Koikokoro (Awakening Love)

Chapter Three: Time Will Play

In was silent. Dead silent. No one in the shop dared to even breathe as Sesshomaru came in. He had his stoic mask up, a good sign that it was in fact Sesshomaru. A good sign. He glanced around at the occupants of the room before moving behind the side counter. He pulled out a mug and poured the hot coffee that had been sitting out. He brought the mug to his lips and sipped at it. To the trained eye his brow twitched just a bit before he place the cup back down. He picked up a container of hazelnut and vanilla creamer and after swishing it around poured a generous amount into his mug.

It stayed dead silent even as he padded up the stairs to the uppers rooms. Only the creaking on the floor boards could be heard. Sesshomaru took a long drag on the scorching hot liquid as he ascended the staircase. It was hotter up stairs and he undid the first few buttons of his shirt. The coffee didn't really help but he knew he would need the caffeine to stave off his oncoming headache.

At the top of the steps he turned to head into the off stairs office when he noticed the adjacent bedroom door was almost completely closed. It was normally left open to circulate air but now there was only an inch of space left. He turned toward the door and very lightly pressed it open with the tips of his fingers. The door opened silently on well oiled hinges and a short blast of cool air hit him. The ceiling fan was running on high and the large blades did well to cool the small room.

He glanced around quickly, but sensing no threat he turned to return to the office when a soft flitter of sound danced across his sensitive ears. He turned about so swiftly it almost made his head swim. He recognized that tone and as he flared his nostrils to take in as much scent as possible he was swamped with a scent he only knew in his dreams; that intoxicating, innocent, wild scent that ensnared his senses. He closed his eyes and felt drunk on it. Only SHE smelled like that.

He felt a clawing in his mind and struggle of souls and Engetsu and Mangetsu clamored to the surface, bore through his brain and body and roared for freedom, but for the first time sense he had received their bodiless souls he forced them back. "No, boys, not this time," he growled back. Mangetsu settled down after awhile but it took a few minutes for Engetsu to stop clawing.

He moved towards the bed slowly for even though he would never admit it he didn't want her to disappear, to just be another dream. Just as he got close enough to see her face he was surprise to find large ice blue eyes starring at him. "What do you want," a little Siberian husky snapped at him.

For a moment even Sesshomaru was shocked. "She is my mate," he growled back.

"Your mate? I smell a bit of her on you and vice versa but it is so faint you could not possibly be mates," the pup challenged.

Sesshomaru moved forward his claws flashing as he went to slit the insolent whelps throat, but gentle fingers over his wrist stopped him. "Don't Sesshomaru; she's just being protective," Kagome told him calmly looking up at him with the large blue eyes that haunted him more than her heady scent.

"You remember?" He asked relaxing his tense arm muscles as looked at her, taking in every feature.

"Remember," Kagome repeated as she released her hold and grasped her head. A painful headache was blooming behind her eyes. Flashes of distorted images rushed through her mind. A silent scream escaped her mouth as she tried to force back the images that had haunted her since that night so many years ago. Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and the twins…Engetsu and Mangetsu they were all there haunting her.

"Kagome calm down," Sesshomaru spoke firmly as he grasped her shoulders and gave her a shake. He could smell her fear and anxiety and hear her heart rate soar. Any higher and she would go into shock.

For a moment she seemed to waver between reality and her dreams before her heart beat slowly descended and the scent of fear faded. Cloud rubbed up against her side and placed her head on her lap for comfort, looking up at her with big blue eyes. "You're the one," Kagome gasped as she looked up at Sesshomaru.

He nodded his head as he released his grip. "How much can you remember?" he asked.

Kagome shook her head as she stood up, Cloud following after her. "How can you be real," she asked. Kagome felt like crying as she looked upon the man that had made her crazy.

Sesshomaru took a step towards her, to calm her down or something anything to get he fear out of her eyes, but his movement only made it worse. Tears sprung up and with a cry she turned and ran down the stairs, Cloud following close behind.

"Do you think that girl will be okay?" Izayoi asked as she exited the kitchen door with a pan of hot scones. "I mean Sesshomaru is up there now."

"I doubt he'll even notice," Inutashio chuckled as he pulled out one of the hot pastries and before Izayoi could smack his hand took a big bite of it. "Hmm you added honey," he groaned as he took another bite.

"Don't be a glutton, these aren't for you," Izayoi pursed her lips and smacked his hand with her spoon for good measure after putting the pan down.

"Ohh," he cried as he blew in his hand, his eyes theatrically getting bigger as he pouted.

"Big oaf, that's what you get," Sakura laughed as she walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of sliced almonds.

"Thank you," Izayoi replied as she took the bowl and sprinkled the roasted almonds on the honey coated scones.

"You ladies are so mean. Making such delicious things and then telling us we can't have them," Toru commented in mock hurt as he walked over to them.

"Someone has to keep you demons in line," Sakura added right back. Everyone laughed at her remark, but a sudden cry from upstairs halted their humor.

"Sesshomaru," Inutashio growled as he moved to run up the stairs, but Kagome came sprinting down before he could. She ran past Inutashio and was about to head out the door when a blast of warm air knocked her backwards.

In a flash of speed Sesshomaru hadn't used in over four hundred years he appeared in front of her in his true 'humanoid form'. His checks held two magenta stripes and his brow donned a teal crescent moon. His eyes were a deeper more vibrant gold and his fingers where tipped in claws. "Kagome," he called her name firmly.

"Sesshomaru let me go," she cried, holding her head with one hand.

"Kagome you can't say my name like that and not tell me you don't remember me, you don't remember the twins," he stated calmly.

"Don't talk to me about the twins Sesshomaru, not them. You don't think I remember. You don't think I don't remember the pain in my chest as Mangetsu burned to ash and Engetsu followed to kill that hellish spider. I remember it all but it was just a dream, just a dream," she cried.

"No it wasn't. It wasn't a dream. It happened. Not in this dimension or time but it happened," Sesshomaru growled, showing more emotion then anyone in the room besides Kagome had ever seen.

"What do you mean a different dimension," Kagome yelled throwing her arms out in challenge.

"I made a wish. I made a wish on the Shikon that it had never existed that the four souls never combined to make it. Apparently it was a selfless wish and the jewel disappeared. I never could have guessed what it did. I woke up as a young boy with my father and mother still alive. Mother was suppose to die by the claws of a demon that had taken the Shikon and then my father was supposed to kill the demon and give the jewel to the demon slayers village, but without the jewel my mother lived and with my knowledge of the future I also stopped father's death from ever occurring, but something unexpected happened. Engetsu and Mangetsu's souls were still here, were still with me, but they had no bodies of their own. I let them have mine," Sesshomaru explained in one large breath. The one secret he had promised never to reveal until Kagome appeared.

Sakura, Izayoi, Inutashio, and every other demon in the room gasped at the tale they were hearing. Kagome on the other hand fell to her knees. "Our boys, they're with you," she cried.

Sesshomaru kneeled down in front of her and in a flash Mangetsu was their hugging her and crying back. "Its okay momma we are here now. You're not crazy," he soothed.

"Father kept us safe," Engetsu was there now and hugging her as well, nuzzling against her neck.

It took a moment but as Inutashio interpreted the conversation he understood. "Father, mother, oh gods," he whispered.

"It really wasn't a dream," Kagome whispered as she hugged Engetsu to her. It was great to hear their voices again.

"No just another reality," Engetsu answered as he patted her back. "Now we know you're safe Mangetsu and I can finally rest in piece," he sighed.

Jerking her head up, Kagome blurted, "What?"

"We have no body to go to mother and only father's great power has kept us here so we could see you one last time. If we stay much longer the amount of power needed will drain father until he is only a shell. The Shinigama won't let us stay now that we've seen you," Engetsu answered with a sad smile.

"So soon?" Kagome felt hot tears run down her face, but she knew she had to let them go. The gods would not allow them such freedom any longer.

Whipping away her tear, Engetsu smiled again before whispering, "Goodbye." From behind Sesshomaru's body there was a flicker of something, a shadow before the clean slice of a weapon was heard throughout the room. Engetsu was gone.

"Goodbye Momma," Mangetsu called as he appeared and then the same slashing sound was heard. Mangetsu was gone.

Sesshomaru's eyes flickered and for the first time in five hundred years he had his body completely to himself. He thought it would be a relief, but there was emptiness in his heart, an unexplainable sensation. He tried to give it a name but before he could think much over what had just happened his brain shut down. The light was gone.

Sorry it is so ridiculously short, but this seemed like the best place to stop. A bunch of things were explained so I hope you paid attention.