Summary
Kagome is enlightened on the happenings after her disappearance back into time... The result leaves her stunned.
A/N: And now, one of the moments you've all been waiting for. Thank you again for everyone's patience as I fix my mess-ups. I hope you guys enjoy!
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
She sat on her bed with her legs crossed as she surveryed one of her closest friends. She'd been curious for a while now; about his story. Of course, with her seal draining her, she'd put the questions on the back burner to be answered at a later time. But now...
Now she was dying to know.
"So, Miroku, what's the deal between you and Sango?" Kagome decided against beating around the bush and dove right in, twirling a strand of her hair as she watched the monk peruse an interesting scroll that he'd found in the Kuchiki library. He tensed and gripped the scroll for a second before deliberately relaxing his hold. If he tore it, Lord Kuchiki would probably skewer him. Violently.
"Why so curious, my sealed friend?" Miroku asked nonchalantly, trying to play his emotions off as amused. The deadpan look he received cemented the fact that the priestess wasn't falling for his act in the least.
"You were so tense around her, not to mention you didn't even attempt to grope her," the girl replied, ticking the list off on her fingers, "Plus, her reaction made it seem like she'd swallowed something nasty, you barely spoke a few words to her, and you didn't even consider staying and make plans for all of us to get together any time soon. What gives?"
Miroku stared at her for a moment before a soft smile lit his face and he shook his head. "Since when did you become so perceptive, Kagome-sama?"
"Since I realized that paying attention is better than getting killed," Kagome countered, a slight smirk flitting across her features before concern replaced it. "What happened after I left? I've been really patient, but I need to know now. Weren't you and Sango going to get married?"
The monk stared up at the ceiling for a few moments, gathering his thoughts and memories, before he let out a slow breath and lowered his gaze to the floor. "We were. Everything had been planned too. But, after Naraku's defeat and your wish, everything fell apart. You disappeared and we all grieved. Sango, I think, might have mourned the hardest and the longest. She told me that the day you vanished was like losing a sister. She was... in so much pain." Miroku's eyes slid shut involuntarily, recalling the day with unnaturally vivid clarity. "She stayed in Kaede's village for a long time, and I roamed the land, waiting for her to come back to herself. I'll admit, I was probably gone too long, and I didn't handle the situation the way I should have. I went back almost four years later. By then, Sango had moved on..."
"Oh, Miroku, I'm so sorry," Kagome murmured, laying a consoling arm around the monk's shoulders. He took another breath and steadily met her gaze.
"I don't know what exactly happened, but she was married and expecting a baby."
"Who was it? The man she married? Anyone we knew?" Miroku snorted and nodded.
"Oh definitely! I was just as surprised as everyone else when I found out, of course. No one ever expected it, after all."
"I take it that it wasn't that Kuranosuke guy then," the priestess countered, tilting her head to the side, "Was he human? He must have been; I don't think Sango would have married a demon, with her slayer background and all."
"He was not human." Kagome's blue eyes narrowed. Her old friend was being evasive now. But why?
"Okay... Someone we knew that wasn't human... Kouga? No... Ayame wouldn't have let that happen. Umm..." She started and stared at the man sitting next to her, "It wasn't Sesshomaru, was it?!"
"What?" Miroku choked, goggling at the girl incredulously, "What made you think that?!"
"You said unexpected!" the former school girl accused, crossing her arms defensively across her chest, "And that would have been unexpected."
"More like heart-attack inducing!"
"Just tell me already!" Her patience had worn out and now she was getting angry.
"Inuyasha! She married Inuyasha!" For a moment, they were silent. Then, Miroku choked for a second as Kagome grabbed his collar and yanked him close enough that they were nose to nose. The priestess looked furious. He hadn't seen her this angry in a long time.
"I said to stop joking with me, Miroku!" she hissed, blue eyes narrowed to slits as she shook him a little, "Don't pull my leg about Inuyasha!"
"I'm not."
"Miroku, so help me-!"
"If you don't believe me, then go ask Sango yourself!" the monk snapped back, disentangling her painful grip from the front of his robes and rising to his feet to stride out the door. "Don't accuse me of not being honest with you. I have more respect for you than that, Kagome-sama."
With those parting words, he left the shell-shocked priestess to sort her thoughts out.
Kagome watched the normally jovial man storm from her room, the hurt flashing through his violet eyes forcing her to reconsider her rash reaction. He was right; Miroku, for all of his scruples, would never lie to her.
'So, do you really want to know the truth Kagome-girl?' The answer was obvious to her, no matter how much it was going to shock and hurt her.
Yes. She wanted, no, needed to know. No matter how much it was going to hurt.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
Rukia blinked when she watched Miroku stalk right past her without a single word. She'd gotten used to him making some kind of pass at her whenever they happened to cross paths, so the lack of any interaction was more than enough to tip her off to the fact that something was bothering him. Turning back the way she came, the noblewoman followed the monk, catching up to his fast pace in a few seconds.
"Hey. What's your hurry?" The man spared her a glance and a slight nod before choosing to not say anything. Rukia narrowed her eyes. She didn't like being ignored. At all.
"I said something to you! It's rude to not respond, you know!" she snapped, glaring angrily at the civilian man. He sighed quietly and shook his head.
"I apologize, Lady Rukia. I have a lot on my mind at the moment, and I'm not really in the mood to match wits against you."
"Is it about Kagome's seal?"
"To an extent," Miroku replied, raising his eyes to the ceiling for a moment to ask for mercy before continuing, "It's more along the lines of I'm upset at Kagome for being purposely obtuse about some things. She needed some time to herself, but if she doesn't return after a while, will you see if you can find her? It looks as though we may have rain tonight."
"Yes, I'll keep an eye out for her. She does seem to be in denial about some rather obvious things recently."
"Like the fact that your esteemed brother has taken quite a liking to her?" Rukia blinked slowly and stared at the monk.
"You noticed that, did you?"
Miroku contained th urge to snort. "Pardon mt blunt words, but I'd have to be blind, deaf, and dumb to not see how Lord Kuchiki favors her."
"He's a little more discreet than that," the noble grumbled, an annoyed look floating across her face before a gleam entered her eyes, "Did you happen to have any suggestions on how to get them to confess?"
Miroku shrugged nonchalantly, "Lock them in a bedroom together? I'm sure more than confessions would be accomplished that way." Rukia rolled her eyes and absently reached over to pinch the pervert on the arm. He jumped and yelped.
"Pervert. My brother is more honorable than that!"
"Well, think of it this way," he rebuffed, "Your brother has been celibate since the death of his late wife, correct?" At the alarmed look on the girl's face, he elaborated, "Kagome told me about your sister. I always thought the two of you were blood-related, honestly." At her small smile, he continued, "Anyway, Kagome is an attractive young lady, one that happened to enchant several mens' hearts when we were alive without even realizing it."
"What are you saying?" Rukia asked, her gut clenching for a moment.
"A man has needs, my lady. Even a man such as Lord Kuchiki. He'll only be able to take so much before he reaches his breaking point, if he hasn't already."
The small shinigami went over the words in her head as she recalled the last few months. Byakuya was getting impatient; and he was known for his short fuse. Surprisingly, he'd been very considerate when it came to Kagome, and she was wondering if it was because he was truly considering a long-term relationship with her.
"Which is why I suggested the room. No man could resist our dear friend all trussed up and spread out on a bed just waiting to be-!" Miroku gleefully continued, a dreamy look flittering across his face before Rukia slapped him upside the head.
"Pervert."
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
Finding Sango was easy enough. Deciding on how to broach the subject of old loves was giving her the fits. Still, Kagome squared her shoulders and strode into the Squad 11 training grounds like she owned the place. Now all she had to do was look out for Captain Zaraki. Glancing down at her sword and swallowing slowly, she reached out with her senses to see if she could feel the abrasive reishi that belonged to the berserker. It came as a surprise when nothing came back to her, but she shrugged it off; she was a little preoccupied at the moment, after all.
"Well, hello there, Kagome," Yumichika waved at her as she passed. The priestess gave him a quick smile and waved back.
"Hi, Yumichika-san. Where can I find Sango?" On a second note, she added, "And where is your Captain?"
"Sango is down in the throwing range swinging around her Zanpakuto," the effeminite man replied, "And Captain Zaraki is out at the moment. He'll be disappointed that he missed you."
"Uhh... Tell him I'll come by again soon," she countered, not really sure if that was the right thing to say. When the other shinigami's eyes gleamed and he nodded, she inwardly groaned and moved on. 'That probably wasn't the best thing to say, but I guess I'll just have to deal with it when the time comes.' A few minutes later, she was peeking around the corner and watching her old friend meditate.
'She's always looked so poised when she's about to start training. I suppose I'm a little jealous... Could that have been the reason why Inuyasha was drawn to her?'
Sango lifted her blade and settled it over her right shoulder behind her back in a diagonal position. It almost looked as though-
'As though she was holding her old boomerang.'
"Whirl, Hinotama." The blade glowed and bent at an angle severely, pulsing with power as it reshaped itself. When the light settled, the former slayer was standing proudly with her former weapon, her shoulders and arms plated with her slayer armor.
'So that's where it went...' Kagome thought faintly, dizzily assessing the spiritual pressure her friend was giving off. She was strong! Sango bent her arm and let her weapon loose with a familiar cry. Shaking herself out of her memories, the priestess stepped out into the open and waved as she called out to the other girl.
"Sango!"
The taijiya caught her blade, the force pushing her back a few inches before she turned and gave a large smile.
"Kagome! What are you doing here?"
"Ahh, I actually came by to ask you a few questions," the smaller shinigami replied, stopping in front of Sango and glancing at her boomerang, "That's a familiar sight." Now that she was having an upclose look, though, she noted some differences; like the edges were no longer a smooth bone, but possessed a wicked steely glint to them.
"Yes. I was surprised when Hinotama took the shape of Hiraikotsu, but I suppose it makes sense also," Sango shrugged, strapping the huge weapon to her back like she used to. The familiar weight calmed her jittery nerves. Maybe it had something to do with Kagome's seal?
"I talked to Miroku today," Kagome started lowly, her eyes drifting to the ground for a moment before she raised them again and locked stares, "He told me that you and Inuyasha got together. Is that true?" The former slayer flinched and nodded slowly. She'd been wondering when the news would get out to her old friend and how she would react.
"I'm so sorry, Kagome," Sango whispered, her dark head down as she stared at the dust covering her shoes, "We waited. We waited three years for you to come back. You never returned, and I... I was so far past the marrying age by then. Inuyasha knew what I was going through because you were our family to us. We understood eachother; knew what the other had been through. We never had to hide anything or think about the other possibly lying."
Kagome closed her eyes sadly. In her mind's eye, she could see the silver-haired rough-around-the-edges hanyou and her sister figure with a family. Sango, after everything she'd been through, deserved to be happy. Hell, they all had!
"I just... Please, forgive me! I know you loved him," the former taijiya begged, "I'm sorry it took so long to tell you, but I was afraid you would hate me."
"... Just answer this," the priestess asked, oddly calm despite the turmoil her emotions were in, "Were you happy? Did he love you for yourself?"
There was a glow to the other woman's eyes as she responded. "Yes. I was happy. And... Inuyasha never once compared me to you or Kikyo." The smaller shinigami bit her lip and nodded slowly as she opened her eyes.
"Then... I can't fault you for that. Either of you." Kagome turned and ran before she found herself in tears at her old friend's feet. Ignoring Sango's calls for her to come back, she disappeared into the treeline, no clear destination in mind. She simply ran.
Just like every other time she'd been hurt.
'I'm always running...'
Above her, thunder rumbled ominously as rain started to pitter-patter around her, but she paid very little attention to it.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
When she finally stopped to catch her breath, the priestess knew she was far away from most civilization. The only way someone would find her was if they decided to follow the erratic trail of spiritual energy she'd left behind. She wasn't expecting much though. Not very many people would be out in this weather. Kagome stared unseeing up at the sky as the rain fell around her, consumed by her memories and impossible what if's. What if she'd been able to stay in the Feudal Era? What if the well hadn't closed after her wish? What if she hadn't died so shortly after? What if she'd just stood there and-
The image of her little brother flashed before her eyes, wide-eyed and terrified before he was moved and she was staring down bright twin lights, the echo of a horn screaming in her mind- The priestess visciously shook her head. No! She didn't regret pushing him out of the way! What she did regret was the fact that she hadn't been able to be there for him like she should have. Like the big sister she was supposed to be.
'Maybe this is why our memories are supposed to be erased. So that we don't regret and dwell on things that we could not change in our lives.' Not for the first time, she cursed the Shikon no Tama. Somehow, she was sure that the little jewel was the reason she could still remember her past. After all, it was the same way for everyone that had been touched by it so far.
A small hand touching her arm jerked her out of her daze and Kagome glanced down into sorrowful hazel eyes.
"You are sad again," the little girl murmured, water dripping through her black shoulder-length hair, "I do not like it when you dwell on the things that upset you, My Lady."
"Hotarubi... I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry," Kagome reassured, biting the inside of her cheek before letting her gaze wander back over the field she'd found herself in, "I just... I always wonder about what could have been. I mean, Sango seemed really happy to be with Inuyasha, and I can't be mad at her or him if they loved eachother. But I feel..."
"Lost," the spirit finished, stepping closer and hugging the taller woman, "You are unsure of your place now."
"Yes... I would have loved him," the priestess whispered, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt them tear up. No one would ever have to know that she'd cried. The rain would cover it all up.
'And yet... I've spent so many tears on him. I haven't cried since I came to this world. Why should I start now?'
"There are those in this world, though, that need you now," the little spirit explained, trying to get Kagome to understand this as well. She'd seen the interactions her master had gone through with the new people she'd begun meeting, and Hotarubi thought it was fantastic that they were so accepting of the former priestess. Now, though, she needed to take the next step. "You should tell them. And soon, milady."
"Yeah. I know," Kagome sighed, smoothing back the little girl's bangs absently before giving the Zanpakuto a strained smile, "But, how do you tell your superior officer that you were once a priestess? And, not just any priestess, but the Guardian of the Shikon no Tama?"
"You were what?" a voice behind her gasped, making the priestess whip around in shock. Hotarubi, in her surprise, let go of her corporeal form and burst into a multitude of tiny little lights, flittering around Kagome in her distress before she remanifested in her sword state.
Rukia stood there, a slack-jawed expression painted across her face as she held loosely to an umbrella. It was obvious that she'd come out here looking for the other woman in order to usher her indoors and out of the rain. Had Sango tried to get the other girl to help look for her?
"Rukia..."
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
Hinotama- falling star
Hotarubi- light of a firefly
A/N: Yes, that is Kagome's Zanpakuto. I thought long and hard about a name and everything that wouldn't be horribly cliche, and I really like the idea I plan to put behind Hotarubi. For a good idea of who she looks similar to, I recommend Hotaru Tomoe from Sailor Moon. She's going to be very interesting. She'll also be reappearing again; just not sure when that will be yet. And Hinotama is the name of Sango's Zanpakuto, if you smart people haven't already figured it out. Again, I wanted to go with something original as far as names went. I hope you guys approve.
Still leaving the cliffhanger. Sorry all, but I am proud to say that I am 90 percent done with the next chapter. It will be up very soon. Like, a few days soon.
Again, thank you all for your patience! I appreciate everyone's support! I just can't believe I had forgotten a chapter! And such an important one too! I'm losing my mind, I swear. If my head wasn't attached to my shoulders...