All Fall Down
A/N: Thank you for the wonderful feedback! I am glad many of you think this story has an interesting plot…because believe me it does :D
Chapter Two
Kagome Yamasaki was a simple woman. She enjoyed the peaceful things in life. Such as sunsets and sunrises, taking comfort in the shade of large trees and cooking. Oh yes Kagome loved cooking. She didn't have a favorite dish but there was one meal of the day that she did enjoy making.
The sizzling sound of bacon cooking on the stove pulled Kagome from her thoughts. She had been staring out her kitchen window at nothing in particular which lately, she noticed, was becoming a habit. Noting the bacon was nearly done; Kagome began the eggs and popped a few pieces of bread in the toaster. She laid out three plates and filled two glasses with milk and the other with straight up black coffee. The last was for Kagome and she really needed it. Especially after her dream last night. No, more like a nightmare.
Kagome shivered as the vivid images ran through her mind. She had been running blindly through a dark forest. The branches scratched at her skin and her face, pulled at her hair and tugged holes in her clothes. There was a light ahead but no matter how long she ran towards it, the further the light seemed to fade away. She was out of breath and her legs were burning to the point of numbness but still she pushed on, determined. Then she heard it. That menacing deep laughter that sent ice cold chills up her spine. She ran faster but the laughter crept closer until she could feel slimy hands touch her back and then Kagome woke up in her bed, her shirt soaked through and her heart pounding.
Kagome gripped the counter to steady her shaking body. These nightmares were happening too frequently for her taste.
"Hey sis, you okay?" A young boy's voice asked from behind her.
Kagome took a deep breath and turned around, a forced smile on her lips. "You bet I am, Souta. Ready for breakfast?"
Her younger brother nodded and helped her serve the food before following her to the dining room. Her mother looked up as they gathered closer and smiled. Once seated, her mother asked the one question that had been bothering her all morning.
"Kagome dear." She started, gaining her daughter's attention. "I heard you crying out last night. Were you having another bad dream?"
Kagome swallowed her food before answering softly. "Yes. I don't want to talk about it though mother."
Their breakfast resumed but this time in an uncomfortable silence. At least uncomfortable for Kagome it was. She quickly finished her food before her mother could ask any more questions. As she rinsed the dishes, Kagome glanced at the clock and sighed. It was nearly time for her to head to the school and it was going to be quite a long one at that. Tonight was parent teacher conferences and speaking from experience Kagome doubted she would be home before sunset.
"Kagome dear, I'm sorry if I upset you." Her mother's voice interrupted from the kitchen door. "I worry about you is all."
Kagome's heart broke a little when she listened to her mother's words. She paused and said solemnly, "I should be the one apologizing mother. I promise we'll talk about the dreams soon…just not yet."
Her mother nodded and reached out for a hug. Kagome sighed into the embrace before remembering that she did not want to be late to the school today. Pulling away, she smiled a true smile before grabbing her lunch and placing it near the door beside her briefcase. She gave her image one more look over and satisfied with her choice of a suit, Kagome waved her goodbyes, grabbed her things and hurried out to her car.
As Kagome drove through morning traffic, she listened idly to the radio but her thoughts were far away from music. She kept replaying that cold feeling she always felt during those dreams. And those hands… Kagome violently shook her head and firmly told herself to stop thinking about the dreams and focus instead on the day ahead.
Her little fifth graders had a project due today and she would be handing back their tests from last week. They had all scored very well with only a few in the lower grades but that was not anything new for those students. Kagome reminded herself to bring that fact up at the conference tonight with their parents. Green eyes flashed across her mind for a moment and Kagome smiled. Speaking of those tests, Kagome couldn't help but think about the helper she had in grading those tests.
To say Kagome had woke up that day and thought to herself, 'I think I'm going to meet Shippo Taisho today!' would be the largest understatement of the world. Granted, the meeting had been very pleasant and surprising as well. Kagome had always been under the assumption that the people who rode around in sleek black limousines would find it beneath them to grade silly math tests. However, Shippo Taisho, a man classified in that category, was the complete opposite of her expectations. Not only was he a complete gentleman but Kagome had not seen one black limousine outside their entire time together.
Kagome parked in her assigned space at the school, gathered her things and locked her car behind her as she walked towards the school. Children would be arriving soon on buses, in cars or on foot and Kagome wanted to be settled in her classroom before they did. She nodded pleasantries to fellow staff members before unlocking her classroom door and propping it open with the stopper. Kagome placed her lunch in a small fridge she had tucked in a corner and her briefcase on top of her desk. She pulled out everything she would need for her first few classes before setting about preparing her room for her lessons today.
As she did so, Kagome nearly shrieked when she saw a shadow of a man standing in the corner of her eye. She whipped around; her mouth open in fright when she realized no one was there. Kagome placed a shaky hand on her chest in an attempt to soothe her rapidly beating heart. What had that been? She could have sworn that someone had been standing there…and that they had blood red eyes.
- B -
"Now dear, don't forget we have an appointment tomorrow afternoon with the doctor." His lovely wife reminded him from across the car. He turned to look at her with his green eyes which only made his wife roll her own chocolate colored ones in response.
"Shippo this is serious!" She shouted with a playful tone in her voice.
Shippo reached across the car and patted his wife's hand. "I know it is Rin but we should be experts by now."
Rin crossed her arms and opted to watching the passing scenery. "Every pregnancy is different Shippo."
Shippo opened his mouth to respond when a young girl's voice broke in. "I for one hope that at least this baby is a girl. I'm tired of being the only girl."
Rin smiled at her only daughter, Akumi, when her oldest, Itachi voiced his opinion. "Boys are stronger Akumi, you just came out wrong."
Shippo's mouth dropped in disbelief at his son's words and Rin's expression nearly mirrored his. However, it was their youngest, Yumi who spoke up. "It is not the gender that matters but the fight and passion behind the fighter." He shot his two older siblings a look. "Which neither of you possess."
Shippo glanced in the rear view mirror and sensing a brewing argument, he cut in quickly. "Now children, all three of you are very strong and talented. Don't let words bring you down."
Itachi crossed his arms and said, "Ha! Uncle Sesshomaru said that a true fighter should be able to listen to words but not hear them."
"And should possess leadership!" Akumi piped up with a smile.
"And fight for what you believe in." Yumi added at the end.
Rin smiled at how much her children looked up to their Uncle. It was a sight to see, considering how five hundred years ago, Sesshomaru could barely stand the sight of his own hanyou half brother.
"If your Uncle asked you to jump off a bridge, would you?" Shippo asked.
The three young hanyou's were quiet for a moment before all three replied in unison. "Yes."
Shippo nearly smacked his forehead in disbelief but decided for his own sanity to remain silent. Rin giggled from her seat beside him and Shippo glared at her.
"However, in my opinion Yumi does not possess everything needed in a leader." Itachi said, earning a glare from his younger brother. "Considering he is failing math."
It was Rin this time that interrupted. "Itachi, you're brother has just transferred into that school, please be considerate."
Itachi resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Yumi thanked his mother. Akumi sat beaming as she said, "And that is why I am the perfect leader."
Her words, so innocent and yet so sarcastic, made her parents burst out laughing and her brothers sending daggers her way.
- B-
A cool breeze drifted in from the windows and played with Kagome's black hair, lifting the locks and providing a sense of relief to her heated face. She had been working adamantly for the past hour, speaking with various parents and smiling way too much. Kagome touched her sore cheeks and feared that she may never be able to smile again. Shaking her head at her silly thoughts, Kagome finished laying out her papers for the next family to arrive before pouring her another cup of coffee.
She could feel how the warm liquid slid down her throat and settled in her awaiting stomach. It wouldn't take long for the caffeine to reach her nervous system and once it did Kagome would remain awake for hours more. She glanced at the clock and straightened her jacket before running her hand through her hair to free any knots.
A few moments later she heard a collection of voices coming down her hall and Kagome prepared a smile and a handshake. However, when she noticed red hair and green eyes, Kagome nearly lost it.
"Shippo?"
"Kagome!"
Flustered, Kagome reached out and hugged her new friend awkwardly. Shippo chuckled and then turned to his patiently waiting family. He was not surprised to see Rin's mouth open a little in pure surprise. She had heard from Shippo that he had found the next vessel and how much he truly believed she was the real one but never had expected to see her here at the school. How coincidental. Rin fought back the strong desire to reach out and hug the woman she considered to be like her mother. Instead she offered out her hand and a warm smile.
"Hello my name is Rin Taisho." She introduced, nearly losing it when Kagome returned the hand shake with the same smile Rin remembered.
"How wonderful to meet you Mrs. Taisho!" Kagome beamed, "You have a wonderful husband here or did not have to take time out of his day to help me grade papers."
Rin smiled shyly, "Please call me Rin. And nonsense, my husband does not have a greedy bone in his body."
"Both of you stop it." Shippo interrupted, his cheeks tinted with a fair shade of pink. "Kagome I didn't know you taught my son, Yumi."
Remembering that there was instead three children standing behind their parents, Kagome leaned over and recognized the youngest with his mothers dark hair but striking green eyes like his father. "Yumi!"
Yumi offered his math teacher a sheepish smile and wave. "Hello Ms. Yamasaki."
Behind him his sister and brother snickered, earning them a glare from their mother. Kagome's heart warmed at the loving sight of family and ignored the pang of desire growing in her stomach.
Kagome turned to Shippo with her apparent question written across her face. Shippo answered before she could even ask. "Yumi goes to school under his mother's maiden name for security reasons. We wanted our children to experience public school without the obvious special attention the Taisho name would bring to them."
Kagome agreed and then motioned for them to take a seat around a circular table. She collected her papers and passed the copies to Shippo and Rin. Pushing aside her growing friendship with the Taisho's, Kagome switched herself into teacher mode.
"Well let me start off by saying that Yumi is a very intelligent boy." Her eyes shifted to the older children when they hid their giggles behind their hands. "However, it seems that during math class he trails off and doesn't engage his full potential." She pointed to a particular piece of paper that Rin recognized as his report card. "You can see that in his other classes he excels wonderfully. I spoke with his other teachers and all of them had nothing but praise to say about Yumi."
Rin frowned, "I just don't understand. He enjoys math at home. His uncle even helps him with homework and tutors him when Yumi asks. Right Yumi?"
When his mother looked at him as if to reassure herself, Yumi's face fell in defeat. Shippo noticed and voiced his concern. "Have you been asking your uncle for help Yumi?"
Yumi squirmed in his seat before mumbling. "Not lately, he has been busy."
Rin sighed and ran a hand through her hair. It was just like Sesshomaru to act incredibly busy without noticing how it was beginning to affect his family. Rin created a note to remind herself to talk to Sesshomaru about his recent behavior. Whether he refused to see it or not, Yumi highly looked up to his Uncle.
Kagome opened her mouth to propose an idea when Shippo's phone began to ring. He glanced at the caller id and frowned. He held the shrilling device up and apologized, "Sorry but speaking of the devil, I have to take this."
-B-
The world had changed in the last five hundred years. That much Sesshomaru was certain of. He had lived through countless wars, watched his lands develop into human utopias and his home burn to the ground only to be replaced by a battleground soaked in blood. The last part was ironic, when the Demon Lord thought about it. His whole life before she had come into it had been nothing but blood and destruction, so why wouldn't it continue to be when she left?
With her advice from their countless nights of conversation, Sesshomaru lived through some of the world's darkest times and slowly beginning in the nineteenth century he began to develop the world's largest technology based company. Dipping into everything from nano technology all the way to space engineering, Sesshomaru had turned his western lands into nearly the whole world. All because of her…
The Demon Lord sighed and allowed his body to relax in the privacy of his office. The moments where Kagome did not cross his mind were rare and far between. Each time her soul returned to inhabit another vessel, Sesshomaru prayed to the Gods that it would be the last and they would finally be together. He squeezed his fist in growing anger. However, each time since the first had been nothing but failures. There was always something wrong with each vessel and her soul would depart from this plane once more, leaving Sesshomaru in more agony than before.
His golden eyes, rare among the humans in todays age but considered a family trait of the Taisho's, slid to rest on a large manila folder. The blank cover taunted him, driving his desire to read the contents before he lost all control. Practically ripping the folder apart, Sesshomaru flipped the cover open only to close his eyes briefly. A picture of her current vessel laid on top the pile of information beneath it. With the others, there was always that one physical flaw that made them imperfections of the original. Reincarnations they may be but the correct vessel they were not.
However as his gold eyes roamed over her picture, taking in her wavy raven locks and sparkling blue eyes, he tried his hardest to find a flaw…even if it was tiny. His eyes narrowed, as his search continued. It was becoming more difficult, considering her dazzling smile, the way her eyes lite up with laughter and how the sun seemed to make her shine…were all the same as his Kagome. It was impossible. He refused to believe that this vessel was truly his Kagome. He wanted to believe so badly but he was beyond skeptical. He was tired of it always being the wrong vessel and the wrong time.
Carefully, as if he was afraid that the picture would be damaged, Sesshomaru set it aside and turned his attention to the documents. He read each page carefully and thoroughly, looking for a clue that this was truly the real Kagome. He found it on her birth certificate and an attached page with another name highlighted.
Kagome Yamasaki. Born March 14, 1982 at 12:01 am
Hospital of recorded birth: Tokyo University Hospital
His eyes slid to the highlighted name and his breath stilled.
Kagome Higurashi. Born March 14, 1982 at 12:01 am
Hospital of recorded birth: Tokyo University Hospital
His gold eyes wide in disbelief, Sesshomaru had to remind himself to breathe. Impossible He thought, waiting for the ink on the page to blur and retain its true self, not this unfeasible notion. Some might call it coincidence that two girls identical to one another would be born on the same day at the same time and at the exact same location. But to someone who had been searching for five hundred years for the perfect vessel, this was more than coincidence…it was fate. And just maybe they were dealing him the correct hand.
Sesshomaru reached for his phone and dialed Shippo's number. Vaguely he remembered something about a school function but shrugged it off as he waited for Shippo to pick up. As far as he knew, Shippo was the only path of communication to Kagome and he was determined to have the little squirt befriend this girl more. Sesshomaru needed to know more about her.
"Hello there." The kitsune answered, "Did you forget that I am at a teacher and parent conference."
He didn't see how that pertained to him. "We need to discuss a personal matter immediately."
Shippo sighed and threw an apologetic look to Kagome and Rin. He was about to blow Sesshomaru off when an idea struck him. "How about dinner tonight? Kufungs at eight?"
Sesshomaru tapped his clawless fingers against the wood of his desk. "Fine. Be there at exactly eight. This is important Shippo and bring Rin."
Shippo smiled slyly, thankful that the inu youkai could not see it. "Sounds wonderful." Sesshomaru hung up and slipping his phone back into his pocket, Shippo turned to his awaiting party.
"Kagome what do you say about continuing this conference over dinner at Kufungs?" He asked, his wife tilting her head in confusion. He locked eyes with Rin for a moment, speaking through them. Rin nodded and turned to Kagome with those big hopeful brown eyes.
"Oh yes Kagome, please join us!"
Kagome wanted to say no but when Rin looked at her with those saucers like brown eyes, she caved. Perhaps if she had been paying a little more attention, Kagome would have felt the flutter in her stomach as fates strings began to weave a new web.
-B-
Kagome had never been to Kufungs, considering it was well out of her price range but Shippo had assured her that the meal was completely on him since he had been forced to break the conference up. Rushing home, Kagome had changed out of her skirt and jacket and into comfortable black pants and a bottom up pink shirt with a light frill around the neck. The vale opened her door for her, making Kagome feel near royalty and surrendering her keys to the young man she approached the front door, her stomach all ready doing flops. Another man held the door open for her and as she walked into the dimly lite restaurant, Kagome feared that she may have under-dressed. After all she was having dinner with the Taisho's. Surely they would come dressed for this place, leaving her to feel clueless and poor.
"Excuse me ma'am but do you have a reservation?" A snotty female asked from behind a podium.
Kagome approached and fought back the urge to compare the woman to a long beaked bird. "Well no but I'm here to dine with the Taisho's."
The bird woman lightly snickered, amusement dancing in her eyes before re-composing herself to stare down her pointed nose at Kagome. "The Taisho's you say? Do not play games with me young lady. No reservation, no dining. Please leave."
Never had Kagome ever been treated so rudely. She opened her mouth to retort with a witty remark when she head Rin's sweet voice. "There you are Kagome!"
Kagome turned and relief flooded her system. "Rin!"
The two women hugged and Rin turned to the snotty woman. "I clearly remembered telling you we were expecting a young woman to join us for dinner. Was I imagining it?"
The woman bowed her head in embarrassment. "No Mrs. Taisho. My apologies, may I see you two back to your table?"
Rin waved the pushy woman aside and huffed. "That will not be necessary. Be more courteous next time."
Kagome's eyes were wide in shock and disbelief that so much fire had come from such a tiny woman but then again, Kagome was a firm believer in the motto 'more to see than just the eye'.
"We have a very nice secluded table in the back and you must try the chicken here. It is to die for." Rin babbled as they weaved through tables and chairs. Kagome tried to soak in as much of the restaurant as she could, for she highly believed she would never set foot again in it.
"Ah, here we are." Rin announced, causing Kagome to stop in her tracks.
Kagome said hello to Shippo and his family before realizing that there was someone sitting at the head of the table, his face hidden in the shadows. Her heart and breath quickened and her skin felt itchy. The man stood, his face remaining hidden causing Kagome's hand to rise and rest against her flushed skin. What is going on, she thought, her mind becoming fuzzy.
"And this is my father and Shippo's boss." Rin said her voice distant as the man stepped into the light. Silver hair flashed against the low light and golden eyes locked onto her face, staring straight into her soul. Black spots decorated Kagome's vision and Rin's voice once more sounded so very far away. "Sesshomaru Taisho."
It was like glass breaking into a million little pieces, the sound deafening, the heat threatening to consume her whole… Kagome couldn't breathe as those golden eyes flared like molten lava, so familiar and yet so strange to her. The black spots clouding more of her vision and the strength leaving her body at the sight of those gold eyes, Kagome fainted.
-B-
A/N: I love cliff hangers, just so everyone is aware of. Haha :D Review and leave your thoughts about the chapter. I do so love to read them and if anyone has any ideas they would like to share for the story I am always open to hearing them! Thanks!