SammyJams, thank you. I felt it was a needed touch in this case, after all Kagome did help with Rin in the series so it made sense. windbreaking, I thought it would be the best person for her to run into during this time of separation and while I was unaware of the library it was a good idea and so I ran with it a bit. Thanks for that bit of inspiration. And, yeah, he could spoil her, but she wouldn't be one to accept all of that attention. She doesn't like to take much from anyone, especially one that she is aware of that ends up with a wife by her same name. No, she worried about it in the series so I wouldn't think her to still believe that she would end up with Hojo for a spouse. She didn't like his descendant like that and this Hojo is so close to him in that way. His mannerisms and such. But again. Thanks. Enjoy the next chapter. :)
Kagome walked into the library in Hojo's large castle, the home so ornate and beautiful with all the artifacts that seemed to fill the home to compacity. She had been in his home for a few days now and still found so much new things to read, or to look at. She knew her grandfather would have died in a place such as this, so full of all the history that he loved to talk about...even if no one was listening. It made her sad to think about, the tears welling up at the thought that she hadn't been home in what felt like forever. She wondered if her family was thinking about her and wondering as to why she had been absent for so long, but she knew that while they may worry about her long absence from her own time they also trusted that not only did she know how to take care of herself, but that she was with Inuyasha, and that they trusted him with her life. That just brought more misery down upon her. She had yet to find out if anyone had seen them, Hojo being so nice as to have one of his many scouts out and about looking for her friends while she rested here.
It had been strange at first, being in a new place, in an unfamiliar bed at night, but thru it all she was just glad that she wasn't lost and alone in a world that, while she had spent so much time in, was unfamiliar to her past where they usually roamed. Then again, she didn't know how far she was since no one in this time, save for her group, knew about Tokyo...it wasn't called that yet and again that made her emotions fly all over the place. In all the time that she had spent here she hadn't even bothered to find out what the area where Kaede's village was called. She knew it wasn't named after Kaede since the woman didn't own the small village herself, and while Inuyasha's forest was well known by their village, no one else knew it by that name. At least as far as she knew. She had never asked another soul if they knew of the infamous Hanyou and his stint on the God Tree. Walking past the shelves that were filled with scrolls, ones she knew would become a wonderful library in her time, she touched the wood that housed them. She was filled with a sense of wonder that she would see such fine artifacts before they became that. Of course it wouldn't be long in the making as she knew the time for it to become real.
"You feeling better?" Hojo asked as he entered the large room. He had been watching her for a moment, noting how graceful she was, but also noting that there were indeed changes in the woman before him. She glowed in a strange way, or maybe it was the light that filtered in from the outside that made it seem that she was glowing. Whatever it was it made her appear untouchable at the angle he had been viewing her from. Kagome turned to him, her brown eyes still looking sad, before stating that she felt a little better. "You still don't want any medicine?" She had been so torn on telling him of her condition, but she had held back, unsure of how it would look in this era. An unmarried woman, pregnant and unsure of the father who had sired her unborn child. Even now she felt that Naraku was lying, and when wasn't the evil fucker doing that to twist things the way he wanted them? Then again, maybe knowing she was pregnant would hit home that she was in dire straits and really needed to get back to her friends. Not that he wasn't doing all he could do, but with her condition and the fact that she was still on the run from Naraku, yeah, she was in some dire straits. She did want to fight the bastard, but she wasn't stupid enough to go in by herself. No, she had been gun ho about doing that before, but now that she had had sleep, had been fed enough to actually have some strength and time...she had had some time to think and she knew that was suicidal for her to even think that she could do it alone.
"Truthfully," she said, pausing to make sure she had his attention. "It probably will be an on and off thing for a while." She waited, waited for him to get the hint without her saying it, but after what felt like hours and judging by the look on his face, well, let's just say he and his descendant were not that much different save for the hair style and the fact that his eyes weren't as large as the Hojo in her time.
"I can get more herbs if you need it...or a doctor," he said, rushing to add the last part when she shook her head. No, she didn't want those things? What did she need and what did she mean by it wo- "Oh," he said and she saw his hurt, it reflected in his blue eyes. He was so easy to read and while she was understandably confused as to why he was so hurt by her news and not upset or even trying to throw her out she waited. "Is he the father?" he asked, knowing that she would guess who he was talking about. She looked down, ashamed that she didn't know that answer, but that it couldn't be him. No, Inuyasha didn't look at her like that. Somewhere in the back of her mind she scoffed that she would even lie to herself. She wasn't ashamed that she didn't know. She was ashamed that it wasn't him. Big difference!
"Truthfully, no, not him, but that's all I'm comfortable with saying," she said, her face turning a slight pink with the uncomfortable feeling that came with her admission. She wouldn't want to tell anyone that she was going to be a single mother, no, that wasn't as bad as not knowing who the father was, but it was still a sting to her heart and that organ was already suffering enough. "So, when are you going to get to building that library?" He knew what she was trying to do, and while he wanted to push her for more answers he knew that he was wrong to pry. She didn't need that right now and he also found that he wanted to know who had taken her for their own. Still, he answered her questions as the pair spent their time looking into his extensive collection.
Inuyasha sniffed the air as the sun rose high in the sky above the group, most of them were still sleeping while others, like Sesshomaru and he, were wide awake. They didn't need that much sleep as a human did, but demons like Shippo did. He was still a kid after all. There was something out there, something that had his nose twitching with every breeze that blew softly and he didn't like it. There were humans that were maybe just a few yards out, a group of them and then there was something else...something both familiar and something he didn't want to deal with at this juncture. As he closed his eyes for a moment he heard his brother release a soft sigh, one that spoke volumes even if it wasn't all that clear to others who didn't know the dog demon.
"Are you going to see what she wants?" Sesshomaru asked, quite unhappy it seemed with their company. After all, this dead Miko had caused more than enough trouble in his opinion. Golden eyes opened at that question, noting with a frustrated feeling that seemed to come whenever the other Miko called for him. He didn't want to go to her. After thinking it thru on this journey to find Kagome, he didn't trust Kikyo and her ideals on his life or who he had close to him. No, she wasn't needed or wanted in his life. He owed her nothing.
"I don't particularly care what she wants," he stated. "I don't owe her anything but the death of Naraku and that is all she's gonna get from me." His brother chuckled at that, an amused sound that was uncommon to be heard of from his cold brother. It had to be because of that girl that he kept in his care. The soul collectors chose that moment to circle around his group and that upset him. Growling low he stood up from his spot in the tree that overlooked their camp, but soon he found that he wasn't the only one upset with her creatures circling them. His brother now moved to strike down the slithering forms as they moved to close to not only him, but his ward.
"Well, either tell her to fuck off or find out what the hell she wants," he hissed as he struck another one down. "I don't want her or her creatures anywhere near my ward." Inuyasha could understand that and while he did he also hated that she would allow such an intrusion, but then again she wasn't the person she had been before her death. Not that he could figure since while they had shared time together he wasn't aware of all her personality flaws. This was what it was to him. A flaw that could be from her revived form or a former one that he had no clue about.
"What the hell, Inuyasha!" Sango growled as she began to swipe at the newest soul collector to replace the others that were disappearing in the wind, dust that was left behind with each death. "Tell your stupid bitch to keep her shit to herself." Her yelling only seemed to cause more problems as the others awoke to the appearance of the creatures. Rin seemed scared as she clung to Sesshomaru, who was upset for that very reason while Sango and Jaken joined into killing the bothersome pests. Even Miroku seemed offended by the things, though he was less verbal about it as he slammed one into the group before pulling out sutras to place around their campsite. As the sutras were placed in strategic places the soul collectors burned as they tried to enter the circle. Shippo awoke then, rubbing his eyes at the feeling of said sutras and the sounds and smells of the collectors dying that hit him.
Sighing Inuyasha got ready to go to his former flame only to be held back by Miroku, a serious look on his face. "Do you really want to go and see her now?" Kagome wasn't here to bother with the fact that he was once again leaving to respond to his summoning by the dead Miko. He thought about and knew without a doubt that he really didn't want to go to her. He had a more important task to complete. Finding Kagome was upmost at this point, but he knew that they couldn't travel with the sutras around them so it was the only option. It was as if the monk knew his dilemma. "We can wait until she comes to you...or we could all confront her with you." Miroku knew that neither one of these would please the Miko, but he could care less and he knew the people with them would love a chance to confront the dead woman.
It didn't take very long for a rather peeved off Miko to arrive and while she did arrive, she took her time, watching them as she approached. She noted that the slayer looked irritated with her, the monk looked unconcerned, the fox kit was neither as he was trying to sooth a small child that was hiding behind the demon that stared her down with a look that she was sure would have killed her if he possessed such a power. The toad demon, he was glaring her down as well. As if I care about them. Inuyasha was looking rather pissed off as well, his golden orbs narrowed at her as he tensed. She could feel the tension coming off of him in waves and she found it more irritating than the fact that he had not come when she had summoned. He always had before and while at times he had been open to her cold affections he wasn't anymore. He had started to come to her in a foul mood before it became a task to get him to come to her at all and now it seemed that he had gained a backbone. "Inuyasha, come, we must talk."
"No." It was a simple answer and yet the confusion on her face made him continue, "I am too busy to even bear your presence and even if I wasn't I have nothing to say to you unless you have news about Naraku." Scowling at him, his words making her skin burn in anger, if she could even flush in this body. He didn't want her anymore and she knew it was because of the girl. That trashy little copy of hers.
"She doesn't want you, Inuyasha. Can't you see that she has spread h-"
"SHUT UP!" he bellowed, his voice shaking as he allowed his anger to take over. He didn't have time for this pettiness. No, Kagome needed him and he needed to get to her, even his demon was growling low in his mind. She's a threat to mate. He couldn't agree more at that moment. He needed to get on the road and now! "If what you have to say is not concerning our fucking mutual enemy than I have nothing to say or hear from you." It was a final statement, no one needed to add anything and she knew it, but she opened her mouth to speak and again she was cut off.
"I think he made his point," Sango spit out with venom threading thru her tone. Kikyo shot her a dirty look, one that reflected on how she felt about the added comment. She had no love for this group and if she had it her way she would have them gone from her life. They were a bad influence on the male before her, but instead of saying anything she gave him a look full of promises to finish this conversation... privately, but he stared her down. He wanted her to say something. His demon was thirsting for a chance to tear into her. Not only for the fact she had wanted to get rid of it to begin with, but for Kagome as well. She deserved nothing but that since she had opened her mouth with such blasphemous words toward the woman he claimed as his mate. She walked away, her soul collectors following closely to her as she disappeared into the thicket.
"I don't think she will dare to come back," Jaken stated, sure that once she had been stared down by his lord that she would be wise enough to stay back, but his lord held another view completely on that matter.
"No, she will," he stated as Miroku began to remove the sutras only to look up as a group of men, a small one consisting of only five men, appeared from the left of where Kikyo had gone.
"Now what?!" the Hanyou growled, tired of all the visitors they had had this morning. He wanted to get on the road, his demon was coming to the surface and while he wanted to hold it back he also wanted to get on with their journey, the prize at the end of said excursion his missing Miko. The group watched them, one of them removing a paper from a pouch on his waist, taking only a look at its contents before returning it to where he had retrieved it. He looked to the others with him, saying something that even the demons couldn't hear from that distance.
"Hey!" one of them called out, his voice carrying across the clearing. Inuyasha growled, but noted that the men didn't approach and they didn't pull any weapons out, so what did they want? No one said anything, all of them waiting for the men to continue. "Are you Inuyasha?" He moved then, his group hurrying to clean up as the Hanyou and his brother approached, both on alert and not only from the fact that Kikyo could still come out, but from how these humans knew his name and what they wanted with him. As soon as they were mere feet from the men, Inuyasha stated that he was who they thought he was.
"Yeah, that's my name and what is it to you?" he spat, still irritated as to being held up.
"We were sent to find you by our lord's guest," the one that was the leader as the others remained silent, though their eyes spoke volumes of how they felt coming to retrieve the Hanyou, but they would do as their lord requested. "They are but a few days travel from here."
"And whom is your lord's guest?" Sesshomaru inquired, notching a brow up at their vagueness. Did they think they had found the wrong person?
"A Lady Kagome." That was all it took for the rest of the members, who had just come up on them, to share shocked and elated reactions to the news. Inuyasha felt his body relax, for the first time since this had all started. That tension returned though when it struck him that Kagome was with a lord of all people. Who did they know that was a lord or was it just someone who had found her and when asked she had supplied who she had been traveling with? And how long had she been with this lord? Sesshomaru shot his brother a look, telling him to move as he turned to ensure his ward was close as he inclined his head to tell the men to lead the way. They hesitated at his gesture, confused since the woman with the lord had said nothing about another demon in the group save for the Hanyou and a fox kit, but then turned to head back to their home. The rest of them followed behind, all thinking along the lines of Inuyasha.
Ah, so another chapter done. I hope you enjoyed it. The group is now on the way to their missing team-mate and Kikyo has burned her bridge to Inuyasha with her words and actions, though they don't know how much she really has done behind the scenes...not with her lies to the Hanyou and the truth that had him pulling a confession out of his Miko earlier than she was comfortable, but that's for another chapter. Stay safe!