The Shikon Miko's Diary
Arc 1
Ara-Mitama
Day 3: Honor-bound
It's been two weeks ever since their encounter with Sesshomaru and during these two weeks Kagome barely managed to get a wink of sleep.
Shortly after Sesshomaru arrived she made sure to wake the villagers by playing her part of the frightened and devastated miko that just survived a youkai attack together with the princess that has just given birth. She of course told the villagers an altered version of what had actually happened and due to being a miko herself, it was easier to convince them that she wasn't lying and fortunately, they eventually came to trust her word.
They allowed them to stay for as long as they needed to, but only if Kagome would tend to their sick and old during their stay in the village. Kagome of course, knowing that this was their best chance of survival, instantly accepted and spent the past days tending to the villagers wounds and injuries as good as possible.
It was the least that she could do after her arrival costed Misa her very life. Izayoi was still weak and shaken after everything that happened and whereas Kagome would be the last person in this universe not to understand how the poor hime must have felt, she had quite a lot of things on her mind as well.
First of, she wasn't even supposed to be in this era. The well had sent her further back in time for some reason that she didn't understand and she feared that by her interference the day when Sesshomaru appeared, she may have changed something in the future. A part of her doubted that this was the case since Sesshomaru was obviously about to kill them, but there was no guarantee for it either.
Then again, maybe this was the reason why she was sent into this time in the first place. Maybe she was supposed to interfere and this way, change the future in a way that she didn't consider before.
Kagome groaned from where she was laying on her futon in front of the burning fire, her head already aching with all the theories that were running through her head.
It was driving her insane not to know what exactly she was supposed to do. Before, she knew that as the Shikon Miko it was her duty to collect the Shards of the Shikon Jewel that she shattered - twice, may she add.
Her exhausted blue eyes fell back on the two sleeping forms that were laying on the futon opposite of her beneath three thick blankets to keep them warm. A sigh escaped her lips as she felt her heart clench beneath her chest. It wasn't fair, none of this was. Izayoi just lost her lover, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru their father and now the latter had to rule the entire West on his own.
None of them deserved this, not even Sesshomaru.
Kagome remained lying there for some more moments before she clenched her fists, eyes burning and mind set. She would not lay around, wondering what she was supposed to do when she could just as well do something other than sitting around and questioning life.
She kicked the blankets off of her body and stood up before she grabbed her yellow backpack and packed her belongings as well as some food for her journey. It was still snowing but the snowstorms have become less and it was either risking something or spending the rest of her life in this hut. She shrugged her coat on and zipped her backpack shut before she slung it over her shoulder.
"You're leaving."
Kagome froze where she was standing and lowered her head, guilt causing her heart to clench as she turned around to face the owner of the voice with saddened eyes.
The hime was sitting on her futon and stared at Kagome with soft hazel eyes which reflected the flames that lightened up the hut. The statement was soft-spoken, nothing near judging and instead, sad.
"I am." Kagome admitted, her voice barely above a whisper as she suddenly felt the weight of her decision settle on her shoulders like a heave burden. She knew that she had to do this, there was no turning back once her mind was set on something and yet, she couldn't help but feel like she was leaving a part of her behind.
This may be the last time that she would see Izayoi and whereas they didn't meet under the best circumstances, she had grown on Kagome in a way that she couldn't explain.
She had finally met the mother of her golden-eyed best friend who went through so much pain in his life and she could proudly say that Izayoi was a beautiful, strong and loving mother that would raise Inuyasha to be the stubborn Hanyou that she loved and cared for.
Kagome walked over to Izayoi, careful not to wake the sleeping Inuyasha and knelt down in front of her with tear-filled eyes. It hurt to know that she would have to leave them to face all the pain, worry and obstacles that they would be forced to face on their own, but she already stayed for too long.
Reaching out for the hime, Kagome pulled the woman into her arms and held her as tight as she could. She smelled like a mixture of Cherry Blossoms and Lavender, fresh and sweet and Kagome made sure to remember the scent. It would be the only thing that she would be able to take with her on her journey, the memories.
"Thank you." She heard Izayoi whisper into her hair and Kagome refused to let the tears that threatened to leave her glassy blue eyes escape her. "Thank you for everything, I will forever be indebted to you."
Kagome shook her head and pulled back from the embrace, the sad smile on her lips highlighting her pained eyes. "Trust me, getting to know you is more than I could have ever asked for. Thank you for allowing me to know you, Izayoi-hime."
Confusion flickered in Izayoi's eyes for the split of a second but Kagome took it as her cue to leave. She leaned over to Izayoi's side and pressed her lips to Inuyasha's cheek before she once more moved to her feet. Turning around, Kagome moved to leave the hut before her heart would break any further but before she took the first step outside, she found herself hesitating.
"Don't worry about him." She started, not daring to look back at Izayoi. She was already delaying too much and yet, she knew that she had to leave her with something. "Despite of how things may seem, you have my word that in the future, he will find wonderful friends and the love he deserves."
And with that, she left and never once looked back.
It was in the middle of the night and since it would take some hours until sunrise, Kagome made sure to keep the bow and arrows that she received from Misa before Sesshomaru took her life close. In comparison to before she now had the advantage of knowing in which Era she was, so she would at least know better than to hope to stumble across another familiar face.
The Western lands must be in an uproar after their great Lord has fallen and it would take some time until Sesshomaru would manage to fully gain control over them again, meaning that she should be prepared to encounter a few demons that would try their luck with getting her as a midnight-snack.
Kagome snorted at her own thoughts.
Yeah, fat chance.
The snow was just as high as it has been four days ago when she first jumped out of the well. Fortunately for her it was not snowing anymore and she hoped that if she hurried, she would stumble across the well sooner or later. She needed to try the well in order to know if she had fulfilled her duty by saving Izayoi and Inuyasha.
Kagome continued to travel through the snow and tightened her hold on her coat, determined to reach her goal as fast as she could. It must have been around an hour of walking already and even though she was certain that this was the direction that she had previously come from, she still hoped that she wouldn't get lost.
After all, everything looked the same since it was covered in snow.
It was when she accidentally stepped on a twig that she could have sworn something behind her moved in the snow. Kagome halted, her senses tingling and on high alert as she tightened her hold on her bow.
She waited, but when nothing but silence greeted her, she continued onward.
Kagome was able to take two more steps until something in the snow a few meters away from her caught her sight and her eyes narrowed out of suspicion.
Blood.
Suddenly feeling painfully aware of everything around her, Kagome extended her senses and scanned the area for any threat with her reiki.
Indeed, not too many minutes later did she feel the faint brush of something against her reiki. It was swift and just as cold as the now that surrounded her. At first it was way too weak in order for her to recognize but the further she continued to walk, the more prominent it became.
She continued to walk into the direction for the next minutes in hope of stumbling across whatever caused this blood trail, but when the trees grew lesser and the spaces bigger, indicating that she was nearing a clearing she almost stumbled across her own feet at the sight that greeted her.
She inhaled sharply, extending her hand to steady herself on the nearby tree as her blue eyes fell on a familiar injured youkai in the snow.
"Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome whispered, feeling her insides freeze as she carefully took another step towards the familiar demon. There he was, sitting in the snow and leaning with his back against the tree. Kagome was able to make out his blood-covered chest from where his haori has slightly slipped off his shoulder, revealing a large, still bleeding hole close to his stomach.
The lower part of his long and silver hair was dipped in his own blood and was sprawled around him, creating a stark contrast to the pure, white snow surrounding him.
For the split of a second, Kagome was torn.
She didn't know whether she was supposed to interfere and heal him or to just let him be and go back to the well. If she did interfere without taking the consequences into consideration the future may be altered but on the other hand, she didn't know that for sure.
Maybe she was supposed to find and heal him, just like she was seemingly supposed to save Izayoi and Inuyasha from Sesshomaru
It was a fifty-fifty chance, an all too familiar dilemma that Kagome found herself in during the past years as well. One wrong move, one wrong decision and she may change the future in a way that would put it into chaos.
She once more looked at Sesshomaru's injured body and clenched her fists at her side, frowning at her trail of thoughts. One would think that after all these years that she had spent in the past she would have stopped worrying about what may happen and whereas she did need to consider the possible consequences of her actions, Kagome knew that so far, she never regretted anything she did and fully trusted her instincts.
The very same instincts that were currently screaming at her to finally go and save Sesshomaru.
Having made up her mind, Kagome carefully walked towards Sesshomaru, trying not to make too much sound. She didn't know whether he was still conscious or not and if he was and she would startle him, she was certain that she would be unable to survive the next five minutes in his presence.
While she was walking towards him, Kagome made sure to lower her reiki so that it wouldn't clash against his own, weakened yoki.
When she was standing in front of him, Kagome gently placed her backpack on the ground a couple of meters behind her and knelt down in front of Sesshomaru so that she could take a close look at his injuries. The miko then gently reached out to move his Haori to the side and winced at the rather bloody sight that reached her.
Up close, his injury looked even worse then it did before and Kagome pursed her lips into a thin line as her eyes scanned it.
Her training with Kaede and years of treating her teammates taught her a lot about how both a youkai and a mortal injury needed to get treated and judging by the extend of this injury, not even a youkai as strong and powerful as Sesshomaru would be able to heal his body in the state it was currently in.
It was only a matter of time until both the injury and the cold would properly get to him and eventually kill him, that was, without Kagome's help of course.
If Kagome would properly nurse him and stop the bleeding his chances of survival would be considerably higher, especially since his body would be able to heal himself after Kagome's additional help.
The Miko removed her hand from his haori and moved to place it on his cheek in order to check his body temperature but just as her fingers brushed against his icy skin, she suddenly felt a large hand wrap itself around her petite wrist, tightly holding it and keeping Kagome from properly touching his face.
Kagome sharply inhaled, her wide blue eyes snapping up to clash with a pair of narrowed amber ones.
Oh crap.
"You." Sesshomaru growled lowly, clearly not too pleased by Kagome's company as his hold on her wrist tightened up to the point where Kagome believed it to break under his strength.
Kagome attempted to remove her hand, tugging at it in hope of Sesshomaru getting the clue and releasing it but it seemingly had the opposite effect for he only pulled her closer.
Kagome found herself getting tugged forwards and used her free hand to steady herself by placing it on Sesshomaru's broad chest.
She suddenly found herself closer to the Daiyoukai than she would have liked, her face mere inches away from his and whereas Kagome felt like this scene could have easily been out of one of the romantic movies she had watched back home when the male lead would tug the female lead closer so that they could share a passionate kiss, Kagome knew that her current predicament was anything but romantic nor movie-like.
The only thing she probably shared with the female lead would be the way her heart furiously slammed against her rib cage, though not out of excitement but rather out of fear.
"You dare to approach this Sesshomaru, Miko?" Sesshomaru hissed, voice rough as if he hadn't used it in a while as it send a shiver down Kagome's spine.
Panicking would be of very little use, she would need to stay calm and assure Sesshomaru that she didn't intend to hurt or even worse, purify him while he was in his most vulnerable state.
"You are hurt." Kagome returned, her voice just as low as his yet steady. "You need to get your injuries treated in order to make it through the night, Sesshomaru-sama."
All Kagome wanted was for him to see reason and whereas she knew that Sesshomaru was anything but stupid and would know that she was right, he was just as arrogant as he was smart.
Sesshomaru took in Kagome's expression and the way her eyes glistened with a mixture of concern and determination. Her petite wrist was still locked in his grasp and Sesshomaru didn't plan to release his hold on it before he was certain that this Miko would not attempt to do something as foolish as to touch him once more.
She was right though, Sesshomaru knew it just as well but that didn't mean that he would allow her to heal him nonetheless. He was barely conscious and tried to stall falling unconscious for as long as he could so that he could gather some strength and heal himself, but it seemed like his body simply wouldn't listen to him.
Sesshomaru received his injuries during a battle which he ultimately lost and even though he wasn't too pleased about it either, he would prefer an honorable death over dying by a Miko's foolish attempt of saving his life, in vain.
Sesshomaru's vision blurred once more and he struggled to keep it clear, eyes not moving from Kagome's. He didn't have much time left, and he refused to die in a Miko's presence.
"Don't be fooled by this Sesshomaru's state, Miko." He warned, eyes bleeding the faintest bit of red as he bared a glistening fang. "If you cherish your life, leave this instance before you will taste death by this one's hands."
For the split of a second, Kagome felt herself freeze upon seeing the red that crept into Sesshomaru's golden orbs. She had seen Inuyasha transform a handful of times before already and even though it was a scary sight, nothing would ever be able to top the sight of Sesshomaru turning into his full demon form.
She had seen it once before already, back then when Inuyasha and him fought when she had just arrived in the Feudal Era and to say that the mere sight of it engraved itself in her mind for the following years would be an understatement.
Then again, she couldn't just go and leave him to die either. It would go against everything she stood and fought for and if she were to actually leave Kagome knew that she wouldn't forgive herself for it.
Her eyes narrowed.
Stubborn dog. Kagome mentally huffed. Is he really that eager to die?
"I won't leave." Kagome declared, looking him straight in the eye as she did so. She knew that she was risking a lot and that Sesshomaru could still easily kill her in his current state, but she wouldn't back down without a fight. She wouldn't leave him to die in the middle of nowhere. He was the Lord of the West and had the Western Lands to rule, how could he even think of dying?
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as his amber eyes seemingly darkened but before he was able to do or say anything, Kagome elaborated.
"I won't leave." Kagome once more said as she removed her hand from his chest and placed it over his large one that was still gripping her wrist, eyes burning. "You, Sesshomaru-sama, are needed to rule the Western Lands now that your father has passed and I refuse to let you die before you fulfilled your duties as the Lord of the West. I will heal you and you will claim your position as Inu no Taisho's successor, whether you like it or not."
Sesshomaru found himself mildly surprised by the Miko's words, though he didn't show it and skillfully concealed it behind his usual blank facade. She seemingly didn't plan on leaving, especially not before she had treated him and didn't fear the possible consequences of confronting him.
He still remembered their first encounter where he had received a first taste of her stubbornness and will to live. For some reason, she didn't seem to fear him the way everyone else did. It seemed like she was very well aware of the power he held and respected him not because of his powers, but for reasons beyond his knowledge.
She was the first person, be it human, miko or demon to act this way around him, like she knew exactly what was going on in his head, and that was something that Sesshomaru didn't appreciate one bit.
It was quite the opposite. It caused him to want her prove wrong, to prove that he was every bit the icy, ruthless son of his father that the legends were about.
That he found himself in his current predicament was due to an unforeseen assault by his fathers former allies that tried to make use of the Inu no Taisho's death and kill his heir so that they could take over the Western Lands. With Sesshomaru's death, they would have one less obstacle in obtaining the Western Lands and whereas it would take some time for them to fully take over the Lands, it wasn't impossible with Sesshomaru out of the way.
However, this Miko proved to be his chance of preventing the Western lands to fall into the wrong hands. She was his chance of getting revenge and his Lands back under control, all he needed to do was to let her treat him and to put his suspicions aside.
Sesshomaru kept his eyes locked with hers and watched the way the snowflakes slid down her rosy cheeks that were flushed due to the cold.
There was something about her that make Sesshomaru believe that she was hiding something, a hidden agenda or plan that for some reason involved himself. He didn't know what it was, but if it was anything that may pose a threat to him, her reiki would have already given it away.
In the end, Sesshomaru knew that he couldn't die and leave his lands to someone else to rule. They were his responsibility and in order to fulfill his fathers legacy, he needed to survive.
Even if it meant that he would allow the Miko do treat him.
Having finally settled his mind, Sesshomaru ever so slowly released his hold on her wrist before he dropped it, the suspicion in his eye never fading. "One wrong move, and this Sesshomaru will make sure that this will be the last living moments on earth, Miko."
Kagome's eyes softened as she felt his grip on her wrist loosen until he fully released it. He didn't need to vocally reveal his decision, for Kagome knew well enough that this was as close to a yes as she would probably get and the young Miko felt a heavy burden fall off her chest.
Now it was up to her to help him recover so that he could become the Lord of the West that she remembered him to be.
It would probably take some time, but she had no choice.
"Well then, let's start."
Kagome spent the remainder of the day patching Sesshomaru up and sometime during the first quarter, Sesshomaru eventually fell unconscious. He had turned his head to stare into the trees, refusing to acknowledge the Miko's presence with the exception of the occasional growls that escape him whenever she dug the needle too deep into his flesh or applied too much pressure on his wound. It was not too pleasant to treat the stubborn Lord of the West whilst trying not to get herself killed for making a small mistake every here and then. After he was out cold, however, Kagome was able to properly focus on the task at hand without having to worry about getting growled at once more.
The silence was deafening and even though Kagome tried her best to stay focused, she had to refrain from glancing up at the Lord's face every once in a while to ensure herself that it was really him- the very same Sesshomaru that she had encountered in the past.
Well, her past, what was technically his future, but she didn't want to dwell to much on this rather confusing past-presence thing.
It was surreal and even slightly frightening if she were to be honest. To be this close to Sesshomaru, the very same one that killed Misa mere weeks ago and tried to kill her in the future as well, was anything but comfortable.
She wanted to save him, yes, and she would have regretted to leave him to die, but that didn't mean that she felt good by doing so.
Sesshomaru was needed as both Inuyasha's brother and Lord of the West now and in the future, but Kagome hoped that whatever the reason for her appearance in this time was didn't result her and Sesshomaru to cross paths more often.
She didn't believe that it would benefit neither her own or Sesshomaru's lives if it were the case, so she hoped that it wouldn't be the case for both her own and his sake.
Kagome finished when the sun set and wiped her forehead clean of the water that rolled down her bangs and covered her skin.
It was cold and Kagome had been siting in the snow and healing Sesshomaru for hours straight without a break, and that was slowly taking a toll on her body. She was sure that if she wouldn't start a fire now and get some sleep that she would most likely pass out from the cold every minute now, so the Miko left to gather some fire-wood.
She had been contemplating whether she should stay with Sesshomaru for the night or to simply leave and seek out the well before he would wake up, but in the end she figured that in her current exhausted state it would do no good to look for the well.
She needed to sleep and recharge her energy so that she could spent the following day looking for the well whilst being able to properly defend herself in case something were to happen.
Kagome sighed as she wrapped her coat tighter around herself and continued to walk around the clearing to look for some twigs that she could use to start a fire with.
She didn't even want to think about what would have happened if she hadn't traveled 500 years into the past back then when she was only fifteen and instead traveled to this time and encountered Sesshomaru without knowing him beforehand.
A dry smile made its way on Kagome's lips as she picked up a rather large branch. She would have probably gotten herself killed within the first ten seconds, that she was sure of.
Kagome continued to gather some wood before she turned back around, intending to return to the clearing and start a fire when she came to an abrupt halt.
The warning bells in her head went off and Kagome felt the blood in her veins freeze. She had left her bow and arrows back with Sesshomaru and in her current state, she would barely be able to defend herself, making her an easy target.
Yeah Kagome, way to go. She mentally chided herself as she scanned her surroundings. Due to the darkness she was unable to make anything out but the mere fact that her skin was covered in goosebumps was enough to confirm her suspicions of someone being there.
Kagome slowly took a step forwards, eyes never leaving the darkness that surrounded her but when a twig somewhere behind her broke, she didn't waste any time and darted off into the opposite direction, away from whoever was following her and away from the camp, where her bow and arrows were located at.
She couldn't risk leading them to Sesshomaru and could only hope that whoever it was that followed her was weak enough for her to purify without her arrows.
Kagome run as fast as she could, years of living in the feudal era having considerable increased her stamina as she darted through the trees, the thumping sound in the snow behind her getting closer and louder the further the run.
Kagome inwardly cursed, regretting to have left the camp without her arrows as she dared to glance over her shoulder just in time to come face to face with two panther youkai in their animal form.
Her blue eyes widened for the split of a second as she caught sight of the left one taking a leap and Kagome threw her body to the right, the demon just barely missing her as it landed a few meters to her left.
Kagome continued to run, hoping to outrun them as the trees became lesser and something in the far caught her sight. The closer she got, the more visible it became and upon realizing just what it was that caught her eye, Kagome felt like crying out of joy.
The well.
Now, she only had to hope that it worked and would succeed in getting her back to her own time for if it would fail, Kagome would be stuck at the bottom of the well with a couple of broken bones and that was something she could gladly live without.
When she finally entered the clearing, Kagome charged straight for the well but the panther youkai seemingly realized what she was trying to do and jumped to block her path, causing Kagome to come to an abrupt halt.
The young miko was breathing heavily as she went into her fighting stance, dark eyes fixed on the youkai that now started to circle her as if she was their prey, what was undoubtedly the case.
The first one charged and jumped at her, almost managing to bite her head off her body with its sharp fangs as Kagome once more dodged it by jumping to the right, landing on her knees in the snow as she looked up just in time to catch the second one jump at her, knocking her flat on her back.
Kagome grunted as she felt the air leave her lungs from the force of the panthers attack, who was currently pinning her down as it growled, it's face dangerously close to her own.
Kagome tried to wriggle free, in vain and she knew that if she wanted to survive, she needed to do something.
So, for the first time in years, she closed her eyes and channeled her powers into her hands just as she had done years ago. The familiar tingling sensation almost instantly cursed through her veins as the pink light engulfed her entire body as it had done all these years ago in the past.
It took Kagome all of her remaining strength to call her powers forth and even though she felt dizzy, the adrenaline and excitement that cursed through her veins upon activating her powers after all this time was enough to keep her conscious.
She extended her palms and harshly placed them against the panthers chest, closing her eyes as she allowed her powers to do their job.
As soon as her palms came in contact with the panther demon and she channeled her powers into it, she heard the youkai above her wail loudly out of pain before it jumped off of her, landing some meters in the distance.
By the time it moved off of her Kagome was breathing heavily and when she was about to sit up, she suddenly felt herself flying several meters backwards. A startled yelp escaped her lips as her back harshly collided with a tree, her body sliding down its trunk as she collapsed at its base.
Kagome held her stomach in pain as she felt a warm liquid soak her hand through the fabric of her coat. It seemed like the Panther youkai used its claws and managed to break the skin of her belly, drawing blood in the process as Kagome tried to move herself back on her feet.
Her vision was slightly blurred as she moved to stand up, one hand holding her stomach while the other was glowing brightly. Kagome narrowed her eyes as she watched the Youkai-Duo simultaneously charge at her, one from the left and one from the right. She remained standing in place, waiting for the right moment to attack and when they were close enough, Kagome jumped up into the air, placed her free, glowing hand on one of their backs before she threw her body out of harms way and landed several meters to their right.
The panther that she managed to touch was wailing out of pain just as the other one had done moments before and whereas Kagome didn't manage to fully purify them due to her lack of power, it was still enough to keep them at bay until she could reach the well.
Kagome tried to get her breathing in control, wincing at the sudden rush of pain that overcame her from her most recent stomach-injury as she forced her body towards the well in hope of reaching it before the panthers would reach her.
She was getting closer and could practically feel the well calling out to her, her reiki pulsing at the familiar sensation but just as she was about to touch it's lip, she felt one of the panthers catch her coat with it's fangs and pull her backwards, causing Kagome to fall onto the ground with a pained yelp.
Kagome turned onto her back, looking at the youkai above her with wide eyes as she heard it's lethal growl and just as the youkai moved to dug its fangs into Kagome's neck and the young Miko moved to shield herself with her arms, she suddenly felt the weight of the panther youkai disappearing within a heartbeat.
Kagome removed her arms from her face, confused as well as surprised at the sudden disappearance of the youkai and couldn't fight the gasp that passed her lips as she was greeted by the sight of a familiar Daiyoukai protectively standing in front of her, his back facing her as he growled dangerously low in his throat.
"Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome asked, surprise lacing her words as a wave of relief washed over her. She didn't expect him to come, nor for him to be able to move in the first place but Sesshomaru seemingly was not one to underestimate.
The Western Lord didn't acknowledge her presence and merely kept his golden eyes focused on the panther duo in front of him, eyes narrowed as a menacing growl sounded in the back of his throat.
It was a warning, a promise that death would befall them if they dared to take a step closer and even though Sesshomaru wasn't too fond of the idea of getting involved in a fight in his condition, he had very little choice if they wouldn't retreat.
He was honor-bound to the Miko for she saved his life and therefore, he was obliged to save hers as well. Though he personally couldn't have cared less whether the miko died or not, but that was beyond the point.
The panthers merely returned Sesshomaru's growl, eyeing him with malice as they considered their chances against the Western Lord. Sesshomaru was someone who would be able to kill them even in his current state and they knew it just as well. However, they couldn't simply let the young woman escape, especially after what she had done to them and thus, the panthers went into their fighting stance, even if it meant that they would have to fight the Western Lord himself in order to get through to her.
Sesshomaru, instantly catching on to what was going on, moved his head to glance at the young Miko behind her with narrowed eyes.
"Leave, this Sesshomaru will take care of them." Sesshomaru told her before he as well shifted his weight onto his left feet and lifted a clawed hand, poison leaking out of its tips as he locked eyes with his opponents.
"What?" Kagome asked, hoping that her ears deceived her as she moved to stand on her feet. She shot Sesshomaru's back a concerned look as she held her injured stomach, taking a step back. "I can't leave you alone, you're still injured!"
Sesshomaru growled once more, the sound causing Kagome to shut up in an instant. He was clearly not in the mood to argue with her, especially not given the current circumstances and Sesshomaru didn't bother to hide it either."You will do as this one says, Miko. Leave."
Kagome didn't want to, she really didn't want to leave him fighting them off on his own while she would run away like a coward but she knew that this was her only chance of returning.
The well was clearly calling her, urging her to leave the Lord's side and to return to her own time but somehow, it felt awfully wrong to leave Sesshomaru in his current state. She needed to ensure that he would survive so that he would still exist in the past that she knew, that he wouldn't get himself killed only because she couldn't properly defend herself.
Kagome closed her eyes and turned her head to the right, lips pursed as she reluctantly gave him a curt nod that she knew he wouldn't see. "Fine." She eventually yielded, and with one last glance at his back turned to make her way towards the well.
As soon as she moved, the panther youkai charged and Sesshomaru moved into action. Kagome forced herself to keep her eyes on the well and to not turn around as the sound of the battle reached her ears, the guilt heavy weighting her heart down as she sprinted towards it.
As soon as she reached it, Kagome tightly held the wells worn rim before she sat down onto it and turned her head to glance over her shoulder. Sesshomaru was fighting both of them at once, mostly dodging their attacks in hope of finding the right moment to strike and take them out once and for all without injuring himself even further.
His expression was blank and if it weren't for his bandaged torso, Kagome would have never guessed that he had been lethally injured mere hours ago. She couldn't help but hesitate despite of the wells powers yanking at her reiki, urging her to finally jump back to safety. Kagome wondered if it was right to leave him just like that, not knowing whether she would see him once again but when his eyes caught hers from where he was fighting the youkai and they narrowed into dangerous slits upon still seeing her there, she knew that he was probably better off without her.
Kagome turned her head to look down into the wells depth and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she slowly loosened her hold on the wells rim and jumped right into it with a heavy heart.
The familiar lights surrounded her as the well swallowed Kagome's body whole, the soothing sensation of the magic calming her nerves as she traveled back to her own time, leaving the Lord of the West behind.
As soon as Kagome's feet touched the ground of the familiar well's ground, the Miko leaned her body against its wall and laid a hand over her pounding heart. Well if that wasn't a close call, then she didn't know either.
As soon as she calmed herself down, Kagome made her way out of the well by climbing up the familiar worn ladder before she pulled herself over its rim. She winced as the wood came into contact with her still bleeding injury and she moved her hand to cover it, hoping that it wouldn't get any worse than it already was before she moved to stand back on her feet.
So she was home once again, it seemed.
Kagome couldn't help but feel like her return was bittersweet. Now that she had finally managed to travel back in time, she didn't get to see her friends and instead, was faced with a new task that resulted with her nearly dying. A small part of her had hoped that she would get to see her friends faces once more, to at least be able to properly say goodbye to them or to be able to spent some more time with them, but apparently the well had other things in mind.
Maybe she really was supposed to stay in her own time an didn't belong to the one their friends lived in. Maybe she never fully completed her mission and maybe, just maybe the Tale of the Shikon Miko wasn't over yet.
The mere fact that the well opened meant that it still worked and the mere knowledge of that was enough for Kagome to believe that whenever the well would allow her to travel through time again, and however far it would send Kagome back, the well had its reasons.
Reasons that Kagome knew nothing of.
Kagome decided to leave the well house before she would fall too deep into her thoughts. The miko left the wooden house and walked over to the shrine, both mentally and physically exhausted and just as she removed her shoes and wanted to knock on the door, Sota yanked the door open.
Her little brother seemingly wanted to leave the Shrine just as she was about to enter it and when he came face to face with his big sister, his eyes widened.
"Kagome." He breathed, not trusting his eyes and as his sister offered him a weak smile, he didn't waste a second before he pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.
Kagome would have thought this gesture to be incredibly sweet but due to the wave of pain that overcame her as Sota pulled her against him, she couldn't help but wince.
"Sota." Kagome gasped, shutting her eyes close. "My stomach."
Sota, instantly realizing what she was getting at released her within the split of a second and looked down at his sisters belly just for his eyes to widen at the sight that greeted him.
"How the hell did that happen?" Sota asked as his head snapped upwards to look at Kagome, who in return meekly shrugged as she felt herself getting dragged into the shrine by her little brother.
Sota lead her to the couch in the living room and went to the Kitchen to retrieve the first-aid kid while Kagome tried to remove her wet and in blood drenched coat. It took her some time until she managed to remove it but she eventually succeeded in doing so.
She placed it onto the ground next to the couch just as Sota entered the living-room, holding the first aid kit before he placed it onto the couch next to Kagome. His expression was stern, making him seem much more mature as the sixteen year old boy carefully eyed her blood-stained miko garbs.
"It's nothing big Sota, I've had worse." Kagome assured him as her little brother lifted the top of her Miko garb, eyes instantly catching sight of the ugly gash that was spread over her stomach.
"Ouch, looks like it hurts." Sota told her, grabbing the disinfection spray and compresses. "Looks like Inuyasha wasn't too happy to see you."
Kagome knew that Sota was only joking but somehow, she couldn't bring herself to muster a smile. Sota instantly noticed his sisters unusual quietness and looked up at her with a confused frown. "Don't tell me he really wasn't happy to see you." Sota said, knowing just as well as his sister that even if hundred of years were to pass, Inuyasha would still be happy to see his best friend.
"No." Kagome quickly assured him, a sigh passing her lips as she fixed her eyes on the wall behind Sota with a solemn look. "The well didn't send me to Inuyasha's time, it sent me back to the day Inuyasha's father died."
Sota's hand stilled and his head snapped up to look at Kagome in surprise. "What?"
Kagome offered him a small smile, having expected his rather surprised reaction as she merely shrugged. "Yeah, so as you can imagine it's been a rough two weeks." She told him, and Sota shot his sister a sympathetic look.
"Oh man, that must have sucked, especially since you probably didn't know anyone from there too." He said, and Kagome hummed lightly in return.
"Well, I did meet Inuyasha as a baby, his mother and Sesshomaru, though my meeting with the latter wasn't all too pleasant." She revealed, and Sota looked up at his sister in surprise.
"You met Inuyasha's mother and him as a child?" He repeated, throwing the cotton that he held away before he moved to get the bandages.
Kagome nodded as she thought back to the frightened and devastated hime, her heart giving a painful beat. "Yeah, though I only met them by chance. Inuyasha and her were almost freezing to death in a forest close to the well and I took them to one of the villages nearby." She explained, and Sota hummed in return, indicating that he was still listening.
"Wasn't it weird, you know, to see your best friend as a baby?" Sota asked, and Kagome chuckled lightly.
"It was." She admitted, the picture of the newborn in Izayoi's arms flashing in front of her eyes. "Though, I didn't have much time to play with him."
Sota wrapped the last piece of bandage around Kagome's waist and fastened it. He then gave it a gentle tap to ensure that it wouldn't get loose before he looked up at Kagome, eyes sparkling with interest.
"Why is that?" He asked, genuinely curious as he remained seated on the ground in front of Kagome, his elbow propped on his knee.
"Well, Sesshomaru tried to kill them." Kagome told him, and Sota's eyes widened out of surprise. He clearly didn't expect that, even though he knew that Sesshomaru had tried to kill Inuyasha in the past, but that was something entirely different. Inuyasha was still a child, what could he have possibly done for Sesshomaru to kill him?
"What? Why?" Sota asked, not believing his own ears.
Kagome exhaled deeply as she pulled her knees upwards so that she could rest her chin on them, her eyes softening. Whereas it felt good to talk with someone about it, it was not easy to do so.
Talking about it made it real, and even though it was in the past, it actually happened, and Kagome actually lived through it.
"He blames them for their fathers death. Inu no Taisho died to protect Izayoi-hime and Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru only seemed it fit to take their lives in return for the one they took." She explained, a shiver running down the length of her spine as she thought back to the past weeks events.
She could still remember Izayoi's shaking form, the sheer fright in her eyes and Inuyasha's wails. It was all so clear and vivid and Kagome knew that the pictures wouldn't leave her mind anytime soon.
"Wow, that's messed up." Sota mumbled. "So what happened? He didn't kill them, did he?"
Kagome shook her head. "He didn't." She confirmed. "I reasoned with him and he spared him. They now live at the village that I brought them to, though I am not sure whether they're going to stay there or not."
Sota nodded, clearly pleased by that piece of information. "It must have been hard for him to spare them. I mean, technically they are the reason for their fathers death, even though they didn't consider him sacrificing himself for their sake, so he must have been pretty mad."
"He was." Kagome agreed as she thought back to the Daiyoukai. "Sesshomaru now has to keep the Western Lands stable and keep watch over them on is own while proving that he is worthy of taking over his fathers position. It's not an easy task, especially since he's on his own." She admitted, her lips pursed into a thin line. She could only imagine what hardships Sesshomaru would have to face and even though that didn't justify his intent on killing Inuyasha and his mother, she could somehow understand his anger.
"Was he the one who hurt you?" Sota asked, pointing at her freshly bandaged stomach and at that, Kagome's lips curled up into a small amused smile.
"No, he actually saved me from getting killed by the panther youkai that did it." She revealed, earning a confused look from Sota in return.
"Wait, Sesshomaru saved you? Why would he do that, especially since he wanted to kill Inuyasha and his mother?" Sota inquired, clearly confused and Kagome merely groaned in return, just as equally confused as he was.
"I don't know either. Well, I guess it' because I treated him when he was about to die and he felt obligated to save my life in return so that he wouldn't owe me one." Kagome guessed, feeling that this reason made most sense.
Sota in return arched a brow, surprised. "Well it does make sense. Judging by what you told me about him he is someone who doesn't like to be indebted to others. Though I wonder why you were sent back to his time in the first place. Maybe to prevent him from killing Inuyasha and dying?" He wondered, and Kagome once more sighed.
"Probably, though I don't think that the well sent me back just to ensure that Sesshomaru didn't die. It wouldn't send me back after almost two years just because of this one incident." Kagome told him, feeling restless. She felt like this was only one of many more times to come where the well would sent her back to the past and somehow, she had the feeling that this quest would change her life in a way that the last one didn't.
And she didn't know if she was ready for that.
"How did you know that the well would send you back anyway?" Sota asked as he leaned back onto his hands, looking at Kagome in wonder. He still remembered how he woke up and found her letter just to make a mad dash for the well, the letter laying forgotten on his bed. Sota was scared that the well wouldn't allow Kagome to return, that he wouldn't get the chance to see his sister again and even though he knew that this was her destiny and that Kagome would never turn a blind eye to it, he didn't consider it fair. He wasn't the ten year old boy he was back then when Kagome just started her quest with Inuyasha and the others. No, he grew older and mature during the years that his sister spent traveling back and forth until she eventually fulfilled her quest and spent months crying for her lost friends that were beyond her reach after the well closed.
He had seen her hurting already, and he was scared that this time, it may even fully break her.
His sister deserved to live a happy life and just when all of them believed that she could finally start fresh, the well once more opened and sent her back.
What was it that Kagome needed to do before she would finally get to live a happy life?
"I felt the well open and left, it all happened rather suddenly but I wasn't going to question it. It always had its reasons for sending me back so I figured that my job as the Shikon Miko wasn't done yet and I still had something left to do." Kagome explained, resting her cheek on her knees as she looked at Sota with a raised brow. "Why?
Sota shrugged. "Dunno. I just think that it's strange that you didn't get a hunch some time ago, like some sort of premonition, you know?" He said, and Kagome remained silent.
She hadn't had a hunch the first time it happened back when she was only fifteen years old but then again, it happened because she turned fifteen in the first place. Maybe this time there was a reason as to why it opened now, on this very day, but she guessed that she would never find out, even if there was one.
She suddenly remembered Saki's words back at the Museum that she visited together with her class the day the well opened.
Not yet, but she will.
Her eyes narrowed as a weird feeling overcame her. There was also the time when she felt a youki just as they were about to enter the museum, but back then she didn't think much of it because demons didn't exist in her era.
Something was awfully off.
"Sis, what's wrong?"
Kagome's lips thinned as she looked at Sota with brooding eyes. "Well, there have actually been a thing or two that day when I went on that trip to the museum that may be related to that." Kagome admitted, and Sota instantly perked up upon hearing her words.
"Really? Like what?" He asked, tilting his head to the sight as Kagome lifted her head from her knees to properly look at Sota.
"Back then I thought that I felt a demonic aura brush against my reiki but I brushed it off, thinking that it was only my imagination since in this era, demons don't exist." Kagome started and Sota's eyes widened out of surprise.
"No way." He breathed. "So there are still demons in our time?"
Kagome merely shook her head. "I don't know, I am not quite sure. It was the first time something like this happened and it disappeared just as fast as it appeared so I don't know. I honestly don't think that they still exist though, wouldn't we have noticed?"
Sota hummed lightly. "I don't know, it depends I guess. It's unlikely but not impossible either. What speaks against it is that Inuyasha and the rest didn't seek you out in this time though, so I don't think that it's the case." He admitted, and the spark of hope that flickered in Kagome's chest disappeared into thin air upon hearing Sota's words.
"Yeah, you're probably right."
Sota, instantly noticing the shift in his sisters mood tried to brighten it again. "But didn't you say that there was another incident?"
Kagome nodded. "At the museum, one of the girls of my class asked the tour guide if the Shikon Miko returned, and she told her that she didn't yet, but would soon. At the time I didn't think much of it but now that I actually did travel back once more, it seems strange that she predicted my return the day it happened."
"That's really creepy." Sota agreed, frowning. "Maybe she simply said it to make the tale more interesting? I mean how could she have possibly known that it would happen if it didn't happen in the past yet? Considering that it is you we are talking about and this was the first time after the well closed that you returned, she couldn't have possibly known that you would return without it having happened in the past already, if you get what I mean." He explained, and Kagome waved her hand.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it." She assured him before she massaged her temples, already feeling the signs of the upcoming headache. Back then she didn't spend much time thinking about how this entire time traveling worked and simply accepted it because she was occupied with gathering the jewel shards whilst trying to keep herself alive but now that it opened again and she actually took her time to think about everything, she found it to be more confusing than it originally was.
"Oh man, this is going to be such a pain." She whined as she buried her face into her knees, Sota offering her a gentle pat on her back.
"You did it once already sis, so how bad can it be this time?" Sota said, intending to calm his sister but Kagome simply lifted her head to shoot him a look that was enough to shut him up.
"Trust me Sota, I have a feeling that this time things will get even more complicated and annoying than they did last time." Kagome told him, sighing as she stood up from the couch and grabbed her coat. "I'll try to get some sleep. Please don't tell mom that I got hurt when she wakes up tomorrow, 'kay? I don't want her to worry even more than she probably already did."
Sota gave her a salute before he as well stood up and grabbed the first aid kit. "Will do. If you need something, just call me."
Kagome, touched by her brothers concern walked over to plant a loud kiss on his cheek, earning a disgusted look by him as she pulled back. "Thanks Sota." She said, grateful to have such a caring little brother to talk and turn to.
Sota merely sighed, waving his hand in a nonchalant matter before he shooed her away. "I know, I know, I am awesome so just go to sleep sis."
Kagome chuckled before she did as told and made her way up the stairs and walked towards her room. It was in the middle of the night and as she walked past her mothers room, she couldn't help but check on her. She didn't know whether it was because she was overwhelmed by everything that had just happened and needed her mothers support, whether it was because she missed her or because she felt guilty for suddenly leaving.
Then again, it probably was a mixture of all three.
Kagome gently opened the door so that she wouldn't cause too much sound and silently walked into her mothers room. Her eyes instantly fell on her sleeping form and Kagome couldn't stop herself from smiling as she walked to stand next to her bed.
She then knelt down next to the bed and reached out to gently tuck a strand of her mothers hair out of her face, her heart clenching.
Her mother was such a brave woman and Kagome greatly looked up to her. After she had lost her husband, she tried her best to raise her and Sota on her own and with the occasional help of her sister and now, Kagome was leaving her to worry about her daughter while she was running off to travel back to the past and save the world.
Her mother deserved better than to worry about her daughter and whether she was still alive, eating enough or would ever return to her.
"I'm sorry mama." Kagome whispered, planting a soft kiss on her mothers cheek before she stood up and exited the room with a heavy heart.
Kagome then moved to enter her own room and tossed the coat to the side before she tiredly slumped down onto her bed. She buried her face into he pillow and inhaled the familiar smell as she tried to process the past weeks events.
There was so much that happened, so much for Kagome to take in and to process and she didn't know whether she should actually bother to break her head over it or if she should simply accept it.
No.
Kagome knew that she couldn't just accept it and go with the flow. The Kagome five years ago may have been able to do that, but the twenty year old Kagome couldn't.
The Miko sat up so that she was sitting on her bed and gazed out of the window, eyes falling onto the crescent moon that was majestically hanging in the sky, surrounded by countless little stars.
She needed to get her act together. If this really was the first out of many more times to come then she couldn't panic and instead, needed to mentally be prepared.
Kagome's eyes narrowed, determination brightening them as she balled her fists.
She would take whatever fate would throw at her without breaking. She did it once, so she could do it again.
If I survived last time, I will survive this one as well.
Or at least, she hoped.
The young Shikon Miko then changed into her night gown and cuddled herself into her blankets, her exhaustion taking over as the darkness lulled her into a deep slumber.
Little did the Shikon Miko know that fate had much more in store for her as well as a certain silver-haired Lord, and that her past quest only served as a preparation for what was yet to come.
A/N: I am back and so incredibly sorry that it took me so long to Update. I just had a major writers block but now that I fortunately overcame it, I'll update considerably faster and more regularly. I want to thank for all the past reviews, reads, follows and favorites and hope that you will continue to support this story by following, reading, favoring and reviewing. Your reviews are what keep me motivated, so I would appreciate if you would tell me what you think of this chapter by leaving one!
I hope that you liked it and that you look forward to the next chapter as much as I do (which will be out soon!)
Once again, thanks for your support. I love you all to the moon and back!
Yours,
Sara