Chapter 1
Kagome, Rin, and Sango sat along the cliff’s edge just outside of the village, each with one of Sango’s children on their laps. Others had begun taking seats as well. Miroku fluttered around from person to person recording in one of the many notebooks Kagome had brought him back when she was in middle school. Hiraikotsu and Kagome’s bow and quiver sat in the dirt beside them, an afterthought in case things got out of hand.
Sesshoumaru’s visits and the fights that followed had become a village pastime. They no longer battled for death or vengeance, it seemed more like some weird bonding thing, Kagome mused. Everyone waged their bets with Miroku, not on a victor, rather they bet on how many times Sesshoumaru would call Inuyasha a bastard or half-breed and how many times Inuyasha would tell Sesshoumaru to shut up or miss a hit.
Those who had an eye for battle, like Sango and Kaede, would bet on various moves each brother seemed to favor. Sango even had a favorite block/jab combo that just really got her motor running and Kagome would listen patiently while her friend practically gushed over Sesshoumaru. It was a service really, if it wasn’t her listening it would have to be Miroku, then they would fight and one thing would lead to another and they already had enough babies.
Sesshoumaru had just entered the clearing when Rin, who had been practically vibrating up until that moment went still. Kagome felt the wrongness at the same time as his ward and they exchanged a knowing look. His energy was all over the place. Something was deeply wrong.
They were all set up way out of attack distance so Kagome had to strain to hear bits and pieces of the conversation carrying out below.
“I am not here for you Inuyasha.”
“... what the fuck for?”
“My mother....”
“You can’t have her!”
“Move!” The crack of flesh on flesh echoed.
Then Sesshoumaru was just there. The force of his arrival knocked Kagome back and she held the toddler in her arms tight. Rin hopped up to greet her lord. Kagome watched from her place sprawled in the dirt as he placed an affectionate hand in Rin’s hair. The girl in her arms worked her way free and Kagome stood. She was just done dusting herself off when Inuyasha skidded to a halt spraying her with more debris.
“Back away Sesshoumaru! I told you no. If you try to take her it’ll be both your arms this time!”
“Quiet half-breed.” Nervous villagers started to shuffle away. It was only fun to watch the brothers spar from a distance. A great distance. Sango and Miroku took their children and backed away as well, lingering near though. It wasn’t Sesshoumaru that worried them, rather it was Inuyasha’s tendency to swing wild. “You owe me Inuyasha, she does as well. I am not asking. She is my mother.” Sesshoumaru spat.
Next to him Rin tensed, “is something wrong with Haha-ue?” He spared her a glance then turned his full attention to Kagome.
“You have a mother?” Kagome flustered under his stare as Inuyasha took a possessive hold of her arm.
Sesshoumaru’s brows pulled together and she could have sworn his lip twitched. “Of course.” His tone told her she was an idiot.
“I mean she’s alive? I had just assumed...” her hand fluttered in the air as her sentence trailed off.
“Oh yes!” Rin chirped excitedly, “Haha-ue is-“
“A bitch.” Inuyasha interrupted.
Speculative conversations erupted around them while Sesshoumaru moved to deck Inuyasha, but it was Rin’s palm that met his cheek first.
“I’ll wager she is a great beauty if Sesshoumaru is any indication.”
“Oh so you can insinuate that Sesshoumaru is beautiful but when I do it it’s a fight, monk?”
“What was that for brat? It’s true!”
“You will not insult my lords mother with your filthy tongue half-breed.”
“The western lady you say, I hear she is a great demon indeed.”
Kagome met Sesshoumaru’s eyes and nodded. “Sit boy!” The beads were long gone, removed by her own hand when she first returned to their time. But the command still held authority and the lively commentary around them fell silent. Inuyasha ducked instinctively then shoved his hands in his sleeve with an irate grumble and a few choice words.
“Can we have a few minutes alone?” With nods and platitudes everyone filed away from them, likely still in earshot, leaving Sesshoumaru, Kagome, and Inuyasha behind.
“Alright, do you mind telling us what is going on?” Kagome settled on her knees and Sesshoumaru followed suit. Inuyasha plopped down at her side with his back turned, an intentional sign of disrespect and Kagome sighed. “Stop it.” She admonished under her breath but loud enough for him to hear. Sesshoumaru too by the smirk on his hard lips.
“My mother’s energy disappeared three days ago. It took me three more days to find her palace, the energy of the Meido alone is strong enough to track her but it is gone as well. Her... companion is sealed at the gate with holy arrows. I can neither wake her nor pass the gate.” Sesshoumaru sure had a knack for getting straight to the point, Kagome thought.
“Keh, she’s probably fine. Just off ruining lives or something.” Inuyasha grumbled.
“Fool. The gates of heaven and the underworld are sealed shut along with its guardian. Have you any idea the implications?”
Kagome looked between the two and hoped someone would supply her the implications. ‘Where’s Miroku when you need him,’ she thought to herself. He had always been the one who knew things like this. She did her best to study up on lore and mythology in high school but they really had gotten too many things wrong for it to have been of any use.
“Oh! So you need me to unseal her companion?” Kagome clapped her hands together, proud of herself for figuring it out.
Sesshoumaru’s jaw clenched, he wouldn’t ask, that much she understand. “Well,” standing she dusted herself off and shouldered her bow and quiver, “what are we waiting for?”
She turned to Inuyasha, he shook his head. “He doesn’t want me to go.”
Sick of being in this perpetual state of confusion she looked between the brothers. Again no answers were forthcoming.
“I’ll be right back, I’m sure. ‘Big-brother’ won’t hurt me. Right?” Kagome looked to Sesshoumaru for confirmation. The best she got was a grunt then he was grabbing her arm and her whole body was enveloped in his energy.