Time Is Only An Illusion by raindancer13

Time: A Gift or A Curse??

When you really think about it, time was just an illusion. When it came to Taiyoukais, once they reached their prime, they never aged. It could either be viewed as a blessing... Or as a curse. You live and you learn. But soon, you live to learn everything. You live to see everything. When you traveled the world and seen all there is to see, what do you do? He had traveled the world. He had whitnessed the rise of man and how demons kind faded from reality, to legend, to myth, to fairytales to scare children. He'd learned the history of every culture. He'd seen how the Egyptians built their pyramids. He had been there for the discovery of the new world. He'd seen how the Czars of Russia became no more.

He had lived to see countless wars, and for what? To gain land? To defend their religion? To rid the world of evil? In truth he didn't think that the humans had any idea what they were fighting for or possibly that they were fighting just to fight because they feared being content with the world. 

He almost found it amusing. How humans in his time had made demons seem as though they were the greedy ones, always after land, and blood. But now, as he watched the pinacle of the human era, he realized that it was the humans who were greedy. They were the ones always after land and titles. Fighting with each other over the simplest things. Things that could have been resolved with democracy in his time.

He sat in his house, looking out over the city he'd come to call home, at least for a few years. The former Lord of the West watched the cars and people below, bustling about their own business, never knowing what to expect when they rounded the next corner in life. Sesshomaru Taisho, once a great and powerful demon lord, had been reduced to nothing more than a coward, hiding amongst the human race. Knowing what would happen should they discover what he was, all hell would ensue. He was not afraid of death at the hands of the humans for he could kill them all in only a few flicks of his wrist, but as time had moved on from his own, he'd come to enjoy the peace and quiet and chose not to reveal himself for what he really was.

He fingered the charm that was cleverly disguised as an earring. It did not change much about him and he was thankful for that. It only rounded his ears, hid his demonic markings, that used to symbolize his status in life. It disquised his claws to look like blunt human nails, and shortened his fangs. His hair was dulled to a stark white instead of its normal florescent sheen and dimmed his golden eyes to look more hazel. He resembled himself but it was not that same. Sometimes he missed the look of his own face in the mirror. He missed being in his true form. His heart ached to feel the wind in his fur, to let his tongue simply hand from his mouth as he soared above the clouds. Even if he could not do that, he missed just being able to run as fast as he could. He missed the hunt. He missed being a demon. He looked around at his current home.

Things were set up like it was museum. His father's swords that had been handed down to him were safely behind bullet proof glass casings. His own swords were also in casings of their own along with the sword his father had handed down to his idiot half brother. He almost smiled at the memories of thrashing his brother and beating him to a pulp trying to get to the sword. However, he'd never imagined that on his brother's death bed, he'd leave the sword to him anyway. They'd never been close and part of Sesshomaru regreted that.

"I told you, you could have the sword over my dead body." Inuyasha had said in his will. "So here it is, you bastard. Take care of it." Everything else had gone to his mate, the once dead priestess. He remembered how the fox kit had come to him informing him of his brother's condition, begging him to come see him. At first he'd refused, but for some unknown reason, even now, he changed his mind. He had missed the death of his brother by a mere three days.

He'd never realized how lonely he'd be once his retainer and ward had gotten old and died off. His heart broke a little at the memory of the little girl that had followed him faithfully around the land, never questioning his motives or actions. He'd never thought that he'd come to miss someone so much as he missed that little brown eyed girl right then.

Lost in his memories of the past, he remembered all the faces. Some of the faces were blurred by time. Though he'd never forget Rin and her sweet smile that she greeted him with everytime he returned after being away for awhile. He even missed Jaken, the annoying little toad. He missed throwing rocks at Jaken's head when he misbehaved. A-un was clearly planted in his mind. The dragon had died of old age as well. Sesshomaru had given him a burial for a true warrior.

His half brother as well, though he still thought of him as a stain on his father's name. Inuyasha was still an honorable worriar and deserved a fit burial. He'd watched the monk and the slayer grow old and die together. He'd watched their children be born, grow up and die as well. Though he could not remember their names he had donated a significant amount of money to their family after they had passed. The two tailed cat had stayed with the slayer and monks children until it was time for her too, to go off on her own, for the new age of man would never tolerate demons. There was only one peculiar thing that bothered him.

What happened to the other miko that was part of his brother's pack? The miko that had risked life and limb for his foolish brother. The miko that was so full of love, he could practically see her bursting at the seams. He had looked at her in a new light after the final battle. She had shown courage and bravery beyond what he thought any human could posses. But she had disappeared after the defeat of that wretched hanyou, Naraku. He'd seen neither hide nor hair of her after she'd taken the jewel and purified it out of existance. How could she just... Disappear like that? Where was the girl now?

Little did he know, the girl he wondered about lived just acrossed town, in her own tiny loft. Living just as lonely of a life as he. Neither ever knowing that they were fated for each other.

~oOo~

Life just wasn't the same. Time seemed to pass so slowly and at times too fast. It had been nearly ten years since she'd been dragged down the well and her life just wasn't the same. She missed traveling the country side with her friends. Though the fuedal era had been riddled with demons and even Naraku, there was a certain peace to the way the country just opened up for miles and miles, and how she and her friends traveled in no particular direction. She sighed whistfully as she taped up the last of her boxes. Proud that she was now moving to a place where she could be peaceful once again. She had found a house, more like a cottage, that had been modernized to hold electricity and plumbing, several miles outside the city. It was the perfect place. It reminded her so much of her fuedal home. And honestly, if she had never gone down the well, had those adventures, she never would have been able to make a life for herself so simply. She had come back to the modern age, depressed, hurt, miserable. But soon the pain, both physical and emotional, passed. At first she wasn't sure what to do with herself and her new found freedom from regret and depression.

Her mother, kami bless her soul, had suggested she right a book, or draw pictures of her time with Inuyasha and the gang. And she did. For months, she typed and doodled. Soon, her words became a book, and her doodles became paintings. She didn't know how she did it, but she had managed to put a book together, that she had written and illustrated. The first publishing company she'd taken to immediantly jumped on it and it sold nearly one million copies in the first month of it's publishing. They had made a movie out of it, and now they were talking about making a mini series of it. She thought that perhaps it was being taken a little too far but it kept the money coming in, and with her mother's hospital bills that still loomed over her head, she had needed it. Now debt free, she felt she had nothing left here in the city after her mother died and her brother had gone off on his own. And so, she'd bought the little cottage and moved on with her life.

~oOo~

Several months later

Kagome had just unpacked the final box only a few weeks ago. She wondered how she still had so much junk even though she'd only taken a fraction of all the things she owned. Everything else, she'd sold in a yard sale or given away. She sighed as she settled down in front of her computer. Internet was now her only link to the outside world. She'd made sure to set everything up so she could pay all her bills online since the mail service did not come out this far. Her brother sent her monthly emails, and some of her friends from high school. But other than that, she usually had nothing and no one to bother her.

Kagome looked at the clock before realizing how late it was. She finished her tea and got herself ready for bed. As she stood infront of the mirror brushing her teeth, she felt something strange. Something familiar tickling the edge of her senses. At first she'd chosen to ignore it, thinking that it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. She felt it again as she pulled the covers over her. Again she chose to ignore it. She slowly drifted off to sleep never feeling it again. But her dreams... Her dreams were so strange. There was a mixture of gold and silver. Sakura blossums littered the ground all around her. She heard a faint hum, a familiar sound. She couldn't help but be reminded of a sword.

She woke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and breathing hard. What was that all about? She put a hand to her head. No longer able to sleep, she threw the covers off her and went to her portfolio, pulling out paintings of Inuyasha. The gold a silver made sense with him, but she didn't understand where the hum was coming from. She moved on to a painting of Sango and Miroku. They sat under a sakura tree, holding each other contently, but it still didn't fit. Why couldn't she remember? She pulled out painting after painting of all her friends that she'd made in her many years of travels, and even a few of some of the enemies she and her friends had defeated. One of her favorites was one of Jeningi with his fist thrust through the giant centipede demon's head. She could never erase that image from her mind. The kind and gentle giant and thrown himself infront of her to save her life. But as much as the image touched her, it wasn't what she was after.

She moved on to more and more paintings until she came acrossed a blue crescent moon over wheat golden eyes. She studied the face of the stoic demon lord who stared so coldly back at her. She remembered a moment in time, so long ago it seemed, when they had met on the battlefield as allies. He had looked at her differently somehow. Normally he had on this mask that seemed to hold nothing but disdain and hatred for all who crossed his path, but she had seen something else in his eyes that day. A slight incline of his head had shown her that she wasn't imagining it. She had earned his respect. A feat that was near impossible to achieve, she had thought. Perhaps she had even seen even a glint of admiration, but she had never let herself believe that much at least, incase she were wrong. So why him? Why now? Why was she thinking of him of all people? She let her mind play over the few times she'd had the opportunity to speak with the lord and she had to admit to herself, that as much as she missed her time in the fuedal era, all the friends she'd made, she even missed him a little.

The next night it was the same thing. As she was readying herself for bed, she felt it again. The little feeling that tickled the edge of her senses. It was so familiar that she couldn't help herself. She released just a low amount of her reiki. Another pulse of youki answered her. Dropping her toothbrush she ran outside looking in the direction the youki came from and released another pulse of reiki. It had to be him. It just had to be. If anyone could survive the test of time, it would be Sesshomaru.

~oOo~

Sesshomaru wandered the field just as he had always done when he felt the need to transform. Everyone once in awhile he would release a burst of youki. He wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was a subconscience need to want to find another demon. Some one he could relate to. He looked around the lonely field, as the grass swayed lazily in the wind. He noticed a few wild flowers growing here and there. He sighed. The setting was perfect for self loathing and... He froze as the feeling washed over him. He was not imagining it. Could it be? He released a pulse of youki and almost immediantly he felt her answer. Racing in the direction he felt her, he realized that perhaps he was acting childish. What if it was not her? What if it was another priestess that would attempt to take his life? Even as these questions rolled through his mind, he did not stop. His need for familiarity, for a connection with someone, anyone, was so great that he would risk his life to find it. His eyes searched the field on find her there in front of the cottage that was the fields only inhabitant. He stopped several feet away, now in his human form, and they stared at each other. He had noticed the age lines in her face. Though she was still young and beautiful she had aged. He remembered the adolescent girl that used to travel with his brother and how loud and brash she could be, but now, a woman stood before him. A woman full of wisdom and strength.

Kagome could take her eyes off him. He was just as she remembered. Tall, handsome, deadly. His cloths had changed to a more modern garb. She felt a little foolish as she realized how silly she was to expect him in his traditional kimono and armor. But the shock of actually seeing him was so overwhelming that even as she knew he could kill her at any moment, she took a tentative step forward. And then another and another until she was only inches away.

"Sesshomaru..." Her voice came out as a whisper. She was so afraid that if she spoke too loudly, he'd disappear like a dream that never was. "Is it really you?" She held out her hand, wanting to touch him, to reassure herself, to know that he was real. She did not expect Sesshomaru to take her hand and press it to his face. He pressed the palm of her hand to his cheek. He closed his eyes as he breathed in her scent. He let a small smile cross his face. She smelled just as he remembered her. Like the coming rain and lavenders. Pure and untainted.

"Miko." He said as he opened his eyes to see tears in hers. Kagome couldn't seem to control her actions. She threw herself into his chest, as she began crying.

"Sesshomaru!" She bawled. "I was so afraid I'd never see any of you again!" Sesshomaru had needed this. He needed this connection, the comfort that another was out there that knew what it was like to be as lost and alone as he. Slowly he wrapped his arms around the miko's slender form and held her tightly. They stood there for what seemed like hours before they retired inside. They stayed up and talked for hours. They talked of everything after the death of Naraku to their faitful meeting. They talked of their lives since the wish, their dreams of finding someone familiar again, and how the world seemed so empty even though it was filled with cities and people. "It's just... It was so lonely. After falling through the well and having all those adventures... It just wasn't the same when I was forced back." She paused. "I wanted to stay. I really did. I loved it then." More tears escaped her eyes. Sesshomaru wiped away her tears as he pulled her into a comforting hug. Kagome couldn't help but laugh a little as he did.

"What is funny?" He demanded.

"I'm sorry. I just... It's so wierd that you are actually touching me." She said. "You look just as I remember you but you are different."

"Time changes all." He said philosophically. Kagome laughed again and cuddled into his chest. She glanced at the clock that hung over the doorway and noticed that it was nearly six thirty in the morning. Suddenly, as if that revalation had drained all her energy, she felt drowsy. Sesshomaru noticed the sudden change in her aura and shifted. "I will go." He said, but even as he made to get up, he felt her tiny hand grab his shirt.

"Please..." She said, as if begging for her life. "Stay? Just awhile longer?" Sesshomaru could not bear to hear the pleading in her voice so he picked her up and took her to her bed. As he placed her under the blankets, he sat on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers threw her soft hair, much as he did Rin when she was only a child. He watched as this tiny woman slowly fall asleep and he realized that if he had not found her tonight, he probably would be cursed to live a life alone just as he had done for hundreds of years. Though he had once wished for nothing more than to be left alone, he came to the conclusion that a life of loneliness, was not a life worth living. He stood to leave, thinking to himself;

"I will be back." He nodded. Yes. He would come back to her.

And they would never be lonely again.

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A/N: Just a thought that crossed my mind. Hope you all enjoyed it. Please don't forget to review and have an awesome day (or night depending on where you are in the world. lol).