Falling Through Time | Reader x Sesshomaru

Ch. 13 Reunion with Kagome

********Time skips Forward********

While walking through the dense forest, Kiyo froze as faint voices drifted through the trees. They weren't so far off—a strange mix of shouting and dull thuds. She tilted her head, straining to catch the words.

"I'M SORRY, SANGO!" a panicked voice yelled.

"SORRY, MY ASS!" a woman's voice snapped back, sharp and furious, immediately followed by a loud slap.

*PLAP!*

"DON'T YOU DARE PUT YOUR HANDS ON MY BUTT AGAIN!" the woman roared.

*THUNK!*

"EEK—I REALLY JUST TRIPPED—"

"OH YEAH, MIROKU??"

"I REALLY DID! I DIDN'T MEAN TO—"

*THUNK!*

Another solid thwack rang out, echoing through the trees.

"EXPLAIN TO ME HOW YOU 'TRIPPED' WHEN WE WERE UP IN THE SKY RIDING ON KILALA?!"

Curiosity and amusement pushed Kiyo forward before she realized it. Brushing aside a thick patch of undergrowth, she stepped into the middle of the commotion.

Two figures froze mid-action, their heads snapping toward her like startled deer.

The woman stood in a skin-tight, black jumpsuit with red accents, reinforced by armor plates. A red sash was tied at her waist, and strapped to her back was an enormous boomerang. Her flushed face exuded no-nonsense energy, though irritation glinted in her eyes.

The man, looking far worse for wear, was clad in the robes of a monk, black and purple in color. He clutched a golden staff and rubbed his head where a visible lump was forming. His black hair, tied in a small ponytail, was tousled, likely from the repeated thunks Kiyo had overheard.

The pair stared at her as if she were the strangest thing they'd ever seen.

"Uh..." Kiyo began awkwardly, scratching the back of her neck. She glanced between the two, unsure whether to ask what in the world was going on or explain herself.

The woman was the first to recover. Still gripping her weapon, she gave Kiyo a suspicious once-over. "Who are you?" she demanded, her voice sharp but not outright hostile.

Kiyo hesitated, acutely aware of how odd she must appear. "Uh... I'm just passing through," she said, raising her hands to show she wasn't a threat.

"Forgive us if we startled you. My name is Miroku, and this—" he gestured toward the woman, who was still giving me a cautious look, "—is Sango. You've caught us... at a moment of, uh, minor disagreement."

"Minor disagreement?!" Sango snapped, her glare silencing him.

Miroku flinched before turning back to Kiyo. "And you are?"

"I'm... Kiyo," she said after a brief pause. "I'm trying to get back to my village. I didn't mean to intrude."

Sango's expression softened slightly at the mention of her village, though her grip on the boomerang didn't waver. "Your village? You're out here all alone? That's dangerous."

"I know," Kiyo admitted with a sigh. "But I don't have much of a choice. I got lost and... I'm just trying to find my way back."

Miroku frowned thoughtfully. "This forest is no place for humans to wander alone. You're lucky to have avoided trouble so far."

Sango exhaled heavily, finally releasing her weapon. "We can't just leave you out here. Where's your village? Maybe we can help you get there."

Her offer surprised Kiyo, but she quickly remembered the nymph's directions. "It's supposed to be just past the next village, near that big mountain over there," she said, pointing.