Chapter 1

The Well's Request

Kagome's heart was on a rampage in her chest. She had just taken the test that would determine if she passed or failed mathematics for her senior year. Everything was riding on this one test. She impatiently tapped her fingers on the desk as her teacher slowly made his way around the room, giving comments to each student about his or her test score.

'Hurry the hell up and get to me already!' she thought silently, a scowl etched into her face.

Finally, he got to her. "Higurashi…. Well… at least you passed" He handed her the test. A 72%. She groaned at the score, but her attitude quickly changed as she let out a tiny squeal. She passed senior year. She would graduate!

Kagome had no idea how she had done it. Going back and forth between feudal Japan and her home for the past 3 years, she rarely had any time for her studies and she had missed more than half of her schooling. It didn't even matter now. All that mattered was she passed!

As soon as the bell rang Kagome sprinted home to tell her mother of the good news. She couldn't believe it was happening! Inuyasha was extremely pissed off when she had told him that she needed to go home for a week, but she had brushed his feelings aside. Things between her and him had been so unsteady and uneasy. He was constantly leaving the camp to see Kikyo, even after Naraku was defeated. She had pretty much given up hope of them ever being together.

Kagome pushed the negative thoughts from her mind as she climbed the shrine steps to her house. She burst through the door, "Mama! I'm home!" she skipped into the kitchen and grabbed an apple from the fruit basket.

"Kagome!" Her mother gave her a warm smile. It was so good to have her home for more than a few days at a time. "How was the test?"

A wide smile spread on her face. Her mother immediately mirrored her action. They both squealed and hugged each other.

"Okay, I definitely walked in at the wrong moment." Kagome's brother Souta announced as he walked into the kitchen.

Kagome swept him up in her arms and swung him around. She ignored his complaints and protests as she nuzzled his neck with her hair. She had become very protective over Souta while staying in the feudal era she never got to see him and cared deeply for his wellbeing. "How does it feel to have your sister graduating from high school?" she whispered in his ear as she tickled his tummy.

"Ha..Haha..ha.. Kagome, stop it!" he laughed, making Kagome laugh as well. She put him down, still giggling, and turned to her mother.

"I still can't believe what a crazy ride this has been. Maybe now I can finally settle down here. It is where I belong." Even her words sounded unconvincing to her. She had spent so much time with her other friends in feudal Japan, that she considered that more of a home than in her own time.

Her mother's gaze softened. "You don't have to choose right away, honey. Just know that no matter what you choose, either way there are people that love you." Kagome smiled. They both knew that the well wouldn't allow her to pass forever. One day she would have to make her choice, and unfortunately that time was soon.

Kagome waved her hand and shrugged it off. "What would you guys do without me?" she said sarcastically.

"Well first off I'd take your room!" Souta laughed at the glare he received from Kagome.

The glare quickly faded and turned into a wicked smile. "Why don't we find out from the tickle monster?" she said mischievously.

"Oh, no!" Souta ran past Kagome, and she quickly followed in suit.

Sesshomaru had no idea where he was going. All he knew was he wanted to get away for a while. The western lands had broken out into a civil war and the last thing he wanted to do was get involved. If he chose sides, both would retaliate against him. He just had to let them work it out on their own.

He sat under a tree and sniffed the air. He was near Inuyasha's campsite, and he did not doubt that he would soon come after him to start a brawl. Sesshomaru, however, was not in the mood to battle. He was actually feeling quite depressed lately, and he couldn't figure out why. It seemed that nothing he did would make him the least bit happy, or satisfied. Many things irritated him more than they should have.

He growled to himself. He didn't have time to drown himself in self-pity. He gathered his composure and continued on his way to an unknown destination. He had been wandering around with no exact area in mind, just winging it. He hadn't done that in centuries. He trudged on through the forest his, cold, stoic mask in place.

Sesshomaru could smell the half-breed coming his way. He just was not in the mood for his bullshit today.

"Sesshomaru!" he gracefully turned around.

"Half-breed." He merely stated, tone cold.

"What are you doing here? I should kill you now for just showing your arrogant face here."

Sesshomaru lifted an eyebrow. "Hypocritical is it not?"

Inuyasha's guard lowered a bit and he put Tessaiga down. "What?"

Sesshomaru inwardly smirked. 'What an idiot.' "You call me arrogant, yet you assume that you are so much stronger that you could kill this Sesshomaru."

"I could, and I will!" He charged at Sesshomaru, but he nearly dodged his attack with ease.

"Still hasty and idiotic as ever. It is doing you no justice." That made Inuyasha snap. He attacked stronger and quicker, even Sesshomaru didn't have time to block the attack. It grazed his shoulder and he could smell the blood starting to ooze from the wound.

Inuyasha smirked. 'He's been practicing. Or I'm off my game.' He thought. Choosing the latter her brought out his poison whip and flung it at Inuyasha. Not expecting the attack, the whip sliced Inuyasha across the face, making his skin boil and puss and blood seep from it. He screamed in pain, and with that Sesshomaru took his leave.

This feeling of depression had been throwing him off in battles lately. Even his idiotic half-brother had gotten a hit. Maybe there was something he needed….

He couldn't even finish his thought. Being so engrossed in thought, Sesshomaru didn't notice the well coming up in front of him and he stumbled right in.

Kagome was making sandwiches in the kitchen when she felt it. It was a demonic presence coming from the well house. Instantly she assumed it was Inuyasha coming to yell at her for taking her sweet time so she brushed it off and waited for him to come to the house.

"Mama! What do you want on your sandwich?" Kagome yelled into the next room where her mom and Souta were watching TV.

"Turkey and mayo, dear!" she called sweetly.

Kagome turned to the fridge and removed the items she needed. Once the sandwiches were done she took them into the living room and handed them out accordingly. Wondering why Inuyasha hadn't come in yet she made her way to the well house, sandwich in hand.

She took a bite on her way. It was delicious. She opened the door and it creaked open. "Inuyasha? Where the hell are you!? I'm not going home yet so you can make your way back down the well and get out of my sight!" She stomped to the well and looked in. She screamed and dropped her sandwich.

Sesshomaru glared up at her. He was sitting on the bottom of the well indian-style. "Sesshomaru?" she said softly. "What are you doing here?"

He rolled his eyes. "Do you honestly believe that this Sesshomaru would come to this place willingly?"

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "There is no need to be an ass. " She jumped into the well and waited for pink light to come and take her back to feudal Japan. Nothing happened. She jumped in place. Nothing again. 'What is going on here?' she thought.

Sesshomaru looked at her as if she were crazy. She caught his look and glared. "Don't look at me like that!" she snapped. "This is how I always get to your time, and look you have broken it!" she sighed. "Take me to the top."

"Do not order this Sesshomaru around."

She glared daggers at him. "If you want to go home you will take me to the top." Her voice dripped with venom. It sounded alien even to her.

He grabbed her wrist roughly and jumped to the top. He threw her to the floor. She stroked her chin in thought. "Maybe if we both jump together it will work. Ready? 1…. 2….3!" They both jumped into the well, but nothing happened. Sesshomaru growled and at the same time Kagome let out a scream.

"Why am I not home?" his voice was cold as he looked at her, searching for an answer. He had no idea where he was and he was not happy about it.

"If I knew what the problem was I would have fixed it already!"

"I know what the problem is." A new voice pierced through the tension in the air. It was a soft voice and very feminine. Kagome felt a very strong presence inside the well, but she saw no one.

Fearing for her life, Kagome ran towards Sesshomaru and wrapped her arm tightly around his. Having felt the action he quickly ripped his arm free of hers and pushed her to the ground. She fell on her but with a 'mmph'.

"And this is why you can't go home, Sesshomaru." The voice said. It was silky and almost sing-song.

His eyes narrowed. "Show yourself coward! This Sesshomaru will rip you to shreds!" He growled and unsheathed his sword.

"Ah, ah ah! The sword flew from his hand and landed outside the well. You have no power in here, Sesshomaru. Now!" Her voice elated. "Wouldn't you like to know why you are stuck here, in the future?"

Sesshomaru had no idea what she was talking about. What did she mean the future?

As if reading his thoughts she let out a hardy laugh. "Silly boy! Where did you think the miko always disappeared too?"

It was true he had always wondered that, but he had never realized that she had been from a different time. She did wear different clothes than the rest of them. He glared at nothing. "What do you want from me?"

She laughed again. "Sesshomaru, powerful yokai, Lord of the western lands" He smirked at the praise she was giving him. "you are arrogant!" his smirk instantly left and was replaced with a growl. "You have no respect for others. You belittle them! You are a sorry excuse for a ruler. You left your own lands in a civil war! You hurt people for no reason. You show no emotions and you let no one in to help!" her voice had risen with every sentence. "You are a disgrace!" she spat. "Which is why" her voice softened. "I have sent you here, to Kagome."

Kagome gasped and bit her lip as her name was mentioned. "What do you want from me?" she whispered.

Even though she could not see the presence she could feel her smiling. "You, Kagome, are warm where as he is cold. You are selfless where as he is selfish. You are kind to others, always helping when you can. While he is cold and heartless to others and avoids any kind of help. You are the opposite if him, and I need you to help me." She chuckled at Kagome's determined face. "I have sealed off this well. Neither if you can return to your time" Kagome gasped. "unless, of course, you complete your mission. I want you to change him. Make him care for at least one person. Make him love another more than himself, and you can return home."

"And what if I fail?" Kagome asked softly.

"You will both be stuck here, in this time, forever. But, I have faith in you Kagome. You have never let anyone down before."

"How will I know if I succeeded in my task?"

"Oh, you will know. You will feel it."

And with that she felt the presence leave the well. Kagome started to climb out of the well and when she was almost to the top he felt someone grab her wrist roughly and pull her up. His eyes were red and he was glaring at her.

"You did this!" his voice was hard and menacing. He grabbed her neck and pushed her against the shrine walls.

"No." she said calmly. "You did."

She felt the fingers around her neck loosen and she immediately ripped them from her neck with her miko powers. Why did she always end up in situations like this? Why did this always happen to her? She started making her way back to her house.

"Where are you going?" she heard him say as she opened the shrine door.

"Home." Was all she said and she left through the door.

Hesitantly, Sesshomaru followed her to a place he would have to call home for a long time.