InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Captive Soul ❯ chapter 30 ( Chapter 30 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters

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chapter 30: The past to the present

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Kagome sat at her dining room table staring at the small white card in her hand. For the near twentieth time, she glanced at the cordless phone sitting on the table in front of her. Making up her mind, Kagome picked up the receiver and dialed the number that was on the card.

A strong male voice answered on the other end, "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Inuyasha?"

"Yes, it is. Kagome?"

"Yes, this is Kagome."

"Have you thought about what I said?"

"I have."

"And?"

Kagome sighed. "We need to talk. Are you busy?"

"I will be until ten o'clock. I am at the local police precinct. They wanted me to fill them in on my investigation. I am sifting through paperwork as we speak."

"Would you mind coming over to my house around eleven a.m.?"

"I would not mind. Where do you live?"

Kagome gave Inuyasha her address before ending their conversation with a simple farewell. She turned off the phone in her hand and set it down.

For a long moment, her mind wandered to last night's events. It had all happened so fast: Naraku, Kikyo, Sesshomaru almost getting absorbed, Rin almost dying. Her body and mind was still settling from the shock of it all.

Inuyasha......"Inuyasha," the name fell from her lips before she had even realized it. The way they had......fought together......it was so.....harmonious... ....almost as if their simple movements in combat forged a whole that worked in synchronized completion.....they had fit together.......like....partners.

"Dear, whom were you talking to?"

Kagome blinked from her inner contemplations and looked to see her mother rummaging in the icebox. "Oh, hi Momma, I was talking to Inuyasha. You know, the hanyou I met last night."

Her mother pulled an ice tray from the freezer and began filling a glass with frozen cubes. "Dreadful night last night. If your father and I had known about that horrible hanyou...."

"It's okay, Momma," Kagome interrupted, "You didn't know...none of us knew what Naraku was planning or what he had been doing."

Her mother let out a long breath while sitting down at the table. "Such a mess. If Rin's friend had not been there....."

Kagome could see her mother was beginning to get upset by thinking too much. "Mom, everything turned out okay in the end. We were lucky because Inuyasha had been there. With our combined powers Inuyasha and I were able to defeat Naraku, free Sesshomaru and save Rin's life."

"Kagome, you never told me how Sesshomaru saved Rin."

"He used a sword of healing, Momma. I didn't know he possessed such a strange weapon. I don't think Rin even knew, but he has another sword as well. He carries both around with him every time he leaves the house. I think the other sword he carries is for combat."

"Well, your father and I owe him. I don't know how we can ever repay him for saving Rin. Are they still coming for dinner tonight?"

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. They are probably still resting from the stress over what happened last night. I really don't feel like cooking anyway."

Her mother smiled. "Then it is settled, your father and I will order a large dinner from that fancy restaurant uptown and have it delivered. You can bring Rin and Sesshomaru here tonight for some food and relaxation."

Kagome nodded to her mother with a small smile. "Okay Momma, I think they may like that."

As her mother stood up and headed for the living room, she paused and turned. "I almost forgot, wasn't Kikyo supposed to be leaving this afternoon?"

Kagome grimaced. "Kikyo and I had a big argument late last night. She left early this morning."

She raised a motherly brow. "Oh, is it something I should know about?"With a wave of nonchalance, Kagome replied. "No...it's nothing....just a disagreement concerning Sesshomaru."

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Rin woke to fuzzy warmth. Everything was so warm and comfortable. She sighed, snuggling further into it and closer to her bedmate.

A deep male voice mumbled into her hair as strong arms gave a small squeeze of a hug. "Good morning."

"Good morning. Sleep well?"

"Very."

Rin smiled as memories of the very early morning came back. It made her whole body tingle just thinking about it.

"If you keep that up, we will not be getting out of bed all day."

Suppressing a giggle, Rin turned in Sesshomaru's arms until she lay facing his calm and resting features. "Keep what up?" she asked in mock innocence.

He opened one amber eye. "You know what I am referring to, Rin. Your scent gives much away."

"Oh, really?" Rin grinned. "Can you read my mind as well?"

Sesshomaru closed his eye and grunted a short growl while pulling her closer. "Sometimes."

"And what is on my mind right now?"

The inu youkai smirked. "Staying in bed all day....with me."

Her eyes narrowed as she teased. "Cheater."

He sniffed haughtily. "I never cheat.....unless it suits my purpose."

A warm hand slid up her bare back and begun rubbing circles. Rin melted. "You.....really....know...how to....make a female.....lose it... don't you."

The dog demon opened smooth honeyed eyes that hinted with mischief. "You could say that."

He leaned in, his nose caressed her cheek before a deep voice whispered in her ear. "Mine...."

Fuzziness clouded all thought when the softness of his lips trailed down her neck. "Sess...uh....I...."

"Shhhhhh..."

That tingle spread through her body once more. "Sess...."

Rin found his lips and licked over them once. A low growl escaped from her bedmate as he deepened the kiss.

Just as she was about to fall into heaven, the phone rang.

Sesshomaru growled in irritation and reached for it.

Rin, knowing just what he was going to do, stopped him. "Sess, don't."

The inu youkai paused. "Rin, can I not rid us of that interrupting.....thing!?"

"No, Sess, I need my phone. Now hand it to me."

A distinct rumbling continued from deep within his throat as he reached for the receiver and handed it to her, stretching the cord over the bed.

"Hello?"

"Rin?"

"Oh, hi, Kagome. Are you still going to pick us up around two or three o'clock this afternoon?"

"Uh, yea, I am but....I might be bringing someone with me."

"Who?"

"Well.....Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha?"

Rin heard Sesshomaru let out a strange grunt in the midst of his low continuous growl when she repeated the name.

"Uh...yea....The hanyou that helped us out last night, Sesshomaru's half brother."

Blinking in astonishment, Rin glanced at the male laying next to her who was now staring at the other side of the room with a deep frown, both hands behind his head in a reclined position. "Oh...okay...I will see you this evening, Kagome."

"Okay, Rin, bye."

"Bye."

Rin crawled over Sesshomaru to hang up the phone. Grabbing one of the sheets, she wrapped it around her while sitting next to the inu youkai who looked very much like he was sulking about something. "Want to talk about it?"

Sesshomaru shook his head slightly. "There is not much to say."

"Come on, Sess. It's me here. The one who loves you. Remember?"

The dog demon looked up towards the ceiling, the gold in his eyes fading to a reflective unknown hue. "Inuyasha is my half brother. My father mated with a human after my mother passed from this world."

Rin got the feeling Sesshomaru and his brother were not very close. "Don't you want to see him....again?"

Sesshomaru's deep tone took on a wistful quality. "In a way..........

...........

yes......

and.....

in another way........

no.......

Not as I am......I do not wish for my half-breed brother to see me like this.........I never wanted him or my father to see me like this........I never thought they would.....I was sure my death would come before that unwanted occurrence."

Rin knew the topic was a delicate one. She could see and feel Sesshomaru's reluctance in talking about it. "Sess....does.....he know....about what happened to you and what you became?"

"No."

"Kagome may tell him."

"If that is what she wishes, I cannot stand in her way."

"Will you.....talk to him....if he comes here?"

The dog demon let out a short humph of irritation before sitting up and throwing the covers back. As he stood, his silver locks hid most of his bare back side. He reached down and began pulling on his sweat pants. "If you want me to, there is not much that I can say about it now is there."

Rin sighed. It was good that Sesshomaru was opening up and his true self was emerging with a greater strength, but did he have to be so....stubborn?

She shook her head at the agitated youkai who now stood at her balcony door staring out through the curtained glass. "Sess......"

He did not look at her, folding his arms across his chest. "What?"

"Sess..."

He turned his gaze to her, a stone's coldness etched on his features. "What?"

She smiled while crawling on her knees to the side of the bed.

Eyes of sunlit gold watched her cautiously.

Still holding the sheet around her body, she sat up on the edge of the bed and hooked her forefinger in a 'come hither' motion. "Come here, puppy dog."

The dog demon raised an elegant brow as he stepped slowly towards her. "Are you calling me? I am not your pet poodle."

Rin sat up as far as she could, her nose almost touching his. She grinned and licked his nose once. "Now you really do have a cold, wet nose."

An impish light sparked in the darkening amber eyes that narrowed slightly. "I think my little minx of a future mate needs a good reminder of what she got the other day under the old oak."

"Ooops?"

"Ooops is correct."

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The doorbell rang a few minutes after Kagome had finished talking with Rin on the phone. Getting up from her seat at the dining room table, she headed for the living room.

Kagome opened the front door. The hanyou looked up and smiled with a small nod. "Hello, Kagome."

She couldn't help but smile while backing up. "Hello, Inuyasha. Please come in."

He entered. Kagome immediately noticed how casual he looked in blue jeans and a red t-shirt.

With her right hand, she gestured to the sofa. "Please, sit down."

Inuyasha sat down on the couch while she sat down on a chair facing him.

"Did you finish with your paperwork?"

"Yes, finally. It took a while. The local authorities were somewhat miffed that the government went over their heads to hire me and conveniently not inform them of my investigation."

Kagome decided to get right to the point. "Inuyasha...when was the last time you saw Sesshomaru?"

The hanyou leaned back some while letting out a long breath. "Around five hundred years ago at our Father's estate. Me and Sesshomaru had a little..... disagreement, well... kinda a big disagreement right before I left....in search of something. When I returned from my......fruitless venture, my half brother was nowhere to be found and my father had already been searching the Westernlands looking for him. I joined my father. We looked everywhere but....there was no trace of him. We even tracked his scent to the far borders, but.....it simply faded at a certain point....It was as if Sesshomaru had.......vanished.....from this world.

Father did not take it well....He got...upset...He continued looking for my brother for the next two hundred years before he.....resigned himself to the fact that Sesshomaru was dead."

"What was he doing when he disappeared?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha's voice cracked once, dying into a deep softness. "He was...scouting the borders of the Westernlands for dangerous youkai. It was supposed to have been my job."

The hanyou frowned deeply as he stared at the floor. "Because of my selfish ambitions, Sesshomaru was lost."

Kagome shook her head. "Inuyasha, you cannot blame yourself for Sesshomaru's disappearance. It was not your fault."

He sighed and looked up. "Maybe, maybe not. If I had stayed instead of running off to find a way to become a full demon, quite possibly, Sesshomaru would not have vanished."

Kagome leaned up to the edge of her seat. "That is something which you will never know and is pointless to be blaming yourself over. That is the past. This is the present. You must put the past behind you now. Fate has given you and your father a second chance to see Sesshomaru again."

He sighed and looked away with a nod of agreement. "You are right, Kagome, but you can't imagine how it shocked me to see him again after all these centuries."

A strange emotion, something akin to phantom grief, emerged in his darkening gaze. "I believed my half brother to be dead. It was like seeing a ghost."

They remained in silence for several moments before Kagome drew in a heavy breath and spoke earnestly. "Inuyasha......Sesshomaru may have changed during his absence."

Inuyasha snorted. "He didn't look that much different to me last night. He even had the same clothes on! My brother has hardly aged at all, but I have...."

Kagome nodded. "You are a hanyou. You age faster than a full blooded youkai.""Yea, by human standards, I am now twenty eight to thirty years of age." He smiled faintly. "I bet it would really irk him to find out how much I have matured. He always did think of me as an impertinent whelp."

With an even breath of self-assertion, Kagome readied herself for the task at hand. Now was the time for decision. Should she tell him? And how should she tell him? How could she tell Inuyasha about Sesshomaru's current status? Was it her place to relate the truth to the hanyou? In all honesty, she was really the only one who would. It would be too embarrassing for Sesshomaru. The inu youkai would not utter a word and Rin would not tell Inuyasha either for Sesshomaru's sake.

"Think, Inuyasha. Is there anything you noticed about Sesshomaru that was... ...different...anything at all?"

The amber eyes glanced her way once as he frowned in thought. "Two things."

"What were they?"

"He was wearing a black choker of some sort and his scent was so different that I did not recognize it."

The growing curiosity in his gaze caught hers. "Is there something I should know about my half brother?"

Kagome sat back, looking away from the intensity of the question. "I..... Inuyasha..." Should she tell him? He would find out sooner or later. How awkward would it be if he did not know when she brought him to Rin's house?

She looked up into his questioning stare. "The metal band around Sesshomaru's neck is a.....restraint."

His brow furrowed. "Restraint?"

"Yes, it is a subduing restraint. Rin met Sesshomaru in the marketplace. .........She bought him there."

"What?!"

She leaned forward some, holding sternly to the flustered shock in his eyes. "When Sesshomaru vanished, more than likely, he encountered a powerful miko who enslaved him and cursed him, rather than kill him. He has been a subjugated demon servant for the past five hundred years."

Inuyasha stared at her for a long time before he spoke in startled disbelief, "Impossible. Sesshomaru is almost as powerful as my father. He could never be enslaved by a....a mere miko."

Kagome felt a pull from her heart at the blatant truth of it all. "The spell is one of a kind or so rare that I have never heard of it. The subduing restraint and curse is what probably changed his...scent. Whoever ensnared Sesshomaru and cursed him had immense power. She wanted Sesshomaru to live out his existence as a servant....till the end of time.....or until his death."

He looked to the floor. "Is there any hope for him?"

"Yes, there is. With Rin's help, I am going to release him. We are going to break the curse and remove the restraint."

Imploring amber eyes rose to meet hers once more. "I want to see my brother. Will you take me to him?"

Kagome gave a nod. "I am going to leave for Rin's house at one thirty. You can come back here then and follow me to my sister's house."Inuyasha rose from his seat. "Thank you, Kagome. That sounds good. I will be here then."

She stood from her chair and saw Inuyasha to the door then let him go with a goodbye.

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Rin finished getting dressed then walked down the hallway to Sesshomaru's room and knocked on the door. "Sess?"

"Yes."

"Are you ready yet?"

Her answer was given when Sesshomaru opened the door wearing a white dress shirt and blue jeans. "Yes, I am ready."

She gave him a smile, took his hand and began pulling him down the stairs. "Kagome won't be here until three and I am starving. Since my cupboards are bare and I don't have my car, let's walk to the street market a few blocks away and see if we can find us something to eat."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~They walked together in the bright sunlight down the sidewalk, Rin's warm hand in his.

Sesshomaru looked around as they strolled at an even pace.

They passed several houses with lawns of green grass and tall shade trees. An occasional toy could be seen but no children were out playing. The neighborhood was very quiet, probably because it was Sunday.

Soon, they approached the sound of many humans. Sesshomaru recognized the area to be the street market he had been sold in last.

Rin led him to a wooden stand loaded with fruits and vegetables. The short old woman that stood behind the counter greeted Rin warmly. "Ah, child, ye have come earlier than expected."

"I know Kaede, I am out in search of something to eat. I thought I would drop by and say hello as well as buy another pint of strawberries."

Kaede laughed. "Aye, I have some fresh ones just come in for ye." The older woman with an eye patch glanced to him while filling a small basket with fruit. "And who might ye friend be, child?"

Rin smiled. "Forgive me, Kaede. This is Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru, this is a Kaede, a very old friend of mine and Kagome's."

Sesshomaru gave a small bow of respect. "Greetings."

Kaede gave him a nod with a wise smile. "Greetings in return, youkai." Her eye went to his collar but did not linger there as she finished packing the small box of strawberries.

Rin reached into her purse then handed some money to the older woman.

As she accepted the money, the woman's wrinkled hand held Rin's for a moment. "Child...remember to heed the calling of thy heart for it will save thee someday."

With a puzzled look, Rin picked up the box of strawberries. "Uh...thanks, Kaede."

Rin waved to the older woman as they walked away. "See ya next month!"

When they had moved farther into the marketplace, Rin slowly shook her head. "That was weird."

"The ancient miko talks in riddles."

Rin glanced up with a smile. "Sometimes. How did you know Kaede was a miko?"

"I can sense her power. Though somewhat diminished by age, the old one makes up for it in wisdom."

"Kaede was Kagome's mentor. She helped train Kagome right before she went into retirement. Nowadays, she sells in the marketplace just to have something to do."

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The smell of stir-fry filled his senses and they soon came to a market stand with a few empty tables out front. He walked with Rin to the counter. She picked up a menu and began to read. "What do you want, Sess?"

"Beef."

"Okay, I think I will go with the beef stir-fry too."

Rin gave the man at the counter their order and paid for it. They both sat down at a nearby table to wait.

The wait was not a long one. This time, the food was brought out to them. Sesshomaru glanced at Rin who was digging into her food, briefly wondering if he should mention Kikyo and what transpired the night before. He doubted very much the miko would show her face again since Kagome had decked her one, but it was still a possibility. After a minute of consideration, he resolved to wait and tell Rin tonight about her cousin who seemed determined to cause trouble.

A while later, they finished eating and Rin glanced at her watch. "Sesshomaru, we need to get back, Kagome will be there soon."

Sesshomaru stood and held his hand out to Rin. She accepted it with a grin as they began walking back the way they had come.

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They entered the quiet house. Sesshomaru walked over to the couch and sat down. Rin followed and sat down next to him, setting her bag and purse on the floor.

She sighed while laying her head on his shoulder. "Sess?"

He leaned back on the soft cushions, pulling her closer with one arm around her shoulders. "Hmmmm?"

"Was it.....hard?"

"Hard?"

"Yes, being......a servant?"

Sesshomaru took in a deep breath. "Sometimes."

Rin grasped his hand lightly and rubbed his palm with her small fingers. "But sometimes it was okay. Wasn't it? I mean.....didn't you have nice owners?"

He inwardly smiled at her curiosity. Rin wanted to know about his past. It was something he knew she would ask about eventually. Rin was going to be his. All that he was and all that his past entailed was rightfully hers to know. In all seriousness, he intended to tell her the long story, but he doubted Rin's innocent heart could cope with some of the....darker... memories of his enslavement. He would wait till after they bonded, when his strength could help support his mate with the pain of his history. Then he would confess all the details of his past to his mate, and only then, but right now, he would refrain from mentioning any aspect of his slavery that would break her heart. "Most were...decent...in their own way. A very few were....kind. Those few allowed me some liberties."

Rin laid her head on his chest. "Such as?"

Sweet vanilla filled his senses as he prepared an answer. "A few masters allowed me some freedom. I was a bodyguard to almost every human male that bought me. I could scout the territory for dangers when out and abroad. Most of my masters were very rich and very few resorted to chains or.....methods of punishment. Some let me have servant's quarters with basic furnishings. Every master up until the one who owned me before you gave me adequate meals.

The smell of sadness drifted up from the girl, so he put both arms around her. "Rin, why are you sad?"

She sniffed. "It was not fair."

"No. It was not."

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A light rapping sounded at the door. With a single wipe to one eye, Rin got up and headed for the front foyer.

Sesshomaru rose from the couch. He had already sensed his half brother and decided to leave the room. If Inuyasha wanted to find him, the hanyou would have to use his nose.

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Rin opened the door to Kagome and a half demon that resembled Sesshomaru. "Hello, Kagome." She smiled politely to the silver-haired hanyou while backing up from the door and motioning for them both to come in. "Hello, you must be Inuyasha."

He gave a nod, his eyes exploring the house as he entered. "Hello. Yes, I am Inuyasha, Sesshomaru's half brother."

Rin shook the hand he offered. "It is nice to meet you, Inuyasha."

"Likewise, Rin."

As she turned to the living room, Rin halted. "I was sure Sesshomaru was here a second ago."

She looked to Inuyasha with a faint smile. "I guess he must have gone off somewhere."

Inuyasha sighed heavily. "He may not want to see me. The last time I saw him, we were not on the best of terms. It's just that it has been so long."

Rin pointed to the sliding glass door at the end of the hall. "Why not look in the garden, he may be there."

The hanyou smiled. "Thank you."

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Inuyasha could not understand why his heart was beating so hard as he walked down the long hallway.

By Sesshomaru's new scent, he could tell that his half brother had been this way in the last few seconds. The young girl had been right.

The door slid open easily. A warm afternoon breeze saturated with the fragrance of hundreds of distinctive flowers brushed up against his clothes and played in his hair.

His ears twitched to the sounds of tinkling wind chimes, blue birds, crickets, and the burble of a distant stream.

He sniffed a few times to find the scent which speckled the wind in sporadic whispers. Inuyasha stood scanning the immediate area. Unconsciously, he relaxed as his eyes fell upon the sea of red roses, pink tulips, buttered daffodils and honeyed buttercups.

This place was.....calm.... and.....peaceful.

Inuyasha slowly walked down one of the cobblestone pathways, following Sesshomaru's new scent.

Up ahead, he caught sight of his half brother, standing tall in the middle of a large circle of brown cobblestones, looking off into the afternoon sky.

Sesshomaru was wearing casual clothes: a white button up dress shirt and blue jeans. It was another shock to his system.

When he came within ten feet of his half brother, he stopped. "Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru continued his vigilant gaze on the passing clouds. "What do you want, Inuyasha?"

"What do I want? I haven't seen you in five hundred years and that is all you can say?"

"What else is there to say?"

Inuyasha could feel his anger starting to build. "I'll tell you what there is to say. I say that you are still the same arrogant, self centered, egotistical, pompous...."

"Did you come all this way from our homeland to insult me, impudent mutt?"

"It's not an insult if it's the truth. And I am not a mutt."

"You know not the truth, Inuyasha. And you are a mutt."

Inuyasha growled. "Then enlighten me, brother, on the things that I do not know. What happened to you? Where did you go? Why did you vanish from the very wind?"

Sesshomaru turned to face him. "Why does this knowledge matter?"

Exasperation hit like a tidal wave. This was like talking to a stubborn jackass. "Why does it matter? Why does it matter?! Father searched for you for nearly two hundred years! That is why it matters!"

His brother only stood there, his eyes never wavering, locked to him in a gaze of stone. "Is Father....still in this world?"

Instantly, Inuyasha felt the anger drain away. He suddenly realized the obvious truth. Sesshomaru had changed. It was there, deep within, hidden by a maturing strength of self. Remorse clouded his mind. "Yes, Father is still alive although a few years older."

"Does he think me dead?"

Inuyasha swallowed down the lump in his throat. "I have not called him yet to let him know.......When he stopped searching for you.....he.....gave up... thinking you were.....dead."

Sesshomaru's straightforward stare left him, softening towards the far distant field beyond the garden. "Do not inform Father that you have seen me. I wish to see him in person first."

With a single nod, Inuyasha turned to go. "If that is what you want, I will respect your wishes."

He left his half brother and walked to the house. After going in, Inuyasha found Kagome and Rin in the living room chatting with each other on a sofa.

Kagome smiled when she looked up. "Did you find Sesshomaru?"

"Yes."

Rin stood. "Did you two.....talk?"

Inuyasha looked away from Rin. "More or less."

He looked at Kagome who was standing up from the couch. "Kagome, I will leave now. I would like to talk to you outside before I go."

Kagome walked up to him. "Okay."

Inuyasha gave Rin a small smile. "It was nice meeting you, Rin."

The petite young woman smiled brightly. "I hope to see you again sometime, Inuyasha. You are welcome in my house anytime."

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Kagome closed the door and followed Inuyasha down the front steps.

The hanyou turned to her when they reached his car. "Kagome, when are you going to perform the removal spell for Sesshomaru?"

Kagome leaned against the side of Inuyasha's car. "Tuesday. Why?"

His gaze fell to the driveway as he leaned against the car next to her. "I want to be there when you and Rin do this."

With some reservation she asked, "Why?"

He swallowed. "I....don't know why, but I just have this feeling. My meeting you and finding Sesshomaru does not seem like a coincidence. Whatever Powers-That-Be wanted me to find my half brother before he was set free of this curse. For some reason, I know that my presence is needed. It may be fate. I don't know."

Dark amber eyes rose up in worry. "Kagome, will you allow me to be there?"

She studied the hanyou for a few minutes, debating on whether his presence would affect the outcome of their attempt to free Sesshomaru. Inuyasha's youkai energy warranted some consideration. The flow of natural energy in Rin's garden could very well be hampered by Inuyasha's dark half. It was Sesshomaru's full-blooded darkness they would be trying to release from the restraining spell. The good energy needed to flow around Sesshomaru and Rin in a protective circle that would help defend against any evil entity that decided to show up during the removal. To allow Inuyasha's presence, she would need to know if his human half of good energy outshown his youkai side. "I would only allow it if you permit me to delve into your spirit with my miko powers. I need to see if your human half transcends your youkai half. If your demon side is too strong, I cannot permit you to attend."

Inuyasha quirked a brow. "How do you intend to do this? If I let you...that is."

"I must make contact for only a short time, a minute at the most. It could be as simple as holding your hand."

He scooted back from her a little. "Will it....hurt?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "No, it will not hurt. All I do is make skin contact for a minute and all you will feel is a little tingle."

The half demon regarded her for several moments until the light of decision surfaced in his determined features. He leaned away from the car and stood. "Okay, you have my permission to....explore."

Kagome stepped away from the car and stood in front of him smiling.

He watched her movements warily.

She held her hands up. "Close your eyes."

Inuyasha switched glances from one hand to the other guardedly. "Why?"

Her smile fell a little as she teased, "Don't you trust me?"

His striking glance locked his gaze to hers. A hint of a smile lit the corners of his wary frown before he closed his eyes.

Kagome stepped up to him as close as she could without touching his body. Ever so slowly, she moved her left hand and placed it on his shirt, over his heart and then lightly touched his left hand with the fingertips of her right hand.

She closed her eyes and began the journey.

The doorway was an open one. In small controlled waves, she let her energy flow, entering his spirit with a wandering purpose. Vibrant feelings of sadness and remorse hung heavily in his human side. Despite the grief, Kagome found a shining core at his very heart that spread its luster through his entire soul. Suddenly the brightness of his human center flashed a brilliant light that rushed up to meet her invading energy. It reached for her, grasping for a hold. More quickly than she had intended, Kagome backed her energy out. Just as the blinding white aura whispered a touch, she let go of him, stepping back, gasping at the unusual vibration of some unknown feeling that sent shivers through her body.

She held one hand to her heart, breathing heavily. Kagome opened her eyes to see the hanyou watching her with curiosity.

He tilted his head. "It did tingle."

With a hard swallow, she nodded. "You can say that again."

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