Red String of Fate by MomoDesu

Red String of Fate

"This is so not going to work." 

"Yes it will!" 

"Whatever, Eri."

Kagome sat at the kitchen table with her three best girlfriends, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi. For the first time in what felt like forever, Inuyasha let her have a little vacation. She was taking advantage of it by spending some time with the friends that she knew she was neglecting on her side of the well. These girls had been with her since childhood; it wasn't right on her part to throw them aside because she met new friends while traipsing through Feudal Japan. 

"Instead of a spell to find our soul mate, why aren't we doing a spell to make Kagome healthy?" Ayumi asked. "She seriously needs help with her lumbago, jaundice, hang nails, stomach ulcers, pressure ulcers, dry mouth, herpes --"

"I do not have herpes, Ayumi!" Kagome snapped. She shot her friend a glare before perking up. "Yeah. All this soul mate stuff is a bunch of nonsense."

"No it's not!" Eri shook her head rapidly. "Tohru's friend's brother's girlfriend's cousin did this once and has been happily married ever since!" 

"Did you think that this cousin may have been in a relationship before?" Yuka asked.  

"It doesn't matter. It works, I'm sure of it.” Yuka and Ayumi received a little paper doll from Eri,. Then she fiddled with her own little paper doll and wrote 'love' across it's little chest. "Go on, you guys now!"

"Eri," Kagome said, almost a whine.

"Don't Eri me, Kagome. Do it." Eri stared at her, the same 'do or die' look she gave her when Eri came up with the great idea of sneaking into the boy's locker room after a school soccer game. She dangled the little white doll in front of Kagome and made it dance a bit.  

Kagome snatched the paper doll from her. "Fine." She crawled 'love' across it in the red felt tip marker just as Eri had done. "There. Happy now?”

Eri nodded. “Very. Okay, now we have to fold it in half and say the spell. Then we burn the doll and cast the ashes and our wish to the universe!”

Kagome folded her doll in half and waited. “We have to do that part outside. Mom would kill me if she came home and smelled any kind of smoke that didn’t come from Grandpa’s weird incense.”  

The girls gathered their dolls and headed to the well house where they’d be concealed. One by one Kagome ushered her friends inside and closed the door. “This is probably the safest place to toss the dolls when we light them. Straight down the well.”

Ayumi eyed Kagome warily. “Isn’t this the Bone Eater’s well, though? What if we, like, make one of the demons come back to life? And it eats us all and then destroys Tokyo!” 

“Nonsense,” Eri said. “That’s all a myth, demons didn’t exist.”

‘Oh, if only you knew,” Kagome thought. “You wouldn’t be so eager to try this magic.” 

“So you say the poem first:

‘True love true love, come to me

Bring me the one destined for me

May he be handsome, and may he be kind

May our fates be forever intertwined’

and then burn your doll, releasing the energy into the universe!” Eri beamed. 

Kagome blinked several times, then said “Eri, that is the dumbest poem I’ve ever heard.”

“I never said it was brilliant, I just said its going to work!” Eri recited her poem and tossed the burning doll into the well. “Now you.” 

First Ayumi performed the little ceremony, and then Yuka. When no monsters were brought forth through the well Ayumi breathed a little sigh of relief. Mentally Kagome snickered. Ayumi was too sweet for her own good sometimes. 

Finally Kagome said the silly poem, lit her doll, and threw it down the well. She watched as it fluttered slowly down, almost as if it were falling in slow motion. Kagome’s brow furrowed. The other dolls hadn’t done that. Something didn’t feel right. When it finally reached the bottom the well glowed the familiar blue. Something definitely wasn’t right.  

Ayumi looked to Kagome with wide eyes. “What is happening? It’s demons! I knew this would happen throwing those into the well!” 

“It’s not,” Yuka mumbled. “It can’t be demons. Demons don’t exist.”

For once, Eri was shocked into silence.  

The light vanished just as quickly as it came.

Kagome ushered her friends out of the well house. “Okay, you’ve had your fun for the day. I think I need to lay down for a little while. Too much excitement.”

“But what was the light?” Eri finally spoke up. “It had to have been the magic!”

“It was probably just one of Souta’s old flashlights,” Kagome brushed off the idea that the stupid spell had actually worked. “He plays in well house sometimes. It probably fell down when he put it too close to the edge and when we threw those dolls in it triggered it or something.”

Eri nodded like she didn’t buy it, for good reason - the excuse was totally bogus - but her other two friends seemed to think that it was a reasonable explanation.  

They all gave her hugs and parting wishes of good health, and then they left her alone standing by the well house.  

Kagome took a deep breath. For some reason her stupid paper doll had triggered the well to activate, meaning it had probably gone into the past without her. Things weren’t supposed to work that way. It was supposed to be impossible. She had been the carrier of the jewel, therefore she should have been the only one who was able to cross between other than Inuyasha and she still didn’t have a reasonable explanation for that. But now add that dumb paper doll to the list of things that could cross the well and go back in time.  To a place where magic was a still a thing and demons really did exist. With any hope it wouldn’t do anything. At worst Inuyasha would be called to her by the poem as her “soulmate”. She could live with that. 

Rather than work herself into a panic, Kagome sat down on the bench near the well house, keeping an eye on the door. She highly doubted anything would come through, other than Inuyasha, and that was highly improbable because he’d promised to leave her alone for a few days. He’d still come through at night and sit in the Goshimboku and keep watch. That was a given. He was always sweet like that beneath his prickly exterior. But during the day he’d keep his distance just as he’d agreed to. At least she hoped he would.

It finally felt like they were making progress with the Jewel. They had most of it back together and had some pretty good leads on more shards. They were on the road almost constantly sniffing out leads. As always they somehow got roped into helping someone, the jewel shard wasn’t where it was supposed to be, or Kagome ended up getting roped into some kind of trouble (when was she not?). Sometimes it made life more difficult rather than just more adventurous, and it was making this whole process take much longer than it should have.  

Soon the sun started to sink low and cast brilliant shades of red, orange, and purple across the clouds. The few people who had come to visit the shrine were finally starting to leave. Most of them were regular visitors who came to pray, and waved at her as they passed. She waved back to each of them and called her good evenings and farewells.  

Eventually she heard her mother call for her across the property for dinner. “Coming, Mama!” 

Kagome looked back at the well house one more time. It sat as it had all afternoon, still and silent. ‘I’ll come back after dinner to check again,’  she thought to herself. It couldn’t hurt to go have one of her first home cooked dinner in weeks, could it?

—

Several hours later Kagome returned with a full belly to her spot on the bench. The well house was still undisturbed and it looked like it was going to be a boring night. 

It was strange being back in modern day Tokyo, with its multitudes of electric lights and constant movement. The shrine offered a bit of a slower environment, closer to the past, though it still seemed to be too loud. Sound was ever present, be it the hum of the refrigerator or the soft whirring of her desk fan. The silence that she’d become accustomed to back with Inuyasha was something she missed, as well the ability to actually see the stars and map out the constellations.  

It’s true, she wanted a break, but at the same time she did miss her friends. She and Sango were growing very close, and Miroku felt like a pervy older brother. Shippou reminded her so much of Souta sometimes it was unreal, always full of mischief but still full of love. Then there was Inuyasha. She really didn’t know where to place him. Sometimes he made her feel like she was the only girl in the world, then other times he made her feel like she couldn’t do anything right. It was strange and it bothered her, but she supposed that was how relationships could be. They weren’t going to be butterflies and rainbows all the time, especially when there was the constant threat of demons. Inuyasha was always on guard. Kagome supposed that could make someone really cranky. 

Maybe one day, when the jewel was complete and things were set to rights they would possibly be able to pursue a relationship. But as things stood? It would just complicate matters. Add in Kikyo to the mix and it was all just one big jumble of emotions that led to heartbreak all around. 

A little tug on her pinkie finger brought her out of her thoughts. Kagome looked down. There was nothing there that she could see, but it felt like a string was wrapped around her finger and giving the slightest little tugs. She stood and allowed whatever was wrapped around her finger to lead her closer to the well. 

‘No. Way.’

Her mind went back to a tale she’d heard Grandpa tell a million times, about a red thread of fate. It tied two two people that were meant to be, the woman by the pinkie and the man by the thumb. It was invisible, but it was there and everyone had one. 

And hers was letting its presence be known. 

The thread stopped leading her when she got to the well house. 

Something was coming through. Everything told Kagome that now was the time to panic, something wasn’t right, but then another little tiny voice in the back of her mind said that it was okay. Everything was going to be fine, to trust.  

The blue light lit up the well house, and then the door slid open.  

“Care to explain this, Miko?”

In front of her stood Sesshomaru, in all his regal glory. The Lord of the West. In her time. With a little red string tied around his thumb.  

She looked down. Her string was now red, too, and quite obviously leading to the demon Lord’s thumb.  

Kagome tried to speak, she really did, but all she could do was move her jaw. No words would come for any kind of explanation. She looked between her hand, his hand, and his face and gaped like a fish.

Sesshomaru tilted his head to the side as he followed her eye movements. Then he sighed. “This cannot be,” he murmured. “It is just an old myth.”

“You know what this is?” Kagome finally found her words, and they wouldn’t stop coming. “That means you know how to fix this! Then I can have my vacation, you can go back and deal with your brother’s irritating butt, and everything will be right in the world!” Her smile beamed. He could fix whatever this was and he could go home like none of this ever happened! 

“I know what it is, yes,” Sesshomaru said. He appeared to be amazed by all of the lights. “What is this place, Miko? It reeks of humans.”

“Well, it’s going to, there aren’t any demons in this time.” She pulled at the string, testing to see if it could be removed. It wouldn’t budge. 

The usually stoic demon lord stopped his appraisal and the color left his face. “Where have you brought me? Where are we?”

Kagome winced. “It’s more like when… Has Inuyasha ever told you that I am from the future?”

“I assumed he was delusional, though that would explain your curious taste in attire.” He gave her a quick glance up and down as if he were judging her outfit. “Hn.”

“Watch it there, Fashion Police, my jeans and jumper are perfectly acceptable, thank you very much.” She crossed her arms and was once again reminded about the length of cord connecting her to her companion. “Now can you tell me about this myth and the string?”

“You have yet to answer my own question. When are we?”

“Nineteen ninety-seven. Four hundred years into the future.” 

For a moment she thought that Sesshomaru was going to faint. Even his markings seemed to pale for a split second. “Four hundred years.” He stalked over to the bench near the well house, dragging Kagome along by the string, and sat down. She sat next to him and stared at the city just as he did. 

“Will you tell me about the string now?” She gave her end a slight tug. 

“My mother told me of the story of the red thread of fate when I was a child. It binds two who are meant to be by a red thread.” He held up his hand and examined the thread. “She said the two who are destined will always find a way to one another. Seems as if even time cannot stand in the way of the thread.”

Kagome studied him. “You seem pretty calm for someone who was just dragged into the future by a string.” 

“I was not simply dragged through time, Miko,” he said, a small scowl forming on his face. “I was dragged from my home on the other side of country. It was not a delightful experience.”

Now that Kagome looked more at him, she did see that he had some errant twigs in his hair and a few tiny scrapes on his face, as if he’d been dragged through a forest. Quite possibly through a few rivers. Who knows what else he’d encountered on his journey of being dragged across the country like a fish on a line. 

“Why haven’t you killed me, or maimed me yet? You’ve threatened to maim me over less!” 

Sesshomaru huffed. “There is no point in fighting destiny, Miko. Given the quest you’ve embarked on I am sure that you are all too aware that you cannot run away from your fate, that what is written will come to fruition.” He tugged his end of the thread again and grabbed her hand. “If this is what shall be, then it is what shall be.” 

“I’m going to kill Eri,” Kagome muttered. “If it hadn’t been for that stupid spell I wouldn’t be attached to the Lord of the West by a damn thread!”

His head whipped to face her. “Spell? What is this spell that you performed?” 

Kagome shrugged. “It was this stupid thing that my friend Eri came up with, some stupid spell to find your soulmate. It’s a load of crap! We burned the dolls, said that stupid poem, and then dropped it all down the well. I sure as hell didn’t intend on summoning you!” 

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. “If you think my being attached to you, a human miko, is a dream for me then you are sorely mistaken.” He scowled. “Believe me, if there was a way to reverse this, I would do it gladly. Unfortunately, killing you would in turn kill me.” 

“What?” Kagome felt her chest clench. Her mortality was now tied to his? “I’m gonna kill her and scatter her body all over Japan! If I can do it to a jewel I can do it to a body.” That changed things a lot. They were almost always in danger. She herself was a walking trouble magnet. If it was to be found she found it, and sometimes she wouldn’t have ever walked away had she not been saved by one of her friends. 

“I shall assist you in this body scattering endeavor.”

Kagome looked down to their still locked hands. The poem did get one thing right. Sesshomaru was a handsome demon. No one would ever be able to deny that one. Kind? Maybe at times, especially to Rin. She could call him kind. If this was going to be her life then maybe she would eventually also see some kindness come from him. “What are we going to do now?” she asked. She probably sounded like a lost child. 

“Now,” he sighed, “we go home. Regroup.”

—

If sneaking Inuyasha up to her room was hard, it was even harder sneaking his big brother. First he complained about having to remove his boots (“Marriage is about compromise!” she’d told him, “Now take off your damn boots!”), then getting him through such a tight space of her house with his armor on was another challenge. Eventually he removed that, too, and left it sitting neatly by the door next to his boots. When they finally made it to her little pink room his presence, not to mention his size, felt like it took up too much space. It almost made the room feel stifling. 

Kagome hurried to pack what she needed into her trusty yellow bag while her house guest examined all of the modern day items scattered about her room. The lamp particularly fascinated him. He clicked it on and off several times as she packed. “How is this possible?” he asked, utterly fascinated by the light disappearing and reappearing again with just the click of a button. 

“It’s just electricity,” Kagome said, smiling. “If you think that’s cool, wait until you see television!”

“Television?” He stopped clicking the lamp. “What is this thing that you call television?” 

“I’ll show you later, okay. First I need to get this bag packed.” She continued to toss things into the bag. 

Sesshomaru shuffled around the room poking at random things, picking things up and examining them before putting them back, raking his fingers over the books on her bookshelf. Finally he gave in and sat down on her bed and watched her pack.  

“What is it like, living here? In the future?” He sounded like a curious child. His curious nature warmed Kagome’s heart in a strange way. Maybe it was the soul bond making her more understanding toward him. 

“Well,” she said, plopping down next to him on the bed. “It isn’t near as dangerous. We don’t have to worry about being attacked by youkai at random. Food is plentiful. I’ve never had to worry about if I was going to be able to eat. If we get sick there’s this place called a hospital that will fix you right up.” She lay back on the bed and kicked her feet a bit. “Nice comfortable beds to sleep in.” Kagome yawned. “If we are going back, can we do it soon? It’s been a long day for both of us.” 

“You were not dragged through a forest, madam. I think our definitions of long days are quite different.” 

Kagome laughed, and it didn’t take long for Sesshomaru’s deep, rich laugh to join her.  

Never in a million years did she ever think she’d not only somehow bind him to her and drag him to her time, but have him in her bedroom laughing over how absurd their situation really was. It was a wonderful laugh that filled her with warmth. A true case of the warm and fuzzies.    

Together they quietly left the house. Sesshomaru decided to forgo his armor for whatever reason and walked with it hung over his unattached arm. Kagome struggled to put her pack on with only one hand, which was a bit of a struggle given how much junk she’d shoved into it before their departure. He must have gotten he picture because he dropped his armor, took the pack, and then picked up his armor again. Kagome almost felt bad using him like a glorified pack mule. A pack mule with incredible hair.  

The true struggle was getting Sesshomaru out of the house. He stopped at almost every large appliance in the house and had to know what it was. The stove and refrigerator seemed to fascinate him the most when they stopped in the kitchen to restock on ready foods. He even startled her when he reached over her as she was raiding the cabinet to grab a box of fruit bars and some juice boxes (“Rin likes these,” he defended). There was some of the kindness that the dumb spell mentioned. 

Kagome led him back to the well house, watching him from the corner of her eye the entire time. She was sure he could sense her elevated heart rate. “This is going to sound really weird, but we have to jump into the well.” 

“Hn.” Sesshoumaru just nodded. 

“That’s it?” she questioned, quite astonished that he was just going with it. Did that mean she could make other strange demands of him and he’d just ride along? Maybe jump up and down on one foot and pat his head while he rubbed his belly. “I just asked you to jump into a well with me. You don’t think that’s odd?” 

“Miko,” he sighed, “this day has been one of the strangest this Sesshomaru ever experienced. I have been dragged into the future. Your world is full of marvels that I never expected to see in my lifetime. Jumping into a well is tame.” 

Once inside he helped her to stand on the edge of the well before stepping to stand next to her. “Are you ready?” Kagome asked. 

Again, he nodded. 

Together they jumped and the ever faithful blue light caught them, whisking them away to the past once again.