Chapter 9
A Broken Heart, and a Dogs Revenge
Kagome sat on the edge of the well, needing to jump through but unable to bring herself to do so. Her back pack was heavy and digging into her shoulders, but she ignored it, the pain in her heart greater. Sesshomaru's revelation had left her head spinning and her heart in her throat. How was she supposed to react to learning that InuYasha had finally chosen. He had mated Kagome's dead incarnation, and according to Sesshomaru, should soon be expecting a child.
That was what killed her the most. She could have handled InuYasha choosing Kikyou. Yes, it would have hurt and she would have been devastated, but she knew that eventually he would chose. She had hoped it would be her he chose to spend his life with, but her mind reminded her that, her hopes and wishes may not come to pass. It was a nagging reminder that she could never escape. So, yes, she knew that InuYasha might have chosen Kikyou.
In this case, while his choice hurt painfully, it was the realization that not only did he chose another, he got them pregnant. He also didn't even tell Kagome, simply letting the distraught woman to think that she still had a chance. According to Sesshomaru mating season started three months ago, meaning that was how long Kikyou and InuYasha had been together. For three months she was left pining after a hanyou who didn't want her, who left her thinking that they may end up together.
Kagome had pictured herself by InuYasha's side. She had seen them living together, married and mated in a hut built by InuYasha. She could see her self hanging up their clothing while InuYasha played with their children. The laughter of her family had been music to her ears, the constant reminder that everything she went through with InuYasha and Kikyou would be worth it.
Now, that same sound just killed her, drove a sword through her heart, leaving it bleeding and broken. She had had so many hopes and dreams for the two of them, and now she was going to have to let them all go. How could she do that? How could she just turn away from something that she had desired with the entirety of the beating organ in her chest. Gods, how she wanted InuYasha to love her the same way she loved him.
And now, she was a mess. She had woken up from the dream realm sobbing. It had been so loud that her mother had come running, thinking Kagome had somehow hurt herself. Kagome had been in hysterics, her screaming wails breaking the hearts of her entire family as they watched, unsure of what to do. Her grandpa, while not having any power, still knew of a way to seal the well, and he did. Making sure InuYasha couldn't come through any longer. Kagome could still go, but she would have the peace she needed. In the meantime, Kagome's mother forced Kagome to drink a tea that within minutes had the miko fast asleep.
Kagome was only too happy to be in the dream realm again. She didn't want to dream of InuYasha and Kikyou, She didn't think she could bare it. Sesshomaru had met her, his features tense. It was clear he wasn't sure how to handle the heart broken miko. Even though he was confused and uncomfortable, he stayed, wanting to be sure she was alright. She told him she would be, but she would be staying at her home for a bit longer. She needed to compose herself. Sesshomaru simply nodded and motioned to a tree, Kagome sat and he followed. He was sure not to touch the female, but he leaned against the same tree, giving her silent support. He would never know it, but Sesshomaru helped her a lot just by doing that.
A week later, she now sat on the well, trying to convince herself to take the leap. She had made a decision not to even tell InuYasha that she knew of him and Kikyou. Ultimately, she still loved him, and that wouldn't fade away anytime soon. While she was in pain, her heart constricting every time she thought of him, she wanted him to be happy. Even if it wasn't with her. If Kikyou was who he needed, then so be it.
However, saying it, is easier than doing it. Yes, she has decided to let the hanyou and corpse be, letting them be in love and have their family. But that didn't mean her heart understood what her mind wanted. Her mind knew she was doing the right thing, her destroyed organ wanted to rip the two apart and claim InuYasha as her own. She would never act on those feelings, she wasn't selfish like that, but the thought was there.
She had no idea how she was going to react when she saw InuYasha. She knew he would be frantic, wanting to know why he couldn't come through the well, or why she didn't come back after the two days he allowed her to be gone. She knew that keeping calm around him was going to be hard, and she dreaded seeing him. This was a first, and it just told her she was making the right decision. Right now, she wanted to focus on herself. She wanted to train with Sesshomaru become strong so she can be useful and make her own way. She wanted to get over InuYasha, and fix the pieces her heart was now in.
She couldn't have InuYasha, and she accepted it. She wasn't going to cling onto something that was impossible, but she also knew it would take time to get over her first love. This wasn't something that would happen over night, and it would be worse on her because she would still have to travel with the hanyou. If she was able to stay away from him for a while, then she'll get over him quicker, but that wasn't her luck.
With a broken sigh, Kagome pushed herself over the edge. Her eyes closed the moment she felt the swirling magic around her and she braced herself. Within seconds she felt her feet hit the dirt of the past, and the unpolluted air fill her lungs. She loved being here, loved seeing the world as it used to be. It was so beautiful and fulfilling. So much better than her own polluted and dying time.
She stood there for a moment, her head raised, eyes closed as she just breathed deeply. She knew her peace wouldn't last, but for now she would just stand there and enjoy it. As suspected, she was meet with a whirlwind of feral hanyou, and she sighed, her peace ruined. She didn't even have time to speak before red clad arms engulfed her. Her stomach dropped as she was thrust into the air, and landing on soft grass. InuYasha released her, and she knew, in that moment as her eyes met his, this wasn't going to be pretty.
"Where the fuck have you been, Bitch?! Why couldn't I get through the well?" His yell was loud, and she flinched, not expecting that from him. He was damn near frothing at the mouth, only inches from her face. She suspected that if he didn't still have the beads around his neck, that his yokai blood would have taken over. She had never seen him like this, and her wounded heart was making her own ire rise. Why does he care how long she was away for. From this moment on, she was no longer his problem.
Being the matured woman she was, she simply turned from him and began the trek towards the village. It was clear InuYasha was stunned, because he stood frozen for a few moments, surprised by what she did. It didn't take long for him to catch up though. Still, Kagome continued to ignore him, even while he was yelling in her ear the entire way. He was so loud, her poor ear was beginning to ring.
She made it to the village, not surprised to see the rest of her group standing outside the hut, surprised at the antics of InuYasha. It seemed he was losing his control. Kagome smiled sweetly at Sango and Miroku, before looking towards Titan that had a narrow eyed Kirara sitting on his back. She smiled to them as well. She began walking towards them again, still ignoring an irate InuYasha as she walked into the hut. She could hear Miroku stopping InuYasha outside, and she knew Sango and the monk wouldn't let InuYasha near her at the moment. She patted Shippo on the head, and gave a greeting towards Kaeda who looked at the hut door warily.
Titan pushed his way in, his fur bristling in anger, and he sat beside Kagome, his back towards her and his eyes never leaving the flap that kept the outside from getting into the hut. It was clear he wasn't going to let InuYasha get anywhere near her either, and even Kirara sat beside the large dog, keeping herself between the struggling miko and infuriated hanyou.
"Oh, Titan! I brought those supplies I told you about. I figure after dinner, if you wanted, I could wash your fur and brush out all of the knots. I'm sure tomorrow morning Inuyasha is going to want to begin traveling again and with his mood, he isn't going to let us stop for long. I won't have time after tonight." Kagome explained, her voice cheerful even though she was trying not to cry. She didn't understand just why InuYasha was acting the way he was.
"That will be fine, miko." Titan replied, his shoulders tense as he continued to look towards the matting. Kagome smiled slightly, surprised yet happy that Sesshomaru would chose to protect her, even while in his mortal dog form.
Finally the commotion outside settled down and InuYasha gave up, leaving and disappearing into his forest. She knew he hasn't given up, and knew he would continue to pester her, but at least for now all was quiet. Miroku, Sango, and Kaeda didn't ask any questions, seeming to understand Kagome couldn't talk about it at the moment. Shippo asked, but quickly changed the subject when he noticed the misting of his mother figures eyes, He began to tell him of his mini adventures while she was away, and just like that, her friends and family had distracted her.
Dinner was cooked and served, and all laughed and played. Well, all except Sesshomaru who simply observed it all, a look of interest on his face. When the sun had set, Kagome began digging in her overly sized yellow bag, grabbing her bathing supplies and Titans. She asked Sango to join, but was turned down. Sango still didn't see how taking so many bathes was healthy, and would refuse occasionally. Kagome understood, knowing that this was a different time. That was one custom she wouldn't follow by though.
Calling on Titan and grabbing her bow Kagome made her way to the nearest hot spring. Her silent partner following beside her. She could see Titans ears twitching, and she knew he was keeping an eye out for danger. Even now, while he was mortal, he was protecting her, and she admired him for it. It just showed how reliable he could be. That was something she needed in her life at the moment.
They arrived at the spring, and then Kagome froze. She intended to bathe as well. It was mid summer and the days were hot. Even just cooking dinner had caused her to sweat and she felt like she had a sticky film over her skin that she desperately wanted to remove. The only problem was the demon turned dog that had already padded to the water and stepped in. Even as he lowered his head to drink, she couldn't help the mini panic attack that was forming in her chest. Right now titan was a dog, but deep down, that was still Sesshomaru, the lord of the west. And she was about to bathe with him.
With a shake of her head, her determination rose. If she refused to undress because of a dog, Sesshomaru would become suspicious. Besides, it's not as if he would ever look at her, a mere human mortal, that way. He would most likely be disgusted, and that thought is what gave her the courage to undress. She wasted no time in pulling her clothing from her body and walking into the spring. She settled the supplies at the edge of the water, and stepped in. A deep sigh left her lips as the water covered her body, and she sighed.
"Did you forget about something, miko?" Sesshomaru's voice suddenly cut through her mind and she startled, turning to look at the dog she had temporarily forgotten about. She blushed, remembering that as the dog he was, he wouldn't be able to go into the deep water and relax.
"Sorry." She mumbled, making her way back to him. She sat on the edge, the soft grass tickling at her bare skin. She cupped the water in her hands, letting it fall over his fur, and even that was enough to make dirt run free from his skin. When she was sure the fur was saturated, she grabbed the dog shampoo and lathered it in her hands before placing it to his skin. Her fingers began to massage, making sure that the soap got everything away.
While Kagome was calm and relaxed, Sesshomaru wasn't. He had never been touched like this and for good reason. Grooming was done between mates, and mates alone. This type of touch… it was intimate and foreign to the lord. He knew the miko didn't think of it as being anything more then helping him, and he didn't think of the miko as a friend, let alone mate. But he was never touched so gently before until he took in Rin, and even those were far and few in between, and never like what the miko was doing at this particular moment. Unfortunately for the demon turned dog, it got even worse.
"Um… Titan." Kagome started, her gulp so loud he turned to her. He took note of her flushed cheeks and the way she wouldn't meet his eyes and suddenly he was confused, wondering what was so wrong. Finally she opened her mouth, and he wished she had never spoke. "We'll… you see… I need to clean all of your fur to get the dirt away, and well…" She paused again and took in a deep breath before letting it all out in a rush. "Your male and I need to clean there as well."
It was a squeak spoken so quickly that Sesshomaru almost missed it, and he wished he had. The woman had just asked to wash his cock. His head turned away from her immediately and he felt heat rise to his cheeks. He was glad he was a dog at that moment and she couldn't see the blush that flooded his face. That was the last thing he needed. Unfortunately, he needed that area cleaned to, because as she said, it was covered in fur, and if he was matted up everywhere else, well… He most definitely needed it cleaned.
He gave a quick nod, closed his eyes and pretended he was some where else. He most definitely didn't like have this woman touching him this way, and luckily it seemed that she didn't like it either. She did what she needed to quickly and and removed her hand, not letting it linger. The moment she did that, both of them let out the breath they had been holding, relieved that part was over. Kagome chuckled at the situation, it was the only way she knew how to react, and Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her.
She told him to rinse and he did, before receiving that most relaxing brush down he had ever received. He had never had one before, but he still doubted anything could top what the female had done for him. Once she was finished, and his fur was soft and shining she took care of herself and soon they were heading back. Kagome settled herself at the hut, leaning against it as she relaxed, Miroku and Sango joined her, while Shippo curled up in her lap and Kirara in Sango's.
Kagome couldn't help but to be thankful for her friends and family on this side of the well. The moment InuYasha left, they all kept her busy, keeping her mind off of Inuyasha and Kikyou. It's what she needed. She knew InuYasha would be back and he would ruin the tranquility she had managed to find. For now though, she simply relaxed against the hut, looking up at the darkening sky, and patiently waiting for the first twinkling of the stars.
It didn't take long before Titan suddenly growled, and Kagome tensed knowing what that meant. InuYasha had returned. He stopped at the edge of the woods, just looking at the tense group. For a few moments he didn't move and then the first steps were taken. Kagome looked away not wanting to see the hanyou and his intense eyes. She knew he was going to want her to talk, but right now she couldn't and wouldn't. It was just to painful.
"Kagome, what the fuck has gotten into you?" InuYasha asked, his voice softer than earlier. He would never admit it, but he was scared. She never acted this way around him and it seemed as if she was distant, out of his reach and he didn't like that. He needed her back to the way she was before.
"InuYasha, please for once, leave me be. I don't want to talk about it." She begged, her voice soft. It was clear she was in turmoil, and InuYasha wanted to know what was bothering her, but he decided to back off. When she got into these moods, it never ended well for him, and he really didn't want to taste dirt.
Before he got a chance to nod, Titan stood and made his way to the hanyou. It seemed the dog was simply going to walk past him. That is until he stopped, lifted his leg, and proceeded to relive himself on the hanyou. Instantly InuYasha felt the wet heat on his leg and he growled, ready to kill the mutt. Before he had a chance to, Kagome's voice rang out over the cackling of the others and he was forced to the ground. However, this didn't stop the dog from urinating, and now InuYasha's white hair was tinted yellow.
"Titan, will you come sit beside me please?" Kagome asked, her voice calm, even as InuYasha slammed into the ground again. She knew InuYasha was going to be furious. Not only did he get marked, but the rest of his pack was laughing at him. Even Kagome was having trouble keeping a straight face.
Titan turned from InuYasha, used his back to feet to kick dirt towards the downed and growling half-breed, then did as the female requested. He knew InuYasha would be furious at Kagome for making him taste the earth, and Sesshomaru would be sure he didn't hurt the miko. He had already hurt her enough.
Finally InuYasha bolted from the ground, snarling towards Kagome and Titan. Both the dog and miko met his glare, eyes staring into his unblinkingly and he could see that neither felt any remorse for their actions. He knew he was already in trouble with Kagome and he didn't want to eat dirt again, so he bit his tongue, turned and headed towards the spring. He needed to get the smell of that dog off of him.
Once he was gone, Kagome turned to Titan, a small smile on her face as she regarded the dog. She never expected Sesshomaru to do something like that, and it shocked her. She was curious, and wanted to know why he would, so she asked. It was silent while she waited for his answer.
Now Sesshomaru was panicking. He didn't want to admit to the female that he could smell the dead priestess all over the filthy half-breed. He knew her to be in a delicate state as she was, but he didn't want to lie either. "He smelled horrible." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the complete truth either. However, it would have to do.
Kagome knew that he was keeping something from her, but didn't push him on it. She didn't need any more problems at the moment. She simply turned to the rest of her friends, explained what happen, and laughed with them. It was amazing how the moment InuYasha left, her heart was lighter, and she felt the stress leave her shoulders. Maybe, one day, it could be like this all of the time.
…sSs…
It has come to my attention that none of my line breaks have been showing up. There isn't any in this chapter because it wasn't needed however, I will be sure to change the line breaks I was using to ones that fanfiction approves of. Kagome has taken the first step to healing at this point, but she has a long road ahead of her. This will take time. Soon Sesshomaru will start to see Kagome I a new light as well, and then the journey to love and happiness will begin. It will be long and time consuming though. Rin will finally be found in the next chapter, but Jaken will make things difficult for them. I hope you enjoyed.
Shout outs:
Llebreknit: I understand the way she may have felt, but that's not good enough of a reason to die. She had InuYasha who needed her. A disease would have been better. I have never done a story this so before, but I wanted to try it. I hate it as well when they suddenly fall in love and they forget that Sesshomaru doesn't even like humans. Even at the end of the anime he still didn't like them. He had a type of respect for a certain few, but not all.
Redrake323: I'm glad to be back. Hopefully I won't miss any more updates any time soon.
Wren210: It will be awhile before InuYasha even notices that he has lost Kagome, and when he does, he will try to get her back. It will be to late then. Him falling out of a tree just randomly popped up and I couldn't help but to use it. Training should begin in the next chapter. I haven't decided about Kikyou being pregnant, but we will see.
Koritsia: InuYasha won't get Kagome. I don't know if I will ever write a kagome and Inuyasha pairing to be honest. Lol.
RebornKitten: Only InuYasha could answer that question. But it's a good thing that he did, because that means he opened the way for Kagome and Sesshomaru to get together. I always use page breaks, and it was your review, and the review of another that alerted me to the fact that the weren't showing up. I have changed what I used so hopefully in the future that won't be a problem.
-inuYasha: I love Wrens writing. She and I help each other out a great deal with our stories.
