Summary: Going home didn't bring the comfort Kagome hoped it would. A month went by before he came. She resigned to leave, sacrificing her freedom so Aerith could live free. Could her presence possibly alter the future that seemed already etched into stone? Or will disaster rear to dance to its grim ballad with her tangled up in it?

Pairing: Sephiroth x Kagome.

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Note:
Crisis Core Era
Non-canon.
Kagome's also Aerith's older sister.
Flashbacks are written in bulk Italics.


Prologue


"Oh, dear, are you sure that old thing's sealed up for good?" Elmyra glanced at her oldest daughter with a fleck of worry shining in her eyes. The thing in question was none other than the well hidden in the overgrown part of their home. Kagome paused in chopping the vegetables for lunch they were fixing, offering her mother a smile and a quick nod of her head.

"Yeah," the fifteen-year-old responded as she turned back to the task at hand. At her side, a set of smaller hands were braced beside her section of the counter's surface, and Kagome turned towards the younger girl with a warm smile lighting up her face. Emerald eyes clashed against sapphire as the younger girl looked up at her older sister with a matching smile. Afterwards, Kagome looked back at their mother with a reassuring gleam in her eyes. "I'm a little sad," she admitted then, "but it's for the better if the well is sealed up from here on out. For everyone on both sides."

It'd been a hard decision, but one she didn't regret in the slightest. None needed to know of the well, after all. If it stayed open, then who knew what might be drawn to it or what might end up coming out of it?

Finishing up her chopping, Kagome plucked up a piece of carrot and handed it to the girl at her side. Aerith beamed up at her and happily took the carrot slice before crunching on it. The conversion was forgotten then, Elmyra barely hiding the relieved smile on her face.

"... I'm just so happy to have you home again," she spoke quietly. The thought of her fighting all sorts of creatures in that land had made her fear for the safety of her, and to see her back happy and healthy was a relief. Kagome perked up at hearing her voice, and a gentle smile appeared on her face.

"I'm happy to be home, too, Mama."

000

Something felt so wrong that afternoon. Kagome couldn't shake the foreboding feeling blossoming within her chest, no matter what she did. The table she sat at was covered with many things, all being used by her as she made her medicines out of the herbs that grew on their land. Once this batch was finished, she and Aerith would take it to the Leaf House. She'd nearly finished the last of it when there was a knock on the door. The noise sliced through the comfortable home like a knife, and at once, her attention was fixed on the door.

"I'll get it!" Aerith sang as she bounded along the floors and over to the door, brown curls bouncing as she raced towards it. Elmyra had a smile on her face as she looked from her youngest to her eldest, but Kagome couldn't find the will in her to share her smile. No, instead she watched the door with cautious eyes as she rose to her feet. Before she could make it to the door, Aerith had already opened it. Seconds later, she backed up as if she'd been burned by what lurked on the other side.

She let out a startled cry, the sound catching the alarm of Elmyra as well. Kagome bounded over to the door as Aerith ran into her side, tiny hands clinging to her dress and trembling as she hid against her side. Kagome held an arm out to ensure more space between them and the man standing outside the door.

Her eyes met the pair belonging to the unwelcome figure, blue clashing against dark brown. They were striking, nearly freezing him to the spot he stood by the ice that lurked within them. Dark lashes lined the crystal pools, dusting gently over porcelain cheeks. A pair of hands holding onto the back and sides of her dress drew his attention for the first time with his realizing. The one to have opened the door was now peering out from behind the older girl, clinging tight to her.

"Go away!" Aerith yelled out from behind Kagome. Her hands tightened ever more, holding more securely to her dress. Almost as if her grip was doing anything to keep the other girl still.

With a sigh, Tseng closed his eyes and invited himself into the home, coming to fill the open space just inside the doorway. By now, the third figure there had come to join the other two, looking from them to him with widened eyes. He was quiet as he let his gaze return to the older of the sisters, not missing the way she backed away when he held a hand out towards her. She recoiled away, blue eyes narrowing in a warning.

"Stay away from her," she hissed, shielding Aerith behind her back." Don't you dare take another step!"

"Please, won't you calm down?" he requested. He was met with silence, and he shifted his gaze to the younger of the two. She looked at him with just as much distrust. He frowned before lowering himself to be on her level, balancing himself with his hand on his knee. "I have no intention of hurting you, or Aerith," he stated then, swapping his gaze back up to Kagome then.

"Why should I believe you?" Not willing to buy into his words, she backtracked another step or two with Aerith. "Don't come any closer."

"I have no intention or reason of forcing you to go anywhere or do anything," Tseng remarked. "It'll go against everything if I were to do that."

Her glare hardened for a moment before it slipped from her face. She turned a small bit in order to look down at Aerith still at her side. Wide green eyes were staring up at her, her hands still clinging tightly to her dress. Kagome sighed and felt a wave of sadness wash over her.

If they knew where they were, then there was no stopping this… was there? If he went on his way without them, there was nothing to stop others from taking his place and showing up around here.

She lifted her gaze back towards Tseng, a reserved look in her eyes.

"How about we make a deal, then?" she asked, voice soft yet resolute. His eyes returned to her face, brow quirked.

"I'm listening," he said, urging her to continue.

"If…- If I agree to go with you, I want you to leave Aerith out of it from here on out," Kagome stated, flinching and trying to ignore Aerith's outburst at those words.

"No-!"

Kagome glanced at her feet and continued to speak. "Let her live here, with Elmyra," she stated. "In exchange for me coming with you."

Aerith let out a choked cry, tightening her grip in her dress. She pressed her face into her back, fingers digging ever deeper into her dress in an attempt to anchor them together.

"If you have me, then there's no need to keep going after Aerith, right?"

Kagome lifted her gaze from the floor and allowed it to return to meet Tseng's. He appeared thoughtful for a moment or two before he gave a nod of his head. He accepted her deal without so much as even trying to negotiate it any.

"Very well," he said as she stood back up. As soon as he had, Kagome turned and pulled Aerith into a tight hug. She felt her squeeze back just as tight, her hands trembling as she clung to her with every ounce of strength she had. Kagome pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, fingers gently pulling through her brown curls.

"It's okay," she murmured softly against the crown of her head. "You'll be okay here," she assured gently.

"I don't want you to go," Aerith sobbed into her front. "I w-want to stay with you…!" Her voice was muffled and her words came out in a broken string due to her crying. "Please, don't leave me Kagome!"

Kagome held onto her a bit tighter. She didn't want to go, either, but if this was what it took for Aerith to live a relatively normal and safe life, then so be it. She'd made this choice a million times over if she had to.

She knelt to be on her level, and, once she was, she gently traced her fingers over her face to wipe the tears away. Water-filled green eyes met her blue pair. Kagome held back her own tears, if only to be strong for her. "I have to do this, okay?" she whispered, "It'll all be okay. I promise." She lifted a free hand to pluck the lily she had resting behind her ear. Once she had, she carefully threaded it to sit behind Aerith's own. "No matter how far apart we go, I'll always be with you," she assured softly.

With those words, she pulled Aerith into a tight hug, letting her cling to her as tightly as she desired. As they were like that, another pair of arms wrapped around them, and Kagome didn't have to question who it was. Elmyra enveloped them both in a hug, and Kagome let herself rest against the woman who had taken them in as her own children.

Tseng waited by the door for her to come join him, and she eventually untangled herself from the other two, pulling herself away. She coaxed Aerith towards Elmyra when she tried to grab back onto her dress. When she reached again, the younger girl only grabbed at air when Kagome had backed away out of reach. In response to Aerith's cries and reaching out, Elmyra pulled her to her.

Elmyra looked at her with a saddened shine in her eye, and Kagome returned it with one much more apologetic.

She'd been home for no more than a month, and now she was leaving all over again. Still, she bid her a somber farewell before she made her way towards the door where Tseng stood patiently waiting.

They departed from the house, and, though she tried to ignore it, she could still hear the weeping wails that came from Aerith as the door closed behind them. Kagome spared a glance back at the home, not needing the ability to see through walls to know that Elmyra had pulled Aerith into an embrace to keep her there, even as she cried and wailed for her to come back.

Once out of sight of them both, she let herself break only then. Her tears overflowed, and she allowed her sobs to match Aerith's own.


Auroua-chan: So this is a story I've worked on before, but I took it down and worked on it a lot more. Initially, I had the past and present intertwined, but this time I'm going to change that. This story will only have the past to it (so pre- FFVII) and strictly Crisis Core.

Her Feudal Adventures did happen without much change. She came home, and she still has the jewel (which has become a materia for this story-)

Pairing is final. Rating may change later on.

Anyway, that's it for now! Thank you all for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed! Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not sorry.

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~