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Chapter 28: Spirits Across Time

Kagome sat against the well, her back against the old wood, hugging herself, crying softly. She didn't know what to do. Her daughter was just gone, into Tokyo. Sure, she was safer there than she was here, but she couldn't help but mourn the loss of her only daughter. Tamako didn't belong in the future, at least not like this. She was sure that Tamako would live until then because of her demon blood. But to just be thrust into the future like that? No, her life was here.

Neither of them could believe what was happening. Inuyasha especially. His hanyou blood quickly gave way to his youkai blood, the red eyed monster taking ahold of him in his anger at the well. Falling to his knees within the well still, his hands moved to rest on the ground. His elongated claws digging into the soft earth beneath them, growling deeply as if it were an enemy that could be beaten. But, his demon was not completely out of control on a killing rampage. He had a mission: to get to his daughter, to make sure she was safe.

Inuyoukai were deeply protective of the things they considered theirs; their pups included. While full fledged demons like his brother Sesshoumaru, or father Inu no Taisho could control their demon to a point, a hanyou like Inuyasha didn't have as much control over his powerful youkai blood. Once it was unlocked within him with a purpose, his youkai sought to fulfill that purpose.

Tilting his head down, his silver bangs shadowing his eyes. "Tamako...I'm sorry...its...its my fault. I...don't know how...to help you.." his hoarse voice came from his lips, the voice of his youkai.

"Inuyasha...please come out of the well..." Kagome said slowly from her spot sitting against the wood, her eyes looking down at the ground. "Please...I don't know what we can do..."

Hearing her voice, he growled slowly. "No! Not until I get her back!"

She shook her head slowly. "Its not an enemy you can defeat, Inuyasha. Its a well. A well that we cannot control. It will open when its ready...I suppose." she said with a sigh.

"What do you mean when its ready?!" Kouga asked, looking at the miko sitting there. "We're just supposed to sit and wait for her to come back? I can't. Thats my mate in there."

"And its my daughter!" Kagome snapped back at the demon, shooting him a glare. "The only one I have! So you can kindly shut the hell up about how she's your mate, Kouga. I know! I don't know how to help her either!"

The demon was taken aback by Kagome's harshness. Looking at the miko with wide eyes. He'd never heard her so angry and upset before. Sighing and nodding. "I know...I...I'm sorry, okay? I hate feeling so helpless."

"Well...me too. But I don't know how to fix it. If the Shikon No Tama were still around the well would be passable. I do not even know how Inuyasha got the well to work to get Tamako. And I don't know how Ryura brought me here through the well. Its not like we can ask..."

Just then, Inuyasha's form jumped from the well, landing just a few feet from them.

Kouga glanced at the hanyou, growling. He was a full demon, he could smell it. Slowly Kouga moved in front of Kagome, looking at Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha..?" Kagome asked, moving to stand up.

At the sound of his name, his red eyes snapped back to the miko sitting there. His harsh eyes softened as he looked at the mother of his pups, his mate.

Gently Kagome pushed past Kouga, hearing him express a "Hey!", trying to protect her. But she didn't need protecting from Inuyasha. He would never hurt her, she knew that.

Rushing up to Inuyasha, her arms moved around his waist and she hid her face in his haori, letting out a slow cry.

Gently he rested one clawed hand on her back, lowering his head. "Kagome...I'm sorry..." he said to her, closing his red eyes halfway. "I can't...save her..."

Nodding, sniffling and crying against him, hugging him tightly, her fingers gripping the material of his haori. "I know..." she said, looking up at his face. "I know. It'll be okay. She's safer there...at least for now. Kyora cannot get to her. Nobody can. Tokyo is safer..."

Her logic made him growl as he looked at her. "No. Safer is here, with me. It is my job to protect our pup with my life."

"But you can't. You can't always protect everyone. We'll find a way to bring her back, okay?" Kagome said, trying to calm him down a little. "Until then, we've got to make this world safe for her. That means getting rid of Kyora."

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In Tokyo, the pair had no idea what to do. Tamako had tried jumping into the well, to no avail. It wouldn't work. Sitting against the wood railing of the well, she looked up at the door. "We could...always go see if my family are home..."

Kohaku looked up at her. "Oh right, they are your family aren't they? Well...lets go!" he said, moving to stand up and walk towards the steps again.

Looking at him, she sighed. "Yeah...lets go." she said. Starting to walk towards the steps a little. Stepping up to the door and glancing at the house, her ears twitching. Walking up to the house with Kohaku slowly, stopping at the door and gulping a little.

"Well?" Kohaku asked, looking at her. "Knock. Its your family.."

"Yeah...it is..." she said. Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Knocking on the door slowly.

A females voice was heard from behind the door. "Coming! One second!" she said. A woman walked to the door and opened it, looking at the two standing at the door. The womans brown eyes widened as she looked at them. "Ta...Tamako...?" she said. She was a little older, and her hair was graying, but it was Mrs. Higurashi, Tamako's grandmother. Tears rimmed her eyes as she looked at her granddaughter. Moving forward and embracing the girl tightly, letting out a small cry. "Tamako! Kami..." she said.

Slowly Tamako moved her hands to rest on her grandmothers back, a smile spreading across her lips. "Hai, obaachan...its me."

The woman held her granddaughter for a while, hugging her tightly before she leaned back. "Oh my, Tamako! How are you here? Are you alright? Are you hungry? Do you need anything? My you've gotten so big! Look at you!" she said.

Giggling as the questions assaulted her. "One at a time, obaa. Can we take this inside?" she asked, not wanting any of the humans to see her ears.

Quickly nodding, Mrs. Higurashi held open the door. Finally now seeing Kohaku, she blinked. "Oh my...you've brought a boy home!" she said with a smile. "Come come, inside both of you." she said. Sliding the door closed once they were inside, bringing them into the livingroom, looking at her granddaughter. "And who is this?"

"Oh, oh right. Grandma, this is Kohaku. Kohaku, this is my grandmother." she introduced.

Being a gentlemen, Kohaku nodded his head a little to the woman. "Nice to meet you, ma'am."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "Oh my, quite the gentlemen. Its nice to meet you too, Kohaku." she said, smiling and looking at Tamako. "Your boyfriend is quite nice. I'm glad you've been taken care of back there.."

A blush spread across both Tamako and Kohaku's cheeks, but it was Tamako that corrected her, shaking her head. "Noo obaachan, he's not my boyfriend. He's just a friend. My mate is still back in the feudal era. No doubt freaking out..." she said, glancing at the door. She could imagine Kouga was in a panic when he didn't find her. Letting out a small sigh, she closed her eyes halfway.

"Oh...you have a...mate? Sorry, I'm not too familiar with demon customs. Does that mean you're married?"

Nodding slowly, Tamako looked at her grandmother. "Sort of. Demons mate for life, its a special bond." she said. Shifting her kimono to bear the base of her neck, moving the fabric to show the bite mark on her neck, along with the kanji of Kouga's name written there. "Its something deeper than marriage. Its not really a marriage ceremony. Its way...way more personal." she explained.

Looking at the mark on her granddaughters neck, sighing a little. "Kagome had a similar mark, except not a kanji below it..." she said, thinking about her own daughter.

"Thats because mama is a human, she cannot give a matching mark on her mate. I have fangs, I can. When both the male and female leave marks, its an even deeper bond, and the name appears." she said. Seeing the look on her grandmothers face, she moved to take her hands. "Oh, obaa! Mama is alive! We found her a few years after I was taken back. She's alive and living in the village with my otou. They had a human marriage ceremony in town. It was so adorable." she said.

Hearing the words made Mrs. Higurashi's face light up, looking at her granddaughter. "Ka-kagome is alive?! Really? Oh thank Kami...but how?"

"Well, we're not too sure. Some sort of sorcery. The details are not important. Look, we fell through the well by accident, and it saved us. But now...now its sealed..." Tamako said, looking down and moving to let her grandmothers hands go, hugging herself. "I don't know what to do obaa..." she said, closing her eyes halfway, trying not to get upset. She was an adult, she couldn't just cry.

Slowly Mrs. Higurashi moved to hug her granddaughter tightly, kissing the top of her head. "Shh, its okay. You two are more than welcome to stay here until you can figure it out. This is your home, Tamakochan. It always has been, and always will be. Now...you must be hungry."

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They'd ate dinner and had small talk. Though Tamako barely touched her food, and Kohaku did most of the talking to her grandmother. They found out that she was here pretty much on her own. Her great grandfather had passed away, and Souta was off living about an hours drive away. So it was just the three of them in that house.

Her room was pretty much the same as she'd left it, and still clean. As it was time to settle in for bed, Tamako moved to sit on the soft bed, looking down. Kohaku was staying in her uncles room just across the hall, so she was alone for the first time that day.

Her whole body felt heavy as she gripped the sheets, tears starting to rim her eyes. Falling to lay on her stomach, hiding her face in her pillow and letting out soft cries. She'd wanted to cry all day, but she wouldn't let herself. She missed everyone so bad. Her dad, her mom, and Kouga. She didn't like spending nights away from her mates embrace where she felt safe.

Hugging the pillow to her face as she cried as hard as she could into it, letting her tears flow freely, the pillow muffling the sounds of her sobs. Her body wracked with her sobs and cries into the pillow. She didn't even notice the sound of the window sliding open, nor did she smell someone enter her bedroom. She was so lost in her sobs and cries. She'd considered this world to be safe, so she didn't have to worry about demons.

It was the hand on her shoulder that caused her to jump, turning and looking up into the cerulean eyes of the man standing by her bed. Her eyes widened as she looked at him, her face a mess, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"I...Impossible.." she said, hiccuping a little.

Kouga stood over her with his hand on her shoulder, smiling softly. "Hey there koi...why all the tears?" he asked. His fingers moved to wipe her tears away from her cheeks.

Feeling his fingers on her cheeks as the tears slid, moving one hand to grab his wrist. "How are you here? The well stopped working..."

"Shh, hey..." he said. Slowly shifting her so she laid on her side. Sliding into bed just behind her, his arms moving around her waist and spooning her against his strong chest. "I'm right here, koi. I'm always right here." he told her, kissing the back of her shoulder. "You'll never be alone. Not so long as I am alive, you will never be alone. So shh, no more tears." he whispered to her.

Feeling him against her, hearing his voice calmed her down. Closing her eyes halfway. "Kouga...what if I've lost you forever...I can't...I can't bear that." she said. In her head she knew this was a dream. She must have fallen asleep in her sobs, and her mind brought her the thing she needed to rest.

"You're not going to lose me. You're stuck with me." he said to her with a smile, rubbing her stomach lightly. "You're always with me. And I'm always with you. I love you." he told her.

Slowly she glanced back at him, shaking her head. "Tell me this isn't a dream. Tell me you're here...we're home. And the whole well thing was the dream. Please..."

He shook his head, kissing the tip of her nose gently. "Inquisitive as ever I see. Its okay, I promise."

Settling back against him, she looked down. Resting her fingers over his that was against her stomach. "No its not. Its not okay. If I don't make it back...oh Kami. I'm sorry I yelled at you, I'm sorry." she said, closing her eyes tightly. "I wanna go home Kouga. I wanna have a real wedding ceremony in the den...in the village. I wanna have a pup with your eyes. I just want to go home.."

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Staying in the room across from hers, Kohaku couldn't sleep at all. Hearing the voice coming from Tamako's room, he blinked and moved to stand up out of bed. It was a strange thing, these western beds raised from the ground and so cushy. He wasn't used to it. Everything here was strange and foreign to him.

Moving to step out of bed, opening his door and moving to Tamako's, resting one hand on the edge of the door. Hearing her cries, hearing her apologizing, he blinked a little.

Sliding open the door, he looked in. Seeing her laying on her side in a fetal position by herself, enough room for someone else to be laying behind her. "Tamako.." he whispered slowly.

But she did not stir from her sleep. He watched her for a few minutes, tears moving down her cheeks. She almost seemed like she was glowing in the moonlight that faded into her room from the window.

Her aura had spread slowly around her. But it didn't look just like hers. It was her soft pink aura mixed with a darker red color, the color of Kouga's aura. The power was strong enough to where Kohaku, even though he was human, could see it.

Slowly the red aura seemed to surround her, the color dancing across her skin. "What in Kami is going on here..." Kohaku muttered softly to himself.

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Back in the feudal era, while Kagome had talked Inuyasha into going back to their hut, neither of them could persuade Kouga from moving more than a few feet from the well.

He'd sat there all day, his back against the wood. Raising his knees to rest his elbows on them as he watched the light slowly fade into darkness.

As the dark raged on, his head tilted back, resting against the wood and closing his eyes halfway. "I wonder what she's doing right now...if she's okay..." he whispered to himself. It was killing him. The distance from his mate felt entirely too far and it tugged at his very being.

Kouga and Tamako were not just mated, their souls were bound together. He hated when she left him for too long, but it usually wasn't this hard on him. His whole body felt a strange pull, almost keeping him there at that well.

For a moment, he almost wondered if this is what it felt like to lose your mate. He'd heard of the terrible pain one would feel if their mate were dead. It almost felt like that. Like she were dead, but not dead at the same time.

"Damnit!" he exclaimed, his fist hitting the well behind him. He couldn't take it, it was just too much on him.

Sighing a little, he slid his legs down and leaned his head back again, looking up at the sky, closing his eyes halfway. "Is she okay..." he murmured.

"Ohh Kouga, I'm fine, so long as you are." Tamako's voice rang through his head.

Letting his eyes close, he smiled a little. "A dream huh..." he said slowly.

Feeling something slide to sit in his lap, arms moving around his neck, he opened his eyes halfway to look at his mates face. Slipping his hands to rest one on her thigh to hold her to him, and one on her back. "Koi..." he whispered. Feeling her lips touch his cheek and lean close to him, he let a smile play on his lips.

"I know this is a dream...but it means you're alive." he said, bringing his arms around her a bit more. "I'll bring you back here, if its the last thing I do. I promise that."

"Don't make promises you cannot keep, love." Tamako told him.

"But, it is a promise I'll keep. I need you more than anything in this world. You are my world." he said.

She smiled to him, kissing his cheek again gently. "And you are mine, Kouga-kun. I never wish this dream to end."

"Me neither. Well...just for you to come home, that I'd end this for..." he told her as he hugged her against his chest, almost able to feel her body close to his.

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All the while, the same sort of conversation happened on the other side of the well. Kohaku could hear her talking, telling someone not to make promises they couldn't keep.

Kohaku watched her in confusion as she seemed to smile and settle down to sleep.

Somehow, as Tamako fell deeper into sleep, she was talking to Kouga on the other side of the well. Their spirit bond was stronger than either of them would know, as they both thought it was just a dream.

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