Sanctuary
Author's Note: Hello again people! Thank you so much for the continued support and I hope you guys enjoy it so far! A question came to mind when my friends were reading this: "how long is this thing going to be?" and all I said was: " Quite long". Actually, I was hoping this story could turn out to be longer than ChibiMamoru, without the additional author's notes.
Disclaimer's Note: ARE YOU BLIND?! I ALREADY SAID I DIDN'T OWN INUYASHA AND CO!!!
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Kagome walked in the gardens with Shippou and taking in everything that had happened. Lady Yumemaru had been with them but she excused herself quickly and left without so much a word. She looked at the castle as she let Shippou run off to chase a butterfly. The castle was majestic and tall. She could see a faint lavender colored bubble encase it.
'it's a shield' she thought. 'Oji-san told me about these, if mikos concentrated long enough, they could create a barrier around their bodies instantly purifying anything that touches it.'
She unconsciously began to wonder how they were faring. 'Mama… Souta… Jii-san I miss you all so much. I wonder why the well would not let me pass this time?'
She felt another's presence nearby and decided to look down to find Rin standing in front of her catching her breath.
"Kagome-oneesan!" she cried happily as she ran to give Kagome a hug. " Rin… I did not know you would be here! SesshouMaru-sama did not tell Rin… er… me why we were coming."
Kagome stiffened a little. " Did you tell SesshouMaru-sama that I was there at his castle?"
Rin shook her head. Kagome released the breath she had been holding back. "Thank you Rin."
"Okasan? Who is that?"
Kagome faced a now frowning Shippou. 'Jealous pup' Kagome giggled inwardly as she scooped him up and faced Rin.
" Rin-chan this is Shippou-chan, my pup," Kagome said. "Shippou-chan, that is Rin-chan. She travels with Lord SesshouMaru."
Shippou leapt from Kagome's arms and examined her.
" But you're a ningen… I didn't know Sesshoumaru traveled with ningens."
Kagome laughed and took both of their hands in hers. " Let's forget about ningens and youkais shall we, and lets just enjoy the garden."
Kagome was thankful for the break from herself and watched the children laugh and play as they ran around the gardens chasing butterflies and playing tag.
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SesshouMaru could not be any happier. After so many years of hiding his emotions and being cold and lifeless, his face showed happiness. His eyes twinkled with childish laughter and he was harboring a genuine smile.
He was looking for Rin to inform her of their stay when he realized the presence of another youkai in the garden.
' Its that wench again… but she's not a ningen…'
He crept up behind her and inhaled her scent. ' Lavender and lilacs…'
Suddenly, she turned around and her eyes widened. He smirked at her as she backed away slowly.
" S-sesshouMaru!"
He lifted his left eyebrow but let it go. Somehow, he could not picture himself enjoying her saying his name with otherwise.
He then lifted his mother's necklace from his kimono and dangled it in front of her face.
" Recognize this?" he asked.
He watched as she smiled and her fear of him dissipated to nothing as soon as she saw the pendant.
" My necklace! I tried to find it… but… Where did you find it? Thank you!"
She was about to grab it, when SesshouMaru pulled it away from her reach, making her frown. ' She looks adorable when she frowns although she looks more beautiful when she smiles… what am I thinking?!' Shaking his head violently, he woke up to the task at hand.
" Before I give it …back… where did you acquire it?"
He watched as the woman stopped and started thinking. Then he saw her sag and shrug.
" I'm not sure, to tell you the truth… I've had it for a long time… I have never taken it off," she started. " A friend of mine gave it to me so long ago that I forgot him…" she continued with a softer tone.
SesshouMaru looked at her. 'She cannot possibly be that same little girl… she looks no older than 18 maybe 19… that little girl would have been my age by now!'
He watched as she knelt down and stared at a flower. Sighing, he knelt one leg and lifted her chin up with his hand forcing her to look into his eyes.
" Onna… when I was younger, I gave a this necklace to a little girl because she was crying and needed comfort. I will not ask again, where did you acquire it?"
" I already told you, besides, there could be many necklaces that look like that!" she said.
" Iie… because this was my mother's. Its enchanted. My grandfather kept a bond with my grandmother because of said necklace… this is the same one," SesshouMaru said. " Now… if you were that little girl… why is it that you were human when you traveled with my pathetic excuse for a youkai brother?"
He examined her features carefully. He remembered a conversation he heard with his brother and his ningen companion.
"Kagome is nothing to me!" InuYasha yelled.
He growled as the not-so-bald monk stepped forward and laid his right hand on his shoulder
"Look, InuYasha… if you did not care so for Lady Kagome… then why are you so worried for her welfare? Why do you always protect her from harm, my friend… indeed you care for her"
"I care because she looks like Kikyou! She Is her reincarnate you know! I feel like I'm obligated to protect her! I failed protecting Kikyou!"
' Truly that Hanyou is blind' SesshouMaru thought. ' that corpse looks nothing like Kagome…'
He stared into her bluish gray eyes and memorized every feature of her face. The stripes on her cheeks, her pointed ears.
'Captivating… Wait a minute… did I SesshouMaru, Lord of the Western Lands think a mere onna is CAPTIVATING?' disgusted with himself, he let go of Kagome's chin.
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Kagome's heart stopped beating. Not literally of course, but it was close to stopping. She was staring into his golden-amber eyes. She wanted to tell him everything. Her life, how she was with InuYasha, how he betrayed her… everything.
Suddenly, he cut off the link and let go of her chin. He stood up and she followed suit.
"My patience grows thin," he said monotonously, his mask back on.
Kagome opened her mouth to answer, when Rin and Shippou ran towards them laughing as if they had been friends their whole lives.
" Okasan! Okasan! We caught a butterfly!" Shippou said as he unclasped his paws and showed Kagome the beautiful blue insect.
Kagome smiled sweetly and gave Shippou and kiss, unknown to her that SesshouMaru was watching the scene and that he was looking at his own adopted child, who had a look of longing and jealousy in her eyes.
" Rin, what is the matter?" SesshouMaru asked. " Are you hungry?"
Rin shook her head. " Iie… SesshouMaru-sama… when can Rin… er I have an Okaasan?"
SesshouMaru was shocked, but he did not show it. This was not the first time Rin asked that question, but it was the first time she said it with such longing directed at a specific female.
" Rin-"
" Lord SesshouMaru, Lady Kagome, lunch is ready."
SesshouMaru and Kagome both stopped what they were doing and followed the servant that gracefully walked back into the castle with two running children behind her.
'I should probably take a bath first…'
" Lady Kagome, if you wish to take a bath, I shall prepare one for you," said another servant. Kagome was not shocked that the youkai heard her, but then again, she wasn't shocked by anything now. " If you wish, I can call Shippou-chan as well."
Kagome nodded and smiled. " Thank you Miyuki-san. A bath for me and Shippou would be great."
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Komashiro walked towards the hot-springs he could always feel calmer around the pools of water. 'Ayame did love these springs…'
" Shippou, don't tell me you're still afraid of these springs?" a melodic voice said.
Komashiro decided to investigate and took a sharp breath. It was the onna that Kouga had brought back, the one he claimed to be his sister. She did look like his wife. That she did, and sounded like her too… Then, suddenly, she flipped her hair to the other side and he gasped at what he saw.
Most of the youkais impersonating his daughter often let the act go once they thought they were being watched. But there it was! On her shoulder, as plain as day, the family insignia… the silver diamond.
' Kami-sama… my Kagome… she truly has returned!'
Without saying a word, he went back into the castle and went off in search for Yumemaru. Training and lessons must begin… that and their meetings. After almost half a century of not seeing his daughter, he missed her terribly.
' I shall never let her out of my sight again! Naraku has made the mistake of crossing my path and killing my friends and family… but he will never get his hands on my daughter ever again!'
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The wind blew harshly against InuYasha's form. Hugging the Tetsusaiga as he crossed his arms, he closed his eyes and let his anger wash through him. After being with Kikyou for so long… he finally realized his mistake. Kagome and Kikyou were not alike at all.
'How many times have I told myself that Kagome was just a reincarnation? How could I have mistaken those auras? Their eyes? Their personlity! How could I have been so stupid?!'
It matters not, you can have them both…
' I don't want BOTH! I want Kagome!'
He smelled the scent of bones and dirt. He inhaled and again crushed the need to spill out his lunch.
" InuYasha… come here, will you?"
Feeling that old sense of obligation, he complied, suddenly Kikyou laid a necklace on him.
" What the hell is this?!"
" It seems fitting, InuYasha. After all… that imposter gave you one," she said icily. " Come"
InuYasha felt his limbs moving on their own. " What the hell did you do to me?!"
Kikyou smiled cruelly. 'Now its my turn. You are mine, InuYasha. Mine and Mine only!'
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Author's Note: Okay so maybe I just like cliffhangers too much! But I hope you enjoyed it! The next chapter will be considerably longer… so I hope you'll enjoy that one too!
