After seeing Kikyo and Inuyasha kiss for the second time Kagome had left the Shikon no Tama hunting group. Of course she knew she would miss the taijia who was like a sister to her, and the perverted houshi (AN: spelling?). But most of all she would miss Shippo her adopted son.
The day she left, she decided that she wouldn't go back to her time. She felt more at home here anyway. The day she found them kissing in the middle of a clearing was still fresh in her mind.
*~*~*Flashback*~*~*~
Kagome had grown restless. Inuyasha had left over two hours ago. He said he wanted to 'look into something.' She laid there in her sleeping bag thinking about the time she was tied to a tree and Inuyasha had kissed Kikyo. She got up, her curiosity getting the best of her. She grabbed her bow and arrows and headed off in the area that Inuyasha had taken.
When she emerged from the trees, there was Inuyasha with none other than Kikyo in his arms. Kagome stood frozen to the spot.
Inuyasha looked up from the kiss when he felt a familiar aura. He turned around and saw Kagome. She looked at him then at Kikyo and ran. Inuyasha stood frozen to his spot. Kikyo pulled his chin toward her and brought his face down to kiss him. He forgot all about Kagome and lost himself in the kiss.
Kagome ran until her legs hurt. All she knew was that she was going North. The area became unknown and the territory unfamiliar. The next thing she knew there was a cheetah youkai growling at her. She notched an arrow, but her heart wasn't in it. The youkai dodged it easily. He took a lunge at her, and ripped at her stomach. The next thing Kagome knew was that she woke up in a four post bed. Her stomach was bandaged, and her wound was cleaned. A servant entered.
"How are you lady?"
"Uhm…fine…I guess. Where am I?"
"The castle of Lady Hikaru. The Lady of the North. She was coming back from a business trip when she came across you. You are very lucky."
"Oh…" Was all Kagome had managed. Then a female kitsune entered. She had long light brown hair, and a light brown tail. On her forward was a sun. A sign of royal family. She smiled at Kagome her light brown eyes twinkling and her fangs showing.
"Hello. I am Lady Hikaru of the North. You are very lucky I found you Little Miko."
"Th-thank you." Kagome stuttered.
"Do you have family?"
"Ye-no." Kagome answered. Hikaru looked at her suspiciously for a second then returned to her cheerful nature.
"Well. You may stay here. I will train you and show you how to defend yourself. It seems you are not all you appear to be. How old are you?"
"16." Kagome said.
"I see. Well we will have to train you non-stop until then. There will be…to say the least a big surprise for you on the day you turn 18." She said. Kagome barely registered what she had said. Sleep was claiming her again.
*~*~*~End of Flashback*~*~*
Kagome sighed as she leaned against the balcony. Still wondering what the surprise could be. Her 18th birthday was tomorrow. She wondered what Souta and her mother and grandfather were doing. Then mentally berated herself. 'I will not be weak now.' She thought. Her training with Lady Hikaru was tough, but she had learned a lot. She had her miko powers under control now. She also was faster, stronger, and smarter in battle. She thought through her attacks, and knew never to lose her cool during battles. She knew that she could now probably beat Inuyasha.
Lady Hikaru went onto the balcony and stood next to Kagome.
"Something troubling you?" She asked.
"No. Not really just thinking."
"You should probably get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a big day, things long forgotten will be remembered."
"What?"
"You'll see." And with that she left. Kagome stood there for another moment, looking out across the garden that was illuminated by the moon. Tomorrow it would be full. Inuyasha would be human tomorrow. Kagome laughed a little. The first time in months that she had let her emotions show. She then slipped on her mask of indifference again and left to her bed to sleep.
When Kagome awoke, Lady Hikaru was sitting next to her futon.
"Morning." Kagome said. Lady Hikaru nodded. Then stood up. She looked at Kagome.
"Get dressed. We are going to train." She exited the room. Kagome rose and put on her training clothes, she entered the dojo and grabbed her Katana. The hilt was made of Jade and Diamond. It was a double bladed, but had protective gear for training.
"Take the protection off." Lady Hikaru said when she entered the dojo. Kagome gave her a speculative glance before removing the protection. She stood in her battle stance and faced Hikaru, who had unsheathed her katana. They lunged at each other. The fight went on for hours. Kagome and Lady Hikaru were equals. Night settled onto the castle with the two still fight. Lady Hikaru then stopped. She looked at Kagome and smiled.
"Your training is complete child. It is time for you to remember. Follow me." She exited the room with a very confused Kagome following.
"Kagome…I don't know how to start…well I might as well just get right to the point. You are not a human. You are a youkai, an inu-youkai to be exact. You are the daughter of the Lord the East. When you were born, there was a great trouble rising. A being known as Notoba was rising. He was very powerful, and corrupt like no other. This was a time when humans and youkai alike were choosing sides. Me, Lord Inutaisho, and Lord Kiyoshi, your father, chose the side of light. We chose to fight against this Notoba, but Lord Shisho of the South choose to fight with Notoba. Before the war began, we all had the feeling that something was not as it seemed. We had all met at your fathers castle. Lord Inutaisho had brought his son Sesshoumaru for first hand training with politics and war and such. We had began having meetings and deciding on how we would go about the war, when we all felt it. It was a nauseating feeling, we all left the conference room and entered into the ballroom. All the servants were running around screaming like they had gone mad. It was Sesshoumaru who realized that there minds were being tampered with. He then said something that made us all freeze. 'Kagome.' He and your father ran off to your room. You were about 14 years old at the time……Sesshoumaru had grown protective over you at his stay, he looked at you like a little sister. When they reached your room, they found your nurse fighting off 3 neko-youkai. She had placed a protective barrier over you. You looked…well…pissed. You were always itching to fight. They finished them off, and took off the protective barrier. You looked at us all then ran into your fathers arms. That's when he realized that it was to dangerous for you to live here. You were the only heir to the throne, and Notoba wanted to get rid of you and leave your father emotional distraught, while also leaving the Eastern lands heirless. In doing so he angered not only your father but Sesshoumaru, Lord Inutaisho, and me thus making the East, the North and the West hate him more. Your father did the only thing he could at the moment. He sent you away. He knew that there was no place here that would be able to keep you safe, so he sent you into the future, to be reborn. Unfortunately that went wrong because you were born as the reincarnation of that corpse…uhm…Kikhoe…er…Kikyo! Yes! The protector of the Shikon no Tama. While her soul took the dominate possession of the body, yours lay dormant. All the memories of your pervious life were forgotten. Well, anyway. The war raged on for months. Your father give it his all, but in the end he fell, along with Sesshoumaru's lovely mother. Lord Inutaisho took this hard. Sesshoumaru turned cold as ever. The war finally ended when Notoba was sealed inside he own sword by a very powerful miko. Midoriko was her name I believe. We lost contact with the person who was supposedly watching over you, and we were never able to see how you turned out. After awhile we found out about Inuyasha, Inutaisho's new son. He was a hanyou. We at first were amazed, but when we met the mother, she was a very lovely women. Of course this only angered Sesshoumaru. He felt that his father was trying to replace his mother. Of course that is not my story to tell. The only ones who knew of your being reborn as a reincarnation were me, your father, and Lord Inutaisho, who neglected to tell Sesshoumaru. When we got wind that Kikyo's reincarnation was here, and was from a different time, I assumed it was you. Lord Inutaisho was dead, and so I had no one to confine this news to. I watched you from afar and saw how powerful your miko powers were. I watched you fall in love with Inuyasha which was obviously a mistake," At this Kagome, who had been digesting all of this silently, snorted her agreement. "I watched him hurt you, twice and I watched you run. I watched you fight the youkai and I saved you, and I trained you. Now I am going to release you. Come." Lady Hikaru exited the dojo, and entered the garden. A confused Kagome following. The moon was full, and Hikaru stood in it's rays.
"Come Kagome. Under the moon's rays at midnight on your 18th birthday you will be revealed."
Kagome hesitantly stepped from the shadows. Once she entered the moonlight she was surrounded by a blue glow. Memories washed over her. It all came back to her, playing with a young Sesshoumaru, eating with her father, the barrier being put up as the Neko-youkai surrounded them. Lord Kiyoshi and Sesshoumaru rushing in and helping her nurse fight off the demons.
Then her body began to change. Her hair grew longer, and turned silver. She felt her senses sharpen and her nails grow into claws. She felt a tail grow, and her ears sharpen. She looked in the pool at her reflection. She smiled at what she saw. Her hair was silver. Her eyes were also silver with midnight blue specks. On her forehead was a midnight blue star. The sign of her family. She had two midnight blue strips on each side of her face as well as on her arms and legs. Her tail was white with midnight blue specks on the tips. She smirked at her reflection.
"I'm back."
"What will you do?"
"First I shall kick her soul out. Then I think I will visit Inuyasha and company." She smirked. A smirked that rivaled Sesshoumaru's.
"I see."
"Thank you Hikaru. Thank you for everything."
"Your Welcome Kagome."
"Hai." Kagome closed her eyes and concentrated. She could feel her soul, and Kikyo's battling for dominance. Kagome laughed. HA! Like she has the power. Kagome started to push, she then had an image of Kikyo in her mind, and sent her soul back. And good riddance! She thought. She opened her eyes and smiled at Hikaru.
"I will be off Lady Hikaru. I thank you once again."
"Your welcome dear child, I know you have been through a lot. But you will get through the rest with ease. You are very powerful. I would say you could rival Lord Inutaisho himself."
Kagome smiled at this. She remembered Lord Inutaisho, he was a cheerful, yet stern Inuyoukai. Then her thoughts went to his son. Sesshoumaru. After the counsel for war, he would play with her, and tell her stories of fights him and his father were in. Jade had loved him as a brother, and more. When he came into the room and saved her from the nekoyoukai she had realized then that she had loved him. When her father told her that he was sending her away, Jade broke down and cried. Before she left Sesshoumaru came to see her. He gave her a stiff hug, and a necklace. On it was a sapphire jewel. He smiled and left the room. Jade stared after him.
"Lady Hikaru…who runs the Eastern Lands now?"
"Oh. . .Lord Shisho took over them when your father died." Kagome's eyes tinted red. She took a deep breath, and then calmed down.
"I see. I will leave now. I will be back soon. When I return, I will reclaim what is rightfully mine."
Hikaru nodded and watched as she speed off into the dark.
*~*~*~*~*Inuyasha and Company*~*~*~*~
Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all were riding Kirara. Inuyasha was in front with none other than Kikyo on his back. When Kagome had mysteriously left Kikyo joined the "group." No one liked they idea but had to admit that she could find the shards, and they needed her. They had gathered all the shards, and were now looking for Naraku.
Inuyasha stopped when he heard Kikyo gasp. He sat her down while Kirara landed. They stood there watching as a soul came to Kikyo.
"M-my soul." She whispered. It entered her and she was surrounded in a pinkish white glow. When the glow left her, there stood a very much alive Kikyo. She looked at her hands then touched her lips and cheeks.
"Warm…" She smiled at Inuyasha who looked overly happy.
"Isn't this great guys!?" Inuyasha said. Sango, and Miroku looked like they were about to faint. Shippo was close to crying. Inuyasha didn't understand.
"KAGOME'S DEAD!!" Shippo screamed at the top of his lungs. Then Inuyasha understood. For Kikyo to get her soul back, Kagome had to be dead. He suddenly felt guilty. He knew that the reason she had left was because of him. He had went back to her time to ask if Kagome had come back, and her parents were acting strange. They had said that they didn't know a Kagome. So Inuyasha figured that she had stayed in this time. Now she was dead.
"I'm not dead Shippo…don't cry." Everyone looked up to see a very beautiful female Inuyoukai walking towards them. She wore a sleeveless midnight blue kimono with slits up to her thighs. Everyone bristled and got into there battle stances.
"You guys really don't remember me do you?" Her voice was amused.
"Ka-Kagome?" Shippo said while sniffing the air.
"Hai. " She replied. Shippo ran into her arms and hugged her like she was going to disappear.
"What happened to you?" Sango said, while letting her grip on Hiraikotsu slacken. Kagome looked at them and smiled. She then told them the whole story.
"Wow…" Shippo said at the end. Everyone looked at amazed.
"YOU KNEW MY BASTARD HALF-BROTHER!?" Inuyasha all but screamed.
"Hai. And he is not a bastard! He saved my life!!"
"And so I guess that makes up for all the times he tried to kill you!?!" Kagome growled and stood up. She raised her hand in front of her. A midnight blue arrow formed from her miko energy.
"Shut your mouth, or I will release this."
"Feh." Inuyasha said. Kagome smirked and released the arrow. But not in Inuyashas direction as they all thought, but into the surrounding forest.
"Great aim…" Inuyasha said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I know." She replied. "Kagura, you may come out." Inuyasha jumped up and looked in the direction the arrow had flown, Kagura stepped out with a midnight blue arrow spinning in the middle of her stomach. She was barley able to stand, and collapsed when she reached the circle.
"H-how…I didn't even smell her."
"She was standing upwind you idiot."
"Then how did you know she was there!?!"
"I could sense her aura, even though she was trying to hide it. I have been trained to sense even hidden auras." Kagome said softly.
" I see." Miroku said, looking at the still form of Kagura. Kagome walked over to the limp body and pulled it up effortlessly. She pulled out the note that was in Kagura's hand.
"Naraku has collected the rest of the Shikon no Tama shards, he wants yours, and will be waiting for you at Inuyasha's Forest." Kagome's eyes narrowed at the note. "Stupid coward! Conniving bastard, he chooses to battle near the village, knowing that you guys would try to protect the villagers and still fight, basically handing you a weakness in a platter." Kagome crushed the note which promptly erupted into midnight blue flames. Kikyo looked at her incarnation with poorly veiled disgust, and hate. Kagome looked up and smiled a maliciously at Kikyo.
"So…you've survived this long bitch? Amazing, when were you going to turn Inuyasha over to Naraku? After you turned over your shards to Naraku, or before?" Kagome asked, her voice hard as steel. She fingered the necklace at her throat, the same one Sesshoumaru had given her. Kikyo looked at Kagome her face expressionless, but Kagome could see her aura. It went from the dull red and black to a faint yellow of surprise, and that was all Kagome needed to know that she was right. She smirked her "Sesshoumaru" smirk, and walked away from them. She stopped shortly and turned away.
"Oh and Inuyasha, if you value your life, I would take back the Shards that Kikyo has hidden in the linen of her clothing, and leave her…she doesn't love you…even with her soul back. The love I thought I had for you was a lingering trait from Kikyo's soul, but it seems that that was all it was…a linger trait. If you could read aura's you would see that she holds only contempt." She looked at Inuyasha's face, and was satisfied with the look of confusion, and utter shock. She then looked at Kikyo, who was burning with rage.
"Oh and Kikyo, I don't think you want to battle me. I'm to strong for you." She then turned around and started to walk away. Kikyo notched an arrow and let it fly with deadly accuracy for Kagome's back. Before any one could utter a warning cry the arrow was snapped in half, and Kagome stood behind Kikyo with the arrow tip at her neck. Inuyasha stood frozen struggling with his voice.
"Next time bitch, someone gives you a warning it would be best if you followed it. You have got to be the most selfish bitch I have ever known, you wanted to taint the Shikon no Tama with a selfish wish…a wish that you didn't really mean. So you wanted to make Inuyasha human…but only so that you could be free of your duties, and go with every man you saw you little whore…the next time I see you…I won't be as merciful as I am now…" Kagome said, her voice dripping with hate, scorn, and contempt. She released Kikyo, but did slice her throat, not much but enough for her to feel it. She pushed her into Inuyasha's arms, and left, not saying anything. She looked back once and waved a slight goodbye to Sango, Miroku and Shippo. Shippo had silent tears streaming down his face, but he knew enough that he had to let Kagome go on her own.
**********************
Kagome was aware that she had entered the Western Lands, and was pretty sure that she would reach Sesshoumaru's castle by the next night. At the moment she was resting in a tall oak tree, her eyes slightly closed, yet very aware of her surrounding. Her Katana was strapped on her back, and she had two small daggers concealed in her kimono. She was very well aware that her kimono was revealing, but also knew that she could defend herself. It was then that she heard a small scream with her acute hearing. She leaped out of the tree and towards the scream.
"Ohhh…little girl, you will provide a very tasty snack for me…" The wolf youkai said while licking its lips. Kagome peered from the clearing. The youkai was blocking her view of the victim, but that didn't matter at the moment. She lunged from behind and whipped her Katana out at the same moment. She sliced the wolf in half, and landed in front of the girl. When Kagome took a good look at the girl, she almost dropped her Katana.
"R-Rin?" The girl looked at Kagome like a stranger then began to wail.
"Rin wants Sesshoumaru-sama now!" Kagome had seen Rin on a couple of occasions, and she had looked at Sesshoumaru as a father. Kagome almost chuckled at the little girl, but said nor did anything to frighten her.
"Thank you Lady. Rin is very happy that you saved her." Rin said after she had stopped wailing. Kagome smiled at her briefly.
"Your welcome Rin."
"How do you know Rin's name?" She asked curiously.
"You know me Rin, you just might not remember. My name is Kagome." Kagome watched as the little girl's brow furrowed in concentration in the most adorable way.
"KAGOME! You're the one that travels with the bad guy with the funny ears! He's always trying to hurt Sesshoumaru-sama, but Sesshoumaru-sama always beats him. Rin doesn't like him." Rin said scrunching up her nose, and shaking her little head so hard that her little ponytail flopped wildly. Kagome laughed silently.
"Will you help Rin find Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin asked her.
"…H-hai…" Kagome stuttered uncertainly. Of course she had been preparing on visiting Sesshoumaru, but now that she was actually going to…well she wasn't exactly sure of what she was going to say. Rin jumped up and down, then hugged Kagome's leg, and ran small circle around her.
"Hooray…let's go now!" She said and pulled Kagome further into the forest, just as the sun began to set.
***************************
Night fell with deathly calm, and the forest was silent. Kagome knew this was a hunting ground, and didn't like the silence at all, but Rin was beginning to tire out, so Kagome settled down and sat Rin on her lap, wrapping her tail around her and holding her arms around the small child. She leaned up against the tree and closed her eyes, focusing all her other senses on her surroundings. She could feel Sesshoumaru coming, and at a fast pace. His aura was flaring, letting other lesser youkai know that he wasn't in the mood. Kagome stayed the way she was when he burst into the small clearing. He walked over to her and glared down at her, noticing Rin in her tail. Kagome's heart skipped at beat looking up into his dangerously beautiful face.
"Hand her over wench…" He growled softly, noticing the fact that Rin was sleeping, and he knew that if he were to awake her now, she would never sleep, causing him the pain of an unnecessary headache, which he could avoid if this female youkai would give her to him cooperatively. He figured that this was another one of those whores, who wanted to bed with him and became Lady of the Western Lands, and he was in no mood to deal with them, taking Rin, as a way to get into his bed, was the dirtiest plan they had come up with yet.
Kagome rose slowly extended her tail to him and he gently took Rin. He gave her a final look before he prepared to take off. Rin snuggling into his fluffy tail.
"Sesshoumaru-sama wait!" Kagome whispered loudly. Sesshoumaru turned around. This wench dares to address me so informally. Who does she think she is?
"What is it wench?" He said barley controlling his anger.
"Don't you remember me?" Kagome asked her voice full of hurt. He looked at her carefully for the first time. She was exceptionally beautiful, her silver eyes with the specks of dark blue were what caught his eye. He only knew one person who's eyes were like that, but she was dead…or so he thought.
"No I'm afraid I don't." He said turning around again. Kagome shook her head sadly. She took off the necklace, and walked over to him.
"Then I guess…I won't be needing this…" Kagome said. Pushing the small jewel into his hands. She turned around and jumped into a tree, concealing her aura, and watching Sesshoumaru's face. Sesshoumaru looked at the necklace in his hand, and almost fell from shock. In his hands was his mother's jewel, she had given it to him, and told him to give it to someone special, Sesshoumaru in turn gave it to-
"Kagome…" Sesshoumaru turned around and looked upward, her aura was gone and there was no sign of her. He sighed and looked back at the jewel.
"So you remembered me after all…" A soft voice said behind him. He turned around sharply to come face-to-face with Kagome.
"But-you, they sent-" Sesshoumaru was at a lost for words. He was utterly speechless for the first time. Here standing in front of him was his childhood friend, the first girl that he had actually loved, as a sister at first considering that she was younger than him, but then it grew to more, and he gave her his mother's necklace.
"You haven't changed much Sesshoumaru…except for the fact that you colder." Kagome said the last part softly. Sesshoumaru looked at the girl who was his childhood friend. .:And maybe something more:. The annoying little voice in his head said.