Inuyasha carefully eased up to Kagome's window and opened it. The room smelled of Kagome's scent but she wasn't anywhere to be seen. Crouching beside Kagome's bed, he looked around curiously. He got up and started rummaging through Kagome's drawer for the Shikon shards, throwing papers around at random.
Meanwhile, Souta saw papers flying around through the doorway of Kagome's room. Peeking in he saw Inuyasha with his back to him. "Inuyasha nii-chan, what are you doing here?" Inuyasha jumped at the voice and tried to not look guilty for rummaging in the kid's older sister's room.
"Kagome isn't here right now. Actually, she left last night through the well. Why are you looking for her here?"
Inuyasha froze in shock. She hasn't been back? How can that be? Where can she go in my time? Doesn't that stupid wench know how dangerous it is? Not to mention she's running around in a place full of youkai with the Shikon shards. Inuyasha realized that the kid was beginning to look worried at his continued silence. Souta opened his mouth to ask about Kagome when Inuyasha interrupted.
"Don't worry about it, kid. I'm off to find your sister. Ja ne." So saying, Inuyasha leaped out of the open window and headed for the well house. Leaping into the well the hanyou went back to the Sengoku Jidai. Inuyasha headed for Kaede's village, hoping Kagome had returned there and wasn't lost somewhere like he thought.
Inuyasha ran through the trees as he tried to catch Kagome's scent. She had not been at the village and now Kaede was also worried about the girl. Where can she be? Why is that wench always getting into trouble? She hadn't been back to her time since she saw him and Kikyo together. The thought of Kagome seeing him and Kikyo kissing bothered him. When he saw her retreating back he felt as if he was losing something important but that was silly. She was just a girl who can help him find the Shikon shards. But then why did he get a dull ache at the thought of her never returning, of never seeing her again. Inuyasha growled to himself, frustrated by his thoughts. I'm going to find her and get the Shikon shards. Then I'm going to send her back to her time When she goes back things will be as they should be. Kikyo can help me collect the Shikon shards and we will destroy Naraku.
So distracted by his thoughts was he that Inuyasha did not really see where he was heading. Inuyasha suddenly realized he was getting closer and closer to a very familiar scent.
~*~*~*~
Kagome woke slowly to the feeling that she was being watched. She opened her eyes a crack and then felt them widen with shock. Staring right into her face was a little girl who looked to be about 6 years old. Kagome rubbed her eyes in confusion. I can't really be seeing a little girl here, can I? The girl smiled down at Kagome impishly as she mimicked Kagome's actions and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. In spite of her surprise, Kagome smiled as the kid giggled.
Then the girl seemed to see something else that interested her. "Sesshoumaru-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin made nee-chan smile." Then the girl began talking to Sesshoumaru about nothing in particular. "... Jaken fell and Rin laughed but Jaken got mad at Rin... Rin beat Jaken to Sesshoumaru."
Kagome stared at the girl with some wonderment as the child named Rin babbled on in front of Sesshoumaru about nothing at all. She's human, I'm sure of it. I don't sense any youkai energy about her. But then why would a youkai who hates humans tolerate a human. And he's actually listening to her and not getting mad at the kid for talking on and on. Kagome's thoughts were interrupted as Jaken burst noisily out of the bushes.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, I have lost the human girl." Rin giggled and hid slightly behind Sesshoumaru while he just looked at Jaken. "I am so sorry Sesshoumaru-sama, I have failed you. But I hope you will spare me as she was just a human girl and I have been your loyal servant for many years." Sesshoumaru back-handed the youkai into a tree.
"Jaken, I told you to look after Rin, do not fail me again." The toady youkai groaned and prostrated himself in front of Sesshoumaru in apology.
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." Kagome was more confused than ever. Rin was definitely human and Sesshoumaru ordered Jaken to protect her. This is getting weirder by the minute.
After a quick breakfast, Sesshoumaru's small group continued their journey. Kagome was just beginning to wonder where it was exactly that they were going when Sesshoumaru decided to take a rest. She thought that that was pretty strange for a youkai to get tired so quickly. But Kagome suspected that Sesshoumaru did not stop to rest but to let the little girl rest. Of course, he would not be very happy if she even suggested that to him. Shrugging, Kagome plopped onto the ground for some much needed rest. I wonder what everyone is doing. They've probably realized something was wrong by now since I don't usually stay away from them this long. Would they know that I'm not in my time but stuck in the Sengoku Jidai?
Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru's expressionless profile. She wondered how he expected her to explain one of mortal's greatest mysteries to him. Love. It was a mystery to her too. Who was she to say when the man, well hanyou, she cared about chose another? Kagome wasn't sure if what she felt for Inuyasha was real love or remnants of the love Kikyo's soul felt for him. It was all very confusing to her. Shaking her head in frustration she sighed. It shouldn't matter anymore since Inuyasha chose Kikyo. But yet it did matter, because it hurt.
Sesshoumaru studied the girl as she seemed to stare into nothingness, lost in her thoughts. To his superior senses, he could almost see a glow around her that shone with the color of her emotions. Her ki, her life's energy, seemed to flow constantly, changing in moments. While Rin's ki was often filled with the brightness of life and affection for himself, Kagome's ki was a chaotic mix of emotions. That warm emotion she held towards Inuyasha reminded me of something. It's something I have experienced before at one point.
Focusing his energies, Sesshoumaru studied the swirl of emotions around Kagome but couldn't seem to understand why the girl felt as she did. Subsiding for the moment, Sesshoumaru studied the human girl and her strange appearance. She is different somehow from every other human I have met thus far. Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome's hair moved with the wind. Her scent is not that of others. Every other human I have encountered reeked of sweat and combinations of odors. But her, she has a pleasant scent. But it's not only her humanity that made her different. It was her. At first I thought she was frightened of me and hated me because I was a youkai. But that assumption does not seem to fit. I thought that she would be wary of Rin just because she is with a youkai as others, human and youkai, are wary. But it seems as though that does not matter to her.
"What is your name, human?" Kagome started, as she was distracted from her thoughts of Inuyasha together with Kikyo. For once, she had reason to be thankful to Sesshoumaru.
"Kagome."
"So tell me, what is it that causes you such mind-numbing pain? And how you are able to hold such warm emotions in the midst of such pain?" Sesshoumaru watched as emotions flashed across the girl's face. He saw that the girl was shocked that he would ask such a question of her. But she also seemed to want to talk about it for reasons of her own.
Kagome studied Sesshoumaru's passive face as she tried to think of the words to say. I don't see why I can't tell him. It's not as though he cares either way and there's no one I can talk to about my problems except him now. Shrugging her shoulders Kagome began telling Sesshoumaru about her relationship with Inuyasha. During the story, Kagome expected Sesshoumaru to tell her to get to the point at anytime and stop with the foolishness of the story of her and Inuyasha's romance but he did not. Sesshoumaru interrupted once to indicate that they would be continuing their journey and that she was to continue her story while they walked.
Sesshoumaru trained his senses upon the girl as she told her story filled with happiness, sadness, triumphs and failures. The swirling emotion around her changed with her feelings as she relived each happy or sad moment. And with her, Sesshoumaru also felt what she felt as she relived each moment. When she finally reached the end of her story, Kagome went silent as she experienced the pain as if it was new.
Sesshoumaru eyes widened in shock. I...can feel her pain.