Mirrored

Chapter 7 Moving Forward

Before the melting corpse of the witch had even hit the ground, Sesshomaru was by Kagome's side in an instant. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and propped her on his knee, staring keenly into her glassy brown eyes.

"Kagome," he said softly, while gently patting her cheek.

Please wake up! Please!!

Kirara landed on the ground, and Sango and Kikyou rushed forward. Sango knelt down and placed a hand on Kagome's forehead, studying her carefully.

"Sango...?" The words stuck in his throat.

Sango shook her head. "She's not dead, but there's nothing we can do for her." She placed a reassuring hand on Sesshomaru's arm. "We can only pray and have faith that she'll come back."

Koga bounded up to the copy, sniffing furiously. "So whadda we do with this thing?" he asked, scrunching up his nose. The shell's eyes remained closed but an eerie light surrounded the body.

"The witch said we cannot kill it. Kagome's soul will never return if the vessel is broken." Sesshomaru adjusted Kagome a little closer and stared at her with deep concern. He closed his eyes and tried to will her to come back.

Kagome, if you do not come back now you will die! Please, hear me!

The light around the corpse brightened and concentrated itself above the body. A large sphere formed, then slowly traveled towards Kagome's heart, as her body reabsorbed her soul. The corpse of the great miko turned back into ashes.

Kagome's eyes fluttered as she took in the sight of her concerned friends. She smiled and said, "Good morning," then turning to Sesshomaru, "Miss me?"

Sesshomaru's eyes softened, but all he said was, "Hnn."

Kagome awoke to find herself leaning on Sesshomaru's knee, pressed snugly against his chest. She was surprised to find how comfortable she was in his arms, and couldn't stop the blush that rose on her cheeks.

Oh! Why does he have to be so freakin pretty?! No guy should ever be prettier than a girl! Come on universe, it's bad enough that I had to try ignoring him when he was an enemy, but I don't think I can get away with that anymore, now that my life depends on him and he treats me so familiarly! Did I mention he was pretty?!

Sesshomaru gracefully rose and placed her on her feet, keeping a hand on the small of her back in case she became unsteady.

Great! Now he's pretty and caring! I'm doomed!!!

When he was satisfied she could stand, he turned, gathered the miko's ashes in one of the urns lying on the ground and walked back towards the forest. "We are leaving," he said smoothly, not looking back to see if his companions were following. Kagome just stared at him with a dumfounded expression.

Wait a minute! What happened to Mr. Nice Guy?! ...Then again, if he was clingy, he wouldn't be Sesshomaru. Cold and aloof Frosty the Snow Man is more his style.

The group stepped in line behind him and started to make the long journey back towards Sota's village. They arrived at nightfall to find a mourning Sota at his sister's gravesite.

Sesshomaru handed him the urn, then walked away without a word. Sota cradled the jar as if it was the most precious thing in the world, then placed it in the hole at the foot of the grave marker and buried it. He turned back to the group with a sad smile and said, "Thank you my friends. Hopefully, my sister can find peace again."

Kagome patted the old man's shoulder and whispered, "Don't worry, she did." She turned back to her friends and said, "I'm going to talk to Sesshomaru. Can you guys wait here?"

They nodded, and with a grateful smile, she bounded off to find the sad hanyou.

Sesshomaru sat among the roots of the great Goshinboku, staring at the stars. He had never gotten the chance to mourn his beloved's death when he had awoken from his curse. Now, all he had were sweet and bitter memories that held no comfort for his heart. He wanted to be alone, but at the same time, the loneliness was too much to bear.

I still never learned the truth, Kagome. Did you hate me then? Do you hate me now? I have so many questions, but your voice has been forever silenced.

A soft rustling caught his attention, and he gazed up to find a nervous looking Kagome staring at the ground. She sighed as if mentally preparing herself, then turned her gaze to him and smiled.

Why does her smile pain me so much?

He gestured for her to sit beside him, and she took his invitation without a word. For a while, the two gazed up at the stars in silence, before Kagome spoke quietly. "She loved you, you know."

Sesshomaru turned to her, confusion written all over his smooth face. Kagome continued to stare at the stars and said, "I got to meet her. She said that it was her fault for not trusting you, and that she really regrets her actions." She turned to him with that sweet smile and said, "I can see why you loved her so much."

Never in Sesshomaru's long life had he cried, but at that moment, he wanted to. Instead, he closed his eyes and said, "Thank you."

He was silent for a while before finally spilling out his memories. "We met in this clearing for the first time. She was a newly trained miko, and I had required a cruel reputation. The moment she laid eyes on me, she was shaking with fear and apprehension. She could barely string a bow, much less hit me with an arrow. At the time, it amused me."

He visibly relaxed, and his eyes shown with contentment. "Before she could take aim, I had her arrow snapped between my fingers. She fell to the ground, but instead of the terror I expected to see, her eyes held a fierce defiance, even though her body continued to shake. I told her not to start a fight that she had no hope of winning, and she retaliated by saying 'why engage in a fight that holds no merit?' I couldn't keep myself away after that."

Kagome cocked her head curiously. "What about the Shikon no Tama?"

"It held no value for me. If I am to become strong, I will do it alone. There is no honor in gaining power that I did not acquire myself."

"Oh, I see. You were like that in my world, too. Actually, you were the only one we came across who didn't want the jewel. You had enough confidence in your strength that you didn't need it."

Sesshomaru inclined his head, secretly proud that she praised his strength.

"When I awoke from the spell, I found Kikyou fending off a snake youkai. Leaving a young woman to fend for herself would not have been honorable, so I aided her. I soon found Sota, and he recommended I stay in the village until something could be done about Kikyou. I agreed, but not long after, a bat youkai stole the jewel and I was forced to use my whip to stop it, which ended up shattering the jewel in the process. To make up for my mistake, Kikyou and I have decided to travel together with the rest of our companions to retrieve the pieces of the jewel, so that they don't end up in the wrong hands."

Kagome looked at him in surprise. "You mean, Kikyou didn't break the jewel?! Wow, Sesshomaru, I wouldn't figure you to make a mistake like that!"

Sesshomaru blushed slightly and turned his head away, "I was a little too confident in my aim."

Kagome's laughter rang through the forest. "Hahaha! That sounds like something you'd say," she said with that beaming smile. She hopped up and stretched her arms upward. "I think you've reminisced enough for today. Let's go back to Sota's and eat supper. Getting your soul sucked out really amplifies the appetite!" She grinned and held a hand out to him.

For a moment, Sesshomaru let the world stop and focused on the bright girl in front of him.

Maybe I can't change the past, and maybe I can't retrieve what was lost, but maybe I can keep moving forward if I have this girl beside me.

With a slight nod, he placed his hand in hers and took the first steps toward moving forward.