Chapter Nine

By: Mirei

He touched his hair lightly as the wind passed him. He could feel his body start to change; he knew that it was only a matter of time before the mist would take over his body. This was his destiny, he was meant to carry the burden of being this monster. Some part of him liked the feeling of power, when he became the mist he became something that everyone feared. The fear fueled him and gave him a high that not even a woman could. He knew of Lord Sesshomaru's plans to destroy his person. Being able to be inside the castle made it even easier and having them believe that he's a friend, but foolish humans never know when danger is at their front door. The bad part of being the mist is that he couldn't harm humans and Lord Sesshomaru was one now. There was no way he could kill anyone staying at the castle and now that he knew of this he had to make a new plan to destroy them. The mist had no effect on humans; demons were sensitive to it because of their demonic powers. When demons came in contact with the mist it would shut down their systems and then kill them slowly. To humans the mist was nothing more than smelly water; they couldn't even really see it at all. Demons see the mist as two eyes inside of a fog. The fog itself looked like Naraku's miasma only that it formed a figure.

The wind drifted him off into the direction of the setting sun. This would be the last night that he could remain a demon.


Kagome sat alone in her room looking out the window. She didn't expect that something strange would happen. Oh but something did. The sky was lit and the moon shone down on her face. It all seemed perfect except that one of the stars caught her attention. It kept moving, which was weird to begin with but it seemed to be coming closer to her as well. She backed up into her room as it hit the floor. She covered her eyes from the blinding light. Something warm was vastly approaching her. Then something touched her arm that had been covering her face. Her eyes came upon a woman who stood at her height but looked around thirty or so. She had long silver hair and her eyes were the bluest of skies. But storms raged in them so much that it was hard to tell if they were even blue at all or rather gray. For some reason Kagome didn't feel the need to be afraid. The woman smiled at her and released her arm. She walked past her and sat down on the bed. Her hand patted a place next to her inviting Kagome to sit down. Kagome did so with caution and wondered what exactly was going on.

"You must be wonder dear why I have come on this night to speak with you." Kagome gave a nod. "I've been looking over you from my place amongst the stars. You are the female that has captured my son's heart."

"Huh?" Kagome looked confused.

"My little boy, Sesshomaru, he was so young when I disappeared. His father must have moved on though, for that boy who had the dog ears is his offspring."

"Sesshomaru can't stand me." The woman smiled at Kagome.

"Dear, my son is as confused as you are right now. Do you know that while he was growing up he never showed emotions? I was the only thing that he seemed happy to see. His father always told him that warrior who allowed weak emotions to rule them, such as love, kindness, joy, any of those emotions would perish in battle. Sesshomaru didn't know what emotions were for sometime. Then I vanished and he found anger. I watched him from my seat in the stars. His father would tell him that it was for the best that I was gone, I think that it was around that time that he started to hate his father."

"I understand. Though I know that my father loves me and so did my mother, I had to grow up with out my father."

"I'm here for a reason. You've been questioning as to why you were brought back."

"Yes, I don't understand, I thought that we'd finished with the jewel."

"This mission has nothing to do with the jewel. If you ask yourself why exactly you were brought here all those years ago and met up with the boy with the dog ears. Has that ever crossed your mind?"

"I figured that it was because I was a reincarnation. But then my mother explained that she was the reincarnation, that the jewel was placed in her offspring. Since I was the first born it went to me."

"Most of this is true. Dear you aren't the daughter of a reincarnation. You have no ties to Kikyo, but to my people. You know that you are a dog demon, as I am. But your history doesn't end there. Your relatives were the first of the dog demons. They roamed the lands in search of a great power. But their intentions were impure. Their greed and hate caused their own demise. You my dear were created by the sages of this world. You were placed in your time because something as pure as you shouldn't be tainted with war. You were then implanted inside of Kiki. You were given the traits of both Onigumo and Kiki but you are from this time. The eight sages gave their last breaths to forge you into a being of great power and purity. Eventually you'd be called back to save this world. That is your true nature for return to this time. There has been a threat that cannot be handled by just anyone. The sages all knew that in due time you'd be able to take on this task. I was among the sages that day. I picked you because I foretold that you'd be the girl to change the heart of my son. I picked you because of that fact. If you could bring such men as my son, the boy with dog ears and the wolf tribe leader then you would be the one."

"But then that means my life up to this point's been a lie." She looked straight ahead as if having a flashback of her past 26 years.

"No my dear, this doesn't mean that your life was or is a lie. You are still Kagome Higurashi, the mistress of the sages. That is your title that is your burden to carry."

"What if I don't want to carry it? Can I not be this person?"

"Sadly dear that isn't possible, you are much like the overseer of this world, without you to protect this world there would be eternal carnage. You are only brought here in times of a great dilemma."

"What do I have to do?" she looked up at the older woman.

"If you allow your body to consume this mist and allow it to kill you then you will be sent back to your time and the mist and its controller will both perish. I think that this mission will be fairly simple. The only problem is that you might not be ready to give up your life. I promise you that you will die, but you will then be sent back to your time and reborn. You can start life all over and all of this will be nothing but a bad memory."

"Some of this hasn't been so bad." She blushed when the older woman gave her a knowing smile.

"Kagome, don't feel as if you are leaving anything behind. Because when you wake you'll find that destiny has a weird way of bringing people back together."

"I guess you're right, if it means that the world's safe then I'd do it."

"I know, you care so much about everything else around you that you never allow yourself to care only for you. The sage of fire gave you the passion to feel for others. I gave you your intuitive mind. You seem to use it well. Your heart is something that wasn't a gift from us, this heart," she placed Kagome's hands to her heart. "You made this on your own." She smiled warmly at the young woman. "I must leave you my dear, for the sun rises soon and I will fade with the stars. Just give him time dear, let him know that you care. He can be quite complicated but in the end he's just one big angry child." Kagome gave a nod as Sesshomaru's mother started for the window.

"Wait," the woman stopped. "What is your name?"

"You may call me Sahori." She gave one last smile and faded into the night, leaving Kagome once again alone in her room to question the events that had just occurred. She stood and closed the shutters to her window. Letting out one final sigh she headed off to bed hoping that all the thoughts in her mind would cease and desist. But small voices kept calling her in her sleep. She couldn't block out their pleas.

Kagome…

Kagome…

She looked around her but didn't see anything. Someone was approaching her though and then more came. She curled up into a ball, floating in the abyss of her dream world. The beings soon surrounded her and started to chant in a strange language. Some of them kept calling her name. But when she expected to be grabbed or murdered she found that cool mist was passing through her body. It felt as if she were standing in front of a waterfall. The water surrounded her and soon she found herself floating in water. At first she thought that she'd run out of air but then found that she could breathe underwater. Something was happening to her body. She looked down at herself and found that her claws had reappeared. She could feel this rush of strange power inside of her. It felt like she was numb all over her body and moving caused great pain. Then something came to her.

Kagome…came…

Her body moved on her own, she tried to pull from it but she couldn't. It led her out of the darkness and into a portal. It transported them to this open field. But there was something different about it. The skies were painted in deep purple and the grass was red. There were no trees or mountains but strange looking pillars and statues. One of the statues looked sort of like her. The thing that led her to this place made his appearance known. At first he was nothing but mist, light blue mist that slowly started to morph into a man.

"Who are you?" She managed to asked, it came out in a whisper.

I am the one who died shortly before you did…His voice was like a beautiful melody, perfect tone, pitch and always in tune.

"What do you mean?"

When you were a worrier for my father…you were well known for your battle tactics but at the same time for your knowledge in what was right and wrong…

"You said that I died. When did I die, I'm only twenty-six?"

He smiled at her. Dear Kagome, you died over two thousand years ago. The sages gave you a choice when you died and you took it. I on the other hand was given a position as one of the sages. I could free you from your misery and I was glad to do it. But I see now that you've returned to the very thing that we'd tried to prevent you from. I wanted you to go so far into the future that you wouldn't have to face this again. He looked down at the floor as if thinking about something. She found her body could move once more and she advanced toward the man. He looked up at her and smiled. You are still as persistent as I remember.

"What are you talking about? How do you know me?" He gazed at her for moment.

Kagome you and I were once lovers. In another time, but I died and was then reincarnated into Lord Sesshomaru. She gasped at this. He smiled again. She looked at him closely and could see that though his hair was completely different his eyes were much like Sesshomaru's as well as his face itself. You see when the sages created you, you lived a peaceful life in a small village just beyond this field. As you grew you realized that you have the abilities of a powerful priestess. But you were never of priestess blood. The sage of water gave you this trait. Sahori gave you your beauty and humility. I on the other hand was the sun of a powerful lord who ruled over the Eastern and Western lands. I heard of you from a few of my generals and decided to take a trip to this village. They said that the sound of your voice could heal. I had a condition that restricted me from using my full powers.

"Wait hold on just one minute, what in the hell is going on here, why am I even here? What are you talking about?"

Ah, I see that time hasn't changed you one bit, you still seem to be as abrasive as ever. But that was always one of your best qualities. Now the reason that you are here is because this is your dream. I had no other way to contact you so I decided to visit you in your dreams…

"Then why did you decide to come now? Why not when I was fifteen or even younger?" He chuckled a little. He took her hand and led her down a stone path.

You see this Kagome, was once all of your land. You may not have been a strict dictator and never acknowledged that fact but indeed you owned the Northern lands. You lived amongst your people and they loved you. I on the other hand resented you for some time because I couldn't understand the game you were playing.

"What do you mean?" She looked up at him with a confused expression. He smiled.

The very thing that you're doing right now. You're utter innocence could drive me insane.

"Why? And I'm not innocent." She huffed and folded her arms.

I stayed in your lands for over a year trying to figure out what made you different from any other woman. Well you weren't a human woman but a dog demon. The thing about you was that you had the ability to change your form at will and could change the weather with your moods. But then war came upon your lands. The Southern lands demanded that you hand them over, and I for some reason didn't want you to have to live through that, I made a promise to you that I'd protect your lands. But unfortunately I was unable to. I found myself surprised at how well you did in battle. I'm not saying that you and the Kagome I knew are the same but at one point in your life you were her. You then died after I did and we the sages had you sent into the future to start over. The lands had been claimed and life started over again…He made a motion with his hand and an object, much like a mirror appeared before them.

"What's this?"

This is nothing more than fragments of water; I have the ability to control the tides. I want to show you this. A memory of mine that I hope you can relate to something in your life. Maybe even after our deaths we've been able to find each other again.

She looked into the water and saw two people standing back to back on a battle field. One was the man standing next to her and the other was a woman, much older than her with long dark hair and markings on her faces, legs, arms and neck. If it weren't for the markings and the long hair she would suspect that it was herself thousands of years before. They both were surrounded and couldn't escape .Kagome's counterpart looked behind her at Sesshomaru's counterpart.

"So Sesshomaru what's the plan?" He looked at her.

"Listen to me Kagome, I want you to go up in that tree and get away, I'll hold them off." She turned full circle as she watched the soldiers marching toward them from over the horizon.

"I can't leave you hear." He placed is finger over her lips.

"I love you, and if it means that I have to give up this life of mine then I shall. You will do well to know that I do as I wish, and this is what I wish to do." He looked sternly at her then pulled her into his arms. "The first three worlds were the hardest for me to admit but they aren't false, I wouldn't lie about such emotions that plague me so. Please understand that I want you to go and find someone, have children and grow old. But please don't forget me." She looked up into his eyes and silently pleaded with him to change his mind but he shook his head at her and then lifted her up and then proceeded to fling her up into the tree.

She watched from above in her tree as Sesshomaru fought off three different soldiers, but then one snuck up from behind him and stabbed him. Kagome jumped from the tree and stabbed the one who had killed Sesshomaru, but sadly his effort was in vain, a soldier seeing her preoccupied by her fallen lover took the chance and stabbed her in the heart. She fell to the ground next to Sesshomaru.

Kagome looked at the guy next to her and felt saddened by the events that she'd just witnessed.

"Why would someone do that? How could she just jump out from that tree?"

I ask myself that each day, but if it had been the other way around I would have done the same. Come dear I will allow you to leave for now and wake up; I believe that you have some visitors in your room. He waved his hand and she found herself falling down a hole in the ground. She reached her hand out trying to grasp onto him.

Her body jolted up from her bed. "No, don't do this!" was what came from her mouth. The others looked at her strangely. She didn't realize that they were there at first; she touched her chest and placed her hand over her heart as if she could feel the stab there. "Was that real?" she asked herself out loud. Someone cleared their throat. She looked up at the people in her room. "Oh hey guys what are you doing in here?"

"Kagome what's wrong with you? You were talking in your sleep about someone jumping out of tree." Said InuYasha.

"Yeah and then you had your hands out as if you were trying to grab something." Said Shippo who looked worried.

"It's nothing I was having a dream, actually I don't know what it was really. It felt so real. And for some reason I can feel something here." She touched her chest again over her heart.

"Do you think it wise to be sitting amongst us half dressed." A voice asked from out of nowhere. She looked toward the door and saw Sesshomaru standing there. He smirk when she blushed, after realizing that she wasn't wearing her shirt, but that she was in her bra. She grabbed her sheets and covered her body.

"What are you guys doing in here anyways?" her face was red that they could all feel the heat coming off of her face.

"We came to wake you up. Today we are starting our journey today." She looked down at her hands only to find that they were still human.

"Could you guys please exit my room?" they all got the message and left, all except for Sesshomaru. He came in and sat down next to her on the bed. "Ah, Sesshomaru, do you think that you could leave?"

"No, I need to discuss something with you. I hadn't expected that the other members of this traveling circus would be in here." She looked a little confused.

"What do you want to talk about?" She sat up and prepared to listen, forgetting that her shirt still lay on the floor. He looked at her for a moment.

"I had a woman come to me in a dream last night." She rolled her eyes. How typical I finally find a mature guy and he's like every other guy in the world. I can't believe him coming in here talking about some woman he fanaticized about. She huffed at the thought.

"You're a guy; most don't ever talk about fanaticizing about a woman to another woman…" he gave her a glare which stopped her sentence.

"Woman would you please just get your head out of the clouds and listen to me." He growled deep in his throat.

"Fine." She crossed her arms and huffed.

"As I was saying I had a dream and in this dream a woman told me that you would have the answers to the problem at hand."

"Now you need to be specific here. There are two problems and one of them I do have the answer to."

"The mist Kagome." He looked tired.

"I actually do have the solution to it and I'm the one who has to take care of it."

"And what is it?" He turned his gaze back to her. She wasn't looking at him but picking at her sheet, still thinking about what Sesshomaru's counterpart and his mother had said.

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?" he growled again.

"Let me ask you something Sesshomaru. Do you trust me?" He gave a curt nod. "Then could you just trust that the solution to this problem is alone my burden to carry?"

"Tell me why you must be the one to do this alone." He moved a little closer and turned toward her fully.

"Do you trust me?" He gave a curt nod. "Then trust my word."

"That isn't good enough. We are all in this as a team and withholding information isn't in the best interest of everyone else."

"A sacrifice was made over two thousand years ago, and the person who died saved me. I died and was reborn in the future. I can't tell you everything because then it would ruin the plans already in motion. I'm sorry Sesshomaru I really am, out of all the people here I should be able to tell you this but I'm not sure if you can handle the rest of the information right now."

"Fine, but you must tell me when it is the right time."

"I promise you that I will, as long as you and I can go back to being friends again. I'm tired of our fights, and I miss our talks." She said this quietly and then pulled him into a hug. He sat there shocked by this but didn't pull away from her. He hesitantly placed one of his hands over her head. She could feel her face start to turn red when she realized that yet again that day that she wasn't wearing a shirt. She pulled away and covered herself. He let out a soft, almost untraceable chuckle and left the room.

Kagome you really need to learn to keep your mouth shut. I think that the other Kagome told him enough to satisfy his curiosity. As for you I think there is much more for you to learn, such as the fact that I'm now able to travel along with you…It was Sesshomaru's counterpart.

"What are you doing here? Didn't you annoy me enough in my sleep?"

Nope. He came through the window and grabbed her shirt from the ground and threw it to her. The other sages felt that I should follow you on this journey and make sure that you don't say anything to your friends.

"I won't, now will you go." He walked over to her as she stood. He did something that shocked her. He lifted her up into his arms bridal style. "What are you doing?"

You are going to be carried around most of this trip. I doubt that any other male in your group would want to but I shall. She squirmed in his arms and yet it didn't bother him at all. He left her room with her still in his arms and headed for the dinning room.

"Wait hold on a minute, you can't just walk in there like everything is okay. What am I supposed to call you anyway? I can't call you Sesshomaru that would be too weird, even though you basically are him but look different."

You may call me Uhen, but know that my identity is between you and me. (A/N: Uh hi people just remember that the guy named Uhen is actually Sesshomaru's old self, you know that stuff above about dying and what not. He's Sesshomaru's counterpart. Hope that doesn't confuse you at all.)

"Could you stop talking in echoes I don't think I'd be able to explain that to everyone."

"Is this to your liking?" He asked in a deep seductive voice. He didn't mean to sound seductive but that's how it came out.

"You might want to try and sound less attractive; you might give a girl the wrong impression." He smirked down at her and she laughed. He then opened the door to the breakfast room and placed her in the seat next to Sesshomaru. Everyone in the room looked at him strangely and Sesshomaru glared, first thing he did that morning anyone notice?

"Who is this guy and what is the meaning of the matter he carried you in?" Sesshomaru demanded of Kagome. She blushed a little.

"Do you remember that talk we had about trust? Well this is the time for you to think about it."

"Fine, but who is he and what is he doing here?" He stood and placed his hands on his table.

"Um he's a…friend of mine. You see some of my generals were sort of protective. He was one of them; he came down here to help out with the problem. As for the whole carrying thing ah…" She looked at him for help.

"Kagome, well the one I knew never allowed herself to walk unless necessary. She was a goddess to her people and I still believe that this is so. I'm sorry for displeasing you Lord Sesshomaru." He bowed. Sesshomaru calmed a bit but still looked angry.

"What's going on Lady Kagome?" Miroku asked.

"Um…why don't you ask Uhen?"

"Monk, I know all of this is very odd but I can assure you that Kagome will be safe. I plan to make sure she finishes this mission. It is vital that she do this and fast. Now as for our history it goes beyond this time, trust my words." He looked around the room and saw that everyone was finishing their meals. "Kagome I'll be waiting outside of this building." He bowed to her and left. All of her friends were looking at her with wide eyes.

"Kagome what is it about you that attracts men to you? He's like what the fourth one?" said Sango grinning.

"How is it possible that everything embarrassing happens in this room?" Kagome looked around her and could still see surprise on their faces. "What's with you people? He isn't anything to me but a troublesome guy whose job is to protect me. I don't think you guys need to worry though okay." She stood and left.

"Should we worry?" Sango asked Sesshomaru.

"No, we can trust this guy, he seems to have his own reasons for going with us, now let us leave and start this journey."

The group traveled for a week and nothing had really occurred. The usual bickering and small fights with demons. The mist seemed to be the last thing on their minds, there had been no mention of the mist at all. Now we find our heroes huddled inside of a large cave. Rain beating down outside like an angry father. Kagome leaned against the walls of the came and listened to the rain fall to the ground. Most of the others were asleep in the back cave except for InuYasha, Sesshomaru and Uhen. Kagome looked back at the group and smiled softly. She couldn't believe that all of them ad still managed to stick together over the course of the years that had passed.

'Why are you so down child?' Came a voice in her mind. She looked around her to find that no one had spoken. She looked back out into the rain thinking that she imagined it. 'Kagome, have you forgotten already about me?'

"What?" She said out loud. Uhen looked at her strangely.

"Are you alright Kagome?"

"Um yeah I think that I'm just imagining things." She gave him a smile and he nodded.

'Good save girly. Now I know that it was strange to send Sesshomaru's counterpart there but really dear it was important.'

'Sorry Sahori I didn't realize it was you.' She thought in her mind.

'I believe that 'Uhen' as you call him might be interested in you. He still believes that you are his Kagome, but knows not to interfere.' Kagome's face started to burn. She touched her face like a silly school girl.

"Are you okay, your face is deep red, are you running a fever?" asked Uhen, he came over and sat next to her. Sesshomaru growled. Uhen didn't get the message.

"I'm alright really; I just um had a thought about something a friend of mine at school told me. It was really embarrassing that all." She looked back out into the rain.

"I remember when she and I used to watch the rain together. I told her I hated it and hated sitting under that tree but I lied." He smiled at the thought.

"Why did you lie to her?" Kagome's attention was pulled from the rain to him.

"At the time I had no clue that I loved her. But that she intrigued me so. I tried to leave that damn village but couldn't."

"When did you realize that you loved her?"

"When it was too late I guess. You see we were both stationed to fight on the same battle field but at last minute she had to go back to her village to save some of the people there who had been captured. You remember the final fight right?" She nodded. "That was when I realized it. We were about to die and we looked at one another and I just couldn't believe that such a woman could grace me with her presence and love me without reason. How do you find someone who can complete you like that? I was ruthless before I met her. My father told me that I should watch myself around women like her, but I didn't listen."

"What do you mean women like her?" She looked up at him confused.

"More like you I guess, you are so innocent and don't realize it. So pure and beautiful." She blushed. "I see a lot of her in you and that's disturbing."

"I think that's a big mistake. The difference between us is the time span and the fact that she could actually fight even though she was a human for most of the time."

"But you are also a valiant warrior." She started to laugh.

"What did I say?" he looked confused.

"I'm not courageous or brave or anything like that. I can't protect myself properly; I don't even know why I'm here now."

"Just the fact that you are here makes you brave. You would do anything to protect those around you and makes you a warrior in my eyes. You always don't need to be a muscle head or the strongest on in the team." She turned her head away from him and watched the rain once more.

InuYasha looked at his brother and could see pure jealously written in his eyes. His face remained in its deadpan state.

"You must be feeling pretty bad right about now?" InuYasha whispered. Sesshomaru glared at his bother but inwardly had to agree with him. The fact that this guy seemed to know just what to say to her and make her smile. He seemed to be able to form sentences to describe exactly how he himself saw her. He sighed inwardly and watched her out of the corner of his eye.

A/N: Hi all I hope you liked this chapter. When I write chapters I set goals for myself on how many words I should write. I usually go over that amount. Sorry it took so long for this chapter but my computer's been acting funny so it might take longer to get my chapters up, but fear not I am still writing them. You know what sucked though, and it's the reason it took so long, I finished this story three times and didn't save so I had to start it over again and well it's was a little different each time I wrote it but the plot hasn't changed. I hope you guys liked my ideas!

Review please

Oh yeah if you look for updates in the mornings you won't find any most of the time. I post chapters at night. Just a little FYI