A/N: Greetings, my avid readers. This is the first chapter of a very long epic set after Naraku's demise. This epic will be broken into three parts, but not three stories. This is the first part. Enjoy...

Yabun No Uta

Chapter 1: Thrown to the Winds of Time

It had been a long, hard two weeks and Kagome was ready to go home for her sporadic visit, if only for a day or two. She breathed in deeply, reveling in the clean, crisp spring air. The air here in the feudal era was so much more refreshing than that of her own era, the sun seemed brighter and the earth more pure. She sighed; she had reached the ancient bone-eater's well, her portal to her time. Kagome turned back to the grumbling hanyou behind her, who was not at all happy that she was leaving once more. What was she to him now? She was nothing. She had sensed shards, but the Shikon no Tama was complete. He did not love her; his heart would always belong to Kikyo, she thought sadly to herself. "Inuyasha," she called to him. "I'll see you in a few days, alright?" The half demon struck a pose of airy indifference, a flat 'keh' his only response.

Kagome shook her head. She was escaping to her own era once again, on the pretense of replenishing their dwindling provisions, but the truth was she needed to get away. She had to get away from the demons constantly attacking, away from the hardships of the Sengoku Jidai, away from Inuyasha and his constant pining for the late Kikyo-sama. With a despairing heart, Kagome remembered an incident before Kikyo's death. She had walked out into the forest the night before Kikyo's last, in search of Inuyasha, for the baka had gone missing for a while and she had sensed a malignant aura around. Kagome flinched as she thought of what she had stumbled upon. She had found Inuyasha, and with him was Kikyo.

Kagome watched from behind a tree, heart in turmoil, but tears unable to come, as Inuyasha thrust into Kikyo, their flesh melding as one; gold and ivory skin entwined. His muscled perfection and silver curtain of hair contrasted Kikyo's softness and black mane that spread around her body. Her moans grew louder, rooting Kagome to the spot. As they reached their climax, Kagome heard Inuyasha moan out the words that seemed to crush the life from her chest. "I love you," he told Kikyo and bit her breast, marking her as his own.

Those words, Kagome had always thought they'd be for her. That mark should have adorned her own breast, not the breast of some dead clay doll. But her hopes were dashed, destroyed violently actually, and she ran, finally able to break the spell that held her there.

Kagome shuddered. She still wasn't quite over that, but she'd be damned it she let any of her friends see her pain. She would get over him, and she would harden her heart, never to fall prey to such painful emotions again. Suddenly Inuyasha stiffened, all pretense of nonchalance forgotten, bringing her out of her reverie. He sniffed the air, focusing intently on something she couldn't detect. "Sesshomaru," he breathed so softly Kagome was barely able to hear him. Her heart fluttered in fear; what was the Demon Lord doing here? Inuyasha stood on edge, poised to fight as they awaited his arrival. They did not have to wait long.

The Daiyoukai stepped into the clearing and stopped, gazing coldly at the two by the well. His long silver hair shone in the morning light, his eyes showing no trace of the anger welling within him. Nothing gave it away, to all others he seemed calm and collected, as if his half brother and the human wench who associated with him were nothing more than flies, beneath his notice. However, underneath his impenetrable façade, frustration and anger were boiling up. He did not need this right now, not when he was recently injured from the dragon youkai he had fought. A fight with Inuyasha now would not help matters, but he'd be damned if he'd show any weakness to his half brother.

It was Inuyasha who broke the silence that had settle don the clearing, his anger and hatred taking control of his head. "What do you want, Sesshomaru?" he bit out, glaring at the elder demon.

Sesshomaru's expression did not change as he answered, his voice like ice, "It is none of your concern, half breed." Anger burst within Inuyasha at the insult, and finally broke the surface. He drew Tessaiga and swung at this brother, who easily dodged it and drew his own sword, Bakusaiga, and stood at the ready.

"You here to just aggravate me, or have you finally gotten the nerve to kill me?" yelled Inuyasha, allowing rage to rule him, contrary to his composed brother.

"I have no time for your games, Inuyasha. I am merely passing through. However, if it is death you wish, I will gladly grant it to you," he replied, unfazed. It was Sesshomaru's turn to attack; he jumped nimbly into the air and brought his sword down on Inuyasha, who blocked it with his own at the last second. Inwardly, Sesshomaru winced as his injuries screamed in pain, but let nothing show on his face. Even without the strain, it was becoming difficult to maintain the mask on his scent. If the mask dropped, Inuyasha would know exactly how injured he was, and this he could not allow.

Sesshomaru was kept aloft for a few moments by the force of the two swords, but was thrown back when Inuyasha laboriously pushed Bakusaiga off, slashing at the youkai. Sesshomaru dodged and gracefully landed on his feet. The two rushed at each other, swords connecting, then pushed back, only to connect again. Kagome watched the pointless battle from her spot by the well, wishing the two would quit their fighting and hoping Inuyasha would be alright. Despite his foul mood of late, he was still her friend, and she wished him no harm.

Sesshomaru stopped and straightened, back to the well, facing Inuyasha. "This Sesshomaru grows weary of your games, half breed. This will end now," he declared, voice the same as ever, just as his countenance. Where Sesshomaru stood seemingly unscathed due to his masking spell, Inuyasha was not so fortunate. Blood trickled down his arm and soaked into his clothes from multiple gashes on his body, and his breathing was labored. Even so, he readied himself for Sesshomaru's attack.

Holding out his sword, Sesshomaru summoned his youkai energy and thrust it into the blade. Blue lightning crackled around him, gathering power. Slashing the sword through the air, he released the youki. The attack was weaker than he'd hoped, his youki being severely depleted from the previous battle with the dragon youkai. Still, it wasn't bad, and he hoped it would be enough to at least deter Inuyasha from attacking him again until he had gone on his way.

Inuyasha's eyes widened at the amount of power sent his way, not noticing a difference in the attack, and steeled himself for his Backlash Wave, forgetting that Kagome was behind the tall Demon Lord. He gathered his own youki and fought back. "Backlash Wave!" he yelled, his yellow energy struggling with Sesshomaru's blue before forcing it back towards the demon, whose heart stopped for a brief instant.

"There's not enough power to defeat him. Damn that dragon, my youki is nearly gone…" were Sesshomaru's last thoughts before the power hit him and threw him backwards, unconscious.

Kagome stood and stared dumbly at the oncoming power blast and the unconscious youkai, her common sense overrun by fear. She screamed as the body of the Lord of the Western Lands hit her and pushed them both into the well, the Backlash Wave crushing one side of the structure as they were consumed by soft blue light and transported into the future. But this was not the future Kagome knew.

A/N: Sorry the first chapter is so short, but I promise you that later chapters will be longer. I hope you enjoyed this, and will continue to read. As always, reviews are always most welcome. Thank you.

Humbly yours,

The Masked Fox