Where the Heart Lies
Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha or any of its characters. Kali is my original character, and I apologize in advance if she resembles original characters in any one else's fan fics. Feel free to use her in your writing if you like.
Prologue
It had been three years since Kagome fell down the bone-eaters well the first time. So many and so few things had changed since then. She had, in spite of her time travels, managed to get into an excellent high school. She had grown a little taller, a little surer of her movements, a little more womanly in figure, but she was still the same Kagome. Time, too, had slightly changed Miroku and Sango, but Shippo and Inu-Yasha remained as they had when Kagome first met them. Together the team of five had fought bravely and became as close-knit as a family. It was no longer a secret that Miroku and Sango shared a deep love for each other, and they had sworn that when Nirouku was defeated nothing would stand between them again.
The battle between Nirouku and the five heroes was a long and bloody one. In the end though they defeated him and torn from his body the remainder of the Shikon jewel. A mixture of fear and uncertainty had past over Kagome as Inu-Yasha handed her the last piece of the jewel. Pain flooded through her at the thought of being sucked back to her time. Being torn away from Inu-Yasha, who she had grown to love so intensely. His attitude towards her had changed little over the years. Their relationship was as it always was to him. One minute they seemed as close as lovers the next as far apart as sworn enemies. That didn't waver Kagome's growing love for him though. Over the years, had Inu-Yasha bothered to pay attention, he would have found that Kagome gave into his arguments much more easily, comforted him a little more often, and always seemed a little closer, as time wore on. True, on more than one occasion she had gone back down the well swearing to never return, but she always did, each time a little more penitent that the last.
As she stood before her friends with the two pieces of the Shikon no Tama in her hands, her heart was breaking, but looking around at the faces of those around her she knew that for their sake she must complete their mission. Closing her eyes she brought her hands together. The room flashed with a blue light that emulated from the jewel. Power surged into her, and she felt sure that she was being pulled down the well, back to modern Japan.
Cautiously she opened her eyes and nearly collapsed with joy when she saw that she was still in the feudal era. She ran to Inu-Yasha, threw her arms around him and kissed him. To her dismay he only gave her a quick squeeze the turned and walked toward the woods. Cautiously she followed him.
"Inu-Yasha, what's wrong?" she asked.
"I can't go on like this," he groaned as he turned slowly around. "Kagome, I care for you as a friend and a comrade in arms, but I don't love you. I have to go find Kikyou. She's the only one for me." Then he turned and ran into the forest with speed that a mortal girl could never keep up with.
Kagome was crushed, her heart shattered as the jewel of the four souls had so many years ago. Wailing she fell to her knees and dug her nails deep into the grass and dirt. Sango came out and wrapped her arms around Kagome, but all Kagome could feel was Inu-Yasha's abandonment. Shippo ran toward her but Miroku caught him and told him that now was not the time to bother her. In his mind the monk cursed the hanyou, but he quickly withdrew the curse when he remembered that Inu-Yasha too was his friend. "Perhaps," Miroku thought, "I will simply maim the idiot the next time I see him."
Three days passed and as they did Kagome's pain only grew. She knew that it was not right to ruin her friend's possible joy by her constant sorrow. In the early morning light she quickly gathered her things. She was careful not to wake her sleeping friends as she placed a note with each of them. Simply put, the notes each said that she loved them all very much, thanked them for their help and support, but clearly stated that she had to return to her own time. Permanently.
Chapter One
The Broken Well
Without looking back Kagome ran toward the Bone-eaters well. She was not far off, but she knew that she could be attacked at any moment by youkai drawn to her by the power of the completed Shikon no Tama that was nestled in a small pouch around her neck.
The wind blew against her face making her tears stream back into her hair. Many times along the way she yearned to sit down and cry, but her conscience told her to keep running. The only happy thought that sustained her was of how thrilled her family would be that she had finally come home to stay.
The trees became farther apart and across the open meadow that lay before her Kagome saw the Sacred Tree that Inu-Yasha had been bound to for fifty years. She forced her eyes to turn from it. Her whole body willing her eyes not to cry anymore.
Her feet felt like they were nailed to the ground. Each step towards the well was equally painfully and difficult. When she reached the edge she spread her arms open like a bird toward the morning sun and fell downward without looking back.
Like Alice she plummeted, but the normal rush of color and wind did not meet her. About halfway down she realized this and panicked. In midair she tried to stop herself. As she landed with a thud, she felt a sharp pain shoot through her body as her ankle twisted. She looked up the well and saw blue skies.
"No!" she yelled as she tried to pull herself up. The pain in her ankle was too intense and she fell back again, punching the wall in frustration. "I can't be stuck here forever," she sobbed.
"Isn't this a strange turn?" a cold voice came from the shadows. Kagome turned in horror to see Sesshoumaru standing over her. "Trying to kill yourself?" he continued after a pause. "I would suggest something a bit deeper with spikes at the bottom."
"You vile beast!" Kagome snarled.
Without a blink Sesshoumaru's clawed hand was at Kagome's throat. "You will not speak to the Lord of the Western Lands with such insolence."
"I will speak to you how ever I choose," Kagome said boldly.
"Tell me, wench, you wouldn't happen to know where that ridiculous stone is?" Sesshoumaru said with out a change of manner.
A flood of worry washed over Kagome as her hand went to the pouch that hung near her heart. She had been so heartbroken that she had failed to realize that she no longer felt the power of the jewel. Inside the pouch was something round, but when she pulled it out, it was one of Sota's cat- eye marbles. A sickening thought spread over her. Inu-Yasha had betrayed her, and he had been planning to do so from at least the last time that he had gone to her time. Her heartbreak turned into anger. "Inu-Yasha!" she growled.
"You will not mention that disgusting name in my presence," Sesshoumaru said almost with a snarl, but he let go of Kagome's neck. She startled. The fact that she was in a very small well, with a very evil youkai lord had almost completed been forgotten in her sudden burst of anger. "It is the same hanyou mutt," he continued, "that stole something no so dear to my heart."
Kagome looked and saw that the sword that normally hung at his side was no longer there. "The Tensaiga?" she asked. He said nothing, but much to her surprise grabbed her around the waist and leapt out of the well.
"Where are you taking me?!?" Kagome screamed as he ran through the woods with her at speeds Inu-Yasha could never match. When Sesshoumaru did not answer her, she leaned closer to him and screamed her question again, this time into his ear. This time he came to bone shattering stop and threw her against a nearby tree.
"You, wench, need to be taught manners," he said as he held her pinned to the tree by her left shoulder. "When I am done with you, you will have a good deal more gentility in that murky human blood of yours." Kagome didn't flinch but met his icy stare with one of her own.
"And if you harm me," she said coolly, "you may never find your sword. Wouldn't that hurt. Your baby brother with all the power of the Shikon Jewel plus the power of the two swords, combined. He would be unstoppable." She gave a cynical little laugh as she added, "Even for you, Lord Sesshoumaru." She laughed at the thought of Inu-Yasha finally besting his proud brother, but it wasn't the happy laugh it would have been before.
Sesshoumaru was almost shaken by her daring. Of course she had stood up to him before, much more bravely than other mortals, but now. Now the little fear that he had sensed in her before was gone. She met him as if she felt they were equals. It was insulting. It was unheard of. It intrigued him.
He knew he had the power to kill her where she stood, but he saw the truth in her words. With her help, he would find his sword faster. And the faster he found his sword, the faster he would find his loathsome half-brother, and be able to eliminate him.
Far in the distance he senses three people tracking them. Two adult humans and a kit fox demon, no doubt Kagome's traveling partners. Like Kagome he could kill them swiftly, but then Kagome would surely not co-operate. So the Lord of the Western Lands swallowed as much of his pride as he could and picked up the girl once more, running fast to the west.
Before she could scream again he explained to her as calmly as though they were merely taking a leisurely stroll, "I am taking you to my palace in the West. There I can equip you and make a plan of action."
"Equip me?" Kagome asked, this time at a respectable decibel.
"Of course, you didn't want to go fight unarmed," he said matter-of-factly. Kagome asked no more questions, but simply relaxed and began to enjoy the rush of wind against her face and the slight tingle of pleasure she got from doing something slightly bad.
Sesshoumaru was deep in thought. What would he do with this girl when he had completed his mission? Why had his half-brother betrayed her? Would she really be of any help to him, the all powerful Lord of the Western Lands? He puzzles over the fact that she had relaxed in his hold and was now resting her head trustingly in his tail that was draped over his shoulder. She was so like Rin in her daring.
He saw his palace in the distance and out of instinct picked up the pace slightly. He was almost to the grounds when he felt Kagome being torn away from him. "No!" he thought to himself in a panic and grabbed her tighter. The barrier spell that kept people and youkai away from his palace was trying to throw Kagome back. In his haste, Sesshoumaru had forgotten to put a counter-spell on her. Letting her go now would be fatal so he gripped her tighter and strained to break through.
Kagome felt as if her limbs were being ripped from her body. Her body was icy cold, yet felt like it was burning at the same time. She screamer out in pain as everything went black.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha or any of its characters. Kali is my original character, and I apologize in advance if she resembles original characters in any one else's fan fics. Feel free to use her in your writing if you like.
Prologue
It had been three years since Kagome fell down the bone-eaters well the first time. So many and so few things had changed since then. She had, in spite of her time travels, managed to get into an excellent high school. She had grown a little taller, a little surer of her movements, a little more womanly in figure, but she was still the same Kagome. Time, too, had slightly changed Miroku and Sango, but Shippo and Inu-Yasha remained as they had when Kagome first met them. Together the team of five had fought bravely and became as close-knit as a family. It was no longer a secret that Miroku and Sango shared a deep love for each other, and they had sworn that when Nirouku was defeated nothing would stand between them again.
The battle between Nirouku and the five heroes was a long and bloody one. In the end though they defeated him and torn from his body the remainder of the Shikon jewel. A mixture of fear and uncertainty had past over Kagome as Inu-Yasha handed her the last piece of the jewel. Pain flooded through her at the thought of being sucked back to her time. Being torn away from Inu-Yasha, who she had grown to love so intensely. His attitude towards her had changed little over the years. Their relationship was as it always was to him. One minute they seemed as close as lovers the next as far apart as sworn enemies. That didn't waver Kagome's growing love for him though. Over the years, had Inu-Yasha bothered to pay attention, he would have found that Kagome gave into his arguments much more easily, comforted him a little more often, and always seemed a little closer, as time wore on. True, on more than one occasion she had gone back down the well swearing to never return, but she always did, each time a little more penitent that the last.
As she stood before her friends with the two pieces of the Shikon no Tama in her hands, her heart was breaking, but looking around at the faces of those around her she knew that for their sake she must complete their mission. Closing her eyes she brought her hands together. The room flashed with a blue light that emulated from the jewel. Power surged into her, and she felt sure that she was being pulled down the well, back to modern Japan.
Cautiously she opened her eyes and nearly collapsed with joy when she saw that she was still in the feudal era. She ran to Inu-Yasha, threw her arms around him and kissed him. To her dismay he only gave her a quick squeeze the turned and walked toward the woods. Cautiously she followed him.
"Inu-Yasha, what's wrong?" she asked.
"I can't go on like this," he groaned as he turned slowly around. "Kagome, I care for you as a friend and a comrade in arms, but I don't love you. I have to go find Kikyou. She's the only one for me." Then he turned and ran into the forest with speed that a mortal girl could never keep up with.
Kagome was crushed, her heart shattered as the jewel of the four souls had so many years ago. Wailing she fell to her knees and dug her nails deep into the grass and dirt. Sango came out and wrapped her arms around Kagome, but all Kagome could feel was Inu-Yasha's abandonment. Shippo ran toward her but Miroku caught him and told him that now was not the time to bother her. In his mind the monk cursed the hanyou, but he quickly withdrew the curse when he remembered that Inu-Yasha too was his friend. "Perhaps," Miroku thought, "I will simply maim the idiot the next time I see him."
Three days passed and as they did Kagome's pain only grew. She knew that it was not right to ruin her friend's possible joy by her constant sorrow. In the early morning light she quickly gathered her things. She was careful not to wake her sleeping friends as she placed a note with each of them. Simply put, the notes each said that she loved them all very much, thanked them for their help and support, but clearly stated that she had to return to her own time. Permanently.
Chapter One
The Broken Well
Without looking back Kagome ran toward the Bone-eaters well. She was not far off, but she knew that she could be attacked at any moment by youkai drawn to her by the power of the completed Shikon no Tama that was nestled in a small pouch around her neck.
The wind blew against her face making her tears stream back into her hair. Many times along the way she yearned to sit down and cry, but her conscience told her to keep running. The only happy thought that sustained her was of how thrilled her family would be that she had finally come home to stay.
The trees became farther apart and across the open meadow that lay before her Kagome saw the Sacred Tree that Inu-Yasha had been bound to for fifty years. She forced her eyes to turn from it. Her whole body willing her eyes not to cry anymore.
Her feet felt like they were nailed to the ground. Each step towards the well was equally painfully and difficult. When she reached the edge she spread her arms open like a bird toward the morning sun and fell downward without looking back.
Like Alice she plummeted, but the normal rush of color and wind did not meet her. About halfway down she realized this and panicked. In midair she tried to stop herself. As she landed with a thud, she felt a sharp pain shoot through her body as her ankle twisted. She looked up the well and saw blue skies.
"No!" she yelled as she tried to pull herself up. The pain in her ankle was too intense and she fell back again, punching the wall in frustration. "I can't be stuck here forever," she sobbed.
"Isn't this a strange turn?" a cold voice came from the shadows. Kagome turned in horror to see Sesshoumaru standing over her. "Trying to kill yourself?" he continued after a pause. "I would suggest something a bit deeper with spikes at the bottom."
"You vile beast!" Kagome snarled.
Without a blink Sesshoumaru's clawed hand was at Kagome's throat. "You will not speak to the Lord of the Western Lands with such insolence."
"I will speak to you how ever I choose," Kagome said boldly.
"Tell me, wench, you wouldn't happen to know where that ridiculous stone is?" Sesshoumaru said with out a change of manner.
A flood of worry washed over Kagome as her hand went to the pouch that hung near her heart. She had been so heartbroken that she had failed to realize that she no longer felt the power of the jewel. Inside the pouch was something round, but when she pulled it out, it was one of Sota's cat- eye marbles. A sickening thought spread over her. Inu-Yasha had betrayed her, and he had been planning to do so from at least the last time that he had gone to her time. Her heartbreak turned into anger. "Inu-Yasha!" she growled.
"You will not mention that disgusting name in my presence," Sesshoumaru said almost with a snarl, but he let go of Kagome's neck. She startled. The fact that she was in a very small well, with a very evil youkai lord had almost completed been forgotten in her sudden burst of anger. "It is the same hanyou mutt," he continued, "that stole something no so dear to my heart."
Kagome looked and saw that the sword that normally hung at his side was no longer there. "The Tensaiga?" she asked. He said nothing, but much to her surprise grabbed her around the waist and leapt out of the well.
"Where are you taking me?!?" Kagome screamed as he ran through the woods with her at speeds Inu-Yasha could never match. When Sesshoumaru did not answer her, she leaned closer to him and screamed her question again, this time into his ear. This time he came to bone shattering stop and threw her against a nearby tree.
"You, wench, need to be taught manners," he said as he held her pinned to the tree by her left shoulder. "When I am done with you, you will have a good deal more gentility in that murky human blood of yours." Kagome didn't flinch but met his icy stare with one of her own.
"And if you harm me," she said coolly, "you may never find your sword. Wouldn't that hurt. Your baby brother with all the power of the Shikon Jewel plus the power of the two swords, combined. He would be unstoppable." She gave a cynical little laugh as she added, "Even for you, Lord Sesshoumaru." She laughed at the thought of Inu-Yasha finally besting his proud brother, but it wasn't the happy laugh it would have been before.
Sesshoumaru was almost shaken by her daring. Of course she had stood up to him before, much more bravely than other mortals, but now. Now the little fear that he had sensed in her before was gone. She met him as if she felt they were equals. It was insulting. It was unheard of. It intrigued him.
He knew he had the power to kill her where she stood, but he saw the truth in her words. With her help, he would find his sword faster. And the faster he found his sword, the faster he would find his loathsome half-brother, and be able to eliminate him.
Far in the distance he senses three people tracking them. Two adult humans and a kit fox demon, no doubt Kagome's traveling partners. Like Kagome he could kill them swiftly, but then Kagome would surely not co-operate. So the Lord of the Western Lands swallowed as much of his pride as he could and picked up the girl once more, running fast to the west.
Before she could scream again he explained to her as calmly as though they were merely taking a leisurely stroll, "I am taking you to my palace in the West. There I can equip you and make a plan of action."
"Equip me?" Kagome asked, this time at a respectable decibel.
"Of course, you didn't want to go fight unarmed," he said matter-of-factly. Kagome asked no more questions, but simply relaxed and began to enjoy the rush of wind against her face and the slight tingle of pleasure she got from doing something slightly bad.
Sesshoumaru was deep in thought. What would he do with this girl when he had completed his mission? Why had his half-brother betrayed her? Would she really be of any help to him, the all powerful Lord of the Western Lands? He puzzles over the fact that she had relaxed in his hold and was now resting her head trustingly in his tail that was draped over his shoulder. She was so like Rin in her daring.
He saw his palace in the distance and out of instinct picked up the pace slightly. He was almost to the grounds when he felt Kagome being torn away from him. "No!" he thought to himself in a panic and grabbed her tighter. The barrier spell that kept people and youkai away from his palace was trying to throw Kagome back. In his haste, Sesshoumaru had forgotten to put a counter-spell on her. Letting her go now would be fatal so he gripped her tighter and strained to break through.
Kagome felt as if her limbs were being ripped from her body. Her body was icy cold, yet felt like it was burning at the same time. She screamer out in pain as everything went black.