Chapter 5 Dark Tidings

"Lord Sesshoumaru, I believe I know what ails Kagome, but it would help if I heard what happened before you arrived," Kaede said, as reached under the bed and drew out a chest with washcloths in it, while waiting to hear Sesshoumaru's version of events.

Sesshoumaru hesitated before his silver mane swept from side to side as he shook his head in confusion. "I wish I knew what did happen. She was fine on our side of the well. But when we emerged on this side, her eyes had rolled up into her head and she was trembling. Then she screamed as if in pain, but there were no wounds on her."

Kaede was silent for a moment before wetting a cloth in the water Sesshoumaru had supplied and placing it on the young girl's pale brow. "Kagome has been training hard for some time now to better master her abilities. She was powerful before even untrained, now that she has the Shikon no Tama in her once more and has been training earnestly, her powers have become phenomenal. It has happened before that Kikyou and other priestesses have glimpsed the future. Sometimes the visions they received were strong enough to overwhelm them and cause them to pass out. My guess is that Kagome was struck by such a powerful premonition that she was rendered unconscious."

Sesshoumaru felt his like a weight had been lifted from his heart upon hearing that she was not being cursed or something worse. His relief while was dimmed however as something occurred to him. "When she screamed, it was like she was being torn in half. Whatever she saw was more than just a vision, it was a nightmare."

Sesshoumaru looked longingly at Kagome. He had thought that he could devote all his time to loving her in peaceful tranquility. That the world would leave them to the paradise they found in each other's arms. That future, that dream, that hope, was as clear to him as crystal. And just like all hopes and dreams it shattered just as easily under the remorseless hammer of reality. The truth of tomorrow was obvious; it would be a world of pain.

No matter how painful it is, I will shield Kagome from it. Sesshoumaru vowed to himself.

Sesshoumaru turned to Kaede, "All we can do then is wait?"

Kaede nodded sagely, "Precisely."

Two hours later found Sesshoumaru was still patiently waiting for Kagome to wake up. In order to prevent crowding and unnecessary disturbances within the small confines of the hut, he had ordered Jaken to place Ah-Un strategically in front of the door to Kaede's home, keeping out Miroku, Sango and all the others whose annoying questions and hysterics would be anything but useful.

Unfortunately that meant he had to be outside to take questions to which no satisfactory answer could be provided, which in turn only encouraged more unanswerable questions from Sango and Miroku all of which were variations on the same question: What happened to Kagome?

For the first quarter of an hour he was willing to indulge the questions-or, more accurately, one question that was asked with an astonishing number of variations. However, his patience eventually ran out and he cracked his whip between the monk and the demon exterminator and growled at them with sufficient menace that they knew not to press it further.

When I was Lord of the Western Lands I didn't have to put up with this, Sesshoumaru thought irritably.

Humans are so illogical Sesshoumaru thought to himself. He briefly considered amending that last thought for his own circumstances, but decided to keep it as it was.

Well, at least Jaken got the children off my back, he continued with a slightly improved attitude. I really should have treated him better when I was alive.

The resulting atmosphere of calm and silence was invaluable to the Taiyoukai's nerves.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome whispered as she tried to raise herself on her elbows. There was the sound of a large body moving outside and then in a moment later, he was beside her, supporting her and holding on to her as though she would be ripped away at any second.

Kaede maintained her distance but asked what needed to be asked. "What did you see Kagome? You had a vision of the future, try to remember what you saw."

Kagome looked up with an expression of terrifying emptiness. "I saw my own death."