'Once I was'

~ ~ ‘Once I Was’~ ~
~ ~ Bell ~ ~

The clearing up ahead eerily reminded him of a scene he happen to have the displeasure of witnessing years ago. Leaping into the tree he decided to take a brake after a long day of traveling.

It was decided that Sesshoumaru would capture and punish a group of rogue youkai killing villagers.

Sesshoumaru and Kagome left the palace taking an enough provisions for a few days. After weeks of the no word from the two a message finally reached the palace. Inu Yasha, Inu Tashio, Kikyo, and Kenai rode out to the location stated in the message.

They arrived to the howls of pain, their eyes widen as above their heads where the enemy. Arms and legs stretched wide bound by vines that seem to come from the trees. Sesshoumaru turned and watched the group approach.

“What is the meaning of this Sesshoumaru,” Inu Tashio demanded.

“This is my judgment father death to all those who threaten the Western lands,” he stepped to the side giving them a clear view behind him.

Below the youkai crotched low with her arms across her chest was Kagome. They watched horrified as with Sesshoumaru’s nod her arms stretched wide slowly to her sides the vines pulled ripping apart the mass of warriors above her. Inu Yasha felt his stomach roll watching as arms, legs and blood rained down from the sky soaking Kagomes from head to toe.

Inu Yasha was shaken from his shock as Kenai marched up to Kagome slapping her across the cheek. The silent girl did nothing her head only turned to the side, the bruise on her cheek formed quickly. Looking to the side he saw Kikyo throwing up in the bushes.

“Monster that display was uncalled for,” Kenai hissed her hand flew again but was stopped by Sesshoumaru who now stood in front of the bloody Kagome.

“That lady Kenai was my judgment being carried out by your daughter,” he growled.

“That is not my daughter that monster…what have you done to her?”

“Only what my father has done to you Kenai. A monster she might be but what would that make you? You will not raise your hand to her again,” he hissed.

“Heir or not you will not tell me how to raise my daughter”

“Are you forgetting your youngest was handed over into this Sesshoumaru’s care? You have no say so in how I train my Kagome.”

“I might not but my lord, your father does you-”

“You have no power over me woman. Your threats mean nothing”

“No Lady Kenai doesn’t but I do and you Sesshoumaru will refrain from ordering Kagome into such a disgusting display of power.” The four was even more shocked as Sesshoumaru threw back his head in laughter.

“Father what you saw not as you called it a display of power. That was nothing compared to what Kagome can truly do.” he smirked to Inu Yasha’s surprise and with a nod of his head the bloody Kagome gave her mother a side look and followed Sesshoumaru leaving behind the gruesome scene of headless, limbless bodies laying in pools of blood. Through it all Inu Yasha’s ears twitched from the small sound of tiny bells on the wind.

Months later Kagome was sent away, under the guise of training to a place they weren’t allowed to know. To Inu Yasha’s relief Kikyo had to now train with Sesshoumaru. And the whole of the palace suffered Sesshoumaru’s displeasure at the situation. Inu Yasha escape when ever possible, but heard rumors upon his return. Sesshoumaru’s training with Kikyo came to a bloody end one evening. Kikyo was foolish enough to try and purify Sesshoumaru to which he only laughed as he threw her through the doors leading to the dining hall. The bloody Kikyo landed right on the table as the family was sitting down to eat dinner.

Izayoi screamed and called for the healer as the semi burned Sesshoumaru only snorted and walked through the room and straight to his own. Lady Kenai had had enough and two years later Kagome returned. To Inu Yasha Kagome was more withdrawn then before.

Returning from his time in town he witnessed a scene between Kagome and his brother.

“Show me,” he heard Sesshoumaru say as he turned Kagome in his arms his front pressed into her back. “Let me feel how your powers have grown my Kagome” To Inu Yasha the scene was almost sexual in nature the way Sesshoumaru‘s arm was wrapped around Kagomes waist, while stroking her cheek with his hand.. The hair on the back of his neck rose feeling the raise in Kagomes energy, he had never felt anything like it before. His eyes widen as the white light surrounded Kagome her hair took on an eerie light as it rose up combing with Sesshoumaru‘s . He watched on as blue seemed to combine with her white. Then he felt the raise in Sesshoumaru‘s powers the two energies seem to spark and combined into a light purple that surrounded the two. With a snap of her finger the tree next to them caught on fire the flame light purple turn the once century old tree into ash in minutes.

He couldn’t believe it his brothers voice was deep almost animalistic as he spoke of how proud he was of her and that he had missed her.

He left after witnessing the heated kiss the two shared.

**88**
Inu Yasha blinked to clear his thoughts after weeks of searching he had finally found the place. But what he saw caused his heart to drop looking at the burned out building. But this had to be the place he reasoned all the rumors he followed lead him here to the middle no where in the southern lands. He approached the building avoiding the crumbling stone walls, the smell of death had to be week’s old but still hung heavy in the air.

Entering through a large hole he followed the burned halls leaping to the top of a pile of stones he saw what was left of the cells. He had to find a clue, something that said she was alive. He could not go back empty handed this time.

Covering his nose he looked into what was left of windowless cells most still holding the rotting corpses of their prisoners. His heart dropping farther in despair with each hall he took. The underground was even in worst shape as most tunnels could not be entered because of debris blocking the path. He stopped two tunnels to go right or left he couldn’t decide a slight sound caught his attention on the underground breeze.

“Left it is then,” his feet moving soundlessly the tunnel darken but still he followed the sound. It sounded so familiar but from where, it tugged at something inside him. Reaching the end of the tunnel with dread he looked into the small cell a tiny ray of light illumined something hanging from a tiny vine. It jingled in the slight air from above ground, his hand closed over the tiny gold sphere.

**88**
Little Inu Yasha peeked over the large desk at his father hard at work.
“Father” he whispered his large golden eyes meeting his fathers.

“Hai my son,” Inu Tashio returned the whisper putting down the scroll he had been looking over.

“Kagome has bells,” he whispered as if it was the greatest secret in the world.

“Does she now?” the lord smiled Inu Yasha nod and moved closer to his father.

“Here,” he pointed to his left wrist. “I want one,” he spoke climbing into his fathers lap.

“You want bells Inu Yasha?” Inu Tashio looked confused down at his son

“For Kagome father . . . this many,” he held up one tiny clawed finger.

“Really now I guess it will be alright” he whispered then sat his son back on the floor to return to work. A tug on his haori made him look back to his youngest son.

“Yellow father,” Inu Yasha nodded and left the room as quickly as he came.

Two days later his father handed him the tiny golden bell. Inu Yasha waited all day until dinner time to give his most prized gift to Kagome. Who smiled brightly at the tiny hanyou when she held the bell in her hands. He watched proudly as she pulled off all the silver bells counted them out and replaced them his was in the center shining brightly. He smiled brightly and stuck his tongue out at his elder brother as Kagome hugged and kissed his cheek. When Kagome had left he turned wide eyes up too his brother.

“Aniki. Kagome spoke,” his little voice full of awe.

“And what did she say runt?”

“Thank you”

“Is that not what you tell some one who gives you a gift?” Sesshoumaru ruffled his brother’s hair and walked away.

“But she can’t-- Hey” he looked around seeing everyone else gone he raced from the room and after Kagome. He had forgotten to say ‘you’re welcome’
**88***

The tiny golden bell gleamed brightly as he stared down at it in his now large clawed hand.Kagome had been here but where did she go? How long had she wasted away in this place? What hell did she have to endure? He stopped the questions threatening to drive him mad and closed his fist again around the bell and left the way he came.

Stepping into the fresh air Inu Yasha continued to look around; in the front of the crumbling building he saw what was left of the soldiers people told him about. It looked as if they were attacked from inside the building. What was left of their corpuses rotting in the sun. Not stopping he shook his head and with a laugh walked away from the place.

“Leave it to Kagome to leave through the front door.” No creature made cuts like that but Sesshoumaru and of course Kagome who had been taught by the youkai. He looked to the setting sun; it was time to return home with his little piece of news.
*88*

Shinzaburo looked at Kagome perched high in the tree as she looked out over the land. Two more days and they would be out of the Western lands. He looked to the sky the sixth day without rain and for that he was happy. It made moving along easier since Kagome had recovered, they had only stopped to rest. But he was becoming worried did not humans need to eat and he had yet to see Kagome eat anything. She had refused to touch anything the humans in the village had provided.

He wasn’t the greatest warrior hell he couldn’t even claim to be the brightest youkai. But even a fool could see something was wrong with the woman who saved his life. Nothing she did was normal in the way of humans, she hardly slept or ate, and she could sense people before even himself. Her fighting skills no seasoned human warrior could even hope to pull off of the moves she did. Just who the hell was this woman?

Shinzaburo sighed ‘maybe father has some answers to my questions?’ He leaned back against the tree closing his eyes. They would be on the move again very soon and we would need all the rest he could get. Watching over his tigress every night till she recovered was taking its toll.

“Maybe father was right I should have trained harder,” he sighed.

Kagome looking to the horizon could clearly the palace of the moon from her perch. For the past hour she had been trying to look away but something inside her would not let her. She could hear Shinzaburo below her mumbling but paid no mind to him. She still remembered the maps Sesshoumaru had her pouring over when they were younger, they had to pass close to the house of the moon to get to the northern mountains.

Idly she wonders why Shinzaburo was taking them to the mountains. The northern lord was an ally of the west, she wondered if the taiyoukai of the north would remember her. She hoped not since it had been a very long time since she had seen him. ’the less people to remember my shame the better’

The sharp needles of the wind brung her eyes back to the palace of the moon. She sighed the land welcomed her and called to her to help it, even the wind seem to want her to return. But she could not bring herself to stay the memories were too painful. Her ears twitched the wind carried a message of pain and sadness that seem to match her own. A small part of her cried out wanting to return to the home she use to know. But she would not listen; she had no home now and wished only to leave this cursed place of memories.

*88*

Sesshoumaru had just returned from his nightly patrol and retired to his chambers. For once he was light hearted for some reason he couldn’t understand. It was the sixth night without rain when it had rained for months on end. Maybe it was something in the air but he couldn’t place it.

Even now the house of the moon was quite as he stood on his balcony looking out at his lands. It was strange for him to feel so at peace the only time he felt like this was when his Kagome was around. Her scent had long since disappeared from his home but tonight was the first night his heart did not morn. The creature within him was calm all seemed right in the world.

The sharp turn of the wind brought his attention pasted the meadow he always watched to the forest. He sighed so be it he would watch the forest and with that the wind seem to calm and the feeling of contentment returned.’maybe this is a sign she will return to me’


The moon shined brightly on the western lands illuminating one taiyoukai with a wistful heart and one silent woman with doubts. Both watching the other though unaware of it. For the first time in many nights silence reign over the lands as the creatures of the night came out to play happily.

Somewhere in Sesshoumaru’s chambers the slight breeze brushes against a sliver bracelet making the tiny silver bells jingle. They moved as if showing the wind they are awaiting their missing piece.