InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Of Snowstorms and annoying old women. ❯ Chapter Seven ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

 

Author's Note: Again, thank you to everyone who left a review on any of the sites this story is posted (Fanfiction.net, Mediaminer.org, Single Spark and Dokuga).

I have decided that for right now this fic will continue to have an “R” rating on sites that allow that. Everywhere else it will maintain an “M” rating, but will not move up to “MA.” If that makes any sense.

 

An additional note as I've attempted to fix mediaminer's font issue. First, the file was loaded from the same word program, with the same format it has always had. While it appears fine on my screen… because I do care about my readers I have adjusted it in hopes that the few people that did have problems will no longer have such issues. Please let me know if future chapters persist in this issue.

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Chapter 7:

 

 

Kagome sat by the window staring outside watching the snow fall from the trees in clumps as it melted. Another six weeks had passed, and winter was now nearly over. Sesshoumaru had left only a few minutes ago to check the mountain passes for their travel conditions, and would most likely return to tell her that they could now leave the valley.

 

 

Letting out a sigh the young woman moved her gaze from outside the window to her lap where a large bag made of deer hide rested. She had been packing her things all morning in anticipation for their upcoming departure. Inside the bag was her clothing that Talia had made for her, a cooking pot, some bowls, several scrolls that she had deemed important, a variety of herbs from Talia's collection, and three deer skin pouches filled with the scent erasing powder. Each pouch was marked with a different letter on its side, which signified whose scent it would erase. Kagome's, Sesshoumaru's, or all scents.

 

 

Allowing another sigh to escape her lips Kagome moved a hand up to her neck to stroke the silver scar that now resided there. Four weeks, she had only had four weeks with him as her mate and she wasn't sure if she was willing to give him up so soon. She almost found herself regretting taking another two weeks after she accepted the demon's proposal to gain the courage to lie with him.

 

 

`You knew it would come to this,' she scolded herself as her hand completely covered the mark, `You knew and yet you continued, just to feel loved by someone. God you're pathetic.' Her hand was now squeezing her shoulder as she bowed her head to fight the tears that were threatening to fall. She knew she had to be careful with her emotions now as he could sense them, and she knew that she would probably be interrogated when he returned. Leaving the scent of tears in the room wouldn't help her case any if she were going to try and explain her feeling of sadness off as her merely thinking about missing Talia.

 

 

That thought made Kagome giggle slightly. Sesshoumaru would in no way miss Talia, or “That annoying old woman,” as he put it. It was true that the old woman had a tendency to meddle in affairs that she had no business in, but it was also thanks to her that the young woman from the future had been able to find some small happiness; albeit short.

 

 

Resuming her previous task of making sure she had packed everything they might need on their trip home she began to hum a tune to herself. It was a lullaby her mother once sang to her as a child, and it had always served to comfort her when she was stressed.

 

 

“You change your moods quickly,” a smooth voice came from the doorway.

 

 

Sesshoumaru had returned and was now leaning against the door frame watching her intently. He had sensed her distress only a few moments prior, and hastened his return only to find her happily humming to herself as she went through her new bag.

 

 

Tying the knot to her pack, Kagome stood and made her way over to the demon lord, “I do that sometimes when I get to thinking,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist, “Were you able to find a safe way out?”

 

 

Placing a hand on the small of her back, Sesshoumaru brought his other hand under her chin to pull her face to look at him, “Yes, a pass to the west is now clear of ice. We may leave now if you wish,” he said before placing a kiss on his mate's forehead.

 

 

Truth be told the youkai did not wish to leave just yet. He still had no memory of his life before the valley, and he did not like the idea of going back to his old life without any knowledge of what that life had been. But from what Kagome had told him he knew there were many people waiting on them, and were probably very worried for their well being.

 

 

“Yes, we should go ahead and say our goodbyes to Talia and head out,” Kagome said. Standing up on her tip toes she placed a light kiss on Sesshoumaru's cheek before turning away to grab her pack, “Let's go,” she said as she slung it over her shoulder.

 

 

The couple made their way out of their room and into the main room where Talia sat poking at a small fire, “Time to go I see,” she said without looking away from the flames in front of her.

 

 

Nodding slowly Kagome kneeled down by the old woman and pulled her into a tight embrace, “Thank you so much for all your help,” she whispered before pulling away and moving to stand beside her mate again, “We will try to visit when we can.”

 

 

Looking at the pair the old woman smiled, “I would very much like that child. The two of you have been my only visitors for a long time,” she said. Standing slowly the old woman made her way to the young girl and the youkai; waving her hands in the air in front of her as to shoo them out of the hut. “Get along now you two, the day is only so long and you have a ways to go I'd wager.”

 

 

The couple said their goodbyes before turning towards the direction of the path that would lead them out of the valley.

 

 

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“Inuyasha can't we stop for a few minutes?” Shippo whined from his perch on Kirara's back, “I'm hungry, and we haven't eaten since last night!”

 

 

“No way runt, the snow is melting and we can start looking for signs of Kagome again. I'm not gonna risk missing a clue to where she is because of your stomach,” Inuyasha snapped.

 

 

The group was heading towards the spot where they had last been with Kagome in hopes of being able to find some trace of her now that there wasn't snow everywhere blocking scents and covering up tracks. Kikyo had made an appearance only a few hours ago and had confirmed that she still only possessed half a soul, which meant that Kagome was still alive.

 

 

“Don't worry Shippo, we'll stop soon to eat,” Sango offered, “After all we're no good to Kagome without our strength should she need help. Right Inuyasha?”

 

 

“Feh,” was all the response the hanyou would give.

 

 

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Kagome and Sesshoumaru had been traveling for two days, but it had only been within the past few hours that they had made any real progress. Without Sesshoumaru's memories the pair had to rely on Kagome's for any idea as to where they were, and since she had no idea at all they were more than just a little lost.

 

 

They were saved several hours ago by a traveling merchant that was able to tell them the direction they would need to travel in order to reach the Western boarder. Of course it had taken more than a little convincing to get any information out of the man as he was far more concerned with trying to run away from the youkai that had stepped in his path than giving any sort of helpful information.

 

 

Much to their relief they were not far from the border at all, and now after several hours of traveling were within the lands of the West.

 

 

“Sess, it's getting dark,” Kagome said as she looked around nervously, “Can we stop for the night?”

 

 

Sesshoumaru only nodded as he steered them towards a small clearing next to a stream that would be suitable to sleep in for the night, “I will go hunt for dinner while you set up camp,” he said. Kissing his mate softly, the demon lord stroked a thumb over his mark on her shoulder before turning into the forest.

 

 

Watching her mate leave Kagome let out a shaky breath as she began to make a fire. After filling the small pot that Talia had given her with water from the stream Kagome rummaged through her pack for the appropriate ingredients for what she would be doing tonight. She produced a small jar filled with various ground herbs and other things, `Like Sesshoumaru's hair,' she thought as she reached for the scroll she would need.

 

 

Bringing the water to a boil the young woman from the future poured the contents of the jar into the pot and began to stir until the clearing was filled with a sweet smell that reminded her of some of the sweeter teas her mother used to make. This however would be the stew they would eat for dinner once Sesshoumaru came back with whatever it was he was hunting. Her stomach turned a little at the thought of eating some of his hair, but it was the only way she could think to get the mixture into her mate without him noticing.

 

 

The water had just reached a rolling boil once again when Sesshoumaru came into the clearing with neatly cut and cleaned meat wrapped in the skin of whatever it was he had killed. Taking the meat from him the young woman from the future cut the meat into smaller cubes before placing them into the stew to cook.

 

 

After a few minutes Kagome deemed the stew cooked enough to eat and dished out two bowls before making her way over to Sesshoumaru. Handing him one she seated herself next to him and began to eat, although without any utensils it was more like drinking. The two ate in silence as was custom for the pair, but once finished they began their nightly ritual of exchanging opinions and stories on various subjects.

 

 

At the end of a particularly exciting tale about her grandfather and her first day in junior high Kagome noticed Sesshoumaru's posture slumping slightly, “You look tired, was my story that boring?” she teased as she crawled into her mate's lap.

 

 

“Forgive me Kagome,” the demon lord said as he positioned her in his lap so that her head rested on his shoulder, “It seems I am a bit tired, your story was more than entertaining.”

 

 

“Hn,” Kagome responded as she brought a hand to Sesshoumaru's cheek and pulled his face to hers. Slowly she brought their lips together in a soft yet demanding kiss; a demand that Sesshoumaru did not miss as he moved a hand behind her head to tangle his fingers in her hair and hold her tightly in place so that he could deepen the kiss.

 

 

When they parted Kagome looked up to see her mate's eyes nearly closed in exhaustion, and as much as she wished to take their kiss and turn it into something more, she knew that he would be sound asleep in a few seconds, “I love you,” she whispered as she watched the last bit of recognition flicker in his eyes before he fell asleep completely. She stayed in his lap for only a few more moments before getting up and repacking her bags of the bowls and the pot she had used for dinner. She then reached into her pack and pulled out the small bag that was marked with a “K,” signifying that it held the powder needed to erase any and all scent of her from anything it touched. Dusting the camp site thoroughly, the woman from the future then moved to the demon lord that still lay sleeping and covered him from head to toe with the dust.

 

 

Satisfied with her work Kagome picked up her pack and began walking in the direction she had come with Sesshoumaru earlier that day, releasing a trail of the dust behind her as she went. She didn't stop until she was convinced that she was well out of the Western lands, and when she did she crumpled into a sobbing heap on the forest floor. It was over. She had tasted happiness for a short time, and now it was over. She pulled the scroll from her pack and read it once more.

 

 

It was meant to be a mind healing mixture. When the appropriate herbs were mixed with a sample of the injured person's hair it could be ingested in order to heal a damaged mind. The only side effect being that any memories the person obtained while injured would be lost upon healing. She had righted the wrongs she had committed by this final act.

 

 

`You used him' Kagome's mind accused.

 

 

“But it's fixed now, he won't remember anything,” the girl whispered to herself.

 

 

`Fixed? He will find out eventually you know. You mated him, and he feels every emotion you do. Do you really expect him to not know what's happening?' her mind hissed.

 

 

“I'll just gather the shards faster, and when the quest is over I'll go through the well and never come back. He never has to know!” Her tears were coming harder now as she lay on the forest floor in a fetal position; holding her hands over her ears in a futile attempt to block out the offending voice.

 

 

`So you'll just run away again then,' the voice in her mind said bitterly, `Like you just did with that potion.'

 

 

“I healed him!” Kagome screamed into the night; pressing the palms of her hands harder against her ears, “Besides this is what you wanted! You were the one telling me to accept him!”

 

 

`I didn't expect you to go as far as to mate him, and I certainly didn't expect you to be such a coward once everything was over. You should have stayed and faced his wrath,' the voice said before vanishing completely from her head.

 

 

Kagome lay on the floor sobbing for several more minutes before she finally picked herself up off the ground and began searching for a place the bathe. She would have to wash herself and her clothing before using the scent erasing powder on herself to erase his scent from her body. She had been too lost in her sorrow to notice how long she had been walking before she came upon a hot springs, but by the sun that was barely rising over the horizon she assumed it had been at least a few hours.

 

 

Stripping her clothes from her body she stepped into the springs with cleansing herbs in hand. She took great care to wash her clothing and herself completely before redressing and pulling the pouch marked “S” from her pack and spreading the powder everywhere the demon had touched, taking special care to rub a good amount of the mixture on her mark. She knew she would have to be very careful to keep anyone from seeing the mark, but she also wanted to make sure no one could smell it either.

 

 

With her final task of erasing any evidence of what happened over the past few months the girl from the future lay herself on a large boulder by the springs and allowed herself to sleep. She would need what little strength she had to travel on her own to find her friends.

 

 

It was like this that her friends found her later that afternoon.

 

 

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Again, I'm going to reiterate: This story remains rated as it is for right now. No one has the ability to tell me my rating is too high until the story is over (there is a reason the summary says “to be safe”). I get in far more trouble for under rating this than I do for over rating until later chapters.

 

I am currently a fan of a wonderful work of Sess/Kag fiction that is now on chapter 30 and there is still no adult content whatsoever yet it is rated NC-17. I continue because the plot is good, and not because I want to read smut. I hope that I have readers that simply enjoy my plot and not the anticipation of smut. You had a taste of romance in the last chapter, and there will be more later on.

 

The lack of heavy romance was intentional to correspond with the conflict in the story. If you don't like it that much then please stop reading. However, I am happy that I did receive the flames I did. My story elicited emotions within the reader, which is the intent of every author. I don't know how many stories I've read, whether it be fanfiction or a book that have had sections I wanted to scream at, or even stop reading. And I did stop reading for a while, but eventually came back.

Thank you for every review, encouragements or flames… both are welcome and loved.

 

 

Please Read, Rate, and Review.