InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Time After Time ❯ The Time Before ( Chapter 14 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: kanna37 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 03.25.2011 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 421 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 03.25.2011 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 421 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 14: The Time Before
Kikyou continued chanting even as the lights faded, but began to panic – the spell was a long one, and she wouldn't be able to finish it, because she could feel a very heavy youkai aura heading her way at speed. Frustrated rage kicked in; she slammed her hands down on the well, and then commanded her shinidamachu to take her up and fly away with her.
She breathed a sigh of relief as the clearing disappeared into the distance, as did the aura, though it was so immense that she could still feel it. Angry at the fact that she had almost had that stupid well sealed, but had been interrupted too soon, she simmered with frustration – all she wanted was for that damn girl to go home, and yet nothing she had tried to get rid of her had worked.
What was it about that damn future incarnation of hers that she had such a lucky streak? Was what that voice had said really true? Was it truly the will of the kami that sent her here – and kept her here? Was she, Kikyou, fighting a losing battle because even an undead miko could not hope to thwart the gods? Too many questions, and no answers, and Kikyou was ready to kill something with fear and frustration.
It wasn't even like she was asking for much – she wanted to live, and she wanted Inuyasha. Just a little happiness that she could call her own – because fates know she hadn't had any happiness in her messed up life so far.
But no – instead she kept getting Kagome shoved in her face. The girl that was sweeter, more loving, had more power, who managed to somehow earn devotion wherever she went – and most importantly - was alive. All unlike she herself – as Kikyou, she'd never been loved as that girl was. Sure, the villagers had been awed by her, and respect she had certainly had. But they had kept themselves separate from her, not really welcoming her into their lives – she had been 'the miko', and that was it. Hell, even Kaede was treated much more warmly by the village than she herself had ever been.
And those were the people she had given her life to protect and care for.
Now that she was an undead, she no longer had those responsibilities towards the village; in a sense, she was free. But even free, she still couldn't manage to gain the one thing she'd wanted for her entire life... love.
Yet it seemed so easy for Kagome – everywhere the girl went, she gained devoted followers and friends, those who would do everything they could to protect her if she needed it. Hell, she even drew suitors like crazy – something that she, Kikyou, had never done. Even with her fair features and shapely body, she had only ever really had one male give her attention – Inuyasha.
It just seemed a little unfair that the one male she'd ever loved, had also fallen in love with Kagome... and couldn't seem to make up his mind between them.
Although... she did say that she doesn't feel that way for him anymore, so maybe, now that a choice has been made, even if it wasn't by him, his attention will once more turn to me?
With a dejected sigh, Kikyou ordered her servants to set her down, and she curled up in the crook of a tree to wallow in her melancholy thoughts.
-sSs-
Kagome came to still crumpled up at the bottom of the well, and with a groan, she sat up, putting a hand to her head, she blinked, trying to clear her double vision.
Wincing, she slitted her eyes and looked up to see blue skies above her, and she frowned, then, worried. What had Kikyou done? And how long had she been out? She had been pushed into the well, and she remembered the time slip opening, so she should have gone home – and this clearly wasn't home. So where was she? Was she still in the Sengoku Jidai – and if so, had the well sealed? She distinctly remembered seeing the normal blue light flare violet, and that had never happened before.
As those thoughts ran through her head, she looked around, and noted that the stones at the bottom of the well looked to be in much better condition than in either of her times, and there were hardly any vines in here compared to the amount there were in Inuyasha's time. Concerned, but not yet frightened, she yanked a little on the thickest vine, and seeing that it seemed sturdy enough, she began to climb out, cautiously flaring her aura around the well clearing, hoping to find it empty.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case; she could feel a large amount of youki somewhere a ways to the south of the well, and there was also an aura of... she frowned, a human, and a... hanyou? What have I stumbled into? She wondered, as she began to climb all that much faster.
By the time she reached the top, she could hear someone breathing close to the well, and that someone was very frightened, according to their aura. Whoever it was, had no power – and was female, and pregnant... that was the hanyou signature she'd felt. With a heave, she threw herself over the rim, tumbling right in front of the frightened female she'd felt.
Sheepishly, she smiled.
“Uh, hi... hey, are you okay?” she asked, noting the fearful look the woman sent her.
“You, you're a miko, aren't you? Please, don't hurt me or my child,” she almost begged, panicked tears streaking her features as she pressed herself against the well, while holding her swollen belly protectively.
Kagome was shocked, and it showed. “I won't do anything to you!” she said, trying to reassure the woman. “I'm not like your regular miko – in fact, my best friend is a hanyou, and I'm being courted by a daiyoukai, so don't worry about it. Is there anything I can do to help you?” She blinked. “Oh, I'm Kagome, by the way... what's your name?”
The woman eyed her for a moment, uncertain whether to believe her, but after considering it for a moment, she sat up a little, and whispered, “My name is Izayoi, and the father of my child is fighting an enemy – we were on our way to his estate, when we were ambushed by a demon named Hyoga. He told me to hide here, and went to fight him.”
Kagome blanched, shock stilling her tongue for several seconds as she took in the fact that she was sitting in front of Inuyasha's mother... and she was pregnant with Inuyasha... and Sugimi was off fighting Hyoga – getting ready to seal him, more than like.
Oh, my god... could this get any worse? I went even further back!
She desperately tried to unfreeze her face before the young girl became frightened again, and gave her a rather sickly grin. “Ah! Well, I have heard of Hyoga – he's bad news, that's for sure. But I have faith that your child's father will return to you safe and sound.” She looked around the clearing, trying to gather herself and think. “I think I should probably put up a barrier – I can feel other youkai getting close, drawn to the battle between two such powerful youkai, no doubt.”
“Y-you would do that for a woman that gave herself to a youkai?” she asked, fear and suspicion combining in her eyes to weigh heavily upon Kagome.
“Of course I would! Like I said, some of my best friends are youkai, and then there's the courting thing,” she laughed uneasily as she thought about that. I don't dare say names, oh yeah, heh heh, I'm kinda courting the father of your child, in the future, she turned her face away, wincing as she grabbed for her quiver that was still over her shoulder, and took out an arrow as an excuse to keep her gaze from Izayoi. If this isn't awkward...
“So, Izayoi-sama, we'll just wait here for your Lord to come for you, okay? We'll be perfectly safe.” Her mind was racing, thoughts scattered here, there, and everywhere as she actually began to take in where she was. She looks to be about five months along, so this is only four months before Sugimi goes into that fight with Ryukotsussei. She glanced back at the hime, and felt a wave of sympathy flow through her. She can't be more than sixteen, and totally helpless out here, poor girl.
Izayoi was still leery, but tentatively grateful for her assistance, and busied herself eyeing the miko's strange objects curiously. She'd never seen even a miko with things such as this woman carried. Her attention was startled back to her surroundings, though, when a blue shimmer began at the ground, and slowly raised around them.
Kagome dug the arrow into the ground, and anchored the barrier to it, then sighed with relief, and turned to grab her bag. She was thirsty, and with another look over at the beautiful mother of her best friend, she smiled. “Would you like some water? I have plenty,” she said, digging out two water bottles, and handing the young woman one. She unscrewed the cap so that Izayoi could see, and then proceeded to drink, hoping to show that the water was unpoisoned, and safe to drink.
After watching her for a moment, Izayoi followed her motions and drank, a look of relief crossing her face as the water settled her heaving stomach and refreshed her parched throat. A few minutes went be quietly, then, “So... tell me, what were you doing in that well?” she asked curiously.
“Ah, ha, ha,” Kagome giggled nervously. Oh boy, of all things, she had to ask that... “Well, I got knocked in there earlier in the day, and kind of passed out, that's all. There were a couple of lower-level youkai fighting here, and I got in the way, it's no big deal.” Hope that works well enough – not that I had time to give a better excuse.
“Oh... are you sure that you're all right?” the woman asked, a concerned look crossing her face.
“Sure, sure, I've got a hard head, nothing to worry about, really. So... you said you were heading to your Lord's estate?” she asked, trying to get the inquisitive woman's mind onto another topic, all the while wishing that Sugimi would come get his Lady so she could go home to her own era – or at least try. Hopefully, the well wasn't damaged. She didn't know what she would do if it was.
Izayoi smiled gently, patting her belly as the babe within began to move a little bit. “Yes... my parents weren't really happy about what happened between he and I, and decided it might be better if I go to stay at one of his estates.” Her eyes twinkled, then. “Would you-” she blushed shyly, “-like to feel the baby move?”
Kagome's face lit up – she would love to feel Inuyasha moving around in his mother's womb... it would give her a good memory of when he was still safe and protected. “I would love to,” she beamed as Izayoi hesitantly took her hand and placed it gently atop her belly. Her face reflected the awe she felt as she felt him kicking around inside.
Expression soft, she said, “He will be strong – you should be proud to give your Lord such a strong son.”
“A son,” she breathed. “You are sure?”
“Oh, yes... it's a boy,” Kagome chuckled. “He will grow into a fine man,” she said. “Would you like a blessing for your child?”
The little hime appeared hesitant for a moment. “You won't harm him?”
“Never,” she said vehemently, and apparently, her veracity shone through enough for the young woman to acquiesce. Izayoi watched in awe as Kagome bowed her head, and a warm blue-gold light erupted from her hands. She relaxed entirely as the soothing warmth moved through her, and she smiled.
“Thank you, miko-sama,” she breathed.
Kagome waved her thanks away. “Don't worry about it,” she said cheerfully. “And please, just call me Kagome – I'm not much for formality.”
She smiled at the woman, and then looked up at the sky – it was getting late, the sun would set soon, and it would get chilly. Come on, Sugimi, hurry it up. She frowned down at the ground for a moment – it appeared that her prayers were about to be answered, as she could feel his aura headed their way.
“Ah, Izayoi-sama, I think your Lord will be here soon, I can feel him heading this way.” She accepted the bottled water back from the young woman, and she put it away, then stood, and reached down to help her companion up, smiling at her. She grabbed her arrow and yanked it back out of the ground, dropping her barrier. “Better get that down for him, so he doesn't panic thinking I'm trying to keep you from him,” she joked. “That wouldn't be a good thing for my health, I know.”
Izayoi laughed a little. “No, probably not,” she said. “He became very protective when we found I was with child.”
Kagome nodded absently, searching the sky for the telltale sign of his energy orb, and stepped back when she saw it, giving the young hime plenty of room to meet her Lord so that he would not feel threatened.
It was a shock to see him, looking just the same as he did in the era she'd just left, only now, focused on someone other than her. She knew she was seeing a time two hundred years earlier than what she'd started in, but it was still very uncomfortable.
He growled lightly at her when he landed, but she made no move towards him, or to stop Izayoi, who, as quickly as she was able made her way to him. I wonder why he never mentioned that he'd met me... of course, he probably couldn't tell me, or it might have changed things. Damn, this gets so confusing sometimes.
She looked up to hear murmurs and watched as Sugimi checked Izayoi over carefully, before turning a burning gaze on her. It hit her hard... there was no recognition in those eyes, no softness for her as there was in that other era – all his softness was for Izayoi, and the hurt that engendered hit her hard.
She looked away just as he spoke. “I thank you, miko-sama, for watching over my Lady and son – and for telling us the gender of our pup,” he rumbled. It caused the same shivers down her spine that it had the first time she'd heard it, and she clamped down hard on that reaction.
“Oh, it was no trouble, my Lord,” she bowed, keeping her gaze down, unable to bring herself to look directly at him. “I was pleased to help.”
“Hmm... well, no offense, but that is a sentiment sorely lacking in your fellow miko, Lady... Kagome, was it?” he asked, for some reason wanting to see the woman's eyes. There was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on, but she wasn't a threat, so he would not worry on it now. “Is there, perhaps, somewhere we could escort you in repayment for your kindness?”
She shook her head, eyes widening. “No, that's not necessary, my Lord, you should get your Lady home – she's had a hard day, and needs her bed, I'll bet. I'll be just fine.”
He studied her for a few more moments as Izayoi smiled at her, and then bowed his head slightly. “Very well. But if there is ever any boon that you find yourself in need of, then come to me, and it will be granted. I am Lord of the West – you will always be welcome in my lands, Lady Kagome. Thank you.”
She nodded, and with a last piercing glance in her direction, he enfolded himself and his Lady into his orb form, and they both disappeared, leaving Kagome to slump down and rest her head against the well.
“Whew... that was really... intense. Hopefully, I didn't do any damage to the timeline with all of that.” I did the best I could, though... and at least, I was able to scare of those low-level demons. Poor Izayoi would have been helpless against them. “Well, I guess I'd better see if I can get back home – I certainly don't want to be stuck here, that's for sure.”
With that, she took a deep breath, and crossing her fingers, she stood and grabbed her bag, tossing it over her shoulder. Climbing up onto the rim, she looked around once more, scarcely believing all that had happened in such a few short hours, and then jumped, hoping against hope that the magic still worked.
Just when she was about to panic, the familiar blue lights flared up, and she sighed in relief as they wrapped around her and drew her away.
What a crazy thing to happen! I wonder if I was supposed to go back, so I could save Izayoi and, incidentally, Inuyasha, from those demons? All I had to do was put up a barrier, and flare my aura to scare them off...
Was it my fate to do that, though? Ugh... time travel is soo confusing!
-sSs-
Sugimi was furious.
He'd arrived at the well to escort his female back to the village, only to find no sign of her – but every scent of her... and that dead miko. Worried, uncertain what had occurred, he headed straight back to the village and grabbed his son by the back of his suikan, before dragging him back to the well post-haste, and demanding that he go through to see if Kagome was there.
Still healing and sore, but not inclined to argue with his very upset father, he hopped into the well and disappeared.
Pacing, irate, and determined to halt all interference by the dead miko, he waited impatiently for Inuyasha to return. The moment the boy leaped out of the well, he pounced.
“Well, Inuyasha?!” he barked.
He was met by a worried gaze. “Her family says she already left – just a few minutes ago, and that she hasn't come back.” He lifted his nose into the air and began sniffing, trying to scent out a trail, and paled when he caught Kikyou's scent. Flicking a quick look at his father, he wondered if he'd caught the smell.
Sugimi noticed his son's glance, and paling skin, and growled, knowing what he was wondering. “Yes, I did catch the scent of your undead woman, boy, and if she's harmed Kagome in any way, I will destroy her, and there is nothing you can do about it. I will quite happily go through you if I must,” he snarled, and Inuyasha backed down, not even tempted to try his father's wrath at this time.
He continued scenting the area, and with growing concern, noted that only Kikyou's scent lead away from the well. Kagome's never left it. And since she hadn't gone back to her time...
“Kagome never left the well,” he said quietly, eyes wide at the connotations of that, and met his father's red-haloed gaze. “And she isn't in her time... which means she's in some other time.”
A stunned, knowing expression slowly settled in Sugimi's eyes, and his breath caught at that – suddenly, he remembered a certain day over two hundred years before, when Izayoi had been left by a well and he'd gone off to fight Hyoga. When he'd returned... that was why his mind had insisted he'd met her... because he had met her before.
“I know where she is,” he said softly, still stunned at the vagueries of fate. “I remember now... where I'd met her before. It was that day – the day I fought Hyoga, and your mother was protected by a young miko in a clearing next to a dry well until I returned victorious to her side.”
Inuyasha was shocked. “Y-you mean, Kagome is gonna meet my mother?” he choked out.
“Hai... and save her, and you, from a lot of lower demons with a barrier. Izayoi told me all about it later.”
So... what happens to her?” Inuyasha asked impatiently.
His answer was a head shake. “I do not know. I offered her escort to wherever it was she was going, but she turned me down, saying that Izayoi needed to be taken home. I didn't fight her; she was right, it had been a tiring journey for your mother. I left her in the clearing at her insistence, and never saw her again.” He stared into the well. “I suppose... all we can do is wait – and hope.”
Though I'm sure she came back – otherwise I think she would have come to the West to ask for help, knowing what I know now.
With a sigh, he sat down against the well, and began his vigil. He would be waiting when she came back.
~oOo~
A/N: I have just become aware of a weakness to r0o's bribery cookies – and since she's now wiggling the whole bag at me...
Here you go, r0o... after this I think I'll go to bed, because otherwise, you're going to have me loading the rest of the story tonight and posting it. (Yes, as of today, the story is completed.)
Amber
Converting /tmp/phpdzOlF2 to /dev/stdout
Kikyou continued chanting even as the lights faded, but began to panic – the spell was a long one, and she wouldn't be able to finish it, because she could feel a very heavy youkai aura heading her way at speed. Frustrated rage kicked in; she slammed her hands down on the well, and then commanded her shinidamachu to take her up and fly away with her.
She breathed a sigh of relief as the clearing disappeared into the distance, as did the aura, though it was so immense that she could still feel it. Angry at the fact that she had almost had that stupid well sealed, but had been interrupted too soon, she simmered with frustration – all she wanted was for that damn girl to go home, and yet nothing she had tried to get rid of her had worked.
What was it about that damn future incarnation of hers that she had such a lucky streak? Was what that voice had said really true? Was it truly the will of the kami that sent her here – and kept her here? Was she, Kikyou, fighting a losing battle because even an undead miko could not hope to thwart the gods? Too many questions, and no answers, and Kikyou was ready to kill something with fear and frustration.
It wasn't even like she was asking for much – she wanted to live, and she wanted Inuyasha. Just a little happiness that she could call her own – because fates know she hadn't had any happiness in her messed up life so far.
But no – instead she kept getting Kagome shoved in her face. The girl that was sweeter, more loving, had more power, who managed to somehow earn devotion wherever she went – and most importantly - was alive. All unlike she herself – as Kikyou, she'd never been loved as that girl was. Sure, the villagers had been awed by her, and respect she had certainly had. But they had kept themselves separate from her, not really welcoming her into their lives – she had been 'the miko', and that was it. Hell, even Kaede was treated much more warmly by the village than she herself had ever been.
And those were the people she had given her life to protect and care for.
Now that she was an undead, she no longer had those responsibilities towards the village; in a sense, she was free. But even free, she still couldn't manage to gain the one thing she'd wanted for her entire life... love.
Yet it seemed so easy for Kagome – everywhere the girl went, she gained devoted followers and friends, those who would do everything they could to protect her if she needed it. Hell, she even drew suitors like crazy – something that she, Kikyou, had never done. Even with her fair features and shapely body, she had only ever really had one male give her attention – Inuyasha.
It just seemed a little unfair that the one male she'd ever loved, had also fallen in love with Kagome... and couldn't seem to make up his mind between them.
Although... she did say that she doesn't feel that way for him anymore, so maybe, now that a choice has been made, even if it wasn't by him, his attention will once more turn to me?
With a dejected sigh, Kikyou ordered her servants to set her down, and she curled up in the crook of a tree to wallow in her melancholy thoughts.
-sSs-
Kagome came to still crumpled up at the bottom of the well, and with a groan, she sat up, putting a hand to her head, she blinked, trying to clear her double vision.
Wincing, she slitted her eyes and looked up to see blue skies above her, and she frowned, then, worried. What had Kikyou done? And how long had she been out? She had been pushed into the well, and she remembered the time slip opening, so she should have gone home – and this clearly wasn't home. So where was she? Was she still in the Sengoku Jidai – and if so, had the well sealed? She distinctly remembered seeing the normal blue light flare violet, and that had never happened before.
As those thoughts ran through her head, she looked around, and noted that the stones at the bottom of the well looked to be in much better condition than in either of her times, and there were hardly any vines in here compared to the amount there were in Inuyasha's time. Concerned, but not yet frightened, she yanked a little on the thickest vine, and seeing that it seemed sturdy enough, she began to climb out, cautiously flaring her aura around the well clearing, hoping to find it empty.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case; she could feel a large amount of youki somewhere a ways to the south of the well, and there was also an aura of... she frowned, a human, and a... hanyou? What have I stumbled into? She wondered, as she began to climb all that much faster.
By the time she reached the top, she could hear someone breathing close to the well, and that someone was very frightened, according to their aura. Whoever it was, had no power – and was female, and pregnant... that was the hanyou signature she'd felt. With a heave, she threw herself over the rim, tumbling right in front of the frightened female she'd felt.
Sheepishly, she smiled.
“Uh, hi... hey, are you okay?” she asked, noting the fearful look the woman sent her.
“You, you're a miko, aren't you? Please, don't hurt me or my child,” she almost begged, panicked tears streaking her features as she pressed herself against the well, while holding her swollen belly protectively.
Kagome was shocked, and it showed. “I won't do anything to you!” she said, trying to reassure the woman. “I'm not like your regular miko – in fact, my best friend is a hanyou, and I'm being courted by a daiyoukai, so don't worry about it. Is there anything I can do to help you?” She blinked. “Oh, I'm Kagome, by the way... what's your name?”
The woman eyed her for a moment, uncertain whether to believe her, but after considering it for a moment, she sat up a little, and whispered, “My name is Izayoi, and the father of my child is fighting an enemy – we were on our way to his estate, when we were ambushed by a demon named Hyoga. He told me to hide here, and went to fight him.”
Kagome blanched, shock stilling her tongue for several seconds as she took in the fact that she was sitting in front of Inuyasha's mother... and she was pregnant with Inuyasha... and Sugimi was off fighting Hyoga – getting ready to seal him, more than like.
Oh, my god... could this get any worse? I went even further back!
She desperately tried to unfreeze her face before the young girl became frightened again, and gave her a rather sickly grin. “Ah! Well, I have heard of Hyoga – he's bad news, that's for sure. But I have faith that your child's father will return to you safe and sound.” She looked around the clearing, trying to gather herself and think. “I think I should probably put up a barrier – I can feel other youkai getting close, drawn to the battle between two such powerful youkai, no doubt.”
“Y-you would do that for a woman that gave herself to a youkai?” she asked, fear and suspicion combining in her eyes to weigh heavily upon Kagome.
“Of course I would! Like I said, some of my best friends are youkai, and then there's the courting thing,” she laughed uneasily as she thought about that. I don't dare say names, oh yeah, heh heh, I'm kinda courting the father of your child, in the future, she turned her face away, wincing as she grabbed for her quiver that was still over her shoulder, and took out an arrow as an excuse to keep her gaze from Izayoi. If this isn't awkward...
“So, Izayoi-sama, we'll just wait here for your Lord to come for you, okay? We'll be perfectly safe.” Her mind was racing, thoughts scattered here, there, and everywhere as she actually began to take in where she was. She looks to be about five months along, so this is only four months before Sugimi goes into that fight with Ryukotsussei. She glanced back at the hime, and felt a wave of sympathy flow through her. She can't be more than sixteen, and totally helpless out here, poor girl.
Izayoi was still leery, but tentatively grateful for her assistance, and busied herself eyeing the miko's strange objects curiously. She'd never seen even a miko with things such as this woman carried. Her attention was startled back to her surroundings, though, when a blue shimmer began at the ground, and slowly raised around them.
Kagome dug the arrow into the ground, and anchored the barrier to it, then sighed with relief, and turned to grab her bag. She was thirsty, and with another look over at the beautiful mother of her best friend, she smiled. “Would you like some water? I have plenty,” she said, digging out two water bottles, and handing the young woman one. She unscrewed the cap so that Izayoi could see, and then proceeded to drink, hoping to show that the water was unpoisoned, and safe to drink.
After watching her for a moment, Izayoi followed her motions and drank, a look of relief crossing her face as the water settled her heaving stomach and refreshed her parched throat. A few minutes went be quietly, then, “So... tell me, what were you doing in that well?” she asked curiously.
“Ah, ha, ha,” Kagome giggled nervously. Oh boy, of all things, she had to ask that... “Well, I got knocked in there earlier in the day, and kind of passed out, that's all. There were a couple of lower-level youkai fighting here, and I got in the way, it's no big deal.” Hope that works well enough – not that I had time to give a better excuse.
“Oh... are you sure that you're all right?” the woman asked, a concerned look crossing her face.
“Sure, sure, I've got a hard head, nothing to worry about, really. So... you said you were heading to your Lord's estate?” she asked, trying to get the inquisitive woman's mind onto another topic, all the while wishing that Sugimi would come get his Lady so she could go home to her own era – or at least try. Hopefully, the well wasn't damaged. She didn't know what she would do if it was.
Izayoi smiled gently, patting her belly as the babe within began to move a little bit. “Yes... my parents weren't really happy about what happened between he and I, and decided it might be better if I go to stay at one of his estates.” Her eyes twinkled, then. “Would you-” she blushed shyly, “-like to feel the baby move?”
Kagome's face lit up – she would love to feel Inuyasha moving around in his mother's womb... it would give her a good memory of when he was still safe and protected. “I would love to,” she beamed as Izayoi hesitantly took her hand and placed it gently atop her belly. Her face reflected the awe she felt as she felt him kicking around inside.
Expression soft, she said, “He will be strong – you should be proud to give your Lord such a strong son.”
“A son,” she breathed. “You are sure?”
“Oh, yes... it's a boy,” Kagome chuckled. “He will grow into a fine man,” she said. “Would you like a blessing for your child?”
The little hime appeared hesitant for a moment. “You won't harm him?”
“Never,” she said vehemently, and apparently, her veracity shone through enough for the young woman to acquiesce. Izayoi watched in awe as Kagome bowed her head, and a warm blue-gold light erupted from her hands. She relaxed entirely as the soothing warmth moved through her, and she smiled.
“Thank you, miko-sama,” she breathed.
Kagome waved her thanks away. “Don't worry about it,” she said cheerfully. “And please, just call me Kagome – I'm not much for formality.”
She smiled at the woman, and then looked up at the sky – it was getting late, the sun would set soon, and it would get chilly. Come on, Sugimi, hurry it up. She frowned down at the ground for a moment – it appeared that her prayers were about to be answered, as she could feel his aura headed their way.
“Ah, Izayoi-sama, I think your Lord will be here soon, I can feel him heading this way.” She accepted the bottled water back from the young woman, and she put it away, then stood, and reached down to help her companion up, smiling at her. She grabbed her arrow and yanked it back out of the ground, dropping her barrier. “Better get that down for him, so he doesn't panic thinking I'm trying to keep you from him,” she joked. “That wouldn't be a good thing for my health, I know.”
Izayoi laughed a little. “No, probably not,” she said. “He became very protective when we found I was with child.”
Kagome nodded absently, searching the sky for the telltale sign of his energy orb, and stepped back when she saw it, giving the young hime plenty of room to meet her Lord so that he would not feel threatened.
It was a shock to see him, looking just the same as he did in the era she'd just left, only now, focused on someone other than her. She knew she was seeing a time two hundred years earlier than what she'd started in, but it was still very uncomfortable.
He growled lightly at her when he landed, but she made no move towards him, or to stop Izayoi, who, as quickly as she was able made her way to him. I wonder why he never mentioned that he'd met me... of course, he probably couldn't tell me, or it might have changed things. Damn, this gets so confusing sometimes.
She looked up to hear murmurs and watched as Sugimi checked Izayoi over carefully, before turning a burning gaze on her. It hit her hard... there was no recognition in those eyes, no softness for her as there was in that other era – all his softness was for Izayoi, and the hurt that engendered hit her hard.
She looked away just as he spoke. “I thank you, miko-sama, for watching over my Lady and son – and for telling us the gender of our pup,” he rumbled. It caused the same shivers down her spine that it had the first time she'd heard it, and she clamped down hard on that reaction.
“Oh, it was no trouble, my Lord,” she bowed, keeping her gaze down, unable to bring herself to look directly at him. “I was pleased to help.”
“Hmm... well, no offense, but that is a sentiment sorely lacking in your fellow miko, Lady... Kagome, was it?” he asked, for some reason wanting to see the woman's eyes. There was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on, but she wasn't a threat, so he would not worry on it now. “Is there, perhaps, somewhere we could escort you in repayment for your kindness?”
She shook her head, eyes widening. “No, that's not necessary, my Lord, you should get your Lady home – she's had a hard day, and needs her bed, I'll bet. I'll be just fine.”
He studied her for a few more moments as Izayoi smiled at her, and then bowed his head slightly. “Very well. But if there is ever any boon that you find yourself in need of, then come to me, and it will be granted. I am Lord of the West – you will always be welcome in my lands, Lady Kagome. Thank you.”
She nodded, and with a last piercing glance in her direction, he enfolded himself and his Lady into his orb form, and they both disappeared, leaving Kagome to slump down and rest her head against the well.
“Whew... that was really... intense. Hopefully, I didn't do any damage to the timeline with all of that.” I did the best I could, though... and at least, I was able to scare of those low-level demons. Poor Izayoi would have been helpless against them. “Well, I guess I'd better see if I can get back home – I certainly don't want to be stuck here, that's for sure.”
With that, she took a deep breath, and crossing her fingers, she stood and grabbed her bag, tossing it over her shoulder. Climbing up onto the rim, she looked around once more, scarcely believing all that had happened in such a few short hours, and then jumped, hoping against hope that the magic still worked.
Just when she was about to panic, the familiar blue lights flared up, and she sighed in relief as they wrapped around her and drew her away.
What a crazy thing to happen! I wonder if I was supposed to go back, so I could save Izayoi and, incidentally, Inuyasha, from those demons? All I had to do was put up a barrier, and flare my aura to scare them off...
Was it my fate to do that, though? Ugh... time travel is soo confusing!
-sSs-
Sugimi was furious.
He'd arrived at the well to escort his female back to the village, only to find no sign of her – but every scent of her... and that dead miko. Worried, uncertain what had occurred, he headed straight back to the village and grabbed his son by the back of his suikan, before dragging him back to the well post-haste, and demanding that he go through to see if Kagome was there.
Still healing and sore, but not inclined to argue with his very upset father, he hopped into the well and disappeared.
Pacing, irate, and determined to halt all interference by the dead miko, he waited impatiently for Inuyasha to return. The moment the boy leaped out of the well, he pounced.
“Well, Inuyasha?!” he barked.
He was met by a worried gaze. “Her family says she already left – just a few minutes ago, and that she hasn't come back.” He lifted his nose into the air and began sniffing, trying to scent out a trail, and paled when he caught Kikyou's scent. Flicking a quick look at his father, he wondered if he'd caught the smell.
Sugimi noticed his son's glance, and paling skin, and growled, knowing what he was wondering. “Yes, I did catch the scent of your undead woman, boy, and if she's harmed Kagome in any way, I will destroy her, and there is nothing you can do about it. I will quite happily go through you if I must,” he snarled, and Inuyasha backed down, not even tempted to try his father's wrath at this time.
He continued scenting the area, and with growing concern, noted that only Kikyou's scent lead away from the well. Kagome's never left it. And since she hadn't gone back to her time...
“Kagome never left the well,” he said quietly, eyes wide at the connotations of that, and met his father's red-haloed gaze. “And she isn't in her time... which means she's in some other time.”
A stunned, knowing expression slowly settled in Sugimi's eyes, and his breath caught at that – suddenly, he remembered a certain day over two hundred years before, when Izayoi had been left by a well and he'd gone off to fight Hyoga. When he'd returned... that was why his mind had insisted he'd met her... because he had met her before.
“I know where she is,” he said softly, still stunned at the vagueries of fate. “I remember now... where I'd met her before. It was that day – the day I fought Hyoga, and your mother was protected by a young miko in a clearing next to a dry well until I returned victorious to her side.”
Inuyasha was shocked. “Y-you mean, Kagome is gonna meet my mother?” he choked out.
“Hai... and save her, and you, from a lot of lower demons with a barrier. Izayoi told me all about it later.”
So... what happens to her?” Inuyasha asked impatiently.
His answer was a head shake. “I do not know. I offered her escort to wherever it was she was going, but she turned me down, saying that Izayoi needed to be taken home. I didn't fight her; she was right, it had been a tiring journey for your mother. I left her in the clearing at her insistence, and never saw her again.” He stared into the well. “I suppose... all we can do is wait – and hope.”
Though I'm sure she came back – otherwise I think she would have come to the West to ask for help, knowing what I know now.
With a sigh, he sat down against the well, and began his vigil. He would be waiting when she came back.
~oOo~
A/N: I have just become aware of a weakness to r0o's bribery cookies – and since she's now wiggling the whole bag at me...
Here you go, r0o... after this I think I'll go to bed, because otherwise, you're going to have me loading the rest of the story tonight and posting it. (Yes, as of today, the story is completed.)
Amber
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