Extreme fear.

Tears poured down her face as she looked into the lifeless eyes of her son and saw the fear permanently etched them.

True fear of the basilisk, probably its greatest weapon.

'Don't look into its eyes.'

He had done the unthinkable, ignoring her mate's orders, more so, his lord's orders in a battle when the order was meant to keep him safe. The grief, she knew was too fresh, too real for him to have behaved rationally, and yet, she would not have stopped him from being here. It was his right.

But why did he look into the eyes? She stood stricken, unmoving, unfeeling, not watching the battle continuing around her as Sesshoumaru released his full fury upon the basilisk youkai. Her son was gone.

Her son was gone.

Bit by bit she started to break, her heart first as it clenched and tightened in her chest, her stomach rolled and she nearly fell to the ground she felt so sick, so weak.

Her baby.

"He's perfect." She ran her hand through the soft, downy hair. "It's almost pewter, isn't it?"

"I picked these for you." He held up a bouquet of random wildflowers that looked like they were hastily gathered.

"Guess what, chichi-ue's going to take me hunting so we can bring home dinner," his golden eyes were so bright she thought they'd blind her. It made her own start to tear up in true happiness. "He says we'll probably catch a rabbit, but we could get lucky and find something bigger, like a boar."

"When do you think I'll be ready to fight alongside father?"

"If I can help father during the war, then maybe it'll end sooner, you two could be together again."

Satoru's hands ran lovingly over the blade as Sesshoumaru presented him with his fang.

Satoru in love.

The images flashed before her eyes, her little boy with soft pewter hair and eyes as golden as the sun, and as expressive as her own. The one who used to bring her flowers and whose hugs could brighten even the worst of days. The young man she had become so proud of as he became more and more like this father.

Something snapped in her as she pulled herself away from and lifted her bow, aiming her arrow. There was time to grieve and mourn later. But right now, she would deal with Osamu. And he wouldn't know what hit him.

Watching Sesshoumaru lunge out of the way of the swinging sword, she sent her arrow flying, straight and true and watched the brilliant pink light explode as it clashed against the venomous blade. Pink mixed with black as her reiki fought with the youki, with the deadly poison, before shattering the katana into a thousand small pieces.

"You bitch," Osamu snarled before turning on her, anger prominently displayed on his face, and she was sure, his eyes, although hers continued to remain downcast from them. Instead, she focused on his hands, and the way his lip curled over his teeth, showing off his poison-dripping fangs. "You will die tonight, just as your son did."

"I don't think so," she snarled back as she approached Sesshoumaru to stand by his side against the basilisk. "If anybody dies, it'll be you for what you've done to us." Circling around each other, neither made the first move, but her reiki crackled as it met Osamu's youki, their two forces battling for dominance. "You don't get it Osamu," she spat at his name, offering up the insult. "You killed my son. I have nothing left to lose."

"You have your mate. I could kill him where he stands with one look."

"Fool us once, shame on you," she quoted. "Fool us twice shame on us. Satoru may have fallen to that fate, but I can assure you Sesshoumaru won't make the same mistake. Look at him, youkai," this time not deigning to address him by his name. "Look at him and tell me if he fears death."

His snarl grew more fearsome, but this time she knew it wasn't meant to cause her fear, but instead meant to hide his. Recklessly he swung at her, his talons coming within an inch of her as she deftly deflected them with her own blade, causing him to howl as the katana easily sliced through the flesh and bone of his thumb. Black blood dripped to the floor at his feet, she noted with satisfaction.

As his howl died out, he began to laugh. "Foolish wench. You can't defeat me by any typical means. I may have lost a thumb today, but you will lose a lot more if you continue with these childish games."

"You will learn that I am by no means typical. I am Kagome. Once I guarded the Shikon jewel. Naraku died at my hands. Do not underestimate my power." She moved aside quickly as she saw the combined attack of Tessaiga and Tenseiga head toward him.

The full blast of the attack hit him with a deadly force and she held her shock in check as he stood on the receiving end, laughing as the blue and yellow light surrounded him. "Do not underestimate my power," he stated proudly, the attack doing nothing to weaken him.

Basilisk. In the moment she had before he would emerge, she thought back to everything she knew about the creatures. Their eyes. Their biggest strength and their biggest weakness lay in their eyes. Eyes that killed Satoru, she thought with a deadly calm. The eyes that killed her son. Glancing at her mate she called to Inuyasha, hoping her mate would catch on. "One more time Inuyasha, hit him one more time."

The power from the wind scar and dragon strike barely had time to settle before they were set upon him one more time. Seeing his moment of distraction, she ran into the fray, katana up, and spoke to him one last time. "You were right about one thing Osamu, I am a bitch."

Angling the blade, she lifted it to his face, catching his black eyes before angling it toward him, reflecting the image at the beholder.

It only took a second as he stared into his own eyes, saw his own death, and died of sheer fright.

Collapsing to the ground, she struggled to catch her own breath, having drained herself of her energy reserves.

It was over.

She nearly recoiled as she saw the look on the youkai's face, his mouth wide and eyes full of fear. No longer a danger she took a good look at them, wanting to see the eyes that dared to kill her son.

Her son!

"Satoru," she clambered to her feet and ran to him, falling next to his lifeless body. His skin was still warm. The tears streamed down her face as she brushed his hair away from his face. This was not the death she wished for her boy, not one filled with such pain.

Her mate stood before them, unexpressive golden eyes looking down at her son. She didn't need to see the emotion to know Sesshoumaru was torn up. "We do this once," he spoke to her, his voice hoarse. "After this, it cannot be done again. If he acts foolishly again, I cannot save him."

She nodded, knowing that despite the warning, he'd have done this anyway. Gently placing him on the ground, she moved to stand behind Sesshoumaru, leaning her head on his back, partly from exhaustion, and partly in quiet support. He was thinking back to Rin, she knew. Everything he had felt that day was beginning to resurface. She didn't say anything though, she didn't need to for him to know her thoughts on the matter.

It was her son, his heir. Tenseiga would do his will.

Closing her eyes, she lent him her strength and felt his muscles pull taut and flex as he swung the blade over Satoru's body. For the first time, she was afraid to open them, to see her son still lying dead on the ground much like she had seen Rin just before the battle with Naraku.

"Mama," he groaned as he rolled on the ground. She collapsed to her knees, relief flooding her senses, mind, heart and soul.

Tears of joy slipped down her cheeks, her hand was shaking as she reached out for her son. For the first time in nearly twenty years, everything was right in her world.

One eye open, he kept a watch on her as she walked away from the group, irritated at their antics. Very slowly they were pushing her away, and not one of them realized it. Inuyasha had already lost her, acting like the pathetic whelp he was. It was only a matter of time before the others would follow. Sending a glare to the group, he took to the trees after her, not sure of what compelled him to search her out.

There was something about her that dug under his skin, made him want to know more and learn more about her. Where she came from, where she was going, and why she did the things she did. And how she could do them so selflessly. Her answer would be simple, he knew, as they were always simple. A woman who hated complications. And he was a complication, a multitude of traits she would find undesirable and repulsive. For some reason, this disturbed him.

He never wanted to be viewed as repulsive, not by her.

He was uncertain as to when this change occurred in him, or how it was caused, but it dawned on him suddenly that it wasn't wholly unwelcome. As it wasn't with the way he would catch her smiling at him at times, when she didn't realize he was watching.

Soft, with a sparkle in her eyes that was beginning to prove irresistible. It was a terrible affliction he had once promised himself he would never fall under.

And he wasn't. It was a fascination, and once he figured out the woman that would be that.

Stumbling upon a field of flowers, he watched her with his ward, laughing as if she didn't have a care in the world, as if the incident with her traveling pack never happened. Picking the flowers with care, she began to braid them in Rin's hair, stroking her scalp with her blunt fingernails no doubt in comfort and in affection.

She always handled his ward with affection, no matter how much of a handful she could be at times. It was these simple things that fascinated him, how she could take such in them.

Such as skipping rocks, and sitting in spring or even under a tree when she wanted to be alone to reflect, or picking flowers. And the fierce determination that enshrouded her during their training sessions as she strived to better herself, make herself stronger. All of these traits typically belonging in a youkai were prominent in a human.

It confused him, twisting his gut the more he reflected upon it. She had faced death numerous times, her own, and those she loved, and yet she sat in the field laughing as the flower she had just placed in Rin's hair slipped out.

It was as if the dangers had never touched her.

Growling at the picture, he swore they never would touch her. Not knowing why he thought along the these lines he vowed he would always be there to protect her in some way.

"Sesshoumaru-sama." The exuberance of the child did much to clear his mind of the conundrum he faced, but it was the small smile of the miko that warmed him.

Why did that smile mean so much when it was directed at him and him alone?

"Rin," he inclined his head as he took his place against a nearby tree, resting his arm on his knee. "Miko." His eyes met hers for a brief moment before she turned away, a faint blush darkening her cheeks. Something primitive in him stirred.

The giggles and laughter had continued although she didn't speak much. It was somewhat surprising considering her penchant for chatter, but it was as if she felt the sanctity of the moment, knew it was only enhanced by the quiet comfort of the afternoon.

And watching her play with Rin it suddenly dawned on him as to why he was so fascinated, what he had truly wanted all along.

Her.

The two of them.

A family he could spend his afternoons with and enjoy, knowing it was the simple moments like this that made life, not the big grandstands. Eyes narrowed in determination, he took a moment to organize his thoughts. The hanyou had his turn and made a mess of it. It was as if everything that had taken place, all of the small moments between them had led up to this one point in time, this one single declaration of his.

And he knew she wanted to too, not impervious to the look in her eyes when she glanced his way. Idly he picked a flower, a small five petal white flower that was no different from the others, but in no way the same. The insignificant becoming the significant. "Kagome," he murmured her name under his breath for the first time. "Kagome," liking the way it sounded.

And under the tree he continued to watch what was his. She may not realize it yet, he knew, but one day she would be his.

And one day, she would be truly happy.

END

sob It's done. Two stories within one spreading over a hundred years in the telling…lol and I did it in 13 chapters. I'm quite pleased with this.

I have several people I want to thank here so please bear with me.

Firstly, I need to thank Yabou who put up with me for my 10 days of insanity while writing this story. You were (and are) a wonderful source of inspiration and a fantastic sounding board. You put up with my inane questions, my obsessive moments and the moments I danced around in glee at the thought of killing people off. And of course the late nights as I figured things out.

Secondly, this story was nominated for Best Characterization – Kagome in the third quarter IYFG and I heartily thank Yabou for the nomination and Sesshysjadedsamuri for seconding this story. I am truly honoured.

I'm also going to take a moment as well to thank the following people for nominating the following for IYFG. I am flabbergasted that people enjoy my work well enough to nominate them for this.

Best Canon – Mirrored Pasts – Jenn and Sesshysjadedsamuri

Best One Shot – Le Vice Anglais – Wiccan and Sesshysjadedsamuri

Best Vignette – Pastimes – Yabou and Wiccan

Best Vignette – In Celestial Harmony: Rainbows – Flametwirler and Lachlanprimus

I cannot thank any of you enough for this and I am still honoured that you think so highly of my stories.

And lastly, but certainly not least…never least, everybody who has taken the time to read this story. Your comments have made me smile and laugh and cheered me on.

So this is it unless there's ever a one-shot spin-off…which is entirely possible. I loved every minute of writing this story.

Mirrored Pasts is on hold for a few weeks as I'm busy writing papers and the likes for classes. As soon as this clears up we'll be right back on track. But I am continually uploading new drabbles onto Interludes and I have a new drabble/one shot series out – Candidacy. It may be drabbles but each chapter is typically 3-4 drabbles and about the length of a normal story chapter.

Thank you :)

Priestess Skye

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1