Rise and Fall of the False God
CHAPTER 5
He had fallen asleep warm in the guest bed that smelled of Kagome from all of her nights sleeping in. He had been wearing only a pair of night pants that had been given to him by Kouga. He awoke against an uncomfortable hard and rocky surface, his golden eyes parting as he took in where he was. He could hear children all around. And there were two staring down into the well, they could see him, and he could see their eyes gleam against the darkness; one set was an eerie green glimmer and the other a deep red. Like cat's eyes.
"Kagome-chan!" One of them cried out, his small voice carrying over the well. "Kagome-chan! He is here Kagome-chan!"
"Not again." She heard the soft voice of the woman croon, he knew that was Kagome's voice, he forced himself to sit up, looking down at himself he saw that he was in his haori, and his white pants, but no fluffy, no armor as he had been when he had been fighting Rimiku. But where was he? "Every vagrant that takes up residence in our well is not Lord Sesshomaru."
Sesshomaru canted his head; his eyes catching the light and sending it beaming back at the children above.
"But Kagome-chan!" The red-eyed one replied. "Not every vagrant had glimmering gold eyes!"
"What!" She gasped as she ran to the well leaning over the edge. From the distance and the darkness he couldn't tell what she was wearing, only that it was large, not at all like anything he had ever seen her in, and her hair was bound back. "Who is there!" She sounded almost dangerous as she spoke.
"This Sesshomaru needs your help out of this well." He said up to her. The kids squeaked but Kagome seemed alone to remain unconvinced.
"That Sesshomaru can climb the ladder than." She said doubtfully stepping back from the well. He knew that she was unconvinced of who was there. He thought for a moment, closing his eyes and tapping Tokijin against the wall, the place lit up as it had when he couldn't see, he could see her above, holding something. He couldn't tell what because it was distorted, but he was sure it was her bow and arrow.
"Don't shoot me Kagome." He said coldly, gathering his muscles he leapt gracefully out of the well, landing between the two small boys that were staring up at him in wide eyed wonder. Neko Hanyou. He canted his head, they had small ears standing up through their black hair, and little banded tails lashing behind them, one of them a reddish color and the other a bluish gray color. The two of them stared at him, and he looked at them quickly before looking up to the arrow that was pointed at him. She was dressed in baggy red pants and a white Miko's shirt.
"Sess…Sesshomaru?" She asked lowering the bow. "Is it really you?"
"Kagome, what has happened here?" He asked.
"What happened? You vanished you bastard." She said suddenly she lifted the bow and drew it back again. "Because of that InuYasha died! Because of that Rin and Jakken died! And Rimiku took over the House of the Moon! You hid in my damned well and he took over everything! Now look what is left!"
He looked around at the place; the ground was scorched and there was little left of the well. It looked as though it were barely able to remain standing.
"Every day he has sent something to try to kill us and too destroy the well so that you couldn't come out of it! All of this is because of you!" She sobbed. She pulled the arrow taught and glared at him. "Rimiku said that if I deliver you to him than he will spare my children."
"Your children?" He asked looking at the two Neko Hanyou standing beside him. They were watching Kagome as if terrified.
"I run this orphanage for abandoned Youkai and Hanyou children, for those orphaned in the wars against Rimiku's reign!"
"He will kill them anyway, once you have handed me to him you will no longer have a use, and he will kill them, and once you have watched it, only then will he kill you." Sesshomaru said, he stepped cautiously towards the glowing arrow, taking it between his fingers. He knew if she released that arrow he would be sealed, or worse. As soon as he took it out of the bow it returned to normal and Kagome simply fell to her knees sobbing into her hands.
"Damn you Sesshomaru!" She sobbed. "Why would it have to be you? Why couldn't it have been InuYasha that came through the well? He would have protected us, but you… do you even care what has happened to us since you vanished?"
The two kittens ran forward, hugging her now.
"But it is Lord Sesshomaru!" The bluish one said.
"He will save us!" The reddish one said.
"Hush now Rysho, Seto, go." She said gently ushing them. "Go on and play with the other children, Kagome-chan has to talk to Sesshomaru-sama."
Sesshomaru waited for the children to reluctantly leave before moving to Kagome, he came to his knees in front of her taking her shoulders, his words were toneless but his eyes were not.
"I do care Kagome." He said. He pulled her in and she crumbled against his embrace. "I do care. My remaining wouldn't have saved anyone, Rin, Jakken, InuYasha… they were all dead before I ever fell into the well."
"Get your damned mongrel hands off of my mate." The tones that floated through the shrine were cold at the very best. He startled looking up to see a very angry Kouga standing near the door. He would come forward and place himself between Kagome and Sesshomaru. His eyes not registering at first who the figure before him was. Still dressed in his armor and his furs he stood, growling.
"Mate?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Hai." Kagome said. "After InuYasha died, Kouga brought me the Rosary Beads. He never left after he told me the news. Of course it was years later, but he had come across the scene of the fight and held onto it to give to me. We have been mated for almost six months now."
"So easily forgotten?" Sesshomaru growled.
"Watch your tongue Sesshomaru." Kouga growled. "This was not an easy choice for Kagome, but an alliance with the Wolf Clan meant safety for her children. The bastard spawn of what was left after your desertion."
"I deserted nothing!" Sesshomaru growled, his hands cracking as he flexed his long fingers.
"Bullshit!" Kouga hissed. "Then where were you!"
Sesshomaru didn't have an answer. He remembered going to Kagome's world, but it seemed as if something had changed drastically when he fell asleep that night.
"Get lost!" Kouga snarled.
"No Kouga." Kagome said gently. "We can't let Rimiku have him."
"Kagome?" Kouga said turning to her. She tip toed and kissed him softly.
"It will be alright Kouga trust me." She said gently and moved around him offering Sesshomaru her arm. "Let me show you what has happened Sesshomaru."
He nodded and took her arm then, he glanced back once at a very perplexed or maybe jealous Kouga as they vanished around the corner.
"I know that something isn't right Sesshomaru." Kagome said softly. "I remember living this life clearly, but I have dreams of another life from another time. Where I am a 'normal' teenager that went to 'school' and had friends. A time when Youkai and Miko didn't exist anymore."
"No, Youkai exist in hiding." Sesshomaru said as he stopped looking up at the battered God Tree. "InuYasha wanted to be buried here if he died. He told me that when we were allying against Rimiku back then. When I went through the well I came out in your time, as if Rimiku never existed. You were that, a modern girl of those days. Much more aggressive and outspoken than you are now." He sighed as a small black eared, gray haired Inu Hanyou ran around his feet chasing the red eared cat, and then they were gone. "This is something I could imagine you doing. You were always very caring in that aspect. I didn't learn that about you until I went to the future of your world. And as nice as it is to look at a future where the Inu are strong, and the Youkai are strong this future is all wrong."
Kagome nodded.
"What about Kouga?" She asked. "In that future did I end up with him?"
"No." Sesshomaru said turning to look at her. "At least not yet. A year later you are still not completely over the death of my brother, and there is no reason for you to run off and find a husband."
"Ah." She said nodding again. "I am not a slut Sesshomaru. I didn't choose Kouga out of lust or convenience, it was out of need."
"I know that Kagome." Sesshomaru said softly. "But if I can defeat Rimiku, than I can fix it." He said. "I have too. But that means that need will never have existed, and you will never have wed Kouga."
"So what you are saying is that this is wrong?" She asked.
"Yes, Rimiku is from the future. He returned to the past, but why, I don't know." Sesshomaru said solemnly. "His appearance there, him killing InuYasha and driving me from the House of the Moon changed everything. And because of that, this future occurred."
"We can't have that Sesshomaru." Kagome said looking up at him. "If this is wrong than you must fix it. It has been whispered amongst Youkai for years that you would return, and when you did you would cleanse this world of its darkness."
"Even if that cleansing means that this world will have never existed?" Sesshomaru asked coolly looking around. She took Sesshomaru's clawed fingers into her own hand and pulled him with her. He followed without struggle. She brought him to where the main house was, it was different from the way it looked to him only hours before. They slipped out of their shoes and moved to one of the rooms where she drew back the bamboo and paper sliding door, that in her other world had been replaced by a door a long time ago. Inside there was an Inu Woman kneeling in the center of a room resting. There were futons and cribs set up all around her. There were three Neko women that were healing the children. These children were beaten, some of them so thin that they couldn't stand on their own. Three that he could see were part of a wolf clan, two were inu, one kitsune, and the other ten were various hanyou, and those were beaten the worst of any of them.
"If it means that these children never had to suffer, than yes I would rather this world never exist, and these children never had to go through this." She said looking up at him.
He was touched by the sight, it brought goosebumps to his flesh, and he was thankful for his long sleeves and covered figure. His golden eyes tilted back only slightly, his mouth and face showing no other change. He turned sharply on his heel and walked away.
"Where are you going!" He heard Kagome calling from behind him, he didn't answer. She was chasing him. "Sesshomaru! Where are you going?"
"Back." He said clearly.
"I will go with you!" She called.
"No." He answered.
"To hell I won't!" She yelled catching him and slipping in front of him. "You might need my arrows."
"No." He answered.
"Don't deny me to save me! You are risking everything to save my world! To cleanse it! The least I can do his help you, I will go through that well with or without your consent Sesshomaru." She growled looking up at him. He sighed defeated.
"Do as you wish." He said and walked around her. Like Rin when he used to say that to her, Kagome fell right into step with him as he climbed the stairs to the shrine's center. The Bone Eater Well.
"Be safe Kagome." Kouga said. She was scared, of course she knew that he could smell it, but that wasn't going to change that she was going. "I will see you soon."
She clung to his hardened figure and rested her head against his chest. She had mated him out of need, but she had fallen in love with him. She resisted the urge to say something, instead she tip toed and pressed him into a deep kiss. One that said good-bye forever my love. She turned from him and nodded to Sesshomaru. She watched as he jumped into the well and the blue light surrounded his figure, fading into nothing and then looked back at Kouga once more, a tear falling from her eye.
"You're not coming back are you." He said gently.
"No Kouga. If we succeed, then this world will never have existed." She said softly.
"I love you Kagome. No matter what world you are in. Remember that." He said gently. "I have always loved you Kagome."
"Thank you Kouga." And she jumped.
It seemed like so long since she had been in this well. The odd portal opening around her and allowing her passage again. She was shocked when she saw herself in the well as she had been in the dreams, her hair shorter, and she was wearing a completely indecent outfit, a short green skirt with a white and green shirt, unacceptable! The other her looked as shocked as this her was, but they came forward and took hands with each anyway as if some other force made her do it.
She could see Sesshomaru in the portal watching this happening, his cold features untouched.
There was a flash of light and suddenly there was only one Kagome. All of the memories flooded into her mind. This was the way the world was supposed to be! That was the world that Sesshomaru had gone to first. She remembered school, and Sota, who died in her world when her mother was killed while pregnant on an attack on the Well. She remembered tending to Sesshomaru, and going back through the bone eater well, falling in love with InuYasha had been much harder on the other Kagome because he was much harder on her for not being a Miko.
She remembered all of it as the light faded and she was standing in the bottom of the well with Sesshomaru. He actually smiled at her! Looking down she noticed that some things had changed, her hair was more like it should have been in the Age of Machines, but she was still dressed in Miko garb, instead of the red-orange pants she was wearing green ones. She had a bow slung over her shoulder, and her quiver on her back. Something clattered to her feet. The bundle wrapped in red fabric that she had left in the well in the Age of Machines.
"Those are for you. This Sesshomaru cannot use it." Sesshomaru said softly. She did not correct him, the Kagome from the altered world knew why he talked like that, and suddenly she felt bad for having been so hard on him in her world. She sighed as if she were going to apologize for something, but when she looked up, he was staring at her with hard eyes and she knew it better not to. He did not want an apology.
She picked up the bundle and tucked it under her arm.
"Are you ready Kagome?" Sesshomaru said looking up the well.
"No. But let us go anyway." She said smiling at him like the Kagome he remembered. He nodded and scooped her up under the legs and around the back. He gathered his legs under him; she could feel the muscles tense as he hurled himself up and out of the well. She remembered jumping like this with InuYasha; she used to ride on his back. The fresh smell of the Feudal world rushed her senses, and she took her feet when he placed her down.
She took the bundle and unwrapped it, tears automatically coming to her eyes as she stared at the package unwrapped. She gently took the rusted Katana into her hands, coveting it as if it were a gift from a god. Tetsusiga. She then took the Haori and sobbed into it, pushing it against her face, it still smelled like him. She felt suddenly a wave of guilt for everything, for Kouga in the altered world, and for the fact that she never got to say good-bye in the real world.
"Kagome." A soft voice said, it didn't bare any of the ice she was used to, and it almost didn't register to her as if it were his voice at all. She looked up at Sesshomaru. He was looking over across the tattered and beaten earth, the dragon was gone, the boy was gone it was all on fire. "You don't need to see this."
She stood and walked past him anyway, slipping InuYasha's robe over her body so the flames only licked at her legs, but could not hurt her. Sesshomaru reached to stop her but couldn't. Everything was gone, a burning mass of charred debris. The village, the grounds, the bodies, so many bodies. A tear slipped down her cheek before she turned to Sesshomaru once more.
"This is the only place that feels like one place," she said cryptically.
"Everything we do changes something in your time," Sesshomaru said. She moved her fingers over her neck. The mating mark was gone. Just coming back had stopped her from mating Kouga. She poked at the spot for a few moments, Sesshomaru moved closer thinking that perhaps Myouga decided to make a lunch on her before she promptly fainted.
Kagome awoke sometime later. She was lying next to a campfire and had the Fire Rat draped over her like a blanket. Slowly the world came back into view and she slowly sat up, her head spinning some as she did, she hated fainting, it always left her with a headache when she woke up.
Her eyes swept the campsite and stopped on Sesshomaru, who was lying against a tree, his arm laxly draped over his stomach, and his legs crossed at the ankle. Calm and serine, his eyes were closed softly but she was not sure that honestly meant that he was sleeping. She pulled herself to her feet and moved toward him and suddenly those golden eyes shot open, staring at her as though she were a stranger. Kagome jumped and recoiled from the hardened look, her mind reeling and fear filling her body. She knew she had tended to him, and that he had even gotten to the point where one might call him a friend, but part of her was still horribly afraid of him, something in her couldn't forget that the look in his eyes right now was no different than when he asked InuYasha why he bothered to love humans back with they were fighting in their father's grave. Right before he tried to kill me, her mind reminded her. Yes but he was so different at the shrine. He said that he cared, she reminded her mind. He could've been lying, her mind retorted. Sesshomaru does not lie! She chastised her mind for even thinking it, and then shut it out of the equation.
She looked back at him and realized that he wasn't looking at her, he was looking over her shoulder and she swallowed hard. She closed her eyes and turned around, terrified because she had left her bow over by the fire next to where she had been sleeping. She opened her eyes to see herself. No. It wasn't her, the features were slightly different, her hair longer, her eyes not as wide and she was wearing those red-orange pants rather than the green ones that Kagome was wearing. She blinked; it took her a moment to realize what she was looking at.
"K…Kikyo… but… you're…" She stammered. The figure didn't move at all. That was when she realized that she could see right through her, that was what had Sesshomaru spooked, a ghost. Even Kagome felt her heart flutter; it was bad enough when Kikyo was a clay doll, but a ghost.
"Ore…air…" Her moves were jerking as she raised her arm, Kagome thought this must be very hard for her, and her voice cut in and out, like a cell phone with bad reception.
"Get rid of it." Sesshomaru hissed. Kagome jumped nearly out of her skin, she hadn't heard him rise or come up behind her and she had learned quite a bit in the orphanage about sneaking youkai. "You are a Miko, send it on."
"No." Kagome said, her voice was calm but her shaking body betrayed her. "She is trying to tell us something."
"In…ee… ole…" She said she jerked her head to look at the tree and then back again, when she turned back Kagome jumped clean back against Sesshomaru, she was sunken in and hollowed out, her lips drawn back like the corpse she had become when Naraku had killed her. Slowly it melted back to the visage that she was used to. Only then was Kagome able to pull her eyes away from Kikyo long enough to look at the tree. There was a hole in it and she could see something shining.
She felt Sesshomaru tense against her back, such a brief thing that she was sure it may not have happened, but it was enough to make her look back. Kikyo was gone. Kagome wasted no time in taking off running toward the tree. She leapt up, grabbing the first branch and then pulling herself up on it. Slowly she climbed her way up the branches toward the hole, high up in the tree, once she had braced herself on the branch and the looked down at Sesshomaru who was standing there, stoically watching her climb. She felt something like Winnie the Pooh looking for honey.
She reached in and grabbed what was shining and pulled out an arrow. She then glanced in and pulled out the quiver, and from deep within the large tree hollow she pulled Kikyo's longbow.
"Take it." She heard Kikyo's cold voice in her mind. "Use it to avenge our love's death."
Again the tears came but she nodded to her own mind, where the voice was able to be much clearer, or maybe she just needed to be open to Kikyo for her to hear her clearly and not scared half out of her gourd.
"I will Miko Kikyo, I swear." She said aloud.
"Good luck Miko Kagome." She heard Kikyo's voice as it faded away slowly.
"Jump." It was one word, but right now Sesshomaru was having trouble calculating words in his mind. He was still shocked at the apparition that had appeared to them. She should have been in hell, or maybe even with her ancestor's, ghosts… they were nearly unheard off!
It shocked him some when Kagome jumped without so much as asking why, he snapped his fingers and suddenly the creature appeared under her, she landed with what he thought was a soft 'oumph' on top of Ah and Un as the dragon like horse gracelessly landed upon the ground in front of him. One of it's heads looking over his right shoulder, canted to the right, and the other looking over his left shoulder and canted to the left, he glanced behind him to see a large and ready Kirara standing there. Apparently the firecat had been prepared to catch Kagome as well.
Sesshomaru reached up and took the reigns of the large beast and it's attention returned to him. Kagome sat on it's back, her legs to one side, crossed, making those large green pants look like a full length dress, the bow slung over her shoulder, her hair now down like the free spirit she was, and she was twirling one arrow in her fingers.
"She wants me to use it to avenge InuYasha's death." Kagome said absently. Sesshomaru simply nodded.
"And Rin's?" Was all he said.
"I want to use it to avenge Rin's death." Kagome said catching his eyes with hers, a small smile taking her lips. Sesshomaru said nothing. He simply walked over, securing Tokijin and Tenseiga to his hip, then using the discarded Fire Rat that she had dropped when she got up, he picked up Tetsusiga and gave it to her, she tucked it into the obi of her robes and looked down at him, he could feel her watching him as he started to walk, snapping Ah and Un started their sluggish movement forward and followed their master. "Where are we going?"
Sesshomaru didn't answer her, he didn't feel the need, it should be obvious, they couldn't do this on their own, and so they had to get help right? But who, and where, was the question. Sesshomaru hadn't made many friends over the years, there was Kagoura but he wasn't sure that she would help him now that she was finally free from Naraku, and she would have Kanna with her no doubt. There were also Kagome's friends, Maroku and Sango, who being the owner of Kirara couldn't be that far away. He closed his eyes for a moment, just a moment in thought. Yes, if they could get at least three of them, than surely it would be helpful. And then there was Kouga; surely she could convince Kouga to join them. But what about the part of her that loves him still? He asked himself. Unimportant. He shot back at that part of himself. Yes, but she has made that weakness her strength, look how strong she got when InuYasha was in danger, himself pointed out. Humph, then it is useful is it not? He pointed out to himself. Indeed, himself agreed.
"We are going to the Eastern lands first." He said.
"Kouga's lands?" He heard her gasp.
"Yes." He answered.
"Why."
"Allies." And with that their conversation was over and they walked. He would have liked to have flown, certainly it would have taken less time than this, but then they would have to break the trees and it would be more than likely that Rimiku's followers would have been able to see and report their presence back to the boy.
It took days of travel for them to reach the edge of Kouga's territory. Sesshomaru stood there silently as he had been for most of the two days, staring at the tree that bore the Wolf Clan Alpha's scent and then glanced back at Kagome. She was laying down on Ah and Un with Kirara curled up on her stomach. He sighed softly, raising a hand to Ah and Un. The large creature simply stopped, each muzzled head shaking in it's own pace, not together, one of them slamming into the other, as if they were arguing. He watched as Ah and Un simply settled down on its belly and sighed deeply, curling one head one way, and one the other, it fell asleep. Kagome never stirred, she slept like the dead.
Sesshomaru started to walk away, he was about fifteen paces into the Wolf Clan's lands before he heard the padding of paws, turning he saw a large Kirara following him, he said nothing to it, but rather continued to walk.
"Sesshomaru." He jumped. Turning he saw Kagome was with him now. How she had managed to sneak up on him, he did not know. "Wake me next time."
He said nothing and continued on. No sooner had Kagome joined him for the next ten paces than did the sound of baying wolves fill the air around them. Sesshomaru didn't speak wolf, close to dog though it might be, it was brutish, like comparing German to French. He sighed softly as the wolves appeared around him, sniffing the air about them. The massive dog like animals approached carefully as Kagome stepped from behind Sesshomaru to the right, he was amazed that she didn't hide behind him, he had seen her, more than once hide behind InuYasha.
"You are trespassing." A voice called, it had a melodic tone to it, not to dissimilar from the wolves howls. He looked up to see an older wolf standing on a stone, her white coat shone beautiful against the dark rocks and her eyes were the color of the purest jade. Sesshomaru's eyes widened only slightly, he had never seen a wolf like this, most were brown mongrels with no poise, but this one stood with a nobility that would have awed even InuTaisho.
"You have our apologies Lady…?" Sesshomaru allowed the apology to trail off, inviting the wolf to introduce herself.
"Yuki." She replied. It was then that Sesshomaru would step forward and bow deeply at the waist to this beautiful creature. Snow. That was what her name meant, Lady Snow.
"Well than Yuki-sama, we come in search of Kouga." Sesshomaru said not raising his head. He heard her feet pad forward and four clawed feet lift the rock, but only two landed before him, his open eyes could see the hem of her Kimono before him, she was not dressed in rough furs as the rest of the tribe was? This she-wolf confused him.
"Stand Lord Sesshomaru." She said, her voice was as melodic in her humanoid form as in her animalistic one. He did indeed stand, his golden eyes meeting the green hues of the wolf. "Kouga is hunting this eve, surely you will be willing to stay with us until his return?"
"If this lady will have us. I present you, Miko Kagome Higurashi." He said. Her eyes shot to Kagome, and she stepped back a pace, those soft green eyes suddenly very hard. She came forward and sniffed the air around the girl, her jade eyes narrowing some.
"Welcome Miko." The wolf said, but her demeanor had changed some. "I am Yuki."
"Well met." Kagome answered as sweetly as she could. Again the song pulled at the air, causing something inside to pull at Sesshomaru, as the cry of a wolf will oft make even the most tone def Pekinese try and bay with them. But Sesshomaru was a master at putting all instinct aside, he would, instead move to Kagome's side.
"And this creature is Kirara, she is a loyal companion of ours." He said glancing at the large cat, which was watching the wolves with worry.
"Kirara, go back to Ah and Un. Stay with him." Kagome commanded, reluctantly the large feline complied, stepping back and then turning tail to trot away, the wolves watched the cat wide eyed until it have vanished into the woods.
Sesshomaru couldn't take his eyes off this startling wolf, she wasn't like any he had met, her long hair was as white as his, and she wore it loose, her skin was almost ashen white, odd for this area, surely she was not from around here. A foreign wolf? He stayed his breath; she had nearly taken it away with those jade eyes that seemed to eat at him. Forget the fact that her Kimono, white, with a cherry tree design on it, was something that was loosely tied around her figure, seductively low across the breast and high on the thighs, something he rather not look at, and that suggested that when not in the presence of company, she well likely didn't wear it at all. As she walked it parted showing her long legs, her clawed feet digging easily into the ground as she gathered herself and jumped listlessly on to a rock near by. She turned and looked over her shoulder.
"Are you coming?" She said harshly, glaring at them. Sesshomaru didn't understand it, only a moment ago she had been sweet and polite what had changed.
"If you will forgive me Yuki-sama, I do not understand why your tones are suddenly so frosted." Sesshomaru said. "Have we offended you?" He went through in his mind, step by step the well spoke and appropriate way they had approached this situation.
"Not you dear." The wolf said, her eyes turning to him, again seemed to warm as she gazed into his golden ones. He was unable to turn them away. "I have not been offended by you Lord Sesshomaru. It is this slut of a human that you take travel with that offends me. Shall we go?" All of it was said with a sweetness that nearly caused Sesshomaru's dignity to falter, but he said nothing about it and nodded. He didn't understand what Kagome had done to offend the she-wolf, he would ask her when he had a moment alone with her.
"What did I do!" Kagome called stepping forward. Yuki turned away as if she hadn't spoken. "I am not going anywhere with her!" Kagome spat looking at Sesshomaru, she thought he should defend her, something the would also discuss once they were alone, for now, he couldn't risk the help of the wolf tribe, he could confront it once Kouga was present, then this she-wolf, who was obviously high ranking would not be able to exile him.
"We go." Sesshomaru said pointedly looking back at her. Yuki only now returned to looking at her now that Sesshomaru had spoken to her. He could feel those green eyes against his back as he had turned to face Kagome. She had no right to get this angry, it could simply be that the bitch was in heat, in which case any unfamiliar female would be treated this way, of course that was not the case, Sesshomaru could certainly smell this, but Kagome had no way of knowing.
"No." Sesshomaru rolled his eyes exasperated. "No." She said again clearer this time.
"We go." He growled.
"No. I won't. She has no right to speak to me that way!" Kagome said, it was clear to Sesshomaru now that Kagome's fragile feelings had been marred by the she-wolf's insult to her purity. Sesshomaru moved in and leaned into her ear as he spoke.
"It does not matter Kagome if she insults you, she will bring us to Kouga and we need him." Sesshomaru said. "For the sake of politics, you must just endure as if she has said nothing."
"No." Kagome said, her voice shaking, Sesshomaru smelled the salt of a tear as it slid down her face. "It's not right. I am not a politician."
"No, but I am and you are with me. Right and wrong doesn't matter right now, remember, all that matters is destroying Rimiku, and we need the help of the Wolf Clan to do that." He said softly. Kagome nodded, gathering herself she stood tall and proud, like the Miko she was, Sesshomaru smiled some as she fell in at his side, he would hook an arm around his waist and leap onto the rock landing near Yuki again, she moved now without a glance to either of them deeper into the territory. Sesshomaru wondered who she was, but he supposed he would find out more in time, for now he watched that white loose kimono bat at the air as she moved away from him, and he would move now to keep pace with her.
"Listen beyond her words Kagome." Sesshomaru said to her when they were left alone. "You have to see what lay just behind the tones and words."
"And what is that?" Kagome said, oh she was just a little upset. Her tones were hard and heated, she knew that she was snapping at Sesshomaru, and it really was not a wise thing to do. He hadn't done anything wrong, but he hadn't helped to fix it either.
"She is jealous." He said evenly. "Of what I don't know, but I can clearly smell it on her."
"Jealous?" Kagome asked softly. What could she possibly be jealous of? She leaned back against a rock, eating some of the cooked meat they had been provided with. She couldn't help but thinking that a nice salad would go well with the meat, but then again these were wolves, the most greenery they eat is grass.
Sesshomaru nodded at her question. She didn't understand him, he had been watching the wolf for some time now, was he studying her, or smitten with her, she couldn't tell. His eyes never seemed to wander any more than was polite when he spoke to her, but then again this was Sesshomaru, he wasn't the type to bay at the moon and yell 'shwing!' when a pretty girl strode by, so would it surprise her if all he did was glance at this one. Kagome's mind ramblings were called off when she heard the sharp howl of returning wolves; she looked up to see Kouga's whirl wind headed her way. A smile spread across her lips as she pulled herself to her feet, trying to push down the half of her that loved him, and bring forward the half of her that was just his friend.
Kouga's whirlwind faded and he stood there, the hard bodied, prideful creature that he was. He would move over to Yuki before even talking to anyone.
"Yuki koibi…" But his words were cut short by a sharp hand across his face, leaving Kouga standing there wide eyed and slack jawed. He blinked several times, his voice coming out unsteady and unsure, the entire pack watched on, a few of the members growled at the female that dared to hit Kouga, but he wasn't as bad as some wolves, he would ask before he ripped her throat out what had possessed her to do that. "I'm…a…not sure that I deserved that…"
Sesshomaru turned his eyes away when the hand came down on Kouga's face, a look of what Kagome assumed was understanding washed across his cold eyes, it seemed also that he wouldn't stare at this wolf being reprimanded. He seemed now to have put two and two together, but she was still lost… well be damned if she was going to ask him for the answer.
"What did I do?" Kouga asked, his voice was not whiney, but rather he seemed to have a growl to it. She had tried his patients, not giving him a sincere or complete answer before she struck him, and now lingering after the fact. Kagome reflected, she couldn't remember a time that she had seen Kouga look as angry as he did at this moment.
"If you are going to keep whores Kouga, you should be sure to tell them not to come looking for you." She growled at him, turning her back to him, that white kimono flaring.
"Yuki…" He said softly, his temper controlled, but not so well that his slight shaking couldn't be seen. "What are you talking about?"
"Her." Yuki said, a shaking hand pointing at Kagome, who instantly looked over her shoulder, because surely she couldn't be talking about Kagome, the only one standing there was Sesshomaru, and pretty though he may be, he wasn't mistakable for a woman. Meaning that this woman must have been talking about her, she then turned back to her, her eyes wide. Still confused.
"Kagome? Kagome!" He gasped. He started a step forward and then turned back to Yuki. "Why does Kagome upset you Yuki?" He asked, canting his head in a way that reminded Kagome slightly of a confused puppy. He looked at Kagome again and smiled at her, she could tell he wanted to come over to her, but wouldn't until he understood this woman, or perhaps he felt he owed this woman the time to listen to what she was saying, an idea that confused Kagome to say the very least, seeing how Kouga never seemed to think he owed anyone anything, let alone owing a woman. "I told you we never mated, and I am over her now. I am with you Yuki and Kagome is simply my dearest friend."
"Over her! Dearest Friend!" Yuki growled turning back to him. Kagome had no idea that wolves were such jealous creatures. Sure Kouga had been a jealous man, but look what he was fighting off, if he didn't pull every opportunity he could to get to Kagome than InuYasha would never back down, she felt her resolve weaken thinking of him and refused, absolutely refused to go there right now. "How can you say that? You're scent, your musk is all over her!"
Kouga's eyes shot over to Kagome's with a look of sheer confusion. She drew her lip between her teeth, still blissfully unaware of what was going on here, it had been days since she had been with Kouga in that other world, surely even the skilled nose of a wolf couldn't pick it up, or could it?
"But Yuki… I… I never." He said softly, he turned and looked at her, now his look of pleading, he was lost, and very confused, she had never seen that expression on his face as he stepped closer to Yuki reaching for her arm gently.
"Really?" Yuki growled, she pulled her slender arm from Kouga's grasp with amazing ease. "Really…" She jumped down off the rock and was at Kagome's side quicker than Kouga or Sesshomaru, or even Kagome could respond. She felt herself being pulled forward, her hair caught in a fist, her head jerked down. "If not what is the scent on her?" she growled.
"No!" He said in almost disbelief coming up to her. She felt Kouga approach and take the air in around her before suddenly she found herself face first on the ground. Kouga had jumped one way, Yuki had jumped the other, and as she fell she felt energy go over her head.
"Kouga-sama, Yuki-sama, you have my apologies." She heard Sesshomaru say, she had never heard that kind of growl in his voice before, never heard him angry, scared, betrayed, but never really angry, but he was angry now. She rolled onto her side and saw him standing there with Tokijin out and at his side loosely, that wasn't what he had used to get them to let go of her, surely Tokijin would have killed them, and there was no chance that Sesshomaru would have missed, he was far to skilled with Tokijin for that. It was out as a threat to the other wolves more she assumed. The bright red of his eyes had just barely faded back to gold now, and she saw that he had in fact been angry "But I am afraid that I can not allow you to manhandle my … Miko." He changed the final word too late for those there not to know what he was talking about. His friend? Kagome thought, looking at him with wide eyes, his friend, his Miko… his! Wait a second! Did he just call me His! But… She supposed that it meant nothing, everything that traveled with Sesshomaru was in essence his in his eyes, but that was touching nonetheless. "There is a good reason for all of this. Please, listen." Jesus! Sesshomaru just said please! Now she knew she must've hit her head hard when she fell, Sesshomaru didn't claim humans as his, or even remotely as acquaintances, let alone friends, and Sesshomaru didn't say please… ever… it was just something she came to understand that he did not do… and he just had.
"I am not seeing where there could be a good answer." Yuki said as she pulled herself to her feet, her Kimono falling open over her shoulders, her white hair saving her from being completely unclothed.
"Me either." Kouga said, he pulled his figure to it feet and shook without any dignity, rather like InuYasha used to, he first walked over to Yuki, looking her over to be sure she was unharmed and then carefully pulled the Kimono up and tucked her hair behind her shoulders, she did not look at him as he did so. Kagome bit her lip as he walked over, gently taking her by the back of the neck; he looked at the mark again. "The marks are faded, my scent is only barely there… I don't understand Kagome, tell me what's going on before my mate rips out my heart." It was a plea; she could see affection in Kouga's eyes when he looked at the wild white wolf that seemed so refined only hours before.
"I don't know where to start." Kagome said, her lip drawn between her teeth again. "It is a very long an complex story. Sesshomaru will you help me?" She asked, he nodded solemnly and suddenly she didn't feel so alone with this any more.
She told them the story, about how she wasn't from a far off village but from another time, Sesshomaru confirmed this, saying that he himself had been there. She told them how time had been split and changed by the coming of Rimiku, and that Rimiku was from another time as well. How in that world she had been mated to Kouga, and that until Rimiku was defeated and that world ceased to exist she would have the marks to prove that.
Her eyes didn't meet Kouga's or Yuki's the entire time that she was telling the tale, she didn't want to look at them, telling Kouga and Yuki that eventually Yuki would die and Kouga would be without her.
"In that time Yuki-sama, Kouga lost you." She said softly, Kouga had slipped closer to Yuki, his hand moving to pull her protectively against him as if the gesture alone could keep it from coming true. "There was a great battle and almost all of the Wolf Clan was destroyed. Kouga and two of your sons and three others were all that survived, he managed to form a new pack from the straggling survivors of several Clans, and came to my temple, looking for any orphans he could take in. Once he found out it was me, he took InuYasha's rosary beads and gave them to me, telling me that he found them on his remains, which he buried himself, under the God Tree…"
"How could you know that?" Kouga gasped. Yuki turned her jade eyes to him as he stood, he reached into the fur pelt at his waist and withdrew the rosary beads. "That only just happened right before I came home."
"There is more here than we saw at first love." Yuki said placing a hand on Kouga's shoulder as Kagome took the beads from him, tears again spilling from her eyes, but she didn't break down, she was to exhausted now to sob any more. Yuki's slender hand pushed Kouga aside a step and she came to stand before him. Kagome wasn't going to be able to handle another tiff of jealousy with this wolf, so from her knees she simply looked up at her as if completely defeated.
"We knew that if Kouga took another mate," She continued, closing her eyes and turning them to the ground as she spoke. "And set up lands, it would attract the remaining wolves, and it did. By taking me as his mate, it assured the safety of the orphanage because the Wolf Clan would die to protect their children, and the other children there. He also knew that I would die when I grew old and he would be able to take another youkai mate and have more children like you wanted him to. It wasn't until much later that we fell in love, it was a mating of need."
She was shocked when she looked back to find Yuki kowtowing before her. So shocked in fact she leapt back and onto her feet, wide-eyed, arms flailing as she did so.
"Wh…what are you doing!" She gasped.
"I have gravely misjudged you Miko." Yuki said gently. "I thought you were my mates whore. And by thinking so not only have I dishonored you, but I have, in my jealousy dishonored him as well. First Miko, I must ask from you the forgiveness I do not deserve before I can again face my mate for his forgiveness."
Kagome looked up to Kouga, he had his lip between his teeth, working it slightly. His eyes tilted back, saddened by his mate's face on the ground. He glanced around, seeing the other pack watching in horror, surely she could've sent them away before she groveled like this, or maybe, she wanted them to see that she was not beyond admitting her mistakes. She then glanced to Sesshomaru, who watched on indifferently. She had noticed his attention to Yuki had waned some, she was mated after all. She then glanced down at Yuki and stepped forward, sliding to her knees and taking the slender woman by her upper arms, which surprised Kagome that they felt like rocks below her skin. She lifted her so that she was facing her now, tears poured down her pale face from those jade eyes that were turned away. She knew that she had the right to kill this woman for what she had said about her, and that Kouga also had the right to do it. But she knew also that neither of them would, she understood a bit about why Yuki reacted that way, in her world, she would have been very angry if a woman who was a threat to her love for Kouga were to appear, and now Kagome found herself being that threat, even if it was unjustly so.
"Shh now." Kagome said, she took some of that white hair from over either shoulder and pulled it to the front so that it covered her chest, as the loose Kimono had slipped away when she sat up from kneeling and it hung around her elbows now, Yuki looked down as that was done, unashamed of her body, but understanding it seemed, that it made Kagome more comfortable. "You don't need me to forgive you…"
"I do." She said, turning those jaded eyes to the right and toward the ground so not to make eye contact with Kagome. "I have heard of you, the pack talks…" Kagome saw Kouga glare at the wolves around them and some of them stepped back, his two right hand men included. "They told me that you were Sis to many of them, and that time and time again you took care of them when they needed. And I was impressed by you, but… they also told me how much Kouga had loved and pursued you for a mate. I wanted to see why he was so smitten with you, a mere human, that even Ayami, one of his own, had no chance against you're charms, so when I smelled him on you, that you had been with him… intimately… I became scared that I was going to loose him to you, and that thought was unbearable to me." She explained, Kouga came forward and placed a hand on Yuki's shoulder, she closed her eyes, a sob coming from her now. "I am sorry Kagome-sama." Yuki whispered. "I am so sorry." Again, the proud wolf attempted to kowtow.
"No." Kagome said, she did not allow her to fall to the ground, instead she pulled the woman into her arms; she suddenly seemed so needy and frail. "Don't be sorry. Kouga is a wonderful mate, caring, understanding, and loving! Any woman would want to fight to keep him at her side. I cannot blame you, in that reality of my world, I would have done the same thing. But my world is fading away, and his mark is fading with it." She said running her hand over the woman's snow-white hair. "I forgive you, not because you have done anything to be forgiven, but because you need me to do it."
"Don't beg." Kouga said coming down and embracing Yuki from behind. "Don't even ask for it, I am flattered koibito that you would want to fight for me." Kagome closed her eyes, she still remembered everything from both worlds, and it was hard to have Kouga this close to her, but she could see that he did indeed love Yuki, and she would never do anything, anything at all to endanger their love or his happiness.
"Please Kagome." Yuki said. "When he comes to you, no matter what happens, even if you do not mate him, would you take care of him? He needs more than he says he does."
Kagome chuckled; she knew that there was something about Kouga; he did need more than he said he did. He needed to be needed, wanted, and loved no matter how he would deny it time and time again. He could not stand the idea of being alone, he had confided that to her when they mated.
"Hai." She said nodding.
"The Wolf Clan will join your quest Sesshomaru." Kouga said nodding at him, his eyes blue eyes watching Sesshomaru's, Sesshomaru simply nodded and nothing more.
"Sesshomaru." Kagome said, her voice annoyed him as he had nearly fallen asleep. They had left the Wolf Clan's lands a day ago, and he hadn't slept since, while Kagome had gone to sleep on Ah and Un's back, Sesshomaru had simply walked, he wanted to get to their next destination as quickly as possible because, over all, it sickened him that he was going there at all. He said nothing, his golden eyes slowly opening, and even slower still they turned to her.
"Yes." He said coldly, he would flex his one hand a bit, to keep it warm; it was oddly cold in the woods tonight. He hoped suddenly that she was not going to tell him that she was cold and want him to keep her warm. He had slipped up, almost calling her 'his friend', and then changing it to 'his Miko', it wouldn't be long before the talk circulated, spreading the ridiculous rumor that he was together with Kagome, and that he had fallen to his father's curse.
"Why did you call me your… your friend." She said.
"I didn't." He said. He looked at her coldly.
"Oh! You are horrible!" She growled, rolling over and pulling the blanket over her head, he looked at her for a moment before closing his eyes. Why had he called her that, she had tended to him, but it was more than that. He had learned to be affectionate toward the girl, the way he had felt for Rin, someone small that he had to protect, that needed him. Something about that made him feel useful.
Disgustedly he thought of a small dog, wagging its tail so hard it could not even stand because its master said it was a 'good girl'. He shook his head, like a dog annoyed by a flea in its ear. No, he was not her dog, he was not Rin's dog, and he would never, ever be Rimiku's dog! But friend, what was a friend? He thought on it for a while. Rin said that he was her friend, and all he had done was allow her to remain in his presence, he had never babied her, or even really had to take care of her, he had saved her, as she had saved him. He saved her from physical destruction, and she had saved him from mental melt down when he was injured by the Kaze No Kizu.
He put up this shield of ice again, and why? He had been open with Kagome many times in the other world, telling her things he would tell no one. Of course, he reminded himself, much of that had been when he was unconscious. And right then and there, Sesshomaru made a decision.
"Because." He said out loud. She did not move. "You are my friend." He finished. He watched her for a moment and her breathing was steady, she was sleeping he was sure of it. And suddenly feeling foolish for saying it at all and he was thankful that she was sleeping.
From the blankets Kagome struggled to keep her breathing steady, she had pretended she was sleeping because she was angry, but when he said that, she decided, that to save his pride, she would let him think she hadn't heard him. A soft smile came to her lips and she closed her eyes. Falling asleep.