Chapter 7: Resurrection

Kaori stirred in her sleep halfway through the night. Sesshomaru looked down to the woman in his arms. She looked like she was in pain. Kaori thrashed in her sleep suddenly and Sesshomaru tried to keep her still. She continued to thrash while Sesshomaru called Kaori's parents.

Kaori's dream:

Kaori traveled in a forest. It was nighttime, she could see. Coming to a clearing, she heard voices.

"Naraku, this might not work since she's a demon," Kanna said.

'Naraku,' Kaori thought with malice.

"We will try. We need her to make this work," Naraku said.

"Should we not resurrect the little girl first?" Kanna asked.

"No," Naraku said.

Suddenly Naraku turned and looked straight at Kaori. She had thought the bushes and trees covered her, but it seems Naraku could sense her.

"Get her! We must not allow her to escape and tell Sesshomaru," Naraku ordered. Kaori turned to run but someone held onto her wrist. The priestess she had seen in Naraku's castle that had soul collectors held onto her wrist. Kaori screamed and pulled away from the priestess. She didn't let her go.

"Let me go!" Kaori screamed.

End of dream.

"Kaori, Kaori!" Someone yelled.

Kaori could feel someone restraining her and she tried to loosen their grip.

"Let me go!" Kaori screamed, keeping her eyes closed. "Let me go!"

"Kaori, wake up. Wake up," Sesshomaru told her.

"Sesshomaru?" Kaori asked in a whisper.

"Kaori?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kaori opened her eyes and saw Sesshomaru looked down at her. Kaori tried to sit up, but she was still restrained. Kaori looked and saw her father holding her down. He saw Kaori had awakened and let her arms go. Kaori sat up with some difficulty, seeing that her arms were sore and she was fatigued. Sesshomaru helped her sit up and she shook her head. Sesshomaru slightly confused why she had shaken her head but allowed it to pass.

"Dear, are you all right?" Kaori's mother asked.

"Yeah. Just a nightmare," Kaori answered.

"Oh, well you got us worried. Sesshomaru called us and told you were thrashing in your sleep. We thought you were having a seizure," Kaori's father said.

"Well, I'm just fine," Kaori said.

"That's good. Now try to get some sleep," Kaori's mother told her and kissed her forehead and left with her father.

"A nightmare," Sesshomaru repeated.

"No, it wasn't. I don't think so, at least," Kaori said, rubbing her forehead with a hand.

"Sleep. We will discuss it tomorrow," Sesshomaru ordered.

Kaori nodded and leaned into Sesshomaru. "I'll try," Kaori told him, closing her eyes.

Sesshomaru hadn't expected her to lean into him to fall asleep. He expected her to lay down and sleep on her 'pillow'. He sat there and listened to her breathing. She had fallen asleep fairly quickly and Sesshomaru was glad. She was very tired from the way she was talking and she most likely have bruises from that night tomorrow on her arms.

The sun rose and Sesshomaru heard people moving around outside of the door.

"It's Christmas!" Kaori's mother yelled.

"I know, but my boss wants me to go. I'll be back soon. Just don't start without me," Kaori's father said.

"Don't go! This is the most important day for Kaori, you know that," Kaori's mother yelled.

Sesshomaru moved Kaori carefully to lay down on her bed and stood. He opened the door and walked out and saw the Kaori's mother and father were walking down the stairs, still arguing.

"If you two do not keep it down, Kaori will awaken," Sesshomaru told them.

"Sesshomaru, we did not mean to awaken you. Please go back to sleep. This argument will not continue because my husband is staying here," Kaori's mother said, grabbing Kaori's father's suit jacket.

"I need to go. Or do you want us to be living in a cardboard box as far away from the well as possible?" Kaori's father asked.

Kaori's mother stood, nearly frozen. "I just don't want for history to prove it repeats itself," Kaori's mother whispered.

"Dear, history doesn't repeat itself. Nothing will happen to me. Now, go upstairs and get some sleep. I'll be home very soon," Kaori's father told his wife and kissed her on the cheek.

Kaori's mother didn't look convinced, but allowed him to leave. Sesshomaru just stood at the banister and saw the entire conversation play out. Kaori's mother closed and locked the door and made her way upstairs to her room. She passed by Sesshomaru and he heard her sob. As Kaori's mother closed her door, she burst into tears.

Sesshomaru returned to Kaori's room to find her sitting up, head in her hands. The smell of fresh tears was coming from Kaori. He sat down and heard her curse out loud.

"How stupid can he be!" Kaori yelled.

Sesshomaru just sat and listened to Kaori insult her father while crying.

"He's more stupid than you!" Kaori yelled. "I swear, if he had brains, he'd be dangerous!"

"I do not understand," Sesshomaru told her. "Did something happen?"

"Not yet, at least. How could my mom let him go?" Kaori asked.

Sesshomaru sat in silence and listened to Kaori curse and swear.

"He knows what happened. He knows but yet he went. The fortune-teller told him not to, but he never listened," Kaori cried.

"What happened?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kaori sniffed and looked at Sesshomaru. "I found out a little about my parents one day while at a fortune-teller's place. She had told us that history would repeat itself the day..." Kaori's eyes went wide. "Well, the short version is that when my mom brought my father over for Christmas, the morning of Christmas day, her father was killed in a car accident."

Sesshomaru saw Kaori close her eyes and silently prayed. She hoped that Sesshomaru had not fallen in love with her. She just hoped and prayed that it hadn't happened too soon. Kaori held her hands in her head and shook her head.

"Try to sleep. Let's hope history does not repeat itself," Sesshomaru said and rose. "I am going to the past, but I will try to return by the time you wake up."

Kaori nodded and laid down, closing her eyes. She turned to her side and fell asleep quickly. Sesshomaru left the house and jumped through the well and to the past. Waiting for him was Jaken and he looked worried.

"My lord, you have returned!" Jaken yelled.

"Is there a problem?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I do not believe my eyesight has failed me, but I had just seen Rin at the village," Jaken said.

"Rin is dead. Do you not remember?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I swear, my lord. She is in the village looking for you," Jaken told him. Sesshomaru walked to the village and a small girl came running to him. Rin!

"My lord, I missed you!" Rin squealed.

Sesshomaru looked down at the small girl. She looked like the same Rin when she died. Sesshomaru looked away from her. Rin looked up at him with question in her expression. Why would the lord she adored look away from her like she disgusted him?

"You are not Rin," Sesshomaru said. "She died."

He walked away, Rin watching him go.

"My lord, I was resurrected!" Rin told him.

"How is that possible? Lord Sesshomaru could not, so how could anyone else?" Jaken asked.

"I found myself near a half-demon dog and a lady. They fed me and allowed me to find my lord. They told me they last saw him here," Rin said.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru hissed. 'How could he? How is that possible?'

"I must return to Kaori. Jaken, take care of Rin while I'm gone," Sesshomaru told Jaken and walked towards the well. Rin followed him closely. He looked down at the little girl and saw her questioning look.

"You met up with Lady Kaori? Do you care for her? Are you two mated?" Rin asked.

"Jaken, take care of her," Sesshomaru told Jaken and walked off, Jaken holding Rin back.

He returned to Kaori's time to find Kaori sitting on the couch, a bowl of soup in her hands and a quilt around her shoulders. Kaori's mother sat in a chair holding a cup of hot chocolate. Two mugs of hot chocolate were on the table, steam rising from them. Sesshomaru took one and saw Kaori and her mother snap out of some sort of trance. They blinked a few times and then welcomed Sesshomaru. Kaori sneezed and coughed then took a sip of her soup.

"Are you ill?" Sesshomaru asked.

"It's just a cold. It's nothing," Kaori said, sneezing afterwards.

"He's not going to return, will he?" Kaori's mother asked to no one in particular.

Just then, a car pulled up to the driveway and Kaori's father stepped out. He walked in cheerfully and wished everyone a merry Christmas. Kaori put her bowl of soup quickly on the table and ran to her father, her quilt slipping off of her shoulders. Kaori's mother just sat in the chair, a small tear escaping her eye. Sesshomaru did not understand why Kaori was so cheerful her father had returned. As Kaori's father went upstairs to change into something more comfortable, Kaori picked her quilt off of the floor and put it around her shoulders again. She took her soup into her hands and took another sip. She sneezed a few times and Sesshomaru offered to get her some medicine. Kaori said she was already taking some and Sesshomaru relaxed at that comment.

Kaori looked over at Sesshomaru from the corner of her eye. Once she found out he wasn't looking at her, she glared at him. So, he didn't love her? So she was in love with someone who did not return it? What, does he love someone else? Who? He had only been with her and Jaken for the past week. Sesshomaru caught Kaori glaring at him and turned to look at her. Kaori looked at her soup and stirred it with the spoon. She took another sip and her father walked in.

"Dear, I got a raise!" Kaori's father told her.

"That's great," Kaori's mother said in a monotone.

"You sound really excited," Kaori's father said sarcastically.

"I'm not in such a good mood," Kaori's mother said. "Let's open presents. That might cheer me up."

"Yes, let's!" Kaori's father said, walking over to the tree. He passed one to Kaori, Sesshomaru, Kaori's mother and took one of his own. Kaori opened hers first and found that it was a small rectangular box. Sesshomaru opened his quickly and found that his was the exact same. Kaori opened the box and from the corner of her eye, she saw her mother's eyes light up. She also saw Sesshomaru open his box.

Inside both were golden lockets. Both were in the shape of a heart and on the top was their names. Kaori attempted to open it, but there were no latches to hit to open it. It was smooth all around and Kaori looked questioning up at her mother. The light in her mother's eyes disappeared.

"They will open when something life changing happens," Kaori's mother explained.

Kaori knew what her mother meant. 'When we fall in love,' Kaori thought.

Sesshomaru's could open easily, but since Kaori's couldn't, he decided to act like it couldn't open. He would look at it when he was alone. Maybe when Kaori bathed.

"Let's open the other presents," Kaori offered and watched her parents open their presents from her. Each were a pair of jeans and both parents loved it.

"Here's one for you and you," Kaori's father said, passing Kaori and Sesshomaru packages.

Kaori opened hers to find a first aid kit. She thanked her mother and watched Sesshomaru open his. It was a sword sharpener and he nodded his acceptance.

Kaori's father then passed Kaori and Sesshomaru another present. This time it was from each other.

"When did you go out to get me something?" Kaori asked.

"I had the time," Sesshomaru said.

"Oh," Kaori said and opened the present up.

Inside was a beautiful necklace. Kaori examined it to find that it was real diamonds around it and a beautiful ruby as the amulet. She put it on and smiled at Sesshomaru. She leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek. She pulled back halfway, remembering that he did not love her, but then decided to take a risk when he was ready to open her present and kissed him on the cheek. He stopped what he was doing to look at her and she smiled sweetly at him.

"Thank you," Kaori said and nodded to his present.

He turned back to it and opened it to find that it was the basket she had been wrapping while they were upstairs the night before. He looked closely to find candies inside it. There was also a few omelettes and some packages near the side.

"Those are microwave popcorn bags. There's many kinds there because I didn't know which you liked. Just ask me when you want me to cook it for you," Kaori explained. He thanked her and she smiled at him.

They cleaned up the garbage wrapping paper. Kaori then went upstairs and told Sesshomaru that she was going to get dressed so they could train.

"We will travel to the past to train. There is no point to stay here," he told her.

Kaori nodded and went to her room. She changed into some jeans and a t-shirt; just something casual. She got her running shoes on and headed downstairs. She only saw her parents.

"Sesshomaru said that he was going and that he would meet you there," Kaori's father told her.

"All right. I'll return sometime to see you guys. Love you," Kaori said, kissing both of her parents and leaving.

"Don't you need your backpack?" Kaori's father asked.

"Oh, almost forgot," Kaori said.

"I'll go pack it for you," her father said and headed upstairs.

Kaori sat down on the couch and waited for her father. Her mother joined her.

"Dear, I'm sorry. I truly thought he loved you," Kaori's mother said.

"No, it's ok. As you saw, I don't love him either. No problem," Kaori said.

"What I saw was that he could open it, but didn't want you to feel bad since his could open and yours couldn't," Kaori's mother said.

"No. You misinterpret everything," Kaori told her mother.

"Dear, I know about this stuff," Kaori's mother said. "Just keep the locket on. As soon as you hear it click, you will know he loves you. It's what I did with what was left of my powers. Just trust me."

"I do," Kaori said.

"Will you be returning?" Kaori's mother asked.

"Not this time. Usually no one could come here with me, but since Sesshomaru can now, I'm going to have to use the cave," Kaori answered.

"Ok. I wish you luck," Kaori's mother said.

"I'll need it," Kaori said.

Kaori's father returned with Kaori's bag in hand and handed it to her.

"Be safe," he told her. Kaori smiled and left.

Once on the other side, she realized she could not sense Sesshomaru presence. She climbed out of the well and looked around. She still couldn't sense him nearby, so she went to the village. Halfway there, she heard a familiar voice; Sesshomaru's.

"I thought I killed you," Sesshomaru said.

"Now, now. You know I don't die that easily. Why do you think you couldn't find me after I was dead?" A female voice said.

Kaori crept towards Sesshomaru's voice, trying her best to keep the sound she made as silent as possible. She saw Sesshomaru standing with a woman circling him slowly. Sesshomaru kept his eye on her as much as possible. He never noticed Kaori there.

"I believed Naraku had taken you back to his body," Sesshomaru said.

"Well, he didn't. He resurrected me with a sacred jewel shard. And now I'm more powerful then before. Does this interest you?" The woman spoke.

"Kagura, you remember anything that has to do with the Shikon fragments means nothing to me," Sesshomaru said.

'So, she's Kagura. She tried to kill me three years,' Kaori thought.

"Yes, but now I'm almost as powerful as you," Kagura said.

"I care why?" Sesshomaru said with detest.

"Well, I have always had a fascination in you. Maybe you could do the same," Kagura said, stopping in front of Sesshomaru. She cupped his cheek and Kaori noticed he did not shutter. He just stared down at Kagura, a hint of annoyance in his eyes.

"I will not be fascinated in anything," Sesshomaru said.

"Oh, so where have you been for the last two days?" Kagura asked. " Not fascinated with a woman?"

"I will not be with another woman after Rin," Sesshomaru told Kagura.

"So, are you fascinated in Rin?" Kagura asked.

"No," Sesshomaru answered, taking his eyes away from Kagura.

"But you care. You care and would die for her, correct," Kagura said.

Sesshomaru did not answer. Kaori gasped. She knew he would not lie, but if he told Kagura the truth, it would prove someone could get to him through Rin.

Sesshomaru turned around and saw Kaori run away. Sesshomaru glared at Kagura and saw her chuckle.

"So, Rin isn't the only one," Kagura stated.

"Rin isn't one and will never be. She is dead and no longer my responsibility," Sesshomaru said.

"But I saw her in the village as I passed by. How could she be dead?" Kagura asked.

"That is not Rin, but a resurrection of her. I will not be fooled. The smell of dead bodies and graveyard soil is all over her," Sesshomaru said.

"Well, I ought to let you know that Inuyasha made a pact with Naraku and resurrected her the same way he did with me," Kagura said and removed her hand from Sesshomaru's cheek. "I will leave, but I will return to check on you."

Kagura disappeared onto her feather and went off with the wind.

Sesshomaru watched Kagura disappear and walked towards Kaori's scent. It led towards the village, but Sesshomaru expected the smell of tears to be with it. There was no evidence that Kaori was crying as she ran, from what Sesshomaru could tell. He reached the village and Rin and Jaken greeted him.

"Lady Kaori came running by here. We expected she would be with you. Were you delayed, my lord?" Jaken asked.

"Yes, by a pest," Sesshomaru answered.

"Lord Sesshomaru, are we going now?" Rin asked.

"We will not leave," Sesshomaru told Rin.

"Why not? We have gotten rid of the annoying human woman," Jaken said.

Sesshomaru glared down at Jaken.

"My lord, please forgive this worthless imp. She is not annoying if you think she is not annoying. I just called her annoying because she always had that odd look upon her face until today," Jaken said, bowing to Sesshomaru.

"What odd look?" Sesshomaru asked. He never caught an odd look from Kaori.

"The same way your father looked at the human girl he had mated," Jaken answered.

Sesshomaru looked ahead. He did not understand what Jaken was talking about. What look? Kaori looked the same at all times. The only thing that changed were her emotions. The one he couldn't figure out, was it this one Jaken was talking about? Is this the look Jaken was talking about?

Sesshomaru walked forward and into Kaori's hut. She was kneeling over her backpack in the middle of the room.

"Kaori," Sesshomaru said.

Kaori jumped and turned to look at Sesshomaru.

She had been trying to pry the locket open, but it seems Kaori's mother's powers were strong. Sesshomaru had come in when she was ready to give up and then made her jump by suddenly talking.

Sesshomaru looked at Kaori. She did not look different in any way. She smiled at him and sneaked the locket back under her clothes. He didn't see it and Kaori was glad.

"So, are we going to be going to the training grounds?" Kaori asked.

"Since we cut the visit short at your time, you may relax here," Sesshomaru told her.

"No, we need to keep training," Kaori told him, zipping her backpack up.

"Relax for a day," Sesshomaru ordered.

"You will not order me around anymore!" Kaori yelled.

Sesshomaru stood, not flinching a bit. 'So, she's in a bad mood. I shall leave her to be alone,' Sesshomaru thought. He turned and walked out, Kaori just watching. She didn't mean to drive him away. She hung her head and sat there in silence. This wasn't the best time for her to be going through many emotions. She was like a time bomb ready to go off by the wrong comment. Maybe it was wise for him to leave. Kaori looked back at her backpack and went through it, wondering what her father packed.

He had packed her new first aid kit, many clothes and a stress ball. Kaori giggled and took it out. That would help during this time. She also found that her father had packed a few clothes for Sesshomaru. She put those to the side. She also found a notebook and some pencils and pens. She looked at the first page and found a note there from her father.

Dear loving daughter,

I know that one of these days you will have to go through a cycle and not be able to come home. I got this so you can write down any thoughts you have and not be afraid of who might think of it. Think of it as a diary, just no lock. Keep this with you during your training, journeys and you will thank me for it one of these days. Maybe on the day he breaks your heart or you two get into a huge fight or you get in the best mood ever.

I ought to tell you if I never get to see you again. I love you, Kaori. Never forget that. When I'm gone, always remind yourself of that along with your mother. Please keep this as your most prized possession. Well, at least underneath the one you love.

Love,

Your father.

Kaori was brought to tears by the end of the letter. Her father always knew how to be sweet and generous and he always looked to the future. She wiped her eyes and held the note to her heart. Sesshomaru walked in to find out why Kaori was crying, but he could not smell any blood, so she wasn't injured. He left when he found Kaori holding a piece of paper to her chest.

Kaori put the paper in a special section in her backpack. She wanted to keep it somewhere Sesshomaru could not find it or to get ripped or damaged.

She looked at the notebook. It had 200 pages of lined paper. She flipped through it and then went to the first page and brought out a pen. She placed the book in her lap and started writing.

Date: December 25th, 2004.

Today, the man I love broke my heart. I caught him with another woman talking. Then he admitted that a small girl was the one that he cared about. She had died a couple of years ago, but I do not blame him for still loving her. I would do the same for him. I still love him, yes. But if that love will ever be returned, I must wait. My mother said the locket will click when he loves me. Whether it will happen in a day or year, I don't know. I just hope it happens soon. I will not be able to wait out forever. If I must go through these cycles for a long time, still awaiting his love, I will die. I will wait two years. No longer. If the locket does not click at all during that time, I will discard it along with my love for him. I really don't believe it will be that easy. I just hope it doesn't come down to this.

The cycle is coming soon. I most likely have to lie to him to get away. What I'll be telling him, I don't know. I must get away from him for seven days or he will find out and I don't think I can control myself if he finds me. The cave I found near the training grounds has already been ready for this. I knew that one day I would need it, but I didn't expect so soon. I will bring this so I can still write instead of scream like I usually do. I pray he does not find me or know I had lied to him. My heart would break if he hates me for lying to him.

Kaori.

Kaori closed the notebook and put her stuff back into the backpack in places she would be able to find them easily. As she zipped the backpack up again, Sesshomaru returned with Jaken behind him. A small girl also followed him. Rin!

Kaori's breath got caught in her throat. She was resurrected! Kaori lowered her gaze to the floor and she could feel Sesshomaru's gaze fall upon her.

He looked at her and saw she was staring at the floor. Was she still upset? There was no scent of fresh tears were present. So, she had just cried at that time. Sesshomaru sat far from Kaori and saw she raised, walking out. Sesshomaru just saw her walk out and had no wishes of pursuing her. Jaken looked worried, but Rin seemed in worst of a mood. She seemed depressed.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you do not care for her?" Rin asked.

Sesshomaru looked out of the window and saw Kaori had gone to the stream. He saw her wash her face and then pull something from under her clothing. She tucked it in almost immediately and he saw her shake her head. She turned and looked directly at Sesshomaru. Their eyes locked and neither blinked or looked away. Kaori raised and walked towards him, but as she got closer, Sesshomaru see the sadness in her eyes. He also noticed that the river nearby was rising, though it wasn't raining. Kaori broke the gaze and returned to the hut and sat down on her bed sheets. She held her knees to her chest and she seemed deep in thought.

"Lady Kaori, will you be cooking yourself something to eat?" Jaken asked.

"I'm not hungry," Kaori answered, her gaze not leaving her knees. She hit her head against her knees and Sesshomaru heard her breathing even out later in the night. Rin did not sleep like she usually did. She usually fall asleep long before any adult, but it seemed she was wide awake, her face in obvious concern.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin mumbled. "He notices close-by demons and enemies, but he doesn't notice Lady Kaori."

"Rin, do not talk of our lord like that. He can notice anything. He has a better eyesight than anyone!" Jaken yelled.

"Kaori is sleeping," Sesshomaru said. Jaken took that as a message to keep it down, but he was wrong. "She's soundly sleeping. Peacefully."

"My lord?" Jaken and Rin asked.

"It's nothing. You two get some sleep. We are traveling tomorrow," Sesshomaru told them.

Rin and Jaken nodded and closed their eyes, attempting to sleep. But both were worried about their lord. He seemed to acting slightly odd around Kaori. He seemed sweeter and caring. Both peeked an eye open when they heard footsteps. They saw Sesshomaru had placed his shirt around Kaori to keep her warm and then seated himself next to her.

"He's getting soft. One of these days he's going to be killed because he's gotten so soft," Naraku said. He was safely in his castle, watching everything play out through Kanna's mirror. Kagura stood next to him and watched as well.

"It seems he no longer loves Kaori after Rin showed up," Kagura pointed out.

"Yes. Now, if he loves Rin, we could get her to kill him," Kanna suggested.

"She had no skill. She would most likely kill herself accidentally if she ever gets a weapon. Kaori on the other hand, she seems slightly upset with finding out he did not love her. If we can manipulate her into killing him, that would be much better," Naraku said.

"Should I get a demon puppet ready?" Kagura asked.

"No. I think a house call is needed. A personal one," Naraku said, his eyes glittering with evil. "A very personal one."