[A/N]

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[Disclaimer]: To say I own Inuyasha is like saying Kikyo is NOT a bitch! Yeah, it's kinda like that.

Forget-Me-Not

By: Youkai Yume



Chapter 12: As Long As You're Near



"WHAT?!" Several birds flew from their perches from the hanyou's outburst. He stared with rage down at the letter that is now tightly clutched in his hands. "How can she just leave without telling us?!"

"Calm down, Inuyasha! Technically, Kagome DID tell us. See? It says so in the letter," Miroku pointed to the crumpled piece of paper Inuyasha held. He only threw a pissed look at the monk.

"You know what I mean!" He spat. He looked angrily down at the letter again. Inuyasha felt very tempted to go and drag her back, but if she left early in the morning, it was clear that she didn't want him following her. But heck, she can't just do this! They had a mission! His thoughts were interrupted when the sound of a crying little girl could be heard.

"Waaah! Where did Sesshomaru-sama go? Did Sesshomaru-sama leave Rin?" She wailed. Next to her, Jaken was covering his ears and complaining himself.

"Sesshomaru-sama, how could you leave your faithful retainer without any word?! And with this blasted human child!" Jaken glared at Rin, who was still crying. "Cease that horrible noise!" Surprisingly, Rin did just that and now sniffled slightly.

"Rin misses Sesshomaru-sama," she muttered. Shippo came over and patted Rin on the back.

"Don't worry, Rin! Wherever Sesshomaru-sama went, he'll come back to you!" He comforted. Rin only sniffled and nodded, smiling slightly at the little kitsune.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was watching the little girl with slight confusion. 'If Sesshomaru isn't here, then where is he? I know he's a bastard, but even he wouldn't abandon this little brat.' He sniffed the air for the slightest bit of Sesshomaru's scent.

It was faint, but he could still smell him. Crouching down on all fours, he began sniffing the ground, following his brother's scent, which lead into the forest.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Sango asked the hanyou that was now sniffing frantically on the ground. Everyone was watching him with keen interest as well, Rin giggled and squealed,

"Inuyasha-chan looks just like a cute little doggy-woggy!" He growled slightly when he heard this.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm tracking down Sesshomaru!" He answered in an annoyed voice. Both Rin and Jaken perked up at the mention of the demon lord.

"Sesshomaru-sama? Where?" Jaken was becoming impatient, and was about to tell Inuyasha to hurry it up. But he stopped when a feral grow was emitted from his throat.

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be TRACKING HIM DOWN, now would I?" After that, everyone followed him in silence as he lead them deep into the forest. Pausing once in a while to sniff the air again.

As they trudged on, Inuyasha didn't fail to recognize the familiar path they were following. 'But he couldn't have. . .' His fear steadily grew as he caught Kagome's scent as well. It was now that he began sprinting to his destination, leaving the others trailing behind.

"Inuyasha! Where are you going?" Miroku called out to the hanyou, but he simply ignored him and continued running. All the while Inuyasha could only think of one thing-Please don't let him be with HER!

He stopped abruptly in front of the bone-eater's well, where Kagome and Sesshomaru's scents lingered the strongest. Inuyasha cursed under his breath. The others soon caught up with him, panting and out of breath.

"Why'd you bring us here? I thought you were looking for Sesshomaru, not Kagome!" Sango managed to say. Everyone awaited his answer, as his fist began to clench and unclench in anger.

"He followed her." He said darkly. Everyone gasped.

"You mean, Kagome's with Sesshomaru?! In HER time?!"

"Not for long he won't be!" Inuyasha jumped down into the well without a second thought. As his body hurtled down into the dark walls, he expected to plunge into the pool of blue magic. To his surprise, he instead just landed at the bottom of the well. His head snapped up to look up to the opening of the well, expecting to see a roof. Blue skies.

"It can't be!" He jumped out of the well, much to everyone's surprise, and jumped back in again. Nothing. "Damnit all! What's going on?!" He was becoming desperate now. 'There's no way I'm gonna leave Kagome all alone with that bastard!' He began digging into the well's dirt.

"Kagome!"

"There!" Kagome said after pinning a sacred arrow with a spell scroll attached on the well's rim. She stepped back, standing by Sesshomaru's side. He glanced at her.

"Tell me, what purpose does that serve?" She smiled at him, a mischievous gleam in her eyes flickered.

"That's to ensure that Inuyasha doesn't come after me! Kaede taught me how to seal the well for a short period of time not too long ago!" Sesshomaru listened intently.

"Inuyasha is able to pass through the well?"

"Don't remind me! Every time I go home for a little break, he comes and drags me back!" The taiyoukai nodded. It was indeed a good idea to seal the portal for now. If what she said was true, then Inuyasha would've come to retrieve his miko already. Well, not before he was denied the chance of seeing the future. Which reminds him, he had yet to step out of the well house.

"Are you going to show me your world, or continue to marvel at your little spell?" He watched as a light blush of embarrassment stained her cheeks. She was rather pretty when she blushed, he decided. There was no use denying that fact because it was true. Besides, it's not like he'll ever admit that aloud.

"Um, right." Kagome turned to walk up the steps leading to the door of the well house, Sesshomaru right behind her. "Prepare yourself Sessho-kun," with that she pushed open the door, and the bright morning sun of her era poured through.

Sesshomaru shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness, but what he really should've been doing was shielding his nose. His senses were suddenly flooded with so many different smells, sights and sounds, that it was a bit overwhelming, even for the demon lord.

The air here was so much different than that of Feudal Japan! It wasn't fresh and clean, but instead, suffocating with the scent of so many things! Sweet, filthy, musty, there were too many to pinpoint! But that was nothing compared to the scent of humans, Hundreds of humans everywhere! He could sense them from even the farthest regions of the earth. He knew Kagome wasn't lying when she said there were only humans in her time, but he didn't expect so many!

Sesshomaru's hand flew up to cover his nose, and growled in displeasure. Kagome glanced at him with a worried look. 'That's right, he's a youkai! His sense of smell is much stronger than hanyous and humans.' She placed a hand on his shoulder and he immediately calmed. His hand eased down a bit from his nose, and he looked at her with expectant golden eyes.

"Gomen, Sessho-kun. I DID warn you. I know you don't like humans very much, especially the way we smell." She apologized, bowing her head slightly. But her eyes were soon brought back up to meet his own as he lifted her chin up.

"I don't like the way THEY smell," he corrected her gently. He became basked in her warmth when he saw her smile at this, realizing what he meant.

"Arigato, Sessho-kun. But if you don't like it here, I can always bring you back," she offered. Secretly, she was glad that he shook his head and refused.

"I said I wanted to see your world, and I intend to do so. Besides, I can learn to tolerate it, as long as you're near. Your scent is the only one around here that is pleasant." He looked quickly at her when he realized that he had just let that slip. Another blush crept upon her cheeks.

"For a human," he added at the last second. Sesshomaru suddenly felt a bit of guilt prick at his chest when he saw her face fault, and her lips form in a silent, disappointed "Oh." But he couldn't take it back. Afterall, he let didn't want her getting an idea that he enjoyed being around her. Or, did he? He didn't know anymore, all he knew was that he wanted her to forget about it. The truth is, he thought her scent WAS wonderful, and surpasses any demoness he ever met.

Luckily for him, Kagome wasn't one to hold anything in for too long, and she shook the feeling of disappointment off rather quickly, and gave him a warm smile. He was surprised at her quick recovery, but was relieved nonetheless.

"Whatever, let's go," She wove her arm around his own, and lead him into the house. All the while, Sesshomaru kept his eyes glued to their linked arms. It kind of felt, right. But he shook it off, it was just Kagome, nothing special. Besides, they were friends now, more or less, so it shouldn't feel too strange. Still, the warm feeling lingered in the back of his mind.

"Demon, Be Gone!" Kagome's grandfather wasted no time in busting out one of his demon warding sutras and plastering it on Sesshomaru's forehead as soon as he came in the room. "Kagome, get back! I'll protect you from it's evil clutches!" Kagome could only sweatdrop, but soon panicked when she heard a feral growl emit from Sesshomaru's throat. Just when her grandfather was about to stick 20 more sutras, Kagome ran to stop him.

"No! Grandpa! It's okay! He's not evil! Put the sutra down!" Kagome held onto his arm until the old man eased his hand still tightly grasping the sutra.

"He isn't?" Grandpa asked quizzically.

"Indeed," Sesshomaru answered, rather annoyed as he peeled off the piece of paper that still stuck to his forehead. He eyed the old man curiously. Why was he wearing miko's clothing? People sure had a strange way of dressing in this era! Just then, a woman with short hair came into the room, along with a little boy who looks to be a little older than Rin.

"What's all the racket, Grandpa? Oh! Kagome, you're home! And you brought company. . ." She trailed off when she spotted Sesshomaru, utterly amazed by him. Without thinking, she quickly approached the demon lord, who looked at her indifferently. Before he knew it, she was petting and tugging at his tail with extreme interest.

"It's so soft! Is this real fur? What is it?"

"Ooooh I wanna touch it next, Mom!" Sota piped excitedly. Kagome was suddenly overcome with a sense of déjà vu. Wasn't this exactly how things went when Inuyasha first came?

Sesshomaru was rather surprised at their forwardness. Did they not know who they were dealing with? He was getting rather annoyed by all of them, and was about to stop their pestering, when he caught Kagome's pleading eyes. It had a look that said, "Remember your promise, Sesshomaru!" He merely sighed and swatted their hands away.

"THAT, is my tail," He bit out in his cold voice. Kagome's mother and Sota took that as their cue to stop, and backed away a couple of steps. Kagome sighed in relief, and straightened herself up again. Sesshomaru was staring at her with amused eyes.

"Tell me, do you always greet guests in such a manner?" Kagome giggled at this. He watched her cheeks flush pink in her laughter.

"Only the cute ones!" She joked back, earning a raised eyebrow from the demon lord. She smiled once more before turning back to her family.

"Mom, Grandpa, Sota, This is my friend, Sesshomaru-sama. He's the Taiyoukai of the West in the Feudal Era," She announced. Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel pleased when she didn't hesitate to refer to him as a friend. She looked warmly at him with her sapphire orbs.

"Sessho-kun, this is my family," she introduced politely. He nodded, and semi-bowed at them, as they did the same. He soon felt a little tug on the side of his kimono, and looked down to see the little boy name Sota at his sleeve.

"Y'know, you look kinda like Inuyasha! Except cooler!" He said in an awed voice. Sesshomaru didn't quite understand what "cool" meant. Was he trying to say that Inuyasha wasn't as cold as he was? Whatever he meant, Sesshomaru didn't like being compared to his half-wit brother, and glared down at Sota. Kagome saw this, and quickly stepped in.

"Don't worry, Sesshomaru, he's complimenting you! Cool is good!" She laughed nervously and turned to Sota. "And the reason that he looks like Inuyasha so much is because Sesshomaru is his half-brother, but they don't get along very much." Sota nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, brothers and sisters can be annoying sometimes! I totally feel you, man!" Now, Kagome was the one to glare at him. She gave an edgy "Hmph!" and looked away, pouting. Sesshomaru felt himself easing a bit. This Sota wasn't so bad, and certainly wise beyond his years.

However, the old man and boy were quickly shooed out of the room by none other than Kagome's mother.

"Come on, let's leave Kagome to show her friend around. I suspect he'll be staying with us for today, dear?" Kagome nodded thankfully at her mother. She always knew what to do! As they left the room, Kagome turned her attention back to the taiyoukai, who was no longer standing by her side, but instead exploring the house.

She watched as he sniffed certain objects, examining each and every single thing with keen interest. She smiled, he was like a kid in a candy store!

"What strange furniture. . ."he mused, coming to the couch. "Is this a chair?" he asked.

"Hai, it's called a couch, and it's for several people to sit on," she explained. "Try it!" Now, usually he wouldn't take orders from a human, but he must admit that he wanted to try it. He did so, and was surprised that it was very comfortable! He relaxed into it, looking around the room as he did. Kagome soon sat down next to him.

"Like it?" She asked with a half smile.

"It is. . .different, similar to sitting on a giant pillow," he examined. He spotted a little black square piece lying on the table in front of him, with colorful circles with numbers labeled on it. He pushed on one of the buttons, and nearly fell off the couch when images flashed in a giant box not far from where he sat. The images of people flickered across the screen, and Sesshomaru stared at it in amazement. 'What kind of sorcery is this?'

"Explain!" He pointed at the box and looked aggressively at Kagome, demanding an answer. She only laughed.

"That thing that you touched was called a remote control. You use it to turn on the television, which is that thing!" He listened with interest at her explanation and slowly stood up to examine the box closer.

"Te-le-vis-ion," he tested the word on his lips. "Is it some kind of enchanted box that traps people's souls?" He asked indifferently, sniffing it a little.

"No, it's used for entertainment!" Kagome went on explaining the t.v., along with the other items that he came across on the tour of the house. She was rather surprised to find out how curious the demon lord really was, and despite his never-ending questions, she answered them all patiently and calmly.

"And this is my room," Kagome announced as they reached her door. Sesshomaru nodded for her to continue, and she opened the door revealing her bedchambers. As soon as he stepped in, his senses were overwhelmed with her scent. It was so strong in this room, her scent was everywhere! He inhaled it deeply. 'Much better,' he mused. After experiencing all the different smells in this house alone, he was glad that Kagome's scent was still here to calm his nerves.

Sesshomaru was becoming a little lightheaded from breathing in her scent as if he was drunk on it. Almost as if in a dazed state, he was brought out of his stupor when Kagome tapped on his shoulder.

"Ano, Sessho-kun?" She looked at him with curious blue orbs. He shook off the feeling. His eyes scanned the room. She was relatively clean for a human. In fact, her whole house was neat and clean. Perhaps humans in this time and age were more hygienic. He spotted the bed.

"Interesting," he said more to himself than to Kagome. He went closer to examine it. "Why is your futon so far off the ground? What purpose does it serve?" Kagome mulled over the question.

"Hn, I never really thought about it that much. Everyone sleeps on beds like these nowadays," She watched as he sat on it like he had with the couch. Again he found it to be blissfully comfortable.

Deciding he had enough of it, he walked over to her window, where he saw many similar houses and other structures down below. And humans, he saw so many of them walking on the winding paths. He was so caught up in observing them that he failed to notice Kagome standing by him until she opened the window.

"That's the city," she said gently to him.

"City?" he asked, she looked at him serenely.

"Hai. It's. . .kinda like my village, except MUCH bigger. Here, we call it Tokyo." He continued to gaze out at the large metropolis. So many new things, how can so much change over time? He was intrigued by it, and he didn't even bother to hide his curiosity.

"You want to see it?" Kagome's voice brought him back. He looked at her with his golden depths quizzically. Her ebony tresses swayed in the wind that gently blew in through the window. Was she offering to show him more?

"If you want, I can show you," She held out her hand at him, and he stared at her indifferently. Slowly, he reached out with his own hand and, and placed it over her inviting one.

"Yes, I wish to see more. . .But you must be with me at all times, so I can block out the other humans' foul stench." Kagome laughed at hearing this.

"Of course! I can't have a loose Taiyoukai running around Tokyo, now can I?"

End Chapter

That's the second part to Sesshomaru's adventure in Kagome's world. Another update will follow in a week. READ AND REVIEW! No flames please. Thanks to all of you who reviewed before, I love all of you!

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