Chapter 11-Truth Comes Out
After catching Kagome up on the happenings in the castle for the week she was out the tachi went and showed her the field they were attacked in, Sesshomaru still carrying her so she didn't aggravate her wounds further.
The field looked like it had before the attack but the increased amount of guards was visible. Kagome looked at the children and at her nod they took off playing with Kirara and Kiri. After the children started a game of tag, upon finishing telling Kiri the rules and how to play, the others sat down beneath a willow tree. Sesshomaru sat Kagome against the trunk of the tree before sitting a little away from her so Sango and Miroku could hug their friend.
"I'm glad Tessaiga helped," Sango said.
"Me as well though it is curious as to why. I can feel it humming like I did when I pulled it from Inu-no-Taishou's tomb." Kagome stated frowning down at the sword that pulsed in her hand.
"It is interesting… Did anything like that ever happen before?" Mikroku asked.
"No, just when I pulled it from the tomb and when I woke up today." Kagome told him.
"Well did anything else happen?" Sango asked.
"I did have a really weird dream." Kagome said.
Miroku and Sango looked at each other before looking at Sesshomaru who only looked to Kagome. Seeing this they turned back to her and proceeded to pester her into telling them. Sesshomaru smirked at this before turning to watch the children and Kiri. He didn't want a repeat of what happened a week ago so he sent some guards out with a nod to scout the surrounding area just outside the palace walls.
"Well I had already told Sesshomaru-san about what I saw.. But ok. There was a palace, deserted, and a lot of blood. Most of it was in the dining hall where there was more blood and a portrait of the lord and his family I think… The lord looked like my father, and the child looked like I did when I was that age. I'm not saying that I think it's me, the woman wasn't my mother, and there's no way that was us." She told them looking at her hands that were wrapped around Tessaiga.
"Kagome… That is odd. Is there anything else?" Sango asked gently.
"Yes," Kagome started as tears came to her eyes, "I felt like I was home. More than I have ever felt in the future."
Miroku and Sango looked at one another stunned before Sango wrapped her arms around her friend and sister. This was an interesting development to be sure. Sesshomaru was still watching the children when he saw Shippo stop playing at the scent of Kagome's tears. Shippo ran to his mom as Kiri and Rin walked towards the group slowly trying to figure out if they should approach or not.
"Kagome, you said that you knew the room with the most blood to be the dining hall." Sango stated.
"Well yes, it looked a lot like Sesshomaru's. Why?" Kagome asked looking at her sister as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Well did it feel familiar? Besides feeling like home I mean." Sango questioned.
"Yes, I seemed to have known where I was going. It couldn't be me and my father though. They were youkai, my father was a human. And the woman wasn't my mother." Kagome said softly, a frown pulling at her brow.
"I know you said there were no youkai in your time Kagome-sama. Could it be possible that you never felt them because they masked their auras? We know from interaction with both Sesshomaru-sama and Naraku that auras can be hidden." Miroku said thoughtfully.
"That's true, and if my dad WAS the lord of the castle he'd have had no issues hiding it. Why would my mom go along with it and how did we get there?" Kagome said frowning more.
Sesshomaru looked at Kagome at that, "Would your mother be able to answer these questions?"
Kagome looked at him surprised. "Well, yes, but getting home… I've given up the future."
Sesshomaru pondered this for a moment while Sango and Miroku looked at him in surprise.
"You knew?" they asked warily.
"I know several things. I knew the well in the clearing of InuYasha's Forest was important and that the miko disappeared but now I know where she went." Sesshomaru stated simply.
"Sesshomaru-sama," Miroku started, "why would you know?"
"I have been watching you, to see your growth as well as to protect when I was able. The shikon-no-miko is higher status than myself and as such should be protected above all else. I had thought my brother was doing that but after the Mukotsu issue I realized you all needed further protection." Sesshomaru said watching their reactions.
Miroku nodded as if that was what he was expecting, Sango seemed surprised at first then nodded as she smiled in understanding. Only Kagome and Shippo seemed to be truly stunned.
"Sesshomaru-sama," Shippo said warily, "if you were watching us then why did you not protect okaa from InuYasha when he hurt her?"
Sesshomaru visibly frowned at this, "It must have been during a time I was held up by my courts. If I had been there it would never have happened."
"And if it hadn't happened we probably wouldn't be where we are today. In a way I'm glad for that." Kagome said smiling at her son.
Shippo seemed to accept that and then looked at his mother. "So will you visit your time?"
"Yes I think I must." Kagome said sighing.
Sesshomaru nodded and looked at Kagome as he said, "Then when would you like to leave?"
Kagome smiled at him and replied, "Now if possible, the sooner we get there the sooner I get answers."
"Kagome-sama, you're forgetting, your injuries. You can't move easily." Miroku reminded them.
"Unless Sesshomaru-sama goes," Sango said smiling.
"No one but okaa and InuYasha-no-baka can pass through it though." Shippo said.
"Actually… I think he can go. I think it is tied to who-ever is protecting me." Kagome said.
"And since InuYasha was her main protector.. That makes sense." Sango said.
It was decided then. The others went back into the palace main after leaving Kiri at the shrine while Sesshomaru and Kagome traveled to the well in his orb of light. Upon arrival Kagome visibly tensed until Sesshomaru told her InuYasha was nowhere near and hadn't been in a long while. She nooded and they jumped into the well. Sesshomaru was stunned when the blue light enveloped them and even further when they got to Kagome's time and he realized they were enclosed in a building.
He jumped out with Kagome in his arms and moved towards the door.
"Sesshomaru," Kagome said touching his shoulder lightly," The smells are stronger here and may affect you worse than what they did your half-brother."
Sesshomaru nodded and she opened the doors so he could use his foot to get the rest of the way through. She had been right, the smells and sounds had overwhelmed him momentarily until he was able to focus on her scent and she pointed to the house. Upon arrival she turned the knob so they could enter and shouted for her mom.
"MOM! I'm home!" She said in a slightly raised voice, but not loud enough to hurt Sesshomaru's ears.
Her mom walked out of the kitchen and gasped when she saw her daughter in the arms of a demon lord. "Kagome are you ok?"
"Yes mama, just injured from a battle still. I should be right as rain in a few days. This is Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, and InuYasha's half-brother. Can we sit in the kitchen while we talk?" Kagome said quickly so she made the introduction to calm her mother.
"Yes, yes, please come this way Sesshomaru-sama." Her mother replied walking back into the kitchen.
Sesshomaru looked around as he followed before setting Kagome into a chair at the table. He sat down as her mom prepared and placed tea and a light snack for her daughter before sitting herself and looking at them both.
"Ok Kagome, what's going on? You said you would only be visiting for supplies now." Her mother reminded her.
So Kagome told her mother the story from their departure of InuYasha's tachi to the fight and the dream. When she got to that part she looked at Sesshomaru before resuming the tale.
"Mom, there's no truth to it is there? I mean, why would I be having dreams about a place I've never been and a demon family? I'm a human miko." She said exasperatedly.
"Actually Kagome, there is truth. Although I'm shocked Sesshomaru-sama hasn't told you this himself." She said pointedly looking at him.
"Call me by my name informally, as the caretaker of the Shikon-no-Miko it is wrong for you to call me 'Lord'. As for me telling her, I wasn't sure until she had the dream. I only had my father's tale to go by." He said gently.
Rika nodded at that as Kagome stared at them both. "You knew? Mom what's going on? Why is there truth?"
"He should have known because his father and your father were allies, though he was almost as young as yourself when you were born. I'm not shocked it took him this long though I am glad he is protecting you now as he should have been from the start. You both are demons Kagome, from the Night InuYoukai Clan to be exact. You came here through the well when you were just an infant. I found you. After your father told me and your grandfather your tale we took you in. After a time your father and I fell in love and we married. He never took me as a mate out of respect for your mother. Souta is hanyou but will not grow into that realization until he is of age. Your memories were sealed for your safety because of the tragedy surrounding them." She said, watching her daughter for signs of stress or depression.
"So then how am I a miko? Is that possible to be both?" She asked confused.
"You became a miko when your father bound your blood and memories. You were born with the Shikon-no-Tama inside you. That's why you had to flee. Your home was attacked by those in want of it. Your mother knew what would happen and told your father what to do, she had the gift of foresight. When you turn into your demon form you will no longer be a miko. We believe your pure spirit and the Shikon were the reason you were able to be a miko when human at all." Rika told her.
Kagome sat and thought about everything she was told. Her parents were dead, her father had died in this time while her mother had died in the past in a struggle for her and the Shikon. She hated this jewel. She hated the fact that it had so much to do with all the death and destruction. She had to get it from Naraku and purify it as it should have been.
With that resolve she looked at her step-mother and smiled before taking her hand. "You'll always be my mother. Thank you for telling me. Maybe you can answer one more thing?"
Rika smiled and squeezed Kagome's hand, "Anything Kagome."
"Why does the Tessaiga respond to me?"
"Well that… You know it bind's InuYasha's blood." At their nods she continued. "It's original reason for creation was to protect you Kagome. It will work for whoever you deem worthy of guarding your life. The fact that it holds Inu-no-Taisho-sama's power is why it helps InuYasha, even more so when you handed it to him to protect you." Rika said smiling.
"That makes sense." Kagome chuckled.
"So now you know why you are as important as myself, even more so as the Shikon-no-Miko as well." Sesshomaru said startling them both.
Kagome and Rika laughed at their silliness. In their sharing and questioning for information they had forgotten he was there.
"Thank you Sesshomaru-san for protecting me as our fathers wanted." She said smiling at him.
"It is both my honor and pleasure, though now that you are aware of your heritage you will need more training than before. I will not have you ignorant to demon ways any longer, you must be taught. As the nearest to your Clan I will have you taught of the Moon InuYoukai Clan's ways, they are similar enough to the Night Clan that it will suffice, though there are none that can teach you properly of your own heritage." He said nodding his head in respect to her.
"That is fine; I think Sango may have some books in her village about my clan." She stated thinking about sending Sango to retrieve them.
"Well if you do not need to go back today Sesshomaru-san, can you spend time here so you may learn of the time she was raised in so you have better luck training her? I'm afraid the way things are done here are far different than your time." Rika questioned.
Sesshomaru nodded his assent and Kagome and Rika set about telling him of this era. He was stunned by the information but realized it made sense as to why she was the way she was. He was glad for that, he hated the simpering females of the past.
After sharing a lunch with her mother they made their way back to the past and to the palace. They had a lot to tell the others and a lot to think about.
After she is taught our ways we can begin… Soon we can have her… As was meant..