome. The woman you thought I was, Kikyou, was a cousin of my grandfather's.”
“Was?” Inuyasha asked. Dread formed in the pit of his stomach.
“Yes. Was. She died fifty years ago.”
Kagome watched as Inuyasha grew pale. She gasped and held a hand over her mouth. She had forgotten in her anger that he had been sealed by Kikyou for the last fifty years. He didn't know that the wound he had caused was the reason she died. “The wound she suffered from your fight made her loose too much blood. After she sealed you to that tree, she died. I'm sorry.” Kagome spoke more kindly to him, truly sorry for the sorrow she caused with her words.
Inuyasha looked off to the side, unable to bare the resemblance Kagome shared with his love. She was gone. Dead. He hadn't meant to hurt her during their fight but she had pushed him too far, to the point where instinct had ruled for a few short seconds. Those few seconds were all it took to lash out at her and he regretted it fiercely. Kikyou hadn't made any indication that the wound was deep so Inuyasha had thought it was only a scratch. He knew it was enough to draw blood but certainly from her outward reaction it wasn't anything that could have killed her. But it was and it killed him to know he was the cause of her death.
Inuyasha gritted his teeth and held back tears. Her death was a senseless one. If only she had just listened to him and tried to talk it through with him. She would not have threatened him and his instincts would not have taken over.
Inuyasha tightened his hand into a fist then let it go along with a deep breath. He turned back to Kagome, composed. Something else she had said finally caught in his frazzled mind. “Fifty years?” he asked, blinking in disbelief.
“Hai, fifty years. Kikyou sealed you to a tree so that it would be imposable for a normal person to undo it. Only someone who posses powerful miko power could and though your mother and father have searched since you were sealed, there wasn't anyone who could.”
“So how could you?”
Kagome brought her right hand up to stare at it. She remembered the power that had surged through her body to the arrow, something she had never felt before. “I don't know,” she whispered, mystified. “Maybe because I'm related to her? I've always had a strange sixth sense but I've never showed signs of miko abilities before.”
Kagome lost sight of what was around her. Her mind took her back to the power, to the many feelings she had experienced. She mentally inspected herself, feeling for changes and differences. Something was different. Something had been released when she encountered the tree. Something had filled a hole she never knew she had. She just didn't know what it was.
“Oi. Oi!” Inuyasha yelled. Kagome had stopped talking and stared with glazed eyes at her hand. Inuyasha tried again to bring her back to the present, going so far as to wave his hand in front of her face. “Oi, bitch, are you listening to me?”
Kagome came back to herself in a rush and lost the tenuous thread to her inner self. “Huh?”
“What about the Shikon no Tama?”
“Shikon no Tama?”
“The sacred jewel Kikyou had been entrusted with. Where is it?” Inuyasha crossed his arms impatiently while a foot tapped.
Kagome put her index finger to her lips, trying to think of what the stories said about the jewel. “I think the story goes that Kikyou asked her sister, Kaede, to burn it along with her body. But I don't know if that's true since Kaede disappeared soon after Jii-chan ascended the throne.”
Inuyasha's mind reeled. That jewel was the reason he and Kikyou had been fighting. Now it was gone? And the only person who knew where it might be had disappeared many years ago. How was he going to find it? It was rightfully his, dammit!
A rustle caught his attention before he could ask Kagome more questions. He scented the air, catching wind of two familiar scents along with a large group of unfamiliar ones.
Inutaisho and Lady Izayoi were the first two people to come into view. A mix of youkai and human nobles followed close behind them. Inuyasha could feel that they meant not harm to him or Kagome and relaxed his position somewhat--so as not to frighten anyone. The girl had probably come from whatever gathering they were all dressed for so she was not in danger in that regard.
Lady Izayoi stopped short of reaching her son, tears gathering in her eyes. Her instincts had been right. Kagome had released her son. He was finally back with them. Her husband continued to move towards Inuyasha, questions in his eyes until his gaze landed on Kagome. His mind came to the conclusion his wife had made the night before.
“Haha-ue, Chichi-ue,” Inuyasha greeted.
His mother moved toward him and enfolded him in a strong heartfelt hug. His father stood back a bit, allowing his emotional wife to make sure Inuyasha was alive and well. Lady Izayoi patted her son down, checking to see if everything was in the right place, before pulling back to look up at him. Her tears fell unchecked down her cheeks.
“It's good to have you back, my son,” Inutaisho began before he turned to the crowd. “Tonight, my son has returned to us. The seal has been broken. I would like for you all to go back to your rooms while my wife and I spend time with our son,” Inutaisho shooed them away politely. Then added, as an afterthought, “Except for you, Mitsuko-san, and you daughter.” He waited for the crowd to leave then motioned for them to follow him back inside to one of his private rooms.
O o O o O o O o O
Naraku's anger began to boil. His mind's eye watched helpless as his puppet was turned away from the gathering in the garden.
He had sent his puppet to Inutaisho's palace to report on the latest news from Haedai, like every other year, to make sure there were no changes. Upon reaching the throne room for the opening ceremonies, nothing had seemed different from any of the previous festivals. Then the girl and her mother had walked in. She was older now, matured and quite pretty. But the resemblance to her child self was still there. It was the same girl who had been evading his grasp for the last six years.
Naraku had been elated to find her. The fact she was in the middle of his enemy's throne room was just a small snag. He made sure his puppet kept a close eye on her but when she moved to a wall and a hidden door, his puppet could not go through without causing suspicious eyes to follow. It was stuck in the throne room. But then a sudden bright pink flash lit up the room and his hosts, along with the guests, moved outside. He had taken the opportunity to maneuver his puppet with them to see what the girl was up to.
The sight the puppet reported back to him had his fist clenching in unreleased anger. He wanted to kill something with his bare hand, to relish the feel and sight of the blood coat his fingers and the smell of death as it came to his victim slowly. Yes, he had indeed found the girl, but a moment too late. Standing by her side was that pesky hanyou, Inuyasha. This girl was indeed the one he had been searching for. The proof stood by her side, alive, awake and as healthy as ever. Not a mark was on him. Nothing that could give testimony to the fight fifty years ago.
The puppet's eyes reverted back to the girl. She resembled Kikyou in an unexpected way. It was too much for a mere relative. Something was strange about her likeness. And the fact she had broken the seal. She was just as powerful as Kikyou and that alone made her his, even if she did not know it.
He made the puppet''s eyes take in every inch of her. The Shikon no Tama did not rest around her neck as it had with Kikyou in its solid stable form as a jewel. Whatever abilities the princess possessed naturally were amplified by it residing inside her body somewhere. The problem came of finding where in her body it was hidden and, before that, how to get her away from the inu hanyou now that he was awake again.
Naraku narrowed his eyes. There must be some way to get to the girl. His original plan of grabbing her when she left the festival would not work, not now with the Haedai royals watching her every move. No, she would be too well protected. He smiled gleefully then. His new plan would do the trick. It was time to show the Higurashi family that he still wanted them.
“Kanna,” Naraku called. A child walked in without a sound. Her pale white skin and hair matched her white robes and the only color came from her soulless black eyes. Held in front of her by both hands was a mirror rimmed in silver. His ever obedient creation--a lost soul on the border between this life and the next.
“Hai, Naraku-sama,” Kanna whispered monotonously. Not a single emotion ever graced her features. She was perfect--obedient, quiet, never questioning his orders and powerful.
“Send Kagura to the Taijiya village. It's time to set the trap.”
“Hai, Naraku-sama.” Kanna turned and left the room on silent feet. She never made any extra sound, not when she talked nor when she moved. It would have unnerved him except that he could sense where she was at all times. A link bound them together that could never be severed and it allowed him a confidence that she would never try to kill him like her sister Kagura thought of doing from time to time.
Naraku sat in a comfortable silence, still controlling his puppet while his mind wandered from thought to thought. Over the last six years, he had become quite good at creating his puppets. They no longer held his scent. But at the same time they were flawed. After many failed experiments, he finally found the right formula to create a puppet that did not hold his scent but not a way to create one with a scent to mimic a youkai or human. Hopefully, Inuyasha would not notice his scentless creature. His father hadn't.
Turning back to his vigil, he sent his puppet to its assigned room only long enough so the rest of the guests would not be around to watch it. He then directed the puppet through the castle, trying to pinpoint where Inutaisho would take his son and Kagome. He might still be able to spy on them. If his puppet got caught, all Naraku had to do was cut the link and the puppet would be eaten away by a poison. If that happened, he would not be able to send another puppet but it was a risk he was willing to take to gather as much information as he could.
O o O o O o O o O
After the trek to Inutaisho's private study, Kagome sat next to her mother, sitting face-to-face with Inuyasha and his parents. Her nerve were already rubbed raw after meeting so many people and they grew worse as they had walked from the garden. She wasn't sure how Inutaisho would react to the fact she was the one to release Inuyasha.
“After giving it some thought, I have come up with the perfect way to repay you for breaking the seal on my son,” Inutaisho began. “I propose a union between our two families. I'm offering for Kagome and Inuyasha to marry. This will solve your problem and show my willingness to help the family who released my son.”
Kagome stared, wide eyed, at Inutaisho. This was not what she had expected. Gold, offers to place them in a palace of their own as befitting their true station and many gifts but not marriage. How could she marry someone who was as rude to her as Inuyasha and someone she hadn't know for more than an hour? It was ridiculous! It wasn't part of her mother's plan! Surely her mother would not go along with it.
“Hell no!” Inuyasha's own feelings mirrored her's. He felt his chest constrict in panic. He could not marry this girl. “I can't marry her! She's ugly and dumb and...and she smells weird!” he finished lamely.
Actually, it was just the opposite. After his initial reaction to her resemblance to Kikyou, he had found her quite beautiful. Even more so than Kikyou. Kagome radiated such warmth and kindness--when her anger finally settled--that it was hard to keep up his gruff exterior. And her scent was heavenly. He could get drunk off it.
But Kikyou's betrayal made his heart bleed. Sadness and grief haunted him. He longed for what could have been. Instead, he was left to live an empty life, second guessing everything the women around him did for him. He would never be this vulnerable again. No other woman would ever get that close, not even this Kagome with the sweet heady scent and kind eyes. No, he would not marry her for anything in the world. He wouldn't marry any one. Ever.
Kagome's mouth had fallen open in shock at his outburst. She closed it and watched Inuyasha warily. In his vehemence, Inuyasha had jumped up from his mat and made wild hand gestures, pointing to himself and then to her.
Who would want to marry you anyway, baka! Kagome held her tongue from screaming it aloud, knowing that her future hinged on making a powerful match.
Her mother stared off with dazzled eyes, not hearing Inuyasha's protests and already contemplating what the union would bring to their family. Obviously, her mother had no qualms of letting Kagome marry Inuyasha. It only made her feel dread. It would not be a happy marriage. Nor a companionable one. She had the sinking feeling they would spend their time either alone, separated from each other, or fighting. Neither was what she wanted in her marriage--even an arranged one.
“Sit down, Inuyasha,” Lady Izayoi directed her son, voice raised authoritatively. “You will marry Kagome if that is our wish. She brought you back to us and we must repay her. Her family is in need of a powerful youkai family to protect her and fight for her. This solves both issues.” Lady Izayoi looked at her husband.
“Hai, your mother is right. Sesshoumaru is protecting our border with Avaren and shows no sign of ever taking a mate. As my heir, he will someday have to marry to produce his own heir but that may not happen till after my death. As it is now, he still holds his grudge against you. Once I am gone, I cannot protect you. Marrying Kagome will give you your own kingdom and power which will force Sesshoumaru to be more civil.” It's a perfect plan, really, Inutaisho added to himself. He smiled inwardly and hoped his young son would see all the benefits.
Inuyasha stared at his parents as if they had grown two heads. His and Sesshoumaru's fight was between them. He did not need his parents to intervene. And what the hell did his father mean by his own kingdom? Avaren was ruled by the Higurashi house and the current ruler had just taken the throne five years back. Then Inuyasha remembered. Fifty years had come and gone while he was sealed. Many things could change in that amount of time. Sitting down again in annoyance, he tapped his index finger on his leg and looked anywhere but at the people in the room. “Who rules Avaren right now?” he asked gruffly.
His mother answered him matter-of-factly. “A youkai by the name of Naraku. He attack the Higurashi Palace six years ago and took over. Kagome's father, the former King, was killed protecting his wife and children. Kagome is now of age where she can rule. A war is coming, Inuyasha, one that Naraku started six years ago. He will stop at nothing to get his hands on Kagome. For what reasons, we do not know. But because of that, Mitsuko-san wants a powerful youkai match for her.”
Inuyasha contemplated the news but did not stop tapping his finger against his leg. He didn't know why he had to marry her in order to give her aid. Couldn't they just sign a treaty of alliance or something? He looked back to his parents then at Kagome and her mother. Sighing and closing his eyes, he gave his answer, unsure if he would come to regret it. “Fine. I'll do it. Only on the condition that the wedding take place in a few months, after the girl and I have have had time to see if we can live with each other.”
Inutaisho looked to Mitsuko and Kagome. Kagome nodded her head in agreement, still wary of Inuyasha, while her mother spoke. “Hai, that sounds fine.”
“Good. I'll have the documents drawn up tonight and we can sign them in the morning,” Inutaisho concluded.
Inuyasha stood and padded to the shoji doors. “Is my room still available,” he asked without turning.
“Hai, we haven't changed a thing.” Izayoi's voice held a wealth of feelings he could pick up--joy, sadness, fear, love, anxiety.
Inuyasha made a slight nod to show he heard before he left the room, closing the doors a bit louder than necessary. He made his way through the halls grumpily, hands stuffed into his haori sleeves. He loved his mother dearly but this was too much. He would not show weakness before his parents by acknowledging her whims. To him, it was jest yesterday that they had all sat together for breakfast discussing Kikyou--his mother ever teasing him that he needed a mate without fully realizing how serious his and Kikyou's relationship was. Things were different now. Kikyou was gone, his marriage arranged and he felt backed into a corner. So he did what he always did; he bared his teeth like the inu youkai he was, gruff, uncaring and trying to protect the last shred of his heart.
Once at his room, Inuyasha opened the delicate shoji doors and took in the old protection wards. He entered the familiar space, finally relaxing into his own territory and breathed in deep comforting breathes. It was not enough to stem the flow of memories that assaulted him.
The first was when he was a child, no more than five years old and played with a golden ball in the gardens of some human lord's house. It was the first time he had heard the word hanyou. The other children had stolen his ball and hit it out of reach, calling him a hanyou bastard. He had run to his mother after retrieving the ball and asked her what it meant.
His mother's beautiful eyes had shown with tears for the first time. He could not understand why she cried. She could couldn't speak, so great was her emotion and instead, only grasped him close to her to cry for him and the ignorant children.
Time had proved a useful tool. His smile was one of satisfaction. Every single person who had bullied him were either dead or dying from old age. And his father's kingdom, Haedai, had prospered into a glorious place were youkai, human and hanyou alike were accepted.
The next memories to hit him were of his half brother Sesshoumaru. They were just as unpleasant. There was the time he and Sesshoumaru had fought over their father's katana, Tenseiga and Tessaiga. Once their father had chosen who would get each sword, Sesshoumaru had fought him tooth and nail to try to prove to their father that he deserved Tessaiga more. The bastard hated being stuck with a katana that would not work for him.
Shaking his head to clear it, Inuyasha began to recall the many memories of himself and Kikyou. Before he had gotten up the nerve to talk to her in person, he had stayed near her to just watch and protect her. She was a solitary woman who enjoyed the company of her younger sister and the village children. She helped many of the villagers with their day to day injuries and illnesses with her powers but didn't socialize beyond that with the adults.
In retrospect, she was very distrustful. He remembered the first time they had met. He had made the mistake of getting too close she had retaliated by shooting two warning arrows at him. Slowly, over a six month period, Inuyasha eventually broke down her defenses and gained some of her trust but only enough to walk with her side by side in silence. That had been three weeks before she allowed him to talk to her and touch her.
Once, Inuyasha had taken her on a boat ride down the river. He wanted to watch the sunset with her. The bittersweet memory made him chock up. It was the first time he had ever taken her into his arms, hugging her after Kikyou tripped on a loose plank of wood upon their return to the dock. How could she have trusted him enough to let him hold her like that and then two weeks later, scorn him? It didn't make sense.
Padding over to the other side of his room, Inuyasha opened a shoji door that led to his own private garden. He looked out over the night and saw that the garden had been well maintained while he was sealed. It was his one true secret haven, the place he went when he felt overly emotional and couldn't face anyone--the place he went when he considered himself weak to recover his strength. Bounding up to his favorite spot on his favorite tree, he settled against the branches and watched the stars.
His mind took back to the days he shared with Kikyou. And a suspicion nagged at him--a new found feeling that would not go away. A feeling that Kikyou's death was not as it seemed. When Kikyou finally placed her trust in someone, she trusted them wholeheartedly because her trust was so hard to win. How was it, then, that one moment she had been willing to give up the Shikon no Tama into his care--to allow him to use it to make him fully human--then in the next moment, try to kill him? He had to find out.
Inuyasha stood up on the branch, a decision made. He would keep his memories of Kikyou locked away in his heart, always there as a remembrance to her. When, not if, but when he solved the mystery that surrounded her death, he could then look to the future again.
For now, he would accept the marriage agreement and do as his parents wished but that girl, Kagome, would not enter his heart. He would not let that happen. He couldn't afford the pain that loosing someone else he cared for would cause. Or the betrayal if history repeated itself.
He already felt ashamed. He had allowed Kikyou to seal him, hadn't noticed any changes in her personality and hadn't protected her. He felt betrayed, not only because she sealed him, but also because her fears had weakened her to something. He needed to know what it was. It was the only thing Inuyasha could do.
Turing back to his room, he began to make plans. Inuyasha would first see if he could track down Kaede and get her side of the story. Then, if Kaede gave him any leads as to the man behind it, he would find him and kill him. It was that simple.
His mind set, Inuyasha closed the shoji door and sat with his back against the door. Soon he was fast asleep, propped up with his hands resting comfortably in his sleeves.
O o O o O o O o O
Hundreds of miles away, in Avaren, Naraku grinned in the dark. No one had detected his puppet. He had gotten his information and what a juicy tidbit it was. So the hanyou and miko heir will marry. How fitting. Naraku chuckled.
He expected Inuyasha to come after him at some point and the girl would follow. He could tell she had a soft spot for him, just a small one, but one none-the-less. She would not leave the hanyou alone. And he counted on that. For when Inuyasha let down his guard, Naraku would strike and take the girl away.
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Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. A few have truly touched my heart and make me realize again why I love to write. As to AwaitingMyBlackKnight's (from ff.net) comment about Kikyou, I, too, was getting sick of her always coming back to life (and am still a bit mad that she didn't die sooner). It does show how Kagome is such a kind-hearted girl, constantly saving her rival. I will say this: Kikyou will not be coming back to life in this story. However, Inuyasha will be dwelling on her death for a while because, to him, it is so fresh in his memory. If you truly love someone (significant other, friend, relative, etc.), their death will mark you for the rest of your days. The pain will lesson and in time you can heal but that does not happen over night and that is how I will be dealing with Inuyasha's reaction to Kikyou's death. And now, for the third chapter. Enjoy! ^_^
Spellbound Destiny
Chapter 3: Twilight Memory
Well, he's really just awake not alive. He's been alive for the last fifty years, just 'sleeping,' Kagome berated herself. Her hand, the one that had grasped the arrow, moved without her notice to rest on Inuyasha's shoulder. She rested the lower half of her body against his while her eyes stared into unfathomable golden ones. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, his stare somewhat unnerving. His nose twitched before he opened his mouth to speak.
“Oi,” he said rudely. “What are you doing here, Kikyou?” Inuyasha's mind was fuzzy. He said the first thing that had popped into his head after getting a look at the girl's face. His mind and heart rebelled at seeing Kikyou again. He remembered clearly how she had pinned him to this tree, how she had betrayed him.
His brows furrowed when his nose twitched and picked up the most delicious scent he had ever smelled. It was sweet and exotic with deep undertones of something he could not name. It was a scent he would have remembered if he had ever encountered it before. It was not the scent of freshly bloomed lilies and lotuses that Kikyou had.
Inuyasha shook his head as the girl in front of him became angry. He tried to clear his mind so he could think better but the girl made it difficult when she opened her mouth to speak. His eyes landed on her exquisitely formed and delicate rouged lips.
“My name isn't Kikyou. It's Kagome. Higurashi Kagome.” Kagome had never before been mistaken for one of her deceased relatives. Sure, she resembled Kikyou. Everyone who had known Kikyou said as much. But she was never mistaken for her. How could he not see the difference? And why would he speak so rudely to her? For that matter, why did he even speak to her at all? If he didn't know who she was, then wouldn't the proper thing be to just keep his mouth shut? And his speech was so rude, too! He was a prince. His manners should have been better, as her's were even after six years without use.
Inuyasha blinked, then stared at Kagome for a few minutes, assessing her. She did hold a resemblance to Kikyou but he now noticed the differences as he stared at her longer. Kagome's hair was styled like a court lady, not the simple pulled back way Kikyou always wore regardless of where she was. Kagome's eyes were also different. They were deeper, a warmer shade of brown, shining with an inner light that Kikyou never had.
Continuing his perusal of the girl in front of him, he noticed the rest of her attire. She was dressed like a court lady. Her kimono a finely made creation with not a single stitch out of place, done in the same house colors as Kikyou's family. Confusion lit his face. She had said her name was Higurashi, Kikyou's family name. Could Kikyou have had a child? That seemed improbable. Enough time had not passed for Kikyou to have had a child Kagome's age and Inuyasha couldn't think of anyone she would have been willing to have a child with. He was the only one that she had showed any interest in.
“Oi, you, who are you really?” Inuyasha directed at her. He didn't like being in the dark.
“My name is Kagome. Ka-go-me. Use it!” Kagome fumed. Kouga was rude but this guy was far worse. Nothing that came out of his mouth was politely directed.
Without thinking about the consequences, Kagome moved her arms to her hips, her anger getting the better of her. She had been steadying herself on the tree limbs with one hand and her other on Inuyasha's shoulder. With both hands removed, she felt herself begin to fall backwards. Inuyasha made a quick decision and cut the tree limbs encasing his body with his claws. He moved with lighting speed and caught Kagome around her waist. Her arms, flailing before to try to catch her balance, fastened around his chest. She buried her face into his red haori, waiting for her heart to stop its rapid pace.
Not used to the close contact, Inuyasha pulled away quickly. “You still haven't answered my question. I've never heard of a Kagome from the Higurashi royal house. Who are you?” he enunciated each word carefully and covered his slight embarrassment by staring down at her intimidatingly. He did a fair job impersonating his father when Inutaisho dealt with an insubordinate soldier.
Kagome stared back at him equally, not taking his attitude. “I told you. I'm Higurashi Kagome. The woman you thought I was, Kikyou, was a cousin of my grandfather's.”
“Was?” Inuyasha asked. Dread formed in the pit of his stomach.
“Yes. Was. She died fifty years ago.”
Kagome watched as Inuyasha grew pale. She gasped and held a hand over her mouth. She had forgotten in her anger that he had been sealed by Kikyou for the last fifty years. He didn't know that the wound he had caused was the reason she died. “The wound she suffered from your fight made her loose too much blood. After she sealed you to that tree, she died. I'm sorry.” Kagome spoke more kindly to him, truly sorry for the sorrow she caused with her words.
Inuyasha looked off to the side, unable to bare the resemblance Kagome shared with his love. She was gone. Dead. He hadn't meant to hurt her during their fight but she had pushed him too far, to the point where instinct had ruled for a few short seconds. Those few seconds were all it took to lash out at her and he regretted it fiercely. Kikyou hadn't made any indication that the wound was deep so Inuyasha had thought it was only a scratch. He knew it was enough to draw blood but certainly from her outward reaction it wasn't anything that could have killed her. But it was and it killed him to know he was the cause of her death.
Inuyasha gritted his teeth and held back tears. Her death was a senseless one. If only she had just listened to him and tried to talk it through with him. She would not have threatened him and his instincts would not have taken over.
Inuyasha tightened his hand into a fist then let it go along with a deep breath. He turned back to Kagome, composed. Something else she had said finally caught in his frazzled mind. “Fifty years?” he asked, blinking in disbelief.
“Hai, fifty years. Kikyou sealed you to a tree so that it would be imposable for a normal person to undo it. Only someone who posses powerful miko power could and though your mother and father have searched since you were sealed, there wasn't anyone who could.”
“So how could you?”
Kagome brought her right hand up to stare at it. She remembered the power that had surged through her body to the arrow, something she had never felt before. “I don't know,” she whispered, mystified. “Maybe because I'm related to her? I've always had a strange sixth sense but I've never showed signs of miko abilities before.”
Kagome lost sight of what was around her. Her mind took her back to the power, to the many feelings she had experienced. She mentally inspected herself, feeling for changes and differences. Something was different. Something had been released when she encountered the tree. Something had filled a hole she never knew she had. She just didn't know what it was.
“Oi. Oi!” Inuyasha yelled. Kagome had stopped talking and stared with glazed eyes at her hand. Inuyasha tried again to bring her back to the present, going so far as to wave his hand in front of her face. “Oi, bitch, are you listening to me?”
Kagome came back to herself in a rush and lost the tenuous thread to her inner self. “Huh?”
“What about the Shikon no Tama?”
“Shikon no Tama?”
“The sacred jewel Kikyou had been entrusted with. Where is it?” Inuyasha crossed his arms impatiently while a foot tapped.
Kagome put her index finger to her lips, trying to think of what the stories said about the jewel. “I think the story goes that Kikyou asked her sister, Kaede, to burn it along with her body. But I don't know if that's true since Kaede disappeared soon after Jii-chan ascended the throne.”
Inuyasha's mind reeled. That jewel was the reason he and Kikyou had been fighting. Now it was gone? And the only person who knew where it might be had disappeared many years ago. How was he going to find it? It was rightfully his, dammit!
A rustle caught his attention before he could ask Kagome more questions. He scented the air, catching wind of two familiar scents along with a large group of unfamiliar ones.
Inutaisho and Lady Izayoi were the first two people to come into view. A mix of youkai and human nobles followed close behind them. Inuyasha could feel that they meant not harm to him or Kagome and relaxed his position somewhat--so as not to frighten anyone. The girl had probably come from whatever gathering they were all dressed for so she was not in danger in that regard.
Lady Izayoi stopped short of reaching her son, tears gathering in her eyes. Her instincts had been right. Kagome had released her son. He was finally back with them. Her husband continued to move towards Inuyasha, questions in his eyes until his gaze landed on Kagome. His mind came to the conclusion his wife had made the night before.
“Haha-ue, Chichi-ue,” Inuyasha greeted.
His mother moved toward him and enfolded him in a strong heartfelt hug. His father stood back a bit, allowing his emotional wife to make sure Inuyasha was alive and well. Lady Izayoi patted her son down, checking to see if everything was in the right place, before pulling back to look up at him. Her tears fell unchecked down her cheeks.
“It's good to have you back, my son,” Inutaisho began before he turned to the crowd. “Tonight, my son has returned to us. The seal has been broken. I would like for you all to go back to your rooms while my wife and I spend time with our son,” Inutaisho shooed them away politely. Then added, as an afterthought, “Except for you, Mitsuko-san, and you daughter.” He waited for the crowd to leave then motioned for them to follow him back inside to one of his private rooms.
O o O o O o O o O
Naraku's anger began to boil. His mind's eye watched helpless as his puppet was turned away from the gathering in the garden.
He had sent his puppet to Inutaisho's palace to report on the latest news from Haedai, like every other year, to make sure there were no changes. Upon reaching the throne room for the opening ceremonies, nothing had seemed different from any of the previous festivals. Then the girl and her mother had walked in. She was older now, matured and quite pretty. But the resemblance to her child self was still there. It was the same girl who had been evading his grasp for the last six years.
Naraku had been elated to find her. The fact she was in the middle of his enemy's throne room was just a small snag. He made sure his puppet kept a close eye on her but when she moved to a wall and a hidden door, his puppet could not go through without causing suspicious eyes to follow. It was stuck in the throne room. But then a sudden bright pink flash lit up the room and his hosts, along with the guests, moved outside. He had taken the opportunity to maneuver his puppet with them to see what the girl was up to.
The sight the puppet reported back to him had his fist clenching in unreleased anger. He wanted to kill something with his bare hand, to relish the feel and sight of the blood coat his fingers and the smell of death as it came to his victim slowly. Yes, he had indeed found the girl, but a moment too late. Standing by her side was that pesky hanyou, Inuyasha. This girl was indeed the one he had been searching for. The proof stood by her side, alive, awake and as healthy as ever. Not a mark was on him. Nothing that could give testimony to the fight fifty years ago.
The puppet's eyes reverted back to the girl. She resembled Kikyou in an unexpected way. It was too much for a mere relative. Something was strange about her likeness. And the fact she had broken the seal. She was just as powerful as Kikyou and that alone made her his, even if she did not know it.
He made the puppet''s eyes take in every inch of her. The Shikon no Tama did not rest around her neck as it had with Kikyou in its solid stable form as a jewel. Whatever abilities the princess possessed naturally were amplified by it residing inside her body somewhere. The problem came of finding where in her body it was hidden and, before that, how to get her away from the inu hanyou now that he was awake again.
Naraku narrowed his eyes. There must be some way to get to the girl. His original plan of grabbing her when she left the festival would not work, not now with the Haedai royals watching her every move. No, she would be too well protected. He smiled gleefully then. His new plan would do the trick. It was time to show the Higurashi family that he still wanted them.
“Kanna,” Naraku called. A child walked in without a sound. Her pale white skin and hair matched her white robes and the only color came from her soulless black eyes. Held in front of her by both hands was a mirror rimmed in silver. His ever obedient creation--a lost soul on the border between this life and the next.
“Hai, Naraku-sama,” Kanna whispered monotonously. Not a single emotion ever graced her features. She was perfect--obedient, quiet, never questioning his orders and powerful.
“Send Kagura to the Taijiya village. It's time to set the trap.”
“Hai, Naraku-sama.” Kanna turned and left the room on silent feet. She never made any extra sound, not when she talked nor when she moved. It would have unnerved him except that he could sense where she was at all times. A link bound them together that could never be severed and it allowed him a confidence that she would never try to kill him like her sister Kagura thought of doing from time to time.
Naraku sat in a comfortable silence, still controlling his puppet while his mind wandered from thought to thought. Over the last six years, he had become quite good at creating his puppets. They no longer held his scent. But at the same time they were flawed. After many failed experiments, he finally found the right formula to create a puppet that did not hold his scent but not a way to create one with a scent to mimic a youkai or human. Hopefully, Inuyasha would not notice his scentless creature. His father hadn't.
Turning back to his vigil, he sent his puppet to its assigned room only long enough so the rest of the guests would not be around to watch it. He then directed the puppet through the castle, trying to pinpoint where Inutaisho would take his son and Kagome. He might still be able to spy on them. If his puppet got caught, all Naraku had to do was cut the link and the puppet would be eaten away by a poison. If that happened, he would not be able to send another puppet but it was a risk he was willing to take to gather as much information as he could.
O o O o O o O o O
After the trek to Inutaisho's private study, Kagome sat next to her mother, sitting face-to-face with Inuyasha and his parents. Her nerve were already rubbed raw after meeting so many people and they grew worse as they had walked from the garden. She wasn't sure how Inutaisho would react to the fact she was the one to release Inuyasha.
“After giving it some thought, I have come up with the perfect way to repay you for breaking the seal on my son,” Inutaisho began. “I propose a union between our two families. I'm offering for Kagome and Inuyasha to marry. This will solve your problem and show my willingness to help the family who released my son.”
Kagome stared, wide eyed, at Inutaisho. This was not what she had expected. Gold, offers to place them in a palace of their own as befitting their true station and many gifts but not marriage. How could she marry someone who was as rude to her as Inuyasha and someone she hadn't know for more than an hour? It was ridiculous! It wasn't part of her mother's plan! Surely her mother would not go along with it.
“Hell no!” Inuyasha's own feelings mirrored her's. He felt his chest constrict in panic. He could not marry this girl. “I can't marry her! She's ugly and dumb and...and she smells weird!” he finished lamely.
Actually, it was just the opposite. After his initial reaction to her resemblance to Kikyou, he had found her quite beautiful. Even more so than Kikyou. Kagome radiated such warmth and kindness--when her anger finally settled--that it was hard to keep up his gruff exterior. And her scent was heavenly. He could get drunk off it.
But Kikyou's betrayal made his heart bleed. Sadness and grief haunted him. He longed for what could have been. Instead, he was left to live an empty life, second guessing everything the women around him did for him. He would never be this vulnerable again. No other woman would ever get that close, not even this Kagome with the sweet heady scent and kind eyes. No, he would not marry her for anything in the world. He wouldn't marry any one. Ever.
Kagome's mouth had fallen open in shock at his outburst. She closed it and watched Inuyasha warily. In his vehemence, Inuyasha had jumped up from his mat and made wild hand gestures, pointing to himself and then to her.
Who would want to marry you anyway, baka! Kagome held her tongue from screaming it aloud, knowing that her future hinged on making a powerful match.
Her mother stared off with dazzled eyes, not hearing Inuyasha's protests and already contemplating what the union would bring to their family. Obviously, her mother had no qualms of letting Kagome marry Inuyasha. It only made her feel dread. It would not be a happy marriage. Nor a companionable one. She had the sinking feeling they would spend their time either alone, separated from each other, or fighting. Neither was what she wanted in her marriage--even an arranged one.
“Sit down, Inuyasha,” Lady Izayoi directed her son, voice raised authoritatively. “You will marry Kagome if that is our wish. She brought you back to us and we must repay her. Her family is in need of a powerful youkai family to protect her and fight for her. This solves both issues.” Lady Izayoi looked at her husband.
“Hai, your mother is right. Sesshoumaru is protecting our border with Avaren and shows no sign of ever taking a mate. As my heir, he will someday have to marry to produce his own heir but that may not happen till after my death. As it is now, he still holds his grudge against you. Once I am gone, I cannot protect you. Marrying Kagome will give you your own kingdom and power which will force Sesshoumaru to be more civil.” It's a perfect plan, really, Inutaisho added to himself. He smiled inwardly and hoped his young son would see all the benefits.
Inuyasha stared at his parents as if they had grown two heads. His and Sesshoumaru's fight was between them. He did not need his parents to intervene. And what the hell did his father mean by his own kingdom? Avaren was ruled by the Higurashi house and the current ruler had just taken the throne five years back. Then Inuyasha remembered. Fifty years had come and gone while he was sealed. Many things could change in that amount of time. Sitting down again in annoyance, he tapped his index finger on his leg and looked anywhere but at the people in the room. “Who rules Avaren right now?” he asked gruffly.
His mother answered him matter-of-factly. “A youkai by the name of Naraku. He attack the Higurashi Palace six years ago and took over. Kagome's father, the former King, was killed protecting his wife and children. Kagome is now of age where she can rule. A war is coming, Inuyasha, one that Naraku started six years ago. He will stop at nothing to get his hands on Kagome. For what reasons, we do not know. But because of that, Mitsuko-san wants a powerful youkai match for her.”
Inuyasha contemplated the news but did not stop tapping his finger against his leg. He didn't know why he had to marry her in order to give her aid. Couldn't they just sign a treaty of alliance or something? He looked back to his parents then at Kagome and her mother. Sighing and closing his eyes, he gave his answer, unsure if he would come to regret it. “Fine. I'll do it. Only on the condition that the wedding take place in a few months, after the girl and I have have had time to see if we can live with each other.”
Inutaisho looked to Mitsuko and Kagome. Kagome nodded her head in agreement, still wary of Inuyasha, while her mother spoke. “Hai, that sounds fine.”
“Good. I'll have the documents drawn up tonight and we can sign them in the morning,” Inutaisho concluded.
Inuyasha stood and padded to the shoji doors. “Is my room still available,” he asked without turning.
“Hai, we haven't changed a thing.” Izayoi's voice held a wealth of feelings he could pick up--joy, sadness, fear, love, anxiety.
Inuyasha made a slight nod to show he heard before he left the room, closing the doors a bit louder than necessary. He made his way through the halls grumpily, hands stuffed into his haori sleeves. He loved his mother dearly but this was too much. He would not show weakness before his parents by acknowledging her whims. To him, it was jest yesterday that they had all sat together for breakfast discussing Kikyou--his mother ever teasing him that he needed a mate without fully realizing how serious his and Kikyou's relationship was. Things were different now. Kikyou was gone, his marriage arranged and he felt backed into a corner. So he did what he always did; he bared his teeth like the inu youkai he was, gruff, uncaring and trying to protect the last shred of his heart.
Once at his room, Inuyasha opened the delicate shoji doors and took in the old protection wards. He entered the familiar space, finally relaxing into his own territory and breathed in deep comforting breathes. It was not enough to stem the flow of memories that assaulted him.
The first was when he was a child, no more than five years old and played with a golden ball in the gardens of some human lord's house. It was the first time he had heard the word hanyou. The other children had stolen his ball and hit it out of reach, calling him a hanyou bastard. He had run to his mother after retrieving the ball and asked her what it meant.
His mother's beautiful eyes had shown with tears for the first time. He could not understand why she cried. She could couldn't speak, so great was her emotion and instead, only grasped him close to her to cry for him and the ignorant children.
Time had proved a useful tool. His smile was one of satisfaction. Every single person who had bullied him were either dead or dying from old age. And his father's kingdom, Haedai, had prospered into a glorious place were youkai, human and hanyou alike were accepted.
The next memories to hit him were of his half brother Sesshoumaru. They were just as unpleasant. There was the time he and Sesshoumaru had fought over their father's katana, Tenseiga and Tessaiga. Once their father had chosen who would get each sword, Sesshoumaru had fought him tooth and nail to try to prove to their father that he deserved Tessaiga more. The bastard hated being stuck with a katana that would not work for him.
Shaking his head to clear it, Inuyasha began to recall the many memories of himself and Kikyou. Before he had gotten up the nerve to talk to her in person, he had stayed near her to just watch and protect her. She was a solitary woman who enjoyed the company of her younger sister and the village children. She helped many of the villagers with their day to day injuries and illnesses with her powers but didn't socialize beyond that with the adults.
In retrospect, she was very distrustful. He remembered the first time they had met. He had made the mistake of getting too close she had retaliated by shooting two warning arrows at him. Slowly, over a six month period, Inuyasha eventually broke down her defenses and gained some of her trust but only enough to walk with her side by side in silence. That had been three weeks before she allowed him to talk to her and touch her.
Once, Inuyasha had taken her on a boat ride down the river. He wanted to watch the sunset with her. The bittersweet memory made him chock up. It was the first time he had ever taken her into his arms, hugging her after Kikyou tripped on a loose plank of wood upon their return to the dock. How could she have trusted him enough to let him hold her like that and then two weeks later, scorn him? It didn't make sense.
Padding over to the other side of his room, Inuyasha opened a shoji door that led to his own private garden. He looked out over the night and saw that the garden had been well maintained while he was sealed. It was his one true secret haven, the place he went when he felt overly emotional and couldn't face anyone--the place he went when he considered himself weak to recover his strength. Bounding up to his favorite spot on his favorite tree, he settled against the branches and watched the stars.
His mind took back to the days he shared with Kikyou. And a suspicion nagged at him--a new found feeling that would not go away. A feeling that Kikyou's death was not as it seemed. When Kikyou finally placed her trust in someone, she trusted them wholeheartedly because her trust was so hard to win. How was it, then, that one moment she had been willing to give up the Shikon no Tama into his care--to allow him to use it to make him fully human--then in the next moment, try to kill him? He had to find out.
Inuyasha stood up on the branch, a decision made. He would keep his memories of Kikyou locked away in his heart, always there as a remembrance to her. When, not if, but when he solved the mystery that surrounded her death, he could then look to the future again.
For now, he would accept the marriage agreement and do as his parents wished but that girl, Kagome, would not enter his heart. He would not let that happen. He couldn't afford the pain that loosing someone else he cared for would cause. Or the betrayal if history repeated itself.
He already felt ashamed. He had allowed Kikyou to seal him, hadn't noticed any changes in her personality and hadn't protected her. He felt betrayed, not only because she sealed him, but also because her fears had weakened her to something. He needed to know what it was. It was the only thing Inuyasha could do.
Turing back to his room, he began to make plans. Inuyasha would first see if he could track down Kaede and get her side of the story. Then, if Kaede gave him any leads as to the man behind it, he would find him and kill him. It was that simple.
His mind set, Inuyasha closed the shoji door and sat with his back against the door. Soon he was fast asleep, propped up with his hands resting comfortably in his sleeves.
O o O o O o O o O
Hundreds of miles away, in Avaren, Naraku grinned in the dark. No one had detected his puppet. He had gotten his information and what a juicy tidbit it was. So the hanyou and miko heir will marry. How fitting. Naraku chuckled.
He expected Inuyasha to come after him at some point and the girl would follow. He could tell she had a soft spot for him, just a small one, but one none-the-less. She would not leave the hanyou alone. And he counted on that. For when Inuyasha let down his guard, Naraku would strike and take the girl away.
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