JeniNeji Comments:
Hey people. Greetings! My beta-reader has been ganging up on me…_ I usually finished the chapters quicker and now…she's editing way faster than what I am writing *cry*. But no big deal, you are all getting the chapters faster now, no?
I am sorry to say, that College again is sucking my soul and I have only half of chapter 19 *Grr I will beat my beta-reader even if it the last thing I do!* But I do hope to get it over with as soon as possible.
I know that after reading this you will all have many question *and I am trying to answer them all as best as I could in the only two chapter left to finish part II of When the Past is the Future* but soon chapter 19 will explain many things and leave many other questions…but I hope you don't mind much. There is still chapter 20 :P
Enjoy!
Special Thanks to:
Snow cat demon: Thanks for the review and I am glad that you could understand the preview…it was a little mischief, honestly. I really appreciate your review and thanks, I do try to make a good job at writing. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Pandora-of-the-south: You have so many questions…But first of all, thanks for the review. Second, I know I was cruel…forgive me? Third…I will write more about Momo, Koga and the others soon…so…relax a little. Only two chapters more and you shall see the end of this Era…everything will be understood soon! Ok…enjoy!
Sousie: Here is your update! Was the time it took acceptable?
Inu-Demon Priestess: Thank you!!!!!! I hope you like this one TOO!!!
San01: *smiles* Comments like this make writing worthwhile, I appreciate it.
Purplefav: It would be interesting…maybe it can happen…maybe it wont. It hard to say and even harder to do it secretly…I cant answer that right now…jiji.
Angelique-06: I always enjoy your reviews. The things you have to do to read my updates are so strange and funny that I can even picture you doing those things. Bueno, Naraku vuelve ahora…y espero que Kagome no duerma de Nuevo…eso no significa que no vaya a haber par de desastres todavia, pero es un Adelanto no? Al menos no va a dormir, jajaja. Si, fue una travesura, pero ya, voy a portarme bien, y si se parece algo a la bella durmiente…jajaja.
FluffyandKagome: That's great! I wanted to make some people look for a dictionary to find the words. It tried to make it as simple as possible in case someone did…jaja. Well, I hope you like this new chapter! Two chapters to the end of Part II. WOW!!!!!
Jazzyinuluvsesshyxxoo: You are very much welcome! I am sorry, I forgot that not every one knows Spanish. The thing is that many schools on North America teach Spanish, but the people always forget it, because I don't know…they ignored it or they don't practice it. I have a friend, he only knows the phrase "Callate" which means SHUT UP. _ He says that was what his elementary teacher always yelled at him… Terrible isn't it? But from now on, I will think about you, and will write little previews in English.
Sesshylover: THANK YOU!!! Jajaja, that was so funny. Im sorry aout your eyes, but I swear, I am on my Mirobiology lab (working) and I just burst laughing...and my boss was like...hey. BUt he's a cool guy, and after I explained he like...shrugged and said *Kids*. :P Sorry about the confusioin, hope you understand a little more now..
When the Past is the Future…
Chapter 18:
In the hands of Fate…without escape
"But… my Lord--" tried Jaken once again, though he knew it was in vain.
"One more word, Jaken, and I swear I shall end your life" said Sesshomaru with a thin and threatening voice, out of patience. Taking the sword, he placed it on his left hip and looked at it for some seconds before turning to the Taisho Clan silver armor resting on a small low table . He shook his head and headed for the door of his room.
"Sesshomaru" called Myoga from the room making Sesshomaru take a deep breath in search of some patience, "you must take the Jewel with you, none of us here is strong enough to protect it" said Myoga with a wise, sad voice.
Sesshomaru was standing by the shogi door, his right hand came to it and slid it open. He remained there, unmoving for some seconds "If I take the Jewel, Kagome will be left unprotected. The barrier will no longer surround her" he said as a matter of fact.
"It will be an inconvenience" said Myoga "but, most enemies seek the Jewel, not Kagome. It would be far more dangerous to have them both here".
Without any other word, Sesshomaru closed the shogi door behind him and walked away.
"Do you think Sesshomaru will be alright?" asked Jaken and instantly scowled, "Forget I said anything, Lord Sesshomaru is invincible" he said and walked past the old flea demon and out of the room.
Myoga placed two of his four hands under his chin in thought and then walked out of the castle, after all, he was Inu no Taisho's servant. He needed to get to Sesshomaru before he could leave, his Master needed him and he will be there to help him.
The ominous aura of a demon nearing the southern border of the Western Lands a few days ago, forced him to abandon his young mate, Izayoi, in search of the source of the threat. He cursed every single step he took away from her, the worry was making him sick, never before had he felt like this. Well, not before he had a human mate. It was an understatement that the need to protect his frail mate was more insistent; especially when said young woman was close to giving birth to his fourth child any given day.
His son was going to be a half demon. He shook his head as he passed one of the many forests along his path, a blur of colors as he passed it. The thought of his son worried him, for half-demons had a difficult life, rejection from both humans and demons. His son will need loving parents in order to overcome the difficulties that he will encounter in life. Inu no Taisho shook his head as the image of Kagome, his third pup came to his mind. Last he had heard, she still remained asleep. Reports from the Western Lands castle were excellent, Sesshomaru proved his worth as Lord of the lands. His half-demon son wouldn't find a suitable home in his castle, Sesshomaru would despise the idea of his brother and he would probably be disappointed on him. Even today, Sesshomaru still hated him, he never found a way to make up for his first son. Fathers do have to learn, they don't know how to be the perfect father on the first try, and Sesshomaru never forgave that. Perhaps he didn't have to forgive…maybe he was a terrible father to his first child.
He growled, trying to leave all those disturbing thoughts on the back of his head as he neared the southern border. He had to kill this demon quickly, Izayoi needed him, her people had not been the happiest since they found out that she was going to have the son of a demon. Humans feared him, but there were things that he feared and still fought. He would never let her die, he had lost too many female mates. His heart wouldn't heal this time, and he was so sure about his previous statement that it frightened him. He needed to finish this quickly!
However, what he found made him feel miserable. The demon who was engaged in battle on the borders was no other that Ryuukotsusei, the dragon. The instant he arrived the immense snake-like dragon set its red eyes on him and a lighting ball shot from its mouth and landed a few meters away from him. Inu no Taisho cursed as the explosion burned some of his right arm. He jumped to the side and took hold of Tetsusaiga and transformed it. His golden eyes settled on his enemy as his second sight began to find for the fissure in the demon's energy, and where he needed to aim his Wind Scar.
Red eyes locked into him, the massive dragon inclined his head, revealing a face over his head. The head was a pale grayish, the same as the body, but it had several blue strips adorning an androgynousface. A moment later, the face opened flashing red eyes and a smirk appeared on its full purple lips. "The Great Inu no Taisho" greeted the face with a male voice "Have you come to kill me?" asked the face over the head of the dragon. "A little thing like you?"
Inu no Taisho looked at the dragon with boredom and then took the hilt of Tetsusaiga firmer "Wind Scar!" he yelled and instantly a roar like sound left the sword and three cracks began to form in front of him aiming directly for the dragon. His golden eyes were locked on the dragon, his lips formed a thin line and he sweated nervously.
He heard the attack collide full strength, but, nothing happened. Ryuukotsusei remained where he was, and no single scar marked where the attack had collided. Steel-like scales prevented the damage. Inu no Taisho growled and dashed towards the dragon with Tetsusaiga in hand. Dodging several lighting balls, he finally made it to the dragon's neck and slashed it. A smirk appeared on his face as the golden slash adorned the dragon's neck, but then, it disappeared, leaving no trace whatsoever. He scowled, and turned his sword and dug it into the dragon's heart. He grinned, but in that precise moment, Ryuksutsei grabbed Inu no Taisho's little body on his mouth and a miserable and agonizing scream left the mouth of the former Lord of the Western Lands.
Sesshomaru closed the door of Kagome's chamber silently behind him. His golden eyes glimpsed her way and his shoulders relaxed, as they always did when near her. He walked towards her and sat down on her futon. His long clawed fingers went to her forehead and he combed her hair softly, as if it was something soothing to his nerves. His eyes fell on the golden necklace around her neck and the purple Jewel, which rested over her right shoulder.
He took in a deep breath and exhaled. Was he able to have the Jewel? He wondered as his gazed traveled over Kagome. He needed to, he needed to take the item away or else, she would suffer the consequences. He had no desire to use it, he was sure of that. It was an item that only brought misfortune to anyone who desired it. "I do not wish for the Jewel" he said to the room, to the Jewel and to Kagome, trying to prepare himself for the hard task that awaited him.
He shook his head and his eyes fell on Kagome's face. So many years and she remained asleep. He looked down at her shoulder and slid the flowery kimono she had in order to take a look at her shoulder. His eyes became focused and then his gaze wandered in an instant. Yes, after a few years ago, her mark remained unchanged. It was still a half-mark with the additional lines of the curse, but in order to be complete she needed to finish it. Still, for now, she was his and he was hers. His eyes then settled on her little mouth and the need to kiss her was always strong, but he never gave way to it. After all, she was asleep and they never got to talk about the mating thing. He wasn't going to give her away, but he didn't want to press her, even if she was supposedly asleep and unconscious, he felt it would be an offensive thing to do. He shook his head to clear it of his thoughts and caressed her lips with one smooth finger and went to take the tainted Jewel. He doubted a moment before his thoughts became clear once again. He took the Jewel and with his other hand, and he clicked open the necklace on her neck. His golden eyes were fixed on the purple swirling around Jewel, the most powerful item in all the lands.
A scream, followed by a gasp made him jump away from Kagome. His huge golden eyes focused on Kagome, who was sitting on the futon panting, her whole body shook with shivers. It took him a moment to control his erratic heart, and his surprise slowly turned into joy. She was awake! Placing the Jewel securely inside his sleeve, he began to walk towards Kagome, his steps measured and slow, every single step harder than the one before.
"Kagome" he whispered and she turned to him, eyes glassy and unfocused. Her forehead was sweaty and her hands grasped the sheets of her futon for dear life. She turned her head from one side to the other as if inspecting her surroundings. "Kagome, it is I" he said as he sat at her side, careful as to not frighten her. He saw her frown and she tilted her head a little to the side. It was very unsettling, seeing her like that. She was still dazed and confused. He stretched his right hand and caught her chin, penetrating her eyes with his own, but he saw nothing. He dug his head on her black hair, breathing in her scent.
"I…" the sound came from her mouth and it came rough from apparent misuse. Her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes seemed to focus for an instant, trying harder. Sesshomaru kept his golden eyes on her, his mind going a thousand times per hour trying to follow her body and facial language.
"I…" she tried once again, but nothing changed. Tears began to form on the corner of her eyes, and he, for the first time, felt an intrusive emotion on his mind: she was frustrated, his mate was frustrated. She was his, they were connected! He could tell how she felt, he could smell it, he could hear it and he could understand it.
"Water!" he yelled to the room, hoping one of Kagome's maids could listen to him. "Kagome needs water!" he repeated and a thought quickly came to his mind, was that his voice? He barely recognized it, he never yelled, but excitement had taken the better of him. His mate was awake, after twenty years, she was finally awake.
A maid appeared some seconds later, a young demoness. She silently handed him a cup of water and he nodded to her, dismissing her of the room. He heard the shogi slid close and squeaks of happiness from the hall. Kagome was finally awake, the maids voiced with joy.
He pushed the cup closer to Kagome's lips but she refused it and shook her head. Sesshomaru growled his displeasure and spilled some of it on her lips "Drink" he commanded, but she didn't move. Sesshomaru once again put the cup of water to her lips and began to rise it, to help her drink. "Drink" he ordered sternly and Kagome's hands closed around the cup and began to drink.
Sesshomaru watched her with approval and when she finished drinking, he placed the cup to his side. He couldn't go to the human castle where Izayoi lived without helping his mate to relax after her troubling slumber, his mate needed him, and she was his priority. "Kagome--"
"Inu-Yasha" she gasped horrified and the held on Sesshomaru's shoulder "Inu-Yasha!" she cried desperately.
Sesshomaru frowned and he felt his insides go cold, Inu-Yasha? Was that a name? Sesshomaru felt as if there was something amiss and the need to growl was strong but he resisted it, knowing that she could very well hear it and it will trouble her. Jealousy surged inside him, who was Inu-Yasha? He had never heard the name, how could she know someone by that name? She has been asleep for years! Taking slow measured breaths, he tried to calm himself, his hand began to caress her hair trying to calm her as well.
"Kagome" he called her and her head turned to him with tears falling. Sesshomaru tensed and his eyes widened. "Kagome, are you all right?" he asked, concern written over his face, a soup of emotions being thrown to him, but even when he felt them, he couldn't understand them, there was so much pain, so much worry.
"Save Inu-Yasha" she pleaded "Please, I beg you, don't let him die" she cried and dug her head on his chest, crying harder.
"Who is Inu-Yasha? Where is he?" Sesshomaru asked. He felt confused, he felt strange, but he disliked the pain he was feeling right now, Kagome was clearly in pain. "Kagome, you need to tell me" he ushered as gently as he could "help me help him".
Kagome shook her head, still dug on his chest. "I don't know, I don't know" she repeated and her hands quivered with stress, "I don't know…I have had…dreams" she whispered, trying to remember. "I only know…that I must save him, he's going to die" she sobbed.
Sesshomaru took a deep breath and looked around, trying to find the answer to her petition written on the stone walls but to no avail, he knew there was no simple answer. He kissed the top of her head as he thought over things. He didn't know what to do, where to look, nothing. It displeased him to think about this, but his strength had not yet returned, had not yet been released, he was only left with the normal demon strength, but no powers, only his speed and his exercised body, and if that wasn't enough problem, he had to go protect his father's mate. Word had reached the castle that Inu no Taisho had gone to the south to defeat the demon and he needed to go to the human castle.
"Kagome, maybe…they were only nightmares" he tried but then he felt her nails dig deeper on the front of his hakama, pressing the skin of his chest even when they were over the soft fabric.
"No" she said confident "The Jewel, it told me, I…it is me, the Jewel it's me, it shows me things" she said, confused, not knowing how to explain what she had been through while she slept, as the images became blurry and non-existent. "They are, fading" she whined with despair "I don't…can't remember".
Sesshomaru made a hushing sound to make her relax. "It's all right" he said softly, "I will find him, I will save him, Kagome" he said and kissed her head. He pushed her away from him a little, and her troubled sapphire eyes locked with his golden eyes. "Anything for my mate" he told her and then he rose to his feet. "I have to go, Father needs me" he said and looked at her "I am taking the Jewel--"
"No!" she screamed, coming to her feet and losing balance. Sesshomaru caught her, and he grasped her in his arms "You can't take it" she said desperately. "It would hurt you, you are a demon" she said and her eyes turned sad, "It's my responsibility, I am its guardian".
"No" said Sesshomaru firmly. "You are my mate" he said and felt her tense, "we share the protection of the Jewel" he told her softly. "I will not be here to protect you, and you are still weakened by the long sleep, I will not leave it behind" he finished, letting her know that he wouldn't accept a negative for an answer.
"But--" she tried, but then resigned to leave him the Jewel, something told her that she could trust him the Jewel, an image that immediately vanished. She shook her head, feeling impotent.
"That's better" he said and help her sit on the futon "I will be back soon" he whispered "Be careful" he asked and then, left the room.
Kagome watched his back as he walked out of the room, soon enough, as her dreams and memories began to fade, and her eyes began to look sharper, focused once again. She felt her mind work again: Hyoga invaded, Sesshomaru marked her, Sesshomaru was wounded and she used her power…that's all she remembered. Her eyes began to examine the room she was in and immediately recognized it as Inu no Taisho's room. Why was she here?
Her mind began to stumble into itself, confused, but a single name was clear on her mind, familiar to her tongue. Inu-Yasha. Just a name, no images, no feelings, just a name.
Many days had passed since he last saw Kagome. It irked him somehow. Being far away, not knowing if she had once again succumbed into a deep sleep annoyed him. How he wished he could summon his powers to form his cloud and hurry towards his castle. A growl left his throat as the broken pride cried over the loss of his powers.
"My Lord?" asked the sweet, but frightened voice of a young woman behind him. She was walking silently, with a bundle in her arms, "Is something wrong?" she asked softly, concerned.
Is something wrong? He repeated inside his head. Yes, many things are wrong! "Nothing that you should know" he said coldly as he continued to walk down the path to the next village.
"My Lord" she interrupted again. "We require rest" she pleaded and pressed her bundle closer to her "It is almost sunrise, and I am exhausted and soon the child will need attention" she said, softly, but with authority.
Sesshomaru turned towards her and narrowed his eyes at her, studying her. The woman was taller than Kagome, with similar black hair, but straight instead of wavy. Her eyes were brown, the usual color of human eyes, but they radiated spirit. He turned to the side and began to walk towards the forest at the side of the road. "There is a clearing, we will rest once we get there, I do not wish for people to spot us, we may have fastidious interferences" he said coldly.
"Thank you" said the woman gratefully as she began to follow. "My name is Izayoi" she said, trying to be polite.
"I was aware" said Sesshomaru monotonously as his eyes fell on the clearing. He pointed for some trees and rocks, a place where he thought she might be comfortable. He watched as she nodded and muttered her thanks and walked to the pointed place.
He settled across the field to give her some privacy. She was easy to spot, the white yukata she wore reflected the light easily, so he didn't have to strain his eyes as he watched as she sat at the base of the tree. The little light left from the moon served her to accommodate herself and then she took the red fire rat haori from her chest and placed it at her side. He heard her whisper the child's name and the grunts as the pup came awake. She began to sing and he turned away his eyes, knowing that she sang when she fed him. It was a low song, and he doubted that it would bring much unwanted attention; still, it made him a little paranoid.
He expanded his senses, but felt nothing. His mind then began to wander back to the past days.
He remembered the beach, remembered looking at his father's back. The wind was strong and it played with the silver hair of both of them. He had many things on his head, but voiced none of them, he only informed. "She began to labor a few hours ago" he remembered him saying to his father, "There are humans placed in the whole castle, priests and soldiers" he informed. "I doubt that harm will come to her, I think they are waiting for you".
"Are you going, Father?" he asked minutes later when his father faltered to answer him.
"Will you stop me, Sesshomaru?" he heard his father ask, and his mind swirled with questions. Why would he?
"I will not" said Sesshomaru "Before you take you leave, however,I ask you to bequeath to me your fangs, Souunga and Tetsusaiga" Sesshomaru asked with a strained voice. He will not come back alive and he was aware of that, Inu no Taisho had a fatal wound on his side. He won't allow the fangs to fall into human hands.
"And if I refuse…will you kill me, your father?" Inu no Taisho asked, his voice stern and solid. The snow had been falling for the past days and the beach was almost entirely covered in white. He laughed when his son faltered to answer him, what told him that he would try. "Do you desire power that badly?" he asked. "Why do you desire power?" he asked, raising his voice in anger and disbelief. Sesshomaru had his mate, tucked safely at home, while he had his surrounded by a horde of humans that will kill her child as soon as he was born, he needed power right now, power to reach her and save her and their son.
"My path is that of a conqueror" said Sesshomaru coldly, as his eyes looked up to the full moon. He had achieved nothing, he had always been labeled as weak, his father was the strong one, the leader and he was nothing. Even Kagome, his father tried to take her from him, and in the end, his own foolishness caused her misery. "Power is the sole means by which that path can be opened". Yes, he wanted to conquer many things, others, he already understood he didn't want. He needed power, his powers had been taken from him, and for that, he needed the fangs.
"The path of a conqueror, eh?" Inu no Taisho said thoughtfully. What had happened to his son? No, what had happened to him? He had believed him to be so much more. He believed that after he marked Kagome, after she almost died saving him, he would have changed. It was a foolish thing to believe, his son was still his son—the same, cold and loveless son. "Sesshomaru, do you have something to protect?" he asked, his last hopes with that last question.
"Something to protect?" asked Sesshomaru with a distant voice as his eyes stared at the twin white furs at his father's back dancing in the air. He remained silent for a few moments; he cared not for weaklings. Everything he loved was strong and could protect itself. "I, Sesshomaru, have no need for such a thing" he said coldly and stretched his right arm, to take what was rightfully his. He needed it, he needed Tetsusaiga and he craved the power Souunga held.
A pained and disappointed howl left his father's throat and a gust of wind pushed Sesshomaru back and in front of his eyes. A second later, his father was transformed into his dog beast, dashed forward and jumped down to the castle where Izayoi was imprisoned.
Sesshomaru's eyes remained on the hill his father had been seconds before, a voice haunting him. Do you have something to protect? Sesshomaru shook his head and turned to walk away. "This is pointless" he muttered as he walked away from the last sentence his father had spoken to him, knowing that it will forever haunt him.
The wails of the child on Izayoi's arms made Sesshomaru twitch his eyes and come out of his memories. Golden eyes stared at her as she came abruptly awake and began to cradle him with shushing sounds.
Sesshomaru blinked his eyes as he watched her. He knew the words were going to haunt him. Protect. He was a destroyer, a conqueror, and he protected no one, but her. He shook his head as his chest rumbled with guilt, the very same one which obliged him to turn back to the castle, to find it engulfed in flames.
He remembered smelling a familiar scent, the lingering scent of blood and the peculiar essence of a dog demon. He followed up the trail, left in the snow of a pair of foot, until minutes later he found a young woman, hiding.
He remembered how her brown eyes widened in fear and then recognition. Not recognition of him, for she had never met him, but recognition of the similar traits he shared with Inu no Taisho.
"Is that his child?" Sesshomaru asked the young woman, as his eyes settled on the brown bundle of cloth around the child carefully embraced around her arms. Silver hair was easily visible, as were a pair of dog ears.
"Inu-Yasha" she answered softly, her voice broke and tears covered her eyes "He, died, saving us" she wept silently.
Sesshomaru felt as if he had been punched in the face and then buried under the cold snow. "Inu-Yasha?" he asked her with disbelief. He watched as she nodded, unable to answer him verbally. His eyes narrowed on the child, this was Inu-Yasha? The one Kagome had been talking about? How did she know about him? The Jewel remembered her, and so guarded her memories. How had she met someone who had just been born? Inu-Yasha…he had heard that name before, but where? When?
In the present, the continuous wails of Inu-Yasha were driving him mad, and he turned once again to Izayoi, who desperately tried to comfort him. Tears fell from her eyes, and he guessed that she was frustrated, but most of all, tired. He stood and began to walk towards her. When he was half way, she turned to him, eyes wide and frightened. He finally reached her and stood before her "I will care for him, rest a while" he told her and knelt at her side.
Wide brown eyes looked at him confusedly, as they should, because not even he understood what he was doing. After some reluctance, she gave him the child and her eyes followed Sesshomaru as he rose. Sesshomaru began to pace around a little and walked a little away from Izayoi.
Low growls and rumbles served to calm Inu-Yasha a little and soon enough he became quiet. He didn't go back to sleep, but he was quiet. He turned to Izayoi, and she was looking at him with half lidded eyes, and after some minutes, fell asleep. She had really been exhausted.
He walked away across from her and looked at the sunrise, with Inu-Yasha in his arms. As the sun rose, his mind drifted on the possible things he could do. Where would he go? Should he take him to the castle? How did Kagome know of him?
A long forgotten memory came back to him. Of hundreds of years, of a night where Midoriko still lived. A time when Kagome was older and when Kagome loved him. Did she really? He questioned himself. No, she never talked about love. He remembered her old revealing clothes, garments he had never seen before. He remembered the moment she awoke. What had she said back then?
You look different.
Yes, she had said he looked different. She had met him before, she recognized him, yet he had never before laid eyes on her nor he recognized her scent. He frowned as a needle began to pick at his heart. Before, ushered the voice of his beast, before…
Sesshomaru frowned. He had watched her as she slept. Three days she had been unconscious. He remembered her wild blue eyes as she awoke the strangeness he felt when her eyes set on him. Her smile, her soft and soothing smile.
His eyes widened and he felt as if the little bundle on his arms burned him but even so he never let go. His frantic golden eyes turned to the pup on his arms as the pup stretched. Golden eyes met golden eyes and Sesshomaru felt his suspicions confirmed. Inu-Yasha resembled him, resembled his father.
He had been mistaken, all along, he had been mistaken. She had mistaken him, the first time she had mistaken him for someone else. Was she in love with someone else? Had she loved another demon? Someone other than him? Impossible!
Had he been wrong all these centuries? Was she not the woman meant to be his mate? Had he really stolen her chance of love?
"I am telling you, stop wandering around!" yelled and angry Jaken as he followed Kagome through the castle dressed in his usual black robe and his old man staff.
"And I am telling you that I will stop when I want to" she yelled back, annoyed, "I am Inu no Taisho's daughter, and you are a servant, stop ordering me around" she demanded frustrated as she finally reached Momo's door and opened it.
"And I am telling you that this is no longer Inu no Taisho's castle" he explained angrily and yelped as Momo's shogi door was closed on his face. He stomped his foot into the cold stone floor and his staff shook in fury "This is Sesshomaru's castle!"
Kagome screamed from inside the room, not because of pain, but being beyond mad, never before had she felt like this. Well, maybe once, with the young cat demon son of Inu no Taisho's friend, but with no one else. "Jaken, do not dare cross that door or I will purify you, I am serious" she screamed from inside Momo's room as she looked around. She dashed to the cushions and threw herself over them. She pressed her eyes closed as the lately events washed over her. Sesshomaru had marked her, Momo had left with Amaru and Father had left the castle to Sesshomaru. Father had mated a human woman named Izayoi and she was going to bear him a son, did he love her? Had he forgotten Sephira already? What did Momo think about this? What was she going to do about Sesshomaru?
"You can't purify me!" taunted Jaken from the other side as he began to fight the closed door, since it seemed to have gotten stuck. "I know about you, you puny human, you can't fool me" he continued on with his rambling.
The familiar aura of Sesshomaru permeated the castle grounds and Jaken stopped his forcing of the door as he turned to where he knew the main entrance to be, sharpening his senses. A squeak of happiness left his mouth as he felt that his Master had returned well, but all too soon, it was replaced by a grunt as the door behind him was swooped open and Kagome ran over him and down the hall to Sesshomaru.
This was impossible. Impossible, never before she thought something like this could happen to her. She had lost her powers, she could no longer purify a simple and weak demon. But, she had never heard of something like that, she had been born a miko, and she was to die as one, how could her powers have fled?
She passed the familiar halls of the castle at high speed until she arrived at the stairs. She placed her left hand to the wall as she raced down the steps, cautious of the edges and then she finally reached the main entrance. Her senses immediately allowed her to know that Sesshomaru was still outside, so she ran to the door and swung it open. The light irritated her eyes and she closed them with a gasp. She used her hand to block the sunlight and then her blue eyes widened as she took in Sesshomaru, who was only steps away from her. Kagome's chest began to ache and tears of sorrow fell from her sky blue eyes "Sesshomaru" she cried "Where is Father?"
Sesshomaru looked at her icily and walked past her and inside the castle. Kagome felt her mouth open in astonishment at his discourtesy; he never had treated her so. She felt her hands fall at her sides and her blue eyes wide open, her mind had gone blank. She hadn't expected this "greeting".
"Kagome?" asked Izayoi uncertainly.
Kagome raised her wide blue eyes at her. She looked at the older woman, wearing a simple and white yukata. She had long black hair that cascaded down to her knees. She remained silent, staring at the woman's brown eyes, but a slight movement caught her attention. There, in the woman's arms, something moved. A second later a wail pierced the silence and Kagome took it as the confirmation of her suspicions and she choked a sob, her hands came to cover her mouth as her teary eyes looked at the woman once again. Tears fell from the older woman's eyes as well and Kagome could take no more and dashed to Inu no Taisho's room…
… not sparing Sesshomaru a glance.
Sesshomaru was locked in his room. A day had passed since he had arrived at the castle. He had not slept since his mind wouldn't give him any sort of peace. Kagome had been in love with someone else. She was never in love with him. She tricked him!
He growled and went to the stone window. It was a quiet day, the castle was in mourning. The late Lord of the West was gone. They cared not that their official Lord of the West was fine and healthy, standing by the window of his room watching their lands. No, instead they were weeping Inu no Taisho's death. They were betrayers, like her. Like his mate.
A pain in his chest made his hand come to it automatically and his eyesight clouded. "What's happening to me?" he growled as he was forced to double over. Words began to be whispered in his mind and his eyes were bloody, anger and sorrow joining in a dreadful combination.
"No" he raged and stood. His hand came to his sleeve and he took the black Jewel from the pocket where it had been stored safely and threw it to his futon. As soon as he did he was able to breathe again. What had just happened?
"My Lord?" a fearful voice asked from the hall.
"Jaken" he growled, "What is it?" he asked irritated.
He squeaked and his voice began to shake "Ehh…what …does my Lord…wishes to be done with…the guests?" he asked.
Sesshomaru growled and punched the wall of his room. Inu-Yasha, the name invaded his head and it was engulfed in hatred. Him! It was him, she had mistaken him for Inu-Yasha that first time. He paced the room, his eyes red.
"My Lord?" asked Jaken with concern and confusion.
"Give them a place to stay, but not in the castle" he said forcefully. "I don't want to see that half-demon" he said hatefully.
"It shall be done" said Jaken and disappeared from the hall, truly glad that no damage had been inflicted on his person.
"Damn you, Father" said Sesshomaru and he fell to the floor and covered his head with his hands "why couldn't you control your manly urges?"
A strange scent invaded his nose and his senses awoke abruptly. What was that smell? Sesshomaru rose from his futon and walked towards his door. He felt a rush of adrenaline as his foot touched the freezing floor and he turned to his window. It was snowing.
His nose picked up once again the foreign smell and he walked away from his room, determined to find its source. He frowned as the scent carried him to Inu no Taisho's room, with every turn, he began to get suspicious. He stopped in front of his Father's room, where Kagome was currently set. He sniffed the air, and he was confirmed of what he had thought, the scent in front of this door was stronger.
Days had passed since he last set eyes on her, days had passed since his arrival. He refused to acknowledge her. He had been wrong to mark her, she was not the woman his future self had chosen. No, he had been mistaken and she never told him. Why didn't she tell him? Why did she have to turn into a baby and forget about him?
Still curious, he opened the door to her chambers and was pushed back by the intensity of this smell. It was not an alluring smell, it was a smell that spoke of danger, a smell that spoke of death.
He opened his eyes and stared at the little form of his mate, resting over her futon, covered with the heavy sheets. She was facing the room, and her hands held the upper end of the sheet. Her breathing was forced and her brows showed pain. He walked closer to her and stared. He noticed she was sweating and he moved to brush her hair away from her forehead, but the touch burned him. Reluctantly, he touched her again and felt the same, she was boiling. What was wrong with her?
He walked out of the room, his steps imposing and walked to the servant's room and sent a healer to Kagome. A young woman immediately departed and he followed silently. He remained at the door as she took a look at Kagome. "What is that scent?" asked Sesshomaru with his arms crossed. He was wearing a gray sleeping yukata and his long silver hair reached his hips.
The woman stopped a moment and turned to Sesshomaru confused. "What scent?" she asked uncertain.
"There is a strange smell" he commented and sniffed the air, "Threatening" he described, not knowing how to put it. "A very faint one" he added and turned, expecting eyes to the woman.
"That's a common scent" she told him, "Every human carries it" she explained and stood. "It's the scent of mortality" she finished and walked past him, she needed to tend to Kagome and soon, she had a high temperature, and on winter nights, that wasn't a good sign.
Sesshomaru's mouth dropped and he turned to see the servant disappear into another hall. Mortality? Kagome had never aged, she had been stuck in time, how could she be mortal now?
He remained by the door frame. He knew not what to do. She was not the woman he had thought her to be. He wasn't the man she had wanted, she had wanted Koga, she had told him so. But, he didn't want her to die. What would happen to him if she died? Her, his mate? Will his strength be lost forever? Would he regret it? Did he love her? Why was it that he could never let go of her? Was it what humans called love?
"Don't leave" Kagome whispered in her sleep and she trashed on her bed.
Sesshomaru gasped and walked closer to her. He sat down and looked at her "Kagome, I'm here" he whispered.
Kagome weakly opened her eyes and held his wrist. "Don't leave" she pleaded and coughed. Her eyes opened and stared into the roof.
"I'm here" he said and brushed her hair from her face. "Rest now" he said and locked his eyes to her.
"The Jewel--" she began but he gripped her hand harder to hush her.
"I have it, it's safe" he told her. "Sleep" he ordered.
She nodded and drifted to sleep, her hand losing his grip almost immediately.
The servant entered the room with many bottles and water and this made Sesshomaru turn to her with confusion. "She's sick" the woman told him. "During winter many fail to breathe, the sickness attacks them with more strength" she explained as she searched for something.
"She is a miko" he reminded her. "She should be fine" he commented as his eyes once again roamed over the sleeping girl's form.
"Did you not hear?" she asked perplexed and Sesshomaru's confusion was enough reply for her. "She lost her miko powers" she told him. "She has been unable to summon them since her awakening" she told him sadly. "She has been depressed over it, fears that she has failed as a priestess and worries about the protection of the Jewel of Four Souls" she finished and washed a rag, then walked to Kagome to put it on her forehead.
Sesshomaru left the room in silence, the dread was too much. He had lost his powers, she had also. The Jewel remained on their care, and they were both cursed. Inu no Taisho has died and another heir was born. How will they manage to face all the things that awaited them? The first one: Kagome's mortality.
No, she won't be mortal. With that thought in mind, he took out the Jewel he had been protecting these last few weeks and placed the necklace around her neck. He waited a few moments, hoping that the Jewel will continue to extend her life as it had done before, but as the minutes passed he began to get impatient. The stench of death would not leave her young body or the stench of her sickness. The Jewel did nothing to aid her.
He growled in frustration and his eyes fell on her shoulder, hidden under the hem of her kimono. He stared at the place where he knew she carried his mark, his mating mark. If the bond were to be fulfilled then his demonic powers will extender her life, she would live longer. But she was the one who needed to mark him, and the process on which she would have to finish the mating mark…they won't be able to do so. Yet…
Many, many moons had passed since Kagome's illness and newfound mortality…
Twenty years later...
"Kagura" she called softly and the black haired demoness turned apprehensive pink eyes to her. "Would you leave us alone a moment?" she asked politely.
After a short glance at the priest in front of her, she nodded and bowed before leaving the huge shrine.
"Take your leave too, Tsubaki" said the stern voice of the priest as well, then he turned and walked to the small table at the foot of the statue.
"But Master" pleaded the young Tsubaki, dressed in black miko robes that matched perfectly with her long black hair. Her big blue eyes trembled with despair "I want to be with Lady Kagome as much as I can"
The Master glanced at her in reprimand. "We are going to discuss important matters, please, leave the room" he said, his brown eyes dared her to disobey.
"Please, Tsubaki, I do need to speak with your Master" Kagome said with a frail smile. "I won't leave without saying good bye to you" she promised and ran her hand over Tsubaki's long hair. With a happy nod, the young girl left the room. Kagome raised her eyes at the Master and walked to sit at his side.
"That girl is a great priestess" he commented "but she's reckless and defiant" he finished as he poured a cup of tea. "Sometimes I don't know what to do" he finished tiredly before pouring the tea into the second cup.
Kagome took the cup with a smile and sipped some tea "I guess it must be hard" she commented nostalgically. "I have to admit, I wasn't the best miko apprentice either" she slipped the bit of information, blushing a little "Father had a great time with me, I mean, I ended purifying more demons than I should and for us…well that was an inconvenience" she laughed with mirth.
"I am impressed" said the priest forward "To think that such a pure miko was raised by a demon or better said, the Great Inu no Taisho" he said, feeling the irony as he sipped some more of his tea.
"I imagine how difficult it is to accept such a fact, at least in these times" she said and placed her empty cup over the table "but, though I know you have yet to be born, when I first came by, it was on the time where demons killed all mikos at sight" she said sadly. "A hard time where the miko population was decimated" she sighed. "If I had not encountered him, I would have died"
"I am aware" he said solemnly. "Still, is hard to believe that you have lived almost two hundred years" he made a little wave of the hand. "You hardly seem fifteen".
Kagome smiled, proud of her looks "Yeah" she joked "I have lived most of my life as a ten-year old girl, I am happy that time has taken its stroll on me" she finished, her eyes lost in thought.
"But, that means you are mortal now" he commented somewhat confused. "Doesn't that upset you?" he asked.
"Not at all" she said with a smile. "We all die, that is the circle of life" she reminded him. "Besides, I think I have lived too long, I don't think humans are meant to live so long" she told him sincerely.
"I understand" he said and smiled. "Your heart is pure like no other, which is the reason you can guard the Shikon Jewel" he said proud at her abilities.
Kagome smiled and took the necklace from under her miko clothes and raised to her eyes "I guess" she said and looked at him with sadness "Though now it takes three-days meditation in order to purify it" she said tiredly "When I was younger only the single touch of my fingers would have purified it, but since I was…marked by a demon, my miko powers were diminished to the point where they now lay non-existent" she said with sadness.
The priest nodded his head. "Why did you allow it?" he asked curious, "it was not love, I know that, you never marked the demon back" he informed her. "You carry a half-mark"
Kagome smiled "It's a long story, one that I do not understand" she said and smiled politely. "However, that is not what I wanted to ask you" she said, taking a formal tone.
"I suppose not" he said and sat straight. "In what may our shrine serve you?" he asked, his eyes fiery and determined, the care he put on his line of work was impressive.
Kagome smiled. "I have been traveling for twenty years now" she began "I have been working on the temples and advancing Masters in search of new apprentices. I am proud to say that five new temples have been opened and are currently training young mikos" she stopped a moment and after staring straight into his eyes continued "Since you are a known Master and have various apprentices, I came to ask of you, if you find any that could take my place, as the new guardian of the Shikon Jewel, you must inform the Demons Exterminators Village" she finished.
"Why?" he asked startled. "Won't you keep protecting it?" he asked somewhat confused.
"I can't" she answered simply. "I have lost my miko powers; I can no longer defend it as I should. No longer can I purify it and furthermore, my body has been weakening considerably with the return of my mortality, I can hardly keep a good fight any more" she said with despair. "So, I spoke with the Exterminators and they accepted the weight of the Jewel's protection" she finished, her jaw tense, her emotions erratic.
"I understand" he said after a minute thought "I will do as you ask. If I find a miko who can protect the Jewel, I will inform it to the Exterminators" he finished and bowed his head.
"I am in your debt" said Kagome as she also bowed, her long black hair sweeping the floor. "I will take my leave then" she said with determined eyes "I have heard there have been some…disturbances that I need to take care of" she said and came to her feet.
The priest chuckled. "Your mate" he said with a grin "Demons can be quite difficult"
"Half-mate" she corrected and nodded "I know about demons" she said and bowed once again "I thank you for not judging me" she said and was about to turn when his voice startled her.
"Wait" he said and was on his feet when she turned, he walked to her and looked at her shoulder, the fabric over her mating mark. "Can I?" he asked and a confused Kagome nodded. The priest came closer and moved her kimono to the side, revealing her bare shoulder and her half-mark. His fingers absently traced the mark and his eyes seemed distant.
A soft clearing of Kagome's throat started the priest and he took his fingers away as if they had been burned. "I'm sorry" he said sheepishly "Your mark…where did you get it?" he asked with a frown.
"It's my mating mark" she said and looked at it "Though we think that a curse was activated when it happened" she commented confused.
"It has a curse" he said. "It's a curse reserved for miko traitors" he told her flatly. "It's a severe punishment." He finished and his eyes came to her.
"A priestess cursed me" she replied. "Many years ago, for commuting with the enemy" she said with sorrow. "I never found out what the curse was, until it was too late" she said and shrugged her shoulders. "It doesn't matter now".
"It does" the priest said alarmed and took her shoulders "Do not tell your mate about this" he said desperate.
Kagome felt her lips part "What's wrong?" she asked, fear lashing her soft and young womanly features.
"Kagome, do you not understand?" he asked with disbelief. "The curse can be easily broken" he explained with wide eyes. "You must die in order for the curse to be broken. You are in great danger, do you not see?" he asked preoccupied.
Kagome smiled "I understand" she said softly, reassuring. "Do not concern yourself over me anymore" she pleaded and stepped back from him. "Thank you for telling me about the curse, I appreciate it" she bowed and smiled. "I will go now, please take care of the shrine, Master" she asked and then turned her back to him. She walked straight and secure, however she felt nothing like that. A pain settled on her chest and she felt her senses go numb.
Would Sesshomaru kill her?
Not a week had passed since that meeting when…
A young girl walked through the forest near her village silently. A beaded necklace was tied to the back of her neck and fell to her middle. She was hardly thirteen, her black straight hair reached her mid-back and her arms were skinny and frail. It was not those things what had banned her from her village, no. It was not her dull and little brown eyes, it wasn't that her eyes could easily distinguish between humans, demons or half-demons. It was neither the fact that her hands could easily purify any demonic essence that came near her or her never ending hatred of the demons, that wasn't it.
It was the fact that she had been born soulless, it was the fact that she had not cried, that she had grown like a deaf and mute child until a demon had possessed her. It was not a demon, she had known the being forever. It was the mourning spirit of a human child, the only foreign existence that she had never been able to get rid off. She had been born a miko, her powers exceeded all of those of her age and was only surpassed by legendary mikos like Midoriko and Inu no Taisho's miko. However, this cursed spirit tainted her like nothing ever could and all refused to take her under their wing and teach her the ways of a miko.
Uncaring, she continued to walk under the stars curtain and Nature's walls. There was nothing she feared, nothing she couldn't destroy. Shunned by the priests, she instead learned to perfect her aim with a bow and even managed a short sword lethally. There was no demon who could survive her deadly touch and she dared robbers to challenge her.
Coming into a clearing, the young girl stopped as she caught site of a white ball of fur standing in the center of it. It was a half-demon, she knew instantly. She narrowed her brown eyes and walked towards it, towards the half-demon. Her steps never faltered, never showed weakness. The feeling of the arrows on her back and the wood of the bow on her left hand was enough for her to feel victorious.
"Kikyo" resounded the longing voice of a man as she came near.
She suddenly stopped, her eyebrows furrowing together. She noticed that the half-demon in front of her was actually wearing a white baboon outfit. She stared as it came to his full height and it took the baboon mask away. She was greeted by red eyes in the face of a handsome man.
"I can help you" the man said and smirked.
Kikyo giggled and her disbelieving eyes settled on him. "You? Help me?" she asked with mirth, her lips curved in a smile "I am the one who can help you" she corrected and held her bow firmer on her hand. "Have you come in search of peace?" she asked with a smirk.
"So fierce" he commented with his smirk still on his lips "But not enough to kill that spirit you have" he said with a mock.
Kikyo tightened her lips in annoyance. She knew it annoyed her because it was the crude truth. "I am impressed that a half-demon cares about my problems" she spat and smirked as his saw his eyes fill with anger.
"I see that stories about your hatred towards demons is true" he said emotionless. "If you get rid of the spirit right now you will be an empty shell, a soulless woman" he told her with disdain. "You are a tragic child" he finished feigning pity.
Kikyo stopped her tense stance and relaxed a little. "How do you know?" she asked suspicious. "Who are you?" she asked with narrowed eyes and chin held high.
"My name is…Naraku" he said with a grin "and I know much about mikos" he told her and shrugged. "It's a strange life the one I have, filled with ironies"
"What do you know about me?" she asked cautiously. Her eyes never left his, reading for any sign of untruth.
"You are a great miko, reincarnated" he told her softly. "But by a confusion in the time line, the miko who is your reincarnation is alive and she has your soul" he said with a smirk "Two women can't have the same soul at the same time" he explained and shrugged.
"That can't be true" she said with disgust. "I should have known that you would lie like that".
"It's no lie" he said. "I can show you, her face is the same as yours" he added. "You will know I speak the truth" he finished.
"How do I know that you speak the truth?" she said, upset.
"I will show you otherwise" he said and smiled with something behind his eyes that she didn't want to acknowledge. "In fact, I will show you now" he said, earning a startled gasp from her. "Kanna"
A silhouette began to take form at his side. Kikyo could see the shape of a young girl dressed in white, with white hair and black eyes. The girl held a mirror, she noticed, and was looking directly at her.
"Kanna, show our friend here an image of Kagome" he said and Kanna nodded, walking closer to Kikyo.
"Kagome?" Kikyo asked as she watched the demoness coming closer to her. Kanna stopped a few feet away from Kikyo forcing her to come closer in order to see. Kikyo did, and her brown eyes tried to look at the images being displayed on the mirror "Is that Inu no Taisho?" she asked perplexed.
"No" said Naraku. "That is his son, Sesshomaru" he informed, still standing where he had been a few meters away from her "Kagome is his mate" he told her.
"Is she my reincarnation?" asked Kikyo confused. "If so, why does she look older than me? Wasn't she supposed to be born after me?"
"She did" said Naraku "But she possess a powerful Jewel, it was the Jewel the one that forced her to the past and she's now trapped here, and that crack on time is affecting you" he finished.
Kikyo did not say anything, only stared at her almost reflection on the mirror. "What can be done?" she asked "She has my soul" she commented.
"I will give you back your soul" stated Naraku. "As soon as she passes the Jewel to her mate, I will kill the spirit that possesses you" he explained. "That way, your body will call out to its soul" he finished.
"But she will die" said Kikyo concerned "I can't do that"
"She will not die, because she is mated to a demon" he explained. "Besides, this long life has begun to kill her, her body is weakening, she needs to die in order to be reborn" he explained to the young miko in front of Kanna.
"And what is that you want in exchange?" she asked, coming to her feet and placing both of her arms at her side, her eyes cold and calculating.
"You will find a man, wounded by several burns" he began to explain. "His name will be Onigumo" he added so she won't miss him "Help him heal" he finished.
"That is all?" she asked with disbelief.
"Yes" he confirmed and bowed his head. "I will take my leave then, and I will meet you when the time to give you your soul is right" he informed "Until we meet again he said and disappeared, as Kanna did.
Kikyo looked at the place where they stood a moment ago, and then resumed her walk into the endless night.
To be continued…
JeniNeji's Note:
STOP!!!
Don't kill me!
I know that much was left undone and unsaid with Inu no Taisho and Izayoi, but this is a Sesshomaru/Kagome story…and I am only two chapter away from finishing Part II. I propose, and I promise, that if more than 15 persons are interested in the development of the Inu no Taisho/Izayoi relationship which culminated on the birth of Inu-Yasha I will make an ONESHOT about them. I really want to make it…so please, ask for it, yes?
Preview:
In the next chapter, Kagome returns to Sesshomaru's castle, but what happen when her long absence caused Sesshomaru to fall into madness? The constant thoughts of the possibility of Kagome mating Inu-Yasha instead of him driving him insane, and why doesn't Kagome mark Sesshomaru back? Will she choose to mate Inu-Yasha instead? What will happen if Kagome let go of the Jewel? Will her soul really go back to Kikyo?
(-Kagome won't fall asleep again- JeniNeji)
Find more about that in…Chapter 19 of When the Past is the Future!
Please…REVIEW!
I AM PROPOSING AN INU NO TAISHO/IZAYOI ONESHOT ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP THEY HAD IN THIS STORY. LIKE WRITING IS TIME CONSUMING, AND I HAVE LACK OF TIME, I WILL ONLY WRITE IT IF THERE ARE PEOPLE INTERESTED ON THE ONESHOT. 15 REVIEWS, ASKING FOR IT, IS ALL I ASK…I WANT TO BE SURE IT WILL BE READ. PLZ. THE ONESHOT, IF IT COMES, WILL BE IN BETWEEN CHAPTER 20 (END OF PART II) AND CHAPTER 21 (FIRST CHAPTER OF PART III)
REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT. NEXT TWO CHAPTER WILL BE VERY VERY VERY LONGGG. JUST WARNING.
CLICK!