Three months later, Kagome's mother carried a cup of tea up to Kagome's room. While Kagome had grown into a very strong woman, the combination of Inuyasha's death and the separation from her son paralyzed her. Kagome more or less refused to eat, and spent most of her time in the well house, trying to make the well take her home.
Keiko Higurashi saw she was sleeping, even though it was the middle of the afternoon, and placed the cup of tea down on the nightstand. She sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed Kagome's back, gently waking her.
"It's the middle of the afternoon," she said.
Kagome rolled over, and stared blankly up at her mother. "I already tried the well. It didn't work. Again."
Keiko pulled the covers off Kagome and said, "It's been three months, Kagome. You have to get out of bed. You have to get better."
Kagome sat up and picked up the framed picture of her and Inuyasha. It had been taken on her sixteenth birthday, and she looked so happy. Inuyasha had a mouthful of cake and a scowl, which was his way. After smiling briefly, she sat back and stared down into his eyes.
"We had a horrible marriage. We fought like cats and dogs about everything you can think of. He wasn't a good husband and made a horrible father. There were a lot of problems," Kagome confessed.
Keiko sighed. "When your father died, I felt like part of me died. I spent a lot of time thinking about all the things that weren't right, and all the things I did wrong. You have to keep going or going to feel like this forever."
"I need to get back to my son, Mama," she cried.
Her mother stayed and talked to her for awhile, but didn't really know why Kagome had passed through and then been subsequently unable to return. It made sense that Kagome wasn't able to go through the well during her high school years because Kagome wasn't ready to move onto marriage with Inuyasha then, which was their goal at the time.
The Bone-Eater's Well was such a mystery that Mrs. Higurashi wasn't sure if they would ever really understand what it was, how it worked, or why it worked.
At her mother's request, Kagome eventually got out of bed and walked the shrine grounds. She tried the well again, with no luck, but as she was leaving the well house, her eyes fell on Goshinboku. Since Inuyasha's death, Kagome hadn't been able to get close to it. There were too many memories, bad and good, linked to that tree.
She approached it slowly, remembering the first time she saw Inuyasha, hanging from the tree in the feudal era. Alarm swelled in her as she neared it and saw the leaves surrounding it. It was late summer, and not time for the tree to shed its leaves, yet it was nude. Peculiar black patches stood out on the bark that was normally perfect, save the mark where Kikyou's arrow scarred the tree.
Kagome reached out to touch the bark, and felt a surge of demonic power.
"No…" she whispered frightfully.
Kagome always believed there was some link between the well and the tree, but for her, the tree's disease and the well's strange behavior confirmed her suspicion. It had been awhile since she had really tapped her powers, but she put her hands on the bark of the tree and called them to life, battling whatever evil had possessed the tree. It was like tug of war, except whatever was on the other side was stronger than she was.
After doing this for awhile, Kagome wasn't sure she could ultimately win against the entity.
Would the ever well work if that happened?
The demonic aura surged forward as soon as she relaxed. The bark started to darken even more, shriveling up quickly.
Kagome panicked and ran for the store room, knocking things off the shelf in search of anything she could use as a weapon. A dusty box fell from the top shelf and a large red bow slid onto the floor. Relieved, Kagome grabbed a quiver from the corner. These were the ones she used to defeat Naraku, and since she hadn't taken them with her the last time she went down the well, they ended up in the storage building, dusty and forgotten.
She aimed her weapon as she ran back toward the tree, waited for the arrow to charge with her power, and fired an arrow right into Goshinboku. The dark power in the tree dissipated briefly, and without going inside for any supplies, Kagome ran straight for the well and jumped.
XXX
Kyo took the metal mask hanging off of the finger extended toward him and frowned.
Sesshoumaru gave rarely, and he gave only when there was reason. Over the past three months, Sesshoumaru had given him two sets of identical white clothes that cleaned themselves, a special rock to file his claws down, a short sword which was sheathed on his back, and the mask.
Kyo had never drawn the sword in any of the battles Sesshoumaru dragged him along for, and honestly wasn't sure if he would. The taiyoukai worked him hours each day with the blade, but when it came down to it, Kyo didn't feel like attacking and killing. It made him feel ashamed that he wasn't up to Sesshoumaru expectations, but Sesshoumaru didn't show any sign of disappointment, making the cryptic assurance that he would "live by the sword" whether he wanted to or not.
"Sesshoumaru-sama?"
Sesshoumaru stared sternly down at Kyo until he put the mask on, looping the leathery straps from his pointed ears. It reminded him of Kohaku's poison mask, and from the scent in the air, Kyo decided poison was probably the reason it was given to him. Kyo had learned not to question his uncle, so he complied without complaint and followed the taiyoukai down a familiar path.
With a nod of approval, they followed a mountain path that descended to the valley were Kyo's home village was. The first clear view either got came with a mix of surprise and uncertainty. A thick, dark cloud covered the entire valley, including Inuyasha's forest and the village.
It reeked of miasma, but they continued.
Kyo followed without complaint, although he did feel afraid. He thought at first that Sesshoumaru would protect him and keep him out of danger, but Sesshoumaru's obligation seemed to end at keeping him alive. His uncle allowed him to get into all kinds of danger, and injury came on a nearly weekly basis. Sesshoumaru told him he was old enough to take care of himself, so he did.
Sesshoumaru kept a slow pace, so his nephew could keep up. The two hadn't really left the immediate area, and several times a week, they walked in the area of the village. Sesshoumaru knew something bad was happening, although he wasn't sure what it was. The sudden appearance of thick miasma was more than enough to convince him he was right.
Traveling with Kyo had revealed much to Sesshoumaru about both his deceased brother and his sister-in-law. His behavior was inconsistent, and Kyo alluded repeatedly to the fact his parents didn't get along well. Sesshoumaru always assumed Inuyasha and Kagome were in love and living in a cramped little hut having babies was their idea of bliss.
When they arrived at a fork in the path that led into the village, Kyo froze. "Sesshoumaru-sama…this is the way to the village."
"I am aware," Sesshoumaru answered.
Images flashed in Kyo's head of the life he had taken, and he started to walk backward. "I can't go back there," he said, voice muffled by the mask.
Sesshoumaru's disapproving glare reversed Kyo's decision, and the boy started to follow. "What about the villagers? They'll attack."
"They won't," Sesshoumaru answered.
Kyo picked up his speed when he realized he wasn't keeping pace with Sesshoumaru. "Do you think they've forgiven me? I-I didn't mean too…"
A mummified corpse entered his miasma-clouded vision.
A few steps later, he saw another.
Kyo realized the villagers weren't going to attack because they were all dead. All of the people he knew, and all the children he played with were gone. A warning glare ended his crying before it started, and he continued following. Pressure from the lump in his throat forced him to take shallow breaths to remain in control, but he was determined not to break down and cry.
A sudden pulse of extreme energy from the hill got Sesshoumaru's attention. The burst pushed the miasma past them toward the edge of the village. Sesshoumaru realized when his skin burned that the source of the energy was a holy person of considerable power, and quickly checked to see if Kyo had been hurt by the burst.
Kyo was unharmed, but he had a look of understanding and relief.
Sesshoumaru followed him up the hill to the Bone Eater's Well, where Kagome was pulling herself up.
Kagome had her son in her arms before she even looked up and was surprised when Kyo practically pulled her up with his own strength. She felt the knot in her soul finally release, knowing he was still alive. From the embrace, she could feel the strange lump on his back, and her hands ran up Kyo's back curiously, following the sword sheathed there. Kagome opened her eyes and saw the hilt of a sword hovering not far from her face.
Looking past the sword, a white blur next to Goshinboku came into focus.
She kissed her son on the forehead and ended the embrace. She pulled one of the loops on the mask, so it dangled by one ear. "I'm so sorry. I tried to come back, but the well wouldn't let me."
"Everything is okay, Mama," Kyo answered.
Kagome ran her fingers through her son's hair and leaned forward, noticing he smelled wild, like the forest. Like his father. "I need to talk to Sesshoumaru for a minute. Stay here?"
"Yes, Mama."
Kyo sat on the edge of the well, and watched his mother approach Sesshoumaru. Her step had an angry snap, something he knew well from growing up with parents who fought a lot. Kagome let off many non-verbal clues about how she felt, even though both Kagome and Inuyasha tried to hide how screwed up their relationship was from him.
Kagome's hands fisted as she neared Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru could sense the anger, but continued to look bored, because he really did not want to have the conversation that was about to happen. Kagome coddled Shippou when he was young, babied Inuyasha when he was hurt, and was soft enough with Kyo that it had taken weeks for Kyo to accept that he could take care of himself.
"A sword? You gave my eleven-year-old son a sword?" she said, tone fluctuating as she tried not to shriek.
Sesshoumaru leaned against Goshinboku and felt a surge of purification energy that still lingered in the tree. Wincing slightly from the sudden pain, he leaned forward again. "Yes."
"Why? Kyo is just a kid. He's too young for that. I never wanted him to know what it was like to kill."
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "If you wanted your son to have a peaceful life, you should have married into another family."
"Do you have any children, Sesshoumaru? Do you even know what it's like to want to give someone a good life? Have you ever felt anything like that powerful in your life?" she cried out.
"I have battled power you cannot even fathom. That's the only thing waiting for Kyo in the world. Blood, violence, battle…that is what life is for a hanyou. You of all people should understand this," he answered.
Kagome's voice rose, "Excuse me for not wanting my son to live a miserable life!"
Sesshoumaru did something Kagome had never seen before. He laughed, chuckling darkly and softly at her. "So naive after all these years. Stupid girl."
He started to walk away, and Kagome went back to her son.
Kyo explained everything that had happened since she left, and Kagome suddenly felt extremely confused and frightened. Something evil was happening, and Kagome was on her own with her son. For as long as she had been going through the well, Inuyasha had been her protector, but now, she was pretty much alone.
"We can go and stay with Miroku and Sango until we get things figured out. Do you know where they are?" Kagome asked.
Kyo nodded and told her that Sango and Miroku and their children were staying with Rin and Kohaku in the mountains nearby. Then he told her that the place they were living belonged to Sesshoumaru, and that Sesshoumaru frequently spent time there. The fact that this didn't bother Kyo gave Kagome pause.
"Kyo, do you like traveling Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked.
Her son nodded. "Yes, Mama."
"Why?"
Somewhere between concepts that humans understood and ideas that demons embraced was Kyo. His mother was human, and his father was a half-demon. She liked coming home every night to a home and a routine, but traveling with Sesshoumaru was exhilarating. Every day was different, and it was like being wild in a way. Kyo learned to embrace his demon blood, and after that, the idea of going back to a village to pretend to be like everyone else felt like a punishment.
He explained this as well as he could to his mother, who felt a little heartbroken that her son wanted to abandoned the kind of life she wanted for him.
There were few people she disliked more on a personal level than Sesshoumaru, and was scared to death Kyo would be influenced by Sesshoumaru's disposition. At the same time, Kyo said the word 'need' enough times that it stuck out in her mind, as if he wouldn't be happy if he didn't satisfy the needs of his demon blood. She hadn't really considered how little she understood his demon side, and wondered if Kyo's restlessness was caused by instincts she didn't even have.
"Maybe we can catch up to him. Do you know which way he went?" Kagome asked.
Kyo sniffed at the air. "This way."
