Fall
Fall had always been her favorite time of the year. It gave her hope for what would come in the spring. It was a comfort also to know that things come to an end for others as it seemed to for her.
A shiver passed through her as a breeze blew through the trees. She was still cold despite the sun on her back. The forest on the other hand was on fire, the leaves were beginning to show their true colors orange, pink, red, purple, and yellow.
Kagome saw a pile of leaves near the trees in the sun and felt the sudden urge to fall onto them as she used to when she was younger.
She looked around and decided, 'Why not? What else is there left to lose?'
So she walked over and fell onto the leaves, it was comfortable there as if someone had put the pile there just to relax and look up at the sky. The leaves were warm and smelled nice and when she looked up the sun wasn't directly over her making her uncomfortable or anything. For a moment she felt her heart relax and her body warm up with happiness and to enjoy the moment more she closed her eyes.
"I almost forgot how nice it was to be happy again."
Kagome then let her thoughts wander onto more pleasant times. She thought of her family and her mother's cooking, she thought about her friends from school and Hojo , she let thoughts of Kouga and the wolf tribe enter her mind and finally she thought about the others in her group, of Sango and Miroku or Kilala and Shippo and Kaede and Rin and finally him. She couldn't keep him from entering her thoughts; he always would as long as she lived… as long as she couldn't have him… as long as she loved him.
"Damned Inuyasha!"
"I have often felt the same."
Kagome jumped up in fright at the sound of another's voice so close to her. Leaves flew at her hurried movement and a sudden gush of wind blew them around so she couldn't tell who it was that had spoken. Then she saw silver locks dancing with the leaves.
"In...u...Yasha?" T
he leaves began to settle and she knew she was wrong about who had startled her.
"I am not my brother and for that I am Thankful, Miko."
She bowed, "I am sorry Lord Sesshomaru, I did not see you."
He nodded and motioned to the pile of leaves, "why are you here?"
Kagome blushed in embarrassment for lying in a pile of leaves and being discovered.
"I was relaxing."
"You are far away from Inuyasha's village."
"I know. I want it that way."
He raised a delicate eyebrow but the rest of his features remained unaffected.
"Are you not his mate?"
Kagome looked down and cringed remembering coming back to Inuyasha and planning to get married and being so happy to finally be back but it didn't take long for things to change. Kikyo had come back for whatever reason and no one knew that Inuyasha was secretly seeing her. When Kagome found out she decided she was going to leave and seal the well, that's when things got ugly. Inuyasha destroyed the well and gave her two choices: Stay and he his wife or leave and never come back or he would kill her. So she left and had become a wandering miko just going where the roads took her for nearly three months now.
"No. I left."
Then she realized something, "do you not go that way to see Rin still?"
"No, she has adjusted very fast and well. My presence was no longer needed."
Kagome nodded. "Well I must be going. It is getting late and I must reach the next village by night fall."
"Why?"
Kagome was taken aback at his question, he normally would not have even talked to her as much as he did but now he was also interested in 'Why' she had to be at the next village?
"What next? Naraku coming back and giving everyone flowers as an apology?"
Sesshomaru if at all possible let out a small chuckle at her question and answered, "I am afraid that he is very much dead Miko no thanks to my idiot of a brother."
"You're telling me."
"Yes. I know this."
It was her turn to laugh and she answered, "It is not safe for a woman to travel alone at night."
"But you are not alone."
"Yes I am. There is no one here with me."
"This Sesshomaru is here with you."
Kagome was confused, was this the same heartless demon lord of the west or was this some kind of imposter?
"Umm…Why?"
"You are in my lands and it would be of no consequence if I accompanied you being that I am heading that way."
"OK then, but it would still best to arrive there before night fall."
"I assume so." That was all he said before picking her up and running.
Kagome cringed into his shoulder, she had not been carried for over half a year and here all the sudden Sesshomaru, the enemy was carrying her around.
"Definitely not the same guy!"
He then stopped, "here is the village I believe you were attempting to reach Miko."
Kagome stood for herself and turned to thank him, "Thank you for your help Lord Sesshomaru"
"Thank you Miko."
"Kagome."
"What?"
"There are many Miko's but I am Kagome."
"Then thank you. Kagome."
And with that he disappeared.
Another three months passed and now Kagome was approaching one of the last villages in the Western Province near the ocean. It was winter now and was snowing. Kagome almost blended in with her Miko garb on except for the blood red Hakima. In a way it represented that even though she was pure she was still stained in some way.
"Why did he have to steal everything from me?"
"Who?"
She wasn't shocked by his voice now. Ever since the first time she ran into him he had escorted her in one way or another to each village.
"Damned Inuyasha." She said with a smile.
For some odd reason she was able to say his name easier and easier every time now and she was getting over him and beginning to be happy again.
"I have often said so but he at least has left you alone."
"I am not alone."
"Really? And who accompanies you Miko?"
"Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Providences."
He then appeared beside her, "you have helped the humans a lot here. More than they deserve. The youkai too."
"But not you."
"This Sesshomaru needs no help."
She smiled to herself and shook her head.
"What does this Miko think so funny?"
"Well I, Kagome, think that you Lord Sesshomaru are funny."
"These are my lands Miko, Do not test me."
"Fine, but you do need help whether or not you accept it is your choice my lord."
"Then I do not accept."
"For now." She whispered to herself as they approached the village.
"Thank you again, Lord Sesshomaru. This I believe is the last village and after this I will be moving northward."
"You will not stay in the western Lands?"
"No, not when there are so many elsewhere that need my help."
He didn't reply and she didn't stop as she approached the gates and before she could call over he disappeared.
The snow got harder and more constant over the next week and Kagome was bombarded with sick and hungry people that she would spend the day healing and feeding. She half thought about Sesshomaru mentioning her staying being some way connected to the snow but he was not a snow demon so it couldn't be him or his fault. One day after being stuck in the village for over a month Kagome was approached by one of the young men in the village. His name was Hakame and he was a cloth weaver. He had invited her to join him and his family for the evening instead of remaining alone in the room that had been provided for her at the inn.
"Yes I would be honored to join you and your family this evening.
Hakame ginned and said, "Please come as soon as you are ready." And then he left.
Kagome laughed and thought, 'wow, I sure do attract too much unwanted attention.'
When she arrived for dinner she was surprised to find a roasted boar on the table and soup for everyone plus one. She looked at Hakame and his mother and bowed thanking them for their trouble even though they denied any.
The meal progressed as any other until Hakame's mother asked, "So how do you feel about settling down and giving up your garb?"
Kagome coughed, "What do you mean?"
"Well you will have to give up being a priestess to marry my Hakame right? I just wanted to know how it made you feel."
Kagome looked at Hakame to be met by down cast eyes and a blush that put cherries and tomatoes to shame.
His mother caught on quickly, "Oh, I am so sorry. I thought he had asked you already with him going over there practically every day."
Kagome shook her head, "No he has not, and I will not be giving up my robes."
"But are Priestesses allowed to get married? I thought if you did that you could not be a priestess on account of your 'Purity'."
"Yes that is true."
"But… then…how…."
Hakame then said, "Mother she has just said no before I could ask her."
"It is not you Hakame, I once was engaged and do not plan on being so ever again. You are a very nice man and I would be very lucky to accept your admiration but I still cannot."
He nodded still looking down.
Kagome then got up, "I am sorry if I lead you to believe in any way that that was my intentions Hakame. I will go now. The meal was very good, Thank you again and I am sorry for all the trouble."
The next week there was only sun and the snow melted quickly away allowing Kagome passage to the North.
Not long after she started her treck she yelled, "Stupid! Baka! Baka!"
"Inuyasha?"
"NO!"
That was new and He did not have his response.
"Why must I be cursed with the affections of every man I meet except the one I wanted?"
"I do not know Miko."
"No, I don't even know. Life, Fate, Destiny are all sick and twisted gods who have nothing better to do than see how far they can push me into the ground though."
She then stopped and looked at the trees around them and yelled, "I give up ok! What else do you possible want from me?!?!?"
Sesshomaru then picked her up surprising her so much that she nearly jumped out of his arms.
"Miko, whatever shall I do with you if you keep up this ridiculous babble?"
"I don't care just put me back down nice and easy."
He then kissed her head, "What if this Sesshomaru does not want to?"
She gasped, "What do you mean?"
"Why don't you stay in the west? You did say that I needed help whether or not I knew it so why not show me?"
Kagome turned in his arms to look at his face, "But I have to keep going. I need to get away."
He then kissed her, "Well you can try and get away but this Sesshomaru is an excellent hunter Kagome."
"Well I happen to be…wait…Did you just say my name?"
"Kagome."
She smiled, "Well I guess I could show you why you need help."
"It would be my honor to allow you to use my home as your own then for now then."
"Well what if I choose not to leave?"
"Then I guess it will stay your home then Kagome."
"I like it when you say my name."
As for Inuyasha and Kikyo they ended up annoying the hell out of each other till they died of annoyance. Very Dangerous thing. Oh and Kagome is still with Sesshomaru working on his 'Problems' winch now include her and convincing her that she should give up being a priestess and become the Lady of the West and a Mother.
Ya, just a quick one-shot that popped out of my brain as I watched the leaves falling from a tree outside the window of my math class. I hope you like it. SesshyXKag