Chapter 3
Sesshoumaru watched Kagome disappear down the well. He still found it hard to believe that she comes from 500 years in the future. And when he was told of her home, he demanded that it was demonstrated right before his eyes.
'Is it because she is from the future? Is that why I want to learn more about her?' he thought as he continued to gaze at the well.
As he continued to think more about Kagome and their interactions he came to a realization that yes he does want to learn more about her, but along the way he started to enjoy interacting with her. She is the second human he has not disliked since Rin.
The odd thing is that he's not upset about that realization.
As he was wondering when he started to think of the miko as just a miko and not another human, Inu-Yasha came barreling out of the trees.
"Where is she?!" he yelled.
Sesshoumaru merely glanced back at him before walking to a tree and sitting down. All the while Inu-Yasha was fuming in anger and jealously. He stomped towards the well and looked down to make sure Kagome wasn't there.
He then stomped towards Sesshoumaru, ready to fight. But Sesshoumaru merely sat under the tree gazing at nothing in particular. When Inu-Yasha was directly in front of him, Sesshoumaru merely shot him a glance before glancing away.
"Hey asshole I'm talking to you!" he yelled when he saw that he was being ignored.
Sesshoumaru knew that he was not going to leave, so with a small unnoticeable sigh, he decided to respond.
"What is it that you want half-breed?"
When Sesshoumaru responded in a bored tone, Inu-Yasha was surprised, angry, and jealous. "What the hell do you think you're doing by getting closer to Kagome? She's mine and she's a part of my pack!"
"Our packs are together to find the jewel shards and defeat a common enemy. And the miko is not yours; you are not mates or intendeds. It is best that you remember that half-breed." After he said what he needed to say, he got up and walked into the woods.
As Sesshoumaru walked away, Inu-Yasha was shocked and angered. But his words made him think. Kagome was not his and he made it obvious that there will not be a future of them being more than friends.
But that does not mean that he wants Kagome with lord icicle. He would take her away from him and the rest of his pack would leave him as well. He couldn't let that happen. He decided to go to the Goshinboku and think more without the distraction of the others.
The rest of the pack was resting back at the village after rushing back because of Inu-Yasha. They all knew why Inu-Yasha was in a rush. They saw what he saw when it came to Kagome and Sesshoumaru.
They were getting close and that was making Inu-Yasha realize that Kagome is free to pick someone else to love. And everyone could agree that it was about time. They just hoped that Kagome wouldn't end up heartbroken again. She deserved to find love and with someone who would love her for who she is and not from who she used to be.
Sango and Miroku decided to talk to Kagome and Inu-Yasha separately and see what is going on. They would just have to find time where they weren't busy and with the rest of the pack.
With that last decision, they started to unpack and make dinner before resting until Kagome came back from her time. Then they knew the search for the rest of the shards and the mysterious man in black will begin again.
Sesshoumaru walked further into the forest. He didn't want to walk too far away from the well; he didn't know why he wanted to stay close to her. He had this desire to see her when she came back from her time.
When he knew that Inu-Yasha was not next to the well anymore, he started back to the well. He knew that Inu-Yasha will be back, but he was hoping that he would have time to think without him distracting him.
When he came back to the clearing he sat underneath the same tree he was sitting at earlier. He gazed up into the sky.
'I wonder when the miko will return' he thought. As he sat there, he pondered all that he knew about the miko. And how even she was discovering something new about herself.
'That must be why this Sesshoumaru is fascinated by her, she is a mystery.' But when he thought that, he instinctively knew that that wasn't the only reason why he was curious about her.
But he could not think of any other reason why. While he was trying to think, he smelled the half-breed coming back to the clearing.
Inu-Yasha knew that Sesshoumaru was back at the well clearing, but instead of changing directions, he decided to stay there so he could be there when Kagome came back. He didn't want them to be alone when he was able to prevent it. They sat as far away from each other as possible and stared away from each other.
As the sun began to set, the Inu brothers were still in the same position as they have been all day, both refusing to let the other push them out of the clearing. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes long ago to avoid looking at the half-breed and help him concentrate. Inu-Yasha glared at Sesshoumaru, daring him for a fight.
While he was sitting there, he saw the soul stealers flying the sky nearby. He knew that Kikyo was close and she wanted to see him. He didn't want to leave Sesshoumaru alone, but he couldn't deny the pull towards Kikyo.
When Sesshoumaru saw that Inu-Yasha left towards where he could see the soul stealers flying in the sky, he was finally able to fully relax. He knew that the half-breed was weak when it came to the undead miko. He found it disgusting that he would choose a body of clay over a living person. He himself would choose a human over dead being.
'This Sesshoumaru will never understand the half-breed,' he thought 'father why did you curse me with this burden?'
Kagome's mother stared at her from across the kitchen. She knew that the time has come to finally tell her daughter the truth.
Kagome could tell that her mother knew what she was asking without having to ask her the questions. Deciding to giver her mother time to come to terms with everything, she simply got a glass of water and sat down at the table.
Her mother finished what she was doing and got herself a glass of water as well. Once she sat down did Kagome look at her expectantly. Not knowing where to start, Kagome thought it would be best to start from the beginning.
"I've been having these strange dreams for a while" she started "I used to have them quite a bit when I was younger, but lately I've been having them every night and they are not the same dreams, it seems like I'm watching a movie about this man and woman who seem familiar to me."
When she finished describing her dreams to her mom, she glanced her way and was surprised to see acceptance instead of surprise. This even further proved the idea that her mother knew something that she wasn't telling her.
Her mother hesitantly looked at her and decided it was time to tell her daughter about where she came from. "I've wanted to tell you for a while now, but either you weren't old enough or you were busy fighting evil in the past" she started "but I think it's time."
"When I first married and moved into this shrine, your father and I were having a difficult time conceiving. We tried for a while but to no avail. Then one night something happened that to this day I find it difficult to believe."
She looked up with tears in her eyes and took her daughter's hand, "the well started to glow. Your father and I were scared. We thought there was a fire. When we went down to the well, we heard a baby cry. And that's when we found you alone with just a note saying take care of our savior."
Kagome could not believe what she was hearing. She thought that the weirdest thing that would ever happen to her would be traveling to the past but to hear that she originally didn't even come from this time was more than she could handle.
"I think I need to think about all of this, but I have one question, if I didn't come from this time, then what time did I come from?" she asked.
"I don't know honey, the note didn't have a date," she replied.
Kagome stood up and hugged her mom, "remember that even though I didn't give birth to you, you are still my daughter and I love you very much" her mother said as Kagome walked up the stairs to her room.
Instead of going to bed Kagome decided to take a bath, she needed the relaxation and the time to think about what she learned about herself.
Once she was fully submerged and the hot water was finally helping her relax, she thought it would be the perfect time to think.
'I don't even know where to start,' she thought with a sigh, 'maybe I should start with something that I am more familiar with like these growing feelings I have for Sesshoumaru.'
As she thought more about Sesshoumaru, the more she felt happy. 'I already knew that I got over Inu-Yasha a while ago, while we will continue to be friends I knew that he could never get over Kikyo and I don't want to be second to anyone.'
With those thoughts, she felt better about the situation with Sesshoumaru. She knew that she was jumping the gun thinking about being with him romantically. She didn't think that she could handle another heartache like she had with Inu-Yasha.
'I'm going to wait and see what happens,' she thought. With that thought she relaxed a little bit more. She didn't want to think about the bigger problem that was known as her life, but she knew that this was the only time she could really think about it without others asking her a million questions.
'Ok the first thing are the dreams that I keep on having,' she thought 'but I don't really know much about them, just that they keep happening more. I guess I have to wait and see if I get more information.'
As Kagome continued to think, she noticed that the water was a little cooler. 'Guess it's time I get out.'
As she was drying off, she decided to continue to think more tomorrow morning and have another chat with her mother to see if there is anything else she wanted to tell her.
'Then I'll go back to the feudal era and I'll be better prepared for any questions the others may have.' With that last thought she dressed in her pajamas, got into bed, and turned off the lights.
She could tell that she was dreaming, but rather than try to wake herself up, Kagome decided to let the dream take her where it wants to go.
'I hope I can learn something new, especially since I know more of the story.'
Kagome tried to see where she was, but it was dark. She could tell that she was in a dungeon, but she wasn't sure which way to go.
Suddenly she heard screams coming from down the hall. 'I guess that's the way I have to go,' she thought. So with a determined face she walked in that direction.
As she got closer the screams were getting louder and she could tell that there were two people screaming. A man and a woman.
She soon saw light coming from an open doorway. When she looked inside she saw a man and woman chained to the wall with their back facing her. And a man with a whip.
"Where did you send her?" asked the man with the whip. When the man and woman refused to answer, the man with the whip drew back his arm and let his whip fly to the back of the woman. It was clear to Kagome that the woman was getting most of the whippings.
The chained man could tell the woman was in pain, but he and Kagome could also see the determination behind her eyes.
"You asked a us a million times and you can ask us a million more but we will never tell you" she said with gritted teeth.
The man with the whip merely grinned with evil delight, "you may not tell me soon, but you will tell me and when you do I will retrieve her myself and kill her right in front of you."
With those parting words he walked out of the room nearly scaring Kagome to death with his close proximity.
As soon as he left Kagome saw how relieved the man and woman were by the slight relaxing of their shoulders and their silent tears of joy.
"How are your wounds?" the man asked as he tried in vain to see the extent of the woman's back.
"Do not worry about me" she replied "I am stronger than I look and I will not break."
Kagome could clearly see the love that was between the man and woman. 'I believe that they will not break. They are committed to protecting another, whoever she may be,' she thought.
Kagome was broken out of her thoughts by the man asking the woman "do you think she is alright?"
"Yes I believe she is safe and being raised by a loving family, but I cannot lie and say that I wish I was the one to raise her. We will miss her first steps, her first words." As she was talking about all that she would be missing the woman started to cry harder.
With tears in his eyes as well, the man tried to console her "please do not cry for what we will miss my love, cry for what she will do when she comes to save us."
The woman's crying slowed and it was seemed like the whole world came to a stand still.
"Yes she will save us" she said "our precious little Kagome."
Kagome sat up in a cold sweat in her bed. She could still hear the echo of her name being spoken by a woman she did not recognize. But deep down she knew that she knows who both the man and woman were. But she was still too afraid to admit it to herself.
'I don't think I'm going to go back to bed anytime soon' she thought as she got up out of bed and walked down to the kitchen.
When she walked into the kitchen she was surprised to see her mother sitting at the table drinking tea. When she came into the kitchen, her mother did not look surprised, she merely gestured for Kagome to have a seat while she got up to fix her a cup of tea as well.
While Kagome sat and waited for her cup her mind kept spinning with all that she saw in her dream. She knew her mother probably didn't have much more information, but she did want to know one thing.
"Thank you," she said as her mother handed her a cup of tea. When her mother sat across from her, Kagome decided to ask the one question that she thinks her mother will know the answer to.
"Mom, did the note with me say anything else besides to take care of me?"
Her mom looked up from her tea and replied, "yes, the note said please take care of our little Kagome."
Kagome looked down into her tea. 'So I got my name from those who sent me through the well and maybe the man and woman I saw in my dream could be…' Kagome didn't want to finish that thought just yet. So she decided that maybe she should go back to the feudal era and look for answers.
"I think that I'm going to back tonight instead of tomorrow. I'm sure Inu-Yasha is chomping at the bits waiting for me," she said as she finished drinking her tea. She then got up to go back to her room, change, and gather the supplies.
When she came back down stairs and was going through the backdoor her mother stopped her. "Remember Kagome that no matter what you are my daughter and I love you."
"I know mom, I love you too," she replied. And with a hug and a quick be safe from her mother, Kagome walked out towards the well house, hopped into the well, and fell into the feudal era.
When she looked up she saw the brilliant night sky and the shining moon until a shadow blocked her sight. A hand reached down towards her to help her out. Once she took the hand and was pulled completely out of the well did she see who was the one waiting for her.
She looked around the clearing as she put the heavy bag full of supplies next to the well. When she saw that there was no one else besides herself and the one who was clearly the only one waiting her.
With a smile she looked into amber eyes and said "hello Sesshoumaru ."