Sesshou was invisible to the human eye as he raced across city rooftops in the early hours of morning. By the time he cleared the shrine steps, he knew she had come to lure out Kaito, and in the process was injured. Her blood, and his, stained and muddied the fresh snowfall, leaving tracks of their scuffle across the courtyard.
He caught a glimpse of her raven hair as it whipped behind her, turning into the doorway of the well house. Sesshou followed, prepared to intervene.
Kaito stood from his crouched position, well aware who stood directly behind him. The look on his Lord's face was worth his imminent death. In fact, this was better than his original plan to murder the girl. Now, there was a chance she would die at the hands of her infant's father.
The dry well's brief awakening died out, the light dimming with Kagome's departure. Sesshou pushed past Kaito and leaned into the well, seeing only the outline of her form before the light was all but gone in one final flash.
"My Lord, I see how this is challenging for you. It pleases me to know you'll suffer such loss at your own hands." Kaito spoke with cynical madness, "To know you are your own enemy, and you will soon forget years of loss and purpose, and regain the ruthlessness I once admired you for."
Sesshou remained silent, allowing the demon his last words.
"I even forgave you for slaying my sire, stripping our riches, and dethroning our rule. I followed you from across enemy lines, I was so drawn to your strength. Don't you see, Lord Sesshomaru? I did us a favor." Kaito's thrill grew with every moment he was allowed to continue breathing, assuming he had won back the cold blooded ruler. "She was a weakness, and so was the child she carried."
"She was not weakness, you fool!" Sesshou's eyes bled red as his irises converted into a striking aqua. He grabbed the scrawny tortoise by the throat, lifting him up to his own face to spit venom as he spoke. "She was what could have saved you from this death. She was too good, too pure for murder. You think she didn't kill you because she couldn't? She didn't kill you because she didn't have to. I will do the honors in her absence. She would have given you a second chance." Kaito's face sizzled with burnt flesh. The more he struggled against Sesshou's grip, the harder he choked the vile bastard, drawing blood with his claws.
"And my child will not perish." The deep disdain that had marred his face a moment ago was molded into a satisfied smirk. "I have no doubt I will love her as I do now. It's unthinkable I'd harm the woman carrying the heir to my lands. If anything, our pup seals her protection."
"How are," Sesshou squeezed Kaito's throat with more force, blood now running down both of them. Kaito was drowning in it, but he fought to speak, "How are you so sure she loves you more than Inuyasha?"
Sesshou closed his hand around Kaito's nearly severed throat. Each claw tore into scale covered flesh, until the weight of the head was too heavy to remain upright on a crushed spine with no flesh to hold anything together.
Both body and head fell into a heap on the ground, spreading the puddle of blood further. Sesshou couldn't bring himself to do anything more. Kaito Shi was gone, but so was Kagome.
He stepped back from the corpse and sat against the far wall with his knees up. There hadn't been time to consider precisely when she would come through the well. If time was still unchanged in her travels, then she would surely find Inuyasha before his demise.
If she did, would she really not return to him as he were, Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands, the infamous "killing perfection," notorious for his hatred of humans?
He had to have faith she would find him, tell him of their future, and return to him here and now. If she landed in the middle of the Eastern war, it wouldn't matter who she had protecting her. Too many of their allies had died due to this war. It had even taken Inuyasha.
"Sesshou!" Shippou's voice called from outside. He could smell his foxling a mile away. The slayers' fortress must have noticed Kagome's absence and called for back up, but it was too late.
Kagome was frozen in place, all but her teary eyes that poured an endless stream down her flushed cheeks.
Snow was falling heavily and coating her hair and shoulders. She should feel cold, panicked, afraid of what her presence might do to the future she so desperately wanted, but she couldn't feel anything at all.
"I'm telling you, I felt it coming from the well." A familiar voice snapped Kagome back to the present. It was overhead, coming closer.
"It's been years, Miroku."
Oh no, Kagome thought, it's him.
Her heart soared and sunk all at once. She couldn't face him now. All her hope had been laid at his feet, praying for a chance, and what had she gone and done? Bore herself to his brother, body and soul. She had betrayed him. Shame and guilt weighed heavily in her heart. She didn't have any chance of hiding.
"I'm telling you, it's Kagome." Miroku's teeth chattered as he spoke. "Go look, I refuse to go inside until you do."
"You're one stubborn ass." Inuyasha glowered. The shuffle of his bare feet waded in deep snow. The winters were harsher here, she remembered. Global warming was shockingly evident if you could hop back and forth 500 years multiple times in a single snowy season.
Kagome wondered if he couldn't smell her, or perhaps denied himself any hope, as if he'd believed even a hint of her scent lingering before, only to be heartbroken all over again when he checked.
Inuyasha faltered when he peered down, backing up a step. In the early dawn of a winter storm, Miroku's human eyes wouldn't be able to see down to the bottom of the well like he could, hence being dragged to the dry well at an ungodly hour. He swore he felt her return, swore he could sense her reiki the way they could always identify one another at a distance.
"Inuyasha?" Miroku fought the snow with quick feet, eager to get a glimpse. In an instant, his half demon friend had leapt up and allowed himself to fall into the depths of the well. He landed in a steady crouch before the ghost of his past, and shivered at the sight of her. The world felt still despite the snow storm, and Inuyasha had to remind himself to breathe.
Kagome couldn't bring herself to move when he saw her; still couldn't, even as he landed before her, conflicted.
"Kagome?" He exhaled heavily, drinking in her scent. She was older, but not as much as she should be. Her overall scent was mixed and dirty in a way that only told him she had fought someone of tortoise descent. He sniffed. Was that his brother's scent?
Inuyasha dropped down to his knees in front of the frightened woman, taking in everything new about her. Her longer hair, her face less round and more distinguished, the altered clothing, dragon hide, and the weapons she carried.
"Oh, Kagome," His curious gaze softened, and his longing for her replaced the questions inside his mind. It was still her, his Kagome, home again. She broke at his acceptance, collapsing into his arms with sobs so heavy he was sure her voice would be hoarse later. "It's okay." He held on as tightly as she did, digging his nose into the crook of her neck. All the scents on her were too much, and too distracting. With his nose to her throat, he could just focus on the purity of her scent, and focus only on her. A single whiff told him everything he needed to know. Now, with more clarity, he added, "Everything is going to be okay." Hiding a shaky breath, he controlled his tone to hide the tears he felt choking in his throat. "I promise."
The morning activities of Edo were delayed in the wake of a heavy snowfall, which aided Kagome greatly. She did not have the energy to greet villagers with total composure. She still needed to speak with Inuyasha. He had taken her and Miroku back to the village and sent her to Sango immediately. Even though he would have given a kidney to stay with her, he had a funny feeling she might want some distance from him, and female companionship.
"Kagome?" Sango squatted down before her friend, a baby strapped to her back and another still growing in womb. "It's late now, we should get you up and about."
Before the sun was truly overhead, Sango had been woken from a heavy sleep by her husband begging her out of bed. Too exhausted from the activities the day prior, she bypassed the natural irritation that would have made her turn away from him, and quickly transitioned from groggy to hyper alert when she was thrust in front of the woman she once called Sister.
"Kagome has returned," Miroku explained, "And we fear she must have been amidst a rather strenuous situation."
Sango's motherly eyes flitted from Kagome to Inuyasha, noticing his lack of anticipation. He wasn't waiting for a minute alone to rejoice with his lost love in private. Something had come to pass that divided the pair, and it appeared to be eating them both up inside.
Without hesitation, she had ushered her sister away from the men and had hugged her tightly to herself. That only made Kagome cry harder, but Sango knew she needed it. She needed the shock to wear off and the remnants of herself to come back steadily, like a fire being coaxed on damp kindling.
"Sango," Kagome sat up, grimacing at her sore muscles. Kaito wasn't a match for any of her war hardened friends, but to her, he could have really killed her. "Thank you, for understanding."
They didn't need to explain everything right away. Sango was just happy to have her sister home. Whatever was going on, she was sure Kagome could remedy it.
"Anytime."
Inuyasha was waiting when Kagome exited her friends' home, looking mildly fresher than before, having changed into one of Kikyo's old outfits. His silver eyebrows pinched in a way that told her even now he thought of her prior incarnation. Just as quickly as she noticed, his pained expression vanished.
"Come on," Inuyasha flicked his head at her, gesturing for her to follow, "We gotta talk."
"I figured as much." She sighed heavily, well aware of how this was going to go.
They reached the Tree of Ages, but Inuyasha paused when he came to the base of the tree. Normally, he'd have taken Kagome by the waist and brought her up onto their branch to discuss things in private. Now, he wasn't so sure what was appropriate. For them, and for, well, it.
"I," Kagome swallowed hard, and he could tell before turning around that her hands were shaking. He could smell her nervous sweat, her heart racing, and could damn near taste the bitterness of her guilt. "I don't really know where to begin."
"I don't make it to the future…" He accused, "Do I?" He was sure of it. Why else would she have gone to Sesshomaru of all people?
"No." She couldn't lie to him.
"Do you know when I die?" As desperate as it sounded, he still wanted to find a way around all this. When Kagome didn't initially answer, his eyebrows scrunched in thought, "He didn't tell you when?"
"He-" Kagome jumped to defend Sesshou, but bit back a second too late. "He told me that you were dead."
"So you moved on." It wasn't a question.
"His mother drugged us, first of all." Kagome was quick to squirm under his scrutiny. She had come to stand just before him, under his nose like she always had when they fought.
"She did WHAT?" His face was inches from hers.
"Okay, wait," He stormed past her to pace the clearing, as she urged him to listen, "That came out wrong."
"So she didn't drug you?" Inuyasha was flabbergasted, paused in the middle of the clearing.
"Well, technically she did." Kagome tried to piece it together in a comprehensible way. "If you would just listen-"
"Listen to what?" Inuyasha came back to her, gripping her shoulders and holding her in place to read her better, because clearly he wasn't understanding her scent, her heart, or her emotions any longer. "Listen to how you moved on? That you and my brother are lovers? Soon to be parents? That I don't get to-" He cut himself off to rephrase, "I'm going to be an Uncle? And Dear Old Gran drugged the two of you into it?"
"Inuyasha, I'm sorry," Kagome wilted in his grasp, seeing the anguish and confusion not only in his eyes, but in his aura. Muddled colors were more vibrant around him, and the pure tones of affection and concern were less saturated, but still present.
He hung his head, still holding her arms in place. To keep her from latching onto him or simply to just feel her, neither was sure.
"I want you to know that none of this was planned. I was never supposed to come back." She pleaded with him, "I waited. I tried to come back." She thought back to every twisted ankle, every run through the city, chasing demons at the edge of her senses. Always hoping to find her way back to him. "And then Sesshou found me."
"And he told you I sent him." Inuyasha picked his head up, letting her go. "I don't know how much you know about what's happening here. There's a war." He turned away again, seeing how it all came full circle. His brother had merely fulfilled his dying wish. To take care of Kagome. He eyed her from the side. She was forlorn, and grieving. Just like him. Despite that, she was beautiful. He could feel his pain dissipate as he watched her. He missed her, and she missed him too.
"With the East, I know." Kagome sniffled, turning to look at him. His aura was softer, more blue with understanding.
"I told him to find you," He admitted, "If anything happened to me."
"He did," She smiled through the tears, "He found me and he's been taking care of me, and I know this looks just all wrong," She motioned to herself, at her flat belly, "But it was an accident, and we're just kind of dealing with it. And the worst part is," Kagome couldn't help all the crying. She was so distraught, so torn between what she wanted now and what she wanted all along. She sobbed, "I didn't get the chance to tell him."
"He doesn't know?" Inuyasha knew where he fell now. She couldn't love him, even if she wanted to. He brought her to his chest to cry. "Kagome, what happened?"
"I was trying to keep someone from coming here to hurt everyone, but it was just a trap. And now, I'm not even sure I can go back. Sesshou was on his way. He didn't even see me." Kagome relaxed in her friend's arms. "What if I can't go back?"
"Would it really be so bad?" Inuyasha reasoned. "He's here, you know. He's been working with me to protect Edo."
"I remember that." Kagome stepped out of his embrace, "What if he doesn't accept it? Tries to kill me instead?"
"I'd never let him." He spoke with such certainty, "I'd never let you be alone." He peeked down at her abdomen, "Either of you."
"I know," Kagome couldn't help the tears, they wouldn't stop, "Thank you, Inuyasha." She wiped furiously at her face, trying desperately to stop crying. She knew he hated it.
"Oi," Although blurry through her tears, his kind smirk warmed her heart, "You're gonna cry yourself dry at this rate." He pulled her hands from her face and brushed back her bangs.
"When did you stop running from crying women?" Kagome laughed in earnest, still sniffling.
"You know how many kids Sango's pushed out? They've got three, and one on the way." Inuyasha motioned for her to follow him back to the village, "Miroku cries more than they do."
"You've got to be kidding me!" Kagome snickered, walking quickly behind him to keep up.
"Yeah, and when I tell you they wasted no time in getting started, I mean no time." Inuyasha's voice held mirth, "Four kids in four years is impressive, but I blame their twins for the head start."
Kagome stopped dead in her tracks, mentally double checking what she'd just heard.
It's been four years.
Inuyasha heard her heart stop, and spun to find her face ghostly white.
"Are you okay, Kagome?" He hesitated, mentally debating whether or not Sango ever behaved similarly due to pregnancy. Was she nauseous? Faint? His eyes scanned her for harm.
She didn't hear him, only seeing his face close to hers, his concern blatantly displayed in his molten gold eyes. Kagome could only think one thing:
Inuyasha passed five years after you left.
He was going to die soon.