Tears of the Jovial

Tears of the Jovial

When the magic of the enchanted well began to fade away, the young miko found herself immersed in darkness. She looked up from the depths of the old well and, after her vision had been given a moment to adjust, she realized that the darkness was not due to the night but to the enclosure that surrounded the well.

'The well house,' She realized, 'I'm home.'

Kagome's heart skipped with joy when it finally sank in that her trip backwards in time had not hindered her ability to return to her era. With elation filling her every motion, she made her way out of the old well and burst through the doorway of the enclosure. The smells and sounds of the modern world surrounded her in their comforting familiarity. Though to many the tainted smells of smog and pollution sullying the air and the throng of shouts and honks and engine roars from the streets below the shrine would be considered troublesome nuisances, to her they were a breath of fresh air (well, not exactly fresh, but you get the picture right?).

Everything was how she had left it, and, for the next day or two at least, she would be allowed a normal life like every other teenage girl in her time. School, shopping, going out with friends, even watching T.V. with her little brother or eating dinner with her family; mundane tasks that her friends would always bemoan about, were tasks that she looked forward to with ecstatic glee because they were tasks that would remind her that, when all of the miko powers and Shikon shards and battles were stripped away, she was just a normal girl.

"Mom!" She called out as she dashed towards the house. "I'm home!"

Kagome barely heard her mom's greeting as she hastily threw off her shoes, dropped her heavy pack and her weapons, and made a dash for the washroom. There was nothing, NOTHING like a long, hot shower after returning from wandering around the countryside and engaging in battles that usually left a person doused in the absolutely foulest smelling substances on earth.

Mrs. Higurashi caught a glimpse of her daughter's retreating form from the base of the stairs, but she merely shook her head. There was nothing she could do to stop the girl from a destiny long foretold for her, but she could be here to greet her when she returned and to offer her warmth and comfort when the harsh world she traveled in would deny it to her.

Kagome had always been a special girl, and Mrs. Higurashi had known from the moment of her daughter's birth that she was destined for something special. Of course, the fact that HE had been there to witness the birth had been a dead giveaway. But then, he didn't know that while he was watching her that she had been watching him. She may not be as gifted as her daughter, but when one descends from a long line of priestesses and is raised in a shrine, there are certain things that are picked up along the way. And a demonic aura that large is not something that is usually missed.

Still, knowing that her daughter was meant for something great did not ease her concerns for the girl's welfare along the way. Kagome was strong, she knew, but even the strongest; no, especially the strongest beings were tested to the limits of their abilities as they traveled their path in life. And for Kagome, her trials were just beginning.

So Mrs. Higurashi did all that she knew she could do. She washed and cleaned her daughters traveling gear, packed and repacked her bag with food and clothing and medical supplies, gave her a warm meal and a soft bed to sleep in when she returned, and was always there as a shoulder to cry on when it was needed or as simply someone to talk to when Kagome was willing or able to tell her of her problems. She did all she could without trying to interfere. She did all any mother could do to make sure her daughter was happy and safe. But like all mothers, there was only so much she could do; because in the end it was Kagome that would have to face her fears and the creatures from her nightmares. And all Mrs. Higurashi could hope was that when that time came, that her daughter would not feel that she was alone.

With a resigned sigh, Mrs. Higurashi blocked away any further thoughts of a future that had yet to be written and went about her chores. One thing at a time was all she could do, and first things first: that pile that Kagome had so graciously dumped in the doorway.

She gathered up the muddied shoes and gear that her daughter had left in a heap in her rush, but she was quite surprised when from the tangled pile of Kagome's things a sword clattered down to the ground. Still, strange as it was for Kagome to be carrying a sword, being that among the rest of her things was also included a bow and a quiver of arrows, Mrs. Higurashi simply took it in stride. After all, it wouldn't be a bad thing if Kagome was picking up defensive sword techniques from Inuyasha or her taijiya friend Sango.

So, she bent down and gathered up the sword as well. It seemed to her that the blade could use some polishing anyways. Apparently the sword agreed with her, because immediately after the thought it pulsed with a warming surge that filled her with its feeling of appreciation. Mrs. Higurashi smiled, and then laughed a little to herself. It really was amazing what sorts of things a person could get used to; demons, half-demons, sentient blades…Yup, all common place.

Welcome to the Higurashi shrine.

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Not far away from the Higurashi shrine, on the top floor of a high-rise in the business district, another sword was pulsing in response to the proximity of…well...itself.

Tenseiga shook within its sheath and rattled against the restraints placed on it by the damn wall fixture it had been settled on for far too long. Oh how it longed to be free again, to be carried and cared for, to be used; not to be forgotten upon some blasted wall and left to rot…not like it could rot, but it still didn't like being left hanging there with nothing to do for an eternity.

So it shook and rattled and begged its master to hear its plea to be released, and soon its pleas were answered. Its master lifted it from the restraints of its hold and secured it in his grasp to hear the message that it could give him.

"So it is time."

Tenseiga pulsed merrily, thinking that its confounded isolation would finally be coming to an end, but its master had other ideas.

"Silence." He ordered before returning the fang to its resting place.

Sesshomaru spared a look at his wristwatch. It was barely early enough for the sun to be up, and yet here he was in his office doing…paperwork. Of all the things that he could be doing, the mighty Inu Lord of the Western lands was doing paperwork! Oh how he loathed paperwork! But then, there wasn't anyone else in his company that he would trust to be competent enough to do it without breaking down everything that he had built over his long life. And so here he was, at some wretched hour of the morning, doing what he loathed, just to spare himself the burden of picking up the scattered mess of some incompetent employee.

How he longed for the days when he didn't have to worry about legalities and politics, and all he had to do to keep his empire running was to confront his adversaries with his sword in hand. A few pints…or gallons…depending on how lenient he was feeling on the particular day…of blood later, and all his problems would be solved.

'It's all that damn miko's fault.' He thought to himself in aggravation.

That thought though, produced a smirk for old time's sake. It had been quite some time since he had thought of the miko in that sense. Then again, it had been quite some time since the particular smirk on his lips had been seen, since said smirk was one reserved solely for the enjoyment of battle…battle that had, unfortunately, been in short supply since the laws of man had dominated the world.

However, as tempted as he often was to simply go off and gut one of his business rivals, he was always held back by what had happened the last time she found out how he liked to conduct business. The memory still made him shiver…well…not shiver…shivering is what weak-willed simpletons did when confronted with horrors of such magnitude. He, Sesshomaru, did not shiver at the mere thought of…but the memory was still so clear in his mind. If anything, the woman definitely knew how to get her point across.

She hadn't told him that she knew, of course. That would have ruined her plan. But he should have known. He should have known that the woman was never, NEVER so docile and demure. Even walking in the gardens as they had been at the time and surrounded by the gleeful voices of the children of the settlement, many of them relatives of the extended family that had been created over the years; even then he should have known something was not right because she was never so calm.

She had led him right into the mass of children. He didn't mind so much. Some of the youth were family, his or Rin's, and the others may as well have been. And they all knew him well enough to keep a respectable distance…or at least they did…until she had ruined it all.

That damned miko.

She had turned on him so quickly that he barely had time to register the fact that she had moved. Of course, the fact that she had used his own father's will against him had made things utterly unfair. Before he knew it, she had saddled him with a sacred sutra that even he couldn't fight against. The thing broke through every barrier holding his demonic presence at bay, and in an instant, his true form was revealed in all its glory.

The shill cries from the children still made him want to cover his ears. But do you think they were cries of fear or horror as they should have been? Oh no. No, these cries were far more disgusting and unpalatable.

"OOOHHH!! PUPPY!!" They had cried, and he soon found himself covered with dozens of little gnats…or children if you would prefer.

For the first time in his life, he found that there was nothing he could do. He couldn't risk shaking the children off of himself or they might have been injured. Of course it wasn't that he was above causing a few bumps and bruises on children who were stupid enough to latch onto his person in such a way, it was just that he didn't want to be forced to listen to the irate mothers after the deed had been done…and there would have been many of them…many who had no fear of raising their voices to him.

'How did things end up like this?' He recalled asking himself as he was forced to endure the children's games which had expanded to include climbing over him in some twisted game of King of the Mountain. When had the fear vanished? How was it that even his threatening growls and the snapping of his great maw that signified his displeasure could be greeted with gleeful giggles and cries instead of horror-filled screams?

It was all that damn miko's fault.

And all she had done was fall to the ground squealing out her laughter at his expense.

That damned miko.

But now it was time for it all to begin again. Things set in motion thousands of years ago…or was it that they had began with the miko? Blasted temporal paradoxes! As if he didn't have enough problems. Still, the events that had been set in motion were playing out, and it was time to fulfill his part.

Sesshomaru spared one last glance at the piles of paperwork on his desk, lifted his lip in a slight snarl with the knowledge that it would only be doubled by the time he returned, then turned away from his desk and exited the room.

He had a miko to find.

As he left his office though, the smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen on the other side of the building gave him pause. Bacon was on the menu this morning. Of course, he usually wouldn't eat human food…but there was just something about bacon that he couldn't ignore.

And THAT was all the damn miko's fault as well.

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"Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi called to her daughter. "Before you go to school, could you help me with the groceries please?"

"Sure mom."

Mrs. Higurashi handed her daughter one of the many bulging bags of groceries she had been struggling with. She always did get extra when she knew she would be supplying Kagome's pack. After all, the girl had a whole group to feed. She had even found a special treat that she was hoping to sneak in while Kagome wasn't looking.

"Hey mom?" Kagome questioned as she shifted through the contents of the bag she had been given. "What's this? Bacon?"

Mrs. Higurashi sighed her displeasure. So much for keeping it a surprise.

"No dear," she responded. "They are special treats…for Buyo."

"Buyo? But there's a picture of a dog right on the package. Why would you be giving Buyo doggie treats?"

Though it is the place for a mother to be proud of their children being bright and quick on the pickup, Mrs. Higurashi couldn't help but wish that just this once Kagome wouldn't have been.

"Alright," she finally relented, "They aren't for Buyo. I thought that maybe Inuyasha would like them."

"You want me to give Inuyasha doggie treats?" Kagome questioned incredulously.

"Well…" Mrs. Higurashi answered slowly, "He is a dog demon after all…and with all those times you make him 'sit' for you…" she shrugged. "I thought that maybe he would appreciate a special treat just for him. You're always sneaking candy for that little fox kit after all."

"Yeah," Kagome could feel the giggle rising up in her, and she had to press down on it hard so that it couldn't escape, "But mom, Inuyasha is part human too. I don't know if he'd like being treated like a dog."

Mrs. Higurashi just shrugged again. "Whatever you say, dear. But you never know until you try. And if he doesn't like them, you could always offer them to that wolf friend of yours."

At this, Kagome snickered, unable to completely suppress the reflex as her troublesome imagination supplied her with an image of Koga drooling over her treats instead of her assets. That image was soon followed by adding in Inuyasha, who never wanted to be left out of anything that she and the wolf were doing, and he too was obeying her commands of 'sit', 'lie down', and 'roll over'.

By this time, Kagome's laughter would not be held at bay. But if she thought the images her imagination was supplying her with were funny now, she would soon find out that they could get a whole lot funnier.

"Oh! I'm forgetting someone aren't I" Mrs. Higurashi mused as she happily played on her daughter's gleeful laughter. "What about that other dog you told me about? Hmmm…what was his name again? Inuyasha's brother…Sesshomaru! Yes, that's it."

That was all Kagome could take. It would be pointless to try and express how utterly wrong, or absolutely hilarious it was when her imagination caught up with her mother's game and provided her with a picture of Sesshomaru begging for his treat. The poor girl couldn't even remain standing due to her peels of laughter. She fell to her knees clutching her sides with painful glee as the joyous chimes of her mirth poured out of her, and from her squinted eyes began to fall sparking tears.

Tears of the jovial.

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I am currently…annoyed…with this chapter. I wanted to jump right back into the whole action/adventure part of this fic. But, unfortunately, there was an item that I wanted for Kagome to acquire in her time and I didn't want to skip over how she had attained it. Then there was the unstoppable urge to follow up on Kagome's earlier thoughts of giving Sesshomaru a biscuit. And, of course, I didn't want Kagome to always be crying over things that are sad and painful…and since it is my hope that I can end each chapter with her tears, I needed something funny for her to revel in.

Whatever, 'tis all I have for today.

Later

Shadow

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will. Too bad, because I could think of some great way to entertain myself if I did have some of the cast of Inuyasha at my disposal Oh well, I guess I will have to settle on writing fanfiction.