The Fake Princess

Prompt: Blossom

Words: 1200

When Kagome awoke, she found herself tucked in rather tightly in her futon. Opening her eyes groggily, her irises strained to see in the dark room. Upon failing that task, she sat up lethargically and looked around the room.

It's night?

Before, when Kagome had set off to see the royal dressers, it had been early evening. By the colour of the sky, it was clearly past midnight.

How long have I been asleep?

Pressing a tentative hand to her skull, bare feet eased onto the floor and sleepily found their way to the vanity. Looking into the mirror, Kagome grimaced.

I'm a wreck. She thought. Deep lines emphasized her over-tired pupils, and hairs stood out every-which-way from the hairdo that Hiroko had so painstakingly put together. A cool breeze fluttered mildly across a strand that tickled her cheek. Reaching her hand up to calm the offending hair, Kagome turned to gaze out the window.

A tightly wrapped package lay at the windowsill. Frowning, and a little bit nervous, Kagome stepped towards it.

Should she call for help? She was pretending to be a royal after all. Did terrorism even exist in the past?

Eyeing the package carefully, she noticed a slip of parchment folded neatly underneath. From her distance, Kagome could only discern one letter scrawled elegantly near the bottom.

S.

S for Sesshoumaru.

Brows wrinkling together and fear forgotten, Kagome picked up the package. It felt light, yet it the frame was sturdy. Taking the parchment, she flipped it open to read its contents.

I was told that these herbs help head trauma. You fell quite hard on your head, and I can't have you dying before fulfilling your end of the deal.

This Sesshoumaru will be keeping an eye on you to make sure you don't unnecessarily kill yourself. Humans are so fragile.

Be more careful,

S.

Kagome practically dropped the note. This was….too unlike Sesshoumaru. He would never lower himself to aid another human, no matter their worth. Either this reality's Sesshoumaru was vastly different from the one that she knew, or she had really misjudged him. It was certainly thoughtful of him, Kagome mused. A little creepy, but not all unwelcome. She needed an ally, and Sesshoumaru was her best option. She couldn't afford to lose his assistance.

It wasn't even the wording that felt unlike Sesshoumaru. No, that was spot on. All it needed was a few 'I hate humans' thrown in there and it would have been perfect. It was the context that made the chill go down her spine. It sounded like he actually cared. While there was an implied 'weak humans' comment, it still sounded too eerie. Now, this was (supposedly) long before Rin ever showed up (if at all) and Kagome definitely didn't fall into the category of small, dimpled and adorable.

Which lead Kagome to further ponder her new ally's intentions. She wasn't exactly in a position of power in their relationship, and she certainly wasn't on equal ground. She needed his help a lot more than he needed hers.

Shrugging, she let it slide and blamed it on her head injury.

Opening the package, she found exactly what she expected; herbs. They were ground together in such a way that they made a foul smelling ointment, which Kagome gingerly applied to the small bump that adorned her head.

Leaning further out the window, Kagome fought with her thoughts. Her head was swarming with theories and ideas of what she should do next, but it was all so jumbled that she couldn't concentrate on anything. Taking a deep breath of crisp night air, she stared up at the sky.

The stars shone many and bright, far more than ever possible to view in modern day Japan. With all the lights and electricity that was expelled, not a single star was visible to the eye where she lived in the future. The crisp air and the shining stars were what Kagome appreciated most about the past. She mentally checked her constellation map and general direction and location, and found there to be no difference from her location from when she left the feudal era.

Well, at least the stars are the same.

Reaching a hand out towards the glittering heavens, Kagome wished she could float among the stars.

Wait.

She had a Pegasus at her disposal.

And Pegasus' could…

Kagome's feet barely touched the floor as she bolted out of the room. Gathering her skirts in one hand and throwing the shoji door open with the other, she practically flew down the hall.

Barely registering that Ai wasn't there; she silently cheered and let her instincts supply her to find the stable. Vaguely recalling a long hallway, she shot in the direction she assumed the outside would be. Fatigue and pain from fainting forgotten, her mind was filled with thoughts of flight instead of the pressing stresses of her current predicament.

When she finally began to recognize her surroundings, she bolted down the hallway and kicked off her socks and sandals.

The stable was in sight, and she flung open the stable door with a slam.

Slightly startled, Shou looked up from where he was resting. At the sight of who was disturbing him, he eyed Kagome thoughtfully.

What do you want? His eyes seemed to say.

Kagome approached him steadily, and pressed her hands across his great head as if she had known him her whole life. She gazed into his eyes.

"I want to fly, Shou. Let's touch the stars."

At the word 'fly', Shou practically jumped out of his skin in excitement. Kagome guessed he that with Izayoi's failing health, he hadn't been able to stretch his wings in a while.

"Let's fly Shou. Teach me to fly."

The Pegasus closed his eyes in a semblance of a wink, and allowed her to lead him out of the stable. Upon exiting, a great gust of wind shook their bodies, as if welcoming them.

Patting the great beast gently, Kagome returned to the stable to look for anything that resembled a saddle. Frowning upon finding none, she ignored her basic instincts of safety. Nothing would stop her from flying on this night.

Taking Shou's head in her hands, she tried to explain to him that she needed to mount. Immediately understanding, He knelt forward in a regal pose and allowed her access to his strong back.

Adjusting her skirts to allow wide legroom, Kagome swung her leg across the white beast and positioned herself as comfortably as she could. Having never ridden a horse before, she was going entirely on instinct and thrill of having the opportunity to fly.

While it was true that Inuyasha could jump high, it wasn't the same as flying. Jumping still had the element of gravity that pressed down on the figure. Flying was experiencing complete weightlessness and freedom; a concept that Kagome had never experienced.

In a sudden movement, Shou bucked slightly to adjust his rider in the proper position. This, of course, startled Kagome. In her state of excitedness, she recovered quickly.

Taking fists of Shou's hair in her taut fingers, she crouched and braced herself.

Shou's mighty wings stretched to their full length and Kagome whispered one word;

"Fly."