InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Absolution's Pursuit ❯ A Pact Behind Closed Eyes ( Chapter 12 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lady Sianna 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 04.14.2010 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 378 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 04.14.2010 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 378 | Status: Work In Progress
Absolution’s Pursuit
A Pact Behind Closed Eyes
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Fatigue settled into Kagome’s limbs as she trailed Sesshoumaru down a narrow dirt road. Since retrieving the shell, he seemed to have picked up his pace significantly. By now, the sun was sliding into the west, casting long shadows before and slightly to the right of them, yet they had not taken a break since they’d left Oshiikame’s presence.
Kagome kept her complaints to herself and ate her dinner; a few pieces of dried meat on the road as she continued to move behind him. More than ever she’d felt the urge to strike up a conversation with him but had come up short as to what she should say. Sighing quietly, she decided that it probably was just as well. Sesshoumaru didn’t seem like much of a conversationalist anyway. He hadn’t even bothered to thank her for her role in helping to obtain the shell.
“We will stop here.”
Startled by the sound of his voice, the untrained miko looked up, only now noticing that they were no longer on the road. Surrounded by a light density of trees and brush, Kagome briefly marveled at how her preoccupation had so thoroughly distracted her from her surroundings.
“Okay.” she muttered, looking for a suitable place to rest. Spotting a thick tuft of grass near the base of a gnarled old tree, the tired female moved forward and all but collapsed into the greenery.
Observing her, it occurred to the demon lord that perhaps he should have allowed her to rest sooner. During the previous trip he had found himself requiring more rest than what normally would have been necessary, but now that he was in possession of the shell, he felt more like himself again. The needs of his human companion had apparently slipped his mind, not to mention the fact that she had neither complained nor requested a break. Now however, it was more than apparent that she was exhausted.
His expression growing mildly pensive, it now occurred to Sesshoumaru that… he really didn’t know this girl. Though untrained, she was in possession of immense spiritual powers, had followed his brother and had, ultimately dealt the killing blow against Naraku, but about her personality and character, he knew next to nothing. This was of little consequence really, but it might be wise to again increase the frequency of their breaks. It was admirable that she had not complained, but over exhorting herself on a regular basis would only weaken her already fragile body.
She had served her purpose in acquiring the shell, but still his offer for protection stood firm and could not be rescinded. As long as she chose to remain with him, he was bound by his word not only to allow it, but to keep her safe as well. With that in mind he decided that it probably wouldn’t do to ruin her health with recurrent fatigue.
Humans were such troublesome creatures.
‘I’ll have to get up and look for firewood soon…’ Kagome thought idly, the tired lids of her eyes beginning to droop. Her dark hair fanned out around her as she lay, very still atop the soft grass, her head cradled in the fold of her right arm. Now that she was fairly comfortable, she found herself remarkably disinclined to get up. Maybe she’d been more tired than she realized.
‘I’ll just… rest a little while longer.’ she told herself, and then hid a light yawn behind the cup of her left hand.
“Let me see your injury.”
Jolting into a partially upright position, the miko made a less than dignified exclamation which was not quite a shriek, but not exactly a yelp either. The sound of her racing heart thrumming in his ears, the inu lord found himself faintly amused when she backed away from him in disorientation and alarm. Though she was staring right at him, it seemed to take a moment for recognition to set in and she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh,” she panted, sweeping her sleep mussed hair away from her face. She squinted up into the sky, no doubt taking note that the sun had already set. “I must’ve dozed off.” she announced to no one in particular.
Content for the moment to simply watch as she regained her bearings, Sesshoumaru maintained his position before her in silence. She pulled herself up, absently straightening her clothing and plucking stray pieces of grass from her hair. When she finally finished with her preening, the woman looked up at him, a light flush tinting her cheeks.
“Was there… was there something you wanted?” Kagome asked haltingly, only now realizing how close they were. Her sleep frazzled mind had not been fully focused these last few moments but now that the fog was beginning to clear, she wondered why the daiyoukai was kneeling before her, staring, if not at her, in her general direction.
“Let me see your injury.” he instructed again, his features mildly expectant.
“My… oh.” she recalled suddenly. “It doesn’t really hurt anymore.” she told him, lifting her palm and preparing to remove the ribbon he had tied there. He did not answer, opting instead to impatiently sweep her uninjured hand away and carefully slice through the tiny knot with a sharp claw.
Both watched in silence as the silken material began to unravel. When it did not fall away completely, Kagome shot him a questioning look before carefully peeling the rest of the cloth away. Wincing when she got to the final layer, she carefully teased the makeshift bandage from her skin, the dried blood causing it to stick a little. When she was finished, her lips curved in a small smile. “It looks pretty good, I don’t think we’ll need to bandage it again.” she said and traced the thin red line with a finger.
“Hn.” the inu lord murmured noncommittally. Truly, her injury was of little concern to him. He had simply required an excuse to wake her so that she could better prepare herself for the night. Without the warmth of a fire, it was probable that she could fall ill, something he was neither able or willing to remedy. It was best that such a thing be prevented to begin with.
Turning, he stood and moved away, intent on resuming his previous position near a large bolder. The miko watched with interest and was faintly surprised to see that he was no longer wearing his armor. She hadn’t noticed till now. She continued to observe him as he seated himself, his pelt and armor in a neat pile near an enormous stone. Folding his hands into his oversized sleeves, , he sat partially reclined against the rock, one leg bent at the knee while the other lay flat against the low grass. He seemed to tune her out by allowing his head to fall forward, his thick bangs creating a dark shade that hid his eyes.
Kagome bit her lip, not really certain why she felt mildly uncomfortable. It was almost as if he’d left her completely alone, even though he was just a couple of yards away. She looked down at her hand again, curious as to why he’d bothered to ask about it when it was obvious that he didn’t care.
Without warning, the untrained miko felt her heart clench unpleasantly, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. Almost angrily, she turned away from the indifferent daiyoukai, shutting her eyes tightly and refusing to let the tears fall. She was finding it really difficult to be around him when his every move, every gesture seemed to speak, quite clearly of the fact that, in spite of his offer of protection, he cared nothing for her at all. It was to be expected of course, and under different circumstances it might not have even bothered her, but… she had lost everything; everyone she‘d ever cared for! The well refused to take her back to her own time; her family, she still didn’t think she could bring herself to go back to Miroku, Sango and Shippou, and Inuyasha was…
With effort, she quashed the whimper that was building in the back of her throat and hurriedly scrambled to her feet. ‘I don’t have time to think about this right now!’ she scolded herself mentally, her voice cracking even in her mind.
“I…” she rasped quietly, stopping to take a deep breath and regain her composure. “I’m going to collect some firewood.” she finally managed. “I’ll be back soon.”
She didn’t turn back to him, didn’t wait for a response and didn’t notice the golden, sidelong glance being leveled upon her as she raced off into the forest, leaving her weapons behind.
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The effort of collecting wood, together with the time alone did much to calm the young miko, but did very little in the way of soothing her melancholy thoughts. It was some time later when she’d returned and unloaded the heavy cash of bark, dried branches and dead grass. She’d been hard at work arranging the pieces when his voice momentarily gave her pause.
“It was unwise to enter the forest unarmed. You will refrain from doing so in the future.”
Her eyes narrowing, Kagome had ground her teeth at his icy tone. Instead of making a biting retort however, she’d simply resumed her work, not bothering to answer at all. He could hardly complain, seeing as how he ignored her at least half the time she spoke.
‘Maybe…’ she’d thought, ‘Maybe I’d be better off on my own.’
The idea wasn’t as frightening as she’d thought it would be. Her legs folded before her, the miko had sat quietly before the small fire, a box of matches all but forgotten in her limp fingers, her features gilded in gold.
She could… maybe find a shrine or, even one of the nearby villages and apprentice under an older more experienced priestess. It would be nice to gain full control and understanding of her powers. Once she was finished with her training she could take up residence in a new village, make new friends; start a new life.
‘It might be nice,’ she’d thought with a bitter-sweet smile. What did she have to loose? Returning to Miroku, Sango and Shippou would only remind her of Inuyasha, and even though she loved him, she couldn’t live her life in the shadow of his memory. Maybe it was selfish of her to stay away from her friends for that reason, but she just knew it would hurt so much more to be around them, knowing their little group of shard hunters would never be complete again. If she was with them, she would always look for him perched in the boughs of the Sacred Tree, reclining on the roof of Kaede’s hut, or bounding in from the nearby forest.
It hurt more than anything, but she had to accept that he was truly gone, right along with her chances of returning to her own time through the well. This place… this was her home now and she needed to make the best of it; needed to make a clean break and start anew.
Feeling slightly uplifted with her decision, the miko had reclined in her bed of grass, soon drifting off into a peaceful slumber.
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The first thing the untrained miko from the future became aware of, was her own hand as it stretched before her to carefully push a low hanging branch out of her way. Instinctively moving forward, she continued to pick her way through the brush. She didn’t know what it was she was seeking, only that it was just ahead of her and that she needed to press on. Though she paid them little mind, her surroundings seemed vaguely familiar. A few additional paces forward, and she would immediately understand why. Making her way beyond an enormous tree, she stepped into a field of low grass; a familiar clearing sprawling out before her. She gasped quietly when her gaze fell upon the Bone Eater’s Well, her focus on the silver-haired figure that rested upon its rim.
“Inu-- ?” she began, but then halted. No, it wasn’t Inuyasha, at least not as she knew him. She could not see this demon’s face, but she knew he was someone she’d never met before. In addition to the thick bangs that concealed his eyes and the upper portion of his face, he was positioned at such an angle that he was not facing her. Eyes drawing to the silvery spill of hair that cascaded down his back, she noted that it had been gathered into a high que near the top of his head. His clothing, instead of the familiar red she knew was as white as snow, and instead of bare feet, this male wore dark boots. His shoulders were plated in spiky armor, while two fluffy white pelts cascaded down his back, pooling on the ground near his feet.
His attire was extremely reminiscent of Sesshoumaru’s, yet… different as well.
“H-hello?” she called tentatively; cautiously.
The demon turned to her then, a small but disarming smile lighting his face. “Hn,” he murmured softly, seeming to speak only to himself, “He said you would find me here.” He stood, and Kagome gasped, very softly, while inwardly marveling at how tall he was. She was positive she’d never seen this male before, yet there was something so very familiar about him. His hair was silver, but he had thick dark brows… just like Inuyasha. But, he also wore silky white clothing and fluffy white pelts just like Sesshoumaru.
Without consciously thinking to do so, Kagome moved forward, caution melting away in the face of her overwhelming curiosity. Now that she was closer, she could more clearly see the jagged blue markings that graced his otherwise flawless cheeks. A light furrow creasing her brow, she almost, almost reached forward to touch one, but refrained from doing so at the last minute.
“He who?” she asked dazedly, realization warring with the illogicality of what she was seeing.
The male’s smile broadened further. “Inuyasha, of course.”
Kagome felt faint, her breath leaving her in a rush. Instantly, her mind was bombarded with an array of confusing thoughts, until finally she realized, “I… must be dreaming.”
“Indeed you are.” the great general affirmed, his voice soft and nonchalant.
It took a moment for her to regain her bearings, but when she finally did so the young miko mentally berated herself for her lacking display of manners. “I’m sorry,” she said before executing a respectful bow, “My name is Kagome. It’s a pleasure to meet you Taisho-sama.”
He gave a curt nod, his smile never fading. “You have done nothing that requires an apology. No doubt, you are merely surprised to see me.”
“Well, yes, I… am. Is this… I mean, I just have never…”
“Dreamed of me before?” he finished for her, seeing the confusion etched so clearly upon her pretty face. A dark brow lifted into the shade of his bangs. “You are lovelier than I imagined.” he mentioned offhandedly, taking no small delight in how her cheeks flooded with color.
Then, waving off his previous words as if they were of no consequence he went on, “No, I suppose you wouldn’t have dreamed of me before now. After all, we’ve never met before.”
Not really knowing what to say, Kagome simply watched as he turned away from her and gazed into the sky. His hands were folded behind him now, and though his expression was largely serene, she was left with the impression that there was something on his mind. “You and Inuyasha, you… were close friends were you not?”
“Yes. We were.” she answered with little hesitation. He could hear the sadness in her voice when she spoke of him.
DaiGin looked at her then. “For what it’s worth, he wanted to be here in my stead. But, I felt it best that he not do so.”
The miko nodded, the sting of tears burning the backs of her eyes. She couldn’t be upset that he’d told Inuyasha to stay away. Having just this night made up her mind to move on, she knew that in spite of the pain, it was better this way. Still she couldn‘t stop her self from asking, “Is he… is he happy?” A stray tear spilled from her eye before she could prevent it.
The general felt his heart clench for her. “He is getting there.” he said slowly. Then, very carefully he added, “He is… not alone.”
Another tear streamed down her cheek. “So… he and Kikyou… they… they found each other again.”
The youkai’s lack of response was all the confirmation she needed, and for the briefest of moments Kagome felt jealousy and anger stab her through the heart. The feeling was gone as quickly as it came, leaving in its place the dull ache of loss and the empty void of loneliness.
Her hands fisted tightly at her sides and her dark hair shielding the upper portion of her face, Kagome said nothing further for several moments.
DaiGin could do little more than watch her in silence. He understood that she needed a moment to digest this new information and did not find it necessary to disturb her. Like both of his sons, feminine crying was rather unpleasant for him, so he let her be, knowing that any attempt to comfort her would only bring more tears.
Finally, she lifted an oversized sleeve to her face and wiped away her tears. When she looked up at him, he could see a sort of acceptance in her eyes, even though the pain was still there. This girl, he realized, possessed an inner strength that was truly remarkable. She took a deep steadying breath before folding her hands into her sleeves and standing tall.
“Thank you Taisho-sama,” she said, “For being so honest with me. I’m really going to miss him… but, I’m glad he’s happy.”
“I could do nothing less.” he explained patiently, “And there’s no need to be so formal,” Please, call me DaiGin.”
At this she gave him a dubious look, but he merely smiled, turning his attention to the distant mountains and the soft hues of yellow and orange that signaled the start of a new day. “So,” he eventually spoke up again, “My eldest, how is he treating you?”
Surprised at the abrupt change of subject, Kagome took a moment to consider her response. “Well, he’s… not treating me badly.”
“That,” the general postulated, “Does not sound very promising. Would you care to elaborate?”
The miko chuckled nervously. “Umm… well, he hardly ever talks to me and a lot of times when I speak to him, he just ignores me. But,” she shrugged, “He did bandage my hand when I got hurt.”
“Sesshoumaru has never been extremely vocal, so it is best that you not take it personally that he is reluctant to converse with you.”
“I can understand that, but, it just kinda makes me uncomfortable to be around him. I never know what he’s thinking. And besides,” she added with a light blush. “I like to talk.”
There was an uneasy pause in which neither of them spoke. “Even though he’s the one who offered to protect me, I don’t really think he likes having me around.”
“Hn. If that is the case, then why did he offer? Did you ask him?”
“Yeah. He told me to consider it a means of atonement.” she paused and looked away. “Since he wasn’t able to save Inuyasha…”
“I see.” he said at last.
Kagome shrugged. “I’m really just a burden to him, so I don’t think he’ll put up much of a fuss when I tell him I’m leaving.” she murmured offhandedly. Her attention fixed on the red chord that threaded her large sleeves, the female missed the lifting of the general’s dark brow.
“You do not intend to continue traveling with him?”
She shrugged again. “I was going to, but now I think we’d both be happier if I found some village or a shrine or something.”
There was another long pause. “Do you,” DaiGin began, his voice seemingly edged with caution. “Do you dislike Sesshoumaru?”
“No!” she said immediately, “I don’t have anything against him, I just, don’t feel very comfortable around him.”
“I am going to be honest with you Kagome, Sesshoumaru can be difficult even at the best of times, but recently he has found himself in… a bit of a situation.”
“What kind of situation?”
“A very bad one.” he said, and then took a moment to consider what he would say next. “I realize that we have only just met, but I would like to ask a favor of you.”
“Of course.” the miko responded at once.
DaiGin quirked a brow. “You would agree to grant a favor, even before you know what it is?”
Kagome smiled. “I know it might sound silly, but somehow, I trust you. I don’t think you’d ask me to do anything that I couldn’t handle.”
He couldn’t help but to smile at that.
“I want you to give Sesshoumaru a little more time. More than anyone, I realize what a pill he can be, but I want you to stay with him. As I said, he is facing a great difficulty at the moment, and I think your continued presence would be beneficial to him.”
Confused as to what would be considered “a great difficulty” for the seemingly all powerful Sesshoumaru she asked, “Is he… in some kind of trouble?”
“As a matter of fact, yes.” the general told her. “He is, even now attempting to come up with a solution, but I am fearful that he will not be able to do so on his own.”
Recalling his difficulty in speaking with Oshiikame, Kagome mentally conceded that his words were likely true. Considering all that was said, she realized that the great general was not going to give her the specifics of Sesshoumaru’s situation. If he’d planned to, he would have done so by now.
Really, it was difficult to imagine that Sesshoumaru was in trouble. He was so incredibly powerful, even more so than Inuyasha. What could possibly be a threat to him? And how could it benefit him for her to stay around?
There were so many questions.
She looked into the general‘s eyes, still not understanding but ready to stand by her word. She wasn’t sure how he’d entered her dream, but if he’d gone through the trouble to do so, there must have been a reason for it. Besides, he hadn’t asked much. How could she deny the great and terrible Inu no Taisho such a simple favor.
“Alright,” she said resolutely. “I’ll stay.”
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Blah! I’m not terribly pleased with this chapter, but if nothing else, I accomplished what I set out to do.
Hope you all enjoyed and please review!
A Pact Behind Closed Eyes
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Fatigue settled into Kagome’s limbs as she trailed Sesshoumaru down a narrow dirt road. Since retrieving the shell, he seemed to have picked up his pace significantly. By now, the sun was sliding into the west, casting long shadows before and slightly to the right of them, yet they had not taken a break since they’d left Oshiikame’s presence.
Kagome kept her complaints to herself and ate her dinner; a few pieces of dried meat on the road as she continued to move behind him. More than ever she’d felt the urge to strike up a conversation with him but had come up short as to what she should say. Sighing quietly, she decided that it probably was just as well. Sesshoumaru didn’t seem like much of a conversationalist anyway. He hadn’t even bothered to thank her for her role in helping to obtain the shell.
“We will stop here.”
Startled by the sound of his voice, the untrained miko looked up, only now noticing that they were no longer on the road. Surrounded by a light density of trees and brush, Kagome briefly marveled at how her preoccupation had so thoroughly distracted her from her surroundings.
“Okay.” she muttered, looking for a suitable place to rest. Spotting a thick tuft of grass near the base of a gnarled old tree, the tired female moved forward and all but collapsed into the greenery.
Observing her, it occurred to the demon lord that perhaps he should have allowed her to rest sooner. During the previous trip he had found himself requiring more rest than what normally would have been necessary, but now that he was in possession of the shell, he felt more like himself again. The needs of his human companion had apparently slipped his mind, not to mention the fact that she had neither complained nor requested a break. Now however, it was more than apparent that she was exhausted.
His expression growing mildly pensive, it now occurred to Sesshoumaru that… he really didn’t know this girl. Though untrained, she was in possession of immense spiritual powers, had followed his brother and had, ultimately dealt the killing blow against Naraku, but about her personality and character, he knew next to nothing. This was of little consequence really, but it might be wise to again increase the frequency of their breaks. It was admirable that she had not complained, but over exhorting herself on a regular basis would only weaken her already fragile body.
She had served her purpose in acquiring the shell, but still his offer for protection stood firm and could not be rescinded. As long as she chose to remain with him, he was bound by his word not only to allow it, but to keep her safe as well. With that in mind he decided that it probably wouldn’t do to ruin her health with recurrent fatigue.
Humans were such troublesome creatures.
‘I’ll have to get up and look for firewood soon…’ Kagome thought idly, the tired lids of her eyes beginning to droop. Her dark hair fanned out around her as she lay, very still atop the soft grass, her head cradled in the fold of her right arm. Now that she was fairly comfortable, she found herself remarkably disinclined to get up. Maybe she’d been more tired than she realized.
‘I’ll just… rest a little while longer.’ she told herself, and then hid a light yawn behind the cup of her left hand.
“Let me see your injury.”
Jolting into a partially upright position, the miko made a less than dignified exclamation which was not quite a shriek, but not exactly a yelp either. The sound of her racing heart thrumming in his ears, the inu lord found himself faintly amused when she backed away from him in disorientation and alarm. Though she was staring right at him, it seemed to take a moment for recognition to set in and she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh,” she panted, sweeping her sleep mussed hair away from her face. She squinted up into the sky, no doubt taking note that the sun had already set. “I must’ve dozed off.” she announced to no one in particular.
Content for the moment to simply watch as she regained her bearings, Sesshoumaru maintained his position before her in silence. She pulled herself up, absently straightening her clothing and plucking stray pieces of grass from her hair. When she finally finished with her preening, the woman looked up at him, a light flush tinting her cheeks.
“Was there… was there something you wanted?” Kagome asked haltingly, only now realizing how close they were. Her sleep frazzled mind had not been fully focused these last few moments but now that the fog was beginning to clear, she wondered why the daiyoukai was kneeling before her, staring, if not at her, in her general direction.
“Let me see your injury.” he instructed again, his features mildly expectant.
“My… oh.” she recalled suddenly. “It doesn’t really hurt anymore.” she told him, lifting her palm and preparing to remove the ribbon he had tied there. He did not answer, opting instead to impatiently sweep her uninjured hand away and carefully slice through the tiny knot with a sharp claw.
Both watched in silence as the silken material began to unravel. When it did not fall away completely, Kagome shot him a questioning look before carefully peeling the rest of the cloth away. Wincing when she got to the final layer, she carefully teased the makeshift bandage from her skin, the dried blood causing it to stick a little. When she was finished, her lips curved in a small smile. “It looks pretty good, I don’t think we’ll need to bandage it again.” she said and traced the thin red line with a finger.
“Hn.” the inu lord murmured noncommittally. Truly, her injury was of little concern to him. He had simply required an excuse to wake her so that she could better prepare herself for the night. Without the warmth of a fire, it was probable that she could fall ill, something he was neither able or willing to remedy. It was best that such a thing be prevented to begin with.
Turning, he stood and moved away, intent on resuming his previous position near a large bolder. The miko watched with interest and was faintly surprised to see that he was no longer wearing his armor. She hadn’t noticed till now. She continued to observe him as he seated himself, his pelt and armor in a neat pile near an enormous stone. Folding his hands into his oversized sleeves, , he sat partially reclined against the rock, one leg bent at the knee while the other lay flat against the low grass. He seemed to tune her out by allowing his head to fall forward, his thick bangs creating a dark shade that hid his eyes.
Kagome bit her lip, not really certain why she felt mildly uncomfortable. It was almost as if he’d left her completely alone, even though he was just a couple of yards away. She looked down at her hand again, curious as to why he’d bothered to ask about it when it was obvious that he didn’t care.
Without warning, the untrained miko felt her heart clench unpleasantly, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. Almost angrily, she turned away from the indifferent daiyoukai, shutting her eyes tightly and refusing to let the tears fall. She was finding it really difficult to be around him when his every move, every gesture seemed to speak, quite clearly of the fact that, in spite of his offer of protection, he cared nothing for her at all. It was to be expected of course, and under different circumstances it might not have even bothered her, but… she had lost everything; everyone she‘d ever cared for! The well refused to take her back to her own time; her family, she still didn’t think she could bring herself to go back to Miroku, Sango and Shippou, and Inuyasha was…
With effort, she quashed the whimper that was building in the back of her throat and hurriedly scrambled to her feet. ‘I don’t have time to think about this right now!’ she scolded herself mentally, her voice cracking even in her mind.
“I…” she rasped quietly, stopping to take a deep breath and regain her composure. “I’m going to collect some firewood.” she finally managed. “I’ll be back soon.”
She didn’t turn back to him, didn’t wait for a response and didn’t notice the golden, sidelong glance being leveled upon her as she raced off into the forest, leaving her weapons behind.
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The effort of collecting wood, together with the time alone did much to calm the young miko, but did very little in the way of soothing her melancholy thoughts. It was some time later when she’d returned and unloaded the heavy cash of bark, dried branches and dead grass. She’d been hard at work arranging the pieces when his voice momentarily gave her pause.
“It was unwise to enter the forest unarmed. You will refrain from doing so in the future.”
Her eyes narrowing, Kagome had ground her teeth at his icy tone. Instead of making a biting retort however, she’d simply resumed her work, not bothering to answer at all. He could hardly complain, seeing as how he ignored her at least half the time she spoke.
‘Maybe…’ she’d thought, ‘Maybe I’d be better off on my own.’
The idea wasn’t as frightening as she’d thought it would be. Her legs folded before her, the miko had sat quietly before the small fire, a box of matches all but forgotten in her limp fingers, her features gilded in gold.
She could… maybe find a shrine or, even one of the nearby villages and apprentice under an older more experienced priestess. It would be nice to gain full control and understanding of her powers. Once she was finished with her training she could take up residence in a new village, make new friends; start a new life.
‘It might be nice,’ she’d thought with a bitter-sweet smile. What did she have to loose? Returning to Miroku, Sango and Shippou would only remind her of Inuyasha, and even though she loved him, she couldn’t live her life in the shadow of his memory. Maybe it was selfish of her to stay away from her friends for that reason, but she just knew it would hurt so much more to be around them, knowing their little group of shard hunters would never be complete again. If she was with them, she would always look for him perched in the boughs of the Sacred Tree, reclining on the roof of Kaede’s hut, or bounding in from the nearby forest.
It hurt more than anything, but she had to accept that he was truly gone, right along with her chances of returning to her own time through the well. This place… this was her home now and she needed to make the best of it; needed to make a clean break and start anew.
Feeling slightly uplifted with her decision, the miko had reclined in her bed of grass, soon drifting off into a peaceful slumber.
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The first thing the untrained miko from the future became aware of, was her own hand as it stretched before her to carefully push a low hanging branch out of her way. Instinctively moving forward, she continued to pick her way through the brush. She didn’t know what it was she was seeking, only that it was just ahead of her and that she needed to press on. Though she paid them little mind, her surroundings seemed vaguely familiar. A few additional paces forward, and she would immediately understand why. Making her way beyond an enormous tree, she stepped into a field of low grass; a familiar clearing sprawling out before her. She gasped quietly when her gaze fell upon the Bone Eater’s Well, her focus on the silver-haired figure that rested upon its rim.
“Inu-- ?” she began, but then halted. No, it wasn’t Inuyasha, at least not as she knew him. She could not see this demon’s face, but she knew he was someone she’d never met before. In addition to the thick bangs that concealed his eyes and the upper portion of his face, he was positioned at such an angle that he was not facing her. Eyes drawing to the silvery spill of hair that cascaded down his back, she noted that it had been gathered into a high que near the top of his head. His clothing, instead of the familiar red she knew was as white as snow, and instead of bare feet, this male wore dark boots. His shoulders were plated in spiky armor, while two fluffy white pelts cascaded down his back, pooling on the ground near his feet.
His attire was extremely reminiscent of Sesshoumaru’s, yet… different as well.
“H-hello?” she called tentatively; cautiously.
The demon turned to her then, a small but disarming smile lighting his face. “Hn,” he murmured softly, seeming to speak only to himself, “He said you would find me here.” He stood, and Kagome gasped, very softly, while inwardly marveling at how tall he was. She was positive she’d never seen this male before, yet there was something so very familiar about him. His hair was silver, but he had thick dark brows… just like Inuyasha. But, he also wore silky white clothing and fluffy white pelts just like Sesshoumaru.
Without consciously thinking to do so, Kagome moved forward, caution melting away in the face of her overwhelming curiosity. Now that she was closer, she could more clearly see the jagged blue markings that graced his otherwise flawless cheeks. A light furrow creasing her brow, she almost, almost reached forward to touch one, but refrained from doing so at the last minute.
“He who?” she asked dazedly, realization warring with the illogicality of what she was seeing.
The male’s smile broadened further. “Inuyasha, of course.”
Kagome felt faint, her breath leaving her in a rush. Instantly, her mind was bombarded with an array of confusing thoughts, until finally she realized, “I… must be dreaming.”
“Indeed you are.” the great general affirmed, his voice soft and nonchalant.
It took a moment for her to regain her bearings, but when she finally did so the young miko mentally berated herself for her lacking display of manners. “I’m sorry,” she said before executing a respectful bow, “My name is Kagome. It’s a pleasure to meet you Taisho-sama.”
He gave a curt nod, his smile never fading. “You have done nothing that requires an apology. No doubt, you are merely surprised to see me.”
“Well, yes, I… am. Is this… I mean, I just have never…”
“Dreamed of me before?” he finished for her, seeing the confusion etched so clearly upon her pretty face. A dark brow lifted into the shade of his bangs. “You are lovelier than I imagined.” he mentioned offhandedly, taking no small delight in how her cheeks flooded with color.
Then, waving off his previous words as if they were of no consequence he went on, “No, I suppose you wouldn’t have dreamed of me before now. After all, we’ve never met before.”
Not really knowing what to say, Kagome simply watched as he turned away from her and gazed into the sky. His hands were folded behind him now, and though his expression was largely serene, she was left with the impression that there was something on his mind. “You and Inuyasha, you… were close friends were you not?”
“Yes. We were.” she answered with little hesitation. He could hear the sadness in her voice when she spoke of him.
DaiGin looked at her then. “For what it’s worth, he wanted to be here in my stead. But, I felt it best that he not do so.”
The miko nodded, the sting of tears burning the backs of her eyes. She couldn’t be upset that he’d told Inuyasha to stay away. Having just this night made up her mind to move on, she knew that in spite of the pain, it was better this way. Still she couldn‘t stop her self from asking, “Is he… is he happy?” A stray tear spilled from her eye before she could prevent it.
The general felt his heart clench for her. “He is getting there.” he said slowly. Then, very carefully he added, “He is… not alone.”
Another tear streamed down her cheek. “So… he and Kikyou… they… they found each other again.”
The youkai’s lack of response was all the confirmation she needed, and for the briefest of moments Kagome felt jealousy and anger stab her through the heart. The feeling was gone as quickly as it came, leaving in its place the dull ache of loss and the empty void of loneliness.
Her hands fisted tightly at her sides and her dark hair shielding the upper portion of her face, Kagome said nothing further for several moments.
DaiGin could do little more than watch her in silence. He understood that she needed a moment to digest this new information and did not find it necessary to disturb her. Like both of his sons, feminine crying was rather unpleasant for him, so he let her be, knowing that any attempt to comfort her would only bring more tears.
Finally, she lifted an oversized sleeve to her face and wiped away her tears. When she looked up at him, he could see a sort of acceptance in her eyes, even though the pain was still there. This girl, he realized, possessed an inner strength that was truly remarkable. She took a deep steadying breath before folding her hands into her sleeves and standing tall.
“Thank you Taisho-sama,” she said, “For being so honest with me. I’m really going to miss him… but, I’m glad he’s happy.”
“I could do nothing less.” he explained patiently, “And there’s no need to be so formal,” Please, call me DaiGin.”
At this she gave him a dubious look, but he merely smiled, turning his attention to the distant mountains and the soft hues of yellow and orange that signaled the start of a new day. “So,” he eventually spoke up again, “My eldest, how is he treating you?”
Surprised at the abrupt change of subject, Kagome took a moment to consider her response. “Well, he’s… not treating me badly.”
“That,” the general postulated, “Does not sound very promising. Would you care to elaborate?”
The miko chuckled nervously. “Umm… well, he hardly ever talks to me and a lot of times when I speak to him, he just ignores me. But,” she shrugged, “He did bandage my hand when I got hurt.”
“Sesshoumaru has never been extremely vocal, so it is best that you not take it personally that he is reluctant to converse with you.”
“I can understand that, but, it just kinda makes me uncomfortable to be around him. I never know what he’s thinking. And besides,” she added with a light blush. “I like to talk.”
There was an uneasy pause in which neither of them spoke. “Even though he’s the one who offered to protect me, I don’t really think he likes having me around.”
“Hn. If that is the case, then why did he offer? Did you ask him?”
“Yeah. He told me to consider it a means of atonement.” she paused and looked away. “Since he wasn’t able to save Inuyasha…”
“I see.” he said at last.
Kagome shrugged. “I’m really just a burden to him, so I don’t think he’ll put up much of a fuss when I tell him I’m leaving.” she murmured offhandedly. Her attention fixed on the red chord that threaded her large sleeves, the female missed the lifting of the general’s dark brow.
“You do not intend to continue traveling with him?”
She shrugged again. “I was going to, but now I think we’d both be happier if I found some village or a shrine or something.”
There was another long pause. “Do you,” DaiGin began, his voice seemingly edged with caution. “Do you dislike Sesshoumaru?”
“No!” she said immediately, “I don’t have anything against him, I just, don’t feel very comfortable around him.”
“I am going to be honest with you Kagome, Sesshoumaru can be difficult even at the best of times, but recently he has found himself in… a bit of a situation.”
“What kind of situation?”
“A very bad one.” he said, and then took a moment to consider what he would say next. “I realize that we have only just met, but I would like to ask a favor of you.”
“Of course.” the miko responded at once.
DaiGin quirked a brow. “You would agree to grant a favor, even before you know what it is?”
Kagome smiled. “I know it might sound silly, but somehow, I trust you. I don’t think you’d ask me to do anything that I couldn’t handle.”
He couldn’t help but to smile at that.
“I want you to give Sesshoumaru a little more time. More than anyone, I realize what a pill he can be, but I want you to stay with him. As I said, he is facing a great difficulty at the moment, and I think your continued presence would be beneficial to him.”
Confused as to what would be considered “a great difficulty” for the seemingly all powerful Sesshoumaru she asked, “Is he… in some kind of trouble?”
“As a matter of fact, yes.” the general told her. “He is, even now attempting to come up with a solution, but I am fearful that he will not be able to do so on his own.”
Recalling his difficulty in speaking with Oshiikame, Kagome mentally conceded that his words were likely true. Considering all that was said, she realized that the great general was not going to give her the specifics of Sesshoumaru’s situation. If he’d planned to, he would have done so by now.
Really, it was difficult to imagine that Sesshoumaru was in trouble. He was so incredibly powerful, even more so than Inuyasha. What could possibly be a threat to him? And how could it benefit him for her to stay around?
There were so many questions.
She looked into the general‘s eyes, still not understanding but ready to stand by her word. She wasn’t sure how he’d entered her dream, but if he’d gone through the trouble to do so, there must have been a reason for it. Besides, he hadn’t asked much. How could she deny the great and terrible Inu no Taisho such a simple favor.
“Alright,” she said resolutely. “I’ll stay.”
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Blah! I’m not terribly pleased with this chapter, but if nothing else, I accomplished what I set out to do.
Hope you all enjoyed and please review!