The sun was high above when as we all trailed slowly behind our History teacher, his hair shifting in the breeze to reveal the thinning hair his combover tried so unsuccessfully to hide. The snickers of some of the students around me had him tensing uneasily as he lifted a hand to pull the strands back into place. The rest of us just looked around, most barely interested in the shrine we were visiting today if I was to judge by the loud whispers about weekend plans and rumors being gossiped about. Not that I could blame them, what with the monotone voice of our teacher leeching any possible enjoyment from the lesson as he ignored any questions that might have added interest from his students.

I don't know why they bothered to take us on field trips if they weren't going to actually show us any of the interesting parts of the area. So far, the most exciting part of the whole thing was the shrine's old caretaker who somehow talked me into buying the small necklace he'd pulled out from a pile of trinkets. A small crystal had glinted enticingly as it dangled from the opposite end of the ribbon that a small glass orb was attached to and I hadn't really thought of what I was doing when I pulled out my wallet and paid him the price he'd rattled off, not even bothering to try to bargain with him as I watched the light play upon the facets of the shard of what I assumed was pink glass.

Hearing a few familiar giggles to the side of me, I turned my head and saw some of the girls from class peeking into what looked like it could be a shed, a couple boys with them seeming to give them more courage to poke around on their own. Seeing me looking towards them, one of them waved me over with a smile.

"Check out what we found, (y/n)!" She said as I cautiously drew near.

Driven by my own curiosity, I peeked inside the musty smelling building, eyes slowly adjusting to the dimness of the room inside until I could make out the shape of an old well in the middle of the floor. Strangely enough, the boards that must have once covered it appeared to have been moved to allow access. Stepping inside, the others following close behind, I peered down the empty shaft of the old well and frowned at the dark shadows that hid the bottom from sight.

Why would they leave an obviously dry well uncovered like this? Wasn't that dangerous? Weren't they worried some animal or small child could fall and get hurt?

"I dare someone to climb down and stand at the bottom, alone! For 3 minutes!" The girls shifted uneasily at the challenge one of the boys had given, the sound of his voice echoing down the well causing my own stomach to feel like it wanted to curl in on itself.

A few arguments over who would go down and a mild headache later, I found myself climbing down the rope we had tied to the nearest piece of solid wood we could find. It was only after getting halfway down that I felt the rope give way, suddenly going slack in my hands as I began to fall. Fear overwhelmed me so much that I didn't even notice the soft glow underneath me, my eyes clenching shut as I waited for the pain that would come when my legs broke at the end of my fall.

I'm not sure what shocked me more, the lack of pain when my feet touched bottom ever so gently or the sound of birds chirping from above, beyond the lip of the well.

It had taken me some time to get over the shock and climb out of the well, my eyes adjusting quickly to the sun as it glared down from above. Nothing could have prepared me for the near heart attack I had when I saw the meadow that surrounded me, huge trees towering above in the nearby forest as they reached their branches towards the sky. No matter what direction I looked, there was not a hint of ancient shrine nor city to be found other than the well itself.

--------

Even now, several days later and miles away from the small village I had found that first day, I could feel my breath catching every time I realized I was in some world or time other than my own. It was almost like I was lost in a dream, especially when I found myself catching sight of the creatures villagers often called demons and monsters, some horrific to look upon while others were almost ethereal in their beauty.

Thank goodness the old priestess in that first village had explained things to me after catching sight of the orb I had bought from the old man. In exchange for the trinket, she had offered to help me in my journey, giving me what supplies she could afford to part with and teaching me about how to avoid the dangers of this land when I told her I had no desire to find a way back to my own world.

At this very moment in time, I found myself lost in wonder as I stared at the exotic looking male who slowly made his way along the winding path before me, not even glancing towards me as he neared. It was almost as if I wasn't there if not for the small green toad-like man who came out from behind him with a shrill call for me to move out of the way of 'The Great Lord Sesshomaru' who I assumed was the elegantly dressed man drawing closer to where I stood.

Breaking myself from my somewhat rude staring, I stepped aside and bowed low to the white-haired nobleman as he passed by, his eyes barely flickering my way as he called for his servant to hurry along.

Even weeks after the event, I found myself thinking about his hair with envy, my own having not taken well to the lack of daily showers and shampoo. At least I had managed to buy a small lumpy bar of handmade soap from a shop in the last village.

--------

I was helping an old lady pick herbs for her shop the next time I saw his long, white hair catching my gaze. He stood on a nearby hill, his strange green servant nowhere to be seen as he looked over the large field we stood in. Noticing his presence, the old lady moved as quickly as she could to bow down to him before picking up her basket of herbs and pulling at my sleeve to follow her from the field.

Even as we entered the nearby woods to hurry back to town, I could feel his cool gaze on my back, like a piece of ice being trailed down my spine.

-------

A few weeks later, I was teaching some children how to write their names and count to 50, their small fingers making lines in the dirt as they laughed excitedly. It seems that in this area most people barely learned this much before they were put to work in the fields, few outside of the higher classes or those learning to be monks and priests of some kind ever getting a chance to go beyond the most basic learning.

I hoped that by giving these kids lessons while I was here, it would be giving them a chance to go beyond what they would have otherwise had set for them. In the back of my mind, I knew it was likely a futile effort, but I refused to give up hope that at least one of them would keep on the path of learning and attain a better lot in life.

After finishing the third lesson of the week with the small group of children, I turned around and began to head back to the small hut I shared with one of the older villagers. In return for the shelter and food she provided me, I made sure her grandson was in the group each day as I taught.

As I neared the hut that stood on the edges of the village, nearer to the fields the elder woman helped to tend, I saw the familiar figure dressed mostly in white, his hair swaying gently in the cool breeze. Stopping in place, I met his golden eyes for barely a moment before he turned around and walked off.

Shrugging away the curious feeling that came with seeing the same person, demon or otherwise, yet again in this world, I turned back to the hut and pushed aside the worn curtain that acted as a door.

"I'm back! Little Takumi is such a fast learner! He's far ahead of the other children and wait until I tell you what he did today!" I called out as I entered the room, the scent of cooking vegetables filling my nose.

--------

As much as I had enjoyed my time in that small village, eventually I had felt the urge to move on, wanting to get moving and find a new place to stay while the weather was still warm enough for travel. With the farmers beginning to harvest the end of season crops, I knew I wouldn't have too much longer before travel became a more treacherous thing to deal with.

With any luck, I would reach a larger village where there would be more opportunities to find work. Maybe I would even find a place I could call home, at least for the cold seasons coming so quickly to the land.

Picking up my pace, I hefted the bag on my back in an attempt to shift it into a more comfortable position. At times like this, I really did miss my old backpack from school. I can't believe how much I used to complain about carrying it around, the padded straps and reinforced stitching now just a fond memory.

At least I had gotten the rip on this bag stitched up by Takumi's grandmother before I left, knowing she had put effort into making sure it would last me out of gratitude for teaching the boy while I was there.

As I wandered further along my journey westward, following the dirt pathway through yet another forest, I could have sworn I saw a flash of white to my left. Turning my head, I rubbed my eyes, laughing as a small white rabbit hopped out from a nearby bush after rustling the leaves for a moment.

Kneeling down, I wiggled my fingers at the small creature before reaching into my pocket and offering one of the many fruits that I had picked from the several trees and bushes that still bore some, yet another reason to leave before it grew too late in the year.

Standing up after the furry ball of cuteness had eaten and hopped away, I turned back down the path, not seeing the golden eyes that followed my every movement just as they had been for several minutes already.

Just as they continued to do for hours before finally turning away and vanishing like they had never been there to begin with.

--------

I hid the frown that wanted to appear on my lips, keeping the forced smile intact as I wove between customers on the way from the kitchen to the tables and back. I might have found a larger village but it seems that with it, I also found more people who looked at any female as fair game unless she was either a noblewoman or a priestess. And I was neither.

Dodging yet another unwanted hand reaching for me, I hurried to deliver the last meal I would have to serve today before my shift was over. I could only pray that this would give me the funds to leave this town before it became impossible to travel, winter's first frost only a month or so away at best.

I was on my way back to the kitchen, ready to drop off the apron and collect my pay when I felt it, a meaty hand grasping my wrist as an arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me onto a lap that smelled of sweat, dirt and spilled drinks.

"Wanna keep me company tonight? I'll pay you well for your time," the man slurred, the fumes of cheap alcohol hitting me with each word as I struggled against his grasp.

Just as I felt one of his hands slipping across my belly, I heard a crash from near the entrance. Taking the chance to escape the startled man's grasp, I ran to the kitchen, stumbling a few times on spilled drinks and food as the inn's patrons jumped to their feet. I could hear the sounds of a fight breaking out from the large room I had just left, grunts of pain and the crack of splintering wood almost drowning out the soft words that chilled me to the bone.

"You dare to touch that which is mine?"

--------

It felt like hours later that I found myself floating above the world, only one arm wrapped around me as I realized the other was gone, cut off at some point in the past. Judging from my lack of memories about anything happening after he had reached out to grab me, I guessed that I had fainted, only awakening recently to the sound of his voice murmuring into my ear.

"Don't worry, I will not let another of those filthy humans near you again," his breath was warm against my ear as he spoke, a shiver of fear running through me. If he thought humans were filthy, why was he interested in me, a mere human?

--------

Waking up shaking from fear in the dark room, I could still remember the screams that had come after his question, the blood that had painted the walls and floor red. I could still remember the taste of iron in my mouth as I bit my tongue in an attempt not to scream as his reddened eyes turned to focus on me, each step he took closer leaving me scurrying backward across the ground as I tried in vain to escape.

I choked on a sob when I felt his arm wrap around me from behind, praying he was still asleep and I could have a few more moments of time before I was forced to face yet another day at his side. No matter how many times I tried to escape from him, I never succeeded in the attempt.

I dreaded the thought of trying again now, the last time ending with me cornered in the gardens by a monstrously large dog, its fangs dripping acid upon the sizzling ground. I had been so terrified at the thought of the beast killing me that I had let out a scream for Sesshomaru, pleading for him to save me.

Finding out that he was the creature had only reinforced the understanding that demons were something far more fearful than my ignorant self had realized when I entered this land. My mother once told me, the prettiest things held the greatest danger.

If only I had never left that first village. Maybe if I had run away when I had seen him the first time, had done something to make sure I never caught his eye, never peeked his interest and left him seeking me out to figure out why a lowly human had caught his eye.

All I could do was pray that someone would rescue me from this monster but how could that even happen if nobody knew I was here? It's not like I had family here who would wonder where I was.

--------

Decades later, I looked out at the gardens before me, thinking back over the years as I watched the small boy run up to his father. Long white hair trailed behind him as he lifted his arms up, asking to be picked up and spun about.

How long had it been since Sesshomaru had stolen the jewel from his half-brother and the people he journeyed with? How long since he had made that greedy wish upon its cursed surface.

How long had it been since he had turned me into this cold, heartless demoness that had bore him his heir? Who had lost the humanity I had once cherished only to gain the immortality he desired simply so he would not have to watch me wither and die as all humans eventually did?

"(y/n), it is time to go inside. You shouldn't strain yourself, after all. It wouldn't be good for the baby." With those words, my attention returned to the gentle movement I felt in my belly, our second child nearly ready to be born to the world and join their older brother.

"Of course, my Lord. As you wish."