Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket nor Inuyasha.

Memory of Souta

The Higurashi Shrine reopened as soon as the former time travelling priestess returned to the shrine. After her visit to Shigure's house, Kagome occupied her mind with organizing and maintaining the shrine, cleaning and fixing any dirty and broken spots. She also had to cleanse the tainted air surrounding the shrine as well as breathing her spiritual energy into the magical relics that lost their powers after the priestess had left the shrine. To accomplish all this alone was definitely tiring. But it helped her mind to get off of things that she didn't want to think about. Such as the Sohma and her contract bounded guardian duty. She leaned against the rough bark of the Goshinboku and sighed, content with her fine job of cleaning the shrine ground. Five years. She had abandoned her home for five years. Kagome shook her head violently as if to get that thought out of her mind. She didn't want to think about anything that would remind her of Honda Kyoko or the Sohma family.

"Hey Kagome! We are almost done with our preparations! You done yet?"

The young fox's shout echoed throughout the shrine ground, and Kagome smiled upon hearing the fox's voice. His voice was a little deeper than last time she saw him, but again, that was five hundred years ago. Standing up with a small groan, Kagome headed towards the house located at the very back of the shrine. Although it was still four people living in the shrine again (although the members were very different this time), to suit Sesshomaru's taste the house was remodeled to be much bigger and modern than it was used to be except Kagome's room. In just past few days everything has been changing so rapidly that Kagome felt even more confused and lost than when she first went to the Feudal Era. Her ties with Honda Tohru, Sohma Shigure, reunion with old acquaintances, that talk with the great Dog demon… everything, everything was moving too fast for Kagome to handle. She furrowed her brows at the headache she got by simply thinking about those things.

"Kagome! Where are you!"

Shippo's voice startled her and she snapped out of her daze. There was no time for her to daze off like this especially when they were preparing to hold a festival to celebrate the reopening of Higurashi Shrine. Just as she took another step towards the house, she felt the familiar pain racking through her brain. Her eyes rolled back, and she was no longer standing.

"Kagome, leave your family."

"What?"

At Kyoko's sudden order Kagome snapped her head at the older woman, her pupils shaking uncontrollably from such ridiculous request. Tohru's father had past away not so long ago, and it was just Kyoko who was taking care of Tohru. The young Tohru was sleeping soundly in Kagome's arms and whined a little when Kagome shouted at Kyoko. Cradling the child back to her sleep, Kagome leered at Kyoko who was still smiling at her innocently. Kagome hated her innocence.

"You talk nonsense, Kyoko. I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

Kagome replied, casting her eyes away from the smile she hated so much. Surely Kyoko had asked her to do many idiotic things, but this was the first time Kyoko ordered something bizarre like this. Leave her family to protect Tohru? How selfish and ludicrous it was! For a moment Kagome could see Naraku overlapped with Kyoko, and she shuddered at the thought.

"Must I coerce you, Kagome?"

Kagome snarled at the woman's impudence. Kyoko acted as though she was a queen who ruled over Kagome, but although the woman did hold power to command Kagome, it didn't mean that Kagome would let the woman use her as she pleased. Kagome knew she didn't have a choice, but such command to leave her precious family behind was something she wasn't willing to follow so readily.

"Listen, Kyoko. If you want me to protect your daughter twenty-four seven, I don't mind. But you have no right to order me to leave my family behind. Your request can be done without having you to give me such an order. Take it back."

"Oh? But I can't. I need you to have Tohru as your number one priority, and as long as you are with your family, Tohru is never going to be the number one for you."

"And so you forcefully tear me away from my family? Know your place, Kyoko!"

Kagome's black eyes flashed dangerously at the woman standing before her. After softly laying Tohru into her cradle, Kagome stood up to match Kyoko, who was now staring intensely at her with soft brown eyes. For a soft woman Kyoko had incredible intensity and cruelty inside her, and although Kagome didn't admit, it frightened her. From time to time Kagome felt like Kyoko would someday swallow her up with her twisted innocence, and it genuinely scared her. So much. Even so Kagome refused to cower away this time. It was her family, and Kagome honestly didn't think she could live a life away from them.

"Kagome."

Kagome flinched. Sometimes the priestess wondered what kind of Kyoko was in the past, before she was married to Katsuya. Those cold looks and charismatic influence over other people didn't come naturally, and Kagome had to assume that Kyoko was a woman with a past. Kyoko reached out her hand and placed it firmly on Kagome shoulder and gripped it tightly, making Kagome flinch again.

"You follow my orders willingly or not, you will do as I say in the end, priestess."

"But—!"

"You, Higurashi Kagome, bound by the contract formed through blood, shall follow the orders of Honda Kyoko, the contractor. I order you to leave your family behind and have Honda Tohru as your priority. Now go and fulfill my command."

Black wings sprouted from Kagome's back and flapped twice before it carried Kagome out of Honda residence and to the Higurashi Shrine. Horrified how her body was moving against her will Kagome tried to stop herself, even tried to break her wings by bashing into the buildings, but regardless of her efforts, Kagome was already at the shrine, facing Souta.

"Sis?"

"Souta. I'm sorry. It's her wish. It was and is my wish to do this to mom, grandpa, and you."

"Kagome?"

"I'm sorry Souta. Tell mom and grandpa that I'm sorry too, ne?"

Her wings started flapping again, and her body floated slightly above the ground. Realizing that his sister was going to leave him, Souta dashed towards Kagome was by now in mid-air, ready to take off towards Honda residence at any minute. Just when she was about to soar into the blue sky, Souta jumped and latched himself on to her, and the unexpected weight caused both to drop back to the ground, landing heavily on their backs.

"Kagome! You got to be joking right? There is no way you'll abandon us like this! Is that woman and her baby that precious to you now?! Even more than your own family? Kagome! Answer me!"

"You think…You think I'm doing this because I want to? Stop kidding me!"

A loud slap echoed as Kagome's hand struck Souta's left cheek harshly. The silence following the slap was so suffocating that both Kagome and Souta even stopped breathing but stared at each other. A tear slid down Souta's swollen cheek and Kagome wiped it for him. Another fell and Kagome wiped it again until Souta's eyes were overflowing with tears that Kagome couldn't wipe them all.

"Kagome…please don't leave…please?"

"Souta. No matter where I am, who I am with, what I am doing I will always think about our family. I will always think about you, pray for you. So promise me that you'll be strong, Souta. Strong enough to protect mom and grandpa when I'm gone."

"But Kagome!"

"Bye, Souta. I'm sorry for hitting you."

With a heartwarming smile Kagome kissed him on the check and flapped her wings, leaving Souta wordlessly sitting on the cold stone ground, gaping at the back of his sister. The sound of her flapping wings echoed, and it was then Souta snapped out of his trance and yelled at Kagome, who was now nothing but a large black spot against the blue sky.

"Kagome! Don't this to me, to us! Please stay! You don't have to obey her wish! It is your choice! Kagome!"

And there was only the sound of Kagome's flapping black wings that answered Souta's desperate shout.

When she came about Kagome was lying on her bed, in her room. She stared blankly at the dark ceiling and wondered if it was Shippo who carried her back to her room. Her head was still pounding from the dream, or rather her memory, and Kagome groaned, not liking the pain. There was a soft click at the door, and Kagome turned her head to the doorway to see Sesshomaru standing there, gazing at her with indifferent eyes.

"Hello, Sesshomaru-dono."

"You are awake, priestess."

"What happened?"

"Shippo found you collapsed few feet away from the house. He carried you back."

"Oh. I see."

There was a comfortable silence, and Kagome turned her head so that her eyes were staring at the ceiling again. She heard Sesshomaru closing the door behind him and approaching her, but Kagome didn't bother turning her head to look at him. Sesshomaru dragged a chair to sit next to her bed, and Kagome wondered what he wanted from her.

"Miko, you are weakening."

"Yes I am. And it's inevitable."

"What did you see this time."

"Souta."

There was another silence, and this one was a bit more uncomfortable than the last one. So that was what Sesshomaru wanted to talk about, Kagome thought. Kagome was definitely getting weaker and weaker day by day. Because her position as a miko became unstable the moment she was cursed by the mountain spirit, her spiritual energy started to lose its power. Her mental instability didn't help her either. To have spiritual energy and being a miko meant that she needed to have a strong mentality to have a healthy soul, the source of miko's powers. However, the continuous nightmare-like memories were weakening her healthy state of mind, and if it were to continue, one day she would be stripped of all powers and become nothing but a mere human who happen to be able to transform into a raven. How did she, the guardian of Shikon no Tama, become like this? So vulnerable, so weak, so useless. Kagome chuckled half-heartedly, somehow finding her entire situation very humorous. Perhaps it was a consequence for sacrificing so many lives. Perhaps that was it.

"Sesshomaru-dono. How long will I last?"

"It depends."

"Depends how long it will take before I become insane I guess?"

At her remark Sesshomaru didn't answer, and Kagome smiled. So it really was unavoidable for her to escape her fate. She wondered what Inuyasha and Shippo would do if they found out about her situation.

'They would probably kill Tohru for this.'

"It depends on whether you wish to be free or not, miko."

"What?"

At Sesshomaru's sudden words Kagome sat up straight, her wide eyes staring at the slightly smirking demon's face.

"I don't know about your contract with that filthy human, but if you wish I can free you from the mountain spirit's curse. That should help you gain enough strength to last until you free yourself from that human's contract."

Kagome lowered her head, staring at her fidgeting hands placed on the blanket. She could be free from everything. Finally free. But she didn't know why when Sesshomaru said she could be free from her contract with Honda Kyoko a certain Sohma's face flickered into her mind. A face of Sohma she least expected to think of at this moment: Sohma Shigure.

Sorry for the late update everyone TT

Please review! :)

Word count: 1,963 words