A Love That Never Was by KiaraKitten

Beginnings

Disclaimer: No I don't own Inuyasha, no matter how hard I wish.

Kagome sat in the grass next to the well. Her friends weren't expecting her back until the morning but she had been unable to sleep. So she had packed her bag and jumped down the well. She liked to do this every now and then. The stars were so much clearer here then in her era, but Inuyasha was always in such a rush to move on the next shard that she never had any time to just sit and look at the stars. She tilted back her head and smiled softly. I can't make a wish on the first star of the evening; they're all out all ready, she thought. There are so many things I can wish for. What am I going to do when we complete the Shikon No Tama? Her slender hand reached up and played with the shards in her necklace. So much has been lost because of this damn jewel. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of everyone that had been lost along the way. Had it only been a week ago that Kohaku and Kouga had been killed? She closed her eyes remembering Sango's face as she held her brothers body. She thought of Kouga pressing the shards into her hand telling her he loved her and ordering Inuyasha to protect her. All because of her. If she had never come to this era, so many people would never have gotten hurt.

She heard a soft rustling in the bushes. She jumped to her feet drew her bow out. She stood with an arrow ready. Sesshoumaru walked out of the bushes, staring at her disdainfully.

"If I had truly been stalking you, miko, you would be dead all ready. How is it you are so weak and naïve, yet manage to keep surviving?" he asked.

"Just lucky, I guess." She kept her arrow ready, not trusting him. If he was speaking it was probably a good sign, but being around Sesshoumaru was like being around a panther. It may not strike immediately, but it would take you down as soon as it sensed weakness.

Flashback Six Months Ago

Kagome climbed out of the well just in time to hear a child screaming. She raced over to the sound drawing her bow as she went. As she raced into the clearing she saw a small child cowering in front of a large snake youkai. She let loose her arrow straight into the creatures back. It glowed blue as the youkai screamed in pain. It turned and with a furious hiss, headed straight towards her.

"Run!" she screamed to the little girl as she drew another arrow. She let her arrow loose, but the youkai dodged out of the way. Before she could react, it whipped its tail at her knocking her backwards. She flew back landing painfully on her ankle. She tried to get up, but her ankle was too badly hurt to support her leg. The snake hissed in triumph and reared back to strike.

A white blur flashed in front of her as the snake was knocked back. In seconds it was lying dead on the ground, its head having been separated from the rest of its body. She looked up at her savior in shock. She tried to speak, but found herself unable to.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" The little girl ran forward and wrapped her arms around his legs. He looked away from Kagome and gently unattached her from him. She didn't seem to mind and started excitedly yelling.

"Rin was attacked by that big monster, but that girl cam and saved Rin. But then the snake tried to hurt her and you saved Rin and her!" The girl turned and jumped on Kagome, hugging her happily.

"Thank you, thank you so much for saving Rin!" Kagome winced in pain as her ankle throbbed but was able to hug the girl back.

"It's all right. I'm just glad you're ok." She spoke as soothingly as she could to the little girl, but did not take her eyes off of Sesshoumaru. He watched her coldly for a moment before picking the little girl off her and placing her beside him.

"Rin," he said, " Ahun is over there." He motioned to a large two-headed lizard standing a little bit away. "Go stand by him."

"Hai," she said cheerfully. She started to go but stopped. "Thank you again!"

She waved happily to Kagome and scampered off. Great, thought Kagome. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

"Why do you stay on the ground, girl?" he asked in disgust. Humans, he thought. She's probably so scared she can't even move. To his surprise she glared up at him.

"Believe me, I'm not on the ground by choice. I hurt my ankle saving her." She frowned as she tried to stand up. She was doing fine until she attempted to place her weight on her ankle. Plain flared through as she sank back to the ground.

"Great this is just what I need." She glared at him defiantly. If he's going to kill me, I might as well make it for something worthwhile. He moved forward and she closed her eyes waiting for him to strike her. Instead she found herself being lifted up. She let out a shriek and tried to pull away, but his arms tightened around her cruelly, bruising her ribs.

"Stupid human," he growled. "If you don't want to be hurt any worse, stop moving."

She stopped struggling and opened her eyes. He was carrying her under one arm like she was a sack of potatoes. She bit her lip and did her best not to start crying. I will not let him know that I'm scared. She closed her eyes and waited. A minute later, she found herself being dumped dropped on the ground, landing smartly on her injured ankle. She let out a sharp cry of pain and opened her eyes. She was in front of Kaede's hut. Sesshoumaru stood next to her a bored look on his face.

"You saved Rin's life, girl. So you shall live." He started to turn away.

"Thank you, youkai," she made a point of stressing what he was. He turned back his eyes starting to bleed red.

"This Sesshoumaru will not tolerate being addressed that way!" She rolled her eyes thoroughly annoyed at his way of speaking to her.

"And this Kagome will not tolerate being addressed as girl!" They stared at each other for a moment. I'm going to die because I can't keep my mouth shut. I always knew this would happen. After another minute of staring at her, he turned around and walked away.

Kagome sat there for a minute in shock. Finally she shrugged and began to try to crawl her way into Kaede's hut.

End Flashback

She stared at him, bow drawn as he approached her. These visits were becoming common, but she didn't trust him anymore than she had that first night. It was always the same. Every few days when she was by herself, he would approach and she would not put her bow down until he gave an oath that this night he would not harm her. He walked forward his footsteps not making a sound. She knew he was right. He only made noise if he chose to and one of these he was probably going to kill her.

"You may lower your guard, miko." There was no trust between them, but over the past few months of conversations, a grudging respect had grown between the two. Girl had been replaced by miko, and youkai had been replaced with Western Lord. He watched her as she refused to lower her bow.

"This Sesshoumaru gives his most solemn oath that he will not harm you this evening, miko." She nodded and lowered her bow.

"Thank you for your oath, Western Lord. It is accepted and returned with my own oath that I will not harm you this evening either." She sat down, knowing it annoyed him that she felt she could harm him. She pulled her knees up to her chin and continued to stare at the sky. After a few minutes of silence she spoke.

"You call me naïve and weak, but you continue to seek me out. Maybe one of these days you will tell me why." She looked over at him. He did not move or speak. She sighed softly. She turned around and pulled her guitar next her. She carefully began to tune it up, pretending that he wasn't there. I came here to be by myself and I will do the best I can to pretend I still am. After a little bit she began to play, humming along with the music.

"What is this you play, miko?" She jumped when she realized he was right next to her. I hate it when he does that.

"Ummmm," she trailed off. "Have you ever heard of the language called English?"

"This Sesshoumaru is not as ignorant as you seem to think. This Sesshouamru speaks English quite well." She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Well this is a song in English called 100 Years. I just learned how to play it." She leaned over her guitar. "It's about how short we live and how we try to fit everything into such a short amount time."

"This Sesshoumaru would hear this song, miko," he demanded. "The music as well as the words. " She frowned. I hate playing in front of other people. She sighed and began to perform.

"I'm 15 for a moment

Caught in between 10 and 20

And I'm just dreaming

Counting the ways to where you are

I'm 22 for a moment

She feels better than ever

And we're on fire

Making our way back from Mars

15 there's still time for you

Time to buy and time to lose

15, there's never a wish better than this

When you only got 100 years to live

I'm 33 for a moment

Still the man, but you see I'm a they

A kid on the way

A family on my mind

I'm 45 for a moment

The sea is high

And I'm heading into a crisis

Chasing the years of my life

15 there's still time for you

Time to buy, Time to lose yourself

Within a morning star

15 I'm all right with you

15, there's never a wish better than this

When you only got 100 years to live

Half time goes by

Suddenly you're wise

Another blink of an eye

67 is gone

The sun is getting high

We're moving on...

I'm 99 for a moment

Dying for just another moment

And I'm just dreaming

Counting the ways to where you are

15 there's still time for you

22 I feel her too

33 you're on your way

Every day's a new day...

15 there's still time for you

Time to buy and time to choose

Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this

When you only got 100 years to live"

Her voice trailed off softly as the last notes of the guitar hung in the air. She closed her eyes, feeling a little sad. She loved the song, but it always made her think of Inuyasha and Shippo.

"Why did you pick that song to play, miko?" His harsh voice snapped her out of thoughts.

"Because, Western Lord, it makes me think of my own life." She stopped not wanting to pursue the subject.

"You will explain further, miko." Kagome sighed softly. She knew how this came went. If she did not explain what he wanted to know, he would threaten to go after her friends. He always kept his oath. He would not harm her for the evening, but the people that she loved were never included in that oath.

" Inuyasha is my dearest friend. He has become closer to me than my own brother is. Shippo is my kit. I did not give birth to him, but he is my son and I am his mother. I love them both with all my heart, but eventually I will have to leave them. Even if I was never to go back home, I am human and they are not. I will die and they will live. I've been coming here for nearly a year now and it has all gone by so fast. My life will be nothing but the blink of an eye to them, but I know how badly it will hurt them when I am gone. I almost wish...."

"You wish what?" She turned her head. He was staring at her with a surprising intensity.

"I wish that I had never been here. I wish that I had never interrupted their lives. There has been so much pain and so much of it has been because of me." She stopped, refusing to give him anymore of her feelings to laugh at. She closed her eyes for a moment, making sure that she wasn't going to cry.

"If you excuse me, Western Lord, I need to go. I have to wake early in the morning and I need to get some sleep." He nodded and walked away into the tree line. When he vanished from her sight, she let the tears slip down her cheeks as she jumped back down the well.

Sesshouamaru watched as she jumped down the well going back to her time. He had threatened the information of where she was from out her during one of his first interrogations of her. He refused to think of them as conversations. He asked questions and she answered. He still was not sure whether or not to believe her about coming from five hundred years in the future, but her scent had shown her not to be lying. It would explain many things about her if it were true. Her strange clothing and way of speaking. The fact that she spoke English had surprised him. Only male nobility was permitted to learn other languages, yet several times he had sought her out, she had been studying mathematics and other forms of scholarship.

Why do you seek me out? She asked him the same question every time he came to her. He did not answer her because he wasn't even sure himself. At first it had been to question her. The strange little miko who had appeared out of nowhere months ago. As her powers grew, so did her reputation. After awhile, he realized he was enjoying her presence. Few things brought any kind of enjoyment. He supposed that was why he taken Rin in at first. A source of amusement. At this point it was more than that. She was his ward and anyone that even thought of harming her would pay.

As he thought of Rin, he thought of the song the miko had sung for him. She was right. Rin's life would be over in the blink of an eye. The least he could do for her would be make her short time in this world enjoyable. The little miko would have to find her own answers to her questions. He closed his eyes and thought of her scent, cherry blossoms, lotus, and something else. Something indefinable. So sweet and clean.

He growled furiously. He did this more and more often lately. He was an Inuyouaki. He would not let his thoughts become distracted by a pathetic little human. He growled again and flew off into the night.

Author's note: I know that the first chapter doesn't fit my summary, but a story has to start somewhere.