The Portal

Chapter 38 – Homeward Bound

On Karnak...

Everyone was gathered in the meeting hall in the Temple Shikon, and Kagome listened for the second time, as Lady Isis revealed the sinister plot which her son, Lord Seth, used to kill Horus and blame Horus’ human wife, Selket. A melancholy mood had fallen over the remaining lords and ladies upon hearing of such treachery from their own kin. Lady Nebthet was especially horrified to know that she was the cause of Seth’s derangement, and Kagome tried her best to sooth her.

In light of the facts lain out before them, Kagome asked that they reconsider their enslavement of the human race. She used her knowledge of Earth’s history to build a pretty good argument against slavery and also to offer some suggestions on building a society that would prosper without the use of slaves. Surprisingly her ideas were well met and the first seeds of hope for the humans on Karnak began to take root. Anubis, Hapy and Isis assured her that in her honor they would strive to bring about complete freedom for humans in the days ahead.

Lady Isis was generous enough to offer Kagome her two keys, which made Sesshomaru extremely happy, even though no one else could tell. He acknowledged her gift with a nod of his chiseled features. Kagome, on the other hand was free with her happiness and quickly jumped up to give Isis a large and slightly awkward hug.

That evening Kagome was enjoying her last stroll about the temple courtyard, remembering the first moment she saw the inu temple. She tried to go over every moment since she had arrived here on Karnak, hoping not to lose a single memory. She was really going to miss this place.

It had been decided during the meeting that the portal between their worlds was much too dangerous to remain open, and after they attempted to cross over, the keys would once again be removed and placed under the protection of the reigning lords of Abu Simbel. Sesshomaru vowed to remove the keys from the gate on Earth, so that no one would have access to Karnak from their planet.

Kagome had hoped that she could one day return and visit her new friends here, but knew that it was just a dream. It would be dangerous for both worlds to activate the portal again. A devise of that power could be deadly if it ever fell into the wrong hands. She would just have to keep her memories of Karnak close to her heart.

Tala suddenly flipped around startling Kagome for a moment, then she caught sight of a very handsome Lord Anubis walking in her direction. He was such a regal being, and his smile reminded her somewhat of Miroku. His ice blue eyes glistened in to torchlight, and his long ebony hair fell perfectly about his shoulders. He walked up to her and took her hands in his own.

“Ah Lady Kagome, here you are. I had hoped to have a moment of your time before you retired for the evening.” Anubis greeted with his silken voice. He watched the beautiful smile spread over her features and was forced to push away the pain in his heart at the thought of never seeing her smile again. “Kagome, I would like you to know that if you wish to stay here in Abu Simbel, that you have a place by my side.”

Kagome smiled and squeezed his hand softly, “Arigato, Lord Anubis, but I must return to my homeland. Besides, Sesshomaru and I are mated now, and I could never leave him, though you are what every girl dreams of in a man. You will make a woman very happy one day, Anubis.”

Anubis sighed deeply and gave her a slight smile, “I only wish that it could have been you, my lovely Kagome. I will respect your relationship with Sesshomaru, but you will always remain in my heart.”

Kagome smiled up at the flattering taiyoukai, and he leaned down to lightly graze her cheek with his soft lips. She was glad it was dark out as she could imagine that her face was burning with a crimson blush. He then laced her arm over his, and they continued to stroll through the courtyard enjoying their last moments in each other’s company.

The next morning took the lords and ladies on a trip through the lush jungles of Abu Simbel. Kagome carried her pack, which had been retrieved from the human dwellings. She had a few of her outfits packed along with a helping of fruits for Shippo to try. She decided to wear her white outfit that Anubis had given her, and she was currently trying her best not to get it dirty. Sesshomaru kept glaring at her from the corner of his eye every time she went to an extreme measure to avoid contracting any grime, but she only ignored him.

Sesshomaru himself was looking splendid in his royal blue and white robes and hakama. His swords were in place with his silver obi, and Kagome couldn’t help the heated feeling that washed over her whenever she looked in his direction. He was well aware of the attention from his little mate, and occasionally honored her with a knowing smirk.

After two hours of tracking through dense vegetation, Hapy announced that they were getting close. Suddenly they stumbled across the spot where they had discarded their belongings after first arriving on Karnak. Kagome gathered up her jeans that she tossed in the heat, and then helped Sesshomaru tie his armor back on. He shook out his furry boa and promptly wrapped it around his shoulder. Kagome stepped back to admire him, and smiled. His armor gave him such a fierce appearance, and the boa made him look larger than he is. She knew it was used as a weapon, but wondered if he also wore it to intimidate the enemy?

They passed by Naraku’s discarded baboon pelt, and Kagome felt a wisp of sadness for her enemy. She couldn’t help but wonder if behind his evil shell there was not some small semblance of humanity. She certainly hoped so. She turned her eyes from the white pelt and continued to follow behind Sesshomaru.

“We have arrived,” Anubis announced.

Kagome looked around, and remembered the place as the spot they arrived in, but she did not see any trace of the gate. Her heart picked up its pace as she started to worry if it had been destroyed or something, but her fears were put aside when the two inu servants began hacking down the thick vines and undergrowth, which had hidden the portal from their view.

Soon the keys were in place, and Kagome was holding Sesshomaru’s large hand as they stepped forward. No one knew if the gate would really work, since they had come over with Naraku who would not be accompanying them home. All they could do was hope. Kagome thanked them for their hospitality and bid everyone a final goodbye, then she, Tala and Sesshomaru walked into their destiny.

Anubis watched his ideal mate disappear forever with a sad heart. The portal had worked its magic, leaving only a wisp of smoke where once stood a beautiful human girl named Kagome.

~~~***~~~

Kagome was shaken by the magical trip back to Earth. She shook the fog from her mind and felt Sesshomaru wrap his strong arm around her in support. She looked around for Tala, who was sitting at her feet looking a bit dazed, but for the most part they had come through without a hitch.

They were now standing in front of the ancient portal on Earth, where the whole adventure had begun. Sesshomaru carefully stepped around the gateway, and removed the four keys. He sat them carefully behind a rocky incline, hidden from view, with the intentions of returning for them at a later time. First he wanted to take Kagome to the village where she could tell her mother that she was well. She had been very worried over her mother since they had been gone, and it would ease his mind to remove that burden from her shoulders. Then he would take his new queen back to the House of the Moon, where he was sure he would be greeted by a frantic toad and an ecstatic human child.

After gathering her wits, Kagome was ready to go. She was so excited to finally be home, and she was equally nervous about seeing her friends. Inuyasha was sure to be beside himself with worry, and when she shows up with Sesshomaru at her side he was sure to freak. She just hoped there would be no bloodshed over the whole thing. Kami knows she had seen enough of that in the last few days.

Sesshomaru was normally a patient inu, who never felt the need to rush, but today he was feeling a bit anxious to return home. He hoped that the sate of his affairs had not fallen in his absence. They had been walking at a fairly fast pace for the last two hours, but simply were not covering enough ground to his liking, so he decided to do something extremely out of character.

Kagome was strolling along enjoying the beautiful Japanese wilderness when Sesshomaru suddenly stopped and kneeled down. “Sesshomaru? What are you doing?”

Sesshomaru glanced back to her and said, “Do not ask questions woman, just get on. I will carry you on my back.”

Kagome approached him, and said, “Are you sure?” It seemed a little strange. She did this all the time with Inuyasha, but Sesshomaru just didn’t seem the type to want a human riding on his back.

Sesshomaru snorted and said, “You are my mate, Kagome, and only you will have such a privilege. Now get on.”

Kagome gave him a swift peck on his striped cheek and crawled onto his back. His strong arms came around then he clamped his large claws around her thighs, and for a moment Sesshomaru wondered about his sanity. As soon as her hot core rested against his back he could feel it burning straight through his silks, and that was the moment when he decided that Kagome would never again ride on any males back except his own.

A cry of glee poured out of her as Sesshomaru took off at a fast pace. He was still not at top speed, as Tala could not keep up, but at his current rate; the furry beast was racing along beside them with what appeared to be a smile on his face. Kagome laughed at his expression, and Tala’s emerald eyes seemed to light up with the sound.

Within the hour, Sesshomaru announced that they were near her village. They came to a stop and Kagome dismounted from her mate, who turned swiftly and pulled her roughly to his chest before swooping down for a passionate kiss. They stood like that for a short time, enjoying each other’s taste and touch, until Sesshomaru finally pulled back with a bit of reluctance. He took her hand in his own and the three of them headed on to the village.

Inuyasha was currently perched up in the Goshinboku. Things had been rather quiet around the countryside since Naraku was destroyed, and he found that he had quite a bit of free time on his hands. Ayame had taken her pack to the stream for a drink, and he was just watching the puffy white clouds in the sky while waiting for her to return.

Suddenly he became aware of a strong youkai nearby. Stronger than he had encountered in a long time. There was something else as well, but he couldn’t quite place it. The sounds of his friends running up from the village met his ears.

“Inuyasha! Do you sense a youkai nearby?!” Miroku yelled, as he, Sango, Shippo and Kirara ran up to the Goshinboku tree.

Inuyasha jumped down and readied the Tetseiga. “Yep, and it’s coming this way.”

Miroku put his hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder, “Don’t be hasty, Inuyasha, I also sense a powerful force of good energy as well. It’s strange, but it seems somehow familiar.”

Three figures appeared walking up the hill just down the road, and Inuyasha stumbled backwards just a bit. “No, it... it couldn’t be...”

Sango looked strangely to her friend, “What Inuyasha? Who is that?”

“It looks like... Sesshomaru, but that’s impossible,” Inuyasha said in disbelief.

“There’s also a woman at his side,” Miroku said mischievously.

Sango shook her head and said, “Watch it monk.”

Suddenly the woman walking next to the tall male broke out in a run heading straight for them. Inuyasha took a battle stance, but just as quickly dropped it when he heard her calling to them.

“Sango! Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara!” Kagome called out happily as she ran toward her friends.

“It... Is it really? KAGOME!!!” Shippo yelled, which was enough to shake them all out of their disbelief. The entire group rushed forward to meet her. Inuyasha snatched her up and held her close as he twirled her around in glee. Sango was jumping up and down and Miroku was enjoying watching the taijiya’s bouncing antics, as he waited his turn to hug their friend.

A low growl broke through the happy homecoming, and Sesshomaru’s velvety baritone voice broke through the giddy cheers, “Inuyasha, release her at once.”

Inuyasha glared at Sesshomaru for a moment, but put Kagome down. While she was busy hugging Sango and Shippo, Inuyasha said, “Just where in the HELL have you two been! We thought you were DEAD!!”

Just before Sesshomaru could reply, he caught the monk slowly ebbing his hand toward Kagome’s derrière. He looked away from Inuyasha, and growled, “Monk. Touch my mate and this Sesshomaru will rip your arm off.”

All the cheerful happiness of the reunion suddenly came to a screeching halt, and all eyes turned first to Sesshomaru, and then to Kagome.

Inuyasha hoped like hell that he didn’t just hear what he thought he heard, “Mate? Did you say ‘mate’?”

Sesshomaru swiftly ensnared Kagome’s waist and nuzzled into her neck. He then raised his golden eyes to meet his brother’s amber glare. “Yes. Kagome is now my mate.”

Inuyasha stumbled backwards a few steps before regaining his balance from the shock. Then the anger swept over him like a great flood, “MATE!! Kagome did he force himself on you?! I’ll kill you, you bastard!” The hanyou swiftly unsheathed his blade once more and the old rusty sword transformed into the powerful fang.

That’s when Inuyasha met Tala, who until now had been blending into the background amidst the joyous homecoming of his mistress. When the hanyou’s words became angry and severe, Tala felt a spike of fear flash over his mistress.

Sesshomaru smirked as he watched the pet’s transformation. The furry creature was now poised in front of Kagome with shining black eyes and long dangerous fangs while it jabbed its spiked tail in warning toward his baka half-brother. The look on Inuyasha’s face was priceless and well worth any aggravation brought about by bringing Tala along.

“NO! Inuyasha, no. Sesshomaru did not force me. I want to explain everything, please, just calm down,” Kagome pleaded. She quickly kneeled and hugged Tala to her speaking soothingly. “Everybody, I want you to meet my pet, Tala. Tala, these are my very best friends.”

Tala regarded them all, trusting his mistress, but still wary of the hanyou who had displayed his temper toward her. He hissed one more time at the silver haired male, before shifting back to his normal self.

“WOW Kagome! Where did you get him? That was neat! You won’t even need to sit Inuyasha anymore!” Shippo exclaimed happily as he patted the strange looking creature.

Just then, Kagome noticed a group of white wolves running toward them, and in the middle of the pack was a girl. “Ayame?” Kagome wondered what the wolf princess was doing in their village. She was even more confused when she ran up beside Inuyasha and wrapped her arm around him possessively.

Inuyasha was furious that Kagome had accepted Sesshomaru as a mate. He couldn’t believe that she would get close to his fucking evil half brother. When Ayame ran up behind him he didn’t waste the opportunity to even the odds, “Ayame and I are mated now, Kagome, so get used to it.”

Kagome was shocked to say the least. Inuyasha and Ayame were mated? Things certainly had changed since they left Earth. After the initial shock passed, Kagome pulled Ayame into a hug and congratulated her. She had no reason to be jealous of their relationship. She had her own mate to worry about.

Sesshomaru stood back and watched as his half brother’s pack was reunited with Kagome. He felt relieved when the hanyou announced that he had taken the wolf as his mate. At least the pup wasn’t fond of males, as he had originally suspected.

Shippo leapt into her arms as he nuzzled into Kagome’s chest. He was so happy to see her. He kept crying that he thought she was dead. She nuzzled her face into him and tried to sooth him somewhat. “I’m sorry Shippo-chan. I’ll explain everything as soon as we return to the village.”

Kaede lost her breath when she first caught sight of Kagome walking into the village surrounded by her friends. Miroku rushed forward and caught her arm before she fell to the ground. He helped the old woman to a seat just outside of her hut while she recovered from the shock.

Kagome hugged Kaede and tried to sooth the old woman that was now crying out her happiness. Kagome had no idea that while she was gone her friends were in such pain. She felt terrible for being the cause of their heartache, but there wasn’t anything she could do except explain.

Everyone settled down on the grass to hear Kagome’s explanation. Inuyasha sat next to Kaede, and Miroku sat on her other side. Sango sat next to the monk and Inuyasha pulled Ayame into his lap. Her wolves fell lazily to the cool grass behind their leader, and Kirara rested in Sango’s lap. Sesshomaru sat across from Inuyasha, and promptly pulled Kagome into his lap. Her kit, Shippo, climbed into her lap, much to his disgruntlement, and her pet, Tala, curled up at her feet.

It took the better part of two hours to tell the tale of their adventures, as well as to answer the questions put forth by her friends. Kagome told them of the pyramids and the lords and ladies of Karnak. She also told them of Naraku’s final betrayal, and ultimate defeat. Everyone sat in awed wonder as Kagome told them of another world far away. It was hard to believe, but they knew she was telling the truth. Heck, Sesshomaru and Tala was proof of that.

Finally Kagome ended the story, and announced that she was going to go home. She needed to tell her mom that she was ok since she had not been home in so long. Inuyasha cleared his throat nervously, and looked to Sango with accusing eyes.

“Uh, Kagome... You see... when you disappeared we all just knew you were dead. I mean... even Miroku’s wind tunnel was gone, so I... uh... well, you see... I... IT”S SANGO”S FAULT!” Inuyasha spat as he pointed at the demon exterminator with an accusing finger.

Kagome had no idea what he was going on about. “What are you talking about Inuyasha?”

Sango glared menacingly at Inuyasha then turned to Kagome, “Kagome, please understand that we all thought you were dead, so Miroku and I thought it best if Inuyasha were to go to your family and let them know.”

Kagome’s heart dropped. “Oh my God, you didn’t?! You mean you told my mom that I was dead?” She jumped up from Sesshomaru’s lap, earning her a grunt of protest from her mate. “Mom thinks I’m dead! Oh God, I’ve gotta get home!” Kaede’s voice stopped her before she ran off in the direction of the old well.

“Kagome, perhaps ye should allow Inuyasha to speak with them first, as the shock of seeing ye suddenly alive could be hard to endure, especially for ye old grandfather.” Kaede wisely suggested.

Kagome nodded and snatched Inuyasha up by his ear. “Go now Inuyasha, and when you return I will go!”

Inuyasha yelped at the rough treatment of his sensitive ear, but quickly raced off to the bone eater’s well.