Title: The Jigsaw Puzzle
A/N: I finished on homework early so I decided to write another chapter. I am a little tired, but I'll try and not let that stop me from writing! This whole writing fics thing is kind of addicting. Damn, I wasn't able to pay attention in Physics 'coz I was too engulfed in planning out the events that are to take place (no, I'm not a psycho freak that constantly thinks about this stuff 24/7. I have a life too, you know. Hehe) But anyway, I'd like to thank those who left reviews. I love you all! (Honorable mentions will be later.) Anyway, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and the characters associated with the Anime. However, that wouldn't sound too bad for a Christmas present, eh:winks: I only own the plot!
Chapter 4
It was mid-morning. The sun was high up in the sky, claiming its rightful position while bringing light and warmth to the sweet earth below. The clouds traveled at a uniformed pace, shifting its form every now and then. The cool wind also blew her way through the trail in which a group of travelers were following some kind of path.
The group consisted of six members: A white-haired hanyou wearing a red haori and hakama, an oddly-dressed young woman carrying a yellow oversized bag filled with necessities needed for their constant travels, a red-haired fox kitsune who was in a peaceful slumber on the woman's arms, another woman slightly older than the other female, dressed as a demon slayer of some sort while a huge boomerang was secured behind her back, a neko youkai who was also resting at the demon slayer's arms, and another man in traditional monk robe who carried a golden staff with him. They went about their way in a line-formation. The white-haired hanyou was leading the group with his arms crossed over his chest, hands hidden beneath the oversized red haori. The man's dog-like ears twitched every so often, picking up noises that were within the premises as the group traveled. The white-haired man would sometimes stop in his tracks, stick his nose up in the air and sniffed, hoping to catch a scent of something. If nothing was out of the contrary, he would go along his way.
Right behind the white-haired man were the taijiya and the monk, chatting their way as they traveled. It was evident that there was some type of mutual relationship present between the two due to the blush that would appear at the taijiya's cheeks whenever the monk made some remark and vice versa. Everything seems to be at peace with the two when all of a sudden….
:smack:
"When do you ever keep your hands to yourself, Miroku?" alleged a rather enraged taijiya at the man who was once beside her. The man known as Miroku had a reddening hand imprinted on his face given to him by the woman that stood tall in front of him. He fixed his composure and dusted some imaginary dust off his robes whilst giving the once fuming taijiya a sly smile.
"I was only looking after your own well-being, my dear Sango." Miroku pleaded with the youkai exterminator, grabbing her balled up fists into his hands. "A cruel bug was about to make it to you and I just prevented from such a creature to rest upon you, saving you from such fears" he continued on in hopes of soothing the exasperated taijiya.
"Hmph. As if." Sango, the taijiya, responded dryly. She knew of his intentions of having his lecherous hand travel to parts where they shouldn't be, which would mean her rear end, or the rear ends of other victimized ladies. It was a mystery as to why a lecher such as he was even considered a monk.
"Your words hurt me so, my lady" Miroku clutches his chest to add more dynamism to the overly dramatic enunciation. "Please, show this monk some clemency for offending such a beautiful lady as you." He expressed in much…convincing tones.
"Alright, you furtive monk. I'll let it go this time, but on one condition. You lay those filthy hands of yours in place where they shouldn't be and don't be surprised to see them cut off." warned the wary taijiya. Sango knew that she was a sucker to his verbose way of talking, but she couldn't help it. Somehow this lecherous monk had leaked his way to her heart. However, she wasn't going to let him get off that easily just because she felt something for the monk.
"I thank you for your show of amnesty, my fair lady." Miroku sighed whilst taking her hand in his, placed it near his sweet lips and kissed them lightly. Sango turned a shade of tomato red at this gesture. Miroku, on the other hand, inwardly grinned. He loved getting reactions like these from her. It just brightens up his mood.
...--Ooo&ooO--...
It had been days since Kagome's encounter with Rin. Needless to say, she misses the little kid and her constant talks. She reminisced on the events from that day and silently chuckled at the way Rin would state her questions. She also found the little kid to be so full of energy especially when they talked about flowers. Kagome shared something in common with the little girl; they were both astounded by nature's beauty and felt at ease especially around a field of flowers. However, she had that feeling of guilt gnawing at her conscience because she forgot to thank Rin for her company. Believe it or not, Rin had somehow taken her sorrow away and let her enjoy the rest of that afternoon.
'I forgot to thank Rin for keeping me company that day. It really brought me out of my depressive mood.' Kagome reflected. 'I wonder when I'll see her again. I want to give her something in return.' Kagome then took out something out of the pocket of her oversized yellow bag. It was something small, yet it gave out a slight luster when Kagome brought it out in daylight. It was a bracelet made of shiny beads and such. The bracelet was emulated with pastel-colored beads as well as some crystals that reflected the monochromatic rays of the sun. Little stars slightly dangled all around the bracelet and a silver crescent moon, much larger than the stars themselves, hung nearby the clasp that held the bracelet intact. This bracelet may seem to be just like any ordinary bracelet to some, but to Kagome, the fashion accessory had a sentimental value. An old friend of hers gave it to her as a thank you present for helping her find a missing cat. Her friend told her that if Kagome ever had someone to thank, then she shouldn't hesitate to give this bracelet to whoever she was grateful to. It was said that the bracelet had unanimous powers that kept the holder safe from harm and that it was meant to be passed on to others. Kagome thought this myth behind the bracelet was simply ludicrous and made no sense whatsoever.
'Why would a bracelet possess such powers?' Kagome asked herself mentally. 'If that's the case, then whoever made this must've put a spell on it that protected the bearer.' she concluded shortly after.
"If what was said about this thing is true, then Rin would be safe from harm, right?" Kagome quietly asked no one in particular. Little did she know that golden orbs were watching her form and a pair of dog-like ears twitched at the sound of her voice.
"Oi, who are you talking to?" Inuyasha asked out of nowhere. He saw Kagome flinch the second he said something as if she's been frightened. He raised a brow at her. Kagome had been acting strange lately. She's been out of her mind and always seemed so distant. Sometimes he would catch her staring at something for a long period of time without blinking. Often times, Inuyasha assumed that Kagome was sleeping with her eyes open. That was something truly out of the ordinary.
However, he also thought about her behavior and wondered if it was connected to that time when he harangued her that day. Not only that, but he, once again, compared her to Kikyo. He did not know what compelled him to do so, but it had come out of his mouth before he even had time to consider what he said. He felt a tiny pang at his conscience for saying those words, but there was nothing that he could do to rewind time. All he could do now was to ponder on his actions and make sure to think it out before he acts. He really did not intend to hurt Kagome that day. He only wanted her to stop musing around and get moving again. After all, they still had many shards to collect before Naraku had his hands on them. They were racing against two factors; their fiend and time.
Kagome heard Inuyasha question her about what she said. Had she really said that out loud? It wasn't intended to be said aloud, but somehow it had escaped her train of thought and found its way out of her mouth.
'How embarrassing. He probably thinks I'm a moron now. Greeeeat.' Kagome scolded herself mentally. It was unknown to her that as she was contemplating, Inuyasha was giving her the 'strange' eye and studying her figure. He also noticed that her cheeks had taken in a slight rosy color. This put Inuyasha into more confusion. What was going on with her?
"Kagome, are you alright?" Inuyasha asked with great concern. He really was getting worried about her.
Kagome, on the other hand, was taken back by the level of emotion emphasized in that one question. She wasn't expecting that to come out of Inuyasha's lips. He had also called her by her name! It wasn't the usual 'wench' or 'girl' or 'bitch'. Bizarre? Very.
'Okay, I'm hearing things' Kagome assured herself mentally. 'First, he's really concerned about how I am. Second, he called me by my name!'
Inuyasha was getting impatient. Kagome hasn't said a word for approximately 10 minutes now. He crosses his arms across his chest and taps his foot impatiently. "Well? Are you gonna answer me or pretend that I haven't said anything?" He asked with such edginess.
'Well, there's goes Mr. Nice Guy.' Kagome sighed. 'I knew I was dreaming!' she told herself inwardly.
"Sorry. Oh, and yes, I'm fine." Kagome finally responded.
Inuyasha sighed in relief. "Oh good. I thought you died upright with your eyes open."
"What the hell?" Kagome began. "Oh wow. I guess you're still the same, Inuyasha," Kagome teased. It was kind of an insult, but she couldn't help but laugh at it for some weird reason. It was too funny to turn that statement into the subject of another argument. Besides, she didn't need another one starting after the last fight they had. She decided to drop the subject.
"So, In—" Kagome was cut off short when she was pulled into a very warm, cuddly hug. Shock was etched all over her features. Her body went rigid for a few seconds in response to that shock. This was completely unexpected. What was he doing?
Inuyasha, sensing her distress, hugged her tighter and buried his nose into her hair. He inhaled the scent of jasmine and let her scent engulf him, sending his senses wild. He always loved how she smelled. It calmed him down and put him at ease. However, this caused more tension between them and he decided to finally break the completely unnerving silence that hung.
"I was really worried about you, Kagome. After what happened in the woods on your return, I felt guilty for yelling at you like that. I never really meant to hurt you in any way and I was just being the jerk that I always am." Inuyasha paused for a moment. He had to take a breather. Here he was spilling his guts out to the girl he had hurt and he's actually apologizing for his actions. That was something he was not accustomed to due to his egotistical self. He just hoped that she will forgive him, and then everything would be back to normal again. It made him feel uncomfortable whenever he and Kagome quarreled and still hadn't made up after days had passed by. He wanted to be on her good, loving, and caring side. He hated making her aggravated and hurt. He swore to protect her and he's still going to live up to that promise. After all, he felt it was his obligation to take care of her since she was under his protection. He knew Kagome was strong, but there was something within him that won't let her go alone. He was, in all truth and honesty, afraid to let her go, not just away from his sight, but from his embrace for eternity. He knew that he was the cause of her pain and sorrow and he hated himself for that. However, he wanted to change that about him and instead bring her happiness and joy for a change. He wanted to see her ocean blue eyes sparkle with life and see her loving smile. He didn't want to admit to himself that he was falling for this girl from the future for fear of rejection. He doesn't know how she felt towards him which explains why he always has that mean, uncaring façade around her. He was afraid of putting his emotions out there and wind up getting hurt. Insecurity was really a powerful feeling and is almost impossible to destroy when it was combined with high pride. So far, the only person who was able to crumble that strong wall was Kikyo, and now, Kagome seems to be succeeding in bringing that wall down once again. He felt it was too risky to open up to her and spill out his emotions in fear of jeopardizing what they had. He knew he had to do it eventually, but he was unsure when exactly.
'Maybe when it's too late.' Inuyasha thought. 'Maybe when she's found someone else who wouldn't treat her as I do now.' He let out a frustrated sigh. He was frustrated at himself for being able to face massive amounts of demons with such diligence, but was a coward when it came to confronting feelings. He was frustrated for being such a wimpy chicken when it comes to these things.
After inhaling her scent again, Inuyasha didn't want to leave her hanging thus he continued. "I care for you, Kagome. It's up to you to believe it or not. I regret the times that I've let you down or have brought pain upon you. I swore to protect you and I'm willing to do so even if it costs me my own life. I just want to get things done so that this whole issue with Naraku and the shards would be resolved."
Inuyasha pulled away and placed his clawed hands on her shoulder gently. He saw her trying to hold back the tears that were dying to be freed from her eyes. As much as she tried, a tear managed to escape from her eyes and rolled down the side of her nicely shaped nose. Inuyasha sighed inwardly. He had put her in this state once again. When was he ever going to get things right? He brushed the lone tear away with gentleness, making sure that his claw doesn't scratch her pristine ivory skin. However, another cascaded down from the corners of her eyes followed by another. Soon, her tears were falling like waterfalls down her face.
"I'm sorry if I made you cry, Kagome." Inuyasha pulled her into a comforting hug once more. "It hurts me when I'm the cause of your sadness. I wish there was something I could do to take it all away". He sat down on a nearby root and cradled Kagome to his chest as he rocked her back and forth, still snuggling her up to his bosom. He pulled away once more and kissed each eyelid while brushed the rest of her tears away. "I just want you to know that it would kill me if something happened to you and I wasn't able to do anything about it."
Kagome finally found her voice and spoke. "Why? I'm just your shard detector anyway. Why swear your whole life protecting someone who's of no importance?" Kagome managed to choke out despite the fact that it was hard to talk, considering the amount of hiccups that stopped her every so often during her statement. She felt so weak and so immobile at the moment. He had managed to trigger the right spot: Her vulnerability. She hated looking weak and emotionally strained in front of him. It just made her feel like worthless shit that can't get her act together.
"No, Kagome. You are important. You're more important to me than you think you are. You're not just a shard detector." Inuyasha took his hand and held her chin, raising it up to meet his golden gaze. He was lost at her swirling azure eyes that showed all emotion. She was like a lost child in a world of chaos and despair. He felt a pang in his heart at the sight of her. She was a wreck. Had he really done this much damage to her?
Inuyasha stared at her not with a feisty, aggravated gaze, but with sincerity and compassion. His golden orbs were bearing down upon her sapphire blue ones with such intense gentleness that Kagome felt time had stopped and nothing else existed but just him and her. She felt trapped within his gaze and her breath hitched in her throat as he spoke. "You're Kagome. You're so full of life, full of hope, full of love, and full of compassion. I've never met someone who had the same fiery spirit as you possess and I feel truly blessed for knowing someone like you. Sure, we sometimes don't get along and you never give up without a good fight, but that's what I like about you. You don't let yourself be tossed aside without being heard and you put a pretty damn brawl to let others know what you think. Somehow you've sneaked your way into my heart and that's why I lo—" His phrase was left unfinished as his eyes took a darker shade of gold and quickly turned his head to the side, as if he was observing something. Kagome felt him tense up. She was confused. Here he was enunciating such affectionate words then seconds later he stops and turns his head as if someone called his attention. 'What was going on?'
Inuyasha cut himself short. He had almost said it. He had almost confessed that he loved her.
'Stupid, stupid, stupid! You almost blew it, Inuyasha! Don't get carried away!' Inuyasha yelled at himself mentally. He turned his head to the side quickly so that she won't notice the blush that crept up his cheeks. As he did so, he noticed another demon presence close by, which made him tense up. How long had they been here and why didn't he notice before? It might have been watching for a while now. 'Ugh, you idiot! You see? You're a fucking moron!' Inuyasha continued to cuss himself. 'Who knows what grave danger you might be in.'
"Demon….." Inuyasha whispered threateningly. "Kagome, stay back. Go get the others." Inuyasha notified Kagome. He had to get her far away from here before he checked it out. He didn't want her to get hurt or be kidnapped in case it was Naraku or any demon demanding the Shikon shards. Her safety was prioritized above all things.
Kagome now understood. It subdued her anger and hurt. He sensed a demon nearby which is why he didn't get to finish. And here she was thinking he'd sensed Kikyo or something. She could've sworn he was about to profess his love to her, which made her really nervous and queasy. She felt him place her down from his lap and heard him tell her what to do. It took her a few seconds to comprehend what was going on, but understood what he wanted when he took Tetsusaiga out, transforming in its true form. She knew there was danger.
However, as soon as Kagome left the clearing, so did the youkai presence. Inuyasha was confused. Was the demon following Kagome? His suspicions soon rose to new limits when she heard her scream moments later. 'Oh no!' thought Inuyasha. He quickly rushed to her side. He saw Kagome sprawled on the forest floor, holding her ankle.
"What happened?" asked an alarmed Inuyasha.
"I fell." Kagome replied. She was running as fast as her human legs could carry her. She became so engulfed in finding the others and whether Inuyasha would be alright that she failed to notice a protruding tree root ahead. She continued running until she was stopped dead in her tracks and was soon overwhelmed with pain shooting up from her ankle.
"You're so clumsy. Watch where you're going next time!" Inuyasha advised Kagome. He then squatted in front of her, motioning for her to get on his back. Kagome did as she was told and soon rested her head on his shoulder.
"Thanks, Inuyasha" Kagome muttered before sleep overcame her.
Inuyasha heard her thank him and soon felt her rhythmic breathing and steady heartbeat on his neck and back. He knew she was fast asleep.
"You're welcome, my Kagome. Sleep well."
…--0oo&oo0--…
Sesshoumaru had been following suit for a few days now. He stuck to his word when he said that he would be observing the woman attentively now. He had been following his hanyou half-brother's band while masking his scent and aura in the process. He did not want to be detected by that idiot's keen senses. 'Not bad for a hanyou like him.' He thought. At least he still had some inuyoukai qualities that he must've acquired from his deceased father. But still, his worthless half-brother disgraced his family's name by simply being a hanyou; a half-breed tainted with human blood. Sesshoumaru, as much as he despised it, had to live with the fact that his family line would not have full-blooded youkais now because of the idiotic hanyou. It was up to Sesshoumaru to produce a full-blooded pup that would one day take over his kingdom once he moves on from this life. This thought, however, placed a grimacing thought in his mind, as the events of that fateful night came back to him.
"Curse that damn goddess. She will pay for this punishment of hers dearly." Sesshoumaru growled lowly. He was still furious at the turn of events, but this aggravation did not go noticed on his cool, stoic, handsome face. He dared not show emotion that much, and if he did, it was usually repugnance or malevolence. He only let his façade drop when he is within his castle grounds or when he is around Rin. Speaking of Rin, he couldn't help remember how she looked when he came back from the clearing. Little Rin was highly enthusiastic and had a huge smile upon her face as she hugged his leg. Sesshoumaru would simply pat the girl's head and she would react with such happiness. This behavior was usual, but what was unusual about her was the way she moved about the camp and how she wouldn't stop talking about the woman she met that day. She referred to her as 'the pretty lady', having forgotten the woman's name for a few seconds. It was moments later when she remembered her name and Rin went on the explanation about their chat and how she had a good time. Of course, Sesshoumaru already knew what she was talking about since he was present at the time as well. He did not feel the need to tell her that since it did not concern her. Besides, he knew that she would question him as to why he did not join them. Sesshoumaru knew better therefore he let the child speak ardently as he continued to listen. This process wasn't completely a waste of breath on her part nor is it a waste of time on his part for he learned some things about the girl known as Kagome. Kagome, like his ward, enjoyed the sight of flowers and loved to be around them. She also maintained personal hygiene with items such as a 'shampoo', 'bath scrub', 'moisturizing soap' and so on. The mention of these objects sparked Sesshoumaru's interest since he's never heard of such things before. Maybe it's some type of apparatus used for witchery? It could also be names of spells that concerns with hygiene—that is—if she was a sorceress. Sesshoumaru did not know what she was and where she came from, but whatever it was, it was clear that she did not belong in this era. Maybe she came from a distant land across that vast body of water or if she was summoned from the underworld. That was one thing he had to find out when he followed them. Sesshoumaru also noticed Rin sucking on something and he was rather suspicious. He questioned her about the stick that protruded from her mouth. Rin happily explained that 'Kagome-chan' had given her candy, which was some type of sweets. He was wary of the 'lollipop' for several reasons. First off, it had an atypical name for something sweet. Second, he's never heard of a 'lollipop' before (once again). Third, what if there was some type of spell administered into this 'lollipop' that was intended to control Rin in order to strike at Sesshoumaru? Many questions came up in his mind as he pondered upon these thoughts and resolved this issue by simply finding answers from this strange girl. His mind was set. He would follow this girl and learn more about her before he made any move. This way, he would acquire information he needed to confirm his suspicions and to find out whether she really was the girl the fanatical goddess chose to help him out. Once again, the thought of the goddess and the curse she bestowed upon him angered him to no end.
"I don't need the help of another, much less a human girl. This Sesshoumaru will make sure of that." Sesshoumaru vowed. He will show that no-good goddess. He tried to get in his mind that this was simply a challenge—a challenge that he could overcome without the aid of any other.
Days passed by as Sesshoumaru continued to hide behind the shadows of the trees as he continued to tag along the group. Sesshoumaru hated this; he felt like an undignified stalker. He was stalking a human for crying out loud! This was not something Sesshoumaru was pleased with and it made him feel less noble. Stalking was clearly not considered to be a feature of nobility and Sesshoumaru knew this for a fact. He tried to get closer to the girl with the talisman in hand, but could never find the opportunity to get close enough due to the fact that her other female companion was by her. The talisman would not emit any light whenever the other girl was around and this did not go very well for the impassive youkai lord. Gods! Those two seemed to be inseperable. They constantly talked about useless nonsense that seemed to amuse them.
'Simple-minded humans. They are clearly fools who can't use their heads for something more productive.' Sesshoumaru alleged. He did not understand why the talk of hot spring baths brought such zeal amongst the two females.
'Hmm, so the human girl likes being clean. Interesting. She is unlike other humans who have foul stench due to the lack of hygiene. Disgusting.' Sesshoumaru grimaced at the thought of humans, which added to the many reasons why he despises them.
'Exactly. Which is another reason why you like the girl' said a voice inside his head.
Sesshoumaru nearly fell off his post high above a tree branch. His nightmare, known as his 'conscience' came back to taunt him. He didn't need this distraction now.
'What do you want now?'
'Oh nothing. I became lonely after you locked me out for a while.'
'I intended to keep you locked away forever. Now leave.'
'I don't think so, Sesshy. What you did was uncalled for. You just have to accept the fact that I'm part of you.'
Sesshoumaru suppressed a deadly growl that threatened to bellow out. 'I am aware of that. I have no choice but to have you sticking up my ass.'
'Ouch. How nice. I shall ignore that remark from you for the moment.'
'I'd like to see you try.'
'Yeah. What ever. Anyway…I am here to remind you of your task'
'No need. I never asked you to.'
'Time is running out, Sesshoumaru. Either you get your act together or suffer. That goddess was not jesting. She is a powerful goddess indeed. I know this for a fact.'
'Oh really? And how do you know this, dear conscience of mine?' Sesshoumaru was anything but amused.
His "conscience" sighed, and then continued. 'I have a confession to make. I am not your conscience. My name is Hiroshi and I was placed here by Naomi-sama.'
'Naomi-sama?' Sesshoumaru inquired, followed by his eyes widening a fraction of a millimeter. 'You mean to tell me that wretched goddess wench put you in my mind as well?' he asked with a slight abhorrence present in his tone, clearly not pleased with the information he's been given.
'Unfortunately, yes.' Hiroshi replied.
'That little piece of w—'
'I would hold you tongue if I were you, Sesshoumaru. You wouldn't want to put yourself in a far worse situation than you already are in' Hiroshi warned. 'Naomi-sama was right. You DO need someone like me.' Hiroshi stated threateningly.
'I do not need anyone. Get out of my mind. Now.'
'I'm afraid not, Sesshoumaru. It's not as simple as it seems. I am stuck here until you have learned your lesson and the curse is lifted. If not, then I am still stuck here to make your life a living hell. I can assure you that I will do so.'
For the first time in his entire existence, Sesshoumaru was dumbstruck. He was at loss for words. This goddess was more of a pain than he already thought she was.
'Well?' Hiroshi asked. 'At loss for words, eh?'
'Be quiet.'
'Jeez. Okay. I shall leave you to ponder upon my words. I shall be back later.'
'Good. Don't come back.'
'Touchy, Sesshoumaru. Just touchy.'
'Leave.' Sesshoumaru threatened menacingly.
'Alright, Alright! I'm out!' Hiroshi stated, before he left.
'What has this Sesshoumaru gotten himself into?'
…--0oo&oo0--…
Naomi had been observing everything that has happened so far. She was still frustrated at Sesshoumaru's lack of cooperation. This was proving to be harder than she thought.
"Move over, Omi! I can't see!" Maira demanded. He's been trying to perceive what was going on with Sesshoumaru through a mirror-like object that Naomi held in her hand. This object was indeed a magical mirror that was about the size of a large frying pan. In it, Sesshoumaru could be seen standing a few distances away from the girl watching them intently.
After pleading for a while and moving his way through, Maira finally got a glimpse of what was going on. It seems as if Sesshoumaru had figured out who Naomi had chosen to be his companion in the travels ahead.
"Ah, so it seems that Sesshoumaru's not as stupid as I thought" Maira stated.
"Yes, I know. However, he's not entirely sure whether it is her or not. The talisman would not emit anything if she is with another, which has been the case for the past few days now." Naomi implied factually.
"I see. By the way, how's Hiroshi faring?" Maira inquired.
"He's…..hanging in there. He says Sesshoumaru's fun to annoy." Naomi sighed at this. "I guess he's having fun with the demon lord."
Maira laughed at the thought of the taiyoukai having mental battles with Hiroshi. He knew Hiroshi would always come out victorious when it comes to aggravating others. He's heard many things about Lord Sesshoumaru's patience and having Hiroshi to bother him constantly would be sheer hell for the noble lord.
Naomi looked at Maira as if he had just grown another head. What was so funny?
"What are you laughing about?" Naomi asked.
"Oh, nothing serious. It's just the thought of the inuyoukai with Hiroshi. It would be a miracle if he doesn't lose his mind." Maira stated, holding his laughter.
Naomi simply rolled her eyes at him. Maira was a piece of work himself.
"Whatever."
"Naomi, this whole thing is taking too long! I'm dying of anticipation in here!"
"Patience, Maira, Patience. Besides, you can't 'die', you moron. You're a god!" Naomi retorted.
"Oh, right." Maira whispered.
Naomi rolled her greenish golden eyes at him once more and continued to watch what was going on in the mirror.
…--0oo&oo0--…
Sesshoumaru was getting tired of waiting. Not only was he annoyed at the fact that he can't figure out whether Kagome was the right one or not, but this Hiroshi figure was also irking him to no end. It seems as if the goddess' curse is starting to take effect. Right now, he feels as if he is inching towards bad luck and constant aggravation—something he is not accustomed to. On top of that, his hanyou brother was becoming more aware of his surroundings and was constantly sniffing the area. He must've sniffed his scent somewhere. Sesshoumaru had to be more careful. After all, it's not that easy to constantly mask one's aura and scent for a long period of time. He hasn't completely mastered that level of slyness, which adds to the many reasons why he thinks he's had a taste of hell.
However, he did get to know more about this girl known as Kagome. His suspicions were right. She is not from this place. She kept talking about other gadgets that were so alien to him and she also possessed books that were of some sort. In fact, he held one in his hand, a book that had the words 'Mathematics B/An Introduction to Pre-Calculus and Calculus: Second Edition' engraved in them. The book itself felt foreign to the touch, and its contents were simply mind-boggling. This book was clearly a book of spells and such. It had a wide variety of signs, lines, circles, curves, dotted lines, triangles, and many symbols that had both curved and straight lines in them. (A/N: also known as Hindu-Arabic numbers..you know…123456789..yeah, that. It was the Muslim scholars who came up with that, the decimal place, and the concept of '0'. I guess Global Studies crap comes in handy every once in a while :)) Most, if not, all of these texts were written in a different calligraphic form, possibly more incantations or cryptogram, but whatever it was, it's something he could not understand. (A/N: The English Language)
He also found the girl cry out in frustration when she seemed to be troubled by something she was doing. She had a black rectangular-shaped box that had various buttons with the same symbols that were on the book. (A/N: a.k.a. a calculator) Sesshoumaru observed closely as she pushed a few buttons here and there and the screen-like device displayed the symbols that she pressed not too long ago. She was also scribbling something on paper with a spiral-like metal attached on one side like a book. Even her writing implement was odd. It was a stick-like apparatus which held the ink in a tube-like contraption. It was quite ingenious and rather convenient. There would be no use for an ink bottle if the ink was held by something. Although her thingamajigs were quite fascinating and eye-catching, her complaints were rather annoying. Sesshoumaru winced everytime she would shriek out something like "I calculated the gravitational force and the initial velocity of this damn projectile, why can't I get the maximum height? UGH! I hate Physics." This 'Physics' thing was surely causing the girl aggravation, and him a headache.
Another thing he noted was how much she moved every now and then. She would also hustle and bustle in the mornings and throughout the course of the day to provide for her friends and herself. It was as if she was always on the run or she was being timed for her life depended on it. She would prepare the meals, serve them, and clean her companion's mess up after they have finished their meals. During battle, Kagome would stay aside and shoot arrows here and there while the others fought viciously. She seemed to be overprotective of the fox kit and treated him as her own pup. This was something new to Sesshoumaru for he always thought that all humans would rather take their own life than to take care of a youkai pup. She had proved his previous theories wrong. Maybe not all humans were the same. In fact, her female associate also had a neko youkai under her care as well. This put Sesshoumaru under more confusion.
However, aside from all his observations on the girl, there was still one thing that left him quite surprised. The girl could purify Shikon shards with one touch. He's witnessed a few occasions when she would take the tainted shards and watch the black aura disappear replaced by a light pink aura instead, signifying that the shards have been purified.
'If my suspicions are true and she can purify shards, then she must be…….'
'A miko?'
'Gah! For goodness sakes, why do you intrude when you are not needed?'
'I was merely helping you out.'
'I did not ask for your assistance.'
'Indeed, however, you seemed rather perplexed therefore I thought you might want a second opinion'
'This Sesshoumaru would've figured it out by himself.'
'True, but it would've taken you forever'
'Be quiet.'
'So, what do you think of her? Isn't she a catch?'
'No.'
'Pfft.Yeah right. Stop lying to yourself.'
'This Sesshoumaru does not lie, idiot. It is a disgrace to my title and my honor as a lord.'
'Hmm…so you're not as dumb as I thought'
'Watch your words if you value your life.'
'Ooooooh, Sesshoumaru's going to try and kill me. I'm scared.' Hiroshi said mockingly.
'And I shall.'
'Come and get me, Fluffy.'
Sesshoumaru flexed his claws. He was about to strike when he remembered that he had no target in sight. Hiroshi was inside his mind.
Hiroshi laughed hysterically. 'Thought so. Haha!'
Sesshoumaru sighed. 'You really are lucky, you bastard.'
'Yes, I know. And I love it.'
'Fool.'
'Thanks. I appreciate it.' Hiroshi replied with humor.
Sesshoumaru rubbed his temples vigorously. This Hiroshi creature was completely preposterous and it was giving Sesshoumaru a huge headache. If only he could get rid of this nuisance, then he would've done so a long time ago. He attempted by trying to get someone to rid of this presence in his mind, but to no avail. The sorcerer said that the powers within are too strong and Sesshoumaru had no choice but to break whatever chain there was that attached him to this presence in order for him to go away. Sesshoumaru did not spare the sorcerer's life for he did not get the satisfaction he needed.
'This Sesshoumaru does not need to concern others. I am, indeed, shifting out of task.'
'Yes, that's why I'm here.'
'Would you please just go away and leave this Sesshoumaru at peace?'
'Nope. Tough luck for you.'
'I do not wish for your company. Leave'
'I will once you answer why you've been observing the girl intently'
'I only wish to know how she is and to make sure if she is the right one. Now I have answered your question so leave.'
'Okay. Fine. Fluffy.'
Sesshoumaru once again continued his observations. He also noted how the girl behaved around others. She was kindhearted, compassionate, and was full of life. She would always try to brighten everyone's day by saying a few nothings and giving them her award-winning smile.
Her smile.
Sesshoumaru secretly had to admit to himself that Kagome has had one of the best, warm-hearted smiles that he has ever seen. In fact, it rivals with those of beautiful youkais that had come his way to mate with him. She also possessed azure eyes that could drown you once you get caught in them. Although her face showed happiness and joy, he could tell that her actions were unreal; her smiles were forced smiles and her eyes told him everything. She was hurting. She was unhappy. There was something that prevented her from attaining complete joy and happiness. He has even encountered times when she would look up at the stars with the moon shining down upon her making her look dazzling, but he noticed a tear surge down her cheek. Her expression would that be of longing, sadness, despair, and loneliness. Kagome was beautiful and seeing her in a somber state made her look fragile. It stirred something within him that he could not quite understand. It was as if something was drawing him to her. It was that same exact feeling when he saw Kagome and his hanyou half-brother one time.
:Flashback:
Sesshoumaru watched intently as the hanyou who was sadly related to him was holding Kagome in an affectionate way. He felt drawn to her even more, but there was something else. For some reason he began to growl forebodingly at the close range the two were at. He quickly suppressed his growl after realizing what he had just done. What was wrong with him? Why does he have more hatred towards the hanyou just by touching her like that?
'Oooh, I think someone's jealous, someone's jealous!' Hiroshi commented.
'What nonsense do you enunciate now?' Sesshoumaru retorted.
'It's called emotion, Sesshoumaru. In other words, it is also known as feelings.' Hiroshi explained.
'I, Sesshoumaru, do not possess such emotions.'
'That's bullshit, Sesshoumaru. Everybody has them.'
'This Sesshoumaru had eliminated such emotions long ago. It is only but a nuisance; a distraction. It interferes with the task at hand and it can be a destructing force if such things are left unattended.' Sesshoumaru stated factually.
'Then you underestimate the whole meaning of it.' Hiroshi replied.
'Care to explain? Your words have such ambiguity.' Sesshoumaru mentally raised an eyebrow at him.
'You talk of emotions as a destructive thing, yet I am not going to fully contradict you on that. You are correct at some extent. The emotions you talk about are of hate, lust, jealousy, and revenge. These emotions do not bring forth light and only causes chaos and destruction. However, emotions such as love and happiness can bring out the best in a person, regardless of who they are.' Hiroshi explained in much deeper detail.
'You are wrong. This emotion, love, is destructing. It is the reason why many youkai have ceased to exist.' Sesshoumaru contradicted.
'In which case, you are referring to the great InuTaisho, your father, do I presume correctly?'
Sesshoumaru was astonished. How had he known? 'Yes.'
'Your father, InuTaisho, was a brave youkai. He died not because of his emotions making him weak, but because he chose to. He knew his time was drawing near and he accepted the fact that fate had plans for him. He knew he could not walk this earth forever and that one day a stronger youkai would take his life, in which case would be Ryuukotsei. It is because of love that he had managed to survive longer. His love for you, Inuyasha, and Izayoi was far too great to let anything stop his way. He wanted to live for as long as he can until the gods had decided he has done enough. So you see, it was love that strengthened him in the end, and it was his destiny to perish as well.' Hiroshi broke it down for Sesshoumaru to comprehend what he was saying.
'You do have a point, Hiroshi, however that does not change anything. My father died and I saw it with my very eyes.' Sesshoumaru contradicted once more. He refused to believe what Hiroshi was saying and he had no evidence to support his theory.
'I see. It is not my duty to teach you what love is, Sesshoumaru. For one, I don't know how to teach it, but I know the concepts of it. Love itself is a subject that can't be explained by mere words. Perharps you have to feel it in order for you to understand it since love has no one meaning.' Hiroshi said in return.
'Perhaps.'
'Say, maybe that girl you're looking for might be able to help you.'
'I do not need anyone's help understanding this whole "love" issue nor do I intend on understanding it. This Sesshoumaru knows for a fact that love is void therefore I cannot feel it.' Sesshoumaru stated flat out. Regardless of what Hiroshi says, he would still not succumb to this emotion. He has vowed long ago that he would not fall under its trap.
'Alright, then. Do as you please, but I warn you, Sesshoumaru. You can't plan out what's already been done' and with that, Hiroshi left Sesshoumaru's conscious mind so that the inuyoukai could absorb everything in.
'Now what in heaven's name is that supposed to mean?'
:End Flashback:
"You can't plan out what's already been done" Sesshoumaru repeated Hiroshi's words. He did not understand what that phrase meant. It was baffling for one, and two, how does that apply to him? Was he trying to say that he knows what's going to happen in the future? Hm...he must question him whenever Hiroshi decides to 'visit' him again.
Despite that discussion, he still did not understand why he was feeling that way, and it was irking him to no end. However, he decided to toss it aside and continued to watch her. He would deal with that situation later on. Unbeknownst to him was the talisman began to pulse. It was also that moment when he noticed something blue come out from his haori and found that the talisman was glowing a sky blue. It was so strong it was blinding to the sight. He literally had to squint to see what was going on.
'Is it possible? No, it can't be her.' Sesshoumaru convinced himself. However, Naomi's words came back to him loud and clear which caused his trepidation to swell.
"This talisman will help tell you whether you have found her. It will glow a blue-ish color when she is around you."
'Sweet mother of god. Looks like you've hit the jackpot, Sesshoumaru.' Hiroshi stated rather teasingly.
Sesshoumaru ignored Hiroshi. He was too focused with what's happening. The talisman continued to glow a bright baby blue color. He didn't know what to do at this point. He's found her. Now what? His questions were soon answered when the talisman came to life. The apparatus once thought as flimsy now levitated out of Sesshoumaru's palm up to where the girl was. It seemed as if the talisman was trying to get the girl's attention. Once it was attained, he felt a pull towards the talisman. He tried to resist, but to no avail for the force pulling him was much stronger. Seconds later, he found himself face-to-face with the girl known as Kagome. He saw bewilderment upon her face mixed with shock and fear. He enjoyed how she cowered in fear and it stirred his demonic side to life.
…--0oo&oo0--…
Kagome was brought back to her surroundings when she heard someone call out her name. She tried to get her eyes to focus and dry her tears at the same time. Once she had her vision adjusted, she saw a blue light suspended in front of her. It was seconds later when she felt another presence other than her own and this bright sphere of light. Kagome began to panic, but tried to calm herself down. However, she failed miserably when she saw the least person she expected, not to mention one the most deadly too. Right in front of her stood Sesshoumaru in all his glory, looking down upon her as if she was prey. Kagome's fear came back full force as she struggled to break free from his intense gaze, but found it to be difficult. She couldn't tear away from the golden orbs that blocked any escape route that would bring her to safety for fear of being killed. Kagome didn't know what to do and calling for Inuyasha was simply unintelligent because she knew Sesshoumaru would have her throat within a matter of a second. So all she could do was to muster up all the courage that's left her and stand defiant against him.
"What do you want, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked in a deadly tone.
'Hmm….she seems bold. This girl has wits to stand up against this Sesshoumaru, much less talk to me in such a manner.' Sesshoumaru mentally noted himself.
Having received dead silence, Kagome thought about what she should say next 'The silent answer. How unnerving.' She could feel her fear trying to take over her mind and body, but she roughly pushed that thought to the back of her head 'Must focus, Kagome. You know you can always purify his sorry ass if he tries anything' Kagome tried assuring herself. However, there was also another voice that told her she wouldn't even have a chance to summon up her purifying powers for she would be dead within a matter of seconds.
"Okay, fine. Be rude and don't answer me." Kagome tried once more. Sesshoumaru simply looked at her with those piercing gold eyes that bore upon her soul. She felt her knees shaking, but managed to stand straight.
"Still no answer, eh? Wow. You need speech classes." Kagome didn't know what she was doing. She just continued talking to him and soon eased her uneasiness slightly.
Kagome sighed. "Okay, how about, if you're here for Tetsusaiga, then tough luck for you. Inuyasha's not here."
"Who would have thought something so little could say so much?" Sesshoumaru finally enunciated.
"Oh wow, you're talking again. I thought you had gone mute" Kagome rolled her eyes at him. Within half of a second, Sesshoumaru had her frail neck between his grip, squeezing the life out of her. Sesshoumaru gave her a look that Satan probably couldn't beat as he spoke with a lethal tone. "You, woman, should watch your tongue. It could cost you your dear life." Sesshoumaru tightened his grip on her neck.
Kagome couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She fell limp as Sesshoumaru continued to cut the circulation of air to her lungs, which were now screaming for oxygen. She was about to lose consciousness, but still managed to stand up tall from his spiteful threats.
"I'm not afraid of you….." Kagome said with her last breath. All she remembered was seeing a bright flash of light and Sesshoumaru being knocked down on top of her and the once tight grasp he had on her neck was now loose. She also felt something grasp her head as she landed with a loud 'thump' on the ground, with Sesshoumaru on top of her. Having had too much pressure upon her, Kagome succumbed into the darkness that was surrounding her.
Sesshoumaru was indeed enjoying this sight. He took great pleasure in seeing his prey fall limp under his grasp. It made him feel superior and powerful. He was about to snap her neck in two when he saw something bright flash right before his eyes and illuminated the clearing that both parties were. Then he felt something hit him from the backside sending him flying towards the near-unconscious girl. He let go of her neck and managed to put it beneath her head to cushion it from a severe fall. He doesn't know what made him do it, but he did it anyway. He landed with a 'thud' on top of Kagome. He saw the girl's eyes roll to the back of her head and fall unconscious. He turned around and saw the talisman turn into a portal of some sort and a strange-looking mist that took a humanoid form slightly stepped out of the portal. In its hand was a board with a piece of what looked like a jigsaw puzzle. However, his attention was brought back to the mist when it started pulling Sesshoumaru off Kagome and into the portal. It was not happy at all.
"You dare take her life and you die as well."
Soon, the portal became some sort of vacuum. It began to take in anything lightweight. However, the vacuum became stronger and Sesshoumaru felt himself being pulled in. He was trying with all his might to stay put in one spot, but it was increasingly becoming difficult. There was only one thing on his mind as this was occurring.
'Kagome'
Thank goodness! My god, that took 3 hours to write! My fingers hurt like hell, so does my back. :cries: Well, whatever. I pretty much just scrunched up chapters 4 and 5 together since I had nothing better to do and I thought the progress of this story was quite slow. I don't want to keep my current readers waiting for too long and since they were nice enough to leave me reviews, good or bad. I'd like to thank:
Ledophole: Thank you. Your comment is highly appreciated. I'm glad you like my in-depth analysis of the characters. I do agree with you, though. A lot of the S/K fics are written like crap these days, but hey, I'm the one to talk. I hope you enjoyed it. Oh yeah, one more thing: say hi to your sister Maira for me and sorry for using her without her permission. I kind of just made up that name out of the blue so yeah…; forgive meh. Thanks again!
Hikaritenshi2000: I love you too! And thanks. I'm really happy that you love my story. I hope it's not like crap so far. Again, I'm new at these things so yeah…it's gonna take a while for me to get adjusted to stuff like this. But I'll really try to work on it though! Anyway, thanks again. I hope you enjoy!
JC Black Moon: Thanks! I really tried making Sesshoumaru's character to be cold and evil because..well..that's how he is! I don't seem to be too comfortable with Sesshoumaru being all 'happy-go-lucky' within the first two chapters 'coz..well…his demeanor is just….not suited for stuff like that in the beginning. Well, there would be a difference if it was AU or Sesshou was completely OOC, but in my story, I'm trying to stick to the Sesshoumaru I came to know (and love! Lol) Maybe his character will change in the future…or maybe he'll stay the same. I don't know. I'll have to see. But thanks anyway!
Well, that's all, folks! Read and Review! Flames are accepted, only if it involves improving my story, but if it's just nonsense bs then you can keep that for your own. Thank you!
-Jessss