"The very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream." – William Shakespeare

"The reality of yesterday becomes fable…and one forgets it," – Paul Gauguin

…………………

Kagome was at a loss of words. The man before her was unmistakable; He had the same black spiky hair, the same stunning honey-brown eyes, and the same silky voice he had used when he had first greeted her. Yet all in all, the pieces didn't seem to fit into place.

"I must be mistaken…" Kagome said unsurely. This couldn't be right. It didn't make sense. The boy from the ticket booth owning the castle, he didn't even look old enough to have the money to do such a thing. Although he was married…

"Mistaken about what?" Ai asked looking at Kagome as if she were the bloody ghost of Christmas past. The look of shock on Ai's face was close to matching Kagome's, but she had no idea what reasoning he had to be surprised. Well, there was a random girl he met the other day at his house. That might be it.

"Do you own Inuyama-Jo?" Kagome said, answering Ai with another question. The young man shifted in the door frame. He had schooled his facial features to appear more relaxed. Ai blinked as he eyed Kagome.

"Um, Yes…" Ai replied. Kagome nodded. She was seemingly satisfied with that answer, sort of. At this point and time, she wasn't entirely sure what to do now. She had had a plan. It looked so easy before it was taken into action. Now Kagome stood awkwardly in an attractive young man's doorway…

"May I ask a few questions?" Kagome asked meekly. Ai paused for a moment before nodding his head. He moved out of the way to allow Kagome entrance into his home. Kagome stood still for a bit, just taking time to glance inside.

The sunlight from outside simply darkened anything close to the entrance. Nothing could be seen from where Kagome stood. Her nervousness had grown tenfold in a matter of seconds. Ai wondering why it was taking so long peeked out from behind the doorframe.

"Are you coming in?" he inquired.

"Yes!" Kagome squeaked as she scampered past Ai. The handsome young man seemed amused by Kagome's actions. Ai's amusement by her only caused a rosy hue to flush across Kagome's face.

"Please follow me…" Ai said with a small smile as he shut the door. Kagome followed after the young man obediently as they traveled further into the house. Kagome's eyes roamed around, taking everything in. She found the house to be very beautifully decorated.

There were pictures. Pictures were hung everywhere on the walls. There didn't seem to be any common theme either. They were about all kinds of different things. The one currently catching Kagome's eye, was a delicate pink rose bud.

"These are quite lovely," Kagome commented out of the blue. Something about this whole situation seemed vaguely familiar. Kagome couldn't figure out what it was though. All of the events of the day were meshing together. Whatever memory was trying to get to her now was shadowed by the present.

"In my younger days, I painted often. I got into photography quite recently. My wife enjoys my work quite a lot…" Ai said. He turned to Kagome seemingly to gauge her reaction. The young woman didn't appear fazed. She walked on studying the pictures on the wall. Ai resisted the urge to sigh, but a small smile did manage to slip onto his face.

"I can see why she'd like them. The way you capture the subject of the picture is fantastic. The unique way you colorize things is pretty too. You have a wonderful talent," Kagome continued conversationally. She was enjoying herself, but something still nagged at the back of her mind.

"You wished to ask me some questions?" Ai said.

"Oh right!" Kagome said spinning around to face the young man. She cursed herself inwardly for forgetting her main objective. She needed any information she could get on the past. It could be essential with their final battle with Naraku among other things.

"Perhaps the best place to discuss things would be in the living room," Ai suggested. Kagome nodded in agreement. Once again they headed further off into the house. Something felt off for Kagome. It caused a flurry of butterflies to flutter around in her stomach. She just realized she was feeling far too comfortable for a person traveling around in the home of someone she barely knew. What could this feeling mean?

They entered the living room. This part of the house was lovely as well. A book shelf lined the wall on what side. Some of the books on the shelf appeared incredibly aged and worn. the letters on their cracked bindings light and faded. The room seemed to have a more westernized feel. A fireplace stood tall in the middle of the wall of the room. A single photograph was tipped over on its side above the mantle.

Ai gestured for the couch and Kagome sat down slowly. The young man offered Kagome some tea, and the young woman whole heartedly agreed. Ai left the room through a door that Kagome assumed led to the kitchen. She was left in silence until the sound of crackling thunder broke it. Kagome's gaze turned to the window in the room. There was no sign of rain yet, but she knew it was fast approaching.

Kagome sighed and placed her hands gently in her lap before turning her head back around. Her eyes fell to the coffee table in front of her. A chess board was set up. It seemed as if someone had left it in the midst of the game. Most of the pieces were scrapped up off to the side, laid down to be forgotten. It threw off the rest of the atmosphere of the room. Everything appeared to have a place that it was set to be. The room radiated clean and neat. Yet, here was single part of the room that was in total disarray. Something was very off about the whole thing. Kagome lowered her head to look at it closer.

The board was set up wrong! Kagome had played a few games of chess in her lifetime, and she knew this game was set up entirely incorrectly. A line of black pawns stood on one side of the board; behind them were the black king and queen. The queen was fallen on her side, but the king continued to stand tall. The opposite side of the board was an entirely different sort of story.

Both the white king and queen stood proud. A rook was on the left side of the board. Both knights were positioned on either side of the king and queen, looking as if they're ready to charge into battle. A bishop stood beside one of the knights. Four pawns huddled around the other pieces, seemingly hiding. One of the pawns kept itself in front of the others. Kagome pulled her gaze away from board as Ai stepped back into the room.

"Why is the board set up like this?" Kagome asked curiously. Ai approached the coffee table, setting down the cup of tea he had fetched for Kagome gently onto the table. Ai slowly stood up again and glanced at the chess board. Kagome heard him sigh lightly.

"She must have set it up before she left today," Ai commented with his eyes moving back up to meet Kagome's.

"Who's she?" Kagome prodded. Ai's face fell. He sucked in a breath as he wandered towards the fire place. He let the breath out slowly from his mouth before glancing toward the ceiling then back at Kagome. His eyes seemed serious.

"Kagome…do you know who I am?" Ai asked.

"What do you mean?" Kagome questioned. She was completely taken aback. The way Ai was acting was completely different from the first time she met him. It was as if he were an entirely different person. She wasn't sure she liked it.

"Who am I?" Ai said with a bit more urgency than was needed.

"I don't understand…" Kagome said weakly. She decided that maybe this had been a bad idea. She was currently in the house of someone she believed to be going mad. Kagome was starting to become slightly frightened. Ai apparently was displeased by this. He stomped his foot and brought his face briefly into one hand.

"Then I shall show you…" Ai said. He removed his hand from his face. He slowly reached for his opposite hand and fingered the ring on it. The ring was removed and a transformation began to initiate.

Stunning honey-brown eyes turned into a more mesmerizing gold. Black spiky hair grew and changed into long silvery wisps of hair. Rounded ears edged to a point. Unmarred skin began to show the shadows of marks that had faded away. Kagome was glad to be sitting for she was certain she would have fainted on the spot.

"Sesshomaru?" was all the young woman could mutter.

There was a long moment of quiet. Kagome was trying to take everything that was happening. Her mind was teaming with thoughts of all varieties. Sesshomaru stood to the side as he allowed Kagome to collect herself. The young woman seemed to brighten as some realization hit her.

"Better?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome nodded.

"Yes, I am considerably better. I think I've made sense of everything. Guess you could never let go of that castle could you?" Kagome said as she looked up at Sesshomaru with a smile. The western lord was a bit thrown off by Kagome's calm attitude. He had expected much more extreme emotion from her.

"I suppose not…" Sesshomaru replied, "Might I ask why you appear so cheerful?"

"Well, why wouldn't I be happy? I'm about to get all my answers. You can tell me everything I need to know. You'll tell me how we defeat Naraku. You'll tell me what happens to my friends. Oh, there's so much you can tell me…" Kagome said airily with a sparkle in her eye. The journey would end soon, and all would be well.

"It doesn't work like that Kagome," Sesshomaru's voice broke through the young woman's hopeful fantasies.

"What?" Kagome said. Her head whipped around to look at the demon. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. Sesshomaru returned the gaze blankly. Kagome stood up from the couch. She set both feet firmly on the ground.

"It is foolish to think I would do such a thing. Do not let the temptation of the knowledge I possess trick you into believing that all shall be handed to you. The powers of time and fate don't work in such a way," Sesshomaru explained. Kagome inched towards the former lord of the west.

Thunder crackled outside again. The storm had traveled closer. The sound of rain clinking against the window permeated the room. Kagome gripped the front of Sesshomaru's shirt tightly in her small fingers. She glanced up at him. Her eyes held passionate fury almost as brutal as the winds beginning to stir outside. Sesshomaru resisted the urge to place his hands firmly on her shoulders.

"Foolish…I'm foolish!?!? What about you? You could stop all this madness. If you told me what was to be, so many lives would be saved sooner. If you told me what to do, I could save everyone. So much could be avoided and done away with. You're here now! You could have told me what was to happen even before I had to plunge the depths of that stupid old well. But you didn't!" Kagome angrily shouted as she buried her face into Sesshomaru's shirt. Hot tears burst from her eyes and Kagome choked back sobs. Warm arms encircled Kagome's body.

"The fates would never allow for such a thing to happen. Certain rules must be followed when dealing with the powers of time. Events that occur must happen no matter how gruesome or horrible the outcome might seem. One is never meant to know too much of what their future's hold. The result of such an action could be devastating or compromise the whole of reality…" Sesshomaru told Kagome as his hands made soothing circles on the young woman's back.

Kagome's feelings were mixed. She hated what she heard leave Sesshomaru's mouth, but she was aware of how right he was. Kagome attempted to calm herself. While her mind swirled with thoughts, a part of her was surprised by how comforting Sesshomaru was being. His gentle touch helped subside her burning tears. Another realization struck her as she lay in his arms.

It was that fact that struck her with the thought. Sesshomaru currently possessed two arms, instead of one. Kagome loosened her grip on the front of Sesshomaru's shirt. She supposed it was just another secret of time as to how he had obtained his other arm back. Kagome bit her lip and wrenched herself out of Sesshomaru's hold.

Kagome staggered back away from the demon lord. Sesshomaru lowered his arms to his side. Kagome shook her head as tears began to come again. This was too much. Kagome wanted to scream. She wanted to shriek until her throat was sore and raw. She wanted the world to make sense. She wanted all her answers bundled up and wrapped prettily. As Sesshomaru had said, things just didn't work that way.

"It's not fair! It just isn't fair…" Kagome cried as she stomped her foot in an almost childish manner. Sesshomaru had watched as Kagome stewed in her thoughts. He had been trying to gauge her reaction. After her outburst, he approached her again.

"I am sorry that I was unable to help you," Sesshomaru said softly as he reached over to hold Kagome. The young woman smacked his hand away. Salty tears trickled down her face and a deep frown had set into her features. Kagome glared at Sesshomaru.

"Don't touch me! It wasn't that you were unable to help, you just refused to. I wasted my whole day searching for answers that can never be found… I… I hate you! I hate all of this!" Kagome screamed before dashing out of the room. Sesshomaru followed closely after.

Kagome turned the knob and ripped the front door open. A gust of wind blew rain right into the front entryway. Kagome covered her face with her arm and trudged into the rain. Sesshomaru could only watch as Kagome reached the bottom of the steps. When Kagome was certain of not falling, she took off running.

"Kagome!" Sesshomaru shouted, but to no avail. The black-haired teen disappeared as she turned the corner of the street. Sesshomaru stood like a statue in the doorway. His eyes appeared guilty as the rain fell upon him. Time had to run its course. There was nothing he could do.

Sesshomaru quietly shut the door so as not to let any more rain into his house. He clicked the door locked. Sesshomaru placed his hand on the cool wood of door. After a moment of staring off into nothingness, he removed his hand. The lord of the west made his way back into the living room.

The tea he had gotten for Kagome still lay on the coffee table next to the unfinished chess game. The liquid in the cup long since cooled. Sesshomaru stepped slowly to the fireplace. His fingers brushed against the fallen picture frame on the mantle. He took it in his hand and gazed down at it. The smiling face of the woman who just left in tears stared up at him. It hurt, but it had to be done.

"Kagome…"

The journey home was long and agonizing. Kagome didn't appreciate the stares of the other passengers on the subway train. Her black hair was matted down on her head from the rain outside. Her whole body was soaked to the bone. She shivered as the doors to the train opened letting a cool breeze float in. She still had two stops until she could get home.

She was so angry with everything that had happened. She had gotten some of her answers through her meeting with Sesshomaru, but none that really mattered. The tears on her cheeks were hidden amongst the water droplets sticking to her face.

Time passed by and soon enough Kagome's stop came. The train slowed to a stop and the doors swung open. Kagome stood up and headed out. Other people in the station that had been caught in the rain gave her looks of sympathy. Kagome ignored them.

She still had a ways to go. When Kagome emerged from the station, the skies had been to clear. The rain had stopped and only a few dark clouds were scattered in the sky. Kagome made her way down the street. A cool breeze was her only company as she made her way along. A shiver shook Kagome's body.

It was close to evening now. Dazzling hues of orange and red filled the sky as the sun made its descent back down to Earth. Kagome's shoes smacked against puddles as she continued onward. Shops passed her. Happy little faces shining out the windows from all the tiny advertisements and toys. Kagome ignored them too.

Finally, Kagome reached her neighborhood. She was drawing closer to home. Kagome wondered why it even mattered now. Why did it matter? She had gained nothing on this day. She had gained absolutely nothing. She had wasted her time. Time…

Kagome kicked a pile of leaves in one of her neighbor's lawns. She hated time. There were so many aspects of time. You could waste it. You could kill it. You could watch it fly right by you. Time was a fickle thing. This time? That time? What did it matter? Time had too many rules. Kagome hated time.

Kagome reached the steps of the shrine. She made her ascent. Kagome's only focus at that point was not to slip on the stone steps. Her eyes were focused on the ground. When she reached the top, Kagome's eyes shot up. She thought she saw something.

She could have sworn she did. It had just been a quick blur in the corner of her vision. Kagome eyed her surrounding area. She couldn't see anything that was amiss nor could she sense anything. During Kagome's observation, she spotted something sitting on the front doorstep.

Kagome slowly walked towards it. It was package. It was a simple brown package. Kagome bent down to pick it up. Whoever had left it, made sure to keep it out of the rain as best they could. There was nothing written on the outside of it. Kagome unwrapped the tie that kept the package closed. She peeked inside.

From what she could see, it looked to be an old book of some kind. Kagome dumped the contents of the package into her other hand. She dropped the packaging on the ground and studied the book. However it turned out not to be a book, but more of a very old journal.

The journal looked like it would fade to dust at any moment. The leather binding the book together was cracked and rough. A lock kept the journal shut tight. The few pieces of paper sticking out of the journal seemed crisp and crinkled. Kagome vaguely wondered how old it actually was, and she also wondered why anyone would drop it off here. Was it part her grandfather's collections by chance?

Kagome messed with the lock on the journal, but it wouldn't budge. She searched the empty package for a key in case she had missed it, but to no avail. Who would give a journal to someone with no key? Kagome noticed one of the papers in the journal sticking fairly far out. It looked like a letter. She gently inched the letter out of the tight bindings. She flipped the letter over to see who it was addressed to. Kagome almost stopped breathing.

"That's not possible…" Kagome said in a low whisper.

Although Kagome said it was impossible, the evidence stared her in the face. The letter was addressed to her. The browned time-worn letter belonged to her. Curiosity got the best of Kagome and she gently began to open the letter.

Her fingers worked at the seal and she pulled it open slowly. Kagome slipped the note from within onto her other palm. Kagome set the envelope of the letter onto the package so it would not be damaged. She licked her lips. Now was the moment of truth…

Kagome unfolded the letter with as much delicacy as she could muster. What lay inside the letter was even more startling than even receiving it. Kagome's eyes widened and she almost dropped the letter in surprise. She hadn't even gotten to read the first sentence. All she had seen was the date, but I didn't. It didn't made sense.

This old worn letter had to have been centuries old, but the date said it was written…on what would be next Thursday in her time. A letter from the past that was from the future?

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I apologize for my absence. I also apologize for the shortness of this chapter. Life has been pretty busy, and I'm aware I've used that excuse before. It changes nothing. Lol. NaNoWriMo helped bring back some inspiration to work on this story again. Review if you will. Till next time, my most precious readers.