InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Overcoming the Past ❯ Tenseiga ( Chapter 10 )

A/N: I finally updated! Took me long enough, ne? Well, I have plenty of valid and good excuses, but no one really cares, ne? So… thanks for all the reviews. I guess everyone wants Shippou back. I won't bore everyone with my senseless babbling, so on with the story ^_^.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and Co.

"…" Indicates words.

'…' Indicates thoughts.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~ *~*~*~*~*

Last Chapter:

"S-Shippou-chan? C-can you hear me? It's m-me … Kagome…" There was no response. She looked at Hana, who refused to meet her gaze, then to Sesshoumaru. He shook his head solemnly and Kagome broke down into lonely, heart-wrenching sobs.

This Time:

Sesshoumaru watched in silence as Kagome's heart broke all over again. He was sorely tempted to avert his gaze, but found that he couldn't take his eyes off the scene. His heart constricted in sympathy and sorrow for Kagome. It was the same feeling as the time he saw the man-eating wolves hovered over Rin's lifeless form. He felt protective and angry. He knew that somehow Inuyasha was related to the kit's death. That fact alone was enough to send Sesshoumaru into a fit of rage, but he suppressed the burning desire to kill for Kagome's sake. Instead, he decided to try to save the kitsune, who deserved to live a decent childhood.

'I was not able to live happily ever after. Perhaps Kagome and the kit can live the life I have longed for and dreamed of every moment since the day I was left alone to face the world.' Tenseiga pulsed. Sesshoumaru tore his eyes from Kagome and stared intensely and the blade. It pulsed again. The sword pulsed with every compassionate thought that passed through the taiyoukai's mind. To Sesshoumaru, it sounded like a heartbeat.

"My heartbeat…" he mumbled almost inaudibly. 'Could it be that the sword represents the beating of my inner heart when laden with compassion? It can't be!'

Sesshoumaru unsheathed Tenseiga and was able to see the messengers from the world beyond.

"I see them," he announced in awe. Everyone turned to him inquiringly. Kagome's eyes widened when she saw the blade and she looked pleadingly at him. "Stand aside." Kagome didn't dare argue. She set Shippou's body down and backed away. Sesshoumaru glared at the grotesque creatures on the kit and slashed at them, sending them into oblivion.

A soft heartbeat was heard, slow at first, then faster and faster until it rang clear and steady in the silent room for even Kagome to hear. The kit slowly opened his eyes and Kagome squealed in delight. She immediately wrapped her arms around him and cuddled him into her chest like she always did. Tears fell freely from her eyes and her cries of joy filled the room. Sesshoumaru quietly sheathed Tenseiga and watched the surrogate mother and son embrace in a way that he had never truly known. He felt somehow jealous of the young kitsune, although he wasn't sure if it was because he still had a mother figure or because Kagome was embracing him so ardently.

Kagome set Shippou down gently and walked over to where Sesshoumaru stood aloof and alone. She smiled warmly at him and Sesshoumaru had to fight to suppress a blush from staining his pale cheeks. After a moment of silence, Sesshoumaru watched Kagome throw herself into him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and utter hysterical words of gratitude. Sesshoumaru, not knowing what to do, rubbed his hand up and down her back in an attempt to calm her into a state of inner peace. After what seemed like an eternity that lasted not nearly long enough, Sesshoumaru felt Kagome go limp against him and knew that she had fallen asleep. The steady and deep rhythm of her heart and breathing confirmed that. Sesshoumaru shifted her unconscious form and lifted her into his arms. He began to carry her bridal style in the direction of their rooms, but froze when he heard a quiet voice.

"Is my mommy going to be okay?" came Shippou's voice, timid and uncertain. Sesshoumaru didn't bother to turn around.

"She is in perfect health. She is merely asleep. You may come with me and rest with her if that is your wish." With that, Sesshoumaru continued down the hallway toward his room. Shippou hesitated and then decided to follow and protect his mother, although he knew very well that Sesshoumaru would not hurt her. The kit was certain that Sesshoumaru brought him back to life only because it would make Kagome happy. He had seen the jealous look in Sesshoumaru's eyes when Kagome embraced him, and he felt instant relief. If Sesshoumaru was jealous, than he cared about Kagome, and if he cared about Kagome enough to bring him back, then he wouldn't kill him again.

When Sesshoumaru reached the door to Kagome's room, he opened it and walked in quietly. Shippou stood at the entrance and watched as his former enemy, the emotionless taiyoukai that was Inuyasha's half brother, take the utmost care as he laid Kagome down on the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.

"Sesshoumaru?" Shippou fidgeted nervously when the demon lord looked at him icily. Nothing was said, so Shippou took the silence as a sign to continue. "Why did you bring me back?" Sesshoumaru's delicate brows furrowed and his eyes held a new intensity.

"Kagome wanted you to live." Shippou scowled at his answer, or rather lack of.

"Why do you care?" Sesshoumaru did not answer. He couldn't. He didn't know.

Why do you care? The words tugged at his heart and plagued his mind.

'Why do I care? I know that I want Kagome to live happily with her adoptive son, but why her? Why Kagome of all people?'

"I do not know." That was all he could say. It was the truth. Sesshoumaru had no idea why he chose Kagome… or Rin for that matter. He simply felt for them; cared for them.

"Well… arigatou. It means a lot to me that you care about her. I'm sure Kagome-okaasan is very grateful for your compassion, Sesshoumaru-sama." Shippou climbed up next to his surrogate mother and drifted off into a light sleep. Sesshoumaru smirked at the scene and stepped outside, closing the door behind him. He immediately went in search of Yukio. It was clear that Inuyasha was somewhat responsible for the kit's demise and needed to be dealt with. He spotted the neko youkai and silently requested his presence in the library. Yukio caught on and followed his cousin.

"Yukio, Inuyasha is nearby. We must decide our course of action. It is clear that he is responsible for young Shippou's troubles, as well as Kagome's," he explained. Yukio nodded in agreement.

"Is Kagome far enough into her training to ensure her own victory? She has only been training for a few months under your instruction," commented Yukio skeptically.

"She is strong enough to defeat that whelp of a hanyou," retorted Sesshoumaru, arrogant as ever. Yukio snorted at his cousin's confidence.

"You have yet to best him in battle," the neko youkai pointed out. Sesshoumaru frowned and growled dangerously.

"I have always restrained my power. I have no intention of killing my own brother, even if he is a fool and a bastard. If I wanted him dead, he would be long gone, Yukio. That goes for anyone I may dislike." Yukio nodded in defeat.

"Well, then… Kagome-san will fight her own battle tomorrow. Is that what you are trying to tell me, Sesshoumaru-sama?" The dog demon nodded once. It was decided. Kagome would deal with the hanyou as she saw fit.

<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>

Sesshoumaru peered out at the deep forests of his lands and waited for the sun to rise and tower over the village of trees. In only a few hours, Inuyasha and his companions would arrive and demand that he release Kagome from his evil clutches or something along those lines. Yukio soon joined him, silently offering his assistance in any way.

<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>

Kagome stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She wordlessly observed her surroundings, her gaze eventually lowering to the kit that was cuddled in her arms. He smiled up at her and moved to get up.

"Ohayou okaasan," Shippou whispered. Kagome replied with a soft yawn and began to stretch as Shippou paced the length of the room nervously. Kagome noticed this.

"Daijoubu?" Shippou nodded.

"Inuyasha will come for us today. Will you go back to him?" the kit asked nervously. Kagome pondered his question for a moment.

"With every meeting, a parting is sure to follow. I won't go back to Inuyasha, but… I have burdened Sesshoumaru enough… I don't want to cause him any more trouble than I already have."

"What does that mean?" Kagome looked at Shippou solemnly.

"I will go home and seal the well. I will never some back to this time. Gomen ne, Shippou-chan. Sumimasen." Shippou, on the brink of tears, ran out of the room as fast as his short limbs could carry him. Kagome sighed sadly. "I just can't stay… I am a burden to everyone."

"You that what you're saying is a lie, don't you?" came a harsh feminine voice from the doorway. Kagome didn't bother to look up.

"What do you want, Nika?" she asked coldly. Nika frowned.

"Here I was trying to make peace with you and you act like a bitch. I brought you some breakfast, but it seems that you don't want or deserve it. I'll just take it back to the kitchen then…" Nika slowly began to walk away with the tray of food in her hands.

"Wait… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you Nika-sama." Kagome's voice was dejected and weak.

"You stupid girl. What are you thinking? What happened to make you so unconfident about yourself? Sesshoumaru wants you to stay until you are ready to be on your own. He told me himself that he wants to help nurture you back to good health and heart." Kagome looked up at her skeptically, with slight hope in her timid gaze.

"Why should I believe you?" she inquired warily. The demoness let out an exasperated sigh and fought the urge to strangle the human in front of her.

"If I was going to lie to you, I would do it to keep Sesshoumaru to myself and make sure you thought that he despised you. Besides, you don't need to believe me. You can ask Sesshoumaru yourself." Kagome laughed slightly at that. Nika laughed, too.

"So, what did you bring me for breakfast?" inquired a chipper Kagome. Nika smiled and set the tray down in front of her.

"It's nothing special. I just thought that you might be hungry, so I had the cook make you some miso soup, fried eggs, and some rice. It's a pretty strange breakfast, ne?" Kagome smiled thankfully and shook her head.

"No, not really. In my time people eat all sorts of things for their meals," Kagome replied, picking up her chopsticks and taking a bite of the fried egg. Nika frowned slightly in confusion.

"'Your time?' What do you mean, 'Your time?'" Kagome paled slightly and set down her chopsticks. The youkai watched the miko's movements warily and could sense the unease and turmoil in her.

'I guess I can't lie to her now… I've already said too much. I hope she can keep it a secret from Yukio, Hana, and Katsuga. Sesshoumaru already know, so I don't have to worry about him.'

"Well, now that the cat's out of the bag… I come from the future. On my fifteenth birthday, I was dragged into the Bone Eater's Well and came out in Feudal Japan…" Kagome proceeded to tell Nika about her adventures with Inuyasha and the Shikon no Tama. Nika listened intently to every word that came out of the miko's mouth. When Kagome told her how Sesshoumaru recently found her, she stopped and looked at the demoness nervously. "It's pretty unbelievable, ne? I don't blame you if you think I'm lying, but I am telling the complete truth." Nika nodded seriously.

"I believe you." There was a long pause. "Does Sesshoumaru know about this?" Kagome nodded.

"Yes. He knows. I told him in one of our private training sessions. It was surprising to find out that he somehow already knew. When I asked him how, all he said was 'I have my sources.' He was obviously trying to sound mysterious or something, but he sounded like a little kid trying to act smart and impress his parents." The girls laughed together.

"So, will you stay?" asked Nika. Kagome looked away sadly.

"I don't know. The truth is: I have an obligation to Inuyasha to recollect the shards of the Shikon Jewel. It is my duty, just as it is Sesshoumaru's duty to protect these lands. Both of us are bound by our duties." Nika pouted but nodded in understanding.

"Sesshoumaru will be sad to hear that. I think that we are all going to miss you a little, Kagome." Nika then rose and left Kagome alone to eat. The miko finished her meal with a smile on her face. When she was finished, she got dressed in a white hakama and blue haori and went to find Shippou. She walked slowly through the halls of the castle she had come to know as a second home. She began to think back on all the memories she had made there in so short a time. Kagome was so caught up in her thoughts that she wasn't watching where she was walking and collided with someone. She winced in fear, awaiting the impact of the floor beneath her. Her sapphire eyes shot open when strong arms wrapped around her. She looked up to find herself gazing into fiery amber eyes.

"Sesshoumaru…" she whispered. Sesshoumaru didn't reply, just stared at the girl in his arms. Kagome blushed at the intensity of his gaze, but found that she could not tear her eyes away no matter how hard she tried. It was then that Kagome realized Sesshoumaru was not looking at her, but looking through her in deep thought. The taiyoukai snapped back to reality and averted his gaze. After a moment, he looked back.

"You will be leaving?" he struggled to ask. Kagome saw the turmoil and in his eyes and hear the turmoil in his voice and instantly yearned to allay his worry and promise to stay, but she couldn't.

"I must recollect the Shikon shards. It is my duty." It was all she said. Her bangs were covering her face and eyes. Sesshoumaru frowned and his hands began to shake with suppressed rage.

"You are going to go back to Inuyasha even after what he did to you and your kit?!" he demanded. Kagome's head snapped up at his statement and tone. Worry filled her features she was trembling.

"My kit? What has Inuyasha done to Shippou? Tell me!" she cried. Sesshoumaru hesitated before answering her.

"When your kitsune friend arrived at my castle, he was covered in the scent of clay and bones. The wounds on his body were not caused by any blade or demonic attack I know of." His insinuations hit Kagome full force and she gasped in horror.

"How could she?! That bitch!" spat Kagome, her voice laced with venom that almost made Sesshoumaru shiver. He held her tighter in an attempt to keep her fury at bay. He knew very well that it was unwise to invoke the wrath of a woman, and even more dangerous to invoke the wrath of a mother. Inuyasha's undead mate had just done both, and Sesshoumaru nearly shuddered at the possible consequences. "She. Will. PAY! How dare she touch my son! I will send her to a place that makes the fires of Hell appealing! As for Inuyasha, he will have to live with the consequences of decisions… I will make sure of it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~ *~*~*~*~*

A/N: I am so sorry I didn't update sooner. I have been so busy with school. I have a major test practically every day I go to school. I study from the time I come home to the time I go to bed. Gomen ne. Also, about the story, I know that people were kind of OOC. Sorry about that. Thanks for all the reviews.

Review Responses:

DemonLady1: Sorry, it took a long time, ne?

Bloodbunny: What did you mean when you said you didn't like them both in the same place?

Katani Masaya: Well, I have seen a few of the episodes in Japanese, and I do like those a lot better, but I don't have the money to buy that many so the dubbed on Cartoon Network or whatever are the only ones I can get. I am just happy I get to see them.

MaiFluffysKid: Puppets? ^_^'

Rin04: Thanks. I'm glad you like it.

Niamha: It was a pretty bad ending, wasn't it? But, it got me more reviews (even though everyone was flaming me for killing the kit ^_~.)

Rogue Falcon: Kagome's stronger than that (at least in my fic). She will avenge him though.

Sundragon: I agree. Shipou doesn't deserve to die yet.

Artemis Diane: Okay, okay! Gomen. He's back, though, ain't he?

Nikki-sama: Thanks for the suggestion. I have a great place to put that in. It was a good idea and you will get credit for it.

Yume no Zencho: I don't know why I stopped where I did. I hate it when I read a story and the author leaves it at a horrible cliffhanger. Sorry.

Lynn1415: Don't cry! <hands Lynn a tissue>

Ivy Rose: I totally agree. Shippou is too cute to keep dead and out of the story. That's why I brought him back ^_^ !

Namesake: Yeah, I would prefer to have the kit live though, and it seems most everyone else does too. I thought it was just me who thought Shippou could be really annoying! I'm not the only one! Yay!

Midnight Wolf: I'm glad you like it, but I think it's a bit too cliché, to be honest.

Sharem: I would love to be his okaasan too, but I would probably spend my entire life playing with his puffy little tail!

Taiyoukai Lord Sesshoumaru: That's a great idea! The only thing that was a problem was, by the time I read the review, I made it so Inuyasha was already really close, so I'll have Kouga run into Inuyasha after he leaves with his tail between his legs so to speak. Arigatou Gozaimasu!

Animegurl002: Really? Actually, my fic is pretty ordinary and cliché and it's not that well written. I am really glad you read it, even though it is a Sess/Kag fic and you don't like them. Btw, why don't you like them together?

Tessa3: You have remarkable intuition, you know that? Yep. It was the clay Kikyou!

Kurama: Sorry it took so long and the chapter was so short. All of my chapters are soooooo short.

Silver Phoenix: Gomen ne. If I didn't, Kagome wouldn't want revenge on Kikyou. Also, she wouldn't have been as grateful and feel indebted to Sesshoumaru-sama and they might not have gotten together. Then, where would you be? Lol. Thanks for reviewing my fic!

Miroku's Angel: Okay, well I'm glad you even took the time to write anything!

PeachesDani: I am glad you like my fic and hope you keep enjoying to read it!

Piper: She most certainly will!

Well, that's about it. Thanks for the reviews. I hope you can find it in your wonderful, big hearts to review again! Lol. Actually, even though I love getting reviews, it's a pain to type out all the responses, and I don't even have as many as a lot of people. How do they do it?

PLEASE R/R!!!