A/N: I feel so honored that in just over 24 hours of my story being published, I already have 6 followers! Thank you to my new followers: OpposableThumbs, mislevnicolegirl, atheiberthicks, , and shermsgirl! I hope my story continues to please you all and draws many more readers over time. Here is the next chapter in our story. This one is full of Kouga/Kagome sweetness :). I can promise for sure one new chapter per week, more as I am able. I will probably have the next one posted later this week. Yay! Until then, please review if you would and thanks for reading!
The Castle of Edo
Chapter 3
Kagome looked up, gaze meeting the dark wooden ceiling of the present day well house. Her journey through the familiar time portal had once again returned her to her time. 'Is this really happening again?' she wondered. But she didn't dare question it too much at the moment. Really, she was quite relieved.
She had so many questions now. What was going on with this new demonic presence? Where were Sango and Miroku? Were they together? And where exactly was InuYasha?...
She pushed the final thought from her mind. It was still too raw. Too painful. Thinking about him in any capacity was still like adding salt to an unhealed wound. The wound was beginning to scab over, and eventually she would think more on him, but not right now. Perhaps she would find him somewhere along her new journey.
And what of these new occurrences? The wolf-demon like apparition, the castle, and meeting Kouga again in the past. Seeing Kouga again…she smiled. His warmth and familiarity were something she had enjoyed, perhaps something she had taken for granted in the past when she was with him. Of all these wonderings, perhaps the last was what she looked forward to exploring the most.
Wait...
"Kouga!" Kagome thought out loud.
She clambered out of the well quickly, graceless without regularly climbing the now neglected, vine covered ladder to the top of the well. She made it without damaging any limbs and scampered outside the well house. It was mid-morning and her eyes began searching frantically for present day Kouga as if she had expected him to be there.
Why would he, though? She had been gone all night…
"Kagome!"
Kagome didn't even have time to look up before a pair of strong arms encircled her, pulling her tightly against a warm, masculine body. She didn't have to be able to see, which she could not because her face was planted into a muscular chest, to know it was Kouga. She breathed in his natural scent of woods and musk.
Kouga clutched her body desperately to his, afraid to separate her from him even to breathe. His chest rose and fell quickly, his panicked body struggling to regulate. He felt Kagome push against him, likely because she needed to breathe, and he reluctantly relaxed his hold on her, although he didn't let go.
Kagome inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with much needed air. She looked up into Kouga's frightened yet relieved cerulean eyes pouring into her hazel ones.
"Kouga…you're here."
"Of course, Kagome. I couldn't leave not knowing you were okay, or coming back…" he trailed, overcome with emotion. He gasped for breath, choking back his emotions into an uncomfortable lump lodged in his throat as he looked away, hiding his eyes from Kagome.
"Kouga…" Kagome called softly, reaching her hand to touch his cheek. His hand immediately grasped hers and held it there, against his skin, needing to feel her touch to know she was here with him.
"I told your mother that the well pulled you back. She was very…understanding."
Kagome smiled softly. "That's my mom for you. The most understanding mother in the world."
Kouga chuckled quietly, his deep blue eyes still swirling pools of anxiety. "She must be. But, she's still a mother, and we need to inform her that you're back."
"Right," Kagome nodded in agreement. She had questions for Kouga, but for now she resigned herself to accompany him to her home.
He immediately grabbed Kagome's hand and held it the entire walk to the house. Kagome blushed from the contact, his large, warm hand holding her small one, tenderly yet strongly, sending fiery energy into her flesh.
Ms. Higurashi must have seen them approach, opening the back door into the kitchen as Kagome and Kouga arrived at the back entrance.
"Kagome, I'm so glad you made it back safely. Kouga let us know what had happened."
"Yes, he told me," Kagome replied. She looked at Kouga and smiled, "and I'm happy he did."
He smiled back down at her and squeezed her hand. Ms. Higurashi noticed their intertwined hands and smiled to herself. "Well, Kagome, now that I know you are safe, I have errands to run. Souta is at school and Grandpa is busy with the shrine." She smiled, "you two enjoy yourselves today."
Ms. Higurashi turned to retreat back inside the house, but paused and turned slightly toward Kagome and Kouga. "Kouga, you should get some rest today. I imagine you didn't sleep much in that well house last night."
Kagome stared at Kouga in shock. "You…stayed at the well, all night?"
Kouga nodded matter-of-factly. "Of course. I told you I couldn't leave without knowing you were safe and coming home."
'Home?' Kagome thought. She felt her face begin to glow with the warmth behind Kouga's words.
"Okay, love birds, go have fun somewhere. I love you, Kagome. See you later, dear!" Ms. Higurashi finished before going back inside the kitchen.
Kouga smirked and Kagome blushed fiercely, pulling her hand out of Kouga's grasp. She placed it upon her forehead in irritation and embarrassment, trying to hide her face from the grinning Kouga at her side.
"So what happened on the other side of the well?" Kouga asked eagerly.
Kagome nodded. "Right. Well, I wasn't sure what to do at first, especially arriving late evening. Then I heard a scream and without thinking I ran toward the sound. I saw an apparition that actually looked a lot like you. Then, I met you in the forest. I saw you again, Kouga." She looked at him fully, meeting his gaze. "You saved me from a snake youkai. Then we followed a demonic presence that originated from a hidden castle. We found a mirror…then we retreated because it wasn't safe to stay and we slept in a cave. Then you escorted me to the well and here I am."
Kagome observed Kouga's appearance. His eyes were far away. He was contemplating. Maybe trying to remember.
"I remember…" he said. He smirked, "I asked you to sleep with me."
Kagome's mouth shot open and her face flushed fiercely. "Of all the things about that night, THAT's what you remember?!"
Kouga laughed. "I'm a male. What do you expect?"
Kagome slapped her hand to her forehead again. "Ugh…"
She sighed and then looked at him again.
"Kouga, can you tell me more about the castle?"
"Huh?" 'Dammit,' he thought. 'What am I supposed to do?'
"Kagome…" he began. He gritted his teeth, balling his hands into fists at his sides and looking away. This was going to be difficult. "I, I can't tell you much."
Kagome's eyes widened in surprise. "What? Why?"
Kouga sighed. "Kagome, if I tell you too much it could alter history. It could, might, I don't know. I'm not an expert at time travel or anything, but it seems like something we need to be careful about."
"Oh," Kagome nodded knowingly, looking at the ground. The yard really needed to be swept…
Kouga sighed again. Then, he had an idea. "Kagome, I can't tell you what will happen or has happened, but I guess I can take you there and let you learn more about what you're dealing with."
Kagome looked up at him, questioningly. "Take me where?"
"The castle."
"How?!" Kagome asked, incredulously.
"The castle you and I found is the Castle of Edo."
"What? Like the Imperial Palace in the center of the city? Really?!" she responded in disbelief.
"Yes," he replied.
"Ok, let's go then!" Kagome said emphatically with a fist raised in the air.
Kouga laughed, "I love your passion, Kagome."
Kagome lowered her fist and blushed. His word choices were killing her.
Kouga smirked. "Still so serious," he mused. Then he grabbed her hand leading her towards the stone steps leading out of the shrine grounds. "Let's go. Date number two."
"Ha," Kagome chuckled. "What makes you think this is a date, mister?"
Kouga turned fully toward Kagome, grabbing her other hand and holding them both in his. "May I take you out to see the Castle of Edo, beautiful lady?"
Kagome smiled up at him, "of course you may."
Kouga smirked. "I asked you out and you said yes. It's now officially a date."
Kagome sighed playfully and shook her head, smiling. "Ok, ok, you win. It's a 'date'. Now, let's go!" At that, she held tightly to his hand and pulled him down the stairs towards town and their destination.
Kouga smiled at their contact. He wouldn't tell her too much, even if it killed him more every day. He wouldn't dare alter history, knowing history led him back to her…
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"Kouga, there is so much information here. I don't think I'll ever find what I'm looking for."
Kagome lowered her head in exasperation. She had always preferred moving, experiencing, over reading. It figured she was stuck searching for answers in a primarily reading type museum located on the palace grounds open to the public. There were countless posters along the walls with, not visuals, but paragraphs of information that she attempted to skim and scour, but to no avail. The words began to swim together, waves of words drifting up and down like water in the ocean.
Kagome sighed loudly. Even after finding the room in the museum for the correct historical time period, the museum curators had not made it easy to locate particular information. No, she would have to drudge through the sea of endlessly flowing words.
"Kagome, I think I found something."
"Huh?" Kagome looked up, slightly shaking her head. She perked up at the thought of not having to read a text book worth of historical facts to locate the information she sought.
"Look here, Kagome." Kouga said without looking at her, pointing a concealed claw toward one particularly verbose poster.
Kagome approached him to stand by his side, looking up at the placard. Her eyes widened and mouth opened slightly when she noticed the name "Dokan Ota" and a picture of this man. Or, rather, an exact portrait of the Kouga-like apparition…
"Kouga, that's him!" Kagome shouted, grabbing Kouga's arm and squeezing it tightly. There was no mistaking the man in the painting. Violet robe, piercing blue human-like eyes, jet black hair, deep purple head scarf wrapped around his head and over the top half of his ears. It was him.
"Whoa, excited are we?" Kouga grinned.
Kagome sighed again with mild exhaustion, rubbing her temples. "Yes, I am. I hated reading so many textbooks in school and this is like a museum dedicated to text books. I'm amazed we actually found what we were looking for in this monotonous world or words. Anyway," she turned to look up at him with a wide smile, "thank you!"
Kouga laughed, "You're certainly welcome."
"Now let's see…" Kagome began, having new motivation to focus upon the paragraphs dedicated to the subject she was currently obsessing over. "Dokan Ota." She read. "I remember learning about him in Japanese History class, though I don't remember much about him. Now let's see. He began construction on Edo Castle in 1457. He was…a Buddist priest?!" Kagome gasped. A Buddist priest? Would a certain Buddist monk she knew possibly have more information on the person who was Dokan Ota?
"Kouga," Kagome began, hopeful. "If Dokan was a Buddist priest, then perhaps Miroku would know more about him and what is going on."
Kouga smiled. He chose not to reveal anything. Still, he couldn't help feeling proud of Kagome for how quickly her mind strategized. "Seems like a solid plan," he spoke.
Kagome beamed at him. Finally, she was beginning to feel hopeful, certain she had found her first "clue" on this journey of finding out who is Dokan Ota and why is he associated with this new demonic presence.
Kagome turned to leave. "C'mon, Kouga. Time for me to get ready to go back to the Feudal Era. I think I figured out what I needed to know and I can't take all this reading another second. Not when there's a mission to accomplish!"
Kouga smiled at her and followed behind the half-running girl speed walking to the exit. Behind Kagome's head and out of her sight, he frowned, his eyes wistful. He sighed silently. So she was planning to leave, again. He had just gotten her back and the constant leaving, which would become a pattern, was already killing him. Keeping his mouth shut around her was killing him. Seeing her and keeping his paws off of her was killing him…
Kouga balled his fist and breathed deeply. He found solace in that, when he did have her, he would make every moment with her count. He vowed to do everything in his power to draw her close and open her heart to him, again.
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"I have to return to the Feudal Era tomorrow, Kouga."
"Why?" Kouga whined. He knew she was on an important mission now. It was almost all she could talk about during the last day, how excited she was to find a lead and that it lead her right to finding her old friend the monk and possibly the demon slayer.
Kagome laughed. "Well, actually I promised a dashing demon on the other side that I would return to him."
Kouga eyed her giving him a sly smile and he grinned playfully. "Would this demon happen to be a wolf by any chance?"
"None other," Kagome smiled.
"Well, at least I know you will be in good hands."
Kagome smiled genuinely. "I don't doubt that for a second."
The couple resumed eating their meal quietly, enjoying the breeze on the open patio at the restaurant Kouga had taken Kagome to for dinner. Date three. It didn't take much convincing on his part to get her to come. Ok, no convincing. She was enjoying their 'dates'. It was nice being taken care of by a man as a modern woman, rather than having to always be protected from imminent danger.
Kagome thought about all her questions she wanted to ask Kouga. Then one thing popped into her mind.
"So…where is Ayame?"
Kouga raised his eyebrows at her question. Where had that come from? Why was she bringing up that exasperating demon during their romantic date?
"Um…I have no idea actually."
"What?" Kagome responded, surprised.
Kouga stared back at Kagome, his brows furrowing in confusion. "Kagome, why did you bring her up? What does she have to do with, well, anything?"
"Isn't she your, uh…mate?" Why did asking him that illicit a twinge of something unpleasant in her heart?
"No." He responded flatly. 'Where the hell did that come from?'
Kagome smiled brightly. "So that must mean you convinced your tribe that you didn't need a mate afterall. That's great! I was so worried when you told me they were forcing you to mate her. That's horrible, being forced into a marriage without love, or a mating in your case I guess."
"Um…" Kouga trailed. 'I better let her go with this…'
"Do you have a mate?"
'Shit,' Kouga mentally cursed. Why couldn't she have been satisfied with his answer…
"I did…" Kouga answered carefully.
Kagome frowned. "Did…something happen to her?" Kagome asked carefully.
Kouga looked to the side, away from Kagome and toward the beautiful moonlit pond sparkling beside the dining patio. He noticed several ducks, all paired in couples, the male and female companions swimming so close their feathers touched, like they were holding hands.
"Yeah. But that was a long time ago…" Kouga said softly.
"I'm so sorry, Kouga," Kagome replied, bursting with compassion. "That must be so hard for you. You said that wolves mate for life."
"Yes, it's hard. But," he said, glancing at Kagome from the side and giving her a small smile, "she's still with me."
Kagome smiled in return. 'He must mean she's with him in spirit…' she thought.
Kouga knew how Kagome would hear those words. It seemed that he inferred correctly. This conversation needed to head in a new direction.
"What was she like?" Kagome asked. She wasn't sure if it would hurt him speaking about his mate, but she was too inquisitive. She leaned forward, elbows on the table, her chin resting on her fisted hands, listening intently.
Kouga's breath caught in his throat. 'Damn, what the hell am I supposed to say.'
"Well…" he began, letting his mind go back, back into time. He smiled, his eyes far away, speaking ambiguously when possible. "She was perfect. Strong, loving, compassionate and passionate. I always felt so honored she gave me a chance with her. The times she was with me, I always tried to show her what she meant to me. Her knowing how much she was loved was the most important thing…"
Kagome felt tears well in her eyes. This story touched her deeply. She wasn't sure why. It was touching in general, but it touched her on a deeper level. She felt something stir within her and a strong sense of sorrow filling her heart.
"I'm sorry, Kouga. I shouldn't have brought it up."
"It's okay, Kagome." Kouga reached out for Kagome's hand and she accepted, squeezing his hand comfortingly. He smiled, "I just hope that she still knows I love her, and that my heart aches for her every day."
"Kouga…" Kagome called, soothingly. Kouga had been looking down, but his penetrating blue eyes gazed up to meet hers, their intensity flaring.
Kagome felt unnerved from the power in his stare and the undecipherable feelings flowing through her body. She wasn't sure what to do or say…
"Would you two like a dessert menu tonight?"
Kouga looked toward Kagome for the answer. She quickly removed her hand from his, finding that the napkin in her lap really needed to be smoothed from all its wrinkles. She smiled politely at the server. "No thanks."
"Ok," the server, "I'll bring your check then."
Kagome and Kouga replied a quick "thank you" as he disappeared into the crowd of servers and guests sitting, standing, and walking along the patio.
"Well," Kagome began, smiling nervously. "When we leave I guess I better go home and pack. Tomorrow is a big day."
Kouga smiled sadly back at her and nodded. Kagome watched him, her brows furrowing with empathy. 'He must be upset about our conversation.'
"Don't worry about it, Kagome."
Kagome looked at Kouga with surprise. "I'm sorry?"
Kouga smiled at her, not so sadly. "Everything will go fine when you go back. And I'll be fine here."
Kagome smiled, glancing down at the table. 'It's so strange, but he really does seem to…know me.'
"Just promise me something, Kagome?"
Kagome looked at Kouga expectantly. "Sure, Kouga. What is it?"
"You are strong, the strongest woman I've ever met," Kouga began, reaching across the small circular table to brush a loose strand of Kagome's hair behind her ear. "But please," he said quietly, "let me protect you."
Kagome looked at Kouga. He was studying her face again, not quiet making eye contact with her, looking so distant.
She nodded. "I promise."
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"Let's see. Sleeping bag, check. Jacket, check. Change of clothes, check. Food, first aid kit, toiletries, check, check, check. Hmm," Kagome mused, putting her pen to her chin in contemplation. "I can't think of anything else."
"Sounds pretty solid," Kouga added. He was sitting with Kagome in her childhood room in her home. Ms. Higurashi, the ever understanding mother, trusted her daughter and had no qualms about allowing his admittance to her room. Kouga glanced around as Kagome pondered her packing list. He observed all the details of her room, basking in the lovely wildflower scent engulfing his senses.
"I'm going to need a weapon. A bow, to be exact."
Kouga met Kagome's serious stare. He nodded in agreement.
"You should find one in the Feudal Era, Kagome, rather than bringing one from this era. It may help to have one infused with Sacred Energy."
"That's brilliant, Kouga. You're right. Now, where would I get one," she thought, biting her bottom lip in thought. "Oh…" she trailed.
"What did you think of?" Kouga asked.
"I think I know where to find a bow and a quiver."
Kouga looked at her intently, waiting for more.
"I'll need to visit Kaede." She bit her bottom lip again and furrowed her brows. She wanted to see Kaede, but seeing her meant facing deeply buried thoughts and feelings of someone else she was desperately trying to not think about.
Kouga knew. He just knew she was thinking about the mutt. Even now, 500 years apart, that half-breed dog's spirit wedged its way in between him and the woman before him. His jaw tightened with frustration. He was beyond this. He had to stay focused, remember where she was coming from, and when.
"She will be able to help. I know…" he said, reluctantly.
Kagome smiled and nodded. "Well, I think I have everything ready then."
Kouga nodded, looking at her freshly vacuumed carpet, probably courtesy of her mother.
"I should be going then." Kouga stood and began to walk to Kagome's bedroom door, preparing to let himself out.
"Wait a minute! I'm not going to see you for several days, maybe a few weeks. At least let me walk you to the door."
Kouga stopped at her door and without turning around replied, "okay."
They left her room, walked down the stairs and made it to the front door. They both walked on outside into the clear, crisp night air. It was a chilly spring night, a slight breeze eliciting a shiver from Kagome. She had stepped outside in her sleeveless dress from their date earlier, without the sweater that had previously accompanied the outfit.
Kouga turned toward Kagome. He placed his hands on her upper arms and massaged up and down, trying to generate heat back into her chilled body.
Kagome felt heat, all right. She blushed at his touch, the closeness of their bodies, and something more. She was beginning to feel a connection with this wolf demon. She wondered for a moment if it had always been there and she had never had a chance to discover it…
"Remember what I said, please." Kouga pleaded.
"What?" Kagome breathed. She had been so preoccupied with him, them, she couldn't recall what he meant.
"About letting me protect you," he said, placing a hand on her cheek and massaging her skin with his thumb.
Kagome blushed, her eyes meeting his gaze. "I promised I would. And I will."
Kouga slowly pulled Kagome to his body, holding her against him. He ran his fingers through her hair, his mouth hovering along her ear softly blowing air onto her exposed skin. She shivered at the sensation.
"Come back to me." He whispered beside her ear.
Kagome shut her eyes as another shiver ran through her body. "I will. I'll be gone about three weeks. Wait for me?" she softly begged.
He shifted his face so he was directly in front of her, their noses almost touching. His eyes searched hers intensely. He opened his mouth slightly, licking his lips unconsciously.
"Always." He whispered. He moved forward and kissed her gently, on her cheek.
Kagome watched in awe as Kouga stood up and smiled longingly at her. Then he turned around and in a single bound, he was gone.