Hey! I'm starting a new Red River/Inuyasha crossover. The first one was becoming more and more like a written version of the original with Kagome as the main character. I will still continue that one, but I want to work on this too. So, hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own either one of these great manga/anime. Red River belongs to Chie Shinohara and Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

Summary: All Kagome has ever wanted was for the Well to reopen so that she could return to her first love, Inuyasha. But the Fates had different plans for when. After she was forced to try to forget her life in the Sengoku Jidai, Kagome rejects Hojo's confession of love to her and ran when he got forceful. Then something happen, she was pulled down into a lake by the Queen of the Hittite's to be sacrifice for a Katashiro.

Before the queen could do she is save by the third prince – Kail Mursili and became his concubine and then the incarnate of Ishtar, Goddess of Beauty and War. Now, she must fight her way back home as well as whatever the Fates throw at her.

Beta: Rei Blackstone

As Fate Would Have It

In the late autumn of the Sengoku Jidai, whilst in the midst of a battle in the Castle of the Mirrors; that is when I first tasted a male's lips. It was my first love, Inuyasha. The evil tennyou, Kaguya wanted to seal away my hanyou's human blood, so he would become her youkai slave and kill all of us.

Seeing this, I had ordered Shippou, the kitsune I adopted, to throw the vial holding the jewel shards at me, so t I could break the binding spell Kaguya placed on me. When he did as I instructed; I was immediately enveloped in the cackling power of the two. The pain was excruciating, but I had to get down to him, Inuyasha was slowly losing his inner struggle.

Finally, I managed to free one of my hands and my reiki flooded into my palms to my fingertips as I smashed my fist into the other binding before freeing my legs. The moment I was free, I ran to Inuyasha and buried my hands into his haori as I pleaded for him to fight it. Looking up at his boyish face, I watched as his beautiful amber eyes faded into the blue iris on a red sclera and my eyes stung with unshed tears.

I pressed my body closer to his, crying out in pain when his elongated claws pierces the delicate skin of my arms. "I love you as a hanyou!" I admitted when the jagged purple stripes came into view. I racked my brain for something, anything, to stop his transformation, but my mind was black. Raising my head my eyes zeroed in on his snarling lips.

Blindly, I repeated my confession and pressed my lips to his. I felt our teeth knock together from my clumsy attempt, but I welcomed the pain since the sharp edges of his claws disappeared from my arms. I gasped in surprise when his arms encircled my waist and felt his mouth press back against mine as he murmured my name.

"Kagome."

I smiled against his lips as we continued to kiss. After a few more seconds we parted, panting slightly, and I was the first to recover my voice.

"Are you going to be okay, now?" I asked, peering into those beautiful amber eyes.

His arms wrapped around me tighter as he buried his nose in the crown of my hair. "Yeah. Just let me hold you a little longer."

My second taste was on the day we defeated Naraku. The evil kumo made a wish on the Shikon, so that the moment he died I was taken inside of the jewel. Once there the Shikon, pierced by my arrow, began reeking torment in my heart. I was alone in that dark world for what felt like an eternity and just as I was about to give up hope, thus making a selfish wish on the jewel.

I heard the voice of my hanyou, telling me the true intentions of the Shikon. The evil side, the side that housed the youkai, wanted to imprison me, having me take Midoriko's place, and fight them forever. He told me to not to make any wishes until he was by my side. With my resolve hardened, I ignored the temptations of the Shikon. Then I heard it.

"Kagome!"

I turned at the sound of his voice and gasped. He was really there. His long, wild and untamed, silvery white hair haloed his boyishly handsome face and his golden amber eyes shined with so much determination that I was shocked. He nearly tossed Tessaiga aside when he saw me, but he quickly sheathed the blade and pulled me into his arms, crushing me against his hard chest. I willingly melted into his embrace and when he tilted my head back I felt my heart beating erratically in my chest.

Slowly, as if to savor the moment, my hanyou kissed me, oh so sweetly and passionately. Once we parted, Inuyasha smiled down at me gentle and my heart soared. Together, we faced the Shikon hand in hand.

As I glared icily at the evil jewel, I made my wish. "Shikon no tama, disappear!"

But, the inevitable happened. The well remained open for one more trip before it closed, taking Inuyasha from me. One day, when I was pouring my reiki into the well in hopes of getting it to re-open, a burning sensation erupted from my chest. At first I thought it to be the heartache, but when I pulled down the collar of my shirt; I saw the mark of the Shikon above my heart. The shimmering pink marking taunted me, always reminding me that it would never truly disappear.

A sharp snap from underneath her nose brought Kagome from her thoughts of the past. Looking up she saw her companion and classmate, Eri. Judging from the upset expression on her face, Kagome knew that she had ignored the girl completely and she gave her a sheepish look "Ano…What is it Eri-chan?"

Eri huffed lightly, crossing her arms over her chest; she was upset that the blue eyed girl was ignoring her. She and Kagome had been together since their first year of junior high school. Eri even enrolled in the same high school as her, but Kagome had been so distant in the last two years, since her strange illnesses cleared up. She was elated when Kagome called her, out of the blue, and invited her to go shopping. "You weren't even paying attention to me, were you?"

Kagome continued to look at her sheepishly as she brought her hand up to scratch the back of her head. She knew that it was not nice to ignore Eri, when it was she who had invited the girl, but she could not help it. "Gomen ne Eri-chan, I've had a lot on my mind lately."

"Well, I just hope that it was not that two-timing ex-boyfriend of yours, Inuyasha."

The instant Eri spoke those words she wanted to take them back. Kagome's cobalt eyes glazed over with sadness at hearing her first love's name and the other girl immediately began to apologize, not wanting to see her friend sad, "Gomenasai, Kagome-chan! I didn't mean to, but it's been two years since he passed. Isn't it time to move on?"

That was the story she told her friends. That one day, when Inuyasha was out riding his motorcycle, a car, driven by a drunken driver, ran a red light and slammed into him. He died upon impact; by the time the paramedics reached him it was too late and the asshole who killed him was serving his time for vehicular manslaughter.

They stood in an uncomfortable silence, both of them for different reasons. Kagome, to fight of the wave of heartache that threatened to shake her and Eri, so that she would not say anything to further hurt her friend. Kagome looked her best friend in her dark brown eyes and saw the remorse in them.

"Eri-chan, it's okay. I guess it is time. Maybe I should give Hojo-kun a call." Kagome mentally groaned when Eri beamed.

Eri smiled brightly. "That is a great idea. Hojo-kun has been waiting for you to call him for quite some time now." the brown-eyed girl was glad that Kagome was finally going to give Hojo the chance he deserved after being jilted on more than one occasion before finally forgetting when she found a bad boy.

Kagome giggled slightly at that, knowing that is was most likely true. She spent most of her second and third year of junior high dodging his advances. So, she should be an expert on how persistent he was. Pulling out her cell-phone she dialed Hojo's number.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Hojo-kun?"

"Higurashi?"

"Yes, it's me. I was wondering if you would like to go to the movies tomorrow. If it's not too much trouble?"

"No! I mean, yes I would like that Higurashi. Pick you up at 4?"

"Sounds great. See you then."

"Bye, Higurashi."

"Goodbye, Hojo-kun."

As Kagome hung up, she briefly heard Hojo yell out a 'Yes!' Laughing, though she wanted to do nothing more than to scowl, she turned to Eri, who had a bright smile on her face. Kagome really did not want to go on the date, but she had already made the plans and Eri just saw it. "There. Happy now? I have a date with Hojo-kun tomorrow at 4."

Eri slung her arm over Kagome' shoulders. She was ecstatic. Hojo and Kagome made the perfect couple. And Hojo was better suited for her; at least that was what she thought. "Very."

They continued walking around town, stopping at various stores. Kagome even saw a cream-colored kitten that was identical to Kirara. She had considered purchasing the little feline until she remembered that Buyo had been getting possessive over the years and decided against it. When the sun started to set over the horizon, Kagome announced that she promised her mother that she would be home before dark. So they parted ways, both in exchange for making their way back home.

Nodoka stood in the kitchen, cutting the necessary vegetables for dinner. She had a surprise for her daughter in the making. Today was the day Kagome always tried to suppress this day. It was the day she fell down the Bone Eater's Well, her birthday. She raised her head and smiled when she heard the sliding door open and close and the soft rustling of Kagome changing her shoes.

"Welcome home, Kagome-chan."

Kagome smiled and returned the greeting. "Hi Mama."

Nodoka offered her daughter to take a hot bath while she got dinner ready. She wanted to keep this a secret, but when she spotted Souta tiptoeing behind Kagome almost made her laugh. But she held it in. Kagome paused in her steps and informed her of the outing she was to have with Hojo tomorrow at four.

"Ok, dear."

Kagome went to her room first and gather her clothes, then left for the bathroom only to find it locked. Knocking on the door, she heard her little brother's voice saying that it was occupied. Tapping her foot impatiently, she waited for Souta to get out of the bathroom. When the door opened she glared at him for taking so long.

"Geeze, Souta. What were you doing in there?"

Rolling his light chocolate eyes, he snorted and told her to shut up. Before she could retort and move him out of her way, the siblings heard their mother calling for them.

"Kagome! Souta! Dinner is ready!"

Kagome threw her hands up in frustration and threw a small tantrum. 'I didn't even get a chance to take a bath. Souta you are so dead after dinner.' Turning to yell at Souta she saw that he managed to slip passed her and down the stairs. Kagome huffed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes.

"Happy Seventeenth Birthday, Kagome!"

The cerulean eyed girl was shocked. Upon entering the kitchen Kagome saw the brunt of her mother's secret. Floating in the air were many blue and pink balloons with white ribbons hanging from them. A small banner that had her name on it was hanging over the table that had a white tablecloth draped on it. In the center of the table, was the most beautiful two tier cake she had ever seen. It was covered in blue icing with pink sakura blossoms and silver moon and stars, Kagome knew that beneath that sugary sweet icing was a chocolate cake.

As Kagome took her seat, Nodoka placed a steaming hot bowl of her favorite food in front of her and she squealed in glees

"Wah! Mama you made oden!"

Nodoka giggled at her daughter. "Kagome, honey, I know that you have tried to suppress this day, but don't you think it's time for you to let things go?"

Kagome sighed. 'Mama…Gomen but I cannot. Sango-chan. Miroku-sama. Shippou-chan. Inuyasha. I miss you all so much!'

Seeing her daughter hurt expression, Nodoka suggested for Souta to go and get the juice. Once he returned with the tray, he set Kagome's favorite in front of her and gave her a wide smile. "Happy Birthday, Nee-chan!"

Kagome smiled mischievously at her younger brother and set her glass down. She grabbed him by his head and smothered him in her bosom. "Arigato, Souta-chan! You are so kawaii!" she planted a big, wet kiss on his cheek and grinned when he back away with disgust written all over his face. She was satisfied; she had gotten her revenge for him hogging the bathroom, even if it were to stall for time.

Dinner passed quickly and after the cake was cut, confirming her suspicious about the flavor of the cake, Kagome announced that she was going to the bath since she could not earlier, shooting Souta with a small halfhearted glare, and left for the bathroom.

Wading in the warm bath water, Kagome's mind was swarmed with her family of the Sengoku Jidai.' I wonder if Sango-chan and Miroku-sama have gotten married yet. And Shippou-chan must be getting his adult ears by now. Inuyasha...are you still waiting for me?' She made a mental note to go out and pour more of her reiki into the well in the morning before she left.

Kagome leaned over the edge to grab her shampoo to lather her hair.

A pair of pale hands reached up from the drain, silently slithering towards her legs. Kagome flinched when she felt something brush against the flesh of her legs and blinked when she look down and saw the hands winding around one of her leg and pulled her under the water.

"I've caught you. My sacrifice."

Kagome narrowed her dark blue eyes and thrust her hands out of the water, taking hold of the sides of the tub to lift herself up. Then she used her free leg to dig her heel into the one of the hands. Once it released her from their tight grip they faded back down into the drain.

"Kagome-chan is something wrong. I heard a crash!" her mother's worried voice came from behind the door.

When Kagome had pulled herself from the water, she knocked over the shelf holding the bathing supplies. Reaching for a towel she reassured her mother that she was fine.

"I just knocked over a shelf."

Nodoka sighed, telling her to be more careful and that she would clean it up later.

"Hai!" Kagome glanced back at the water, watching the calm surface intently and daring whatever that was there to try and reach for her a second time. She may not have the proper training, but she was still a strong and powerful miko.

Kagome sat on a bench in a nearby park, basking in the sun's warm glow as the fresh crisp spring wind blew a few loose tendrils of her face into hers. She could not help but to smile as the calm weather reminded her of the days she sat underneath the Goshinboku. It was so peaceful. She frowned when her sharp hearing caught the fast paced and slightly heavy footsteps that signaled Hojo's arrival. Standing, she plastered a smile on her face.

"Konbanwa, Hojo-kun."

"Ah, Higurashi, you're already here. I thought that with all your illnesses that you would cancel on me." Hojo slowed his jog to a brisk walk as he approached her. His eyes widened and a cherry blush spread over his face. She was absolutely beautiful. The slightly tight black undershirt molded against her chest and the vibrant pink draped top hung off her shoulder. Those short black shorts showed off her impossibly long legs and to finish off the look a pink and black striped scarf was hanging loosely in the collar of her shirt. She had her hair pinned up with the Higurashi family hair pin, showing her graceful neck, with a few tendrils framing her face and Hojo wanted nothing more than to run his fingers through it.

Kagome laughed nervously, a tiny drop of sweat rolling down her face. 'Come on Hojo-kun. Do I look sick to you? Uh…this is why I do not want to be anything more than just friends. He's too naïve and bland.' "Yeah, well you know me. So what are we going to go see?"

"Well, I got these tickets to see a comedy film and some others to go to the local pool." Hojo dug around in his pockets for the tickets.

Kagome's dark sapphire eyes narrowed at the mentioning of a pool as she recalled the bathroom incident. She faked a small sneeze, immediately catching the attention of the young man. Kagome then informed him that she should not go to the pool today, but she'd be happy if they still went to the movies. Hojo nodded and held out his hand with a small blush. Kagome looked at him skeptically before sighing and placed her hand in his, her pink diamond ring glinting in the sunlight.

'Grin and bear it, Kagome.'

The young couple exited the theater holding on to their sides as they wiped away a few stray tears that rolled down their cheeks. The film was absolutely hilarious! The main character was a ventriloquist and had many puppets. Let's just say the inanimate figures sure know how to torture the poor man.

"Thanks so much Hojo-kun. I had so much fun." Kagome chirped happily.

"I knew that you would like this film Higurashi." Hojo smiled. He finally made the woman he hoped to one day make his girlfriend to smile so brightly her eyes sparkled. He was proud of himself and his felt his heart pound in his chest when another bell-like laugh fell from her lips.

"Yep, and thanks again." She swept her long hair out of her eyes and shifted her gaze up at the bright golden sun, thinking about how much the color reminded her of her hanyou's eyes.

Hojo noticed the downcast of Kagome's eyes and did not like that one bit. Summoning enough courage he grabbed her hand. "Kagome."

"Huh? What is it Hojo-kun?" she knew what he was about to say from the rosy hue on his face and the determination in his eyes when he called her by her given name.

A blush appeared on Hojo's face, he was finally going to do it. "If anything is bothering you. You can always call me. I want to protect you."

"Hojo-kun, I-" Kagome gasped as Hojo pulled her into a tight embrace.

He hugged her tighter. "I really mean it, Kagome. Are you listening to me?"

Kagome pulled away from Hojo slightly, peering into his blue eyes and seeing the seriousness in them. Sighing she pushed him away from her person and gripped her forearms. "Gomen, Hojo-kun, but I cannot allow you to do that."

The color drained from his face. What did she mean she could not allow him to? Could she not see that he was confessing to her? He had to know. "Kagome, what do you mean. I'm trying to say that I love you!" roughly he took hold of her wrists, ignoring the bite of the gold bracelet.

"Hojo-kun, you are hurting me." Kagome began twisting her wrists, trying to free herself from the painful grip.

Hojo pulled her closer to him. "Kagome, accept me and be my girlfriend!"

Kagome's eyes blazed with an angry fire as she stomped on his foot and took off running. Hojo cursed silently and hissed in pain when his foot went numb. He called out for Kagome, but she was long gone.

Kagome rested her hands on her knees as she panted for her breath; she had not run that fast in a while. Sure, she had a greater endurance than most people, but she was still human. Kagome walked over to the small lake in the center of the park and began to throw small pebbles, watching them make ripples on the surface.

Unconsciously, her hand came up and caressed the black diamond ring that rested at the base of her throat by a small chain. The ring was far too large for her fingers, because it was meant for a man. It was her father's ring. She made a promise to herself that she would give it to the man she loved with all her heart and soul.

The blue eyed miko was so deep in thought that she jumped when Hojo's voice called out her name and she turned to run…into the open snake-like arms of the hands that flew out of the water's surface.

Hojo watched with wide eyes was the woman he loved was dragged down into the lake and rushed over to the edge, peering into the water. There was no sign of her in the calm blue water.

"Kagome!"

"I've finally caught you, my perfect sacrifice."

Kagome's eyes widened before they instantly narrowed. She remembered these pale hands; they were the same ones from the bath tub incident. The raven haired woman knew that struggling was useless, since the arms were coiling tightly around her body. She willed her Ki into her legs and thrust them out until the hands retreated. She smirked as she saw the blackened flesh of the palms; she had owed them a dose of purification anyway.

Finally, feeling the burn in her lungs, Kagome fought against the waters, swimming her way back to the surface. Breaking through, she took in several gulps of air; she brushed her wet bangs out of her face and pulled herself out. Kagome looked down sadly at her clothes, they were sopping wet and the wind chilled her body making her cold. Kagome looked around and gaped slightly when she saw that she was no longer in Tokyo, much less Japan.

"Where am I now?"

Kagome turned her head at the horrified gasps and shrieks. She saw people dressed in plain tunic like robes. She narrowed her eyes when she realized that she could not understand the language they were speaking.

I do not understand what they are saying. I do not know this language. Where am I? Kagome ignored the looks they were giving her and began to explore her new surroundings.

"It seems that she has gotten away. This is truly a disappointment. Just a bit longer and she would have been here," A feminine voice hissed in pain.

"Surely within this kingdom, she has arrived at one of the other six springs," an effeminate male voice flowed, "Let's call for some soldiers; the girl will be presented to you, your Highness."

"Naturally," she said in an arrogant tone, rubbing her blackened hands, "I summoned her for a reason, that girl's blood. Her blood is essential."

Kagome wondered around the city, she took in the reddish buildings and tried figure out where fate had dropped her. Fate! Oh how she hated that word. Fate, that which cursed her to watch over a tainted jewel for eternity. Fate, which took her from her true love. Fate, which had dropped her in the middle of an ancient city with no way to communicate with her family. 'Where the hell am I?'

She ran up a flight of stairs; upon reaching the top, she realized where she was right then and there. Kagome was in Hattusa, capital of the Hittite empire in the 14th century B.C., now known as modern-day Turkey.

The distant horizon, the carpet of greenery, the red-brown city surrounded by ramparts. "It's like it came straight from my history book," Kagome thought aloud, amazed by the recent events. She had been on a date with Hojo-kun; they had just finished watching a movie and she had rejected his confession of love. He got angry and became forceful. She ran back to the park. And then…? "Hojo found me; those hands captured me and dragged me here."

Someone began shouting in the foreign language close behind her. Turning her head, she spotted men carrying spears. "Soldiers?" Kagome briefly considered if she could take these soldiers out until she saw them reach for the swords at their sides.

Quickly she looked for a means of escape. The only way was for her to jump over the edge of the wall and she looked back at the soldiers briefly before a slow smirk crossed her face. She'd never tried this move before; but she had wanted to for a long time now. Placing her hands on the stone wall, Kagome placed a small bit of her reiki inside them before she jumped over the wall.

She laughed coldly at the stupefied gasps as she concentrated her focus on the Ki she poured into the stone at the top of the building, forming a thin, yet sturdy rope of Ki that she used to propel down the wall. Once her feet had been firmly planted on the ground Kagome began to run again.

Kagome closed her eyes as she remembered the icy tone of the voice as whispered those words in her ear. 'I've finally caught you, my girl.' She Snapped her eyes open in a panic, taking a deep breath, she scolded herself for allowing her mind to wander when she should be focusing on getting out of this place. 'Though these red brick walls are like a maze, I have no idea where I am going.' Kagome pumped her legs harder, she ran around a corner, and was greeted with more soldiers along that avenue, so she turned to the empty one.

Continuing to run, she rounded another corner, facing someone wearing an elegant and intricately patterned cloak, hiding his or her face from her view. Her eyes narrowed warily when the cloak fell away and she gasped. Golden amber eyes, that same shade as her hanyou's watched her curiously, yet they were suspicious. Shoulder length blond hair that looked to be spun from gold framed a beautiful face.

He, too, was wearing the same tunic like robe, though it looked to be made of much more finer quality than those of the city dwellers.

"You're not a soldier. Who are you?"

Though she did not understand what he said, his deep velvety tenor voice caressed her ears and she subconsciously grasped her father's ring. She flinched at the buzzing noise of people rushing toward them; Kagome looked back at the man briefly before dropping into a fighting stance.

The blond-haired male looked on, puzzled at the strangely dressed woman, who was prepared to take on a small army of men. Not wanting to see such a beautiful looking woman hurt, he stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her slender waist and pulled her back against his chest.

Kagome heard the man behind her shuffle around and thought that he was just leaving, that is until strong arms wrapped around her and she was pulled into a hard chest. She raised her head to tell him off, but her words were stopped when his warm lips slanted over hers.

Her blue eyes went wide with shock and the only thing that was running though her mind was that this man was wiping away the memory of Inuyasha's gentle kisses. Kagome's mind went blank as she received her third taste of a man's lips. The tall blond took advantage of her open mouth and snaked his tongue in.

As he swept her feet out from underneath her, he pulled his cloak over their heads. Kagome felt the man's hands begin to wander down her sides until they finally came to a rest on the skin of her legs. Surprised, she could not hold back the moan that rose in her throat.

The soldiers rushed into this scene, since they did not know who was under the cloak and they began to question them harshly.

"Hey! A girl came running by this way. Have you seen her?" a soldier demanded. "Which way did she go?"

The man pulled away sharply, he smirked down at Kagome at the whimper that escaped her lips. "A girl?" He covered her mouth with his large hand and winced when she retaliated, biting his palm sharply. "Well, I must have not have seen her. When I am with a woman, no other can catch my eye."

Kagome rolled her bright blue eyes and bit his hand again, wanting nothing more than for him to take his hand off her person. She had a couple things to say to him, after she took care of those soldiers. She released his flesh when the soldiers took a sharp intake of breath and embarrassed flush covered their faces.

"It...it's Kail-sama!" a soldier exclaimed.

"K-Kail-sama, what are you doing in a place like this?" another asked.

"Uh…um…We seek a girl." one of them began.

"We're sure that a girl wearing strange clothing ran this way…"

Kail cut him off. "Like I said, I did not see her. I finally reached a high note with the woman whose heart I've won…so don't intrude. Get out of my sight!" Kail ordered the guards.

The guards stiffened at the harsh order, but left immediately. "Y…Yes sir!"

Once the guards were out of sight, Kail turned his eyes back to the small beautiful woman on the ground underneath him and his hands went back to her exposed legs, running his fingers over the soft flesh as he began to question her. "You certainly do look strange. What country are you from? What did you do to get the Queen's own army chasing after you?"

Kagome's brow twitched with every stroke of his long pale fingers. 'Who does he think he is?' Pinching one of his hands, she removed them from her legs and began to ponder on why his words were so suddenly known to her. 'Why did he save me? And also…' She touched her lips, a blush tinting her cheeks. 'The kiss!'

Rubbing the red mark on his hand, a smirk appeared on the man's handsome face and he held out his uninjured hand out to her, "Did my earlier actions anger you? If you are unhappy that I had to cut it short, I don't mind finishing it. I never leave business unfinished with a beautiful woman such as you."

Kagome's blush spread from her cheeks down to her chest and her brow twitched when he began to rub her legs once more. 'Why this…this…hentai!' She slapped his hand away, making sure he felt a bit of her reiki and began running again.

"Hey, wait!" he raised his stinging hand to his lips, licking the wound lightly.

'I cannot believe that guy. He's just as bad as Miroku-sama! No, I take that back. He is worse than Miroku-sama!' Kagome continued to run, rubbing her mouth trying to erase the tingling sensation on her lips. 'Did his kiss really allow me to suddenly understand their language?' Kagome ran until she noticed that she was back in town.

"EEK! It's the girl who came out of the spring!" a woman screamed.

"She came out of the spring!" a man exclaimed.

"It's her! Over there!" the guard rushed over to where Kagome stood and she smiled coldly. She needed a good workout.

Kagome ran forward, her palm pulled back before she smashed the heel of it into the soldiers face, breaking his nose. The guard backed away from her, his hands clutching his bleeding face. Kagome ducked low when the sharp edge of a blade swung towards her. She kicked out one of her long legs and swept his feet from under him.

She then proceeded to place her foot on his throat, crushing his windpipe. "Are you really sure you want to mess with me right now?" A sharp pain exploded from the back of her head and blackness threatened to take her from consciousness. The last thing she heard was,

"Alright. Let's take her to her Majesty."

Bleary cobalt eyes opened and Kagome instantly tried to spring up to her feet only to be yanked back down by the ropes tied at her wrists and ankles. Seething, she looked about the room she was in. Nothing decorated the walls and there was only a few jugs scattered around the floor. Kagome cursed the Fates again. It was their fault she was in this predicament. She raised her head when she heard a vaguely familiar voice.

"It was a mistake common folk to see her. I had to put an end to it before the uproar spread too much."

Kagome narrowed her eyes when a beautiful woman with blonde hair pinned intricately on top of her head. The flora; a cloth she wore over her breasts was a pretty green and red color as the flowing green skirt hung low on her hips. A long white shall was draped over her shoulders and a person, face hidden by the thick black cloak, flanked her right side.

The woman smiled, her lips painted blood red. "Welcome to Hattusa."

Kagome snarled. "You! You're the one who called me! What do you want with me?"

The woman stepped closer to Kagome. "Just stay still. I need your blood." She made a cutting motion across Kagome's throat with her finger. "I'll cut like this…right here. Your freshly flowing red blood is essential."

"What the?" Kagome snapped her teeth at the woman before baring them. Why is it that everyone wants to either kidnap me or kill me or both?

"His Majesty, the emperor is already an old man. I want my son, a prince, to inherit the throne. But, you see, my son is the youngest of the princes. In order to become the crown prince, the older princes will have to die. And to make death-curse Katashiro, I need sacrificial blood. I prayed to the gods to grant me a sacrifice. I didn't care of what country the person was to come from. I asked for the most worthy sacrifice, and you were the one who was shown to me."

Kagome's eyes widened. She did not know what a Katashiro was, but if someone was going to die, it was not going to be because of her blood. "You wicked woman. You would kill your own husband's children?"

"My dear, this is the Hittite empire. I am Queen of Suppiluliumas, The king of water. There is nothing I cannot do. Even if it is killing his sons." the queen sneered.

"The king of water…?" 'So, that is how she brought me here.'

"Your Highness! A message! His Majesty, the emperor is on his way here now!" a guard called out.

"Why is his Majesty coming here!" she hissed visibly upset.

The guard bowed low. "Perhaps, news of the uproar in the city reached his ears."

The queen cursed. "I cannot let the emperor know about me placing death curses on his other princes."

"The emperor." Kagome whispered. 'I don't want to rely on others, but maybe the emperor can stop the queen for me!'

"It is necessary that this girl's blood must flow." she tied a piece of cloth around Kagome's mouth. "I've got an idea!"

Kagome cursed silently before regaining her calm. She needed to be calm so that she could find a way out of here, but for now, she closed her eyes and began to pray. Slowly her reiki seeped into her jewelry, placing a barrier on them that made them both untouchable and invisible.

The emperor entered the room, dressed in the purple of royalty; his graying hair flowed down his back as he regally walked through the doorway. "My Queen. I heard something about a girl emerging from a spring." Seeing Kagome he asked, "Why is that girl here, in the palace?"

The queen groveled. "Have you forgotten my liege? I am not only a queen, but I also serve as priestess of the great temple. The spring is in the jurisdiction of Teshub's blessed temple. It is no coincidence that this girl has come to me."

'Oh this is rich. She's a priestess?' she rolled her eyes and brushed her miko Ki against the queen's aura. 'A fairly good priestess.' Kagome bit the cloth to muffle her giggle when the Queen flinched.

The emperor's wood colored eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you plan to do with the girl?"

When the queen smiled, Kagome knew that she was not going to like what she was going to say. "Well, if indeed she came from Teshub…then perhaps returning her will bring prosperity to the empire."

Kagome knew better than to trust the words of the blonde haired woman, but she could not stop her eyes from widening a fraction of an inch. 'Like she'd really return me.' The emperor's next question confirmed it.

"You mean to sacrifice her to Teshub?"

"If that is your wish."

The king looked over at the girls, her dark oceanic eyes burned with an intense fire that he almost shied away. Instead, he settled for shifting his eyes back to his queen "If that is your decision, my queen, then let it be done."

"As you wish." She turned to her guards. "Take the girl to the great temple, then send an announcement to the city that we will perform the ritual tomorrow."

The second the soldiers freed her legs, Kagome began to fight back. Before they were able to subdue her, she had managed to break three of the guards' noses and one other's arm. She was not about to go down without a fight. And she will continue to fight until the Fates changed her destiny.

"Ne, ne, there's a festival at the great temple." someone said

"That's rare for this time of the year, is not it?" another questioned, excitedly.

"BRING OUT THE GIRL!" a loud voice boomed.

Someone opened the door, revealing a scowling Kagome. They had stripped her of her clothing and dressed her in a loose robe, but the barrier around her jewelry made it so they were not able to take away her most valued items; her father's ring and the hair pin that has been passed down from generation to generation of Higurashi women.

"Tarbana, please be seated." the announcer spoke. "His highness, crown prince Arnuwanda and…"

Kagome tuned them out; she tried to reason a way to get her out of becoming a sacrifice. She tested her binding and was pleased to find that they were not too snug. She sent her Ki into her wrists to stop the ropes from burning her flesh as she began to twist her wrists out of them.

"…The third prince, his Highness Kail Mursili, please be seated.

"Kail-sama!" a female from the crowd shouted.

Kagome rolled her eyes. As much as she despised the Fates, the only thing that almost topped it was fan-girls. She did not nor did she want to understand why women went gaga for a handsome man.

"Older Brother, how is your health?"

Kagome looked up at the sound of the familiar voice and saw the man she met yesterday. 'That hentai is the third prince? Though he may have saved me, I did not like the way he did.' She shifted her attention back to freeing her hands when the Queen began to chant

"O great Teshub, god of gods!" the queen priestess said loudly. "I pray to you for the blessing of the rain and fertility of our land. I send to you this untainted Virgin."

The two masked guards held Kagome down and pulled her robe down to bare her throat.

"Receive this tribute! Grant my wish!" the queen priestess smiled evilly as the masked guard holding the axe raised it high above his head.

It was in that moment that Kagome freed her hands and reared her elbow back into one of the guards abdomen, but froze in her movements when a goblet of wine was thrown at the guard's hand; the force of it knocked the axe from his grasp.

"Who…Who was that? How dare you insult Teshub by interfering with the rituals?" the queen demanded.

"It was not an insult at all." Prince Kail rose from his seat. "In fact it was quite the opposite, Mother dearest."

'It's him!' Kagome was beginning to get annoyed by him. Every time she was about to escape on her own, he interfered. She was getting tired of being the one who needed rescuing; Kagome no longer played the role of a damsel in distress. She was the guardian and protector of the Shikon no tama and a formidable miko in her own right.

The queen was furious; her beautiful face was twisted with anger for the young prince. "Prince Kail! Were you the one who threw the goblet? What do you mean, "opposite"?" she snapped. "It doesn't matter that you are one of the emperor's sons! Under these circumstances your actions are inexcusable!"

Prince Kail ignored his step-mother's rants as he looked into Kagome's bright cobalt. "Hold on, Mother dearest. I do not wish to deceive our god, so I intervened." He pulled down the cloth over her mouth.

"Huh?" Kagome hissed at the prince when he came in too close her lips. She had no desire to be kissed at the moment; At least not by him.

"Ah. So it IS that girl." Prince Kail said, smoothly. "Dear Father, is not purity a requirement for our offering to Teshub?"

The emperor immediately spoke up. "Of course."

Prince Kail placed his hand over his face, signing as he closed his eyes "Then knowing that the tribute is impure, and keeping quiet…That also is inexcusable, is it not? It seems I have no choice…I must confess."

'What is he planning?' Kagome narrowed her eyes at him

Prince Kail wrapped his arms around Kagome, drawing her close to his body. "I already made this girl mine once. Unaware that she was a tribute, I stole her chastity."

"What did you say?!" Kagome snapped at him. 'All he stole was the memory of Inuyasha's kisses.' She bit her cheek and stayed quiet when she heard the Queen's faltering voice

"That's…That's a lie." the queen argued, her hazy cat-like green eye narrowed. 'I just summoned that girl to this country yesterday!'

"And how is it that you can be so sure about that Mother dearest?" he turned to the beautiful woman in his arms. "Surely, even you have not forgotten what we did yesterday, in the cool shade of the trees, hmmm…?"

Kagome's frown deepened. "All you did was k-" she trailed off as Kail whispered in her ear.

"If you want to keep your neck and body, would it not be better if you play along?"

Kagome gritted her teeth when she heard the smirk in his voice. She flinched when his hand slithered down to her legs. 'I swear the first chance I get; he's going to get it!' "Don't touch me!" she whispered fiercely. 'I only kissed Inuyasha twice and he wiped that memory away'.

The emperor spoke to Kagome gently, uncomfortable with the subject. "Girl, does the prince speak true?"

She looked up at the prince's regal face, subconsciously, licking her lips and looked back at the emperor. Blushing heavily from anger, Kagome barely inclined her head forward.

The queen was taken aback. She was positive that this girl was pure, since when she had captured her, she had been running from a man confessing his love to her.

Prince Kail hefted Kagome onto his shoulder his long cloak shielded her body from peering eyes as well as trapping her hands. "Therefore, I'll take responsibility for rendering her useless as a tribute. I'll take her into my custody."

"Prince Kail! I will not allow this selfishness!" the queen bit out. Out of all the princes, she hated Kail the most.

Prince Kail only smiled, his golden amber eyes glinting mischievously. "I will make amends to the temple. I will send a hundred virgin cows and goats…that should comply with the usual custom right, Father?"

"Yes…" the emperor spoke after a moment's hesitation.

"Your Majesty!" the queen exclaimed.

As Kail walked passed his father, the emperor spoke up, "Kail, I don't care that you're a womanizer, but please try and shape up and settle down with a down with a proper princess."

Kail paused, before turning a brilliant smile to his father. "I agree with you, Father. There are more beauties in this world than there are stars…how can I decide on just one?"

"…Well then." The emperor commented as Kail dismissed himself.

'I was forced to let his man save me again. I'm tired of always being rescued. Why don't the Fates let me save myself for once?'

"Prince Kail's quick hands are widely known. Perhaps even with that girl…" the cloaked person trailed off.

"I don't care about that. For my true purpose, the Katashiro, it doesn't matter whether the girl is pure of not. I need that girl's blood flowing from her neck!" the queen snarled, her blood-red lips pulled between her teeth.

"Oh…then…?"

She snapped her fingers. "That's it! I'll get to Prince Kail's palace using the 'Dark Water'!"

"Kikkuri! The ceremony is over; let's go back to the palace." Kail announced.

"Kail-sama! What's this? Who's that girl?" a man with chestnut-brown hair called out. He was wearing a simple servant robe in the royal purple.

"It was queen Nakia again, plotting and scheming and up to no good as usual. I spirited this girl away." Kail told him.

Kagome used that moment to flip from Kail's shoulder and glared at him. "Why do you continue to rescue me? I never asked for your help."

"I just didn't want to see such beauty tainted." Kail grinned.

Kagome narrowed her eyes. She still did not know if she could trust this man, but maybe she could use him to gain more knowledge of her new surroundings. "Can you tell me exactly where I am?"

The blonde smiled mischievously. "Tell me where you have come from first. And do not try to lie; I saw the attire you wore at our first encounter." his eye traveled down towards her legs.

The cobalt eyed miko bared her teeth at him and hissed, pulling the robe back down over her exposed legs. "If you must know, I am from Japan. The Queen managed to capture me and bring me here."

"Japan, huh. I knew she was up to no good."

Kagome was beginning to get frustrated. He still would not give her the information she wanted. So putting on an innocent face, she said, "This is Hattusa, right? Where in the world is that? I've haven't heard of it." She lied smoothly. "How far is it from Japan?"

Kail removed the remaining rope from around her arms as Kikkuri hurried to help them on the chariot and snapped the reins. The younger man was quick to comment on that. "You must be quite the country bumpkin if you've never heard of the capital of the Hittite empire."

Kagome turned an icy glare at the chestnut-brown haired man for that comment. "Please reframe from saying degrading comments about me."

The younger make bristled underneath her cold gaze.

"Since you say that you don't know of Hattusa, then…what about Egypt?" Kail inquired.

Kagome's eyes widened as she rubbed her sore wrists, though her Ki kept them from chaffing they still hurt. "Egypt, you say? I know of Egypt. It is close by?" 'Let's see, Egypt in the Northern part Africa. Which is close to the Middle East. Just how far am I in the past?'

"No. It's not. Even with this chariot it's still about fifteen to sixteen days away." Kail enlightened. "Tell me, is Japan a city in Egypt?"

Kagome scowled. He was toying with her. If he was a part of the Queen's plan she would make him pay dearly. "I'm sure that if it were a city in Egypt you would know of it."

"I suppose."

"But…Kail-sama, ever since the last pharaoh took over, the country's been in a state of disorder, hasn't it? There are probably new towns cropping up." Kikkuri stated.

"That's true as well. All thanks to the current pharaoh, Tutankhamen." Kail commented.

Kagome's eyes widened in recognition. "Did you say Tutankhamen?"

"You know of him? He's a boy king even younger than I am." Kail smiled down at her, the wind blowing his blonde bands in his regal face.

'I know of him. I read about him in a history book. Tutankhamen. He was a pharaoh in ancient Egypt. So the Fates have dropped me in the ancient Middle East'?

"You know, I never got a name to call this pretty face." Kail tipped her face back.

She jerked her chin from his hold, frowning at the amused smile he graced her with. "It's Kagome. Higurashi Kagome."

"I see. A beautiful name for such a beautiful girl. Then, Kagome. You said that the queen brought you here, right? For what purpose would she do something like that?" he quipped.

"She said that she wanted her son to take the throne. So, she said that she was going to place a death curse on the other princes…and that she needed me for a Katashiro." Kagome revealed everything the queen said to her.

Kail and Kikkuri were shocked at the information given. The Queen would go to such things just for the sixth prince to gain the throne.

'So, I am at least 3000 years in the past, and I'm in the Middle East. This is absurd. People say as Fate would have it; well those people have never met me. I absolutely loathe the word Fate.'

"She is doing well, I hope?" a woman dressed in celestial robes asked. Her thick straight black hair was done up in intricate knots and a silver and gold tiara with large pink roses on each side kept it in place. At the base of her throat was a necklace with an ancient kanji inscribed on it. Her wise and all-knowing tanzanite eyes gleamed as she assessed the blue-eyed girl in the mirror. Stepping forward, she placed her fingertips on the glass before her. "I know she may hate us, but this is her destiny."

"My lady."

The woman turned her head to the masculine voice and smiled briefly before it vanished. "Akihiko."

Akihiko stood from his kneeling position. He was a beautiful being. Short dark brown hair haloed his strong chiseled face. His eyes were the color of liquid diamonds. A dark blue hanfu covered his tall, lean muscular body. "My lady. I'm sure that she doesn't hate you."

She gave him a bitter laugh. The sound was almost too sinister to be coming from such a beautiful woman and a few strands of her hair fell into her face. "Akihiko, please do not tell me such lies. Higurashi Kagome hates me more than anything in this world. I am the one who drug her to the Sengoku Jidai. I am the one who caused her to fall in love with the hanyou. I am the one who made her the reincarnation of the hanyou's former love. I am the one who caused her to be the guardian of a cursed jewel." Her tanzanite eyes misted over as she continued to name off the reasons why the cerulean eyed girl despised her very being. "I am the one who took her away from her first love. And, I am the one who is forcing her through another dangerous mission when all she wants is to return to the hanyou. I am the one who will force her to love another."

Akihiko rushed forward and grasped his lady by the waist when she begun to sway. "My lady, please do not over exert yourself."

She brought her hand up and caressed his cheek, smiling when he, in turn, nuzzled her palm. "You are too good to me Akihiko."

"My lady."

Placing her finger on his lips, she quieted him. "Call me by my name." when he hesitated she repeated her command. "Say my name, Akihiko."

"My lady, I should not. It is not proper." Akihiko began to move away, but froze when her soft delicate hand touched his arm underneath his sleeve. "My lady?"

Pleading tanzanite eyes clashed with hesitant diamond ones. "Akihiko, please. I just want to hear my name flow from your lips. Just this one time."

She gasped when he suddenly took hold of her hand and pulled her against his chest, his voice as soft and loving in her ears.

"You know we should not, my lady."

"I do not care Akihiko. Just say my name."

He nuzzled her throat. "Lady Fate."

Well, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and tell me what you think.