Why Me

Chapter 12: Old Friend

7 Days after Kagome left Edo Village…

Kagome was starting to lose hope of ever finding Miroku she knew where to find Sango if she wasn't out on a slaying job that is so her sister in all, but blood wasn't the issue here no the issue was a certain perverted monk who was like an older brother to her. Since she wanted to meet her friends again in the order, she had met them before in her timeline, and she had met Miroku before she had met Sango she was currently in the East searching the Eastern Lands for her monk friend. Since the Eastern Lands was where she had met him in her timeline and she also remembered his family's temple being somewhere in the East the Eastern Lands was the only logical place to start searching for her friend.

Though now that she thought about it their meeting the first time had been mostly chance as they hadn't been looking for the monk he just kind of came after them when he noticed the jewel shards she carried. She wondered how the Miroku of this timeline was getting along without the wind tunnel curse in his left hand since Naraku didn't live long enough to curse Miroku's grandfather. She immediately shook that question off though when Miroku's other weapons crossed her mind, his charm, sharp wit, and intelligence made him a deadly adversary even without the wind tunnel. Not to mention his ofuda's, barriers, and that staff of his that he always carried around which he kept charged with his holy powers during battle turning lower level youkai to ash almost instantly made him an adversary that most youkai would stay away from.

Yes, Miroku was okay wherever he was and probably if she knew this monk swindling the pants off someone or another right at this very moment in time spirits considerably lifted at the thought of the typically Miroku like action she continued her search for his familiar aura. After all, his aura couldn't be too very different than the Miroku of her timelines had been right?

Meanwhile, miles away, a certain monk felt a shiver of premonition go down his spine and choosing to disregard the feeling in favor of what he was currently doing. (And surprise, surprise he was indeed swindling someone for a free meal and a place to stay for the night by pretending that there was a threatening aura around the home that must be cleansed just as Kagome thought he might be.) which is pretty sad and laughable if you think about it. Though the perverted monk really shouldn't have disregarded the shiver of premonition that went down his spine if he hadn't he would have been prepared for the odd, unexplainable, and life-threatening things that were soon to occur in his life including the introduction of a certain Miko into his life.

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At the same time miles away in the Western Lands…

Kay had just arrived at the Western Shiro and headed straight for his lord's study knowing his lord would want an answer to the message he had been sent to deliver immediately upon his arrival at the palace. His lord was probably also going to want an explanation as to why Kay was both excited and nervous upon his return his lord was a very curious individual after all.

Arriving at the door to his lord's study he straightened out his clothes a best as possible knowing he would not be able to clean up from the journey until after his meeting with his lord before gently knocking on the frame of the shoji screen. Soon after he heard an "enter" from his lord bidding him enter and walked into the sparsely but tastefully furnished room taking a seat in one of the chairs across from his lord. "Kay I'm glad you have returned. How was your journey?" His lord asked him as soon as he was seated.

"Ah, my journey was well Milord" was the only thing Kay could think to say since he was still trying to figure out how to tell his lord about the priestess. Inutaisho having noticed his longtime friend and vassal was much more reserved than normal when he asked him about how his journey had gone frowned minutely before narrowing his eyes in thought. And upon observing his friend closer, he noticed Kay seemed to have an air of excitement about him from that he deduced that the source of Kay's excitement was the cause for the nervous tension he saw in his most trusted messenger.

He was indeed curious as Kay thought he might be, but he pushed away his curiosity for now after all Kay would probably tell him what had gotten him all wound up after he delivered his message all he had to do was be patient. Though he had to wonder just what it was that had gotten his friend at the very least, he knew it wasn't bad news because his friend was both excited and nervous whereas if it had been bad news he would have only been nervous. Inutaisho was shaken out of his thoughts and back to attention when his friend started to speak, "Regarding the message you sent this lowly servant to deliver your youngest had to say as follows."

"He will be leaving upon the completion of gathering the necessary supplies for travel and alerting his intended's village of their impending departure."

"Ah yes, his intended is the village Miko is she not?" at Kay's nod of confirmation he continued

"then this one could see why they would not want to leave without informing the village that their protector and healer will be away for a while."

"Indeed Milord"

"Well now that, that is out of the way why don't you tell me what has you all wound up like a taut bowstring."

"I have to admit I am quite curious since I can't remember ever seeing you this wound up before."

"Not to mention, you usually have more than just a few words to say to me whenever you come back, and I ask you how your journey has been."

Kay coughed a little in embarrassment at having been caught and being so uptight with his lord and friend, nut, in all honesty, he was still in slight shock over having seen the Miko alive 200 years after he had last seen her when she had lived in the palace. But he quickly got over his embarrassment and prepared to tell his lord what or rather whom he had seen and Inutaisho sensing he was about to get answers focused entirely on Kay.

"Well Milord on my way to deliver my message to your youngest son I came across someone I hadn't expected to see, however, there was no way to mistake this person for someone else, and I was, to put it mildly shocked."

"Oh, and who was this person to leave you so shocked anyone I know," Inutaisho asked somewhat jokingly. What he hadn't expected was an uncharacteristically serious expression to come over his most trusted messenger's face or for him to nod in confirmation that the person who had so shocked him was indeed someone he knew. The next words out of Kay's mouth caused him to feel as if someone had punched him in the gut and knocked all the air out of his lungs.

For the next words out of Kay's mouth were "the person I saw was the Miko Kagome who stayed in the Shiro 200 years ago

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Now Toga or the Inu No Taisho as he was otherwise known wasn't surprised by much because he had done and seen so many things in his little over one and a half millennia of life on this earth. So, he hadn't expected to react the way he did to the news that the women he thought of as a daughter was back and 500 years earlier than she had said she would return at that. However, it was that thought that brought him out of his utterly shocked stupor (and consequently caused Kay to sigh in relief since he had never seen his friend and lord react that way before to anything).

After dismissing Kay after ordering him to keep his silence on the matter of the Miko for the moment until he decided what he was going to do with the information Toga fell into a contemplative mood. How and more importantly why had she returned early, and he was disputing the fact that she had returned because he trusted Kay's word and his highly trained senses there was a reason he was the best messenger in his employ after all. Immediately after that last question entered his mind, he dismissed it, of course, his daughter in all but blood had known she would return early.

So, the bigger issue remained why had she returned early? Why had she not immediately returned to the West upon her arrival, especially with Sesshomaru still here waiting for her? His oldest pup had been devastated by the loss of the little Miko he had come to love and wanted as his mate sure she wasn't dead, but she was out of his reach so he would have to wait to make her his officially. Though it appeared he wouldn't have to wait the 700 years he originally was going to have to for the little Miko.

Kagome had taught his pup so much while she had been here. Like not all humans are weak and worthless cowards with no spine and that emotions like love and affection weren't a weakness to be gotten rid of but a strength that allowed you to protect the ones you cared about most. Something he had been trying to teach his pup for centuries with no success she had taught him in mere months with only her strength and stubbornness.

And there was no doubting that his future daughter n law was indeed a stubborn creature as stubborn if not more so than anyone youkai or otherwise he had ever met. But this fact this stubbornness of hers made the little Miko the perfect match to his eldest pup because she wouldn't simply give in to Sesshomaru's demands and submit like most female's humans included would. Oh no, she would fight back tooth and nail for what she wanted or if she thought he was unreasonable forcing Sesshomaru to work for what he wanted and he suddenly had an inkling that Kagome's early return very much had to do with his eldest pup.

Then Toga got a perfectly evil idea he wasn't going to say anything to anyone about Kagome's return and would order Kay to do the same. Instead, he was going to see just how long it would take his eldest pup to figure out he was hiding something from him just a little payback for how insufferable his eldest pup has been the last two hundred years. All he's done these past two hundred years to keep his mind off the Miko is train, train the Miko's kit who he sees as his son, go on patrols to keep the Western Lands secure, take care of the small human child he had rescued and thought of as his daughter, and mope when he is not doing any of the aforementioned activities. And a mopey Sesshomaru is an annoying Sesshomaru all he does is sit there and growl LOVELY CONTINUOUSLY, FOR HOURS usually in his, his mother's or Inuyasha's vicinity.

Which is he thinks at least the main reason why Inuyasha left the palace and became a wander about fifty years ago to get away from his elder brother's moping. Sure, Inuyasha understood that Kagome was very dear to everyone in his family especially Sesshomaru since Sesshomaru wants Kagome as a mate, but Sesshomaru's moping had gotten a little out of control in the last fifty years. In all honesty, if he weren't still technically lord of the west, he would have taken Izayoi to his eldest pup's mother's floating palace and spent the next century at least away from his mopey pup. Sometimes it would get so bad he would literally have to kick Sesshomaru out of the palace and tell him not to come back until he could stop being all growly.

One things for sure once Sesshomaru found out that Kagome was back he would be hunting her down and matting her as soon as he found her and find her he would. And he couldn't wait sure having his own pups to coddle was great, but he wanted grandpups to spoil rotten (besides little Rin of course since Shippo was a little too old to spoil now). Perhaps now that Inuyasha was all grown up and soon going to have a mate of his own, he would be able to convince his lovely Izayoi to give him another pup maybe this time around they would have a little girl. He especially wanted a little girl this time because he knew it would make his Izayoi happy beyond words because despite the fact he knew she loved Inuyasha dearly when she had given birth two hundred years ago he had known she secretly wished for a baby girl as her first child.

At the thought of female pup, a silly grin stretched across his face, yes things in the palace were soon going to get very interesting. And he was going to enjoy every minute of it because very few interesting things had happened in the last two hundred years and he was frankly getting bored with the routines of it all. Maybe once Sesshomaru mated Kagome he could convince them to take over as Lord and Lady of the Western Lands he would, of course, give them about a hundred years to enjoy their matting before bringing the subject up ( he wasn't stupid after all). Then he could spend all his time spoiling his Izayoi and any pups/grandpups that had been born into the family.

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One week later…

Kagome was certain that the kami were laughing at her right now because things were not supposed to happen the same way twice and yet they had for she had found Miroku or rather Miroku had found her, and he had asked her to bare his child just like last time. The only two differences were a) no blustering hanyou was present and threatening to eviscerate the monk and b) she only blushed and stuttered for about 3.5 seconds before promptly slapping him across the face HARD enough that the Sango from the previous timeline would have been proud.

Same old Miroku why she had expected him to be any different she had no idea it was like it was written into his DNA his very soul to be a mega pervert. At least she hadn't caught him swindling some poor fool though if he was a pervert like the Miroku of the previous timeline had been chances are he was a swindler too.

But both of those things were fine after all the Miroku of the previous timeline had been both of those things, and she still grew to see him as a brother. And while he might not remember her, she remembered beneath the pervertedness a deep kindness and wisdom that always seemed to make him glow from within. Miroku had been the one that she had gone to for advice whenever she was having trouble with Inuyasha in the past since he knew far more about relationships than anyone else she knew. Having seen many different types of relationships in the past while he was traveling the lands by himself, he gained a lot of valuable insight into what made the best relationships work.

Also, being a male himself, he knew far more about how the male mind worked than Sango would have to be a female. It was Miroku who finally encouraged her to stop perusing Inuyasha after having watched the be at a standstill in their relationship for a long time he had concluded before Kagome even truly saw it for herself being so as close to the situation as one could get that she and Inuyasha were not a good match for each other. They were too alike in their personalities and temperaments, so they were likely always going to clash much as they did already only causing hurt to the both of them and possibly ensuring that there would no longer be a possibility for any sort of relationship at all which would have devastated them both to lose such a cherished relationship.

Anyway, back to the situation at hand after the somewhat rocky introduction between her and Miroku the monk who was by this point feeling very much apologetic offered to treat her to a meal. And Kagome never one to pass up free food agreed but only after telling the monk she would be keeping a close eye on him with a disapproving look on her face that said all and made the monk quite nervous. Once they got to talking she learned that the Miroku of this timeline was the same kind and wise soul underneath as the Miroku of her original timeline had been although quite a bit less burdened because he hadn't been cursed and lost his father a very young age to that same curse.

She also learned that the proposition to bear him children were only a tease and never meant to be taken seriously and that (not like she couldn't guess because she was a highly intelligent individual after all) a traveling monk much as she was a traveling miko. (Men and their freakin outdated opinions of women). He also admitted that if he truly intended for a woman to bear him a child she would be the women he loved and no one else, and he would marry her first before he had any children with her because he had more honor than to leave a woman as little more than a common whore in the eyes of society. Kagome instantly respected him even more than she already did for that admission, and it was also something she had never known about the monk before despite how well she had known the Miroku of her timeline.

When the meal was finished as Miroku was paying she debated asking him to travel with her but only giving it a moment's thought, after all, she did want her friend back she offered that they travel together stating that they were better off traveling together than alone even with their holy powers to ward off unfriendly youkai. She also thought that they could become good friends if given a chance, so she wanted the chance to get to know him better he simply smiled and not one of his lecherous ones at that and agreed. Admitting he had become weary of traveling alone since he usually traveled with his father, his grandfather, or both, but his grandfather was getting too old to travel now.

So, his father had stopped traveling the lands to care for the aging monk leaving him to bring in money to support his family mostly by himself.

The new traveling companions decided to stay at the inn for the night as it was getting far too late to start traveling, paying for their own separate rooms they bid each other good night turning in for bed.

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The next day the two new traveling companions had a nice hot breakfast at the same teahouse they had shared dinner at the previous night receiving a few strange looks from the staff which they ignored. Both were unconcerned with the opinions of others let them think what they wanted to; it was none of their business what the relationship between the two of them was. After giving thanks to their hosts for the meal they began the trek out of the rather large and crowded village and were unfortunate enough to get caught in morning traffic, so it took them quite a while to make it out of the village

Once out of the village they stopped for a moment to take a few swigs from their water skins which they had refilled on their way out of the village. As they rested briefly Miroku eyed his new traveling companion thoughtfully she was an oddity only a little while after he had propositioned her to bare his child and she goes and accepts his offer of a meal and then offers to be his traveling companion. All this after only having known him a short while, yet her offer was sincere he could tell that she truly did want to get to know him truly there was more to his new traveling companion than met the eye. Even though they hadn't spoken much, he could sense that she was an extremely kind and intelligent individual, loyal to a fault and passionate about what she believed in.

Not only that she was extremely powerful as well her aura radiating a strength unrivaled by any Miko he had met in his travels and he had met a fair few. But above all those things that intrigued him about his new traveling companion was her purity, he had never seen a Miko's aura so pure, bright, and warm before it curled around him protectively. And he had an inkling that that protection was unconscious on her part which was astounding in, in of itself it warmed and calmed him like nothing else he had ever experienced. Even his mother's beautiful singing as a small child when he was scared did not compare to the feelings invoked in him by her protective aura.

It seemed to Miroku at least that his new traveling companion the Miko Kagome was like a brightly burning star amidst these dark times of war and violence bringing hope and courage in her wake wherever she decided to travel. And Miroku was happy to have met one such as her whose light was sorely needed in these dark times and would gladly fallow her path wherever it might lead her so long as she wished for his companionship.

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Sesshomaru was confused and irritated two things he was unused to being at least on normal matters that didn't concern a certain Miko who he sorely missed. Which was why he was in the dojo viciously beating up training dummies instead of taking out his frustration out on the one causing his frustration since he wasn't in the mood to get his ass handed to him. His father had been acting strangely ever since Kay had returned with his brother's reply to their father's and the council's demand that he return to the palace immediately and present his mate to be before them well even stranger than normal for his father anyway.

Whenever he was around his father his father would have this shot eating grin on his face like he knew something that he Sesshomaru did not though he doubted his father had any information that would truly interest him unless it was about Kagome which was impossible. He just shrugged thoughts of his father's odd behavior to the back of his mind, but other unwanted frustrating thoughts made themselves known in their place making him even more frustrated than before if that was even possible. He was happy for his brother truly he was for finding his match in the priestess Kikyou who he had met a few times already unbeknownst to the other members of their pack. But the fact that Inuyasha was soon to be mated made him unreasonably frustrated with his younger brother to the point of wanting to punch Inuyasha in the face.

Because Inuyasha wasn't supposed to get mated before he Sesshomaru did he was the older brother, but through no fault of his own and the whims of a fate Inuyasha would be getting mated before him.

He uncharacteristically sighed as the only outward sign of his frustration at the moment as he was no longer beating on the dummies anymore just standing in the middle of the dojo thinking. Everyone else in his pack was living happily with their mates except him and the children who were still too young as of yet to look for mates even his mother was happy having mated Ryokotsusei shortly after his mike was sent back to her own time. Constantly living around all the loving couples made the ache he constantly felt at not having his little Miko around all the sharper in its intensity. His Miko had changed him without him, even realizing it; she taught him things that he now realized his father had been trying to teach him for centuries. She had only spent a very small amount of time with him she had wholly and completely captured his icy heart with her warm, bright, and pure nature and gentle, a patient smile that seemed to light up the room.

He could remember with stark clarity the kiss that they had shared after the announcement that she would be returning to her own time and he could remember the way she had tensed not expecting him to kiss her and the attractive blush that had painted her face when he had released her. He had told her that he wanted her as his mate after giving her time to calm down from his kiss, and she had, had such a sad look on her face they had then spent the rest of the night talking and just enjoying each other's presences knowing it would be a while before they would see each other again.

But Sesshomaru was no fool soon after the Miko had left her kit and now his as well he thought a rare smile graving his face had told him more of the Miko than she had told any of them. The kit told of her selflessness in wishing away the Shikon jewel instead of using it for her own means. Of the friends she had made in a female youkai slayer who was like an older sister to her, a lecherous monk who was beneath his lecherousness was a very wise and kind man that she considered an elder brother, and his own half-brother Inuyasha. The kit was the reason why he knew that the who timeline had changed because of Kagome's actions 200-years ago his father had died in the original timeline was alive in this timeline as just an example.

Honestly how much his Miko did for people without them even realizing it astounded him, but the kit had said that she had always been like that for as long as he had known her. The kit also explained much to his irritation how the relationship between his Miko and his half-brother in the previous timeline had been one of romance, which made him want to hit something (preferably the source of his ire) until he remembered Inuyasha's complete devotion to Kikyou and relaxed. The kit also told him of the previous timeline's Inuyasha's devotion to the same miko and how it had caused his Miko much pain because her feelings had not been returned.

He knew for a fact the pain the previous Inuyasha had caused her was why she was hesitant with him. It wasn't that she didn't care for him or even that she saw his brother in him because she knew they were two different people, but because she didn't want to get hurt like that again afraid that there might be no repairing her heart if she were to be rejected a second time. But he would never, ever hurt her especially in that way his heart and soul were irrevocably hers now all he had to do was show her this fact and he would when he saw his Miko again.