Kagome's feet softly touched the solid earth of the forest floor.
She held her breath, thoroughly expecting Inuyasha to burst through the darkened trees at any moment and accuse her of being back too soon.
This fancy did not sting as it might have a couple of days ago, and she merely closed her eyes and took a soothing breath before opening them to reveal the stronger, more determined light cinnamon eyes of a girl who knew what she wanted.
She realized she might have acted rashly, perhaps from shock, by bolting into another time without a plan of defense, or any idea how she was to settle any of it.
She carefully withdrew her aura, Kaede had said it felt very suspicious, like the chill suddenly pulled from the night, if you snapped up your aura in too much of a hurry after it had had time to spread along the area where it could be felt.
She chanted an ancient rhyme that Kaede had also taught her once, a silly little spell that caused your scent to change according to what you wanted. Kaede informed her that it was not only useful in a child's game of hide and go seek, but also when and if you were hunted by youkai, you could change your scent to throw them off course.
She closed her eyes as she spoke the incantation and imagined the piney smell that coated the trees that surrounded her.
As she opened her eyes, she looked down at herself, half expecting to find herself not only holding the trees' scent, but appearance. But, as always, it was not so.
She looked down and sneered in self-disgust. In all her rush to get back to the warring period, Kagome had trudged headlong into a demon-infested forrest, not only without a plan but garbed still in her pajamas, without her bow and arrow, without food, and only a half-limp bag to speak for.
Kagome sighed at her own stupidity but felt a sense of coming too far to go back, so she knelt on the ground and pulled out whatever remnants of her last visit here were left within the silky black accesory.
She found within it the coiled up necklace on which dangled the Shikon No Tama. She had made it a habit to drop it there instead of on her desk in case she was in a rush to leave and incidently forgot it.
She brought up next the delicate cord binded around a pair of identical, halfway shaped black stones which she made her arrows with.
The wood was perhaps the last thing she gathered for her arrows, as if the incantation was not spoken immediatly, the wood would become brittle and rot before she could assemble it with the other necissary parts. And the charm usually only lasted around a week, and it took around two weeks to create a maximum of ten arrows. Not only that, but it took the same energy as keeping somebody young for a longer period then natural, so she usually had to channel it with her stronger emotions to stay concious afterwards, calm or anger, sadness, trust. And usually at the beginning of night, as it took hours at a time to recuperate.
She had the slightly crumpled 'spare blanket', in case it was called for.
A math book...
Kagome, with delight then, noticed the neat square of shimmering clear plastic that could only mean she had (like always) left a most endeared piece of clothing within her humble little black bag.
She carefully unfolded it, then brought it up to examine closer.
Beautiful as ever, the kimono her mother had given her shined in all its glory in the pearl moonlight.
It was obviously an inch or two too long for Kagome's rather average height, where the owner of this had obviously been a bit taller, but it fit her form perfectly, or so her mother said.
It was white as cloud, and the funniest thing about the kimono was it never seemed to snag, or crease, or rip, or even get stained. It could not be destroyed, burned, anything. Kagome's mother adored it and encouraged Kagome to wear it, not only for beauty, but protection.
Thick bands of pale gold wound about the edges of the flowing fabric, at the end of the drooping sleeves, to the straight neckline, exposing her shoulders and milky skin, even down to the flawless material inch that dragged along the ground.
Soft caramel colored cherry blossoms danced across the gorgeous display, and a matching golden colored obi was wound twice around her middle.
Kagome almost decided to drop the golden eyeshadow, clear shining gloss, pale pink blush, and golden decorative chop-sticks that would normally be woven into a half bun that complemented the authority of the dress, had she not stopped to think for a moment and decided it would be rather more repectful to look like she cared for Sesshomaru's rank.
After this she hurried off towards the Western part of Japan, knowing not what she would say, or do for that matter, only that she had to see Rin.
When she first felt tired, she whispered off the incantation that allowed her to expand her senses, surpass her limits, and exelerate to a level beyond human functioning.
Even before sun up she found herself at the entrance to Sesshomaru's home, she took a deep breath, and knocked on the great doors.
Nobody answered. Where was that insolent little toad when you needed him? Thought Kagome as she played with the length of hair that cascaded down her back from the bun that was looped so proudly about the chopsticks that protruded.
Kagome took a deep breath, aware that if she did what she was about to do in her time, she'd probably be arrested, in this time, she'd probably be killed... But that didn't matter after all! She HAD to see Rin!
She slipped the door open a crack and slipped inside, stopping immediatly to see if she had attracted any attention.
She closed her eyes and thought of the smell of blooming flowers in summer... perfectly matching this rooms scent, Rin's doing no doubt... Then she scouted the perimeter to see who all was there to witness her crime if she were caught.
Apparently, Sesshomaru along with a few other youkai were on the other side of the first floor, and Rin was a couple floors up, servants milled around and she caught their auras on the second and third levels. Apparently they were not allowed on the first floor while Sesshomaru was with these select other three?
Kagome's stomach lurched as she deducted whom the others he was with must be, as he did not seem the type to sit down and talk over tea with... normal... youkai...
She was well aware she had just painted if possible, even more white into her naturally pale facial color, and quickly darted up the staircase she spotted directly to her right.
She kept low to the ground, and only flew between hiding places after the servants who passed were well around the nearest corner, then she finally slipped up the next staircase, flat against the wall in shadow cover, so as not to attract attention.
Rin's aura was normally sunny yellow, but paled and faint after her most recent "accident".
Kagome slipped quietly into her dark room and over to the futon that was against the far wall.
She looked down upon the small child for several moments, listening to every strained, short breath that escaped the pale white lips. She leaned a bit farther over and removed the blanket that had been carefully thrown over her slightly trembling body.
Just like it was in her dream.
She kneeled staring at the small girl for what seemed an eternity, not noticing when the filtered dawn light had turned into a wide smiling yellow beam that flew unbound through her shut window.
She was silent, didn't notice when the auras of Sesshomaru and the other Lords seperated, didn't notice when she felt his aura fast approaching Rin's room...
She was transfixed by the little ill girl, was only brought to reality when a cold voice whispered icily behind her, "What, may I ask, are you doing, within my home?"