Somewhere in Time

Kagome's Heart

Sango could not believe what she'd just heard. Inuyasha was already mated to Kikyo fifty years ago? Now everything made sense—the hanyou's uncontrollable desire to see the undead miko whenever she's nearby and the irrational priority he kept giving her no matter the cost. Demons, especially the inu-youkai, were very protective of their mates and their safety mattered above all else. If that was the case, Inuyasha choosing Kikyo over Kagome's life was his half-inu-youkai instinct taking control.

Kagome must be hurting so much right now after inding out that the man she loved never truly belonged to her. But when the taijiya looked at her friend, she seemed deep in thought, more than anything.

Strange, she appeared to be more comfortable around Sesshomaru this time. Their body language was proof to that. Kagome clung to the daiyoukai as if her very life depended on him. And the Western Lord standing protectively in front of her was all too familiar.

And what did Sesshomaru say earlier? Her heart is no longer yours to break. What could it possibly mean? Did something happen between Kagome and Sesshomaru while they were in the future?

"Just step away from her, you piece of filth. Kagome and I need to talk." Inuyasha advanced but his half-brother cut him off with a warning growl.

"I will not hesitate to end your life if you come closer," the daiyoukai said acidly, his narrow eyes glinting dangerously in the sunlight.

Sango heard Shippo say something to Miroku whose shoulder he was currently perched on. "Oi, Miroku, something's different about Kagome," the kitsune whispered. Kirara squeaked in agreement.

"What is it?" the monk asked, but before Shippo could think of an answer, Inuyasha's snarl broke the silence.

"What did you do to her?!" he bellowed as he unsheathed the tetsusaiga. "Why did you mark her with your scent!"

Sango gasped, her grip on hiraikotsu loosening slightly as she looked from Inuyasha to Kagome and Sesshomaru. Kagome is scent-marked by Sesshomaru?! But to do that, the daiyoukai must have been intimate with her—a kiss. It was one step closer to the conclusion of the mating ritual, where Sesshomaru would need more than just a kiss to claim Kagome.

But the scent mark... it was a warning to all males to stay away from Kagome or else they would receive the wrath of the proud Lord of the Western Lands. That meant Inuyasha can't touch her anymore, unless he was stupid enough to fight Sesshomaru to the death.

"Have you not heard me, Inuyasha?" the demon lord said, unfazed by the hanyou's offensive stance. "Kagome's heart is no longer yours to break."

Inuyasha was about to swing the tetsusaiga to release Kaze no Kizu, but Kagome leapt in front of Sesshomaru, her brown eyes burning with an absolute resolve. "Enough, Inuyasha! How long would it take you to realize that I'm not Kikyo? You believe I'm her reincarnation, and that might be true, but I'm not her. And that doesn't give you the right to assume that just because she's your mate, it means that I'm your mate too. It doesn't work like that, Inuyasha. I gave you my heart before, but you only broke it over and over because you couldn't tell me that you've already mated with Kikyo. And now... now I've decided to allow Sesshomaru to fix what you've broken."

"K-Kagome..." Inuyasha murmured, shocked by her words. Sango and the rest stood open-mouthed, not expecting their miko friend to admit such feelings—especially her relationship with Sesshomaru, of all people.

Kagome looked at Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo, her face kind and gentle while her eyes pled for understanding. "I will travel with Sesshomaru-sama for a while, but I will not stop looking for ways to defeat Naraku. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."

Sango nodded, wanting nothing in the world but hug the woman she considered her sister. But she tightened her grip on hiraikotsu and stepped in front of Inuyasha. "Go to the village and get your things. We'll stop Inuyasha."

But even as the taijiya said the words, the hanyou was too shocked to move nor make any action as Kagome hurried past them, with Sesshomaru right by her side. She watched their retreating figures blissfully, secretly pleased that Kagome was finally choosing her own happiness for once.