Chapter 19

Sesshomaru pulled Kagome off his shoulder. He wasn't sure what it was he was feeling at this moment, but it was absolutely intense. At this very moment in time, he wished he wasn't the Lord of the Western lands. He wished he could be just any other youkai. That she could be just any other human. That way he could tell her. So she could know too.

She smiled her twinkling eyes at him and stoked his cheek. She saw he was frustrated and she was too. They would talk about it later. Right now, they had to remember that Inuyasha and Kikyo were planning on joining them tonight.

"Come on, let's go back to the table," she said to him.

He nodded his head, incapable of speaking at the moment. Her friends were all red and teary eyed and hugged her.

"See! I told you! I can't believe you've been gone for so long," exclaimed Yuka.

"Well, I'm happy I did it," Kagome giggled glancing at Sesshomaru.

"Oh, by the way, Kuri is on her way over. She hadn't seen you in a while and she apologized for missing you on stage," Ayumi said, putting her phone down.

"Really? Great! I'll tell her she didn't miss much," Kagome laughed.

"Are you kidding? Really Kagome, you don't have to be so humble," Eri said and they continued chatting away. Ayumi's phone rang and she answered.

"Oh really? Okay we're sitting at one of the booths, just come in," she said into the phone. She hung up and smiled at her friends. "She's here."

They all turned their heads excitedly to the door. A young girl with light brown hair up in sticks with bangs dangling down walked in. She wore a black leather jacket, a white tank top and black skinny jeans. Her eyes were a brilliant green color and almost seemed unearthly. She walked naturally swinging her hips and her curves were flattering on her figure.

Sesshomaru wasn't really interested in her friend. But then something immediately caught his attention.

That scent…

The smell of sweet rose and juniper invaded his senses. It threw him into flashbacks and his heart suddenly became still. He looked over at the girl that walked in.

Impossible!, his beast roared.

Sesshomaru gripped the cushion of his seat and nearly punctured it. His eyes were focused hard on her, as if he had seen a ghost. Kagome noticed his agitation and stroked his thigh. He didn't even look at her. His attention was completely focused on Kuri. But Kagome saw he wasn't checking her out. It almost seemed like he knew her…

"Konichiwa Kags!! I haven't seen you in forever," Kuri said holding out her arms to her. Kagome tried to budge Sesshomaru but he wasn't moving. She stood awkwardly from her seat and hugged her across the table. As she embraced Kagome, a mark was revealed from her jacket, and Sesshomaru knew…it's her.

"I know! Have a seat, I wanna catch up," she said to her. Kuri sat next to Eri on the other side of the table. Kagome glanced at Sesshomaru and found his eyes still focused on her.

"What's wrong?" she whispered to him. Finally he was brought back to earth and he flicked his eyes to Kagome. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to think. His beast was frustrated and confused and it only worsened his own mood.

"Excuse me," he said to the girls, standing. Kagome watched him walk out of the club and decided to follow him.

"Sorry guys, I'll be right back," she explained to her friends. Their strange, confused looks were mutual across the table and she quickly made her way out.

"Hey! What's your problem?" she asked him when she found him in the same ally as earlier.

"I know her," he simply said staring ahead of him.

"Kuri? That's impossible," she said confused.

"I thought so too. You didn't see the marks on her wrist?"

"Yeah, it's a birthmark she had forever. Sesshomaru, there is no way you can know her she's human," she explained.

"Ha! If you think that girl is human than you really are an untrained miko," he bit out. His words bit her and she stepped back from him. He noticed her withdrawal and sighed.

"Please understand this is not easy for me," he told her. "How long have you known her?" he asked.

"I don't know, maybe a year before I first fell into the well. She moved here from some far away country. Who do you think she is?"

Sesshomaru looked at the miko in front of him. If he told her, it would crush her. But he also promised to never lie. He dropped his shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"My mate."

Kagome was dumbfounded. "You're not mated!" she exclaimed.

"No, but I was supposed to be. But then…her palace was attacked and…no one saw her again. They told me she was dead. When I went looking for her, everything was gone. Her scent, her presence, her warmth. All of it," he said with sadness looming over his face.

"But even so, that can't be Kuri," she denied.

"Her 'birthmark' is no such thing. It is the mark of the house of the East. It belonged to a neko family before…Katashi took over when it was destroyed. He restored as much as he could. But he couldn't find her. Her parents were found massacred. Kei was her maid. She heard Miyuki scream and when she ran into her room…she was gone. She escaped the palace and sought me out. Then she told me…" he said. He turned his back to Kagome and dropped his shoulders.

"But she doesn't even look like a demoness," she said, her heart breaking even more. Breaking for his pain, breaking because now…now she might loose him.

"It's probably some sort of spell. You are a miko, you should be able to detect it," he looked at her hopefully. The sparkle in his eyes. The way hope spread across his face, it killed her.

"First…I guess let's see if she is even a demon. And if she has any memory of what happened," she said turning away from him. He sensed her distress. But he couldn't do anything. He had to know.

They walked back in, their faces plastered with false calm. Within each of their souls, they were both caught in a damaging tornado of emotion.

"There you guys are, we thought you left us here," Kuri said laughing. "So tell me, who is this handsome devil you have here?"

Kagome couldn't tell her how much those words hurt. "Sesshomaru, he's a friend of mine," she said in a small voice.

"Well, I'm pleased to meet you," she said waving. He nodded to her and took a sip of the water in front of him.

"Kuri, you never told me much about where you lived before you came to Tokyo?" Kagome asked trying to get information out of her.

Kuri's smile slightly faded. "Well, you know I was adopted. My parents were killed in a car accident and I suffered some trauma from it. The doctor said I had memory loss. I can't really remember anything before the accident," she said in a sad voice. Then smiled trying to lighten up the mood.

Kagome's heart sunk even further. Coincidence. It's just a coincidence. There is no way she's a demon. Then she remembered Sesshomaru talking about a spell. She pretended she was focusing on her drink when really she was trying to detect any magic around Kuri. She searched and searched then…she felt it. A masking spell, the same thing she had used on Sesshomaru. She let out a tiny cry and sunk in her seat.

Sesshomaru heard her and he knew she found the spell.

It is her. What do I do now?

I don't know.His beast was distant and cold. No one expected this.

Should we awaken her memories?

What about the miko? Should we disregard her?

She is not some toy we simply disregard. But if this is Miyuki…

She can give us an heir, rule the western lands, and then we can have Rin.

Kagome…

Sesshomaru looked to her and felt his heart sink at her expression.

What does this mean for me then…is he…going to forget everything that just happened today? Like it didn't matter??

She distanced herself away from Sesshomaru and wanted to cry her heart out. She couldn't stand to be in the room anymore and excused herself from the table. Kuri had noticed something happen between them and paused Sesshomaru from following her.

"Wait," she told him gripping his hand. He felt her touch and electricity pulsed between them both. They shared a strange look before she picked up the pace again. "Let me talk to her," she said and got up. She looked over her shoulder at him again and kept walking.

That man. I feel…I feel like I know him. Who is he?

Kuri found Kagome crouched in an ally, crying. "Hey, Kags?" she asked in a soothing voice. "What's wrong?" she crouched next to her and put an arm over her.

Kagome looked up and her heart broke further. She had never noticed it…the spell. And she never noticed how Kuri's pupil resembled the slit of a cat's….

"I just really want to be alone, I'm sorry," she said wiping her eyes standing. She walked further away from the club, following the ally towards an abandoned building.

"Hey! It's really dangerous here, Kagome. Let's at least go somewhere safe?" she begged. She got a bad feeling in her gut and she didn't like it. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and she suddenly felt like she was being watched.

"Kuri, you don't know anything about me," Kagome said turning to face her with angry eyes. "I can handle myself just fine!" she turned away again and kept walking.

"Look, I don't know what's wrong, but something isn't right here! Please!" she begged again. Suddenly a woman stumbled out the building and walked up to Kagome with tear stained eyes.

"PLEASE! HELP ME!" she screamed. Her red hair was messed up and she had bruises all over her face.

Kagome instantly threw her arms over her and looked back into the building. "What happened?" she asked the crying woman.

"That man!" she screamed pointing at a man standing at the door of the building. "He tried to rape me!"

Kagome gave Kuri the woman to hold and stood facing him. "I don't know you but you're out numbered here, jerk! Get away from this girl, you pervert!"

Kuri looked at the girl and tried calming her. "What's your name?" she asked loudly. Kagome glanced back waiting for the girl to answer.

Through gasps, she said "Azula." Kagome's heart stopped and her eyes widened. NO!

"Kuri! Get away from her!" She screamed running up to them. Arm encircled her and she was thrown against the concrete.

She looked up at the man and saw his amber eyes. Inuyasha…no!

Kuri screamed as the crying woman suddenly morphed into her true self. Kikyo stood there with a knife held to her throat.

"Kagome, give me the shards," she said with a calm voice.

"You're sick, Kikyo!" she spat at her. She tried getting up, but Inuyasha kicked her in the stomach, sending her a few feet backwards. She spat up vomit from the impact and gasped. The pain spread through her whole body. She had to think fast.

"Kuri, do you trust me?" she yelled to her. Kuri looked frightened, but she was thinking strangely calm.

"Yes," she said waiting for her orders.

If Kuri was in fact a demon, she could heal herself, and Kagome's plan would work. She turned her attention to Kikyo, "Kill her! I don't care! You'll never get my shards!" she screamed. Kikyo gave her a disgusted smirk and easily slit Kuri's throat.

Kuri gasped and held her throat as she fell to the floor. Kikyo started walking to her and Kagome threw up a barrier. From in it, she began lifting the spell that Kuri had on her. It was a lot stronger than her own, and she found difficulty finding the essence of it. Kikyo was bringing down her barrier with her own spell and Kagome was running out of time. Suddenly Kikyo was thrown across the lot and angry growls erupted.

She looked up to see Sesshomaru and Inuyasha baring claws at each other. She put down Sesshomaru's mask first so he could use his whip. When he felt it lift, he attacked.

She made her way out of her barrier and ran to Kuri. Blood was seeping out of her and she had falling unconscious, but she was still breathing. She worked fast, finding the lock to the spell. Then she found it, and mentally broke it with her touch. The spell broke, and Kuri's true form escaped her guise. Her ears became pointy, she grew orange stripes across her cheeks, like Sesshomaru's, and her skin became fairer. Her hair was black, and her claws were sharp. She had an orange tail, fluffy but smaller than Sesshomaru's.

Consciousness came back to her but the cut wasn't healing. Kagome focused her healing energy and pushed it to her neck. It was difficult, because she expended most of it lifting the spell, but she had enough to heal her. The slit closed and color returned to Kuri's face. She sat up and looked at Kagome as if she were looking through new eyes.

"Oh my god," she gasped. "I remember everything…I remember-" then she heard the angry growls and saw Kikyo coming up behind Sesshomaru. She jumped to her feet and slashed at her, but Kikyo threw up a barrier.

Kagome felt very odd. Like she didn't belong. Then she saw Kuri back into Sesshomaru's back as they faced their enemies. Tears flooded her eyes, because they looked so perfect together.

I was right. He belongs with a demoness…not a human.

She watched helplessly as they fought, not knowing what to do. I don't belong here…

"Kagome!" Sesshomaru called to her as he pushed Inuyasha off him. "What are you waiting for? Bind him!"

She snapped out of it and tried remembering the binding spell. She threw it at Inuyasha and he collapsed on the floor, struggling against the invisible ropes. Kikyo saw him and tried to release him, but she was distracted and Kuri managed to slice clean cuts down her back. Kikyo screamed, and stared angrily at her, then disappeared in a mist of miasma.

Sesshomaru stood over his brother, making sure he wasn't going anywhere. When he ensured it, he looked behind himself to Kuri.

"Miyuki," he breathed. She was standing before him, her demonic appearance as beautiful as the day he remembered. She stared at him for a moment, then ran and embraced him firmly. He nuzzled her neck and they purred and growled to each other.

Kagome couldn't stand it, and decided to leave Inuyasha with Sesshomaru. She got up and ran away, leaving them behind her. She heard them calling to her, but she didn't look back. Tears streamed down her face and she felt her heart being pierced by the shards of her broken soul.

How could you…

She ran and ran and ran. She couldn't breathe or think, she just wanted to escape. Back in Edo, when things went bad she would escape to her old home. Back to where everything made sense. But now where was she supposed to go? She wished she was in feudal Japan. Where should could run through the forest with the deer and the birds. Where she could loose the world and create her own. Where she was free from ties, feelings, or pain. Free from her cursed miko destiny.

Midoriko was wrong. She didn't know Sesshomaru like she did. He belongs with Kuri, Miyuki…what ever the hell her name was. A terrible cry escaped her lips as she ran passed people in the streets, pushing past them, ignoring their angry curses for knocking into them.

She ran until she felt her legs could not run anymore, and she paused for air. She looked around her, not knowing where she was. She was by an empty road that was by a dark wooded area. She walked down the road, not paying head to the blisters on her feet. She came here to say goodbye to her family for good, only to fall in love, and then have it ripped from her the same day.

She collapsed on the road, unable to hold herself up any longer. She crawled so she was at least on the grass, hoping no one would find her. Shutting her eyes, she allowed tears to roll down her still face.

A warm finger stroked her face, and she opened her eyes. She saw Sesshomaru looking down at her, worry filling them. It only broke her heart further, and she turned her face from him. He lifted her in his arms, and carried her back to her house.

He tried nuzzling her jaw, her nose, trying to get an answer out of her. But she only turned her face again, denying him. He gave a frustrated growl and set her down.

"Why are you behaving like this?" he asked her. She turned her back to him, she couldn't look at his face.

"You belong with her," she said calmly. He said nothing and allowed her to talk. "It absolutely kills me. But it's the best thing to do. She can provide you with an heir, she can protect your family. She is capable of many things I am not. I am not like Izayoi. I will not destroy something that should be, for my own selfish reasons. You are not your father. You are better," she said turning to face him, her cheeks streaming with broken love. "You hold a good heart, and love for your family. Rin is lucky to have you as a father, and Miyuki as a mate. It is the way things should be," she finished and turned to walk on her own. He stood there and watched her walk away from him.

He felt a clawed hand touch his shoulder and he looked down to see Miyuki. "You told me that she travels through the well. I think it is time we all returned," she said signaling to the hanyou she carried in her demon cloud next to her. He dropped his head and followed Kagome back to her house, where they would discuss things later.

"She can't just leave yet. I promised her three days." He pulled Miyuki's hand from his shoulder and walked away from her.

Miyuki's heart was torn. An hour ago, she hadn't known any of this. She hadn't known her past, or her duties. She hadn't remembered the death of her parents, or the beautiful love she shared with Sesshomaru. Seeing her broken friend, part of her wished she still didn't.