InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Falling ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

Falling

Chapter Three

Standard Disclaimers Apply

Kagome blinked at Inuyasha, confused as to why he wanted so suddenly to take her on. It was an unusual request. As he had said-he didn't know anything about her, and she didn't know anything about him. For all she knew, humans were sold into slavery and beaten every day-but Kaede didn't look as if she was hurting in any way and actually seemed quite pleased with her position. Taking a look out the windows that were in the living room and then back at Inuyasha, she gave a mental shrug and conceded.

At the obvious acceptance of her new position, Inuyasha smiled and gestured for him to follow her. "You'll no longer be guest in my home, then-but an employee. Kaede will explain many of the rules to you-you'll start in a lower position first, of course-but I'm sure that you'll work your way up into the ranks." He talked swiftly as they moved through the house and Kagome stared at him, mouth gaping rudely. This certainly took a strange turn.

He was efficient and brisk about everything-handing her uniforms to wear and instructing her in the task of hemming it herself to make it fit. She blinked and stared at the small uniform. "I… think it will fit." She said quietly. I could sew it if I needed to, though. That's one of the tasks I learned-we had to know how to mend our own clothing-it wasn't as if we could buy new ones. We sewed on scraps of cloth.

"Good, but I won't have it so that you look like someone's poor relation. You'll be an employee of me as soon as we have the paperwork signed and get you registered at the local work office." He gave her another look. "And the temple. I think that we need to set you up with a lot of things, right away."

"Temple?" Her eyes widened slightly. "I didn't know that youkai went to temples." Her tone bordered on skepticism as she wondered just what type of 'temple' he was going to take her to. Inuyasha stopped and looked at her, shock playing over his features before he started to laugh. Kagome didn't get the joke, and patiently waited for him to recover himself, uniforms piled in her arms.

Leaning against the wall, he managed to stop laughing and looked at Kagome, the tears still threatening to spill from his eyes. "Oi… you really aren't from around here, are you? Did you come from one of those completely shut off from youkai settlements or something?" He looked at her more carefully. "Or else you haven't been in school to study your history of youkai and how we came here."

Kagome squirmed under his intimidating look. "So what if I haven't been to school?" She snapped at him. "Some people can't afford to go there-some people aren't let in the door because they don't have the money to pay the fees they charge every student." Her face was set in anger and her hands trembled under the mound of cloth she was carrying.

Inuyasha held his hands up in a placating gesture. "Oi… that wasn't meant to be a shot against you. But… you really don't know anything about youkai?" His voice was incredulous and his expression grew even more so when she shook her head. He sighed softly and seemed to be deep in thought.

"I can get you some books on youkai history, Kagome. You'll need it-and then you'll see why I want you registered at the temple. There will be a lot of misunderstandings unless you realize what you're fully getting into."

Kagome nodded and her and Inuyasha continued the trek up the stairs until they reached her room. "I'm still staying in here?" She looked around where she had slept last night and shook her head. "I thought you said I was going to be working for you." She set the uniforms down on the bed and looked up at Inuyasha. "Or do you treat all your employees this nice?" I didn't expect it from youkai… everyone said that youkai were evil… that they would torture humans whenever they had the chance and they didn't know how to be kind. But this Inuyasha… he is much different from what everyone said youkai were like.

"Hai, Kagome-I don't expect good work from those that are beaten or freezing. I have the rooms-why not use them?" He pointed out with logic. "Not many people come here as it is, and those that do make regular visits have their own rooms that they stay in." He smiled at her. "Now… get into one of those new outfits that you and Kaede bought today, brush your hair so that you look presentable to the employment offices. We have to get your picture taken and have you registered in our town." His lips kicked up in a grin. "That means you do have to provide at least your last name, Kagome."

"Higurashi." She looked up at him. I know that Papa's family isn't from around here at this time. He came later-after the destruction. We were rich until he died-She shook off her thoughts. "Can you tell me something of… of youkai?" Her voice was hesitant and he gave her a considering look.

"Not now. We have more important things to worry about-and you'll find out everything you need to know at the temple. Now, get dressed and be ready to go. We can't waste time today."

She blinked at the sudden change again, but nodded. "Out of the room, then!" She pushed him out and shut the door firmly. She wasn't going to have him stare at her while she dressed, employer or not. That sort of thing wouldn't happen with her. She could hear him laughing behind the closed door and she made a face as she hastily changed her outfit and ran a brush through her hair.

Examining herself in the mirror, she smiled. She could almost see herself as a little girl, her mother standing behind her, hands on her shoulders as they both smiled at their reflections. Biting her lip, she turned away before the tears could show in her eyes. She had to start something new.

**

Inuyasha was waiting for her outside the room, nodding in approval over her appearance. "You look better." Was all he said as he led the way down the stairs and out into the busy street again. It was so.. busy to her eyes. The other part of town had been busy-the one that she wasn't allowed in so often because of her status… but it was a shock to her eyes to see so much life in what was to her a ghost town. She recognized some of the buildings, if by placement if not anything else. They were in such good quality… brand new, looking as if they could stand forever.

And there was a good mix of human and youkai. The humans were happy… the youkai treated them as if they were normal and not something to kill. When had the corruption started? When had youkai become fearsome and started killing people at random? There had to be some start of it-people were good and evil-she supposed the same went for youkai-but what tipped the balance into the destruction of a city? It was clear that the humans won in some way.

It was a short walk to the Registration and Admission building and Kagome gaped at the huge structure. This wasn't even there in her time. There had been no remains of it-had something so grand been utterly obliterated? It was a beautiful building… and she could feel the age from it. It's designs were elegant… the color an off white and graceful carvings of animals and spiritual animals decorated the sides of the building, the sides of the doors as Inuyasha led her in, his eyes focused ahead as if he saw the building everyday.

A young woman with blue-black hair looked up when he came in, a smile gracing her features. "Inuyasha-sama! I didn't think that you had work today." Her gaze landed on Kagome. "A new one for recruitment?" She took out a sheet of paper and a pen, ready to write down her information.

"This one will be working in my household, Kauri. I need to have her registered up in the main office and get her identification papers." Kauri nodded and gave Kagome a warm smile. "I know that you'll enjoy working for Inuyasha-sama." Her eyes moved over her form. "You look like you can stand hard work and fit in."

She turned back to Inuyasha. "Go up the tenth floor. Miroku has moved his offices." She rolled her eyes. "Again." There was a slightly indulgent smile on her face, though. Most people put up with Miroku and his whims. Like changing offices every couple of weeks. He insisted that he would stop once he found the perfect office. And as Kauri was known to mention-a woman to share his office on a regular basis.

Kagome felt like her eyes were going to be permanently widened as Inuyasha led her to the elevators… elegant, bird cage contraptions that served as homes in her time when people found the twisted, broken remains. Now she saw the original beauty of them… the gold frame strong as the cables carried it upward. It wasn't as smooth of a ride as the modern elevators-not that she could remember riding them all that often-but it carried them up quickly enough.

Gazing down at Kagome, he smirked. So easily she had come to work for him. A girl like she was would be high demand, but he had found her-or she had found him. He would treat her right, not like most of the bastards that would be clambering for her attention. She was quiet-withdrawn as her eyes took in the simple finery of the building. He thought that it was quite normal-the standard structure for office buildings, but judging by Kagome's wide eyes, she thought that it was special.

He stopped in front of the only office with the door open and clearly heard Miroku directing workers to place his furniture in various places. His lips kicked up in a grin as he heard some of the 'instructions.'

"No, no… not there! How can the light fall upon a beautiful lady when she sits across from me if you place that in shadow?" A pause and some lower talking. "AH! You're right! The hand of a true artist… yes, yes… the shadow will make her all that more alluring, hiding her features until she shows her true self…"

Inuyasha coughed and prodded Kagome to proceed him into the office. He kept one hand on her arm, gently guiding her to stand in front of Miroku. "Bow." He murmured in her ear. "Miroku is your superior and mine and by virtue of that fact, earns your respect at sight."

Kagome complied and did a deep bow, not looking up until Inuyasha's hands rested on her shoulder and he started talking to Miroku. "This is Higurashi Kagome." His voice warned Miroku off of her with his next words. "She's my employee and I'm getting her registered today."

"She chose to come here?" Kagome met amused blue-violet eyes in a pleasant face. "Why didn't she try the human town? You know that she won't be able to go back to her people after registering with us." His voice showed a faint trace of bitterness before he gave the girl another smile.. "You know that we're not going to hurt you here, right?" He asked. "You'll be treated the same as you were in your own home."

Kagome nodded and smiled at him. "I wouldn't think of it any other way." Her voice was soft and Miroku grinned at her. The expression lit up his whole face and she relaxed even more around him.

Clearing his throat, Inuyasha gave Miroku a pointed look. "If the two of you are finished grinning at each other, we need to get Kagome set up so that she's legal to work in our section of town. There are people that would be unhappy if she didn't have the proper paperwork." His voice hinted at the urgency and Miroku sighed. "Hai, let's go, Kagome-chan. I'll get your picture taken and your paperwork done." He looked up at Inuyasha. "You know that you have to stay and get your picture taken along with hers. Group shot." He smirked at the startled expression on Inuyasha's face.

"When the fu… when did they start that?" He demanded. "I didn't have to take a picture with any of my employees before!" His face flushed slightly. He hated having his picture taken. The flash nearly blinded him and he was convinced it was a tactic used against him so that he would be defenseless. Miroku simply laughed.

"They're trying to tag us in their fashion, Inuyasha. They won't stop until they have all of us completely turned to their ways." He snorted as he led Inuyasha and Kagome back to the photography room. "Don't they know that we belong to our own way?"

Inuyasha nodded in agreement as Kagome was left in confusion. This was probably some of what she would learn at the temple, but for now she was terribly lost. She knew what Inuyasha meant about her learning everything that she could. There was clearly more below the surface of these two towns that she had originally thought. The humans had not simply overpowered the evil youkai and destroyed their homes. It was something else-and Kagome hoped that she would be able to learn soon.

Picture taken, Kagome tried to clear the spots that were dancing in front of her eyes as she was handed a thick stack of paperwork. "You have to sign everything and document to the best of your ability." Miroku ordered crisply. "Don't leave anything out if you can help it. They won't be too happy if they find out that something doesn't match."

Again she wondered who they were. The youkai around her seemed to be in contact with them… from the phone calls that she heard there were reassurances that everything was in order that they did not need to come and investigate. She simply nodded without questioning, though and went through the forms slowly, filling out what information she could. She couldn't put the year of her birth-she couldn't even make up one without knowing the year that she was in now. She left that part blank and hoped that there wouldn't be too much trouble.

Miroku came in when she finished the last form, taking the entire stack from her hands. "I'll go over these and take care of any loose information." He said hastily. "Now-take these…" He handed her a small booklet that had her picture inside of it. "And don't lose it, whatever you do. These are your identification papers-they show that you are legally in this town, of your own free will-and are bonded to Inuyasha-sama as his employee."

Kagome nodded and took the small packet and smiled at Miroku. "Thank you." She bowed deeply to him again and Inuyasha appeared behind her, yanking her back with him.

"Time to go, girl. We have to take you to the temple to have to the last bonds made, and then we're going home." She let him propel her out the door and down a side street, this one a little darker than the openness she had gotten accustomed to. This one was more like what her home was like… a shadowy passageway that led to some of the safer houses-hidden so that not many people would find their way into it. She had stumbled across a few of them and wondered if this way one of the ones she had found-however many years into the future.

Inuyasha was very quiet and mimed for Kagome to do that same. He was ahead of her, navigating the hard to see area with ease. It was pitch black to Kagome and she looked up to see the roofs of buildings extending overhead, shutting off any light. Why the big secret? Isn't this their town? Why is he going through alleyways?

Her questioned was answered when Inuyasha stopped abruptly, his violent curse echoing back to her. She stared at his tensed back, wondering why he wasn't moving forward any. "Inuyasha-sama? Is there… something wrong?" He jerked as if he just remembered that she was there behind him. He nodded in satisfaction, hauling her in front of him. "Break the barrier that the bitch put up there." He demanded.

She stepped forward tentatively. She felt something like a slight electric shock run over her, but she wasn't frozen. She could almost see the crackle of energy as she stepped through it and understood. "It's a youkai barrier…" She said in wonder. "I didn't know…" They existed anymore. I thought they were all fairy tales. She nodded though and probed the barrier while

Inuyasha growled impatiently behind her. This was one thing that she could do correctly. She had learned about these-her Mama had told her that she had the innate power to form them.

"Get on with it girl!" Inuyasha growled when he still found himself frozen She turned and made a face at him. "I have to taken it down from the other side." She stepped through the barrier easily and faced the shocked looking hanyou. Raising her hands up to door level, she made a type of cutting motion, struggling with the energies. It had been years since she had practiced-there was never any need for it-but she held on tightly before managing to dismantle the barrier. Inuyasha nearly fell through the blank spot and then turned to her with a wide grin.

"I think that we'll have a very good use for you talents, Kagome. One of their blood turned to our side. I think you'll be a great help to us indeed." Kagome was left to stare at his back for a few moments before her senses returned to her and she went after him at dead run to catch up.

She had a lot of questions indeed…