Rebuilding Dreams

Chapter Nine – Piecing of a Puzzle

Kagome smiled as she sat on the ground, Rin in her lap. She held the little girl close as she ran a brush through her dark strands of hair. Rin snuggled closer to the woman she had deemed her Auntie as the air began to chill.

“You should go on inside, Rin. I don’t think Sesshoumaru-sama would be very happy if you became sick.” Rin looked ready to argue, but Kagome narrowed her eyes in a warning manner she had learned to use years ago on Souta and Rin thought it best to go in.

Kagome smiled to herself as she leaned back against a tree, closing her eyes. She liked it here, but she really wished her mom and Souta could be with her. She missed them dreadfully. She smiled to herself, relaxing more against the tree. She could almost feel Souta’s presence around her. She could see him laughing in her mind as she watched him playing whatever game was ‘in’ right now.

There was a squeak overhead and Kagome snapped her eyes open, peering up into leaves above her. One of the branches seemed to be swaying an awful lot more than the others. Carefully she crouched down as though examining a flower on the ground, and in the next instant she leapt up, catching a hold of the offending branch and giving it a hard shake. A flash of red came toppling out of the tree, but she caught it easily before it connected with the ground.

“Who are you?” The question came from both of them, at almost the exact moment and Kagome tilted her head accessing the creature. What kind of demon was this? He smelled of earth and berries, and something else. Kagome couldn’t quite place it, but she knew that scent from somewhere. He was very small, with a bushy reddish orange tail. Well, she guessed it was a he anyways, though seeing as how the light brown hair was tied back in a bow; that might be debatable. His feet were paws, the same color as his tail and little ears adorned his head, much Inu Inuyasha’s. They twitched as he stared at the lady that had her hand curled in the back of his robes.

Kagome gave him the same look she had given Rin moments before. “Considering that you are the one trespassing, I would suggest you answer first, kit.” A-ha. That’s it. He’s a fox demon. Kagome smirked at figuring this out without having to ask.

That smirk was quite frightening when viewed by the young fox in her hands. “Shippo. My name is Shippo.”

“Well, what are you doing in Lord Sesshoumaru’s lands?”

Shippo’s small body tensed, expecting to be thrown out of the castle grounds at any moment. “I was sent.”

“Sent by who?”

“My parents.”

Kagome frowned at this. Why would they do that? He may be a youkai, but he was just a child. He wasn’t able to protect himself against a fully-grown demon. Kagome sighed and shook her head, placing the fox on the ground.

He stared up at her and she smiled. Her smile was so beautiful; it reminded him of the stories of goddesses that his parents had always told him. Of course he knew there were no such things. He reminded himself that he needed to stop behaving as a child. He had come here for a reason, and it would be hard enough to get Lord Sesshoumaru to listen as things were.

Kagome nodded her head and then turned, beckoning the young youkai to follow her. Shippo nearly tripped over his feet in his hurry to follow after her, unable to believe that getting in to see Lord Sesshoumaru could possibly be this easy.

He stayed right behind her, trying to avoid looking at any of the other demons they passed. He watched closely as they made their way through the castle and up to the fifth floor where Sesshoumaru, Rin, and Inuyasha were having an evening snack.

Kagome tapped lightly on the doorframe, even though the door was already open and the three occupants were aware of their approach. Kagome bowed before entering. Shippo entered behind her, bowing low to the ground. Rin just barely kept herself from giving a squeal of delight at the sight of the other child, while Inuyasha eyed Shippo almost dismissively.

Sesshoumaru however looked interested. “Yes, Lady Kagome?”

Kagome faltered for a moment, her eyes widening a bit. Then she regained her posture and arched an eyebrow at her betrothed’s brother. “Sesshoumaru-sama, I was out in the garden when I ran across this fox demon. He says that his parents sent him here to you.”

Sesshoumaru looked even more interested at this. “Who are you, young demon?”

Shippo swallowed and stepped forward, bowing on one knee before the taiyoukai. “Lord Sesshoumaru-sama, I am Shippo, son of Toru and Cho of the fox fire clan.”

At these words Sesshoumaru’s curiosity vanished and he sat up straight, staring intently at the small fox before him. “Why have you come here, fox fire? Where are Toru and Cho?”

Shippo swallowed again, and Kagome could have sworn she smelled the tears welling in his eyes. It was a long moment before Shippo was able to answer. “They are dead.” His voice sounded slightly flat, and they all knew he was struggling not to let the tears fall. Kagome was hard-pressed not to go to the child and wrap her arms around him.

To her overwhelming surprise though it was Sesshoumaru who rose from his seat and went to the boy. He lifted him easily and carried fro from the room, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha both to stare after him. Rin however blinked and smiled at them.

“Sesshoumaru-sama will take care of him. He’s always taken care of me after all.” She grinned at Inuyasha. “And he took care of you when you were little.”

Inuyasha scowled. “Kid, anyone ever tell you that you talk to much?”

“Actually, you tell me that all time Inuyasha!”

Kagome ducked her head to keep from laughing and quietly excused herself to her own s. s. She smiled slightly as she fell onto her bed, though the smile didn’t last long as her mind drifted over the young demon that no doubt would be staying with them here in the castle, at least for a while. She wondered what had happened to his family. Her mind dwelled on that word, family, as she slowly fell asleep.

For the next week Rin, Kagome, and Shippo would play during the day, but then as darkness would set in Sesshoumaru would come and take him away. That left Rin and Kagome with Inuyasha in the evenings and they had quite a bit of fun chasing him. One evening they even managed to tie him down and braid his hair. They all had a hilarious laugh over this, all except Inuyasha of course who glared menacingly and threatened to shave the offending females bald. Kagome loved each day’s activities with her friends and betrothed. With each passing day Kagome slowly adjusted to Inuyasha’s proximity and even to Sesshoumaru some. She now had mastered her reactions so that she did not jump away from Inuyasha’s touch, though a couple of times Sesshoumaru had merely brushed her arm in question or on accident and she had been sure she would have a heart attack.

One thing continued to bother her though. The scent that clung to Shippo haunted her. She tried time and again to place it but she couldn’t. It even drifted in and out of her dreams.

Kagome sighed and flopped down under a peach tree in the garden. Jaken had taken Rin into the village today for some new robes, and Sesshoumaru had decided to keep Shippo with him instead of allowing the young demon to play.

“What does he talk about with Shippo?” She asked, yawning slightly as she snuggled against Inuyasha’s side.

Lightly he draped his arm around her shoulders in turn. “He’s trying to find out exactly what happened to the kid’s parents. Sesshoumaru has tons of patience for getting information when it’s needed. The fire fox clan he comes from was under Sesshoumaru’s protection. Shippo’s parents were also two of Sesshoumaru’s most trusted friends. He’s trying to piece things toer ter to find out who was behind the attack.”

Kagome nodded, and Inuyasha saw her yawn again. He frowned and pulled her closer. “Have you not been resting well, Kagome?”

“Just having stupid dreams,” came the reply over another yawn.

Without another word Inuyasha scooped her into his arms and easily leapt up to the balcony of her room. He walked right in and deposited her on the bed, pulling the covers over her. “Then you are going to sleep now.” He sat down on the edge of her bed, carefully brushed a strand of hair from her face. Something in her face though made him stop as he made to get up. “What?”

It took a long time, but eventually she spoke in the tiniest of voices. “Stay with me, please.” The way her eyes shone as she looked up at him stopped any protest had he been going to give one. He lay down next to her as she rolled onto her side and he circled his arms around her, pulling her close in his embrace.

“Then I will stay, and I will still be here when you awaken.”

Kagome nodded, and it seemed that no sooner had the words left his mouth than Kagome fell asleep. He smiled to himself that Kagome already trusted him this much. He knew they still had a long way to go though. He snuggled closer, holding her against his warmth.

Kagome opened her eyes slowly. There was that scent again. That scent that followed Shippo and refused to leave her alone until she could name it. She was in the forest. She wasn’t sure, but the scent seemed to be coming from just up ahead so she followed it. As she did though the scent began to change directions, twisting this way, then that, back and forth, winding itself around the trees.

There, what was that? Up ahead just a little ways. She picked up her pace and began to run towards the structure. A shrine, it was a shrine! She ran faster, her sandaled feet hurrying along the forest path. She dashed up the shrine stairs, hurrying into the temple. She nearly skidded to a halt. It was him. He was standing before her, smiling, his eyes so black that the candle’s red glow reflected back ten thousand times.

The scent was coming from him. As she stared at him though, trying to figure out what to do, another figure emerged from the shadows laughing, and Kagome could only stare. “You! What are you doing here??” Her voice came out slightly higher than usual.

Her question was met with a laugh. A high, cold, and cruel laugh. A maniacal laugh that she still heard echoing on the wind. “Haven’t you figured it out yet dear girl? I am he, and he is me.” Now they both laughed and the laugh became colder and colder, sending chills down her time until she was frozen in place.
She could do nothing but watch as the two demons approached, then melded into each other, then separated again. The scent was different though. And then she saw it. There, on the alter, was a basin filled with blood. That was it. He used the blood to change into this other demon. Her inhaled sharply and that was when thent ent of the blood hit her.

“Noooooooo!”

Kagome jerked awake, found arms circling her and almost panicked until she heard the calm reassuring voice whispering in her ear and she broke.

“It – it was him, Inuyasha. It was him. He killed him and used the blood to change. That’s why I knew him. That’s why I knew.”

Inuyasha looked at her completely dumbfounded. “Kagome, shhhh, sweetheart, calm down and tell me.”

Slowly, Kagome’s breathing became normal again and the hysterical sobs died down. She was still trembling, but instead of pulling away she burrowed deeper into Inuyasha’s arms. “It was Yukio. He killed Papa, and used the blood to – to become that monster. He used Papa’s blood to become Naraku.” She drew a deep breath. “That scent I smelled on Shippo, this is why I couldn’t place it. But now I know. Its because the scent was changed, a crossing of Yukio and my father’s blood.”