InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Promises of Forever ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Naraku stood trancelike staring out of his castle, not acknowledging his latest offspring's presence.

 

“Why are you still chasing after the mikos when there are still others with shards?” Byakuyu asked with a yawn. “This bounty, while entertaining, is a waste of time.”

 

“Is it?” Naraku turned from the window tightly wrapped in his white baboon pelt. “I think it is just the entertainment we need. Something to keep our young friends busy and tear them apart at the same time. There are only three shards remaining, and I've yet to rid myself of the undead miko.”

 

“You're willing to risk it all just to rid yourself of her?” Byakuyu

chided unenthusiastically.

 

“Even I have not been able to kill her. No one demon will be able to, either. But I do have other plans for her and her reincarnation. She will wish that she had stayed in the ground.”

 

“I see. Are you going to let me in on your plan?”

 

“For now you would do well to focus on the tasks I have already given you.” The cold hanyou turned back to the window dismissively to his servant.

 

`Lord Sesshoumaru, you are indeed becoming too predictable and weak with the women.' Naraku mused to himself as he let a small laugh escape his lips.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Shippo came running with Rin in tow.

 

“Kagome, speak to me. Please…” Shippo used his tiny hands to rub the tears from her cheeks.

 

Rin looked solemnly into the older girl's eyes. Taking one of the flowers from her kimono, she placed it within Kagome's hand patting it gently. “Milady is so sad. Just like Lord Sesshoumaru.” She trailed her small hand her over her cheeks and brushed her bangs away from her eyes.

 

Shippo stepped back watching the little girl soothingly stoke his surrogate mother's face. It seemed as if this little girl could somehow understand Kagome's grief.

 

“Don't be sad anymore, Kagome. Lord Sesshoumaru will be very happy very soon. Don't cry. He doesn't like for anyone to cry because of him.” She smiled angelically, kissing Kagome quickly on the cheek. The small girl seemed to showed wisdom far beyond her age.

 

Sango looked up to find Miroku giving her the same look of concern.

 

Kagome's eyes lifted to meet the two sweetest orbs in return. Her mood instantly lifted as if feeding off of the tiny girl. Slowly lifting her head, “That is amazing, thank you. I am feeling much better. Have you always been able to do that?”

 

Rin giggled loudly before grabbing the stunned Kitsune by the hand and dragging him back into the patch of wild flowers past the underbrush.

 

“That little girl is amazing. She has very strong spiritual powers,” Miroku said in awe.

 

“I wonder why we haven't noticed them before.” Sango was completely taken aback with the girl's innocence and power.

 

“Perhaps she hasn't used them…”

 

“Nonetheless, let's get you back to the camp where you can rest.” Sango said as she helped her friend from the ground. “I will feel better after I tell a certain Taiyoukai to leave.”

 

Kagome stopped her friend slowly to turn and look at her. “It wasn't him. I mean it wasn't his fault.”

 

“Kagome, you can't be telling me you want him to stay with us, can you?” Sango asked worriedly.

 

“Well, no but…” Kagome was thankfully interrupted.

 

“Lady Sango, if he wasn't responsible for Kagome's accident, perhaps he should stay while Inuyasha is away.” Miroku had suddenly grown scared by Sango's icy stare, but decided to stay resolute. “If something were to happen to Kagome, could we ever forgive ourselves?”

 

Sango gave a begrudging sigh before nodding her defeat. “But if he so dare lay one finger to hurt any of us, Monk…”

 

 

 

Evening set in without too many more incidences. Jaken had almost gotten used to being stepped on about every third sentence out of his mouth, but he still didn't hinder his insults.

 

After dinner Shippo was eager to share some of the Pocky that he knew Kagome had saved for just such an occasion.

 

“Rin, Rin!” Shippo called out. “You'll love this!” Turning to face Kagome with his sappiest voice and most innocent smile, “Can we please have some Pocky?”

Rin scrunched up her nose at Shippo. “What is POE-KEE?”

 

Shippo rolled on the ground laughing at her broken pronunciation. “It's really yummy candy! You'll love it!”

 

Rin gave a disbelieving look but sat waiting for Kagome to search through her giant yellow backpack. “Aha! Here it is! One for you and one for you.”

 

Jaken, who had been purposely ignoring her the entire meal became suddenly alert and ran over with his hand held out for his.

 

“Well OK, here is one for you, too.” Kagome said with a slight sigh.

 

Rin watched Shippo before biting into hers and immediately let out a big “Yum.”

 

Jaken, on the other hand, started choking loudly clutching his throat. “MASTER… THIS… JAKEN…HAS…BEEN …POISONED! HELP, MILORD!”

 

Shippo and Rin grabbed their stomachs and burst out laughing at the scene the toad was putting on while the taiyoukai ignored his display.

 

“You know if you don't like it, you could just spit it out! You don't have to be such a BABY! ” Kagome yelled at the ungrateful imp.

 

Even Kirara jumped out of Sango's lap to watch.

 

“Kagome, can you read us a story from one of your books?” Shippo said with a smile.

 

Sango grinned to Miroku who had been watching Shippo pulling everything possible from Kagome's bag to impress the little girl.

 

“How about Cinderella?” Kagome asked as she opened the book.

 

Rin smile a bright toothy grin at the miko.

 

“It's the story of a young girl who is raised by her evil step mother and later rescued by a charming prince.”

 

“Just like Lord Sesshoumaru and how he rescued Rin!” The little girl announced excitedly. “But Rin's mother wasn't bad; she was very beautiful and kind. Just like you, Kagome!”

 

Kagome could feel her cheeks redden. “Rin, what did happen to your Mom?”

 

Rin's face darkened for a split second, “She was very sick and then she went away, and the other villagers became very mean to Rin, but then I found Lord Sesshoumaru and he rescued me just like the girl in the story.”

 

Kagome searched with her eyes to find where the taiyoukai was standing enveloped by the darkness of the forest. She had seen some of some of what the girl had said through the taiyoukai's memories earlier, but hearing them from the girl's mouth made her heart fill with warmth.

 

“OK on with the story then.” The two crowded around Kagome and waited for her to begin the story.

 

Shippo sat in Kagome's lap, while Rin sat to her side letting Kagome put her arm around her.

 

Sesshoumaru, still keeping his distance, watched the miko in her most motherly role. He had seen her acting as a mother to the kit many times, but she was somehow different this time. As both children sat with her he could envision her someday with her own children reading to them. She obviously had been very educated despite her relationship with the baka.

 

 

 

After everyone had fallen asleep, Kagome lay awake struggling to keep her mind from drifting back to Inuyasha and Kikyo. It had taken most of her energy to keep diverting her thoughts from the two. She wished that her mate would return soon. How could she have been so stupid not to have gone with him? She had healed Kikyo before, and she might have been able to again. Inuyasha would be back with her now instead of so far away with her. But she did trust him, didn't she? What kind of mate would she be to him if she didn't?

 

She rolled over restlessly once again watching at the great youkai staring into the flames of the campfire. Her thoughts started to toss randomly from all other scenes she had been shown in his mind. She had witnessed the guilt and pain he had suffered when he was unable to save Kagura. Still he showed very little emotion outward as they had approached, but she couldn't shake the betrayal he had felt when the tenseiga had refused to save the demoness. He was certainly a paradox all his own.

 

While she was unable to sleep, trying to dissect the thoughts that she had seen from Sesshoumaru kept her attention focused away from Kikyo.

 

She furrowed her brow as she remembered the guilt from his mother's death and his father; he should have gone with him. He knew he wouldn't come back if he went by himself when he was already badly wounded. But then there was also the hatred of Inuyasha's mother, for being the one that his father had run to save by giving his own life. The fact that she hadn't been strong enough and had brought his father to his death. And the guilt that he felt that he had sent Rin to her death by sending her away. Of course, he had said it was the sword's bidding to restore her life, but like the Tessaiga, the sword knew what was in his heart.

Remembrances were now racing excitedly through her head. Too fast to even process.

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes bored down on her from his stance against a tree. Kagome shifted her gaze away from his. She was ashamed. She felt like a thief plundering away with his most private thoughts.

 

He watched her as she squirmed in thought. He couldn't understand how she had been able to do what she had done, and from what little he had overheard she had no idea how she did it either.

 

She was the most irritating female that he had ever met. He would have never allowed any other human to live this long with as many problems as she had caused. From the moment he had seen her, she had caused all of his plans to go awry.

 

He should have killed her, but she always had the dumbest luck. How did she do it? She always got away. He looked back upon the girl and remembered how she had gotten away today. Not when he had stopped her from slapping him, because he had only wanted to stop her, but earlier when she had been ranting. He wished that he could have stopped her permanently, but as he had taken a deep breath to collect his emotions, her scent had intoxicated him. The sweet smell of jasmine combined with sakura blossoms. The more irritated she became, the heavier her scent became. He had been disappointed when she had calmed down.

 

Even now when her mind was so troubled she was intoxicating. The light from the pale moon shone down upon the miko bringing out an inner glow about her reminding him of the day she had been to become a bride for the evil poison maker. He should have let her been killed, but he found himself rescuing her instead. Again, he had become taken with her.

 

She had grown into a radiant young woman in the past few years. Especially when she was quiet like she was now. She was so much like Rin, but he would never admit it.

 

She couldn't take his intense glaring any longer. “What is there about me that you feel the need to stare at?”

 

“Do you not know, miko? After all, it was you traipsing around in my head earlier.” Sesshoumaru's tone was bitter.

 

Kagome's temper flared, but she kept quiet. Everyone else was asleep, and she didn't want to wake them.

 

Sesshoumaru smiled inwardly in satisfaction as her scent spiked. He never would have imagined that baiting his brother's mate would prove to be so satisfying. Maybe this was the true reason why his brother kept this human around. It certainly would explain their constant arguing.