Puppy Promises
Chapter 2: Surprises
Wind danced through the clearing catching the loose green leaves in a mesmerizing swirl of various shades of green. Rin giggled at the sight, choosing to make a game out of the breeze and began chasing the loose foliage as it twisted through the air. After living in the Edo village for so many years, she knew it would only be a matter of seconds before the small children of the village would begin chasing after the wind as well. Sure enough a gaggle of little hands, tiny feet, and big smiles found their way into the clearing to join in the simple game. Rin saw herself as a sort of protector of all the younger children in the village, she found herself more than qualified, after all she was the only person in the world to have the Lord of the West as a role model.
Looking out at the orange hues painted across the sky at dusk, she could see her Lord flying through the sky, and knew in her heart that he would be coming to visit her as he did a handful of times throughout the year. Throwing her hand in the air and bouncing in place, she waved. If ever there was a hero-worship complex, Rin had it, but Sesshomaru was more than her savior; In her dark honey brown eyes her Lord somehow wriggled his way into her heart as a sort of father figure, though she'd never dare call him on it.
"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru I've missed you!" She called out knowing full well his InuYoukai heritage would have her words right in his ears. The heart inside her chest felt as if it would burst with glee. How her Lord could fill her with such perpetual happiness with just his mere presence she'd never know, he was the only entity on Earth that could create such a zealous emotion in her soul.
"Rin." Sesshomaru acknowledged his ward with a tilt of his chin, gracefully landing and allowing his energy cloud to dissipate. Her dark brown hair once unkempt with a carefree side swept pony tail now fell loose down her back, nearly skirting her knobby knees. Like the rings of a tree, the inches of her hair showed age. Time passed by slowly for one that lived for thousands of years, but in his ward, he could clearly see the days that'd past since he last saw her.
Inches added to her height and curves to her small body granting her a more feminine physique. Perhaps in his next few visits she would be completely filled out, rounded with the softness only women held. Would he be granting her a blessing to wed in the next spring? Humans did seem to wed young. Rin only in her thirteenth year…it would not be unheard of for her to marry even now. The thought brought up a frustrating emotion he cared not to name.
In her shining eyes he could still see the child, the little slip of a girl, offering him, he who could lift only one clawed finger and strike her dead, a fish. He could still envision the tiny ningen skipping around his retainer as the green youkai ran after her in a field of wild flowers. He could still hear the giddy babble and laughter fleeing her lips. It was as if time stopped in his memories of his Rin, but before him, time continued. She would age as all humans do. Disgust rested on the tip of his tongue, ningens were such a weak species. The distaste quickly removed itself from his thoughts, looking down at his ward. Perhaps he could retain her life force if he found a suitable youkai mate for her, then he would not lose her so soon.
Jaken, a green imp youkai of sorts with a beak-like snout and bulging yellow eyes, stumbled next to Sesshomaru's large black boots, falling forward without notice, squawking, "Oh!" Careful as to keep the present, a rectangle wrapped in green shiny paper, above his head and away from the ground which his face had firmly planted.
His Lord entrusted him to care for the parcel, and he did not want to disappoint his Lord…oh how ashamed he was for nearly sullying the gift. "Rin this Sesshomaru has brought you a parcel." Sesshomaru kept a mask of indifference on his angled face, not letting an ounce of emotion mar his ethereal appearance. The royal blue crescent and twin magenta stripes on his cheek bones and eye lids stood out against the ivory pallor of his skin.
Rin couldn't help but think her Sesshomaru-Sama could quite possibly be a Kami, "Thank you My Lord!" She grinned with a wide set toothy smile, gently unwrapping the package without taking it directly from Jaken's ever trembling hands.
Soft pink fabric gleamed in the light as Rin lifted the kimono from its green wrappings, allowing Jaken to fall completely in a heap of red dust and green paper. "I love it!" She giggled, tracing her little fingers over a lighter pink blossom design before running to show the pretty cloth to the other children of the village.
Content with his ward's approval of her new garment, Sesshomaru side-stepped his retainer. "Jaken." His deep voice full of authority sent an icy chill through the still dirt eating imp. "Yes My Lord?" Wanting to be rid of the annoyance near his boot, Sesshomaru ordered, "Speak with the old miko, be sure Rin is well in her eyes, be sure all needs are suitably met." Jaken popped up from the ground before groveling for being slow, earning a glare from his master, and running in fear for his life toward the village. Satisfied with the green imp away, Sesshomaru turned his senses to other matters.
A strange scent filled the area not far from the clearing, and he was determined to discover its source. Rarely did anything surprise the Daiyoukai, but this scent, so familiar yet so unknown did just that.
InuMaigo nuzzled the side of Kagome's face, trying to will her awake. She scared him by randomly passing out. Her crumpled form laid against the soft dirt. He couldn't understand what he'd said to make her faint. Why would the mention of her mate shock her so badly?
Though thinking back to the shrine, he really never saw or smelt Sesshomaru-sama, even with his senses dulled by the seal on his youki.
Sniffing the air lightly, he couldn't smell car exhaust or lots of people…it definitely didn't smell like home. The air smelled pure, like nature, like grass and rain and dirt… The roof of the well house seemed to have disappeared as well, because all the little youkai could see was sunshine and clear blue skies. Fear suckled his bones as he recalled his brother telling him a bedtime story, a story filled with an evil hanyou and a jewel of four souls. Didn't Kagome-sama say something about a Shikon no Tama back at the shrine, just minutes ago? He'd been so distracted by her scratching his ears. Oh how he loved a good petting.
Thinking hard, he tried to remember some of the stories his brother told him, stories he never really considered were more than fairy tales; after all who lived in a world without light bulbs, where a miko priestess could travel through time and slay demons? The idea was incredulous, ridiculous even, absolutely absurd! Then there was his brother's voice in his head telling him otherwise…
"Kagome would jump through a well and visit our era. At that time Inuyasha watched over her, and together, along with a band of misfits, they slew demons and collected jewel shards. Kagome you see, was the one to shatter the jewel. I know, you'd think she couldn't be any more reckless than she is now, but I know firsthand she definitely was. The first time we met she stood up to me…"
"She stood up to you big brother?"
"Hai, an untrained novice miko, and I tried to kill her for the insult, I spilled my poison acid all over her!" Sesshomaru's eyes lit up with the memory of battle, letting a drop of poison spill from his flexed claws for emphasis, before slightly frowning, "I am thankful for many surprises in life."
"What do you mean?"
"She survived."
A shiver of fear ran through InuMaigo's spine, what if he accidently went to the feudal era? What if the stories were true? What if Kagome-Sama knew nothing of Sesshomaru-Sama? What if he had yet to try and kill her? Would his brother try to kill him too? All he wanted was to follow her around the shrine, he didn't mean to become a time traveler.
When he got home, if he made it home, his mother would surely kill him. The thought made him glance down at where his right arm used to be and guilt licked at his heart. His mother would be devastated. It would take a good half a century to grow back the appendage if she refused to lend him some of her energy to speed along the process, though he knew it would be a fair punishment for running away. Yet again he didn't mean to run away…just as he didn't mean to travel into the well… things were just so distracting and he loved a good chase, to stalk prey just for fun.
A little over a month ago in late April, InuMaigo saw a cat, not just any cat, but a cat that needed put in its place. How could he have known it was a witch's cat? How could he have predicted that stupid nasty witch would put a seal on his youki and force him to stay in his puppy form? Though he did suppose the car hitting him could have been avoided, he had been chasing another cat… Perhaps he needed a lesson in resisting temptations. He was sure his mother would give him one when he next saw her.
His aura filled with sadness; What if he never got to see him mother or father again? It would be all his fault for not having enough self control.
With a groan, Kagome opened her eyes, picking herself up off the ground, before the little naked child clung to her out of fear, his arms wrapped tightly around her thigh, keeping her low on the ground."Oh Kagome-Sama! I'm so sorry! Please please tell me we are not in Feudal Japan!" His little form trembled, and he seemed more like a child than he had when she saw him the first time. Tears swelled in his eyes, but he wouldn't move away from her enough for her to wipe them away. "I'm sorry InuMaigo, but you traveled with me into the Segoku Jidai." Obviously he hadn't meant to, she felt bad for the toddler.
Trying to quell his sadness, she ran her fingers through his long silver hair, gently soothing the pup. "It'll be okay, as soon as we climb up the Well shaft I'll jump back down with you and take you home." His golden eyes lit up with hope, and he buried his face in edges of her hair hanging loose at her waist. She smelled like his brother's mate but lacked his mixed scent; he realized here and now she wasn't his brother's, but her scent even incomplete calmed him, made him feel safe and protected.
"Kagome-Sama," He whispered, clinging to her side as she climbed the vines leading to the lip of the well. "Yes InuMaigo?" Her voice was strained, and he knew he was probably weighing her down too much, but she wouldn't let him climb on his own, muttering something about it going against her motherly instincts; He didn't understand, he wasn't really her pup, but perhaps she was just being protective. "Do you know my brother in this era?"
His question made her pause, remembering what shocked her so badly, what shocked her enough to faint. Didn't he say Sesshomaru was her mate? Her stomach flipped at the thought. The ice prince and herself a couple? She couldn't even imagine it. Sure Sesshomaru always caught her eye, he was extremely attractive with rippling muscles and eyes that could quiet possibly melt the clothes right off her flesh, but he seemed cold and solitary, he was deadly, the killing perfection; not to mention he would never ever in a million years take a human for a mate.
Sensing her unease, InuMaigo nuzzled her cheek instinctively trying to comfort her, satisfied with the distracting gasp of surprise it pulled from her lips, and happy she did not pull away. He didn't want her getting upset at the thought of being part of his family. "You do know him don't you Kagome-Sama? I hope you aren't sad about the future…you and Sesshomaru-Sama really care for each other, and all your…"
She flung her hand over his mouth with wide dark eyes full of worry, "Do not, InuMaigo, do not say another word about the future. Not to me or anyone else. Speaking of things could cause problems, you don't want to change the future, what happens is meant to be. Though I cannot even picture your words coming to life for me, Sesshomaru and I are not exactly compatible. Now hush, we are almost to the top of the well." Even if she didn't think that future possible, she couldn't let herself hear it. It could be very bad to alter the past, history was not made to be changed.
InuMaigo's eyes went wide, he hadn't thought about his presence in the past changing the future, then again now that she brought it up… What if this was supposed to happen? He didn't have much time to process the thought as a pale clawed hand shot out towards Kagome, ready to rip into her shoulder, her scream deafening in his sensitive ears. Faster than lightning, with his youkai reflexes, InuMaigo pushed her away and intercepted the claws, shocked to find the pearlescent razors were attached to an intense murderous golden glare he hadn't seen since he tracked mud through his brother's living room.
Magical blue energy sprung up from the depths of the well, swirling around Kagome before she could even register the events taking place. Her dark eyes caught a glimpse of InuMaigo hurling over the lip of the well before emerald light stole her sight. Why? She needed him with her. She needed to take him back to the future, but her hands were empty, her side left cold without the heated body of a small child pressed to her hip, she'd be returning alone. The weight of the well's magic seemed lighter than usual, the blue glow almost transparent as it spit her out beneath the familiar wooden roof of her time. Dirt clung to her jeans and the palms of her clammy hands as anxiety clung to her chest.
"This day is just not letting up…" Worry filled her breathy whisper as her brain throbbed in her skull. The Kamis were not willing to give her time to think over anything it seemed. She couldn't just leave InuMaigo in the past to mull over her thoughts, what if he blurted out the future to Sesshomaru or Inuyasha or…or well anybody! With her muscles protesting the entire way, she climbed to the top of the well determined to go back to the Sengoku Jidai a.s.a.p. Wincing as the wood splintered in her fleshy hands, she didn't want to take the time to go slow paced. Every second counted where the toddler was concerned, youkia or not, he still needed protection. Feeling like a failure, she flung herself back down the well shaft.
No light spilled around her. No magic engulfed her. Nothing. Tears slipped down her cheeks as gravity pulled her down. The well had never failed her before… So many different emotions flashed in her deep mahogany eyes; fear, sadness, worry, pain…aching despair. Would this fall kill her? The cold hard ground bounced her skull blasting her vision with spots of bright colors.
"Kagome!" Souta's voice echoed through the well house as he leaned over the wooden lip, staring down at his sister's crumpled form, "Kagome!" Crimson blood spilled from beneath her head, looking like slick oil through her raven tendrils of hair. Dashing through the doors, he screamed for his mother to call for an ambulance.
"State your fountainhead." Sesshomaru ordered the young pup that smelled much like his mother. His nose could not tell a lie, and even before the whelp said, "InuKimi," he knew she had somehow managed to produce another son right under his nose. The pup held the mark of the west in the slightly above his brows and the trademark silver tresses of the Inu line, even still, he could smell the difference in the small child's blood. There were also the strange words his sensitive ears picked up from the bowels of the well to consider. This pup had been conversing with the strange miko… what's this? With a sniff to the air, he was surprised for the second time in one day, the miko had disappeared, she was no longer inside the well shaft.
"Half-breed you will tell this Sesshomaru of how you came to be, to where the priestess vanished, and of what you were discussing before my arrival." Had he ever said so much in one sitting? With his interested piqued, he couldn't quell the urge to gather information, despite the sudden annoyance boiling his blood at his lack of knowledge.
InuMaigo stood his ground, only slightly afraid of his brother's past self. Even the future Sesshomaru disliked the taste of fear on his pack mates, and he wasn't a coddler like Kagome-Sama. Before he lost all courage, he puffed up his chest and decided to be brave, the future rested in his small claws. "Before you start demanding things of me Sesshomaru-Sama, I have a request."
Noticing his slightly raised brow, InuMaigo continued, "I am InuMaigo, second son to InuKimi, and your half-brother. As you can see, He gestured haughtily to his missing arm, "I require some assistance or Mother will pitch a fit when I return, it is your duty as my family and Alpha to aid me. Do you accept your responsibilities or forfeit your honor?" He mimicked his brother's stoic expression, suddenly remembering all the lessons he had on controlling his emotions. Chuckling to himself as his brother narrowed his glare, zeroing in on his carefully controlled face, he knew he struck a nerve, but his brother was nothing if not honorable; he could use it to his advantage. Narrowing his own golden eyes, he wondered if his brother started training him in diplomacy early just for this meeting.
Anger settled in his gut as he resisted the need to cut this new edition to his family tree down, "You are not of this Sesshomaru's pa..." The whelp had the nerve to interrupt, "Oh but I am big brother, I'm part of your pack in the future." No deception sifted through the words, his nose would have picked up the bitter scent. "Explain." Standing his ground, the pup lifted his chin, "Will you help me? You must be willing to listen to my words and act accordingly or the future is in peril. Plus if the other bed time stories you told me are correct, then your fate is also in peril, so you must be willing to do as you are told…"
"Hn." Sesshomaru had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, no one would be telling him how to act. Not even his council members could get away alive after making a demand of him. With his decision made, he turned toward Inuyasha Forrest, "Come." Hopefully this brother would prove to be more useful than the abomination his father created, though his life would be far too boring if the Kami's granted him a sedated family member.
A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and story favs! I love you guys! =) There may be some OOCness for Sesshomaru when InuMaigo thinks back to interactions with his big brother in the future, but remember time changes everyone and Sesshomaru hasn't gotten to be feral and go on killing sprees for a couple of centuries now. XD Also I'm sorry for any typos or anything... I kinda am editing this half-asleep. :P I'll be gone driving for 10 hours tomorrow so I wanted to get this chapter up tonight, otherwise it would've had to wait til Friday.
FunFact: I chose InuMaigo for the pup's name because it means stray dog, and I LOLed at that. XD
Thanks for reading, & Don't forget to R&R =D
