Fairy Blue

Chapter 2: The First Case

"All day I have watched the purple vine leaves

Fall into the water.

And now in the moonlight they still fall,

But each leaf is fringed with silver."

-Amy Lowell

   

Kagome stood in the doorway with her mouth agape as she looked at her first client. “Jaken! What are you doing here?”

The green imp jumped in surprise and gawked at her just as awkwardly. “How do you know my name wen-I mean, agent?” He quickly caught himself. After all, calling people names was not a good way to start the night off.

Kagome was about to tell him, but remembered the wish. 'He doesn't know me.' She told herself quickly before coughing, a vain attempt to clear away the embarrassment that colored her cheeks pink. “I...I've just heard a lot about you. I mean, you are Lord Sesshomaru's most loyal follower.” Her words brought the vassal near tears.

“Ohh! You are just the woman I'm looking for to assist me! Ms. Murasaki, you have indeed picked the right person for this job!” Jaken choked out while Michiru looked to Kagome incredulously. With a quick look that said she wanted details later, she replied,

“Of course, Master Jaken! I always do my best to pair our clients with a suitable agent. Now, she is a new agent, so if I'll be sitting in as you fill her in on the details of the case.”

“Ah yes, that will be fine.” Jaken agreed hastily before he settled down on his cushion in front of the table. Kagome slid the door shut before she sat down opposite Jaken's seat. A tea kettle sat in the middle of the table and as she was taught, she poured tea for her client and then for herself. This was not only polite, it would help settle the client down. Most people that required their assistance were typically shook up and needed to calm down in order to tell their story. “Thank you, Miss?”

“Higurashi. You can just call me Kagome if you'd like, Master Jaken.” Kagome replied and the imp gave a nod of his head.

“Miss Kagome...your name rings a bell...” He murmured, but Kagome gave a light laugh.

“It's probably from the human child's game.” She explained and he nodded quickly.

“Yes, that's where I heard it. Rin loves...loved...to play that game...” He sighed sadly. Kagome's heart sank, but she knew that it was inevitable. Rin, while treasured by Sesshomaru, was still a human girl. Her life span in the Feudal Era was forty years if she was lucky.

“I'm sorry for your loss...Rin was a very sweet girl.” Kagome murmured, surprising the imp.

“But...Rin's been gone for almost five hundred years. How could you possibly...?” The imp changed his mind about his question and shook his head. “Never mind. If you know of her, that makes you even more suitable for this assignment. I won't question how you do and will simply be thankful that I have less to explain.” Jaken began before he fixed his yellow eyes on Kagome's. “Five hundred years ago, Rin took care of me when I was ill. That was how she became a follower of m'lord and myself. Things went very well at first, but then trouble bared its fangs...” The imp sighed sadly. “M'lord has a half brother, you see and he's-”

“I know. His name is Inuyasha, a half demon, that inherited the Tessaiga, and is a black mark on the family name.” Kagome finished for the imp in a flat tone, shocking him even more. “What did Inuyasha do to Rin?”

“Nothing...it was his foul son that did the damage.”

“His...son?” Kagome asked. The last image she had seen was Inuyasha and Kikyo together with a happy family. How could something like this happen?

Jaken nodded his head, closing his eyes as he crossed his arms. “Aye...his son. Unlike his father, he was quiet and surpassed Inuyasha's power fast. Too fast. His demon blood was stronger and his body more apt to handle it. However, his heart was consumed by his demon blood.” The imp paused before he continued. “The boy was to inherit the Tessaiga, but Inuyasha must have sensed the darkness in his child. He instead decided to pass it down to his daughter when she came of age. His son was furious when he learned of this, so he sought out someone who could grant him what he thought was rightfully his. That was how he came across the ogress, Urasue.”

“That's...not good...” Kagome commented quietly. “She's the demon that reanimates people, isn't she?” She tried to sound inquisitive, but she already knew of Urasue on a personal level. The day when her soul was extracted was still very clear in Kagome's mind. It was not something she would ever be able to forget.

Jaken nodded his head again. “You certainly know your history, Miss Kagome. That is correct. Except instead of reanimating someone for him, she gave him a brew and a crystal orb to steal a soul. What the witch failed to mention was that this method of soul extraction was fatal.” Kagome's blood chilled as the imp fixed his gaze on the table. “The boy intended to steal his sister's soul and ransom it back in exchange for his father's sword. He returned to his family's house and prepared a bath for his sister in the bath house, slipping the brew into the hot water. Instead of his sibling getting in, however, Rin did. The two girls were friends you see, and Rin was spending the night with her. The girl told Rin to get her bath first since she was the guest.” Jaken sighed sadly, his hand gripping his staff tighter. “Rin didn't even see it coming...”

Kagome bit her lip as she thought of Rin dying in such a terrible way. While her heart stung just thinking about it, now was not the time to go to pieces and grieve for her. That could come later when she was alone. For now, she had a job to do and needed to know the rest of the story. “What happened after that, Master Jaken?” She asked sadly.

“Well, the boy sealed her soul in the orb only to realize that it wasn't the one he meant to take when his sister emerged from the house to see what the screaming was about.” Jaken replied, looking at her again with sadness in his yellow eyes. “The witch refused to correct the mistake and seemed to get a kick out of his misfortune. When m'lord found out, he was enraged. He confronted the witch that had taken Rin's soul from the stupid boy, but she refused to release her soul to him...and her grisly death didn't break the spell on the crystal either. I couldn't break the ogress' curse nor could Inuyasha's miko wife. For five hundred years, m'lord has carried that crystal orb with him...and no one has been able to free Rin's soul.” Jaken murmured before taking a sip of tea to calm himself. “This week will be the anniversary of her death and I wanted to free Lord Sesshomaru of this heavy burden he carries. I planned to come here to the Shibuya Agency in hopes you all could free her soul for m'lord, but...well...it was stolen the day I arrived in Ningen Tokyo.”

“Stolen? Was it taken by a human or a demon?” Kagome questioned the imp before realizing something else. “Hey wait a minute...Inuyasha and Kikyo married fifty years before you met Rin. How on Earth could Rin have been their daughter's friend?”

The imp didn't even bother to look surprised and just presumed he was dealing with a psychic human. “That would be the case had the couple been limited to a human lifespan. However, they were not. By becoming true mates the way many daiyoukai do, Inuyasha's wife was able to live as long as he did. I was surprised the half-breed was able to pull it off.” Jaken explained to Kagome. She gave him a blank stare and the imp sighed, “It's old demon magic that allows a human to live as long as his or her mate. M'lord's father wanted to become the true mate to his human lover, but he was dealt a fatal blow by a terrible dragon the day he planned to do it. But anyway, that is how they were alive during Rin's time. Their children appeared to be Rin's age by the time fifty years had passed.”

“Oh...I think I understand what you're trying to say.” Kagome murmured, though was still frazzled over the difference between demon and human aging. It must have been a common human problem because Jaken continued on to her prior question without further explanation.

“I believe it was a demon that stole the orb...I'd venture to say it was some treasure hunter that will try to sell the orb like a trophy over m'lord.” Jaken's voice tensed. It seemed just thinking about that angered the imp. “So here I am. I need to retrieve Rin's soul orb from this thief and do it within six days, when I am due to return to Youkai Tokyo. If I can't recover it for m'lord...”

Kagome nodded in understanding. “I will do all I can to retrieve her soul before anything bad happens to either of you. Hopefully, we'll be able to free Rin's soul as well, so she can finally rest in peace.” She promised the imp, who gave her a grateful smile. “In order to better the odds of this recovery, I need you to tell me everything you can about where you lost it and what you remember about the culprit.”

~~~An Hour Later~~~

“Well, this is where Jaken said he encountered the thief.” Kagome muttered as she looked around the dark streets of Shinjuku. How Jaken mistook Shibuya for Shinjuku was Kagome's guess. Testing her earpiece, she called, “Ms. Murasaki? Can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear, Kagome.” Ms. Murasaki's voice replied and with that vital check done, Kagome closed her eyes. In the past, she could only sense sacred jewel shards, but that was before her true power awakened and without training. Now she could sense a wide spectrum of supernatural entities. After a few minutes of scouring the area, she honed in on a demonic energy, but could have sworn she felt a weaker signature close by as well.

“I'm sensing something about three blocks west of here.” Kagome stated quietly before asking, “Where does that put me?”

“At the edge of the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.” Murasaki replied, her tone growing serious. “It's a large park. It's quite beautiful during the day, but a night battle there is not advised.”

“I might not have a choice...”

“Well, try not to fall in one of the ponds then. And if you do, you better have a cucumber with you for the Kappa that lives there.” Michiru chided her and Kagome sighed.

“Yeah, but with my luck, it'll be a relative of the kappa whose mummified hand ended up in my Grandpa's possession a couple years ago.” Kagome joked weakly as she started to walk towards the park. Even though there were still plenty of people out at this hour, the young woman felt relatively alone as she walked down the sidewalk. Along the way, she thought about the day she first met Michiru Murasaki and the first question she asked her...

~~~Five Months Ago~~~

“Ms. Murasaki? What happened to all the demons that lived here during the Feudal Era?” Kagome asked her mentor as they had tea together on this particularly rainy spring day.

“Hm? You speak as if you've been there.” The brunette teased Kagome, who laughed nervoulsy in spite of herself. “What happened to the demons is actually an important story for you to know if you plan on working for us. It's a long story though, so get comfortable.” The older woman smiled before she began to tell the tale.

“By the end of the Feudal Era, the bloodshed between demons and humans reached an all time high. Select groups of humans had grown talented in demon slaying either through honed techniques or by tapping into the latent power that resided within themselves. On the flip side of the coin, the number of humans had grown so there were always plenty of people for demons to feast upon. Scholars of the time said that the lands were stained red from the constant battles...from the crest of Mt. Fuji to the beach of Yuigahama. It was so horrible that the four most powerful daiyoukai and the human emperor with three of his top generals met in a beautiful meadow in what is now downtown Tokyo. There they discussed the best course of action for both humans and demons alike.”

“Many plans were passed between the powerful leaders of men and demons, but it was the Lady of the Eastern Lands that came up with the solution we're accustomed to today. 'If we are to be in the business of killing each other until the end of time, I suggest that we simply cease trying to find coexistence. With our combined might, we four demon lords can easily create a second world for all demons to live upon. That way, we demons will have enough territory that we will not be fighting with humans for space and you humans will no longer be at the mercy of the worst of our kind.' At first the emperor nearly complain that he would be left with the soiled remains of this war-torn land, but he thought better of it. Instead, he wisely agreed that it was the best course of action for both humans and demons. For three months, the war between demons and humans raged on until the start of the New Year celebration. When the moon was at its fullest on this special night, the four demon lords and their many magically inclined servants cast the spell in unison and by morning, not a single demon was left in Japan. It was a miracle and the Emperor declared it the Year of the Snow Leopard, in honor of the daiyoukai lady that proposed this plan. Humans flourished without constant demon attacks. Of course, there were still rebellions and revolutions, but Japan was still far more stable than it had ever been. The same could not be said for the demons.”

“Even though the youkai had a realm even more expansive than Japan and no longer had human interference, they realized they had lost more than just a food source. Without humans, there was no culture for demons to learn from; no progression or a future to strive for...But the most important thing that demons lost the day they created a new world to live in...was their reminder that every demon had a heart and soul of its own...”

“Demons cursed the four daiyoukai for bringing them to the lush lands barren of human influence. War raged on for two centuries as they struggled to come to terms with their new lives. The lands were eventually divided by the demon lords into four landmasses that each daiyoukai ruled over and changed to suit themselves and their subjects. Slowly, the demons recreated a culture that mimicked the one humans had, with a few differences of course. It was just a sad imitation though and many demons longed for the old days. About four hundred years passed like this before a ray of hope shone for demons. A rare few learned they could create portals to reach the human world again.”

“As you can imagine, this new knowledge created a big problem for humans. In over four hundred years, most people had forgotten demons ever existed, much less how to fight them. That was when the Shibuya Investigation Agency was born. Using the knowledge our ancestors left us, we formed an organization to face demonic threats while keeping their existence a secret from the public. That being said, we actually wear many hats. We slay demons that wish to harm humanity, but we also help the good demons that are lost or need our help. Our ancestors may have believed the only good demon was a dead demon, but that is one piece of history that we refused to bring to the future with us. That kind of attitude will never allow us to find peace with our dimensional neighbors.”

~~~Back in the Present~~~

Before she was truly ready for it, Kagome could see the gates of the park before her. What she didn't see, however, was the demon that was supposed to be there. She could still sense its presence, but...it was nowhere to be seen. The hair on her neck rose slightly. 'It is here...' Bumps rose on her skin as she walked up to the closed gates and pushed them open. The moment that she did, she called out, “I know you're here, so come out already!” A thick silence fell over the area before a smooth, male voice rang in her ears.

“My...aren't we a brave one?” He asked before appearing on top of the gates. A red haired, orange eyed male gazed down at her with a smug smirk on his face. He was dressed like a normal teenager, with a black and orange shirt with a fire logo on it and matching jeans.  “To what do I owe the honor of meeting one of Shibuya's agents on this otherwise fine evening?” Kagome's eyes narrowed as she inspected the boy and his demonic energy signal. Finally, she stated,

“You're not the demon I'm looking for, but I could use your help.”

At this bold statement, the demon laughed and slipped down from his perch. Landing gracefully on one foot before her, he leaned down into Kagome's face. “And what makes you think I'll help you? You'll have to find a way to pay me if you want my services, sugar.” Her sigh and lack of fear caught him completely off guard. “What? You lookin' down on me 'cause I'm a young demon or what? You look here priss, I-”

Before he could finish her off though, he was greeted with the most frightening spiritual aura he had ever come across. “Shut up already!  I don't have time for your games.” Kagome began, locking eyes with the now nervous demon. “A green imp was robbed in Shinjuku today. A soul stone was taken from him by a youkai thief. Do you know of such a demon?”

“And if I do?” He squeaked out, his bravado buried for now.

“Simple. You tell me and I leave you alone. Or do you want me ruin your otherwise fine night?” Kagome replied calmly after using his own words against him, but her aura remained fierce. “I'll let you imagine the latter option.”

The demon gulped before regaining some of his composure. “His name's Ryoji, a scrawny bat demon that decided he was gonna try and make a name for himself by stealing from demons that come to the human world. He ain't the strongest demon, but he's damn fast. A human can't keep up with him.”

“We'll see about that. Do you know where he is?”

“I don't know where he lives or nothin', but you're in luck. The sale is going down in the tea house here in the park in an hour. I was thinking of going to see if he actually stole anything valuable.”

Kagome's aura faded and she focused on searching the park. At first, she could not sense any additional demonic energy until a small flicker of power caught her attention. Sure enough, it fit the description her new friend gave her about the thief. With a nod, she pulled away from the demon, who finally sighed in relief. “Thanks for your help. Now go home before things get ugly.” Kagome warned him before walking through the gates.

“H-Hey wait! You can't take him on! You're just a human!” He called after her, but she ignored him as she walked down the iconic pathway nestled between cherry blossom trees.

“Sorry, but that excuse wore out its welcome a long time ago.” Kagome muttered as she focused on the tea house. Her time in the Feudal Era flashed back into her mind, making her hand clench into a fist. She had endured many battles with her friends, but she often felt like the weakest link on the team. Inuyasha was always saving her from some kind of danger because she was never strong enough on her own. True, her power turned out to be sealed, but...she hated how useless she felt back then.

Things were different now though and tonight she planned on proving it.

Determination flashed in her eyes as she reached the tea house. Pulling the door open, she caught sight of the bat demon at a table covered in stolen goods and glared. “Shibuya Investigation Agency! Stop what you're doing and keep your hands where I can see them!” Kagome called, flashing her ID badge. The dark haired and sallow skinned man hissed at her before casting his arm to his side. Thick, smog-like yoki filled the tea house as a smokescreen for him to escape.

“Oh no you don't!” The teenager whipped her bow off her back and fired an arrow rapidly through the smoke. Her spiritual energy purified the yoki and the arrow itself hit the shoulder of the demon, pinning him to the wall by his leather jacket. The red eyed demon looked at her in shock, but managed to free himself by ditching his coat. He growled at her and with the tap of his foot, illusions of himself began to race around the room. In reality, he was moving so fast he was seemingly everywhere all at once.

Kagome stood unmoving in front of the door to block his only escape route and watched the images closely. Her master taught her early on that most demons would be faster than her, so she would have to compensate for it by reading a demon's moves and anticipating its next move. Her eyes narrowed as she honed in on his demonic energy, following it without moving her eyes. Her hand clenched tighter around her bow before the demon made his bid for freedom. Instead of flying into the night sky, however, he was hit square in the face by Kagome's bow...that was coated in her spiritual energy. He was sent sprawling onto the ground, his snubbed nose broken soundly. When he regained his senses, he was tied up in the corner and Kagome was leaning on the wall next to him.

“The mission was a success Ms. Murasaki. I've retrieved the client's possession and the demon is ready for pick-up. He's stolen a lot of people's stuff though, so we're going to have to interrogate him in order to find the rightful owners.” She stated over the earpiece, watching as the demon tried in vain to break free of his bonds.

“Excellent work! I'll send the recovery team out to your location. Will they need to repair anything?”

“There's one small hole in the wall from an arrow, but other than that and some blood on the floor, it's nothing too major.” Kagome replied before looking at the soul orb. It was a beautiful pink color and she was instantly reminded of Rin's happy smile. “Ya know, you've gotta do something else with your life.” She told the demon, who immediately scowled at her.

“And what would you know about it? You're a human and I'm a half demon. You've always fit in and I never will.” He growled lowly. “You don't know what it's like in Youkai Tokyo for half-breeds.”

“No, I don't know what it's like.” Kagome sighed. “Sure, I know what it's like not to fit in, but not to the degree you deal with daily. What I do know is that you shouldn't let your blood decide your fate for you. You'd be surprised what you can do when you stop making excuses for your own bad behavior.”

“Don't lecture me, bitch!”

“Somebody has to!” Kagome shouted back. “You're not just screwing up your life, you're painting a great big target on your back! Today alone, you stole something precious from a demon lord that can kill you with a glare!” That got the bat demon's attention and he fell silent. Kagome's eyes softened a little, but she refused to apologize. “After you get out of jail, make something good of your life. Show the world that a half demon is just as incredible as any full human or demon. If you keep on like this, you'll be dead and no one will know you...they'll just know you as just some thief that stole from the wrong person. Is that really how you want to be remembered?”

~~

The recovery team soon arrived to transport the demon to the agency. From there, they would open a portal and the Ayakashi Retrieval Unit would take him back to Youkai Tokyo to be booked. Kagome normally wanted to see these demon cops, but her job was not over yet. The faintly glowing soul stone had her full attention as she met with Jaken in the park.

“Thank you so much for recovering this! I don't know what I would have done had it been sold...” His genuine thanks brought a gentle smile to Kagome's face.

“I'm happy to help you Master Jaken, but we're not done yet. Now...we have to figure out how to free Rin's soul...”

“Actually, while you were out searching for the soul orb, I found something in our library.” Ms. Murasaki's voice rang over the earpiece. “The spell is powerful, but it has a flaw that we can exploit to free her. Do you have your holy water and spell tags on you, Kagome?”

“Yes, I do.” Kagome replied quickly, pulling the vials and pieces of paper from her obi. “Just tell me what to do and we'll set it up.”

“You've got it. Okay, the first thing you do...”

~~

Kagome and Jaken followed Michiru's instructions to the letter. Soon, the ritual had been set up and the imp and human smiled to each other. Their friendship was a welcome surprise and Kagome was impressed by how knowledgeable Jaken was about the demon world. She could see why Sesshomaru kept him around now, even though the imp still held a grudge against humans and a disdain for half demons.

Sitting across from Jaken in the grass, Kagome submerged the soul orb in a bowl filled with holy water. The outside of the bowl was covered in paper seals and a powerful charm. “Alright, I'm ready. What do we do now?” Kagome called, the bowl cupped in her hands as she waited for her next set of instructions.

“Alright...with the light of the moon shining down on the bowl, place your hands into the water. Hold the orb in your hands, but keep it submerged. Then, force your spiritual energy into the orb as if you were trying to purify it.” Michiru ordered before explaining, “The orb is actually a hardened yoki and the girl's soul is trapped within it. If you tried to purify it on your own, it would sap your energy and you wouldn't even crack the shell. Utilizing holy water and the moonlight, however, will allow you to break the orb.”

“Wait, are you sure this won't harm Rin?” Jaken asked nervously.

“Yes, I am sure. This purification is only targeted at the ogress' magic and lingering yoki on the orb. Rin can't be harmed by any of what we're doing, Master Jaken.” Michiru assured him. “Okay Kagome. Do your thing.”


Kagome nodded, sighing softly and focusing her energy. The orb glowed angrily and made the water grow uncomfortably hot. The more energy Kagome forced into it, the worse it hissed and the harder it became for her to hold the crystal in her hands. Her eyes stung as the orb seared her skin, but she refused to let go. 'I'm going to free Rin, no matter what. You can't lock her soul away forever, you stupid old hag!' The orb suddenly glowed brighter and Kagome felt the orb break in her clenched hand. A bright flash of light blinded her, but she kept her hands in the water. When it faded, Rin's young soul was standing before them as a opalescent ghost.

“Rin!” Jaken exclaimed as the little girl beamed at him.

“Master Jaken! I've missed you.” She called, trying to hug him, but ended up fading through him. A sad look crossed her face for a moment, before her happy smile returned. “Thank you for freeing me from the darkness...I don't know how long I was there, but it felt like forever.”

“It...was a very long time Rin.” Jaken croaked out, wiping away his tears. “I'm so sorry this happened...”

“I'm sorry too...I guess...I guess I have to go to where my parents are now, huh?” Jaken's sad nod couldn't hide the tears forming in his large eyes. Rin smiled sadly at him. “C'mon Master Jaken. Don't be so sad. At least I can't bug you anymore.”

“You silly girl! I'd give anything to have you bugging me again!” The imp wailed sadly. It was hard for Kagome to keep her tears back as she watched this scene. No, it was impossible. Soon her trembling lip gave way to tears as she watched the two from the sidelines.

Rin tried to comfort him, but the imp was inconsolable. “Where is Lord Sesshomaru?” She finally asked sadly. “I need to say good bye to him...”

“He is-”

“Here.” The cool voice nearly made Kagome jump out of her skin as she whipped around to see none other than Sesshomaru standing beneath the shadows cast by the cherry blossom trees. He looked exactly as Kagome remembered him. From his long silver hair to his ornate haori, it was the inu daiyoukai that once struck fear into her heart just by appearing on the horizon. But the menacing aura was missing as he stared at Rin and his gold eyes were no longer cold. Within those eyes were emotions Kagome had never seen in him. In fact, no one she knew had such strong emotions in their eyes as he did right now.

Rin's face lit up when she saw him and she floated over towards him at once. “Lord Sesshomaru! I've missed you so much!” She cried, trying to touch his hand despite knowing she could not. Kagome watched the emotions play through the golden eyes of the daiyoukai as he fought to stay in control of them. Knowing that this moment was theirs, Kagome tapped Jaken on the shoulder and the imp nodded. Together they moved away so Sesshomaru could speak to Rin alone. Before they left though, Kagome heard Sesshomaru's reply.

“I have missed you as well Rin...so much.” Came the pained whisper of the man that once hated humans with a passion. “I'm sorry that I was unable to protect you...then was unable to free you. I have failed you...” He apologized mournfully. Sesshomaru had waited centuries to speak to her again. He could finally apologize and ask for her to forgive him. Since she had been taken from him, the powerful demon lord had become a ghost of his former self. No one could understand how a little human girl could do so much harm to him...that is until they were taken to a world without humans. Then they gained an inkling about how he felt, but it was just that...an inkling. They would never understand how a demon lord could see a human as his own child.

“Lord Sesshomaru...it isn't your fault. None of this is.” Rin replied sadly as she put her hand on his chest above where his heart was. “Please...please don't blame yourself anymore. I don't know how long I've been gone, but I can tell you've carried this around with you every moment since...” She pleaded with him before the demon tried to hug her.

Kagome bit her lip as she watched him trying to hold the little girl he cared so much for only to fade through her. Jaken was still crying, but had quieted himself for the sake of his lord. It was then that Kagome led Jaken away so Sesshomaru could have his privacy. “Are you alright, Miss Kagome?” Jaken managed to choke out as he wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

“No...not really...” Kagome admitted, rubbing her own red eyes as she stood next to him. “I can't stand the thought of her being taken from him again...it's breaking my heart...” Jaken nodded with a somber expression on his face and the two waited for Rin and Sesshomaru.

“You really care about what happens to Rin and m'lord...”

“Of course I do! Rin's a wonderful girl that deserves a chance to live and Sesshomaru...deserves to find happiness just as much as anyone else.” Kagome exclaimed, her voice full of emotion.

“Miss Kagome...I know I said I wouldn't ask, but...how do you know me, m'lord, and Rin? It's like you actually know us.”

Before Kagome was forced to come up with a lie on the spot, Sesshomaru and Rin found them. It looked like Rin was as ready as she would ever be to move on to the afterlife. Sesshomaru's expression had become glacial save for those amber eyes. The pain still shone in them as he looked at Rin's spirit. Rin looked to Kagome and smiled warmly at her. “Thank you for freeing me. I'm so glad I was able to see Lord Sesshomaru and Master Jaken one more time. I wish I could stay with them...but I know I have to go.”

“You're...you're welcome Rin.  And hey...a part of you will always be with them.” Kagome managed to say as she forced herself to smile. Rin looked surprised at how pained this supposed stranger was and looked up at Sesshomaru for a moment.

“Miss...can I ask you a favor? Can you check in on Lord Sesshomaru and Master Jaken every now and then?”

It was a request that took Kagome and the two demons off guard, but the dark haired woman nodded. “Yes, I will. I'll make sure they're doing okay for you.”

Rin smiled as the Soul Piper appeared to lead Rin to the afterlife. The little girl tried to hug Sesshomaru one more time before she started to float into the sky. “Goodbye Lord Sesshomaru...Good bye Master Jaken...” She called to them as she waved. “Good bye Miss. Remember your promise!” Kagome nodded as she blinked back tears. Jaken started to sob again as he bid farewell to the little girl.

“Goodbye Rin...” Sesshomaru called to her before the little girl vanished in the clouds. The demon lord was silent as he looked up towards the moon where Rin had once been waving. Time seemed to stand still and Kagome wondered what she should do. Her job was over now, so should she leave? 'Maybe that's for the best...' She thought. When she turned to begin walking down the path, however, Sesshomaru's voice made her stop dead in her tracks.

“Where do you think you are going, woman? I have not given you permission to leave.” Once again, his voice was as cold as ice. It made Kagome shiver noticeably, but she'd blame it on the cool breeze if asked.

“I was about to go home for the night. Is there something you need me to do? And for future reference, my name is Kagome, not “woman”.” This was not the time to be correcting him, but it was getting late and until he spoke, no one gave her any indication that they wanted her to stay.

Sesshomaru leveled a scrutinizing glare at her before he gracefully walked over to stand before her. “You have my thanks for freeing Rin. No one else in five centuries has been able to do it.”

Surely this wasn't why he wanted her to stay. “I'm honored to have it. I'm just sorry this had to happen...” She murmured and Sesshomaru gave a faint nod.

“I am sorry as well, but I cannot change what has already happened. All I can change is the future.” Kagome nodded and once again, silence fell over them as he looked back at the full moon above them. “When this first happened, I wished that I had killed my brother so that he had never helped birth the monster that killed Rin.” He admitted to her quietly. “I wanted to kill his son more than any other depraved creature I've found in this world...but I could not bring myself to do it...not with Rin's soul above my heart to witness it.”

Kagome stood silently by his side, not daring to speak until she was sure he was done. “I'm...thankful that you didn't.” She murmured softly as she cast her gaze to his face illuminated by the moonlight. “He may have deserved such punishment for what he did...but Rin wouldn't have wanted that.” Sesshomaru nodded slightly.

“You may return home, woman.”

“It's Kagome.” The young woman grumbled before she started to walk down the path towards the park gates. After taking one step from him, he addressed her again.

“Did you sustain those burns freeing Rin?”

“Um...yeah, but don't worry about it. I've got plenty of burn ointments at home.” Kagome smiled, hiding her hands behind her back. The burns were severe, but she didn't want to trouble him or Jaken. The demon seemed to know what she was up to, but he did not call her out on it. Thinking he would let her go this time, the agent tried to leave once again.

“Will you keep the promise you made to Rin?”

Kagome stopped in her tracks before looking back at the tall demon lord. If she did not know any better...it sounded as if he wanted her to keep it. She nodded and gave him a warm smile. “Yep! I've got to make sure you and Master Jaken are okay. I can't break my promise to her.”

“Hn...very well.” Sesshomaru replied, his uncaring tone fraying Kagome's nerves. Did he want her to visit or not? “If you decide to visit me, come on Sundays...I am busy the rest of the time. I'm sure you understand, woman.”

'Heh?' Kagome thought while agreeing to his request. 'Ugh! Five hundred years and he's still a haughty jerk! Sheesh! Just when I was thinking he had grown out of that. This settles it!  He and Inuyasha are definitely brothers!  Both can be so irritating!' She thought, grumbling to herself. “My name is Kagome, dammit. I thought dogs had good hearing.”

“We do. I just don't feel like using your name, woman.” Came Sesshomaru's reply from far behind her.

Kagome could feel her blood pressure rising as her anger towards the youkai grew. Turning around and ready to give him a piece of her mind, she saw a faint smile on his face that he quickly hid from her. 'Oh, he's going to be like that, huh? Well two can play at this game.' She thought, a playful smirk coming to her lips.

“Okay, but so long as you don't call me by my name, I'm going to call you Sessho-kun.” She chimed at him, continuing down the path.

“Do not call me that, woman.”

“Sorry, I'm human and can't hear you from this distance.” Kagome called back with a laugh. “I'll see you on Sunday, Sessho-kun!”

“It's Sesshomaru-sama.”

Kagome just shook her head as she left the two demons to find their way home. Once she was out of sight, Jaken looked up at his master.

“Lord Sesshomaru?” He questioned faintly and received a strange reply.

“I have met her before Jaken.”

“Indeed, m'lord?” The imp asked, but had no idea when they had met. Sesshomaru had not set foot in human Tokyo since the demon world was created, so how could this be possible?

“Yes...a long time ago when Rin had just joined us...” Sesshomaru explained calmly. “She appeared in a different guise, but I recognized her scent. She waved at me and I...felt very sad even though I didn't know her."

“This is most peculiar....” Jaken murmured, albeit mostly to himself. “The girl knows a great deal about us even though we've never spoken or even been around her. I thought she was a psychic human, but I believe something much stranger is going on...”

“We will learn her secret soon enough. For now, let us return home, Jaken.”

“Aye m'lord! I'll open the portal.”

~~

After the two demons left the scene, leaves swirled around the clearing and the same dark haired male from the Higurashi Shrine appeared. “Hmph...it seems that Sesshomaru has grown interested in her now. This is unacceptable...I will have to remove him from the game if he insists on becoming an obstacle to my plans...”