Chapter Five: Raining Waterfalls

Grand Chokmah nearly took Kagome's breath away, stepping from the ports into the view of the palace and the waterfall behind it made her stop, unaware she'd nearly caused Jade to walk into from behind as she gaped at the grand palace and all the clear sparkling liquid everywhere. It was like walking into a dream, she had to stare, because it was one of those things too difficult to believe and perhaps staring would make her more readily accept it the more she looked at it.

There was no doubt of a celestial elemental beauty inhereit in the way the place was built. The buildings and bridges made in whites and pale colors to compliment the water running all over the city. There was the gentle thrum of those falls in the distance and it seemed for several long seconds she could accept staying in this beautiful place and giving up traveling the rest of the world. When Jade said this was one of the most beautiful places on Auldrant she had thought it just a observation from a native bragging about his home town; now she believed him, she doubted she'd see something else prettier.

"Should I ask his majesty to wait so you can go site seeing?" Jade asked with his friendly tone that she knew meant she was slowing everyone down. She managed to get her feet moving one in front of the other, not even sparing Jade a small mock glare, too intent on taking in as much as possible as they moved.

"It's amazing." She breathed as they walked. "No wonder you'd choose to live here."

"Well, it's certainly enjoyable most of the time." Jade agreed, he'd already sent a runner ahead with the letter he'd drafted, and given Kagome's slow pace he had no worry Peony would get a chance to read it before they arrived. He'd probably have time to make copies. Here he'd hoped she wouldn't let herself get easily distracted, but he had to admit it was nice to see someone enjoying the city. Lately so many people were worried the fonic systems that kept the waterfall in place would fail most people tried to pretend the obvious wall of liquid wasn't there at all.

"Jade!" Guy had a rappig with him but the blonde moved up to shake hands with the Colonel while grinning. "I heard that the Tartarus 2 was returning and headed this way on my walk. What brings you back?"

"Guy, meet Kagome. Kagome, this is guy, he works for Emperor Peony." Jade introduced, smirking as Guy leapt away from Kagome's hand when she put it out. "He has a bit of a fear of women I'm afraid."

"." Guy stuttered, rubbing his yellow hair awkwardly. "That was mean Colonel. All I did was say hi."

"We need to continue on to the Palace. Though you should tag along Guy, I imagine you're one of few I can trust for what I have planned." Jade commented, smirking as Kagome took a step closer to Guy and he hurried ahead of them toward the palace with a muttered 'meet cha there'.

Kagome frowned a little as the blonde swordsman ran off, it wasn't too hard adjusting to a lot of people carrying weapons after her travels with her friends in the feudal era. She swallowed and shook her head, glancing back to Jade with a small frown as she thought about what had been said. Distracted from the majesty of the city by the way his comments had implied she was a part of his plans.

"What do you have planned?" She asked, her face deadpanning as she looked at his slight smirk and shrug, having a feeling she couldn't pressure it out of him. Where was a subjugation necklace when she needed one?

She followed inside, but the grandeur was so unexpected she found her eyes drifting from her mysterious companion to look over the inside of the new room with a smile coming back to her face. "Well, I suppose I could get used to living here. It's all so lovely."

"It is an alluring place." Jade nodded in agreement, he had to admit he enjoyed it much more than his needlessly frigid homeland in the north. "Though just be careful, beautiful things can also be dangerous."

"Jade would know. He's one of the most dangerous men of the time." Came another voice, a blonde man with blue-violet eyes and a tanned completion was walking up to them and fell into step next to Jade. The way he looked Kagome up and down made her blush and look away. He'd had a long blue bead in part of his hair and wore a strange outfit she wasn't sure what to think of. It was a dark blue shirt with a strange half poncho that was gold and robin egg blue. Then a gathering of various shades of blue and gold with the rest of the strange outfit with a half skirt over pants and a gold belt with small garnished hangings.

"Emperor Peony, your in a wonderful mood as usual. This is Kagome, she's the reason I'm back from my mission so early. I believe she'll need my help here but I'd prefer we keep the finer details quiet." Jade stated, which only frustrated Kagome more, which got her to give a dirty look to the pair that was quietly planning her future but also leaving her in the dark.

"I trust you Jade, just don't go overboard." Peony said, glancing at Kagome, winking at her dirty look and then grinning. "You might have your hands full, she seems fairly young and full of energy. I think you like running around with the young ones."

"Emperor, Jade, Kagome." Guy commented as he joined them in the hall, staying several steps away from the young woman. "Jade asked me to possibly help with something."

"Sure. I'll have someone else walk the rappigs for a while." Peony replied, nodding. "You two head off toward it then, report to me when you can as I have a country to run."

He patted Jade's back and offered another wink at Kagome as he moved off ahead of them and the trio paused. Kagome frowned. "What, now what?"

"We're heading elsewhere than the palace for now." Jade commented, taking one of Kagome's arms and nudging her back around. "We'll speak in more detail when we get to my office. Attempt to hold your temper until then mmm?"

Kagome grit her teeth, he sounded outright amused at teasing her about her situation when she was anything but amused by the politically charged exchange she'd just witnessed. She had a harder time enjoying the beauty of the place the second time as they walked further into the town and toward another large building not far from the palace though still quite a walk.

Guy was quiet as he followed at a distance, looking more around than at the pair in front of him.

The new building they entered was filled with men and women in uniforms similar to the ones people on the ship had worn. They went through several halls and entered a large office with several hangings around it, lots of filing cabinets, and little seating but enough for their small group. Jade settled himself at the desk and waited for Guy to check the doors.

"Okay so what's going on?" Kagome asked before the more patient Colonel could start. "I appreciate your help but all this mystery isn't really doing much for my already frazzled nerves. I don't like being kept in the dark."

"The Colonel was being careful Kagome, setting up the idea that you two don't get along." Guy commented. "Well, you might not actually get along, he's really way too good at that sort of thing."

"It was a needed deception." Jade said, red gaze eyeing Guy but ignoring the insult for now. "I apologize Kagome, I want others to believe we aren't getting along, or that you are here not completely of your own will. There are undoubtedly spies that will be reporting everything that was said in the palace. Offering as much misinformation as possible is a good thing."

"Okay…" Kagome was still offering him a displeased stare as she asked her next question. "So then, why didn't you just tell me before we got here."

"I couldn't have been certain if you were able to be much of an actor. Even if you can't from here on in, we've already set seeds of doubt which is all rumors need." Jade explained. "You'll be staying here, under Guy's watch, he'll be guarding you when I can't be present. If the letter I sent ahead to Peony was followed then you'll already have quarters that were arranged here that will be easy to be looked after. Do you understand?"

"Not completely but I get the general idea yeah, why are you so concerned with my safety? Should I be worried someone's going to jump me?" Kagome asked, doing her best to put aside Jade's less than complimentary explanation.

"It is best to be cautionary, I cannot say what others might want to do when rumors get out of what you are capable of." Jade commented.

"Just what is she capable of to cause all the fuss?" Guy asked curiously. "No offence but she looks normal enough, is she some sort of special replica?"

"No, she's not a replica…she's from another world best I can tell." Jade answered. "She's able to call on power similar in strength to a hyper resonance."

"She's the one that caused all the whispers about a new weapon." Guy observed then, a new edge to his tone showing that he was impressed. "That's quite a feat, you think she'll be secure to test here? People will notice pretty easily."

"It's better than keeping her with the replica's where guarding her would be impossible. Even Anise could see how impossible that was, it's why she agreed to stay on her own til the Tartarus could be sent back." Jade shrugged lightly. "There's not a better option."

"I suppose not." Guy commented, sighing. "Damn, here I thought things might settle down if all the energy of the fonon's disappeared."

"A conversation that is a moot point, we don't know nearly enough about what she can do to consider how it might change the future." Jade replied.

"Uh hello, in the room." Kagome interrupted with her scowl back in place. "I'd like to know what the hell you are talking about as it involves me. Fonons again?"

"Guy, please be a dear and explain to her the basics of fonic artes. I need to check with my secretary that things have been arranged with her room and yours while we're doing this as well as arrange a suitable schedule." Jade more ordered than asked, but he often spoke in such indirect manners. Kagome was left to brood as she turned to Guy who began teaching her about fonic artes as he left to deal with more business.

"What do you mean he insisted?" Jade's voice could barely be heard by them a moment later but Guy didn't pause. He had a good idea of what was happening and not wanting to get in the middle of it; he just continued his teaching. Kagome was bright, and while she seemed grumpy he couldn't blame her given how much she'd apparently been through. She just looked like a young woman haunted by things well beyond her young age. To a point she reminded him of other young people he knew and had traveled with, so many of their group was wise well beyond their years after the horrific things they'd gone through.

He was finishing up the overviews of fonic artes and had just finished saying that the world's fonons were lessening leaving a lot of countries vying for new sources of energy when Jade returned to the room looking no more nonplussed than when he left it.

"So, I'm in danger cause people might look at me like oil?" Kagome frowned some as she came to realization this new world might decide to treat her like a source of gasoline.

"Well, not exactly but you got the idea." Guy nodded. "Either way, we'd rather see you safe."

"And in your hands instead of your enemies." Kagome observed. "This is a military base."

"You are right. However, it doesn't appear you have many other places to go. We can offer you shelter, food, protection, and I've already discussed with you trying to find a way to return you to your own realm. Would you rather leave?" Jade asked, eloquent, and personable as ever.

"It's not like you've left me much choice." Kagome muttered in a resigned way. "So, where will I be staying then? I'd like the chance to be alone for a while."

"The Emperor saw fit to put you in a room adjacent to mine, with Guy on the other side. It is in one of the more secure areas of the building and the views from the balcony should be something you can enjoy. I'm still working out an exact timeline for when we'll practice but it should be tomorrow that we start." Jade continued to explain. "If you need anything in particular Guy can fetch it for you now, I have him heading out to pick you up some clothes. You'll stand out in those."

Kagome nodded a little. Mentioning she'd like some soaps and shampoos and then leaving it as she wasn't even sure what else she really would need. Following along quietly behind Jade as he lead the way up so many flights of steps her thighs were beginning to ache by the time they reached the top. She would have to get in even better shape if she planned to regularly make that climb. The room was downright lovely. Large bed, dresser, stand tables, desk, vanity, huge open bathroom on one side that seemed to connect to another room. A door on the opposite side, and then double glass doors lead out onto a wet balcony so close to the waterfall she could have reached out to touch it.

"This will be suitable I assume?" Jade asked, turning back to her after he let her inside, holding out a key toward her. "This is your key, please don't lose it. Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine, just a lot to take in still." Kagome said in a more muted way, taking the key from him and reaching up to the small chain she'd kept the jewel on before it vanished…she supposed she could keep the key there but it was painful to think about.

She didn't like this, but she knew her only hope of returning to the past lay with trusting this frustrating Colonel. She could play along at least for now, unless it seemed something horrible was happening, he'd been a bit rude at times, but he'd saved her when she first arrived, she owed him for the help.

"Thank you Jade." She said with a light smile she didn't feel. "It's more than enough."

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Jade commented, withdrawing his hand a few seconds after she took the key and vanishing through the door.

End Chapter

Hehe, poor Kagome, all broody. Enjoyed some Guy/Peony goodness. Next chapter should have some more Jade/Kagome whoo!

-Aura

To my reviewers:

Tohru78 – Yeah Kagome sort of has the short end of the stick when it comes to fate.

Dee – Guy is one of my favorites. Natalia is my 2nd fav after Jade. Luke is also my least favorite. You noticed one of my plot points, though it's not completely come up yet it should soon.

Inuyoshie – I do my best to make things believable in the fiction areas I'm using. Sometimes it's tough but I think it makes for a better read.

Stacylemon – Thanks, hope you keep reading!