A/N: There is one chapter left! I'm nervous about the ending since this is the first work-in-progress that I am to finish. So tell me how I'm doing! Also, thank you to PlayingWithDemons and Quirkyslayer for nominating this story in the IYFG for Best Characterization. Another thank you is given to Kanazawa for taking the time to review every chapter in a two-day period. You're too sweet! Oh, I love you guys!
Congratulations to Kurtz for correctly guessing the meaning behind Almohad Foundation. Rinseternalsoul was on the right track, but gave up—don't do that anymore! But Almohad wasn't the only "label", as you will see.
Temporal Sequence
Chapter 25:
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External factors unavoidably affect decision-making.
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She clutched the slip of paper between her fingers as she boarded the train. It was Sunday and so the hoards of passengers were more orderly and she found a seat easily, her fingers still working the paper's edge. It was a receipt from a photo shop. She ordered more copies from the negatives of an already printed roll of film.
Before the death of Naraku and the completion of the Shikon no Tama, Kagome gave all her friends a parting gift so that they would remember her long after her departure. Inuyasha scoffed at the sentiment, Sango and Shippou cried and Miroku told her that she was unforgettable regardless of memorable trinkets.
She gave Sango a golden locket containing a picture of them inside. Mirkou was given a blue photo album filled to the brim with photographs she had taken of their little group with a cheap disposable camera; she didn't want to risk breaking her mother's camera in the Feudal Era. She gave Shippou some candy and a pink blanket since she'd soon be gone and there'd be no one to keep him warm at night. Inuyasha was given a red baseball cap that a boy had given her years prior and a case of ramen that probably wouldn't even last a month. The ramen, however, was a definite must and Kaede was kind enough to store it for him. She wanted to give Inuyasha something more original, something more special, but nothing came to mind. Knowing his rag-tag ways, he'd break something precious or wouldn't want to be burdened with something useless. So, the hat was recycled since it wasn't cumbersome and it could keep his ears warm, or hidden if he so desired. It also reminded her of the times Inuyasha came through the well and into the modern era where doggy ears weren't considered cute or demonic. She liked remembering him like that; when he was edgy and overprotective.
Miroku's gift was of special importance though. Like Inuyasha, it was hard to come up with a suitable present and she refused to purchase questionable materials. Not only was it a matter of principle, but it was also determined with Sango in mind. The two were to be married after all. She found a beautiful wooden album glossed with a blue-tinted stain with a ringed pattern carved into it. Someone once told her that she was the center of her group and after she was gone, Miroku was the obvious successor. Whenever Inuyasha or Shippou wished to see her face, they'd have to go to Miroku.
Dissatisfied with her choice to return to her own era, Shippou pleaded with her and begged that she come back to visit after their quest was complete. Heartbroken, she explained herself, saying that the jewel would be gone and she'd have no way to return home. That was when Inuyasha shocked her unlike ever before.
"I don't need that stupid wish. You should keep that stupid jewel."
In a round-about way, Inuyasha had told her that he loved her, really loved her—that she was more important than his heart's greatest desire. And that was all it took to change her mind.
She cried and hugged each of her friends, now feeling worlds better. She'd go home and live there, but she'd visit her friends from time to time. She knew the well could trap her on either side, but these people were important enough to her to take that risk.
If only they would have known what would happen.
She fingered the paper that tracked her printed memories. Tears welled and she hung her head, the faint beat of a pop song humming along with the electric skid of metal. An intercom announced the next stop, a blinking digital sign catching her attention as it verified the mechanized words. The boy sitting next to her moved to the opening doors, leaving her tuneless as she listened to bustling footsteps and automated voices. The world felt so cold nowadays.
The metal ground with friction and the world sped up again. Sometimes, if she looked hard enough, she thought she could see the blue spark of electricity as the subway car gained momentum. It was probably in her head, though, but the day Fate charged her footsteps and carried her away on an automated track, she did see the blue current, marking her path as it pulled her along. It was sad and almost funny how perfect Fate's timing had been.
She remembered it so clearly, but she supposed these were the types of things one would never forget.
Sesshoumaru joined them the day they defeated Naraku. In the end, he was the one to deal the killing blow, but it wouldn't have been possible without Inuyasha and her arrow. It was beautiful seeing the two brothers fight side by side as a team, each trying to create an opportunity for the other to utilize his sword. They easily weakened Naraku, but then, suddenly, Inuyasha took a surprising and devastating blow to the chest. He wasn't moving and the shock of it all wasn't lost upon Sesshoumaru, whose distraction permitted a tentacle to impale his back, exiting through his belly.
Her anger grew to unparalleled heights and she notched an arrow with more fury than she could ever recall feeling. The light it created was blinding and she couldn't see well enough to know where her target was, and so she held on tight, waiting for a sign. Her sign came in the form of Sesshoumaru's voice. The arrow flew, straight and true, lodging itself into Naraku's neck. She had never before launched such a powerful arrow. Inuyasha was already up, his claws in Naraku's chest, holding him in place so that her arrow could hit. She gasped, wondering if he'd survive such an onslaught of purity. She yelled for him as he ripped his hand from its bloody enclosure.
Inuyasha leapt away, but Sesshoumaru remained. His skin was burning from the close proximity to her arrow and yet he still managed to pull Tensaiga from its scabbard. She watched, wide-eyed, as the half-moon tore through the air's fabric, creating a pathway just for Naraku. And that was the end of their quest. Fate only had one card left to play and there was nothing she could do to prevent its outcome.
"Open your hand."
Sesshoumaru placed the Shikon no Tama and its last shard in her hand. The shard's previous owner no longer had any use for it. The shard merged with the nearly complete jewel, a sphere molding within her hands. The jewel was so horribly tainted that it seared her palm as she held it, which had never happened before. She clenched her teeth and drew a sharp breath; more tears forthcoming as she withstood the pain. The color was slowly lightening from an abysmal black to a dark purple.
Then, a subtle pressure enveloped her, like hands gently squeezing her shoulders. It compelled her turn around and there, laid before her, was a path set within a swirling blue light—a light she had immersed herself in many times before. Without her acknowledgement, her feet began walking where the light decreed, her body no longer hers to control. She couldn't move, except to walk along that preset path, the clay hardening with every step taken. She couldn't even speak, but at least Fate permitted her tears to fall.
The well was calling for her. And she had no choice in the matter. She didn't even get to say goodbye, knowing that she'd never see her friends again.
She knew they were all alive, which helped her come to terms with her abrupt departure. Inuyasha was the only one to suffer severe damage and she didn't even get the chance to tend to his wounds. Sesshoumaru had stopped her from going to Inuyasha when he handed her the jewel immediately following Naraku's death, anxious to get the damned thing out of his hands and sparking an irreversible chain of events that neither of them could have ever predicted.
She could hardly remember what had happened as the blue magic pulled her to the well. There were voices, obviously her friends, but she didn't see them nor did she feel them. The magic wouldn't allow it. It was all a blur and somehow she ended up awakening the next morning in her bed, her shoes removed, yet her mother said she didn't know how she got in the house. Obviously, she put herself in bed as though she were in a drunken stupor, but the fact that she was at home, safely tucked under her covers, made her question if it had happened at all. Her questions were answered upon jumping in the well with the Shikon no Tama around her neck, yet the dark cover of a shed still hung above her head. She pounded the dirt with her fists and cried until she was drained, lying on the beaten ground for hours thereafter.
She knew she'd miss them when she left, but she didn't realize how empty it would be when they were forever gone.
The train slowed and the intercom resounded, the steel shuddering as it came to a screeching halt. She stood and fell in line, exiting the car with the masses that knew nothing of her troubles, of her quest or friends—people who knew nothing of her and never would. This was the burden she lived with now. Nobody would ever understand and so nobody would ever truly know her because the defining time in her life would be omitted, being too fantastic to be taken as reality. But it was real; it had happened.
She walked out onto the sunny sidewalk, noticing a man in front of her as he removed his eyeglasses, wiping them with his white oxford shirt. A ray of sunlight filtered through the lens, creating a pretty spectrum of multi-colored light on the ground below.
She swallowed and ignored the slight burning behind her eyes. Oh, how she hated thinking of him in such a personal way. But it was unavoidable and no one was to blame but herself. After all, she was the fool who gave it to him the day they would defeat Naraku. In the end, she never had to explain it to her friends, but she knew, deep down, that Sesshoumaru would remember her, eventually. His mark adorned her family's shrine after all.
xxx
Having given a gift to all her friends, only one remained and she knew this gift would be the hardest to give. He would fight it, thinking he didn't know her.
"Sesshoumaru," she said quietly, trying to avoid drawing attention to them. He stopped, peering at her from over his shoulder and saying nothing. She bowed before him and offered her gift. After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke and she looked up at him, straightening her back.
"What is that?"
"A prism." He just stared at her. "It's a gift of gratitude."
"For what?"
"Helping us."
"I am only helping myself."
"That may be true, but you aid us as well, even if it is unintentionally."
"That is unnecessary. I do not desire gifts or gratitude. Your sentiments are wasted." She heard Inuyasha snort derisively; she should have known he'd be listening. He always was, even if he acted like he didn't care.
"I would be insulted if you dishonored my gift by not accepting it. I'd hate to feel indebted to you." She noticed his eyebrow arch and his jaw tighten. She knew he'd take it now.
"Of what use is this prism?"
"If you hold it at just the right angle, you can see the true colors that make up white light. See?" she said as she tilted the prism, capturing a sliver of light and producing a rainbow. He was intrigued, she could tell.
"White light?"
"White light is not as it appears to the naked eye. It's much more complex. White light embodies all of the colors, but keeps them hidden."
He took it from her and offered no thanks, but she didn't mind, knowing gratitude was foreign to him. She was just glad he accepted it.
He turned it over in his hand, looking at it with mild interest. "Why give me such a thing?"
"Because you're helping us—have helped us."
"That is not what I asked."
She froze momentarily, but quickly swallowed her fear. "A wise person once told me that life is like a gray canvas. The people most important to us color that canvas. But the beauty of color is that it's multi-faceted, possessing endless nuances. There's always more to the story than we can see."
xxx
He said nothing after that, not even appearing startled by the repetition of his own words. That was a few months ago and like Sesshoumaru had once told her, all things faded with time, even sorrow. The injustice of Fate consumed her at first, but that righteous fury eventually degraded into the most gruesome melancholy. She was now at peace with being ousted from the Feudal Era, having had time to deal with her losses. She didn't belong there, in that time. Fate had a reason for bringing her to the past, but like Sesshoumaru had said, she would never know why. She accepted that now and realized how silly it was to think that she could travel back and forth between eras in order to maintain relationships with people who were long dead. She could disrupt the future with such careless and selfish behavior. She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up; she should've known better.
There was only so much control she exercised over her own life and Fate had already preordained the beginning and the end of her journey—this was how it was meant to be. That was how she dealt with her pain and it worked beautifully. She also thought about things Sesshoumaru had said to her about eternity and life and, secretly, his words made her feel better.
The bell chimed as she walked through the door, the smell of fresh coffee and baking sweets filling her with a sense of nostalgic warmth. She noticed a few couples sitting at scattered tables as they sipped hot drinks and indulged in exotic cakes. She smiled; she loved the atmosphere at Satsuki's.
She got in line behind a middle-aged man who held a little girl's hand as he asked her what she wanted today. Her smile grew and her eyes watered as she remembered nights when she was wrapped up in a blanket, tightly, like a butterfly waiting to burst forth from her cocoon.
"Hi, Kagome!" a woman chirped brightly, drawing her attention away from the father and daughter. "The usual?"
She smiled at the owner and nodded. Once the Feudal Era abandoned her, she decided to resurrect the old family tradition, needing a replacement comfort, and purchased an-dangos once a week. "Yep!"
"Coming right up!" Gloves on and box in hand, the woman slid open the glass display set before Kagome. She marveled at the variety and ease of choice.
"Thanks!" she responded, trying to feel as joyful as she sounded.
"I absolutely love your necklace!" the shop owner said conversationally as she wrapped Kagome's treats. "Where did you get it?"
"It's been in the family for a long time." The woman smiled as Kagome fished through her purse in search of her wallet.
"Nope, not today. All regulars are treated—on the house of course!"
"Really? Thank you, but can I ask why the special treatment?"
"As of today, we're officially the owners!" That was a surprise; Kagome thought she was already the owner.
"You guys have been here for years—what do you mean you're the owners now?"
The woman grinned. "My mom started this place about twenty-five years ago, but within those first five years, she got into a lot of financial trouble—mismanaged funds and all that jazz. A businessman always stopped by when he was in town and somehow or another he got wind of it all. He didn't want to see the place close, so he bought us out and kept us going."
"Wow. With as much business as you guys get, I'm surprised he sold it back to you."
"Yeah, me too! A few years ago, he sold it back to us with a lean-holder provision. We just made the last payment and starting today it's official! We're free to do whatever we want! Now that it's totally ours, we can probably open a few more stores! With time of course—don't want to repeat the past."
"That's great—I'm so happy for you guys!"
The woman laughed. "Thanks, Kagome, and enjoy the desserts. See you next week?"
"Yeah, see you!"
Kagome waved goodbye and exited into the sunlight, glad that things were working out at her favorite sweets shop. Before her father died, her family had been coming to this place for years, yet they never knew that Satsuki's was in trouble of closing down. Well, maybe her mother did know, but never really thought about telling her, especially since Kagome was so young at the time.
She sighed, long and hard, as she walked through the streets toward her family's home. Her little sedan had broken down these past few months and there was no need to buy another car. Grandpa had bought it several years ago because he said he was too old to walk to the subway station. Since he didn't really go out much anymore, Kagome ended up using it to commute to school because she had a bad habit of running late. Speaking of school, she ended up flunking her exams due to depression, which came about after the well forced her home. She didn't plead for a chance to retake them knowing it was her own damn fault. Having missed so much class and staying silent about it all semester, her professors probably wouldn't have believed her anyway.
She ended up wasting her time writing that essay and mailing that scholarship submission, not to mention the money squandered on the university's admission application. There was no way Tokyo U would accept her now and that scholarship was contingent upon her acceptance into the university—the man had said so at the interview.
It had been quite a shock to receive an interview notification, saying that she was a finalist for the Aiko Scholarship. The only explanation she could think of was that there must have been a drastic decline in the applicants' merits. Yes, that had to be it. Or maybe Ayumi was right and her essay held a lot of weight, tipping the scales in her favor.
Honestly, failing should have been expected, like friends ripped apart.
Focusing on her feet, she climbed the steps home and took a moment to admire the newly built shrine. The construction was complete and they did a fine job. The Almohad Foundation even went the extra mile and had landscaping done to increase curb-side appeal. Honestly, she thought they did it to fix the gorges they had created while building; it looked like trench warfare had besieged her backyard.
The last of the garbage had been removed yesterday and she made sure to salvage a certain board from demolition. That wooden plank served as a reminder of her trials and tribulations; it grounded her and told her that that self-defining quest had happened. She still didn't know how his mark had come to be there, but her grandfather made sure to inform her of the legend behind it. It was hard to accept, but beautiful nonetheless. She wished she had listened to her grandpa sooner.
It was said that four and half centuries ago, a shrine was built near the Bone Eaters' well where many priests exorcised the remains of youkai. The land was thusly considered holy. Years passed and a conflict arose between two neighboring villages. The village nearest the shrine was set aflame and to symbolize their victory, the aggressor made move to burn the shrine to the ground. Before the first torch could touch the shrine, a powerful god swooped down from the sky and extinguished the flames of every torch held by the enemy.
Some of the men fled, but most died by the hands of the angry god who then named himself protector of the shrine. He declared himself the God of the Moon, which all believed, for he wore a crescent moon upon his brow. He then bestowed the name of Higurashi upon the head priest's family so that all would know that the priest and his family were under the protection of the God of the Moon. Those blessed with the name Higurashi would live long and thrive upon this land, for they need only wait for the arrival of the moon.
Her grandpa then said that the God of the Moon's mark was put there in remembrance by previous generations. It had been a long time since the shrine was rebuilt and that's why it was underneath—obviously a mistake by a careless contractor. That was how her grandfather had summed it all up, but she remained skeptical. That mark most definitely belonged to Sesshoumaru who most definitely was not a god and who most definitely would not name her family! He didn't know about the well. Hell, she never even told him her family's name! She supposed it held some truth, as most legends do, but the extent of that truth was beyond her. The only way she'd know was to ask Sesshoumaru and that didn't seem very probable. Like Fate's plan, she'd never know.
The door was unlocked and before she had time to take off her shoes and announce her arrival, her entire family greeted her in the foyer in an overly joyous fashion.
"Welcome home, Kagome!" her grandfather and mother said simultaneously as her brother captured her waist in a crushing hug.
"Huh?" Their greeting bewildered her and her confusion only grew when her mother began pouring sake into three cups. She then noticed a plate of beautifully arranged foods that were obviously purchased from a store.
"Here you go, honey!" her mother sang as her brother asked for his, finally releasing her. "Sorry, Souta, you're not old enough!"
"Mama, what's going on?"
"I propose a toast!" her mother said as she lifted her cup, her grandfather following suit. "To Kagome—my smart, hard-working little girl is now officially a university student!" They raised their cups as Kagome dropped hers, along with her prized an-dangos.
"What's the matter with you? You should be happy!" her grandfather chided as her mother ordered Souta to go get some towels.
"I think she's in shock. Kagome, dear?"
"It—it's impossible!"
"No, it's not. The letter is on the table over there. Go take a look."
"Mama, I didn't graduate from the two-year school and I flunked my finals! Do you honestly think the four-year university would accept me?" Souta then came barreling into the room with a stack of way too many towels, but nothing could distract her right now. "What about the money, huh? Did you forget about that? With my crappy GPA, I'll never get that scholarship!" Her frustration suddenly transformed into sadness and she thought she might cry. Oh, how she hated her own weakness!
"Sweetheart, the letter was from the Aiko Scholarship Committee. You got the scholarship and they automatically admitted you into the university because of it."
But that contradicted what the interviewer had told her. Like she was back on the train, the world sped up with a roar of charged metal pounding in her ears. She couldn't keep her eyes open without feeling dizzy, like she was looking out the window too closely as the car whizzed through sparsely lit tunnels.
"It must be a mistake," she said lowly, her eyes closed tight.
"I doubt the university makes such mistakes. Anyway, I guess you'll know for sure in a week."
"A week?" She opened her eyes, finally realizing that not looking wouldn't make it go away.
"You have to meet with someone from the psychology department a week from tomorrow. Everything will be set up then and you'll get to tour the campus. Isn't this exciting? I'm so happy for you, Kagome! It seems that things are finally starting to work out for you."
As unbelievable as it was, she didn't feel happy or overwhelmed, just burdened. It was a mistake; it had to be. She'd go to that meeting to rectify their blunder, all the while feeling terribly embarrassed as they dissected her academic resume, probably internally laughing while apologizing to her profusely for giving her hope. What a nightmare! She was definitely Fate's favorite doormat.
"Here, honey, have some food. It's really delicious!"
Her stomach churned as she thought about how disappointed her mother would be when the truth was revealed, namely that her daughter was too stupid and too weak-minded to do well in school and get into a good university. She swallowed her internal anguish, knowing she'd dealt with worse, and she shoved a piece of mysterious food into her mouth. It was tasty, but her appetite fled with the emergence of a tummy turned sour with dread.
Why couldn't she be somebody else? Her mother deserved a better daughter.
x x x
It had been the slowest week of her life, she thought as she entered the glass door of the advisory office. She walked apprehensively to the front desk where a chipper young woman greeted her enthusiastically.
"Hi, how may I help you?"
"Yeah, I'm Higurashi Kagome and I'm here to see Ms. Fujimori. I have an appointment."
The weird look the woman gave her was not unnoticed by Kagome.
"Oh," she said curtly, her demeanor completely opposite from before. "Fujimori-sensei is out sick today." Whispers resounded through the sparsely furnished office, making Kagome doubly nervous.
"Well, can I reschedule?"
"She's booked."
"Um…for how long?" Kagome was growing very unappreciative of this woman's attitude.
"I don't know." This was getting ridiculous. She was the secretary—it was her job to know!
"Maybe you should look it up then," Kagome replied, trying her best to match the woman's demeaning tone of voice, but failing miserably.
"She'll be gone for the rest of the week. You should call her next week, or the week after."
Just as Kagome was about to share her disapproval, a friendly voice spoke from behind her.
"Misa, I got this one. Higurashi-san, right?" the voice asked as a girl came up beside her. Kagome nodded, happy to get some help. "Hi," the girl said, giving a short bow. "My name is Aisawa Aya. Fujimori-sensei couldn't be here today and so she went ahead and set everything up for you and asked me to take care of you today. None of the students will know their residency assignments for another week or two, but I have the rest of your information packet here, including computer passwords and stuff so that you can go ahead and register for classes. Fujimori-sensei would have helped you with that, but since I'm a third-year psychology major I can help you set up your schedule."
"Thanks, but—"
"No problem! Now let's go tour the campus!" Aya grabbed her hand and literally drug her out of the office. Once they were down the hall, Aya let her hand go and bowed again, apologizing. "I'm sorry you were treated like that, but you got a really prestigious scholarship and some people think it's because of who you know."
"I doubt that," Kagome said, looking down the painted stairwell. "But I guess they're right; I don't belong here."
"Don't say that! What I mean is that it's just a really weird coincidence that your name is Higurashi." Kagome's neck snapped up.
"What do you mean by that?"
"There's a Higurashi Building on campus. I'm a research assistant under Fujimori-sensei and she's on the Aiko Scholarship Committee. I asked her about it and she said that to her knowledge there was no relation."
"Are you serious?" Kagome was stunned to say the least. "I can assure you that there is no connection. My family's not influential—at all."
Aya nodded. "That's good though, because it means that you needed the money. Some people think that you didn't and just wanted something honorary to add to your resume. They'll learn soon enough, so don't worry about it."
"This scholarship is pretty weird, huh? I mean, I just don't understand how I got it."
Aya smiled as they descended the cement stairs. "I got that scholarship three years ago, so I know all about it and it is really weird. You see, this really rich guy's grandfather donated a whole crap load of money to the university to start our psychology program. About a decade ago, he decided to start a scholarship program with a stipulation—the catch being that he gets to personally chose the recipient. It's even weirder because some years he passes judgment back to the committee, saying he doesn't have an opinion. It's been a few years since he's selected a recipient and that's why Misa and some others think you have a connection to him. When you think about it, the committee is really just for show. Money talks, you know."
"So…this isn't a mistake?"
Aya laughed as she opened the door for Kagome. "Nope, you were chosen by the Big Dog and if the Big Dog says so, then the university can't do a thing about it."
"Has anyone ever been accepted to the university before with…bad grades?" Kagome still couldn't accept it as real.
"What do you mean by bad? What, you got too many B's?"
Kagome gulped as she stepped onto the brick sidewalk. "Something like that."
"It's such a beautiful day! I can't believe they say it's going to rain."
"Yeah, I know. My mom made me bring this," Kagome said, jutting out her little umbrella. "It feels like I'm carrying dead weight." Aya laughed again and Kagome realized that she could get used to that sound. She really missed having friends.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Aya exclaimed as she handed a large white envelope to Kagome. "That's your info packet. It's got a copy of your acceptance letter, computer passwords, personal info, university policies, blah, blah, and your scholarship info, like how much you get per semester and the Big Dog's info in case he decides to show up at the ceremony."
"Ceremony?"
"Every year the university has this stupid banquet to honor all the scholarship winners. Usually the donors show up or send a representative to sit at a big table and eat fancy foods. They'll shake your hand and stuff. It's really pointless, but it's rude if you don't show up. But it's not rude if the donor doesn't show. The Big Dog never comes, but you should read about his company just in case he does. You might be embarrassed if you don't."
"Why do you call him the 'Big Dog'?"
"It's a running joke in the psychology department. The Big Dog has two main companies that oversee all his endeavors. One is a charity branch, called something Stars, and the other, which is the cash cow, is called Red Dog, Inc. So, we call him the Big Dog since he's loaded."
"I see," Kagome said with a little giggle. At least she knew there'd be some fun people in her department. Her department… The reality of attending Tokyo U had yet to sink in. It all seemed too surreal, like it would fade away at any moment. And Kagome didn't want to get used to it, not when it could be pulled from beneath her feet, leaving her to freefall from hope.
"There's the courtyard where the students like to hang out," Aya said while pointing to a massive open area filled with tables and benches, flanked by trees and flowers. "All the good places to eat are on the other side of it. Kind of hard to see from here, but we'll go over there later to grab a bite. The building we just left is the Takahashi Building, which is the psychology department's main building, obviously named after the Big Dog's family. There's a Takahashi in my year who says she ought to get some money out of him! Like Takahashi isn't one of the most common names!"
Kagome laughed as a silver truck pulled at her attention, like it didn't belong there.
"Oh, the building with your name is over there!" That statement superceded the perceived importance of a silver truck. She had been so attentive while listening to why people she didn't know held a grudge against her that she had almost forgotten that odd yet coincidental tidbit. It was kind of fun though, and her family would get a kick out of it!
"Which one?"
"The pretty building over there is the Higurashi Building. If you decide to focus your major on the dynamics of memory or the personality, then you'll be seeing a lot of that building. What a coincidence, huh?"
She stared, mouth agape at the enormous building, her family's name adorning the front in chrome characters. There were strange sculptures in the grassy plot set before the structure, giving it a whimsical feel. Stone-laden children were poised to run, as if playing a game. She felt the need to get closer to that building so that she could take a more thorough look.
"Aya!" an unknown boy yelled, running toward them.
"Damn," her tour guide said under her breath. "This is going to take a few minutes, so go ahead and take a look around. Let's meet in the courtyard, okay?"
Before Kagome could reply, Aya was running off to that boy. Kagome looked at the courtyard, noting its immense size, and wondered how on earth she was going to find Aya amongst all those people. Sighing to herself, she decided she'd wait at least ten minutes before entering the crowded space. Maybe she should go take a closer look at the Higurashi Building. Her mother was not going to believe her!
The building was lovely with a clean, traditional design, yet the metallic beams were left exposed, giving it a more contemporary feel. There were lots of windows, each having a unique veneer that was multi-colored in the sunshine, the shade changing depending on the viewing angle.
Curiosity took advantage of her and she decided to have a look inside. Wood and metal beams were left strategically exposed and all sorts of artwork adorned the halls in inlaid shelves. The building was impressive and she could see herself wanting to take nothing but classes offered in this building just so she could see its beauty everyday.
She stopped by a showcase of abstract art, seeing what it would become, when a disgruntled voice distracted her from her mental exercise. Something about the voice relaxed her and she couldn't help but listen.
"This is the wrong building! Where is that building? Oh, you don't know. Where do I find a map? This is absurd! I'll meet you. Where? I'm glad you're tall. You know, I hope she's worth it." A man rounded the corner where she just happened to be standing as she eavesdropped while pretending to admire the art in the shiny glass case. He ran into her as he clicked a cell phone shut.
He pushed her into the sharp edge of the display case, forcing the air out of her lungs; she was sure she'd find a bruise there in a few hours. He backed away immediately as she slowly dropped to the floor, trying to adjust to the biting pain. Suddenly, a hand grasped the underside of her arm, lifting her to her feet as she regained her breath.
"You should be more careful, Higurashi-san," he said calmly, no hint of apology in his tone, as she gathered her bearings.
"Excuse me? You're the one that ran into me! Turning that corner like a—"
She never gave this man her name.
She turned around, slowly taking in the tall frame of a handsome man. His shoulders were wide, tapering down into a strong waistline, his hands now hidden in corduroy pockets. He had shaggy brown hair and beautiful green eyes, lined with delicate brows. His jaw was excessively squared and his lips thin, wearing a devious half-smile. The intensity of his eyes made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, though she was positive she had never met this man before.
"How do you know my name?" His lip twitched as though he wanted to smile more fully, but wouldn't permit himself.
"I know a lot about you, Higurashi-san. You're the reason I'm here today." His voice was smooth and calm, similar to another voice she had once known, but this one was livelier, more prone to relay emotion. In all actuality, he sounded playful, which set him worlds apart from the one she was thinking about.
"What—what do you mean?"
"Do you think your academic performance got you accepted into this university?" He still sounded playful, but damn rude too.
Wait—he knew about her sub-par grades. Just who was this man?
"I honestly have no idea why they accepted me. I thought it was mistake. Pardon my bluntness, but just how do you know that?"
"I know a lot," he said cryptically, his eyes scanning her almost intimately, like an artist tracing lines to be painted later. "I also know that a brand new library can get just about anyone accepted into this institution."
"What?" Confused couldn't even begin to describe what she was feeling.
"I'm here to survey the site for the new library. The construction is supposed to start by the beginning of next year."
"Are—are you implying that someone bought my way into this university?" She couldn't even begin to grasp that concept. No one outside her family cared about her future and more importantly, she didn't know any rich people!
"Exactly." His condescending tone was entirely too familiar for her liking. She just stared at him, her mind turning slowly, like a watermill.
Outside, a cloud must have moved because a ray of light filtered in through the window, slipping over the man's face. His brown hair shimmered with a pronounced red undertone, like it had just caught on fire. The light slid further down, over his eyes, making the previously vibrant green turn pale and ugly. In her mind, a light flickered on, the mill steadily rotating, keeping it strong.
"Kazuma." The name slipped before she could think better of it.
He smiled fully this time, the line of his jaw softening. "No—his son."
She vaguely recalled Sesshoumaru mentioning a cousin and she clearly recalled an out of place truck. It was silver.
"You—you're from the Almohad Foundation!" Her head was spinning, making it difficult to see what was in front of her. She felt like she was trapped in a sandstorm.
"Yes, but today it's the Hitomi Project. My father would be most displeased to know that his son has been traveling around under the name of a man he once despised." She didn't even bother to ask all the questions filling her mind as her knees began to quiver. This was no coincidence—this building was named after her. The odd statutes suddenly made sense and everything became too much.
"I suppose he never really spoke of me. Figures. He didn't spend much time with me when I was young."
"Ichimaru—your name is Ichimaru." He nodded, his smile finally dimming into a mere smirk.
There was a youkai standing before her, yet she couldn't feel a youkai. "I can't—I can't feel you."
"Would you like to?" She stared at him, flabbergasted, and he smiled, wider. Her eyes focused on his forehead like something should be there, but she couldn't see it. "I can feel you a mile away, miko. Magic is rare these days," he said lowly as he tugged the chain hung loosely around her neck. She backed away from him, pressed against glass and metal. He laughed, heartily, and she realized then that she had never once heard Sesshoumaru laugh. And she wanted to, she really wanted to.
"There is no reason to fear me. He would kill me."
"Sesshoumaru," she whispered, the name feeling like honey, sweet and thick, on her tongue. "I—I don't understand…any of this!"
"Is it so hard? He never forgot you."
"Then why did he pretend that he did?" she asked desperately, anger rising, though shock remained prevalent. Those students were right; she didn't deserve that scholarship. She only got it because of who she knew. "Why is he doing all this…for me?" It was no wonder she continuously received those applications in the mail.
"That is something you would have to ask him yourself." His eyes finally left hers and he looked out the window. "This was a pleasant, though unexpected surprise, Higurashi-san, but I must be going now. I would hate to be tardy." He turned quickly and headed down the hall.
"Wait!" she called after him, but he never slowed. "Tell me where to find him!"
"You should be going as well, Higurashi-san. I hope you brought an umbrella."
"Please!" she begged. He paused, momentarily.
"The courtyard is rather lovely today. You should go have a look, Higurashi-san," he said as he glanced at her one last time, immediately resuming his pace.
For a moment, she was frozen still; the words Almohad and Hitomi echoing in her mind. She knew the latter without thinking twice, but she wondered if the name Almohad had any significance to Sesshoumaru.
She couldn't think and realizing her own stupidity, she took off in search of Sesshoumaru's cousin. She ended up outside again and he was nowhere in sight. Her eyes scanned the vast open spaces, finding nothing, leaving her in a state of abysmal emptiness. He had her answers, but he was making her go to the source. But where exactly was the source?
"The ceremony," she said to herself as she ripped open her student packet. She quickly found the scholarship tab and the first page she came upon was information on the 'Big Dog'. She read, the pieces locking into place like a key sliding into a deadbolt, turning with an audible click.
'The Takahsahi Family's success is the result of hard work and market foresight. Their fortune began with risky, high profile investments in the auto industry.'
"There are cars, which are basically motorized horse carriages—no four-legged mammals required."
'With an increased net worth, the Takahashi Family would later invest heavily in the emerging electronics industry…'
"…Machines that are programmed to make…"
She swallowed, wondering just how far the extent of her meddling ran.
'The Takahashi Family oversees two main companies. Red Dog, Incorporated is a major financial institution that provides services in banking, investing and economic consulting.'
"Tell me what a copyright is, Kagome."
She suddenly remembered a missing economics book, no longer questioning its whereabouts.
'Save the Stars is a philanthropic organization headed by the Takahashi Family. This organization oversees the activities of several charitable groups, while providing the majority of their funding from a percentage of Red Dog, Inc.'s profits…'
"Inaction will cost you the stars."
Her mind was turning, but it sped out of control as she read further along.
'Almohad Foundation – aims to preserve structures of cultural and religious importance.'
"My father would be most displeased to know that his son has been traveling around under the name of a man he once hated."
Almohad was an Arabic word.
"There was a youkai named Maurus, but that was not his real name. He was a traveler from a land called Africana. He loved culture and religion and my uncle hated him."
She read on, more memories divulged, but she was one of the few that could actually see them.
'Goshiboku Alliance – aids industries in finding environmentally friendly solutions while saving the forests of Japan, one tree at a time.'
"There aren't as many trees…"
The God Tree—her tree—still stood. And he knew it. It was how she'd meet his brother.
"My brother was bound to a tree. Do you think I wouldn't find out why?"
'Hitomi Project – aims to eliminate ignorance by pursuing the widespread and equitable distribution of education among the Japanese populace.'
"Hitomi could not come to terms with my claws"
'The General's Sons – provides free child care in select areas for disadvantaged single parents having difficulties managing work and family.'
"My father was never there."
She wondered if this meant he had finally forgiven his father. She wanted to ask him, to know, but most of all she wanted to hear him say it. She tried to remember what his voice sounded like, and though she thought she'd never forget, the clarity had dimmed, making her wilt in despair. That thought, however, was immediately ousted upon recalling her previous words; forged in the spirit of conversation and spoken in the custom of heedlessness.
"There's little time for broadening horizons and planting saplings when you got to work for eight-plus hours after shuttling the kids off to school, only to come home to cook and clean. It's exhausting!"
What had she done? Perhaps this was why Fate was so unkind, forcing her permanently through well—it knew of her carelessness. She had to read more, to know exactly what she had done.
'White Stone Memorial Hospital – aims to advance medical research in varying disciplines while aiding the proliferation of quality healthcare to all.'
"Lucky me got a position at White Stone Memorial, which is like the research hospital in all of Japan."
She concentrated on her breathing, wondering how much the future had been altered by her brief reprieve from duty while staying with Sesshoumaru. But what was the meaning behind White Stone and why would Sesshoumaru get Ayumi an internship? She tried hard to find the connection, but she was too muddled to think. It was all too much.
Instead of wielding mystical blades, he was buying out stocks. Although it was obvious she unintentionally helped his net worth soar, it was no surprise that Sesshoumaru would walk the modern path of power. Knowing that, however, did little good right now. Her anger was budding and she couldn't stomp it down. Did he think she was a charity case? She really needed to have a chat with that meddling taiyoukai! But how would she find him?
"I'll meet you… I'm glad you're tall…"
Ichimaru was meeting someone and he didn't want to be late.
"The courtyard is rather lovely today. You should go have a look, Higurashi-san."
Wrinkling the smooth papers with a fisted hand, Kagome ran toward the bustling courtyard. Lost in a sea of dark hair and denim, she twirled around and stood on the tips of her toes, wondering if her hunch was right. But Fate was never so kind.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, she saw him.
His hair was still silver and he was still tall, so tall that he stood above the passing students, enabling her to see him. She noticed then that his hair was shorter, ending just past his shoulders, and the top half of it was pulled back to keep it out of his face. She thought it odd at first that he'd restrain his hair since Sesshoumaru was a creature that prized his freedom, but she figured that it was more professional that way. His back was turned to her, but in between the arms and legs that strode past, she could make out a coal-colored suit.
She wanted to call out to him, but she couldn't find the words. She wanted to see his face. His back went rigid and she finally realized that both of his sleeves were filled.
The sky suddenly darkened and her skin prickled at her neck, spreading like a wildfire down her arms and to her legs. He was finally looking at her, intensely, like he used to. And he looked the same, just as beautiful as ever, except his face was clear of any markings bestowed by blood. She wanted to see that moon that graced her home.
His hands were in his pockets and his stance relaxed a bit, but she was probably the only person alive that could see it. A rain drop fell onto the tip of her nose and then another, the two of them staring at each other, only meters apart, yet it felt like an eternity separated them.
A group of students passed between them, the top of Sesshoumaru's silvery head the only thing she could see. Another raindrop fell. When she saw him again, she saw a white kosode and hakamas lined in red. Frightening armor rested against his chest, bound by leather straps, a sword at his side. That was how she would always see him even though the majority of the time she spent with him he wore a pair of gray sweats and a t-shirt. He was too godly for that, too otherworldly to be remembered by such an image. Inuyasha was her indisputable God of War and though Sesshoumaru was known to her family as the God of the Moon, he was her God of Destiny, proving that second chances did exist, redemption was possible and Fate could be lenient.
The sky moaned, unable to hold the rain back, but still she couldn't move or speak, her umbrella hanging limply in her hand. Bodies continued to pass between them as the rain fell, when suddenly, people stopped and propped open their umbrellas, the plastic canopies obscuring his image. She couldn't see him anymore.
Finding her legs, she pushed through the crowd, running toward him, but like history predicted, he was gone. She spun around, her eyes searching but coming up empty. He was gone, again.
He was her link to the past, to a time in her life where she was considered smart and called heroic. She didn't want to forget—to be the only one to know—that at one time, she held her own, that she was once the center. She didn't want to lose her link to the ages, searching, but never finding, never knowing where it went.
Clouds parted, and though the rain still fell, sunlight found the earth—found her. A rainbow, barely visible, streaked brokenly across the sky and she wondered if she'd ever see Sesshoumaru again.
Only time would tell, she knew, but unlike him, she didn't have forever.
x x x
A/N: To those of you who are interested, I've posted the "labels" from the previous chapter in my live journal. There's a link in my profile.
One chapter left! The epilogue will be posted in 1-2 weeks.