Looking Like One You Know

Sopping wet and chilled to the bone, a tiny bundle of fur limped beneath a stone bench at the base of a sacred tree. Its massive roots offered protection against the intense storm thundering across the shrine grounds.

He pressed his body against the rough bark as blood seeped from the massive wound on his leg.

Hail pummeled the walkways like golf balls on a driving range. Heated energy swirled through the air, springing bolts of lightning into the tree and forcing it's monstrous limbs to shake and groan. Wind swept through the lush green leaves and plush pink flowers, scattering them from the branches, rendering them bare and naked.

The night bowed to the powerful storm.

Only the sharp cries of the puppy could be heard through the torrential downpour.

A crash of lightning shook Kagome from her fitful sleep. Cold sweat clung to her back. For some reason she'd been having nightmares all night. When she woke, she couldn't remember what they'd been about.

The sense of pain and fear crackled in her aura.

Groaning softly, she swung her legs over the plush mattress and slipped her feet into a pair of silk lined bunny slippers.

"Hey sis!" Her brother rapped his fist against her bedroom door, "Wake up!" Not bothering to wait for a reply, he threw the door open, soaking wet from head to toe.

"Souta!" Kagome grabbed a pink towel from its place over her closet door, unable to resist the motherly urge suddenly washing over her. She rushed to the twelve year old in her doorway, and draped the coarse fabric over his form, "You're all wet! What's going on?"

She tried to dry his hair, but he put his hand out and snapped, "Stop it Kagome! I'll dry off in a minute, just listen to me."

What? She stared speechless at her little brother in soggy green plaid pajamas. His dark eyebrows slanted in annoyance and frustration, making him seem far older and far more serious than he ever had before. She couldn't quell the sadness that seeped inside her heart at the thought of never seeing him grow up. The thought of missing her brother grow into a strong young man.

Maybe she was spending too much time away from home; after all, she'd never seen the stern look in his brown eyes before, the youthful sparkle seemed to be dimming right before her.

Backing away from his dazed sister, he grumbled, "Mom found a puppy outside, but it's hurt and she wants you to go with her to the emergency vet. Hurry up and get dressed." Kagome frowned as he ran from the room, and slammed the door.

His words sunk in, a helpless animal needed to go to an emergency clinic, it had to be really bad if her mother saw fit to leave immediately. Quickly, resisting the urge to jump in the shower, she threw on a pair of jeans and a tank top. Brushing her thick black hair, she ran down the stairs.

A honk from outside told her that her mom was already waiting.

She couldn't help the swell of fear creeping up her veins, "Please be okay puppy…"

Staring down at the trembling, whimpering, terrified, little ball of muddy and bloody fur in her lap, Kagome felt utterly worthless.

She couldn't fix the mangled puppy in her arms.

She couldn't ease his pain.

She tried desperately to get the bleeding to stop pouring from the huge gash in his leg with pressure. No matter how crimson the white towel turned, more blood kept flowing until the fabric lost the ability to soak it up and blood simply dripped onto the floorboard.

The fresh bright blood made him slippery. His tiny body quivered beneath her touch. White cottony fur stuck together in reddish brown sticky clumps.

Cries of pain slipped from his jowls in the form of howls and yelps.

She wanted to assure the creature everything would be okay.

To comfort it.

To let the pup know she would save it...

But as her mother sped into the emergency veterinary clinic's parking lot, she could feel the puppy's breaths begin to die out.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. For some reason, she wasn't sure she could handle the tiny baby not making it, he just had to. "Don't die…" The words came garbled through the pain throbbing in her chest.

Suddenly her miko powers flared to life, and she coaxed it into the little creature, but like a rubber band the energy snapped back repelled by some unknown force.

Her tears poured down her cheeks like grief-stricken waterfalls. Never before had she felt like such a failure.

Her mother moved her lips, but Kagome couldn't hear the words she made past the sobs ringing in her ears. Weight lifted from her blood stained lap

Her mother gently stole the pup, and ran into the brightly illuminated building.

Time passed by slowly as Kagome’s hands shook in her lap. Her shoulders trembled, and her chest ached with strangled tears, but she found her eyes dry.

She'd cried herself out.

When the tall veterinarian walked into the waiting room with a smile on his face, followed by an assistant carrying the cause of her grief, relief bubbled in Kagome's chest like a comforting balm.

Seeing him well and alive felt like the best thing on Earth. "You're okay…" Soothing whispers ran from her lips as the vet's assistant passed a now clean and drugged up white ball of fluff into her arms -minus a right leg.

A coarse line of thirteen black stitches curved around the shaved shoulder where the little guy's appendage used to be.

The assistant ruffled a grey crescent shaped tuft of fur on the pup's forehead with short chubby fingers, while going over his medicine schedule with her mother. Seeing the slivered moon and the fact that he was missing a leg, Kagome couldn't shake one youkai from her thoughts.

"Sesshomaru…" The name eased from her parted lips in a breathless sigh, but no matter how quiet, the little bundle in her arms stirred at the name.

"So I just need you to fill out the paperwork and then he'll be all set to go home. Two weeks from now, we will take out the stitches." Kagome was only half aware of her mother and the assistant walking away, all her attention undividedly on the sleepy pup cradled against her bosom.

"Of course Sesshomaru lost his left arm…and he's grown it back since then…" She stared down into a set of droopy golden eyes. The resemblance, eerie and unsettling, minus the droopiness.

Sesshomaru's eyes were always alert or narrowed in thought. She couldn't resist the question in her mind, "Are you going to regrow your arm too?"

Would he?

With a yawn he buried his cold muzzle into her tank top as if to say, 'cuddle me you crazy girl.'

"Kagome?" Her mother's soft toned voice shook her from her musings about Inuyasha's older Inu Taiyoukai brother.

"Yeah, Mama?" What did she say again?

Smoothing the short curls in her black hair, Kagome's mother gave an exasperated sigh. She was so very tired, and it showed by changing her usually happy demeanor to clipped sentences and sagging shoulders, "What will you name him Kagome?"

Without thinking, the young woman blurted out, "Sesshy," and before she could rebuff her spurred answer, the puppy in her arms gave a yelp of agreement, and snuggled closer.

Morning brought an unexpected visitor climbing through her bedroom window.

"What do you mean you can't go back until Sesshomaru is healed!?" Inuyasha shouted while shaking his clawed fist over the fang sword hanging at his waist, "what does that bastard have to do with you coming back?"

If she wasn't awake before, she definitely was now. She fought the urge to use the subjugation spell on the hanyou raving angrily while hovering over her sleep deprived form.

"I mean what I said, I just got home a couple of hours ago you baka! Sesshy needs his rest! He lost his leg yesterday and he has to heal, I won't go back through the well until he's healthy!" She yelled before realizing how loud they were being, and checked on the sleeping puppy on her lap beneath the heavy pink comforter.

Sesshy proved to be a heavy sleeper as he hadn't stirred in the slightest. Hissing, she threw Inuyasha the best glare she could muster. "Be quiet or you'll wake him up."

How could he be so insensitive?

"What! What are you-!?" The silver dog ears atop his head twitched with annoyed confusion, and he sniffed the air, "Who is under there with you!?"

Before she could respond, the hanyou threw the blanket off her tired form, and gawked at the little puppy curled up on her lap.

Sesshy didn't mind noise so much, but it seemed cold air ruining his warmth was a different matter altogether.

Flashing a set of super sharp baby canines, the little guy snarled at Inuyasha, threatening a nasty bite if his covers weren't replaced.

"Wha-? When did you get a dog Kagome?" He asked while carefully re-covering the irritated pup.

"Oh yeah," She mumbled, suddenly realizing she hadn't explained the situation to her friend, "We found him last night. He was hurt and we had to take him in for emergency surgery." Unconsciously, her hand went protectively over the little lump in the covers where the puppy cuddled her tummy. "I have to take care of him while he's sick, Souta has school and mama has work, jiisan is busy with the shrine… I'm all the little guy has got…" Sesshy yelped in agreement beneath the comforter.

Cocking a brow, Inuyasha frowned, "Feh! What does that have to do with calling him Sesshomaru?"

Kagome mentally groaned, she never thought about how Inuyasha would react to her naming the pup after his brother. From the angry scowl on his face, she knew he was less than entertained by the idea.

Wanting to try the easiest explanation possible, she gently pulled the baby out from under the covers and held him up for Inuyasha's inspection, "He has golden eyes, a grey marking on his forehead in the shape of a crescent, and... well, he did lose an arm…"

The pup seemed to want to help the situation by offering the hanyou a pair of wide gleaming amber puppy eyes.

"Plus," She continued while cradling the pup against her chest, "I didn't mean to call him Sesshomaru, his name is Sesshy." Yelping in agreement, Sesshy licked her nose and Kagome giggled. "You like your name don't cha Sesshy-sama!"

With a scowl on his face, Inuyasha sat on the window sill with his long red clad legs hanging over the edge in the cool morning air, "Feh! That runt smells bad, you should get rid of it!"

Feeling the heat of her anger flare up her powers, he jumped out the window. Knowing he had yet to make it to the well, Kagome growled, muttering a single word of revenge under her sweet breath, "Sit."

Even though she couldn't hear his curses or his face plant into the Earth, she knew the subjugation spell did its job. The rosary of beads and fangs hanging around the hanyou's neck would surely be the death of him.

A month later and one would never realize the little playful ball of excited white fluff had even lost a limb!

He was fast, so very fast and graceful even, leaping through the air and landing with perfect ease.

"Sesshy!" Souta yelled, running after the new edition to the family, who was currently scampering across the shrine grounds at racecar worthy speeds. Souta's legs ached from chasing the pup.

Eventually he gave up, bent over and sucking in a deep breath, he whined, "Sess…" The preteen's dark brown eyes went wide as Sesshy suddenly changed direction and pounced his chest.

"Oomph!"

Souta landed on the soft grass with a heavy thud, the breath knocked out of him.

Kagome stood on the pavement in a fit full of giggles from the sight of a tickle monster Sesshy torturing her little brother. A massive yellow backpack hung off her right shoulder, weighing her down.

It was filled to the brim with more ramen and candy than Inuyasha or her little fox kit could eat. At least that's what she told herself.

The more candy she brought, the more Shippou consumed. A candy black hole. A perpetually tiny calorie black hole.

The little guy never seemed to grow at all, not that she was one to judge.

It seemed after the Shikon No Tama had been destroyed, she aged just as slowly as the demon kit.

The massive amount of ramen would mainly be for Inuyasha, that hanyou couldn't get enough of it; rarely could she coax him into sharing the tasty noodles.

Thinking of her other friends, Sango and Miroku, who had three little ones of their own, she remembered to pack dolls and a baby rattle. Kaiya and Kaiyo, their twin girls, always loved her gifts to them. They cherished everything their Auntie gave.

Toyo, he was only a few months old so he didn't have much to say yet. He did however love things that made weird sounds. Kagome couldn't resist his chubby cheeked smile.

Noticing the sudden lack of attention from his mistress, Sesshy sauntered up to Kagome and plopped down at her feet, flashing golden puppy eyes. His pink tongue lolled out the left side of his fluffy white muzzle.

"Oh, Sesshy-sama! You can't go to the Feudal era with me! The Sengoku Jidai is just too dangerous for a little guy like you. You wouldn't be able to defend yourself."

He tilted his head and rolled his eyes as if to say, 'Like you can?'

She couldn't resist running her fingers through his long silky fur. Even where it'd been shaved for the operation it had already grown out. "You are just too cute Sesshy! Too cute and too cuddly for your own good! Youkai would gobble you up!"

Souta rolled his eyes at his eccentric time traveling sister. She would be leaving to the past through the shrine's well today, the massive sun colored backpack hanging off her shoulder told him so.

Listening to her coddle their new puppy, he frowned, "Hey sis, why do you put an honorific at the end of Sesshy's name?"

Her cheeks felt hot, "Oh I uh…um, do I really?"

"Well," He grinned goofily while rubbing the back of his neck, "Not always, but sometimes yeah you do."

"Ah, that's probably because of inuyasha's older bro…" Bored, Souta muttered for her to 'have a safe trip' and walked away.

Biting her lip, she groaned, she would need to find more time to spend with her brother before he stopped speaking to her altogether. When had they managed to grow so far apart?

"Well Sesshy," She smiled while patting the little guy's furry head and scratching behind his ears, "I guess there's no excuse for not spending more time here, after all Naraku has been defeated for five years now and the Shikon no tama no longer exists…"

The puppy whimpered beneath her small fingers, and she took it as a plea for more detail.

"You see Sesshy, Naraku was a very bad man and he hurt hundreds of people with his greed for power. The Shikon No Tama was a jewel, and I accidentally shattered it many-many years ago.

Naraku wanted to use the jewel for its power, so he started collecting the shards, but as the jewel's protector I couldn't let that happen.

I spent my entire high school career juggling my duties in the feudal era and my duties at home, it cost me time with my family, and my studies suffered pretty bad because of it.

I know more about herbal remedies than I do math equations.

I'm kinda worried my relationship with Souta is falling apart because of my time away from him. As his big sister I have duties to him, and I haven't really had the time to be there for him. Even after Naraku was defeated, I didn't realize how much I've lost in relation to my own family, not until a few weeks ago that is… The night we found you little guy, I saw Souta in a new light.

He isn't my little annoying brother anymore, he's growing up, and I'm afraid if I don't do something soon to fix it, that he won't see me as his big sister.

I'll just be a girl that hops from time to time that he sees ever so often…"

She tried to explain to Sesshy as if he were a child, and as her words hit her lips, she realized just how worried she actually was.

Tears stung her dark brown eyes, "I can't lose my family Sesshy, but I have family in the past now too and it's just so hard…"

Sango and Miroku and their growing family meant the world to her, she was the aunt to their babies. Shippou was her fox kit, and even though it was left unsaid, she felt for him as if he were her own child, she'd gladly die protecting him.

There was also Inuyasha, her first crush and dear friend… So many people held a place in her heart, so many people in two different eras.

"I'll just have to manage my time better Sesshy. No more weeks away from either place! Spending time with everyone is very important to me."

Wiping away the wetness on her cheeks, she couldn't help but smile. Sesshy had a silly grin spread across his muzzle and licked the side of her face, trying to help remove her salty tears.

Happy again, she made her way to the well house, a large old wooden building with a massive secret inside. Halfway down the walk way, she noticed Sesshy following close on her heels.

"No Sesshy-sama, you cannot follow me. Sit. Stay." Using her pointed finger, and a less than threatening voice, Kagome laid down the law. Her little puppy was no match for angry hungry demons, and she couldn't risk the well letting him through to the other side.

Sesshy waggled his tail and sat his rump on the cement looking as innocent as ever.

Figuring she'd won, Kagome threw open the doors leading to the portal in time, and hopped down into the well. A familiar blue light shimmered around her form, sending waves of ancient magic into a frenzy.

That's when Kagome saw him, her supposedly innocent little pup had managed to sneak a pass to the Feudal era.

What if he got hurt? Her thoughts were abruptly ended when yellow light shot through her baby pup, spilling from his core like lightning.

The lights faded and sunshine crashed down the well shaft. "Sesshy!" Blue eyes nearly popped from their sockets as she looked over the toddler standing before her. A grey crescent adorned his forehead, while silver tresses poured over his shoulder like delicate silk covering the front of his naked form.

He shot her a look of satisfaction, his golden eyes seemed to penetrate her soul.

"Hi Kagome-sama." The voice of a child filled her ears, and she had to catch her breath at the surprise.

"How are you-! How did you?!" She bit her lip and sucked in a breath.

Without any notice, he plastered himself to her leg, laughing in glee, "Oh Kagome-sama, thank you so much for saving me! A witch sealed my youki and I thought I'd be in my beast form forever! Mother is going to be so angry! Don't Tell her!"

Trying to hide the sudden rush of tears prickling her eyes, she placed a hand on the little Inuyoukai's head, "What is your real name?" Surely it couldn't be Sesshy as she'd dubbed him the night she found him.

"I'm called InuMaigo, my mother is InuKimi, my father is Haiiro, and my brother is Lord of the Western Lands!" He narrowed his eyes at her, "Why do you not recognize your brother in law?"

The wooden planks, stone, and mortar that made up the well shaft spun together as the toddler spoke.

His words sounded so strange coming from one so young, though he had to of been at least fifty years old to be more than a baby.

Air constricted in her chest, tightening on the sudden onslaught of a panic attack, "W-what did you just say?" Unsteady feet made her slap the cold stone wall. The world began to swim together, InuMaigo's words brought the world crumbling down around her.

"Are you I'll, Kagome-sama? What's wrong? Should I go get my brother?" His small voice sounded so far away as he tried to hold her up, to keep her from falling to the bottom of the well. "Kagome-sama!"

Darkness, shimmering onyx, it came like a sheet over her eyes. The world went silent and the crazy musings of a puppy turned child slipped away like a ghost.