InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Simple Legacy (II) ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 12 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: elle6778 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Action | Type: Fanfiction Sequel | Uploaded On: 04.25.2007 | Pages: 6 | Words: 6.0K | Visits: 933 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Action | Type: Fanfiction Sequel | Uploaded On: 04.25.2007 | Pages: 6 | Words: 6.0K | Visits: 933 | Status: Completed
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Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are created by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.
A Simple Legacy II by elle6778 - Chapter 12
“Watch out!” he heard the miko yell in a frantic voice.
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened just a fraction of a second before he stepped out of the way of a form blurring at him, his kimono fluttering in the wind. Without wasting a moment, he straightened and eyed the familiar newcomer.
“You are not Kagura,” he intoned flatly. Kagura had dissolved into the wind right in front of him and this imposter did not have the scent of the wind sorceress. This female might look like Kagura, but her scent and the blankness in her red eyes told him otherwise. The Kagura he had known would regard him with something else in her eyes. Not that he reciprocated her feelings.
Naraku laughed. “Perceptive as usual, Sesshoumaru. But this version of Kagura is much stronger. And she has none of the inclination to betray me the way the other one had.” Eyes narrowing, Naraku added, “This one will not fall to your charms.”
Sesshoumaru felt the miko gasp beside him. He understood her reaction as his association with the deceased wind sorceress was not a common knowledge to others.
“Kagura. It's time for you to prove your worth,” Naraku drawled, stressing on the name.
The imposter did not respond verbally but she immediately raised her fan. “Fujin no Mai.”
With a single downward slash of the fan, a series of blades was flung straight towards them. Lips thinning, Sesshoumaru pushed the miko behind him. As long as he knew where the miko was, he could engage the imposter without having to concern himself with her safety. He would not risk letting her fight and present Naraku with the knowledge of her skills.
“Do not move,” he ordered firmly as he flicked his wrist, sending out his whips to deflect the wind blades.
“Sesshoumaru…” the miko began.
Knowing that she was simply straining to fight back, Sesshoumaru realized that she required a reminder. Without taking his eyes away from his opponent, Sesshoumaru warned, “You will remember our conversation, Miko.”
“But-”
“Stay where you are.”
Ignoring her protests, Sesshoumaru zipped forward towards the imposter, noting out of the corner of his eyes that Inuyasha was approaching Naraku. Sesshoumaru's attack met Kagura's with a burst of energy as the blast from Toukijin collided with the wind blades. Kagura jumped out of the way as the aftershocks of the collision radiated outwards.
Unperturbed, the imposter Kagura simply raised her fan again. “Ryuuja no Mai!”
The wind around them shifted abruptly, gathering together to form a swirling vortex. The spinning attack rushed towards him and the miko.
Eyes narrowing, Sesshoumaru unsheathed Tenseiga, intending to use it to ward off the attack. Before he could do it, a warm glow surrounded him. Annoyed, he turned to the miko who had raised the glowing pearlescent barrier around them.
Turning around, he gave her a hard look, he began, “Miko-”
“I know!” the miko interjected with a mutinous look on her face. “But it's coming right at us. And anyway, it's not like Naraku haven't seen this barrier.”
“Hn.”
The wind vortex clashed with the barrier and swept past it harmlessly, dissolving as it did so. He turned back to find Kagura stalking towards them. “Drop the barrier, Miko,” he ordered.
“Sesshoumaru, she's-”
“This Sesshoumaru will not hide. Now, Miko!” he stressed in an uncompromising tone.
When the barrier dissolved, he launched himself straight at the wind sorceress. The wind she had called forth in retaliation to his attack began to batter him, pushing him back. Sesshoumaru planted his feet firmly and his expression hardened. This was not the Kagura who had provided him with information on Naraku.
And this one deserved to die.
With that, Sesshoumaru raised Toukijin again and let loose blasts of energy, one followed by another. The imposter did not even flinch as she tried to defend herself. One of the blasts finally caught her and she immediately combusted into nothing.
“You will regret crossing me, Sesshoumaru,” Naraku spat as he tossed a raging Inuyasha to one side with his tentacles.
Sesshoumaru eyes glinted. “It is you who will regret.”
Naraku gave him a threatening look. “Return the forest youkai and my pendant and I'll not retaliate.”
“Perhaps you've mistaken this Sesshoumaru for someone else if you thought that threats would work.”
Eyes gleaming malevolently, Naraku hissed, “You will die.”
More tentacles emerged from beneath the baboon fur. Before it could reach him, Sesshoumaru sidestepped and shot blasts after blasts at the writhing appendages, tearing them apart. While they regenerated, Inuyasha got to his feet and let loose another attack, their combined forces throwing Naraku backwards.
To Sesshoumaru's displeasure, Inuyasha slipped past him, smirking smugly as he did so. With a downward slash of Tetsusaiga, the baboon fur fluttered into the air to reveal two halves of a wooden puppet.
“Feh! Another puppet,” Inuyasha exclaimed in disgust as he kicked the broken puppet. “The coward.”
…***…***…***…
Kago me rushed towards the two of them, her worried eyes landing on the forms of the two brothers. Kagura's appearance, or rather her imposter, had surprised her. But what surprised her more was Naraku's insinuation that something was going on between the wind sorceress and Sesshoumaru.
Somehow, it had never occurred to her to wonder if Sesshoumaru had had any female companions of that sort. But now that she thought about it, she figured that it was more than obvious. Sesshoumaru was a healthy unmated male youkai and would be likely to seek those sorts of things.
She just hoped that he would not decide to do something like that when she was still traveling with him. Grimacing, she wondered why she felt so uncomfortable with the idea. Well, she should not feel that way. After all, it was none of her business. Once Naraku was destroyed, it was highly unlikely that she would see him much.
It suddenly occurred to her to realize that this was the first time Naraku's puppet had been destroyed so quickly. She supposed it made sense considering the combined powers of both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. It had been quite a strange sight to see them working together in that way. She made a face. Not willingly, of course. But still, they had looked great.
Just as she reached them, Inuyasha turned to Sesshoumaru. “Why did you come back? Did you think that I couldn't handle things?” he scorned.
“Inuyasha!” Kagome called out as she reached them. “Sesshoumaru! Are you alright?”
They ignored her as they continued to glare at each other. That was when she noticed the dampness of Inuyasha's fire-rat haori. With a gasp, she exclaimed, “You're hurt.”
Finally turning to her, Inuyasha snorted carelessly, “Keh! It's just a scratch.”
“Let me have a look,” Kagome said worriedly as she grabbed his arm.
“Inuyasha will live, Miko,” Sesshoumaru said dryly. “We will resume our search now.”
She shot Sesshoumaru a glare. “He's bleeding, alright! He's your brother. He's the only family you got left, baka! Don't you care even one little bit?”
He gave her a stony look.
Did he think that his expression would intimidate her? Bristling, Kagome tilted her chin up stubbornly. “Well, I care. And I'm not leaving until he's healed.”
Sesshoumaru's lips tightened. Then, without another word, he spun around and walked away. Her eyes narrowed. So he was just going to walk away like that? Whatever it was, she was pretty sure that he would return for her unless he wanted to look for the rest of the shards alone.
She turned to find Inuyasha staring at her incredulously. “What?” she asked.
Snapping out of it, he shook her head. “Nothing. I told you I'm fine. You don't need to heal me.”
Ignoring his protests, she proceeded to peel his haori aside. The wounds were quite severe but as always, he had chosen to brush it off like it did not matter. Taking a deep breath, she placed her palms over the wounds and called forth her healing powers. Inuyasha just stared at her intently. It was then that Kagome realized that she had never done this for him before.
As she healed his wounds, she asked, “Do you think you could pass on a message to Moriko for me?”
“What is it?” Inuyasha said as he looked away, sounding strangely strained.
“She told me about this sorceress falling into the well. I was wondering if she could find out more about the sorceress and her baby.”
“Fine. I'll ask her,” he replied curtly.
Wondering what was up with him now, Kagome's hands paused over his thighs. The healing glow faded out as she frowned. “What is it, Inuyasha?”
“Nothing,” he muttered darkly.
She sighed. “Inuyasha… We're still friends, right? Why don't you talk to me?”
He turned quickly to look at her. “Friends,” he echoed flatly. Then his expression turned bitter. “I smell him on you.”
Kagome's eyes widened. “Huh? You mean Sesshoumaru?”
“Who else?”
She bristled. “Of course you can smell him. We've been traveling together for days,” she exclaimed in bewilderment.
Inuyasha gave her an unreadable look. “This scent…it is only this strong if the two of you have been in close contact for hours.” His tone was tight.
“What?” Then she remembered how she had spent her night. Flushing, she looked away.
Obviously noticing her reaction, Inuyasha let out a bark of humorless laugh. “I guess I was right.”
“It's not what you think, Inuyasha,” she protested quickly. “We were just sleeping. The ground was wet and we had to sleep in a tree.”
“Inuyoukai don't just sleep with anyone, Kagome! They only do it around those they trust and feel safe around. Do you know what this means?” he spat angrily.
Eyes wide, Kagome shook her head.
“He trusts you, Kagome! And just now, he lets you talk to him like you're his equal. If anyone else had said what you said to him, they would be dead by now.”
“You're overreacting.”
“Like hell I am!” he exploded, his face contorted with fury.
Shocked into silence, Kagome simply stared at him. Then his fury dissipated and the amber eyes flickered with what looked like sadness.
“Inuyasha…I-”
Not looking at her, he interjected quietly, “Is he the reason why you didn't accept me as your mate?”
Kagome stiffened. “You remember asking?”
He snorted. “Yeah. You told me you can't.” Shaking his head slowly, he continued, “Now I know why.”
“It's got nothing to do with Sesshoumaru,” she insisted. Then she lowered her eyes. “I just don't feel the same anymore. I…I can't be your mate. I'm sorry, Inuyasha.”
Inuyasha smiled bitterly. “I guess I shouldn't have waited so long to say something, huh?”
Her heart twisted at his words. Yes, years of unrequited feelings had taken its toll. Her feelings had changed long before Inuyasha had lost control of his youkai blood. She had just never realized how much it had changed until things had gotten out of control with Inuyasha trying to ravage her.
He sagged visibly. “But why Sesshoumaru?”
“Inuyasha…” she began wearily, tired of denying the same thing over and over again. “Stop bringing Sesshoumaru into this. I don't like him in that way.”
Giving her a meaningful look, he said, “It won't stop him from pursuing you if he gets it into his head to do so.”
“He won't,” she said confidently.
“You don't know what he's really like. Sesshoumaru won't stop if he wants something.”
Her eyes flashed. Did Inuyasha think that she was so naïve? Or that she would not know what Sesshoumaru was like after being near him for such a long time? “Yes, I know that! But we're only together because of the shards and Naraku. He's not in love with me or anything like that. You said yourself that he hates human. Why would he even think of something like that?”
Letting out an exasperated breath, Inuyasha shot up and took a step away from her before he paused. Then, turning over his shoulders to look at her, he said in a strained voice, “Just be careful, alright. Even if you don't feel the same for me, I still care for you.”
She kept her troubled eyes fixed to his back as he walked away from her. It figured that Inuyasha had to open up to her now that she did not feel the same anymore. But at least he seemed to have accepted it. And anyway, something told her that he had been expecting it. Otherwise, his reaction would not be this mild.
Sighing heavily, she let her chin fall against her chest.
Nothing was ever easy.
…***…***…***…
The white clouds against a backdrop of brilliant blue sky rushed past them as Sesshoumaru ascended sharply to give them a better perspective of the landscape underneath.
They had been traveling in relative peace for almost two days without finding a single shard. It was beginning to trouble him. Without knowing exactly how much of the jewel Naraku possessed, there was no way of accurately predicting how many more shards they needed to find.
He glanced down at the dark head next to his chest. The miko had been uncharacteristically quiet for a while now. She had barely spoken a word since he had returned to the clearing to find her sitting on a felled tree in quiet contemplation. His own reaction to her silence perplexed him. He found himself wanting to know what was troubling her. Unfortunately, ever since he had taught her to barricade her emotions, he had only been able to glean the occasional flashes of emotions. Unfortunately, at the moment, he could not tell what was bothering her.
“What troubles you, miko?”
Startled, she turned up a pair of large brown eyes at him. “Something had been on my mind lately,” the miko began slowly. “Well, a couple of things actually. But I doubt that you want to hear me talk about what Inuyasha said. So I guess I'll go with the second one.”
A little surprised that she was perceptive enough to sense his dislike for anything associated with Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru simply waited to be enlightened.
“This thing about having your strength.” She frowned. “I haven't really seen much difference. I mean, you've taught me how to fight and that's a great improvement on my skills. But that had happened even before my eighteenth birthday.”
So, her abilities were troubling her. The miko was correct. He had not seen any evidence to suggest that she had any youkai abilities, apart from the odd stain of youki in her aura. Her strength had always been her own. “Your strength has always been there. This Sesshoumaru simply taught you how to use it efficiently.”
Grasping his armor and kimono tighter, she leaned back to look up at him. “Do you think that maybe the youkai strength thing will come out only if I train for it?”
Sesshoumaru stilled, trying to ignore the heat of her palm pressing against his chest. “Miko. Are you requesting further training from this Sesshoumaru?”
Her face brightened with her grin and her eyes twinkled mischievously. “I suppose so. I think you might run out of things to ask me to do in return. What else could the great Lord of the Western Lands possibly need a mere human for, right?”
“Hn.”
She shrugged carelessly. “I don't even know if it would work. Maybe the spell had gone wrong and all I have to show for it is a weird aura and an ability to read you when your defenses are down.”
“There is only one way to tell,” he said as he brought his cloud down to a clearing in front of a rock outcrop.
She frowned as they on the ground. “Huh?”
As the cloud dissolved, he said, “You wanted to know if you possess any of this Sesshoumaru's youkai strength.”
“Yes,” she said a little uncertainly.
It would be a simple test but it would be sufficient. Sesshoumaru let his eyes scan the area until he found a boulder of a suitable height. Pointing to it, he said, “You will jump onto that boulder.”
Her eyes widened. “What?!” she exclaimed incredulously. “You can't be serious. That rock is twenty feet high. I can't just jump up!”
He suppressed his irritation. Did she or did she not want to find out? “It is merely a small boulder. With a taiyoukai's strength, the task is a simple one.”
She stared at the rock apprehensively.
“Miko, you simply need to set your mind on reaching the boulder. Do not think that you could not do it,” he told her impatiently. How would she know if she did not even attempt it?
She sighed. Then she seemed to have come to a decision and an expression of determination crossed her features. Sesshoumaru stifled his growing feeling of pride. He had almost forgotten how it felt like to teach her something.
“Fine,” she hissed as she pinned an unwavering gaze on the boulder.
Then she leapt.
Sesshoumaru watched with interest as she soared upwards higher than physically possible for any normal humans. But before she could reach the top, her speed faltered and she began to drop. At her squeal of alarm, Sesshoumaru zipped forward and caught her before she landed on the ground. He looked down at the miko to find her face covered by trembling fingers.
“Miko. You're unharmed,” he intoned flatly.
She peeked at him through parted fingers. Then, dropping her hands, she glared at the boulder darkly as he lowered her to the ground. When she let out the breath she had been holding, her shoulders sagged.
“I guess that answers the question, huh?” She sounded dejected.
His lips quirked at her expression. “A human could not have done what you've done. Even a miko,” he told her firmly. “It is clear that the strength is there. You simply require practice.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
She looked so hopeful, Sesshoumaru thought.
“You will attempt it again, Miko. And you will do so until you reach the top of the boulder.”
…***…***…***…
The clusters of stars were brilliant in the inky darkness of the night sky. The snow had melted several days ago and the ground was now dry enough for them to camp out in the open. Propped against a tree in the clearing they had chosen to spend the night in, Kagome only stared at the sky blankly as thoughts ran through her mind. She had ticked off the days realized that she could not put it off any longer.
They had managed to find two more shards in the last two days. Surely that counted for something, right? She glanced apprehensively at the taiyoukai sitting across her in the clearing. His legs stretched out in front of him on the ground and his back rested against a large tree as he gazed off into the distance.
“Sesshoumaru?”
He did not move a muscle, but she knew that he had heard her.
Steeling herself, she began, “Since we've collected so many shards already, do you think we can take a break?”
He finally turned to face her, a questioning look pasted on his face.
Kagome took a deep breath and crossed her fingers. “I want to go home for a couple of days.”
“No,” he replied flatly before returning his gaze to an indeterminate point in the distant.
Annoyed at his outright refusal, Kagome bristled. “Why?”
“The shards will not collect themselves.” His tone was uncompromising.
“We can continue when I get back,” she insisted. Sesshoumaru had to let her go back, otherwise she would miss her entrance test.
“We don't have the luxury of time, Miko.”
She gritted her teeth in irritation as she stood up and strode towards him. Planting her hands on her hips, she glared down at him. “What difference does two days make? We've been shard hunting for more than three years!”
“No.”
Her eyes burned in response to her frustration. This was the second time he had tried to stop her from going home. The first time had been her eighteenth birthday. She knew that to him, it was nothing important. But it had been something she had wanted to celebrate with her family. And now, she had an important test coming up and he was refusing to let her go.
“You don't have the right to keep me here. I need to go!” she yelled, stomping her foot childishly.
“Miko. Do not test this Sesshoumaru,” he said in warning.
She blinked back her tears of frustration. Who did he think he was, ordering her around? Did he think that just because she owed him something, she was entirely at his mercy? No, she would not give in this time. Whether he agreed or not, she was heading back to the well.
With or without him.
“Whatever, Sesshoumaru. Whether you let me go or not, I'm going,” she declared stubbornly, spinning around to walk away.
She had barely taken two steps before she found a pair of arms circling her waist in an iron grip. A squeak of protest escaped her lips as she was lifted off her feet.
“Let me go, Sesshoumaru!” she demanded, hitting the arm around her waist. She could not believe that he was trying to physically restrain her. What was he going to do next? Tie her up? Riled at the thought, she began to buck against him.
“You will calm yourself and cease your struggles. Now!” Sesshoumaru growled in warning as he shook her lightly.
Angry beyond belief, Kagome called forth her powers and sent a bolt of energy into Sesshoumaru's hand. To her dismay, he simply tightened his grip. She gasped, trying to breathe through the constriction around her waist.
“Do not attempt it again, Miko,” Sesshoumaru gritted out as he continued to walk with measured steps towards somewhere.
“Then let me go!” Struggling furiously, her legs swinging off the ground, she grabbed both of his arms and shot another bolt of energy. It was not as if it would really harm him anyway.
“You shall refrain from damaging this Sesshoumaru's sleeves!” he snarled.
“And you shall refrain from…from being such a jerk!” she shot back.
As he quickened his steps, the trees blurred past her at a dizzying pace. Then he lifted her up by her waist. Kagome's eyes widened when she found herself dangling over running water. He had brought her to the stream.
“Now, are you prepared to calm down?” he asked silkily.
What did he think he was doing, threatening her like this? Struggling against him, she snapped, “I'm not a child, Sesshoumaru! You can't do this to me!”
She let out another squeak as he spun her around to face him.
His golden eyes bore into hers uncompromisingly. “You will be treated as a child if you insist on behaving like one.”
“Do you think I'm just going to sit here and listen obediently while you're being so unreasonable about letting me go?” she yelled into his face. To her horror, she felt her eyes burning again. Blinking back the tears, she stared at him stubbornly. She would not cry in front of him.
He studied her for a moment, his eyes flickering with an unreadable emotion. “No. This Sesshoumaru expects you to calm yourself.” This time, his tone was less harsh.
Her throat constricted with the effort of holding back her tears. Blinking furiously, she averted her gaze. She would not let him see her crying. He would take it as another human weakness.
“Turn around, Miko.”
Stubbornly, she kept her head turned to the side. A moment later, her feet touched the ground gently. Clawed fingers grasped her chin and forced her to meet his eyes.
Brown met gold and her breath hitched in her throat.
…***…***…***…
It was clear to him that the miko was highly distressed. What was not clear to him was why he felt so disturbed at the sight of her moist eyes. She was fighting it, but he could tell that she was barely holding her tears at bay. Any moment now, the salty liquid would fall and trail down her flushed cheeks. What he knew for sure was that he had no intention of letting it happen.
Holding her shoulders in a firm grip, he said calmly, “You will explain the importance of this journey you wish to take.” The apologetic tone of his own voice startled him.
She blinked in surprise as her lips parted. A moment of silence followed before she ventured in a small voice, “You'll let me go?”
Deciding that it would probably be wise to explain his reasoning to her, he began, “The situation with Naraku is critical. It is of utmost importance that the shards are found before the hanyou gets his hands on them. Especially now that the hanyou had the audacity to trespass into the Western Lands.”
Lowering her eyes, she bit her lips. “I have to go because I have an entrance exam the day after tomorrow. I need to pass it to get accepted to further my studies.”
“This exam…it enables you to continue studying?” he asked slowly, unsure if he understood what she meant. It was clear from the time she had been staying in the Western Lands that she was educated. But she sought to gain further knowledge?
She nodded. “It's a long distance course, so I only have to back once in a while to pass up papers and take exams. That way, I can remain here in this era.” Frowning, she added, “Though if we manage to gather all the shards, I'm not sure what that would mean for me.”
“Explain.”
She sighed dejectedly. “The well might close. I might not be able to come back.”
Sesshoumaru stared at her silently. He could understand her reasons for wanting return to her own time now that she had explained it. The miko was simply attempting to further her knowledge.
It was almost admirable how hard she fought for it.
A quiet sniffle reached him, telling him that perhaps he had overreacted to her request. After all, she had been nothing but cooperative ever since they had embarked on the quest. To his surprise, he could feel her emotions. She must have accidentally let her barrier down, allowing him to experience the uncomfortably painful twist in his chest.
“Miko,” he called out, unsure what he should say to her.
She did not respond verbally. Instead, she kept her eyes fixed to his armor. But he could feel the pressure in his chest building as a result of their connected emotions. His refusal had distressed the miko more than he had anticipated. Suppressing a sigh, he reached out to tilt her chin up such that he could look into her eyes. He was uncomfortable with what he was about to say, but he knew that it was necessary.
“It is not this Sesshoumaru's intention to cause you pain,” he forced out, despising how husky he sounded.
Her damp lips parted in surprise. Vaguely, he noticed how vulnerable she appeared at that moment. And much to his dismay, he also found himself noticing how appealing her lips looked. Tearing his eyes away from the unwanted distraction, he fixed his gaze onto her brown eyes.
They stared at each other for a few second before she averted her gaze. “It's okay. I guess I also miss home a little. I haven't been home for weeks now.”
“Hn.”
“It's only for a few days, Sesshoumaru,” she said softly. “I'll come back. I want to find the shards and destroy Naraku as much as you do.”
Suddenly noticing that he still had her in his arms, Sesshoumaru released his grip. He did not understand why he did not do so as soon as the miko was calm. She took a step back, giving him a questioning look.
“Very well. You will go. But you will return as soon as you've completed your task there.”
She immediately brightened. To his surprise, she suddenly launched herself into his arms, hugging him. “Thank you!”
As he held her awkwardly, he wondered since when he had allowed her such familiarity with his person. Perhaps he had been too indulgent with the miko.
But for now, he would deign to suffer her hug.
…***…***…***…
Kagome heaved as sigh of relief as she put her pen down. Around her, several other hopefuls were doing the same. The test was over and now, all she had to do was to see if she had done well enough to be accepted for the course.
The examiner rapped the table firmly, calling for their attention. “The results will be available in two days and will be posted on the board outside. If you pass, you can start buying your books.”
Kagome's eyes widened. Two days? That was all?
As she stood up and followed the others out of the small hall, she wondered if she should just remain in the future. She very much doubted that Sesshoumaru would let her interrupt the shard hunt again anyway. At least this way, if she found that she passed the test, she could get her course books before she went back to the feudal era.
She had only been away for two days so far, so that would mean that she would be away from Sesshoumaru for four days instead of the two she had promised him. Involuntarily, she winced at the thought of explaining her delay to him. No doubt Sesshoumaru would not take it too well.
Walking slowly down the road, she suddenly realized how alone she was feeling.
She supposed that it was expected, considering that she and Sesshoumaru had been practically glued to one another's side for the past couple of weeks or so. Had it only been two weeks that they had been traveling together? Or three? Each day had blurred into another that she had simply lost count.
Her lips twisted. It was almost unbelievable that she would miss him. But she had to admit that she did. Although he had been cold and distant most of the time, there had also been times when she had caught a rare glimpse of the more tolerant and compassionate side of him.
“Kagome.”
She looked up to find her mother smiling down at her from the top of the steps leading to their house. She waved and sprinted up, laughing as she reached her mother.
“My, you're fast,” her mother exclaimed in surprise.
“Oh!” She realized that she had forgotten to tell her mother about the spell. Shrugging, she said, “It's a long story.”
Her mother gave her an understanding look. “Something you picked up in the feudal era? Did Inuyasha teach you?”
Kagome blinked. Inuyasha had not crossed her mind for the last few days. She wondered if he was alright. He not just walked off after warning her to be careful of Sesshoumaru.
“Kagome?”
Remembering her mother's question, Kagome shook her head. “No. It's Sesshoumaru.”
Her mother's expression turned curious. “Isn't that Inuyasha's brother? The one that you said tried to kill you?”
Kagome laughed. It had been such a long time since Sesshoumaru had done anything to threaten her that the whole thing seemed funny now. “Yeah. But things are different now. I guess we sort of got over our differences. I'm kind of traveling with him nowadays. We found quite a lot of shards together.”
“I see,” her mother remarked thoughtfully, giving her an assessing look. “He's treating you well?”
Kagome nodded. “Sesshoumaru treats me better than I'd expected.” She sighed. “I feel kind of bad for saying this, but I think traveling with Sesshoumaru makes me feel more useful. Like I'm actually doing more. He's not overprotective like Inuyasha. It's more like working with a partner.”
“How does Inuyasha feel about this?”
Kagome shrugged. “Not happy, I guess. They don't see eye to eye. And Inuyasha feels a little left out. But I think it's better this way because we can complete the jewel faster and hopefully destroy Naraku soon.”
“You sound like you almost prefer traveling with Sesshoumaru.”
Kagome grinned. “Traveling with Sesshoumaru is sure not the same as traveling with Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru is arrogant and used to having his own way. And arguing with him is like arguing with a mountain. But he's right most of the time and at least he doesn't degrade or insult me. Sometime I could almost swear that he even respects me.” Catching the weird look her mother was wearing, Kagome paused. “What is it?”
Her mother smiled gently. “My baby is growing up, that's all.”
Kagome's brow furrowed in confusion. “What?”
Ruffling her hair, her mother said as she began to head back to the house, “Nothing important. You'll see.”
Glancing sideways at her mother, Kagome wondered what she was thinking. Then with a shrug, she simply followed her mother home.
…***…***…***…
A Simple Legacy II by elle6778 - Chapter 12
“Watch out!” he heard the miko yell in a frantic voice.
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened just a fraction of a second before he stepped out of the way of a form blurring at him, his kimono fluttering in the wind. Without wasting a moment, he straightened and eyed the familiar newcomer.
“You are not Kagura,” he intoned flatly. Kagura had dissolved into the wind right in front of him and this imposter did not have the scent of the wind sorceress. This female might look like Kagura, but her scent and the blankness in her red eyes told him otherwise. The Kagura he had known would regard him with something else in her eyes. Not that he reciprocated her feelings.
Naraku laughed. “Perceptive as usual, Sesshoumaru. But this version of Kagura is much stronger. And she has none of the inclination to betray me the way the other one had.” Eyes narrowing, Naraku added, “This one will not fall to your charms.”
Sesshoumaru felt the miko gasp beside him. He understood her reaction as his association with the deceased wind sorceress was not a common knowledge to others.
“Kagura. It's time for you to prove your worth,” Naraku drawled, stressing on the name.
The imposter did not respond verbally but she immediately raised her fan. “Fujin no Mai.”
With a single downward slash of the fan, a series of blades was flung straight towards them. Lips thinning, Sesshoumaru pushed the miko behind him. As long as he knew where the miko was, he could engage the imposter without having to concern himself with her safety. He would not risk letting her fight and present Naraku with the knowledge of her skills.
“Do not move,” he ordered firmly as he flicked his wrist, sending out his whips to deflect the wind blades.
“Sesshoumaru…” the miko began.
Knowing that she was simply straining to fight back, Sesshoumaru realized that she required a reminder. Without taking his eyes away from his opponent, Sesshoumaru warned, “You will remember our conversation, Miko.”
“But-”
“Stay where you are.”
Ignoring her protests, Sesshoumaru zipped forward towards the imposter, noting out of the corner of his eyes that Inuyasha was approaching Naraku. Sesshoumaru's attack met Kagura's with a burst of energy as the blast from Toukijin collided with the wind blades. Kagura jumped out of the way as the aftershocks of the collision radiated outwards.
Unperturbed, the imposter Kagura simply raised her fan again. “Ryuuja no Mai!”
The wind around them shifted abruptly, gathering together to form a swirling vortex. The spinning attack rushed towards him and the miko.
Eyes narrowing, Sesshoumaru unsheathed Tenseiga, intending to use it to ward off the attack. Before he could do it, a warm glow surrounded him. Annoyed, he turned to the miko who had raised the glowing pearlescent barrier around them.
Turning around, he gave her a hard look, he began, “Miko-”
“I know!” the miko interjected with a mutinous look on her face. “But it's coming right at us. And anyway, it's not like Naraku haven't seen this barrier.”
“Hn.”
The wind vortex clashed with the barrier and swept past it harmlessly, dissolving as it did so. He turned back to find Kagura stalking towards them. “Drop the barrier, Miko,” he ordered.
“Sesshoumaru, she's-”
“This Sesshoumaru will not hide. Now, Miko!” he stressed in an uncompromising tone.
When the barrier dissolved, he launched himself straight at the wind sorceress. The wind she had called forth in retaliation to his attack began to batter him, pushing him back. Sesshoumaru planted his feet firmly and his expression hardened. This was not the Kagura who had provided him with information on Naraku.
And this one deserved to die.
With that, Sesshoumaru raised Toukijin again and let loose blasts of energy, one followed by another. The imposter did not even flinch as she tried to defend herself. One of the blasts finally caught her and she immediately combusted into nothing.
“You will regret crossing me, Sesshoumaru,” Naraku spat as he tossed a raging Inuyasha to one side with his tentacles.
Sesshoumaru eyes glinted. “It is you who will regret.”
Naraku gave him a threatening look. “Return the forest youkai and my pendant and I'll not retaliate.”
“Perhaps you've mistaken this Sesshoumaru for someone else if you thought that threats would work.”
Eyes gleaming malevolently, Naraku hissed, “You will die.”
More tentacles emerged from beneath the baboon fur. Before it could reach him, Sesshoumaru sidestepped and shot blasts after blasts at the writhing appendages, tearing them apart. While they regenerated, Inuyasha got to his feet and let loose another attack, their combined forces throwing Naraku backwards.
To Sesshoumaru's displeasure, Inuyasha slipped past him, smirking smugly as he did so. With a downward slash of Tetsusaiga, the baboon fur fluttered into the air to reveal two halves of a wooden puppet.
“Feh! Another puppet,” Inuyasha exclaimed in disgust as he kicked the broken puppet. “The coward.”
…***…***…***…
Kago me rushed towards the two of them, her worried eyes landing on the forms of the two brothers. Kagura's appearance, or rather her imposter, had surprised her. But what surprised her more was Naraku's insinuation that something was going on between the wind sorceress and Sesshoumaru.
Somehow, it had never occurred to her to wonder if Sesshoumaru had had any female companions of that sort. But now that she thought about it, she figured that it was more than obvious. Sesshoumaru was a healthy unmated male youkai and would be likely to seek those sorts of things.
She just hoped that he would not decide to do something like that when she was still traveling with him. Grimacing, she wondered why she felt so uncomfortable with the idea. Well, she should not feel that way. After all, it was none of her business. Once Naraku was destroyed, it was highly unlikely that she would see him much.
It suddenly occurred to her to realize that this was the first time Naraku's puppet had been destroyed so quickly. She supposed it made sense considering the combined powers of both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. It had been quite a strange sight to see them working together in that way. She made a face. Not willingly, of course. But still, they had looked great.
Just as she reached them, Inuyasha turned to Sesshoumaru. “Why did you come back? Did you think that I couldn't handle things?” he scorned.
“Inuyasha!” Kagome called out as she reached them. “Sesshoumaru! Are you alright?”
They ignored her as they continued to glare at each other. That was when she noticed the dampness of Inuyasha's fire-rat haori. With a gasp, she exclaimed, “You're hurt.”
Finally turning to her, Inuyasha snorted carelessly, “Keh! It's just a scratch.”
“Let me have a look,” Kagome said worriedly as she grabbed his arm.
“Inuyasha will live, Miko,” Sesshoumaru said dryly. “We will resume our search now.”
She shot Sesshoumaru a glare. “He's bleeding, alright! He's your brother. He's the only family you got left, baka! Don't you care even one little bit?”
He gave her a stony look.
Did he think that his expression would intimidate her? Bristling, Kagome tilted her chin up stubbornly. “Well, I care. And I'm not leaving until he's healed.”
Sesshoumaru's lips tightened. Then, without another word, he spun around and walked away. Her eyes narrowed. So he was just going to walk away like that? Whatever it was, she was pretty sure that he would return for her unless he wanted to look for the rest of the shards alone.
She turned to find Inuyasha staring at her incredulously. “What?” she asked.
Snapping out of it, he shook her head. “Nothing. I told you I'm fine. You don't need to heal me.”
Ignoring his protests, she proceeded to peel his haori aside. The wounds were quite severe but as always, he had chosen to brush it off like it did not matter. Taking a deep breath, she placed her palms over the wounds and called forth her healing powers. Inuyasha just stared at her intently. It was then that Kagome realized that she had never done this for him before.
As she healed his wounds, she asked, “Do you think you could pass on a message to Moriko for me?”
“What is it?” Inuyasha said as he looked away, sounding strangely strained.
“She told me about this sorceress falling into the well. I was wondering if she could find out more about the sorceress and her baby.”
“Fine. I'll ask her,” he replied curtly.
Wondering what was up with him now, Kagome's hands paused over his thighs. The healing glow faded out as she frowned. “What is it, Inuyasha?”
“Nothing,” he muttered darkly.
She sighed. “Inuyasha… We're still friends, right? Why don't you talk to me?”
He turned quickly to look at her. “Friends,” he echoed flatly. Then his expression turned bitter. “I smell him on you.”
Kagome's eyes widened. “Huh? You mean Sesshoumaru?”
“Who else?”
She bristled. “Of course you can smell him. We've been traveling together for days,” she exclaimed in bewilderment.
Inuyasha gave her an unreadable look. “This scent…it is only this strong if the two of you have been in close contact for hours.” His tone was tight.
“What?” Then she remembered how she had spent her night. Flushing, she looked away.
Obviously noticing her reaction, Inuyasha let out a bark of humorless laugh. “I guess I was right.”
“It's not what you think, Inuyasha,” she protested quickly. “We were just sleeping. The ground was wet and we had to sleep in a tree.”
“Inuyoukai don't just sleep with anyone, Kagome! They only do it around those they trust and feel safe around. Do you know what this means?” he spat angrily.
Eyes wide, Kagome shook her head.
“He trusts you, Kagome! And just now, he lets you talk to him like you're his equal. If anyone else had said what you said to him, they would be dead by now.”
“You're overreacting.”
“Like hell I am!” he exploded, his face contorted with fury.
Shocked into silence, Kagome simply stared at him. Then his fury dissipated and the amber eyes flickered with what looked like sadness.
“Inuyasha…I-”
Not looking at her, he interjected quietly, “Is he the reason why you didn't accept me as your mate?”
Kagome stiffened. “You remember asking?”
He snorted. “Yeah. You told me you can't.” Shaking his head slowly, he continued, “Now I know why.”
“It's got nothing to do with Sesshoumaru,” she insisted. Then she lowered her eyes. “I just don't feel the same anymore. I…I can't be your mate. I'm sorry, Inuyasha.”
Inuyasha smiled bitterly. “I guess I shouldn't have waited so long to say something, huh?”
Her heart twisted at his words. Yes, years of unrequited feelings had taken its toll. Her feelings had changed long before Inuyasha had lost control of his youkai blood. She had just never realized how much it had changed until things had gotten out of control with Inuyasha trying to ravage her.
He sagged visibly. “But why Sesshoumaru?”
“Inuyasha…” she began wearily, tired of denying the same thing over and over again. “Stop bringing Sesshoumaru into this. I don't like him in that way.”
Giving her a meaningful look, he said, “It won't stop him from pursuing you if he gets it into his head to do so.”
“He won't,” she said confidently.
“You don't know what he's really like. Sesshoumaru won't stop if he wants something.”
Her eyes flashed. Did Inuyasha think that she was so naïve? Or that she would not know what Sesshoumaru was like after being near him for such a long time? “Yes, I know that! But we're only together because of the shards and Naraku. He's not in love with me or anything like that. You said yourself that he hates human. Why would he even think of something like that?”
Letting out an exasperated breath, Inuyasha shot up and took a step away from her before he paused. Then, turning over his shoulders to look at her, he said in a strained voice, “Just be careful, alright. Even if you don't feel the same for me, I still care for you.”
She kept her troubled eyes fixed to his back as he walked away from her. It figured that Inuyasha had to open up to her now that she did not feel the same anymore. But at least he seemed to have accepted it. And anyway, something told her that he had been expecting it. Otherwise, his reaction would not be this mild.
Sighing heavily, she let her chin fall against her chest.
Nothing was ever easy.
…***…***…***…
The white clouds against a backdrop of brilliant blue sky rushed past them as Sesshoumaru ascended sharply to give them a better perspective of the landscape underneath.
They had been traveling in relative peace for almost two days without finding a single shard. It was beginning to trouble him. Without knowing exactly how much of the jewel Naraku possessed, there was no way of accurately predicting how many more shards they needed to find.
He glanced down at the dark head next to his chest. The miko had been uncharacteristically quiet for a while now. She had barely spoken a word since he had returned to the clearing to find her sitting on a felled tree in quiet contemplation. His own reaction to her silence perplexed him. He found himself wanting to know what was troubling her. Unfortunately, ever since he had taught her to barricade her emotions, he had only been able to glean the occasional flashes of emotions. Unfortunately, at the moment, he could not tell what was bothering her.
“What troubles you, miko?”
Startled, she turned up a pair of large brown eyes at him. “Something had been on my mind lately,” the miko began slowly. “Well, a couple of things actually. But I doubt that you want to hear me talk about what Inuyasha said. So I guess I'll go with the second one.”
A little surprised that she was perceptive enough to sense his dislike for anything associated with Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru simply waited to be enlightened.
“This thing about having your strength.” She frowned. “I haven't really seen much difference. I mean, you've taught me how to fight and that's a great improvement on my skills. But that had happened even before my eighteenth birthday.”
So, her abilities were troubling her. The miko was correct. He had not seen any evidence to suggest that she had any youkai abilities, apart from the odd stain of youki in her aura. Her strength had always been her own. “Your strength has always been there. This Sesshoumaru simply taught you how to use it efficiently.”
Grasping his armor and kimono tighter, she leaned back to look up at him. “Do you think that maybe the youkai strength thing will come out only if I train for it?”
Sesshoumaru stilled, trying to ignore the heat of her palm pressing against his chest. “Miko. Are you requesting further training from this Sesshoumaru?”
Her face brightened with her grin and her eyes twinkled mischievously. “I suppose so. I think you might run out of things to ask me to do in return. What else could the great Lord of the Western Lands possibly need a mere human for, right?”
“Hn.”
She shrugged carelessly. “I don't even know if it would work. Maybe the spell had gone wrong and all I have to show for it is a weird aura and an ability to read you when your defenses are down.”
“There is only one way to tell,” he said as he brought his cloud down to a clearing in front of a rock outcrop.
She frowned as they on the ground. “Huh?”
As the cloud dissolved, he said, “You wanted to know if you possess any of this Sesshoumaru's youkai strength.”
“Yes,” she said a little uncertainly.
It would be a simple test but it would be sufficient. Sesshoumaru let his eyes scan the area until he found a boulder of a suitable height. Pointing to it, he said, “You will jump onto that boulder.”
Her eyes widened. “What?!” she exclaimed incredulously. “You can't be serious. That rock is twenty feet high. I can't just jump up!”
He suppressed his irritation. Did she or did she not want to find out? “It is merely a small boulder. With a taiyoukai's strength, the task is a simple one.”
She stared at the rock apprehensively.
“Miko, you simply need to set your mind on reaching the boulder. Do not think that you could not do it,” he told her impatiently. How would she know if she did not even attempt it?
She sighed. Then she seemed to have come to a decision and an expression of determination crossed her features. Sesshoumaru stifled his growing feeling of pride. He had almost forgotten how it felt like to teach her something.
“Fine,” she hissed as she pinned an unwavering gaze on the boulder.
Then she leapt.
Sesshoumaru watched with interest as she soared upwards higher than physically possible for any normal humans. But before she could reach the top, her speed faltered and she began to drop. At her squeal of alarm, Sesshoumaru zipped forward and caught her before she landed on the ground. He looked down at the miko to find her face covered by trembling fingers.
“Miko. You're unharmed,” he intoned flatly.
She peeked at him through parted fingers. Then, dropping her hands, she glared at the boulder darkly as he lowered her to the ground. When she let out the breath she had been holding, her shoulders sagged.
“I guess that answers the question, huh?” She sounded dejected.
His lips quirked at her expression. “A human could not have done what you've done. Even a miko,” he told her firmly. “It is clear that the strength is there. You simply require practice.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
She looked so hopeful, Sesshoumaru thought.
“You will attempt it again, Miko. And you will do so until you reach the top of the boulder.”
…***…***…***…
The clusters of stars were brilliant in the inky darkness of the night sky. The snow had melted several days ago and the ground was now dry enough for them to camp out in the open. Propped against a tree in the clearing they had chosen to spend the night in, Kagome only stared at the sky blankly as thoughts ran through her mind. She had ticked off the days realized that she could not put it off any longer.
They had managed to find two more shards in the last two days. Surely that counted for something, right? She glanced apprehensively at the taiyoukai sitting across her in the clearing. His legs stretched out in front of him on the ground and his back rested against a large tree as he gazed off into the distance.
“Sesshoumaru?”
He did not move a muscle, but she knew that he had heard her.
Steeling herself, she began, “Since we've collected so many shards already, do you think we can take a break?”
He finally turned to face her, a questioning look pasted on his face.
Kagome took a deep breath and crossed her fingers. “I want to go home for a couple of days.”
“No,” he replied flatly before returning his gaze to an indeterminate point in the distant.
Annoyed at his outright refusal, Kagome bristled. “Why?”
“The shards will not collect themselves.” His tone was uncompromising.
“We can continue when I get back,” she insisted. Sesshoumaru had to let her go back, otherwise she would miss her entrance test.
“We don't have the luxury of time, Miko.”
She gritted her teeth in irritation as she stood up and strode towards him. Planting her hands on her hips, she glared down at him. “What difference does two days make? We've been shard hunting for more than three years!”
“No.”
Her eyes burned in response to her frustration. This was the second time he had tried to stop her from going home. The first time had been her eighteenth birthday. She knew that to him, it was nothing important. But it had been something she had wanted to celebrate with her family. And now, she had an important test coming up and he was refusing to let her go.
“You don't have the right to keep me here. I need to go!” she yelled, stomping her foot childishly.
“Miko. Do not test this Sesshoumaru,” he said in warning.
She blinked back her tears of frustration. Who did he think he was, ordering her around? Did he think that just because she owed him something, she was entirely at his mercy? No, she would not give in this time. Whether he agreed or not, she was heading back to the well.
With or without him.
“Whatever, Sesshoumaru. Whether you let me go or not, I'm going,” she declared stubbornly, spinning around to walk away.
She had barely taken two steps before she found a pair of arms circling her waist in an iron grip. A squeak of protest escaped her lips as she was lifted off her feet.
“Let me go, Sesshoumaru!” she demanded, hitting the arm around her waist. She could not believe that he was trying to physically restrain her. What was he going to do next? Tie her up? Riled at the thought, she began to buck against him.
“You will calm yourself and cease your struggles. Now!” Sesshoumaru growled in warning as he shook her lightly.
Angry beyond belief, Kagome called forth her powers and sent a bolt of energy into Sesshoumaru's hand. To her dismay, he simply tightened his grip. She gasped, trying to breathe through the constriction around her waist.
“Do not attempt it again, Miko,” Sesshoumaru gritted out as he continued to walk with measured steps towards somewhere.
“Then let me go!” Struggling furiously, her legs swinging off the ground, she grabbed both of his arms and shot another bolt of energy. It was not as if it would really harm him anyway.
“You shall refrain from damaging this Sesshoumaru's sleeves!” he snarled.
“And you shall refrain from…from being such a jerk!” she shot back.
As he quickened his steps, the trees blurred past her at a dizzying pace. Then he lifted her up by her waist. Kagome's eyes widened when she found herself dangling over running water. He had brought her to the stream.
“Now, are you prepared to calm down?” he asked silkily.
What did he think he was doing, threatening her like this? Struggling against him, she snapped, “I'm not a child, Sesshoumaru! You can't do this to me!”
She let out another squeak as he spun her around to face him.
His golden eyes bore into hers uncompromisingly. “You will be treated as a child if you insist on behaving like one.”
“Do you think I'm just going to sit here and listen obediently while you're being so unreasonable about letting me go?” she yelled into his face. To her horror, she felt her eyes burning again. Blinking back the tears, she stared at him stubbornly. She would not cry in front of him.
He studied her for a moment, his eyes flickering with an unreadable emotion. “No. This Sesshoumaru expects you to calm yourself.” This time, his tone was less harsh.
Her throat constricted with the effort of holding back her tears. Blinking furiously, she averted her gaze. She would not let him see her crying. He would take it as another human weakness.
“Turn around, Miko.”
Stubbornly, she kept her head turned to the side. A moment later, her feet touched the ground gently. Clawed fingers grasped her chin and forced her to meet his eyes.
Brown met gold and her breath hitched in her throat.
…***…***…***…
It was clear to him that the miko was highly distressed. What was not clear to him was why he felt so disturbed at the sight of her moist eyes. She was fighting it, but he could tell that she was barely holding her tears at bay. Any moment now, the salty liquid would fall and trail down her flushed cheeks. What he knew for sure was that he had no intention of letting it happen.
Holding her shoulders in a firm grip, he said calmly, “You will explain the importance of this journey you wish to take.” The apologetic tone of his own voice startled him.
She blinked in surprise as her lips parted. A moment of silence followed before she ventured in a small voice, “You'll let me go?”
Deciding that it would probably be wise to explain his reasoning to her, he began, “The situation with Naraku is critical. It is of utmost importance that the shards are found before the hanyou gets his hands on them. Especially now that the hanyou had the audacity to trespass into the Western Lands.”
Lowering her eyes, she bit her lips. “I have to go because I have an entrance exam the day after tomorrow. I need to pass it to get accepted to further my studies.”
“This exam…it enables you to continue studying?” he asked slowly, unsure if he understood what she meant. It was clear from the time she had been staying in the Western Lands that she was educated. But she sought to gain further knowledge?
She nodded. “It's a long distance course, so I only have to back once in a while to pass up papers and take exams. That way, I can remain here in this era.” Frowning, she added, “Though if we manage to gather all the shards, I'm not sure what that would mean for me.”
“Explain.”
She sighed dejectedly. “The well might close. I might not be able to come back.”
Sesshoumaru stared at her silently. He could understand her reasons for wanting return to her own time now that she had explained it. The miko was simply attempting to further her knowledge.
It was almost admirable how hard she fought for it.
A quiet sniffle reached him, telling him that perhaps he had overreacted to her request. After all, she had been nothing but cooperative ever since they had embarked on the quest. To his surprise, he could feel her emotions. She must have accidentally let her barrier down, allowing him to experience the uncomfortably painful twist in his chest.
“Miko,” he called out, unsure what he should say to her.
She did not respond verbally. Instead, she kept her eyes fixed to his armor. But he could feel the pressure in his chest building as a result of their connected emotions. His refusal had distressed the miko more than he had anticipated. Suppressing a sigh, he reached out to tilt her chin up such that he could look into her eyes. He was uncomfortable with what he was about to say, but he knew that it was necessary.
“It is not this Sesshoumaru's intention to cause you pain,” he forced out, despising how husky he sounded.
Her damp lips parted in surprise. Vaguely, he noticed how vulnerable she appeared at that moment. And much to his dismay, he also found himself noticing how appealing her lips looked. Tearing his eyes away from the unwanted distraction, he fixed his gaze onto her brown eyes.
They stared at each other for a few second before she averted her gaze. “It's okay. I guess I also miss home a little. I haven't been home for weeks now.”
“Hn.”
“It's only for a few days, Sesshoumaru,” she said softly. “I'll come back. I want to find the shards and destroy Naraku as much as you do.”
Suddenly noticing that he still had her in his arms, Sesshoumaru released his grip. He did not understand why he did not do so as soon as the miko was calm. She took a step back, giving him a questioning look.
“Very well. You will go. But you will return as soon as you've completed your task there.”
She immediately brightened. To his surprise, she suddenly launched herself into his arms, hugging him. “Thank you!”
As he held her awkwardly, he wondered since when he had allowed her such familiarity with his person. Perhaps he had been too indulgent with the miko.
But for now, he would deign to suffer her hug.
…***…***…***…
Kagome heaved as sigh of relief as she put her pen down. Around her, several other hopefuls were doing the same. The test was over and now, all she had to do was to see if she had done well enough to be accepted for the course.
The examiner rapped the table firmly, calling for their attention. “The results will be available in two days and will be posted on the board outside. If you pass, you can start buying your books.”
Kagome's eyes widened. Two days? That was all?
As she stood up and followed the others out of the small hall, she wondered if she should just remain in the future. She very much doubted that Sesshoumaru would let her interrupt the shard hunt again anyway. At least this way, if she found that she passed the test, she could get her course books before she went back to the feudal era.
She had only been away for two days so far, so that would mean that she would be away from Sesshoumaru for four days instead of the two she had promised him. Involuntarily, she winced at the thought of explaining her delay to him. No doubt Sesshoumaru would not take it too well.
Walking slowly down the road, she suddenly realized how alone she was feeling.
She supposed that it was expected, considering that she and Sesshoumaru had been practically glued to one another's side for the past couple of weeks or so. Had it only been two weeks that they had been traveling together? Or three? Each day had blurred into another that she had simply lost count.
Her lips twisted. It was almost unbelievable that she would miss him. But she had to admit that she did. Although he had been cold and distant most of the time, there had also been times when she had caught a rare glimpse of the more tolerant and compassionate side of him.
“Kagome.”
She looked up to find her mother smiling down at her from the top of the steps leading to their house. She waved and sprinted up, laughing as she reached her mother.
“My, you're fast,” her mother exclaimed in surprise.
“Oh!” She realized that she had forgotten to tell her mother about the spell. Shrugging, she said, “It's a long story.”
Her mother gave her an understanding look. “Something you picked up in the feudal era? Did Inuyasha teach you?”
Kagome blinked. Inuyasha had not crossed her mind for the last few days. She wondered if he was alright. He not just walked off after warning her to be careful of Sesshoumaru.
“Kagome?”
Remembering her mother's question, Kagome shook her head. “No. It's Sesshoumaru.”
Her mother's expression turned curious. “Isn't that Inuyasha's brother? The one that you said tried to kill you?”
Kagome laughed. It had been such a long time since Sesshoumaru had done anything to threaten her that the whole thing seemed funny now. “Yeah. But things are different now. I guess we sort of got over our differences. I'm kind of traveling with him nowadays. We found quite a lot of shards together.”
“I see,” her mother remarked thoughtfully, giving her an assessing look. “He's treating you well?”
Kagome nodded. “Sesshoumaru treats me better than I'd expected.” She sighed. “I feel kind of bad for saying this, but I think traveling with Sesshoumaru makes me feel more useful. Like I'm actually doing more. He's not overprotective like Inuyasha. It's more like working with a partner.”
“How does Inuyasha feel about this?”
Kagome shrugged. “Not happy, I guess. They don't see eye to eye. And Inuyasha feels a little left out. But I think it's better this way because we can complete the jewel faster and hopefully destroy Naraku soon.”
“You sound like you almost prefer traveling with Sesshoumaru.”
Kagome grinned. “Traveling with Sesshoumaru is sure not the same as traveling with Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru is arrogant and used to having his own way. And arguing with him is like arguing with a mountain. But he's right most of the time and at least he doesn't degrade or insult me. Sometime I could almost swear that he even respects me.” Catching the weird look her mother was wearing, Kagome paused. “What is it?”
Her mother smiled gently. “My baby is growing up, that's all.”
Kagome's brow furrowed in confusion. “What?”
Ruffling her hair, her mother said as she began to head back to the house, “Nothing important. You'll see.”
Glancing sideways at her mother, Kagome wondered what she was thinking. Then with a shrug, she simply followed her mother home.
…***…***…***…