InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Down the Well, Into the Heart ❯ The Effects of Toothpaste ( Chapter 1 )

Down the Well, Into the Heart

Chapter One - The Effects of Toothpaste

Sesshoumaru/Kagome. Whiteopium does not claim ownership of anything InuYasha related and finds that disclaimers are completely ridiculous.

The sun was just about to set. Orange rays of light colored the darkening violet sky. The hot steam from the spring deepened the scents within the lush forest of Feudal Japan. The soft giggles of two women were heard in the distance. In other words - bath time.

Sesshoumaru continued stepping through the forest path, following his nose to a nearby village. Rin was not especially well today - most likely the effects of a cold, and rather hungry, so he decided to get food for her himself. After Jaken's numerous failed attempts, Sesshoumaru lost his patience with the stubborn toad. If he had more motivation, Jaken could've easily found some type of bird or fruit for Rin. However, although he tolerated her, Jaken still harbored hatred for the orphan. Why Sesshoumaru still kept the pesky human girl was a mystery to him, but it was one he no longer questioned because it was, after all, Sesshoumaru's decision to still keep the child. Jaken could leave Sesshoumaru any time he desired.

His stride was noble and swift, as elegant as a cat. His hair blew gracefully in the wind and his eyes remained closed the entire walk - he needed no sight where he currently was. There was no danger here. Just two lowly humans taking a bath.

"Ahh," Kagome sighed, sinking deeper into the hot spring, "It's so nice to get away from, you know, all that." Kagome reached into the wicker basket placed on the edge of the spring and pulled out the shampoo, conditioner, and soap, offering some to Sango. "I don't want to even think about the Shikon jewel now."

Sango took the shampoo and began scrubbing her hair, understanding Kagome's need to get away from the village. It was where the rest of their group was currently camped and the home of Kaede. They just went through a lot of hard times, most of the stress given to Kagome. "I really like this smell, Kagome, what is it?"

"Lavender," Kagome replied, starting to dig into the wicker basket again, "it's relaxing, right?"

"Yes, it is," Sango squeezed the bottle, the smell rushing to her nose, "and it sure does smell wonderful."

Kagome held out a toothbrush to Sango, "I remembered to bring them," She put some toothpaste on her own, "you said you wanted to try, right?"

Sango's nose twitched from the aroma of the toothpaste, "I suppose I could."

"I promise, once you first use this stuff, you'll never want to go a day without it." Kagome stopped in thought, "But, you'll need to get used to it first. When first starting out kids usually get something weaker like bubblegum."

"Bubblegum, huh?" Sango looked down at her toothbrush with curiousity, "This mint toothpaste smells so strong."

"Oh, I also brought an extra set of pajamas for you to wear tonight. I promise they're more comfortable than your day clothes!"

Sesshoumaru continued walking down the path, unintentionally close to Kagome and Sango, also smelling the foreign paste. His nose twitched at the invasion of mint, 'What a foul concentrate of mint, and InuYasha's human is putting it in her mouth?'

He continued walking, the mint smell eventually evening out in his nose. But then smelled the lavender cleansers - 'Where did that human get such expensive fragrances, and in such concentrations? It is worth more than eight of her lives...'

"I'm sort of looking forward to returning to school. I'll get to see my other friends, but I don't see InuYasha letting me go with the whole Shikon jewel." Kagome sighed as she and Sango were letting the bubbles rinse off of them. They watched the suds flow down into the creek from the spring. "Only a week to go before gym finals..."

"I still don't understand your well," Sango looked down, folding her arms over her bare chest, "I believe in many things, but a well to the future?"

'A well to the future?' Sesshoumaru thought, quite a distance from them, but his keen ears picking up their discussion.

"It is, but that's where I got these from," Kagome motioned to the items in the wicker basket with a smile, "So, are you ready to brush your teeth now?"

Sango nodded nervously. Sesshoumaru opened his eyes to them, seeing through the leaves at quite a distance.

"You can do it in any order you like," Kagome started, opening her mouth wide, "I like to do the bottom, then the top, my tongue and then the roof of my mouth." Toothpaste suds spilled out of her mouth and they laughed, "See? It's really easy. Just don't swallow it."

Sango nodded again, and Kagome helped her position the brush, "See, Sango, it removes all the bacteria in your mouth and makes your saliva taste sweet and smell fresh. So, if you were to kiss Miroku after brushing your teeth, I bet he would never want to kiss anyone else ever again!"

Sango blushed, but was now determined, and after brushing her teeth she put the brush to her tongue to immediately spit it out, " It's so strong!"

"It's okay, you can try again another day." Kagome smiled, handing her a towel as they exited the hot spring. Sesshoumaru continued on his way to the village.

"Kagome!" Sango panicked, "I can still taste it. I might swallow it! Am I going to die?"

"It's okay, Sango, it's not a poison. It's only toxic when eaten in large quantities."

Sango placed her hand infront of her mouth and breathed out, inhaling the smell, "It does smell a lot better than when I just rinse with water."

"I'm glad you like it," Kagome replied. She squeezed out the excess water from her hair. "Next time I'll bring you a less intense flavor of toothpaste."

'I can smell the stench of my half brother,' Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the village a short distance infront of him, 'How unpleasant.'

At arrival, Sesshoumaru walked to the farm on the outskirts of the village. He grabbed the nearest edible bird for Rin. His clawed hand wrapped around the bird's neck. The only sound heard was the neck bone of the bird cracking with one swift snap. Sesshoumaru exited silently with the bird in his hand, its blood trickling down his sleeve. Arriving back at their current camp, he dropped the dead bird on the ground near the fire. Rin looked up at him with a smile.

"Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin smiled, sniffling a bit, then lancing the poultry with a thin branch and placing it above the fire to cook. Jaken was leaning against a tree asleep with a mucus bubble forming from his nose.

Sesshoumaru simply nodded - his usual response to "thank you." He stared at his sleeve. The pure white fabric was stained red from absorbed blood. The rest trickled down his arm and mostly resided on his hand.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, are you okay?" asked Rin. She pointed at his sleeve and rubbed her nose.

"It is the bird's blood."

"Oh." Rin went back to cooking her dinner. Again he exited without a word to rinse off the blood.

"Taking a bath seems to make the world a better place." Kagome finished drying herself off. She set down the towel and began putting on her night clothes - a blue camisole, white panties, and blue pants with little stars on them. She handed Sango her extra pajamas when she finished drying off. Sango's was pink plaid shorts and a pink t-shirt.

"That bath made me so sleepy," Sango yawned, "I can't wait to go to bed."

"Me, too. I think it was the heat from the spring." Kagome yawned, too, "It could be the lavender, too. In school, we studied the affects of certain smells on humans and my teacher said - ah!"

"Huh?" Sango jumped back, seeing Kagome trip over a large root. Mud splashed all over her left leg and chest. "Oh, no, Kagome!"

"Argh! I can't believe this!" Kagome whined, shaking her leg in effort to remove the mud, "I just got done taking a bath! And I can't sleep like this..."

"Aw, I'm sorry, Kagome," Sango yawned again.

"Why don't you just go ahead, Sango? I'll just wash the places mud got on and then head back."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You're very tired, I can tell. I don't mind."

"Okay, Kagome. If you don't come back soon we will come looking for you."

Kagome smiled and waved her off. She groaned, 'I just want to go to sleep...' She sat on the edge of the spring and placed her sandal on the side, rubbing the spots that had mud. She opened her shirt and looked down, noticing mud even got under her camisole. 'Why me?'

Sesshoumaru arrived at the hot spring and saw Kagome with her leg in the water, 'Didn't she just take a bath?' She was then looking down her top of very little material.

Next thing he knew, Kagome was pulling off her camisole completely. Sesshoumaru clenched a nearby branch. She poured water down her chest and rubbed where the mud was. The branch snapped. Kagome turned around to look, but saw nothing, and figured it was an animal. Excess water trickled down her round breasts. Sesshoumaru stood watching in confusion. She sighed again, rubbing her chest all over before standing up again and drying her chest off. The smell of her breath invaded her nose - it was disgustingly sweet. She stretched, revealing a better view of her breasts. Sesshoumaru did not move an inch, his eyes did not blink. The towel dried her breasts thoroughly. Kagome then put her camisole and sandal back on and headed back to the village. She forgot to dry her leg. A trail of water streamed around her toned thigh and calf. Sesshoumaru found he couldn't look away until she was out of sight. Sesshoumaru shook his head before placing his arm in the spring and swishing it around in attempt to remove the blood. When it was adequately gone, he shook it in the air to dry.

'That human is always much cleaner than others. All humans reek of waste, bacteria, and decay. Why is she an exception?'

Her companion's voice chimed in his ear, '...in many things, but a well to the future?'

'It would explain how different she is. Her clothes, her smells, her cleanliness. She is definitely healthier. Her curves are ample and her skin glows compared to other human females. Time travel by well is hard to believe, however.' The smell radiating off of the hot spring's water invaded his nose and he shuddered, 'The water smells just like her.' His eyelids lowered in annoyance. The scent buzzed through him like his own blood.

Sesshoumaru returned to the camp. Rin was just finishing her dinner. He leaned against another tree casually and continually sniffed his arm, 'Her smell is all over me... Damn that hot spring water. I should have just went to the creek.'

"Lord Sesshoumaru, does the bird blood still smell on you?"

Sesshoumaru stared at the girl looking back at him then looked away, "Yes."

"Would you like Rin to help you wash it off? You brought Rin a delicious dinner." Rin sniffed.

"No."

Rin nodded with a smile. The pleading child was not offended. She was far too selfless, too unaware of the evils of the world she lived in. But, oh-so-aware that beauty can always bloom in darkness. She then crawled next to Ah Un and went to sleep quickly, even with a stuffy nose.

'When will this horrible scent leave me?' He glared at his arm, almost wishing to cut that one off, too. 'It is an annoyance.' He looked up at the big, silver moon above him, 'That human girl is a terrible annoyance to this Sesshoumaru.'

'That half-breed is not worthy of such a pleasant smell on him. Especially not as frequently. Her long legs are so often wrapped around him, his misfit-clawed hands wrapped around them. Even with his royal blood he is not deserving of such a girl from the future.'

Sesshoumaru growled softly, hardly loud enough to wake Jaken or Rin, 'This girl is to be avoided.' Sesshoumaru remained awake that night. Not because of Kagome - it was because he was always awake... always watching...

"Oh, Kagome, you're back!" Shippou launched into her arms, "I thought you got hurt until Sango said you fell in the mud."

"Yup, I'm okay."

"You fell in the mud?" asked InuYasha, opening one eye to look at Kagome. He was sitting in a tree calmly with his arms crossed within his sleeves, "How clumsy are you to fall in the mud?" The sky was now pitch black. They could only see because of the light radiating off of the dying fire. A very soft breeze moved Kagome's hair.

"Be quiet, InuYasha," She glared at him. He just laughed softly and closed his eyes. She shook off the annoyance, "So, is everyone ready to go to bed? I sure am." She unzipped her sleeping bag and slid into it.

"I could certainly use some sleep myself." Miroku layed down on his pallet, strategically placed away from Sango.

In the middle of the night, Kagome's eyes shot open. 'What day is it?' She counted how many days after the day she left. 'Five, six, that means...'

Kagome leaned forward, rubbing her temple, "I have the P.E. exam today, damnit. At least I don't have to study," She whispered, starting to roll up her sleeping bag. Shippou yawned and crawled to her. "I'm so exhausted.

"Kagome, what's wrong?"

"I have to go home," She replied, grabbing her backpack, "Tell everyone that I'll be back as soon as possible. I promise."

Shippou looked concerned, "I don't know, Kagome. I think you should stay here for a day and rest. You really don't look well and you were tossing and turning all through the night. I'm worried about you." Shippou gripped the bottom of her pajamas in his tiny hand.

"Please, Shippou? I promise - I'm all right. I just need some sleep, which I think I can get before the exam."

"Okay, but InuYasha isn't going to like this."

"He'll understand," Kagome smiled, "He usually does, anyways."

Kagome ran as fast as her long legs could carry her to the well. When she just reached it, a familiar voice startled her.

"Just where do you think you're going, Kagome," InuYasha huffed, spinning her around to face him. He folded his arms over his chest.

'I'm too tired to deal with all of this, so tired,' Kagome sighed, "I promise, InuYasha, just let me be there for the afternoon. I forgot what day it was. My P.E. exam is today. It was my fault. I'm sorry."

'She's apologizing? That's a first,' InuYasha glared at her, 'She looks really tired.'

Kagome whined softly, rolling her neck, blinking a few times. InuYasha frowned. 'She looks terrible.'

The bags under her eyes were that of someone of a much older age, the healing wounds on her arms weren't pleasing to the sight, and the soft groans that escaped her lips were that of someone who hasn't slept in days. 'Did she sleep at all last night?'

"Okay, Kagome, I'll let you go to your time," InuYasha turned around, slowly heading back to the campsite, "But only for the afternoon."

Kagome put on a weak smile, "Thanks for understanding." She sat on the edge of the well and fell in, taking her five hundred years into the future.

"Just take it easy..." InuYasha said softly, the image of her pinned in his mind, "You don't look so good."

Kagome crawled out of the well, breathing heavily. It seemed like heaven when she saw her little house and the shrine.

"I'm home." She sighed, sprawling out on the grass, "My exam is at 9:30, so do I have time to take a short nap?" She stood up and stepped foraward, but immediately fell again.

"I... There isn't a choice. I just need to take a quick nap, please, just a short one..."

She fell asleep.

At 9:25, a small finger poked at Kagome. Without opening her eyes, she knew who it was, after all, she growled to let the sleep-interrupter know that she still wanted to sleep.

A minute later, the whole hand grabbed her shoulder softly. It was shaking.

"What is it, Souta?" She mumbled, her face on the grass. Then she heard the figure sniff. Souta had a cold?

"Sou... Souta?" The voice replied. Certainly not Souta's voice. Not anyone's voice that she has ever heard of, for the matter. Kagome's eyes widened in shock, immediately sitting up to face the voice.

"Who are..?" Kagome got a good look at the girl, "Rin?"

The girl just stared back.

Kagome whined in panic, "Rin! What time is it?"

Rin still stared, a big question mark on her face.

Kagome whined again, grabbing the little girl's hand and taking her towards the shrine, "I'll take you back, Rin, however you got here. But I need to find out what time it is." Rin let Kagome guide her to the house. "Do you know who I am, Rin?" Rin's eyes were wide and taking in all of the surroundings she has never seen before.

Rin smiled, "You're the girl who travels with InuYasha, Kagome."

"Good." Kagome opened the door, guiding Rin in, 'That saves some time.' "Moooooom!"

"Kagome?" Her mother stepped out of the kitchen, a dish rag in hand. She spotted the little girl in Kagome's hand, "Oh, now who is this?" She leaned down to Rin's height.

"I'm Rin." She replied, her eyes spinning to everywhere in the room, "Where are we?"

"Kagome, where did you-?"

"I don't know!" Kagome ran to the kitchen, leaving Rin's hand, "I think she's from the Feudal Era and - Oh no! It's 9:27! I'm late!" She ran out the door, "I hate to do this to you Mom but I need you to watch Rin just keep her in the house and keep her safe okay? I'll take her back to the well as soon as I'm back!"

Rin and Kagome's mother just watched as Kagome grew smaller in the distance through the open door. After the dust settled, Mrs. Higurashi closed the door. "Are you hungry, Rin?"

"Yes! Rin is almost always hungry." She followed Mrs. Higurashi to the kitchen, "When is Kagome going to get back?"

"In about an hour," She handed Rin a cookie from the cookie jar. Rin immediately started eating it.

"How much is an hour?" Rin asked, cookie crumbs all over her face.

Mrs. Higurashi laughed, "You really are from then, huh? I thought it was only InuYasha who could come from there."

"You know InuYasha?"

"Yes, he often comes here to pick up Kagome."

"Does InuYasha..." Rin sat down on a chair by the table, admiring the smoothness of the wood, "you know, love Kagome?"

Mrs. Higurashi laughed, "I'm not one to say."

"Where are we?"

'Hmm, how do I explain this to her? I better let Kagome do it.' "When Kagome gets back she'll tell you."

"Okay." Rin sniffed.

"Aww," Mrs. Higurashi put a hand on her forehead, "You have a cold."

"Rin is not cold."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled, "No, no, you have a cold. That is what your sickness is called."

"Oh, yeah, I guess Rin does have a cold then."

Mrs. Higurashi took Rin's hand and led her to the bathroom. She dug into the cabinet until she found a bag of cold drops. They were an off yellow color and smelled really sweet. She unwrapped the drop and placed it in Rin's hand. "It is magic candy. Eat it and it will clear your nose."

Rin immediately put it in her mouth, "It tastes weird, but Rin likes it."

"Good," She smiled at Rin's odd speech, "Would Rin like another cookie?"

"Yes!"

'It is so nice to have a little girl around again!' Mrs. Higurashi smiled, 'It seems like just yesterday Kagome was this little.'

Writing a legitimate, in-character fanfiction with Sesshoumaru is tough. A romance-themed one with him it is a another whole level. As my first fanfiction, I chose to tackle this tough theme. Why? Because I like the thought of Kagome and Sesshoumaru together. Will it happen? Most likely not. But, before InuYasha ends, which it unfortunately soon will (the manga at least,) something has to be said of Sesshoumaru. In almost every InuYasha product, there are 8 main characters featured - one of them Sesshoumaru. However, Sesshoumaru is the only one who doesn't have some sort of background tale. You know nothing of his mother, his reason for hating humans is only hinted at, why he has such admiration for his father after Izayoi, a real point of Kagura and Sara, and much more. I thoroughly believe something will be said for Sesshoumaru.

All reviews are appreciated. :-)