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Ripples in Time	By : Waterunleashed Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Sessh?maru/Kagome > Sessh?maru/Kagome Views: 7625 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
A/N: I just want to let everyone know that life aka classes and work are going to slow down my updates. I hope to post a chapter twice a week.
Thank you TANick_1 and Forgotten Echoes for your wonderful reviews.

Chapter 5: Starting Over

The water eventually cooled and I had to choose between refilling the tub or getting out and facing my new life. It would’ve been easier to sit in the tub and prune all night but eventually I’d have to get out. So I got out, dried off and got dressed quickly without any pruning to be seen.

Once my hair was manageably dry I left the bathroom, the kitchen was dark, white moonlight came through the kitchen illuminating it enough that I could walk through without tripping over my own feet. The door to the room I hadn’t seen yet was closed, no surprise there I suppose.

I scanned the room for the light switch; it was across the room by the door. I flipped the light on and had to blink a few times before my eyes adjusted to the bright room.

Once again the pictures on the refrigerator caught my attention. There were so many of them, they covered every inch of the front and side of the large machine. Moving closer to the overflowing collage it was hard to figure out where to begin. At the top right corner was a picture of the family. Mom and Dad stood with smiles on their faces, Dad was holding Souta and I was hugging my Mothers leg. We all looked so happy.

I knew this picture it was the last family picture before Dad had died. Of course we didn’t look the same. Even on our small faces I could see the difference in complexion. Dad had the same skin color as mine. We always had the same olive skin tone. But now it was a golden hue, it looked as if the sun were shining down upon us.

His hair was long like the rest of ours’ he had it braided in this picture. His hair brown and gold and seemed to shimmer in the picture. What would he look like in real life?

The pictures seemed to spread out from that point. There were more pictures of all of us together for picnics, holidays, Mom walking Souta and me to school. There were pictures of Grandpa when he was younger, he always seemed to wear the same traditional hakamas and haori. His hair was stripes of green and brown and tied into a traditional topknot.

Then there were pictures of me with my friends Ayumi, Yuka and Eri, who might I add all looked very human still. There were other pictures of me in this time with people I didn’t know probably some of these Sidhe.

Lower on the door I immediately picked out the red hoari of Inuyashas’. There were hundreds of photos of our group, more than I remember taking or haven taken of me. One picture caught my eye. It was half hidden under the handle for the refrigerator.

I bent down so I could get a closer look, it was Sesshomaru. He was sitting by the campfire staring off into the distance his arm resting on his knee. I smiled he had threatened to kill me when he heard the camera shutter and wanted to destroy the camera.

I stood up and moved to the side of the fridge, there were more pictures of the family and some of the past. There was a picture in the middle of the collage of Sesshomaru in modern clothes. He was sitting underneath Goshinboku with a soft smile on his face. Next to that picture was another one with the two of us. It looked like a facebook picture. You know let’s put our head together and try, normally fail, to get us both in the same shot.

There were a few more pictures of him reading or teaching Souta how to use a sword. ‘Souta can use a sword?’ I shook my head, one thing at a time. It was getting easier to look at the pictures and recognize my brothers face despite the strange eyes and long hair.

I stayed by the fridge for a few more minutes marveling at the amount of photos I had amassed over the years before I straightened up and turned to the ever closed door.

I stood in front of it and hesitated, should I knock? Last time I tried to go in there I ran into his naked chest, it was a very nice naked chest but was this his room? He had said that he had stuff here for my extended stays, so he would have a different place to go when I wasn’t home right? But, then he was here when I came back. Gah. I opened the door. It was a living room.

I almost laughed with relief, I don’t know what I would’ve done if he had actually lived here. Shaking my head I looked around the walls were a bland cream color but there were a lot of different painting hung around the room to give it life. A bedroll was rolled up and left by the steps that led into the main house.

Sesshomaru was sitting on a small brown sofa that was in the middle of the room in front of a large TV, he seemed engrossed in the book he was reading but I would bet good money he knew I was here. The wall that made up the front of the garage was a large window with dark green drapes which were currently closed.

All in all the place looked bigger than a two car garage, it was bigger than most apartments. Had they extended the front when they had remodeled?

‘Why is my room outside of the house?’ I asked.

Sesshomaru closed the book and put it on the end table. ‘Since you were coming and going at all hours of the night your parents agreed that you were old enough to have a place of your own so that you didn’t try and climb onto the roof to get to your bedroom without waking everyone.’

I blushed, I really hadn’t changed, I almost broke my leg falling off the drainpipe. ‘This must of cost them a lot of money.’

He looked at me curiously, ‘they are Sidhe this was well within their budget.’

I looked around at everything, the large flat screen TV with and expensive sound system, a beautiful leather coach. The paintings on the walls, a very modern kitchen and a giant bathtub that probably cost them a small fortune to fill. This didn’t damage their budget. ‘The shrine must be doing very well.’

‘It is the only shrine that has Sidhe Priests and Priestesses people come from around the world to worship here,’ Sesshomaru said.

We were a tourist trap, a side show amusement for travelers. Oh joy. At least we didn’t have to worry about money, Grandpa must be in heaven.

‘Would you like some tea?’ he asked.

‘No thank you, I’m sorry about before I didn’t mean to upset you.’ I moved farther into the room.

‘Don’t apologize Lady Kagome I should not have lost my temper over something so trivial please sit down,’ he said and glanced at the spot on the couch next to him. I stared at him for a moment, he was just too polite, Lady Kagome, since when did I get such a title he was Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands he didn’t have superiors.

But he was my guard that was something I just couldn’t wrap my puny brain around. I sat at the far end of the couch and pulled my knees up so I could rest my head on them and watch the demon. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him but well the last time I saw him in the past he was threatening me.

‘Don’t take this the wrong way Sesshomaru but the last time we saw each other in the past you did not exactly seem happy with me.’ I watched something flicker in his eyes.

‘I remember,’ he whispered.

‘I didn’t mean to put that butterfly thing on your face I’ve never done anything like that when I healed someone. Maybe it was because of how deeply wounded you were.’ I watched his eyes dim. ‘Is it still there?’

He moved his bangs to the side and revealed the mark, the butterfly was beautiful. The blue on the wings were actually iridescent and shimmered in the light. ‘I’m sorry.’

He let his bangs fall back into place and shook his head, ‘don’t apologize Lady Kagome.’ But he wouldn’t look at me.

‘What happened that day? Why did those demons attack you?’

He turned his head completely away from me, ‘I was foolish.’ I waited for him to elaborate but he remained silent, turned away from me so I couldn’t see whatever expression was on his face.

I took the hint time to move on. ‘You said you were my guard correct?’ he nodded his head. ‘Why do I need a guard?’

‘Most royals have guards in case of an assassination attempt or just to show their status, you have a guard so that no one can take the Shikon no Tama from you.’ He said.

‘Everyone knows I have the Shikon no Tama? How?’

‘Only the high nobles of the Sidhe court and the demons in their employment are aware that you are the Shikon Miko,’ he said and turned to face me again with his normal bored expression. ‘You have nothing to fear Lady Kagome I will never let anything harm you.’

It was sweet and comforting, he was the strongest man I knew in this era, in both eras actually. But Sesshomaru wasn’t sweet or comforting and he had been royally pissed off the last time I saw him. I couldn’t believe that after 500 years he just decided he was going to protect me out of the goodness of his heart.

‘Thank you, but why? I’m sure there is something more important for you to be doing,’ I said and watched his eyes for any change. ‘Why would you protect me?’

His eyes glanced to the door, ‘your parents are coming they have prepared Udon for you tonight.’ He stood and held his hand out to me. ‘The story is very long and private when we have time I will tell you.’

I took his hand and he helped me stand up, his hand was so warm in mine the tips of his fingers rubbed against my skin and felt like the paw pads of a puppy. He took his hand out of mine and stepped backward. ‘You really don’t remember any of this?’

I looked up at his puzzled expression, ‘no don’t you remember? I was human you commented on that fact many times, how weak and frail I was. Doesn’t it seem strange to you that I’m not human anymore?’

‘Sidhe were not in Japan 500 years ago when you passed through the well the magic hid what you were so you would not stand out.’ He said as if it made perfect sense. Then looked at the door, ‘they are here.’ He moved across the room and stood by the wall his eyes trained on the door, like a good bodyguard.

The door opened and my father walked through the door first a large smile on his face. ‘Daddy!’ I ran into him and hugged him as tight as I could while he laughed at my antics and returned the hug. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t remember my life here the way they did. It didn’t matter because the saddest moment in my life didn’t exist in this new time.

My fathers’ strong arms held me tight, ‘Your mother said that you have returned for good.’

I nodded and refused to let him go, I didn’t want him to disappear. ‘It’s done I sealed the well so that I can’t go back.’

‘That’s my girl, I’m so proud of you Kagome,’ his soft tenor voice was just as I remembered it. I wanted to cry and tell him I was so glad that he was here. But I couldn’t, he was alive, there was no funeral. My mom didn’t have to be strong for us and pretend that she didn’t cry herself to sleep every night for years because he was here.

‘Dinner’s ready, I made Udon to celebrate.’ My mother said from behind us.

Reluctantly I stepped away from my Dad. The scent of Udon was drifting into the room from the dining room and made my stomach grumble. ‘Thanks mom it smells great.’

She smiled and walked back the way she came, my father put his arm around me and led me up the stairs into the living room. He closed the door behind us and I looked around for Sesshomaru, he must’ve still been in my living room.

‘Sesshomaru isn’t going to join us for dinner?’ I asked.

My father looked down at me, ‘your right he should join us for the celebration of your return go back and tell him to join us.’ He kissed my forehead and let me go and walked toward the dining room.

I turned around to find the door open and Sesshomaru looking down at me. I smiled sheepishly, ‘do you like udon?’ I didn’t really know what he ate.

He nodded, ‘thank you for inviting me to join you.’

‘Of course you’re invited,’ I said.

He smiled that soft smile again a girl could turn to goo from his smiles. I wonder if Rin had taught him to smile like that or if it had been someone else.

‘Kagome come on already I’m hungry,’ Souta shouted. I shook my head and smiled back at Sesshomaru before heading toward the dining room.

The entertainment center in the living room made me pause though. It was massive, the giant flat-screen took up most of the wall and small speakers were mounted around the room. In a cabinet below the TV was every game console conceived by man for my brother no doubt. I filed it into the back of my head and tried to take it in stride. Sesshomaru had already told me that we had a great deal of money.

When we entered the dining room however I couldn’t keep the shock off my face. Grandpa sat at his normal seat to the right of my mother. But it wasn’t the crazy old man I knew and loved. He didn’t look a day over 30, if that. His brown and green hair that looked like some punk kids idea of a fun hair color was tied into a top knot.

The pictures on the refrigerator weren’t from his youth, they were from mine.

‘Kagome dear are you alright you look pale,’ my mother said.

Everyone turned to look at me, their strange tricolored eyes made them look like aliens wearing my family as some strange suit. I wanted to run screaming back into my little apartment but if I did that then they would know.

I forced my lips to smiled and moved to my seat, I didn’t look at anyone as I sat down but I knew they were all watching me. ‘I’m fine mom just the smell of found reminded me that I forgot to eat all day, I’m starving.’ It wasn’t a lie.

Souta laughed, ‘good going Kagome, you’re so forgetful sometimes.’

I nodded, ‘yeah that’s me.’ Sesshomaru sat down next to me and the meal began.

It was a quiet meal but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Souta kept asking me to tell them stories about the past but Mom would silence him. She understood, I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to think about the people I would never see again.

Grandpa talked about the shrine and the festival that was approaching. He would be taking out so relics to display in the main courtyard and wanted me to help him perform the festivals blessing to which I agreed.

I tried not to look at him too much, it was too strange. He was so young, could he really be 76 or was he older? I tried not to dwell on it. I didn’t know anything about Sidhe. I would drill Sesshomaru later and tomorrow I’d find Celeste.

What should I tell her? Of course she would see that I was Sidhe and my family wasn’t trapping themselves in ‘mortal bonds’. I would tell her the truth. In the end only the three of us would know the truth and hopefully she would be another source of information for this new life.

It was late in the evening and dinner ended quickly since Souta had school in the morning. I feigned exhaustion and hugged them all goodnight. Sesshomaru was quiet at my side through the whole ordeal. He ate the food given to him, thanked them for the meal but that was all.

As I said goodnight I saw him bow low to them before he moved to follow me. We walked quietly back into my little apartment. Once the door was closed behind us I plopped back onto the couch and resumed my original position. My lower lip was trembling slightly but I wouldn’t cry, not yet.

Sesshomaru sat next to me and his empty sleeve tickled my bare feet. I wiggled my toes and played with the sleeve while I tried to gather my thoughts. His eyes flicked to my toes and I immediately stopped.

‘Sorry,’ I whispered. He shifted away from me a little. ‘Sesshomaru are the Sidhe immortal?’

His eyes widened slightly, he recovered quickly though. ‘They are no more immortal than demons.’ He looked down at me huddled in the corner of the couch. ‘They do not die of old age or illness but there are ways to kill them.’

I’m not mortal.

The thought should fill me with joy right? I’ll never age, I can’t get sick. I’ll never die. ‘What’s it like?’

‘Immortality?’ He asked. I nodded. ‘I cannot describe what it is like to be immortal Lady Kagome, I have never been mortal.’ He looked down at me and his eyes softened. ‘Perhaps one day you can tell me what it is like to be mortal.’

That was easy to be mortal you well you were mortal. I sighed and nodded. ‘Point taken, I don’t know if I want to be immortal. I don’t want to move through time unchanged anymore.’

He smiled, ‘I have changed through the years have I not?’

I looked at him, really looked at him. Long ago we had been enemies then reluctant allies. He had always seemed so cold and distant in the past. Even when I sat near him by the campfire he had always seemed a thousand miles away, and yet always on guard, his eyes would be constantly searching for threats. Now he sat next to me as regal as ever but there was a soft quality to his gaze, something that definitely hadn’t been there before.

Yet with all the gentle smiles a ghost lingered in his eyes.

‘Rin,’ her name fell from my mouth without thinking and I saw the ghost chase through his eyes before he turned away from me. That was the cost of immortality, why he had always shunned humans. Because when you became attached you knew that one day they would leave you and it seemed to have broken his heart.

I reached out and touched his shoulder; he flinched but didn’t shove my hand away. I got to my knees on the couch and touched his chin with my other hand. I turned his face toward me and he looked down at me through his empty mask but I saw the pain he was hiding.

Slowly I wrapped my arms around him. I asked him with my eyes if it was alright. He didn’t fight me as I pulled him closer and laid my head against his tail. I held him for a moment and was about to pull away when his arm moved around me back. His hand fisted the back of my shirt as he held onto me.

He was so warm in my arms as if his body temperature was higher than a humans’ and maybe it was. I held him in my arms while he gripped my shirt and pressed me closer. ‘She was so young,’ he whispered.

I held him tighter, ‘how did she’’ I couldn’t finish. Was this what it was going to be like? I wanted to know about Inuyasha, and ask if he had known of the others but I couldn’t even as how she died while he clutched my shirt. I tried again, ‘how did she die?’

He moved back and I let him go, I sat back on my knees and put my hands in my lap where they laid useless in the face of his pain. ‘Tenseiga can only bring someone back once you can’t keep someone from death forever. I had already taken her from their clutches twice.’ He balled his hand into a fist and glared at the wall, though I was sure it wasn’t the wall he saw at that moment.

‘They were called from hell by the Lord of the East. He wished for my land and knew he could not kill me in a personal match so he called forth an army of hells most vicious demons to ambush me. Rin wanted to visit your group, I wasn’t very good company and as she matured she asked more and more to visit with you.’ He spoke so softly I almost had to lean in to hear all of it.

‘It was a long battle my mind was too distracted trying to keep her safe. They were everywhere, Jaken fell quickly and after that they dispatched of AhUn. I tried to get her out of there, but there were too many and I could not use my most devastating attack because I feared I would hurt her.’

The coppery scent of blood drifted through the air, I looked down and found his claws had dug into his skin. Blood dripped down his arm and soaked into his jeans. I took his hand in mine.

He looked down as if just realizing he was hurting himself. I felt the effort it took to uncurl his hand, the cuts were already healing. I looked around for something to clean the blood with but there wasn’t anything close so I just took his hand and tried to move it to my lap.

He stopped me though and put his hand back on his lap, gently holding my small hands in his large one. ‘Don’t ruin them on my account.’

I tried to protest but he just shook his head and continued.

‘A few tackled me to the ground and the moment was enough for them to grab her.’ His hand tightened around mine but he was mindful of his claws as I had hoped he would be. I rubbed my thumbs over his knuckles gently and tried to give him comfort.

‘They tore her in half. I don’t remember much after that only that I wanted their deaths. But their numbers were too great. All I really remember was trying to bath in their blood but eventually they cut me down.’

‘That night?’ Tears sprung from my eyes. Rin had wanted to visit us. He was taking her to visit me and they were attacked along the way. ‘It’s my fault.’

‘No don’t blame yourself Lady Kagome if anyone was to blame it was me. I had stopped deaths plan twice for her. I have come to realize that she was meant to die young.’

I shook my head I couldn’t believe that Rin was so full of life, so joyful. It was cruel to end her life so quickly. Maybe that was why I didn’t want to be immortal. Life was too cruel.

He squeezed my hands, I looked up at him, a man who had to bury his daughter too soon. I hadn’t even looked for the others in the field I had only looked for him.

‘You healed me that night, if you had not come and placed your mark upon me I would’ve surely died if not that night then many nights later.’

‘What do you mean many nights later?’ I asked.

He shook his head, ‘another night. I apologize for my behavior that night I wasn’t truly angry about the mark but all I could smell was her blood.’

His eyes flashed red, I flinched and he let go of my hands. He closed his eyes and turned away. Shit.

I grasped his hands in mine but he ignored it. ‘Sorry, it’s just.’

He cut me off. ‘Don’t apologize,’ he stood up and I had to let his hand go or stand with him. ‘You don’t have any reason to trust me.’ He next words were so soft I couldn’t be sure I heard him right but I think he said. ‘You don’t remember.’

‘Sesshomaru,’ I stood but he moved away.

‘Get some rest Lady Kagome, I’ll return in the morning.’ He was gone before I could object.

Damn it all to hell and back. I looked down at my bloody hands. I was beginning to feel like Lady Macbeth, you know she can’t seem to get the blood off her and saying, out damned spot out. I went toward the bathroom to wash my hands but a picture drew my attention.

It was the facebook picture from before I looked so comfortable with him; so happy. He wasn’t smiling in this picture his face was so serious like the moment was beneath him. But even in the photo you could see he was happy.

I sighed and went into the bathroom to wash my hands. I peeked at the mirror but quickly turned away. Tomorrow, I would deal with that tomorrow.

He would return in the morning. What was I going to do, I didn’t remember those pictures. Had we really been that close? It must hurt, if we were friends and now he thought I feared him. He would have to start all over again.

But I did trust him, I wasn’t really sure why but I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. Wasn’t this what I wanted in the past? I had gone to him to thank him that night and then to help him. He was my ally and friend at least for my part.

I had enjoyed the peace we shared by the fire when we could get Inuyasha to shut up. Now he seemed willing to share that friendship.

The door opened in one of the other rooms, did he come back? My chest tightened with hope. Why?

I turned off the water and walked into the kitchen, no one was here. In the living room however my mother sat on the couch, her hair was loose from the previous braid and flowed over her shoulder like a cloak pulled to the side. When it was up in the braid I thought it was black but now it gleaned in the light like a dark jewel reflecting so many different colors.

She smiled up at me, it was the same smile I had seen since I was a child, though the eyes were still strange. ‘I wanted to see how you were feeling you left so quickly.’

‘I’m alright Mom it’s just hard,’ I said.

She opened her arms and I sat down in her embrace, she stroked my hair. ‘I know dear but it will ease with time.’

I wanted to tell her, the words were trying to burst from my lips. I had never held anything back from here and now this secret was so hard and painful. And the only one I could talk to had run away because I was taught to flinch when a demons eyes went red.

‘I’m not sure it will,’ I whispered.

‘I know it feels that way now dear but your place is here with us,’ she hugged me tighter as if she thought I was going to disappear. ‘I’m sure they would want you to be happy Kagome.’

‘I know Mom, I missed you guys so much but I’ll never see them again. Shippo was still so young when I left and Sango and Miroku were going to be married.’ And Kaede was dying, and Rin. I cried again, so much blood, so many tears it felt like I would never stop crying. Poor little Rin, why her?

‘I’m sure they lived long happy lives Kagome,’ her words of comfort were daggers through my heart. I could taste her lie in my mouth I didn’t know how but I knew that she knew.

I leaned back from her, the tears were still streaming down my face, I looked into her eyes. ‘Not Rin though.’

Her face closed down, it scared me she looked just like Sesshomaru. Is this what happens to immortals? ‘He shouldn’t have told you so soon.’

That’s right we were friends here, he could’ve told me and I could’ve saved her, but I didn’t remember him. I wailed and threw myself at my mother. I was so confused, how had I managed to screw up time so royally? I truly didn’t belong in this new future. If I did I would remember the future I wouldn’t have memories of a time that no longer existed.

‘I will reprimand him when he returns, not only has he upset you but he has left you unprotected as well,’ my mother said in a soothing voice as she stroked my hair.

I pulled back from her, ‘no he didn’t do anything wrong.’

‘If he is not punished for his actions he will be inclined to do it again. Kagome too many powerful people have felt the Shikons’ power he is supposed to protect you.’

How could she even think of doing such a thing? Was my gentle, caring mother who took in anyone with a smile gone? I studied her blank face, there was concern in her eyes. She wanted to see that I was safe. I knew all too well what the jewel inside me could attract and do. But how could she think to punish him? What would she do? Most importantly why would he let her?

I shook my head I couldn’t punish Sesshomaru for opening up to me. But I didn’t understand how this new world worked. Damn him for leaving.

I had an idea though. Guards weren’t really a modern concept, in the past a warrior would be reprimanded for failing their liege lord. But that would mean that we haven’t advanced as far as we should’ve. Or was it just the Sidhe that hadn’t progressed? It didn’t matter at the moment. ‘He’s my guard right?’

She nodded.

‘Then he is my responsibility and I don’t think he should be punished. I asked him it wasn’t his fault.’ I held my breath and waited. Would she jump up and shout impostor? Lord knows that’s what I wanted to do right now.

She smiled at me, ‘as you wish dear, I’m going to bed would you like anything? I can make tea.’

My heart ached. ‘No thank you, I’m going to go to bed as well the day seems to have caught up with me.’ I said.

She nodded and hugged me, ‘sleep well Kagome.’

‘Goodnight Mom,’ I broke the hug first and got up from the couch. She followed suit and cupped my cheek before I could turn away. ‘I’m glad your home.’

‘Me too Mom. Goodnight.’ I turned away and tried my best to walk slowly to my room. With the door closed safely behind me I threw myself on the bed and buried my face in the pillow. Tomorrow was a new day, there were still so many questions left to ask.

I had to be stronger tomorrow, I wouldn’t cry. No I would cry out all my tears tonight. I cried for Rin because I hadn't saved her, I cried for Sesshomaru and the pain I caused him. I cried for the families I left behind and I cried because I felt like a stranger in my own home.

TBC
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Ripples in Time