Back to the day I met you
Rated PG-13 for Inu-Yasha's potty mouth.
Disclaimer: Read first chapter.
AN: I noticed that quite a few people guessed what connection Kagome and Sesshoumaru had. Since I don't know who figured it out first everyone gets a plushie. Throws numerous plushies out for all the reviewers. You were right. The one thing that linked them was their status. Kagome was teleported back to the beginning before she died and Sesshoumaru, though injured, was still alive. Thanks and enjoy this chapter.
AN2: I don't know the exact time frame in which everything happened, but I'm going to take a wild guess so bare with me. I no longer require the quotes from the starter episodes. Thanks for the help and have a nice day.
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Chapter 4: A picture is worth a thousand words
Three months later.....
(Sesshoumaru)
Everything seemed to be piecing itself back together. He had noticed how some occurrences were happening slightly differently from how he had originally remembered them happening. His meeting with his half brother in the tomb of his father was one such instance.
He had not lost his arm this time due to the timely intervention of Inu-Yasha's wench. For some reason she seemed to want him to be in full fighting form. It was as if she knew how important his part in the future would be and how the use of both arms would benefit them in the final battle. As it was the last time it happened; he had been sporting a dragon's arm.
He was fully aware that she remembered what had happened, but could she also realize that he too remembered the final battle? He hadn't had time to think much on it since then, but the need to pull the miko aside to get his answers was getting stronger every day.
When he had laid eyes on Rin again after witnessing her demise he nearly folded right then and there. Kagome had no right to keep him in the dark about this. She knew about the child, she had to know!
"Grrr..." The sound reverberated through his throat and caught the attention of his young ward.
"Lord Sesshoumaru?"
Soundly shoving his violent emotions back into tight rein he looked down at the child and said, "Its nothing, Rin, continue your play."
With a slight nod and a soft squeal of happiness Rin ran off again to play in the flowers. He hadn't wasted his time with the sweet child this time around. He'd taken her under his protection as soon as he'd met her. It was all a matter of time now. Soon she'd start calling him by his more familiar and much preferred title of Papa. He hadn't realized how much that simple endearment had meant to him coming from the child until she was gone from him. This time he'd make sure she was far away where it was safe when he faced Naraku. He'd not loose her again. The first time had nearly killed him.
As his mind started buzzing with questions once again he rose and made to leave.
"My lord? Where are you going?"
Not bothering to even look at the toad demon he said, "This Sesshoumaru's business is his own. You, as a lowly retainer, have no right to know of my business."
Instantly Jakken's head hit the ground as he bowed low to his master. He found the toad's fear amusing, but he needed to be going now. Leaving orders with Jakken would be his best assurance of young Rin's protection.
"Jakken."
"Yes, my lord?"
"Watch over the child, I shall be back shortly."
Without another word he took off at full speed. Jakken would do as he instructed or risk his wrath. He'd already made it clear that his young ward was to be respected and protected. Now that he was assured of Rin's safety he let his mind come back to the thoughts that had haunted him since he awoke in a place far from where he should have been. Only one person could answer these questions for him. He was going to track down the miko called Kagome.
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(Kagome)
Things had taken on a very familiar rhythm. They'd go shard hunting for a few weeks then return to Kaede's so that she could visit home and restock her backpack. In the time they had been shard hunting Kagome had changed several things.
For one she had not bothered pretending that she didn't know how to use the bow Kaede gave after they had met Miroku. It seemed pointless to waist her best weapon just to keep Inu-Yasha quiet.
Another thing she had changed was the Kikyou situation. Urasuai had revived her just as before, but Kagome had purified the witch then put Kikyou back where she belonged....at peace. Inu-Yasha never had the chance to see her alive. Kagome had made sure of that.
There were other, more subtle changes she had made, but they were barely worth remembering. She had, however, made sure she kept an accurate record of everything that happened in her diary. The photos she used in it, both old and new, expressed how she was feeling on that particular day.
Kagome had discovered that she had a talent for taking pictures. It was something that kept her interested while she was in the past, but now it had started to become more of an art form.
'Speaking of pictures,' She thought as she rested next to Inu-Yasha's tree, 'I should put these away before Inu-Yasha or one of the others comes over.'
As if the gods had been listening to her thoughts; Inu-Yasha suddenly came bounding over to her. She had only just arrived back from her time so she still had her bag. Inu-Yasha's half smirk told her that he was amused by her apparent lack of strength with the bag. It really wasn't that heavy, but she needed the interaction with Inu-Yasha.
They had only just started walking towards the village when Kagome slammed, quite suddenly, into the white clad taiyoukai. The pictures she had been looking at flew out of her hands and scattered on the ground around her feet.
"EEP!" She yelled then backed up a few paces.
Inu-Yasha was already pulling out his sword. Sesshoumaru was one of their most dangerous enemies. Inu-Yasha hated him, but he wouldn't underestimate him. Before any violence broke out the aforementioned lord's smooth voice drifted out to them.
"Put your sword away, Inu-Yasha. I have not come to fight you."
"Yeah right, Sesshoumaru!"
Kagome watched the stoic youkai carefully. All he had with him was the Tensaguia and the healer's sword was all but useless in a real battle. It wasn't the sword that she was worried about though. He had poison as well as deadly skill. They would both be killed if either of them made a wrong move.
"What do you want, Lord of the West?"
She watched as two sets of amber eyes looked at her with surprise and confusion. She had only ever met him once as far as either brother knew, but she seemed to know what respect he deserved. It was Sesshoumaru who spoke first.
"I wish to speak with you, Lady Miko."
His voice was even, controlled. He was telling the truth. His aura shifted alarmingly as he watched her for an answer. Something was off about him, Kagome could sense it. Normally Sesshoumaru's aura was a cool ice blue, but right now it was bordering on being a deep violet color. Something was definitely wrong. People's auras told her how they were feeling. Ice blue was his normal, nonchalant color. The dark violet meant that he was deeply distressed about something.
Completely ignoring her hanyou companion's presence she said, "Then state your business and be gone."
His aura flashed to a deep crimson at her words. He was angry now. His voice was just as curt as he spoke, "I require a private word with you. My half brother's presence is not required."
Kagome nodded her head in agreement before turning to address Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha, go take my bag to Kaede's."
"But, Kagome...."
"Go, please. I can handle myself against your brother. He is not here to fight."
"You can't trust him."
"I know, but I know what his aura is telling me. Go on, Inu-Yasha, I'll be fine."
Shaking his head in disapproval Inu-Yasha took off towards the village without another word to her. She'd have to make it up to him somehow later. Right now she had a very dangerous taiyoukai lord to deal with.
She looked back to Sesshoumaru then gestured for him to speak while she leaned against the tree she'd been sitting under earlier. He took her cue, but did not sit down.
"What did you do?"
"Nani? I don't understand...."
His aura flashed between the violet of distress and the mid green of confusion as he began pacing back and forth in front of her. It was easy to see the sort of power he had even while in a state of confusion. He radiated power from every pore on his body. She'd felt this many times before, but it didn't impress her any less than the first time she'd felt it.
"You speak to me with a familiarity that should not be possible as this time. This is hardly the first time we've spoken this way. Before, when Rin......You helped me then."
Her mouth fell open in surprise. "You....remember?"
"Yes, and it has been driving me crazy these past few months."
"I know how you feel. All my friends are strangers to me again."
"It is obvious we two are the only ones who remember. Now, miko, kindly tell me what you did to cause this."
His aura was back to being that ice blue again. He was calming down. That was a good thing since she had no idea how to deal with an emotionally unstable taiyoukai. The thing was he was only calm because he thought she knew what had happened.
"Uh....I really don't know for sure how this happened. I think it has something to do with the jewel, though I can't be sure exactly what that something is."
"Acceptable, for now. Next question; why are you and I the only ones who remember what happened?"
"I don't know the answer to that, Sesshoumaru. I'm sorry."
"This Sesshoumaru does not accept that answer, miko. There must be some reason behind my memories being still intact."
"The only thing I can think of is that we both survived the battle with Naraku."
"Yes...that makes since. I wasn't all that far from you when the light engulfed me. Now....Why didn't you tell me that Rin was alive?"
His question was asked in a soft tone. It was apparent that this topic was painful for him. His aura once more shifted color. This time it was puppy dog brown. He was sad, very sad. The child's death had hurt him worse that he cared to admit. The topic was obviously important to him just as the answer was.
Clearing her throat Kagome said, "I didn't know that you remembered. If I had, I swear that I would have tracked you down and told you. It's a relief to finally be able to talk to someone that knows what happened."
Ice blue again. His emotions were ranging around all over the place. He seemed unsteady somehow. Like something vital had been taken from him, though she couldn't put her finger on just what it was. What could be wrong?
Her thoughts changed abruptly as she remembered the photographs still scattered at their feet. Without another word to the brooding youkai Kagome bent down and began gathering the little scraps of paper.
After a few moments Sesshoumaru knelt down to help her gather the photos since he was the reason she had dropped them in the first place. She saw his lean form go still as he picked up and stared at one of the pictures.
His voice was still that soft tone when he said, "How did you get this? I don't remember seeing you near me when this took place."
Kagome looked over his should to see which picture had caught his eye. She smiled as the memory registered. The photo depicted the lord leaning against a tree with his head turned slightly to the side and a little half smile on his lips. He'd been watching Rin play at the time.
Smiling at the memory the picture invoked she said, "I was chasing Shippou down that way and I just happened to see you there. You're very photogenic you know."
He shifted into a sitting position then motioned for her to do the same before he pulled another photo out of the pile and showed it to her as well. This one had actually been taken by Sango. It was a picture of her and Inu-Yasha asleep in a tree together. She had been wearing his fire rat coat at the time and he'd had his head on hers.
Sesshoumaru's voice rumbled with amusement as he said, "Explain this, Kagome."
"Sango took that one, actually. We'd just returned from a particularly hard battle with one of Naraku's puppets and I fell asleep on the way so Inu-Yasha let me sleep with him in his tree."
His lifted eyebrow told her he obviously saw more into the picture that she was willing to confide about it. He handed the pictures to her then stood up and offered her his hand to help her up. At first she just stared at him in confusion, but as he continued holding his hand out for her she figured it out and took his hand to stand.
"Thank you. For helping me and for your consideration."
"I would not treat you any other way, Kagome."
"Because of Rin?"
"That too, but mostly so that you don't try and put a rosary on me. I've no wish to taste dirt like my brother."
That started her laughing. They were so much alike, it was funny. Speaking of funny...
"Here, take a look at this."
He took it without a word and looked it over. Then his eyes bugged out and he turned pink across his cheeks. It was the most comical expression she'd ever seen on his face.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Red again. She'd pissed him off.
The picture he was referring to was one experience she was not likely to forget. It portrayed the lord himself with different kinds of flowers in his hair and the puffy thing that occupied his shoulder. She'd sensed him that day and had gone to see Rin. The photo was proof to what she found waiting there.
"Its okay I've got one like this of everyone. Look here's mine."
What she handed him was a picture of herself with her mouth wide open and a microphone in front of her face. It looked like she was about to eat the microphone.
"What exactly are you doing here?" Pink now. He was curious. That was better than the red or the violet.
She sent him a slight smile then said, "I was kareoking with my friends. My friend, Hitomi, took this picture."
"Kare-e-oke?"
"Singing in front of people to already written songs."
"You can do this thing? Singing?"
"Of course. I'm pretty good at it too."
"Hrmph. Prove it then."
She felt her cheeks flame in embarrassment. Singing in front of her friends or strangers, she could handle that, but in front of Sesshoumaru....She wasn't sure if she could manage it. She looked at him and saw that he was enjoying her embarrassment. Biting her lip against the scathing remark that came to mind Kagome looked up into the sky, took a deep breath, and just let it out.
"Some say love it is a river
That drowns the tender reed.
Some say love it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love it is a hunger
An endless, aching need
I say love it is a flower,
And you it's only seed."
Kagome could sense Inu-Yasha near by. He was listening to her. She could also feel the bright eyes of the lord on her. He was impressed. She kept her thoughts together and just continued on.
"It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken,
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying
That never learns to live."
The power of the Shikkon began surrounding her. It seemed the spirit inside the jewel enjoyed her voice as well. She gave her voice full range as everything around her seemed to fade into the background. It felt so good to be doing this again. It relieved all of the pressure in her mind and heart.
"And the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long.
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong.
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed that with the sun's love,
In the spring, becomes a rose."
As her song wound down she realized that all of her friends had come down to listen to her. She looked around her and realized also that Sesshoumaru was no longer standing next to her.
'He must have left while I was singing.' She thought as she turned to smile at her friends. Everything was taking on a familiar pattern....A picture is worth a thousand words. Her pictures each told a story. Everything would happen as it happened. She was going to be fine.
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That's it.
I hope you enjoyed it.
The song is called the Rose. LeAnn Rhimes sings it. I don't own the lyrics.
See you next chapter.
AN: I know Sesshoumaru was pretty much there for this entire chapter, but remember that he considers her his sister because of her relationship to Inu-Yasha. There's an uneasy alliance there. I'll probablylet them be friends though.This is an Inu/Kagome fic so don't start thinking that Fluffy is going to be any romantic competition. I hope that helps with any confusion.