-1That's when it hit the most looking at the sealed well. Kagome realized that she couldn't go back no matter what. The warring states era was gone out of her reach. Her friends and companions were five hundred years in the past while she was stuck in the present by herself. Well, not completely by herself she still could find Inuyasha's grave. After crying for what seemed like an eternity Kagome finally found the strength to stand on her two legs and make her way out of the well house toward the house that stood at the back of the property. There Kagome slid the door open and announced her arrival home.

Chapter 10

Sadness and A New Friend

Mama Higarushi watched as her daughter walked around house the first couple days with a certain sadness that was more than saddening. It showed that Kagome was missing her friends that were now lost to the Warring states era. Being the understanding mother she was she let Kagome have a few days before she approached. "Kagome, how about if you help jijichan around that shrine. I also brought home some beautiful lilies. Why don't you take them out and place them on Inuyasha's grave? Which reminds me, Jijichan had some of the shrubbery removed to include his grave with the main grounds, but we found something unusual when we were digging. We found several more graves. Several markers with them. The names on the markers are hard to read. Jijichan thought that you might be able to decipher who they were more than what we could make out. We also had some stones placing a pathway to them. Could you go look? Thank you sweetheart. Dinner will be ready in a little while."

Kagome just nodded and went out to the God tree and walked over to the new path that was made since the last time she was home. When she came to the sight she stooped down and looked at each marker carefully. The two to the right said something about being lovers and companions. The names were nearly worn a way, but enough of the name was there for Kagome to see that it was Sango's and Miroku's grave. To the left were a little distance away from the first set almost as if there was spot left for another member of the small family. The two to the left of the space said one of being elder priestess that helped the small band and many others; Kagome knew this was Kaeda's grave. The second one talked about a young demon Kitsune who helped the band but did not ever leave his grandmother like priestess instead died from her lose, Kagome knew this must have been Shippo's grave. Her friends all buried together and they even had a spot left in memory of her. That's when she saw the marker. Getting closer she read what it said. Though the family lost the head to death, they lost the heart to time. The family lives eternally to be together again. Kagome sank to the ground and cried for their lives, and for the memory that was left for her.

Mama Higarushi looked up at the clock noticing how long it had been since Kagome stepped out to leave the lilies at the gravesite. She paused debating on whether or not to go outside and see if Kagome found what they had found in their search of Inuyasha's grave. She decided to give her a few more minutes before going after her.

Kagome wiped her eyes with the handkerchief that she had hidden in her pocket. She finally stood up and started back to the house on the backside of the shrine property. Standing in front of the well house stood three men all in suits with long jet black hair pulled back in a variety of ways. One had it braided; one had a high pony tail, while the last had partial braid. All three discussed the layout of the grounds. Kagome stepped up to the gentleman bowing she asked, "Sirs, may I help you in any way? Would you like to have tour of our shrine or maybe need some tea?"

The three men turned and bowed to her before the first one spoke, "Miss, we were passing here and had heard about this particular shrine since our births from our father and the stories that surround the grounds. We would like to have a tour and hear the stories possibly from someone who might know the tales we speak of."

Nodding Kagome motioned for them to follow her. She walked up to the well house first, she slid the door opened and stepped back so they may look inside. "This is the Bone eater's well, in ancient times the villagers would throw the bones of demons down inside this well. When a couple of villagers fell inside the well they found that bones had disappeared. There was a belief that the well would take the bones of the demons and swallow them sending them into a temporal state. Other wise the bones would leave that time period. It is not really known if this is true or not."

"Why are there talismans on the well?"

"Yes, we had some unusual circumstances the last few years with unusual spiritual power rolling off the well. As you might want to know my family has had the possession of this shrine and grounds for several generations going back nearly five hundred years. I do know that I am distantly related to a priestess named Kikyo who possessed the shikon jewel for a time until her demise. So my grandfather and I are the only ones in the current family that can feel the spiritual power from the well. We felt for safety purposes to seal the well."

Motioning over the sacred tree, Kagome continued, "This tree is believed to be a thousand years old. A hanyo was pinned to this tree for fifty years with an arrow. The priestess Kikyo was the one who pinned the hanyo to the tree. Another priestess that could easily be mistaken for the priestess Kikyo came along after the fifty years not knowing the story of the hanyo was attacked by Centipede demon. She released the hanyo to help the priestess from being killed by the centipede. The priestess was believed to be the reincarnation of Kikyo and had in possession the Shikon no Tama. The hanyo was half dog demon and half human. He was also one of the most powerful hanyos in the land. His father was the dog general while his mother was a hime, and due to his birth he was shamed by many until the reincarnation of his first love came along. He actually died trying to save her life from an evil that they and several friends fought against. The hanyo had a brother who was full dog demon, and the ruler of the western lands. He too fought in the battle, and a year after the death of his younger half brother he received his brother's fang, the sword that the younger brother had inherited from their powerful father." Pointing in the direction of the pathway that led to her friend's graves. "The group that fought the powerful evil is buried up that pathway. There is one grave left empty in memory of the priestess because she mysteriously disappeared they left the spot next to the hanyo open. For you see the priestess had fallen in love with the hanyo, and tried to show him her love. The two had decided before he had died that they would mate or rather to us become man and wife, but that was not to be. They left her spot open for she was a part of that group and will always be in their hearts." She led them around the grounds telling the stories and other factional information. Leading up to the tea room that the shrine kept to give tea to some of their guest Kagome turned and asked, "Would you like to take a break and enjoy some of our tea? I will go prepare some and bring the necessary items and a light snack out if you are the least bit hungry?"

The gentleman with a partial braid looked at the other two gentlemen and nodded in agreement, "Yes, miss, we would like to have some tea, we also have some questions. The stories you told were very similar to the ones we heard, but not quite the same. We would very much like to ask you why the variation." Then the men turned and stepped into the tea house to wait on Kagome.

Kagome stiffened and walked to the main house to pick up the tea pot and several cups and saucers. She also picked up some light tea sandwiches that her mother had made in case they had guest. She went up stairs and came back down in her priestess outfit that jijichan insisted that she wear when giving tours. She stopped and told her mother of the guest that was at the tea house on the grounds before returning with her tray of goodies. Seating herself next to a small fire to heat the water she turned to the men who lounged next to one of the traditional tables in the room she waited for the questions.

"Not to seem disrespectful miss, but we heard the name of the priestess that you spoke of though you gave no name. And we heard that she used the well on the grounds to disappear to another time. The name that our father gave us was Kagome."

Shock went over Kagome's face before she took a deep breathe as she questioned the men before her, "May I ask what is the name of your father? I may know of why he would know this information."

"We were told not to give his name out. He prefers it that way, but our mothers name is Ai. Rather Lady Ai."

Kagome gasped before she continued she turned and started to pour their tea and hand them their snack. "I think you need to keep an open mind. I believe I know who your father is, and actually, he is the full demon I spoke of which would mean that you three gentlemen rather should I say gentle demons, are Ai's and Sesshomaru's sons? I knew he was going to contact me some how. How is Sesshomaru and Ai? I haven't seen them in several weeks my time, but in their time several hundred years."

The three men looked at each other in shock. They turned back towards Kagome, and smiled. "So you are Lady Kagome? You are the Omega of our pack? Our uncle Inuyasha's intended?"

"Yes. Unfortunately his intended and the one that was left behind by my friends to live after their death or rather five hundred years apart from them. Their bodies all lie about five meters away from the sacred tree. Your father also seems to believe the Inuyasha might have his own reincarnation in this time. For you see I was not aware of my powers until I hit fifteen. About the time that Lady Kikyo's powers started to dwindle and about nine months just after her sixteenth birthday she was killed by the demon Naraku. As you can figure if I am the reincarnation of Lady Kikyo, then you also know that I must know where the Shikon Jewel is. Which I do, and I have promise to your father to keep it hidden until our meeting. Oh, that also reminds, I found out that Lady Kikyo was also the reincarnation of two other priestess. One being Mirdoriko the creator of the Shikon No Tama, the other I do not remember her name, but my group came across the demon that was involved with that priestess and he took me captive just to gain access to his full weapon. I know my soul has been trying to find its mate for several life times, and some how it found it in your uncle Inuyasha. The only problem was a five hundred year span, and his death. Which comes to something he told me in a dream. So that brings me to now. Did your father send you to me?" Glancing at each gentleman for the confirmation.

"Yes, he did. He will be sending a car to get you tomorrow. He has asked that you bring a suitcase of clothes, and wanted to let you know that Ai, our mother has insisted that you come spend several days or was it weeks with us. She said to tell you that she misses you and can not wait for you to visit."

Kagome sighed smiling for the first time in two weeks. The demons noticed how beautiful Kagome was when she smiled. The all nodded that the one brother who did not come would surprise the petite woman. For the one brother who did not come was not like them.

"Okay, I will be ready tomorrow after lunch. Let your parents know this. I will be waiting for I guess it would be Jaken if he still around to get me?"

The men laughed at the thought of the little toad like demon. Not wanting to tell her that he had passed after their sister Rin had went on to the other life at a good age of three hundred years. Rin had married a demon prince, but alas lost her life in child birth. Jaken couldn't take the lost of the child ward and suffered greatly. He had succumbed to deaths grips as well.

"No, Jaken is no longer with us. He passed away shortly after Rin had passed. Rin married a demon lord's son. They lived happily for two hundred years before they decided it was time to have children/pups. Unfortunately, during the sixth or seventh pup's birth she had complications and she and the pup both died. Jaken was so over come with grief at the lose of her that he was never the same and followed her a year later. Father seemed a little lose himself for several years after Rin's death. We knew that Rin lived before us, but we did not know that details. Lady Kagome, do you know our dear Rin? To get back on the subject of who will pick you up. I believe father has our other brother picking you up. For warn you that he is a little rough around the edges and from father has said about him he is muck like Uncle Inuyasha. His name Inutaisha after both grandfather and uncle. Do not let him get to you he is still a little young and is as well mannered as the rest of the family. Father reminds the rest of us that its almost a fresh breath air to have some one like Inu around especially since evidently it's a running trait in the family to have one black sheep so to speak."

Kagome smiled. You have no idea how that reminds me of my Inu that I miss so much. "I will be ready. He will need to come to the house which sits at the back of the property." Pointing in the direction of the house where her mother and jijichan were at that very moment.

Nodding the three gentlemen stood and bowed politely to Kagome and left the grounds. "Until tomorrow Sesshomaru and Ai. Until tomorrow." A smile played at Kagome's lips as she cleaned up the mess and walked back to the house humming a song.