InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Once Upon a Time ❯ My Mirror Image ( Chapter 1 )

Prologue:

This is one of those "once upon a time" stories.  A hero, a heroin and the antagonist which everybody hates. A kingdom, a castle, and the cobbled streets of commoners. A hope, a dream, and greedy ambition. The story will be long, the protagonist's path hard, but with a little luck and love, you will see a "happily ever after" unfold.

 

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, and will always ever only be hers to keep. I also do NOT own The Prince and the Pauper, the prince, or the Pauper. I only use them for this story which, hopefully, isn't too horrible for all you wonderful readers/reviewers.

 

 

---------------------------------------

 

Kagome sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time today. 'Life in the castle is soooooo boring!' She thought, 'All I ever do is wear a suffocating corset, wave my hanherchief at people, and stand there looking pretty!'

 

She sighed again. She wished she could live a normal life, just once. It was barely morning, and her attendent was already rattling off her schedule to her. Not that she cared, or was even paying attention, really.

 

"...and after attending the meeting with your father, you will be escorted to an evening ball held by your betrothed, Koga."

 

Her head snapped up. "What?!" she yelled. "Going to a ball with who???"

 

Please, your highness," the attendent said calmly, "maintain your dignity."

 

"I can't maintain my so-called dignity if I have to go to ANOTHER ball held by Koga! I swear, that creep thinks he owns me or something! I can't even blush from the heat of the noontide sun without him thinking he has permission to kiss me!"

 

She glared out the window, fuming and muttering under her breath. She heard the attendent silently depart behind her, not wanting to get in the way of one of her moods. As Kagome looked out her window to the cobbled streets beyond the castle walls, she feverently wished she could spend just one day mingling among that crowd.

 

Her gaze wandered along the patchy houses to the people buying and selling goods along the streets. It just seemed so much easier to live the simple life, earning her food the old-fashioned way instead of `hand-me-downs.' Yup, life without engagements and pointless partying was sounding really good about now.

 

Just then, she heard a commotion towards the castle gates. Angling her head and looking out, she saw the castle guards beating up a commoner, whom she couldn't make out other than the filthy rags she was wearing. She could barely distinguish the words that they were shouting.

 

"You wench, how dare you try to sneak over the walls!"

 

"I wasn't trying to, I was only looking! Ow, Oww!"

 

"Shut up, you filthy rat! we're going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget...."

 

"hey, stop that!"

 

The guards paused and turned to see Kagome running towards them, trying not to fall over in her voluminous dress. "Leave that poor girl alone!" she shouted again.

 

The guards hastily fell back, bowing and mumbling apologies about disturbing the princess of the castle. She sighed in exasperation.

 

"Don't just stand there muttering under your breath! Bring the girl to my room so that her wounds may be treated!" Kagome could see the girl in rags curled up in a ball to avoid further beatings. She seemed to be about the same age as Kagome. "Well? What are you waiting for?" Kagome said acidly.

 

"b-but your highness, this girl is a mere beggar girl who was trying to sneak over the walls..."

 

"...And you had the nerve to beat her up," Kagome finished for him. "Honestly, this castle's pathetic guards can't go a single day without beating up some poor innocent victim to death. What will the people think of the King and Queen?"

 

"Y-your highness..." the shocked guards muttered.

 

"Oh, never mind, I'll take her up."

 

And with that, Kagome marched past the stunned soldiers towards the girl on the ground. A crowd had gathered by now to see what the commotion was about. Their chattering stopped instantly when Kagome bent down and took one of the bruised girl's arms onto her shoulders, lifting her up. "Are you okay? Can you walk?"

 

The girl dumbfounded, nodded silently. Ignoring the whispers and bewildered looks around her, Kagome walked into the castle, supporting the injured girl's arm over her shoulder.

 

 

I

nuyasha watched as the princess took Kikyo into the castle. The crowd that had gathered was starting to disperse, so Inuyasha blended into them, walking away as if the pathetic pile of rags that had been beaten up had nothing to do with him. At all.

 

`Feh,' he muttered under his breath. Kikyo had tried to sneak into the castle, and what does the stupid princess do? Welcome her into her room with open arms and a ready invitation. Humans were so pathetic, that princess being number 2 on the list, besides Kikyo.

 

'Feh' he muttered again, ' that castle can get ransacked for letting Kikyo in, see if I care.' 

Soon his form disappeared into the crowd.

 

 

---Kagome's room---

 

"Are you okay? where does it hurt? I can apply this ointment to get rid of the stings and some bandages to stop the infections..." Kagome bustled around the room, grabbing different medicines and rolls of bandages off the shelves. She then proceeded to apply some anticeptic stuff onto the ragged girl's arm.

 

"Now, then," Kagome said in a friendly tone, "what's your name?"

 

The girl looked blankly at her for a second, then stuttered, "K-Kikyo."

 

"Well, that's a pretty name, if I may say so myself. Oh dear, you have a cut on your cheek..." Kagome trailed off. She looked at Kikyo's face. And Kikyo stared back.

 

She blinked as she got a good look at Kikyo's face.

 

Kagome managed to gasp out, "you...you look like me!" Kikyo nodded, blinking rapidly, looking as surprised as she felt.

 

Kagome didn't know whether to be shocked or surprised. A bit of both, maybe…. Who would've thought that she, the princess of this kingdom, would resemble a commoner who lived out in the streets? Well, she didn't know if she lived out in the streets, but judging by her clothes, it was a reasonable prediction. It was such an eerie thought! No one would've expected that. And then, just like that, some thing in her brain gave a click.

 

"Oh my gosh, I just had a breakthrough of a brilliant idea!" Kagome squealed. "You and I could switch places!"