Whispers of the Past by Sesshomarei

chapter one

"Die."

Was all he said, as he raised his clawed hand up and showered her with deadly poison. But it never reached her, instead it twisted about forming long strands of dark hair. They flailed towards her grasping her form, and strangling the life out of her. She screamed in horror as the face of her attacker seemed to melt off revealing that of a woman.

"Stop pulling my hair!" She screamed at her, and swung her arm in such a way that the hair moved at her slightest command, tightening around her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut at the nightmare before her. She was going to die here and there was no one around to save her. The woman controlling the hair began to laugh as she did her voice changed. Deepening from the lightness and amused tone, to that of a wicked deep laugh. Opening her eyes again she saw the figure dressed in a baboon's pelt cackling menacingly at her as one long tentacle squeezed the life out of her.

"NOOO!!!!" She screamed shutting her eyes again, not wanting to see the sights before her. And almost as soon as it all began it was over. She no longer heard the voice laughing at her, the only sound was of her own voice echoing in the night. Opening her eyes again she looked around gasping for breath as she did so. She was in a strange room. It only took a moment to register that she wasn't home. She was at a small house somewhere in on the outskirts of London, England. An old priest had summoned her here for aid.

Realizing she was safe for a moment she convinced herself it was a just a dream. A nightmare more like it. Taking a moment to regain herself she got up untangling her bed sheets from around her neck and body. Freeing her self from her bed linen she walked towards the bathroom. Wiping her damp brow along the way. She paused over the sink, and stared at her reflection in the mirror. The nightmares had begun again. Sighing she turned on the water and splashed her face a few times, returning her gaze to the mirror. "It's not over yet is it?" She asked her reflection. But her question remained unanswered. With another heavy sigh she dried her face and walked back to her bedroom, untangling her bed linen before crawling back in and laying down. Her gaze wandered to the photos on her night stand, she smiled at her family and friends faces.

"I miss you all so very much." She whispered in the darkness. She stared quietly at their pictures, unwilling to go back to sleep and face the nightmares again. They were always the same and yet always different. Visions of the enemies and demons she had fought during her time with InuYasha. They were never the same ones, but always the same in the manner that they were all trying to kill her. And InuYasha and her other friends were usually no where to be found. She was always fighting alone. It seemed whatever demon could be easily blended into the next demon was how her mind put them together. Tonight it was InuYasha's brother, Yura of the Hair and Naraku. It wasn't long before sleep over came her again and she drifted off into a more peaceful state. Hoping that in the light of tomorrow the old priest who summoned her here would have some answers as to why she was even here to begin with.

~} @ {~

"Kagome.." The voice echoed in her foggy mind.

"Mmm five more minutes." She mumbled.

"Kagome!" This time accompanied by violent shaking of her being.

"Mmm Whaat." She moaned turning over a bit to look at the individual disturbing her sleep. Making a face, she muttered one other word before turning back over. "Sit." However the figure didn't drop to the ground in a degrading manner at the command. His green eyes narrowed at her, and he grabbed her again shaking her again.

"Nice try. Get up!" He demanded. "We have work to do let's go. Get a move on!"

"Go away Sammy." She mumbled burying her face into her pillow again.

"Mmrr." He grumbled and with one fluid motion grabbed the side of her mattress and tipped it over, dumping her and her bedding with it. She shot up out of the cluster of blankets and pillows and turned towards him.

"SAMMY!!!" She screeched. "You'll pay for that!" She reached for the nearest object in which to strike him with, which just so conveniently happened to be a wooden training sword. Sword in hand she lunged at him pelting him over the head with it.

"Ow hey! What's the big ide– Eeya!!" He yelled at her before cutting off the rest of his sentence before running away from her. The two ran around the bedroom in circles making quite a racket, leaping over the disturbed bed, screaming and yelling at one another.

Meanwhile downstairs an old man listened to the squabbling and what resounded as a herd of elephants in the room above him. Muttering to himself about being another one of those days he rose from his seat and made his way up to confront the squabbling pair. It's been 12 hours since she arrived to assist them, and it took a mere five minutes of her arrival for her and his companion Sammy to start at it. She had immediately recognized Sammy as what she called a Hanyou. But the old man always refereed to him as a half breed or half demon. With her late arrival the night before it was hard to explain the purpose for summoning her to him. And the poor girl was already exhausted, so he waited until morning to explain the grave situation that lay before them. He made his way slowly towards the bedroom he could hear the shouting better as the two bickered. Pausing in the doorway he glanced between the two.

"Enough!" he stated. Instantly both Kagome and Sammy froze, and looked towards him. "We have a lot of work to do today. And much for Miss Higurashi to learn." With that said he turned and made his way back down the stairs.

"She started it." Sammy gruffed before following the old man out of Kagome's room and down the stairs. Leaving her alone for the time being. She sighed hoping what the old man was going to explain things to her. When he contacted her he was brief, mentioning only that she bring herself and the Jewel of Four Souls. And that it was a matter of dire need that she please come to his aid. With nothing more to elaborate on she packed up her stuff and took the next flight to England. Driven more so by curiosity than anything else. How would an old priest in England no less, know of the existence of the Jewel to begin with? And how did he know that she possessed it? When she arrived he immediately put a strange talisman around her neck and mentioned it would help with the language barrier. Though strange as it was, Kagome wasn't one to question things as such she's seen stranger in her time. Like the well on her family's shine that once so long ago used to transport her backwards in time 500 years to Japan's feudal era. So a small talisman that made her understand any language she heard and be able to speak it fluently wasn't that far fetched in contrast. Anxious to find out more of why she was here, she quickly made to the bathroom to shower and dress.

~} @ {~

A half hour later downstairs she was lead by Sammy through a secrete passage in the basement of the house and escorted into a large meeting hall. The old man was present, and seated at the head of a long table. Sammy motioned to an empty chair for her and then resumed his position at the old man's side. Seated at the table were various men, and women, ranging in age from mid 30's to possibly they're 70's. As she entered all eyes were on her as she took her seat. She glanced around nervously at the other people present and her strange surroundings. And nearly jumped out of her seat when someone finally spoke.

"Welcome Miss Higurashi," It was a younger man of the group who stood and greeted her. "to the Talamasca." A murmur went around the table in welcome of her. Forcing a smile she nodded her greeting in return. "It is no doubt you have many questions as to why you are here, and who we are. We hope that in this meeting we will put your mind at ease and answer those questions you have."

"Please, if it's not to much trouble." Kagome replied.

"We are an underground organization, a cult if you will. Specializing in the study of history, and containment of the supernatural. Our expertise ranges from simple Biblical mythology, to Vampires, Werewolves, ghosts, and Demonic presences." With the list he gave her she suddenly got the inclination as to why she was summoned. "It is in our knowledge that you have such experience with Demons, correct?"

"Yes, but I don't understand how..."

"How we knew?" He asked and when she nodded he smiled. "We're quite aware of many things that people have no explanation for. We have ways of getting information and many resources in which to obtain it. We're a very large society Miss Higurashi.."

"Kagome if you wouldn't mind." She interrupted.

"Kagome. We have many branches around the world, there is very little we don't know about you and your powers. And very few supernatural disturbances that we haven't had a hand in controlling." She nodded and he continued with her history lesson of the Talamasca. Though while he talked her mind wandered. Looking to Sammy she couldn't help but notice the similarities to InuYasha.

His attitude for one was a huge similarity. As well as the ears atop his head, dog ears. Though his eyes were a deep emerald green and his hair reddish almost the color of Shippo's, and cut much shorter, he still had that presence about him, that screamed InuYasha at her. She started to day dream about her days in the feudal era, and how much she missed her friends. It's been years since she's seen them. Almost ten years to the day that she fell down the well. She had just turned twenty-five when the letter arrived from the old priest. Her thoughts were then interrupted.

"Hmm?" She muttered looking up to the man again.

"I asked if you understood all that or if I was going too fast for you."

"Nope I got it all." She smiled blushing slightly. Truth be known she hadn't heard a word of his speech.

"Wonderful." He stated. "Now we can get down to the business in why we summoned you here in the first place." With that he took his seat and the old priest stood and moved across the room towards a huge screen.

"Kagome, we know that you are a powerful priestess, and we had sensed a disturbance years ago on your families shrine when the bone diggers well pulsed with life. We're well aware that your dormant powers of purification have been engaged and heightened. Which is why we sought you out to aid us." As he spoke the room darkened and slides where shown on the screen behind him, of her and her family, and the research they had done on her. She watched in awe of how thorough they're research had been. "We know of the Jewel of Four Souls and that you have possession of it. As of late we've been tracking a strong disruption in the spirit world. A strong demonic presence that has our scanners going berserk. We've intercepted a few of the minions sent forth towards your home. And are lead to believe that they are searching for something. That something being the Scared Jewel you possess. We've asked you here, not only for your own protection but to try and lure out the evil that is trying to possess the jewel for themselves. And hopefully with your aid we will be able to send this demon back from which it came through the gates of hell."

The room remained silent, as he spoke and Kagome sat there in complete shock. Her mouth hanging wide just staring at him. It wasn't over. Instead it was only starting. What was she thinking just starting!? Talk about history repeating it's self, it was like the feudal era all over again. But this time she would be on her own, she wouldn't have InuYasha, or any of the other with her to help. Suddenly her nightmares came back to her in vivid detail. What the old man had just stated explained so much. She closed her mouth and looked around to the people seated before her watching her, awaiting her response. She had just gotten her life sorted out and on track. She failed and had so much work to do to catch up in school and finally she managed to graduate and attend college and complete that too, and now of all times when she just gets settled into a normal life this falls into her lap. She stood up abruptly nearly knocking over her glass of water that was placed at her spot at the table before she arrived.

"I can't do this!!" She stated. "You have the wrong girl I'm sorry."

"Kagome. We need you." Sammy's voice sounded from across the room. "You're the only one who can."

"But I..." She looked to him seeing his face, and then that of the others staring at her. "I can't do this. I'm not strong enough to take this mission you have for me on alone."

"You won't be alone." The old man said calmly. "You'll have Sammy with you night and day, as well as our entire staff to assist you in any way possible. Our facilities are here at your disposal. Anything you need to complete this mission is yours. Please Miss Higurashi. We've waited so long in contacting you. You are the last hope we have against this monster. You are the only one standing between it and the end of humanity as we all know it." Wow she thought what a way to put the pressure on. With a reluctant sigh she nodded.

"Alright." Looking to the room full of Talamascans. "I'll do it."

~} @ {~

Once the meeting was adjourn she reluctantly made her way back towards her room. Sammy followed.

"Don't look so bummed, it's not like it's the end of the world. So you hang around here for a while train a bit, see some sights, kill the bastard causing the bloody ruckus and you're on your way home."

"That's easy for you to say." She miffed.

"Som'ing else bothering you then 'eh?"

"You could say that."

"Well whatever it is, don't let it interfere with this mission. The last thing we need is for your head to be somewhere else, and gettin yourself killed in the process."

"Gee, thanks. You're such a big help."

"Aye, well you know I try." Sammy commented with a smug look, before heading towards his own bedroom. Walking into her room she sighed and shut the door.

What did that little hanyou know anyways. Certainly they knew her past, they did that research thoroughly enough. But what did that know of what she had to go though. The sacrifices she had made, the pain and heart aches she's endured. Slumping down on her bed, she sighed again. She glanced to the photos she brought with her that she had placed on her night stand the night before. Reaching over she picked up the one of her friends, tracing a finger over they're faces.

"Oh InuYasha, if only you were here. You'd know what to do. I feel so lost with out you." Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, she continued to talk to the photo. "I'm so alone. Surrounded by strangers that have left me no choice but to trust them." A tear fell down her check. "It's not fair. What did I do to deserve this?" The photo offered no comforting words or support. Looking down she reached over and placed it back on the night stand, and wiped her hand across her cheek. "I guess I'll just have to suck it up. My life can wait once again." With another reluctant sigh she got up and began unpacking.

She moved her cloths into the dressers provided, and lastly pulled out the little lock box with the Shikon Jewel inside it. Carefully she placed it in her sock drawer burying it under articles of clothing. She hadn't been here that long and already she was so homesick it made her stomach turn all up in knots. She laid back and closed her eyes. Hoping to block out reality if only for a few moments, and escape this cursed life of hers.