Chapter 5: The Great Escape

Tonight will change our lives
It's so good to be by your side
We'll cry
We won't give up the fight
We'll scream loud at the top of our lungs
And they'll think it's just cause we're young
And we'll feel so alive

Throw it away
Forget yesterday
We'll make the great escape
We won't hear a word they say
They don't know us anyway
Watch it burn
Let it die
Cause we are finally free tonight 

Kagome was utterly speechless. Her mind was doing back flips, cartwheels, somersaults, and screaming like a banshee. Her conscience had fainted. The entire world was wobbling slightly and looked oddly green. Her mouth had gone slack and fallen open just a bit, but she shut it hastily as soon as she noticed. For several seconds she stared silently. The youkai stared back at her, one of his eyebrows raised in inquiry. He looked quite similar to how he did in the time she knew him. The only real difference was the lack of his swords. At his waist there was a sword, but it was not one she recognized.

“Am I dead?” It was entirely possible. It was possible that she had in fact drowned, and was not rescued. It would explain away the fact that Lord Sesshoumaru, the youkai who had tried to kill more often than any other, was currently inquiring as to her health after rescuing her from certain doom. Because that was entirely impossible. Therefore, it wasn’t really happening. Her conscience sat up within her skull at this reinstatement of reason and nodded firmly.

“As far as I can tell, the answer is no. Unless I am dead as well, which I rather doubt.” There was something of a smirk turning up the corner of his lips.

Her conscience passed out again.

“You have yet to answer my original question. Are you alright? Judging from your recent display of conversational skills, I’m inclined to believe that the answer is no.” Sesshoumaru said, the small smirk still hovering around his mouth. “Perhaps you hit your head?”

Before she could answer him, Chinatsu’s voice rang out. “Get your hands off of her, youkai!” The miko appeared between two trees, her hair flying wildly about her head, her entire body glowing slightly, but she stopped dead when she him. Her hair settled, the glow faded, and her face become surprised, as opposed to fierce. “O-oh.” She stuttered. “Sesshoumaru-sama! What a surprise.” Her movements were slightly jerky as she bowed.

“Chinatsu-sama. How unexpected. I take it that she,” he waved a hand at Kagome, “is your pupil?”

“Yes,” Chinatsu confirmed, hurrying over to Kagome’s side. She examined Kagome’s head, and finding no obvious injuries, asked if she felt pain anywhere. When Kagome replied that she didn’t, Chinatsu visibly relaxed. Sesshoumaru had moved off and was now standing by a tree, examining the surroundings.

“What happened, Midori?” How did you fall in?” Chinatsu asked.

Kagome blushed. “I...I just lost my balance.” She stared fixedly at her feet.

There was a small noise that might have been a snort from the direction of the demon lord. Kagome fired up at once, embarrassment adding to her normally fiery temper. “Hey, it was really your fault in the first place!” She yelled, glaring at Sesshoumaru.

His face was blank as he spoke. “Truly? Then pray tell exactly how this Sesshoumaru is to blame.”

Kagome blushed fiercely again and looked down. “I was...overwhelmed by your power. It caught me off guard,” She muttered towards her shoes.

“You have my apologies then, for your predicament,” he said. Kagome was surprised yet again, but didn’t comment. He continued, “But now, I do not believe we have been introduced as of yet. I am Sesshoumaru, son of the Inu no Taishou.” He bowed.

Kagome stood with Chinatsu’s help and bowed in return. “I am known as Midori. Dozo Yoroshiku.”

“Now, if I may ask milord, what is your purpose here? Other than rescuing my apprentice, of course.” Chinatsu smiled. As Sesshoumaru’s attention was diverted Kagome tried to stare at him without being too obvious about it. Her first impression was mostly correct. The pattern of his clothes was slightly different, and his obi was just navy, with no yellow.

“I was sent on a scouting mission by my father, but he told me that if I was to pass near you, I was to give you this,” he said, and pulled from within his haori a scroll, sealed with blue wax. As she took it he continued. “We will send someone in a week’s time. I must leave now though.” A light breeze whipped up and snagged the strands of his hair

“Of course,” said Chinatsu. Kagome shivered beside her, she’d forgotten the fact that she was totally soaked.

“Very well. Farewell.” He glanced at Kagome for a moment, something like curiosity in his eyes, but turned away quickly. Abruptly Sesshoumaru was engulfed in blinding white light. His form disappeared into a ball of bright white energy, which shot almost immediately out of sight, taking the presence that had knocked Kagome flat, with him.                          

As the wind settled after his departure, Kagome realized something. He spoke more just then than all the other times I’ve heard him talk combined! Just how far in the bloody past am I?! 

Chinatsu slipped the scroll up her sleeve and turned to Kagome. “Come on, we need to get you dried off. I don’t think we’ll get much else done today.” They returned to where they’d had lunch and Kagome found a sunny rock to sit on while Chinatsu rebuilt the fire. Once the flames were crackling merrily again she pulled out the scroll and broke the seal. Kagome looked at the cracked wax. It held the figure of a dog, the tail of which curled up and around the entire body. The hair of the tail faded into a ring of cherry blossoms.

Sesshoumaru. The last time she’d thought of him, she’d been daydreaming pointlessly about his good looks. She’d known that he was far older than InuYasha though. Shouldn’t she have suspected the possibility of meeting him? And what if now, by meeting him, she somehow affected the future? Could she change what had already happened? Her head dropped heavily into her hands and she shuddered. A near death experience and meeting someone who would eventually become something else to her, not really an enemy, but definitely not a friend, led to a rather interesting day. And now that the shock had worn off she was tired. And really sore! Her lungs still felt achy and her throat hurt.

She stared into the flickering flames until Chinatsu finished reading. The miko rolled up the scroll and sighed. Kagome glanced up at her curiously. Something had just occurred to her. “Chinatsu? How do you know the son of the Western Lord, or even the Inu no Taisho himself?”

Chinatsu rubbed the back of her neck. “I grew up in Kinjyoutouchi. That’s the name of the Taisho’s palace. He’s always been a bit vain.” She grinned half-heartedly. “My family lived in the city surrounding the manor. When it was discovered that I had some aptitude as a miko, I was taken on as apprentice to Hoshiko, the miko in service to the Taisho.”

Kagome stared in surprise. Chinatsu’s grin became a bit more real. “Yes, the Taisho employs a miko. We can use our powers to help youkai as well as humans sometimes, and he also employs many human servants besides miko. And youkai do have a tendency to fight amongst themselves. Miko are an asset in such situations. But then I’m getting off track.

“After I finished my apprenticeship I wanted to see more of the world, to travel and help people. I told Hoshiko that I would come back eventually when I was needed, but first I would gain experience in the real world. I wandered for several years before settling down in my village. The first apprentice I trained, I sent back to Kinjyoutouchi as an assistant for Hoshiko. She said that she’d train no more apprentices after I, and she was getting on in age. Hoshiko died last year.” She spoke quietly, her tone sad.

“I’m sorry,” said Kagome, placing a hand on Chinatsu’s arm.

“She lived a full life and died in her sleep. There is no reason to be sorry.” She shook herself a bit, and went on. “The girl I sent, Kiku, is not a skilled enough miko to serve the Taisho by herself. The Taisho wishes for me to return and take up the post that I promised to fill. He suggests that Kiku come back here and replace me as miko of our village. Her power is sufficient for their needs.”

“Will you?” Kagome asked, slightly nervous.

“I promised that I would, and I will. Whoever they are sending in a week will transport us there.” Chinatsu said.

“Wait, ‘we’? Does that mean I’m coming with you?” Kagome asked, her hands tapping restlessly on her legs.

Chinatsu looked her straight in the eye. “I took you on as my apprentice. If you wish to complete your training, you will have to come with me. Will you?”

Kagome looked back at the fire, watching the flames dance. They were so chaotic, without rhyme or reason, it was almost comforting. It was sort of like her life, hopelessly changing and inconstant. Her eyes slid closed for a moment and she let out a deep breath.

“I will.”

They sat together in silence for an unmeasured amount of time. Her clothes were only slightly damp by the time Kagome spoke again. Her voice was cautious, wondering if this was the best idea. “Chinatsu, when we get there...I think it’d be best if everyone knew me by the name of Midoriko.”

The elder miko looked at her sharply, but Kagome didn’t explain. After a couple minutes of close scrutiny, she spoke. “Very well, but I shall still call you Midori, if it’s all the same to you.” Kagome smiled a bit, but didn’t look at her, still examining the fire instead.

§§§

“Midoriko-sama? We are nearing our destination.

Kagome shook herself awake. How she’d managed to fall asleep in the first place was a mystery. If you were on the back of a flying demonic horse, would you’ve passed out? Then again, Kagome had spent quite a bit of time on the back of a flying demonic cat, so it really wasn’t that different. And she’d been so nervous that she hadn’t gotten much sleep the previous night.

She was on her way to stay for who knew how long in the home of InuYasha and Sesshoumaru’s father, and a young Sesshoumaru himself. There were so many things that could go wrong. So many ways she could screw up and mess up the set course of the future. Oh, and not to mention the fact that she hadn’t seen her family or her friends for more than two weeks, and there was a distinct possibility that she would never see them again, because she might just die in the time period she was in now, playing the role of Midoriko, which could lead to forcing her own soul into a little crystal ball. That made for some real sweet dreams.

A snort from her steed drew her attention back to it, and she shifted a bit, feeling uncomfortable. They were really quite high in the air. Kirara rarely flew this high. Looking out before her, she tried to spot her destination. Up ahead of her, Chinatsu and Cho were visible, the miko’s arm clamped firmly around the girl’s waist as Cho glanced all around her. She seemed to sense Kagome’s gaze and smiled back at her for a moment.

They were flying through a range of mountains. On each side were massive snow-capped peaks, rising up into the sky. Directly in front there was a jutting cliff, which her mount swerved around. The tilt of the creature’s body made her stomach roll.

As they came around, a broad valley came into view. Halfway along it there was a tall stone wall, beyond it was a spreading maze of farms and small buildings. Towards the far end of the valley the buildings were grouped more closely together until there was practically a small city. They flew overhead, the landscape dotted with rice paddies. Kagome’s eyes were dancing from place to place, taking in everything. Near the metropolis there was a walled compound that was quite large. Kagome wondered for a moment what it was, but was distracted as she noticed that there was a waterfall far to one side of the valley. The small river leading from it fed all of the farms.

Beyond the main town there was another walled compound. The walls around it were much more ornate than those of the first, covered with unknown swirling designs. In the wall was set a large gatehouse. The first gate was narrow, and barely beyond it there was a glimpse of the 2nd gatehouse, which was much taller and wider. The entire compound also appeared to be surrounded by a moat.

“Isn’t it something?” Chinatsu’s shouting voice startled Kagome. She realized that she’d been staring quite intently. That wall had to be over 20 feet tall. She looked at Chinatsu, whose mount had fallen back alongside her, and smiled widely.

The mounts flew over the first gate and landed in the stone courtyard beyond it. The five guards who had escorted them dismounted, and one of them hurried to help Kagome dismount as well. The youkai also grabbed her pack, untying it from the saddle and placing it carefully on the ground. He bowed to her and left. The horses were taken back out the front gate, the guards going with them.

Chinatsu and Cho made their way to her as Kagome stood examining the high walls surrounding the courtyard. Walking behind them was a young woman, wearing a plain white kimono with her head angled down. Her jet black hair was no help in telling whether she human or youkai as it swung in front of her face. Chinatsu said, “Shall we go? Aoi here was sent to show us to our quarters.” She indicated the woman beside her. Aoi raised her head to smile at Kagome. Her eyes were inhumanly blue and the slightest hint of a fang was visible under her lip. “The Taisho was planning to welcome us himself, along with his son, but he is currently caught up in an official meeting. The Lord of the Southern Lands is here for a political visit, along with his close family, so most everyone else is busy. We can make ourselves at home until the Taisho summons us.”

They walked under the arch of the 2nd gate. The two-story gatehouse seemed to be of a grey marble upon a closer look. The walls of the courtyard were probably of the same marble, red veins hinting through the stone. The gate was drawn up as they passed under it, and Kagome tilted her head back and stared at the bottom of it as she passed under.

Entering into the main compound, Kagome gasped. The buildings were all tall and elegant, made of dark wood. The closest building was very large, the roof sloped steeply and covered with dark clay shingles. This was probably the main receiving hall, used to entertain guests, and for banquets and such. Surrounding it were several smaller buildings, linked by open-air corridors. In the midst of everything were plants, of all kinds. Small paths wove among them, trees shaded the open verandas of the buildings, and small bushes and plants with fragrant flowers were clustered all around. Aoi led them down a path past the first few buildings, making their way through the gardens. At first glance there were no definable patterns in the placement of the flora, but as you examined all of it, there seemed to be a sort of ordered chaos to everything. It was like walking through a dream, surrounded by the scents and sights of exotic plants. Just out of sight there were many beings going about their business, bit it seemed like you couldn’t catch a straight glimpse of any of them. They flickered like shadows in the corners of your vision. And for Kagome, at the edge of her consciousness as most of them were demonic.

After a short time filled with twisting pathways under the shadows of trees, they passed all of the main public buildings. They weren’t at the very back of the compound, which would contain the living quarters of the family members, but they were close. Underneath the branches of a large Ginkgo tree, there was a small pavilion. They followed Aoi up the steps onto the raised veranda. Over the high wall of the compound, the mountains surrounding the valley were visible, dominating the sky. On the underside of the eaves of the roof wooden shutters were strapped up, waiting to be let down at night or when the weather was too harsh. The exterior walls were made of lattice-type screens covered with a white rice paper. Several had been removed, opening the building to the outside world. Inside there were lines of fusuma screens separating the pavilion into several rooms. Throughout there were many thick wooden pillars, connected by an intricate latticework of beams, both decorative and necessary to support the roof. The fusuma that made up the interior walls were decorated in dark colors showing shady images of planst and animals, and the tatami mats on the floor were of the highest quality.

Kagome popped her head into the first room, examining everything inside, and then went back out to lean on the railing of the veranda. She marveled at the beauty of the entire place. It was amazing. And somehow, it was also invigorating. She felt almost boundless energy coursing through her veins. It might also have been a bit of nervousness from the meetings she were knew were to come, but she shoved that aside. This was waaaay too cool to be troubled about meeting the dead father of the guy you were in love with for three years.

Cho had been exploring the inside of the building, and presently came running back outside. “Midori! Isn’t this wonderful?” the girl asked, her eyes shining brightly.

Kagome grinned. “Yes, it is Cho-chan! I think we’re going to enjoy it here.”

Chinatsu smiled at both her pupils. “Welcome to Kinjyoutouchi.”