Chapter 7 While we live
"When I was in that dream state I saw eyes burning with hatred and surrounded by darkness." Kagome said "I don't know who it was or where they are but they were not up to anything good."
"Is that anything more you can tell us Kagome?" Sango asked with evident concern in her voice.
"Sorry, Sango," Kagome apologized with another half-truth "I may be able to say more later, but not right now."
"That is alright Lady Kagome, we understand" Miroku soothed, understanding that Kagome might not be able to recall more right now, but also thinking that something else was not being said. Something important. He had been quite a con artist for many years before giving it up and he sensed that something was amiss.
"Well, at least we know ahead of time!" Shippou said enthusiastically. "So we just have to be on the lookout for something bad."
"That may help," Sesshoumaru agreed, although he was privately wondering about the accuracy of these types of visions and if they could be escaped. "No matter what though, whoever it is will have to deal with me first."
"Us," Kagome said while nodding her head toward Sango, Miroku and the others. "Whoever it is will have to deal with ALL of us."
"Right..." Sesshoumaru said while resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Valor they might have, but sheer power was lacking. Fishing around in his pockets, Sesshoumaru eventually felt the hard square of plastic.
It is obsolete but not here...
"Anyway, Rin I brought a new game for you to play on the Gameboy Advance-" Sesshoumaru temporarily paused as Rin and Shippou cheered and reached for the game. "It's called Final Fantasy Tactics. It is more like an interactive book than the other games you have been playing. You take on the role of various heroes and use their skills to win battles. The game explains it all."
Sesshoumaru held the game just out of Rin's reach for a moment. "You can go and play in my quarters but remember to share with Shippou and Kohaku."
Sesshoumaru handed the game to Rin who immediately ran off with it and the Gameboy Advanced with Shippou chasing after her. Kohaku hesitated for a moment and then ran to catch up with their swiftly retreating forms.
Turning her head from the retreating figures, Kagome noticed the way Miroku was looking at her. It was a look that any poker player would recognize as a measuring look. One that said, What are you hiding?
Damn Kagome thought, that was a little too quick.
The significance of Miroku's facial expression had apparently not been lost on Sesshoumaru either. When the retreating forms of Shippou and Rin had receded far enough into the distance he looked meaningfully at Kagome. "Now that they are gone, we can talk more openly. Kagome saw more in her vision but for the sake of Rin and Shippou we chose not to reveal all immediately."
"Kagome," Sango said in a strange tone "What did you see exactly?"
Here it goes, Kagome thought to herself. "I saw myself die."
There was an old rhyme about sticks and stones being able to break bones but words being harmless.
Bullshit.
The truth of the matter was that words do hurt, people have killed and died for them. Armies have been launched by them, countries annihilated by them, marriages torn apart by them, friendships destroyed by them, the state of reality altered by them.
Those five simple words Kagome spoke were like hammers of reality, smashing a peaceful dreamlike world and shattering the hope-filled lives of everyone present into black shards of sorrow.
"Go on," Sesshoumaru said in a gentle voice as Miroku, Sango, and Kaede stepped closer to form a loose ring around her. "We need to have a full account of the vision before we go further. Please tell us as much as you are able about what you saw."
Kagome felt her cheeks pale some as everyone's expectant gaze focused on her and the horrible memory of what she had seen played itself again within her mind. "I can't give a full explanation, it is not like it was crystal clear. I was trapped or restrained somehow, I think. What I remember most vividly were his eyes. They were full of hatred, rage, and the unimaginable malice. Whoever he is, he said he would like to do nothing more than rape me and drink my tears, but that he said I might cause him trouble. In the next moment, I felt a sword go through my stomach and he said, "Die slowly." The next thing I saw was you as I awoke."
The group was silent for a moment as its members digested the unwanted, but necessary information. The next question felt like poison in Sesshoumaru's mouth, but he had to know the answer.
"Kaede," Sesshoumaru began in an empty voice. "How often do these premonitions accurately show the future?"
The sorrowful and disheartening look Kaede gave Kagome made the answer unnecessary, but she proceeded anyway, "It is not unheard of for some of these visions to be more symbolic than literal and thus could be interpreted in more than one way. However, her vision seemed very straightforward and in the case of someone with Kagome's skills it is almost unheard of for the future not to occur just as predicted."
Sesshoumaru sorely wanted to say that this would be one of those exceptional cases, but refused to let wishful thinking guide his actions. "The past or the present, either could be where her vision took place. If it can be avoided then how should we act?"
Kagome had been asking herself that exact same question repeatedly for a while now and answered with a surprising amount of steel in her normally cheerful voice. "We just have to continue on as close to normal as possible. As you pointed out, staying on this side of the well won't necessarily make me any safer. Same thing goes for the other side. Trying to second-guess the future is pointless; we'd just be running around in circles. No matter what actions we take we can't know what the result might be. And I for one refuse to lock myself in some mountain cave in a futile attempt to hide from the future."
The bizarre looks she was getting from everyone made her suddenly feel a little nervous and she added, "I've been thinking about that a lot since I woke up, as one could expect. I know you think I should be afraid and all, and I won't deny that I am, but if my end is approaching I want to, trite though is sounds, enjoy whatever is left to me. I can't do that if I let fear control me."
Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to object but Kagome signaled him to wait.
Kagome paused for a moment. "Really, trying to outwit fate by changing what we are going to do is like trying to outrun your shadow. Pointless."
Sesshoumaru hated her logic with a passion, but couldn't disagree. She was right, a life spent in the dark hidden from the world was not worth living. How could it be? But that didn't mean he wasn't going to act as though nothing were wrong. He was going to be prepared and keep his guard up. "Fine, we'll do it your way. Maybe knowing what we know will be enough. But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you engage in needless risk."
Miroku, who had been unusually quiet finally spoke up, "I can see why you would not want Rin, Shippou and Kohaku to hear this. Sending them away was the best choice."
Sesshoumaru turned to Miroku with serious eyes. "I sent them away because by not knowing what the most likely outcome was they would retain hope."
