Chapter 4

Just Nothing Really

The blue warmth that met Kagome was some how different from the other times she traveled through time. But the other times she didn't have extra cargo. Her eyes stayed glued to the demon lords' face, he seemed awed by what was occurring (his normal golden eyes were a hint lighter). Kagome didn't know what to do, wondering briefly why it was taking longer to go back to her home time, but that all ended when they stopped and landed on the unforgiving ground. A small groan passed her lips when the wind left her lungs due to Sesshomaru's armor he constantly wore.

Hauling her body from the demon lord got the chance to make some rude comment she glanced towards the opening expecting to see a clear expanse of endless blue but was rewarded with a dark wooden structure. Immediately panic hit her full force, "no the well isn't supposed to work for you! Only InuYasha and me…I have to get you back to Sengoku Jidai." She didn't notice the dangerous quiet of the demon. Who she was standing on.

"Get off of me Human." Glancing down Kagome realized two things at once one, she was wearing a skirt and two, she was standing on an extremely dangerous youkai while wearing said skirt; today was not looking up for the young priestess. She quickly stepped off, grabbing the rope ladder hopping for some crazy moment that it had protection powers, which of course it didn't. Her startling clear orbs gazed at him in a way that made him think of a scared animal that was about to meet its end. A fitting end to a disgusting priestess, the noble lord thought.

Slowly the dark well was lit by a neon green glow that came from Sesshomaru's hand. Kagome suddenly wished that she had gone out with Hojo that fateful day that she fell through the well, maybe if she had—albeit she would be bored out of her mind—she would be quietly enjoying her life. But fate plays cruel tricks in life and while the little devil did torture Kagome, it blessed her in that one insistence.

"Kagome! Kagome? Is that you down there?" A incredibly boyish squeaky voice yelled from the top of the well and frankly, she almost wept.

"Yeah Souta it's me…I'm here but InuYasha's big brother…"

"Half wench."

"…InuYasha's big half brother with me." Kagome put emphasis on the 'half' in her sentence, for she was always more confident in numbers. Even if it was with her little brother.

"Ah, man that so cool! Come on up I want to see him!" She could already hear the squeal in his boyish voice that made her smile yet cringe knowing that Sesshomaru heard every word. She grabbed the yellow filled backpack to start the short track up the rope ladder and when the whoosh of air came from behind her she knew that Sesshomaru had jumped to ground level.

When she hauled herself over the lip of the well, she saw her brother gazing intently at the tall demon lord, the latter sniffing discreetly at the stale air in the well house. She had the strangest urge to just snap at him that, it was a well house it wasn't supposed to smell like roses, but she refrained from doing so. It would just back fire on her and she couldn't have that with her brother just a mere three feet separating him from a demon. She glanced back at the well and was stunned to feel the magic slip away, her mouth gapped open like a fish gasping for water when plunged into oxygen. She must've squeaked or made a noise because the two males stopped their staring match to gaze at her, Souta was the only one who went up to her his touch jolted her out of her mild daze.

"It's gone…It can't be gone." Her voice was broken, a shell of what it used to be. Her brother tilted his head in confusion.

"What do you mean Kagome?" She only shook her head when a thought struck her she turned her gaze towards the demon.

"Can you feel magic?" He slowly blinked as if shocked or confused that she would ask him something like that so she explained. "Like when an aura has one of magic, probably like me, but." He cut her off.

"Yes I can." Mr. Conversation.

"Can you feel the well's magic anymore?"

"No."

Well this was going to be fun; InuYasha wouldn't come for at least three or four days. What was a girl to do with an ancient demon lord—and, not just that, one with a personality problem? She gazed dispassionately at the demon, considering the best action to take to tell him of the lost of power—for if she did it bluntly, her head may come off, if she did it too nicely, well he might not understand what had occurred. It was all a matter of the choice of word arrangement.

"Well, Sesshomaru here's the thing, the well's magic is gone." Well so far for being nice about it, it's always nicer to be blunt. Yeah right, her inner thoughts echoed. The only reaction she got was a blinking of eyes—from both of the boys. Souta blinked his eyes and tilted his head as in the unvoiced question, "run that by me again." While the demon lord just blinked his eyes and made the almost unnoticeable tightening of his fists. "That is to say, I can't feel it right now…So there's always the chance that it'll appear again at a time when it deems it necessary. I'll do research."

At that, Souta laughed loudly, "Kagome-Chan, you don't study for any of your tests…you're actually saying you'll do research on our shrine?"

"Yeah that's what I'm saying, I have to Souta-Chan." Kagome shrugged wordlessly but sighed, "Sesshomaru I'm sorry to inform you but you'll have to stay in this shrine for your safety."

He gazed at her for a full minute before voicing, "I have no desire to be here." Of course wherever here was, he didn't rightly know. Or understand.

Kagome sighed, bringing her right hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose, loosening the tension. It could be worse, he could be as hot-headed as InuYasha when there's not Ramen…The fleeting thought did nothing for her mood in general, just reminded her that InuYasha would be mad when she didn't come back in a day or two.

"Ok, here's the plan: Sesshomaru, you'll stay around the shrine, I think grandpa can make o-fuda to dull the smells around here, or I can research it." She glanced at Souta, "and Souta can get some of dad's things from the attic so Sesshomaru-sama can wear something other then that kimono." Kagome was happy for thinking of a well-organized plan, it wasn't everyday that her plans were considerate to both parties—usually she accidentally left out something. Souta nodded though as if left he glanced back at the imposing demon lord. Kagome looked at Sesshomaru when the door softly closed and questioned him, "is that agreeable to you Sesshomaru?"

He gazed dispassionately at the eager to please woman, barely blinking in ascent to her question. Kagome waited, not quick enough to see the slight difference in his facial expression which resulted in her giving up, shrugging her shoulders and venturing to say, "Well then, will you please follow me then? I'll show you around, I guess." She turned around, waited until she heard his soft footsteps behind her and slide open the shoji door that lead to the outside.

The assault of smells and sounds slammed Sesshomaru in the face without any warning from Kagome. Kagome continued towards the incredibly humble estate, in Sesshomaru's opinion, to their right, never once looking back to check up on the demon. He only faltered for a split second before eating up the ground to walk beside her, she stopped in the front of her house, to turn and look at him, "Please Sesshomaru, do not kill my family, they're nice—just human." He didn't mention the fact she failed to address him properly.

"I will not." With that, Kagome smiled brilliantly and walked into her house, keeping the door open for the demon lord. He stepped inside, instantly smelling two males and another woman in the humble home, who all smelled pleasantly but had the under laying smell of mortality. He followed Kagome's example of discarding their shoes and slipping on furry contraptions that incased ones' feet in softness, he puzzled on their material and continued to follow the priestess.

She lead him to a room she called the kitchen, it seems heavily of food and the older woman, when they entered Kagome greeted the other woman who was her mother. "Okaa-san, this is Sesshomaru-sama, he's Inuyasha's older brother…"

"Half."

Kagome huffed, "Inuyasha's older half-brother."

Her mother looked at the imposing figure, bowed low and introduced herself, "Hello, I'm Kagome's mother, Higurashi Fuyu; it is a pleasure to meet you." She smiled sweetly, turned towards her daughter, "and how is it that Sesshomaru-sama can be here?"

Kagome shrugged, sitting down on one of the kitchen chairs, "I have no idea, he can't seem to get to far from me, it's like a physical barrier, watch. Could you please try to leave the room Sesshomaru?" He crossed his arms, not inching one way or another. Kagome frowned but got up, "then watch me," she demonstrated by trying to leave the room but she stopped abruptly and floated across the room until she stood a foot apart from Sesshomaru. Fuyu watched this with apparent interest.

"You should speak with your Grandfather regarding this; he will be the one that knows the most. And remember, dinner's ready in an hour." She watched as the couple left the room, obviously uncomfortable with one another and pondered this event while going back to cooking.

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Just for your information, half of this chapter was written who knows how many months ago and the second half was written quickly and thoughtlessly. Review if you like, I don't even know if I'll have the determination to finish this, for this story was supposed to be novel length--so it's a matter of time before I decide whether to continue or not.

But still, please enjoy and review.