6My Unintentional Saviour
What they found was far greater than what they were pursuing in the beginning ...
Rating : T (for some mild violence, bad language and maybe a few adult moments :P)
Pairings : InuKag and MirSan
Blanket Disclaimer : If I owned Inuyasha, Kikyou would have never came back and there would have been a hell of a lot mooore smooching, which didn't happen so I guess we can assume that I certantly don't own Inuyasha no matter how much I want to ...
Sorry for those of you who read a different first chapter but I've decided on mixing up the events I had planned :D
Any ways on with the show! I really hope you enjoy this 'wee' story of mine ... thanks for reading ^_^
Chapter 1: My Mission
It had all started out a pretty normal day.
"Kagome can you please pass me the rice?"
I nodded once and passed Sōta the bowl nervously, my hand shaking as I placed the bowl down. I did not feel ready to eat. In fact I felt like I was going to throw up I was that nervous. Gingerly I set my chopsticks down and sat staring down at my green tea; praying this day wouldn't have to happen. I glanced around the table to meet the faces of my family. For some reason, I felt something odd buzzing in the air but I put that down to my nerves.
"Aw! Is somebody nervous about their first meeting with Hojo-san?" Sōta teased lightly from my side and he was lucky too, if mother had overheard him speaking, so casually of the whole thing he definitely would be scolded.
"It's not my first meeting with Hojo … it's my first meeting with his parents. Anyway what are you doing … why aren't you out getting ready for Tanabata anyway. You aren't allowed to be here for the meeting anyway" I huffed and sneakily stuck my tongue out at Sōta. Most times, I liked to treat him like a child, every day he was getting more and more mature, people were entrusting their lives to him as he trained. Soon, he would be of a higher rank than I would even though I was the miko of the village. So having a bit of fun with him wasn't going to hurt anyone. His chocolate brown eyes widened comically at my un-lady like manners before he smirked lightly and went back to eating his breakfast.
"Are you ready to perform the ceremony tonight Kagome?" My mother asked quietly, she had been so absorbed looking at Father's armor I thought she wasn't listening to us. I smiled at my mother's small frame and even though she was small, her presence was so much more. She had taken over from my father as the village head when he died and did most of our exchanges for food and help for shelters. However many businessmen refused to trade or take orders from a woman so my grandfather normally stepped in and pretended to be the head. But, everyone here respected her.
I liked that.
Many older women told me that I had to honor three things in my home, my father, grandfather and brother.
Never my mother.
But, I honored her the most.
She was the strongest of us all and stood proud even when we made mistakes.
"Oh … Of course" I said hesitantly because the truth was I wasn't ready. I had been dreading this day for weeks. It was the day my life would be signed off to Hojo and the day I had to perform all of the Tanabata offerings myself; a daunting task for even an experienced miko. I hadn't even had a chance to sit down, write my wishes onto paper, and send them up to the skies alongside everyone else. This was one of my favorite festivals after all, the two beings, a large cluster of stars separated Orihime and Hikoboshi, who were completely in love. They were separated until the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, where they could cross the barrier and be with each other for one night. This was represented by the two stars, which flew across the sky and collided with each other. It was such a beautiful festival even with the ending of summer it was still hot enough to walk around the village and not feel the bitter chill of winter. It had been one of my father's favorites too.
My wishes were not achievable though.
All of the other girls wished for better craftsmanship and sewing skills. To find a better husband and to live a rich noble life.
I wanted to travel.
To visit other villages, meet new people, learn more, see more, feel more. I didn't want to marry Hojo I didn't love him. I wanted to marry someone I truly loved like my father and mother did.
But that would never happen.
Sighing, I quickly stood and helped my mother clean the breakfast dishes as Sōta went off for his day at school and Grandpa went out to the village to perform his priest duties. Sometimes I was jealous of the fact that Sōta was allowed to go to school; of course, I wasn't jealous of the hours of training he had to do to become an honorable warrior. Normally he would be at school for ten hours but due to the festival, it was cut down to six. I was jealous however of his knowledge. Every day he would learn something new about the grass, the moon and stars. He had the world at his feet.
That night the world would be ripped from underneath him.
Even though it was pointless whilst my mother went out to hang out our robes for the festival, I snuck a few sheets of rice paper from the table and grabbed an ink and ink block. As quickly as I could I scrambled down my wishes and carefully pressed the sheets into the breast pocket of my hakama. Shuffling up I moved into the kitchen, I would need to make some Imochi for treat at the festival that is if the nerves hadn't ripped me apart. I was to perform the purification ceremony just as the sun sets and then the meeting was going to happen.
Hojo's family would promise me a good life with enough food, a home and a good respectable name.
My family would promise that I would bear an heir to the Hojo family name; I would always be an attentive, happy and caring wife and a good respectable name.
The day ticked both painfully and too soon. There were times where I wanted the whole ordeal to be over and done with; the time would go as slow as an ox and when I would dread and wish the moment would never come hours would fly by in a minute. Before I knew it Sōta and Grandpa arrived home and my mother's Imochi and mine was served, alongside the usual rice, fish and pickled vegetables. Then we were getting dressed; my mother told me even though I was preforming a miko duty at the lake I did not need to wear my robes. I was after all trying to impress Hojo and his family with my best Kimono. It was a deep blue colour, with intricate flowers, doves stretched along the whole outfit, my light fan matched the design, and my tight obi belt was a deep red. All of my family had already left our hut so I quickly pulled on my tatami socks and sadly slipped on my geta sandals. I picked up the special cloth I had woven that day and stepped out onto the village floor. The whole village was streaked in a warm buttery glow bordering on bight purples and pinks from the setting sun. Everywhere there were bright lanterns and nearly everyone had their bamboo sticks filled with wishes near the river, they were waiting for me.
I bowed respectfully to the crowd and walked for around five minutes until the water was right below my own nose. I could easily remember every other festival my grandmother had performed the ceremony at with such clarity that the words flew out of my mind without any conscious effort by me. Instead, I starred ahead at the twinkling lights on the other side of lake miles upon miles away. There were thousands of lanterns over their too and If I listened just enough I could hear the soft sounds of people getting ready for the festival.
Was there another miko preforming the purification ceremony over there too?
My words even though they had no meaning I did hope for myself; for luck in the net rice harvest and for good luck to everyone. Was this all there was to this life? Wishing for food, marrying just to receive an heir, where your last name dictated your personality and soul. Was that all?
I finished on a soft note and felt rather guilty as I turned around to see the hopeful look of every child and adult alike. Each holding their bamboo sticks with pride, the soft glow of lanterns lighting up every one their faces. What was wrong with me? Smiling my first true smile of the night, I bowed again to conclude the ceremony and turned back to the lake. Taking up my own bamboo stick I easily unfolded my wishes and slipped them into the stick and I felt a large rush of wind from the lake, running though my hair and pulling my kimono back. For the first time in a long time, I felt free.
I planted my stick in the ground and by the soft thumps behind me many had followed, some chose to take them back to their own homes afraid that people would pry and look at your wishes. But such things very rarely happened and even so, no one would admit because they had done an ultimate faux –pas by looking at someone else's wishes. The ceremony was ending. So was my single life. Finally, I pressed my palms together and looked out along the river. Everyone followed my pose as we began singing our voices light in the autumn night.
"Sasa no ha sara-sara
Nokiba ni yureru
Ohoshi-sama kira-kira
Kingin sunago
Goshiki no tanzaku
watashi ga kaita
Ohoshi-sama kirakira
sora kara miteiru-"
I had always loved that song. My father had taught it to me when I was three with loads of hand gestures and animated faces. Gazing into my reflection in the water I had to stifle my smile, gazing back at me were my father's eyes, a deep hazelnut and my mother's long, shiny dark hair. Her complexion as well, pale but soft and clear. Looking further back into the river, I could only see the lights from the other village and our own. What a beautiful night, except for the meeting. My body refused to turn around I didn't want to go to meet Hojo's parents or-
Zap.
I definitely felt a zap of Youkai on the other side of the river it was small but there. The presence around the lake was dispersing and I could feel the gazes of Hojo and his parent's burning holes in the back of my head but as my grandfather went to speak, I raised a small hand and apologized.
"I feel … something a demon on the other side of the lake" I spoke quietly. I felt my mother arrive by my side and was shocked when I found her glaring intently at me with her eyes and her fake smile in place for the Hojos.
"Really Kagome stop lying and go inside I know you don't want to do this but you are already sixteen and you need to marry now!" My mother hissed into my ear. I was about to reply when the demonic aura on the other side skyrocketed. In the water, I watched as one by one the lights began to fade out and screams began to sound from the small village. There was an army out there.
"Run" I whispered. "Run!" Turning around I grasped my mother's hand and ran towards the hut she scrambled to get away and apologize for my behavior to Hojo, I had been in the sun too long, it was late. By this point, the rest of the village had stopped and began returning to the lake to see what the crazy miko was screaming about but I could not wait as I grasped my bow and arrow from the genkan I stumbled back out to the water's edge.
"Run demons are coming! Leave everything you have behind and run-"
Everyone began running and I was a little bit happier, we had more warning than the other village. People were making good hedge way until I heard another voice scream.
"Soldiers assemble!" The man in charge of the samurai stood one spear in his arm and I watched as every male in the village began to line up beside me.
"Sōta no get out of here!" I shrieked the screaming from the other village was so loud now that I could barely hear but at the sight of my tiny twig of a brother, shaking and trembling with just a spear broke something inside my heart. Even Hojo was standing on the front line but there was no more time, as I continued to shout at them to run all I got in return was "Lady Kagome, this is our duty, our honor"
Was honor worth dying for?
That night I cannot remember much of what happened. There were thousands of demons against about a hundred of us. I remember my firing arm bleeding because of the strain of my knuckles and shoulder, I remember men being picked up off the ground like rabbit's being picked up by eagles and I remember Sōta behind me the whole time I didn't let him get harmed until the village was completely overflown with demons. I had to whip around and face away from the lake to fire an arrow when a demon went to stab me and I jerked backwards, tripping straight over my bamboo stick and plunging deep into the river. I watched as a few more demons sailed over the top of the water, I scrambled up after scratching all of my side along rocks and saw not one man left. Not one.
"Sōta?" I whispered.
…
There was no response.
"Sōta!" I shouted louder this time, my body flailing about trying to get back to land, as I collapsed on the shore line I waited a beat before bursting out crying.
I had just lost my only brother.
Curling my fist in the dirt beneath me I finished crying, there was no time to be grieving he was still out there I could still save him. I had a mission now, to rescue him.
A/N
If anyone can see any grammatical/ or inaccurate spelling, any suggestions or places where I have completely ghosted over an important fact please let me know! ^-^
Oh, I've been trying to familiarize myself with the Feudal era, warring states period, edo kind of times just so this is more authentic so I'll make reference to any of the words I used ...
Tanabata - The moon festival, this is just a festival I'll put a link . if you want to know any more about the story behind it, but this is not necessary to understand the story really.
Imochi - Little rice balls families make for festivals, .
Tatami Socks and Geta Sandals - What one would normally wear with a Yukata .
The Song was a traditional Tanabata song which loosely translates in English to ...
"The bamboo leaves rustle,
shaking away in the eaves.
The stars twinkle
on the gold and silver grains of sand.
The five-colour paper strips
I have already written.
The stars twinkle,
they watch us from heaven."
Genkan - Front porch way into homes where shoes normally live,
Also just to imagine Kagome's house would be of a Shoin-zukuri (Jisho-ji) style, you can search that on Google to get an idea of that style or
Thank you very much for reading, please review and chapter 2 should be out very soon.