Part Six - A Sprinkling of Stars

Solid ground appeared under her feet as the swirling blue magic settled back into the grain of the wood. With her back already beginning to strain with the weight of her bag, she called for help getting out of the well.

"Inuyasha? Are you up there?"

There was no response, so with a resigned sigh she grabbed onto the trailing roots and began to haul herself out of the darkness. When she reached the top, Kagome slung the bag to the ground, collapsing beside it into the fresh snow. Her eyes closed and she panted to catch her breath before the second leg of her journey.

A pulse of untamed youkai rippled through the air. Kagome's eyes flew open at the danger, and she began to look around for the source while mentally kicking herself that she had forgotten her bow and arrow at Kaede's hut.

It grew closer and she scrambled to her feet, ready to grab her sack and make a run for it. She caught a movement of shadow at the edge of the forest. It was Sesshoumaru. The old Sesshoumaru.

This was the vision she could never get out of her head - white silk and fur rippling against the wind - untamed and dangerous. Sesshoumaru stopped at the edge of the clearing, their eyes meeting across the distance for a moment.

Golden eyes studied her with intent, before flicking down to the bag of presents she held in her hand. A bolt of panic ran down her spine. 'Did he catch his own scent on the bag?' she wondered. Sesshoumaru met her gaze once again, and then turned and disappeared into the forest.

The tension ran out of her body with one long exhale.

. . .

Hours later, Kagome's small family in the feudal era snuggled under warm blankets with full bellies, presents from the future scattered around them. Christmas was a few days off still, but the anticipation had gotten the best of her companions.

All were deep in a calm sleep. Miroku and Sango curled against each other; Shippo was sacked out against one of Inuyasha's legs while Rin curled against the other, strands of black hair falling across her innocent face as she curled up with Kagome's blanket.

In the perfect silence of the night and surrounded by all she held dear, Kagome could not help but think of Sesshoumaru alone for so many centuries with nothing to keep him company but his memories.

There were two last presents to give, so Kagome pulled out the video camera she received from her mother on her birthday and began to film Rin's sleeping face.

. . .

Later as the moon rose high, Kagome sat on the edge of the well staring up at the indigo sky sprinkled with silver stars. He was near, yet hidden, watching her from the shadows.

She smiled to herself, pulling a small wrapped package from the inside of her coat and setting it on the lip of the well. Making her way back down to the hut, she turned to the dark forest. "Merry Christmas, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru's eyes fell to the present and his curiosity took over. It smelled of the miko, but also of strange lands and materials. Running a clawed finger through the tape and blue metallic paper, he opened the wooden box and found an ebony fountain pen. A silver crescent graced the top, while the gold tip was carved with fanciful designs, tapering to a sharp point.

He glanced back to the path the miko had used, and quietly tucked the present behind the plate of his armor.

. . .

The next morning Kagome and Rin made their way to the clearing where she could give the girl her presents from Sesshoumaru without arising suspicions from the rest of the group.

The videotape rolled as the bright paper was torn away from the boxes and her happy laughter rang through the crisp air. The first gift was a heavy and warm winter kimono of pink, covered in butterflies and flowers. Rin's eyes lit up as she pulled it from the box.

"Are you sure this is for me, Kagome-chan?" she asked.

Kagome smiled at her. "It sure is."

Dark brown eyes looked up at her in wonder. "But who would get this for me?"

Taking the kimono from Rin's hands, she turned the girl around and began to help her pull it over her arms. "It's from someone who loves you very much," she replied. "If Sesshoumaru-sama were to ask where you got the presents, just tell him that my mother decided to give away all of the clothes from when I was a little girl."

The color of the kimono brought out the pink in her small face, bright and happy. "You have some more gifts to open!" Kagome said as she pulled another gift from the bag.

Thick mittens followed the kimono, along with sturdy fur lined boots. A matching hat with ear flaps was next, along with assorted candies and chocolates and peppermint sticks.

Rin's final gift was a bracelet with a small charm of a white dog. "It looks like Sesshoumaru-sama!" she exclaimed.

"It certainly does," she replied. "Rin-chan, would you like to help me make a present for Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Rin squealed and clapped her hands in excitement. "Yes! Rin wants to help!"

. . .

Unbeknown to the pair of giggling girls, two sets of golden eyes watched them from opposite sides of the forest.

A small twinge of guilt ran through Sesshoumaru. He should have thought to get her warmer clothes before now. Perhaps it was a good thing he had not succeeded in killing the miko after all. She did have her uses, and maybe this was a subtle way of letting him know humans were more susceptible to the cold than he had previously imagined.

Yet there was something familiar yet foreign about the scent that clung to her clothes. The miko had always smelled peculiar. But there was a new scent he could not place his finger on just yet.

Across the clearing, Inuyasha clenched his fists tight enough to draw blood. The smells of the future were familiar to his nose, but there was one he would know anywhere. Kagome smelled of Sesshoumaru.