A/N: Hey everybody! Sorry for the long wait, I have been…very lazy. Hehehehe. In this next chapter, you get to hear about our dear, sexy, wonderful, handsome….oh. Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. Sesshoumaru right? Yep, I think so. Anyways, we get to hear about sexy Sesshy, Inuyasha and Kikyo, and the rest of the gang when they see their long lost friend. Hope you like it! Oh, And this time I remebered to boldify and underline and italicify (lol, so not words XD) the important stuff! Sorry I didnt do tha last time, I know it was probably annoying -sweatdrop-.
PS: Hey, just so ya know, I am just going to take a wild guess and say Rin was like, 9 when Sesshy saved her, and Kagome was of course 15, ok? I have seen her in the anime, and there is no way in the seven hells that she is 6 or 7 years old. So I am going to play it safe and say she was 9. So there. XP
Disclaimer: Alas, my heart breaks, for I do not owneth Inuyasha…eth. Lol.
"words" talking 'words'thoughts
Chapter 2: ReunitedLooking out towards the dense forest surrounding the Palace of the Moon, Lord Sesshoumaru, Taiyoukai of the western lands, let out a small quiet sigh that no one could hear, and watched as a now 12 year old Rin chased his retainer Jaken around with his own Staff of Two Heads, laughing in delight as he tried to run from her and her seemingly endless supply of flowers and flower crowns.
Deciding that he had been dillydallying enough, he got up and decided to get back to his ever-increasing mountain of paperwork. Standing from his seat in his chair by the windows of the balcony, he gracefully walked towards his hand carved oak wood desk, his usual haori and hakama fluttering very slightly as he sat down. Picking up his neglected quill, he started working on the various and assorted types of paperwork with determination.
With another musical peal of laughter, Rin tackled Jaken to the ground, immediately pinning a wreathe of flowers upon his now hatless green head. She stood, her task accomplished, brushed off her orange and white kimono, and promptly skipped out of the flower garden and towards the entrance to her rooms to do Kami knows what.
Sighing as though his life might end at any moment, Jaken stood and took off the offending ring of flowers and looked for his staff and hat. Once he found them, he heaved yet another heavy sigh and cursed his luck. 'Why do I have to watch that human brat still?! Isn't she old enough to play on her own…,' he continued to grumble underneath his breath, and walked towards the main courtyard, and just when he was going to turn down the hall to go towards his master's study, a gruff voice called out his name. Sighing yet again, he turned around and received the messenger.
Bowing low, the messenger from the eastern lands held out his hands, in it, a message from his lord. "Master Jaken, I have a message for the mighty Lord Sesshoumaru from my lord."
Snatching the message out of the young kitsune youkai's hand, he snapped, "You may leave now, I will deliver this to Lord Sesshoumaru myself!"
The Kitsune youkai bowed again, and then took off towards the front gates and out of sight. Once Jaken could not see him, he turned down the hall and walked until he got to the impressive doors to his master's study. The doors were stained a dark color, with carvings of a mighty Inu youkai in its truest form, taking down and rending its enemies to pieces across an immense battlefield. Knocking twice, Jaken waited until he heard his master allow him in, and then threw open the doors and ran in, squawking his little green head off. "Lord Sesshoumaru! Lord Sesshoumaru! There is a message for you from the eastern lord! Lord Sess-"
Knocking his faithfully annoying retainer over with his foot, now standing, he bent over and took the scroll out of his unconcious servant's hand and proceded to read it. Eyebrow raising slightly, he paid no attention when his young ward burst in, and upon seeing Jaken unconcious, dragged him out by his feet with a greeting to her lord and then disappeared down the hall, no doubt going to dress him up as a pretty hime yet again. Putting down the now read scroll, his tapped his chin with one long, elegant claw tipped finger and pondered over the information from the eastern lord, Prince of Wolves, Kouga. "Hmm. So…that pitiful half-breed's group has been split up…how curious. Maybe it is time I pay them a visit."
After the coming back from the small village she was currently staying by, Kikyo walked towards the outskirts of the village with a basket full of food, and after 15 minutes or so, came across a small hut and promptly pushed aside the bamboo door mat and stepped inside, setting down the basket by the inside of the door. Light was filtering through a small glassless window in the hut, illuminating the person sitting under it, his hair turning into molten silver, brightly contrasted by his now dirty red fire-rat haori. Kikyo let out a small dark laugh, and kicked the Inu hanyou in the side, and watched as he did nothing, his face a blank mask. Sure, he knew what was going on around him, but was powerless to do anything, the spell on him making sure that he only did what Kikyo said, pain a powerful reminder when his body would not obey. Kikyo sat in one corner of the hut near to the door and laughed darkly, this time louder and with more venom laced into her voice, "Oh, poor Inuyasha. Forced to watch as he completely broke the woman he loves heart, and to see her be carried off to be broken in another way. I'm sure she is long dead by now." She looked over at him with an evil smile on her clay features, and watched as a lone tear fell from one of his dull golden eyes to splatter on the wood floor of the hut. She laughed once more, never tired of tormenting the hanyou before her who chose her reincarnation before her, "She will never have you! You are MINE Inuyasha, and you always will be!" After her laughter stopped filling the air with its hate, she ordered Inuyasha to go stock up the firewood pile, and watched as he dutifully stood and walked out into the forest to complete her ordered task.
After he was gone, she allowed a frown to mar he once beautiful features, her hateful brown eyes turning hard as she thought. 'Shouldn't that wretched reincarnation's soul return to me by now? When I last saw her in that cave, it looked as if she was dying from the blood loss…could she have…? That baita! She should not be alive!' Kikyo stood, hatred and a deep anger emanating off her. 'My golem should have done enough damage to her body to rend her from this life and release my soul…did someone find her? Yes…that is a possibility…hmm. Inuyasha must not hear about this. I need to find her…but I cannot leave Inuyasha behind, or the spell will wear off without my presence nearby…chikusho! That means I will have to take him with me. Well…I suppose I shall just have to be careful and not let him on to what I am truly doing. I'll tell him when he gets back that we are going to go back and scout out the area for the Shikon…that should work.' With a small smile gracing her lips at her plan, she exited the hut, bow and quiver on her back, and waited for the Inu hanyou to return to start the two-day trek to Edo.
Kagome shifted the bathing items under her arms for the fifth time, and nervously stepped out of the tree line with Sango at her side, and glanced towards the huts a couple of yards in front of her, glancing at one hut in particular, the one that had been her safe haven for the past 5 years, the one that held her friends inside. She glanced at Sango, who gave her a reassuring smile, and took a deep breath, smoothing out her haori and continued to step forward. Sango pushed the door mat aside with a smile, Kagome behind her.
"Have a pleasant bath, Sango?" Miroku said with a lecherous grin from his spot beside Kaede and a still downcast Shippo.
Sango sighed at his antics and said, "As a matter of fact I did. You can step out from behind me now," she said to the person who stood in shadow behind her, who was shuffling their feet.
Kagome took a step to the side and watched her friend's face light up with happiness and shock. She said timidly, "H-hi guys."
The first person to react was Shippo. When he heard his mother's voice, he looked up and saw her standing there, shock sliding across his child-like features, and took a step forward, his voice unsure, not knowing if this was a dream, said, "Okaasan…?"
Kagome kneeled down on the warm wooden floor in front of the door, setting her things down beside her, and nodded once, tears forming in her blue eyes, and held out her arms.
Tears of joy flooding down his cheeks he ran towards her yelling, "Okaasan! Okaasan!" Flying into her arms, he buried his face in her chest, crying with joy filled tears, soaking the front of her haori, as he continued to say her name over and over again.
She held him close to her, her own tears coming down her cheeks, now realizing how much she truly missed her son and friends. Putting her head down towards his, she reached out and pulled his face up, so he could look at her. "Oh my son, I have missed you so much! I promise, I will never leave you again for so long! I am so sorry for leaving you!" She sobbed, and he looked up at her, lifting a small hand to her cheek, and said, confusion in his emerald eyes, "Why did you leave Okaasan?"
At this time, Miroku and Kaede had gotten over their shock. Miroku was smiling a small smile at the interaction between mother and son. Kaede was smiling and crying, happy to see her young friend alive and well, as she predicted not too long ago.
Sango stepped around the two kneeling figures and sat beside Miroku, for once, his hand not wandering due to the dramatic situation. After setting her now clean taijiya outfit aside, she looked around at everyone and said, wanting to spare her friend the pain of her memories, "Kagome, do you want me to tell your tale for you…?"
Kagome sat down, and put Shippo in her lap. After cleaning his face of tears, she looked at Sango and shook her head at her thoughtful question. "No, I think I should tell this story. I warn you all, it is not pretty." And with that she began to tell what happened to her after they saw her last, covering Shippo's ears at the worst parts. By the time she was done, Miroku was staring down at his lap, an angry and serious expression on his face. Kaede was shaking her head, not wanting to believe that her undead sister and Inuyasha had actually done much worse than she thought she would, tears running down her face at what happened to the young woman whom she considered a daughter. Sango had a hard expression on her face, not unlike the one she wore into battle, and Shippo was again hugging his mother, trying to comfort her the best he could.
Kaede looked at the young woman in front of them, and shook her head once more. "Child, how did ye come out of that horror alive?"
Miroku nodded his head in grim agreement. "Yes, Kagome, how did you get out of that cave? From what Sango and I saw, the chains were broken in places you could not reach, and there was…much blood. Please, if you do not mind us asking, who rescued you?"
Kagome gave them a small smile and yet again decided to keep her sensei's identity a secret, and said, "A powerful wandering miko sensed my aura in that cave, and rescued me. She is now training me in the way of the miko, and I am learning so much about my powers that I never knew before, it has been amazing. I…I would have come to you before this, but my teacher said that I was not ready, until now that is, and she was right. The…what happened was still fresh in my mind, and I had yet to get over it. I still haven't…but I am able to look past it, and I am learning to deal with the pain." She gave them yet another small smile and looked down at her darling Shippo, and smoothed his orange hair.
Kaede noticed that Kagome did not give them the name of her sensei, but she did not press, wanting her to tell them on her own. 'I wonder why she does not give us the name of her teacher. I will not press her, she seems to not want to tell us that yet.' Kaede smiled at her and said, "It is good to see that ye are well child. And from the look of your aura, it seems that your training is doing ye good."
Miroku nodded with wonder in his voice at his once weak friend and said, "Yes, your aura is immense now! I never knew you had such power Kagome."
Sango laughed and smiled. "I would expect nothing less from my sister!"
Kagome laughed, it was a beautiful true sound that warmed the hearts of her companions, and then smiled a dazzling smile that reached her eyes, turning them into sparkling sapphires. "Yes, the training has been wonderful, although very hard, but worth it! Sensei said that once I regain the other half of my soul, it will double or even triple! I can't imagine how that would be."
The occupants of the hut smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that their Kagome was back, and they couldn't be happier. Miroku smiled and said, "It is good to hear your laugh again Kagome. Tell me, how long will you be staying?"
At his last comment, Kagome's blue eyes opened wide. "Oh no! Shimatta! I lost track of the time! I was supposed to be back in an hour! She is going to be soooo mad at me!"
Kaede raised an aged eyebrow at the young woman's comment and choice of words, and asked, "Were ye supposed to be back at a certain time Kagome?"
Kagome nodded and said hurriedly, "Yes! Midor-I mean sensei is going to be mad at me…kuso! I am very sorry guy, but I have to go!" Shippo scurried out of her lap as she stood, her friends standing as she did.
Sango and Kaede both raised an eyebrow when Kagome almost said the name of her teacher. Sango brushed it off, but Kaede knew she should talk to the taijiya and houshi about it after little Shippo was asleep, she kept getting this feeling that it was important, and she never went against her gut instinct.
"Will you be coming back Kagome?" Miroku asked, a slight amount of worry in his voice.
Looking around for her bathing supplies hurriedly, she found them beside her at her feet on the floor…where they always were. Flustered, she said with a worried smile on her face, "I don't know, hopefully soon though! Her training is very hard, and I don't get breaks often. I might see you in a month or two though! I really have no idea when I might have a true break from training, but I will be sure to come and see you all!" After saying this, she heard a small snuffle, and saw Shippo in the left back corner of the hut, his back turned and crying. Dropping her things yet again, she moved past Miroku and Sango and rushed towards him. She kneeled down by him and asked, "Shippo, son? Are you alright sweet heart?"
He turned to her and hugged her again, wailing, "You're leaving again Okaasan! A-and I d-don't know when you are go-going to be buh-back!"
She frowned at her small son's statement, and hugged him close to her. "Shippo, I love you so very much, and I don't want to leave you all, but I must. I know I will get a break, I will come visit you, I swear!"
He looked up, tears spilling out of emerald eyes. "Y-you puh-promise Okaasan?"
She smiled down at him, love shining in her blue depths, and said, "I promise Shippo."
He let go of her as she stood up and followed her out the door, everyone close behind. Bathing stuff under one arm, she gave everyone hugs, Sango keeping a wary eye on Miroku when it was his turn, Hiraikotsu ready if needed. After saying her goodbyes, she waved and walked into the forest towards her and Midoriko's small hut, not noticing the pair of calculating and cold golden eyes watching her every step.
Having heard everything the miko had said to her companions, he felt a strange rage build inside him after hearing his half-breed brother and his dead baita's deeds towards the miko who was now walking away from him. Shaking his heads to clear his weird thoughts, he shadowed the strange and now powerful miko through the forest, surprised when after 10 minutes or so she stopped and looked in his direction, and then said in a respectful yet demanding tone, "Lord Sesshoumaru…I know you are there. Why are you following me, and what do you want?" He smiled a little, though it disappeared once he stepped out of the tree line and into the light, where the miko could see him.
Walking gracefully forward, he stopped when he was about 4 or 5 feet from her, his features holding a cold and uncaring expression, yet she could see the curiosity in his deep golden, amber colored eyes. She again voiced her concern respectfully, her training with Midoriko also teaching her to respect others more powerful that her or people who held higher status, and this included Lord Sesshoumaru. "Lord Sesshoumaru, what is it that you want from me?"
A/N: Ooooh! Cliffy! –hides from readers with pointy objects, torches, and pointier objects- Sorry sorry! I know, I am an evil author for doing this to you, but I must I must! (Kudos to those who caught the Blazing Saddles reference there! –huggles them-) I hope you liked this chapter, I feel kinda rusty, so blame it on my laziness if it isn't good enough for ya. I hope to see you all again soon with the next installment of Kagome's Betrayal, Sesshoumaru's Curiosity!
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Ja ne, Ninjaru