Crossing Paths by Fiona

Chapter 1

Crossing Paths

By

MelancholyNekos

Kagome shifted from one foot to the other as she waited for the light to turn into the walking man so she could cross the street. She clutched the grocery bags closer to her chest and held her breath. This was taking forever. She released the stale air from her lungs and watched as it turned into a white puff of fog in the cold wintry air.

The light changed, and she hurriedly crossed the street, hoping to escape the freezing weather before her toes and fingers went numb and she dropped all the groceries. Again. She fast-walked the rest of the way to her house, purposefully sprinting when passing the shrine, and stopped at the front door.

How am I going to unlock the door? She thought wearily. Her hands were full. She kicked the door, a parody of knocking politely and yelled, "Souta! Open the door!" She listened to her brother's incoming footsteps, and smiled when he opened the door.

"Did you really have to yell, Onee-chan?" Souta pouted. Kagome rolled her eyes. Souta was really big on complaining, even though he was now 13 years old.

"Just help me with these groceries, please? My arms are going to drop and become food for the cat." Kagome glared at Buyo, who was trying to get some chips off of the counter. She hadn't been around him much, and found he had taken to eating literally everything, even at his old age. Stupid cat.

Souta finally agreed and helped Kagome put away all the groceries. They bustled around the kitchen in silence for a few minutes.

"Souta, where's Mama?" Kagome asked, stowing the fish in the freezer. She heard Souta sniff.

"She's at the hospital, visiting Gramps." Souta squeezed the bread between boxes of cereal. Kagome pulled her lower lip into her mouth and began chewing furiously. Gramps had come down with lung cancer, a little over 6 months ago. The doctors told them that he'd always had it, it just laid dormant in his body for many years.

Gramps was one of the only reminders Kagome had of her Father, always telling her stories about when he was a child. Before Souta was born, when Kagome was about seven, her Father died in a freak car accident. Although she was young at the time, she remembered the day like it was yesterday.

"Papa, where are you going?" Kagome asked her Father, watching him pull in his winter coat.

"To the store, Kagome. I know it's late, but if I don't go now, you won't have pancakes tomorrow morning." He smiled at little Kagome, and she smiled back. "Now, have you seen my glasses? I can't find them anywhere."

Kagome shook her head furiously, her pigtails swaying back and forth around her face.

Mr. Higurashi sighed and took the keys from its hook in the wall, "Oh well. I can manage without them for one night." He turned to Kagome, "See you later, sweetie. I love you."

"I love you too, Papa."

Kagome did not see him later. The next thing she knew, the phone rang and her mother answered it, "Higurashi residence," She chirped. Something that was said on the other end had drained the woman's cheery face of all colour. "We'll be there at once." She said shakily, and hung up the phone.

"Kagome, we have to go to the hospital right away. It's your Father." She told Kagome. Kagome had assumed he'd merely broken a limb. But when they got to the hospital, a nurse led them to the ICU, and by then, he was already gone, the monitor beside him beeping a mournful flat tune.

Shortly after her Father's funeral, they had moved in with Kagome's Grandfather, and Souta was born a scant two months later.

When they were done, Kagome marched upstairs and into the bathroom. She needed a hot bath. Now. She had to do something to distract herself from her depressing thoughts. And she was freezing. She still couldn't get over how cold winters were. She decided that winter was her least favorite season, even if it snowed and made the sacred tree look like it was from heaven.

Kagome slid off her heavy jacket and mittens, and shimmied out of her T-shirt and jeans. Finally, she kicked off her boots and socks and stepped into the warm inviting water. She sunk down until only the top part of her head was exposed, and closed her eyes.

She thought back to all the times she came home after a long journey in the feudal era and sat in the tub, just like this. Sadly, there had been no shampoo in the feudal era. Or body wash, or conditioner. She squeezed her eyes shut to hold back the tears that stung high in her nose. The feudal era, a place she had not traveled back to in five years.

The wish she made on the jewel had made it disappear, yes, but it had also forced the well to pull her to her own time, with no InuYasha, no Sango, no Miroku, and no Shippou. She wondered if they missed her. She wondered what life might be like for them now. At the back of her mind, she knew why the well had taken her back; she had fulfilled her destiny there. She completed the Shikon No Tama, she made it disappear. They all defeated Naraku and his minions.

She didn't have a place in a time to which she didn't belong. She still had her family on the other end of the well, her friends, her school, her future. But she missed being in the feudal era, having a purpose no other human had. She especially missed InuYasha. InuYasha, who badgered her about ramen. InuYasha, who always wanted to protect her. InuYasha, the one she loved so much it hurt to be away from him. Her heart always cried out to him, her whole body aching for him to hold her like he did that last day. To kiss her like he did that last day.

Kagome scrubbed her body and her hair, trying not to think about that. That was the past. Literally. It was 500 years ago, and Kagome shouldn't think about it.

She stepped out of the tub, toweled off, and changed into some pajamas. She decided to think about other things. Like what college she was going to apply to.

She decided not to apply to college this year so she could catch up with her studies, giving how much she missed while she was away. Even though she finished out high school after the well locked her out, she still had no clue what most of the stuff they were working on even meant.

She padded down the hallway and into her room, plopping on her bed and burying her face into her pillow. She tried to busy her thoughts with the concept of college, of a career. Soon, she fell asleep.

00

Sesshoumaru shifted from one foot to the other as he waited for Rin to finish up with her bath. Although he appreciated the fact that it made her smell much better after a long walk, she seemed to take lengthier baths the older she got. He ran a hand through his long silver hair and held his breath. This was taking forever. He wondered how she could take such a long bath in such cold weather. He released the stale air from his lungs and watched as it turned into a white puff of fog in the cold wintry air.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! I'm done!" Rin called, stepping from behind the trees. She held her dirty kimono folded in her arms, and her silky black hair was twisted into a tight coil at the top of her head. How she managed to do that, Sesshoumaru had no idea. He took the kimono from her arms and put it into the pack on the left flank of Aun.

"Very well then," He adjusted the big furry pelt in his shoulder, "We will travel back home today, and I expect we should reach there by tomorrow afternoon."

Rin nodded fiercely, and hopped onto Aun. As they trekked through the forest, Sesshoumaru let his mind wander. Rin had grown in the past 5 years, and was now 15, old enough to be married and taking care of a household. Yet, she still acted like a child. Dependent on him, and eager to follow. Sesshoumaru tried to imagine Rin with a husband. She'd be more like a child than a wife. Oblivious to everything around her, Rin still had the mind of a nine year old.

She often times explored the forest around where they called home now. Home. It was a term the youkai still had to get used to. For years Sesshoumaru had been a wanderer, never staying in the same place. But when all the commotion died down after Naraku was defeated and the jewel disappeared, he really hadn't needed to.

After Naraku was defeated, Kaede, the village of Edo's old miko, suggested that Rin stay in the village with the others, in order to live a normal human life. When she was old enough, she'd decide whether to stay or continue her travels with Sesshoumaru. When she had reached the age of 15, only a mere 8 months ago, she proposed something neither the miko nor the youkai had expected.

"Why don't you stay in Edo with me, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin suggested, her tone excited.

Sesshoumaru wrinkled his nose, "Rin, if you have not noticed, I am a highly deadly and powerful youkai, and these humans would surely not welcome me." He slid his hands into the sleeves of his kimono. He dared not say that he didn't want to be near so many humans, let alone live with them.

The old miko nodded once, "Child, ye should know this by now. These villagers have been tormented by youkai for years."

Rin stuck out her bottom lip in a pout, "But Kaede-sama, InuYasha lives here, and so does Shippou and Kirara, and the villagers don't mind," She looked pleadingly at the two, much resembling an injured puppy.

Kaede sighed, "Child, do ye forget that Sesshoumaru-sama is a lord? He has affairs he must take care of, and living in a village full of humans would not go too well with his reputation."

Rin crossed her arms and blew a lock of hair out of her eyes, "Fine. In that case, I'll go with Sesshoumaru-sama."

Kaede stood up with difficulty, "Then come, child, ye have much packing to do." Rin nodded, still obviously upset with not getting her way, and stood up, moving to follow the old miko.

"I can't wait to see Aun again, and Jaken!" She said.

Ever since then, Rin had hardly left Sesshoumaru's side. Even when Jaken died, even when disease swept over Edo, even when he went on month-long journeys.

"I'm going to sleep, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin announced, as if it were the most important thing in the world.

Sesshoumaru nodded, and listened as she adjusted herself in Aun's back. In about 15 minutes, her breathing slowed, and light snores came from deep within her throat.

Final note: Ahahahha I know this chapter is really short but tbh I changed it up so much over the past two weeks. Originally, Kagome was to still be in the feudal era, and it was gonna be an Inuyasha/Kikyou problem. But that's really common, so I decided not to. I really appreciate reviews. And feedback. So, feel free to criticize.

I do not own InuYasha, and do not make profit off of this fic. All rights go to the almighty Rumiko Takahashi.

~nekos