Author's Note:
Glad to say the first arc of this story is penned down and roughly 20 chapters long. It's such a strange phenomenon as a writer to want to write simply to figure out what happens next. Now begins the cleaning and smoothing process to ensure consistency. The first part of that being this chapter! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Be warned, since I haven't followed the series closely in years or seen the Final Act, I'm pretty sure some things won't fit into cannon.
Pendulum : The Past
Chapter 3: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
The following weekend, Kagome packed her backpack full of hiking supplies and hit the mountain trail; one where she knew there would be no bypassers to interrupt what she was sure was going to be a volatile exchange. After all, the Sesshomaru she knew had a low tolerance for humans and probably less for one looking to interrogate him.
"Sesshomaru!" she called out into the twittering forest. "Sesshomaru!" she repeated, lowering her bag to the ground. "I know you can hear me." That part was a lie, but she did know that his hearing was unquestionably superior to any animal, or human. There was no way he wouldn't hear her...eventually.
"Sesshomaru! Come out!" she repeated, starting to feel a smidge stupid. What if he didn't hear her? What then? He'd left in a snit days before and Kagome didn't doubt that he was embarrassed. Heck, she was embarrassed and all she did was step out of the well.
"Sesshomaru! she called, listening as her voice echoed across the mountains. Hours passed without any sign of her target. Though it was spring the air was uncannily hot and by noon Kagome was ready for a break. Finding a grassy clearing, she set out a blanket to eat a modest lunch.
"K–AAA–G–OOOOOO–MEEE!"
Kagome heard the incoming tackle seconds before the very wind was knocked from her lungs. A mop of bundled chestnut hair filled her vision as she fell backwards into the grass. The egg sandwich in her hand flew from her fingers and was forgotten instantly at the sight of a bushy tail swishing frantically in the air.
"I've been looking for you all day!" squealed the person tightly clinging to her. "Your ma' said you came out here and I've been floating for hours trying to find you!"
Stunned, Kagome simply spoke her surprise in a simple question "Shippo?" Slowly she sat up against a propped elbow to view the boy more clearly–boy, that wasn't quite the accurate description for the beaming face before her. There wasn't an ounce of child left in the teenage fox youkai.
"I missed you so much! It was hard staying quiet this whole time! Inuichi said you saw big-bro yesterday so I figured if he saw you then I could see you too!"
Holding Shippo at arms length, Kagome studied his features, round cheeks now had a fox-like slant to them, jade eyes were no longer large and round but sleek and pointed. Though he was nearly a man, his innocence clothed him like the green printed tee and khaki cargo shorts he wore. Tenderly her fingers moved to pinch his cheeks, her lips lifting into a heartfelt smile.
"It really is you." she breathed in wonder, dropping her hands from his face. "You're all grown up."
Proudly, Shippo snubbed his nose with his thumb. "C'mon Kagome, you already knew that." he grinned cheekily.
"I did?" she asked with a tilted brow.
At her lapse in memory, Shippo's enthusiasm dimmed. "Yeah, remember? You were the one...who...told..me..." Shippo paused, his excitement dimming into caution. "You remember right? Right?... Kagome? Right?"
Softly, Kagome shook her head in disagreement. "Apparently there's a lot of things I don't know yet." she admitted with a lilt of sadness.
Instantly he froze in fear, looking at her as if she had three heads. In a blur, a cell phone appeared in his hand and in seconds, numbers were dialed. Shippo bolted to his feet, crossed the clearing, and crouched with his back to her.
"Big-bro! Inuichi said you saw Kagome!" he began in a panic. "...Yeah, but if you saw her why doesn't she remember anything? ...Yeah I saw her–" The tail at his back went stiff, its hairs standing on end in fear. "What?!...How can she be the wrong...Well how was I supposed to know?...I didn't– N-nothing!...Uh...Maybe?" The tail that stood tall suddenly went slack, drooping with Shippo's shoulders. "H-hey wait a minute, it's not that bad right? It's not like she saw him...Uh..." Shippo slowly turned his cheek to face her, his expression turning pale. "M-maybe?" he stammered, whipping his head back around and lowering his voice.
Feeling frustrated by all of the secrecy, Kagome marched towards the kitsune and snatched the phone from his hand. "Hey wait!" he protested weakly, his hand raised in a half hearted attempt to reclaim his device.
"Sesshomaru." she stated firmly. "What's going on?" Silence answered her. Growling, Kagome put a hand to her hip. "I know you're there." she claimed. "I know he was talking to you."
"C'mon Kagome, gimme' back my phone!" said Shippo, his tone rattled.
"No." she answered with a glance to note his apprehensive expression. "You guys are walking around like there's some big secret but that cat's already out of the bag. I want to know what happened. Why was Sesshomaru at the well? And why did you think I'd know you were grown up?" she asked, jabbing her finger into Shippo's hunched shoulder.
On the phone, silence was the only answer she was given. Shippo moved to stand and Kagome was faced with additional proof of his age. In order to face him squarely, Kagome now was left with no choice but to lift her chin to look up at him. Considering this was the same kit who'd often cuddle within her arms, the contrast was jarring.
"He's not gonna' say anything you know." he informed. "According to him, I'm not supposed to be talking to you either."
"Well why not?" she huffed.
"Cause you're the wrong Kagome." he answered knowingly. "B'sides, if we say too much we might mess everything up."
Feeling her temper get the better of her, Kagome paced , holding the phone to her ear again. "Listen Sesshomaru, I know something happened between us. I know you think I like like you–" at that, Shippo snorted sardonically but at the sharp glare from Kagome he took on the image of piousness, his attention flicking to a floating cloud above. "I know that you like me–"
"Yeah that's one way to put it." Shippo added slyly. By the soft growl on the other end of the phone, Sesshomaru heard the kitsune's quip.
"– or else you would've never showed up and..." Kagome faltered with the wording, not wanting to recall the memory of Sesshomaru's bold greeting. "...and done–that– in the wellhouse."
"Wait what did he do?" Shippo asked with interest.
"Nevermind." Kagome answered briefly. "Sesshomaru, I want answers. You at least owe me that for what you did. If anyone messed up in all of this, it was you. You can't just act like nothing happened."
"I think that's exactly what he's going to do." Shippo bluntly affirmed as he absently cleaned his claws. "Did you forget who this guy is?"
At that, an idea struck Kagome reminding her that she knew exactly who he was and how to draw him out. "Or are you chicken?" she taunted. "I never figured you'd be the type to run away from a little human girl. But I guess you've grown soft."
Shippo's confidence faltered in the face of her audacity, giving Kagome confirmation that she was on the right track. "What's that?" she questioned coyly. "Nothing to say? Cat got your tongue? I never thought you'd be a coward."
"K-kagome! Stop!" Shippo hissed with nervous perspiration beading at his brow.
Ignoring him, Kagome continued her assault. "They say a dog's bark is worse than it's bite, but since you can't even bark I guess that makes you a pussycat."
"Sssh!" Shippo shushed, gesturing his hands frantically for her to cease all action.
"At this rate, I bet Buyo is more of a dog than you."
"Cut it out!" Shippo snapped even as swirls of cerulean fire appeared in his palms. "Don't make me do this Kagome..."
Disregarding his warning, Kagome smugly looked to the kitsune with a wry grin of triumph. "Me-ow."
Suddenly, a micro-burst of chilling wind and electric energy exploded into the forest. Whatever Shippo had planned was swiftly abandoned with the need to protect her. Within an eye-blink, the kitsune shielded Kagome in his arms as destructive winds bowed and broke the trees around them. Beneath their feet the earth rattled and shook, upsetting their balance; if not for Shippo anchoring them, they would've fallen prey to the crumbling earth. Kagome could hear the destruction around her, but with her head tucked tightly into the kitsune's chest, she saw none of it. The sound was like a hundred rushing trains blitzing through a train-yard, yet aside from the blistering winds whipping across her legs and back, Kagome was left untouched.
Though it was warm outside, the air took on an abnormal frost that permeated her skin and chilled bone. Under his breath, Shippo swore, his clawed fingers clenching at her back and crown. "Golly gee Kagome." Shippo remarked sardonically with a frown. "Inuyasha was the stupid one, not you."
Carefully, Kagome pulled herself away from the kitsune's protection to find herself atop a bare mountainside. In the span of minutes, miles of forest was reduced to debris-less plains of dirt. Of all the things she remembered of Sesshomaru's strength, Kagome never remembered power like this. Suddenly, Shippo's eyes became as wide and as round as they'd been in his youth. With shaken movements, he took a hesitant step away. Kagome felt the ominous person behind her, his presence like an arctic glacier at her back.
"H-hey b-big-bro...h-how's it g-g-going?" Shippo stammered nervously, his courage faltering.
At the edge of her vision, Kagome could see strands of silver hair whipping in the breeze. Hot air brushed across her ear as clawed fingers tucked her hair away, allowing Sesshomaru's deceptively calm voice to carry unhindered. "Have you not heard the idiom, 'let sleeping dogs lie'?" he inquired icily.
"Eh?" Kagome squeaked, her mind struggling to find words.
Ignoring her nervousness, he continued. "Tell me miko, what was the sound you so boldly claimed this Sesshomaru to emit?" he murmured, his tone inviting as if to lure her into a false sense of security.
"Uh..."
"Repeat it." his command wasn't a suggestion. "Or has the cat got your tongue?"
Swallowing Kagome gave a nervous laugh, her humor faltering under his intensity. "I-uh..." clearing her throat for confidence and averting her attention to the ground Kagome answered, "M-m-meow?"
A unquestionably canine bark thundered at her back, and the resounding snarl that followed strong enough to be felt. It was intimidating enough to put a squeak of terror in her throat. Again his breath was on her ear.
"Tell me miko, which was worse? Bark or bite?" he inquired, daring her to answer. In truth, both were equally terrifying given that his bite was exemplified by the damage across mountain. One displayed his strength and the other reminded her what and who he was.
If Sesshomaru's intent hadn't been to prove a point, Kagome would've of felt his bite long before she ever heard his bark. The blast alone would've– should've– killed her but for reasons... he spared her, contrasting the Sesshomaru who she knew had no qualms in ending her life.
What brought about this change of heart was the mystery that Kagome was desperate to solve. Somehow, a lenient Sesshomaru proved far more intimidating than a murderous one. Afterall, it was said the most terrible thing to face was the anger of a gentle man. Regardless of his motives and mercy, Kagome found herself defenseless against the daiyoukai. No arrow or jewel could save her from his wrath should he chose to exact it and without Inuyasha to protect her, Kagome had royally screwed the pooch.
