Kagome sighed heavily as she slid the door of her home closed and walked, lowly in spirit, across the courtyard to the shrine. She stepped within and padded toward the back room, sliding back the ornately painted doors and slipping inside.
She settled down heavily onto the mat and sighed. She was alone at last, the only place she could find peace, her sanctuary. Just a few feet ahead of her was the opulently decorated platform where a chained jewel, glowed faintly in the small room. The Shikon no tama was an artifact that was centuries old. She’d been familiar with it since her childhood. Her grandfather had often told her it had magical powers, but had never seen any evidence of so besides it’s unusual glow.
She lowered her gaze sadly. She was now the betrothed of Senaka Naraku. It was… saddening. She couldn’t help the hesitant unhappy feeling, the dread of such a union. Even worse was that she couldn’t stop thinking of Masaharu Sesshoumaru.
Today officially marked it as one week that she’d been home. She’d not seen or heard any news of him until she’d run into Sango at the market. Sango had informed her that the Master had returned to his primarily residence, and had no plans of returning until Inuyasha’s wedding in the spring. Chances being as they were, she wouldn’t see him again until she was a married woman.
As long as she was busy though, she was content. As long as she could lose herself in work or play or anything that kept her mind occupied, she felt like herself and carefree. But the moment she was alone or such task ended, her heart became heavy once more and both men returned to mind. There was no escaping the prison her mind locked her into.
"Kagome!"
She sat up abruptly hearing the lowly croak of her grandfather’s call. Senaka was coming to dinner today, he was probably here, she thought. She stood quickly and left the room, leaving the jewel to its solitude while she was destined for the fray.
She stepped out of the shrine building to find it empty, her grandfather having moved back to the house to search for her. She sighed heavily and turned her gaze upward, the sky was gray. All gray in every direction and a definite chill cloaked the area. It was going to snow, she thought. Usually the prospect made her happy, but today it felt strangely depressing.
"Kagome."
She blinked at the smoothly tuned voice and turned. Just beyond the lampposts on the path he stood, clothed in a beautiful silk kimono, his hair falling neatly over his shoulders.
"Senaka-san."
Strangely enough her smile came easy at seeing him. Perhaps she had demonized him unnecessarily, she wondered. She stepped down from the shrine and walked toward him.
"I was just about to go in and prepare for your arrival. Are you early, or am I late?" she asked conversationally.
"You’re late." The corners of his mouth turned up in an amused grin.
She lowered her head mumbling an apology. They began walking toward the house, slowly and in no rush, discussing nothing. Just as they reached the doorway, snow began to drift downward. Kagome smiled casting her eyes over the yard. Maybe… maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all?
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Naraku stared at the glowing jewel in his hands. The Shikon no tama, it was real after all, he thought. Despite the strange glow it was cold to the touch. This couldn’t be an all-powerful artifact, he thought sourly. He heard some shuffling and Kanna settled down beside him silently and turned her uneasy gaze toward the stone in his hands.
"There’s something… wrong… with it." The girl whispered, staring unblinkingly at the jewel.
He turned his own gaze toward it and they regarded it together. Perhaps it was best to get the jewel out of his possession as quickly as possible, Kanna had an uncanny ability for predicting things. While he wasn’t certain of its abilities, he was certain he didn’t care enough about it to bother himself further with it.
The jewel couldn’t rid him of his father, and he was entirely too close to losing Kagome at the moment to care about anything else. A serious recovery effort was needed and he needed to begin planning. He quickly summoned a servant and tossed off the jewel carelessly while the attendant scrambled to make a catch.
"Have it delivered to my father immediately."
The girl he’d summoned scrambled to comply and left them alone once more in the room. She, Kanna, stood up and padded to the door, turning back once to level her cold, empty stare at him.
"Bad things will come from it," she warned and stepped out leaving him finally alone to his thoughts once more.
He sat a moment in contemplation, his legs folded before him. He was just inches from losing Kagome over that stupid hunk of rock. It had been hard enough getting the jewel in the first place, especially after the incompetent help hired had botched the job. Panic had ensued at the Higurashi shrine and he had the unsettling feeling he was a suspect by the family. The entire situation was turning unpleasant.
It had all seemed easy enough, go to shrine, have dinner with family, hired help ransacks the shrine in search of the jewel, and if found, steal it. No, the morons hired by his father turned out to be complete goons and had somehow knocked over a lamp and set the shrine house on fire. They had escaped with the jewel, as he had recovered it from them later, but he was on the receiving end of some very odd looks from Kagome’s grandfather as though the old man suspected.
His head dropped slightly in frustration.
"I think we need to talk."
He looked up sharply, startled by the sudden voice. There, in the doorway, his jewel stood.
"Kagome, please, come in."
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"Sesshoumaru-sama!"
He immediately sat up straight not realizing he had slouched, his head resting absently on one fist as he stared blankly at the wall tapestry. He turned his gaze to the doorway.
"What is it Jaken?"
"A letter has come for you."
He took the letter from his servant, who then scampered out the door once more. Sesshoumaru took one glance at it and dropped it onto the table, failing to catch his interest. He turned back toward the wall hanging. It was a shrine; a beautiful red painted building that soared upward toward the sky. There were no buildings like this one at the quaint Higurashi shrine, he thought before catching himself.
Why was he sitting here, wasting time? He picked up the letter; he had no doubts as to whom it was from. The scrawl on the front was too distinctive to be anyone but his brother. He read over it quickly and dropped it once more onto the table surface. More uninteresting news, nothing important, nothing of her – nor had he expected such. Why would Inuyasha send him news about her?
Her. Higurashi Kagome, the name had been plaguing him, making him uncomfortable for the past few days. The quiet of the house was deafening. Off to the right of the tapestry were the swords that had belonged to his family for generations.
He felt like plucking the swords off the wall and using them to disembowel someone, or a someone with the surname Senaka. He growled and stood up, he needed to get up, go out, or do something! Why, of all times, did there have to be a lapse of business now?
"You’re such a freaking coward, Sesshoumaru. I didn’t know you had it in you."
He turned to view his brother who had unexpectedly shown up. Just like him to do something stupid and bother him.
"What are you doing here Inuyasha?"
"Came to see you brother, besides you’re not doing anything anyway."
"About something in particular or just to get on my nerves?"
"I’m here," he paused, perhaps in an attempt to be dramatic. "About Kagome."
"What about her?" He drawled unable to find something to distract himself with, and thusly had to meet his brother’s haughty stare.
"I came to talk some sense into you. You obviously like her-"
"I protest such a claim."
"Doesn’t matter what you say, I know you better than that. You like Kagome, so what’s the big deal, she’s obviously got a thing for you too." He rolled his eyes. "Although I can’t imagine why…"
"I highly doubt she’s told you any such thing so now you’re making assumptions for both her and I."
Inuyasha ignored him. "It’s not like she’s not good enough or anything, I mean, we’re talking about the Higurashi’s. Weren’t you going on about the historical importance of strong families or something like that when we were discussing this whole Kikyo thing?"
"I said nothing of the sort which goes to show how much attention you were paying."
"Well then look at it this way… what about what people will say about us because they are getting married."
Sesshoumaru sighed heavily. "Inuyasha, you’ve wasted a trip."
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Kagome sighed, her trip to Senaka’s had been unproductive, not to mention embarrassing. Senaka Naraku was forty-five percent devious, forty-five percent charming and ten percent perverted. He had the gall to back up such a character too; it had all started innocently enough. As innocent as her showing up, unescorted, at his house anyway, but she had been in one of her self-righteous moods determined to reclaim what was hers, at least her family’s. As well as foolish enough to think she needed no one’s help in doing it!
The Shikon no Tama was priceless and her family had guarded it for forever. It was impossible not to notice the sadness, the utter despair of loss upon her grandfather’s face, not to mention the apprehensive stare when she mentioned her betrothed’s name and the suspicious fire at the Shrine house.
Somehow things had gone downhill from the moment she stepped into the room. He’d been grinning at her slyly from the very beginning. In an attempt to relieve him of such a scheming smile she laid into him with insults, accusations and every bad word, phrase and slur she’d ever heard. It only amused him and he’d made snide and flat out crude remarks that left no mystery as to their meaning. By the end of their meeting he was becoming down right vulgar in his comments scaring her and ultimately forcing her to flee the house in out right fright that he might act upon such lecherous threats.
She realized now with sudden and dreadful clarity that she’d been right in those fleeting moments of dismay that she’d thought about her future with Senaka Naraku. It wasn’t going to be pleasant, she thought darkly. Now she could barely think of him without shuddering as his crude words replayed through her head, again and again, burned there permanently. How was she ever going to do this? How was she ever going to face him, or anyone with her thoughts geared the way they were at the moment?
She sighed again, the sun was almost gone behind her, and the long shadows were fading into the increasing darkness of the courtyard. She could just barely make out the dilapidated building that had been the shrine house before the fire had crumbled it to its present state.
She glanced down absently. Her bow and arrows were where she’d left them on the stairs where she’d had them that afternoon.
Up ahead on the dimming path she saw her grandfather step outside into the night, his gaze turned lazily toward the setting sun. He looked so dejected.
She approached him guiltily. She had failed to get the jewel back.
"Grandpa," she called softly. "I couldn’t do anything…"
She heard him sigh. "There’s nothing we can do now, but I suppose we should look at the up side."
"Eh?"
What up side could there possibly be to losing the family jewel?
"Come inside and I will explain." He replied pensively.
She ended up seated at the low dining table. Her entire family gathered there, her brother Souta eagerly awaiting the tale while her mother sipped tea in oblivion.
"The Shikon no tama was created many, many generations ago by our great ancestor, an amazing miko named Midoriko. The priestess was a beautiful woman, but lonely because she was entrusted with protecting the family shrine alone when her family had been slain with the exception of her younger sister.
"She met and fell in love with a young man, distracting her from her guarding duties to the sacred shrine. She caught her lover trespassing on the shrine grounds one night, leading a pack of demons. A battle ensued and she was injured, arrogant and assured of their victory her lover boasted openly of his plan.
"The simple shrine guarded a weak spot in the earth where a gate could be erected between the human and demon worlds. All he needed was the blood of a sacrifice to unseal the gate.
"Heartbroken, and betrayed she called on the last vestiges of her miko power resulting in the deaths of the demon pack as well as her own. Midoriko’s young sister had witnessed it all from behind a nearby tree and approached the dusty crater where her sister had once been standing. There was nothing but a dirty hole, and in the center of it, a small glowing orb which became known as the Shikon no tama."
"I don’t get it. So why does he want it?" Kagome asked thoughtfully.
"Yeah! Does it really grant wishes grandpa?" Souta exclaimed excitedly.
"I’m afraid not. Whatever purifying power Midoriko injected into the jewel has long been overcome, it was Kagome’s presence and other miko’s in our family during the years that kept the jewel pure. Only evil is left within the jewel and I fear that when Senaka-san makes his wish, it will be his last breath taken."
Silence fell over the table.
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The night was usually a peaceful time for him. It was quiet and he could relax without worries or complications. Tonight however he was plagued. She was once again on his mind, the troublesome girl from the shrine. Kagome.
He shouldn’t be having this much trouble sleeping. Hell, he shouldn’t be troubled by her at all, and yet thoughts of her refused to be vanquished. He should have done something more substantial about Naraku and his father and yet he had refrained convincing himself it was none of his business.
After all he’d done for her he’d been- no, no, no, he wasn’t going to think such things. She owed him nothing, he owed her nothing, they were even as far as score keeping went, were they not? Bothered by what his mind might conjure up in response he quickly sat up, sleep would not be found easily this night.
He had never been a worrier, but he had always been fiercely protective of what was his. While Rin was not his child, he did protect her, care for her, he was obligated. It was the same with his brother, they were blood, he cared for him, and made sure his impetuous brother had a future when he could not see to one himself. It was the same, to a much lesser extent with his servants. He saw to them, their protection while serving him, and their physical needs, it was required of him as their master.
Kagome too had been afforded the protective services he offered and he had done his best to ensure them. She however had proved to be more difficult than he’d ever imagined, and her propensity for disobedience had brought them both a heap of trouble, but ultimately her more so than him.
Fragile, defenseless girl that she was would only get herself into trouble with a mouth like she had. She clearly needed someone to keep her home, warm and happy, it didn’t seem like such an insurmountable task. Although he had been unable to handle finding her a husband and had managed even to persuade himself it had been because of Naraku’s influence. The excuse, weak as it was, was to a point credible, but it had been disturbingly only half true.
He could have conceivably married her off to almost half the men he had put upon his potential list for her and had somehow managed to talk himself out of each and every one. He hadn’t realized it at the time, but it was blatantly obvious as to what he’d done now. Now as he sat in the darkness of his chambers thinking about her. Worrying.
Worrying over that damn annoying girl, wondering if she had found sleep or if she was awake, hidden in the darkness of her own room. He stood, abandoning his sleeping chamber; it was only disturbing him to sit there in the dark anyway.
If he were a man of lesser strength he might have drowned her out of his thoughts with a bottle or more of sake, but he was not. He could handle them; he could handle her, his thoughts and everything else, he thought snidely as he made his way to the kitchen.
There within sat his brother in the company of the annoying monk whose name escaped him. Both turned their gazes to him as he entered. Tea had been on his mind but the odiferous scent of alcohol drifted to where he stood. His brother looked plastered, as did his companion.
He raised a brow, which only caused them to break into a fit of chuckles, and he turned swiftly on his heel and left them. Perhaps once Inuyasha was married Kikyo would keep him busy enough in the evenings and he wouldn’t find the time to drink himself drunk.
Apparently he would be having no tea and found himself back in his bedchamber, lying back staring up toward the ceiling. Could he, on good conscience, not interfere to protect her?
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It was well after noontime before Kagome was finally dressed and out of her room. She had found sleep to be difficult and spent most of the evening thinking. As she emerged she couldn’t help but notice the two or three servants were all scurrying about. It wasn’t difficult to figure out what was going on, it was blatantly clear – wedding preparations. Although a bit curious since there were still two weeks left in the winter season, she didn’t question it.
Rather, she made her way to the dining room, and to her surprise, found it to be empty. Her mother typically spent the entire day in the dining room sewing, sipping tea, and doing little else. She sat down alone in the room, one of the few times she had ever done so and wondered how Sango was doing.
She missed her; Sango was really the only friend she had. They hadn’t had much time to spend together, but their little in-between chats were cherished. Now, she thought, she didn’t even have those and the servants here at the shrine were much older than herself.
After several minutes alone, her grandfather stepped into the room with a tray of tea.
"What’s going on? Why is everyone so busy?"
"Weddings are no simple task."
She frowned. They were still marrying her off to Senaka. Although she had known from the moment she left her room that it would be so. It just seemed so final actually hearing it.
"Where’s mother?"
"If you had been up earlier you would have seen for yourself – she was more excited this morning than I have seen her in years."
Kagome turned a curious gaze toward him. "Why?"
"The material for your gown arrived this morning. Rolls and rolls of silk, you should have seen her, it was almost scary."
They shared a laugh.
"Drink some tea," he suggested, looking over at her a strangely serious light in his eyes. "There have been some changes."
She faltered, raising her eyes. "To what?"
"I attempted to contact Senaka-san this morning, but I have been informed he is unreachable."
"Is he missing?"
"His attendants would not say so, but I suspect that he has taken the jewel and fled. Yamada stopped by this morning, we had a nice chat."
Kagome sighed. Aside from the unusual bustle, this seemed just like any other afternoon at the shrine. He stood uneasily.
"I better go check on your mother."
Once he was gone she too decided to leave and found her way out a back door into the garden. She had barely stepped away from the door when she was caught unawares.
"Staying in bed half the day is hardly acceptable behavior."
She whirled around. "M-Masaharu-sama," she bowed weakly.
He was standing by the house, still and silent, simply staring back at her.
"Should you not be preparing for your wedding?"
She shook her head. "Everyone else seems to be doing that for me. Can I help you with something? I can’t imagine why you’re here in the first place."
She turned away, not wanting to show him her melancholy expression. Not wanting to stare into those intense gold eyes. She’d missed him, hadn’t she? Missed that disagreeable expression, even his complaints about her.
"Are you not happy with your upcoming nuptials?"
She kept her head turned away. "I’m trying not to think about it."
He pushed away from the wall and fell into step with her as she walked out into the courtyard, away from the garden.
"Why are you here?" she repeated but quickly brushed it off as another thought came to mind. "Masaharu-sama, do you happen to know where Senaka-san is?"
She didn’t miss the scowl that passed over his face. "I do not."
"Oh."
She stopped when they reached the ruins of the shrine building, staring at it sadly. There were already plans set to begin rebuilding the once proud shrine.
His presence was usually enough to send all thoughts of her betrothed packing, and yet today, they were being stubborn. She found herself oddly distracted, but not enough so to forget the man she had once worked for was still by her side.
The more she thought on her calmness in his presence, the more that very calmness slipped away into nervousness.
"The Higurashi Shrine was built to protect this patch of earth because it’s weak. The Shikon no tama came into existence because of the miko that guarded it, and her death as she tried to protect it. The jewel is gone now and apparently Senaka-san is missing, so I wonder what all the preparations are for if my betrothed has vanished." She chattered trying to alleviate her own sense of uneasiness.
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They weren’t even married yet and look what the bastard had done to her. Distracted, unhappy, actively trying to forget she was getting married, he sighed inaudibly. If he could just find him he’d …
Yes, what would he do about it, he wondered. What was he even doing here at this shrine, anyway? He had been worried about her, he hated worrying. It didn’t help that Rin had been screeching for her all morning, something about going for a walk or other some nonsense the girl had apparently promised her.
"Rin wanted to see you. Something about promising her a walk?"
He hadn’t intended to mention it but now that he thought of it, it seemed like a good enough excuse to be here. He was hardly about to tell her he’d been hanging around the shrine grounds since sometime that morning waiting for her to make an apperance.
He watched as her eyes widened in surprise and then her expression melted into one of distress. "I’m so sorry! I totally forgot! Sango and I discovered this little stream, and since Rin’s guardian forbid her outside without an escort and wouldn’t go with her, I promised I’d take her. I’m very sorry, Masaharu-sama, she must be very unhappy with me."
"Then let us go, she awaits."
"W-what? Now?"
"It will be dusk soon and too late for Rin’s walk."
He was using her. Rin. He was shamelessly using Rin to spend time with the girl, but he didn’t care. No harm would come from it and he wanted it, this time with the girl. Her family had denied him it, they were all so troublesome. Imagine, making him come all this way just to see her, he disliked being inconvenienced, and he especially disliked the fact he’d been unable to find anything else that could keep his mind off her.
After a moment she had informed her family she was going to visit Rin and she was back at his side again. He walked quickly across the courtyard as she scurried along behind him. She was dressed very neatly in a simple print kimono. He was pleased, in some way, to see she dressed the same at home as she did in his home. Somehow it reminded him that she was a simple, genuine girl, not one who presented what he wanted to see like Kagura.
He waited for her at the bottom of the stairs by his horse, having forgotten he hadn’t walked here.
"Master!"
He turned just in time to see Jaken arriving. He watched his servant fall off his horse rather clumsily. "Your brother, Inuyasha-sama, got drunk and into a fight at the tavern in town. He and the monk are back at the mansion being treated for numerous injuries."
He scowled, turning his gaze back to the girl. He couldn’t help his brother was an idiot and his plans for Kagome would not be put off because of that idiocy. Now that he got a good look at her, she looked somewhat distressed.
"Y-You didn’t walk here?"
Ah, it was the horse.
"It is too far to walk."
She blinked. "I’ve done it many times," she added innocently turning her stare to Jaken who was struggling to get back on his horse.
She laughed lightly before walking over to him and helping the straggling servant up onto his animal. She smiled warmly up at him. "Okay, Jaken-san?"
He seemed to sputter, half embarrassed at her assistance.
"Come, we haven’t all day."
She turned away from Jaken and back to him, her smile fading. "I don’t think-"
"You don’t need to think, just come here."
"Would it be okay if I walked?"
"No." he replied flatly. "Get over here."
"But-" she whined.
"Kagome!" he warned and she walked reluctantly up to the animal.
He reached out, lifting her up onto its back, and she sat there, her legs dangling over the side of the horse. He had no doubts if the horse decided to move, she’d panic. He pulled himself up quickly onto the back of his beast, watching as she momentarily panicked, falling back against his chest.
They started off and he watched her, with some amusement, as she kept her head down, and eyes closed in fright. Afraid of horses, what a notion, he thought. The ride was really quite short compared to some of the distances he had gone on horseback but to the girl in front of him, it was no doubt a journey.
When he had discovered Senaka Onigumo had gone missing he hadn’t thought much of it. When he subsequently discovered the son, Naraku, was also missing he’d become a tad concerned. He had actually sat up in bed last night considering the possibility that Naraku would steal her from her room in the night and he’d be able to do nothing about it.
It was half the reason he was here, to make sure with his own eyes, she was indeed all right. But he was not comforted at the sight of her, she looked worn and worried. She looked burdened when she should be carefree and happy.
He pitied her for having such a foolish family.
Thoughts were put aside as he reached the edge of the property and urged his stead faster. The girl yelped and he secured one hand around her waist. The action didn’t calm her. Within the span of a minute or two they had reached the front door and he slid off, and stood, for a moment just watching as she sat atop his horse, hands covering her face.
"Can I get off now?" She squeeked, dropping her hands and they folded in her lap fretfully.
The front door slid open and a little girl came barreling out, Sesshoumaru almost frowned. Her sense of timing couldn’t have been worse.
"Kagome-chan!"
Kagome’s eyes lit and she slid off the horse without his assistance, to his surprise. He watched them happily embrace and begin chattering about a hundred different subjects.
"Did you come to take Rin-chan on a walk?"
Kagome nodded almost as excitedly as he had seen Rin do on occasion before they started chirping again about nothing.
"It’s getting late, are you walking?" he asked, interrupting their conversation.
"Is Sesshoumaru-sama coming too? Please come with us Sesshoumaru-sama, Kagome-chan says the stream is very pretty. Please?"
He was hardly about to refuse the request, especially when it was exactly what he had intended all along.