InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Into the East ❯ First Encounters ( Chapter 4 )

A/N: Bah! This one's almost twice as long as any of my other chapters! Well, what can I say? I got into it. Enter regular characters and -drum roll please - dialogue! Hopefully this will be a bit more interesting. Enjoy!

 

Into the East

Chapter four: First Encounters

Characters originally appearing in the anime/manga Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Everything else © me

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Sesshoumaru! What do you want here?!”

 

“Inuyasha. It has been a while. Little Brother.”

 

“Not long enough, what do you want?”

 

Sesshoumaru watched as his half-brother drew Tetsusaiga while the rest of his group formed a loose half-circle behind him.

 

“Calm yourself Inuyasha. This Sesshoumaru merely wishes to speak with your miko.” Inuyasha visibly bristled at the statement. He is more trouble than he is worth, yet I need to know why Vanessa and this miko smell similar. Sesshoumaru didn't have long to plan his approach before Inuyasha snarled at him and raised his sword.

 

“You won't come anywhere near Kagome.”

 

Kagome… the miko. He nimbly dodged the wide arc of Tetsusaiga's path and refrained from lashing out at the hanyou - it would hardly get him any nearer to his goal. “Set aside your petty anger, you fool. This Sesshoumaru has no wish to fight you today.”

 

Inuyasha leapt into the air, preparing to bring a crushing blow down on his half-brother's head - as though Sesshoumaru would simply stand there and allow it. His moves are entirely too predictable. “I don't believe that, Sesshoumaru. You just can't help yourself.”

 

The taiyoukai stepped aside at the last moment, letting Inuyasha crash into the dirt before leaping back to his friends. Sesshoumaru gazed at him coolly, “Enough, Inuyasha.”

 

The strangely-clad miko took a step forward and placed her hand on the hanyou's shoulder, “Inuyasha…”

“Stay out of this Kagome.”

“Inuyasha, I really think - ”

“Kagome! I said stay out of it!”

 

Sesshoumaru watched the exchange with mild indifference, though the young miko's efforts did not escape his notice. At least someone here has a head on their shoulders. He continued to watch, now with veiled interest, as the miko's face suddenly darkened and, retracting her hand, she spoke almost sweetly through gritted teeth, “Inuyasha…”

Interesting. The half-breed seemed to recognize her tone and winced, ears flattening to his skull. “Inuyasha. SIT BOY! Next time you should listen to me!”

 

With a resounding crash, Inuyasha slammed face-first into the ground. Satisfied that Inuyasha would not interrupt again, the miko stepped over him and tentatively approached Sesshoumaru, bowing respectfully. “Sesshoumaru-sama. I couldn't help but notice that you left your swords behind. I believe that you truly just wish to talk, may I invite you inside?” Sesshoumaru noted that she had tactfully refrained from saying “un-armed” as well as seemed to understand that while he may not have his swords, he was not weaponless. She was polite and respectful, everything that a proper hostess should be and Sesshoumaru gave her a short nod of his head before replying, “You may, but first this Sesshoumaru would like to retrieve his companions. This Sesshoumaru did not wish harm to come upon them by a wayward attack.” He glanced pointedly down at the recovering hanyou.

“Certainly, Sesshoumaru-sama. We'll wait for you in Kaede's hut.” She bowed again and retreated toward the hut, collecting her own companions as she went. Inuyasha backed toward the hut reluctantly, glaring at his half-brother. This should be interesting indeed.

 

Sesshoumaru returned to the cluster of trees and found Rin trying to calm a very anxious Vanessa. Of course, she would not know the nature of the exchange. He felt a tiny flicker of sympathy for the poor, lost creature. “Sesshoumaru-sama!” he looked down at the child. “Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin heard Inuyasha-sama shouting and Lady Vanessa got worried when he attacked you. But Rin tried to make her understand that Sesshoumaru-sama would not be hurt so easily. She still worried though, Sesshoumaru-sama. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, Rin. Come. Bring Vanessa. We must speak with the miko.”

“Hai!” She promptly took one of Vanessa's hands in both of her own, smiling reassuringly at the older female while she gently tugged her after Sesshoumaru.

 

The trio quickly entered the village and made their way to Kaede's hut. When they reached the entrance, Sesshoumaru held the door flap aside as Rin and Vanessa entered before ducking in himself. Inuyasha's group sat around the fire pit and stared wide-eyed at the new arrivals, more specifically at Vanessa. Sesshoumaru knew that they were baffled by his guardianship of Rin and he could see their minds working overtime trying to comprehend why the woman before them was still living as well.

 

He thought it slightly comical that they thought him so heartless. He did not think highly of humans, true - perhaps that was an understatement - but that didn't mean he was a mindless, senseless killer. When he killed humans, it was for good reason. He did not yet have a reason to eliminate Vanessa. For now, Rin was enjoying her company.

 

The miko Kagome was the first to find her voice, “Sesshoumaru-sama? Um… I'm not sure how to ask this politely, but… who is she?” Sesshoumaru turned to her, locking his golden eyes with her brown.

“She stumbled into this Sesshoumaru's path yesterday. Her scent has similar qualities to your own. Have you any idea from where she might have come?” The group stared at him, seemingly shocked that he had strung together more than a single sentence. They seemed to realize also that this was as close to polite conversation as they would likely come. Kagome glanced from Vanessa back to Sesshoumaru, “Doesn't she know?”

“We have not been able to converse. It would seem that she speaks another tongue. This has made communication… difficult”

Kagome's mouth formed a round “oh” as she took in the rather confused-looking woman opposite her, then looked back at Sesshoumaru, “Do you know her name?”

“She is called Vanessa.”

“That doesn't sound Japanese at all. I wonder…” She turned back to Vanessa and addressed her, “Vanessa, I know you don't understand, but… could you say something?” Vanessa shrugged and shook her head, but she did say a few words, and Kagome gasped, turning with a beaming smile to Sesshoumaru. “I knew school wasn't such a waste!”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Sesshoumaru took off into the village, but it was clear that he wanted Vanessa and Rin to stay in the small stand of trees at the edge of the clearing surrounding the village. Rin seemed confident that he would return shortly and plopped down beside Ah-Un and occupied herself with bundling grasses and tiny flowers together into little bouquets. Vanessa sighed and sat beside her.

 

Barely five minutes had passed when Vanessa heard shouting and jumped up to run toward the village, but Rin caught her hand and tugged desperately to get her to stop. Instead, she moved just close enough to peer between the trees. Vanessa gasped as she saw the crowd gathered before Sesshoumaru, led by a man in a red outfit holding a huge sword. Sesshoumaru left both of his here! What was he thinking? He was shouting at Sesshoumaru and then suddenly he attacked! She wanted to run over and stop them… somehow, but Rin clung to her skirt preventing her. Vanessa couldn't very well leave the girl, and quickly found that she needn't have worried about Sesshoumaru. He dodged every attack the other white-haired man threw at him, though he himself never tried to attack. What's going on?

 

Vanessa could just hear Sesshoumaru speaking in his curiously calm voice to the other man, but the only responses he received were more shouts. They appeared to be at a standoff and one of the women with the red-clad man was trying to speak, but he kept interrupting. Then suddenly, much to Vanessa's surprise, he was slammed into the ground. What just happened? The woman who had been trying to speak approached Sesshoumaru and they exchanged a few words before parting, the woman and her group walking into the wooden hut and Sesshoumaru to Vanessa and Rin.

 

Sesshoumaru wasn't exactly a friend, but he was the first to show Vanessa any sort of kindness, regardless of how distant he may be. She wasn't sure what she could have done, but she couldn't stand it if he were to be hurt. Thankfully, he returned and spoke to Rin. She chattered away for a moment then took Vanessa's hand to follow Sesshoumaru… back to the village! That man had just attacked him and now he was going back? What is going on here?

 

Rin and Vanessa were led into the wooden hut and directed to take a place near the fire while Sesshoumaru joined them. He had retrieved his swords, but leaned them against the wall near the door before taking a seat. Vanessa noted that he had placed them far enough away so as not to be an immediate threat, yet easily accessible should they be needed. Very diplomatic, considering their first reaction to him. She felt a little better that Sesshoumaru had is weapons nearby, but was still not quite comfortable with all of the strangers.

 

She took a moment to take them all in since it seemed that, for the time being at least, she was forgotten as Sesshoumaru and the woman from outside spoke. To her right sat an old woman in a strange white and red outfit with an eye patch over one eye. Next to her sat a man in strange black and violet robes, holding a gold staff. He appeared to be relaxed, listening intently to the short discussion unfolding before him. To his right sat a woman in green and pink robes with a small black and tan cat in her lap with… two tails? And red eyes? It seemed to catch her eye and mewled softly. Cute… in a slightly creepy sort of way… Immediately to her right was the man with the sword. His outfit was entirely red with some kind of white under clothing. He had violet beads around his neck and clutched a sheathed sword to his chest. No way that could be the same weapon he was swinging around outside. As her gaze drifted upward, Vanessa's eyes widened in surprise to see golden eyes, very similar to Sesshoumaru's, but infinitely more expressive. At the moment, he was not hesitating to show his absolute loathing of Sesshoumaru. A slight movement drew Vanessa's eyes further upward to his snowy white hair and furry… ears. They were flicking in every direction like a dog's searching for unfamiliar sounds or threats. How on earth did I miss those? Finally, next to the dog-eared man sat the young woman who was speaking with Sesshoumaru. Vanessa now noticed that she wore a schoolgirl uniform similar to her own from her private high school. She had a green skirt with a white and green sailor top and a red tie. In her lap lay a bundle of reddish fur. What it was, she couldn't tell just then.

 

Vanessa's assessment of the strangers took mere minutes, but time seemed to have stood still while she took in the strangeness of them all. Who are these people and where in the world did they come from? She was lost in her own thoughts for a moment until she heard her name. Sesshoumaru had told the schoolgirl Vanessa's name and she turned, addressing Vanessa by name and asked her some sort of question. She seemed to expect an answer so Vanessa shrugged and shook her head saying, “I'm sorry… I don't know what you're saying.” It seemed to be an acceptable answer as the girl turned to Sesshoumaru with a bright smile.

 

The girl turned back to Vanessa with a soft smile and said, “Vanessa. My name is Kagome… Can you tell us where you are from and how you got here?” Vanessa stared at her for a moment, allowing her brain to register the fact that Kagome had just spoken to her in perfect - if slightly accented - English. A choked sob escaped her throat as she then fully realized just how lost she had felt up until then, causing Sesshoumaru to stiffen so ever slightly beside her. “I don't even know where `here' is!”

 

Kagome leaned over and whispered something to Sesshoumaru who caught Vanessa's eye before nodding. Then Kagome rose and offered her hand to Vanessa. “Come on, let's talk outside.” Vanessa hesitated for a moment and looked to Sesshoumaru. He nodded to her she thought she caught a flash of something in his eyes that said you have only to call me. She let Kagome help her up and followed her out the door.

 

The afternoon was warm with a slight breeze as the two women walked a short distance from the hut and sat in the grass under the shade of a tree. Kagome seemed nice enough and Vanessa felt better being away from all those strangers - not that Kagome wasn't a stranger, but at least they could speak the same language. “So Vanessa… where are you from exactly?”

“Boston mostly.”

“Boston? Where is that?”

“Oh, um… Eastern United States?”

“Oh! Wow. Um… you might find this hard to believe, but…” Kagome fiddled with a blade of grass as she thought of how best to break the news, “Vanessa, you're in Japan.”

“Japan?! You're kidding, right? How did I get here?” And who was it that just stepped through a strange portal?

“That's not all.”

“What else?”

“Vanessa, what year is it?” Vanessa looked at the other woman as if she were crazy.

“It's 2006. Has been for a few months.”

“Not here.”

“What do you mean `not here'?” She couldn't tell if Kagome was crazy or just pulling her leg, but when she spoke again, there was no sign of either.

“Look around you. What you see is an area that is part of what is now known as Tokyo.”

Vanessa's eyes widened as the information sunk in. It would explain a lot of things, but… “How is that possible? I've gone back in time!?” Think strange portal.

“It seems that way. Somehow you and I have traveled nearly five hundred years into the past. What were you doing before you found yourself here?”

“I was at a party-”

“That would explain the dress.” Kagome shook her head and smiled apologetically, “Sorry, go on.”

“I was at a party and I went for a walk in the gardens and I found this strange arch just standing there in the middle of the woods. It was interesting, so I looked at it. Eventually runes began to glow blue, but I didn't know what they said. Then suddenly through the arch I saw a world unlike anything I'd seen before. Probably against my better judgment, I stepped through the arch and, well, here I am. The portal didn't stay though… It disappeared when I was through.”

 

The women were silent for a moment, contemplating their conversation. Kagome looked over at Vanessa thoughtfully, “There might be a way… to get you back to modern-day Tokyo at least.” Vanessa's eyes widened.

“Really? I'll try anything!”

“Somehow Inuyasha and I are both able to go back and forth through time. It might be possible for you to go too.”

“What do I have to do?”

Kagome looked at her and laughed almost nervously, “You have to jump into a well. I would want to go with you of course. Maybe if someone that the well naturally accepts is there, you'll have a better chance of going through too.”

“Um… I guess… Let's try it.”

“Okay! We should tell the others first. I have the feeling that Lord Sesshoumaru would not be pleased with us if you just disappeared. As much as Inuyasha denies it, Lord Sesshoumaru holds very tightly to his honor.”

 

Vanessa turned to Kagome, puzzled, “Lord Sesshoumaru? Inuyasha?” Kagome's eyes widened. “Oh! Of course, how silly of me. I never introduced you to anyone. Inuyasha is the one with dog-ears, and yes. Sesshoumaru-sama is ruler of the Western Lands.”

“I never knew… Sesshoumaru did seem possess a certain, I don't know, regality or something. Wow. How big are these `Western Lands'?”

“Um… well, Japan is broken up into four main territories, North, East, South, and West. So I guess Sesshoumaru-sama is lord of about a quarter of all Japan.” Vanessa paled at the news. Someone so important had taken it upon himself to help her? She was no one in this world. Kagome broke her out of her growing panic then.

“Wait, go back, you don't call him just `Sesshoumaru' do you?”

“Of course. That's how he introduced himself to me.”

“Wow. The others are NOT going to believe this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…” Kagome hesitated, now uncertain whether telling Vanessa about Sesshoumaru would send her into a panic. “The thing is, Sesshoumaru doesn't exactly… like humans. I'm honestly surprised that he allowed you to come with him - even more surprised that he sought us out to try and help you, and to top it all of, he's let you call him by name without his title. I'm sure he's killed for less than that.”

 

Vanessa had been staring at Kagome during the whole account, “Kagome… what do you mean `humans'?” Kagome looked hesitant again, as if wondering how much the foreign girl could handle.

“Um… Sesshoumaru isn't exactly human. Well, that's an understatement. He's not human at all. He is youkai, a demon. In this time, humans and demons coexist - and not always peacefully. You know Inuyasha? The one with the dog-ears?” Vanessa nodded, not trusting her voice just yet, so Kagome continued. “He's a hanyou, a half-demon. Actually, he is Sesshoumaru's half brother by their father.” At that, Vanessa's eyes widened in shock. Is that how the brothers always act toward one another? She almost missed what Kagome said next. “Half-demons rate even lower than humans in youkai social standings, and lower than demons in human circles. That's why Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha don't get along. Mostly anyway. From what I understand, Sesshoumaru sees Inuyasha as a taint on his family's bloodline, because his mother was human - a princess, but still human. It was a shock to all of us that he came here only to talk. He and Inuyasha have had a lot of bloody battles.” She grew quiet for a moment, thoughtful, “Shortly after I first came here, Sesshoumaru came after Inuyasha, searching for their father's tomb, but that's a long story and I don't think you'd believe me if I told you.”

Vanessa laughed, “I don't think there's much left for me not to believe in after everything I've seen in just the past day and a half!”

Kagome smiled with her and continued, “I can understand that. Anyway, in the end it was Inuyasha that took Sesshoumaru's arm. Since then though, it almost seems as though Sesshoumaru is testing Inuyasha's strength. Though their battles since then have been brutal, Sesshoumaru hasn't killed him - or us - though he's had plenty of opportunity to do so. But not all demons hold the same views on humans, though. There are two other full youkai in our group. The two-tailed cat that was with Sango, the other young woman, is Kirara. She's a firecat demon and can fly and transform into a much larger version of herself - about the size of a large tiger. Finally, there's Shippou.” Kagome smiled as she thought about the kitsune kit. Vanessa could tell that Kagome held a special place in her heart for this Shippou. “He was the one curled up on my lap when you came in. Shippou is a kitsune, a fox demon, but he's just a child. His parents were killed and he's stayed with us ever since.”

 

That must have been the red ball of fur. So there's Inuyasha, who seems to hate his brother, Kirara, the cat, Sango… a human? And the two others. “So, Kagome… who are the other two? The man in the robes and the old woman?”

“Oh! I'm sorry, I'll have to introduce you properly when we go back in. The man is a Buddhist monk, named Miroku. Watch his hands … literally,” she said with a wry smile, “and he'll probably ask you to bear his children. Usually Sango will hit him in the head when he says that, so don't be surprised. Otherwise, he's harmless enough. As much as they deny it, I think he and Sango will be married. The old woman is Kaede. She's the village priestess and sort of a grandmother to all of us. She shares her home when we're here and takes care of us. She's also been training me to use my own priestess powers. Why don't we go back now, and you can meet them properly? If you have any questions, just ask. I can act as a translator for you.”

“Alright. I'd like to know that Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha aren't at each other's throats.”

Kagome laughed and helped Vanessa up once more before leading the way back to the hut.

 

The pair returned to find everyone sitting in silence within the hut. Vanessa smiled at Rin and Sesshoumaru as she took her place once more and Kagome began the formal introductions. True to her word, when Kagome introduce Miroku, he did say something that she didn't understand and was promptly whacked in the head by Sango. Inuyasha and little Shippou just rolled their eyes. Shippou, now that Vanessa could see him properly, was absolutely adorable. He almost looked like a fox version of a faun from Roman myth. He had flaming red hair and green eyes, and from what she could tell, he had a human-looking torso, but pointed ears like Sesshoumaru. His lower half was that of a fox, with little paws for feet and a big bushy foxtail. He had a wide, toothy grin and Vanessa could see tiny fangs as Kagome gave him a bit of candy to keep him quiet. She could only imagine what fangs might be hidden in Sesshoumaru's mouth.

 

Still, even though Kagome told Vanessa that Sesshoumaru was a cold, heartless human-hater - well, maybe not in so many words - she couldn't see him as heartless or bloodthirsty. That didn't explain Rin, or herself for that matter. From what she could gather, he'd gone out of his way to bring her to this village when he could have just left her and been on his way. He didn't even have to help her with the bull-man, but he did. Sometimes, during their short time together, Vanessa had caught him staring at her and she thought she saw a barely-covered curiosity in his eyes. Maybe he was a demon and ruthless and powerful beyond imagination, but Vanessa had the feeling that he was misunderstood, but also that he liked the turn that the misunderstanding took. For whatever reason, he would not show open emotion, or even release so much as a smile. Why? Maybe he thought that if others feared him he would not have to let them get close. He must be so lonely. Or maybe instilling fear in everyone that he met was a way of maintaining his position.

 

While Vanessa was lost in her own thoughts, the group struck up a conversation again, presumably on how to get Vanessa home. Miroku and Kagome did most of the talking and occasionally Kaede would give her input. They seemed to know the most about spells. Kagome had moved to sit beside Vanessa so that she could periodically whisper the progress of the discussion to her. In the end, no one was sure if it would work, but thought it worth a try anyway. Throughout the entire exchange, Vanessa noted, Sesshoumaru hadn't said a word. He only glanced between the speakers and occasionally to Vanessa. That is, until the conversation turned to something that was making Kagome look very uncomfortable. She was too busy being interrogated to translate, but from the looks Sesshoumaru kept shooting at the two women of the future, Vanessa could tell that Kagome must be telling him about the well. He must not have known about Kagome's time traveling. Though I guess that's not something that you'd want let to get around.

 

Shippou and Rin had gone off to a corner to play by themselves while the adults talked. Vanessa wasn't sure if they had ever really talked before, but it appeared that neither really had anyone else their own age to play with. She smiled at the children, watching their carefree antics, though somehow she knew that both had seen terrible things.

 

Kagome nudged her then and asked if she would want to stay the night and try the well in the morning. Somehow the sun had begun to set. Have we been here so long already? Vanessa nodded. It would probably be growing dark in her own time too, what would she do then? Besides, if she really was 500 years in the past, it wasn't likely that she would ever see these people again. She should make the most of it while she could. If only I could take a bath…

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Sesshoumaru wasn't entirely sure what he was expecting to happen by bringing the woman here, but he was surprised when the young miko turned out to speak her language. When she spoke to Vanessa, Vanessa's breath hitched and she choked back a sob. Sesshoumaru felt his muscles tense, ready for action, but the expression on her face and the pure relief flooding off of the woman stayed his hand. Whatever the miko had said wasn't a threat.

 

When the miko came over to Sesshoumaru to suggest that she talk to Vanessa in private, he was wary. They had all agreed to an uneasy truce for the duration of the visit, but even so, he locked eyes with Vanessa to judge her reaction to the miko. She didn't appear afraid of her, but he could sense her unease about the many other strangers in the room. As though reading his thoughts, the miko whispered to him, “I'd like to take her outside alone for a bit. We won't go far, but I think she's a little nervous not knowing anyone here, let alone being unable to understand what's being said.” Sesshoumaru nodded. He would allow it, but he would keep a keen ear open of any sign of trouble, and when Kagome returned to Vanessa, presumably to pose the suggestion to her as well, he returned her gaze with a look of his own that said she only had to call him. She was, after all, under his protection until he deemed it time to leave her. Surely Rin has made me soft. Not two years ago this Sesshoumaru would never have taken such concern over the well being of a mere human woman.

 

The two women left the hut and, true to her word, they remained within hearing distance of the taiyoukai. Sesshoumaru listened absently to their conversation and saw that Inuyasha did the same, swiveling his ears in their direction, though he was certain the hanyou could no more understand the exchange than he. Occasionally he heard his own name as well as Inuyasha's and the rest of his group and wondered idly what the miko was telling Vanessa. What could she know about him to drop his name so many times, and would she tell Vanessa anything that would make the woman fear him? Somehow the thought struck a nerve in his very core. Didn't he want everyone to fear him, to know and respect his power? But what about Rin? Certainly he wanted her to respect him and to obey when he gave her a command, but to fear him? Secretly he didn't think it possible for the girl to fear him, short of physically attacking her himself. But then, what would have been the point of resurrecting her in the first place? The child's spirit was refreshing; she wanted to be with him and she actually seemed to look up to him. She didn't obey out of fear, but out of the desire to please him, to see the secret smile behind his eyes that only she knew of.

 

What made Vanessa different from any other human woman? In a way she reminded Sesshoumaru of Rin. Most women that he had encountered had feared him outright, partly because they knew him to be taiyoukai of the west, but also because so many of them seemed to simply fear strange men. But, Vanessa was different. She was cautious and initially fearful of new situations, but more than anything she was curious. She really did not know who he was or what he could do, what he has done. The woman was new and different, but soon enough, she would be just like any other woman and he would be able to leave her. She would find out what he thought of humans and would fear him. Sesshoumaru's world would finally right itself again. Has she really been here only slightly more than a day?

 

Sesshoumaru knew that his features were schooled into a mask of stone so that none in the room would know that his thoughts were secretly raging. He let them. He let part of his consciousness devote itself to watching out for the pair of women outside and a smaller part focused on the happenings within the hut, but mostly he let his wild thoughts have free reign of his mind. He knew that if he didn't follow certain particularly persistent thoughts to the very end of the line they would only haunt him later, either in his dreams or at a moment when distraction would be less than desirable.

 

The two younger humans in the room, the monk and the taijiya, tried to make conversation, but were met only with Sesshoumaru's stony silence. He had no interest in them, only in ensuring the safety of his charges. Sesshoumaru turned his gaze on Rin and the kitsune playing in the corner. The kit was young, but could still do damage to the human girl; however, it seemed that he had spent enough time among humans to know his limits.

 

Soon enough, the women returned and took their positions beside the fire. Kagome got their attention and formally introduced them all before beginning to tell them her plans to try and get Vanessa home. “Kaede, Miroku, I'd like your input on this. It seems that Vanessa came here much the same way as I did.” She glanced nervously at Sesshoumaru, whose eyes narrowed slightly. The miko is leaving something out. He let her continue. “The only difference is that she came from half-way across the planet. I want to try and bring her back the way I came, but I don't know if it will work.”

The monk spoke up then, “Couldn't she go back the way she came?”

The miko shook her head and replied, “No, she said that the way was closed.”

“Interesting. Well, I don't see any harm in trying. The worst that could happen would be that she could be blocked your way too.”

“That's what I thought.”

 

Sesshoumaru decided that he had been left out of the loop quite long enough and spoke, surprising them all, “Miko. You seem to know a great deal about Vanessa's land. How have you come by this knowledge?”

“Oh! Um… I learned about it in school.”

“School?”

She winced, then looked at him resignedly before speaking again, “Where I come from, children from the age of five through eighteen must go to a place called a school where they learn all the skills that they will need later in life. One thing I learned was a foreign language.”

“Where do you come from?”

 

Sesshoumaru saw Kagome take a deep breath and felt everyone around him tense. This must be what she was hiding earlier. His interest piqued, he raised one elegant eyebrow and waited for her to continue. “Um… this might sound a little crazy. I'm not sure I would have believed it if I hadn't experienced it myself, but -”

“Kagome! What are you doing? You can't just tell him!”

“Inuyasha, stay out of this. He's involved now. He needs to know.”

Sesshoumaru looked from Kagome to his half-brother and back, “What is it that I need to know?”

“I'm not from this era. Neither is Vanessa.” Sesshoumaru's gaze flicked to Vanessa and back to Kagome before he narrowed his eyes at her.

“Explain.”

The miko was clearly nervous under his intense gaze; he was in control, and she knew it. Sesshoumaru had only to wait until the tension grew to be too much for her. He didn't have to wait long.

“I live with my family at a shrine and one morning before I left for school I went into our well house to find our cat and I was pulled in by a centipede demon. She wanted the Shikon no Tama, which was reformed inside my body. When I climbed out of the well again, I found myself here, where I released Inuyasha from his seal to the Goshinboku tree. I come from nearly five hundred years in the future.”

 

Golden depths never left chocolate brown for a moment as Sesshoumaru stared at the miko, processing what he had just learned, trying to determine whether or not she spoke the truth. Her scent didn't spike with the fear of a liar, so she was either mad or she told the truth. It would explain a great many things. She is a miko of great power, even if she is untrained, and would have been the only one around powerful enough to eliminate the miko Kikyou's spell. Sesshoumaru considered her clothing and Vanessa's and decided that the passage of time might explain the differences in dress. Then something else she said crept back to the forefront of his thoughts. “How far did you say she has come?”

 

Relieved that Sesshoumaru seemed to believe her, Kagome brightened slightly and asked, “What is the farthest distance that you've traveled?”

“This Sesshoumaru has traveled the entire length of the main island and occasionally into the mainland to the west.” The miko thought for a moment before answering.

“Travel the length of Japan eight or nine times and that is how far Vanessa's home is, not to mention that much of her society probably hasn't formed yet.” Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly in surprise and he glanced at the woman watching the antics of the two children. Does she know how far she is from home? Of course she does. He chided himself for forgetting her conversation with the miko. She is taking this remarkably well… for a human. Sesshoumaru turned back to the miko, “How do you propose to send her home?”

“I thought that if she came through a sort of portal like I did through the well, then maybe the well would accept her as it does me. She said that the portal that she came through closed itself once she was on this side. I would go with her of course, to be sure she made it safely at least to a place where she could contact her family.”

Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow at her again, “If the distance is as great as you say, how will she be able to contact her family?”

“Oh! In our time, we have devices called telephones that allow a person to talk to another anywhere in the world. Once she contacted her family she would have to go to her government's representative in Japan to get proper paperwork, but once that was completed, she could be home within a day.”

“So soon? How is it that she would be able to travel such a distance in a day?” Sesshoumaru surprised even himself with his inquisitiveness, but decided that his questions fell under the category of ensuring her safety and waited for the miko to answer.

“Technology has improved immeasurably in our time. Besides hot running water in each home,” she gave a small sigh of longing, “we have machines that carry us wherever we want to go. One such machine can fly great distances at speeds that would make the fastest youkai jealous.”

“I see.” Sesshoumaru focused his gaze on a spot on the opposite wall, trying to wrap his head around everything he had learned. Flying machines?

“Sesshoumaru-sama?” He looked at the miko again. “I was thinking that Vanessa should probably stay the night. If we make it through the well, she'll have a busy day ahead of her, and it's already getting dark, and well… since she's known you longer than the rest of us…”

“What is it that you want, miko?”

“I was wondering if you and Rin would stay too. I still don't think she's very comfortable with the rest of us, but she thinks very highly of you. We can find you a room. You wouldn't have to camp out.”

He considered it and didn't like the thought of sharing a roof with his hanyou half-brother, but also didn't like the thought of Vanessa sharing a roof with that monk. He is entirely too forward for his own good. “We will stay.”

“Oh good! I'll talk to Vanessa and then see about getting a meal prepared.”

 

The rest of the evening passed rather smoothly. Vanessa agreed to stay the night and helped to prepare a meal, though it was clear that it wasn't something she normally did - at least not under the current conditions. Sesshoumaru kept to himself and wondered what the future would hold for him. As a youkai, he would easily live long enough to see the world that the miko and Vanessa lived in, barely aging a day in the process. Sesshoumaru did not often give in to his imagination. What purpose would it serve anyway? But now he was so lost in his own thoughts that he almost didn't notice the presence beside him. Sesshoumaru turned his focus to a smiling Vanessa beside him. She motioned the miko to her and spoke a few words then the miko addressed him.

 

“Sesshoumaru-sama, Vanessa wants to thank you.” Sesshoumaru locked eyes with the woman, gold meeting violet, and he nodded. She spoke again and her words were repeated through the miko's mouth, “She wishes there were some way for her to repay you for your kindness and for being a burden on you.” His eyes widened slightly in surprise. Kindness? She thought I was being… kind? This Sesshoumaru does not display… kindness. Sesshoumaru's face remained expressionless, but he replied through Kagome, “It was nothing. You were no burden for this Sesshoumaru.” As he heard his words repeated in the strange language, Sesshoumaru wondered what had prompted him to say it. Something in her eyes… This is ridiculous. He blinked and turned away to watch Rin. She and the kitsune were curled up in a corner, having played themselves out and were drifting off to sleep.

 

Sesshoumaru heard laughter beside him and turned as Vanessa and the miko rose and walked to the door. They waited for the taijiya who was gathering some towels and a few bottles from a particularly large yellow pack and the miko turned back to Sesshoumaru, “We're just going for a bath. Women in my time like to bathe daily and Vanessa isn't used to traveling so much. We won't be gone long.” When the women trailed out of the hut, Sesshoumaru leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He appeared deceptively at ease, though in reality he was alert and very aware of his surroundings, allowing his ears and nose to take over where his eyes could not aid him in keeping track of the women. When had he become so protective? She is part of my pack, however temporary her presence may be. It made sense. Sesshoumaru was an inuyoukai after all, and he thought nothing more of it. My pack…

 

The sensation of being watched kept Sesshoumaru from relaxing entirely in the relative peace of the small hut. He had an idea of who it was and, without opening his eyes, decided to test his theory, “If you wish to bore holes into this Sesshoumaru, a blade would serve you better than your eyes. What is it that you want, Little Brother?”

“Why do you care?” Aha! I was correct. He half-opened one eye to peer at the hanyou before closing it again, “This Sesshoumaru cares about nothing.”

“The why bring the girl here? And why keep Rin with you?” Why indeed?

“What I do is of no concern to you.” Sesshoumaru could feel his half-brother's anger flare.

“It is when it concerns my friends! I won't let you put my friends in danger!”

“If you know what is best for you and your friends, you will not pick a fight with this Sesshoumaru. What I choose to do or not do is of no one's concern but my own,” he growled in warning - a warning the hanyou did not seem keen on heeding as he sprang to his feet, drawing Tetsusaiga.

“Is that a threat?!” Sesshoumaru remained in his position against the wall, unconcerned by the raging hanyou.

“Perhaps, though I believe your miko would be most displeased with you for attacking your guest.” Sesshoumaru smirked behind his stoic mask as Inuyasha sputtered and stalked out into the night muttering to himself. Really it was too easy to ignite his half-brother's temper.

 

“Impressive.” Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and turned his head to his left. He had forgotten that the monk was still in the room. Closing his eyes and resettling against the wall, he waited for the man to continue. “You've just managed to start and end a fight with Inuyasha without so much as lifting a finger. Quite entertaining, actually.”

“Indeed.”

“If I may ask, my lord, why did you come here with the woman?”

Sesshoumaru was silent for a long time while he considered his answer, but still the monk waited, seeming to understand that the taiyoukai did not simply throw words around. “Their scents are similar.”

“I'm sorry? Their scents?”

“Yes. It was clear to me when I first encountered Vanessa that she seemed out of place, much like your miko. Then I noticed a certain quality to her scent that I had not detected since the first time I met your miko - the day my arm was taken from me.” He bit out the words as though they contained all of the poison in his claws, and the monk was silent then, seemingly uncertain how to respond to the last. Surely he knew the tale. But then Sesshoumaru spoke again, releasing the tension, “Now it makes some sense. If they are of the same era, then perhaps something has changed in the environment to make them smell similar. It is not as strong on your miko as it was before, but it is still there. She returns home often?” Sesshoumaru was gazing at the monk now.

“Not as much as she would like. Sometimes she stays for a few days to a week, though occasionally she will stay as long as a month. The school she mentioned is very important to her and is usually the reason for her homeward return as well as many fights with Inuyasha.” The monk chuckled then, “Inuyasha and Kagome have an… interesting… relationship.”

“How so?” Am I actually holding a conversation? This Sesshoumaru has been among humans for far too long.

“Well, they both seem to care about each other a great deal, and yet they are a match for one another in terms of their stubbornness. Neither will admit how they feel and they fight constantly to hide their true feelings.”

“Hn.” Sesshoumaru did not know how to respond. Such emotions were entirely foreign to him. It had been so long since he last allowed himself to feel.

“Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama.” Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow at him.

“For what?” The monk smiled.

“For speaking with me. I enjoyed having a … rational male to speak with, if only for an evening,” he leaned forward and whispered then, “but don't tell Inuyasha I said that.”

“Indeed.”

 

They fell into an almost-companionable silence then, until the women returned. Someone from the village must have given Vanessa some clothing to borrow. She walked in clad in a gray yukata with small violet flowers on the sleeves, carrying her previous garment over one arm, still-damp curls falling down her back. She looked much more comfortable in the light robe, not to mention her eyes seemed to sparkle against the gray of the fabric. As the others unrolled their mats and blankets, Vanessa took a seat beside Sesshoumaru and they sat together in silence. Kagome was padding about the hut, making sure that everyone was settled for the night when Sesshoumaru felt a sudden weight on his shoulder and he froze.

 

Kagome took that moment to glance in his direction and giggled - until Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her in warning. It would seem that Vanessa couldn't wait for a bedroll before falling asleep. The miko gave him a blanket and left him to deal with the sleeping woman. What now? He tried shifting, hoping she would awaken on her own, but the woman was fast asleep. Umm… He snorted to himself. Oh that was intelligent. Sesshoumaru couldn't let her sleep leaning at that angle, she would wake with a stiff neck, and so he tried to think of how best to move her without waking her. Somehow he managed to ease her to the floor and covered her in the blanket as he gazed down on the sleeping form. Satisfied that she was as comfortable as the wooden floor would allow, Sesshoumaru leaned back against the wall and let sleep take him. He never noticed that his hand still rested on the woman's shoulder.

 

As dawn's first light peeked through the window, Sesshoumaru slowly opened his eyes. A scan of the room told him that the others were stirring, hovering in that state between sleep and consciousness. Then he felt unaccustomed warmth against his right leg, spilling over onto his thigh. If he had allowed himself, he would have jumped in surprise. Bold, human. At some point in the night, Vanessa had decided that Sesshoumaru's lap seemed to be a fine pillow, and his own traitorous hand was resting comfortably, protectively on her shoulder. Before he could stop himself, the same hand reached over and lightly brushed a few wayward curls off of her face. Surprised at his actions, Sesshoumaru quickly glanced about the room. It wouldn't do to have them as witness to this rare and absurd moment of tenderness - to a human, no less. Certain that the rest of the room was still lost in dreamland, Sesshoumaru gently squeezed Vanessa's shoulder, watching in amusement as she realized where she was and on whose lap she was laying.

 

Vanessa bolted up to a sitting position, looking wide-eyed and embarrassed at Sesshoumaru, pink creeping to her cheeks, but before she could make a sound, the taiyoukai raised a clawed finger to his lips, hushing the panicked woman. “Ohayou.” He said softly in greeting, nodding his head slightly. She looked puzzled for a moment, and then as though some long-lost memory had just resurfaced, she smiled and responded with an “Ohayou” of her own. She rose to her feet and gave a mighty stretch, almost stumbling before she caught herself, and, wrapping the blanket about her shoulders, walked softly toward the door. Once at the door flap, Vanessa turned back to Sesshoumaru and gestured with her head toward the outside. Did she not have enough of my company through the night? Well, she is leaving soon, after all. Humans are such sentimental creatures. Against all precedent, Sesshoumaru rose smoothly to his feet and followed the woman into the dim early morning sunlight.

 

She was standing in the middle of the yard, gray blanket wrapped around her shoulders, golden curls tumbling over her shoulders, gazing toward the rising sun. Sesshoumaru approached and stood silently by her side, keeping a wary ear open for intruders. They stood in silence for a moment, and then Vanessa turned to him with a smile. “Good morning,” she said. Sesshoumaru didn't know what to make of the words and allowed the slightest bit of puzzlement to show in his golden eyes, but Vanessa was waiting. Waiting for what? A response? He tried out the new words, feeling rather foolish all the while, “Good… Morning?” Apparently that was what Vanessa was waiting for. She grinned and nodded happily.

“Good morning… Ohayou,” she said, and continued to smile up at him. So that must be the morning greeting where she is from. Strange. To think that I, Sesshoumaru, am learning from a human. He reflected on what he had learned from the miko the previous night. If she, in her time, was learning this strange woman's language, despite the great distance, this far away land must hold great power indeed. This conversation - if it may be called that - just might bear remembering. “Good morning,” he repeated, much to the delight of the human woman standing beside him.

 

They stood together in silence for a short while longer, enjoying the peace of the small village, before the sounds of people waking could be heard from within the old miko's hut. Sesshoumaru tensed, certain that he did not want to be caught alone with the human, but before he could make a move to return to the hut, he heard a rustle of fabric and turned to see Vanessa making her way to the outhouse to take care of business. Sesshoumaru stared after her wondering whether to be impressed or insulted. No one just walks away from this Sesshoumaru. On the other hand, perhaps she was more perceptive than he had given her credit for. Or she merely didn't want to be caught alone with you. Whatever her reasons, Sesshoumaru cleared the matter from his mind as beneath his concern and returned to the hut.

 

Once past the door flap Sesshoumaru was met with the typical morning chaos as the women tried to prepare a meal with the men getting underfoot. Ignoring the madness, he crossed the room and retook his position against the wall. Vanessa would be leaving in just a few hours, and Sesshoumaru was more than ready for life to go back to normal - no more “playing nice” with his half-brother, no more concern over strange humans, no more confusion over long-dead emotion, no more thoughts of the future. That last was fruitless really, since throughout the life of a youkai the future came upon it soon enough and it was generally best not to dwell on what has passed, much less what is yet to come.

 

Vanessa finally returned and offered to help the other women, and through the young miko's instruction was able to try her hand at making a meal again. Once the meal was finished and cleared away, Inuyasha, the taijiya and the monk left to spar and Rin and the kitsune ran out to play in the grass. Kaede had matters to attend to in the village and Kagome was gathering a few scattered items, returning them to her pack before joining the others outside. That left Vanessa. She had decided to return in her own clothing and retreated to the side room to change. Sesshoumaru remained where he was in the otherwise empty main room of the hut. Being so near his half-brother and so many humans was starting to wear on his nerves. He closed his eyes for a moment of calming meditation.

 

After a few minutes, Vanessa reappeared and cleared her throat to get his attention. She motioned to the door and walked out. It was time for her to return home. Once again outside in the morning light, Vanessa met up with Kagome and they spoke for a moment with their heads together. When they broke apart, the miko went to round up the rest of her group and Vanessa approached Sesshoumaru with a funny little smile. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow as he watched her make her way over to him. She stopped a few feet away and gazed up at him for a moment before doing something he did not expect. She stepped one foot forward slightly and bent her knees, holding her skirt out at the side. While her body dipped down, she tilted her head and gave him a half-bow. It was a strange, but it seemed to have all of the respectful qualities of a proper bow. This must be how they do it where she comes from. Then she spoke, a little hesitantly at first. “A-Arigatou gozaimasu, Sesshoumaru-sama.”

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly in surprise - she learned a bit of his own language just to thank him, and… So now she knows my station… Why does the title feel so wrong coming from her lips. His brow furrowed at the implications of that last thought, and he found himself shaking his head. What is coming over me? When she straightened again and looked up at him, he could smell her nervousness. She wanted to know if she had done the right thing. Sesshoumaru caught her gaze and held it, smoldering gold meeting sparkling violet and finally he broke the silence. Shaking his head once more, he said only, “Sesshoumaru.” The woman seemed to understand what he meant, that for some reason, somehow, they had stepped beyond the boundary of formality that required that she use the honorific with him. She broke in to a wide grin and beamed up at him before turning toward the well, glancing over her shoulder to be sure that he was following.

 

Sesshoumaru followed at a distance. He wasn't comfortable with the conflict that the woman from the future stirred within him. Soon enough, she will be gone. He wouldn't have to think of her ever again. The confusion would leave him the moment she did, or so he hoped. The taiyoukai of the west was nothing if not stable, in control, and rational, and in two days the creature before him had begun to unravel the layers he had built up within himself. No one had ever been able to touch those walls. They had only said a handful of words to one another and yet, how could she have had such an effect on him? Hn. There was no effect. She simply does not belong here and this Sesshoumaru could sense it. I was merely… unsettled. But Sesshoumaru didn't get unsettled.

 

Before he realized it, Sesshoumaru had caught up with the others and reached the well. Inuyasha was complaining loudly that Kagome couldn't go back to her time; they needed her here to find the jewel shards. He didn't seem to notice that her face was darkening into the expression Sesshoumaru had seen the previous day just before Inuyasha crashed into the ground. Sesshoumaru could feel the corners of his mouth twitching as a smirk threatened to spread across his face. The hanyou seemed to have no idea what he was bringing down on himself. As Inuyasha's arguments grew more heated, there was a resounding, “SIT BOY!” and a crash. Silence fell around the well until Inuyasha caught his breath and grumbled a series of very elaborate curses before stalking to Goshinboku and leaping into its branches.

 

Kagome turned to the rest of them with an over-bright smile and began to go over the plan, “If this works, Vanessa will come back to my time and I'm sure my mother would be happy to let her stay at our house until she can get the paperwork to go home. So. Shall we then?” Vanessa took a moment to embrace the taijiya and Rin each before turning to Sesshoumaru. She smiled at him shyly for a moment before placing her hands on his shoulders and reaching up on her toes to give him a light kiss on the cheek. Sesshoumaru just stood there, frozen in place. He could only stare back at the woman - while everyone else stared at him, mouths hanging open and on edge waiting to see how he would react. She was human after all. She dared presume to be so intimate with this Sesshoumaru? Finally, he blinked and nodded to the pair standing by the well that they should go on their way. The remainder of the group breathed a collective sigh of relief that he had not struck her down where she stood. They really think this Sesshoumaru is bloodthirsty. He shrugged mentally. Just as well. It wouldn't do for them to grow complacent with him.

 

Still, he couldn't shake the tingling feeling where Vanessa's lips had so briefly touched his cheek - a final reminder that he had failed to instill in her the fear of the powerful taiyoukai that he was, a final reminder that the strange woman was real. No matter, she will be leaving soon.

 

Sesshoumaru watched as the miko explained to Vanessa what she had to do, but the woman appeared to be less than enthusiastic about jumping into an empty well. This had better work. Finally, Vanessa clasped hands with the other woman of the future, gave a final nervous look over her shoulder at Sesshoumaru - whose face remained stoic as ever - and jumped into the well.

 

 

 

 

A/N: Alright! Chapter 4 is done! …and it's a little longer than I had planned, but I'm pretty pleased with it. …and I think I might have been reading a few too many angsty stories… Sesshoumaru is starting to fall out of character a little bit (a lot) and he's not as arrogant as I first wanted to portray him. Oh well... it's my story! Amazing how much more interesting a story can be when people actually talk to one another (at least… that's my hope!).

 

Please review and let me know what you think. I'm starting to understand what those other authors meant when they said that reviews made them want to write more and faster. Just seeing the number of hits spike on my little story lets me know that at least someone is interested, but I would really like to know what you think! I'm going to try and get another couple chapters finished before the end of the month, but I've got finals coming up, so bear with me. School comes first (or so I keep reminding myself) Take care!