InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Secrets of the Shinju (Part I): Sesshoumaru's Stolen Memories ❯ Dreams of Mother ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter Four

Dreams of Mother

Miroku could sense the spirit barriers that Seiji had spoke of. They were powerful; it almost felt as if something was squeezing him. This Hitomi must have immense powers for him to be feeling such a thing. Naraku was doing quite a lot to protect those memories, and now more than every Miroku realized the importance of getting to them.

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It was getting dark and Kagome decided it would be best if they made camp while there was still a bit of light left. She collected some wood for a fire and began to light a match. He watched her closely, but did not ask her what she was doing. After she had a fire going, she took a candy bar from her bag. Again he watched with interest but did not speak to her. She offered him some of the chocolate but he refused. She sighed to herself, missing having her friends to talk with. The constant silence was making her uncomfortable. She could tell he was growing tired. He had not slept for a couple nights now. She offered him her bag to use as a pillow, and she herself lay down with Kilala. The large cat was very soft and warm, which pleased Kagome because it was a chilly night. All three went to sleep, but hours later Kagome was awoken by the sound of Sesshoumaru. He had spoken, but was apparently asleep. Kagome leaned towards him and noticed he had a very soft smile on his face. He looked almost like a child.

She cuddled back into Kilala, and began to softly stroke the cat. Instantly, Kilala began to purr and Kagome fell asleep again. When she felt the warmth of the sun on her face she awoke with a start. She and her friends rarely slept this late. She sat up quickly and saw neither Sesshoumaru nor Kilala. She became worried and got up in a hurry. Then she heard foot steps getting close to her, and Sesshoumaru came into view. Kilala was right behind him. "This animal will not leave my sight." He said with some frustration. Kagome looked at Kilala, who obviously did not trust him. Kagome walked to her and began to pet her and speak in a soothing voice. Again the cat began to purr.

Kagome turned her attention to Sesshoumaru. She could sense something different about him. She could feel a more positive energy around him this morning. "Did you sleep well last night?" He looked at her and then turned away. She began to gather her things and then they began to walk again. Suddenly it dawned on her that they could travel much faster by air. "Sesshoumaru, can you still fly?" He looked at her with questions in his eyes. "Ummm…you do remember how to fly, right?"

"I was not aware that I could fly. That information would have been useful earlier, don't you think?" She blushed having not thought of it. She watched him for a moment and he became annoyed. He took off walking quickly and she hurried to catch up. "What's wrong?" He continued to walk faster. She was nearly running, trying to keep up with him. "Sesshoumaru, what's wrong?" Finally he slowed his pace and she was able to walk with him. They walked in silence for some time before he finally spoke. "It is very unnerving not knowing anything about oneself. I tried to fly and had no idea how to begin. I know nothing of my powers or my life." Kagome looked at him as he spoke. Gone was the emotionless demeanor she had always seen him hide behind. There was pain and vulnerability on his face. She laid her hand on his arm, and motioned him to stop walking.

He turned to look at her and she began to speak "There is something bothering you, something that you want to talk about." He looked at her for a moment and then nodded his head. "Last night I had a very vivid dream. I was just a young boy, and was with a woman I know had to be my mother." She listened to him as he began to tell her about some childhood memories that he had remembered. His face took on a soft look as he described his mother's love and kindness. The only time his eyes clouded over was when he mentioned his father. "I saw him standing in the doorway, watching me playing with my friend Sakura. She was one of the few friends I had. My father would not allow anyone less than full demon into our lives. Sakura's father was a comrade of my own father, and thus was an acceptable acquaintance for me. I could see a look of both dissatisfaction and annoyance in his eyes, before he turned and left us to continue our childish games."

Sesshoumaru suddenly snapped back to the present, and saw the look on Kagome's face. He quickly covered his emotions and began to walk away from her. She quickly caught up and the two walked in silence.

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Naraku was pleased with Hitomi. She had been very successful at retrieving the memories from the demon lord. Now he only had to wait while she sorted through them. He knew she had already gone through many of his earliest memories and had returned a small portion to him the night before. "Giving him back small pieces of the puzzle will only suit our desire. Being given the right pieces can cause a person or even a strong demon to go insane." Hitomi had told Naraku in a very iniquitous voice. He now watched her, standing in front of a full length mirror. Though he saw nothing, he knew she was watching the memories of the demon pass in front of her. She had a nearly sadistic smile on her face. He was sure she was choosing more memories to send to the Demon Lord in the near future.

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Kagome stood and watched as both Sesshoumaru and Kilala became tense and alert. She could tell by the way they were both acting, that there was danger near by. She sensed no jewel shards but that certainly didn't mean there weren't any demons near by. Sesshoumaru let out a low growl, and moved slowly towards Kagome. She quickly readied an arrow. Suddenly a large winged demon flew at them. She was about to shoot it, when he grabbed his Tokijin and prepared to attack. Kagome was shocked when she saw the sword suddenly flash red, and the red began to engulf his arm. `He can't control his sword; it's going to possess him.' She sent a sacred arrow at the sword and knocked it from his hand. He turned to her with an enraged look in his eyes.

The flying demon saw her sacred arrow hit, and quickly retreated. It obviously had no desire to deal with such power. There was a long silence while they both looked at the glowing sword. "Why did you knock my sword from my hand woman?" Kagome took a deep breath and began to explain about the spirit in the Tokijin. "Since you no longer have most of your powers, you cannot control the sword. We will have to leave it here. Don't worry; no one else will be able to touch it." He glanced down at his sword once more and then began to follow her.

After a couple hours of walking, she told him she needed a rest. She sat in a clearing and began to open some snacks she had with her. He stood watching her and looking at the surrounding countryside. None of it familiar to him. Kagome suddenly realized that they were very vulnerable to attacks. She looked at Sesshoumaru. Never did she think she would find herself traveling with him. But even more unbelievable was the idea that he was nearly defenseless. He obviously still had his basic instincts, because he had sensed that demon nearby. However, he had no knowledge of his own powers or how to use them. She decided she would need to explain them to him and hopefully help him regain their use.