Kaya's Story (An InuYasha Fanfic)

Chapter 82: My Childhood Home in Ruins

When we arrived at my village the next evening, I was greeted kindly and respectfully by the villagers; these greetings were in short supply when I was a child. I was almost happy to be back, that is until the new guards of the palace demanded Taro and I go to the palace with them. We agreed to go with them, and the guards led us to the palace gates. The once bright and inviting palace seemed cold and dangerous now, like the palace itself reflected the person inside it. Every fiber of my being was on high alert, this felt wrong. When the front doors to the palace opened, I knew why. There, standing on the front steps of the palace, was father's former ally and ruler of the Southern lands, Takahiro.

"Welcome back, I hope my guards were not too rough with you," Takahiro stated with fake concern lacing his voice. "What are you doing here? Father told you never to step foot here again," I growled at him. "Now is that any way to greet your elder brother, Kaya?" he chided. "Bite me," I snapped. "Yukio, I think some time in the dungeon will teach my sister some respect," Takahiro laughed. His guards followed suit, then Yukio tried to grab my arm to lead me away. I slapped him hard across the face, the smack echoing across the garden. Everyone stopped laughing and watched Yukio who looked extremely pissed. "Filthy half-breed! You will pay for that!" Yukio yelled before charging me. I did the best thing I could think of; I tripped him and made things worse. Before I could react, two more guards had my hands held behind my back and had forced me into a kneeling position. Yukio stared down at me with a mischievous glint in his eye, "you are where you belong, half-breed, kneeling before a true demon." "I'll show you who the true demon is," I growled as I tried to struggle out the guards' grasps. Yukio laughed before kicking me in the stomach, but before he could do anything else Takahiro stepped in. "Enough, Yukio, now take her to the dungeon and do not touch her again!" All three guards bowed, "yes, my lord." They pulled me up on my feet and began pulling me to the dungeon with me fighting them every step of the way.

When we reached the dungeon, they took my weapons, threw me in a cell, and laughed as I lunged at them threw the bars. I had already started formulating a plan on how to get out of here when General Taro appeared. "You lied to me," I stated, angrily. "I didn't lie. I omitted some of the truth to make sure you would come," He explained, quietly. "That's still lying. What did he offer you in exchange for getting me here? A top rank in his army, gold, women?" I was furious by now. "The lives of my children. That's what he offered me," he shot back. "Your children? He took them, too? Bastard," I growled. "I think you're time with that InuYasha has had some negative effects on you, M'lady." Taro smiled slightly at his statement, before turning as white as a ghost. "Taro, you are not to be speaking with the half-breed," a female voice stated. "Lord Takahiro gave me permission to speak with her," Taro mumbled. "Go back to tour post at the front doors! That's an order," the female commanded. "Yes, M'lady." Taro bowed before leaving quickly. "Taka told me the abomination was down here," the woman spat. "If I'm the abomination, come prove it," I shot back. "I don't need too. All of your kind are abominations who need to learn their place. I can't believe father left his Tenkari to you," the woman stated in an irritated tone. "Nice to see you again, too, Momoka," I sassed. She growled at me before trying to slash me across the chest with her sword. "You missed," I said before sticking my tongue out at her. "Childish as ever. Now, until you learn respect for your elders you will stay here. Good night, little sister," she stated before leaving me alone once again.

I don't know how long I had been down there, but I had had enough and gave in. "Yukio, I'd like to apologize to Lord Takahiro for my behavior the other day," I told him. He gave me a triumphant smirk before leaving. He soon returned with Takahiro and Momoka right behind him, "now half-breed, get on with it." "I would like to apologize for my behavior towards the two of you the other day," I told them with a slight bow. I wanted to throw up because these two demons, specifically, had caused me and many other half-demons a lot of pain and suffering. Yet here I was apologizing to them for being 'rude' and 'not knowing my place'. "Very good, now come with us. We have some business to discuss," Takahiro told me before walking away. Momoka growled under her breath before following him with me right behind her.

The sun had just risen when I left the dungeon, the bright sunshine was a shock to me because I had become accustomed to the darkness. "Hurry up," Yukio poked me in the back with the tip of his spear to get me to move faster. All it did was make me growl at him. When we reached the palace, the three of us entered the 'throne room'. Takahiro sat in my father's place and Momoka sat in my mother's. It took every fiber of my being not to yell at them because they didn't belong there. Father had forbidden them both from the castle a long time ago, but I didn't know why until about 50 years ago. "We want Father's lands and Tenkari, in exchange you and your friends can keep your lives," Takahiro told me. I shook my head. "Answer us, properly, half-breed," Momoka demanded. I looked her dead in the eyes and stood up, "Here's your answer, bite me."