Finally the Truth
by: TrueloverKagome
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and Characters
The Wraith Of a Hanyou
~Back At Camp~
Early that morning Inuyasha started his trip back to camp after being with kikyo that night (A/N: yes we are back tracking to the point where kagome is coming back from her time). As he reached the camp he was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't even notice kagome's presence was missing in the group as she had left all her things with them. As she hadn't the time or the energy to argue with the group on how she wanted to go home. Though inuyasha might not have noticed it that morning but as Shippo woke up he started crying as he couldn't find the woman he saw as his mother anywhere. His cries woke Sango and miroku as they came to the young kits aid.
"Whats wrong shippo" pipped the pervert monk as he knelt while it was sango that held the crying in her arms before looking about for her friend and pretty much sister.
"Where is Kagome?" sango tuned in as she looked down to shippo.
"She went to get a bath last night said something about being restless I didn't stay up I'm sorry I fell asleep......and Okasan never came back" the kit as he curled up in sango's arms as he felt that this was his fault. It was then that Inuyasha joined in.
"Where did that bitch go" he cried out as he was clearly angered by her missing.
"Well what of you inuyasha weren't you out as well did you happen to see her?" the monk asked though he already knew the answer to that one.
"What?!?" he asked as first this blushed and settled down. "No I didn't see her" he said in a matter of fact tone.
"Well then why didn't you see her while coming back this morning? I mean if she were near I'm sure you would sensed her" he said to him as he was trying to bait the hanyou.
'NO I DIDN'T NOW LAY OFF" he shouted as he couldn't stand how he was taking with him.
"So you were with another?" he asked and with that question inuyasha stomped off away from the group.
"What are you getting at Miroku?" asked the slayer as he seemed to know something she didn't.
"I sensed the soul catchers last night not long after Inuyasha left" he stated with a sigh. "I believe he went off with kikyo once again" he stated to her as she started to fume with this piece of information.
"Well no wonder she's not here she must of gone back to her time" sango stated as she looked down to shippo who had seemed to perk up at the thought that his mother was okay.
The group started to gather everything up and clean the campsite as they were going to go and return to the Edo as to settle and wait for her return. Though one thing that was not known to them was that inuyasha was already racing there. As he reached the well he jumped in but no swirls of light came to greet him as he was shocked by this and as he came out to jump back in it wasn't until he tried a good three or four times did e notice that his brothers scent was about the well. He wondered just what he had been here for as he turned to leave to just see the group returning coming towards the well.
"Inuyasha I would have thought you would have gone to retrieve kagome by now" stated miroku in a cold tone though it was sango that was giving the hanyou the death glare.
"And I would have had it let me" he barked at them as a look of shock took the group.
"The well does not work?" sango asked as she couldn't hold back the worry from her voice.
"I smelt kagome there it was fresh maybe an hour or two but.......there was another that lingered there as well" he stated as he gave a small growled that maybe the group start to worry even more.
"Who was it" cried out Shippo as he wanted to know if his mother was alive.
"Sesshoumaru" he stated blankly as he just wasn't all that sure to do. He kept out the fact that he had smelt kagome's blood and Sesshoumaru's poison as he wasn't sure if he should do anything about it. As he had promised kikyo her death so that she might live. Convincing him that she herself was better as she was a proper trained miko that knew what she was doing while kagome she was one that couldn't even fight in battle always having to be saved never able to help like kikyo would be able too.
"Is that all?" Miroku asked interrupting the hanyou's thoughts to ask the question.
"Yes thats it" he said as he growled a little more. He didn't want kagome there with his brother as he knew that even she did not deserve to be in such hands. As he turned and started walking towards the west. "We're going to get her back" he barked as he started heading there. He wasn't sure where the castle was and all he knew was that it would be deep within the Western lands.
Though the group followed they hung back to talk amongst themselves as they all felt that something was being left out about it all. It was shippo that spoke first on the matter though.
"Why would she leave without telling us" he whimpered out as he rode the shoulder of miroku while Sango held kirara petting the small form of the neko demon to calm herself.
"Well I guess there could be reason's maybe she saw something she didn't want to talk or even think about. Her staying with us would have just started something for her this morning and that might not been what she wanted." he stated as they all knew that kagome took the brunt of things when it came to what inuyasha did with his 'alone' time.
"Well I hope she's okay thats all that matters" chimed sango which only pissed inuyasha off as he had heard it all from where he was walking as he whipped about staring at them.
"Okay?! She's with my bastard killing half brother and you think her okay! Have you gone mad his tried to kill us and kagome numerous of times and yet you think she is still alive" he screamed out only causing shippo to start crying as Miroku cradled the kit as Sango sent him a glare for upsetting the child.
"You don't have to be so harsh about it. You never know inuyasha" shouted Sango as she didn't want inuyasha to upset the kit anymore than he already had. Inuyasha glared at them before taking off running far head of them jumping from tree to tree in hopes to out run the pain of knowing what he was to do for the one he loved. Though the more he thought the more he started to truly decide if he was going to do it. Yes he had promised kikyo but was it really needed to kill her so that she was to live.
Sango gave a sigh as she looked to kirara as she jumped out of her arms and transformed into her larger form roaring out as she did before bending a little to allow her mistress to get on as miroku and shippo got on behind her. Shippo had fallen asleep in miroku's arms from crying it all out as kirara took the skies to follow the hanyou.
The group reached the borders of the western lands by night fall but decided that they would stay out of it for the night as they would still camp just outside of it. Though as the group settled down everyone could tell that inuyasha was having anxiety from being so close to the lands. Throughout their travels inuyasha had avoided the western lands with a passion and they all knew of it but with this happening there was no more avoid it. The group settled down in the camp as sango fixed something from kagome's bag as kagome had taught them to cook it incase she was ever in her own time and they had need of it.
Inuyasha ate his food in silence as he thought more on just what to do. If he was to follow what kikyo had set out for him then leaving kagome to his brother would work out just fine for he was certain that sesshoumaru would kill her off for him. Though as his eyes drifted up to the stars through the branches he felt that maybe this was wrong. Kagome had a life, family and a future still while kikyo well her only family will be coming to her own death within a few years while in truth she had no other reason for life other than himself. Inuyasha gave a sigh as he let himself relax into the tree as the others had already drifted off to sleep.
~Back At The Castle~
Kagome still laid in bed as the sweats had died done but she still had a fever. Somehow the visit from sesshoumaru seemed to ease the young miko as she laid there. Many of the healers were puzzled by the fact that she was even there. Yes they had seen the necklace and only knew it be to a sign of protection from the western lands as well as the northern. Though that was all that all that they were to know as there was much more behind that necklace.
As the daylight broke through the window sill sesshoumaru started to wake. He had gotten the best sleep in a long while. As a demon he never really needed to sleep all that much but laying down to at least meditate was needed each night for him to be able to control such things on his plate. He was the lord of the Western lands son of the great dog general much was expected of him and with that he took things very seriously and rarely ever got peaceful sleep for one reason or another. Though as he started to gather himself for the day. He dressed in his normal formal wear putting his tail about his shoulder letting it fall down before placing his armor on and stashing his two swords at his side where they belong. Walking out of his room he walked to the dinning room that was in the northern wing where most of the dinners celebrations and rituals were done. While the east wing was a guest wing so that neighboring lords and their entourage would stay while visiting. The southern wing where kagome was held the servants quarters medical wing along with a few private rooms and kitchen. The entire western wing was off limits to visitors as only family was to be there and those few honored guest. It had never had a human there before Rin came to live at the castle as that was where she resided now.
As he came to the dinning room doors he could already hear the audible chat and giggles of the little girl rin as she sat along the long low table with the fluffy pillows that would allow one to seat there for any amount of time. Though as he opened the door the girl went silent as if on cue. She turned to sesshoumaru with a smile as she sat there.
"Good morning Lord sesshoumaru" she perked up at him as the toad would grumble something about 'stupid human' or something another.
"Good morning my lord" bowed jaken as he bowed his head until sesshoumaru nodded to both of them before taking the head seat at the table. The moment he sat down there was a quick rush of servants coming to fill their plates with food. As the food was placed on the plate rin and jaken waited for sesshoumaru to take the first bite before starting on their own meal as that was how it would always go about.
Sesshoumaru picked up his chopsticks and began his meal to hear the other two start to eat as well. He gave a mental grin as he watched rin eat as she had seemed to learn a little about manners but he knew with jaken as a teacher nothing would come to be when there were needed. His thoughts returned to the girl that laid in bed.
'Maybe she could watch over rin. They both seem to enjoy one another and from what this sesshoumaru has seen the miko is educated' he thought as he looked down to his ward. He knew that she would love the fact that kagome was here but he wasn't sure if he should ring the child to her. Though as he sat and ate he knew he would bring her to kagome. Maybe in hopes that the small girl would bring the miko back to the world of living. As the small group finished it was sesshoumaru that spoke first this time.
"Rin you will come with me but you must be quiet as not to disturb anyone understand" he said to her as she looked to him with a smile nodding her head. He then stood and started to turn to leave towards the southern wing. Jaken was a little shocked by this the lord never went to the southern wing unless the medical wing. Though as he thought it over there had already been rumors of a woman there but not much detail in anything other than a woman hurt on one but the healers knew it was inuyasha's wench and that it had been sesshoumaru's own poison that had put her in such a condition.
As sesshoumaru lead the girl to the medical wing he looked back to her as if to give her another silent warning to keep the noise down and she nodded in return. He opened the door and once again the head healer was there bowing to him. Rin stood behind the lords leg not sure if she should step out behind them yet.
"How is she today" he asked the healer as she noticed the girl there behind him and couldn't help but smile to her.
"She has improved but the fever has yet to break and she won't take anything down" she said to him while still bent low. Upon hearing this he knew she must have some form of nourishment as it was highly needed for humans.
"Leave" he simply stated as he didn't feel the need to say all that he had the night before. As he walked up to the bed it was then Rin saw who they had been speaking of.
"Lady Kagome!" she squealed as she rushed onto the bed.
"Rin silent" he stated to her as she placed a hand over her mouth and nodded.
Though the damage had already been done as kagome gave a whimper and groan from being woken in such a manner. Her head was pounding and opening her eyes were more of a task than she was use too. She looked and saw rin then looked to the other side to see sesshoumaru there. She really wasn't sure what to think as she laid there. Her skin pale from the fever but her face was still a bit flushed as well. It was a sad look on her face as she looked to sesshoumaru.
"Lady Kagome are you okay?" asked rin as she couldn't believe she had been sick like this.
Kagome turned to look to the young girl as she gave her a smile. "I'm....fine rin" she said to her though her voice cracked and her head seemed to pulse with pain for a moment before she returned to normal. Sesshoumaru went to the door calling for the healer once more as she set to work on getting kagome some water and sent for a broth to be brought up.
"What happened to you lady kagome" asked the girl as a tension suddenly grew in the air.
"A misunderstanding.....really" she said as she kept it from rin that it had been sesshoumaru that had hurt her like this.
"Oh well I'm sure lord sesshoumaru will help make things better" gleamed the girl as kagome nodded her head as she understood how much the girl idolized the demon lord.
Sesshoumaru had been shocked by how kagome didn't jump at the chance to make the demon lord look bad in front of his ward no instead she was actually defending him.
'She is loyal' his inner beast purred
'With the half breed yes' he coldly stated back.
'Then why defend our honor when she is loyal to the half breed would she not be trying to tear you down if she were' his beast stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
'Doesn't matter either way she's not ours!!' he growled as his beast just seemed to laugh at the statement.
'Yet!' he simply said before leaving him once more to himself.
Sesshoumaru stayed off to the side as rin and the healer started to care for kagome as they had her sitting up and drinking from the broth. He gave an inward smile as this would be the second time the poison hadn't killed her though in truth this time he hadn't meant to kill her.
A/N: alright I hope that is long enough I'm glad for being able to write it enough. I'm grateful for everyone that has been reviewing this is the only thing right now that is pushing me through the the death of my great grandmother. Each time I see how many look about my story I feel better with each hit. Thank you so much!!!