Path To Damnation

Chapter 2: The Meeting
A/N: Kikyo travels with her father and her sisters to Usake to meet her future husband for the first time.

The first rays of sunlight began to creep into the windows of the shrine waking everyone from their peaceful slumber. Kikyo was the first to wake up and get out of bed. She quickly washed her face and opened her large cherry wood trunk where she kept her miko robes. Pulling out a crisp white haori and dark crimson hakama Kikyo laid them on the futon and closed the trunk back.

She grabbed the bottom of her sleeping kimono and pulled the thin white garment over her head. Kikyo quickly dressed in her miko’s robes and pulled her long ebony hair back into a loose ponytail. A firm knock on her door made her jump. Kikyo opened the door to see her father standing out in the hallway. He was dressed in his traditional priest’s robes except she noticed that he was wearing the one that he reserved for special ceremonies. “Good morning father.”

“Good morning Kikyo.”

“Is there something you needed father?”

“Yes, I need you to put on this kimono that I had the village seamstress make for you.”

Her father handed her a package that was wrapped in black silk and tied with a white ribbon. Kikyo carefully untied the ribbon that held the silk closed and unfolded it to reveal a gorgeous pale pink silk kimono. There was white silk stitching around the cuffs of the sleeves and around the bottom hemline as well. The obi was the same pearl white as the silk stitching.

“Oh father, it’s beautiful, what’s the occasion?”

“For our trip to Usake today Kikyo.”

Kikyo could feel the color beginning to drain from her face at her father’s mentioning of their pending trip to Usake.

“Our trip to Usake?”

“That’s right Kikyo, we shall be going to Usake this morning.”

“Just the two of us?”

“No Kagome and Kaori shall be joining us as well.”

“Why are you taking us to Usake father?”

“Because you are to meet Miroku the head priest of Usake.”

“And Kagome and Kaori?”

“Miroku had said that his younger brother may prove to be a suitable match for Kaori. Now hurry and get dressed Kikyo.”

“Yes of course father.”

Once her father left her room Kikyo quickly changed into the elegant and very form fitting kimono that he had requested she wear for their trip to Usake. She could feel her stomach starting to turn in nervous circles as she thought about meeting her future husband in just a short while.

Kikyo carefully fashioned her long thick ebony hair up into a very intricate braided bun. After she had finished fixing her hair she headed down the hall until she reached the dining quarters in the shrine. Sitting at the table were her two younger sisters and their older brother Souta. Souta noticed Kikyo first and flashed her one of his broad boyish grins.

After returning his smile with a forced smile of her own Kikyo came to sit down at the table next to her brother. Souta was the oldest of Maresuke Higurashi’s four children and he had been quick about finding himself a wife once he had turned eighteen.

He had grown into a very handsome man with soft chocolate brown eyes and short but thick coal black hair. Souta’s smile was absolutely what had made him the object of desire among all of the single young ladies in the village. Souta could have quite possibly had any young woman he wanted because all of them were completely obsessed with him.

However Souta chose to marry a shy sixteen year old daughter of one of the local farmers. Her name was Koharu and she was by no means the most stunning young woman in the village. No Koharu wasn’t a girl who could be described as beautiful, instead she was simply cute. She had warm caramel colored eyes and long ebony hair to her waist. Her skin was a creamy milk white and she had a few freckles on her cheeks that made her seem much younger than the nineteen year old woman that she had grown into.

Souta and Koharu were madly in love and they were now expecting their second child. They already had a two year old daughter named Saeko and they were hoping that kami was going to bless them with a boy to keep carrying on the Higurashi family name.

“Good morning Kikyo.”

“Good morning Souta, how’s Koharu?”

“Koharu is fine just very tired.”

“How much longer before the baby comes?”

“About two weeks maybe. So are you ready to go to Usake and meet your future husband?”

“Not exactly but I don’t have any other choice.”

Souta flashed her another grin as he reached for her hand.

“Don’t be so negative Kikyo, Miroku is a fine and very respectable man. A marriage to him will only serve to better your life.”

“I’m sure that Miroku is a good man Souta, I just don’t like the idea of being promised to him.”

“That is how things are handled when young ladies don’t find a suitable husband on their own.”

All four of the Higurashi children turned their attention towards their father who now stood in the doorway of the dining room.

“You look beautiful Kikyo, Miroku will be quite pleased with you I’m certain.”

“Thank you father.”

Maresuke turned his attention to his other two daughters and smiled in approval of their appearance. Kagome was dressed in a beautiful amber colored kimono with a red and black floral pattern decorating it. The obi was solid black and it accentuated Kagome’s tiny waist nicely. Kagome’s long ebony locks were swept up into a smooth bun and a beautiful red jeweled comb was placed at the underside of the bun to decorate her simple hairstyle.

“Ah Kagome, you look amazing darling. Almost exactly like your mother.”

“Thank you father.”

“Perhaps if I’m lucky you will find a husband in Usake as well.”

Kagome merely nodded in silent agreement. Kaori was dressed in a midnight blue kimono that had a silver dragon across the back of it and a matching silver obi to compliment it. Her hair was swept up into two separate braided buns and each was decorated with a silver jeweled comb.

“You look absolutely beautiful Kaori, I’m certain that Hiroaki will be quite taken with you.”

“Thank you father.”

“Well let us be on our way to Usake daughters.”

Souta hugged each of his sisters before watching them walk out of the shrine to head to the stables. At the stable one of the stable hands had already prepared the horses for the trip to Usake. Kikyo was the first to be helped onto the back of her black horse Mishiko. Next Kagome was helped onto her white horse Aiko and then Kaori was helped onto her tan horse Niko. Maresuke Higurashi joined his daughters in the stable and quickly mounted his own white horse Akira.

The four immediately set out across the countryside in the direction of Usake. The journey was spent in complete silence as the small group made their way through Inuyasha’s Forest. Kagome’s blue gray eyes darted nervously around the eerily silent forest as they pressed further down the well worn dirt path. Up in the thick leafy canopy of the treetops above them a pair of molten amber eyes watched the group suspiciously.

His triangular shaped white furry dog ears twitched as he listened to the breeze filtering through the branches of the tree he was currently perched in. His mouth fell open in what he could only describe as amazement when his amber orbs shifted onto the lovely young woman dressed in an amber kimono. She was quite possibly the most beautiful creature that he had ever seen and that was saying a lot because he had been in the presence of some of the most stunning women in all of Japan.

His tongue snaked out to run across his dry and somewhat weathered bottom lip as he continued to stare at the lovely ebony haired maiden. Her skin was the most perfect shade of alabaster and he found himself fighting the urge to leap down and touch her. His amber eyes followed the slender curve of her neck until it led down to the generous slope of her breasts and he felt the slightest tinge of lust spread through his veins as he continued to observe the radiant beauty.

‘Kami, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen! Her kimono is the color of my eyes and she wears it quite well. Perhaps I shall follow this strange group and find out who this goddess is.’

Inuyasha silently crept from treetop to treetop following the group of humans almost never taking his golden eyes off of Kagome. Maresuke led his daughters out of Inuyasha’s forest and smiled when he saw the village of Usake nestled onto the hillside just a short distance away from them. He coaxed his horse into a trot and his daughters immediately followed.

They arrived into the village quickly and headed straight for the Shinto shrine. Arriving at the shrine their horses were taken into the stables to be fed and watered. Maresuke walked ahead of his three daughters into the main entrance of the shrine and stopped in the large foyer. Soon they were greeted by a handsome dark haired priest dressed in purple and black priest’s robes.

His smile seemed to light up his entire face and Kikyo found herself blushing intensely under his gaze.

“Hello Maresuke, it’s so nice to see you again.”

“Hello Miroku.”

“These must be your lovely daughters I presume?”

“Yes these are my daughters.”

“This is my younger brother Hiroaki.”

The young man standing next to Miroku in nearly identical blue and black priest’s robes smiled politely to them. He was almost an exact double of Miroku except his eyes were brown instead of blue like his brother’s.

Maresuke pushed Kikyo forward and cleared his throat before speaking again.

“Miroku, this is my eldest daughter Kikyo.”

Kikyo smiled nervously as Miroku’s sapphire blue eyes swept over her. It startled her when his large warm hand closed around her much smaller one softly.

“Kikyo, it’s a pleasure to meet you, you’re far more lovely than what your father described.”

“Th-thank you, that’s very kind of you Miroku.”

“Why don’t you let me take you out into the gardens so we can get to know each other better?”

“That would be nice.”

Miroku led Kikyo by the hand down the hall until they reached a pair of large dark cherry wood doors. Opening one of them he allowed Kikyo to walk out ahead of him. Her chocolate eyes widened in surprise when she saw the beautiful sakura trees and the fountain that made a soothing gurgling sound.

“Oh it’s gorgeous out here Miroku!”

“I thought you might like it. This is where I come when I need to think. I hope that you will learn to think of this shrine as home Kikyo.”

Kikyo gently pulled her hand from Miroku’s grasp and turned her back to him as tears began to build in her eyes. Miroku reached out to take her hand but she shied away from him quickly.

“I know that you mean well Miroku but I need some time to get used to the idea of becoming your wife.”

“I understand.”

Kagome decided that she needed some fresh air and took the opportunity to excuse herself to the quiet solitude of the shrine’s courtyard. She padded out into the courtyard and her blue gray eyes lit up when she caught sight of a wooden swing that was tied to a thick branch of the largest tree in the courtyard.

“Thank kami for small miracles!”

Kagome hastily jogged over and plopped down on the swing in a very unladylike fashion. There was a cool breeze flowing through the air and it felt wonderful on her bare neck. The kimono that her father had made her wear let minimal to no air flow to the rest of her overheated body. Kagome looked around quickly to make sure that nobody was around to see what she was about to do. Once she was satisfied that she was indeed alone she grabbed the bottom hemline of her kimono and yanked it up to the middle of her toned creamy white thighs.

Her blue gray eyes closed in ecstasy as she felt the cool breeze caress her now bare flesh of her legs. From the treetop above her Inuyasha’s golden eyes widened at her boldness. He watched her in astonishment for a few moments before deciding to make his presence known to her. With one fluid movement Inuyasha leapt from the treetop to land gracefully on his feet in front of Kagome.

“You know what you’re doing isn’t very ladylike.”

Kagome’s blue gray eyes snapped open quickly and her breath caught in her throat when she was met with a very intense amber gaze. Before her stood the most beautiful man that she had ever seen. She was so mesmerized by his golden eyes that she still had not bothered to pull her kimono back down to it’s proper place at her feet. Inuyasha knelt before her and placed his large hands on the tops of her milky white thighs making her muscles jump beneath his touch.

His hands were warm and a bit calloused but Kagome made no attempt to make him remove them from her thighs. She sucked in a shallow breath as she continued to stare at him. He had long thick silvery hair that fell to the middle of his back and his skin was a perfect bronze color from spending large amounts of time out in the sun.

“A beautiful woman such as yourself really shouldn’t be out here alone you know. You might find yourself in a situation you can’t get out of.”

Kagome gasped when she felt his hands slide to the inside of her thighs and he gave her silky flesh a light squeeze. She noticed his sharp fangs when he flashed her a devilish grin. Something about his handsome face combined with that devilish smile made the place between her thighs tingle in a way that she had never felt before.

“What’s your name?”

“K-Kagome.”

“Well Kagome I will see you again. Where are you from?”

“Shiori.”

“Well then I shall pay a visit to Shiori soon.”

He stood and turned to leave and Kagome jumped out of the swing to grab his hand.

“Wait, you didn’t tell me your name.”

“Inuyasha.”

“Inuyasha, the Inuyasha?”

“Oh I see you’ve heard of me?”

“Yes, you have a forest named after you that’s not far from Shiori.”

“Well then when you return to Shiori come to my forest after the sun sets.”

“Okay.”

“Until we meet again Kagome.”

With that Inuyasha placed a chaste kiss on her hand before leaping over the stone wall that surrounded the shrine. Kagome felt the light blush that had begun to stain her face and she couldn’t stop the goofy grin that spread across it soon afterwards. This trip to Usake had turned out to be far more rewarding than Kagome could have ever imagined. She had not realized it yet but Inuyasha had already begun to find his way into her heart.