Title: To the Promise of Meeting Once More…
Author: Celestial Seraphim
Warning: angst, OOCness, Kagome'ness, tear-jerker, drama, etc.
Pairing: SesshomaruxKagome
Side Pairings: SangoxMiroku, InuyashaxKikyoIncarnate, (SURPRISE PAIRING)
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters those go to their prospective owners but I'm currently in negotiations for a Sesshomaru plushie :3
Summary: She'd failed and broken her promise to him. She had all this knowledge of what would happen and yet somehow fate found it funny to give her no options but to play it out. However, after some unexpected twists there's hope to be had…if only fate didn't find it so fun to throw monkey wrenches into her path. Can she find a way of keeping her promise? Or will she unknowingly shatter his heart completely?
Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. I had to catch up with some of my other fics since –guiltily- I'd been paying more attention to this one than all of my other fics. Lol glad you guys still have so much faith in me and I think working on those other stories gave me a bit more muse for this one. (Why do all the stories I write seem to have a sad –read angsty- undertone to them?! I think I like making the charries suffer a bit much *sweatdrop*) Hope everyone enjoys this chappie!
To the Promise of Meeting Once More…
*8*
He was aware of her approach as he watched the raven haired woman smile and talk with her little brother happily. The elder woman was quiet for a while as she simply stood there, not saying a word but she didn't need to. She was Kagome's mother after all and like Kagome she did not need words to let her feelings be known. Himiko wasn't happy but she wasn't going to complain aloud considering he'd brought her daughter to see her and had been taking care of her. However, he knew she wouldn't be silent for long and as though that thought predicted it she opened her mouth.
"She wouldn't approve…"
Allen scowled lightly before his features softened a little. He knew that. He knew that once she remembered she was going to be pissed but…he had to make her understand.
"Will it be worth it?"
The dragon startled out of his thoughts at her soft question and looked at the woman questioningly. Her tired brown eyes turned to him and she asked again, "Will it be worth it? Is it worth the risk of losing her friendship to gain whatever it is you hope to gain?"
He froze minutely but she continued on. "If…when she gains all of her memories back and realizes you purposefully kept her away from Sesshomaru…Will it be worth her anger? Worth…"
…The betrayal of trust she placed in you?
Was the unasked question and Allen felt something within him tighten at the thought of her hurt by his actions. It had to be…because Kagome deserved so much more than an Inu youkai that refused to see her and ran at the first sign of her love. It was frustrating. He turned away from Himiko and looked at Kagome once more as she glanced at him with a radiant smile. She was childlike this way, her trust so freely given to him and her countenance so much brighter than it had been during those months after Sesshomaru had left her in the gala. She was innocent and blind to the cruelty of the world. Suddenly and selfishly he wished she would never remember even though not long ago he'd hoped she would.
He could still feel Himiko's eyes on him and she gave a heavy little sigh before turning away. He glanced sharply at her and asked, "Did you tell him?"
She paused and looked over her shoulder before looking at her daughter. She wavered slightly as though caught between a decision and he could see it plainly on her face. Allen could tell a part of her wanted to call Sesshomaru and tell him that Kagome was back while the other part feared the repercussions because of her amnesia. She looked to Allen and searched his gaze, something in her eyes hardened slightly before she said softly, "I will leave that decision to you…"
Allen realized she was going to give him the decision of doing the honorable thing. Suddenly, the Ryu wanted nothing more than to whisk Kagome away and take her somewhere very far from here. Away from motherly knowing eyes and questioning young brotherly ones that asked why was he the one here beside her. He turned away and walked outside, his eyes roving the sky as he tried to decide what to do with everything that had begun to shift the moment he stepped into Japan. A small bitter part of him wished he'd never taken her here because a part of him had known something like this would happen. He'd be put behind a rock and a hard place. Allen knew he'd have to make a decision between doing the selfish thing and doing the honorable thing and he despised it. He let out a harsh breath through his nose and a dark cloud of smoke erupted at his muted anger.
"Allen?"
Lavender eyes locked onto hidden orbs and something in him eased at the happiness she radiated and he relaxed. He smiled warmly at Kagome and she smiled warmly back as she stood beside him.
"You left the house so suddenly."
He blinked in surprise, he hadn't thought she would notice and that made him smile. Brushing a stray lock of raven colored hair out of her face gently he spoke softly, "I simply needed to think about a few things and you seemed to be enjoying having your family back."
Her smile grew into a grin at his last words and suddenly she was hugging him much to his surprise but pleasure. "About that! Thank you! I know I said it already a few days ago but still!"
It'd been a grand total of three days ago when they'd arrived at the doorstep of Higurashi Shrine and Kagome began to remember bits and pieces of her family. Hugging her tightly in return, he took a deep breath and stored her scent to memory before pulling away gently. "I already told you. You don't have to keep thanking me, Kagome. It's okay."
She gave him an abashed smile before pulling away slowly shrugging her shoulders shyly she said, "I know but…I'm just so happy."
Allen watched her aura flare brightly and knew it was true. Her happiness was contagious and he felt his own lips twitching up, the stress of the earlier conversation already disappearing from his mind. Tugging playfully at a lock of her hair he said affectionately, "Why don't we do some shopping?"
The little miko's face lit up brightly and he immediately knew he'd said the right words. The dragon rolled his eyes fondly, some things were the same with all women.
(OoO)
Violet eyes looked unseeingly out the window, sadness deeply imbedded into the room. Ito sighed at the scent of his mate's distress, knowing she must be remembering Kagome. It bothered him how deeply it affected the woman to find out that the little miko had been ripped away from her without getting the chance to say goodbye. She'd been hysterical with Sesshomaru when he came and coldly told them that she was gone. She'd screamed, raged and attacked the taiyoukai in her distress. Claiming that he never cared for Kagome, that he was a heartless bastard but she'd failed to scent the what Ito had so clearly smelled from the taiyoukai. Even as Sesshomaru kept tight control of his presence the bear youkai had been in his lord's presence enough to notice even the most subtle shifts of his emotions. However, this shift hadn't been subtle at all. The scent the taiyoukai fought to hide had been grief and pain.
Since then Nala had barely spoken to Sesshomaru. She went through odd shifts of emotion, going from her usual bubbly if not sarcastic self to suddenly quiet and sad. It was hard to be able to do nothing to comfort his mate. Every instinct in him screamed and raged for action but his rational side knew there was nothing he could do. Kagome was gone, dead, and there was nothing any of them could do.
Letting out a soft sigh, Ito carefully approached his mate. Sometimes she became dangerously violent when she went through these strange mood swings and he hoped today would not be one of those days. Carefully he felt out her mood as he spoke, "Nala…Sakura called…"
Violet eyes flickered towards him and he saw her make an attempt to smile at him. However, the cheer he was sure she was trying to put into it fell short and it became wan. "What about?"
He hesitated before he said, "She wanted to get together and catch up…"
Something close to annoyance flashed through her eyes and he tensed, wondering if she'd snap. However, instead of snapping she flicked her hair over her shoulder in a snobbish way that was reminiscent of how she used to be before Kagome…from before. With a small huff she grumbled, "What is it with rich demonness' and needing to gossip?"
A small smile played over Ito's features and he said soothingly, "Once you come back I will have a bath ready for you and you can tell me all about it."
Her eyes softened considerably as she looked at her mate, pure love warming her features. "Thank you."
Ito knew she was thanking him for more than his offer and he snuffled her temple playfully as he leaned close. Silently, letting her know that there was no need for it because she was his to take care of. Nala closed her eyes at the sensation, a real smile playing along her lips before she stood up completely and kissed his cheek. "Let me go and meet her before she thinks I'm being rude."
The bear youkai chuckled, shaking his head as he spoke playfully. "Yes, yes. I'll call her and let her know you're going to meet her so she doesn't start spreading the rumors yet."
Nala's light laugh eased his beast a little before she shut the door behind her and she was gone. Ito stood there for a while, looking after her before moving towards his office with a heavy heart. It didn't seem like so long ago that all of them were happy, content. They were all together, like a family and everything seemed to be in place. Now…everything was just so broken without the little ball of sunshine that had been the miko. It hurt but he had to try to keep them together because he knew that no matter what she would want them to remember her fondly.
(OoO)
"So therefore the idiot had the nerve to tell me to my face that I was an ignorant bitch!"
Nala's eyebrow rose in mild amusement at the little Inu youkai beside her. The pink haired inu shot her a scathing glare as she growled out, "Not that type of bitch either."
This time the demonness snorted as she held back a bark of laughter. "Oh but Sakura-chan wouldn't you rather be called that to your face? I surely would."
A low growl was her only answer and by the grudgingly way it was let out, Nala had no doubt the woman agreed. Sakura was a very old friend from the court days of the old Western Lands so the inu was agreeable to be around most of the time. However, she had her moments when she was a twit just like the rest of the court demonness' and sometimes it was taxing to be around her. That was not so at this moment though, as she proved to be a useful distraction. The spider youkai had been wallowing in the empty hole in her chest that was left by Kagome's departure and later on death.
It had been a hard blow for the demonness as the little miko had become a sister/daughter to her. There had been a bond there that she'd never had before with any creature and now, here she was pregnant and she'd never be able to share it with Kagome.
The familiar stab of pain shot through Nala and probably sensing her darkening mood the female inu watched her carefully with knowing eyes. "Think of the baby."
Nala blinked and her hand went over the small bump that was her slowly growing stomach. She knew Kagome would want her to be happy and wouldn't want her wallowing in sorrow but she missed her terribly. Sometimes she thought she could catch a glance of the miko in the crowds but every time she looked it was never Kagome. Then the pain would come and the rage. OH the rage! She knew it wasn't fair to take it out on the taiyoukai. Knew from seeing the torture he'd went through knowing what would happen that he must be in agony but kami it was hard not to despise him. Every time she saw him she wanted to tear him to pieces and hateful words flew from her mouth. After words when she was calm and he was gone there was nothing but horrible guilt left behind. She couldn't help it though.
"Nala have you and Ito talked about names?"
The spider youkai blinked, Sakura wisely and carefully bringing her out of her thoughts. The youkai looked towards the inu, raven colored hair and heart shaped features skittering across her vision for a moment as she turned, and opened her mouth to answer. However, she froze before the words left her lips and the face she'd just seen registered in her mind. She whirled around and looked across the street in the direction the person had passed.
Immediately violet eyes fell upon the still figure standing alone by a window. A face with hidden eyes upturned towards a manikin that wore a beautiful but frilly summer dress while dark hair cascaded down her back almost touching the floor. Nala almost did a double take at the sight of the woman across the street that her mind screamed 'it can't be her! She's dead! This is a double! It can't be her!' but every nerve in her body knew that power that seemed older and more mature if not completely drained.
She could hear Sakura calling her name but as she took a step towards the woman that had to be Kagome she paid no mind. Nala opened her mouth to call out to the girl but suddenly a power that tasted familiar but seemed so much stronger than she ever thought it actually was buffeted her. A warning and an acknowledgement rolled into it as someone she recognized but hadn't seen in years stepped up beside Kagome. Lavender eyes settled on Nala and her mouth dropped to recognize Allen's possessive but protective stance near the miko as she chattered absentmindedly not noticing what was going on. Nala felt something in her freeze as coldness washed over her before it cracked and molten lava traveled up her body with fierce determination.
TBC…