Disclaimer: We claim no ownership over both of these manga/anime
Beta: The Lovely Kaykai-sama (Me!)
A Vampire's Ocean Gem: Keeping a Blood Secret
Sesshoumaru sat underneath the shade of an old, gnarled tree as he watched Rin play some silly game with Jaken and Ah-Un. Rin was having the little toad youkai close his eyes and count to ten, while she hid in random places. Though he seemed reluctant, Sesshoumaru knew that the green youkai adored the child just as much as he. Taking his eyes off the girl briefly, he gazed at the sky. The bright blue color gave a striking resemblance to the eyes of the futuristic miko that slowly wound her way into his heart.
Kagome...
The wind shifted and Sesshoumaru stood. "Rin. Jaken. We are leaving."
The girl's large doe brown eyes widened as a bright smile spread over her face. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!"
Jaken made a sound in the back of his throat at the fact that the child beat him at responding to his lord's command and sulked as he gather his two-headed staff and followed quickly behind them, grabbing Ah-Un's reins as he did. "Sesshoumaru-sama, if I may. Where are we going exactly?"
"We are going to meet up with Inuyasha in Edo. The final battle is not too far off." And to see if Kagome has returned. a small smirk seemed to always cross his face when he thought of the miko from the future. As the small group continued its trek to the village that housed Inuyasha and his company, Sesshoumaru allowed his thoughts to wander.
Higurashi Kagome, guardian and protector of the Shikon no tama…what are you to this, Sesshoumaru? Every time your name is mentioned my interest is immediately drawn to the subject. Have you bewitched this one? Whenever we speak, however little that is, I feel so connected to you. They stopped so that Rin could forage some food, once she had done so they began again. It is almost like how I care for Rin, no it is something deeper and it frustrates me to no end. Higurashi Kagome, I feel as if I know so much about you and yet…I want more….
"Rin hopes that Kagome-nee-chan is there!" Rin chirped as she looked up at the tall Inu with another bright smile. "Don't you want to see her also, Sesshoumaru-sama!"
Jaken scoffed. "You insufferable child, of course Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't want to see that wretched miko. She is only needed for her assistance in the fight with Naraku!"
Sesshoumaru cut his amber-gold eyes at the toad. "Jaken…"
The green youkai froze and before he could blink, pain erupted throughout his tiny body and he was left behind twitching in pain. "Doshite, Sesshoumaru-sama…" This happens every time I talk badly about that miko, now.
Sesshoumaru scented his hanyou brother before he heard him. So, he was prepared for the rash attack he was greeted with. The full Inu unsheathed Bakusaiga and locked blades with Inuyasha's Tessaiga, "Is this any way to greet your aniki?"
"Shut the hell up! What do you want, kono yarou!"
The elder brother pushed Inuyasha away from his person and ran his fingers through his hair. "You incompetent fool. Have you not sensed it?"
The houshi and taijiya, hoping to help their hanyou companion, hopped off the nekomata and lowered the weapons when they realized that it was the Daiyoukai of the western lands. "Sesshoumaru-sama."
The inuyoukai regarded them with a slight incline of his head.
"Inuyasha put away your sword. Sesshoumaru-sama is not here to fight." Miroku told the Inu hanyou, who scoffed and sheathed Tessaiga.
A slight tugging at the sleeve of his haori made the hanyou look down to see the little girl that follows Sesshoumaru. "Keh! What do you want?"
She gave him a wide smile, her chocolate eyes sparkling with innocent admiration. "Konichiwa Inu-nii-chan! Rin had missed you. Did you miss Rin?" she bit her lips as amusement bubbled within her as she carefully watched Inuyasha reactions.
Two set of amber eyes widened at the girl's declaration. Inuyasha shifted his eyes from Rin's to his brother only to see that he had already regained his expressionless mask, observing his every movement. Swallowing dryly, since he knew how fiercely protective Inu are over their pack members, Inuyasha placed his hand gently on the child's head and ruffled her hair slightly. She let a huge smile appeared on her face as her head bow lightly.
Inu-nii-chan is so kawaii! She glanced back up to his face at the sound of his usual 'keh' and could not help but blossom another smile, showing her pearly white teeth.
"Keh." was the only thing that came to his mind. Their eyes clashed for a brief moment before Inuyasha looked away. Rin let out a cute giggle before she turned and greet the others, her feet light and bounce with airily joy.
"Konichiwa Sango-nee-chan!"
"Konbanwa, Rin-chan." the taijiya smiled down at the little girl.
Rin turned to the houshi and gave smile a wide, bright smile as well. "Konichiwa, Miroku-nii-chan!"
"Konichiwa, Rin-sama."
Inuyasha let out a low exhale and shoved his hands into the folds of his bright red haori, lifting his nose in the air, mumbling something about annoying brats and their questions. As he started to walk off the wind shifted and two familiar scents drifted up to his nose. One was the sweet floral scent he'd come to love meaning that Kagome had returned, but the other…smelled of death and graveyard soil… Kikyou.
To say Inuyasha was torn was an understatement. He didn't know whether to keep his promise to Kagome and meet her at the well or go and retrieve his first love in preparation of the upcoming battle against Naraku. Closing his eyes he sent a mental apology to Kagome and bounded off in the direction Kikyou was in. Miroku, who sensed the magic of the well, shook his head in disappointment. Sango's eyes held a dark look in them before they brightened when Rin tugged on her kimono.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, how about we return to the village."
"Hn. Rin, Jaken, you two shall go with the taijiya and houshi. I have some business to attend to." the Daiyoukai had also scented the undead miko and her supposed reincarnation and still to this day wondered why his idiotic brother chose the dead one over the live one.
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin grabbed Sango's hand and proceeded to follow the woman back to Edo, who promised that she could play with her kitsune friend, Shippou.
The scent of the present day miko grew stronger with every step towards the dry well and Sesshoumaru found himself anticipating seeing her. When these strange feelings first touched his cold heart he briefly wondered if she had bewitched him, but quickly squashed it. Kagome was too pure to do such things; she had to remain so for she is the Guardian of the Shikon. Over time he watched her carefully, trying to figure at how she caused his pulse to raise slightly at the mere sight of her, how she managed to melt the ice that covered his heart with just the sound of her bell like laugh, how her scent sent his inner youkai howling with pleasure. She was an enigma that he wanted to solve, but his pride and honor wouldn't allow it.
She was ningen and he was youkai. Two species that were never meant to be together and his half-brother was the perfect example. The strong powerful blood of youkai isn't meant to mix with the weaker blood of ningen. Hanyou are a disgrace to both of the races. If a hanyou's lives are threatened the youkai blood reacts to protect the body and slowly eats away at their ningen soul until they finally become a being that only knows how to kill and fight. Even if Sesshoumaru did admit to have feelings for the miko he would not place her in that predicament.
Always knowing that she couldn't have the children that she may want in the future. Knowing that her children were ticking time bombs that would explode at any given moment. No, Sesshoumaru would keep his feelings a secret and wished only for her happiness.
Brushing past a low hanging branch the Bone Eater's Well was in his sight and Kagome's powerful scent hit him hard and Sesshoumaru couldn't stop himself from breathing in deeply. Hearing a soft grunt from the well, he immediately walked over to the dry well and looked down; indeed she was there. Higurashi Kagome. Thrusting one clawed hand, he smiled faintly when her tiny hand wrapped around his own and he helped her up. The smile she graced him with was heartwarming and her voice was filled to brim with respect and admiration for him.
"Konichiwa, Sesshoumaru-sama."
"Miko." he almost had to force himself to turn away from her. "Come, the others are waiting."
"Hai!" she readjusted her grip on the light blue backpack and followed the tall inuyoukai back to the village. Kagome briefly wondered why it was Sesshoumaru escorting her back and not her hanyou companion until she felt a slight twinge of pain in her soul and she scoffed. Of course. Kikyou is near.
Soon her thought traveled to her future high school, Cross Academy. I wonder why this school is so isolated and only a select few students are accepted into the grounds? Cross Academy may be the biggest mystery and I want to be the one who solves it! Plus what is with the strange aura around Takuma-kun and his friends? Every time I send my reiki out to investigate it, I'm blocked by some kind of barrier. Ichijo Takuma…just what are you? Just the slight mentioning of his name had the sight of the blonde pestering in her mind. His deep jade green eyes focused and commanded her attention. She felt numb. There was a lack of feeling of her hands and then pulses of liquid fire.
Kagome glanced down at her hand, subconsciously not wanting to call attention to the tall being walking next to her. She took a deliberate breath and the sounds of her slightly accelerated pounding heart rung in her ears.
Takuma...
There was something else that followed that thought but she did not dare to continue. Something is happening, something that she did not know if she had the courage to venture toward.
Scenting her distress and not liking it one bit, Sesshoumaru called her out on it. "Miko, what ails you?"
"Ah!" she blinked innocently. "It's nothing for you to concern yourself with. Just some school problems."
Though he knew she was not telling him the whole truth, the Daiyoukai decided to not delve into her person matters. "Hn."
The two of them walked to Edo in a comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's presence. Soon they heard the unmistakable sound of Rin and Shippou's laughter as they played together. The kitsune immediately paused in his actions when he sensed the powerful youkai that could only belong to the lord of the western lands and the clean, pure scent of the woman he saw as his mother.
"Kaa-chan!"
"Shippou-chan!"
The auburn haired youkai ran to the young woman, jumping into her open arms and hugged her tightly. He let out a loud joyous laugh when she spun him around a few times before setting him down on his feet. Kagome looked up and spotted Rin gazing at her and Shippou, a slight sadden expression etched on her youthful face. A smile blossomed on her face as she called out for her.
"Rin-chan! Come over here. I missed you!"
The girl's bright chocolate eyes lit up as she rushed over to the older woman. "Kagome-nee-chan! Rin has missed you as well!"
"Miko. Inuyasha is here with the dead one."
Her ocean blue eyes watched the willowy figure of the one known to others as her incarnation. Her sharp analytic gaze was skillfully veiled behind an innocent doe like light. She searched within herself to and focused on her own essence, her soul. The hum of warmth and serenity of herself that she was so used to that she could hardly notice the familiarity. There was a connection, a string of humming energy, connected to the walking gollum.
This is me, I am no one else.
Kagome pushed Rin behind her as the hanyou slowly drug his feet out of the forest, his hand clasped tightly with Kikyou's. She pressed her mouth in a thin line as the pair approached her and the children. When Inuyasha was within her line of view, Kagome saw that his ears were pressed against his skull in guilt. Her gaze, unsifting, clashed with vibrate red of the Fire rat kimono and ascended to guilt mask face that was haloed by wild and untamed silver-white hair.
I feel nothing. So simple. There is no heartache. How did this came to be?
"Kagome, I-"
She raised her hand. "Save it, Inuyasha. I told you before that I long realized that there was no room for me in your heart. Kikyou is the one you will always love. I refuse to be second place any longer." Kagome turned a bright smile down at the children. "How about we go color, ne?" There was a mist of sadness, but it was not caused by guilt of the situation. Kagome was saddened by the scarcity of her own feelings by the sight before her. Her supposed incarnation grasping the hand of the one she had thought she loved and yet she felt nothing.
As Kagome led the two children back to Kaede's hut, Inuyasha let out a low whine from the back of his throat. His attention was brought back to the woman at his side when she squeezed his hand gently.
"Inuyasha. It is okay. My reincarnation is needed only for the final battle and nothing else. You needn't worry yourself." Kikyou spoke gently to her love.
"Yeah, I guess." he never once took his eyes off Kagome's retreating form until she disappeared inside of the hut.
The first onslaught of Naraku's attack came out of nowhere. Kagura, on her giant white feather, sent out her fujin no mai and destroyed many of the huts of the small village of Edo. Kagome rushed out of Kaede's hut, her long bow gripped tightly in her hands as she notched an arrow onto the bow string. She purified the youki filled air around the wind sorceress, allowing Sesshoumaru to attack her with his Bakusaiga.
With Kagura unable to use her left arm, she flew off, saying that she only wished for her freedom. She had no desire to die for Naraku. The aforementioned hanyou turned youkai sent out many of his youkai puppets as Kanna, the void youkai, walked up slowly behind Kagome with her mirror poised in her hands.
Sango tossed her Hiraikotsu threw the air, destroying many of the youkai puppets that surrounded her and Miroku, cursing when once of them got past her defenses and sliced her cheek open. Miroku saw this and as he watched the blood drip down her face, rage filled him and he called out for everyone to stand back as he opened the Kazaana.
Inuyasha released his Kaze no Kizu, killing three youkai puppets and looked over to see Kikyou purifying one that was going to attack his unprotected back. He sent her a quick thanks before gauging in another fight with a puppet. Naraku cackled at the pitiful group that battle his youkai puppets. They had yet to realize his true goal. He knew that the hanyou would always believe that he was after Kikyou's life.
While that was true, Naraku also wanted to see Kagome in a pool of her own crimson life giving fluids. Those bright oceanic eyes glazed over in death, that pretty porcelain face pale with the blue tint of the recently deceased, her dark raven hair matted with dirt and blood. Oh, how he long to see that. A smirk crossed his face when he saw that Kanna was in position behind the miko and that her friends were too deeply engaged with the battle to notice. Putting the slightest pressure on the void youkai's heart, he gave her the signal.
Kagome heard a quiet shuffling behind her and shifted on her heels to spot the white haired detachment of Naraku's, Kanna, with her mirror already glowing. Before she could even raise her bow to defend, Kagome felt herself being tugged inside the mirror and darkness filled her vision.
Shippou saw this from inside the hut and began to weep for his mother as the sinister cackling of the vile kumo youkai, Naraku, filled his ears.
Kaa-chan…
Sorry for the long Hiatus with this chapter. CrescentMelody and I went through an idealess period, but hopefully that will come to an end quickly :)
Review please!
Thank you.
~The Lovely Kaykai-sama
~CrescentMelody