RG: Whoo hoo another update! I had fun with this chapter and ........
Kagome: You trying to get me killed aren't you.
RG: Oh for crying out loud. Have I let you down yet?
Kag: Your getting close. *Points an arrow at RG's heart.*
RG: Humph. You got the better part of the deal. Poor fluffy was the one who got backhanded. *sniffs*
*RG uses her almighty author power to steal Kagome's bow.*
RG: Now shoo! You can't die in a dream sequence anyway. Well reviewers, here's your next chappie.
*~*~*Ch.6 Real Conversations Beneath Imaginary Moonlight*~*~*
Kagome stared up at the glaring taiyoukai with disbelief and raw terror. Their eyes met in a clash of stormy blue and blazing gold and neither seemed to be breathing. A stray thought blew across Kagome's mind in a brief moment of giddiness.
'Do people even need to breathe in dreams?' Kagome mused for a second of sweet nothingness.
Then slowly Kagome's brain recovered from the shell shock of having a pissed off youkai invade your personal space, not to mention dream and then slapping him.
'Wait a minute, people, meaning more than one person ... Sesshoumaru and her to be exact. Eep! I just slapped Sesshoumaru!' Kagome thought in horror as she began to take in her surroundings.
Sesshoumaru hadn't moved a muscle and just continued staring down at her in a blaze of amber-eyed fury. Kagome winced under his gaze and broke eye contact. Her gaze slowly moved to his right cheek where a bright red handprint sharply contrasted with his fair skin. To Kagome's horror, she felt a bubble of laughter ripple through her. Before she even had a chance to resist she exploded into giggles at the sight of the Taiyoukai standing there with a handprint on his face like some foolhardy teenage boy.
" G-g-gomen Sesshoum-m-maru." Kagome gasped out while attempting to suppress her laughter.
Finally Kagome gave in and collapsed on the ground at Sesshoumaru's feet while holding her heaving ribs.
Sesshoumaru scowled at the seemingly insane human. She should be running for her life right now. Why he didn't behead her on the spot was beyond him. Actually how she even managed to catch him off guard was a mystery itself. Sesshoumaru inwardly sighed in exasperation; he despised dreams. It was the sole place where he couldn't kill anything.
'Wait, what happened to her demonic markings?' Sesshoumaru thought.
Sesshoumaru scanned Kagome's body slowly as his gaze lingered on choice places on her. The woman child before him was a completely plain human if you didn't count her alluring curves and raven hair spread upon the grass. Sesshoumaru looked back to her face to see Kagome staring at him, now sitting calmly on the ground in front of him looking perfectly calm and collected.
"What are you staring at wench?" Sesshoumaru said coldly.
Kagome blushed and her expression clouded at his choice of words but she ignored the barb.
"I was just wondering what you are doing in my dream. It's obvious you're a part of my dream since I'm still alive and not decapitated." She retorted.
" An astute observation miko." Sesshoumaru replied trying not to focus on the charming flush upon her cheeks.
Kagome gave a wry smile and said. " I know I was wishing for someone to talk to, but I wouldn't have ever guessed my subconscious would think of you. Mister lord of polite conversation himself." Kagome laughed at the glowering expression on the Inu's face.
" Oh well. No reason to look a gift in the horse's mouth; so quit glaring and join me." Kagome said with a smile while patting the ground beside her.
Sesshoumaru hesitated but a second later sat down beside Kagome leaving about a foot of space between them.
'If she wants to talk this would be a good opportunity to obtain information about the wench and her location.' Sesshoumaru thought.
Kagome blinked in surprise as Sesshoumaru settled down beside her. She forced herself to relax and returned to staring at the starry sky.
" You know, the stars aren't nearly this bright and clear at home. Maybe it's the fresh air or lack of air pollution." Kagome mused aloud.
" Where is this home of yours?" Sesshoumaru said with a glimmer of curiosity. He couldn't imagine a place in all of Japan where you couldn't see the stars.
Kagome took a breath to answer him, but then hesitated. " I can't let anyone know outside of my closest friends. If you or any youkai knew, I would be placing my world in danger." Kagome bit her tongue as she realized her slip up in her choice of words.
Sesshoumaru naturally caught her strange reply. 'Her world? This miko wench comes from a world different then my own?'
" What world would that be?" Sesshoumaru pressed.
Kagome looked down at the grass and breathed in deeply.
"It would feel good to get this off my chest but first I have to be absolutely sure you aren't real." Kagome said softly.
Before Sesshoumaru could react Kagome closed the gap between them and pressed her lips to his in a chaste kiss. Sesshoumaru's golden eyes widened in shock and a deep feeling of warmth erupted inside him. Desire fanned inside him and he automatically reached out and pulled her closer. His arm was a band of steel against her back, supporting her and urging her to go deeper as his tongue urged her mouth to open.
Kagome's arms twined around his neck of their own accord. She closed her eyes and moaned as his tongue swept inside her mouth, stroking and tasting every inch of flesh. A surge of power rose within her in a fiery display of overwhelming sensations that made her feel like she was burning from the inside. Kagome's blood rushed and sang with the fire, welcomed it. It was like embracing a whole new part of herself. Where her miko powers were warm and calming this new sensation was deeper, darker, and more intense.
Sesshoumaru felt his control recede as his demon blood kicked in. Even in his dreams the power to dominate bled from his veins in a head rush of red power. Kami, to embrace it was pure ecstasy right before you landed in hell. Last time he gave in to instincts he lost an arm; next time it might be his life. Using that unpleasant thought as an anchor, Sesshoumaru struggled to regain his composure. Slowly he pulled back and released Kagome from his embrace. To his utter amazement her demon markings had returned and was slowly fading back into her ivory skin as she calmed. Sesshoumaru would swear at one point he had felt claws comb through his hair and brush his neck.
Kagome stared at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes. This was a hell of a dream; she expected the kiss to be a swift peck on the lips. Not an all out intimate embrace. She felt the fire within her recede to the shadowy corners of her heart as quickly as it had appeared, leaving her breathless. She closed her eyes and slowed her breathing to normal. She reached out and lightly tapped at her miko powers, and was engulfed into a peaceful warmth unlike the first intense time. Satisfied Kagome returned her gaze to Sesshoumaru with a small smile pulling at her lips.
"Now I now your not real. I'm not dead and besides, nobody could kiss that good." She said in a breathless voice.
' I can't believe I actually did that. I wasn't supposed to enjoy that; though, I never realized anyone could taste so good in a dream' Kagome thought briefly.
Sesshoumaru inwardly smirked despite himself. He quickly caught himself and growled so deeply in chest Kagome didn't even notice.
'Why in all seven hells am I reacting like this?! This bitch can bat aside my control and rouse my demon blood with a mere kiss! Why am I tolerating this vixen?' Sesshoumaru raged inside behind his stoic mask, but the only sign of his fury was his molten gaze.
" I'm sorry about that. At least now I know I can tell you everything I wish to." Kagome said cheerfully as if the kiss never happened.
That immediately caught Sesshoumaru's attention. Ah, this was why he was tolerating it. He needed information in order to use it for her capture. While he was at it, he also needed to know about the strange flux of demonic power he sensed in her. Sesshoumaru opened his senses, but the only thing he felt was a gentle aura of purity.
"So what do you want to know?" Kagome said with a smile to rival Rin.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tenseinobi laughed as Tsunomai bragged about some new scroll he had created. She sighed with a girlish contentment leaving her oblivious to her true age. This was what she missed. Relaxing nights of stargazing, tea, and long discussions with the man she'd grown to love beneath the Goshinboku. The one thing around here that was many times older than she was or ever would be was the God Tree.
After Kagome had collapsed Tenseinobi carried her to the house and laid her in the safety of her bed to rest. On her way downstairs she had met Tsunomai who casually offered her some tea. Before she knew it she had found herself outside having the best time she had in ages. The hours had passed quickly and night had snuck up on her. Which explained where she was now.
The elder woman felt her eyes grow heavy as the calm of the starry night embraced her. The night wind caressed her wrinkled cheek with a feather light caress lulling her thoughts further and further away from her companion's words.
" With all the demons hanging around the dry well I figured it was up to me to devise a enhanced scroll to keep my grand baby safe. This scroll is fool proof and..." Tsunomai droned on and on, unaware of his audience's sudden lack of attention.
Tenseinobi gently began to nod off when a sudden shock of dark energy pierced through her senses. She gasped in shock and was awake and alert instantly, miko power flared and ready. She jumped to her feet and let all her senses loose on the surrounding area of the shrine.
Finally Kagome's grandpa noticed Tenseinobi's odd behavior. "Tensei what on earth is the matter with you?"
Tenseinobi ignored him and frantically tried to pinpoint the power. Her senses strained and she felt the dark power pull her across the grounds. Horrified, Tenseinobi sprinted across the shrine with Tsunomai closely at her heels. What lay ahead of her made pause in alarm before rushing on.
The demon power was inside the house.
Tenseinobi nearly flew up the stairs with speed unknown to most half her age. The dark energy grew closer and it came to Kagome's bedroom door. She jerked the door opened and nearly stumbled back in dismay. There lay Kagome on her bed resting peacefully beneath her covers surrounded by a blood red glow that screamed youki. Her nerves felt like they were on fire as the vile waves filled the room and sunk into her.
"Tenseinobi what is the... oh gods Kagome!" Grandpa gasped as he rushed forward to aid his granddaughter.
"Stop!" Tenseinobi wrenched the man back by his arms with an unnatural strength.
"Any rash moves and it could send her off the edge!" She hissed.
Tsunomai grew slack against her grip and turned back to her. "What can we do?"
"Wait it out and pray she wakes up soon." Tenseinobi said grimly.
Tenseinobi and Tsunomai stepped back and waited as their granddaughter pulsed the menacing aura. A few minutes that seemed to be forever went by before the tickling warmth of miko energy invaded Tenseinobi. The sinister aura slowly faded back into Kagome's body as it was replaced by a faint blue glow before they both disappeared completely, leaving Kagome looking angelic and at ease. Tenseinobi breathed a long sigh of relief before turning away and leading both of them out of Kagome's room.
'It seems I am out of time. The real training starts now.'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Your from 500 years in the future?"
"Yep. Were sitting right in the middle of where my home is in the future right now." Kagome confirmed to the slightly skeptical youkai beside her.
" Too bad you couldn't see it. The future is great; we have buildings made of steel and glass that are so high they scrape the sky. We have amazing medical technology so people live a lot longer now and we've even been to the moon!" Kagome made a wide gesture with her hands as if to illustrate a rocket blasting off.
Sesshoumaru watched her various expressions of excitement with amazement. How could anyone wear their emotions on their sleeves so easily? He noticed as her face became remotely sad.
"Tell me if this bores you. I tried to tell this to Inuyasha once but the only thing he was interested in was food." Kagome pulled her knees up to rest in her arms and she sighed.
Sesshoumaru didn't know why, but for some reason the sudden distance she put between them was uncomfortable. He made an attempt to distract her by continuing his venture for knowledge.
" So youkai truly rule the world now." Sesshoumaru said satisfied.
Kagome looked back at him surprised. " Actually, the few youkai I've seen in my world have chosen to fade into the shadows and become mere legends like the samurai ...or the miko. I only really started to notice them after coming here."
Sesshoumaru could only stare at her. A world where demons hide in the shadows and humans rule. How could the future possibly become so dim in only 500 years? This Sesshoumaru refused to believe it without evidence.
"Prove it wench."
Kagome blinked at him. "Nani?"
"Prove it. This is a dream; conjure a picture or some contraption from this so called future." Sesshoumaru commanded.
Kagome blinked at him again. " I can do that here?"
Sesshoumaru nearly rolled his eyes in exasperation. This is the miko who had sundered his plans so many times and held claim to the Tessussaiga? It was laughable.
"Just concentrate wench." Sesshoumaru said firmly.
Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and recalled all her favorite things of her time. Her favorite places, her family and friends.
'What do you show to a youkai from the past anyway?' Kagome wondered. She thought for another minute then smiled.
She opened her eyes and a medium TV appeared in front of them with a small remote in Kagome's lap.
Sesshoumaru raised an elegant eyebrow in disbelief. Of all the things she had told him about she brought a strange box with glass in the middle?
"Is this supposed to convince me?" Sesshoumaru said amused.
Kagome glared at the insolent youkai beside her and said. "Yes it will."
She picked up the TV box and clicked the TV on. It landed on a channel that was showing a bird's eye view of Tokyo. The camera moved lazily over the city and rested on Tokyo tower and downtown Tokyo.
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened at the sight of the moving pictures and the immense city of steel and glass. Lights flickered across the night in mad disarray.
"That's downtown Tokyo. It's the capital of Japan now and is one of the largest...er villages on Earth." Kagome looked at the stunned expression of the demon lord in amusement and changed the channel.
This area was a lot more peaceful and civilized to Sesshoumaru. There was a building that was only two stories high and a shrine rested next to it. The entire area seemed to radiate a peaceful aura. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he spotted an enormous tree on the grounds. It looked strangely familiar.
"That is the tree where we are currently sitting under."
Kagome nodded "That's my home. That big house over there is where my family and I live, over there's the main shrine, and beside it is the old well house. The dry well is where I travel back and forth between my time and yours. It's actually not to far from the Goshinboku."
She clicked the remote again and the pictures shifted to a brightly decorated room with a tree inside decked out with all sorts of decorations and beneath it lay several strangely colored parcels. All of the sudden a little boy ran into the room and started jumping around the boxes yelling something about a santa, whatever that is. Sesshoumaru watched as an elder man in miko garb followed by a woman who held a strange resemblance to the girl beside him walked in and watched the boy start digging through the packages.
Kagome sighed beside him and he felt a sudden chill in the air.
"That was Christmas last year; right before I came here. I haven't spent a holiday with my family since. It makes me wonder how many days my mother has set a place for me at dinner only for me to not come home. I have to constantly make up illnesses to explain my absence and my friends think I'm at death's door or something. My family is one of the few things that kept me alive when my father was killed. I can't stand watching as I'm slowly pulled away from them in my own duties."
Sesshoumaru glanced at the miko and was caught off guard by her sudden melancholy mood. Her eyes watched the figures in the glass box with unshed tears sparkling in the starlight. He felt that strange warmth envelop him again despite the sudden chill and it suddenly dawned on him. He, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, respected a human. Of all the feelings possible, hate, disgust, hell even fear was better than respect. Yet, this mere child like woman gave up her own life and time to satisfy her honor and responsibilities of the cursed jewel and still remained pure and without bitterness. Never had this Sesshoumaru ever seen such honor in a human and he ... respected her for it.
Sesshoumaru fought the sudden urge to wrap his tail around her in comfort. Was this strange feeling the newfound respect? No, he respected a few youkai and he never wanted to touch them much less comfort them. Sesshoumaru felt his frustration rise with his confusion. Damn that miko! This was all her fault; the sooner he found her the better. He would pry the Tessusaiga from her cold dead hands if necessary. Though until then....
" For one to watch a family wander apart is never easy. To have everything you cared and fought for ripped from your grasp while you merely watch is a burden very few can bear. Strength is the only thing you can depend on. " Sesshoumaru said softly.
Kagome looked at him surprised. Was he trying to comfort her? She tried to catch his eyes but he stared at the stars steadfastly. His word rang in her head. Those were not words of pity; those were words of remembrance and experience. She wondered what on earth could have possibly happened to make him act as such. Yet, she also felt a great amount of gratitude towards the youkai prince. Somehow it felt like he knew what she was talking about; that for one precious moment two enemies became two lost souls seeking understanding.
Kagome lightly rested her hand on his arm. "Thank you. I know this is just a dream and I'm really recovering back in my time after training and this is all in my head, but it feels good to talk to someone none-the-less. To bad this is only a dream."
Sesshoumaru merely watched as she disappeared back into reality.
'If she only knew.' He thought as he felt himself jerk once more into the land of the living.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Well there you go. It's a win/win situation; you guys got a bit of Sess/Kag even though in Kagome's mind they really haven't met yet. Sesshou also hasn't realized Kagome's gradual growth in strength so they're both left in the dark. Thank you to all the reviewers who gave me such great ideas and comments; they really helped me keep the story moving! I also like to respond to a few quick reviewers.
Ashleigh~ Gomen for the long wait; I hope it was worth it.
Ambarina~ Sorry about the cliffy, but what's an evil author with good grammar supposed to do?
Sunsatr-1217~ I totally agree. Kikyo really needs to die and stay dead, but how to kill her...*runs off to ponder numerous violent death scenes*
IronRaven~ Nope Tensei's not dead just very withdrawn and old. She just doesn't get out much ya know? Maybe something important is stealing Tenseinobi's free time...
Well that's all for now! Drop me a review and tell me what you think, or if you have any question feel free to ask them. Till later days, Ja!
*~*~*Ryuu Girl*~*~*
Kagome: You trying to get me killed aren't you.
RG: Oh for crying out loud. Have I let you down yet?
Kag: Your getting close. *Points an arrow at RG's heart.*
RG: Humph. You got the better part of the deal. Poor fluffy was the one who got backhanded. *sniffs*
*RG uses her almighty author power to steal Kagome's bow.*
RG: Now shoo! You can't die in a dream sequence anyway. Well reviewers, here's your next chappie.
*~*~*Ch.6 Real Conversations Beneath Imaginary Moonlight*~*~*
Kagome stared up at the glaring taiyoukai with disbelief and raw terror. Their eyes met in a clash of stormy blue and blazing gold and neither seemed to be breathing. A stray thought blew across Kagome's mind in a brief moment of giddiness.
'Do people even need to breathe in dreams?' Kagome mused for a second of sweet nothingness.
Then slowly Kagome's brain recovered from the shell shock of having a pissed off youkai invade your personal space, not to mention dream and then slapping him.
'Wait a minute, people, meaning more than one person ... Sesshoumaru and her to be exact. Eep! I just slapped Sesshoumaru!' Kagome thought in horror as she began to take in her surroundings.
Sesshoumaru hadn't moved a muscle and just continued staring down at her in a blaze of amber-eyed fury. Kagome winced under his gaze and broke eye contact. Her gaze slowly moved to his right cheek where a bright red handprint sharply contrasted with his fair skin. To Kagome's horror, she felt a bubble of laughter ripple through her. Before she even had a chance to resist she exploded into giggles at the sight of the Taiyoukai standing there with a handprint on his face like some foolhardy teenage boy.
" G-g-gomen Sesshoum-m-maru." Kagome gasped out while attempting to suppress her laughter.
Finally Kagome gave in and collapsed on the ground at Sesshoumaru's feet while holding her heaving ribs.
Sesshoumaru scowled at the seemingly insane human. She should be running for her life right now. Why he didn't behead her on the spot was beyond him. Actually how she even managed to catch him off guard was a mystery itself. Sesshoumaru inwardly sighed in exasperation; he despised dreams. It was the sole place where he couldn't kill anything.
'Wait, what happened to her demonic markings?' Sesshoumaru thought.
Sesshoumaru scanned Kagome's body slowly as his gaze lingered on choice places on her. The woman child before him was a completely plain human if you didn't count her alluring curves and raven hair spread upon the grass. Sesshoumaru looked back to her face to see Kagome staring at him, now sitting calmly on the ground in front of him looking perfectly calm and collected.
"What are you staring at wench?" Sesshoumaru said coldly.
Kagome blushed and her expression clouded at his choice of words but she ignored the barb.
"I was just wondering what you are doing in my dream. It's obvious you're a part of my dream since I'm still alive and not decapitated." She retorted.
" An astute observation miko." Sesshoumaru replied trying not to focus on the charming flush upon her cheeks.
Kagome gave a wry smile and said. " I know I was wishing for someone to talk to, but I wouldn't have ever guessed my subconscious would think of you. Mister lord of polite conversation himself." Kagome laughed at the glowering expression on the Inu's face.
" Oh well. No reason to look a gift in the horse's mouth; so quit glaring and join me." Kagome said with a smile while patting the ground beside her.
Sesshoumaru hesitated but a second later sat down beside Kagome leaving about a foot of space between them.
'If she wants to talk this would be a good opportunity to obtain information about the wench and her location.' Sesshoumaru thought.
Kagome blinked in surprise as Sesshoumaru settled down beside her. She forced herself to relax and returned to staring at the starry sky.
" You know, the stars aren't nearly this bright and clear at home. Maybe it's the fresh air or lack of air pollution." Kagome mused aloud.
" Where is this home of yours?" Sesshoumaru said with a glimmer of curiosity. He couldn't imagine a place in all of Japan where you couldn't see the stars.
Kagome took a breath to answer him, but then hesitated. " I can't let anyone know outside of my closest friends. If you or any youkai knew, I would be placing my world in danger." Kagome bit her tongue as she realized her slip up in her choice of words.
Sesshoumaru naturally caught her strange reply. 'Her world? This miko wench comes from a world different then my own?'
" What world would that be?" Sesshoumaru pressed.
Kagome looked down at the grass and breathed in deeply.
"It would feel good to get this off my chest but first I have to be absolutely sure you aren't real." Kagome said softly.
Before Sesshoumaru could react Kagome closed the gap between them and pressed her lips to his in a chaste kiss. Sesshoumaru's golden eyes widened in shock and a deep feeling of warmth erupted inside him. Desire fanned inside him and he automatically reached out and pulled her closer. His arm was a band of steel against her back, supporting her and urging her to go deeper as his tongue urged her mouth to open.
Kagome's arms twined around his neck of their own accord. She closed her eyes and moaned as his tongue swept inside her mouth, stroking and tasting every inch of flesh. A surge of power rose within her in a fiery display of overwhelming sensations that made her feel like she was burning from the inside. Kagome's blood rushed and sang with the fire, welcomed it. It was like embracing a whole new part of herself. Where her miko powers were warm and calming this new sensation was deeper, darker, and more intense.
Sesshoumaru felt his control recede as his demon blood kicked in. Even in his dreams the power to dominate bled from his veins in a head rush of red power. Kami, to embrace it was pure ecstasy right before you landed in hell. Last time he gave in to instincts he lost an arm; next time it might be his life. Using that unpleasant thought as an anchor, Sesshoumaru struggled to regain his composure. Slowly he pulled back and released Kagome from his embrace. To his utter amazement her demon markings had returned and was slowly fading back into her ivory skin as she calmed. Sesshoumaru would swear at one point he had felt claws comb through his hair and brush his neck.
Kagome stared at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes. This was a hell of a dream; she expected the kiss to be a swift peck on the lips. Not an all out intimate embrace. She felt the fire within her recede to the shadowy corners of her heart as quickly as it had appeared, leaving her breathless. She closed her eyes and slowed her breathing to normal. She reached out and lightly tapped at her miko powers, and was engulfed into a peaceful warmth unlike the first intense time. Satisfied Kagome returned her gaze to Sesshoumaru with a small smile pulling at her lips.
"Now I now your not real. I'm not dead and besides, nobody could kiss that good." She said in a breathless voice.
' I can't believe I actually did that. I wasn't supposed to enjoy that; though, I never realized anyone could taste so good in a dream' Kagome thought briefly.
Sesshoumaru inwardly smirked despite himself. He quickly caught himself and growled so deeply in chest Kagome didn't even notice.
'Why in all seven hells am I reacting like this?! This bitch can bat aside my control and rouse my demon blood with a mere kiss! Why am I tolerating this vixen?' Sesshoumaru raged inside behind his stoic mask, but the only sign of his fury was his molten gaze.
" I'm sorry about that. At least now I know I can tell you everything I wish to." Kagome said cheerfully as if the kiss never happened.
That immediately caught Sesshoumaru's attention. Ah, this was why he was tolerating it. He needed information in order to use it for her capture. While he was at it, he also needed to know about the strange flux of demonic power he sensed in her. Sesshoumaru opened his senses, but the only thing he felt was a gentle aura of purity.
"So what do you want to know?" Kagome said with a smile to rival Rin.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tenseinobi laughed as Tsunomai bragged about some new scroll he had created. She sighed with a girlish contentment leaving her oblivious to her true age. This was what she missed. Relaxing nights of stargazing, tea, and long discussions with the man she'd grown to love beneath the Goshinboku. The one thing around here that was many times older than she was or ever would be was the God Tree.
After Kagome had collapsed Tenseinobi carried her to the house and laid her in the safety of her bed to rest. On her way downstairs she had met Tsunomai who casually offered her some tea. Before she knew it she had found herself outside having the best time she had in ages. The hours had passed quickly and night had snuck up on her. Which explained where she was now.
The elder woman felt her eyes grow heavy as the calm of the starry night embraced her. The night wind caressed her wrinkled cheek with a feather light caress lulling her thoughts further and further away from her companion's words.
" With all the demons hanging around the dry well I figured it was up to me to devise a enhanced scroll to keep my grand baby safe. This scroll is fool proof and..." Tsunomai droned on and on, unaware of his audience's sudden lack of attention.
Tenseinobi gently began to nod off when a sudden shock of dark energy pierced through her senses. She gasped in shock and was awake and alert instantly, miko power flared and ready. She jumped to her feet and let all her senses loose on the surrounding area of the shrine.
Finally Kagome's grandpa noticed Tenseinobi's odd behavior. "Tensei what on earth is the matter with you?"
Tenseinobi ignored him and frantically tried to pinpoint the power. Her senses strained and she felt the dark power pull her across the grounds. Horrified, Tenseinobi sprinted across the shrine with Tsunomai closely at her heels. What lay ahead of her made pause in alarm before rushing on.
The demon power was inside the house.
Tenseinobi nearly flew up the stairs with speed unknown to most half her age. The dark energy grew closer and it came to Kagome's bedroom door. She jerked the door opened and nearly stumbled back in dismay. There lay Kagome on her bed resting peacefully beneath her covers surrounded by a blood red glow that screamed youki. Her nerves felt like they were on fire as the vile waves filled the room and sunk into her.
"Tenseinobi what is the... oh gods Kagome!" Grandpa gasped as he rushed forward to aid his granddaughter.
"Stop!" Tenseinobi wrenched the man back by his arms with an unnatural strength.
"Any rash moves and it could send her off the edge!" She hissed.
Tsunomai grew slack against her grip and turned back to her. "What can we do?"
"Wait it out and pray she wakes up soon." Tenseinobi said grimly.
Tenseinobi and Tsunomai stepped back and waited as their granddaughter pulsed the menacing aura. A few minutes that seemed to be forever went by before the tickling warmth of miko energy invaded Tenseinobi. The sinister aura slowly faded back into Kagome's body as it was replaced by a faint blue glow before they both disappeared completely, leaving Kagome looking angelic and at ease. Tenseinobi breathed a long sigh of relief before turning away and leading both of them out of Kagome's room.
'It seems I am out of time. The real training starts now.'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Your from 500 years in the future?"
"Yep. Were sitting right in the middle of where my home is in the future right now." Kagome confirmed to the slightly skeptical youkai beside her.
" Too bad you couldn't see it. The future is great; we have buildings made of steel and glass that are so high they scrape the sky. We have amazing medical technology so people live a lot longer now and we've even been to the moon!" Kagome made a wide gesture with her hands as if to illustrate a rocket blasting off.
Sesshoumaru watched her various expressions of excitement with amazement. How could anyone wear their emotions on their sleeves so easily? He noticed as her face became remotely sad.
"Tell me if this bores you. I tried to tell this to Inuyasha once but the only thing he was interested in was food." Kagome pulled her knees up to rest in her arms and she sighed.
Sesshoumaru didn't know why, but for some reason the sudden distance she put between them was uncomfortable. He made an attempt to distract her by continuing his venture for knowledge.
" So youkai truly rule the world now." Sesshoumaru said satisfied.
Kagome looked back at him surprised. " Actually, the few youkai I've seen in my world have chosen to fade into the shadows and become mere legends like the samurai ...or the miko. I only really started to notice them after coming here."
Sesshoumaru could only stare at her. A world where demons hide in the shadows and humans rule. How could the future possibly become so dim in only 500 years? This Sesshoumaru refused to believe it without evidence.
"Prove it wench."
Kagome blinked at him. "Nani?"
"Prove it. This is a dream; conjure a picture or some contraption from this so called future." Sesshoumaru commanded.
Kagome blinked at him again. " I can do that here?"
Sesshoumaru nearly rolled his eyes in exasperation. This is the miko who had sundered his plans so many times and held claim to the Tessussaiga? It was laughable.
"Just concentrate wench." Sesshoumaru said firmly.
Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and recalled all her favorite things of her time. Her favorite places, her family and friends.
'What do you show to a youkai from the past anyway?' Kagome wondered. She thought for another minute then smiled.
She opened her eyes and a medium TV appeared in front of them with a small remote in Kagome's lap.
Sesshoumaru raised an elegant eyebrow in disbelief. Of all the things she had told him about she brought a strange box with glass in the middle?
"Is this supposed to convince me?" Sesshoumaru said amused.
Kagome glared at the insolent youkai beside her and said. "Yes it will."
She picked up the TV box and clicked the TV on. It landed on a channel that was showing a bird's eye view of Tokyo. The camera moved lazily over the city and rested on Tokyo tower and downtown Tokyo.
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened at the sight of the moving pictures and the immense city of steel and glass. Lights flickered across the night in mad disarray.
"That's downtown Tokyo. It's the capital of Japan now and is one of the largest...er villages on Earth." Kagome looked at the stunned expression of the demon lord in amusement and changed the channel.
This area was a lot more peaceful and civilized to Sesshoumaru. There was a building that was only two stories high and a shrine rested next to it. The entire area seemed to radiate a peaceful aura. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he spotted an enormous tree on the grounds. It looked strangely familiar.
"That is the tree where we are currently sitting under."
Kagome nodded "That's my home. That big house over there is where my family and I live, over there's the main shrine, and beside it is the old well house. The dry well is where I travel back and forth between my time and yours. It's actually not to far from the Goshinboku."
She clicked the remote again and the pictures shifted to a brightly decorated room with a tree inside decked out with all sorts of decorations and beneath it lay several strangely colored parcels. All of the sudden a little boy ran into the room and started jumping around the boxes yelling something about a santa, whatever that is. Sesshoumaru watched as an elder man in miko garb followed by a woman who held a strange resemblance to the girl beside him walked in and watched the boy start digging through the packages.
Kagome sighed beside him and he felt a sudden chill in the air.
"That was Christmas last year; right before I came here. I haven't spent a holiday with my family since. It makes me wonder how many days my mother has set a place for me at dinner only for me to not come home. I have to constantly make up illnesses to explain my absence and my friends think I'm at death's door or something. My family is one of the few things that kept me alive when my father was killed. I can't stand watching as I'm slowly pulled away from them in my own duties."
Sesshoumaru glanced at the miko and was caught off guard by her sudden melancholy mood. Her eyes watched the figures in the glass box with unshed tears sparkling in the starlight. He felt that strange warmth envelop him again despite the sudden chill and it suddenly dawned on him. He, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, respected a human. Of all the feelings possible, hate, disgust, hell even fear was better than respect. Yet, this mere child like woman gave up her own life and time to satisfy her honor and responsibilities of the cursed jewel and still remained pure and without bitterness. Never had this Sesshoumaru ever seen such honor in a human and he ... respected her for it.
Sesshoumaru fought the sudden urge to wrap his tail around her in comfort. Was this strange feeling the newfound respect? No, he respected a few youkai and he never wanted to touch them much less comfort them. Sesshoumaru felt his frustration rise with his confusion. Damn that miko! This was all her fault; the sooner he found her the better. He would pry the Tessusaiga from her cold dead hands if necessary. Though until then....
" For one to watch a family wander apart is never easy. To have everything you cared and fought for ripped from your grasp while you merely watch is a burden very few can bear. Strength is the only thing you can depend on. " Sesshoumaru said softly.
Kagome looked at him surprised. Was he trying to comfort her? She tried to catch his eyes but he stared at the stars steadfastly. His word rang in her head. Those were not words of pity; those were words of remembrance and experience. She wondered what on earth could have possibly happened to make him act as such. Yet, she also felt a great amount of gratitude towards the youkai prince. Somehow it felt like he knew what she was talking about; that for one precious moment two enemies became two lost souls seeking understanding.
Kagome lightly rested her hand on his arm. "Thank you. I know this is just a dream and I'm really recovering back in my time after training and this is all in my head, but it feels good to talk to someone none-the-less. To bad this is only a dream."
Sesshoumaru merely watched as she disappeared back into reality.
'If she only knew.' He thought as he felt himself jerk once more into the land of the living.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Well there you go. It's a win/win situation; you guys got a bit of Sess/Kag even though in Kagome's mind they really haven't met yet. Sesshou also hasn't realized Kagome's gradual growth in strength so they're both left in the dark. Thank you to all the reviewers who gave me such great ideas and comments; they really helped me keep the story moving! I also like to respond to a few quick reviewers.
Ashleigh~ Gomen for the long wait; I hope it was worth it.
Ambarina~ Sorry about the cliffy, but what's an evil author with good grammar supposed to do?
Sunsatr-1217~ I totally agree. Kikyo really needs to die and stay dead, but how to kill her...*runs off to ponder numerous violent death scenes*
IronRaven~ Nope Tensei's not dead just very withdrawn and old. She just doesn't get out much ya know? Maybe something important is stealing Tenseinobi's free time...
Well that's all for now! Drop me a review and tell me what you think, or if you have any question feel free to ask them. Till later days, Ja!
*~*~*Ryuu Girl*~*~*
