Chapter 20: Parting of the Ways

ALL RIGHTS TO ROSIE B ON FANFICTION.NET Rosie B [https://www.fanfiction.net/u/38149/RosieB]

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Chapter 20: Parting of the Ways

A/N: Sleepyxtunaxfish alerted me to a YouTube amv by muchuuninari inspired by this story. Since FFN messes up all links, I have to give it to you like this – youtube watch?v L9FSj9ilpec – just take out all the spaces. It's very, very good. I listened to/watched it several times while writing this chapter. Anyway, check out the awesome vid. And thanks to muchuuninari!

The title is from an episode of another favorite show of mine, Doctor Who.

The Once and Future Taiyoukai

Chapter 20: Parting of the Ways

They landed in front of Ruka's hut and found Midoriko already sitting on the front step. "How did it go?" Kagome asked as Sesshoumaru set her down. "I didn't actually expect you to finish so quickly. And you had time to get cleaned up too."

The elder miko, dressed in a fresh set of priestess robes, smiled. "Well, the only part that she really cared about was that Nameless is dead. She'll tell the villagers tomorrow and they'll have time to think about it while we're gone. When I come back, they'll be ready to ask more questions." The smile wavered. "I hope I can answer them."

"I think they're just going to want the entire truth and then just forget all of it," Kagome said. "You don't have to worry."

Midoriko stood. "I will try," she promised. She took a breath and smiled again. "But at the moment, I am prepared to leave."

Kagome's chest tightened and her breath caught. Sesshoumaru leaned forward in alarm. "Kagome?"

The young woman looked up at the other miko and they shared a distressed look. "We're still going, aren't we?" Midoriko asked.

"Yes," Kagome said, raising her head. "Yes, of course we are."

Sesshoumaru frowned at the two women, slightly irritated at being cut out of the silent conversation going on between them. But after a moment, Kagome turned to him and slipped her hand into his. "We're ready," she said. "But perhaps you should transform away from the village?"

He nodded, his hand releasing hers, and walked away towards the fields and the broad road that ran alongside them. Midoriko leaned over to Kagome once the taiyoukai was out of earshot. "You looked very happy when you first arrived," she murmured.

Kagome blushed. "It's nothing," she lied.

"You are a terrible liar, Kagome."

"I know," she said with a shrug. "But I don't want to talk about it right now. I can't talk about it. Let's just watch him transform. It's really something."

Midoriko took a breath. "Alright. You've seen this before then?"

"The actual transformation? Only once. I was terrified but it was impressive," Kagome replied. She smiled slightly. "He nearly killed me that day."

Midoriko's eyes widened. "Is it that violent of a transformation?"

Kagome resisted the urge to laugh at how her friend had changed. The old Midoriko would have assumed the truth. "No, actually, he nearly killed me because he was trying to kill me that day."

"Oh. I see."

"In all fairness, I just had taken what he thought of as his birthright. And obviously, he didn't manage to kill me."

Midoriko arched an eyebrow but said nothing more. Instead she looked towards the hut directly across from Ruka's and nudged Kagome with her elbow. "Someone else is interested in Sesshoumaru's transformation."

Kagome looked and saw the girl that Sesshoumaru had carried back to the village. She was hanging just inside the doorway, leaning against a crutch and gazing after Sesshoumaru with rapt attention. As Kagome watched, her mother appeared and then a teenaged boy. Turning around, she saw several of the pale faces in the doorways down the avenue. Ruka was apparently the only one asleep in this village.

"Oh!"

Midoriko's exclamation returned Kagome's attention to the fields. The wind was picking up, swirling around Sesshoumaru like a personal hurricane. It whipped his unbound hair up and for a moment, she could not distinguish him from that demon that had once tried to kill her in his father's tomb. His eyes bled red and Kagome heard a few small cries and whimpers, but she grabbed Midoriko's wrist as the priestess tried to move. "No. Just watch," she said.

Sesshoumaru's face lengthened and turned feral as Kagome's breathing quickened. Remembering it was not the same as actually seeing it. She had forgotten the sheer thrill of feeling his power crackle across her skin, even from this distance. It was mildly painful but it was easily ignored.

He burst into a crimson light and shot up into the sky, drawing gasps from the onlookers. Sesshoumaru's incorporeal form curled once in the wind and came back down, exploding into his youkai form. And then there was an enormous white dog demon standing at the edge of the fields. His brilliant red eyes swept over the village before finally coming to rest upon the two miko. A low rumble came from his throat.

Kagome let out the breath she had been holding, smiled and tugged on Midoriko's hand. "Come on. He's waiting," she said.

Midoriko stumbled behind her. "He's... monstrous!" she exclaimed and then immediately sobered. "I meant, he's terrifying. It isn't what I expected."

The younger miko laughed. "I don't think he'll take that as an insult," she said. Kagome looked over her shoulder as they walked towards Sesshoumaru and saw that most of the villagers were on their front steps or even in the street, staring at the taiyoukai in awe. She chuckled again under her breath. It was always the same reaction, wherever he went, in whatever form he chose.

"Show off," Kagome muttered as they approached. Sesshoumaru was still standing, staring down at the villagers with superiority in his eyes. "Don't try to intimidate them. They'll be talking about this for days as it is, Sesshoumaru."

"Weeks, probably," Midoriko added.

"Don't encourage him," Kagome said, still laughing. She was giddy and she wondered why. Sesshoumaru growled down at her, making the ground quiver. "What?" She turned her eyes up to him and he stopped immediately, lowering himself down so that they could both clamber onto his back.

Sesshoumaru waited until they stopped moving about and stood up, prepared to run. "Look," Midoriko said, stopping him.

The taiyoukai and the young miko turned to see the villagers bowing deeply. "They're apologizing, I think," Midoriko said quietly. "Showing you the respect you deserve."

"You too," Kagome murmured. And although she felt a bit like a beauty queen on a parade float, she waved to the villagers. A few even waved back. Her heart warmed. There was hope yet for this town.

"They'll be fine," Midoriko said, confirming her thoughts. "Do you forgive them?"

The younger woman sighed as Sesshoumaru twisted his head to look back at them. "I think that I have to," she said.

"They'll be happy to hear it," Midoriko murmured.

Kagome smiled softly, hoping that her friend was right. "Let's go."

Sesshoumaru crouched and took a great leap into the air, making both women shriek, one in delight and the other in surprise. He let out a little breath that sounded almost like a laugh.

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Midoriko and Kagome didn't sleep during the night. Midoriko apparently suffered a fear of flying and sat so stiffly that Kagome had to frequently check that the woman was still breathing. For her own part, Kagome had missed much of her last trip with a transformed Sesshoumaru due to her concern about Koga, the utter misery about her fight with the taiyoukai and the recent deaths. She was determined to enjoy these last few hours with both of her friends and to watch the night scenery pass by. The only one that slept was Akemi, tucked between the two miko so she would not fall.

The stars turned overhead, spinning on the axle of the North Star. The waxing moon, now a silver half-disc, rose and set. Below them, the black ground moved swiftly and when Sesshoumaru took a great leap, Kagome could see the starlight shining in water and a few fires still lit in villages. She would bury her hands into Sesshoumaru's thick coat and let him warm her when a particularly strong gust of wind circled them.

It was a surprise when she began to see the gray of a rising sun in the east. Because it was almost winter, Kagome knew that the night had lasted a long time and yet she had barely felt it. She turned again to make sure Midoriko was still doing all right. Her fear during the night had abated to a glassy wide-eyed stare down at the ground below them, but Kagome knew her muscles would be sore from holding herself so rigidly for so long. Even Kagome was beginning to ache from the long trip.

"Sesshoumaru," she asked, leaning forward, "are we going to set down soon? I think we could both stretch our legs."

His red eyes turned to look at her for a brief moment before he began to slow down to a trot and then an easy walk. He was panting slightly as he finally pressed his belly to the ground. Midoriko slid off first, her feet and hand touching the ground worshipfully as she landed. Kagome smiled and climbed down after her with Akemi. She stretched and grimaced as her muscles protested. "Oh, ouch," she muttered, earning herself a soft growl from the taiyoukai. She looked back at him. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. It was just a long trip, is all I meant. It was very comfortable, really."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and laid his head down while Kagome walked over to Midoriko. The elder miko frowned as her muscles pulled and resisted too. "That was a bit too airborne for me," she murmured.

Kagome smothered a grin as Midoriko stretched. "Sesshoumaru never would have let you fall," she said.

The elder miko frowned. "I know."

"Then what were you afraid of?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted after a moment. "I suppose I think that humans are supposed to keep both feet on the ground. It feels unnatural to be that far up."

Kagome let herself smile. "I suppose so. I guess that's why I like it though. It's the closest we'll ever get to flying." She heard a rustle of grass and glanced over her shoulder to see that Sesshoumaru had gotten to his feet. "Already? That wasn't much of a rest, Sesshoumaru!"

The demon cast her an irritated look and suddenly glowed bright, contracting into an orb of light. The orb hovered only for a moment before Sesshoumaru appeared in his normal, human-like form. He took a moment roll his shoulders before answering. "No, it was not," he agreed, "but the village where I found you is only a short walk from here. We will reach it on foot before the sun truly rises."

"Oh," Kagome said with a slight frown. "So just a short time and we'll be back?"

Sesshoumaru turned to look at her and his golden eyes flickered with what Kagome thought might be regret. "Very short," he replied softly.

The girl glanced around and saw that she did indeed recognize the rough lines of the land. The trees had grown and been cut, but the swell of the hills followed a pattern that was suddenly familiar. She could almost picture her friends in this same clearing, eating lunch before heading north, south, east or west in search of a jewel shard. She wondered how long she would have to stare at these hills once she returned to Inuyasha's time before she could find Sesshoumaru again.

Midoriko cleared her throat gently. "Perhaps we should walk to the village and have some breakfast before we part ways," she suggested, taking Akemi from Kagome's arms.

"Alright," Kagome agreed tonelessly. She unabashedly approached Sesshoumaru and took his hand in hers. He held onto her tightly and they began to walk towards the village. Midoriko and Akemi followed in silence.

"I don't really have a lot for breakfast," Kagome said. "Just tea, really. Is tea okay?"

"Tea is fine," Sesshoumaru replied, not looking at her but pulling her even closer to his side.

"I hope my little kettle has survived the trip," she said.

He shrugged. "I do not need anything, Kagome. Whatever you have is sufficient."

Kagome nodded, but only managed to remain quiet for a few moments. "Take care of Koga," she murmured. "At least check in on him every once in awhile. And thank your father again for me. And..." She trailed off and bit her lip. He wouldn't remember any of this, she realized.

He squeezed her hand, misunderstanding her unfinished sentence. "Very well," he replied. "I will do as you ask."

She wanted to call him a liar, even though he didn't know he was lying. She had to clench her free hand against her side to remind herself that she could not say anything. She knew that Midoriko was watching carefully.

Her yellow, filthy backpack suddenly felt very, very heavy. She began to take deep, long breaths to ease her light-headedness.

"If you told me," Sesshoumaru said suddenly and quietly, "I could help you, Kagome."

She closed her eyes, trying not to cry or collapse or react in any other way. She was so close and she was afraid she would not last these last few minutes of not telling him. "I can't," she said, her voice thick with unshed tears.

"Yes," he said in a clipped, almost shameful, tone. His shoulders straightened and he glanced away. "I know. I do not know why I said it."

Kagome looked up at him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Midoriko was meandering far behind. "I want to stay with you too," she said softly. "I wish... I wish a lot of things. I've never hated being a priestess before."

"It is your path," he murmured. "Your fate."

"Not the one that I want anymore," she said.

He was going to reply and say something important, she knew, but instead his head snapped up and he narrowed his eyes at the horizon. "Something is wrong," he said.

"Demons?"

The taiyoukai shook his head. "No. Just fear. Human fear." His nose wrinkled. "And something else. I am uncertain of what it is. But it is just not right."

The miko frowned, hoping that it was not what had just crossed her mind. "Get Midoriko. You'll have to bring us there."

He nodded and went back, saying only a few words to the elder miko before picking her up with an arm around her waist. He became a blur, speeding back past Kagome and grabbing her as well. The two women exchanged a concerned glance as Sesshoumaru carried them effortlessly over the ground, so fast that his feet barely hit the grass.

They crested the hill in mere moments and the well appeared in front of them. The barrier that she and Midoriko had set up had held, but it wasn't just smoke now. Black tar was oozing around the inside edge of the barrier, moving so that Kagome knew the well was feeding it quickly. Villagers were clustered together on the far side of the well, talking quietly. Some were crying and clinging to their neighbors. It was far worse than Kagome had thought.

There would be no time for breakfast.

"Lady Midoriko!" cried out some of the villagers. "Please! What is happening?"

Midoriko held up her hand and walked towards them. "It will be taken care of shortly," she said. "But you need to return to your homes. I will come and tell you when everything is alright again. But I will not have anyone near this well that doesn't have to be here." She saw them looking towards Sesshoumaru and Kagome, and she saw the recognition spark in their eyes. "Go now. There is no danger if you go back home. Staying to argue will only make things worse."

The villagers looked at one another, but most of them were all too happy to leave the clearing and not be close to the well any longer. They began to shuffle away, casting suspicious, fearful glances over their shoulders.

Midoriko beckoned to Kagome to come closer. "This must be done now. Soon they will be in danger, no matter where they are," said the elder miko, quietly enough so that Sesshoumaru was unlikely to hear from his place. "Kagome, you must go immediately. There is no time."

The girl took a deep, shuddering breath. "I know, but I didn't think we'd be this rushed."

"It's breaking though," said Midoriko, gesturing towards the barrier. Her expression was calm, but every word was spoken as rapidly as possible. "The pressure from the inside is too strong. It will break. Can't you feel it?"

Kagome nodded. It was like someone tapping at the back of her mind. Tapping at a thin pane of glass, which was not meant to take even the smallest of abuses. She could almost see the cracks in her mind. "I can," she said. She suddenly sobbed. "But I don't want to leave like this! You're my friend."

Midoriko smiled and they embraced. "You were never meant to speak to me at all," she murmured in Kagome's ear. "So it's all right. Besides, as my friend, I think the best thing that you can do is to save my time."

They separated, laughing mirthlessly at Midoriko's observation, but the girl's eyes were still full of tears. "You have to take care of Akemi!" she said suddenly. "She likes you. She just needs someone to look after her. You'll take care of her, right?"

The elder miko scooped up the fire-cat and held her gently. "Of course, Kagome," she said, watching as the girl leaned forward to kiss the kitten on the forehead.

"Do you know what you're going to do?"

Midoriko knew Kagome was stalling, but she had no great desire to see the girl leave either. "The witch told me," she murmured.

Kagome frowned. "Everything?" she whispered.

The priestess shook her head. "No, of course not." She sighed lightly. "I feel I have a lot of penance still to do. Not just for my village but every village that Nameless hurt in any way. I helped him, after all."

"You're making it sound worse than it was," Kagome said.

Midoriko smiled indulgently. "No," she said, "I'm not. You know that."

The younger woman frowned. "Did the witch tell you that you had to make up for all that you did?" she asked.

"No. She forgave me. You were there for that," said the priestess. "But she's not the only one that can give me forgiveness. She simply said that if I wished it, I could erase the pain I caused. And that one day, I would create something greater than myself."

Kagome tried not to frown again. The Shikon no Tama caused nothing but pain. And Kagome was in no way convinced that the jewel was greater than her friend. "I hope everything works out as it's supposed to," was all that Kagome could say. "I wonder why she told you so much and yet so little though?"

"I don't know," admitted Midoriko. "But maybe that's the point. Maybe she just wanted to give me enough courage to go on, but not so much information that I would be afraid of it. Because you really shouldn't be afraid of what the kami have in store for you, no matter what it is."

They looked at one another and the younger priestess knew in that moment that Midoriko – either with the witch's implication or by herself – had figured out that she would die, and probably die soon, seeking this redemption. Kagome tried to remember how old the stone statute of her friend had looked in Inuyasha's time, but she couldn't recall. All she could see in her mind's eye now was the living, breathing miko in front of her now. It couldn't be more than a few years though. Kagome's heart began to break.

The priestess sighed again, easing an uncomfortable moment. "How are you going to...?" Midoriko trailed off and gave her friend an earnest look.

Kagome shook her head. "I'll think of something. Very quickly."

"I'll wait until the end," murmured Midoriko, leaning close for a brief moment. "I'll make sure everything goes alright."

Kagome nodded and took a breath. "Goodbye, Midoriko."

Midoriko smiled. "Goodbye, Kagome. Thank you." Holding Akemi to her, the elder woman stepped back and retreated to the shadows of the trees.

For a moment, Kagome stayed in place, her back to where she knew Sesshoumaru was standing. When she finally took a breath and turned, he was suddenly close enough to touch. "You scared me," she said. Her vision blurred and she began to cry silently.

"No, I did not," he replied. He gathered Kagome to him and watched as her tears bled into his haori.

"Please don't make me leave," she whispered.

"I would never do so," he said. "You are the one that will leave."

Kagome slowly pulled away and nodded. "Just remember that I don't want to." She looked at him and tried to smile, failing utterly. Instead, she choked back a sob. "I only have a few more minutes and I can't think of what to say!" she lamented.

Sesshoumaru took a breath and stepped close to her, one hand tilting her chin up so that she would meet his gaze. "I cannot think of anything either," he admitted.

She let out a soft, tear-filled laugh. "How about that I'll miss you?"

"That is nice to hear," he murmured.

"Can you tell me that you'll wait?" she asked. "For me to show up again? Because I will."

He looked at her for a moment before nodding. "I will have an empire waiting for you," he said.

She smiled. "I don't need an empire." She wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek against his haori. "You need armor," she whispered. "It'll save your life one day. I'm sure of it."

"I will wear armor," he conceded.

Kagome saw Midoriko move in the far shadows and she frowned, pulling away again. "And you need to do one other thing for me," she said, suddenly improvising. There was no time for deception. "Promise that you'll do it and not ask any questions, because I can't answer them."

He frowned slightly and did not answer.

Kagome shrugged off her yellow backpack. "You trust me, Sesshoumaru," she said. It was not a question.

He answered anyway. "Yes, of course." He watched as she pulled a small vial from her backpack. "What is that?"

"No questions, remember?" she murmured, turning her brown eyes up to him.

Sesshoumaru recoiled slightly. "It smells of magic."

"It is," she said. She took his hand. "I'm almost glad it happened this way. I didn't want to trick you into drinking it. That trust you have in me isn't misplaced, Sesshoumaru. I didn't want to give you any reason to doubt it. But somehow, you must drink this."

His golden eyes hardened. "Kagome, if you had brewed this, I would not hesitate. But this is not your priestess magic, it is the magic of that witch. Did you think I could not tell the difference?"

Kagome glanced at the well. The tapping in her head was turning into a steady drumbeat. The barrier would break very soon. "I know you can tell the difference," she said, "but you have to remember that the witch wanted nothing more than to help us."

"I trust you, not her," he snapped. "What is it supposed to do to me?"

The truth was on the tip of her tongue for only a moment, but it was the most difficult moment of her life. She took a breath and remembered the witch's warnings. "No questions," she said again after it passed. "If you trust me, than you'll trust this. Because I know that the witch is only trying to fix something that threatens everything that both of us value most."

His jaw was clenched. "Kagome..."

"What use is the empire you're going to give me if it's an empire of dirt?" she asked, interrupting him with a harsh edge. "What use is it if both of us are dead?"

"Surely my drinking this liquid," he said, gesturing at the vial, "will not determine such things."

Kagome pressed it into his hands and stepped away, releasing him. "Yes. It will," she said. "But I'll give you the choice, Sesshoumaru. You don't have to drink it if you don't want to. If you don't believe me."

Sesshoumaru looked down at the vial, filled with the murky brown liquid. "Will it harm me?" he asked. "Irreparably?"

She hesitated. "No," she said finally, hoping that she was not lying.

He could smell her uncertainty, but he knew that he would do it. If she had said it would kill him, he would have done it. "Do not take my acquiescence as a sign of weakness," he said, uncorking the vial at last.

Kagome shook her head. "Quite the opposite," she said. She lowered her head. "I'll explain everything to you one day."

"You say that often," he replied. "But explanations are immaterial."

"I don't think they are," Kagome said. "There is a reason for this."

He nodded. "The fact that there is a reason is the only explanation I need from you, Kagome," he said.

He took a deep breath of the contents. It had no scent. Sesshoumaru had a brief, ridiculous thought that perhaps he was the only one that could not smell it.

With one glance at the young miko, the taiyoukai put the vial to his lips and drank. Although it had no aroma, its taste was strong, although he could not quite describe it. If pressed, he would have said that it tasted like Kagome, when he had kissed her by the hot springs.

But when he turned to tell Kagome, he stumbled. The girl caught him with some difficulty, holding him up with her hands on his chest. "Are you alright?" she asked, her eyes going wide.

"Yes," he said, still leaning against her shoulder. She led him over to the nearest tree and he sat down heavily at its base. "I am just tired," he added, leaning back against the tree trunk and closing his eyes. He rubbed at the bridge of his nose, a gesture that seemed disturbingly human to Kagome. "My head aches."

"I'm sorry," she said, kneeling down beside him. She pressed a hand to his cheek and frowned. He was too warm. "She didn't tell me that it would affect you so quickly."

He opened his eyes. "Who?"

Kagome sucked in a sharp breath. "No one," she said. "I... I have to go, Sesshoumaru."

He nodded slowly. "I know." He looked at her and the confusion seeping into his expression made her break into tears again. "Kagome, why are you crying? Stop that, woman."

She shook her head, trying to clear her head. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't cry. I just don't want to leave."

"Why would you leave?" he asked with a frown. "You are being quite difficult, Kagome."

She nodded. "I know. I don't mean it." She leaned forward and touched her forehead to his. Their breath mingled and she traced a finger along one stripe on his cheek. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"I am not," he said with a soft growl. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap. Kagome saw the smallest of smiles on his face. She wasn't sure what he was talking about anymore.

"Neither am I really," she said, forcing her own smile.

The confusion faded for one precious moment. "I take you as my own mate, Kagome," he said. "I would have no other."

"I take you as mine," she replied, trying so hard not to cry that she ached. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. He pulled her close and deepened the kiss, threading his claws through her hair. She held him to her so tightly that a human would have been gasping for air, but he did not complain. She only pulled away when the drumming in her head quickened. "I would have no other either," she said breathlessly.

He did actually smile now as he leaned back against the tree. "I know," he said, his eyes closing again.

Kagome pressed a chaste kiss to the crescent on his forehead. "I love you."

But he was asleep. Kagome sighed and let herself smile a little at his poor timing, which was so out of character for Sesshoumaru. Even with the smile though, tears began to drip down her cheeks again. He wasn't going to see them, so she let them fall. "I'll tell you when I see you again," she confided. "I'll find you right away, I promise."

She stood and walked to her bag, slinging it up onto her shoulder. Midoriko was out of the shadows now, waving solemnly with Akemi sitting at her feet. Kagome waved back and then looked at the barrier that was barely containing the smoke and the tar from the well. She could cross it, of course, because she created it. But she had no idea how the contents of the bubble would affect her.

She did not glance back at the sleeping form of Sesshoumaru. She would go back if she did that, she knew. Instead, Kagome took a deep breath, wiped away the tears and walked forward.

The barrier gave way, sliding over her skin and closing again behind her. The disturbance only weakened it further though, and Kagome could not help but let loose a little cry at the pounding in her head. The tar was suddenly rising around her calves and the smoke flowed into her throat, making her cough.

Kagome put her sleeve over her mouth, but her eyes were already watering. She couldn't see the well and the tar was pulling her down. It sloshed against her legs in waves. She tried to push it all back with her powers, but the light at the tips of her fingers sputtered and died almost immediately. She couldn't purify the putrid air or the muck around her feet, but she could feel the thousands of demonic auras nearby. They were still in the well, but not for long. Kagome could hear the first squeals and whines of the imprisoned beasts.

"Kagome!"

The girl turned to see Midoriko standing just outside the barrier. It was futile, Kagome realized. Midoriko could do no more than helplessly purify the smoke that was beginning to escape through the cracks in the barrier. "I'm okay!" she called to her friend. She raised her hand one more time in farewell and looked back to the epicenter of the barrier.

She relied upon Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru and Midoriko too much, she decided. Even if they could, Kagome knew that she wouldn't allow them to save her.

She straightened her shoulders and pulled her feet from the tar, her muscles protesting as the tar tried to pull back. The smoke was dense directly ahead and Kagome went towards the core of it, slowly walking through the black ooze. It was tiring and she hurt already and the drumming in her head was getting worse and worse. She could sense that Time was fracturing, in the same way that someone can sense that they are being watched. She shuddered, but pressed on.

"Just shut up and let me protect you!"

Kagome paused and turned. "Inuyasha?" she called.

"Now, was that aimed at me?"

Sesshoumaru's voice was so close she nearly yelped.

"You never asked me, though..."

Kagome listened to Sango's sad tones and frowned. Sango had said that years ago, right after she had joined the group. And she had been speaking to Miroku. As she thought, she realized that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's voices had repeated things from the past as well.

"Sit! Sit! Sit! SIT!"

Her own voice rang through the smoky air and Kagome scowled, realizing that she had been waylaid by echoes of the past. She went on with more determination than before, shutting out the insults, tender words and bits of normal conversation that floated around her head. It was difficult, especially when Sesshoumaru's deep tones rippled through the air. But soon, even his distinctive voice was lost amidst the increasing babble.

Her legs suddenly hit something and she blinked away the smoke in her eyes to see the outline of the well. Her heart swelled with relief until a ghastly scream ripped through the air. The demons were approaching. She felt their auras charging towards her from beneath her feet.

Not wasting another moment, she sat upon the edge of the well, swung her feet over and – hoping that she would not meet any demons on the way down – let herself fall.

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Midoriko watched with Akemi standing beside her as the well exploded with white light. The screams of demons stopped, and the smoke and the tar were sucked back inside, as Time was corrected and the effects were reversed. One single pulse of energy was emitted by the well, brushing over her face like a short gasp of wind. She would have missed the whole thing if she had blinked and when it was over, she let out a long breath. It was all right again. No one would even know the near-end the world had occurred here.

Akemi meowed and the priestess around to see Sesshoumaru at the base of the tree. He was beginning to wake up. She stayed where she was until his golden eyes opened and immediately fixed upon her. She remained still, like someone would do around a strange and distempered dog.

His brow furrowed in momentary confusion, but he quickly stood and slid his mask of indifference back into place. "You, woman," he said, addressing her with a narrowing of his eyes, "what did you do to this Sesshoumaru?"

She shook her head. "Nothing," she replied. "I found you asleep and simply wished to warn you to not go any further down this path. The village at the base of this hill..."

"As if human villagers could bother me," he scoffed, interrupting her.

Midoriko successfully resisted scowling at him for his rudeness. "No, my lord. But I have no wish to see harm come to them," she said.

Sesshoumaru didn't appear to be listening as his eyes began to flicker around the clearing. Midoriko saw that he was discreetly sniffing the air as well. The gap in his memory was presenting itself, she realized.

But the visual signs of disorientation passed as the taiyoukai's secretive nature reasserted itself. He made a little sound of irritation towards Midoriko and turned away to leave. But within an instant of moving, he clutched at his chest and put his other hand upon the tree to steady himself. The softest of gasps wafted across the clearing.

Midoriko felt alarm well up within her. "Are you alright, my lord?"

He glared and straightened, rolling his shoulders jerkily. "Of course. I am a taiyoukai," he growled.

The miko eyed him. "Of course."

He glowered at her obvious indulgence of his lie. "I have no more time to waste on you. Never approach this taiyoukai when he sleeps again and your humans are safe," he said disdainfully. He moved as if to walk off, but then paused and looked at the priestess. She imagined she could see loss in his expression, swirling with the suspicion. "Are you the only one that has approached me?"

The panic spiked again. "What do you mean?" she asked.

The taiyoukai glanced around again, briefly alighting upon the well, before meeting Midoriko's gaze again. "Nothing," he said shortly. He turned on his heel and walked off into the forest.

Midoriko let out the breath she had been holding and looked down at Akemi. "Well, he didn't kill us," she said with a shrug. She began to walk back towards the village. "Come on, Akemi. We have a lot of work to do."

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Kagome had started to worry about the length of the time the well was letting her float through the light when solid ground finally began to form beneath her feet. A harshly bright autumn day materialized above her and she shielded her eyes immediately. "Inuyasha?" she called.

Four faces popped into view. "Kagome!" Shippo squealed, as Sango and Miroku looked at one another and smiled. Inuyasha was the only one scowling as he leapt over the edge of the well and met her at the bottom.

"Took you long enough!" he snapped, wrapping one around her waist and jumping out again. He set her down on the dying grass and stepped back, tucking his hands into his sleeves. He frowned at her. "What did you do...."

Kagome wasn't listening and only had the time to note that Kikyo was absent before Shippo launched himself into her arms, drenching her neck in tears. "Shippo!" she said, half laughing and half concerned. "Don't cry! I haven't been gone that long!"

"You took ages!" he said. "We were so worried. Well, except dumb ol' Inuyasha."

"Be nice, Shippo," Kagome replied, ignoring the half-demon's growl. She hugged him to her. "But I am glad to see all of you."

The fox demon pulled away, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. "I made a thousand paper cranes and wished for you to come back, just like you told me!" he said. "And it worked, didn't it?"

"Keh. More like thirty-seven," Inuyasha snorted. "But wench, what did..."

Kagome glared at the hanyou before looking at the fox kit and interrupting the hanyou again. "I'm sure it did, Shippo. Thank you," she said with a smile. "But you shouldn't have wished for me to return. You know that I would have! You could have used your wish any way you wanted to."

Shippo shook his head. "But Inuyasha couldn't get through the well," he said, still sniffling a bit. "And that black smoke was everywhere."

Kagome glanced back at the well. "It's fine now," she said with an indulgent smile. "You don't have anything to worry about, Shippo." She looked at the others to get their support in calming Shippo, but was surprised to find that they were all staring at her with varying levels of contemplation and concern.

"Don't think that we aren't happy to see you, Kagome," began Sango.

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm beginning to. What's wrong with you guys?"

"Tell me, Kagome," said Miroku, speaking very slowly, "why are you wearing that kimono? I don't think I have ever seen you into something so ah... conservative before."

The miko glanced down at her pristine kimono. "I liked this one," she said with a shrug. "I can wear a kimono, can't I?"

"Well, yes," started the monk.

"What about your hair?" snapped Inuyasha, finally able to get his question out. "What did you do to it?"

Kagome's hand went to her shorn head and felt the curls around her ears. "I... I cut it," she said. "What's the big deal? It's not like you have any say in what I do with my hair, Inuyasha."

Sango shifted her weight. "Kagome, where have you been?" she asked quietly. "It's not just Shippo that thinks you have been gone for a long time. It's been weeks. Where did you go? What did you do for all this time? Why couldn't Inuyasha get through the well to find you? What was that smoke that we saw?" Her voice rose in pitch until she was nearly breathless.

The miko blinked and looked at each of her friends in turn. "I... I don't know," she murmured.

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A/N: I'm not going to even bother guessing what ya'll are thinking. Haha. So review and tell me!

I do feel the need to say one thing – I do read each and every review I receive. And I do appreciate all of them. Really, I cannot express how great it makes me feel to get a review. I know I don't answer them, unless someone has a very pressing question, but this is purely due to time constraints and not disinterest in what you tell me. I hope that I've made it clear that all of my readers are important to me and there are times when I can't stop smiling after reading some of your comments. So please don't be disheartened if I never reply to you. I do read them all and I especially appreciate those that take the time to regularly review. I just want that to be clear:D