Miroku stood his body heavy and tired while his breathing was labored as he tried inhaling the cool night air. The gentle wind softly danced across his face that was now covered in both dirt and sweat with a few drops of dried blood on his cheeks and forehead. He stood there his head down as he inhaled long deep breaths his multicolored blue bangs find his eyes from the rest of world. He looked up his feeling heavy and swaying from side to side until he looked up at the moon, the crescent moon was beautiful and innocent. It's beauty has never been tainted or messed with a tear slide from his right eye down his face. He blinked his scarlet problem with brilliant blue irises showing that he had given his body into his inner beast's desires. The dragon Lord tilted his head to the side as his eyes darted to the left to see the once prosperous and lively village that was now in ruins. A slow wide grin spread across his face as he walked towards the center of the village, it wasn't a large village. It had been a small one that was starting to make good connections and was growing. But now this village grew was now abundant in only one thing, corpses. Bodies were scattered generously on the cold ground the moonlight made their innocent blood shimmer to a brilliant metallic red. Seeing their bodies slashed to bits and the horror, pain and fear they still wore on their faces even after death. He felt all his strength leave him as she fell to his knees as he did his sword pierced the bloodstained ground. There he was holding his sword's hilt as it was stabbed in the defiled ground which he alone was the cause for, his vision blurred with tears as he looked at his clothes. His once crisp, clean and immaculate royal attire was now tainted. The azure outfit that was supposed to be wore with pride was now defiled with shimmering crimson. The once delicate gold embroidered detail was draped with slivers of innocent flesh. This was no longer the the proud royal attire of a well known and respected ruler who had became a hero through his good deeds and kindness, but was now the grab of a heartless and murderous monster that has just completed a perfect massacre on the innocent.
Children had probably played in the streets playing games like tag and filling the village with their blissful giggles and being ignorance to the world's evils. The women probably did work and chores like going to a nearby stream to wash clothing where they probably did light gossip and giggled. Them men surely worked hard providing for their families with their calloused hands and coming home to cooked meals and smiles of their families. The elderly probably spoke with much wisdom passing on their tales of days long ago. The farmers upon seeing him walking near the outskirts of their village knew who he was and welcomed him with smiles encouraging him to visit their village and how they would be very honored. Memories burned in his mind, memories of how he had once helped villages that were struck with famine, plagued by illness and those attacked by demons like himself.
Looking at the the wooden huts and sheds around him he noticed that they had been stained with dark crimson you could even see some out lines of the people who had been killed. Everyone had been slain in his pain and rage, every man, woman and child. As soon as he had set foot into the village his inner beast had took control and he snapped, turning this happy and forgotten village into a village of bloody corpses.
He got up and decided to wander around the village both hoping there was a soul he had spared and then again hoping no soul did so they wouldn't have to live with the pain and trauma of this horrific incidence. He walked aimlessly around his eyes were dull and clouded as his eyes traced over a woman who lied on the ground her belly bulged showing that she had been expecting a child. The woman's scent made bile form in his throat. The woman smelt of milk, old dried blood and death. He heard a loud high pitch scream and whipped his head around to see what life form had survived, he noticed it was a little girl. She was being chased by a tall green ogre who had his gleaming yellow eyes on his next meal. Miroku narrowed his eyes the little girl was running and screaming tripped falling on her hands and knees.
In a flash he was standing between the little girl who was on her knees and seeming to accept her fate as the ogre's dinner she brought her hands to her eyes and cried. There was a loud thump the little girl removed her hands curious as to why she was not dead and what that loud thump was, her big round doe eyes shone with both hope and surprise. The girl stared at the man before her, he stood tall his sword was extended to the side with crimson clinging to the silver blade as his hair shimmered in the moonlit night. The little girl blinked her sparkling emerald orbs as she stared at him, his eyes peered down at her. Emerald and sapphire connected and she couldn't help but notice his eyes held so much pain and sadness in them. Miroku stared at her she was so young no more than five, she had cinnamon brown hair with tan skin decorated with small brown freckles on her cheeks. Then she had those emerald green eyes those shone with innocence, 'She wasn't in the village. She must have been playing in the forest or perhaps someone told her to hide there.'
"Are you alone?"
The little girl stared at him not with fear but with curiosity as she stood up she was no taller than his hip "I was dared to spend a night in the woods by my friends. But a ogre found me. Thank you for saving me,' the little girl smiled and her voice held a chime as she thanked her savior. Miroku felt guilt weigh heavier on his shoulders and self loathing weighed on his heart 'She shouldn't thank me, I murdered her entire village. If she had been there...She would be the same as them a lifeless mass of scarlet covered flesh.' Finishing his thought he sheathed his sword and looked down at her he was unsure of what to do next, if he left her alone she wouldn't live more than a few days if that. Demons crawling around the area and with bandits on the prowl she was at a serious disadvantage, then there was the fact she would be living around the dead corpses of everyone she ever knew and cared for.
Before he could do anything he noticed she wasn't by his side anymore but was now entering the village, she stood there frozen tears filling in her no longer innocent eyes as a smile of denial grew on her face. She started to walk deeper into the village her steps were uncertain and timid as her voice was the same "M-Mommy? Ta-Taro? M-Mommy!" Miroku walked behind the girl and stood roughly twenty feet away from her, he noticed she ran towards the woman he had seen moments before slaying the ogre. The woman who had been expecting a child and the girl shared a similar scent and he knew that she looked just like the little girl, they had to be mother and child. This struck his heart with a familiar pain. He knew what it had been like to be an orphan because of the curse Naraku had placed on his father. This little girl had just became one due to his lack of control, she would hate and most likely seek revenge. Miroku wondered if he would let her kill him one day to repay her for killing her mother, if Shiori would never wake again…
'Then I would let this child kill me.'
The child sat on the sticky; blood and gut covered ground, she reached out her hand to cup the side of her mother's face. A soft trembling smile grew on her lips as she barely kept her tears from racing down the sides of her face "M-Mo-Mommy? Mommy you're so cold. You can't sleep out here. You'll get sick." The girl tried moving her mother into a sitting position only to have fall like a weight to the side the girl looked at her hand that had been on her mother's back only to see it was a dark red lukewarm liquid "Mommy?! Mommy wake up!" She turned when feeling a hand on her shoulder, she looked up to see the same sapphire eyes, those sad sapphires now had twin streaks racing down his cheeks. At the sight of her savior crying the little girl laid down her mother and got up threw herself at Miroku, she hugged his waist and cried loud and hard. He didn't move other than to softly rub her back trying to comfort the child whom he made an all alone in this world, an orphan.
The sickly sour scent of that made you wish that you weren't able to smell. The horrific sight that made you wish you were blind. The echoing screams from the innocent victims had used while dying, made you wish that you were deaf. He looked at her when he noticed she began to choke on her own crying her breathing became labored as she desperately tried to stop choking. He got on his knees to be eye level with her and spoke calmly hoping not to frighten her "Take in long deep breaths." Her eyes widened upon hearing his voice, to his surprise the child calmed and listened following his commands. He listened to her breathing and after deciding she was well enough to speak he asked her a very simple question "What is your name, little girl?" Miroku stretched out his hand and gently wiped away her spilling tears that have slowed and began to cling to her cheeks, he couldn't help how he destroyed her. This girl has been sweet and had a mystical innocent nature that was now gone, her once cute and angelic face was now red and swollen from crying. She wore her own mother's blood on her clothes and on her hands while her eyes seemed to have lost the sparkle and were now dull with the loss of her mother. Her voice came out as a hoarse and soft whisper "Yoko."
"Yoko, do you have any other family members?"
"A-A brother and my father, but everyone is… S-So t-they must be…" She began to shake and with the trembling of her lips there was sure to be more tears and wails of agony from her, understanding that she had no other relatives and that she was his responsibility. He turned his stone cold glare to her, his bangs soon covered his eyes as he rose to his feet. Once he stood to full height she stared up at him and her emerald eyes widened in shock as her cries froze in her throat when he his hand on his sword's hilt.
Sesshomaru and their group and made it back to the Higurashi Shrine and up to the well house. Kagome stared at the tree of ages and took in a deep breath feeling pain 'That's where this all started.' Before she knew it Koga was standing beside her he smiled at her "Sesshomaru and Rin have already went back. We should too," he said that as he put his hand on her shoulder. She let a big sigh leave her as she placed her hand on his "Just give me a minute to be alone, I promise that I'll go in a minute." Koga nodded and withdrew his hand as he left her side and opened the wellhouse door then closed it. Kagome's ear twitched hearing it shut and knew that her Mate had left this world and was at their home world. A world where the air was clean and not polluted, where you could see the stars and drink from the streams and rivers.
Kagome jumped after hearing a loud bang echoed and a blinding flash of light, she snapped her head from the beautiful dying tree to the horizon where a red small mushroom shape cloud sat, her amethyst eyes opened wide at comprehending what was happening. She turned her head to the storage house and raced throwing open the door and and ripped off the trap door from it's hendges "Mom! Gramps!"
Her mother sat on her knees beside a cot with Kagome's grandfather lying there his eyes closed and his hands were folded perfectly on his belly, Kagome's mother turned to face her daughter. Twin streaks rolled down her eyes as she stood there shocked to see her daughter. Looking at her mother the Lady of the East knew what had happened and ran down the steps and grabbed her mother's hands and race out of the cellar. Kagome dragged her mother into the well house on their way both caught a glimpse of the horizon. It was black full of smoke and buildings crumbled and there were many other smaller explosions with the screams of those who were dying. Kagome made it in the well house and picked up her mother and with a single jump entered the well.
A smile appeared on Kagome's face as a familiar warmth and a calming cool blue light engulfed them, Kagome set down her mother. Kagome's mother smiled and had tears fall down her eyes as she was now experiencing what her daughter had thousands of times before "Kagome." She noticed there was a space between her and her mother and it seemed to grow, Kagome was being pulled to the past while her mother seemed not to move at all "Mom?" Kagome's mother held up her hand and waved as she watched her daughter move towards a light while where she stood darkness slowly surrounded her "Farewell, Baby girl."
Kagome's eyes widened with tears falling as she stretched her arm in vain to reach her mother "No! No more goodbyes! Mom!" Kagome saw her mother disappear into the darkness tears running down her cheeks and a genuine smile on her face as she waved goodbye to her beloved child. Kagome opened her eyes and looked around for her mother, when she looked around she found herself in Koga's arms. 'He's running? He's running away from the well!' Kagome looked towards where he was running he was running towards the southern mountains and was getting closer and closer to the tree line, she peered over his shoulder as she screamed protests and begged him to go back to the well. When he kept running towards the mountains she began to thrash, claw and bite him like a scared animal that was trapped with no chance of being released.
A shunning scarlet light shot out of the well and brightening the night sky with its luminescent ruby hue in the dark night sky. Kagome's eyes widened as more and more of the light bled into the night sky, turning the navy blue sky into a ocean of blood red. All of a sudden the red in the sky flashed bright red and quickly turned white like a hot iron, the bright light hurt to look at it. Kagome quickly closed her eyes shielding them from the harmful light. After the spots in her vision cleared, she dared to open her eyes with slow cautious flutters she managed to fully open her violet orbs.
Again she looked around quickly to take in her changing surroundings, she was no longer in valley where the bone eater's well lied. She found herself still in Koga's arms, but they were now somewhere colder and higher by the air pressure. Kagome felt her ears pop as she again found herself pushing and trying desperately trying to free herself from Koga's steel grip. With all her wiggling she managed to free a single arm and using all her strength she delivered a swift and powerful right hook to his cheek and a swift kick to the gut. Koga unable to stand from his Mate's two powerful blows and fell to his knees and his arms around Kagome vanished as he wrapped them protectively around his bruised gut as he tried not to lose the contents of his stomach. After successfully freeing herself Kagome ran north east pushing her way past the trees and shrubs in her way, she quickly reached the edge of the mountain. Her eyes widened and her blood felt frozen and her body went numb as her knees buckled making her fall into a heap on the ground. She trembled as tears flowed like twin waterfalls from her red puffy eyes 'It's gone, the well is gone. Everyone is gone.' The entire valley was like it had never existed, the valley was charred and black with no sign of life. No trees, no grass, and no well.
Kagome hesitantly lifted her head as she stared at the destruction of the only passageway she had to world she called home, the mysterious bone eater's well. Tears flowed down her eyes as she thought of what she just lost forever a world she loved, a world she would never see again. That world where she had been born, where her brother had been born, where her father was laid to rest, where her grandfather would lecture her of history and the importance of their shrine, where her friends were, where she had gone to school, where her future was that she was probably going to marry hojo and live a peaceful and happy life.
But the well had brought her to this world, a world where she had been constantly measured and belittled because of her former incarnation, a world where the man she fell in love with didn't feel the same, a cruel world where demons roamed, a world where women had seemed to be bound by marriage and childbearing as their sole purpose, a world where she only made friends because a cruel demon had ruined their lives and their common goal was to kill him.
This world was a world where she hadn't really felt like she belonged, but she was bound by duty. She told herself she couldn't be selfish and turn her back on innocent people who needed her. However this world often felt like a prison, but a prison that she found bearable. Those few things that made this life here bearable were Koga who was so caring and loving as both a friend and a Mate. Then everyone in the wolf tribe had welcomed her in and even though several didn't like her they still treated her like family.
Kagome wiped her tears away and stood as she composed herself and turned around to see her Mate with a bruise on his left cheek, Sesshomaru standing emotionlessly and Rin standing as she smiled sympathetically. The Lady of the East's facial expression rivaled the cool Sesshomaru's as she pushed past the rest of her group. It seemed as if she had been rebutted for their original mission, as she led the way to the Southern palace. Rin casted a worried look to her Mate, she received a look from him that told her to let the Lady of the East be. The young mother looked at her friend with worry and pity, having lost her parents and siblings long ago she knew a little about how Kagome felt. But Kagome lost her family, her friends and the world where she had been born and raised. Remembering the composed and emotionlessly look that Kagome wore on her face made a chill run down Rin's spine, looking ahead she watched her broken friend lead the way down the mountain to the South.
About two hours passed and Kagome hadn't said a word or even stop to the her group rest. She knew if Rin grew tired Sesshomaru would carry her, so there was no need to rest. They had spent enough time in the modern era and they needed to get back to their worried friends and Shiori as soon as possible. Koga had joined at his Mate's side and wondered how he could comfort her or speak with her, however no words came to mind. He walked beside her and watched her as she walked in a perfect line avoiding small rocks or twigs in her way, while she read one of the books they had gotten from the library they had visited. He was surprised at how she could read and walk at the same time, but she had always impressed him with her multitasking. She may look as if she were studying and trying to figure out a plan, but he knew inside she was mourning and she had every right to, but he remembered what his mother had told him.
'You can't lie to yourself, when you do... you'll end up destroying yourself.' Koga told himself that he needed to help her heal, he would let her cry on his shoulder and he would comfort her and hold her when she broke down in tears.
"Kagome are you okay?"
No response made his worry only grow, he turned his worried expression from his Mate to the other girl in the group, Rin. She gave him a shrug of her shoulders, even the cheerful Rin wasn't sure how to help. Sesshomaru didn't seem to interested about anything at the moment other than checking on his Mate and pups every few minutes and making sure that the group was heading the right direction. Koga concluded that he was on his own and thought maybe his Mate simply hadn't heard him and he should try again "Kagome are you okay?" As soon as the question left his lips she snapped the book in her hands shut and turned to glare at him "You're making it hard to focus! I'll be fine when Naraku is dead!"
AN: SORRY COLLEGE IS TOUGH AND I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO WRITE. I WOULD LOVE REVIEWS TO SEE WHO STILL IS WITH ME ON THIS STORY.
