Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

Pairing: Jirou x Kagome

Summary: She was an albatross—capable of brining forth his salvation or his destruction. Only his choice would decide which ending he would bring upon them both.

Albatross

He could feel the wind brush past him. Unlike others, he did not sense things the way that most did. Although he could not smell, feel, or taste, he could hear with great clarity. It was strange but the it was like the very vibrations of the earth echoed in his soul. Today however the bellows of the townspeople that often prayed before him were resonating with terrifying intensity. Amongst their cries was that of a child's calling out to her sibling. The celestial being swiftly adjusting his senses to hear more of what was occurring. Sobs and terrified screams of betrayal swiftly hit him. Amongst the terror was the revelation that a miko had been severely injured. It was a shrine maiden that often prayed before him. His soul wrenched at the thought of her injury. Even at this distance he could tell that it was a fatal wound.

Without warning, a dark mass began to form behind him. A chill of danger and foreboding shot through his soul. From within the shadows a dark presence cloaked itself and watched as the village frantically ran about. The screams of terrified confusion rang out below. The sound of his precious children caused fury to envelope him. Was he the monster responsible for all of this chaos? If so then he'd be the one to put an immediate stop to it! To the trained eye, a soft golden glow began to resonate from the branches of the Goshinboku.

The demon tensed, sensing the power emanating from the base of the tree. Scarlet eyes watched the oak suspiciously. The spirit of the Goshinboku gathered up his strength and swiftly blasted it at the unwelcome visitor. It reeled backwards, quite possibly injured, then took off within the darkness of the forest beyond. Only a few moments passed before the wounded miko appeared. Her wound was far more dire than even he had anticipated. Despite the amount of pain she was in, she managed to drag her near lifeless body to the outskirts of the village. He could not help but respect her willpower to live.

She bowed her head as silent tears streamed down her face. A thick stream of blood trickled from her pale wrist, over the back of her hand, and dripped quietly upon the earth below. The sound of her desperate prayer rang clearly in his consciousness. Despite his current form, he tried his best to carry out her dying wish. A flash of silver and crimson streaked across the path between them.

Then the light pinprick of something piercing his outer layer struck him, along with the sensation of something being pinned to his front. Power emanated from the source. So this would be the end would it? It was such a shame. He had wished for so much more for those two.

Despair filled his being for the lost souls before him. One pinned to the thick bark of his trunk while they other lay dying before her people. Such sad creatures humans were. A soft light enveloped the tree. Even if he could not save the girl, he would at least save this boy. It was the least he could do after all his prayers. The arrow piercing the male's chest then glowed a soft gold. The enchantment around it was beginning to alter. He used what bit of energy he had left to stop the boy's death. Instead he was able to use his remaining power to alter it into a sleeping state. One day, he would have the strength to awaken him. But for now this would have to do. With that, the Goshinboku fell into a deep slumber. Its power cradled around the silver-haired hanyou pinned to its trunk protectively. Fifty years would pass before the Goshinboku would awaken once again.


Higurashi Ikui stared intently at the hollowed out mark etched deep within the Goshinboku. His cerulean eyes glared venomously at the stark reminder of his failures. It was all about to start again today. He crossed his arms, glowering at the crevice. As much as he wanted to make an excuse and ship his children away from the shrine for a few days, he knew that it would be irresponsible to do so. The past was already set and stone. Neither he, nor anyone else had the right to interfere. So he would have to stand watch, hoping that all would turn out well.

"Papa!" Kagome called out, running out of the shrine. She hurriedly slipped on her loafers, nearly tripping over the shrine steps. "Don't forget that today's the day!" She grinned up at her father. Giving a light peck on his cheek, she rushed off to find her little brother. Indeed it was. The man's expression soured at the very thought. Unbeknownst to his daughter, her words had a double meaning to them. Cerulean eyes watched helplessly as she ran into the well house. Was it time already?

Higurashi Ikui took a few uncertain steps after his children. It wasn't his place to interfere with fate. He had no right to stop what was about to occur, but still… His gaze hardened as his steps grew bolder and his pace increased. He'd be damned if he allowed his child to go through that pain without a fight! Ikui made his way up the stairs leading to his destination. The man stood at the threshold of the well house. Souta was crouched by his side as Kagome held Buyo in her arms at the base of the well itself. It had long since dried up, but power still emanated from it. That same power began to pulsate in rhythm with the young girl's aura. She was standing so close, yet she could not sense the terrible fate that was about to befall her. His brows furrowed into a deep scowl. This future was about to be changed… and hopefully for the better. His hands tightened into fists. It was time.

"Seriously Souta, couldn't you have gotten him yourself!" The young woman huffed. She shot her younger brother a sharp glare. The steep contrast from the light pouring in from the opened doorway and the shadows spilling over her face from the darkened room made the young teen's intense glower that much fiercer.

"Aw c'mon you know it's creepy in there!" The boy shot back, tucking himself behind their father. In comparison, both of his children took after him the most. They both had his bright azure eyes and his dark hair. However Kagome seemed to have inherited her mother's stubborn spirit. His gaze hardened at the thought of what he needed to do next.

"Kagome, move aside." Their sire commanded, leaving no room for her to argue. Said girl shot him a quizzical stare. With their cat still clutched in her arms, she slowly made her way up the stairs. Like the beat of a heart, there was a pulsation of power. She only took a few steps before pausing to look at the well. It was an odd thing to say, but it almost seemed as if it were calling to her.

"Now!" Ikui demanded more fiercely. The teen jumped but quickly followed his instructions. It wasn't like their father to act in such a manner—seeing him like this made her disquieted and uncomfortable. The feeling was like that of being a five year old again after having been lectured by the towering figure of her father for sticking her hand in the cookie jar. The young woman had nearly made it out of the well house when the worst occurred. From behind the sealed lid that covered the portal, the tell tale scratching of a youkai could be heard.

The Higurashi head quickly pushed his children out of the way. Without a second to spare, the lid burst apart into tiny splinters that fell away onto the earthy floor. Kagome and Souta cried out their fear. Ikui was quick to throw up a protective barrier. Not a second afterwards a centipede like youkai had thrown herself into it. The creature's mouth was agape and its eyes were locked onto Kagome's form. It tried over and over again, repeatedly smashing its shoulder into the invisible barrier.

"Give me the jewel!" The creature demanded. Its voice was hoarse from disuse as it's body slowly began to recompose itself. The tail of the centipede youkai snapped around violently-slamming against the walls that contained them. Kagome and Souta fled a short distance away. They cried out for their mother and grandfather. Ikui quickly rose from the debris. Dirt and broken splints of wood covered his form.

"Over my dead body." He retorted hotly.

The youkai didn't respond to his threat, instead she made a beeline for his fleeing daughter. With an outstretched hand he erected another barrier. Mistress Centipede dove right into it. The land god's eyes widened in shock as the youkai broke through it easily. The thin film that had been protecting Kagome shattered like glass. What the hell? He knew that he hadn't dropped his guard! So why had his barrier broken? Ikui hadn't much time to think as his child cried out in terror. The youkai had snatched her by the arm and began to pull her back towards the well. The thrashing that the demon's tail was doing managed to keep most of the debris out of the depths of the well; exposing a blue light that shimmered ever so slightly against the oak grain. Both miko and youkai screeched as their bodies were pulled through the darkness of the portal. He cried out. Stumbling across the damaged planks, he stretched out his hand to grasp hers. The tips of their fingers barely touched when the light engulfed them. It was then that Higurashi Ikui realized that Kagome was gone. His heart sunk in his chest. He couldn't stop the cycle.

There was one thing that comforted him for the time being. Even if fate had decided to intervene this time, he still had time to devise a plan to stop the events from unfolding as they had before. He glanced over at his family's tearful expressions. Kagome would be back, safe and sound, in three days time. So how would he explain all of this to his family in the meantime? His wife's, Izumi's, petrified expression tore at his heart. With a deep, inaudible sigh the land god of the Higurashi shrine picked himself up. A meeting needed to be called immediately. Azure eyes met a pair of crimson ones lurking quietly in the shadows of the forest that bordered their home. He'd need the help of his familiar in order to set things right again. He didn't give a damn what he'd have to do, he would have his daughter back home when this was all over with. With a soft expression, he approached his sobbing wife.

"We need to talk."

Information: For those who were confused, Kagome's father, Ikui, is actually a corporal form of the Goshinboku's spirit. At the start of this chapter, Ikui/Goshinboku had only just recently gained some power. As the prayers of the villagers grew stronger, so did he. Eventually he gained enough power to become a full-fledged land god of the Higurashi Shrine. He fell in love with Kagome's mother after seeing her struggles and took on a human form. Kagome's mother is never fully aware of his true nature, but as a result Kagome and Souta get some extra… benefits of being children of a land god.

Ikui – Eternal well (One that never runs dry)
Izumi - Fountain