Somewhere in Time

Secret Unraveled

The chilly breeze carried with it a gust of flurry snowflakes. The sky was painted dark blue, making the snow-blanketed Higurashi shrine seem bleak and austere. Outside the house, Kagome and Sesshomaru were standing on the doorstep with Mama, Souta, and grandpa looking on from the doorway.

"Here, Kagome," Mama said, handing her three stacked bento boxes bundled in a light yellow fabric. "You can share these with your friends."

"Arigato, Mama!" the miko said brightly and came forward to hug her mother affectionately. She also hugged Souta and grandpa, who was suspiciously holding something wrapped in a brown silk cloth. Her brother shyly approached the quiet inu-youkai, his innocent face upturned and inquiring.

"Sesshomaru-niisan, remember your promise, okay?"

Sesshomaru smiled—it wasn't much of a smile, to be honest, but Kagome found the gesture sweet and adorable. "I am always true to my word, Souta. As an honorable young man, I expect you to do the same."

The little boy's wide brown eyes widened proudly. "Hai, Sesshomaru-niisan!"

The miko's astonishment grew when it was grandpa who approached the Western Lord next. He extended his gnarly hands to give the small package to the daiyoukai.

"As promised, this is the payment for your labor," the old man said in his croaky voice.

"You have my gratitude," Sesshomaru solemnly responded, his gaze almost reverent as he examined the intricate designs of the silk that was wrapped around the box.

"Please take care of Kagome, Sesshomaru-sama. Understand that she can be really stubborn sometimes," Mama said with a sly smile on her face, bowing as she did so. This caused the miko to blush.

"M-Mama!" she spluttered, embarrassed.

"You should get going now, dear," her mother said as her eyes strayed to the falling snow. It was getting stronger. "There might be a storm coming. It's better if you're already on the other side once it hits."

Kagome nodded and waved her goodbyes as she and Sesshomaru turned and walked towards the temple that housed the well. Once inside, she closed the door to cut off the wintry breeze. Her thick parka helped very little to warm her shivering body, but Sesshomaru seemed to be unaffected by it.

"Do you want me to go first?" Sesshomaru asked her. "Inuyasha could be waiting on the other side."

The miko shook her head. It had been troubling her for the past two weeks why Inuyasha didn't follow her and his half-brother when he could just simply jump down the well to do so. Did something happen? She looked at the daiyoukai. "It's better if we go together."

"Very well." Warm fur slid around her waist and pulled her close to the inu-youkai. She blushed when she felt a strong arm gently lift her off the ground. In one fluid motion, they were airborne. The bluish swirls of light enveloped them as the well took them back five hundred years to the past and Kagome couldn't help but feel frantic as she thought about what's waiting for them on the other side.

Soon, hard ground settled underneath their feet and the clear blue sky of the Sengoku Jidai greeted them. Shrubs adorned the inside of the well and the smell of grass lingered in the air.

"Inuyasha is not around, but he will soon be upon us once he catches our scents," Sesshomaru calmly told her. "I can take you far away before then."

"No, Sesshomaru-sama," Kagome said calmly, but her heart was wild against her chest. "I'd like to get my things and my bow and arrow from Kaede's village before we leave."

The daiyoukai studied her with a grim look on his face. "Inuyasha is there."

The miko took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "I'm ready to confront him."