Labyrinth

 

Chapter 11: Welcome to My Illusion          

 

They slipped quietly out into the alley, Miroku cautiously leading the way.  It had been some time since they had last heard their pursuers, but he was not taking any chances.  They were both far too noticeable, he in his holy robes and she in her foreign clothing.  Shippo followed behind them, looking more alert than any child should have to be.  Miroku grasped Kagome’s hand and guided her behind him as he darted from alley to alley hoping to avoid detection as long as possible.  He knew it would be impossible to escape notice once they had reached the inner city.  He could only hope they would make it close enough to the castle that Kagome could escape in the ensuing commotion of their discovery.

He was still praying for this up to the moment when he detected the faint swell of youki behind him

He cursed violently in the dark solitude of his mind and began running in earnest.  Beside him Kagome stumbled in surprise, but managed to maintain her footing and follow him.  She wanted to ask him why, he knew she must, but she wisely refrained.  Miroku sensed Shippo tense behind him and knew that the kit understood.  Now Miroku felt the demonic energy pulse around him and he knew that the demon was close enough that he would have been able to hear its footfall had it been human.  But had it been human there would not have been this growing feeling of dread within him.

The demon was too young, too strong, to be one of the guards. It was undoubtedly the wolf demon from before.  And this was the worst possible turn.  Not only was he fast and strong, but his sense of smell would be incredibly keen.  Even keeping to the shadows they would easily be found.  Miroku firmly shoved aside all anger and fear and steeled himself determinedly.  He would ensure that Kagome made it to the castle, no matter the cost to himself.

He turned sharply, a tug on Kagome’s hand her only warning, paused a moment to gain his bearings and took off once again straight toward the castle.  This time he paid no heed to stealth, plowing straight through hapless citizens as he took the shortest path toward their goal.  It was pointless now, they had already been discovered.

When they had reached a ramshackle sort of village square, complete with broken fountain, he skidded to a halt, whipping around to face the street from which they had come and jerking Kagome behind him.  The castle loomed high above them, not more than a hundred yards away past the inmost row of yellowed stone houses.

Kagome staggered to a stop and turned to look at him in confusion.  “What are you doing?”

“Shippo, take Kagome to the castle!” he called, eyes trained on the narrow opening between buildings.

“What?”  Kagome’s shocked yell was nearly drowned out by the kit’s own indignant response.

“I’m not going.” He said stubbornly.

Miroku refused to be responsible for Shippos’s safety, but he recognized the set of the fox child’s jaw and shoulders.  He was determined, he would not be moved. Frantically the monk cast about his mind for something that would convince the child to go.  He knew Kagome would stay here until this was decided, and there was so little time.  He cast a harried glance at Shippo.

“Kagome needs someone to lead her to the castle!”

The kit snorted, crossing his small arms.  “A blind man could find his way at this distance.  Besides,” he eyed Miroku sagely, “you need me.”

Miroku opened his mouth, intending to protest when he realized that both statements were completely true.  He knew he could not hold the demons at bay for long, and Shippo’s magic of illusion could be very helpful.  He looked to Kagome, who seemed torn, and smiled in what he hoped would pass for reassurance.

“Go Kagome.” He urged quietly, and she blanched.  He shook his head to ward off the protest he knew was coming, “for Souta.” He reminded her gently.  Her eyes widened and they shimmered with unshed tears, but she gave a terse nod and turned.  A moment later she had shot off down the street, rapidly approaching her objective.  Miroku admired her athletic grace with a curious detachment as he and the fox demon shifted into fighting stances and waited for the demon to appear before them. The last thing Kagome heard before she was out of earshot was the monk’s yell.

“Shippo, now!”

And the kit’s reply, “Foxfire!” And then she was standing at the gate to the castle, and her heart was pounding so hard that she couldn’t breath.

 

***

 

Kagome suddenly found herself considering that this might have been a very stupid idea. 

There was really a very logical reason for this thought to occur to her just now, that reason being that now that she faced the gate to the castle she had not the slightest idea how to go about getting it open so that she could get in.

Really, this was not one of her better plans.

Not that she had ever had to plan for things like this before…

The gate loomed, huge and forbidding, several stories above her.  It was not wood like the castle drawbridges in fairytale movies or quaint English castles, it was solid steel.  And there was no moat, but that really didn’t seem to matter because as near as she could tell the castle had no windows and unless she could discover a way to melt the iron gate by the mere heat of her fury she was not getting in that castle.  Maybe she could develop laser vision like Superman?

Not likely.

And now there was the very real, very heavy, weight of true and utter hopeless depression falling on her chest and she had to fight the nearly overwhelming desire to give in to the shaking of her knees and just sink to the ground in despair.

She was never going to see her home again.

She reflected, for only a moment, that life was turning out to be decidedly unfair.  Ironic, considering that that same thought was what had started this whole mess.  But there was a world of difference between having to forgo a night at the movies to watch her brother and having to wander around a deathtrap in search of said brother.

It didn’t help that it had probably been her own fault.

She hoped that if she ever got home she would have the sense to be more mature for at least a few months.  It didn’t seem too likely though, considering her track record so far.

Kagome didn’t know whether she should try examining the rest of the castle, or risk knocking on the immense door, but she did know that she couldn’t just continue to stand, gaping at this admittedly prominent obstacle.

Fortunately, as it turned out, she didn’t have to make a decision.  A moment later the door began to creak open.

At first, the movement was so small Kagome thought she was imagining it, but the squeal and creak of disused metal scraping against metal was real enough to make her clasp her ears in pain.  It occurred to her that a door that large would be very heavy and the persons opening it would have to fight with inertia to get it moving.  It surprised her, therefore, to discover that the persons were actually only a single person and that that person was a woman only a little older than herself.

She had dark hair, and lifeless eyes and Kagome almost shuddered at the aura that seemed to reach out and surround her.  Kagome didn’t watch many horror movies, but Souta was known to indulge, and she couldn’t help comparing this woman to the zombies which so often frequented such tales.  She had the air of the living dead.

That thought caused Kagome to shudder in earnest and she wrapped her arms around her torso.

The woman took no offense – not that she should, if her eyes were any indication she felt nothing at all.  She stepped back and indicated that Kagome should follow her, though she spoke no words.

Kagome was feeling decidedly uneasy, but it didn’t seem as though she had any other choice.  She followed hesitantly behind.

The castle was as cold and foreboding on the inside as on the outside, but here there was no sun to turn it a less harsh tan.  Kagome had expected statues of gargoyles and suits of armor, but the vast hallway stretched before them completely devoid of decoration.  The air felt stale, as if the castle had not been lived in for a very long time.

Kagome followed the woman, obviously a servant, past several doors but the woman never paused, never varied her pace, she simply continued down the corridor so soundlessly she might well have been a ghost.

“Umm, excuse me, where are we going?”  Kagome hated the way her voice wavered.

The woman turned and looked at her, though since her eyes were glazed over a solid brown and there was no visible pupil it gave the impression that she was staring either through Kagome, or at something between the two of them.  Then she turned wordlessly back around and resumed walking.

At this point Kagome began to wonder if the woman was somehow being controlled.  Even servants talked, right?  At least, they did when asked a direct question.  Not that Kagome had much experience with servants – truth was she had none at all – but common sense seemed to dictate that it was rude not to answer a question.  And servants weren’t supposed to be rude.

However, Kagome doubted that pointing this out to the woman would be of much use.  This being the case and the scenery being so dull, Kagome really had nothing to do but study the woman before her.  She was dressed in simple clothing, a pink and white kimono and a green wrap skirt.  Her long black hair was caught in a low and loose ponytail.  Though her movements were somewhat automated and stiff there was still an athletic ease to her strides which indicated she had been active for most of her life.  Kagome caught a glimpse of black beneath her kimono sleeve as her arm moved to brush away a cobweb and her breath caught in her throat.

She wasn’t certain how she knew; there could be dozens, hundreds, of women who met the same description.  Except that this was the Labyrinth, and there weren’t hundreds or even dozens of human women here, there were only a handful.  And what were the odds that two such women were being held by the Goblin King?

She knew the answer.

Squelching her discomfort she moved closer to the woman leading her, wondering how she could get through to her.  Right now she was almost an automaton; nothing Kagome said seemed to spark any sort of reaction in her.  Her eyes were soulless, and Kagome wasn’t certain there was a way to change that.

“Umm… have you been here long?” she asked weakly.  The woman before her didn’t even slow her steps.  Kagome bit her lip, clasping her hands behind her back so that she wouldn’t pick at her sleeves, and tried again.  “How old are you?”  There was still no answer.  The woman before her might as well have not had ears for all the attention she paid Kagome.  “Read any good books lately?” now that was a silly question.  Did they even have books in the Labyrinth?  But Kagome was feeling rather desperate now.  “Please talk to me!” she begged.

It was useless, the woman just kept walking purposefully down that dank hall.  Kagome was getting a very disturbing sinking feeling of inevitability.  Whoever this woman once was, she was clearly nothing but a lifeless shell now.  She thought of violet eyes darkened with sorrow and winced.  It hurt just to think it, but it was true.  Kagome let her chin fall to her chest, her bangs shadowing her eyes.  “Please, Sango.  Miroku needs you.” She whispered.

 

***

 

“Miroku?”

The moment the plea had left Kagome’s lips she had been forced to come to a stumbling stop as she collided with the now still form of the woman before her.  She started at the voice, so soft and sorrowful, and jerked her head up. 

Sango was staring at her.  Her eyes were no longer blank, instead they were dark pools that swirled with an anguished despair.  Kagome wanted to cry.  The woman reached a hand toward her, but stopped short of actually touching her.

“How do you know Miroku?”

Kagome swallowed.  She hadn’t expected the woman to even hear her.  And now, she didn’t know what to say.  She opened her mouth unsuccessfully several times before she finally managed to arrange her thoughts.

“I’ve been traveling with him.  He told me about you.”  If she had expected this to make Sango feel better she was sadly mistaken.  To her surprise Sango appeared to be blinking back tears.

“Does he hate me?” she whispered brokenly, looking away, “He must hate me.”

Kagome just blinked at her in shock. Hate her? Miroku loved her.  More than anything in any world.  Miroku had been dying slowly without her and she thought he hated her?  But Miroku seemed to think that she should hate him now.

“You don’t have to tell me, I don’t want to know.” She was turning away.

It was only then that Kagome realized Sango had wanted an answer.  Kicking her brain into gear she laid a hand quickly on the other woman’s arm to deter her.  Sango looked up in mild surprise, but then resumed her dejected look.  “No, no!” Kagome hastened to assure her, clutching the pink and white sleeve, “he doesn’t hate you.  He loves you.”

Sango shook her head, “he used to love me, I think…”

“He still does!” Kagome protested.

Sango was staring at the floor, “No.  I abandoned him.”

Kagome frowned.  Abandoned?  That didn’t fit in with the story she had heard at all.

“Did he tell you?” Sango was looking into her eyes, desperate, pleading, “Did he tell you what I did?  It was I who wanted to enter the gate.  It was I who was too weak.  Why would he ever want a stupid, weak, woman like me?” a single tear slipped down her cheek and Kagome did the only thing she could think to do.  She pulled the older girl into a comforting hug.  Surprisingly Sango went willingly.  She wasn’t crying, but she was shaking.

“Sango,” Kagome said soothingly, “that wasn’t your fault.  It wasn’t anyone’s fault.  You checked, it seemed safe.”

“But-“

“You know, Miroku blames himself for that.” Kagome interrupted.

Sango pulled away so quickly her hair flew over her shoulder.  “Himself?  But it was me!” she protested.

Kagome shook her head with a small smile, “It was this stupid Labyrinth,” she corrected, “trust me, I’ve only been here a few days and I can already tell.”

Sango did not look entirely convinced, but she didn’t look so desperately sad anymore either.

“Does it really matter?” Kagome pressed, “He still loves you.  I know - I could see it when he talked about you.  And I think you still love him.”

Sango nodded.

Kagome reached to grasp her hand.  “He needs you, Sango.”

“But I…”

“And you need him.” She finished firmly.

Sango stood a moment, watching her intently.  And then her face slowly transformed, a look of determination overtaking the pain.  “I’ve been such a fool.” She shook her head to ward off Kagome’s protests.  “It’s true.  I’ve been staying here, feeling miserable when all along all I had to do was go find him.”

Kagome’s brow furrowed in confusion, “You can leave? But I thought no one could leave the castle.”

“Prisoners can’t leave the castle.  But I am only a servant.  The spell which possessed me can be broken through will.” She grasped Kagome’s other hand, “and you’ve given me the will that I need to leave this behind.  Thank you.”

Kagome nodded slowly, a little stunned.  That had been much easier than she had anticipated. 

“Where is he?”

Kagome drew back, startled.  She had forgotten about Miroku’s current danger.  She sucked in a breath.  “Oh Sango, you have to hurry.  Miroku is in trouble!”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Miroku, there were demons chasing us, trying to stop me from reaching the castle, and Miroku and Shippo stayed behind to hold them off while I got away.” She was practically wringing her hands, “one of the demons was so strong, I think he must be in trouble!”

            And with those words Sango transformed from anxious and uncertain to the strong and determined woman she must have been when Miroku first knew her.  Her jaw was set in determination, her shoulders lifted, and her eyes took on a steely gleam.  This was the taijya, the demon slayer, who had lived her life in the heat of battle.

“Kilala should still be here somewhere.” She said thoughtfully.  And then she made a strange sort of whistling sound, only far more piercing than any Kagome had ever heard, using her hands and her lips and a moment later a huge cat with saber fangs and two tails was racing toward them.  Kagome’s eyes went wide as she feared it would bowl them right over, but the creature stopped just as it reached Sango and lowered its head to rub against her hand affectionately.  Sango rubbed between its ears and smiled.

“We have to go Kilala.” With athletic grace she swung up onto the cat and leaned over its ear, “Do you know where hiraikotsu is?” the cat growled an affirmative and Sango pet its neck.  “Good, let’s go old friend.”  Then she hesitated a moment to look back at Kagome, “Your brother, he’s here in the castle.  You’ll find Inuyasha in the room at the end of this hall.  I wish you luck.”

Kagome smiled, “And I wish you luck, and happiness!” she added the last as the demon slayer and her faithful companion flew toward the door.  She wished them all luck; they were going to need it.

***

 

Kagome approached the end of the corridor rather timidly considering how unhappy she was with Inuyasha.  However, now that her heated anger had passed she remembered in vivid detail how sharp his fangs looked, and how long his claws were.  She paused just outside the doorway and drew in a rather shaky breath.  Scolding herself she took another and was pleased to find it far steadier.  Bracing herself she lifted her chin and strode into the room hoping she looked more confident than she felt.  Inuyasha was lying on his side across his stone throne, his head propped lazily on one hand, resting on his elbow as he stared into the crystal ball a few feet in front of him.  His other hand dangled limply off the front of the throne and his far knee was pulled up.  Kagome thought that he looked rather more indolent than he should. He also looked bored, and that made her angry.  What right did he have to be bored when her life was going to pieces and it was at least partly his fault!

“So,” he hadn’t even looked up at her and she started, wondering for a moment how he knew she was in the room before she remembering his sensitive ears.  His sense of smell was probably very keen as well.  “You come in here and take my favorite servant?”

Kagome bristled.

“That’s all you can say?” she snapped.

“Keh.” He snorted and finally looked at her, though he didn’t bother to move otherwise, “Should I say something else?”

Kagome’s anger had hot wired her brain again; she was moving and speaking without thought to the consequences.  “Yeah,” she stomped toward him, “how about telling me where my brother is you jerk.”

Inuyasha’s look was utter boredom, “Is that all?” he deliberately turned his head back to the crystal ball, “I think there are other things to worry about right now.”

Now that Kagome was closer she could see movement within the ball.  Unable to restrain her curiosity she moved closer, peering into it.  She saw figures in the ball and after a moment she realized that she was viewing the city.  More specifically she was viewing the small courtyard in which she had left Miroku and Shippo.

They weren’t doing well.

Kagome’s feet moved forward of their own accord as she stared, her hands slowly raised.

Inuyasha made a sharp negative sound that caught her attention, “you can’t touch it.”

Hastily she withdrew her hands, clasping her sleeves as she watched.  The wolf was charging at Miroku, and by now several other guards were there as well.  Shippo was trying to hold them off with what looked like an enormous spinning top, but there was only so much his magic could do.

“No!” Kagome cringed away as the wolf demon backed away to gain space and then charged at Miroku head on.

“Don’t look away.” Inuyasha chided her and she forced herself to watch.

A moment later a figure in black swooped down into the street riding on a white and black cat with flames at its feet.  The figure held a huge boomerang type weapon and Kagome realized that it was Sango.  The older girl swept past Miroku and threw her weapon at the approaching wolf.  He literally flew up into the air and down the street at least a hundred yards before finally slamming into a building.  By that time Sango had expertly caught her weapon and hopped off Kilala to stand beside Miroku.  Kagome thought they might have exchanged a few words, they certainly stared at one another long enough, and then they both smiled.  Within minutes the rest of the guards were running scared.

“It is my only link to the world outside these walls,” Kagome was startled to find that Inuyasha was now right behind her, nearly pressed against her back at her right shoulder.  His voice was low in her ear, “or at least it was for a very long time.”

Kagome forced herself to remain still, though her heart was pounding oddly, “Are the things that it shows true?”

She felt his breath as he exhaled and then inhaled slowly, “Yeah.  That’s what’s happening right now.” He affirmed.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. “Then they’ll be alright.”

Inuyasha snorted rudely, “Well, obviously.  Sango could kick those guys’ butts in her sleep.  Especially that idiot, Kouga.” He snorted, “Stupid wolf.” He muttered.

Kagome didn’t doubt it.  Relief washed over her as she saw the images in the ball moving once again.  Kilala had landed just long enough for Sango, Miroku, and the kit to climb on her back, and then she took off again.

“They won’t be able to come back here for you, ya know.” Inuyasha told her.

And Kagome suddenly remembered the reason she was here.

“And whose fault is that?” she snapped, whirling to face him.  She jabbed her finger toward his chest, “Yours, that’s whose.  Just like everything else!” Not entirely true.  Hadn’t she already admitted that this was mostly her fault?  And then there was Sesshoumaru… but still, it was true enough.  “Where’s my brother you jerk!  I want him back!”

“Then you’ll have to take him.” He smiled somewhat sadly and she lunged for him only to find herself passing through thin air.  She turned back around to see him facing her, but she could also see the wall on the other side of the room.  He was fading away.

“Wait!” she cried when he was almost gone.

The smile widened and somehow managed to look even more melancholy at the same time.  And then he was gone and there was only the whisper of his voice left behind.

“Welcome to my illusion.”