Rise and Fall of the False God
CHAPTER 18
Kagome raked the leaves from the grass around the shrine. She had been trying for days to get them all raked up, but the God Tree seemed to laugh and dump more of them every time she had the area cleaned. The fall breeze was cool on her face, and the fact her brother would not come help actually was comforting. She enjoyed the moments of solitude out here.
Again the leaves were in their proper pile and bagged, ready for removal. She moved to the tree and sat down at the base, putting her back against the bark and relaxing. Closing her eyes, she let herself relax and let her visions of the past sway through her eyes. In her puffy vest, sweater and jeans she felt uncomfortable here. She should be at ease, relaxing, but this just brought the memories back in full. And tears slipped down her cheeks. It had been six years since the well had closed. Grandpa had died in his sleep. Mother moved to a small apartment closer to her job. Souta was in college, and being the free young adult he always wanted to be.
Two years since she woke up here, alone. To a dream that seemed so strange. Two years since her dream revealed so much more about herself. Two years since the mark on her shoulder told her it wasn't a dream. Two years and the mark was slowly fading away, but her memories stayed sharp. Two years she finished her degree, becoming Doctor Kagome Taisho. A few months since she had begun working at the emergency room. With the mark fading, she assumed Sesshomaru must have died. Hardly surprising considering the hell Japan would go through between that time and now.
"Excuse me, Miss," a croaky voice said from her left. She looked up to a short, stout man standing nearby. Kagome swiped the tears off of her face and stood, bowing to the stranger.
"Welcome, may I help you?" she said to the short, stocky man.
"I have come on behalf of my boss, he would like to have a tour of the Shrine and grounds," he said. "There are no hours posted, when would be best for him to come?"
"Oh, he can come at any time, really," she said. "If I am not available, my family can …"
"I see," the stout man croaked. Kagome canted her head, something was creepy about this guy. "I shall have him come forthwith." He turned and headed back the way he came, headed to the long set of stairs that would allow him to get to his car, probably parked on the street.
She sighed, and the wind brought more leaves down from the tree over her freshly raked grass.
"You are laughing at me," she said shaking her finger at the tree. "I swear, somewhere in those ancient roots of yours, this is your idea of a joke."
"Is this common?" a deep voice intoned behind her. "For Shrine Maidens to speak to trees?"
Kagome flushed, lowering her finger and turning to give the visitor a smile. "It is when I keep raking all these leaves up," she said with a grin. "Welcome."
The tall man, with long black hair tied at the base of his neck gave her a soft nod.
"May I give you a tour?" she asked. "We are a small shrine, but there is much to see here."
He gave a gesture for her to continue with a way too elegant wave of his hand. She smiled and busied herself with walking him through the grounds, showing him the Shrine and the grounds of the shrine. Telling him the stories for each area. She stopped at small grave markers explaining that these were once thought to be family descendants, but later research showed they were actually from a demon hunter's village. She named her friends, Sango, Miroku, their children's graves, before coming to a double set right next to each other.
"These are my descendants," she said. "This is Lady Rin of the House of the Moon, and her husband, Kohaku. Their children were buried elsewhere, lost in time," she said to the man. The tall man took a long moment before turning back to Kagome.
"The House of the Moon, is myth," he said with a smirk on his lips.
"So is half of Japan's history," she said in a sing song voice, doing her best to remain happy despite the memories flooding back again.
"So do you practice the ways of the priestesses?" he asked.
"Some have called me a Miko in my time," she said. "It is truly a lost art since they took away our bows and made us nothing more than dancers and tea ceremony teachers," she smiled sadly once more. "But I have taken archery as a passion of mine, as long as I don't do it in the priestess robes, they don't give me any trouble."
"It takes more than some robes and a bow to make a Miko what they were truly supposed to be," he said arching a brow.
"True," she said. "Now, this is the well house. Inside is the Bone Eater's Well. Thus called because it was believed to eat the bones of demons thrown into it." She opened the doors to the well. "Studies have found dinosaur bones at the bottom of the well, it is believed that…" she stopped, this man was boring a hole in her back with the intensity of a stare she could actually feel. She turned slowly looking to his eyes. He said nothing, just a twitch of an eyebrow. "this was the basis of the myth when the well was in use. That perhaps the people using the well pulled up these bones." She finished before closing the well doors. It was then she realized he wasn't really listening, just watching. She finished closing the doors and decided to have a bit of fun. "And this led to grand adventures of the people of the village of Edo. Believing demons to be real, an entire demon hunting village was created. It is believed that Kohaku, Sango and Miroku hailed from this village," she said with a smile. "And that Lady Rin married Kohaku to bring peace between the demons and humanity."
"That is not the story I know," the man intoned.
"It is the one that makes the most sense to those with frail belief in all things magical," she said as she walked toward the back of the property. He followed as she came to some stones remaining from an ancient foundation long gone. "This is the remaining area of the shrine built to protect something precious to humans and demons alike."
"And what was that?" he intoned.
"The Shrine of the Shikon No Tama," she said. "It was said that the jewel could make demons so powerful and unstoppable, and it was the charge of Miko to protect it," she said. "Generations and generations of women unwanted in their villages came here to live and train to protect the jewel."
"And what happened to this jewel?"
"No one knows if jewel ever really existed, or if it did what became of it," she said. "There are many legends that mention it, so I tend to believe it was real. But I doubt they got it right, much like the Bone Eater Well."
"You are well versed, I see," he said, he turned to look over the grounds. "Unfortunate."
"Excuse me?" she said.
"These lands, I will be purchasing them for development," the man said.
"First they would have to be for sale," she said, again in her sing song voice. "And they are not."
"Everything has its price, and the University has offered to take all the items of value for study from the property," he said waving his hand dismissively.
"You are free to try and pursue it, but I doubt you can meet my demands," she said plainly.
He rounded on her, stalking up to her.
"I have my ways of getting what I want," he said in a low, menacing tone.
"And I have ways of keeping what is mine," she said with a soft smile. "I think it is time you left." The short stocky man was not far from this tall man who thought himself a menace. "What is it with you Yakuza and my lands? Leave. You are unwelcome here." She started to walk past him only to find her arm in an iron grip.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," she said turning her head to him.
"Woman you have nothing that would stop me," he said in a low tone. "No one is going to miss one little woman on one little property with one little attitude." He pushed her using her arm toward the stocky man. She didn't try to stop him at all, she didn't fight back as she crashed into the stocky man's chest.
"I warned you," she said nonchalantly as the stocky one pushed her to the ground, pulling a gun on her.
"Now be a good girl and stay quiet," the croaking one said.
"Why? You won't fire that here, too loud. Too many neighbors," she said as she started to get up, the tall man kicked her back down.
"Big mistake," she said turning her head to glare at the tall man. Her eyes flashed lavender, brightly, and the tall one stopped for a second to convince himself it was a trick of the fading sunlight. She sat up, sitting seiza and dusting herself off. "It is good to see that bullies don't change from one century to the next. Just their desires an the weapons of choice."
The stocky man looked to the tall one, who drew his own gun with silencer attached.
"I challenge you, Nimuaru," she said in the ancient Japanese tongue. "I challenge you to the right of Yakuza." The man stopped cold. "Combat one on one, any interference and the fight is forfeit."
The stocky man looked at the tall one.
"Sir?"
The tall man grinned. "And who will fight for you? If you hadn't noticed you are alone here," he chuckled.
"I shall fight for myself, or are you afraid to face a woman?" she said.
"Sir! How did she know your name?" he intoned.
Kagome felt a Sesshomaru moment where she had to stare at her opponent hard to keep herself from rolling her eyes.
Nimuaru put his weapon away. "And what weapons shall we use?"
"I need none, but you are welcome to any you choose," she said plainly. "There are several in the well house to chose from if you wish it," she said. The tall man gave a signal, and the stocky one kept his weapon on the woman. He walked away, returning moments later carrying a sword.
"Coward," she said with a wry grin on her lips. She moved to stand and the stocky man went to stop her. The tall man calling out to make the stocky one stop. Right of Yakuza had been called, if he struck her or hindered her in any way, it would be interference. "Back up chubby one, I need to go kick your master's ass." She rose to her feet.
Nimuaru bowed to the woman before him. "I, Segu Nimaru, accept your challenge to right of Yakuza," he said formerly. She bowed in return.
"I am Taisho Kagome," she said formerly introducing herself. "And you, are a dead man." She snapped her fingers, sending Nimuaru flying into the side of the well house, slamming up against the boards and falling into the dirt and grass in front of him on his face. The stocky man yelled out as Nimuaru fought to get back to his feet. "Dumbass."
Nimuaru raised himself into a defensive posture with the sword angled forward.
"The problem with swords, is you must get close to your opponent to use them," she said, taking no stance. "You feel you can defeat this one. This Kagome would gladly see!"
Nimuaru ran at her, sword trailing behind as he swung it around to strike her. She didn't move, didn't flinch as the sword hit her barrier, lavender glowing light filling the area. Nimuaru realized at that moment he was in trouble.
"You were right, of course," she said to Nimuaru. "The power of the Priestesses to protect the Shikon Jewel was never enough. That is why the Jewel isn't in that lost temple," she said. She turned her gaze to the man who was now trying desperately to beat the barrier with the sword. Her eyes flashed again and Nimuaru was sent flying again, this time with much more force into the wall of the well house. "Submit."
"N… N… never!" he yelled.
"Submit," she said as she pushed her barrier outward, forcing Nimuaru literally between a rock and a hard place. The power around him snapped and popped.
"Kagome! Drop him," the deep baratone voice came from the stairs.
"Cannot do that," she said. "Submit or die, Nimuaru. You won't be the first one to die of an asthma attack here."
"Submit Nimuaru," the deep voice said. And Nimuaru dropped his head in submission dropping his weapon. The stocky man dropped his gun. Suddenly everything was back to normal and Nimuaru fell from the wall he had been pressed against. She turned to the new voice.
Another tall man, more long black hair, another suit. Cold, empty, black eyes.
"Welcome," she said. "I take it this is your scum on my property?" she said.
"Apparently."
"Remove it," she said and turned away from him, walking toward her house.
"Taisho Kagome," she stopped and turned. "You have taken the title of Yakuza, you must take all that goes with it."
"Done, now leave and take your scum with you," she said.
"As I said, you must take all that comes with it," and he was suddenly, swifter than lightning behind her.
Her energy rose, reiki snapping and popping around her. "Who are you?" she said eyes wide registering that no human could have done what he just had done. "I do not want to hurt you, back up."
His features softened slightly, more than willing to suffocate Nimuaru, but now not wanting to hurt him.
"My son seems to have played his hand too well at being human," he said blandly.
"This is my land, my home," she said. "No one takes what is mine from me." Her voice wavered, but her conviction to it did not. "Take yourself and your son from my lands. Leave me in peace."
"Why did you change your name to Taisho?" he asked, his voice still cold, almost hate filled.
Her hand flung forward, shoving him with a blast hard enough to send him flying out of her personal bubble toward Nimuaru. He landed it perfectly without so much as a twitch of discomfort.
"Leave, I am done playing your stupid games," she snarled. Her eyes had a dim glow in them she didn't bother to hide. The cold man in the suit gestured to the other two to leave. As soon as they were gone, the cold man bowed.
"Forgive us, Kagome, my son does not know who you are," he said as he stood and turned to walk away.
"Fair is fair, I don't know who you are either," she said coldly. "I know of Nimuaru, but I do not recall him having a living father," she said crossing her arms.
He turned back, bowing. "I apologize, I am Seito," he said. There was obviously no pretense. Seito supposedly died years ago of old age. She waited.
"The Shrine is not yours, you will stop this charade of taking it over for development," she said. "I will not warn you or yours again. The next insolence against this place will find not a bit of my mercy."
She turned, opening the door, shooing a child inside back into the house. The door closing tightly behind her. Seito stood stunned. Taking his son, he left as he had come.
"Nimuaru, what possessed you to try and get that property!?" the elder Taisho hissed as they rode back.
"It is listed under the Taisho name," he said. "I thought it had passed on from the Higurashi family. I was trying to keep Rin Sama's legacy away from others," he said his head hanging down.
"You are lucky she did not purify you into the next millenia," he said.
"That was no Miko," Nimuaru said.
"That most certainly was, that was one trained in the oldest ways," he said. "She could have subjugated you," he said. "Then you would have truly been fucked."
"No one has subjugated anyone in centuries," he said waving his hand.
"No one has had a Miko trained in the old ways," he tapped on his computer as the car moved along, driven by the stocky man. "Taisho Kagome, widowed two years ago," his face froze. "Married two years ago. Doctor at Maeda hospital emergency department. Owner of the property we were just at, and one other property near the hospital. Financials…." He did a lot more clicking and typing, his hands stopping as he looked at her financial reports.
"Good luck trying to purchase any property of hers," he said. "According to this, she won the American lottery two years ago. Winning 263 million dollars," he said.
"So a super powerful priestess who married a Taisho, then he died almost immediately after, wins the lottery in America, and lives on the Shrine grounds. Works in an emergency room, rather than her own practice? Something doesn't make sense here," Nimuaru said shaking his head. "Who's the kid she had in the house."
"Makes perfect sense if you are trying to stay out of our radar," he said. "That is until you bumbled into her plan. I have no records regarding her health, so if the child is hers, I don't know." The car pulled up before the grand mansion. "There is also no record of what is on that other property of hers. Like not even a water bill." Seito closed the computer and got out of the car with his son.
"I really want to see you explain this to him."
"You really wish me dead, don't you?" Nimuaru said coldly walking past his father.
Kagome prepared dinner, Souta had dropped in and Mutekimaru was hungry. The six year old had come into her care last year, when a confused woman couldn't make heads or tails of her son's strange behavior at the hospital. What had started as her fostering the child ended up with him being a permanent part of the house. He often spent his days at her other property, coming home with her after work before going back the next day.
As they sat down to eat, Kagome took a plate out to the well house. The ladder wasn't in the well anymore it was up leading into the rafters. She carefully climbed the ladder, taking an old plate and putting out the new one. "Well, at least you awoke to eat," she said softly. He had not awoken at all in the time she had known him here. She found him here after she awoke from her "dream". She never saw him eat, or move. Sometimes he did, as evidenced by the food being gone and she once found a bit of mashed potato on the corner of his lips. She remembered thinking back, that the statue had always been here. But after she awoke from the dream, she realized it was Li. She washed him, cleaned him, changed his clothes. But the crouched hanyou always ended up in the same gargoyle like position, and never woke. Her eyes looked over to the sleeping dragon hanyou in the rafters of the well house. She kept him covered in a sheet to keep the dust off of him. Tomorrow she would bathe him again, it was harder to do in the colder months, but it was far past time. She let her fingers reach over, caress his face, before she negotiated her way back down the ladder.
She emerged from the well house to find yet another suit standing in her yard. She turned, setting down the plate, before crossing her arms before her. The darkness of the area hid most of his features, but like the others he seemed to have long hair that was loose and seemed to have curl to it around his face, shadowing it instead of in a ponytail. He didn't have cronies with him this time.
"What do you want?" she clipped.
"I came to see," the voice crooned in the darkness.
"See what?" she snipped.
"My other half," he said simply, walking forward into the light. There, before her eyes, dressed in the Armani suit she had always imagined him in, was Naraku.
She froze. Her eyes softening from their angry ones just moments before. "Naraku!" she said in shock.
"Did you miss me?" he said.
"I saw you, you were dead…" she said tears coming from her eyes without need to blink.
"Oh you do not remember," he said. "Not surprising. We all thought the same of you."
"I remember seeing you dead, I remember… begging you to wake…" she said shivering suddenly.
"Kagome," he said softly. "I was, I spent all I had to kill the runt. Only for you to disappear before I awoke. The Eagle said you vanished after you released the Beast Gods. He was the only one who could see, afterall. The rest were blinded by the sheer force of the power you released. But when the light faded, you were gone."
She didn't respond at first. Naraku could see her trying to process all of this.
"So this is the infamous well," he said gesturing to the well house. "I thought nothing of it in my lifetime, or the next for that matter," he said walking up to the doors. She watched him, still trying to piece together what happened.
"Who was the other fox?" she whispered. "Who was it impersonating Sesshomaru?"
"Ah, the tailor. Believe it or not, he was working with Rimiku willingly. Something about needing not to bend the knee to a human," he said waving his hand dismissively.
"And… Sesshomaru?" she whispered.
"Here and there, around. You know, that dog never stays put," he said again dismissively.
"He sent you," she said.
"Of course," he replied giving her that signature smirk. "He would know that you are well."
"Couldn't come himself, though," she said sitting down on the stairs to the wellhouse.
"You haven't sired your line yet," he said simply. "Although I am impressed with the magics used to enshroud your other property. Nothing I cannot see through, but that took some impressive amount of work to make happen. What is in there, in all that beautiful greenery?"
"My noble cause," she said softly.
"Ah I remember, the house for any woman bearing a hanyou," he said. "That is why you work in the ER, rather than private practice. To keep the world from realizing we are here," he said with a smirk. "Cheeky woman."
"Do you have 9 tails yet?" she asked.
"Alas no. I will someday, I suppose, if I live that long," he said. "Who is the boy in the house?" he said gesturing to the windows. She turned, seeing Mutekimaru poking his head out the window watching.
"Hanyou, mother abandoned him at the ER, said he was insane," she said. "He wasn't insane, he is Inu. A very young one," she said. "I have had everyone from the government to the yakuza here trying to take this property away," she said softly.
"Of course," he said. "Well, now that you are Yakuza, both will stop trying I expect. When are you getting your back tattoed?" he said playfully.
"Already done," she said seriously. His eyes turned back to her. Mischieviously he stalked over. "Let me see!" he said with a bright smirk and entertained eyes.
"Its cold out here, come inside, I'll show you after Muteki goes to bed," she said. "You can call him in the meantime and let him know I'm alive and well."
He grinned. "Sounds like a deal," he said walking with her back into the house. She brought him into the house, setting the kettle on before tackling the chore of getting the hanyou into a bath, and to get him to actually get clean. He looked to the photos and such on the walls of her living area. There were many photos, some even with Sango, Miroku, and very young Shippou, and InuYasha. There were others that were drawings. A rat hanyou, seeming to figit with his tail. Two inu hanyou sharing mischievous looks. A bat hanyou child. A neko hanyou child. The children of Shidi. Another of Genrou, the Inu pit dog. Sesshomaru, leaning against a tree, his - fluffy- wrapped around behind him as he reclined looking up at the stars with Rin curled up beside him asleep. Kyo donned in his armor, kneeling before a great statue of a leaping tiger. So many here, drawn from the memory of a dream. Then his heart stopped. There, drawn with such care, he was. Kagura beside him, Kanna kneeling next to him with her mirror in her lap. In the background a fox in the mist leapt over a spiderweb. His fingers touched the frame around the drawing. Whomever the artist was, had captured his likeness exactly, the fox was a bit off, but she had never seen him in his full fox form.
He heard her coming from the rooms upstairs into the kitchen. She prepared tea, and sat down at the table. He followed her, sitting down next to her.
"Well, you made the Armani a reality," she said. "Did you learn French?"
"Bien sûr, mon bijou bien-aimé," he said pouring the accent into his voice.
"And my semi amazing advanced lexicon?" she said with a smirk on her lips.
"Hard to believe it is the language normal for these days and times," he said.
"Did you call him?" she said.
"No," he answered. "I got caught up with the artwork in the other room."
"My brother," she said. "Made them for me last year," she said. "Trying to cheer me up."
"And why would you need cheering? Isn't your dragon here with you?" he said. "Isn't your noble cause enlightening your heart? Does not knowing we exist as you wished us to lighten the burdens you carried?" he said, genuine confusion in his eyes.
"Li has been asleep since before I was born. He eats sometimes, but otherwise he sleeps," she said looking out the window. "I talk to him, keep him clean, but he is up in the rafters of the well house."
"Ah, so that is why you are not starting your lineage," he said.
"Your existence is important, and I take great comfort in it," she said honestly. "But you all exist outside my world. I'm still alone, Naraku. But it is as it should be, I suppose. Did you ever mate?"
"Ah, yes actually. Three small ones of my own," he said. "I say small. The youngest is about 50 now," he said. "She knows, by the way."
"Who knows? Knows what?"
"Who I really am, who you really are, what you are to me," he said.
"You are free Naraku, what am I to you?" she said. "I was your prison."
"Kagome stop selling yourself short," he said. "We were once one being. It doesn't get more intimate than that. I know all of you, and you know all of me. I imagine this is what twins feel like."
"Eww, Naraku. Not even," she said shuddering.
"Well, there is … that," he said crooning. "I do remember it oh so very fondly." She just blushed. "Oh dear, back to the blushing. Thought we were past that." She decided not to answer, and instead hid in her teacup.
"I see, what was in your head is not transcribing into this reality," he said picking up his own tea sipping it. "It happened Kagome. It was as real for you as it was for me."
"It was hundreds of years ago, and you have a mate now," she said her cheeks now beet red.
"Indeed, but it was real, and we will always understand one another as no one can possibly. The life I have now is amazing, and you gave that to me," he said.
"What name do you use now?" she said.
"My looks often seem like I have half western blood so I took the name Imoga James," he said.
"James, it suits you," she said. "I am happy for you, Naraku. I am glad out of all of it, you came through it alright. Even if I must stay away from the others," she said.
"Now I'm confused," he said. "Why stay away from the others?"
"My mark has faded, it is almost gone," she said. "Its like Kouga's when it faded. The memories are still there, unlike Kouga's. I just remember there was a time when there was a mark. I don't remember why. I remember the why with this one, but the emotions are so dark and clouded. There are times when I feel pain, or sorrow, or hatred burning from what remains of the mark."
"Did you ever think to find him?" he asked.
"I wouldn't even know where to begin. I travelled to where the House of the Moon used to be. There is a mall there now. I went to the mountains, and found the cave of the Beast Gods empty and no sign they were ever there. I went to Mount Hakurai. I went to the mountains in the east, stayed in a cabin and listened to the wolves baying. They were so close, yet so far away," she said staring into her teacup. "He has been here before, I figured if he wanted me, he would know where to come." She said sipping her tea.
"But he hasn't come," he said.
"No," she said getting up to wash the dishes. "It is for the best, any line he and I create will create Rimiku. Him not coming to me is what is making the mark fade. I had once taken the heat off of him and told him to let me fade away. If Rimiku believed me pregnant, then all of this would end and he would be free. He has another chance at that. And a real mating of his choosing. Best he takes that while it is in his claws to do."
"You know when my time comes, I will return to you," he said.
"I do," she said. "And maybe some day Li will awaken," she shrugged. "I do not know what put him into such a torpor. But he is here as he promised he would be. Maybe one day he will wake and tell me." She stacked the wet dishes into the draining rack. Drying her hands on a towel. "You are, of course, welcome any time you wish to visit. I welcome knowing how everyone is doing."
"Why do you not just ask me how to reach them?" he said. "You know they want to see you."
"Do I know that?" she said. "Don't presume, you aren't in my head right now," she said softly. She curled down to sit on the kitchen floor, her back against the cabinets. He watched her drowning in her own sorrow.
"Yes, and because of it, you are again unbalanced," he said softly. "Your selflessness is drowning you," he said.
"I did what I set out to do," she said in a haunted whisper. "I am alright knowing you exist. That those two inu that came here today, exist."
"You know Seito's child is impetuous and proud," he said. "They are young yet."
She just nodded, knowing that seemed to be an Inu trait, that had more children should have brought her more peace, but it just made her feel more hollow.
"If I recall, you said your reasons for doing this were selfish. That you were fighting so that you could live in a world where we are," he said.
"And I do," she whispered. "So I should not feel this empty. But I am." She forced herself up from her seat. Pushing back these drowning emotions as she busied herself cleaning the already immaculate kitchen. He watched her coming apart. He rose, coming up behind her, a hand coming over her scrubbing one.
"Stop," he said softly. He pulled her against his chest from behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist. "You are damaging yourself in this selflessness."
"It is for the…"
"Shut up," he said softly into her ear. "They exist, I exist, because of you. Your loneliness is intolerable. Sooner or later, whether you want it or not, Rimiku will happen. It must happen. And you will be alive when it happens in the future, too. It must have been hidden from you somehow in the future, or you knew it had to happen. Probably the boy trying to get to you before you were strong and confident enough to stop him. If it does not happen, everything will change again. And it may all be for nothing at all," Naraku said. "What is causing this emptiness within you?"
She shuddered in his arms, afraid to move. Her body reacting to just his presence alone. Tears threatened her again. Her spiraling emotions and depression could be tasted on the air, not just scented. Naraku wrapped his arm around her waist, his head on her shoulder as his other arm crossed her chest holding him against his chest. His seductive voice purred in her ear.
"Did you know," he whispered in her ear. "that my DNA is the same as yours, just male and youkai?" he said into her ear. "We are still the same, just physically apart. And I think it is destroying you, slowly. I think, I am a construct like Kagura and Kanna were."
She let the tears slip down her cheeks. "I do not want a pissed off Vixen coming after me," she said moving to pull out of his arms.
"She knows about you," he whispered in her ear. "And we foxes aren't the most loyal to our mates. She has many lovers. I'm pretty sure my youngest isn't even mine," he crooned into her ear. "Did you forget my lesson to you?" he purred.
"No, I haven't," she said, "but I don't want your pity."
"Kagome," he whispered into her ear. "This is far from pity."
"You don't understand, he never forgave me," she said. Finally, the fears were coming up to the surface.
"Forgave you? For what?" he asked, turning her around to look to her features stained in misery.
"Li, not offering him a proper mating, going off on my own again and leaving him behind, disappearing on him," the list poured out of her mouth before the tears took over again and she curled her hands over her face, trying to swipe the tears away with the anger at herself for breaking down again.
"Oh you know how hard it is, right now, not to spin a lie and try to steal you away for my own?" he purred. His fingers curling her hands away from her face. "But I promised I would never lie to you, so I won't."
She tried to get her emotions under control. Trying and failing. He pulled her in, curling his arm around her as she broke down on him. He reached into his pocket and picked up his phone, punching one of the contacts.
"Don't care if he's sleeping, wake him up," he said into the phone. "Tell him if he doesn't get up, I'm going to bring her to him…. Don't care, it's not a debate…. Listen pup, I'm going to strip your furry ass for a carpet for my floor if you don't wake him right now…." After a few moments, he put his phone back into his pocket. "Come on girl, let's get you cleaned up. He will be here soon."
"I can't…" she said. "Muteki.." she said softly.
"I'll stay here then," he said. "But you are going to be ready for his visit, come along." He took her upstairs helping her wash up. Walking into her room, looking about. "I always thought this room was… well… pink? Is my memory failing?"
She chuckled. "No, but I have grown up a bit since then," she said. Naraku helped himself in her clothing. Opening the drawer for her underwear he looked at it and canted his head. "Kagome? What … is… this?"
She looked confused at first. "Underwear?"
"For a grannie," he said with a sigh. "Of course why would you need something sexy, right…"
She got up and opened her closet, pulling out another box and throwing it on the bed. "I keep it here, got an overly curious puppy sleeping in the next room."
"Ah! Better," he said opening the box.
"Strip," he said. "Time to do this right." Her eyes looked to him, before she started taking her plain clothing off. "Whoa…" There on her back was the most intricate of tattoos. Beautifully done, and with such detail. Sesshomaru, in his true form, curling around to the right, Li curling around to the left, a battle worn woman with her arms in the air with them both out of reach, all circled around by the four beast gods, and all that surrounded in blue scales of a dragon and clouds. Studying the woman's figure, he realized she wore a plain white shift, moonlight silhouetting her form. Around her shoulders slept a fox. The tattoo covered her whole back, and partially down her arms. "What possessed you to do this? Is this your brother's art too?" he said looking at the intricate work on her back.
She huffed, moving to get ready without him. He realized that may have been a dumb question.
Naraku helped her get dressed. He worked with her now very long hair. Pinning it up into an intricate pattern and using the most delicate of pins to hold it in place.
He came to sit in front of her, and delicately put her make up on her face. "You were always so beautiful, I never understood why you hid all of that without make up, or sensual dress," he said. "There are demonesses that would kill to have your eyes."
"I'm sure there are a few willing to cut them out of my face to get to him," she said with a sigh.
"Now do not gouge out my eyes, but when was the last time you got any tail, Kagome?" he said.
"For you or for me?" she said.
"I know when I last had some," he chuckled.
"Oh then, about 500 years ago," she said with a sigh. "Two years or so for me."
"Never through finishing your college or interning?" he asked.
"When I realized that you had survived, I was interning. Youkai was brought in on a stretcher, somehow still alive despite wounds that should have been dead. I knew what he was, but the techs didn't. I managed to convince the lead doctor to let this be a test case for me, being as they saw him as critical anyway," she said. "Once healed, and on his way I realized that Sesshomaru could come for me at any moment."
"And Gods help a lover if he caught you in flagrante delicto?" he asked.
"Going to brag about your French every chance you get, aren't you? With a human he wouldn't care, but another youkai?" she sighed.
"Right, then he never came," he said. "Then his grandsons show up, threaten your home, and still he is not here."
"I don't even know what name he is using these days," she said. "Taisho, I assume."
"So why the fake name change and married status?" he asked.
"Widowed, thanks. Easier to deal with fawning people who just want a night in the sack or worse a fist in my bank account," she said. "Did that after I figured out he wasn't coming. Bit like the tattoo. Trying to come to terms… get closure… whatever."
"Alright, no talking," he said as he went about painting her lips. "I do hope you have kept up your skills. You may need them." She started to say something to answer. "Ah! No talking." He finished her make up letting her look in the mirror. Her eyes popped seeing her appearance in the mirror. He was really good at this. Her eyes turned back to him and she smiled softly.
"Thank you," she said with a brighter smile than she had in a long time.
"He's here, go out there. Make him sorry for leaving you all this extra time," he said with a purr in his voice. "I'll stay in the guest room and tend to the boy's needs until you come up for air."
She reached in her dressing table and wrote a note for Muteki. "Make sure he sees this or he is going to attempt to take you apart," she said sliding the note over.
"Of course, now go on before he reaches the door," he said.
She nodded and walked downstairs and out the door. He watched her go, and closed the door behind her.
"He finally came," a young voice said from behind him. Turning he saw the young hanyou with black puppy ears. "You finally came too." Naraku canted his head. "I should tear out your innards for leaving her for so long. Her tears still sting my nose."
"You must be Mutekimaru," Naraku said. "How long were you listening?"
"Doesn't matter," he said coldly. "If you leave her again, I will kill you."
"The only way I get to leave her is if I die," he said simply. "Come, this is not for young eyes. Let us go to your room and investigate the proper execution of Grand Theft Auto."
"Feh! Boring," he said waving a hand dismissively. Naraku's curiousity was peaked. Who did this boy belong to?
Kagome walked to the well house, fan in hand. She had been practicing this dance for years, it was the one thing she hadn't ever given up on. She had to steel her courage not to just run to him when she saw him. His steps could be heard as he topped the stone steps to the shrine grounds. It was dark, but she could feel him. Her faded mark on her shoulder almost pulsed with the feel of him nearby. She was sure his must have been gone by now.
The lighting allowed her to see a tall man, dark black hair with silver streaks from his temples. As he approached, he said nothing. She tested her footing below the low backed dress making sure she had full range of motion one last time. He walked up to her, looking down in her painted face, she locked eyes with him, no expression on her face.
"Kagome," his voice was nearly just a whisper.
She gave him a soft smile. "It is so good to see you Sesshomaru," she said softly. Her eyes turned almost stone cold. "Where the hell have you been?"
"Waiting for you," he said.
"Me? How can you wait for someone who doesn't know how to find you?"
"No Kagome, but you needed to finish all the things you had set out to do before I came back to you," he said softly. "Your interning, your life," he said softly. "I refused to pull you into my world until you knew what you were getting into."'
"Of course I know," she said. "I was looking for you." She said refusing to let herself cry now. "I needed you."
"I am right here," he said. "I have been waiting for you."
"Seito is your son?" she asked.
"Yes," he said. "My heir. His mother passed, she was in Hiroshima," he said softly. "My son was with me on holiday at the time. My daughter is at the house," he said. "They are waiting for you to come home."
"Their mother knew of me?" she said amazed.
"Inu, not human, Kagome. She knew I could not, would not mate her. But I assured the lifestyle she wanted in return for my children," he said.
"Troublesome wish granting pink rock, not human either," she said softly. "I got my wish. But I need more."
"As is often the way with wishes," he said. "But I am right here Kagome."
She walked up to him. The white dress she wore gleamed in the moonlight. The low cut back made her shiver as the cold night wind hit her bare skin.
"I challenged Nimuaru to Yakuza," she whispered. His eyes danced in myrth that never reached his face. "I won."
"Then welcome. I shall be sad to see your beautiful cream skinned back bleeding with your tattoo," he said. He was playing with her.
"Then it is good you won't have to," she whispered. He canted his head before slowly putting his hands on her shoulders and turning her slowly around to look at her back. She heard the rustle of fabric before his coat rested on her shoulders. His arms followed it, wrapping around her shoulders, pulling her back against his chest. He rested his head on hers, taking in deep pulls of her scent.
"This one no longer patrols his lands with a flying two headed dragon, but his territories span far and wide. This one would be honored to have a troublesome wish granting pink rock at his side," he said softly. "Come home Kagome."
"I have the hanyou house, and Mutekimaru in the house," she said. "I won't give up either of them," she said softly.
"Of course not," he said. "They are needed. You are needed," he said softly.
"Where are the Beast Gods now? I went to the cave, it was empty," she said softly.
"Safe, revered and adored. We'll try to keep them that way," he said.
"I'll go with you tonight, show me the wonders of the youkai in this world," she said. "But the mating will be your ..." she gasped hard, moaning as she felt his fangs sink deep into her neck, the venom striking into her bloodstream.
"Mine," he said licking over the wounds, sealing them closed. "Anyone else can borrow, but you are mine Kagome Higurashi," he said. She shuddered hard, her hands coming up to hold onto his arms crossed over her chest.
"I love you too," she said shivering in his arms. The venom was so much stronger than she remembered. "Why are we still here?"
An orb of white light was all anyone noticed streaking away from the Shrine.
Inside the well house, a dragon found the energy to smile.
The orb settled and they were far from the shrine. Kagome looked around, then up to his face. His eyes were wrong. Dark brown stared at her and a human face. She tried to see past it, tried to see Sesshomaru below it, and failed. Her fingers came up to where there should be markings, trying to see past it. She sniffed at him, but only smelled his cologne.
"Sesshomaru…" she said softly. "Please…"
He didn't seem to understand at first. She pulled his black and grey hair in front of him, looking at it, inspecting it and it dawned on him. He had been in guise for so long, it seemed ordinary for him but to her, he was a stranger. A glow started around his form, eyes shifting, facial features becoming more elfin, ears elongating, and lastly his markings and pallid skin tone came to light. Youki pervaded the room, and her powers rose to meet it. Instead of snapping and popping around each other like their first heated mating, it caressed over one another. Her scent pervaded his senses. The dulled senses that the guise allowed, also diminished his sense of smell so he could survive this world and its foul odors. But all he could smell right now, was her. The sweet yet musky smell of the annointments over her body. He looked back to her eyes to see them alight, joy and happiness in them. He forgot humans were such creatures of eyesight.
He dipped his head down, nuzzling along her face to her ear, which he nipped at playfully. She returned the affection, her fingers coming to scritch behind his ear. Her other hand came to splay over his belly, running her hands over the strong muscles beneath his expensive suit.
He had warned her centuries ago what happened when you rubbed his belly. And with a grin, he pushed her back to the bed. He tossed his watch onto the nightstand as she turned in the layers of dress she was wearing and moved to crawl away, exposing her backside to him in the process. It really was too bad, it was a lovely dress. His fingers caught the neck of the dress, a claw cutting down the layers.
"This Sesshomaru is cutting my clothing again," she purred. He didn't answer, just pushing the clothing away from her body. She looked over her shoulder to him. A soft, perfectly intoned and perfectly said Inu whine left her throat. It said plainly "Don't leave me like this."
He answered, a soft rumble as apology. And Sesshomaru proceeded to show her exactly how Inu mated, making sure that her mark was made without anger, hate, or anything else other than his complete adoration of her this time. The old one faded away, leaving the new and clean mark in its place. It wouldn't be until after they had bathed, he realized, she had marked him as well. Whomever had trained her, had done so with great care and proficiency.
Naraku smirked to himself as he and the young hanyou played their video games well into the night until the boy was too tired to keep his eyes open. His other half was sated, for the first time, he felt that. He had not ever known this feeling in her before.
Kagome woke the next morning, sore but feeling more comfortable than she had since being forced back to her time. A low rumble under her cheek made her smile. She lifted her face to see Sesshomaru's with his eyes still closed.
"Troublesome pink rock," he murmured.
"Stubborn Inu," she purred, lifting herself up to gently kiss his cheek, just below his markings.
She turned in his arms. "Where are we?"
"Penthouse suite in Tokyo, I keep it for business I have here," he said. "Do not worry, you are safe."
"I wasn't concerned for my safety, I know you would never let me come to harm," she said caressing his cheek. "Just concerned how far I am from the Shrine. I have a boy I care for there, and he is with Naraku right now," she said. "That outfit didn't come with a pocket for a cell phone."
"That outfit isn't fit to be of use ever again," he smirked. "I will have to find something for you to wear home. The boy, you took him in? Why?"
"Inu hanyou, his mother dropped him off at the emergency room stating he was insane, and left him. "I started off as the foster care provider, but quickly realized he couldn't just be out there on his own in the foster care system. He'd end up dead or in prison for sure," she said softly. "He is very strong for his age, and he has a vicious temper. He is also highly intelligent."
"How are you keeping that temper in line?" he asked.
"Gently as possible, but he does have subjugation beads when he loses control," she said. "As do many of the children in the home that was built."
"Mmm. Mine," he grumbled into her ear. She smiled.
"No, mine," she purred back at him.
Soon they would start their life together in this time. Rimiku would be in the far future, and they would get to that bridge eventually. But in the meantime, they had a lot of catching up to do.
But that was a story to come…
FIN