Sins of the Father by ShadowsWeaver1

Building a Well

Building a Well

'I am so bored!'

Lounging carelessly beneath the thick branches of the Tree of Ages, his limbs stretched out languidly and his hair fanning around him in a curtain of silver, one overly powerful dog demon had a problem.

'Gods! What's the point of living forever if I'm just going to die of boredom?!'

His golden eyes slipped shut to try and drown out the impossible monotony of his long life, and his heavy brows drew together in consternation.

'There has just got to be something for me to do! But what?'

A sudden gust of wind sent his hair into a chaotic dance around him. He sighed resignedly and lifted a reluctant hand to bring the unruly stands to order.

'I think I need to invest in a hair tie.'

His eyes slipped open again, pools of molten gold swirling with dark waves of amber unrest. He watched as the leaves of the timeless tree swayed in rhythm with the breezes; back and forth, back and forth, back and...

'Bored! Bored, bored, bored, bored...BORED!!!'

"How do you do it?" he asked aloud to the tree, though not exactly expecting a response. "I mean, come on! You live for an eternity, but you never do anything but sit there! Doesn't it get boring? What do you do to pass the time?" When the response was noticeably lacking from the tree...since, really, it was a tree...the Inu snorted loudly. "Feh! You're probably not listening to me, are you? Probably somewhere else altogether...or...maybe..."

Struck with new inspiration, the dog demon bolted to his feet. He smiled a wicked smile at the unfortunate tree that had just given him the answer to his dilemma, and then leapt from the ground. As he sped through the air towards the branches of the tree with his claws extended, his wicked smile broadened when he heard the ancient tree groan in protest before his claws came into contact with the rough bark.

'So you are there,' he though maliciously. 'Well, this is what you get for ignoring me.'

And with that, he extended his arm, calling up his power. From his claws shot out great arcs of scalding light that burned through the air like whips. They collided with the old wood of the tree with a sizzling crack, cutting and scorching the wood as he worked towards his objective. In only seconds, that objective was realized. The large branch that had been the target for his attack gave under the force of his whips of light and tumbled to the ground below.

Satisfied with his work, the Inu let himself fall to the ground next to his prize. He lifted the large branch over his shoulder easily, and, after giving a passing acknowledgement to the tree for its contribution to his sanity, he began lugging the branch away.

He only made it about fifty paces when he decided he really didn't feel like carrying the blasted limb any longer. It wasn't like he wasn't strong enough for the effort, but the tree limb was very big and rather awkward...and there was that one twig that kept poking him in some most undesirable places. So, deciding enough was enough, he dumped the branch to the ground.

He took a moment to look around. He was in a small clearing, but small as it was, it was big enough for his purposes. He walked to the centre of the clearing, rolled up his long, billowing sleeves, and began to work.

'Oh! But it's been so long since I've felt dirt beneath my claws!' he thought giddily as he dug. 'I should have thought of this sooner!'

On the ground above, trying desperately to avoid being squashed by flying chunks of dirt that were being sent into the air from the newly forming pit, one tiny flea demon bounced anxiously. "My Lord!" the little flea called frantically.

At the sound of the little flea's voice, the flying debris stopped and the demon dog leapt gracefully out from his rapidly growing pit to land beside his little retainer. "Why do you disturb me, Myoga?"

"Forgive me, my Lord," the little flea squeaked, "but what is your reasoning for digging such a hole?"

The Inu Lord arched an eyebrow at the little flea. "This is not a hole," he informed him with a smirk. "It is a well."

"A well, my Lord?" the little flea questioned as he peered over the edge of the muddy pit.

The Inu snorted. "Yeah, well it would be if you weren't distracting me from completing it."

"Ah! Forgive me," the flea begged his maser as he waved his four little arms before him. The look his master was sending in his direction was one the little flea knew all to well; it was a look that all but promised he would soon be one squished bug. And, being that Myoga rather liked the form of his youthful body and wasn't all that keen on having it squashed into something unrecognizable, he opted for another tactic. "Allow me then to take my leave, my Lord." And with that, the little flea was hopping away as fast as his little legs would take him.

With a slight shaking of his head at the antics of his trusted, albeit cowardly, retainer, the Inu Lord once again turned his attention to his project.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Peering anxiously around the corner of the old hut, a young woman took a quick count of her group of friends. Her cerulean eyes glinted with mischief when she saw that the monk and the demon slayer were preoccupied with their careful ritual of cleaning their weapons after a long journey. At their feet, curled up in a ball of pale fur, the firecat rested peacefully with a small bundle of fox kit curled up at her side to share in her warmth. And above them, perched languidly in a tree, his legs dangling carelessly and his arms crossed stiffly over his chest, was the hanyou boy she was avoiding at all costs. She could see his white, pointed ears twitching and swiveling slightly even across the distance between them, but their movements were slow and unspecific. He was sleeping.

The young woman smiled to herself and turned slowly away from the scene. She crept along the wall of the hut, stepping softly to prevent making any noise. Once clear of the hut, she broke into a run that took her away from the small settlement. Her heart pumped with exhilaration and her veins were swimming with adrenalin for her escape. The light summer breeze whipped her midnight hair into a wild curtain as she ran, but the feeling of the wind rushing past her and the pound of her feet against the ground drove the young woman onwards.

Ahead, just above the next rise, lay her freedom. In only a few moments, she would leave behind the world of magic and monsters, of duty and responsibility; and find herself once more in the loving comfort of her home, with friends and family, electricity and running water, a real meal free of hard noodles and bland rice, and the soft comfort of her own bed. The future never looked so beautiful, and it was only a mystic well away.

Suddenly, a sharp tingling against the base of her skull alerted her of the presence of a youkai. Her miko powers were being drawn up in defense, filling her with surging waves of pure power. She cursed under her breath and picked up her pace. She was so close!

But when the aged wood of the ancient well was finally within her range of vision, her path was cut off by a figure in blazing red. His amber eyes locked onto her, his agitation evident in the hardness of his gaze and the stiff posture of his body. He growled lowly, a terrible, vicious sound rumbling through his chest. "And just where do you think you are going, wench," he barked out.

The young miko laughed nervously, her feet moving with slight, deceptive motions to try and bring her around the side of the hanyou. "Inuyasha," she said slowly with the most cheery voice she could muster. "Fancy meeting you here." She shifted the heavy pack on her shoulders slightly, trying to draw his eye from the movement of her feet. "I was just...going for a walk, you know. It's such a beautiful day..."

She decided just to make a break for it. Running off pure adrenaline, she sprinted to the left of the hanyou, only to feint and spin back to the right when she saw him move to block her. She made a frantic dash for her freedom. She was so close!

But freedom, for the young miko, would be denied. Her forward momentum was brought to an abrupt halt when her heavy pack was snagged from behind. The sudden jerking caused her to loose her footing, and she tumbled to the ground in a heap. With a soft groan, she collected herself, finally looking up to her foul-tempered jailor.

"What's your problem, Inuyasha!" she snapped heatedly at the hanyou boy.

"My problem," he asked menacingly as he leaned down to make his position over her even more intimidating. "My problem is that my shard detector decided to try and sneak off while I was sleeping."

"Shard detector?!" Anger washed through her in a blinding surge. She pulled herself to her feet, standing toe to toe with the object of her ire. "My name is Kagome! You got that?! Ka-Go-Me! And until you learnt it, you're going to be on your own for collecting the jewel shards!"

"Need I remind you, that it was you that broke the jewel in the first place?"

"I know that, you baka! But you can't keep throwing it in my face! I need a break! So I'm going home, and there is nothing you can do to stop me!"

"Don't you ever think, you stupid girl? Do you think Naraku will be 'taking a break' while you waste your time writing 'tests' and doing your stupid 'homework'?"

"Inuyasha..." Her voice was dark and deep. He had just crossed one line too many, and judging by the way his pointed ears flattened against his head and his body stiffened, he knew it. "SIT!"

At her shrill command, the dog-eared boy was slammed face-first into the ground at her feet. The soft dirt in the grassy clearing lifted up in a cloud around his prone form, settling down lightly against the blazing red of his garment as he was held firm by the magic of Kagome's subjugation spell.

With a self-satisfied sniff, Kagome wheeled away from the hanyou and turned towards the well. She took hold of the rim, the aged wood familiar under her hands. "And don't even think about following me!" she warned him firmly before pulling herself up and taking the plunge into the darkened depths of the well.

Light burst forth all around her, soft hues of blue and pink mingling together into shades of indigo and violet. The magic of the well enveloped her, like being wrapped in a soft blanket. She felt as though she was floating, weighing nothing even through the freefall.

So many times she had made this crossing, the journey between her home in the future and the world that was 500 years in the past. The well had pulled her to her destiny when she was only 15 years old, and now, after three years of fighting demons and monsters in search of the jewel that was her sacred responsibility, she had grown into a young woman. She had been stripped of her innocent views when presented with the horrors that lurk just outside of our imaginings, and hardened in both body and soul after too many long and painful battles. But through it all, she still smiled, still felt joy in life, still remained pure of heart.

She was the miko of the Shikon no Tama. She had accepted her fate long ago. She would not shirk her responsibility to repair the damage that had been done on that fateful day so long ago, but that did not mean that she would abandon the life she had been born into. As hard as it was for her to live a double life, she would not abandon either one of her identities. So, she would be Kagome, the school girl with friends and family, homework and mysterious illnesses when she was in her present, and she would be the miko of the Shikon, the brave warrior who fought alongside a moody hanyou, a lecherous monk, a demon slayer who was the last of her village, a demon cat and a fox kit, in a quest to rid the land of the past of a terrible evil and the curse of the Shikon.

But one day, she promised herself, she would find a place in the world made just for her. She would find a place where nothing was expected of her, where she owed nothing, where she was loved and cherished for simply being.

Little did she know, that that day was much closer than she would have ever imagined, or that the jewel that was her destiny would be the thing that would bring her to yet another world and yet another destiny.

In the light of the time portal concealed within the ancient well, in the presence of magic and great power, the Shikon, settled in shards contained in a small bottle around the young miko's neck, began to react. The soft pink glow of the shards pulsed outwards, pulling against the fabrics of time, changing the course that lay ahead.

And with one final pulse, the shards of the Shikon began to fade, shimmering out of existence.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Finished."

The Inu Lord stood back from his masterpiece to admire his work. The sturdy wood of the Tree of Ages, now freshly cut, had been fitted into planks and lined along the walls of the new well. It hummed with power, a portal calling out to its would be traveler, and the Inu Lord smiled widely in anticipation.

"Well," he spoke aloud, his voice carrying into the wind, a farewell to the life he had been living, "There's no time like the present...but the future awaits."

And with that, he pushed of from the ground, his strong muscles propelling him high into the air. He allowed himself one last look at his world, and then set his sights into the dark confines of the old well. His descent was rapid, and in only moments he was surrounded in a brilliant light.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

OH! *-Squeals like a giddy little fangirl-* Look! It's my favoritest character ever!!! I'll give you one guess who it is ;)

BUT, this is a Sess/Kag fic...really. It's just going to take some...time...for that to happen. Besides, I just couldn't resist the urge to do this.

Well, I'm off for now.

Later

Shadow