Disclaimer: Usual. I do not own Inuyasha. (I so get tired of typing this)
Author Note: Thank you all for your reviews.
Rured: Yes, I do know that profiler has written a sequel to her story. She told me she was going to when I told her of my idea. Thanks for telling me, I didn't get to read it 'til you told me. She hadn't told me if she had posted it yet.
Chapter 6: Off To See The Taiyoukai
Kagome woke up with a scream, waking everyone else up as well.
"OH MY GOD!!"
Kagome had been tossing and turning the entire night. She kept having dreams about her last encounter with Sesshoumaru... and it actually had nothing to do with the almost kiss. Nope, the scene before it and his words kept replaying in her dreams. Always a little different yet the same. She knew her dreams were trying to tell her something. Something she didn't catch when she was awake and with the Taiyoukai, but she figured it out. And when she did... she woke up screaming.
'This couldn't be good', she thought frantically to herself. Kagome darted her eyes around the clearing. She didn't know how she could have missed it earlier. His voice kept playing over and over in her head.
'So, you are back to play whore for that halfling brother of mine, hm'
Everytime it repeated in her head she became even angrier at him then she was the last time. But of all that, it was the word 'back' that meant the most to her. It was what she didn't catch the first time around... probably because she got so angry.
"Kagome what is wrong?" asked Sango sleepily with worry.
Kagome's eye's darted over to where she knew her friend was sleeping. She noticed Mirouku was looking at her with a disgruntled look on his face as well. Kagome figured she must have waked them up with her outburst. Which meant Inuyasha was also awake she figured.
"I... I'm fine. Really. It's just... he knows me," Kagome breathed in disbelief. She didn't understand how it was possible, but she continued with complete assurance, "He remembers."
"Wha... who? Remembers what Kagome?" yawned Mirouku.
Kagome sensed Inuyasha's eyes on her from the top of the tree nearest them. Kagome knew she wasn't making any sense to them. She was glad Shippou had slept through her outburst. He'd only worry about her.
"Sesshoumaru." Kagome answered with a sigh and tried to explain, "He remembers me."
She saw her friends look of confusion start to change. They were catching on.
"But, how can that be?" asked Sango confusedly.
"You told us you wished his memory of you away. What happened?" questioned Mirouku in wonder.
Kagome sighed as she lay back down on her back, looking up at the night sky. She figured the shikon jewel must have changed that part of her wish too. What she didn't understand was why. Kagome could see it would be daylight soon and sighed again as she answered their question.
"I don't know."
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Kagome woke up late that morning. When she opened her eyes the sun had already reached its peak in the sky. She guessed it was nearly noon. Kagome jumped up with a scream... again.
"Why didn't anybody wake me!?"
"I thought to let you sleep Kagome-chan," said Shippou worriedly. "You seem so sleepy."
"Its okay Shippou-chan," said Kagome as she gathered her things in hurry and rushed off to the hot spring.
Kagome finished her bath in record time and was just finishing putting on her clothes, which consisted of a pair of hip-hugger jeans and a pink scooped neck bodysuite, when Sango showed up.
Sango looked at her friend from head to toe and decided she liked the clothes from the future world. The outfit showed off her friend's figure very nicely without showing too much skin. She wondered if it would be okay to ask Kagome to bring her a pair of those 'jeans'.
"Kagome? Are you in a hurry to do something?"
Kagome turned to her friend after she gathered her belongings and put them in her bag.
"I don't know Sango. It's funny. I feel like there something I should be doing, but I don't remember having something that needed getting done."
Sango nodded at this. She didn't offer any words... she had none to offer. Sango decided she'd get to the reason she'd come there to the spring instead.
"Kagome I came here to tell you about why Mirouku and I know Sesshoumaru doesn't know he brought Inuyasha back. I figure it my help shed some light."
"Alright," Kagome nodded.
Sango nodded her head in agreement and started talking when Kagome fell into step beside her. They headed back to camp as Sango explained.
"When Sesshoumaru ... disappeared me and Mirouku brought Rin here to the village. Jaken came as well. He said his master would not like him leaving the girl, not that we would have tried to stop him from coming, we could see the little girl wanted him with her. Anyhow as time went by and we started to figure Sesshoumaru wasn't coming back, we noticed the girl was drawing into herself. She wouldn't talk or play with the other kids in the village. All she'd do is sleep, eat and mope... and stay near Jaken." Sango took a deep breath then continued, "Me and Mirouku knew she was missing Sesshoumaru. A few months had gone by, by now. So, Mirouku and I decided to go visit this woman who was known as a seer. We figured she would be able to tell us where Sesshoumaru was or give us something to go on. But, all she could tell us is that Sesshoumaru was not dead, which we had begun to think he might be... why else was he not coming back for the girl and his toad? Then she told us that he was in a place where only magic could follow, but that he was no longer there. She said that Sesshoumaru was somewhere where her eyes could not see because that place was here, but not yet. We had no idea what that meant, so you can imagine our disappointment."
"It was kind of you and Mirouku to take care of Rin," Kagome said with a small smile
"It was... okay. Her presence helped me... with the death of my brother."
Kagome nodded in complete understanding. She knew it had to have been hard for her friend and was sad she wasn't able to be there when Sango needed her. It still saddens her that they couldn't do anything for Kohaku. Kagome thought what they had done, in going to seek out the seer for Rin, was very sweet of them. She listened as Sango continued.
"Anyway Rin over-heard me and Mirouku discussing what the woman had told us about Sesshoumaru. You can imagine it wasn't a pretty sight, knowing how we were feeling after leaving the seer."
"What did Rin do?"
"She drew further within herself, if possible, and stayed that way. Then one day about a month later, we felt the power of a strong youkai near by. Coming from the vicinity of the well in fact. Which confused us since we figured it was broken since you were gone. Then we saw Jaken's reaction to what we were sensing. Jaken had called out Sesshoumaru's name and then took off running towards the well. Rin right behind him and us too. Rin was the first to recover at seeing him standing beside the well. She reached him first. Then the strange happened. You see we had made a grave for Inuyasha under that tree he was pinned to by Kikyo."
"What happened?"
"Inuyasha rose from his grave. Just dug right on out. We all were starring in shock, including Sesshoumaru. I have to say, after the shock wore off I had the same reaction to seeing Inuyasha standing there as you did."
"Fainted?"
"Hm. Dead away. When I woke Sesshoumaru, his little ward and his toad were gone. I had a vague memory of the little girl telling me bye, which made me happy because I wasn't sure the little girl knew my name."
"So you figure the shock you witnessed proved that Sesshoumaru had no idea Inuyasha was coming back, right?"
"Umm hmm. Plus Mirouku said that Sesshoumaru said your name as he starred at the live Inuyasha."
"Which also means the jewel never took his memory of me away. Not even temporarily and he somehow gained it back."
"You know I never thought of that, but you're right." Then Sango got another thought in her head and asked, "What made you realize he remembered in the first place?"
Kagome told her about her late night encounter with Sesshoumaru when she went to search for Inuyasha.
"What's the reason you two have in common? I know you wanted to see us again, but I doubt that's what Sesshoumaru wants," Sango asked curiously,
"Well, I also wanted to see Sesshoumaru. I wanted to be sure he was okay. I'd felt so guilty for so long... I had to see with my own eyes."
The two women had made it back to camp while Kagome was finishing her answer. Neither one noticed the hanyou standing near by.
"Hm. I understand, but how are you to prove that today?"
"I don't know," Kagome sighed. "I'm not sure I care either. When I think about what he said I get angry all over again."
'Like that."
Both girls started and turned to Inuyasha clutching at there hearts.
""DON'T DO THAT!!"" they screamed at him in unison.
Inuyasha jumped back from the two girls quickly and yelled back.
"I WAS ONLY TRYING TO TELL YOU WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT!"
"Nani? Who?" Kagome asked, confused.
"Sesshoumaru," he responded.
"Sessho..." she began, then clarity dawned on her and she asked suspiciously, "How do you know about it Inuyasha?"
Both watched the hanyou's face tinge in embarassment.
"Were you spying on us?" asked Sango with a stern look on her face.
"NO!! I just happen to... overhear when she was out looking for me last night. Besides, if it was a private conversation she shouldn't have it someplace public."
They starred at the hanyou for a minute and didn't believe a word. He spied. They both knew it.
"How much did you 'overhear' Inuyasha?" inquired Kagome, but at his newfound interest in the ground, she knew the answer; all of it. Kagome sighed. Could she get no privacy?
"Never mind Inuyasha. What were you trying to tell me?"
Inuyasha didn't know why he was helping her. He knew she was going to go to his brother, after all he heard what she told Sango. She was worried and if he knew Kagome, nothing would stop her if she were worried about something or someone. So, he figured he'd help her do just that... and keep an eye on her as well... and on Sesshoumaru. He knew she was much more powerful then what she used to be, but he figured he'd wait to see some more proof of this power and that she knew how to use it.
"I was saying that your way to prove what you said is like that over there," he pointed.
Both girls turned their heads to see what he was pointing at and immediately sucked in their breaths. Standing a distance away from them, on the other side of the camp stood Sesshoumaru's two-headed dragon, Ah-un.
"Kami-sama... Does Sesshoumaru mean for you to... ride that thing?" gasped Sango in awe. She was so glad it wasn't her.
"Oh, I hope not!" whispered Kagome in fear.
"Of course he does!" said Inuyasha. Then he added as an after thought, "You're late too. It's been here since before you woke up."
Kagome's faced paled at that. She knew something felt wrong this morning and undoubtedly she was going to have a lot to explain. 'Maybe she should just go home', she thought to herself, then threw that idea away. She was here... so she would stay, but she was not getting on that dragon. She didn't even know how to ride a horse!!
"It will take you to him," said Inuyasha quietly.
She knew that. That wasn't the problem. The problem was how she was getting to him.
'I am not getting on that Inuyasha! So, send it back!!"
"Ah-un only obeys Sesshoumaru. He will not leave without you. Which means Sesshoumaru will come here... and then he'll really be pissed"
Kagome could careless at this moment if Sesshoumaru was pissed. She wasn't riding that thing... and that was that!
"Oh, go ahead Kagome," urged Sango. "You said you had to know. Now's your chance."
"Would you ride on that Sango?"
"No." answered Sango honestly.
Kagome sniffed and said no more.
Five minutes later, somehow, Kagome was on Ah-un's back and flying through the air with her eyes squeezed tightly shut. She'd literally shock with fear the entire way onto its back and she prayed the animal knew where it was going, because she was not opening her eyes 'til she was back on solid ground. She didn't know why she was so scared. She rode on Kirara many times before and was never afraid. She guessed it was because she didn't know this animal... nor was it as kawaii as Kirara.
Because she was so afraid and her eyes were closed, Kagome didn't sense or see the figure in red following at a fast speed along the ground.
Kagome let out a relieved breath when she felt the animal start to descend. 'That wasn't bad at all', she thought to herself in self-disgust. Then Kagome froze when she felt a pair of hands slide around her waist. She opened her eyes to stare into amber ones and shuddered at what she saw there. 'This... is bad.' Kagome froze again when he spoke.
"You're late."
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Sesshoumaru had just begun to think she wasn't going to come when he saw Ah-un coming with her on his back. He'd sent Ah-un to get her hours ago. He didn't feel like going himself, but he was beginning to think he was going to have to when she hadn't shown up by noon. Now that she'd finally shown up, she could explain a few things.
'What the hell was she wearing?', he thought to himself with a flash in his eyes.. Her clothes were entirely to revealing. He didn't know why someone hadn't told her to stop that by now.
Kagome sighed. She'd been there almost an hour now and he hadn't said anything to her except 'you're late'. She had no idea why she was even here. He hadn't bothered to tell her and all she wanted to do was make sure he was okay. His silent stare was getting on her nerves though. Kagome was working herself up into a nice snit.
Sesshoumaru was watching her face intently. He could see she was getting angry and he had no idea why. He didn't really care either, but he didn't see what she had to be angry about. He hadn't said anything to her.
They were standing in the yard in the front of his ancestral home. He could see she was getting impatient about something, if she would just tell him what he needed to know she could leave.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!!"
Both of them turned at the sound of the excited voice.
Rin threw herself against Sesshoumaru's leg and hugged tightly. She had a large piece of paper in her hand
"Rin."
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" the little girl smiled brightly up at him.
"Where is Jaken? He was supposed to be watching you?"
The little girl just smiled even more brightly, if possible. Kagome watched the interaction and smiled softly. She liked to watch him with the child. It reminded her there was more to him then he let on.
"I'm here, Sesshoumaru-sama."
They all looked up to see Jaken coming from the same direction Rin had come from. Kagome figured they must have been somewhere in the house.
Sesshoumaru was watching Kagome. Her face was so expressive and open. He could see she got a pure joy out of the child. It was amusing to watch her. She was angry a moment ago and now she wasn't... and she still hadn't told him what he wanted to know. It was beginning to annoy him, that didn't surprise him. She always had been a source of annoyance and got in his way a lot. Ever since the first day he met her.
Sesshoumaru looked over to see Jaken glaring at the young miko. He guessed his retainer also hasn't forgotten when he first met the girl as well. If Sesshoumaru, remembered right, the miko had taken Jaken's staff from him and thrown it. Sesshoumaru frowned at him.
"Jaken"
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" answered Jaken eagerly.
"Take Rin back inside and stay with her."
"Sesshoumaru sama," Rin cried out from his leg. "Rin come to show Sesshoumaru-sama her new picture. See." Rin held up her picture for him to see.
"Konnichiwa Kagome-chan." Rin smiled up at her then added, "Would you like to see Rin's picture?"
"Konnichiwa Rin-chan. I would love to," she smiled genuinely at the girl then stooped down to the child's eye level.
Rin handed her the drawing. Kagome could tell that it was obviously a picture of Sesshoumaru. It also had the word "otousan' written across the bottom in a child's large and crooked handwriting. She giggled at the picture and gave the child an impulsive hug.
"Seems you have a portrait," Kagome said with another giggle and beamed up at him.
Sesshoumaru stared down at her and lost his breath. Her eyes were sparkling at him. He'd never seen that look pointed at him. For a moment his mind went blank and all he could do was stare at her. Then he found his voice.
"Jaken take Rin and leave."
Kagome starred up at him and rose to her feet slowly. There was something in his eye's that stole her breath. She was so mesmerized that she didn't hear Rin say goodbye and leave. When she snapped out of it, she realized they were alone again.
"Why'd you bring me here?" she asked quietly.
"Why'd you come back?" he asked; his face giving away nothing.
Kagome shrugged her shoulder and looked down at her hands. For some reason she was feeling kind of nervous and shy.
"I wanted to see my friends again," said Kagome. The she added more quietly, "And I wanted to see how you were. You weren't supposed to remember me, but you do don't you?"
"Hai." He turned away from her and looked across the open land. "You came to see Inuyasha."
That wasn't a question, but she figured she'd make it a question and answer it anyway. Before he annoyed her anymore.
"No. I didn't even know he was alive 'til I got here."
Sesshoumaru's head swiveled to look at her in the eyes when he heard that. He wanted to see if she was lying to him. He noticed her eyes were clear and staring straight back into his own.
"How is he back?"
'Should I tell him?', she wondered to herself. She knew he wasn't going to like it and she wondered if she should wait. But he was looking at her with that passive calmness of his, like he could careless what she had to say. Fine.
"You did it," Kagome answered him with a smirk.
Sesshoumaru stared at her as if he didn't hear her. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. He didn't look as if he believed her. So, with a huff she explained to him the wish she made and its outcome. She explained that it was all because of him Inuyasha was alive.
Sesshoumaru listened to all she said then stared off into the distance again. At first he didn't believe her, but after she kept going on he could see she believed everything she was telling him. He could see it on her face. Nor could he sense any changes in her body temperature belying her guilt. That didn't make it true though, that just meant she didn't know either.
"So you see? You did it. Somewhere, somebody feels things are not finished between you two. Since he obviously has something to do with the injuries to you... and I don't mean to your body, obviously."
Sesshoumaru was no longer listening to a word she was saying. She'd stop saying anything he'd wanted to hear a while ago. His mind was occupied on other things, even though he'd turned back to stare at her while she was still talking non-sense.
He was interested in her. Why? He didn't know. He didn't like it either. He had dreamed about her again last night, but this dream was different. He'd dream of mating with her. A ningen. She was not like most ningens, but she was still a ningen. He could see that she still worried about him. After two years he'd almost forgot what it was like to have her worry about him. He didn't know how he felt about that, if anything. All he knew is that he wanted her.
Sesshoumaru looked down at her mouth and saw that her lips were moving. She was still talking. He could think of a better way she could be using her mouth... many better ways. He tuned in to see what she was saying out of curiosity...
"...I think you should talk to Inuyasha. I've..."
Sesshoumaru groaned. He knew he was going to regret doing that. What was that saying about curiosity... it can kill a dog too, he guessed. Sesshoumaru turned and started walking away.
Kagome stopped mid-sentence when she saw him start to walk away. Wasn't he listening to anything she was saying? She guessed not. That was rude... and it pissed her off.
"Where are you going?" she asked with an edge to her voice and a frown at his retreating back.
"You ceased to say anything worth listening to a long time ago."
She heard him say. He was still walking away. Oh, that did it. Kagome wondered if steam could actually be seen coming out of her ears. She was that mad.
"Anything... worth listening to! BAKA!! I come here... on that thing of-"
Kagome stopped when his face was only an inch from hers. She didn't even see him turn around, she thought sucking in her breath. Kagome's eyes went wide at how close he was. She was finding it hard to swallow. 'Why did she always let her temper get carried away?' she asked herself. It wasn't her fault. It was his! He riled her temper better than anyone she knew... even Inuyasha. Why was that?
Kagome felt his arm slip around her waist. When he leaned closer she leaned back and planted her heels firmly on the ground, so when he tugged her closer she fell against him. Kagome could feel her face heat up. His body was very hard against hers and she couldn't right herself to pull away because of his arm around her waist.
Sesshoumaru watched her face turn crimson. He could feel the lush curves that were so easy to imagine, thanks to what she was wearing, against his body. It was distracting.
"Yes. Nothing. Worth. Hearing," he whispered not an inch from her mouth. Then he repeated the most important just in case she didn't comprehend. "Nothing."
Kagome could feel her temper rising, not that it went far in the first place. Yes, he'd put a pause in it for a second, but she was rearing and ready to go again. Thanks to him!
"Why you-" she began only to be cut off again. She was being kissed.
While her mouth was open Sesshoumaru decided it was a good opportunity. He crushed his mouth to hers; hard. Her lips were just as soft as they looked, but the kiss was better then he imagined.
Kagome was shocked. He was kissing her... and she was letting him. Kagome gasped when she felt his tongue rub across her bottom lip, then she felt him slip his tongue inside her mouth and jumped. His mouth was so hot against hers. Kagome felt a shiver go down her spine when his tongue made contact with her own. She shivered at the contact and sighed. It felt good. Kagome's heart flipped. He was so gentle and everywhere. It was as if he was learning her. The thought made her sigh again as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Kagome never thought her first real kiss would be so... thorough. Not realizing she was doing it, Kagome began to mimic his movements. She entered his mouth with her tongue and rubbed against his. She got that delicious feeling down her spine again and trembled. She felt him jump.
Sesshoumaru liked kissing her, he didn't expect that. He brought his other arm around her waist. He felt her tongue enter his mouth and touch against his tongue. He jumped at the shock of it. When he'd first initiated the kiss he'd thought her in-experienced, but now he wasn't sure. Could he have been wrong? He retracted his tongue from hers then he rubbed his lips against hers once more before pulling away. He didn't remove his arms from her waist though.
Kagome opened her eyes when he ended the kiss. She hadn't even realized she'd closed them. When she opened them she was starring into his amber ones. She licked her bottom lip and blew out her breath. Kami-sama, what was wrong with her?
Sesshoumaru starred into her eyes and saw her nervousness. He knew then she'd never kissed before, but she was a fast learner. He saw her open her mouth to speak and rubbed his lips against hers again and she sighed instead. He'd just figured a new way to shut her up. One that didn't make her mad and was just as enjoyable for him.
"Be quiet," he said to her quietly then turned and headed to his home.
Kagome stood there starring after him for a moment. She didn't know what that was all about, but she wasn't going to complain. He didn't tell her to follow him so, she decided to. Kagome pressed her fingers to her lips and felt them tingling. She smiled to herself and followed the Taiyoukai.
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