Memoirs of a Geisha by Jaded Jade

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the elements of Memoirs of a Geisha that are prevalent.

AN: THIS IS A SESSHOUMARU/KAGOME FICTION.

You have been warned.

I was around nine years old when I first met Tenada-sama. My mother, older sister Kikyo and I were in the small market of Yoroido, my village, when I tripped. It was he who picked me up.

My first impression of him was so influenced by the rumors around the village surrounding him, that he seemed a Kami in disguise. I remember staring at his face, thinking that his many lines told a story that every line represented a past conquest, a great achievement.

My thinking was such, because Tenada-sama was a prominent figure in our small fishing village. He was someone who had connections with youkai, someone who owned land without fear of invading beasts, someone who was well protected, and therefore looked upon very highly. Of course as I grew older, I realized that Tenada-sama was nothing more than a small fry in the scheme of things, and however ironically, I owe the destruction and rebirth of my life to him.

He'd lifted me gently, and through my thin yukata I felt his hands; bony and smooth. Did he not handle fishing nets all day? I remember thinking. If so, why were his hands so... non-calloused?

"T-thank you Tenada-sama." I'd stammered.

He looked at me then, really looked at me, and stared. I knew he was gazing at my eyes. My sapphire blue eyes.

My mother once told me that my father passed them on to me before he died. I was very proud of my eyes. I liked to think they singled me out as a daughter of the ocean, that they were the ocean's gift to me.

Then however, I started to resent them. What if Tenada-sama thought me ugly? A freak? I wished, more than ever then, that I had the normal brown eyes of my mother and sister Kikyo.

"What unusual eyes. How beautiful." He'd murmured. "What is your name little one?"

I blinked, and then smiled.

"Kagome!"

So happy was I that I'd forgotten all about my family, and began a conversation with Tenada-sama. It was only the sharp tug on my yukata from my sister that pulled me from the fascinating world in which Tenada-sama had pulled me with his words. I turned and saw my sister, slightly annoyed, and my mother pale and drawn.

I was suddenly thrown back into my own harsh reality. Where my mother was dreadfully sick and my sister was forced to mature far past her 12 years.

"I see it is time for you to go little one, I will call on you again sometime."

He walked away then, and I remember being happier than ever. He would call again sometime.

"Did you hear that nee-chan? He'll visit us again! Did you hear that okaa-san?"

My mother merely nodded while my sister had turned me onto the right path, all the while mumbling about getting okaa-san's medicine.

--I--

The next time Tenada-sama visited me, my mother was, unbeknownst to me, in the worst and final stage of her illness. My sister and I were quite surprised when he appeared at our door, asking to come in and visit with her.

As we sat in our small kitchen, we pondered over why he'd decided to visit.

"Do you think he's going to adopt us?"

My sister looked at me like I was crazy.

"Don't be foolish Kagome-chan."

"But think about it Kikyo nee-chan! Okaa-san is-isn't getting any better, so obviously Tenada-sama is here to take care of us!"

I smiled in glee. It was all so perfect. Okaa-san would definitely get better if we weren't there to burden her. She would be able to eat all the food she could, and buy her medicine at regular intervals and when she was better, we would come back for her and Tenada-sama would adopt her as well. Kikyo only shook her head in disbelief.

It was at this time that Tenada-sama stepped into the kitchen. He looked at us both before glancing at a spot above both our heads and motioning for us to stand.

"I have both good and bad news for you." He sighed before stroking his pointy beard in consternation. "Your mother is... terminally ill and unable to care for you in a way that will be productive to your future. I have agreed to take you."

His voice was crisp, business-like, but I didn't notice. I was filled with too many different emotions. Sadness, excitement, fear, and happiness were just the ones that I could identify. There was still a plethora of ones beyond my simple nine year old mind.

"Well, we shall be leaving shortly, go say goodbye to your mother."

I can hardly remember all that happened. But I am left with a... distinct impression of failure. I always remember my mother's yes, those plain brown eyes, awash in an emotion that I later realized was failure, the type only a dying mother could ever know.

--I --

My first meeting with a youkai, left a bad taste in my mouth up until this very day.

We, my sister Tenada-sama and I, had left my home village of seven years by way of carriage. To me, this was a royal treatment, however torn and rotten the interior was it was impressive to me, one who grew up in a small fishing village of no importance whatsoever.

The ride was long and uneventful, and when we arrived at our destination I was only too happy to exit the small space. The first thing that struck me was the abrupt absence of saltiness in the air. I began to panic slightly; the ocean was nowhere near me. I was standing in the middle of an unfamiliar village. The people were foreign looking to me, their clothing all very rich looking in my opinion. (However years later I would come to realize that they were only slightly less poor than my own Yoroido.)

Tenada-sama had grabbed my wrist and pulled me along behind him. We'd then entered into a small building that was dark and slightly rank. We walked to the back where Tenada-sama had us wait will he slid open a shoji door to the left of us.

My sister's face was blank, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. I remember admiring her more than ever in that instance. That instance where she held in all her tears while I simply let them flow. This was not how I imagined it would be. In my fantasies, Tenada-sama brought us to his large home and bought us silk kimonos, he showered us with nice words, and fed us all the tempura we could it. Instead we were sitting in the back of an old rank building; waiting for Kami only knows what.

When Tenada-sama stepped back into the small passageway, he was not alone. Behind him was the most hideous woman I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. Her face was heavily lined and sagged under the tremendous weight of one colossal sized mole in the middle of her forehead. Her hair was obviously dyed black and streaked through with grey at the roots. She was short and stumped over with an overly long face that was out of proportion with her body. She wore a heavy three layered kimono that was stained with tobacco juice.

I only just noticed her pointed ears, sharp canines and long claws, and identified her as a youkai. She peered at us through misty brown eyes then back at Tenada-sama.

"These are the girls?"

He nodded. She sniffed disdainfully.

"They stink! Reek of fish!" She spit on the floor before our feet before raising a silk ensconced arm to cover her nose.

"They are from Yoroido, Urasae." Tenada-sama replied, still not looking us.

"Where? No matter." She huffed irritable before coming closer. I backed away and into my sister as she loomed above us, a face that would scare any child into obedience. She grabbed me roughly and pushed me aside.

I watched, fascinated as she began sniffing around Kikyo, who, for her part, looked highly indignant. She opened her mouth to say something when the witch raised a hand and slapped her forcefully, sending her crashing to the ground. I saw Kikyo's hands spark pink before she landed, yet either the witch didn't notice or didn't care.

"This one is impure!" She screamed haughtily to Tenada-sama who glared down at Kikyo.

I noticed, pained, that she was still lying on the floor. Why wouldn't she get up? I remember feeling lonely then, like I was in the middle of the ocean, except it lacked its familiarity.

Tenada-sama walked over to Kikyo and pulled her up roughly by her hair. I winced, but noticed that she remained calm, ever so calm.

"Come Kagome, we are leaving."

I decided then and there, that I disliked the way my name sounded on his lips, and wished evermore that I had never told it to him.

Years later, after all my training and experiences, I realize that my name was, and is, the most sacred thing to me. It is the only piece of Yoroido and a seemingly past life that I have.

The next days were all a blur that I can only barely recollect. I remember departing from Tenada-sama's presence in something akin to glee. Kikyo and I were pushed into the bony hands of someone by the name of Noburo, who I couldn't determine whether or not he was a he or a she. We were then taken to another carriage and pushed inside rather rudely.

It was a long journey, spanning over days, maybe even weeks, I wasn't too sure. I only remember that Kikyo was eerily silent throughout the whole ride, and that Noburo looked disgusted with us and kept a cloth over the lower portion of his/her face the whole time.

I remember the first time we stopped. It was raining slightly and we had arrived in a place so big I was stunned into immobility. (I later learned we were in the Gion district of Japan). The whole place screamed wealth, passion, decadence and lust. Something that overwhelmed me, yet at the same time pulled me in. Left me yearning for more. The buildings were tall, the lighting electric, the art...new.

I was so enraptured with my first look at Gion that Noburo simply grabbed me by the hair as we fully exited the carriage. We were standing in front of a slightly shabby looking building that was two stories high. Standing in front was a woman with a beautiful dark blue kimono on. It looked as if she'd rushed to put it on as the obi wasn't as artfully done as the lady behind her.

Noburo, cloth still covering the lower portion of his mouth, walked up to her dragging Kikyo along behind him.

"Is this a new one you've brought us Noburo-kun?" Her voice was slurred and sounded almost foreign to my ears.

"Hn. Just take her woman."

She smiled, revealing three missing teeth along her bottom row.

"Oh, she's a pretty one! What's wrong with her? Why bring her here?"

"Impure."

Her smile grew.

"Ah! How perfect! An experienced one! I'll pay you extra for her!" She brought a cigarette to her mouth and took a long puff, exhaling it in a large circle in Kikyo's face. She pulled out a sack and threw it at Noburo, then grabbing Kikyo's arm she threw her towards the lady behind her.

"Tsubaki, show her the ropes, make her...comfortable."

She turned back to Noburo who was pulling me back into the carriage.

"Come again sometime Noburo!" She had yelled. I distinctly remember screaming Kikyo's name and being smacked in the mouth by Noburo. Kikyo turned, smiled softly and sadly before closing her eyes and releasing one single tear.

--I--

Less than an hour after leaving Kikyo, we arrived at a small compound. Noburo pushed me out and I tripped, landing with a pained sigh in the slightly muddy ground. Standing in the doorway was a woman whom I would come to love more than my own slightly faded mother. She was middle aged, with a black eye patch on her right eye. Her hair was black streaked through with gray and pulled into a low ponytail. She wore a pair of red hakamas and a white haori.

She motioned us forward and I rushed forward towards her. She looked kind and anything was better than stiff Noburo.

"So ye are the new one."

I smiled hesitantly, quite unsure whether or not she was friend or foe.

"My...name is Kagome." I whispered.

"Ah...quite a-"

The door swooshed open and out walked one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. Her name was Hatsumomo, and at that time she was one of Kyoto's top geisha. She was beautiful, and perfect in all respects (except her personality which I learned later) and her kimono made my eyes widen in admiration. It was a beautiful shade of orange with green, yellow, brown, and red leaves falling throughout. The obi was a beautiful rust brown with a gold lining that screamed expensive. It was the most beautiful kimono I'd ever seen, and made me realize that the woman to whom Kikyo had been left with was but a pale imitation of this woman, this goddess in disguise.

"Kaede, I'm leaving, please take out the trash before I go." Her voice was low with a certain melody that enraptured me. So entranced was I that I didn't realize the trash she was talking about was me. I glanced up then, and looked directly in her eyes, something that she hated more than anything. (Later, I found out that my eyes made her somewhat uncomfortable).

"Kaede! I'm waiting."

I looked at the older woman to whom I had taken an almost instant liking, and found that she was rolling her eye in annoyance.

"Kagome-chan, come here."

I walked past Hatsumomo, brushing softly against her silk kimono. Behind me, I could hear her indignant shriek before Kaede ushered me inside.

That was my first time stepping into the okiya that would be my home for the ten or so years and my first encounter with Hatsumomo. As I stepped into the cool compound of the okiya, holding onto the rough hand of Kaede I felt the first of the last of my tears fall. Each one landing with a heavy thud onto the thin fabric of my yukata, soaking in and reminding me with heart aching clarity of the ocean I'd left behind...of the mother who'd looked at me with such sad brown eyes. And I remember the way I'd stopped walking and stared. Simply stared into the emptiness of the passageway that so mirrored the emptiness in my heart.

Please review!

Author Note: As you can see, if you've read Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, I changed most of it...a lot. Okay not really a lot, but some. I didn't really add the striking of flint behind Hatsumomo's back as she departed and what not, simply because my hand ached (I have a sprained wrist) and I didn't feel like it. So I guess I'll just say it now, Geisha were very superstitious and by striking flint behind ones back, it insured good luck. (Or something to that effect, please correct me if I'm wrong.) I also did not include Hatsumomo's dresser. Once again...too much typing.

I'm dreadfully sorry if this offends anyone who believes that it is key, but seriously! My hand really hurts. (You might wonder why I'm still typing after the end of the first chapter...believe me if I knew...I'd tell you.)

Another thing, the beginning of this story well somewhat follow Memoirs of a Geisha, but as it progress I'm going to totally derail from the plot (of Memoirs) and definitely jump into Inuyasha. That sounds awkward now, but believe me its going to FLOW!

This is a Sesshoumaru/Kagome fiction, so I really hope (against all hope) that I won't find a flame somewhere in the 11th chapter about how this pairing is totally wrong and will never happen and yadda yadda ya. (Believe me it's happened.) If it takes you until the 11th chapter to tell me that a pairing (WHICH I'VE WARNED ABOUT IN THE FIRST CHAPTER) is bothering you... well then I can only hope that some takes you out of your misery because obviously you're an idiot.

Well that about wraps that up! Once again! Please review! They make me happy...

(So does Pocky sooo...*hint hint* *wink wink*)