Stolen Seasons XV
The Curling of Vines
Lm. Samiko
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"You took everything very calmly yesterday." She stood before him again, her posture relaxed, her expression perplexed. "I mean, even for a Taiyoukai, time travel can't be on the list of ordinary happenings."
"For this Taiyoukai, conversing with a human is 'not on the list of ordinary happenings'," he replied calmly, noting her annoyance in the thinning of her lips, "but I concede your point. I admit that the possibility of time travel had not occurred to me, but the... singularity... of your situation was known to me, for I have looked upon you through your bloodstone."
"Oh!" She was startled; her eyes blinked rapidly in the moonlight. "I had no idea... that that was possible. I just... felt that it was the right thing to do at the time."
Sesshoumaru nodded regally. "It is my thought that there is a greater force at work here. Do you know why you were brought to this time and place?"
The woman appeared thoughtful and took the opportunity to sit cross-legged upon the ground. "I've never been sure," she admitted. "Not really. I mean, it's not like I heard a voice from above saying, 'Kagome, you must do this.' or anything. And the Shikon no Tama would never have been shattered if I hadn't been dragged here anyway. I guess I've assumed it's to right the things Naraku's destroyed--as much as I can--and destroy Naraku. But I wonder--why me? Why is someone from so far in the future needed? Wouldn't an earlier reincarnation be more appropriate? Until I came here, I couldn't tell one end of an arrow from the other, much less do magic or recognize a youkai."
"The gods shape tools suitable for their purposes," Sesshoumaru remarked mildly. She could not know that behind the calm expression, his mind raced, calculating the possibilities and ramifications of her words. That she could travel through time, returning to the same place again and again was certainly through divine guidance, if not direct intervention.
"Well, I wish they could've 'shaped' a little more before they just dumped me here," she grumbled. "I spent years feeling like a useless idiot."
"I think you have mistaken yourself for Inu Yasha."
Her eyes flew to his face. "Was that a joke?" she demanded. "Did you, Sesshoumaru, Prince of the Stone Face, just make a joke?" He eyed her as she came up to him, inspecting every inch of his face. "You still aren't smiling, but I'd swear you just made a joke."
A pale eyebrow lifted. "Do you mock me, woman?"
"Who, me?" she replied in exaggeratedly innocent tones. "Me? Mock you? Never!" She was smiling broadly. It suited her face well, giving it life. It dimmed slightly, but remained. "All that aside, it would be nice if you called me by my name. 'Woman' is an improvement over a lot of things, but I'd feel better if you called me 'Kagome.' 'Higurashi' if you want to keep that formal edge, but I'm more used to Kagome. Higurashi is what the people at work call me."
At work? Ah, yes, the place where she stood in front of those strange doors and bowed. He would question her on such things later. However, right now... "Very well, Kagome-san." He had few problems with such informality; she had earned a place in his thoughts and regard. And she was beaming at him again. "I would wish to question you on something else I observed in your bloodstone. I was able to observe not only you, but the dead miko and Rin, as well."
"Rin?" She appeared shocked and was not one to feign her reaction. At least, not with any success. "That's-- no, I don't want to say impossible," she muttered. "It isn't impossible, I guess, but I'm... dumbfounded." She had returned to her seat on the ground and gazed up at him. "I had no idea... Well, Kikyo's easy to explain. She was the, um, former owner of my soul. When she was resurrected, she stole a piece of it from me to live. I haven't been able to get it back 'cause of Inu Yasha." She shrugged. "I've more or less gotten used to the idea by now. But she hates me 'cause I have the rest of 'her' soul. Rin, now..." She looked thoughtful. "I guess Rin could be the reincarnation after Kikyo. I mean, the woman was pretty definitely dead when Rin was born."
"It is possible," Sesshoumaru mused. Was there something about this soul that bound its destiny to him? Or, if one considered the dead miko, to his clan? "Rin's nature, I believe, does not oppose yours, though I can think of no other so dissimilar as the dead miko."
"I don't know." The woman--Kagome--stretched out along the ground at his feet. "I mean, yes, she's certainly different dead, but all she was brought back with was the anger and betrayal she felt just before she died. But before... She had a hard life back then. I think that all of the responsibilities and burdens she was made to bear never allowed her to be who she should've been. But that's just guessing. I wasn't there. Anyhow, I'm surprised. If Rin is one of the incarnations of this soul, then I would've thought Kikyo'd be all over her like white on rice. She hasn't tried anything, has she?"
Her anxious tone was lost on him as a growl escaped his throat. As it was, he only saw her eyes widen and her scramble to her feet. Though he didn't change his hard expression, he felt a bit shamed for frightening her. But wait... There was no fear in her scent. He shifted his gaze to look directly at her. Kagome's white-knuckled hand clutched her bowcase.
"If Kikyo tries anything, I'll kill her," she declared, her tone grim. "She can try anything she likes with me, but she'll be as dead as I can make her if she messes with Rin. My word on that, Sesshoumaru."
Looking at her now, one might almost believe her a youkai.
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Author's Notes
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Why is Rin one of the soul-descendents? In the ep. where she goes to find Jinenji, he makes a comment that her soul/aura/whatever (it's been a while) shines like Kagome's. Otherwise, I did it because I felt like it. And it ties things together a little more tightly. And mille pardons for the wait; I've been cut off from the cyber-world since my last update. Only a few more chapters to go! o.O