A/N: This is a 2017-revised chapter. Thanks for your support.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.


Fukai Mori

12. Ribbon from the Past


Kikyou's eyes lingered on the ribbon that had fallen. Sesshoumaru quickly snatched it away, his dangerous gaze silencing whatever question she was about to ask.

"Are you going to keep wasting my time?"

Kikyou shook her head. "I will purify the shouki now."

She turned her attention back to the wounds. At the touch of her fingers, the dark poison was lifted. When she was done, she contemplated covering the wounds again with Sesshoumaru's kimono, but given its dirty state, she couldn't quite possibly dress him with it again. She left Sesshoumaru's chest bare, averting her gaze.

"What is the matter?" Sesshoumaru questioned authoritatively.

"I have done my best. Your chest…"

She still would not look at him, or rather, at his undressed body. Sesshoumaru noticed the cause of her embarrassment and gave a snort of rare amusement.

"Jaken," he called.

"Ye…yes! Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken yelled after jolting awake. He came scurrying over to Sesshoumaru's side.

"Get me a kimono," Sesshoumaru commanded.

"At this hour?" Jaken muttered, but upon meeting Sesshoumaru's cold eyes he immediately bowed. "Aye! Right away, Your Highness!"

Jaken hid his spiritual presence and ran out of the barrier. Left alone, Sesshoumaru turned to Kikyou.

"Go sleep, Miko." After saying this, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes to rest. Kikyou sat there by his side for a while longer, surveying the red markings on his eyelids. It was a rare sight, for Sesshoumaru did not often sleep in the presence of others, unwilling to show any vulnerability. Strangely, Kikyou found this to be familiar, as if she had often gazed upon his countenance like this once.

Hearing Sesshoumaru's breaths steady to slumber, Kikyou whispered, not so much to him but to herself. "Before, I held only the fragment of hatred from my true soul, the rest having returned to my reincarnation. I could only recall clearly the scenes of betrayal that led to my death. Now that Rin has purified this hatred within me, I have become capable of feeling emotions other than hatred, with it, the rest of my memories have started returning. It is still vague, but I seem to remember…we have met before fifty years ago, have we not, Lord Sesshoumaru? I suppose it does not matter. You would not care about such chance encounter with a human. I am still glad we have met again. All you have done for me – I am grateful. How will I ever repay this debt to you?"

Kikyou sighed, lamenting once more this body of hers. Without hatred to propel her, she couldn't help but wonder if there were still meaning to her undead existence. If she continued, would she only be a burden to those in her company? To Rin, even Jaken, and most of all Lord Sesshoumaru? What could she even accomplish? She could not even move without feeding on the souls of those who had just passed. Yet, she promised Hakushin-shounin she would carry on his will. She also promised Rin to be her sister. For the time being, she would have to cast the doubts away and keep moving forward. With this conviction, Kikyou lay down beside Rin and tried to rest. The undead did not sleep, but at least she could empty her mind and try to find peace. She could not afford distractions during battle.

Unbeknownst to her, Sesshoumaru, too, was still awake. He opened his eyes and looked to his side in the direction of the grass bed where Kikyou and Rin lay. The miko's back faced him, her raven locks tied by a white ribbon, probably in the same style as what she had worn during her life.

Sesshoumaru gripped the old, frayed ribbon so hard that he nearly drew blood from his own hand.

"So she is the one I've been waiting for all these years."

"I will come back for the ribbon, since you said you hated human things."

She had not returned, for she had chosen his hanyou brother over him, and had died for it.

How pathetic.

Sesshoumaru wanted to tear into the ribbon with his claw, then tear into that clay body of hers. But he couldn't. He released his hold on the ribbon, looking over it once more. It was creased where he had held it, but was not otherwise damaged. He was relieved. Rolling up the ribbon, he tugged it back beneath his sash. The campfire was dying. Sesshoumaru walked over to where Jaken had forgotten his staff in his haste. Sesshoumaru picked it up and summoned flames from it, renewing the fire. He put more wood into the fire and was satisfied that Rin and Kikyou seemed to have relaxed under the warmth.

He would not spare his hanyou brother any anger – jealousy if he would admit it. He wasn't worth it.

Sesshoumaru would do as he pleased. No one would dare question him.


A giant nekomata flew in the morning skies, atop of which rode a taijiya in black suit and red armour, and another girl in a strange uniform that belonged hundreds of years into the future. Running in their shadow was a wolf demon and his subordinates, and a human monk in black and purple garb. The monk gazed up to the girls. The one in the strange uniform was convinced he was trying to look up her skirt.

"Can you keep your eyes ahead instead, Miroku-sama? We're trying to look for Inuyasha!" She said, a bit late since the monk just ran into a tree.

"Serves him right," answered one of the wolf demons, Ginta.

"Yeah," chimed Hakkaku, the other. "By the way, why are we looking for that dog again?"

They turned to the wolf demon in black ponytail who led the pack. He was their leader, Kouga.

"Because Kagome says so. As if I want to do this," Kouga snapped. The two nodded as though they had understood the twisted logic, and continued to drag their feet up the slope. Everyone left the monk behind, still sitting dazed at the base of the tree. The taijiya stared back at him, a little concerned.

"Is he alright? Should we go back for him, Kagome-chan?" She asked.

"He's fine. Stop pampering him, Sango," the girl in the strange uniform answered. To prove her point, the monk soon got up and caught up with them, though his expression was still a little dreamy. Most likely not from the collision, Kagome thought. He was probably recalling the view of Kagome's underwear.

They were snapped from their thoughts by a sudden rumbling in the distance. Something was crumbling, the mountain, and strong jaki escaped its heart to cloud the skies in dark purple. A red-cloaked hanyou ran up to them – the companion they had been looking for. Kagome called to him.

"Inuyasha!"

"What's going on?" Miroku asked.

"I don't know what's going on but the barrier is gone, the mountain is fucking breaking and lots of youkai are coming out. We've gotta get out of here!" Inuyasha yelled.

The cracks uphill had spread to where they stood and the ground fell away. Inuyasha swept Miroku up in one hand and Ginta quickly wrapped himself around his other. Hakkaku clung to Ginta at his waist. They leapt to safety atop a tree to the side. Inuyasha wanted to go back for Kouga, but it was too late, he had already been sucked underground.

"Kouga-kun!" Kagome yelled. Kirara came to pick them up. The tree where they had been standing a second ago was sucked in soon after.

Something in Kagome's arms crawled out and reprimanded Inuyasha. "Aren't you going to save him?" The little fox demon, Shippou, asked, causing everyone to turn in Inuyasha's direction. What!? Me again!? Inuyasha's annoyed expression seemed to say. He sighed.

"Fine, fine, I'll go get that mutt... Take care of Kagome, Miroku, and don't you dare lay a hand on her else I'd bust your head!"

With that, Inuyasha leapt into a crevice that he hoped would lead him to where Kouga was captured.


End of Chapter - reviews appreciated