Slight amnesia
Slight amnesia by JeniNeji [Season Challenge]
Title: Slight Amnesia
Author: JeniNeji
Theme: Season Challenge – Autumn
Genre: Angst, Romance
Rating: T
Word Count: 2547
A/N: Part 4 of 4 of Wishless Serial
Summary: Kagome finally decided about the Shikon Jewel's destiny. And Sesshoumaru lend her his complete support.
xxoOoxx
"So, you mean to tell me, the miko outsmarted you?" the daiyoukai asked his subordinate with frigid eyes.
"I am ashamed to accept such a notion," Taba said, still kneeling in the floor. "I can go after her, if it would please milord," the young inu-youkai offered from his current position. His short black hair was covering half his face, but still, his bright blue eye shone.
"No need," the daiyoukai stated and walked past the inu youkai. "I will deal with the miko," Sesshoumaru stated and stopped at the doorway to glance at the back of Taba. "And see that Rin does not escape you, too," Sesshoumaru finally said and disappeared out of the room and proceeded to leave the warmth of his Castle.
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A substantial length of time after, he found the miko. She was sitting on a small hill and her eyes held a faraway longing. He remained there, just staring at her, waiting to be acknowledged since he was certain she had been aware of his presence for a long time now. However, after waiting enough to be formal, he decided to interrupt. "You requested a private audience with this Sesshoumaru," he stated monotonously.
He saw her face brighten with a smile. "I did," she confessed and rose to her feet, her back still to him. "I have come to a conclusion," she explained, but somehow, her voice was grave and it held an older tenor that was uncharacteristic of her.
He waited several moments, painfully uncertain of her later development,"What is that you concluded?"
Once again she smiled, but this time, it was seemingly apologetic. "I will keep the Shikon Jewel with me, and I will protect it."
The wind between them was suddenly colder, and her usually bright miko powers dimmed, receding inside of her. It was most uncomfortable, the usual warmth she carried with her left him, and for once on these past weeks, he felt threatened. The recede of her warmth affected him. "You are prepared to do so. Your talents have grown these last months," he assured her. It would be dishonorable to lie about her improvement.
Kagome nodded her head approvingly. "I will return to my home, to my own time," she announced, her eyes looking at his while saying it, but then, she averted her gaze.
It was uncomfortable, to speak about this matter. Not only because he knew it as an important moment in destiny's wheel, but because his ward would be affected first handed. "What about the last shard?" the daiyoukai was forced to ask, his golden eyes were fixated on her face.
She sighed, he knew she was half uncomfortable, and nervous…it was palpable in the air. "That's what I wanted to talk about, well, mostly," she confessed and not wanting to look straight at him, she walked towards the forest.
He followed, although her reluctance to solve this matter directly irritated him. What was so difficult for her? She was the one choosing their path, and he ultimately despised that she was the owner of their future decisions. He depended on her decision to choose his actions afterwards, and it infuriated him. He was far superior, in any sense.
"What do you want for Rin?" the miko asked softly, and as she began to move towards a fallen log, he stopped. He watched as she sat down, her face looked grim and miserable. "Do you wish for Rin to have a normal life? Would you prefer she took on the destiny of a miko? What do you want?" she asked, her eyes still not looking at his.
"Rin will remain with this Sesshoumaru," he quickly replied, and a hint of possession could be easily noted.
The miko finally decided to acknowledge him, and her eyes found his. A question was there, wanting to be exposed, but she held her tongue, once again looking away. She simply nodded. "What do you think of the love between a human and a demon?" she suddenly asked.
He shot her a dark look. What do this question had to do with anything? "It's impossible," he said, his face unconsciously forming a scowl, and he turned his face so she would not notice. "I will not approve," he cemented.
A pained chuckle left the miko's lips, and once again he was reminded of the night when he healed those very same lips. It was unconscious, but it was the first time he touched a human's lips. The notion was unsettling. "I believed you would say something like that," she said and sighed, "Still denying the obvious nearness that such beings could share."
"What is the meaning of this question?" he growled, but it was so soft that he doubted she could identify it.
Kagome shrugged. "I wanted to see if you foretold Rin's high probability of mating a demon," she said easily, "but like apparently that isn't an option…it concerns me." This time, her determined and accusing eyes locked with his, it was a challenge, a he didn't like to be challenged, less by a human, much less a female.
"Rin is not old enough," he said and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"She will be, and soon."
"Hn."
"She will die," Kagome pushed the matter.
"I will once again use Tensega," he growled, his eyes showing more irritation with each passing minute.
"You will not save her of old age," Kagome reminded him with a sour smile.
"She will live longer, the shard will prolong her life," he explained, he fisted his hands in an attempt to control his anger.
"At what cost?" Kagome growled and rose to her feet, her emotions getting the best of her, "and she will still die!"
"That is not your business miko," Sesshoumaru growled, and this time, she heard the growl.
"It is," she shot back a question, "Who will take care of the Jewel then?"
"I will," he lashed out at her, "and why do you continue to speak about Rin's death? Be only concern about yours!" he snarled, and his eyes were the most dangerous one she has ever seen in him.
She chose to ignore the horrible sting at his cruel, yet realistic words. "Because you need to know, and it will happen," she said in a whisper. She was feeling so guilty, knowing she was not going to be here to watch Rin grow, or Shippo or anyone…five hundred years into the future, she will be alone, and will know nothing of the fate all of her companions endured after her departure.
"You are sad," the daiyoukai stated, and somehow, he felt his anger slip by him, slowly. He heard her first sob, and he watched, with something akin to amazement as her limbs became lifeless and she dropped to her knees. It was an act of such weakness that he couldn't help but be surprised and moved. She was after all a very strong miko, yet as she whimpered, the miko seemed to have disappeared, leaving behind the carcass of the weakest human.
"I…I know it's for the best,…but I don't want to go….," she confessed and she curled into herself, finally falling to the side over the fallen autumn leaves.
Her sobs continued, and they appeared to be synchronized to the one before, never slowing or receding, just the same tune. He knew not what to do, he was a demon, and thus hardly emotive, but this upset him. Maybe it was because she was currently under his protection, or because he had gotten to believe her to be his responsibility. He didn't know.
After debating with himself for several minutes, he finally decided to ease her discomfort. He sat down on the floor and reclined his upper half against the fallen tree. Without much effort he pulled the sobbing young woman towards him, and easily fought her struggles. After she calmed down, he covered her somewhat with his fur, not wanting her to fall with one of those common illness humans seemed to suffer from so often.
Hours seemed to pass by, and with them the still far away winter nights seemed to come closer with each breath. He knew she was unable to feel the winter coming from the higher grounds, but he, with his superior sense could. Soon eleven moons time will have passed since Inu-Yasha's death. It was still unknown to him, the reason as to why his half-brother had chosen to abandon this world in search of his long dead love. It seemed too unheard of, one seeking to end one's life. The way he saw things, there was a time for everything, but it seemed some lacked the patience to wait for their destiny.
"It will be for the best," he heard the woman tucked against him whisper.
"Are you certain, miko?" he asked, his eyes on the moon high above.
She simply nodded and held onto his haori tighter.
"Very well," he exclaimed, "This Sesshoumaru will see that you do return to your time."
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A week had passed, and she had said her farewells, but she felt as if she were dead. It hurt so much that she was feeling numb. Her heart just couldn't take any more.
"Is that the well you spoke of, miko?" the daiyoukai behind her, the owner of their fast method of transportation, asked from high above the ground.
She simply nodded; she feared that if she opened her mouth, it wasn't a sound that was going to escape her, but all her tears. She watched as they descended to the ground, and she was even more impressed to see the transparent cloud disappear as they touched the grass.
Sesshoumaru began to walk towards the well, ignoring her. He neared the common place and touched the wood, maybe expecting to get a reading or a reaction of it, but nothing happened. He turned to her with monotone eyes. "Miko, it's time," he said simply.
But she felt so much dread. It was as if it was a final judgment or a terrible fate and she cringed. She closed her eyes for some moments, and then she gripped her Shikon Jewel, trying to once again find the resolve she had last week.
But, it wasn't working, not this time. Tears began to flow down, no longer held by her restrains and she opened her eyes to try to look to the well, but her vision was blurred. "I don't want to go!" she cried, but the next moment she let out a frightened scream when she felt someone grab her. "No!" she screamed and began to hit Sesshoumaru with all she could. "Please Sesshoumaru, don't do this! Don't make me go! I don't want to go, please wait, wait, wait!" she pleaded, but as she found herself sitting on the familiar lip of the well, she grabbed Sesshoumaru as if her life depended on it. "Sesshoumaru, please -"
"It's Sesshoumaru-sama," he said coldly and hugged her closer to him. It took her breath away, and the uncharacteristic behavior he was exhibiting sobered her tears. Little by little her vision became sharper and she could see his steady gaze, looking straight at her. "Do you remember this Sesshoumaru's promise?"
She shook her head, but it was a lie. She remember, she remember the night when he said he would ensure she did things right.
"I do." And with that he jumped down the well, and Kagome screamed her lungs out at the unexpected action. However, she cried harder when the familiar portal to her time opened.
She wanted to grab onto Sesshoumaru, she wanted to jump, she wanted to do anything. But she could do nothing. And the next second, she hit the well's base of her own time.
Her sobs increased, and the awful sound echoed on the wooden walls. Not a minute later, her mother's face appeared at the top of the well. "Kagome!" the woman screamed with tears on her face "Kagome! You are alive!" the woman exclaimed with tears streaking down her face. Unblinking the woman grabbed onto the lip of the well and began to descend hurriedly, her relieved sobs killing Kagome's sorrowful ones. The woman finally reached the bottom and grabbed her daughter harshly in a suffocating hug. "My daughter has come back, she has come back…," the older woman muttered like a soothing mantra.
A few minutes later, when both women had calm down enough to be able to talk, they slowly walked up the stairs, a relieved silence wrapping about them.
She felt guilty. She had left her mother to worry a whole year, and she had been about to leave her forever. She had been so foolishly ignorant. And it tore at her heart. She had chosen a reckless duty and a demon-filled era above her family's love. She had been so foolish, and Sesshoumaru had been so right.
"You were right!" Kagome's mom suddenly exclaimed, pulling Kagome back of her personal ramblings, and she looked up with wide owl eyes.
There, in a costly but messily arranged suit was Sesshoumaru. His golden eyes were directed at her, with an empty longing that made tears bubble up again.
"Indeed," was his simple reply.
Kagome's mom bowed politely towards Sesshoumaru and with a teary smile at Kagome, left the shrine grounds and into the house.
A minute passed in where both beings eased their emotions, this reunion was anything but easy.
"What happen? What are you doing here?" Kagome asked and she pitifully tried to dry her tears.
"Your mother had been upset," he explained "I believed it was in my responsibility to assure her of your wellbeing and the approximate day of your arrival."
"Approximate?" she asked with a frown.
"Hn," he replied "We been waiting for a week." He explained and he moved closer to her. "I have always trusted my memory, but I had been wrong. A week too soon I predicted your arrival."
She nodded somewhat shaken. It was unsettling, the easiness he showed as he confessed such a flaw. He had always been a proud demon.
"Indeed, my memory is not that precise," he said and closed up on her. With a slow reluctance, as if tasting a reverenced dish, he neared her and took in her scent. His warm breath ghosted her nose, and she was frozen. "I had forgotten the real essence behind your scent."
Kagome gasped and shook as she heard his soft voice. The tone he used was so…different!
"Through the years, things have changed. I have changed my mind about your question," he said and his soft golden eyes lazily found hers. "Do you remember the question?"
Kagome frowned a little as she tried to search for the right question; after all, she had just come from the past. She should remember.
"I do." And he dug his hand on her black hair and brought her near to him, enjoying her scent and her warmth. He could smell her confusion and her uneasiness, and understood her completely. After all, many things had happened during her absence.
"Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, and her hands grabbed his lower arm, maybe intending to push him away.
"It's Sesshoumaru, only for you".
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Fin
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JeniNeji Comments: Thanks Teana for beta reading this chapter, and thanks to all those readers for following this short story. Feedback always appretiated :)