Freedom by Carmen Dehn

How It Began

AN: Well, here it is. Just another random idea I had one day.

Chapter 1: How it Began

Kagome sighed as she recalled all of the happenings of the day. Currently, she was standing in the middle of a clearing, staring at an enemy of her group, and she was too unhappy about what happened to care much that he was there. In fact, she had asked him to stay.

All around her were trees. The forest went on for at least a mile before you could get to the nearest village; Kaede's village; where Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou and Kirara were staying, along with her. She was most certainly not pleased. She had to clench her fists very tightly not to take out her pocket knife, go back to the village in the middle of the night, and slit open Inuyasha's throat. Not that she would ever actually be able to. Too many unwanted facts for her taste...

'Why am I being like this,' Kagome questioned herself miserably. 'I'm supposed to be the optimistic one of the group.' It was true after all, she was. But yet, she could not manage to remain cheerful when Inuyasha had chosen Kikyou over her again.

Flashback!

Inuyasha had vanished and she had gone to look for him... she was only half surprised when she had seen Inuyasha and Kikyou in a small clearing, staring at one another. Kagome had been able to hear every word that they spoke and she had wanted to leave their presence, but she had not been able to move.

"Well Inuyasha, have you chosen," Kikyou had asked in a tone that sounded both threatening and amused at the same time. "...Between me and my reincarnation?"

Kagome almost ran away at that, but instead she had braced herself for what she knew would be next.

"Kikyou..." Inuyasha had spoken softly as his voice trailed off. A moment passed before he picked up the sentence. "There was never a choice to make... I love you and only you. Kagome is just with me to detect the shards... she always was and always will be."

"I see," Kikyou said, her voice thick with what seemed to be pleasure at hearing that she was the better one. "Then you do not feel any hatred towards me over what I did to my reincarnation... trying to kill her?"

"No. I don't. Of course I don't Kikyou... I could never hate you." He had silently approached her and embraced her in a warm hug which, to Inuyasha's and Kagome's surprise, Kikyou had returned.

They (Kikyou and Inuyasha) had returned to the village hand in hand with a smile on both of their faces and Kagome was left in the bushes where she had hid to think about what she had heard while releasing tears that her eyes seemed so intent in forming.

End Flashback...

So now, she stood in front of her enemy, waiting for him to return from his thoughts. Finally, he turned to her, and she started to speak.

---whee!---

He had watched her for quite a long time, this girl.

She wasn't overly fascinating, but he had been slightly bored and needed something to do. He recognized her fairly well. Inuyasha's wench... what was her name again? Kagome? Yes, that was it. Kagome... he had heard crying about an hour ago and thought he might as well find the source. Humans were normally amusing when they were crying, but she had just sat there and sobbed. She hadn't moved in over forty-five minutes, and her crying wouldn't stop. Instead, it got worse every minute. She was sitting on the ground, face buried in her knees, crying. It was quite boring.

By then, he was rather uninterested and was about to leave, but the girl decided right then to calm down. In fact... she had become silent quite suddenly then. Well, all except for her slightly heavy breathing. And... then he was curious as to why she had stopped crying so suddenly. Damn this wench! He would never be able to leave...

"I know you've been watching me." At this, he was startled. How had she noticed him? He might not have put up a barrier, because there were no immediate threats here, but he was over twenty-five feet away, hidden up in a tree. He had stayed perfectly still, hoping that she would think that she had been imagining things.

"I know you've been watching me." She repeated. "You've been over there for more than an hour now." Just wonderful... she'd known he'd been there the whole time. He stood up and was about to leap off in the opposite direction from where she sat when she called out to him again.

"Please don't leave."

He sighed inaudibly. He wanted to leave, but for some reason the mixture of hope and despair in her voice would not allow him to. "Please, Sesshoumaru. Don't leave."

He hated when he couldn't bring himself to do what he wanted most. Jumping down out of the branch, Sesshoumaru had walked slowly towards her, leaves and twigs crunching under his boots as he strode in her direction. The autumn air was slightly refreshing, but he didn't know how she could stand to wear such... revealing clothes at this time of year. By the time he had gotten there, she was standing and looking at him intently.

Her face was slightly puffy and soaked with tears, her eyes were pink and above all, she smelled like sadness. It was... strangely intriguing that this girl who was always so cheerful (from what he had observed in the past) could be so utterly unhappy.

Quite a few questions were racing through his mind...

How long had she been crying before he got there? How did she notice him? What happened to make her so unhappy? Why did whatever happened affect her so much? But, the most important question: Why did he care?

He looked at her again. This time she was sitting on a rock, but her gaze still searched him, as if seeing if he would get mad at her for what she was obviously about to say.

"Sesshoumaru, I'd like to ask a favor of you..."

He nodded in her direction so that she would know he was listening, and she started talking again. "I'd like to travel with you. I don't want to be near that bastard anymore."

"And why this sudden change in will?" He really did want to know, but to her it just sounded if he was mocking her.

She was silent for a moment, searching him for a sign that he would not judge her by her answer. Finally she decided that she didn't care what he thought and she sighed, answering his question. "He's broken my heart too many times. I don't want to go through that again... I can't see him with her. I just... I can't." She stood up and waited for a reply, her breath held while he pondered over her question.

Sesshoumaru looked over at her for the umpteenth time, curiosity showing in his eyes. He grinned unnoticeably, removing his gaze from her figure. At this, she stood.

"We will see, girl."

He walked away, leaving her confused, and slightly frustrated. He could smell her determination, though, and paused. Sighing, he spoke once more.

"And how would I benefit from such an... inconvenient situation?"

"Well," Kagome started, "I know that Inuyasha still cares for me, even though he might not say so. I would be valuable for fights against him. Also, I can sense the jewel shards, so I can help you track down Naraku. And even besides that, I have knowledge of medicine, among other aspects that would be helpful in traveling."

"I have no need for help with Inuyasha, I am not particularly interested in the whereabouts of Naraku, nor do I need someone with medical training. What else might you be educated in?"

Kagome sighed, grinning slightly (she might have been slightly hysteriacal by now). She had saved these for last, thinking them the most important.

"I am a very powerful priestess. I have greater power than Kikyou ever did. I might also, if you are interested, be able to keep any demons from entering your domain unless you allow them to. It would require no effort what-so-ever on your part to keep your lands free from annoyances."

Sesshoumaru pondered this for a few moments, before extending his hand.

"Very well. You may accompany me in my travels for now. But be warned: If I notice so much as a hint of trickery in you, I will not hesitate to take action."

"Yes." Kagome said. "Yes, I understand." Then she smiled, and said the most unexpected thing Sesshoumaru could have thought of.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru."

AN: Please review! Even flames are greatly appreciated!