Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to own the characters they all belong to Rumiko Takahashi, not me.

A/N: I don't know who the child of Kagome's grandpa is so I'll make her father the son. If he is supposedly Kagome's mom's father I am terribly sorry for the mix-up, but I will not change it if that were the case. Without further ado, here is the next chapter. Please do review . . . I need motivation.

A Gap Across Time

IX: Not Knowing Can Be Good

"Hiraikotsu!"

Miroku watched as Sango threw her oversized boomerang at the oncoming demon. He let out a low whistle when the youkai was cleanly sheathed in half by the powerful weapon. Miroku was supposedly leaning against a tree at the time whilst watching the demon exterminator eliminate demons when one sprung upon him from behind. With a loud wail he fell to the forest floor trying with all his might to keep the demon's large teeth at bay from tearing away at his delicate flesh.

"Sango," he grunted, "I could use a little help here!"

Sango merely rolled her eyes and redirected her weapon at the demon attacking her companion. He breathed a sigh of relief and stood up to dust himself off after the youkai was killed. "Thank you, Sango." She simply rolled her eyes again. Miroku noticed her cold gestures. "Why are you being so--"

"So cold?" she finished for him. He could do little more than nod stupidly. "Well, first off you've been of little to no help lately, and I can say right now that you're using me. I've been doing all the fighting by myself alongside with Kirara's help."

The little cat demon meowed at being acknowledged.

"Using you?" Miroku looked hurt by her accusation. "I am not using you; you've gotten it all wrong."

"Really, now?"

Miroku couldn't think up of a single thing to back himself up with so he said whatever came to his mind. "Hmmm, perhaps I have been as of late. Please do let me explain because I know that you're hurt due to the fact that you believe I'd use you and do nothing in return for your services . . ." The monk went silent for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts. ". . . Without further ado, I've been looking deeply into things that have been happening around us recently."

"What do you mean?" Sango asked. Is he trying to worm his way out of this . . .?

"Demons have been showing up around this area quite frequently now. Doesn't that stir up your curiosity?"

Sango placed one hand on her chin while her other went across her waist to support her upraised elbow. Kirara, who was sitting on her shoulder shifted a little bit so she could get better cushioning from her master. Miroku is right. I suspect that something must not be right around here. "What you're saying seems to be the truth . . . we have been killing a lot more demons, but I hadn't thought it was strange though."

"Precisely."

". . . About demons, I wonder how Inuyasha and Shippou are doing."

Miroku let out a low chuckle, which in turn, made Sango glare at him. "Knowing those two they're probably constantly arguing due to Inuyasha's stupidity that could rival even the most stubborn youkai. It goes to show that it was a good idea we told Shippou to go along though, so he can keep an eye on Inuyasha."

"That wasn't the only thing that worries me. I also wonder how Kagome is faring with Sesshoumaru on her end of the well." Sango developed a pensive look as Miroku watched her. "Maybe we should go to Kaede's place for a while. The increase in demons and the calamity that we're probably foreseeing should be dealt with as soon as possible."

"Calamity, huh?" Maybe we're better off not knowing.

"Come on! We have no time to waste!" Sango jumped atop Kirara's transformed self and waited for Miroku to accompany her.

-----

Kagome stopped rubbing her arms when she accidentally caused herself to feel pain from her healing palm. She looked at the bandaged hand in earnest, and wondered why none of her friends questioned her about it at the birthday party. Kagome, why would you want them to ask you about it! You should be glad that they didn't! Her eyes traveled to the darkened sky as she stared at it for a long while. She thought it was strange that even though it was the middle of summer there'd be nights where it was considerably chilly. Just then a light buzzing noise floated across her senses, and thus, for that brief moment she saw the streetlights flicker and then settle as their light illuminated everything and anything that was close enough - she was standing directly underneath one. A hint of silver invaded her thoughts. I wonder how Sesshoumaru is doing.

Determined to get home and tend to the arrogant taiyoukai Kagome quickened her pace as she literally ran down the last block towards her house. The bedroom light in her mother's room was on. She knew that Sesshoumaru was still awake; she could see two shadows silhouetted across the window's curtains within the room - one she knew belonged to Sesshoumaru, but the other it could have been her mother, brother, or grandpa.

Who could be inside there with him?

The doorbell rang when Kagome pushed a button with her finger, which was situated beside the front door. Kagome's grandpa was the one to answer it. He gave off a look of surprise when he saw his only granddaughter standing before him.

"Ah, Kagome, you're back!" She raised an eyebrow up at him. "Come quick, I think your mother is in trouble!"

Confused, Kagome asked, "trouble? What do you mean in trouble?"

"She's with that crazy demon! Souta was so scared out of his wits earlier that he came running down the steps after he was forced to serve food to him under the strict orders of your mother! Hurry, and come quick! I'm afraid you're the only one who can save her!"

Talk about a drama queen. There was little Kagome could do as she was towed along by her grandpa. His grip on her arm was frighteningly tight, and he was trembling so much that Kagome came to believe that her mother might actually be in trouble. Despite this she knew the taiyoukai wouldn't attack someone without a reason, and yet she knew he was a very dangerous being that shouldn't be dealt with lightly either. Should I go with my own instincts or believe my grandpa? His hold on me makes me worry. I hope mom is all right . . .

What greeted their eyes was not what either one of them was expecting. Kagome and her grandpa sweat dropped at the image before them. Mrs. Higurashi was actually humbly humming a nice tune as she changed Sesshoumaru's bandages - from the looks of it the silent Demon Lord appeared as if he didn't mind. Kagome wanted to slap her grandpa right on the side of the head for making her worry when everything was absolutely fine.

Mrs. Higurashi continued to humbly hum to herself as she continuously unrolled a roll of bandages. She didn't bother to look up until Kagome's grandpa let out a choked noise.

"Oh," she turned to greet the duo gawking at her, "welcome back, Kagome, how was the party?"

"It went great!" she quickly replied, and then abruptly turning towards her grandpa, she hissed, "you told me that she was in trouble! Don't make up lies like that to scare me!" He definitely was too much of a drama queen sometimes.

"I thought she was in trouble," he defended. "After all, he is a dangerous being. I was taking precautions so you needn't yell at me. Your mother's husband, or more preferably my son, will be angry with me even in the afterlife if I let her get injured!"

He has a point. "But that isn't good enough of an excuse."

"Stop mumbling because I can still hear it," Sesshoumaru suddenly said. Both Kagome and her grandpa didn't notice that Sesshoumaru was staring at them this whole time. Kagome formed the word "oh" silently with her mouth while her grandpa shrunk back a little from the taiyoukai's intense gaze. They watched as he then turned to face Mrs. Higurashi. "That will be all now. I am fine."

"Are you sure?" She looked at his wound and frowned. "It doesn't seem to be healing at all . . . perhaps you might need professional help."

"Mom," Kagome intervened, "you know we can't do that."

Blinking, in a mildly surprised manner, Mrs. Higurashi asked, "why not, Kagome?"

Kagome looked to her mother and then to the taiyoukai, and then back at her mother again. I feel as if I shouldn't say this . . . although I'm sure that Sesshoumaru wouldn't care one bit. I mean how can it possibly hurt someone like this by saying it? It's not like he wants to be human anyway. "He's not human mom, or did you forget?"

"Not human . . . oh, yes, yes, that's right! I suppose I did forget for a moment."

For the briefest of moments Kagome and Sesshoumaru locked eyes and they raged on with a battle of who could out withstand the other. Beautiful amber-colored orbs stared down the subtle chocolate-brown ones; it was an easily known fact that the taiyoukai was going to win.

Sesshoumaru noticed the pained expression in the girl's eyes. She seems to be hurt - why does her face convey such an image? When Kagome looked away for the briefest of moments and then back at him again, he saw that her eyes now sparkled brightly with false cheeriness. Why does she try to hide it?

From across the room Kagome was wondering what the taiyoukai was thinking about. She knew he sensed something from her, but his expression was so blank that if she or anyone else tried to read his facial expression they wouldn't have been able to tell. Well . . . for a second there I actually believed that Sesshoumaru hurt my mom. Seeing him the way he is now I really want to believe that he'd recover as well. Why, I wonder, why did he stay lodged in my mind throughout Hiruko's birthday party - even now he haunts me.

Tension was starting to build in the air and it was coming on quickly. It didn't ease until Souta made his appearance into the room.

"Mom, I brought more bandages like you requested," he said.

"Thank you, dear, you can place it right over there on the table." Souta's eyes traveled to the indicated spot as he walked towards the table. Mrs. Higurashi smiled warmly when she noticed that Souta was no longer afraid when he went near the taiyoukai. "It's good not seeing you tense up around him. That's a good sign."

"Mom!" Souta blushed a bright tomato red as he threw furtive glances at Sesshoumaru.

Everyone stood still and stayed silent for a good couple of seconds before their grandpa coughed lightly and excused himself from the suffocating room. This, in turn, caused a chain reaction, for their grandpa was followed by Souta and then Mrs. Higurashi as they each left the room. The only person remaining now was Kagome.

Not really expecting to say this at all, Sesshoumaru began, "you look troubled."

Surprised, Kagome blinked at him several times. "I do?" Can he see right through me?

"Don't question the obvious, woman," he replied.

Feeling her anger rising she forcefully retorted, "for the last one-hundredth time my name is Kagome, not woman!" Kagome shrieked a little too loudly. Sesshoumaru didn't really flinch from the pitch, but he definitely moved his head a little. After noticing the pain she caused him, in a much lower tone, she gently said, "call me Kagome - call me by my name much like I do to you."

"You denounce me all too commonly."

"Denounce? What do you mean by denounce?" Kagome placed both of her hands on either side of her hips as she watched Sesshoumaru seemingly ignore her, just so he could slip back on his flower-imprinted gi. "I don't understand how I'm denouncing you when--" Kagome cut herself short after she realized what he meant when he said the word, 'denounce'. Nobility.

"Understand now?" he asked of her when she went completely silent.

"Yes, although putting that title before your name in this world does not suit the taste of us humans. So your name stands as it is without that self-induced title added on."

"I should slit your throat."

"Oh, yeah? Go ahead." Kagome stepped forward bravely and waited. Maybe dying won't be such a bad idea. "I'm not afraid of death; I've seen it enough times in the feudal era."

Hands poised and honing in for the kill Sesshoumaru gave her a shallow puncture on her neck before his body was wracked with unforgiving pain. Recoiling instantly, he withdrew his uninjured arm and tried to bear the brute of the pain by sitting still. The only thing Kagome could do was watch and feel her own warm blood trickle down her throat. She hadn't the time to think of her own wound because she was too transfixed by the suffering taiyoukai to register that she herself was feeling pain as well. As more and more blood pooled out of her bleeding neck she could feel herself getting light-headed.

Yeah . . . Death doesn't feel too bad. I'd have no regrets if I died right here right now . . .

Struggling to speak, Sesshoumaru grunted through grinding teeth, "you stupid woman, that wound is much too shallow to kill you so don't act as if you're dying." Despite what he said he couldn't get Kagome to respond to him. The strangest feeling was overcoming him; concern, even if just a little was overwhelming him. Kagome fell to her knees and then sagged to the floor very slowly, and all the while her blood continued to drip from her body. "Get up!"

I can hear his voice, but I don't want to move . . . My eyes are becoming so heavy . . .

"Oh my god, mom, come quick! Kagome is bleeding!"

Sesshoumaru looked up to see that Souta was standing by the doorway wearing an expression of fear. Pretty soon the entire family entered the room and swarmed around Kagome - much trepidation was heavy in the air, thickly covering everything. Sesshoumaru could sense the urgency in each family member; they all wanted to save Kagome.

"We need to take her to the hospital!" their grandpa cried.

-----

Kikyou listlessly roamed around the enormous hallways her very first evening here at the palace. The reason she was doing this was because she was looking for one youkai in particular; it was very unlike her to desire something so strongly - due to the fact that a priestess should hold no such notions in mind. Several guards that she walked by stared at her with such perplexity that she wondered if it was even all right to be doing what she was doing now. After much searching and circulation around the same areas one guard dare stop her to ask something.

"Excuse me," Kikyou turned in question to the tall youkai and stopped walking, "I've seen you come by here several times already. Is there something or someone you're looking for in particular?"

"Yes."

"I see. It may not be in my place to say this, but for the sake of the other guards and myself, we find it very distracting for a human like you to waltz around the palace this late at night. With the most sincere of tenacities, we'd like for you to return to your sleeping quarter."

"I understand - I am sorry to have caused you any trouble. I shall go back now." This uneasy feeling I'm getting . . . Can I really trust that sparrow youkai so easily?

"Thank you . . ." He looked at her patiently for her to mention her name.

"I'm Kikyou."

"Ah - thank you, Lady Kikyou."

Without another word the dead priestess walked back to her bedroom and closed the door behind her. Without letting go of the door's handle, she asked, "who is it that has entered my sanctum for the night?"

"Lady Kikyou, it is I, Tsume." She stepped out from beside the left side of the large, canopied bed. "I'm surprised you noticed me."

"Did you have fun waiting here?" Kikyou asked.

"I should ask the same of you. Did you have fun searching for me fruitlessly around the halls and corridors?"

She likes to tease. "About our deal, Tsume, surely you have not forgotten it?" The sparrow youkai shook her head tentatively. Eyes narrowing, Kikyou continued by saying, "then you must put in your end of the bargain, because I have already completed mine."

"Yes, yes, of course!" Tsume let out a haughty laugh that was oddly uncalled for in a situation such as this one. "Your desire to be resurrected! How can I forget such a petty request as that?" Her eyes gleamed with mirth when Kikyou glared at her angrily as she stepped away from the door to come towards her. "Kikyou, there are far better things than coming back to life - why not wish for something better? Do you not like immortality?"

"If you were a wandering spirit such as me then perhaps you'd better understand. Until then, I advise you to not say those rude remarks of yours."

"I suppose that brings to light some truth." She's easy prey.

"Shall we begin?"

"Let's see," Tsume placed one finger to her chin in an act of looking childish, much to Kikyou's dismay, "the resurrection of a deceased wandering damsel . . . This may take a while. Are you prepared?"

"Of course." I've been waiting for an opportunity such as this for a very long time. There is nothing I am not prepared for were it to be resurrected from the living dead - the damned.

"All right, follow me to my room."

Kikyou obeyed.

The way Tsume's bedroom looked like was not what the dead priestess expected it to look like at all. Once she entered inside a large bed in the center of the room was the first thing that caught her eyes. Next was a abnormally shaped table that was kept to the left side of the bed with strange looking bottles filled with liquids of different colors - Kikyou could only guess what each one of them contained. Tsume caught her staring so she was going to give her a little briefing about them.

"What you're looking at are my latest creations."

"You make things such as these?" Kikyou asked.

"You could call it a hobby; however, I've been making them ever since you and I made that deal between us. These potions have something to do with what we're going to perform here in this room." Kikyou looked to Tsume questioning, and for a split second she swore she saw the sparrow youkai smirk evilly. "Don't worry. I won't try anything to kill you, but seeing that you're already dead there'd be no point to do so, is there." She's quite the character, isn't she? "Well, whenever you're ready please go lie on my bed and I'll prepare the necessary procedures."

"All right."

The uneasy feeling Kikyou was now feeling wouldn't go away even as she laid herself onto the bed and waited. Turning her head to the side she watched Tsume pick up a bottle with blue liquid inside it and uncap it; what she did next came as a surprise to the priestess. Tsume gritted her teeth together when she downed the liquid as she tried not to scream out in pain. From the expression on her face Kikyou knew that she wasn't feeling comfortable at all let alone only pain.

"Are you all right?" she called out to the suffering creature.

"I-I'm fine. Just stay where-where you are and I'll be there in a minute," Tsume replied through gritted teeth. Trepidation was already forming on her forehead and her breathing started coming out in shallow puffs. "Li-listen here, no matter what this may appear like it is doing to me you must not interfere if you want this to work, got it?" Kikyou silently nodded. "Good. Then I shall begin now." Tsume walked towards the foot of the bed as quickly as she could before raising her arms up into the air in front of her.

I do pray that this will work.

Chapter 9: END