Chapter Ten
By: Mirei
Kagome couldn't believe the weather; it had been raining for over a week. They had enough food to get by but being in that cave for that length of time made everyone's bones ache. The rain stopped and the soon were able to leave the cave. Kagome had no idea why it had rained so long. But the group went back to business and started on their journey once more.
We could fine the group walking along a path toward the Northern lands. The lands that were once hers. She sighed at the thought of owning her own land. It was getting dark and the sun was slowly setting over the horizon. She smiled at how beautiful the sunsets were and how she could enjoy them now. During her six years in her time she'd been too buried into her work to notice the sun or even life itself. She never wanted to live life after leaving her friends. Work was her own way to ignore the subtle movements of time.
"You look as if you had an epiphany."
"No, I was just thinking about how nice the sunset is here; at home I hardly had time to watch it set. Maybe it's time for me to stop trying to run from my own insecurities when I get home and try to live more." She smiled at Miroku who nodded in agreement.
"I never saw you as someone who over worked herself. You used to be carefree and happy."
"It's not that I'm not happy it's just that I didn't know exactly what I'd do after I returned. I went back to school then to collage and then stumbled into a business because of my professor."
"Well then you may want to set some goals before you go back." He gave her a grin and ran to catch up with Sango. He took her hand in his and then strolled along the path together. Uhen cam up next to her and was silent for a moment.
"Is there something on your mind?" she finally asked.
"Nope, I came over to keep you company. I know for a fact that sometimes you can't stand walking by yourself. I remember when we would go on adventures such as these. We would travel with ten generals and a few soldiers and if you were left alone to long you'd become agitated. It wasn't good for the weather. When you became angry or upset it would hail so I'd have to find some way to distract you from you dangerous emotions."
"Talk about emotional wreck." She laughed a little.
"But when you were sad or cried it would rain for days, even after you felt better."
"Was I always happy?"
"Yes for most of your life you were, until the two villagers who raised you died. You cried for weeks and it rained all year long. During the storm there were hail storms and earthquakes. Those were the most dangerous days." He looked up at the sky and could see that the moon was peeking over the trees.
"It sounds as though I couldn't control it."
"You hardly ever felt bad, until you met me. I think that you grew up sheltered from feeling anything but happiness and you were always so mellow."
"Why are guys so complicated, I mean how do you find a guy worth the trouble?"
"Do you even need to ask? Look Kagome it's simple enough, you just don't like the answer so you try to rephrase the question. There is so much more to this than you think. You are still young and have your whole life still to find someone."
"I guess you're right. I just feel that I'll be alone for the rest of my life."
"Why?"
"When I think about my parents and how they lost each other and how they both spent most of their lives without each other, alone it makes me wonder if that's how I'll be."
"Why do you feel that you won't meet someone and start a family?"
"It's not that I want a family just yet, but I'd like a little reassurance that I won't be alone."
"It seems to me that you have some issues with your self-esteem or just parental issues. They may be interlinked."
"No wonder you're a sage, you are very wise."
"Maybe one day you might be a sage. It doesn't pay much but you basically can do whatever you want."
"Like what?"
"How about we see what's going on in Sesshomaru's head?" he grinned at her confused face. He touched her shoulder then pointed a finger at the back of Sesshomaru's head.
I don't trust that guy, how does his have the ability to understand that damn woman! Why is InuYasha looking at me like that? Fuck it, I don't care he can stare all he wants. He thinks he's so smart, as if he knew me at all. He does know enough to push my buttons and that cannot be. I can't believe her, walking with him as if they were already mates!
Kagome laughed and Sesshomaru turned around confused. She covered her mouth and waved at him. She smiled and covered her mouth once more. He turned back around.
"Why did you do that for?" She asked Uhen.
"I didn't do anything I swear." He put his hands up in defense.
"I can't believe him." She said looking at Sesshomaru.
"I never knew he cared so much." He said sarcastically.
"I'm sure he'll warm up to you sooner or later." She patted his arm as they entered the old village that his Kagome used to live.
Uhen led them to a place he knew well. A young girl ran to him and hugged him. She stood just above his knee. He patted her head and she let him in.
"I'm so happy to see you." She said excitedly.
"Come with me for a moment Shalon." She followed him into another room. "Now Shalon my friends and I need a place to stay, can you make sure not to call me Sesshomaru. There is a man out there whose name is Sesshomaru and I don't think we need confusion."
"So then I'll just call you Uhen."
"Correct. Now why don't you show them to their rooms and I'll prepare you some snacks. Her face brightened up and she scampered off back into the room filled with the other members of his group.
Kagome looked around her room and sighed, finally a room to sleep in. She crashed onto the bed and fell asleep instantly. Sango followed in suit with her husband next to her. They had the room next to Kagome's and InuYasha was next to theirs. Sesshomaru took the one across from Kagome's.
Hello Kagome, it's so nice to finally meet you…Came a soft feminine voice from a grassy field. She looked around her and found that she was still alone. If you looked close enough you'd see me. She looked around again and saw nothing. Then out of nowhere a woman appeared before her. She looked like an older and prettier version of herself.
"Um hi, you must be the woman Sesshomaru spoke of."
Which one? My Sesshomaru or yours? Kagome blushed and her counterpart laughed a little. I'm only joking with you. I didn't feel that it was my place to tell him about what you must do. I had to when I was your ago and it will continue this way forever. A sacrifice will always be made in the name of love. It is a corny cliché but it is true. If you want to keep what you love then you have to sacrifice for it sometimes. I never told Sesshomaru about my sacrifice. I was the one who had to shed blood on my own soil in order to be reborn. She looked down at the ground with sadness.
"You must have loved him." The older woman looked up and smiled sadly.
Yes, but I always felt that he would never be able to feel that way about me. When he came to my village I had thought that he was the most handsome man I'd ever laid eyes on. I pretended not to notice it though. He was there for his own reasons and it was none of my business. But then he and I became friends. That was unexpected really, since he seemed so cold. I tried to be kind to him at any time we happened to meet and he did his best to be respectful but we sometimes would argue over the stupidest things. She smiled a bit. Now I know you must be wondering about me and why I've come.
"Yeah actually you're right. I thought that I was your reincarnation."
Correct you are. I am no longer living. I'm a wandering soul looking for a place to rest. I belong to you but I have the freedom to wander if I like. I did die but I had to go somewhere right?
"So then you live inside of me?"
Yes and no. I can leave you at any time and you won't realize it. I'm the one who pulled you into the well the first time and the second. I know exactly what your mission is and I couldn't allow you to miss the action. They really do need you and it was nice to hear Sesshomaru say all those sweet things about me. She blushed.
"He loves you and regrets not showing you his real feelings more."
I always knew he loved me, I never doubted it. I don't resent him either, could you tell him that for me. I knew how he felt and though it would have been nice for him to say it more I didn't really have to hear it. It was here that I loved and it here that I died. She touched her scar over her heart.
"I will remember that." I sometimes feel the stab there. But I don't really have a scar, just a birth mark. Well I had always thought of it as a birth mark. Now I know what it is."
Now down to business. I can't tell you about the mist or who owns it because then I will be sent to hell for leaking information, but what you need to know is that someone you know is the holder of the mist. That person controls it but sadly is being controlled by the mist as well. You see at first this person believed that he could handle the burden of carrying it themselves but the mist could manipulate and did so. Now this person needs to be set free and you know how to do that already. That may be the hardest part. This whole trip is for you and Sesshomaru. I guess Uhen didn't realize this. I'm sorry for his ignorance, he means well. I was told to come to you and tell you this. If you two don't find some common ground then bad things could happen. There are two paths, we've already seen one of them and the other is more peaceful. You see if Sesshomaru loses you with his regret then he will become a dictator bent on pain and hatred. He could possibly enslave the human race and go on killing sprees. That is what might come of him if you two do not find your center. If you two do then he'll spend four hundred years in his study until you two meet in your time. I can't tell you when but trust me you will meet up.
"Will we know each other?"
The older woman looked uncomfortable for a moment. Kagome, this question doesn't really have an answer. You see when you wake you will be that four year old little girl. Your father will remain there and life for you will be pure bliss. You will also have your mother back. It is as if time were reversed for you. You will then meet Sesshomaru when you turn 18. He will not remember you and you will not remember him. That is until you two can break through this barrier. If you two declare your life in the next life your memories will be opened. If not then you will walk blindly forever, never knowing that you two loved one another.
"Wow, that's a lot to think about."
Do you doubt his love?
"Sometimes, shouldn't I?"
No you shouldn't, men like Sesshomaru aren't meant to show emotion and he's shown enough to you to destroy his own reputation. I know it sounds silly but when you've lived without compassion for so long how could you not become an ice cube? I think your expectations are too high. If you truly loved him it wouldn't matter at all that he has difficulties in this department. Eventually he'll soften. But until then give him a break okay. Before he met you he didn't have to deal with this kind of pressure on his emotions. No person has ever challenged him or his feelings or even stirred something in him. If you had spent most of you life pushing away things because you didn't know how to deal with them wouldn't you feel lost when something good happens and all you want to do is hold onto it?
Kagome blushed a little at the thought of Sesshomaru actually cuddling her, she laughed at her thoughts.
"How do you know that he's even thinking that? He might not ever care about me in that way."
He does, but he needs more time, I wish he'd wake up and smell the roses.
"Can I go now, I'm really tired."
I wish to talk with you more but sadly you must go back, I believe that you've been sleep walking for the past five minutes and are now about to run into Sesshomaru, bye…
Kagome opened her eyes when she felt her body crash into something or someone. She looked up and found Sesshomaru standing before her.
"Oh hello Sesshomaru, good to see you." She blushed. He still held onto her shoulders as she stood there embarrassed. "Sorry for running into you like that, I must have been sleep walking." She felt herself become weak in his arms and yet his face seemed masked. She sighed inwardly at her own disappointment. He saw it flash through her eyes and felt a stab to his heart. He reluctantly let her go. She felt sad for a moment. But then she smiled up at him and took his hand and pulled him along with her. He was too shocked to say a word but followed her out of building. She led him to a large field filled with wildflowers. She stopped him once they reached the middle of the field.
"Is there a meaning to this little excursion." He raised an eyebrow at her, she blushed under his gaze. She sat down in the grass and followed in suit. She looked to the sky.
"Do you remember how we used to watch the sky?"
"Yes." He looked up at the sky as well.
"I wonder more now how we ended up like this."
"Like what?"
"Mad at one another. We became friends on our last journey and now we act as if we hate each other."
"I don't hold any hatred toward you."
"I don't either. I'm really sorry Sesshomaru for how I acted."
"This is hard for me to say but I also apologize for my behavior. I realize that you want something that I still am not able to give."
"I understand. I sort of talked with someone about this and I guess I was asking for too much of you. I'm just happy to know that if anything were to happen you be there." She smiled up at him.
"I may not have said it out loud but I promised to always protect you. I hope that I've done so." He looked at her waiting for her to answer.
"You have. I thank you for that." She leaning on his arm and wrapped her arms around his. He couldn't have been more shocked by all of her actions. He looked down at her but she had her eyes closed, as if content with the moment that they were sharing. "And I know how you feel, just as long as you know my feelings."
"I know that I'm not that easy to handle but I feel strong feelings toward you. I still don't understand what it is about you that stirs me so." She blushed at the thought of her actually affecting him.
"I don't understand why you even bother with me at all. I'm pushy, thoughtless and just so cold sometimes." She started to feel badly about herself. He turned fully to her. She looked up at him confused.
"You are not any of the things you believe. I believe that most of the things in you make me want to change." She blushed.
"You shouldn't say things like that. I'm just like everyone else, and if you were to change it would be because you want to." She stopped for a moment as if thinking then she smiled. "But if you were to change at all then you wouldn't be the man I fell for, would you." She leaned in and kissed his lips. She then leaned against him and sighed. He pulled her into him and lay on the grass with her still in his arms. If anyone were to see this I'd be ruined. He thought to himself as he felt her fall asleep on his chest. But it's worth it to just hold her for once without the usual confrontation. I need to learn to express myself more; maybe then that Uhen would stay away from her. I still don't know why I don't trust him. I'll figure it out eventually. And how is it possible that she's been reborn, she was a completely different person. This guy Uhen knows her better than I do. What could there be about her that I haven't seen yet? Is there more to her power than her demonic? I doubt it. He shook his head and kissed her forehead.
Hours passed and they remained there he would occasionally feel her move but otherwise she slept. He would stroke her hair every once and a while. Then her whisper broke the silence.
"Sesshomaru…"
"Yeah…" he said softly.
"Could I as you a hypothetical question?" she said so low that only they could hear, her voice filled with ecstasy.
"Sure."
"Let's say that I were to die tomorrow, would you resent me or the situation?" He looked down at her but found her eyes were closed.
"Why? Are you planning on going on a suicide mission tomorrow?"
"No, I was just wondering, I mean I can't stay here forever and well I don't want you to change yourself. Who you are is who I love and I'd hate to think that I caused you pain."
"When you leave I shall miss you just as I have for the past ten years."
"Will you still love me?" She could feel his heart stop for a moment.
"Yes." He said after a few passing moments. His voice never wavered or showed nervousness but his insides were flying off the wall.
"Do you think you'd love me in four hundred years?"
"Yes."
"What if you couldn't remember you loved me?"
"Trust this, if I do now then it is possible that we'll meet again and I'll see the same thing I see now." She turned on her stomach so that she was now leaning on his chest. She looked confused and he sighed.
"You just sort of said that you love me." She smiled.
"You Kagome are one in a million, and are the only woman in this world worthy of my love."
"So as you put it I am the only woman you've ever loved?"
"As always you are correct."
"When have I been correct?"
"Most of the time you have your wits about you." He gave her a small smile.
"So are you saying that the rest of the time I'm out of my mind?"
"Completely."
"Would you have me any other way?" He shook his head. "Oh look the sun is rising." He sat up with her. "Should we be getting back now? The others might be awake."
When they returned the others were eating breakfast with Shalon, who must have been about seven or so. Uhen looked up when they entered and gave Kagome a knowing look. Kagome and Sesshomaru separated and went to sit on opposite sides of the room. It wasn't because they felt uncomfortable but because they didn't want to draw any more attention to themselves then they had. Uhen gave his thanks to Shalon and they left the house to start their journey once more. Kagome and Sesshomaru led the group. The others noticed that they were acting like they did on the first journey.
"Hey, what do you think happened?" InuYasha asked Sango. She shrugged her shoulders.
"Beats me, they did seem different this morning. Do you think that they finally forgave each other?"
"What happened anyway?" asked Miroku. Uhen listened in on their conversation.
"I thought of all people you'd know." He shook his head. "Ten years ago they got into a fight because Kagome felt that she was one sided in their odd sort of relationship. She told him that she refused to play a fool and yet he did love her then and does now. They both are so stubborn though. I'm surprised that they patched things up." Said Sango.
"But what's going to happen when she has to go back home?" They all looked at each there and then at Sesshomaru and Kagome who were talking and Kagome occasionally would laugh a little.
"Good point. Do you think that they'll fight again? I hope not."
"I wish that Shippo were here though, he'd be able to keep Kagome busy."
"He's not her little baby anymore, she must have been a little sad to know her son grew up so fast."
"Hey has anyone noticed that Koga hadn't shown up yet? We were talking while at the castle and he said he'd catch up with us."
"Has anyone also noticed that Azulu isn't here?"
"Yeah I was wondering about him."
"I thought for sure he'd want to protect Kagome."
Uhen listened to their words up until Azulu was mentioned. Why does his name sound so familiar? For some idol reason I should know this name, or rather the meaning to it, the letters seem familiar somehow, come on think…oh no it couldn't be him could it? It couldn't be Zualuu? Damn it!
A/N: This should make you all wonder now. HAHA! I had so much fun writing this chapter! It was a breeze to get this all out but took forever because of my damn computer. Every once and a while it will shut off by itself so it took twice as long and every few paragraphs I had to push control S. But this should do it for now. I'm counting on getting this upgrade disc from this guy, I think I accidentally deleted a program that wasn't supposed to be deleted, so I have to reload my program to get it working again. It might take a few days to get the disc since the guy lives so far away, he works at a different hospital than my grandma and only goes to hers ever Tuesday and Wednesday. So wish me luck, and I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can! I really hope all of you like this. Oh and thanks for all the nice reviews, especially the people who write out what in particular they like, or suggest, that really helps a lot! You guys rock!
See you soon!
You know what to do!
