Okay all there is only one more chapter after this one so enjoy while you can and the last chapter should be up sometime before next weekend. Thanks for all the support you guys have given on this story and for the patience you've had in waiting for me to get this story on an almost steady update schedule. Much love for you all. Keva
XX
Kagome slowly opened her eyes and immediately shot upright when she noticed that everything was surrounded in a strange pink haze. "What's going on?" She questioned herself silently as she looked around her immediate area.
"You are within the jewel." A very soft feminine voice stated from behind her.
Kagome turned her head sharply causing a pain in her neck as she tried to look behind her. Giving up on trying to turn her head a 180°; she rose to her feet and faced the being. "Who are you?"
The woman smiled as sad smile at her. "I am Midoriko; creator of the Shikon no Tama and the soul of your ancestors."
Kagome gasped in shock as a million questions began to run through her mind. "What… I mean who… No, how?" She stumbled wanting to voice one question but couldn't form a coherent thought.
Midoriko watched the girl's emotions and thoughts run across her face with a small smile upon her lips. "Please calm yourself child." She stated in a calm whisper. "I must speak with you and do not have much time to tell you what you need to know."
"Oh; okay." Kagome answered with a small nod.
"Now listen child; do you see over there?" She asked with a wave of her hand towards a pink wall with three beings in battle behind it.
Kagome looked to where she was pointing and her eyes went wide. "Sesshoumaru; Kei!" She ran up to the wall and began banging on it screaming out their names.
"They can not hear you." Midoriko said from behind her. "They are fighting the evil that resides in this jewel and you are the key to set them free."
Kagome spun on her. "How? How do I save them?!" She asked in wide eyed panic.
Midoriko blinked slowly and breathed a deep sigh of sadness. "You must give up what you love to save them. A wish must be made; a selfless wish. Should your wish hold the tiniest amount of greed; they…" She turned to face the three beings fighting a great battle. "Will be trapped here for eternity, fighting with no escape."
"No!" Kagome gasped as she watched Kei and Sesshoumaru fight the dark evil on the other side of the pink barrier. "So all I have to do is make a selfless wish to save them." She stated more to herself as she turned to face the elder miko.
"Hai and you must give up something you love as well."
"Give up something I love? You mean Sesshoumaru?" She slapped her hand over her mouth and blushed a deep crimson.
Midoriko chuckled lightly then became serious. "No, something deeper than that; your family."
"My family?" Kagome gasped as tears stung the backs of her eyes.
The elder priestess nodded sadly. "You're way home and this jewel are linked. The wish you make will set them free…" She said with a small nod towards the battle raging behind the pink barrier. "And destroy the evil. If you make your wish from your own time they will be set free there and could destroy all that you know and love in their panic of a time and place they do not know."
"What if I don't make the wish?" Kagome asked as her tears broke free.
Midoriko shook her head sadly. "If you do not make the wish they will forever be trapped in a battle that can never be won or lost." She placed her hand on the girl's shoulder when she turned to face the fighting beings. "I will give you three days to consider your wish, then I will return to you."
"But…" Kagome started but couldn't finish as she was surrounded in a pink light followed by darkness as her conscious left her.
xx
Kagome woke several minutes later, laying in the middle of Sesshoumaru's bed. "Was that a dream?" She asked herself as she looked around the room.
She suddenly felt a small weight in her hand and opening her fingers she saw a pink jewel rolling around in her palm. She could feel the energies of those fighting within and again felt tears fill her eyes. She was trapped; give up her family to save them or make them suffer for eternity so that she could be with her family. "It's not fair." She sobbed as she buried her face into Sesshoumaru's pillow.
Eventually her tears gave way to fatigue and sleep soon took her to the land of dreams. She dreamed of her mother and how she always gave her advice to all of her problems. How she wished her mother was here now to help her through this.
Then there was her Jijii-chan who would cast spells against demons that didn't exist in her time and told stories of great warriors who fought against beings like Sesshoumaru and Kei. Finally there was her loud mouthed, annoying, and all around pain in the ass little brother. The loudness of his stereo and video games, driving everyone in the house to the edge of madness.
She then dreamed of Kei, his charming warm personality and how he had been there for her since her arrival. He was like her mom in the way he would advise her with her problems and how he was constantly trying to set her up with Sesshoumaru; like she didn't know what he was up to.
Finally there was Sesshoumaru himself. He was cold, cocky, bossy, and indifferent. He took care of her when she was injured, protected her from those who wished her harm and even tolerated her smart mouth. He kissed her and touched her in ways that none had ever done before and made her feel things she never knew existed.
She awoke with tears in her eyes and confusion tearing at her mind. What was she supposed to do? She didn't want to give up her family but she didn't want to make Kei and Sesshoumaru fight an eternal battle just for her own selfishness. It was a lose lose situation for her. "I have to set them free." She whispered to herself as she wiped a tear from her cheek. "Mom would want me to do the right thing."
She stared at the pink stone. "Sesshoumaru" She said as she ran her thumb across the stone lightly. "Kei; I will get you guys out of there. I promise."
Kagome leaned against the headboard of the bed and closed her eyes. "A selfless wish." She sighed as she began wracking her brain for the ultimate in untainted wishes.
xx
Midoriko stood before the young girl. "Have you decided on your wish?"
Kagome sighed sadly as she looked over at the three battling demons. "I have not." She said as she looked back at Midoriko.
The priestess shook her head sadly. "Then they will be trapped forever. Are you sure you can't think of a single selfless wish?"
Another sigh tore from her throat as she locked her eyes with her miko ancestor. "There is no such thing. Any wish I make will be tainted because I made the wish." Kagome tried to force a smile at the miko's confused face. "You see a wish is in effect a desire and a desire is something a being wants for themselves. Therefore any wish I make is automatically tainted."
Midoriko smiled a genuine smile at her. "I was right to choose you as the proper guardian for this jewel. You have passed the test and your wish will be fulfilled." She waved her hand through the air causing everything to turn to a deep pink haze which flared to a bright white.
Kagome covered her eyes from the bright sudden flash of light and when she uncovered them; there standing before her were her two youkai's battle worn and bloody. "Kei; Sesshoumaru!" She gasped as she ran up to them checking them both. "You're hurt." She whispered as tears choked her voice.
"Not too badly." Kei chuckled trying to keep her from crying.
Kagome looked up at him. "It's not funny. You need to be healed. Stay right here." She ordered as she took off running out of the room.
Kei watched her go and when she was out of sight he made for the door. "I'll go see Zinan for my injuries." He turned to Sesshoumaru. "You stay here and let her heal you."
Sesshoumaru growled at the neko. "I do not need the miko wench to care for me."
Copper eyes stared at his lord. "Let me give you some advice as your friend. I strongly suggest you let her dote over you. I'm sure as you know that she is devastated with knowing that she is to never see her family again and she needs this more than you. You heard what the miko Midoriko said. That girl sacrificed her family to free us; the least you could do is humor her."
"Very well." Sesshoumaru conceded; being he wasn't in the mood for any more battles even if they were just verbal ones. He nodded to the neko giving his general his leave as he slowly slipped off his torn, blood stained haori.
He cut his eyes over to the door as it slid open and the girl came in as fast as she dared with a bucket of hot water in one hand and several strips of cloths in the other. He watched as she set the bucket of water on the floor by his leg and the cloths on the bed within easy reach.
Kagome dipped one of the cloths in water, grabbed his right hand, and gently began to wipe down the gash on his forearm. She struggled to keep the tears at bay and failed as one fat tear slipped out of the corner of her eye and rolled down her cheek.
Sesshoumaru watched her eyes sadden then saw the tear fall from her stormy blue eyes. Reaching up with his left hand he caressed the tear away. "Why do you weep?" It was a rather stupid question; he knew she cried for her family and the loss of them. Yet her answer was not what he expected.
"I cry because I was scared for you." She whispered as she leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the slowly healing wound. She then moved on to the one across his upper abdomen. "I cry because you were injured trying to protect me." She slowly began to clean the wound on his belly that he acquired when fighting the dark hanyou in her room.
He stayed silent watching her trying to sort out the feelings she was showing for him. It wasn't what he was expecting and yet it pleased him to know that she cared for him so much that she would cry for him.
She finished with that one and moved on to the one on his left shoulder. "I cry because I love you."
She whispered it so low that even though she said it right next to his ear he almost missed it. He felt her lips on his skin again as she kissed the gash on his shoulder that was maybe minutes away from being completely healed. Then her hot breath fanned his ear as she whispered her final reasons to him.
"And I cry because you do not love me."
When her words entered his mind he instantly wrapped his arms around her; crushing her to his chest. He buried his face into her neck; breathing in her scent of sorrow and not liking it one bit. "I can not put a name to what I feel for you, but I do know that I would fight to my last breath for you." He stated as he placed a light kiss upon her pulse point.
Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and began silently crying with force into his neck.
xx
Kei walked down the hall until he came to his room. He slid the door open and stepped inside; only to find a very unexpected bundle lying in the center of his bed. He furrowed his eyebrows as he stepped up to the bed; then smirked when he saw who it was. "Well… well what do we have here?" He questioned, causing a pair of blue/green eyes to snap open and stare up at him.
"Um…" A small shy voice responded as she sat up. "I wanted to see you."
He cocked an eyebrow. "What a way to meet someone." He almost chuckled; but his eyes suddenly narrowed on her. "Yuri; does your father know that you are here?"
She shook her head causing her deep brown hair to shift over her shoulders. "Iie" She whispered then dropped her head. "He never knows or cares about anything I say or do."
"So I have heard." He stated with a run of his claws over his chin. "And what do you suppose will happen when he finds out?"
"Nothing" She responded as she pointed to a scroll sitting on the table across the room. "He cast out all his children that he considered useless to him." She dropped her head as a blush spread across her cheeks. "My siblings were accepted by prince Koga to live in peace, but I turned him down because I wanted to come here and be with you."
He sat down on the bed and placed a hooked finger under her chin, tilting her face up so that her eyes could meet his. "Perhaps I will allow you to stay; for a price."
Yuri smiled shyly at him. "For you I will pay any price." She responded as her blush deepened in color.
"That's my girl." He stated before he crashed his lips to hers.
XX
P.S. If you want me to, I will delve a little deeper into Kei and Yuri's relationship and how they came to one another; if you want. Otherwise all you will get in the next chapter is... Well I guess you will find out when I post it.