Title: Tie Me to the Future
Author: Tsubasa Kya
Disclaimer: You'll never get your best friend to read your work. That's why you suck at writing and don't own the series.

Chapter thirtyseven: Spectrum Eyes

The Oath of the Secret-Keeper

/ Source: The Scroll of Tests, written by the First Secret-Keeper, Rinay of the Spectrum Eyes /

She who sees, yet acts not upon the indignities, is unworthy of our Eyes.
She who hears, yet thinks not what is mentioned is worthy, is unworthy of our Eyes.
She who fights, yet does not for the right, is unworthy of our Eyes.
She who speaks, yet speaks not the truth, is unworthy of our Eyes.
She who steals, yet takes not for the greater good, is unworthy of our Eyes.

Will you see and then act?
Correct answer: "..."
Will you hear and then find worth?
Correct answer: "..."
Will you fight for the greater justice?
Correct answer: "..."
Will you speak only the truth?
Correct answer: "..."
Will you steal the secrets?
Correct answer: "..."
Are you willing to accept the Spectrum Eyes?
Correct answer: "Yes."

Rinay of the Spectrum Eyes would like to note the difference between
the priestess and the Spectrum Eyes: A priestess fights for all; the
Spectrum Eyes fights for only those who can feel her trust.

-Two Days Later-

-Kagome's Dreamscape-

Kagome opened her eyes to see Rin standing over her with a small smile on her young face. Her hair was sprawled over her shoulders and her hands clasped behind her. Her brown eyes were serious looking, and as Kagome looked around the room, she saw no one else anywhere and was in a place she could not recognize.

"Welcome, Kagome." Kagome wasn't surprised to find Rin's voice was not the voice of the young teen, but that of a woman. She had been visited by this version of Rin quite often recently, and though she couldn't figure out what exactly Rin wanted, she knew she would find out sooner or later. She did prefer sooner, but would wait if she had to. "Welcome back to my mind."

Kagome smiled and sat up, looking at Rin as she placed her feet over the edge of the bed. "Thank you for inviting me." She was still confused how the young Rin had the power to create a living meditation plane that she could invite other spirits to, but apparently she had. "You'll have to let me wake up sooner or later, you know." Kagome told her, the small smile on her face growing.

"I know." Rin's voice said hollowly. She turned and walked to the door of the strange room. Yet, it was seemingly not a room. Kagome knew that the only thing truly there was Rin. The rest was all something that Rin had created out of her imagination. "Come on, Kagome, big sister." Rin's eyes and tone were not as excited as they had been the last visits. Her movements were more refined, that of a noble lady of a noble house.

Kagome followed Rin to the door and out of it. "Where are we going today, Rin?" Kagome asked the young girl.

"We are going to the source of the truth, Kagome." Rin murmured. Out of the corner of her eye, Kagome saw Rin's eyes begin to shift colors like a spectrum, never staying long on one color. She stopped at a door. This door seemed somehow more real than the others did. "Do not confront me about this, Kagome. It is... complicated... but when you awaken, search this out. Here, you will find the answers you seek." Rin slid the door open...

-Sesshoumaru's Castle-

Kagome shot up in bed and then cursed her luck as her head spun dangerous circles, not used to being upright after two days abed. She was so dizzy that she fell right back down again, only that did nothing to help her. "Kagome!" She heard the distressed call of Sango, but ignored it to favor putting her hands to her spinning head, in hopes that would stop the spinning.

"Hush, you infernal woman." Ryuichi's voice was much softer than Sango's—much less hard on her ears. Kagome almost felt like vomiting, but didn't. She felt strong arms grip her and turn her on her stomach. "She has been weeks without proper food. Now go get something."

Sango didn't even pay attention to the fact that Ryuichi had given her an order. She raced out of the room in search of someone, anyone, who belonged to their group. Her heart pounding her ribcage, she first tried to find Sesshoumaru. The castle servants weren't sure what to do with the strange human woman who was racing through the corridors of the castle.

Ryuichi placed a cool hand on Kagome's forehead, feeling for any sort of fever. There was nothing, so he relaxed slightly. "My Lady, try not to move so quickly." He warned her, backing away from Kagome as the door slid open once more, showing Sesshoumaru in the threshold, a servant just behind him with a plate of food on it. He had sensed the arrival of Sesshoumaru before he had come, and so had stood back to give Sesshoumaru room.

-Half Hour Later-

Kagome sat alone in her room with Sesshoumaru. Ryuichi stood outside; making sure no one was allowed inside or near enough that they could eavesdrop. It helped that Kagome and Sesshoumaru talked quietly. Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru. Her food was eaten, and she had no more reason to stall. He wanted answers, she knew. He wanted to know why she wasn't at his coronation, like she had promised she would be.

Finally, she took a deep breath and looked at Sesshoumaru. She refused to look away from him. The matter was too serious for her, and for him she knew, for her to just look away and try to shirk the reality. He had been let down, yet again. Worse than being let down, he had gotten his hopes up in the first place which was something he did not make a practice of. He had been waiting for her to show, but she had not.

"I left you by the well, with the promise of my return." Kagome started out with the obvious. "I know I let you down, and if I could turn back the time I would never have gone through the well in the first place. My home, I realize now, is not there. My home is here, with you, with Inuyasha, with Sango. When I reached the other side of the well, I went to go inside my mother's home but the key would not work. She had changed the locks on the doors. I had to climb into the house through the second story window and the trip lock I never thought I'd use."

Sesshoumaru stared at her, absorbing her words but somehow at a loss. He wasn't sure whether to believe or not, but he listened anyway. What kind of King would he be if he did not at least listen? He watched her eyes shift colors like a strange spectrum, a beautiful spectrum, and found himself falling into those orbs—those orbs so filled with trust. He felt almost as though he were living the images she was talking about right in his head. He felt like he could feel her pain.

That's just crazy. But sexy crazy. Hehe.