Disclaimer: I don't own Yugi-Oh or Inuyasha!
AN: Fic is for DarkAngel048. My first Kag/Atem (a.k.a Yami Yugi) pairing. May I say, Wow! Thank you all for the reviews. 125 reviews and still coming. Thank you all!
Last Time: "What is it?" he asked her.
"The well, I can feel it. It is open." she gasped and ran towards the wellhouse.
"Wait for me!" he called after her.
Kagome barely heard him but she didn't slow down. She reached the wellhouse and wrenched the door open and dashed down the steps. She didn't jump in. She had stopped right next to it and peered down into it. A broght blue light shimmered down within the confines of the well walls. She just stood there and stared. She didn't even hear Atem come to a halt beside her.
"This is the magic well." he said and peered into it.
"Yes. Something is wrong. They need me." she said, still watching the blue light swirl around the well.
Atem looked over at her and he saw the debate in her eyes. She wasn't sure if she should go or stay. She had just gotten back to her family but her friends all thought that she had died. She was supposed to be in the future but they needed her in the past. He watched it all and decided to help her make her decision. He hadn't known her that long but from what he could tell; if she didn't go she would never forgive herself.
"You can go." he whispered.
"Huh?" she asked, startled.
"You would never forgive yourself if you didn't go and see them." he explained.
She blinked and then turned back to the well. What should she do? He was right. She would never forgive herself if they were in trouble and she didn't help them. She began to worry her lip and looked between the well and Atem and then back again.
"What about all of you? What if the well doesn't let me return?" she asked.
"That is why you're not going alone. I'm going with you." he said.
"The well has never let anyone but me and Inuyasha through." she explained.
"It will let me through." he said calmly.
"I doubt it." she said softly.
"Well we will just have to wait and see." he said and grabbed her hand and jumped in.
Kagome shut her eyes tightly and waited for the feeling of him to cease to exist and for just a moment it did. She opened her eyes then to see that she was safely in the bottom of the well in Fuedal Japan. Quickly she jumped up and bumped into someone. She stiffened at first but then realized that Atem had made it with her. The well had seen fit to bring him along with her.
"It seems that I have made it through." he stated the obvious.
"I see that." she said and grabbed ahold of the vines on the side of the well.
As she reached half-way he began to climb up. He reached almost the top and found her leaning over the side, watching him. She grinned at him when a vine he had grabbed snapped and he had flailed around a bit to regain his balance.
"It's not funny." he growled.
"No it's not." she said with a smile still on her face.
He rolled his eye and continued to climb and when he reached the top, he fell out of the well and landed flat on his back. Kagome stood over him and shook her head. Then she offered him her hand and helped pull him to his feet. He stood and dusted off his pants and looked around him. For him it was hard to believe that they were still in Japan. It was so much cleaner, fresher, and wilder.
"Come on. The village is this way." she said and grabbed his hand.
She led him in the direction of the village she had told him about. As they got closer, he could see rice paddies and fields, where men were working. He could see women washing clothes in a river close to the village and saw children running around after chickens.
As they went past the feilds men began to talk. He heard them asking one another about Kagome and saw many of them pointing. Some had wide-eyed gazes and then there were some that were coming to greet her.
"Lady Kagome!" they said and gathered around her.
"Hello everyone!" she called cheerfully.
"My Lady, we thought you had died." one said.
"No, I didn't. I had an accident though with a spell." she explained with a nervous chuckle.
"A celebration will be in order." another said.
"I will inform, Priestess Kaede." another said.
"Maybe in a bit. I need to know where are my friends?" Kagome asked them.
"Inuyasha and the little ones and Lord Miroku are in another village destroying demons, since Lady Sango cannot." one stated.
"Why can't she?" Kagome asked.
"Lady Sango is with child and it has been very hard on her. Lady Kaede is with her now. This morning she had many pains but is not birthing." another said.
Kagome nodded at them and took off and Atem followed her. She raced through the village with him hot on her heels and then she suddenly stopped at a hut that was farthest from the village enterance.
"Kaede!" she called out.
An old woman pulled back a door flap and widened her eyes as she looked at Kagome.
"Kaede is Sango alright?" Kagome asked and stepped forward.
"Are ye really Kagome?" Kaede asked.
"Yes I am. I can tell you anything you want to know about the jewel and what happened until five months ago." she said and the elder woman moved away to let her in.
Atem had moved to follow but Kaede had shook her head at him and motioned for him to wait outside. He nodded and sat down. He remembered what the man in the fields had said, Sango was with child and was being pained. Men weren't allowed in the birthing room, they weren't allowed with the women if they were experiencing these kinds of pain just incase it was time.
Inside the hut Kagome hurried to her friends side. She gazed at Sango and took in everything. She was pale and had sweat on her brow and she was asleep. Every now and then a wince would pass over her features. Kaede cleared her throat and Kagome joined her near the kotatsu.
"How far along is she?" Kagome asked.
"She and Miroku married about three months ago. They had never been together until then." Kaede informed her.
Kagome took in her friends figure and noted that she was larger than a two-three month pregnant woman usually was. Either Sango had been eating like crazy or she was having twins.
"Kaede, has Sango been eating more than most women do while pregnant?" she asked.
"She has indeed." Kaede said.
"Then Sango must be having twins." Kagome commented.
"I believe that ye may be right." Kaede said.
Sango made a little pained groan and Kaede was on her feet to check on her. She wiped her brow and gave her some water and Sango slumbered. Then Kaede rejoined her.
"What is wrong with her Kaede?" she asked.
"I am not sure. But I believe that it may have something to do with her being a slayer." she said.
"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.
"Sango is stronger than women but she is also stronger than most men. It is said that many slayers can absorb small amounts of youkai from the demons they kill or from the armor and weapons they had forged from demons. It helps them become stronger and faster. I believe that is what pains Sango." she said.
"Of course and with Miroku being a powerful monk, he passed the power over to the children. Sango has the youkai in her body and now that the children will have Mirokus' kei, they are unknowingly attacking the youkai that their mother had absorbed and are hurting her." Kagome said.
"Yes. That is what I think as well. With Miroku not here to calm them, they could very easily kill Sango and themselves." Kaede said.
"I can help. The youkai inside of her, I can purify it out and I can heal whatever damage that has already been done." Kagome said and moved to Sango.
"She will lose all of the abilities she had." Kaede stated.
"Only temporarily. She will be required to stay away from her suit and weapons. Her time with Kirara will have to be very limited, just incase she absorbs from her as well. I will need you help." Kagome informed her.
They kneeled over the unconcious slayer and set about to work. Kaede helped when she was needed and Kagome used her neutral kei to extract the youkai that her friend had absorbed out of her. It took a few tries and the two had to take short break intervals to rest.
The hours passed and soon they had finished. They were then waiting for Sango to wake. Ever then and so, they would take turns and give her water and Kagome would scan over her to make completely sure that all traces were pulled from her systems. She wasn't going to leave anything to chance.
"When should Miroku return?" she asked Kaede as she sat back down beside her.
"Before night fall." she answered.
"Soon then, very soon." Kagome commented, looking out at the purple and pink streaked sky.
"Aye, not long now. Ye may want to call ye young man in. Inuyasha will be accompaning him." Kaede suggested.
Kagome let out a loud sigh and stood. Inuyasha would be back in the village and would notice her scent and would come running. Anyone in the way would be ran over and well, Atem would probably be attacked for being around her. Inuyasha would yell and scream and possibly try and punch him like he did Koga. Better save Atem from the overreacting hanyou before he arrived.
"Atem, you may come in." she said as she came out the door.
Atem glanced up at her from his spot on the ground. He had sat there all day, not moved once except to nod politely at passerby's. He waited for her to reappear to either leave or finally ask him in.
"Is she alright?" he asked.
"Yes, I have helped her. I need to keep an eye on her just in case" she answered.
He hopped up and followed her in and looked around. He saw the young woman that she had called Sango, lying on one side of the room. Kagome was wiping her forehead and then she moved to sit beside the woman she had called Kaede around the fire. He joined them. Kaede handed them bowls of stew and they enjoyed the rich warmth. Kagome didn't eat hers, she continued to watch Sango.
"She will be fine, ye have taken good care of her." Kaede said to her.
"I know but I will still worry until she is awake. Or until Miroku has returned and I can tell him what to do if I didn't get it all." she said.
"They should be walking into the village any moment." Kaede said.
"Yeah, I know. Any moment now we will hear people yelling at Inuyasha to slow down and watch where he is going." Kagome said with a faint smile.
Kaede laughed lightly and nodded at her statement. Inuyasha would run people over to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating about scenting Kagome.
Kagome looked out at the darkening horizon and stood. She stretched and went to the door and peaked out. She had missed the past but her place was in the future. She wanted to have a few more moments of the past and a few more of the people she loved of then. For she needed to return to her era; the time that they no longer exist in and her future lay without them and with her new friends and Atem.
A hand was laid on her shoulder and she saw that it had been Atem. He was reading her face. Watching every flicker pass over it. He could see that she had made a decision, that she had chosen her path.
"We will need to go soon. It will be morning in your time soon." he said and she nodded.
"I know. I just need to see them all one more time." she said.
"I understand. If I could go back 2500 years just to see everyone that I loved again, I would. Just one last time I would." he said.
"Thank you. I hope Sango wakes before I have to return. I need to walk around for a bit by myself." she said.
"Of course." he said.
Kagome nodded and went off. She didn't stay in the village, she went to the god tree to think for a few minutes. She leaned against it and watched the first stars began to shine in the sky and the last dredges of day fade into night. it was her only time to be in the past again and she wanted to drink it all in before she had to go.
She wanted to peace and serenity of it all to be imprinted into her. She loved it so and wished that she didn't have to go back but she knew that she did.
She felt the dew gather on the grass and decided that it was best for her to return to the village. It never took her long to reach the village entrance from the tree but this time she delayed her arrival; wanting to prolong the little time she had left. But, alas, the walk seemed so very short and she returned to the village.
She reached the back enterance and was about to turn to go back to Kaedes' but didn't. She looked up instead, right to the front enterance. There she saw them; Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara, all returning to the village. Kagome didn't move as they entered, just stood and stared at them. They hadn't noticed her yet and then the lightest of breezes shifted the air and they saw her.
She could see the shock on their faces followed by shouts from Shippo. She smiled as they ran up to her. Shippo jumped to her arms with joy and Kirara hopped onto her shoulder and rubbed the side of her head. Miroku talked happily to her and telling her how relieved he was that she was alive. Inuyasha hadn't said anything. He stood off to the side a bit and it worried her. She quieted down her friends so she could speak to Inuyasha.
"Miroku, I need you to go on to Kaedes'. Sango is there." she said.
The monks' eyes widened and he ran to the hut with Shippo and Kirara. Kagome waited until they were out of earshot before she spoke.
"Inuyasha? Are you ok?" she asked.
"I thought you were dead." he said.
"I wasn't. I never died." she told him.
"Then were the heck were you. We were worried and upset. What happened?" he demanded.
"I know you were. I cast a spell and something went wrong and I was trapped. I have just recently gotten released and now I have come to say good-bye. I have to return home." she said.
"Why? Wy can't you stay?" he asked.
"Inuyasha, I belong in the future. I need to stay for Mama, Sota, grandpa, and Atem. I have friends and responsibilities to attend to. I won't forget any of you. I just thought that you all needed to know what happened to me and that you needn't greive for me anymore." she explained.
"I guess this is good-bye." he stated.
"Yes. It is. I am going to go back to Kaedes' to see Sango and then I will have to leave." she said and turned to go.
"I'm coming." Inuyasha said and walked back with her.
When they entered the hut, Inuyasha immediately zeroed in on Atem. He took notice that his clothes were from Kagomes' era and that he was made almost the same way Kikyo had been.
"Leave him be." Kaede voiced before anything happened.
"Kagome?" Sango called out.
Kagome rushed over to her friend. Sango was wide awake and was smiling brightly. The two embraced tightly and pulled away from each other. Sango had tears in her eyes and wiped them away quickly. She was so happy to see her.
Kagome smiled at her told her mostly what she had told Inuyasha. Sango was sad that she had to leave, she would miss her so very much but she understood. Miroku and Kaede had understood as well but Shippo needed a little extra explaining to which led to explanations to other things, like Atem. Shippo and Miroku, too, had noticed the similarities atween him and Kikyo.
Atem explained then. Miroku applauded Kagome in her way of helping him. He was proud of her, that she had been smart in seperating them and didn't have to steal some of Yugis' soul. Shippo had wanted to know why he was with Kagome and that was quickly answered by Kagome. Shippo wasn't convince in her sidestepping answer. But he left it at that.
Atem could see that she was getting drawn farther into visiting them that she was forgetting that she needed to return home. He didn't want to remind her but he did and she nodded. She had to wrap it up and fast. She did as fast as she could. She explained everything that she had to and the hardest was telling them all good-bye and the hugs. She didn't want to leave but she tamped down her sadness and pushed herself to leave them.
She had cried as Atem held onto her when they jumped back into the well. She had glanced a last look before they fell and saw them all waving good-bye to her. She had shouted a last farewell and fell into the blue light; back to her own time, in the bottom of the well with Atem.
AN: See I told you it would be longer than the previous chapter. It is by about 2,000 words.