Chapter 61: Day-by-Day

Written: April 28, 2020

Kagome found that time passed by very slowly within the Kamelot manor. Much to her annoyance, there was very little that she could say or do about her current situation. The Earl was adamant that Kagome needed to spend her time resting and healing from the injuries she obtained during her time at the Black Order. Every inch of her body was damaged and needed time to repair; her Noah genes would assist in spreading up the process, but she still needed her rest. The Earl's word was law and none of the clansmen could disagree with him. Nevertheless, any sane individual would agree that Kagome needed her rest. Her body needed time to heal from the damage it sustained and her mind needed time to transition to the next phase of her life.

Road saw the way her sister struggled, both in her daily life and in her dreams. She was torn between the love of her family and the love she developed for those unruly Exorcists. Road couldn't begin to fathom the idea of Kagome adoring those cretins. They were nothing but disgusting vermin that needed to die. The Earth had to be cleansed of humans to ensure its rebirth and the Earl's untimely success. Road could only hope that Kagome's feelings towards the Black Order would slowly begin to fade over time; after it had too. Surely those vermin had grown to despise her sister. For years she was lying to them, toying with them behind their back. She played with their hearts and emotions, making them believe that she was one of them. She made them believe that she was a weak little human that needed love and protection to survive. She made them believe that she was a youthful little Exorcist that wanted to cleanse the world of war and destruction.

The very idea made Road laugh. Kagome was anything but human. She was a Noah, one of the true thirteen apostles that lived to serve the Millennium Earl. Kagome was a beloved member of their family. She was a Noah, not an Exorcist. She never was and she never would be anything else. Road only hoped that Kagome would soon learn to realize that. Not only for the sake of their family, but for her own sake too.

Kagome, meanwhile, was struggling to manage with everything that had happened. It was all transpiring far too quickly for her preferences. One minute, it seemed like she was aboard the Ark with Allen and the others, and the next minute she found herself in the Kamelot household, surrounded by her Noah family. It was a hefty transition and not one that she had ever been looking forward to. Kagome always knew that she would feel hurt upon revealing the truth to the Exorcists, but she didn't realize how long the pain would last. It felt like she had been grieving for years for her lost life and Black Order family, when in actuality it had only been a measly few weeks.

Time felt like it was dragging on for her and she didn't know how to make the situation any better. For the majority of her days, Kagome spent her time alone in her room. When she wasn't sleeping, she was either reading or lost in her thoughts. Her thoughts tended to consume herself these days. She would find her mind wandering back to easier days of her life in the Order.

Eating lunch with Lavi in the cafeteria.

Helping Lenalee to deliver coffees to Komui and the science division.

Engaging in literature discussions with Krory in the library.

Spending time chatting with Miranda in the early mornings.

Teasing Kanda about, well, anything.

And spending time with Allen.

...Allen…

How she missed him…

She missed them all dearly if she were to be honest…

Her time throughout the Order had changed her. It softened her heart, mind and soul. Kagome had grown comfortable during her stay there and was genuinely beginning to see the Exorcists as her second family.

They took her in without hesitation. They treated her as one of their own. She was considered to be family there and they loved her dearly.

...And then she went and ruined it…

They all learned the truth; that she is a Noah who serves the Earl. She's one of his top henchmen who assists him in developing the Akuma, the very weapons the Exorcists are sent out to kill.

...Now the Exorcists would be sent out to kill her too; after all, she's one of them, the enemy.

...The enemy…

The words left a foul taste in the back of her throat. She didn't like to consider herself a threat to the Exorcists… They were her family, they were her friends. She could never bring herself to kill them… She couldn't… She wouldn't… Her heart wouldn't allow it.

...But then again, she was a Noah clansmen. The Earl's words were law and she lived to obey him.

Kagome had little choice in the matter. Heck, she had little choice in anything right now. It felt like her life was signed away without her consent. Sheryl and Tricia adopted her without her awareness and the Earl agreed to it all.

She bit her lower lip. Knowing Sheryl, he was probably planning all sorts of things for Kagome to do once she was fully healed. She rolled her eyes at the thought. The stupid man she was now forced to call "father" was an idiot for all intent purposes and an individual she couldn't stand. If she had to be adopted into one of the clansmen households then why couldn't the Earl simply have adopted her himself? It wouldn't have been difficult to achieve. Just some extra paperwork here and there.

Kagome exhaled a deep sigh. She despised this whole charade. She despised living in Sheryl's household. She wanted nothing more than to leave this house and never return... If only things were that easy. The Earl didn't want Kagome leaving the Kamelot grounds. She was forbidden from vacating the property. The clansmen and Akuma servants were ordered to use force if she tried to leave without the Earl's permission. The sole form of activity the Earl allowed her to partake in was a small stroll in the backyard. But even then, she would need another Noah to accompany her. Road usually took on that role, but even her presence was beginning to irk Kagome. Her sister was very impatient and always wanted things to be done her way. Road would always whine and demand that Kagome play with her or give in to her other childish demands. Road was far from a child - she was actually older than Kagome! - but she had a tendency to act like a big spoiled brat. Most often then not, Kagome would give in to Road's demands and let her do whatever she wanted, but this time she couldn't handle it. Kagome needed time to herself. She needed time to grieve and process all the new changes that were transpiring around her. Yet, no one else seemed to agree with it.

Her Noah family simply expected her to dive right into her new life and forget about her previous one as an Exorcist. They expected her to adapt without hesitation and begin her new life as Kagome Kamelot, a woman of high society. They expected her to suddenly develop a growing hatred for the Exorcists and want them all dead. They expected all of this and didn't even stop to consider her own feelings. Not one of them considered how she would respond to them, let alone absorb them.

She felt tears beginning to line her eyes.

Not a single member in her family stopped to consider how she would react to all this. None of them acknowledged how swift the changes were and how hard it was for her to cope.

She bit her bottom lip again.

She could feel a single tear streaming down her face.

Wordlessly, Kagome arose from her bed and walked towards the window. She gazed out towards the ornate backyard and continued to stare out, lost in her own thoughts.

...

...

...

No one understood her pain.

No one understood her grief.

No one stopped to consider how she would react to everything.

No one stopped to consider her.

No one stopped to think about Kagome.

…

…

…

And with that, the floodgates opened. One tear became two; two became three; and three became a whole lot more. With each tear that streamed down her face, a sniffle and hiccup accompanied it. With each shaky breath she took, she felt a sharp, painful jab in her chest and back. With each tremble her body emitted, a pitiful moan escaped from her lips.

Kagome slowly slid down to the ground, hugging her knees with her arms. Exhaling another painful sigh, she shut her eyes, trying her hardest to ignore the sensation of the tears cascading down her cheeks.

...She tried so hard to forget…

She tried so hard to forget everything…

...Everything…

"Oi, let me see you idiot!" hissed Devit as he tried to push Jasdero out of the way.

"But it's my turn Devi," Jasdero sniffled. He had a big trail of snot slowly secreting from his left nostril.

Devit's right eye twitched. Disgusting. He thought to himself while he reached inside his jacket pocket and withdrew a tissue for Jasdero. He passed it to his blonde twin without hesitation, looking away with a grimace as Jasdero blew loudly into the piece of cloth.

A few minutes later, Jasdero lowered the tissue from his nose and gazed back towards the peephole that belonged to the door of Kagome's bedroom. From his current position, Jasdero could faintly make out the sight of Kagome crumpled up into a small ball beside the large bay windows.

Jasdero frowned at the sight. He didn't like seeing his cousin sad. Kagome should be happy now that she's back with the family. She shouldn't be sad and crying.

Jasdero sniffled again. "Devi, Kagome is sad…"

Devit arched an eyebrow. "We all know that 'Dero. Now let me look." With gentle force, he ushered his twin away from the peephole so that he could have a look. When his gaze landed on Kagome, his mouth twisted downwards into a small frown. He didn't like the sight of his cousin crying her eyes out.

Devit moved away from the peephole, looking down towards the corridor. Although he wouldn't admit it aloud, he was worried for his cousin. She wasn't acting like her usual self. She was too withdrawn and quiet for his preferences. He missed his spitfire personality. He missed hearing the yells and cries she'd emit while trying to run away from Road. He missed hearing her witty banter with Tyki. He missed her previous behaviour overall.

"My, my, Devit. You're quite the softy." The smug voice belonged to none other than Wisely. Devit grit his teeth. He hated the smug Noah. He thought he was better than everyone there simply because he could read their minds. If anything, that made him more of an annoyance in Devit's mind.

"Shut up, Wisely!" He yelled and automatically reached for his rifle.

Jasdero ignored his twin's remarks and simply leaned back in to watch Kagome from the peephole.

Wisely smirked. "Hiding behind a false bravado I see. How childish."

"SHUT UP!" Devit roared. He honestly couldn't stand the newest apostle. He was even more annoying than Road and that spoke volumes in itself.

Wisely merely smirked at his thoughts. "Such a child," he prattled to himself.

Devit's right eye twitched again. His hand was itching to pull on the trigger of his rifle, but he knew the Earl and Sheryl would bite off his head for the damages it would cause. Besides, Tricia and other humans resided in the building. If they were injured or died because of Devit's actions, he knew there would be serious repercussions to pay. He also didn't want to deal with an annoying and pointless lecture from Sheryl. The idiot could babble on for hours about stupid topics.

Wisely snorted. "I do agree with you on that cousin. I, too, am not overly fond of the home's patriarch."

Devit snorted and put his rifle away. At least the two of them could agree on something.

"In any event, I fail to understand the pointless cries of Purity. She has no need to weep. There is nothing worth crying over." Wisely's words caused both twins to fixate their attention on him. "If Purity is suffering from the previous actions she committed then I fail to see how she's a reliable member of this family. It's nothing but childish on her part to be sad over the reactions of some mere mortals."

Neither twin could offer a response back to Wisely's words.

Their lack of silence merely failed to reinforce his point. Wisely's smirk grew. These twins were equally as incompetent as the petite woman crying herself to death in the other room.

I honestly believe these three will be the downfall of the clan. He thought to himself whilst he briefly surveyed the twins.

"What is Wisely doing here?" Jasdero spoke out, making the youngest Noah gaze towards him. "Does Wisely have a problem with Devi or Kagome?"

"Not presently." Wisely remarked. "Although, at some point I'm certain that either of them or yourself will ensure some form of havoc."

Devit and Jasdero both started to growl.

Wisely only snorted. "I shall be taking my leave then. Due tell my darling cousin that the grieving look is quite unbecoming for a lady." With sarcasm literally oozing from his every word, Wisely offered the twins a condescending stare before taking off down the corridor.

Devit watched his retreat with narrowed eyes, wanting for nothing more than to finally put that annoying twat in his place.

"Smug idiot," he muttered under his breath while Jasdero nodded in agreement.

Jasdero waited until Wisely disappeared from sight before speaking. "Nee, Devi, what can we do about Kagome?" He gestured back towards her door with a swing of his head. "Dero doesn't like seeing Kagome so sad. Dero wants to make Kagome smile."

Devit sucked in a deep breath. "Me too, 'Dero. Me too."

Just then, Jasdero's eyes widened. "OHH! Devi, 'Dero knows what to do! 'Dero knows what to do!"

And before Devit could answer, Jasdero was dragging him down the hall, away from Kagome's bedroom.

Towards the mid-afternoon, Kagome awoke from her slumber to the sound of someone kicking open her door. There stood three people: Devit, Tyki and Jasdero. Tyki stood in-between the two twins and looked less than content as the trio were locked arms.

Kagome could only stare at them in befuddlement. What were the twins up to now and what were they dragging poor Tyki into?

"Get outta bed!" Devit yelled. "We've got plans!"

Kagome eyed them wearily before slowly emerging herself from the comfortable bed. She could hear Devit grumbling in annoyance at her slow speed, but she merely disregarded his words.

"...What kind of plans?" She whispered while she tilted her head to the side.

"Fun plans!" Jasdero chimed in, raising his joined arm with Tyki's arm. "Fun, fun, fun, Kagome! Come join us now!"

She grimaced. Kagome didn't want to partake in any fun activities now. She would much rather prefer to retreat to her bed and sleep.

Tyki, however, wouldn't allow it. He caught her weary expression and all but cried out, "Don't you dare back out Kagome! These idiotic twins scooped me out from town to attend their stupid festivities!"

Kagome instinctively took a step back.

"Oh no! You're not running away!" Devi yelled and withdrew his gun from its holster, pointing it at Kagome. Jasdero quickly followed, pointing his gun directly at Kagome. "I'm not about to let all the trouble 'Dero and I went to go to waste!"

'Waste?' Kagome mouthed to an annoyed looking Tyki.

Tyki merely sighed. "For your sanity and mine lovely, just follow along with their charade."

Kagome gulped and nodded. "...Let me grab my housecoat and slippers."

"Fine. But make it quick."

Kagome merely rolled her eyes. Patience would never be a virtue for Devit.

With her housecoat and slippers on, Kagome allowed the twins and Tyki to lead her out of the bedroom. They wandered downstairs, past the fancy living rooms and dining room before arriving at the library. Before Kagome could usher a single word, Devit kicked the doors open and made everyone walk inside.

Kagome slowly followed behind them and stopped in her tracks when she saw that a large poker table had been set up in the middle of the room. There were six chairs set up around the poker table. She also took note of a large table tucked off to the side that was full of a wide array of sweets and other snacks. There also looked to be a good stock of liquor - mostly for Tyki's benefit, she supposed.

Kagome could only blink in befuddlement. "What's going on here?"

"I believe the twins are trying to cheer you up," Tyki murmured into her ear. Immediately upon entering the room, Tyki used his phasing abilities to disentangle himself from the twin's smothering hold. "This seems like an idea they would devise."

"This coming from a poker addict?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"My dear," Tyki purred as he swiftly ushered her towards the table. "I, myself, would never voluntarily play poker with these twins. It would be far too easy to beat them."

"Oii! You take that back Tyki!" Devit hollered. "Jasdero and I can beat your sorry butt any day!"

"Yeah!" chimed in Jasdero with the pet chicken now perched atop his head. "Jasdevi can beat Tyki anytime, anywhere!"

"Hehehe, I seriously doubt you two could even beat Tyki in your dreams," the unmistakable voice of Road taunted them. She suddenly appeared before them from behind one of the library's many sofas. "You two are way too incompetent to beat Tyki at poker."

"You brat!" the twins roared and simultaneously withdrew their guns at her.

Road merely rolled her eyes. She knew their actions were only for show. There was no way the two idiots would willingly pull their triggers on her. Firstly, Sheryl and Earl would kill them but not before Road killed them herself. She licked her lips at the thought. It could be fun to rustle with the twins. She wouldn't cause them any real harm - they were family and she did care for them - but it could be fun to rattle their nerves a bit. Remind them that they shouldn't mess with the Noah of Dreams.

"Do you really want to try that Devit?" She cocked her head to the side, offering him a cheeky grin. "We can have a lot of fun right now, if you want." She slowly licked her lips, eyeing both of the twins slowly.

Jasdero gulped and shakily put his gun away. He didn't want to mess with Road. She was scary!

"Nee, how about we have some cake and then start a round of poker?"

"And we'll toast with a glass of wine," Tyki added in, excited at the prospect of drinking. Realistically, he needed the alcohol. Those stupid twins had dragged him off from town right when he was in the middle of wooing a beautiful woman. The idiots made such a commotion in the bar that it had frightened the poor woman off. Those ignorant idiots. Tyki had previously wanted to slice them both in two, but he restricted himself when Jasdero explained how the party was being organized for Kagome. The twins wanted to try something to make her smile, and the sight of a smiling Kagome made Tyki freeze for he, too, longed for the day that his little niece would smile again. He detested her quiet nature. It wasn't in Kagome's blood to be timid and domicile. She was a firecracker waiting to be lit. She was passionate and vocal about life. It made her fun to be around. Tyki missed that spitfire personality of hers and he wanted it back. That's why he agreed to help out the twins with their idiotic plan… but if it failed then he wouldn't hesitate to beat them senseless. He doubted he could ever return to that tavern after the scandalous scene they made. He shuddered at the very thought.

Tyki exhaled a deep sigh. He desperately needed a drink. Without hesitation, he reached for Kagome's hand and dragged her towards the food table. Based on Road's words, it seemed like Kagome was frequently skipping meals. She needed to eat if she wanted her strength to return.

"Kagome, have some food." He gestured towards the ornate table. He assumed the Akuma servants decorated the table for it was too pristine for either the twins or Road to achieve.

"...I'm not hungry," Kagome murmured, crossing her arms over her stomach.

Tyki rolled his eyes. His niece was far too thin. Even he noticed that. Kagome needed to start eating again. Tyki wouldn't put up with her childish antics right now. "Kagome, you must eat. Try something, even a few bites would be enough."

She merely shook her head.

Tyki rolled his eyes before he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "If you don't start eating, I'll fetch Sheryl. Would you like him to help make you eat?"

"!"

Kagome's face paled before she hastily reached for a nearby plate. Tyki watched in silent amusement as his niece started to pile on some bits and pieces of food on her plate. He did, however, notice the evident lack of meat on her plate. His eyes narrowed. Kagome needed the protein. With little hesitation, he reached for some meat and fish and placed them on her tray. Right when she was about to rebut, he butted in. "Sheryl isn't that far away, my dear."

She merely hissed at him before she retreated to the table with her fully stuffed plate. Tyki suppressed a laugh. Even in her comatose-like state, Kagome's spitfire personality was still there. It was hidden deep within her, but Tyki was determined to bring it out. He needed it out. For the sake of his sanity and future outings, he needed Kagome to return to her previous state.

"Kagome!" Road bounced over to give her sister's petite frame a firm hug. She was delighted to see that her younger sister was finally outside of her bedroom, interacting with others. Road was especially delighted to see that Kagome was eating the food on her plate too. Road didn't want to make a big fuss about her sister eating, albeit the sight was a nice change. The Noah of Dreams suppressed her comments, instead opting to sit down in the chair beside her.

Tyki rapidly took over the other chair. He was surveying the two of them while he sipped on a glass of white wine. Road rolled her eyes. It wasn't the least bit surprising to her that Tyki would immediately reach for the alcohol while there was an entire table filled to the brim with food.

"Lovely," he murmured to himself. The white wine was cold and felt especially refreshing right now. "This afternoon might not be a total waste, after all."

"...Alcohol changes your mind that rapidly?" whispered a perplexed Kagome.

Tyki stifled a laugh. "What's not to like, Kagome? Good wine, good food, relatively decent company." His voice dropped as his gaze wandered towards the twins who were filling up their plates with sweets. "It's almost entirely perfect."

Kagome noticed his glance and chuckled softly to herself.

Road and Tyki, meanwhile, exchanged surprised glances. It had been sometime since they heard Kagome laugh.

Road smiled. She liked hearing her sister giggle. She hoped to continue it.

"Nee, when will this start!" She cried. "I want to play now! I want to watch Tyki beat your sorry butts!" Road was intentionally trying to provoke the twins. It was so much fun to annoy them. Plus, it seemed like Kagome was finding the situation amusing. Road wanted to continue seeing her sister laugh, smile and enjoy herself. Kagome had been despondent for far too long. The Noah family needed their cheery Noah of Purity returned to them.

"WHAT?!" As if like clockwork, the twins whipped around to face her.

"WE SAID BEFORE! JASDEVI WON'T LOSE!" they shouted in unison.

"THAT'S RIGHT!"

It was very easy to rile up the twins. More so than usual it seemed.

Road cocked an eyebrow. "Tyki, how long do you think it'll take you to beat the twins?"

Tyki sipped on his drink, pretending to seriously contemplate the situation. "I would say maybe three, four minutes at most, Road."

"?!"

The twins screamed in unison. "LIKE HELL THAT'LL HAPPEN TYKI!"

Tyki set his glass down on the table before he covered his ears with both hands. "Must you two be so loud. You're giving me a headache." His gaze drifted towards the bottle of white wine. "And since you're both up, bring me that bottle of wine."

"Grr," Devit growled. "We aren't your servants Tyki!"

"Yeah!" Jasdero agreed. "Tyki get his own wine! Hee!"

"Lazy cretins," Tyki muttered under his breath. "You're both standing right there. It wouldn't be so hard to carry it over to the table." He desperately needed that alcohol if he was going to put up with the annoying twins. "Chop! Chop!" He tapped the poker table with his left hand. "We don't have all day. I'm growing impatient here."

Road grinned and leaned further back into her seat. The show was about to commence. The twins were reaching their breaking point.

"GYA! TYKI YOU'RE SO FULL OF IT!" And with that, Devit pushed over the table filled with food.

Kagome and the others could only watch as the table fell over along with all the food that lined it. A vast array of fresh meat, bread and cheeses littered the ground while different kinds of sweets and treats now stained the lovely white tablecloth.

"Devit!" hollered Road. "You wasted all the food!" She was upset about the prospect of losing all the delicious sweets. Road had a vicarious sweet tooth. She loved anything sweet and tasty, but her 'mother' Tricia was insistent that Road didn't eat if often. She considered sweets to be a treat that Road could only indulge in when she behaved like a proper young woman, which wasn't too often. With Tricia not present, Road had been ecstatic at the prospect of eating all those sweets, but then Devit had to go and sully it. Him and his stupid temper.

Tyki arched an eyebrow. "Was that really necessary Devit? You didn't need to knock the table over?" Along with the sullied food, the expensive liquor and tea were also ruined. Tyki couldn't conceal his unhappiness. "And you ruined the liquor as well I see. How considerate of you Devit."

"!"

Devit growled and looked away. Tyki was so full of shit and Road was plain annoying. He couldn't stand being around them right now. He knew he had a temper tantrum and these two were intentionally riling him up.

Cautiously, his gaze wandered towards Kagome. A part of Devit worried that Kagome might find the entire situation to be ridiculous or that she might decide to return to her bedroom to keep crying and sulking. Neither Devit nor Jasdero wanted that. Both twins wanted to do something to cheer up their cousin. They thought that organizing a little festivity might assist in alleviating her sullen spirit. Well, to be entirely honest, the idea of a party was Jasdero's idea. It was him who originally dragged Devit away from Kagome's bedroom with the idea of hosting a celebration for their sister. Devit, however, was the one who managed to convince Jasdero that a large celebration might not be the best idea for their cousin right now. She wasn't in the best state right now and Devit wondered if a large festivity might aggravate her; instead he suggested that they could have a minor celebration with some of Kagome's preferred members of the Noah clan. Jasdero agreed without hesitation. Anything to make Kagome smile again was good enough for him.

The duo spent hours organizing the event and finding a location they knew Sheryl wouldn't visit. Neither of them wanted their "father" to attend the event. He'd undoubtedly ruin everything and he might worsen Kagome's mood. That's why they only invited Tyki and Road. Kagome got along with them well enough and enjoyed their company. At this point, it seemed like less of a party and more of a gathering, but Jasdero was adamant that they must do something for their cousin.

It all seemed to be going well, until Tyki and Road… just had to be Tyki and Road. Devit then lost his temper and the rest is history… It seemed like everything was ruined. Their gathering was a total disaster, the meal was ruined and staining the carpet, and no one was happy.

Yet, if Devit looked closer, he could've sworn that he saw Kagome was smiling. It was a faint smile but nonetheless, it was still a smile.

Jasdero seemed to notice it too because he elbowed his twin in the stomach and nodded. "Look, look, Devi…"

Devit pushed his arm away. "I see 'Dero. I see it."

The smile was a starting point in rebuilding Kagome's happiness. It was the sentiment that all four Noah shared and planned to continue working hard to improve.

Their Noah of Purity would soon be back to her usual self, and she would be better than ever.

She was finally reunited with her family. She was finally back home where she belonged, and they never planned to let go of her again.

AN: YES, I AM ALIVE! Anyway, I know the chapter kind of stunk. Nothing monumental happened. :/ We'll be getting there soon. I'm still focusing on building her relationships with the other Noah. I want to emphasize how much they care for Kagome and want her to be happy again. Kagome has experienced a lot in a short time span, so it would make sense that she's not her regular cheerful self. Don't worry, she will get better with time, but I want this to be realistic. She'll still be sad for some time, but her Noah family will slowly help to cheer her up/help her heal.

ALSO, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO HELP ME PLAN SOME FUTURE CHAPTERS, I'D APPRECIATE THE HELP!

I have some ideas in mind that I want to flesh out, but I'm stuck on how to move forward with them. I've also some ideas planned to introduce future InuYasha characters into the story - excluding InuYasha. One happens to be a faithful admirer of Kagome. ;)

Additionally, would anyone like me to devote a chapter to focusing on the Order? Maybe some particular characters there. I know the story focuses on Kagome, our beloved Noah of Purity, but it's also nice to obtain the perspective of other characters too, excluding the Noah family.

Let me know your thoughts. I promise the next chapter won't take me over a year to update, hehe.

-SheikahLover