I Pray That You Always Understand Me...
.
.
.
.
.
(A/N: The edits have been released, so check the beginning chapters to see the changes!)
She was driving as fast as she could, cursing the stoplights and the cars surrounding her. She needed to see her. It was her job after all, caring for her. The sun was slowly dissipating, the world turning beautiful shades of orange, red, and purple. Dusk was coming fast, and she needed to get there before it came. She already felt the shadows waking.
Damn!
She was stuck at another red light, less than half way there. She felt a...thing, some...entity, rush past her in the shade of the buildings, making her nervous.
They're stirring...
The fine hairs rose on the back of her neck, and she shivered involuntarily. The light changed green, and she was able to move some, despite the heavy rush hour traffic.
6:45...I need to be there!
She kept driving, doing her best not to speed despite her rush. It wouldn't help her any of she got ticketed after all.
Ok, I'm half way there... Calm down. Panicking is not going to help you.
She briefly closed her eyes and sighed. They quickly snapped open however when she felt another one of those...creatures rush past the edge of her senses.
They don't know where I am?
She closed her eyes again.
Well, it might just help in the long run, at least for now.
After a moment, she opened them. She kept driving down the street, the light having changed again, idly paying attention to her surroundings. She was now three quarters of the way there.
Huh, I can feel their auras from here...
She relished the feel of their energies on her skin. They felt so, so welcoming. She felt at ease with them.
This is why I need to protect them all, especially her. It is my responsibility to do so... Kami's, please, give me strength.
She knew she would need it, desperately so.
.
.
.
.
.
Kagome was lying in bed, left alone with her thoughts while her friends and family watched the spectacle in the hall. Her mind drifted to what had happened only a couple minutes before.
Sesshomaru's face close to hers, their noses almost brushing against each other. He had a feral look to him, but he'd said her name. He'd never done that before. She was then taken over by the urge to caress his face, and to her, it felt right. But no, she couldn't think like this. It was never good to think such...thoughts, when she knew that she was fooling herself. It was just a spur of the moment thing.
She sighed.
It was a one time thing, Kagome. Don't let it fool you.
She heard another crash from the hallway, and she watched as Inuyasha was sent flying.
She rolled her eyes to herself.
Will they ever learn?
Slowly, she slid her feet off the side of the bed, pulling out the IV in her arm as she got up. She gasped as a searing hot pain shot through her skull, momentarily blinding her. Her feet touched the cold tile floors of her bland hospital room, making her shiver slightly. She carefully got up, one hand resting against her throbbing forehead. She winced as she stood up, her body aching as if it had been hit by a car.
She blinked.
She had been hit by a car. She distinctly remembered it too.
She groaned to herself and gradually made her way to the door.
Someone's got to stop them.
.
.
.
.
.
Sesshomaru internally groaned to himself, his head colliding with the hard hospital floors.
Half breed! he roared to himself.
The aggravating whelp will pay...
He quickly rose to his feet, and just in time to dodge Inuyasha's flying fist.
Inuyasha's fist slammed and fell into the wall. He tried to tug it out, but he found that he was stuck. Sesshomaru used this opportunity to ram his own fist into Inuyasha's jaw. Inuyasha let out a loud groan of pain. Sesshomaru then pulled him free from the wall and flung him down the hallway.
"Inuyasha!" Kikyo yelled, running towards her mate. Miroku held her back however, and she struggled to get free.
"Let me go!" She cried.
"You know that you'll only get in the way if you go over to him. Don't worry, Sesshomaru won't kill him" he replied gently.
"But! But!" She lessened in her struggles.
"It isn't good in your condition to be so reckless." She immediately stopped struggling, horrified expression on her face. Miroku released her and Kikyo immediately wrapped her arms round her slightly swollen stomach. She caressed the small bump that had formed there before stepping back, a worried expression on her face.
Inuyasha landed against the opposite wall with a loud thud, hitting it hard enough to send cracks through it.
He fell to the floor after a couple moments and laid there, his chest heaving. Sesshomaru slowly walked over to Inuyasha, taking his time. A couple moments later, Inuyasha rose back onto his feet, his arms swaying as he did so.
"You bastard...what do you want with her..." he ground out, his voice hoarse.
"This Sesshomaru does not know what you're implying."
"Feh. You know full well what I mean."
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed.
Inuyasha looked at his half brother in the eye and growled out "I'M ASKING YOUR FROZEN SELF WHAT YOUR INTENTIONS ARE WITH KAGOME!"
"This Sesshomaru has no intentions with the miko."
"THAT'S BULLSHIT AND YOU KNOW IT!"
"Half breed!"
No one had noticed a panting Kagome had walked to her room's door frame. Sesshomaru ran up to Inuyasha and punched him under the chin, sending him flying upwards to the ceiling. Inuyasha started falling back down to the floor and Sesshomaru gave him a kick that sent the hanyou flying down the other side of the hall.
Kagome's eyes widened.
Inuyasha!
Sesshomaru, using his demonic speed was on the hanyou before he flew out the doors at the end of the hallway before he punched him back towards the middle of the room. Inuyasha hit the floor and slid right in front of Kagome, unconscious for the time being. Kagome gasped and ran in between the space between the two brothers. Sesshomaru, having not noticed her presence, was already in the middle of an attack. Sango, Miroku, and Kikyo let out a collective gasp, shocked and horrified expressions on their faces. Kagome shut her eyes tightly and braced herself, some of her reiki unconsciously coming out to defend her. But the blow never came. She stood there shaking, her eyes still closed for a few moments before opening them.
In front of her stood Sesshomaru, his outstretched claws only an inch away from his face. She looked at him, a royally pissed expression showing on his face.
"You stopped..." she whispered, shocked.
"Hnn."
And with that, she fainted.
.
.
.
.
.
Sesshomaru had caught her before her body crumpled to the floor and put her back into her bed, her friend's following behind him. Kikyo stayed in the hall and tended to Inuyasha, using her pink colored reiki to heal his wounds. Within a few minutes he had awoken, letting out a groan and rubbing his head while he did so.
Sesshomaru pressed the button that called for a nurse, and in a few minutes, she was there. She had screamed however at the sight of the damaged hallway, and Sesshomaru said that he'd pay for repairs a little while later. The nurse had begrudgingly accepted what Sesshomaru said, before saying that after she had checked on Kagome, she would notify her supervisor, which Sesshomaru's only response was a nod.
After checking Kagome's vitals, she said that she was only stressed, no signs of injury on her body. She left confused, saying that she was going to get the doctor. Sesshomaru stopped her though by saying that Kagome was a miko, which the nurse responded with a small "Oh." She then left the room saying that she'd return in a couple of minutes with her supervisor.
The group had then grabbed their chairs from the hall and put them near Kagome's bedside. They looked to one another, concern on their faces.
Is Kagome going to be alright?Sango looked to Miroku.
Miroku put his hand on her shoulder, a small smile on his face.
Don't worry, she'll be fine.
Sango visibly relaxed and leaned against Miroku, content showing on her face.
Kikyo looked at Inuyasha with worry, who merely shrugged.
I'm fine.
She gave him a stern look. He shrugged again. Kikyo then sighed before turning her attention to Sesshomaru, to whom she glared at.
Sesshomaru glared right back.
An elderly man knocked on the door and Sesshomaru rose to speak to him, leaving everybody to continue to silently communicate to themselves.
.
.
.
.
.
By the time Sesshomaru had returned, the cost of the damages to the hospital had been already taken care of, and Kagome gently stirred. She let out a soft sigh, and her eyes gently fluttered open.
"Guys?" Everyone looked up and quickly got up, standing all around Kagome. Kagome carefully shifted herself into a sitting position, propping pillows behind her.
"Kagome, are you alright?" Sango asked, her voice tentative. She grasped Kagome's hand and held it with her own, giving it a small squeeze.
She smiled and squeezed back. "I've been been a lot better, but yeah, I'm fine. So you don't need to worry, not anymore."
Sango smiled back. "I'll always worry about you, Kagome. You're like the sister that I never had."
"Same!" She replied, giggling.
"And what about me, Kagome?" Miroku asked, his "cursed" hand twitching and a too innocent smile on his face.
"Save it, letcher." She released Kagome's hand and turned her head towards Miroku.
Miroku's smile faltered slightly as he sweatdropped and Kagome wearily giggled, keeping track of his hands...which were of course going to "caress" (more like molest) Sango's rear.
A resounding slap echoed slightly in the room.
"Hentai!"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Get a room you two."
Sango blushed a dark red at that. "Why Inuyasha, I didn't know that you—"
"I dare you to find finish that sentence, houshi." A still blushing Sango threatened. Miroku laughed nervously to himself. "On second thought..."
"Keh!"
"Are you sure you're ok, Kagome? I know the nurses said that you'd healed your wounds, but..." Kikyo started.
"I had wounds?"
"Hn, you hit the back of your head pretty hard when you got hit." A deep baritone replied. "Oh." She blinked before asking "So when did I heal them?"
"During your nightmare."
Her eyes darkened at that, and she bowed her head slightly.
My nightmare, huh...
"Kagome...?"
Kagome whipped her head up towards the sound of Sango's voice, which she immediately regretted.
"Yeah?" She winced slightly.
Kami does my head and neck ache or what!
"I...Miroku and I...We've got work in the morning..." Sango muttered, a guilty expression on her face.
"Oh! Of course, go, go! I'd hate to keep you here still when I'm fine!" She smiled. "Oh, Kagome, are you sur—"
"I'm sorry I'm late!"
.
.
.
.
.
Setsuna burst into the room, fatigue and worry apparent on her face. Her deep silver tresses were in disarray, and her green gold eyes were panicked.
"I came as quickly as I could, but I got caught in traffic..." she stopped before she blushed, realizing that she'd been interrupting. Everyone stared at her. No one had even heard her approach.
Sesshomaru gave a quick, delicate sniff. His brows furrowed slightly.
Where has this Sesshomaru smelled this female before...?
Highly flustered, she stammered out "I I'm sorry... I should have...knocked."
Kagome blinked. Then the memory of Setsuna scaring her in that weird, unfamiliar ...world
came rushing to her. And that other Kagome...
She bowed her head and gritted her teeth, her bangs covering her eyes.
Hn, what is wrong with the miko? Sesshomaru thought.
Indeed.
"What the hell!" She exploded.
"Why was I there, in that strange place!? Why were there two of me! Why did you... you! What do you know of this!" She glared at Setsuna before shock set in, realizing that Setsuna was shaking and that everyone was staring at her.
Setsuna stared at Kagome, her eyes wide with confusion, and her body trembled slightly.
"I...I don't—"
"What the hell Kags!" Inuyasha snapped.
"Half breed..."
Sango and Miroku stared at Kagome, alarm showing in their eyes. Kagome seemed as if she were shocked at her own outburst. "Setsuna, I'm sorry, I I don't know what came over me..."
Where did my sudden anger come from...? I've never felt that, that rage before...
Setsuna quickly calmed down, despite the lingering confusion still on her face.
"I'm sorry Kagome, but I... I don't know what you're talking about..." she whispered, still taken aback.
"No, I'm sorry. It's just... I had a bad dream, and it it felt so real." She sighed. "And you were there, and when I saw you, I don't know...What I did was inexcusable..."
Setsuna let out a whoosh of air before smiling. "It's alright Kagome. You were just caught up in your feelings at that moment. I forgive you."
The others had calmed down slightly, but we're still shocked at Kagome's outburst. She just doesn't do that.
Setsuna approached the bed, Sango and Miroku politely backing any to give the female some space.
"Are you alright?"
She nodded.
"That's a relief..."
Setsuna sighed. She stiffened ever so slightly however, and only Sesshomaru caught it. After a moment, she relaxed again.
"I feel so bad saying this, but Kagome, I've kinda got to go now..." Setsuna trailed off.
Kagome let out a small laugh. "Yeah, being a singer must be hard..."
Setsuna stared at Kagome briefly before letting out a small "Yeah...".
Miroku took this opportunity to speak.
"Do I know you?"
Setsuna turned, her eyes wide.
"I'm sorry, I doubt we've met, but for some reason, I feel like I've met you before..."
"Actually, I was just thinking that myself." Sango chimed in.
"Yeah...now that I think about it..." Kikyo murmured in deep thought.
"Keh, the feeling's mutual."
"Hn."
Setsuna stared at each one of them individually.
Is it possible...?
She then laughed. A laugh of both pure joy and sorrow. Tears even came to her eyes.
She gave them all a mystifying smile before turning back to Kagome.
She grasped her hand, and then her face turned serious.
"This will sound weird, but Kagome, please be brave. Our distant future may seem bleak, hopeless, but know that you're not alone..."
She let out a choked sigh.
"Please, fax this mess..." her eyes watered and she gave a stunned Kagome a kiss on the forehead. Everyone watched in confusion and curiosity.
She moved so fast that they barely registered the feeling of being kissed on the forehead, one per person. Even Sesshomaru couldn't keep up with her.
When they were able to see her again, they found her at the doorway, a small smile on her face and what appeared to be tears in her eyes.
She gave a small bow, and with that, she was gone.
Sesshomaru ran out of the room and into the halls, only to find no one there.
"What the hell was that all about?!" Growled a certain hanyou.
"I...don't know." Kagome responded, equally confused.
"That was...Setsuna, wasn't it?"
Inuyasha turned to Kikyo.
"You know the wench?"
"Mm, she was me and Kagome's best friend... I didn't know that you were still in contact with her, Kagome."
"Ah, yeah, we've stayed in loose contact that last couple of years... since high school."
"You and that female were children together?" It was Sesshomaru who spoke this time as he came back into the room.
"Uhh, yeah?"
"Hnn... That female is much older than she appears..."
"Wha? How's the possible? We literally grew up together!"
"Hn..."
"I'll take that as a "I don't know."
Sesshomaru gave a small glare to Kagome, who in turn rolled her eyes.
"Well if that's true," Miroku started "how is it that she grew up like Kagome and Kikyo did?"
No one answered him. They were just as perplexed as he was was.
.
.
.
.
.
She sobbed as she ran into her car. She was so happy! But at the same time, she felt despair. She stayed like that for a few minutes, her feet on her seat, her head resting on her knees, and her arm wrapped tightly around her.
Her eyes were half mast and she smiled gently to herself.
I can live with this... Their subconsciousness remembers me, but that is enough. Our time
together is what I'll always cherish, even if not much is the same...
She sprang her head up.
Shit! They're nearby!
She quickly opened her glove box on the passenger side of her car, digging for some paper and a pen. Finding a blank sheet, she tore it into two, and a couple moments later she found a capped blue pen. She ripped the top off the pen and wrote two notes: one brief and short, and another that was somewhat similar, but had some more information.
She then held the two pieces of paper in both of her hands and focused on her powers. She felt them gently bubble out of her, and her hands began to glow a soft, warm gold. The air held the feel of some pure, something sacred to it, and she enveloped the two notes in her glowing powers. She rolled down the window, and the notes flew out, off to their destinations.
She pulled her powers back in and jammed her car key in, forgoing her seat belt. She was out of the parking lot of the hospital within a minute, speeding heavily. The rush hour traffic had died down, and she had gotten to the highway fairly quickly.
They're following me...!
She squinted her eyes and turned into an exit, heading to the slums of Tokyo. She easily sped down the barren dilapidated streets into the abandoned neighborhoods when something jumped on her car. She served her car car madly, but still it held on. She growled to herself and sped right towards a destroyed apartment building that had been overtaken by nature. At the last moment, she rammed her car door open and jumped out, her car crashing into the building.
She gasped, and she quickly got up on her feet, running away. She heard a loud screech of metal being torn apart before her car exploded, flinging her about a meter forward. She hissed in pain and looked down onto her now bloodied knees.
They're here.
She got up onto her feet, her legs trembling slightly. She raised her head some but then stopped when she felt ice cold, sharp metal pressing against her neck.
Tch.
She stared at the vile creature in front of her, finding it's disgusting presence offending. It was a mass of black, its red eyes gleaming with malice and hate. It was holding a scythe that had wrapped around her neck.
"Well? Aren't you going to kill me now?"
It made no response, but seemed to regard her silently.
She glanced around. She surrounded by them, their darkness suffocating her, causing her to shiver involuntarily. Snow lazily started to drift down from the sky.
"...No..." they all said in unison.
She nearly vomited, the scent of death and rotting flesh putrid, making her eyes water and her nose burn.
She swallowed, but only barely.
"Well, why not?"
She glanced around again, their eyes all focusing on her.
"I could ruin your entire plan. If I couldn't, you wouldn't be stalking me... So what the hell do you want with me?!"
The rather humanoid looking being unwound its scythe from around her head, and she glared at it suspiciously.
"Well!?"
It then smiled, causing her to involuntarily back up slightly and shiver. It had razor sharp teeth she noted, and a grin that sucked the light out of her.
"You." They yet again replied in unison.
She blinked rapidly. What could they gain from...?
They all smiled at her, their fearsome, maniac grins frightening.
"What could I do?! You destroyed this world! You rewrote it! You killed them all! Taking pleasure from it! What the hell could I do for something that rewrote time!" She screamed,agitated.
The first one spoke again.
"The power to do it all again, but this time, none of you return."
She recoiled.
What!?
"As if I'd help you! You killed all that I had left!"
"And we thought we killed you too. But you survived. You always survive. And we will get our way."
Setsuna gasped. Suddenly, a sharp pain stuck her. She screamed in pure agony, her head raised towards the cloudy sky.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
She held herself desperately, feeling the light being sucked out from her, a vast darkness filling its place. She trembled violently, the pain becoming unbearable. Her vision clouded, and when she felt as If she were going to die, she felt it stop. She fell harshly to the floor, bloody tears leaking from her wide eyes.
She couldn't move or scream if she wanted to, chains climbing on her and wrapping around her. She then felt her descending downwards. The world was quickly going dark, and her breathing was shallow.
She felt her body being dragged down. The scent of death and decay surrounding her. Her body heated up madly, and her eyes slowly drifted down on their own accord. In her mind she screamed bloody murder as she saw what seemed to be bloody bodies squirming all around her, their fleshy hands grasping in her direction.
What is this!? What are they!?
The world blacked entirely, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head.
I'm so sorry, Kagome...
For...give... me...
.
.
.
.
.
Kagome was in the middle of a conversation with Inuyasha, Kikyo, and Sesshomaru when she suddenly stopped. A confused expression formed on her face.
"What is it, Kagome?" Kikyo asked, curious to why her cousin had suddenly stopped.
"It's... nothing. For some reason, I thought that I'd heard someone call my name..."
"Pfft, stupid wench must of hit her head harder than we thought."
Kikyo hit Inuyasha on the back of the head.
"Ow! What the hell was that for!"
Kikyo rolled her eyes, exasperated, but said nothing.
"So as this Sesshomaru was saying, it would be wise for you to stay at his abode."
"Hell no!" Kagome snapped.
"I've told you this before, you can't make decisions on my behalf without my consent!"
Sesshomaru growled in frustration. "Miko, this Ses—"
"Kagome, I hate to say it, but I agree with this bastard..."
"What?! How could you!"
Inuyasha pouted. "Feh! He's got a good point. You will over stress yourself. You care too much about the well being of others and don't put yourself first. At least with him a around, you'll be forced to care for yourself." He looked a away moodily.
"Hn."
"But!—"
"He makes a fair point, Kagome. You should listen to him."
Kagome was about to say about to say something before she stopped, choosing to glare at the three of them instead. Outside, the wind howled loudly.
"Fine..." she begrudgingly gave in.
"Hn. This Sesshomaru will see to it that you are released within the hour." He left the room, closing the door behind him.
"...Can he do that?"
"Keh, probably. All he has to do is scare the shit out of the staff after all."
Kagome sweatdropped while Kikyo giggled.
"Good point."
.
.
.
.
.
December 29:
Kagome had been staying with Sesshomaru in his master guest room (which was right next to his) for two days now. Inuyasha was right when he said that all Sesshomaru had to do was scare the staff to be released early. They wouldn't even look her in the eye, let alone Sesshomaru!
Sesshomaru had taken her straight to his home, saying that he had already made plans on her needs while he was out of the room, as well as telling her about her accident. Speaking of the room, it was gorgeous. All the way in the back were a few windows, with deep gold curtains drawn back, and a giant covered patio with two chairs and a table sitting outside. In the middle was a bay window with a rococo styled Méridienne Chaise longue next to it. She had her own fireplace, her canopy bed facing it, a beautiful baby blue comforter and matching pillows on it. She had dark red colored wooden end tables with their own lamp beside her bed on each side. In front of her fireplace, there was a plush amber rug with two very comfortable looking chairs. She noticed a little book shelf in the far back corner with a homely looking lamp next to it. She also noticed a small desk in the corner of the entrance of her room, with a tiny little lamp on its fair end. She had a large armoire on the other side of her, taking up nearly the whole side of the wall, and a dresser next to it. But her room was quite large, at least three times her apartment, and she found it quite cosy.
She sighed to herself. She was laying on her comforter, quite content. Sesshomaru had given her two days off, and was being...sweet, (if you could call Sesshomaru sweet), to her. He even asked her to the fundraiser! He actually asked!
Finally, no demanding prick!
"Miko, this Sesshomaru requires your presence."
"Huh?"
Kagome had been sitting in Sesshomaru's office, where she was currently reading one of the many books that was stored in there. They were mostly texts from the Sengoku Jidai, she'd noticed. Some of them early than that, but she found she couldn't very well read them since the Japanese had changed some.
She stretched before she got up, going over to Sesshomaru's desk.
"Yeah?" She yawned, tears coming to the corners of her eyes.
"..." He said nothing and stared at her.
"..." She stared back.
"..." He continued to stare. "..." So did she. "..." Still, he said nothing.
"Argh! I can't take this silence!"
He smirked at her.
She glared.
"...Jerk..."
"Brat."
She glared daggers at him.
"I am not a brat!"
He delicately rose an eyebrow. She growled.
His eyebrow rose higher.
"Since when do ningen mikos growl?"
"Hmpf!" She turned her head away in a petulant manner. He refrained from rolling his eyes.
She turned her attention back to Sesshomaru.
"So, what do you require of this Kagome?" She smirked, mocking his speech.
He made no comment about her jibe, but his eyes did narrow slightly. He seemed to choose his words before speaking.
"This Sesshomaru..." he paused, still formulating his words. Kagome stared at him curiously.
"Yes?"
He blinked, and seemed as if he had mentally said to himself "screw it".
"This Sesshomaru would like for you to accompany me to the Taisho Fundraiser on the first." "Okay!" She smiled at him.
He seemed to be taken aback. He stared at her, his eyes questioning.
"I was waiting for you to ask. I had long ago figured that I'd have to go with you anyways." She answered his silent question quietly.
"Hnn..."
Kagome giggled before walking back over to her chair and sat down in it, continuing where she had left off in her book.
She giggled into the pillow that she had just buried her face in, reveling in its comfortable plushiness.
She heard a knock on her door.
"Come in!" She yelled, her face still buried in the pillow.
A female yokai walked in, dressed in a comfortable maid outfit, wheeling in a tray of food. She had auburn hair and gray blue eyes.
"Kagome sama?" Her voice was a light whisper.
"Do you not feel well?" She sounded both worried and nervous.
Kagome raised her head from the pillow.
"Oh, no, I'm fine! Just relaxing." The girl seemed to relax a bit.
"I'm sorry, I don't think we've met..." Kagome started, her voice gentle.
"O oh! Forgive me! I am Nariko of the House of Hiruma. I am the third and youngest sister in my line." She sounded proud.
"Hiruma?"
"Hai. We're one of the villages that are a part of the Western Lands. Sesshomaru sama has protected us for centuries. My family sent me here as a personal servant to repay him." She sounded even more proud.
"Oh."
"Ah! Forgive me! I hope your food isn't cold now, Kagome sama!"
"Please, just call me Kagome." She replied.
"But Milady!" Nariko seemed shocked at the prospect of it.
"Please?" Kagome gave her the best puppy dog look she could muster, hoping to persuade her."
Nariko seemed nervous, but let out a small "If you says so..."
"Can we eat on the patio?" Kagome asked.
"Of course Kagome sa— I mean, Kagome." She blushed slightly.
Nariko pushed the cart of food in the room, and Kagome rose, getting up to open the patio door, the cold air sweeping into her room. Nariko set the food on the small table as Kagome sat down.
"Wait, we?"
"Yep! This looks really good!"
"But Mil—Kagome!"
"Udon, steak, a mix of steamed vegetables, and some black tea! Yum!"
Nariko seemed to have gotten the hint and stopped protesting.
"...Kagome?"
"Mm?" She had been digging into her udon. Nariko had been shifting her chopsticks.
"Is this really ok?"
Kagome stopped eating and smiled. "Of course! It'd be hard to eat it all myself anyways."
Nariko seemed like she accepted Kagome's reasoning and together, they dug in., the heat of the food keeping them warm despite being it being in the forties outside.
.
.
.
.
.
After they had finished eating, Nariko had cleared away their shared plates and disappeared to what Kagome assumed was the kitchen and came back a few minutes later.
"Kagome?" Nariko had quickly eased into calling her by her name in the short time they'd eaten lunch together.
"Yes?"
"Sesshomaru sama has made plans for you on the first. I thought I should let you know a little before hand."
"Plans?" Kagome had been reading the book from earlier, resting comfortably in one of the chairs in front on the fireplace in her room.
"Yep! You've got a massage at two, a nail appointment at three, hair appointment at four, a makeup appointment at five, and then an hour to put on the dress that Sesshomaru has picked out for you for the ball."
"That's... A lot." She was trying to absorb it all in.
"So where do I have to go for these...appointments?"
"Go?" Nariko seemed confused, before comprehension dawned in her eyes.
"Oh, no! You don't have to go anywhere! They're all here at the house!"
"At the! Nariko, this is too much for me!"
"No, no, no, no, no! Milady, Sesshomaru sama is doing this for you so you don't have to strain yourself! Everything will be provided for you."
"But...!"
"Don't worry, Kagome. Milord is just supplying you with what you'll need for the ball."
Kagome sighed in defeat. She sensed she wouldn't win on this one.
"Ok..." she pouted slightly. Nariko giggled. For the rest of the afternoon, they talked together in Kagome's room.
.
.
.
.
.
It was a little while until dinner when Kagome had received a call on her cell.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Kagome?"
"Ah, Sango! How are you?"
"I should be the one asking you that! I heard from Miroku that you're staying at Sesshomaru's! It must be horrible!"
"Actually, it's not as bad as you think. He's been really considerate, sweet you could almost say."
"Bullshit. You're kidding right? The Ice Lord being nice?" Sango deadpanned. "Well I did say almost... And he really is. Guess what?"
"You want to leave?"
"No, and I doubt I'd be able to..." She heard a snort from Sango's end.
"Anyways, he was finally asked me to the fund." "...You're kidding, right?"
"Nope."
She heard silence. "Sango?"
"Uh, yeah? Oh, sorry. I got lost in thought." "Sangooo..." Kagome whined slightly.
"So is that all? Or...?"
"Nope. He made all these appointments on the first for the fund." "Appointments?"
"Yeah. You know, hair, nails, makeup, oh, and even a massage. They're nearly one hour each..." "Dear Kami's! And you don't have to pay or anything?"
"Yep. Free of charge. Of course I feel kinda bad..." "Feel bad! Kagome, you're so lucky!"
"Ooh! Someone's envious!" She teased.
'"Damn right I am!"
They both laughed for a good minute.
"Kagome, he must like you or something."
"What? No... I mean come on, it's Sesshomaru."
"I know that it's Sesshomaru. But I'm saying that because it's Sesshomaru. I mean, if he didn't, you'd have been fired earlier. And not have come back!"
"Sango..."
"Look, I know you don't believe me, and that's ok, but he must like you at least a little, otherwise, you wouldn't be here."
Kagome heard a knock on the door. She put her hand on her phone's speaker.
"Yes?" She called out.
"Dinner is served, Milady."
"Ok, I'll be there in a minute!"
She sighed.
"Look, Sango. Sesshomaru doesn't like me, I'm just his personal assistant, nothing more. I have to go now. See you later."
She hung up before Sango could even reply.
.
.
.
.
.
Dinner had been a quiet affair. Sesshomaru hadn't come home during yet (which was common according to Nariko), so Kagome ate by herself. She had been led to the dining hall, which was a rather empty room, considering it was very large.
"It's not used very much..." Nariko answered when she inquired why It was so empty.
"I clean it, but it hasn't been used for many centuries..."
"Centuries?" Kagome asked.
This house can't be that old!
"Hai. This is the Lord's mansion. He renovated it to match the times though..."
"Just how old is Sesshomaru?!"
"I'm not sure myself, but by now, he's at least thirteen hundred..."
Kagome stared wide eyed at Nariko, her jaw dropped.
"Come Milady, Kagome. Your food is getting cold."
Numbly, she sat down in one of the chairs at the end of the table. The room was quite large, a large chandelier hanging above her head. The table was long and dark colored, made to fit at least fifteen people, and there were many chairs along the sides of it, one at each end. The room was bright and the walls the same royal blue as Sesshomaru's marking on his forehead, and there were a few paintings here and there, mostly of the Western Palace and inu yokai in their dog form. The floor was some quality type of stone, but she couldn't decipher what it was. Besides that, the room was quite barren, and left her with a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if the room held some bad lingering feeling to it.
She started eating her food, blowing before putting it in her mouth since it was hot. It was a simple Japanese dinner consisting of rice, fish, miso, some pickles, and a mig filled with warm oolong tea.
She was done fairly quickly, having no one talk to since Nariko had left to do some chore or other. Knowing that Nariko would take her empty bowls to the kitchen, she wandered back into her room and sat down on the bed feeling some somber emotion that she couldn't name.
.
.
.
.
.
After a while Nariko had come into her room and asked if Kagome wanted to take a bath, which Kagome had agreed to. As it turned out, the bath was a giant natural onsen, which she took a long soak in before she began to bathe herself and eventually get out of, dressed in silken pajamas. She had been relaxing yet again in her room after brushing her raven locks, reading her book of poetry from earlier with one of the lamps beside her bed on, when her cell rang.
She paused.
Now who could that be at this hour?
She rose from her reclined position on her bed and walked over to her dresser. Picking up her vibrating, ringing phone, she checked the caller ID.
Souta? What does he want?
Curious, she answered her phone, sitting on the bed as she did so.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Kagome!" He sounded rather relieved as he yelled her name.
"Where are you? Are you alright?!"
"Uh, yeah. I'm fine? Why, what's up?"
"Yesterday Mom called me and at work saying that you'd been in a car accident. Of course course I didn't see her message until after after my shift was over, but when I did I rushed over to the shrine. She was so scared Kagome!" He sounded worried and a bit angry at her.
I forgot to call Mama! She felt guilty.
"Kami! I forgot to call her. I didn't realize the hospital would of... Never mind that, give her the phone!"
"On it!"
She heard him run into another room and her some shifting noises. She then heard a shaky voice.
"Kagome...?"
"Mama!"
"Oh, Kagome!" Her mom had burst into tears, and Kagome heard her sobs through the phone.
"I I tried calling the hospital...but they'd said you'd left...and I got so worried. Oh my poor baby!"
Kagome felt tears prick her eyes.
"Mama!"
Together, they both cried for a few minutes. Eventually, they both calmed down and began to speak again.
"So what happened...? I mean, are you ok...?" Her mother sounded nervous.
"I'm not really sure, but according to what Sesshomaru had told me, I was turning to make a U turn when a motorcycle that was driving in between the lanes almost got hit by some teen on her phone behind me. She tried to not hit him, causing for her to crash into me, pushing my car into a street light. I really only have a vague memory of it..."
"Thank the Kami's that you're alright!"
"Yeah...No kidding." She felt a bit better now that her mom went so worried about her now.
"The way the person from the hospital had said it, it sounded like you were going to die! I was so scared for you..."
I could have... but I guess that dream saved my life, you could say...
"...Well I'm so glad that you're alright, Kagome. I don't know what I would have done if you had..."
"Let's not talk about, ok Mom?" Kagome quickly replied, sensing tears about to come from her mother.
"Yes...let's not."
"Kagome?"
"Yes Mama?"
She paused. "Who's Sesshomaru?"
Oh boy. She's going to get the wrong idea about us.
"He's my boss."
"And he's the one who picked you up from the hospital...?" She knew where her mother was going to go with this. "Yes, Mama."
Oh...
She heard silence from the other end. "I see..."
Here it comes.
"Well you didn't tell me you had a boyfriend...who's your boss."
Oh Kami...she internally whined"He's only my boss, Mom."
"Uh huh..." She totally didn't believe her.
"So, where have you been staying? I called your house phone but you didn't pick up, and I don't have your cellphone number anymore."
Don't say at his house. Don't say at his house. Don't say at his his house!
"I was at... Sango's house!"
I'm going to owe her big time...
"I see..."
"Yeah..."
Awkward moment alert!
"So anyways!"
"Do you like him?"
"Uhh?"
"This... Sesshomaru you mentioned."
"No! I mean" she answered way too quickly "he's only my boss, Mom." "Uh huh."
"Mooom!" He mother giggled.
"Ok, if you say so honey..." she giggled some more when Kagome's reply was a groan.
They talked for a few minutes more on the phone before her mother had handed it back to Souta. "So you're sure you're alright?"
"Yes, Souta." She smiled to herself. "...are you really at Sango's house?"
He heard that?
"No..."
"I thought so. You're at Sesshomaru's, aren't you." He said fairly confidently. "Yeah."
She heard him sigh for a quick second before he spoke again. "Well, I know he'll take care of you."
Take care of me?
"Souta, I'm not dating him." She deadpanned. "Uh huh."
"I'm not, you little twerp!" He laughed.
"Ok, ok! I heard you the first time! Anyways, it's 11:30, I'm going to go now. Night Sis."
"Night little bro."
She hung up. She then got up and plugged her phone in the outlet by the dresser. Kagome then inhaled deeply before letting out a tired yawn. She blinked sleepily before turning around and turning off her lamp. She drowsily climbed into her bed and buried herself under the plush blue covers. She was asleep in less than a minute.
.
.
.
.
.
Kagome let out a big yawn as the morning light shined on her face. She groggily rubbed at her eyes.
Who left the curtains open?
"Miko."
"Mm... Sesshomaru, too early..." she let out another yawn and turned on her side, away from the bright, offending source of light.
"Miko." He said her name again.
"Wake up."
"Five more minutes." She buried her head under her comforter.
She heard footsteps approaching her bed. Suddenly, he blanket was thrown off her to causing her to let out a shriek of surprise as the cold air descended on her.
She shot up out of bed and sped walked right up to Sesshomaru.
"You jerk!" She poked him in the chest rather hard before letting out a hiss of pain, jerk in her hand back and holding it with the other one.
Sesshomaru raised a brow.
"What are you, made of rock?!" She pouted, her other hand still nursing her finger. Sesshomaru smirked.
"Wait, that's not the point! What the hell was the blanket thing for?!" Her anger that had momentarily dissipated had returned in full force. She gave him an angry stare.
"This Sesshomaru wanted to ask you if you would like to have lunch later on." He looked slightly...embarrassed almost.
"Uhm, sure, why not? What's the occasion?" She asked, her interest piqued.
He's not asking me on a date, right?
"To discuss the events of tomorrow evening in full detail."
"...I see." She looked at him blankly.
"Miko."
She made no sign of acknowledgement.
"Miko." He tried again.
What is wrong with the miko?
Hn...
He suddenly moved, catching her before she fell.
She's out.
Well, I guess that means no lunch. Maybe dinner?
Shut up.
His beast laughed in reply.
Sesshomaru picked Kagome up bridal style and gently placed her on the bed.
She got too stressed.
I'm aware. I think we should reschedule.
Hn.
.
.
.
.
.
It was dark. In the distance, Kagome heard the screams of many.
Where am I?
No matter how hard she tried, she found that she couldn't open her eyes, let alone move. It was as if something had her bound tightly without being bound by something.
Well, I need to break free then.
She gathered her energy and released it, quickly freeing her. she opened her eyes.
Where am I, underground?
She got up into a sitting position, her eyes easily accustoming to the darkness. Stone walls covered her on all sides. In front of her was an iron door.
She got up off the dirt floor and tried to open it, but it was locked. A loud...monstrous roar from the corner of what she assumed was a cell got her attention. She turned her head towards and let out a scream as a being with red gleaming eyes descended upon her.
.
.
.
.
.
She shot up out of her bed.
"Sesshomaru!"
He was by her side in an instant and she quickly grabbed hold of him, sobbing into his chest. He stared at her momentarily, before hesitantly wrapping his arms around her.
They stayed like that for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally Sesshomaru spoke.
"Are you alright." He sounded concerned.
She didn't trust herself to speak, so she nodded instead.
They stayed like for a while longer, Sesshomaru cradling Kagome in his arms, keeping her safe and warm.
"I had a nightmare." He voice was nothing more than a hoarse whisper.
"I I don't know where I was. I was all alone, or so I thought... It was too real, Sesshomaru."
He let out a small huff of air that somehow sounded endearing to her ears.
"It was only a dream."
She raised her head to look upon him. His amber eyes were a warm golden hue. She felt heat rush to her cheeks.
He looks so serene...
She blinked slowly, taking him in. There it was again, that weird moment where she was entirely captivated by him. Completely awestruck.
Unconsciously, the two leaned closer to each other.
Are we going to kiss...?
They leaned closer still, their eyes slowly closing. Their noses were almost touching, and still, they leaned closer.
Suddenly, the door slammed open. The two both jumped and quickly separated. Sesshomaru got up.
"What."
Nariko was breathing heavily. "The Lord of the Eastern Lands has called. He requests that he talks to you."
"Hn."
Nariko bowed deeply before hurrying out of the room.
"I expect that you'll you'll be better tomorrow, miko." And with that, he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
She stared where she had seen him last: her door.
What...was that? It...was...
Surreal.
What?!
She looked frantically around.
"Who said that?!" She called out, but received no response. She spread out her senses, but could only feel Sesshomaru, Nariko, and herself.
Weird...
She got up and walked to her phone.
10:57.
She'd slept for that long?! She looked outside in shock. Sure enough, it was pitch black out.
She blinked rapidly. She sat back down on her bed. Reaching over to the the small stand beside her bed. She turned the lamp off. She then crawled under her covers and stared blankly at the ceiling.
It would be a long night...
And tomorrow was the Fund.
Well,... shit!
.
.
.
.
.
(A/N: And so that's it! It was a seriously long chapter, the longest I've ever written Is the 34th page In fact. :D I feel so accomplished. Anyways, I wonder what it is that happened to Setsuna, and what's with Kagome's dreams? The edits have beenreleased, so check the beginning chapters to see the changes!The next chapter will bereleased on the 31st. R&R, favorite, follow please! Bye bye!