Inuyasha 1. Chapter 1

Her Destiny

Disclaimer: I do not, I repeat do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters associated with Inuyasha. I write for pure enjoyment and gain no profit from writing or publishing these stories. These stories are completely fictional.

Chapter 1

Kagome is a child prodigy. At the tender age of 4 she was given an intelligence test to see how she was progressing for her age. It was a standard test given to every child to make sure they developed properly before entering school for the first time. Imagine the surprise the doctors got, when the small child named Kagome passed the test with a 100 percent.

They never had a child that could think so quickly or get all of the answers right. They thought it strange, so they called in another doctor and he administered another test. This one much harder than the one she took only an hour ago.

By the time they were done with their test, the doctors determined that the sweet child of 4 had an intellect that could not be measured. She had mastered three different skills with her test. She was a genius at mathematic, reading, and the sciences. She understood everything she read and answered the questions correctly. They branded her a child prodigy and opened a whole new world for her.

She grew up with her education already paid for by the most prestigious schools. Every school wanted to be the one to teach her. And the ones that got her, rejoiced in having such a polite and delightful student.

Kagome graduated from High School when she was just 12 and soon after, even at such an early age, she headed off to college. Life in college was hard for her because she was on her own. Kagome was shunned by the older students that saw her only for her intelligence that surpassed even their own.

Throughout her life, Kagome had to learn how to take care of herself. That meant she had to learn how to protect herself as well. Since she was just a small and petite child, she was easily overpowered and beaten. The school she was in at that point in time, got in contact with a famous martial artist and asked him if he would teach her. They told him of her background and he jumped at the chance to have such a student.

In just a short year, she had mastered swordsmanship, archery, dagger play, stars (Shuriken-jutsu), and nunchaku-jutsu. All of Kagome's weapons were weapons that she had found at the shrine. Her grandfather had told her that they were given to the shrine for safekeeping and he didn't see anything wrong if she took them to train.

Among all the things that Kagome has done so far with her young life, she also discovered that she was a miko. Her Reiyouku was very powerful and she was taught by the only living miko in Japan. This was the only one of her gifts that was kept a secret from all that knew her.

Her mother had surmised that if the doctors and scientists learned that she was also a miko they might wind up taking her away from her family. Kagome didn't want this to happen because despite everything that she had to endure so far in her life, she loved her family dearly, and her mother always made sure that she had a normal family life.

Kagome would train with her sensei during the day but at night, in one of the shrine's dojos, she would practice with her weapons only this time by mixing her miko powers in with her training. It allowed her to hone in her Reiyouku when fighting, thus developing them even more and making her stronger. Kagome didn't understand why she was doing this since there was nothing for her to fight in the era that she lived in. But it had been an overwhelming feeling that she got that she had to learn how to fight using her Reiyouku.

When she mastered those weapons, Kagome moved on to hand-to-hand combat where she excelled as well. She became very well known and competed in many competitions and won.

What should have taken Kagome years to complete, she completed in just four short years. She graduated from college with honors at the tender age of 16, she received her doctorates degree in History and Archeology, which she got with an advanced teaching program that the school provided for her. She had always been very fascinated with history, ever since her grandfather had told her some of the legends of the shrine they lived in.

She had traced her family tree all the way back to Midoriko, the greatest miko to have ever lived. But she couldn't find out much about the famed miko that lived so long ago. Kagome's lineage starts well after Midoriko's death in the Heian Period and no one knows how her family line got started.

The one thing that her mother thanked Kami about was that her daughter was now able to control her nasty temper. Kagome's temper was one of the worst anyone has ever seen. It took years of her studying with her martial arts teacher to finally teach her how to control it. She learned everything from him and he even showed her how to channel her anger into her fighting style, which made her a deadly opponent.

Her mother had seen first hand what she could do to someone that threatened her or her family. If anything, Kagome was very loyal to her family and protected them viciously.

During this time Kagome matured into a beautiful young woman. She filled out in all the right places with just enough curves and a flat stomach. Her long blue/black hair came down to her thighs. Her eyes were the brightest of blue on a clear summer's day with a hint of gold around the edges. Her full rounded lips that were naturally a dark pink in color accentuated her features beautifully. Kagome also had long slender legs that put her height to be about 5 foot 5 inches making her the envy of all the girls at the tender age of 18.

One day on her way home from the training dojo, where she trained children less fortunate than her on how to protect themselves, she stopped by the library. She was dressed in a short white t-shirt that stopped just above her bellybutton. She had long gray sweat pants that the waist of the pants was rolled down several times so they would fit low on her hips.

She had her sword strapped to her waist along with two daggers. On her back were two Katanas that sat crossed comfortably between her shoulder blades. If anyone saw her weapons the only thing they would see were wooden swords, not the real ones that she carried. It was against the law to carry weapons so she used a concealment spell to hide them.

She also had on a MP3 player and she was listening to some music whiled she walked. The music was a mix of every type of music that existed in her era. She was eclectic and enjoyed hearing the different kinds of music so she downloaded her favorites into the MP3.

As she was nearing the library she took off her headphones and stuffed her MP3 player inside her shirt. The player was small and compact so it fit nicely into her bra along with the headphones. She needed to hide it because it was against library policy to have it in there. Her bra was a good place for it since she didn't have any pockets.

They had started that rule when other people wearing MP3 players were not considerate with other patrons in the library. They would turn the volume up so loud that it almost left you deaf, hence there came the policy about no MP3 player in the library. Once she had everything hidden she then continued to walk into the library.

The director of the library had known of her fascination with historical data and every time he got in any old books dating back to the Heian period, he would call her so she could come by and look at the books.

He knew that she would never need to take the books out of the library because she had a photographic memory. Everything she read she remembered.

When Kagome was done reading the books, she thanked the director for letting her read them. On her way home she was thinking what it would have been like to live in that era. She imagined that the land must have been beautiful back then. She had read about the youkais of that time period and couldn't believe they existed. There had been no hard evidence to prove that they ever existed. But just because there was no proof that they existed it didn't mean that they do not exist today.

She herself is living proof of the miko's that used to walk the earth to protect the people from the youkai's. She couldn't help but wonder if the youkai were all evil or were there some that were nice and protected the ningens back then. She continued to think about this as she walked home, often getting the feeling that she was born in the wrong era for she felt so out of place here.

She was wondering if she could get one of the museums to fund her research to prove that youkai existed back then. She had an idea on where to look for old bones, but it will take time and money to find and prove her theory.

As she walked through the compound of the shrine where she lives, Kagome notices a bright glow coming from one of the many buildings that makes up the shrine grounds. She had thought that she had been in very building on the grounds, but somehow she had missed this one.

Curious to know what was glowing so brightly in the building, she slowly approached the door and opens it. There in the middle of the building was a very old well and on the well there was something written on the lid that covered the opening. She approached slowly and read what was written there. Her eyes grew big with understanding, as she quickly turned to leave the building.

She was about to run when suddenly some arms tore through the cover of the well. They reached out and grabbed Kagome pulling her down into the well and into the bright blue light.

Kagome was screaming her head off while she fell. She had no idea what was going on or why these arms were dragging her into this blue light. Then all of a sudden an ugly looking woman appeared in front of her.

She had a body that resembled that of a centipede. With its many arms acting like its legs, she had long brown hair and ugly green eyes. Her tongue was long like a snake and she had fangs that were coming out of her mouth.

She had a death grip on Kagome's shoulders who was struggling to get free from her hold. She had no idea what this thing wanted with her but she didn't think it was anything good. She was moving her hand towards the dagger that she kept tucked in her waist as she heard this ugly woman speak, "My name is Mistress Centipede. I want the jewel of the four souls that you carry. I can feel the power of the jewel. Give me the jewel!"

Kagome had no idea of what she was talking about. She had enough of miss ugly as she finally reached her dagger and pulled it from its sheath. She channeled her powers into the dagger, holding it by its hilt with the tip of the blade pointing toward her elbow.

She quickly lashed out with the dagger effectively beheading and purifying the creature as Kagome gently floated down to the ground. She landed softly as she opens her eyes fully to see where she was.

Kagome looked up to the well opening and notice right away that there was no roof above her. The only thing she saw was a beautiful blue sky. She looked around and saw vines running all the way up the side of the well. She figured if she wanted to get out of here she would have to climb up herself.

So she grabbed the vine and started to climb. It didn't take her anytime at all to get to the top. Once she climbed out of the well she sat there for a few minutes while she caught her breath.

Then for the first time she opens her eyes to see where she is. Her eyes grew wide as she takes a look around the area. She was deep in the middle of a forest, she remembered that her home had a small forest around the shrine's ground but it was not like this.

Kagome was scared, she had no idea where she was or for that matter when. She took a deep breath of fresh air and smiled. The air smelled so good here. It was very pure and not polluted by fumes and rotting food.

As much as she enjoyed the smell of the clean air she had to figure out where she was. Her quick mind calculated that the well must have had some sort of magic to it. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what she read before she was grabbed and pulled into the well.

A picture formed in her mind as she saw the words on the lid of the well. "This well has been sealed to prevent Mistress Centipede from escaping. This youkai only seeks power in order to gain more territory. Lord Inutaisho sealed her here for trying to destroy one of the villages near this well. All are warned not to break the seal for it will awaken the youkai within."

Kagome groaned. That was the glow that was coming from the well. Somehow the seal on the well had weakened and the youkai was able to break free. Again, she looked around the area and a sinking feeling started to settle in the pit of her stomach. She knew she was not home in her era. For one thing there were no sounds of traffic going by the shrine. Second, the building was gone from around the well. But the million yen question is how to get back home.

'Hmm, if this well brought me here then I should be able to go back the same way. The theory is sound and logical. The only way to prove it is to jump back into the well to see if it will take me back.' Kagome thought as she looked down into the dark and gloomy well.

She turned and put her legs back into the well and steadied her mind. She took a deep breath, held it, and then jumped in.

"THUD!" Kagome landed hard at the bottom of the well. There was no bright blue light to take her back to her era. Tears started to form in her eyes as she thought, 'How am I going to get back home? No one knows what has happened to me. If anyone could always manage to get into all sorts of trouble it's always me.'

She stood as she checked to make sure she didn't break anything, 'The only thing I broke was my pride. Ouch! My butt hurts from hitting the ground, but other than that I didn't break anything, thank Kami!' She turned and with a gentle sigh she started to climb back up the vines.

Once she was out of the well Kagome looked around the area. It was very beautiful here. The forest was thick and it was rich with wildlife. She spotted an old worn out path and decided to follow it to see where it led. She needed to get an idea where she was or more to the point of when. After all she couldn't sit by the well all day like a frightened child. If she was stuck here she was going to make the best of it.

As she was walking, Kagome silently thanked her mother for making her take all those miko lessons. Being alone in a forest she really needed to keep her senses open for any danger. She continued to walk as she saw something to the right that she recognized. She headed in that direction when she finally came to a big tree.

'This is the Goshinboku that sits in the middle of our shrine. It looks younger here though not as old as it is back home. I did some research on that tree and even though the test proved inconclusive on how old the tree actually was it had given me the knowledge that the tree was at least over 1000 years old. So if it is slightly younger here then I must have gone back in time. But to which era?' Kagome pondered this new information as she let her mind wonder. She moved closer to the tree as she laid her hand on it and felt the life force that the tree always held.

She felt comforted by the tree as she opened her eyes and looked around again. Kagome sighed, she needed to keep moving if she was going to find out where she was. She went back to the trail and continued to follow it.

Soon the trees started to thin out and she could make out a village not too far from where she stood. She could see the fields of corn, wheat, rice, and other vegetables being grown to help sustain the village.

She noticed that in the village all of the huts were one level. They were small huts that were clustered together to form their community. Kagome sat down on the hill as she observed what was going on down below. She noticed how they were dressed and figured that the era was somewhere in the Heian Period.

The kimonos that the women wore had not been seen in a long time. As a matter of fact, there are no clothing that have survived from this era in Japan. The only thing that did survived were some books, scrolls, pottery, and some weapons, this was the only proof that her era had on this period in history. Very little is known about this era and she was fascinated to experience it first hand.

She watched from the hillside as the village went about their normal duties. She watched as the children played in the rice fields while their mothers worked close by, keeping an ever-watchful eye on them. She noticed by the position of the sun that it was late in the afternoon. She would need to go out and find something to eat soon if she was going to survive in this era.

'I just want to go home. But how can I get home when that well won't return me to my era.' She looked up into the sky and closed her eyes enjoying the gentle caresses of the wind against her skin. The sun was gently warming her features as she sighed with contentment.

As she was enjoying the sun, a feeling of uneasiness made itself known to her. She opened her eyes and scanned the area around her. She could feel it. Something large was coming toward this village and it was about to attack it.

She stood up as she looked for the danger. Then she felt it, a huge amount of Jyaki filled the area quickly as she looked to the left. 'Whatever this is, that is going to attack this village, it's big.' She thought.

Then she started to hear the voice of an old woman as she rang the alarm that youkai were getting ready to attack the village.

Kagome blinked, as she stared at the old woman, 'That old woman looks like Kaede! But Kaede is alive in my era, how can she be here in this era?' She didn't understand how Kaede could be here. The only thing that she could come up with is that this is one of Kaede's ancestors and whatever happens here today she couldn't let her get hurt or something might happen to the Kaede she knows in the future.

She heard a sound off to the left and turned to see 6 large youkai coming towards the village. They were very large, they had large fangs sticking out of their mouths as drool pored out the corner of it. Their big red eyes scanned the village as they were trying to make a decision on whether they were going to attack them or not. They had what appeared to be loincloth wrapped around their middle as she saw them flexing the huge claws on their hands. They had no hair on their body and the stench they gave off was enough to gag anyone.

She looked back to the Kaede of this era, watching as she took her bow off her shoulder and pulled an arrow locking it into place, getting ready to shoot. Kaede then charges up the arrow with her Reiyouku and fires.

Kagome notices immediately that the arrow is weak with power. The Kaede down there must not be that powerful and these youkai will destroy this village. Kagome cursed under her breath as she takes off running down the side of the hill. She had to help the elderly miko before the youkais destroyed the village.

Kagome could run very fast for a ningen. It was a trick she learned while practicing in her shrine's dojo. She used her Reiyouku to enhance her muscles, and became just a blur to anyone that was looking at what she was doing.

She rushed toward the old woman and spotted a bow and a quiver of arrows sitting against a hut, she ran by it, and grabbed them, as she continued running toward the old priestess. She put the quiver on her back as she got the bow ready. She reached back and grabbed an arrow and locked it into place. Kagome came to a stop just behind Kaede as the old woman lets go of another weak arrow in an attempt to save the village.

Kagome quickly takes aim and lets her arrow fly. Her arrow having three times the amount of power that Kaede's had, hit its mark and purified the youkai in front of them.

---oOo---

Kaede sensed the youkais coming towards the village. She was sounding the alarms in order to get the villagers away from this area before they attacked. She then sees five Oni appeared out of the forest. They were getting ready to attack the village as she locks an arrow into her bow and fires.

She cursed under her breath, cursing her years of being alive and the draining of her miko powers. She was just barely strong enough to kill one of the lesser youkai, let alone youkais of this size. But she had to fight in order to protect the village as this will allow the villager's time to flee before the Oni's attacked.

She grabbed another arrow and fires it. She watches as her arrow travels to the youkai right in front of her but then she observes another arrow trailing behind the one she just let go. Kaede was surprise to see that it was an arrow from another priestess with enough power to purify the Oni.

She turned to see who the priestess was that came to help her for she wished to offer her thanks, but what she saw shocked her. The person behind her was oddly dressed. Having only a partial juban on and her hakama appeared to be almost falling off her hips. But the aura that she saw in the girl shocked her. Her powers were great. She was not a priestess like she had first thought but a more powerful miko with a pure soul fueling her Reiyouku.

Her eyes opened wide when she saw the young girl pull her sword from its sheath as it hummed to life. She had only seen that sword once in her lifetime and she thought that it was being kept safe in another village. But this girl was wheeling this sword with ease and it was not rejecting her. 'She must be the true owner of the sword now.'

She saw the girl raise her sword and jump into the air as she yelled, "RUN KAEDE!" Kaede moved fast for an old woman after Kagome had told her to run. She brought her sword down as she sliced off the arm of the Oni that was trying to kill her.

The youkai yelled in pain as it reared back. It looked at the person that did this to him as he saw a puny slip of a ningen standing in front of him with a sword in her hand. He roared his challenge to the female as he saw her smirk. He made another attempt to attack her as she swung her sword down and yelled, "PURIFYING BLADE!"

One blade of power came out of her sword as it went straight for the youkai. It hit him in the center of his chest as the creature cried out in pain until it finally purified him.

Kagome then turned her attention to the other four that were still there near the village. Then she yelled, "Hey! Hey ugly! I will not allow you to destroy this village. So I suggest that you get out of here or I will have to kill you."

The youkais standing in front of her started to laugh as they thought. 'How can a puny ningen onna tell us what to do?' The biggest one out of all of them stepped forward. He looked menacingly down at the young ningen and said, "Wench! You will know your place. You can not stop us from attacking this village."

A slow grin started to form on Kagome's lips as a plan began to form in her mind. She sheathed her sword, then clapped hands together and opened them, palms up spreading her arms wide, in a sweeping motion in front of her. When she did that a powerful barrier was raised to protect the village.

The youkais could not believe the powerful barrier that was protecting the village they wanted to destroy. One of them was brave enough to touch it and it was the last thing he did. The barrier not only protected the village but also purified any youkai that touched it.

The remaining youkais were angry that they couldn't have their fun. They turned their blood red eyes to the ningen as they saw her take off into the forest. She moved incredibly fast for a ningen as they gave chase.

They finally found the onna as she stood in the middle of a field holding her sword out to the side. Her bangs were covering her eyes as they made their way towards the girl.

Once they got to her location the three remaining youkais surrounded the girl. They bared their fangs and made rude noises at her as they all went around in a circle.

Kagome watched what they were doing. She was getting herself ready for when they attacked. She guessed that one of them would attack first to allow the others to see any weaknesses in her defenses. She didn't have to wait for long before she saw the first youkai make his move.

He was coming at her full force as Kagome crouched down low. When he was about to strike her, she jumped up with her sword by her side as she brought it forward. You could hear as the sword connected with the youkais flesh, ripping the skin and cutting the bone clean through as she severed the arm.

The arm fell to the ground as the youkai thrashed about. He was in pain from having his arm cut off but that was the least of his problems. Where the sword had made contact with his skin it also started to purify his body.

He rolled around on the ground trying to get it to stop, but it was to no avail. Kagome's purifying powers continued to eat at the Oni's body until he was completely purified.

Kagome then turned her attention to the other two Oni in the area. She was barely breathing hard as she brought her sword forward and took a defensive position. She kept her senses opened to see when they would attack.

But there in the back of her mind she felt another presence. He was keeping his distance from her at the moment. From what she could tell he was up in the sky watching everything she was doing. 'Well he can watch all he wants. I just have to keep my senses on him and make sure he doesn't join the party. Once I'm done with these two then I can deal with him.'

The youkai couldn't believe how powerful this ningen was. She had managed to destroy four of their comrades and they had yet to land a clear hit on her. This was not good. They were powerful youkai and a mere ningen was defeating them.

Both youkai roared their anger as they charged. They were going to kill this ningen for what she has done and then they were going to destroy the village she protects to show these pathetic ningens who rules these lands.

Kagome watch as they charged her. She was ready as waited for them to come closer. When they were close enough she brought her sword up and then slashes out in front of her calling, "HEARTS STORM!"

A storm of her Reiyouku came out of the sword as it moved around in a circle. It created a powerful vacuum as it caught one of the Oni and pulled him into the storm. It ripped his body apart as he was purified. The other Oni just barely got out of the way of the attack as he landed further back from the wench.

The Oni eyed his target. She had her back to him, it was the perfect opportunity to attack and kill this wench. He charged thinking that he had the upper hand in the fight as he came up behind her. He pulled his claws back and he brought his powerful arm down ready to slash the ningen wench to pieces. At the last minute he sees her turn around as she holds up her hand to try and stop him from attacking.

Kagome was crouched on the ground. Her hearts storm was one of her most powerful attacks that she never could practice with. She knew that she could perform the move but she didn't really know what it actually did. She was glad that she had chosen a location away from the village, because if she ever did this move, near any village, she would have destroyed it all by herself.

The hair on the back of her neck started to stand up, indicating danger. She turned as she saw the last Oni coming towards her with his arm raised. She didn't have enough time to move out of the way so she summoned her Reiyouku and held up her hand to protect herself.

When the Oni's hand came down it made contact with the ball of light that was coming from Kagome's hand. The ball grew in size and power as it engulfed the Oni.

Kagome sent a blast of her spiritual powers towards the Oni as she watched what happen with amazement. She never knew that she could produce that large of a blast. 'I guess when your life is in danger you can do anything.' Kagome thought as she let out a deep sigh of relief.

She stood on her feet as she watched the last youkai get purified. Now she had to turn her attention to her other guest. She didn't know if she could defeat him. He was still very powerful and she just finished fighting 6 very large youkai. Her powers were weakened but if she could manage to wound him then maybe he should just go away.

She brought her sword forward as she waited for him to come down. Sooner or later she knew he would descend to the ground. All she had to do was be ready for him. She continued to watch him from behind her bangs as he circled her from high above. She moved with him to make sure she didn't give him the opportunity to attack her from behind.

---oOo---

Lord Inutaisho was looking for the youkais that were destroying his lands. They had already destroyed two villages and all of the crops for the year. They had killed all of the ningens that lived in those villages and he was pissed.

No one lays waste to his lands and gets away with it. He was a kind and gentle ruler. Everyone lived in peace on his lands and anyone that threatened that peace was dealt with harshly.

He was approaching a small village. The village didn't have a name for it was a newly established settlement. They had built this village in the last 50 years or so and they have not gotten around to giving themselves a name yet.

He could sense that the bastards where heading in that direction. He quickened his pace as he flew over the lands to catch up to them. Soon he came to the village and saw the old priestess there trying to fight off the youkais, giving her people a chance to flee the village. He was about to head in and attack when a strange onna caught his attention.

He stopped in mid-flight and watched what was going on down below. He observed this onna and noticed that her aura was a deep purple. He had never seen a ningen with this kind of aura before. Usually ningens had blue auras indicating a normal amount of Reiyouku or an orange aura indicating they were slightly stronger than the others.

But this one had a deep purple aura indicating great power and her Reiyouku was amazing. The only ones he knew that had a deep purple aura were youkai and even then they were few and far between. His son had a deeper aura than this ningen but not by much. He would have to say that she was at least as powerful as his eldest son.

He observed that she had used just one arrow to take down the youkais in front of her and purified him with ease. When she took out her sword his eyes grew wide, 'Where on earth did she get that sword! I thought that sword was being kept safe at Midoriko's old village.'

He was positive that the sword she had in her hand was Kenjikago. The last time he had seen that sword was over a hundred years ago when he took it to her old village and returned it to them, along with the Shikon No Tama, for safe keeping.

Now he would have to make a trip to that village and make sure that everything is all right there. He had no desire to have an enemy try and steal the Shikon No Tama and use it for their own evil purpose.

He floated in the air as he watched the battle down below. He saw when she created a barrier to protect the village as she took off running into the forest. 'She moves fast for an onna.' He thought as he watched her disappear into the forest. He was beginning to have his doubts that she was ningen because she was acting just like a youkai.

He watched as she fought with the youkais as one by one they fell by her hand. He was impressed with her skills as a fighter. No ningen ever held such skills. He was wondering where she came from because he had never sensed her around this area before. He would have known if there was a powerful ningen in this area, it was hard to miss her aura.

When she had finished her fight he expected her to lower her sword, but to his surprised she kept her sword out in front of her as she turned towards him. He furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion, she was following his movement when he shifted to another position.

His features showed his surprise when she followed his movements. 'This ningen can sense my presence in this area. I'm hiding my scent and aura but she can still detect me. There has been only one ningen, that I know about, that could do this, and that was Midoriko. Who in the hell is she?' His curiosity was now peaked so he slowly headed down to the ground to confront this onna that has caught his attention.

Kagome watched as the youkai that was floating on a cloud came down toward the ground. Her senses were on full alert trying to discern his intentions. When he finally landed on the ground his cloud disappeared as she finally got a good look at him.

He was tall and very muscular for a youkai. He had long silver hair that he wore in a high ponytail on the top of his head. He had one blue jagged stripe on each side of his cheek. His eyes were golden in color that was slightly darker than the sun. He had red markings on the top of his eyelids and his ears were pointed like an elf. He also had a blue crescent moon on his forehead.

He wore a white kimono. The top part of his kimono had blue stripes on both shoulders going down to the sleeves. He wore black armor that was held in place with a maroon and light purple sash. He had spikes on his shoulders that extended from his armor and wore several swords on his side. She could see the long claws on his hands. He also had something very furry that was draped behind him.

All in all Kagome thought that this youkai was very handsome as she stood there waiting for him to attack.

Inutaisho was fascinated with this little one. She was still just a young pup but she held such powers. She was also beautiful for a ningen. He took a deep breath and caught her scent. He was amazed that she didn't smell like the rest of the ningens he had encounters with. She smelled of Night Blooming Jasmine, a heavenly scent. But what mostly caught his attention, besides the revealing clothes she wore, were her eyes. They were the palest of blue, just like the beautiful sky up above, with just a hint of gold around the edge.

He took a few steps towards her and heard her growl at him. He stopped, as he understood her warning of not coming any closer to where she was located. They stood there and looked at each other for a few minutes, when he broke the silence and asked, "Who are you little one? Where do you come from? I have never seen you in this area before."

Kagome listened to his words, his voice held a deep rich tone, it was very soothing to her as she listened to his questions. He didn't indicate that he wanted to harm her. He was just curious. He had a kind face and he looked like he might be from around this area. His clothes indicated that he was of noble birth so she had to be careful in what she said to this youkai.

She lowered her sword as a sign of truce, lowering her blade so that the point touched the ground as she stood to her full height. She gazed into his eyes before she answered his question. "My name is Kagome. You are correct in your assumptions that I'm not from this area. I have lost my way and I'm trying to find my way home."

Inutaisho loved the sound of her voice. It was soothing and regal when she spoke. Her body movements indicated that she commanded respect and he could tell that she was educated. 'Now this is very unusual, ningens are not very well educated. Yet she speaks so eloquently.'

He took another couple of steps towards her as he heard her growls of disapproval and the sword came forward again. He stopped again in front of her, always keeping his eyes on her. "Well Kagome I can tell that you are not from around here. Where is your village? I might be able to help you get home."

Kagome knew that he was trying to get information out of her. But she was not in the mood to give it to him. "That information I can not tell you. All I can tell you is that my village is far away from here."

Inutaisho knew she was hiding the location of her village from him but he also didn't smell any lies coming from her. So what she was saying was true. "Fine Kagome since you will not tell me where your village is located then I want to offer my thanks in killing those youkais. I have been looking for them because they have already destroyed two villages and killed everyone in them. I have been tracking them for the better part of the morning when I caught their scent heading toward this village. When I finally reached this village I saw that you were attacking them. I must say that you are a very powerful miko."

Kagome blushed at the compliment she received from this youkai as she said, "Your words are too kind, milord. I only happened upon this village and saw it getting attacked. I only wished to help. Now if you would excuse me milord, I must be on my way."

Kagome sheathed her sword back as she turned and started to walk away. She needed some rest, she was feeling weak and the sooner she was away from this youkai with all the questions the better she would feel.

What she didn't expect, as she was trying to leave the area, was for this youkai to block her escape. In a blink of an eye he was standing in front of her as she heard him say, "I'm afraid that I can't allow you to leave on your own. This area is full of youkais that would love to get their hands on you. I want you to come with me."

Kagome raised an eyebrow at his statement. He was nice and very cordial, she also wanted to learn more about the youkais of this era but she had a bad feeling about going with him. She trusted her instincts so she was not going anywhere with him. "I'm sorry milord but I make it a point never to go off with strangers. Plus I can take care of myself, as you have already observed."

Inutaisho was impressed with this young lady. She was very polite and she has values. He was letting his curiosity get the better of him as he said; "Well we can take care of the stranger part right now. I'm Lord Inutaisho. I'm the ruler of the Western Lands. All of these lands belong to me. I protect everyone on them and keep the peace. I would prefer that you come with me so that you would be protected. I have many more questions that I want to ask you later on today."

Kagome recognized the name right away, 'So, he was the one that sealed that youkai in the well. But I sincerely doubt that he was the one that made the well bring me here to this era. In any case I can't go with him. What would happen if he learns I'm from the future? He could use me to his advantage in the coming years. I can't take the chance of changing history and changing the outcome of my life.'

Kagome was getting irritated with her line of thought. She was confused and she wanted to leave plus she could feel her energy slowly draining away from her. She needed to find a place to rest and soon. But this youkai Lord was making things difficult for her.

She got herself ready, she knew she would have to fight this lord, because he was not going to let her leave on her own. "Well milord, I now know your name but it does not mean that I'm going with you. I have nothing more to say to you, so if you will please excuse me, I will be leaving."

She caught a flicker of moment off to the side as she quickly raised her barrier. She saw a blue/white light hit her barrier as it bounced off and went back to its owner.

Inutaisho was getting irritated. He was not about to let this onna leave the area alone. She was going to come with him so he could find out where she comes from. He had to see what kind of village produced such a powerful miko and see whether they had anymore like her. Unfortunately he was going to have to take her by force since she would not cooperate.

He flicked his wrist as he sent his whip towards her. At the last minute he saw her barrier come up and deflect it. Usually his whip would cut through anything but this time it couldn't even destroy her barrier. 'Hmm, she is more powerful than I thought. This is not going to be easy, but if I wear her down, then her remaining strength should be depleted. I will be able to capture her and take her back to the castle with me, until I get the information that I want from her.'

He set his resolve, as he got ready to battle with the little one. He wouldn't hurt her; he just wanted her to come with him, but since she refused he would have to take her by force. He turned towards her as he said, "Wench! I'm not giving you an option in the matter. You will come with me now!"

At that moment he saw her eyes turning color. They were changing to a darker blue. They looked like a storm that was about to be unleashed and he learned first hand not insult her.

Kagome's anger was growing out of proportion after he had called her a wench. He didn't know her well enough to call her that, and dragging her honor through the mud. She was not going to stand for it. She drew her sword and kept an eye on the youkai in front of her. Her anger reached an all time high as she spoke in a low and deadly voice, "I don't care who you are. You have no right to call me a wench. I'm leaving and there's nothing you can do about it!"

She tried to go around him as he blocked her escape once again. She lashed out with her powers and sent a ball of purifying power towards him.

Inutaisho was hard pressed to get out of the way of her attack. She was fast, almost as fast as he was. He then sent his whip towards her again as he began to whip the barrier around her. He was relentless in his attacks as he was trying to weaken her. But it was proving to be difficult, as she would counter his attacks with her sword.

He had enough as he gathers some of his youki and sent it towards her. The blast hit the girl as she flew through the air and landed about twenty feet away from him. She was hurt and her barrier had collapsed. This was his one chance to subdue her as he rushed in and pinned her to the ground by her neck.

He held her struggling form down as he lowered head and said in her ear, "I'm truly sorry Kagome. I would have liked it if you would have come with me of your own free will, but you leave me with no choice in the matter. Now I will force you to come with me."

He reached over and found the pressure point on her neck as he squeezed. Her eyes opened wide as she fell limp immediately. Now that she was unconscious he could take her with him.

He went to grab her sword and when he touched it the sword burned his hand; her sword had almost purified him. He looked at his hand and saw how blistered and red it was. Then he saw the sword glow brightly as it disappeared from the ground only to reappear in its sheath.

He saw the barrier around each weapon and knew that he could not touch them. He sighed, he went through all this trouble just because he was curious about this onna. Well he was going to have his questions answered whether the girl wanted to talk or not.

He picked the girl up in his arms as he formed his youki cloud under his feet. He took to the sky as he was heading toward the village where Midoriko used to live.

---oOo---

Off in the forest three sets of eyes watched everything that happened out in the clearing. Kaede and two of the village elders had followed the strange girl to the clearing so they could see what was going on. They watched everything that the young girl did and were amazed at the power that she had displayed.

When they saw her defeat the last youkai they were going to let themselves be known. But then they saw that the girl would not back down from something that she was sensing, they decided to remain hidden to see what it was.

Kaede for her part could not detect the youkais aura that this girl was detecting. She watched to see what the girl was going to do. When the youkai lord of the west appeared they were all taken by surprise. They never knew that he was watching the battle. He had hidden his aura and his scent but this young girl knew that he was there.

They watched as the youkai lord battled with the girl. They could do nothing to help her, they could not hope to defeat a youkai of his caliber. When the girl was finally defeated they saw him pick her up as he formed his youkai cloud and flew away with her.

The three of them finally came out of their hiding place as one of the men turned to Kaede and asked, "Lady Kaede? Do you know who that young girl was?"

Kaede was deep in thought as she answered, "No, I don't know who she is, but whoever she is, she is very powerful. Her powers are great and I'm afraid that the youkai lord will not stop until he gets the answers to his questions."

They all turned as they made their way back to the village. As they were walking Kaede was getting some ideas of who that girl was. 'So Lord Inutaisho, you have taken the girl because you want some answers to her origin. But I suspect that ye motives are more than this. I suspect that ye have taken the young girl to be the mate for your eldest son. She is powerful in her own right and a mating between the two will be most beneficial to you.'

No one said a word as they continued heading toward the village. They all knew one thing though. That the reason the Youkai Lord had taken the female is because he has plans for her, and his plans included his son and heir to the west.

---oOo---

Well hello everyone! It's been a while since I have posted a story. Well I am sorry for the long wait. After my last story Destined for Me, I had to have eye surgery to fix my problem. It took time to heal and now that I'm better I will be writing more often.

I want to give special thanks to Advi for being the beta on this story and for keeping me straight as the story progressed. When I would get stuck in a part of the story she was always there for me to help. Thanks Advi you're the greatest!

This story is rated M for future lemons in the story. So if you don't like them I will mark the start and finish so you can avoid them. But I'm not removing them, if you don't like to read them then please skip this story and read another.

Now, Kagome is taken by Lord Inutaisho himself, he is heading towards Midoriko village to see if her sword and the Shikon No Tama is still there.

What will he find when he finally gets there? Well you have to follow the story as it progresses through each stage. For those of you that have read my stories, you know how I love to put twist and turns.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Asami had returned home from a long day at work. It seemed to her that things were getting more expensive as the years went by. She had arrived home expecting her beautiful daughter to be home when she got there so she could help her bring the groceries in.

She had just entered her house when she called, "Kagome! Kagome are you upstairs? I need some help bringing in the groceries."

Asami heard no response and the house remained quiet. Her son was over at a friend's house for the afternoon and she wasn't expecting him until a little later. She knew that her daughter had to teach a class at the dojo and that she would be stopping by the library to investigate the new books that the director had received.

She turned her head towards the clock on the wall and furrowed her eyebrows together. It was past 5PM and her daughter was not home yet.

It was not like her daughter to be late getting home. Kagome knew how she worried about her every time she would arrive late. She checked her answering machine to see if her daughter had left a message but to her surprise there was none.

She picked up the phone and started dialing numbers. She called Kagome's sensei and he had told her that Kagome had been there that morning and stayed until about 1PM saying she had to go to the library and meet the director there.

Asami said her thanks, apologized to have bothered him, and hangs up the phone. She quickly dialed the library and asked for the director. When the director finally came on the phone she had asked him if he had seen her daughter. He replied yes that she had been there earlier in the day, but that she had left to go home about 4PM.

Asami thanked him for the information and hung up the phone. She called all the people she knew to see if they had seen her daughter but no one had seen her that day.

Asami rushed outside, and looked frantically around the shrine grounds. She was yelling her daughters name hoping that she was just engrossed with a book somewhere around. She looked everywhere for Kagome but she couldn't find her anywhere.

She had no choice now. Asami rushed into the house and called the police. They came over to the house to take a missing persons report. The police knew who Kagome was because she was very well known in the area as the child prodigy. They all knew her to be a sweet girl and someone who would never do anything to upset her family like this.

They had brought in dogs to see if they could find or at least track the girl around the area. The dogs for some reason, unknown to their handlers, kept going to this one empty area on the shrine ground. It was like they were picking up on the girls scent and then it vanished. They had no idea what was going on as they lead the dogs out of the area.

The area that the dogs were sniffing around was the area where the building for the old well once resided. Now all that was left of the old well was an empty area devoid of any life.

The police, having gotten all the information they could from Ms. Higurashi, left the area to see if they could find her. No one knew who could have wanted to hurt this young girl who had so much to give to the world.

---oOo---

Souta had returned home from his friend's home to find that the police were all over the shrine grounds. He heard the police whispering about the missing Higurashi girl and his heart stopped. His sister was missing! Immediately Souta took off towards the house in search of his mother. He came rushing through the door of the house as he stopped in front of his mother and looked into her eyes. He had never in his life seen such sadness coming from his mother's eyes.

Tears started to fill his eyes as he rushed into his mothers awaiting arms. He knew that he would never be able to see his big sister ever again. She was gone and now it was just him, his grandfather, and his mother.

Asami could do nothing else for the rest of the day. Her thoughts were consume with the daughter that had turned up missing today. She felt a stab deep in her heart; it was a pain so great that she could hardly stand on her own two feet. It was telling her that they would never find her sweet daughter.

That night she let her son hold her until he had fallen asleep in her arms. He was afraid to let go of her for fear that she too would disappear from his life. She took him upstairs to his room so he could rest as she made her way back down the stairs and then outside.

She walked until she came to the Goshinboku and stood in front of it. She walked up to the tree and placed her hand on it, and silently she said a prayer, 'Please, protect my daughter wherever she is. I know that she is still alive but I feel her so far away from me. Please protect her and return her to me one day so I may tell her how much I love and cherish her.'

Tears were now running down her cheeks as she looked at the tree. It seemed to be saying to her that her daughter was well and that she would be well protected.

A gentle breeze blew by at that moment as it gently caresses her cheeks. She felt comforted by the breeze that told her that everything would be all right. She sighed as she went inside. She needed to stay close to her son incase he woke up in fright. She would wait patiently, she knew that her daughter would return home one day.

---oOo---

In the darkness of the forest that surrounded the shrine, two sets of eyes watched as a mother cried for her child. The sadness that radiated from this person was great as they watched everything that happened.

They had been there all day at the shrine. They had watched as the building mysteriously appeared on the shrine grounds.

They observed everything, when the building started to glow with a bright light, as a beautiful girl came into view. They watched as she walked into the building to take a look around, and sensed when the youkai came through and pulled her into the well.

Shortly after that happened, the building disappeared, never to be seen again.

They left that night as they headed west. Their employer would want to know about this. After all they were the ones that sent them there to watch over the shrine. They had suspected that something like this was going to happen.

The two left under the cover of darkness hurrying on their way so they could make their report before retiring for the night.

---oOo---

Inutaisho was flying across the land. He was heading north toward the mountains that were located in his territory. There he would find the village of Midoriko, a village that was built on the side of a mountain that protected it on one side and around the rest of the village they had a high wall. This village was known as one of the best youkai-exterminating villages around.

Although the village made their living in killing youkai, Inutaisho had a deep respect for them. They would only kill if the youkai was out of control in an area and didn't want to listen to reason. If they could convince the youkai that it needed to leave the area alone, they would work out a compromise with the ningens that would allow the two to live in peace, as they would rather do this than shed blood.

As he flew he turned his attention to the little one that he held in his arms. She was young, but she had a fiery spirit in her that he had never seen before in anyone in his life, be it youkai or ningen. The anger in her eyes could even rival that of his eldest son. Even though on the outside she controlled that anger, it still showed clearly in her eyes, like a storm ready to be unleashed.

She was powerful and strong, yet he saw gentleness and kindness in her eyes, as she spoke about wishing to help the villagers that were about to be attacked. Her scent was pleasant and sweet. She was a rare creature to behold just like her scent. The Night Blooming Jasmine was a difficult flower to find, as it releases its fragrance only at night. Its sweet smell was intoxicating much like the little one he held in his arms.

While he was flying he was deep in thought, 'I have to find a way to conceal her from prying eyes. It would not do for the ningens at the slayer village to ask me questions about the girl. I do not want anyone to see her just yet.'

He continued to think as he got an idea. First he placed her in an enchanted sleep. She was beginning to wake up and he didn't want to fight up in the sky. Next he concentrated on her clothes. Even though he liked seeing her in them they just revealed too much for his taste. If he was correct in his assumptions his son will be drawn to her power and he didn't want him to see her like this.

He changed her clothes just slightly to make her fit in a little more for this area. The short white juban she was wearing was replaced with a longer white kimono that would cover her upper body and it had long wide sleeves. He didn't make them too wide so she could still move with ease, but he did make them wide enough to still show that she was unmated.

The strange gray hakama that she wore he replaced with a light blue one that was not so form fitting but still gave her freedom of movement. It was pulled together at the ankles so the length would not interfere with her moving about the area. Her strange shoes were converted into black boots, like his own, and she had on a light blue obi that was tied around her waist to secure the sword and daggers she wore.

He then took his tail that was resting on is shoulder and wrapped it around her body. The long fur covered her body perfectly as he rested the tip of it on his shoulder and brought her closer into his chest. He cradled her in one arm while she was hidden under his tail, this allowed him to move his other arm, incase he had to fight.

The only way you could tell that he was carrying anyone was because you could still see her long blue/black hair cascading down his arm. It mixed perfectly with his silver hair.

Then he cast a concealment spell on her weapons so no one would recognize the sword that she was carrying. He wanted to make sure that they were hidden just in case something was wrong. If she did steal the sword from its protector then he wanted to know how she did it, she would have to break through several seals and enchanted barriers to get to it.

Now that he had her safely tucked against his chest and concealing her face from anyone's view, he was ready to meet the ningens of Midoriko's village. He continued heading north as he was getting closer to his destination. He could clearly see the village from the sky as he started his descent.

Inutaisho heard an alarm being given as the village men ran into the center of the village with weapons raised.

The leader of the village came out of his hut as he looked into the sky. The Jyaki that this youkai was releasing was powerful as he looked for the youkai with worry in his eyes. 'If the youkai's Jyaki is this powerful then we will have a hard time bringing him down.'

His eyes searched the sky when he spotted a youkai on a cloud as he was coming down. The leader recognized the youkai as he made his way to the center of his village.

He called for everyone to stand down as he watched the youkai lord finally reach the ground. The leader of the village kneeled as he said, "Welcome milord to our humble village. To what do we owe the honor of your visit?"

Inutaisho had to keep from wrinkling his nose as he touched down on the ground at the village. He knew that if he did, wrinkle his nose, it would be an insult to this village. He managed the odor of the ningens as best he could. Smelling dead skin along with sweat and un-bathed bodies was disgusting in his option. Ningens never bathed regularly, therefore the stench was almost unbearable. He had to make this visit quick so he could leave this place and properly breathe again.

He saw the leader of the village kneel before him as he heard his words. "Ah, my friend Hiro, how have you been? I have come to make sure that everything is all right with your village. I have been having problems with youkai attacking ningen villages on my lands and I had to come to make sure that the sword and jewel are still safe here."

The village leader known as Hiro rose to his feet as he said, "Yes milord. The sword and the jewel are still safe in Midoriko's cave. All has been quiet around here for a while."

Hiro noticed the bundle in the lords grasp as he asked, "Milord, is that someone with you? Are they hurt? We could have the village healer take a look at them while we go to the cave."

Inutaisho shook head no as he said, "This little one I found battling 6 Oni by herself. She managed to kill them all before they attacked another village. She is just tired from the battle. She is in a healing sleep and will not wake up for a while. I will keep her with me while we walk to the cave."

Hiro could not believe what he had heard. This small one had battled 6 Oni on her own, killed them all, and survived. He could not see what she looked like, because the youkai lord had her covered with his tail, as it held her close to his chest.

Hiro got his focus back as he turned to the youkai lord and said, "Very well milord, if you will follow me, I shall escort you to Midoriko's cave."

Inutaisho nodded and followed Hiro to the cave. He knew the way to the cave but it always made the ningens feel better if they escorted him about their village, it was their way of keeping an eye on him to make sure that he would not attack them.

Ningens were strange creatures. They never trusted anyone except those in their own village, but even then, someone from within their own village could easily betray them.

As they walked Inutaisho got a report of everything that they have been involved in for the last two weeks. He was starting to see a pattern to the unrest that the youkai were having on his lands. None of the other lords of the lands were having any problems that he knew about. He had been gone for over a week now and he knew he would have to return to the western palace soon. He will have to find out what was going on before something happened.

As they continued to walk toward the cave Inutaisho noticed a young onna following them dressed in a slayer uniform. He turned toward Hiro and asked, "Hiro, you are training pups to be slayers now?"

Hiro chuckled, as he said, "No milord. This is Sango and she is my daughter. Yes she is still a pup in my eyes but she is old enough to be mated. I have not found the right person that she would accept as a husband. My daughter, you see, has a very nasty temper, an emotion that is highly discouraged in any young girl."

Inutaisho chuckled at what Hiro had to say. His situation reminded him of his own pup. His eldest was old enough to be mated but has refused any advances from any demoness. He, on a number of occasions, had to save the demonesses from his wrath. He would not hesitate to kill them, if he thought, that they over stepped their boundaries.

"I understand Hiro, I have a similar situation with my own pup. He is old enough to take a mate but refuses. I just wished that he settle on one female and mate." Inutaisho said as they continued on their way to the cave.

Hiro heard what the youkai lord said as he turned to him and smiled, "Maybe he will take a liking to the young one you have in your arms. From what you have told me she has great powers if she took down six Oni by herself. She just might be the one that could spark the passion in his heart."

Now there was a thought. He had known that his son would be drawn to her because of her powers but would she entice him enough to mate with her. He will never find anyone else that could rival her powers. She is beautiful, strong, kind, gentle, and caring. The only thing that he would need to find out is where she was from. They would have to meet with her clan, if his son was serious about mating with her.

They were finally getting to the cave where the sword and jewel were located. The first of many enchantments were passed, as they got closer to the cave. They stopped right outside the cave as they saw a light coming from inside. They all walked forward as they were making their way into the cave when Inutaisho heard Hiro give a yelp in pain.

He turned as he saw them standing just outside the barrier that protected the cave. He raised an elegant eyebrow at him wondering why they could not follow him inside the cave.

Hiro was surprised when the barrier would not let them in. It has only happened a couple of times that he could remember. On each occasion Midoriko's spirit had not let them pass. It was her will if they were given admittance into the cave. He turned as he looked at the youkai lord in the eyes, and said, "Milord, please continue going in. The spirit of Midoriko does not wish for us to be present."

Inutaisho nodded his head as he continued to go deeper into the cave. He had no idea why the spirit of Midoriko would not let them pass. She had let them in before so what was so special about today that they could not enter the cave?"

He continued making his way into the cave to where the sword and jewel were located. Many thoughts cluttered his mind as he continued to walk, trying to discern what was going on. He finally made it to the center of the cave and the source of the light. There, in front of him, stood the stone version of what was left of the once Miko Midoriko.

The statue, that was all he could think of it to be, was an actual depiction of what happened to her in her final battle. As the story goes Midoriko was battling over a hundred youkai all on her own. Word had reached him of her plight but he was unable to go to her assistance. He had his own battle that he was engaged in with the panther youkais of the south.

He shook his head to clear his mind of those thoughts as he continued to gaze upon the statue. He remembered them telling him that she had fought them for seven days and seven nights. On the last night of the stand off one of the youkais became all-powerful as he consumed all the other lower class youkais and made himself stronger in order to defeat her in battle.

She had used the last of her remaining strength to create the Shikon No Tama, and sealed her soul along with the youkai she was fighting with, in the jewel. It is said that still to this day she still fights the battle from so long ago.

He looked down as he walked over to where a sword and jewel were laying on a soft pillow. There lying on the pillow was Kenjikago, the sword that Midoriko carried with her in life. He moved the girl away from his chest as he uncovered her sword. He got a closer look at her sword and noticed that it was identical to the sword that was in the cave.

'How could there be two of the same swords? Both swords have the exact same power. So where did this sword come from?' Inutaisho thought as he continued to scan from one sword to the other.

Then his demonic hearing picked up the sound of a pulse. He looked up to see that the Shikon No Tama was glowing softly. It was a perfect pale pink in color. In all the years that he has checked on the jewel he has never seen it do this before, 'Why is the jewel glowing like this? Could there be something wrong with the jewel?'

He heard a moan coming from the girl in his arm as she started to stir. 'This can't be! I placed her under a sleeping spell to keep her safe, but now she is waking up. How can she break my spell?'

He kneeled as he held the girl in his lap. He saw as her eyes opened but when he looked into her eyes they were glazed over, like they had no life in them, or she was still deeply asleep. He watched as she got up from his lap and walked over to the jewel.

Her hands went to either side of the jewel but never touched it. The jewel glowed brightly as it engulfed the entire cave in its light.

Inutaisho was worried about the girl. He had to turn his face away from the light so he wouldn't damage his eyes. When the light receded, there standing in front of him was Midoriko with the little miko in her arms.

Midoriko, the once powerful miko and long time friend to Inutaisho, stood in the middle of the cave with the young girl in her arms. She looked down at the girl as a smile came to her lips. She leaned down and placed her forehead against hers. She muttered something under her breath as she pulled away. She gave her a kiss on her forehead as she bestowed the mark of a powerful miko. A blue teardrop suddenly appeared on her forehead along with a star on the bottom.

When she had finished with what she wanted to do she turned her attention to the only other occupant of the cave. Her eyes softened as she said, "Lord Inutaisho! It's been a long time since I have seen you. How is your lovely mate?"

Inutaisho couldn't help the smile that came across his features. He had missed his friend as he said, "My mate, Ayashiko, is doing well. We had another pup since you have been away, another male."

Midoriko smiled wide as she said, "What! How on earth did you convince Ayashiko to have another pup? The last time I talked to her she said that hell would freeze over before she would bare you more pups. She said that the pain was just too much for her to handle."

Inutaisho chuckled at her words. Yes his lovely mate said that she would not bare any more pups for him. But he had managed to change her mind and they had another. But his natural curiosity got the better of him as he asked, "Midoriko, who is this little one that you bestow the mark of a powerful miko?"

Midoriko chuckled, she didn't know if she wanted to answer that question but figured that he deserved an answer, "Milord, this little one will help protect the lands from what is to come. Though she has no idea of who or what she is, but I do. The only thing that I can tell to you is that you must protect her. She still needs more training to bring about her full abilities."

Inutaisho rolled this information around in his mind as he looked back up at the mikokoro standing in front of him. He needed more than this if he was going to protect her. "Midoriko, I understand that she is special. I saw that today when I saw her fighting six Oni all by herself and win. The only reason she is with me is because the fight weakened her and I was able to defeat her in battle. Otherwise, I would not have been able to get close to her. She was dressed in strange clothes and she said she was lost and was trying to find her village, but she won't tell me where this village is located."

Midoriko understood what he was saying. He wanted more information on why he should go all out to protect this little one. She looked up at him as she started to answer his questions, "I understand milord that you are a little confused about where she comes from. I cannot tell you that information. In time she will confide in you and tell you all what you want to know.

I bestowed the mark of a powerful miko on her because she is powerful. She finished purifying the jewel for me, so now the youkai that resided inside are gone. Only the youkai essence remains in the jewel, their souls if you will.

She is the Shikon in ningen form. She is the jewel that will help protect the lands. She is powerful and will need to find a powerful mate in the near future if she is to stay in this world.

Her full abilities have yet to be released. She has no reason to release them, but when she does, she will need help to bring them under her control. I ask that you protect her until such time as she finds a mate that will protect her for the rest of her life. If she was to die then the evil will win the fight against you.

Your lands are starting to receive the first signs that something is amiss. Youkai are destroying ningen villages for no reason. More attacks are coming and you must be prepared for them. I can only reveal this much to you. For if I was to tell you anything more, then the fates will change what is to come.

The fates so far have changed the outcome of the future to allow this little one to be here. But her heart must find someone to love if she is to be truly happy. Her happiness is the key to everything that will happen in the future, though the path there is not an easy one, but it's one that she must undertake."

Inutaisho understood what she was saying; somehow the future of his lands was in the hands of this little one that has caught his interest. He had no choice he would have to protect her, if he is to make sure that everything stayed peaceful in area.

He looked at Midoriko as he said, "Very well, I will protect her like she was my own pup. I will make sure that she finds a mate that is suitable for her and that can protect her from any harm."

Midoriko smiled at the youkai lord. She was happy that he would see to her safety. Midoriko grew serious again as she said, "Milord, the Shikon No Tama and the sword can no longer stay in this village. This evil is trying to find the jewel and if it stays here they will destroy this village and everyone along with it."

Midoriko then turned to the girl that she was holding in her arms as she floated up into the cave. She released her hold on the girl, as Kagome floated right in front of her.

The Shikon No Tama flew up to where Midoriko was waiting for it along with her sword. She grasped the jewel in her hand as it started to glow a pure white in color. The jewel disappeared from her hand as the essence from the jewel formed around the girl.

Kagome's body was engulfed in a white light as the jewel merged with her body. The sword that looked exactly like the sword that Midoriko owned vanished from sight as it merged with the sword on the girl's hip.

When everything was said and done the girl floated down to Inutaisho as he held his arms out to take the girl once again. He pulled her into his chest and purred. It seemed to soothe her as she completely relaxed in his arms.

He lowered his head as he nipped her ear, which caused it to bleed. He cleaned the wound and when he pulled away he noticed that a crescent moon appeared on her ear. It was a dark blue just like the one his son had on his forehead, it signified that he was the heir of the West.

The mark he just gave the girl signified that she was part of his clan and is under his protection. She was to be treated like his pup. No one would dare hurt her for fear of this wrath.

He then turned his attention back to the Mikokoro. She was smiling at him as he heard her say, "Thank you my friend for protecting her. The mark you bestowed upon her will protect her until she finds a mate."

He nodded as he said, "Midoriko what happened to your sword and the jewel?" He knew his curiosity was going to kill him one of these days.

"The jewel does not exist anymore. The jewel has now been merge with this little one. She has merged with the power of the jewel. The jewel does not reside within her, like I said before she is the jewel.

My sword does not exist as it has been merged with the sword that the girl is carrying. They are now one in the same. When you leave you will have the jewel and my sword with you. Thank the villagers for protecting them for as long as they have, but I now pass that responsibility on to you. Please keep her safe."

Midoriko the great miko of the past started to fade away from sight. She looked at the little one with yearning in her eyes. 'My daughter, please be safe and find the love that I could never find when I roamed around this country. For I know that your future mate is powerful enough to protect you from any harm and has a heart big enough to love you the way that you deserve. I never found that love and I wish with all my heart that you will find the love that I never did.'

Inutaisho watched as Midoriko faded away. He saw the look in her eyes and he knew he had seen that look before. He couldn't remember where he had seen it but he knew that the expression in her eyes meant something, but what?

He looked down as he pulled the little one into his chest once more. He purred as she calmed and fell into a deeper sleep. She has had a busy day and she needed her rest. Again, his tail came up, wrapping itself around her form, hiding her from prying eyes.

He turned as he said his farewells to his friend and headed back toward the entrance to the cave. By the time he reached the entrance to the cave night was almost upon them. He spotted Hiro as he walked out of the barrier that protected the cave.

He stopped right in front of him as he said, "Hiro, it is Midoriko's will that the jewel and sword leave your village. There is an evil presence that is looking for it and she wants the jewel to be kept safe. She has entrusted the jewel to me along with her sword so I may protect it. This will keep your village safe from any attacks, from those seeking its power."

Hiro understood what the youkai lord was saying. He had come here numerous times and has never taken the jewel with him. He has always left it there for his people to protect. Now he was taking the jewel with him to protect it and his village at the same time.

He looked up at the youkai lord as he said, "Yes, milord I understand what you are saying. If it is Midoriko's wish to move the jewel and the sword then so be it."

Then Hiro had a thought as he asked, "Milord, it is getting late and traveling at night is dangerous. Would you do us the honor of staying the night in our village? That way in the morning you can head out early."

Inutaisho held his nose up in the air as he took a sniff at the scent that drifted in with it. He growled as he said, "I thank you for the offer for a place to sleep for the night, however, there are youkai that are approaching your village. I fear that they are looking for the Shikon No Tama and the battle will be a bloody one. If I leave now then I will be able to make them follow me and leave your village alone."

Hiro was shocked to hear this as he asked, "In which direction are they coming from milord?"

"They are coming from the south. It feels like there are about 10 youkais of different shapes and sizes. I must leave before they get any closer to your village." Inutaisho said in a rush as he turned to leave the area.

Inutaisho knew that he could not leave the village from this location. The enchantments near Midoriko's cave were strong and wouldn't let anyone, not even him, use his youki to leave the area. He turned as he hurried toward the center of the village.

Hiro was running to keep up with the youkai lord. They were heading toward the middle of the village when he voiced his thoughts, "Milord, please allow us to help you defeat these youkais. We will come with you to confront this threat. The girl may stay here to be protected. No harm will come to her."

Inutaisho growled at what Hiro was saying to him. This ningen really wanted to see what this little one looked like. He shook his head as he said, "No Hiro, the girl stays with me and I will take care of this irritation. You are to stay here and protect your village. The time of you protecting the Shikon is at an end. It is now my burden to accept and I will protect it. Midoriko would not have told me to take it, if she felt, that I was not able to protect the jewel."

They arrived at the center of the village as the cloud of youki started to form under the youkai lord's feet. Soon he was in the air flying towards the threat to the slayer village. He could detect them just down below as he flew slowly over them. He wondered if they would stop heading toward the village once they felt that the jewel was no longer there.

He didn't have to wait for long when he noticed the youkais stop and look up at him as they started racing after him. Inutaisho smirked. He was going to have some fun with these fools.

He looked around the area and found a clearing. He landed gently as he put his precious cargo down on the ground. He made sure to put a barrier around her that will protect her while he dealt with the nuisance.

He walked out of the barrier as he waited for the youkais to come to him. He didn't have to wait for long when they came crashing into the clearing.

The youkais that were chasing the jewel came into the clearing. There they saw the youkai that was riding on the cloud. They could tell that he had the jewel as they came closer. Once they were close enough the leader of the group stepped forward and said, "We want the Shikon No Tama. Give us the jewel and we will leave you alone. Refuse and we will be forced to kill you."

Inutaisho raised an elegant eyebrow as he eyed the youkais in front of him. A smirk came to his features as he said, "You think that you pathetic weaklings are strong enough to defeat me. You must be delusional."

At that moment Inutaisho let his youki spread throughout the area to let his power be known. He saw them take a step back in fright. They didn't turn and run like he wanted them to do. They stood their ground, as they demanded that the jewel be handed over to them.

The youkais had enough as they started their attack. They wanted the jewel for their own purpose so they could become stronger. They didn't care that the youkai that possessed the jewel, at the moment, was the most powerful youkai in the area. All they wanted was the jewel.

Inutaisho sighed as he saw them coming. He figured that from now on he was going to have this kind of trouble if the girl stayed with him. He flicked his wrist as his golden whip came out and sliced through every youkai in front of him. He saw that some of them had survived his first attack as his claws started to glow an eerie yellow.

He flexed his fingers as he extended his claws. In one leap all those that survived his initial attack were now dead at his feet. He shook his hand to get the blood off them as he turned and made his way back to the girl. Her safety was the most important thing to him at the moment.

When he returned to her location she was still asleep and the barrier had not been disturbed. This pleased him as he lowered the barrier and then picked her up in his arms once again. He cradled her form to his chest as his cloud formed under his feet and they took off into the night.

As he traveled back to the west a thought went through his mind. 'I wonder what Ayashiko is going to think about having a ningen as a pup. She will need to be a mother to this little one. There is much that she does not know and will need to be instructed on.'

He pondered this question and many more as he flew west. It was going to take him some time to get home. Plus he knew that he was going to have to take care of some unwanted company as he traveled. When the youkais around the area noticed that he had the Shikon, they would try to attack him to take it away but what they would not expect was that he would fight fiercely to keep his little jewel safe from all of them.

He looked down at the bundle in his arms and smiled. His inner inu was purring at the sight of the little one. His inner beast had already accepted this little one as his own pup and he would protect her no matter what, just like he would protect his own pups and mate.

He flew on as the darkness of the night weighed heavily on his mind. The half-moon that was in the sky shone brightly against his hair as it made it glowed with an unearthly beauty. His hair was gently blowing behind him as he made his way home. Home and to find out what else was going to happen today when he introduced this little one to his mate.

---oOo---

Mikokoro – A respectful term for another's spirit.

That is the end to another chapter. Now you know why Kagome is as powerful as she is. The sword was meant for her to have so she could train with it prior to her arrival in the Heian period of Japan.

I have gotten some reviews where the reader said that I made Kagome too powerful, too perfect. Well there is a method to my madness on why I made her this way. As the chapters progress you will see why she trained so hard to become as strong as she is now.

She never wanted to be weak and she wanted to be able to protect herself. Now I will not tell you why. That would give away my plot and story so you will just have to keep reading to find out what I mean. Kagome may be powerful in some things but she is very weak in others.

All right, Sesshoumaru will show up in the third chapter but Kagome and Sesshoumaru will not meet until the 6th chapter. I know I'm mean but you have to find out how everything is going to be related in this story.

For the new sites that I am posting to and A Single Spark, I always finish my stories and post everything to them. I never quit in the middle of a story and let the readers wonder if I will ever finish it. This story is complete so I will be posting as the chapters are edited, so bare with me on the posting.

Inutaisho finally arrives back home and has a little surprise for his lovely mate. Follow as Kagome is introduced to Ayashiko, Inutaisho's mate. And what happens when Kagome does not want to stay at his castle.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not, I repeat do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters associated with Inuyasha. I write for pure enjoyment and gain no profit from writing or publishing these stories. These stories are completely fictional.

Chapter 3

Inutaisho traveled all night long heading west. He had to fight several youkais along the way that wanted to take the Shikon No Tama away from him. Most of them retreated when they noticed just how powerful Inutaisho was when he let his youki spread around the area. They didn't want to get killed for just a small gem. The one's who didn't back down he dealt with, they were but a minor irritation to him but he dealt with it just the same.

The sun had risen just about an hour ago. The bright morning sky greeted him as he continued on his journey. The wind was blowing lightly as his hair was fanning out behind him while they flew on. He was tired, not having any rest for the last three days was taking its toll on him but he had to make it back to the castle as soon as possible. Something was not right and he had to find out what was wrong.

Soon he was able to see his castle off in the distance. He breathed in deeply as he took in the scents around the area. He didn't detect anything amiss so he continued on. In a short period of time he found himself home as he started to say his incantations to let him pass the spells, enchantments, and barriers that were set around the castle.

His home, the castle of Gengetsujou was very well protected. Nothing could get in unless he wished it to. His guards were fierce warriors and they would take care of anyone before they even came close to his home.

He landed gently down in the middle of the central courtyard and made his way into the castle. The guards having seen their lord's return, hit their spears on the ground as one of them announced, "THE LORD OF THE CASTLE HAS RETURNED." Then a bell rang around the castle announcing his arrival.

The guards noticed that their lord was carrying something in his arms. They could not see what it was and they were curious about it. They couldn't detect the aura it carried for the lord was blocking it with his youki. The scent was also masked so they couldn't tell if it was a male or female. They followed their lord's movements with their eyes, not wanting him to get angry with them for trying to see what he held in his arms.

Inutaisho had felt that all eyes of the castle were following him. He knew that they were curious about what he was carrying however he was not in the mood to share. He walked with a purpose as he went up the main stairs into his home.

There were two very large doors in front of him. Carved in the wood of one of the doors was a picture of an inu youkai sitting on a cliff over looking the land. His head was held high as he scanned the land down below protecting it. On the other door, there was another inu youkai that was standing on a hilltop howling at the full moon. They were rich with details as the doors slowly opened letting their lord enter. The height of the doors would have let their lord enter the castle in his true form.

Upon entering his home, he was greeted immediately by the head servant. Hraki has been with him since he was a pup. When he was away from the castle he trusted Hraki to run the castle in the most efficient manner. That would leave his mate free to take care of the more important things that needed her attention.

When he stopped inside the grand entrance, he heard Hraki's greetings to him. "Welcome home milord. Is everything well in the kingdom?"

Inutaisho could tell that all of the servants were curious about what he held in his arms. He turned to the head servant and replied, "All is well in the Western Lands. Hraki I need one of the lesser ceremonial halls to be prepared. I want some pillows to be put in the middle of the floor. I also need a set of shackles to be brought up and placed in the hall as well. Please inform my mate that I wish to see her as soon as possible."

Hraki bowed deeply and quickly turned as he started off down a hallway that led to one of the lesser ceremonial halls. When it had been prepared he went back and said, "Milord the room has been prepared and your mate has been informed that you wish to see her."

Inutaisho nodded his head as he went toward the ceremonial hall. Once he entered the hall he told all there to leave. The guards that were in the room left as did all the servants and court recorders. He walked over to the center of the room where he saw the pillows that he had requested.

He removed his tail from around his little one, then bent down and placed her on the pillows. He stood up when he noticed the door was opening and his heart just about stopped. There standing right in front of him was the most gorgeous creature he had ever laid his eyes on. She was just as beautiful as the day he had mated with her.

There in front of him stood the goddess of his life. She was tall and of slender built. She was a silver Inu-youkai with piercing green eyes and a heart shaped face. She had one stripe on each side of her face in the color of deep emerald green. She wore his crescent moon on her forehead to signify that she was the Lady of the West. Her lips were as red as blood itself and wore her tail over her right shoulder just like her husband.

Her skin was white and silky like the finest silks in all his land. She wore a kimono of pure white with green stripes and white sakura blossoms going down the length of the sleeves, with the white flowers trailing along the edges. The kimono was split along the sides that allowed her long beautiful legs ease of movement; the hakama she wore underneath it was also in white.

His mate approached him with a spring to her step as she launched herself into his awaiting arms and kissed him deeply. When they broke from the kiss, she nuzzled him under his chin as a sign that she had missed him while he has been gone.

She pulled away from him and spoke in a silky smooth voice, "Welcome home my mate. I have missed you since you have been gone."

Inutaisho had missed his mate as well. He pulled her into his chest and purred his contentment of being with her. He slowly pulled away from her as he kissed her forehead and said, "We have much to talk about. I am going to need your help with someone once I convince her to stay here with us."

His mate arched an eyebrow up in a questioning tone. Then she caught a strange scent as she looked around the room. She followed her nose to where her mate was standing and looked behind him, there on the floor laid a young ningen; she turned to her mate and looked at him with confusion in her eyes.

Inutaisho having seen the confusion in his mates eyes smiled and said, "That is the person that I'm going to need your help with." He went on to explain how he had found her, how she was battling six Oni's by herself, his fight to subdue her, the meeting with Midoriko, and his promise to protect her.

His mate took all this in stride as she went over to the young girl and looked at her. She noticed right away that she was marked on her right ear, saying that she was being protected by him and is a member of his clan.

She saw all of the spells that her mate had cast on this young pup as she turned to him and asked, "Why did you put so many spells on her? Surely she can't be that strong?"

Inutaisho chuckled and said, "Mate she carries Midoriko's mark, making her a very powerful miko, if I did not place these spells on her I would not be able to touch her, for her purifying powers are great. She has yet to release her full potential and that is something that we are going to have to help her with.

I will need for you to be there for her. She will be lonely and will miss her family. I cannot help her until she accepts my help and tells me where she comes from. Plus we will need to find her a powerful mate. Someone that will love her the way she deserves and will protect her for the rest of her life.

Midoriko told me that she is the key to the future and that she will help protect our lands from evil. I gave her my word that I will do everything within my power to protect this little one and that is something I will do.

We must prepare a room for her in the western wing. But right now there are no proper rooms in the castle that will negate the use of her miko powers. I can't take the chance of her escaping and then being killed by someone before we have a chance to bring her to her full potential."

His mate understood his words and vowed to help him in everyway possible.

Inutaisho smiled at his mate. He knew that she would help him once he explained what was going on. He walked over to the girl and retrieved the shackles that were lying on the ground. He concentrated on his youki and cast his spells. The shackles glowed brightly until he was finished with them and then they stopped glowing.

His mate had been curious about what he was doing and asked, "Mate, what are you going to do with those shackles?" She had a feeling that she was not going to like the answer to her question.

Inutaisho looked over to her and answered, "These shackles will negate her miko powers for now. I cannot have her harming anyone in the castle until we have had a chance to talk to her and have her agree to stay here.

There is only one room in the castle that will contain her powers. Unfortunately that room is down in the dungeons. It's not in the worst part of the dungeons but it's down there nonetheless. I will have to put her in there until I can prepare a room for her in the western section of the castle. I want to make sure that she is safe and that she can't escape until we have talked to her." 

Ayashiko understood what her mate was saying but she thought that he was being overly cautious on such a young pup. She didn't think that the girl would intentionally harm anyone in the castle. But she respected his decisions and let him continue doing what he was doing.

Ayashiko on the other hand, was already thinking about what room she would like to put the miko in so she can go and get it ready for her. She thought about the room upstairs right next to hers, because in her mind it would make the perfect room for the miko.

Her sons were across the hallway and no one was occupying that particular room at the moment. She thought that this would be the perfect place for the little miko to be in and she, Ayashiko would be close enough incase she needed to help her.

Inutaisho bent down and placed the shackles on his little one. He hated to do it because he never liked to imprison anyone. But he had to think about the safety of everyone in the castle and of his mate and pups. He just couldn't take the chance of this little one losing control and attacking.

Once he was done, he stood up, turned toward his mate and asked, "Are you ready for her to awaken Ayashiko?"

His mate turned to him and nodded that she was ready.

Inutaisho then cast his spell releasing her from her sleep. It didn't take long for the little one to come awake.

---oOo---

Kagome was slowly waking up. Her mind was foggy and she was having problems focusing. She couldn't remember where she was or what happened to her. Everything was so surreal to her, like she was in a dream.

Slowly she opened her eyes. They were blurred at first so she blinked them a couple of times to try and get them into focus. She felt that she was lying down on something soft. She lifted her hand and felt something cold and very heavy wrapped around her wrist. Kagome heard the sound of chains being moved and a weight pulling her hand down when she raised it.

Suddenly everything came flooding back to her, falling through the well, fighting those youkais that wanted to destroy Kaede's village, and then fighting the youkai lord who wanted her to go with him.

Her eyes finally came into focus as she looked around the room she was in. She sat up and noticed that the room was elegantly done. It looked like a ceremonial hall. She had read about these in her books. It wasn't the grand audience chamber but it was one of the lesser ones.

She noticed that she was lying on pillows in the middle of the room. She looked at her wrist and noticed that she was shackled. Fear came over her as she tried to get the things off, to no avail. Her eyes scanned the room until they fell upon the youkai lord that was in her dreams.

'So it was not a dream. It was real and now I'm being held against my will. But where am I?' She thought as she eyed the youkai in front of her. She noticed off to his side that there was another youkai standing next to him. This one was a female; she was very pretty and Kagome couldn't help but admire how well she presented herself. She saw the blue crescent moon on her forehead and figured that she must be his wife.

She will try the respectful approach first to see if he would let her go and if not then she will just have to escape from here.

She stood up and noticed how weak she was. Then for the first time in her life she felt that her miko powers were gone. She fell to her knees again, she has never been without her miko powers before and it felt like a part of her was missing. Her eyes opened wide when she realized the significance of this discovery. Kagome looked at the youkai lord with fear in her eyes as she asked, "Why did you bring me here?"

Inutaisho stepped forward and kneeled down in front of her. Kagome moved away afraid of what he might do to her. He signed when he saw this as he spoke in as gentle of a voice as he could manage, "Little one, I asked you to come with me as I did not wish for you to get hurt. Youkais in that part of the forest you were in do not enjoy ningens roaming about to what they perceive as their territory. I was afraid that you would get hurt, so when you did not show any desire to come with me I forced you, little one, by placing you under a sleeping spell so we could travel."

Kagome understood what he was saying. She didn't want to go with him because she had a bad feeling about it. She felt like there would be trouble if she stayed with him and she didn't want anyone getting hurt because of her.

Kagome lowered her head and asked, "What have you done to my Reiyouku? Why am I feeling so weak?"

Inutaisho looked at her with concern. His spell was not suppose to make her weak it was suppose to negate her Reiyouku so she wouldn't attack anyone. "The shackles you wear negate your Reiyouku. I could not take the chance of you attacking anyone in this my castle. The chains are not meant to make you weak just to negate your powers."

Kagome considered his words for a few minutes. He thought that his spells would negate her Reiyouku but it also made her weak because a big part of her soul was her Reiyouku, then she asked, "If I promise not to harm anyone would you consider taking the shackles off?"

Inutaisho thought for a minute and then asked, "Will you be willing to stay here willingly if I do?"

Kagome shook her head no as she said, "I can not stay here. If I stay here, then you will all be in danger. I can't let that happen. I will not let anyone get hurt because of me."

Inutaisho sighed, and said, "No, I will not take the shackles off if you do not promise to remain here and be protected. I made a promise to someone to protect you and I will keep my word to her."

This little bit of information caught Kagome's interest as she asked, "Who wants me to be protected? I am not acquainted with anyone here."

"I have no idea if you have ever met her but it was Midoriko who requested that you be protected." Inutaisho explained as he watched the girl with interest. He saw a spark of recognition in her eyes as he mentioned Midoriko's name.

When Kagome heard Midoriko's name her eyes widen. 'She can't be alive. She should be dead by now. From what I have been able to discern out of this era, Midoriko is dead. But why would he say that she wanted me protected?'

Inutaisho watched as the features on the young girl continued to shift. She looked to be deep in thought as he asked, "Kagome, do you know who Midoriko is?"

Kagome looked up from the floor as she looked into his golden eyes. She then lowered her eyes as she said, "Yes I know who Midoriko is. She was the greatest miko to have ever lived in the He…" She had stopped her train of thought. She almost gave away information that no one should know about. She shifted uncomfortably as she continued, "I mean she was the greatest miko to have ever lived. But I thought she died some time ago, and I myself, have not had the honor of meeting her."

Inutaisho caught her little slip of the tongue but he could not make out what she was about to say. He observed her for a few more minutes before he continued, "Midoriko's mikokoro appeared when I was checking on the Shikon No Tama. She asked me to protect you and the Shikon No Tama from the evil that is coming. She didn't want the jewel to stay in the village where it was being guarded because she was afraid that the villagers would be killed protecting it. She gave me the jewel and asked me to protect it along with you."

Kagome was confused. She didn't understand why Midoriko would want to have her protected, "But why would she say that? I have never met her and I'm nobody to this era. This doesn't make any sense."

Ayashiko watched with interest as her mate talked to the young girl. 'She looks so confused and out of place here. I can understand what she is going through.' She turned to her mate and said, "Koishii, please I think that is enough questions for the little one. In addition you have some urgent matters which need your immediate attention."

Inutaisho agreed with his mate as he stood and said, "Kagome, I have a room that I plan for you to stay in. You can't be with me all the time and I have no other room in the castle that can protect you. Until I can find a more suitable room, you shall stay in this one until I come for you. This room has barriers that will prevent anyone else from entering and it will also protect you as long as you are away from me. Now I need you to come with me."

Kagome was in a daze she was so confused that she didn't know what to think. She needed to find a quiet place where she could think. She heard the youkai lord's request as she stood and walked quietly behind him.

Inutaisho walked out of the ceremonial hall and ordered all there in the hallway to leave. Once the hallway was deserted he made sure that Kagome was following him as he led the way to the dungeon. He didn't have a choice on where he could put her. At least in this room no one could enter because he will have the only key to open the door.

Kagome followed closely behind the youkai lord. She was scared out of her mind when she saw all the youkais that were in this castle. Without her miko powers she was very helpless in a place like this. As she was walking she looked at everything they passed. She looked out the window and saw a beautiful garden outside and wished that she could be out there at this moment.

They continued walking down several flights of stairs. As they went lower into the castle, she noticed that the hallways were becoming darker and darker. Occasionally the hallway was lit with just a torch. But they were few and far between as they walked mostly in the dark.

Kagome tried her best to remember everything about the place she was being lead to. They descended another set of stairs and Kagome thought she heard someone moaning and crying in the near distance.

Her heart was pounding against her chest as she realized where she was being lead. She had only read about places like this. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think she would actually be in a dungeon of a castle.

It was a place that she never wanted to come to again. She heard little scurrying noises as they continued walking and the sound of water dripping from somewhere up ahead. Soon they came to a stop as she looked at the place she was to be exiled to.

An old wooden door was in front of her as she watched the youkai lord open it with a large key. Once the door was opened she was pushed slowly into the room where she stood in the middle and looked at the place she was to spend the rest of her days in.

It was a small cell measuring about 6 foot by 6 foot. There were no windows in the cell and the only light source was a small torch in the room. A small futon was placed in the corner of the room that had a dirty blanket on it. There was something that looked like a dark brown spot on the floor. Maybe it was from the previous occupant that had been in this room a long time ago. The stench was horrible as she raised her hand to cover her nose.

She stood there just hugging her body wondering which kami she had pissed off to deserve treatment like this.

---oOo---

Inutaisho was leading the way to the dungeons. It has been a long time since he has visited this place. He had forgotten how horrible it smelled down here as he continued to go down.

Corridor after corridor and stairs after stairs he led the way down to the most unpopular part of the castle. Here in this area is where he kept all those who were traitors to his lands. Here was the place that he dealt the punishment that the lawbreakers deserved.

But this time he was leading someone down here for another reason. This was just a child but at the same time a powerful miko. He needed a place that would keep her safe from the rest of the populace of the castle until he could place a protection spell on one of the rooms in the upper levels of the castle.

He knew that she didn't deserve to be down here but he had no other place that held all the spells to contain a miko's powers. He had this room prepared in case he ever ran into a kuro miko and needed to keep her contained. No one would be able to enter this room once he locked it because he had the only key to open the door.

He continued going downward while on occasion looking back to see if she was still with him. It was not very well lit down here and he didn't want her to trip and fall. She could hurt herself if she slipped in the wrong place.

He had finally made it to the room that he wanted to put her in. He stopped as his ears twitched at the sound of someone being tortured further down. He couldn't remember for the life of him who he still had down there as he shrugged his shoulders and pulled a key out of his kimono.

He opened the door and regretfully he pushed the little one into the room. She walked in about half way and just stood there with her arms wrapped around her body. He could smell the fear and loneliness that came off her in waves as his heart ached for her.

He had no choice she could not be with him the rest of the day and he had things that needed his attention. She would be safe in this room until he returned.

But before he shut the door he looked at her and said, "I want you to get some rest. I will come for you later today once I'm done with my affairs. No one can enter this room once I lock the door so you will be well protected down here."

As he was speaking he was watching her reactions to his words. The girl never moved from her spot as she continued to hug herself. When he was done he closed the door and locked it. He placed his hand on the door and said an incantation as he placed his spell on the door. The spell will not allow anyone but himself or his mate to enter this room.

He turned on his heals and started to walk away. When he was halfway down the hallway he heard an anguish cry that broke his heart. The little miko had finally broken down and was crying her heart out. The cries were that of a child that was calling to her mother for love and protection. He guessed that she has never been separated from her mother and now she felt lost without her.

He understood these feeling but right now he had other matters that he had to attend to. Once that was taken care of then he can remove her from this place and give her a room on the upper floors.

He continued on his way with a heavy heart as his little miko's wails of anguish continued to assault his ears.

---oOo---

Kagome listened to what the youkai lord was saying. With each word that he said another piece of her barrier was torn down. She had tried to protect herself as best she could. When she heard the door close and his footsteps walking away from her confinement, she finally broke down and cried.

'Kami what have I done to deserve this? What have I done that was wrong to be treated like this? I have done everything that has been expected of me and more. I have taken the gifts you have given me and I have tried to help everyone that needed help.

I have even learned how to fight and I was able to protect that village before those youkais destroyed it. So why am I here? I don't understand why I'm here?

The last time I felt this helpless was when I was in college and didn't have any friends. I could never make friends, they all looked down at me because of my gifts. It was my mother that helped me deal with the pressures of going through school. It was mama that held me in her arms and told me that everything would be all right. Now I'm on my own and mama is not here with me.

I miss my mother so much. I miss her sweet smiles and the arms that held me tight when I was afraid. She gave me comfort when I needed it and now there is no one here to comfort me. I have no one and I'm all alone for the first time in my life.' Kagome collapsed onto the floor crying heart wrenching sobs as she called for her mother. Her mother that would protect her from any harm was not there this time to help her.

Soon her sobs were gone as she cried herself to sleep. She laid in the middle of the floor curled into a fetal position. She hoped that one-day she would be able to see her mother again.

---oOo---

Lord Inutaisho returned to the main section of his castle but he could still hear the girl's wales from the dungeons as he made his way to his study.

When he entered, he found his eldest son there reading some scrolls that had come in that day. He looked at his son and said, "Sesshomaru what are you doing in here? I thought that you might be practicing down in the dojo."

Sesshomaru, eldest son and heir to the Western Lands looked up from the scroll he was reading at the moment. He had taken to fulfilling his responsibilities as heir and had tended to the constant paperwork that came into the castle.

Everything from reports on the state of the lands to letters from the other youkai lords were sent on a daily bases.

He stood from his current position as he turned and bowed to his father, then he said, "Welcome home father. There have been several messages that were sent from the Northern Lord and the Southern Lord. They state that there have been several incidents where youkai have attacked the ningen villages and killed all there. They say that the attacks are increasing and they were wondering if you have the same problems as them."

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow at his son's statement. He walked to his desk as Sesshomaru handed him the letters that he had received. Inutaisho's suspicions were validated. The other lords are having the same problems that he is having and the attacks are increasing as well.

He sat back on his large pillow as he pondered this information. He was brought out of his thoughts as he heard his eldest say, "I have taken the liberty of sending out Akira, Kentaru, and Youko, they have orders to find out what is going on and then report back."

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow at his eldest. Akira, Kentaru, and Youko were his best spies and for him to have sent out those three he had to have a good reason. He wanted to know what he was thinking when he gave them that order. "Sesshomaru why did you send out those three?"

Sesshomaru looked at his father and was curious. 'Now why would father ask me that question?' He considered his answer carefully as he said, "They are the best spies that you have. There has to be a reason why youkai are attacking ningen villages and they are the best ones to find out the answers. I suspect that if the North and South were having problems with youkai attacking ningen villages then they would spread to our lands as well."

Inutaisho smiled at his son's logic as he said, "You are correct in your assumption. I have found that youkai are attacking the ningen villages here for no reason other than to destroy them. I found a village that was under siege by six Oni's but the village didn't need my help to protect them, they had someone there already that took care of all six Oni's by themselves."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at this information. He didn't think ningens were strong enough to fight six Oni's and live to tell the tale. Plus he has never heard of any youkai living with ningens, so it couldn't be a youkai that was fighting for them. "He defeated six Oni's all by himself? I didn't know a ningen could be so strong." He said as he eyed his father with interest.

"I didn't say it was a he who defeated the Oni's." Stated Inutaisho with amusement. He was watching his son closely and when he stated that it wasn't a male, he could see the surprised look in his son's eyes. It took a lot for his son to show his emotions. He has always kept it well hidden and he enjoyed bringing those feelings to the surface every chance he got.

'There is no way that a ningen onna could defeat six Oni's. No ningen is that powerful.' Thought Sesshomaru as he eyed his father. He could smell no deceit coming from his father so what he said must be true. But it was hard to believe nonetheless. "How can a onna defeat six Oni's? That's next to impossible! I have never met a female with that much power. All the females I have met are weak especially ningens onna's."

Inutaisho chuckled at his son. He will soon learn not to doubt his father. "Ah but Sesshomaru I was there when she fought them and I saw her defeat these youkais all by herself. She did not need any help from the villagers. She is a miko and a very powerful one. But we will talk about this onna later. I have a theory on why the youkai are attacking the ningen villages."

"You do? Why are they attacking the ningen villages?" asked Sesshomaru with curiosity in his voice.

"I think that they are attacking the villages because they are looking for the Shikon No Tama and Midoriko's sword. I found several youkais who where heading toward the village where I hid the items.

I killed them all once I had retrieved the items from the village and brought them here to be protected." Answered Inutaisho. He was watching his son the whole time he spoke, he wanted to see how he would react to this information.

'Interesting, father has brought the sword and the jewel back to the castle. I wonder where he will hide it in order to protect the jewel. I will have to find out.' Thought Sesshomaru as he continued to ponder this situation some more.

He turned to his father again and asked, "Where have you hidden the jewel father? Someone besides you has to know of its location to make sure that its guarded at all times."

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow at this son. 'Oh he is a smart one. He is trying to make me tell him where I have hidden the jewel. No matter, he will find out in time where the jewel is hidden.' "That Sesshomaru is not your concern. Your concern should be if you have been keeping up with your studies. I expect you to show me your new moves when we spar down in the dojo later today. I promise you that if you don't show me some improvements I will make you pay for your mistakes."

Sesshomaru cringed at his father's remarks. He understood his underlining threat. Good thing he had been practicing while his father was away. He was in for a surprise when he came down to the dojo this afternoon. He smirked as he said to his father, "I think that you will not be disappointed father. As a matter of fact I think that you will be quite pleased when we spar this afternoon."

Inutaisho heard his son's challenge as he got a gleam in his eye. Sesshomaru would always try to beat him but he has yet to find his inner strength to protect. He will not find that strength until he finds something to love. It is a strength that all males have but it is set free when you have something to love and protect. "We shall see how much you have learned while I have been away pup. But right now we have to discuss this new threat that is coming."

Sesshomaru and Inutaisho stayed in the study for the rest of the morning. They continued to go over all the scrolls and messages that came to the castle and sent replies back to those who needed the replies.

They discussed what was happening out in the lands and how to protect the land from the evil that was coming. Sesshomaru for his part did not hate ningens but he saw them as inferior beings and this was not good. If he thought of them as inferior beings then he would not protect them when he became lord.

Inutaisho tried to instill in his son that everyone was worthy of their protection. The ningen villages provided the rest of the lands with some much-needed supplies to areas that were unable to grow enough food for the winter. The area that couldn't grow food found other things that they could make and traded for food. Some villages made swords, others made silk, and others found ways to make growing food easier in certain regions and went about sharing that knowledge. They all needed each other to survive and that's just the way it had to be.

Sesshomaru for his part was not happy with what his father was saying. He had never met a ningen that he would respect let alone be strong enough to stand up to him. But he kept his opinions to himself and listened to his father's lessons on how to be a good lord.

---oOo---

Hello everyone, this is the end to another chapter. As you can see Kagome is now in the dungeons of the castle. Sesshoumaru can't believe that a ningen is that powerful.

Ah but the fun is just beginning when a certain miko decides that she does not want to stay in the castle any more. Watch what happens when the miko decides that its time for her to leave the dungeons.

Thank you all for reading my story. I really enjoy your reviews. I do hope that you will all stay with me as I develop the characters in the story. I promise that the ride will be wild as my devious mind continued to go crazy with the plot of this story.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Inutaisho has had a very busy morning. First he had come back to his home with a new pup in his arms. He then talked to his beautiful mate and she had agreed to help him with the little one.

After that, he took the little one down to the dungeons to keep her safe since she refused to stay at the castle of her own free will. He needed a place where she would be safe while she was not with him and the only place he knew of in the castle, where she could be protected; was a room down in the dungeons, a place where he had placed seals and negation spells for miko's a long time ago. However, he still needed to find suitable quarters for her in the western wing of the castle. That was the wing designated for his family and since she was now considered his pup that is where she would live.

He smiled when he thought about his mate's reaction to the news that it was Midoriko who requested that he protect the little one. His mate and Midoriko had been the best of friends. He had actually met her through his mate and he had come to consider Midoriko as a member of his pack, his clan. She was powerful and she was the only ningen to have ever gained his respect.

They would often travel together until his lovely mate was pupped. Then they would hardly see her. His mate had taken the news of her death very hard and it had taken a long time for her to get over it.

He could tell that his mate had a certain connection with the little one. He couldn't explain it but there seemed to be a very close bond between them. He would have to keep an eye on them to see what it is. He knew that his inner Inu had accepted the little one as his own but could his mate's inner Inu accept the pup as well?

He had never seen his mate so excited about a pup before. He had seen a certain gleam in her eyes that he had not seen for a while. Then it hit him where he had seen that look before. It was the look that a mother would give her new pup when they were born.

Midoriko had that same look in her eyes when she gazed upon this little one. 'Could this little one be Midoriko's pup? But how could she be? Midoriko was never mated and she was still pure as far as I know when she died. Is this why my mate feels this way about this little one?'

He continued to ponder this question and many more as he stared off into space. He was remembering his conversation with his eldest, on why the youkai were attacking the ningen villages for no reason other than their search for the Shikon No Tama.

He had to chuckle here, his eldest had tried to find out where he had hidden the jewel incase the castle was attacked to try and find it. But Inutaisho refused to tell him where the jewel was. Yes, his son was mad at him but he was not about to tell his son anything yet. He still had to convince his new pup to stay here in the castle under his protection. This was not going to be an easy task.

The young one had a mind of her own and could not be swayed into doing anything she didn't want to. She reminded him of his eldest on how stubborn they both were. Even their tempers matched each other. Though they still had full control of their emotions you could still see the fire in their eyes when their tempers got out of control.

In Kagome it was more noticeable in her blue eyes, which would turn to a darker shade of blue/gray like a storm was approaching the area. He had learned first hand not to insult her in any way for her wrath was great.

He then went to the dojo where his elder son was waiting to continue with his lesson in fighting techniques. Sesshoumaru has improved greatly since the last time they had sparred together but he still lacked to find that inner strength that he can only tap into when he has something to protect.

This was a trait that all Inu Youkai have, an inner strength that they could only tap into when it comes to protecting their family or pack. Even he could not tap into this power unless he was protecting something.

Yes he had great powers but he was even stronger when protecting what was his. His son has yet to learn this lesson and Inutaisho wants him to find it on his own. He had given Sesshoumaru some hints as to what he needed to do to tap into this power, but he has yet to figure it out.

He continued to sit at his desk as he thought about everything that has happened today. His mind kept going back to his lovely mate as he got up and went in search of her.

He followed his nose to the western section of the castle and finally found her in the room right next to theirs as he entered the room to see what she was doing. When he saw the room his eyes opened wide in surprise to see what she had done.

The room was completely changed from what it used to be. It was now a pale blue in color. The futon that was in a corner of the room had a blue silk cover with many flowers, it had pinks, yellow, blues, red, and purple colored flowers. On the bed he noticed that there were many pillows to adorn it.

The curtains on the large window were a dark blue in color and in the middle of the window she had placed white shears to allow the sun and the gentle breeze to enter the room.

On the opposite side of the bed there was a desk with a mirror on top of it. She had put scented oils, hairbrushes, combs, and other such things that a female would use on the desk. Next to that, he saw the wardrobe that had once been empty but now contained numerous kimonos, hakama's, nemaki's, training kimonos, silk slippers, and other female necessities.

All in all he was impressed with the way his mate had fixed up the room.

As he gazed at his mate she had not noticed that he was in the same room with her. Her tail was moving from side to side in a content manner. He couldn't resist when she moved her tail like that, she was very sensual and her tail turned him on. His arousal was peeked as he approached his mate. He stopped just behind her as he took his hand and gently ran his claws down through the fur of her tail.

He saw her back go ridged as she felt the sensation he was invoking on her body. She let go of a low deep purr as he continued to stroke her tail. He leaned his head down and started to lick her neck. He was thoroughly enjoying himself when she pulled away from him and turned around to face him.

Ayashiko had felt when someone touched her tail. She felt the gentle touch of her mate as she closed her eyes and enjoyed his attentions. Soon she felt his tongue on her neck and she started to purr. 'This feels really good but if I allow him to continue then I will never get this room finished and the young girl will never leave the dungeons. I have to do something to stop this before we get too involved with each other.' Ayashiko thought as she pulled away from his embrace.

She turned around and looked at her mate and noticed that his eyes had gone blood red. His passion had been ignited and now she had to bring him back. She approached him as she gently placed a lick on his neck and felt him pull her even closer to his body.

Her body was heating up from the contact but she had to stop this right now. "Mate I love the attention that you are bestowing upon me but I must finish this room. I want to get the little one out of the dungeons. She deserves to be somewhere comfortable, not in some dark and smelly place."

Inutaisho heard her words and started to pull away from her. His eyes returned to normal as he said, "Yes my mate. But remember I will have you tonight and I promise that you will not be able to walk tomorrow."

Ayashiko shivered at his threat but went about putting the final finishing touches to the room.

Inutaisho stood in the middle of the room as he started with his spells and incantations that placed barriers around the room. He put barriers on the windows and door that will not allow anyone to come into the room unless he or his mate was present in the room with the pup.

He placed barriers that will protect her from spells coming from outside the room so she would not be harmed. There were enchantments that would not even allow a rodent to enter the room. It took him at least two hours to complete his spells and by the time he was done, he was exhausted.

Inutaisho gathered his mate as they started to make their way toward the dungeons to get their pup. They were walking down a long hallway when they started to hear the alarms being sounded. They were under siege and the outer perimeter soldiers were attacking the enemy. They heard a large explosion and when they looked outside they noticed a big blast of miko power and the first thing they both said was, "Kagome!"

---oOo---

Kagome had woken up in a dark cell. She had no idea how long she had been asleep there on the floor. Her whole body ached as she thought about her situation. Her whole world had been turned upside down when she was dragged into that old well. Now she was stuck in the Heian era with no way of going home.

She had tried to go back through the well but found that it would no longer work for her. She was devastated. She wanted to go back home to her mother. She missed her mother terribly and couldn't bare the thought of being separated from her.

She looked down at her hands and noticed the shackles on her wrist. That's when she noticed that her clothes were different. She was not wearing her sweat pants and t-shirt anymore, but a long kimono and hakama. She wondered how her clothes got changed, but she put those thoughts aside for the moment to ponder her current situation. She started to think of a way to get out of here. She wanted to go back to the old well to see if it will let her go back home.

Then she got an idea. They might have taken away her miko powers but they have not taken away her knowledge. She concentrated on the problem at hand and came up with a solution. She reached up and pulled two hairpins from her long tresses.

Kagome remembered something that she had read before about locks. She had taken an interest in locks ever since some of the students at her college locked her in the chemistry lab when she was helping her Sensei, by cleaning the room up at night. They thought that it would be very funny to lock her in the room for the night. If it had not been for the janitor, who worked at night, she would have spent the whole night locked in that room.

She had gone to the library the next day and read everything that they had on how to open locks. She looked at the locks that held the shackles in place. It was a simple lock with a single mechanism that should be easy to open.

She opened the hairpins and held one in her left hand and the other in her right hand. She put the tips of the pin into the locks and started to move them around. She took her time until she finally heard a 'click' and one of the shackles fell off her wrist. She had caught it before it hit the ground and then started to work on the other one.

Once the last shackle was removed from her wrist, Kagome placed them on the ground as quietly as possible. She didn't want to alert anyone to what she was doing. When she had placed them on the ground, she looked at her wrist and started to rub them. They were red and swollen from where the shackles had rubbed against her delicate skin.

She noticed immediately that her miko powers had not been returned to her. This meant that the room was designed in the same way as the shackles. She stood and walked over to the door. She kneeled in front of it and placed her ear against the door. She listened to see if anyone was outside guarding her.

To her surprise, there was no one outside the door. She grinned as she looked at the lock on the door. She was in luck. This lock was like the old locks that she remembered from her reading. It had a slot on the inside of the door that allowed anyone inside to unlock the door as well as on the outside.

She got her hairpins and started to work on the lock. This one was proving to be harder to open. Although the mechanisms were very simple it was made of a heavy metal and even she had a hard time trying to unlock them. The pins she had in her hands were bending from the weight of the metal because they were not strong enough to move the parts inside.

She took the pins and then bent them in half trying to make them stronger as she tried again. It took her an hour before she finally got the door open. She was sweating badly by the time she was done.

She stood up and she prepared to leave this room. She grabbed the handle on the door and before she opened it she put her ear to the door and listened again for any sign of someone going by her cell. When she was satisfied that no one was outside in the hall, she slowly opened it.

She opened it just a crack. The hallway was still dark and a lone torch was burning just a little bit down the hallway. She didn't hear anything so she opened the door even more. She was amazed that they had not put any barriers to prevent her from leaving the room. Maybe they didn't think that she could get out of the shackles and pick the locks to leave. Either way she didn't care as she was going to leave this place.

Kagome mentally prepared herself. She knew the moment she left this room her miko powers would be restored. She also knew that every youkai in this damn castle would know that she was out of her cell. So she had to make sure that she quickly hid her aura and scent as soon as she got her powers back.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm herself. She took one step outside the cell and was correct in her assumptions. As soon as her body left the room her powers came back full force. She quickly pulled them back down so no one would know she was trying to escape.

She kept to the shadows of the hallway as she made her way back up into the main portion of the castle. She remembered how the youkai lord took her down to the dungeons, and now she was going back the same way, anxious to leave this place.

She thanked her Sensei for being so hard on her when it came to her ninja training. It was proving to be a great asset as she quietly made her way towards freedom.

She stopped when she heard a couple of guards up ahead. She looked around the corner and saw them there with their backs towards her, blocking her way out. She stood there and thought about how to best get out of here without letting those guards sound the alarm.

She looked down at her person and noticed that she had the stars in her pockets. 'No I don't want to kill them I just want to leave this place.' Then she got an idea as she slowly made her way down the hallway. She made no noise and hid her heartbeat so that they would not be able to hear her coming.

When she was right behind them she gave them each a hit on the side of their necks and watched as they fell backwards unconscious. Kagome had caught the weapons that they held and prevented them from hitting the ground. She didn't want to make any noise; there was enough of a racquet made with the two bodies hitting the ground. She scanned the area to make sure no one heard her. When no other soldiers appeared she laid the weapons down gently and then proceeded to find her way out of this castle.

She finally made it up to a level that would give her access to the outside. She stood by the window and she looked around the area. Guards were everywhere. They were walking the perimeter of the walls that secured the castle.

She quickly made an assessment of the area and then came up with a plan. She moved quietly outside and hid behind a tree. She looked from side to side and there were guards coming towards her. She had never in her life seen so many Youkai, but the main groups of youkai in the area seemed to be Inu's. They had sharp eyes and a keen sense of smell. Those were the one's that she would try to avoid.

She let a group of them walk by her as she then sprinted to her next location to hide. This is the way she went until she had made it to the other side of the wall and out of the barrier. She breathed a sigh of relief once she had escaped from the castle as she continued on her way. She didn't know where she was going but she was getting away from this castle.

She found a stream nearby and went to go get a drink of water. She took small sips of water knowing that if she gulped it down too fast she would get sick. She had not had anything to eat or drink in a while so she took it slow.

Once her thirst had been satisfied she continued on her way. She was still hiding her scent and aura as she traveled because she didn't want to call attention to herself. She continued walking when she felt a great surge of Jyaki in the area. 'This is not good. There are a lot of youkais in this area and they are all heading toward the castle. I may not have wanted to stay there but the lord was very kind to me. He did take care of me while I was unconscious and protected me.' She sighed, 'why do I always get myself into these sort of situations?

She moved to intercept the youkai that were about to attack. No one knew that these youkais were out here and heading toward the castle. 'Hmm, what is the quickest way for me so send an alarm that they have company coming?'

Then she got it. She stopped hiding her aura and scent as it washed quickly over the area. The alarms started to ring as soon as they detected her. The youkai soldiers from the castle were coming after her as she took off into the forest heading straight for the youkai that were about to attack the castle.

'Kami I didn't want them to chase me, I wanted them to know that they had company coming.' Kagome thought, as she was running through the forest trying to get away from the two-youkai forces that were trying to get to her.

She skidded to a stop when she came face to face with the youkai that were about to attack the castle. She went to turn around to leave, when behind her came the soldiers from the castle. She was effectively trapped between the two groups as they stared daggers at each other.

One of the enemy youkai stepped forward and said, "You have the Shikon No Tama and we want it! Give it to us ningen!"

The soldiers that were standing behind Kagome were getting agitated as the one in charge said, "Like hell she will. She will return what she has taken from the castle and then face her punishment for stealing from the lord of the land!"

Both groups of youkai started to growl at each other. Right now they were both out for blood, especially hers. She removed her twin swords as she muttered a spell under her breath. A barrier appeared around the castle soldiers preventing them from going into the fight. She then turned her attention to the other group as she saw them charge towards her.

She avoided the first wave of attacks as her barrier protected her from any harm. She swung both swords in a cutting motion in front of her as she yelled, "RAIJIN KOGEKI!"

Bolts of lighting started coming out of the tip of the swords as they made contact with the enemy youkai. The ones that the lighting hit died a quick death as they were burnt in an instant. Many of the youkai had enough time to avoid the blast from the swords, as they regrouped and tried again.

Kagome stood in her place as she readied her swords. She was keeping an eye out on the youkai in front of her as she watched the ones behind her to make sure they didn't get out of her barrier. The enemy youkai attacked again, this time sending their own volley of attacks towards the miko.

Kagome held strong as her barrier formed around her body and protected her from the assault. She was spinning her blades in a circle as she was watching her opponents. When they were close enough she yelled, "KAZE KIRU!"

The air that was forming around the blades intensified as she charged the air with her purifying power. When the attack was finally released round blades of wind went straight toward the enemy. She killed a good majority of the youkai that were left by cutting them in half but a few had managed to escape her attack.

She was breathing a little hard now. There were only four youkais left and they had to be the toughest and smartest to be still standing. She brought her swords forward as she took the defensive position.

The youkai that were attacking the ningen couldn't understand why they were losing to a mere onna. She was a ningen and not worth the soil beneath their feet but still she held tremendous powers. They started to circle their prey, like the predators they were, trying to find a way to kill her.

The soldiers from the castle were amazed at what they were seeing. This ningen was preventing them from attacking the youkais in front of them but at the same time she was protecting them and the castle. They had never heard of a miko protecting youkai before and wondered if she was real.

They noticed that she was young, beautiful, and very powerful. A lot of the males within the ranks started to growl their desire for her as their brassier side wanted to get close to the ningen that held so much strength. She would make a wonderful mate and their pups would be strong. They all watched with interest to see how this female will perform, as the strongest of the youkai lord's soldiers were making their way to the front where they all stood awaiting the outcome of the fight.

Kagome was watching her final four opponents. She was getting tired and she needed to end this soon. She wanted to leave this area before that youkai lord came looking for her. She looked at the youkais that were left. There was a bear youkai, a monkey youkai, a tiger youkai, and an inu youkai.

She observed the monkey move out of the corner of her eye as she saw his intent. She had two stars already in her hand ready for him to move. Her eyes stayed half lidded when she felt him move in for the attack. She moved with such speed that no one saw her attack. The stars hit the monkey youkai on his forehead, right between the eyes, as he fell dead on the ground within seconds.

Her next opponent would be the tiger because he was the most impatient of the three that were left. She kept her senses on him as well as the other two. She saw him make his move as she brought her swords forward in one smooth movement and yelled, "MIZU FUNSHUTSU!"

A heavy stream of water started to come out of the sword as it mixed with her Reiyouku.

The bright blue water twisted and turned as it caught the tiger in its embrace. The tiger being a cat hated the water and tried to avoid the attack. Unlucky for him the water sprout followed his movement and soon he was engulfed in the water. He lost his life as he drowned in the attack.

'Two down two to go.' Thought Kagome, as she looked from the bear to the inu youkai waiting to see what they would do.

The next to make his attack was the bear youkai. His massive body would be able to block any attacks from her. He charged as he reared on his hind legs at the last minute bringing his claws down.

At that moment Kagome stuck her sword into the ground and said, "Chikyu Fureru!"

The land began to shake as everyone lost their balance. The bear had a hard time trying to stay on his feet. The land was shaking from side to side from the force of her attack. The bear youkai noticed out of the corner of his eyes that she was not moving nor did the shaking ground bother her. Then all of a sudden the earth opens from underneath his feet and he feels his body getting attacked.

The earth opened up to reveal the vines that were waiting for the bear youkai. It wound itself around his body as it pulled him beneath the earth. When the bear was gone from her sight Kagome softly said, "Heal."

The earth pulled itself together as the holes and fishers were now filled in once again. There was only one youkai left and he had to be the toughest.

Kagome eyed her last opponent. She was sure that he was going to be a handful to defeat. He was the smartest she had to give him that. He was the only one left standing and he will be the hardest one to kill. She had one more attack left and she was not going to waste it.

She kept her swords at the ready as she watched the Inu Youkai. He didn't waist anytime as he attacked her. He was so fast that she almost didn't have enough time to dodge his attack. Another quick turn and he attacked again in another direction, but Kagome's barrier stopped him from hurting her.

They quickly separate as they started circling each other. 'I have to end this soon. My powers are weakening. The youkai soldiers are trying to take down my barrier and it making me even weaker.' Thought Kagome as she readied herself for the last attack.

The inu had been watching her every time she attacked. She was good with a sword. Never in all the years of him being alive had he ever found a ningen onna that was good with a sword. He also noticed that she was a powerful miko too. He started to think that she would make a good mate as he formed a plan in his mind. .

Finally he came up with a plan of attack that would take her down and make her submit to his will. Then he will have the chance to mate with her and she would bare him strong pups.

He came in fast with his claws held high. He was coming down with his claws when he saw her turn in his direction. His momentum was currently his disadvantage as he saw her blade lighting up.

Kagome saw him coming as she raised her swords into the air and yelled, "Ryu no Hi!"

Twin red dragons made of fire came out of her swords as it went toward the inu youkai that was about to attack her. She saw him release his attack upon her body as she tried to get her barrier up in time to protect herself. She failed, part of his attack hit her side as the rest were deflected back toward the person who sent it.

The dragons that came out of Kagome's swords were heading straight for the Inu Youkai. They wrapped themselves around their victim as they burned the attacker into powder. Kagome sighed, she was finally done with the all the youkai that wanted to attack the castle, as she sheathed her swords on her back.

She still needed to get out of here before the youkai lord came and found her. She was about to leave the area when right in front of her landed the youkai lord. Her heart was starting to pound harder in her chest, out of fear. The noise was so great that she couldn't hear what the youkai lord was saying to everyone in the clearing.

---oOo---

Inutaisho had been watching from the air. He had left the castle in a hurry when he saw his little one's attack. He knew that she had somehow escaped the dungeons and was outside the castle walls. He had to get to her before she left the area.

When he got there he saw that she had put a barrier around his soldiers preventing them from joining the attack. She was the only one that was fighting the intruders. He observed as she dispatched the annoying insects with ease as she faced the last four youkai.

He could tell that these were the strongest of the lot as he watched her take them down one by one. His this little ones fighting skills always fascinated him. She had a fire in her eyes that was total concentration as she finally finished her last opponent.

He needed to get down there as fast as possible. She was trying to escape his castle and he was not going to let her go. He quickly landed in front of her as he turned his attention to the soldiers that were still by the barrier and yelled, "Everyone, get back to the castle. There is nothing more to be seen here."

To Inutaisho's surprise his men did not move when he gave them their orders. He could see the look of lust in their eyes as they were observing the miko fight. They wanted her for a mate and their lord was not willing to let them have her.

He snarled as he let his youki go over the area and that got everyone's attention. He barked viciously and everyone left in haste. They did not want to die by the hands of their lord this day. He then turned his attention to the miko that was trying to leave. He snarled viciously at her as he blocked her escape.

Kagome was weak and she wanted to leave, she was not about to stay at the castle and let them all be in danger because of her. She went to leave and found that the youkai lord was blocking her escape. She cowered back in fear as she yelled, "Please let me leave this place, that way you won't be attacked anymore!"

The youkai lord was not about to let her leave. He walked towards her as her barrier went up in defense. He hit the barrier and was thrown back at least ten feet from his original position. He snarled as he went in for the attack. He will bring her barrier down and then take her back to his castle.

Kagome was fighting hard to keep her barrier up. She was scared, the youkai lord was mad at her for not obeying his orders. She knew that he would hurt her for escaping and causing so much trouble. All she wanted was to leave this area before more trouble came here to the castle.

Then pain she was feeling in her head was intensifying. It felt like she was being torn in two as she struggled to maintain control. The pain got so bad that she put her hands to her head and screamed her head off. "STOP!!!! PLEASE STOP!!!! MAMA!!!!!!"

Inutaisho stopped his attacks when he heard her screams of anguish. He had never heard her scream in pain before. Then he felt something coming towards him and he leaped out of the way. What stood in front of him was enough to put fear in the most powerful youkai's.

---oOo---

Ayashiko was in the castle waiting patiently for her mate to return. He had gone after the girl when they discovered that she had escaped the dungeons. She was worried about the girl and feared that she might get hurt.

Her eldest son was not in the castle at the moment; her mate had sent him on an errand to one of the local lords. She had her youngest taken to his room where the barriers were set up to protect him incase the attacks reached the castle.

She waited as she continued to hear the battle raging on in the forest. There were powerful blasts that shook the entire castle. Then all of a sudden everything went silent as if the fighting had finally ended.

She looked into the sky, looking for her mate to come back with the girl, she didn't see him, but at that moment that's when she heard it. It was a scream so loud and so full of pain that it touched her very soul. It was the plea of a pup for its mother and the maternal instincts in her kicked in as her eyes turned blood red.

She turned into her orb form and took off into the distance to where she knew that her pup was calling for her. She landed right in front of her pup as she looked at the offending male that was doing her harm.

Ayashiko eyes were blood red, her aura flared so much that her hair was being picked up by the winds that her youki created. She stood her ground as she flexed her claws daring the male to come forward and do her pup harm.

When she saw the male back off she turned and went to her pup. Her little one was rolling around on the ground in pain as she approached. She was crying as she heard her say, "Mama please make the pain go away. Please make it stop it hurts too much."

Ayashiko walked right through her pup's barrier as she kneeled right next to her. She picked Kagome up in her arms and cradled her to her chest and started to purr. Her pup started to cry into her chest as she held on to her for deal life.

Ayashiko released her aura to engulf the both of them trying to seek out the pain that she had to make it go away. At that moment Midoriko appeared as she wrapped her arms around the two of them and lent her the powers she had to calm the girl.

Soon Kagome's cries became whimpers as she finally fell asleep in Ayashiko's arms.

Ayashiko came out of her rage as she opened her eyes and looked around. She found her mate a good distance away from her and she wanted it that way for now. She was mad at him for attacking her pup and she would deal with him later.

With a growl and a snarl she formed her orb form and took Kagome back to the castle. She took her straight to the room that she had prepared for her. She called for a servant and told her to bring a bowl of broth to her immediately. The servant ran off to fulfill her lady's wishes as Ayashiko placed Kagome on the bed.

She heard Kagome whimper in fright as Ayashiko felt her mate by the door and barked viciously at him to leave. When he had finally left her, Kagome calmed once again as she continued with what she was about to do.

Ayashiko got some warm water in a basin and a small cloth as she proceeded to clean Kagome up. She had blood on her and she didn't know if she was hurt or if the blood was from the fight she was in.

She took her swords and daggers off and placed them all on the table next to the bed. She then began the task of taking off her clothes. She finally got her stripped and she started to clean her up to see if she was really hurt.

She found a nasty gash on her side that she cleaned and bandaged. The rest of the blood on her body was not hers and for that she was thankful. When she finished bathing her she dressed her in a nemaki and placed her in her lap.

She was gently rocking her back and forth as she purred to give her comfort. She heard a knock on the door as she allowed the servant to come in and put the broth next to her. She offered her thanks and the servant quickly left the room.

She turned to her pup and said, "Aijou, please wake up."

Kagome heard the gentle call and slowly started to stir in her arms. She felt warm and comforted. Something that she had not felt since she started on this crazy journey.

She slowly opened her eyes as she looked into the green eyes of the demoness she had seen earlier that day. She tried to move but found that she was being tightly held in an embrace. She heard a gentle purr and it was so comforting to her that she stilled and just curled her body into the demoness that held her.

Ayashiko held her pup tight in her arms. She purred to clam her as her pup nuzzled even deeper into her embrace. She smiled when she saw this and said in a gentle voice, "Musume, you have to eat something. It will make you feel better when you do."

Kagome heard the gentle voice and found herself agreeing to her request. She turned just a little as a bowl filled with broth was brought to her lips as she sat there and drank the soup. When she was done she felt better but her head still hurt.

In Kagome's mind she thought that it was her mother that was taking care of her as she said, "Okaa-san, my head hurts."

Ayashiko smiled when she called her Okaa-san as she rocked her in her arms and sent a low growl that soothed her pup to sleep. When she was sure that she was asleep she laid her down on the futon to let her rest. She stayed by her side for a while before she left to deal with her mate.

---oOo---

Never in the centuries of him being mated to his mate had he ever seen her that furious. His mate had landed right in front of him when the girl had called for her mother; his mate had taken it upon herself to answer the girl's call.

Her maternal instincts had kicked in and she was defending a pup. If he has learned anything, in all the years that he has been alive, is that you don't get in the way of a bitch protecting her young. Mate or no mate, if you hurt her pup you have to deal with her.

He saw her walk right through the girl's barrier and didn't get hurt when she did. He saw her pick the girl up in her arms as she rocked her and offered her some comfort. To his surprise he saw Midoriko appear and added her aura to his mate's to calm Kagome down. It worked because the girl was finally asleep in his mates arms.

When she opened her eyes he was happy to see that her eyes were back to normal. He tried to approach but when she snarled at him, he stopped and backed away. He knew now that he would be in trouble with his mate for attacking the pup.

He saw her take off in her orb form and he quickly followed her back to the castle. He was walking down the hallway going towards the room that they had prepared for the girl. He stopped outside the door debating on whether to go in or not. Her vicious bark told him to stay away so he opted to head for the study and get some work done until his mate came to see him.

He was pacing in his study when his mate finally opened the door and he came face to face with an angry bitch. He had faced many strong opponents in his lifetime but this one put fear in his heart.

Ayashiko had finally left Kagome to go in search of her mate. She wanted some answers from him. She finally found him in his study as she opened the door and stepped in. She could feel her temper rising as she walked in and asked, "Why were you attacking my pup!"

Of all the questions he could answer this one he found he couldn't. He had let his temper get the better of him when his soldiers wouldn't listen to his commands and he attacked without realizing what he was doing. "I'm truly sorry mate. I did not mean to attack our pup. I let my anger get the better of me as I tried to get her to come back to the castle."

Ayashiko closed her eyes as she exhaled slowly, letting her anger go. She knew that when he lost his temper no one could reason with him. The only way his inner inu would back down is if she was pissed at him and she was protecting what he wanted to kill.

Inutaisho looked at his mate and the scent of her anger was slowly fading away. He found it safe to approach his mate as he embraced her. He whimpered his apologies to her and felt the affection being returned.

He pulled away from her as he asked, "How is she? Is she all right now?"

Ayashiko looked at him and said, "For now she is sleeping. I have tended to her wounds and have bandaged them. She called me Okaa-san and then fell asleep in my arms."

Inutaisho chuckled as he said, "Come mate let us retire for the night as well."

Ayashiko agreed to his request as they headed off to bed. They were both tired from the day's activities. They could only hope that tomorrow brings a better day for them.

---oOo---

Aijou – Beloved Daughter.

Kagome's sword attack names

Raijin Kogeki – God of thunder

Kaze Kiru – Cutting Winds

Arashi No Kaze – Storm Winds

Mizu Funshutsu – Water sprout

Chikyu Fureru – Earth Rumble

Ryu No Hi – Dragon Fire

That's the end to another chapter. As you can see when Kagome does not want to stay somewhere she just ups and leaves. But unfortunately for her everywhere she goes she is a magnet for trouble. But lucky for her she has Ayashiko, Inutaisho's mate, by her side and her protector to keep her safe.

In the next chapter Kagome would come to understand the meaning of a true parent. As she learns from Ayashiko what a mother's love really is. Kagome fights for her life as Ayashiko pleads with her not to give up on living.

Sesshoumaru starts to feel jealousy over a new pup that has his mother's attention. It's bad enough that he has to share her with his brother but this other pup was something different.

Sibling rivalry will take place as Sesshoumaru interacts with his younger brother. See what happens when Inuyasha plays a trick on his elder brother and it backfires and Sesshoumaru meets Kagome for the first time.

Until the next time!

Matane! (Goodbye, See you later!)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Kagome felt hot, very hot. She was sweating heavily as her body perspired to keep the fever at bay. Her body was trying to cool itself off her to let her live. Slowly the water in her body was leaving her, the fever was too great for her body to deal with.

Her entire body was in pain as she tried to move to get some help. She was having a hard time breathing as her breaths became labored. She didn't know what was wrong or why she was feeling this way. She couldn't move her body much less cry out for someone to help her.

The only thing that she could manage was a pathetic whimper that no one would hear and a whine of misery. Kagome's mind was calling to the only person that seemed to keep her safe and the only one to offer her comfort in her time of need. "Mama," she said softly as she drifted off into a restless sleep once more.

---oOo---

Ayashiko had been asleep in her room. She bolted awake as she sat up in her bed. She had thought that one of her pups needed her. She could have sworn that she had heard one of them call out to her. The urgent need to check on her pups was an overpowering one. She slowly slipped out of her mates embrace as she put on her robe and walked out of their room.

She first went to Sesshoumaru's room. She opened the door and saw that he was soundly asleep in his bed. His angelic face was at peace with himself as she closed the door and went to the next room.

She opened the door to her youngest room. Inuyasha was asleep in his bed. He was lightly snoring as he moaned and rolled over in his sleep. She smiled at this as she closed the door and went to the next room. This room held her newest pup, Kagome.

She opened the door to her Musume's room and stepped in. She walked up to her bed and noticed right away that something was wrong. Her pup was drenched in sweat. She had a high fever and was having a hard time breathing.

She quickly got a cold cloth and put it on her forehead. She heard her whimpers and whines of pain. She didn't know what was wrong as she summoned the castle healer to come and take a look at her.

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. Ayashiko looked up from what she was doing and said, "Come in." The door opened and in walked a Kotaka youkai. She had beautiful brown hair that looked like feathers that was tied in a low bun on the back of her head. Her eyes were yellow and when she looked at you they looked like the blazing sun. She wore a simple brown kimono with a white obi.

Kori walked inside the room and bowed deeply to her lady and said, "Milady, how may I be of service to you."

Ayashiko looked at Kori and said, "This young one has a high fever. I want you to help her heal."

Kori looked at the young girl that was unconscious on the bed as she went over to her and started to look for what was wrong. She found the wound on Kagome's side and asked, "Milady, how did she get this wound?"

Ayashiko answered as best she could while Kori set about mixing some herbs to help the young girl with the fever. She took off the bandages and found that the wound was infected. She mixed some more herbs and put them on the wound to help her as she bandaged them back up.

They worked throughout the night trying to keep the fever at bay. At one point Kori had to reopen the wound and bleed it to get the poison out of it. Again they put the herbs on the wound and put a warm pack on it to draw out the poison.

Kori left the room early in the morning as she went to get some tea that she could give the girl to help her fight the fever.

Ayashiko was getting worried. They tried everything they could think of to reduce the fever but the fever would not go down. However Kagome got her wounds, it was evident that it must have had some poison in it. Her body was now a blazing inferno trying to fight against that, which is foreign in her body.

Ayashiko continued to sit by Kagome's side as the sun was slowly rising over the horizon signaling the start of the day. She had a feeling that it was going to be a long day.

---oOo---

Inutaisho woke up from his slumber to an empty bed. He was reaching for his mate when he found that her normal place was empty. He slowly opened his eyes to see if he could find his mate but she was not in the room with him.

He sat up in bed as he sniffed the air. There was a slight hint of sickness in the air and his mate was with that person. He got up and got dressed as he walked out of his room. He followed his nose to Kagome's room. He gently knocked on the door and then entered the room to find his mate worrying over the girl.

"Ayashiko what's wrong?" He questioned when he saw the worried look in his mate's eyes.

"The pup has a fever. The wound she received yesterday must have had some poison in it and now it's in her body. We have been trying all night long to bring the fever down but it's of no use. She is slowly weakening and I fear I might lose her." Ayashiko said with anguish in her voice. It was a mother's worst nightmare, to not be able to help her pup and that they can't save their life.

Ayashiko was deep in thought when she got an idea that popped into her head. She turned to her mate and said, "Koi, you must release her miko powers. It's the only way that she will be able to heal. Without it she will die."

Inutaisho thought about her request as he said, "But Ayashiko, what if she attacks you with her powers? What then? I can't take the chance of her hurting you."

Ayashiko snarled at her mate as she was struggling for control. "Mate, you must release her powers. I know that she will not harm me. She didn't do it yesterday and she won't do it today. I am her mother and she knows this. I will help her recover but you must release the spell that negates her miko powers."

Inutaisho relented and started to undo the spell that negated Kagome's powers. Once the spell was released Ayashiko told him to leave and that she would not leave until her pup has fully recovered.

The youkai lord understood her request. He turned to leave the room, but before he did, he put another barrier around it that will hide the scent and the magic that is Kagome in this room. He didn't want the castle to know that there was a powerful miko here, well at least not yet.

Once the door was closed Ayashiko turned her attentions to Kagome. She needed to wake her so she could use her miko powers to heal herself. She just hoped that it wasn't too late to do that. "Aijou, you must wake up."

She waited a few minutes and when nothing happened she called again, "My pup, please you must wake up."

This time Kagome started to respond to her command as she slowly opened her eyes. You could see the pain in them as Ayashiko spoke, "Musume, you must use your Reiyouku to heal your body. You have poison in your wound and if you don't heal yourself you will die."

Kagome thought about her request. It seemed to be a reasonable request but dieing right now was more preferable. She couldn't go back home and she didn't have anyone that would love her like her mother. Her heart ached for her mother as tears of pain started to come down her cheeks.

Ayashiko still didn't see that her pup was doing as she asked. She saw the tears coming from her eyes and the pain that was in them. She could feel her sorrow and despair. 'No she can't give up on me, not yet!' Ayashiko thought as she said in a desperate voice, "Pup listen to me. I love you and you can't give up on me. I want you to live for me. I will not let any harm come to you."

Kagome felt her heart clinch as she heard her words, 'She loves me? But how can she love me? I'm just a ningen in a youkai castle, but I feel her anguish for me, could she really be feeling this way about me?'

Then a voice came into Kagome's mind as it said, "Musume, trust in her love for you. She will love and nourish you as her own child. She will protect you from any harm. Trust her my Musume!"

Kagome thought about it and gave in to their request. She nodded her head in understanding as she closed her eyes and started to concentrate. A light blue light engulfed her body as her healing aura started to get rid of the poison from her body. It took many hours of concentration before the blue aura stopped and Kagome was once again resting soundly.

Ayashiko sighed in relief when she saw the blue aura encircling her pup's body. She had decided to live and was now trying to heal herself. She stayed by her side as she watched over her pup to make sure that she would recover from her injury.

---oOo---

Inutaisho walked down the stairs as he went into the dinning hall to await his sons. This will be the first time that they will eat without his mate and he didn't know how his son's would take the news.

The first one down was Sesshoumaru. He was amazed at how much his eldest looked so much like him. He had long silver hair just like his. His eyes were a honey gold, he had two magenta stripes on each side of his cheeks that were smooth and very well defined. He had the same color stripes on his wrist, hips and ankles. Though he had not seen them in many years he suspected that his markings were longer now. He had a line of red marking on top of his eyelid that made his eyes stand out even more.

He was tall and very muscular almost reaching his height. His tail was placed on his right shoulder and he carried himself with dignity. The only thing he wished was that his son show some emotion instead of hiding behind his stoic mask. He presented himself as a cold and uncaring individual. Not a good trait for the future lord of the west.

Sesshoumaru walked in as he sat down on his father's right side. Next to come in to eat was his youngest. Inuyasha was very much like his brother but the only difference was that he had a wonderful personality. He was carefree and happy all the time. He had no markings yet but he will grow into them soon enough. When you looked at Inuyasha he had the body of a 10-year-old boy but in reality he was 70 years old as he sat down next to his brother.

The servants brought out the food as Inutaisho took the first bite that started the meal for all of them.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at his father as he asked, "Father, we are starting our meal without mother this morning?"

Inutaisho looked at his son as he said, "Yes, your mother will not be joining us this morning. She is taking care of a pup that needs her at this moment and she will not leave her side."

"What pup is this? We are her only pups. There should be no other pup that would demand her attention." Sesshoumaru said in an upset voice. His mother was everything to him and for her not to be here with them, eating, was very upsetting. He wanted to know who this pup was that took the attention of his mother away from them.

"That Sesshoumaru is not your concern. Know that your mother is taking care of a pup and she will not leave until she has fully recovered. It might take a few days." Inutaisho said in a stern voice. He knew that Sesshoumaru was upset that his mother was not here but he had to learn to be without her. He was old enough to be on his own.

Sesshoumaru refused to eat as he excused himself from the table and left. Inuyasha seeing that his brother was upset asked his father, "Chichiue? Why is fluffy upset?"

Inutaisho couldn't help but smile at the pet name Inuyasha had for his brother. He turned to him and said, "He is upset because your mother is with another pup and he doesn't want to share her with anyone."

Inuyasha grunted as he said, "Well that's stupid because he already has to share her with someone else, ME!" He yelled the last part out as he pointed a finger to his chest.

Inutaisho chuckled as they continued to eat their breakfast.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru left the dinning hall in a huff. 'Who is this pup that commands so much attention from my mother? She is my mother and she has no other pup but me. Yes she does have that minor irritation of a brother of mine but she was mine first and I will not give her up so easily.'

He continued walking through the castle. His mind was preoccupied with his mother and why she had not showed up for the morning meal. He was worried that she would not eat while tending to this pup.

His subconscious mind had picked up on his mother's scent and he was making his way over to her location. When he finally realized where he was, Sesshoumaru blinked in confusion on how he got there, then he caught the wonderful scent of his mother.

He had stopped just short of the room that had a barrier on it, a barrier that would not allow him to enter. He was debating on what he should do when the door opened and his mother stepped out of the room. He sneaked a quick look at the pup that was in the room but the only thing that he could discern was that it was a female with long blue/black hair.

He looked into his mother's eyes and saw the concern in them for him. He had made his mother worry as he cast his eyes down in shame.

---oOo---

Ayashiko was sitting next to Kagome as she watched her sleep. She was still worried that Kagome might not have gotten all of the poison out of her system, although she did seem to be sleeping a little bit easier than she had the previous night.

As Ayashiko sat there, mindlessly stroking Kagome's hair to relax and comfort her, she picked up the scent of her eldest son. She could smell his worry and depression for not being at breakfast this morning. She sensed that he was standing outside the door as she got up and made her way there.

She heard a slight whimper from Kagome and then heard her settle down to rest. She opened the door and there stood her son in a dark blue kimono and hakama. His favorite sash was tied around his waist as you could see the golden color of the sash very clearly against the dark material that he wore.

She looked into his honey golden eyes and what she saw shocked her. Her expressionless son had a look of hurt and worry in his eyes that were not visible on his features, in which he still wore his stoic mask, but his eyes betrayed him clearly.

She walked up to him and asked, "Sesshoumaru, why are you here? Are you feeling ill Sochi?"

She saw as he turned his eyes away from hers and this concerned her more than anything. "Sesshoumaru, answer me, what's wrong?"

She saw him struggling to answer her question. Then he said in a small and dejected voice. "Mother, I was worried that you might not eat while you are tending to this new pup that is sick. I just wanted to make sure that you were all right."

Ayashiko's eyes opened wide in shock when he said this. 'So he's worried that someone else will take his place in my heart. I understand that he has issues with his brother; he doesn't like it when I pay attention to Inuyasha and he seems to think that I ignore him. But I don't ignore him he is just too stubborn to admit or to show his feelings. And now he is worried that someone else will take his place even more.'

She reached out with her hand and touched his cheek. Immediately she saw when he closed his eyes and enjoyed her touch. He leaned in more into her touch, just so that the contact would never break. She continued to stoke his cheek as she said, "Sochi, no one will ever take your place in my heart. You are my first-born and my love for you will never die. Though you have grown into a fine young youkai like your father, my love will never waver. I will always be here for you even in death."

She took her hand and brought it around his neck as she pulled her eldest into a tight embrace. She kissed him on his forehead, a sign of her love for her pup. She felt his stiff body relax into her hold as he returned her affection ten fold.

Sesshoumaru brought his arms up as he held on to his mother. He buried his nose into her neck and licked her in affection. He enjoyed her sweet scent of sakara blossoms, which always made him feel calm.

They stayed like that for a few minutes when she pulled away from him and said, "I want you to come here every morning before you go down to eat. I want a hug and a kiss from you before you go on with your day. Just because you will be lord one day does not give you the right not to give your mother a hug and a kiss."

Sesshoumaru turned red from embarrassment but he promised to be there every morning while she took care of this pup. He would bid his mother a good morning and give her the hug and kiss that she requested. But deep down inside he could not go about his day unless his mother gave him that hug and kiss. He would miss it and it would make his mood dark if she didn't show him some kind of affection.

He released his mother and asked, "Is there anything that I can help you with? Do you want me to bring you anything to eat?"

Ayashiko smiled at her pup, and said, "No Sochi, I have already eaten and I'm fine. I'm hoping that it will not take too long for this pup to recover. When she does recover I will bring her downstairs and introduce you to her."

"Mother what happened to make her so sick?" asked Sesshoumaru with curiosity.

Ayashiko smiled, oh her son was cleaver, "She was in a battle and poison got into her wound. We were unable to get the antidote to her on time and she almost died from it. She is slowly recovering but it will take a few more days."

Sesshoumaru nodded his head in understanding as he said, "I must go mother, I can not keep father waiting in the dojo."

He kissed his mother on the cheek, turned, and left heading down to the dojo.

Ayashiko watched as her son left the floor. She noticed that he had a spring to his step as he walked away from her. She smiled as she went back inside the room and stayed with Kagome.

The days passed and Kagome was slowly making progress. Ayashiko would not leave her side and whenever Kagome had a nightmare Ayashiko was there to comfort and hold her in her arms.

Ayashiko had not gone down to breakfast in all this time. But she did see her eldest son before he would go downstairs and she would receive her hug and kiss from him. She had noticed a few times that her son would try to catch a peek of the girl laying in bed but she would never let him get a good look at her.

Her mate had already talked to her about the possibility of wanting Sesshoumaru to mate with the girl. She was powerful and his inner inu will lead him to Kagome just for that simple fact.

Ayashiko for her part would be thrilled if he did mate with Kagome. She has spent so much time with her that she has grown to love the girl.

---oOo---

Kagome had been slipping in and out of consciousness for the last few days. She remembered that ever since she woke up, from the pain she had felt in her head, she remembered that a female youkai was there with her. That presence has been there the whole time that she was trying to heal herself.

She could not open her eyes but she could hear what this person was saying to her. 'Don't worry Aijou I will not let anyone hurt you. I will protect you from everyone that wants to do you harm. You are my pup now and I will protect you if you will let me. I want you to tell me if it is all right if I'm your mother. I know that I didn't birth you but if I ever had a daughter she will be just like you.'

When Kagome would whimper she would feel a gentle hand being placed on her face and forehead as the fingers of this person would gently moved against her cheek in a comforting way. She would hear from time to time a gentle purr that was very soothing to her soul. She would calm down and then go back to sleep.

Her consciousness would awaken again to allow her to listen to things around her. She felt the demonesses touching her hair as she was giving her some comfort from the constant pain she was in.

Kagome knew that it has been only one day since her battle with those youkais that wanted to attack the castle, and she had defended it. Her body was still weak even though she has partially healed herself. Then she detected another aura near by and it was strong. She felt when the hand that was offering her some comfort, moved away from her hair and left her side.

Kagome whimpered to try to get her attention again but realized that the person outside the door might be someone important to her as she stilled and allowed her to leave her side. She knew that this person was not her mother but she had come to accept her as such. She had cared for her when she was sick and held her in her arms to keep her safe. Something that she has never had in her life, yes her mother would comfort her in her time of need, but not like this demoness was doing to her. She felt special and she loved the feeling.

She had heard the conversation going on outside the door as she heard the deep rich voice of a male that she called her son. She remembered this demoness just vaguely and imagined that any baby born from her would have to be beautiful as well. She can only hope that someday she would look as good when she got older.

She had heard the conversation between mother and son as her heart sank, 'I'm keeping her away from her family because she is by my side. I can't allow this to go on. She has done so much for me already. She has accepted me as one of her own and I must repay her for her kindness by healing quickly, that way she can go back to her family.'

Kagome concentrated hard on her healing powers, she was still weak from battling the poison, and engulfed her body, once more, in a blue light. When she was done this time she had healed a little more and had gotten rid of some more of the poison. At this rate it would take her at least a couple of days to fully heal. She was tired from doing this and drifted off to sleep once more.

-oOo-oOo -- Dream -- oOo-oOo -

Kagome opened her eyes and saw that she was in a field full of flowers. There were flowers everywhere and the scent in the area was absolutely heavenly. She closed her eyes to enjoy the smell that these beautiful flowers gave.

She then turned her attention to the lake and walked towards it. It was beautiful and you could see the fish jumping out of the water as they chased the bugs that were just barely skimming across the surface. This place was like heaven in her opinion but she had no idea where she was.

She sat down on the ground as she pondered her situation. There had to be a reason why she was brought here. She just had to figure out why.

She continued to think about everything that has happened to her as a new figure approached her. Kagome was oblivious to all of this as she was deep in thought. She jumped when she heard someone speak to her.

"Musume, I finally have the chance to talk to you." Said the strange woman that sat down next to Kagome.

Kagome had no idea who this person was as she asked, "Umm, who are you? And why do you call me Musume?"

Kagome was curious about the person sitting next to her. She was very beautiful. She had long raven black hair and piercing blue/grey eyes. She wore what looked like ancient armor and she had on a dark blue kimono with a black hakama. On her forehead she had a blue teardrop. She knew that she should not be talking to this strange woman but somehow felt safe in her presence.

Midoriko couldn't help but chuckle at what her Musume had said. She looked into Kagome's eyes as she explained. "Musume, I call you that because you are the child that I never had. I have seen you in my dreams and knew that you were destined to be my Musume. But fate would not allow us to be together."

Kagome was confused as she asked, "Fate wouldn't allow us to be together??? I don't understand what are you trying to say?"

Midoriko laughed at her comment and said, "For someone who was born with many gifts, you can not tell who I am? Well let me explain. My name is Midoriko. I lived my life in what you now call the Heian period of Japan. I have been having dreams of you for as long as I can remember. You were to be my firstborn child once I found the love I was looking for.

But alas, I did not find the love I was looking for. I walked this earth looking for it and never realized how hard it was to find someone that would accept me for who I was. Then I was caught in a battle that I had to win. I could not let all of those youkai go and kill the ningens in the villages that I protected.

The battle was fierce but in the end the only way to protect the ningens was for me to trap the souls of the youkais I was fighting against, along with mine, in a jewel until such time as I got enough strength to defeat him.

You my sweet Musume were lost to me the day I created the Shikon No Tama. But your soul survived and you came to be in the future. I'm sure that while you were growing up you must have felt like you never really belonged where you were, like you belonged in the past where you could be of some use."

Kagome's eyes opened wide as she heard Midoriko's words. 'I have heard and read her story before. But I didn't really know what happen to her. But everything she is saying is true! Everything she said about my feelings, when I was home in my era, was true. I did feel out of place back home like I didn't belong there.' "How do you know all of this? I have never met you before today."

Midoriko smiled as she continued, "I know of all of this because I have been keeping watch over you. You are my Musume. There is nothing that can change that fact. I know that you were born in the future and that there was another person who gave life to you, but you are my Musume.

I have something to tell you for my time here grows short. I'm afraid that the well will never open again for you. You will never be able to travel back to the future. The fates have corrected their error and have brought you back home to this era. Even though I'm not alive anymore I'm still with you. The demoness, who is with you, was my best friend in life. She will protect you until you find a mate.

Stay with them Kagome, because this is your new family now, you will never be able to return to your old one. You will be protected and loved by them. In this they have given me their word. I know that they will not pick a weak mate for you. Trust in their judgment and listen to their lessons. They will help you cope in this new era and if you will allow them they will love you just as much as one of their own children."

Tears started to form in Kagome's eyes as she said, "I won't be able to go back home? I will never be able to see my mother again?"

Midoriko eyes were almost overflowing with tears as she saw the pained look in her daughter's eyes. "No, you will not be allowed to go back to your era. But you may see your mother again some day."

"But how can I live long enough to see her again? That's over 1000 years into the future," said Kagome in anguish. She had no idea how she was going to live long enough to see her mother again.

"First you must stay here in this castle. Lord Inutaisho will help you develop your powers even more. Learn what they have to teach you. Learn their customs and rituals. Once this is done and your true powers are released, you will find your mate. He is the one that is destined to be with you. He will protect you. Follow your heart and in due time you will find out how you will survive to see your mother again. But for now I must leave, I can't stay anymore." Midoriko said, as she stood on her feet ready to leave.

Kagome had a hundred questions for the miko and wanted some answers. "But why must I stay here? You know that if I stay here they will attack his castle again."

Midoriko looked at her daughter as she faded away from her sight, unable to answer her last question.

Kagome sighed she was stuck staying here in this castle and she didn't have a way home. But deep in her heart she knew that this was the place that she needed to be in. There was something that she needed to do here and if she didn't stay it will change everything in the future. These feeling were new and confusing to her. She only wished that she could figure it out and find a place that she could belong to and live happily.

She was never really happy back there in the future. She didn't have anyone to love and all the other girls that lived around her area had boyfriends to be with. There were no boys that were interested in her because of her special gifts. The only men she ever attracted were old and they wanted her for her mind and abilities so they could study her.

Kagome continued to think as she sat by the lake and tried to come to a decision about what she should do. She knew it would be hard for her but if she stayed here with this demoness that was very caring, maybe, she might be happy. But she had no idea what this mate thing was all about.

She pondered on this word for a few minutes and then her eyes grew big. 'To copulate! Oh man I have only read about stuff like that, I have never even… Oh Kami, what have I gotten myself into this time.'

She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Maybe it's not as bad as she was thinking. She could get more information about all this later, once she has settled into this new life. 'If I can't go home to my era anymore then I might as well make the best out of this situation. Midoriko said that they would take care of me.

The youkai lord did not seem like he wanted to hurt me but there will be more who will come to the castle looking for me. I have no idea why they are after me, but something deep down inside of me, is telling me that they are, and they will stop at nothing to get to me. If I learn how to get stronger then I will be able to protect them when they do attack the castle again. Plus I need to learn how to use my powers so that I don't deplete my energy.'

Kagome laid back and watched as the clouds drifted by. She closed her eyes and relaxed. Having come to a decision about her future and the things she couldn't change. Midoriko stated that the fates have corrected their error and sent her back to this era. Maybe, just maybe, she was meant to be here all along. 'Well I have no choice anymore. I will have to stay here and see what my destiny is.'

She fell asleep thinking about what the future will hold for her.

- - - End of Dream- - -

Two days later Kagome was slowly waking up. She took deep breaths as her heart rate increased. She was not hurting any more so she had completely healed. When she opened her eyes they were blurred at first as she tried to get them into focus. She felt that same hand touch her cheek as she closed her eyes and enjoyed their touch.

She opened her eyes again and smiled at the person that was next to her. It was the demoness that she had seen before. She saw the crescent moon on her forehead and knew that she was the wife of the youkai lord.

Kagome slowly started to remember bits and pieces of what had happened as she tried to sit up. She was helped into a sitting position as she closed her eyes to make the room stop spinning around. Once she had her balance again she opened her eyes and looked around.

She was no longer in the dungeons, like she was put in, when she first arrived. The room she was in was beautiful and it had all of her favorite colors in it. She looked back to the demoness that was sitting by her side as she waited for her to get comfortable.

Kagome was nervous, she remembered that she had taken her away from her family and she was truly sorry to be a burden to her. She lowered her eyes as she said, "Thank you milady for taking care of me. I'm sorry to be a burden to you and I know that you have a family that you must take care of. I'm ready to go back to the dungeon now."

---oOo---

Ayashiko had been sitting by the little ones side for three days now. She heard as her heart beat was increasing in rate and her breathing became more labored. She was starting to wake up from her ordeal as she waited patiently for her to open her eyes.

When her pup finally woke up she saw her beautiful blue eyes with a hint of gold in them. She looked disoriented and when she went to sit up she helped her. She watched with fascination as she looked around the room she was in. She could see the surprise in her eyes and could tell that she liked the room.

When their eyes finally met for the first time she looked deep into her soul. She found a child that was lonely and needed to be kept safe. When she heard her words, Ayashiko's heart dropped. 'How can I send her back to the dungeons?'

Ayashiko smiled at her new pup and said, "Why would I send you to the dungeons? I would think that you would prefer to stay in this room."

Kagome heard her words and was surprised by her answer. She didn't expect that they would give her such a nice room. "But am I not your prisoner?"

Ayashiko chuckled at Kagome as she gently stroked her hair away from her face and said, "No, you were never a prisoner here in this castle. You were just kept down there until I could get this room ready for you. This room will protect you while you sleep. You have the same protection as my other pups."

Kagome took this information in her mind and rolled it around. 'All right so it wasn't really a dream. She was the one that took care of me while I was sick. She was the one that offered me comfort and made me feel wanted when I was lonely and missing my mother.'

"Milady, please accept my gratitude for taking care of me. I know that your other children must need you more and are more deserving of your attention than I am. I am grateful nonetheless for you taking care of me." Kagome said as she bowed her head to the demoness.

Ayashiko didn't know what to do. She didn't want her pup to be so formal with her but she had to remember that Kagome was unconscious the majority of the time and probably would not remember anything that she said to her.

She reached out and brought Kagome into her arms and held her close to her chest. The girl stiffened at the contact but when she purred, she completely relaxed in her arms. She nuzzled her nose into her hair as she said, "Aijou, you never need to speak to me as such. I will take care of you for the rest of my life and keep you safe. You are my pup and I accept you as one of my own. I want you to feel like this is your home."

Kagome listened to what the demoness was telling her as she finally relaxed in her embrace. She raised her arms up and hugged her back as she cried. She was accepted and she was loved here and that's all she needed at this moment.

When she finally calmed down Ayashiko asked, "Kagome lets take you to get cleaned up. Once you have a bath you will feel much better."

Kagome agreed with her as Ayashiko helped Kagome to stand for the first time in days. She only lost her balance once and Ayashiko had caught her before she fell. She then got her balance back and stood steady on her feet as they walked to a door on the opposite side of the bed. When they opened the door there was a hot spring in it.

Kagome's eyes grew wide. She had never seen an indoor hot spring before. The room was beautiful, it was cream in color and it had white benches all along the wall. There was a wash area that was off to the right and in the middle of the room was the spring itself. There were large windows that allowed the morning sun to come into the room and to give it a special glow during the day. She figured that at night the room would be more beautiful, you would be able to see the stars up above as you bathed.

Kagome felt herself getting dragged to the wash area as the cord that held the nemaki together was undone by the demoness in front of her. She felt awkward for not knowing this demonesses name since they were never introduced. She cleared her throat as she asked, "Milady, may I please know your name."

Ayashiko eyes grew wide when she heard her pup's request. 'That's right, we were never introduced.' She smiled as she said, "My name is Ayashiko."

Kagome liked this name it fit this demoness to perfection. She looked like she could be a mysterious child for she was beautiful. "Thank you Ayashiko-sama. You have been very kind to me. You have treated me like one of your own."

"Aijou, you are my pup. No one will dispute my claim on you. I would prefer if you would call me Okaa-san." Ayashiko said with hope in her voice. She really wanted Kagome to accept her as her mother.

Kagome pondered this for a few minute and then asked, "May I call you Hahaue instead of Okaa-san."

Ayashiko was happy, she finally got through to Kagome and she was beginning to accept her as her mother. She purred as she said, "Yes my pup you may call me Hahaue."

Ayashiko got her pup undressed as she went and got some soap to clean her up. She bathed her like she did any of her other pups and when she was done she took her into the hot springs and held her in her arms as they relaxed.

Ayashiko was stroking Kagome's hair as she leaned into her shoulder and rested. She needed to get her to agree to stay here with her and be protected. "Aijou, I want you to stay here with me. I don't want you to leave and get attacked again. My mate and I will protect you as long as you stay with us here in Gengetsujou. I will train you in what you need to know and my mate will bring out your true powers. But if you leave we won't be able to protect you."

Kagome listened to what her new mother was saying. She really did want her to stay here in the castle. "Hahaue you know that if I stay here there will be more attacks. I don't understand the feelings that I have, all I know is that if I stay here there will be more youkais that will attack the castle because of me. I don't want anyone to get hurt because I'm here."

"Aijou you know that they will never get close to the castle. There are barriers and enchantments that will stop them long before they get here. No one can enter the castle unless they are meant to be here. It takes an incantation to allow someone to enter and not everyone knows about it. You will be safe here and I promise you that no one will get hurt," said Ayashiko in a soothing voice.

Kagome sighed as she said, "Very well, I will stay here with you. I will learn your ways and I will learn whatever you want to teach me."

Ayashiko was happy she got her pup to say that she will stay of her own free will. They got out of the hot springs as they both went to get dressed.

Ayashiko chose to wear a green fighting kimono. She often wore this kimono whenever she trained. She wanted to see how much work she would have to do with her pup so she wanted to take her down to the dojo.

She gave Kagome a blue fighting Kimono. It matched her beautiful blue eyes to perfection. She showed her how to wear it and then fixed her hair up into a high ponytail just like hers. She smiled when she was done. Her daughter looked absolutely gorgeous. At that moment a servant came to the door with food for the both of them. They sat down and ate breakfast before they headed down to the dojo.

When they were done eating Ayashiko turned to her pup and said, "Musume, I want you to hide your aura and scent while we go down to the dojo. I don't want the castle to know that we have a miko here. We will tell everyone here shortly, but until we do, I want you to hide yourself."

Kagome understood as she hid her aura and scent from the rest of the youkais that were in the castle. They left the room where she had stayed for the last three days and headed down into the castle proper. Kagome was staying close to her Hahaue as they made their way down to the dojo. They went down a few stairs and then went outside. They walked a short distance to this building and when they entered Kagome was shocked.

The dojo was big. It had a big open floor and all along the wall of the dojo there were suits of armor from previous centuries. Kagome was fascinated with them and wanted to go explore but she knew she was brought down here for a reason and kept her curiosity to herself.

Ayashiko stopped in the middle of the dojo and looked around. She was wondering where her mate was because she didn't want to interfere with his training their son's. She turned to Kagome and said, "Musume, I want you to stay here and meditate. I will return shortly."

Kagome nodded her understanding of her request as she took a seat on the floor and crossed her legs in front of her. It had been a long time since she has meditated and she could really use it. She closed her eyes as she concentrated on her powers. She felt like she had gotten stronger as she concentrated on her body.

Kagome had been in deep meditation for over an hour when she heard a loud noise coming from behind her. She quickly got to her feet as she turned around to face the intruders.

She was not expecting the ball of red and white fuzz that zipped by and was now hiding behind her at the moment. This child could not have been no more than 10 years old, he reminded her of her brother, he would hide behind her when the bullies were after him.

Her eyes turned soft as she asked, "What's wrong? Why are you hiding behind me?"

The child turned his golden eyes toward her as he said, "You have to protect me. He is going to kill me!"

Kagome was going to ask who was going to kill him when she felt a tremendous amount of youki heading her way. It was a powerful aura but Kagome wouldn't back down from it. She pushed the child behind her some more as she protected him from the coming threat. She was diffidently not ready for what came through that door.

---oOo---

Inuyasha was in the dining hall waiting for his brother to come down. He knew that Sesshoumaru would stop off and see their mother before he came down to eat. He was jealous because his mother would show more concern for his brother than she would for him.

He knew that his father would be running late this morning because there was a noble that came to see him about something that was happening on his lands.

Being bored with nothing to do and waiting for his brother so he could eat, he came up with a plan to torment his sibling.

He was a troublemaker but that is what made his life worth wild. He loved to play practical jokes on his brother and he would usually get away with it because he would always run to his mother or father who would protect him.

But this morning he had forgotten that neither of those people were available for him to go or hide behind, as he set his master plan into motion. All of the servants in the castle were aware of what the young master was up to. They didn't want to get caught in the sibling rivalry and if the elder brother got mad enough it could mean the death of the young master.

They had watched from a distance as the young one laid his trap. He had put a bucket of cold water over the main door to the dinning hall and left it open just a little bit. It balanced itself perfectly as long as no one touched the door. The plan was that once the door was opened the bucket would fall and soaks whoever was at the door.

In the past Sesshoumaru had always detected his brother's deed and was never a part of his jokes. But this morning it found the elder son of the youkai lord deep in thought as he was heading into the dinning hall to eat. His senses never picked up the danger and when he approached the door he opened it and stepped in.

There was a crash and a loud snarl as laughter was heard all around the room. The bucket had landed on Sesshoumaru's head and he was now soaked from head to toe with cold water. He ripped the bucket off his head as his eyes turned blood red. He was going to get that whelp once and for all. He was flexing his claws and his poison started to seep out of his fingertips while he thought, 'This is going to be enjoyable.'

Inuyasha was rolling around on the floor laughing his head off as he finally got his brother in one of his practical jokes. When he heard the vicious snarls he stopped laughing and looked up at his brother.

Sesshoumaru was not amused as he went after Inuyasha with a deadly gleam in his eyes. Inuyasha had never seen his brother in this state before. He thought that he had overstepped his boundaries with Sesshoumaru as he started to back away from him.

Sesshoumaru was pissed. This little whelp had just soaked him from head to toe with cold water and he was not in a good mood this morning. His mother had not come out of the room as he waited for her to give her the hug and kiss, that he would always bestow upon her every morning. He was in a foul mood when he finally came downstairs and to have his little brother do this to him just pushed him to his limits.

His eyes had turned blood red and he was seeking satisfaction from what was done to his person. He went after his little brother with all intentions of killing him, but the whelp proved to be fast.

Inuyasha had seen his brother coming towards him, he had blood red eyes and he looked very pissed. He thought it best to leave the dinning hall and go find one of his parents so he would live to see tomorrow. When he saw that his brother was seeping green gas from his fingertips he knew that he was in trouble. He bolted for the door as he raced through the castle looking for one of his parents.

To his horror neither of his parents could be found as he dodged another attack from his brother. Sesshoumaru was getting close to him and he would not last much longer. A terrified shriek left Inuyasha's throat as he raced even faster out of the castle trying to find a place to hide.

His nose picked up on his mother's scent as he raced into the dojo. He was sure that his mother was in there. To his horror his mother was not in the dojo but there was someone else in there that might be able to help him in his plight.

He raced toward this stranger as he hid behind her. He saw her turn towards him as she asked, "What's wrong? Why are you hiding behind me?"

The only thing that came out of his mouth was "You have to protect me. He is going to kill me!"

Then he saw his brother enter the dojo as he was going straight for him. To his surprise the female in there pushed him behind her as she protected him from his brother wrath.

Kagome stood her ground as she saw a youkai with blood red eyes come into the dojo. He was soaked from head to toe with water and she figured that the little one behind her had done something to this youkai.

The youkai stopped as he snarled, "I WANT THAT LITTLE BASTARD NOW!"

---oOo---

Musume – My daughter, daughter.

Aijou – Beloved daughter

Kotaka youkai – falcon demon

Sochi – my son

Sorry for the long wait on this chapter. But some times life gets in the way of you doing thing you like to do.

This is the end to another chapter. Sesshoumaru and Kagome have finally met. It was not under the most agreeable of circumstances. Now what will Sesshoumaru think about Kagome? What would Kagome think about Sesshoumaru? Will they end up in a fight or will they be stopped before they start anything?

Well you are going to have to join me in the next chapter so you can find out. I promise you will not be disappointed when you read it.

Please review and let me know what you think. The next chapter will be posted soon.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sesshoumaru raced towards the dojo after his brother's scent. He knew he had him once he got inside the building. When he burst through the doors he caught the scent of Night Blooming Jasmine and wondered where that wonderful scent was coming from. He knew that the only time he could smell this scent was at night when the flower would release it.

He saw his brother hiding behind a female that was in the dojo. She had long blue/black hair that was tied into a high ponytail and she currently had her back to him. She had a slim figure with curves in all the right places and she was very pleasing to the eyes. Her skin was a pale white but it looked so soft like the finest silk. He quickly determined that the wonderful scent he was picking up was coming from her.

But when she had heard him come into the dojo she turned around and he instantly saw that she was a ningen onna. His hackles were raised as he stopped in front of her and yelled, "I WANT THAT LITTLE BASTARD NOW!"

---oOo---

Kagome's breath hitched when she saw the youkai enter the dojo. He was gorgeous. His long silver hair came down to about his knees. He had two beautiful magenta stripes on each side of his cheeks and she could tell that he had the same stripes on his wrist. His eyes were blood red with the pupils a dark shade of green. He was dressed in a white hakama, the haori he was wearing was all white with a strip of red sakura blossoms starting from his shoulder and going all the way down to the sleeves. Underneath his haori he wore a white juban. He was very tall and muscular, and she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be held in those strong arms of his.

Kagome couldn't help but notice that the two youkais in the dojo with her looked very much alike. They both had long silver hair. She was willing to bet that the youkai with the red eyes also had honey golden eyes like the little one right behind her. They both looked a lot like the youkai lord and she thought that she had seen a little of her

Hahaue in them.

She kept her eye on the youkai in front of her because the one behind her was shaking in fear. She could feel his hands trembling on the small of her back where he gripped her kimono in an attempt to keep hidden. She stood tall as she said in a calm and cool voice, "Why do you want him?"

Sesshoumaru looked at the wench standing in front of him. 'How dare this ningen step foot in my fathers dojo? There are no ningens allowed in my fathers home.'

He snarled as he flexed his claws. His irritation for his little brother was now gone as he turned his attention to the ningen that was standing in front of him. He wanted her out of his home as he said, "What are you doing in here? Ningens such as you have no right to be in this dojo. It belongs to the Lord of the Lands and his heirs."

Kagome raised and elegant eyebrow at the youkai in front of her, as she crossed her arms over her chest in a defiant manner. She was not going to take that kind of talk from him. She didn't care if he was the son of her Hahaue, he would learn some manners. "I was asked to wait in here by the Lady of the castle, so here is where I will wait until she returns."

"Now why would my mother ask someone like you to wait for her in here? It is clear that you are a worthless ningen not worthy to be in her presence. Yet you state that she asked you to wait here? How pathetic." Said Sesshoumaru as he brought himself to his true height. His eyes were still blood red as he kept them trained on the female in front of him.

He eyed her with some interest, if his mother had told her to wait for her in the dojo there had to be a reason that she wanted to be in this ningens company. From what he could tell she was just like all the other onna's he has ever met. She was weak and not worth his time in carrying on a conversation with her.

Kagome's temper was getting the better of her. She could feel her power starting to flux since he was spreading his youki throughout the dojo to show his dominance. She tried taking deep calming breaths and remembered all of her lessons from her sensei to keep her temper in check. She had maintained her mask on her aura but it was becoming difficult to keep in place.

Kagome had no other choice. This youkai was pushing her to the limits of her patience, but before she engaged in battle with this youkai, and get rid of some pent up frustrations, she needed to protect the little one behind her.

She brought her hands together as she started her spell. She placed a protective barrier around the young one as she shoved him out of harms way. He ended up against the wall of the dojo, away from any fighting or any danger that was going to happen.

Sesshoumaru snarled as he saw what this wench did to his brother. He might be a pain in the ass but he was still pack, family, and he was honor bound to protect him. "What did you do to my little brother?"

"I have placed him in a protective barrier. I don't want him to get hurt, the way you have been acting I'm afraid that you will kill him for his little transgression this morning." Said Kagome with amusement in her voice. She was trying to calm down her temper before she did something that she might regret.

That was it, Sesshoumaru's patience left the dojo when he said, "Wench! You have no right to put a barrier around one of the heirs to the land. A whore like you does not deserve to live for what you have done."

At that moment Sesshoumaru regretted his words. Her aura, which he thought to be a weak one, flashed a deep purple. Her powers rivaled his own as she pushed against his youki for dominance. Her blue eyes started to turn a cloudy gray. The more she stood there, the darker her eyes became, like a raging storm that was about to be unleashed.

At that moment the alarms around the castle started to go off as the guards detected a powerful miko in the area. They were frantically searching for her before she could do any damage to the ones they were protecting.

Kagome had enough of the youkai standing in front of her. She let loose of her aura as it crashed against his youki. The two aura's were fighting for dominance as nether would give in to the other.

Her anger was peaked, but she kept it in check and used it to fan her powers. "How dare you! I would have expected better manners from the son of Lady Ayashiko. You do not know me well enough to call me those names. And if you would use that arrogant nose of yours, that is sensitive to everything around it, you would have notice that I am untouched. So you calling me a wench and a whore are unfounded. I bet that even your little brother would not made a mistake like that."

That was it Sesshoumaru had enough of her insults, he pulled his sword from its sheath and attacked. He crashed into her barrier, which threw him back to where he was standing just a few moments ago. He landed about 10 feet away from her as he stood up and assessed the situation.

'She's powerful and her barrier is one of the strongest that I have ever seen. But she can not beat this Sesshoumaru in battle.' Sesshoumaru thought as he started another attack. He went in as he attacked with his sword. The demonic aura surrounding the sword fought against her barrier.

He noticed, for the first time, a light pink glow on the barrier and pulled away just in time before he was purified. 'She's a fucking MIKO! She is the strongest one that I have ever seen so I have to be careful on how I attack her.' Sesshoumaru thought as he set his mind on what he had to do, and attacked again.

So far Kagome was just standing there staying off his attacks. She was watching to see what kind of moves he performed. She knew she couldn't hurt him or Hahaue would be mad at her for hurting one of her pups as she called them. But she could beat some proper manners into him and maybe he will think twice in the future about attacking her again.

She pulled out her twin blades for she didn't want to use her other sword. She only pulled that one when she wanted to kill out right, the twin swords she held allowed her to just inflict damage to her opponent without killing them. She didn't want to kill him just hurt him a little.

This time when her barrier pushed him back she attacked with her twin blades. She was as fast or slightly faster than him as their swords meet in a test of strength. They were both pushing each other to the max as they both pulled away and retreated about five feet away from each other. They started to go around in a circle, trying to find an opening to their opponent's defenses so they could attack.

Kagome moved in and swung her sword to attack. He countered, blocking her sword, but quickly moved behind her for an attack of his own. He meet her other sword as she brought it behind her and blocked his move so he wouldn't hurt her.

Sesshoumaru was surprised that she was able to block that move without turning around. It was usually one of the moves he would use to keep his father off balance. What he didn't expect was the burning sensation that he got in his chest as he went flying backwards.

Kagome had blocked his move from behind, she quickly turned, and sent a blast of her Reiyouku into his chest. She sent him flying backwards as he landed about 20 feet away from her on his back.

She saw him getting up and knew that she was in for a fight now. His eyes had turned a deeper shade of red and he looked pissed. She saw him jump towards her, his claws glowing brightly as she heard him yell, "SOUHAKIZU!"

A powerful attack came from his claws, they looked like blades and it was moving at a fast pace towards her. Kagome countered with "RAIJIN KOGEKI!" as bolts of lighting came from her swords. Both attacks meet in the air and exploded, blowing out one of the walls of the dojo.

Kagome and Sesshoumaru were thrown out of the dojo as they landed outside on the ground. They were both hurt as they were back on their feet ready to continue their fight.

They never made another attack as a white whip came toward the both of them and knocked the swords out of their hands.

Both of them turn in anger as they notice that it was the lord of the castle that had interfered in their battle and he looked pissed.

---oOo---

Ayashiko went back into the castle as she searched for her mate. She had left Kagome alone in the dojo to meditate while she went to talk him. She wanted to tell him the good news that the pup was finally awake and that she had agreed to stay in the castle and be protected.

She also wanted to inform him that she was going to start testing the girl to see where her training should start.

She sniffed the air as soon as she reached the castle and headed straight for her mates scent. He was currently in his study. But when she got there she sensed that there were others with him and she had to wait until whomever was in there left before she could talk to him.

She stood silently by the door waiting for her turn to go in. She got a tingling sensation on the back of her neck and thought that there was something wrong with one of her pups. She shook her head thinking that no one would dare harm them here in the castle and thought that her youngest was probably playing a joke on someone.

She chuckled at the thought that he was always playing a joke to make everyone laugh. He was carefree and always showed his emotions. She sometimes wished that her eldest son would take after his brother and not hide what he was feeling.

Finally the people inside her mates study left and she was able to go in and talk to him.

-oOo-

Inutaisho had sensed his mate standing outside his door. He quickly concluded his business as he told the other barrens to his lands that he would look into their situation and try to fix the problem at hand. The barrens satisfied that their problems would be looked into bowed to their lord and left his study.

He waited for his mate to close the door and as soon as she entered he asked her, "What's wrong Ayashiko? Is the little one not getting better?"

Ayashiko smiled, as she said, "No, no she's fine. As a matter of fact she is awake and she has agreed to stay here in the castle to be protected. She even accepted me as her mother."

Inutaisho noticed the happiness that his mate had. The girl's acceptance of her as her mother was definitely a good sign and his mate was happy. But he worried that this happiness was going to be short for he knew that they would have to give her up when they found her a mate. There were no guarantees that Sesshoumaru would be interested in the girl or that he would be the strongest youkai that would be able to protect her.

He still had no idea what his son would think about the girl. She was powerful yes, but will his inner inu want her as his mate? It would have to be an agreement between the both of them to accept her as such. He thought that Sesshoumaru's rational side would not accept the girl because she was a ningen but that his inner youkai would. It would depend on how strong his inner inu was and whether he would be able to influence his stubborn rational side.

He smiled at his mate as he said, "That's wonderful! Where is she now?"

Ayashiko smiled as she said, "She is in the dojo meditating. I wanted to test her skills to see where we would need to start her training. I know that she is strong but we need to access where she needs improvements."

Inutaisho agreed with his mate as he said, "Yes you are correct in your assessment but I want to test her. I have seen her fight and I would like to see how strong she really is. I won't be using the dojo until this afternoon when I'm training Sesshoumaru so I will be able to test her strength now."

Ayashiko agreed as they both walked out of the study and headed toward the dojo. When they finally made it outside the castle they caught Sesshoumaru's, Inuyasha's, and Kagome's scent coming from the dojo. They panicked as they raced to see what was going on.

When they got there they saw the confrontation going on between Kagome and Sesshoumaru. They stood back and watched everything that was happening. Kagome was very good with her verbal sparring. She had Sesshoumaru losing control of his inner inu with her defiance and they saw that his eyes were already a blood red.

When Inutaisho heard what his son had called Kagome he leaned over to his mate and said in a low voice, "This is not going to go well for Sesshoumaru, he just insulted her and her eyes are starting to turn color. We can only hope that they won't hurt each other."

Ayashiko could only nod her agreement to her mate as she continued to watch her two pups. Then she saw Sesshoumaru attack and the fight was on.

They were both amazed at the control that Kagome had over her temper and how she was channeling that anger into her powers making her much stronger. They had noticed when Kagome placed a barrier around Inuyasha and moved him to a safer place than right behind her.

The concealment spell that she had placed around her body to conceal her true powers was gone and now everyone in the castle knew that there was a powerful miko in the area.

When Kagome finally lost her patience, she attacked. They were both moving at great speeds but neither landed a hit on their opponent.

Then they saw as Sesshoumaru got a good hit on the little one as he turned to hit her again. She had blocked the attack by bringing her other sword up behind her and intercepted his attack on her back. She quickly turned and blasted him with her purifying power.

They noticed, as Sesshoumaru slowly stood up, that his eyes turned slightly redder and narrowed in warning as he let go of his claws attack. Kagome intercepted the attack with an attack from her sword as it blasted out the side of the dojo and they were both thrown outside.

Inutaisho had shielded his mate against the blast that was created by the pups. He had enough, if he didn't stop this fight, they would both end up hurting each other. But he had to admit he was very impressed with his little one.

He lashed out with his whip as he knocked the swords out of their hands. He turned toward his mate as he said, "I want you to go after Kagome and I will go after Sesshoumaru. We must get them to calm down or else they will continue to fight until one of them submits."

Ayashiko understood as she raced to where Kagome was located. She stopped right in front of her as she saw the anger that was still in her eyes. Kagome did not back down from her starring contest with her son and she was not about to give up.

Ayashiko approached her pup as she said, "Musume?"

The girl didn't even acknowledge Ayashiko as she moved closer. She saw when Kagome turned her stormy eyes towards her breaking off eye contact with Sesshoumaru for the first time since they had started this fight.

It looked like Kagome didn't recognize her as she said, "Musume, you must calm yourself. No one is going to hurt you as long as I am here to protect you. Now stand down before I make you."

---oOo---

Kagome returned her gaze to the male youkai that was standing right in front of her. Something deep inside of her was telling her that she was not to give in to his demands. She will continue to fight to the end because she would not lose to him.

Her stubbornness was enough to rival his own and she was trying to make a point with him. Then she noticed that another youkai had blocked her view of the youkai she was fighting against and heard someone calling her name.

Kagome turned her eyes toward the demoness that was saying something to her. Her mind was going around in circles as she tried to figure out what was going on. She was so high on adrenaline that she couldn't handle it any more.

Her eyes rolled back into her head as she fell forward. She would have hit the ground as someone yelled, "KAGOME!" and grabbed her before she had hurt herself. She felt that she was in a tight embrace before everything went black.

---oOo---

Inutaisho landed right in front of his son. He had thought that he was going to have to calm down an enraged Sesshoumaru. But what he didn't expect was that he would have to calm down a lustful Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru's inner beast was definitely in control at the moment. He was growling but it wasn't a growl of annoyance or one that he would give an opponent that he was going to kill them. Instead this was a growl that was meant to tell a female that he was the dominant male and that she would submit to him.

He was giving her his intentions that he wanted her for a mate. He was very determined to get to her to make her submit.

When Inutaisho stepped in front of Sesshoumaru to block his view of the girl, his growls turned threatening. He thought that another male was challenging him for the female that was in front of him. He knew that he would have to defeat her in order to make her his and now he had another male that was his rival.

He jumped back as he barred his fangs at his father telling him to back off that this was his female to dominate.

Inutaisho was very amused at the way his son was acting. He could tell that this was going to turn very interesting when they finally gathered the other lords to see if they could find a mate for his little one.

He made his own demands to his son to make him calm down, _'Beta male, you are to stand down. The female does not wish to mate.'_

Sesshoumaru growled his own response back to the male in front of him, _'Female will submit to this male. She is my female to dominate. She will be my mate.'_

'_Pup she is ningen care you not?'_ asked his father as he raised his eyebrow at his son.

Sesshoumaru blinked a couple of times as he was trying to gain control over his more aggressive part but his inner beast was not about to give up on the female in front of him. He gave a vicious growl as he answered the male in front of him, _'Matters not. She is a strong female she will make a good beta bitch for this one. Strongest female we have ever encountered. She will produce strong pups.'_

Inutaisho had seen enough, he had to get his son under control before he did something that he might regret. He was about to move forward to confront his pup when he heard his mate yell for the girl.

Sesshoumaru saw as the girl went down and rushed to get to her. If he got to her he would be able to dominate her.

Inutaisho moved to intercept as he tackled his son from behind and brought him down. They were both struggling on the ground, when Inutaisho found the pressure point on the back of his neck, he squeezed as his pup fell unconscious.

Inutaisho breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at his mate and asked, "Is the little one all right?"

---oOo---

Ayashiko had caught Kagome before she had hit the ground. She brought her into her embrace as she sat on the ground with her pup in her lap rocking her back and forth. She could tell that Kagome had been overwhelmed with her powers and just passed out.

Ayashiko had turned in time to see her son coming towards her as she set up her own barrier against him. She couldn't let him touch the girl. She didn't have to worry, she saw her mate tackle their son from behind and knocked him unconscious.

She was relieved that it was finally over. She heard her mates question and answered, "Yes, she is all right. She is just overwhelmed with the rush of power and fainted."

At that moment the castle guards surrounded the couple as Ayashiko instincts to protect her pups kicked in. She saw them all as a danger to her pups and let her youki flare out around her.

The guards came to an abrupt halt. They didn't want to get near their lady when she was in a foul mood and protecting her pups. Then they noticed for the first time that she was holding a ningen female in her arms and that she was protecting it.

They could automatically tell that this was the ningen miko they had detected in the area and she was very powerful. They also saw how beautiful she was and their desires for her started to grow.

Seeing this, Inutaisho quickly brought his soldiers into line, as he told all gathered there, "This ningen onna that you see here has my and my mates protection. She is to be treated like one of our pups. I will kill the first one that lays a hand on her or wants to take for a mate. I will decide who she is to mate with."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers now knew that she was off limits if their lord was protecting her. Meaning that she will receive the most powerful male for a mate. They could only hope that she would make them change their minds and she would hopefully pick one of them. They all backed away as they went about their duties.

Ayashiko and Inutaisho heard as Kagome and Sesshoumaru were starting to wake up.

Kagome was the first to wake up. She opened her eyes to see that Ayashiko was holding her in a tight embrace. She tried to figure out what had happened when she started to look around the area. She noticed that the building she was in earlier was destroyed along one wall. She tried to think of what happened as her eyes opened wide with realization. She went to stand up, but was held in place by strong arms, as a growl was heard from the person holding her.

Kagome had no idea what that growl meant but she could tell that it didn't mean anything good. She whimpered as she waited to see what her punishment would be for destroying the dojo. She heard movement off to the side and a growl. She figured that it was the youkai she was fighting against waking up.

Sesshoumaru was starting to come around. He had a tremendous headache and he didn't know why. He could tell that he was on the ground and he couldn't figure out how he got there. He started thinking about what happened as his eyes shot open and he quickly got to his feet.

He was looking for that ningen wench when he heard a growl coming from behind him and turned around abruptly to face his father. He knew that growl anywhere and his father was not happy about something.

When he faced his father, his stoic mask was in place. He looked behind his father to see that the wall to the dojo behind him was destroyed and he could tell that his father was not pleased about it.

Inutaisho eyed his pup and he was not amused. These two had managed to destroy his dojo and he was not happy about it. "Sesshoumaru, do you want to tell me how my dojo got destroyed?"

Sesshoumaru looked away from his father not wishing to tell him what had happened. He then noticed that his father turned around and asked, "Kagome, do you want to tell me what happened here?"

---oOo---

Ayashiko let go of her pup as they both stood and watched as her mate asked their son what happened to the dojo. When Sesshoumaru refused to answer her mate had turned his inquiring eyes towards Kagome and asked the same question.

Neither Kagome nor Sesshoumaru wanted to answer his question. They were both embarrassed for having lost control and for fighting in the first place.

Inutaisho was getting tired of the silence and he was about to open his mouth when he heard the cry of his youngest son from inside the dojo. He turned toward his son and motioned him back into the dojo as Kagome and Ayashiko followed suit.

Once inside they found Inuyasha inside a barrier that he could not get out of. He was trying to leave the area before his parents spotted him and they figured out that all this was his fault to begin with.

He stopped his attempts in trying to get out of the barrier when he saw his fathers eyes. He swallowed hard as he bowed his head, knowing that he was in big trouble this time.

Inutaisho looked at his youngest son and the expression on his face told him that he had something to do with what happened here this morning. He turned to Kagome and spoke in a commanding voice, "Kagome release him from your barrier."

Kagome did as she was told and lowered the barrier around the young child as she listened to what was going on.

Once Inuyasha was freed from the barrier he tried to sneak away from his father when he was busy with his elder brother. He felt a very large hand on the back of his neck as he was stopped in his tracks. He was forcibly turned around as he heard his father ask, "All right Inuyasha, somehow I figure that this little incident is all your fault so why don't you explain yourself."

Inuyasha swallowed hard as he told his father what he did this morning to his brother. He ended his story when he came into the dojo looking for his mother and found the ningen onna here instead.

Inutaisho was definitely amused. His elder son never let his guard down so why did he this time? He turned as he looked at his eldest son and asked, "Sesshoumaru, what had your mind preoccupied this morning that you could not sense the danger that was around you? Granted it was just water but it could have been much worse."

Sesshoumaru stilled refused to answer his father. He didn't want his father to know that he was just sulking because he could not find his mother this morning. His father would think of him as being childish because he couldn't give his mother her hug and kiss this morning.

Ayashiko was listening to everything that was being said and then she realized what she had done. Her son was acting this way because he had not seen her this morning. He would come every morning but this time she had been busy with Kagome and she forgot that he was to come by.

She turned to her mate and said, "Mate, don't get angry with him. It's my fault that he lost his focus. I was to meet him this morning and I got busy doing something else. I didn't get to see him this morning and that upset him."

Kagome heard everything they were saying. As she thought, 'All of this is my fault, if I wasn't here in the first place then this family would not be having so many arguments. Sesshoumaru would have seen his mother this morning if she weren't so busy with me. He wouldn't be walking around being angry with his brother because he would have detected the trap he had laid and the dojo would not have been destroyed. This is all my fault.'

A lone tear started to come down Kagome's cheek, as she said pleadingly, "Please do not punish them for something that is not their fault. If I wasn't here in the first place then none of this would have happened."

Inutaisho was shocked at the girl's request but it still did not excuse his sons lack of respect for the guest in his home. "Kagome I understand what you are saying but that does not excuse what these two have done. They will take their punishments and I will deal with all of you."

Kagome was really upset now. She didn't want him to punish his son's for something that was not their fault. Her tears flowed freely now, as she yelled, "NO! You don't understand! If I hadn't been dragged down that damn well and brought here to this era none of this would have happened. You would be still living your normal lives and the dojo would not have been destroyed."

Kagome took off into the castle as she raced to her room. When she finally got there she put up a barrier that would not let anyone in the room as she cried her heart out. She knew that she was at fault and no one should get punished because of it.

Ayashiko seeing that Kagome was upset and had run off, quickly followed after her. Her pup was so upset that she hoped that she could calm her down once she found her.

Inutaisho watched as his mate took off after their pup. He turned his attention toward his two sons and said, "You two have to learn to get along. That girl now thinks this is all her fault when in actuality it's yours. Sesshoumaru you should learn to control that temper of yours and your beast."

He turned his attention to his youngest and said, "And you Inuyasha. I want you to stop playing those jokes on people. One day someone will get hurt because of it. Now I want the both of you to go to your rooms until I decide on your punishment."

Both sons bowed to their father and quickly left the dojo. They knew that they were equally to blame for what happened and didn't blame their father in the least. They would accept their punishments for their part in destroying the dojo.

Sesshoumaru on the other hand was having a hard time with his inner beast. He wanted to be released so he could pursue the ningen. But the logical side of him wanted nothing to do with her.

'_She may be a ningen but she is the most powerful female we have seen. This you cannot deny. Our pups though hanyou will be stronger than us. Pack female has great powers that she has not unleashed yet and she is almost as strong as us. We will not find another female like her. If we do not make her our mate then another will come to claim her.' _Said his inner beast with a snarl.

Sesshoumaru had to admit that his beast did have a good point. She was the strongest female that they have encountered but she was still ningen and not worth the dirt beneath his feet. He continued to argue with his beast while he walked back to his room.

---oOo---

Ayashiko had finally found Kagome, she was in her room and she could hear that she was crying. She tried to enter the room and found that she could not pass her barrier. The other barrier she could pass through because Kagome had wished for her mother to be there for her, but this one was different. It was made from her sorrow and no one could get through.

She took a deep breath as she said, "Kagome, please lower your barrier, I wish to speak with you."

Ayashiko waited patiently until Kagome lowered her barrier and she was able to enter her room. When she walked in she found her sitting in a corner of her room facing the wall. She found this an odd behavior for the girl, she looked like a neglected child that was forced to sit in a corner until she was released from her punishment. She walked over to her as she kneeled behind her and said, "Kagome, what is really brothering you?"

Kagome didn't know how to answer that particular question. She really didn't know what was bothering her at the moment. All she knew is that she didn't want Ayashiko's pups to be punished for something that was not their fault.

"No one listens to me when I speak. Your son's do not deserve to be punished for something that is not their fault. If I was not here in your home this would have never happened." Said Kagome with sadness in her voice. She was heartbroken that she had brought so much grief to this family.

Ayashiko reached over, grabbed Kagome, and pulled her into a tight embrace. She held the struggling girl in her arms as she soothed and calmed her down. Once Kagome had settled down she began her motherly rant, "Musume, you of all people should know that those two have been getting into trouble with each other since Inuyasha has been old enough to walk. It is a daily occurrence to torment each other. Sibling rivalry is common in Inu Youkai society, I thought that it would be the same in the ningen society as well."

Kagome thought about what she had said and it did make sense. She and her brother were always going at it for some reason to get their mothers attention. "Yes it is common place in ningen society as well but never to that level. We don't destroy homes or buildings to get our parents attention."

Ayashiko chuckled as she said, "I think that its time for our first lesson in youkai culture. First thing is that youkai and especially male Inu Youkai are very aggressive, more so when they're pups. It is their sole intent to get their mothers attention. They will do anything to make sure that their mother notices what they are doing even if it means destroying half the countryside.

It's our way of getting stronger using our powers and it makes our society. As our pups grow and mature they will do even more to gain their parents approval. They want to show their parents that they are capable of taking over one day and that they have earn the right to lead.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru have been trying for years to kill each other but they never have. Sesshoumaru has always been one step ahead of his brother and never lets him get away with acting out. He does not hesitate to put him in his place.

This morning happened because he is still having a hard time dealing with the situation at hand. It was my fault for forgetting that he had not showed up this morning and therefore caused his mood. Had he been in his right mind he would have caught on to what his brother was doing.

But still he has to learn to keep his mind focus at all times because if this had been a real trap he would have been dead. He realizes this and he wanted to take out his frustrations on his brother because he had showed him an object lesson.

If there is one thing that my son Sesshoumaru hates is to be proven wrong or for someone else to have the answer to a question being asked. He prides himself on his knowledge but sometimes its good to depend on someone else to have the answers. It builds character and shows that he is willing to seek council elsewhere.

So you can't blame yourself for what happened this morning because it would have happened anyway. This is not the first time that the dojo has been destroyed nor will it be the last."

Kagome listened intently to what Ayashiko was saying. She did make some valid points but she also learned a little about Youkai in general. But she needed to learn more. She needed to read about what is going on in this era so she wouldn't feel too left out.

Her knowledge of this era is sketchy at best. In her era there wasn't that many books on what happened in the day-to-day living here in this era.

Kagome got an idea as she said, "I understand what you are saying but it still feels like I'm to blame for what happened this morning. But I feel like I'm at a disadvantage here. Do you have a library that I may use to learn about this area of the country? I want to learn as much as I can"

Ayashiko eyes went wide when she asked to use the library to learn. She had heard of very few ningens being educated. Then she remembered something that she said when she was upset outside. "Yes Kagome we do have a library here in the castle but before I tell you about that, you said something outside that has caught my interest. You said that 'if you were never pulled into the well that you wouldn't be here in this era.' Would you care to elaborate for me?"

Kagome groaned, her big mouth had just now let it slip that she was not from this era. She lowered her head as she said, "I'm not ready to talk about where I come from. Its very complicated and it will take a while to explain. But I promise you that in time I will tell you, but for now I wish not to talk about it."

Ayashiko had to be happy with this for right now. She understood that she was still scared and she needed time to adjust. "All right Musume I will wait for the day that you will feel comfortable in talking to me about it. But you were asking about a library, can you read Kagome?"

Kagome smiled when she heard this question. She knew that what she was asking for was something that most ningens in this era wouldn't use. She was educated and from what she had read, there were few ningens during this era who were educated. "Yes I can read. Where I come from I was educated in our customs. I can read, write, do mathematics, among other things."

Ayashiko was impressed she wanted to learn more about her pup as they both stood from the ground and she said, "Very well then I will show you to the library. You may go there anytime you want to read."

Kagome was very excited, if there was one thing that she loved most in the world, it would have to be reading. She had practically grown up in the library where she lived. Her only outlet in life was to immerse herself in books and learn. She had read all the books in her local library and she had joined a special program where they would request books from other libraries for her that she had not read.

She followed Ayashiko out of her room as they walked down the hallway and down several flights of stairs. When they finally reached the room in question, Kagome could barely contain her excitement.

When Ayashiko opened the big doors, Kagome could not believe her eyes. There were rows and rows of shelves and each shelf was packed with books, scrolls, or parchments.

Ayashiko watched as her pup walked slowly into the room. You would think that by her reaction to the room that she had never seen so many books before in her life. But the way she was acting it was a way that someone approached something that was most important to them. She saw as Kagome touched one of the many books in the library very carefully as she pulled it off the shelf. She opened it up as her eyes went wide and started to read.

Ayashiko watched her pup for a few minutes and was amazed at what she saw. Her pup was turning the pages fairly fast as her fingers ran over the words on the pages. Within minutes she had closed the book and placed it back on the shelf as she heard her say, "I never knew that there were so many different ways to use herbs. Some of those plants in that book are no longer in existence. The rarest herb to obtain is the black moonflower that can only be found in the highest mountain in this region. It is the most difficult to get for it grows on the peak of the mountain and only blooms by the light of the full moon. It says that the nectar of the flower would cure the strongest poisons known to be in existence."

To say that Ayashiko was shocked was an understatement. Her pup had just read the complete volume to healing herbs and remembers everything that she read. "Musume, did you read that entire book?"

Kagome turned to Ayashiko and said, "Yes, I was born with the gift to learn quickly. I can read a book very fast and remember everything that I read." Now this was something new and she had to share this information with her mate.

She excused herself from Kagome while she went to talk to her mate. She had a feeling that she would have to come and drag Kagome out of the library in order to make her eat her dinner when the time came.

When Ayashiko finally left, she left Kagome sitting at a table in the library with several stacks of books in front of her.

But in another corner of the library there was another set of golden eyes that were watching the ningen as she sat with a stack of books in front of her and began to read. He was fascinated with the way she read and retained all of the information. It was rare that a ningen would be educated but it seems that this one was. This onna was full of surprises and he would have to keep his eye on her.

Maybe his beast had been right about her. She was unlike any female they have encountered so far. She didn't throw herself at his person wanting to be noticed. She didn't want to share his bed just so she can rule one day.

She was a strong female and would be difficult to dominate. She was educated which was a rare thing because no female was that highly educated. She sparked his interest yet again as his beast purred with delight in knowing that he had chosen a worthy female to be his mate.

Sesshoumaru moved back to his corner of the room as he continued to search for books on miko's. He didn't know that much about them and he wanted to learn all he could. It would do him good to know everything about miko's because if he decided that he wanted her for a mate then he had to find a way to make her submit to him. This in itself would prove to be difficult for she was powerful.

---oOo---

Kagome had finished reading all of the books in front of her. They were very informative and she had gained a lot of knowledge for the era she was in. She got up as she was searching the shelves of the library. She was looking for more books on healing herbs because she had a hunch that she would need to know how to use these herbs for healing.

The books didn't seem to be in any kind of order so she was finding it difficult to find the books she wanted. She wondered how on earth they ever found anything in this place with the way the books were set up.

Kagome ran into an elderly youkai who seemed to be putting books, parchments, and scrolls away on the shelves. She decided to ask for his help as she walked over to him. She stopped in front of him as she bowed deeply and said in a respectful voice, "Excuse me please, but can you help me find some books on herbs?"

The elder youkai turned to the one speaking to him as he smiled and said, "Why yes milady I will be happy to assist you."

Kagome smiled as she said, "I would look for them myself but I have no idea how everything is organized."

The elder youkai just chuckled as he said, "Well that's because they are not in any particular order. I just put things away where there is space."

Kagome opened her eyes wide in surprise as she said, "It must be difficult to find things here then."

"Yes milady, it is very difficult at times. I have found that there is no way of making it better. I have tried to organize this place but it is difficult when the court runners come here looking for a particular piece of parchment for the lord." He said with a hint of sadness in his voice. He had been trying for years to get this room in order but couldn't figure out a way to do it.

Kagome thought for a few minutes as she got an idea and said, "Would you mind if I made a suggestion on how to arrange the books?"

"No, no milady, by all means please if you can help this old one put everything in order I would most appreciate the help." Said the old youkai for he was happy about getting some help. No one ever offered to help him with anything before. He had heard of the ningen that the lord was protecting but he didn't expect her to be this nice. Most miko's were self centered and thought themselves above everyone else. But this one was different, she was polite and sincere in what she wanted to do.

He saw her walk off as she went to the other side of the room. He followed to see what she was going to do. She stood with her back against the wall and then started to walk straight across the room to the other side. She did the same thing going lengthwise on the room and then she went to a desk and grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill.

He walked up behind her as he observed what she was doing. Kagome was making what looked like a map of the library. She had drawn the room along with the windows and doors to the place. She placed all of the bookshelves that were currently in the room in her map. He saw that she had rearranged some of the bookshelves and made more room in the library as she drew some more bookshelves so they can place more material on them.

She then sectioned off parts of the shelves as she placed numbers on each one. She made a list on the side of the paper as she listed the general subject areas. She had a section for Herbs and healing, Youkais, Ningens, History, Territorial Maps, Laws, and a section called Miscellaneous.

Once Kagome was finished with her drawing she looked at it to make sure that she had everything she needed. She smiled when she was done and turned to the elderly youkai and said, "I'm so sorry. It is very rude of me for not introducing myself to you, my name is Kagome."

The elderly youkai smiled as he said, "Nice to meet you Lady Kagome, my name is Tai-li I am the person in charge of this library. I make sure that everything has a place and is stored properly in here."

"Nice to meet you too Tai-li-san. Now what I have made is map on how the library will look once we reorganize it. The numbers on the bookshelves correspond to a number off to the side telling you the category of the section of books. We can adjust the number of shelves under any category if there is an over abundance of books, scrolls, or parchment for that area.

This map will then be used to find what you need until you memorize where each area starts and ends. If we place all the books together in one area it will be easy to catalog. We then can keep a written record of where it is located so you know where to look.

Once the books are all placed in order we can place markings on them, like numbers. If the books are pulled from their place and taken away from here, when they return to you it would make finding their correct place on the shelf easier. That way the book, scroll, or parchment will always be in the same place all the time. If you get any new material that would be filed in between the ones you have on the shelf then we can place a dot and add something to the end to make a permanent place for it on the shelf.

You can make small cards or keep a list of what is on a shelf that way you have a quick reference to the materials you have. This will keep the library organized and categorized in case they come looking for something in haste and you will have easy access to it."

Tai-li had to say that he was very impressed with the little miko. In a matter of minutes she had come up with a design that will organize this place once and for all. He liked this idea as he said, "Milady you have come up with a wonderful idea. I can have the extra bookshelves brought in by tomorrow and then I can start organizing this place. I can get some of the other servants to help me move all the books, parchments, and scrolls around."

Kagome was happy, for the first time since she has been in this castle. She had actually helped someone out and that made her feel good. She offered to help Tai-li in reorganizing the library. He was honored that she wanted to help but said that she had done enough for him already and thanked her for the offer.

They continued to talk for the rest of the afternoon as he helped her look for the books on herbs that she was originally looking for. They found all she wanted as she sat back down to read.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru had been listening to everything that the onna had been saying to the elderly youkai. He was amazed at the way she took charge and got everything organized for the old man. She paid meticulous attention to detail when she drew her plans.

He had been watching from a distance and when he saw them leave the parchment that she had been working on, on the table, he walked over to it so he could see what she had done.

He was amazed at her writing skills and she had drawn the library almost to scale. He liked her plans for the new library and couldn't wait until they reorganized it so he could find what he was looking for. He heard them returning to his location as he made his way out of the library to get dressed for dinner. It wouldn't be good for him to show up late and get his father mad at him again.

---oOo---

Ayashiko had spent the afternoon with her mate as she told him what she had found out about the girl. He was shocked to find out that she could read, do mathematics and other things. He would have to keep his eye on his little one. She was diffidently full of surprises.

Ayashiko thought it best to check the library and make sure that Kagome was getting ready for dinner. When she got there she saw her pup in deep conversation with Tai-li about something. She didn't understand what they were talking about and quite frankly she didn't care as she said, "Musume, we must get ready for dinner."

Kagome bowed deeply to Tai-li and left with her Hahaue to get dressed. Kagome and Ayashiko bathed together and then when they were done Ayashiko had a surprise for Kagome.

Kagome was not expecting the beautiful kimono that she was given. It was a dark blue kimono with a big crescent moon on the back. It had stars all over the kimono that were made in silver. There was a silver obi to go along with the outfit that made it complete.

She looked at Ayashiko and asked, "Why are you giving me this? You have already given me so much."

Ayashiko saw the gleam in her eyes. She knew that Kagome loved the new kimono that she had gotten her. "Because every girl should dress up every now and then. Plus this is your first dinner with us and I thought that this would look beautiful on you. It goes perfectly with your eyes."

Kagome turned away from Ayashiko as tears were running down her cheeks. She had never, in her life, received such a wonderful gift.

Ayashiko became alarmed when she smelled her tears. She thought that she didn't like her gift as she asked, "Musume, what's wrong? Do you not like the kimono I got for you? Perhaps in another color?"

Kagome shook her head, as she softly said, "No, I love the kimono, it's beautiful, it's just that I have never dressed up before. My mother could never afford nice clothing for us ever since our father died."

Ayashiko understood as she turned Kagome back to her and said, "Well there is always a first time for everything. Now lets dress you up in this kimono."

Ayashiko called for several servants to help them. They were dressed in a matter of minutes, as the servants got busy doing their hair. When they were done they couldn't believe how beautiful they both looked.

Kagome had her hair up on the back of her head and had combs and long painted hair pins holding it in place. The servants had left a few strands of hair hanging on the side of her face that brought out her inner beauty. They applied a small amount of makeup to her face and she looked gorgeous.

Ayashiko's hair was pulled up behind her as they made intricate braids in her hair and then pulled them all in loops on the back of her head. They held them in place with combs and long silver hairpins. They applied very little make up for their lady never really wore any.

When Kagome looked in the mirror she couldn't believe that the girl looking back at her was her own reflection. For the first time in her life she actually looked beautiful.

She looked at Ayashiko and couldn't help but smile. She looked beautiful in an outfit just like hers but hers was in a deep emerald green. Her natural beauty came out as they both nodded in satisfaction and left to join the men down in the dining hall.

---oOo---

Inutaisho was getting irritated in waiting for his mate and his little one to come down to eat. They were late as he saw his youngest fidgeting in his seat. His eldest was sitting there deep in thought when the dinning room door opened to let the ladies into the room.

When his eyes fell on his lovely mate his heart skipped a beat. He felt like a pup again as he saw how beautiful she looked. But what caught his eye was the little one with her. She was dressed in a similar kimono only in a different color but even she looked beautiful.

He heard an intake of a breath as he looked at his eldest son. His eyes were fixed on Kagome and you can see the desire in his eyes. He smiled as he stood up from his chair and so did Sesshoumaru as they waited for them to approach the table.

When they had reached the table Inutaisho said, "Kagome let me introduce you to my sons."

Kagome looked up as he pointed to the taller youkai sitting to the right of him as she heard him say, "This is my eldest son and heir to the Western Lands, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru bowed his head lightly in greeting but what surprised him the most was that she bowed deeply to him as he heard her say, "It is a pleasure to meet you Sesshoumaru-sama." As much as he had tried that day he could not find any flaws to this ningen. She was educated, a powerful miko, and very polite. He kept staring at her as he saw her turn a light shade of pink.

Inutaisho watched the actions going on between his son and his little one, and smiled inwardly. He then said, "And this is my youngest son Inuyasha." Again Kagome bowed deeply and greeted him with respect.

Once the formal introductions were done they all seated themselves at the table. Dinner was promptly served and Inutaisho observed that his little one did not move to eat. This was very interesting for no one knew proper etiquette when dinning with the youkai nobles. But yet his little one was waiting patiently for him to start the meal. But before he took his first bite of food he said, "You both look incredibly beautiful tonight. It was well worth the wait." He then took a bite of food and they all started to enjoy their meal.

Throughout the whole meal Sesshoumaru could not take his eyes off the onna sitting in front of him. She was gorgeous. She was beautiful before but now her beauty came through and there was no one that could compare to the creature sitting in front of him. Well maybe his mother could but Kagome took his breath away.

His inner beast was rattling in his mental cage, wanting to get out so he could have the girl. It was difficult for him to maintain control but he did manage it for the whole meal. Soon it came to an end and he wished that it would last for a little longer. She was being quiet this evening and he wished that he could hear her speak. She has the most wonderful voice he had ever heard.

When they were all done they all walked up to their rooms and said goodnight before they retired for the evening.

Kagome had finished changing into her nemaki. It had been a wonderful evening but at the same time a lonely one. She had missed her mother and it prevented her from enjoying her dinner. Plus she kept on catching the one they called Sesshoumaru looking at her all night. He made her nervous because she didn't know if she was doing something wrong or if he was interested in her.

She shook her head at that thought, there was no way he could be interested in her as a lone tear came down her cheek. She walked over to the balcony as she stared at the stars, they were beautiful tonight as she said in a low and dejected voice, "Who could ever love someone like me? I'm a nobody that was born with gifts that no one wants or appreciates me for having them. I have always been rejected because of them and now I'm being rejected because I'm ningen. My life couldn't be more pathetic. Maybe Sesshoumaru was right, I don't belong here."

With that she turned and went to bed. Thinking of the day she would be able to leave this castle and maybe find someone who would love her for who she was.

Outside her door stood someone that was listening to what she was saying. He was hiding his aura and scent so he could not be detected by anyone. He didn't want his parents to know what he was doing. He had been warned by his father to stay away from her. But he was curious about the onna and her scent was heavenly.

He heard her comments and he felt terrible for what he had called her earlier today. She wasn't pathetic and if he had to spend the rest of his life proving it to her then he would. He turned as he went to bed. His inner inu was whining because the girl was crying. He wanted to go and offer her some comfort but he had to do things right.

He calmed his beast as he fell into a deep sleep. Thinking of the onna with blue/black hair and the prettiest blue eyes he had ever seen.

---oOo---

Hahahue – mother

Ningen – human

Onna – woman

Raijin Kogeki – Thunder Strike

Musume – My daughter

Nemaki – nightgown, pajamas, night clothes

Hello this is the end to another chapter. Sorry for the delays but I had to deal with some disturbing news for the last few weeks. I'm finally getting used to some life changes and I am now ready to continue posting this story. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far and I'm always happy to hear from you.

Now in the next chapter Sango comes back into the story as she joins Kagome in the castle. Things start to get interesting as Sesshoumaru begins to show interest in Kagome. But because he is a noble and she is not he can not approach her just yet with his wishes or to get to know her better. But will that stop our fiery miko, you have to wait and see.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The month's passed and Kagome had settled into the castle. Ayashiko noticed that there was something wrong with her pup she wouldn't speak. Her daughter would talk to her but no one else. It seemed like she was closing herself off to everyone and she didn't know why. She would spend a lot of time in the library reading until she finished every book, scroll, and parchment in there.

When she didn't have anything else to read, she would spend her afternoons in the gardens, sitting underneath the sakura trees. Ayashiko noticed the looks that her pup was receiving from the servants.

At first the servants seemed curious about her but then they started to keep their distance from her and would only nod when she requested something from them. She observed when her pup tried to engage the servants in a conversation, trying to learn from them, but they would just ignore her. That's when she noticed that the girl was withdrawing within herself and not speaking.

She had been going down to train every morning. Her mate had determined where he needed to start with her training when she first fought with her elder son. He had them training together because they would bring out their most hidden powers when they practice together. They were both growing together in strength and their aura's were getting darker. She could tell that her son was still a little stronger than her, which was good if he wanted to mate with her.

Ayashiko had every right to be concerned. If the servants were treating her pup this way then they would not protect her as well. She had noticed that the soldiers would be watching Kagome from a distance.

The look in their eyes didn't have the same appearance that they had when they protected someone, but their look said that they wanted her as a mate. They could not concentrate on anything coming their way because they were letting their inner beast have full control over their bodies. They wouldn't touch her for fear of what her mate might do to them. But they wouldn't protect her either.

Ayashiko went looking for her mate and she found him in the library looking up some laws. She sat down next to him as she heard him say, "I can't believe how organized this place has become. I can actually find what I'm looking for with ease."

Ayashiko smiled at her mate as she said, "You have Kagome to thank for that, Tai-li had accepted her help and she came up with the design to organize this place. But he is the only one in this castle that has treated her as such."

That last comment caught Inutaisho's interest as he put the parchment down and asked, "Ayashiko what's wrong? Have you noticed something that upsets you?"

Ayashiko lowered her head, as she said, "No one in the castle talks to our pup. All the servants shun her and no one will speak to her. The guards lust after her but they won't touch her because they know of your threat to protect her. I want her to feel free to go wherever she wants and still feel protected, but I'm afraid that no one here wants her to feel comfortable."

Inutaisho listened to his mate and thought about what she had said. 'Maybe if I find Kagome a female bodyguard she might be happier here, but where would I find one that is good in protecting.'

Inutaisho thought for a few minutes and then he got an idea. He would have to leave first thing in the morning if he wanted to get Kagome a guard. He turned to his mate and said, "I think I know of a place to get her a personal body guard, a ningen one in fact. If I'm lucky I might be able to get a female that will keep Kagome company while she is here, that way she won't feel so lonely. But I will have to leave first thing in the morning so I can return quickly."

Ayashiko looked at her mate with concern. She couldn't believe that they had to resort to this. She agreed with her mate as he left the library and got ready to leave the next morning.

When the next morning came, it found a very sad Ayashiko as she saw her mate off. She was waving goodbye to him and would wait until his return. She just hoped that he could find someone that would protect her Musume.

---oOo---

For the past few months Sesshoumaru has been keeping an eye on the girl and studying her from afar. He had found out a lot of information about miko's. He read that if he took her as a mate that he would not lose her for her mortal body. Her life span will be the same as his and they would be together for all eternity.

He had been getting stronger with each passing day. He had to be ready for when his parents brought the nobles together to see if they could find her a mate. He was planning on competing for her and he was determined to win. By law he could not speak to her. She had to be formally presented to be of mating age and since she didn't have a clan here, his father would step in for her as clan leader.

His beast though restless, understood that if he wanted to mate with the girl he first had to defeat all eligible suitors for her. Only the winner of the match will be allowed to dominate her. Then he will have a real fight on his hands. He has been sparing with her for the last few months. He knew her strength and weaknesses but it could change in a moments notice.

The girl had a way of keeping you guessing what she would do next. He still could not manage to defeat her in combat. It has always ended in a stalemate. They were evenly matched and he had to find a way to make her submit.

He had noticed that she had been quiet here lately and the beautiful smile that she would have upon her lips was gone. It saddens him to see her this way. He liked it better when she was laughing and being carefree but something happened to make her this way. But he could not approach her. His father had forbidden him from having any contact with the girl when he was not around. Sesshoumaru couldn't even talk to her.

So he went along with his plans, when his father announced that she was ready to mate, he would have everything he needed to mate her. He had already gotten her some gifts. He just hoped that she would accept them. He wanted to court her and if he was anyone else, he could take the chance and approach her. But he wasn't, he was of noble birth and as such he had to mate a noble female, so he was forbidden to approach her with his intensions. He could only watch her from afar.

He had noticed that his father had left the western castle heading northeast. He was wondering if anything was wrong. He could ask his mother but then she would see the concern he had for he girl. He didn't want to give away his plans just yet; he wanted to surprise his father. He would have her as his mate, because she was the only one that worthy enough to have the title Lady of the West.

He jumped from his perch in the trees as his cloud formed beneath his feet. He had to go and check on one of the gifts that he had purchased for her. It was due to be done soon and he wanted to get it so he could put it in his room along with the other gifts that he had for her.

---oOo---

Inutaisho flew away from his castle using his youki cloud. Once he was out of the barriers that protected his home he turned into his orb form and traveled to the slayers village. He knew that there he would find someone that would be able to befriend his little one as well as protect her. They were the only fierce warriors that he knew of who could battle youkai and defeat them.

He streaked across the land heading northeast to get to the village. The whole time he was traveling, Inutaisho was getting the feeling that something was going to happen back at his castle. His instincts were telling him that danger was near and that he had to hurry back.

Under normal circumstances he would have traveled via his cloud but he had to travel with haste, he could not shake this feeling of impending danger. He traveled for about two hours before he finally arrived at the northern mountains.

He transformed back into his normal form and floated above the slayer village for a few minutes before making his descent. It wouldn't do for him to land right in the middle of the village in his orb form and scare the ningens half to death. It was a sure fire way for him to get attacked if he didn't give them any warning that he was approaching.

Once he landed, his friend Hiro greeted him. "Milord, welcome back! We are honored that you have returned to our village. How may we be of service?"

Inutaisho took a deep breath as he said, "Hiro, my friend, I am in need of your services. I need a slayer to serve as a body guard for a young ningen onna that is staying in my castle."

Hiro could not believe what his ears were hearing, 'Did he just say that he had a young onna staying in his castle?' "Milord you have a young onna staying with you?"

Inutaisho chuckled as he tried to explain. "Yes I do. She is a young miko and I have taken her to my home to protect her. I have found out that she is a descendent of Midoriko and she is under my protection until I can teach her how to use her powers to their full extent. It was a promise made a long time ago between Midoriko and my mate that they would watch out for each others families."

Hiro understood as he turned around to find his best warrior that could protect the girl. They were the protectors of the Shikon No Tama for a long time and now they would accept the honor of protecting the descendent of Midoriko.

All of his warriors were good but they were not up to the task of dealing with a young female. Females were difficult enough to deal with without adding in their mood swings. His daughter was one of those females. She was strong and her temper so far has prevented her from finding a suitable husband.

'Wait a minute Sango would be the perfect person to go with the Lord to protect this young lady and she might learn how to control that temper of hers if she did. It will also allow me time to find a suitable husband for her.' Thought Hiro as he turned his attention back to the Youkai Lord.

"Milord, it would be an honor if you were to take my daughter as the personal guard for the miko. She is a fierce warrior and can hold her own in battle. I think that she might be able to help with the young girl." Hiro said as he waited for the Youkai Lord to make up his mind.

Inutaisho thought about the female Taijiya that he had met once before. He remembered that Hiro had told him that she had a temper that was preventing her from finding a suitable male. He thought that she would be a good match for his little one since she was about the same age.

He turned to his friend and said, "That would be acceptable Hiro. We must leave at once. I fear that there is trouble brewing at Gengetsujou and I must return. Something is not right and I'm afraid that they will attack my castle and try to take the young miko away from there."

Hiro understood his urgency as he turned to Sango and said, "Sango, you are to go with Lord Inutaisho. You have the honor of protecting the descendent of Midoriko. Bring honor to our village and make sure that the young one is protected from harm."

---oOo---

Sango, who was standing behind her father, listened to what the Youkai Lord wanted. It was rare that the Youkai Lord would visit their village so soon. When she heard that he had a young female staying with him she was shocked. She didn't think that youkais would protect ningens. But when she heard that she was a descendent of Midoriko she then understood why he was protecting her.

She watched as her father turned around looking for a suitable guard. She knew that she didn't have a chance in the world of being that guard. Her father had been mad at her for her temper when an available male came to court her. She would usually just turn them down politely and when they refused to leave her alone she would thrash them.

When she heard that her father recommended her to the Youkai Lord as the perfect guard her heart leaped with joy. She was honored that her father thought so highly of her. Plus she wanted to go outside the confines of the village and see the land. This would be the perfect opportunity to do so.

As soon as her father finished speaking to her she bowed deeply to him as she said, "I will do my best to maintain the honor of our village father. I will protect the miko with my life."

She then moved closer to the Youkai Lord as she bowed deeply to him and said, "I am ready to leave whenever you are milord."

At that moment a small kitten with two tails ran in between everyone to get to the person she wanted. She jumped and landed on Sango's shoulder and purred out loud. She wanted to go with Sango when she heard that she was going to leave the village.

Inutaisho saw the kitten and knew right away that it was a fire neko. He looked at the kitten and she looked familiar to him. The kitten had a black diamond on her forehead. Her paws were black and on her tails there was a black stripe, the tip of each tail was also black. Her eyes were red from the power within her. He held out his hand, palm up, as he said, "Kirara? Is that you?"

The neko on Sango's shoulder looked up when her name was called. She recognized the Youkai Lord from long ago as she jumped from Sango's shoulder and landed neatly in the palm of his hand.

Inutaisho then brought his hand closer to his face as he said to the neko, "Kirara, it's nice to see you again. I see that you have taken a new master now." He listened as the neko purred and meowed out her request. He chuckled then said, "Yes, you may come too if that is what you wish. We can talk later."

Kirara meowed happily. She rubbed her head under his chin as a sign of gratitude then she turned around in his palm and jumped back toward Sango's shoulder.

Inutaisho's eyes gleamed as he watched the neko, 'Hmm, this neko will be an asset in protecting the little one.' He turned his attention to the female Taijiya and said, "You may bring the neko with you if you wish."

Sango was happy that she could take Kirara. She was ready to leave with him whenever he was ready.

Inutaisho turned to Hiro and said, "Hiro, your daughter will be well provided for in my castle. I will make sure she has everything that she will ever need."

Hiro bowed deeply to the youkai lord as he replied, "I know that my daughter will do her duty and bring honor to our village. I thank you Lord Inutaisho for taking my daughter under your wing."

Inutaisho bowed his head lightly in acknowledgement as he turned to Sango and said, "Hold on to the sleeve of my kimono and don't let go. We must travel quickly back to Gengetsujou."

Sango did as she was told and as soon as she touched his kimono sleeve they were enclosed in a golden ball of light. It hovered for just a couple of seconds before it shot out of the village heading toward the west.

Hiro stood there for a few minutes until he could no longer see the golden light as he turned around and went back to his hut. He would miss his daughter and hoped that he had made the right decision in letting his only daughter go with the Youkai Lord to protect the descendant of Midoriko.

---oOo---

Inutaisho traveled as quickly as possible. The feeling that something was wrong was getting stronger. He felt that the danger was to his pup and he needed to be there to protect her.

With this in mind he traveled even faster than before. He made it back to the western castle in a little over an hour. While they were traveling Inutaisho took the time to talk to Sango and let her know what her duties were. He explained a few things about his pups and why he had come to their village to get a guard for the girl.

Sango understood the Lords concern for the girl. Even though she had never met the girl she felt sorry for her. She was the only ningen in the place and that must be hard on her. Sango was used to it because she was a slayer and no one ever wanted to talk to slayers. She just might be able to help this girl get over her loneliness.

On his approach Inutaisho transformed out of his orb form and traveled on his cloud. Sango still had a death grip on his kimono sleeve and he had put his tail around her waist to steady her when he transformed in mid flight. It was disorienting when he did that and when he saw Sango waver he had wrapped his tail around her waist to steady her. It wouldn't do for her to fall to her death since he had gone to the trouble of getting her as a guard for his little one.

He sniffed the air and found that there was an unfamiliar scent in the area. He found that there were too many youkai close to his home and he didn't like it. He let out a deep growl as they flew faster toward the castle.

Sango heard when the Youkai Lord growled. She could feel the Jyaki in the area and there were a lot of them. A good portion of that Jyaki was tainted dark meaning they were the one's that were attacking the castle. She turned her head toward the neko on her shoulder as she quietly said, "Kirara, prepare yourself, it looks like we are heading into battle." The neko meowed in agreement as she got ready to transform.

When they got closer to the castle they could hear the sound of the battle being fought and they saw a blast of Reiyouku. His first thought was that they were attacking his little one or that she was right in the middle of the battle. What he didn't expect, when he started his incantations to let him through the barriers, was that his little one was defending the castle along with his eldest son. They were fighting side-by-side preventing the enemy from entering the castle.

He gave a vicious growl as he quickly descended down toward the castle hoping to get there to end this fight.

When Sango noticed that the Lord was making a rapid descent down to the castle she turned to him and said, "Please milord, release me so I can fight."

Inutaisho heard her request at he unwrapped his tail from around her waist. Sango took the neko from her shoulder and threw her into the air letting her transform into her true fire neko form. He saw Sango leap from his cloud and landed neatly on the neko's back as she pulled her weapon off her shoulder getting ready to fight the enemy, as they continued going towards the battle.

---oOo---

Kagome was in the garden thinking about everything that she had been through in the last few months. It has been three months now that she has been here in this castle and she still missed her mother.

She has learned a lot during her time here in the castle. She has made a couple of new friends Tai-li was one of them. He was very nice to her and was always willing to help her. She had also made some friends in the kitchen too. The servants down there were very nice and when she had offered to help them cook because she wanted to learn, they were more than willing to teach her.

Kagome had watched her mother cook before so cooking for her wasn't anything new. She observed the servants going around making the food and asking questions when she was curious about something. She took special note on how to make certain dishes that Sesshoumaru liked.

She would help the kitchen staff when she would go out into the forest and bring back all manner of herbs for them to use. Some herbs the staff was not familiar with so Kagome had to explain what they were used for. The additional herbs improved the taste of the food considerably and they were all grateful. So whenever she went down there they were happy to see her.

The castle servants were another story. They did not like her at all. At first they were curious about her and would even talk to her. But then in the last couple of months, they started to look at her with hatred in their eyes. When she would ask them for something they would only nod, not willing to speak to her. She had wracked her brain to see what she had done wrong to make them hate her, but she couldn't think of anything that she had done wrong to make them upset.

She stayed away from them because of the way they would look at her. Then she stopped going to the library and visiting Tai-li when she overheard several servants talking about her. They were saying that she had no right to be here in this castle for no ningen had ever stepped foot in this castle before. Youkais were of a higher station than ningens and therefore they had no right to be here in the first place.

She had stopped going to the kitchen for fear that they would be talking about her there as well. So she kept to herself and the only one that she would speak to would be her

Hahaue, she knew that it didn't matter to her that she was a ningen.

She noticed that it was mostly the female youkai that were giving her the dirty looks while the males eyed her with lust. Oh she had seen the look in their eyes whenever she would walk by them. They were looking at her body, not at her. She felt like they were taking her clothes off every time one of them looked at her. It would send shivers down her spine and not in the nicest way either.

So she avoided any confrontations by staying away from them and being in the garden. The garden was the only place she could be, where no youkai would come to disturb her. This was the only place she would find peace from the rest of the world.

Some times she would see Inuyasha and he would come and talk to her. She would often play games with him when he was bored. She showed him plenty of new games to play that were new and he became very good at. But still it was not enough to make her heart stop aching.

She wished for an intelligent conversation so she could express herself. But not even Sesshoumaru would speak to her. It was the same thing all over again. She was shunned because of her gifts and more so now because she was a ningen. She felt utterly alone in this place.

She sat against a tree pondering everything and how her life sucked. Then she started to feel a large amount of Jyaki in the area and this was not good. They weren't the auras of the soldiers that would normally patrol the castle grounds. These auras were darker, much more evil, and they meant to do harm.

She quickly stood up on her feet as she scanned the area looking for the threat. Some how the enemy had made it through the barriers and they were about to attack the castle. There was something strange about these particular youkai. She tried to see if she could see them but she couldn't.

She saw movement off to her right as she quickly went in that direction to see if she could spot the enemy. She hid her aura and scent as she quietly made her way through the forest. That's when she saw them. They were shadow youkai and they were using the shadows to move closer to the castle.

Fear went through her heart as she tried to think of a way to stop them. From everything she had read they could not be easily defeated. They used the shadows to move freely through and area. Their bodies would be more like smoke in the dark and no one could hurt them as long as they were in this form. But then she thought, 'The shadow youkai strength lies in the shadows. Take away the shadow and they can't get near their intended victims.'

She had the perfect spell to protect the castle and all within as she brought her hands together and started her incantations. When she was done she spread her hands apart as a powerful barrier was put up. The barrier would not allow the shadow youkai to enter the castle and it would not allow anyone from inside the castle grounds to come outside as well.

No harm would come to the youkai that were part of the lord's soldiers but if the shadow youkai touched her barrier, well lets just say their death would not be pretty.

She took out her twin swords when the sword on her hip started to pulsate. 'My sword has never done that before.' Thought Kagome as she put the sword that was in her right hand into her left and pulled the sword on her hip out of its sheath. When she looked at it her sword had changed. There was an Inu Youkai on the blade along with the sun and a crescent moon. There was something that looked like the Shikon No Tama engraved on the sword as well.

She continued to look at her sword as her fingers ran down the blade. The blade started to glow brightly in her hand as she felt the power within. She grabbed the hilt of the sword as her powers mixed with the blade making her the true owner. When it stopped pulsating she looked up to see Midoriko looking right at her.

The mikokoro of Midoriko appeared in front of Kagome. She had a smile on her face as she heard her say, "Musume, you hold in your hand the Jenjou. This sword is the heaven and earth sword born of my sword to protect and your sword of a pure soul. When both swords combined together it gave birth to this sword. This sword will help you protect the land and everyone that lives on it. You will command the powers of heaven and earth. Use it well my Musume."

The mikokoro then disappeared from her sight and left Kagome totally confused. She had a new sword and she didn't know how to use it, but Midoriko said that she had the power of heaven and earth.

Kagome took this information and started to formulate a plan with it. She would let the sword guide her hand and its power.

She put her twin swords back into their sheath as she held Jenjou in her right hand. It pulsed with power, as she got ready to fight the enemy.

She could hear the panic that the castle was in as the guards that were inside were coming out to fight. But when they hit her barrier they were left there watching as the battle unfolded.

---oOo---

Ayashiko was in the castle talking to the servants about dinner when she felt a powerful barrier going around the castle. The alarms started to sound in the castle as they were under attack.

Ayashiko ordered the soldiers in the castle out to fight the intruders as she ordered one of the servants to take her youngest son to his room to be protected. She closed her eyes as she concentrated on her elder son as she said, "Sesshoumaru we are under siege. They are after Kagome again."

---oOo---

Miles away from the castle Sesshoumaru was heading back home. In two days time they would be finished with the gift that he had gotten for his intended. He stiffened when he heard his mothers call, "Sesshoumaru we are under siege. They are after Kagome again."

Rage built up inside his very soul when he heard they were after his intended. He transformed into his orb form and streaked across the skies back to the castle.

---oOo---

Kagome was standing in front of the castle with her sword in her hand. She was waiting for the shadow youkai. She knew they were there as they were making their way towards the castle. When the first wave of the shadow youkai hit the barrier a bright flash of light came out as the shrill of pain was echoed throughout the area. The bright flash of light incapacitated the shadow youkai and made them solid once more, while her purifying power killed them.

She figured that she had destroyed at least half of the youkai that were there to attack the castle.

Then an Inu Youkai came out of the forest as he stood in front of Kagome. Somehow this ningen had found a way of stopping his shadow soldiers.

The Inu Youkai then started an incantation as the area around the castle started getting dark. Dark clouds formed overhead blocking out the sun that was high in the sky. Once he was done and the sun was gone, he gave the order to attack.

Kagome stood firm in her place as she saw a spell being cast. The area around the castle started to get dark as the shadow youkai attacked the castle. She was determined to protect her Hahaue from harm and anyone else in the castle.

She gripped her sword tighter as it started to pulsate in her hands again. Knowledge on how to use the sword came to her mind, as she got ready to unleash its power. She saw at least a hundred shadow youkai coming towards her as she swung her sword across her body and yelled, "Mienai Tamashii Akari!"

A bright arch of light came out from her sword as it engulfed the area. The brightness of the light stopped the attack of the shadow youkais as they lost their advantage of the dark. When her attack hit them, they were all purified with her powers.

The inu youkai at the edge of the forest was furious that she had managed to kill his shadow youkais. He called for another attack as the youkais surged forward to attack the ningen standing in front of them.

Kagome was panting hard. That attack took a lot out of her and there were more youkais coming her way. She got ready to attack again when a bright flash of light landed right next to her to help her in this battle.

Kagome's eyes opened wide when she saw Sesshoumaru standing next to her as he drew his sword. He looked pissed and she hated to be in those youkais shoes right now.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed red when he saw the youkais attacking his intended. He was diving to get to her in time when he saw the power that she had released from her sword. The light temporarily blinded him but he clearly saw the power that came out of her sword as she killed all of the shadow youkais in front of her. He was amazed at her powers when she purified about a hundred youkais all by herself.

He quickly headed down and landed by her side. He took out his sword as he stared at his enemy. He saw the Inu Youkai as he hissed, "Vermin! How dare you attack Gengetsujou! You will pay with your life."

The Inu Youkai that was commanding the shadow youkais laughed in Sesshoumaru's face as he said, "How dare I? I dare and I will have your head Sesshoumaru! Then I will take great pleasure in having my way with the wench before I kill her. I will make sure that your mother and brother die a slow and painful death. We will see the great house of the Western Canine finally fall by our hand. We are the rightful rulers of this land not your father. He will pay for what he has done."

Sesshoumaru's eyes turned red as his youki bleed into his sword. He saw the youkais attacking as he took off after them. He looked out the corner of his eye and saw Kagome battling along side him as a smirk came to his face.

As he reached the first wave of youkai he lashed out with his sword. The pure light of his youki decimated the youkais as he was cutting a path through the enemy to get to his target.

Kagome rushed in with Sesshoumaru as her sword was glowing in a bright light. She slashed out with her sword, and killed waves and waves of the shadow youkai. It was strange fighting against the shadow youkais, when the sword would run through them it felt like it was cutting through air. But she saw the youkai dissolve as she continued cutting them down with ease.

Sesshoumaru had dashed off and left her to fend for herself as she put a barrier around her body to keep her safe. Slowly she was battling her way towards the Inu Youkai that was in the forest. She had some questions of her own that she wanted answered.

Kagome then saw that she was surrounded by the shadow youkai. She extended her barrier to give her some more room. They all attacked as one as they hit her barrier head on. You could hear the screams of the youkai as they were purified by her powers. But the more she killed the more came to attack her. She was weakening and she knew it. She would not be able to defend herself for too much longer.

She looked for Sesshoumaru and saw that he was battling his way to the enemy to get some answers. He would not turn back to help her so she was on her own.

Then she felt that her barrier was beginning to crack under the strain of the shadow youkai attacks. She saw a weapon come in and kill a large majority of the youkai that were surrounding her. She noticed the large weapon go back to its owner who was riding what appeared to be a very large neko with long fangs. To Kagome the neko reminded her of a saber tooth tiger but she knew she must be wrong.

Then she saw the white tip of a whip come down from the sky and got rid of the rest of the youkai that were trying to get into her barrier. That's when she noticed that the Lord of the castle had joined the fight. He had with him a ningen girl and the large neko that stood in front of her to protect her while she was down.

Kagome knew she had to tell him some important information if this battle was to be won. She concentrated on her powers as she said into Inutaisho mind, _"Milord, you must get rid of the spell that hangs over the castle. When you do this then the shadow youkais will be easier to defeat. Plus there is an Inu youkai that is controlling all of these youkai. He is the one you want because he has information on the ones that are attacking the castle."_

Inutaisho eyes opened wide when he heard his little one talking to him in his mind. Her powers had grown again if she could have a mental link with him. This link was only possible with his family and yet she shared a link with him.

He heard her words and this threw him into a rage. He looked around the area as he saw his son going toward his target. The Inu Youkai was standing near the forest as the shadow youkais were attacking. He had enough as he pulled his sword from its sheath. It began to pulsate with power as a golden aura surrounded the sword.

He lashed out with his sword, sending the attack into the sky destroying the spell that has been cast around his castle. The darkness that was there quickly went away as the shadow youkais became solid, then he and Sango started to kill them all.

Inutaisho had looked over his shoulder and noticed that Kagome had passed out from her efforts to protect the castle. He was pissed that his son would leave her side and would not protect her. No Inu Youkai would leave a female to fend herself no matter how powerful she was and if Sesshoumaru wanted this one as a mate, he has just made the biggest mistake of his life. He would have to teach his son an object lesson once he got rid of all of these infernal youkai that were attacking his castle.

He was rushing forward as he was killing all those in front of him. The youkai slayer was taking care of the ones he missed along with the fire neko. Within minutes he was standing next to his son as he growled his displeasure at him and turned his anger toward the Inu Youkai standing in front of him.

"Who are you to dare attack my home and my clan?" asked the Youkai Lord with rage.

The youkai that was standing in the forest could not believe that his plans had been deterred as he watched all of his shadow youkais fall to their death. It was that damn ningen onna that did this. She had killed the majority of his army that he had brought with him. Then the son of that bastard had come in and started attacking as well. He was losing and there was nothing he could do about it.

He was about to make his escape when a new youkai came into the fight. He recognized this youkai as the one that he was sent to kill. He heard his question as he answered, "Feh, you of all people should know who I am. But let me say this, we are the ones that are going to bring down the Western Canines because we are the true rulers of the west. Your claim to this land is a farce."

Inutaisho growled fiercely as he rushed in and slashed with his claws, killing the Inu Youkai in front of him for his arrogance.

He turned in time to see Sesshomaru rushing toward the Taijiya as she was trying to get to the girl. Kagome had fallen unconscious from using almost all of her powers. He rushed after his son trying to prevent him from killing the slayer.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru had watched as his father came to his side. He heard his growls of displeasure and figured it was directed to the youkai that was standing in front of them. He saw as his father took off and killed the bastard for insulting him.

He had turned his head as he looked for his intended and saw that a ningen with a fire neko was trying to get to her. He growled as he took off to defend her when he had seen her on the ground unconscious. He brought up his claws as he yelled, "SOUHAKIZU!" and sent his attack toward the ningen.

---oOo---

Sango was looking around the area trying to see if there were any more threats to the miko. When she saw that all of the youkai's were dead she relaxed as she walked over to the girl. She saw her on the ground unconscious as she tried to get to her. Her barrier was one of the strongest ones she had ever encountered. It was almost the same one that Midoriko had on the outside of her cave that protected everything that was inside.

She knew then that this must be a descendant of Midoriko, for only a descendant could put up a barrier this powerful. She was trying to figure a way into the barrier, to get to the girl, when she heard Kirara's growl. Sango quickly turned to see a silver haired youkai coming toward her fast.

She brought her Hiraikotsu around in front of her when she heard him yell, "SOUHAKIZU!" She got ready as her weapon took the brunt of his attack as she held on for dear life. Once the attack was over she swung her weapon around over her head getting ready to do battle. At that moment she saw the Youkai Lord intercept the other youkai as he landed right in front of her.

Inutaisho was impressed with the way the female Taijiya protected herself against his son's attack. It's one of his most powerful attacks and against a ningen it would have quickly kill them. He had rushed forward as he landed in front of Sango and blocked Sesshoumaru from reaching the girl.

Sesshoumaru stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his father standing in front of that ningen. He was about to go around him when he heard his father say, "You will not attack the female Taijiya. She is here to be Kagome's bodyguard; from now on she will be protecting Kagome until I find a suitable mate for her."

His words stung Sesshoumaru as he turned to his father and said, "Why would you bring a ningen to protect the girl? I can protect her just fine as well as all of the soldiers around the castle."

Sesshoumaru knew he had said something wrong when his father barred his fangs at him. His father was so mad that his eyes started to bleed red.

Inutaisho had finally lost his patience with his son when he heard his comments about protecting the girl. He snarled at him as he said, "Protect her! How can you say you would protect her when you left her unprotected in battle and she almost paid for it with her life! An Inu Youkai never leaves his mate or intended unprotected. You have broken the most sacred rule in protecting a potential mate and now she may reject you for such an act."

Sesshoumaru's eyes went wide with understanding. His father was right. If he wanted to have her, he had to show her that he would protect her, as a mate would. He had opted to go towards the enemy and leave her side. She had been attacked, judging from all of the dead youkai in the area. He knew that she was powerful but she had used a tremendous amount of energy to defeat the first waves of youkai to attack the castle. He knew she was tired but he still left her to fend for herself. He turned on his heels as he left the area. He needed to think if he could salvage what he had done.

Inutaisho noticed as his son realized what his actions implicated. Any female would reject a male that would fail to protect her. If Kagome refused his son there was nothing that he could do but accept her decision and not interfere for he had witnessed his actions.

He turned, when he heard a moan coming from his little one, as he walked over to her. He saw her opening her eyes as she sat up rubbing her head. He looked at her as he said, "Kagome, please lower your barrier."

Kagome looked up as she lowered her barrier and the barrier around the castle. He then said to her, "I want you to go up to your room and wait for me there. I have to take care of a few things before we can talk."

Kagome remained silent as she got up on shaky legs and walked off into the castle. Once Inutaisho saw that she was far enough away he turned his head toward Sango and said, "Sango, please follow me."

Sango obeyed and followed the Youkai Lord into his castle with Kirara sitting on her shoulder in her kitten form.

Inutaisho approached the soldiers that were standing outside the castle as they all kneeled in front of him. He told one of the soldiers to get all of his commanders. He wanted to see all of them in his study in 10 minutes. The soldier did not waste any time as he took off to do his bidding. It would not go well to get on the bad side of their Lord when he was angry.

Inutaisho continued to go into his castle as he saw that his mate was safe. No harm had come to her as she rushed into his arms. He held her as he purred to calm her. He was just glad that he got back to the castle before he lost her to that fool. He pulled her away from him as he said, "Ayashiko I would like you to meet Sango. She will be Kagome's personal guard from now on. She is very capable of protecting her until I can reach her."

Ayashiko turned her attention to the ningen standing just behind her mate as she saw her bow deeply to her and say, "Milady, it is a pleasure to meet you. I will do my best to protect Kagome."

Ayashiko smiled at the young Taijiya. She was very polite and she could tell that this Taijiya and her pup would get along very well.

Inutaisho saw that his mate was pleased as he said in her ear. "Mate take her to Kagome's room and introduce the two. I will be up there in a moment. I have to take care of a few things first."

Ayashiko agreed to his request as she said to Sango, "Please follow me and I will introduce you to Kagome."

Sango smiled as she followed the lady of the castle to Kagome's room.

Inutaisho turned to the business at hand as he made his way to his study. When he entered there waiting for him were the commanders of his forces. He could smell fear radiating off them as he reached his desk and stood behind it. His commanders were all kneeling in front of him as he said, "There is another ningen onna in this castle. She is to be treated with respect and anything that she requires from my commanders she is to be given. She is Lady Kagome's personal guard and I will not have her efforts hindered."

The commanders were shocked that their Lord would bring in a ningen to protect the powerful miko. One of them was even bold enough to ask, "Why milord? Why would you bring a ningen onna to protect the miko? Our soldiers are capable of protecting her."

Inutaisho growled his frustrations at his commanders as he answered, "Protect her! Ha! Where were the guards that were supposed to protect her when the castle came under siege? Why did they let the shadow youkais enter my domain? And why did they let that bastard of an Inu Youkai come close to my home?"

None of the commanders wanted to answer his questions. They knew were their soldiers were located and they didn't want to tell their Lord the truth.

Inutaisho eyes bleed red as he said, "What? No answers? Well let me tell you where they were. They were fighting each other to see who was the strongest, to take her as a mate. You left her unprotected and this is unacceptable. You get your soldiers and start protecting this castle or I will be the one to kill the next soldier that lust after my pup. Besides none of the youkai in this castle will be able to dominate her. She is too powerful and your men would wind up dead. Now go, before I change my mind and kill you all myself for being incompetent."

The youkai commanders did not waste anytime in leaving their lords office. He had been right they had all been fighting amongst themselves to see who was the strongest so they could attempt to mate with the miko. After this battle every male in this area knew that she was very powerful and no one will be able to dominate her. They all set out to spread the threat of their Lord as they got everyone back in line to protect the castle.

Inutaisho left his study as he made his way to Kagome's room. He just hoped that Kagome would like the Taijiya and they could become friends.

---oOo---

Ayashiko and Sango went up to Kagome's room. The both of them have been talking the entire time they made their way upstairs as they got to know one another. Sango understood that the demoness was just worried about Kagome. She could tell that she loved her just like one of her own pups and she wanted to make sure that Kagome was happy.

Once they reached Kagome's room Ayashiko knocked on the door as she entered. They saw Kagome standing by the window as she turned to greet her Hahaue.

Kagome noticed right away that there was a ningen girl with her adopted mother and she wondered who she was. She was a ningen like her as she looked at Ayashiko with curiosity.

Ayashiko smiled when she saw the expression on her Musume face as she said, "Kagome I want you to meet Sango. She is to be your personal guard from now on. She will follow you everywhere you go and be with you constantly throughout the day unless we are with you."

Kagome smiled as she turned to the young girl and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you Sango-sama," as she bowed deeply to the Taijiya.

The formal greeting surprised Sango as she said, "Please just call me Sango. I'm not worthy to be called by such an honorific."

Kagome smiled as she said, "Only if you call me Kagome. I don't like the honorifics either. They are not for me nor is it who I am."

Sango agreed to her request as she heard a meow from her shoulder. She chuckled and said, "Kagome, I want you to meet my friend Kirara. She will be helping me protect you while I'm here."

Kagome was amazed at the neko that was sitting on Sango's shoulder. She had never seen a fire neko before. She had only read about them. She was even more surprised when the neko jumped from Sango's shoulder and landed in her arms. She was purring in contentment as Kagome began to stroke her fur. She was so soft to the touch that she couldn't believe that her fur could feel this way. Bouyou, her cat, his fur was never this soft. She smiled as she said to the neko, "Why hello Kirara. I hope that you will enjoy your stay here with us."

Kirara just purred her response back to Kagome as she continued to pet her fur. Then she started to lightly scratch behind her ear as Kirara moved her head closer to her hand so she could scratch harder. Kirara was really enjoying her fingers, she was scratching every itch she had behind her ear.

The girls just laughed at what the neko was doing when they heard a knock on the door and in walked Lord Inutaisho. He smiled when he saw Kagome standing there with the neko in her arms as she was scratching behind her ear. He chuckled as he said, "I'm glad that you are getting along with Sango and Kirara. I know that they can protect you Kagome and she will go everywhere you go."

He turned his attention to Sango as he said, "Sango, I want you to stay with Kagome. We will have your room ready for you by tonight."

Sango agreed to his request as they watched the Youkai Lord and his mate leave Kagome and Sango alone in the room. They stayed there the whole day as they talked and got acquainted with each other. They had a lot of things in common and by the end of the day they had formed a bond with each other.

Sango was given a room right next to Kagome and she was happy. Kagome now had a friend and she didn't feel so lonely.

That night when they had gone to dinner Sango was introduced to Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. Kagome noticed right away that something was wrong with Sesshoumaru. He wouldn't look at her and half way through the meal he had excused himself and left. She had never seen him do this before and she felt that maybe it was her fault from the battle this morning.

Once dinner was over they all walked upstairs to rest for the evening. Kirara went with Kagome and slept in her room. Kagome welcomed the company as she crawled into bed and said out loud, "I wonder what I did wrong that now Sesshoumaru is mad at me? Did I do something wrong during the battle this morning? Did I make him look bad? Or could it be that he is disappointed in me for not being strong enough to continue in the fight? I have no idea what was wrong with him tonight but he was not acting like himself."

Kagome pondered these questions for a while. She couldn't come up with any logical answers as she turned to Kirara and asked, "Kirara, do you know what I did wrong this morning?" The kitten just meowed at her and she sighed. 'Kami I wish I could talk to cats maybe she could give me some advice on what happened today.'

Kagome gave up as she laid down and went to sleep. She had been so concerned at the way Sesshoumaru was acting that she never noticed that he was standing right outside her door. He didn't even try to hide his aura to see if she would come out and talk to him. He was very disappointed when she went to sleep and never even notice that he was there.

It didn't take long for the young miko to drift off to sleep as the neko that was with her was looking at the door. She could tell that the elder son of the lord was listening to what the girl was saying. He was interested in her and she could smell the sadness that radiated off his form. She heard when he turned and went back into his room. She wondered if there was anything that she could do that would help the young lord get the girl of his dreams.

---oOo---

Menai Tamashii Akari – Soul Blinding Light

Jenjou – Heaven and Earth sword

This is the end to another chapter. I wanted to address some questions that have been asked so far. Kagome is 18 in this fanfic. As far as will she find someone to love her? Well you will have to wait, there is still a lot more to this story.

For all of you that are wondering, I post the next chapter when the reviews hit 30. You have Kavfh who was the 30th reviewer for the story and Yakunantenshi who was the 31st for the posting of the next chapter. Do not worry everyone. This story will be completed. I have never left a story undone and I don't intend to start now. I don't believe in quitting what I start. This story contains 37 chapter and you will get to read every single one.

In the next chapter Sesshoumaru's inner beast takes over when it comes to Kagome. Her training with the demon lord is coming along as she learns to unleash her inner most powers. You will also learn of a prophecy that was told many centuries ago concerning Kagome and Sesshoumaru. Join me in the next chapter as Sesshoumaru's beast has a mind of his own and wants the miko.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Kagome woke up before dawn. She found that she couldn't sleep any more as she got dressed and readied herself for this morning's training. She sat on her windowsill and looked up at the stars that were slowly starting to disappear. The beginning of dawn was starting and she could see that the sun was slowly coming up over the horizon.

Kirara looked up from her position on the bed and saw the sadness that radiated off the young female. She looked so much like her old master. If she would have been alive and had a pup, Kirara could imagine that she would look like the girl that was sitting right in front of her.

Kirara got up as she jumped from the bed and walked over to the girl. Kagome seemed lost in her own thoughts because she didn't even notice the neko at her feet. Kirara jumped up and landed on her lap, startling Kagome right out of her thoughts and then nuzzled her head against her stomach offering what little comfort she could.

Kagome was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't even notice when the neko had gotten up or when she had come to her. It wasn't until Kirara was in her lap that she noticed that she had company. Kagome smiled weakly at her as she wrapped her arms around the kitten and held her in a tight embrace.

She enjoyed the comfort that the kitten gave her as she held on to the neko and stroked her fur. The kitten enjoyed her attention even more when she started to scratch behind her ear. The neko thought that she had died and gone to heaven the way that this girl was scratching her ear.

The both of them stayed like that for a while until they heard a soft knock on her door. Kagome turned towards the door and recognized the familiar aura and said, "Come in."

She saw as the door slowly opened just a little bit and then a head poked its way into her room. She smiled warmly at Sango and saw her smile returned ten fold as the door opened the rest of the way and Sango let herself into her room.

Kagome eyed her with curiosity for a moment before she said, "Sango what are you doing up so early?"

Sango came over and sat in front of Kagome, joining her on the windowsill, and said, "I couldn't sleep anymore so I decided to get up. I'm usually up this early in the morning anyway. I would always get up early to fix the morning meal for my father and little brother."

Kagome immediately became interested in what her new friend had said. She didn't know that she had a younger brother as she asked, "How old is your brother?"

Sango looked off into the horizon as she remembered her brother and said, "Kohaku is twelve summers old. Soon father will start training him to be a slayer. But I'm afraid that my father doesn't see that my brother is not like the rest of us. He has no desire to be a slayer. He has a kind heart and gentle heart that couldn't hurt anyone."

Kagome understood this, she too didn't want to go off to school and leave her brother behind to fend for himself. "I understand Sango, sometime parents don't realized what it is that their children desire and they make the wrong decisions for them."

Sango was curious about what Kagome was saying as she asked, "Kagome? Did your parents make the same mistakes as mine?"

Kagome pondered this question for a while as she answered, "Yes they did. When they found out that I was born with certain gifts they let the healers take me away. I spent years learning different things because they wanted to see how fast I could learn them.

I was taken away from my home and family. I was lonely and didn't have any friends because I was cast aside for the gifts I hold. Now it's the same all over again. But the situation is different. I can never go home and here I'm cast aside because I'm ningen, not because of the gifts I have."

Sango understood her friend all too well. Sometime parents do make the wrong decisions when it comes to their children, as she said, "I agree with you Kagome. My father has been trying to find a suitor for me ever since I came of age but my temper will always get in the way. When I would reject their offer of marriage they would not take the rejection too kindly and when they persisted I would end up thrashing them."

Kagome giggled at her comment and that lightened the mood in the room considerably. She stood and said, "Well I better get down to the training field. The lord would not look too kindly at me if I'm late."

Sango stood up with her as she asked, "Can I come with you to watch you train? Maybe there is something that I can teach you to make you stronger."

"Sure I don't see why you can't. I will welcome your company." Kagome said with a genuine smile on her face.

Both girls left the room as they headed down towards the training area. They walked out of the castle as they headed towards a field.

Sango was curious because they were walking away from all of the buildings in the area and heading toward the fields, she turned to her friend and asked, "Kagome, don't you train in a dojo?"

Kagome giggled at her friends question and replied, "Well the first time I battled Sesshoumaru it was in the lord's dojo. We ended up blowing away one of the walls and half of the armors he had on display in there. He decided that our powers were too great to train indoors so he moved us outside to make sure that we wouldn't damage anything."

Sango giggled at her response but she was very impressed by what she had just said, 'If she is powerful enough to blow away the wall of a dojo and hold her own against the lord's son then her training should be interesting to watch. I should be able to see what kind of power she actually has and help her develop them even more.' Sango thought as they continued going towards the training field. When they arrived there, they saw that no one had arrived yet.

Kagome sighed, she was early and now she had to wait. She turned to her friend as her curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "Sango what kind of weapon do you have on your back? I have never seen a weapon like that before."

Sango removed her Hiraikotsu from her back and brought it forward, resting it on its tip. She then started to explain her weapon, "This is Hiraikotsu. This weapon is made from the bones of dead youkais and metals from my village. It is forged in the great fires that are located in the mountains near my home. The youkai bones that we use in the making of our weapons allow us to use their demonic auras in battle. Their auras are able to pull on ours as they mix and become more powerful as we attack."

Kagome was impressed with the weapon as she asked, "How do you use it?"

Sango picked up her weapon as she held it off the ground. It was behind her back as she grabbed it by the strap. Then Kagome heard her say, "To throw the Hiraikotsu all you have to do is pick your target, swing the weapon sideways around your body and release it when your arm comes in front of you."

Sango demonstrated the explanation she gave for her weapon, as she picked a target off in the distance. She swung her weapon from behind her body and released it as her arm came forward.

Kagome saw as her weapon went sailing across the field and hit a tree before it returned to its master. She smiled and asked, "Sango? Do you think I could try?"

Sango smiled at her new friend, she nodded her agreement and placed her weapon so Kagome could get to it.

Kagome found that the weapon was a lot heavier than she thought. She used her Reiyouku to enhance her muscles and she was able to lift the weapon with ease. She selected her targets, which were some trees on the other side of the clearing. She had spotted several of the youkai guards spying on them and thought that it would make the perfect target to knock those fools out of their perch. She got ready as she swung the weapon around her body and released it when her arm was straight in front of her.

Sango's eyes opened wide when she saw her weapon. Kagome had channeled some of her Reiyouku into her weapon and it was now glowing a bright pink. There was power behind her throw as the weapon spun so fast that it looked like a blade spinning around. It went straight for the trees on the opposite side of the field as it cut them down with ease. She heard a yelp coming from the forest as the weapon came back to its owner.

Kagome got ready to catch the weapon that looked like a giant bone but curved. She reached up and caught it by the strap, digging her heels into the ground to make sure that the weapon didn't take her with it. Once it stopped spinning in the air she brought the weapon down and smiled at her friend.

Sango was speechless. Her friend had just mastered her weapon with one throw where it had taken her years to learn. She looked at Kagome and said, "Wow Kagome! No one has ever mastered my weapon in just one throw. You're amazing!"

Kagome giggled as she looked around the area. The youkai lord and his son have yet to make it down to the training field. She looked at her friend again and asked, "Sango do you want to spar with me until Lord Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru come down for training?"

Sango smiled as she took out her blades and said, "It would be my pleasure Kagome."

Kagome put Hiraikotsu down on the ground and removed her twin blades. Sango was so excited that she attacked first. Their swords met in mid swing as they battled for position. It was a test of strength and Kagome easily shoved Sango away from her.

They went around in a circle sizing each other up. They would attack each other as the sound of swords clashing in the wind could be heard. Several of the castle guards came running when they heard the sound only to find the miko and her guard training together. They stayed and watched as each of the females battled even more ruthlessly with each other than they did with the males.

Both ningens possessed tremendous powers and skills that mesmerized the youkai soldiers. What they wouldn't do to get them to be their mates. They continued to watch as lust filled their hearts. The females were battling fiercely with each other as they tried to prove to each other which one was the best.

Kagome brought her swords down as she caught Sango off guard. She knocked the swords out of her hands as a well placed kick sent her flying through the air to land on her back about five feet away.

When Sango opened her eyes she found that she was staring at the tip of a blade pointing at her throat. She sighed she knew that she was defeated. She smiled up at her friend and said, "You know Kagome your pretty good. You can teach me a few things."

Kagome laughed as she pulled her blade away from her friend's throat and extended her hand to help her up. At that moment she turned as she spotted Lord Inutaisho and his son coming her way.

Sango saw the youkai lord approaching and made her way over to the sidelines to watch Kagome's training. 'This should be good. Kagome is a strong fighter and I want to see how she fights against youkais. I have a feeling that she was holding back because I'm a ningen but with them I know that she will unleash her full potential.'

---oOo---

Lord Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru were making their way towards the training field. He had picked up Kagome and Sango's scent as they had left a while ago to go down to the training field. He was interested in seeing what they were doing as they approached the field.

He told his son to hide his aura, as they got closer to the field. They stopped as they watched the two ningens train. He was impressed with the way Kagome handled Sango's weapon. He knew that she had never seen one before but she had thrown the weapon with skill as it sailed across the field and hit a grove of trees. He heard the yelp of his soldiers that were in the trees as he chuckled. 'Kagome must have known they were there. That's why she sent that weapon in their direction.' Inutaisho thought as he continued to watch the girls train.

When they started to fight with swords he noticed the skills that the Taijiya had. She was very skillful with her twin blades. If she continued to train with Kagome she will get stronger and become a formidable fighter. He could tell that Kagome was holding back from really attacking the girl.

Inutaisho turned his head to the right and noticed a group of soldiers standing at the edge of the forest watching the two females train. You could see the lust in their eyes as they watched them. He had warned his commanders what would happen to the soldiers that lusted after his pup. He would have to teach them all a lesson.

He stepped away from his son as he noticed that Sesshoumaru's attentions were still on the girl. He never noticed that he had moved as he disappeared from his son's side and reappeared behind the soldiers that were watching the females practice.

He lashed out with his whip as he saw the four soldiers go down without a whimper. He heard the sound of running feet as the rest of the soldiers that were there, watching, took off to their post. It was an object lesson for his soldiers but they were going to learn to obey his commands.

He returned to his son's side as he continued to watch Kagome and Sango trade blows with each other as they continued to fight.

When Kagome grew tired she ended the fight when she knocked the swords away from Sango and had her pinned to the ground. Throughout the whole match Inutaisho watched his son out of the corner of his eye.

Sesshoumaru eyes were trained on the girl watching her every move. He still had plans to make her his mate. But in yesterdays battle Sesshoumaru had left Kagome unprotected and that was something that any potential mate could reject a suitor for. 'Hmm, maybe I can help him gain her favor again. But I will not make it easy for him. He has never had to feel my full wrath and it's about time that he did.' Thought Inutaisho as he continued to watch the girls train.

Once the girls had stopped he walked towards the training field letting it be known that he was there along with his son. Kagome stood waiting for them as she gave him his morning greetings. "Good morning, milord. I hope that you slept well."

Inutaisho smiled as he said, "Good morning Kagome, yes I slept well thank you for asking." He stopped in front of her as he turned to his son and said to the both of them. "Yesterday's battle showed me that I have neglected a certain portion of your training. When you both were battling against the shadow youkai you were not fighting to your full potential.

Sesshoumaru, you should know what I'm talking about since I have been trying to make you understand this for a while. There is a power deep within everyone that comes out when you want to protect. You can only access this power when you are protecting something that is dear to you.

You both battled yesterday and neither of you tapped into that power. In today's lesson you will tap into this power or you will die trying. I will not let up on my attacks not even if you go down. If I have to hurt you to get you to release this power then so be it."

He took out his sword, and got ready to attack. His pups looked at him like he was crazy as he went after Kagome.

Kagome didn't understand what he was talking about. She thought that she did very well in defending the castle against those shadow youkais. Kagome was so deep in thought that she was not ready to defend herself when Inutaisho came after her.

She would have been hurt if it was not for Sesshoumaru who had rushed in and moved her to a safer location. He looked down at her for the first time since yesterday and spoke to her for the very first time since they had battled in the dojo, "Kagome, you must defend yourself. My father is not lying when he said that we will die trying to bring out this power that he speaks of."

Kagome saw a flicker of movement out the corner of her eye as she put up a barrier to protect them both from the next attack. The lord had used his claws and sent an attack towards them while they were busy with each other.

Kagome pulled away from Sesshoumaru embrace as she readied herself for battle. He wanted her to protect and bring forth her true powers then she will do as he asked. She turned her head as she looked up at Sesshoumaru and said, "Well if he wants us to bring out this power how about we give him a run for his money. I'm willing to attack him head on are you?"

Sesshoumaru got a smirk on his face as he turned and pulled out his sword. He got ready as Kagome lowered her barrier and they were free to move about.

Inutaisho saw the smirk on his son's face. Sesshoumaru thought that he was going to go easy on him but he was mistaken. He had trained this way all his life and he was determined to show his son what it is like to protect something you love. He lashed out with his whip as Sesshoumaru countered with his own. He batted away his father's attack as he rushed in.

Their swords met for the first time this morning in a test of strength. But to Sesshoumaru's surprise his father easily pushed him back. His father was a lot stronger today and he didn't know why. He saw his father's fang come down as he moved with speed to avoid the blade. It hit the ground hard as it left behind a crater where he used to be standing.

Kagome had taken out her twin blades and was ready to battle her lord. She saw him attacking his son as she sent a volley of lighting bolts toward him. He moved with speed as he got out of the way of her attack. He turned and then he attacked her next.

Kagome was completely caught off guard as she saw him moving with speed towards her, she put up her barrier for protection but this time it didn't do much good. He broke her barrier with a simple swipe of his claws as he hit her with such force that she went flying through the air and landed on her back.

The wind was knocked out of Kagome as she was gasping for air. She was struggling to get up before he attacked her again.

Sesshoumaru saw as his father attacked his intended. His eyes turned blood red as a power that he never felt before came from deep within him. It came up quickly as he moved faster than the eye could see. He blocked his father's next attack against the girl. He stood in front of her protecting her while she was down as he traded blows with his father.

His aura had grown to double its normal size and his eyes were going from red to white. His innermost powers were coming forth, with the rage he felt, that his father would be hurting his intended, and it was driving him to protect.

Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru protected her from his father wrath. She had never seen such power coming from Sesshoumaru before. He was protecting her from getting hurt and it touched her deeply that he cared enough for her to put his life on the line.

Kagome tried to get up as she got her breathing under control, she had to go and help Sesshoumaru before he got hurt. She knew that he would continue to attack his father as long as she was down. She looked up in time to see the youkai lord send a powerful attack towards his son. She saw when the attack hit Sesshoumaru and he went flying through the air to land about 20 feet away from his father.

Sesshoumaru was down and not moving as his sword got knocked out of his hand. Kagome's eyes began to tear, a deep and powerful emotion ripped through her small frame as she yelled, "SESSHOUMARU!!!!!" Something snapped deep inside Kagome as her heart went out to the one that protected her.

She moved with speed as she reached his side in time to stop the powerful attack that was about to kill him.

Inutaisho was very pleased with the way the training was going. He had gotten his son to release some of his inner power. He could tell that he had not fully released it yet and he was pushing him to do so. He hit him with a blast of his youki as he sent his son flying through the air. He saw him land about 20 feet away from him as he went in to attack again.

But what he didn't expect was to get blasted away from his son as he made his attack. He landed about 10 feet away, in a crouched position. He looked up from the ground to see that Kagome was standing in front of Sesshoumaru. Her hands were out in front of her, palms out, and then he saw wings on her back. 'How did Kagome get wings??' thought Inutaisho as he looked at her with curiosity.

Kagome was panting hard. It had taken everything that she had to reach Sesshoumaru in time to block that attack. She was not about to let him get hurt. She created a barrier in front of her with her hands that deflected the blast away from them and sent his father flying backwards.

She staggered forward but held her ground, and then she slowly straightened up to her full height. She had never expected him to try and kill his own son. She was pissed as her power flared around her small form. She was engulfed in a pure white light as she turned her stormy gray eyes towards her enemy. Nothing mattered to her now, all she knew was that she had to protect the person behind her.

Inutaisho noticed, as Kagome stood straight up, that when she looked at him her eyes were a dark grey in color as her powers were growing steadily around her body. Her hair was flying up with the force of her Reiyouku. Never before had he seen such power coming from one person before. He saw as she raised a hand towards him, she was getting ready to attack, when she let loose a ball of her Reiyouku.

He moved quickly out of the way before she did any real damage to him. He had to get her to calm down. He never expected for her to reach her full potential all in one day. He was expecting to gradually build up to that point but she was protecting Sesshoumaru like a mate.

He sent a mental plea to his son as he said, _'Sesshoumaru, you must wake up and get Kagome to calm down. She has reached her full potential and has no control over it because she is protecting you.'_ Inutaisho dodged another attack as he brought his sword forward to defend. Now he really had a fight on his hands if he couldn't calm Kagome down from her rage.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru heard his father's pleas as he slowly opened his eyes. He was on the ground with his head swimming around. He was breathing hard trying to fill his lungs when he felt a blast rip through the area.

When he looked up, he noticed that Kagome was standing in front, protecting him, but what really caught his attention were the wings she had on her back. They were big and white with long fluffy feathers that seemed to look like cotton and every time she attacked her wings would go up and spread, then slowly come back down again like they were recovering until the next attack.

He heard his father's pleas again, _'Sesshoumaru, my pup, please you must get Kagome to calm down or I will be forced to take her down. She has lost control in her rage.'_

Sesshoumaru slowly stood up on shaky legs as he took in a deep breath. He caught the scent of Night Blooming Jasmine as it relaxed him enough to get his head cleared. He had no idea how to calm her. If she was his mate then his purrs could calm her down but she wasn't.

His inner inu whined as he started to purr. It was a very strange purr as it went up and down in volume. He approached Kagome from behind as he called to her, "Kagome." He said her name very softly as he let it roll off his tongue in a singsong.

Kagome froze when she heard her name, she had thought that Sesshoumaru was unconscious behind her but he was calling out to her. Her name sounded so sweet and beautiful coming from his lips. Then she heard something else that soothed her soul as she stopped attacking the youkai in front of her.

She stood there as her eyes slowly closed to the soothing sound that was coming from behind her. Her anger started to go away as her powers started to recede back. She felt two strong arms come around her waist as they pulled her into a hard chest. The purrs she heard, she now felt as it vibrated along her back. It soothed her to the point where she fell unconscious in Sesshoumaru's arms.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru was getting closer to Kagome. Somehow his inner inu knew what to do to get the girl to calm down. He called to her as he wrapped his arms around her small form.

The vibrations from his constant purrs lulled her into a peaceful sleep as he saw her wings disappear along with her aura. He nuzzled into her neck as he took in her sweet scent. Her scent was sweet and pure proving that no one has ever touched her. This pleased his inner inu for he knew that he would be her first and last. Never would he let another male touch her.

For the first time since she has been here he was allowed to hold her in his arms. She fit perfectly into his body and he couldn't wait for the day that he would claim her as his own.

He felt that he was weakening. He had used a great amount of his youki to battle his father, and now he was growing tired. He sat down on the ground as he brought the girl along with him. He wrapped his tail around the both of them, keeping her as close to him as possible.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard his father call his name.

---oOo---

Inutaisho watched everything from afar. He noticed that his son was awake and standing behind the girl. He called for her and it seemed that she was responding to his call. He heard a rumbling coming from his son chest and that it went up and down in volume. He observed when his son wrapped his arms around the girl as her wings disappeared and now she was resting in his son's arms.

He noticed that his son was sitting on the ground with the girl in his lap. He was afraid of this, it would be hard for Sesshoumaru to let go of the girl. That's why he never wanted him to get near her. He was afraid that he would claim her as his own before she was officially presented to be of mating age. What he was really afraid of was that if he claimed the girl the other lords would not recognize her as his true mate.

Mating between youkai nobles was complicated. The female had to be introduced to all the ruling houses. They must acknowledge her as a member of his pack and ready to mate. Then if there were any males that wish to enter the contest to dominate her then there would be a tournament that would determine the male that would win that right.

If Sesshoumaru claimed her before she was presented then the other lords had the right not to recognize her as his mate and they could demand that he mate with someone else. It had been written into law many centuries ago and he couldn't do anything about it.

He walked closer to Sesshoumaru as he heard the warning growls coming from his son. His inner inu was not backing down yet meaning that he was in full control of what was going to happen. He called to his son to see if he would come to his senses.

He took another couple of steps and stopped when he heard Sesshoumaru's hackles rise. He has never, in his life, heard such growls of possessiveness come from his son before. He was determined not to let Kagome go as he held her even closer to chest.

At that moment Kagome started to come around, she moaned and that automatically captured Sesshoumaru's attention. He held her even tighter in his arms as he rocked her slowly back and forth to soothe her.

Kagome's mind was trying to sort out what was going on. The only thing that she could remember was that Sesshoumaru was hurt. He had saved her from getting attacked and the last thing she remembered was that he was unconscious on the ground and his father was about to attack him again.

She moved and whimpered when she felt that she was being held in a tight embrace. She was frantically moving trying to get out of his hold but it just made him hold her closer to his chest. She struggled more now as she said softly, "Please let me go, I have to find Sesshoumaru."

Sesshomaru moved his head closer to Kagome's ear and whispered, "Kagome, I'm right here with you."

Kagome stopped her frantic movement as she slowly opened her eyes. She looked over her shoulder to see that Sesshoumaru was holding her in a tight embrace. She turned in his hold as she reached up and hugged him for all that she was worth and started to cry.

Sesshomaru didn't know what to do when she started to cry. He thought that she was hurt as he asked her, "Kagome, why are you crying? Are you hurt?"

Kagome continued to cry into his chest as she sobbed, "I thought that I had lost you." She looked up with tear soaked eyes as she pulled away from his chest, looking at him and asked, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Sesshoumaru chuckled at her concern, as he said, "No, this one is not hurt." He pulled her into his chest as he hugged her. Kagome was shocked by his actions that he was willing to hold her like this, but it actually felt good to be in his arms. She finally relaxed in his arms as she brought her arms up and hugged him back. She was starting feel very tired. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his arms wrapped around her body while she fell asleep.

Sesshoumaru was content to stay that way but his father was not going to leave them alone. He was tired and he didn't know how much longer he would be able to stay awake to fight off his father from taking Kagome away from him. He closed his eyes as he silently called, _'Mother.'_

---oOo---

Ayashiko was in the castle trying to get everything started for the day. She was heading for Inuyasha's room, because he was still in bed, when she heard the call from her elder son. He was weak and calling for her. There must be something wrong for him to be calling her because he had stopped calling for her help ever since he came of age.

She raced out of the castle as she transformed into her orb form and went to her son. She landed right in front of him and saw the way her son and daughter looked. Their clothes were torn, they had scratches and cuts all over their bodies. She noticed that Sesshoumaru was protecting Kagome, as she was asleep in his arms. She could smell the scent of her Musume's tears as she was slowly starting to get angry. 'This is suppose to be a training session. He is not suppose to hurt my pups by teaching them.'

She turned her angry eyes toward her mate as she was slowly making her way towards him. She was furious that he would do this to his own pups.

---oOo---

Inutaisho had observed the interactions between his son and his little one. She showed concern for him and was actually crying because she thought that he had hurt his own pup. Yes he did attack him with more force this time but he didn't really mean to hurt them.

When he saw that Kagome had fallen asleep in Sesshoumaru's arms again, he was making his way towards them to take her away from Sesshoumaru. He didn't want his son to do something that he would regret later.

Inutaisho stopped in his tracks when he felt a powerful aura approaching his two pups. He looked up into the sky and swallowed hard. His mate had sensed her pup's distress and was now coming to investigate.

He saw as she landed right in front of them as she assessed the damage that was done to them. She turned on her heel as she walked straight for him. He swallowed hard when he saw the expression on her face, 'This is not going to be easy, and my mate is upset at their condition.' Inutaisho thought as he kept his eyes on his mate.

Ayashiko turned as she walked to her mate. She wanted some answers on why he had done this to his own pups. She had been mated to him long enough to know that he has to have a reason for doing this.

She stopped in front of her mate as she eyed him. He shifted from foot to foot, never meeting her gaze. She knew that something was wrong and she had to know what it was. She took a deep breath to calm herself and asked, "Why?"

Inutaisho saw as his mate approached him. He knew she would want an explanation of what happened here. He understood that this day would come but he never expected it to be this soon. He didn't know how she was going to take this news.

When he heard her question he sighed as he said, "I have my reasons for training them this way. I have to prepare them for what is coming and this is the only way that I know to bring out their inner most powers."

Ayashiko was confused at what her mate had said, "Koiishi, please tell me what is going on. I don't like to see my pups this way. But if there is danger for them then I have a right to know."

Inutaisho motioned for his mate to sit with him on the ground while they protected Sesshoumaru and Kagome. They had both fallen asleep to regain their energy and Sesshoumaru was not about to let go of Kagome any time soon.

Ayashiko did as her mate asked and sat down to listen to what was going on.

Inutaisho took a deep breath as he started to explain, "A few millennia ago this land was ruled by the strongest Inu Youkai known to be in existence. My grandfather was a two tail Inu Youkai with unmatched powers. He ruled the Western Canines and all the lands with a kind and caring heart. He protected all who lived on his lands and made it safe to raise pups.

My father learned all he could from my grandfather. He was very powerful but he was not a two tail like him. One day our land came under siege from an outside source. They attacked from the east and brought the eastern lord down like he was a weak puppy. These foreign Youkais continued with their conquest as they conquered each of the other lands, the next to fall was the south and then the north.

My grandfather would have not interfered with them if it were not for the fact that they also wanted the west. They battled for days when he finally defeated the leader of these foreign Youkais. But my grandfather was mortally wounded and would not recover from the injuries.

They had a special poison that was not known to us and that poison slowly ate its way into my grandfather's body until he finally passed. Before my grandfather finally died he gave the rule of the Western Canines to my father. He made him promise that he would maintain the peace that he held and keep the land safe from evil.

My father then became the ruler of the West and with it came all the responsibilities of being lord. He ruled just like my grandfather with a gentle hand and was known for his kindness.

Centuries later he met my mother. She was a powerful Inu Youkai," Inutaisho looked at his mate with loving eyes, "much like you my Aiyoku," and continued on with his story, "he chose her as a mate and when he finally got her to submit to him they were mated. About a century after their mating my mother gave birth to me.

I was a disappointment for my father. He wanted to have a two-tail youkai like his father. He thought that if a two tail were born to his clan there would be no disputes on who was the rightful ruler to these lands.

My father shunned me because of this. My mother loved me because I was her pup. She also trained me in what I needed to know. My father would not accept me as heir to the lands because he believed that I was not strong enough to rule.

He started listening to the other Youkai of his court and soon they had him under their influence. I found out as time went on, with the help of my mother, that these youkai only wanted the Western Lands for themselves and didn't care about what happened to the people that lived here. They wanted to destroy all the ningens and leave only the youkai to live on the lands.

I tried to tell my father what was going on but he wouldn't listen to me. He continued to send me out to quail the fighting in the lands and I would, but then those same youkai would come back and start the up rise again. My father thought me incompetent to fulfill my roll as lord.

By that time an Inu Youkai by the name of Shinto was whispering in my father's ear that he should give rule to him. My mother caught on to what he was doing and told me to be careful around him. My mother was very loyal to my father and when Shinto approached her to be his mate when he became lord she rebuffed his offer. She didn't want anything to do with him because she knew what he was doing and he was the reason that my father treated me the way he did.

Shortly after my mother rejected Shinto offer we came under siege and my mother died protecting me. I was still young and not an adult yet. We were attacked by snake and dragon youkai. They had trapped me against a wall and where about to deal the killing blow when she saved me by getting in the way.

I never sensed her in the area. I thought that she was safe in the castle but I was wrong. She must have detected my distress and came to my aid. She killed all of the intruders but at the cost of her life. When she died it was like something had snapped inside me and I went on the rampage. My rage was so great that I killed all the intruders to the castle and went after the leaders.

By the time I was done and my blood lust was satisfied I found myself deep in the northern territories. I had seen the result of my rage and left that area as soon as possible. By the time I made it back to the Western Lands my mother had already been buried and my father was still in morning.

When my father saw that I was still alive he was relieved that I had survived the battle. He had thought that they had captured me and I was killed. He was still listening to Shinto and I had to find a way for him to listen to what I was saying. It was because of Shinto that my mother was dead and I would not back down.

So I formulated a plan to show my father who the real traitor was in our mist. I had agreed to meet Shinto in a certain location so we could talk. He wanted me as an ally because he knew that I possessed great powers and could easily defeat him.

I had told my father that if he wanted to know who killed my mother to come to the same location where I was meeting Shinto and he will find out the truth about what happened. He agreed not knowing what he was going to find.

I got Shinto to confess to everything he had done to gain control of the West and my father was fortunate enough to be there to hear it all. His rage was great as he attacked Shinto and killed him for what he had done. He apologized to me for having doubted me in the first place and when he finally passed I became lord.

But Shinto had a son and he is the one that is attacking the castle. I know he plans on killing Sesshoumaru because of what I did to his father. He will be after Kagome because she is the strongest female in this area. He needs a strong mate to produce a strong heirs to carry on his quest for power and to rule the west." Inutaisho took a break from his story telling to let all of this information sink in to his mates mind.

Ayashiko was astonished by what her mate had to say. She never expected this. She had learned about his family history but everything that she was told just now was not written anywhere. She looked at her mate with concern as she saw him getting ready to continue with his story.

Inutaisho saw the look on his mates face and he knew he would catch her off guard as he continued with his story. "About fifty years before I met and mated with you, a seer made a prediction. He was the oracle and keeper of the prophecies. He told me that another two tail Inu Youkai would raise to the threat that will come, with him he will have his mate, who will help him defeat the evil that is determined to destroy the lands. It was said that his mate was a powerful miko with powers never before seen. It told of her love for her mate and her willingness to give her life to protect him and his lands.

I believe that Sesshoumaru is the two-tail Inu Youkai that was foretold by the prophecy and Kagome is the miko that was mentioned to be his mate. Together those two will save the lands and continue to protect it for as long as they live."

Ayashiko didn't know what to think. This was a lot of information to digest and what her mate had said shocked her. To think that her son was the one that the oracles talked about in the prophecy and that he would wind up protecting the lands from evil was a little hard to take.

She looked over her shoulder as she looked at the sleeping forms of her Musuko and her Musume. She smiled when she saw them asleep in each other's arms. She knew that it was going to be hard for Sesshoumaru to let go of Kagome once he woke up but she knew that they had to try to pry the girl out of his arms.

She looked back at her mate as she said, "Why haven't you ever told me this before? I would have understood if you had told me what was going on. Now we have two pups that are in danger and we must protect them."

Inutaisho agreed with his mate as they sat in the field and waited for their pups to wake up from their ordeal. They looked off to the side and noticed that Sango was sitting there on the edge of the clearing with Kirara in her lap. She had heard everything that they had discussed.

Inutaisho stood as he went to talk to Sango. He couldn't have her telling Kagome what was discussed. Once she agreed to stay quite, he moved back to his mate as they waited for the pair to wake up.

An hour had passed and Sesshoumaru was the first to awaken. He felt someone coming close to him as his eyes flashed red. He held the sleeping form in his arms closer to his chest as his grip tightened around her small form. The need to leave the area along with his bitch was great. He needed to make her submit to his will before he would mate with her.

A vicious growl came out of his chest, as the person that was coming closer to them got too close for his liking. He looked up and noticed a female that was standing in front of him. He sniffed the air and caught a familiar scent. She was the mother-female from his pack and he gave her a whine in protest. He knew he could not attack her for she was his mother and always protected him.

Ayashiko had decided to see if she could get Kagome out of her son's arms. She was walking toward him when she noticed that he had woken up. She heard his growls and she sent one back to him letting him know who she was. When she heard him whine she knew that he recognized her.

She kneeled in front of her Musuko and said, "Sochi, please release the female."

Sesshoumaru shook his head, as he growled, _"No, female my bitch, my mate, will not let go now that we have her."_

Ayashiko sighed, she hated to argue with his inner inu. But she was determined to get the girl. "Then you will come with me so we can put her down to rest. She must heal from this morning attacks."

Sesshoumaru growled but agreed to her request. He got up on shaky legs as he followed his mother back into the castle. They walked up to Kagome's room and as they entered, she instructed her son to put the girl on the bed. When he hesitated she growled, _'Pup you will put her down now!'_

Sesshomaru whined, it was never good to get mother-female angry. Her punishments were always severe. He walked passed his mother as he did what he was told and laid his mate on the bed. Once he did that he stepped away from her as he waited. He hoped that he could hold his intended again.

Ayashiko walked over to Kagome and checked to make sure that she wasn't hurt. When she didn't find any injuries on her she stood and walked over to her son. She looked into his eyes and noticed the longing in them to hold the girl. She sighed and then said, _'Pup follow me.' _

Sesshoumaru whimpered but followed his mother. She went into his room and got him to lie down in his bed. She held him in her arms as she purred and soothed her son to sleep. It has been a long time since she had held him in this way. She missed having her pups in her arms for it comforted her as much as it did them.

Once he was asleep, she got up and left his room. The coming weeks were going to be hard on her son but he would have to wait until they announced that Kagome was of mating age and for the suitors to come forward to offer their suits to her.

This will be a dangerous time for her pup. The fall mating season was coming and that will always bring out the most powerful youkais that wanted to find a powerful mate.

She would have to speak to her mate about this. Plus there was something in the back of her mind that kept nagging at her. Something that she should be aware of, but she just couldn't remember what it was at the moment. She shrugged her shoulders thinking that she will eventually remember what it is that she was forgetting as she went looking for her mate.

They had to plan ahead if their son won the right to dominate Kagome. Where would he go to have some alone time with her? He couldn't stay here in the castle because the castle offered too many distractions for a potential mate.

Plus she knew that male inu youkai become very possessive when they first establish dominance with their female. Every male in the castle will be a threat to him and they didn't want Sesshoumaru killing the servants. But she didn't want him going too far from them in case of an attack so they had to plan for this event.

They could tell him once he has won the right to dominate the girl. That way he knows where to go after she submits to him. She was happy with this thought as she made her way towards her mate to discuss their son.

---oOo---

This is the end to another chapter. Sorry for the long wait but I had trouble with my computer. My monitor broke and I couldn't post not being able to see what I was doing. So now that I have a new monitor I can continue with my story. Below you will find the responses to some of the review I have received so far.

Come on now if that book on inu youkai mating were in the library that Kagome was aloud to go to, it would take all the fun out of this story. No that particular book on youkai mating is in another part of the castle that she is not allowed to go into but I'm getting ahead of myself that will be later in the story, so you have to keep reading. You guys are good when it comes to guessing what is going to happen next. SO, I will keep you guessing in the coming chapters. Or else it won't be interesting.

Hmm, is this story completed? Yes. Is it uncut? Well, so far until I get to the lemons. Then, well, Fanfiction. Net will not allow what I writen for a lemon so you will get a water down version. If you want to read the full version of my lemons you will have to go to A Single Sparks or Adult Fanfiction to read the full version of it. There will be a link in my profile that will take you there when the time comes.

Come on people since when do kids ever listen to what our parents say? Yes Sesshoumaru is not allowed to be any where near Kagome without his father being there, but it doesn't mean he is going to listen. All of you out there know what I'm talking about too.

Kagome is considered a polite and delightful child because most of the time she has control over her temper. The only time she doesn't is when they insult her directly.

For those of you asking about Miroku he will not show up in the story until later on. Don't worry our favorite monk will be up to his usual lecherous ways.

For those of you who are experiencing my story for the first time, I do not post a story unless I have finished writing it. The only thing that is left is the editing of the chapters and posting them to the sites. So that way I will never leave a story unfinished. As we speak I'm writing the next story that I have in mind. This one will take a while to write depending on what goes on my life. I hope that I have answered all of your questions so far.

In the next chapter Kagome becomes defiant of the rules set for her. Lord Inutaisho has to punish her and it doesn't go over to well. He had never dealt with a female pup before so he is learning first hand what its like to have a daughter.

You will also get to meet one of the primary villains that I have created for my story. He is one of two original characters that I have created. I hope he proves to be evil enough for all of you, as you will get to see his character develop through the story.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Deep in the mountains of the northern most lands there was a secret clan of Inu Youkai. This clan was once known as a powerful clan and no one dared to defy them. But they fell from grace when they were banished from the Western Lands. The Western Canines had banished them for high treason. The ones that survived the purge moved here to this area and began to make the clan stronger again. Shinto would have been proud of his son for everything he had done so far.

Jakyoku was the only son of Shinto. He was a tall and proud Inu Youkai. He had long black hair that easily came down to the back of his calves. He was slightly taller than his father and had a strong lean body. He had one black stripe on each side of his cheek and a black sword painted on his forehead.

His eyes were the deepest of brown for they looked almost black in color. When he looked at you it would send shivers down your spine. He wore a black hakama and haori. He had underneath his haori a white juban. He also wore black armor that covered his chest. The sword he wore on his side had a black aura around it as it pulsed at his side wanting revenge. It echoed its master's feelings from the day he got the sword. It was his father's sword, Burakku Haato (Black Heart sword).

His aura was pure evil and he ruled without having one ounce of compassion for those of his clan. He expected loyalty from his clan and got it or he would set them as an example to the rest of his clan.

His father had been in the royal courts when Inutaisho father, Lord Banzen, had ruled over the Western Lands. Shinto had been a powerful Black Inu Youkai and had served Banzen well for many centuries. He had become his most trusted advisor and had been promised that he would rule once Banzen had died. Leaving Inutaisho without any lands to call his own.

But something went wrong. Banzen had killed his father when he had been tricked into confessing that all he wanted was the Western Lands for his own purpose. Inutaisho had done that to his father making him talk about everything he had done in order to get what he wanted.

His father had wanted Inutaisho to turn against his father for rejecting him as a son, his father knew of the great power that laid dormant within his body. He figured that if he could awaken this power, he could manipulate Inutaisho and be able to use that power for this own purpose. He knew that the power he had was that of his grandfather the great Two Tail Inu. He never saw his father after he had meet with Inutaisho. Banzen had killed him during that meeting and now was the time for vengeance.

He had been planning for centuries on how best to get him back. He had slowly been gathering his forces to fight him. He knew he was strong. He had been getting stronger throughout the years and now he was stronger than Inutaisho. He would be able to defeat the youkai lord and take over the Western Land and become Ruler of the Western Canines.

He also knew that he had to find a strong mate. When word had spread that Inutaisho was guarding the descendant of Midoriko, a ningen female with incredible powers and beauty, it sent his blood boiling. He needed to have this female and he would stop at nothing to get her.

But he had a problem. Inutaisho's elder son was interested in the bitch that he could not have. His son was even more powerful than Inutaisho himself and if he ever learned how to control that inner power and accepted it, he would be unstoppable.

So he had sent that fool to keep watch over the western castle with an army of shadow youkai. He was told to wait until the youkai lord had left the castle and then try to get the girl. But what he didn't expect was that the girl was a very powerful miko. She was the strongest miko he has ever heard of, and her powers surpassed Midoriko's.

She found a way to kill all of his shadow army and had wiped out half of his forces before Sesshoumaru decided to show up and fight. Between the two they had managed to wipe out his shadow army except for the few that escaped to report back to him. Telling him that Inutaisho himself had killed his soldier and that now he might know he was the one behind the attacks.

The element of surprise was now gone, he would be on his guard, but Jakyoku was not one to give up that easy. He had sent another group of youkais to keep watch over the western castle and if they had a chance to take the ningen they were told to do so. His time to rule over the lands was coming, he could feel it in his bones and he will take his rightful place as ruler of the lands like it was meant to be when his father was alive.

--oOo—

Kagome was sitting underneath the sakura tree sulking. She had woken up three days ago and was immediately told that she cannot have any contact with Sesshoumaru. When she asked why, she was told that she would be told in time but for the time being she was not to go anywhere near him nor could he come near her.

This was just not fair. All she wanted was to thank Sesshoumaru for helping her during their training. They were now training separately, which she did not like one bit, and she let the youkai lord know of her displeasure when she attacked him during her training.

On a few occasions, she had to heal him because he had gotten hit from her purifying powers. She could hear the howls of anger coming from the castle and she knew it was Sesshoumaru. They have kept him locked up in his room since that day in the field. Every time she went out to practice, when he heard the sound of clashing swords, he would get upset.

Kagome stopped in the middle of her attack and formed a barrier around her body. Not even the youkai lord could get through her barriers once she had learned to tap into her inner power. Her aura flared with great power as she closed her eyes and concentrated. She reached out to the mind of Sesshoumaru and sent soothing thoughts to his. She calmed him down and felt him relax in the castle.

No longer could they hear the howls of anger coming from the young lord as Kagome turned her attention back to the youkai lord in front of her.

Lord Inutaisho had been forced to keep his son Sesshoumaru locked in his room for the last three days. He had placed barriers around it to make sure he would not break out of his room. Ever since the fight where he had released some of his inner power and he had gotten hold of the girl, Sesshoumaru had been unable to control his inner beast. His inner inu was determined to fight for the girl and the rational side of his son was in total agreement with his inner inu.

Inutaisho was currently engaged in training the girl when he ran into her barrier. She had stopped in mid attack and was now standing in the middle of the field with her eyes close. Her aura flared as he observed what she was doing. Within moments he didn't hear his son's howls any more as he quieted down. He looked on with amazement as he saw his little one open her eyes and prepared to fight again.

His curiosity was peeked as he asked, "Kagome what did you just do?"

Kagome looked innocently up at him, as she quickly said, "Nothing."

Inutaisho narrowed his eyes at his pup. He knew better, her nothings usually meant something. He learned months ago not to trust her nothings. His cold hard stares caused Kagome to cross her arms over her chest in a defiant manner. He could tell that she was not going to tell him anything. She was very stubborn almost as stubborn as his son.

He let it pass but he had a strange suspicion that she was talking to his son by mental link and he would have to put a stop to it. He hated to do it, but he must stop all contacts with her. They had to pick the strongest mate for her and that might not be his son.

Once the training was done she was free to go wherever she wanted. So here she sat under the sakura tree as she thought about how her life sucked and how they were keeping her away from Sesshoumaru.

She wanted to talk to him, but now she found that she could not get in contact with him. Something was preventing her from mentally linking with him. This was her only way of talking to Sesshoumaru so she could get to know him better and it was taken away from her. This hurt her more than anything that they have done to her so far.

Sango was sitting next to Kagome. She observed her friend out of the corner of her eye and saw how mad she was. All she could do was chuckle at her behavior. She had been like this ever since they told her that she could not see Sesshoumaru. She understood why she had to stay away from him but she was told not to explain anything to Kagome and that within time they would sit down and tell her everything she wanted to know.

Sango noticed that her friend was not going to come out of her rage any time soon so she got an idea as she said, "Kagome I know that they have horses here, want to go riding for a while? It will take your mind off things." 

Kagome still continued to stare off into space as she heard Sango's suggestion. 'Hmm, maybe if we get out of here for a while it might calm me down some. I have no idea why I can't speak to Sesshoumaru and when I ask they only tell me that they will explain soon. Kami how pathetic! I'm not a child that needs to be kept in the dark. I'm perfectly capable of handling anything that is thrown my way.'

Kagome turned to her friend and she said, "You know Sango that's a very good idea. A ride right now would do me some good. Because if I stay here any longer I might get the urge to purify someone that I shouldn't, meaning one very arrogant youkai lord. Too bad Ayashiko is in love with him or else I would have fried him already."

Sango started to laugh as they both stood and went toward the stables. Once they got there they looked for a horse to take out for a little while.

Kagome heard a noise off to the side as she was looking for a horse to ride. She noticed that there was, what looked like, a Dragon Youkai. But the strange thing was that this Dragon youkai had two heads. Right now both heads were lying down on the straw covered ground not moving.

Kagome couldn't leave the poor creature like this. She saw pain in his eyes as she approached, 'Maybe he's sick or something.' She thought as she kneeled by the heads. She reached out with her shaky hand as she gently stroked one of the heads. It purred in delight as she continued to stroke his long scaly head. When the second head moved closer to her wanting the same attention as the other head she sighed in relief. She now knew that the Dragon was not going to attack her and started to pet the both of them at the same time.

Kagome couldn't help but giggle at the heads. Their antics was funny as the heads started to push one another out of the way just so that the other one could get all the attention. It was funny to watch and when she stopped both heads shot up and looked at her with curiosity. They growled their displeasure at not having her attention as they watched what this ningen was doing.

Kagome pulled her hands away from the dragonheads as she put one hand into the sleeve of her kimono. She looked for the pocket that was in there and pulled out two carrots. She smiled when she saw the two heads perk up when they saw the treat. She had gotten the carrots as treats for the horses but she thought that her two new friends could use it more.

The Dragons waited patiently as the carrots were offered to them. They growled happily as they ate them. Kagome sat down on the ground as she asked, "Now, I have never seen you two here before. Do you have names?"

Both Dragon's looked up at her, still chewing the carrots, as they shook their heads no.

Kagome thought for a minute as she asked, "Would you like it if I gave you names?"

Both Dragon's nodded yes to her question.

Kagome put her index finger to her chin as she tapped it deep in thought. She came up with the perfect names for them as she said, "How about I call you Ah," as she pointed to the head on the left, "and I call you Un," as she pointed to the head on the right.

Both Dragon's thought for a few minutes as they had a short conversation between them. They both looked at the ningen girl and both nodded their agreement with their new chosen names.

Kagome giggled as she stood up off the ground and brushed herself off. Then she got an idea as she said, "How would you two like to stretch your legs for a while? But you both must promise to behave and listen to me."

Both Dragon's quickly agreed to her request. They had been stuck in this place for weeks without being let out and they longed to stretch their legs. They would have promised anything in order to get out.

Kagome looked around their stall and didn't see any bridles for them. She walked out of the stall and looked around the stables for a pair of bridles to put on the Dragons along with a saddle. Within minutes she found what she was looking for as she returned and put the bridles and saddle on the Dragons. When she was done she walked out of the stall with the Dragon's following closely behind her.

Once she got outside she found Sango there waiting for her as Sango turned and said, "Where have you been Kagome? I have b.…" Sango never got to finish her sentence once she saw what Kagome had picked to ride for the afternoon. She took a step back as she said, "Kagome, you do realize that you have twin headed Dragon's with you right?"

Kagome looked over her shoulder as she reached up and scratched each of the heads. "Yes I know. They were lonely and wanted to come out for a little while. They promised me that they would behave if I took them out to stretch his legs."

Kagome continued to scratch the ears of her new friends as she said, "I want to go flying. I want to leave this area for a while so I can think clearly. I know that I'm not allowed to leave the castle grounds but I don't care. I want to feel free once again. I feel like I have been a prisoner ever since I was brought here." Kagome turned as she looked at Sango to see what she would do once she had stated her intensions.

Sango could only shake her head, Kagome had a way of making friends with some of the most dangerous creatures there was. She saw as the twin dragonheads purred in contentment when Kagome scratched behind their ears.

Sango took her horse back inside as she returned a short time later and said, "Well if you're going to take a flying Dragon then I can ride Kirara. So how about we take a ride around the western lands for a few hours. It would be safer in the air anyway."

Kagome agreed as she pulled the reins over the Dragon's head and then got in the saddle that she had placed on his back. She nudged him over his ribs as the Dragon youkai took off into the sky. Kirara quickly followed sticking close to his side.

When they were approaching the barrier Kagome called out to Sango and said, "Sango if you and Kirara come closer to us, I will place a barrier around us so we can leave the castle area."

Sango agreed as she nudged the fire neko closer to the Dragon. When they were flying side-by-side Kagome placed a barrier around them and they flew out of the barrier and headed south.

Sango and Kagome flew over the land just enjoying their freedom for a little while. They didn't think that anyone would notice that they had left the castle grounds. But what they didn't know was that anyone who left would alert the lord to the castle. So when they left the barrier a certain youkai lord noticed right away.

--oOo—

Lord Inutaisho was sitting in the dinning hall eating his lunch with his mate in peace. The children had long ago finished and were excused to do whatever they pleased. It was very rare for the ruling couple to have any alone time during the day but when they did have it they enjoyed every minute of it.

Inutaisho stiffened when he felt that someone had left the castle grounds as he furrowed his eyebrows together deep in thought. 'I didn't give anyone permission to leave the castle grounds today. So who has left?'

At that moment, one of his servants came running into the dinning hall and went directly to Inutaisho, as he kneeled in front of his lord. He then said in a shaky voice, "Milord, the two headed dragon is gone from the stables. We found the gate to his stall open and no one saw him leave the area."

This was not good. That Dragon only listened to Sesshoumaru and here lately his son has not had the time to take it out to stretch its legs. "Have the guards search the grounds for the Dragon, when he is found inform me immediately."

The servant quickly left to carry out his bidding. Inutaisho then turned to his mate and said, "If his Dragon is gone, Sesshoumaru is going to be upset. But I just felt someone leave the castle grounds a few moments ago. I doubt that the Dragon is strong enough to have broken through my barriers and leave the castle area."

Inutaisho was deep in thought as he started to concentrate on the area. He was looking for all of his pups to make sure that they were all safe. He found Sesshoumaru still in his room. Inuyasha was outside playing with some of the castle children. He then looked for Kagome and he couldn't find her aura. He tried to find Sango and she too was gone from the castle area, he couldn't find either of them. Fear started to take hold as he turned to his mate and asked, "Ayashiko do you know where Kagome and Sango are?"

Ayashiko was surprised by his question and answered, "The last time I saw them they were in the gardens sitting under the sakura tree talking. They may have gone riding in the forest. We did tell them they could go anywhere in the castle grounds."

The youkai lord paled when he heard his mate's response. He could not sense Kagome's presence anywhere near the castle or within its barriers. He gave a growl of annoyance as he stood and started to leave the dinning hall.

Ayashiko seeing that her mate was upset went after him and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you so angry?"

Inutaisho stopped as he turned to his mate and said, "Sango and Kagome have left the castle grounds. They are outside the barriers unprotected. I know that Sango can protect Kagome, but all it takes is a few strong youkais to bring the both of them down."

Ayashiko gasped at the implications of what her mate just said. If the enemy finds Kagome out there on her own they will try to capture her. But she knew her pup very well and she would not be so easy to capture, and making Kagome submit was going to be the hardest thing of all. But she still didn't like the idea of her pup being outside unprotected.

She rushed outside with her mate to see if she could determine in which direction they had gone. Inutaisho formed his demonic cloud under his feet as he turned to his mate and said, "Ayashiko please stay here I will see to Kagome."

Ayashiko reluctantly agreed to his request. She watched as he took off into the sky in search of their pup. Oh there will be hell to pay when Kagome came back. She will not be allowed outside anymore without herself or her mate, to make sure that they don't leave the castle grounds.

As Inutaisho flew he sniffed the air. He had found his pup scent and was tracking her with ease. They were heading south. He could tell that the fire neko and the two-headed Dragon were with her. He wondered how on earth did Kagome get the two-headed Dragon to obey her commands. As far as he knew the Dragon would burn anyone that came near it but here was his little one riding the beast.

He shook his head to clear it of its many thoughts as he continued to go after his pup. It didn't take him long to find them and what he saw made him proud as well as angry. His little one was in the middle of a battle trying to protect a village of ningens and from what he could tell they were winning. He floated in the air as he watched what was going on down below.

--oOo—

Kagome and Sango had been having fun just flying around the area admiring the lands down below. They had gotten into a race as the Dragon and Kirara flew as fast as they could to see who would be faster. It was a tie as both girls broke out laughing and then turned their steeds around as they started to head back home before they were missed.

Kagome enjoyed her time away from the castle. She was able to relax and think about everything that had happened in the last few days. She still didn't understand what was going on but she had come to accept the decisions made for her.

She had to remember that this was 1000 years in the past and women's equality was non-existent at this point in time. Women were not due to get their rights for at least another 900 years or so. The males were always dominant and what they said was law even if you disagreed with them.

Kagome was relaxing, enjoying the sun hitting her face as the Dragon flew on, its wings gently flapping ever so often to keep them in the air. Then she felt something tingling at the back of her neck, a warning that something was about to happen.

Kagome sat up straight as she scanned the area looking for the threat. Sango saw her friend sit up straight as she started looking around the area. Sango thought this an odd behavior even for her friend as she asked "Kagome is something wrong?"

Kagome continued to scan the land down below and replied, "Sango I feel that danger is coming, and something is going to happen soon."

They didn't have to wait for long when they saw the vile creatures getting ready to attack one of the villages down below. They moved down toward the ground to get a better look at what was going on.

They saw several Inu Youkais and numerous other youkais coming out of the forest preparing to attack the village. The ningen males were ready to defend their homes while the ningen women gathered the children and tried to move them to safety.

Kagome turned to Sango and said, "Sango we can't let them destroy that village down there. They will attack and kill everyone."

Sango agreed with her statement as they both headed into battle. Kagome was in the lead as Sango followed closely behind on Kirara.

--oOo—

The youkais that Jakyoku had sent to watch over the western castle were deep in the forest. They were keeping watch hoping to get their chance to get into the castle and capture this female that their lord wanted.

One of the scouts, a youshun youkai, flew back to camp and informed them that the girl was leaving the castle grounds on a Dragon. The soldiers couldn't believe their luck. They didn't have to attack the castle, all they had to do was get her attention and get her to come down to the ground and capture her. It shouldn't be that hard to capture one ningen female.

They heard a noise as they all looked up into the sky. They saw the girl-flying overhead with a two-headed dragon, a two-tail fire neko, and a ningen onna as a companion. They gave chase as they thought of a plan before the females decided to go back to the castle. They came up with a plan to attack the ningen village nearby and see if they could get the female to come down.

They headed straight for a village and waited in the forest. When the females were flying back towards the castle, the leader of the group called the attack as they all surged forward getting ready to attack a village full of defenseless ningens.

---oOo---

Ah, Un hovered over the village as they observed what was going to happen. They waited for their mistress orders, as they were still high above the ground.

Kagome had stopped her Dragon steed above the village that was about to be attacked. She got an idea as she reached in her kimono and pulled out five sutras. She turned to Sango and said, "Sango go warn the villagers to stay in their village. I'm going to put up a barrier and if they touch it they might die. I will protect them but they must not touch my barrier."

Sango heard Kagome's request as she took off to warn the villagers about the barrier that was about to be placed to protect them.

Kagome started chanting her spell as she held out her hand. Four of the sutras in her hand flew to the four corners of the village. She watched as the sutras attached themselves to the trees in the four corners of the village. When this was done she kissed the sutra she still held in her hand and threw it down to the ground. As soon as the sutra made contact with the ground a powerful barrier was set up to protect the village from any harm.

Kagome then pushed her Dragon friend forward as they flew to confront the youkais that wanted to attack the village. Sango was right at her side as she took her weapon off her back getting ready to do battle.

Kagome unsheathed Jenjou from its sheath, as she was getting ready to do battle. She was stronger this time and she shouldn't have any problems dealing with the blades powers. The last time she only had energy for just one attack. She was left weak and almost defenseless, but not this time, her training with Lord Inutaisho was going to pay off.

Ah, Un landed gently on the ground as Kagome got off the Dragon and went to stand in front of them. Sango landed right next to the Dragon as she got off Kirara and went to stand next to Kagome. Kirara took up her position next to the Dragon, keeping a watchful eye open for any danger.

Sango could hear Kagome's sword pulsing with power. She has never, in her life, heard a sword do that before. 'Kagome must be very powerful if the sword is accepting her power and she still maintains a powerful aura around her.' Sango thought as she gripped her weapon a little harder ready to attack at a moments notice.

Kagome saw the attacking youkais come to a halt right in front of her. She gripped her sword a little tighter as she stood her ground. She was tired at all the gawking as she yelled, "Why are you attacking this village?"

The leader of the group stepped forward as he said to her, "We don't want to attack a pathetic ningen village. They pose no real challenge for us. We made it appear that we were going to attack this village in order to get you to land. You are to come with us otherwise this village will suffer our wrath."

Kagome couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips as she said, "What makes you think that you can break down my barrier? I'm not going anywhere with you, so you can just turn around and leave, I will allow you to live for another day."

The youkais were not happy at all. This ningen onna was laughing at them as if she was amused with what they requested. The Inu Youkai in charge gave the word and about 20 youkais shot past Kagome and Sango as they attacked the barrier protecting the village.

Kagome did not turn around to watch because she knew what was going to happen. As soon as the youkais attacked the barrier they were instantly purified by her powers. She held her sword in front of her and said, "Like I told you before, no one is going to break my barrier, now are you going to leave?"

The Inu Youkai was pissed that he just lost 20 of his best youkai to this miko. He gave the order as they all attacked at the same time.

Sango was the first to attack as she sent her Hiraikotsu towards the enemy. It sliced through the enemy with ease as she killed the front line of the attacking youkais. Ah, Un came next as they both sent a blast of dragon breathe and killed the Youkais that were coming from the air. They were determined to protect their mistress.

Kagome stood with her sword as it started to glow a pure red in color. Its power was great as Kagome slashed with her sword and yelled, "HONOO NO SHINIDE!!"

A great ball of fire emerged from the sword as it swept forward and engulfed the youkai that were approaching. The flames were so powerful that as the attack went by, you could see the piles of ash that represented the youkai that were attacking her.

Only one Inu Youkai survived the attack as she said, "Tell your lord that I submit to no one. There is no one strong enough to make me submit and if your lord shows his face around here then I will take great pleasure in killing him."

The youkai did not waste any time at all in getting out of that area. 'This ningen is powerful. I have never seen power like that in all my life. Milord is going to have a hard time trying to get her to submit to his will. No wonder he wants her as a mate.'

Kagome put her sword back in its sheath as she turned and walked back to the village. She put her hand on the barrier that was around the village and it came down in one swift move. She saw the villagers coming toward her wanting to offer her their thanks for protecting them. They stopped in their tracks as they eyed something behind her.

Kagome's back became stiff. She heard Sango's intake of breath as she looked over to her friend. She saw the pale look on her face as she was looking at someone behind them and she had a bad feeling about what was there. She opened her mind as she sensed the aura behind her. It was very powerful and she recognized it immediately.

She swallowed hard as she slowly turned around. Her breath hitched, as she turned pale. He was the last person she wanted to see right now and the expression on his face told her that she was in big trouble.

--oOo—

Lord Inutaisho had witnessed everything that his little one had done. She has grown in power and she would back down to no one. She let it be known that she would submit to no one but he was the one person she had to submit to. She had gone against his orders and now she must pay the price.

He saw when she let the only youkai to survive her attack return to their lord with a message from her. But he was not about to let him get away. First rule of combat, never let your enemy live when they could take back so much valuable information about you.

He quickly followed the youkai and when he had stopped he let his whip go and killed the bastard where he stood. His lord would figure it out sooner or later that they had all died here. But he will have to come and find out for himself, how they had died.

He quickly made his way back to where his little one was located. He landed on the ground right behind her, while her back was to him. He still had his aura hidden so she didn't know that he was there. He took a few steps towards her and he stopped.

He heard the villagers gasp when they saw him and saw when Sango had turned around to see what the villagers were looking at. Now his little one turned around and the expression on her face was priceless. She knew that she was in trouble with him as she lowered her head and whimpered.

This time her whimpers where not going to work with him. He walked closer to her and said, "We will discuss your punishment once we get back to the castle. Right now I want you and Sango to return."

Kagome and Sango obeyed without a word. Kagome got up on the Dragon as she kicked him lightly to get him going back to the castle. They raced back to the castle because they knew that there would be hell pay. Once back Kagome took the Dragon back to the stables where the handlers were waiting to clean and feed the Dragon.

Kagome petted each head in turn and told them both that she enjoyed her time with them. She hoped that she could come back and see them. The way the youkai lord was acting, she doubted that she would be allowed to do anything again. She looked at the Dragon as a tear fell down her cheeks and said, "Remember you two, behave and don't give your handlers any problems. I will come and see you if and when I'm allowed to leave the castle again."

The Dragons whined as they nuzzled the girl, they would miss her. A servant came forward as they grabbed the reins and started to lead the Dragon back inside the stables. The Dragon's head were hanging down and you could feel the hurt they had for being left alone again.

Sango came up and put her arm around her friends shoulder as she offered her some comfort. They both knew that leaving the castle grounds would get them into trouble but it was worth the risk to see Kagome happy for just a little while.

Sango turned her friend in the direction of the castle. They both hurried inside as they headed toward their rooms. They figured they better get there before the youkai lord came back. They were about to go up the stairs when someone called out to them from behind and made them stop.

They both turned to see Ayashiko standing behind them with her arms crossed over her chest. The expression on her face was not a happy one. They both looked down to the ground as they waited to see what she would do to them.

Ayashiko eyed both girls as they attempted to go upstairs. She wanted her time with the both of them before her mate came back. "I want you two to follow me." Her tone of voice was not it's usual happy one and it had a certain coldness to it.

Both girls jumped when they heard what she said. When Ayashiko started to leave the area they reluctantly followed behind her. They stepped into this room that they both have never seen before. It looked like a study and it had shelves of books along two of the walls. In the middle of the room there was a desk that was low to the ground. A large pillow was on one side of the desk. There where smaller pillows in front of it.

Ayashiko motioned both girls to sit on the two empty pillows right in front of the desk as she went around and sat on the large pillow behind the desk. She sat down as she watched both girls fidget in their seats. She was so angry with the both of them that she didn't know where to start.

She took a deep breath to calm herself down as she said, "Why did you two leave the castle grounds? You know that there is danger beyond the barriers. Yet you two take it upon yourselves to leave the grounds on your own. You both had us worried sick that something might have happened to you."

Kagome felt terrible for worrying her. Sango was not to blame for this. She wanted to go out and be free for just a little while, she knew that she was forbidden to leave the castle grounds but she did anyway. She took a deep breath as she said, "I'm truly sorry Lady Ayashiko. I just wanted to be away from here for just a little while so I could think."

Ayashiko heard what her pup said but it still did not explain why she had to leave the castle grounds. "I don't understand what you are saying Kagome. You have plenty of places here where you can go and think. You didn't have to leave the castle grounds to do that."

"NO! You don't understand! Everywhere I go I'm looked upon with hatred in all of the females' eyes. The men lust after me and they only look at my body. The only place that I could sit and think was in the gardens, but now that's not even a place where I could go and feel comfortable.

The soldiers watch me from within the forest. I can feel their eyes on me watching what I am doing, and it bothers me. I sometimes feel so trapped and alone here. No one will tell me what is going on. No one trusts me enough to tell me when I will be able to leave this place. I hate it here and there is nothing I can do because I promised you that I would stay here and be protected." Kagome said with anguish in her voice. It was the first time that she let anyone know about her feelings and how she really felt.

Ayashiko was shocked to hear her pup talk this way. Sango who was sitting next to her looked at her with surprise in her eyes. They both had no idea that she felt this way.

At that moment Lord Inutaisho came into the room and walked over to his mate. He had been listening to everything that his pup was saying. He didn't know she felt so uncomfortable here in his castle but he had to deal with what she has done first before he took care of the rest of her problems.

Inutaisho looked at his mate and then turned his attention to his little one as he said, "I understand that you feel uncomfortable here in my home but it still does not excuse your behavior. You broke my command of not leaving the castle grounds and for that you will be punished. You will not be allowed to go to the stables to see the two headed Dragon."

At this Kagome was about to protest but was quickly cut off by the youkai lord. "The only place you are allowed to go to is the gardens. If you leave that area I will know and the next punishment will be more severe. Do you understand what I am telling you, Kagome?"

Kagome nodded her head in understanding as silent tears fell down her cheeks. She was being treated unfairly and kept under lock and key for what, she really didn't know.

Inutaisho smelled the tears that she was shedding as he said, "Soon Kagome you will be presented to the rest of the governing lords of the lands. You will be presented as my pup and of mating age. You must learn to do as your told and obey the orders given to you. It will not do for you to be defiant."

Kagome looked up with tears streaking down her face. There was fire in her eyes as she looked at the youkai lord. She had a defiant look on her face as she said, "I may be of mating age but I will mate with whomever I see fit to be my mate. My heart will tell me who he is and I don't care how strong or weak he is. If I love that person that is the one I will mate with. There is nothing you can do to make me mate with someone I don't want. I will fight them tooth and nail and I will not submit to any man or youkai." With that Kagome got up and ran out of the study. She left behind a shocked youkai lord and mate.

Sango shook her head as she stood and said, "You know, my father did the same thing to me. He wants me to find a suitable male and be married. But all the ones that came calling did not stir my heart and never will. I fought them that's why I'm here now. Don't make the same mistake with Kagome. She is powerful and she will fight whatever male you chose for her. She will fight them with everything she has because she feels that strongly about it. She has been controlled for far too long and now she will be controlled no longer."

Sango turned after she had said her peace and left the room. She gave them both something to think about.

Inutaisho let out a sigh of frustration. He had no idea how to deal with this problem. Males he could deal with but females he was at a total lost. He turned and looked at his mate and asked, "Ayashiko, how do we deal with her? Males I can deal with but females? I'm totally confused by her reaction."

Ayashiko heard her mate as she said, "Mate, remember she comes from a different place than we do. You do remember what she said when you were about to punish both our pups for destroying the dojo. 'If I hadn't been dragged down that damn well and brought here to this era none of this would have happened. You would be still living your normal lives.' I have not been able to get her to tell me what she meant by that statement but if I had to guess I believe that Kagome comes from somewhere in the future."

Inutaisho had forgotten about that little bit of information. He had to admit that his mate had come up with a good hypothesis of where the girl would have come from. He remembered the clothing she wore when they first meet. They were a little too revealing for his taste but she did look good in them.

"Yes I do believe that your hypothesis is correct. When I first met her she was wearing strange clothing, very revealing clothing. I changed them to cover her up while I traveled to the slayer village because of the sword she carries. It looked just like Midoriko's sword and I had to make sure that the jewel and sword were safe." Said Inutaisho, as he was deep in thought about the day he had first met his little one.

"Well it matters not, she will fight whoever we chose for her mate and we must present her to the other lords. It was part of what Midoriko wanted and we must comply with her wishes. Lets just hope that it is Sesshoumaru that wins the right to dominate her and not someone else." Said Ayashiko as she stood to leave the study. She had to go and check on Kagome to make sure she was all right.

She left her mate to his thoughts as she walked out of the room heading upstairs. When she got to Kagome's room she found Sango sitting outside her door. She had tears going down her face as she rocked back and forth, trying to will them away.

Ayashiko came running up to her as she asked, "Sango is something wrong with Kagome? Why are you out here?"

Sango looked up from the ground as she said, "Kagome won't let me into her room. She says that she will stay in there forever if she has too. Kirara was the only one that was able to get in the room before she sealed the door."

Ayashiko was shocked to hear this as she stood and went to the door. She went to open it and was shocked, when literally; tiny volts of electricity came out to attack her. She looked at the door as she said, "Kagome, please let me in, I want to talk to you."

The only response she got were the wails of her pup as she was crying in the room. She would not let her barrier down and there was no way to enter her room. Ayashiko sighed she didn't know what to do now as she turned to Sango and said, "We have to wait for her to calm down. Then she might be receptive to coming out of her room."

Sango understood what Lady Ayashiko was saying as she continued to sit by the door and wait until her friend came out of her room or let her come in and talk.

Ayashiko turned as she went to find her mate. She had to talk to him about this. She didn't think that Kagome was going to react like this to her punishment.

---oOo---

Youshun – Hawk or Falcon

Honoo No Shinide – Flames of the dead (Kagome's attack)

That is the end to another chapter. Oh the trouble they are going to have to get Kagome out of her room. But she is just being Kagome and Kagome does not submit to anyone.

When she does come out of her room they will have to deal with a more quiet and reserved Kagome. She still defies the youkai lord of his wishes and things get out of hand.

Kagome goes into a strong heat and gets attacked, what will Sesshoumaru do when hordes of demons want to take away his beloved mate. Well you have to stay with me to find out.

I wanted to wish all of you out there reading this fiction a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. I hope that next year it will bring us all new stories to read and new friendships to be had. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERY ONE!!!

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sesshomaru was pacing in his room. He has been locked up since the day he protected Kagome from his father's wrath. His inner inu had taken over and he was still in control. His eyes were still blood red as his beast growled with anger.

For days now he has heard the sounds of swords clashing in the near distance as his intended battled with his father. He knew that his father could hurt her again and he had tried to break out of the prison he was being held in, but the spells were proving to be difficult to break. He could not transform, he had tried to do so in order to protect her. The spells and enchantments that were placed in his room prevented him from using most of his powers.

He would hear her gentle voice speaking to him when she was training, telling him that she was fine and that his father was not hurting her.

It was funny the way that had happened. The day after he protected Kagome from his father's wrath, she was able to connect with him. She told him that she was grateful for his protection and wished that she could really speak to him in person. She was also told that she could not have contact with him.

Of course that did not prevent the two from having conversations with each other on a daily bases. He looked forward to those times and she kept him abreast of what was going on in the castle and around the area.

She would go and read all of the scrolls that would arrive for his father. She was a very fast reader so no one ever caught her reading the scrolls. After that they would often talk trying to get to know one another. He determined that she was very intelligent and possessed great knowledge.

They would often talk to each other during the day but then today it all stopped. He could no longer talk to her and that upset him. He had enjoyed his conversations with her and he knew that his father must have discovered that they were still having contact with each other.

He had been pacing in his room when he heard the wails coming from her room. She was upset and crying. He had no idea why she was crying but all he wanted to do was go to her and offer her some comfort in any way he could.

He was desperate. Her wails and loud sobs penetrated to the deepest part of his soul. He needed to go to her no matter what. He gathered all his strength and lunged for the door with everything he had. A magical barrier reinforced itself around the door and it blew him back into his room. He hit the wall behind him hard, making an indentation in the wall and fell unconscious to the ground. He was still thinking about his blue/black haired angel with the beautiful blue eyes.

---oOo---

Days passed and Kagome did not come out of her room. She would not eat and her crying was still ever present. Sango kept a silent vigil outside her room making sure no one would try to get her out unless she was ready to do so on her own.

Sango had become very protective of her adopted sister. Whenever a servant went by and shot a dirty look at Kagome's door, Sango attacked, making sure that they knew, that kind of behavior was not allowed in her presence. They were going to stop mistreating her sister or face death by her hand. Kagome had a kind and gentle soul and she couldn't understand why they were being like this.

Sango didn't know when she started thinking about Kagome as a sister but she did. She was the sister she never had and she knew she had to protect her against anything that would hurt her.

One day Sango had over heard several female servants talking, they were saying, "Did that ningen come out of her room yet? You know that she is the cause of why master Sesshoumaru is being confined to his own room. They say that his inner beast is still in control, lusting over that pathetic ningen onna. I don't see what is so important about her. We are more suitable to be his mate than that wench."

'So they are all jealous that Sesshoumaru is paying attention to Kagome and not them. The only wenches around here are them and the way they lust after power is disgusting.' Thought Sango as she stepped out of her hiding place to confront the servants.

Screams were heard all over the castle as Sango beat the living daylights out of the servants by just using her bare fists. Previously, they had taken away her Hiraikotsu when she almost killed one of the servants. She was about to deal the killing blow when she was grabbed from behind and pulled away from her target. She was not done with them yet as she struggled in the person's arms. A loud growl made her stop as she looked over her shoulder to see the youkai lord standing behind her with one arm wrapped around her waist.

Sango settled down once she saw who held her. When she had calmed enough he released her and asked, "Sango, why are you beating on the servants again?"

Sango gave an impressive growl and said, "They shouldn't be talking bad about Kagome. They are just jealous because Sesshoumaru-sama is paying attention to Kagome and their lust has them blind to the fact that they can never mate with your son. They should know their place if they want to continue to live."

Inutaisho's eyes glowed red with anger as he looked at the servants that were trembling at his feet. He could tell that what Sango was saying to him was the truth as he eyed the female servants. Inwardly he reflected that Sango had gotten stronger during her stay here in the castle. She just took on three female youkai's and they were the ones on the floor bleeding while she didn't have a scratch on her.

He turned his attention to Sango and said, "Go back to Kagome's room. If she comes out of her room I want to know right away. Any change that you feel in her room I want to know about it."

Sango agreed as she left the demonesses lying on the ground giving them all death glares that stated, 'Say anything bad about Kagome again and the next time he won't save you.'

Once Sango was out of the area, Inutaisho looked at the servants on the floor. He lashed out with his whip as each of the females received his punishment for talking bad about his pups. "Now you three will listen to me. There is no way that I would let any son of mine mate with the likes of you. Know your station, the next time I hear you talking about any of my pups you will die by my hand. Is that understood?"

The three servants nodded their head in understanding as they struggled to get up and leave their lords presence before they were killed. They will get even with the ningen for doing this to them. Then they will kill the other ningen that stood in their way of getting to Sesshoumaru.

Inutaisho knew that this would not be the last time he would have to deal with those three. He knew he should have killed them on the spot but he couldn't bring himself to kill a female. He sighed in frustration and went looking for his mate. Maybe she would be able to do something.

--oOo—

Kagome was sitting on the windowsill of her room. She was feeling weak at the moment since she has refused to eat or leave her room in days. Kirara was her constant companion during this time. She had tried to get the neko to leave by the window. She told her that she would open her barrier to let her out so she could go and eat. But the neko refused to leave her alone.

Kagome sighed; she knew she would have to leave her room to get Kirara to eat so she would not die. She hated thinking that she was suffering because of her own stubborn pride.

Kirara was presently lying on Kagome's bed asleep. She knew the neko was weak from not eating food and she couldn't let her die. Her friend would not forgive her if something were to happen to her pet.

She sighed out of frustration. She got off the windowsill and walked over to the neko and picked her up. Kirara opened her eyes and she meowed to her friend. Kagome nuzzled her close to her face as she said, "Alright you win. We will both get something to eat. Then I want to be left alone."

Kirara purred at the attentions she was getting. She was happy that her plan had worked. Kagome didn't know that she could go days without food or drink and it wouldn't affect her. But Kirara had been concerned for the girl that had been hurt so much. She gave Kagome a lick to her chin in gratitude as she felt the girl walk over to her door.

Kagome took a deep breath as she opened the door and the first person she saw was her friend Sango. Tears where coming from Sango's eyes as Kagome was caught in a big bear hug.

Sango couldn't help herself, she was so glad to see Kagome that she lost all her composer, as she leapt and grabbed Kagome in a big bear hug. She let her go once she heard her friend say, "Sango please, I can't breathe." Sango quickly let go and offered her friend an apology for hugging her so tightly.

Kagome then walked past her as she made her way down to the kitchens. She didn't want to go to the dinning hall. She had enough of the servants of this castle and if they said anything wrong to her or looked at her in the wrong way, she knew she would lose control. She continued making her way down to the kitchen with Sango following closely behind her.

When they reached the kitchen Kagome looked for the only servant that had ever been nice to her. She was looking for an elderly youkai. Kagome saw now that she had silver hair with a gray stripe going down the middle of her head. It used to be a dark brown in color with a black stripe going down the middle. She had one soft brown stripe on each side of her cheek that was not as smooth as they once where. She had deep piercing green eyes. But her features held all the wisdom of her years. She appeared to be a shimarisu youkai to Kagome.

She approached the elderly youkai and said, "Katsuki if its not too much trouble could I have something to eat please?"

The elderly youkai known as Katsuki whirled around when she heard a familiar voice behind her. She was so relieved to see the young miko standing in front of her. "Why yes of course child, come sit at the table and I will personally make you something to eat."

Kagome smiled the very first smile since she was told of her fate. She went and sat at the only table in the kitchen, while Katsuki got busy making the young girl something to eat. She set a couple of bowls of oden in front of the miko and her friend along with some bread and meat for the neko.

Katsuki turned with a motherly expression on her face and said, "Now I want you to eat everything I gave you. You have not eaten anything I have sent you for the past few days and it's not good for you to go without eating. Look how skinny you have become because of it."

Kagome lowered her head at being chastised for what she did as she said in a low voice, "Gomen nasai, I will not do it again."

Katsuki was satisfied that she got her message across to the young miko as she saw her start to eat. Sango joined her in the meal and when they were done and Katsuki was satisfied that she had eaten enough, she let them leave her kitchen. But before Kagome went too far she said, "Little one, I want you to come down here every meal. I will feed you from here. If you don't come down to eat then I will come after you, am I understood?"

Kagome nodded her head in understanding. She would not get on the elder youkai's bad side. She had seen first hand what she could do when she was mad and she didn't feel like being humiliated in front of everyone if she came looking for her for missing a meal.

Kagome and Sango walked out of the kitchen with full bellies and went outside. Kagome knew that the only place she could go was to the gardens so she headed there.

Sango was concerned for her friend. She had not spoken except for the few words she said to her upstairs and the few words she spoke to the elder youkai in the kitchen. Kagome was very withdrawn into herself and this was not good. For now she would let her be until she felt that Kagome was ready to talk. She knew that her friend was still upset over what had happened.

They got to the gardens and walked over to the sakura trees where they spent the rest of the day in complete silence. Kagome even took a nap under the tree, enjoying the nice cool breeze that blew through the area.

Sango had asked Kirara to make sure that the guards stayed away from the gardens. The neko transformed into her true form and flew away looking for intruders to keep them away from the girl that she was protecting. She found several that she attacked and sent them on their way. None of the soldiers would attack the neko, they knew that if they did they would attract the attention of their lord and that's something no one wanted.

Sango and Kagome spent the afternoon in the gardens. When the sun started to go down they made their was back into the castle and down to the kitchen. Katsuki was waiting for them with their food already on the table. They both sat down and ate in silence. Kagome was still unwilling to speak to anyone.

When they were done, the two girls left the kitchen and headed upstairs. When she reached her room, Kagome turned to her friend and said, "Goodnight Sango, sleep well."

Sango couldn't take it any longer as she asked, "Kagome? Will you ever talk to me again? I'm sorry that I didn't try to stop you from leaving the castle grounds a few days ago. I knew we would get into trouble but I wanted you to be happy even if it was for a few hours."

Kagome looked at her friend with concern. Kagome's eyes revealed everything about her. She was sad, lonely, but most of all she felt unloved. "It's not your fault Sango. I knew what would happen if I left the grounds and now I'm paying for it."

"Will I see you in the morning then?" asked Sango in a shy voice.

Kagome sighed; she could not neglect her friend no matter what she felt for this place. She did make her life a little brighter. "Yes you will my friend. We will go down to eat in the kitchens from now on. Down there no one looks at me with hatred in their eyes." She then turned and went into her room followed closely by Kirara.

Sango sighed in relief. Her friend was on the road to recovery and she would make sure that she was well protected. She turned on her heels and when she was about to leave, Sango noticed that Kagome had placed her barrier on her door again. She went down to the main dining hall where she knew the lord and his family was eating. Well everyone except for Sesshoumaru he was still being kept locked up in his room.

As Sango approached, the doors to the dining room were opened for her. She walked straight to the youkai lord, kneeled in his presence, and spoke, "Milord, Kagome has finally come out of her room and is eating again. She wishes to eat in the kitchen where she feels comfortable."

Inutaisho was relieved to hear that his pup had come out of her room. But he was not happy about her eating down in the kitchen like a common servant. "That is wonderful news Sango, but I would prefer for her to take her meals with us."

Sango took a deep breath to calm down. She knew that this was going to be hard for them but they had to understand what Kagome was going through. "Milord, Kagome is still upset about everything that has happened in the last few days. She is not speaking at the moment and has withdrawn considerably within herself. I would recommend that you let her take her meals with Katsuki-san down in the kitchen. If you refuse her then she will not come out of her room again. The only reason she did was because she was concerned about my friend Kirara. She was afraid of hurting her because she had not eaten in a few days."

Inutaisho understood what was being said. He had to tread lightly with his little one until she felt safe again. He has been trying for days to instill order in his castle. His mate had taken care of the more outspoken female youkai's because she killed them for their insolence.

Ayashiko had overheard what they were discussing and once all of the servants knew the consequences of talking ill about her pup, they had stopped talking about her completely.

"Very well Sango, she may take her meals in the kitchen. But it will not last forever. She is expected to act her station and soon the other lords will be coming here to meet her. She will be presented to them as my pup and ready to find a mate." Inutaisho said as he looked at Sango to see if she understood what he was talking about.

Sango was glad that she was able to get her friend at least a little time to herself as she said, "Yes milord. It is understood." Sango then bowed deeply to him before she got up and left.

Inuyasha had been sitting there the whole time listening to what was being said. He had not seen his friend Kagome and he missed playing with her at times. He looked at his father and said, "Chichiue, what is wrong with Kagome?"

Inutaisho turned to his son as he said, "She has not been feeling well lately. The castle servants have been saying very mean things about her and have hurt her feelings."

Inuyasha's eyes opened wide as he said, "They have no right talking about her like that! She is the nicest person in the world and someday I want to mate with her."

Both Inutaisho and Ayashiko's eyes opened wide with surprise, and then as calmly as possible Inutaisho asked, "You want to mate with her?"

Inuyasha nodded his head as he said, "Yes I do. She is really nice and she is very powerful. I want her as my own."

Ayashiko turned to her son and asked, "Inuyasha, what would you do if Sesshoumaru wanted her for a mate as well?"

Inuyasha exclaimed "Feh!" then said, "Fluffy can't protect her, he is locked in his room for misbehaving. Plus I know he is not going to mate with her. He doesn't like ningen."

At this Ayashiko giggled. It was wonderful to know that both her sons wanted to mate with the miko. She smiled as she said in a serious tone, "Inuyasha, you can't take her as a mate yet. By the time you are old enough to mate she will be dead. Ningens don't live as long as we do Musuko."

Inuyasha thought about what his mother had said and frowned. "You mean that I can't have Kagome as a mate?"

Ayashiko shook her head no. She could see that Inuyasha was upset about not being able to have Kagome as a mate. She soften her eyes as she said, "Musuko you will find the one that is destined to be your mate. One day you will find her and you will know that it's her when your heart tells you."

Inuyasha understood what his mother was saying, but he was disappointed, he asked to be excused and left to go to his room to sulk. He wanted Kagome for his mate but he couldn't have her according to his mother. Maybe he could get Kagome as a friend since he couldn't mate with her. He continued to ponder this as he was walking to his room.

---oOo---

The days passed by without incident. Kagome would meet Sango outside her room, and they would take all of their meals down in the kitchen. Katsuki would wait for them to come in and then serve them their food once they got there. Katsuki was glad because she saw the little one gaining the weight she had lost.

Kagome had stopped her training with Inutaisho and the youkai lord was not happy about that. She kindly reminded him that the training fields were outside the area she was told she could be in.

Inutaisho could have sworn that Kagome smirked when she told him that. When he said that as long as she was with him she was allowed to leave the garden, he saw a defiant look come into her eyes.

Kagome, being the ever-stubborn miko that she was, refused his offer and said that she would obey his original punishment for her.

Needless to say, Inutaisho was not happy with his pup. She was being very defiant, a trait not looked upon very favorably for someone that was looking for a mate. He growled and barred his fangs at her before he left. He needed to get away from her for a while before he did something he would regret.

He entered his study with a growl and caught the attention of his mate. Ayashiko looked up from the book she was reading as she eyed her mate. He was irritated which means he had words with their pup. She sighed as she asked, "What's wrong Koiishi?"

Inutaisho turned around barring his fangs at his mate and said, "Your pup is impossible!"

Ayashiko eyes opened wide at his proclamation as she giggled and said, "Oh, so she is my pup now is she."

"She defies me and won't train. She says that the training field is outside the area she is allowed to be in." He spoke with a growl in his voice.

Ayashiko soften her eyes as she said, "Well she is correct in that aspect." She knew that she was not making the situation any better for him.

Inutaisho didn't know what to. His pup has defied him and now his mate was teasing him. He growled his frustrations at his mate and said, "I know this mate, I had given her permission to go to the training field with me but she still defies me by saying that she will follow my original orders for her, impetuous pup!"

As he calmed himself he said, "She almost acts like you when you go into heat. Are you sure she is not your real pup or do all women act like this?"

Ayashiko snapped her head up when she heard his comment. You can see the fear in her eyes as she asked, "Inutaisho, please tell me did you smell anything different about Kagome?"

Inutaisho was confused. His mate never said his name unless she was upset about something. He took a deep breath and said, "It's the scent of Night Blooming Jasmine with a touch of cinnamon, why?"

"Quickly we must find her before the males do!" Ayashiko said in fear.

Inutaisho was still confused as he said, "Why? She should be safe inside the barrier."

"You don't understand. Your senses have been dulled because we have been mated for a long time. But think back to the first time we met and the first time I went into heat!" yelled Ayashiko as she ran out of the study toward her pup. She had to reach her before anything happened.

Inutaisho came out of his shock, finally realizing what his mate had said as he rushed out of his study. He had finally caught up with her as they were leaving the castle. They stopped in their tracks when they heard the piercing cry of the Dragon that belongs to Sesshoumaru, calling for his master. Inutaisho turned to his mate and said, "Something must be wrong if the Dragon is calling for Sesshoumaru, but he can't leave the castle."

The moment Inutaisho said that, they heard an anguish howl coming from deep inside the castle as an explosion rocked the palace. The castle shook as a powerful aura landed outside in the gardens. When they finally got there, they found Sesshoumaru in his true form fighting the hordes of males after Kagome. The Dragon was protecting her as Sesshoumaru stood over their bodies protecting them.

Inutaisho was shocked when he saw his son. His inner beast had two tails instead of the one.

--oOo—

Kagome was sitting underneath her favorite tree. She was happy that she had irritated the youkai lord. She knew that she shouldn't disobey him but she was being stubborn at the moment and she actually felt good for doing it.

Kagome had just closed her eyes and was resting comfortably when she sensed a large amount of youkai in the area. She snapped her eyes open at once and stood up from her spot. She scanned the area around her and then she saw them. There must have been about a hundred youkais standing there looking at her. All of them had blood red eyes, which looked at her with lust. They were all growling as they started to make their way to her location.

She had a bad feeling about this as she took out her twin swords getting ready to attack the males that came into the gardens.

Sango stood next to her as Kirara transformed into her true youkai form and gave a piercing roar over the area warning all the youkai to stay away from the girl. But they all attacked at the same time as Sango let her weapon fly. She cut down as many youkai as she could while Kirara attacked those she missed. Even with her battling all these youkai and killing a good portion of them, some still got through her and Kirara as they went after Kagome.

Kagome was scared. For the first time in her life she was actually scared about what was going to happen. She lashed out with her swords as she said, "Raijin Kogeki!"

A wide path was made as she released her lighting attack towards the enemy. Well they weren't really her enemy but the soldiers from the castle. She didn't want to kill them but she didn't have a choice, she didn't understand why they were attacking her in the first place.

The more she attacked and killed the more of came after her. She was hit from behind as she went down. She was grabbed roughly by a youkai but she was knocked out of his hold by another youkai. She landed on the ground as the two males battled with each other. More males came into the scene as Kagome tried to protect herself from the advancing males. She was grabbed off the ground as several males fought each other with her in the middle of the fight.

Kagome finally managed to get free from them as she landed on the ground. She was hurt and bleeding very badly. She couldn't concentrate on putting up a barrier for the pain was too great for her to handle. She closed her eyes and called for the only one that she could still contact. He would be the only one that could still help her at this moment. "Ah, Un please I need your help!"

The dragon heard the girl's silent call as they reared on their hind legs and blasted the roof off the stable. They leaped from their stall and flew to the girl to defend her. When they got there, they released a band of their dragon breath and killed the males around his mistress. She was hurt and on the ground unconscious as they landed on top of her.

The Dragon roared a powerful roar calling to their master telling him that his intended was injured. The Dragon knew that this female belong to his master, she carried his scent on her.

Ah, Un lowered their body down to the ground as they were almost lying on top of Kagome. Their hind and front legs kept the full weight of their body from crushing the girl. They were shielding her from the onslaught. They wrapped their tail around their legs to make sure no one got near the girl as their wings came down as a second layer of protection. They continued to blast the idiotic males away from her. They roared again as an answer roar came back telling them to protect the girl. They would do as their master has instructed them to do with their last dieing breath.

--oOo—

Sesshoumaru felt like a caged animal. He was pacing in his room again and sensed that danger was very near. He knew that his intended was in danger but he couldn't break out of this room.

He continued to pace as he picked up on the battle going on outside the castle. He attacked the walls of his room to get out, but it was to no avail. Then he heard the call of his Dragon. He had not seen them in weeks as they called for him. They told him that they were protecting his intended and that she was hurt from the horde of males attacking her.

Sesshoumaru's anger increased ten fold as he drew out an awesome amount of power from deep within him. His inner inu raged as he continued to pull on this power. He was finally able to break the spell that held him as he transformed into his orb form. He blasted out of the castle and shot up into the air. He transformed into his true form as he headed for his intended.

He landed right on top of his Dragon and growled his displeasure at the other males in the area. He let his youki spread over the land showing his power and demanding that all the males back off from his female, she was his and no one was going to take her away from him.

A few chose to challenge and met a quick death as he struck with his twin tails, killing the irksome males. The other males backed off, they knew that they could never fight such a powerful youkai and win.

Sesshoumaru didn't back down until he saw all the males retreat back into the forest. He transformed back into his human form and approached the Dragon. He petted their heads in thanks as he said, "You have done well, now where is my intended?"

Ah, Un got up and stepped away from the girl. When they did Sesshoumaru's eyes almost went red again. She was in heat and her scent was the most wonderful fragrance he had ever encountered. But when he looked at his intended she was hurt. She was covered in claw marks and she was bleeding badly.

He quickly went to her side as he kneeled down beside her. He picked her up in his arms as his inner inu started to whine for not being able to protect her from this. He held her close to his chest as he rocked her back and forth trying to offer her some comfort in her pain. Sesshoumaru started to lick the wounds on her face, healing the worst ones that would scar her beautiful porcelain skin.

Kagome whimpered in pain as she was moved. She finally felt safe as she was picked up off the ground. Her whole body hurt as the pain was becoming too much for her to handle. She tried to concentrate on healing herself but she was too weak to do that. She felt something warm on her face as it was taking away the pain she was feeling.

She tried to move but her body refused her commands. She slowly started to fall into the dark abyss where she would feel no pain at all.

--oOo—

Ayashiko had watched in horror as the males from around the castle tried to get to her pup. She knew without a doubt that the Dragon standing before her was protecting Kagome. The dragon was protecting something that was underneath him and she figured that's where her pup was located.

She saw that her elder son had escaped the castle and its enchantments to come and protect his intended. Once all the males were gone he had transformed back into his human form. His eyes were back to normal and when the Dragon stood away from Kagome, did she finally see the condition her pup was in. She let out a strangled cry as she ran at once to her pup.

Her son was holding her pup now and his eyes were still normal. She had a chance to get the girl away from him and leave this place to let her heal. She approached slowly as she heard the warning growls from her son. She stopped when she was close enough to him as she said, "Sesshoumaru you must give me Kagome so I can take her away from here and heal her wounds. She is in heat and this place is not the area she needs to be in at the moment. Please, I promise to take care of her and bring her back once she is healed."

Sesshoumaru heard his mother's plea. His inner inu was growling at her for wanting to take his intended away from him again. The rational side won out this time as he stood and brought the girl with him. He held her close to his chest as his chest vibrated to soothe his mate. He turned to his mother and asked, "You will not harm her? And you will bring her back once she is well?"

"Yes Sochi, I will bring her back once she is healed, you have my word." Ayashiko said as she looked at her pup. She needed to get Kagome away from this place and soon.

Sesshoumaru agreed as he let his mother take his intended away from him. He watched as his mother held Kagome close to her chest and kissed her forehead. It was a sign of respect among youkais and of love among one's family. His heart leaped with joy knowing that his mother approved of his chosen mate.

Sesshoumaru saw his father approaching his mother and mate. He was about to growl when his mother beat him to it. Her growls had more of an affect than his for making his father stop his approach.

Ayashiko turned to her mate and growled as she said, "I will be leaving the castle until Kagome is over her heat. I need to treat her wounds and make sure she is strong enough when we return. It is not safe for her here while she is this way and I'm taking her to my sanctuary."

Inutaisho could not believe his ears. His mate has never left the castle before on her own, the only time she ever left was when she was threatened and had taken Sesshoumaru to her sanctuary. He had been devastated about the whole ordeal. He had no idea where her sanctuary was located but she came back to him once he had taken care of the threat.

But he understood her concern for her pup. Kagome was in heat and so far the soldiers of his castle have attacked her but there were others more powerful coming to this area. He could sense them on his lands. He turned to his mate and said, "Do what you think you must. But return to me as soon as possible."

Ayashiko understood his concerns as she looked at Sango and the fire neko. "Sango I want you to come with me to help protect Kagome." Sango agreed and moved closer to Lady Ayashiko. Kirara transformed into her kitten form as she jumped on Sango's shoulder.

Ayashiko turned to her son and told him, "Your intended will be protect by me with my life. I will return when she is well again." She moved closer to Sango as she said, "Sango grab on to my sleeve and hold on tight, we will be traveling fast." Sango nodded and did as she was told. Ayashiko then transformed into her orb form that shot up and disappeared into the sky.

Inutaisho turned to his son and asked, "Do you want to help me get rid of some vermin that are after your intended?"

Sesshoumaru smirked as he transformed into his true form and waited for his father.

Inutaisho observed that his son did not have the twin tails like he had before. His transformation is not complete yet, but he had a feeling that he will transform and accept the power of the two tails to protect his beloved mate. He had never had a reason to accept that ultimate power before, but Inutaisho had a hunch that his son will and it will be very soon.

He transformed into his true form as they both took off into his lands to rid the area of the vermin who were trying to get to his pup. He saw that his son was enjoying himself as he destroyed those who didn't run at just the sight of the both of them defending the west.

--oOo—

Ayashiko traveled fast through the area. It was late in the afternoon when they finally landed and the orb in which they were traveling in, dissipated.

When Sango's eyes finally came into to focus after being in the orb, her eyes were as wide as saucers. She had never in her life seen such a beautiful place. The land in front of her was covered in a blanket of green grass. There were flowers that were scattered around the field in groups as she saw a deer eating in the meadow. In the distance you can see the tall trees that surrounded the land. They stood tall as their majestic branches reached to the skies taking in that glorious sun.

Further into the horizon, you could see the mountain that was a great distance away from them. You could see the white peaks from where she stood and it looked beautiful against the blue skies up above.

She turned as she followed Lady Ayashiko. When she had turned around she spotted a modest castle sitting against a lake. It was not very big, not like the one in the west, but it was still grand in its appearance. It was only three floors tall. The castle was all white with a black roof. There were many windows that allowed the sun to enter the castle and the cool breeze to cool its interior during the day. There were no walls around the castle for the mountains protected it.

The castle's reflection appeared in the crystal clear water as the blue sky gave it the perfect backdrop to its beauty. Further down the lake you could see the other mountains that were present around the area. At the base of the mountains you could see the forest that surrounded it. There were no roads leading to this place, at least not that Sango could see. The crystal clear water of the lake held the reflection of the mountains and the trees, the scene was absolutely breath taking.

Slowly Ayashiko walked up to the castle. At first Sango thought that there were no servants here but that was quickly brought to rest when about five servants ran out of the castle to greet their lady.

They stopped in front of her when they saw the girl she was holding in her arms. Ayashiko got down to the business at hand as she said, "Go and get the healer and bring her to the room right next to mine."

The servants dashed off as one of them went to get the healer and the others went to get the room prepared. By the time they arrived at the room, the healer was just arriving.

The healer was an older fukurou youkai with great knowledge of healing. She had dark brown hair that came to about her waist. It was tied in a low ponytail about where her shoulders blades would be. She had brown eyes and around her eyes lids there was a hint of a white shadow that circled her eyes. She had one stripe on each side of her face that looked like feathers. She wore a blue kimono with a simple white sash. She was wise beyond her years. She approached her lady as she asked, "Milady, what happened to the young one?"

Ayashiko placed Kagome on the bed as she said, "Oyuki she was attacked by the castle guards when she went into heat. I didn't know she was going into heat and by the time we got to her the damage was already done. I want you to help her heal for she is weak and she can't heal herself with her Reiyouku."

The healer understood as she went to work on the girl's wounds. Ayashiko and Sango watched to make sure that she would not hurt Kagome.

When she was done she turned to Ayashiko and said, "Milady, I'm afraid there is some bad news. Although her wounds are not life threatening, her heat cycle is. She has gone unmated for a long time and this time her heat will be very painful for her. In her weakened state I don't know if she will survive such an ordeal. The longer the female goes unmated the harder the pain of her heat. Her body will start to crave for a male and she might try to escape from here."

Ayashiko didn't understand, her pup was ningen how could she be having the heat cycle of a youkai. She turned to Sango and asked, "Sango is this something that is normal for ningen females? Do you have the same heat cycle as a female youkai?"

Sango was still trying to get over that last bit of bad news. She heard her lady's question, and replied, "No milady. In a ningen female the heat cycle comes every moon. We bleed for a week and have slight discomforts but nothing more. We do not go through the same heat cycle as a female youkai."

Ayashiko was deep in thought. None of this was making any sense to her. Her pup was ningen and she was sure of that. But she kept on showing signs that she was a youkai and now with her heat cycle it proved her theory even more.

Ayashiko was even more puzzled as she tried to figure out why this was happening, but first things first. They had to make sure that Kagome stayed here in this castle. She was safe here because there were no males.

She turned to her servants and said, "Oyuki we will take her to the special room that we have. Make sure that we have everything that we will need for when she awakens. You are to make sure that the barriers around the castle hold up until my pup's heat passes."

Oyuki and the other servants left the room they were in as they set out to fix the special room that their lady requested. The room was in a special part of the castle. It was located at the very bottom, where most dungeons where located. But this was no dungeon. The room contained a waterfall within. It was used to cool the heated flesh of the demoness that was in heat. It had barriers and enchantments that prevented the scent of her heat from seeping out of the room. It would keep the most powerful demonesses sealed within its walls with no way out.

Ayashiko knew she had some time to mediate before the room was ready. She asked Sango and Kirara to keep an eye on her pup as she went down the hall into another room. That room was mostly empty and the only thing there was a mat in the middle of the room that she went to and kneeled upon. She readied herself, she needed to contact her friend and find out how to help her daughter.

Ayashiko closed her eyes as she concentrated. She called out to her friend in a silent plea to come to her. She relaxed her mind as she continued to think about her. When she had reached her goal of relaxation she slowly opened her eyes.

After a few moments Ayashiko started to see her friend materialize right in front of her as the mikokoro of Midoriko came to stand before her. She took a deep breath before she spoke to her friend, "Midoriko, it has been a long time since we have last talked. I need your help with the pup that you have entrusted my mate with protecting."

The mikokoro of Midoriko looked at her friend as she said, "What would you like to know my friend?"

"How is it that this ningen pup shows signs that she is youkai? She is not youkai but yet now she is going into heat like a bitch would. I don't understand what is going on and I'm at a total loss on how to help her. She has stayed unmated for far too long now and her heat is going to get worse." Ayashiko said in anguish.

Midoriko arched an elegant eyebrow at her friend as she asked, "Didn't your mate tell you that she is the Shikon No Tama in ningen form?"

Ayashiko eyes went wide when she heard this. This would explain a lot of what is going on with her pup. Fear took over as a thought came to her mind and she asked, "Midoriko did the Shikon No Tama merge with the girl?"

"Yes my friend. It did merge with her. She now possesses not only her soul but also mine and the other youkai that existed in the jewel. She was strong on her own before but when the Shikon No Tama merged with her she now has our combined strength. That's why she is the Shikon in ningen form." Midoriko said.

'No wonder Kagome was acting like a youkai and why she is so powerful. If she is the Shikon then she is going to be hard to subdue.' She sighed as she turned back to her friend and said, "Thank you for the information. I will try to keep her safe until her heat is over but it will not be easy."

Midoriko nodded her head in understanding as she said with concern in her voice, "Yes I know that it will not be easy. I will be keeping a close eye on her to make sure that she maintains control but right now her control is slipping away from everything that has happened today. I will help you in very way possible with the girl."

Ayashiko couldn't ask anything more from her friend as she saw her fade away into the light. She got up as she left the room. Her questions having been answered by her friend, she now knew what she had to do. She would have to wait to deal with her mate once she returned. He should have told her this little bit of information. She could have taught Kagome how to handle all of this and she wouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place.

She went back to the bedroom where Kagome was being kept. When she entered she looked at Sango and asked, "Sango, has she woken up yet?"

Sango shook her head no as Ayashiko approached Kagome. She picked her up as they headed towards the special room she had in mind. Sango was following closely behind Ayashiko as they descended into the depths of the castle. They continued to descend down into the lowest reaches of the castle as they made their way to the room they were going to keep Kagome in until her heat was over with.

Sango thought for sure that they were going to the dungeons. It was what her clan thought was located down in the lowest part of any castle. She knew that she was underground for the air was cooler down here, and when they finally made it to their destination Sango breathed a sigh of relief. It was almost like going into the depth of hell when you went down here, so deep underground it was.

Sango opened the door in front of her to let Lady Ayashiko enter with Kagome. When Sango turned around she was surprised by what she saw. In one part of the room there was a big futon. Two smaller futons where fixed up near the bigger one. On the opposite side of the room there was a hot spring for them to use but what made it even better was that the hot spring had a built in waterfall.

'The water must be coming in from the lake outside.' Sango thought as she continued walking with Ayashiko until she came to the large futon and placed Kagome down on it. The easy part was over as far as Ayashiko was concerned; now the really hard part begins.

Ayashiko told Sango to rest while she had the chance. They both knew that they were going to have their hands full when Kagome finally wakes up and she feels the full affects of her heat.

The days passed and they had managed to keep Kagome asleep for most of her heat. But on the night of the third day she had woken up screaming from the heat within her body, it was just too great for her to handle.

Kagome lashed out with her powers as she almost purified Ayashiko. She was trying to make it to the door so she could leave. Kirara had tackled her from behind as she pinned her to the ground. Kagome was struggling to get out of Kirara's hold. She wanted to leave this place.

Ayashiko got some enchanted shackles as she put them on Kagome. She hated to do that to her pup but she didn't have a choice. The shackles were attached to the walls of the room. They had put shackles on her wrist and ankles to hold her in place.

Kagome struggled against the chains but to no avail. Try as she might she could not break out of the shackles that were placed on her. She was panting hard on the floor as she tried to regain control of her body. The pain was great. Never before had she ever suffered so much pain. It felt like someone was taking their nails and raking them within her stomach.

Kagome's body yearned for the touch of a male. She knew that a male would be able to take the pain away from her and she, at this point, was willing to do anything to make the pain stop.

She bolted for the door as the chains held fast, making her fall on her hands and knees. She started to glow again as Ayashiko, Sango, and Kirara backed away from her. They wanted to make sure that they were not hit with her purifying powers.

Kagome couldn't take the pain anymore as she rose to her knees and screamed a blood-curdling scream that went straight to your soul. She continued screaming as she was holding her head, the pain was too great for her and her body couldn't handle it. She collapsed on the ground and went into a coughing fit. Blood started to come from her mouth and nose. Her blood, being over heated, had to escape her body before it ripped her skin apart.

As much as it pained Ayashiko she held on to Sango and waited for this episode to pass. This one was the worst of them all. If she survived this one she would survive the rest.

Ayashiko noticed right away that something was wrong with her pup, Kagome's breathing had become shallow. Ayashiko raced to her side, but before she could touch her, a barrier went up, preventing her from getting to the girl.

The barrier crackled with power as it foretold the death of anyone who would touch it. Ayashiko watched on in horror as her pup bleed to death and she couldn't do anything about it. Sango was at a loss for what to do. Even she could not touch the barrier for fear that it would harm her.

At that moment, they saw the mikokoro of Midoriko appear as she hovered over her daughter's body. She kneeled next to her and wrapped her arms around her pup. She soothed her daughter to ease her breathing down. She reached into Kagome's mind and showed her where to use her healing powers to help her overcome all this pain. The pain being the one thing that her body couldn't tolerate as it was on the verge of shutting down.

Slowly a blue aura surrounded Kagome's body as the healing process started. Soon she stopped bleeding and started to breathe a little easier. Midoriko was still holding her in her arms. Once she saw that her breathing was back to normal and her bleeding had stopped she let go of her Musume. She rose up off the ground and raised her hand. The barrier went down as Ayashiko came running to her pup. She kneeled by her side as she saw that Kagome was in a deep sleep.

She looked up at her friend as she said, "Thank you for helping her. I almost lost her because of this."

Midoriko smiled as she said, "Ayashiko, she must be mated by her next heat cycle or you will lose her. I cannot stop what her body is yearning for. She will need the help of her mate in order to survive the ordeal. I cannot predict when her next heat cycle will be. It is unstable now for she has gone a long time without mating. The youkai souls are slowly gaining strength and the only way to keep them at bay will be for her to mate as soon as possible." Then the mikokoro Midoriko slowly disappeared from the area.

Ayashiko nodded her head in understanding as she took off the shackles that her pup had on and removed her clothing. She then stood and striped as she grabbed her pup and entered the hot springs there in the chamber they were in. Sango soon joined her as she helped Ayashiko bathe Kagome. The worst of her heat was finally over; all they had to do was wait until she got stronger to head back to the west.

--oOo—

This is the end to another chapter. Kagome's heat almost caused her demise. It is now imperative that Kagome find a mate to help her through the next one.

Now that Ayashiko knows that Kagome is the Shikon in human form she will try to help her get stronger. But Jakyoku comes back in the next chapter and he has some friends that mean to do Kagome some harm. He still wants her as his mate and he will stop at nothing to get her.

Inuyasha decides to play his tricks on Sesshoumaru. But like all his practical jokes they don't always come out the way he wants them. People get hurt, things are said that cause friction between Kagome and Sesshoumaru.

Kagome has a revelation and comes to terms with her heart. Join me in the next chapter as things heat up when they want to get Kagome and Lord Inutaisho is not about to give up what is his.

I want to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! I will continue posting next year. Also, I have a little treat for all of you. I have a one-shot that I wrote its called A Christmas Wish. I know I didn't get it finished or edited in time for Christmas but it is finished and I'm posting it. For those of you who want to read the uncensored version of it go to my profile and I will have a link to the sites that have it. A Single Sparks and Adult Fanfiction will have the uncensored version of this story.

I have another one shot in the works but I'm not done editing yet. So you will have to wait just a bit for that one. Again there will be a censored one for Fanfiction with the uncensored being posted at the other two sites.

Have a wonderful New Years and I will see you all next year!

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

In a dark and cold tunnel, Jakyoku's generals were walking towards his location. They were very much aware of the foul mood their lord has been in these past few months. His aura was steadily growing darker with each passing day. The dark cavern they finally reached did not help the situation since it was only lit with very few torches. The general's eyes had to adjust to the darkened space as they waited for their lord to speak.

Jakyoku was deep in thought as he sat in the middle of the cavern. He had been thinking about everything that has happened in the last three months. He just couldn't believe his rotten luck. So far all of his efforts to obtain the miko has ended in a total fiasco. The fools he had sent to keep an eye on Gengetsujou had turned up dead. After about a week of not hearing from his soldiers he sent a small scouting party out to try and find them. He was hoping that they would find them alive and bring them back so he could enjoy torturing them for not corresponding with him.

The scouts came back about a week later and reported that everyone in that group had been killed. Rumor had it that it was a ningen miko with great powers who had defeated them.

Jakyoku's blood started to boil as he remembered this little bit of information. He had now lost two companies of youkai to that ningen female and the Western Lord. This female was proving to be strong and difficult to obtain. She was everything that he needed and wanted in a female. She was very powerful if she defeated this group of youkai that he had sent to the Western Lands to keep watch over Gengetsujou. They had been one of the top companies in his army, never failing in their mission.

But the question was how to capture the ningen onna? Everything he has tried to do so far has failed. For one thing she was being kept on a short leash. She never went anywhere without an escort or without Inutaisho himself. He knew that his elder son was not allowed to be near the girl if he was planning on competing for the right to court her.

'Those fools think that I will enter some competition to see who is the strongest male to court her. I will take what I want, while they are playing their foolish games, I will be the winner when I walk away with the girl. For it is said, only the strongest will rule the lands. I am the most powerful Inu youkai in this area and soon I will prove that I am the most powerful in all the land. There will be nothing that they can do about it.' Jakyoku thought darkly as he continued to think about the girl.

Then he thought about the girl's power, it was proving to be bothersome if she kept killing his youkai soldiers. He will have to find a way to partially seal her powers making her weaker than himself. She was getting stronger and he knew that he could only withstand a couple of hits of her purifying magic. But once he dominated her and she became his mate there was nothing that she would be able to do about it.

If she were to escape him he would track her down and bring her back. The punishment for leaving his side was not a good one but one that he knew he would have to teach her. He growled as he thought about this.

His generals were moving away from their lord. They were giving him his space just in case he lashed out with his anger. None of them wanted to die today.

Jakyoku's anger was at an all time high as the urge to kill was evident in his eyes. A servant made his way around the cavern giving everyone something to drink. He came to his lord's side as he bowed and then placed a goblet on the low table beside him. He stepped away and bowed to his lord again as he turned making his way back to the kitchen, his task finally complete.

At that moment Jakyoku lashed out with his claws at the servant, whose body laid in two pieces on the ground. His anger finally subsided once his blood lust was satisfied, while he continued to ponder what to do.

The generals all sat waiting, hoping that their Lord would not take out his anger on them.

Jakyoku had to come up with another plan to get the ningen onna or at least continue with his original plan of killing the Western Lord. He smiled an evil smile as he thought, 'Yes it is about time that I kill Inutaisho. Once he is dead the west will slowly start to fall apart. His son, Sesshoumaru, will not be able to take over the Western Lands and rule as lord. He will never be able to handle the responsibility of such a large territory. I could move in, attack, and take the west by force.

When it comes to strategic battles I am far more experienced than Sesshoumaru so therefore I should be able to get what I want. Then I can have the girl because there will be no one to protect her.' Now this plan he liked as he started to formulate how to do it.

A wicked smile came across his features as he got the perfect plan. Inutaisho will meet his death very soon. He called for his favorite assassin the Nezumi youkai. They were very clever when it came to assassinations and they are able to penetrate the most powerful barriers with little problem.

Sado came scurrying into his lord's cavern. He kneeled in front of him as he said, "How may I be of service milord?" His nose was moving from side to side as he picked up everyone's scent. He knew that he was loathed in this place but he didn't care. He did his job well and his lord always rewarded him for his efforts.

Jakyoku looked at his assassin and said, "I have a job for you. I want you to get rid of the Lord of the West. Make sure that his death is a painful one."

Sado laughed as he eyed his lord. He was even more evil than himself. He thought for a few minutes as he asked, "Milord, I could use one of our most powerful poisons. They have no cure and will work slowly to kill your intended victim by eating them from the inside out."

"That would be perfect!" Jakyoku's grin widened at the thought of Inutaisho dying a horrific death.

With that Sado stood and left his lord. He had to get his equipment and companions ready. He needed to find the poison in question so he could take it with him. The Lord of the West will soon be dead and Jakyoku will rule supreme. An evil laughter escaped Sado's lips as he continued on his way through the darken caves.

Jakyoku turned his attention to everyone else in the cavern. His gaze was enough to freeze hell over. Then he said in a deadly voice, "Once I have received word that Inutaisho is on his death bed and close to dying we will set up to attack the west. I will not tolerate failure of any kind. I have already lost two companies of youkai and I don't plan on losing anymore is that understood?"

The youkai generals acknowledge his orders as they quickly left the darkened cavern. They needed to train their soldiers for the fight ahead. The western soldiers were the best trained in the land and it will be difficult to defeat them. But they were confident that they would win the war and gain control over the Western Lands. Soon they will be able to leave these caves and move above ground again. Living underground all these centuries like common moles and hiding from their enemy was a disgrace. They were a proud race and they deserved a better life than this.

Oh yes the time to move to the west was at hand and they will fight to the death to achieve that goal.

---oOo---

Kagome has been slowly recovering from her ordeal. It was the worst cycle she has ever had since she can remember. She has never been through so much pain in all her life.

Ayashiko and Sango had been with her during this time and they had taken very good care of her. She had been left so weak that she thought she was going to die from it. It took her a couple of days to finally get enough strength to sit up. She expended a lot of her energy just to sit up and she was quickly exhausted.

Sango was concerned at seeing her friend like this as she turned to Lady Ayashiko and asked, "Milady, is it normal for a youkai female to behave in this manner? I mean are they normally this weak after coming out of their heat?" Sango had been worried, her friend had bleed so much that they thought they might lose her. When her blood finally started to slow they were both relieved.

Ayashiko looked at Sango and pondered how to best answer her question. She said in a most caring tone of voice as she could, "No it is not normal for a female youkai to be this weak after her heat cycle, because no female youkai would wait this long to find a mate. But Kagome is different. Once she wakes up and is able to talk, you will find that all of your questions will be answered. I have some questions of my own for Kagome and it will make things easier to explain."

Sango understood what the female youkai was saying. She didn't want to explain herself twice so she was choosing to wait until Kagome woke up to tell her what was going on. So they waited for Kagome to get stronger.

A couple of more days passed and Kagome was finally strong enough to walk. They left the special room as they went into the upper portions of the castle. There they were to rest a few more days until Kagome was stronger so they could travel back to Gengetsujou.

Ayashiko knew that asking Kagome questions was going to be difficult but she needed answers. She had tried once before to get Kagome to answer her questions about herself, but she had refused to reveal anything about where she came from or herself. But this time her pup was going to answer her questions. The time for her to trust her mother was at hand and she needed this information in order to protect her.

They were all sitting outside in the warm sun. It was a nice fall day as the trees were starting to change. The area looked absolutely beautiful with all of its colors painting the landscapes. You could see the patches of yellow, red, orange, and green spread around the area. Soon the winter winds would begin to blow and snow will cover the land.

Once all the servants had left and it was just the three of them, Ayashiko cast a silencing barrier around them. She didn't want anyone to hear what they were going to discuss. When she had finished with her spell she turned to her pup and said, "Kagome, I have a few questions that I must ask you before we go back to Gengetsujou. It will help me prepare you for what is to come."

Kagome looked at her youbo with curiosity in her eyes. She wandered what kind of questions she had for her. When she nodded her willingness to answer her questions, she heard her youbo continue.

"Kagome, I want to know how often do you normally go into heat?" Ayashiko questioned as she looked at her pup.

Kagome was confused by her question for she didn't know what she meant by heat. "I'm sorry but I don't understand the meaning of your question. I know that heat for me means to make warm or hot, but I gather that's not what you are asking."

Ayashiko raised an eyebrow in confusion, 'Hmm, maybe I'm phrasing this question in the wrong manner for her.' Ayashiko was spared from answering when she heard Sango chime in as she said, "Kagome what she means is how often to do you have your cycle or bleeding time?"

Kagome looked at Sango for a minute before she got the meaning of what they were asking. She now understood their questions as she said, "Well I have never been normal for a ningen. I was taken to the healers many times because I would not have a normal cycle. The healers told my mother that there was nothing they could do about it. My body would not go into heat, as you call it, every moon cycle, they could never find anything wrong with me. When I did go into heat I would bleed for a longer period of time. They said that I would have a cycle only twice, once in the spring and once in the late fall. But from what you have just told me I went through a heat cycle and it's too early for it."

Ayashiko was listening to her pup with interest. Then she asked, "When you would go through your heat would the pain worsen each time you had it?"

Kagome nodded her yes to her question. Ayashiko sighed, 'I knew it. She has been in heat for far too long.' She turned her gaze to her pup as she asked, "Did your mother ever help you through your heat?"

Kagome was surprised by this question and said, "No, my heat has never been this bad before. It has always been normal for me. I would have pain with each cycle and with each cycle the pain would get a little worse. But it was nothing that I couldn't handle during that time. I have no idea why I got so sick this time."

Now this was interesting. Ayashiko had a theory on why her heat had suddenly got worse as she asked, "Kagome in your village do you have any youkai in the area?"

Kagome eyes opened wide as she slowly stuttered out a "No." Kagome was confused as she asked, "Why are you asking me all of these questions?"

Ayashiko took a deep breath as she started to explain. "Kagome, I have a theory on why your heat was so bad this time. Do you have any idea of who and what you are?"

Kagome shook her head no as her breathing was starting to get labored. She didn't think she was going to like what she was about to be told. She knew that she was different but she really had no idea how very different she really was.

Ayashiko pondered this for a few minutes as she asked her final question before she told her pup what was going on. "Have you ever heard of the Shikon No Tama?"

"Yes I have. It was the jewel that Midoriko created when she was battling all of those youkais. It is said that with the last bit of her energy she sealed the youkais souls along with her own into the jewel that she created. It is also believed that she still fights the battle with those youkais that are still within the jewel." Said Kagome, she was confused where all this was leading.

Ayashiko nodded her head in response to Kagome's statement as she said, "Yes that is true. My friend, Midoriko, did create the Shikon No Tama to prevent those youkai from killing all the ningens in the villages around the area that she protected. The jewel was found after the battle by my mate and he had taken it for safekeeping. No one knew where he had hidden the jewel and Midoriko's sword which held a tremendous amount of power."

At this Sango interrupted Ayashiko as she said, "Lord Inutaisho took the jewel and the sword to my village where it has been protected all these years. There is a cave there that Midoriko protects and that's where we kept the jewel and the sword until Lord Inutaisho came back to our village and took them.

He arrived a several months ago and when he came he had someone with him. He kept this person hidden from all of our view with this tail so no one knew what he held in his arms. All we saw was the blue/black hair and nothing else. He had entered the cave that held the jewel and the sword but Midoriko would not allow my father or me to follow him. It is her will on who enters the cave and who doesn't.

He came out a couple of hours later saying that Midoriko wanted him to protect the jewel and the sword. He took both with him that day and we don't know where he has hidden them."

Understanding came to Ayashiko, as she finally understood what her mate was doing. He is protecting the jewel, that jewel being Kagome. She nodded her head in understanding as she said, "Well I think I might be able to answer where the jewel is."

She turned her attention to Kagome again as she said, "Kagome you are the Shikon No Tama in ningen form." This statement caused both girls to gasp.

Kagome was so shocked to hear this that she asked in a shaky, stuttering voice, "How… How… can I … bbb… be … the Shikon No Tama… in ningen form?"

Ayashiko knew now that she had to tell her pup the truth. She had to understand what was coming and she had to learn how to protect herself against the other youkai. She took a deep breath as she said, "Kagome you are the Shikon No Tama in ningen form. When my mate found you and saw the power you held he knew you to be strong. He wanted to protect you and that's why he took you with him. What he didn't realize was that you were Midoriko's pup. She had, for a long time, known about you. She described you to perfection and told me to protect you when you finally came into my possession.

When my mate came home with you in his arms and told me that Midoriko was the one that asked him to protect you, I knew then who you were. I accepted you as my pup and I love you as my Itoshi Musume.

The original Shikon No Tama has merged with your body. Midoriko told me that much. When the jewel merged with your body, you received the power of Midoriko and the youkai that were in the jewel itself along with their souls. You must have purified the jewel enough for Midoriko to win the battle she has been fighting all these years.

The souls became docile and that's when the jewel merged with your body. It became you in essence, and you now have that power to use as your own. The reason you act like a youkai at times is because of the youkai souls are trying to take control of your body.

Your heat cycle was the worst you have ever experienced because you now have the youkai souls in your body. Your cycle mirrors that of a female youkai. We go into heat twice a season just like you, always in the early spring and late fall. Your cycle now has become unstable with the added youkai souls, and when you go into heat the next time you might die if you are not mated."

Kagome was in shock. She didn't think that she could die just by having her menstrual cycle, but from what she was just told she could. She closed her eyes as she started to think.

She had read something about this in the library back in the castle. She didn't understand what it was talking about when it mentioned heat and she has wanted to ask this question for a while. But now that her youbo had explained what heat was she understood what the book was saying.

It was very brief but it did say something about a female youkais heat being very powerful. It was a need that the female youkai has to be bonded to a male in order to produce the next generation of youkai. If she didn't find a mate then she would die because her body would not be able to handle the changes without a male to help her through it. She now understood what her body went through and if what Ayashiko was saying is true then she could go into heat again very soon. She hated to think what would happen if she was not mated.

Ayashiko observed her pup to see how she was taking the news. Kagome seemed to be deep in thought as she was remembering something. Ayashiko could tell when Kagome figured out what she was telling her as a blush came over her cheeks. She smiled when Kagome understood the reason for a mate.

Ayashiko decided that she should continue on with her explanation. "Kagome when we return to the castle there will be a few changes, mostly with you. I want you to act your station. It is time that you started acting like my daughter and demand respect from everyone around you. That includes all of the servants in the castle. They will not respect you if they think of you as weak. You have been hiding your aura when you are in the castle and I don't want you to do that anymore. You should not be ashamed of who or what you are. Be proud of being a miko and wear Midoriko's mark proudly.

The teardrop represents that you are a powerful miko in your own right. The star underneath the teardrop represents that you are the protector of the land. You and your mate are destined to protect this land against the evil that is coming. You have to be strong and use that stubbornness of yours to protect everything that you love. That is the only way that you will be able to release the powers you have deep within you.

When we get back to the west by the next full moon cycle you will be presented to the rest of the lords of the land. You will be presented as one of my pups that is ready to mate. They will test you and you must behave accordingly. They will test your knowledge and your strength and once they approve of you then any male seeking a mate will make their suits known to you at that time.

You will not pick from these males they will just present themselves to you as someone that is interested in mating with you. There will be a tournament to determine the strongest male. The winner will win the right to dominate you. If you are stronger than the male then you may turn down his suit. No other male will come forward for the male that won the right to dominate you would have been the strongest male available to mate with you. Which means you will easily win against any other male there.

But if the male does subdue you and you submit to him by raising your chin and exposing your neck to him, he will then place a courting mark on you and take you away. You will stay with him until you submit to him fully and mate."

Kagome listened intently to what Ayashiko was saying. To say that she was shocked was an understatement. She didn't know what was involved in the mating process of a youkai. She has not been able to find any books, scrolls, or parchments on the subject. She has searched the whole castle for any additional rooms that held books and never found anything. Then she was taken to the study; she has never been in that room before. That room held a lot of books that she has not read yet. She would have to go there and read what was in there. Maybe it holds the answer to all of her questions.

Kagome thought that the whole idea of them fighting over who would get to dominate her was ridiculous. She should be allowed to pick her mate and be in love when she mated. She couldn't willingly submit to a male and mate with him if she did not love him.

Then Kagome had a thought as she turned to her youbo and asked, "Hahaue, did you love Lord Inutaisho before he dominated you?"

Ayashiko was not expecting this question from her pup. She would have expected something along the line of, 'Why do you have to find me a mate?' or 'I don't want to mate with those bastards.' But instead her pup asked her if she was in love with her mate before he dominated her.'

Ayashiko thought about this question and worded her response carefully as she said, "No, when we fought for the first time he proved himself to be a powerful youkai. I did not love him then. I started to fall in love with him when he took me away. I didn't want to tell you this part right now but I guess I should explain what happens when the male leaves with you.

Once you submit to the male and he marks you, their inner Youkai become very protective and possessive of their intended female. It is a part of their nature and when their feral side takes over they cannot help the way they act. It can be frightening at first but you must get to know the both of them.

The couple head for a secluded place where the male is the only thing constant in the females mind. It is his job to prove that he can protect you, care for you, provide for you, and possibly love you. Not all mating happens because you are in love with the youkai that was stronger than you. Sometimes the mating will happen because you are forced into the mating. It is the way of things.

In my case I fell in love with your Otou-san before we were mated. He showed me a side of himself that I have never seen before the mating phase of the courting. He was loving, caring, and very attentive to my needs. So that made our mating special, because we connected in a way that no one will ever separate us. We are soul mates and we will be together for all eternity."

Kagome's head snapped up as she heard her youbo say she fell in love with her Otou-san. "Otou-san?" Kagome whispered underneath her breath as she thought about this new revelation.

Ayashiko looked at her pup with confusion, 'Did she not think that my mate was not her father?' "Yes Otou-san. My mate is your father Kagome. He will protect you like one of his own pups. He will not let another male come anywhere near you because you are his only Musume. He loves you as his Musume and nothing, anyone says, will change his mind. He is hard with you because he needs to teach you, but he does love you."

Kagome didn't know how to take this little bit of information. This was all new to her. She had grown up all her life not having a father. Her father died when she was just 6 years old and her brother was two. She didn't remember that much about her father because he was never around.

Then she started to think that the youkai lord had been more of a father to her than anyone else in her life. He protected her, trained her, she would even see the proud look in his eyes when she did something right. He had been a father to her and she repaid him with her defiance and stubbornness.

She felt ashamed for what she had done to him. She had no right to do that. Her mother had taught her better than that. She knew that she would have to apologies to him once she got back and start listening to what he told her to do.

Then she turned her attention back to the business at hand, the mating. "I don't know if I can go through with the mating if I don't love the person I'm to be mated to. I want to feel loved when I'm with someone. Since I have been here you are the only one that has shown me any love. I know that the Lord of the lands loves me but it's hard for me to think of him as my Otou-san. I never really had one, when I was growing up it was only my mother, brother, and my Jii-san."

Ayashiko stood as she went to her Musume and held her in her arms. She comforted her pup as she asked, "Musume, when will you tell me about where you come from? I would like to know more about you and the place you where born."

Kagome felt very safe in her youbo's arms. She knew that she deserved to know where she came from. Maybe if she told them they would understand why she was so hesitant in saying anything or mating with a complete stranger. "Once we get back to Otou-san then I will tell you all at the same time. You have a right to know where I come from and the implications of me mating with someone I don't love."

Ayashiko was happy to hear this as she said, "All right Musume when we return you can tell all of us where you come from. We will wait a couple of more days before we head back to Gengetsujou. I want you to be well rested before we return. But remember you will start acting like my Musume once we return. Do not let any youkai push you around and if you have to purify any of them I will understand. Sometimes you have to give them an example before they take you seriously."

Kagome understood what her youbo was saying and she would change just for her. She was getting tired of the way the servants were treating her and it was about time that she showed them who she really was.

Sango had been listening in silence the whole time. She was so shocked to hear everything that was said. Kagome now knew some of the things that were going to happen when they returned. It was going to be hard for her to stand up to those servants, but she will make sure that she was by her friend's side when she did. She just hoped that she would be invited to listen when Kagome explained where she came from, she was curious to know herself.

They remained outside for a good portion of the day. Then Kagome asked Ayashiko if she could spend some time with the healer of the castle. She had some questions and she was hoping that the healer could provide some answers to her questions.

Ayashiko agreed to her request and introduced Kagome and Sango to the healer. She then left them so Kagome could learn what she wanted from the healer.

When Ayashiko left, Oyuki was left with the two young females. She smiled at them as she asked, "Now my little one what questions do you have that you want answers to."

Kagome was very nervous as she said, "Oyuki-sama, I have questions about poisons."

Oyuki eyes opened wide as she heard this, and then she said, "First of all call me Oyuki, now why do you want to know about poisons?"

Kagome hoped that she could explain this as she said, "Well its kind of complicated to explain. I keep getting this feeling that something bad is going to happen. That someone close to me is going to get poisoned and I have a need to know how to make an antidote to counteract the poison. I can't see everything but I sense that my healing powers will not be able to help this person."

Oyuki understood this. The young pup was a powerful miko and she had the gift of sight. Though she has not developed them yet, she could still see things that were to come. She is trying to get ready to help this person before it happens.

Oyuki stood up from her chair as she went and got several books off the bookshelf. She returned as she asked, "Can you read little one?"

Kagome smiled wide as she said, "Yes I can."

Oyuki handed her the books as she saw the girl open the first book and ran her fingers down the page. She watched with interest as Kagome continued with her actions until she was done with all the books she had given her.

Kagome turned her bright blue eye up toward Oyuki as she said, "Oyuki these books contain cures for very basic poisons what about poisons that have no cures? What is the best way to make a antidote for those?"

Oyuki was impressed with the young one. She had actually read everything that was in the books. She didn't think she would understand what her books were saying as she looked at Kagome with curiosity and asked, "I didn't think you would be able to read those books. They are written in Latin and no one knows that language but me. Where did you learn it?"

Kagome blushed; she was fluent in several different languages. She had happened to learn Latin when she was being taken care of by the doctors. She was getting tired of the doctors talking around her in another language and she wanted to know what they were saying. So she had picked up some books on how to speak and read Latin and the next day she knew what they were saying. She always hated to be in the dark and she always found a way around her situation.

"I learned the language in my village. I am gifted with the skills to learn very quickly and I was taught this language." Kagome said in a very low voice. She didn't know if the youkai would even buy off on her explanation.

Oyuki was indeed impressed. She turned around and got several more books off the shelves as she said, "The answers you seek are in here. Once you read this then we will discuss in detail what you must do to mix an antidote."

Kagome nodded her head in understanding as she read the next books handed to her. Once she was done they discussed in detail how to make antidotes to poisons. She spent hours with Oyuki as she had all of her questions answered. When they were finally done, Kagome stood and thanked Oyuki for the information.

Sango was very impressed with her friend. She was learning something new about her everyday. She never knew that she could speak another language. But what fascinated her the most was that Kagome could read and the way she read. She had never seen anyone read like that before.

Sango could read just a little. Her mother had started to teach her when she was young. She died giving birth to her brother and her father didn't think that it was a skill that she needed to learn. She was wondering if her friend could teach her as she looked over at Kagome and asked, "Umm, Kagome? Do you… Do you think… that you could… teach me how to read?"

Kagome's eyes opened wide when she heard her friend's request. She smiled and said, "Yes Sango it would be an honor to teach you."

Sango was very happy as she said, "My mother started to teach me but she died before she finished her lessons. My father thought that it was a skill that I did not need so he never finished what my mother started."

Kagome felt sorry for her friend as she said, "Don't worry Sango I will teach you everything that you need to know including how to do mathematics. You need to know how to count and make sure that you get what you have coming to you if you trade for anything. Where I come from everyone learns these basic things."

They both continued to walk until they got to the dinning hall and joined Ayashiko for the evening meal. When they finished with the wonderful meal that the servants had provided for them, they all retired for the night.

Kagome laid awake in her bed. She was wondering how everyone was going to react to her once she got back to the castle. She especially wondered if Sesshoumaru had missed her since she has been gone.

Kagome blushed as she thought about Sesshoumaru. If there were a male that she was willing to submit to it would be him. But who was she kidding. Sesshoumaru didn't like ningen; he had said so when she first met him. Then again she had enjoyed her conversations with him until she couldn't connect to him anymore. Was he just satisfying his curiosity about her? Or was he getting interested in her?

She would have to wait and see once she arrived back at the castle. Kagome fell asleep thinking about Sesshoumaru and what his reactions would be once she got back to the castle.

---oOo---

The next morning Ayashiko, Kagome, Sango, and Kirara said their goodbyes to the servants of the castle. Kagome thanked Oyuki for teaching her so much as she promised to come back and visit sometime in the future. The servants waved goodbye as they saw their lady form her golden globe around all of them as they left the area.

Oyuki kept on looking until the orb was out of sight as she mentally thought, 'Take care Kagome, you still have a lot of trials to go through before you can find true happiness. Be true to yourself and follow your heart.' She then turned and went back into the castle as the servants continued with their normal duties.

---oOo---

Sesshomaru was currently sitting underneath the same sakara tree that Kagome would frequent. Her scent was all around the tree because she had spent so much time there. It was the only place he could be in that would relax him enough to keep his inner beast under control.

It has been over a week since his mother had left with his intended. He missed his mother yes but he missed Kagome even more. He missed her presence around the castle and he wanted more than anything to see her again.

His inner inu had complained that he shouldn't have let their mother take their intended. Sesshoumaru had countered by saying that their intended was hurt and that her safety and health came first above all things. His inner inu whined his apologies to him for he knew that his rational side was right in this one instance. Her safety and health was very important to them.

The attack on Kagome from the soldiers in the garrison caused his father to make some major changes. Kagome, Sango, and Kirara had killed a good portion of the soldiers so the garrison was down in its numbers. His father had killed his present commanders for defying his orders about his pup.

He selected new ones that were mated and slowly the garrison was getting back to its normal routine of guard duty. Only mated soldiers were allowed close to the castle. They were the only ones that would be able to keep their minds on what they were doing. Until they presented Kagome to the rest of the lords of the lands this is the way it was going to be.

Sesshoumaru himself was spending a lot of time with his father. His training had been stepped up and it was becoming more intense. He understood what his father was doing. Somehow he has guessed that he wanted the ningen as his mate and he knew full well that he was going to compete for the right to dominate her.

Sesshoumaru had his eyes closed as he thought about the conversation that he had with his father this morning. He had plenty of conversations with his father but the one that he had today really made him look at things differently. He sat there as he pondered what his father had said to him.

------FLASHBACK-------

Sesshoumaru was walking briskly through the castle. His father had summoned him to his study and he was making his way there. He was wondering what he had done today to be summoned to his fathers study.

He had not seen his brother at all this morning so he knew he was not in trouble for wanting to kill him. They had been going at it since his mother has been gone. The brat was getting on his nerves, as he would constantly play his practical jokes on him. But each time he had caught on to what he was doing and he had, on several occasions, taught his brother a lesson.

Of course the brat would go crying to his father and he would always get punished for his transgressions but it was worth it. He made his brother pay several times for his stupidity.

He was approaching his father's study as he stopped right outside the door. He took a deep breath to calm himself and knocked. He waited to be let in and when he heard his father say, "Enter," he opened the heavy doors and entered his father's study. He walked right up to his father and said, "You wanted to see me father."

Inutaisho looked up from the scroll he was reading as he said, "Yes, I did want to speak with you. Please sit down."

Sesshoumaru sat on the pillow that was directly across from his father as he waited patiently for his father to speak. Patience was not one of his strong points and even though he kept his stoic mask in place he was still fuming on the inside as he waited.

Inutaisho finally finished reading his scroll as he looked up at his son. He knew he had to have this talk with him but it was not going to be easy.

He cleared his throat as he said, "Sesshoumaru, I wanted to speak to you about Kagome."

This little bit of information caught Sesshoumaru's interest as he sat a little straighter on his pillow and listened to what his father had to say about the girl.

"When she comes back I have no doubt that your mother will see to it that Kagome will be acting more like her station. Meaning she will be more forceful when she comes back. She will be able to handle everything around here and she will be able to deal with the males around the castle.

When we present Kagome at the next full moon to the rest of the lords I have no doubt that they will accept her. But what I fear most is that she will be dominated by a male that will not love her."

This little bit of information shocked Sesshoumaru as he asked, "What does love have to do with anything? Youkai mate the most powerful female for them. Why should it matter if they love each other?"

Inutaisho thought about his questions as he replied, "You don't understand anything about women Sesshoumaru, you especially don't know anything about Kagome. Kagome is a special pup. She has gifts that the ningens have shunned her for all her life. She is very intelligent for a ningen. Her knowledge is vast and I wouldn't be surprised if she had knowledge of things to come.

From what I know about her and what Midoriko has told me about the girl, her happiness will determine if she stays on this plane. This tells me that she has been neglected as a young pup and has never had the love that she craves. She seeks approval and acceptance from us. That's why she tries so hard to learn.

It will be hard to find her a strong mate but it will even be harder to find her a mate that will love her for who she is. Many youkai will see her as a powerful female and for this reason alone they would want to mate with her.

You yourself admitted to the girl that she was not worth the dirt beneath your feet but yet you try to protect her like she is your intended. Tell me Sesshoumaru, could you ever love Kagome for who she is? Would you give your life to protect her? But most of all can you win her love and her heart?"

Sesshoumaru couldn't answer the questions put to him. Yes he had said those things to Kagome when he thought that she was just a weak ningen onna but when he saw the power that she held and her aura, he quickly changed his mind. 'But father has brought up an interesting point. Can I win her love and her heart? But most of all what are my feelings for the girl? Do I love her? or do I just see her as just another strong female?'

Sesshoumaru sat silently and never answer his father's questions. Inutaisho was watching his son intently. He knew that he got his son's mind going when he asked those questions of him. "I will only let someone that will love her, mate with her. She deserves to be happy with someone that will return her feelings. If you have any plans of contending for the right to mate with her, think it over well.

If you really want her for a mate and want a special bond with her you must love her for everything she is. Showing her a cold and an indifferent persona will fail, for she will not respond to that. She does not care about money and power that much I have observed in her so far.

She will follow her heart and if her heart does not tell her that the male that wants to mate with her will not love her, she will fight not to be subdued. More importantly she will fight to the point of giving up her life instead of being bonded to a male with a cold and uncaring heart.

If you can open your heart to her and show her your love, only then, will your souls bond for all eternity, this is the level of the bond that I have achieved with your mother. She is my heart, my soul, and she is my very life. I will love her till the end of time and then beyond. I would do anything to make her happy. I truly love your mother Sesshoumaru."

Inutaisho continue to observe his pup. He was happy to see that he had his mind going again on what to do with the girl. Yes he knew that Sesshoumaru had an interest in the girl but could he love her, the way she needed to be loved? Will he be able to show her his emotions and his heart? Now that was the question of the century.

-----END OF FLASHBACK-------

Sesshoumaru continued to sit under the sakura tree as he pondered his father's questions. 'Could I love her? Ridiculous this Sesshoumaru does not need to love anyone. I simply want her as a mate because she is a powerful female. Males of my station only wish to mate the strongest female so they could produce the strongest pups."

At this train of thought, his inner inu growled his displeasure. _'Female may be strong but the power from within her will only come out if we love her. We must love her, not hurt her. We must give her what she desires or lose her we will.'_

Sesshoumaru growled as he thought, 'Nonsense this Sesshoumaru does not need to love anyone. She will still be our mate.'

'_I love mate, why can't you accept this for mate. We must show her that we will love her. It's not enough to prove to her that we will protect. It will not be enough to show her that we will provide. But if we show her that we will love her then she will truly be ours.'_ said his inner beast.

Sesshomaru continued to ponder what his inner beast had said. 'Can I achieve that special bond that my father has with my mother? What are my feeling for this girl?' Sesshoumaru kept thinking about all of those questions.

Then his beast decided to add to his thoughts, _'Why do we ache when she is away from us? Why do we feel pain in our chest when she is in danger? And why do we feel happy when we see her beautiful face smiling at us? Even this one has to admit that she brings a warm feeling deep within our soul. A feeling that has never been felt before in the presence of any other female youkai.' _

Now his beast has brought an interesting thought to mind. He didn't feel anything when other females were around him, only this one. He had to admit that he did miss her warm smiles and the way her face would light up whenever he was around.

He had sat there for a good portion of the day coming to terms with his feelings for the girl when he caught a flicker of moment off to the side. He turned as he shot up to his feet and softly said, "Kagome."

---oOo---

Inuyasha had been having some fun while his mother was gone. He was free to play his practical jokes all the time now that there was no one there to stop him. His father would be too busy with matters of the land to pay attention to what he was doing.

He had made it a point to torment Sesshoumaru while his mother was gone. It would be the only time that he would get away with it since his mother would almost always stop his fun. He had played many tricks on his brother but so far none of them have worked on him.

He decided that he needed a co-conspirator as he enlisted the help of his friend Shippou. His friend was just a little shorter than him. He has flaming red hair and bright green eyes. He wares a blue bow in his hair to keep it out of the way of his eyes. He has a red bushy tail and fox like feet. He was wearing a dark blue hakama with a lighter blue haori. Shippou was a fox youkai and he has very special powers. He could perform illusions with his magic and he has the perfect trick to play on his brother. Inuyasha knew that Sesshoumaru was missing Kagome.

So Inuyasha, with the help of his friend, Shippou, were going to create a Kagome for Sesshoumaru. The trick should work this time since he was sitting under the sakura tree that Kagome would normally sit under. Her scent was saturated in that place so he would not be able to tell the difference.

Currently Inuyasha and Shippou were sitting on a tree branch a short distance away from Sesshoumaru. They were down wind from him to make sure that he couldn't detect their presence. It wouldn't do for them to get caught because he knew that his elder brother would probably kill him for what he was about to do.

Inuyasha looked at Shippou as he whispered, "Hey Shippou are you ready?"

Shippou nodded his head indicating that he was ready. He threw his leaf into the air as he concentrated his fox magic. The leaf popped as a beautiful version of Kagome was standing down below on the ground. Both youkai's giggled at what they had done as Shippou gave the fake Kagome a final look to make sure he got her right.

They saw the illusion walk away as they watched what was going to happen. As soon as Sesshoumaru saw the illusion of Kagome he was on his feet in an instant as they heard a soft, "Kagome," come from his lips. The illusion had stopped a little distance away from Sesshoumaru because they didn't want him to notice that it was a fake Kagome standing before him.

Sesshomaru saw Kagome approaching him as he quickly stood up on his feet. He was surprised to see her there. She was still as beautiful as ever as he eyed his intended mate. He noticed that something was off about Kagome, she didn't move towards him nor speak to him. He took a step forward as he asked "Kagome is anything wrong?"

Shippo and Inuyasha were giggling in the tree. The scene before them was just too funny to watch. Sesshoumaru actually thought that this was the real Kagome and he was trying to speak to her.

Sesshoumaru didn't know what was going on but he didn't see any aura around the Kagome in front of him and he couldn't pick up on her heartbeat. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at what he perceived to be Kagome. Then something clicked in his head as he started to pick up the sound of giggling in the area. 'So this is just another one of Inuyasha's practical jokes.'

Sesshoumaru growled viciously as he lashed out with his whip and destroyed the illusion that was before him. Then he turned his attention to the tree just a few feet away as he said in a deadly voice, "Little brother, if I find you I will make sure that you die a slow and painful death along with your little friend."

Both pups saw what Sesshomaru had done to their illusion. He has caught on to what they were doing as they heard his threat. They were both scared out of their minds as they jumped from the tree and headed back towards the castle.

Inuyasha was racing back to the castle when he caught his mother's scent. She has finally returned as he headed her way. He raced as fast as he could when he spotted her in the middle of the courtyard. He had missed her so much as he raced into her arms.

---oOo---

Ayashiko, Kagome, Sango, and Kirara have been traveling for the majority of the day. They were traveling a lot slower now that Kagome was not in danger. Ayashiko had taken this time to educate her pup on what she needed to do when she got back to the castle.

She would scold Kagome when she would hesitate on what she needed to do in a given situation and praise her when she did well. By the time they arrived back at the castle Kagome had a good understanding on what she needed to do.

When they finally landed in the middle of the courtyard it was late in the afternoon. They didn't have to wait for long when a streak of red and silver made itself known to his mother. Inuyasha rushed into the outstretched arms of his mother as she hugged him close to her chest.

Kagome heard the guards announce their arrival at the castle as everything came alive once more. Kagome sensed that Sesshomaru was close by in the garden as she slowly started to back away from her youbo and Sango. She wanted to see Sesshoumaru before they told her she couldn't talk to him at all. She had already talked to Sango about her plan so she would cover for her while she was gone.

She turned away quickly and made her way to the garden to see Sesshoumaru. She was there in a blink of an eye as she was slowly walking towards her favorite tree. She had seen him sitting under the sakara tree with his eyes closed.

She stopped just a few feet away from him. 'He looks so peaceful just sitting there under the tree relaxing.' Kagome thought as she admired his perfect silhouette.

She was about to get closer to him when she heard him say, "What do you want wench?"

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru had gone back to the tree he had been sitting under. He was pissed that his brother would pull a trick like that. It took a while for him to calm his inner inu. He was just relaxing when he heard a noise off to the side.

He cracked an eye open as he saw another illusion coming his way. 'When will that brother of mine ever learn to leave me alone?' Thought Sesshoumaru darkly as he closed his eyes again and waited. He was going to teach his brother a lesson.

He observed that the illusion had come closer to him this time. He figured that his brother was getting bolder with his jokes. He noticed as the illusion of Kagome stared at him for a while and when she moved to get closer to him he asked in a deadly voice, "What do you want wench?"

Kagome had stopped in mid step when she heard his question. She thought that they were beyond all of this. She took a deep breath as she said, "Hello Sesshoumaru, I came to see how you were doing? We just got back with your mother and I thought that we could just talk for a little while."

Kagome had a few seconds to react as she jumped out of the way of his whip. It had ripped the sleeve of her kimono as she turned to see why he had done that.

Sesshoumaru had enough of this illusion as he let his whip go and tried to get rid of it. He saw the illusion move with speed and he had to give the little fox kit credit. His illusions were good almost like the real thing. He stood on his feet as he turned towards her and said, "How I am is none of your concern. I could care less that you have come back here to this castle. You disgust me and I want you to leave."

At that moment Sesshoumaru realized his mistake. This was no illusion as he caught the sent of salt water in the air. The real Kagome had come back and he just made the biggest mistake of his life. He moved towards her as he said, "Kagome, I'm…" he never got to finish as the girl moved away from him. Her head was bowed and she wouldn't look at him.

Kagome heard his hateful words. She should have known that he didn't care about her but she had hoped that he at least cared just a little for her. She moved away from him as she turned and ran off. She had learned her lesson and now it was time to act her station and get this mating over with. Maybe if she defeated these males she could leave this place.

She took off as she rushed back toward her youbo. When she got back no one had noticed that she was gone as she stood off to the side and watched what was going on.

Inutaisho had come out of the castle to greet his mate. Oh how he had missed her presence in the castle. He hugged her tight against his chest as he purred his delight at having her home. He pulled away from his mate as he looked around for this pup. He saw her standing off to the side as she was looking up to the sky. He could sense that something was wrong with her as he turned to his mate and asked, "Ayashiko what is wrong with Kagome?"

Ayashiko turned and looked at her pup. She didn't see anything wrong as she asked, "I don't see anything wrong with her."

Inutaisho shook his head as he said, "She seems upset about something. Did anything happen on the way back here?" Ayashiko replied, "No everything was fine. We didn't run into any problems coming back."

At that moment they both turned as they heard someone rapidly approaching. They looked to see Sesshoumaru coming towards the group. He walked right by his parents as he went straight for Kagome. He stopped behind Kagome as he said, "Kagome I have to talk to you in private."

Kagome turned around as her aura flared to protect herself. Her emotions were fueling her powers, as she said, "No, I think you have already said enough, you have made your opinions clear to me. This disgusting ningen will not be in your presence." She turned as she started to make her way into the castle with Sango and Kirara following closely behind her.

Sesshoumaru hung his head in shame. He had really messed up with Kagome. He had thought that she was another illusion that his brother had created to torment him. He felt a presence behind him but he didn't turn around to see who was there. He knew that it was his father. He started to walk away to try and think about how to fix the mess he had just gotten himself into. He stopped in his tracks as he heard his father say, "Sesshoumaru, what did you say to Kagome?"

Inutaisho witness the confrontation between his pups. Kagome was angry with Sesshoumaru for some reason. He noticed right away that her sleeve was torn and by the looks of the wound it appeared to be done by an energy whip.

He asked his question waiting for his son to answer. He heard him sigh as he responded, "I thought that she was an illusion just like the other one, I said some things that I should never have said." He saw as his pup walked off to the gardens. Inutaisho turned as he looked at his youngest son who was trying to leave the area as he said, "Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha stopped in his tracks when he heard his father's voice. He knew he was in trouble now. He had been warned about him playing jokes on his brother and the look in his father's eyes told him that he was not too happy with him right now.

Inutaisho eyed his youngest son. Somehow he knew this was his fault. When his son stopped and turned to face him he pinned him with a stern look and asked, "What did you do to Sesshoumaru?"

Inuyasha thought about lying but the look in his fathers eyes promised pain if he did not confess to what he had done. He looked at the ground as he told his parents about the trick he had pulled earlier on his brother. When he was done his father was not happy with him at all.

Inutaisho growled as he said, "Inuyasha, what have I told you about playing your practical jokes on people? Didn't I say to you that one day your jokes would hurt someone? Well I hope that you are happy, because of your refusal to listen to what I say, you have now hurt Kagome and Sesshoumaru deeply. Granted Sesshoumaru should not have said those things to Kagome but the fact remains he would not have said them if you had not provoked him earlier. Now go to your room."

Inuyasha turned as he rushed away from his parents. He knew that his punishment was not over yet. He still had to face whatever his father set as punishment, for him disobeying his orders.

The youkai lord and lady looked at each other as they sighed. They didn't know how to fix what just happened. They turned as they started to go towards the castle when they heard screaming coming from within. Then they heard Kirara's roar of anger as they raced into the castle to see what was going on.

---oOo---

Kagome and Sango made their way into the castle. They were heading towards the western wing to their rooms. Kagome had briefly told Sango what had happened out in the garden and she requested to be left alone.

Sango felt for her friend. She knew that Kagome had feelings for Sesshoumaru but the arrogant bastard was still being stubborn about his true feelings for her sister. She kept quite as they walked. Not wanting to upset Kagome anymore than she was already. They were both tired from the long journey and she knew that Kagome just wanted to be alone for a while. She could tell that Kagome was trying hard to keep her temper under control but she was not having any success.

They were walking down the hallway when Kagome sensed three evil auras near her. She scanned the area for them as she stopped in the middle of the hallway.

Sango noticed when her friend stopped as she was looking around the area. She didn't pick up on any danger nor had Kirara. She was curious as she asked, "Kagome is something wrong?"

Kagome had her senses opened trying to find where they were. She felt the attack coming and placed a barrier around herself, Sango, and Kirara to protect them. The youki hit her barrier as it deflected the attack back towards their owner.

It impacted on one of the walls in the hallway, servants yelled and scrambled to get out of the way of the fight that was about to ensue. Kagome saw three female youkais step out of the shadows, their anger was clearly seen in their eyes.

Sango stiffened next to Kagome as she recognized the three females. They were the ones she had beat the living daylights out of, when the Lord of the Castle had pulled her away from them. They would have died that day but he had spared them.

Sango cracked her knuckles as she faced her enemy, if they wanted to fight then she was more than willing to kick their asses from here to the next kingdom. Kirara at that moment jumped off Sango's shoulder and transformed into her true form. She roared to tell the three demonesses to back off.

Kagome watched Sango from the corner of her eye. She noticed that her friend recognized these demonesses as she asked, "Sango are these friends of yours?"

Sango snorted as she replied, "These three are no friends of mine. They would have been dead if it were not for Lord Inutaisho stopping me that day. They were insulting you and I defended your honor."

Kagome was touched that her friend would defend her honor in such a manner. Now she turned her attention back to the three in front of her as she asked, "What do you want? I have not summoned a servant."

The female youkai's have been waiting for their chance to get even with these ningen onna's. They wanted them out of this castle. They were not welcomed here and it was about time they learn their place. The demoness in the middle of the group took one step forward and said, "You whore! You are no longer welcomed here. You are to leave Gengetsujou and never return. Master Sesshoumaru does not deserve to be locked up in his room because of you, you stinking, filthy, ningen."

That was it. Kagome's anger was already fanned by Sesshoumaru's comments to her in the garden and now these three were making demands upon her. She had enough as she said, "I am not going anywhere and neither is Sango. You three will have to deal with us being here. Lady Ayashiko has accepted me as her pup and I'm not about to leave here because of the likes of you."

Kagome had enough as she let her full aura spread throughout the castle. The air was charged with her Reiyouku as she sent every youkai in the castle a shock of her holy powers.

The three demonesses in front of Kagome stepped back when they noticed how strong her aura was. There was no way they could defeat such a powerful ningen. They were about to turn and run when Kagome caught them in a purity cage.

Slowly all three demonesses where pulled into the air as Kagome brought them closer to her. The demonesses shrieked in fear as they saw the ningen up close for the first time. She might have been small but her powers were great. Her hair was currently floating behind her as her Reiyouku whirled around her body. The air crackled again as the demonesses screamed in pain. They had pissed off the wrong person.

Kagome's anger was beyond control. They will be her first object lesson for the servants of this castle. They were going to start respecting her and it was starting right now. Her eyes were a deep grey in color as the edges of her eyes were starting to turn red. She looked at the three in front of her as she said, "Now since you three seem to have a problem with me and my friend, I think that I can resolve your problem. Since you didn't want to leave on your own when I asked you to, now you will leave by my hand.

But before you depart this world let me tell you a few things. Ever since I got here you three have been behind all the rude and nasty comments said about me. You were the three that I saw in the library talking to Tai-li, you were trying to convince him to turn his back on me but he refused. I had stopped going to the library to make his life a little easier from youkais like you.

You are also the three that tried to get the castle cooks to turn their backs on me. That's why Katsuki attacked you that day because she would not let anyone talk ill of me. But you didn't stop there did you. Your hate for ningens led you to bully and hurt the rest of the castle staff into hating me.

I cannot help the way I was born. I am who I am. My mother is Midoriko, and my Karioya are the Lord and Lady of this castle. If more youkai acted like the lord and lady of this castle everyone would get along a lot better. No one would have to die and races will survive what is to come. But in order to make that happen I will have to purge scum like you off the face of the earth.

I will not let arrogant youkai such as yourself live to put down another race because you just don't like them. Everyone is valuable in this world and you are not kami to make the decision on who will live and who will die. But my mother gave me life and with both my mothers help I will set things right in this world of yours. I will pass judgment on who will live and who will die.

Plus if you really must know, Sesshoumaru-sama does not have any interest in me. If he is being kept locked up in his room that is for his parents to decide not you. Now, stay out of my life!"

Kagome's powers circled around her body as she let her attack go. It went towards the three demonesses as the purity box they were in purified them to hell. The explosion was so great and blinding that everyone had to look away from the blast.

When the light finally died away everyone looked up to see Kagome moving towards her room, her aura still deadly as she looked for peace in her heart.

---oOo---

Inutaisho and Ayashiko finally found their pup. Inutaisho immediately recognized the three demonesses in front of him, as the ones he saved from Sango's wrath. He was about to move forward to take care of them when someone grabbed him by his arm. He turned to see who had touched him. To his surprise his mate was the one that was restraining him from going to their pups aid. "Ayashiko why have you stopped me from going to her?"

Ayashiko looked at her mate as she said, "Let her handle this. She is never going to get the respect she needs if you keep stepping in to help her. She must establish herself as my pup and demand respect from all here."

They both turned their attention back to what was going on between their pup and the demonesses that were in the hallway. They felt the change in the air as Kagome released her Reiyouku throughout the castle. They heard the anguish cries of the servants as they tried to get away from their pups power.

To their surprise her Reiyouku did not harm them. Kagome had enormous control over her Reiyouku, as she was picking and choosing whom she was punishing with her holy powers. They heard everything she had to say and she was well justified to pass judgment on the three that were before her.

When she purified them to oblivion, they both had to look away. The light from her powers was so strong that they were temporarily blinded by it. When the light finally receded back they saw their pup walking away. She was heading toward her room. Her aura was still whirling violently around her small form.

Ayashiko was happy with the way her pup had handled herself. She demanded respect and she will get it from now on. Everyone in the castle now knew of her powers and she struck fear in their hearts.

Then she started thinking again and she had something else that needed her attention as she turned to her mate and said, "Now that Kagome is not going to be bothered by the rude comments of the servants, there is something that we need to discuss."

Inutaisho was confused at his mate's statement. He saw her aura spike indicating that she was angry as he gently asked, "What do we need to talk about mate?"

Ayashiko look at her mate straight in the eyes as she put her right hand on her hip while her left index finger poked him in the chest as she made her point, "We need to discuss why you didn't tell me that our pup is the Shikon No Tama in ningen form."

Inutaisho's eyes opened wide to her statement as he took a step back away from her. Her eyes were turning red as her anger grew. He swallowed hard as he said, "Let's go to my study to discuss this. I don't want the rest of the castle to hear what we will be talking about." He turned, as he quickly made his way to his study. He knew he had a lot of explaining to do to his mate if she knew about Kagome.

---oOo---

It was in the middle of the night and Kagome was still awake. She couldn't sleep and she wanted to leave her room to go outside. She didn't think that she was going to have any problems with the servant or the guards around the castle.

She walked out of her room and headed outside. She was dressed in a white nemaki that made her look like a sweet angle. She padded silently down the stairs in her bare feet as she made her way into the gardens.

The full moon was out this night as it lit up the entire area in its beautiful light. She stood in the middle of all the flowers as she looked up to the moon. Tears of pain were going down her beautiful pale skin as she asked herself, "Why? Why must I be made to suffer like this? What have I done wrong? Please, won't you please tell me what I have done wrong?"

Kagome was so lost in her sorrow that she never noticed the pair of golden eyes that were watching her. He approached, as he got closer to the one that has literally taken a piece of his heart. She had come into his life and has brought him such joys that he never thought possible. But here she was crying her heart out, her pain was so great that it was attacking his senses and sending his emotions to a whole new level.

When he was close enough to her he said, "Kagome, my little one, why are you crying?"

Kagome felt a presence behind her as she slowly turned around. Tears of sadness were coming from her eyes as they went slowly down her cheeks; they were tracing her jaw line, dripping off her chin to land on the ground. The pain in her eyes was great as she saw the only person to be a real father to her.

She quickly turned and raced into his opened arms as she cried into his chest. Inutaisho's arms came down, going around her protectively, holding her close to his chest, as he tried to soothe her aching heart.

He had been in a half sleep, half awake mode. His discussion with his mate earlier about his pup being the Shikon No Tama was finally put to rest. He had heard his mates concerns about this and he understood that if he had said something earlier it would have prevented his pup from getting hurt. He had told his mate what happened to Midoriko's sword when she inquired about it.

He had been worried about his pup since she passed judgment against those three demonesses that did her so much harm. He knew he should have killed them when he had the chance or let the Taijiya slay them for what they had said about his pup.

He felt her presence in the hallway as she was walking away from her room. He had to follow to make sure that she was all right. He had gotten up very gently, laying his mate back down on their futon, as he quickly dressed and went after his pup.

He followed his nose and found her in the gardens. She was crying now as he heard her questions to the moon. He didn't know what had brought so much pain to his pup. He had called out to her and when she saw him opened his arms for her, she quickly ran into them for comfort.

He held her tightly against his chest as he purred, the sound he made always calmed his pups down and it was working for Kagome as well. Once she was calmed enough he asked, "Kagome why are you crying? What has gotten you so upset?"

Kagome's cries were now just hiccups as she pulled away from his chest. Her head was bowed low as she said in a low voice, "Please forgive me. I have not been behaving accordingly. Please, I will do better I promise."

Inutaisho's eyes grew wide as he heard his little one. "Kagome, there is nothing to forgive. I know that it must be hard for you to adjust to this kind of life and your behavior is to be expected."

Kagome shook her head as she said, "No its not. My mother has taught me better than that. She would be ashamed of my behavior. You have treated me with love and kindness and I behaved like a spoiled child. I don't deserve to be treated this way but yet you accept me as one of your own. I promise to do better and listen to what you are telling me. I will make you proud."

Inutaisho hugged Kagome back into his chest as he showed her his love. "My little one you already make me proud."

Kagome hugged the youkai lord as she pulled away and asked in a very shy voice, "May I ask you a question?"

Inutaisho was curious about what she could ask of him as he said, "Yes."

Kagome took in a deep breath as she asked, "May I call you Otou-san?"

Inutaisho thought that he would never hear those words come out of her mouth. His heart filled with joy as he said, "Yes, my little one, you can call me Otou-san. I thought that I would never hear those words out of your mouth. I didn't think that you would accept me as your father."

Kagome turned from his grasp as she looked up at the moon and said, "I never really had a father to call my own. My father died when I was six summers old. Even when he was alive he was never there with us. It has always been my mother who took care of us. But you have shown me a father's love and that is very precious to me. You have been more of a father to me than my real one ever was."

Inutaisho had been right about the girl. She was only looking for someone to love her for who she was. When he heard that he has been more of a father to her than her real one, his heart swelled with pride.

At that moment he had caught the scent of the enemy youkai making their way towards them. He pushed Kagome behind him as he unsheathed his sword. It hummed to life as he yelled, "Show yourselves! What are you doing on my lands you filthy bastards?"

Kagome got her emotions under control as she opened her senses to the area around them. She found a large amount of youkai in the area and they were not her Otou-san's guards. She cursed under her breath for she had left her swords back in her room. She was defenseless and they were surrounded.

At that moment Kagome heard in her mind, _"Musume, call to the sword and it will come to you."_

Kagome knew who it was as she closed her eyes and said, "Jenjou, come to me."

Kagome put her hand out to the side as it started to glow a pure white, suddenly a sword materialized in her hand, as she stood by her father ready to do battle.

They saw the youkais emerge from the forest. There must have been about 50 Nezumi youkai in front of them. Kagome shuttered at seeing so many of them. It repulsed her as she held her position ready to fight.

The leader of the group stepped forward as he said in a squeaky voice, "Tonight you die Lord of the Western Lands!"

---oOo---

Nezumi – Rat

Youbo – Adoptive Mother

Itoshi Musume- Dear Daughter

Karioya – Adoptive Parents

Ok people I have to answer this one statement that has appeared on several reviews. I am very well aware that Ah-Un does not have wings. I understand this but in my story he has wings because the dragon is so skinny that he does not offer much protection if he is laying on top of Kagome and he is protecting her. So since this is my story and my imagination he has wings. Anyway I like him with wings.

This is the end to another chapter. Oh my The Nezumi youkai that Jakyoku sent after Inutaisho have finally showed up. Now the fight begins, who will win the fight or who will die?

In the next chapter you will see whom Kagome was dreaming about that will be in danger and she has to make an antidote to cure them. Read as Kagome goes off to find the only ingredient that she doesn't have to make her antidote and who she must fight to get back in time for her to save the person from her dreams.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Sado gathered his followers, and shortly after, they left the cave that was located deep within the Northern Mountains. As a group of assassins, they traveled fast and with secrecy, they did not need to be noticed and it was their job not to be. After traveling for sometime, his group split up into five parts, all taking off in different directions. It made their party smaller; hence their travel would be less noticeable.

The plan was to meet up at Gengetsujou in a week's time where they could plan their attack against the Western Lord. They knew that they would lose some of their own while traveling, it was to be expected as they are Nezumi youkai, and often fell pray to larger predator youkai.

This fact however, did not stop them from being great assassins. They are skilled in penetrating any barrier with ease and their usual tactic was to approach their targets under the cover of night. Being dark grey in color, made it easy for them to travel at night unseen and since their eyesight was sharper at night than during the day, they preferred to rest during the day and travel by night.

A week had passed, and they finally made it to Gengetsujou. They met up with the rest of their party as they scanned the area. To their surprise, they had not lost that many in their journey.

They set up camp not far away from the barrier and sent out a scouting party to gather information of the surroundings area and of the enemy. Later a sortie of 5 Nezumi youkai was dispatched to the barrier, which was visible to them. After momentary deliberations, they decided on the most appropriate place to dig a passageway that would lead them to the other side of the barrier. The lead Nezumi led the dig while, the others followed suit pushing the excess dirt out from the hole as he made his way into the ground.

Their sharp claws made quick work of the dirt and small rocks that would be found within the earth as they dug deeper into the ground.

They continued to dig downwards until they were well past the barrier and then they started making their way up toward the ground. Once they broke through, the rest of the Nezumi followed and emerged on the other side.

Their ability to change size came in very handy when infiltrating enemy territory. They were small right now, more like mice in size, so it made it easy for them to get past the guards that were guarding the barriers. They continued on their way, taking note where all the guards were located.

There were plenty of guards around the perimeter of the castle. But it looked like the majority of the guards were on the outside of the perimeter near the barriers. There were some that were located at the castle but not as many as they thought there would be.

This would make their job a little easier. All they had to do was find a secret way into the castle and then take out the Western Lord. They went closer to the castle but they were stopped by another barrier. They all looked at each other, they never expected a barrier to be placed here. They circled the castle and found that the barrier went all the way around.

They looked for the best place to dig and they found the perfect spot. The leader of the group started to dig and when he started to turn his little hole towards the barrier, he was stopped. They have never encountered this before. This barrier extended well below the surface. They couldn't dig their way under the barrier. They tried another area and faced the same problem.

Now this was very disturbing. They had no way into the castle. Try as they might the barrier around the castle was a lot better than the one that was protecting the outside of the castle. They had even tried to sneak into the castle in a load of supplies but the barrier prevented them from entering.

This frustrated them to no end. They returned to their comrades and reported what they had found out about the castle itself. This was not good. Sado looked at the castle, they were so close but they couldn't get in to poison the Western Lord.

He had to think of another plan or report back to Jakyoku that they had failed in their duties. That will not sit well with him. He had been on edge lately and he might wind up killing all of his kind in a blood rage.

Then Sado turned to his companions and said, "We will have to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. Since we can't get into the castle we will have to wait until the Lord of the castle is outside its perimeter and then strike. We will set up guards just outside the castle's barrier to keep watch. We will move at a moments notice and strike when we have the chance." They were all in agreement, the first of the guards took their post outside the castle and waited for the perfect opportunity to attack.

A week passed, and still they had not accomplished their duty. They had noticed though that the Lady of the West was not here at Gengetsujou. This is what was keeping the lord inside the castle for so long. They had noticed his pups running around the area but not the female that the lord was protecting. So they deduced that wherever the Lady of the West had gone, she had taken the ningen onna with her.

It was late in the afternoon when they finally noticed the Lady of the Lands return. They saw as she landed down in the courtyard and was greeted by her pups. They observed when the Lord had stepped out of the castle but he was still within the barriers that protected it so they could not strike yet.

They witnessed a fight between the ningen and the elder son of the lord, and watched the ningen leave in a huff. They had no idea what was going on or why they were at each other's throats. But they didn't care. All they wanted was the opportunity to strike and get the hell out of this area. It was becoming dangerous just being here and the guards were getting better in patrolling the area. They had been almost caught twice now, if it had not been for their fast thinking.

Once the lady was back in the castle, the guards were doubled and it became harder to observe what was going on.

It was in the middle of the night when they noticed that the ningen had come out of the castle and was heading towards the gardens. The garden that the onna was heading for was outside of the barrier that protected the castle. They were in luck, they could at least capture the female for their lord and that would please him. Even if they couldn't poison the Western Lord they would at least accomplish something.

The sentries that were watching the castle sent word back to the main group that the girl was making her way into the gardens.

The Nezumi kept watch as they observed the girl stop in the middle of the garden and just look up into the sky. Then they noticed that the Lord of the West had followed the female into the garden. Now was their chance, they could strike out at the lord and grab the female and be gone before the perimeter guards knew what was going on.

The main body of the Nezumi was setting up to capture the girl when they were informed of the impending arrival of the Western Lord.

Sado got a gleam in his eyes when he heard this. It was their only chance to strike out at the Lord of the West and poison him.

They watched from the shadows what was going on between the Lord and the ningen. When they were sure that they were unaware of their presence, he sent word for his comrades to get ready. They slowly surrounded the two in the garden as they made their way toward the Western Lord.

But they were discovered when they heard the Western Lord say, "Show yourselves! What are you doing on my lands you filthy bastards?"

Sado along with a good portion of his clan stepped forward, as he said, "Tonight you die Lord of the Western Lands!"

Sado noticed that the Western Lord had pushed the ningen behind him and was protecting her. This would do him no good, as they were getting ready to attack. They knew that the Lord was powerful but he did have a plan. He looked to the two that were standing on either side of him as he nodded his head to each of them. They both understood what that meant as they stepped off to the side getting ready to attack.

Inutaisho noticed that these were Nezumi youkai. Someone must want him dead if they were sending these youkai after him. He was watching them out of the corner of his eye and saw two of them leaving their leader's side. He figured that these two had poison somewhere on them. He had to protect Kagome from getting hit. She was his main concern at the moment.

At that moment, he sensed a powerful aura coming his way. He smirked when he recognized it. 'These fools are about to learn what it's like to fight the most powerful pair in the Western Lands.

A ball of energy appeared to the right of Kagome, she turned to see Sesshoumaru standing next to her with his sword drawn. She blushed a deep crimson when she noticed that he didn't have his haori on. For the first time she saw his well-toned body and she liked what she saw as she heard a pair of growls coming from Sesshomaru and his father.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru was lying in bed with his eyes closed. He was thinking about Kagome and what he had said to her earlier this evening. He sighed, his brother had come to apologize to him, but no amount of apology would undo what he had said to Kagome.

He kept remembering the hurt look in her eyes as he looked at her. He had hurt her deeply and he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms and tell her that he was sorry. Yes he never apologized to anyone before, but for her, he would do it without a second thought.

He sat up straight in his bed when he heard the gentle padding of feet walking down the hallway. The scent of Night Blooming Jasmine was in the air, and it was growing faint. He was about to follow, wondering if he could take this opportunity to apologize to her, but then he heard another set of footsteps and picked up the scent of his father.

Sesshoumaru sighed, his father was going after Kagome and he wouldn't have the chance to talk to her the way that he would like. He laid back down and continued to think about his dark haired angel. The image of her smiling up at him would present itself to him as he daydreamed about her.

Then he sat up again. He felt the presence of youkai in the area and these were not the guards from the garrison. He growled viciously, getting out of bed, as he tied his sash to his waist and placed his sword on his side. He was only wearing his sleeping hakama, which were black in color, he formed his ball of light and went streaking out of his temporary room to where Kagome and his father were located.

He landed right next to Kagome as he pulled his sword from its sheath. He eyed the youkai in front of him as his anger was growing. He and his father had gotten rid of these vermin once before and now they were back. He knew what this meant. Someone had sent them to kill someone and he didn't know if they were after his father or Kagome. Either way it didn't matter to him because he would protect both.

Sesshoumaru heard a growl from his father as he told him which three youkai to watch. These were the one's he figured had the poison on them. He growled back to his father, saying he understood as he brought his sword forward in defense.

All three of them turned and stood back to back against each other. Then they saw the youkai attacking as they attacked as one.

The first to strike out was Inutaisho as he swung his sword across his body and released a powerful blast that killed all in front of him. Kagome was next with her Honoo No Shinide, the flames traveled forward and burned all those in front of her to the ground. Sesshoumaru came next as he swung his sword across his body and released its bright blue light. The attack went straight for the offending youkai as it killed them all, but there were more of the bastards coming their way.

Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho were keeping an eye out for the three youkai that they thought had the poison. The surge of youkais was great as it separated the three from each other. Sesshoumaru, Inutaisho, and Kagome had their own group of youkais to deal with.

Kagome was holding her own against the youkais in front of her, she would strike with her sword and turn to blast them with her Reiyouku. Inutaisho was keeping an eye out for his pup. He would not let her get hurt for anything. He had a daughter now and he was determined to keep her.

Then he noticed out of the corner of his eye, that two out of the three youkai he knew to have the poison were heading towards Kagome. He dispatched the youkais in front of him as he moved to protect Kagome. She had not noticed that they were coming from behind as he raced to her side.

Kagome sensed that there was an attack coming from behind her. She quickly killed the youkai in front of her as she turned to the offending youkai. They were a lot closer than she thought, and then all of a sudden she felt an arm come around her waist and pull her back. She saw as her youbu put his sword arm up to deflect the attack that would have hit her. He would normally wear armor on his arm but at the moment he didn't have any.

The Nezumi, at the last minute, noticed as the youkai lord come in to protect the ningen. They changed the angle of their claws as they missed his sword, which he held in front of him, slashing his arm instead, making him cry out in pain.

Inutaisho held Kagome close to his chest as he let his youki go. He needed her in his arms to protect her. If he had let his powers go before he had her he could have killed her. The only thing his youki never killed was his family. But Kagome was not his, even though she carries the mark of his clan, she is not his pup by blood. His attack would have killed her and he would not have it.

He held Kagome close to his chest and surrounded his pup with a barrier, while he let his youki go, killing all the Nezumi that were surrounding them. Once he was sure that she was safe he released Kagome from his grasp, before he went down to his knees holding his arm. He had been correct in his assumptions. These two did have poison in their claws.

Sado saw his soldiers slashed the Western Lord and knew that he had been poisoned. He raced in to grab the girl so they could return home. He was calling for a retreat as he finally made it to the ningens side. He was about to grab the girl when her aura flared and the force of the flare pushed him away from her.

Sado looked up from his position on the ground. He had been knocked about 10 feet away from the girl. He was about to get up when he notice her aura. It was the most powerful aura he has ever seen in his life. He stopped dead in his tracks as he watched what was happening right in front of him.

---oOo---

Kagome saw what had happened to her youbu. Her heart broke at that moment. He had protected her and had taken the hit in her place. From the way he had cried out in pain and was laying on the ground holding his arm, it told her that he was the one from her dreams, the one to get poisoned.

Something deep inside Kagome snapped as she screamed in agony. She had finally found a father that would love her for who she was. She didn't have to please him like she did her own father who wanted nothing but money so they could experiment on her. Her rage grew ten fold as she let her inner most powers go.

Wings appeared on her back and illuminated the area. Her hair went up with the wind, which was encircling her body. Her eyes had turned a pure white as she said, "You bastards, you will pay for hurting him. He is the only one to have ever loved me for who I am and now you have hurt him. I will make you pay for that!"

Sado didn't know what to say or for that fact what to do. He stood up from the ground and said with a sneer, "I told him he would die tonight. You have two days at the most before he passes. I wish that I could stay to see him wither in pain as the poison takes over his body. It promises to be a great show. But I will spare you the sight of watching him die. You are to come with us. Someone has been waiting for your arrival for a while now. You will improve his mood a great deal."

Kagome heard a growl off to her side; she huffed and spoke in a deadly voice. "Sesshoumaru, take care of your father. These vermin are mine. Get in my way and it will be your death."

Sesshoumaru watched the level of power that Kagome was showing. She was a lot more powerful than he thought. If she unleashed this power when he tried to dominate her, she could win the battle against him. He decided not to test her tonight as he went over to his father and looked at his wounds. His skin has already started to turn black from where the poison has entered his body as he tried to stop the process.

Kagome's attention was being held by the youkai standing in front of her as she said, "I will not go with the likes of you. The person that has been waiting for me is just going to have to wait. I hold no interest in him and he is a coward for sending someone like you to capture me. You're a weakling and will never be able to subdue me."

Sado had enough; he didn't care if his lord wanted this wench. He was going to kill her himself for her insults. He charged and brought his claws up to attack. But before he could bring his arm down, it was cut off right at his shoulder. He screamed in pain as he went down to the ground. He looked up in time to see the female retracting a whip that came from her fingers.

Kagome had brought her hand up as a whip of pink light came out of her fingers. She snapped her wrist as she took off his arm. She then flapped her wings and rose into the air, holding her sword high, saying, "I pass judgment on you. Your sentence is death for the crimes you have committed."

Kagome started to draw power from within as she glowed a pure white in color. Her sword turned white as well as she held it high in the sky and yelled, "TENHIKARIHA!!"

White purifying blades came out of her sword as the attack sought out its enemy. They only went after the Nezumi as they tried to run away from her attack. The Nezumi failed miserably as the blades cut them all down. Once they had all been killed, Kagome slowly came down to the ground as her wings disappeared into her back once again. She fell to her knees panting as she struggled to get up.

Kagome found that she couldn't stand so she crawled over to where Inutaisho was laying and looked at his wounds. She tore a piece of her nemaki and tied it on the upper portion of his arm to prevent the poison from going further into his system. She moved with speed knowing that the poison was working rapidly through his system. She put her hands on his wound and allowed her healing power to come forth in an effort to purge the poison from his body.

Kagome's body was thrown backwards as the poison rejected her attempts to heal the youkai lord. A dark spell has been placed on the poison; it will reject any attempt to use Reiyouku, to purge it from its intended victim.

Kagome landed hard on the ground as she was struggling to catch her breath. Tears were slowly coming from her eyes, she felt helpless to help the one person who loved her like a daughter.

Sesshoumaru was watching closely to see what Kagome was doing. She seemed to know what she needed to do to stop the poison from spreading. His father was in a tremendous amount of pain when she put her hands on his arm. He saw the blue light of her healing power come forth but in a blink of an eye she was thrown back from his father. She landed on her back with the wind knocked out of her.

Sesshoumaru growled as he howled into the night to get some help. The servants from inside the castle came running out as they picked their lord up and took him inside the castle.

Sesshoumaru then went over to Kagome who was struggling to get to her feet. He bent down to pick her up bridal style and then turned to walk back into the castle. Kagome was struggling in his grasp, as she said, "Put me down I need to go to him!"

Sesshomaru held her tighter as he spoke into her ear, "Kagome calm yourself, I am taking you to where they have taken father."

Kagome stopped struggling, as she tried to regain her strength, she was going to need it if her dreams were correct. It will be difficult to find the black moonflower but she had to try.

At Kagome's request Sesshoumaru stopped by her room before they went to see his father. She had stated that she needed to get something from her clothes box before she could deal with his father.

Sesshoumaru entered Kagome's room as he gently placed her on her feet. She was still not strong enough to walk, as he helped her reach her destination. Kagome opened the door to her clothes box, reaching in and pulling out a hand full of long slender needles. He noticed when she placed them in the sleeve of her nemaki, and then picked her up in his arms, as he made his way to his parent's room.

Sesshoumaru entered his parent's room and they saw his mother crying over the body of her mate. They saw Kori as she was trying different herbs to counteract the poison that Inutaisho had in his body. Kagome looked up at Sesshoumaru and said, "Please put me down, I must help him."

Sesshoumaru did as she requested and he placed her again on her feet. Kagome staggered a little before she caught her balance and walked over to where Kori was located. She stopped by Kori's side as she said, "Kori, you don't have the antidote for this poison. It's a powerful one and it has no cure. But I will make one for him before it's too late. If you will move I will make him sleep until the antidote can be made. I don't want him to suffer."

Kori moved out of Kagome's way as Kagome made her way over to her Otou-san. Tears were falling from her eyes as she said, "I'm sorry Otou-san this is my fault. If I wasn't here then none of this would have happened."

She kneeled by his side as Inutaisho looked into the eyes of his pup. She was crying for him as he said, "No my little one. You have brought great joy into my life, I would have it no other way. Didn't you know that it's a father's duty to protect his pups and I will protect you with my life."

Kagome smiled weakly at him as she put her hand into the sleeve of her nemaki, she pulled out a hand full of long needles and placed them on the futon where her father was laying. She quickly dried her eyes with the sleeve of her nemaki and focused on what she had to do. She found the nerves in his arm and the veins that were pumping the poison into his body.

She couldn't heal him with her Reiyouku but she could put him to sleep and prevent the poison from spreading throughout his body. She took her fingers and rubbed his skin, quickly, she found the first blood vessel. She gently pressed down with her fingers and then inserted a needle into his arm.

She sealed all the veins making sure the poison stayed in his arm. Then, she found the nerves and started putting needles in them as well. She was starting to make his pain go away. She then went to his neck, when she found what she was looking for, she placed several needles there to put him into a deep sleep. By the time she was done, he had needles sticking out all over his body.

Kagome moved and stood up on her feet, she wavered a little before she caught her balance. Ayashiko had seen what her pup had done to her mate as she walked over to her and asked, "Kagome what did you do to him?"

Kagome was mentally calling for the dragon to meet her outside the castle doors; she would be leaving as soon as possible to get what she needed. She heard her youbo's question as she answered, "The needles are part of an ancient healing called acupuncture. What I have done is stop the poison from spreading in his body. I have dented the nerves so that he doesn't feel any pain from the poison. Then I put him into a deep sleep until I can make the antidote to the poison they used. This is the only thing that I can do for him since I can't heal him with my Reiyouku."

Kori was amazed at what she heard and she said, "You know how to do acupuncture? Where did you learn to do that? I have been trying to find someone to teach me that practice for centuries now."

"I can not tell you where I learned how to do that but once I get the antidote for the poison in his body I promise to teach you. Right now I must go, I have to go and get the one ingredient that I don't have to make the antidote. I will be back as soon as possible with it." Kagome said as she was leaving the room.

Sesshoumaru had been watching from the sidelines as he saw what the girl was doing. He was amazed at the amount of knowledge that she possessed. He heard her words as he stepped forward and said, "I will go with you."

Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru as she said in a deadly voice, "I don't need your help. Stay by your father and leave me be. I know where I am going." With that Kagome quickly left the room as she made her way out of the castle. She was about to get on Ah-Un when she was attacked from behind and pinned to the ground.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru was pissed, 'How dare she order me to stay here while she goes out to retrieve the herbs needed to cure my father.' His eyes started to bleed red as he went after Kagome. His mother had tried to stop him but the look in his eyes was enough to stop her from interfering. They had to work out their disagreement and she figured that this was the best way to do it.

Sesshoumaru ran out of the castle and saw Kagome about to mount the dragon. He rushed forward and tackled her from behind, pinning her to the ground by her neck. He growled at the dragon to go back to the stables and the dragon obeyed without protest. Ah-Un was not about to get caught up in the fight that those two were about to have.

Kagome's anger was slowly growing again. She had not regained the energy that she lost when she killed all of those Nezumi, who were attacking the castle. Her aura flared around her as Sesshoumaru's hand started to burn from her purifying power. He squeezed her neck a little harder, making her stop, as it was becoming difficult for her to breath.

Now that Sesshoumaru had her attention he said in a deadly voice, "Now, I'm coming with you to get this herb. We will travel together that way I am assured that you will return in time to cure my father. Is that understood?"

Kagome didn't have a choice in the matter. She couldn't fight him at the moment so she agreed to his request. She felt the pressure of his hand loosen as she heard him say in her ear, "I am sorry for the things I said earlier Kagome, I did not mean them. They were said in anger. I thought that you were another illusion that my brother was using on me. I did miss you." He leaned down and gave her a lick under her chin as a sign of his sincerity.

Kagome stiffened when she heard what he said and felt the lick under her chin. 'Did he just say that he missed me? If what he was saying is true then it really wasn't his fault for saying those things. I know that his brother likes to torment him. But I'm not going to give in to him. He has already said that he hates ningens and I don't want to get my hopes up.'

Kagome relaxed in his grip as he finally let her go. He stood up and offered her his hand to help her stand. She looked at his hand before she accepted and stood up with his help. Then she heard him say, "Now where are we going?"

Kagome was rubbing her neck as she said, "We have to go to the highest mountain in this area. The only place I know about is due north of here. There is a mountain there called Mount Tsuruga. There at the very top of the mountain we will find the black moonflower. But we must hurry. The flower only blooms by the light of the full moon and it must be picked during this time in order to make the antidote."

Sesshoumaru understood what she was saying. They could travel in his orb form but he had a better idea. He talked with his beast and he quickly agreed to his request, as it would give him some time with his intended. He turned to Kagome and said, "I know of a way to get there quickly but you must ride on my beast for us to get there."

Kagome was confused as she asked, "Beast? What beast are you talking about?"

Sesshoumaru smiled as he stepped away from her. He concentrated as he started to glow a golden color. His body lifted off the ground as he started to change.

Kagome watched in fascination as she watched Sesshoumaru change his form. When he was done, she saw the most amazing thing. There standing right in front of her, she saw the biggest inu in the world. He was pure white in color and his long fur flowed beautifully behind him. His long white fluffy tail moved from side to side as she saw him looking at her. He had blood red eyes and she saw the markings on his face.

He lowered his head as he put his nose close to her. Kagome was a little scared of what he might do to her. She reached out with a shaky hand and slowly touched his nose. She saw the great beast close his eyes in contentment as she gently scratched.

Then she heard the most amazing thing. He was actually purring as she scratched. She giggled and that cause him to open his eyes and look at her. She felt something going around her waist as she looked down to see his tail wrapping around her; it then lifted her up to the top of his head. He placed her gently on the top of his neck near his ears as he mentally said to her, "Hold on Kagome, we will be traveling very fast."

Kagome reached down and grabbed a fist full of fur and noticed how soft it was. She leaned forward as she tightened her legs to hold on as Sesshoumaru took off into the night.

Kagome was amazed at the speed in which they were traveling. He was flying up high over the land as his legs moved with such speed that you could barely see anything. They were traveling great distances over the land as they were making there way north.

The cool night air was hitting Kagome in the face as she looked up to see where they were going. Her hair was floating behind her along with his fur as it came up to encircle her body to keep her warm.

Kagome smiled down at him as she reached over with one hand and started to scratch near his ear. She heard a low growl as she did this and then she heard him say, "Kagome if you want to make it to the mountain tonight I suggest you stop that. That is very relaxing and I don't want to fall asleep this high up in the air."

Kagome's eyes widen at his comments as she immediately stopped what she was doing. She said a soft, "sorry," as they continued going north.

Sesshoumaru was enjoying her touch very much, but it was so soothing that he almost faltered in his stride. He had to stop her or else they will never make it to the mountain and back to his father. He would stop and have his way with her. It was very tempting and his beast wanted that most of all. Sesshoumaru had to keep reminding his beast that if they wanted her as a mate she had to be presented to the rest of the lords. Then once they win the fight they will be able to dominate her and make her submit to him as his mate.

His beast reluctantly agreed with him. He wanted her as his mate and she was not afraid of his inner beast. This was something that was very important to him because it showed that she would accept all of him as he was.

They continued on their way as they were nearing the mountain. Kagome sat up a little as she saw the mountain coming into view. She couldn't see it that well in the dark but the light of the full moon lit the very top of the mountain where the snow was. It shined brightly by the light of the full moon as it showed them where they had to go.

They landed down by the base of the mountain as Kagome stood up between his ears and said, "The flower should be located at the top of the summit."

Sesshomaru looked up as he tried to figure out the best way to get up there. The air was thinner up there so it will be difficult for him to fly. He came up with a plan as he lowered his head and said, "Kagome I want you to get off for a moment."

Kagome agreed to his request as she slipped down his nose and landed on the ground gently. She saw Sesshoumaru transform back as she looked at him and asked, "What's wrong?"

Sesshoumaru looked at her and said, "The air is thinner up there so I can't go in my true form. We must travel in my ball of light if we are to make it high enough into the mountain. Then we will have to climb the rest of the way."

Kagome understood what he was saying. The air up there will be thin so they had to prepare. She knew it was going to be hard for them to get the flower but they had to get it. She looked into the sky and figured that they only had a few hours left before the moon went away. "We must travel quickly. We only have a few hours left of the moons light before it goes away."

Sesshoumaru understood what she was saying as he moved closer to her and placed his arm around her waist. His tail encircled her body to keep her warm as he concentrated. He formed his demonic ball of light as it shot up into the sky.

As they were traveling, Sesshoumaru was concentrating hard to make it up as high as possible so they didn't have to climb that much. Soon it became too much for him as he landed on a small cliff on the side of the mountain. They had almost made it to the top. The air was cold and thin where they were standing, as they stood there for a minute trying to adjust to the environment.

Kagome concentrated on her miko powers as she filled her lungs and Sesshoumaru's with the much-needed air. Soon they were both breathing normally as they started to climb. Sesshoumaru had his tail wrapped around Kagome's waist to make sure she didn't slip and fall down the mountain.

It was a slow process but they went carefully up the side of the mountain. They were battling the raging winds that threatened to send them off the side of the mountain as Sesshoumaru dug his claws deeper into the stone to keep them from falling down. On a couple of occasions, Kagome had slipped and if he didn't have a hold on her she would have fallen to her death.

Kagome was getting cold. Her fingers were numb from the cold air that was whipping around them. The sharp edges of the rocks were digging into her feet as she climbed the face of the mountain. She had forgotten to wear shoes in her haste to leave the castle. But she could see the top of the mountain so she continued going, she had to get to the flower and save her new Otou-san; he meant the world to her and she couldn't let him die.

After about an hour of climbing they finally reached the top of the mountain. Sesshoumaru pulled Kagome the rest of the way up as he gently placed her on the ground.

Kagome was shivering from the cold as she slowly stood on weak legs. Her strength was almost gone, but she still had to find the flower. She stood with Sesshoumaru's help as they looked around the area. There in the fading glow of the full moon, Kagome spotted the black moonflower. She slowly made her way to the flower with Sesshoumaru following closely behind her.

They made their way to the small cluster of black flowers, Kagome then knelt by them as she reached into her kimono and pulled two small jars from within its folds. She opened them and placed the jars on the ground as she looked at the flower. She was remembering what she had read and what Oyuki had told her she needed to do to pick this flower.

With numb fingers she dug out the first flower and held it up to the moons light. The flower opened beautifully for her as she recited the ancient text that would make the flower yield its precious nectar.

Flowers of the moon

Hear my call

I need your help to cure

From the depth of the moon I seek

The nectar to cure all

Yield your powerful nectar

So I may save the one dearest to me

Kagome started to glow as her powers engulfed the flower. The flower seemed to bend down to the jar she held in her hand, then the nectar from the flower started to pour into the jar. When the flower had yielded all of its nectar to her, Kagome put what remained of the flower into the other jar.

She continued doing this until the jar was full of nectar from the moonflower and then she sealed it shut. She placed it back in her kimono as she looked up at Sesshoumaru with tired eyes and said, "I have what I need, we must head back as soon as possible."

Sesshoumaru saw how tired she was. He felt just like her and getting down from this mountain was going to take everything they had. He helped her to stand, but her legs gave out as she fell into his arms. She was panting hard as he said to her, "Kagome we must get off this mountain soon or else we will lose consciousness here."

Kagome agreed with him as he helped her to the edge of the mountain. He looked over the side of the mountain as he came to a decision. He picked Kagome up and held her close to his chest. This will take a great deal of energy on his part, but it was the only way to get down as quickly as possible.

Sesshoumaru gathered his strength, leaping high into the sky and as far away from the mountain, they started their decent down to the ground. He had to keep conscious or else they would die from what he was trying to do. They descended rapidly towards the ground as the cold winds whipped around their bodies.

Sesshoumaru's hair was whipping behind him along with his tail that made him look like a shooting star. The toes to his right foot were pointing downward toward the ground as the other leg was slightly bent. He kept Kagome close to his chest as he continued to look down toward the ground.

Kagome was shivering from the winds as Sesshoumaru tried to wrap his tail around her to keep her warm. When they got down far enough, that the air was becoming normal, Sesshoumaru took a deep breath as he concentrated on his orb form. He formed it as it streaked across the sky and away from the mountain. He found a cave not too far away from the mountain and landed safely on the ground.

He opened his senses and determined that it was safe to rest there for the night. He was just too tired to keep going back to the Western Lands and Kagome had already fallen unconscious from their ride down. She was sleeping peacefully against his bare chest.

He walked into the cave and was glad to see a dry patch of grass. It would do for the remainder of the night as he laid down with Kagome cradled against his chest. He closed his eyes as the sweet scent of his intended mate filled his lungs and lulled him into a peaceful sleep.

---oOo---

Kagome was the first to awaken the next morning. She was feeling very warm, and for the first time since she has arrived here in the past, she felt at peace with herself. It was the peace that she has been seeking for a long time. It soothed her heart and made her feel whole, she snuggled closer into the fluff that was surrounding her, not wanting to wake up.

She heard a gentle purr as her eyes slowly opened. She saw the fluffy white fur that was keeping her warm as she looked up. There above her, she saw Sesshoumaru sound asleep. He looked like an angel just sleeping there. His face was relaxed and the lines of tension were gone from his face. The stoic mask he always wore was gone and for the first time, Kagome got to see the real Sesshoumaru. She was pleased with what she saw, he was the most handsome youkai she had ever laid eyes on. She felt a blush come to her cheeks as she thought this. 'Bad, bad, bad, Kagome! You know he doesn't like ningen so why get your hopes up.'

She sighed as she tried to move away from his grip. She found that he wouldn't let go of her. She was laying there trying to figure out a way to get out of his grasp when she sensed that they had company. She placed a barrier at the entrance of the cave as she gently shook Sesshoumaru awake, "Sesshoumaru, we have company."

Sesshoumaru stirred when he heard Kagome speaking. He opened his senses as he felt the youkai standing right outside the cave. He growled as he released the girl from his arms and stood up. He was pissed these fools have just disturbed the most restful sleep he has ever had. He was enjoying having Kagome in his arms but these fools had to ruin it and now they were going to pay for it.

Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru moved to the entrance of the cave. He was still dressed in a pair of black hakama's and no haori. He had left the castle in a rush that he didn't stop to dress just like she had forgotten. He had no shoes, the sash he wore was the only thing that was keeping his sword attached to his waist. Kagome shook her head to clear her mind of the godly figure before her, while she got up and followed.

Sesshoumaru stopped as Kagome came over to his side, pulling her sword from her obi. How she managed not to lose her sword without its sheath she didn't know, but she was grateful nonetheless.

They both looked at each other and nodded as they took a deep breath and stepped out of the cave. There standing in front of them were hebi youkai, but not just any hebi youkai. These were two of the most poisonous hebi that were known to be in existence. One was a Mamushi hebi youkai. They had a scaly body that was covered in reddish brown scales; they had black blotches surrounding the brown and some black spots showing on their skin.

The other was a Yamakagashi hebi youkai. This one had the colors of green with black and white flecks. Both of them had a triangle head and they were very tall. They stood taller than Sesshoumaru in his ningen form. There were about 10 hebi's that were waiting for them when they walked out of the cave.

Sesshoumaru growled as he said, "What do you want?"

The hebi hissed as the leader said, "We want the SSSSShikon, give ussssss the SSSSSShikon and we will let you passssss."

Kagome swallowed hard as she thought, 'Oh boy, this is not good. Sesshoumaru doesn't know that I'm the Shikon that they are talking about.' She looked up into the sky and noticed where the sun was sitting. They needed to head back to the castle as soon as possible. She still had to make the antidote that would cure the youkai lord or he will surely die.

Kagome looked at the hebi and said, "We don't have the Shikon so let us pass. We must get back to the Western Lands."

"Insssssolate wench! Hold your tongue when sssssspeaking to usssssss! We want the SSSSSShikon and we will have it." The hebi hissed as they got into an attack position.

Kagome's temper was increasing the fool had made the mistake of calling her a wench. She was about to say something when she saw Sesshoumaru's whip come out of his clawed finger and went for the offending youkai. He missed as they quickly moved out of the way of his attack.

"You better watch what you say about her! You will show your respect toward my intended mate." Sesshoumaru growled to the hebi youkai.

Kagome was shocked to hear what Sesshoumaru had just said about her, 'Since when am I his intended mate? He hates ningens and he has already made that clear to me. Plus I have not given my consent to be his mate, so for him to presume that I will accept him is very bold of Sesshoumaru. I have already made up my mind that I'm not mating anyone and that includes him.'

Kagome was fuming, for Sesshoumaru to declare to these fools that she was his intended mate made her even angrier. She was about to say something to the arrogant male standing next to her, when she was cut off the enraged hebi.

The hebi hissed their anger as they said, "We could care lesssssss who sssssshe isssssss we want the SSSSSShikon and we ssssssssshall have it."

"Over my dead body!" Kagome yelled as she brought her sword forward to attack.

The hebi's attacked as Sesshoumaru and Kagome defended. Sesshoumaru kept close to Kagome incase she needed his help as they fought against the hebi. One by one they started to fall as Kagome used her purifying powers to get rid of them. She felled her final opponent as she looked for Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru dispatched the last of his opponents as he looked for Kagome. She was fine as she walked over to one of the dead Yamakagashi hebi. She looked at the hebi as she spotted what she was looking for. She took her sword and sliced the hebi's neck open. She put her hand into his neck until she finally found what she was seeking, his poisoned sack, gently, she lifted it out of his body.

She took another jar from within her kimono and placed it in, then sealed the jar and placed it back inside her kimono. Sesshoumaru looked at her with curiosity and asked, "Kagome what did you just take from him?"

Kagome turned toward Sesshoumaru, and explained, "The Yamakagashi hebi has a neurotoxin that paralyzes his enemy until he can kill them. The poison can be refined to make medicine that will keep a gravely injured person from moving around. This will help the healer heal their wounds without them feeling any pain."

Sesshoumaru was stunned by her answer as he asked, "Where did you learn all of this?"

Kagome sighed as she said, "If you must know back in the castle there is a book in the library that speaks about all of this. Now we must head back to the west. We don't have much time to fix the antidote for your father."

Kagome was becoming irritated for being delayed. She was under a time constraint and she didn't like pushing herself this much. It could lead to making errors, errors that she couldn't afford.

Sesshoumaru agreed as he transformed back into his true form. Kagome got on the top of his head, sat down and held on tight. Once Sesshoumaru felt that she was holding on, he leaped high into the air and flew back in the direction of the castle. They just hoped that they would make it back in time.

---oOo---

Ayashiko had been up all night with her mate. Once she had seen her elder son and Kagome leave the castle grounds, she went to sit with him for the rest of the night and kept a silent vigil over him as he slept.

She could tell that he was still in pain as she put wet cloths on his forehead to keep the fever at bay. Her Musume had done well; she has kept him asleep during this time so he would not be uncomfortable. But the pain was still there. She could feel his suffering though he was not awake to feel it. Their bond allowed her to feel everything he was feeling at the moment.

Ayashiko could handle what was going on as long as her mate was asleep. The pain was not nearly as bad as it could have been. Kagome in her haste to help her mate was helping her as well. But if her pups do not make it back soon, there will be two deaths in this castle. Her life was tied to his and his to hers. She was willing his body to continue to fight until their pups returned. _'Please Kagome hurry, your father grows weaker by the moment and so do I.'_

---oOo---

At that moment Kagome heard her Hahaue call as her heart almost stopped, 'She is growing weaker like Otou? But why?' Kagome didn't understand what was going on or why things were happening the way they were. She leaned over to Sesshoumaru's ear and said, "Sesshoumaru we must hurry! Your father is growing weak and so is your mother."

Sesshoumaru's heart started to race, 'Mother! I forgot that your life is tied to fathers!' With a growl, Sesshoumaru put on a burst of speed so fast that Kagome had to hang on for dear life. They were traveling so fast that all she saw was just a blur going by. She buried her face into his fur, making as low a profile as possible, as they raced toward the west.

Within an hour they arrived back at the castle as Kagome jumped from Sesshoumaru's head and ran into the castle. Kori was waiting for Kagome as she led her into a room where she had everything that she would need.

Kagome pulled the jars out from her Kimono and placed them on the table. She put a pot in front of her as she started to concentrate on what she had to do. Slowly she started to mix the antidote just like Oyuki had instructed her. Then she put it on the heat to cook. It had to cook until it boiled before it was done. She waited patiently for it to finish so she could give it to the youkai lord.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru had let Kagome down and saw her rush into the castle. He transformed back into his normal form, and then raced to his mother's side. He found her sitting in her room near his father. He walked in the room and whispered with concern in his voice, "Mother."

Ayashiko turned when she heard her name being called. She smiled when she saw her elder son. He quickly walked over to her and hugged her tightly. Then he pulled away from her as he asked, "Mother are you all right?"

Ayashiko smiled as she answered, "Yes Sochi, I'm fine for now but as your father grows weak and so do I. Did you find what you were seeking?"

Sesshoumaru's heart was beating fast as he said, "Yes mother, we found the flower that Kagome needs and she extracted the nectar from it. She is mixing the antidote as we speak."

Both Ayashiko and Sesshoumaru stayed together as they waited for Kagome to come back with the antidote for the poison.

---oOo---

As the antidote for Inutaisho was cooking, Kagome got busy with another potion. She had read this one from one of Oyuki's books. She thought that it might help in keeping her youbo immobile while the antidote worked to purge his body of the poison from within. She had no idea how it was suppose to work but she was hoping that it would. The only way she would know if she got it right is once she gave it to him.

Finally, she got both potions ready as she put a small amount into vials and went straight to Ayashiko's room. She entered the room without even knocking as she went straight for her Otou-san. She kneeled by his side and removed the vials from her kimono and placed them in front of her.

She was aware of the eyes staring at her, but at this moment, she didn't care. She was totally focused on the youkai in front of her as she started to work. She took the first vial and opened it. She put a small amount of this potion on his chest and watched as it totally relaxed his body. Then she took the next one and opened it. This was the moment of truth. She opened his mouth and poured the potion into it, while at the same time, she rubbed his throat to make it go down. Once she saw him swallow the potion, she sat back on her hunches, all she could do now was wait.

After about an hour Kagome started to pull the needles from Inutaisho's body. Slowly she pulled the ones from his arm as she observed his wounds. The blackened spots where the poison had entered his arm was slowly changing in color. It was returning to its normal color as the wounds were finally starting to heal.

Kagome continued to pull all of the needles and ended with the ones on his neck, which kept him asleep. Kagome waited to see if he would wake up but he continued to sleep. They waited all day and into the night to see if he would recover from his ordeal.

---oOo---

Inutaisho was slowly coming awake. He breathed deeply and noticed that the scent of his mate and his elder son were in the room with him. But a new scent came to his nose as he recognized to whom it belonged to. She was close that much he could tell as he slowly opened his eyes.

At first, his eyes were blurred, but after a few minutes they started to come into focus. When his eyes finally focused he looked to his side and notice a pair of bright blue eyes looking at him. She looked exhausted as he smiled at her.

Kagome had sat by Inutaisho's side the whole day. It was now in the middle of the night as she continued her silent vigil. She saw as he was taking deep breathes and waited patiently for him to awaken.

Then she saw his eyes slowly opening as tears of joy were running down her cheeks. When she saw his smile, she was relieved to see that he was all right. At that moment in time, nothing matter to her as she broke down and cried on his chest.

Inutaisho reached up and hugged his pup close to his chest as he purred to calm her. He knew that he had scared her but the main thing was that she was all right and that's what mattered to him.

Behind Kagome, Ayashiko and Sesshoumaru had woken up to see the youkai they loved slowly coming awake. When he smiled they both knew that he would be all right as they both got up and went over to where he was laying.

Kagome noticed right away that Ayashiko was standing behind her as she stood up and moved away from her father in order to let her mother get closer to him. When she saw them hug she quietly left them to their family reunion.

She was not part of this family and felt out of place. She walked out of the room and headed outside. She continued to walk until she got to the gardens and there she let her emotions go for the first time in two days.

She was emotionally drained as she fell to her knees. She looked up to the moon and said a silent prayer in thanks for its help. The black moonflower did its job to cure her father of the poison he had in his system. But she couldn't help but feel that this was her fault in some way.

She needed to leave this place and soon. There will be more trouble and it will not be good. She could sense the evil in the distance and it was spreading throughout the land. She could feel that it was coming from the north but she couldn't figure out where.

Slowly without her knowing it, she started walking in that direction as something seemed to be calling her there. She left the gardens and started heading toward the forest.

---oOo---

Once Inutaisho had given his mate reassurances that he was fine, he looked up wanting to talk to Kagome. When he didn't see her he asked, "Where did Kagome go off to?"

Sesshoumaru turned and cursed under his breath for not noticing that the girl was gone from the room. He left his father and mother alone as he followed Kagome's scent out into the garden. When he got there, he noticed right away that something was wrong. She was not there; he raced off into the forest following her scent.

He finally reached her within a few minutes and watched her walking away from him. He rushed to her side as he asked, "Kagome where are you going?"

Kagome didn't answer and when he looked at her eyes, he saw that she was in some sort of trance. He grabbed her by the shoulders as he stopped her from leaving. He shook her to see if he could get her attention.

Kagome's eyes cleared as she furrowed her eyebrows together and looked at Sesshomaru in confusion. She had no idea what was going on or for that fact, where she was. "Sesshoumaru were are we?"

Sesshoumaru looked at his intended with wide eyes as he said, "Don't you remember?"

Kagome shook her head, as she said, "No, I thought that I was in the gardens a few minutes ago."

This did not sit well with him as he picked her up in his arms and started to walk back to the castle. By the time he reached the castle, she was asleep in his arms as he made his way back to his parent's room. He knocked on the door as he heard a "Come in."

He entered the room with Kagome in his arms and went straight to his father.

Inutaisho was confused to see Kagome in Sesshoumaru's arms as he asked, "What happened to her?"

Sesshoumaru explained that he had found her deep in the forest as she was walking away from the castle. When he asked her where she was going, she didn't respond to his inquiry. Then he looked into her eyes and noticed that she looked like she was being controlled.

This did not sit well with Inutaisho, who said, "Sesshoumaru please put Kagome to bed and place a barrier around her room that will prevent her from leaving. Whoever or whatever they are, they are trying to control her, we must make sure that she doesn't leave the castle by herself."

Sesshoumaru bid his father and mother a goodnight as he left their room and headed toward Kagome's room. He entered and then he placed her on the bed. She looked so beautiful when she rested. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, while he covered her up with the furs on the bed. He placed a barrier around her room to make sure that she couldn't leave. He then left her room as he went to his own. If she decided to leave again, he would know, because the barrier will notify him if someone was trying to get in or out of Kagome's room.

Sesshoumaru didn't want to leave Kagome at the moment. Spending the night together in that cave was the best thing that he had done in a long while. He had slept well and he missed the warmth of her breath against his neck. His arms felt empty for they missed her body. But he knew he couldn't stay with her. He could not trust himself at the moment with her. But soon he will have his chance and he will win the right to dominate her. He would be able to take her away from here for a while and spend some real time with her.

He could not wait until the other lords gathered. He knew he would hate seeing all of them again because they will bring their families with them and that meant that the fools would bring their daughter in hopes of him picking one of them to be his mate. 'This Sesshoumaru will not bend to their will. I will have Kagome as my mate. All I have to do is prove to her that I love her.'

With this thought in mind, he fell into a deep sleep as he eagerly awaited the coming of the other lords.

---oOo---

Japanese Terms:

Nezumi – Rat

Youbo – Adopted Mother

Youbu – Adopted Father

Ittoshi Musume – Dearest Daughter

Karioya – Adopted Parents

Attack:

Tenhikariha – Heavenly Blades

This is the end to another chapter. Kagome's dreams have come true. The one she needed to save was Inutaisho and it was a difficult task indeed. Sesshoumaru finally apologized to Kagome for his ugly words. He is now coming to terms with his feelings for Kagome.

In the next chapter Kagome reveals her true origins to her Karioya. Also I will introduce another one of my villains for this story. A kuro miko by the name of Akurei, she will pay a big part on what goes on in Kagome's life.

You will also learn a little more about why Kagome acts the way she does, as she reveals a little history about her real father and her views on him.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Jakyoku was walking through a dark forest. While he was walking he was looking up through the break in the forest canopy to see what was left of the full moon. Though the moon looked to be whole, you could see that parts of it were already covered as the full moon started its retreat back into the heavens.

He was looking for someone as he approached the base of an old dead tree. Yesterday he had received word that Sado was dead along with the rest of his clan, but they had managed to poison the Western Lord. He was overjoyed at hearing this little bit of news. He was already making plans for the assault on the Western Lands.

But this morning he received word that the ningen onna had managed to create an antidote for Inutaisho. Jakyoku had no doubts that the Western lord would survive the attack.

To say that he was pissed was an understatement. This onna was proving to be a thorn in his side. He wanted her yes, but if he could not dominate this onna then he would have to kill her. He could not let her live and become a threat to all that he has planned.

He decided that he needed see someone that could bring the miko to her knees. So he had set out to find Akurei, a kuro miko with great dark powers. He was told that her powers were equal to that of Midoriko when she was alive. He was approaching the place, where he was told she has called home, loudly he called out, "Akurei! Show yourself to your lord!" as Jakyoku waited patiently for her to appear.

Akurei had been watching the youkai from the dark forest. She noticed everyone that dared to enter her domain. She didn't like this particular fool who came here demanding her presence in her own realm. No one controls her, she does as she pleases and serves who she wants. She has not lived all this time by obeying fools that demanded she yield to them.

She got an evil idea in her mind as she thought, 'Well if he demands my presence then who am I to disappoint him.'

The tree that Jakyoku was standing in front of started to glow with a black aura. Smoke started to come out from the center of the tree and engulfed the area. Lightning started to spark over the area as a solid form started to take shape in front of the tree.

Slowly the form of a woman started to appear in front of Jakyoku. She was of small stature. She had hair as black as the night itself. It was long and reached to the back of her knees. She wore a black kimono with a black juban underneath. Her lips were as red as blood. Her eyes were black; you could not see the white portions of her eyes anymore. Such was the dark power that engulfed her.

Her skin was the palest he had ever seen on an onna, almost looking sickly. She had wrinkles on her face looking like she was half way done with her life span. He wondered how she had survived all these years if she was a rival to Midoriko, who had died over a century ago. She stood straight and tall as she said, "Who is it that demands my presence in this realm?"

Jakyoku smirked as he said, "It is your Lord, Jakyoku."

A delicate black eyebrow rose just slightly as she said, "I have no lord. I serve no one unless I desire. Now go away and leave me be." She was about to turn and leave when Jakyoku attacked.

Jakyoku had gotten irritated at the kuro miko as he lashed out with his poison whip. It never made it to the miko as a barrier prevented him from doing any damage to her. If anything, it made her angry at having been attacked. He saw her aura explode around the area as she pushed against his youki.

"You dare attack me! This is my forest and I am the ruler of this land, which you step on! You arrogant beast! I will send you to the depths of hell for trying to attack me." Akurei threatened, as she was about to attack the arrogant Inu Youkai before her. No one attacked her and lived to tell the tale.

Jakyoku stepped forward as he said, "Good, I have your attention now. I have a job for you."

Akurei huffed as she spoke coldly, "I told you I work for no one nor do I want to help you, now leave before I change my mind and kill you."

Jakyoku chuckled as he said, "Well this is a surprise. I never thought I see the day that the great Akurei would be afraid of a simple miko."

Akurei glared daggers at the Inu Youkai as she said, "I fear no one fool!"

Jakyoku growled his displeasure as he said, "Watch your tongue wench! I have need of your services that's why you are still live. I am in need of a spell or potion that can subdue a powerful miko. She is the strongest miko known to be in existence. She is currently residing with the Western Lord and I want to capture her. She is so far proving difficult to obtain and her knowledge is vast for she prepared an antidote for one of my poisons that didn't have a cure."

Now Akurei was interested in what this fool was saying. There has not been a powerful miko in this area since Midoriko. She was the only one that could rival Akurei's powers. It had been a sad day when Midoriko met her demise. She had told that fool youkai what he needed to do in order to kill the miko. But she had proved resourceful and had created the Shikon No Tama and sealed her soul and the youkai's soul into the jewel.

Akurei had gone looking for the jewel, because its power would have been useful to her but that damn Western Lord had gotten to it before she could find it and had taken it away to a safe place. She has been looking for it ever since.

"How very interesting. There has been no powerful miko's on this land since Midoriko. What do I get for helping you?" Akurei asked as she stared at the youkai standing in front of her.

"Name your price! Anything that you ask for will be granted for your assistance in this matter." Jakyoku kept his eyes on the miko still in front of him. He did not trust this miko, but he would say anything in order to get what he wanted.

Akurei thought for a few minutes as she pondered what to do. Then she got an idea as she said, "All right I will help you get this miko of yours but my price is that I want her blood."

Jakyoku was surprised by her request as he replied, "You want her blood? Why?"

Akurei didn't answer his question as she said, "That is of no concern to you why I want her blood, just know that this is my price for helping you."

Jakyoku didn't have a choice; he had to agree with her demands if he wanted the girl. "Very well you shall have her blood. Now do you have something that will help me get the girl?"

Akurei smiled as she pulled out, what looked like a long piece of hollow wood with holes, it was attached to a long piece of string. She held it in her hand and cast her spell. Once she was done, she gave it to the Inu Youkai and said, "This here is a whistle that only she will be able to hear. Hold the string and swing the wood piece around in a circle. The air going through the holes will cause the sound to vibrate through the air and make her come to you. Once she arrives she will faint and you will have your miko."

Jakyoku smiled a wicked smile as he took hold of the whistle. He looked at it for a few minutes and noticed that it had several holes all along the sides. He swung the whistle by the string as he heard a soft whistling sound coming out of it. It was pleasing to the ears as he stopped and held it in his hand.

He looked at the old witch as he said, "Very well, once I have obtained the girl you will have your blood. Then I will take the girl as my mate. Once she is mine she will not be able to leave my side ever again."

Jakyoku said his farewell to the kuro miko as he walked back to his domain. He was ready to go and get his mate to be. This time she will not get away from him.

Akurei watched as the youkai left. She got an evil smile on her face as she said in a low voice, "Have fun Jakyoku. She will come when you summon her but she will fight you. But before you even form a plan to go and get her, she will be already dead. I cannot let a powerful miko like her live. She is the only one who could destroy me and I have plans of ruling these lands myself."

Now that she knew where the miko was located it was only a matter of time before she killed her. She will die just like Midoriko did all those years ago.

Akurei stopped as a thought came to her mind, "Hmm Midoriko has been in that Shikon No Tama for over a century. My how time flies when you're having fun." She laughed once more as she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

---oOo---

Kagome was slowly waking up. She moaned as she stretched her tired arms over her head and her legs out. She didn't want to get up. She felt so warm that she snuggled even deeper under the fur blankets that had been placed on top of her. After a while she slowly opened her eyes to see where she was.

To her disappointment she was not in a cave with Sesshoumaru. The previous morning she had woken up being held in a tight embrace as she looked upon the sleeping Inu Youkai. He looked just like an angel when he was sleeping. The mask that he kept on his face was gone and his features were soft.

Kagome only wished she had satisfied her curiosity of touching his stripes; the stripes on his face fascinated her, when she saw the two stripes marking each side of his cheeks, up close. He also had a red stripe on top of his eyelids and the blue crescent moon that looked to be velvety.

When her eyes finally came into focus, she noticed that she was in her room. She groaned as she sat up in bed and started to remember everything that had happened in the last couple of days. She didn't remember falling asleep last night and wondered who had brought her to bed.

She slid her covers off and felt a slight chill in the air. It was starting to get cooler in the mornings now and soon it will be colder. Fall was in full swing and she always loved this time of year.

She noticed that she was still dressed in the same clothes she had on for the past two days. She also noticed a very pleasing scent coming from her clothes. She raised her arm up as she sniffed the sleeves of her nemaki. Then it hit her, this smell, this scent was Sesshoumaru's. He smelled like the forest right after the rain with a hint of pine. This smell was very pleasing to her. Her body fully relaxed when she smelled his scent and she started to wonder why her body would react like this to his scent.

She got out of bed and strolled over to the balcony, opening the doors. She stepped outside and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. The air here smelled truly pure, fresh and crisp, as pollution did not exist in this era. The air was so pure that it made her wonder if she could live long enough to teach all here to take care of the lands. She didn't want them to get in the same condition they were in back home.

She sighed, as her heart ached, she will never see her real mother again, that hurt her more than anything. But the fates must have had a purpose for bringing her here, right? She didn't understand why she had to be here but there had to be a reason. She knew she had to protect the lands for as long as she lived, this much she understood.

She looked out over the lands as a small smile crept onto her lips. The trees were all different colors and the winds were blowing lightly. The sky was still dark but dawn was approaching. She could see the white clouds in the sky and it promised to be a cloudy day. She shivered just a little as she turned and went back inside.

She wanted to do some training this morning so she went to take a bath to get Sesshoumaru's scent off her. His claim of her person yesterday really pissed her off. He had never asked her if she wanted to be his mate. He just assumed that she would accept. Well she would show him, she would get his scent off her body.

Kagome scrubbed her skin until it was almost raw. But she could still smell him on her skin; she concentrated on her powers and allowed it flow over her body. When she managed to purge his scent from her skin she smiled happily. She finished getting cleaned up as she put on a new fighting kimono. This one was a dark green in color just like her youbo had worn the first day she had taken her down to the dojo.

Kagome frowned, that was the first time she had meet Sesshoumaru. He had been arrogant then and he was still arrogant. But he had apologized to her though, for saying all of those nasty things to her the other day and he did say that he had missed her.

Kagome couldn't imagine Sesshoumaru missing anyone, as she resolved to herself that she was not going to submit to any male, and that included Sesshoumaru. She needed to leave this place before the real fighting started and the only way to do that was to prove that she was stronger than any male in the land. But that fight was in a few weeks and she needed to start training for it. She knew she had to be at her best to defeat whatever male won that competition. That would be the male that she would have to defeat, then the rest would leave her alone.

With that last thought in mind she turned to leave her room. When she got to the door she went to open it and found that there was a barrier there that wouldn't let her out. She furrowed her eyebrows together deep in thought, she didn't know what she did wrong to warrant being sealed in her room.

She tried again but the barrier held fast. Kagome started to get angry as her aura flared around her body, she was determined to leave this room and go about her normal business. She just hoped that Sango was not on the other side of the door, or she will find herself thrown against the wall.

Kagome concentrated on the barrier as she brought her powers to forward. She surrounded her body with her pink light as she stepped forward and grabbed the handle of the door. The barrier increased in power as Kagome increased hers as well. This was a powerful barrier but she was determined to break it.

Kagome kept concentrating her powers into the barrier as she started to see the barrier give under her attack. Then the door blew outward as it turned to dust in her hands, she brushed the dust off her clothes and stepped out of her room, only to find the arrogant son of the youkai lord looking down at her with anger in his eyes.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru was slowly opening his eyes. He had sensed that Kagome was up and soon she would try to leave her room. He was confident that his barrier would hold to keep her in her in her room.

Sesshoumaru took his time while he bathed and dressed. Once he was done, he stepped out of his room and made his way to Kagome's room. He knew he would have to tell Kagome why she was sealed in her room but he wanted to have a little fun with her first.

As he got closer to Kagome's room he spotted the Taijiya outside the room. She was pacing up and down the hallway as he approached the onna.

---oOo---

Sango had gotten up early this morning. She wanted to see if Kagome was up yet. She had seen Kagome and Sesshoumaru come back yesterday, as Kagome got busy trying to get the antidote ready for the lord of the castle.

Sango had helped Kori set up everything that Kagome would need in order to make the antidote. She had remembered everything that Oyuki had said when Kagome had asked her many questions. So when Kagome returned from getting the black moonflower, she got started on the antidote immediately.

Sango had left and went to her room. She didn't need to be there because she would just be in the way. So this morning she wanted to see if her friend wanted to spar with her. She needed a good workout because she has not practiced in a while. She knew that Kagome needed to keep in shape if she was going to fight off the dominant male that won the right to mate with her.

Kagome has already made it perfectly clear to her that she didn't want to mate if she didn't love the male, even if it meant her death.

When she got to Kagome's room she found a barrier on the outside of the door. She noticed right away that it was not Kagome's barrier, 'Why would they seal Kagome in her room last night? Did something happen that I should be aware of?'

Sango turned as she saw Sesshoumaru coming down the hallway. If anyone knew why Kagome was sealed in her room it would be him. When he stopped in front of her, she bowed deeply to him and asked politely, "Good morning Sesshoumaru-sama, do you know why Kagome was sealed in her room since last night?"

Sesshoumaru heard the greeting that the Taijiya had given him. She showed respect for his station and that's what matter to him. He turned and looked at Kagome's door as he said, "Kagome was being controlled last night. She had left my parents room and went outside to the gardens and when I went after her, she was gone. I was able to track her through the forest and I found her almost near the barrier.

Her eyes had a glazed look in them like she was in a trance. When I shook her, she woke up from the dream like sleep she was in and she didn't know where she was. I took her back to father and he was the one that requested that I place a barrier around her room. He wanted to prevent her from leaving the castle grounds without someone being with her.

Taijiya make sure you watch her closely from now on. Someone is trying to control her and if they get their hands on her we will never see her again."

Sango was shocked to hear this as she said, "Do not worry Sesshoumaru-sama I will stay by her side. The only time I will leave her side is when someone from your family is with her."

Satisfied with the Taijiya's answer to his request, Sesshoumaru went to open the door to let Kagome out. He felt it before it happened as he quickly moved out of the way taking Sango with him as the door exploded outward. He placed Sango back on her feet and noticed that his barrier was completely destroyed. He was shocked that Kagome had actually destroyed his barrier, something he thought she could never do. 'Hmm, she has gotten stronger and now I will have a real fight on my hands when I get to dominate her.'

His eyes focused on the one that he wanted as a mate. Then he turned his attention to what she has done to the door. He growled his displeasure; she had destroyed one of the most beautiful doors in the castle. Now they would have to replace it. He stared into her dark stormy grey eyes as he heard her ask, "Sesshoumaru, why was I locked in my room?"

He growled as he caught her scent, his scent was gone from her person, this would not do. He had marked her with his scent to make sure other males in the castle knew that she was his but now his scent was gone.

He took notice that he was still growling as he replied to her question, "Father will explain to you why you were sealed in your room. We must go down to the dining hall. He is waiting there for us."

Kagome stormed right past Sesshoumaru as he and Sango followed the upset miko.

Kagome didn't like to be sealed in her room. It took away what little freedom she had and that was something that she was not willing to give up. When she entered the dining room she saw her Otou-san sitting at the head of the table. He looked as good as new as he gave her a warm smile.

The anger that Kagome was feeling at the moment left her when she saw that warm smile. It filled her heart with joy knowing that he was alive. She had thought that she had lost another father but he was still with her.

They all sat down for their morning meal and once they were done, it was time for questions and answers.

Inutaisho eyed his little one from the corner of his eye. It was time that they knew where she came from and see if they could talk to the alpha of her pack to arrange for the mating she was having in about three weeks time. He looked at Kagome as he said, "Kagome, I believe its time that you tell us where you come from."

Kagome paled at his request. She knew that she would have to tell them all where she came from but she didn't want to do it in the dinning hall. "Yes I agree with you but not here, I prefer to go somewhere else, where not so many ears will be listening to what I have to say."

Inutaisho agreed to her request as they all stood and went to his study. They told Inuyasha to go play with his friends. They didn't think that he needed to hear what was about to be discussed.

Sango was about to leave, when she heard Kagome say, "Sango, I want you to hear this as well." Sango was happy that she would get to hear where her friend comes from as she followed behind everyone else, with Kirara resting comfortably on her shoulder.

Once they arrived at the study, everyone took a seat. Kagome stood off to the side, as the room became quiet, waiting for her to start. She took a deep breath as she started to tell the truth behind her origins.

"Well, all of you want to know where I come from. That is a hard question. It's not about where I come from, but when. As near as I can calculate, I come from roughly 1000 years, or summers, as you like to refer to it, from the future. Yamato will come to be known as Japan about 600 years from now."

This statement took everyone by surprise. Sesshoumaru was just sitting there trying to comprehend what Kagome had just said when he heard his father say, "Kagome, how can you come from the future? How is this possible?"

Kagome lifted her eyes just a little as she looked at everyone. Her eyes were hidden behind her bangs as she said, "I don't know how, but it happened. Do you remember the village where we first met?"

Inutaisho recollected for a few minutes to the first time they met, when he remembered, he said, "Yes I do, that was the village where you were fighting six very large Oni's."

"Yes, it was. That village will come to be known as Edo. Later, its name will be changed and it will become the seat for all of Japan. The village will be known as the city of Tokyo.

There is a well near that village in which you sealed a youkai called mistress centipede. The seal you put on that well broke in my era. All my life I have lived in a shrine that protects a lot of the old village that used to stand there. A building was built around that well to protect it.

I had just returned home when I saw a light coming from the well house. I had gone there to investigate where the light was coming from. When I went inside to see what was going on, I found that the light was coming from an old well with a cover on it. I approached the well and noticed that a seal had been placed on it. There was an inscription on the lid that said you were the one to seal the youkai inside. When I made to leave, the seal broke, and the youkai that was sealed within grabbed me and pulled me into the well.

I managed to purify the youkai and when I landed at the bottom of the well, I looked up at the entrance and noticed that the hokora was gone from around the well. When I climbed out I instantly knew that I was not in my era anymore. There is a forest here and where I come from there are very few trees left in the area.

I sat there for a while and tried to figure out where I was. After a while I came to the conclusion that it was the well that brought me here to this era. I tried to go back the same way I got here but when I jumped back into the well, it would not take me back. I was stuck here and that's when I met you." Kagome stopped talking to let everything that she had said, sink in.

She saw the confusion and doubts on everyone's face and knew that she would have to prove that she was from the future. She reached into her kimono and pulled out a small silver box. She had her MP3 player with her when she came here and the batteries were still good. Once they died she didn't know what she was going to do. She will never hear the music of her era ever again.

She put the earphones in and then turned it on. She raised the volume so that the music would come out of the earpiece and everyone froze when they heard the music playing. It was one of Kagome's favorite songs, but this particular version was a special one, it was an orchestral rendition of Change the World. She thought it would be better to play this here instead of its original version.

Sesshoumaru immediately started to growl at the offensive object, and was about to pounce on it. Kagome, however gave him a glare that warranted death as she said, "In the future everything is advanced. This is what we call an MP3 player. It plays music from my era."

Everyone listened to the music as Inutaisho sat forward on his pillow and listened intently to the music being played. It was very soothing to his ears as he listened, but sad in some way. It was weird to hear such things coming from such a small object.

Kagome then turned off her MP3 player and put it back in her kimono. She didn't want the batteries to die out just yet. She looked at everyone and noticed that they now believed her when she said that she came from the future.

Inutaisho was the first to break the silence as he asked, "This is very interesting Kagome. So you know what the future holds for these lands."

Kagome took a deep breath and sighed, "Yes I know what is to come."

"Will you be willing to tell us?" Inutaisho asked as his curiosity was peeked.

Kagome pondered his question for a few minutes and said, "I…I can't. Please don't ask me to. If I tell you what is to come then I may alter the future. But I may have altered it already by just being here."

Inutaisho was not following Kagome's line of thought as he asked, "Why would you being here alter the future?"

Kagome was losing the battle with her tears, she was trying to keep her composure but it was just too much for her to deal with. She fell to her knees as she started to sob.

Ayashiko was the first to reach her as she brought her into an embrace. She held Kagome close to her chest as she purred to calm her Musume. Once she was calm she asked, "Musume, tell us why you think you have altered the future by being here?"

Kagome gathered herself as she said, "Because, when I first got here I had a dream with Midoriko. She told me that the fates have corrected their mistakes when they brought me back here. That the future has already been altered, I don't know if she meant that I can help change what is to come or if I lost my mother for good."

Ayashiko understood what was wrong now as she comforted her pup. She knew it was going to be hard for her but she had to tell them what they needed to know. "Kagome, tell me about when you were a child."

Kagome wished that she didn't have to answer any more questions, but knew that they had a right to know everything about her. "First of all it will make things a little easier on me if I referred to years instead of summers." She saw the confusion on everyone's face as she quickly said, "A year is all the seasons together. A year for me starts with a winter, spring, summer, and fall. A summer for you starts with summer, fall, winter, and then spring. I will try to keep the terms as basic as possible but if I speak out of term please forgive me.

When I was four years old I was given a test by the healers to see if I had progressed as normal children do. I happened to finish the test faster than any other child had previously done. What surprised them was that I had all the answers correct on the paper. They called in another healer and he decided to give me another test to see how I would do.

Well whatever they thought was going to happen, didn't. I got all those answers correct and surprised all of them. More tests were given and I was then proclaimed a child prodigy, which is a young child that can master a art that only adults can do, in other words its fancy way of saying that I learn fast or have special gifts."

Kagome continued to tell them everything that she had done while she was growing up. She had told them about her mother, her Jii-chan, and her little brother, Souta. She told them about the schooling she had received and the way it was provided free of charge because of her gifts.

She continued on how she found out that she was a miko and their decisions to keep it a secret from everyone that knew her. The training she received from the only living miko in Japan. How she had the urge to train using her miko abilities with what she was learning and incorporating them together.

Inutaisho and the others took everything in. He was surprised to find out that his pup was from the future. Now this was a problem. 'I can't let her mate outside my clan. If I do then this could really alter the future.'

Inutaisho looked at his son and noticed that he was deep in thought. He was wondering if his son knew the value of the information that this girl holds in her mind. He turned his attention back to Kagome as he said, "Kagome, we will keep your secret. No one outside of this room will ever know about where you come from. When asked during your presentation I will tell them that your clan was destroyed and I found you. No one will question where you come from. But it does not mean that we will not find you a mate. You must be mated by your next heat or we risk losing you and that is not an option at this time."

Kagome looked up from the ground as she said, "I can't allow myself to be mated to anyone. If they find out where I'm from or shall I say when, then it will change everything. I will not allow that to happen. I will not allow the future to change and something happen to my mother. I know that she will grieve when she finds that I'm missing but I will not change anything for her sake. I would rather die than do that."

Inutaisho was not pleased with his pup's statement, as he said, "Kagome, you don't have a choice in the matter. You must be mated and live. The only way that this land will be around in the future is if we find you a strong mate. This much Midoriko has told me. Your happiness will dictate what will happen."

"My happiness? My happiness? Since when is my happiness ever been a factor around here? You brought me here against my will when I told you that I didn't want to come. Your castle gets attacked because of me. You almost die because I'm here with you! Do you think that I'm happy here? Do you think that I want all of these things to happen because of me? No! I want to leave here and if the only way I can leave here is to beat the male that this stupid introduction, is going to produce, then so be it. I will not be dominated by any man, ningen or youkai!"

Kagome was in tears as she quickly got up off her mothers lap and raced to the door. Unfortunately for her Inutaisho beat her to the door and held her in his arms. He knew that she was upset about telling them where she came from but he could not let her leave the castle just yet. There was someone that wanted to control her and he was determined to protect her.

He purred to sooth her and when she wouldn't calm down he reached up and squeezed the pressure point on her neck and she fell limp in his arms. Inutaisho then picked his pup up as he held her in his arms. She was resting her head against his chest as he purred to soothe her.

He turned his attention to all in the room as he said, "What has been said in this room will stay here. We can't afford to have this information leaked out that Kagome comes from the future. If that ever happens then it will be impossible to protect her."

Everyone agreed to not say anything. It would be hard for anyone to believe their story even if they tried. But they also knew that all it took was just one person to hear her secret before they figured out that what they had said was true.

Inutaisho walked out of the study with Kagome in his arms. He was not about to let go of her just yet. Ayashiko followed closely behind them as the rest went about their normal business. Inutaisho continued to walk with his little one as he went straight into his room. He placed her upon his bed as he went to sit down in one of the pillows in his room to wait until Kagome woke up.

Ayashiko noticed this and sat down beside him as she saw the concerned look in his eyes. She looked at him and asked, "Koiishi, what's wrong? Why have you brought her back to our room?"

Inutaisho sighed and said, "Someone is trying to control her. We can't leave her on her own or else she might walk out of this castle and we may never see her again. I for one do not want to lose her, not after she asked me if she could call me Otou-san."

Ayashiko eyes opened wide as she whispered, "She asked if she could call you Otou-san?"

Inutaisho looked at his mate as he answered, "Yes."

"I knew that she would call you Otou-san, she just needed time to realize that you are protecting her like a father would his pups. She realized that you were her father when we were at my sanctuary. When I talked to her about her responsibilities of being my daughter, she came to realize everything that you do for her. She came to terms with it and has now made it official. She wants you as her father, though I have a strange feeling that she has not told us everything there is about her father. She seems reluctant to talk about him for some reason." Ayashiko said as she looked at her sleeping pup.

Inutaisho took all this information in as he mulled it over in his mind. He came to a conclusion as he said, "I have a feeling that Kagome was hurt by her true father. The way she acts around me, the things she said the other night, 'I will try harder, please forgive me,' all this leads to indicate that she has been hurt by him."

They both sat there and thought about what each other had said, as they waited for Kagome to wake up from her sleep.

---oOo---

Kagome was having one of her nightmares. It was something that she has always tried to forget as she started to toss and turn on the bed.

-------DREAM--------

The small form of Kagome was crouched in a corner of her room. She was pressed up against the corner wall of the room trying to make herself look small. She was hiding from him. He was mad at her again for disobeying the doctor's orders.

The doctors tried to stick stuff in her arm again and she refused to let them do it. It would always hurt and then they would strap her to a table and hook her up to machines while they held up different books in front of her eyes and flipped the pages as quickly as possible.

Once they were done they would ask her questions on the book and if she got it wrong they would send bolts of electricity into her tiny body. She would cry out in pain and the process started all over again. They would continue until Kagome trained her mind to look at a page and instantly capture the image in her mind then recall it when needed.

They had paid her father a lot of money to let them experiment on her. They called it research but she called it torture. They had complained to her father that she was not cooperating with them and that they could obtain a more agreeable subject if she continued to act this way.

Her father reassured them that she would cooperate the next day and do as she was told. The doctors agreed but warned that if she refused to cooperate that they would go elsewhere for their subjects.

Her father was not happy with her. He had done nothing to her because her mother was there with them but that never lasted. Her mother had left to go to the store to get some supplies and at the moment her father was looking for her.

She ran and hid in her room. She was in her closet as she stayed as quiet as possible. She didn't want him to find her. She was hoping that she could hide long enough from him until her mother returned. But today she was not that lucky. He had found her hiding place and had dragged her out of the closet.

He towered over her small form as she cried, "I'm sorry daddy, I will do better, I promise!"

That did not please her father as he raised his arm up and it came down hard on her face as he slapped her across the room. Kagome landed hard on the floor holding the side of her face as it stung badly. Tears filled with fear, welled up in her beautiful blue eyes and dripped silently down her face.

He grabbed her by the hair as he picked her up and put her on her feet. His face came dangerously close to hers, as she smelled the alcohol on his breath. She closed her eyes and waited, she knew that he was not done with her just yet. "Now you listen to me, you are to do what the doctors tell you to do. They pay me well to have you and I don't need you refusing to help them in what they want to know. Do you understand me!"

Kagome shook in fear as she cried her heart out. But she didn't answer quickly enough for him as he smacked her again and yelled, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!"

"YYYessssss dadddddy I…I…I will do better… I promise." Answered Kagome as she cried out to her father.

"You better because the next time I won't be this soft on you!" Her father threw her on the floor as he walked out of her room. Kagome curled up into a small ball and started to cry even harder. She cried her heart out as she slowly rocked herself. She continued to cry for about five minutes when her door burst opened and in walked her father.

He was holding a leather belt in his hand as he yelled, "Stop that infernal crying right now or I will give you something to really cry about!" He came towards her as he raised his arm up and was about to level a blow to her small form.

-------END OF DREAM--------

Kagome woke up with a start as she sat up in the bed she was in. Her eyes were still blurred and not focused completely. She was rubbing her neck trying to get rid of the pain she was feeling there. She wondered why she hurt so badly as she whimpered from the pain. She saw a shadow come across her blurred vision as her eyes opened wide.

The dream she just had came back to her full force as she cried out in pain and pushed herself away from the person standing in front of her. She couldn't see and the only thing that her mind told her was that her father was going to hurt her again.

She backed away on the bed as she cried out in fear. A pair of strong hands caught her by the shoulders as she screamed her head off saying, "Please daddy don't hurt me! I promise to be good and listen to the doctors. I promise to do better please don't hurt me!"

---oOo---

Inutaisho and Ayashiko sat waiting patiently for Kagome to awaken. They noticed after a while that their pup was thrashing around on the bed as if she was having a nightmare. She was whining in pain as Inutaisho got up from his pillow and went to sit by his pup.

He looked down at her features and noticed the pain that was there. Whatever she was dreaming about was not a good dream if it was full of pain for her.

She woke up with a start as she was breathing heavily. She was rubbing the side of her neck as she whimpered. He noticed that her eyes were not focused yet as he moved closer to her to see if he could get rid of the pain she was in. He sometimes would forget that she was a ningen and squeeze a little too hard.

As soon as his shadow moved over her small form he saw her eyes go wide as she shrieked and moved away from him. He heard everything she said as he looked at his mate with pain in his eyes. Never before had he seen such terror in anyone's eyes before.

Ayashiko noticed what was going on with her pup and when she heard her words she looked at her mate and saw the hurt in his eyes. Their worst fears had been confirmed, as their pup was scared out of her mind at getting hurt again.

Inutaisho turned back toward Kagome as he grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her into his chest. His arms went around her small form as he tried to calm her down. He purred in his chest as he rocked her and said, "Kagome it's me, I won't hurt you. I will never hurt you my little one."

Kagome recognized the male's voice, as she seemed to calm from his words. She cried into his chest as he held her to soothe her fears. Soon she stopped crying as she held on to him for comfort. When she was finally calmed he asked her, "Kagome, my little one, I want to know what he did to you?"

Kagome's eyes went wide as her heart started to race again. She didn't want to remember what he had done to her. It was just too painful. That was a time in her life that she didn't want to remember. "No, please don't make me tell you what happened."

"My little one, in order for you to move forward with your life you must confront that which pains you the most. We are here to help you get over that pain, and I for one will never hurt you in that manner." Inutaisho said as he held her close to his chest. Ayashiko had come over to the futon as she sat near them waiting to hear what her pup had to say. She was hoping that she would open up to them.

Kagome thought about what her Otou-san had said, 'He's right, if I want to move forward with my life I have to face my fears and come to terms with them. I know that he will never do what my real father did to me.'

She pulled away from her Otou-san as she lowered her head and said, "Please don't think of me as weak because I'm not. This happened when I was very young and didn't know how to defend myself."

Inutaisho understood what his pup was saying as they waited patiently for her to continue.

Kagome took another deep breath as she began to tell them what had happened in her young life with her father. She told them of his need to have money and saki. How her family had gone without just so he could drink it all away. How her mother never noticed or if she did notice she didn't care what he did to her.

The pain her father would inflict on her when she would defy the healers orders to stay still or to answer their questions. She told them everything that was in her heart as tears continued to pour out of her eyes as she remembered all the pain.

Ayashiko had moved closer to Kagome as she wrapped her arms around her to comfort her pup as she encouraged Kagome to continue with her story. She let her cry all of her pain.

Kagome told them everything and then she said, "Then one day my father never came home. My father seemed to disappear off the face of the earth and never came back to torment me. From that day forward my life seemed to improve slowly as my mother did everything she could to make sure that I was at least happy and had a normal life.

However, my family could not afford to turn the down offers of money that they still offered if I would help them with their research. But my mother let me decide if I wanted to do it or not. I would agree to most of their requests as long as they paid my mother enough money to keep our family going. When I got older, I refused to be put through any more experiments and I moved on with my life."

Kagome took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She actually felt better now that she had told her real story. She can actually admit to herself that she can leave that part of her life behind as she looked towards the future.

Inutaisho could not believe what his little one had just revealed to them. 'How could a father do that to his own pup! To sell off your offspring to be tortured so you could get money for saki. What kind of ningen was this man? He had no heart to do this to such a wonderful young onna.'

Inutaisho's mind was at war with itself. Though he maintained a calm exterior, to his mate, she saw the truth. Ayashiko was just as shocked as her mate. She looked at him as she saw his blood rising. He was angry that someone could actually do this to his or her own pup.

Her mate was angry and she knew that if he lived long enough to be in Kagome's era, that he would be the one to bring about the ningens demise so that his pup would not suffer in her young life.

The more Ayashiko thought about this the more she thought that it was him who got rid of the ningen male in Kagome's life. It was better that she grew up without a father than to have one and live in constant pain.

Inutaisho looked at his little one. She was leaning on his mate chest, as she felt comforted by Ayashiko's actions. Kagome's head was turned just slightly as her ear was pressed against Ayashiko's chest. He knew that all pups loved to hear their mother's heart beat. It soothed them for some reason and Kagome had a content look on her face at the moment.

He cleared his throat as he said, "Kagome there is something very important that I have to talk to you about. Last night someone was trying to control you. They succeeded in getting you under their control as you were leaving the castle.

Sesshoumaru had gone after you when I had inquired where you had gone off too. He found you deep in the forest almost to the barriers and your eyes held an emotionless glaze to them. I will teach you how to put up mental barriers to prevent this from happening again. But it will take time for you to really master how to do this."

Kagome was shocked when she heard this as she asked, "Is that why there was a barrier on my room this morning? To prevent me from leaving the castle and going to where this person is calling for me?"

Inutaisho chuckled as he said, "Yes, I had Sesshoumaru put that barrier around your room to make sure you stayed put for the night. It would alert us if you were to leave the room or if someone was trying to get in. By the way Kagome, I have a question for you, what happened to your door?"

Kagome blushed a deep red when she remembered what she did to the door. She lowered her eyes as she said, "I'm sorry Otou-san, I didn't mean to break down your door. I just wanted to get out of my room. I got mad that someone would lock me in my room when I have done nothing to deserve it."

Inutaisho looked at his pup as he said, "Kagome, you must control that temper of yours. It is unbecoming in a female seeking a mate. I would hate to punish you to make you comply with my request."

Kagome understood what she was being told and he was right she had to control her temper but it was getting so hard to do that. It was like someone else was driving her to do these things. It was hard to explain what she felt. She sighed as she said, "I will try to control my temper Otou-san, but it will not be easy since I can't really control the youkai souls in my body. They make it hard for me to think clearly."

"Then you are going to try harder to control them. I will teach you some meditations that will help you to control them. It's the same way we youkais control our inner beast." Inutaisho said as he tried to explain what he was going to teach his pup.

Kagome's eyes opened wide as she asked, "Does your beast look as cute as Sesshoumaru's beast?" Kagome quickly put her hand over her mouth when she realized what she had said. 'Damn, me and my big mouth!'

Inutaisho heard her comment as he narrowed his eyes at her and asked, "What do you mean if my beast looks as cutes as Sesshoumaru's?"

He saw how Kagome opened her eyes wide at what he has asked as his mate happily supplied, "Koiishi, when you were poisoned Sesshoumaru went with Kagome to get the black moonflower. He transformed into his true form and they left together. They came back the next morning with what was needed to make your antidote."

Inutaisho was shocked to here this as he took in a deep breath. He didn't catch the scent of his elder son on Kagome as he asked, "Kagome, why don't you smell like Sesshoumaru?"

Kagome huffed as she sat up straight and crossed her arms over her chest, and then she said in a defiant manner, "I did smell like him. I didn't notice his scent until this morning when I woke up in my room. I know from everything that I have read that a males scent on a female means that she has been claimed. I have consented to no such thing so I removed his scent from my person." Kagome didn't want to tell them that their son had also made a verbal claim on her person, which she was still pissed at him.

This statement caught both Inu Youkais by surprise. They never knew that Kagome could remove their scent from her body. But the odd thing was that she carried their scent on her body. The only scent she removed was Sesshoumaru's. Both Inutaisho and Ayashiko knew that this would not sit well with Sesshoumaru. They understood why he had put his scent on her and for her to remove it would anger Sesshoumaru greatly.

At that moment Inutaisho heard Kagome's stomach protesting in hunger. He chuckled as he said, "Well its time for lunch, I think that we should all head down towards the dining hall to get something to eat."

They all agreed as they walked out of their bedroom and headed towards the dining area. When they got there, everyone else was waiting on them. They all sat down and once the food was served, Inutaisho took the first bite to start the meal. Everyone was very quiet during the meal.

Inutaisho kept looking at his elder son. He could see the anger in his eyes as he looked at Kagome. His little one would not pay any attention to Sesshoumaru and this angered him even more. He thought of this as funny for he had warned Sesshoumaru that showing Kagome no emotion would not get him anywhere with her but he didn't want to listen, as he continued with his meal.

The girls were the first to finish their meal as they excused themselves from the table. Inuyasha was next as he raced after the females.

Inutaisho heard a growl of annoyance come from Sesshoumaru as he excused himself and left the dining hall, no doubt he was going after Kagome.

Inutaisho smiled as he said to his mate, "Ayashiko, it's going to be a very interesting afternoon if Sesshoumaru keeps acting the way he has. He is angry with Kagome for removing his scent."

Ayashiko smiled at her mate as she said, "Yes, I do believe that you're correct in that matter. But I do believe that our pup will give him a run for his money. I just hope that our son realizes that Kagome is looking for someone to love her the way she needs to be loved. She has suffered so much for one so young. I only wish to see her happy even if its not with our own son."

Inutaisho silently agreed with his mate but something was amiss. He could feel that something was coming and soon. He would have to keep his senses open and make sure that Kagome stays safe.

---oOo---

This is the end to another chapter. So now you all know why Kagome acts the way she does sometimes. Oh but you will get to see what really happened to Kagome's father later in the story. I won't jump ahead and tell you but you will be surprised to see what happens. Lets just say that it's not the last we will hear about Kagome's father.

Hint people, I post a chapter once a week because I don't get the reviews I want for the chapter. The more people review the faster you get the next chapter. Get it. For all those of you that have been with me before that is how you get the next chapter faster.

I still want to thank all of you who have reviewed. Your reviews bring me much joy in these trying days. I have a lot to deal with but I do try to update as soon as possible.

Oh I almost forgot. This story along with my one-shot A Christmas Wish has been nominated for an Dokuga Award, for best action/adventure and best one-shot.

This award was set up by Demonlordlover to recognize those fanfiction/fan arts that are Sesshoumaru and Kagome pairing. My stories have both made it through the seconding round and the voting will take place from Jan 20 at 9pm and will close Feb 3 at 9pm. This is an adult only site, if you wish to join and vote I will have a link to the site in my profile. Again I want to thank, TheWeimarClassicist for nominating my stories in the first place. Thank you, it means the world to me.

So the tension is building between Sesshoumaru and Kagome. With Kagome removing Sesshoumaru's scent off her body he is diffidently not a happy youkai at the moment. Oh our Sesshoumaru becomes a bit of a hentai in the next chapter as you see how he put his scent on Kagome. My favorite dark miko will make a showing in the next chapter and things start to heat up.

So until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Kagome and Sango were making their way outside the castle. They were heading toward the gardens as they were both discussing the upcoming introduction for Kagome. They were making plans on the training they were going to be doing in the coming days, when they heard someone yell, "Kagome!"

Kagome stopped in her tracks as she spotted Inuyasha heading her way. He had a big smile on his handsome little face that reminded Kagome of her little brother.

Inuyasha came racing to her side and asked, "Kagome, a few of us were wondering if you can teach us some of that strange ninja fighting techniques that you use. We would all like to learn how to fight like that."

Kagome was surprised that they wanted to learn something from her, what they called ninja fighting techniques. She looked at Sango and asked, "What do you think Sango? Should I teach them how to fight?"

Sango giggled as she said, "If they don't mind learning from a girl, then by all means, I think that you should teach them. It will make them well rounded and they will be able to defend themselves."

Kagome smiled as she said, "Very well Inuyasha, I will teach you and your friends if you are willing to listen to me. But if you refuse to follow my instructions then the lesson will end, is that understood?"

Inuyasha agreed as he turned and whistled over his shoulder. About 5 young Youkai came running out of the forest as they all stood behind Inuyasha. They were the smallest of the youkai in the castle and she now understood why they wanted to learn from her. They were the ones that were constantly picked on by the other youkai children in the castle. There was a kitsune, 3 Inu's, and a neko, all of them were males and very small for their ages.

She looked at all of the children as she asked, "Are all of you willing to listen to the instructions that I'm going to be teaching you?"

All the children replied at the same time as they all said, "Yes."

Kagome looked at Sango and then turned, saying to all of them, "All right lets go."

Kagome turned and walked to the training field followed by 6 Youkai children, Sango, and Kirara. Once she got to the field she started her lessons with the children. Kagome was impressed. The children were listening to everything that she was saying and when she corrected them in their stance or pose they took it to heart and learned from their mistakes.

They practiced for two hours before Kagome called a halt to the practice. She had over heard one of the pups say that it was a waste of their time to learn such feeble moves. He wanted to learn real fighting techniques so that he wasn't the one laying on the ground all the time, hurt by the older pups that were in the castle.

Kagome got an idea as she told Sango to wait for her there with the children. Kagome walked off to the side, towards the forest, as she said, "I know that you're there watching us, please come out here were I can see you."

There were at least two Inu Youkais that were watching what Kagome was doing with the young ones. One happened to be the father to one of the children, as they both stopped in front of Kagome and bowed deeply to her. The elder Inu Youkai was the one to speak for the both of them, as he said, "Yes milady, how may we be of service?"

"Please rise. I would like to know if you would be willing to demonstrate some moves with me. I want to show the young ones that everything I have been teaching them is not a waste of time or effort on their part. I will need you two to attack me. I promise not to hurt you." Kagome said as she watched the soldiers with interest.

The one that had spoken before said, "I am willing to help you milady because one of the children that you have agreed to teach is my pup. I want him to learn how to take care of himself. I know that he is small and is picked on by the others. It pains me to see this but my duties prevent me from teaching him as much as I would like."

Kagome turned to the other soldier as she asked, "How about you? Would you be willing to help me show the children some moves?"

The other Inu agreed to her request as they all walked over to where the children were sitting. Once she got in front of them Kagome said, "All right everyone listen up. I want to demonstrate those moves that I have been teaching you for the past two hours. I know that they are simple and you might think that you are not learning anything but I want you to see those moves in action."

The pups all sat up straight as they watched what Kagome was going to do. Kagome turned to her opponents as she bowed and they bowed in return. They all got into a fighting stance as the first soldier attacked.

Kagome saw the first inu youkai coming towards her as she brought up her left arm and blocked his first punch. She then took her right fist and slammed it into his chest as the soldier fell backwards on the ground. He looked at her in awe as he stated, "You didn't use your Reiyouku and you are still this powerful?"

Kagome giggled as she said, "Yes, I don't need my Reiyouku to fight. I am strong on my own and what I want to show the children is that no matter how weak you think you are you can defend yourself. Size matters not, it is the skills you possess."

The Inu Youkai soldier nodded his agreement as he looked at his partner. They both smiled at each other as they both attacked at the same time. They wanted to see how she would fare when they both attacked.

Kagome smiled when she saw them coming. She was wondering when they would come after her together as she got ready for their attack. They moved with demonic speed as Kagome blocked their first strikes.

There was a blur of fists moving in the area as Kagome had yet to throw a punch. She was just avoiding their attack. She moved with speed as she defended herself against the youkai. Then she decided that it was time to strike back.

Kagome turned as she grabbed the arm of the first soldier as he threw a punch at her. She then turned and kicked her right foot up as she caught the second soldier on the left side of his head and sent him to the ground.

She then turned, still holding on to the youkai's arm, and threw the other soldier over her shoulder making him land squarely on his back behind her. She put a well-placed kick on his stomach and left him withering on the ground. She quickly turned and brought her left leg up and caught the other soldier, who was about to attack her again, in the face as he went down. She followed up with an elbow to his stomach as both soldiers laid on the ground not being able to breath.

Kagome stood as she turned to her students and said, "Now do you all think that what I have been teaching you is a waste of time?"

All of the children shook their heads no as they watched the soldiers slowly get up off the ground. She turned to them and bowed as she said, "I thank you for helping me demonstrate some of the moves I have been teaching them. This little demonstration served to prove my point that size and strength matters not. It's the knowledge that you hold that makes you into a better fighter."

Kagome then turned her attention to the children as she said, "All right everyone lets get back to work."

All of the children were eager to learn as they all got back to training.

The soldiers left the area with a few new bruises but were a little bit wiser for the wear. This ningen was strong without her Reiyouku. They imagined what could have happened to them if she really did use her Reiyouku. They shuddered at the thought as they went about their duties.

What Kagome didn't notice was that she had an audience. A pair of golden orbs was trained on her as he watched her training the pups.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru was in the trees as he watched what Kagome was doing with some of the pups from the castle. He was impressed that she had attacked not using her Reiyouku. She was powerful without it and this pleased him immensely. She will be a wonderful mother to their own pups when they have them.

He inhaled deeply then growled. She had taken off his scent and this did not please him at all. He was wondering, how on earth did she manage to do that, he has never heard of any female being able to remove the scent that was put on them by a male.

He remembered when he placed the scent on her. It was very enjoyable indeed.

**-------FLASH BACK START OF LIME-------**

They had just left Mount Tsuruga and he was trying to find a place to rest for the night. He was tired and Kagome had fallen unconscious in his arms on their way down from the summit.

He spotted a cave not too far away from the mountain as he made his way there. He walked up to the cave entrance and sniffed. He determined that the cave had been empty for a while now and they could rest here in peace. He spotted some dried grass and placed Kagome down on the makeshift bed.

Sesshoumaru sat next to her and gazed upon her sleeping form. He couldn't bare the thought of other males going anywhere near her. He sat there and thought for a few minutes. He couldn't mark her, or his father would kill him if he did. He needed to wait until she was presented and then won the fight to dominate her.

Then he got an idea. He could put his scent on her and no one would know what he did because she would smell like him anyway. With them spending time together like this his scent had already rubbed off on her. He just had to make it a little stronger so it would last until the arrival of the other lords.

Sesshoumaru was happy with this idea as he looked at his sleeping angel. She was still wearing the white nemaki. She had left the castle in such a hurry that she forgot to change clothes. She was perfect in their eyes as he heard his beast growl in contentment. At this moment in time he actually agreed with his beast. They had found the perfect mate.

He held up his hand and began to open and close it repeatedly. Inu Youkai had oil glands in their bodies that made them unique. This oil was used to mark their mates. Although the female never knew what the male was actually doing for they would be busy doing other things. But since Kagome was unconscious he could do this without her knowledge.

He looked at his hand and saw the oil starting to come out of his pores. When he had enough in his palm, he was ready to rub the oil on her body. He opened her obi and then pulled the nemaki apart. What he saw made his heart skip a beat. She was gorgeous in his eyes. Perfect in everyway that a female should be. But then he spotted something that blocked his view of all of her. She was wearing some sort of material around her chest and something that covered her sex very well. He sighed he would not be able to remove these garments without her noticing that he had done something to her.

He looked down her flawless body and noticed for the first time that she had no shoes on. Her feet were bloodied and numerous cuts on her feet. He took her leg as he started to massage it gently. Slowly running his hands over the skin of her leg as he gently massaged her, making sure that the muscle relaxed and got stronger. Her skin was very soft to the touch as his fingers traced every curve of her leg. Her muscles were firm and her skin just had a little give to it.

The oil in his hand was immediately transferred to Kagome as his scent was beginning to cover her natural scent of Midnight Blooming Jasmine. He continued to rub, working his way down to her feet and then he started to heal them for her.

His hands glowed brightly as he healed her wounds. 'When she awakens in the morning she will not notice that her feet have been injured.' Sesshoumaru thought as he continued to heal her. When he was done he continued to leave his scent on her body.

He rubbed his hands up her leg again as he reached her thigh, he came close to her heat but it was covered up by a white thin cloth. He sighed, knowing that he couldn't take it off so he could bury his face where her scent was the strongest; he then went on to massage her other leg. He rubbed every muscle of her leg as he felt her relax under his touch.

He then went to her stomach, gently caressing her soft and warm skin, then, he ran his hands up her side feeling her curves as he went. He brought his hands down and moved them over her stomach. He felt her move as he quickly looked up to see if she was going to wake up. She shifted just a little but continued to sleep.

He let go of the breath that he didn't know he was holding as he continued to explore her body. He moved his hands up, wanting, no yearning to take her breasts into his hands. Then he got an evil thought as he moved the material up exposing her breast to his hungry eyes.

They were perfect, her breast fit right into the palm of his hand, he moved one hand over her breast and gently squeezed. He heard her moan gently as he felt her peaks go stiff from what he was doing.

He moved the hand that was holding the material up over to expose the other breast as he pulled the material above them leaving them exposed. He put his hand on the other breast as he gently massaged it as well. Both his hands were occupied massaging her breasts as their peaks stiffened from his administration.

Kagome shifted and moaned, making Sesshoumaru freeze in place. He thought it best to continue placing his scent on her before she woke up. He moved his hands up and brought the material back down and covered her beautiful mounds.

He then proceeded to her upper chest and neck. He rubbed his hands slowly around her neck as he bent down and nuzzled her gently taking in her scent. He was satisfied that she now carried a good amount of his scent on her. He heard her sigh in contentment as he continued to rub every bit of her exposed skin. He was careful in what he did because he didn't want Kagome to wake up and see what he was doing.

His beast demanded that he take her at once. She was theirs and they would not risk losing her to another male. Sesshoumaru battled with his beast and calmed him down saying, 'We cannot mark her as our own. We are the heirs to the west and as such the other lords must approve our mate. Without their approval, if we take a mate they will not recognize her as lady of our lands. Do you wish that to happen? We have responsibilities to the land and the people we protect.'

His beast settled down after that. When Sesshoumaru was done placing his scent on his intended mate, he closed her nemaki and put her obi back on. He then pulled her onto his chest, placing her head on his shoulder, and wrapping his arms around her small form.

Kagome subconsciously wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru's chest as she settled down to sleep for the rest of the night. Sesshoumaru purred in satisfaction as he buried his nose in Kagome's hair and fell asleep.

-------END OF LIME FLASH BACK-------

He had enjoyed putting his scent on her but he would have enjoyed it more if he could've rubbed his body against hers. That is the traditional way of placing his scent on her but he would have to wait for that opportunity.

He continued to watch his intended as she instructed the runts of the castle. She was taking their training very seriously and making sure that each of them learned the correct posture and positions of the moves that she was teaching. She was a very good instructor and he wondered if she had students before.

He turned his attention back to his beloved and noticed that practice was over for the day. The ningen onna's were now playing with the pups on the field. They looked to be chasing each other as everyone ran away from only one child. He wondered what sort of game they were playing when he heard the young kit say, "Tag! You're it!"

'Tag?' Thought Sesshoumaru, what a strange game. He continued to watch as the pups played down in the field. Kagome was in the middle of the children as she squealed and ran away from them. Soon the game was forgotten as the children tried to catch Kagome.

He noticed right away that Kagome was just running fast enough to let the children stay close to her. She could have dodged every hit but she chose not to. She chose to be it for the children as she chased them around the field.

The shriek of laughter could be heard as the children where enjoying themselves. Kagome managed to grab one of the pups and began to tickle the little one. The other children came to the pup's defense as they pushed Kagome down on the ground and started to tickle her in return. It was very funny to watch as Kagome withered on the ground laughing.

Sesshomaru continued to watch as they went from game to game with Kagome. She taught them many new ones that even he didn't know how to play as he observed from his perch.

---oOo---

Akurei was watching what was going on down in the field. The so-called strongest miko of the land was playing with youkai children. 'How pathetic, a ningen miko lowering herself to play with youkai children, she really is no threat to me if she is under the control of Youkai. But just for good measure it wouldn't hurt to kill the miko. In the long run I will kill every powerful miko in the land to make sure that they won't get in my way. So this one's demise will not hurt.'

Akurei got ready as she chanted her spell that released the youkais that she held at her disposal. She let out the first waves of her youkai allies into the field down below. Once the castle is thrown into turmoil, she can go down there and kill the miko herself. She would take her blood and use it to make herself young again. She did not lie to that youkai lord, she truly wanted the miko's blood as it was the source of her powers, and also, it was the secret to her longevity and young looks.

Kagome was laughing her head off when she felt a large amount of youki coming their way. She pushed the children away from her as she stood up on her feet. She was scanning the area as she pulled her twin swords from their sheath and said, "Run, run back to the castle for protection." When she saw that the children wouldn't move she yelled, "RUN NOW!"

The children had no idea what was going on but when they saw that Kagome had pulled her swords from her back they knew that something bad was coming. They backed away from her hearing her words. They stood there not being able to move, as they were petrified. Only when they heard her yell, "RUN NOW!" did they actually turn to leave the field and head back to the castle. But they were surrounded as hundreds of youkai came out of the forest.

Kagome and Sango cursed under their breath as they saw the amount of youkai coming from the forest. But that's not what caught Kagome's attention. The fact that she was sensing a kuro miko out in the forest was her greatest fear, because she could hurt the children.

At that moment the soldiers that were protecting the castle came into the field as they surrounded the pups to protect not only them but the two ningens there as well.

---oOo---

The new commanders that Inutaisho had appointed took their job very seriously as they sensed that youkai had somehow come through the barrier. They were heading for the young miko who was currently training some young pups at the training field.

They had gathered their soldiers and raced to where the threat was located. They arrived as the youkais where emerging from the forest, the soldiers quickly took a defensive stance against the enemy to protect the young miko along with the pups.

The commander that was in charge turned to Kagome and said, "Milady, take the pups and head for the castle, we will protect you while you get the pups to safety."

Kagome was torn. She wanted to help defend the castle but she was also worried about the pups that were with her. She set her mind on what she had to do. The little one's came first as she said over her shoulder, "Sango! Help me get the children back to the castle!"

Sango and Kagome gathered the children as they raced back to the castle. They were all running away from the field when they were attacked. They dodged the blast of Youki that was thrown at them as Kagome countered with, "Arashi No Kaze!" A powerful storm of winds came out of her swords as it surged towards the enemy. It ripped them apart as they continued to make their way to the castle.

Kagome fell behind with the ones that where having problems running. She saw as Sango raced forward with the other children as Kagome protected the two she had.

Inuyasha was struggling to keep up with Kagome and the others. Shippou had stayed back with him as they ran back to the castle. At that moment a youkai came out of nowhere and grabbed Inuyasha in his deadly claws as he brought him into the air. He was squeezing the life out of Inuyasha as he cried, "KAGOME! HELP ME!!!!"

Kagome stopped only to see that a youkai had Inuyasha in his grasp. She felt her anger beginning to rise, the like of which she has never felt before. It was an instinct that females possessed to protect the young, as it finally snapped inside Kagome. She growled out her warning to the youkai that had Inuyasha, "Let him go you bastard!"

The youkai just smirked as he said, "Why should I let him go? To kill the son of the Western Lord would make me very well known. It matters not that he is the runt of the litter."

Kagome at that moment looked at Inuyasha and she saw the tears running down his face. He was scared and hurt as Kagome's anger exploded. Her eyes turned a pure white as she gripped her katanas even tighter. She rushed forward not caring what happened to her, the only thing on her mind was to get to Inuyasha.

She leaped into the air as she yelled, "Raijin Kogeki!!!" A powerful bolt of lighting drew out from the sword, severing the arm of the youkai that held Inuyasha, killing it instantly. Kagome brought her sword down and cut Inuyasha's limp form out of the youkais grasp. She brought him into her chest as she landed gently on the ground.

Sango and the other children were at her side when she landed as she placed Inuyasha's limp form on the ground. She took out her dagger and cut her hand open. She allowed her blood to drip to the ground as she stabbed the dagger into her blood creating a very powerful barrier around her small group.

She then turned her attention to Inuyasha as she summoned her healing powers. She placed her hands on his slowly rising chest as she healed all of his wounds. When he was healed and he was breathing easier, she sighed in relief.

She looked around and then said, "Shippou, come here please."

Shippou moved closer to Kagome as he heard her say, "Can you cut your thumb for me please." Shippou was confused but he complied with her wishes, as he cut his thumb on his sharp little fangs.

Kagome took his thumb and then pressed it to the dagger. The drop of blood mixed with hers as she turned to him and said, "Shippou, I'm going back out there to fight. When help gets here, meaning when you see Lady Ayashiko, I want you to pull the dagger out of the ground. It will drop the barrier that I have created around you. I want you all to stay with Inuyasha. He will be fine, I have healed all of his wounds and injuries."

Kagome then turned her attention to the rest of the pups and said, "Do not touch the barrier or you will get hurt. The barrier will protect you from harm until help comes from the castle. Shippou is the only one that can bring the barrier down."

Kagome stood on her feet, as she made contact with her Karioya and mentally said, "Hahaue, Otou-san, the castle is under attack and Inuyasha has been hurt. I have healed his wounds and I need someone to come down and tend to his needs. I'm going back out to the battle, I have a kuro miko to kill for what she has done."

---oOo---

Inutaisho and Ayashiko have been in the study discussing the message that they received from their spies. Akira, Kentaru, and Youko had managed to join Jakyoku army and were keeping an eye out on what was going on.

They have been secretly sending messages back to their lord informing him of what Jakyoku was planning. They gave him a warning that he was still after Kagome and that he had just gotten back from seeing a kuro miko. They had no idea what they talked about but they figured that it was not good.

Inutaisho has already set his soldiers on alert, to be on the look out for the kuro miko. They didn't want anything to hurt their pups.

Once they got that taken care of they were discussing, in detail, the upcoming meeting of the lords to present Kagome. They were getting to the finer details of the ceremony when they heard Kagome talking to them. At the thought that their youngest was hurt made the two youkais inside the castle rage as they roared their anger at the intruders.

They rushed out of the castle as they went to the battle that was raging down in the field. They spotted the pups in the middle of the fight with a strong barrier around them as they raced to their side.

All of the soldiers, that protected the castle, were engaging the enemy as the two-youkai rulers saw their elder son in the middle of the fight with blood red eyes. He was on the verge of losing control, and going into a full blood lust, for what they had done to his brother.

Inutaisho took out his sword and with one swing cleared the path to his youngest as his mate raced right behind him.

Ayashiko used her claws as she was cutting down the youkai that got in her way of getting to her pup. Her eyes, now red with anger, only saw where her pup was located, and anyone getting in her way was quickly cut down, as she raced towards Inuyasha.

They stopped before touching the barrier that protected the pups, when they saw a youkai get purified for touching it.

Ayashiko, when she saw her pup lying on the ground with dried blood on his mouth, lost it, as a mother's rage took over. A powerful wave of her youki spread over the area, as any of the enemy youkai that came in contact with it died on the spot. Her powers were so great that every youkai that was in the immediate area was destroyed, as the castle soldiers quickly got out of the way of her attack.

Ayashiko walked over to where her pup was laying on the ground. Her red aura was encircling her body, like a barrier, as she walked right through Kagome's barrier to where Inuyasha was laying on the ground. She picked him up in her arms as she whimpered. 'He should have never gotten hurt in his own home.' Thought Ayashiko as she stood with Inuyasha in her arms.

Shippo upon seeing Ayashiko enter the barrier without getting hurt almost fainted. He never knew that she possessed such great powers. When she stood with Inuyasha she turned to him and said, "Shippou lower the barrier and I want all of you to come with me."

Shippou quickly pulled the dagger from the ground as it lowered the barrier. All of the children stayed close to the lady of the castle, her own aura encircled all of the pups and protected them, as she led them back to safety.

Inutaisho upon seeing that his mate had their son safe in her arms and the other pups following closely by her side, turned his attention to his other son. He raced towards Sesshoumaru, killing all the youkai that stood in his way. When he was by Sesshoumaru's side he asked, "Sesshoumaru where is Kagome?"

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru was still in the tree watching his intended playing with the pups. He had laughed in some instances when the pups had her pinned to the ground tickling her. He mused, 'Hmm, I must remember this. She is very ticklish and I can use that to my advantage.'

Then he felt the slight change in his mate's scent as he saw her standing up and looking around the area. He opened his senses and found that a large amount of youkais was heading toward the field. He saw the castle soldiers come out of the forest and surround Kagome and the pups to protect them.

He heard the new commander words to his mate as he saw the inner struggle that she was having complying with his orders. But he saw that her maternal instinct to protect the pups was stronger, as she left with the children to go back to the castle.

Sesshoumaru jumped from the tree he was in as he joined his father's soldiers down below in the fight to protect the castle. He was in the middle of a battle with a very large youkai when he heard his brother cry for help. He took the chance and looked over to where the sound came from and saw that his brother was in danger. His eyes started to bleed red as he dispatched the youkais in front of him and made his way over to where his brother was located.

He saw Kagome attack and get his brother free as his anger took over. No one hurt his brother; they will all pay for hurting him with their lives. He was attacking the youkai that was near his brother and his intended when he picked up the scent of his beloveds blood. This sent him over the edge as he thought that she was hurt. His blood lust came forth as he was killing everything in his way.

It wasn't until his father came to his side that he had recovered part of his senses as he looked for his mate. They heard a blood-curdling scream that belonged to Kagome as they both left the area and went to help her.

---oOo---

Kagome left the children behind, in the barrier she created, as she and Sango raced into the battle. Kirara was following closely behind them as they killed all the youkai that stood in their way.

Kagome's twin swords where humming with power, purifying youkai after youkai when they made contact with her swords. She had a specific goal in mind as she was making her way over to the kuro miko that started all of this. She finally found her as she stopped about 20 feet away from her.

Akurei turned as she saw the miko coming towards her. She was not impressed by the miko as they stood there starring at each other.

Akurei decided to break the silence between them as she said, "You know, for a powerful miko you degrade yourself by being with youkais. It is a disgusting behavior to be playing around on a field with their pups or teaching them our way of battle."

Kagome huffed, furious at the comments that the kuro miko has made, "No, there are no differences between the youkais and ningens. Children are children and they need to be loved and protected. There is nothing wrong with teaching them to protect themselves from people like you. It's kuro miko's like you that give the rest of us a bad name. Why are you here?"

Akurei was getting irritated with this miko as she said, "I came here to kill the most powerful miko in all the land, but when I got here, all I find is a pathetically weak ningen girl that has lowered herself to play with youkai children. I will end your pathetic existence and then be on my way." Akurei then shot a blast of kuro miko powers toward Kagome.

Kagome's anger was out of control. She could not permit this woman to live. Her aura was so dark that it was almost suffocating at times. She saw a blast of her kuro powers coming straight for her as she put up a powerful barrier to protect herself, Sango, and Kirara.

The blast hit Kagome's barrier and it almost broke, almost being the key word, as Kagome concentrated on her powers and brought it forth to protect those with her. She deflected the blast right back to its owner as Kagome pulled Jenjou out of its sheath, her twin blades having been put away, she was ready to fight this kuro miko.

Kagome turned her attention to Sango and said, "Sango, I want you to stay in this barrier. I can handle the likes of her. But I can't handle you getting hurt while I'm fighting."

Sango reluctantly agreed to her request as she and Kirara watched what was going to happen.

Akurei was not expecting her blast to be returned to her. She had to move fast to avoid getting hit with her own powers. She turned and glared daggers at the miko. She was a lot stronger than she anticipated.

Kagome stepped out of her barrier and faced off with the kuro miko. The kuro miko was powerful because Kagome felt the power that she holds. But Kagome also felt the power of other miko'swithin her, as her eyes grew big with understanding. "You used the blood of other miko's to keep yourself alive all these years. How could you do that to the others of our kind?"

Akurei laughed an evil laughter as she said, "Is it not obvious on why I did it? How do you think I have lived all these years? I'm ningen but yet I'm over 130 years old and I expect to live longer. As long as there are miko's like you around to feed my need for blood then I will continue to live.

Midoriko's blood sustained me for a long time before I needed others. I lived for over 100 years with her blood. I have yet to find another miko with such powers. But if I can then I would live forever!"

Kagome was shocked to hear this. This kuro miko had killed Midoriko, her real mother. The power that had been building up inside of Kagome had finally reached its peak when she heard this kuro miko's confession.

Because of her she had lost her mother, because of her, she was living a miscible life in the future, because of her she was hurting the one's she had grown to love over the six months. She had finally found a place where she belonged and she was taking all that away.

Jenjou was starting to gain power as Kagome brought it forth to do battle. She was trying to keep her anger in check as she went after the kuro miko. Sword met sword as Kagome's blade clashed against the one in Akurei's hand. The pure white aura of Kagome's sword was battling the pure black aura of Akurei's.

It was a battle of strength as they tried to see who was the stronger of the two. Neither would back down from the other as they both pushed each other away. They continued to battle with their swords until Akurei sent out a blast of her kuro miko powers that hit Kagome right in the chest.

Kagome screamed in pain as she was surrounded by a dark aura. She had her forearms crossed in front of her face as she tried to fight off the blast. It was powerful and she was starting to lose to this woman.

At that moment she felt Inutaisho coming towards her along with Sesshoumaru. She had to fight to protect them because if she didn't, this woman would kill them.

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru came into the clearing and what they saw sent their bloods boiling. Kagome was surrounded by a dark aura and she was trying to fight it.

Inutaisho lost his composure upon seeing his pup in danger and yelled, "What are you doing to my pup you wench! Release her!"

Akurei turned to the new comers and spoke frostily, "That youkai, is none of your concern. What you should be concerned with is staying alive." Akurei released more youkai into the area, which went straight toward Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru at seeing his intended in danger, lost all control over his inner beast as it came forth to protect their mate. His eyes turned a pure blood red as his fangs and claws grew in length. He did not transform completely but he did call forth the power he held deep within himself to come and protect his intended mate. He howled into the air letting everyone know of his rage. Kagome was all he could think about as he attacked the on coming youkais.

Kagome heard Sesshoumaru's howl and it went deep into her soul. It brought forth her powers in its rarest form as she broke the spell surrounding her. Her body glowed a pure white in color, as she stood there in front of Akurei and said, "You bitch! Die for attacking the one's I hold dear to my heart!"

Kagome raised her hand up as a powerful blast of her Reiyouku came forth and went straight for Akurei.

Akurei saw the attack coming as she tried to get out of the way. She couldn't move fast enough to escape the blast as she surrounded her body with her most powerful barrier. Kagome's blast hit Akurei, who fought desperately against it. She was about to win against the force of the blast when her strength failed her and Akurei was consumed by Kagome's powers.

Once the light faded from the area, Akurei was down on her hands and knees trying to breath. Her hair started to turn white as her skin was becoming wrinkled. She had been hurt very badly by that miko's power. It has somehow negated the power of the dead miko's blood that she had stolen.

She was a lot stronger than she anticipated. She gathered what little energy she had left and sent it forth, as another wave of youkai went toward the girl, Akurei made her escape during the resulting melee.

Akurei would have to find some more miko's to replenish her powers and then come back to kill this bitch. She could not allow her to live now. She was a threat to her life and she has something that she wants. With the blood of that young miko she would become immortal. But first she must kill her to make her dream come true.

Kagome was left weak by the blast she sent towards the kuro miko. She was not expecting the youkais that came toward her as she dodged the first wave of attacks. She was not so lucky with the second wave as she was hit and she landed hard on the ground.

Hiraikotsu came flying in, cutting the youkais in half, which were about to hurt Kagome. Sango had left the safety of the barrier to go and protect her friend. She was fighting the hordes of youkais with Kirara that wanted to kill Kagome.

Kirara was battling with the youkais in front of her when all of a sudden she heard a gentle voice in her mind, _'Kirara, take Kagome back to our village and bring her to my cave. Quickly my friend before we lose her.'_

Kirara roared into the air as she raced towards the fallen miko. She picked Kagome up gently and placed her on her back. Kirara then took off into the air as she left the battle behind. Her former mistress had asked her to get Kagome back to her village and bring her to the cave. She will do this for her because there had to be a reason she was requesting this of her.

Kirara looked back as she sensed that she was being followed. She turned to see at least 5 youkais following her in the air. Kirara knew that she couldn't fight with the girl on her back. She had to get the girl to safety as she concentrated and transformed into a ball of fire. Streaking across the sky, Kirara was leaving behind a line of fire, as she flew away from the area, heading back home.

---oOo---

The battle in the area was finally over. Inutaisho was tired as he looked around for Kagome. He spotted Sango as he raced to her side and asked, "Sango where is Kagome?"

Before Sango could even answer they heard the vicious growls coming from Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru had followed Kagome's scent as he kneeled down on the ground. His intended was hurt and she was missing. He picked up the scent of the neko youkai and howled into the air. That neko had taken his Kagome and he would follow to get her back. He transformed into his true form as he howled into the air and took off. He would get her back no matter what.

Sango, seeing that Sesshoumaru had transformed into his true form, turned to the youkai lord and said, "Milord, we must hurry. Kirara took Kagome away from here and the direction she was going, she was heading back to my village. If Sesshoumaru gets there before us, he will attack and destroy my home."

Inutaisho's eyes opened wide as he grabbed Sango and formed his demonic ball of light. He had to quickly make his way toward Sango's village before his son got there. Once he did get there, he didn't know what he was going to do to calm his son down.

---oOo---

Kirara traveled quickly back to her village. She had to reach Midoriko's cave before anything happened. She could feel that someone was coming after her because their aura was very powerful. She could only guess on who it might be, as she traveled quickly.

Kirara reverted back into her normal form once she reached the village. The villagers noticed her return as they came into the center of the village to greet her.

Hiro came running out of his house when the alarm was given. He saw Kirara coming down and made his way to the center of the village to see what was wrong. When he got there he noticed that Kirara had someone on her back and she was hurt. The villagers made to take the girl from Kirara but she growled viciously at them to stay away.

Hiro was confused on why the neko was acting this way, as he said, "Kirara, the girl is hurt, we must help her with her injuries."

The fire under Kirara's feet flared to life as the villagers tried to get closer to the neko. They stepped back as Kirara looked off to the side and leaped into the air. She was heading toward Midoriko's cave at a fast pace.

Hiro and several of the village men followed closely behind the neko youkai. They had no idea what was going on or why she was acting so strangely. All they knew was that there was a girl that needed their help and the neko was unwilling to let them get close to her.

Several of the villagers raced forward as they went around and tried to head off the neko. They knew that she was heading toward Midoriko's cave as they hurried to intercept.

Kirara was running as fast as she could without dropping the girl on her back. She couldn't fly because of the spells and enchantments around the area that prevented her from doing so. She was almost to the cave when several of the village men stepped in front of the cave entrance, blocking her from entering.

Various weapons were leveled at the neko youkai as Hiro came up from behind. He signaled his men to stop as he said, "Kirara, please we only wish to help the young girl. We will not harm her we promise. But if she continues to lose blood like this she will not survive the night."

The sense of urgency was growing strong in Kirara's mind. Midoriko wanted the girl in the cave as soon as possible. She roared her request to the cave begging Midoriko for help. She could not attack as long as Kagome was unconscious on her back.

Kirara also noticed that during the time she was traveling to her village, storm clouds were slowly moving in. They were dark clouds meaning that there was a storm coming and soon. She needed to get the girl to safety and to a dry place so she wouldn't get sick if it did rain. She roared again but the villagers wouldn't move out of her way.

The villagers, seeing that the neko youkai would not let them get close to the girl, were slowly making their way toward Kirara. Their weapons were raised, ready to attack, to get the young girl away from the neko.

At that moment a powerful barrier was put around Kirara and the sleeping Kagome as it stopped the villagers in their tracks. Kirara gave a small growl of thanks as she walked by the villagers. The barrier prevented them from attacking the neko as she made it to the safety of the cave. Hiro and his men tried to follow but the cave refused to let them in.

They stood there in front of the cave as Hiro said, "Midoriko must have been the one to summon Kirara here with the girl. That neko has always been loyal to Midoriko until my daughter befriended her. We can only hope that Midoriko will heal the girl's wounds and not let her die." They all sat in front of the cave and waited. They would protect the female that was within the cave until she came out with the neko.

They were there for a long time when the alarm was given around the village. Two very powerful youkais were coming their way. Hiro has never felt such power coming from any youkai before. Whoever was coming would be here soon, as he left several of the village men to guard the cave. He took the remaining men and headed towards the center of the village.

There they waited until they saw a golden ball of light coming in fast. They made room for it to land, Hiro stopped his people from attacking the golden ball of light, which was landing in their village. He had a feeling on who it might be and he was correct.

Inutaisho landed with haste as he let go of Sango and turned towards the direction where his son would be coming into the village. His eyes clearly focused on the task at hand to calm his son down.

Hiro came running up to the youkai lord as he said, "Milord, who is coming this way?"

Inutaisho let out a sigh of frustration as he said, "That would be my eldest son, Sesshoumaru. I presume that Kirara has come here with a young girl on her back."

Hiro was shocked that he knew of the girl as he answered, "Yes, she arrived about an hour ago and the neko is in Midoriko's cave with the young girl. She would not let us get near her to treat her wounds and she was bleeding rather badly."

Inutaisho thought as much, Kagome's blood was strong in this place and that was driving his son out of control. He turned to the ningens and said, "I will handle my son. I request that your people stay out of this fight. He might kill you in his current state of mind."

Hiro was shocked to hear this as he asked, "Why is he so upset? We have done nothing to him, milord."

"He is upset that Kirara took Kagome from him. He sees her as his intended mate though the right of courtship has not been granted yet. In three weeks time Kagome will be presented to the governing lords of the land and if they accept her as my pup then she will be introduced as a female ready to be mated. My son will make his intension known at this time. But because of traditions he cannot court her, as he would like." Inutaisho said, he was sensing that his son was getting closer to the village.

Inutaisho stepped away from Hiro as he started to glow a golden color. He transformed into his true form as he raced into the forest going after his son, before he reached the village.

The villagers were shocked to see the great beast that stood before them. It was a magnificent creature, the pure silver inu was huge as he stood tall and sniffed the air. His blood red eyes scanned the forest searching for his son. Once he found his scent he raced off into the forest, going after him.

Hiro turned his attention to his daughter as he asked, "Sango what is going on here? Who is that girl? And why is the Lord of the West so interested in her?"

Sango had so far been standing off to the side, just watching and listening to everything that was happening in front of her. When she saw Inutaisho leave she said a silent prayer that he would be able to control Sesshoumaru or else everyone in her village would die today.

She heard her father's questions and then answered, "The girl with Kirara is named Kagome. She is the one that you sent me to protect. She is the descendant of Midoriko and a very powerful miko. I have never, in my life, seen a more powerful miko."

Hiro heard his daughter's reply while stating, "But Sango, Midoriko had no relatives that we knew of. She was the only one of her clan."

"I know father but Kagome is Midoriko descendant and as such she has even surpassed Midoriko in her powers. Kagome was the one that Lord Inutaisho had in his arms that day he came here and took the Shikon No Tama with him. He has protected Kagome from any harm because it was a promise made long ago between Lady Ayashiko and Midoriko to look after each other's children.

He loves Kagome as his daughter and so does his mate. Sesshoumaru, the heir to the West, has an interest in Kagome. But youkai law is complicated. Heirs to the land cannot mate a female unless the governing lords have approved them. If Sesshoumaru was to take Kagome as his mate, they would not recognize her as the new Lady of the West, therefore making their mating void. Sesshoumaru does not want this. I think that he has deep feelings for Kagome but he must hold them back until he defeats the other males who will challenge for the right to court Kagome.

Once he defeats them then he has the right to court her. But until that time, he has been protecting Kagome, to make sure nothing happens to her."

Hiro now understood what was going on. He turned to the west as he heard a loud explosion in the near distance, he knew that the lord and his son were battling. He furrowed his eyebrows together and asked, "Sango how did the young miko get injured?"

Sango looked down at her feet as she said in a low and hurt voice, "A kuro miko showed up and attacked the castle. She went after the children that Kagome was teaching and injured one of them. Kagome got mad and went after her. I was by her side the whole time but when it came time to battle with the kuro miko Kagome asked me to stay out of the fight. She told me that she couldn't fight the kuro miko fully if she was worried about me getting hurt. So I agreed.

Kagome got distracted for just a second and that's all that kuro miko needed to attack her. She surrounded Kagome with a dark spell and was trying to kill her. When Kagome heard the Lord of the Castle coming towards her, she got a burst of energy from somewhere deep inside her and broke the spell. Kagome then attacked the kuro miko injuring her badly, but before we could kill her, she sent her minions after us.

The youkais attacked, and Kagome being left weak from her attack against the kuro miko, got hit by one of the youkais. I was there to protect her when I noticed that Kirara had picked her up and left the castle. I saw in which direction she was heading and knew that she was coming here.

When Sesshoumaru pieced together what happened he transformed and ran this way. Lord Inutaisho flew here as fast as possible to prevent his son from destroying our village in his rage. All he wants is Kagome."

Hiro took all this in and now he understood what was going on. Somehow they had to get Kagome out of Midoriko's cave so she could meet the young lord. He looked at his daughter again and said, "Sango we must go to Midoriko's cave and get the girl. She is the only one that will be able to calm the young lord."

Sango agreed with her father as they made their way back to the cave to see if they could get Kagome to come out.

---oOo---

Inutaisho left the ningen village behind to go towards his son. He was close and he didn't want him to destroy this village. He raced in his true form toward his son as he stopped in a clearing. He could feel his son coming and he was almost there.

Sesshoumaru was blind to just about everything. His rage was so great that he didn't even notice who the Inu Youkai was standing in front of him, as he came crashing into the clearing. He stopped in his tracks, the male that was in front of him, was blocking his path to the village that held his intended. He growled viciously at the male telling him to move out of his way.

Inutaisho would not back down. He was the alpha of his pack and as such he demanded respect from his beta. He gave a series of yips and growls as he said, "_Beta male you will stand down. You will not harm the ningen village up ahead._"

Sesshoumaru growled back in reply, "_I will get my mate from those ningens. They have no right to take her_."

"_They did not take her. The neko brought her here to be protected. She is unharmed. She was hurt in the battle but she is being protected to make sure no one harms her_." Said Inutaisho as he was walking slowly to his son. He was emitting a calming aura around his son to get him to calm down.

Sesshoumaru took a step back when he noticed what the youkai in front of him was doing. He growled as he lashed out at the other youkai. Sesshoumaru still did not recognize that the youkai standing in front of him was his father, as he attacked. He leaped in the air as his claws came down with a poison mist surrounding them.

Inutaisho saw what his son was doing as he quickly moved to the side and sent his own attack to his son. His tail whipped around as his golden whip came out and hit Sesshoumaru across his chest.

Sesshoumaru hit the ground hard as the impact sounded like a loud explosion. He tried to stand when he heard the other inu say, "_Beta male! Do you challenge me for the right to lead!_"

Something clicked in Sesshoumaru's mind when he heard this. He took a deep breath inhaling the other Inu's scent. He recognized the other Inu as his father as he said, "_No leader male we do not wish to challenge._"

Sesshoumaru then submitted to his father as he barred his neck to him in submission. Inutaisho stepped forward and grabbed his son by his neck with his jaws. He squeezed just slightly as he growled out his demands, "_Transform back Sesshoumaru._"

They both transformed back into their ningen forms and when they reappeared on the ground Inutaisho had his son by the neck with his hand. He released him as he stood in front of his son and said, "Get up Sesshoumaru. We will go to the village and find Kagome. You will not attack or harm any of the ningens in the village, do you understand?"

Sesshoumaru nodded his head in agreement as he followed his father back to the village. He didn't mean to challenge his father for the right to lead their pack. He knew that he would take over some day, but he will wait for the day that his father gives him the right to lead. At the moment, Sesshoumaru has no desire to take it from him.

Inutaisho looked up at the sky and noticed the black clouds. It was going to storm soon and they needed to get to Kagome. Flying to the village was out of the question when he saw lighting flashing in the distance. Then he heard the sound of thunder rolling through the area.

He decided to run there instead, he turned to his son and was about to talk to him, when he went down to his knees. He felt a sharp stab of pain in his heart, and fear was the other feeling he was getting. Kagome, his precious little one, was in distress as her fears consumed her.

Since he had formed a bond with Kagome when he marked her, he could feel her feelings and her distress. Her emotions were so great that he didn't have a chance to pull back from his contact with her before it hit him full force.

Sesshoumaru came running toward his father as he said, "Father, are you all right?"

He helped his father to stand and noticed that he was still shaky on his feet. Inutaisho breathed in deep as he said, "Kagome, my little one, why are you so scared?"

At this statement Sesshoumaru's eyes almost went red again as his father explained, "Sesshoumaru, her fear is not from the place she is currently located. Her fear is of a memory that plagues her mind. She must learn to work through these fears and when she does, she will become a stronger person for it. We must hurry to the village to see what is wrong with her."

Inutaisho took a step forward and sensed the location of where he has to go. He took off into the forest heading toward the village where Kagome was currently located. Sesshoumaru was following closely behind his father keeping pace as they went.

Curiosity got the better of Sesshoumaru as he asked, "Father, how do you know what Kagome is feeling?"

Inutaisho looked at his pup as he smiled and said, "When you have pups of your own, you will have to mark them as members of our clan. I marked you with the crescent moon on your forehead showing that you are heir to the Western Lands. Your brother's mark is located on his left shoulder showing that he is second in line to succeed. Kagome's mark is located on her right ear showing that she is a member of our clan. When you mark your pups you share a connection with them. That's how your mother and I know when you are in distress or hurt. The mark lets us know that something is wrong.

I can feel what Kagome is going through right now and her fear is great. Whatever memory she is having is making her scared." At that moment another flash of light went off in the distance and a few minutes later the sound of thunder came to the area.

Inutaisho had learned to back away from his connection with Kagome so he wouldn't be caught again. He felt her fear spike when the sound of the thunderstorm was heard. Realization hit him as he stopped on a tree branch and looked off into the distance. Then he said in a low voice, "She's scared of the storm. Kagome is scared of the thunderstorm that is coming this way."

Sesshoumaru didn't understand why his intended mate was scared of such a meaningless thing as a thunderstorm. There were a lot of things that he didn't understand about his mate to be but he was willing to learn them while he was courting her.

He turned his attention back to his father as they continued going to the ningen village. All Sesshoumaru could think of was Kagome and getting to her as soon as possible.

---oOo---

All right, this is the end to another chapter. Now people, do you think that Sesshoumaru was actually going to confront Kagome on his scent? Really, what he did, was taboo and he did it without her knowledge. If he confronted her about removing his scent from her person, Kagome would have suspected that he did it on purpose.

Now our Sesshoumaru had a lot of fun putting his scent on her skin, but Kagome failed to notice that she should have had the scent only on her clothes. This was to Sesshoumaru's advantage.

As promised that if I got a lot of reviews for a chapter, then you would get another chapter early. So I keep my word. Oh someone asked me how many reviews I was looking for, I don't look at the numbers but at the number of people wanting the next chapter as quickly as possible. This time over 40 reviews requested the next chapter.

I was told that I was blackmailing all of you into reviewing. LOL I wish. You get a chapter a week regardless if you review or not. But it you want me to put up an extra chapter for that week then I would like to hear from you. But one extra chapter is all I will give the next update is set for Monday.

I also opened the reviewing process for non users. I have kept it closed for a reason, and I hope that I don't regret my decision. But as long as everyone plays nice then I will not limit it again. I really would like to hear from all of you. It makes me happy to read your opinions.

For those of you who are looking for the URL for the Dokuga Awards, if you look in my profile you will find the URL that you are looking for in all the sites that I post. I hope this helps. The voting is now open if you would like to vote for your favorite story or fan art.

In the next chapter you will find out why Kagome is scared of the thunderstorm. Sesshoumaru will realize his actual feelings for Kagome. Plus I will give you a background to the final fight in which Midoriko creates the jewel of four souls. But understand people that part of the story is my imagination working, and in no way reflects what Rumiko Takahashi was thinking when she created the jewel. This is my version of what might of happened, nothing more.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Kirara was slowly making her way deep into Midoriko's cave. She was tired, she has just traveled from the west and fought off the villagers from taking the young girl from her back. She could smell the blood coming from the girl and this worried her. She just hoped that she had made the right decision in bringing Kagome to the cave first, to Midoriko.

Midoriko, her former mistress, had been very kind to her. She had raised her from a young kitten and showed her love, kindness, and compassion. She was the first ningen to have ever done that. All her life ningens hunted her kind down to enslave.

The fire neko's were fierce warriors and once loyalty was given to anyone they fought to the bitter end to protect them. A pang of hurt went through her heart knowing that she had failed to protect the one that had given everything to protect her.

She remembered that day very well.

_**---oOo---FLASH BACK---oOo---**_

They have been traveling from village to village making sure all was well in the area. Her mistress would help the villagers in anyway possible and protected them. They would take care of any youkais that would threaten a village and didn't want to live in peace in the area. Not all youkais were bad but on a few occasions they would have a few that would challenge Midoriko's authority in the area.

They were on their way home when they heard about the hordes of youkais that were running amuck, destroying ningen villages, as they went through the countryside.

Word had finally reached Midoriko of what was going on and they set out to investigate. They had come upon a village that was being destroyed by the youkais as they set out killing those who refused to leave the area.

Kirara helped her mistress battle the youkais, always watching her back for her when in battle. During one of the fierce battles Kirara had gotten hurt, as the youkais surged forward, trying to take down Midoriko. She went down hard, not being able to get back up to fight, as her mistress protected her from the youkais that wanted to do her harm. She had fought them off keeping them confined to the area they were currently located in as she protected Kirara from being hurt any further.

She had managed to send word back to Inutaisho to see if he could come to her aid, but alas he was currently in a war himself with the panther youkais of the south. They had threatened to take over the west and he was fighting to keep his lands safe.

So Midoriko was on her own fighting these youkais. It seemed like the more she killed the more showed up for the fight. Six days have passed and still the battle was raging on. Midoriko herself was getting weak. The constant battles, little to no rest, and no food was taking its toll on the powerful miko, but still she fought on. Never once wavering from what she had to do.

Then, on the seventh night of the battle, a lone youkai was making his way to Midoriko. He was devouring youkais as he went and absorbing their youki, making himself even stronger. What finally faced Midoriko at the end was a giant youkai made up of about 100 lower class youkais. There bodies were combined into one, as were their powers.

The youkai surge forward, trying to kill the powerful miko, as she fought to protect the lands. The youkai had gotten her mistress in its jaws and was about to kill Midoriko, when she gathered the last of her remaining strength, and started to glow a pure white in color.

She had warned Kirara to stay away for she was about to end this battle once and for all. Kirara had protested and had tried to go after her mistress so she could help her but she had placed a powerful barrier around herself and the youkai.

Kirara watched in horror as her mistress power surged forth. It encircled her body and the youkai that had her trapped in their jaws. She grabbed hold of the youkais souls, and pulled them towards her. Her own soul answered the call as it surged forth and encased the youkai souls in a crystal jewel that came out of her chest.

The force of the jewel being created was so great that it created a hole in her chest were her heart used to be. It made a hole in the armor she was wearing as the jewel landed on the ground. Kirara saw the jewel and went to it. It was pink in color as she looked at it, she could still see her mistress fighting the battle that they have been fighting for the last seven days.

Kirara roared her pain into the sky for having her mistress taken away from her as she laid down and curled her body around the jewel to protect it. Kirara looked up at her mistress, as she saw that Midoriko along with the youkai that held her, have been turned to stone. It disappeared from the area as Kirara stayed to protect the last thing that her master left behind, her soul.

A couple of days later Lord Inutaisho finally made it to the clearing where they fought the final battle. There were dead youkai everywhere as he gazed upon the carnage of the battle. He found Kirara and gone to see if she was all right. When Kirara stood she revealed the jewel to him.

Inutaisho kneeled on the ground and looked at the jewel. Realization of what it was came to him as the look of horror was seen upon his features.

Kirara watched the youkai lord closely, she saw a lone tear leave his golden eyes as he closed them and held the jewel close to his chest. He was one of the most powerful youkais in the land and the only one that could hold the jewel and not be affected by its dark powers.

Inutaisho picked up the jewel along with Midoriko's sword and headed back to Midoriko's village. Once he arrived at the village he explained what happened and the entire village mourned the passing of the great miko. They decided to take the jewel and the sword to the cave in which Midoriko used to live in before her demise. The place was protected by her magic and they figured it was the safest place for both items.

When they got to the cave they noticed that it was glowing inside. They had no idea what was going on but they cautiously made their way into the cave, ready to take down any threat to the area.

The deeper they went the brighter it got until they came upon the stone image of Midoriko. She was in the jaws of a youkai that was about to devour her. They saw a whole in her chest that went right though the armor she wore. Somehow the stone statue of Midoriko fighting the last youkai found its way into her cave and now that's where it stood.

They placed the jewel and sword down on a pillow in front of the stone statue and saw how brightly the jewel glowed. Everyone left the cave after that but Kirara stayed behind. She could not leave her mistress knowing that she was still in the jewel.

Then the mikokoro of Midoriko appeared to Kirara and said, "Kirara, I free you from your bond to me. You my friend must find a new master and continue to live on. In the future you will find my Musume. When you do please protect her for she is the key to protecting the lands."

Kirara understood what Midoriko was saying. But she never wavered from her duty to protect the cave that held her soul. A century passed and no one showed up that even looked like Midoriko.

Kirara, being lonely for over a century, befriended a young Taijiya by the name of Sango and that's how she came into Sango's service.

_**---oOo---END OF FLASH BACK---oOo---**_

Kirara finally made it to the back of the cave where her former mistress rested. Slowly she stopped in front of the stone statue of Midoriko and looked up at her. She whined and when nothing happened she turned her attention to the girl that was on her back.

Kirara gently lowered Kagome to the ground. Once Kagome was settled Kirara turned to the task at hand. Kagome was still bleeding badly from all of her wounds. She had a couple of deep gashes on her side and numerous cuts across her arms and legs.

Kirara didn't know what to do. Her saliva was not as strong as that of an Inu Youkai, but she had to try and heal her. She started with the worst wounds to make them stop bleeding. It was a slow process when she heard someone say, "Kirara my tomodachi, please move aside so I can take care of my Musume's wounds."

Kirara looked up from her work when she saw the mikokoro of Midoriko and moved aside. She transformed back into her kitten form to conserve energy as she sat by and watched what her mistress was about to do.

Midoriko moved over to Kagome as she observed her wounds. She placed her hand on Kagome's forehead and concentrated as she let her healing powers come forth to heal her.

Kagome's body was engulfed in a soft blue light as all of her wounds started to heal. Soon all you could see was the light pink skin that knitted together and sealed her wounds. Then Midoriko gave Kagome some of her energy so she could recover quickly.

Midoriko could feel the Inu Youkai close to the village and she had to hurry. They would be there soon and knowing the elder son of Inutaisho he would be breaking down her barrier to get to Kagome as she sat and waited to Kagome to awaken.

Kagome's head was hurting as she was slowly was coming around. Her whole body hurt as she groaned and started to move. She opened her eyes to see that she was in a cave. There was a light coming from somewhere as her eyes were slowly coming into focus. Once they were focused she slowly sat up as she felt a heavy weight on her lap. She looked down to see Kirara mewling at her.

Kagome smiled, she picked up the kitten and held her close to her chest, as she softly said, "I'm all right Kirara, I just have a headache that's all."

Midoriko watched her Musume with amusement in her eyes. Her Musume still did not noticed that she was there as she said, "Musume, I do believe that you scared Kirara half to death."

Kagome quickly turned to the voice as she saw Midoriko sitting not too far away from her. She smiled as she said, "Hello Okaa-san, what am I doing here?"

Midoriko's heart leaped with joy when she heard her Musume call her Okaa-san as she said, "I had Kirara bring you here after your fight with the kuro miko. You were low on energy and were badly injured. I had to get you to a safe place so I had Kirara bring you back here to my village."

"Your village? Where is your village located?" Kagome asked with interest in her voice.

Midoriko chuckled as she said, "My village is Sango's village. My original home was destroyed a long time ago. This village found me when I was young and let me live here. I found this cave away from the main village and this is where I stayed when I was home."

Kagome thought about this as she asked, "But why didn't you stay at the village? You said that they let you stay here with them."

Midoriko looked at her Musume and asked, "I can ask you the same questions, Musume. Why do you feel that you are not part of Ayashiko family? Both Inutaisho and Ayashiko treat you as their pup but yet you pull away from their affections. Why?"

Kagome looked down in her lap as she looked at Kirara. She didn't want to tell Midoriko why she feels that way, but she had a feeling that the dead miko wouldn't take no for an answer. So she proceeded very slowly to tell her why, "I feel so out of place here. I know that Ayashiko and Inutaisho love me as their pup but I'm afraid to get close to them. I'm afraid to lose them like I have lost other things in my life.

I crave their love and affection, but I'm afraid of losing that love, if I let them get too close to my heart. I have already lost someone very dear to me. I don't want to loose my youbo as well. I love having an Otou-san but the memories of my real father comes back to haunt me. I love Inutaisho with all my heart and I know that he won't do the same things that my real father did but I can't seem to move on from that."

Midoriko knew what she was talking about as she said, "Kagome you must move on. You must open your heart again to love and be protected. Allow them to see the real you that is hidden deep within you. You have to take the chance to love again because you have no choice in the matter. You have to work through all of your insecurities and they will help you overcome those.

Plus your idea, not to be mated, is a bad one. You must be mated and you must live Kagome."

Kagome looked up as she stared at Midoriko and said, "I will not be mated to someone that only wants me for my body and powers. I refuse to be used in this manner."

Midoriko knew that she had to be stern with her Musume if she wanted her to have a future. She must make her comply with her wishes. She hoped for the best as she said, "Kagome, you don't know who the victor of the fight will be. He might surprise you and love you for who you are. But if you don't even give him a chance how do you know you won't fall in love with him and be happy? Don't make the same mistakes I did when I was looking for someone to love in my lifetime.

By the time I realized what I had done he was gone and I was left alone. I don't want that for you. You were brought back to this era because you and your mate are the only one's that can defeat the evil that is coming. If you die then the future as you know it will change forever. You will never get to see your real mother again no matter how hard you try."

This bit of information shocked Kagome. She didn't know what to do now. Her heart was torn in two as she said, "I'm so confused, I don't know what to do anymore. I don't want to mate with someone that will not love me but if what you are saying is true then I have no choice."

"Kagome, open your heart and follow it. It will tell you if the male that won the right to dominate you is the one you are destined to love. He could very well be your soul mate and make you complete. You will never know unless you are willing to open your heart to love again. Don't let your past memories of the things that have happened interfere with what you have to do.

You will accept this male when he challenges you. I know that you will fight him tooth and nails, but I expect nothing less. You must prove that you are a strong female and the male must understand that having such a strong female come with a price. He has to learn to protect and love you for all your days.

But know this Kagome. That kuro miko will be back and without a mate she could kill you the next time. You were able to bring forth your deepest powers, but only with a mate can you control them. Your powers exceeds my own and only with a mate can you hope to control what is deep within you. He will guide you in what you have to do and you must help him come into his next level of power, without it, these lands are lost.

Kagome I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but you must try and be open minded about what is to come." Midoriko finished saying her peace as she watched her Musume. She could see the confusion in her eyes and worry. Worry that the male that was the strongest youkai around would not love her for what she was.

Kagome took a deep breath as she said, "All right, I will try to open my mind and my heart to whatever suitors shows interest in me. But I'm not promising that I will accept them. If they can dominate me then I will give them a chance and see if they could ever love me for who I am, but if he does not show me any kind of love, then I will reject him. I don't want to be mated to anyone that is only going to take advantage of me. You know just as well as I do that the knowledge I process is enough to tip the scales for the future. I will not allow myself to be used in that manner."

Midoriko smiled as she said, "That's all I can ask of you my Ittoshi Musume is to keep an open mind and an open heart."

At that moment Midoriko felt that the villagers were gathered at the entrance of the cave. They were looking for Kagome, she could feel Sango standing there waiting for her. She turned her attention to Kagome as she said, "Kagome, Sango is waiting for you at the entrance to the cave. You will have to go out there and meet her because they can not enter the cave."

Kagome understood what Midoriko was saying as she slowly stood on her feet. She was tired, but she got her balance as she was making her way out of the cave. But before she left she turned and said, "Thank you for helping me realize what I am doing. I don't mean to pull away from the people that love me, it's just hard for me to let anyone in my heart after everything that I have been through."

Midoriko understood what she was saying as she replied, "Remember Kagome open your heart to them, you won't be disappointed."

Kagome smiled as she left the miko behind and made her way to the cave's entrance.

Kagome was slowly walking toward the entrance of the cave. She could see the light up ahead as she walked. She stopped when she heard the thunder coming from outside. Fear, fear of a long ago memory gripped Kagome as she stopped to catch her breath. Her whole body was shaking in fear as she got her control back. She took deep breaths and continued on her way.

She was almost to the cave's entrance when she spotted Sango. She saw the Taijiya turn towards her as she heard her say, "Kagome! Are you all right?" She was about to answer when she saw the lighting flash and then heard the thunder outside the cave. She stopped and closed her eyes. She was taking in deep breaths as she was trying to calm her heart.

Kagome opened her eyes and smiled at her friend, stating, "Yes Sango I'm all right. Just give me a minute and I will be there."

Kagome continued to walk as she leaned against the wall of the cave. Her balance was not that good yet and she felt very weak. She was almost to the entrance when a flash of lighting hit the area and was soon followed by a loud crack of thunder.

Kagome froze in her tracks, the flash of lighting and the sound of thunder brought back horrible memories for her as she closed her eyes trying to get control over her emotions. 'It happened a long time ago damn it! I'm not going to let it get to me this time. I know that I'm safe and nothing is going to happen to me.'

Kagome opened her eyes again as another lighting attack lit up the skies in front of her as she saw the monster from her dreams. The youkai with four arms that was about to attack her was standing right behind Sango as she screamed and ran back deeper into the cave.

Kagome was running screaming her head off as the nightmare from when she had just turned three years old came crashing back to haunt her.

_**-------FLASH BACK-------**_

Our little Kagome was very adventures back then; her mother would always warn her not to go wondering into the shrine, because it was forbidden for females to enter the inner sanctum of the shrine.

One day, when her mother was busy cooking dinner, because her parents were having guests over that day, Kagome took her chance and secretly went to the shrine. No one noticed that Kagome had stolen away to the shrine, not even her grandfather.

But unknown to anyone, that day there was a typhoon approaching the city. The news said that it wouldn't come anywhere near Tokyo, but unpredictably the winds changed its direction, bringing the powerful storm straight to the heart of Tokyo.

Kagome sneaked into the shrine through the grand ceremonial hall (the hall used to perform weddings and traditional dances) and looks all about. All the things in there, like the traditional musical instruments, enthrall her. She sees another door and opens it, she finds her self inside a hidden corridor. She follows it until it leads her to another door.

But unknown to her, outside, the weather is changing fast, the sky is getting darker and the wind was picking up. Asami and her husband just thought it was the tail end of the typhoon. She and her husband left the house to go do the shopping, leaving grandpa to look after Kagome, all of them thinking that she is just taking her afternoon nap.

Kagome opens the door and walks into a large, dark and cool room/hall. This room has a high ceiling and a number of small windows high up. Little Kagome is excited to find this large room and runs around merrily inside. But all of the sudden, she stops her merriment when she hears the wind howling outside. Kagome wonders what's happening outside. The wind is so strong that she can feel its strong currents inside the hall that she is in.

- - - -

Asami and her husband get stuck at the shopping complex that they had stepped into for a moment. It was the only place in the city that Asami could get her cooking ingredients from. It also happened to be the time when the authorities announced that the typhoon was about to land. The wind picks up around the city and cars aren't allowed on the roads, until the storm dies down.

- - - -

The winds were getting stronger and stronger, tree branches start to snap and some of them hit the top of the shrine, scaring little Kagome in the hall. The doors of the shrine, that she had opened to sneak in, are fully opened by the winds. The door she opened to get into the inner sanctum closes with a bang, warping the doorframe and sealing the little girl within.

When the door banged close, Kagome almost jumped a foot in the air, she ran to the door trying to push it open but it wouldn't budge, the door had made its mind up not to open. Kagome pulled and pulled but the door wouldn't budge. All of a sudden, she heard a loud crack; the dark hall was lit brightly, shortly after that, a booming clap of thunder rung though the air and it's deafening echo, bounced off all the walls in the hall she was in.

Kagome clasped her hands over her ears and closed her eyes shut. Then there was quiet... as the wind howled madly outside. And since the door was determined not to budge, Kagome walked to the center of the room to wait for someone to come and find her.

The hall became darker and Kagome felt fear over coming her entire being, as she shook in terror in the middle of the room. There was a bright flash of light and Kagome saw something that struck the fear of kami into her.

There standing right in front of her was a tall figure that filled the wall, it had 4 arms, an angry face with large fangs, and he was holding four humongous swords in his hands. She screamed loudly, then a loud bang filled the room and Kagome started to cry. She should have listen to her mother and not go into the inner sanctum of the shrine.

Every time the lightning flashed, she would see the scary face of the guardian deity of the shrine. And every clap of thunder would get louder and louder. At one point Kagome cried and screamed for her mother to come and get her... but no one came.

The winds were howling like an angry wolf while the lightning and thunder whipped madly through the sky. Kagome called for help but no body came, she hugged her knees and cried. Every time the lightning flashed and the thunder clapped boomingly, Kagome would cover her ears, shutting her eyes tightly, she cried even harder.

Softly she called "Mama… Papa… Jii-chan… someone… please help me..." but no one came, only the lightning and thunder that scared her out of her mind.

- - - -

Jii-chan was worried out of his mind he couldn't find his cute little granddaughter anywhere. He heard that the typhoon had changed direction and was to hit Tokyo at anytime. He went up to her room to wake her up and get them to a safe place, but when he went in, the room was empty. Kagome wasn't in her room. He looked all over the house, but she wasn't there. He checked all of Kagome's favorite hiding places, but his cute granddaughter was nowhere to be found.

He was starting to panic, where did she go? Did her parents take her? No they had told him to take care of her. He panicked, did Kagome go out to play. He went out and searched the grounds but he couldn't find her. Did she go back into the house? He wondered, and went back to the house. He returned to the house and went in as called for his granddaughter, but there was no answer.

The winds were getting stronger, he had to find her, he tried to go back out but it was not an easy job trying to get the door open. The strong winds of the typhoon were pushing against the door. Grandpa thinking that his little granddaughter maybe somewhere outside in the approaching storm, fought to get the door open, but once he managed to get the door open, he rushed out, only to be hit by the door. He fell back into the house and sprained his ankle.

- - - -

Kagome lay crying and hugged her little body as the storm went on, the wind whipped about the hill shrine relentlessly. Kagome had retreated to a corner in the shrine far away from the scary guardian statue, all the time crying softly for her mother to come.

The storm went on for hours until the evening when it finally died down, but by that time... the damage was done to Kagome. Her parents knew where to look for her, after they found grandpa. That was when Asami broke the rule of the shrine, and entered the inner sanctum. She saw that the door was warped, she and her husband fought to open the door, they called Kagome's name but no answer ever came. When they finally got the door open, it was to find their daughter in a petrified state sitting in her little corner, her face streaked with dried tears and her eyes red from crying so much.

_**----------END OF FLASH BACK---------**_

Kagome continued running deep into the cave as she was going towards the back. There in the back of the cave was a big hole that led to nowhere. It was a bottomless pit and she was heading straight for it. She was almost there when she was grabbed from behind and pulled into a soft chest as they held on to the struggling girl.

---oOo---

Lord Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru were quickly making their way back to the youkai slayers village. The storm was rapidly approaching the village and they had to make it there before it hit full force.

Inutaisho could still feel Kagome's fear as they continued to go faster. Soon they made it back to the village as they raced to Midoriko's cave. They stopped at the cave entrance when they saw the villagers there talking to someone.

They walked up behind Sango and that's when they noticed that Kagome was on the other side of the barrier to the cave entrance. She was leaning against the cave wall and had just looked up when the lighting struck a tree right behind them. A big tree fell as it barely missed the youkais standing there. Thunder sounded loudly through the area as they saw Kagome's eyes grow big as she screamed and ran back into the cave.

But what everyone failed to see was when the tree landed right behind Sesshoumaru it made him look like he had four arms with swords in them. Sesshoumaru seeing how scared his intended was raced after her into the cave. To everyone's surprise the barrier let him pass as he raced after Kagome.

Inutaisho ran after his son and his little one as he entered the cave. The ningens stood outside the barrier for they couldn't follow.

Inutaisho had finally caught up to Sesshoumaru as they stopped at the stone statue of were Midoriko was located. They looked around the area and couldn't find Kagome as Midoriko appeared and said, "You must stop Kagome before she reaches the back of the cave. If she falls into the bottomless pit we will never see her again."

Sesshoumaru raced off after Kagome's scent as Inutaisho stayed behind to talk to Midoriko.

Sesshoumaru was moving fast, he had to find Kagome before she fell into that hole. The cave was dark but he could still see where he was going. He spotted Kagome up ahead as he went faster to get to her. She was almost to the pit as he raced forward. He reached out, grabbing Kagome by the waist and pulling her into his chest, stopping just before they both went into the pit.

He held on to her tightly as she was fighting him to release her. He sat down on the ground as he held her close to his chest and started to purr to calm her. His tail went around her body to keep her in place as he said in her ear, "Kagome, I will always protect you. I will not let anything hurt you ever again."

Kagome felt the gentle purr of the person holding her. She calmed down as she was gently being rocked back and forth. She felt safe for the first time in her life and at peace. She closed her eyes as she let his gentle heart beat lull her into a deep sleep.

Sesshoumaru felt as Kagome slowly calmed down. Her breathing evened out as she fell asleep in his arms. He nuzzled her under her chin as he took in her scent. She was unharmed, untouched, and that's what mattered to him.

He got up off the ground as he kept his tail wrapped around her body and made his way back to his father. He walked slowly because he knew that as soon as he got back to his father he would take her away from him. He couldn't blame him though. The way he was feeling about her at the moment, he would mate her tonight, if his father were not with him.

Sesshoumaru finally made it back to where his father was located. He saw him quickly walk up to him and say, "Is she all right?"

Sesshoumaru looked at his father as he said, "Yes father, she is unharmed. I caught her before she went into the pit. I managed to calm her down and she is sleeping at the moment."

Inutaisho was happy as he held out his arms so he could take Kagome away from Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru growled as he removed his tail from around Kagome and gave her to his father. He was not happy about losing her warmth against his body as he watched his father say a spell that put her into a deeper sleep.

Sesshoumaru was curious about why he did that as he asked, "Father, why did you put her into a deeper sleep?"

Inutaisho looked at his son as he said, "The storm is getting worse outside. I put her into a deeper sleep to keep her calm. Midoriko explained that this fear, that she has, comes from when she was a young pup. She had gotten caught in a storm like this and was left by herself for hours until the storm passed. By the time they found her, the damage was already done. They found her petrified in the shrine where she lived and she has never been able to get over her fright."

Sesshoumaru now understood why his intended mate was so afraid of the storm that was raging outside. He made a promise to himself to always be with her during a storm so that she feels safe.

They sent word to Sango and the other youkai slayers that they were going to stay the night in the cave for Kagome's well being and that they would leave in the morning. The villagers brought food to them as they tried to make them as comfortable as possible.

Inutaisho never let go of Kagome. He held her to his chest as he constantly purred to keep her calm. Even though they were deep in the cave you could still hear the thunder and see part of the lighting as the storm continued to rage outside. Kagome could feel this and would shiver from time to time.

Inutaisho was resting against the wall of the cave with Kagome in his lap. Sesshoumaru was sitting off to the side watching his father and his intended sleep. He could not sleep, because he wanted to hold Kagome so badly, but he knew that he couldn't.

Midoriko saw her opportunity to talk to the young heir, as she appeared right next to him.

Sesshoumaru looked over to his side and he saw the mikokoro of Midoriko, he tilted his head, acknowledging the deceased miko.

Midoriko not one to beat around the bush came right to the point of what she wanted. "Sesshoumaru-sama, do you have an interest in my Musume?"

Sesshoumaru raised an elegant eyebrow at her as he said, "Yes, I do have an interest in her."

"Then let me give you a piece of advice if you want to mate with her. Unless you can show her that you will love her for all eternity then I would suggest that you don't even try to mate with her. She is stubborn and she is looking for a male that will love her for who and what she is.

She is prepared to die if she cannot find this male. She will not be bonded to anyone that can't love her and she will not survive without a mate. Her next heat will kill her and she is prepared for this.

So if you want her then look beyond the fact that she is a powerful female that can bare strong pups. Look beyond the fact that she is ningen and see her for who and what she is. Then you may have a chance of mating with her. This is my advice to you young lord." Midoriko ended her rant as she watched Sesshoumaru, he was deep in thought about the things she has said to him.

Midoriko just hoped that she finally got through to Sesshoumaru and that he could see the Kagome that she sees. Kagome was a fragile girl that needed to be loved and cared for, for the rest of her life. She left the young youkai alone to his thoughts as she disappeared from the area.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru sat there the whole night thinking about what Midoriko had said, 'If I look beyond the fact that she is the strongest female I have ever encountered, and I look beyond the fact that she is just a ningen. What do I have? I have just a plain onna with nothing special to offer this Sesshoumaru.'

But that train of thought didn't sound right to Sesshoumaru as his beast decided to join in on the conversation. _'Is that all you see when you look beyond all those things?'_ asked his beast with a growl.

Sesshoumaru furrowed his eyebrows together as he asked, 'What do you mean by that? There is not much there after I look beyond those things.'

Sesshoumaru's inner inu growled again as he said, _'I see an onna who has a kind and caring heart. She takes time to teach pups how to protect themselves and then plays with them for no other reason than to give them joy. _

_I see an onna that protects that, which is not hers and risks her life for those she cares for. She has a beauty that cannot be compared for we have seen no ningen or demoness that possesses such beauty. Nor have we ever met an onna that could move our hearts as she does. _

_She is worthy to be called our mate and this inu loves her for what she is. A pure white soul that calls to us when she is in distress and one that soothes us when we are angered. Her soul calls to us because she is our soul mate.'_

Now this was new information for him. His inner inu has stated that she is his soul mate. 'Could this be possible?'

Sesshoumaru looks over at his intended mate as she rested in his father's arms. The storm outside had finally started to go away and she has finally settled down to sleep. He closed his eyes as he thought of her. His youki reached out into the cave as it sought his intended and caressed her in his light. She answered back in kind as she wrapped her aura around his and gently took in his warmth.

That's when he felt it. He felt the connection that his beast said was there. His soul was connected to the girl as his soul reached out to hers and she responded in kind. Their souls mixed and joined in ways that could only be dreamed of. It was as if he was whole for the first time in his life. He felt a great warmth surround his heart as he finally felt his true feelings for the girl.

Inutaisho had been asleep when he felt something strange in the cave with them. He slowly opened his eyes as they came into focus. He looked up and what he saw shocked the living daylights out of him. There in the middle of the cave were two auras that were dancing in the high ceiling of the cave.

When he looked at his son he saw that he was asleep but he was glowing a golden color. He looked down at Kagome and noticed that she too was glowing. She was glowing a pure white in color. He looked up again as he saw that it was their auras that was glowing so brightly and mixing together.

Midoriko at the moment appeared in front of Inutaisho as she said, "Yes my friend, my Musume is your son's soul mate. Sesshoumaru has finally realized who she is and now the battle to claim her will start. Protect my Musume my friend. There are evil youkai that want her and the kuro miko will return to kill her. The sooner these two are together the sooner they can protect each other and the lands." She then left the Western Lord to his thought as she disappeared from sight.

Inutaisho took all this in as he looked from his son to his little one and smiled. He understood that there was something special about her when he first seen her. He now knew that he would have her, as a daughter to his clan, his son would do everything possible to claim the lovely Kagome.

His mate will be surprised about this little bit of news once they got back home. This only meant that they had to step up their plans to get their special place ready for them so they can spend time together after he dominates her. But he knew that his son was going to have a ruff time making her submit to him.

He settled back down as he closed his eyes until morning. They will travel back home in the morning and be a family once again.

---oOo---

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru were the first to awaken. Their inner clocks told them it was just about dawn and the sun was due to rise over the horizon.

Inutaisho looked at his son as he smiled. He might not remember what happen last night but he did. He then looked down at his little one and she was still asleep. He whispered his spell to release her from her sleep as he waited for her to awaken.

Kagome started to stir, as she felt very warm. She felt that she was being held as she opened her eyes slowly. When her eyes came into focus she saw that the youkai lord was holding her, as she said, "Good morning Otou-san."

Inutaisho smiled as he purred and said, "Good morning my little one how are you feeling this morning?"

Kagome sat up as she said, "I feel tired for some reason. But where are we?"

Inutaisho looked at her with concern in his eyes as he asked, "Don't you remember anything from yesterday?"

Kagome took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she tried to clear her mind of the fog that she felt was there. She concentrated as she started to focus her mind on what happened the previous day. She started to remember everything that happened as her eyes went wide with understanding.

She looked at her youbu and said, "I remember what happened yesterday. That kuro miko attacked the castle but she got away before I could kill her. Then I remember waking up here and talking to Midoriko for a while, then she told me that Sango was outside waiting for me. I went to see Sango, I remember the thunder and lighting, after that I can't remember anything else."

Inutaisho understood that his pup couldn't remember what happened after she ran from the storm last night, he thought it best not to remind her as he said, "Are you ready to go home Kagome?"

Kagome smiled as she said, "Yes, I'm ready. I want to go home and see how Inuyasha is doing. He was hurt pretty badly yesterday during that attack. I healed his wounds but I would still like to check and make sure that he is all right."

Inutaisho then stood with her in his arms as he placed her on her feet. Kagome stood on shaky legs as she held on to the wall for support. He turned to his son and said, "I'm going outside to see if I can find Sango and tell her we are leaving. Come out when you're both ready, then we will leave."

Sesshoumaru nodded his head in understanding as he saw his father leave. He then turned his attention to Kagome as he was watching her very closely.

Kagome stood on shaky legs as she held on to the wall for support. She couldn't understand why she was feeling so weak. She tried to take a step forward and almost fell. She was grabbed from behind by a strong arm and when she looked up she was surprised to see Sesshoumaru standing there holding her in his arms.

Kagome blushed a bright red as she said, "Um, thank you Sesshoumaru for catching me. I can't understand why I can't stand up. My legs feel so weak."

Sesshoumaru thought about it for a few minutes as he said, "You released a tremendous amount of your Reiyouku yesterday when you battled that kuro miko, you have not recovered from that as of yet. It will take another day for you to recover your strength."

Kagome understood what he was saying as she tried to stand on her own and immediately fell forward into Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru seeing that she will never be able to walk on her own, picked her up in his arms, as he wrapped his tail around her and carried outside.

Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru as she bowed her head in shame. She didn't want him to think that she was weak but she couldn't stand on her own. She had no idea what was going on as she concentrated on her Reiyouku. She leaned her head on his shoulder as she closed her eyes. His scent calmed her as she let her healing powers go over her body to heal anything that might need to be healed. She was glowing a light blue as Sesshoumaru was looking at her.

Sesshoumaru smiled as he rubbed his cheek on the top of her head while he continued to walk. Once he was outside the barrier to the cave, he found his father. Sango was with him along with half of the slayer village. By the looks of things, it looked like they stayed here last night and protected the cave. He has never known ningen to be so committed to duty before. He was impressed with this village as he walked over to his father.

Inutaisho sensed his son coming towards him as he turned to look at his son. He noticed right away that Kagome was glowing a light blue as he asked, "What happened to Kagome?"

Sesshoumaru, having placed his stoic mask back in place, answered in his monotone voice, "She was feeling weak. She couldn't take a step without falling so I picked her up and came outside. She is using her Reiyouku to heal her body."

At that moment everyone got a good look at Kagome. It was the first time that they had seen the descendent of Midoriko as the males gasped. She was beautiful as they were all looking at the girl in the youkais arms.

Sesshoumaru noticed this and he began to growl viciously, threatening all the males that were there to back off. The villagers moved back when they heard the growls as Inutaisho and looked at his son.

Inutaisho noticed what was going on as he growled at his son, warning him not to harm anyone in the village.

Sesshoumaru moved his tail over Kagome to cover her from the staring ningen. The sooner they left this village the sooner he will calm down. He hated being close to so many males.

Kagome was sensing something in the near distance. A very large youkai was heading for the village. She could tell that he was powerful as she struggled to get stronger. But there was something wrong. She was feeling weaker not stronger. She opened her eyes as she gently said, "Sesshoumaru, there is a very large youkai heading this way. It's a powerful one and the villagers will not be able to fight it off. Please, for me, protect Midoriko's village."

Sesshoumaru heard Kagome's request as he opened his senses full and found the youkai that his beloved had told him about. It was powerful and he knew that these ningen would never be able to defeat it. He turned to his father and said, "Father there is a very large youkai heading this way. It's powerful and these ningen will never be able to defeat it. Kagome has requested that we protect the village from harm."

Inutaisho upon hearing his son's word opened his senses and found the youkai that his son was talking about. He was correct this youkai was powerful and he knew that the slayers would not be able to take down with their weapons. He looked at Sesshoumaru and then at his little one.

He noticed that something was wrong with Kagome. She seemed to be growing weaker not stronger as he observed her. They didn't have much time before the youkai arrived at the village as he said, "Sesshoumaru, take Kagome back into the cave, she will be safe there until our return. I know that Midoriko will protect her and not let any harm come to her."

Sesshoumaru nodded his head in agreement as he turned and walked back into the cave. He carried Kagome back to the place where they had rested for the night as he placed her on the ground. He kissed her forehead before he stood and left her there to rest. All the while he was still getting this uneasy feeling that something was wrong with his intended mate.

He walked back outside the cave as he went to his father side. They left together to confront this youkai that wanted to destroy the slayer village, along with a good portion of the men from the village. They were determined to fight this threat to protect their home.

Sesshomaru and Inutaisho stopped at a clearing not too far away from the village, they felt the presence of the youkai they were seeking so they decided to confront him here. They were there for only a few minutes when the ningens joined them for the battle that was about to happen.

They only waited for a few more minutes, when the youkai came crashing through the forest. It was a giant Oni and a powerful one. It must have stood about 40 feet tall. It was bald with only one eye. Its lower fangs were protruding out of his mouth pointing upward. When he snarled you could see the rest of his teeth, as they looked green. His arms were long and he had only three fingers on each hand. He had long deadly claws that were sharp. He wore a cloth made from a large animal across the lower part of his body as he roared his challenge to the ones in the clearing.

Inutaisho, not being impressed with the youkai said, "What do you want here?"

The Oni just chuckled and said, "I want the Shikon, give me the Shikon and then I will leave."

Inutaisho huffed as he said, "We don't have the Shikon so you will leave this place and get off my lands. If I ever see you here again it will be your death."

The Oni answered with an attack as he sent a blast of his youki straight to the group in front of him. Inutaisho saw the attacked coming as he used his whip to intercept the attack. He diverted the attack to the side as he used his whip and slashed the youkai in front of him. His whip barely had any effect on the youkai as he said, "Sesshoumaru! We must combine our attacks if we are to beat this youkai."

Sesshoumaru understood as he moved in to attack. Sesshoumaru used own whip, saturating it with his poison, as he struck the youkai in front of them. His whip sliced right through the tough skin of the Oni, as the youkai howled in pain. The Oni turned his attention to the youkai that just joined the fight, as he lashed out with his claws.

Sesshoumaru saw the attack coming as he quickly moved out of the way. He extended his own claws as a green mist started to form at the tips of his fingers. He rushed in as he slashed with his poisoned claws, making four deep claw marks across the Oni's chest. Sesshoumaru's poison was going deeper into the youkai's blood as he howled in pain.

Inutaisho came in right after his son as he slashed with his own claws, making additional marks on the Oni's chest as the youkai lashed out wildly trying to get the attacking youkais.

The villagers up to this point have only been watching, staying out of harms way, they saw their opportunity to attack as they sent their various weapons toward the large Oni. Their weapons struck the various opened wounds that the youkai had as their weapons made them worse.

The Oni was greatly weakened because of the blood loss as he started to lose the fight. Sesshoumaru saw the Oni waver on his feet, when he saw his chance and took it. He used his poison whip as he beheaded the youkai and it fell dead on the ground.

Everyone was panting hard from the battle as they surveyed the damage done to the area. At least the village was still standing. Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru had to make sure they didn't use their more powerful attacks because they would have destroyed the village if they did. So they were reduced to fighting with their claws and whips in order to bring the Oni down and make sure the village survived.

Sesshoumaru was panting hard from that battle, as he stood straight up, looking for his father. At that moment he felt the mental touch from his intended as he heard, "Sesshoumaru, please help me." The voice was so weak that he was afraid that he might be losing her, as he turned and rushed towards Kagome.

Inutaisho seeing his son take off back to the village quickly followed behind him to see what was wrong. 'There is only one thing that can make him move this fast. Kagome must be in trouble and she has managed to break my spell in order to talk to Sesshoumaru.' Inutaisho thought as he picked up speed and rushed after his son.

---oOo---

Kagome was breathing hard. She was trying to get her energy back as she laid on the ground. She couldn't figure out why she was feeling this way. She should have recovered from her fight the previous day, but she hasn't. As a matter of fact she felt like she was weakening.

Kagome didn't know what was wrong as she said, "Midoriko please I need your help."

Midoriko had heard her Musume as she appeared at her side. She looked at her daughter and knew what was wrong with her. She has a curse that was placed on her. She cursed under her breath for not noticing this before. The attack that Kagome fought off yesterday from the kuro miko has left her cursed and it was making her weaker by the minute.

Kagome looked up to see Midoriko sitting there next to her as she asked, "Midoriko what is wrong with me? Why am I getting weaker rather than getting stronger?"

Midoriko quickly said, "Kagome you have a curse that is slowly draining your powers. If we don't stop this and soon, you will die."

Kagome closed her eyes as she concentrated on the curse that was surrounding her body. She knew how to break it but she didn't have the energy to do it. Kagome mentally called out to Sesshoumaru in hopes that he would hear her.

Within moments Kagome felt Sesshoumaru's presence right next to her. She opened her eyes to see the worried look on Sesshoumaru's features sitting next to her. She struggled to talk as she said, "Please help me break this curse, before it drains me of my powers."

Sesshoumaru hearing, what his intended said, closely looked at her. He saw the curse that was surrounding her body as it was draining her of her Reiyouku. He was about to pick her up when he heard his father say, "Sesshoumaru, you can't transfer your powers to her unless you're mated. I can transfer my powers to her because I have marked her as my pup. If she needs additional power then you can transfer it to me and I can then transfer it to her." Inutaisho said as he was kneeling down next to his pup. She was growing weaker by the minute, so they had to hurry.

Sesshoumaru understood what his father was saying as he was picking up Kagome in his arms. He observed as his father called forth his youki and surrounded his body, as he began to supply her with the energy that she needed. He placed his hand on her right ear where she had her mark, as a member of his clan, and started channeling his youki into her.

Kagome started to get stronger. Her energy was coming back slowly but it was not enough to break the curse. It seemed that the more she regained her strength, the more powerful the curse became to prevent her from recovering.

Inutaisho watched to see what was happening with his pup. He was sustaining her but she was not getting any stronger. He looked at his son as he said, "Sesshoumaru you must add your youki to make her stronger. I am sustaining her but she does not have the strength needed to destroy this curse."

Sesshoumaru understood as he moved closer to his father. He put his hand on top of his father's hand as he concentrated on his youki and gave it to his father.

Inutaisho eyes opened wide at the amount of power that his son was transferring to him. He looked over and saw this son's aura glowing almost a pale yellow. It was powerful as he quickly channeled the power given to him into Kagome, so she could recover quickly and break the curse she was under.

Kagome started getting stronger. She felt the surge of power that went through her body as she concentrated on what she had to do. She gathered the curse and encased it in a golden spear, once she had it all she lifted it out of her body as it hovered above them all.

Sesshoumaru saw what Kagome has done, he was surprised at the level of power that she has in order to seal a curse in the golden ball of light that he saw floating over them. His anger grew at the thought that someone had done this to her as his claws grew longer. Poison started to seep from his claws as he lashed out and destroyed the curse.

Once he was done he quickly looked down at Kagome and saw her regaining her strength back. He stopped supplying her with his youki as he pulled his hand away from his father.

Inutaisho also saw that Kagome was regaining her strength as he pulled his hand away from her ear and waited for her to wake up.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes and let them get focused. When they finally came into focus she saw her Otou-san sitting next to her. She was confused because she thought that Sesshoumaru was the one sitting next to her as she turned her head to the side and then noticed Sesshoumaru.

The expression on his face mirrored that of her Otou-san, they were both concerned about her as she let out a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes as she said, "The curse is gone. Thank you both for helping me."

Inutaisho looked at his pup as he asked, "Kagome, how do you feel?"

Kagome turned to her Otou-san and said, "I feel very tired."

"Sleep my little one, sleep while we travel home." Inutaisho said as he cradled her against his chest and purred to lull her to sleep.

Kagome felt safe once again, she turned and cuddled closer into Inutaisho's chest. Her hand came up as it grabbed on to his haori, never wanting to let go. She finally fell asleep in his arms, content for the first time in two days. Inutaisho then rose to his feet as his son followed suit.

Sesshoumaru saw as his father pulled Kagome closer to his chest and wrapped his tail around her to keep her secure to him. A low growl escaped his chest at the jealousy he was feeling that his father could hold her but he could not. He wanted so badly to hold her and never let her go. Soon though, very soon, the other lords will gather and he will have his chance to dominate her. He had to win the right first and he was ready to meet it head on.

They both walked out of the cave as they saw the slayers of the village standing there, waiting for them to come back out.

Sango was waiting patiently for Lord Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru to come out with Kagome. She knew that something must have been wrong with Kagome if they both rushed back here to be with her.

She saw them coming out of the cave as she said, "Milord, is Kagome all right?"

Inutaisho turned his attention to Sango as he said, "Yes Sango she is fine now just tired." He then turned his attention to Hiro as he said, "Hiro, I must return to the Western Lands. I want to thank you for giving us a place to stay for the night."

Hiro bowed deeply as he said, "The pleasure was ours milord. Please come and visit again."

They all turned and started to walk away from Midoriko's cave. Once out of the influence of the spells and enchantments of the cave Inutaisho then said, "Sesshoumaru, Sango, grab hold and I will take us all back to the castle."

They both complied with his request as he encased them all in his golden orb. They left the slayer village, as the orb streaked across the sky heading back to the Western Lands.

---oOo---

This is the end to another chapter. I wanted to thank my beta, Advi, for her contribution to this chapter. She wrote the part about our little Kagome and the typhoon. When I had writers block we were discussing what I wanted in this chapter. I explained my idea but I just could not write it for the life of me. Advi came up with that little story for me and she gets all the credit for it. Thank you Advi, you are awesome!

This was yet another chapter of why Kagome acts the way she does. Now Sesshoumaru knows his true feelings for Kagome. Someone asked me to have someone else explain to Sesshoumaru about Kagome's feelings. They suggested that I let him over hear her desires in a mate. I had this already written and I thought that it was a better way of telling him. Sesshoumaru has finally come to terms with his feelings and he is going to be more open in his emotions with Kagome.

Congratulation Dark Darianna Minamino. You were the only one to see that Star Wars quote. Good eye. Did anyone else see it?

Kutelilochicky, asked how I came to write fanfics. I have always been a fan of Inuyasha. I found Fanfiction net and enjoyed reading all the stories that everyone came up with. I had a friend, who's name is Jinx. She was depressed one day and I wrote a story for her. I have many such stories but never thought they were any good. I write them to relax from a trying day.

I let her read my story and she blacked mailed me into posting my story for everyone to read. The first few I wrote were Inuyasha/Kagome pairing. Then I received a challenge to write a Sesshoumaru/Kagome pairing and I took it. That's how I came to write Sesshoumaru/Kagome stories.

In the next chapter we will see what Sesshoumaru's parents have been up to. They have a surprise for Sesshoumaru and they are hoping that he will accept their gift. Inutaisho actually gives Kagome some freedom to go out on her own. But while she was out with Sango she sees something that upsets her. Will this cause a riff between Kagome and Sesshoumaru? What did he do you ask? Well you have to read the next chapter to find out.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

They traveled quickly through the sky as they were making their way back to the Western Lands. Kagome was still asleep in the youkai lord's arms as they traveled.

Inutaisho was concerned for Kagome. She was whimpering and rubbing her face into his chest while she slept. Again, he marveled at how much she mimicked an Inu Youkai. It was normal for a pup to do this when they were weak or in pain as they were seeking comfort from the parent.

Inutaisho looked down and noticed that Kagome's energy was still low. He figured she expended more energy than she had to get rid of the curse. His aura flared slightly, channeling some of his energy into her body to strengthen her. He couldn't give her very much, because he was using the majority of his energy to take them back to the Western Lands.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and then felt the gentle flow of energy being given to him. He looked up from his little one to see that Sesshoumaru was providing him with the extra energy to give to Kagome.

Sesshoumaru noticed that something was wrong with Kagome. He saw how weak she was and the way she was acting with his father. He watched as his father flared his aura to strengthen his intended, but, he observed that what he gave her was not much.

Sesshoumaru figured that his father couldn't provide her with more energy because he was taking them back home and that is where his energy was being expended.

He gave a gentle squeeze on his father's shoulder, letting him know that he was going to help him as he gently channeled some of his youki to his father. It was not the flare of power like before, but a gentle flow from him to his father so he could give it to Kagome.

The process seemed to work as Kagome settled down and was resting comfortably in his father's arms.

Inutaisho continued to give Kagome the energy she needed until it was up to a level that she sustained. She was awake in his arms, fighting the sleep that her body wanted as she forced herself to stay awake.

He leaned down to her ear as he whispered his spell. Like all pups, she was fighting the sleep that would heal her and didn't want to rest. Putting her to sleep made it easy on everyone as she regained her energy.

The spell will be broken once she was strong enough to break it. All they had to do was make sure that she stayed in one place to be protected until she awakened.

After an hour and a half, they finally made it back to the castle. They were looking for Ayashiko to see how Inuyasha was doing. Inutaisho was worried about his youngest son since he was hurt during the attack on the castle. He knew that his mate would take care of him and protect him viciously until he was feeling better.

He has Kagome to thank for still having his son with him. On his way back to the castle, Sesshoumaru explained what happened out in the training field. Inutaisho's anger grew, knowing that a kuro miko was now after his pup. He has Jakyoku to thank for that, he was sure that she was the same kuro miko that he spoke to, that his spies informed him about.

He followed his nose until he found his mate in Inuyasha's room. She was sitting by his side as he walked into the room with Kagome still in his arms, while Sesshoumaru followed closely behind him.

Sango and Kirara decided to stay outside of the room, she felt out of place when the family was together.

Inutaisho looked at this mate with concern in his eyes, "How is he? Is he still hurt?"

Ayashiko picked up on the scent of her mate when he finally came back home. He has finally returned from wherever Kagome took off to. Once the battle was over the soldiers informed her that the lord and her son had taken off after Kagome. She had no idea where they went, but she knew that her mate would get her Musume back.

She looked up as she saw her mate enter their son's room and heard his question. She looked into his eyes and smiled, "He is fine. He is just resting for the moment. He woke up this morning and had something to eat, and then he laid back down to rest. I think he is still exhausted from everything that happened to him yesterday."

Ayashiko then turned her attention to her pup, concern clearing marring her features, "What's wrong with Kagome? Is she hurt?"

Inutaisho looked at the pup in his arms and then turned to his mate, "No, she is not hurt, there was a curse put on her and it took all of us to break it. It was powerful and if we couldn't break it, she would have died from it. Right now she is just tired and is resting."

Ayashiko became alarmed when she heard that her pup had been placed under a curse. She quickly got up from her son's side and went over to her pup. She looked at her and took in her scent to make sure that she was not affected by the curse. Other than Kagome just smelling like she was tired, her scent was the normal beautiful scent she always had.

Ayashiko reached up and gently stroked her Musume's cheeks as she slept. She smiled sweetly at her, "Koiishi you should put her to bed so she can rest properly. Then later we can discuss the presentation that is going to happen in the next couple of weeks."

Inutaisho looked at his mate and there was something in her eyes that was telling him, something was wrong. He sighed and then said, "Yes, you are right my mate. Let me put her in her room so she can rest, then we can talk."

Inutaisho turned and left Inuyasha's room, he went across the hallway, with Sango following closely behind him, and entered Kagome's room. He walked over to her bed while Sango quickly went over and pulled the sheets and blanket down so he could lay Kagome down.

Inutaisho leaned down to put Kagome on her bed but when he made to straighten up, he found that she still had a death grip on his haori. Sango help him to pry her fingers from his haori so he could leave. It took some time to open her fingers so she could let go of him but they finally succeeded. Once he saw that his little one was resting comfortably, he turned to Sango, "Sango can you stay with Kagome until she awakens?"

Sango bowed deeply to him stating, "It will be an honor milord."

Satisfied with Sango answer, he left the room as he went back to his mate to see why she was so upset.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru watched as his father left with his intended to put her in her room. He turned as he looked at his brother and walked over to his sleeping form. 

Ayashiko watched with curious eyes as she saw her elder son walk over to his brother. In all the years since she has given birth to Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru has never shown any interest towards his brother. She watched to see what he was going to do.

Sesshoumaru walked over to his brother and sat down next to him on his bed. He reached out with his hand and moved some of the hair that was covering his little brother's face.

He took a deep breath of his brother's scent trying to see if there was a curse on him as well. Sesshoumaru didn't smell anything that might make Inuyasha sick or the lingering aroma of a curse that might have been placed on him. His scent was normal, the only thing he noticed was that his energy level was low but other than that he looked and smelled fine. He was glad that the youkai did not hurt him in any way and that his intended healed any wounds he had.

He took his hand as he rubbed the back of his fingers against his brother's cheek and watched him start to stir.

Inuyasha felt someone rubbing his cheek as he started to wake up. He was confused on who it might be, because it didn't feel like his mothers touch. He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head toward the one that was caressing his cheek. He noticed that it was his brother who was sitting next to him.

He smiled a warm smile as he looked at his older brother, "Fluffy! You're back. Did you find Kagome? Is she all right?"

Sesshoumaru was irritated that his brother called him fluffy again, but when he heard his question, his anger left, "Yes, father and I found her, she is now home with us."

Inuyasha gave him a big smile as he said before he fell asleep again, "I knew you would find and protect her, because I can tell that you love her. Take care of her Sesshoumaru she is very special."

Sesshoumaru's eyes grew big when his brother called him by his proper name. He has never called him by his given name before. Then to hear his observations about his behavior got him irritated as he growled and stood on his feet. He didn't think that anyone knew of his plans, but it seemed that he was mistaken. If his brother could see it, then everyone else could.

Sesshoumaru turned to leave when he finally noticed that his mother was standing there in the room with them. His cheeks burned with embarrassment as he turned and looked away from his mother, as he made his silent retreat, leaving the room. He had to go and think for a while; if everyone knew of his plans then he was in for it. He wanted his intensions kept secret until the tournament, but it seemed that his family knew him all too well and now everyone knows of his intentions.

He walked out of the castle and headed towards the garden. He found his favorite tree as he sat down and closed his eyes. The tree was heavily saturated in Kagome's scent and he could finally relax, after what transpired in the past few days.

He thought about everything that happened, but most of all, he thought about what Midoriko told him. Her words were still ringing in his ears, as were the words from his inner beast. He knew now that his normal way of acting around other people will not be suitable behavior for Kagome. He has to be more open with her and show his emotions if he truly wanted a life bond with her.

He continued to think about what he had to do and his opponents for the girl's affection. He was sure that he was going to have a big fight on his hand. Yes there will be some minor lords present at the presentation, but the ones he has to keep his eyes on were Yuzuru and Sasagawa. They were the son's to the lord of the North and East. They were very powerful and were the only one's that could give him a run for his money. He will have to start training again because he needed to get stronger. He knew that his time was effectively running out.

---oOo---

Ayashiko had been watching the interactions between her sons. When she heard what her youngest said, she had to stifle a laugh. She never knew that her youngest son was that observant of his brother. It appeared that Inuyasha looked up to his older brother and wanted very much to be like him.

She heard Sesshoumaru's growl as he stood and then turned to find her still in the room. The look on his face was priceless as he blushed a deep red, side stepped her, and left the room. She couldn't help the smile that came to her lips as she looked at her youngest son. Inuyasha has a way of making everyone see their inner most desires.

She heard a noise behind her. She turned and looked up to see her mate standing in the doorway, waiting for her. She walked over to Inuyasha and kissed him on the forehead as she left the room following her mate down to his study. There were things that they needed to discuss.

Once they were in the study Inutaisho turned to his mate, "What's wrong? Did something happen while I was gone?"

Ayashiko went and sat down on a pillow as she took a deep breath and started to relay what transpired, "When you went after Kagome a messenger came here with a message from the spies who are located by Jakyoku. They say that he is getting ready for an all out attack against us and that he is coming after Kagome. He has only revealed a small portion of what his plans are going to be and they have outlined his forces for you in that scroll."

Inutaisho looked down and saw a scroll sitting on his desk; he reached for it and then unrolled it to see what it had to say. The letter was a detail explanation of everything that was going to happen, but they have no way of telling him when they will be attacking.

He looked up at his mate, you could clearly see the frustration in his eyes, "It looks like they will be attacking with a large force. Akira has detailed the size of the armies and its capabilities but he does not know when they are going to attack. We have to make preparations before they get here. I want to make sure that we are able to protect Kagome and Sesshoumaru."

Ayashiko agreed with his evaluation of the situation, "With the pending attack I have decided to push the formal introduction for Kagome to 10 days from now. Everyone has already been notified of the date change and I have already received word that they will be attending. I still have to tell Kagome and I'm afraid she is going to be upset that the introduction is going to be sooner than what she anticipated."

Inutaisho had to agree with his mate, Kagome will be upset but there was nothing that they could do right now. He needed to get her mated as soon as possible. "We have to make sure that the place we have selected for Sesshoumaru is ready. I want to show him the location of it before the tournament so he can go there once he dominates Kagome. I will have to set up the protection barriers and concealment spells around the area."

"The place is already finished. Once I decided to move the ceremony up, I had the workers hurry and finish the area." Ayashiko said with a smile on her face. She couldn't help but smile when she saw her mate expression.

Inutaisho was again amazed at his mate. He knew that she could plan anything but this was amazing. She has managed to change the date of the presentation, inform everyone that needed to know, got confirmation back that they will attend on the new date, and now Sesshoumaru's retreat has been completed. He walked over to his mate as he held her in his arms, nuzzling her on her neck, "You never cease to amaze this Inutaisho." He gave her a gentle lick on the neck before releasing her.

He held his hand out to her as she took it and they both walked out of the study together. They looked like a young couple in love as he tucked her against his side and held her around her waist. She was the love of his life and he didn't know what he would do without her.

They both left the castle as they walked deeper into the forest. They were heading towards the backside of the castle as they continued going through the forest. They stopped when they got to a barrier. Inutaisho chanted a spell that will let them enter the sanctuary.

When they stepped through the barrier, he was amazed at what he saw. There was a very large house sitting there in the middle of the forest. There were several buildings on both sides of the main structure that were linked together by raised walkways to form this structure.

In the front of the house, there was a beautiful garden with every type of flower imaginable planted there, perfectly arranged and trimmed to give it a pristine look. Sakura trees surrounded the house on the sides and back. You could see how the sun was shinning down on the house as it gently caressed it with its warmth.

He noticed the servants rushing around trying to get everything in order before the presentation. As they walked up to the house, the servants greeted them, as they continued with their duties.

The first part of the house they went through was a small but formal sitting room. It contained some overstuffed pillows, which were placed around the room to make it more formal if they were to entertain in the house. Smaller pillows were also strategically placed around the larger ones to give it an elegant look.

There were tables with vases on them that depicted the long gone ruling lords of the west in the various colors of reds, blues, and white. There was a rather large deep blue rug with golden sakura blossoms in it, sitting in front of the fireplace. Many overstuffed pillows, of various colors like blue and gold, were set in the middle of the rug so you could sit and relax, while the fire kept you warm.

Scented oil lamps were set all around the room, when the night approached you could light them for a more romantic feeling to the room. Ayashiko made sure that the scent would be pleasing to their son as she ordered the scent of roses infused into the oil. She knew that Kagome would find it pleasing as well.

The room itself was painted in rich earth tone colors of beige and white. It was beautiful to look at and there was a peaceful feeling to it. They continued walking to the next room as they entered the formal dining room. It was not as big as the main castle but it was still just as elegant. It contained a low table made of dark cherry wood with big red cushions to sit upon while you dined. It was set for two people and not more than that.

They left that room as they found the bedchambers. The room was huge. The walls were painted in a light blue. The futon was covered in a large royal blue comforter, and there was a crescent moon right in the middle of the comforter along with sakura blossoms made of gold.

The curtains hanging around the bed were a darker blue with birds in flight running across the bottom of the material. There were many pillows that were placed on the bed in gold, blue, black, and white. You could see just one or two pillows that were red to give it just enough color.

There were two wardrobes made of dark cherry wood. On the sides of the wardrobes there were two Inu Youkais carved in their true forms, each one represented a distant Lord of the past for the west.

On Sesshoumaru's wardrobe there was a two tailed Inu that was carved into his doors. They represented his Hiijiji. Inutaisho was positive that his son would accept the power of his line in order to protect his mate and to dominate her.

He knew that Kagome was going to be difficult because of the era she was raised in. From what she has told him, women in that era were treated like equals, to a male. This surprised him, but, he felt that females deserved the honor of being treated as equals. His mate was one of the few female youkai to hold his respect. Ayashiko gave him the respect he deserved as the alpha of his pack, but he always welcomed her council when she has concerns.

The wardrobes have already been filled with Sesshoumaru and Kagome's clothes. His mate thought of everything that they would need.

He turned as he looked around the room and something near the bed caught his eye. He walked over to it as his eyes opened wide when he saw the chains and shackles attached to the wall. He could tell that the chains have been enchanted as he turned to his mate, "Ayashiko, why are these shackles here?"

Ayashiko turned away from the servant she was speaking to as she looked at her mate. When she saw what he was talking about she smiled, "My how easy you forget my mate. Do you remember the first time I went into heat?"

Inutaisho stood there for a moment as he thought back to the first time his mate went into heat. His eyes opened wide when he remembered how she got before he took her. He had to use shackles similar to these, as he turned his attention back to his mate and smiled, "So you think that Kagome will go into heat while they are together?"

"I don't think Koiishi, I know she will go into heat while she is here. Kagome is fighting her body right now, trying to prevent what is coming. But the question is how long can she fight it?" Ayashiko stated as she eyed her mate.

Inutaisho didn't know how bad Kagome's heat really was and she was trying to tell him that it will kill her if she didn't get a mate and soon.

Inutaisho now understood the gravity of the situation. The only thing that he hoped for was, that his son would be the one that will dominate her in the end and not someone else. If it was another male, he had no doubt that his little one would fight and win the match. He knew that Kagome held some feelings for his son and would be a little more submissive with him, well at least he hoped so.

They walked towards the door that was sitting to the right of the wardrobe as he entered the indoor hot springs. The color of the room was in different shades of green. There was a wash area off to the left of the room with a long white bench. Sitting next to the bench was a large tub that held warm water in order to wash before entering the spring.

There were many small white pots sitting on the shelf that was next to the tub. These contained all manner of soaps for the hair and body. There were lotions there too that will keep your skin from getting too dry and make it feel like rose petals.

He continued to walk into the room as he stepped over to the hot springs. There were plants three quarters of the way around the spring. These plants thrived in the warm air that was created by the spring. Smooth stones were placed around the spring and if you looked into the crystal clear water, you will see the submerged rocks that you could sit upon and just relax in the water.

Ayashiko joined her mate as they continued to walk out of the bathing chambers. They headed for a door that was located at the rear of the chamber as they stepped outside. There was another garden in the back but this one has a waterfall as the centerpiece for the garden. You could hear the gentle splashing of the water as it fell from the top of the cliff, to rest in the spring down below.

Roses were the focal point to this garden and when you walked among them you would relax with the wonderful scents they created. Inutaisho found a perfect red rose as he cut it from the bush. He smelled its sweet fragrance and then took off the thorns by using his claws. He turned as he placed it in his mate's hair, hooking it on her right ear as he looked at her beauty. She was still the gorgeous youkai he mated over 500 years ago. Her beauty was unmatched in all the land and she was his.

He turned from the picture of his perfect mate as he concentrated on the area. He chanted his spells and incantations as he placed barriers all around the area. His spells included a concealment spell to make sure no one found this place. He wanted his pups safe from everyone and he knew he had to make it as private as possible for his son or he would go away with Kagome and will not returned until she submitted completely to him.

He has no idea how long it will take them to mate because each mating was different. It depended on how strong the female was and whether she was willing to submit. He didn't think that his son would force Kagome into a mating because he wanted a true-life bond with his soul mate.

He has to make sure that he tells his son what to expect from Kagome. If he didn't, he will be caught off guard. A female that has been freshly marked and not mated yet, will run into problems with other males if she escaped from her mate to be.

Males tend to seek out couples that are in the process of mating. The female is dazed and is confused on what she wants. If another male steps in they could mate and mark her before her selected mate finds them, thus ruining the union between them.

He was only giving his son female servants to take care of the house, that way he will not be threatened. He knew that they didn't need very many and he has just the right ones for the job. A few of the servants from the kitchen requested to serve here if Sesshoumaru and Kagome stayed at the house.

Once he was done with his spells his mate cast her own spells around the area. Satisfied that everything was set correctly they both walked away knowing that they have a safe haven for his son and his little one to go to once the courting commenced. Now for the hard part, to tell Kagome and Sesshoumaru that the presentation has been moved up to ten days from now.

---oOo---

In the northern mountain range there was an Inu Youkai that was in a fit of rage as he destroyed parts of the countryside. He was in his true form and was currently destroying the valley he was in. Nothing was safe from his wrath because he has gone into a blood rage.

The giant black Inu ran wildly through the area, killing anything that got in his way. Though he was huge, he was still not as big as Inutaisho in his true form. Youkai and ningens alike were killed because of his rage as he continued destroying the area. The ningens could not put up a defense against the youkai as they were slaughtered. The youkais in the area challenged him before he quickly took them down with just a swipe of his claws.

The generals from Jakyoku's army stood out of harms way as they watched their lord destroy the valley. He has been in a fit of rage since his spies came back and reported that the kuro miko has gone after his intended mate.

They all breathed easier when they were told that the miko was still alive and that she almost dealt a killing blow to the kuro miko. It took a couple of days for their lord to finally get over his rage. He returned back into his ningen form as he stared at his generals.

He took a deep breath as he calmed down. He needed to keep his head together but he was going to make sure that the kuro miko, Akurei, met with her demise. He looked at his generals, eyes still red with rage, "I want our best assassins to go after the kuro miko and kill her. No one breaks a deal with me to go and kill what is mine. Then gather our soldiers and train them hard, we are going to be moving to take the Western Lands. It will be a full out attack and I want the miko captured alive am I understood!"

All of the generals gave their acknowledgement of his orders as they left their lord alone. No one wanted to be killed because he was still very angry at that infernal kuro miko who went after his miko.

Jakyoku stood outside the cave where his clan was located as he looked up at the setting sun. His eyes was still red with rage, 'You have made your last mistake, Akurei. I will find and kill you for going after what is mine. The miko didn't kill you but has left you weak and easy prey for my men. They will enjoy tearing your body apart for your transgression.'

A small smile formed on his lips as he looked up at the sky. 'The miko has proven to be a worthy mate. She is powerful in her own right and I will enjoy breaking her to my will. She will learn her place among my clan and will stay forever by my side. We will rule this land together and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Prepare yourself Inutaisho, your days as ruler of the west is coming to an end.' With that an evil laughter escaped his lips as you could hear him laughing at his evil thoughts.

---oOo---

Akurei appeared in the middle of a forest. She was weak and she was hurt from fighting that damn miko. The girl proved to be stronger than she thought and it cost her plenty.

Her once black as night hair was now grey in color. Her smooth white porcelain skin was now wrinkled and weathered. She looked like she was in the last stages of her life. She was having a hard time keeping the youkais locked within her body. They were another source of her strength and power, but one that she kept secret.

She stood on shaky legs as she made her way into the forest. She needed to find other miko's so she could get her powers back, and once she did, she was going after that girl again. She was not about to let her prey get away from her. She needed that miko's blood in the worst ways. She was the answer to all her problems and she was going to have her blood as her own.

Akurei was lucky, she landed near a village, which has a strong miko that was its protector. She formed a plan in her mind as she sent out a horde of youkais to attack the peaceful village. When the miko came to fight the youkais, she will be waiting for her.

She watched from the shadows of the forest as the miko battled the youkais she released. When the battle was finally over, she stepped out of the shadows and confronted the miko that was now on her knees.

---oOo---

Suki was in the village tending to the sick when the alarm was given that youkais were attacking. She grabbed her bow and two quivers of arrows as she headed toward the forest to confront the youkais. Usually, she has no problems getting the youkais to leave the village alone, but this time, she had a bad feeling that these youkais will not listen to reason.

Suki pulled an arrow from her quiver as she brought her bow forward and notched in place. "Stop right there, what do you want with this village?" Suki yelled, as she got ready to shoot her arrow.

Suki saw as the youkais continued to run toward the village as she let her arrow fly. It killed about five youkais as she continued to fire her arrows in order to protect the village.

By the time Suki was done killing all of the youkais, she was exhausted. She fell to her knees breathing hard. Then that's when she felt it. There was a kuro miko in the area and she cursed under her breath for not detecting her earlier. She would not have left herself so weak if she knew about her.

Suki struggled to stand, but found that her legs were weak from the battle, as she eyed the kuro miko coming out of the forest. She looked into her dark eyes, and she didn't like what she saw, "What do you want here? Leave this place before you meet your death."

Akurei laughed an evil laughter as she looked at the miko that was on the ground. Akurei knew that the miko was weak but that didn't matter to her. What mattered was that she was strong for a miko and that her potion was going to work well with this one's blood. Akurei held her head high, "Miko, I could care less about what you say. I come here for one purpose only and that is to get your blood."

Suki opened her eyes wide at her comment. 'This woman is mad! She wants my blood? What could she possibly do with my blood?' Suki didn't have time to ponder this as the kuro miko attacked her.

Akurei sent a ball of dark energy toward her target. The miko didn't have time to react as she was hit by the dark energy. That ball of energy took all of her remaining strength as she collapsed on the ground. Her breathing slowed almost to a stop as she looked at the one that attacked her. Suki was trying hard to fight against death, but in the end, she could not and succumbed to her fate.

Akurei walked up to her victim as she pulled out a small jar from within the folds of her kimono. The jar has a dark green liquid inside as she took the miko's hand and then cut her wrist. She allowed the blood to flow into the jar as it mixed with her potion. Once it was mixed, she drank it all in one gulp.

Akurei immediately felt rejuvenated as her hair started to turn back to its original color. Her skin became young again, as she took a deep breathe with her rejuvenated lungs. She chanted a spell as she pulled the Reiyouku from the miko's body and it entered her own. Now she has her powers back and she felt stronger than before. This miko was truly powerful and she felt young again.

She pulled out a couple of jars from her robes and then put the miko's blood in them. She needed the extra blood to seal the Reiyouku inside her body or else she would lose the new power that she gained. When she was done, Akurei left the area, leaving the pathetic ningen village to mourn the death of their miko. She had the miko's blood and that's all that mattered to her.

Akurei was traveling back to her forest. She wanted to get the potion ready that will make her an immortal. The last ingredient that she will need, was the miko's blood and then she will have everything that she ever wanted, beauty and immortality.

---oOo---

To say that Kagome was upset was an understatement. The news that her presentation was going to be in less than 10 days was disturbing. But what really got her upset was that she was told that the battle to dominate her would be a hand-to-hand combat. She was not allowed to use her weapons during the challenge. The fight was to prove to her that the male in question was strong enough on his own to protect her without any special weapons.

Kagome now knew that she has to train even harder in order to win this battle. Hand to hand combat was her weakest subject. Though she knew how to fight, it was nothing like the way these youkais fought on a daily basis.

Kagome was told that she would be able to use her own powers because it was a part of who she was. She will have to learn how to fight with just her hands and use her powers without having something to channel it through. This will proved to be very challenging because she has always practiced with weapons.

Kagome would get up early in the morning and Sango always meet her at her door when she emerged from her room. They would go down together and grab something light to eat before they went out to train. Kagome knew better than to go without eating, Katsuki would find her and then proceed to scold her like a young child.

So in order to pacify the cook they would go down and eat before heading out to train. They would spend the whole day training, only stopping to get something to eat before they continued.

One morning before Kagome and Sango got down to the training field they spotted Lord Inutaisho's soldiers training in the near distance. Curious at what they were doing they both walked over to the training area to watch their training. They were fighting hand to hand and what Kagome saw, was impressive. She was thinking about asking the general if he would teach her how to fight like them.

Having made up her mind on what she wanted to do, Kagome started to walk down the hill she was standing on. Sango noticed Kagome moving away and grabbed her by the arm, stopping her from going any further, "Kagome what do you think you're doing? You can't go down there with all those males. Do you remember the last time you were near that many males?"

Kagome thought back to when the soldiers of the castle attacked her. It was during the start of her heat and she nearly wiped out the garrison. The only reason that she didn't kill them all was that she collapsed and was being protected until they all left the area.

She looked into Sango's eyes, seeing the concern in them, as she sighed, "I know Sango but I'm not in heat at the moment and it should be easier on them to control their urges. I want to see if the general will teach me their fighting techniques before the presentation. This is my weakest area and I need to train harder. I know you are a strong fighter but you are no where near as strong as a youkai and I need the practice."

Sango released her arm because she did have a point. She wasn't anywhere near as strong as a youkai and she did need the training. They both walked down to the training area and when the soldiers caught their scents, they moved away from Kagome, as they let her approach the center of the circle.

When the girls finally got to the middle of the circle, Kagome noticed that all eyes were on her. She stood her ground as the fighting stopped and the general came towards her. The general was a golden Inu Youkai. You could tell that he has many years under his belt in serving the lord of the lands.

He was very tall but not as tall as Sesshoumaru. He had his almost blonde hair up in a high ponytail on top of his head. His hair was a very light brown in color and it looked very silky if you were to touch it. He had a scar on his right cheek that went from his ear to almost to his jaw line. He was strong and very powerful. His aura radiated heat but it was not as dark as the youkai lord. He wore a dark blue hakama and haori with a slightly lighter juban underneath. He had black boots and carried a sword by his side.

When Dewa turned he saw the lords pup coming his way. He didn't know what was going on or why she was even near this training field. All he knew was that he needed to get her away from this field. He quickly approached her as he kneeled and asked, "Milady, it is not safe for you to be here. Please leave the area at once."

Kagome sighed as she said, "Please rise. I wanted to ask you for a favor General Dewa."

This comment caught him by surprise as he stood and looked into her eyes. There was something there but he couldn't put his finger on it, "What is the favor that you seek milady."

"I would like to learn your ways of hand to hand combat. Though I know how to defend myself in a fight, I want to learn your ways as well. Would you be willing to teach me?" Kagome said in the most calming voice she had. She could tell that they were all afraid of what will happen to them if they were caught with her in the field.

Dewa was shocked by her request, "But milady, your moves are far more effective than ours. Why do you want to learn our way of fighting?"

Kagome sighed, frustration was clearly seen on her features as she explained, "You know that the presentation is in a week's time. I need to get stronger if I am to meet the challenge of a suitable male. I will not be easily taken down."

Dewa chuckled at her determination to learn as he thought about what to do. He finally got an idea, "Very well milady, I will train you in our ways of battle but in return I would like to learn this type of fighting that you do. I think we will both benefit from it."

Kagome smiled as she agreed to his request. She turned and left the area when Dewa told her that he will meet her at her training field in about two hours time. Kagome was looking forward to the new training she was going to be receiving from the general.

True to his word, Dewa went over to the young pups training field. He observed as his lords pup was training with her guard. She was fast and a powerful fighter. She was not using her Reiyouku when she was fighting. He thought this was strange as he approached her.

Sango and Kagome have been going at it for the past two hours. Sango was getting tired but Kagome still had plenty of energy to burn. When Kagome sensed that the general was near, she stopped attacking Sango. Sango fell to the ground exhausted and thanked Kami that someone else has arrived to spar with Kagome. Kagome has a lot of endurance and she needed to work off some of her frustrations.

Dewa bowed low to Kagome, "Milady, why did you not use your Reiyouku when you were fighting against the slayer? It would make you more powerful if you did."

Kagome considered his words carefully before she answered, "The reason I didn't use my Reiyouku is because I want my body to get stronger. If I keep on using my Reiyouku when I fight, when I really need it, I will not be able to use it. This way my body trains itself to be stronger and I know that I still have enough strength to use my Reiyouku if I have to."

Dewa was very impressed with her line of thought. It was a good strategy as she was calculating her next move. He turned back to her, "Well what I'm going to be teaching you is our way of fighting hand to hand. You will need your Reiyouku to defend yourself. My youki will come out during this practice and I want to make sure that I don't hurt you in any way."

Kagome smiled at him for his concern, "Don't worry general, I think that I can protect myself against you."

Dewa raised an eyebrow at her statement, "Do you now. Lets see what you have milady."

Kagome raised an eyebrow of her own at the youkai standing in front of her, "Before we get started I want you to call me Kagome. I don't like the honorifics and it makes me feel uncomfortable."

Dewa agreed to her request as they both got into a fighting stance. Dewa attacked as he went after her. He threw his fist straight into her face as Kagome grabbed his wrist, twisted around, and threw him over her shoulder. He landed about five feet away from her on his back, breathing hard.

He quickly stood as he went after her again. This time he avoided letting her grab his wrist as he swept low and went for her legs. Kagome caught on to what he was doing as she leaped into the air and landed right behind him. She kicked him from behind as he went down again. That was twice now that she managed to kick him to the ground but he has not found anything that she could not counter.

They went on like this for hours until Dewa had a full evaluation of her skills in fighting hand to hand. Once he had this, then he was ready to teach her what she needed to know.

In the last set of attacks, Kagome had to use her Reiyouku to defend herself as her hands started to glow. She put her palms up to prevent his attacks from landing on her and use her strength and power to attack him. She didn't purify him, she used her powers in a way that didn't hurt her opponent, but didn't let her seem weak at the same time.

They finally called a halt to their training as both opponents were breathing hard. For once, Kagome was tired when she finished her training. She looked up at the general and she smiled, "Thank you General Dewa, I had a really good work out today."

Dewa stood straight as he looked at her, "Yes Kagome, I also had a wonderful workout. But now that I know where your weaknesses are, I can start training you tomorrow, so be prepared."

Kagome's eyes grew big when he said that. He was testing her abilities, on her fighting skills? Now she was worried, was she that bad that he wouldn't tell her how she did. They parted company as Kagome and Sango went to get cleaned up before dinner.

---oOo---

Off in the near distance, a pair of golden eyes was watching what Kagome was doing. He was keeping an eye on her training to make sure that no one hurt her. He was angered when he arrived to see her fighting with his general, but as he watched, his anger slowly started going away.

His little one was proving to be a handful for his general as he saw time after time when he hit the ground while she bested him in the dual. What amazed him the most was that she relied on her strength, not her Reiyouku to fight against an enemy. She was training her body and also her mind.

He decided to let the training go and let Dewa teach her. But she was not going to get out of her training with him. He will teach her how to counter a possession spell to make sure that she was never controlled again. He will have to make sure that she makes time for his training and then train for her hand to hand.

He leaped from the tree he was standing on as he went back to the castle. He was keeping an eye on Sesshoumaru as well. Sesshoumaru was not happy at all when he told him that the presentation was moved up and now he has less than a week to train.

He still needed to have a talk with son because he wanted his son to be prepared for Kagome. His son did not know anything about females, and Kagome will be difficult to dominate.

He had a few ideas on how he could accomplish this since he had to use something similar to this to make his mate submit to him. She was stubborn and very powerful, she always fought him every chance she got. But then he found a way to make her bend to his will and she submitted. Once she did they were mated. He only hoped that his son would take his advice when it came to Kagome.

---oOo---

Kagome was quiet on their way back to the castle. She was thinking about the training she had today with the General. She was wondering what kind of training he would teach her to make her a better fighter. Her only hope was that he could at least improve on what she knew already.

She knew one thing though, she could not let him pin her to the ground. If he ever got her pinned to the ground she will not be able to get out of his hold. That was something that she will have to ask him about, she wanted to see if he would help her break a hold like that.

Dinner was a quiet affair as no one spoke. Kagome never looked at Sesshoumaru as she was thinking about the presentation that was going to be coming soon. She has to be prepared to meet any challenges and she was determined to win against the male that won the right to dominate her. She was not going to bend to any male's will.

She sensed that Sesshoumaru was tired. She looked up during dinner and peeked at him through her bangs. He looked tired and he was sporting a small scar on the left side of his cheek. She couldn't understand why he was training so hard. 'He couldn't be entering the tournament to win the right to court me could he? Naaa, he doesn't even like me to begin with so why does he want to court me? As a matter of fact he hates me so there is no way that he could even be interested in me.'

This train of thought upset her as she excused herself from the table and went up to her room. She quickly closed the door behind her as the tears started to flow down her cheek. She looked at the half moon that was visible in the sky as she quietly said, "Will I ever find someone that will love me for who I am. Not for the powers that I possess or for the fact that I could bare them a strong child, but for the love that I can give someone. Am I that ugly that I can't find a mate on my own?"

"I want a male that can hold me when I'm sad, comfort me when I'm lonely, care for me when I'm sick, and love the children that I will give him. I don't want a male that will not show their love for me. I want to feel loved and cherished, something that I have never felt before. I don't think that I will live that long if a male was not caring."

"I still don't understand why I must go through this. I just want to leave this place and the only way to leave is to defeat whatever male decides to subdue me. Life is just not fair."

Unknown to Kagome, there was someone listening to what she was saying just outside her door. Sesshoumaru stood there listening to everything. He noticed the sadness that she held and the start of her tears that were about to fall. He excused himself from the table as he followed to make sure that she would be all right.

When he heard her words, his heart went out to her. 'I will be the one to show her that I will accept her for who she is. I will show her the love that she is longing for. I will comfort her when she is sad and hold her in my arms to keep her safe. No one will take her from me for she will be mine for all eternity. Tomorrow, I have to go and get her final gift from the village. Then I will have everything I need to begin courting her. I can only hope that she likes the gifts I have acquired for her.'

Sesshoumaru turned as he walked into his room. His room has finally been repaired from when he broke out of it, when Kagome was in danger. He hated being down the hallway, away from Kagome. This way he was closer and he could protect her. Soon she will be with him and she will never leave his side. This idea intrigued him as he smiled one of his most rare smiles before he entered his room.

He was tired today. He has been practicing all day getting ready for the tournament. He was not about to be defeated. Kagome was his and he would fight to the bitter end to have her.

He went to sleep that night thinking about his angel and that soon they will be together. He could finally tell her how he really feels about her. His breast growled at the thought of having his mate. He was being patient, but he will not wait much longer to have her with him. He wanted her and he made sure to let Sesshoumaru know that he was still very much interested in her.

Sesshoumaru finally laid down as he quickly fell asleep after a long hard day.

---oOo---

Kagome continued to train with the general. He was showing her different moves that she could use with what she already knew. He was making her stronger as the days went by and she was thankful for his help.

She in turn showed him some of her moves and how to perform them. He was a quick study and modified the moves for his purpose. She got him to show her how to get out of a choking pin from the ground so at least she knew how to get free if she was caught off guard.

Kagome's training with the youkai lord was rough. He was ruthless in teaching her how to block mind controlling spells and incantations. By the time she was done at the end of the day she was drained and would fall into an exhausted sleep.

The following morning, once her training was done with the youkai lord, Kagome approached him as she asked in a nervous voice, "Otou-san, I would like your permission to go into your study to read the books in there."

Inutaisho was surprised to hear this request as he turned to her, "Why do you want to read those books? They are mostly duplicates of the one's in the main library."

Kagome looked at her feet as she shuffled them from side to side, "I noticed that you have some books that I have never read before. I still seek knowledge from this era and wish to learn as much as I can."

Inutaisho thought about her request as he finally said, "I'm sorry Kagome but those books in my study are not for you to read. They are my personnel books and there are things in there that I don't want you to learn." He saw the disappointed look in her eyes as she bowed to him, "Thank you anyway. I just thought that I ask."

Kagome started to turn away from her youbu as she heard him say, "Kagome, tell you what, I will give you permission to go to the nearest village to buy any books you want. There is a festival going on in the village, they have some traveling vendors that might have some new books that you might want. But you must take some guards with you and you are only to go to the nearest village. If I even sense that you are going beyond the limits I have set for you I will come after you and your punishment will be more severe than the last time. Am I understood?"

Kagome was so happy that she just jumped and hugged her youbu, "Oh yes! I will only go to the nearest village. I will take Sango and Kirara with me. May I have your permission to take Ah-Un with me as well? They have been locked up since our return and I know they would like to stretch their legs."

Inutaisho laughed as he gave her his permission. Kagome quickly turned to leave, she was going to find Sango before he had a change of heart. But before she could take two steps away from him she heard him say, "Kagome, aren't you forgetting something?"

Kagome stopped as she turned to her youbu, her eyebrows knitted together in thought, "What did I forget?" Inutaisho reached into his haori and pulled out a small pouch that contained coins and gave it to her, "You need money to buy things." She smiled as she took the pouch, then turned and raced back to the castle to find Sango so they could go to the village.

Inutaisho knew that she would be safe with Sango but he wanted to make sure that she had back up in case she was attacked. He pulled a soldier off to the side as he told him to take a couple of soldiers with him and follow her to make sure she stayed safe.

It has been a long time since he has seen her truly happy and it felt good to see her this way. He would have to make a conscious effort to let her out more often. Her being happy was the most important thing to him at the moment.

---oOo---

Kagome raced into the castle as she went up to Sango's room. She quickly knocked on the door as her friend opened it. She smiled and said in an excited voice, "Sango! Lord Inutaisho gave me permission to go to the nearest village and see the festival that is there. He gave me money so I can buy some books and anything else I want."

Sango couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Are you sure he gave you permission Kagome? Remember what happened the last time we went out. We got punished for leaving the castle grounds."

Kagome looked at her friend as she raised the pouch in her hand and jiggled it right in front of Sango's face, "Yes he gave me permission to go and take you, Kirara, and Ah-Un with me. Give me a few minutes to get changed and then we can go. We can't go beyond the village but at least he is letting me out to explore the nearest village."

Sango has never seen Kagome so happy before. She could tell that she was telling the truth so she agreed to wait until she washed and changed.

It didn't take Kagome that long to get cleaned up and change her clothes. When she walked out of her room she was wearing a red kimono that had a dragon going down the right leg. The kimono had two slits one on each side of her leg to allow her ease of moment. She wore a white juban and red hakama that were closely cut. They were almost form fitting but they were loose enough to fight in if she had to. She carried her weapons with her as they both left the castle to go to the village.

Kagome was riding on Ah-Un and Sango was on Kirara as they left the safety of the castle to go shopping. The girls felt giddy for the first time in a long while as they traveled to the nearest village. It wasn't that far as they landed near the village. Kagome told Ah-Un to stay in the forest until she called for them. They were happy to obey because they were at least out of that stuffy stable for a while.

The girls had fun, as they looked at all the stuff that the merchants were selling. Kagome found all the books she could ever want in one of the vendor's stalls. It was a good thing that she put saddlebags on Ah-Un or they would never be able to carry all the stuff she brought.

They continued to walk around when Kagome spotted something silver in the near distance. Wondering what it could be, she made her way over to the place she had seen the silver. What she saw, shocked her as she felt her heart give a lurch.

There standing in front of her was Sesshoumaru with another female Inu. She was attached to his arm and was dragging him into this place that she didn't recognize. When he disappeared into the house, she turned to Sango and asked, "Sango, what is that place over there?"

Sango did not see what Kagome just witnessed as she turned to look at the place that her friend was pointing to. When she saw what it was, a scowl came upon her face, "That's the local whorehouse. Every village has one."

Kagome's heart just dropped. She had just seen Sesshoumaru go into that place and now she knew what he was going to do. Tears started to form in her eyes as she felt the need to leave the area, "Sango lets go back. I'm starting to get tired."

Sango noticed the sadness in Kagome's eyes. She could tell that she was upset about something, "Kagome is anything wrong?"

Kagome shook her head no as she made her way back to Ah-Un. Once she was on the dragon they both took off heading back to the castle as the guards that were sent to protect them followed along on the ground.

When they finally got back to the castle she was greeted by Lord Inutaisho, "Well how was the shopping? Did you find some new books to read?"

Kagome tried to hold on to her tears but she was failing miserably, "Yes, I found everything that I wanted. Thank you for letting me go." She then turned and rushed back into the castle. She was leaving the scent of tears in the air as she went.

Inutaisho was upset. He thought that letting her go to the nearest village and giving her a little freedom would make her happy, but his pup came back crying and he was at a lost for words. He turned to Sango wanting some answers, "Sango why is Kagome so upset?"

Sango was confused at the way Kagome was acting, "I don't know milord. We were having fun just being in the village. She brought some books and some other things that she liked, then she asked me what this house was down in the village and I told her it was the local whorehouse. She became upset and we came back."

Inutaisho thought this to be strange as he walked back into the castle to see if he could talk to his little one. He reached her room and stopped outside her door. He could hear her crying her heart out as she was saying, "How could he do that? I thought that he at least liked me and that he was training for the challenge but I guess I was wrong. Kami I want to leave this place."

Now this was interesting, who was Kagome talking about. Whoever it was upset her so much that she came back to the castle early. He sensed his elder son coming back as he made his way outside. When his son landed he walked up to him, "Sesshoumaru where were you?"

Sesshoumaru didn't expect to see his father upon his return and when he asked where he was he had no choice but to tell him the truth. "I was at the village."

Inutaisho opened his eyes wide at his son's proclamation, "You weren't by the local whorehouse where you?"

Now Sesshoumaru was getting upset. How did his father know where he was? "Father why are you asking me all of these questions?"

Inutaisho got irritated because whenever his son asked him a question in return he knew he has been to the place he was talking about. "I gave Kagome permission to go to the village today. She came back upset because of something she saw there. Sango didn't see what she witnessed but if I were to guess she saw you going into the whorehouse. Sesshoumaru, Kagome has feelings for you whether you know it or not. This could cause her to reject your suit."

Sesshoumaru was upset. Yes he was there but not for the reason that his father was accusing him of. "Yes father, I was at that establishment but it was not for the reasons you think. I went there to retrieve the present I commissioned for Kagome. I plan on winning the competition and making her my mate."

Inutaisho's eyes grew big as he heard his son's words. He knew he raised him well but the fact still remained that Kagome saw him going into that place and was now upset. He turned to his son and said, "I don't know how to fix this. She saw you going into that place and now she thinks the worse of you. I know that I raised you better than that, but she doesn't know you as well as I do."

Sesshoumaru was being torn apart on the inside. His inner Inu wanted to go after the girl to explain, but he couldn't make his intensions known to her at the moment. It was not allowed to let his intended mate know of his interest. That's what the presentation was for, at that time he was going to make sure she understood what his intensions where to her and how much she meant to him. But the presentation was a couple of days away and he couldn't approach her on the matter.

Inutaisho was thinking hard he didn't know how to make this better. He thought about going to his mate and telling her what happen, maybe she could do something that will not turn Kagome completely against his son.

Inutaisho looked at the worried expression on his son's face, "Sesshoumaru I will speak with your mother. She might be able to talk to Kagome and tell her that what she saw was not what she is thinking. She can make her understand about our ways but before I see her, I want you to come with me. I have something that I want to show you."

Sesshoumaru agreed to his request as he followed his father to the back part of the castle. They went into the forest as Sesshoumaru was wondering where they were going. They stopped as his father said and incantation and the barrier opened up for him. When they stepped through the barrier Sesshoumaru could not believe his eyes.

If Sesshoumaru didn't know any better, it looked like a retreat. The house was big but it was in a very private area of the forest. His father spells and incantations protected and concealed this place. Inutaisho took him around and showed him everything on the inside and out. When they were done looking around, Sesshoumaru turned to his father and questioned, "Father, why did you bring me here?"

Inutaisho looked at his son with a raised eyebrow, "What do you think of this place? Could it be somewhere that you would bring your intended to, once you dominate her?"

Sesshoumaru was shocked to hear what his father was saying but as he thought about his question, he finally answered, "Yes, this would be a place that I could bring my intended to. It's peaceful and quite. There are only female servants here and not that many to really bother me. But why are you asking me this?"

"Sesshoumaru, where are you going once you dominate your intended? Have you even thought about what will happen once you dominate her? I know that you want to go somewhere that you can have time to get to know her. A place that she will not have the chance to escape until you convince her that you are the mate that she wants." Inutaisho said as he looked at the expression on his son's face. He thought as much, Sesshoumaru has not planned where he will take his mate once the challenge was over.

Inutaisho took a deep breath and continued, "Your mother and I have built this place with you in mind. We knew that you will want a place where you will have some private time with your intended as you get to know her a little better."

"But I want to give you some advice Sesshoumaru. I have been through this before so take it from someone who knows. Kagome is different from any other females from these lands. She was raised in an era, which is very different than ours. She will fight you tooth and nail not to be dominated, but she holds feelings for you so she might be receptive to the idea and let you subdue her."

"I know that it's hard for you to show your emotions but you must show her that you care and will love her for the rest of her life. Only then will she fully accept you. She will be new to the mating ritual and you must take it slow with her. She thinks that our ways of doing things is wrong and she will not understand."

"Even after you inject her with a small amount of your poison it will take time for her to recover from it, but her body must have the immunity from our poison. Keep her safe, show her kindness, and she will respond to that."

"She might also go into heat when she spends any amount of time with you. When a female goes into heat, they become very violent. Your fight to dominate her will seem easy compared to when she goes into heat. There are special chains in your bedchambers that will keep her here under your control. Because if she ever escapes from you and another male finds her, you might lose her if he mates her before you can get to her. She is very vulnerable during this time and her body will dictate to her what to do."

Sesshomaru was shocked to hear all of this from his father. He didn't think that his mother and father would go through such length to provide a place for him to be safe with his intended. The information that his father provided him was priceless. He never knew so much could go wrong during their mating.

Inutaisho looked at his son while he was speaking. He knew that he was taking in everything he was telling him to heart. But he had one more piece of information that he had to tell him. "Sesshoumaru there is something else that you should know about Kagome, no one knows this information except your mother and Sango."

Sesshoumaru head shot up as he heard his father's words, 'What could mother and the Taijiya know about Kagome that I don't know already?'

Inutaisho now had his son's full attention as he continued. "You once asked me where I hid the Shikon No Tama in case we came under siege, so more than one person knew what to guard." He saw his son nod his head yes as he continued, "The Shikon No Tama is Kagome. She is the Shikon in ningen form. When I first brought her here to this castle I stopped by the slayer village to make sure the jewel and Midoriko's sword were still safe."

"Kagome possessed the same sword that Midoriko had. But when I got there the sword and jewel were in the same place where I left them. When Midoriko appeared, she told me that Kagome was her daughter. She also said that she was the Shikon in ningen form. The jewel that existed in this time merged with the girl and Midoriko's soul along with the souls of the youkais that were in the jewel now reside within Kagome."

"A mating is needed in order to tame the youkai souls within her. That is why she acts like an Inu. She doesn't know that she is acting like one because on occasion they will take control, but she will response as an Inu. So take heed my son, she is going to be a hand full when it comes time to mate with her."

Sesshomaru was shocked, he never in his life thought that the girl would be the Shikon in ningen form. This gave him a better understanding of what he needed to do to subdue her, but it will not be easy. Kagome was a powerful miko and her purification powers were great, but he thought that he had the right spell to protect himself against her attacks, all he has to do is wear her down and then pin her to the ground to make her submit to his will.

Sesshomaru turned to his father, "Thank you for telling me father. I think now I might have a way to defeat her, to make her submit."

Inutaisho was shocked at his son's proclamation, "You do? How are you going to defeat her?"

Sesshoumaru smiled a true smile at his father, "Now father, you know that I can never tell you that, but just know that I do have a plan and Kagome will be mine. I will come here with her when I do defeat her because I know it will keep her safe. I just have to explain things to her and tell her that what she saw today is not what she thinks I was doing. You know just as well as I do that we can't mate until we find the one we have to be with."

Inutaisho couldn't help but chuckle. His son was full of surprises. He will not press the issue with his son to find out what he is going to do to make her submit, but if he knew his son, it will be effective.

Now he had to find his mate to see if she would talk to Kagome and make things better between his little one and his pup. Kami, things are getting more complicated as the days pass by and the time for the presentation is at hand.

---oOo---

This is the end to another chapter. Kagome jumped to the wrong conclusion when she saw Sesshoumaru entering the whorehouse. Inutaisho wants to make sure that Kagome and Sesshoumaru are protected while they are courting. But he may have bit off more than he can chew by keeping his pups so close to his mate.

I want to thank a few of you who have pointed out something in my writing that I can improve on. I will look for these in the future and I hope that this chapter was better in context.

For those of you asking about our favorite perverted monk. He will come into the story after Kagome's and Sesshoumaru's mating. I would never leave our favorite monk out of a story.

Deehogee thanks for the idea but I have already used that in another story and can't use it here, but I have something else that will be just as good when the time comes. You all have to be a little patient. I still have a long way to go and this story is not even half way done yet.

In the next chapter the ruling lords gather for the presentation of Kagome. What will happen? Will they accept her as a noble to be able to mate with those of noble birth? Or will they deny her that right and will Sesshoumaru have to look for another mate? You will have to wait and see how Kagome presents herself to the ruling lords. Plus there will be one more villain added to the scores of villains that are after Kagome. That will bring the total to three and the battle will begin to see who will have Kagome in the end.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Kagome ran to her room and quickly entered, shutting the door behind her. As she was crying on the futon she pondered her reason. She didn't understand why she was feeling this way, so why was she so upset at him for going into a place like that?

'Could I have feelings for Sesshoumaru? Is that why I'm feeling this way?' Kagome analyzed herself, then she started to remember all her time with Sesshoumaru and his inner beast. She discovered herself wanting more.

'Is this…is this is what love is? Kami, I wish I knew. I have never been in love with anyone before.' She sat on her futon as she continued to allow her feelings for Sesshoumaru to reveal itself.

---oOo---

Happy with her mate's generosity by allowing Kagome to visit the village and its festival, Ayashiko was making her way outside to see how Kagome liked her little time away from the castle. A brief memory of when Kagome's aura flared with joy and how it affected everyone was a far cry from her pervious sadness. While making her approach, Ayashiko could smell the tears and wondered what happened to make her cry.

She observed her mate going after Kagome as he rushed upstairs. She turned when she saw Sango's worried, sad, expression marring her features. "Sango, why is Kagome crying?"

Sango turned to Ayashiko; she sighed and explained what happened in the village. 'My Musume must have seen my son going into that place and thought the worst.' Ayashiko mentally added. But she knew the reason why her son was there.

Sesshoumaru came to his mother inquiring where he might acquire a necklace for her Musume. Ayashiko had sent him to the demoness that creates her jewelry. Unfortunately for him, she lived in the whorehouse in the village. So Ayashiko was partly at fault for Kagome's present upset with her son.

"Sango I want you to come with me."

Sango followed the lady of the castle as they went into the study. Ayashiko was searching the shelves for a particular book. When she found it, she had a smile on her face as she turned and walked back to Sango. She held up the book, "Do you still have the books that Kagome bought today?"

"Yes milady, I have them; they are here in these bags." Sango said, as she pulled the saddlebags from her shoulder and put them on the floor.

Ayashiko undid one of the straps and then stuck the book inside with the rest that were in there. Sango was curious about what she was doing, with caution she asked, "Milady, what is that book that you put in the bag?"

Ayashiko stood up as she looked at Sango, "I think it's about time that Kagome learns about the Inu Youkai traditions. My mate has not informed her on what she needs to know. So in this way, she will find out without me telling her. The book will teach her our traditions and the meaning behind our actions. It will also help her with the mating ritual and what is expected of her during this time. The male that dominates her will have his feral side take over once she submits. Kagome has to deal with that side, and she will have to know what his actions mean. I don't want her getting hurt because she doesn't understand our customs and traditions."

Sango smiled at Ayashiko's openness; it is not customary to talk to the servant about personal manner, especially to a ningen. "Sango, I want you to talk to Kagome. Make her understand that how it's possible she'd misunderstood my son's visit to that establishment. To rut in a place for the commoners means he would bring dishonor to his family."

Sango bowed deeply to Ayashiko, "I will try my best milady, but you know how stubborn Kagome can be. She might not want to talk to me at the moment. Though, I will try."

Sango turned and left the Lady of the castle; she walked out of the study and went to see her friend. Kagome purchased a lot of books, and they were noticeably heavy as Sango carried them upstairs. She will have to remind Kagome not to buy so many on her next shopping spree.

She finally made it to Kagome's room, and she knocked on the door. She patiently waited for Kagome to let her in. But when she didn't hear anyone moving inside the room, she gently called, "Kagome, it's me, Sango. I have the books that you purchased at the festival."

All she wanted was to be left alone with her thoughts. When she heard that Sango had her books, she sighed as she went to the door and unlocked it.

Sango looked at Kagome and noticed that she had been crying. She went inside the room and placed the bags on the futon and then turned her attention to her friend. Kagome wouldn't look at her as she asked, "Kagome what's wrong? Will you tell me what you saw at the village that has you so upset?"

Kagome closed the door and walked back to her futon where she sat down. She never looked at Sango as she said in a broken voice, "I saw Sesshoumaru going into that whorehouse in the village. It upset me because it confused me. He made his intentions known, yet he hates humans. Does he only care about mating me because I will give him strong pups?"

Sango sat down and faced her friend. She hoped that she could make Kagome understand a little about the Inu Youkai way, "Kagome just because you saw him going into a place like that does not mean he's doing what you think he's doing. I was under the impression that Inu Youkais mate for life, so it doesn't make too much sense.

"Granted there are plenty of youkais out there who have a different value system, but Sesshoumaru is of noble birth and for him to do that will bring dishonor to his family. Wouldn't it? I mean wouldn't he have a concubine? As a matter of fact, didn't he turn down those three servants that confronted us in the castle?

"Youkai nobles have a more difficult time in choosing a mate. Isn't that the whole reason behind the presentation and the fighting for a worthy female? This is the Inu Youkai way. They're rules that he must live by."

Sango watched Kagome the whole time she was talking. She saw her friend deep in thought as she was beginning to understand. Kagome seemed to relax a little on the outside; even though, she was still upset about what she believed Sesshoumaru was doing in that whorehouse.

Sango continued to observe Kagome as her emotions showed on her features clearly. She was wondering if Kagome has any feelings for Sesshoumaru. Her curiosity being sparked, she couldn't resist, "Kagome, do you have feelings for Sesshoumaru? Do you think that you might be in love with him?"

Kagome was shocked to hear Sango's question. She has been pondering this same thing ever since she came back from the village. "I don't know Sango. I have never been in love with anyone before. I know it made me angry to think that he was in a whorehouse, like I have been betrayed. He'd made a comment about me being his intended, but soon afterward, I overheard his comments about not liking me. I only know that I really like to be with him. I feel safe around him. Plus, he makes me feel strange on the inside. It's hard to explain what this feeling is."

Sango smiled at her friend. She knew what feeling Sesshoumaru was inspiring within Kagome. "From what you have just told me Kagome, you are in love with Sesshoumaru. What you felt this afternoon was jealousy and betrayal that he would go to a place like that to find relief. You may not know what love is but your heart does and it's telling you that you love him.

"Let me ask you this Kagome. Do you feel joy when you see him? Do you yearn to be with him? Does seeing him make your heart race with excitement that you think that you are going to faint? Do you wonder what it would be like to be held in his arms or how warm his lips are? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are in love with him.

"You might not be so certain, but all you have to do is listen to your heart and follow it."

Once Sango was done, she got up to go back to her room, "I'm going to rest for a while before dinner. I suggest that you do the same. You look tired."

Kagome nodded her agreement to Sango's suggestion as she saw her best friend leave. But before Sango left her room Kagome turned to her, "Thank you Sango for explaining things to me; I appreciate it."

Sango smiled as she left her room to go to her own. Her mission was complete, and she now knew that Kagome had a little bit more clarity about the situation.

Once Kagome was alone, she pondered what Sango said to her. She did feel all those things she asked. Her feelings were coming through, but there was a problem. It was a one sided love, and she didn't know where he really stood. She wished that she knew for sure, but she guessed she would have to wait until the presentation to see if he really has any interest in her.

She then turned her attention to the bags on her futon. She reached over and pulled the bags over to where she was sitting. She opened the bags and reached in as she pulled all of the books out. She was looking at the titles she had picked and put them in the order that she wanted to read them. This one book caught her eye as she read the title, "Inu Youkai Customs and Traditions."

'I don't remember picking this book. Where did it come from?' Kagome thought as she looked at the book. She read this book at normal speed. She came across the chapter about Inu Youkai and their mating rituals.

_Inu Youkais __mating ceremony begins with a presentation among fellow noble__ clans. The governing lords must approve __the said__ female from her display of her intelligence and power before she is eligible for presentation to mate with males of noble birth. __The available female is usually from an aristocratic lineage; however, the acceptance of a non-noble lady is favorable with the outwardly declaration of the noble clan members. _

_Both must be of noble birth or established as a member of a noble family by any side of the clan leader.__ The female is subjective to a presentation to the male who is seeking a mate__. The purpose: the male seeks a strong female to gain strong pups. This union and their pups may produce a fine leader to take over the duties of their predecessors. If more than one male is interested in the female, then a tournament will be held for all eligible suitors. They will all fight until there is only one left as the victor. Then that male may dominate the female in order to mate with __her._

_The males and females are very selective about their options of mates, as both potentially will not settle for the weaker __partner._

_After the presentation and acceptance of the female, the available males will make their suits be known to the potential mate. They will introduce themselves to the female and try to win her over by their posturing. This gives the female insight on how she can be protected by the candidates. The female has every right to reject the male(s) if she does not see him or them worthy of her attention or protection." _

_The female in turn will battle the remaining male to show him that he is getting a strong female in return. If the male cannot defeat the female, then the male will leave the female alone and seek another._

_Once the female submits to the male, he will mark her on her left shoulder to show that she has been claimed. This mark will keep away any potential suitors or other males that might desire the female._

_During this time, the male becomes very possessive, affectionate and protective of his chosen female. He will normally take the female away to a private location to restrict the female for the purpose of their unity._

"_The males, during this time, may have their inner inu take over, as they are the most feral part of a youkai. The female must learn to deal with both halves of the youkai if a true bond is to be developed between the two. Her objective is to unify their unity by calming his most aggressive side in order to have some freedom._

_If for some reason she is unable to calm the youkai that lives within her chosen mate, she will have an overprotective male following her around until she is able to win over the inner beast. _

_It is not uncommon for a male to keep in close contact to their chosen female, for it is necessary in order to imprint his aura onto his chosen one. The male inu during this time should be as one with his inner beast. _

_He lets down his guard and allows his affection to show. It is common to see him give caresses and nips to his bitch to show her that she is desirable to him. It's also his way of showing the female that he's alpha and she's his bitch. If a true-life bond is wanted between the pair, they must truly love each other in order for this to happen._

"_Soul mates are connected, and they feel everything that the other is feeling. They can help each other unlock their inner most powers that will help them protect their pack._

_There are certain things that the pair will do in order to get closer to each other, any activity may varied, but the main purpose is just to establish a unity._

_Not every Inu Youkai finds a suitable mate during a presentation. It is not uncommon to go centuries searching for the one that will meet their standard._

_There are occasions__ when a male will take a female against her will, the female might be exceptionally stubborn and will never submit. __If this occurs__, then the female will not be happy in her environment. She will fight __against__ the male in his attempt. She will __desire escapisms__ from the male, or even worse, the female could do actual harm to herself if she does not want to stay with the male. In any case, a female that was taken against her will would more than likely die from being controlled_

Kagome was amazed at the amount of information that this book contained. Here all of her questions were being answered and now she was glad she had gone into the village to shop. She will have to remember to thank her Otou-san for letting her go to that village.

Now, she truly had some clarity. Her anger was unfounded. She knew that Sesshoumaru would not bring dishonor to his family. So whatever he was doing in that whorehouse might not be what she thought. That made her feel a little better as she turned to look out the window. It was almost time to go to dinner.

---oOo---

Sango washed and dressed early so she could go pry Kagome away from her books. Whenever Kagome was interested in reading, she would forget about everything around her. Sango needed to remind Kagome that food was an important part of her life and that she needed to go and eat. She went and knocked on her door and to her surprise she heard a soft, "Come in."

When she opened the door she spotted Kagome sitting on her futon reading her book, but she was bathed and dressed in a beautiful dark blue kimono with pink sakura blossoms trimming the edged of the kimono. She had on a lighter blue juban with a silver obi that set the outfit off perfectly. Her hair was done in a messy bun with soft curls flowing softly around her face. She truly looked stunning as her bright blue eyes greeted her friend.

Sango walked over to Kagome as she sat on her futon, "Have you been reading all afternoon?"

Kagome looked up from her book and smiled, "Yes, this book is very interesting and is full of useful information."

Sango noticed Kagome was not reading like she usually would, "Kagome, why are you reading like that? I mean you usually use your fingers when you read and you can read a book in no time."

Kagome giggled when she heard Sango's question, "Well I only use my fingers if I really need to read fast. But I want to take my time in reading this book. It has a lot of information and I want to make sure that I understand what its saying."

"Are you ready to go down to eat? It's almost time for dinner." Sango said.

Kagome put her book down while marking her place so she could come back to it later, as she got up from the futon and followed Sango out the door to go to the dinning hall.

When they reached the dinning hall, the only ones in there were Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. Kagome got a little nervous as she walked in and greeted everyone with a smile on her face. Kagome sat down at the table as she missed the surprised look on Sesshoumaru's face when she sat down.

Sesshoumaru looked up from his train of thought as he spotted Kagome and Sango entering the dinning hall. He rose to his feet unsure if Kagome was still mad at him for going to that whorehouse earlier today.

When she greeted him with a warm smile, his heart about melted and he was shocked. He didn't expect this reaction out of her as his eyes drifted to the Taijiya. He saw her smile and nod, while he waited for his parents to come in and dine.

He had an idea as he said, "Kagome, after dinner would you care to take a walk with me in the garden? I gave mother a new flower and I would like you to see it. I want your opinion on it."

Kagome eyes lit up at the mention of a new flower as she smiled, "Oh yes, I would love to see what you got your mother. I'm sure it's very pretty."

As they carried on their conversation, the dinning room door opened and they greeted Inutaisho and his mate. To their surprise Kagome was actually talking to Sesshoumaru and, she was happy with him.

Ayashiko looked at Sango and saw her nod and smiled at her. Kagome came to an understanding about her son and some insight on his code of honor.

The patriarchs sat down and ate their dinner, having casual conversations with one another. When dinner was over, Sesshoumaru extended his hand toward Kagome, and she accepted. He led her toward the gardens. He took her to the corner of the garden leading her toward his gift and showed Kagome the beautiful flower.

Kagome was blown away, "How beautifully exquisite." The blooms were orange in color and the middle of the flower was blood red setting off the petals perfectly. If you looked closely, you could see what looked like an angel with wings in the middle of the flower. This floret had about eight clusters, which enhanced its vibrancy appearance. She looked up at Sesshoumaru, "Where did you find such a beautiful orchid?"

Sesshoumaru's mind was reeling, "An orchid, Kagome?"

"Yes, this flower is called an orchid. They are very beautiful but very high maintenance. I will have to instruct the gardeners on how to properly care for it. They need special attention or it will die."

"Kagome, how do you know about this flower? It is a new flower on these lands and has never been seen before, but yet you know what it is and how to take care of it." Sesshoumaru said as he watched Kagome fidget in her stance.

Kagome sighed as she reminded Sesshoumaru where she came from, "Have you forgotten where I come from? My knowledge is vast, and there are things in my era that are not yet present. Orchids are just one of the things that I know about."

She adapted, and it was easy to forget that she came from the future. He looked at her with soften eyes, "Please forgive my ignorance for not remembering where you come from. You fit here so perfectly that it's hard to imagine that you come from the future."

An awkward silence followed his statement when suddenly Kagome turned to him, "Thank you for showing me the beautiful flower that you got your mother Sesshoumaru. Now I must go." She bowed to him deeply in respect, "Goodnight Sesshoumaru."

Her sudden departure left Sesshoumaru thinking that he did something to offend Kagome. He grabbed her arm while she was turning away from him, "Kagome, did I say something wrong to make you want to leave?"

The moment Sesshoumaru touched her arm a chill ran down Kagome's spine. She turned and looked at him with gentle eyes, "No Sesshoumaru, you haven't. It's just that you know we are not supposed to seen nor be alone with each other. That is your father's wish, and I don't want to go against his wishes.

"I do enjoy my time with you, but the presentation is at hand and my fate has already been decided. I must mate, who it is I have no idea, but I know deep in my heart that person may not love me the way I want to be. I fear that my days on this earth are numbered, but I am grateful that I had the chance to be with your family. They have taught me so much over the last few months, but most of all, they have accepted me for who I am. Now, please release me so I may leave."

Sesshoumaru let her go as he watched her walk away from him. He smelled the sadness coming from her scent as she walked away. He fisted his hands together as he tried to get his beast to calm down. He wanted to go to her so badly and tell her…but he couldn't; they had to wait until the presentation.

He looked up at the moon as it shown brightly in the darkened sky. The stars were twinkling in the background, making one feel like they were looking at you. He sighed as he turned and went back towards the castle to get some rest.

---oOo---

Off in the forest, Inutaisho and Ayashiko watched what their pups were doing while they were in the garden. They both looked so good together that is was a shame that they couldn't tell each other how they truly felt about one another. The mating rules for the nobility may not be flexible, but they are helpless to change the law.

Ayashiko heart was broken upon Kagome's words and departure. She felt her son's pain as he looked at the moon before turning away and heading for the castle. She turned to her mate, "I wish that I could help them Koiishi, it's a struggle to be kept apart until the presentation."

"Yes, my mate. I feel it too but there is nothing we can do about it. We must wait for the presentation and then we will see what the fates have decided for both our pups."

---oOo---

The days passed painfully slow. Kagome and Sesshoumaru were obeying their parents' wishes. Kagome would go off every morning and train until the evening. She would start with Sango and would work with her for a good portion of the morning.

Then Inutaisho would come out and they would continue to train. He would challenge her mind and pushed her to her limits until no one could control her. She learned fast, and he was surprised at the level of her powers. It was steadily growing stronger as the days passed and her aura was almost black. The strongest he has ever seen in anyone. The only other color it could be was a pure white, which signaled the height of her power.

She would then leave him and go and train with Dewa for the rest of the afternoon. She would come back to the castle, bathe, change, and then went to dinner with the family. Her endurance has grown, and she could take any kind of training you could throw at her.

Kagome had shown Inutaisho how to cast new barriers that will protect the castle even better than before. She explained that the barrier was an illusion barrier that if anyone tried to come to the castle they would never reach it. They would need something from him and the guards to escort them through the barriers. If they were able to find the barrier, anyone touching it would be purified.

He was proud of his pup. Inutaisho could not deny his pride for Kagome. She was his little one and no one could tell him different.

The day for the presentation was finally at hand. The other lords were arriving soon, and the hosts had to get ready. Inutaisho advised Kagome to stop her training and avoid the other lords until her evening presentation. So Kagome obeyed his orders and stayed in her room. She put a barrier around her door so no one would detect her aura or her magic.

Sesshoumaru has been in his room almost all day. He wanted to be near Kagome. He was sure that the other lords were going to bring their annoying daughters with them, and he was not looking forward to it. It was the northern lord's daughter, which he almost killed not too long ago, when she took liberties that he did not give. He was about to use his claws to extract his vengeance when his father appeared and stopped him from killing the whore.

Yoshino wanted to be in his bed so badly that she would do anything for him to take her. But her scent was horrible. Her scent held so many others that she was not even pure anymore, but yet her parents wanted her to be mated to a noble.

She was not unattractive. Yoshino was almost as tall as Sesshoumaru. Her long golden hair came down to her upper thighs and her skin was a milky white. She had one green stripe on each side of her cheek and her body was appealing. Her eyes were a light brown and her lips were too thin—almost non-existent.

Sesshoumaru was not interested in her, but she would always pursue him until he angered to the point of wanting to kill her. He knew that he would have to avoid her at all cost. He could keep the others at bay with just a stern look, but Yoshino didn't know how to take a hint.

Sesshoumaru sighed; he was finally dressed in a white hakama that were tailored for close fit. He wore a white juban underneath his outer coat that came down to about his knees. His favorite sash was wrapped around his waist as he put his sword into the sash. He was ready, and made his way toward his parents, ready to greet the arriving guests.

The first to arrive at the castle was the northern lord. Inutaisho was standing in front with his mate to his left; Sesshoumaru was to his father's right, standing slightly behind him. Inuyasha was standing next to his brother as he moved closer to him. He didn't like this lord because he always gave him the creeps.

Sesshoumaru felt when Inuyasha moved his tail over to his, seeking comfort from his elder brother. Ever since the attack on Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru has been more tolerant with the young pup. He wrapped his tail around his brothers and held it for a while. It calmed his little brother down knowing that he would be protected.

Inuyasha's fear was evident on his scent as he saw the youkai lord of the north approach the castle. The youkais attack, of more than a week ago, left a scar on him that clearly told of his distrust in anyone. He was seeking reassurances from the beta male that nothing was going to happen to him.

Inuyasha didn't move from his brother's side. Instead, he moved closer to him and tried his best to act his station, but it was not easy for him. Then he heard a gentle purr coming from his brother and it relaxed him enough to settle down. He resolved to try not to play any more tricks on his elder brother, for the moment.

Finally the youkai lord of the North and his entourage arrived at the castle as Inutaisho stepped forward to greet them.

Lord Kasumigaoka was a blue/gold Inu Youkai. He was tall and very well built. He was not as tall as Inutaisho, but his height was impressive nonetheless. His hair was a honey gold with blue streaks that came down to about the middle of his back. It was held in a low ponytail to keep it out of the way.

He had two golden stripes on each side of his cheeks and yellow green eyes. His tail was draped over his right shoulder, but it was nowhere near as long as Sesshoumaru's. He wore a yellow brown hakama and haori, with a black sash tied around his waist. On his forehead was the symbol of the North, it looked like a crown with three red circles right above the points of the crown.

His mate, Lady Tsukiura, was also a blue/gold Inu Youkai. She had the same honey gold hair and a solid blue line going down the middle of her mane, her hair came down to about her waist. She had it in a low braid down her back. Her eyes were yellow green with one brown stripe on each side of her cheek. She was slightly shorter than her mate, coming only up to his shoulder. She wore a golden kimono with white cherry blossoms going along the hem of the garment and a white obi that set it off just right.

Their son and heir, Yuzuru, looked almost exactly like his father, but not nearly as tall. His frame was slightly smaller than his father, but he radiated power. His stripes were a combination of his mother and father, making for a dull gold color. He wore something similar like his father except Yuzuru had green leaves going around the edge of the garment. He wore his sword on his side, tucked into his dark green sash.

Their daughter Yoshiro was with them and when she saw Sesshoumaru, she couldn't help but lick her lips at him to see if he was interested in the message she was sending him.

Sesshoumaru snorted and bared his fangs at Yoshiro's gesture. He turned up his nose and sneezed. Her scent was horrible and just being this close to her made him want to retch.

Inutaisho approached Kasumigaoka and said, "Welcome to Gengetsujou, Kasumigaoka; I hope that your stay with us will be enjoyable. If you will follow one of my servants they will show you to your rooms."

Kasumigaoka bowed his head slightly in greeting, "I thank you for the welcome Inutaisho. I am looking forward to this presentation and meeting your pup."

Inutaisho watched as Kasumigaoka left with his family as a smile appeared on his face. 'So Kasumigaoka, I have no doubt that my little one will make a great impression on you.'

Once the Northern Lord was gone from the area, they waited as one of the guards told Inutaisho that another lord was approaching the castle.

The next to arrive were the southern clan. Lord Hashimoto was an eagle youkai. He saw them approaching from the sky as he got ready to greet his guest. Hashimoto was tall, almost as tall as Inutaisho. He had big powerful wings on his back that were a light brown in color. His light brown hair looked like feathers in flight as he was coming in for a landing.

His yellow-orange eyes saw everything from great heights. He had two light brown stripes on each side of his cheeks. The crest of the Southern lands was on his forehead, which was an eye with wings. The symbol of the Southern clan made it look like he had a third eye on his forehead. He wore a yellow hakama and haori with orange geometric designs on it. He had on a dark brown sash that held his sword in place.

His mate, Lady Keiiyuko was an eagle youkai as well. She was very kind and very friendly. She had an aura around her that greeted people with joy and happiness. Her eyes were an orange-red. She had one red stripe on each side of her cheek, as her skin was a light brown in color, compliments of the sun. She was wearing a yellow-orange kimono with a golden obi. Along the edge of her kimono there were golden feathers that were embroidered on the fabric. Her wings were a dark brown in color that was a close match to her own hair, which flowed beautifully behind her.

Their daughter, Biratori, arrived next. She favored her mother. She was of small stature and had a petite form. She had large dark brown wings that matched her hair. Her hair came down to the middle of her back where she had it tied into a low ponytail. Her eyes were like her fathers. She had a light brown stripe on each side of her cheek. She also wore a kimono similar to her mother's except it lacked the embroidered golden feathers on the fabric; hers were dark green in color.

She was too young even by youkai standard and not ready to be mated as of yet. Soon though, she will come of age and her presentation will then be announced.

The last to land was his son and heir, Musashino. He was slightly shorter than his father. His hair was a light brown in color, the same color as his powerful wings. His eyes were like his mother's eyes. He wore a yellow-gold hakama and haori with a black sash, which held his sword in place. He was powerful in his own right, as he stood proud next to his father.

Inutaisho stepped forward and said, "Ah my friend Hashimoto, welcome to my home. I'm glad that you were able to come on such short notice."

Hashimoto approached his friend as he said, "Well, Inutaisho it's about time that we get an invite to come and see you. Now, what's all this about a female pup that you want to introduce to us? As far as I know, you have no female pups."

Inutaisho chuckled at his friend, "Well you can say that I adopted this one. I found her in the middle of a forest fighting six Oni's by herself. When I learned that her clan had been destroyed and she was by herself, I took her as my own and brought her here. You will get to meet her this evening at the presentation."

Hashimoto was surprised by what his friend had said, "Very well my friend. I shall wait until this evening to meet this new pup of yours. I'm looking forward to it."

Inutaisho smiled as he puffed out his chest with pride, "I am proud of her, my friend. But if you and your family will follow my servants they will show you all to your rooms."

Hashimoto inclined his head slightly to his friend as he led his family into the castle to get some rest before the presentation.

They continued to greet the other minor lords from all over as they arrived at Gengetsujou. The last to finally arrive were the tiger youkai of the east. Their allegiance was shaky at best, but they kept the peace between them. They were not happy with him for defeating the panther youkais of the south. They were the first to attack him and he was only defending what was his.

Lord Yugawara of the Eastern Lands finally made it to the castle. He was a tall youkai with orange and black hair. His piercing red eyes looked at you trying to see into your very soul. He had black stripes on the side of his cheeks, three on the left and two on the right. He had long white fangs that came out of his mouth.

He was very muscular and very well built. He had on a black hakama and haori with an orange juban underneath. He wore an orange sash that held several swords on his side. The crest, a red diamond with a black sword going through the middle, of the Eastern Lands could be seen on his forehead.

His mate and Lady of the Eastern Lands, Shirinko, arrived shortly. She was a beautiful tiger youkai. She had long black and orange hair that came down to about her waist. Her eyes were a pale green. Her skin was a light brown with one pale green stripe on each side of her cheek. She was tall and slender with right amount of curves accentuating her appearance. She was dressed in a black kimono with a golden dragon going down the right side of the outfit. A gold obi as an accessory complemented the kimono. She stood next to her mate as she smiled at the greeting lord.

Their daughter, Azuka, was just as beautiful as her mother. She had the same hair color, but hers came down to about her shoulders. It was pulled back away from her face by two beautiful red combs. She had one stripe on each of her cheeks that were a dark green in color. She wore a similar kimono like her mother except hers had red sakura blossoms going down the left side of the kimono. She wore a red obi that completed her outfit.

She noticed Sesshoumaru and bowed her head lightly in greeting. Sesshoumaru showed the same courtesy and inclined his head slightly in greeting while maintaining his stoic mask.

The last to come to stand next to the Eastern Lord was his son and heir, Sasagawa. He stood just as tall as his father. His skin was slightly darker. His hair was almost all black with just a few strands of orange going through it. His eyes were red just like his father and he had his father's markings upon his face. His body was very well defined with muscled arms and legs. His hakama and haori were the same color of his father as he wore his sword on his side with a red color sash.

Once everyone had gathered, Inutaisho stepped forward as he greeted, "Welcome to Gengetsujou, Lord Yugawara. I hope that you will have a pleasant stay."

Yugawara looked around the area and saw Inutaisho's sons standing off to the side. He looked at Sesshoumaru and noticed that his aura was a lot stronger than the last time he had seen him. He turned his attention back to Inutaisho and said, "Thank you Lord Inutaisho. "The pleasure is our, and we are honored to be your guest. We are eager to meet the pup"

"You will meet her tonight during the presentation. Until that time, please follow one of my servants and they will show you to your rooms for your stay here." Yugawara inclined his head slightly as he followed the servant that was waiting for him and his family as they headed inside the castle.

Inutaisho breathed in deeply as he turned toward his mate. Ayashiko could see the line of frustration and worry in her mate's eyes as she tried to soothe his nerves. Inutaisho then said, "Well that's everyone. Now all we have to do is present Kagome and hope that they accept her as my pup."

They all turned as they went back inside the castle to get ready for the presentation of Kagome. They only hoped that everything goes as planned.

---oOo---

The grand audience chamber has been prepared for the presentation of Inutaisho's pup. The guest started arriving at the hall as they mingled and talked among themselves. Everyone enjoyed each other's company, and this pleased Inutaisho as he entered the hall along with Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. As a precaution, Sesshoumaru kept close to his father to avoid a confrontation with Yoshino.

The governing lords all approached Inutaisho as Hashimoto asked, "Well my friend, the presentation will be soon, and I am somewhat anxious to meet this pup of yours"

Inutaisho smiled as he said, "She will be down with my mate in a few minutes." They all stood around talking while they waited for the ladies of the castle to make their appearance and introduction.

---oOo---

Kagome was a nervous wreck. She was pacing inside her room and she couldn't calm down. She didn't want to mess this up for her Otou-san because she wanted him to be proud of her. But she had no idea what to expect from all of these people.

Kagome closed her eyes as she silently called for Midoriko, "Mother please, I need your advice on what to do. I have no idea what is going to happen when I'm presented to all of these lords of the lands. I am freaking out!"

Kagome opened her eyes to see Midoriko standing in front of her as she said, "My Musume, please calm down. It will not do for you not to have full control of your powers when you are presented to the governing lords. You will do just fine my Musume. I have confidence in you. Remember what you have read and keep all that in mind. Know that if you really need me, I will be there with you."

Kagome started to calm down—just a little. She was still nervous. There was this feeling that something was going to happen during this presentation and she had to keep her mind calm and cool. She started doing some of her relaxing exercises as she finally got herself under control.

The mikokoro of Midoriko smiled as she watched her calm down. She was pleased that she was finally getting herself under control. She looked at Kagome with concern as she said, "My Ittoshi Musume, please be careful tonight, and use your wit to find the solution to the problem that will be presented."

"I'll remember mother and thank you." Kagome said as she watched her mother vanish from in front of her eyes. Kagome then turned and looked at herself in the mirror once more. She wanted to make sure that her outfit was perfect. She was wearing a white kimono and hakama. The kimono has slits down both sides of her legs to allow her to move with ease. Her hakama was form fitting but still lose to allow her to fight if she had to. The collar of her kimono was up as it covered the back of her neck. There were red sakura blossoms going all the way around the hem of her kimono. It was a simple kimono but it made her look elegant.

Kagome turned away from the mirror as she heard a knock on her door. She took a deep breath, "Come in." She watched the door open and in walked her youbo. She was dressed in a similar kimono, but hers was green.

---oOo---

Ayashiko was finally ready. It was time to present her pup to the rest of the lords of the lands. She was nervous, but she knew that she had to protect her pup if any of them decided to attack her when they walked into the grand audience chamber. She walked out of her room and proceeded to get her pup, so they could make their appearance.

She knocked on Kagome's door and was surprise at how fast her pup said, "Come in." She opened the door and stepped inside to find her Musume. She looked stunning in her white kimono. Pride swelled inside Ayashiko as she looked upon her daughter. She was truly a beauty to behold.

She walked over to Kagome as she held her in her arms to calm her. She knew that she was scared; she had caught her scent as soon as she walked into the room. She purred and felt when Kagome relaxed the rest of the way in her arms. Ayashiko pulled away from Kagome and said, "My Ittoshi Musume, it is time that we go. But before we leave there are a few things that I must say to you."

Kagome was confused about what her youbo wanted to say to her as she stood still and listened.

"Before we head downstairs, I have to give you a warning. It is customary to test the one being presented. Just remember to subdue anyone if we are attacked. I know that you are powerful enough so please do so."

"Also, I want you to stay by my side the entire evening. Don't leave my side unless I tell you that someone else is going to protect you. I want to make sure that you are well protected while we are in the grand audience chambers. There will be some that will not hesitate to challenge you once you are accepted as our pup."

"I'm sorry my Musume, but you may not bring your weapons with you. This is a test of your powers and abilities, and no weapons are allowed." Ayashiko saw the look of horror on her pup's face as she said this. She knew that Kagome was not going to be happy about it.

Kagome couldn't believe that she couldn't bring her swords with her. But then she thought, 'That's all right. I can always summon my sword to me if I need it to fight.' Kagome took off her swords as she straightened out her kimono and stood tall in front of Ayashiko.

Once Ayashiko was satisfied with the way her pup looked, they left Kagome's room and went toward the grand audience chamber.

Kagome was feeling her nervousness returning, as she took deep breathes to calm herself down. When they reached the chamber, Ayashiko turned to her pup, "Are you ready, Kagome?"

Kagome took a deep breath, smiled and said, "As ready as I'm going to be."

Kagome saw as Ayashiko smiled warmly at her, as her eyes twinkled in the light. It gave Kagome the confidence she needed to get this over with, as she stood tall and faced what was coming her way.

Ayashiko nodded and two male servants came forward and opened the door to the grand audience chamber as she and Kagome walked through. They heard the herald announce their arrival as everyone turned toward them.

The noise in the chamber stopped as all eyes turned toward the two that walked into the hall. No one spoke as they eyed Kagome.

Kagome was feeling her nerves starting to act up again as she picked up something in the near distance. The hair on the back of her neck started to stand up as her eyes scanned the hall for the threat. Her instincts took over as she placed a barrier around herself and her youbo, when a youkai attacked out of nowhere. Kagome raised her hand and stopped the attacker as she held him in the air in a cage of her Reiyouku.

She turned to Ayashiko, "Lady Ayashiko, what would you have me do with our attacker?"

---oOo---

Inutaisho was engaged in a conversation with some of the other lords of the lands. They were discussing the trading of their goods when Inutaisho felt that his mate was coming. He excused himself from the conversation and said that he will be back once he greeted his mate.

All the lords turned to the door as it was slowly opened to reveal two ladies entering the hall. One was Lady Ayashiko and the other, to everyone's amazement, was a ningen onna standing at her side. The whole room went quiet as they looked upon the onna that was with Ayashiko.

Inutaisho was making his way toward the doors to the hall with Sesshoumaru hot on his heels. For some reason his son would not leave his side and he had an idea why.

He was almost to the door when it opened to reveal his mate and pup. He couldn't help but smile when he saw them. His beloved mate was gorgeous, but it was Kagome that caught everyone's eyes as he heard Sesshoumaru's breath hitched. He turned and looked at his son to see his eyes trained on Kagome.

She was breathtaking in her kimono. Sesshoumaru couldn't take his eyes off her as he saw her looking around the room. He thought her behavior out of the ordinary. He saw as his fathers eyes turn blood red as he leaped toward the unknown attacker that was making his way toward his mother and intended. Sesshoumaru's eyes turned red as well as he took off after his father.

Inutaisho was almost upon the intruder when he saw his pup attack. Kagome held up her hand as she caged the intruder in her Reiyouku. He walked over to his mate and his little one as he heard Kagome's question. He took a step forward and said in a powerful voice, "Hold him there Kagome until I get the guards in here."

Kagome turned to see her youbu standing right in front of her with blood red eyes. Her smile faded as she looked next to him and saw Sesshoumaru in the same condition. She did as she was told as she held the attacker in the air until the guards came forth.

Once they surrounded the intruder Kagome removed the cage from around him as he fell to the floor with a loud, "THUD!" The guards quickly moved forward and grabbed him as they took him down to the dungeons to await the lord of the castle so they could find out who this person was.

Kagome didn't know what to do, she thought that Inutaisho was angry with her for stopping that attack, as she made a mental link with him, 'Otou-san, did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me for stopping that attack?'

Inutaisho turned quickly to his pup as he sought to reassure her, 'No my little one. You did great. Thank you for protecting your mother. This was not the attack that was intended for you. It was to happen much later, but it seems that we really did have an intruder in our home. I'm proud of you.'

Kagome looked up from the ground and smiled. It was a heart felt smile as she received one back from Inutaisho.

Inutaisho walked up to his mate and asked, "Are you all right?"

Ayashiko smiled at her mate to reassure him, "Yes mate, I'm fine. Our pup did well in protecting me."

Inutaisho wrapped his arm around his mate as he turned around and said, "Everyone I would like to introduce Kagome, my pup, and descendent of Midoriko."

At the last pronouncement, everyone gasped as they looked upon the ningen onna and noticed the blue teardrop that shown brightly on her forehead. They saw the star shinning brightly below the teardrop, as they were all shocked at what they saw. Her aura was powerful, it was black in color, and none of them have ever seen an aura this dark before. She was a powerful miko, possibly stronger than Midoriko herself.

Inutaisho led his mate and pup to the middle of the room as he turned to all the lords and said, "I know that was not the attack that you all had planned, but as you can see, Kagome was powerful enough to stop an attack and protect my mate from harm."

The other lords looked at the onna and for the first time noticed her eyes. They were as blue as the sky above and they were mesmerizing.

Inutaisho introduced Kagome to each of the governing lords as she bowed deeply to each and greeted them properly. Inutaisho and Ayashiko couldn't have been more proud of their pup for the way that she was acting. She conducted herself regally, never speaking unless spoken to and remained quiet during the conversations that they were having. Kagome behaved according to her station and this made Inutaisho proud.

Kagome was listening to everything that was being said. She was interested in the way they conducted business between the lands. She was listening to her youbu as he was making a deal to get more raw materials from the north as she started to hear a conversation off to the side.

She turned her eyes in that direction as she spotted the Eastern Lord talking to someone she was not introduced to. They were speaking in another language as she mentally said a spell to enhance her hearing so she could listen to what they were saying.

She determined the language to be French as she smiled internally and listened to their conversation.

"How can you stand here and carry on a conversation with someone who has just declared a ningen as his own pup?" The hawk youkai asked, clearly irritated with the Eastern Lord.

Yugawara looked at the youkai standing next to him, "Calm yourself. We still need his products in my land so trading with him is a necessity."

The hawk youkai huffed, he could provide the Eastern Lord with everything he needs for his lands, "I bet you that I can sell him a boat load of burlap and he will never know the difference between it and the finest silks in all the land. He is ignorant of the other lands and what we have to trade."

Yugawara raised an eyebrow at the youkai standing next to him, "If you can get him to buy, as you say 'a boat load of this burlap', then I will sever my ties with the West and buy only from your country. But if he does not buy what you are selling then he gets what he asks for, free of charge. Do we have a deal?"

The hawk youkai was so confident that he could get the Lord of the West to buy the burlap that he took the bet, as he got ready to trade with the Western Lord.

Kagome heard everything that was being said. Now she had to figure out how to tell her youbu about it so that he does not fall into their trap. She heard as they approach her Otou-san and started to trade for "Toile de jute" as the hawk youkai called it.

Inutaisho was interested in what the hawk youkai was saying. This fabric sounded very soft and pleasing. He thought about buying it so that his mate will have new fabric from another land when he felt the mental touch of his pup.

'Otou-san don't buy the Toile de jute. It's not what you think it is.' Kagome said telepathically. Inutaisho's interest was peaked and asked, 'If it is not a type of silk then what is it?'

Kagome shifted on her feet as she responded, 'It's burlap. The material is rough and irritating to the skin, not suitable for making clothes. The only things that you can make with it are sacks to store food in or to carry equipment. It's a trick to see if you are ignorant of what the other lands have to offer while selling you what they don't want in their country.'

Inutaisho now understood what was going on as he turned his attention back to the hawk youkai and replied, "No I don't think that I want burlap. It's a fancy name that you have but I would like something else instead." He turned to Kagome and asked, "Kagome, what would you recommend we buy from his lands?"

Kagome smiled prettily as she said, "Que diriez-vous d'une certaine main a fait le lacet?" Kagome then said into her youbu's mind, 'What I asked for is hand made lace which is very pretty and very expensive in France. It's the finest in the world.'

Inutaisho was very pleased with what his pup came up with as he watched to see what the hawk youkai was going to do.

The hawk youkai could not believe what he just heard. This ningen onna could speak his language. 'How can she speak my language? It is known to only a few here in this land.' He turned his attention to the female as he asked, "You speak French, where did you learn to speak my language?"

Kagome turned to her youbu to see if she should answer that question and when she saw his nod she looked back to the youkai that was standing in front of her, "In my old village I was taught by the finest scholars. They came from all over the lands and that's where I learned French along with some other languages."

All the lords gasped when they learned that she was educated. Here they thought that she was only a powerful miko, but now they have also learned that she is highly educated as well.

Lord Yugawara turned to the hawk youkai and asked, "Well, my friend, are you going to answer the Lord of the West on her request?"

The hawk youkai could only pale at the question. He has lost the bet with the Eastern Lord and now he had to provide him with what he wanted free of charge. He turned to the Western Lord as he asked, "How much do you desire milord?"

Inutaisho thought for a few minutes as he said, "The same quantity that you were trying to sell me of the burlap."

The hawk youkai almost fainted at the request. He was ruined, but he will comply with the wager that he had made, "Very well milord. I will give you the lacet for free, and with my compliments."

Inutaisho raised his eyebrow at the youkai as he looked at his pup. He saw Kagome smile as he mentally asked, 'Kagome, what is all this about?'

Kagome still smiled as she telepathically responded, 'He made a bet with the Easter Lord saying that you were ignorant of the other lands. No one makes a fool out of my Otou-san, so I asked for the most expensive thing in his lands. The deal was he will have to give you what you wanted, free of charge.'

Inutaisho almost laughed out loud when he heard this. He didn't think that it was that expensive, but from what his pup was saying, it was the most expensive lace they had in his homeland. He smiled at the hawk youkai and said, "Thank you very much. I'm sure my mate and pup will find use for all this hand made lace."

The hawk youkai bowed and left the western castle; he was humiliated by a ningen onna and now he has to pay his debt. Because if he did not make good his wager, he will never be able to trade here in these lands ever again.

Yugawara watched as the hawk youkai left. He was a fool to think that he could take advantage of a Lord from these lands. He had to learn his lesson as he turned his attention to Inutaisho and asked, "So Inutaisho, what other surprises does your pup have? We now know that she is a powerful miko; she is a descendant of Midoriko, and that she is highly educated for a ningen onna."

Inutaisho turned his head toward the Eastern Lord, "Is that not all you wish to see? I mean for you to approve her as my pup ready to be mated; she had to prove that she was strong and intelligent. She has proven that my friend, what else would you like to see?"

Yugawara and the other lord pondered his question, and he was right. They only needed to see her strength and her intelligence, nothing else. She has proven to be a worthy female to enter into the bloodline of the noble, and thus be allowed to mate with anyone that wished to offer her their suit.

Yugawara raised his head and said, "Very well my friend she has proven herself to be a strong female worthy to be called your pup, I approve of her."

Inutaisho's heart leaped with joy, Yugawara was the one that he was worrying about the most. If he denied Kagome, Sesshoumaru's option of mate choice would be out of reach.

Kasumigaoka then turned to Inutaisho and said, "I, too, agree with Yugawara. She has proven to be a very strong female, and it will take a strong male to dominate her. I wish you luck my friend; your pup is ready to mate."

Hashimoto was the last one to say anything, "She is strong; I will give you that much my friend. You will have a hard time trying to find her a mate, but I wish you luck in that matter, I approve of her as your pup, ready to mate."

The governing lords have given their consent for Kagome. This pleased Inutaisho greatly as he turned to all present and said, "May I have everyone's attention please. The governing lords have given there blessing and have accepted Kagome as my pup ready to be mated."

This caused every male in the room to start talking as the single youkais started looking at her with lust in their eyes. The lower ranking males could only wish to be allowed; they saw how powerful she was and hoped they could be eligible to dominate her.

Ayashiko took Kagome as she left her mates side and walked to the other side of the room. They stopped by a window as she turned to Kagome and said, "I'm proud of you Ittoshi Musume. You did everything correct this evening and made your Otou-san very proud of you.

"I will be with you; this way, any male who seeks to pursuit you needs to have my approval. I know this is difficult because of your personal views about being mated."

Kagome took a deep breath and waited. She knew that this was going to be the hardest part of everything that she has been through so far. Now, she will get to see what sort of males she has attracted the attention of and she was not looking forward to it.

---oOo---

This is the end to my chapter. The governing lords have approved Kagome to accept suits from noble males. Sesshoumaru now has his chance to tell Kagome how he really feels about her. Others will offer Kagome their suits as well.

I wanted to thank everyone who has voted in the Dokuga Awards. This story won 2nd place in the Best Action/Adventure category. My other story A Christmas Wish won 1st place in the One-shot category. I'm very pleased and happy about the awards. It only makes me want to keep writing for all of you. Again thank you for voting.

Join me in the next chapter as all those who wish to mate with Kagome are chosen and the tournament is set. Who will finally get to dominate our heroine and be her mate for life? You will have to wait and see.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The eligible males were congregating on the other side of the room, gathering courage to approach the Lady of the West. They had seen the newly accepted female moving in that direction and they all wanted a chance to offer her their suit. Their lust was clearly apparent as they gazed upon her shapely form.

Kagome understood the protocol, standing off to the side of her youbo she waited. They didn't have to wait for long until the first suitor came forth.

Kagome watched as Yuzuru came towards her. She remembered him from the introduction. He looked a lot like his father, but in her opinion, he was not that handsome. His body was not all muscular, and his eyes kept going up and down her body, making her feel uncomfortable.

Yuzuru approached Ayashiko and asked, "Milady, I wish to offer my suit to the lovely young onna."

Ayashiko allowed him to approach Kagome, he bowed to her and said, "Milady, my name is Yuzuru, heir to the Northern Lands. I offer you my suit so that we may become acquainted with one another."

Kagome's mind was in a state of panic, she almost forgot to bow to the young lord, "It is a pleasure to meet you Yuzuru-sama. I welcome your suit and wish to learn a little about you. Can you tell me why you want me as your mate?"

Yuzuru looked into her beautiful blue eyes, "I have never, in my entire life, met a more powerful female. You will make the perfect mate for me. I can provide you with whatever you want. All you need to do is ask."

"Thank you for your kind words Yuzuru-sama. I will take your suit into consideration." Kagome said as she watched the first male walk off, then she thought, 'Well, straight to the point isn't he? The perfect mate, huh? Well, we shall see. So far you are not doing a thing to turn me on. Maybe I am expecting too much? A quick and painless death would be nice right about now. I am so hating this whole thing.' Kagome kept her face as noncommittal as possible, so no one gained an insight to how she was thinking. She held her tongue, smiled and watched him leave.

There were several youkai that approached, however, Ayashiko turned them away, they were not powerful enough to dominate her pup. They were weakling in her eyes and Kagome could easily defeat them in a battle with her eyes closed.

The next suitor who was allowed to approach her was Sasagawa. He came up to Ayashiko and asked, "Milady, I offer my suit to pursue the lovely maiden know as Lady Kagome."

Ayashiko inclined her head, agreeing for him to approach her pup.

Sasagawa thought that this onna was pretty from afar, but when he looked at her up close, she was the most exotic creature he has ever seen. He looked into those beautiful blue eyes, which reminded him of a perfect cloudless day, with the sun shinning brightly in the sky.

He bowed deeply to Kagome and said, "Milady, my name is Sasagawa, heir to the Eastern Lands. I offer you my suit so that you can get to know me a little better and in hope that I may have the honor of becoming your mate."

Kagome looked at the male in front of her. He was tall and handsome. He had the most perfect body she has ever seen. His long black hair, with few orange streaks, made him look prominent. His voice was deep and rich, causing her heart rate to increase just a little. "It is a pleasure to meet you Sasagawa-sama. I have only one question for you, why do you want me as your mate?"

Sasagawa stood tall and looked into those blue eyes, "I thought that you were pretty from afar, but that did not do you any justice. You are beautiful, the most exquisite creature that I have ever met. I am strong and powerful, I will be able to protect you and any pups born to us. You will want for nothing, as I will make sure that you are well taken care of."

Kagome was perplexed to hear what he said to her. He said that she was beautiful, but still, no one gave her the answer that she wanted to hear. She bowed as she said, "Thank you, Sasagawa-sama, I will keep your suit in mind." 'Kami, this one is hot! I need to loosen up a little bit. Expand my prejudices about this and restrict them to other things like…whatever. I can't think. Maybe I can teach him how to understand a ningen, such as myself.' And so Kagome's stoic mask never left her features.

Sasagawa walked away feeling very confident that she will submit to him once he made it through the tournament. He knew he would have to fight because there were so many that wanted this powerful onna. But he was determined to win her for himself.

Kagome then turned her attention to a wolf that was approaching her youbo. He walked like he was Kami's gift to women and no one would deny him; he was very confident to say the least. Kagome already didn't like his arrogance as he approached Ayashiko.

Ayashiko watched the prince of the wolves. She didn't favor the wolf clan, but especially this particular wolf. His scent reeked of decaying carcasses, playing havoc on her senses. He stopped in front of her and stated, "Milady, grant me the approval that I seek in order to court the beautiful and most captivating creature I have ever seen." Ayashiko tried hard not to roll her eyes at the baka wolf. She could tell that he was very powerful, and she had no choice due to protocol but to let him approach her pup.

Koga, prince of the wolf demon clan, approached Kagome. He walked with overzealous confidence, as his tail moved from side to side, in anticipation of being near this onna. When he stopped in front of her, Kagome's beauty and scent blew him away. His clan did not like ningen, but he was willing to make some concessions with this one, because she was very powerful, and any pups born from their union will be as well. He bowed to Kagome as he said, "I wish to offer my suit to you milady."

Kagome raised an eyebrow to the wolf standing before her, "That is very kind of you, but I would like to know your name."

Koga just smirked at the onna in front of him, "My name is Koga and I'm the prince of the wolf demon clan. You will be my woman by this time tomorrow, because I will not take no for an answer."

Kagome's temper was starting to get the best of her, but she calmed herself as she got it under control, "Very well Koga-sama, but I am also considering other suits."

Koga moved with speed as he raced forward and grabbed Kagome by the waist, pulling her into his chest. He then growled out, "You are my woman and there is nothing that you can say that will change that fact. You will be mine."

Kagome's anger peaked, "Release me you arrogant wolf! I'm not yours nor will I ever be if I have a say in it."

There was a series of growls that was heard around the couple, as Kagome looked up to see that Inutaisho, along with Ayashiko, ready to attack the wolf for touching her.

Ayashiko had only taken her eyes off Kagome for just a second to stop the next suitor, when she heard her pup cry out. She turned to see that the wolf had her Musume in his arms and was not about to let go.

Ayashiko aura flared with rage as she turned her full attention to the wolf. Her anger summoned her mate who was now standing in front of her as he growled to the wolf, "Release my pup Koga or suffer my wrath."

Koga turned to the Western Lord with Kagome still in his arms, "No, I will not release her. She is perfect for me and I claim her as my mate."

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow in disbelief and then turned his attention to his little one, "Kagome, you have my permission to do whatever you like to him."

Kagome smiled wickedly; she was given permission to thrash the wolf. She allowed her Reiyouku to encircle her body, burning the wolf. He quickly let her go.

Kagome stood tall as she faced her opponent, "Why you arrogant, egotistical, infuriating, wolf! I will never be your mate. You are not powerful enough to dominate me, and I will show you why."

Kagome's aura calmed as she took a fighting stance in front of the wolf, while everyone gathered to see the confrontation between the miko and the wolf. Koga could only laugh as he said, "I'll have you as my mate, if you think that you can defeat me then think again." He attacked as he tried to pin her to the ground.

Kagome saw him coming as she grabbed his wrist, turned, and threw him over her shoulder. Koga landed flat on his back, with the wind knocked out of him. He got back on his feet and attacked again. This time he was not going to subdue her, he was attacking her outright for making a fool out of him in front of the governing lords. His claws extended as he went to slash the girl.

Kagome saw him coming, as she got ready with the move Dewa taught her. She ducked under his arm as it passed over her head. Then she came up and caught him in the stomach, as her fist connected, using her body for leverage, she sent him flying across the room. He hit the tables that held the food, and he was hurting from her blow.

Kagome, in her attack, had broken three of his ribs, as she was making her way toward the arrogant wolf. When she got there, she put her hands on her hips, "Well, are you going to get back up or what? You said that I can never defeat you and yet you lay there not moving. You are a pathetic weak wolf."

Kagome turned as she thought that this fight was over. She was walking back toward Ayashiko when she heard Inutaisho say, "Kagome! Watch out!"

She turned in time to see the wolf coming towards her. She didn't have time to move out of the way as he grabbed her by the neck and pinned her to the floor. She tried to get out of his hold as she heard him say, "You bitch! You belong to me now and you will submit to me as your new mate."

Kagome eyes flashed with anger as they started to turn to a deep shade of grey. She grabbed his arm with both her hands. She twisted and brought up her foot using it as leverage. She used her legs as she gave a powerful push to remove the offending youkai from on top of her.

Kagome quickly got up on her feet as her hands started to glow pink. Her anger was peaked again when she was grabbed from behind. Kagome was struggling to get out of the possessive hold she was in, when she heard a familiar purr coming from behind her.

Inutaisho had enough, he saw his pup's anger get the better of her, and if he let her, she would kill him. He had a better idea as he rushed to her side and grabbed her from behind to calm her down. Once she was calmed, he gave her to his mate as he stepped toward the wolf that was still on the floor.

He was bleeding and coughing up blood from the injuries that he received from his pup, "Koga, you have disgraced your clan in my home. You are no longer welcomed here in the Western Lands. I banish you from my lands, and if I ever catch you anywhere near my territory again, I will kill you myself. Am I understood?"

Koga looked up to see the enraged youkai lord. He had no idea what came over him, but he was hurting from a mere ningen onna's attack. She never used her Reiyouku and this shocked him. If she had used her Reiyouku, he had no doubt that he would be dead right now. She had to be the most powerful female in the lands to fight like this.

He slowly got to his feet, holding on to his side as his broken ribs tried to heal, and made his way out of the castle. This fight was not over yet. He will come back for this bitch and then he will teach her who her master is.

---oOo---

Sesshomaru witnessed Kagome's intelligent and discrete assistance to his father. He felt pride that his intended mate had successfully protected him from the foolish hawk. He was impressed that she was fluently versed in the strange foreign language and now even more convinced of her suitability as his mate.

He was standing off to the side with the rest of the eligible males as he looked toward Musashino, he knew that he would not compete for Kagome. His clan will never accept a ningen, even one who is worthy. They would never tolerate outside blood, and this intolerance would lead to the weakening of their line; eventually, they will not be able to reproduce. He shook his head not knowing why they would do this to their own clan, but he could care less. That was just one less person that he would have to fight for his future mate.

Sesshoumaru continued to observe, and from what he gathered, she was only asking one question of her suitors, but he was too far away to hear what she was saying. Soon he will be able to step forward and let his suit be known. He waited patiently when he observed the wolf step forward to offer his suit.

He didn't like that wolf, always acting like he was better than everyone else, as a growl escaped lips.

When the wolf grabbed his intended, he was about to attack. But before he could even take a step in Kagome's direction, he felt someone grab him by his right arm. He looked down to see Yoshino. He snarled, and said, "Release me!"

Yoshino looked up at the youkai that she finally cornered. She has been trying all evening to get to him. She couldn't risk her father's wrath; he will never approve of her being so forward, but she wanted Sesshoumaru. He was very handsome, and his wealth was vast. She would give anything to be the next Lady of the West.

Yoshino noticed when he walked over to the area where all the other unmated males waited. She couldn't believe that her father actually agreed to let that ningen mate with nobles. Kagome was not worth the dirt beneath her feet. Yoshino will be damned if she let her Sesshoumaru declare his suit for that bitch. She wanted his suit, but he would never give it to her.

She looked up into his eyes, "Sesshoumaru, why do you want to declare your suit to a worthless ningen? She is not your equal like I am. I can give you full-blooded youkai pups, and they can truly be heirs to the west. Do you think that the other lords will allow a hanyou to have control over the west?"

Sesshomaru didn't even listen to what the whore, standing next to him, was saying. His concern right now was for his intended, who somehow got loose from the wolf and was fighting him. He watched with interest when Kagome thrashed the wolf and threw him across the room.

His eyes started to bleed red when the wolf return to continue his domination over Kagome, but the wench that was attached to his arm stopped him from leaving and going to her aid. Sesshoumaru turned, barring his fangs at Yoshino, "Release me or lose your life. The choice is yours." His claws ready to attack with its poison seeping out of them. He meant business.

Yoshino released his arm when she saw his claws. She remembered the last time he made to attack her; it was Sesshoumaru's father, who saved her from his wrath. She saw him turn as he raced toward the ningen.

Jealousy was making its way into Yoshino's heart. She hated that ningen for capturing Sesshoumaru's attention where she couldn't. She couldn't understand why he rejected her. She made sure to keep all of her trysts a secret, as she hid their scent on her body so no one knew what she was doing. So why was he acting this way with her? She continued to watch with everyone else.

Sesshomaru had stopped just short of getting to Kagome when he saw her in his mothers arms, safe and sound.

Inutaisho then turned to his mate and pup, as he approached and asked, "Is Kagome all right?"

Ayashiko looked up from her pup, "Yes she is fine. We can continue with the suits."

Inutaisho saw the gleam in his mate's eyes that told him that not everyone has declared their suit for his pup. He got the message as he announced, "The suits will continue until all have been offered to Kagome."

Ayashiko turned to Kagome as she said, "Kagome can you continue to accept suits? There are still a few more."

Kagome stood on her own two feet as she answered, "Yes."

Ayashiko heard how tired Kagome was, but she still continued with her duty. She was proud of Kagome as she turned her eyes toward her eldest pup. She saw him standing there looking at Kagome with want in his eyes.

They returned to the spot where they were standing earlier, before they were interrupted, as the suits continued. Ayashiko turned many of the males away for they were not worthy of her pup. Some she let approach as she heard Kagome ask the same question to all of them.

Then Ayashiko saw her own pup come forth as he said, "Milady, I wish to offer my suit to the lovely and beautiful Kagome."

Ayashiko smiled, as she gave her consent and let him get closer to Kagome.

Kagome was tired. She was wondering when all of this would end when she saw Sesshomaru approach her. Her heart started to beat faster when he stopped right in front of her and bowed deeply to her, "My lovely Kagome, my name is Sesshoumaru and I'm heir to the Western Lands. I wish to offer my suit to you for my chance to mate with you."

Kagome was startled when she heard his words. 'He wants to mate with me? Why?' were her thoughts, as she bowed in return. "Sesshoumaru-sama, I have only one question for you, why do you want me as your mate?"

Sesshoumaru stood tall, as he took one step forward and looked into her beautiful blue eyes, "For a while now I have desired you. At first it was because you were the most powerful female I have ever met. But as time went by, I saw a lot more than just power. I saw an onna that would protect that which is not hers. I saw her teach pups to fight and be strong. I saw a loving heart that gives and gives, never asking for anything in return.

"I have watched you from afar, never being able to tell you, until today, how I really felt because it was forbidden for me to say anything. I will prove to you that I am a worthy mate."

Then Sesshoumaru took a half step forward as he leaned down toward Kagome. He lowered his voice just enough so only she could hear what he was about to say. He knew that he was breaking protocol but he wanted to make sure that she understood how he truly felt about her, as he whispered, "Kagome, I want you as my mate because I love you."

Kagome was blown away by his declaration. Tears started to form in her eyes, as she looked deep into his honey golden orbs. He was telling her the truth. He loved her and she could clearly see it right down to his soul.

"I never knew that you felt this way about me. For a long time, I thought that you didn't care for me. I will definitely give your suit my consideration, Sesshoumaru." Kagome said with a dark red blush on her face, as she looked at the youkai that was standing in front of her.

Sesshomaru smiled, as he bowed and left Kagome. He said everything that he wanted to say, and he let her know that he wanted her as his mate. Now, the fight to claim Kagome was on. He knew that he would have to defeat the rest of the youkais that wanted Kagome as a mate. But no one answered her question the way she wanted it to be answered, to give them a chance to dominate her. He will win this fight and he will have her as his mate.

Sesshoumaru's inner inu agreed with him, he would help him claim their mate. It was time to get what was theirs. Now that the female has been presented and accepted, he was free to claim her.

But he knew that he had to dominate her. He understood that she was going to fight him to the very end, and he hoped that what he has planned, would work or it would mean that they would both die from the effort.

Inutaisho watched as his own pup made his suit known to Kagome. He knew that his son would be the perfect mate for her, but now that the suits have been declared, he will have to fight for her. He acknowledged that Sesshoumaru was powerful, but it was going to take a lot out of him and there was a chance that he might not win the battles.

Inutaisho got an idea as he walked over to his son and whispered, "Sesshoumaru, when I end this, please stay here because I want to talk to you."

Inutaisho approached his mate as he turned to all in the room and announced, "The suiting session is now over. To all those that offered suits to Kagome, we will meet in the morning at the training field. Follow my guards to the designated field and then the challenge will begin. I want to thank all of you for coming here today. Please enjoy the evening festivities."

Inutaisho then turned his attention to Ayashiko, "Mate, take Kagome up to her room. She must be exhausted from everything that has happened here today."

Ayashiko complied with his wishes as she walked over to Kagome and led her away from everyone in the audience chambers. They slowly walked up the stairs as Ayashiko made it to Kagome's room and opened the door for her pup. She led Kagome into the room and proceeded to sit her down on her futon and asked, "Kagome? Are you all right?"

Kagome's eyes were dazed as she looked up at Ayashiko and asked, "What will happen tomorrow?"

Ayashiko smiled while she sat down next to her Musume, wrapping her arm around her, "Tomorrow, all those that offered you their suits will fight for the right to be your mate. There can only be one winner in tomorrows contest. You will not be attending the actual battle. I don't think that you will enjoy seeing what is going to happen out there. You will stay here until a winner is announced. After a short break, you will be summoned, and the winner will have his chance with you."

Kagome lowered her head as she said, "I hope that you understand that I can't let anyone dominate me. I will fight to the bitter end to see if this male is strong enough to protect me. I have no idea who will be the victor tomorrow, but in some way I'm hoping that it's Sesshoumaru. He was the only one that answered my question on why he wanted to mate with me. He gave me a reason why I should let him dominate me, if he should be the victor. But I will not make it easy for him. He would have to earn that right."

Ayashiko smiled as she said, "What did he tell you Kagome that would make you think about giving him a chance?"

Kagome took a deep breath as she slowly let it out, "He said that he loved me."

Ayashiko was surprised to hear this, Sesshoumaru never revealed his feeling to anyone, not even to her. She looked at Kagome as she brought her into a tighter embrace, "Kagome, if Sesshoumaru said that he loved you, believe him. My son is not one to declare his feelings so freely. But what I want to know is… do you love him Kagome?"

Kagome listened to what her youbo was saying and it made sense. Sesshoumaru was not the type of youkai who would express his feeling so easily. Then she heard her youbo's next question and she froze. She didn't know how to answer that question.

She thought for a few minutes as she said, "I really don't know how I feel about him. I have never been in love with anyone before. He is the first male to actually show any interest in me. I care deeply for him and I might even love him but I don't know for sure."

Ayashiko chuckled as she said, "My Musume. I think you know the answer to that question, but you don't want to admit it to yourself. If you didn't love my son on some level, you would not doubt your feelings. You might belie the truth, Kagome, because I think you're in love with Sesshoumaru."

Kagome thought about what Ayashiko said. It was almost the same thing that Sango told her. If these two people, who she trusted with all her heart, were telling her that she was in love with Sesshoumaru, then it might, just might be true.

Ayashiko then leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Kagome, I think and believe that he's your soul mate. The one you are destined to love for the rest of your life."

Flabbergasted was the only thing that Kagome felt at that moment in time. She learned many lessons here, and one of the lessons was that Ayashiko never lied to her.

Tears started to form in Kagome's eyes, as the truth of Ayashiko words, reached her heart. She finally felt it, she finally knew what her true feelings were for Sesshoumaru. But she kept her features neutral. She didn't want to give away her feelings for the handsome youkai. He may have said that he loved her but she still had her doubts.

But the reality that many will get hurt fighting for the right to dominate her sickened Kagome, "Mother… is there a way that we can stop what is going to happen tomorrow."

Ayashiko was shocked to hear this as she looked at Kagome, "Kagome, why do you want to stop everything now that it has begun? Even I can't stop what has to happen. This is the way of the Inu Youkai and you must live with it.

"But you, my Musume, will have to fight the winner of tomorrows challenge, because if you do not, then it will dishonor the one that has defeated all the other males for the right to dominate you."

Kagome signed deeply as she resigned herself to her fate, "All right, I will fight the winner of the match tomorrow."

Ayashiko chuckled at her comment as she started to purr. She could tell that her pup was tired and was fighting the sleep that wanted to claim her. She felt Kagome relax into her arms as her breathing evened out and finally fell asleep.

Ayashiko laid Kagome down on her futon as she covered her up and kissed her forehead. She could only hope that Sesshoumaru wins the battle tomorrow, because if he did not, this will be the last time she would see her Ittoshi Musume alive.

Ayashiko walked out of Kagome's room as she placed a barrier on her door to prevent anyone from going into the room. She did not want her sleep to be disturbed and she knew that there were others here that wanted to challenge her, because Sesshoumaru has given his suit to Kagome. One person in particular came to Ayashiko's mind as she walked down the hallway trying to see if she could find the guards.

She found the captain of the guards and told him, "Captain, I want guards posted at the entrance to the western wing. No one is to enter the wing that do not belong here, is that understood?"

The guard bowed deeply to his lady, "Yes milady, I understand your instructions. I will send a couple of guards to check the area out before they take their position at the doors. No one will get into the western wing."

Ayashiko was satisfied with his answer as she turned and returned to the western wing. She was tired and needed to rest. Tomorrow was going to be a hard day. Especially, when she witnesses what the winning male was going to do to her Musume.

It was never easy for a mother to watch their daughter battle a male. The female will always get hurt and when he bites her, she will be in pain. She only hopes that Kagome survives the battle tomorrow, because she knew that it was going to be very intense.

Ayashiko continued walking towards her room, but she first stopped at her youngest son's room to check on him. They had let him retire early from the party. He was still young and needed his rest.

Ayashiko opened his door and looked in on her son. He was uncovered as his leg was hanging out of the covers. She walked over to him and covered him up again, not wanting him to get sick from the cool air in the room. She kissed his forehead and then left his room, happy that he was safe and in the land of dreams.

Ayashiko then proceeded to her own room. She walked in, closing the door behind her, as she made her way to her own bed. She changed into her sleeping nemaki, and laid down on her soft futon. It has been a long day and tomorrow was going to be even longer.

---oOo---

Once Inutaisho was finished with what he wanted to say to his guest, he walked over to his son, "Sesshoumaru, please follow me."

Sesshoumaru followed his father as he took him to a different part of the castle. He has never been in this part before. His father led him into the oldest and uninhabited part of the castle. He noticed the wards and barriers that protected this section as they entered what looked like an old study. The room was covered in dust and you could smell the mold and mildew from the place not being cleaned properly.

His father walked over to one of the shelves as he reached up and touched a book that was on the shelf just above his head. When he pulled the book down, a door right in front of him popped opened. Inutaisho pushed the door the rest of the way open and stepped in. Sesshoumaru followed his father wondering what was hidden all the way down here.

They walked the darkened hallway for a while when they reached another door. His father opened this one and when they stepped inside, Sesshoumaru got the surprise of his long life. Here in this room, there were books and ancient armor. But on the wall directly in front of him, there was a beautiful sword that was sitting out in plain site.

Sesshoumaru walked closer to the sword as he looked at it closely. The handle was done in gold and there was a two tail Inu Youkai engraved on the hilt. The blade, he could tell, was still very sharp as it shone brightly by the light of the torches in the room. There was a dragon that was engraved on the length of the blade itself. He could feel the power that the sword possessed as he turned to his father, "Father, what is this place? I never knew this place existed."

Inutaisho looked at his son as he sighed and went over to where the sword rested on the wall. He took a deep breath as he started his tale, "This part of the castle was where your Hiijiji lived. My father closed off this part of the castle and no one has been allowed to enter since his death. My father showed me this room right before he died. He said that another two tailed Inu Youkai will be born from our line, and if he ever showed up, that this sword was his to command.

"No one, not even me, has been able to touch this sword. I believe, my son, that you are the next two tail Inu that was foretold so many years ago. If you can pick up this sword, then the sword is yours to wield. Use it to protect your mate and our lands from the evil that wants to take it away from us."

Sesshoumaru was surprised to hear this. He never knew that his Hiijiji had a sword like this. He turned around as he looked at the sword. He took a deep breath as he reached for it. When his hand closed around the hilt of the sword, a bright flash of light came forth as he closed his eyes to shield them.

Sesshoumaru slowly opened his eyes when he was sure that he would not go blind. He then found himself standing in the middle of a clearing with the sword in his hand. He heard a noise and looked up to see a very powerful Inu Youkai coming towards him.

He had two tails that were resting one on each of his shoulder. His clothes were similar to the one's that he was wearing, right down to the red sakura blossoms that were going down the sleeves of his haori. He was taller than him. His face was very similar to his father as he has two purple stripes on each side of his cheeks. He had the blue crescent moon of the west on his forehead.

He was very well built and very muscular. His form radiated power as he stopped right in front of him and they looked at each other.

The other Inu that stopped in front of Sesshoumaru decided to break the silence as he said, "Hello Sesshoumaru, I am your Hiijiji, Tsuyoimaru."

Sesshoumaru was stunned when he heard this Inu declare to be his Hiijiji, as he asked, "How can you be my Hiijiji when he died so long ago? Where am I? And why have you brought me here? Where is my father?"

Tsuyoimaru laughed full and hearty at the young pups questions, "My Sesshoumaru, you are full of questions. My spirit lives within the sword that you hold in your hand. Only one with two tails can control the power of this sword.

"I brought you here because I needed to speak with you, and your father is fine. He is upset at the moment, but he will be fine, once you wake up. You are, my boy, in my realm in the after life. It is between the living world and my final resting place. I can not rest until I have passed on my power to another worthy two tail Inu Youkai."

Sesshoumaru looked at the sword in his hand as he looked up at the Inu Youkai standing in front of him, "But Hiijiji, I don't have two tails, why does the sword let me hold it?"

Tsuyoimaru looked at his great grandson, "Do you have something to protect Sesshoumaru? Do you want the power of the ancient two tail Inu Youkai to protect this something that is close to you and your heart?"

Sesshoumaru thought about his question for a moment, "Yes, I have someone to protect. She means the world to me and I wish with all my heart to protect her for all eternity."

Tsuyoimaru then said, "But do you accept the power of the two tails in order to do this?"

Sesshoumaru stood straight as he said, "If it will help me protect her, then yes. I accept the power of the two tails."

Tsuyoimaru smiled, "I knew that you would. She is very special my great grandson. Love her and protect her with my blessing. I grant you the true power of my sword and the power of the two tails. Your transformation will not be complete until you have a need for this power.

"At the time when you find yourself weakening in a fight and need the added strength to defeat those in front of you, call my name, and you will truly transform into the two tail that I know you are."

Sesshoumaru kneeled before his Hiijiji, "I promise you, that I will only bring honor to our family and I will protect my mate with my life."

Tsuyoimaru was touched by his great grandson's words, "You have picked a fighter my boy. She will do our line proud. Remember what I have said. Love her for all eternity."

There was another flash of light, as Sesshoumaru was slowly opening his eyes, to see that he was on the ground with his father leaning over him. His face reflected the worry he had at seeing him like this.

---oOo---

Inutaisho watched as his son walked over to the sword and wrapped his hand around the hilt. He had to close his eyes when the bright light appeared but within moments it was gone as fast as it appeared. He looked around the room, looking for his son and he found him passed out on the floor.

He rushed to his side as he tried to wake him up. Nothing he did woke his pup, and he was starting to panic. He was about to pick him up and take him back to the main castle, when he saw him start to move. He waited until he saw his son slowly opening his eyes.

Inutaisho was relieved to see that he was finally awake as he asked, "Sesshoumaru are you all right?"

Sesshoumaru heard his father's concerns, "Yes father, I'm all right."

Inutaisho helped his son to his feet, checking him over to make sure he wasn't hurt, "What happened to you after you touched the sword? I couldn't wake you up. I was about to take you back to the main castle and get the healers to take a look at you."

Sesshoumaru looked at the sword in his hand and then looked for its sheath. He found it up on the wall as he reached for it and drove the sword in to where it belonged. He then placed the sword in his sash, as he proceeded to tell his father what he discussed with his Hiijiji.

Inutaisho was shocked to hear this. Even though he knew that his son was the one that the oracle told him about, it was still hard to take in this news. He turned to his son, "I knew that you were the one to accept this power. It was foretold many years ago, that he along with his mate will protect the lands from the evil that was coming. Once you admitted your love for Kagome, I knew that it was time to give you the sword. It was meant for you to use and no other."

Sesshoumaru understood what his father was saying as they both turned and left the room they were in. Sesshoumaru vowed to come back and read all the books in this room, he knew that they held a wealth of knowledge for him. He wanted to get to know his Hiijiji. He felt connected to him somehow and that made him feel proud. Not a whole lot was known about his Hiijiji, and he wanted to learn everything that he could about him.

They finally walked out of the old section of the castle as they made their way back to the western wing. When they got to the entrance of the wing, Inutaisho saw three guards there as he asked, "Why are you standing guard here?"

The guards kneeled when they saw their lord approaching. When they heard his question, the senior guard answered, "Milord, milady requested that the entrance to the wing be guarded, to make sure that no one enters this section of the castle."

Inutaisho was surprised to hear that his mate requested the extra guards, "Has there been anyone that wanted to enter the western wing tonight?"

"Yes milord, there was a female Inu Youkai that wanted to pass, but we would not let her. She was upset that we denied her entry into the western wing and then she left." Said the guard.

Inutaisho fully understood who this female was. Yoshino was pushing her luck with his son, and if she did not watch herself, she will wind up being killed. He turned his attention to his guards, as he said to them, "You have done well. I will deal with the female Inu in the morning."

The guards felt honored for the praise they received from their lord, as they stood and opened the door to the western wing for him and his son, and then closed it when they entered.

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru made their way to their rooms, when they passed by Kagome's door they noticed the new barrier that Ayashiko placed on it. "Hmm, your mother must be worried that someone will try to hurt Kagome, so she placed her own barrier on the door."

Sesshoumaru agreed with his father, as he turned toward his room to get some rest. It was going to be a long day tomorrow and he needed to sleep.

Inutaisho said goodnight to his pup as he continued to his room. He found his mate in bed sound asleep as he smiled. 'She looks even more beautiful when she sleeps,' were his thoughts. He took off his clothes as he climbed into bed with his mate. He pulled her into his chest as he sighed in contentment and closed his eyes. Her scent relaxed him as he fell into a peaceful sleep.

Gengetsujou was finally quiet as everyone retired for the night. The next day was going to be exciting as the fight for the miko was going to start. Gathered, here in the castle, were the strongest males in the land. Soon, the fall rutting season will start, and every male was looking for a female in order to mate. But only one male will have the chance to claim the beautiful miko as everyone slept the night away.

---oOo---

Hiijiji – Great Grandfather

This is the end to another chapter. I want to apologize to everyone for not posting in a long while, I was sick for a few weeks and couldn't see to the editing of this chapter. I wanted to thank Frenchgirl for telling me that my French sentence was incorrect. Sorry about that but I will go back and correct chapter 17 when time permits me to.

The battle for Kagome is about to begin. Who will be the victor in this battle? Will it be Sesshoumaru? Or will it be the handsome Sasagawa? Hmm, maybe the arrogant Yuzuru? Well you will have to read the next chapter to find out.

Please join me in the next chapter as Kagome finally meets the male that is powerful enough to dominate her.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Dawn was slowly approaching the Western Lands. The sky was clouded over and it was particularly cold this morning, you could see your breath rising in the cool air.

The inhabitances of Gengetsujou were all still asleep except for the servants and the guards. They were busy getting the castle ready for the day's event. Soon their lord will rise and everything had to be ready.

The morning meal was well underway of being prepared. The other half of the kitchen help was already preparing the noonday meal. They all hoped that the fight would be over this morning. They wanted to see who would get the privilege of having the beautiful miko as a mate.

Many in the castle liked the young miko. At first they were curious about her, she was a strange one, not like the other miko's they have heard about. Then three female demonesses started to bully everyone into hating the young onna. They wanted the young miko out of the castle because she was a ningen.

Many would act cold around the miko when the demonesses were watching. They did not want to risk their wrath, but everyone knew that they wanted the young lord and heir as a mate. Some of the servants could not dismiss the miko so easily. She was kind and had a loving heart. She only wished to befriend and learn about you. She was curious just like a newborn pup.

The training field that their lord requested the day before has already been set up. There was seating in the area for everyone to watch the tournament. No one ever died in these tournaments, but there would be a lot of blood shed.

Only the strongest males will fight for the right to mate. It was a good thing that they were not fighting with weapons or there would be some deaths out there today. It was also forbidden for them to use their true forms because they had to prove they were strong on their own.

The first of the guests were making their way into the dining hall. Ironically, it was the males that were up this early in the morning. The females will not come down until the males have left the area. It was tradition, because the females were still very protective of their pups, and will attack anyone who would do them harm. So they were banned from the tournament until the fighting was over. They were only allowed to witness the domination of the female, and even then the males had to restrain the females from attacking.

Soon the tournament would start as they all waited for the lord of the castle to come down.

---oOo---

Lord Inutaisho slowly opened his eyes. Dawn was upon them and the tournament will start soon. He released his mate from his embrace as he got out of bed and went to get cleaned up.

When he walked back into his bedchambers, he noticed that his mate had not awakened from her slumber. He left their room as he went to attend his guests, the males will already be up and about.

As Inutaisho walked out of his room, he saw Sesshoumaru standing in the hallway, waiting for him. Sesshoumaru appeared to be deep in thought as he approached. Inutaisho looked at his son, "Sesshoumaru is there anything bothering you?"

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru has been up for hours. Only getting a few hours of sleep as he formed in his mind what he was going to do, to fight against Yuzuru and Sasagawa. They were the ones that he had to defeat in order to get to his future mate. He knew that he was more powerful than them, but power had nothing to do with it, if he couldn't bring them down. His inner inu was rattling in his mental cage. He was ready for the fight ahead, but even more so, he was ready to dominate their female.

Sesshoumaru came out of his room as he sensed that his father was up and about. He decided to wait for him so they could go down to the dining hall together, since he would not be able to see his mother before the tournament.

He closed his eyes as he caught the scent of his intended in the air. It was so beautiful and sweet. He couldn't wait to wake up to that smell every morning. For after today, she will be by his side for all eternity. He was really looking forward to that.

He was so deep in thought that he almost didn't hear his father's question, "No, there is nothing bothering me father, I was just thinking about the tournament."

Inutaisho continued to look at his son with concern, "Very well, if there is nothing bothering you, let us head down to the dining hall." They both turned as they made their way downstairs.

When they finally arrived, only the male guests were waiting for them, as they took their rightful seats and started the meal. The meal was a small one since they all were not that hungry. Once they were done eating, everyone left the dinning hall as they made their way to the training field.

Inutaisho wanted a chance to talk to Sesshoumaru before the battle, so they walked behind everyone else in order to have his chance to speak to him. He turned towards his son, "Sesshoumaru, be careful out there with Yuzuru and Sasagawa. The blue/gold Inu's are known for their cunning and he will be a tricky one to defeat. Watch out for his attacks, they are bound to be powerful, but he does have a weakness. You must look where you would least expect to see his weakness."

Sesshoumaru was surprised that his father was giving him advice for defeating his opponents, but he would take help from wherever it came. He took his fathers words to heart as he continued to listen to what he was saying. 

"Sasagawa is a powerful tiger youkai. But like any cat, he does have his weakness. Most cats will land on their feet but tigers are different. I have never let anyone see my weakness when fighting so they don't know where to attack. You, my son, they have never seen fight, so their fathers can't offer any words of wisdom to their sons. I, on the other hand, know of their father's weaknesses and of their son's. Take my warnings for whatever they are worth and look for these weaknesses. It will be the key to defeating them." Inutaisho spoke, as they continued to walk to the training field.

Soon everyone was seated in the seats provided as the males that made their suits known to the female were standing in the middle of the field.

When everything was ready, Inutaisho made his way to the middle of the field as he announced. "Greetings everyone. This is the battle to see who will win the right to dominate my pup Kagome. These fine young youkai here on the field have offered my pup their suits, but only one can approach the female. The winner of this tournament will have the right to dominate the female in question, and all other males will withdraw their suits."

"Now this will be a battle of strength and endurance. It is their chance to prove that they are powerful enough on their own to protect and care for the female in question. There will be no weapons allowed and no one can transform into their true forms. The first male that transforms will be disqualified and his opponent will be declared the victor. This is also a battle to see how well these young pups can control their inner beast as the prize is a female."

Inutaisho then turned his attention to the males on the field as he said, "Do you all understand what is required and what is not permitted?"

Inutaisho counted thirty males, which had offered their suits to his little one last night. He saw as all of them agreed to the terms of the battle.

They split the males into three groups. Each group walked to a different part of the field while the Lords of the North and East were the judges at each area. They were powerful enough to control any suitor if they were to turn into their true forms. They drew lots to see who their opponents would be as the first battles started.

On a few occasions, the lords had to transform into their true forms to calm one of the suitors down when in the heat of battle they transformed into their true form and were about to kill their opponent. Those youkai were disqualified as their opponents won the battle.

It continued like this until all three groups of youkai had battled once. The battling was fierce, as one of the winners could not continue the competition due to injuries suffered on the battlefield.

That left them with an even number of youkai that were still in the tournament for the female. They divided the group up once more as they started round two of the battles.

Sesshoumaru was in the heat of battle as he fought his second opponent. His first opponent did not present a challenge to him, but this one was proving to be a formidable opponent.

Sesshoumaru was fighting against a bear youkai, and he was powerful. He has gotten several claw marks on his person, but the bear youkai was in worse shape. He was bleeding heavily and was swaying on his feet. Sesshoumaru noticed his opponent weakness and it was about time that he used it to his advantage. He had to finish this battle and soon, or he will not have enough strength to battle Kagome.

Sesshoumaru was slowly opening and closing his hands discreetly so his opponent didn't notice what he was doing, as his poison started to come forth. He got ready as the bear youkai attacked again. He rushed forward as he side stepped to the bear's blind side and slashed with his claws; his poison finally making contact with his opponent body.

The bear youkai went down and did not move. He was convulsing on the ground as Sesshoumaru's poison went to work on his body. He was declared the winner as the healers rushed in with the antidote for his poison before it was too late for the bear. They reached him in time as he was slowly recovering from the attack.

Sesshoumaru walked away to finish healing his wounds. There were still more battles to be fought, but he was getting nearer to his goal.

The battles were fierce and many lost to the more powerful youkai on the field. Many were too injured to continue with the tournament as the field was narrowed down to the final few. As a result, only six suitors were left after about two hours of fighting. Among them were the three heirs of the lands and three heirs to rival clans.

Inutaisho looked at the challengers that remained, he was happy to see that his son was among the final six youkai. He raised his hand once again as one of his soldiers came running to his side with a bag in his hand. He handed it to his lord before bowing and leaving the training field.

Inutaisho then turned his attention to the six in front of him as he said, "Inside this bag there are three different colored balls. You are all to put your hand inside the bag and pull out one ball. The two with the same color will be your next opponent."

Inutaisho received a nod from everyone, as one by one, they came up and pulled a ball out of the bag. When everyone was done, they all looked at the color they had in their hands. It seemed that for this round the three heirs of the lands were to face off with the three heirs from rival clans. 'Now this should be interesting when the three that are left standing have to choose who they will battle next.' Thought Inutaisho to himself.

Inutaisho then turned to the crowd of on lookers as he announced, "The order of battle will be as follows." He removed another bag from within his haori as he put his hand into the bag and pulled out a colored ball. "The first to fight will be the red."

He turned to see who had red and was surprised that it was Sasagawa who would be facing another Inu Youkai. Sasagawa was sporting several cuts already, but Inutaisho sensed that he still had most of his strength. The Inu Youkai that was to face him was not that badly injured, so it would be interesting to see what will happen in their match.

Then he reached into the bag again and pulled another color ball from the bag, "The next to fight will be green."

Again Inutaisho turned to see who had green. Sesshoumaru was to face off against a neko youkai. He looked at both Sesshoumaru and the neko. He didn't notice any outward change in the way his son carried himself, but he could tell that the battles have not been easy on him. He saw the wounds he sported; though they were already healed. The neko was not in much better shape, he had several wounds that have not closed all the way yet, that might prove to be his undoing.

He then turned and announced the final color, "The last to fight will be blue." That left Yuzuru to battle a lion youkai. He noticed right away that Yuzuru had the most injuries out of all the opponents that were present. He wondered if he should be fighting at all, but his opponent was in no better shape.

Now that everyone knew the order of battle, he said, "Will the first fighters stay on the field and the rest of you move off until it's your turn to fight."

Everyone left the field, the only ones that were left were the ones that had the red ball, as Inutaisho reiterated the rules for winning the battle. "Now, you will both fight until one of you can no longer fight, admits defeat, or is unconscious. You will not kill your opponent."

He got acknowledgement from the two standing in front of him as they moved into position to do battle. He raised his hand and let it fall, as the signal was given for the battle to commence.

Sasagawa eyed his opponent with care. He needed to win this fight to get to the female. She would give him many heirs, all of them powerful and he was determined to have her as his mate.

Sasagawa didn't want to expend too much energy because if he won this battle, he still had another to fight. He would need everything that he had to fight against the winners of the next match. Sasagawa thought about what to do as he got an idea and set his plan into motion.

The Inu Youkai in front of Sasagawa eyed him like a hawk. He knew that tiger youkais were devious individuals, and if he wanted a chance with that beautiful creature, he had to win this battle. He flexed his claws, as he got ready to attack. He was never one to just sit around and wait to see what the enemy was going to do.

The Inu Youkai attacked as he went after Sasagawa. He came in fast as he slashed with his claws at his opponent.

Sasagawa saw the attack coming, as he got ready. He quickly dodged the attack as he turned on his heals and waited for the fool to attack again. To his surprise, the Inu quickly turned and caught his left cheek with his claws. They moved away from each other as Sasagawa moved his left hand to his cheek and felt for the damage that the Inu had done. When he pulled his hand away from his cheek, he could see a good amount of blood coming from his wound.

He growled at the Inu for hurting him as he started to flex his own claws in response. He was going to make that Inu pay for scarring his face.

They continued to battle, Sasagawa got in a few hits as his opponent came in to attack. At one point Sasagawa thought that his opponent missed him, but when he looked down at his sleeve, he noticed that it was torn.

The Inu had a smile on his face as he launched another attack. He was fast as he quickly passed by his opponent and gave him a cut on his arm. Sasagawa finally figured out what the Inu was doing. Some how the hair on his tail was cutting him, and as the Inu went by, he was hitting him with it. Now that he knew what he was doing, he could take down the fool.

Their moves became quicker as each of them battled on. Sasagawa kept dodging his opponent's attacks until he saw all of his moves. Then he went on the offensive.

Sasagawa saw that the Inu was coming in for another attack, he dodged, but this time he lashed out with his own claws as he caught his opponent on his back and the Inu went down hard. The Inu didn't have time to bring his tail around this time. The injury was such that his opponent could not get back up again. Sasagawa walked over to the Inu as he said, "The next time you attack someone don't leave yourself open for an attack, you never protected your back, and that was your weakness."

Sasagawa casually walked away from the Inu as he was declared the winner of the first round. He had to get his wounds treated before the next fight. He had a feeling that he was going to need all of his strength to continue this tournament. He didn't think that he was going to have a hard time with the Inu, but he proved him wrong. That was a mistake that he was not going to make again.

Sesshoumaru had been watching what Sasagawa was doing. He observed his moves and took note, his father had been correct. He noticed that when Sasagawa turned to the left he was not sure footed. He would lose his balance every time he turned in that direction. He took notice of his weakness, as he got ready to fight his own battle.

Sesshoumaru took his position on the field, as did the Neko youkai. He eyed the neko with a bored expression until the signal was given to start the battle.

The neko wasted no time as he attacked Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru looked at his opponent as he raised his hand and lashed out with his poisonous whip. The neko was fast as he missed his whip and went straight for him. At the last moment, Sesshoumaru dodged the neko's attack as he came to stand right behind him.

The neko noticed right away where his opponent moved to, as he dropped to the ground and swept his right leg out, catching Sesshoumaru off guard. Sesshoumaru went down hard as he moved with speed to get out of the way of the claws, that his opponent was about to use.

'Hmm, this neko is smart. He is thinking several steps ahead of me in this fight, but I will not let him win.' Thought Sesshoumaru as he waited for the neko to attack again. So far neither of them landed a good blow on their opponent.

The neko didn't waste any time in attacking again as he slashed the air in front of him letting go of an attack that went straight for Sesshoumaru. The bolt of lightening that came out of his claws went straight to his opponent. It hit Sesshoumaru head on as the explosion rocked the area. A dust cloud engulfed the area where Sesshoumaru was standing.

The neko thought that this match was over, but at the last moment he saw Sesshoumaru's silhouette through the cloud of dust, as he leap into the air to dodged his attack.

Sesshoumaru flicked his wrist as his poison whip came out. He caught the neko by surprise as his whip hit his legs, he went down hard not being able to stand up. His poison was already working on his body.

Sesshoumaru landed gently on the ground. He looked at his withering opponent on the ground as he said, "pathetic," and walked off the field. The healers were ready with the antidote as they rushed in and gave it to the neko.

Sesshoumaru was declared the winner of the second match as he went and stood off to the side so he could observe Yuzuru. 'Now this should prove to be interesting.' Thought Sesshoumaru as he waited for the match to start.

Yuzuru walked out to the field and waited for his opponent to approach. When his opponent finally took the field they both waited until the signal was given for the battle to start.

To Sesshoumaru's surprise, Yuzuru attacked just a second after the signal was given. He went after the Lion Youkai with speed as he brought his claws to bear.

The Lion youkai saw the Inu attacking as he made an attack of his own. If this fool wanted a piece of him then he was willing to give it to him. They finally met in the middle of the field as they both slashed at each other. Both opponents landed a hit on each other as they pulled away and attacked again.

Both youkai were fast and very powerful. But at this point in the battle no one has actually used their true youki to win a match. They continued to trade blows as Yuzuru got the best of the Loin youkai.

On their final approach, Yuzuru pivoted on the ball of his right foot as his attacker missed him, and he struck the final blow. The Lion youkai went down as he was knocked unconscious, while Yuzuru stood in the middle of the field, panting from the effort.

Yuzuru was declared the winner as the other two winners came forward and stood in the middle of the field.

Inutaisho came back out with another bag in his hand as he shook it and said, "Now the semi finals. There are three balls in this bag. Two balls will be of the same color, but the third will be different. The one that draw the same colors will fight each other next. The loser of that round will then have another chance to fight, as they take on the one that is left in another battle. The winner of both battles will then face off to see who will win the right to mate with Kagome. Are there any questions?"

No one had any questions as one by one they all stepped forward and took a ball out of the bag and held it in their fist. When they were all done, he said, "Now open your hand to reveal who your next opponent is going to be."

All three brought their right hands forward as they all opened their hands at the same time. Yuzuru and Sasagawa had the same blue ball and Sesshoumaru had the golden one.

Inutaisho saw this and said, "Sesshoumaru, you will sit out this fight as Yuzuru and Sasagawa will face off next." Sesshoumaru inclined his head toward his father as he walked off the field to watch the match. Sesshoumaru had the feeling that the one who won this match will be the one he will be facing for the right to mate with Kagome.

If Sesshoumaru had to guess, he would say that it was going to be Sasagawa, because Yuzuru was foolish enough to waste his energy in fighting that lion youkai. If he had thought before he attacked, he would have been able to defeat that male with little to no effort, but he didn't and now he was paying the price for his stupidity.

There was a short break before the next battle took place. They wanted to give Yuzuru time to recover from his last battle before he fought Sasagawa.

Inutaisho was standing off to the side watching his pup. He couldn't go to him during this challenge, because it might seem that he was showing favoritism towards his son. He was in a way, but he knew that his son did not need to be distracted right now. He saw that Sesshoumaru was deep in thought, and the only thing that could be on his mind right now, was Kagome.

Sesshomaru was looking up at the sky as he thought about his lovely mate to be. The sky was grey, like her eyes would get when she was angry. It was cold out, as winter will soon be upon them.

Fall was in full swing and rutting season will soon be at hand. He will be able to participate this year because he will have Kagome to rut with. He just hoped that the courtship would be a short one. He didn't know how much longer he would last not having her. But he would be patient; he wanted a full life bond with her and he has yet to win her heart.

During his time of contemplation, Sesshomaru kept his eye on Yuzuru. He didn't trust the Inu Youkai, and he was sure that he was going to pull something on Sasagawa. He didn't like the tiger youkai, but he would not tolerate for someone to cheat during a competition.

The healers currently surrounded Yuzuru as they tended to his wounds. He had many of them, but they took care of the worst one first. You could hear Kasumigaoka cursing out his pup for being stupid and attacking blindly. "What were you thinking about Yuzuru? You didn't even plan your attacks. You went in there blindly like someone that has never been trained. You are the heir to the Northern Lands, and I expected much better from you." Raged Kasumigaoka as he looked at his son with worry in his eyes.

Yuzuru's wounds were too numerous, he was afraid that he has lost too much blood during the battles. Kasumigaoka turned toward his pup and said, "I think that you should forfeit the next match. You are too injured to continue the competition. There will be another female for you in the near future."

Yuzuru's eyes burned with anger as he said to his father, "No, I will not back down from this challenge. This miko is the most powerful miko in all the land and the strongest female I have ever met. There will never be another powerful female such as she. I must have her father, and I don't care what I have to do to win her. She will be mine!"

Kasumigaoka didn't know what to do. He has never seen his son act like this before. He watched as the healers got done with him, and he walked back out to the field for the next match. He shook his head not understanding what was going through his son's mind.

Yuzuru was ready to fight the tiger youkai. He had a score to settle with the tiger. They refused to trade with his father and his lands were in need of their products. Sure they were buying what they needed out of the west, but still, it would be easier for them to buy directly from the source. He was going to make Sasagawa pay for his father's mistakes. If all goes well, he will be the one to go against Sesshoumaru for that ningen onna.

Yes he wanted her only because she was the most powerful female in all the land, and the one that dominated her will rise to rule over the lands. With them being mated, he will be unstoppable when he became lord of the North, and that was something that he was looking forward to. He wanted to take the rule away from his father. He was too soft and their lands needed to be ruled with an iron fist.

As Yuzuru walked toward the field, he made the show of fixing his sash. He pulled from its folds a small vile that he quickly opened, unnoticed by anyone observing him. He coughed into his hand as he drank the potion. The potion would give him the energy he needed to defeat Sasagawa. He knew that he was too injured to continue, but he was out here to prove a point. He was not a weakling and he would win this tournament any way he could. Again he made a move to fix his sash as he hid the vile back where it belonged.

He waited patiently for his opponent to come back out to the field. He was feeling the affects of the potion, and he was ready to win this battle. When Sasagawa finally came back to the field it was time to battle. He was going to thoroughly enjoy this fight.

Sasagawa watched as his opponent walked back out to the field. He said his farewells to his father as he went back out to do battle. He had to keep his eyes on this fool. He knew he was hurt pretty badly, so he had to have something up his sleeve. No one with that many injuries would come back out to fight. He already lost a good amount of blood, and he didn't have enough time to restore it yet.

Both opponents faced each other as the signal was given to start the fight. They both stood out there in the middle of the field as they both got into a fighting stance. They were both deciding on a strategy to go with when, Yuzuru had his plan he attacked.

Sasagawa saw the Inu coming towards him as he waited. When he was close enough, he leaped out of the way of his attack. But to his surprise, Yuzuru countered as he pivoted and his claws struck his chest. They both skidded apart from each other as Sasagawa growled his anger at the Inu.

Yuzuru smirked he got the first hit of the battle. His father didn't give him any credit when it came to his skills. He knew what he was doing, having his opponent think that he was weakened from his previous battles caused him to let his guard down long enough for him to land a direct hit. He flexed his claws again as he moved in for another attack.

Sasagawa was not about to let him land another hit as he rushed in with his claws ready. He slashed as Yuzuru moved out of the way and Sasagawa countered with his tail as Yuzuru hit the ground. He was quickly back up on his feet as he let go of his youki and sent his attack toward his opponent.

Sasagawa was hard pressed to avoid the attack as he barely missed getting hit with it. He flexed his claws as he let one of his attacks go, yelling, "Kanazuchi Tsume!" A bright blue light came out of his claws as it went after Yuzuru.

Sasagawa was able to control his claw attack as it formed into a hammer, it moved toward Yuzuru who was trying to dodge the attack. He was not about to let him get away from his attack as it finally made contact.

Yuzuru had to put up a barrier as he struggled to keep it in place, while he got hit with Sasagawa's attack. His claw attack was powerful, but he just barely managed to protect himself. Another attack like that and he would be finished.

Yuzuru was weakening, not understanding why his potion was not working, as he continued with his battle with Sasagawa. They were both doing equal amount of damage to each other as the battle grew in its intensity. With a feral roar, Sasagawa's eyes turned blood red from his anger and charged straight at the Inu, who was now down from his previous attack.

He slashed with his claws as he caught Yuzuru off guard when he was trying to stand up. Sasagawa attack landed across Yuzuru back, injuring him severely. Yuzuru went down again not being able to move.

Sasagawa calmed after he saw that Yuzuru was no longer moving. He stood straight, as he was breathing hard from this battle, eyeing Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru saw Sasagawa eyes and knew that they would be facing each other soon in the final battle. Sesshoumaru saw enough of Sasagawa's attacks to know what to do. It was not going to be an easy fight but he had confidence that he would win.

Inutaisho came out to the field and declared Sasagawa the victor in the battle as they moved Yuzuru off the field to tend to his wounds. 'At least he is still alive.' Inutaisho thought as they waited until Sasagawa rested before the final battle.

It has only been four hours and the final battle was coming up soon. These young youkai were fast in defeating their opponents, but Inutaisho knew that the final battle was going to be a long one, for both pups were strong and determined. The only question was who was the most determined, Sesshoumaru or Sasagawa?

They gave Sasagawa a half hour to rest before the last two opponents walked out to the field and faced each other. No emotions showed on either of their faces as they eyed one another.

Inutaisho came back out to the field as he got everyone's attention, "Since Yuzuru can not continue to battle, he forfeits the match to Sesshoumaru. This will be the final battle to see who will mate with Kagome. Remember the rules of the battle."

Inutaisho then raised his arm up as he held it there, eyeing both opponents. He quickly lowered it and the final battle was on.

Sesshoumaru watched his opponent carefully. His beast was close to the top of his mind but he still had full control over him. His beast was not fighting him for control but was looking at the opposing beast to try and get a reading on how powerful he still was.

Jyaki was starting to take over the field as both opponents let their youki spread through the area showing their power. Both auras crashed into each other as they fought the unseen battle while neither aura gave in to the other.

Sesshoumaru determined that his opponent was indeed powerful but not stronger than him. He needed to defeat the tiger quickly and conserve his energy because he will need it with Kagome.

Sasagawa was impressed with Sesshoumaru's power. He knew he was strong, but he didn't know he was this powerful. This will prove to be an interesting battle as they continued to eye each other.

Sasagawa finally got a plan in his mind as he brought his hands forward and sent a blast of his youki toward Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru looked at the tiger with distain in his eyes as he quickly flicked his wrist and sent his whip to intercept the attack. His aura flared to give his whip some extra power. He batted the attack away from him, like he would a common fly, as he waited to see what else the tiger has to offer.

Sasagawa was surprised that Sesshoumaru could just deflect his attack so easily. He flexed his claws and then he slashed, yelling, "Kanazuchi Tsume!"

The blue light once again came out of his claws as it formed into a hammer and went after Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru saw the attack coming as he sent his whip out to intercept. His whip caught the attack in mid air, and it held it at bay, as they both struggled to get free of each other's attack.

Sesshoumaru got an idea as he lashed out with his other hand, "Souhakizu!" His blades came out of his claws as it went toward his opponent.

Sasagawa saw the attack coming his way as he put a barrier up to protect himself. Sesshoumaru's attack was powerful as it broke through his barrier and hit its mark.

Sasagawa yelled in pain as he was thrown twenty feet into the air and landed hard on his back. He was still conscious but he was having a hard time trying to get back up; his previous injuries were also taking its toll on him.

Sasagawa looked up to see Sesshoumaru standing over him, flexing his claws as he said, "I do not recommend that you get back up. If you do, you will be hurt a lot worse than you are right now. The next time I won't hold back on my attack, and I will unleash my full powers on you."

Sasagawa was surprised to hear that Sesshoumaru only used a portion of his true powers. 'If he only used a portion of his powers on me, then how strong is he?' Sasagawa thought as he looked at the youkai standing over him. He decided that he wanted to live as he yielded the match to him.

Sesshoumaru was happy with the results as he turned on his heels and walked away from Sasagawa. He finally won the right to mate with Kagome. Now the real battle will begin.

Kagome will be harder to defeat than these fools, and he was actually looking forward to it. He now had a real challenge, as he stopped in front of his father.

Inutaisho walked back out to the field when he saw that his son had defeated his last opponent. He could tell that he still had a good portion of his youki, which was good he will need it to defeat Kagome. He stopped in front of his son and smiled at him. He was proud of him for winning the battle for Kagome.

Inutaisho then turned his attention to everyone gathered at the field as he announced, "Sesshoumaru is the winner of the battle. He has won the right to mate with Kagome and is declared the strongest male here. The domination round of the mating ritual will be next and it will start once Kagome comes out to the field."

Inutaisho heard everyone cheer, congratulating Sesshoumaru for winning the right to dominate Kagome. Sesshoumaru turned as he looked at the sky. He was pleased with himself for winning the tournament. His beast was content for the moment, as they were waiting for their mate to come down to the field. Soon, soon he will have her in his arms and that's all he needed right now to keep him going.

A runner was sent back to the castle to inform Lady Ayashiko that they were ready for Lady Kagome to come down to the field. The females were now allowed to come down to the training field to witness the domination phase of the mating ritual. In this way there will be no doubt, in anyone's mind, who Kagome belongs to, as they witnessed the domination phase.

---oOo---

Kagome had been awake when the males left the castle early this morning to go to the training field. She watched them leave as she saw Sesshoumaru and her youbu following closely behind everyone. She silently wished Sesshoumaru luck in his fight but she also resolved herself to fight to the bitter end any male that won this tournament even if it was Sesshoumaru. She was going to prove once and for all that she was not just a weak ningen onna, as they liked to call her.

Kagome's meal was brought up to her as she stayed in her room for the whole morning. Sango came in to keep her company and when she walked into the room; she noticed that Kagome had not touched her food.

Sango turned to her friend, "Kagome why haven't you eaten? You know what Katsuki will say when she sees that you have not touched your food."

Kagome sighed as she said, "I know what she is going to say, but I'm just too nervous to eat right now. Plus, I'm trying to listen to what is going on down on the training field, so please be quiet for a moment."

Sango shut her mouth as she walked over to her friend, who was standing on the balcony, listening to what was going on down in the field. Sango couldn't hear anything as she said, "Kagome…" but she never finished her sentence as Kagome held up her finger to silence her friend.

Once there was a break in the fighting she turned to Sango, "There is a break in the fighting right now, so we can talk."

Sango was amazed at what her friend said, "Kagome, how can you hear what is going on down in the field? I can't hear anything at all."

Kagome smiled as she said a spell and touched Sango's forehead with her fingers, then to Sango's amazement, she heard what was being said in the field down below. "Wow Kagome, I didn't know you could do this. Can you tell who is winning?"

Kagome turned back to look out into the forest, her eyes were full of worry, "The final battle is about to start. It will be Sesshoumaru against Sasagawa the heir to the Eastern Lands."

Sango was surprised that they have already gone through all the other suitors and were down to the final two. "Kagome I think that you should be getting dressed. The final battle will be over soon and they will summon you to the field when they're done. I know that Lady Ayashiko will be here to get you when that happens."

Kagome knew that Sango was right as she turned and walked back inside her room. The moment of truth has arrived, and she will face the male that has won the right to dominate her. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she dressed in her battle clothes.

Her youbo came in earlier this morning and gave her a new fighting kimono. It was a dark blue in color. It had a light blue juban that went underneath and a silver obi. There was the symbol of the Western Lands on the upper right shoulder of her kimono. She finished getting dressed as she put her knives in her obi and out of sight along with her stars. She would never be without her weapons. She may have her Reiyouku, but she couldn't always depend on her powers all the time.

When she was done dressing, she went to fix her hair. She wanted it up and out of the way, she knew that if she left it down, the male in question could grab it, and she would be at a disadvantage. So she put it up in a tight bun and just left a few strands of hair come down to frame her face.

Kagome quickly turned to the window when she heard a loud explosion coming from the training field. She tried to listen to what was going on over at the field but for some odd reason she was being blocked from listening to what was going on, as everything got quiet.

Kagome knew deep down in her heart that the battle was over. A male has finally won the battle and soon she will be summoned to the field. She waited nervously when she heard a knock on her door, she turned as she spoke in a shaky voice, "Come in."

---oOo—

Ayashiko just received word that they were ready for Kagome but they didn't bring word on who won the match. She got herself together as she went to get her pup. It was now time that she meet her mate to be and she hoped with all her heart that it was her son that has won the right to mate her.

She stopped in front of Kagome's door as she knocked and heard her shaky voice. She smiled for she knew her pup was nervous as she opened the door, and stepped in. She looked at her pup and smiled; she looked beautiful in the kimono she had given her. She was proud that her Musume was smart enough to pull her hair up so it wouldn't get in the way of her battling the male.

She looked into Kagome's eyes, "Ittoshi Musume its time to go. They are waiting for you down in the field."

Sango turned to her friend as she hugged her fiercely, "Good luck to you. I hope that you find the love that you are looking for."

Kagome hugged Sango close to her chest, as tears were forming in her eyes, "You will be here when I come back, right?"

Sango turned to Ayashiko with hope in her eyes as she heard the lady of the castle answer, "Yes Kagome, she will be here when you get back. You still need a personal guard, and Sango has proven more than once that she is capable of doing the job."

Kagome smiled at her youbo as she hugged Sango one more time before walking out of her room and heading towards the training field.

Ayashiko looked out the corner of her eye as she watched Kagome. "Kagome, I want to tell you something, I'm proud to have you as my Musume. You have brought me such great joy that if anyone was to tell me that you weren't mine, I would have to argue the point with them. Now this is the final step, which I as your mother, must make. I have to hand you over to a male that will love and protect you for the rest of your life. This is not an easy thing for me to do. I will always be protective of you no matter what."

Kagome stopped in her tracks as tears were coming down her cheeks, then she looked at the woman in front of her. She no longer thought of her as her youbo. She was her mother, because she has done everything possible to make sure that she was protected and loved since she got here to this castle.

Kagome tried to get her composure back, "Mother, you have no idea what I'm feeling at this moment in time. I don't want to mate, but it was deemed necessary by the fates, and that's why I'm going to meet my destiny. He maybe a powerful youkai, but I will not give in that easily. I want you to know that no matter what happens out there today, you will always be my mother, for you have taken care of me and loved me as your own since I have been here. Thank you."

Kagome rushed into Ayashiko's opened arms and cried her heart out. She didn't want to leave her. She wanted to stay here in the Western Lands and be with the mother and father that she has grown to love. This was why she was afraid, she was afraid to open her heart and love them openly, only to be taken away. This, more than anything, pained her.

Kagome finally calmed down as she wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. She stood straight to her full height, "Alright mother. I'm ready to meet this male, which this competition has selected for me. The sooner I face him, the sooner I can beat him in battle."

Ayashiko could only laugh at her pup's comment; she put her arm around her shoulder and walked out of the castle with her. After this day she will no longer be her pup. She will belong to her mate and will someday be lady of the lands.

As they continued to walk toward the training field, Kagome was getting an uneasy feeling. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up as she pulled away from her mother to scan the area. They were almost to the training field when Kagome put up her barrier to protect her mother, as she deflected an attack that was meant for them.

Kagome turned towards the attacker as her eyes narrowed at who it was. She recognized the aura of the female hiding in the shadows. She had been introduced to her during her presentation. She took a couple of steps away from Ayashiko as she yelled, "Show yourself Yoshino!"

Ayashiko was surprised by what she heard her pup say. She could not detect Yoshino in the area. She was looking in the same direction as Kagome, when she saw Yoshino walk out of the forest.

Yoshino's eyes were blood red with anger as she approached the two of them. She stopped just a few feet away as she eyed Kagome. There was no greeting from her only a glare that promised death for the one standing in front of her.

Ayashiko temper started to rise when she saw the young pup of the Northern Lord standing in front of her, "Yoshino what is the meaning of this?"

Ayashiko anger was getting the best of her and that always sent a message to her mate who would come to their location when he felt her anger.

Yoshino's anger was at an all time high for the whore standing in front of her. She has gotten the only person that she wanted as a mate. She had no doubt that Sesshoumaru would dominate this weak ningen, "You whore! You filthy, good for nothing, ningen whore! What gives you the right to take away my mate? I saw him first and I have always wanted him for a mate and now he has a chance to dominate you instead of me! I will make you pay for doing that to me."

Yoshino pulled her sword from its sheath as she attacked. Kagome's barrier held her off, as Kagome's own anger was getting the best of her.

Kagome stopped listening to Yoshino the moment she called her a whore. She never heard why Yoshino was so angry with her as she let her rage take over. She put her hand out to the side as she yelled, "Jenjou, come to me!" Kagome's hand started to glow a pure white in color as her sword appeared in her hand. She gripped the hilt hard as she walked out of her barrier and faced Yoshino.

Yoshino stopped her attack long enough to face off with the ningen that dared to challenger her. She was about to attack as she heard a familiar voice say, "YOSHINO! What in the hell do you think you're doing?"

Yoshino turned her attention to where the voice was coming from as she saw her father, along with Lord Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru. She swallowed hard as she squared her shoulders. "I have every right to challenge her for the right to mate. No filthy ningen is going to defeat me in getting what I want."

Four sets of growls were heard over the area, from the comment she made. Kasumigaoka was trying to talk some sense into his daughter. He didn't want to lose her for challenging a miko as powerful as the one standing in front of her.

Kagome's temper was getting the best of her as she heard this youkai insult her once again. Her aura flared around her body, as she was getting ready to attack. Kagome didn't care that she was a lord's daughter. Yoshino should show more respect than she was showing her at the moment, and Kagome was determined to teach her some manners.

Yoshino had enough as she attacked the ningen. Kagome was ready for her as she swung her sword up and caught hers in mid swing. Kagome knocked Yoshino's sword out of her hand as she brought her sword to Yoshino's neck, "You should respect those that are your better. I never asked for this and unless you want me to pass judgment on you, I suggest that you back down. I have no desire to kill you only to fulfill my duty to Lord Inutaisho and meet the male that has won this battle.

"It does not mean that he has won me yet. He will have to prove to me that he is the strongest male to dominate me and he might not be strong enough to do that. I will be the judge on how strong he is because I will not hold back on my attacks."

Yoshino didn't think that this ningen was that strong or that she was this good with a sword. But her pride would not let her back down as she glared at the ningen in front of her.

Inutaisho had enough; he rushed forward and grabbed Kagome from behind, as he pulled her away from Yoshino, before she killed her.

Kasumigaoka at the same time rushed in and grabbed his pup. He held her by the scruff of her neck as he growled, "What do you think you were doing? That miko could have killed you for challenging her, and I wouldn't be able to do anything because she was within her rights to do so. Are you that blind that you didn't even noticed how powerful her aura is?"

Yoshino never noticed the ningens aura as she finally looked at her. She saw the miko struggling in the Western Lords arms as she saw how black her aura was. She was the most powerful female she has ever met. There was no way that she could defeat her.

Yoshino finally submitted to her father as he continued to hold his own pup. Kasumigaoka then turned his attention toward his friend who was having a hard time containing the miko's anger.

Inutaisho was struggling with Kagome. She did not want to be subdued nor did she want to calm down. He couldn't do his normal things to subdue her because he needed her awake for the domination phase of the ritual. He held her tight in his arms as he started to purr to calm her, while his teeth latched on to the back her neck.

Kagome immediately froze when she felt the teeth. Slowly, she started to calm down as Inutaisho held her against his chest. He felt her relax in his arms as he got her sword away from her.

Kagome's anger was renewed when they took her sword away from her. She was struggling to get out of the hold she was in to get it back.

Inutaisho gave her sword to his mate as he wrapped both arms around Kagome again to calm her. He applied more pressure to the back of her neck as she whimpered at the pain she felt. It took a while to finally calm Kagome enough so she would not struggle in his arms. When she was finally calmed, he released her neck as he turned his attention to the Northern Lord, who had his own pup subdued.

Kasumigaoka saw when his friend turned towards him, he bowed deeply to him in apology, "Please forgive my pup's insolence, she will be dealt with accordingly."

Inutaisho inclined his head toward his friend as a sign of peace, while he held on to Kagome. He turned with his little one still in his arms as he made his way back to the training field.

Sesshoumaru saw how angry his mate was. He has never seen her loose control like that as he followed them all back to the training field. He knew now that he had a fight on his hands, because Kagome was not over her anger, and she will be attacking full force.

Inutaisho along with Kagome and Sesshoumaru walked toward the middle of the field as Ayashiko was left behind. Ayashiko wanted to go to her pup but she was forbidden to approach her now that they were on the field. She will have to faith in her son to make Kagome submit to him and hope that he does not hurt her in the process.

Sesshoumaru walked a few feet away as he waited for his father to make the announcement. Then he will be free to dominate Kagome. He knew he could not use his purrs to calm her, because in her state of mind, it would only make her even angrier.

Inutaisho held Kagome tighter in his arms as he whispered into her ear, "Kagome, please calm down. You will lose control of your powers if you don't. I know that you had every right to pass judgment on that female, but I couldn't let you kill her. She is the pup to the Northern Lord and if you killed her instead of letting her father deal with her, it would have sent us into a state of war."

Kagome finally relaxed as she heard his words. She got herself under control and cursed under her breath for letting that bitch get to her. She felt when her father loosened his grip on her as she heard him say, "I'm sorry for the interruption. But it seemed that someone wanted to attack Kagome while she was on her way here. The intruder has been dealt with and now it is time for the domination phase of the mating ritual."

Inutaisho turned to his son and asked, "Are you ready to dominate your female?"

Sesshoumaru stood tall as he answered, "Yes, I am ready."

Inutaisho let go of Kagome as she stood under her own power. He walked away from her as he joined his mate to watch what was going to happen.

Kagome took a deep breath as she stood to her full height. She turned and noticed that Sesshoumaru was standing there on the field with her. She looked around trying to see where this male was, that she was supposed to fight, when she heard Sesshoumaru say, "Kagome, you will now submit to this Sesshoumaru."

Full understanding came to Kagome, it was Sesshoumaru who won the battle to dominate her. She narrowed her eyes at him as she folded her arms across her chest, "I submit to no one!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes started to bleed red as he growled at his intended mate. His growls told of his intentions towards her making it known that he was the strongest male and she will submit to him.

Kagome's eyes started to turn colors as she heard Sesshoumaru's growls. She growled back at him stating she was not going to submit to the likes of him. She then got into a fighting stance challenging his authority.

Sesshoumaru howled into the air as he accepted her challenge to dominate her. He flexed his claws as he rushed in, getting ready to slash her. Kagome caught his wrist and threw him over her shoulder, where he landed on his feet about 20 feet away from her.

He quickly turned as he approached. He was thinking of his options before she used her Reiyouku. He used his whip next as he sent it towards her and it was deflected by her barrier.

Kagome saw Sesshoumaru's determination to get to her. His whip hit against the barrier she erected as she protected herself. She lashed out with her Reiyouku as it went towards Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru saw the attack coming his way as he sent a blast of his own youki towards her attack. Both attacks met in the middle of the field as they both fought for dominance. There was a big explosion on the field as both opponents were thrown back about five feet from where they were standing, landing hard on the ground.

Both Kagome and Sesshoumaru quickly got back up on their feet as they eyed each other, breathing hard. They were thinking on what to do next since it seemed to be a stalemate. They both were powerful and neither would give in to the other. This last attack injured the both of them since she was now sporting several cuts on her body. Her hakama and haori were torn in several places as you could see the juban underneath the haori. Kagome saw the same amount of damage on Sesshoumaru as she tried to come up with another plan.

Kagome was getting tired of all of this, as she got ready to attack again. She wanted to end this as soon as possible. She raised her hand up and sent another wave of her Reiyouku toward Sesshoumaru. To her amazement, he dodged her attack this time as he came in to attack again. Her barrier stopped him as he continued to pound against it.

Kagome has never felt such power coming from Sesshoumaru before. It was pure raw energy that was powerful enough to send shivers down her spine. She let her aura wash out over the area, trying to push back his youki, but she found that she was losing ground.

She noticed that the more he pounded on her barrier, the stronger he got; she couldn't push his aura back like she had done on previous occasions. Her eyes opened wide at this thought; she now knew that she might not be able to beat him. She felt when her barrier was about to come down, as she got ready to fight again.

Sesshoumaru knew that he had the advantage, but he had to get to her first. He needed to get closer so he could subdue her. He finally broke through her barrier as he rushed in. He threw a punch to try and knock her down as she avoided the attack completely. Kagome countered with a blast of her own as she connected with his right shoulder and sent a blast of her Reiyouku into his body.

Sesshoumaru landed hard on the ground but he was up in a flash as he attacked again. This time he connected; his claws slashed across her chest, as he smacked her with his other hand across the face, sending her flying through the air where she landed hard on the ground. The breath was knocked out of her as she tried to stand up again.

Sesshoumaru saw his opportunity as he pinned her to the ground and growled, "Submit to me bitch!"

Kagome looked into his blood red eyes, as she screamed, "NEVER!"

Kagome got her leverage as she brought her left foot up and caught him in the stomach. She twisted and pushed, as she threw him off her, while during the move she stood up on shaky legs.

Kagome felt that she was losing this battle; she was hurt and bleeding badly. She concentrated until she found what she was looking for as she brought forth her powers. She started to glow as a pure white light encircled her body. Her wings appeared on her back as she faced her opponent.

She flapped her wings hard as she took off into the sky. She wanted to get away from Sesshoumaru before he could pin her to the ground again. Realization finally reached Kagome's tired mind, and she knew that she could not win this fight against him. Sesshoumaru was a lot stronger than he let her to believe and if he caught her, he will subdue her the next time.

Sesshoumaru was pissed that she had thrown him off her. He saw when she called forth her powers as her wings spread out behind her. At that moment, he heard everyone on the training field gasp as they saw only a portion of her true powers.

Sesshoumaru knew that she was a lot stronger than this, but her true powers will not be released until they have mated. He noticed as she flapped her wings and took off into the sky. He followed, not willing to let her leave the area, as he attacked. He sent his whip towards her as she formed a barrier around her body to protect herself.

Kagome lashed out with her powers as she sent ball after ball of her Reiyouku toward Sesshomaru, but he kept on avoiding them. She decided to attack head on as she flew straight towards him.

Sesshoumaru saw her coming as he used his whip to get her. He landed a hit but the next one she avoided completely as she continued to get closer to him. Kagome turned at the last minute and kicked him hard in the chest that sent him flying backwards out of control.

Sesshoumaru hit the ground, as an explosion followed the impact. His shoulder was hurting from her previous attack. Her attack weakened him some but not all the way. He had numerous cuts and gashes along his body, where she connected in her attacks. He was bleeding heavily and if he didn't bring her down soon, he will lose this fight. He concentrated on his spell as he brought up his hand and sent his attack towards Kagome.

Kagome turned to flee the area; she wanted to get away from Sesshoumaru before he recovered from her attack. Kagome never had a chance as she was hit from behind in mid-flight. She screamed in pain as a red light encircled her body. It was attacking her powers and her body, as she fell towards the ground. She landed hard as her wings disappeared from her back. She was weakened now as she groaned trying to get back up on her feet.

Kagome's kimono was torn to shreds and it was almost non-existent. She knew she was losing as tears started to come out of her eyes in frustration. She was weakened by Sesshoumaru's attack, and she didn't know how much longer she will be able to continue with this fight. She had to get away from this area as soon as possible.

Kagome was trying to get to her feet so she could leave when she was slammed back into the ground. She looked up to see Sesshoumaru pinning her to the ground by her neck. He had her legs trapped under his own and her hands were pinned above her head so she couldn't get out of his hold. The more she struggled the tighter his grip became on her neck.

Sesshoumaru knew now that he had her. She was pinned to the ground and was not able to move. He tightened his hold on her neck the more she struggled against him. Once she would stop, he would loosen his grip on her neck. He finally got her to look at him as he said, "Submit to me. There is no way that you are going to win this fight. It will be easier on you if you were to submit."

Kagome was still struggling against him, as she said, "No!"

Sesshoumaru didn't see anyway around this as he moved her head over to the side to expose her neck to him. He tore her kimono with his fangs to uncover the tender flesh as he lowered his mouth and gently started to caress the area. Kagome was slowly stopping her struggle against Sesshoumaru as he continued his attention on her neck.

She knew what was coming next, "Please don't do this Sesshoumaru, I don't want to hurt your family anymore. Just let me leave this place."

Sesshoumaru heard her words as he raised his head and said into her ear, "No, running away never solved anything Kagome. Remember what I told you yesterday. I love you if you will only let me prove it to you."

Kagome's eyes opened wide as she remembered what he said to her. Tears were still coming out of her eyes as she tried to fight him off.

Sesshoumaru's fangs grew longer as he bit into her shoulder and marked her as his intended mate. He heard her scream in pain as some of his poison went into her body so she could develop immunity to his various poisons. This was necessary, if she didn't have immunity, and he accidentally released some of his poison in his love making, he could kill her.

He pulled his fangs out of her shoulder and gently licked the wound closed. Kagome was still crying in pain as he released her and brought her into his chest. His inner inu started to purr to calm their mate while she rubbed her face into his chest.

Kagome didn't know what to do. She was in pain and there was nothing that she could do to feel better. She rubbed her face into Sesshoumaru's chest as she grabbed the front of his haori and held on to him.

Sesshoumaru was purring to calm her. He knew that if she didn't calm down, the pain would be far worse than what it was right now. His poison would work faster and spread quickly through her body.

The pain on Kagome's shoulder was starting to subside as she continued to hold on to Sesshoumaru, his purrs were soothing her pain and she was afraid that if she let go of him, the pain would come back ten fold.

Sesshoumaru's inner inu was now in control of what was going on. He was aware that his mate was in pain and crying, but he was even more aware that there were other males in the area with them. He looked up and barred his fangs at the intruders. His aura flared around the area and it was even more powerful than before.

He growled as he picked up his mate and formed his golden ball of light. He encased them as it shot up into the air and went to the place that his father had given him as a safe heaven to be with his mate.

---oOo---

Ayashiko watched as her son dominated her pup. She had almost broken free of her mate's hold, to go and help Kagome, but he held on tight, never letting her move out of his arms. When Sesshoumaru finally had Kagome pinned to the ground, she knew that her Musume had lost the fight.

Ayashiko heard Kagome scream in pain as he bit into her shoulder and injected her with some of his poisons. Ayashiko was going crazy at hearing her pup scream. She wanted to go to her, but she was being restrained. Ayashiko saw Kagome seek comfort from Sesshoumaru, as he held her in his arms and rocked her in his lap to soothe her.

Then all too soon, Sesshoumaru became aware that there were other males in the area and became very protective and possessive of Kagome. They heard him growl viciously at all present and bared his fangs. His youki spread across the area in a show of power to all present that he will protect what was his, and to everyone's surprise, his youki was even stronger than before. It almost doubled in strength when he was protecting his intended mate.

When he formed his golden orb, she knew where they were going. She could still feel them nearby and knew that Sesshoumaru had taken Kagome to the place they had built for them.

Inutaisho looked at his mate as he asked, "Mate, are you all right?"

Ayashiko looked up with tears in her eyes, "No, but I know it was for the best. She will be well protected by Sesshoumaru and I know that he loves her. He still has to win her heart and I have no doubt that he will succeed."

Inutaisho brought his mate closer to his chest as he purred to soothe her soul. He knew that this day would come and he was trying to prepare her for the loss of her pups. But unfortunately for his mate, she didn't just loose one pup, she lost two at the same time and that was the part that was hard to deal with.

Inutaisho stood with his mate in his arms as he walked out into the field and said, "I want to thank everyone for coming. As you can see, Kagome is very powerful and it took someone like Sesshoumaru to dominate her. I have no doubt that they will form a bond before they mate. There will be food and drinks at the castle to celebrate the occasion. Please join us."

Everyone got up and headed towards the castle. They still could not stop talking about the fight between Kagome and Sesshoumaru. No one ever realized just how powerful the ningen onna actually was.

As a matter of fact, no one knew that Sesshoumaru possessed such great powers to bring down a powerful miko like that. Everyone now knew that they would be the most powerful mated pair in all the lands. There will be no one that could stand against their wrath if they should happen to attack them.

---oOo---

Kanazuchi Tsume – Claw Hammer

Youbo – Adopted mother

Youbu – Adopted father

Ittoshi Musume – Dearest Daughter

This is the end to another chapter. The battle to dominate Kagome was an intense one as Sesshoumaru had to fight his way to finally win the tournament.

I am sorry for posting so late but it was the cables companies fault when I lost my internet. Talking about going into withdraws from not being connected to the net was nerve wracking. But now that I have my internet back I can go on posting.

Ah, to answer some questions. No Naraku will not be in this story. This story is very AU and Naraku didn't have a role in my story. I came up with my own villains and they are much better than Naraku.

Shippou will show up one more time in this story and then that's it. Rin is not in this story. I just didn't plan on bringing in the little girl for this story. And our favorite monk will be along soon but you have to wait for a few more chapters before he makes his appearance.

Sesshoumaru may have won the tournament but he did not get Kagome to submit to him in the domination phase of the mating ritual. In the next chapter we will witness how Sesshoumaru's beast interacts with Kagome, as he is the one in control at the moment. Kagome has some very hentai thoughts as she gazes at a very naked Sesshoumaru.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

A golden ball of light streaked across the sky as it went toward the sanctuary. It was a place that he knew would be safe for his mate. The ball of light went straight for the bedchambers as the last of the servants were scurrying to leave the room.

The servants received word that the young master has won the battles in order to mate with the young miko. They were all happy that they were finally together. For months now they have seen the longing in his eyes as he gazed upon the miko.

They all knew that he had an interest in her. When they heard that she was accepted to mate with the nobles, they were praying to Kami to make sure that Sesshoumaru won the battles to get her.

Now they were hurrying to get the room ready for his arrival with his intended mate. The female servants understood that he was going to have a hard time with the miko for she was strong and stubborn. But now that he was free to show his affection towards the girl they hoped that she would accept the young master and become his mate.

They were pulling down the covers on the bed, when they felt a powerful aura coming towards the house. They quickly finished what they were doing as they ran out the door and closed it as a bright golden ball of light entered the window of the chambers.

Sesshoumaru landed in the middle of his bedchambers as his golden ball of light faded away from view. He held his intended close to his chest as he sniffed the area. He caught the scent of the female servants in the room and looked around to see if they were still there.

Upon his inspection he found that he was finally alone with his mate as he walked toward the bed and sat upon it.

Kagome was still holding on to his haori with a death grip but she seemed to be asleep in his arms. He rested her body on his lap as he gently pulled her away so he could look at her injuries.

He could see the darkening of the skin on her face where he had hit her to knock her to the ground. He winched when he saw this. He never wanted to hurt her in anyway, as he leaned down and started to lick the offending mark away from her beautiful face. Within minutes the bruise started to go away and her beautiful pale skin was the only thing that was left for him to see.

He moved his hand gently across her face as he looked for more injuries. He caressed her cheeks gently as he saw her move her head toward his touch. This pleased him immensely because she was seeking comfort from him.

He saw her make a face, as the pain she was feeling was evident on her features. The poison was still in her body and she was fighting it. He had to watch her closely, he didn't want to lose her because of his poison.

His mother relayed everything she experienced when she went through her mating ritual with his father. She told him because she knew that he would have to see to her needs during this time. His mother understood that she could not go to Kagome if she was to call for her and Sesshoumaru promised his mother that he would take care of her.

Sesshoumaru noticed that Kagome had a slight fever, it was not intense at the moment but it was enough to be concerned with.

He moved further back on the bed as he lay down with Kagome for a little while. He was exhausted from their battle and he was also hurting. Kagome had blasted him with her Reiyouku on his right shoulder and right now it was burning. He put his discomforts aside for the moment and continued to hold Kagome close to his chest, as he purred to soothe away her pain. It seemed to work because Kagome relaxed into his hold as they both fell asleep to recover from their ordeal.

--oOo--

The servants were also busy around the house. They had managed to get a low bathtub into the bathing chambers through the back door. The female servants were filling the tub with cool water. They knew that the young master would need it very soon. They have been warned of the high fever that Kagome will have by this evening.

They hurried in their duties as they put some healing herbs into the water that would heal many of Kagome's wounds and help her body rejuvenate from the battle. It would not cure the poison but it would help her body recover some.

They placed a mat near the tub and then placed a soft blanket on it that Sesshoumaru could use to rest his mate upon while he took care of her. They got some large fluffy towels to dry her with. One of the servants put a soft white robe near the tub as they continued to get the room ready.

Some of the servants then went to the wash area and put several large pillows there, that when you sat upon them, it was like you were laying on a nice soft futon. They made sure to place some smaller pillows in the area to make it comfortable for Kagome, and then did the same thing near the spring. They knew the young lord will not bathe unless he has his mate with him and her comfort was the most important thing to him at the moment.

They have been told of the injuries that the young master received on his body. They put the necessary ointments he needed to heal the wounds on the white bench. All this they placed in the bathing chambers while the young master was sleeping with his mate to be.

They knew better than to go near him because his inner beast was in control at the moment, that could mean certain death if they were caught. Once they were done with the task they had to do they quickly left the room, they could tell that the young master was about to awaken.

They hurried to the kitchen to get the evening meal ready for them. Sesshoumaru will soon come looking for food to feed his mate. Normally he would go hunting to prove to his mate that he could provide for her, but he will not leave her side until she recovered from his poison. So their idea was to cook the meal for him, leave it on a table outside his door, and let him take it from there. That way he could feed his mate when the time came.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru was waking up from his sleep. Kagome was moaning in pain and was trying to leave his arms. He heard her say in Inu youki language, '_Mother, it hurts. Please mother, make it stop.' _He wondered how she could speak in the ancient language that only Inu's could use. Then he remembered that she has the souls of the other youkai from the jewel in her body. His father said that she would act like an Inu but be unaware of it.

When his eyes finally came into focus he notices that Kagome is all wet. Upon closer inspection he saw that she was sweating and that her fever has gotten worse over the last few hours.

Kagome breathing was labored. Her skin was flushed and slightly red from the high fever. He heard her whining and calling for the only person that has shown her comfort when she was sick. He knew that his mother could hear her and if he didn't comfort her soon, his mother will be there to tend to his mate.

He could not have this. His inner beast was not stable at the moment and anyone coming near his mate, now, will be attacked. He will perceive them as a threat to his mate and his bond with her.

Sesshoumaru looked down and noticed that his haori and juban were soaked in Kagome's sweat. He slowly sat up as he released Kagome from his arms and laid her gently down on the bed. He took off his haori and juban leaving him with a bare chest.

Getting out of bed he picked Kagome up in his arms and walked into the bathing chambers. He needed to get her in cool water to bring her fever down. He hoped that there was a place for him to do this in the bathing chambers or he will have to leave the house in order to find what he needed.

When he entered the bathing chambers he noticed that there was a tub off to the left. Everything he needed to take care of his mate was already placed near the tub. Curious in seeing this he walked over to the tub and kneeled next to it, with Kagome still cradled in his arms.

The tub was long and at one end he noticed that there was a pallet that he could use to lay Kagome on and it would keep her head above the water. The tub has been filled three quarters of the way. He put his hand in the water and noticed that the water was not hot but it wasn't cold either. It was just slightly warm and this is what he needed.

He inhaled the scent of the room and picked up the lingering aroma of herbs. It was coming from the tub as he raised his hand to his nose and sniffed. There were healing herbs in the water that will help Kagome's body recover from the fever. It would not cure the poison but it would help her to rejuvenate.

He laid Kagome down on a mat next to the tub as he started to take off, what remained of her clothes. His eyes grew wide when he noticed the four deep claw marks going across her chest. He initially thought that he missed her with his claws because she never slowed down in her fighting. But he guessed wrong.

The four claws marks were covered in dry blood and the skin around it was red. Her wounds were a lot more serious than he thought. He couldn't heal them the way he healed her face because she needed the poison he introduced into her body.

His saw the whip mark where he hit her in their aerial fight. It went down the length of her body starting at her right shoulder and almost reaching her right foot. It was red and infected. His fangs, claws, and whip held different types of poison, all of them had to be introduced into her body so she could develop immunity to them.

He hoped to introduce them one at a time but it looked like she got all of his poison at the same time. This was not good. It would take longer for her to recover from his poison and there was the possibility that she could die from so much being in her system.

He could see where she tried to heal her wounds while in the middle of their battle. She had managed to stop it from bleeding but nothing more. He quickly finished undressing her as he picked her up and put her into the slightly warm/cool water.

The slightly inclined pallet at the end of the tub allowed him to let go of Kagome without worrying that she will be submerged into the water. He pulled her hair free from its confinements and let it out behind her. Her blue/black hair floated regally behind her in the water, fanning out like a halo.

Sesshoumaru then reached for a washcloth as he got it wet and put it on her forehead to cool her down. He waited patiently as he continued to put water over the parts of Kagome's body that were not under the water to keep her cool.

At first, when he placed Kagome in the water, she started to shiver from the cold. Then she slowly started to relax. Her breathing became easier, she was no longer gasping for a breath.

After an hour he started to notice a difference in Kagome. Her skin was no longer flushed from the fever. It was turning into a lighter pink almost to her normal skin tones. Her wounds healed almost all the way, leaving only a light pink scar showing where her injuries were.

Sesshoumaru noticed that her fever broke and that she seemed to be out of danger for the moment. He looked to his left and saw some white jars sitting there as he grabbed one and sniffed its contents. It was a white liquid and it smelled like jasmine. He smiled when he smelled it. It was almost like her scent but Kagome's scent was much better.

He grabbed another washcloth and got it wet, and then he poured a good amount of the liquid soap on it. He took Kagome's arm and proceeded to bathe her. Slowly and with care he washed her arms, legs, and body. His mind was fully focused on getting her wounds cleaned so she could heal and get better.

He made sure to rinse the soap off her as he took another container and poured some of that liquid on her hair. He gently washed it making sure he got it cleaned and looking like it usually did. It shined brightly for him and it held the deeper rich color of blue/black when he was done.

Sesshoumaru thought that it was about time he got her out of the tub. He didn't want her to get all wrinkled from staying too long in the water. He lifted her body out and placed her on a very large fluffy towel as he wrapped it around her body to dry her. He spotted a white robe as he grabbed it and dressed Kagome in it to keep her warm.

When he was done with Kagome he looked around the room thinking that he too needed to bathe and take care of his wounds. But he didn't want to leave Kagome alone on the bed, in their room. He needed her to be with him during this time so he could protect her. She was weak and could not protect herself at the moment.

He looked off to the right and noticed, what appeared to be, some rather large pillows sitting by the wash area. He picked Kagome up in his arms and walked across the room so he could get a better look. They were large pillows that could hold Kagome comfortably while he bathed. He laid her down as he turned to take care of his own body and wounds.

He took off his hakama as he went over to the hot tub and gathered some warm water to wash with. He sat on the white bench and bathed while he kept his eye on his mate. He took care of all of his wounds as best he could. The one that really hurt was the one on his right shoulder. This was the one where Kagome got him with her holy powers and it burned a good portion of his right shoulder and chest.

Sesshoumaru was in pain but it was slowly starting to heal by itself. It will take a while for the holy burns to heal but it was well worth the pain to see what he got for his efforts. He looked at the end of the bench he was sitting on, and noticed another white jar. He picked it up and opened it to see what was in it. This jar contained a healing ointment as he put some on his shoulder. The burning feeling he was experiencing immediately went away as it cooled the area. He felt better with this on his wounds as he got up and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Sesshoumaru walked over to his mate as his hand caressed her cheek in a loving way. He needed to soak for a while in the hot springs as he stood straight up and looked in that direction. He was planning on moving the pillows with Kagome when he spotted some more large pillows near the spring just like the one she was laying on.

He picked her up and moved toward the spring as he laid her down making sure that she was comfortable. Once his mate was taken care of he removed his towel, he let it fall to the ground, and then got into the hot springs.

The water felt good on his body. The aches and pains that he was experiencing were going away as he relaxed in the water. He never took his eyes off Kagome as he watched her sleep. You could hear Sesshoumaru's growls of contentment for having his mate with him. He only wished that she had recovered from his poison so they could enjoy each other's company.

Sesshoumaru finally felt relaxed enough as he got out of the water and dried himself off. He spotted another white robe along with a white pair of hakama for him to wear. He put on his clothes and once he was dressed he picked Kagome up and went back to their room.

When he walked back into his room he noticed that the bed has been changed and everything was clean in the room. A deep and feral growl escaped his lips. He didn't like someone coming into their chambers while he was busy with his mate. He sniffed the area but he couldn't find anyone in the room. His inner Inu calmed when he figured out that the servants came in and cleaned the room while he was bathing his mate.

They left the bed turned down for him as he placed Kagome back in bed. He stood as he looked out the window and noticed that the sun was going down. It has been a long day and now it was almost over. Then he started to think, 'I need to get Kagome some food. I know that she has not eaten since this morning and she is weak. Without food she might not be able to fight off my poisons. But I can't leave her unprotected to go hunting. She needs to be protected while she is weak and I can't take her with me. I risk getting attacked with her in my arms. The cold night air could do her some harm and she might get sick from it.'

He continued to ponder what to do when he started to pick up the smell of food. He followed his nose and opened his chamber door to find a table sitting there. On the table there with a tray that was placed there for him. He lifted the cover and noticed the cooked and raw meats, plus the fruits that have been given to him. He picked up the tray and brought it back into the room as he placed it on the side table.

Sesshoumaru picked Kagome up as he sat down and placed her in his lap. Once he was comfortable he reached over and got some of the cooked meat in his hand as he tried to wake his mate so she could eat. He rubbed his cheek against hers to wake her as he licked her neck. He felt her stir in his arms as he looked down to see if she would wake up.

Kagome head was spinning. She felt that someone was trying to wake her when she felt a gentle rub on her cheek. She moaned, her body hurt and she didn't know why. She slowly opened her eyes and noticed that she couldn't see anything. She heard a gentle purr and a deep baritone voice say, "Kagome, you must eat to get stronger."

Kagome recognized Sesshoumaru's voice as she felt something near her mouth. The scent of food was there and it smelled wonderful. She slowly parted her lips and felt when he put some meat inside her mouth. She chewed her food slowly as it went down her throat. That first bite of food sparked her hunger as she took the next offering that Sesshoumaru made to her.

She tried to move her hands so she could feed herself but found that she couldn't, they were being held down at her side as Sesshoumaru continued to feed her. She didn't understand why he was doing this but she didn't care at the moment. She eagerly ate the food she was offered until she was full. Once she had her fill she rejected the last bit of food that he offered by turning her head away from it.

Her eyes never came into focus as she felt sleep trying to take her back to the realm of dreams. She turned her head toward Sesshoumaru's shoulder as she was looking for some comfort from him. She felt his neck near by as she lifted her head up slightly and licked the under part of his chin. Then she softly said, "Thank you Sesshoumaru." Kagome fell asleep after that as his warmth sent her into a peaceful sleep.

When Kagome licked the under part of his chin, Sesshoumaru was shocked. It was a sign of her acceptance of him being her alpha and his dominance over her. His heart leaped with joy as his beast calmed for the first time since the challenge.

He turned his attention to the food that was left. Now that his mates hunger has been satisfied, he was now free to eat. He ate everything that was left and when he was done he placed Kagome back on the bed as he took the tray back out and placed it on the table once again.

Satisfied that he took care of his mates needs, all he has to do now is wait until she recovered from his poison. He took off his robe and lay down next to her as he brought her into his arms and held her. He buried his nose into her hair as her sweet scent sent him off into a peaceful sleep.

The servants came back and retrieved the tray from the table. They were happy to see that the food was gone, it meant that the young miko has eaten and so has the young master. If his mate did not eat any of the food, it would still be there, Sesshoumaru would not eat worrying about his mate.

They sent a messenger to the castle to report their progress. The lord wanted to be kept informed of what was happening with his son and mate. He was worried that the poison might prove too much for the young miko and they were ready with the antidote for Sesshoumaru's poison in case she needed it.

The servants retired for the night as they all slept well. The young master has his mate and soon they would be mated. That only meant that there will be the sounds of little feet in the castle again as a new pup would be born from their union.

--oOo--

In the castle Lord Inutaisho was having his own problem with his mate. Ayashiko could feel the pain that her pups were in. Not only could she feel Sesshoumaru's pain but she could also feel the pain of his little one.

He too could feel the distress that their pups were in but he could not let his mate go to them. To let her leave his side now, could mean her death, his son didn't know what he was doing when he is involved protecting a weak mate.

Ayashiko escaped from him once, her maternal instincts kicking in when she heard the frightened call of her pup. He raced after her and caught her about half way to the house that they built for their son. He grabbed her from behind as she was struggling to get free.

He had to subdue her, he reached up and pressed the nerve on the back of her neck, while she fell limp against his chest. He whined his apologies to her as he picked her up and walked back into the castle.

Inutaisho went up to his room as he placed his mate in their bed. He had no choice, as he said his spell and put her into a deep sleep. He will have to keep her asleep until their pups recovered or else she would try to see them.

He could tell that they were both asleep now. There was no pain only a peaceful feeling of contentment coming from the both of them. 'Kagome must have gotten over the fever from Sesshoumaru's poison and is now resting. That's why Sesshoumaru feels so content at the moment.' Inutaisho thought as he lay down next to his mate.

If his pups were better in the morning then he would release his mate from his spell and stay with her until he was sure that she will not go after them. He knew that this will be hard on her and he wondered what she will do when their youngest finally took a mate. He was not looking forward to that day as he finally fell asleep with his mate held tightly in his arms.

--oOo--

Kagome slowly started to wake up from her sleep. She felt the cool night air bite at her skin that was still in the room. She was cold as she snuggled closer into the body that was lying next to her. She took a deep breath and caught the scent of the forest right after the rain with a hint of pine. She recognized it as Sesshoumaru's scent as she slowly opened her eyes.

Her eyes were blurred in the beginning. She remembered that last night her eyesight would not come into focus. When they finally did she saw a bare chest as she looked up. She saw Sesshoumaru asleep next to her and his arms were wrapped tightly around her waist.

Her head started to spin as she closed her eyes once more trying to get her body under control. Her stomach was acting up and she didn't feel well. She tried to move away from Sesshoumaru in case she needed to go and relieve herself in a hurry. But when she moved away from him his arms tighten around her body moving her closer to his chest.

Any other time Kagome would be happy to be held like this, but at the moment whatever was wrong with her, was starting to protest very loudly, and she needed relief. She pushed as hard as she could against Sesshoumaru's chest to get out of his hold, and that's when Sesshoumaru woke up.

Sesshoumaru felt when his mate had awakened. She was moving as he held on to her even tighter. He didn't want her to leave their shared bed. But when she pushed harder against his chest his beast came forth and growled at her for trying to leave.

Sesshoumaru's eyes were blood red with anger because he thought that she was trying to get away from him. He growled even louder as he barred his fangs to her the more she struggled.

Kagome didn't know what to do, she needed to go relieve herself and he wouldn't let her go. "Please Sesshoumaru let me go. I have to go and…" Kagome never finished her sentence, because whatever she had in her stomach was starting to come up. She used her Reiyouku and blasted Sesshoumaru out of their bed. He was slammed against the wall as he slid to the floor from the impact.

Kagome, having been released, jumped out of bed and was out the window in a flash, as she raced into the forest. She stopped at the very first tree she saw as she doubled over and proceeded to relieve herself.

The strange part about this was that it was not the food that she had eaten the night before that made her sick. It was something black that was coming out of her mouth as she got rid of the offending thing from her stomach. She felt a strong arm come around her waist as she continued to empty the contents of her stomach.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru was pissed that his mate has gotten away from him. He got up from the floor and shook his head to clear it. His eyes were blood red as he roared his anger into the sky and raced after his mate. He jumped out the window and followed her into the forest.

He spotted her not too far away as she was getting sick against a tree. 'She was sick, that's why she wanted to leave me this morning.' Sesshoumaru thought as he approached his mate.

His beast whined for having thought that she had rejected them as a mate when all she wanted to do was go and relieve herself of what was making her sick.

Sesshoumaru notice that what was making her sick was something black coming out of her mouth. It looked like something had been burned to ashes and that's what she was getting rid from her body.

If he had to guess what this stuff was he would guess that it was the poison he had injected into her body. Her body somehow had turned his poison to this black ash.

He wrapped his arm around her waist as he held her hair away from her face. Soon Kagome stopped and she was breathing hard. She sat back as she was cradled in Sesshoumaru's arms and chest.

Kagome was feeling better now that she had gotten rid of that stuff from her stomach. She had no idea what it was but it was making her really sick. She closed her eyes once she was done and leaned back. She felt the tightening of arms around her as she leaned against a soft chest.

Once she felt that her stomach settled she opened her eyes and said, "I'm sorry Sesshoumaru. I tried to tell you that I was about to be sick but it was too late." She turned in his arms as she looked at him. She spotted the burn mark on his right shoulder as her eyes widen in shock. Her eyes started to water, when she saw the extent of the damage done to his shoulder, then she remembered their battle, as she asked, "Oh Kami, Sesshoumaru, did I do this to you?"

Sesshoumaru looked down at the spot that she was looking at as he said, "It's nothing, this happened yesterday during our battle." He picked up the scent of salt water as he looked at his mate and noticed that she was crying. He became concerned as he asked, "Kagome do you still feel sick? Are you in pain?"

Tears were coming from Kagome's eyes when she saw what she did to him. She never meant to hurt him like this. The skin on his shoulder was raw and it was blistered from where she channeled her Reiyouku through his right shoulder to blast him away from her.

She raised her hand up as she said, "I'm sorry Sesshoumaru. I didn't mean to hurt you like this." She then placed her hand on his wound as she called forth her healing powers and healed all of his injuries.

Sesshoumaru felt Kagome's powers gently caressing his skin as it healed his body of all the wounds he possessed. His shoulder immediately felt better by the time she was done. He looked down to see that she had healed his shoulder. He looked at his mate and noticed that she was still crying as he pulled her into his arms and said, "Thank you for healing my wounds Koiishi. It's not your fault in what happened yesterday. It was a battle that had to be fought and I would fight it again if I had to."

Kagome looked up as she looked into his eyes. She saw the truth behind his words as she felt when he picked her up in his arms and went to the nearest spring.

Sesshoumaru put Kagome down on a rock and allowed her to rinse her mouth out. He knew that what ever came out of her stomach had to taste bad.

Kagome was happy to have the chance to rinse her mouth out. Her throat was dry and it felt like she had ash in her mouth. Once she finished rinsing her mouth out, to get rid of that taste, she felt herself being picked up as Sesshoumaru headed back to their bedchambers.

Sesshoumaru was making his way back to their room as he cradled Kagome against his chest. He leaped through the window as he laid her in bed and looked at her. She was still pale from yesterday but other than that she seemed to be recovering from his poison.

He put his hand on her forehead checking to see if she still had a fever. There was no sign of a fever and for this he was grateful. He moved her head to the side as he pulled back on her robe to look at her mark. It was no longer red or blistered from where his poison entered her body. He licked her neck and was rewarded with a sweet mewl from his mate.

Kagome was lost to the feelings that Sesshoumaru was invoking in her body when he licked her neck. The books she read didn't mention this part at all and she was at a lost for what to do, so she just enjoyed the attention she was getting until he decided that he didn't want her any more.

Sesshoumaru pulled away from his mate to be as he looked into her eyes. They were glazed over in a haze of passion that he ignited. He leaned down and rubbed his cheek against hers as he asked, "How do you feel, mate?"

Kagome looked into his eyes as she said, "I feel a little weak. My body is sore from yesterday's battle but other than that I feel fine."

Kagome looked down and noticed for the first time that she was not in her original clothes as she asked, "Um… Sesshoumaru… where did my clothes go?"

Sesshoumaru looked at his mate as he responded, "You were running a high fever last night. I took off your clothes and put you into a tub of cool water and that helped bring your fever down. Then I bathed and clothed you in the robe you now wear."

Sesshoumaru was looking closely at his mate while he spoke. He noticed the bright red blush that over came her features when he said that he undressed her in order to place her in a cool bath.

Kagome didn't know what to think. She was shocked, horrified, and embarrassed that he taken her clothes off in order to bathe her. But then she felt gratitude towards him for taking care of her when she was sick. Her embarrassment left as she said, "Though I'm not happy to find out that you took my clothes off, I am grateful that you took care of me when I was sick. Thank you."

Sesshomaru couldn't help himself, he has been wanting to taste those sweet lips for a long while now. He lowered his head and kissed his beautiful mate.

At first Kagome was shocked, she has never been kissed before and for the life of her she couldn't remember what she needed to do. She finally relaxed into his arms as he deepened the kiss and licked the lower part of her lip asking for permission to be let in.

Kagome was still stunned when Sesshoumaru started to kiss her. It was soft and gentle at first. Then she felt his tongue going over her bottom lip and then across the split between them as she parted them.

Kagome thought that she had died and gone to heaven. Sesshoumaru deepened his kiss as his tongue was exploring her mouth. She has only read about these things as she started to remember some of it and started to respond back to him.

Shyly at first and then with more confidence, she rubbed her tongue against his. She heard a low growl come from Sesshoumaru as it vibrated through his chest. She got a little bolder as she slipped her tongue into his mouth and accidentally scraped it against his sharp fangs.

Sesshoumaru was enjoying his kiss with Kagome. She was responding back to him so beautifully. Then he tasted blood in his mouth, she had cut her tongue against his fang, and it tasted wonderful. He suckled on her tongue for a second until he healed her wound.

When they finally broke apart they were both panting from lack of air. He wanted her, oh how he wanted her but he knew he has to take it easy at first. She still has to accept his courting gift and he was not about to be rejected. He leaned down and said in her ear, "Mate, I have a gift for you."

Kagome was surprised to hear this. She didn't know what he got her. Her curiosity was peaked as she saw him reach over to a low table that was next to the futon. He grabbed a box that was sitting there as he helped her to sit before he opened it. She gasped when she saw the beautiful necklace that he had for her.

Sesshoumaru picked up the scent of excitement coming from his mate along with her curiosity. His mother told him that she has never been given nice things when she was growing up.

Ayashiko told him what happened the first night that Kagome joined them for dinner. That beautiful kimono, that Kagome was wearing, was the first set of really nice clothes she ever wore. His mother said that Kagome cried then, but he was hoping that she would just accept his gift.

He took a deep breath as he pulled out the necklace that he had commissioned for her. It was a black leather choker. It was adorned with white stones that mimicked the stars. There were blue stones going all along the length of the choker. The blue stones were the hardest to find. He had to go to the most northern part of the lands to find them. There was a youkai there that had the most exquisite stones around. There he found the blue stones that adorn her choker. They were made like the crescent moon he had on his forehead.

So when you looked at the choker you would see the clear white stones scattered around the necklace and the blue stones were the crescent moons that ran its length. In the middle of the choker was one of his fangs. He had given up his fang in order to have the choker done. It will protect her from harm and the choker once placed could not be removed by anyone except for himself.

His mother wore a choker similar to Kagome's except hers had green stones in it. He presented his gift to his mate as he said, "Will you do me the honor of wearing this as a sign of my love and devotion to you. It will show all those who look upon you that you belong to me, my mate, my love, for all eternity."

Kagome has never seen anything so beautiful in all her life. She noticed the stones that were in the necklace were, in actuality, diamonds and knew the value of what he held in his hands. The blue diamonds alone were priceless because you couldn't find them anywhere.

Her hand came up to touch the necklace as she lowered it and put it back in her lap. She looked away from the gift as tears formed in her eyes. 'How can I accept such a priceless gift? I'm not worthy enough to wear something like that.'

Sesshoumaru saw her reaction and became alarmed. He didn't know why she pulled away from the necklace. He had seen the surprise look in her eyes when she saw it, she almost touched it.

Alarmed by her reaction, thinking she didn't like his mating gift, he quickly asked, "Kagome, don't you like the gift I got for you?"

Kagome shook her head as she replied, "No Sesshoumaru it's not that. I think your gift is exquisite."

Still confused about why she has rejected his gift he asked, "If you like it will you accept my gift and wear it?"

Kagome didn't know how to tell him this. But he had to know how she felt about his gift. "Sesshoumaru your gift is the most exquisite necklace I have ever seen. But I cannot accept it. That necklace is very expensive the blue diamonds in it alone are worth a fortune. I'm not worthy enough to accept such a gift and wear it."

Sesshoumaru now understood what her problem was. He took his clawed finger and hooked it under her chin as he raised her head so she could look at him. He stared into those beautiful blue eyes of hers as he said, "It is the necklace that is not worthy to adorn your lovely neck my mate. The necklace does not do you justice as your beauty out shines what I have given you. Please accept my gift. I do not know what diamonds are, but these were the bluest stones that I could find to match your lovely eyes.

The necklace is a tradition within my clan, that we adorn our females as such, once placed it can only be removed by none other than myself. It will protect you when I'm not there because my fang will always be with you."

Tears started to come out of Kagome's eyes as she looked into his eyes. She saw the love that he held for her as he pleaded with her to accept his gift. She has seen something like this on his mother's neck and knew that what he was saying was true. If she accepted him as her mate then his gift will adorn her neck for all eternity to prove that she was his.

She took a deep breath as she said, "Very well Sesshoumaru I will wear your gift upon my neck. But if you fail to win my heart then the necklace will be removed and you have no claim on me."

Sesshoumaru was not happy about what she said to him. He will still have her as his mate no matter what, but he knew that he wanted a true bond with her, so he had to win her heart. He agreed to her request knowing that he will never be removing the necklace.

He took the necklace as Kagome moved her hair out of the way so he could clasp it in place. When he was done, he pulled away and looked at the necklace. She was absolutely beautiful.

He was right the necklace did not do her any justice. But it sparkled beautifully around her neck. His fang was hanging right in the middle of the necklace as a red aura encircled the fang.

The moment he put the necklace around her neck it caused the spell that was in his fang to activate, protecting her against anyone who wanted to do her harm. "Beautiful," was the word that he let escape his lips as he continued to stare at her.

The necklace was more than just protection for her. He will have to find a way to activate the other spell that was woven into the choker. It was part of the mating ritual where he would subdue her powers so they could get to know each other. It provided him with the opportunity to show her that he could protect her from everything, showing her that he was powerful enough to be her mate.

If she could break the spell that subdued her powers, then he knew that he will never be her mate. If he couldn't subdue her powers then he couldn't subdue her because she was more powerful than him. He will then remove the necklace and the mating would be called off, acknowledging that he could never have her as his mate.

His nose picked up the scent of food, the servants have left the morning meal by the door for them to eat. He walked over to the door as he opened it and picked up the tray that was sitting on the table and brought it into the room.

Kagome was curious to see what Sesshoumaru was doing. After hearing his declaration of her beauty she blushed a bright red. She never thought of herself as beautiful, she still couldn't understand why he picked her to be his mate, since he hated ningens so much. But she promised both her mothers that she would give the male that subdued her a chance to prove his love.

Kagome knew that she loved Sesshoumaru. She came to that realization before the tournament started. But not being experienced with males made it hard for her to understand why he wanted her. She would have to see where all this will go and see if she could figure out what her heart wanted.

She had taken a chance and opened her heart to two people that she grew to love, since her arrival here at the castle. She thought that she was going to be taken away from them at first, only to find out that it was their son that won the battle to dominate her. She now knew that she will not be separated from them and this made her happy. But can Sesshoumaru love her the way she wanted to be loved and accepted? Now that was a question that she has to ponder for a while.

Kagome turned her head when she saw Sesshoumaru coming back into the room with a tray in his hands. She watched with curiosity as he placed it on the table next to the bed. She gave a small shriek when he picked her up in his arms and placed her in his lap.

She was surprised by his actions, and she was inquisitive about what he was doing, as she saw him reach over and bring food to her mouth. She tried to move her hands up to take the food from him, but found that her arms were pinned to the side of her body, just like last night, as she asked, "Sesshoumaru why are you holding my arms down? I can feed myself. Please release me."

Sesshoumaru sighed when he heard his mate. Her anger was starting to grow because he would not release her arms while she was struggling to get free. He purred to calm her, her struggles lessened as she relaxed into his arms and he said, "Kagome, you still have not recovered from my poison. Your motor skills are not fully recovered and you will not be able to feed yourself. So please relax and allow me to take care of you until you have recovered from it."

Of course that was not the only reason he was feeding her. Having her accept food only from him meant that he will be the only one to provide for her. It was instincts that led him to do this because he was showing his dominance over her. But she didn't have to know that at the moment. His poison has left her weak and she really couldn't feed herself as of yet.

Kagome, however, missed the look in Sesshoumaru's eyes as she was thinking about something else that he said. 'Poison! What poison is he talking about? Did he put poison into my body when he bit me?' Kagome was shocked to hear that she was poisoned. But what really got her upset was that it was Sesshoumaru that poisoned her in the first place. "You mean to tell me that you poisoned me when you bit my shoulder yesterday! Why you! Let go of me right now! How dare you poison me wh…"

Sesshoumaru had enough of Kagome's temper as he captured her lips in a heated kiss. She was struggling in his arms as he deepened it some more until she stilled in his arms. She responded back to him and when he was sure that she was calmed he released her lips as he said, "Kagome, my love, I had to give you a small amount of my poison in order for your body to establish an immunity against it. Because I come from a line of poison welding youkai you must become immune to my poison.

My poison is one of the most powerful poisons in the lands and once your body is immune to it you will become immune to most of the poisons known to be in existence. It is a protection for you. So please calm yourself my mate, your body has already accepted my poison and is building up immunity, it's only a matter of time before your back to normal."

Kagome guessed she couldn't be mad at him for doing this to her but he could at least warned her about what he was going to do. "You should have at least told me, that way I would have known what you were doing and maybe I wouldn't be so upset."

Sesshoumaru chuckled as he said, "Koiishi, you wouldn't listen to me yesterday when I told you to calm down. You still wanted to fight me even when you lost the battle and I had you pinned to the ground. I would have told you but you weren't interested in listening."

Kagome blushed, he did have a point, she didn't want to listen to anything, all she wanted to do was get away from him so they wouldn't be here right now. She sighed, her life just got a little more complicated and now she has to deal with something new.

Kagome huffed as she tried to sit up on her own. She found that when she tried to sit up that she couldn't do it. She thought that Sesshoumaru was restraining her as she looked down and noticed that he was no longer holding on to her. She didn't understand why she couldn't move. She furrowed her eyebrows together as she asked, "Why can't I move? I ran out the window this morning with no problem so why can't I move now?"

Sesshoumaru smiled as he buried his nose in her hair and said, "You have used up what little strength you have recovered by running outside. Now you're weak again, until your body gathers its energy. Please allow me to feed you so you can get stronger."

Sesshoumaru offered her some food as he saw Kagome sigh in defeat. She opened her mouth as he put the food inside it, he watched her chew her food and then swallow. He continued to feed her when Kagome noticed that he was not eating. She swallowed as she asked, "Sesshoumaru, are you going to eat?"

Sesshoumaru looked at his mate as he said with a serious tone to his voice, "I will eat once you have your fill. You come first and it's my responsibility to make sure that you are well provided for. As your alpha, your mate, I must provide for your well-being. I will always make sure that you have enough food, clothes, and shelter. I want you healthy and happy nothing else matters to me at the moment."

Kagome was shocked to hear this. He was providing her with food and taking care of her when she was weak. She has never seen this side of Sesshoumaru before. He was never open with his emotions, and she found that she liked this side of him. It was weird to see this but in a way it felt so right. She has seen this with his parents.

Lord Inutaisho was very affectionate with his mate. She had seen them together when they thought that no one was around. He was always touching her or holding her in his arms, never wanting to let go. His tail would always be wrapped around her body to keep Ayashiko safe and warm.

'Is this what is like to be taken care of by the person that you love? The feeling of contentment and safety in the arms of the man or youkai that will love you for all eternity, I feel so at peace being in Sesshoumaru's arms. Like this is the place I am supposed to be in and that we are meant to be together. Could he be the reason why I was sent back here from the future? Are we meant to be together?' Kagome continue to ponder this and many more questions that were in her mind, as she continued to eat the food that Sesshoumaru offered to her.

When she had her fill she laid her head on his shoulder and relaxed. She found that she liked being held by him. It gave her a strange feeling inside her body. But she had many questions that could not be answered by books.

Kagome started to feel her body gaining strength as she watched Sesshoumaru finish the last of their morning meal. Once he was done she looked up into his eyes and asked, "Sesshoumaru, do you think that we can go outside for a little while? I hate being confined indoors. I prefer to be outside in the sun."

Sesshoumaru thought about her request as he turned to her and said, "Yes, we can go outside for a while but you must remain by my side at all times. You can not leave my side or my inner Inu will take it as a rejection on your part."

Now Kagome was stumped she has no idea what he was talking about as he referred to his inner Inu. 'Have I met this inner Inu before? Kami my mind must be going, I have no idea if I ever meet his inner Inu.' Kagome thought with confusion. She knew she was going to sound stupid for asking, but she had to find out, "Inner Inu? Who is that Sesshoumaru? Have I met him before?"

Sesshoumaru looked at his mate in disbelief as he said, "Kagome do you not remember the beast that took you to get the black moon flower when father was ill?"

Kagome thought back as she remembered the giant Inu with the cute ears. 'Kami how can I forget that beautiful creature, but it was during a time that was very traumatic for me and I tend to block out memories that are painful. But at least my Otou-san is safe.' She smiled as she said, "Oh yes, I remember now, the giant Inu with the really cute ears."

Sesshoumaru blushed as his beast growled with pride because she liked his ears. Sesshoumaru cleared his throat as he said, "Well that giant Inu is my inner beast. He is very much a part of this Sesshoumaru. He lives within and sometimes breaks free when he thinks that you are in danger or is angered. When we mate it will be a mating between the three of us, he has already accepted you as his mate as well as I."

Kagome accepted his condition of staying by his side if they were to go outside for a little while. She just needed to get out of this place. She never liked being confined inside and never would. Sesshoumaru sat her on the bed as he went over to the closet and got some clothes for her to wear. When he turned around, he held in his arms, the most beautiful kimono she has ever seen.

It was a white and pink kimono. The kimono was pink and it had a picture of a beautiful white Inu on it that went around the bottom of the kimono as his head came to rest where her hip will be. It has a beautiful white inner juban that went underneath the kimono and a white obi. Unlike her other clothes this one did not have a hakama that she could wear with it. She noticed that the kimono was long and that it had two slits, one on each side of her leg. It appeared that the slits would go up to her knees.

Kagome was still very weak as she tried to move to get dress. She couldn't do it on her own so Sesshoumaru decided to help her get dressed. He moved over to her side as he started to undo the sash that held her robe together.

When Kagome saw what he was doing she turned a bright red. Her blush started at her cheekbone and then went down her neck to the upper portions of her chest. She grabbed his hands as she asked, "Sesshoumaru what are you doing?"

Sesshoumaru looked at her with a raised eyebrow as he said, "I'm helping you get dressed. You are still too weak to do it on your own, so I will dress you before I get dressed."

Kagome didn't know what to do. She sighed as she released his hands to allow him to continue to help her. After all he has already seen her in all her glory and there was nothing to be modest about at this point in time.

Sesshoumaru smiled inwardly, he saw his mate give up her protest as he was allowed to remove her clothing. Once he got the sash undone he stood her up on her feet, he leaned her against his body as he removed the robe and let it fall to the floor. He sat her back down as he got her undergarments. With her help he was able to bind her chest with the material that was used by the females of this era. He had something similar to a loincloth that was for a female as he helped her into it.

By this time Sesshoumaru noticed how her skin was as red as her face. Her blush went all the way down her body. He could hear her heartbeat racing as he caught the slight hint of arousal coming from her. 'So she does hold some feelings for me when I touch her. Now this is interesting. I wonder if she would be willing to bathe with me later tonight?' Sesshoumaru pondered as he continued with his task.

He put on some soft white socks on her small and delicate little feet as he stood her up once again. He turned her around so that her back was against his chest as he picked up the juban and had her raise her arms up so that he could put it on her and wrap it securely around her waist. Then he put on the outer layer of the kimono and the obi. When he was done he turned her around as he looked at her clothes. The clothes were perfect and she looked beautiful dressed in them.

Kagome thought that her blush was going to be a permanent part of her features, as Sesshoumaru continued to dress her. He was so gentle with her and every time he touched her skin it set her on fire, if felt like an electric bolt full of desire would run down her back. She found that she was getting very wet down below and she was amazed that she was disappointed when he was finally done dressing her.

She looked at the kimono that Sesshoumaru dressed her in and she was amazed at its beauty. The white Inu on her kimono was sitting down on the ground. His tail started on the right side of her kimono as it went around to the other side where its body was located. He was looking up at her and the beautiful golden eyes that the Inu has reminded her of Sesshoumaru's eyes. Her hand passed over the Inu's head as she looked up at Sesshoumaru. He had sat her down on their futon as he went to get dressed.

Sesshoumaru smiled when he saw his mate passing her hand over the Inu on her kimono. He had the kimono made for her and the Inu on the kimono was him in his true form. He could tell that she was fascinated with the Inu as he sat her down on the futon, and then walked over to his closet to get some clothes.

Once Sesshoumaru found the clothes that he was looking for he pulled it out and laid them over the door. He untied his hakama as he let it fall to the ground. Sesshoumaru's tail was fully relaxed and on the floor, as he stepped out of his hakama and bent down to pick up his clothes.

He quickly looked at Kagome from the corner of his eye as she was looking at him intently. He could see her eyes roaming all over his body as she looked at what he had to offer.

An evil gleam came to Sesshoumaru's eyes as he had a thought. He turned just slightly to give her a better view. He heard her suck in air as he caught Kagome off guard. He slowly picked up his loincloth and made an exhibition of putting it on.

Sesshoumaru made sure to show her everything as he was getting hard just thinking about what he was doing. If he didn't get his hakama on, and soon, he will not be able to until he went and relieved himself, as he quickly got dressed.

He was not dressed in his normal everyday clothes. These clothes represented that he was a male that was courting a beautiful female. He tied his favorite sash around his waist as he put his swords into the sash and he was done.

Sesshoumaru turned to find his mate even redder than before. He was wondering what she was thinking about that got her to blush so furiously and her arousal to peek as a smirk came to his lips.

--oOo--

Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru walked away from her. He moved with such grace that she wished she could be that graceful. She saw him reach into his closet and pull out his clothes. Then she saw him start to undress in front of her, as her blush became more powerful.

She couldn't believe that he was undressing in front of her like that. But when she saw his lean and muscular body she couldn't help but stare. His clothes did not do him justice. He had a god like body. His skin was pale but it looked so soft. She saw the length of his manhood and blushed even more. She had no idea that he was so well endowed. But what she couldn't take her eyes off of was his markings.

They fascinated her as she traced each line with her eyes to see where they went to. The ones on his wrist went up to his elbows. There were two of them and they seemed to curl around his forearms once they got there.

The next set of markings that caught her eyes was the ones on his ankles. There were two sets of stripes that started at his ankles and curled around his muscular leg until they stopped just behind his knees.

But the ones she really wanted to touch were the ones on his hips. Those were the best in her opinion. They started on his hips but then they disappeared under his hair and she couldn't really see where they went. Now she was curious. She would have to find out where they went to and if they felt as soft as they looked.

Kagome's whole body blushed with what she was thinking about. She didn't even know where that thought came from as she finally looked away so she could get herself under control. She could feel the dampness between her legs and wondered, 'Why am I getting all hot and bothered over Sesshoumaru's naked body? It's not like I haven't seen naked pictures of men before but he has the most perfect body I have ever seen.'

Kagome didn't know what to do as she continued to sit there trying to get herself under control, so she could control her blush. She felt herself being picked up as she looked up to find that Sesshoumaru had her cradled against his chest as he wrapped his tail around her body to keep her warm. He took her through the bathing chambers as he walked out the door to the back gardens.

When Kagome saw the gardens she felt like she was in heaven. Even now in the fall the roses in the garden were blooming fully. The fragrance they gave off was wonderful as she looked at all of the different colors that filled the area. It was the most beautiful garden she has ever seen and she had to remember to come back here in the near future.

Sesshoumaru continued to walk as he came upon a sakura tree and sat down under it with Kagome securely in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist as he leaned her body into his and started a low growl like purr to make her relax.

Kagome felt Sesshoumaru chest vibrated. It was a soothing feeling as she relaxed into his hold. They sat there in silence as Sesshoumaru was stroking her back in a soothing fashion.

Kagome was still deep in thought and she had to ask her questions before this went on any further. If she didn't get the answers she wanted to hear then there will be no them in their future.

She took a deep breath as she asked, "Sesshoumaru I have some questions that need to be answered. Why do you want me as a mate? If I remember correctly you called me a worthless ningen, not worthy to be in your mother's presence, and you also called me a wench and whore for protecting your brother. You obviously hate ningens and I'm ningen so why did you even fight for the right to be my mate?"

Sesshoumaru was not at all shocked by her question. He expected that he will have to answer for his past verbal abuse of her person. He took a deep breath as he tried to explain why he has chosen her as a mate. "Kagome, I know that I have given you the impression that I hate ningens but in actuality I don't. I have a great dislike for some of them but not all of them. You have taught me over the months that not all ningens are the same.

"There are some ningens that pride themselves with their honor and take their duties as seriously as we youkai do. This fact came into play when we stayed at the slayer village. Sango's village took it upon themselves to protect us during the night. I have never seen such dedication before in ningens; it almost mimics that of youkai society.

"Too many times I have watched as ningens hurt lower class youkais while they never hurt anyone. The youkai will come too close to the ningen village and they will attack for no other reason, than they were youkai.

"I have seen them hurt their own kind before and never cared that the ones they were hurting were mothers or pups.

"You have opened my eyes to the fact that I can't judge a race by just the actions of a few. Yes, at first I thought that you were a weak ningen onna that came to the palace to beg my mother for assistance. It is not unusual that the ningens come here to beg, but some won't even help themselves.

"You were the first one to ever come here and hide your powers. Most would have shown us just how powerful they were, to make themselves look important, but you hid yours. That's why, at first, I thought that you were a weak ningen.

"Your scent is different from the rest of the ningens that I have dealings with. You don't smell of sweat, death, and urine that are common to most ningens because they don't bathe as often as they should. For us scent is everything and we judge based on it."

Kagome listened to what he was saying but he was still avoiding the issue, he has yet to tell her why he wanted her as a mate. But as she thought about what he has said so far one thing was very clear to her. He wasn't been interested in her until she showed him just how powerful she was.

"So what you are telling me is that because I let you see my powers and you saw how strong I was, that's when you desired me for a mate?" Kagome strained to keep her voice even and devoid of her upset for what she was thinking. 'He only wants me as a mate because I'm strong and will provide him with a strong heir. He doesn't care about me?'

Sesshoumaru thought about her question as he said, "Yes, once I found out how strong you were I found that you would make a worthy mate."

Kagome's anger grew ten fold as she jumped out of his lap and stared at him right in the eyes. Her eyes were changing colors so fast that Sesshoumaru didn't know what color they were going to be next. He felt her aura spike and he knew right then, that he said something wrong, as he quickly stood and faced his mate.

Kagome was angry about his response. It was exactly what she thought, he never wanted her for who she was, he wanted her because of the powers she holds. It was like her life was repeating itself again, where everyone would take advantage of her. Well no more, no longer will she be controlled. If he did not desire her then there will be no mating. She wanted someone that will love her for who she is, not for her powers.

She turned her heated eyes toward Sesshoumaru as she said in a deadly voice, "So you desire this ningen onna for her powers do you? If that is all you desire then you will never get your wish, because I will not submit to anyone who wants to use me as such. I'm tired of being used because of the gifts and powers I hold. Go find yourself another female that is willing to be your little play thing Sesshoumaru. I refuse to be used in that manner."

She turned to leave, when she was blocked by none other than Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru moved with speed as he prevented Kagome from leaving the gardens. His own anger peaked as he heard her words. He remembered that he never got her submission and now he will have to fight her again. But he knew that she will not submit so easily. She was a fighter and wanted nothing more than someone to love her.

He growled as he said, "Bitch! You never let me finish what I was saying. You will submit to me here and now and become my mate for all eternity."

Kagome had enough she didn't want to hear anymore of his lies. He wanted only one thing and she was not willing to give it to him. Her aura flared around her body to protect herself as she tried to leave again. She felt that she has not recovered from her ordeal and she couldn't fully fight him, but she was not going to submit to him either. She would rather die first.

She put a barrier around her body as she held Sesshoumaru off. She bent down and reached between her legs as she grabbed the back of her kimono and brought the loose cloth forward between her legs. She pulled the material up and then tucked it in her obi. Now she was free to move about on her own without being hindered by her clothes. This is why she liked to wear hakama. She could fight at a moments notice and move with ease.

Kagome felt Sesshoumaru's anger grow ten fold as he was attacking her barrier. She couldn't keep it up for long as she felt her powers draining away from her. She saw as Sesshoumaru removed his sword and attacked.

Kagome's anger was fanned anew as she yelled, "Jenjou! Come to me!" Kagome's right hand began to glow white as her sword materialized in her hand. She brought it forward as she took a defensive stance against him. Her eyes started to turn red from her anger as her barrier finally fell and Sesshoumaru attacked.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru couldn't believe this. They were getting along so well and now he was back to fighting her. She wouldn't listen to what he has to say and believed that he wanted her only for her powers. But that was far from the truth, he has come to love her but she was too stubborn to listen. He will have to subdue her in order to show her his feelings.

He attacked her barrier with his claws. It was still strong even though she was weak from their battle. He needed to reach her as soon as possible so he took out his sword and attacked. It took only three strikes of his sword before he brought her barrier down as he moved in to attack.

His sword clashed with hers as they battled each other for dominance. He was careful in what he did. He didn't want to hurt her in any way. She was still too weak but not as weak as he first thought. She was holding her own against him as they continued to battle.

Their swords continued to clash in the morning air. The servants, having heard the sound of clashing swords, went outside to see what was going on. They were surprised to see their young master and the miko going at it so soon. They thought that the young master would have waited until after the miko recovered from her ordeal, but they were wrong.

They watched from within the house, not wishing to be caught outside watching the battle, to see who would win the fight. They knew that the lord of the lands felt their pups battling again and soon will be over here to see what was going on.

Kagome was growing weaker by the minute. She needed to end this fight so she could leave this place. She attacked again when her sword was knocked out of her hand and it landed behind her. She turned to go retrieve it when she was hit from behind and pinned to the ground. She felt teeth on the back of her neck as she went still in Sesshoumaru's grasp.

Sesshoumaru saw his chance, he tackled her from behind as he pinned her to the ground with his body. His teeth grew in size as he grabbed her by the back of her neck. He growled deep and menacing as he felt her go still under him. 'Good I have her attention now.' Sesshoumaru thought as he growled, "_Submit to me bitch_!"

Kagome struggled to get free, but when she moved, he bit down harder on her neck. Tears were now coming out of her eyes, as she said, "No!"

Sesshoumaru shifted his body more as he flared his aura around her. It covered her completely making her submit to his power. He was also feeding his youki into her necklace as he set up the spell to subdue her powers. He continued to feed his power into the necklace, as it was getting even stronger.

Kagome could hardly breathe. His aura was so powerful that she felt like she was being suffocated. His power surrounded her body and she couldn't push him away from her. He was powerful, more powerful than she thought he would be. The pressure on her neck increased as she whimpered in pain.

Sesshoumaru knew that he would have to make her submit soon, it would come down to hurting her or risk losing her forever. He didn't want to hurt her nor did he wish to lose her, as he growled, _"My bitch, my mate, submit to me. Let me love you in the only way I know how. Let me into your heart and allow me to love you for who you are. I don't care about your powers, I care about you as a person, my love, my mate."_

Kagome heard his words as she thought, 'Could he really love me for who I am? He doesn't really care about my powers?' Kagome was struggling with her inner self as she heard the gentle voice of Midoriko say, "My Musume, believe in his words and you will have a happy life. Allow him to love you. Think about this Kagome, he could never show you his true desires because it was forbidden. Now he is free to show you how he really feels and you are fighting him. Submit to him and allow him to show you that he really does love you.'

Kagome closed her eyes as she relaxed completely in Sesshoumaru's hold. The pressure on the back of her neck started to leave. She heard him growl as she softly said, "No more please, I…I sub…submit to you."

Sesshoumaru was relieved that she has finally submitted to him. His aura flared even more as he wrapped it around her body to soothe her, thus sealing the spell to her necklace in order to subdue her powers. She was crying as he got off her and encircled his arm around her unresisting body. He pulled her form toward his chest as he sat up with her in his arms.

He placed her in his lap as he wrapped his arms around her body and his tail. He encircled her with his aura and his love as she finally stopped crying. He was growling in a special way that would sooth a distressed mate as she finally settled down. Kagome turned in his arms as she hugged his body closer to hers and whimpered. She nuzzled him against his chin seeking comfort from him.

Sesshoumaru responded in kind as he bit her ear in response. It was his way of saying that she was forgiven for challenging him. She settled down in his arms as she completely relaxed. She felt safe for the first time in her life and there was something else there too. From deep within Kagome's heart a new feeling stirred that she has never felt before. It was a feeling that reached out to Sesshoumaru as it gently caressed his aura and accepted it.

Sesshoumaru felt her power rise again but it was different this time. It was not meant to harm him but to accept him as her mate. He felt her power encircle his body as his did the same to her. They came together as the white and gold auras mixed to form one.

During this time the fang around Kagome's neck started to glow. His spell was now set to suppress her powers until the mating ritual was over. The fang gave him control over her. She will have to break his spell in order to have use of her powers. She will be defenseless until the end of the ritual when their powers would truly mix as one.

They stayed in the gardens for a long while basking in each other's aura as they finally got to know one another.

--oOo--

Back at the house the servants looked on in awe. Never in their lives have they ever witnessed such a thing. They finally saw the miko submit to the young master. They were sitting on the ground as their aura's flared around them.

They all thought that they were going to fight again but to their amazement they saw their aura mix together as one. The power that surrounded them was great as it put up a barrier that warned anyone not to go near them.

They all turned to each other and smiled. They now knew that the miko has accepted the young master as her mate. They sent word back to the castle to inform their Lord. He will be very interested in this little bit of information.

--oOo--

Off in the distance a large army was forming, it was getting ready to head out and attack the west. It has taken longer than Jakyoku planned to gather and train his army, but he had to do it right. He was not taking the chance that he will be defeated in his bid to take over the west.

His father made some mistakes in his life and he was not about to repeat those mistakes. He wanted everything to be perfect. He wanted a strong army to go up against the strongest army that the west has to offer.

He had a plan to get the miko. He has already sent an advance party to set up his plan. They were to gather information and when he arrived he will make the decisions on what to do. He will capture the miko and then the males of the west will have to bow down to him.

He will then take the miko as his mate, because the bond between her and her current mate will be dissolved. With Sesshoumaru's death he will no longer be able to protect her so she will be left defenseless. She will submit to him fully and be by his side for all eternity.

He watched, as his army started moving toward the west. His generals convinced him to move the army in smaller groups. It was going to take some time to move a force this large without being seen. His army was heading out in different directions to confuse the enemy if they were spotted.

His forces were to gather just inside the western boarders at a secret location. Barriers have already been set up to keep his army hidden until the right moment to attack. His spies were already in place at the castle, keeping an eye on the ningen onna and gathering information for his use. All he had to do was call to them and get a briefing.

He stood on a cliff as he watched his army move. Soon, very soon, the west will be his new domain and he will have a powerful mate by his side. The final battle to claim what is his was at hand.

--oOo--

This is the end to another chapter. Kagome has finally submitted to Sesshoumaru is willing to become his mate.

Sorry for the late update, but life gets in the way of me doing what I love to do. I had to deal with several major issues between my mother who is sick and my dog who had surgery. Both now are getting better so hopefully no more interruptions with me posting my chapters.

Also I almost pulled my story from the sites that I post because my story was posted on another site without my consent. Thanks to a loyal fan the story was taken down from . It took Advi to talk me out of pulling my story so you all can enjoy it. But this is a warning to all those who want to steal someone else's work, don't, I worked hard to come up with the ideas to write this story. I would rather you contact me and ask me to post at a different site than steal what has taken me a year to write. Right now you all have Advi to thank for this story still being posted.

A Single Sparks is hosting its annual awards and is now open for nominations. This story has been nominated for best AU. I wanted to thank the person who did that. I feel honored that you thought my story was good enough to be nominated. Nominations will close on the 3rd of April. Then the voting will start for your favorite story. Please visit the site and nominate your favorite story for everyone enjoyment.

In the next chapter see how Ayashiko is dealing with her pups being gone. Sango has a plan to keep her busy while Inutaisho gets some rest. See what happens when things heat up between Sesshoumaru and Kagome after a game of tag as their passion is brought forth.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Lord Inutaisho was again having problems with his mate. They both felt when their pups started fighting again. The power coming from the house was even more powerful than before and he was not about to let his mate get hurt.

This was why when an Inu Youkai took a mate and started the mating ritual they choose a place that was secluded. The females will always be protective of their pups, no matter how old they were. It was instincts that drove that desire, and since his lovely mate has claimed Kagome as her own, that desire was even stronger.

He gave in to his mates desire to have her pups close by. He knew that he will have a rough time but he took up the additional responsibility without a fuss. He wanted his mate to be happy even though he will have to subdue her every time she got the urge to go to her pups.

Inutaisho was currently in his room, as he was looking out the window. He was facing the forest where he knew the house was located. He could clearly see the power that was coming from that area as he heard the sound of swords clashing in the distance.

Soon the sound of clashing swords stopped, it became very quiet that not even the birds where singing in the sky. Then, after he waited with bated breath, he felt it. It was a calming aura that was coming from that area. To him it felt like both Sesshoumaru and Kagome combined their powers into one.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door as he turned and yelled, "Enter!"

A servant opened the door as he quickly made his way towards his lord and kneeled. He waited to be recognized by Lord Inutaisho before he gave him the message. The tension was so thick in the room that you could almost cut it with a knife as he heard his lord say, "Speak."

The servant shook in fear as he said, "Milord, we have been informed that Sesshoumaru-sama has subdued the miko. She has fully submitted to him and they said that their auras were becoming one, milord."

Inutaisho understood what was going on as he said, "You may leave."

The servant was so happy that he quickly jumped up and left his lord to his thoughts. He was glad to be out of there in one piece. Their lord has been in a very foul mood ever since his eldest son decided to take a mate.

Inutaisho looked out the window as he smiled, 'So Kagome has finally submitted to Sesshoumaru and has accepted him as her mate. Their aura combining like that indicates that she is falling in love with my son. Soon those two will be mated and everything will be as it should.'

Inutaisho turned as he looked at his mate. He could release her now that their pups have calmed down again. They will have to prepare a room for when those two came back home.

He just hoped that Sesshoumaru will stay with them. He has every right to leave and start his own pack now that he was an alpha. But he would prefer for his pup to stay and helped him rule over the lands.

Inutaisho sighed, he hated for his pups to grow up because they will leave him and his mate to start a new life somewhere else. He knew that they have a while to go before Inuyasha was mated but it still did not make things easier on them. He was wondering if he could convince his lovely mate to have another if Sesshoumaru and Kagome left the Western Lands to make their own home elsewhere.

Now there was an idea as he smiled and went to wake his mate.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru and Kagome were still sitting in the gardens. Kagome has not moved from her position on Sesshoumaru's lap as he continued to rock her back and forth. His inner beast was at peace with himself because his chosen one submitted to him. But he knew that they have to finish their talk if they were to move on with each other.

Sesshoumaru inner beast slowly reseeded back and allowed his more rational side to take over once again.

When Sesshoumaru opened his eyes they were back to their normal color. He looked down at his mate and saw the contented look on her features. It pleased him immensely to see her like this. Her aura was at peace for once and not saddened in any way.

He nuzzled the top of her head as he breathed in her delicious scent. It relaxed him so he could continue with what they were discussing. He raised his head as he called, "Kagome?"

Kagome was enjoying the feeling of peace she was getting just being in Sesshoumaru's arms. It was a feeling that she thought she will never have in her life. To feel at peace with herself and finally belonging somewhere that she could call home. She could live out her days like this and die a peaceful death.

Kagome was brought out of her musing when she heard Sesshoumaru calling to her. She raised her head just a little so she could look at him.

Once Sesshoumaru saw that he had Kagome's attention he said, "Kagome we must continue with our talk if we are to move on with our lives together. I want to answer any questions that you may have and tell you some things that will keep you safe and not cause my inner Inu to punish… you if you were to act in a way that was defiant to him."

At the word 'punish' the fear in Kagome increased to an alarming level. She never wanted to be punished for anything. The beating she received when she was younger was enough to last her for a lifetime, and now that Sesshoumaru mentioned that word it struck the fear in Kami in her. She stilled in his arms, her fingers tightened around his chest, as she waited to see what he had to say. Her breathing was becoming more labored the longer she waited.

Sesshoumaru noticed right away that his mate scent had changed once he mentioned the word 'punish.' Her scent was laced with such fear that it was over powering his senses. He had to find out what her fear was and make her understand that he will never hurt her in anyway.

Sesshoumaru took a deep breath as he continued with what they were discussing earlier before they got into their little battle. "As you remember, I said that once you revealed your powers, I thought that you would make a worthy mate. Inu youkai naturally look for a strong female that is of equal or slightly lesser power. It is our nature to seek this even if we are not doing it consciously.

"You are a powerful female, Kagome, but that was not the only thing I was looking for in a mate. Being strong brought you to my attention but I wanted more. I wanted a female that I can live with for the rest of my life. I wanted a female that I can have a bond with like my father has with my mother. I want to love her unconditionally and have that love returned to me.

"At first I just brushed you off, not wanting to be mated to a ningen, but then I started seeing that you were different. I started to see your other qualities as I observed you from afar.

"The first time you help Tai-li in the library to get it organized was the first time that I noticed that you were different. You're a natural born leader that can take charge of a situation and perform admirably. When I saw your plans for the library I couldn't wait to see the final outcome once it was rearranged.

"When you came down to dinner that night, I couldn't take my eyes off you. Your beauty is beyond compare, because no one can match it and you were actually glowing with pride and innocence. I started to follow you after that and I saw a ningen onna that always gave of herself and never asked for anything in return.

"I saw your intelligence even before you told us where you came from. Your intelligence even surpassed my own and I wanted to see more.

"The way you taught the runts of the castle was impressive. You showed them that they can still fight even if they are weak and still win. It showed me that you will be a wonderful mother to our pups and teach them to be strong. But I finally realized my feelings for you when that kuro miko attacked you.

"When you disappeared after your battle with her I thought that I would go mad. I couldn't stand the thought that someone had taken you away from me and I went after you. If it had not been for my father, who stopped me prior to getting to the slayer village, I would have destroyed it to find you.

"When I almost lost you in Midoriko's cave because you were running blindly away from me, I resigned myself to die with you if I couldn't prevent your death. But I caught you before you fell into the bottomless pit."

At this statement Kagome was snapped out of her fear as she looked up and asked, "I almost fell into a bottomless pit? Why was I running?"

Sesshoumaru looked at his mate as he said, "Do you not remember what happened at the cave?"

Kagome thought for a few minutes and then said, "I remember waking up there and having a long conversation with Midoriko. Then I remember leaving her to go and see Sango but I don't remember anything after that."

Sesshoumaru thought for a few minutes as he decided to explain what happened in the cave. He explained how he caught her before she fell into the pit.

Kagome closed her eyes as she tried to remember that day. It was difficult but she started to remember what it was she saw that frightened her, seeing the youkai from her childhood nightmare appear right in front of her put the fear of Kami in her.

The fear she felt that day started to take over as she relived that moment in time. She felt the tightening of arms around her as she was shivering and breathing hard. Then she whispered, "You told me that you will always protect me. I remember that now. I sometimes tend to block out events that are hurtful to me so I don't have to relive them constantly. I remember that I felt safe for the first time in my life and fell asleep in your arms."

Sesshoumaru held her tighter in his arms as his warmth wrapped around her. He then continued with what he was saying to her, "It was in that cave that I finally realized how much I actually loved you. I never want to let go of you Kagome, no matter what, you belong to me for all eternity, and I will wait for the day when you will return that affection."

Kagome relaxed even more into his arms as he was holding her. She suddenly felt that she was being picked up off the ground as she saw Sesshoumaru heading back inside. She looked up and saw that it was almost midday and she was getting a little hungry.

Sesshoumaru knew that he had to get Kagome something to eat. It was almost time for the midday meal and she required food to get stronger. He walked back to their shared room as he put her back on the bed and looked at her. He leaned in for a kiss as he captured her lips and was just enjoying her presence.

Then all too soon he felt when the servants came and left their meal at the door. He let a feral growl escape his lips as he starred at the door. He hated to be interrupted as he felt movement. He saw Kagome getting up from the bed as she was heading toward the door. His eyes turned red with anger and he went after her, thinking that she was trying to leave him.

He grabbed Kagome by the neck and threw her back on the bed and pinned her there. He barred his fangs as he growled menacingly at her.

Kagome didn't know what she did wrong. She was just going to get the food that she knew was outside the door. She wanted to feed Sesshoumaru this time and have some more time alone with him. In a blink of an eye she found herself on her back on the futon as she saw a very angry Sesshoumaru barring his fangs at her.

She still immediately, not fighting him in any way. She could tell by this eyes that his inner Inu was in control and she didn't want to be hurt by him.

Sesshoumaru yipped, growled, and barked at Kagome as he said, _"Bitch stay where I put you! Leave our futon again and you will be punished!"_ Kagome nodded her head in agreement not saying a word. She was shaking in fear as he got off her and headed toward the door.

Kagome curled on the futon in a fetal position and started to cry. She didn't know what she did to make him so mad. It was like reliving the pain she went through with her real father.

Sesshoumaru was not happy about his bitch trying to leave the safety of their shared futon. She was still vulnerable to any male and he still had to teach her how to behave correctly around him. He opened the door and got the food. Once he had the tray in his hands he turned and shut the door as he headed back to their futon.

As he approached his mate he picked up the scent of her tears and became alarmed. She was crying and he didn't know why. He put the tray down as he kneeled on the futon and touched her shoulder to make her look at him.

Her reaction was not what he was expecting as she yelled, "I didn't move Sesshoumaru! Please don't punish me!"

He saw the fear that was in her eyes as she moved away from him. He picked her up in his arms as he sat with her on the futon. He started to purr softly as he calmed his mate. Once she was calmed he said, "Kagome, I will never physically hurt you. Punishment for an Inu Youkai mate is never physical. It's more of a dominant phase that we will put you through. Meaning I will feed you, clothe you, keep you at my side until you know your place and accept me as your alpha, but never hurt you. I can never hurt you."

Kagome relaxed in his arms as she continued to hiccup as her tears stopped.

Sesshoumaru continued to hold her as he rubbed her back to soothe her frail nerves. Once she was calmed he asked, "Kagome who has punished you so severely that it will cause a reaction like this. I want you to tell me so I can understand."

Kagome sighed she knew that she will never be able to get away with not telling him. She understood that he has the right to know about what happened in her life. Slowly at first and then with more confidence she told him about her father and what he did.

By the time she was done tears were coming from her eyes again as she was being rocked in his lap.

Sesshoumaru could only fume at what her biological father did to his lovely mate. He has scarred her for life and he will have to be careful with the way he treats her from now on. His inner Inu was not happy but he could do nothing to stop her fears at the present moment. It will take time for her to get used to them and not react so violently when he corrects her.

Sesshoumaru reached over and uncovered the food as he brought it to Kagome mouth. She didn't fight him this time as she allowed him to feed her. When she was full she laid her head on his shoulder and fell asleep. She had too much excitement for one morning and needed to regain her energy.

Sesshoumaru watched as his mate fell asleep in his arms. He ate the remaining food that was left and when he was done he placed Kagome back on the futon, making sure that he didn't wake her in the process.

He then took the tray back out into the hallway as he placed it back on table. He returned to Kagome side and laid next to her, as he held her in his arms. He felt her small body relax against him as he fell asleep once more with his mate.

--oOo--

Ayashiko was happy with her mate at the moment. She remembered when her pups started fighting again and she could feel Kagome calling to her for help. She was feeling weak and didn't think that she could handle Sesshoumaru.

Ayashiko tried to leave to go to her pup but her mate thought differently. It was the second time that he had to subdue her. She understood his reasons for not letting her leave, but it didn't mean she had to like it. She wanted to check on her pups but he told her that she still couldn't go to their location.

Ayashiko remembered back to her mating and now she knew what she put her own mother through. It was never easy for a mother to let go of her pups. It was an instinct that will always be there to protect them. She knew that they will be back but it was just difficult not having them around the castle. She missed both her pups and she didn't know what to do.

Ayashiko was currently in a sitting room as she was looking out the window. Her mind was traveling back to her pups as she felt the contentment they had with each other. She knew that Kagome was slowly accepting her son as her mate and soon they will be mated. She couldn't wait for that day, because then they will be back home where they belonged.

Sango watched the lady of the castle as she sat on a big over stuffed pillow deep in thought. She was sent there by the lord of the castle to see if she could distract her and keep her busy.

Sango understood that losing your children, because they were full grown, was a hard thing to accept. You are so used to having them around that you don't expect them to leave your home. Then one day you realize that you can't stop that process and you are left with an empty feeling in your heart. You know that they will be all right because you taught them well, but there is a part of you that never wants to let go of what is yours.

Sango took a deep breath as she entered the room. She approached Lady Ayashiko as she said, "Milady, is there anything that I can help you with today?"

Ayashiko looked up at Sango with dull eyes. She couldn't think of anything she needed to do today so she said, "No Sango, there is nothing I need help with today."

Sango sighed this was going to be a lot harder than she thought, "Oh, I thought that you might need help in getting Kagome and Sesshoumaru's bedchambers ready for their return."

Now that was something that caught Ayashiko's interest as she said, "You know Sango you do have a point. We need to give them a proper room that they will feel comfortable in. Come with me and we shall select a room, then we can start fixing it up for the both of them."

Sango was happy, she has gotten Ayashiko to think about something else other than her pups, as she followed her out of the room. They went upstairs as they looked for a room that would be suitable for Kagome and Sesshoumaru.

Ayashiko still wanted to keep her pups close to her but still give them privacy. The west wing of the castle was a large section. Her mate built it big enough to have a large family. But she didn't like going through childbirth and was reluctant to give him any more pups.

They were going from room to room searching for the right space for Kagome and Sesshoumaru. Every room they entered was either too small or not right for what Ayashiko wanted for her pups.

She was getting discouraged because they were approaching the end of the wing and still have not found the right room for them. If they couldn't find one in the west wing then they will have to search the castle to find something more suitable and this did not sit well with Ayashiko.

They were both on the last room of the wing as they walked into the room. It was further down the hallway from Ayashiko's room but still in the same wing. She knew that they will be safe in the west wing, but they could also have their privacy in their intimacy being away from her.

The room was very large its wall was painted a dark blue. The futon was one of the biggest they had in the castle, almost matching the one in Ayashiko's room. There was a sitting area on the left side of the room. It had two big pillows that sat in front of the fireplace with a low table between them.

There were bookshelves surrounding the fireplace with plenty of books for Kagome to read. There were two low tables next to the futon and a desk with a mirror on the other side of it. To the right of the room there was a pair of matching clothes boxes.

Ayashiko thought about this room for a while and said, "Sango, I think this room will do for Sesshoumaru and Kagome. It's big enough and it's a little bit away from the rest of us so they can still have their privacy. But I don't like the color of this room though, it's too dark. We will need to make it brighter and homier. Now if the bathing chambers are big enough then I think this room will do."

Sango understood what Lady Ayashiko was saying. This room was by far, the biggest room that they have seen. Most of the rooms in this wing were just too small. But this one was big enough for Kagome and Sesshoumaru. They walked off to the right as they entered what they suspected was the bathing chambers.

The bathing chamber was also large, with a large hot spring in the far corner of the room. It has a large wash area to clean yourself before entering the hot springs to relax. This room also has a large tub that you can fill and just relax in. There were large pillows scattered around the area. Jars of perfume and soaps were sitting in a cabinet next to the hot springs and the wash area.

Ayashiko looked satisfied as she said, "Yes, I think this room will do nicely. Now we have to get busy. We don't have much time and I want to change the color for these rooms. They are too dark and need something a little more soothing and brighter.

Sango agreed with her lady as they started to plan out the room. They decided on earth tone colors because Kagome loved the colors of the outdoors. She was more relaxed when she was outside so Ayashiko wanted to bring that indoors.

Ayashiko ordered that the chambers be painted in a pale shade of brown, with slightly darker green to accent the trim of the room. She ordered the sheets and blankets in beige and white silks, as the futon was dressed to look like the autumn days outside. They put different color pillows on the futon to give it a little color.

One of the servants had a suggestion that was a marvelous idea. They quickly got to work and when they were done it looked amazing. In one corner of the room they painted a sakura tree. Its long branches extended to the middle of two walls. They added the flowers of the trees as they made some of the petals fall towards the ground.

The painting on the wall was breath taking. Once they were done with the room it looked like the outdoors and it had a soothing feeling to it. Now all they needed were some pictures to put on the walls and the room would be finished.

They went to Kagome's room to move her things into her new room. But as they were moving Kagome's things out of her room, Ayashiko noticed something. It was hidden behind the clothe box as she walked closer to it so she could see what it was.

Sango noticed what her lady was doing. She moved closer to see what had caught her ladies interest.

Ayashiko reached behind the clothes box as she pulled out several large canvases. She didn't see anything on them at first but when she turned them around she was shocked. She held in her hands the most beautiful paintings she has ever seen.

There were paintings of the castle as seen from high above. There were pictures of the surrounding forest in the area. But the one that caught her attention the most was the family portrait.

In the painting Ayashiko was seated on something that made her look like she was sitting off the ground, as her mate was standing behind her with his hands on her shoulder. Her youngest was to her left with a big smile on his handsome little face. When she looked at her eldest son she was shocked. Never has anyone ever captured his smile. He was standing there with a big smile on his face looking very happy.

Ayashiko turned to Sango and asked, "Sango, did you know that Kagome could paint?"

Sango was just as shocked as Ayashiko as she said, "No milady, I never knew that Kagome could paint. I knew she spent a lot of time here in her room but I had no idea that she was painting. These are gorgeous."

Ayashiko had to agree with Sango. She didn't know that her pup was so talented. But she did remember that her pup said that she was gifted in many areas and she didn't doubt that this was one of them.

Ayashiko grabbed the paintings as she walked out of the room with Sango following closely behind her. She went back to the room they were preparing for Kagome and Sesshoumaru. When she entered the room she put the paintings down on the bed and started to sort them out.

She picked several beautiful pieces and decided that these were the ones that will hang in the chambers. It made it very special to have something of Kagome's added to the décor.

But Ayashiko was not done yet. She grabbed the family portrait that Kagome painted as she summoned the painter for the castle. Ayashiko then gave the task of having the paintings mounted and framed to Sango. She trusted her judgment on what looked good as she walked out of the room and went to the study to await the castle painter.

When he arrived Ayashiko had the painting on the desk as he walked closer to it. The painter was a kitsune youkai and when he saw the painting its beauty blew him away.

He felt a little hurt that the lady of the castle has gone to someone else to have a painting done of her family. He looked at his lady and asked, "Milady, who was the person that painted this portrait? It's beautiful."

Ayashiko smiled as she proudly said, "It was my pup who painted this portrait. She has captured all of us very well but there is something missing from this portrait. I want to know if you can add her to the portrait and still keep it in the same design as this one?"

The kitsune thought for a few minutes as he studied the portrait more intently. After a few minutes of silence he stood straight as he said, "I'm sure that I can duplicate her style of painting. But it will take me some time to figure out how she did this. But I'm positive that I can do it milady."

Ayashiko smiled as she said, "Good, I want you to take the painting and add my pup to it. But heed my warning, destroy this portrait and you will feel my wrath. I want it to be perfect because it will go in the grand entrance for all to see. She is the first one to ever capture my son's smile and I don't want to ask her to paint another one, is that understood?"

The kitsune understood perfectly, as he took the painting and left. He didn't have much time to get it finished. It was an honor to add his touch to this wonderful piece and he will do it right. He hurried down the hallway to get to his task. He was excited about what he was going to do.

He has spoken to the young miko only a few times. But the time spent with her he cherished. He also wanted her as a mate but knew he was not strong enough to subdue her.

She had so many questions when they were introduced. She wanted to know the type of paints he used and his techniques. She wanted to know where to buy paints or how to make them, what brush to use and so forth. He answered all of her questions to satisfy her curiosity. He never knew that she was going to take that knowledge and created this wonderful masterpiece.

No one has been able to capture all of the Lords family so perfectly, and to see the heir with a smile that has never been seen was amazing. Their eyes looked so real that it was almost impossible to believe that they were painted like that.

He finally got to his workspace as he put the canvas on a stand and looked at it for a few minutes. He had an idea as he turned and started to look around the room. He had several painting of the miko in his shop, all of them a tribute to her beauty as he continued to look for one painting in particular.

He finally found what he was looking for as he pulled it out and put it on another stand. He stood back as he looked at the portrait. He had captured her in just the right angle to paint her on the main piece he was given. But first he had to find out how she painted her paintings.

He remembered that he given her several special brushes made from his hair. She said that she was used to painting in this manner and wanted to find some more. When he told her that he has never seen what she was talking about he saw the sadness that reached her eyes.

He quickly asked her if she could draw him a picture of what they looked like and he would try his best to find them for her. She smiled one of the prettiest smiles he has ever seen as she drew the pictures he wanted. She thanked him for helping her locate what she needed as he simply said that it would be a pleasure to help her and he meant it.

He quickly got to work as he made her the brushes she requested. He used his own fur to make them since his hair was of different textures that were required for these brushes. He was certain that he still had the picture that she drew somewhere in his room as he looked for them.

When he finally found the pictures she drew he quickly started making a set for himself, it took him about an hour to do so. Then he got the different color paints out and tried to mix and match them to her skin tone. He finally got what he wanted as he moved over to a blank canvas and started to use the paints and brushes.

At first he could not duplicate her brush strokes. He had to go and look at her portrait to see what her work looked like, and then try to mimic what she did. It took many hours of trial and error when he finally figured out what she did.

Once he figured out how she painted her painting he started on another one of her. He continued well into the night, when finally he finished with the portrait he started. He moved it over to the one she painted as he looked from one painting to the other. He mimicked her brush strokes so perfectly that you couldn't tell that they were not identical.

The one that he painted was of the beautiful young miko and Sesshoumaru. He was standing behind her, pulled into his chest, as his arms were wrapped around her waist. The beautiful miko had her hands over his as he captured the twinkle in her eyes and the smile that he remembered she given him. It was the best portrait he has ever painted and he was happy with it.

He continued to work through the night, as he was inspired to paint. He never had this kind of inspiration in his life and it was just flowing out of him. He could barely contain his excitement as he continued with his task. He was sure that the Lady of the castle was going to be happy with the portrait once he was done with it.

--oOo--

Kagome was slowly waking from her nap. She felt refreshed as she tried to stretch her tired body but found that she was being restrained. She opened her eyes and noticed that Sesshoumaru had her in a death grip as she relaxed again into his hold. It will not due to get his inner Inu angry with her for just wanting to stretch her tired muscles.

She looked up and saw the peaceful look that Sesshoumaru had on his handsome face. His features were softer now than they were before. It looked like the mask he always wore on his face was gone and for the first time she was actually seeing the real Sesshoumaru.

She reached up as she touched his ear. They fascinated her; they were pointy and very silky to the touch. When she moved her finger behind his ear, to gently tuck away a stray strand of hair, she heard a gentle purr like growl come from him.

Her eyes widened at the sudden discovery of such a sensitive area. Gently, making sure she didn't wake him from his slumber, she caressed that area. She felt him relax as she did this and his growls continued. She smiled at this, who would have thought that Sesshoumaru liked to be scratched behind the ear.

Kagome felt his hold on her slacken as she continued to give his ear attention. She decided that if she wanted to get out of his arms this will be the best time for her to do it since he was so relaxed.

She moved back and felt no tightening of limbs as she continued to extract herself. She lifted his arm gently, just enough so she could slip out. She quickly reached over and grabbed a pillow and placed it in her place. When she stopped her attention on his ear his arms tightened up again as he pulled the pillow with her scent on it closer to his body.

Kagome sighed she was now free to move around the room. She slowly got up as she tested her legs to make sure that they would support her weight. Her strength has returned as she slowly stood and stretched her tired body. She was sore, really sore from all the battles she has fought with Sesshoumaru.

Kagome knew that she could not leave Sesshoumaru's side because that would cause him to awaken and his beast to get angry. She has to find a way to let his beast know that she was not going anywhere. She has accepted them as her mate now.

Mate, that word has a special meaning for her. She got up as she walked over to the window to look out into the gardens. They were beautiful and soon they will go dormant. Winter was fast approaching and the wind was blowing wildly outside. The leaves from the trees were falling as it shed its greenery and went dormant for the winter.

The warmth of the sun hit her face as she thought about what has happened in her life. She never thought that she could find a place where she belonged, a place where she would be accepted for who she was, let alone find someone who could actually love her.

All her life she has been shunned, abused, and tested like a common lab rat. She had to endure a lot of pain before she finally found this place. Maybe the fates were correct in sending her back to this era. Maybe they were correcting the great injustice that was done to her. All she knew for sure was that she was having greater feelings for Sesshoumaru as time passed.

She could not believe how affectionate Sesshoumaru actually was. She wondered if this was all an act to get her to submit to him or if this was his true behavior in actually finding a mate that he wanted to be with.

But everything that she has read so far has told her that this was his true nature. Inu Youkai may act indifferently to the females when around other males but it did not mean that they loved the females any less. They have to project a strong image around other males that wanted to take what was theirs.

Kagome sighed as she leaned her body against the windowsill and thought about other things. She wondered what her life will be like from now on. If he will continue to love her, the way her heart wanted, as it was beginning to open up to him. She was taking a big risk by letting him into her heart. She just hoped that he will not hurt her in the process.

Kagome imagined her life and the children she will have. Oh yes she wanted children just like anyone else. She wanted a big family and she was hoping that Sesshoumaru felt the same way about it as she did. That will be a question to ask him when he woke up. The idea that she was thinking about silver haired kids running around the area meant that she was falling deeply in love with Sesshoumaru.

She continued to stand by the window as she enjoyed the sun and thought about all the children they were going to have. She just hoped that she lived long enough to see them all grown. She knew that she will never live as long as Sesshoumaru and that caused her great pain.

She didn't want to leave him no matter what. But was it fair for him to mate her when her life span was so short. They will only have a few short decades together before her passing. She will grow old and gray while he stayed young and handsome. At this thought a lone tear escaped her eye, as she wrapped her arms around her stomach.

'How can I ask him to give up his life for me? Inu Youkai mate for life so if I died what will happen to him? Will he live out the rest of his life in a lonely existence? Or will he be able to find another and learn to live again? What am I going to do? I can't have him live the rest of his life alone. Kami, why do these things happen to me? I finally find someone that I want to be with and we will be together for just a short time. I don't want to hurt him but will he be willing to let me go?' Kagome continued to think about all of this as her sadness grew in great proportions. The tears continued to flow out of her eyes and she was having doubts that she was making the right decision.

She stood by the window as she cried. She cried for him, not for herself, she wanted him to be truly happy in his mated life.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru's nose twitched. He was picking up the scent of salt water and he thought that his mate was crying. He brought his arms towards his chest thinking that Kagome was still in his arms.

When he didn't feel any firmness in what he was holding, he opened his eyes to see that he was holding a pillow close to his chest. He quickly sat up in bed scanning the room.

The scent of sadness and salt water, heavily assaulted his senses. He looked toward the window where the scent was the most powerful and spotted his mate leaning against the window frame. Her back was to him but he knew that she was crying.

Sesshoumaru got out of bed as he made his way towards her. He encircled his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace. He started to purr as he asked, "Kagome, why are you crying?"

Kagome, having felt that Sesshoumaru was now awake, with his arms wrapped around her waist, quickly turned and held him tight against her chest. Sesshoumaru was at a loss for words. His mate was upset and he has no idea why she was like this. He continued to purr as he rubbed her back in a soothing motion to calm her.

Soon Kagome's cries turned into hiccups as she slowly stopped. She tried to pull away from him but he held her even tighter than before. He didn't want her to leave his embrace. He loved holding her and it felt good to have her near him like this.

When he thought that she was calm enough he asked again, "Kagome, why are you crying? What happened to upset you so much?"

Kagome didn't know how to tell him what she was thinking. She was still upset over it as she turned away from him in his grasp and said, "Sesshoumaru, you do realize that I am ningen, and being ningen means that my life is shorter than yours.

"I know that youkais live for a long time and I will never live that long. I will die of old age while you stay as handsome as you are now. I couldn't bare the thought of putting you though all of this. I want you to be happy with someone that will live as long as you so you will never have to be alone in this world."

Sesshoumaru froze, she called him handsome as he listened to the rest of what was upsetting her so. He smiled as he moved behind her and held her. He nuzzled her neck as he started to lick the area where his mark was currently located. It relaxed her as he said in her ear, "Koiishi, when we mate your life will be connected to mine. You will live as long as I do and I can tell you that I have no plans in dying anytime soon."

Kagome was shocked to hear this. 'My life will be extended to match his? I will live as long as he will? But how? I'm a ningen.' She turned to him as she whispered, "How is that possible? I'm just a ningen, how can I possibly live as long as you?"

Sesshoumaru moved closer and captured her lips in a heated kiss. She responded back to him as she wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen it. They stood there and kissed for a long time until they had to break apart for lack of air. Their eyes were glazed over with the passion and love they held for each other.

Sesshoumaru continued to look into Kagome's eyes. He knew that soon they will be able to mate. The full moon will be the following night and he was positive that she was having feeling for him. Kagome might even love him, if she was upset about her dying and leaving him alone for all eternity.

He licked her cheek as he said, "Kagome, not every ningen can mate with a youkai. It takes a ningen with great powers to mate with a full youkai. The reason that your life will be linked to mine is because during our mating you will take some of my blood, once our souls are connected you will live as long as I do, but our mating must be pure. Your love for me and my love for you must shine through for us to have a life bond. I will wait for all eternity for you to come to terms with your feelings for me.

"But that's not all that will happen. You will stop aging when we mate. You will never grow old and I can enjoy you for the rest of our lives together and even in death. You are mine and I will have no other. You belong to me in mind," he kissed her forehead as he continued, "Body," he kissed her neck as he heard a sweet mewl coming from her lips. "And soul," he looked deep into her eyes and knew that she felt the connection between them. They already have a soul connection. When she finally accepted him as her mate their aura's mixed together as one.

Kagome stared into Sesshoumaru's eyes as she saw the truth behind his words. They were connected now. The moment she submitted to him, he became a big part of her life. Her fears have been assuaged for the moment as she hugged him. Glad that when they mated she could stay with him forever.

Then Kagome felt something tickling her leg as she jump but was held firmly in Sesshoumaru's arms. She looked up at Sesshoumaru and saw the mischievous look in his eyes, she narrowed her own eyes and said, "Sesshoumaru what are you doing with your tail? Remove it or you will be sorry."

Sesshoumaru chuckled as he said, "I think my tail has a mind of its own and I think it finds your leg very interesting at the moment." Sesshoumaru didn't know how right he was, his inner Inu was having fun with their mate as he was gently rubbing her leg with his tail.

Kagome couldn't help but giggle at the feeling that Sesshoumaru was invoking in her body. She was very ticklish right behind her knee and she was trying very hard not to show him this. She knew she will be in trouble if he found out where she was ticklish.

She got an evil gleam in her eyes as she thought, 'Two can play at this game.' She then reached up before Sesshoumaru could pull away from her and started to scratch behind his ear.

Sesshoumaru stiffened when he felt Kagome touching his ears. It was a wonderful feeling, only one other person has ever scratched his ears like this and that was his mother. But Kagome was now scratching his ear and he was in heaven. He slowly closed his eyes as he leaned his head toward Kagome's hand. He didn't want her to stop. It just felt so good that he started to growl low in his throat.

Kagome saw the content look on Sesshoumaru's face. He was relaxed just like when she scratched his ear before, while they were in bed together. His tail fell away from her leg as she took a step back.

She smiled wickedly at him, as she was in a mischievous mood, and said in his ear, "Tag you're it, catch me if you can."

Kagome abruptly stopped her ear scratching session as she took off through the door of their bedchambers, running down the hallway.

She slowed her pace as she looked at all the beautiful paintings that were part of the house décor. She has never seen the inside part of the house before. But she had to keep her mind focus on what she was doing, as she started to giggle, while running out the front door and heading towards the gardens.

She knew that Sesshoumaru will be following her very shortly as she heard his vicious growls come from inside the house. She continued to giggle while running toward the forest.

--oOo--

It took a few minutes for Sesshoumaru to realize that Kagome was no longer with him. Her last words finally registered in his mind as he gave a feral growl and took off after her scent. 'So my little vixen wants to play does she? Well we can certainly take on this challenge. We will find her and then we shall see what she will do once I have her pinned to the ground underneath me.'

Sesshoumaru rushed outside as he sniffed the air. He located her scent as he took off in her direction. But once he got into the forest he lost her scent completely.

Sesshoumaru's inner Inu growled with pride. The female was testing their ability to track. If he should fail in finding her, it will tell her that he was not worthy to be her mate. Because if she was taken from him he will not be able to get her back, but if he caught her she will know that he will find her no matter what.

It was a test and he was willing to play her game to prove that he was a worthy mate. Since he could not locate her by scent then his other senses will have to be used to find her. He didn't rely on these senses as much but he knew what to do. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes as he let his hearing go over the land. He was looking for something in particular.

He knew that he could not trust his eyes, they could always be deceived, so he kept them closed. He continued walking slowly as he heard the different animals in the forest. His ears twitched as they moved slightly, moving to filter out everything he didn't want. He was looking for a certain sound when he finally found it. Just 100 yards in front of him was his target, as he opened his eyes and raced in that direction.

Kagome was watching Sesshoumaru from afar. She hid her scent so he could not follow her. She wanted to see what he would do to locate her if he couldn't use his nose. She knew that his nose was very sensitive and without it he was almost powerless.

She watched from behind a tree as she saw him walking through the forest. His eyes were closed and she was disappointed, she was going to create an illusion of herself running away from here to see if he would follow. She observed closely to see what he was doing. He stopped in the middle of the clearing and just stood there. Then all of a sudden he takes off running straight for her.

Kagome cursed under her breath. He used his hearing to locate her. But how? Then she got her own answer, her heart was beating even faster as she ran through the forest. She needed to get away from him as she put on a burst of speed and raced through the forest toward the back of the house.

Kagome was now approaching the back gardens. She was running by the large spring that held the water from the waterfall as she was tackled from behind. A high-pitched scream was heard as Kagome and the person that grabbed her went into the freezing water.

Kagome was the first to surface as she was grabbed from behind and held against a strong chest. She struggled against the person holding her when she heard the gentle purrs of Sesshoumaru. When she realized that it was Sesshoumaru she relaxed into his hold, trying to find some warmth in his body.

Sesshoumaru spotted his target just as she cleared the forest. She was running towards the garden as he raced after her and tackled her from behind. He didn't mean to go into the water but their momentum took them both straight into the large spring since she was so close to it.

Sesshoumaru watched to make sure that Kagome made out of the water before he emerged behind her. She was struggling in his grasp as he purred and it calmed her down. He looked at her as he said in her ear, "Did you really think that you could get away from me so easily?"

He noticed right away that Kagome was shivering in his arms and cursed under his breath for his stupidity. She was cold and could very well get sick from this little soak as he picked her up in his arms and went straight for the bathing chambers. He needed to get her warm as fast as possible so the bathing chambers was the fastest way since it held the hot springs.

He quickly walked over to the cleansing area and sat Kagome down on the bench, where he tried to undress her. Kagome was shaking so much that it was next to impossible to get her clothes off. He used his claws as he tore off the clothes from her body.

He quickly removed his own clothes as he got some buckets and filled them with warm water from the large tub. He walked over to Kagome and poured some water over her head to gradually get her as warm as possible. Once her skin was used to the warmness of the water, he then picked her up and walked into the hot springs.

He found the submerged rock under the water as he sat down and put Kagome in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her body and his tail was keeping her as close as possible. Soon she stopped her shivering and relaxed.

He felt when Kagome shifted her position on his lap as she wrapped her arms around his body and stayed as close as possible. His purr was soothing her as he held her.

Sesshoumaru was in heaven. He had his mate to be in his lap with no clothes on. Her skin felt so soft against his. He knew that he had to wait at least one more day to mate by then she will be ready for him. Well he hoped that she would be ready for him. He wanted her so bad but in order to have the life bond he wanted, they had to mate on the night of the full moon and that won't be for another day.

--oOo--

Kagome was finally feeling warm. She thought that she will never be warm again as she remembered the cold bath they both had. 'Note to self. Never play tag with Sesshoumaru near the springs when its winter. We will wind up going into the water when he pounces.'

But she had to admit that she did have fun. She loved the feeling of him chasing her through the forest. She didn't know why she did it, but in the end, it turned out to be a wonderful experience. If it was warmer she would have enjoyed her little dip in the springs but it was late fall and the water was cold.

Kagome eyes were closed as she relaxed into Sesshoumaru's warmth. His skin felt so soft against hers. 'Wait a minute, his skin does feel soft but…' she partially opened her eyes and looked down, she noticed that they both were not wearing any clothes and she turned a bright red from embarrassment. When she shifted she felt something hard against her stomach and froze. She let her eyes drift downward and she saw the erection that Sesshoumaru held.

Now Kagome might still be a virgin but she did have knowledge of what that meant. She also knew that he must be very uncomfortable at the moment and holding her was not making it any better. She thought for a few minutes and she was wondering if he will grant her the privilege of bathing him, thus relieving him of his problem.

She got an evil gleam in her eyes as she thought, 'He doesn't have to know what I have planned. The bathing is part of the mating ritual so he should be receptive to it. Well… I'm hoping that he will be receptive to the idea.'

She looked up as she said, "Next time you pounce, make sure that I'm not by any water and it's not close to being winter, so we don't freeze while taking a dip. That water was cold."

Sesshoumaru chuckled as he said, "You gave this Sesshoumaru a challenge and he accepted. It matters not that we went into the water. I still found and caught my prey without using my sense of smell. Is that not what you wanted?"

Kagome giggled as she said, "Yes I wanted to see if you could find me without that nose of yours. I know how sensitive it is and I wanted to see if your other senses were as strong as your nose." Kagome relaxed into his hold as a thought came to her mind and she asked, "How did you find me any way?" She asked, wanting to confirm her theory.

There was a gleam in Sesshoumaru's eyes as he lowered his head and said in her ear, "I found your heartbeat. It is very different from everything else in the forest. I was able to hone in on it with just my hearing as I filtered the other noises out of my senses. From there I was able to hear where the beat was coming from."

Kagome now confirmed her theory on how he found her and she will have to remember that for the next time they played. They stayed quiet for a while just enjoying each other's company as Kagome said in a very low voice, "Sesshoumaru, I have a request."

Sesshoumaru was surprised with what his mate said. She never asked for anything, in all the time she has lived in his home, now she has a request. His natural curiosity got the better of him as he asked, "What is your request Kagome?"

Kagome swallowed hard, she was hoping that he will be receptive to this, as she said, "Allow me the honor of bathing you."

Sesshoumaru was shocked to hear this. He wanted this, he wanted to get to know her even better but he didn't know how to ask her. Now here she was asking him if she could bathe him. He purred as he answered, "Only if I get the same honor in return."

Now it was Kagome's turn to blush a furious red. Will she be able to handle him if they do this? She had no idea if she could but she was going to find out as she said, "Yes."

Sesshoumaru was happy he stood from his position in the hot spring and went to the wash area, with Kagome still secured in his arms. Once he got there he gently put Kagome on her feet as she stood in front of him.

Kagome didn't know if she could do this but she had to find out. She remembered a lot of things that she read about males, like how to pleasure them, and she was about to put that knowledge to good use. She was still blushing as she stepped back and looked into his eyes.

Sesshoumaru's eyes reflected the feelings he felt for her. She saw the love, want, and the desire. She didn't know if she was imagining it but his eyes were tainting red around the edges. She had a feeling that his inner Inu was close to the surface and she has to make sure that she tames him too. She has to learn how to handle his more feral side or she had a feeling that he will be all over her.

Kagome stepped away from Sesshoumaru as she turned and went to get some water. She got several buckets full of warm water and then some fragrant soap. She went back to him as Sesshoumaru sat down on the white bench that was there. Even with him sitting down he was still very tall. His head came to just below her neck as he watched her intently.

Kagome took a deep breath, as she got ready. This was her chance to learn about his body and what he liked as far as pleasure. She was determined to find as many places as she could, she knew that if she didn't she will never get another chance to do it.

She grabbed a bucket and then poured the water over Sesshoumaru's head getting him all wet again. She took a jar of soap and then moved behind him. The first thing she wanted to explore was his tail. It was always so soft and fluffy that she wanted to see how sensitive it really was.

She poured some soap into her hands as she grabbed his tail and started to wash it. She could have sworn that she heard Sesshoumaru growls of contentment as she was holding his tail.

Kagome gently rubbed the soap into his fur as her fingers made sure that she got it cleaned. Her nails, would on occasion, scrape his skin as she felt him shiver from her touch. She heard a groan come from him and smiled as she thought, 'He must love to have his tail rubbed and scratched.' She had to remember this for later as she continued to bathe him.

Once she was satisfied that his tail was clean she poured some water over it to make sure she got the soap out of it. Then she ran her hand down the length to remove the excess water.

Kagome always loved Sesshoumaru's hair and it was just as soft as she thought it would be. Kagome got his hair all wet as she poured a good amount of soap in it to lather it up. Her hands moved up to his scalp as her fingers massaged his head.

Sesshoumaru didn't know that he could feel such tenderness coming from someone and the way Kagome made him feel was beyond his comprehension. Her fingers were incredible and her touch aroused him like nothing he has ever experienced before.

The way she washed his tail and gave it so much attention sent a surge of pleasure through his body. His tail, being one of the most sensitive parts of his body, was being taken care of, by his future mate. She was fascinated by it as she took her time and cleaned it. No female has ever caught his attention like Kagome did.

When her finger found its way to his scalp he purred loud and clear, as he tilted his head back and enjoyed her touch. Soon he will have to leave to take care of his problem or he will take Kagome against her will and not wait until she gives him the bond that he was longing for. But he will enjoy her touch for as long as he could stay in control. Her fingers felt wonderful as they found all the places that he loved to be touched. It was hard to believe that it was only her fingers that were causing this reaction in him.

Kagome smiled when she heard his purr. It was a soothing sound and she found that she liked it very much. She wanted to hear more of his purrs as she continued to massage his scalp with her fingers. When she was done she pulled her hands away only to hear him whimper at the lost of her touch. She leaned over and kissed his forehead as she moved away to get some more water to rinse his hair.

She finally got all the soap out of his hair as she took his long locks and twisted his hair in her hands until the excess water came out.

She moved his hair off to the side so she could get to his back and that's when she saw where his markings went. The two stripes on his waist came up and around his back as they meet in the middle in a point. The point was pointing downward towards his butt as her fingers followed their route.

Sesshoumaru shivered as her fingers ran over his markings. They were very sensitive and he couldn't believe that she was that fascinated with them. But since it was a part of who he was he was happy that she liked them so much.

Kagome got a washcloth as she washed his back. She made sure to work the muscles she felt that were tight as she felt him relax under her administration. When she finally finished she rinsed his back with warm water as she turned and moved in front of him.

Kagome was surprised to see that Sesshoumaru's eyes were blood red with passion. She could tell that he was not angry with her but his eyes held the love and lust he has for her. She shivered at the thought of what their first night together will be like.

She moved in front of him as she looked into his eyes. She brought a cloth up and started to clean his face. He closed his eyes as her fingers ran over his markings making him purr with delight. She couldn't help herself as her lips slowly touched his in a sweet kiss as her hands continued to roam his body.

They slowly went down to his chest as she found his male nipples that were very much like hers. All she did was pass her hands over his nipples and that caused them to get hard.

She moved from his lips as she trailed kisses down his neck. She wanted to see why he would always go for her neck as she gently suckled. He tasted fantastic almost like sweet candy and she found that she loved his taste. She suckled for a while and when she pulled away from him she found that she had marked him. She smiled at her handy work as she brought her hands back up and continued to bathe them.

Sesshoumaru was about to lose his control. Kagome was currently suckling on his neck and that made his problem even worse. Her attention on his neck meant, at least to him, that she was ready to mate, but he knew better. She wanted to get to know his body and he was willing to let her have some time to explore.

He growled with gratification as she continued to taste him. It was hard for him not reach out and grab her, pulling her small form into his body as he was enjoying what she was doing to him. He was at a loss when she pulled away from him, not knowing why she did so.

He felt when she resumed her task of bathing him as he sighed. He wanted her to continue with what she was doing as his sexual desire for her grew.

Sesshoumaru's control was slowly slipping away from him and he knew that soon his inner Inu would come out to take control. He was fighting against it because he didn't want to take her just yet but his beast wanted to have the girl now.

He was about to leave when he felt her fingers gently scratching behind his ear. That relaxed the both of them as his eyes returned to their normal honey color.

Kagome was happy to see the normal color of Sesshoumaru's eyes as she smiled at him. She hoped that scratching his ear would calm him down as she continued bathing him. She couldn't afford to have his inner Inu come out and ruin her fun. She was not done yet because she wanted to explore some more.

She took one of his arms as she washed it with care. She made sure that she cleaned each of his clawed fingers and when she got to his markings she followed it up to his elbow. Her fingers were gently gliding over his markings, as they felt very soft and smooth.

Kagome noticed that when she got to the other arm that his markings were slightly raised and a little coarse. But they still felt soft to her.

She got to his chest as she rubbed her hands over it to get him cleaned. Her moves were slow and calculating. She could feel him shiver under her touch and his muscles would tighten when her fingers ran over his skin.

She went lower as she finally got to his manhood. He was rock hard by now and she knew that it will not take long to relieve him of his problem. She took a bucket of water and rinsed the soap that he had on his body.

Then she was free to give him pleasure to her hearts content.

_**--Start of Lime--**_

Sesshoumaru was in heaven as his mate paid homage to his body. His skin was on fire and soon she will be done with his bathing. He was hurting right now and needed relief. He thought that she finished with him when she rinsed him off. He was about to get up when she grabbed him.

Sesshoumaru froze in place not knowing what she was going to do to him. He was panting hard and he was about to lose all of his control, as he tried to stand and leave.

Kagome heard as Sesshoumaru breath hitched. She knew that men were never pleasured in this era. It was the male's responsibility to please the female, so she could produce offspring's and keep her loyal to him.

Sesshoumaru's feral side was now in control and she will have to deal with him as she continued with what she was doing.

Sesshoumaru thought that he was going to go crazy. Never before has he heard of a female pleasuring a male in this manner. When his father talked to him about these things he never mentioned anything like this. He was losing his mind as her soft hands moved over him, gently caressing him.

The pleasure that Sesshoumaru was feeling was too great as he struggled to maintain control. But he was slowly losing to his desires as he finally gave into the feeling that she was invoking in him.

Kagome felt when Sesshoumaru finally relaxed enough to enjoy what she was doing to him. A smile came to her lips as she continued. She started to go faster as she heard Sesshoumaru panting with want and desire.

A howl signaled the end as Sesshoumaru finally got relief. Kagome looked up into his eyes. They were closed at the moment and he was breathing hard. Kagome smiled as she pulled away from him. She grabbed her washcloth again and began bathing him once more. She cleaned his manhood and his jewels, and then she went down to his legs and feet.

She made sure to clean him thoroughly as she took her last remaining bucket of warm water and poured it over him to get the soap off. She stood as she gathered the things she used and started to put them away.

She heard a growl and before she could turn around to see what was wrong, she was pulled into an extremely warm, but very hard chest, as arms encircled her body.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru was still riding the first wave of his orgasm, his body was on fire, as his little vixen pulled away from him and looked up. He saw the gleam in her eyes when she saw him. She seemed to be satisfied with her work as she resumed bathing him.

Her attention to his body was still very soft and gentle as she finished bathing him. He felt the water being poured over his body as she stood and walked away from him. 'What manner of creature have I fallen in love with? She is passionate in everything she does and never have I heard of a female doing these types of things to a male before. She's different and our night of mating will be very enjoyable.' Sesshoumaru thought as he watched her leave and go over to the warming tub.

Her hair came down past her bottom and went almost to her knees. All you could really see from the back were her legs and the most gorgeous hair he has ever seen. She was a goddess, his goddess, and he will spend all eternity worshiping that body of hers.

Kagome has managed to pacify his feral side. With his inner beast at peace, it left him in control and he was planning on getting even with his lovely mate. She will not out do him as he gave a feral growl and rushed to her side.

Before his mate knew what was going on he had her in his grasp. He felt her stiffen in his arms as he started to lick her mating mark, she gave a wonderful mewl that filled his ears. When she fully relaxed he said in her ear, "Now it's my turn to bathe you, my mate."

Kagome shivered from his statement, his voice was very deep and passionate. She had the strange feeling that what she did to him was nothing compared to what he was going to do to her. She felt herself being picked up as he moved her to the bench where he was sitting just a few moments ago.

Sesshoumaru sat Kagome down as he went and retrieved some water to bathe her. He was really looking forward to this. The last time he bathed her he didn't do anything, he was concerned about her health, plus she was unconscious and couldn't really enjoy it. But this time he will take his time and find out what she liked.

Sesshoumaru returned with the buckets in his hands as he walked over to Kagome. He noticed that she was blushing, a fiery red, as he saw the blush start at her cheeks and go down her body. She was beautiful when she blushed as he got a bucket and poured it over her body to get her wet.

Sesshoumaru sat behind her, he turned her sideways, grabbed the soap, and then he proceeded to wash her hair. This time it was easier for him to do it since she was sitting up. He made sure to clean her long locks as his clawed fingers went to her scalp. He retracted his claws to make sure he did not hurt her as he gently massaged.

He heard the most beautiful moan come from her throat as he continued with his actions. He found that Kagome's neck was a very sensitive area as he passed a couple of spots and felt her shiver from it.

Kagome thought that having someone wash your hair would not be that pleasurable, but she was wrong, oh boy was she ever wrong. Sesshoumaru's fingers on her scalp caused her body to react in a way that she has never experienced before. She was panting from his heated touch, and thought that she might faint with desire.

When his fingers finally stopped what they were doing she whimpered, she really didn't want him to stop. She heard a chuckle coming from him as she felt the warm water going down her back rinsing out her hair. Her blush deepened just a bit as she tried to regain control but she was fighting a losing battle with her body.

His hands were gentle, as he made sure to get the soap out of her hair. He moved her hair over her shoulder as he began to wash her back. His hands were rubbing her back in such a way that it was getting rid of the soreness that she was feeling. Not training for a few days and then fighting with Sesshoumaru for two days in a row made her muscles sore.

Kagome moaned very loudly as Sesshoumaru found a particular sore muscle. His arm went around her as he pressed his fingers into her back. Kagome couldn't help but lean forward as she fully relaxed in his arm, while he worked out the kinks in her back.

Sesshoumaru pulled his arm away from her as he heard her protest the removal of the appendage. He rinsed her back and he was now ready to bathe the front of her.

Sesshoumaru moved Kagome closer to him as his legs were on each side of her thigh. Her back was pressed against his chest as he held her firmly in his arms. He grabbed the washcloth again as he started with her little fingers and washed each one with care.

He then went up her arm and then under it to clean it. When he came down just a bit on the inside, close to her breast, he heard her giggle. He raised an eyebrow at this and thought, 'So, she is ticklish just on the side of her breast. I have to remember this for later.'

He took her other arm and did the same thing, again he heard her giggle when he got to the side of her breast. He smirked, now he knew of a few places where he could tease her and she will be at his mercy.

Sesshoumaru leaned Kagome against his arm as his other hand came up and started to clean her face. She closed her beautiful blue eyes as he continued to wash her. He lowered his lips and nipped the outer part of her ear, as she moaned loudly. Running his tongue on the inner portion of her ear made her shiver in his arms and her arousal went through the roof. This little action really aroused her and he was happy to learn this.

He couldn't wait any longer as he captured her lips. He quickly entered her mouth when she gasped at his actions. He ravished her mouth as he held her tightly in his arms. He wouldn't let her move as he held her to him and did as he pleased.

They broke from their heated kiss for lack of air. Kagome was panting hard as she tried to get the air back into her lungs. He went for her neck and Kagome completely submitted to his administration.

Kagome was on an emotional overload. Her body was on fire from what Sesshoumaru was doing to her. She had an ache so great that she thought she might die from it. It hurt so much that she didn't know what to do. He was invoking strong feelings in her body, which she has never felt before, as her heart was racing with desire.

She needed release but she didn't know what to do. She was being subdued at the moment and she couldn't move her hands. She thought that she was going to go mad if he continued to torture her body.

Sesshoumaru knew that his mate was in pain. She needed relief and soon or she will grow impatient with him. He sat her up again as he continued to bathe her. His hands went gently over her breast as he rubbed each one with care. They were just big enough to fill the palm of his hands.

Kagome groaned when she felt Sesshoumaru grabbing her breast. He was massaging them slowly as she arched her back for him. She wanted more and this was her way of telling him.

Sesshoumaru had to find a place to lay his mate down. She has so much desire going through her body right now that she was moving quite a bit. She will be harder to control if he went down any further, when he noticed the large pillows that he used yesterday. It was big enough for the both of them as he quickly rinsed her off. He hastily picked her up in his arms as he laid her on the large pillow.

Kagome didn't know what was going on, when she was picked up and laid down on something very soft. The next thing she knew Sesshoumaru's lips found hers as he kissed her. Kagome kissed him back with such passion that her arousal went through the roof.

Sesshoumaru was now free to explore her body with ease, this time his scent was going to stay on her as he rubbed himself against her body. He slowly moved down to the valley between her breasts as he licked his way down. He was in heaven, she tasted sweet and her scent was driving him crazy.

Kagome couldn't believe what she was feeling. Her passion was on fire and Sesshoumaru attention to her breast was pure ecstasy. She couldn't help the moan that came out of her mouth at the feeling she was getting. She never knew that this is what he felt when she was bathing him. If she inspired this much passion in him, then their joining will be wonderful.

Sesshoumaru heard as Kagome called his name in the heat of passion. This was all he wanted to hear from her as he released her breast and continued to go down. Her scent, he was after her scent that was spicy and sweet. He wanted to taste it. He could not hold off any longer, if he didn't taste her and soon he will go mad.

'Kami she tastes so sweet! She tastes like apples and honey with a hint of cinnamon.' Sesshoumaru thought as he settled down to feast upon his lovely mate.

Kagome let out a scream of pleasure as she arched her hips up in an attempt to get away from him. Sesshoumaru held her down as he continued with what he was doing.

He started to work his mate as he got her ready for their mating and built up her passion. He continued ravishing her body as he felt that she was coming to her. Kagome finally came to end as she yelled, "SESSHOUMARU!!"

Kagome felt drained as she came down from her high. Her heart was beating fast as she closed her eyes and tried to calm down.

Sesshoumaru finally got all of her sweet nectar. She was addicting and he couldn't wait to have her as his mate. She was still breathing hard as he crawled over her body and looked at her. Her cheeks were still flushed from her passion. He kissed her with fervor as he let go of her and asked, "Kagome, are you all right?"

Kagome smiled as she said, "Yes, I'm fine, you were wonderful, thank you." She closed her eyes as she fell asleep. She was tired from everything they did that afternoon. She now knew that her life will be very interesting with the youkai that was on top of her as his scent sent her into a peaceful sleep.

_**--End of Lime--**_

Sesshoumaru watched Kagome as she fell asleep in his arms. She was beautiful and he couldn't wait until tomorrow to have her as his own. He was sure that she was ready for him. He felt her passion for him and when she screamed his name it was music to his ears. Yes, he now knew that their mating will be intense. She was a very passionate person and he will make sure that he gave her as much pleasure as she gave him if not more.

He picked her up in his arms as he moved to the hot springs. She will need to soak for a while to make sure that she was not in pain from what he did. She was very tight and he had to stretch her so he wouldn't hurt her when he took her as his mate.

He walked into the springs with Kagome's sleeping form in his arms as he sat in the water. He held her close to his chest as he purred to soothe her. He looked out the window and noticed that it was already dark outside. He wondered how long they have been in the bathing chambers as he closed his eyes in contentment.

He opened his senses as he scanned the area. It was peaceful out tonight and there was no threat of danger. He felt his father's soldiers nearby as they patrolled the area. There were no males around the house and this pleased him. He knew that his mate was safe and that no one will challenge him for her.

Kagome didn't know how weak she was right now. If another male was to attack her she will not be able to protect herself. That's why males that were courting never left their females unattended. They had to protect them until they were mated from the other males.

If the female was naturally strong, then a weaker male will be able to over power and mate her, before she knew what was happening. He will not allow this. Kagome was his mate and he will protect her until they were mated and then for all eternity.

He felt his mothers worry for them as he sent a calming feeling to her to let her know that they were fine.

Sesshoumaru was content at the moment. He has his mate and they have experienced each other in the heat of passion. He never knew that Kagome could control his inner beast in such a manner. His inner Inu was gently purring, happy to have his mate.

Sesshoumaru finally left the bathing chambers with his mate. He didn't bother to clothe her as he put her in bed. He smelled the food that was by the door and looked at his mate. She needed to eat and feeding her was the best part of the day. Although the fun they had while bathing was by far the best.

He wrapped his tail around his waist, as he went to the door to retrieve the food.

Sesshoumaru picked Kagome back up and placed her in his lap once more. He covered her body with his tail as he nuzzled her on her neck requesting that she wake up. When she wouldn't wake up he started to lick his mark and his mate then started to awaken.

Kagome was tired. She felt like she just been through the toughest training in her life. Her body hurt as she whined. All she wanted to do was sleep and someone was trying to wake her. She slowly opened her eyes to see the concerned look on Sesshoumaru's face.

Kagome snuggled into his chest wanting to sleep but Sesshoumaru was not about to let her. She whined as she growled and yipped, _"I'm tried, I want to sleep." _

Sesshoumaru was concerned that he might have been too ruff on her or that he had hurt her during their bath. He nuzzled her as he growled back, _"Mate must eat. Mate must get stronger for our mating." _

He offered her some food as he coasted her into eating. He had to keep nudging her so she could chew her food. She was so tired that she kept falling asleep with food in her mouth and he was afraid that she would choke on it.

Once he was satisfied that she has eaten enough he let her sleep. She curled her body into his and hugged his chest finding comfort within his hold.

Sesshoumaru finished eating as he laid his mate back down. He put the tray back outside the door as he made his way toward their futon. He was tired too as he curled up next to his mate and brought her into his body.

He thought that the Kami's made her just for him because she fit so perfectly against him. His arm went around her as he buried his nose into her hair. Her sweet scent finally relaxed him enough to fall into a peaceful sleep.

Sesshoumaru was dreaming about his mate and when they finally will be together as one. Sweet dreams filled his mind as he saw children with blue/black and white hair running around the field where his lovely mate was playing with them. He was in his true form keeping watch over them as their protector. Never wanting any harm to come to what was his.

--oOo--

This is the end to another chapter. As you can see a game of tag turned hot as Kagome and Sesshoumaru had fun in the bath.

You know the drill guys. Fanfiction you got the water downed version of this chapter. The full version can be found at A Single Spark and AdultFanFiction. So those of you that are old enough to read what I actually wrote can go to these sites and read the uncensored version of this chapter. Sorry but I had too many complaint about the heat of passion and I'm not going there this time with this story.

A Single Spark awards is now open for voting. Please go to the site and look at the great stories that have been nominated and vote for your favorite ones.

In the next chapter our villains start coming back into the picture. Koga comes back and is after Kagome. He wants to get his hands on her but will he even have the chance when Sesshoumaru is sticking so close to her.

Join me in the next chapter as Sesshoumaru and Kagome get closer to mating as the plot thickens.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Morning finally came to the Western Lands with clear blue skies. It was cold but it looked promising that it will warm up later today. It was a sign that everything will be fine as its dissidents got started with their preparations for the winter months. Soon the white snow will fall and they will be limited in what they could do to provide food for their families.

The winters were the hardest months for the people of the lands; they couldn't grow anything that will provide food for them. Hunting was almost non-existent, as most animals will go into a deep sleep to survive the winter, only to come back in the early spring.

The larger animals have a harder time finding food and will move to another area where food was abundant for them. This made it hard on the people of the west. They needed to think ahead and make sure that they saved enough food for the winter.

The western castle was no different than those around the area. Everyone was busy getting everything ready for the winter months. They stored plenty of food for the occupants of the castle along with enough food to feed any village that might be in trouble during these hard times.

--oOo--

Ayashiko was slowly waking up from her slumber. It was the first night that she rested comfortably since Sesshoumaru and Kagome left the castle. She felt the soft touch of her pups mind telling her that they were fine and soon they will mate. She finally fell asleep shortly after that, knowing that they were all right.

Ayashiko slowly opened her eyes to greet the morning sun. She slowly sat up and noticed that her mate was still asleep next to her. 'He must be tired if he is still sleeping.' Ayashiko thought as she carefully got out of bed and made sure not to wake her mate.

She got dressed in her training gi and hakama, for months now she has been training with Sango. Since Kagome was training with her mate it left Sango without anything to do. She took it upon herself to teach her their way of battle.

Ayashiko smiled, Sango was a strong fighter and a quick learner. She learned almost everything she needs to know from her and soon she will send her to train with General Dewa. He instructed her Musume and she knew that he will train Sango the rest of the way.

During this time Ayashiko learned that Sango was a fierce protector and took her job very seriously. She was determined to protect and she will fight to the bitter end.

Once Ayashiko dressed she walked out of her room to find that Sango was already waiting for her. She saw her bow deeply to her as she heard her say, "Good morning milady. I hope you slept well."

Ayashiko smiled as she said, "Good morning Sango, yes I slept very well thank you. Are you ready for your training?"

Sango smiles as she straightens, "Of course milady today is the day I beat you in battle." Both of them laughed at Sango's declaration. She has been trying for months now and has only come close a couple of times in beating Ayashiko. They turned as they walked out of the castle to the training dojo. Kirara was following closely behind the pair, as she protected them while they trained.

Ayashiko and Sango practiced for hours when they finally called the training to a halt, they found that it was a tie. Neither of them could win against the other and this made Ayashiko proud.

Sango has come a long way in her skills and Ayashiko has no doubt that she could beat the finest warriors in the area. She knew that her Musume will be well protected with Sango as her guard. Even the guards around the castle stayed away from Sango, because they knew of her strength and skills.

They left the dojo as they went to get cleaned up. There was still much to do before Sesshoumaru and Kagome returned to the castle. They were walking out of the western wing when the servants told them that the castle painter was waiting for them in the study.

Ayashiko got excited thinking that he finished the portrait. They made their way to the study, when they entered they spotted the kitsune waiting for them. Ayashiko smiled as she said, "Good morning Semi have you finished the painting yet?"

Semi smiled as he bowed deeply to his lady, "Yes milady I did finish it, but before you see that one I wanted to present you with this painting as a token of my gratitude for giving me the inspiration to paint again."

Ayashiko was confused about his comment but waited patiently until he took the cloth off a painting that was sitting there on a stand. When he lifted the cloth up both Sango and Ayashiko gasped at what they saw.

Semi had out done himself with this painting. It was of her eldest son and her Musume. They looked beautiful together as she saw the smiles on their faces and the twinkle in their eye.

Ayashiko just stared at the portrait as she slowly approached it. Her hand came up as she gently caressed her son's cheek. A lone tear came out of her eyes as she turned to Semi and said, "Oh Semi, this is by far the most perfect gift you have ever given me. You have captured both of their expressions so well and their smiles. You have my profound gratitude for this portrait."

Semi felt proud being praised by his lady. He looked at the portrait and he felt satisfaction for the way the painting came out. It was by far the best portrait he has ever painted.

The master woods man found the perfect frame for his painting. It was rather large but not that large that it took away from the painting. It was a rich dark wood that brought out the beauty of the portrait. The trim around the frame held small Inu's along with crescent moons going all the way around the frame.

Ayashiko knew exactly where she wanted to put this perfect painting of her son and mate. She then turned to Semi, "If you did as well with the other painting, as you did with this one, then you have earned the title of the greatest painter in the land."

Semi bowed deeply to his lady as he turned to the slightly larger painting that was there. He removed the cover and showed his lady what he did with the portrait.

Again Ayashiko and Sango were shocked when they saw the portrait. Semi really out did himself with the paintings. Her family portrait was now complete as Kagome was now added to the portrait. You could clearly see her beautiful blue eyes and the blue teardrop with the star that she wore so proudly.

Kagome was standing in front of Sesshoumaru in a light blue kimono and white obi. The kimono sported white sakura blossoms going down the one sleeve that you could see. Sesshoumaru's right hand was on Kagome's right shoulder. The portrait was perfect in Ayashiko eyes.

You could never tell that Kagome was not part of the original painting. Tears were threatening to come out of Ayashiko eyes again as she held them back. If her mate smelled her tears he will come in here trying to kill the one that upset her so.

She called for a few servants and told them to take the family portrait and hang it in the main entrance to the castle. Two servants came forward and took the painting downstairs as another set of servants waited for further instructions from their lady.

Ayashiko turned her attention to the other servants and said, "I want you two to hang this painting over the fireplace in my son and his mate's room. Make sure that it is placed in the center."

The servants bowed deeply to their lady as they both moved forward and took the painting upstairs.

Ayashiko then turned to Sango and said, "Come Sango we shall see how they are doing placing the painting in the main entrance to the castle. Then we can check Sesshoumaru's room and make sure that the painting in there is hanging correctly."

Sango smiled, as she followed Ayashiko out of the study, and went downstairs to see how the painting looked in its final place of honor.

--oOo--

Lord Inutaisho was waking up from his slumber. He immediately noticed that his mate was gone from his side. He noticed that the sun was almost to its peek in the sky and wondered why he slept so long. He never slept this long and wondered where his lovely mate has gone to.

He opened his senses and found that his mate was in the castle and that she was excited about something. He decided to investigate as he got up and got dressed.

He walked out of his room as he headed toward his mates scent. He finally found her in the main entrance of the castle as he came down the stairs. She was giving orders to some of the servants to make sure that the table she was placing in the great hall was perfectly centered.

Inutaisho had no idea what was there since the last time he looked it was an empty wall. The servants present in the main entrance bowed deeply to him in greeting, while he continued walking towards the love of his life.

Ayashiko was so busy that she never noticed her mate coming up behind her until she felt a strong pair of arms encircling her waist as she was pulled into his embrace. She purred her delight when she felt his tongue on her neck as he asked in a husky voice, "My mate, what has you in such a good mood this morning?"

Ayashiko purred, as she said, "Why don't you look up and see for yourself."

Inutaisho raised his head as he looked at the wall. His eyes grew big when he saw the beautiful portrait of his family. Included in the painting was his little one, but what caught his eye was the smile on his eldest son's face, as he looked at it.

He released his mate as he walked around her to get a better look at the painting. It was a master piece as he turned and asked, "Koiishi where did you get this done? It's beautiful."

Ayashiko smiled wide as she said, "The portrait was painted by Kagome. She captured us so beautifully including the smile on Sesshoumaru's handsome face. I found it in her room yesterday, when we were moving her things into their new room. When I saw the portrait I knew that I had to have it but it was missing Kagome.

"I gave the portrait to Semi and he was able to put Kagome in the painting. Now our family is complete and I think that this is the perfect place for such a beautiful painting of our family."

Inutaisho was amazed that his little one could paint such a beautiful painting. She was very talented and wondered what else she was talented in. He looked from the painting to his mate as he said, "Yes my aiyoku you have picked the perfect place for this portrait to hang. Semi did a wonderful job in adding our pup. I just hope that Kagome likes where it's hanging. It is her painting after all and she might not want it hanging on the wall at the main entrance to the castle."

Ayashiko thought for a few minutes and her mate did have a valid point. The painting did belong to her Musume and she only hoped that she will feel proud at having her portrait hanging in such a high place of honor. She turned toward her mate as she said, "You are correct aiyoku, but I think that she will let me keep it. This one is not the only one that our pup has done. Come, I will show you the rest."

Inutaisho raised an elegant eyebrow at his mate as they went back upstairs. They went to the western wing of the castle as they went into the room that Ayashiko selected for their son and Kagome. When they entered the room Inutaisho eyes went wide.

All over the room there where paintings that Kagome painted as they adorn the walls. But the one painting that caught his eyes was the one of Kagome and Sesshoumaru. It hung beautifully over the fireplace and it captured his two pups perfectly.

He couldn't believe how fast his mate got this room ready for their pups. He turned to her as he said, "Mate you have really out done yourself. This room is beautiful and I have no doubt that Kagome will love what you and Sango have done to it."

He wrapped his arms around his mate and pulled her into his chest, as he kissed her. It wasn't a passionate kiss but it was a kiss that told of his love for his mate. When they pulled apart they immediately noticed that they were alone in the room. The servants, including Sango, left them alone in their private moment.

Inutaisho then turned so he could see what else his mate did to the room. The colors were warm and soothing. The sakura tree painted in one corner of the room added that special touch of being outdoors and he knew that Kagome will love it. She always liked to be outdoors, among the trees and flowers.

Inutaisho was enjoying his quiet time with his mate when he felt something in the near distance. His instincts told him that something was wrong as he took a step away from his lovely mate. He concentrated on his son and noticed that he has left the area to go hunt. He also noticed that his son left Kagome behind in the house.

If the male felt that it was safe enough they will leave the female behind so they could quickly hunt. Having the female with them almost always-invited trouble, it will attract other youkai who are seeking mates for this time of year. He knew his son will be hard pressed to protect his mate and hunt at the same time.

The feeling that something was wrong wouldn't leave him. He turned as he looked at his lovely mate and said, "Koiishi, I must leave, I have some business that I need to see to. I will see you later my aiyoku." He kissed his mate on her forehead as he left the room to see what was wrong.

He quickly made his way outside as he sniffed the air. Something was not right as he summoned his commander.

General Dewa was immediately by his side as he kneeled and said, "Yes milord, how may I be of service?"

Inutaisho looked at his general as he said, "General Dewa have your men check the area. There is something amiss and I don't know what it is. Have them check everything, especially the forest. They are not to go into the barrier they find out there, is that understood?"

Dewa heard his lords orders as he replied, "It will be as you command oh lord."

Dewa then stood and took off to carry out his lord's command. The soldiers quickly spread out as they searched the area around the castle. About an hour later one of the guards found a fellow soldier dead in the forest. The body had claw marks that resembled that of a wolf. They immediately sent word back to their commander informing him of what they discovered.

Inutaisho waited patiently for his soldiers to do a sweep of the area. He was at the edge of the forest near the house that he made for his son and his little one. He turned when he felt someone approaching very fast. He saw Dewa coming out of the forest and heading straight for him. When he finally reached his location he kneeled as he heard him say, "Milord, we have found a soldier dead in the forest. From what I have been told he has been attacked by wolves."

Inutaisho narrowed his eyes at what he was told. There was only one wolf who would dare to go against his proclamation and that was Koga. He banished that wolf from his lands and promised that he will die if he was to return. It seems that he will have to make his promise come to reality when he finds him.

He stood there for a few minutes as a thought came to his mind. 'If Koga was able to get into the barrier there is only one place he will go. He will be after Kagome and with Kagome going through the mating ritual she will not be able to defend herself like she did before.

His heart started to race as he turned to his general and said, "Come with me general. Kagome is in danger because that wolf will be after her."

They both took off toward the sanctuary as they summoned some soldiers to go with them. When they arrived they spotted the wolves waiting for someone. When the wolves noticed the soldiers from the castle they attacked as they howled to someone that they had company.

--oOo--

Koga was forcibly removed from the Western Lands. The guards that accompanied him, told him never to return or else face their lord's wrath.

Koga growled at the guards as he left. He was hurting. That ningen onna did some serious damage to him. He couldn't believe her strength and she wasn't even using her Reiyouku to fight him. He knew that if she used her Reiyouku he would be dead right now.

Koga continued to walk when he felt the presence of wolves in the area. He stopped as he took a fighting stance. He was not going to go down without a fight. A lone wolf cast out of his lands was an open invitation for other youkais to attack.

Wolves were naturally pack animals. They always traveled in packs for safety and that's how they protected their territory. Once, one of their own was hurt, they will wonder off to die.

He swore that if he survived the night he will go back and pay that bitch a visit. He will teach her who the dominant male was as he ravished her body. Once he was done with her he will kill her.

She represented a threat to the land and there will be no one strong enough to tame her. He had no idea who won the right to mate with such a whore, but he didn't care, he was going to get his vengeance on her.

A twig snapped in the distance, alerting Koga that the intruders were very close to where he was. He was in pain but he pushed that aside as he set his mind on the battle ahead. He was about to attack when a familiar scent reached his nose.

He turned toward the one's making all the noise as he saw part of his pack coming. He gave a grunt as he sat against a tree and relaxed, knowing that they will not attack him.

Hakkaku and Ginta were following Koga's scent through the forest. They were concerned about him, as they followed with a few members from their old pack. They broke away from the main pack to go with Koga.

These were Koga's most loyal pack members and they will follow him wherever he went, even if it meant their death.

Hakkaku was the first to see Koga as he rushed to his side. Ginta was right behind him, along with the rest of the pack. They finally reach their leader as Hakkaku asked, "Koga are you all right? It took us a while to find you but we're here for you."

Koga opened his eyes as he asked, "Why are all of you here? You know what happened. I was banished from the Western Lands and brought shame to our clan. If you stay with me you will not be welcomed back at our pack."

Hakkaku and Ginta looked at each other as they turned and looked at the rest of their members. They both saw everyone nod in their direction as they both turn to Koga and Ginta said, "We know what happened and we will stay with you. We know that it was not your fault. That ningen wench did something to you in order for you to lose like that. We know that you are powerful and no ningen is strong enough to take you down."

Koga couldn't believe his luck his pack thought that he was put under some spell when he lost that fight. He grunted as he said, "Very well, we need to find shelter for the night. I don't want to be out in the open. I should be healed by morning and then we can plan my revenge. That ningen onna will die by my hand, after I take out my vengeance on her body, we can't allow her to live. She is a threat to all the youkais of these lands."

Hakkaku then said, "Koga you will have to be careful because Sesshoumaru won the right to mate her. He defeated her in battle and let me tell you he almost didn't. She must have used the same trick on him, we all know that Sesshoumaru is a powerful youkai. She is smart and we will have to use caution to get to her. She will be well protected by the Western Lord."

'So Sesshoumaru was the one who won the right to mate her. That only means that she is still at the Western castle and that will make it easier for us to capture her.' Koga thought, different ideas ran through his mind about capturing the girl, but right now he was interested in finding a place to rest for the night. He stood on shaky legs as he said, "Come we need to find shelter for the night and food. We can continue to discuss this in the morning once I'm healed."

The wolf pack left the clearing as they went in search of a place to stay for the night.

--oOo--

The next morning Koga was up bright and early. His wounds healed overnight and now he was back to normal. He was sitting by the fire as he counted how many from his clan left to join him. He counted 50 wolves that joined him and he was pleased. He never knew that he had such loyal followers.

Koga sat in silence as he tried to think of a way to get the ningen away from Sesshoumaru. This task was not going to be easy. They will have to sneak back into the western castle and then find the girl. He still had the invitation from the Western Lord and that will allow them to enter, but they needed an escort from the castle to reach the barriers. Without the escort they will never be able to get past the barrier.

A plan started to formulate in his mind as he finally looked up from the flames and said, "I have a plan to get the ningen. We will need to travel north. There is a kuro miko there that might be willing to help us. We need a concealment spell to hide our true features and our scents. I heard that this miko is willing to do anything for money so we should be able to get what we want from her."

With that said the pack of wolves left the cave they were staying in as they traveled north to find this kuro miko. They were traveling fast. Koga knew that Sesshoumaru will not mate the ningen before the full moon, which was tomorrow night. They needed to be at the western castle before the ningen was mated. At this point in the mating ritual she was weak and vulnerable. She will not be able to use her powers to attack them.

Sesshoumaru's youki will be suppressing the onna's powers so she will be defenseless. This was perfect it will make taking her so much easier, but he needed a plan to get Sesshoumaru away from the girl. He knew that courting males will never leave their unmated females alone for any reason, unless they thought that they will be well protected while they were gone.

The wolves continued to run at full speed while Koga thought of a plan to get rid of Sesshoumaru. Koga sensed something in the near distance as he stopped and the rest of his pack followed suit. He sniffed the air and caught the scent of the kuro miko nearby.

Koga couldn't believe his luck. This will save them a lot of time in getting to her and then making it back to the western castle. They took off again, following the scent of the kuro miko that will give them what they needed to get into the castle to retrieve the ningen.

--oOo--

Akurei was slowly making her way back to the western castle. It's taken her some time to get back home to mix her potion. She encountered some trouble along the way but it was nothing that she couldn't handle.

When she left the forest, where she defeated that miko and taken her blood, she met up with Jakyoku's men about three days later. She was fully recovered when they made themselves known to her.

She thought back to that day and smiled. It was enjoyable to see them squirm under her attack. They thought that she was weak but now they knew better. They were dead and she will have to deal with Jakyoku when the time came. He will not take what she desires as a mate. She wanted that miko dead and she was going to see her dead no matter what.

As she was walking she was formulating a plan on what she was going to do when she arrived at the Western Castle. She needed to find this miko and defeat her once and for all. All Akurei thought about was becoming immortal and ruling all the lands. This was her dream, to be able to keep her beauty and have everyone bow down to her. She was tired of all of these fools coming to her and demanding her services for next to nothing.

She stopped in her tracks when she sensed youkai in the area. She was wondering why they were coming after her when every other youkai in the forest was staying away from her. Her dark powers made itself known to the approaching youkai, she noticed that they were still coming towards her and this got her curiosity up. She stood there waiting to see what they wanted.

Koga came into the clearing where the kuro miko was waiting for them. He felt her great powers and hoped that she will help them with their request. He stopped a few feet away from the ningen as he took two steps forward and said, "Miko, I have come with a request. I have money to pay for what I seek and I will need it as soon as possible."

Akurei looked at the wolf youkai in the eyes and saw that this request of his was something that was really important to him. She was curious as she asked, "What do you wish me to do?"

Koga stood tall as he said, "I need a concealment spell that will hide me and my clan from the Western Lords soldiers. We wish to sneak into the castle that is heavily fortified and well protected now that a miko lives there."

Now this was news to Akurei as she said, "Is that so, what is in the Western castle that you need a concealment spell? Surely you can just go in being youkai. If memory serves me correctly are you not Koga, prince of the ookami tribes."

Koga's tail twitched in agitation as he growled out, "Not any more! Because of the ningen onna that resides in that castle I was banished from the Western Lands and striped of my title. I want revenge and I will have it. Now can you give me the concealment spell I seek or do I have to track down another to have my request fulfilled?"

Now Akurei interest was peaked. This wolf could be the answer to all of her problems. If he got the girl then she could get her blood, but what is he going to do with the girl once he got her? She turned her black eyes toward the wolf as she asked, "What will you do with the girl once you have her? Are you going to take her as your mate?"

Koga huffed at her question as he said through gritted teeth, "No I will not take a filthy ningen as a mate. Once I'm through ravishing her body I will kill her for what she did. She embarrassed me in front of all the ruling lords and she is going to pay for that. Now name your price for helping me and if you can't do it, then tell me, so I can go elsewhere to find what I seek."

Akurei smiled a wicked smile as she said, "Very well then, I will help you with the concealment spell for your clan, but I have a suggestion for you. I have heard that the Lord of the Western Lands son has won the right to mate the miko, am I right?"

Koga narrowed his eyes as he growled, "Yes this is correct. Sesshoumaru won the right to mate with her. So why are you asking me this miko?"

Akurei narrowed her eyes back at the wolf as she said, "From what I hear this miko is powerful. One such as yourself will not be able to take her freely," Koga was about to protest her remark as Akurei continued before he could voice his objection. "But if I make you look like her mate to be then she might be willing to go with you."

Koga thought about this and she did have a point. This miko was strong and even without her Reiyouku she was still powerful. If she thought that he was her mate then she will go with him willingly and he wouldn't have to fight her.

Koga smiled at this thought as he said, "You're right. It's better to have her cooperation and come with me willingly than alert everyone around the castle. What is your price for doing this concealment spell?"

Akurei grinned as she said, "All I want in return is her blood and your blood oath that you will kill her once you're done with her body."

"Why do you want her dead? What did she do to you?" Asked Koga, as he faced the miko, his curiosity was peeked. He wanted to know what the miko did to warrant her death.

Akurei thought about his question as she answered, "She is my rival for power on these lands and I will not have her trying to kill me. She has tried but failed miserably."

Akurei was getting tired and needed to know the wolf's answer to her suggestion as she said, "These are the conditions to receive my help, if you don't want to accept them then that is fine with me. I will just be on my way."

Koga again thought about her request. He didn't see anything wrong with it, he was planning on killing that onna once he was done with her anyway. Plus if she could give him a concealment spell that will make him look like her mate to be it will be even better. He looked at the kuro miko as he said, "All right you will have her blood and you can have my blood oath that I will kill her once I'm done with her."

Akurei was happy with his answer as she set about giving them all concealment spells. She touched each wolf as she changed their appearance and made them appear like Inu Youkai. But for Koga she pulled some beads from her haori and placed them in her hands. She closed her eyes as she muttered a chant under her breath while her hands glowed red.

When she was done she handed the beads to Koga and said, "Once you are inside the castle and have located the girl you need to put this on. The concealment spell you are wearing at the moment will go away and this new one will take its place. You will look like Sesshoumaru and she will not be able to tell the difference. But heed my warning once you leave the castle the spell will be broken. You will revert back to your wolf self and she will attack at that time. I trust that you will be able to handle her."

Koga smirked as he took the beads and said, "Don't worry, I will be able to handle her once we are out of the castle. Where will we meet so you can get your blood?"

Akurei turned to the wolf and said, "Don't worry I will find you once you have the girl but you still owe me a blood oath and I will have that now."

Akurei pulled out a knife as she cut the palm of her hand. Koga in turned took his claws and cut his palm as he walked closer to the kuro miko. When they were facing each other their palms came together as Koga said, "I swear on my blood that the miko Kagome will die by my hand once I have gotten her out of the Western Lords castle. I will not take her as a mate." Their hands started to glow a bright red until the oath was sealed.

Akurei released Koga's hand as she said, "I wish you luck and I will see you very soon to collect what is mine. Until then stay safe and be careful."

Koga smirked as he turned to his pack members and took off toward the western castle, leaving Akurei by herself deep in the forest. When they were gone from Akurei's sight she smiled wickedly and said under her breath. "Oh yes wolf, we shall meet again very soon, once I take the miko's blood, you will kill her right away or your blood bond to me will kill you. I will not be stopped this time, not by that damn miko, the Western Lord, nor his son."

Akurei turned and continued on her way. She will give the wolves time to enter the castle and find the girl. She will be watching from a distance to see what is going to happen.

Akurei failed to mention to the wolves that the concealment spell will only last a few hours after they enter the Western Lords domain. She chuckled, they will have enough time to sneak into the castle but then the concealment spell will wear off and they will all die by the Western Lords hand. She was just hoping that Koga will find Kagome and get her out of the castle before her spell wore off. Things were about to get interesting and she wanted to be there to watch.

--oOo--

Koga and his pack were making their way back to the Western castle. They were traveling with speed as they crossed the boarders of the Western Lands and continued on their way.

During their run Koga was getting the rest of his plan together as he thought about how he was going to get into the castle. They have been running for the majority of the day and decided to call a halt to their travel. They found a cave as Koga explained to his pack his plan to capture the miko.

Everyone understood Koga's instructions as they settled in for the night. The next night will be the night of the full moon. Koga was positive that Sesshoumaru will mate the ningen on this night. They still had time for their plan to work as they rested, they will need all of their strength for the battle to get the ningen.

The next morning the wolves were up early as they took off toward the western castle. They had a long way to go and they needed to get there as soon as possible. They were traveling with speed, and they were getting closer.

The pack slowed their pace as they came to a halt, just short of getting to the barrier. There in the distance they spotted some of the local merchants that were coming to sell their goods at the castle.

From what Koga heard the Western Lord pays well for their products so many came here to sell their goods. He got an idea as he said, "Hakkaku, Ginta, take some men and go hunt some deer. We will join those traders when the soldiers come and escort them into the castle. Once on the other side we will break off from this group and seek out the ningen.

"Knowing the Western Lord, he might have built some sanctuary for his son and the girl. We will need to find it if we want to take the onna from the palace. Her death will be the panicle of my revenge toward the Western Lord for what he has done to me."

Hakkaku and Ginta did as they were told and took off into the forest to hunt. They came back quickly as they caught and killed four deer's. Koga chose to only take half of his wolves as the ones that stayed behind hid in the forest outside the castle. The rest were walking down to the path below as they joined the other traders going to the castle.

The wolf's senses were on full alert as they continued walking with the rest of the traders. When they got close enough to the barriers of the Western castle about 10 soldiers came out and surrounded the group as they checked them to make sure that they could enter.

Koga produced the documents needed as the soldiers eyed them with care. The soldier sensed that something was not right about these Inu youkai but he couldn't figure it out. He shook his head as he turned to his companions and said, "Everyone here checks outs. They may pass the barrier."

Koga slowly let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding. They made it through the first hurdle. They were being led into the barrier as the soldiers surrounded the group of traders.

When they finally got though the barrier, the group continued to go to the western castle, while Koga and his men lagged behind the group of traders. When they had enough distance they broke away from the traders as they headed into the forest that surrounded the castle.

They discarded the deer as they made their way to the other side of the castle, via the forest. They were moving cautiously, scenting the area as they went. They stopped as a group, while Koga tasted the air around the castle. He growled when he noticed that the ningens scent was not in the castle.

They started circling the castle, knowing that the ningen was somewhere near this area. They all stopped in their tracks when they heard a noise behind them. They turned to see two of the castle guards standing there with their weapons pointing straight at them.

Koga carefully signaled to some of his wolves, as they nodded in understanding. The guards were about to sound the alarm, when they were attacked.

The wolves moved with speed as they slashed the soldiers across their chest and they both fell dead on the forest ground. They all stood still as they listened around the area, to see they were going to have company. When they didn't hear anyone else coming in their direction, Koga turned to his men and said, "Take the soldiers deep into the forest and leave their bodies there. I don't want them found just yet."

Three wolves broke off from the main group as they went to do Koga's bidding. They took the soldiers deep into the woods and left their bodies by the barrier in different locations. When they were done with their task they returned to find the rest of their pack.

Koga continued going through the forest trying to find the ningen. He stopped as he sniffed the air again and caught the scent of Night Blooming Jasmine. His eyes sparkled with anticipation as he followed the alluring scent.

The group came upon a barrier as they looked around to see if they could get in. They heard a noise in the distance as everyone disbursed and hid in the area. They watched as two soldiers were walking by on patrol.

Koga signaled to his men as two wolves jumped from the trees and killed the soldiers before they could cry out. Koga got an idea as he motioned to one of his men to bring one of the soldiers over to him. He grabbed the dead soldiers as he started to walk toward the barrier carrying the soldier with him. He went straight through the barrier as a grin appeared on his lips.

He sniffed the air tasting it for Sesshoumaru's scent. A bigger smile appeared when he noticed that Sesshoumaru was gone from the area. The ningen was by herself with no one to protect her. 'This will be easier than I thought, we can come in here and take the girl before anyone knows what was going on.' Koga thought with a big grin on his face.

He walked back out of the barrier and said, "All right, this is what we are going to do. One of you will come with me. The rest of you fan out and protect this area. I will go in, get the girl, and then we can leave this place."

All the wolves nodded their agreement as the wolf that was holding the other dead guard went with Koga to get the female. The rest of the pack spread out and waited for their leader to come back out with the onna.

The wolves were on high alert. They were waiting patiently in the forest when they noticed that their concealment spell wore off. They were standing deep in enemy territory in their true forms. They started to panic when they heard the sound of running feet heading their way as they jumped out of the trees to take a fighting stance. They needed to keep this area secured until Koga returned.

They saw the Western Lord coming their way as they attacked. The fight was now on as the wolves fought against the Western Lord and his soldiers. Hakkaku and Ginta were having a rough time with the soldiers as they both howled into the air telling Koga that they had company and for him to hurry up.

--oOo--

Koga and his companion put the dead soldiers down as they made their way through the forest. They came upon a grand house as they circled around going toward the back, where the ningens scent was strongest. When they got to the back part of the house they spotted the ningen in the garden, she was on her knees picking herbs.

Koga took the beads out of his armor and put them on. The concealment spell was activated once it was around his neck. His form shifted as he transformed into Sesshoumaru's likeness. He smirked when he saw that the spell worked. He turned to his companion and said, "I will go and get the girl. When we walk by you grab the girl and knock her unconscious. Then we will leave this place."

His companion gave him a nod agreeing to his orders as he hid in the forest. Koga then turned his attention to the ningen as he stood tall and started to make his way out of the forest. It was now time to go and get the onna. He knew that their time was running out, he had felt the stirring of the youkai in the castle.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru has been awake for quite some time. He was lying in bed holding on to Kagome. She was beautiful, he mused, watching his mate sleeping peacefully. Tonight was the night that they will become one. He was positive that she has feelings for him and once she gave herself freely to him, they will be united as one for all eternity.

He still had one more thing to do to prove to her that he will be a good mate. He had to go hunting. This was the last step to complete the mating ritual before he could take her.

He couldn't believe his luck. He picked a female that was very passionate in the things she did. At the memories of what she did to him last night in the hot spring, sent his blood boiling again. He has never heard of a female doing that to a male before.

His father never mentioned anything like this to him. He was sure that if his father ever experienced something like this he would have told him about it. His father believed in sharing all types of information, making sure that his sons were well versed in the art of pleasing a female.

Sesshoumaru smiled when he thought about this. He experienced something, that his father never had the privilege of feeling. He couldn't wait until tonight when he will claim his mate and live a wonderful life together. He will protect her from everything and make sure that she was happy for once in her life.

This thought brought a small measure of pride and self-satisfaction that he will protect her and make her happy. She suffered so much in her young life, from what she has told him, her life was a rough one.

All she wanted was to be accepted and loved. She never really felt at home until she came here to this era. He understood that she was from the future but he couldn't understand why her mother and father allowed this kind of thing to happen to their daughter. He was more upset when she told him about what her father did to her.

He knew that they would live long enough to get to her era and he will be looking forward to that day. He will have to find this father of hers and teach him a lesson on hurting what was his. He will have to make sure that his mate was nowhere near the area when he did. He didn't want her to find out what will happen to her father. But he couldn't let his deeds go unpunished. He will avenge her, no matter how long it took, he will get his revenge.

He was brought out of his musing when he sensed that his mate was starting to wake up. Her breathing became deeper as she started to move. He heard a whimper as he tightens his arms around her and nuzzles into her neck, trying to offer some comfort to her.

Kagome was slowly starting to wake up. The events of last night were forcing their way into her memory, as she remembered what she did with Sesshoumaru. She was hoping that she did well or her mother would be very disappointed in her.

Even though she was not in her era anymore her values were still in tact. She was raised that it was a woman responsibility to please the male and keep him always loyal to her. If she did not perform correctly and the male strayed, she was at fault, because if she satisfied him, he will never seek another.

Kagome senses were coming alive as she felt a very warm body behind her. She moved to stretch and she found a tightening of arms around her body. She noticed right away that she was not wearing any clothes as her cheeks began to get red. Her blush went across the bridge of her nose, to her cheeks, then down her neck, as it was coloring the rest of her body a bright red.

When she finally opened her eyes she noticed that she was in bed. She looked over her shoulder and found Sesshoumaru behind her. His bright golden orbs were looking intently at her as she tried to shy away from his intense gaze.

She heard a wonderful purr coming from him and she remembered that he did that last night as well. She liked it then but now she loved the feel of it on her back as his chest vibrated. It soothed her as she relaxed into his hold.

Kagome brought her hands up as she held on to his arms. She didn't want him to remove them from her body. She loved the feeling that she was getting from being in his embrace, because for the first time in her life she actually felt loved.

Kagome couldn't believe that her life could change for the better. She finally found someone that will love her for who she is and not for the powers that she holds. The way he growled for her last night was unbelievable. She had him panting and when she took him into her mouth she thought that he would go crazy.

She loved him deeply, that much she knew. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She couldn't ask for anything else in her life.

She shifted as she turned in his embrace and looked up into his beautiful golden eyes. His eyes were so expressive. They showed all the love he held for her. She reached up and stroked his cheek with her fingers as she said, "Good morning."

Sesshoumaru was in heaven. His lovely mate was showing him so much affection that he didn't want it to end. She cuddled even closer to him when she reached for his arms and held them tighter against her body. His chest started to vibrate with contentment, while he thought, 'Yes tonight will be a night to remember. I will have her as my own and no one will ever touch her but me. I will be her first and last love.'

Sesshoumaru felt when Kagome shifted in his arms as he loosened his hold on her so she could turn. He looked into those beautiful blue eyes and saw the love and desire she has for him. Her soft fingers were stroking his cheek as he moved closer to her hand, loving the comfort that she gave. He heard her greeting and said, "Good morning my aiyoku, sleep well?"

Kagome nuzzled under his chin as she said, "Oh yes, I slept very well." A thought came to her mind and she had to know the answer to this question. She pulled away from his embrace as she looked down and said, "Sesshoumaru, I have a question. Did I… did I please you last night?"

Sesshoumaru noticed that her heartbeat was going faster than normal when she asked her question. He didn't understand what she was thinking about, because he caught the scent of her fear and nervousness as she spoke. He took his clawed finger and hooked it under her chin as he raised her head so she could look at him. When their eyes locked he asked, "Kagome, what's wrong?"

Kagome noticed that he didn't answer her question as tears were forming in her eyes. She felt like such a failure for not pleasing him on the one thing that was important to her. She lowered her eyes as she said, "I'm sorry Sesshoumaru, that I didn't please you."

Her declaration shocked Sesshoumaru as he sat up on the futon and brought her into his lap. He held her tight in his embrace as he said, "Kagome, you pleased me like no other female will ever please a male. You were wonderful."

Kagome heart leaped with joy as she hugged him close to her chest. She did please him, her mother would be proud of her.

Sesshoumaru noticed the change in her as he asked, "Kagome what's wrong? Why did you ask me a question like that?"

Kagome thought it best if she answered his question and replied, "The females from my era are raised to please the male in everyway possible. We are brought up thinking that it is the female's responsibility to keep the males happy. We are schooled in the finer things as how to please a male. I will shame my family if I did not perform to standard and you are unhappy with me. It will give you a reason to reject me."

Now this was new information for him. He never knew this about ningens, he didn't know if this was something that was currently practiced or if it was something that will be established in the future.

Sesshoumaru shifted as he nuzzled the top of her head and said, "Kagome you pleased me very much. I have made a wonderful choice in the person I have chosen for a mate. I know that our mating night will be full of passion for one another."

Kagome looked up into his eyes as she saw Sesshoumaru leaning down to her. Their lips touched in a moment of passion. It turned into a heated kiss, as neither wanted it to end. They finally broke apart because they needed to breathe, as they were panting from lack of oxygen.

Sesshoumaru leaned down and said in her ear, "Mate I must leave you for a little while this morning." But before he could continue Kagome asked in a scared voice, "Sesshoumaru did I do something wrong?"

Sesshoumaru purred as he said, "No my mate, I must finish the mating ritual if we are to mate. I must go hunting to prove that I can provide for you. I will leave you here because I know it's safe for you. If I was to take you with me we will be attacked because your scent will attract other youkais in the area.

Youkai always go after a courting pair if they are looking for a mate. The female is weakest during this time in the mating ritual. They could capture you and before I can get there they will mate you. I know that I can protect you but I don't want to put you in any danger if I can avoid it. Your safety is the most important thing to me. Once we're mated then my blood will protect you even more."

Kagome understood what Sesshoumaru was telling her as she said, "All right then, while you go out and hunt I will prepare our meal. When you return I can cook the meat you bring for us to eat."

Sesshoumaru was confused as he said, "Kagome we have servants that can cook. You don't need to do that."

Kagome smiled as she said, "Just like you have to prove that you can provide for me, even though our meals have been provided for in the past, you still go out and hunt. I to have to show you that I can cook, clean, and take care of you and our children when we have them. Our cultures are not that different aiyoku. We both must prove to the other that we can do things for each other."

Sesshoumaru was in pure ecstasy, she called him aiyoku and that was very special to him. She never called him a pet name before and he loved it. He got an evil gleam in his eye as he whispered into her ear, "Let go bathe Koiishi."

Kagome arousal spiked when he said that as they both headed toward the hot springs to bathe. They bathed each other as they got to know what each other liked even better. They didn't get too involved because they needed their strength for tonight.

Sesshoumaru knew that their mating was going to be intense, because they had to form a life bond and that can only be achieved during the height of passion between the two, and he was very determined to get it.

When they finished with their bathing they came back into their room and got dressed. The morning meal was already waiting for them as Sesshoumaru sat and feed Kagome her meal. He enjoyed feeding her as he held her in his arms and watched her eat. Once she was done eating, and he had his fill, they then walked out of the house together.

When they reached the entrance they both stopped as Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome and kissed her forehead. It was a sign of his love and affection for her. He released her from his embrace as he walked out into the courtyard; he formed his demonic cloud under his feet and took off to hunt. This will not take long he couldn't leave her alone for any length of time. The threat was always there that another male would seek out his mate even though they were in a safe haven.

Kagome stood there and watched as Sesshoumaru flew off into the distance. Her heart was heavy but she knew that he will be back. She clapped her hands together as she said to herself, "Time for me to get to work on our supper." She turned as she went to find the kitchen.

When she found the kitchen she was surprised to see Katsuki. She greeted the elderly cook as she asked, "Katsuki, what are you doing here?"

Katsuki looked up from the cup of tea she was drinking as she smiled, "I asked to work here if the young master won the right to mate you. I see that you have accepted him as your mate."

Kagome blushed a bright red as she said, "Yes I did. He is the only one powerful enough to calm my powers when they get out of hand. I never dreamed that he could be this powerful to control me."

Katsuki laughed as she asked, "Kagome, child, what are you doing here? And where is the young master?"

Kagome smiled as she said, "He went hunting and I'm going to be preparing the meal for tonight so all of you have the rest of the day off."

Katsuki looked at the young miko with wide eyes as she said, "Why Kagome? We can prepare the meal for you."

Kagome loved this old youkai as she said, "Katsuki it's a tradition that I must prove to my mate to be that I can take care of him and any pups we have. I have to prove that I can cook, clean, and be a good mother to his pups. Please I'm begging you, I have to do this or I will disgrace my families honor."

Katsuki understood as she looked at her helpers and said, "Come on you two we have the rest of the day off."

Katsuki stood as she walked over to Kagome. She gave her a big hug and said, "Do you remember everything I taught you about the way to fix Sesshoumaru's food?" She saw Kagome smile as she said, "Yes I remember, and thank you."

With that Katsuki brought her clawed hand up as she caressed Kagome's cheek in a motherly way. She turned on her heel as the other cooks followed her out the door. But before Katsuki walked out the door she turned toward Kagome and said, "Good luck milady." Then she was gone with her two helpers.

Kagome smiled, she had the kitchen all to herself. She will start with the desert as she looked around the kitchen for what she needed. She started off by cooking some rice. She was going to make Sakuramochi (sweet rice cakes) it was something that her mother taught her how to make and it was easy. Plus she knew that she had all the ingredients to make it.

She found the anko (sweet beans), sugar, and the salt pickled sakura leaves. She added her ingredients to the rice once it was cooked. When all the flavors were mixed together she made small round balls with a hole in the middle. She added the anko as a filling and then made them into complete balls. She then took the sakura leaves and wrapped the leaf around the rice cake. It took her no time at all to make them and when she was done she placed them off to the side and then went about making the main course.

She was busy cutting up vegetables and looking for the herbs that she needed. She looked all over the kitchen but she couldn't find any ginger root to put in her food. She sighed as she went outside to the garden. She noticed that there was ginger root in the garden when she was outside yesterday with Sesshoumaru. She just needed a small piece to cook with.

Kagome didn't know what kind of meat Sesshoumaru was going bring back so she was keeping her options open on what to cook. In every recipe there were the basic items that you needed such as, onions and garlic. She had them cut up and ready for the meat. She needed ginger to add to the meat because it will give the meat some extra flavor.

Kagome looked around the garden until she found what she wanted. She kneeled in front of the herb as she dug at the earth to loosen the root. When she finally pulled the root out of the ground a big smile came to her face. She stood as she gently brushed her kimono to get rid of the dirt that was there.

At that moment Kagome felt a powerful youkai nearby. The aura felt familiar but it was different some how. She cursed under her breath for not having a weapon on her, she never went anywhere without her weapons.

Kagome scanned the area for the intruder. She heard a noise off to the side as she turned to where the noise was coming from. She relaxed when she saw Sesshoumaru coming out of the forest.

Kagome noticed right away that something was not right about her Sesshoumaru. His eyes were not the same as they were this morning. There was lust in his eyes, not the love she noticed when she awakened. Now there was no love there at all for her.

His scent was off too. It was not the sweet smell of the forest after the rain with a hint of pine that she loved so much. His scent smelled like dirt and sweat. But the deciding factor was that she didn't feel a connection to this Sesshoumaru.

She could tell that this Sesshoumaru was a fake as she whispered a counter spell under her breath. When she looked up and looked at him again she almost gasped when she saw the wolf youki standing there in front of her. His lust filled eyes promised death for her as she looked into the blue depths of his soul.

She stayed calm because she didn't want to alert him that she knew he was a fake. She turned back to what she was doing before he got there. She got on her hands and knees and picked some more herbs, while she said, "Hello Sesshoumaru, you came back rather fast from your hunt, where is your catch?"

--oOo--

Koga walked out of the forest into the clearing near the garden. The foliage was almost all gone from the area because winter was approaching fast. He saw the object of his desire as he sauntered up to Kagome. She still looked every bit as beautiful as the day he met her.

He stopped in front of her as he heard her question and said, "That is not important right now. I want you to come with me. I want to show you something that I found in the forest that might be of interest."

Kagome continued to pull roots from the ground as she replied to the wolf youkai, "I'm sorry Sesshoumaru, but I'm in the middle of picking herbs for our meal. If you didn't bring back any meat then I will have to go hunting since you can't provide for our meal."

Kagome did not miss the growl that came from the wolf. To tell a male that he was a worthless provider was a low blow. The male was the sole provider for the female, she was sure that she was going to die for this comment.

--oOo--

Koga couldn't believe what he heard her say. But he stopped himself from attacking her because the person she was seeing was not him, but Sesshoumaru. He growled louder this time as he said, "Woman, you will come with me now. I have no time for your smart mouth. I want to show you something that I found in the forest."

Kagome stood up from the ground as her eyes were turning different colors. Her anger was peaked. The arrogant wolf didn't know when to back off. She stood her ground as she yelled, "I'm not going anywhere with you! I told you that someone has to provide for us, and since you won't do it, then I guess it has to be me!"

Koga had enough as he attacked. Kagome easily dodged the attack as she turned to face the wolf. They stood about 15 paces apart, as Kagome's eyes grew darker in color. Her anger was at an all time high and she was not going to take this from the wolf. "How dare you impersonate my mate you bastard! I should have killed you back when I had the chance, but my Otou-san wouldn't let me. You were banished from the Western Lands and were told never to return. Now I will make my Otou-sans threat a reality, you will die by my hand KOGA!"

Koga was shocked, this ningen saw right through his concealment spell. He smirked as he asked, "How do you know that I'm not the real Sesshoumaru?"

Kagome huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest and said in a deadly voice, "Do you really think that I wouldn't know my own mate? I feel no connection to you. You're that baka wolf Koga that thought he could claim me as a mate and I beat the living daylights out of you at the castle."

Koga's smirk went away as he started to growl. He pulled off the beads from around his neck since it was not doing him any good right now. He faced the ningen as he said, "You are going to come with me you stupid whore! I will teach you a lesson for what you did me. You had me banished from my lands! I lost everything because of you and you're going to pay for it with your life. That is after I have my way with you first. I will feel your body wither under me as I take what should have been mine."

Koga attacked again, he came at Kagome with his claws raised, as he swung his arm down to slice Kagome in two.

Kagome dodged the attack. His claws caught her kimono, as it tore the material on her chest. His claws barely missed her skin as she jumped out of the way. She tried to send a blast of her purifying powers towards him but found that she couldn't release her powers. They were being hindered in some way.

She had no idea why she couldn't use her powers but something that Sesshoumaru said came back to her mind. 'Females are at their weakest during the courting ritual,' meaning that a weak youkai male will be able to subdue a powerful female, where they could never do it before, because the female can't defend herself during the ritual.'

If this is what Sesshoumaru meant, then she was in big trouble. Her body has not fully recovered from her battle with Sesshoumaru. Her mind was reeling with what to do as she avoided yet another attack from Koga.

Kagome needed to do something or she will be taken away from her home by this wolf and she didn't want to leave. She opened her mind as she screamed, 'HELP ME SESSHOUMARU!'

Kagome was distracted for just a second, while she called for her mate, and that's all Koga needed. He pinned her to the ground with his hand wrapped tightly around her neck. He was barring his fangs as he said, "You will come with me whether you like it or not."

At that moment they heard a howl coming from the forest. It was his pack warning him that they have been discovered and they were under attack.

Koga cursed under his breath, this was not going according to plan and soon they will have the entire garrison barring down on them. Koga looked back down at the struggling female beneath him as he raised his fist. He needed her unconscious so they could get out of here. When his fist came down the fang on Kagome's neck started to glow red. A powerful blast came from the fang as it pushed him off Kagome and he landed about 10 feet away from her.

Koga landed hard on his back. The wind was knocked out of him as he struggled to get back on his feet. He saw the female sitting on the ground trying to get up. He attacked again trying to get to her as a barrier appeared around her body and it threw him back once again. He didn't know where she was getting this barrier from, because he knew that she was weak and couldn't use her powers. He attacked again with more force trying to get to the onna.

Kagome was struggling to get up. His attack left her weak and she couldn't stand. She saw a barrier being placed around her body, while she was struggling to get her powers back. She needed her powers. There was a battle going on outside the barrier and she sensed her Otou-san in the middle of the fight.

Kagome's anger was growing slowly by the minute. She detected the wolf slamming into the barrier that protected her. She remembered that her mate's gift will protect her when he was not around and for that she was grateful.

Kagome let her emotions go free as she gave in to her anger. She was not going to get her powers back if she held back any longer. The battle within her body ragged on as the winds started to pick up around her. It circled her body as she was trying to break the spell that was holding back her Reiyouku.

Kagome felt a great surge of Jyaki coming towards her but she didn't care. She was going to break this spell and kill this wolf once and for all. As Kagome was struggling to break the spell that was binding her Reiyouku, she didn't notice when her mate came to her aid.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru was by the river. He just finished skinning and cleaning his catch. He will never bring back meat still intact. He knew that females were squeamish about cleaning a kill so he did it before he headed back to his mate.

It did not taken him long to find a small boar. He finished cutting up the boar and putting the meat into the hide. The hide will keep the meat fresh until he got back to his mate.

Sesshoumaru was about to form his demonic cloud when he felt weak and heard in his mind, "HELP ME SESSHOUMARU!" His heart clinched in his chest as he felt her fear. Kagome was being attacked and couldn't defend herself.

A rage like he never felt before was surfacing very fast, as he howled into the morning sky that he was on a hunt. He will kill the one that was attacking his beloved mate.

His eyes turned a demonic white for the first time in his life as he and his inner youkai merged into one. He didn't transform into his true form but he was close. He formed his ball of energy as it moved faster than the normal eye could see. Within minutes he was back at the western castle where he left his mate.

He sensed that his father was outside the barrier fighting the intruders to his castle along with his soldiers. He knew that his father could handle that threat as he turned to the business at hand.

Sesshoumaru saw that Kagome's anger was out of control as his youki kept her powers at bay. It was his youki that was suppressing her miko powers.

Her necklace prevented her from using her powers for a reason. It was the only way to subdue her until their mating. Once they mated their powers will grow together as one. He will be able to help her keep her powers at bay when she loses control. She will also have the same power over him if he was to let his anger go and his beast decided to come out and attack.

Sesshoumaru's demonic eyes turned toward the wolf that was the cause of all of this as he growled, "What are you doing back in the Western Lands? We banished you from our lands, and yet you come back to attack my mate? You will die by my hand wolf!"

Koga smirked as he said, "Ah Sesshoumaru, I see that you have come back. Well it doesn't matter to me. I will take the girl with me and when I'm done with her I will kill her for what she has done to me. I won't let a filthy ningen onna have control over these lands. The ningens are beneath us and they need to learn their place."

At that moment both males heard the crackling of power as they both turned their heads toward Kagome, who was on her knees on the ground. Bolts of lighting were flashing around her body as she was trying to break the spell Sesshoumaru placed on her. Her anger at the wolf's words has driven her into an uncontrollable rage as she let it go. Soon she will be free and no one will be safe.

Sesshoumaru needed to make quick work of the wolf and then turn his attention toward his mate to calm her. He saw that her kimono was torn and part of her chest was exposed for everyone to see. If it was not for the binding that she wearing everyone could see what belonged to him.

He returned his attention to the wolf as he let his whip go. It missed the wolf by only an inch as he quickly dodged his attack.

Koga was quick in dodging Sesshoumaru's poisoned whip. He moved with lighting speed as he attacked. He rushed in as he leaped in the air and gave a roundhouse kick, aimed at Sesshoumaru's face. He was surprised to feel air as he quickly landed and turned to defend himself against the Inu youkai.

Sesshoumaru quickly dodged as his claws lengthened and poison started to come out of the tips. He took a swipe at the wolf and missed. This wolf was beginning to grade heavily on Sesshoumaru's nerves as he kept missing his target.

Then he noticed that the wolf's body started to glow, as a weapon appeared on his right arm and hand. It looked like a giant wolf claw and it held tremendous powers.

Koga had enough of Sesshoumaru as he summoned Goraishi (Five Thunder Fingers). This weapon was a gift from the dead elders of his wolf clan. They were the spirit that lived within the weapon and protected it. It was his clan's power and the gift was still with him. The elders forgot to take it away from him when he was banished from the Western Lands and he was going to make them pay.

He leaped again as he went after Sesshoumaru. Lighting started to crackle long Koga's right arm as the power of the elders came out. It was some kind of divine energy that Goraishi produced as he sent the attack toward Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru stood there as he saw the blast coming toward him. He huffed as his youki built around his body. A barrier formed as the attack hit Sesshoumaru. Koga thought that he won the fight as he tried to attack Kagome again.

Koga was hit from behind as he went down. When he looked over his shoulders his eyes went wide with shock. Sesshoumaru was standing there as his whip went back to his hand.

Koga thanked Kami that he wasn't really injured when Sesshoumaru attacked with his poison whip. He knew that he would be dead, if it wasn't for Goraishi protecting him. Sesshoumaru's poison whip was known to cut through its opponents with ease.

Sesshoumaru just shook the dust out of his hair as he walked out of the small dust storm that the attack created. That weak attack was no match for him as he saw Koga heading for his mate. His anger grew as he sent his whip to intercept the ookami. The whip hit its mark as he went down.

--oOo--

The wolf, who was hiding in the forest, observed everything that was going on. He watched Koga attacking the son of the youkai lord and he was losing. He knew that Sesshoumaru was a powerful youkai. He has the strength to dominate the female in front of them and still fight with Koga. He didn't even seem to grow weak.

He knew that if they wanted to leave this place with that female he needed to help Koga. The wolf noticed when Sesshoumaru was about to attack again, he went after Sesshoumaru with his claws extended hoping to stop him before he killed Koga.

Sesshoumaru sensed the danger and leaped out of the way of the attacking ookami. He noticed the new intruder, as he stopped in front of him, blocking his way to Koga who was near his mate. He growled flexing his claws at the offending wolf.

They didn't have much time as the wolf said to Koga, "Koga! Get the girl, we have to leave this place as soon as possible."

Koga didn't waste any time as he went and attacked the barrier with Goraishi. He was determined to get to the girl.

The storm in the barrier was growing worse as Kagome was releasing her powers to break the spell that she was under. The barrier around her body was growing as it protected her.

Koga used Goraishi, as the lighting, once again, struck the barrier. He was about to attack for the third time when he was hit from behind.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru had enough of the wolf standing in front of him as he lashed out with his poisonous whip. He hit his mark, sending the wolf to the ground. Sesshoumaru walked up to the offending youkai, as he said, "DIE!" Using his poison claws he turned the wolf into a pile of sludge.

Now it was Sesshoumaru's turn as he attacked Koga. Sesshoumaru couldn't let go of his youki to attack him because the ookami was too close to Kagome. He slashed with his claws as he sent Koga to the opposite side of the clearing. Now he was free to attack him and not hurt his mate.

Sesshoumaru's hand glowed with power as he said, "SOUHAKIZU!" His blade attack came out of his claws as it went towards the ookami.

Koga was struggling to get back on his feet. He tried to stand before but he was hit with Sesshoumaru's claws. It sent him to the other side of the clearing as he tried to stand once again.

Sesshoumaru was a lot stronger than he thought as he finally made it to his feet. He looked up in time to see Sesshoumaru's attack heading straight for him. He tried to move but it was too late.

Koga was hit with the full force of Sesshoumaru's attack as he screamed in pain. The Goraishi pulsed twice as a dark cloud started to wrap around Koga. It encircled his body as he disappeared from sight.

Koga was transported to safety. When Koga opened his eyes he noticed that only half of his clan was with him as he asked through gritted teeth, "Where are the others?"

Hakkaku and Ginta were sporting several cuts and gashes, the rest of their clan found them as they were helping those that were injured. They all heard Koga's question as Ginta replied, "Koga they are all dead. We were fighting against the western soldiers but they were even more powerful than we thought. They were making quick work of us when we were transported here. How did we get here anyway?"

Koga grunted as the Goraishi went back to it hiding place. He turned to his wolves and said, "It was the will of Goraishi that saved us but it will not work again. It only works once."

The injured wolves moved from the area as they tried to find a place to stay for the night. They were all hurt and needed to rest so they could heal. Koga turned briefly toward the west as he thought, 'This is not over yet Sesshoumaru, I will be back for that ningen of yours and the next time I will get her away from you.' He turned back to his pack as he walked away. They were looking for shelter, they were still in the Western Lands, and needed to stay out of sight.

--oOo--

Inutaisho and the guards with him were battling the ookami that were standing outside the barrier where Kagome was located. They were fierce opponents and would not go down easily. He heard one of the wolves howl and knew that it was trouble. They warned the one's on the other side of the barrier that they were under attack.

He feared for his little one, he knew she was defenseless against the ookami. He went to leave but several of the ookami moved in to battle with him. He was losing control over his inner Inu when he felt a surge of power coming from the other side of the barrier.

This power belonged to his pup as she was trying to break the spell that his son put on her. He needed to reach her before she did that. If she lost control over her powers she will purify every youkai for miles around. He could feel the amount of power she was exerting to break the spell, but his son's spell was still holding her in check.

He was about to leave to go to her aid and again he was prevented from leaving the area. His eyes started to bleed red with anger when he felt another youkai approaching with tremendous powers. Inutaisho felt the touch of his son aura as an evil smile came across his handsome features.

The rest of the garrison was finally there and they were about to deal the killing blow to the intruders when they disappeared from the area. They were all shocked that they just disappeared as Inutaisho broke free and rushed to help his son. When he finally made it to the garden, where Sesshoumaru and Kagome were located, he was not prepared to see what was in front of him.

Kagome has let her emotions get away from her and was engulfed in her Reiyouku. She was still trying to break the spell that Sesshoumaru placed on her but she hasn't succeeded. He saw as his son finally turned his attention to his mate as he watched what was going to happen.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru saw Koga vanish from the area and was pissed. He knew that this fight was far from being over, but right now he needed to help his mate. She was still fighting his spell to subdue her powers and if he didn't calm her down she could hurt a lot of youkai in the surrounding area.

He walked slowly towards Kagome. She was still on her knees as he heard a vicious growl come from her. He stopped his approach, concern clearly marring his handsome features as he called, "Kagome?"

Kagome let go of all her emotions, she let it have full reign, as she tried to break the spell that held her powers. The spell was a powerful one but she was not about to give up on it.

When Kagome let her emotions go she also let the youkai souls in her body take control of her. Slowly Kagome started to grow claws on her hands, fangs came out of her mouth, as she was growling low in her throat. Her eyes were now blood red with anger as she raised her head to look at the youkai that was coming for her. She let out a vicious growl as she looked at the offending male. She was not about to let him touch her.

Sesshoumaru was shocked when he saw his mate. She was slowly changing into a youkai. 'The youkai souls in her body must have control now and they are changing her slowly into a youkai. I have to calm her down before I lose her.' Sesshoumaru thought as he continued walking towards her, while he purred to calm his mate.

Sesshoumaru continued his slow approach towards his mate but he was not prepared for his mate to suddenly attack.

Sesshoumaru leaped back as Kagome claws made contact with his chest. Sesshoumaru felt pain as he looked down. He noticed the four claw marks going across his chest as a small amount of blood was slowly coming from the wounds. He growled viciously at his mate to submit but she would not. She was too far-gone and now he had to make her submit to him.

Sesshoumaru attacked as he went in and knocked her to the ground. He flipped her on her stomach, while his hand pinned her by the back of the neck. He moved quickly as his fangs grew longer, he removed his hand, and latched on to the back of her neck, growling for her to submit to him.

When she continued to struggle in his grasp he purred very deeply, his chest was vibrating for his mate. The growls soothed her as she slowly stopped struggling underneath him.

Kagome gave a whimper at the pressure she was feeling on her neck. She finally stopped struggling in Sesshoumaru's grasp as she heard him growl and yip, '_Submit to me bitch! I will not let you go until you submit to me."_

Kagome growled a very loud, _'NO!'_ as she began her struggle anew. The youkai souls did not want to give up their host as they fought against the youkai on top of them.

Sesshoumaru let his aura flare as it engulfed its mate. He pushed her power back down in a show of force that he could dominate her. The youkai souls within her body will learn to submit.

Kagome's was gasping for air. She couldn't breathe and soon she will pass out. The youkai souls within Kagome receded back into her body as they gave up control to the girl. The youkai she selected as a mate was too powerful for them to fight against.

Kagome whimpered again to Sesshoumaru as she whined, _'It hurts.' _

Sesshoumaru having heard Kagome's whine, replied, _'Then submit to me my mate.'_

Kagome barred her neck to her mate in an act of submission as he slowly let go of her neck. He sat up as he brought Kagome with him. He placed her in his lap as he rocked her back and forth to sooth her.

Kagome's mind was slowly starting to come back. She was being held in a strong embrace when she remembered the ookami youkai. She struggled to get free as she heard, "Calm yourself mate you're safe. I will not let anyone hurt you."

Kagome looked up as she saw Sesshoumaru holding her in his lap. Her eyes filled with tears as she buried her face into his chest and cried. She was so happy that he came for her that she held on to him with a death grip. She didn't want him to leave her again.

Sesshoumaru was worried that Kagome was hurt from her encounter with the wolf. He pulled her from his chest as he nuzzled and checked her to make sure she didn't have any injuries. He noticed right away that her features returned to normal. She no longer showed any youkai traits and for this he was grateful.

He pulled her away from his chest as he heard her whine from losing his comforting heat. He checked where her kimono was torn and saw no marks on her beautiful skin.

He pulled her into his chest as he held her tight. She was safe and that is all that mattered to him. He got up, still holding Kagome firmly in his arms, as he went inside the house. His mate needed a new kimono and she needed to get cleaned up. The scent of that ookami was all over his mate and he wanted to get rid of that stench. The only scent that she will have on her person will be his and no one else's.

Sesshoumaru never noticed that his father was watching from the edge of the forest.

--oOo--

Inutaisho smiled as he watched his pups. His son has grown stronger since he decided to mate with Kagome. The power Sesshoumaru displayed almost rivaled his own as he forced Kagome's aura to recede back down.

They have grown closer together over the last couple of days. There was no doubt that Sesshoumaru will mate his little one by tonight and then she will really be his little one, she will be family, this will allow him to protect her even more along with his pups.

Inutaisho turned as he went back toward the castle. He wanted to find out how those ookami youkai got into his castle and how they got past his barrier. This will not due, if they could get in, then others will too. He needed to step up his security around the castle because they were after his little one, and she was something that he was not willing to let go that easily. She was his and no one will touch her but his son.

Before Inutaisho left the clearing he reinforced his barrier to protect his son and Kagome. There was no doubt that they will mate by tonight and if they did it will leave them weak. He needed to make sure that they stayed safe until the morning when the ritual will be complete.

He turned and left them be. There was trouble brewing and he wanted to be ready for it. He had a feeling that there will be a big battle for the western lands. He and his son will have to fight against the enemy to protect their home. He was running out of time as his instincts were telling him that something was going to happen and soon.

--oOo--

This is the end to another chapter. They prevented Koga from getting Kagome and taking her away from her home. The ookami are hurt and are trying to find a place where they can stay for the night and heal.

I was asked how many chapters do I have for this story, well I have 37 chapters total. As I go through and edit each chapter I will either take out and revamp the chapters or add more detail to get my point across to all of you.

A Single Sparks awards are now complete. Congrats to all that won this years awards. All the stories selected are awesome stories. You have much to be proud of.

Now this is for all of you out there that like to read other authors stories and you decide to take their ideas and use them as your own. I have one thing to say to you, don't. Because you will be the cause of what few good authors we have that are posting to pull their stories off the net. I for one, spent a year writing this particular story and I love to share with all of you out there.

I was told that this will be the best thing that I can do with fans of the Inuyasha manga. But because of a few people out there, that think that they can achieve status by stealing someone else work, is going to ruin it for the rest of you.

For all of you who are doing this let me tell you one thing. You will be found out and the out come is not going to be pretty. If you would like to use some of the ideas that I have come up with please contact me. We can talk and if I feel that your story will benefit from it I will give permission for it. I have done so in the past to deserving authors that wanted to use some of my ideas.

If this continues then I will pull all of my stories from the net and continue to write for me. It was only due to a friend that I have posted these stories and if you don't like them, don't read them.

I want to thank all of you loyal fans for looking out for my best interest. It's because of all of you that I have not pulled my stories and keep posting.

Yes you guys the next chapter will be the mating of Kagome and Sesshoumaru. You have all been waiting a long time for this chapter and I hope that I do not disappoint. Join me when they reach the end of the mating ritual. The castle painter finally gets the painting that Ayashiko wants finished, as a mother lends her son a helping hand to make his mating a night to remember.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Akurei stood in the forest watching what was going on down below. She was following the ookami and observed as they sneaked into the castle using her concealment spell.

Akurei had no problems going through the barrier that was around the castle. Her dark magic allowed her to enter with ease, never setting off any alarms that there was an intruder in their mist. She now stood in the forest, observing what the ookami were going to do next. She saw them taking off into the forest as she followed. She had a hard time following them because she didn't want to be spotted by the soldiers patrolling the area, she finally found them as they were spread out around this one area.

She noticed that Koga was missing from the main group and wondered where he went. Akurei looked off to the side and noticed the barrier that was covering a large area of the forest. The barrier was strong it would not allow anyone to enter its domain. She could not see beyond the barrier, the concealment spell around it was very powerful. She started to concentrate on the barrier, trying to break the spell that will allow her to see what laid beyond. Her curiosity was peeked and she needed to know if Koga went into the barrier.

Akurei opened her eyes when she heard the sound of battle. The Lord of the castle finally found the ookami as they were engaged in a fierce battle. There were twenty-five wolves against four soldiers and the demon lord. They were having no trouble getting rid of the ookami that threatened the security of the castle.

Akurei felt a powerful aura coming from the other side of the barrier. She was wondering what was going on, as she quickly turned and got back to breaking the spell on the barrier.

Akurei felt another powerful aura coming in fast from a distance. She saw a bright ball of light land in the barrier as it disappeared from sight. She could hear the sound of battle going on within the barrier. She was blind to what was taking place and she was desperate to see what was happening. She didn't know if Koga was having a hard time defeating the son of the demon lord or if this Sesshoumaru was losing the battle.

She watched as the castle soldiers finally arrived, killing the ookami that were present. They were about to finish off all of the ookami when they disappeared from the area in a puff of black smoke. She had no idea where they went to as she continued with her task.

Finally she was able to break the spell as it allowed her to see within its boundaries. Akurei saw a youkai sitting on the ground as he held the miko in his arms. She was crying into his chest and wondered what happened. Their barriers proved troublesome for her since it hindered her from seeing what happened.

It didn't take long for the youkai to leave the area as he took the girl with him. He never let go of her as he walked back to the big house that was in the distance.

Akurei turned and walked away. She will have to think of something else in order to get to the girl. Those youkai were stronger than she thought. They will be able to defeat her if she was to attack the girl now.

The last time she was able to keep them at bay with the youkais within her but she didn't have that many this time around. She will have to get more youkai to defeat the Western Lord and his son or it will be suicide for her to attack.

She walked out of the barrier that belonged to the castle as she walked back toward the north. This will require more planning on her part if she was to get to the miko.

Akurei crested a hill as she stood there and looked back at the Inu lord's castle. It was being fortified with a few new barriers and they were putting more soldiers around the castle to protect it. Something was going to happen for the Inu lord to do this. She knew that Inutaisho didn't like the idea that the ookami youkai got into the castle grounds. He was determined to protect what was his.

Akurei was about to leave the area when she sensed a large amount of Jyaki coming from the northeast. She opened her senses as she tried to see who it was. An evil smile came to her features as she sensed that Inu Youkai, Jakyoku. He was preparing to launch an attack against the Western Lord. But from what she could tell they were still at least a week away from the castle.

Akurei turned and went in his direction. He will be the perfect distraction that she needed in order to get the miko. She will let him do all the fighting and then step in and take the prize. Once she has her blood she will be the most powerful miko in all the land. No demon will be able to stop her as she will take control of this country and rule it as her own.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru was finally reaching their room. He quickly made his way to the bathing chambers as he stripped his mate of all her clothes. He couldn't get her out of her clothes fast enough for his liking. The ookami stench was repulsive to his senses.

Inu Youkai were scent oriented and having another males scent on his mate was driving his inner Inu insane. His need to get the offending stench off her was the dominant force behind his actions. He didn't even realize that he was scaring his beloved half to death with his actions.

Kagome didn't know what she did wrong to warrant this treatment from her future mate. He was tearing her clothes off from her body, without any regards for her well-being. On a few occasions his claws caught her skin as they dug into her flesh and cut her. She didn't even make any sounds; she just endured the torture until he got all of her clothes off.

Once he got her clothes off he freed her from his grasp, she fell to the floor with a 'thud', and then he proceeded to rip her clothing apart with his claws. His eyes were blood red with anger as she slowly moved away from him. She was scared. She has never been this scared in all her life.

She continued moving away from him, crawling on all fours, her body hurting from what he did. She finally found one of the corners to the room, curling her body towards the wall and cried. She didn't know why he was doing this as she shivered in fear.

Sesshoumaru inner demon was finally satisfied that the offending smell was gone. He took what remained of her clothes and let his poison dissolve them into nothing. When the stench from the ookami was finally gone he turned his attention toward his mate.

He looked for her and noticed that she was no longer where he put her. He howled his displeasure as he looked for his mate. He followed her scent as he went towards her. He found her in a corner of the room shivering in fear as the scent of her blood came to his senses. He looked down at the ground and noticed, for the first time, the trail of blood that lead to her location.

Sesshoumaru's inner beast finally realized what he did. He scared their mate so bad that she moved away from him. He looked at his claws and noticed the blood that he had on them, its scent told him it was from their mate. He hurt her when he was taking her clothes off in order to get that disgusting odor off her.

He moved closer to her so he could see to her injuries. When he got closer he was met with a powerful barrier that would not let him get any closer.

Sesshoumaru had no idea how she was able to raise a barrier when she was still wearing his gift around her neck. The necklace is supposed to prevent her from using her powers but here she was sitting in a corner of the room with a barrier, which was strong enough to prevent him from reaching her.

He whined as he softly growled, _"Mate, please, I'm sorry that I hurt you."_

Kagome was still crying against the wall as she yipped and snarled, _"You hurt me, why? What did I do wrong?"_

Sesshoumaru lowered his head as he whined his response, _"It was not you my mate. The scent of the ookami drove me insane. No others scent will you have on your person but mine. No one will touch what is mine mate. Please let me help you. I will not hurt you."_

Kagome thought about his request. What he told her made sense since she was now carrying his scent on her. Even she noticed that she has another scent on her. She sighed, she hoped that she wasn't making another mistake as she lowered her barrier and felt when Sesshoumaru moved closer to her.

When the barrier went down Sesshoumaru moved nearer. He didn't want to scare her anymore than she already was of him. But that did not help at all. Her fear went through the roof, as he got closer. Her scent told him everything and he was hurt that she thought he would do this on purpose.

When he was close enough he noticed that she started to move away from him, she was pressing her body closer to the wall, not wanting him to touch her. This hurt him deeply, he never wanted to hurt her in any way.

He sat there for a few minutes as he let the heat of his body soothe her. When he thought that she was calm enough, he slowly reached out with his hand, as he hesitantly moved her hair off to the side. He saw when she shivered in fright as she tried to pull away from him yet again.

He noticed the claw mark going down her back as he winced. All he wanted was to get that offending smell off her, but he wasn't careful and hurt his beloved.

He lowered his head to her back as his tongue came out of his mouth to lick her wounds. He felt her shiver at his touch but he wouldn't stop until he healed her. He healed the wounds on her back as he moved closer to her and tried to put his arms around his mate. But Kagome wouldn't come to him as he desperately said, "Kagome, please let me help you."

Kagome still didn't know what to do. She felt when he moved closer, though the fear she was feeling made her move closer to the wall to get away from him. She didn't know if he was going to hurt her again or if he was truly sorry for what he did. She felt when he moved her hair out of the way and saw the claw marks on her back. These were the worst wounds that she had and it hurt like crazy.

Then she felt something warm, wet, and slick, touching her back as it soothed the pain she was feeling. Soon her pain was gone while she leaned heavily on the wall. She sensed that Sesshoumaru didn't moved from his position behind her as she heard his words.

His voice sounded like he was in pain as she turned to look at him. When she looked into his eyes she saw the pain he was feeling. She has never seen him like this before as she slowly turned and went into his arms.

Sesshoumaru heart leaped with joy when his mate finally came to him. His arms came down as he embraced her. He held her tight against his chest, purring his contentment.

After a few minutes he pulled her away from his chest as he looked for the other wounds. He noticed right away the claw marks on the upper part of her chest. He lowered his head as he licked the wound closed. When he healed that one he looked for more. He found one more just on the side of her breast. He started to lick the wound closed when he caught the sound of her giggles.

Sesshoumaru was holding her arms off to the side as he continued to clean and seal her wound. It filled his heart with joy to hear her giggling. When he was done he pulled away from her. He lowered his eyes as he closed them and said, "Can you ever forgive me for hurting you like this? I never meant to hurt you in any way. But the stench of that ookami on you was too much for me to handle. I lost control and hurt you when I was trying to get your clothes off."

Kagome looked at her future mate, he was in so much pain because he hurt her that he would not even look at her. She raised her hand up to his cheek as she gently caressed him. She saw him turn towards her touch as he was seeking her forgiveness.

Tears were running down her cheeks as she said, "I know that you didn't mean to hurt me. I forgive you my aiyoku."

Sesshoumaru felt a great weight lift off his shoulders as she forgave him for his actions. He opened his eyes and looked at his mate. He saw the truth and love in her eyes as he kissed her with all the love he felt for her.

He released her lips as he nuzzled her and then stood with his mate in his arms. She was still covered in that stench as he headed back to the cleansing area. He placed her on the white bench as he quickly striped his clothes and proceeded to bathe her.

When he finally got the ookami stench off her he relaxed. His scent was now covering her again as they relaxed in the hot springs.

Kagome was content but a thought came to her mind. She opened her eyes as she asked, "Sesshoumaru, did you bring back any meat for us?"

Sesshoumaru thought about that for a few minutes as he said, "Yes, I brought back a small boar but I don't know what I did with the meat. That was the last thing on my mind when I landed and saw that ookami attacking you."

Kagome sighed that meant that the meat was somewhere outside and it might not be any good. It has been a while since his return, but maybe with it being cold outside the meat might be still good. There was only one way to find out and that was to locate it.

Kagome tried to move when she felt the tightening of arms around her body. She looked up at Sesshoumaru as she said, "Sesshoumaru, please let me go. I have to find the meat and see if it's any good, if its not then we have to get some more for our dinner."

Sesshoumaru sighed, he knew that she was right but he just didn't want to leave the hot springs right now. All he wanted was to get intimate with his mate but one thing or another constantly interrupted them.

Now Sesshoumaru knew how his father felt. He wondered how many times he was interrupted when all he wanted to do was be with his mother. He could remember a few times when he was a pup and he went into their bedchambers when they were trying to mate. He never really understood what they were doing at such an early age, until today. Those memories seem so long ago to him but he understood what his father went through.

Sesshoumaru sighed as he released Kagome from his grasp. He saw her get up from his lap as she went to get dressed. He followed closely behind her, not wanting her to be alone and getting attacked again.

When they finally got dressed they both walked out the back door of the bathing chambers as they went into the gardens. They looked for the meat that Sesshoumaru brought back with him. Sesshoumaru sniffed the area and found the bundle he brought back. It was sitting under a tree as they both walked towards it.

Kagome kneeled as she undid the bundle. She looked up at Sesshoumaru and asked, "Can you tell if the meat is spoiled?"

Sesshoumaru kneeled next to his mate as he sniffed. "The meat is still fresh, so it's not spoiled."

Kagome smiled wide as she said, "Good, now I can finish my dinner. What are you going to be doing while I'm cooking? I don't want you in the kitchen while I'm preparing our meal. It's supposed to be a surprise."

Sesshoumaru raised an elegant eyebrow at his mate as he stated, "A surprise? Since when is food a surprise?"

Kagome huffed as she said, "Well it's the first meal that I prepare for you so I want it to be a surprise. I have a few ideas on what to make and I want you to be open minded to the food selection."

Sesshoumaru sighed, he will give his lovely mate her time to prepare their meal. It seemed to mean a lot to her and he didn't want her to be saddened by him being by her side when she prepared it. "Very well mate, you will have your time to prepare our meal. I will stay out here for a while and keep watch. I don't know how those ookami got past the barriers but I want to make sure that there is no threat to the castle."

Kagome understood what he was saying as she picked up the bundle of meat in her hands and made her way to the kitchen. She had to a lot of work to do if she wanted to make dinner for Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru stood there and watched as Kagome left the area to prepare their meal. He still didn't see why she has to do this but it was important to her and it was part of her ritual. Just like he followed certain rules and procedures for the mating ritual, his lovely mate seemed to be following something along the same line. He guessed that humans were not that different from youkai when they came to mating.

Sesshoumaru then went and checked the entire area for intruders. He found where the ookami entered the barrier. He smelled blood in the area as he walked out of the barrier and noticed the dead ookami in the area.

The stench was horrible as he let his poison seep out of his claws and got rid of the dead carcasses. When the area was clean he walked back into the barrier as he continued with his patrol.

Sesshoumaru looked for weak areas in the barrier as he continued to check the boundaries to the house. Tonight was the night that he will mate and he knew it was going to take a lot out of him to form his bond with Kagome. He will be left weak and he has to make sure that the area was secure until he recovered from the mating.

He went by the house to make sure that his mate was safe as he heard her moving something around in the kitchen. He picked up his nose to smell the air and found the most amazing aroma coming from the kitchen. He never smelled anything like it before and it smelled wonderful. Whatever his lovely mate was cooking smelled good. The scent was being carried in the wind and it actually made his stomach growl with hunger.

Never before has Sesshoumaru felt his stomach do this. Now he was curious about what Kagome was making in the kitchen that will make his body react this way. Yes he has been hungry before but not like this. It was like his body was craving what his mate was making.

Sesshoumaru shook his head as he continued to the garden. When he got there he concentrated on the area around the house. He raised a powerful barrier that no one will pass, not even his father. He did not want to be disturbed tonight while he was busy with his mate. He will protect her in every way possible. She will also be left weak from their mating. They will have to go until they reached the height of their passion before they can join together as one. He was actually looking forward to it.

He turned as he went and sat underneath a sakura tree, while he waited for his mate to be, to finish with their meal. The scent of her cooking was gently caressing his senses, he closed his eyes and rested, as he thought, 'This meal should prove interesting. I wonder what she is making? Whatever it is I know that it has never been made at the castle before. I would know if it had because that scent was so unique.'

--oOo--

Kagome left Sesshoumaru alone in the garden, she wanted to get busy and cook for him. She was already delayed because of Koga showing up like he did. It was now well past midday and she was nowhere even close to finishing her meal.

She remembered what Katsuki told her about preparing Sesshoumaru's meal. She knew that he ate raw meat but she was going to make something special for him.

It will be a combination of cooked and raw meat, she was silently hoping that he will accept the meal. She read somewhere about a marinade that will flavor the meat without cooking it. She understood why he ate raw meat and she was not repulsed by it, like many of her kind were.

Cooking meat kills the bacteria, but there is a way to marinade the meat, which will allow her to eat it raw, and it will not do her harm. It will preserve the valuable enzymes that our bodies needs for maximum nutritional value found in these foods.

In her era the ningens there still ate raw meat, but not as much as they used to eat during this period in history. They all preferred cooked meat that they almost gave up the practice of eating raw meat. With the threat of getting sick with E. Coli the ningen population was cooking all of their meats before eating it. But if you knew how to prepare the meat correctly, then the chances of getting sick was nil. She was sure that he was going to like it as she made her way to the kitchen.

Kagome got busy as she started to cut up the meat into long strips. She then started on the rice that she wanted to eat with the meal. Once the water was gone from the rice pan she stirred and covered it up, letting the steam cook the rice the rest of the way.

The first thing she wanted to make was the Sautéed Pork and Ginger Cabbage. It was an easy recipe that her mother taught her and she has everything she needed.

The first thing she did was to combine the sugar, saki, the youkais equivalent to soy sauce, and grated ginger in a medium bowl. She stirred it until the sugar dissolved. She then added the pork to the marinade and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Kagome made sure not to let it marinade for more than 10 minutes or the meat will become tough. Her mother stressed that part of the recipe to her enough times, especially when she was inattentive to what she was doing and let the meat soak for longer than 10 minutes. She never heard the end of it from her mother.

She chuckled as she thought about her mother. She still loved and missed her mother, she wished that she could see her again but she has a new life now and she was finally happy.

Kagome snapped her mind back to reality as she continued with her cooking. While the pork was in the marinade, she got the cabbage and removed the ribs, then she cut it into small bite size squares.

She was heating the fat that she found in a big jar in the kitchen. The fat was now hot as she added the meat and reserved the marinade for future use. She stir-fried the meat for about 3 minutes and then she added the cabbage. When everything was cooked she removed it from the heat and placed it on a large plate.

Kagome left the fried meat by the fire to be kept warm as she turned her attention to the marinade that she was going to make for Sesshoumaru's meat.

It was a lemon/garlic marinade. This, she thought, was perfect to go along with the raw meat that Sesshoumaru will eat. She squeezed three large lemons and put the juice in a large bowl. She then crushed about four cloves of garlic and added it to the lemon juice. She added a little sugar to get rid of the bitter taste of the lemon, she didn't think that Sesshoumaru will appreciate it being that sour. She cut up some onion, crushed it, and added it as well.

Now that the marinade was made, she set it aside as she went and cut the remaining meat that she had. She placed the meat on another plate, as she added a little salt, pepper, garlic, onion, ginger, and rosemary, which she found in the forest, to the meat to give it just a little bit of flavor. The last thing she served was the rice, which finished cooking over the fire, she placed that in two rice bowls and she was finally done with her meal.

Now she had to get the table ready. She left the kitchen as she went into the dining room and set the table. She brought out her food as she placed it in the middle and looked at everything.

When Kagome was satisfied that everything looked good and everything that she needed was on the table, it was time to get her mate.

She looked down at herself and thought, 'I better go and change for dinner I'm all dirty from cooking,' as she rushed to her room and grabbed a new kimono to wear. She quickly dressed in a pale yellow kimono with red rose petals running down the sleeves. There was a red obi to go along with it and a white juban. She quickly fixed her hair up in a messy bun and when she was satisfied with the way she looked, she ran out of the room and looked for Sesshoumaru.

She found him with his eyes close underneath a sakura tree, as she was making her way towards him.

Sesshoumaru picked up the scent of his lovely mate as he opened his eyes. His breath hitched when he saw her. The yellow kimono with the red rose petals looked beautiful on her. He liked that look on her and thought, 'I need to get her more such kimonos. She is a beautiful creature and only deserves the best.'

He stood up from his position as he walked towards her. He saw the brightest smile on her face as he stopped and heard her say, "Sesshoumaru dinner is ready."

Kagome came to a stop in front of Sesshoumaru, as she smiled brightly for him. She was immediately pulled into his chest as he purred and kissed her.

Kagome melted against Sesshoumaru chest when she felt his low growl that vibrated when he kissed her. She didn't understand why she turned to mush whenever their lips came together and he purred. She wasn't complaining, not in the least, he was sending wonderful feeling through her body and she didn't know what to do. She couldn't control her body's reaction when he did this and it confused her.

Kagome was out of breath when he finally released her lips so she could breathe. 'Kami he is so handsome.' Kagome thought as they both turned and started to go back into the house.

When they finally reached the dinning area Sesshoumaru saw the beautiful table that his mate set for them. They both sat down on the soft cushions, as Kagome sat to his right. The food smelled wonderful and he noticed that it was indeed something that has never been cooked in the castle before.

His nose twitched, as he smelled the cooked meat with what appeared to be cabbage. He then spotted the raw meat that she placed close to him, knowing that this was the food he preferred to eat.

Sesshoumaru reached to get some food but was stopped by his lovely mate as she said, "Please, allow me to do it."

Sesshoumaru agreed as Kagome placed some food on his plate and then served herself. She gave him a little of the cooked meat and a healthy portion of the raw meat. She knew he ate raw meat a lot easier than the cooked one but she wanted him to try some of the cooked meat as well.

Once Kagome served the food she sat back as she waited for him to begin eating.

Sesshoumaru looked at the food that Kagome gave him. He saw from the corner of his eye as she sat back down and waited for him to start eating. He decided that he would start with the meat that she cooked. It has a wonderful aroma and he couldn't wait to try it.

He picked up a piece of the cooked meat as he sniffed. It smelled wonderful as he put it into his mouth, gently chewing. He has never in his life eaten meat this tender before. It has a wonderful flavor to it and he could get used to eating this type of meat very easily. He savored the sweet flavor of the meat as he continued to chew.

He looked out of the corner of his eye again and noticed that his mate was staring intently at him, waiting to see what he thought of the food. He finally swallowed what he had in his mouth as he said, "Mate, your food is wonderful. I have never tasted meat this tender before. I could get used to your cooking."

Kagome smiled brightly as she turned to eat her own food. When she took a bite of the cooked meat she had to admit, if even to herself, that it tasted wonderful.

Sesshoumaru continued to eat as he turned his attention to the raw meat that was on his plate. He picked some up as he put it into his mouth. It tasted wonderful, 'She even knows how to prepare my raw meat for me, and it even has more flavor in it than normal. I wonder where she learned how to cook?' He thought as he continued to eat his meal.

Sesshoumaru saw when his mate took some of the raw meat that was sitting on her plate and then dipped it into a sauce that was on the table. He watched in fascination as she ate her meat like this. He has never seen her eat raw meat before and it was a big turn on for him. Curiosity got the better of him as he asked, "Kagome, what is that sauce that you dipped your meat into?"

Kagome looked up from her plate as she smiled and said, "This is a marinade that I made that will give the meat even more flavor. Why don't you try some?"

Now Sesshoumaru was definitely curious about this marinade that his mate made and he decided to try it. He picked up a piece of raw meat and dipped it into the marinade; he sniffed and thought that it smelled good, as he placed it in his mouth.

He first tasted the bitterness of the lemon, but then caught the sweet taste of sugar. It had some garlic and onion added in and it was very conciliatory to his pallet. He found that he liked this marinade of hers as he said, "Kagome you will have to make some of this marinade for my father to try. It has a wonder taste to it, both bitter and sweet at the same time."

Kagome felt a surge of pride rise up in her that Sesshoumaru thought that her food was good enough and wanted his father to try it. She felt that she passed this test of her skills and was happy that her mate loved her cooking. She will have to cook for him every now and then. She could teach the kitchen staff to make her type of food so they could have it from time to time.

They continued to eat in comfortable silence. Once they were done Kagome got up as she brought in the sweet rice cakes that she made. She kneeled in front of Sesshoumaru as she raised a sweet cake to his lips and waited for him to try it.

Sesshoumaru was shocked that his mate wanted to feed him. He saw the longing in her eyes as he bit into the small rice ball in her hand. It was sweet and it had a crunch to it. His eyes were twinkling as he said, "That is very good mate. What is it?"

Kagome smiled as she said, "Its Sakuramochi. My mother taught me how to make it."

Sesshoumaru reached forward and grabbed the rest of the rice cake from her fingers as his tongue came out and cleaned her fingers for her. He didn't miss her arousal as it spiked, her scent was heavenly to his senses as he saw the deep blush that came upon her features.

Kagome felt the heat come to her cheeks as Sesshoumaru's tongue touch her fingers. She almost groaned but caught herself before she did. Her body started to heat up from just that touch as she tried to gain control again.

She saw as Sesshoumaru offered her some of the Sakuramochi. She reached forward and bit into the cake as she chewed the sweet treat. She saw Sesshoumaru lean forward as his tongue came out and licked the corner of her mouth. Again her senses went wild from that small touch. She knew he was doing this on purpose as she got an evil gleam in her eyes.

Kagome reached forward one more time and took the last piece of rice cake from his fingers. She wrapped her sweet lips around his fingers as her tongue went over the appendage and cleaned them for him.

Sesshoumaru was shocked; his body temperature went through the roof when he felt his mate take his fingers into her mouth. It was so hot and wet, then he felt her hot little tongue gently cleaning his fingers and he thought that he might lose his mind. That small jester sent him almost to the edge of his control, but he held on as his mate released his fingers from her mouth.

Kagome saw the reaction that Sesshoumaru had to her little tease and was satisfied. Now he felt the same way she did when he did that to her.

Kagome then stood as she started to clear the table of the dishes. She leaned down and kissed Sesshoumaru, it was a hot and steamy kiss that told of her wants and desires for her mate. When she pulled away from him she said, "Sesshoumaru, I'm going to clean up this mess then I will meet you in our room."

Sesshoumaru agreed to her request as he saw his mate leave with the empty dishes that were on the table. He sat back and started to think what he could do to make this night even more memorable for his mate. He was at a loss for what to do.

Then he got an idea as he concentrated and called to his mother. When she answered him he quickly asked his question. "Mother, I want to make this a special night for Kagome. Do you have any suggestions on what I can do to make it special?"

--oOo--

Ayashiko was sitting at the dinner table when she felt her son touch her mind. She heard his request and started to think about what he could do to make this night more special for Kagome. She came up with a plan as she told her son, "Sesshoumaru, I will be sending some female servants to you, let them into your bedchambers and they will take care of everything for you. Just keep Kagome busy for a little while."

Ayashiko heard her son agree to her request as she said, "Please excuse me Koiishi, I have to go and take care of something really important right now." She made to leave the table when her mate grabbed her wrist.

Inutaisho heard what his mate said and noticed that she has not eaten anything at all. He grabbed her wrist before she could leave the table as he gently asked, "Is there anything wrong Koi?"

Ayashiko looked down at her mate and smiled, "No, there is nothing wrong. I need to go prepare something and then I will return."

Inutaisho caught the scent of her excitement as he released her wrist and saw her almost running out of the dinning hall. Whatever she wanted to do, she needed to do now. He shook his head and thought, 'I will have to find out later what it was that got her so excited. I have never seen her act this way before.'

Ayashiko ran out of the dining hall to get things ready. She called for Katsuki and when she arrived she said, "Katsuki I have a job for you. Sesshoumaru will be expecting you; so do not worry that he will attack. He has requested help in making this night special for Kagome.

"Now I want you to grab the scented oils, the one that smells like sakura blossoms and roses. Fill the oil lamps with them and take them over to him, also grab some of that special oil we have, and take that to him as well. I will inform Sesshoumaru what this oil is used for so he will know what to do."

Katsuki having been given her instructions bowed deeply and raced away to get what her lady wanted and take them to her son. She knew that this was the night that Sesshoumaru will mate and she has a few ideas of her own to make it more romantic, as she called for her two helpers. They got everything they needed as they raced to the house.

Ayashiko having seen that the servants knew what she wanted closed her eyes and said to her son, "Sesshoumaru, the servants are on their way to you now. Please do not attack them. Katsuki has a small jar of oil that she will give you. This is very special oil for your mate, apply it on her skin and enjoy my son. I will see you when you come home."

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru heard his mother's call and was shocked to hear about the oil that she was sending to him. He was glad that he was not in front of her right now or the blush on his face would definitely be seen. He got himself under control as he heard a knock on his bedchamber door. He opened the door to find Katsuki there along with two other female servants. They bow deeply to him as Katsuki said, "Sesshoumaru-sama, your mother has sent us to help you in your quest for tonight. She has also sent you this."

Katsuki then gave the small jar to Sesshoumaru as he allowed them into the room. He placed the jar on the table next to the futon as he walked out of the room to look for his mate. He thought that they could go out to the gardens for a little while and let the servants do what they needed to do.

Sesshoumaru reached the kitchen only to find out that his mate was not there. He panics, thinking that his mate was taken away from him. He opened his senses and found that his mate was really close by. He stuck his nose up in the air and sniffed. He caught her scent coming from outside as he headed in that direction.

When he was outside he sniffed the air again and caught the scent of his mate coming from the gardens as he went in that direction to see what she was doing. He also heard the soft sound of music playing as he approached the area.

Sesshoumaru finally found his mate and when he saw her, she took his breath away. She was dancing and the way she was dancing was very alluring, very arousing. Her aura was getting stronger with each passing minute, he thought for just a minute that he was watching an angel dancing in front of him, and his angel was calling to him.

--oOo--

Kagome just finished cleaning the kitchen. She was very nervous for some reason and she couldn't understand why. She thought that if she took a walk maybe it might help her to relax.

She left the house as she walked to the back gardens. She stood there and looked up at the night sky that was illuminated by the full moon. She noticed that there was a red tint that she has never seen before. But it looked so beautiful tonight, the moons rays reflected off the water that was being filled by the waterfall.

There was a light mist of water that was created when the water hit the spring, it was beautiful, and it looked like clouds as it hovered over the area. It gave the area a peaceful feeling that she never knew she could experience but there was something else about the moon that made her feel strange.

She sensed the power coming from the moon as she closed her eyes and tried to figure out what this power was. She stood there for a while as she basked in the moons rays. She felt a power deep within her start to grow and she didn't know what it meant.

She needed to get rid of some of this pent up energy that she was feeling as she reached within the folds of her kimono and pulled out her MP3 player. It was very small and she took it with her everywhere she went. It has been a long time since she has done this but it was a way for her to relax.

Kagome walked over to the high wall that came to about her waist as she placed her player down on it. She got it ready as she looked for the songs that she wanted. When she found what she was looking for she pushed the play button and let the music take her away.

Kagome looked down at her kimono and decided that it was not something that she could dance in. She concentrated and changed her outfit into something a little easier to dance in. Her Otou-san taught her how to change the appearance of her clothing when she inquired how he did it. It was something that kept bugging her, when she first arrived at the castle and noticed that her clothes were different.

She changed her clothes to a white tank top and a short white skirt that was loose around her hips. There were several points to it, as the material came down a little bit further to cover her lower region. She made some dancing shoes that she could dance in as she started to stretch to loosen her muscles.

When she was done she started her dance. The first song was a very slow one to let her stretch her body before she really started on her routine. The song was slow as she let the music flow through her body. She started to move with the beat of the flute that was playing as she swayed from side to side.

She stretched up to the sky as her arms came down to the side, she spun on her toes making the skirt ride up and flow with her, showing off her perfectly long legs. She continued to dance as she paid her respect to the moon up above.

She spun on the tip of her right toe as she went around in a circle, her hands going up, trying to reach the moon high above the ground. She came out of that move to leap into the air and spin as she landed back on the ground in a crouched position, in a graceful move that was perfect.

Slowly standing back up, she stretched her fingers running them all over her body as she stood on her toes again and spun with all her might, only to stop her graceful spin, dipping down to the ground. Straightening, she brought her left leg back up and held it behind her head and then released it.

Moving again her hands reached out to the moon. She spun on her toes as she moved across the garden and then stopped as she bowed. She slowly turned as her hands were roaming all over her body in a sensual way. She reached up one more time to the moon as she saw its beauty, bringing her hands to her mouth as she sent a kiss in thanks for such a lovely night.

When the music finished she was not even breathing hard. She started her next piece as the tempo picked up just a bit.

With this music she was moving a little faster as she started to swing her hips to the beat of the music. She was moving to the beat of the drums, flute, and keyboard that was playing. Her hands were running from the top of her breast down to her hips in a sensual move. She spun on her toe as she moved with speed and leaped into the air, landing gracefully as she continued to move. All the while her hips were swaying to the beat of the music in a seductive manner.

There came a part of the song that she started to grind her hips to the front, to the side and then to the back as she moved seductively. She felt her powers growing more and more as she continued to dance to the music in her heart. The whole time she was dancing she was thinking of Sesshoumaru and what he will think about her for doing this type of dance. She will only dance for him as she continued to move.

She twisted and turn in different directions as her hair fell out of the messy bun it was in and it flowed behind her. She moved, as her hands was going up and then down the side of her body as she spun on her toe. She would stop and then continued to move her feet in a shuffle as she gently bounced to the beat of the drums playing.

She moved her hips in a circle and then quickly turned and started grinding with her hips. She imagined that it was Sesshoumaru she was dancing with as she thought about dancing around his strong muscular body, her hands going up, imagining that she was caressing his cheek as she continued to move for him.

Kagome was so caught up in her imagination of Sesshoumaru that she created an image of him as she started to dance with him. They moved together as one, their bodies never leaving each other as she thought that he was holding her close to his body. Then they would stop as they grind into each other, swaying their hips to the beat of the music.

Kagome would break away from his hold, as she would dance seductively around him only to come to rest in his arms once again. They continued to dance as they moved around the area. Her eyes never leaving the image she projected of her loving mate.

Little did Kagome know that the real Sesshoumaru was watching what she was doing.

Sesshoumaru was breathless. He needed to keep his mate busy, while the servants got done with the room. But he never imagined that he would find his lovely mate dancing in the moonlight.

She looked like an angel, a celestial being that was dancing just for him. She moved with grace and beauty as she started to glow. Her powers were slowly coming to life as she danced for him by the light of the full moon.

He was captivated by her moves and watched with hungry eyes as her perfect body moved for him. He watched her dance and noticed that the steps were very simple to make. But the way she moved it was a sight to behold.

Then the tempo of the music changed and he saw her moving her hips in a seductive way. His heart was beating faster as his beast was trying to break free to join his mate. She was calling to him and the call was very hard to resist. He watched her dance, and then when she moved her hands over her body, caressing her way down to her feminine flower, he almost lost it.

He noticed when she created an image of himself and watched as they both moved together as one. The dance that his image was performing was very seductive in deed and he could actually imagine himself doing that with his mate. He continued to watch as she danced seductively with his image and took note of all of her moves.

The song had finally come to an end and he was thankful for it. He didn't know how much longer he would have held out if she kept moving that way. He saw her stop as the next song was played. It was another slow song as she slowed her pace for him.

She started to move her hips again and that was his undoing. He walked out into the garden as he watched her dance steps. When he got the rhythm he joined her in her dance of seduction. He grabbed her from behind as he moved his hips with hers. They swayed to the beat of the music as they both moved together.

He let her go from his arms as she spun beautifully for him, going around his body paying tribute to it. He caught the scent of her arousal as she went around his body only to land back in his arms. They faced each other as their bodies came together and moved as one. They danced together as Kagome stepped to the side and had his leg between hers, while she ground herself into his leg.

A small mewling sound came from her lips from her action as they continued to move. Sesshoumaru was lost in his mate's beauty. She was seducing him and he more than welcomed it.

They moved around the clearing as one, not once letting go of the one that he held in his arms. It was like they were one person as they moved slowly in circles around the garden. When the part came for their hips to move together as one, they moved in unison as they both swayed to the beat of the music, only to come back and continue to dance around the clearing as he held her body close to his.

Kagome's aura was wrapping around her mate as they continued to dance, moving to the beat of the music as they were going all over the clearing.

Sesshoumaru for his part didn't know where he learned how to dance like this but he didn't care at the moment. They moved together as they went around in circles in the garden. There hips coming together and grinding, their arousal peaking every time they came into contact with each other.

Kagome didn't even realize that Sesshoumaru was watching her until she felt his touch. She easily adapted to his presence as they moved together. She never even realized what she was doing as she gave the knowledge of how to dance this way to Sesshoumaru. They were moving together as they were both getting excited every time their hips came together.

When the song was coming to a close he leaned down and kissed his mate passionately, ending the dance that had them both hot.

Then music started again as they began to dance faster on the ground. Kagome's power grew even more as her wings appeared on her back, she pushed away from Sesshoumaru as she danced for him and then she flew off. She was dancing in the air as she made loops the loops, hovering above her mate. She was moving her hips in a seductive way calling out to him.

Sesshoumaru, not wanting to miss out on his lovely mate's body movements, joined her in the sky as his cloud formed under his feet. His aura was growing by the minute as his passion was lit for her. He caught her in his arms as they went around in circles. They held each other as they moved like they were still dancing on the ground only it was way up on his cloud.

Their aura's came together as one, lighting the night sky above. The moon was their background, as they moved together spinning in the sky, while embracing each other.

To anyone who was looking they saw an angel dancing with her prince by the light of the full moon. But little that they know they were being watched as they danced high above the ground.

--oOo--

Ayashiko came back to the dinning room and finished her dinner with her mate, happy to have helped her son with his request. When they were done they retired to their bedchambers.

Inutaisho was still curious about what had his mate all excited as he asked, "Koiishi, what did you have to do that was so important that you had to leave your dinner?"

Ayashiko smiled at her mate as she said, "Sesshoumaru requested help in making this night a special one for Kagome. I thought of something that she might like and sent it over to him with Katsuki."

Inutaisho smiled as he walked over to his mate and kissed her. They kissed for a while when he started to hear a strange sound. He pulled away from his mate as he went to the window and looked outside.

There was a bright glow that was coming from the direction of his son's sanctuary. The sound he heard was music and it was very slow and soothing.

Ayashiko came up next to him as she asked, "What do you hear mate?"

Inutaisho turned to her and said, "There is music coming from the house where Kagome and Sesshoumaru are located. Its very soothing music but there is also power being released in that area."

Ayashiko looked in the indicated direction as she saw the light coming from that area. She could sense that it was Kagome's power that was building up slowly.

They both stood by the window for a while when the light started to get brighter. The music changed beats as it went a little faster this time around. Then to their surprise they saw Kagome flying around in the sky as she was moving to the music being played. A white light that made her appear to be an angel in the night surrounded her body.

Then to their surprise they saw Sesshoumaru rise from the ground as he grabbed Kagome and continued to dance. His golden aura was surrounding him as he came up to Kagome and pulled her into his arms. They both continued dancing as their auras came together as one. There was a bright flash of light and then it was gone. It looked like they left the face of the earth but they knew better. They still felt their presence in the house and knew that they were safe.

Ayashiko turned to her mate as she asked, "Mate, why were they glowing like that?"

Inutaisho turned to his mate and answered, "Koiishi, they are soul mates, they already have a partial soul bond and the light that you saw was their powers coming together as one. They will be fully mated by morning."

Ayashiko smiled as they both turned away from the window and went to get some much-needed rest. By morning both their pups should be mated and that meant that they will be home very soon.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru was holding his angel in his arms, the music finally coming to an end as he kissed her. It turned into a hot passionate kiss as he continued to devourer his mate's lips. He could not wait any longer. He needed to mate with her tonight as he pulled away from those hot lips and said in her ear, "I love you Kagome, will you do me the honor of becoming my mate for all eternity?"

Kagome heard Sesshoumaru's question. Her heart was beating with joy as she whispered to him, "I love you too Sesshoumaru and nothing will please me more than to be your mate for life. Promise to love me for all eternity."

Sesshoumaru heart leaped with joy as he heard her request and said, "I will love you for all eternity and beyond. We will never be separated once we're mated."

Sesshoumaru kissed her again as he formed his ball of light and went straight for their bedchambers. He hoped that the servants were gone because if they weren't then they were about to get a rude awakening when he threw them out of the house.

When they entered the bedchambers the ball of light that Sesshoumaru had around them disappeared. They stood in the middle of the room as they continued to kiss. Soon they had to break away from each other for lack of air.

When they broke apart it was then that they noticed what the servants did to their room. There were oil lamps lit around the room giving it a soothing feeling, as the scent of Sakura blossoms and roses filled the air. There were white rose petals that were spread around the room and over the bed. There was a bottle of saki sitting next to the futon with two glasses for them.

Sesshoumaru looked at his mate and noticed that her clothes changed again. She was now back in her yellow kimono with the red rose petals. Her wings were gone from her back as her aura was back to normal.

Sesshoumaru pulled Kagome into his arms as he whispered, "Do you like it?"

Kagome was shocked to see the way the room looked. It looked so romantic, it was soothing to her and she loved it. The rose petals on the floor and on the futon were a beautiful touch. It was everything that she thought her honeymoon would be. She never thought that she would find someone that she will marry and be happy with. He did everything possible to make this night one to remember. His romantic jesters touched her heart deeply as she heard his question.

She looked up into his eyes as she said, "Oh yes Sesshoumaru, I love it. It's perfect, how did you know that this is what I have always dreamed my mating night would be like?"

Sesshoumaru swallowed hard, he didn't want to say that it was his mother that helped him do this, "I wanted to make it special for you my aiyoku. I was just hoping that you would like it."

Seeing the appreciation in her eyes, for him doing this for her, he leaned down and kissed her, while his hands were sliding down her body in a gentle caress, as he reached her waist. Finding the bow of the obi in the small of her back, his clawed hand moved to undo the knot that was holding her kimono closed. Pulling on the knot until it became undone, he let the obi fall to the floor around her feet.

_**--Start of Lemon--**_

Her kimono was now loose from its binding, falling open for his hungry eyes. He slipped his clawed hands into the neckline of the kimono and gently opened it. Slipping his hands over her shoulders, he gently tugged the garment off slowly, relishing the softness of her skin, as it fell to the ground in a heap.

His hands were now roaming all over her body, while he pulled her closer to him, never once relinquishing his claim on her lips as he ravished her sweet cavern with his tongue. Her binding and her loincloth were the next to leave her body as his claws made quick work of them. She now stood before him in all her glory.

While Kagome was kissing Sesshoumaru she felt when he took her kimono off, not to be out done by him, she made her fingers equally as busy. She found his sash and ran her fingers around his waist looking for his swords. Not feeling his swords at his side she quickly undid the knot of his sash as it fell to the floor. She then found the ties that was holding his juban together and undid them just as quickly.

She pushed the haori and the juban open as she reached up and placed her small hands on his chest. She was gently massaging his chest and it started to vibrate for her, his growls of pleasure made it known to her that he liked what she was doing to him.

Her hands reached up to his shoulders as she slipped the garments slowly off his body. Once his body was free of the haori the palms of her hands started to roam his nice soft chest.

Kagome felt his muscles tighten under her fingers as she ran them across his chest. She loved the feeling of his exquisitely soft skin against her fingers as they continued to travel all over his chest. She found his male nipples and used her thumbs to gently stroke them. They became hard under her administration as his growls started to get louder.

She noticed that she was no longer wearing her clothes but she was not done with her mate yet. They separated from their kiss for lack of air as they were both panting with want.

Kagome took her thumb and forefinger and pinched his male nipples as she heard a very loud growl coming from her mate. She looked up and saw that his eyes were closed and his head was thrown back to what she was doing, while he was enjoying her touch.

She moved closer to him as her tongue came out and started to go around in circles over his male nipples. It was really hard now as she took it into her mouth and started to suckle on it, while her other hand gently massaged the other nipple to make sure it got equal attention.

Her other hand was busy undoing the sash to his hakama, once she got the knot undone his hakama fell to the floor with ease. Her hand made contact with his hard member just as she decided to switch nipples and give the other some much-needed attention.

Sesshoumaru was frozen to his spot. His mate had him in her grasp, he didn't want to move for fear that she would stop what she was doing to him. His body was completely at her mercy and he was enjoying every last bit of attention that she was bestowing upon his person.

His breath hitched when he felt her suckling on his nipples. It was erotic to say the least. 'Is this what she feels when I suckle upon her breast?' Sesshoumaru thought that he was going to lose his mind when he felt his hakama fall to the ground. The next thing he knew his mates hands were wrapped around him.

Her fingers were very talented. It felt so good to have his little mate touch him in this manner. All too soon she ended her attack on his chest and slowly made her way down to his very excited member.

Kagome ended her assault on his nipples, she had another target in mind. She kissed her way down to where her hand was gently stroking her mate's length. One of her hands moved downward, gently caressing his jewels.

She kneeled down in front of him to give her better access to what she was doing as she slowly took him. She heard him gasp and then growl viciously as she started her dance with her mate.

Kagome started to move as her hand mimicked her movements. She was slowly building the heat within his body as she continued with her assault. She knew she would pay for it once she was done. He was never one to just let her have the upper hand in their love making if he could help it.

He has already proven that when they would bathe each other. For each pleasure that she gifted him with he returned it ten fold.

Sesshoumaru was lost in a whirlwind of emotions that his lovely mate was instilling in his body. No matter how much he tried to hold on he couldn't as he gave into his passion. She knew exactly what to do to him to make him explode. He finally gave into his desires as he enjoyed what she was doing to him. His undoing came when she brought her arms behind his ass.

Her hands were gently caressing his butt cheeks in a loving way. She found his markings that started at the base of his tail and went around his thighs. The gentle touch of her fingers on his markings sent him into ecstasy as he finally had his release.

Kagome finally opened her eyes as she looked at her mate. He was trembling from the after affects of his orgasm. She gently pulled away from him as she stood.

But before Kagome could even move away from her mate, he had her in his arms and Kagome found her self-landing on the futon with him on top of her. She opened her eyes and looked up at her mate. She saw his blood red eyes and thought that he was mad at her for what she did to him. Fear started to take over her body as she tried to move away from him.

Sesshomaru lost control of his inner Inu as he merge with his logical side. His eyes bled red with passion, grabbing their mate, as they moved her to the futon where he landed on top of her. He turned his blood red eyes toward his mate but saw the fear in her eyes for seeing him this way.

He lowered his head as he nuzzled her and took in her scent. She was aroused by what she was doing to him but now her scent was covered in fear. He started to lick her neck to make her relax as he moved and said in her ear, "Now it's my turn mate, by the end of the night you will be screaming my name into the heavens, when I'm done with you."

Kagome heard his declaration and shivered at the thought of what he was going to do to her. Her fear slowly started to go away when she figured out that he was not mad at her but just that his inner Inu joined with his logical side and they were one for this night.

Sesshoumaru continued to caress her neck as he continued to lick and nip at the sensitive area. Once he was sure that she was relaxed he sat up while he was straddling her hips. He reached over and got the oil that his mother sent to him.

The oil was like an aphrodisiac. It will relax Kagome for their mating and make her more receptive. He knew he had to hurt her but he wanted her to be as relaxed as possible when he did. This oil allowed her to relax and be more opened to their mating, allowing her to reach her full passion for him. Then and only then will they be able to be bonded together.

He poured some of the oil into the palm of his hand as he set the jar down and then rubbed his hands together. He leaned down and said in her ear, "Relax mate, this will help you bond with me."

Kagome heard his words and didn't know what he was going to do. She saw him rubbing his hands together as he started at the base of her neck and slowly massaged her skin with his hand. His hands on her body made her relax into what he was doing. The scent was heavenly to her senses as she relaxed even more. It was like the oil was opening up her senses and she started to smell this wonderful aroma in the room.

She tried to figure out what it was but she couldn't. It wasn't the oil lamps that were burning in the room but it was something spicier, more alluring, which was arousing her like nothing she has ever smelled before. She relaxed as he continued to rub her body with this oil.

Sesshoumaru noticed right away that his mate relaxed under his administration. He saw her skin flush red as his scent reached her nose. He was calling to her through his scent. Her arousal was peeking as he continued to rub the oil on her body. He started at the base of her neck as he went down. He then did her arms, fingers, chest, breast, and waist.

He moved further down as he got some more oil and continued to massage her body with it. He went down each of her legs but did not touch her core with it just yet. He rolled her over as he got her back and then her butt cheeks. When he was done he rolled her over again and noticed that she was already breathing hard. The affects of the oil were already taking over her senses.

The scent of her arousal drove him to the edge of his control but he wanted to make it as enjoyable as possible for her before he took her, because once he was in her tight sheath he will not let her go until they reached the height of their passion and they became one.

He took his hand as he gently rubbed her womanhood. She moaned loudly for him as he continued to rub her.

They kissed long and hard until they were both panting from lack of air. He moved down her neck as he nipped at the spot where his mating mark was currently located.

Kagome arched for him bringing her chest up to meet his. He growled in satisfaction as she was reacting beautifully to him. He continued to descend down her body to her breasts that were already hard, finding a nipple, and bringing it into his mouth. He suckled hard on it as he continued to rub her flower, bringing her body to life with passion.

Kagome moaned as she slowly said, "OOOOOhhhhhhh… Sessss…houuu…maruuu!" She was in heaven and whatever he was doing to her was about to send her over the edge. She could feel the heat rising in her body as he continued to rub her.

His suckling on her breast sent a new wave of emotions through Kagome's body. It was hard to describe how she was feeling at the moment, but she knew one thing, she didn't want him to stop what he was doing to her.

Sesshoumaru switched breast as he gave the other one some much needed attention. He could feel the start of her orgasm as he quickly hurried to bring her to her end.

Sesshoumaru soon heard her scream his name in a mind-blowing explosion. Her breath hitched as she started to come down from her high.

He positioned himself and looked into her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes were glazed over with her passion. He slowly started to make his way in as he moved in and out of her slowly.

Sesshoumaru moved slowly with his mate. He knew that this was going to hurt as he brought his arms around her body and held her still in his arms. Kagome screamed in pain as she tried to get away from the thing that was hurting her. She struggled in Sesshoumaru's arms as he continued to calm his mate.

Sesshoumaru knew she was going to struggle once he took her. She was tight, too damn tight for his length but she managed to stretch enough for him to fully sheath himself in her heat. Her tears caused him to stay still until he got her to relax in his arms. He soothed her with words in her ear as his chest vibrated so it could relax her enough to enjoy this.

Once she stopped crying and relaxed in his arms, he moved. Soon Kagome started to move with him as he was slowly building the passion between them. It was slow and even as he ground himself into her sheath moving deeper into her body, the heat of their passion was starting to come up together. He moved a little faster now so he could reach his peak with her.

Kagome started to feel a knot forming in her stomach again. It was winding up very tightly as she continued to move with Sesshoumaru. Slowly their dance was heating her blood and she was almost to her end. He started to pick up his speed and that was her undoing. She came long and hard as she screamed, "SEEEESSSSSSHHHHOOOOUUUUUMMMMMMAAAAARRRRRRUUUUUU!"

Sesshoumaru felt when his mate came to her end as she clamped down hard on him. She was pulling him deeper inside her as he joined her in their final ecstasy. He went still as he roared his release as it shook his body to the core. He continued to pump, releasing his seed deep within her until they both came down from their high.

They were both exhausted from their first go around as they held each other. Sesshoumaru raised his head and looked at his mate. She had sweat on her forehead as he leaned down and licked it away from her face.

When he looked into her eyes they were starting to change color. They were going from their beautiful blue to a white in color. He saw her passion for him starting to come through as their dance continued.

He rolled them over as he put her on top. She rested on his chest while they caught their breath before they continued. He was still deep inside her and he was not about to let her go just yet.

Kagome was out of breath. That was the most erotic feeling she has ever felt. Sesshoumaru made her feel things she never felt before. She felt when he started to lick the sweat off her forehead as she tried to catch her breath. Then he flipped them over with her on top. She noticed that he was still deep inside her as she got an evil thought in her mind. She might be a virgin but she read a lot of books back home.

She kissed down his chest as she was slowly caressing him. She got her knees under her as she rose up and then slowly came back down. She heard his moans of pleasure and she did it again when she found that he liked it.

Kagome got up on her hands and had an evil gleam in her eyes as she kissed him. Sesshoumaru felt when she was starting to move on top of him and he was in heaven. He was reaching even deeper than before as he reached up and held her hips. They were going faster now as the heat of their passion was building once more.

He felt Kagome shiver on top of him as she sat up and screamed his name once again. They were both breathing hard as he looked at Kagome. Her eyes were now white as the heat of her passion was at its peak. It was now time that they joined together for all eternity.

Sesshoumaru was still inside her as he brought her to all fours with him on top of her. He wrapped his arm around her hips, bringing her butt up a little more. He then started to move again in her body.

Kagome was tired, she felt when Sesshoumaru was moving her around so she faced away from him. She was too tired to care what he was doing but when he brought them both forward on hands and knees she knew they were not done yet.

He raised her hips up just a little as he started to move again. His thrusts were more forceful this time as he moved faster within her body. She found that she liked this pace verses the slow paces they have been doing.

She moved with him as she meet him stroke for stroke. Kagome was finally feeling the heat of her passion coming to a head as her aura started to grow around her body. It flared with such intensity that it engulfed the room they were in. The white light with a hint of pink and blue surrounded her as she continued to react to Sesshoumaru.

Finally Sesshoumaru saw his mate's aura reach its peek as it encircled his mate. He flared his aura around Kagome as his golden one merged with her white one. Their powers grew together as a life bond was formed with each other. The fang around Kagome's neck started to glow as it took on a new role for her, to protect her from any harm until he could reach her.

Kagome finally came to her end as she screamed out Sesshoumaru's name. Sesshoumaru feeling his mate coming to her end, hurried to meet her. He picked her up and brought her into his chest as he finally reached his peek. His fangs grew longer as he bit into her neck and marked her as his life mate. He drank of her blood as he pulled his fangs out of her shoulder and started to lick her wounds closed.

_**--End of Lemon--**_

He reached around her and cut his wrist as he said, "You must drink my blood mate it is the end to the ritual and it will also tie your life to mine."

Kagome was so tired that she didn't move to drink her mate's blood. Sesshoumaru opened her mouth and stuck his wrist inside and made her drink his blood. At first Kagome resisted but then she drank it greedily.

Sesshoumaru pulled his wrist away from her mouth as he brought his wrist to his mouth and closed his wound. Then he noticed that his mate was shaking in his arms, as her powers were growing stronger, stronger than they were before. His blood must have cause a reaction within her body as he flared his aura to help her control her powers.

Sesshoumaru felt Kagome struggling for control. His blood must have triggered the youkai souls to move in and take control of her body. She was fighting them but his blood was giving them the strength they needed to fight her. She screamed in pain as her aura flared even more.

The strength of her purifying power was growing by the minute as it started to leave the room they were in and spread throughout the area.

Her purifying power was cutting into Sesshoumaru's skin as he roared his anger and lashed on to the back of her neck. He applied pressure as he completely engulfed her in his aura. He pushed as he got her powers under control once again and she fell limp in his arms.

Sesshoumaru felt when the youkai souls gave up their control of his mate's body and receded back. Kagome fell limp in his arms as he lowered her gently to the futon. He laid on top of her as his arms held her in place. His tail came around to keep them warm as they both finally fell asleep from their night of passion.

What Sesshoumaru didn't notice was the pulsating aura that Kagome gave of blue as it gently touched his skin and healed his burns. The blue aura spread throughout the land as it healed anyone that she hurt when her powers went out of control.

--oOo--

Inutaisho was asleep when he felt the surge of power in the area. He quickly sat up on his futon as he saw the night sky light up. He looked toward his mate and thought it best to put a sleeping spell on her so she wouldn't wake up and be worried that something happened to their son. He quickly said his incantation and placed his spell on his mate.

He got up as he went to the window. The area where his son and little one were located was alight with power. It was lighting the night sky making it almost daylight. He has never in his life seen that much power produced in one area. He heard his son's howl of conquest as he completed the mating ritual and smiled. But the smile soon went away as a surge of holy power came forth and engulfed the area.

He quickly got dressed and rushed outside. He saw his soldiers moving quickly out of the area to avoid getting purified. His concern was for his son if Kagome somehow managed to lose control of her holy powers. This has always been a concern for him because she was so powerful. He didn't know if his son could handle her powers at this level.

He raced in the direction of his son as the holy power was burning his skin. When he reached the barrier he found that he could not enter the area. This barrier was powerful enough to stop even him from entering as he whispered, _"Sesshoumaru."_

Then as fast as the purifying magic was released it came back down as a healing aura went around the area. He felt his holy burns soothe and then vanish as they were healed. The aura sought out all that were injured and healed them.

He felt as his son finally fell asleep with Kagome. He was amazed that he was able to subdue her powers and control them. His son was truly the most powerful youkai in the world. Now with his mate he will be able to protect this land from the evil that is coming.

He left the area as he went to check on his men. He wanted to make sure that they were all right from what just happened. Once he was satisfied that everyone was all right he returned to the palace and checked his youngest son. Inuyasha was still asleep on his futon, oblivious to what just happened. He was thankful that he didn't wake up or he would be dealing with a very upset pup.

He made it back to his chambers as he got undressed and rejoined his mate. He brought his mate closer to his chest as he started to remove the spell from her sleeping form. When he was done with that he closed his eyes and fell back to sleep, hoping that his son was all right and that they will be able to see each other soon. He needed to fill him in on what was going on.

The enemy was amassing on their boarders and soon they will make a move to attack. He wanted his son and his little one in a safe place when the attack came. They needed to come up with a plan of attack to defend their lands from this new threat. He knew deep down in his heart that they will be after his little one again.

--oOo--

That is the end to another chapter. Kagome and Sesshoumaru are now mated. But the trouble is not over just yet. The enemy is amassing at the western lands borders and they are getting ready to attack.

First I want to apologize to everyone that has been waiting so long for an update. I'm truly sorry that I couldn't do it sooner. My life was turned into chaos when my mother had a stroke. It has been a hard month but she is slowly recovering.

Someone asked in one of his or her reviews if I was planning on killing Inutaisho. The answer is no I'm not going to kill anyone in this story. All of the characters have an important roll to play and they will be in the story all the way until the end.

In the scene where Kagome is dancing there were four main songs that made me think of that part for this story. It comes from the album Brule, and the songs are in orders of the way the scenes were told, Black Hills, Those Human Ways, Sky Offering, and On Eagle Wings. This music was very moving and I couldn't help but come up with this dance scenario for this part of the story. I hoped you liked it.

The enemy is starting to make their move. Everyone that is interested in the Western Lands and Kagome will be coming to one place to fight. Kagome is attacked again once she comes back to the castle and Sango has some interesting news to tell our little miko.

See what happens next when the war that has been coming is slowly getting closer to the western lands.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

A velvety black canvas painted the sky. You could not see the stars as the full moon shone brightly. It illuminated the ground with its bright light as you could still see like it was dusk out. But there was something different about the moon this night. It has a red tint, and it seemed larger than normal, as it glowed brightly from high above.

You could see the youkai moving around the forest looking for prey. They were hunting by the light of the full moon and Koga's pack was no different.

They finally found a cave to hide in for the rest of the night as the wounded wolves recovered from their failed attempt in getting the ningen onna.

They were deep within a cave as the fires were going to keep them warm for the night. It was slowly getting cold at night and soon winter will be upon them. With winter approaching it meant that they will not be able to hunt for much longer.

Koga was sitting in front of the fire. His blue orbs were fixed on the flames in front of him as he contemplated what he had to do. His eyes never left the flickering colors of the flame as he battled with his inner self on what to do.

Koga's responsibilities to his pack were first and foremost. He had to see to his packs needs, and with the winter months approaching he knew they could not stay in the Western Lands for long.

This land was known for its harsh winters and the wild life will move somewhere else to sustain them during this time of year. He will have to leave the area and go south were the winter was not as bad as in the west.

He knew that his current pack was not prepared for the harsh winter as his original clan had been. For months now they have been gathering food and they were storing it to make sure that their clan survived the winter that was coming.

The elders of the clan have foretold of a harsh winter coming this year and they were ready for it. Deep within their den they found an underground cave that was much cooler than the normal one they occupied. This allowed them to store the food they needed without it spoiling on them.

Their females prepared the meat for storage and then placed it down in the lower caves before winter. They will hunt for as long as they could until the animals headed south for the winter. Then they would use the food they gathered until the warmth returned to the earth.

Koga was not oblivious to this. He knew that unless he gave up on the girl and started storing food for the winter that his remaining pack will starve come winter. But he couldn't come to terms with leaving without the onna. He wanted her, he craved her, he wanted to ravish her body, and then more than anything he wanted her dead for what she did to him.

Being rejected in front of all the other ruling lords of the land did not sit well with him. He was used to getting what he wanted and when the onna refused to be his mate his anger got the better of him. He challenged her and lost that fight to a mire onna. He knew she was powerful, that's what drew him to her in the first place. But his current pack was oblivious to all of this.

They all thought that she placed a spell on him that caused him to lose that fight. They never knew that she was that powerful. If he had been fighting with a clear head that wench never would have defeated him.

Now he was exiled from his home and was told never to return to these lands. A wolf on their own will be ensured their death, but his loyal pack members refused to let him suffer his fate alone. They broke off from the main clan to come to him in his time of need.

He had to find a way to get the onna before he was forced to back off for the winter. He has a responsibility to his pack and he will meet that responsibility. He figured that he could afford another week in this area before they have to leave and go to another area where his pack could still hunt to provide for them.

Koga was deep in thought when a howl came from the entrance to the cave. His guards were calling for him to come quickly as he raced to the entrance to see what was going on.

When he got there his guards approached him as one of them said, "Koga the youkai are leaving the area very quickly."

Koga was shocked to hear that youkai were leaving the area. Whatever it was it must be dangerous. He walked out of the cave as he looked around the area and sniffed the air.

He looked off toward the western castle and noticed the powerful aura that was coming from there. The power was so great that it was lighting up the night sky like it was daylight.

Soon it faded as he started to see the hordes of youkai running away from something. They were all manner of youkai, big and small, strong and weak, as he scented their fear while they raced by. He spread his youki around the area warning those approaching to not get close to his pack.

In the past his aura was enough to deter the weaker youkai from getting close to him or his pack, but this time his efforts were for not, whatever they feared was greater than any threat he exhibited at the moment.

Many large youkai ran into them as the wolves tried to get out of their way. Koga, upset that these idiots were not scarred of him, grabbed the next youkai that came close to where he was standing.

He grabbed a rabbit youkai, as he held it by its neck and said, "Why are all of you running? What is it that you all fear?"

The rabbit youkai, normally very weak against any other youkai, became a thing possessed as he screamed, "Let me go you idiot! Its coming this way and it will kill us all unless we leave this area. Release me now!"

The rabbit youkai finding strength in his fear actually bit into Koga's arm as he was released from his hold. Landing on his feet the youkai moved with speed as he raced in the other direction, following all those who were leaving the area.

Koga had no idea what was coming as he opened his senses to see if he could detect what was heading their way. His senses caught the hint of magic approaching their location as they saw a pink purifying cloud coming through the dense forest.

Fear stopped Koga's pack from moving away from the purifying cloud as they all stood there and watched. Terror was clearly seen in their eyes as they watched the pink cloud came closer to their location.

The pink cloud came within five feet of where his pack was standing before it stopped and disappeared. All of the wolves breathed a collective sigh of relief as they saw the pink cloud go away. They had no idea why it stopped coming towards them but they were grateful nonetheless.

Ginta being closest to Koga asked, "Koga where did that pink cloud come from?"

Koga was about to answer when they saw a blue cloud come in right after the pink one, it came within four feet of his pack and then it too disappeared.

Koga had no idea what was going on but he did know one thing. That purifying cloud was made by a powerful miko and the aura that he felt earlier meant that Sesshoumaru has finally mated that ningen wench. That will make it more difficult to take the onna away from Sesshoumaru, as his blood will now protect her.

Koga turned to go back into the cave when he saw the look that his pack had on their features. He saw the question that they all had burning in their eyes. He sighed as he tried to explain what he knew, "There must be a powerful miko around here that is protecting the western castle. The first cloud, the pink one, was a purifying cloud and the second one, the blue one, looked like a healing cloud.

"I have no idea why they were both sent out, but judging how fast the second cloud came in after the first, it looks like it was not done on purpose. The miko must have realized that she was hurting youkai in the area and projected the healing cloud so she could correct her error.

"Lord Inutaisho is protecting his castle because it looks like Sesshoumaru has finally mated that ningen onna. I saw a brief flare of power just before the youkai started running away from this area. This aura can only be sensed once the mating ritual is complete. The ritual will weaken Sesshoumaru immensely, if he formed a life bond with the bitch. Inutaisho will go to any length to protect his son until he recovers from the mating ritual.

"This only means that it will be harder to take the wench away from Sesshoumaru because he will be protecting her more than ever. We will have to sit back and observe what is going on and wait for the opportunity to strike. This onna cannot be allowed to live and have control over these lands. That will spell trouble for the rest of the youkai who live here."

His pack, finally understanding what happened, went back into the cave to contemplate their next move. They will keep watch over the youkai lord's castle for a while and if they see an opportunity then they will strike and take the girl.

--oOo--

Off in the distance a lone youkai was traveling from his hidden retreat in the northern most mountains. His armies, having finally left his sanctuary in small groups to prevent anyone from detecting their moments, were moving to their designated location in the west.

He left behind, only those too old or to weak to fight and females with pups. Anyone that could fight was moving towards the west right now. He has no inhibition about letting females fight in his army. They were just as good as the men and were ruthless in what they did. He often used them as spies because they were able to penetrate the enemy's strong hold a lot easier than the males.

His generals knew the area they were to congregate. He found this hidden location just inside the western lord's territory. He setup concealment spells and barriers to prevent anyone from stumbling into his new headquarters. It was easy to defend and he has been moving supplies there for a while now.

This was the area that he was going to stage his attack from. From this area he will gain control over the west. He will bring about Inutaisho fall from the western canines, and finally get what was promised to his clan all those centuries ago. Shinto, his father, would be proud of all his careful planning to bring about the demise of the western lord.

Jakyoku was traveling under his own power. Yes he could have made the journey on his youkai cloud or in his orb form but the enemy would easily detect his movements. Everything he has planned up to this point was planned with stealth in mind. No one was to know what he was doing until it was too late to stop him.

He stopped on top of a tall tree as he looked off to the west. The night was just too quiet for his liking. He looked up at the full moon that was shinning brightly overhead and noticed that the moon had a red glow to it. He thought this strange and he seemed to remember reading something about it but he couldn't remember what it was.

He shrugged it off as being of no importance and continued on his way. At his current pace he will reach the western lands in three days time. He had to go to the western castle and see if he could get in contact with his spies. He has many spies there that are keeping an eye on what is going on. He was not leaving anything to chance as he made the final preparations to attack the west.

Jakyoku was leaping across the sky, his darkened silhouette was the only thing that you could see against the full moon, when he noticed a surge of power coming from the west.

He landed on a tree branch as he looked to the west to see what it was. The power was strong enough to light up the night sky, as it surged forward. A growl left his throat when he finally realized what it was. Sesshoumaru must have mated with the miko. That power surge could only be achieved, during the height of passion, while performing the mating ritual.

Now he knew that the miko was mated to Sesshoumaru. His angered peaked knowing that he was not her first, but no matter. He may not be her first but once he kills her mate she will be his.

An evil smile came across his features as he thought, 'The life bond of the mating ritual is not complete until he pups her. Even though she is bonded to Sesshoumaru their life bond is not complete until she marks her male. Once this is done the mating will be irreversible, she will never be able to accept another mate, ever. Mating season is rapidly approaching and soon she will go into heat. If I can get to her before she goes into heat then I can tie her to me for all eternity.'

Yes, yes this thought pleased him very much. Sesshoumaru might have mated her this night but he will be the one that will have the life bond with her.

Then another evil thought came into his mind as he pondered, 'If I can get my hands on both the miko and Inutaisho mate then the Western Lord and his son will be forced to come and meet me. When they come it will be the end of their rule.'

This was a night of revelations for Jakyoku. In the space of just one night he has come up with the perfect plan to end the western lord's life along with his son's. The miko will be his life mate and the mate of Inutaisho will die a slow and painful death.

Now that his plans were coming together he continued on his journey. He will have to stop when dawn approached. He didn't want to be seen as he traveled so he opted to travel at night and rest during the day. He continued racing toward the west, soon he will have his miko and he will be the new ruler of the west.

--oOo--

It took Jakyoku the three days he estimated to reach his destination. Jakyoku was currently standing on top of a hill looking down at the western castle. It was late at night and the only thing that you could see around the area was the guards patrolling the castle grounds.

Jakyoku immediately noticed the barriers and wards that were placed around the castle. They were very powerful and it will require a huge amount of his youki to break through them. So invading the castle was out of the question. He pondered what to do until dawn approached. He opted to stay in the area so he could observe what was going on down below. He also needed to send a message to his spies so they could come and see him to give their report.

He moved from the top of the hill down into the forest. He chose a tree that was tall but provided cover, so he could observe what was going on down in the western castle. He was a good distance away from the castle but his keen eyes sight allowed him to see even from this great distance. He hid his aura and scent as he settled down to watch the activities down below.

It didn't take long after the sun rose over the horizon for the castle to come to life. He saw several of his spies roaming around the gardens as he took out a medallion from his haori. He held it in his hand and concentrated on the piece of medal, activating his spell to call his spies to him.

--oOo--

Down in the gardens the workers were already starting on their duties for the day. One worker in particular, a black inu youkai, felt something warm within the folds of his haori. He looked around the area, making sure no one noticed what he was doing, and pulled the string that was hanging around his neck out of his haori.

The medallion that was hanging on the string was glowing a bright red and he knew what that meant. He quickly put it back into the folds of his haori as he sought out his companion. His companion was another black inu youkai that was working close to him as he made his way toward his location.

The inu kept his eyes opened, looking for any threats, as he made his way toward his friend. Once he got close to him he whispered, "Bakeru we have received a message from our lord. He wants to see us as soon as possible. He must be close by because his medallion was glowing brightly a few moments ago."

Bakeru stopped what he was doing as he turned to his partner and said, "Then, Marude, we have to go to him. We have to find the right time to sneak away from here. We can't take the chance of someone seeing us leave."

Both Inu's agreed as they set about to pick the best time for them to leave the area. They figured that it will take them a few hours to get the work done in the gardens. Then they were left alone to do whatever they desired until late in the afternoon. That would be the perfect opportunity to leave the area and see their lord. An evil gleam came to their eyes, soon the western canines will fall and Lord Jakyoku will take his rightful place as lord to these lands.

They both returned to work so they could quickly get done and then go see Lord Jakyoku to inform him of what was going on around the castle. They knew that their lord was not going to be happy when he learned that the three female spies that were with them were dead.

--oOo--

Jakyoku stayed in his tree as he was observing the activities of the inhabitance of the castle. He noticed when one of his spies pulled the medallion from his robes and looked at it. His spy now knew that he was in the area, all he had to do was wait until they could come to him. He knew that they could not leave right away, it will blow their cover within the western castle and he still needed his spies to be there.

He was only sitting in his tree for a short time when he noticed two ningen females walking out of the castle. One was dressed as a youkai slayer but the other one held power and was dressed in a simple hakama and fighting gi.

Curious to know who these two wenches were he followed them. He moved within the confines of the trees as they approached a training field. He moved as close as possible so he could get a better look at them. He said an incantation to enhance his eyesight so he could clearly see what these females looked like.

The one that caught his eye was the female dressed in the fighting gi. When she finally turned toward the forest he got his first good look at her. His breath hitched when he viewed her beauty. She was perfect. She had a beautiful figure and beautiful blue eyes. He has never seen eyes like those before. Her hair, he could tell, was long and black as night with a hint of blue. She had it pinned up in a bun so he really couldn't tell how long it actually was but if he had to guess it was long and wavy.

Her voice when she spoke was beautiful it was soft and velvety. When she laughed her bell like tones were soft, pleasing to his youkai ears, her skin looked to be smooth and silky to the touch. Her aura is what surprised him. It was black as night with a hint of white around the edge, meaning she was almost to the height of her powers.

He finally realized who he was spying on, it was his mate to be. He has heard of her but he didn't know what she looked like. 'Yes, she will make a wonderful mate. She is the most beautiful creature that I have ever seen. I was right in my desires to have her. Now all I have to do is come up with a plan to get her. Once she is in my grasp she will never leave my side. She will be mine for all eternity.' Jakyoku thought as he watched her spar with the slayer.

Jakyoku watched as his miko trained. He had a thought as he reached into the folds of his haori and pulled out the whistle that the kuro miko gave him. He wondered briefly if the thing will really work on the miko.

He continued to watch her train until they finished. He saw his little miko sit down on the ground as she crossed her legs for meditation. The slayer went back to the castle after the training, this was his chance. His little miko was alone on the training field.

He got up on his perch as he took out the whistle. He held it by the string that was attached to it as he started to spin it in a circle. Slowly at first and then with more speed he spun the whistle around.

He looked in the direction of the miko and noticed that she was standing on her feet and was looking in his direction. She took a few steps towards him and then stop. He was confused on why she stopped. He doubled his efforts in order to get her to come to him.

He saw her aura flare and the next thing he knew the whistle he was holding was destroyed. He cursed under his breath as he saw her collapse to the ground. Not even a second later he saw her mate come racing out of the castle as he reached the miko. He grabbed her in his arms as he picked her up and looked around the area. His aura was filled with rage as he scanned the area for intruders, when Sesshoumaru found nothing he headed back into the castle with his mate.

Jakyoku breathed a sigh of relief when Sesshoumaru didn't detect him. 'That damn bitch is powerful enough to resist the calling of the whistle. Hell! She was powerful enough to destroy it. I have no doubt that if I was further away from her she would have destroyed it with ease. She will not be easy to capture. I have to find a way to subdue her powers or I will have one hell of a fight on my hands.'

Jakyoku knew he could not leave the area until he talked with his spies. So he moved from his current location to await their arrival. He needed answers and they were the only one's that could provide it for him.

It wasn't until late in the afternoon when Jakyoku's spies were able to locate their lord.

Marude and Bakeru quickly finished what was required of them as they sneaked out of the castle grounds to look for their lord. They both knew that they will be able to get back in through the castle's barriers because all the servants have been given special amulets that will allow them to reenter the barriers. The only downside to this was that they could not give them to anyone else. It was perfectly matched to their youkai and if anyone else were to use the amulet, then the barrier that the miko set up will purify them, and they could not bring anyone else into the barrier with them.

They finally found their lord as they approached and kneeled before him, waiting to be given permission to speak.

Jakyoku looked at his spies and noticed right away that there were three missing. He growled as he asked, "Where are the wenches that are suppose to be with you? Do they think that it is beneath them to not come when I summon them?"

Marude was the one to answer his lord's questions as he said, "I'm sorry to inform you my lord that the three wenches are dead."

"Dead??" Asked Jakyoku in shock as he continued, "How did they die?"

Marude was uncomfortable being under his lord's direct stares. It could mean his life if his lord got mad enough but he answered his question as best he could. "The miko of the castle killed them when they challenged her and told her to leave." He then proceeded to tell their lord how they met their demise.

'Stupid bitches! They deserved what they got for disobeying my orders. They were not supposed to seduce Sesshoumaru, they were supposed to keep an eye on him and make sure that he wouldn't go after the ningen onna.' Jakyoku thought as he brought his attention back to the one's that were kneeling in front of him. "Tell me of the ningen onna, is there a time where we can attack and get her?"

His spies told him everything he wanted to know about the ningen onna. Including that she will be leaving in four days time to go with the lady of the castle to the villages. They were usually surrounded by a small group of soldiers that went with them incase of any trouble.

Now this little bit of information he could use. The onna leaving the castle to go into the villages with Inutaisho's mate was the perfect opportunity to strike against the western lord. He wanted the location of the village they were to be visiting but his spies told him that information was kept secret until the Lady of the Lands started traveling. It was for her safety and the onna's that it was kept a secret.

Jakyoku understood this and told his spies to go back to the castle. Soon the western lord will fall and he will be the new lord of the lands.

His spies obeyed without question and left him to go back to the castle.

Jakyoku got that evil gleam in his eyes again as he thought of the perfect plan to get the onna and Inutaisho's mate. He turned and left the area as he went back to meet his men. They should be arriving at the staging area by now. It was time to start his conquest of the western lands.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru's mind was slowly coming out of its foggy state. An image of what happened the night before was slowly making itself know to him. The night of his mating with his lovely mate was making his heartbeat a little faster as he remembered everything they did and the passion that they shared.

The scent of night blooming Jasmine assaulted his senses as it soothed his body. She was close but he didn't know where his lovely mate was located at the moment. He felt warm at the moment and didn't want to move. He was laying on something very soft and wondered when their futon got this soft. He slowly opened his eyes, allowing them to come into focus.

When his vision was finally clear, he noticed that they were still in the house that his parents provided him for his mating. He moved and noticed that his tail was wrapped tightly around his body. He felt his member being held very tightly and it was wedged in between something that was very soft, warm, and vaguely familiar. He remembered that he was laying on something very soft as he raised his head to see what was underneath him.

To his surprise he was laying on top of his mate. She was tucked under him, being protected by his body, as he kept warm against the chilly night air. He furrowed his eyebrows together deep in thought as he tried to remember what happened last night. Finally his brain started to work as he recalled the previous night's encounters after he gave her his blood.

The youkai souls in Kagome's body reacted with his blood and were forcing their way out of Kagome's body to take control. He remembered his mate fighting against them but with her being weakened in their mating, she was losing the fight. He stepped in and subdued the souls, making them retreat back into her body. She collapsed unconscious in his arms as he laid her down on their shared bed. He covered her so she was protected and warm for the night. But he also wanted to know if the youkai souls got free again while they were sleeping.

But another distressing thought came to his mind. His little miko attacked him and he was burned with her holy powers last night. He looked at his arms and noticed no marks at all. 'She must have healed my wounds after I fell asleep last night.' He thought as he decided to check on his mate.

He moved just a little, to have enough room so he could move the hair away from her face. His angel was still asleep and she looked more beautiful than she did the night before. He noticed that she received his crescent moon. It was on her forehead and her blue teardrop was in the middle of it. The star that was under the teardrop was directly underneath it. The crescent moon she had on her right ear, that his father gave her, was now gone.

His mate was still asleep as he moved off her. Kagome started to shiver as soon as his warmth left her, so he moved his tail over her body to keep her warm.

Sesshoumaru sat up in bed and stretched. He was still tired and worn out from the night's activities but he has recovered some of his strength. It took a lot out of him to mate Kagome last night. She was powerful and the youkai souls within her were not making things easy on them. When they broke lose and tried to take over Kagome's body, he had to subdue her powers in order to make them obey his commands. He hoped now that the souls will settle down and leave his lovely mate in peace.

He shook his head to clear his mind as he started to pick up the scent of blood. Alarmed that he might have hurt his mate during their joining he looked for her injuries. He gently rolled Kagome over on her back as he looked for her wounds. He found none but he did find blood on her thighs. She bleed after he took her and now had dried blood on her thighs. It didn't appear that she was still bleeding and for this he was thankful. But he needed to get her cleaned up.

Sesshoumaru leaned over and picked Kagome up in his arms. He cradled her limp body against his chest as he slowly made his way into the bathing chambers. The hot springs will soothe their tired muscles and allowed them to heal the rest of the way.

He went over to the wash area and got a wet cloth to clean Kagome of the blood she had on her. Once he was done with that he walked over to the hot springs and went in. He found his favorite rock as he sat down and placed his mate on his lap and held her.

He submerged the both of them until only their heads were just above the soothing warm water. They stayed there for a while as their muscles uncoil and they relaxed from their mating.

Sesshoumaru was sitting there rubbing Kagome's back in small circles. He was purring which soothed her in her sleep. Kagome whimpered as she tried to move closer to him. She was hurting this much Sesshoumaru could tell. He brought her closer to his body as he held her in his arms, offering her comfort in her time of need. Soon Sesshoumaru felt when his little mate was starting to wake up.

Kagome was hurting. Every part of her body hurt. She figured that she used muscles that she didn't even know existed as her body was coming awake from its slumber. She especially noticed that her greatest discomfort was in her lower regions. It hurt the most and she couldn't remember why.

Kagome's mind was slowly processing all of this information as she continued to wake up from her mating. She slowly opened her eyes as she took in her surroundings. She observed that she was in the bathing chambers, in particular the hot springs. The very warm water was soothing her tender muscles.

She moved her legs and right away she felt a sharp pain that was in her womanhood. She gasped as she stilled in the water. She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to go away, while she was breathing heavily. Her breathing became ragged, she was sore, she never knew that mating with Sesshoumaru would hurt so much. But then again while they were mating she didn't feel any pain at all, just blissful pleasure.

Kagome felt arms tighten around her as she slowly opened her eyes and saw a pair of golden ones looking at her with concern. She raised her hand up out of the water as she caressed his cheek and said, "I'm alright Sesshoumaru, I'm just a little sore from last night. I never knew that mating with you caused pain."

Sesshoumaru watched his mate with concern. He could feel her pain through their shared link. When she looked up at him she had a beautiful smile on her face. He heard her words but was not convinced that she was fine. He had to hurt her during their mating he had no choice in it. "Please forgive this Sesshoumaru for hurting you last night. But there is no way to break your barrier and not cause you pain."

Kagome knew that her mate was aware of the pain she was experiencing. She smiled as she said, "I forgive you koibito. There is no easy way to break a hymen and not cause pain. It's just something that I have to get used to. Last night was wonderful, I didn't feel any pain at all when we mated, only this morning. So it's to be expected."

Sesshoumaru nuzzled his mate on her neck as he felt her relax against his body. He wanted to take her again but he will wait until she was feeling better. He didn't want to cause her any more discomforts.

Sesshoumaru shifted as he said, "Koiishi, there are a few things that I must tell you before we head back to the main castle. First, when we approach my parents you are not to leave my side." He saw the look in his mate's eyes. She was about to protest what he said, as he quickly continued with his explanation before she interrupted.

"It is tradition that as the heir of our clan I must present my new mate to the alpha of our pack. When he gives his consent then you may approach him. This is done out of respect for my fathers position and not because I don't want you to go to him. His scent will be the only scent that I will allow on your person. My inner Inu recognizes him as our alpha and will not be angered by his scent lingering on you.

"As the beta for the pack I am required to leave my fathers home and start my own pack, now that I am mated." At this statement he saw the panic in his mate's eyes. He could smell the scent of her tears as she said, "Please Sesshoumaru, I don't want to leave your home. I understand that this is required of you, but is there a way that we can stay? I don't want to lose the only father that has truly treated me like a daughter."

Kagome's tears continued to flow as she cried her heart out. She didn't want to leave her Otou-san. For most of her life she has grown up without a father. Her true father had beaten and abused her early in her young life. She came here to this era and found a father figure that loved her as a daughter. She didn't want to leave this place and this is what she was afraid of. That with her mating they will take her away from the people she has grown to love.

Sesshoumaru was clearly upset as he saw his mate crying. He didn't know what to do, she really didn't want to leave his home. If the truth were known he didn't want to leave his home either. He wanted to stay close to his mother.

He sat up as he held onto his mate and tried to offer her some comfort. The only thing that he could do was talk to his father and see if it was allowed for him to stay with Kagome. If he said no then he had no choice but to take his mate and leave. He knew she will be hurting but she will eventually come to terms with it.

But right now he has to assuage the pain she was feeling as he said, "Mate, please don't cry. I will speak to my father to see if we can stay but if he denies my request then we will have to leave. This is the best that I can offer you my aiyoku, the decision is his to make."

Kagome nodded her understanding and curled her body into Sesshoumaru's, as she held on tight. She was not happy with the prospect of leaving Sesshoumaru's home. But she understood tradition and if Sesshoumaru was forced to leave his home then she will have to go with him. It was the part of herself that she gave up when she mated Sesshoumaru. To always stand by his side and be supportive to his needs. She may not want to leave but she knew that there was a time when they will have to leave to make their own way in this world.

Sesshoumaru needed to get her mind off of the situation at hand as he turned to her and asked, "How do you feel mate?"

Kagome sighed, she noticed the change in subject, he was trying to get her mind off leaving his home as she answered, "I feel better now. I don't feel as sore as I did before. Another like last night and I won't be able to walk for a week."

Sesshoumaru chuckled at her declaration as he lifted her out of the hot springs and made his way over to the edge. They needed to get dry and dressed. It was now time to go back to the castle and meet up with his parents.

He gently put Kagome on her feet as she wavered for just a second before standing on her own. He dried her and then wrapped her in a warm robe before he turned and did the same. They both walked out of the bathing chambers as they went to get dressed.

Kagome picked out a red kimono with a red hakama. She found a golden obi to go along with it and a white juban. There was a dragon going down her right leg as it curled around the bottom of her kimono.

Sesshoumaru chose a white hakama along with a red haori. He wore his favorite sash with it as he tucked his swords in at his side. When he was done dressing he looked for his mate and noticed that she was standing in front of the mirror as she looked at her reflection. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he asked, "What's wrong Koiishi?"

When Kagome stepped in front of the mirror to fix her hair it was the first time that she saw her new marking. She now had a crescent moon on her forehead as it encircled her teardrop and the star was underneath the both of them.

When she heard her mates question she turned in his grasp as she looked up at him. She moved his bangs away from his forehead as she saw that he too had a new mark. Sesshoumaru now sported the star she wore underneath his crescent moon. She stared at him in awe and said, "You now have my star on your forehead like I have your crescent moon."

Sesshoumaru lifted his head as he looked in the mirror. It was true he had the star that Kagome carried. He turned to his mate and said, "The crescent moon on your forehead signifies that you are the next lady of these lands. Since I'm the heir to the lands your markings will match mine. The star signifies that we are the protectors of the lands."

Kagome understood what he was saying as she got busy fixing her hair before they left to see his parents. She was nervous about going back. She did miss them but this time when she went back she was mated to their son.

When Kagome was done fixing her hair Sesshoumaru walked over to her and brought her into his embrace. He kissed her passionately never wanting to let go of those wonderful lips. He released her for lack of air as he kissed the crescent moon on her forehead. He wrapped his arm around her waist as he guided her out of their room and toward the castle.

--oOo--

Inutaisho and Ayashiko were making their way down to the dining hall when they felt the youki of their eldest close to the castle. They both smiled at each other as they walked toward the main doors and awaited their son's return along with his new mate.

Sesshoumaru had his arm and tail wrapped, possessively, around Kagome's waist as they headed back toward the castle. Along the way they picked up an escort as the castle guards surrounded them while they made their way toward the castle.

At Sesshoumaru's first growls of warning the guards spread out even more to make sure they gave Sesshoumaru the distance he desired with his new mate. They all knew that he will be very protective of his mate for a while, until everyone in the castle understood that she was his mate, and hands off.

Kagome was becoming nervous as they made their way up the main stairs to the castle. She saw the great doors open and noticed her Otou-san and Oka-san coming out of the castle. Her heart leaped with joy when she saw them. She was about to go to them when her mate held her back and a low growl escaped his lips. She understood his warning as she stayed by his side, head down, until she was officially presented to them as his mate.

Inutaisho noticed immediately the tensing of his pup's arms and tail as a low growl escaped Sesshoumaru's chest. It was a warning to his mate to keep her distance from them. He was trying to teach her but he knew his little one all too well. He could feel the excitement of her wanting to come to him and his mate, but she had to learn her place.

They waited until Sesshoumaru stopped just a short distance away as he released his mate from his grasp. When he made to move forward his mate stayed where he put her and didn't try to come forward. He was proud of her for doing this. He knew how much she wanted to greet his parents but he had to introduce her first.

Sesshoumaru approached his father as he stopped right in front of him. Inutaisho, when he saw his son stop in front of him, stepped forward and put his crescent moon against his sons. Their markings glowed for a short minute as a new bond was established with his son. This was required because Sesshoumaru was now mated and a new connection was needed to replace the one he gave his pup at birth.

When he pulled away from his pup his crescent moon was a little darker now, signifying he was mated. He waited until Sesshoumaru went to his mother and did the same thing to establish his connection with her.

Once this was done Sesshoumaru took a step away from his parents and went to stand by his mate. He stood to his full height as he said, "Father, mother, I want to present your new daughter, my life mate, Kagome."

Kagome still had her head down as she felt the gentle nudge from her mate. She took a step forward as she bowed deeply to her Otou-san and Oka-san. She had to wait until she was called before she could move towards them, wanting Sesshoumaru to be proud of her.

Inutaisho saw as his little one came closer to him, she bowed deeply to them as she straightens and then waited patiently. He smiled as he said, "Kagome." He watched with curious eyes as he opened his arms to her.

Kagome saw the invitation as she looked over her shoulder at her mate. When she saw Sesshoumaru nod his approval she turned and jumped the short distance into her Otou-sans arms.

Inutaisho closed his arms around his little one once she was in his embrace. He missed her as he held her in his arms. He moved his clawed hand under her chin as he lifted her head up and touched his crescent moon against hers. Their markings glowed brightly before it faded away. He released his little one from his embrace as he let her go to his mate.

Ayashiko was waiting patiently for her mate to finish. When he finally let go of Kagome her pup flew into her arms and hugged her fiercely. She missed her pup. It was good to have her in her arms once again. They hugged for a few minutes when she heard Kagome say, "I've missed you mama."

Ayashiko heart filled with joy as she pulled Kagome away from her chest and put her crescent moon against her pups. Again their markings glowed brightly before it subsided. She pulled Kagome away from her as she said, "I have missed you too. Now, how about we all get something to eat?"

Kagome smiled brightly at her mother as she took a step away from her. She heard Sesshoumaru's growl as she moved again to his side. A proprietary arm came around her waist as Sesshoumaru tucked her against his side. They all turned and walked into the castle wanting to go to the dinning hall to eat their breakfast.

Kagome was just happy to be home once again. She was wondering where Sango was when she looked straight in front of her. She stopped in mid step when she saw the painting hanging on the wall. She paled when she recognized the painting and wondered where they got it. She thought that she hidden her work so no one could find them.

Sesshoumaru looked down at his mate when she stopped walking. He noticed where she was staring and took in how pale she looked. He looked up in the direction that caught her interest when his eyes went wide. There on the wall in front of them was a family portrait.

He released his mate as he walked towards the painting to get a better look at it. He took in the beauty of the art work and wondered where his mother got this painting. It was the best portrait he has ever seen of his family and what made him even happier was that his mate was included in the painting. When he looked at his portrait his eyes went wide. He was smiling in this portrait. No one has ever seen him smile before and he wondered who painted this picture.

He turned, as he looked at his mother and asked, "Mother, where did you get this portrait?"

Ayashiko stopped walking toward the dinning hall when she sensed her pup's distress. As she looked over her shoulder, she noticed that Kagome stopped in mid step when she saw the family portrait. She saw how pale her pup looked and thought that she should have asked her if she could have the painting first before she placed it on the wall.

She turned towards her son when she heard his question as she asked, "Why Sesshoumaru? Do you not like the portrait? I believe that it's the best portrait of my family that I have ever been given."

Sesshoumaru was beside himself as he said, "No mother, the portrait is beautiful and deemed worthy to hang in such a high place of honor. I like the portrait very much, I just wanted to ask the artist how they captured my smile, because the picture portrays me with one."

Ayashiko smiled as she turned her eyes towards Kagome and said, "Ask your mate. She is the artist behind the portrait."

Stunned at what he was told Sesshoumaru turned toward his mate. Kagome was just standing there with her head down. She didn't move or speak as he walked back to her. When he stopped in front of her, he scented her sadness and regret as he heard her say in a low and soft voice, "I'm sorry Sesshoumaru, no one was to see that painting. I'm sorry if I have embarrassed you."

Taken aback by the statement that left his mates lips he walked forward and embraced her. He could feel her relax in his hold as he said, "You didn't embarrass me Koiishi, I love the portrait, it is a great work of art and there is no better place for it than to hang in a place of honor. I just wanted to know how you got my smile."

Kagome sighed as she said, "It took me weeks to paint that portrait. I had to observe each member of this family until I saw the exact expression I wanted in my painting. For Lady

Ayashiko I wanted an expression that said elegance and grace. For Lord Inutaisho I wanted an expression that said strength and compassion. For your brother I wanted an expression that displayed his playfulness.

But you were the hardest one to paint. I wanted an expression that was the true you. Not the mask that you hide behind. It took me weeks of observing you before I finally saw you smile. You were in the gardens and you smelled a strange white flower when I saw you smile like that. You got a twinkle in your eyes that I have never seen before. That was the expression that I was waiting for to finish my portrait of the people I now call my family. But what I don't understand is how did you find my painting?" Kagome turned her blue eyes toward her mother as she waited for a reply.

Ayashiko was touched at how her pup made this beautiful portrait. She heard her pups question as she answered, "Sango and I went into your room to gather your things to put them in your new bedchambers. I spotted them behind the clothes box and pulled them out. I found all of your paintings and picked the very best ones to hang in the castle."

Kagome's eyes opened wide with shock as she said, "You framed some more of my paintings?"

Ayashiko chuckled as she said, "Yes I did. I will show you later where they hang. You have a beautiful talent my Musume. You should not hide it. I was very touched when I saw this painting but you failed in one thing. You were not included in the painting. That was the only thing that was missing to make it complete."

Ayashiko saw the expression on her pups face as she continued, "I asked Semi if he could add you to your painting. He agreed and the next day this is what he gave me. He was able to mimic your brush strokes and added you to the portrait. I put it here in the main hall to allow everyone to see my family. I'm very proud of this painting and I hope that you will allow me keep it there."

Kagome bowed her head. She didn't know what to think. All her life she was told that she was not good enough and that her paintings were trash. But she continued to paint because it relaxed her. She took a deep breath as she let it out and said, "Yes Oka-san you may keep the painting if you wish."

Ayashiko was happy that she could keep the painting but she saw the sadness that crossed her pups eyes as she stepped towards her and asked, "Kagome what's wrong?"

Kagome deeply sighed as she said, "All my life I have been told that my painting were not good enough to put up on the walls. Now you tell me that they are a work of art. I don't know what to believe anymore."

Sesshoumaru hugged his mate closer to his body as he said, "Kagome, your painting is beautiful and whoever told you that, didn't have an eye for beautiful works of art. I hope that you will continue to paint like this. I would love to see more of your work."

Kagome felt her heart lift just a little as she agreed with her mate. They then turned and went into the dinning hall to eat their meal.

Once everyone was done eating Ayashiko showed Kagome and Sesshoumaru to their new room. They all went to the western section of the castle as Ayashiko stopped in front of a door, she turned to her pups and said, "Sango and I redid this room with both of you in mind. I hope that you like what we have done to it."

She opened the door as they all walked into the room.

Kagome's breath hitched when she saw the room. It was beautiful, when she walked into the room she noticed all of her paintings hanging on the wall. They have been beautifully framed. She looked around the room and saw the Sakura tree that was painted on one of the walls as its branches extended over the walls and ceiling.

Then she looked over to the fireplace and saw the painting that was hanging over it. It was another portrait of her and Sesshoumaru. It was beautifully done and they looked so happy together.

The excitement of the mating from the previous day, coming home, seeing her painting hanging in the main entrance to the castle, and seeing this beautiful room, took its toll on Kagome as she fainted.

Sesshoumaru was watching his mate as her breathing became labored. She was paling even more as he saw her looking around the room. It was beautifully done with his mate in mind and he knew that she liked the room. When she looked at the portrait hanging over the fireplace he saw her eyes roll back into her head as she started to fall.

Sesshoumaru rushed forward as he grabbed his mate before she hit the floor. He held her tightly in his arms as he checked her to see what was wrong. To him she just seemed to be asleep.

Ayashiko quickly came over to her son as she looked at Kagome. She turned her eyes to Sesshoumaru as she said, "It looks like we have overwhelmed Kagome, and she just fainted. Sochi lay her down so she can rest, she will be fine."

Sesshoumaru placed his mate on their bed as he looked at her, he was worried about her but she seemed to be resting comfortably for right now.

Sesshoumaru stood as he sighed and turned his attention toward his father. He had to ask this question before Kagome woke up. He knew that part of her upset was the fact that they might have to leave his fathers home. "Father, I need to speak with you in private."

Inutaisho raised an elegant eyebrow at his son's words, as he nodded his agreement. They left his son's room, leaving Kagome to rest, as they walked toward his study. Once they were both inside with the door closed Sesshoumaru addressed his father. "Father, I know that tradition dictates that a mated male must leave the den to start his own pack. I need to know if this is what you want me to do. Part of Kagome's upset is the thought of leaving Gengetsujou. I promised her that I would speak with you on this matter."

Inutaisho was stunned by his son's words. 'Kagome is upset about leaving Gengetsujou? No wonder she fainted in her room.' He looked up at his son and said, "It is never my wish to send my pups away. I don't care if you are mated or not, nor do I care about tradition. If your wish is to stay here with your mate then I welcome you with open arms. I prefer for you to stay and help me rule."

Sesshoumaru was happy to hear this, now he could tell his mate that they will be staying here with his father and she doesn't have to worry anymore.

Inutaisho noticed that his son relaxed after he said they could stay. In truth he didn't want his pups to leave. His mate would be saddened if they were to leave his castle. But now that they are staying, there were other pressing issues that they needed to discuss.

"Sesshoumaru, I have received word from my spies that Jakyoku is moving towards the west. He is planning an all out attack against us and we need to come up with a plan to defend the west. I don't want anything to happen to your mother or Kagome." Inutaisho said with a strained voice. They needed to start soon on a defense before Jakyoku attacked.

Sesshoumaru agreed with his father as they spent the rest of the day planning the defense of the west.

--oOo--

Ayashiko stayed with Kagome for the whole day. Sango was with her youngest so he was well protected. She sat by Kagome's side and waited for her pup to awaken. She tried several times now to wake her but her pup would not wake up. As far as she could tell Kagome was just overwhelmed with everything that happened and she sensed that her pup has not recovered from her mating. She was still very weak and wondered just how intense their mating was.

Ayashiko sensed her eldest coming towards the room as she turned and faced the door. She was not disappointed when her son came through the door and saw her sitting next to Kagome. His surprise was evident on his features as he walked into the room to stand by her side.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru spent the entire day with his father planning the defense of the Western Lands. He will protect his mate and his father's lands against this Jakyoku. He has no idea why this insect wanted the Western Lands but he was determined not to let him have it. But even though they were planning the defense of the west, his mind was still on his mate who still seemed to be asleep in their chambers.

When they were finally done for the day, he left his father to check on his mate. To his surprise he caught his mother's scent by his mate as he reached his chambers and opened the door. There sitting next to his mate was his mother as she kept Kagome company.

He walked into the room as he came to stand next to her and asked, "Mother, what are you doing here? Is Kagome all right?"

Ayashiko did not miss the worried tones to his voice, she smiled as she stood and replied, "Kagome, is fine Socio, she has been asleep all day. I have tried to wake her but she won't wake up."

Sesshoumaru looked at his mate with concern, she should have woken up already. He stepped towards the bed as he sat next to his mate and moved the hair away from her face.

He was about to try and wake his mate when he heard his mother say, "Sesshoumaru, I will send a servant up with a tray for the both of you. Please try and wake Kagome so she can eat. Then rest, I feel that your mating was very intense and this is part of why Kagome has not awakened yet. But I feel that she should be back to normal by morning."

Sesshoumaru agreed with his mother as he saw her walking out of their room. Once she left he leaned down and picked his mate up in his arms as he rested her body in his lap. Wrapping his arms around her small form, he brought her closer to his chest as he purred. He rubbed his cheek against hers, trying to wake her.

Kagome was in the land of dreams when she felt that someone was trying to wake her. She was tired and didn't want to wake up at the moment as she snuggled deeper into the warmth she was feeling. She was happy there and she wanted to stay. But the person that was trying to wake her was not giving up as she whined.

Slowly Kagome's mind started to work as it brought forth her consciousness and allowed her to awaken. She was tired as she slowly opened her eyes and let them come into focus. Her mate was holding her as she yipped, _"Mate I'm tired, I want to sleep."_

Finally Sesshoumaru got his mate to awaken from her sleep. When he heard her request he purred, _"Mate must eat. You are still weak from our mating and you have been asleep for most of the day."_

Kagome was surprised to hear this. She didn't know that she has been sleeping all day. She yawned as she snuggled deeper into her mates embrace. She was getting ready to go back to sleep when she heard a knock on the door.

Sesshoumaru was having a hard time with his mate. She didn't want to wake up and preferred to be sleeping. He couldn't let her sleep until she ate the evening meal. She has already missed the afternoon meal and he could not let her miss the evening meal as well. He was about to make her sit up when he heard a knock on the door as he turned and said, "Come in."

Katsuki was standing outside the door as she took a deep breath and knocked. She was instructed to bring the evening meal up to Sesshoumaru and his mate. There was nothing that she wouldn't do for the young miko. So there she stood waiting to be allowed into the room. Then she heard the young master say, "Come in."

Katsuki opened the door as she went towards the young master and placed the tray of food next to the futon on the small table there. She bowed deeply to Sesshoumaru as she looked at the young miko. She smiled and said, "You will have a rough time with her young master, she is stubborn and making her eat is a chore. But if you have a hard time making her eat just send her my way, I will ensure that she eats." With that Katsuki left the happy couple alone as she walked out of the room.

Sesshoumaru smiled after Katsuki left. She knew his mate all too well and he was grateful for the help in getting Kagome to eat her meals. He reached over and uncovered the tray with Kagome's food. He took some food as he tried to wake his mate once more.

Kagome fell asleep again and she was happy. But all too soon that same person was trying to wake her as she slowly opened her tired eyes. She smelled something good as her stomach started to growl from being empty. She noticed that her mate was offering her some food and she sighed. She will not be able to sleep until she ate so she took the food that was offered as she chewed.

Sesshoumaru sat there and feed his mate until she had her fill. When she was done he put what remained of her food aside, undressed her, and then placed her on the futon for the night. He then sat down and ate his share of the food. When he was done he heard a soft knock on the door and he knew who it was. He took the tray with him as he opened the door and handed it to Katsuki. She smiled at him as she took the tray and left, noticing that the tray was a lot lighter than before, as she made her way back down to the kitchen. She knew that they both have eaten and she was happy.

Sesshoumaru closed the door and turned his attention to the fireplace. The night was chilly as he lit the fire with just a thought. The flames came to life as it warmed the room, making it comfortable.

He stripped his clothes off as he got into bed. He pulled his mate closer to his body while he held her tightly in his arms. He gave a sigh of relief as he took in her scent. It was a mixture of night blooming jasmine and his distinct musk. She smelled heavenly as he closed his eyes and fell asleep with his mate tucked into his body.

--oOo--

Inutaisho and Ayashiko were going up to retire for the night. They were worried about their pups as they stopped in front of their door. They noticed the barrier that was placed there not allowing anyone into the room. They heard their gentle breathing as they smiled and continued to their room. They were all right as there was a peaceful aura coming from their bedchambers.

Inutaisho told his mate that he was allowing Sesshoumaru to stay with his mate. Ayashiko was happy to hear this, now she didn't have to worry about them being on their own. She has planned out what she and Kagome were going to be doing as she started to train her in her duties as the next lady of the lands.

They went to bed that night content to have all of their pups back home once again. Something still bothered Ayashiko as she settled down next to her mate for the night, she will have to ask her son if Kagome went into heat while they were gone. She had a hunch that she didn't and will have to be on guard for when she did go into heat. Sesshoumaru will be unstoppable when she did and anyone caught near her will be killed as a threat to his mate and his bond with her.

--oOo--

Kagome was getting back to her old routine. Her mate told her that they will not have to leave the western castle or her new family. His father agreed and requested that they stay and help him rule the west.

She was very happy to hear this news. They spent the day before letting her recover from her mating as she and Ayashiko walked around the garden. They were no longer in bloom but the area was still very peaceful.

Kagome finally met up with Sango and she was surprised at where she has been. It appears that they were letting Sango go into the villages to get supplies for the castle before winter came in.

But the strangest part was the way that Sango was acting. Kagome never questioned her when Ayashiko was with them but as soon as she left to go tend to some business, Sango then had her full attention.

"Sango what's wrong? I can tell that something is bothering you since I came back." Kagome asked as she eyed her friend. Something was definitely bugging her and she was going to find out what it was.

Sango became irritated, she hated when Kagome read her so well. She really didn't want to talk about it because she can handle the situation by herself. But her problem was proving to be a pest and not even beating him to a bloody pulp has deterred his plans or his intentions.

She looked at Kagome through the corner of her eye and noticed that she was not going to back down from this. Sango sighed heavily knowing that she was not going to get away from not telling her friend. She turned towards Kagome while she held Kirara in her lap, petting her fur, as she said, "There is nothing wrong Kagome, I guess I just miss my family."

Kagome was not buying what Sango told her. She knew that there was something else that she was not telling her and it was upsetting her. "No Sango that's not it. Don't try to lie to me. I know when something is bothering you and its not you missing your family. Now tell me what's going on."

Sango lowered her head as she started to explain, "Well, Lady Ayashiko has delegated that I go into the surrounding villages and buy supplies for the castle and other things that they will need for the winter. They want to make sure that they have enough food to provide for everyone in case something goes wrong. Well in one of the villages I met this monk. He has taken a fancy to me and he won't take no for an answer."

Kagome's eyes went wide as she smiled and asked, "Is he handsome? Do you like him in any way?"

Sango's left eyebrow twitched, as she yelled, "NO! I don't like the bastard. He is a letch! All he wants to do is grope my ass and when I hit him he just smiles at me saying, 'it was worth the pain.' I have even knocked him unconscious a couple of times but he keeps coming back. I don't know how to get rid of this guy and he is getting on my nerves."

Kagome couldn't help but giggle as she said, "Sango, I think you have finally meet your match. If he is this persistent and a lecher on top of everything you have told me, then I think he has it bad for you. Any lecher will go on to the next woman and continue on his way. This person continues to come after you and only you. He is persistent because he wants you as his wife and he is not one to give up that easily. I bet that if you gave him the chance he can prove to you that he will be a good husband. What is his name anyway?"

Sango shook her head as she was listening to Kagome speak. 'There is no way that lecher has any feeling for me. I have seen him go up to every woman in town and asked them if they will bear his child. But come to think of it, he never asked me if I wanted to bear his child. He will just always look at me with those deep violet eyes of his that somehow fascinate me. Wait! Where did that thought come from? I'm not interested in that lecher!'

Sango lifted her head, she heard the last question Kagome asked as she said, "His name is Miroku. He is a monk, has strong spiritual powers, and he travels from village to village offering his services."

Kagome raised an eyebrow as she said, "My Sango, you know a lot about this monk for someone that doesn't have any interest in him."

Sango blushed a furious red as she went after Kagome for her comment. Kagome laughed as Sango chased her around the area trying to get her. They played like that until Ayashiko came back and asked what was going on and no one said a word. She had a feeling that this was not over, as she saw the look in Sango eyes that said when she got Kagome it was going to be painful.

Ayashiko smiled, she turned with both girls in tow, as they went back towards the castle. She got an idea in her mind as she said, "You know if you two really want to fight you should spar with each other tomorrow. That way you will both be even and the winner will win this argument."

Both girls looked at each other as they smiled. It has been a long time since they sparred and that will settle their argument. They both made plans to do a little training in the morning so they could settle this. Sango agreed to the training as a gleam came to her eyes. She will win against Kagome this time, since Kagome doesn't know that she has been training with Lady Ayashiko.

As they were approaching the castle Ayashiko turned to her pup and said, "Kagome, in two days time we will go to the villages around the area. I make it a point to visit and let them know that we are here to protect them. It makes them feel good that we care and I want you to come with me. It's about time that they know who the new Lady of the Land is going to be, that way when you go out on your own they will know who you are."

Kagome was excited about going to the villages with her Oka-san, she was finally getting some freedom from the castle as she looked around this era. She was still curious and wanted to learn as much as possible.

--oOo--

So here Kagome was trying to get out of her mates embrace so she could go and train with Sango this morning, all because of a comment she made yesterday about the monk. She knew it was true but Sango was not about to admit to anything.

Finally she got out of Sesshoumaru's embrace as she got out of bed and dressed. She put on her hakama and fighting gi as she left her room and found Sango there waiting for her. She smiled as they went down to the dining hall to have something to eat before they left the castle. She knew that if she didn't eat Katsuki will come after her and she knew that she didn't stand a chance against her.

Once they were done eating they left the castle as they took a deep breath of the morning air. It was cold out this morning as they saw their breath when they exhaled. Both girls went down to the training area as they both got warmed up before their training.

Kagome had a strange feeling that someone was watching them as she scanned the area with her senses. She didn't pick up anything out of the ordinary as she shrugged it off and pulled her sword out of its sheath to face Sango.

Kagome had to admit that Sango has gotten a lot better since the last time they have trained together. She could go the distance with her but she was still no were near as strong as she was.

The sound of swords clashing was heard all around the castle as they trained. At one point Sango thought that she had Kagome but at the last minute Kagome turned and knocked the swords out of Sango's hands, while placing her blade up against Sango's throat. Sango gave a sigh and admitted defeat as she said, "Just you wait Kagome, one day I will beat you and then I will be the one smiling."

Kagome giggled as she said, "I will wait for that day my tomodachi and when it does happen then I will happily admit defeat to you. As for your monk, if you just ignore him he might go away. He might be coming after you because he can get underneath your skin and knows that you will retaliate. That might be his sole purpose in life, is to bug you."

Sango never thought of it that way before as she looked up at her friend and said, "Thanks Kagome, I will try what you have suggested. Maybe you are right. He might be doing all of this because he knows that he has my attention when he gropes me. But I give you fair warning, if we meet up with him tomorrow, you better guard your backside or else he will be feeling your ass with that lecherous hand of his."

Both girls laughed at Sango's comment as Sango turned to leave. She saw Kagome sitting on the ground as she turned to her and asked, "Kagome, are you not coming back into the castle? You know that Sesshoumaru is going to be looking for you."

Kagome turned to Sango with a smile on her face, "No, I'm going to mediate for a little while before I go back inside. Sesshoumaru only has one thing on his mind lately and I'm still sore from the other day." Sango laughed full and hearty as she turned and went inside the castle, leaving Kagome to her meditation.

Kagome closed her eyes as she started to concentrate on the new power that she has gained. She needed to understand how they worked so she could bring them in line with the rest of her powers.

She relaxed as she opened her mind and searched for her new powers making sure that she understood how to handle them, then she turned her attention to the youkai souls that were within her as she got full control over them to make sure that they wouldn't come out again.

When she lost control over them during her mating she hurt a lot of youkai in the area, including her mate and Otou-san. She healed them, as well as the others that she hurt and that drained her considerably. She didn't want that to ever happen again.

As Kagome was mediating she heard a whistle in the near distance. She thought that she recognized this whistle from somewhere. It was sweet and pleasant to her ears, it soothed her in a way that she has never been soothed before. Her mind started to get foggy as she felt herself stand and take a couple of steps forward. She stopped as she fought against the spell that someone was casting on her. Her Otou-san showed her how to break this kind of spell as she fought against it.

Kagome's aura flared as she sent her own attack toward the person that was trying to control her. She felt when she destroyed the whistle before she was released from its influence. She exerted too much energy breaking that spell and it made her very weak, then she silently called, "_Help me Sesshoumaru,_" before she fell unconscious on the ground.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru's breathing started to get faster. He was waking up from his slumber and he felt cold. He noticed that something was missing from his side as he extended his arm looking for his mate. He reached over to pull her against him but when he found nothing but air his eyes snapped open.

He growled as he quickly sat up looking for his mate. Her scent was cold and she has been gone for a long while. He opened his sense trying to find her when he felt her outside with Sango.

He got out of bed as he went to the window to look for Kagome. He found her training with Sango down below in the training field. He couldn't understand why she was up so early in the morning, he thought that she would want to stay in bed with him.

Irritated at his mate, he turned as he got cleaned up and then dressed. He wanted to know why she was training again. He knew the advantages of training and always being ready for anything that came. He stopped in mid step as he thought, 'I should not be mad at my mate for wanting to stay up with her training. With her gaining new powers from our mating she will need to train to get them under control again.' He sighed maybe he should be out there too training with her.

Now that thought brought a smile to his face as he left his room wanting to go see his mate. When he stepped out of his room his father was coming down the hallway as he stopped and said, "Good morning father, where are you going to in such a hurry?"

Inutaisho greeted his son as he said, "I have received an urgent message from our spies about Jakyoku and I want to read it before breakfast, maybe you should come with me so we can find out what they have to say."

Sesshoumaru agreed with his father as he was following him down to his study. They almost reached the study when Sesshoumaru stopped in mid step. He heard his mate's call as he growled and vanished, going towards her location.

Inutaisho reached his study and was opening the door when he turned to look at his son. He heard his growls of anger and then disappeared from his side. The only thing that could make his son this angry was that something happened to Kagome. He turned and rushed after his son to see what was going on.

Sesshoumaru arrived next to his mate in seconds. He found her on the ground unconscious as he scooped her up in his arms and held her protectively. His anger grew when he saw how weak she was, knowing that she just fought off a spell of some kind in order for her to be drained this much.

His aura flared around his body letting anyone nearby know that he was pissed. He scanned the area but he found nothing amiss. He turned as he headed towards the castle when he met his father.

Inutaisho became alarmed when he saw that Kagome was unconscious in Sesshoumaru's arms. He rushed to his son's side as he asked, "Sesshoumaru, what happened to Kagome?"

Sesshoumaru growled as he said, "She was attacked. Someone was trying to control her again but this time she fought against the spell. She managed to break it but it drained her of her powers. I am going upstairs to put her to bed, she needs to rest at the moment. I will meet you down in your study after I am satisfied that she is all right."

Inutaisho understood his son's concern as he saw him turn and go back upstairs. He turned and went to find his mate. Maybe she could stay with Kagome until she recovered from this ordeal and then he had to find his general. He wanted his home secured and he will not tolerate anyone attacking his family. He wanted them protected at all times.

--oOo--

This is the end to another chapter. Hello everyone! Sorry for the long delay in posting the next chapter. But after I posted that last chapter my computer got a virus and it had my only complete copy of this story.

Unfortunately when your computer gets a virus it takes money to put everything back the way you need it and I was low on funds. With the help of some friends I was able to pull my document from my computer and then disinfect it. Now that it's safe I have put the document in my laptop and that's where I'm working from until my computer gets fixed.

Sesshoumaru's over protectiveness of his mate goes to the extreme. When he refuses to back down and give Kagome some freedom, an unexpected person come's in and teaches him a lesson for his stubbornness.

Jakyoku is on the move as his plans are finally set into motion. Kagome and Ayashiko are attack, can Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho get to them in time before they are taken away from them? You will have to wait for the next chapter in order to find out.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Sesshoumaru finally made it back to his chambers as he put Kagome down on their bed. He was concerned that she was hurt as he moved the hair away from her face so he could look at her. He knew that Jakyoku was after his mate. He had to make sure that she was protected at all times.

He leaned down as he rubbed his cheek against hers and felt when she started to move. Slowly her beautiful blue eyes opened as he looked at her intently. When her eyes were finally focused he asked, "Kagome are you all right?"

Kagome felt the presence of her mate next to her. Opening her eyes slowly she immediately noticed the concerned look he had in his features. She smiled as she said, "Yes I'm fine. That possession spell was almost a too powerful for me to break. It felt like it was made with only dark magic. I wouldn't be surprised if that kuro miko gave Jakyoku something that he could use to control me. But we don't have to worry about that little piece of magic anymore. I did manage to destroy it."

To say that Sesshoumaru was surprised was an understatement. She managed to destroy the spell and she could tell that it was the kuro miko that was behind all of this. He growled as he said, "From now on I don't want you to leave the castle without me. Jakyoku is getting ready to attack the Western Lands and I want you to be safe."

Kagome's eyes opened wide as she said, "But Sesshoumaru you can't keep me locked up in the castle for the rest of my life. You will have to learn to trust me that I can take care of myself, and any pups we have. I only called you because I did an exercise that drained me of my powers. I locked the youkai souls away to prevent them from trying to take over my body again. I don't want what happened during our mating to ever happen again. I could have hurt you and your family because of them."

Sesshoumaru understood her concerns but he was not willing to let her go off on her own without him being with her. "Mate, my decision stands. You will not leave the castle without me is that understood!"

Kagome was angry that Sesshoumaru will not trust her to protect herself. She rolled over on her side as she turned her back to him. This conversation was over as far as she was concerned. She didn't have anything more to say to him. Not that it mattered anyway he will never listen to her.

Sesshoumaru saw how angry his mate was when she turned her back to him. He didn't have a choice in the matter, he needed her to be safe and she had to accept his decision for her safety. He tried to touch her but when he got close a barrier prevented him from reaching her. Then the scent of salt water reached his nose as he sighed in defeat. He made her cry but he will not back down from his decision.

Sesshoumaru got up as he left their room. He will give Kagome time to accept the orders he has set for her. He was her alpha and he will protect her no matter what. He was walking down the hallway heading towards his fathers study. He needed to find out what the spies have to say about Jakyoku movements.

He met his mother along the way as she stopped him and asked, "How is Kagome? Was she hurt?"

Sesshoumaru sighed, he didn't look at his mother as he said, "Kagome is fine mother, she managed to break the spell that the kuro miko used to control her. But I have told her that she is not to leave the castle without me. I will not have her attacked again."

Ayashiko raised an eyebrow at her pup as she said, "Oh, I bet that didn't go over well with your mate. Sesshoumaru, you know that you cannot control her completely. She is not an Inu Youkai and she will fight you. Do you remember what happened when your father punished her for going off on her own?"

Sesshoumaru remembered back to that time. He heard her heart felt sobs as she cried her heart out. He wanted to go to her but he was sealed in his room because his inner Inu was in control and they feared that he would mate the girl before she was presented.

Ayashiko saw the look in her pup's eyes when he remembered what happened back then as she continued, "She cried for days and wouldn't come out of her room. She wouldn't eat because we confined her to certain areas. You will have to learn how to trust her, Sesshoumaru, and that she can protect herself plus those that are with her.

"I myself will protect her with my life, as I would do for any one of my pups. Would you perceive to say that I am unable to protect my family? I assure you Sesshoumaru that if I had to I could beat you in a fight and I wouldn't even break a claw.

"Think about what you are asking her to do. You will not always be there and faith and trust has to start somewhere." Ayashiko said her peace as she turned and left her son. He has much to learn just like his father had to. He didn't learn to trust her until she beat the living daylights out of him when he pushed her too far. He learned from that day forward that she was able to handle herself and protect those with her.

Sesshoumaru has never seen his mother this angry before. Maybe he did not trust Kagome but he wanted her safe. He turned as he continued to go toward his father's study. He had to learn what his father found out about Jakyoku.

--oOo--

Kagome was left in her room alone. She was sitting up in bed as tears went down her cheeks. All that training she did with Sesshoumaru to prove that she was a strong mate and he didn't trust her to protect herself. This was a big blow for her. She didn't understand and she wondered if she will ever be good enough for him.

She heard a small knock on her door as she quickly wiped the tears away from her cheeks with the back of her hand. She didn't want anyone to see that she was crying as she said in a small voice, "Come in."

Ayashiko waited until her pup let her into her room. When she heard her pups invitation she opened the door. The first thing that assaulted her senses was the salt water in the air. She knew that Kagome was crying. The next thing to overwhelm her was the sadness that Kagome had in her aura. 'Whatever Sesshoumaru said to Kagome really upset her. But at least she didn't lock herself in her room like she did before.' Ayashiko thought as she walked into the room.

She walked over to her pup as she sat down next to her and pulled her into her embrace. Kagome stiffened but then relaxed as she took the comfort that Ayashiko offered.

Ayashiko held her pup for a while until she calmed down. When she felt that she was calm enough she said, "Musume why don't you go and take a bath. The noon meal will be served soon and we can go down to eat."

Kagome agreed with her mother. Sitting here feeling sorry for herself was not going to do her any good. She stood as she went into the bathing chambers and took her bath.

Ayashiko then went over to her clothes box and pulled out a pink kimono with white cranes flying over the water. It had a white juban that went with it and a pink hakama. The obi was white with a green vines going around it. She laid it all out on the futon as she waited for her Musume to come out of the bathing chambers.

Kagome felt better once she bathed. She has come to the conclusion that this is the way her life was going to be no matter what she did. No one will ever trust her to fight on her own and her mate will never let her leave the castle without him. She was sure that he was going to be occupied with what Jakyoku was doing, so she will be left alone most of the time.

Kagome thought about the situation at hand as she dried herself. Sesshoumaru told her about Jakyoku and what he was planning. He wanted her to be aware of what was going on so she could protect herself in case he was not around. She felt so happy that he had faith in her abilities to protect herself. Now, today, it has all changed. The moment she protected herself and called her mate because she felt weak, he went back to not trusting her.

Maybe she shouldn't have called for him once she destroyed that curse. She knew she was going to pass out from breaking that spell, and if Jakyoku was still in the area, he would have no problem coming in and taking her away from the castle. She called her mate because she didn't want to be taken away from her home. She could tell that Jakyoku was very close.

She left the springs after she tied a towel around her body, she was drying her hair with another towel when she walked back into her room. She smiled beautifully at Ayashiko as she said, "Thank you Okaa-san for getting my kimono, it's beautiful."

Ayashiko helped Kagome get dressed as she did her hair for her. She knew that this will be hard for her pup but she was trying to show her that she was there for her no matter what.

Ayashiko had a burning question that she had to ask, her curiosity was getting the best of her, "Kagome, did you ever go into heat while you were alone with Sesshoumaru?"

Kagome sighed, she knew that they were all worried about her next heat, as she said, "No I never went into heat, I know that you're worried about my next one but please relax I have no doubt that your son will not let me die when it does come."

Kagome's statement took Ayashiko by surprised. It was said with such sadness that even she felt it deep in her soul. She turned Kagome around after she finished with her hair and said, "Kagome, I worry for you because you have gone unmated for such a long time. Your heat will be powerful this time and without Sesshoumaru you could die from it."

Kagome looked away from Ayashiko, "I know that Sesshoumaru will not let what belongs to him die. He will do his duty and make sure that I survive the heat that is to come. After all I am a prisoner here in this castle and everything is as it was before. He will never trust me to protect myself."

There was nothing that Ayashiko could do to change her Musume mind. This was something that has to be worked out between the both of them and she had to stay out of their lives. They both walked out of Kagome's bedchambers and went downstairs to the dinning hall.

When they got there Sango was not there, they sent Sango out on an errand and she has not returned yet. Inuyasha was not present as he was in another part of the castle training with his friends. That only left her mother, father, and Sesshoumaru for the noon day meal.

Everyone sat down in his or her respective place as Kagome took her seat next to her mate. She would not look at him and Sesshoumaru could tell that she was still upset with him. The meal was a silent one as no one spoke throughout the whole meal.

Once they were all done Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru left to get the finer details of the battle plan finished. Ayashiko was summoned to one of the lower audience chambers to deal with a problem that has arisen, that left Kagome all by herself.

Kagome sighed as she left the dinning hall. She was going to go back up to her chambers but she got another idea. There were places in this castle that she has never seen before so she decided to do some exploring.

Kagome wondered around for hours through the different parts of the castle. Ayashiko did a wonderful job with the décor for the wings. Beautiful paintings hung in the hallways as she walked by and admired the beauty of the portraits.

She would stop from time to time to look out a window while admiring the landscape. It was beautiful up here, she wanted to come back and paint from the different windows, where she admired the view.

She came to another set of doors but these looked to be the oldest doors she has ever seen. She opened one of them as she let herself into that part of the castle. There was dust everywhere and it looked like no one has stepped foot in this part of the castle for a very long time. She continued to explore as she got this overwhelming feeling to go into this one room.

When she walked in, it was the biggest library that she has ever seen. There were ancient scrolls and books that looked to be at least a thousand years old. It was a historical find and she was in heaven.

Kagome opened the curtains to the room so she could fully see it contents. She found an old rag as she started to clean the room up. She opened the windows to let fresh air into the room. It was so dusty, that when she started to clean the room, she started sneezing from all the dust flying around.

Kagome noticed right away that the books on the shelves were arranged in order so it made it easy for her to look for books. She found a book on spells and incantations as she wiped the book clean with her rag and went to one of the chairs that was sitting by the window and began to read. The spells in the book were ancient but she found that she could easily perform these spells. She felt her powers growing again as she continued to read.

Kagome's eyes began to get heavy the longer she read. Soon she found herself asleep in the chair and dreaming of a place that she has never seen before.

--oOo--

Tsuyoimaru was watching everything that happened in his home. His great grand pup was not thinking clearly when he was dealing with his mate. She was a spirited girl and needed to be handled gently so she understood.

He saw his chance when she was left alone. He placed a suggestion in her mind, the idea of going exploring through the castle. She took that idea well as she wondered through the places she has never seen before. He then led her to his side of the castle that was warded heavily against anyone entering.

He watched as she walked down the hallways fascinated with the works of art that were still hanging on the walls. He planted another suggestion as he led her into the library where he knew she will be the happiest. When he saw her cleaning out the room he chuckled, no one has even bothered to come into this part of the castle to clean in over a thousand years.

He noticed that she was going to sit down to read, he saw his chance to talk to her as he placed a sleeping spell on her and she went into a deep sleep.

**--DREAM--**

Kagome found herself at the edge of a forest. She turned her head slightly and spotted a meadow not too far away. It was beautiful and she could see the hundreds of flowers that were growing in the field. She was walking among them when she felt a very powerful aura coming towards her.

Kagome stood to her full height, which wasn't very much considering that she was of small stature, as she waited for this person to appear. His aura didn't indicate that he was going to do her any harm, so Kagome was not afraid. But that didn't mean that she was letting down her guard.

--oOo--

Tsuyoimaru was watching her from his forest as she was walking among the flowers. She was a beauty to behold. She fit in so well here, as he started to make his way towards her. Once he was in the field with her he stopped as he looked upon her beauty.

Kagome noticed an Inu Youkai with great powers entering the field she was in. He had two tails that were resting on each of his shoulders. His clothes were similar to Sesshoumaru's. He was slightly taller than her Otou-san and his features were similar to that of her mate. What took her by surprise was the crescent moon on his forehead.

Kagome tilted her head slightly to the right as she asked, "Who are you milord? I have never seen you before."

The Inu in front of her smiled brightly as he said, "I am Tsuyoimaru," he bowed slightly to her as he continued, "I am Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji."

Kagome's eyes opened wide as she said, "But I thought that Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji died a long time ago."

Tsuyoimaru chuckled as he said, "Yes, I did die over a thousand years ago. I brought you here because I wanted to speak to you."

"You wanted to speak with me?" Kagome was now confused. Was she speaking to a spirit like Midoriko? She didn't understand what he could possibly want with her, "Why do you want to speak to someone as worthless as me?"

Tsuyoimaru eyes saddened at her statement. 'This pup has suffered so much in her life, maybe I can make things better for her.' Thought Tsuyoimaru as he said, "Please come with me." Kagome was curious about this Inu youkai as she decided to follow him.

He led Kagome to another field near a beautiful spring. There they sat upon a couple of boulders as he said, "Now, why would you call yourself worthless? You are the most powerful female on this land and have earned that title. You are not weak, not by any means."

Kagome sighed as she began to explain to him what she meant. They talked for hours and he finally got Kagome to relax in his presence as he said, "Kagome, I would like to talk to you from time to time. I would like to teach you my ways of the past. This information is something that has never been passed down nor recorded anywhere. I would like for you to be the one to pass it on to your children when they get older.

"I would also like to train you if you will permit me. I know of the ancient ways of fighting that no one has ever seen and you can become even stronger than you are now. I will come to you in your dreams and we can train during this time."

Kagome was speechless. She didn't know what to say as she said, "Thank you, I would love to learn your ways. I promise to pass down your lineage to my children, if I ever have any. I really don't want to have pups as long as the mate I have has no trust in me."

Tsuyoimaru understood what she was saying as he said, "You are so much like my mate. I almost lost her because I didn't trust her. She was very powerful and I always treated her like she was made of glass. It angered her to no end but my reason for being like that was that I was afraid. I was afraid of losing her and I didn't even know that I was already losing her, not to the enemies that I had, but because I didn't have any trust or faith in her to protect herself. She was a strong willed person, just like you Kagome."

Kagome blushed as she was compared to his mate as she asked, "What was your mate's name?"

You could see the dreamy look that overtook his eyes as he said, "Her name was Alia and she was beautiful. I'm sure that my great grandson will see the errors of his ways when he realizes what he is doing. But have faith in him Kagome, he does love you and all of these feelings that he is experiencing are all new to him. He doesn't know how to handle his emotions when it comes to you."

Kagome understood as she pondered his words then she heard him say, "I'm afraid our time together is over. It's getting close to dinner time and everyone is looking for you. I will release you from my spell and you must hurry out of this section of the castle. Remember don't tell anyone that you were here." Kagome agreed as she slowly started to wake up from her slumber.

**--END OF DREAM--**

Once Kagome's eyes were focused she quickly made her way out of that section of the castle. She went upstairs to her room and quickly changed clothes, the ones she was wearing were all dirty from cleaning the library. She had to go back at a later date and clean it the rest of the way.

Kagome enjoyed her time with Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji. He was very nice to talk to and he actually listened to her when she spoke. She just finished changing clothes and was making her way down to the dinning hall.

When she entered, all eyes were on her as she said, "I'm sorry for being late. I got lost in the castle while I was looking around."

No one noticed her little white lie as she sat down next to Sesshoumaru. His concern for her was clearly seen in his eyes. Kagome didn't really care at the moment. She was told not to leave the castle and she didn't. She did not break her word to him so there was nothing to be mad about.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru was panicking, he went up to their room looking for his mate. When he entered their room he didn't find her as he opened his senses to locate her. He couldn't find her anywhere in the castle and an immediate search was done of the castle grounds.

He was about to leave the dinning hall to go looking for his mate when he caught her scent coming towards them. He breathed a sigh of relief that she was all right as she entered the dinning hall. His nostril flared as he checked her to make sure that she was unharmed. When he was satisfied that she was all right he heard her statement. He didn't find any deceit in her statement but why couldn't he detect her in the castle.

He turned to his mate as he asked, "Kagome you mean to tell me you were in the castle this whole time? But we have been searching for you everywhere."

Kagome's eyes narrowed as she said with a frosty voice, "You didn't want me leaving the castle without you. You all had things that needed your immediate attention and that left me with nothing to do, I decided to look around the castle since I have not seen all of it and I lost track of time. When I noticed how late it was getting I hurried to get dressed for dinner."

The anger in Kagome's voice was clearly noticed by everyone in the room. Not another word was said as they all sat down to eat their dinner.

Inutaisho noticed the tension between his pups. He had to let Sesshoumaru deal with his mate, it was the only way he will learn how to make his mate happy. He noticed that Kagome finished her dinner as she excused herself from the table and left the dinning hall. The anger in Sesshoumaru's eyes was clearly seen as he excused himself and went after his mate.

Inutaisho knew this was not going to end well unless Sesshoumaru showed some trust in his mate.

Sesshoumaru went after his mate. He was not totally convinced that she was in the castle the whole time. He wanted to know where she was and who she was with. A new emotion that Sesshoumaru has never felt before started to take hold. Jealousy was about to make its appearance and his inner beast was not happy at the moment. He was going to get his answers one way or another.

He walked into their chambers as he saw Kagome standing by the balcony. The scent of her tears was clearly in the air as he approached her. He saw as she wiped her tears away with the back of her hand before she turned to face him. Her blood red eyes showed her pain as he stopped in front of her and said, "Kagome where were you this afternoon?"

Kagome's eyes did not leave his as she said, "I was in the castle the whole day. If you must know I was in the most northern part of the castle in its highest point. There is a room there that you can see all of the lands that surround us. It's beautiful up there and I thought that I might go up there to paint the landscape." Kagome then turned as she went to get ready for bed. She didn't want to answer anymore of his questions.

Sesshoumaru was not satisfied with her answer, he grabbed her arm, as she was trying to leave. He turned her around as he growled, "What I want to know is why didn't I sense you at all in the castle?"

Kagome chuckled as she said, "Do you really think that I can't block you from finding me if I don't wish it? Let go of me Sesshoumaru I'm tired and I want to go to bed."

Kagome tried to leave again but Sesshoumaru was not about to let go of her. He threw Kagome on the bed as he landed right on top of her and pinned her there.

Kagome was not happy with what Sesshoumaru was doing. Her anger started to get the best of her as her eyes started to change colors. Her aura flared around her body threatening to do bodily harm to her mate unless he released her.

Sesshoumaru's eyes opened wide when he saw the amount of power his mate was exhibiting. Her powers have grown again as he flared his own aura around her body to make her submit. The more power she showed, the more power Sesshoumaru forced to the surface.

Their power was so great that it was causing the whole castle to go into a state of panic.

Inutaisho was rushing to the western wing of the castle because he knew his son and mate were about to have an all out war in his castle. With this much Youki, he will not be surprise if he didn't have a western wing anymore.

He finally reached his son's room when a barrier prevented him from entering. He was stuck on what he could do to calm his pups down before they really hurt each other.

Kagome knew that if she continued to resist her mate that they will get into a fight here in the castle. She didn't want anyone to get hurt, especially her Otou-san who was standing outside the door at this moment, she gave up and submitted to her mate.

Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she said in a low voice, "What do you want from me Sesshoumaru? I have done what you have asked of me and still you do not believe me when I say that I have not been out of the castle. You have no trust in me so why did you mate me?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes were now blood red with anger as he continued to force his mate into submission. To his surprise she submitted to his will as he smelled the tears and heard her words.

Sesshoumaru growled as he said, "You are my bitch, my mate, and I have every right to know where you were this afternoon since I could not locate you. You will never hide your aura from me ever again, I will know of your location and what you are doing at any given point of the day! Is that understood?!"

Kagome closed her eyes and cried, while she nodded her agreement.

The sword on Sesshoumaru's hip started to glow as it threw Sesshoumaru off Kagome and sent him flying into the wall.

Sesshoumaru was dazed for just a minute as his hackles were raised. He thought that it was Kagome who threw him off her but to his surprise it was his Hiijiji that was standing in front of him.

Tsuyoimaru looked at the girl that was lying on the bed crying. He had enough of his souson treatment of the girl. He leaned over her body as he said a spell that put her into a deep sleep that she will not wake up from unless she wished it.

He turned his red eyes towards Sesshoumaru as he let the barrier fall that was on the door and let his magomusuko into the room.

Inutaisho was still beside himself as he saw the barrier go down and the door opened. He rushed in thinking that something was wrong when he stopped in mid step as he saw his Jii-san standing there in front of him. The door closed with a bang, as both father and son looked at the spirit of the last surviving two tail Inu.

Words could not describe what Tsuyoimaru was feeling at this moment in time. He thought that Sesshoumaru wanted the power to protect his mate but he was wrong. He was using it to subdue his mate and not let her do anything with her life. He hated to see her free spirit bound in anyway. She reminded him so much of his mate Alia, she was very much the same way and he almost lost her because of his stubbornness. He was not about to let this whelp treat his mate this way.

Tsuyoimaru growled deep and threatening as he said, "How could you treat this beautiful pup this way? How much more suffering does she have to go through before she finds some happiness in her life? You said that you wanted the power of the two tails to protect your mate but all I have seen so far is you trying to subdue her free spirit. If you cannot appreciate the mate you have then I will take her with me to the next life. It's what she has been asking for, all this time. She wishes for her death because she can not deal with the life she has been given."

Sesshoumaru could not believe what he was hearing. There was no way he was going to let his Hiijiji take his mate. He growled as he said, "What are you talking about?! I love Kagome with all my heart. I have been trying to protect her. All I asked her was not to leave the castle and she has yet to tell me where she was all afternoon when I was looking for her. I have the right, as her mate, to know what she is doing."

Even though Tsuyoimaru was dead his power could still be felt throughout the castle, he was the most powerful youkai that Sesshoumaru has ever meet and he knew that he just crossed the line with his Hiijiji.

"You insulate whelp! She didn't tell you because I asked her not too. I summoned her to my section of the castle because I could feel the pain she was in. She was keeping her word to me as she kept her word to you. She never left the castle." Tsuyoimaru was about to teach Sesshoumaru a lesson he will never forget.

He turned to his magomusuko as he said, "Inutaisho, your pup has much to learn on how to treat a female. This one is very special, she has been given a second chance at life to find happiness, but the mate that was chosen for her does not appreciate what he has.

"This pup has suffered so much in her life that she has completely given up on it. She has wished countless times to be taken away from all the hurt. She dearly loves you for showing her what a true father is capable of.

"But now I make my decision.

"Kagome will remain asleep until such time as she decides what she wants to do with her life. If she awakens, that means that she wants to come back to this realm. If she dies in her sleep, she will be in a place that she can finally find peace for her heart. The choice is hers to make."

Sesshoumaru fell down to his knees as he heard his Hiijiji's words. He could not lose his mate. It will destroy him if he did. She was everything that he wanted and more. She has broken through to his icy heart and took down all the barriers he placed there long ago. He never wanted to get mated, because he thought he will never find a female that could love him for who he was. Every female he has ever met wanted only the title and power that came from being his mate.

He loved Kagome, this much he was sure of, as he pleaded, "Please, don't take her away from me. I love her with everything I have and if I lose her, I lose everything. I can't live without her."

Tsuyoimaru looked at his souson as he said, "You should have thought about that when you hurt this precious pup time after time. How much do you think she could take before you completely broke her? It will be her choice if she returns. The decision has already been made."

Inutaisho didn't know what to say or do. He might lose his precious little one because his son did not know how to handle her. He understood she was special. She has won his heart and if he ever did have a daughter, he knew that she will be like Kagome. He turned his eyes to his Jii-san as he asked, "Jii-san, is there anything that I can do to change your mind on this? I don't want to lose my little one because of my son's temper."

Tsuyoimaru looked at Inutaisho as he said, "I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do. Everything has already been set in motion and she will make the final decision when the time comes. Take this time to think about everything that has happen and learn from your mistakes. I will protect this little pup regardless of what your son does; he does not deserve a mate like this one."

Tsuyoimaru took one last look around the room as he disappeared.

Inutaisho couldn't believe what was going on. He was happy that his son won the right to mate his little one. He thought that he would take care of her but he was wrong. His son did not understand his little one or her desires to please. He walked over to the bed that held Kagome as he sat by her side.

Kagome appeared to be asleep as her breathing was steady. She looked beautiful just lying there as he turned his eyes toward his son.

Sesshoumaru was still on his knees as he thought about what his Hiijiji said, 'I've lost her, I have lost the only person that I could ever love. Will she come back to me? Or will she choose death over being my mate?'

He got up from the floor as he made his way toward his mate. He saw his father sitting next to her but he could not look at him in the eyes. He kneeled by her side as he nuzzled her and said in a low voice, "Koiishi, please forgive me. I do love you and want you to come back."

Inutaisho saw the regret and hurt that was in his pup's eyes. He understood that he made a mistake, but he will have to come to terms with what he has done. Now he had to explain to his mate what happened and this will not sit well with her. He got up as he left his son's room. This was a dark day in the Western Lands indeed.

--oOo--

Kagome woke up in the same clearing she was in before. She was surprised to be here as she turned and greeted Lord Tsuyoimaru. "Hello milord, why am I back here? The last thing I remember was having an argument with Sesshoumaru."

Tsuyoimaru smiled at Kagome as he said, "I brought you here because of the way Sesshoumaru has been treating you. I have put a spell on you, which you will not wake up from. You have a decision to make Kagome, do you want to return to the life you had or do you wish to die?"

Kagome's eyes grew big as she asked, "What are you saying? That I'm dead?"

Tsuyoimaru chuckled at her outburst as he explained, "The spell I put you under will keep you asleep until you decide what you want to do with your life. For far too long I have heard you say that you wanted the pain to end. This last time the pain that you were feeling was the breaking point for me. I told Sesshoumaru to protect you but all he did was hurt you. You were right when you said that he didn't trust you. Trust is a big part of being mated and the sooner he learns this the easier it will make your life.

"You are not dead, at least not yet. Only you have that power. The spell I placed on you will react to what you want and if you do not want to go back then I will not send you back."

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows together as she tried to understand what he was saying. As far as she understood, she was under a spell that will kill her if she so desired. Her eyes sadden as she looked up that the Inu Youkai that was standing in front of her as she asked in a sad, dejected voice, "He didn't even try to stop you did he?"

Tsuyoimaru cocked his head to the side, as he said, "No, he didn't try to stop me, it would have proven futile. But he did beg for me not to take you, he did say that he loved you with all his heart. I told Inutaisho that you loved him as well and that it will be your decision on whether you go back or not."

Kagome eyes welled up with tears, as they were now falling like a waterfall down her cheek. Sesshoumaru begged his Hiijiji not to take her. Her mate never begged for anything as far as she knew. He was too proud and arrogant to beg, for him to beg his Hiijiji not to take her, filled her heart with joy because she knew then that he loved her deeply.

But the thought of losing her adoptive parents, Kagome fell to her knees. She didn't want them to suffer because of her argument with Sesshoumaru. She knew that she was stubborn and so was he, but it was something that they could work out together. She did love him, he just needed to learn how to trust her.

Kagome looked up with pained filled eyes as she said, "I want to go back. I don't want Sesshoumaru's parents to suffer because of what happen between their son and me. I do love that arrogant ass. We just have to work out our problems, like anyone else does. I may want to have the hurt go away, but I also know that I'm stubborn at times and I come from a place where women speak their minds without fear of retribution."

Tsuyoimaru understood this as he said, "I understand Kagome, but why don't you stay here with me and let me train you. I will also like to tell you a little about the Inu youkai nature. You should have been taught this from the beginning. Sesshoumaru should have explained to you why he acts the way he does, and what sets off his inner youkai. In this I believe that we will teach Sesshoumaru a well-deserved lesson about the type of person you really are. You are special my dear, and he has to learn that."

Kagome thought about what he said and she had to agree with his logic. She will stay with him for a few days until she trained and learned what he wanted to teach her.

--oOo--

The western castle was in a somber mood. There was no laughter that could be heard around the area. They have been told that the young miko has taken ill and that they didn't know if she will survive.

Ayashiko was not happy to hear what happened to her pup. She rushed into Sesshoumaru's room as she looked at her pup that was sleeping in her bed. Her son was on his knees next to his mate while he was holding her hand tightly, his head bowed in anguish, by having his mate in this state.

She growled at her son for letting this happen to her Musume. The disappointment she was feeling surrounded her aura and it was all directed at her son. Not once did she speak to Sesshoumaru, as she turned on her heels and left the room.

Sesshoumaru's heart clenched even tighter as his mother clearly stated her disappointment in his behavior. It was well deserved, he hurt his mate and doubted her loyalty and trust to him.

He took her hand and rubbed it against his cheek as he gently said, "Koiishi, please return to me. I know that I have hurt you and my promises to you have been non-existent. But I can't live my life without you Kagome. I want you in my life once again. I want to hear the wonderful sounds of your laughter going around the castle. I especially want to feel your hands on me once more as I hold you in my arms. Please find it in your heart to forgive me and return."

Sesshoumaru continued to protect Kagome in her weakened state. He would not eat, sleep, or rest as he stood by her side waiting to see what she was going to do.

--oOo--

The next day Inuyasha was told what happened to Kagome. He was upset to learn that his elder brother hurt the one person that he truly loved. He wanted to see if it was all true. He knew that his brother loved Kagome but he also understood that he will not show his emotions when it came to her.

He rushed upstairs to his elder brother's room as he walked in to see Kagome. When he opened the door he was shocked to see that Kagome was lying in bed, not moving, with his brother on his knees next to her.

He could tell that Sesshoumaru has not slept at all and the food that was brought upstairs for him to eat was still sitting on the table untouched.

He walked closer to where Kagome and Sesshoumaru were located as he looked upon his best friend. She taught him so much about fighting and protecting himself. She showed him how to be confident and fight with a warrior's heart.

His eyes started to water as he turned to his brother and said, "Why Sesshoumaru? Why would you hurt Kagome like this? You know that she will lay her life down for you or for any of us. She is the only person that I would love to mate but I am not of age to take her. But if I was of age you better believe that she would be my mate instead of yours. At least I know how to make her happy.

"You disappoint me Sesshoumaru. I thought that you loved her but this only proves that you don't. A mate does not hurt the one they love, EVER!!"

Inuyasha turned and ran from his brother's room. He stopped, as he was about to exit the room, then he said in a low voice that only his brother could hear, "I wanted to be just like you Sesshoumaru. I always thought that you were the strongest of us and would bring peace to our lands. But if this is the way you are going to be, then you better think again about ruling the Western Lands. I will challenge you when the time comes for the right to rule the west. We need someone to rule with a kind heart, not an iceberg like yours."

Once he was done he left his brothers room as he went towards his. He still loved Kagome with all his heart. But he understood about him not being of age. He handed her over to his elder brother so he could love and protect her, but all he has done so far is hurt her.

Inuyasha rushed into his room as he slammed the door shut. He vowed that if his brother let Kagome die he will kill him. Nothing in this world will stop him if he let the only person to show him love and attention, die of a broken heart.

Inuyasha could tell that she was weakening. She was pale and the nice healthy glow that she had on her skin was now pale and pasty. He could tell that she didn't have much time left in this world and he hoped with all his heart that his brother could bring her back.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru heard every word that his brother said. It was all true and it hurt like crazy. He even heard when his brother professed his love for his mate. He never knew that he loved her that much but he will not give up on trying to get her back. He never looked up from his mate as he continued to protect her while she was weak.

He caressed her cheeks with his fingers as he moved her stubborn hair away from her face. No matter how much he tried her hair will always try to hide her features.

--oOo--

It has been 5 days and Kagome was now finished with everything Tsuyoimaru wanted to teach her. She knew everything about Inu youkai as he took the time to explain to her their very nature. From the yips, growls, and snarls and what they meant. To the ways she could submit to her mate and still have her pride in tact.

On occasions she will hear Sesshoumaru's words on how much he loved her and wanted her to return. How he will work harder to make her life as happy as possible. She could feel his touch on her cheek or the gentle squeeze he gave her hand. Her heart ached to return to him. She loved him more than anything and she wanted to go back.

After training with Tsuyoimaru for five days she has mastered the new skills that she will need for the future. She had a complete understanding of how he lived over a thousand years ago and everything he did to protect his lands. She turned to him after their training as she asked, "Excuse me milord but I would like to go back now. I have learned everything you wanted to teach me and I'm ready to go back."

Tsuyoimaru looked at Kagome as he asked, "Are you sure that you are ready to return? This is the only time that I will be able to help you, if something else happens then you will be on your own."

Kagome understood what he was saying as she said, "Yes, I understand what you are telling me. Even if you can't help me anymore I know deep down in my heart that this is what I want. I will miss you though, you have taught me so much while I was here, I will make sure that I pass on the information to my children so they know who you are. Thank you."

Tsuyoimaru looked at the young pup as he reached into the fold of his haori and pulled out a necklace. He placed it around her neck as he stood back and looked at his gift. It was a golden chain with a golden fang. It sparked to life the moment it touched her skin as it glowed a golden color, his spells were activating to protect this precious pup.

Kagome saw the gift that he gave her as she said, "This is beautiful milord but I don't deserve a gift like this. I have done nothing to earn it."

Tsuyoimaru smiled as he said, "This is my final gift to you. This fang will protect you if anything happens. It will prevent any spell from fully taking hold of you until you recovered your strength and break it. This is the last thing I will give you. No one will be able to see it but it will always be with you."

Tsuyoimaru stepped forward and kissed the crescent moon on her forehead as he sent her back to her mate. He sensed that the arrogant pup has learned his lesson and will from now on trust his mate. He regretted doing this to the young pup but he had to learn how to trust her, if they were to meet and fight the enemy, or all would be lost.

--oOo--

For five days Sesshoumaru has not slept, eaten, drank, or moved from his mate's side. His father was getting worried that he will collapse from being weakened so much. He refused to leave Kagome for any reason until she woke. He kept saying that it was his fault that she was like this and he will protect her until she made up her mind on what she wanted to do.

Sesshoumaru once again moved the hair away from his mate's eyes. She was so pale and she was still asleep. She was growing weaker by the day and everyday he will talk to her to see if she would wake up for him.

He leaned down to her ear as he said, "Kagome, my Aiyoku, please wake up for me. I need you in the worst ways and I want you to be with me. Can you find it in your heart to forgive this Sesshoumaru for his harsh words?"

He looked at her lush lips as he leaned down and kissed her. Those lips were soft to the touch, as he moved his tongue over them to get them wet. He felt his mate take a deep breath and the next thing he knew she was opening her mouth to him.

Overwhelm with heart-felt gratitude that she has returned to him, he did not hesitate to ravish her mouth with his tongue as he deepened the kiss. She tasted so good and he was happy that she was finally awake.

He pulled away for lack of air as he saw her slowly opening her beautiful blue eyes. He smiled gently at his mate as he nuzzled her taking in her wonderful scent. Growls of contentment were heard as well as whimpers of apologies, because he finally has his mate back with him.

He held her close to his chest, never wanting to let go of her for fear that Kagome would leave him again. He didn't want to lose her so he held her tightly in his arms. He relished her scent and he felt when she held him closer to her. This is all he wanted, this is all he ever wanted was to have his mate.

--oOo--

Kagome was starting to wake up when she felt a nice warm tongue on her lips. It felt so good that she wanted more. She opened her lips and was not disappointed when a tongue came into her mouth and took her breath away. She enjoyed the taste of her mate as she kissed him back with all the love she has for him.

But all too soon the kiss ended as she slowly opened her eyes. She saw the concerned look in Sesshoumaru eyes as he nuzzled her under her chin. She then heard him purr and growl as he held her tightly in his arms.

This is what she missed. This is what she wanted more than anything, was to be loved by the one person she loved. She brought her arms up as she wrapped them around his neck and held on to him. She didn't want to let go or leave his side ever again.

When they pulled away from their hug Kagome noticed the state her mate was in. Concern was clearly seen in her blue orbs as she asked, "Sesshoumaru, what happened to you?"

Just hearing his name come out of his mates lips sent shivers down his spine as he said, "Nothing happened to me mate. I'm glad that you have awakened. I just about given up hope that you would come back to me."

Kagome noticed that his clothes were all dirty, he had dark circles under his eyes, and it looked like he has not slept since she has been asleep. She didn't like him this way, it was not her Sesshoumaru, as she looked into his eyes and said, "Sesshoumaru can we go bathe?"

She saw the twinkle in his eyes as he leaned down and picked her up in his arms. They went into the bathing chambers together as they went to get cleaned up.

--oOo--

A servant was walking down the hallway after cleaning up the empty rooms to the western wing. She stopped in her tracks when she heard the young master's growls of contentment and whimpers of apologies to his mate. She thought this odd since his mate was still unconscious from her illness.

Then she heard the young miko speak to her mate and she was overcome with joy. She heard as the young miko asked to go bathe and it was her chance to clean the room before they came back. She raced out of the western wing as she got some more servants to help her.

About ten female servants rushed back into the western wing, they slowly opened the door to Sesshoumaru's chambers and peaked in. When they saw that the room was empty they quickly went in and cleaned the room from top to bottom. They even changed the bed sheets and turned them down, for when he came back into his room with his mate. The room was cleaned in record time as they all left about ten minutes later.

One of the servants went to find their lord as she went to tell him the good news about the young miko. They were all worried that she will not recover from her illness.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru gently carried Kagome to the cleansing area. He set her down on her feet as she stood under her own power. He held her in his arms not wanting to let go. He was afraid that she will leave him again and never come back.

Kagome felt his need to hold her and she was content with that, but right now she needed to get him cleaned up, and then try to make him eat. Her arms came up as she started to undo his sash. The sash was tied tightly around his waist, as she finally succeeded in getting it off his person. She continued until she got him completely undressed as she stepped away from him.

Kagome looked into Sesshoumaru's pained filled eyes as she said, "Sesshoumaru, please sit down and allow me to bathe you. I promise that I'm not going to leave you again."

Her words seemed to soothe his aching soul, but he seemed to be in a world all his own. He didn't move from his spot so she gently moved him toward the bench and sat him down. She removed her kimono as she got some water to bathe her mate. She noticed that he did not moved from his spot as she gently cleaned him.

When she was done she cleaned herself and then turned her attention toward Sesshoumaru. He has not moved nor did he recognize her at all. Aside from when he brought her into the bathing chambers he has not touched her since she moved from his arms and told him that she will not leave him.

Worry could be seen in Kagome's eyes as she made her way towards her mate. She straddled his lap as she nuzzled him under his chin seeking comfort from him. When he didn't respond to her touch she whined and licked his neck. Tears were now starting to form in her eyes as she started to cry into his chest. He wouldn't even lift his arms to hold her as he sat there in a state of shock.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru was in complete euphoria, his heart almost stopped beating when he heard her say that she will not leave him again. He relaxed as he felt his mates touch on his body, his mind numb with joy, while he sat there and enjoyed the attention she was bestowing upon him.

Then his mind started to come back to reality as the scent of salt water reached his senses. He finally noticed that his mate was sitting on his lap and was crying. He brought his arms up as he encircled her in his embrace. He held her close to his chest as he started to purr to calm her.

Kagome felt when Sesshoumaru's arms finally came up and held her. Her heart leaped with joy as she looked up at her mate. She gently reached up and nipped his chin as she growled and yipped, _"Alpha, mate!"_

Sesshoumaru eyes went wide when he heard her words. He was still her alpha and more importantly he was still her mate. He leaned down and licked away her tears as he nuzzled her neck.

**--Start of Lemon--**

Kagome was in heaven but she wanted more. She needed him in a way, that she thought she would never need anyone in her life. She wanted him in the worst ways as her arousal spiked heavily. She moved to her knees as she pulled her body up. She felt when his member grew painfully hard against her stomach while she was sitting in his lap.

Her blue orbs looked into her mates eyes, as a new feeling she has never experienced before, lust, took over and she kissed him. It was a hungry, desperate kiss as she ravished his mouth. She shifted lightly and then gently came down. When she did she impaled herself on his hard member and was instantly in ecstasy.

Sesshoumaru was shocked at the way his mate was acting. When she kissed him there was so much passion in her kiss that it took his breath away. Then he felt something warm and tight slip around his member and he was instantly in heaven. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. Her tight sheath felt heavenly around his member as he felt himself fully embedded within her core.

A growl of possessiveness came out of his chest as he continued to ravish her mouth. Then he felt his lovely mate move as she slowly raised her rear up and then lower herself down on his member again, stroking him gently. The feeling was extraordinary as his passion for her grew. The need to get more comfortable became overwhelming as he wrapped his arms around his mate and stood.

He quickly left the bathing chambers as he went back to their room. He didn't even notice that the servants have cleaned the room while he was busy with his mate. He finally reached their futon as he gently laid his mate down, not once leaving her wonderful heat.

He quickly placed a barrier on the door, not willing to let anyone into the room while he was engaged with his mate. It was his first time in having her after their mating and he will kill the first one to walk through that door to disturbed him and his mate.

He started to move slowly in and out of his mate's hot core as he ravished her mouth with his tongue. She felt wonderful around his member. His growls of pleasure were filling the room as his mate wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

Kagome was in heaven as she deeply kissed Sesshoumaru; her hands went up around his neck as her fingers found the back of his head. She was gently scratching and caressing his head as she felt her mate growl in pleasure.

Sesshoumaru was moving way to slow for her liking as she pulled away from the kiss for lack of air and she breathlessly said, "Faster, harder, please Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru, not one to disappoint, quickened his pace as Kagome brought her legs up and wrapped them tightly around his waist. She meet him stroke for stroke as she felt the wonderful knot starting again in her stomach. She knew that she was nearing her end, as she got ready.

Tsuyoimaru explained to her that she was still not fully bonded to Sesshoumaru. Yes they have mated and partially bonded but full bonding will not happen until she went into heat and that's when she will grow temporary fangs so she could mark him as her mate.

He stated that demoness will not always conceive pups during their heat. It had to be a deep desire for them to conceive a pup for their mate. But that it was during their heat cycle that they marked their mates as their own and fully share the life bond of their souls.

He also explained Sesshoumaru behavior around her. Her mate was fully aware that their bond was not complete and he will protect her from any male until her heat so she could mark him as her own.

Kagome wanted this bond more than anything as she started to chant her incantation to make her fangs grow longer. It was a temporary spell that will make her fangs longer until she could mark her mate. She wanted to be fully bonded to him for life and until she got that, she knew she will not be happy or complete.

As Kagome finished her spell, she felt her fangs grow, once they finished growing she was ready to mark her mate. Her aura flared, while her eyes went white from her passion, when she came to her end. She bit down hard on Sesshoumaru's shoulder as she marked him as her mate for life.

Sesshoumaru could feel Kagome coming to her end, he quickened his pace so he could join her, as he felt Kagome clinch around his manhood. He gave two more powerful thrusts as he came to his end with his lovely mate. He felt her aura spike as he spiked his to match her strength then he felt her fangs bite into his neck marking him as her mate for life.

Sesshoumaru howled at the feeling he got when his mate marked him, his eyes turned a demonic pure white, as he bit down on her shoulder renewing his mating mark on her. Their aura's flared and joined their souls for life as a true-life bond was established.

Kagome slowly pulled her fangs out of Sesshoumaru's shoulder as she licked his wound clean. Once she came down from her powerful climax, her fangs disappeared, leaving her with her normal teeth.

Sesshoumaru was spent, he barely had enough energy to pull the sheets up to cover them, as he rested his head on Kagome's chest. His arms came around to her sides as he let the gentle beating of her heart lull him to sleep.

Kagome brought her hands up, gently caressing Sesshoumaru's head. Soon she was tired as she fell asleep with Sesshoumaru on her chest listening to her heartbeat.

**--End of Lemon--**

Inutaisho was sitting in his study deep in thought; he was thinking about his little one and wondering if she will wakeup or if she will decide to end her life. It pained him to think that she will want to die after everything that she has been through. He knew that she has suffered so much throughout her life and he wanted a life for her that will make her happy.

As he thought about his little one, he heard a gentle knock on his door, it brought him out of his melancholy as he said, "Come in." A female servant came rushing into his study, she didn't even wait to be told to speak as she said, "Milord, the young miko is awake! The young master is purring his contentment at having his mate back."

This news lifted his spirit as he dismissed the servant and got up to go see his pup. He needed to make sure that she was all right and that Sesshoumaru will do nothing to upset her. He never wanted to go through this again.

As he was walking upstairs he noticed the power surge that was coming from the western wing. He paled thinking that Sesshoumaru was fighting with his mate again. He didn't want to lose Kagome as he picked up his pace and rushed upstairs.

When he got to his son's door he noticed the powerful barrier that was there and he also heard the throws of passion coming from inside the room. A few minutes later he heard the howl of conquest coming from his son and the flaring of auras within the room.

A smile came to his lips as he realized that his son has learned his lesson well and was at this moment re-establishing his connection with his mate. The flaring of their aura was not intense but it was still powerful enough to be felt throughout the entire castle.

Then he heard a peaceful growl as everything went quiet in the room. He could feel the happiness coming from behind the door as he turned on his heel and went to find his mate. He wanted to assuage her fears about his little one. If they were lucky they will have both their pups down for dinner later tonight.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru was the first to stir as he noticed that he was laying on something very soft. He could hear a gentle heartbeat as he opened his eyes. His head was moving slowly up and down as he saw the ivory skin in front of him. The silky skin was beautiful as he turned his eyes slightly, and got a good view of the caramel peak that was close to his mouth. It was hard, as it stood straight up waiting for his warm mouth to take it.

A gentle smile came upon his features when he realized that he was lying on his mate's chest. His arms tightened around her form as he shifted wanting a taste of the nipple that was waiting for his hungry mouth. He took it in his mouth as he gently caressed it with his tongue while his teeth gentle scratched her tender skin. He picked up the increasing heartbeat from his mate as he was waking her up, while he continued to lavish her with attention.

Kagome felt something wonderful pulling at her breast. It was a gentle suckling feeling that was sending a wonderful feeling through her body as it was being brought back to life. She felt something warm circle her nipple as she moaned out her pleasure. Her mate could wake her up like this everyday and she wouldn't mind at all.

Her arms came around his head as she brought him closer to her chest. Her breathing was becoming ragged as she started to softly scratch his scalp. Her dull nails were making contact with his head and she knew all the places that were sensitive to her mate. Then her fingers landed on the soft skin behind his ears as Sesshoumaru stopped what he was doing and growled in pleasure.

He turned towards her soft skin and rubbed his cheek against it, relishing the feeling of having his mate with him.

Kagome smiled as she scratched behind Sesshoumaru's ear. He seemed to like her attention as she continued. She felt so content just being in his arms. Then all too soon her stomach gave an awful growl of protest. She has not eaten and she was hungry.

Sesshoumaru heard his mate's stomach. He knew she needed to eat as he raised his head and said to her, "Koiishi, you need to eat. The evening meal is to be served soon we should get up and get dressed so we can go down to dinner."

Kagome agreed with him as they got up from their bed, bathed, and then dressed. They left their room as they walked downstairs, with Sesshoumaru having his arm and tail wrapped around Kagome's waist, to meet his parents for the evening meal.

Kagome was happy as she was tucked against her mate's side. This was the place that she felt the happiest as she leaned in to her mate's strength. Kagome's aura was at peace for once in her life as she felt her life bond with Sesshoumaru. This is what she wanted all her life, to feel loved and protected for all eternity, as she could actually feel the love that Sesshoumaru held for her.

When they reached the dinning hall they entered as the doors were opened for them.

Lord Inutaisho and his mate were waiting for his son to arrive. When he saw the door open a smile came to his features as he saw his little one tucked against his eldest side and she actually looked at peace for once.

Inutaisho heard a startled cry next to him as he saw his mate rush toward their son and mate. He tried to grab her before she left but he was too late. His fear was evident because Sesshoumaru was still very protective of his mate as he rushed after to her to protect her.

Kagome saw her mother coming towards her as she tried to step away from Sesshoumaru's embrace. His protectiveness of her was evident when he tightened his hold around her waist. Kagome reached up and scratched his ear as he calmed and leaned into her touch. She smiled gently at him as she said, "Please release me mate."

Sesshoumaru complied with her request as he saw her step away from him and embrace the demoness that came towards her. A growl escaped his lips but Kagome's aura soothed him as he stayed where he was.

Inutaisho was amazed at the way Kagome handled his son. He slowed his pace as he stopped behind his mate and waited until she was done.

Ayashiko couldn't believe that her pup was alive and well. Just the sight of her brought tears to her eyes as she rushed forward to embrace her. She saw her take a step away from her son as they both embraced. It felt good to hold her in her arms once again.

Ayashiko pulled away from her pup as she turned her attention toward her son. He walked over to his mate as his arm came around her waist once more to tuck her into his side. Ayashiko smiled at the protectiveness of his mate as she turned and went to her own mate. They all turned as one while they went to sit down and eat.

Dinner was anything but quiet as they all sat around and talked. Ayashiko turned to Kagome and asked, "Kagome I will be going to several villages tomorrow do you want to come with me?"

Kagome eyes sadden just a bit as she took a deep breath and said, "No, I don't think that I will be able to go with you."

Sesshoumaru hearing the sadness in his mate's voice knew he had to make amends for what he has done. He turned towards Kagome as he said, "Kagome, if you wish to go with mother then you may. I trust that you can protect yourself and anyone with you. But if you find yourself in danger do not hesitate to call for me and we will both be there within a heartbeat."

Kagome's eyes opened wide as her heart skipped a beat, 'Is he actually letting me out of his sight now? Does he really trust me to protect myself?' Kagome thought as she stared at her mate. She smiled as she asked, "Are you sure Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru lean down toward his mate ear as he said, "Yes, mate I'm sure, but if you get into danger promise to call me."

Kagome purred as she said, "I promise mate." Kagome then turned her eyes toward Ayashiko as she said, "Yes I will go with you." Both women smiled happily at the thought of just having some alone time with each other without the men.

Inutaisho has been watching his son very closely since they came down to eat. He seemed different for some reason as he spotted something on his neck. He raised an eyebrow as he asked, "Sesshoumaru? What is that on your neck?"

Sesshoumaru cursed under his breath for not concealing his mating mark and letting his father see it. He pulled the edge of his haori up as he said, "It is nothing father."

Inutaisho was not convinced with his son's statement as he saw how red Kagome looked. Her blush covered her whole face and went down her neck. He sat there and thought as a smile came to his face and noticed how his son shifted in his seat. But what confused him the most was that Kagome was not in heat so how did his son have a full life bond with his mate?

Inutaisho didn't know how this could happen but he was happy that it did. They finally left the dinning hall as they went up to their rooms to retire for the night. Morning was going to be interesting to see how his son will manage not having Kagome near him or within the castle. But his son trusted her and this was a step in the right direction.

--oOo--

Morning came a little too soon for the newly mated couple. They were still tired from the night's activities but their mood was a good one. Kagome having rewarded her mate for trusting her, gave him a night of passion as they explored each other to a whole new level.

They met his parents down in the dinning hall and once everyone ate their meal they all went their separate ways. Lord Inutaisho along with Sesshoumaru went up to his study so they could discuss in detail Jakyoku, and what his plans might be. They have not heard from their spies and this worried them.

Inuyasha wanted to go with his mother but that was quickly put to rest when he was reminded of his duties to study and train. It was part of his grooming to become lord one day so he could help his brother rule or take over if something was to happen to him.

Ayashiko along with Kagome, Sango, and Kirara walked out of the castle to go to the villages, while General Dewa met them outside the castle with his men. Ayashiko noticed immediately that there was double the amount of soldiers that would normally travel with her. She raised an eyebrow at the General in question.

The General having seen the question in his lady's eyes replied, "The extra guards are needed to protect you milady. With Jakyoku out there as a threat, Lord Inutaisho is not willing to take the chance of you being attacked. So he has doubled the guards to protect both you and Lady Kagome."

Now Ayashiko understood what was going on. Her mate was worried that she and her pup would get attacked, so he was sending extra muscle to protect them. He tried to get her to stop going out to the villages, but once she had her talk with him he backed down. He knew better than to order her around and she was capable of protecting herself, though she did allow the general to come with her just so her mate would relax.

She turned weary eyes to her pup as she said, "It seems that your father is worried about us getting attacked so he is sending an extra company of his soldiers with us. We will be heavily protected while we travel."

Kagome smiled at Ayashiko. She knew that Inutaisho was very protective of the both of them, and she thought that Sesshoumaru was just as bad. They turned as they brought the two-headed dragon for Kagome to ride, but what caught Kagome's interest was the beast that Ayashiko was riding. It was a red dragon with beautiful big wings and deep green eyes.

Kagome watched as Ayashiko paid special attention to the dragon as Kagome asked, "Oka-san, your dragon is beautiful, what its name?"

Ayashiko turned to her pup as she said, "His name is Ryuuou, and your father gave him to me when we were first mated as a mating gift. I don't go anywhere without him because he protects me."

"He is a beautiful dragon Oka-san." Kagome said as she watched Ayashiko with the dragon, then she felt something hit her back. Kagome turned around to find the twin headed dragon standing behind her with their heads down.

Kagome turned worried eyes to the dragons as she asked, "Ah, Un, are you both all right? Are you sick?" Kagome grabbed each head in turn as she looked at the dragon to see if they were sick. When she didn't find anything wrong with them she wondered why they were acting this way. Kagome turned her head, she heard Ayashiko giggle at the dragon, as he nuzzled her affectionately.

Kagome then turned her attention back to the twin headed dragon as she saw the sadness in their eyes. Kagome's eyes soften as she said, "Ah, Un, I love you. I love the both of you and I wouldn't trade you for all the dragons in the world. Both of you are my handsome dragons and I will never part with you."

Ah, Un, perked up at hearing her statement as they nuzzled Kagome under her chin while one of them nipped playfully at the side of her neck. Kagome giggled when she heard her mother say, "Come Kagome we must go. We want to make sure that we come back early. I don't want your father to get worried."

Kagome got on Ah, Un, back as she offered a hand up to Sango so she could sit behind her and travel together. Kirara was perched on Sango's shoulder as Kagome turned the dragon and followed Ayashiko.

The soldiers fell into place as they traveled to the front and rear of their ladies. Their job was to protect them as they made their way to the village that they were to visit. General Dewa sent several of his men to scout the area out before they arrived. They wanted to make sure that the area was safe before their ladies approached the village.

They traveled for a good portion of the morning as they were approaching the village that they were to visit. The forward guards stopped in their tracks causing everyone to stop as well. General Dewa came forward as his scouts came out of the forest. They had a concerned look in their eyes as they reported their findings.

General Dewa did not like this news at all. They will not be able to approach the village because there seemed to be a sickness that was going around the village and to venture into that could infect them as well.

Dewa approached Ayashiko as he bowed and said, "Milady, we can not go to the village. There seems to be an illness that has infected the villagers and the healer has requested that we stay away until he can contain it."

This news was shocking to both Kagome and Ayashiko. Kagome came out of her shock first as she asked, "Do we know what kind of illness the villagers have?"

Dewa turned to Kagome and said, "No milady, the healer there have never dealt with this kind of illness before and he has no idea how to treat it."

Kagome turned to Ayashiko and said, "Oka-san, maybe I can help. My knowledge on diseases is great and I might be able to come up with a cure to help them."

Ayashiko listened to her pup as she made a decision, "General we will go to the village and see if we can help them. If we can't, then we shall send for the healers of the castle so they can come and help these people."

Dewa's eyes opened wide at her proclamation as he tried to convince her otherwise, "But milady, we can't go there, what if something was to happen to you, Lord Inutaisho will have my head. Please let us return to the castle and send for the healers, I don't think it will be safe for you there."

Ayashiko narrowed her eyes at the general as she bit out, "General, do you refuse to follow my commands?"

The General trembled in front of his lady as he said, "No milady, I do not question your orders."

"Very well then we head towards the village and see if we can help those villagers. Your concerns have been dually noted General and we shall take precautions while we are there.

"Take heart General, the people of these lands depend on us to help them in anyway we can. If we leave them in their time of need who is to say that they won't turn against us. Plus, if we allow this village to perish under this strange illness then it might spread to the rest of the lands.

"I will not allow others to become ill because of this." Ayashiko said with a certain amount of threat in her voice. It did not sit well with Ayashiko that this illness, whatever it was, might spread over their lands.

So the group moved out as the General gave orders to his soldiers. Half of the group with them moved out to secure the village from threats. The rest stayed with the Ladies of the West to protect them from any harm. When they finally got to the village it was very quiet. They did not see the villagers nor did they hear anything at all.

It appears that the village was deserted as the soldiers spread out over the area trying to see if they could find the villagers that lived in this place. The soldiers were not liking their surroundings as they were on high alert incase this was a trap.

Kagome felt that something was very wrong with the village. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up as she put her hand on her sword ready to do battle. Her instincts were never wrong as she moved closer to her mother. Her feelings were getting stronger as she whispered, "Oka-san we need to leave this place. Something is not right here, I don't sense the villagers anywhere nearby and I'm getting a bad feeling about all of this."

Ayashiko had to agree with Kagome, she was getting the same feelings that something was wrong and she didn't like it. She turned to her pup as she said, "Yes, I agree with you Musume there is something wrong here. We should leave and tell your father what we have found."

The group was about to leave when the attack came. Both Kagome and Ayashiko were hit with a needle to their neck. The dragons that were standing next to their mistress were also hit with a needle to their necks as they fell to the ground unconscious.

Sango and Kirara moved to protect the moment she saw that Kagome was in trouble. She had her weapon in front of her protecting Kagome when she was hit with the same type of needle to her neck. She fell to the ground unconscious, regretting that she couldn't protect her friend.

Kirara having seen Sango go down without being hit by the enemy ran to her mistress as she tried to wake her. She was nudging Sango trying to wake her up when she was hit with the same needles that affected everyone else.

Kirara tried to fight against the potion that was sent into her system but in the end she was also subdued as she fell unconscious on the ground.

The soldiers that were around the perimeter of the village were being attacked as the one's that were close to the ladies of the west moved closer to protect them. The attack came from within the village as hordes of youkai came out of the huts.

Surprised, the soldiers never detected the enemy's youki in the village. They must have strong concealment spell to go undetected by them. The soldiers fought with all their skills but they were just overwhelmed by all the youkai attacking them. Even the fiercest fighters would lose against such odds.

--oOo--

Kagome felt something hit her neck as it stung her. She reached up and pulled a long needle out of her neck as she looked at it. It almost looked like one of her acupuncture needles as she let it drop to the ground.

Kagome was starting to feel dizzy and her mind seemed to be going. She couldn't think logically as she tried to fight against the affects of the potion they injected her with. She looked off to her right and noticed that her mother collapsed to the ground. Kagome stumbled over to her mother's side as she kneeled next to her. She saw the same needle in her neck as she removed and discarded it.

Kagome was still fighting against the potion that was going through her body, she had to protect her mother and everyone around her. She looked for Sango and found her and Kirara on the ground unconscious. Their dragons have been taken out as well and there was no chance for them to escape.

She was gathering her powers, she was about to put up a barrier, when she was hit again with another needle to her neck. Kagome focused what little she had left of her resolve as she summoned her barrier and put it up over her mother and friends. The potion proved too much for her to handle, she succumbed to it and passed out on the ground.

--oOo--

Hiijiji—Great grand father

Souson – great grand child

Magomusuko – grand son

Aiyoku – Love

This is the end to another chapter. Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji showed him the value of having a special mate. He learned the hard way that he has to trust his mate to protect herself. It was a hard lesson to learn but in the end it made their relationship all the stronger.

In the next chapter all of the Western Lords enemies are gathering to attack the west. You will find out who actually captured Kagome and Ayashiko and what their plans are for them. Will the Western Lord get there in time to save the females of his pack or will they fall to the combined might of their enemies. You have to wait until the next chapter to find out.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The wolves have been keeping a watch over the western castle. They have discovered that the miko was ill and that she might die from her illness. The mood around the area was very mournful as they were waiting for news on the miko's health.

Ginta and Hakkaku were in one of the local villages to see what they have heard from the castle. They discovered early on that the best information could be obtained from the villages since the ningens loved to gossip about the lord of the lands.

As they entered the village they discovered that it looked deserted. They didn't see any of the ningens that would normally be there. The stalls where empty where the merchants would normally sell their goods to passersby.

Wondering what happened to the ningens, they ventured deeper into the village. When they reached the center of the village they found all the villagers gathered there as they were listening to the latest news from the castle.

Ginta and Hakkaku approached with caution as they too paid attention to what was being said. The crowd around them burst into cheers upon hearing that the young miko of the castle recovered from her illness. They were passing the word around to all the villages in the area that the Lady of the West, along with the young miko, will be visiting one of the villages in the morning.

The ningens were excited as they all disbursed from the area and started to get the village ready in case the Ladies of the West decided to come to their village. They wanted to make a good impression with the ladies and it wouldn't due for them to come to their village and see it in a mess.

Ginta and Hakkaku looked at each other as they both turned and left the village. They needed to report back to Koga and tell him the good news. This might be their best chance to get the ningen while she was away from her mate and the Western Lords protection.

They raced toward the cave, which they have called home, since their failed attempt in getting the ningen onna from the castle. It was still close enough to the castle and it hid them well from the western soldiers.

Upon their return they spotted Koga sitting outside of the cave. They rushed to his side as Ginta yelled, "Koga! We have news of the ningen!"

Koga opened his eyes as he heard his name being called. He spotted his two most loyal pack companions coming towards him as he sat up straight to hear what they had to say. When he heard that they had news of the miko his ears perked up.

Ginta and Hakkaku finally reached Koga, out of breath for running so fast back to their den. Once they could breathe again, they told Koga of their findings at the village.

Koga smiled an evil smile as he said, "This is wonderful news. We will have to follow them tomorrow to see which village they will be visiting. If there is a chance that we can capture the ningen onna, then we will attack when the opportunity arises and leave this area. We won't stop until we reach the southern territory. Then I will deal with the wench for what she has done to me."

Koga has already stayed longer than he planned. He should have left this area two days ago to go south for the winter. Already the animals in the area were leaving and it was becoming harder for his pack to find prey to feed them all. This is what he was waiting for so he could leave. He needed confirmation of her death or that she recovered so he could take her away from her mate.

The wolves agreed as they got everything ready for the following day. It was going to be a long day until they discovered if they could indeed take the ningen away from the Western Lord.

--oOo--

At dawn the next morning the wolves moved out. They had everything with them because they were not going to come back to this area. Koga sent out several of his men, as scouts, to keep an eye on the ningen and the Lady of the West. When word came back that they were moving they followed behind, making sure that they stayed hidden from the soldiers that were escorting them to their destination.

Word reached Koga that they were heavily protected. They were outnumbered five to one and this did not sit well with him. They will have to find a way to get to the miko. With this many soldiers he had his doubts that he will be able to get her.

They continued to follow waiting for their chance to grab the girl. They traveled a good portion of the day when they saw the western soldiers stop. Koga stopped his pack as well as he moved through the trees to investigate what was going on.

He heard what the problem was and was delighted when the Lady of the West ordered them to continue on to the village. With a smile on his face he returned to his pack as he said, "Come, we travel to the village that is ahead of us. We must find a place to hide so we can grab the ningen. We should have no trouble with the villagers because there is an illness that is going around and has made them all weak."

The wolves moved swiftly through the area as they made their way to the village. They arrived there before the western soldiers and what they saw was not what they expected. The village was over run with youkai and he had no idea who they were.

Koga thought, 'Something isn't right here. Who are these youkais and what do they want here? Are they after the ningen like we are?' He could not fight that many youkais at once, but if they attacked the Western soldiers… then he could sneak in and grab the girl. He liked this idea as he turned to his men and told them of his new plan.

It took another hour or so for the Western soldiers to finally reach the village. Koga and his pack observed when the other youkais hid in the huts as they waited for the females to enter the village.

Koga noticed right away that when these youkai hid in the huts he could not detect their youki nor could he pick up their scent. They must have enchanted the area to hide them from the western soldier's nose.

They watched as the Lady of the West stopped in the middle of the village and got off her dragon. They looked around the area not seeing any of the villagers moving about the place. The females were getting nervous as they decided to leave the area and inform the Lord of the Lands about what they found.

They almost reached their dragons when the attack came. They hit the females with something as they saw the Lady of the West go down. The miko made her way over to her as they took out the dragons, youkai slayer, and the neko. The only one still awake was the miko and she was fighting the spell that they were trying to place on her.

Koga knew that soon she will break the spell and if he wanted to get her he had to move now while she was weak. He was about to leap to her location when he noticed that they hit her again with another needle. The miko managed to put up a barrier before finally collapsing on the ground.

Koga was shocked, he had no idea who these youkai were but they were very good at what they did. He signaled his wolves to stay hidden in the forest. He wanted to see what these youkai wanted with the females. If they managed to get them away from this area then he will have a better chance of taking her away from these fools.

He watched closely from the trees as he saw a tall black Inu youkai approach the females. He was interested to see how he was going break the miko's barrier and what he was going to do to subdue her.

--oOo--

The wolves were not the only ones that were watching what was going on down in the village. Akurei was also watching from afar. She has been following Jakyoku for a while now. She had sensed his soldiers a little over a week ago and went towards their location. She found his secret base and was watching to see what he was going to do.

He might prove to be of some use to her if he could get the miko away from the Western Lord and his son. She could kill the miko while she was in his care and get the blood she needed to become immortal.

An evil smile crossed her features at that thought. 'Yes, if he does all the work then I can go in and kill the miko while she is subdued and take the blood that I need. Sneaking into his camp should be easy enough. There are plenty of dark shadows that I can move around in and I can get close enough to the miko to kill her.'

Akurei also noticed that the wolves she made a pact with were also in the area and they were watching what was going on down below. The miko put up a barrier that protected herself plus the Lady of the West. There was also another ningen down there but she didn't know who she was nor did she care. The only thing she wanted was the miko's blood as she watched to see what was going to happen next.

--oOo--

Jakyoku left the western castle once he gave his spies instructions. He told them that there will be spies in the area and that any news that would be of importance to him was to be relayed to him immediately. He only had four days to get everything ready to go after the girl. He raced through the forest as he headed toward his new headquarters. Time was of the essence as he quickly made his way toward the boarders of the Western Lands.

When he finally arrived he noticed that most of his army was already there. He was only missing a couple of companies of soldiers, and they should be arriving in the area by the next night.

His generals gathered to greet his return as he turned to all of them, "I want two companies of our best soldiers to be ready. We are going after the Lady of the West and the miko that is with her. They are heading towards a village for a visit but they will not release the name of the village, until the day they depart.

"I want soldiers stationed at the western castle to relay any important messages from the spies that are stationed there. Once the females get ready to leave, we will follow behind to see where they are heading. Once we know which village they are visiting we will attack and kill everyone in the village and then set up our trap. I will not tolerate any mistakes, generals. I want the miko and the Lady of the West taken alive."

His generals understood his orders as they left to gather the two companies of soldiers that will aid their lord in this raid.

Jakyoku summoned his healer as he waited patiently for him to arrive. Once he got to him he said in a deadly voice, "I want a potion that will put two very powerful females to sleep. It cannot kill or harm them in any way. You have three days to get it done."

The healer paled at his request, what he was asking for will require time to mix but he was not about to tell his lord that, because to say that it couldn't be done will be his death. He bowed as he left in a hurry to make the potion that his lord wanted. He just hoped that he could mix the potion in the time allowed.

Jakyoku was happy that he was finally going to get his miko. After seeing what she looked like he couldn't wait to hold her in his arms. Yes, she will be by his side for all eternity. She was the most powerful female he has ever seen and she will provide him with many strong pups. His heir will rule the lands of the west just like it was promised centuries ago.

He turned on his heals as he went into one of the caves and went towards his cavern. He long ago moved some of his personnel belongings here, along with some special books that he needed to find now.

Once he got to his cavern he started looking everywhere for his books. It took him the better part of the day but he finally found what he was looking for. He sat down as he started to go over the books looking for the right spells that he needed to subdue the females. He especially needed a spell that will restrain the collars on the females which is what protected them while their mates were not with them.

Jakyoku was not happy. It has taken him two days to find the right spells that he needed to subdue the miko. It was taking him even longer to master the spells since they were very complicated. He was not in the best of moods when a messenger came with news from the castle.

Although the news was disturbing it also brought great relief to him, he sent the messenger back and told his spies to keep an eye on the castle. He wanted to know the moment the miko recovered from her illness. He had no doubt that she will recover from whatever ails her. This little bit of information allowed him more time to master the spells he will need to get the females.

The days passed and still no word was received from his spies. Jakyoku was beginning to have his doubts that the miko will recover from her illness. Then five days after he was told that the miko had taken ill a messenger came back and informed him that she has recovered.

An evil smile appeared on Jakyoku features, as it was time to go and get what was his. He summoned his generals and told them that it was time to leave.

The generals did as they were told, they gathered the soldiers needed for this mission and set off toward the western castle. The healer having the time to perfect his potion gave the generals the needles with the potion on them, along with some long tubes that they could use to shoot the needles out of. It will be easy enough for the soldiers to use and get the females that they wanted. The needles contained a spell that will go through any barrier to reach its target.

They arrived at the outskirts of the castle and waited. Everyone was on edge as this was their first mission that they will be able to shine for their lord. This was the beginning of their plan to take over the Western Lands, finally getting the recognition that they deserved as the true rulers of the west. No longer will they hide in caves like common moles.

They waited until one of the soldiers, which were keeping an eye on the castle, showed up and told them that the Ladies of the West were moving out with two companies of soldiers from the garrison.

They learned the destination of the group from his spies. Jakyoku didn't waist anytime as he sent a company of his soldiers ahead to secure the village. By the time he made it there the soldiers have killed the ningens and the village was theirs.

One of Jakyoku soldiers signaled that there were soldiers from the west approaching the village. The youkais quickly moved into the huts as Jakyoku along with some of his generals stayed in the center of the village. Jakyoku cast a powerful concealment spell that changed their appearance and scent to that of a ningen as they saw the soldiers approach.

The western soldiers approached the ningens as they said, "Greetings, we come from Gengetsujou, the Lady of the Lands is coming to your humble village for a visit."

Jakyoku was smiling on the inside as he responded back to the soldiers, "Greeting to you as well oh noble soldiers of the west. We are honored that the lady of the lands is going to be visiting our humble village, but alas our village has been taken over by a strange illness. We don't know what it is and we have not contained it as of yet. We humbly decline her offer to visit, we wish only for her safety. Please relay our apologies to our Lady."

The soldiers looked at each other as the one that spoke before said, "Very well, we will relay the message to Lady Ayashiko. We thank you for the warning." The soldiers turned and left the area. Once they were gone Jakyoku lowered his concealment spell.

The generals were confused as one of them asked, "Milord, why did you say that there was an illness in this village. Won't that make the Lady of the West and the miko leave the area to go elsewhere?"

Jakyoku laughed, as he said, "No, this lady of the West will come here to investigate what kind of illness this village is infected with. She will not chance the illness spreading throughout the lands. When they arrive, then they will be at our mercy." The generals didn't say another word as they set about getting the village ready to greet their newest guest.

They selected several soldiers and gave them the needles to incapacitate the females. That was their sole job. They were not to engage the western soldiers nor leave their post, as they gave them their weapons. They moved to different parts of the village so they could pick a spot to shoot at their targets.

They knew what they needed to do and they were determined to do it. They have been working with these needles for over a week now. They have perfected their skills and now they were very accurate with their new weapons.

About an hour later the females arrived with their escorts at the village. They dismounted their dragons and were looking around the area.

Jakyoku was getting excited as he signaled his men to get ready. When he heard the miko's words he paled as he saw them turn to mount the dragons again. He was positive that they could not detect them. His concealment spells was one of the most powerful spells he knew. He gave the signal and the youkais attacked the Western soldiers without mercy.

The Western soldiers were outnumbered as they slowly fell by their hands. The females have been hit with the needles as Jakyoku saw the Lady of the Lands, the youkai slayer with them, the dragons, and the fire neko, all fall unconscious on the ground. The only one that was still standing was the miko and she was fighting the potion that was going through her body. He gave another signal to one of his men as he shot the miko with another needle.

He saw his lovely mate stagger from being hit again as she struggled to fight off the potions affects but it was to no avail. He saw as she raised a barrier with the last of her strength as she fell unconscious on the ground.

Reports came back that they have defeated the Western soldiers but with heavy losses. His soldiers were not equal to the might of the West, as he lost about half of his forces to their superior battle skills.

Jakyoku made his way to the fallen females. Stopping in front of the barrier, which the miko raised, he noticed how powerful it was. He knew that the potion weakened the miko considerably, but this barrier was still powerful. His hand moved closer as he touched it. He pulled his hand quickly away from the barrier when he noticed the purifying magic that it held. This barrier was going to be difficult to bring down.

Jakyoku thought for a few minutes as his generals stood behind him waiting to see what their lord was going to do. He pulled his sword from its sheath as he concentrated on the blade. The blade started to glow red as he raised the sword and swung it at the barrier.

The aura from his blade and the barrier meet as the two powers collided together. The blades aura ran across the barrier as it attacked it from all sides. Jakyoku had to give his sword more power in order to take down the barrier. But his efforts were rewarded when he saw the barrier crack under his assault.

There was a big explosion as everyone was thrown back from the females. Jakyoku was panting hard as he stood shakily on his feet. He walked back to the females and noticed that he broke the barrier. If the miko had not been weakened, he would not have been able to break her barrier, this much he knew. It was very powerful and it took almost everything he had to take it down.

He approached the females as he looked at them. There was a barrier around each of their bodies as the fangs around their necks protected them.

Jakyoku reached into his haori and pulled out two new collars. He held them in his hands as he said his incantations. The collars glowed green as he approached the Lady of the Lands. He kneeled down by her side as he said another spell that allowed him to reach into her barrier, this barrier was very powerful, but he managed to put the collar over the one she had on.

A green aura went around Ayashiko body as his collar fought with the one she was wearing. It finally subdued the fang and they were now free to take her. Then Jakyoku turned his attention to the miko.

He moved over to her side and did the same thing. He found it more difficult to get past the fangs barrier. The spell that protected her was more powerful than the one that protected the Lady of the Lands. He concentrated even harder as he got his arms past the barrier and managed to get the collar around her neck.

The red aura of the collar she was wearing surged forward as it fought with the green aura of the collar he just put on her. He was having a hard time subduing the power of Sesshoumaru's collar. He added even more of his youki to the collar as he continued to fight to subdue the aura protecting the girl.

This anger started to grow at his inability to subdue Sesshoumaru's collar as his youki flare dangerously around the female, finally he was able to subdue Sesshoumaru's collar. He was panting hard as he stood on shaky legs. Now that his collar was on her it will keep Sesshoumaru's collar at bay and allow him to touch the female.

He turned to his soldiers and said, "It is time to leave, we will head back towards our camp and then we will wait for the Western Lord to come to us. Make sure that everything is ready for his arrival. I'm sure that both the Western Lord and his son will come after their mates."

Jakyoku turned as he eyed a soldier getting ready to pick up the miko. Jakyoku lashed out with his whip as he said with a deadly tone to his voice, "No one touches the miko! She is mine to deal with!" The soldiers quickly back away as Jakyoku bent down and picked Kagome up bridle style. He held her close to his chest as they all left the village.

The wolves and Akurei were watching from a distance. They thought it best to follow the black Inu youkai, as they were both making plans of their own to get the miko away from this youkai.

--oOo--

Inutaisho has been watching his eldest all day. He was restless and he could understand why. Sesshoumaru was worried about his mate and he even admitted to himself that he was worried about his own mate as well.

They put aside their worries as being over protective of their females, while they set about to finish their plan to protect the West. They got a lot accomplished that day as they got the garrison ready along with the rest of the army to go fight the threat to their lands. They have yet to hear from their spies and they feared the worst. They may have been discovered and now they were their prisoners.

It was getting late in the day and still the women in their lives have not come back to the castle.

Sesshoumaru was almost to the point of losing control, he tried to contact his mate and he could not get in touch with her. Inutaisho thought this odd as he tried to get in touch with his mate. To his surprise he was unable to reach her as well, as he got the feeling that something was very wrong.

He dispatched a company of his soldiers to the village that his mate was going to visit today as he turned to his son and said, "Sesshoumaru, lets go see what is keeping Kagome and your mother."

Sesshoumaru agreed as they both transformed into their golden orbs and took off toward the village that their mates were going to visit.

When they arrived what they saw was not what they expected. They found their mates escorts all dead on the ground, along with enemy soldiers. There was a monk that was holding Sango in his lap, and he was about to put a sutra on her person. They both approached, ready to kill the monk for what happened here in the village.

--oOo--

Miroku was walking toward the next village in the area. He has been looking for Sango for days now and he has been unable to find her. The last time he groped her she knocked him unconscious and left him there on the ground. When he came to the villagers told him what happened.

He sighed as he got up and left the village. He has wondered from village to village ever since that day trying to find her. He missed her lovely smiles and the way her face will get all red when he touched her.

This youkai slayer fascinated him. He never felt like this about anyone before and ever since she came into his life, he has no desires to touch anyone else but her. Oh yes he still asked his infamous question on whether the lovely young maiden will bare his child. But he never asked the lovely Sango that particular question. With her it was different he couldn't bring himself to ask her.

He knew that he was falling in love with the girl, but he felt that she was not in love with him. But he will give her time though. Who wouldn't want to get to know a handsome man like himself? At that thought he chuckled, he knew that his Sango didn't care what he looked like. She just wanted someone to love her, not just her body.

He loved every bit of her but she wouldn't give him a chance to show his other qualities. Plus he couldn't help his cursed hand. Every time she got near him he lost control and groped her, she really did have a nice soft, but firm ass. He sighed as he continued to walk. Sango was making his life a little complicated at the moment.

He continued walking as he was approaching a village, thinking, 'Good maybe they have a place that needs to be exercised. I could have a nice place to sleep for the night and some good food as payment.'

He walked until he got to the edge of the village but as he approached he noticed the dead bodies of the youkai soldiers that were littering the forest. He slowed his pace keeping his senses opened for the ones who did this. He was checking the youkai soldiers as he went, to see if there was anyone left alive. But all he found so far were dead.

He observed that there were two types of soldiers here. He thought he recognized the uniform of the Western soldiers. They were very distinctive as they were gold, blue, and black with a crescent moon on their right shoulder. The other soldiers were just dressed in black with a hint of gold in their uniform.

Miroku continued on his way when he found no survivors. When he got to the village itself he saw the dead villagers everywhere. There were woman and children all over the ground along with the males who tried to protect them. 'Whoever did this didn't care that they were killing women and children.' Miroku thought as he continued to check the dead and offered his prayers to help them reach the afterlife in peace.

As he continued moving through the village he noticed more dead youkai soldiers. 'The Western soldiers must have been defending this village against the ones that were attacking. But who would want to attack this peaceful village? This village does not hold anything of value.' Miroku thought, as he continued to make his way toward the center, looking for anyone that might have survived the attack.

When he got to the center of the village he saw Sango lying on the ground as he rushed to her side. His heart was beating wildly as he thought the worst has happened to his beloved. He didn't know what he was going to do if he lost his lovely Sango.

His worst fears were assuaged when he saw that she was still breathing. Letting go of a breath that he didn't even know he was holding, he gently picked Sango up, not wanting to cause her any more injuries if she had any. He sat down on the ground, placing Sango in his lap, as he gently shook her to wake her up. He didn't get any response from her and he was starting to get worried.

He looked down to the ground and noticed a needle that was long and laying there discarded. He picked up the needle as he looked at it with curiosity. He was not a healer but he was willing to bet that this was the cause of Sango's unconsciousness.

There was a dark aura surrounding the needle that will subdue anyone who came in contact with the potion placed on it. He reached into his robes as he pulled out a sutra. He didn't know if this will work but he had to try something to wake up his beloved.

He concentrated on the sutra as he channeled his holy energy into it. He was about to place it on Sango's forehead when a bright flash of light caught his attention, causing him to close his eyes from its intensity.

When his eyes opened, he saw two very large Inu youkai that were not happy, as they looked around the area and noticed all the dead bodies. He picked up his staff and held it in his hands. He will protect Sango with his life, he had no idea who these youkais were.

--oOo--

Inutaisho saw the monk sitting on the ground with Sango. He didn't know who he was or if he was the one reasonable for what happened here in this village. All he knew was that he had Sango and was about to put something on her forehead. He quickly made his way towards him as he stopped short of where the monk was located.

He growled his anger, putting an arm out to stop his son who was about to attack the monk, as he said in a deadly voice, "Monk! Are you the one responsible for what happened here?"

Miroku looked at the youkai that was addressing him, as he said, "No, I did not do this. I happen upon this village and I noticed all the dead soldiers in the forest. I decided to walk around the village to see if anyone was still alive so they could tell me what happened here. I came upon Sango and I was trying to revive her. She is under some sort of spell that is keeping her subdued."

"Subdued? How do you know she is being subdued?" Inutaisho asked as he looked at the monk with curiosity.

Miroku held up the needle he found on the ground as he said, "I found this next to her body. It has some sort of potion and a spell on it."

Inutaisho moved forward as he took the needle out of Miroku's hand. He sniffed as a vicious growl left his throat.

Inutaisho then turned to his son as he said, "Jakyoku, has captured your mother and Kagome. There is black magic on this and a strong one. It was strong enough to go through the barrier that protects your mother and Kagome to be imbedded in their skin.

"From this potion I can tell that they will be unconscious for a long while. We will have to go back to the castle and gather the army. We will need them to distract Jakyoku while we fight and find our mates."

Sesshoumaru was not pleased at all. You could see the look of worry on his features as he thought that he shouldn't have let his mate out of his sight. Then he shuddered at the idea, knowing that he could lose his mate if he ever restricted her. He didn't want to go through that experience again. It was a long five days of waiting to see if she will even come back to him.

He sniffed the area, but he couldn't even find his mate's scent. It was like her scent was gone from the face of the earth. A low growl escaped his lips, as his eyes were turning red. He wanted his mate back, he was lost without her, yet he had faith in her ability to protect herself and his mother. But that did not serve to calm his inner beast as he raged wanting to go after his female.

Inutaisho noticed all the emotions that were running through his son's features. Never before has he ever seen his son show so many emotions at one time. His little one has opened his heart to the love she offered and now he could not live without it. He knew that time was of the essence as he turned his attention toward the monk that was still sitting on the ground looking at them.

"Monk if you think that you can wake Sango then do so. I need her to tell me what happened here." Inutaisho said with authority in his voice.

Miroku had no idea who these youkais were but he knew that they were powerful. If they knew Sango, then they could be trusted, he knew that Sango was working for a very powerful youkai lord.

Miroku then turned his attention back to Sango as he placed the sutra on her forehead and watched as the light from the paper charm went over Sango's body.

They all waited patiently as they saw the spell break on Sango, which allowed her to wake up. Sango moved slightly as she groaned and then opened her eyes. At first her eyes were blurred as she blinked a couple of times to get them into focus.

The first person she saw when her vision came into focus was the monk that was after her. She noticed right away that she was sitting in his lap as she jumped up and stood in front of him, with her hand over her heart. It was frightening to wake up sitting in the perverted monks lap.

Sango's mind finally brought back all of her memories as she looked around the area. She spotted Lord Inutaisho standing there next to her as she turned and bowed deeply to him, "I'm sorry milord but I have failed in my duty to protect Kagome."

Inutaisho heard the cracking of Sango's voice and the scent of her regret. He knew that she prided herself in protecting Kagome and for this to happen was a big blow to her. He gathered his wit about him, as he needed information, "Sango, what happened here? Who attacked you?"

Sango still kept her head bowed low as she told him what happened. When she was done she remained silent. She has failed in her mission to protect Kagome from harm. She knew that she brought dishonor to her family and her village by letting those youkai take Kagome and Lady Ayashiko.

Inutaisho took in the information that Sango offered. He now knew a little more about Jakyoku and that will help them get their mates back. He turned his attention to Sango as he said in a gentle voice, "Sango, do not blame yourself for their capture. We knew that Jakyoku was about to attack the Western Lands but we let our mates travel on their own to show that they are strong and that we trust them to take care of each other. Do not worry, we will get them back."

Inutaisho then turned his attention to the monk as he asked, "Monk what is your name?"

Miroku heard the youkai address him as he stood and placed his staff on the ground, "My name is Miroku."

Inutaisho nodded as he continued, "Very well Miroku, my name is Inutaisho and I'm lord to these lands. I am in your debt for reviving Sango. Do you think that you can do the same for the rest that are here and under the same spell?"

Miroku having heard that he was talking to the actual lord of the lands bowed deeply as he said, "Forgive me milord for my earlier rudeness, I did not know who you were. And Yes I will be honored to revive them."

Inutaisho then turned his attention to Sango and said, "Sango stay with him until the dragons and the neko are revived. There will be a company of my soldiers that will be arriving here shortly. They will help you with the village, see to it that all are properly buried and given the necessary services. We are going back to Gengetsujou and moving the army towards Jakyoku. No one takes what belongs to me and lives."

Inutaisho then turns his eyes toward his son as he walked over to him. His son has not moved from the spot he was standing at since he heard the news about his mate. Inutaisho puts his hand on Sesshoumaru's shoulder, he then formed his youki ball of light as they left the area and went toward the castle at a fast pace.

Sango stood there and watched as the youkai lord left. She couldn't believe that Miroku of all people helped her. She has never seen this side of him before and it surprised her to no end. She turned towards the monk as she said in a low and shy voice, "Um, thank you Miroku for helping me."

Miroku smiled at Sango as his eyes softens, "I will always be there for you Sango. I know you don't think very highly of me but I do care about you and I will not let anyone hurt you. Now let's see what we can do to wake up your friends." Miroku gave Sango one of his most brilliant smiles and had the honor of seeing her blush a beautiful red, as he made his way toward her fallen friends. He pulled out some more sutra's from his robes as he started his prayer to release everyone from the spell they were put under.

As Sango watched what the monk was doing she heard a groan off to her side. Thinking that some of the youkai soldiers survived the attack she looked for the injured soldier. It took her a few minutes but she finally found the one that survived.

It was General Dewa that survived the attack as Sango took a look at his wounds. Then to her surprise there were others that survived the attack as well, while she got Miroku to help her with the injured soldiers.

--oOo--

It wasn't until the next day that General Dewa finally woke from his injuries. His body healed over night and he was almost back to his old self. When he opened his eyes he saw Sango sitting next to him with a concern look in her eyes. He turned to her as he asked in a tired voice, "Sango, what happened to Lady Ayashiko?"

Sango eyes watered as she replied, "She was captured along with Kagome. Jakyoku has taken them away and we don't know where they are. Lord Inutaisho left yesterday along with Sesshoumaru and they are moving the Western army to meet him in battle."

Dewa took a deep breath as he slowly sat up. He was allowing his body to get use to moving again as he tried to stand. He wavered just a bit as Sango steadied him. He looked around and found that there was a company of the lord's soldiers in the village. He also noticed the dragons that the ladies were riding as he got an idea.

He was sore as he made his way over to the dragons with Sango and a monk following closely behind him. He had no idea who this monk was but he was no threat to him. He also noticed that the village was devoid of the dead as he noticed the graves that were made where they buried everyone.

Dewa sighed, 'This was such a waste of life. These people did not deserve to die just because Jakyoku wanted to capture the miko.' He knew that Jakyoku was after the miko. What he couldn't understand was why he took the Lady of the West with him. 'Is he trying to lure the Lord into a trap along with his son? I know that Lord Inutaisho will do anything to get his mate back. So this has to be a trap. I just hope that these two dragons can help us.'

Dewa finally made it over to the dragons while Sango, Miroku, and half of the youkai soldiers followed him in his wake. He stopped in front of the dragons, and looked up at each one. He was wondering whether they will even help him as he heard Sango say, "General Dewa, why have you come over here to the dragons? They were unconscious when Kagome and Lady Ayashiko were taken, they don't know where they are located."

Dewa smiled as he said, "That is where you are wrong Sango. They don't have to be awake to know where their mistress is located. Dragons have a very special connection with the one they swore their loyalty to. We might not know where they have taken the Lady of the West and the miko, but I'm willing to bet that their dragon's can track them down."

Dewa then turned his attention to the dragons as he asked, "Ah, Un, Ryuuou, can you find your mistresses?"

The two dragons roared into the sky as they scented the air, when they found nothing they disbursed their combined aura's into the land as they searched. It took a while until both dragons roared and looked at the General, they nodded that they knew where their mistresses were located.

Dewa smiled at this as he asked, "Can you lead us to them?"

The dragons nodded their agreement to lead them to their mistresses as they waited to leave the village. Both dragons were eager to get to their mistress. They knew that both ladies were in trouble and the danger was very real to them. There was a sense to protect that, which was entrusted into their care, and they were impatient to leave.

Dewa turned to the soldiers that were gathered around him as he said, "Get ready to move out. We will join the Lord of the Lands and his son in getting back their mates from these fools." The soldiers quickly gathered everyone as Dewa limped over to Ryuuou and climbed on board the dragon.

Ryuuou, who would normally not let anyone ride him except his mistress, gently kneeled so that the general could climb onto his back. He saw Sango getting on Ah, Un, along with Kirara on her shoulder, as he said, "Sango where do you think you're going? I want you to stay here out of danger."

Sango's eyes flashed in anger as she said in a deadly voice, "I'm going with you! Those bastards took Kagome and it's my job to make sure that she is protected. Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way, it doesn't matter to me." She finished holding up her weapon as she threatened to bash the Generals head in if he tried to leave her behind.

All Dewa could do was chuckle as he said, "All right Sango you may come. Just be careful when we finally get there."

Sango smiled as she grabbed Ah, Un reins and got ready to leave when she felt someone behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw the monk sitting behind her as she turned her deadly eyes on him and said, "Miroku, what do you think you're doing? Get off right now!"

When Miroku dealt with Sango he usually had a mischievous gleam to his eyes and he would slightly curl his lips in a devilish smile. But today when he addressed her there was nothing but determination in his eyes and a stern look to his features as he replied, "I'm going with you Sango. You're going to need all the help you can get to fight these youkais. I am a powerful monk and I can help you defeat them. Plus I'm not about to let you go into battle without me to protect you."

Sango flushed a bright red at his statement. 'He wants to protect me? Could this mean that he is having deep feelings for me?' She was so confused that she didn't say another word as she turned around. Once she got her composer back she said in a deadly voice, "You can come along Miroku, but the first time I feel that hand of yours in the wrong place I will have Ah, Un burn you to ashes is that understood?"

Miroku swallowed hard at her statement before he answered, "I understand Sango." This was his chance to show her that he cared for her and that he could protect her. He wasn't about to mess it up by trying to feel her ass again, though it did looked more beautiful than ever, just sitting there in front of him. He held on to his urges as he put his staff around Sango's middle and grabbed it on either side of her waist. That way his hands stayed where she could see them and she will know that he meant what he promised.

After General Dewa had all of his men gathered, and he was satisfied that they were ready to move out, he turned to the dragons and said, "All right Ah, Un, and Ryuuou take us to your mistresses."

The dragons roared into the air as they quickly left the village. They were not flying but they moved just as quickly on the ground. They both raced through the forest as they went toward their mistress with the youkai soldiers following closely at their heels. They just hoped that they made it in time to save their mistresses.

--oOo--

Jakyoku finally made it back to his hidden base camp. As soon as he entered the barriers that surrounded and protected this location, cheers could be heard all over the camp. His soldiers were cheering their victory, for finally capturing the females of the Western Lord. Soon the west will fall to them and their lord will rule supreme.

Jakyoku walked straight and tall never showing anyone how weak he really was at the moment. It took everything he had to subdue these two females and he was not about to appear weak in front of his soldiers.

He walked with his soon to be mate into one of the caves that was set up to hold prisoners. This one cave in particular was heavily warded to make sure no one enters that is not supposed to be there. He still feared that someone might come and take his mate to be and he was having none of it. Once he rested he will pay his lovely mate a visit and tell her the wonderful news. He was sure that she was going to be happy to be mated to him. He was, after all, a very powerful youkai and he will provide her with everything that her heart desired.

He walked deeper into the cave as he finally reached his goal. He placed Kagome on a futon and then attached the shackles that were there as he put them on her wrist and ankles. These shackles will keep their powers at bay once they revived. The spells in the chamber will prevent them from leaving, plus they were chained to the floor for added protection in making sure that they stayed, where they were put.

Once he was done Jakyoku looked around the cavern and saw that his soldiers had left the area. They left as soon as they placed the demoness on the other futon and attached the shackles to her wrist and ankles.

He then turned his attention to his soon to be mate as he smiled. Soon she will be his and her current mate will be dead. He moved the hair away from her face as he felt how soft her skin was. He was correct in his assumptions that her skin would feel like silk. In fact it felt like the finest silk in the lands. He was pleased, very pleased at the choice he has made for his mate.

Jakyoku stood as he turned on his heals and left the chamber. He needed to rest and then in the morning he will deal with his potential mate. He had to start showing his dominance over her as soon as possible. She was close to going into heat and he needed her subdued before that if he was going to bond her to him.

He made sure that everyone was out of the cave as he set up his final spells. He was making sure no one got in to see the females. He didn't want them hurt in any way. He needed them both alive so the western lord would come to him. Then the fight for the Western Lands will begin. It will be the end of the youkai lord's rule and the start of his.

Once he was outside the cave he told his guards, "No one is to enter this cave. You are to protect the females inside or it will be your heads. Is that understood!?"

The soldiers that were to guard the cave were shaking in their boots and they nodded their understanding of their lord's orders. This was one night that they didn't need to be goofing off. If something happen to those females it will be their deaths.

Jakyoku then left to get some much-needed rest before he confronted his female. He couldn't wait until he did. It will prove very interesting indeed.

--oOo--

Akurei was in the shadows' watching everything that was going on around Jakyoku encampment. She knew where the miko was being held as she waited patiently to get to her. She had her potion in her robes, all she needed now was the miko's blood, and then she will kill her to make sure that the power transfer took affect.

She finally saw when Jakyoku left the cave as she heard the warning he gave to the guards. To her amusement she saw when they tripled the amount of guards at the entrance. 'Hmm, they are serious about keeping the miko inside the cave safe. There must be at least 20 soldiers standing guard outside that cave. Well I will just have to show them not to mess with me.'

Akurei silently made her way to the cave. The entrance being tall and wide gave her an idea on how she could enter the cave. She cast a spell as she started to rise off the ground. She floated over to the cave's opening, masking her scent and aura to make sure they could not detect her.

She was floating above the soldiers that were guarding the entrance and soundlessly enter the cave using the ceiling as her way to sneak in. She smiled evilly as she slipped by the guards. She moved with stealth making sure not to make any noise as she moved towards her prey.

She stopped for a second thinking that someone was coming into the cave as she listened. When she was satisfied that no one was coming towards her she continued on her way. Her powers were strongest when she was in the dark so she made sure she stayed in the shadows of the cave, plus it helped conceal her presence.

As she was getting closer to her prey she came upon a powerful barrier. She looked at the barrier to try and see how to best bring it down. After a few minutes of her trying different types of spells that she knew will lower barriers, her features twisted in anger, when she realized that she could not bring it down. It was an ancient spell that was created over 1000 years ago. She had no idea how to break it and if she made too much noise the guards will come in to investigate.

Akurei cursed her rotten luck. She was so close to obtaining the miko but her efforts now were being hindered. She could almost taste her wonderful blood but she couldn't get through this barrier.

Now she stood there trying to figure out what to do next. She could not get to the miko and her options were getting thin. The only thing that she could do is wait until they took her from this cave and then attack. It will be the only way that she will get a hold of the miko. She knew that the confrontation with the Western Lord was at hand so all she has to do was wait.

Yes, that line of thought really pleased her as she turned and left the cave. She left the same way she got into the cave as she headed back into the forest. She has waited this long, she could wait a little longer for the miko's blood.

--oOo--

Koga and a couple of wolves managed to sneak into these youkais camp. He found out where they were holding the ningen as they made their way toward her location.

They were currently in a tree watching as they waited for the Inu Youkai, who seemed to be in charge, to leave the cave. When the Inu finally came out of the cave they overheard what he said to his men and knew that he will be hard pressed to get into the cave.

Then Koga saw the kuro miko that betrayed them to the Western Lord. His hackles were raised as he watched what she was doing. They saw her going into the cave while the guards didn't even notice that someone flew right over them.

Ginta who was with Koga turned to him and asked, "Koga, what is that kuro miko doing here?"

Koga turned to Ginta as he whispered, "She wants the miko's blood so I'm guessing that she is going to kill the miko to get it. We can't go in and attack because they have too many guards. The way she snuck in is a good idea, but knowing that Inu Youkai, I bet that there are more spells and incantations in that cave. We have to wait and see when she comes out. If she kills the ningen then we will leave to go to the Southern territories."

They didn't have to wait for long when they saw the kuro miko come back out. The angry look on her face told them all that she did not get past the barriers. A smile came to Koga's features as he thought, 'So Akurei, you could not get to the miko either. Well I guess we all have to wait until the youkai lord comes here to get his mate back. Then it will be a fight to see who gets to the ningen first.'

Koga and his men left the area as they planned their next move. They knew that they will not be able to get the ningen out of that cave. So they have to wait until the Western Lord came here to get his mate back.

Koga understood that Sesshoumaru would be coming with his father to get his mate. While this Black Inu's army fought the youkai lord off, they will be able to sneak in and take her away from this place. This was their only option at the moment so they settled in to wait for the arrival of the Western Lord.

--oOo--

Ayashiko moaned softly. She was slowly waking up from her forced slumber, feeling the tremendous headache that she has. The events of the previous day were starting to come back to her as she slowly opened her eyes. They were blurred and she couldn't see anything. She raised her hand up to rub the temple on the side of her head to alleviate the pain she was feeling.

She heard the sound of chains and felt something heavy on her wrist. She furrowed her eyebrows together thinking about what it could be. She didn't remember wearing any bracelets on her wrists as her eyes slowly came into focus.

Ayashiko noticed immediately that she was in some sort of cave. Torches dimly lit the area and she was lying on some sort of futon. She raised her arm up so she could look at it and noticed that she has been subdued with shackles. They were around both her wrist and when she moved her legs she felt their weight there as well.

Her senses were quickly coming into focus as her blood started to pump even faster through her body. Her instincts were telling her that she was in danger and the one thing that quickly came into mind was her pup. She had to find Kagome and get out of here.

Ayashiko struggled to sit up and once she did she was breathing hard from the effort. Her head was spinning and she felt sluggish. She breathed in deeply, trying to get her body under control. Whatever they used to subdue her was still present in her body and she had to fight it off.

After about five minutes Ayashiko noticed that her youki was not helping her recover from her ordeal. She felt weak, she didn't have any strength, but she still had her senses, which was a plus. Whoever captured her has limited the use of her youki. She could not overcome the affects of the potion and this did not please her at all. No one subdued her except her mate.

She opened her eyes again and looked around the cave. She looked to her left and noticed that the chains were attached to the floor of the cave. They were enchanted to prevent her from leaving as a growl escaped her throat.

She heard a noise and looked to her right, she noticed another futon and her pup was lying upon it. She moved to stand to go to her. She had to make sure that her pup was all right. She was able to stand on her own, albeit she wavered on her legs as she got her balance back. She took a few steps towards Kagome, when the chains restrained her from reaching her location. She didn't even make it half way to her pup.

She growled deep and menacing, 'How dare they keep me from my pup!' Ayashiko thought as she struggled to get to Kagome. But she was not strong enough, yet, to break the chains. She knew that she could break these chains but she has to wait until she recovered some more from what happened. She continued to struggle against her bonds but nothing she did would release her to go to Kagome.

Ayashiko stood there and looked at her pup. She was breathing and for that she was thankful. She sniffed and didn't pick up the scent of blood so she was not hurt. But then she noticed that she had something around her neck. It was covering the collar her son gave her and it was glowing green.

She furrowed her eyebrows together, deep in thought. 'Could this collar be what is subduing my youki? Do I have one like that too?' She raised her hand up to her neck as she looked for her mate's collar. She couldn't feel the fang that was always there for her. She felt something on top of it as she tried to take it off. She yelped as the spell on the collar sent a jolt of pain down her spine.

Ayashiko was breathing hard. There was a spell around this new collar that will not allow her to remove it. She was trying to calm her erratic breathing as she sat back down on the small futon. She concentrated as she tried to contact her mate by their link. Try as she might the collar around her neck prevented her from calling her mate.

For the first time in over 500 years true fear gripped Ayashiko heart. It was the first time since she has been mated that she was unable to contact her mate. A lone tear fell down her cheek, as she got herself together to think of a way out of this mess. But first she needed to know if her pup was all right.

She turned her attention back to Kagome as she said, "Musume, please wakeup. I need to know if you are hurt in anyway." She watched closely to see if her pup will wakeup from her sleep. To her delight she saw her start to move as she waited patiently.

--oOo--

Kagome heard as her mother calling out to her, but the fog in her mind was preventing her from coming fully awake. Then she heard another voice, it was a voice she recognized as Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji. _"Kagome my sweet pup, you must be strong. You have been captured along with your mother. Remember what I said about the necklace that I gave you. You must fight the spell you are under but you must also choose when to attack. Plan well my pup for you will only have one chance to defeat this enemy. But be careful there are many more that are after you and you will meet them all this day."_

Kagome understood his warning as she slowly opened her eyes. She blinked a few times and noticed that she was in a place that was faintly lit. She moved her hand up to rub the temple on the side of her head, when she felt the heavy weight of something on her wrists.

She looked at her wrists and saw the shackles, while her eyes opened wide with shock. She tried to pull them off but she couldn't, she tried using her Reiyouku but found that her powers were being subdued. A deep and menacing growl escaped her lips when she started to piece everything together. She stopped growling when she heard her name being called again.

Kagome turned her head to the left and saw Ayashiko sitting there looking at her. She took deep cleansing breaths as she slowly sat up. She looked around the area and noticed that they were in some sort of cave. It was dimly lit with a few torches but at least she could see Ayashiko.

She slowly stood as she tried to move toward Ayashiko when the chains on her wrist and ankles stopped her from getting closer to her. Kagome looked at Ayashiko with sad eyes as she asked, "Oka-san, do you know where we are?"

Ayashiko was watching her pup's progress. She was moving just as slow as she did at first. She heard the menacing growl that came from her pup and felt pride well up within her. Her temper was still there, but she noticed how quickly her pup got her focus back to the business at hand.

Ayashiko saw as Kagome stood on weak legs, catching her balance when she wavered. Then she observed when Kagome tried to move in her direction, but the chains that were binding them stopped her progress. She heard her pups question as she answered, "No my Musume, I have no idea where we are. All I know is that when I woke up here, we were chained with these shackles and we have another collar over the one we wear from our mates. From what I can determine it's subduing our mate's protection of us and our powers, I can't remove it."

Kagome listened to what Ayashiko was saying as she noticed the collar she wore. She reached up with her hand and felt for the offending collar. Her mother was correct, it was right over the collar that Sesshoumaru gave her and it was subduing her powers.

Kagome tried to remove the collar but found that it would not come off. When she tried to tug harder on it to get it off, she felt the intense pain that the collar gave her, as she fell to her knees. She was panting hard as her anger started to grow. She took deep cleansing breaths in order to keep calm. She needed to think with a clear mind and break the spell that was subduing her.

Kagome noticed the other necklace that she wore, the one given to her by Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji, was glowing brightly keeping the full effects of the spell from taking control. She felt enough of the spell to know what it was trying to do so she wouldn't give away that she was gaining control.

Kagome sat back down on the futon as she looked at her shackles. She looked at the lock to see what kind it was. Ever since they locked her away in the dungeon of the castle, she took to carrying a lock pick that will allow her to open any lock, in this era, whenever she wanted.

She went to the black smith of the castle and requested a small round piece of metal with the end slightly flatten. He was more than willing to comply with her request and once she got the piece of metal, she crafted it into a lock pick. It was disguised as a hair ornament that she constantly kept with her.

After Kagome looked at the lock she turned to Ayashiko and said, "Oka-san, I think I can open these shackles. But we must plan our escape from here. I'm sure that they have guards at the mouth of this cave. Plus there must be barriers and spells to keep us in here. But without my Reiyouku I can't begin to break them. We must find a way to get these collars off so we can defend ourselves."

Ayashiko was shocked at what her pup was saying, she was unaware that she could open the shackles. Curiosity got the better of her as she asked, "Kagome, how can you open these locks without your Reiyouku? These shackles are enchanted to keep us here."

Kagome smiled as she said, "Do you remember when you and Otou-san put me in the dungeons when I first arrived at the castle? Well I broke out of there and I didn't have my Reiyouku. But the one thing you could not take away from me was my knowledge. I figured a way out of the cell you placed me in and escaped. I can do the same here."

Ayashiko chuckled, she was about to learn how her pup escaped their dungeons when she first arrived. But she had to stop her Musume before she took them off. "Kagome, you might want to wait for a while before you take off the shackles. My senses are telling me that we are being heavily guarded. I can tell that there are about 20 youkai outside the cave. Strong Jyaki fills this area meaning we must be in the enemy's camp. What they are going to do to us, I have no idea, but I have the feeling that we are bait for your father and mate."

Kagome understood Ayashiko as she thought. 'I have no idea who this Jakyoku is and why he is so interested in the Western Lands. The only thing I do understand is that I must protect this land. The fates have sent me back in time for a reason and this must be the reason why. This is the destiny that I have to face, I will try with all my might to make sure that Lady Ayashiko stays safe. Even if I meet my demise here and now, she will be protected, this I vow.'

Kagome stiffened as she felt the aura of a very powerful youkai coming their way. Ayashiko felt it too as she tensed. Both females set their resolve as they looked toward the mouth of the cave and waited for this youkai to show himself.

--oOo--

Jakyoku woke up feeling refreshed this morning. He felt that the females were still in his camp and this pleased him to no end. He got up as he dressed in his finest to meet the female of his dreams. Today was the day that he will let her know who he is and that she was to be his mate.

He left his cavern as he made his way out into the morning light. It was a beautiful day to take over the Western Lands. It was cold but it was the way of things. Winter was upon them and he could almost smell the barely contained heat within his bitch. Soon she will go into heat and he will be able to claim her as his life mate.

He also knew that soon the Western Lord will come for his bitch and the ningen. His son and heir will not be able to wait for too much longer before his beast takes over and rushes to their mate's aid. He is truly weak if he cannot control his more feral side. True power comes from within and the inner beast was the key.

Jakyoku chuckled, he knew that Sesshoumaru was fairly weak compared to him, he has effectively blocked his protection on his mates collar to subdue her. He not only subdued his mate to be but also the demoness with her. He felt confident that he was strong enough to subdue the miko should she prove to be unreasonable, because he didn't have to subdue the demoness.

Maybe she will like the gifts he was bringing to her. He needed to get her out of those western colors. She needed to be dressed in the colors of his pack and take her rightful place by his side. Not to mention that bastard's scent is all over her and he needed to rectify that immediately.

Upon him exiting his cave, guards fell around him, as he was escorted to the cave that held the females from the west. As he approached the cave he noticed that the females were both awake. 'Good now it is time for me to introduce myself to my mate.' Jakyoku thought as he stopped in front of the cave, eyeing his guards with intensity.

The guards shook in fear as they saw their lord coming closer to the cave. They all knew that the females were awake. But no one dared to step foot inside the cave for fear of their lives. Their lord didn't want anyone near either female especially the ningen. He seemed to be taken with her and it wouldn't be long before he took her as a mate.

The guards bowed deeply to their lord as they awaited his commands.

Jakyoku sniffed the area and noticed that no one has come even close to the cave. This pleased him as he turned to his soldiers and said, "I will be going into the cave alone. Make sure no one enters or leaves this place." He smiled an evil smile as they all said in unison, "Yes milord."

The guards moved aside as they let him pass and then took up their positions as guards once more.

Jakyoku walked past his guards, once he was in the cave he straightened his posture and walked with an air of regalness that only he could hold. He was the next Lord of the Western Lands and he was about to meet his mate. He briefly stopped at the barrier he set up the night before as he lowered it. His barrier has not been disturbed and he was satisfied with that. He continued making his way deeper into the cave, getting nearer to his objective.

--oOo--

Kagome's mind was reeling with what to do. She couldn't contact her mate as the spell on the collar prevented her from doing so. She had another idea and she thought that she could do it since it required a small amount of her Reiyouku and it will not be noticeable. It was worth a try as she concentrated and held out her hand.

Ayashiko looked to see what her pup was doing. She could feel Kagome's power rise just a bit as a small ball of light appeared in her hand. She watched in fascination to see what Kagome was going to do.

Kagome's hand began to glow as a small white bird appeared there. She could not contact her mate but she did have contact with this bird and it will show her mate where she was located.

Kagome turned her blue orbs to the bird as she mentally said, _"I want you to find my mate and show him and my Otou-san what is happening. Then bring them back here with you. Do you understand?"_

The bird in her hand didn't make a sound as it bowed its head acknowledging her commands, then it took off to the highest reaches of the cavern, not making a sound as it flew off and waited for its chance to escape.

Ayashiko watched with amazement as she saw the bird appear in her Musume's hand. It was a Shikigami but its aura was so slight that it was barely noticeable. She saw the bird take off to the ceiling as it perched on a small rock that jetted out from the cavern wall. She was about to ask her Musume what she was doing when they heard a noise and turned to the one coming into the cavern.

Jakyoku slowly entered the cavern. He spotted both females sitting there looking at him. The one that caught his attention was the ningen with the blue eyes. She was even more beautiful up close.

As he approached the females he heard their growls of warning. He chuckled as he continued to walk and then he stopped just a foot away from the futon they were both sitting on. He was far enough away that they could not attack him. He has subdued their powers but they were still physically strong, well the female Inu youkai was still strong. He knew that the ningen was weak, it was their nature to be.

He turned his eyes away from the demoness until they came to rest upon the blue orbs of his miko. His breath hitched at her beauty and scent. Her scent of night blooming jasmine was heavenly but the scent of her mate was still heavy upon her person.

His eyes opened wide when he noticed that she held no hint of his scent on her. He carried her back here yesterday, so she should still have some of his scent on her, but she didn't. He saw the color of her eyes change to a deeper blue then going to a deeper grey to almost black in color. Anger was clearly visible in her aura and the angrier she got the more her eye color changed to that of an approaching storm.

He got himself together as he stood tall and asked, "How is it that you do not carry my scent on you, you were in my arms when we arrived here yesterday? You should still have my scent on you."

Kagome gave him a scowl, her body will only carry the scent of her mate and no one else's. If this fool thought that he could mark her as his mate, the idiot has a rude awakening coming. She remained silent to piss him off. She knew that not answering him will bring out his true nature.

Jakyoku was not pleased at not having his question answered. His eyes were slowly turning red as he growled, "No matter, soon you will carry my scent and be at my side for all eternity. I have brought you some new clothes to wear. You are to remove those offending robes. I can't have my female wearing the western colors. You will be adorned with the colors of my pack."

The rage that was slowly rising in Kagome has reached an all time high, she was about to release her powers when a gentle voice spoke into her mind, _"My little pup, do not give in to his taunting. You must remain in control and not show your hand yet. You must have command over your powers if you want to escape this place. If you were to attack him out right then you will have his garrison upon you in a minute. You cannot risk getting your mother hurt. Restrain your powers, and do not show him that you have partially broken his spell."_

Kagome was getting her control back. Tsuyoimaru was correct in what he was saying, she couldn't risk getting her mother hurt because she let her anger get the best of her. She will restrain her powers but it didn't mean that she was going take what he said laying down.

Kagome squared her shoulders as she said with venom in her voice, "I don't care who you are! YOU are NOT my MATE!! I would rather die than be your mate. Sesshoumaru is the only male that I will have. You didn't defeat me in battle to subdue me. You stooped to drugging me and placing a spell over the collar I wear to subdue my powers. At least my mate proved his true worth as a male when he showed me he could dominate me on his own."

Kagome knew that she was in for it when she saw his eyes glow red. She braced herself for the impact as he flew towards her. Jakyoku had her by the neck in an instant as he pinned her to the futon. His blood red eyes trained only on her and no one else.

Ayashiko watched as that bastard attack her pup. Rage like no other came forth as she struggled against her chains to attack the offending male. Her aura flared in anger but the collar kept her restrained as she watched, helplessly, at what he did to her pup.

Jakyoku lost it as he pounced on the female and pinned her to the futon by her neck. He snarled as he said, "You listen to me bitch! You belong to me. You never should have been mated to that bastard in the first place. I'm the strongest male in the lands and he will die by my hand. You will be mine for all eternity and when you go into heat I will bind you to me."

Kagome was struggling against his grip. She was not weak not by any sense of the word. She prides herself in keeping her body fit in case she needed to fight without her Reiyouku. Now this was one of those times that she has to fight or the male on top of her will think she will be his submissive bitch.

Kagome glared at the male above her as she brought up her right knee with tremendous force. She hit him right in his jewels as he gasped at the pain she inflected. She took her right fist and channeled as much of her strength that she could muster and hit him square in the chest sending him flying through the air to land about five feet away from her.

Kagome quickly got into a crouched position on the futon. She didn't have that much room to move but she wanted to be able to protect herself, if he came at her again.

Jakyoku was breathing hard. The little bitch hit him hard in his jewels, causing him to see stars in front of his eyes. The force of her punch on his chest sent him flying through the air to land hard on the cave's floor. He couldn't believe that this ningen was this powerful without her Reiyouku. This was nothing but pure physical strength coming from her ningen body.

He slowly rolled over onto his stomach as he slowly got up on hands and knees. He will show her to respect him or it will be her death. Blood red eyes turned to the female that was crouched on the futon. She was truly the most powerful female in all the land if she still had this much strength without her Reiyouku.

Jakyoku got his breathing under control as he slowly got up on his feet. His eyes never left the onna, as he got ready to attack again. This time he will not be as lenient as he was before.

He flexed his claws as he attacked, it was time to teach his bitch who she belonged too. His arm came up as he made to slash her across her chest.

Kagome saw him coming towards her at great speed, as she got ready to deflect his attack. She didn't have much room for this move but she will do the best she could. She saw his claws coming as they made to slash her. She grabbed his wrist as she turned her body in the direction of his attack and brought his body off the ground and tossed him half way across the room. His momentum was his downfall and she didn't have to use too much of her own physical strength to throw him.

Jakyoku couldn't believe that a ningen onna was defying him. She was strong enough to fight him in battle and hold her own, while she was chained to the floor no less. He was about to attack again when he heard the mouth of the female Inu and it pissed him off even more. He attacked her instead to take out his frustrations.

Ayashiko had enough, she was watching everything between her pup and the black Inu. With him trying to subdue her and Kagome defying him it was raising his youki as he tapped into his hidden strength. She was at her wits end as she yelled, "You bastard!! Kagome is mated to my son and that is the way it will stay. You can not even begin to subdue her no matter what you do!" Ayashiko saw as Jakyoku turned his attack toward her.

Jakyoku had enough of the Inu bitch as he went after her. He punched her in the stomach as he turned and slapped her back onto the futon. He stood straight up as he said in a deadly tone of voice, "Bitch! I don't care if she is mated to your precious son. She will be my mate and she will learn her place just like you. You better get used to my touch bitch, I have decided to keep you here as my concubine."

Ayashiko heard his words as she snarled at him. She vowed to never let him touch her as she wiped away the blood on her lips.

Jakyoku turned his attention to the ningen. He had enough of her too as he went after her.

Kagome saw him coming towards her and then at the last minute turned and attacked her mother. The bastard hit her as she saw her mother go down. She saw the blood coming from her lips as she made to go towards her. Kagome forgot about the stupid chains as she fell on the ground while they restrained her.

Jakyoku didn't waist any time as he pounced the on the female. He was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth as he landed on top of her and held her by her neck. He had her pulled enough that the chains didn't allow her to move her arms or legs. She was trapped.

He leaned down as he said in her ear, "Now that I have your attention you will obey my every command or you will be severely punished."

Kagome glared at the youkai that was on top of her. Her eyes were still changing colors quickly as she spat in his face. She will defy him with her last dying breath.

Jakyoku leaned up and wiped away the spittle she put on his face. His eyes were burning red as his hand went back and he slapped her across the face. His frustration level grew when he didn't hear her cry out in pain. He continued to hit her but still she would not cry out.

His temper was getting the better of him as his claws elongated and he slashed at her haori and tore it to shreds. The only thing that remained was the binding across her chest. He looked at his mate to be and smiled. Her punishment was fitting as she now had numerous cuts across her chest. He leaned down and licked the blood away from her chest. She tasted really good as he finally got up from on top of her.

He looked down at his female with satisfaction; he sniffed hauntingly as he said in a feral voice, "Now you have no choice. You are forced to wear the clothes I have provided for you. You will submit to me or your next lesson will not be this easy. I promise you that you will submit to me or you will die."

He walked out of the cave, leaving behind a bloody mate to be with numerous wounds. She will learn her place with him. Her defiance was unexpected and her will is strong but he will win her no matter what, she will be his mate or she will die by his hands.

Outside of the cave everyone in Jakyoku's camp froze in place. There was a howl so menacing and powerful that everyone shook in fear. It promised death to those who dared touch what was his as the intensity of the howl shook the land itself. Fear like no other penetrated deep into their souls. They now knew the full extent of what they have done. They will have to face the wrath of a very pissed off Inu youkai for taking his mate.

--oOo--

This is the end to another chapter. Jakyoku has capture Kagome and Ayashiko. General Dewa, along with Sango and Miroku are heading towards the Ladies of the West to save them. Inutaisho is gathering his army to fight Jakyoku for taking his mate.

Sorry to disappoint everyone. This is not the battle for the west as of yet. I had to bring all the players together so the fight can start. With Koga, Akurei, and Jakyoku in place my story and this was the best way to introduce him.

I hope this answered some of your questions on why Kagome never detected the youkai in the village before they were attacked. But I can't give all of my plans away now can I?

All right everyone I have something that I want to clear up. Advi my beta was the one that came up with the name of Ayashiko. I have her permission to use this name in my story along with some other ones that will come later in the story.

I want to offer my sincere apologies to Advi for not doing this before and the one that accused her of taking Ayashiko's name if you would apologies to her I will be happy. Advi has been a great inspiration to me during this story and I wouldn't have been able to write this with out her. Again Advi I'm sorry for the mix up.

The stage is now set for the final battle, the enemies have gathered as Sesshoumaru and his father go after Jakyoku. Who will win the fight against Jakyoku? Will Koga get his hands on Kagome or will General Dewa reach Lady Ayashiko before anything happens to them? Join me in the next chapter as the battle is about to commence.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

When Jakyoku walked into the cave, no one noticed the little white bird that flew over his head to escape the cave it was in. It was on a mission and flew silently away. Once it was outside, it turned into an orb and moved with speed across the land.

It was heading straight for the Western castle to find its master's mate, and it will not fail in this duty.

--oOo--

It was a very rough night. Sesshoumaru could not sleep as he thought about his precious mate. His father, upon returning to the castle, summoned the rest of his generals and had them ready the army to move. He wanted them prepared to leave by morning to go and find Jakyoku. He had no idea where to look for him, but he will find him no matter what.

Sesshoumaru was currently outside trying to figure out a way to find his mate. He has been trying all night to get in contact with her, but he has yet to achieve his goal. The frustration level in both him and his father was taking its toll on the both of them.

His father took a company of youkai soldiers and had them take his brother away from the castle. He has a secret location set up for just this purpose. His brother, being the youngest of the pack, protested loudly that he wanted to go with his father to retrieve his mother.

It was the first time that his father has ever been short with either of them as he growled his command to Inuyasha. His brother knew enough not to argue with his father and submitted to his command. He was then taken away from the castle along with his father's most trusted servants to tend to his needs.

The army was now assembled and they were ready to move, as Inutaisho approached his son. He could see the frustration and anger that radiated from Sesshoumaru's aura as he placed a hand on his shoulder, and said, "Sesshoumaru, it's time to leave. We will find the both of them and when we do, we will rip Jakyoku apart for taking what is ours to begin with."

Sesshoumaru agreed with his father, but as he was about to turn and leave to go hunt for his mate, they stopped in their tracks when they felt a familiar aura come into the area. They sniffed the air and picked up Kagome's scent; immediately father and son looked frantically around for her. They looked up into the sky and noticed a small orb coming in fast.

The little bird finally made it to the Western castle. It found its master's mate as it reverted back into its small bird form.

Sesshoumaru's eyes opened wide, as he saw the orb turn into a small white bird. He reached for the bird, and it fluttered to his outstretched finger, Sesshoumaru noted that Kagome's scent was all over the little bird. He brought the bird closer to his face and noticed that this was a Shikigami that belonged to Kagome.

Sesshoumaru observed, as his father moved closer to him, he too looked at the bird with curiosity. Sesshoumaru turned his full attention to the bird and asked, "Do you know where Kagome is located?"

The bird ruffled its feathers, as it started to glow. It projected a light out of its body and into the crescent moons that adorned their foreheads. Slowly a picture was formed in their minds as they both saw their mates in a cave.

They watched the scene unfold before their eyes as the anger grew in both Inu's hearts. Jakyoku clearly has no idea who he was dealing with. They watched, eyes turning red with anger, as both witnessed Ayashiko getting attacked by the male for her words.

Sesshoumaru watched as his mate stood up to that bastard. His heart filled with pride at her defiance. When he saw her battling the male, without her Reiyouku, he finally saw how powerful she really was. She held her own against him even if she was chained to the floor. But when he saw her go down, after trying to get to his mother, and that bastard landed on top of her, he about lost it.

His inner Inu was raging when he saw the male hitting his beloved mate and then witnessed as the bastard tore her haori away from her body. When he licked at her wounds tasting her blood, it was all Sesshoumaru could take. He gave an earth-shaking howl into the morning air, promising death to the one that who took his beautiful mate and hurt her. His howl was so powerful that it actually shook the land itself as he breathed in deeply.

The images stopped when the bastard left the cave. Sesshoumaru was breathing hard as he turned to look at his father. They both stared at each other with blood red eyes as Sesshoumaru turned his attention back to the bird. He took a deep breath as he asked, "Can you take me to her location?" He watched the bird intently as it nodded its head yes.

Both Inu's turned to face the generals who were standing behind them, as Inutaisho said, "Generals, you are to follow us. We are heading towards the place where that bastard is holding our mates. You are to engage the enemy until we find where he is keeping our ladies. Is that understood?"

--oOo--

The general's came running over to their lord's location when they heard his son howl, which shook the area. So intense was his howl that it struck fear in their hearts. They had no idea what they were witnessing, but from that howl, they figured that this Jakyoku will surely die this day. They heard their lord's words and nodded their heads in agreement, giving the orders to get ready to move.

The little bird that was sitting on Sesshoumaru's finger flew up as it waited for them to follow it back to its master. Both Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru turned into their true forms and then left the Western castle at a fast clip. They were following the little bird that seemed to be moving very fast across the sky, to get to their mates. They were going to show Jakyoku that he should not have taken what belonged to them.

--oOo--

Kagome was slowly waking up from her ordeal. That bastard tore her haori and hurt her. She swore on her life that she will never be his mate as she slowly opened her eyes. She was still on the cold hard floor where Jakyoku pinned her. Her wrist and ankles hurt because the shackles were digging deep into her skin.

She heard small whimpering noises and turned her head slightly toward her Oka-san. She saw her Oka-san on the ground just a short distance away from her with her head bowed crying.

Kagome tried to move her hand to reach Ayashiko, but the chains restrained her. Jakyoku knew enough to keep them separated and not let her get any comfort from her Oka-san. He knew how protective females were of their pups, and her Oka-san would have protected her with her life, if she was able to reach her.

Kagome looked at Ayashiko as she said in a low and strained voice, "Oka-san?"

Ayashiko was powerless to help her pup, as she saw her getting attacked by that male. When he finally left her alone, she crawled on the ground towards her pup and looked at her. She couldn't reach her and that hurt more than anything.

Ayashiko saw all the bruises that her pup had on her face. One of her eyes was almost swollen shut, there was blood coming from the corner of her mouth, and from the claw marks on her chest. She was still alive, but just barely.

She lowered her head as she started to cry. She knew deep down in her heart that Kagome would rather die than submit to the likes of Jakyoku. She was mated to her son and she was very loyal to him.

She stayed there for a while crying when she heard her pup calling for her. She looked up with sad eyes, as she asked, "Kagome, my pup, how are you feeling?"

Kagome slowly sat up as she winced in pain. She looked down at her chest and noticed that her haori was gone. She looked around and found what was left of it. She found a long piece of cloth that was still in good condition and wrapped it around her chest, tying it in place. She was not about to change into the clothes that bastard gave her.

She then turned to Ayashiko and said, "I'm fine Oka-san. I'm not going to submit to him. He has no right to touch me and I'm going to make him pay for what he did."

Once Kagome was done wrapping what remained of her haori around her chest, she reached up into her hair and removed the lock pick that was there. She brought her wrist up as she opened the lock and then did the same for her other hand. She then released the shackles from around her ankles as she was now free to move around.

Kagome walked over to her mother, she collapsed on the ground in front of her and buried her face into her chest and cried. It was the first time she cried since Jakyoku had beaten her.

Ayashiko held on to her pup. She tried to keep her feelings hidden but she knew better. Her pup was hurting right now and she wanted nothing more than to comfort her. She watched as Kagome covered her chest in what remained of her haori and then pulled something out of her hair. To her it looked like a long hairpin that had a flower on the tip, but then she observed her pup take off the flower and insert the end into the shackle. She continued to move it around, until it opened. She was amazed at the ease in which she did this, and when she was totally free from her chains she walked over to her.

Ayashiko opened her arms to her pup as Kagome buried her face into her chest and cried. It tore at her heart to see her pup like this. Her pups sob where shaking her body with the pain she was feeling. They stayed like that for a while until she soothed away Kagome's pain.

Kagome moved away from Ayashiko as she took her wrist into her hands and took off her shackles. Once she freed her Oka-san, it was time to plan on how to get away from this place.

Kagome got up as she moved to the entrance of the chamber they were in. There was a dark tunnel that led to the outside, but without her Reiyouku, she could not sense who was outside, or if there was a barrier that was set up. Mad at her inability to sense anything, except aura's that were powerful, she cursed the Inu under her breath for taking away something that she has had since birth.

She moved back toward Ayashiko as she sat down next to her deep in thought. They needed a plan to get out of here, so they could meet up with her Otou-san and mate. Something was telling her that they were close to their location and she needed to be by her mate's side to help him.

Kagome was at a loss for what to do if she could not remove the collar that was around her neck. It was the one thing that was causing all her problems. She knew that she could break the spell on the collar but it will also alert anyone standing guard that she was breaking free of their control. She was stuck on what to do, as she stopped her train of thought when she heard the sounds of running feet coming to their location.

Both Kagome and Ayashiko replaced the shackles just in time as about eleven youkai soldiers came into the cavern they were in. Six of the soldiers came forward as the soldiers grabbed the females by the arms and held them tight. They were ready for anything incase the females decided to escape.

The soldier that was in charge came forward with a key as he opened the shackles that the females had. Immediately, upon being released, both females fought the males as the remaining four soldiers surged forward and subdued them.

The one soldier in charge said in a menacing voice, "You are to come with us. Lord Jakyoku wishes your presence when he kills your mates."

The shock that rippled through the females was great. The soldiers led the females out of the cavern to where their lord was currently waiting to fight the Western army.

--oOo--

Jakyoku made it out of the cave with the air of satisfaction surrounding his aura. He thought that the education of his bitch, on what it was like to defy him and his wants, was a lesson well taught. She will learn her place with him and he will have fun making her submit to him.

The moment that he walked out of the cave, he heard the howl rent through the area as it shook the land with its intensity. He growled deep and menacing as he barked out, "Gather our army, we go to defeat the Western army this day. By night fall we will be the rightful rulers of the West and all will bow down to our dominance."

A loud roar was heard around the camp as the generals got their soldiers ready. Today was the day that they will defeat the west for what was theirs to begin with. The soldiers were beginning to leave the area as they headed towards the spot that they were to meet the enemy.

Jakyoku quickly made his way over to his cave as he went to get his sword. Once he had it in his hand, he silently thought, 'Father, today is the day that I will avenge your death. The Western Lord will die by my hand and the west will be ours. I have already selected a mate that will bare me powerful heirs and our line will continue to grow stronger for many years to come.' He put his sword in his sash as he left his cave to join his men. This was the day that he has been waiting for all his life.

The place that Jakyoku has selected for the final battle was a strategic place. It was in a valley and the Western army will have no choice but to walk into their trap. He had his soldiers placed around the cliffs hiding. Once the Western army was in their trap they will attack and annihilate them from the face of the earth.

The death of the current Western Lord and his son will be in the presence of his mate to be and the demoness. They will witness their demise with their own eyes, and then accept the fate that has been handed to them.

He will send for the females when the time was right, and he was close to capturing the Western lord. This brought a smile to his face as he made his way to the battlefield. When he got there, his generals reported that everything was set as they waited patiently for the enemy to come to them.

--oOo--

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru were approaching the place where their mates are located. They could faintly pick up on their scents, as they stopped just short of the enemy location. They saw off in the distance a powerful barrier that was protecting a very large area of their lands. They reverted back into their humanoid forms, as they waited for their army to catch up to them.

The little bird that was leading them towards its master was hovering near Sesshoumaru's head.

Sesshoumaru was conscious of the bird's presence as he turned to it and, asked, "Is the barrier we saw the place where they are keeping Kagome and my mother?"

The little bird nodded its head yes to his inquiry. Sesshoumaru took this information in as he held out a finger for the bird to land. The bird did as told, and landed on his outstretched finger.

Sesshoumaru had an idea, as he turned to the bird and said, "If I give you something can you take it back to Kagome?" The little bird nodded its head yes as it waited.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and raised his other hand up. A small red ball was formed in the palm of his hand, and from it, he created a small dagger for the bird. He moved his hand closer to the other one, as he said to the bird, "I want you to take this. When the time is right, I want you to touch the collar that Kagome is wearing with this. Once you do, it will break the spell on the collar and it will release my mate's powers. If you could do the same thing for my mother, it will also release her from the spell."

The little bird flapped its wings, as it took the small dagger into its beak and flew off. It had its orders and it was going to carry them out.

Inutaisho was very impressed with his son's abilities. He never knew that he could do that, let alone give his power to a Shikigami that was created by his mate. At that moment, the Western army reached their location, as they all moved with speed towards the location where their lord's mates were located.

They stopped the army just short of their objectives as Inutaisho, Sesshoumaru, and the generals, went to survey the location for the battle. What they saw did not please them at all. It was in a valley and they knew it will be a trap. It was a trap that they were willing to walk into, but it did not mean that they were going to go down without a fight.

Sesshoumaru surveyed the land as he got an idea. He turned to his father and said, "If we split up our forces we will be able to defeat them."

Inutaisho was interested in what his son said, as he asked, "All right Sesshoumaru, do you have a plan on how we could achieve victory?"

Sesshoumaru turned to his father and the generals, as he began to detail his plan of attack. It was a very ambitious plan, but from what Inutaisho heard it will work. His plan was a simple one. He wanted to divide his forces as he sent soldiers to the ridge that were surrounding them. Sesshoumaru knew that Jakyoku will have soldiers laying in wait for them. Once they were in the valley they will close off their escape route out of the area.

This was a battle to the death and, Sesshoumaru was very determined to win this battle. The generals understood what Sesshoumaru wanted and even made some suggestions of their own to improve on his idea. They all came to an agreement as they set out to split up their forces.

When they were ready, father and son looked at each other as they went into battle together. This was a battle to get their mates back and to keep their lands safe from the enemy.

The main force of the army followed Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru into battle. The soldiers were anxious to fight, the enemy took the lady of the lands along with the little miko that they all had a deep respect for. They will get them back as they started to make their way into the valley.

--oOo--

Jakyoku watched as the youkai lord and his son made their way into his trap. When they were all in his trap, he gave the signal for the attack to begin. This is what his soldiers have been training for. Soon, they will be the ones to protect the Western Lands.

Sesshoumaru was the first to notice that the attack was coming before the enemy soldiers were even seen. He gave them all a warning as they prepared and then were attacked. The Western soldiers were one of the most highly trained armies for the West. Each company of soldiers was able to take on a larger force with no problems. Even though they were outnumbered by five to one, they were not taking on any casualties, as the black Inu's fell to their superior force.

Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho were in the heat of battle when they caught sight of the youkai that took away their mates. Blood red eyes locked on to their prey, as they battled their way towards the Black Inu.

The smile on Jakyoku's face started to fade away, as he saw his army starting to get smaller. The Western army was far better than he thought, and they were defeating his with no problems.

A deep and menacing growl left his throat as he turned to one of the youkai generals standing next to him and growled, "I want ten soldiers to go back and get the females. I want them brought here as soon as possible, so they can witness their mate's demise by my hands."

The general bowed deeply, as he sent the required soldiers back to get the females.

--oOo--

Koga and his group were watching what was going on. They heard the howl coming from the West promising death to the ones that held their mates. He shivered a little but did not turn from his resolve. He wanted the onna and he was going to get her.

Koga and his pack stayed close to the cave where they were holding the females. They didn't follow the main army out when they went to defeat the Western Lord. He noticed when half of the guards left the mouth of the cave as they joined the main forces in battle. He knew that soon he will have his chance to get the ningen and he was not about to pass it up.

They were there for a long time, waiting, when they saw about eleven soldiers coming back from the battlefield, heading toward the cave. He knew that this was his chance to grab the female, as he set up his plan of attack.

His pack spread throughout the area as they waited for the soldiers to come back out of the cave. When they did, he noticed that it was taking about five soldiers each to subdue the females as they walked out of the cave with them. The soldiers that were standing guard on the outside of the cave, moved to go with their fellow soldiers, as they formed a circle around the females and were leading them toward the battlefield.

Koga chose this moment to attack the Inu's as he gave the signal. They outnumbered the Inu's, but they proved to be highly trained soldiers as they battled for the females.

Kagome noticed that they had guards surrounding them, as they were taken from the cave and led to another location. She was trying to come up with a plan of her own, to get away from these fools, when they were attacked.

Kagome's eyes opened wide when she saw that it was Koga attacking her enemy and knew that this was not good. She thought that her mate got rid of this wolf, but it seems that he was still set on taking her away with him. She knew that he wanted her death for what she did to him, but at that moment she didn't care.

Kagome began to struggle, as she tried to free herself from the soldiers grasp. She almost succeeded, when she was hit on the head, her world went black, while hitting the ground hard.

Ayashiko, seeing what they did to her pup became a thing processed as she fought off her guards.

One of the guards noticed what the females were doing, and they had to subdue them quickly before they escaped. They hit both females on the head and they fell to the ground unconscious, then they concentrated on the attacking ookami youkai.

Koga's men fought bravely, as they over powered the Inu youkais and killed them all. By the time they were done, the ningen was starting to wake up as five-ookami youkai came forward and grabbed the onna by her arms.

Kagome's head hurt. She was still pretty much out of it as she groaned in pain. She started to wake up, when she felt that someone picked her up off the ground by her arms. She slowly opened her eyes as she looked around the area. She saw the dead Inu soldiers and her mother lying right next to her.

She looked up and came face to face with Koga. She tried to move but she was being restrained as she felt several strong hands holding on to her. She growled deep in her throat, as her anger was getting the best of her. She stared at the ookami straight in the eyes, never once backing down from what she was doing. She was beginning to loath this youkai and he was going to die by her hands, if it was the last thing she did in this world.

Koga strutted toward the female as he grabbed her chin and lifted it up so he could look into her eyes. They were a dark grey like the calm before the storm, as he said, "So we meet again ningen. Did you think that you have seen the last of me? Well, I assure you that I am far from being done with you. You are going to come with me and, once we reach the Southern Lands, then I will take care of you once and for all."

Kagome stared daggers at the former wolf prince as she spat in his face. She will be defiant for as long as she could, even if it meant her death.

Koga had to close his eyes as she spit on his face. He released her chin as he cleaned away her mess. He back handed her, as he said, "We move out now to the Southern Lands. Once we are in safe territories, then I will deal with this filthy ningen."

They were about to move out when they heard a voice say, "No, I don't think that you are going anywhere with the female, Koga. Didn't Lord Inutaisho promise you death, if you ever returned to his lands?"

Koga froze in place, as he slowly turned around to face his new enemy. What he saw did not please him at all, as none other than Inutaisho's soldiers surrounded him.

--oOo--

General Dewa and his men were traveling for a good portion of the day. They stopped as they heard the sound of battle in the distance. Dewa urged Ryuuou to fly up as everyone waited for his return.

Dewa looked to the near distance and saw the Western army battling with Jakyoku's forces. They seemed to be holding their own as he looked in another direction. He turned his attention to the dragon, as he asked, "Ryuuou, is your mistress down in the middle of that battle?"

The dragon vigorously shook his head no, as he looked in the other direction. Dewa noticed his gaze, as he asked, "Is she in that direction?" The dragon nodded his head yes, to his question. He said his thanks to the dragon, as he asked the dragon to take them back down.

When Ryuuou landed on the ground, Dewa said, "The Western army is battling Jakyoku's army as we speak. They are holding their own against them, but Ryuuou said that the Lady of the Lands is not in the middle of the battle. She is being kept somewhere else and that is where we are going. We are going to go and get our ladies back before joining Lord Inutaisho in battle."

The group understood what they were going to do, as they continued going towards the location that Lady Ayashiko and Kagome were at. The group at long last made it to the area. They kept themselves hidden in the forest, as they masked their scent and aura to prevent anyone from finding them.

Miroku hid his and Sango's scent and aura, as they followed the general. He noticed that Sango was getting agitated as he asked, "Sango my love, what's wrong?"

Sango heard Miroku's question as she said in a deadly voice, "I'm going to get those bastards that kidnapped Kagome. If they have hurt her, I will take great pleasure in seeing to their demise."

Never before has Miroku heard Sango speak so deadly. She was truly angry for failing to protect her charge and she was about to get her revenge. They remained on Ah, Un as they traveled towards their location. Even though the dragon was very large, it moved silently through the forest.

When they reached the location, where the ladies were being held, they noticed the battle that was going on. They observed from the forest, as they let the wolves win the fight. They were looking for their ladies when they saw them on the ground not moving.

Then they observed Koga as he approached and his men held up a ningen onna by the arms. Sango gasped, as she said in a low voice, "Kagome, what have they done to you?"

Miroku looked toward the female that the ookami were holding up, and it looked like she has been beaten half to death. She had bruises all over her face and she was covered in blood. He could sense the tremendous amount of holy powers that she possessed, as he watched her defy the wolf. 'She has spunk I have to give her that, even if it was foolish of her to resist.' Miroku thought, as he waited patiently for the general to give the order to attack.

When Dewa saw that the ookami were about to leave the area, he nudged Ryuuou forward, as he said, "No, I don't think that you are going anywhere with the female, Koga. Didn't Lord Inutaisho promise you death, if you ever returned to his lands?"

Dewa observed, as Koga turn around to face him. He saw him pale as he smirked at the ookami and said, "You will release the females to us and then leave. I will spare your life this one time."

Koga sniffed, as he said, "Like hell I will! I have gone through a lot of trouble to get a hold of this one and I'm not giving her up to the likes of you." Koga gave the order for his pack to attack, as he grabbed the ningen and tried to leave with her.

Dewa gave the order to attack, as his soldiers surged forward and attacked the ookami. Several of the soldiers went in and got Lady Ayashiko out of the way as the battle raged on. His soldiers were making quick work of the ookami as the order was given to kill them all.

Sango noticed that Koga was about to leave the area with Kagome's limp form in his arms. He was about to leap away, when she told the twin headed dragon to stop him. The dragon did not need any more orders, as it let lose of its dragon's breath and stopped the wolf from leaving with his mistress.

Sango jumped off the dragon, as she faced off with Koga. There was no way in hell she was going to let him leave with Kagome.

Koga held Kagome's limp form in front of him, as a shield, while he faced off with the Taijiya. He knew of her reputation as being a fierce fighter. He didn't want to be killed by this onna if he could help it. Koga tried to leave again but a monk with holy sutras stopped him. The monk placed a barrier around their position that prevented him from leaving. The only way to leave was to fight and he was about to do just that.

Kagome's mind was in a fog like state. She has been tossed around so much that she had a splitting headache. She finally got some of her focus back as she looked around to see where she was. She spotted Sango in front of her and then she noticed that Koga was holding her as a shield that prevented Sango from attacking him.

She began to struggle to get out of his hold but the hold around her neck tightened and she was forced to stay still.

No one noticed the little bird that was flying around the area. It was waiting for the opportunity to give his mistress the gift from her mate. The bird saw its chance, when Koga moved his arm from around its master's neck, leaving the bird free to attack. The bird flew in as it cut the collar that was around its master's neck. The spell on the collar was so powerful that it destroyed the bird before it could carry out the rest of its orders.

Kagome felt when her Shikigami came back into the area. She saw it fly by and cut the collar on her neck with a small dagger. She felt when Jakyoku's collar was destroyed, its power flared around the collar destroying her Shikigami before it could fly away. But she noticed that the spell that told Jakyoku, if she broke his collar was still in place, even though the collar was destroyed. The magic of the dagger kept the illusion that she still had it on, which brought her some time.

She then noticed that her power was being returned to her, after the collar was cut. She smiled an evil smile, as she reached up with her hands and grabbed on to Koga's arms.

Her hands started to glow as she released her Reiyouku and said to Koga, "Now I will make my Otou-sans threat a reality. DIE YOU BASTARD!"

The next thing, everyone in the area noticed, was the bright flash of light and the deadly scream that came from Koga, as Kagome purified him to oblivion.

Kagome fell to her knees panting hard, as she felt arms going around her shoulders in a fierce hug from her best friend.

Sango rushed forward as she reached Kagome and gave her a hug that told of her worry and pain for not protecting her. She felt her hug returned, as she heard Kagome say, "Sango, I need to find Lady Ayashiko, please take me to her."

Sango helped Kagome to stand as the dragon came right over and nuzzled their mistress. Kagome giggled, as she turned to the dragon and said, "Ah, Un, take me to Lady Ayashiko please." The dragon kneeled to allow her to get on their back, as they stood up and walked over to where they were keeping the Lady of the West safe.

Dewa's soldiers quickly finished defeating all of the ookami youkai. When they felt the surge of power in the area, Dewa looked up in time to see the little miko purify the wolf, as a smile came to his features. The little miko has come a long way, and is even more powerful than before. He saw her coming towards him, as he got off the dragon he was on. He bowed deeply to her and said, "I'm glad that you are safe milady."

Kagome turned her tired eyes to the general, as she asked, "General, where is my

Oka-san?"

The general turned as his guards parted and there behind them was the Lady of the Lands unconscious on the ground.

Kagome got off the dragon and made her way towards her mother. When she got there, she kneeled next to her and concentrated on her powers. She needed to recreate the spell that her Shikigami used to destroy her collar, so that Jakyoku wouldn't notice they were free of his spell. She finally got the spell right, while she reached over and pulled the offending collar away from her Oka-san, as her powers was once again returned to her.

Ayashiko opened her eyes, as she felt her youki returning to her. It quickly healed her body as she looked into the eyes of her pup. She saw all the bruises that she had on her face and was about to ask her a question, when Kagome's eyes flashed red. A powerful barrier was placed around the group she was with.

Kagome sensed a dark aura in the area. She recognized who it was, as she set up a powerful barrier before the attack came. A black ball of energy hit her barrier as it protected everyone inside. She stood up on her feet, and turned to the one responsible.

--oOo--

Akurei was watching from the forest to see who will win the battle to get the miko. If the wolf youkais won the fight, then she will just walk in and take her. If the Inu's won the battle then she will have to fight to get the miko. It was better to let them tire each other out before she made herself known.

To her delight she saw as the ookami won the fight and killed all of the Inu soldiers that were guarding the miko. What she did not expect, however, were the Western soldiers to show up and spoil her plans. She was pissed, it required more resources than she had to fight the Western Inu's, rather than to fight the black Inu's.

She watched from the forest, trying to decide how to get the miko. She noticed that all of them were preoccupied with the female youkai and she saw her chance to attack. She sent a ball of her dark magic towards her enemy, but to her surprise, it was deflected by the miko, as she observed her eyes turning red.

She didn't think that the miko still had this much power left, since she looked like she has been to hell and back. But she was sadly mistaken. The amount of power that was radiating off the miko was powerful, as she made her way into the clearing to challenge her once and for all. She needed her blood to become immortal and she was going to get it.

When Akurei saw Kagome's eyes, they have turned blood red. Never before has she seen a miko do this. She waited patiently, as the miko walked out of the barrier to face her. This was her chance to kill her, as her barrier prevented all those that were under its protection from leaving.

Kagome turned to the one responsible for the attack, her hackles were raised, while she growled just like an Inu youkai that startled everyone who was with her in the clearing. She stood on shaky legs, as she walked out of the barrier to face the kuro miko once and for all. She was tired of this bitch coming after her and her family.

Kagome stopped just a few feet away from the kuro miko, as she said, "What do you want, Akurei?"

Akurei smirked, as she said, "I want your death, and when you're dead then I will become immortal. I will rule this land and no one, not even the Western Lord, will be able to defeat me." Akurei turned, and while she did that, she sent another black ball of her kuro energy towards Kagome.

Kagome saw the attack coming as she stood her ground, the attacked hit, as everyone in the clearing yelled for Kagome.

Ayashiko was pounding on the barrier that her pup set up. The damn thing was so powerful that even she could not bring it down. She saw kuro miko about to attack her pup as her eyes turned blood red. She doubled her efforts to break the barrier, but it was to no avail. When she saw the attack hit her pup she fell to her knees as she cried. She couldn't see her pup through all the smoke that was around the area.

The foul stench of the blast was preventing her from scenting her pup out. Ayashiko waited with bated breath to see what happened to Kagome.

Akurei smiled an evil smile, as she started to walk towards the dead miko. She was confident that she killed her, and she was going to collect her blood. Her heart's desire was about to be realized, as she was about to become immortal.

Akurei stopped in her tracks. Her heart was beating a mile a minute when she realized that something was wrong, very wrong. The smoke started to clear and she noticed that the miko was still alive. Her eyes opened wide, as she said, "How can this be! You should have died when I attacked you."

Kagome was still standing in the same spot. She put a barrier to protect herself as Akurei's attack hit. Her barrier held, as she waited for the smoke to clear. It was time to get rid of this thorn in her side.

Once the smoke cleared, Kagome smiled an evil smile, as she said, "You actually thought that you could kill me? You're pathetic. You don't have the power to kill me and now it's time for me to get rid of you. I have had enough of you coming after my family and me. I pass judgment on you and the sentence is death for your transgressions."

Kagome stood her ground, as she held out her hand to the side and said, "Jenjou, come to me!" Kagome's hand started to glow a pure white as her sword appeared in her hand.

Kagome started to concentrate on her powers, her body started to glow in a blue hue, as she channeled her powers into her sword. She held the sword above her head, as she said, "Jikan no Kaze!" (Winds of time)

A fierce wind came out of Kagome's sword, as the attack went straight towards Akurei. The kuro miko tried to dodge her attack, but it kept moving with her.

Akurei was panicking, as she saw the miko's attack getting closer to her by the minute. She put up her strongest barrier and then sent an attack of her own to try and stop the miko's attack from reaching her.

Her attack had no effect, as Kagome's attack hit her full force. Akurei concentrated hard on her barrier, but it was a waste of time. Kagome's attack broke through her barrier, as it hit the kuro miko full force. The attack aged her intended victim. Releasing all of the dead miko's magic from her body.

Akurei fell to her knees, as she looked at her hands. They were old, wrinkled, and marked with aged spots, as she saw her hair go from a beautiful midnight black to silver in color, aging rapidly. She looked up from the ground, as she tried to say something but her words failed her. The attack turned her to ash, as she died an aged death.

Kagome was panting hard. She put her sword in her sash as she slowly turned towards her mother. She released her barrier from around everyone, as she fell to her knees. She was tired, but she knew that her mate and father were still fighting that bastard, as she tried to get her strength back.

Ayashiko reached her pup and wrapped her arms around her to offer comfort. She could feel the weariness that she had, and knew that she needed to rest. But her pup had other ideas, as she said, "Oka-san, we have to go to the battlefield. Otou-san and Sesshoumaru are fighting that bastard and we have to help them. We must defeat him if we want a future filled with happiness."

Ayashiko understood what her pup was saying, as she turned to the general and said, "General, get everyone ready, we are going to help my mate and son defeat this bastard that has caused so much pain in our lives."

General Dewa was more than happy to obey that order, as he gathered his soldiers getting ready to leave the area. Then, he got an idea as he turned to his Lady and said, "Milady, I have a plan that will get us really close to the enemy if you are willing to go along with it."

Ayashiko was intrigued, as she listened to what the General had in mind. When he was done outlining his plan Ayashiko had to admit that she liked it. She agreed to his plan as his soldiers stripped the enemy of their uniforms.

Kagome added to the illusion as she cast a concealment spell that made General Dewa and his men look like the dead soldiers of Jakyoku. The plan was set as they went towards the enemy, it was time to take back the Western Lands.

--oOo--

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru have been battling for a while against Jakyoku soldiers. The Western army was holding their own against the black Inu, as they continued to battle. To their surprise, they noticed that they have females in their army, and it made it difficult for the Western soldiers to battle them. They didn't want to battle against the females, as it was against their honor to hurt a female.

Jakyoku noticed that he was losing to the Western army. This did not please him at all, as he called for the soldiers that were hidden in the cliffs, ready to attack. A fresh new wave of enemy soldiers descended on the weary soldiers of the West as they attacked them full force.

Inutaisho, noticing what was going on, howled into the air. His orders were heard as his reserve soldiers joined the battle down below. It was all out war as the males battled for dominance over the West.

Jakyoku was wondering why it was taking so long for them to bring the females to his location. He was about to go and see what the problem was, when his soldiers returned with the females. It was taking five soldiers each to subdue the females as he turned to look at his mate.

He approached his female, as he said, "I'm glad that you could come mate. You are about to witness the end to the Western Lord and his son. Once they are dead, then you and I will mate and our life together will be filled with joy and happiness."

Kagome was trying really hard to hold on to her temper, as she spat, "If you think that you can defeat my mate in battle then think again, he is more powerful than you. I told you once that I would rather die then be your mate. You can never be bonded to me because I'm already bonded to my mate in full."

Jakyoku eyes opened wide at her proclamation, as he stalked towards her. When he reached her, he pulled her hair, as he tilted her head to the side, exposing her mating mark. He went to bite her, to mark her as his own, but the moment his fangs touched her skin it threw him backwards to land on his back.

His anger grew ten fold, as he was on his feet in a few seconds and growled, "How can you be fully mated to him when you haven't gone into heat yet?!"

Kagome smiled and evil smile as she said, "I'm a miko and there are ways to get around little things like that if I so wish it. You are not powerful enough to subdue me and I will purify your ass the first chance I get."

That did it, as he attacked the miko, but before he could reach her, a barrier stopped his attack, as he was burned by the purifying power of Kagome's barrier. He stumbled backwards, as he saw his soldiers release the miko and the demoness. His rage was fanned anew as he growled, "What do you think you're doing? Why have you released them?"

Kagome's concealment spell fell as it revealed the Western soldiers surrounding the females.

Jakyoku paled when he saw that the Western soldiers surrounded him. He growled and more of his soldiers came in to attack the intruders, while everyone heard him yell, "Kill them all!"

Kagome quickly pulled her sword from her sash, which she concealed with a concealment spell, as she joined the Western soldiers in attacking the enemy. Kagome was in the middle of the battle, as her Oka-san joined her to get the bastard that hurt them and their mates.

Kagome was keeping an eye on her Oka-san as they both advanced toward Jakyoku.

Sesshoumaru witness when Jakyoku tried to mark his mate as his. With them having a true-life bond it prevented any youkai from claiming what was his. His anger grew ten fold as he doubled his efforts to get to his enemy. He was going to be the one to end his life.

He finally broke free of the last attacking soldier as he rushed toward Jakyoku. It was now time to defeat this bastard and get rid of the threat to their lands.

Jakyoku saw Sesshoumaru coming towards him as he pulled his sword from its sheath. It was time to kill the bastard that bonded with his mate. He still wanted her and the only way to get her was to kill him. He rushed in as their swords meet in mid air.

The power of both swords crackled in the sky as they both fought for dominance. It seemed that they were both evenly matched, as they pushed away from each other. They landed on the ground, each staring at their opponent, as they circled around each other, like a predator stalking his prey.

Jakyoku was not about to let Sesshoumaru beat him in battle, as he started to cast his spells to defeat him.

Sesshoumaru felt when his feet were grabbed and he was unable to move to fight against Jakyoku. His youki flared around his body trying to break the spell that held him. He saw Jakyoku coming towards him as he lashed out with his whip. He got Jakyoku in the chest as he sent him backwards in pain. Sesshoumaru then put his sword into the ground as he channeled his power into his sword to release his feet.

Sesshoumaru succeeded in getting free just in time to avoid another attack from Jakyoku.

Jakyoku's plan was working; he was forcing Sesshoumaru to use all of his youki to fight him. With each spell that he was able to ensnared Sesshoumaru with, he forced his enemy to use a lot more of his youki to break his spell before he got hit with another.

Sesshoumaru landed on his knees as he was panting hard. He was losing his energy and Jakyoku still had enough youki to fight him. This was not good, as they continued to fight. At one point Jakyoku hit him in the chest with a spell as he went down hard. He couldn't get back up as he saw Jakyoku moving in to attack again.

Kagome was watching the battle that was going on. They were winning against Jakyoku's army but it was taking time. She was watching out of the corner of her eye as her mate battled Jakyoku. She did not interfere in the battle allowing her mate to take her revenge for her.

She saw as Jakyoku was casting spell after spell at her mate and it was taking its toll on him. Sesshoumaru was slowly weakening, using his youki every time to break the spell that was holding him and then battling with Jakyoku once more. She saw him get hit by a powerful spell as he went down hard. He was not able to get up and Jakyoku was about to kill him.

Kagome's eyes went wide as she yelled, "SESSHOUMARU!!"

Kagome's power rose quickly as her wings appeared on her back. She flew off towards her mate as she reached him in time to block the attack. It was now time that Jakyoku see her true powers as she killed this bastard once and for all.

Kagome pushed Jakyoku away from Sesshoumaru, as she stood in front to protect him. When Jakyoku regained his feet, his blood red eyes locked with the miko. Her aura was going to a pure white in color as her powers spiked. It blinded everyone in the battlefield as they all stopped their fighting to see what was going on.

Kagome pulled on all her emotions as she let her true powers free. Her body was engulfed in a pure white light as she changed. Once the light was gone everyone on the battlefield gasped as they saw the miko.

What Jakyoku saw in front of him was not the female that he was going to mate but a goddess. She was dressed in pure white kimono with golden body armor that covered her chest. She had on a short white skirt that came just above her knees with soft black boots that covered her ankles.

Her wings were spread out behind her as she gave a powerful flap and knocked everyone in front of her down to their knees. Her sword pulsed with power as a golden glow was surrounding it. Her normally blue/black hair was now a pure white as it went down to just below her knees. Her beautiful blue eyes turned white with a mild blue tint as she reached the height of her powers.

Jakyoku was panting hard. He wanted this female now more than ever and he was going to subdue her powers. He stood tall as he called upon his dark powers. Oh yes, he knew how to use black magic but he never wanted to. It was too dangerous and he could lose himself to this power, but at the moment, he wanted this female and this was the only way to defeat her. He knew that he could not subdue her by himself, she was too powerful, but with his dark powers he had enough strength to defeat her.

His aura turned red as his sword pulsed with power, far beyond what he was using with Sesshoumaru. Now he was ready to defeat his new mate.

Kagome stood her ground as she saw the power that Jakyoku was emitting. She had to be careful as she got into a fighting stance and waited for him to attack. She didn't have to wait for long as he sent a blast her way.

A youkai whip of pure gold came out of her hand as she batted away the attack like it was nothing, purifying it so that it didn't hurt anyone on the battlefield. She moved as she saw Jakyoku move around her person to get a better angle of attack.

Jakyoku sent another powerful blast towards Kagome, as she leaped into the air to avoid the attack, she countered with her own as she said, "TENHIKARIHA" and sent a wave of heavenly blades of power towards him. Her attack hit, as she watched from above to see if he was dead or weakened in any way.

Jakyoku saw her attack coming, but he didn't have enough time to dodge it. It hit him head on as he cried out in pain. He landed on one knee but he was not purified, yet. He could not afford to get hit again or he will lose his life to this onna. Her Reiyouku was truly powerful and he was not about to die by her hands.

He gathered his energy as he sent a blast towards the girl. She will not see it coming since there was still a lot of debris flying around the area.

Kagome was watching to see what happened. She then moved quickly out of the way as a blast came from Jakyoku's position. She just barely had enough time to avoid the first attack, when she saw another black object shoot up towards her at a fast pace. She didn't have time to react to the second threat as she was hit and she went down hard.

Kagome was hurt now, as she crashed into the earth down below. She was weakening. She needed to finish this now, if she wanted to win against Jakyoku. Kagome tried to get back up as she struggled to get to her feet. She leaped away as Jakyoku attacked again. He was keeping her off balance as he continued his assault.

Kagome continued to avoid his attacks. She skidded to a stop as she concentrated on her sword, building up her power. When she had enough she raised her sword and said, "HONOO NO SHINIDE!"

Rich red flames came out of her sword, as if the fires of hell itself were being drawn. It streaked across the battlefield as it went towards her enemy, destroying everything in its path.

Jakyoku eyes opened wide, when he saw the attack coming towards him. It was powerful as he leaped into the air to avoid the blast. He quickly turned, going after the female of his dreams, and sent another attack towards her.

Kagome turned as she noticed another attack coming her way. She leaped, but she was not fast enough to avoid the attack. It caught her leg as she went down hard. She was sitting on the ground as she glared daggers toward Jakyoku. He was slowly making his way towards her and the look in his eyes promised nothing but pain for her.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru witnessed as his mate reached her ultimate power. She was beautiful, as he finally saw her true form. She looked like an Ashura, a soldier of the heavens. She spread her wings behind her and flexed them. They were bigger than her other ones and more powerful, he could feel the pulse of power going through her body.

He continued to watch as he witnessed his mate battle Jakyoku, but he could tell that she was weakening. He needed to help her, but he was weak himself. Then he remembered something that his Hiijiji had said to him, as he said, "Tsuyoimaru, please help me protect my mate."

The sword on Sesshoumaru's hip started to glow, as it engulfed his body fully. Deep within his soul, there was a power so great that he needed help to release it. Tsuyoimaru knew that it was time to bestow his powers upon his great grand pup. He helped him release the power that was deep within him as it came forth.

Sesshoumaru's body started to glow a yellow/orange as he finally made his transformation into a two tail Inu youkai. His powers doubled as his tail split into two. His golden orbs now held an orange hue around the edge of his eyes as he stood to his full height.

He turned his eyes towards his enemy who was about to attack his mate. He noticed when Kagome went down as she was hit by one of Jakyoku's attacks. She was not able to stand and she was panting hard from the battle.

Sesshoumaru pulled his Hiijiji's sword, Daihogokiba_, The Fang of the Great Protector__,_ from its sheath as he raced to defend his mate. He blocked Jakyoku's attack while sending one of his own to the offending male, as he said, "Dokukasumi", (Poison haze/mist!) A mist of yellow gas came out of his sword as it shot right toward Jakyoku.

Jakyoku was hard pressed to avoid the attack coming his way. He just barely missed it, as he saw the poison mist eat everything in its path. He turned his full black orbs toward his opponent as his eyes opened wide. There standing in front of him was Sesshoumaru. He was no longer just a regular Inu Youkai, but a full-blooded two tail Inu Youkai with the power to match. His transformation was finally complete as he took a step back in fear.

Sesshoumaru's aura was a pure white aura that matched his mate as he protected her. Jakyoku's eyes burned with rage, he was blocking his view of the female that he wanted. She was his and there is nothing that was going to stop him from claiming what was rightfully his.

He squared his shoulders as he stood straight up to his full height and faced off with the only living two tail to rule all Youkai's of the land. Yes, he knew he didn't have a right to the lands that he wanted, but he was powerful in his own right, he could defeat this Inu and claim what is his.

His dark powers consumed his soul fully, as an evil smile came upon his features. Once he defeated this Inu, he will be known as the most powerful youkai in all the land and the female behind him will belong to him. He held his sword off to the side, as he feed it his rage. The sword was growing even more powerful than before as he got ready to attack.

--oOo--

Inutaisho was watching his son battle along side him. He saw him rush off to face Jakyoku as he continued to battle with his men to defeat the army that wanted to control his lands.

A familiar scent reached his nose as he looked up and saw his mate battling along side his little one. His eyes went wide when he saw the condition of his mate. She had a bruise on the left side of her face, which marred her beauty, as he caught the scent of her blood.

He could feel the rage Ayashiko had, as she attacked like a thing possessed to protect her pup.

His little one was in the worse shape. Both sides of her face were bruised to almost none recognition of her beauty. She had claw marks on the upper portion of her chest as he saw the blood that dried over her wounds. Her powers were growing by the minute as she was attacking with everything she had.

He continued to battle as he was making his way toward his mate. Then he saw a group of youkai that were getting ready to attack her, as his eyes turned blood red from his anger. He let go as he killed his opponent and vanished from where he stood only to reappear behind his mate as he killed the ones that were trying to do her harm.

He heard his mate cry out in pain as he quickly turned and killed the one that hurt his beloved. He grabbed Ayashiko before she hit the ground and jumped into the air with her in his arms. He found Sango and the monk, as he landed near them and said, "Sango take my mate and move to safer grounds. You are to protect her with your life, while I go after Kagome."

--oOo--

Sango turned when she dispatched her last female opponent. The male soldiers were having a hard time fighting them because they were females, but she didn't hold any reservations about killing them.

When the fighting got started she was separated from Lady Ayashiko and Kagome. She noticed them in the distance and they were still surrounded by the western soldiers. Knowing that they were protected Sango battled with the female soldiers when she noticed that the soldiers refused to fight them. She was making quick work of their numbers, as she was far more skilled than these females will ever be.

When Sango turned around she saw the Western Lord standing there with his mate in his arms. She was unconscious as Sango stepped forward to take her out of his arms and move her to a safer location.

A company of Inutaisho soldiers went with her, along with Miroku, who took Ayashiko from her arms as they moved quickly away from the battle area. They will make sure to protect the Lady of the Lands while her mate finished this battle.

Inutaisho left his mate with Sango, knowing that she will be well protected, as he looked for Kagome. He saw her in the middle of the battlefield fighting against Jakyoku. His eyes opened wide when he noticed her change. Her aura was a pure white signifying that she has reached her ultimate power. His little one looked like an Ashura as he watched her battle to protect her mate.

He saw her go down when she was hit with a blast from Jakyoku, as he tried to reach her in time. He was still too far away from her when Jakyoku made to attack again. In that instant he saw a blur of white move in and protect her as he stood in front of his mate.

His son has finally transformed into his true form as he saw his twin tails behind him. His aura was white and it matched his mates as he engaged the enemy.

Inutaisho saw Kagome behind Sesshoumaru as he moved in to grab her from the battlefield. He needed to get her to safety or else Sesshoumaru could not fight effectively while he tried to protect his mate.

He made it to Kagome side, as he picked up her weak protesting form from the ground and held her in his arms. He turned to his son as he said, "Sesshoumaru! I have your mate. She will be well protected while you take care of him."

Sesshoumaru was very much aware that his father came in to take his mate to safety. He was grateful to his father for protecting her, as he was now free to attack. He wanted to have the freedom to move around the area, but he was afraid to move for fear that she will be hurt or worse, that the filth in front of him will capture her again.

Now he turned his full attention toward his enemy, as it was time to end this.

Jakyoku saw as the Western Lord came in and took his female away. His rage was fanned anew as he made up his mind to go after them. He took off after the female when he felt a siring pain going across his chest, he pulled back and looked at the person that caused him his injuries, his eyes were glowing with anger as he turned back to his opponent.

Sesshoumaru saw as Jakyoku started to move towards his father and mate. His right hand came out as he let his green whip fly and hit Jakyoku in the chest. His eyes were turning red from his anger, as he growled, "Your fight is with me worm! My mate has nothing to do with this. She is mine and is off limits to the likes of you!"

Jakyoku growled, as he said, "You think you can keep her away from ME! Think again Sesshoumaru, I will have her as my mate and once you're dead, she will be mine for all eternity."

Sesshoumaru huffed, as he rushed to his opponent. He was going to end this one way or another. He drew his sword forth as he connected with Jakyoku's sword. The energy in both swords crackled as they fought each other in a display of strength.

With a surge of strength, Sesshoumaru pushed Jakyoku back as a wave of youki came out of Sesshoumaru's sword. It impacted on Jakyoku as he was thrown back about 20 feet from Sesshoumaru.

Jakyoku was hurt, he never realized just how powerful Sesshoumaru was going to be once he transformed. He was not going to give up though. This was a fight for the right to mate the female and he wanted her. His lust came to the surface as his youki whipped around his body. He fired a powerful blast from his sword as he watched with satisfaction at what he did. There was no way Sesshoumaru was going to survive his attack.

Sesshoumaru saw the attack coming as he dodged to avoid it. He formed a powerful barrier around his body to protect himself as the attack hit. He managed to move out of the way as he moved in for another attack.

Jakyoku was not expecting him to dodge his attack. He brought his sword up as he leaped into the air and attacked Sesshoumaru head on. He had another plan in mind as he started another incantation.

Their swords met, their power clashing against each other, as Jakyoku finished his spell. He raised his hand up and blasted Sesshoumaru away from him as he hit the ground hard. An evil smirk came to his features as he went after the fallen youkai. He was not about to let him regroup to attack again.

Sesshoumaru hit the ground hard. His barrier protected him, but the force of the impact sent him down toward the ground. He turned as he saw Jakyoku coming towards him. He raised his sword and said, _"_Ryuumamoru (Guardian Dragon)!_" _The power started to build on the sword when a large and imposing light blue dragon came out of it and went toward Jakyoku. The power of the dragon was strong as it went toward his enemy.

Jakyoku saw the dragon coming towards him. He countered with his own attack as he said, _"Mystic Dragon!" _A black dragon came out of his sword as it rushed toward the dragon that Sesshoumaru sent his way. Both dragons met in the middle of the battlefield as they attacked each other. The power they generated was beyond anything anyone has ever seen before. They exploded in mid air as they destroyed one another.

Jakyoku smiled, there was no way that Sesshoumaru was going to defeat him. He was just as powerful as the two tails and he will win this fight.

Sesshoumaru stood up as he watched his attack hit Jakyoku attack. He observed as the dragons battled and then destroyed each other. His opponent was powerful, but he will not lose. His mate was his main reason for fighting and he will protect her.

Sesshoumaru leaped into the air as his sword clashed with Jakyoku. They fought an aerial battle, the only thing that you could see were the two blurs in the sky as they attacked each other.

Jakyoku was thrown back from a powerful punch that Sesshoumaru released. He felt when his ribs broke, making it harder for him to breathe. He saw the white haired youkai coming towards him again, as he raised his sword to attack. He concentrated as he mumbled a spell under his breath and finally released his attack.

A black wisp of smoke came out of the sword as it went toward Sesshoumaru. It slowly turned into a powerful black snake as it opened its mouth to reveal his fangs. It attacked without mercy as the venom was dripping from his mouth.

Sesshoumaru saw the attack coming his way and he was prepared to destroy it. But when he noticed that the attack turned into a black snake he was hard pressed to avoid the attack.

The snake missed him with his fangs as he leaped out of the way but he didn't see his tail come from behind as he was hit with the full force of its speed and sent him crashing to the ground.

The force of the impact created a crater in the ground as Sesshoumaru tried to move. He saw the snake coming in for another attack as he heard someone yell, "TENHIKARIHA!" The heavenly blades purified the snake to oblivion as he looked up toward the sky and saw his mate. She was hovering over him as her wings held her up off the ground. Her sword was pulsing with power as she was staring at her enemy.

--oOo--

Inutaisho left his son to battle with Jakyoku while he got Kagome to a safe place. She was protesting loudly, not wanting to leave her mate behind. He tried to soothe her with his purrs because he could feel how tired she was. She was dangerously low on energy and if she didn't get some rest soon, she could die.

The one thing he did notice was that her wings did not fade back into her body, nor did her hair returned to its natural ebony color. She still had her wings, as they were limply hanging down her back. She didn't have enough strength to hold them up as he made it to the area where Sango and the monk set up a temporary safe area for his mate.

He noticed that there was a powerful barrier that protected the area and he saw his soldiers around the perimeter guarding his mate. The dragons were both close to his mate as they stood guard.

The barrier opened as he approached. He was able to walk right in as he made his way to the area where his mate was located. He put Kagome down on the ground, as he noticed that she had fallen asleep, still breathing hard from her battle with Jakyoku. He looked at his pup and rubbed her cheek with his hand to offer her some comfort.

He was worried about Kagome. He couldn't lose her. He has come to love this little one as she filled the empty hole in his heart. He didn't know the joys of having a daughter until she came into his life. She was a spitfire, but was loved by all. When he saw her relax from his touch, he moved away from her wanting to go and check on his mate, he looked up to see Sango standing right next to him.

--oOo--

Sango noticed when Lord Inutaisho came back with Kagome. She seemed to be unconscious until she noticed that she was fighting the sleep that her body wanted. She watched as her lord raised his hand and soothed her until she stilled and relaxed in her sleep.

She came forward when she saw Lord Inutaisho leave her friend, while he went to check on his mate. She had medicine to treat Kagome's wounds to help her heal. She kneeled next to her friend and noticed all the bruises on her face. That bastard treated her friend harshly, as she felt a wave of guilt wash over her for not being able to protect her.

Miroku talked to her at great length, explaining that she was not at fault for her friends capture. He explained that the potion they used was a powerful one and with the spell that they cast on the needles, even the most powerful youkai would go down from it being introduced into their body.

Sango had to admit that Miroku spoke the truth, but it did not alleviate the pain she was feeling in her chest as she looked at her friend. Sango sighed feeling sorry for herself will not help Kagome recover from her injuries, as she set to work in bandaging her wounds. Once she was done, she left her side to go and take care of Lady Ayashiko.

Ayashiko was still weak from her ordeal and was healing very slowly at the moment. She stayed wounded for a long time before her body was able to recover its youki to help her heal. The claw marks on her chest were the most severe of her wounds. She got poisoned, and was now trying to purge that from her body.

--oOo--

Kagome was in a deep but restless sleep, even here in her mind, she was connected to her mate and was able to see what he observed. She needed to be with him because she sensed that something bad was going to happen. She has never been wrong with her feelings before, so why would she be wrong now.

She saw as her mate went down from the impact of Jakyoku's attack. She was struggling to wake up so she could go to his side to protect him. She knew that it will take time for her mate to recover. Jakyoku was not the type of youkai to let up on his attack so Sesshoumaru could recover from his injuries. Her breathing became labored as she slowly opened her eyes. She sat up as she took in deep breaths to wake her body.

Kagome trembled when she felt another impact of her mate's body against the ground. She noticed when Jakyoku was about to attack her mate again as her aura flared with anger. She stood, as she flapped her wings and took off towards her mate again, passing through Miroku's barrier with ease, with her sword in her hand.

She raced across the sky as she made it to Sesshoumaru in time. She looked at the snake that was about to attack her mate as she yelled, "TENHIKARIHA!" Her blades came out of her sword as it impacted on the enemies attack, purifying the snake to oblivion.

Kagome stayed in the air as her eyes turned white, her powers grew even more as she faced off against Jakyoku. Her Reiyouku was swirling around her body protecting her from any harm as she gathered her power for one final blow.

Sesshoumaru saw his mate in the air as she was facing off against Jakyoku. He was hurt but he got to his feet as he leaped into the air and rose to where his mate was located, his demonic cloud keeping him next to his mate as he felt her power growing.

He summoned his powers as well. An orange light engulfed his body, as it grew with its intensity. His hair flew up with the winds of change, his powers whirling around his body, as he released his anger at the male in front of him for attacking his mate. His eyes turned white as he reached his full potential. He brought forth his sword once more as he said, _"Ryuutsumekizu (__Dragon claw slash)__!"_ The attack came out of his sword as a giant dragon claw formed and went straight for Jakyoku.

Kagome summoned her attack as well, as she said, _"Tennohikari (Heavenly Light)!"_ A purifying beam of light came out of her sword as it raced after Sesshoumaru's attack. It finally caught up to it as the dragon claw merged with her Tennohikari. The claw glowed brightly as it took on a pinkish glow. It moved faster through the air as it was going towards its target.

Jakyoku saw the attacks coming. He smiled an evil smile as he let go of his own dragon attack. He was confident that he will be able to defeat Sesshoumaru's attack and didn't notice when Kagome let her own attack go.

Jakyoku's black dragon impacted with Sesshoumaru's dragon claw as an explosion rocked the area. He thought that he got rid of the attack, as he was moving in to attack again. Then out of the smoke in the sky, the dragon claw emerged and raced to his location, that's when he noticed that it had a pink barrier around it.

Jakyoku stopped in mid flight as he put his barrier around his body to protect himself from the attack. It hit him full force, pushing his body backwards from the force of the impact, as he struggled to defend against it.

He didn't have a chance as Kagome's purifying power purified his barrier and the attack hit him head on. He screamed in pain, as Sesshoumaru's attack tore through his body while Kagome's purified him at the same time. Then there was silence, as the once black Inu known as Jakyoku was no more.

Kagome was panting hard from the effort of her attack. Once she saw that they finally won against Jakyoku, her strength left her. The grip around her sword loosened as it fell out of her hand. Her wings disappeared, her features returning to normal, as she whimpered in pain. Her world went black as she fell out of the sky.

Sesshoumaru turned his head toward his mate when he heard her whimper. His eyes went wide when he saw her falling towards the ground. He rushed after her and caught her before she reached the ground and gently landed with her in his arms.

Sesshoumaru was feeling slightly weak, as he sat down on the ground and placed Kagome in his lap. He brought her closer to his body as he looked at her with concern. His mate was back to her normal form, but she was dangerously low on energy, as Sesshoumaru struggled to keep her with him.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes. Her breathing was labored as she looked up and saw the concerned golden eyes of her mate. She gave him a weak smile, as she softly asked, "Sesshoumaru, are you hurt?"

Sesshoumaru smiled at his mate, with everything that they have been through, she was still worried about everyone else. He caressed her cheek with his, and said, "I'm fine mate. Sleep, you need to regain your strength."

Sesshoumaru saw the look in her eyes that said she was not going to rest at the moment as he started his incantation to make her sleep. But before he could finish his spell he heard his mate say in a weak voice, "Sesshoumaru, we must find your mother. There is something wrong with her and unless we get to her in time we will lose her."

This alarmed Sesshoumaru, as he said, "Are you sure that there is something wrong with mother?"

Kagome was concentrating on finding Ayashiko as she said, "Yes, she has been wounded and the wound has poison in it. Hurry Sesshoumaru, we must quickly find her."

Sesshoumaru stood up with Kagome in his arms. He saw his father coming his way as he turned to him and asked, "Father, where is mother?"

Inutaisho finally got to where his pups were located as he heard his son's question. He stopped and said, "She is with Sango at the moment. She was injured in battle and Sango is tending to her needs."

"We must go to her at once. Kagome states that she has been poisoned and we must get there as soon as possible." Sesshoumaru said with urgency in his voice.

Inutaisho opened his eyes wide at what his son said to him. He touched his son's shoulder as he formed his golden orb of light and moved with speed to where his mate was located.

They got there in a matter of seconds and when they landed they rushed toward his mate. The barrier around the area was quickly lowered upon Inutaisho's arrival as he rushed to see how his mate was doing.

Sango was sitting by Lady Ayashiko side. She was trying to bring her fever down, as she put a fresh cold cloth on her forehead. She was running out of options on what she could do. She knew there was poison in her system, she thought that between the herbs she gave her and her youki, it would help her recover from the poison, but she was wrong.

Ayashiko seemed to be getting worse as the day progressed and now she was even weaker. Sango looked up as she heard the sound of running feet coming her way. She saw Kagome, Sesshoumaru, and Inutaisho running towards her with a concerned look on their features. She breathed a sigh of relief as she said, "Milord, your mate has been poisoned and she seems to be getting worse as time goes by. Nothing I do seems to help."

Inutaisho finally made it to his mate side. He heard Sango's words and was worried for his beloved. He kneeled next to her as he grabbed her hand and held it next to his heart. He could not let her die, his life will be over if she was to leave his side. He felt her weakness through their bond and whined, as he tried to keep her tied to this world.

Sesshoumaru was following right behind his father as they finally reached his mother. She was lying on the ground and she was pale. Her breathing was labored and she was not getting any better. He heard what Sango said and became alarmed.

Kagome saw Ayashiko and said, "Please Sesshoumaru, put me down by her."

Sesshoumaru complied with his mate's wishes as he gently placed Kagome by his mother. Kagome quickly removed the bandages and looked at Ayashiko wounds. They were red and swollen, the infection was deeply set and the poison was working fast to take her life.

Kagome concentrated on her healing powers; she needed to heal her Oka-san before she lost her. She has been like a real mother to her and she would rather give up her life than let her die.

Kagome powers grew once more, as she brought them forth. Her whole body was incased in a blue light as she placed her hands on Ayashiko's wounds. She concentrated on the poison and what it was doing, as she attacked and got rid of it from her body.

Once the poison was gone, Kagome then concentrated on Ayashiko's wounds and healed them. When she was done with what she needed to do, she was breathing hard and she almost passed out on top of her Oka-san.

Sesshoumaru was watching what his mate was doing. He kept his eyes on his mate, but he was worried about his mother as well. He felt as Kagome was weakening from using so much of her powers, first fighting in the battle, and then to heal his mother.

Then he noticed when Kagome's powers reseeded back and he caught his mate before she fell on his mother.

Kagome was breathing hard, as she said, "I got rid of the poison. She should be all right now." She then turned her head as she looked to see Ayashiko waking up. Everyone turned their attention towards the Lady of the West as they watched to see how she was feeling.

--oOo--

Ayashiko was floating in a black abyss, she felt like she was being pulled away from the waking world. Then she felt someone calling her back as she was slowly starting to get stronger. She felt a great weight being lifted off her as she slowly opened her eyes.

She was tired, but other than that she felt fine as she looked around the area she was in. She noticed all the worried looks she was getting from her mate, Sesshoumaru, and Kagome. She was confused on why they were looking extremely worried as she asked, "Koiishi, why does everyone look so worried? Did we lose the fight for the Western Lands?"

Inutaisho chuckled, glad to have his mate back with him once more, as he said, "My aiyoku, you were poisoned when you were attacked. We almost lost you, but Kagome felt that something was wrong and came to help you recover."

Ayashiko upon hearing this turned her attention toward her pup as she saw the state she was in. Worry was clearly seen in her eyes as she asked, "What happened to Kagome? Why is she so weak?"

Inutaisho was stroking her cheek as he said, "Kagome helped defeat Jakyoku and then when she felt that you were in danger, she requested we bring her back here so she could heal you. She is dangerously weak at the moment and Sesshoumaru is helping her recover from her ordeal."

Ayashiko thought about what her mate said. That was not the only thing that her Musume did today. She got rid of that kuro miko and from what everyone has told her, she got rid of that wolf that was after her as well.

Ayashiko tried to reach out to touch her pup but she was still too weak to lift her arm up. She rested her arm back on her stomach as she closed her eyes and went back to sleep. She needed the sleep to help her recover her youki.

Inutaisho made the decision that they will stay here and rest for the night, then return to the west in the morning. His mate and little one needed to rest and his men were all tired from the long battle. He turned his head toward Sesshoumaru and said, "Sesshoumaru, we will rest here for the night and allow our mates to recover from this battle. Our soldiers also need the rest before we head back home."

Sesshoumaru nodded his concurrence to his father's request. He was also tired and didn't think that he could even form his golden orb to fly back home. He saw his father walk off to talk to his generals as the decision was made to stay here for the night and let everyone rest.

Sesshoumaru was worried about his little miko as he looked down at her. He could tell that she was tired but she was fighting against the sleep that her body wanted. She was still awake looking at his mother. You could see the concern in her blue orbs for almost losing her to this battle.

He noticed how tired she was and knew he will have to force her to sleep so she could regain her strength. Slowly he said an incantation so Kagome could rest. She never noticed what he was doing to her as her eyes closed and she was put into a deep sleep.

Sesshoumaru breathed a deep sigh of relief as he brought his mate closer to his chest. He then moved them over to a tree so they could have a more private place to sleep for the night. He sat down near the tree as he held Kagome in his lap. He touched his forehead to hers as their crescent moons came in contact. He concentrated on his youki as he gently fed some of his energy to his mate to strengthen her until her body recovered from its ordeal.

They both glowed a pale orange as he continued to transfer his power to her. When he felt that Kagome had enough energy to sustain her, he stopped the transfer. He pulled away from his mate as he looked at her. She was badly beaten by that bastard and he wished that Jakyoku was alive once again so he could kill him for what he did to his mate.

Kagome had bruises on her face that were turning black, blue, and yellow, marring her beautiful features. He noticed that she was wearing what was left of her haori over her chest, it was wrapped around her breast and she was showing entirely too much skin for his liking.

He checked her for more injuries and found claw marks on her upper chest and lower abdomen. He checked the rest of her body and besides the bruises and claw marks that she held she was not hurt anywhere else that he could see.

Sesshoumaru sensed a strong youki coming towards him and recognized it as his father's aura. He raised his eyes as he looked for his father, still keeping Kagome close to his chest.

Inutaisho was hurrying towards his mate and pups. He gave his orders to his generals as they set about getting everyone some much needed rest. When he finally got to their location, he noticed that his son was sitting with Kagome in his lap, closely holding her to his chest. His twin tails were wrapped tightly around her body, keeping her close to him.

Once he was close enough he kneeled in front of his son, and asked, "How is she? Is she hurt very badly?"

Sesshoumaru looked at the concerned look in his father's eyes as he said, "She was beaten quite severely, and she has claw marks on her upper chest and stomach. But other than that she has no other injuries."

Inutaisho breathed a little easier as he said, "Your mother is sleeping right now. In the morning we will head back toward the castle. Both your mother and mate should be strong enough to travel by then. We have secured the area and have guards posted everywhere, so rest my son you will be well protected this night."

Sesshoumaru nodded his understanding of what his father said. He turned his eyes towards his mate as he said, "I will rest once I have taken care of Kagome's wounds. I don't want her to get sick because they have become infected."

Inutaisho understood his son as he looked at his little one. She was beaten so severely that you could almost not make out her natural beauty. He got up and left his son alone with his mate as he went to check on a few more things. He sent some of his soldiers over to Jakyoku's camp. They were to search the area for prisoners and if they found any they were to inform him immediately.

But before he left, he checked on his mate and she was sleeping peacefully. Ryuuou was lying right next to her keeping her warm from the cool night air and protecting her. He wouldn't let anyone near his mate except those that he said were permitted to approach her.

The bruise on Ayashiko face was already gone. Her youkai blood was helping to heal her as he got up and left his mate for a little while. He needed to make sure his soldiers were taken care of for the evening before he retired with his mate.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru moved his tails away from his mate's body to begin healing her wounds. He felt that someone was watching him as he looked up and searched the area. The monk was sitting on the opposite side of the clearing looking at him to see what he was doing.

A vicious snarl left his lips as his tails quickly covered his mate. Kagome was not properly dressed, with her clothes destroyed he will have no one looking at what was his.

He still needed to tend to her wounds as he closed his eyes and placed a barrier around the area he was sitting in. It prevented anyone from entering or seeing where he was located.

--oOo--

Sango was standing off to the side as she witnessed what happened between Miroku and Sesshoumaru. She observed Miroku sitting against a tree looking towards Sesshoumaru and Kagome, watching what they were doing. She then saw a powerful barrier going up around the area where Sesshoumaru was sitting with her friend and then they were gone.

This made Sango very angry that Miroku would just sit there and stare at her best friend when her mate was taking care of her wounds. She marched over to where Miroku was sitting, fully intending on giving him a piece of her mind.

When she got there, she saw his staff gently glowing as his eyes were still looking over to where Sesshoumaru was sitting. His eyes were devoid of any life as she saw his mouth moving muttering something under his breath. It was so soft that no one could hear what he was saying.

Then he came to the end of what he was chanting, as his staff glowed brightly and then the light went away. She saw Miroku coming out of his trance, as he blinked twice and said, "Well hello Sango, why are you just standing there looking at me?"

Sango snapped out of her mussing as she asked, "Miroku, why was your staff glowing just now?"

Miroku rose to his feet as he rubbed the temple on the side of his head. He heard Sango's question as he said, "I was casting a protection barrier around the area to protect everyone while they sleep. I have already walked the perimeter and placed my sutras in the trees where the soldiers are resting. I know how tired everyone is so this barrier will help protect all here until we leave in the morning."

Sango was shocked to hear his answer as she asked, "Then why were you staring at Sesshoumaru when he was trying to care for his mate?"

Miroku looked confused as he replied, "I wasn't staring at Sesshoumaru-sama, I was just concentrating on casting my spell. I tend to just pick a spot and focus all my will on that spot. We happen to be right in the middle of all the soldiers so that sutra on that tree over there." Miroku pointed to the sutra that was on the tree just to the right of where Sesshoumaru was located with his mate, as he continued, "Anchors the barrier to this area, that way I can rest too without having to be awake to protect everyone."

To say that Sango was shocked was an understatement. She was totally taken by surprise at his actions. She felt ashamed for thinking that he was doing something dishonorable. She lowered her head, as she said, "I'm sorry Miroku, but I thought that you were being perverted again and trying to see what Sesshoumaru was doing with his mate. That's why there is a barrier around them now."

Miroku turned his head as he sensed the powerful barrier in one area that prevented him from seeing inside. He rubbed the back of his head as he said, "I'm sorry Sango. I guess I should have picked a spot that didn't seem like I was staring at them."

Miroku then turned and went to check on his sutras, making sure they were still firmly in place, and that they will be well protected while they slept.

Sango noticed as Miroku walked away. She shook her head wondering, 'That monk is very strange. Not once since he broke the spell that was cast on me has he acted perverted. He has protected me from any harm. I have to admit that the lecherous monk is starting to grow on me.'

Sango then turned and went the other way to make sure that the area was secure so all may rest from the battle.

--oOo--

Once his barrier was up Sesshoumaru was free to tend to his mate in peace, without prying eyes watching him. He felt when Ah, Un came over and laid down next to his position as a guard. Satisfied that now no one will see what was his, he removed his tails from around his mate as he laid her down on the ground.

He took off his armor and haori. He stretched his haori out on the ground and then picked up his mate and laid her on it. It was the warmest thing he had on and it will provide warmth to his mate.

He then took his claws and sliced through the cloth that she had around her chest. It was covered in blood and he needed to get rid of it, before the scent attracted predators. He also got rid of her hakama as he looked over her body for any additional wounds that he might have missed. He found a wound on her leg where she had gotten hit when Jakyoku attacked her. It was red and swollen and it looked like she had some poison in her wound. He will have to take care of that as soon as possible.

He took what was left of her clothes and held them in one hand, he concentrated on his poison as he let it rise and destroy the clothes she was wearing. He then turned his attention to her wounds as he started to treat them.

He leaned down over her body, making sure to keep his weight off his mate as he did so. He started with her chest wounds as he licked them until they were healed. It took a while to heal them as he was getting rid of the poison that was present in her wounds. When he was done with her chest wounds he then healed the claw marks on her stomach.

He heard her whimper in pain as he purred to soothe her in her sleep. Then he looked at her wrist and noticed how the shackles dug into her skin and healed those wounds as well.

He moved to the wound on her leg as he got that one cleaned up and healed along with the wounds around her ankles from the shackles. Once he got all of her wounds healed he wrapped his mate in his haori. It will keep her warm plus hide what was his to the rest of the world.

Sesshoumaru was then able to concentrate on his mates face, he picked her up in his arms as he moved her closer to his chest. He sat down with her in his lap as he purred, soothing her sleeping form. Being moved all over the place was not helping her to rest but at least she was safe in his arms.

He cradled her in his arms as he gently licked the bruises. He saw the pain she was feeling slowly leave her features, as she relaxed into his arms. The swelling started to go down and the bruises started to go away from her beautiful features. By the time he was done, she no longer looked disfigured and he restored her beauty once more.

Sesshoumaru settled against the tree he was sitting next to, with Kagome in his lap. His tails were wrapped around her body keeping her warm as he finally fell asleep. His body needed rest to recover from his long battle with Jakyoku.

Knowing that he was safe with his mate in his arms once again, he allowed his body to totally relax, as he fell asleep with Kagome. The peaceful sounds of the forest soothing them into a deeper sleep, as they both recovered from their ordeal. It was the start of their life together and he was looking forward to what the future will bring.

--oOo--

This is the end to another chapter. The battle for the west has been won and Jakyoku is now dead. Sesshoumaru finally got his mate back and it looks like they will finally live in peace. Or will they?

The threat to Kagome and Ayashiko is still not over. There is a new enemy that will reveal itself as they go after them once again. But first both our hero's must recover from their ordeal. They get back to the castle of the west as the males try to reestablish their connection to their mates.

Join me in the next chapter as life around the Western castle starts getting interesting and a new threat starts to emerge.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The next morning Sesshoumaru started to stir from his sleep. His body was sore from sleeping outside. It has been a long time since he slept under the stars and the tree behind him was very hard on his back.

He shifted and felt something warm against his chest. The scent he was picking up was heavenly, as he opened his eyes. He looked down and noticed that Kagome, sometime during the night, shifted in her sleep. She was fully facing him now with her arms wrapped around the inside of his juban with her head resting on his bare chest.

His arms were still wrapped around her body as he tightened his hold on her. It felt so good to have her in his arms again. He really didn't want to get up, but he could tell that his father was awake and he was getting everyone ready to move back home.

He pulled Kagome away from his chest and rested her against his left arm. He pulled his haori open, since it was only wrapped around her body, to look at her wounds. He wanted to make sure that her wounds healed during the night.

Sesshoumaru was satisfied with his mate's progress. She only had a light pink scar left from her injuries and soon it will be all gone. Her face was now back to its normal beautiful skin tone as the horrid bruises were gone from her face. He was happy.

Sesshoumaru noticed that his mate was shivering from the cold and pulled the haori close once again, tucking the edges between their bodies to keep it closed. He moved her closer to his chest and wrapped his tails around her to keep her warm. Her delicate little hand came up as she grabbed onto his juban and settled down in his arms. Her face was gently rubbing against his bare chest as Kagome sought comfort from her mate.

He got up with his mate in his arms. He made sure that she was fully covered by his tails as he let down his barrier. He looked around the area and noticed that the soldiers were getting everything ready to return home. He spotted his mother off to the side, leaning against her dragon for support, as he turned and walked in her direction.

When he finally reached her, he kneeled in front of her, and asked, "Mother, how are you feeling?"

Ayashiko has been waiting for her son to awaken. She was anxious to see her pup and to make sure that she was all right. When she saw her son making his way over to her, Ayashiko's heart leaped with joy. She noticed that he had something underneath his tail as he approached.

After hearing his concerns, she smiled at her son, as she said, "I'm feeling much better Sochi, I'm still tired, but that is to be expected. How is Kagome doing this morning? Has she recovered from her wounds?"

Sesshoumaru noticed the concern in his mother's eyes as he moved his tail away from Kagome's face to reveal her. He saw the light in his mother's eyes shine brightly when she saw his mate. All of her injuries have been healed, and she was still asleep in his arms.

Ayashiko reached out with her hand to touch Kagome's cheek. She gently stroked it as she said, "I'm sorry Sesshoumaru. I'm sorry that I could not protect your mate the way I wanted. I was not strong enough to break the spell that Jakyoku cast on us and I was forced to watch, as he hurt her. He kept us separated and there was nothing I could do to protect her."

Sesshoumaru's eyes softened, as he said, "Mother, it's not your fault. I saw what happened and I am very proud of the way she handled herself. I just wished that I could have been there to protect the both of you. I don't ever want to go through that pain again, when we found out that you were both taken away from us."

Ayashiko never heard her son speak this way before. He must have been really hurt to be admitting the pain he was feeling when that bastard took them.

Sesshoumaru sensed that his father was coming toward their location. There was something that was bothering him as Sesshoumaru felt it in his father's aura. He looked at his mother, and asked, "Mother, can I leave Kagome in your protection while I go help father get everything ready to leave this area?"

Ayashiko was more than happy to protect her pup, as she held her arms open for her son to hand over Kagome.

Sesshoumaru unwrapped his tails from around Kagome. He moved her away from his chest as he heard Kagome whimper. He was trying to keep his haori closed before he passed her to his mother.

Ayashiko noticed right away that her son got rid of the blood soaked kimono that Kagome was wearing. Kagome was not wearing a sash that will help keep his haori closed. She got an idea as reached down and removed one of the many sashes that she had tied to her waist.

Ayashiko leaned forward, while her son held his mate away from his body, and wrapped the sash around Kagome's waist to keep the haori in place.

Once she accomplished this, Sesshoumaru placed Kagome in his mother's arms. He observed his mother moving Kagome closer to her chest and her tail going around Kagome to warm and comfort her. His mother started her purr like growl, which he always enjoyed as a pup, while his mate calmed in her arms. Kagome continued to sleep peacefully as he stood and went toward his father.

--oOo--

Inutaisho has been up for hours. He was checking on his soldiers to make sure they were ready to leave this morning. He was making his way back toward his mate when General Dewa approached him.

The General kneeled in front of him as he heard him say, "Milord, we have found Akira, Kentaru, and Youko, they are all dead. What I have been able to gather, from the other prisoners in the caves, Jakyoku found out that they were spying for you and captured them.

"He tortured them to get information about the castle and especially about Lady Kagome, but they refused to tell him anything he wanted to know. They held their tongue until he killed them. We have recovered their bodies to take back to their families."

Inutaisho was shocked to hear this. He felt great sadness for them giving up their lives to protect his little one. His spies didn't have any knowledge of Kagome, but they knew the weaknesses to the castle and his barriers. If they had broken, Jakyoku would have attacked the west before they were ready to fight back. So he owed them a great debt of gratitude for keeping his secrets. He knew that in war there are always casualties, but it was never easy to take.

Inutaisho sighed, as he said, "Thank you General Dewa for telling me, get the soldiers ready to move out. I want to be back at the palace before nightfall."

General Dewa stood, then bowed to his lord as he left to carry out his orders.

Inutaisho then turned his attention back to the business at hand and made his way back toward his mate. He saw Sesshoumaru coming his way, he seemed to have recovered from his battle with Jakyoku. He stopped, as his son came to a stop in front of him as Inutaisho heard him say, "Father, what is troubling you this morning?"

Inutaisho looked at his son as he sighed, and said, "Is it that noticeable?"

"Yes father, I can feel it in your aura." Sesshoumaru responded.

Inutaisho looked at his son, as he said, "They have found our spies that were in Jakyoku ranks. They are all dead. Jakyoku tortured them and when they wouldn't give him the information he required, he killed them."

Sesshoumaru understood why his father was in such a state. His father cared deeply for all his soldiers and he knew the risks when he sent them on a mission.

Then Sesshoumaru had his own thoughts, as he asked, "Father, if we had spies keeping an eye on Jakyoku and they reported back to us what he was doing, do you think that he has spies in the castle that were reporting back to him? He needed to have someone inform him when mother and Kagome were leaving the safety of the castle so he could capture them."

Now this was an interesting hypothesis, he could have spies still in his castle, which means that his mate and little one were not safe. He turned his attention back to his son as he said, "You might be right, Sesshoumaru. Those spies might still be in the castle and they still pose a threat. We will have to be careful and keep an eye out for those spies. I don't want anything to happen to your mother or Kagome."

They both turned, as they started to walk back to Ayashiko and Kagome. As they were walking, Inutaisho got an idea and asked, "Sesshoumaru, do you think that you can transform into your true form?"

Sesshoumaru raised an elegant eyebrow at his father and answered, "Yes, I can transform into my true form, but why do you want me to?"

"Well, one we can travel faster to the castle in your true form, and two it will be good for the people of the Western Lands to see the two tail Inu youkai that is the true ruler of all the lands. Being a two tail Inu youkai, you now rule all the youkais of the land. They all must bow down to your will and obey your laws." Inutaisho said, as he looked at his son.

Sesshoumaru thought about what his father said, and replied, "Father, I have no desire to take over your rule at this moment in time. I'm perfectly happy with you being the current ruler, and with me helping you rule over the lands. The rest of the youkai can bow down to us as their rightful lords. After all, you are my sire which means you too are a two tail even though you only have one."

Sesshoumaru then stopped in his tracks as he closed his eyes, he was being overwhelmed with emotions so great that it almost hurt. His mate was in distress and he had to get back to her as soon as possible. He opened his eyes as he took off towards his Kagome, leaving his father behind.

Inutaisho stopped when he noticed that his son stopped walking. He felt a wave of panic come into his aura as he opened his eyes and left in the blink of an eye. He turned and rushed after his son, knowing that there was only one reason he would be in such a hurry… something must be wrong with Kagome.

--oOo--

Ayashiko was gently rocking Kagome in her lap. She was trying to soothe her pup, but ever since her son left his mate behind, she has been restless. She seemed to be having a nightmare and was being agitated by it.

Ayashiko also noticed that Kagome's power was steadily growing the more restless she became. She placed her pup on the ground next to her as she was softly whispering into her ear, "My Musume, you are safe now. You are no longer in danger and are being protected. Please calm yourself, you will lose control of your powers if you don't calm down."

When Kagome wouldn't calm down, Ayashiko was forced to move away from her pup along with her dragon. Her aura was getting stronger by the minute and she started to feel the bite of her purifying power. She continued with her soothing words to get her pup to calm down and reassure her that she was safe.

But her efforts went unheard, as Kagome continued to be distressed. Ayashiko could softly hear Kagome's pleas as she heard her pup say, "Sesshoumaru, where is my mate? Is he all right? Is he hurt? Where is my Sesshoumaru?"

Then something happened that Ayashiko thought would never happen, Kagome started to wakeup from her enchanted sleep. Kagome broke Sesshoumaru's spell on her, as she was trying to sit up. Kagome was crying now as Ayashiko tried to get closer to her, but a barrier prevented her from getting closer to her pup.

At first Ayashiko thought that the barrier was the one that the necklace provided but she was wrong. Kagome herself put this barrier up and it was strong. It will purify anyone who tried and reach her.

Ayashiko was sitting in front of Kagome, as she said, "Kagome? Kagome? Are you all right? Are you hurt in anyway? Look at me my Musume."

Kagome's eyes were dazed as she heard her mother talking to her. Tears of sorrow were coming down her cheeks as she said, "Oka-san? Where are we? Where is Sesshoumaru? Is he hurt? Please tell me."

Her pup was disoriented and that was part of what was wrong. She didn't comprehend that they were safe and that she was among her family. She tried to soothe her fears as she said, "Kagome you are safe now. Sesshoumaru is fine, he is not hurt, and he is with your father. We are getting ready to leave this area to go back home. Now lower your barrier so I can get closer to you."

In Kagome's mind she was still in the dark cave where that crazy Inu youkai held them prisoner. She was confused and she didn't know what her mother was talking about. She didn't have a barrier up. "I don't have my barrier up, Oka-san. Remember that bastard is subduing my powers and I can't break free of the spell because he will know what I'm doing. We need to escape from here so we can get to Otou-san and Sesshoumaru. They will need our help to defeat Jakyoku."

Ayashiko was at her wits end. Her pup still thought that she was in the cave that they were being held in. She did not realize that they were outside and that the battle for the Western Lands is over.

She tried her best to soothe her pup as she said, "Kagome, my pup, we are not in a cave

anymore. Look around you and you will see that we are in a forest right now. The battle is over and Jakyoku is dead. You have placed a barrier around your body that is preventing me from getting to you, please, you must lower the barrier."

Kagome was trying to figure out what her Oka-san was saying. She was confused, she didn't remember fighting Jakyoku and killing him. Her mind was tired and the only thing that she wanted was her mate.

Ayashiko watched as the look of confusion was still on her pup's features. She turned quickly around as she heard the sound of footsteps coming her way, in an instant Sesshoumaru appeared by her side as he looked at his mate. His eyes went wide when he noticed that Kagome broke his spell to keep her asleep so she could rest.

Inutaisho appeared right next to his mate as he looked at his little one. He turned to Ayashiko as he asked, "What happened to Kagome? How did she wake up?"

Ayashiko explained everything that happened once Sesshoumaru left Kagome in her care. She explained that Kagome was still under the illusion that she was still in the cave. She turned to her son as she said, "Sesshoumaru, you must make her understand that you are all right. She thinks that you are hurt and is trying to gather her energy to go to you."

Sesshoumaru heard his mother as he walked toward his mate. He was looking at the barrier that his mate placed around herself, wondering if he could bring it down. Then he had an idea as he placed his hand on it and the star under his crescent moon started to glow. He broke through her barrier as he walked closer to his mate and kneeled in front of her.

Sesshoumaru noticed the confusion on his mate's features as he said in a soothing voice, "Koiishi?"

Kagome slowly raised her head to the one that was calling out to her. She was confused and thought she recognized the person in front of her. She wavered a bit but caught her balance as she was shaking from the effort.

Sesshoumaru moved closer to his mate as he said, "Kagome... my mate, you are safe now." He reached out with his hand and touched her cheek with it. He gently caressed the area as he saw her close her eyes in contentment. He needed to get her to calm down, her powers were steadily growing, and if she let go, she could hurt a lot of youkai in the area.

Kagome felt a gentle touch on her cheek, she seemed to recognize it as she opened her eyes and looked at the person in front of her. She furrowed her eyebrows together; she seemed to recognize this person, like he was a big part of her life in some form. She saw the concerned look in his golden eyes as recognition came into her features, then she said, "Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru smiled one of his rare smiles for her as he reached an arm out and wrapped it around her waist. He pulled her closer to his body as he held her in his arms and started to purr to soothe her.

Kagome immediately calmed as her aura went back to normal. The confusion in her mind was slowly going away as she looked up at her mate. She gently pulled away from him as she looked into his eyes. It was her mate, her Sesshoumaru that was sitting in front of her as she asked, "Are you hurt?"

Sesshoumaru pulled his mated even closer to his body as he replied, "No mate, I am unharmed from the battle. You do not have to fear anymore, Jakyoku is dead and he will never hurt you again."

Kagome understood as she wrapped her arms around his chest and cried, "I was afraid that I had lost you. I tried so hard to protect your mother. But he subdued my powers and if I tried to break the spell I would have alerted him to what I was doing and he would have hurt Ayashiko even more than he did. I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough to protect your mother, Sesshoumaru. I guess you were right, I should have stayed by your side."

Sesshoumaru was shocked to hear this. He looked at his mate as he said, "No Kagome, you are very powerful. More powerful than any demoness in this land. I saw the way you battled against Jakyoku and I am very pleased that I have you as my mate. You make me proud and I know that you will always help me protect these lands. Now calm yourself mate, I will never leave you. You mean the world to me and we will always be together."

He held Kagome closer to his chest and purred. It worked to calm her as he soothed away her fears. When she calmed down he said in her ear, "Kagome, are you ready to go home?"

Kagome was so content to be in her mate's arms that she didn't want to move. When she heard his question she said, "Yes, let's go home."

Sesshoumaru looked up as he looked at his father. Inutaisho understood what his son wanted as he walked towards him and kneeled in front of his son. He eyed his little one as he said, "Kagome, my little one, my pup."

Kagome raised her head when she heard a familiar voice. She looked into her father's eyes as she heard him say, "Kagome come with me." Inutaisho opened his arms as he waited for Kagome to come to him. But there was a problem, Kagome didn't want to leave Sesshoumaru's embrace.

Kagome held on tighter to her mate and would not move towards her father. Sesshoumaru noticed that his mate didn't want to leave his side as he gently said in her ear, "Kagome, go with father, he will protect you from any harm. When I transform then you can ride on my back and we can go home."

Kagome looked up at Sesshoumaru as she heard what he said, then she turned to her father. She didn't want to leave Sesshoumaru's embrace but she slowly moved into her father's arms.

Inutaisho wrapped his arms around his little one as he encased her in his love and protection. He held her close to his chest as he purred. He felt when she wrapped her arms around his chest and settled down. His tail went around her to keep her warm and protected, when she felt this, he heard a gentle sigh come from her.

Inutaisho stood with Kagome in his arms as he walked back to his mate. Sesshoumaru, once he saw that his mate was safely in his father's arms, he moved away from his family as he concentrated on his powers. His beast came forth as he transformed into his true form and stood there in all his glory. He was larger than before, his twin tails moving back and forth as he turned his majestic head and look at his father.

Inutaisho was impressed with his eldest son. He has grown to his size in his true form. He radiated power from his aura but at the same time he saw how much he cared for his mate.

Sesshoumaru lowered himself to the ground, he moved his head toward his father as he sniffed looking for his mate. His inner beast loved his mate and he will do anything to protect her. When his father moved his tail he was able to see her. He growled his contentment seeing that she fell asleep in his father's arms and was resting.

Inutaisho leaned down and wrapped his free arm around his mate's waist. He stood, bringing his mate with him, as he formed his demonic cloud under his feet and raised them all to Sesshoumaru's back. He landed right in front of the tuff of hair on his shoulders. The fur made for a comfortable seat as they both sat down, with Kagome cradled in his arm and on his lap, while they waited for his son to move.

Sesshoumaru, once he felt that his father and mother were situated on his back rose to his feet as he gave a howl. He told the generals to move everyone out and head back to the western castle.

The generals took control of their soldiers and moved them all out. They traveled behind the great demon that was before them as they moved with speed.

Sango was on Kirara as they started to travel back to the palace with Miroku sitting right behind her. He did not want to be left behind and asked if he could accompany Sango back to the western castle. He will not leave her unprotected until he knew for sure that she was safe once again.

Ryuuou was flying next to them, riderless, as he was keeping pace with Sesshoumaru.

Sango was a bit miffed that Miroku wanted to travel back with her. She thought that she could at least get rid of him now that the threat to the Western Lands was gone but she was wrong.

She was confused as she tried to sort out her feelings for Miroku. He has not groped her since he saved her in that village. He kept his word to her and he was showing her a side that she has never seen before. She had to admit, even if it was just to herself, that she like this side of him. It was the side that was very caring and respected her.

Miroku was deep in thought as he scanned the area around them. He didn't want to get any unwelcome surprises from anyone getting the idea that they could attack the Western Lord and his family.

He was also thinking heavily about Sango and his feelings for her. She was such a strong person and he admired that. But there was a part of him that wanted to cherish and protect her. He finally came to the conclusion that he has found the female that will be his wife. He just hoped that she will be receptive to the idea when he finally got the courage to ask her.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru traveled with speed, he wanted to get back home as soon as possible. He scanned the land below as he saw the dissidence of the west stop and look up into the sky. It was the first time that they ever saw a two tail Inu youkai. The people of the lands have heard about the legend of the two tail but they have never seen one before.

They were all wondering who this demon was, with the two tails, that the legends said ruled over these lands so long ago. The only thing they knew for sure was that this youkai was heading for the Lord of the Lands castle and they could see the crescent moon on his forehead.

Demons for miles around stopped what they were doing when they felt the powerful aura traveling overhead, as they turned and looked up into the sky. It has been centuries and many of them didn't know about the legend, but the older youkai, who have lived for a long time, knew what this meant. The two tail has returned to take his rightful place as Lord of all the youkai in the lands. All youkais will have to bow to him and his rule or suffer his wrath.

Sesshoumaru continued on his way and soon he was approaching his home. It didn't take him that long to get home as he landed in the middle of the central courtyard. The guards that were present at the castle announced his arrival as all of the servants from inside the castle came out to greet the Lord's return.

When they all looked at the giant Inu in front of them they were in awe. The two tail has returned to the West to rule the lands. They bowed in respect as they saw the giant beast lay down on the ground as he was waiting for something.

Inutaisho noticed when they finally arrived at the castle. He tried to move but found that his mate had fallen asleep against him and he didn't want to wake her. His constant purring to keep his little one asleep lulled his mate to sleep as well.

He concentrated on his powers as he summoned his youki cloud underneath them and lifted everyone off Sesshoumaru's back. He landed on the ground gently, not even waking up his loved ones that were in his arms.

Inutaisho looked up, he saw his son transforming once more into his humanoid form, as he was making his way to his location.

Sesshoumaru transformed once his father was off his back. He was walking at a brisk pace as he reached his father and noticed that his mother was also asleep in his fathers embrace.

He kneeled in front of his father as he looked for his mate. Inutaisho upon seeing his son kneeling in front of him started to unravel his tail from around his little one. She was asleep against his chest with her hand curled right next to her chin. She looked so innocent just sleeping in his arms that he really didn't want to let her leave his embrace. But he knew that he had to surrender her to her mate. He leaned slightly forward to allow his son to take her from his arms.

Sesshoumaru reached for his mate, so his father could deal with his mother. He slid one of his arms under her legs and the other snaked around her shoulder as he pulled her away from his father.

Kagome woke with a start, disoriented from waking up from a deep sleep, she became alarmed that she was being taken away from the one that was protecting her. Her aura spiked, as her miko powers surrounded her body to protect herself. She heard a gentle purr that she thought she recognized as she looked up at the one that held her in their embrace.

She noticed right away that it was her mate, calming immediately, and turning her body towards his, she embraced him. She felt two powerful arms encircle her body as she relaxed and settled against Sesshomaru chest.

Sesshoumaru noticed right away that his mate became frighten when he moved her away from his father. Her aura spiked heavily as he placed a barrier around his father and mother to protect them from his mate's wrath. The star under his crescent moon started to glow the minute that Kagome let go of her Reiyouku. It protected him from her wrath as he calmed her back down.

Wrapping his arms around her body, Sesshoumaru started rubbing her back as it soothed her. Once she was calmed, he then looked at his father to make sure they were all right. When he noticed that they were unharmed, he lowered his barrier.

Inutaisho was happy with his son's quick thinking. He didn't think that his little one would react so violently to being removed from his embrace. His son protected him and his mother from his mate's wrath. He has never seen Kagome's aura spike so fast before. She attacked the first moment she noticed that she was being pulled away from his embrace.

Inutaisho was relieved to see that she was calm once more as she settled into his son's embrace. He noticed when Sesshoumaru moved away from him to give him room to pick up his mate.

Ayashiko was leaning against his side as his tail gently wrapped around her lower back and then her legs. His other arm went around the upper portion of her body as he gently lifted her up and then brought her to his chest. He held her bridle style as he stood with his mate and then started to make his way toward the castle.

Sesshoumaru was following his father back to the castle. He needed to get his mate to bathe and get her something to eat before she rested some more. He just hoped that she will not be difficult and that she will follow his commands without fighting him. He knew she was strong of will and will fight when she didn't want to do something.

Once they arrived inside the castle, Inutaisho issued orders to retrieve his youngest son and bring him back to the palace. He wanted him back before his mate woke, she will want to see her youngest to make sure that he was unharmed. Then he told the cooks to bring up some food so their mates could eat and rest.

Both father and son turned as they made their way upstairs. They both knew that their mates will not recover fully unless they had some undisturbed sleep. They were taking short naps and that was draining them more than it was helping them recover from the battle.

When they reached the western wing of the castle, they each went their separate ways. Inutaisho was taking his mate down to their room to see to her needs and Sesshoumaru was moving to his room with his mate so he could tend to Kagome's needs.

Sesshoumaru entered the room that he shared with his mate. He went straight to the bathing chambers with Kagome still in his arms. When he got to the cleansing area, he looked down to see if his mate was still awake. He noticed that her eyes were still opened as he gently sat her down on the bench.

He kneeled in front of her and noticed immediately that her eyes held no life in them. They were glazed over like she was in a world all her own as he tried to get her attention.

Kagome wouldn't respond to anything Sesshoumaru did to get her attention. He proceeded to take off her clothes as she moved only when he moved her. He could tell that she was still weak and not fully recovered from the battle. But he knew that something else was troubling his mate and he will need to be cautious.

He remembered that his mate told him several times now that she tends to block out the hurtful memories so that she doesn't have to relive them. He was hoping that she was doing this now as he tended to her needs.

He removed his clothing and then proceeded to bathe his mate. He washed her gently getting all of the blood off her person, as he paid extra attention to her, and made sure that her hair was back to its normally silky black color.

During the time that Sesshoumaru was bathing his mate, he noticed that Kagome was slowly responding to his touch. She sat there emotionally drained; but he was starting to see the sparkle come back into her eyes. He needed to establish his connection with her again to let her know that he was her mate and still desired her.

It was important that he do this. Anytime a rival male took a female away there was a chance that she will reject the male that she was mated to. He failed to protect her and she could reject him if she so chooses. Many times a fight for dominance will happen to reestablish their connection all over again. He just hoped that it didn't come down to that. He loved her and she has been through a lot so he didn't want to hurt her in anyway.

Once he was done bathing her, he left her sitting on the bench as he went to get cleaned up himself. The entire time he was washing, he kept his eye on his mate to see if she would snap out of the state of mind she was in.

--oOo--

Kagome retreated into the far recesses of her mind. Everything that she experienced, for the last two days, was still replaying itself in her mind. Her traumatic experience with Jakyoku was taking its toll on her as she was fighting to get her sanity back.

She was aware that her mate was close to her during this time, as his gentle touch was sending her body into a full state of arousal. She needed him, she wanted to know for sure that what happened to her will not interfere with his love for her. She would moan telling her mate that she loved what he was doing to her, but all too soon he stopped his administration of her body, and she was left wanting.

Once Sesshoumaru was done washing himself, he picked up his mate and took her into the hot springs. He settled her on his lap as he rubbed her back in a soothing motion. He tried his best to comfort her while he held her close to his chest. His inner Inu was concerned for their mate; she just laid there in their arms and has not moved since they entered the water. But then he felt her moving in his arms as he looked down at his mate.

Kagome was slowly coming out of her daze, she raised her arms up as she held on to her mate. It was difficult to move but she knew she had to. She wanted to let Sesshoumaru know that she still loved him no matter what happened to her. She wanted, no she needed to feel loved by him once again. She was rubbing her face into his chest as she whined wanting more than anything that she had the strength to speak to him.

A different part of her took over sensing the want in her heart. She let a low growl escape her lips as she said, _'Mate.'_

Sesshoumaru noticed that his mate was starting to come around. He saw her move as she brought her arms up to encircle his chest. He felt her rubbing her face into his chest and whining to him. He heard her calling to him as she said, _'Mate,' _then he caught the scent of her arousal as his hands started to roam around her body. He caressed her butt as he was gently squeezing it in his large hands.

He lowered his head toward her mating mark and started to lick it. She was getting excited, her scent was getting heavier and spicier the more he caressed her. He felt her fingers moving, as it was gently rubbing circles on his back, making a shiver run down his spine. His need for her was growing and he wanted to establish his dominance over her once again. His instincts were kicking in and the need to join with her grew great. But he had to see to her health first above all else.

He moved out of the hot springs as he dried his mate and dressed her in a silky white robe. She was shivering from the cold and he didn't want her to get sick. He then took her back to their room so she could rest. When he walked back into his room he noticed that the servants have already brought them some food so they could eat.

He sat upon their futon with Kagome in his lap as he contemplated what he wanted to do. He knew that his mate had to eat to get stronger but the need to establish his connection with her was grading heavily on his senses.

_**--Start of Lemon--**_

His mind was made up when he felt his mate move as her hand found his male nipple and started to gently caress it. Her thumb was gently rubbing it, making it go hard with her touch, as he felt her move, and then her hot mouth made contact with his nipple. A gentle growl of approval left his throat as he enjoyed what his mate was doing to him. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

Kagome's needs grew worse as she was sitting in her mates lap. She found the strength to move her hands up as she caressed his chest. She found his male nipple and let her thumb roam over the area. Soon it became hard under her thumb as she moved her mouth over the extended peak. She began to suckle as she heard her mate's growl with approval.

She needed more from her mate, she needed him in the worst ways. She moved her hand down until she found his hard member. She wrapped her finger around his member as she gently stroked him, squeezing his appendage gently, caressing him. She could hear his pants growing the more she moved, and then in one swift movement, she was on her back with her robe gone from her body.

Sesshoumaru was losing his control while his mate was gently stroking him. He was breathing hard as he had enough. In one swift move he tore off her clothes and pinned her to the futon. His blood red eyes showed his desires for her as he crashed his lips to hers.

Kagome tried to move but Sesshoumaru would have none of it. She froze in place when he grabbed her by the neck and growled at her. She wanted to touch him but he would not let her. Kagome struggled to get free from his hold, until she heard him say, _'Submit to me bitch!' _

Kagome's instincts came into play even though her mind was confused, as she raised her chin, showing him her neck in submission.

Sesshoumaru wasted no time as he slammed into her awaiting heat. Kagome cried out in pure ecstasy as she felt her mate moving in and out of her. She met him stroke for stroke as he continued to pound into her awaiting body.

Sesshoumaru was trying to get deeper into his mate but he couldn't from the position they were in. He pulled out of her as he flipped her on her stomach and quickly entered her from behind. He fully mounted her as she was on all fours. His own body caging her within his fold as he lowered his head and grabbed her between her neck and shoulder.

He could feel that he was coming to his end soon as he reached around and started to rub her harden numb. Within minutes his mate was soaring as her orgasm exploded, with a couple of quick thrust, he came with her, as he bit down on her shoulder remarking her as his, roaring his conquest of his bitch.

At the same moment another howl was heard in the castle as Lord Inutaisho roared his conquest of his mate as well.

Sesshoumaru managed to grab his mate as he laid on his side and brought Kagome closer to his chest. They were both breathing hard, but their connection was once again established, and he was happy. He curled his body around his mate's as he waited for them to calm down. Once he was relaxed enough, he slipped out of his mate's tight sheath.

_**--End of Lemon--**_

Kagome was between the state of being asleep and awake. She didn't want to give in to sleep just yet. She tried to move but found that her mate was not about to let her go. So she relaxed in his hold just being content at the moment.

Sesshoumaru sat up on his futon as he brought Kagome with him. He settled her on his lap as he picked up some food and tried to feed his mate.

Kagome was tired, she wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, and never wake up. She felt as her mate held up some food for her trying to get her to eat. She was so tired that she didn't respond to him. She couldn't open her mouth nor could she chew her food once he forced it into her mouth.

Sesshoumaru was now worried that something was very wrong with his mate. She was weakening and there was nothing that he could do to stop it, he should have waited to reestablish his connection with his mate and made her eat something first. Now she was too tired to eat and this was not good.

He lowered his forehead until it touched hers. He fed her some of his energy as he strengthened her to stay with him. He stopped when he thought that she had enough as he looked at his mate. Her eyes were slowly coming into focus, as he said, "Kagome, my aiyoku, please, you must eat to regain your strength, then you may rest."

Kagome agreed to his request as he tried feeding her again and she started to eat her food. When she had her fill, she turned her face away from the food. She nuzzled Sesshoumaru under his chin as she said, "Aishiteru Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru purred when he heard his mate's declaration, as he responded, "Aishiteru Kagome, my mate."

Sesshoumaru then laid his mate down on the futon as he covered her with the furs. He then turned and ate his food. Once he was done, he too started to feel the weariness on his body as he moved and took the tray outside the door and left it there. He then started the fire in the room as it warmed up for his mate.

He made his way toward Kagome as he crawled into the futon with her. He wrapped his arms around her small form and pulled her into his chest. Curling his body around hers, making sure that she will not leave his embrace, as he took in her scent and went to sleep.

--oOo--

Inutaisho was in a very deep sleep when he was jolted awake by the presence of his youngest son's aura. He was upset and was making his way up to the western section of the castle.

He looked down and saw that his mate was still sound asleep and needed to rest. He released her from his embrace as he put on his hakama's and walked out of his room. He was just in time to be tackled by his youngest as he cried into his chest.

Inutaisho held Inuyasha in his arms as he purred to soothe his son. He knew that sending him away was not good, but it was for his protection that it was done. He waved away the servants that followed his son, he told them that he will take care of his needs and they were released to go and rest. The servants bowed low to him in gratitude and left him alone with the younger master.

Inutaisho then picked up Inuyasha and took him into his room. It was late and he needed his rest before he will let him see his mother. He sat on Inuyasha's futon as he rocked his pup back and forth soothing him.

Being sent away upset Inuyasha greatly, he thought that he will never see his parents ever again. When they finally came and told him that he could return to the castle he was jumping for joy. He wanted to see his mother more than anything.

Once he was back in the castle, the servants tried to stop him from going to his mother, but he ignored everyone and raced upstairs. He could feel his mother's aura upstairs and made his way there.

The first person he saw was his father as he jumped into his arms. He was happy to see that he was all right and he knew that his father saved his mother. He started to cry as he held on to his father. It was the first time that his father showed him any kind of emotion and he was taking it for all it was worth.

Inuyasha felt as his father comforted him and soon he settled down. He pulled away from his fathers embrace as he asked, "Otou-san are you all right? Is mother all right as well?"

Inutaisho looked at his youngest as he said, "Yes Inuyasha, I'm fine and so is your mother. But she is very tired right now and I don't want you to wake her. She will be strong enough in the morning and then you can see her. I'm sure that she wants to see you just as much."

Inuyasha agreed with his father, as he got ready for bed. He was tired, and no sooner than his head had hit his pillow, he was out like a blown candle.

Inutaisho stayed long enough to make sure that his youngest was sound asleep before he left him in his room. He walked down the hallway as he approached Sesshoumaru's room. He saw the barrier on the door as he heard the gentle breathing of his pups.

He smiled to himself knowing that they were all safe once again and under his roof where they all belonged. He made his way back to his room and when he entered, he looked at his mate. She was still sound asleep on their futon. He undressed again then he got back into the futon and brought his mate into his arms. Now that his family was whole once more he drifted off into a peaceful sleep wondering what the next day will bring.

--oOo--

In another part of the castle Sango was having a hard time. They arrived back late in the day because Kirara could not keep up with Sesshoumaru's pace. Once everyone was back, the General gave everyone leave and told them to go and get some much needed rest.

Miroku got off Kirara as he turned to Sango and said, "Sango, I will leave you here. I was wondering if I could call on you tomorrow, if you are not too busy. I would like to see you again."

Sango flushed a bright red but told Miroku that she would love to see him in the morning. Miroku smiled one of his sweetest smiles, as he reached for her hand, and then kissed it. He let her go as he walked away and left the castle knowing that his beloved was safe once again.

Sango watched as Miroku left the area. When he was gone, she felt lonely. She got used to him being there for her. She sighed, she knew that they could never be together. She had a duty to perform and she didn't think that Lord Inutaisho will allow Miroku to stay at the castle.

She turned and went inside the castle. She was tired and wanted to get some sleep. She couldn't wait until the morning to see if he will actually come back and see her. She was developing feelings for him and she was wondering if he will ever love her like she loves him. Then another thought came to her mind, 'I wonder what my father will say to a lecherous monk for a son in law?'

Sango giggled and Kirara looked at her master like she was crazy as she heard her say in a soft voice, "Well, I guess I will find out once I introduce him to my father." With that, Sango went to bed as she dreamt about a perverted monk that caught her fancy.

--oOo--

Outside of the castle, two inu youkai met under the cover of the forest, the spies that Jakyoku had in Inutaisho's castle were still there waiting for their Lord to come and claim the West as his own.

To their shock and amazement they witnessed a giant two tail Inu Youkai coming back from the battle as it landed gently in the middle of the central courtyard. The power that radiated off this youkai's aura was very powerful. More powerful than the Western Lord himself.

They had no idea who this two tail was as they watched from the forest to see what will happen.

Their eyes opened wide when they noticed that the Western Lord was getting off the back of the giant inu. They now wondered who this inu was, as they continued to observe.

The giant inu returned to his humanoid form and that's when they noticed who it was. It was Sesshoumaru, the Western Lords heir, his aura has turned pure white, as he reached the height of his power. They saw him walking quickly over to the Western Lord and knelt in front of him.

Neither of them noticed that the Western Lord was holding something under his tail. When he lifted it up, they noticed that the ningen was being held tightly against his chest. They looked at each other as they tried to hear what was going on. The ningen's aura flared with power, as they got excited that she might kill the Lord of the Lands and his mate. But her aura calmed as Sesshoumaru held her in his arms and purred to soothe her.

They both growled when they saw them leaving the courtyard and heading towards the castle. They both had a sense of dread as Marude turned to Bakeru, and asked, "What do you think happened? Do you think that they defeated our lord?" 

Bakeru thought for a moment as he said, "I don't know. I know that our Lord is powerful but with Sesshoumaru gaining the power of the two tails I fear the worst. But we must wait until the army comes back so we can hear what happened. Maybe our Lord survived and is planning another attack. We will have to stay here to make sure that we supply him with whatever information he will need. The females will be well guarded for a while so we will not be able to do anything until the males drop their guard. But until then we wait."

Marude heard what his companion said. He was correct, they will have to wait until they heard what happened out there on the battlefield. He knew that the spies that were planted in the Western Lords castle will band together to get revenge if they found out that their Lord was truly defeated. They will die a warrior's death as long as they took that ningen with them and killed the heir to the Western Lands.

The two spies waited well into the day when they finally saw the western army approach the castle. They hurried through the trees, as they stayed hidden to hear what happened.

Once the generals released their soldiers, talk was running rapid through the area. They picked up on the conversations of the soldiers as they heard them recount what happened in the battle. When they finally heard that their Lord was now dead, they made plans for their revenge. They will make the ningen pay along with her mate for killing their lord.

--oOo--

The next day Ayashiko woke up to a very cold morning. It was cold in their chambers as she turned slightly and started the fire in the fireplace. She also noticed that there was a strong pair of arms wrapped tightly around her, a tail that encircled her, and legs that were keeping her pinned to the futon.

She sighed; she knew she could not get up without waking her mate. He will be very protective of her for the next few weeks until everything got back to normal. She only hoped that Kagome could weather the possessiveness of her inu mate. She knew that Sesshoumaru was going to be far worse than her own mate.

She tried to move and when she did, her mate tightened his arms around her even more, pulling her closer to his chest. She knew she needed to get up because she could sense her youngest son stirring in his room and it won't be long before he showed up in their room.

Ayashiko turned in her mate's arms as she nuzzled him under his chin. She gave him a lick on his neck and heard his growl of contentment.

Inutaisho woke up the very moment his mate started to move. He was not about to let her out of his sight as he tightened his grip on her. He settled back down when he felt his mate's nuzzle and lick. His inner inu came awake as he opened his blood red eyes.

Ayashiko eyes opened wide when she saw his eyes. His inner beast was in control and she knew what that meant as she tired to reason with him. "Anata, I have to get up. Our pup will be awake soon and he will be coming in here."

Inutaisho was having none of it as he placed a barrier on the door and then pinned his mate to their futon.

Ayashiko was trying to fight him, but when he pinned her to the futon, he kissed her with such passion that she submitted to his will, as he ravished her body before the castle woke fully.

A couple hours later Ayashiko walked out of her room only to be tackled by a super hyper pup that threw his arms around her waist and began to cry.

Ayashiko's arms went immediately around her son's body as she soothed her pup with her purrs.

Once Inuyasha was calmed, he asked, "Mother are you all right? They didn't hurt you did they?"

There was no way Ayashiko was going to tell her pup the truth so she stretched the truth just a little for him. "No Inuyasha, I am not hurt. Your father came in time to save me."

Inuyasha pulled away from his mother and saw that she was not hurt. He sighed in relief, staying close to his mother, as they all headed downstairs to get something to eat, once his father joined them in the hallway.

When Ayashiko and Inutaisho walked by Sesshoumaru's room they noticed that the barrier was still up protecting those inside the room. Ayashiko turned to her mate and asked, "Anata, how long do you think Sesshoumaru and Kagome are going to be locked in their room?"

Inutaisho continued to walk toward the dining hall as he thought about his mate's question. Then he turned to her and said, "I think that they will be in seclusion for at least a few days. Sesshoumaru's beast is not going to let her out of his sight for the moment. Kagome, even in her weakened state, has already shown that she does not want to leave her mates presence. When we were coming back home, and I went to get her from our son, she refused to move from his embrace. She would have stayed with him if it were not for his insistence that she come with me.

"Kagome has also used a tremendous amount of her Reiyouku and she needs time to recover from it. Even then their separation will be tenuous at best. But we have to make the conscious effort of getting them back into a normal routine. So keeping them separated is going to be difficult."

Ayashiko had to agree with her mate. Even though she has never experienced anything like this before, she knew that her mate will be close to her for the next few days. As it was, his tail was wrapped around her waist and he was keeping her close to his side. She sighed, it was going to be a long couple of days.

--oOo--

This is the end to another chapter. I'm sorry for not updating sooner but I had a family emergency and it has been keeping me busy. Now I have some room to breathe before work drives me crazy.

A new threat is slowly growing within the western castle. They are bound and determine to get revenge for their lord's demise. Sango now has feelings for a certain monk as she patiently waits to see if he comes and visits her.

The spies in the castle start to get organized. They are now on a mission to see if they can track down the last remaining soldiers from their defeated lord's army.

Miroku is having deep feeling for Sango and when the western lord gives them time to go to her village and ask for proper permission to court her, things don't turn out the way they have planned.

Join me in the next chapter as we see what is going to happen and how Kagome steps in to help her friend when her mate won't listen when she speaks.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	29. Chapter 29

A couple of days have passed and Inutaisho still has not seen his elder son

A couple of days have passed and Inutaisho still has not seen his elder son. He was still in his room with his mate as she recovered from the battle with Jakyoku. But what he did notice was that a particular monk was coming by the castle seeing a certain Taijiya. He owed it to the girl's father to protect her from this monk; he would observe from time to time when she would slap the monk for taking liberties with her body.

He didn't want to be away from his mate, but he had to find out what the monk's intensions were towards Sango. He excused himself from his mate for a little while, he summoned a guard to go get the monk and bring him to his study. It was now time that he did his lordly duties.

Miroku was surprised, and so was Sango, that he has been summoned to the lord's study. He wondered what the lord needed him to do as he walked with the guard to their destination. Sango was following closely behind Miroku, wanting to know what was going on. She was scared that Lord Inutaisho might hurt Miroku for his perverted ways.

Yes, he reverted back to some of his normal tendencies, but she still enjoyed his company. The guard stopped in front of the lord's study as he knocked on the door. When the guard heard the call to enter, he opened the door and announced that he had the monk and that the Taijiya was there with him.

Inutaisho was surprised that Sango came along with the monk. When they entered his study, he promptly said, "Sango, I want you to wait outside for a moment."

Sango obeyed his command, she stepped back outside, but not before giving the monk a worried look.

Once she left the study, and the door was closed, Inutaisho turned his eyes toward the monk. He motioned for him to sit on the pillow directly in front of his desk. He studied the monk for a few minutes, making him squirm, under his icy gaze, before he started to speak, "Miroku, I have noticed that you are coming around a lot lately. You have been keeping company with Sango and I want to know what your intentions are?"

Miroku swallowed hard when he heard the Lord's question. Yes he has a right to know what his plans are with Sango. But he really didn't want to tell him everything. He knew he could not lie about what he was doing, because inu youkai could always smell a lie.

He sighed, resigning himself to his fate, and replied, "I'm deeply in love with Sango, milord. I want to make her my wife as soon as I get the courage to ask her. I thought that I almost lost her, when I found her in that village unconscious. I knew then, that I held deep feelings for her. I can't stand the thought of not being near her or not protecting her. Yes, I know that I'm a pervert, but she is the only female that I have been able to touch, I don't touch anyone else."

Inutaisho understood what the monk was saying. He has been watching them for the past two days. He is the first male, which he is aware of, that was rejected by Sango, but keeps coming back to her. Her father mentioned that she will not take anyone's suit. But it seems that the monk has won her heart and is willing to go though any pain to stay with her.

Inutaisho raised an elegant eyebrow, he observed the monk to see if he had any malicious intent. When he found none, he continued, "You know monk that you are going to have to ask her if she will let you court her properly, and then, you must meet her father for his approval. But when you decide to ask her, know this, Sango still has an obligation to me. But if she desires to take a mate, then I will allow the both of you to stay here in the castle, or in a hut of your own within the boundaries of my land, the choice is yours."

Inutaisho saw the gleam of happiness come into the monk's eyes. Apparently he was concerned that she will reject his offer because of her duties to her clan and him. But now that he said that they could stay in the castle or in their own hut, he was happy.

Miroku couldn't even express his happiness at what the Lord just said. He has not asked his lovely Sango to be his wife because he knew that she still had obligations to the Lord of the Lands, but knowing that the lord will accept their union, and still allow them to live in the castle, or in its boundaries, made it easy for him to get the courage to ask her.

Miroku stood as he bowed deeply to the Lord, saying, "I thank you Lord Inutaisho. You have just made me the happiest man alive. Now all I have to do is ask my sweet Sango if she will accept me as her husband."

Miroku turned to leave, but before he even took three steps, he heard the Lord say, "Miroku, if you ask her now and she accepts, you have my permission to travel to the slayer village to meet with her father. She has three days and I expect her back by the end of the third day." Inutaisho wanted him to understand that he was going to do things right by Sango, or he will have to suffer his wrath.

Miroku understood the underlining tone of his voice. He could not keep company with Sango, unless she agrees to be courted by him. He will have to get her father's permission to court her and he was giving them time. He swallowed hard, nodding his understanding of what he was told, and made his way out of the study.

The moment he walked out of the study, Sango jumped into his arms, holding him in a tight embrace. She then released him and asked, "What happened Miroku? I'm glad to see that you're still alive, but… why did he want to see you?"

Miroku chuckled, while he wrapped his arm around Sango's waist, "Come Sango, we have much to discuss, and I will tell you why he wanted to see me." He led Sango out of the castle as they went back to the gardens.

He found a secluded spot in the nearly dead garden; he turns and looks at Sango right in the eyes. He noticed that her eyes were sparkling in the sun, her light brown eyes held the love, that he was longing for, "Sango, there is something that I have been wanting to ask you since the day I found you in that village unconscious. You have no idea how I almost saw my world come to an end, when I found you like that. I felt my heart break into a thousand pieces, thinking that I lost you. I don't ever want to feel that way again, Sango.

"Lord Inutaisho called me into his study to make sure that I do right by you. He wanted to know my intensions towards you." He stops talking, turning his head upward to look at the morning sky. It was beautiful just like the creature that was standing next to him.

She was his world now as he took another deep breath and continued, "I told him the truth, Sango. I told him that I love you deeply and that I want you as my wife. But I was afraid of getting rejected, that's why I have never asked you. But now he has told me that we can be together here in the castle, or in a hut of our own choosing."

Miroku then kneeled in front of his beloved, looking at her straight in the eyes. There were no hentai thoughts there, only love and devotion. He grabbed her hands in his as he said, "Sango, I can't live my life without you. I can't bare the thought of losing you to another male. I ask you here and now will you accept my suit to become my wife? I will love and cherish you for the rest of my life. I will make sure that you are the happiest woman in all the land. Please Sango, can you find it in your heart to love someone like me?"

To say that Sango was shocked was an understatement. He loved her, even after all the beatings she has given him, he still loved her. He was the only one to ever come back when she rejected him. She didn't know what to do, he needed her father's approval to marry her, but how can she leave this place when she has a duty to perform.

She turned her watery eyes towards Miroku, a lone tear falling down her cheek and replied, "Oh Miroku, I would love to tell you yes, but you must have my fathers approval to marry me. Plus, I can't leave here, I have an obligation to the Lord of the Lands to protect Kagome."

Miroku stood as he walked closer to Sango, he leaned down towards her ear whispering, "If that is a yes, then we have three days to go to your village, so I may speak with your father. Lord Inutaisho has already given his permission for us to go. I promise to win your father over so you can become my wife."

The tears that Sango has been trying to hold back, came running down her cheeks as she softly said, "Yes, oh yes Miroku, I accept."

Miroku grabbed Sango by the waist and raised her off the ground, spinning the Taijiya around in a circle. He was overcome with joy that she accepted his suit. Now for the hard part, to convince her father that he was the best choice for a husband.

He set Sango down on the ground as he kissed her for the first time. It was a sweet innocent kiss, which told of his love for her. When they pulled apart Sango was left breathless, then she heard Miroku say, "Well then, I guess we better head towards your village. We don't have much time and I want to make sure that I have you back here by the third day."

Sango agreed, calling for her friend, Kirara. They watched, while she transformed into her true form. They both got on and then they were off, going toward Sango's village with great speed.

Lord Inutaisho witnessed the whole thing and knew that those two were meant to be together. The monk cared deeply for Sango and was the only one to actually tame her fiery spirit. Now he only hoped that her father will accept the monk that has won his daughter's heart.

--oOo--

Kirara flew with speed, making good time in reaching the slayer village. They arrived at the village late in the afternoon. They were circling above the village when they heard the sounds of the alarms being given, warning the village of the approaching youkai. They saw the village men gathering in the center of the village with weapons raised, ready to do battle.

Miroku was a little bit intimated by the show of force but he set his resolve because he was here to ask for his lovely Sango's hand in marriage.

Sango's father, Hiro, was out in front of his people when he saw Kirara coming down. He saw his daughter on the fire neko along with someone else. It was a male that was with his daughter and his curiosity was peeked on who this person might be.

Kirara landed softly in the middle of the village, Miroku got off the giant neko and then helped Sango down. Once they were both standing, Kirara transformed into her kitten form and jumped on Sango's shoulder.

Miroku noticed right away how nervous and scared his lovely Sango was acting. He wondered why she was acting this way, while they made their way toward the villagers that were standing there waiting for them.

Sango was nervous; she didn't know how her father was going to take to the news that she brought back to the village. She will have to admit to her incompetence in protecting her charge, then how they fought an entire Inu army to get her back, and defeating the threat to the west.

She stopped in front of her father, bowing deeply to him, and said, "Milord, I have returned to the village for a small visit. We need to talk to you in private if we may."

Hiro raised an eyebrow at his daughter, while he turned his gaze to the monk, eyeing him to see if he could detect what he wanted. He turned his full attention back to Sango and replied, "Very well Sango, you will have your chance to speak to me in private, but first you must tell me what has happened in the west. We have heard rumors of a war brewing and an inu youkai army threatening the west. We need answers."

Sango agreed to his request, as he led his daughter to the main gathering place for the village. Once everyone was settled, Sango began her tale of what happened in the west. From the threats received of the impending battle with the Black Inu Youkai, who wanted to take over the west, to introducing Miroku as a powerful monk who helped them defeat the Inu Army. She explained everything in detail to her father and the village elders.

The look on Hiro's face was not a good one. Sango noticed the anger in his eye for failing in her duties as the miko's personal guard. She knew that she was not going to like what her father was going to say as she held her breath, waiting for his decision.

Hiro thought long and hard about what his daughter said. He was disappointed in her for not protecting the miko. It was her fault that the miko was taken in the first place, thus putting the miko's life in danger.

He took a deep breath and then released it, trying to steady his nerves before passing his punishment, he looked up at his daughter and said, "You failed to protect the miko and that is how she got captured, along with the Lady of the West, Sango. I thought that your training was better than that. You should have been able to pick up on the threat and gotten her out of harms way."

Sango lowered her head in shame. It was as she thought she has disappointed her father and brought disgrace to her village. A lone tear could be seen as it went down her cheek, her head bowed in disgrace.

Miroku had enough of the way the village leader was belittling his Sango, for failing in her duties. He was there and knew that she did not fail. Miroku stood as he addressed the village headman.

"Excuse me for interrupting this debriefing, milord, but you were not there and have no idea what happened or how powerful this Black Inu Youkai was. It was not Sango's fault that they were captured. Two companies of the Western Lord's soldiers personally escorted the Lady of the Lands and the miko.

"These black Inu's managed to defeat the western soldiers, a task that is very difficult to do in the first place, for the western soldiers are the best trained in the land. They used a powerful potion to put them all to sleep and then used black magic to subdue them. Even the most powerful youkai would have succumbed to this black magic.

"The young miko is very powerful, she is the most powerful miko I have ever seen, yet she was subdued by these youkai. It took my most powerful sutras, plus my inner strength, to break the spell that was placed on Sango and the others from the western lands.

"As it was, it took the might of the western army, and the combined forces of the Heir to the Western Lands and his mate to finally defeat these youkai.

"So you cannot blame Sango for not protecting them because she did, but even the strongest opponents will fall to a superior force."

Sango was shocked that Miroku would speak on her behalf. He didn't know that he was speaking to her father, but for him to do this for her, to standup for her honor, made her feel things that she never felt before. It was no wonder that she agreed to be his wife, because she did love him deeply.

Hiro saw how the monk stood up for the honor of his daughter. Never, has any male stood up to protect the honor of a woman, who was a youkai exterminator. Women, even in his village, were too weak to be exterminators. But his daughter has proven herself to be a fighter. Yes, she tended to act more like a male than a female, thus why she never accepted any male suitors, but she was the equal to any male in his village.

He was hard on his daughter because he wanted to make her strong so she could survive without his protection. But his heart sank when she told him what happened in the Western Lands. She failed to protect the miko. She had brought dishonor to her clan and he, as their leader, had to deal with her as such.

Hiro stood eyeing the monk in front of him. He knew that he needed to speak with his daughter, but first he must deal with her punishment for failing in her appointed duties, and then he will deal with this monk.

He looked at Sango with saddened eyes and said, "Sango, you know the penalties for failing in your duties."

Sango swallowed hard, she nodded her head yes to his statement.

Hiro closed his eyes, as he pronounced judgment on her, "For your failure to protect the miko from harm and for dishonoring your clan, you are here by banished for the period of two seasons. When the time of your banishment is over, you may return to the village."

Miroku was shocked to hear what the village leader did. He heard the soft cries of his lovely Sango and it ripped his heart apart to see her like this. He looked into the village leaders eyes as he said, "Your punishment is unjust. She does not deserve to be banished from her village because of something she has no power over. Even you should know that no one changes the mind of the Lady of the West once she gives orders. She does as she pleases even if it puts her in danger."

Hiro looked at the monk as he said, "Monk, do not presume to tell me how to run my village. Sango knows the laws and when she became a youkai exterminator, she agreed to abide by my laws. I will not change them, not even for her." With that said, Hiro turned his attention to all in the great hall, "This meeting is over."

Miroku was fuming. 'How dare that man treat my Sango like this! She has risked her life to rescue the miko and this is the way her village repays her, by banishing her for two years. I will spend the rest of my life making her happy, they don't deserve someone like Sango in their village.' He watched as everyone left the large hut they were in.

Once everyone was gone Miroku turned his attention to the crying girl on the ground. He walked over to his lovely Sango as he brought her into his embrace. He stood with her in his arms and held her. He was not perverted in anyway, he just wanted to offer her what little comfort he could.

Hiro turned and saw the monk comforting his daughter. He was wondering what was going on, he turned his attention to them and said, "I want you two to follow me."

Miroku followed the lord of the village out of the large hut with Sango in his arms. They went towards the end of the village, to a smaller hut, and entered. Once inside he told them both to sit, but they refused, choosing to stand instead, not backing down for what they were there for in the first place.

Sango managed to stop her crying as she tried to get her composer back. She needed to speak to her father before she left again.

Hiro noticed that Sango and the monk were on the defensive, he waited to see what they will do and why there were here. When they didn't speak Hiro broke the silence as he looked at his daughter and said, "Sango, my daughter, I'm sorry for doing that but it is the law that you have sworn to obey. If I were to lift the law now, then the village will think of me as weak. The day I trained you as a youkai exterminator, I knew that there will be a time when you would fail, but I also know that you have made me very proud to be your father."

Miroku could not believe what he just heard. This man, this male, standing right in front of him, was none other than Sango's father, and he just banished his own daughter from the village. Miroku was beyond flummoxed; he stared at the man standing in front of him, trying to understand why he was doing this.

Sango finally got her composure back, she moved out of the monks embrace and faced her father. She knew he was a hard leader to please, but she thought that he would have believed her, that there was nothing she could do to prevent Kagome from going to that village. Her friend has a mind of her own and when she has her mind set, there was no one that could change it.

She stared at her father, as she said, "Father, I do not agree with your judgment. There are things that are out of my hands when it comes to protecting someone. Kagome has a strong will and when she is determined to do something, she will do it. No one will stand in her way, not even her own mate. I was always there to protect her no matter what, but even you have failed in your life and remember that you learn from your mistakes.

"I came here today not to be judged, but to introduce you to Miroku. He wanted to come here to the village to speak with you."

At this Hiro turned his attention toward the monk as he waited for him to speak. He was very curious to find out what he wanted.

Miroku gathered his thoughts, he had to phrase this just right or he will not win his intended, he took a step forward and, said, "Lord Hiro, I come here today to speak to you about Sango. I want your blessing to take her as my wife."

Hiro's eyes opened wide when he heard the monk's declarations. He could not believe that he wanted to marry his daughter. He turned his eyes to Sango, she had her head bowed waiting for his answer to the monk's question. How could he let a monk marry his daughter? What kind of life will he offer her? Could he even provide for her well-being and happiness?

"Monk, how can you provide for my daughter? As far as I know monks don't have a permanent home in any specific village. They roam the lands helping the people in every way possible. What kind of life is that for my daughter? I want her to be well provided for and have a roof over her head. She needs someone that will care for her, not someone that is just going to be moving her from place to place." Hiro spoke with conviction in his voice. He didn't see a way that this would work for his daughter.

Miroku was furious at the way this man was acting towards him. Yes, monks roamed the lands never staying in one place for too long before moving on to another place. But there were exceptions to every rule.

He has the Western Lord's guarantee that they will be welcomed at the castle. He will still be able to fulfill his mission of helping the people as an advisor or by going out and taking care of the problems that arise on the lands. Sango will be well provided for and she will have a roof over her head.

Miroku turned his deep violet eyes toward the leader of the village, and said, "I am aware of the fact that most monks roam the land, taking care of the people, but there are exceptions to every rule. Sango will be well provided for. She will have a home that I will build with these two hands and she will want for nothing. I will protect her with my life as I have done in the past and will see to her needs, this you have my word on."

Hiro was still not convinced about the monk's sincerity toward his daughter. He knew that there were men out there that impersonated being a monk, just so they could get money from the villagers, or food and a place to sleep, for ridding them of a non-existent threat.

He has seen too many of these men to be convinced that the monk standing right in front of him, will provide for his daughter's future. He will need proof of his powers to protect his daughter and he thought that he had the right thing to prove his worth.

He turned his attention back to Miroku, "Monk, if you want my daughter's hand in marriage then you will have to prove yourself to me. Are you willing to take a test to prove to me that you are able to take care of my daughter?"

Miroku looked at Sango's father. He did not trust him for some reason. His gut instinct was telling him to be careful, but if this was the only way that he will be granted permission to marry Sango then so be it. He will prove to her father that he is a monk of his word. "Yes, I'm willing to take your test to prove that I can, and will provide for Sango."

Sango was shocked when she heard her father's words. No one has ever had to try and prove themselves to her clan before. She didn't know what her father was trying to do; she looked at him with narrowed eyes, "Father, why does he have to prove himself to you? No one has gone through such a test before, why should he have to."

Miroku took the liberty of answering Sango's questions, "Your father does not believe that I'm a real monk with holy powers of my own. It is often that you will hear of monks that fake their powers so they can take advantage of a village. But fear not my lovely Sango, I will prove to him that I'm a real monk with holy powers."

Hiro was still not convinced that this monk would be a good provider for his daughter. He didn't want his only daughter to marry a monk. There were other lords in the area that were looking for a wife and his daughter could have any of these rich men.

Sango might not be able to see through the monk's deceit but he could. He looked at the monk as he said, "Very well, you will come with me and we shall see if you are worthy to be my daughter's husband."

Miroku followed Hiro out of his hut as they went toward the middle of the village. At that moment, the alarms were sounding throughout the village that there was danger and youkai were approaching. They all took off as they reached the center of the village and they heard one of the scouts say, "There are youkai approaching the village! They are destroying everything in their path."

Hiro was giving orders to his men as Miroku looked toward the direction where the youkai were coming. Something didn't feel right about these youkai. He started walking toward their direction to see if he could figure out what was wrong. Sango was by his side as they walked out of the village to face this danger together.

Miroku was very much aware that Sango was with him. He kept it in the back of his mind as they continued toward the youkai. They stopped in a clearing that was far enough away from the village as they waited for the youkai to come to them. If their current route was any indication of the direction they were traveling, then they will have to pass thru this area.

He placed holy sutras behind him to prevent the youkai from going any further toward the village. Then he started to concentrate on what was wrong with these youkai. Yes, they were strong but their aura was off. It seemed tainted in some way and this is what was making them act this way.

Then ten youkai came crashing into the clearing as Miroku faced off with them. He told Sango to back off and stay out of harms way.

Sango backed away from Miroku but she still kept her eyes on the youkais in front of her. She too could sense that something was wrong with them. These Tanuki youkai lived in the surrounding forest and never attacked her village before, but now they were.

Miroku eyed the youkai in the center of the group. He recognized this particular youkai and knew that he would never attack a village of his own free will. But he was the one that was controlling the rest of the youkai in the area. He had a black aura around his body as he sensed the evil spirit that was in control. These youkai were not at fault for what was happening, they were being controlled and now he had to find a way to free them all.

Miroku took out his ofuda's from his robes as he concentrated on them. He threw them at the youkai that were being controlled as he immobilized them to prevent them from being killed by the villagers that were behind him.

Oh yes, Miroku noticed when Sango's father came into the clearing, ready to kill everything there. He, as a monk, had a responsibility to all living things and he was not about to let these innocent youkais be killed for something that was not their fault. The barrier that was placed around the youkai will protect them until he dealt with the threat.

Miroku eyed the youkai that was controlling the rest, as he got ready to do battle. He caught movement out of the left corner of his eye as he yelled, "Stay out of this fight. This youkai is controlling the rest. There is something different about this youkai and you will not be able to handle what he is going to do."

As if to emphasize his point, the youkai let go of a powerful blast that went straight to them. Miroku took his Shakujo and hit it on the ground as a powerful barrier surrounded all there to protect them from the attack.

Miroku took one of his ofuda's, and threw it at the youkai, as he was seeking to subdue him. The evil aura that was within the youkai did not want to relinquish his control, as it moved quickly out of the way of the holy paper.

Miroku moved with speed as he threw another one of his ofuda's, this one hit the face of the youkai. The youkai screamed, as the paper ofuda was starting to do its job. Miroku then got another ofuda out and sent it toward the youkai. He followed right behind the ofuda as it landed on the forehead of the youkai, he took the end of his Shakujo and hit the ofuda with his holy rod.

His power went through his Shakujo as it infused the ofuda with his holy powers and the evil that was within the youkai left his body. It looked like black smoke floating above the youkai as it was enraged at having lost its host.

Miroku was trying his best to contain the entity when he noticed that several of the villagers were racing toward the apparition that he was trying to contain, to destroy.

Miroku noticed what they were trying to do, as he yelled, "NO! Don't go near it!" But it was too late. The evil entity saw the humans coming toward it as it split into several different pieces and attacked the humans. It entered their bodies as it took over their souls, and then they turned to attack their own as they tried to subdue them.

Miroku had to move fast or else this evil spirit will attack the rest of the villagers to gain control over them. He raised his Shakujo as he chanted his spell, then he pointed his Shakujo toward the villagers that were affected by the evil spirit, and released his spell. He encased them in a barrier that the apparition could not escape from.

He then walked toward the group of men that were affected by this evil entity. He counted at least five villagers that were now part of this evil aura. He pulled his ofuda's out of his robes as he chanted his spell. He had to make sure that the evil spirit did not escape their host until he was able to exercise it from their bodies.

Once he finished his spell, he threw the ofudas toward the men, as it landed on their chest. They froze in place for just a minute before they all fell to the ground unconscious with the evil spirit still inside of them.

He looked around the area and found Sango on her hands and knees breathing hard. He rushed to her side to see if she was hurt.

--oOo--

Sango has never seen anything like this before. She knew the youkai that were about to attack the village and she couldn't understand why they were attacking. They have always been peaceful youkai and they lived deep in the forest.

She was standing behind Miroku to offer him support in fighting these youkai. She noticed that Miroku was giving the youkai in the middle his undivided attention and figured that this one must be the one controlling the rest.

She saw Miroku attack the youkai as she observed out of the corner of her eye that her clan was about to attack the youkai that were in the clearing. She rushed toward them, trying to make them stop before they regretted their decision.

Her own clan pushed forward wanting to kill the youkai that were close to their village. Sango has never seen this look in their eyes before. It was a look of pure hatred and the blood lust that came with it. She tried to reason with them but they attacked her and pushed her to the side as they did as they pleased. She tried to stop them but they were too stubborn to stop.

She watched as their bodies were taken over by the evil aura that came out of the youkais. She looked on as Miroku subdued them and placed them in a barrier that will not let them escape.

Sango was looking at the ground trying to figure out what they should do to help the members of her clan that have been possessed.

She felt a gentle arm go around her waist as she looked up and saw Miroku looking at her with concern in his eyes. He gently picked her up as he held her in his arms, trying to offer her some comfort in what just happened. She didn't know how to fix this and she didn't know if the ones that were possessed will be able to be returned to normal.

Miroku looked around the clearing as he saw the rest of the villagers standing around looking at their fellow comrades in shock. They didn't know what they were going to do.

Then Miroku noticed as Hiro started walking toward him and Sango. You could clearly see the worry he had in his eyes as he came closer to them. He stopped in front of them as Miroku heard him say, "Monk, is there anything you can do for them?"

Miroku shook his head as he said, "You should have listened to me when I said not to get any closer to them. This evil spirit is powerful. I tried to contain it so I could send it to the netherworld but as you can see it didn't work. Now it's in my barrier and it's too weak to break through it as long as it stays in its current form. The ofuda will keep it from leaving its current host. If it found a way to get out, then it will form as one entity again and it will look for a stronger host.

"I have restrained them temporarily, I have sutras to banish the entity to the netherworld but I don't have enough power to do it. I need help and the only one that I know of, that is powerful enough to help me, will be Lady Kagome.

"If she is willing to come here, then I will bring her back and we will exorcize the evil aura out of your friends, but if she doesn't come, then know it's not her fault for not coming, but that of her mate for not letting her. He is very protective of her at the moment and he won't let her out of his sight."

Hiro understood what the monk was saying as he turned back to his men and said, "Post a guard around them to make sure that they do not break free of the spell they are under. We will wait for the monk to return with Lady Kagome."

Miroku watched as they placed guards everywhere to guard the possessed men. Then Miroku saw, as the villagers were getting closer to the youkai that he held in his barrier.

He turned his attention back to the village leader as he said, "Milord, your men are not to touch the youkai. They didn't have control over what they were doing and killing them will be wrong. If I come back and I see that the youkai have been harmed in any way, I will take care of the youkai and leave you to tend to your own. Do I make myself clear?"

Hiro didn't like taking orders from this monk, but at the moment he didn't have any choice. His men needed to be released from this evil thing that possessed them and the monk was the only one that could do it. He will abide by his rules for now, until his men were freed from his barrier, then he will make no promises. He looked at the monk as he said, "The youkai will not be harmed."

Miroku had to settle for his reply as he turned, with Sango in his arms, and summoned Kirara. Kirara came and transformed into her larger form as they both mounted the fire neko. They took off at a fast pace heading back toward the western castle to see if Kagome could come and help the villagers.

They had to stop when it got too dark to travel as they rested until dawn, then they will continue their journey back to the west.

--oOo--

Hiro watched as his daughter and the monk left on the fire neko. He continued to observe until they were just specks in the sky. He has misjudged the monk. He was a powerful monk and he helped his village defeat this threat. They should have listened to him and not gone near that youkai, if they did, they wouldn't be in this situation right now.

His heart ached as he watched his daughter leave their village. He didn't know when he will be able to see her again. He just hoped that she will forgive him for his actions. But it was part of the oath that she took and she should have tried harder to keep her charge out of danger.

He shook his head out of its current thoughts, as he headed back to the village. He had to inform the elders of what happened in this battle. They will wait until the monk came back with Lady Kagome and he will pray that they will be able to defeat this evil spirit.

He made sure to tell his men that the youkais were to be left alone or their comrades will not be set free. He watched as all of his men agreed to his orders. They will not risk one of their own, just to kill youkais.

--oOo--

It was the day after Miroku and Sango left the castle that Kagome started to stir. Inutaisho was true in his predictions; it has taken Kagome three days to recover from her exhaustion. True to his nature, Sesshoumaru did not leave Kagome alone during that time. He was constantly with her making sure that she was well protected and seeing to all of her needs.

Kagome woke up finally feeling strong. She has been in bed for the past three days sleeping with her mate close to her side. He never left her alone and was her ever vigilant protector. He always made sure that she at least ate to help her recover her strength.

She didn't mind in the least and he was a great comfort to her. She was growing dependant on his presence though and she knew that this was not good. She will have to go back to her normal life and do the things that were required of her.

For the first time in three days Kagome was actually up and about as she got dressed to join their family for the morning meal. Sesshoumaru was right next to her with his tails wrapped tightly around her waist.

She has grown fond of her mate's tails, although they would be mischievous as if they had a mind of their own. From time to time they would tickle her, or catch her off guard, and wrap themselves around her body. But most of the time when she woke up they will be wrapped around her body keeping her warm.

They made it down to the dinning hall as the doors were opened for them. His parents greeted them, as they all sat down to eat.

Kagome noticed right away that Sango was missing from the table as she turned to Inutaisho and asked, "Otou-san, where is Sango this morning? You don't have her going around to the villages again?"

Inutaisho smiled, as he said, "No pup, she left yesterday to head back to her village."

Kagome became alarmed when she heard this, as she asked, "Why? Why did you send her back home? Did she want to go back?"

"Kagome, calm yourself. She only went back for a visit and she took the monk with her. The monk has business with her father and I gave them three days to get it done. She should be returning by tomorrow evening." Inutaisho said, as he saw his pup calm down. He could tell that she was fond of Sango and didn't want her to leave her side.

They continued to eat in silence and once they were done, Inutaisho looked at his son and said, "Sesshoumaru, I need you to come with me this morning. We have some pressing business to take care of and it needs your attention."

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrow at his father, as he asked, "What business requires my attention? I would prefer not to leave my mate at the moment, could this not wait?"

Inutaisho sighed, as he said, "No, my son, it can not wait. We have received news that something or someone is going around the northern part of our lands destroying everything in its path. We need to come up with a plan of action before it reaches us here. You are needed because you are the current ruling two tails. You must have a hand in everything that is happening from now on in the lands."

Sesshoumaru sighed; it looked like he was not going to have any time alone with his lovely mate. He didn't want to leave her at the moment. He was having too much fun just teasing her with his tails.

His inner inu was very fond of touching their mate and his tails were the only part of his body that he had control over, though he secretly enjoyed his teasing of her as well. It has been enjoyable to watch, as his tails would attack her during the day, or the way it they will possessively wrap themselves around her. Plus she was enjoying their attention too.

Sesshoumaru turned to his mate and said, "I'm sorry mate, but I must go with father this morning. I will see you later today." He then leaned over and kissed Kagome on her crescent moon as he got up and left with his father to see to the business at hand.

Kagome looked on with sad eyes. She didn't want her mate to leave her just yet, but she understood that he has obligations to his father. She turned and noticed that her mother was also gone from the dinning area. She was alone once again and sighed. She guessed she better get used to it because it was going to happen more often as time progressed.

Kagome got up and went upstairs to get something a little warmer to wear. It was cold outside and she wanted something warm in case she needed it.

Once Kagome got herself a cloak to wear, she headed for the kitchen. She was going to see her dragon and bringing them a treat was always fun.

She walked into the kitchen as she was looking around. She was trying to find where they kept the carrots so she could have two. Kagome never noticed, as Katsuki walked right up to her and held two carrots right in front of her face, as she heard her say, "Is this what you are looking for Kagome?"

Kagome's eyes lit up when she saw the carrots. She turned to the elderly cook and said, "Yes! That is exactly what I was looking for. How did you guess?"

Katsuki laughed, as she said, "Hmm, now let me see." She thought as she tapped her index finger against her chin and continued. "Well the lord and his son are in a meeting. Lady Ayashiko is tending to a matter that requires her attention. The Taijiya and the monk are gone from the castle to visit her village, and you are left alone. Meaning you are going outside for a while since you are wearing your cloak and you haven't seen the dragon in days. So you thought about bringing him a treat for being good. Am I right?"

Kagome giggled, as she hugged the elderly cook and said, "Yes, that is exactly right. I guess I'm just too predicable. Everyone knows what I'm going to be doing." She took the carrots out of Katsuki's hand and then walked out the back door, saying a thank you to the elderly cook for helping her.

Kagome continued on her way as she walked toward the stables. When she entered she went straight to where Ah, Un were being kept. She saw her dragons lying on the ground with their eyes closed. She wondered if they were all right as she gently opened the stall and went to kneel by them. She reached out with her hands and stroked their cheeks.

Ah, Un felt someone actually giving them attention. It has been a while since they have seen their mistress and they missed her. They opened their eyes and were shocked to see their mistress there petting them with concern. They both raised their heads as they each nuzzled and purred their delight at having her back.

Kagome giggled when the dragon showed her their affection by nuzzling her, she reached into her sleeves and pulled two nice big juicy carrots for them. They gladly took their treat as they munched on it gratefully.

When Kagome noticed that they were done, she asked, "Do you want to go outside with me? I know that you would like to stretch your legs from being in here all the time."

The dragons were happy that they will be leaving the stable for just a little while, as they agreed with their mistress. Kagome opened the gate to their stall as they made their way outside. Ah, Un purred in delight as they both felt the morning light touching their skin. They accompanied their mistress on her walk as she turned and walked into the forest.

They walked for a short while until Kagome came to a large clearing in the forest. She liked this area as she walked out to the middle of the clearing and sat down to enjoy the sun.

Ah, Un came up to her and laid down behind her, as they offered her their warmth on this cold day. Kagome leaned back against the dragon as she took in their warmth and just relaxed. It was the first time since she has been back that she was able to relax completely and not have to depend on her mate to be at her side.

They stayed in the clearing for the majority of the morning when Ah, Un picked up on an aura moving towards them, and fast. They started to growl as they looked up at the sky to see who was coming their way.

Kagome woke up from her nap as she heard her dragon growl. She knew it meant danger as she sat up and looked over her shoulder. She gazed in the direction that the dragon was looking, as she concentrated her senses on the approaching threat.

She relaxed, as she sensed that it was Sango that was coming back from her home, as she said to the dragon, "Ah, Un it's just Sango coming back from her home. They are riding Kirara and the monk is with them."

She waited for her friend to come down as she saw the small speck of fire coming her way.

--oOo--

Sango and Miroku woke up early this morning as they began their journey back to the western castle. It took Sango a long time before she fell asleep, and even when she did, it was a restless sleep. The words her father spoke to her were still fresh in her mind and it bothered her greatly to be banished from the village for two years.

They were approaching the western castle when Kirara turned away from the castle and went in another direction. Sango noticed that her friend was heading the wrong way and asked, "Kirara, why are you not going toward the castle? We have to find Kagome so we can head back to my village."

Kirara growled her response as she continued on her way. She has sensed the miko in a clearing away from the castle with her dragon. She knew that they had to hurry so she went towards Kagome at a fast pace.

Sango noticed where Kirara was heading, and she was happy that she found Kagome in a clearing. At least this way she will be able to talk to Kagome in private to see if she would be willing to go with them, back to her village.

Kirara finally landed in front of Kagome and let her passengers off her back. She transformed back into her normal form, while she leaped and landed on Sango's shoulder, as they continued to move towards Kagome.

Kagome noticed right away that something was wrong with her friend. Something happened that upset Sango terribly. She stood on her feet as she waited for Sango to reach her.

Sango came running up to Kagome with Miroku right behind her. She stopped just a few feet away from her best friend and saw the concerned look in her shinny blue eyes. Then she heard her friend say, "Sango what's wrong? Why are you so upset?"

Sango couldn't hold back any longer as she leaped into Kagome's arms and cried. She tried to be strong but she was losing the battle with her emotions.

Kagome tried her best to calm her friend down as she was rubbing small circles on her back to soothe her. Once Sango got her composer back, she said, "Kagome, we need your help. Yesterday a group of youkai attacked my village. The strange thing about it was that they were tanuki youkai and they live peaceful lives in the forest. They have never attacked a village before but they were going to attack ours."

Miroku took up the story from there as he continued, "I noticed that something was wrong with the tanuki youkai, because the one that seemed to be in control of the others was my vassal."

Kagome looked at the monk as she asked, "Vassal?"

Miroku lowered his head as he continued, "Yes vassal, he used to serve my father until his demise. When I fully became a monk, he came under my service, but I released him so he could live his life. His clan is from the forest near Sango's home, I told him that if I ever needed him that I will come looking for him." Kagome nodded her understanding of his explanation, while she continued to offer some comfort to Sango.

"My vassal was possessed by an evil aura that was making them attack villages around the area. I succeeded in extracting the evil aura from his body, but this entity still has control over the youkais. I didn't think that this evil spirit was going to be so powerful. I didn't have the power to contain it, and then I saw the men from Sango's village starting to attack.

"The evil spirit saw the attack coming and it split into five equal pieces and entered the chest of the village men.

"I knew that once the entity entered their body it was going to be hard to break the spell, and get it back out. I tried to stop it, but I couldn't. I was forced to put a strong barrier around them to subdue them for the moment. I have sutras that will banish the evil entity back to hell, but I need more power. I don't have enough spiritual energy to exorcise the spirit from their bodies.

"We came here with hopes that you will return with us so we can defeat this threat and help save Sango's village. My sutras will not hold for very long and when they fall, they will attack the village."

Kagome listened to everything they were saying, but she knew that this situation was not what upset her friend so much. She looked down at Sango, as she said, "Sango, I understand what is going on, but this is not what is upsetting you. Why are you crying Sango?"

Sango couldn't bring herself to tell Kagome what happened in the village. It hurt too much and she didn't want to make her feel bad. "Nothing else happened Kagome. This is what's upsetting me. We have to get back as soon as possible to help my village. Do you think you can come back with us?"

Kagome sighed, she knew her friend was not going to tell her the truth. She will just have to find out for herself, what was making her so sad. She turned towards her friend as she said, "I must inform my mate of where I'm going. Once that is done then we can leave here to help your village. You will have to give me a few minutes to change clothes so I can travel better, plus I need my sword."

Sango agreed as she sat down on the ground. Kagome turned her attention to the monk and saw the concerned look in his eyes. She knew that there was more to this story than what was being told to her. Kagome turned to her dragon and said, "Ah, Un stay here with Sango. When I come back, I need your help to reach Sango's village. Will you help me?"

The dragon was more than willing to take his mistress anywhere she wanted to go. They nodded their heads in agreement and saw the bright smile that she gave them. Kagome then turned to the monk and said, "Miroku, I will be back in a few minutes."

Miroku bowed to her, as Kagome left her friends in the clearing and took off toward the castle. She needed to get warmer clothes and something that she could fight in. The kimono she was currently wearing will not let her fight effectively.

Kagome raced back to the castle, as all of the servants saw her rushing upstairs to the western wing. Once in her room, she picked a fighting gi and hakama that were warm and then placed her sword in her sash, as she got ready to leave. She needed to tell her mate where she was going, so he wouldn't be mad at her.

Kagome concentrated on her connection with her mate, as she said, "Sesshoumaru?"

It didn't take long for her mate to answer back, as he said, "Yes mate, I'm busy right now, I'm in the middle of a meeting that is very important and I need to concentrate on what they are saying. I will speak to you later tonight."

"But Sesshoumaru, this is important…" said Kagome in her mind, as her connection was broken with her mate. A lone tear went down her cheek, as her mate put her off, not having anytime for her.

She quickly turned to the desk in their room and wrote him a quick note telling him where she went. She explained the problem Sango was having and she said that she was on her way there to help the village. She placed the note on the bed and left her room.

She hurried back outside as she went to where they were waiting for her. Once she got there, Kagome mounted her dragon as she took off, heading toward Sango's village. She needed to help her village, then she will come back to deal with Sesshoumaru. She knew he was going to be upset that she left. She did try to talk to him, but he just ignored her. If his meeting was more important than she was, then she will not disturb him again.

The guards around the castle noticed when Kagome left the castle with her dragon, Taijiya, monk, and the fire neko. They were heading north at a fast pace so they figured that it was an emergency. They informed their commanders just in case their lord inquired where the young miko had gone.

--oOo--

Kagome and the others traveled quickly through the sky. They needed to get back to Sango's village as soon as possible. While they were traveling, Kagome turned to the monk and said, "Miroku, how will we get rid of this evil spirit?"

Miroku pulled a sutra from within his robes and handed one to Kagome. Kagome looked at the sutra and understood what it was. The sutra was a very powerful spell that will encase the spirit and then send it to hell. But the problem was how to remove the pieces that were inside the villagers and contain it long enough, so that the spell could be cast to get rid of it.

Kagome pondered this question in her mind, as she searched her memory to see if she read anything that might be of help. But she hadn't. She turned her mind inward as she called, _'Midoriko, I need your help.'_

Kagome didn't have to wait for long when she heard, '_Yes, my Musume. How may I help you?'_

Kagome smiled as she asked, _'Midoriko, is there a spell that I can use to remove an evil spirit from the host body without hurting the host?'_

Midoriko thought for a few minutes as she came up with a spell that she could use. She instructed Kagome on what she needed to do and the incantation. Kagome pulled some plain paper from the folds of her gi as she wrote down the symbols she needed on the sutras. She thanked Midoriko for the spell, as she opened her eyes and spoke to the monk, "Miroku, this sutra will help in removing the evil spirit from the villager's body. It will just remove the evil spirit without harming them."

Miroku took the sutra from Kagome's hand as he looked at it. It was an ancient spell and he was wondering where Kagome got this from. "Lady Kagome, where did you get this spell? It's an ancient spell that I have not seen or heard of it before."

Kagome smiled as she said, "Someone very close to me gave me that spell. She told me that it will come in handy one day."

Miroku didn't press the issue anymore. But this Kagome was full of surprises. He was wondering if she would be willing to teach him some new spells once they got back to the castle. He then turned his attention to the miko, as he asked a question that has been burning in his mind, "Lady Kagome, did you have any problems with your mate?"

Kagome looked at him with confusion in her eyes as she asked, "What problems would I have with him?"

Miroku rephrased his question as he said, "Does he know where you have gone?"

Kagome understood his question as she said, "He didn't have time for me, so, I left him a note. Maybe the next time I try to talk to him he will listen to me."

Miroku swallowed hard, if Sesshoumaru got angry for her leaving the castle he will come after her in Sango's village and it will be hard to stop him. They continued on their way to the village. It will take them another hour or so to arrive and then they can set to work and revive the villagers that he had under his spell.

After about an hour more of traveling they were finally approaching Sango's village. Kagome remembered this village from a distant memory. She knew she has been here before, but she couldn't remember when. She shook her head, as they started to head down toward the village.

Kagome looked on as the alarm was sounded that they were approaching. When they were finally on the ground, Miroku got off Kirara and headed toward the village leader as he bowed and stated, "Milord, I have brought Lady Kagome back with me. She has been briefed on the situation and we are ready to remove the evil spirit from the villagers. Are they still in the same location?" 

Kagome noticed that the village leader was keeping his eyes on Sango. He looked an awful lot like Sango and she wondered if this was her father. She peeked at her friend from the corner of her eye and noticed that she had her head down. She would not look up from Kirara's fur, as she found it more interesting at the moment.

Kagome got off her dragon as she walked toward Miroku and stopped at his side. She eyed the village leader and she was about to put everyone in their place. No one treated her friend like she was a low life.

Kagome's blue eyes sparkled with anger as she looked at the village leader and said, "We need to get to the villagers that are possessed. You will take us there now."

Her request brokered no argument as Hiro looked at the girl. He saw the crescent moon on her forehead and knew who she was. He bowed to her as he said, "If you will follow us milady, we will show you where they are located."

Kagome nodded her head as she said over her shoulder, "Come on Sango, we have work to do."

Sango got off Kirara as she walked over to Kagome to stand by her side. But before they could leave the area Hiro said, "Excuse me milady, but the slayer is not permitted in our village."

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him, as she asked, "And why is she not permitted in the village?"

Hiro took a deep breath, as he said, "Because milady, she has been banished from the village for two years for not fulfilling her duty as a slayer."

Kagome's eyes started to change color as her anger grew, she turned her full attention to the leader of this village, as she said, "Very well then, you can deal with this problem on your own. If Sango can not come with me, then I'm not going into the forest without my guard."

She turned to leave when she heard, "Please milady, you have to help our village."

Kagome looked into his eyes, as she said in a deadly voice, "I don't have to do anything if I don't want to. Remember you are all in this mess because you refused to obey the monk's orders. You wanted to attack and kill innocent youkai for no reason at all. Then you get into the line of fire that requires me to be here to remove this entity. Sango will come with me or you will solve your own problems."

Hiro lowered his head in defeat, as he said, "She may accompany us milady."

They turned as they followed the leader of the village toward the men that needed her help. Now Kagome knew what got Sango so upset. She didn't know that Sango got banished from the village because they thought she has not done her duty. That was far from the truth. Sango was great in her job and once she took care of this little problem, then she will deal with the leader of this village.

They walked to the clearing that held the villagers with the evil spirit inside their bodies. Kagome looked at the villagers and saw the black aura that was surrounding them. Miroku was right, this was not a demon but an evil spirit that somehow found a way to possess any body it wanted. She could not allow this spirit to continue roaming around the land.

She pulled her sutras from her gi as she looked at the monk and said, "Miroku, are you ready?" Miroku nodded that he was ready as he took his Shakujo and placed it in front of him ready to capture the evil spirit.

Kagome noticed out of the corner of her eye that the villagers were too close for her liking, as she ordered, "You will all move away from his area now! I can't risk this thing coming out and possessing anyone else until we can get rid of it."

The villagers did not like taking orders from a female, but they complied with her wishes. They moved back to the edge of the forest as Kagome nodded toward Miroku that she was now ready.

Kagome's aura spiked, as she drew forth her powers. She removed her sword from it's sheathe as she got ready.

Miroku was nervous, if this did not go the way they have planned then this could turn out very bad for them. He placed ofuda's all over the area to prevent the spirit from going anywhere once it was removed from the bodies. It also served to protect the villagers from harm incase the evil spirit had any ideas to take another host.

He pulled the sutras that Kagome gave him, as he said the incantation that she taught him to say. He channeled all of his power into them, as he then turned and threw them toward the unconscious villagers.

When the sutras landed on the villager's body they started to glow a pale yellow as it drew the evil spirit out of their bodies. It incased them in a golden globe as you could see the black smoke that came out.

Kagome was looking on with interest. The sutras she made were doing its job as it removed the spirit from everyone's body. They were incased in a golden globe of light as it was lifted from their bodies.

Kagome put her sword to the side as she channeled her power into it. She felt that something was going to happen and she needed to be ready. She was holding the sutras that Miroku gave her as she started to chant her spell. The sutras started to glow a pale pink as she finally finished her spell. She then threw them at the golden globes, as they landed, and started to grow with power.

Kagome brought her sword forward getting ready for anything.

The golden balls were starting to glow even brighter as the spell started to gain energy. One by one, each ball started to disappear from the mortal plain as it sent the evil entity back to hell. But the final ball was having difficulties in performing its task, as the evil inside started to gain energy to fight back.

Kagome saw this and knew that if this thing did manage to break out of the ball, she will have a real fight on her hands. She was channeling more power into the sutra that rested on the ball to get rid of it.

Miroku saw what was happening and this did not look good. They got rid of four golden balls, but the last one was giving them problems as he pulled some ofuda's out of this robes and started some new spells. He was going to be ready just incase this thing broke out of the golden globe and decide that it wanted a new host.

--oOo--

Sango was standing guard behind Kagome as she watched what was going on. She noticed out of the corner of her eye, as one of the villagers stepped forward with some daggers. She could tell that he was ready to attack the golden globe and she could not permit it. She got ready as she threw her Hiraikotsu toward the member of her clan. But she was too late, as he already released the daggers, and then dodged her attack in the process.

Kagome saw the dagger going toward the golden globe and knew that this was not going to be very pretty. The dagger hit the sutra on the globe as it tore it apart thus breaking her spell. The evil within came out, as it was now free to do as it wished.

Kagome cursed under her breath, as her power started to increase. She put her hand out to the side as she summoned a ball of pure purification power. She sent it in the direction of the dark cloud as it hit. She could have sworn that she heard the thing scream in pain, but it did not get rid of it. It was still on the field and now it was even angrier than before.

Miroku saw what Kagome did. He got an idea as he charged his ofuda's and threw them at the dark cloud. They hit as sparks of electricity started to go around the cloud holding it in place while he and Kagome set up the final attack.

Kagome saw as Miroku immobilized the dark cloud as she started her chant. She started to glow even brighter than before as her true powers came forth. Kagome held her hand up as she started to form several smaller balls of her purifying power. She then sent each ball to a different location as it surrounded the area they were in. She was not going to take the chance of it escaping again.

Kagome then formed her bow and arrow as she took aim. She was looking for a certain spot in the dark cloud, when she found what she was looking for. She took aim and released her arrow as it was glowing pinkish white in color. It went for the center of the cloud as it was going towards it target.

To her surprise she saw as the cloud parted in the middle and the arrow went right through it without even touching the cloud. Still she heard the thing shriek in pain as the amount of her purifying power was great, and in passing actually purified some of the cloud.

The evil entity, that was inside the cloud, at that moment broke free of the golden globe and went straight for Kagome. It was looking for a powerful host and it found it in her. Her powers will suit his purpose well, once he has her under his control.

It engulfed Kagome's body as it tried to take over.

Kagome was fighting against this evil entity as she finally realized where this thing came from. This evil spirit was the one that took over Jakyoku in their final battle with him. He gave himself over to the dark powers and it engulfed him.

When they defeated Jakyoku, the evil entity must have fled his body and was now seeking another to take over. But what it didn't expect was that the female was very powerful and she has something that was preventing him from taking control. It continued to attack her body to see if the barrier that was around her would go down.

Kagome was concentrating on the evil cloud that was around her body. It was busy trying to take over her body and she was not about to let that happen. She felt the fang that she was wearing, come to life as it put a barrier around her body. This gave her time to put her next plan into motion.

Kagome knew that there was a chance that the evil spirit would escape her golden globe and so she had another plan just in case. She didn't count on her mate's gift to be helping her in this fight. It gave her a chance to concentrate as she set up the next attack.

She felt her mate's barrier starting to break as she tried to reinforce it. But then her mating mark came to life as it supplied her necklace with more power and it actually pushed back the offending threat.

Kagome concentrated on her spell, as she summoned the smaller balls of purifying power to surround her. When she felt them all in place she started her chant. She continued until she finished her spell and then released it. Her body glowed brightly as her powers increased, pushing her purifying power out in order to destroy this evil.

--oOo--

Outside, standing in the clearing, Miroku was going frantic, Kagome was engulfed by this evil entity and he didn't know what to do to help her. He noticed that the purifying balls, which Kagome set up around the clearing, moved to encircle the place where she was standing.

They were starting to glow more brightly as he observed what was going to happen next. They continued to gain power, then all of a sudden the area was engulfed with a bright light and when the light was gone from the area, Kagome stood in her place panting from the effort of destroying the evil spirit.

Miroku breathed a sigh of relief that the evil spirit was finally beaten. He started to take off his spell from those in the field as he heard a war cry coming from his lovely Sango. He looked over his shoulder to see that she was fighting against one of the men from the village.

--oOo--

Sango was not too happy when she saw the daggers being released and going toward the golden globe. She was not fast enough to stop him, as she pulled her twin swords from their sheath and attacked the offending male. It was her job to protect Kagome and that's what she was going to do.

She was fighting with the male as she took her right fist and it connected with his jaw, sending the offending male backwards to hit the ground unconscious. She stood to her full height as she eyed all those in the field and said, "Now, anyone else wants to get in the way?"

The males didn't know what to do. Sango just beat one of the strongest warriors in their village. They were amazed at her fighting skills and wondered if they did the right thing in banishing her from the village.

Kagome watched everything from where she was standing. She was still panting hard as she stood straight up and pulled her power back in. Once she was calm she walked over to where Sango was standing and stood by her side.

Kagome was pissed that these villagers got in her way when she told them to stay out of the fight. She looked at Miroku who was standing to her left, he was eyeing the village leader and she came to the conclusion that the village leader owed Miroku an answer to a question. She nodded to the monk giving him permission to speak his mind.

Miroku bowed to Kagome giving his thanks for the chance to speak. He then turned his attention to Hiro as he said, "Milord, the threat to your village is now gone. The evil spirit has been sent back to hell and the one's that were possessed by it are now back to normal. I have held up my end of the agreement, do you agree to let me court Sango and let her become my wife?"

Hiro was not happy with the outcome of this situation. The monk proved to be a real monk and had great powers. But he still thought that he will not make the best husband for his daughter. "You have proven yourself to be a real monk but I still don't think that you will be the best choice to be Sango's husband. So I must deny your request."

Sango became angry at her father's words as she said, "Father, you have no say in who I chose to be married to. I have accepted Miroku's offer of marriage, and if you don't agree with my choice then I will never chose another. I love him and he is the one that I want."

Hiro looked at his daughter and said, "You don't have a choice in the matter Sango. I will choose the best male for you. You will be married to someone who can provide for your future and keep you safe."

Kagome heard enough as she stepped forward, her eyes were turning darker while her anger grew. She saw Miroku about to reply back to Sango's father as she held her left arm out stopping his speech.

She turned her full attention to Sango's father as she said, "So what you are telling me is that you refuse Miroku to be Sango's husband because he is a monk?"

Hiro turned his attention to the Lady of the West, as he said, "Yes, I don't believe that he will be the best choice for her. She deserves better than a monk who will never provide her with a proper life."

"Oh, and you don't think anything is wrong with banishing her from your village for two years for not doing her duties? Which, I would like to know how she has failed in that part?" Kagome now was fuming, as she watched the males in the area. She could see their distaste for her as she was challenging the lead male of the village.

Hiro straightened his back as he said, "She failed in protecting you, which lead to you being captured. She should have sensed it coming and gotten you to safety milady."

Kagome huffed as she said, "You should know by now that I take orders from no one, not even my own mate. If I did, I wouldn't be here right now helping this village. Even now I can sense that he is very angry with me for leaving the safety of the castle and is, at this very moment, on his way here.

"I challenge you, leader of the slayer village, to a fight, if you beat me, then we will leave, the monk will go on his way, and never see Sango again. But if I win, Miroku is given permission to marry Sango and she is no longer banished from this village."

Hiro didn't know what to do. A female has given him an official challenge, no less. If he refused then he will appear weak in the eyes of his people but if he accepted he will have to hurt the mate of the heir to the west. He has no choice, he has to accept the challenge to save face in front of his village. "I accept your challenge."

Kagome smiled evilly as she said, "Very well, name your weapon."

Hiro smirked as he said, "I choose hand to hand combat."

Kagome could not have been happier to hear this. She didn't have to use any of her powers to fight him, or to bring him down. "So be it." Kagome said, as she turned and moved into the center of the clearing.

Everyone gathered around the two fighters, as they watched their leader. He was about to teach the female, with a big mouth, that didn't know her place, a lesson. It didn't matter to them that she was mated to the heir of the west. She was human and shouldn't be mated to a youkai. As a powerful priestess, she should have been married off to one of the local warlords to protect the lands. They waited until the signal was given as they watched what was going to happen.

--oOo--

Kagome stood in the middle of the clearing as she waited for her opponent to get ready. They each stood there looking at each other as if deciding on what moves to make.

Hiro was not one to wait for an opponent to attack. He wanted to get this over and done with. He attacked as he came racing in looking like he was going to tackle her. He was going to use his brute strength to make her submit to him, but his plan was not going to work the way he would have liked.

Kagome eyed what Hiro was going to do. He has no fighting form, so she will have teach him that just using brute strength, was not going to work on her. She waited until he was close enough, as it looked like he was going to punch her in the face.

Kagome ducked under his arm as her leg came out and tripped her opponent making him fall flat on his face and skid to a stop. She quickly turned and was ready for another attack as she went on the defensive.

Hiro was stunned at how fast this girl could move. She was no older than his own daughter, but she was fast. He quickly got back to his feet, as he faced off with her once again. He was curious to see how strong she was and how skilled.

He took a fighting stance this time, as he got ready to attack. He saw the girl get into a defensive stance that he couldn't recognize. He has never seen anyone use it before, but he was determined to win.

He moved in, as he brought his fist up ready to strike but to his amazement the girl just blocked his attack and hit him in the chest with such force that he took a few steps back. He attacked again but this time he was ready as his fist went through thin air. He turned and immediately countering with another move, that she was sure to miss. But he never expected what happened next.

Kagome noticed that he changed his fighting stance and she was prepared. He moved in again as she blocked his attack and quickly went down into a crouch as he countered immediately. She swept his feet right out from under him as she gave an elbow hit to the stomach and quickly moved away from his next attack.

Hiro was breathing hard. Her attacks knocked the air right out of his lungs. He was left breathing hard, as he got back on his feet and attacked again. His blows were coming faster and faster as he continued to battle with the girl, who was dodging all of his attacks.

Kagome kept dodging his attacks, until she countered with her own. Her attacks hit home as they were starting to leave bruises on his body. She hit him on the side of his chest as he doubled over in pain. She cracked a couple of ribs with just one punch. Kagome continued to battle with him, teaching him a lesson to never underestimate your opponent for they could be stronger than you.

Kagome was getting tired of all of this, as she decided to end this fight. She took her foot and hit him on the outside of his knee, which caused him to cry out in pain. She then started a series of kicks as she used her legs to her advantage.

She raised her right leg as she brought it up and connected with the right side of this face. Then quickly followed with a combination, with her left leg up, she hit him on the left side of his face and then quickly turning on her other leg, she hit him in the chest that sent him flying backwards to the ground.

Hiro was hurt. He could feel that a couple of his ribs were broken, but this female was powerful. Not only did she have strong spiritual powers, but she was strong physically as well. He felt a pressure on his neck as he saw the female standing over him. She had her foot placed in a spot that if he decided to move she could easily break his neck.

Kagome looked down at the man lying on the ground. She had her foot on a very sensitive area that if he moved she would kill him. He must have known that, because he made no move to stand up.

"Now that I have your attention, do you submit to me as the winner of this battle? Or do I have to kill you?" Kagome asked, as she heard a gasp coming from behind her. She knew that it was Sango who did that, but this was a fight that could end in death, if either of them refused to submit.

Hiro looked at the determined face of the miko. She had him trapped and unless he wanted to die, then the only other thing he could do was submit to her. He closed his eyes as he said, "I yield, you are the winner of this battle."

Kagome removed her foot from his neck as she offered him a hand so he could stand. He had numerous cuts and bruises all over his body and Kagome had none. He could never land a hit on her no matter how hard he tried.

Kagome looked at Hiro, as she said, "I believe that you have something to say to those two." Kagome said, as she pointed over her shoulder to where Sango and Miroku were standing.

Hiro nodded his understanding, as he limped toward their direction. He stopped just a couple of feet from them as he said, "Sango, do you really love this man?"

Sango looked at the beaten form of her father as she stood straight and said with a confident voice, "Yes, yes father, I do love this man."

Hiro nodded his understanding as he turned his attention toward the monk and said, "Miroku you have my permission to court my daughter, and then when the time is right and she agrees, to marry her. All I ask is that you take good care of her and make her happy."

Miroku bowed toward Hiro as he said, "Fear not milord, I will take good care of her, she will want for nothing in this world. And I promise to make her very happy for the rest of my life."

Hiro then turned to his daughter and said, "Sango, you are no longer banished from the village. You may come and visit whenever you wish, as long as it is all right with Lady Kagome."

Sango was so happy that she jumped into her father's arms as they embraced. She did love her father dearly it was just that he was not willing to change the laws when he knew they were stupid. It left no room for error and that was just not fair to the person.

Kagome walked up to the little group and cleared her throat. When she had everyone's attention she then said, "Sango, I believe you have until tomorrow to return to the castle. Take today to visit with your family. I will be returning now. I want to see if I can lead Sesshoumaru away from your village. He has already found out that I left the castle and he is on his way here as we speak."

Kagome then turned her attention to Ah, Un, as she was about to board the dragon. She stopped her action as she felt a powerful aura coming her way and a loud, thunderous howl, was heard throughout the area.

Kagome paled as she lowered her head. She knew who that voice belonged to and he was not happy with her at the moment. He was coming toward the village as she turned and said, to everyone there, "Everyone please leave this area at once. I can handle what is to come, but if he finds you all here with me then it will be harder for me to control him."

Sango paled at what Kagome just said, she turned to her friend as she asked, "Kagome, who is coming?"

Kagome took a deep breath as she said one word, "Sesshoumaru."

--oOo--

This is the end to another chapter. Miroku deeply loves Sango and had to go through a lot to get permission to marry her. Though Sango's father is not happy about the idea of her marrying a monk, he has to live with the decision that was forced upon him by the miko.

I want to thank everyone for reading my story. As a thank you and in honor of my birthday I give you this chapter. We are rapidly coming to a close on this story. We only have 8 more chapters to go before it's finished. Yes my dear friend only 8 chapters are left to be posted.

Join me in the next chapter when Sesshoumaru tracks down his runaway mate. Find out why Sango's father didn't want her to marry the monk and what Inutaisho has to say about all of this.

Also it is time for Kagome to go into heat so the next chapter will contain a lemon for your reading enjoyment.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Sesshoumaru walked out of the dinning hall with his father. He was not a happy youkai at the moment. He didn't want to leave his mate so soon, but his father said there was trouble in the northern part of their territory.

Sesshoumaru felt his beast whining for leaving their mate. His beast has contented himself, for the past few days, with teasing their mate every chance he got. But now that they have other duties to attend to, he did not wish to leave her.

Sesshoumaru sighed. This was going to be a long meeting if his beast was acting this way.

They walked into his father's study, where three minor lords greeted them. They all looked stunned as they studied Sesshoumaru's new form. Sesshoumaru's twin tails hung off each of his shoulders, while the ends of his tails floated gently behind him as he entered the room.

Sesshoumaru almost let out a threatening growl because these fools were staring at his person. Yes, he was a two-tail inu youkai but they will respect his person by not staring. His eyes flashed red, as it snapped the lower lords back to reality, and they turned their attention back to his father. Sesshoumaru wanted this meeting to be over with. He has other plans, rather than sit here in a meeting all day with these fools.

They all sat down as Inutaisho said, "All right, I have received communication from each of your areas that there is a problem with rogue youkai. They have been destroying the villages in your area, is this correct?"

A minor lord by the name of Yuroko stood and addressed his lord, "Yes milord. We heard rumors, a few days ago, that a band of rogue youkais were destroying villages in the area. They were going from village to village, destroying and killing everyone who lived there. We had no idea what kind of youkais were attacking the villages so we banded together to find out.

"We went to all the villages that were attacked, but there were no survivors. We finally found some survivors in a village and they told us that it was a band of rogue ookami youkais that were attacking. They were not after anything specific. They just destroyed and killed everyone in the village, once everyone was dead, they would leave for the next village.

"We picked up on their scent and followed them into the forest. We were trailing them for about two days, when we came to a clearing. There we found the rogue ookami youkais dead. But the strange part is that there was no sign of an attack. The area was undisturbed and they had no wounds on them."

This information disturbed both Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru. Inutaisho was questioning the lower lords when Sesshoumaru felt the mental touch of his mate. _"Sesshoumaru?"_

Sesshoumaru almost growled, he needed to listen to what was being said, he didn't have time for his mate right now. He grew frustrated as he said, _"Yes mate, I'm in a very important meeting right now. I have to pay attention to what is being said. I will talk to you later."_ He then cut off his connection with his mate.

Sesshoumaru felt his beast rise wanting to go to his mate, but he quickly pushed him down, as he listened to what the lower lords were saying. He heard all the names of the villages that were attacked and noticed a similarity to all of them. 'Hnn, these attacks have occurred near the area where we defeated Jakyoku, I wonder if this is related in any way? Could the rogue youkai be from Jakyoku's army?'

Then something that Yuroko said had him sitting up in his own seat. "What I can't understand is how these particular youkais were able to destroy these villages. They were weak and never caused any trouble before now. But when we arrived in the area there was a lingering trace of dark jyaki in the area. It was no longer there when we arrived but it was in the area.

"We tried to follow this dark aura but we were unable to do so. We searched the area, but that was to no avail."

They continued to talk until Inutaisho got all of the information that they needed. Once the lower lords were gone, he turned his attention to his son and said, "Well, what do you think Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru was thinking about this situation as he turned to his father and said, "Father, the attacks on these villages happened close to the area where we defeated Jakyoku. I'm wondering if some of the evil aura that Jakyoku possessed was not purified when Kagome and I combined our attacks to destroy him.

"He was using dark magic and I can't help wondering if part of it could have survived. The dark entity could be looking for a stronger host so it can continue with its original plan of taking over the west."

Inutaisho sat back on his pillow and thought about what his son said. He turned his eyes towards him and, replied, "I believe that you are correct with your analysis. We will have to travel to that area and find out if it's true. If what we heard holds merit then we must strike quickly. The slayers village is in that area and Sango is there right now with Miroku. I don't want anything to happen to Sango. If she was to get hurt or die, Kagome will be heartbroken."

At the mention of his mate, Sesshoumaru felt guilty for turning her away when he was in the meeting. But he had other things to do and he could not tend to her needs at the moment. He turned to his father and said, "If we are going to this area, I must tell Kagome before we leave. She tried to contact me earlier, but we were in this meeting and I could not pay attention to her."

Inutaisho opened his eyes wide as he asked, "Did she tell you what she wanted?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head, as he said, "No, I didn't give her the chance to tell me. I told her that I would speak to her later."

Inutaisho shook his head as he proceeded to scold his son, "Sesshoumaru, Kagome knows enough not to bother us when we are somewhat engaged with matters of the land. If she contacted you it must have been really important or she would have waited. I suggest you go and find out what it is she wanted to talk to you about. I will find your mother and tell her that we will be leaving soon."

Sesshoumaru didn't waste anytime as he got up and left his father's study. He went straight to his chambers since that was the place he thought his mate would be in. But when he arrived at their room it was empty and her scent was old. It told him that it has been a while since she has been here.

He looked quickly around the room, trying to see if she might have taken something that might give him a clue to where she went. He spotted a note on the bed as he quickly went to see what it had to say. When he opened it, he found out where his mate went.

_Sesshoumaru, _

_I have gone to the slayers village. They have been attacked and Miroku has contained the evil entity that is controlling the youkai in that area to make them attack the villages. He needs my spiritual powers to purify it and to set the youkai, under its control, free. _

_I tried to tell you before I left, but you were too busy to talk to me. I will be back as soon as I get rid of this evil entity. I have Sango and Miroku with me and I'm also taking Ah, Un for protection. _

_I will be back soon._

_Kagome_

Sesshoumaru let out a thunderous howl as he read where his mate has gone. She was heading straight for the area where there have been numerous villages attacked. The slayers will not stand a chance against this thing and his mate was in danger. He ran out of their room to find his father and tell him what was going on.

--oOo--

Inutaisho didn't have to search long before he found his mate outside looking around the garden. As he approached his mate, Inutaisho called out, "Ayashiko have you seen Kagome?"

Turning around, Ayashiko answered, "Koi, I have not seen Kagome since breakfast. I had an important matter that needed my attention. When I finished, I came looking for her, but she's gone, I have no idea where she has gone off to."

Inutaisho was afraid of this as he said, "She tried to contact Sesshoumaru but he didn't answer her call. I'm afraid that Kagome has left the castle's protection."

At that moment Inutaisho saw one of his general's approaching them. When he was near enough, the general knelt and said, "Milord, if you are looking for Lady Kagome she left some time ago with the Taijiya and the monk. From the direction they were traveling, they were heading toward the slayers village. The Taijiya seemed upset about something and once they talked to Lady Kagome she took her dragon and went with them."

Oh this was not good. Sesshoumaru was not going to take this very well and another fight might ensue between his pups.

At that moment they heard the thunderous howl coming from the castle and within seconds, Sesshoumaru was standing in front of Inutaisho with blood red eyes. He could tell that Sesshoumaru was fighting his inner beast for control because it was not taking the news very well of its mate being gone, after just getting her back.

Inutaisho took a deep breath as he tried to talk to his son, "Sesshoumaru, we know that Kagome is heading toward the slayers village. She is strong and powerful, she can take care of herself. We have to go there to see if we can help her fight this threat."

Sesshoumaru was listening with only half an ear. His beast finally won over his rational side and took control. He transformed and headed in the direction of the slayers village.

Inutaisho was afraid of this, in Sesshoumaru's current state of mind, he will attack anyone in order to get to his mate. He turned his attention to his mate and said, "Ayashiko, stay here, I will follow Sesshoumaru to make sure that he does not destroy anything along the way."

Ayashiko turned her eyes toward her mate and replied, "I'm coming with you. I have to make sure that Kagome is safe."

Inutaisho was about to argue but stopped when he saw his mate's blood red eyes that told of her defiance, as she yelled, "I'm going with you, if not, I will travel on my own!"

There was no arguing with his mate when she was like this. He pulled her into his embrace as he formed his golden ball of light and took off towards the slayers village. He just hoped that they could get to Kagome before Sesshoumaru did.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru's beast had a one-track mind. The only thing it could think of was to get to his mate. Along the way, he felt his mating mark come to life, it was feeding his mate's collar with the extra power that it required to protect her. His stride faltered just a bit, but he regained his speed and moved faster than before. The mating mark activating meant that his mate was in trouble and the collar needed extra energy to protect his mate from harm.

He gave an earth-shaking howl as he raced across the sky to reach his mate. He will be there soon and he will have her back in his arms once again.

--oOo--

Kagome was standing in the middle of the clearing; she could feel her mate coming, along with the Lord and Lady of the West. She wondered what was wrong if they were all coming to her location. 'Could there be a problem in this region and they are coming here to fight it?'

Kagome heard someone coming to towards her as she turned her head slightly and saw Sango. She smiled, as she heard Sango say, "Kagome, is anything wrong?"

Kagome shook her head as she said, "Sesshoumaru is on his way here and so is the Lord and Lady of the West. I have no idea what is going on or why they are all coming here."

Kagome could feel the anger that Sesshoumaru was exhibiting as she said, "Sango, have everyone leave this area at once. Sesshoumaru is not in a good mood since he just discovered that I have left the castle. I don't want anyone getting hurt if he loses control over his inner beast. I can handle him, but it will take all of my attention and I can't afford to protect everyone if he should decide to attack."

Sango understood what she was saying and started to get everyone out of the area.

Her father was standing off to the side waiting. He heard what the miko said and he will stay to greet the Lord of the West, as it was his position to do so. Hiro saw Sango approaching and then stop right in front of him, she bowed deeply to him, and said, "Milord, please you must leave this area. It will not be safe here in a few minutes."

Hiro understood what his daughter was saying, as he said, "Yes, I know Sango, but I will await the arrival of the Western Lord. It is still my place to greet him."

Sango looked at her father and said, "You know this is almost the same thing that Kagome said to me when we went into that village and got attacked. I could not talk her out of going there, as I cannot convince you to leave this area because of the impending danger.

"Kagome knew of the dangers going into that village, but she saw it as her duty and so did the Lady of the West. There is no difference in what is happening now and what happened back then. But be that as it may, I will protect you, but know that if I say its time to leave this clearing, it's time to leave. I will not take no for an answer."

Hiro looked at his daughter and nodded his understanding. He was ashamed of himself for punishing her for failing in her duty. As a guard, she has the responsibility to guard her charge, but if that charge was a creature of power and status there was no way she could force them to leave. She will have to accompany her to wherever she wanted to go and protect her as best she could. He knew that his daughter was in the company of powerful beings, but he expected a lot more from her because she was his daughter.

He watched his daughter get everyone out of the area and then he saw her turn towards the monk, making sure that the youkai left the area. She was trying to prevent their deaths as best she could. The heir to the Western Lands was not one to mess with and he has no doubt that when he reached this place; if there were any males around his mate, he will kill them.

--oOo--

Miroku woke the youkai who were possessed. He was standing there talking to Hachi. Concern was clearly heard in his voice, as he spoke to his trusted vassal, saying "Hachi, are you all right?"

Hachi looked at his master and said, "Master Miroku, it has been a long time since I have seen you. Yes, I'm fine but what is going on? The last thing I remember was being with my clan and we were hunting for our food for the day."

Miroku looked at his long time friend. Yes, he served his father well but he always saw him as his friend. He sighed heavily as he explained to Hachi what he believed happened to him.

Once he was done with his story, he saw the shocked look that his friend had on his features. You could also see the pain that was there on all the faces of the other youkai, as they all gathered and listened to what they have done.

Miroku stepped forward and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder and said, "Hachi, it was not your fault." He turned to the rest of the youkai in the area and said loudly for all to hear, "It is no one's fault. An evil spirit made you do all of those things while it possessed you. You are alive because we understood what happened to you. Lady Kagome has a kind and gentle heart, she will not kill an innocent being. She helped defeat this evil entity and now you are all free of its influence."

Miroku took in the looks on all their faces. It was hard for them to understand but they accepted the truth. He then turned when he heard someone approaching his location. His eyes lit up with joy when he saw his lovely Sango coming towards him.

When she finally arrived at his side, she gave him a gentle smile, which made his heart flutter with the love for his chosen female. He turned with pride and love as he addressed the youkais with him. "Hachi, everyone, I would like to introduce you to the female that I have chosen as my wife. This is the Lady Sango of the slayers village."

Hachi and his clan then kneeled in respect to the chosen female for their master. "Lady Sango, we are honored to meet you. Know that we offer you our protection as the chosen mate of our master. All you need to do is ask and we will obey."

Sango was shocked that these youkai will show her so much respect. She didn't understand why they would as she said, "Please, all of you rise. I'm please to meet all of you, but you all must leave this area. Lord Sesshoumaru is coming here and if he finds any males near his mate they will surely be killed. I don't want you to get hurt so please return to your clan, I know they must be worried about you."

Miroku understood Sango's warning as he said, "Hachi, take your friends and return to your clan. I will come to visit from time to time to make sure that everything is well with you."

Hachi was stunned as he said, "But master Miroku, don't you want me to come with you now that you have a mate?"

Miroku smiled as he said, "No Hachi, I want you to live your life the way you should. I want you to be as happy as I am with Sango. If you ever need me, I will be at the Western Lords castle."

Hachi's eyes grew big when he heard that he was currently located at the Western Lords castle but he understood his master's wishes. He wanted him to have a mate, with his own pups, and live a happy life.

Hachi bowed as he hurried to do his masters bidding. He gathered those of his clan and they left the area in a hurry.

Miroku and Sango then turned their attention to the approaching threat. They walked over to the forest edge as they waited for Sesshoumaru to arrive. They knew it wouldn't be long now, they could feel his aura spreading throughout the land.

--oOo--

As soon as Sango left her side, Kagome felt Sesshoumaru's aura trying to find her. Kagome turned, as she spoke over her shoulder, saying, "Ah, Un, I want you to go by Sango and Miroku. I want you to protect them if Sesshoumaru decides to attack. I can take care of myself. I know he will not hurt me, but he might hurt you and I don't want that."

The dragon heard their mistress request and went to do her bidding. She was concerned for their safety and it was well justified. Their master did have a temper on him and when it came to his mate, nothing will stop him from attacking those around her. They moved swiftly, as they found the people he was to protect. They moved, standing behind the slayer and monk, making sure that if they needed to get out of the area quickly, they could grab their charges and go.

Once the dragon moved away from her, Kagome concentrated on what she needed to do. She could feel Sesshoumaru's aura as it extended over a great distance. She flared her aura as she sent it out to meet his. When she found it, she gently caressed her mate's aura to soothe and let him know that she was unharmed.

Kagome could feel his worry when their auras meet. He gently caressed her in return. She could feel that he was moving at great speeds towards her location and she had no doubt that he will soon find her.

She felt his aura gently wrap itself around her body, as it soothed and comforted her. It almost seemed like he was looking for injuries to her body as his aura was gently swirling around her. Then his aura intensified, as it pulled away from her body, it created a barrier around her person to keep her safe and effectively trapping her there until he arrived.

Kagome noticed what his aura did. She was not happy about being trapped in just one place. She never liked being subdued, as she walked over to the barrier wanting to get out. She put her hand on the barrier and summoned her powers to break it. The more power she summoned to break the barrier the more his barrier fortified.

Kagome sighed in frustration as she stood there getting angrier by the minute. She knew that it will do her no good to expend her energy to get rid of the barrier, because as her anger grew, little bits of her power were sent to the barrier, only to be ineffective against it.

She took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, as she slowly calmed from her anger. She knew he will be here soon and all she has to do was wait for him to arrive. She was not happy about this, but if she mediated, she might be calm enough to talk to him once he arrived.

Kagome sat on the ground in the middle of the bubble he created for her. She sat crossed legged and began to relax, closing her eyes. She needed to stay focused on what she had to do. She will have to teach her mate, that when she called to him, it was because, it was important enough for her to interrupt his meeting.

She sat there waiting for her mate to arrive as she continued to mediate. Then she heard a howl in the area as she opened her eyes and looked up into the sky. There approaching fast was the true form of her mate, and he did not sound happy.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru sent his aura out over the lands. He was trying to find his mate as he continued to travel toward the slayers village. He was searching everywhere for her when he felt it. Her aura touched his in the most soothing way as he felt his beast calm.

His aura followed hers back to her body, while he wrapped her in his warmth and checked her for injuries. To his delight she was not harmed in anyway and he was happy for this. Then he flared his aura around her body as he pushed it out and formed a barrier. He wanted her to stay put and be protected until he arrived. He was not about to take the chance of her leaving the area to go somewhere else.

Once that was done he quickened his pace as he flew faster toward her location. It didn't take him long to get to Kagome as he gently landed in the clearing she was in. He took a step forward as he sniffed the air, looking for any threat to his mate, when he found none, he slowly turned and went to her location.

He saw his mate sitting in the middle of his barrier as he let a growl escape his throat. He could feel that she was mad at him but that did not stop him from setting things right with his female. She needed to learn that she could not just run off and do as she pleased.

The rational side of his mind said to his beast, _'She did try to tell us of her intent, but because of my duty to the land, I didn't let her finish her message to us. She did the only thing she could in order to protect our land and our pack. We have to be careful with her or we will have a repeat of what happened to her before.' _

His beast growled but his master was correct. He did not want to loose his mate again. He laid down in the clearing as he huffed. He wanted her attention but she was refusing to give it to them.

--oOo--

Kagome noticed when Sesshoumaru landed in the area. She cracked her eyes opened and looked at his majestic form through her lashes. He was gorgeous in his true form. She remembered his true form from before, but this form, with his two tails moving wildly behind him, made him seem more powerful than before. It was the first time that she has seen his new form and if she admitted, if only to herself, he was beautiful.

She saw him sniff the air looking for any threat to her. She remembered that she was mad at him as she closed her eyes again and continued to meditate.

Kagome felt when he walked over to her. She felt him staring at her as she continued with what she was doing. She knew he wanted her attention but she was not ready to give it to him. She heard the growl come from his throat, but, she did not move.

Kagome felt when Sesshoumaru laid down in front of the barrier he created, but he still didn't remove it. Feeling his breath as he lowered his head to the ground, Kagome then heard a pathetic growl escape his jaws, it sounded more like a whine than anything else. She had enough, as she opened her eyes fully and looked at her mate.

His eyes were blood red, as she continued to look at him while she stood up from the ground. She crossed her arms over her chest as she huffed and turned around to give him her back. This will tell him that she was still pissed at him for his actions.

Sesshoumaru's beast didn't know what to do. His mate was not responding to him as he had hoped. He decided to let his more rational side take over, as he reseeded back, and returned to his normal ningen form.

Sesshoumaru's body glowed with power as he shifted his shape back to his normal form. He approached his mate as he stopped outside of his barrier. He didn't want to bring it down just yet because her aura was crackling inside the barrier. If he released his barrier her powers could still hurt those in the area. He noticed, once his form shifted back, that the slayer and monk were just inside the edge of the forest. They were far enough away not to be a threat, but he also didn't want his mate to hurt them. He knew she cared for the female slayer.

He turned his attention back to his mate as he said, "Kagome, we need to talk."

Kagome whirled around in her anger, as she yelled, "Now you want to talk to me! I was not worthy enough to talk to you when you were in that damn meeting of yours! Don't you think that I understand that when you are busy with matters that pertain to your lands, I'm not to disturb you? Well let me tell you that I do understand more than you will ever know. I wanted to tell you what was going on and that I was leaving to help the slayer village.

"I will never turn my back to those who need my help. But let me ask you a question Sesshoumaru, if we were to have pups and one of them was hurt, will you not respond to my call because you are in a damn meeting??"

Sesshoumaru's eyes grew wide with her question. She had a point, he shouldn't have done that to her. He wanted her to call for him if there is anything wrong. If he listened to her in the first place they all could have come here to get rid of the threat. But he shut her out of his mind and she took care of the threat all by herself. He knew that she was powerful, but still, she was his to protect.

He looked at his mate as he said, "I'm sorry mate, and you have a valid point. I should have listened to you and let you tell me what was wrong. I should have realized that you know when not to disturb me, and if you did call for me, it was because I needed to listen to you, so you can tell me what was wrong. It would have killed me if you had been hurt because of my actions mate, please forgive me."

Kagome was expecting a lot of things from her mate, she was expecting him to be arrogant, stubborn, domineering, and demanding her submission. But she was not expecting the remorse that he was showing her. Her ire was quickly gone as she looked at the male she was mated to. His appearance was slightly slumped, as he looked at the ground in guilt, she never wanted this. She wanted to go to him but his barrier was preventing her from getting closer to him.

A lump formed in her throat as she asked, "Mate, please lower your barrier."

Her words touched his heart as she still considered him her mate. Sesshoumaru lowered his barrier when he felt that her aura calmed. But he was not expecting her to rush into his arms as they both went down to the ground. She landed on top of him as her lips connected to his in a loving kiss. His arms went around her tiny form as he held her closer to his chest, purring his delight in having her in his arms once again.

Then her scent finally reached his nose as his beast reared back and howled. His mate was finally going into heat and there was nothing that was going to stop him from taking her. His barrier prevented her scent from filling the area. It prevented other males from knowing that his mate was in the area. So when he lowered the barrier and caught her scent it drove his inner inu crazy with desire.

He rolled over, switching their position, as he pinned her to the ground. Her arms were now above her head as he latched on to her neck forcing her to submit to him.

--oOo--

Kagome was enjoying her kiss with her mate. He wrapped his strong arms around her body as he brought her closer to him. Then she felt something coming from her mate. The feeling was so powerful that it almost overwhelmed her. It sent chills down her spine as she felt the most primal part of Sesshoumaru stir.

She didn't know what was happening until she found herself pinned to the ground with a very feral male on top of her. He had her hands above her head and his fangs were pressed into her neck trying to make her submit.

Instincts told her to fight against her mate as she started to struggle against his hold. She didn't want to be subdued and she will get this male off her. Her power rose rapidly as her aura spiked. It pushed against the male on top of her as she pushed him off her. She had no idea what was going on as she tried to get herself under control. She didn't even know why she was fighting her mate again. Only that she didn't want to be touched at the moment.

Kagome put her hand on her neck, she felt pain coming from that area, as she rubbed it. She noticed the wetness there, when she pulled her hand away, she discovered that she was bleeding from where his fangs were pressing against her neck. She tried to use her healing powers to close the wound but at that second she saw her mate pounce as she quickly got out of the way.

Sesshoumaru wanted his mate to submit to their mating as he latched on to her neck. He didn't want to hurt her but she will submit to him. He growled for her to submit but then he felt a powerful force push him off his mate. He tasted blood on his lips as he took his tongue and cleaned it off, it was the most perfect blood he has ever tasted.

He looked at his mate as he saw her bleeding from his wound. He needed to tend to the wound before something happened to her. He didn't mean to hurt her as he pounced. He missed as his mate moved out of the way.

He turned looking for her as he saw her standing on shaky legs. He had to get to her and soon, before she bled out. He moved with such speed that he caught her in his arms as they went down. He pinned her underneath him as he started to lick her neck to close her wound. She was struggling under him but she calmed when she felt that he wanted to help her.

He was purring to relax his mate, he didn't want her to fight their mating. He wanted a pup and only she could grant him such an honor.

Kagome turned as she eyed her mate. There was something wrong with him, he never acted this way before, and she had no idea why he was like this. She was feeling weak when she saw him move. The next thing she knew she was on the ground with her mate on top of her again as he lowered his head and started to lick her wound.

She felt the pain going away as she heard his purrs. It soothed her as she relaxed under him and allowed him to heal her. Her breathing came back to normal as she said, "Mate?"

Sesshoumaru lifted his head from her neck as he looked at his mate. She was scared and the scent was not pleasing at all. He wanted her acceptance as he leaned down and kissed her with such passion that it made her head swim.

When Sesshoumaru looked at her, Kagome noticed for the first time that Sesshoumaru's eyes were white. His inner beast was in control as he leaned down and kissed her. Never before has Sesshoumaru kissed her with such passion, that it left her breathless. When he pulled away from their kiss she was panting hard. She found her strength as she asked, "Why mate? What did I do wrong?" Her tears finally fell, as she couldn't hold them back any longer.

Sesshoumaru heard his mate's questions as he saw her tears. He never meant for her to cry as he growled, yipped, whined his response back to her, _"Mate no cry, I love mate. Mate in heat."_

Kagome heard his most primal self-speaking to her as she heard his response. Her eyes opened wide as she finally understood what was going on. She will need him to survive her heat as she raised her chin and exposed her neck to him, submitting to him fully.

Sesshoumaru growled his pleasure as his mate submitted to him. He purred in a special way as he put his mate to sleep. He knew they were far away from their den and he will need to find a safe place for her. He understood that she was going to be difficult and he needed to restrain her.

Once he felt that his mate was asleep, he gently got off her as he picked her up in his arms. He brought her closer to his chest as his tails wrapped around her form to keep her safe. He was about to leave when he felt another male coming near his mate, he growled and barred his fangs at the offending male. He was not going to give her up without a fight.

--oOo--

Inutaisho was flying with speed so he could catch up with his son. His mate was helping him move quickly across the sky as they were getting closer to the slayers village. They followed their son's aura as they finally landed in a clearing and watched as their son returned to his normal form.

They both noticed that Kagome was being stubborn, she had her back turned towards their son with her arms crossed over her chest not answering him.

Inutaisho noticed where Miroku and Sango were standing as he picked his mate up and rushed to their location. When he finally got there, he set his mate on her feet, as he asked, "Were you able to get rid of the evil spirit?"

Miroku and Sango bowed deeply to the Lord of the West as he appeared in front of them. Miroku heard his question as he replied, "Yes milord. With Lady Kagome's help we were able defeat the evil spirit and send it straight to hell. We were also able to free the youkai it was using to attack the villages.

"Lady Kagome knew this evil entity. She said that it was a part of Jakyoku's evil energy that escaped her purifying power in the final battle."

Inutaisho was pleased to hear this, as he heard a loud growl come from his son, they all turned to see what was going on. They saw him flip Kagome onto her back as he pinned her to the ground. He had no idea what was going on, when the wind shifted, bringing with it Kagome's scent. His eyes opened wide as he said, "Oh no, Kagome is going into heat."

Ayashiko eyes opened wide as she looked on in fear. She didn't know what her son was going to do because this time Kagome's heat was going to be powerful. She watched as Kagome threw Sesshoumaru off her body and then saw all the blood that was coming down her neck. She made to move to help her pup, but felt herself being restrained by her mate.

Ayashiko's anger grew as she growled, "Release me! I have to go and help my pup!"

Inutaisho growled a warning to his mate, while she stilled in his arms, "You can do nothing to help her. Her mate will take care of her."

Ayashiko has never heard her mate talk to her in that tone of voice before. She settled down in his arms as she watched her pup with pain in her eyes. She didn't want to loose Kagome to her heat and hoped that her son will be able to help her during her time of need.

Inutaisho watched as Kagome tried to heal her wound. His eyes soften towards her, she had no idea what was going on, as she found herself, once more, pinned to the ground. He smelt the scent of her tears as he tightened his hold on his mate and gave her another warning growl.

He heard Kagome's voice. Her questions to his son, his responded to her, and when his little one calmed down, she submitted fully to his son. His little one was smart enough to know that she will need her mate's help during her heat.

Inutaisho then heard the purrs that his son was using and knew that soon his little one will be asleep in his arms. His mate seeing that their son was subduing Kagome tried one more time to leave his arms. She was fighting to get free as he viciously growled at her and then pressed the pressure point on her neck, as she went limp in his arms.

He picked up his mate as he held her close to his chest. He had to get to Sesshoumaru before he left. He will be looking for a safe place for his mate. He knew that she will be difficult, but he wanted them near him incase his son needed help.

He approached his son as he heard his growls and saw him bare his fangs at him. Inutaisho growled deep and menacing, as he said, _"Pup you need to take your mate back to the sanctuary that we built for you. There are chains in your bedchambers that will help you to control her nature. There you will be safe and surrounded by your pack in case of danger. I will protect you while you deal with your mate."_

Sesshoumaru's beast calmed when he recognized his father. He understood his command as he remembered where the sanctuary was located. He nodded once, telling his father that he understood his instructions, while forming his golden orb he took off, heading back toward the west. It was time that he got his mate pupped and he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

Inutaisho watched as his son flew back to the west. A smile came to Inutaisho's features, he knew that his son will take care of his little one, and hopefully, when it was all over, there will be an addition to his pack.

He closed his eyes as he contacted his youngest son. He needed him to take a message to Katsuki. He could only hope that they will get everything ready before Sesshoumaru arrived back in the west.

He turned as he heard footsteps coming his way. He saw Sango, Miroku, and Hiro coming towards him as they stopped right in front of him. He saw the concerned look in Sango's eyes as he said, "She will be fine Sango. Sesshoumaru will not let anything happen to his mate. He is returning to the west, to their sanctuary, there, they will be safe until Kagome comes out of her heat."

Sango breathed a sigh of relief as she leaned on Miroku for support. It was times like these that she was glad he was with her. She felt when Miroku wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her closer to him.

Inutaisho looked at the pair as he turned his attention to Hiro. He eyed the leader of the slayer village and noticed something odd. Hiro was badly injured and he wondered what had happened to him. He saw the way he eyed his daughter and he seemed to be angered by her being with the monk. He raised a delicate eyebrow as he said, "Hiro, my friend, are you not pleased that your daughter has finally found someone who accepts her as she is and will love her for all eternity?"

Hiro stiffened at the lord's remark as he turned to him and said, "I greet you Lord of the Western Lands. It is an honor to have you at our village once again. If you would like to rest with your mate, a hut has been prepared for you."

Inutaisho turned his eyes toward Sango and noticed her scent. She was hurt and the scent of her sorrow was very palatable to his senses. He agreed if only to set things right with this ningen about his daughter.

Apparently, he did not approve of the monk and he was going to get to the bottom of why he disapproved. If he could not accept the male that Sango has selected then he will make sure that she never returns here to her village. It was not worth seeing her hurt like this.

During the time that Sango has been with him Inutaisho has grown fond of her. She reminded him so much of his little one and he will do anything to protect her. She took her duties seriously in protecting his pup. He could only reward her for her efforts and make sure that she is happy with the male that she has chosen.

He turned as he followed Hiro back to the village, while he said over his shoulder, "Sango, Miroku, bring Ah, Un with you. I will need your services."

Sango straighten her posture as she said, "Yes milord, at once." She moved to get Ah, Un as she brought the dragon back to her village with them. The dragons noticed how sad Sango was. They understood that their mistress cared for this ningen. The dragons tried to offer her some comfort as they nuzzled her playfully. When they heard her giggle they were very pleased that they were able to make her feel better.

Miroku followed behind the group. He was feeling very guilty for causing so many problems for Sango. He wondered if he should just leave and never see her again. Yes, he loved her, but was it worth the pain she was going through for him? It was clear that her father did not approve of him, he did prove himself worthy to be her husband, but he couldn't figure out why he was hated by her father.

They were all lead to a hut right next to Sango's father's hut as they entered. There was a comfortable futon as Inutaisho laid his mate down. He made sure that she was resting comfortably before he stood and said, "Sango, Miroku, please watch over her, I have some unfinished business with Sango's father."

Sango saw the look in Inutaisho's eyes. She knew that he was going to have words with her father. The only thing that she could hope for is that Inutaisho didn't kill her father for his stubbornness.

--oOo--

Inutaisho left the hut and made his way toward Hiro's home. He wanted to know what was going on and why he didn't approve of the monk. He stopped outside Hiro's home as he knocked and waited to be acknowledged. When he heard the call to enter he went inside. He found his friend sitting in the middle of the floor, deep in thought. Inutaisho cleared his throat and said, "Hiro, we must speak."

Hiro was not expecting the Lord to the Lands to be paying him a visit. He quickly stood and said, "Please forgive my rudeness milord, I was not expecting you to visit me, please sit down."

Inutaisho complied with his wishes as Hiro ordered some tea to be brought in for his guest. Once the tea was served Inutaisho cleared his throat once again and said, "Hiro, are you not happy that Sango has found a suitable mate?"

Hiro knew that this question was coming as he said in a heated voice, "No, I'm not happy. She could have any lord in the area, but instead she chose a worthless monk who will not provide for her well being."

Inutaisho sat back as he said, "I see. So you don't think the monk is good enough for your daughter. May I ask why?"

"Because monks are known to travel the lands, never having a permanent home of their own, they are to serve the people of the land and live that way. They have no wealth to call their own, hold no power over the villagers, and have no lands, which is not the kind of life I want for my daughter. But I have no say in who she marries, Lady Kagome has seen to that." Hiro said begrudgingly to the youkai lord.

Hiro was really upset that the miko defeated him in a battle that allowed Sango not to be banished from the village and for the right to marry that monk. He never would have given Sango his approval, no matter if the monk proved his worth or not.

If his daughter was to marry one of the local warlords in the area, it will bring much honor to the slayers village. With her marrying a warlord, their clan will grow and he will hold new power over the area in which they lived in.

Inutaisho was now curious on how his little one had seen to Sango's happiness. He had noticed all of the bruises and injuries that Hiro had on his person. He believed that he got them in a fight with a youkai, but now he was not so sure. He turned his attention back to Hiro as he said, "You will tell me how Kagome has seen to this."

Hiro sighed, he knew that he could not get out of this now as he proceeded to tell the Lord everything that happened since Sango arrived there yesterday. From her being banished for failing in her duty to protect the miko, to the monk's battle when they found out that it was something evil that possessed the youkai. To Lady Kagome coming back with his daughter and the monk, the battle with the evil entity, to her fight with him that allowed his daughter to marry the monk and return to the village. By the time he was done, his rage was great as he looked up at the demon lord. What he saw was not pretty.

To say that Inutaisho was pissed was an understatement. He could not believe that Hiro, of all people, would banish his own daughter for not protecting his Kagome. On top of that his little one was the one that caused all of his injuries. He was pissed that Hiro would even fight against a female, it was against a males honor to do so. His eyes turned blood red as he said, "Hiro, I want you to listen and listen well. No one, not even my own son, has control over Kagome. I don't even hold power over her unless she wishes it.

"To banish your own daughter for not protecting Kagome is ludicrous. My mate was the one that made the decision to go to that village. My general almost met with his demise for questioning her orders. Do you think you could have changed her mind? I can guarantee you that you wouldn't be able to.

"I have personally seen that monk put his life on the line to protect Sango. He is the only one that has ever stood up for what he wanted. Other males have approached your daughter and she has rejected every one. He was the only one who was rejected but kept going back to prove that he was the perfect male for her.

"If that is not devotion then I don't know what is. He makes her happy and when they are together I can feel the joy that comes from Sango. If the only thing that is holding you from accepting the monk, as her mate, is because you believe she will not have a roof over her head, then think again.

"The monk works for me. He holds a high position in my court for his knowledge and skills. I have given the monk his own lands to do with as he pleases. I know that Sango will be well provided for and she will be protected from any harm.

"My little one has taken to Sango, like a fish to water, she thinks of her as her sister and I know that Kagome must have been hurting when she found out what you did. She battled you to prove that Sango is just as powerful as she is, because if I had to guess she fought you with her own strength and not with her Reiyouku. She is powerful on her own so she doesn't have to depend on anyone but herself.

"Your daughter has trained with Kagome and is the only one to hold her own against my pup. Sango has also trained with my best generals and she is well respected for her skills.

"I thought that you of all people would be proud of your daughter for everything that she has achieved up to this point, but I see now that all you wanted was for her to marry into a high ranking family, to make sure that you moved up in status." Inutaisho was angry, as he stood on his feet, and continued with his rant.

"You no longer have to concern yourself with your daughter. I will make sure that she is happy and if she still wants the monk as her mate then they have my blessing to mate when they are ready." Inutaisho was furious at his friend. Sango did not deserve to be treated in this manner.

He put his hand into his haori and pulled out several bags of gold and tossed them at Hiro as he said, "Here, if this is what you want then you can have it. I will be taking Sango with me and she will not be returning to this village."

Inutaisho turned on his heels and left as he left Hiro alone with his thoughts. The man was foolish to think that no one would see his true motives. He wanted his daughter to be married to a high-ranking male so that he could move up in status. With his daughter marrying a monk, he looses his chance to gain the power that he craves. He was not stupid, he has seen these types of marriages before, and he was disgusted that he would even do that to his own daughter.

Inutaisho went back to the hut that held his mate, as he approached he felt that she was awake and not in a very good mood. When he entered the hut he saw his mate sitting on the futon as she looked at him. He could see the tears that were forming in her eyes when he noticed the hurt in them. He was sorry for subduing her but she had to stay out of their pup's lives. He knew that Sesshoumaru can and will protect his mate with his life, and he had no doubts that he will help her through her heat.

He walked over to his mate as he extended his hand to her. He saw as she lowered her eyes and placed her hand in his, while he helped her to stand. He pulled her into his arms as he purred to comfort her. He was not angry with her, just protective. His son would have torn her to shreds if she even came close to his mate while she was in heat. He will have to explain to Ayashiko what a male feels when their mates go into heat. She wouldn't know since she never remembers what happens to her when she goes into heat.

He turned to the other occupants of the hut as he stated, "Sango, Miroku we are leaving to go back home. I want you two to ride back on Ah, Un. I'm sure that Kagome has told the dragon to take care of you two and he will take you back home. I have already informed your father that we were leaving."

Sango understood and was relieve that her father was still alive after his conversation with the youkai lord. She had a feeling that Lord Inutaisho found out what happened and he was not happy at all.

Sango knew that she will not be able to return to her village. Even though Kagome fought and defeated her father in battle, she felt that she was no longer a part of this village. Her father made that perfectly clear to her when he banished her, for her so called failure to protect.

They all walked outside as Sango went and retrieved Ah, Un. She petted each head as she asked, "Ah, Un, will you take us back home?"

Both heads nodded yes to her question as they walked back to where the youkai lord was located. They all walked to the center of the village as Sango and Miroku got up on the dragon, Kirara was riding on Sango's shoulder, as they took off heading back home.

Inutaisho turned as he eyed Hiro coming to stand behind him. He pulled his mate against his chest as he formed his golden orb of light and left at a fast clip back to his castle. He wanted to make sure that his son made it to his sanctuary with his mate and that they were safe.

--oOo--

Hiro watched as the demon lord left with his mate. He saw his daughter climbing aboard the two headed dragon as it took off toward the west. He stood there watching until they were nothing but a speck in the sky. He looked down at his hand as he held up the bags of gold. 'Is it really worth losing my daughter over some bags of gold? Do I really think so little of her that I didn't want her to be happy, just so she could marry someone of status?'

He knew the answer to all those questions but yet he let his only daughter leave his village forever. He knew that the youkai lord will not let her return no matter what. It was his fault for losing her, he actually sold his daughter to him for a few bags of gold. He shook his head as he went back to his home. He had some serious thinking to do.

--oOo--

During his trip back to his castle Inutaisho explained to his lovely mate what happened in the village with Sango. He told her that he will no longer let her come near this village since her father did not want her to marry the monk, who he thought was the perfect mate for her. The thought of him using Sango to gain power was sickening to him and his mate.

Inutaisho also explained to his lovely mate that she could not touch Kagome as long as she was in heat. Now that Kagome was mated to their son he will attack anyone coming near his mate.

He explained that any male will protect his right to mate with his bitch, if she got near their son, he would have attacked her to prevent her from reaching Kagome. It was not the same as the last time she went into heat, where Sesshoumaru allowed her to take her away from him, since they were not mated.

Inutaisho saw the sadness on her features as he purred and said, "Don't worry Koi, I'm sure that Kagome will be all right. If all goes well, then we will have a new addition to our pack."

Ayashiko looked at her mate in confusion before what he said finally reached her tired mind. She smiled warmly at her mate and she couldn't wait to have another pup running around the castle that she could spoil. She just hoped that Kagome will grant her son his wish of having his own pup.

They arrived at the castle in the early evening. The sun was just about to go down as he landed in the central courtyard. He sniffed the air and noticed that his eldest has indeed returned to his sanctuary because there was a powerful barrier around that area. He could not pick up on his son's or Kagome's scent but he did pick up on the barrier that he had set up to protect his mate.

He smiled as he led his mate back into the castle, when they entered they were greeted by a super hyper pup that was whining about his mother being gone all day. Ayashiko soothed Inuyasha as best she could, while she took him up to his room to put him to bed. She was tired and wanted to rest, but she needed to tend to Inuyasha first. Once Inuyasha was in bed and sleeping, she made her way to her own chambers.

Her mate was waiting for her as she stripped her clothes and got into bed. She felt her mate roll over as he held her close to his chest and purred to lull her to sleep. She was happy to have all of her family back home again and knew it will be days if not a week until she saw Kagome again. She just hoped that Kagome will make it through her heat, it was going to be one of her worst. She anticipated that Sesshoumaru was up to the task that was necessary to subdue her.

--oOo--

Inuyasha received his father's message and took off to tell Katsuki what he wanted. He raced toward the kitchen because he knew that's where Katsuki would be this time of day. When he arrived in the kitchen, Inuyasha looked frantically around for Katsuki, when he didn't find her, he started to yell, "Katsuki! Katsuki! Where are you?"

The elderly cook upon hearing the frantic call of the young master hurried to his side as she said, "What is it young master? Why are you calling me like that?"

Inuyasha was relieved to see her as he relayed his father's message to her. "Katsuki, father has sent a message for you. He said that you need to prepare Sesshoumaru's sanctuary. He also said that Sesshoumaru's inner youkai was in control and he has Kagome with him."

As Katsuki listened carefully to the message, her eyes went wide with understanding. She turned to the young pup and, said, "Do not worry young master, I will make sure that everything is prepared."

Inuyasha was happy that he could help his father with something as he left the kitchen to go back to his training. No doubt his sensei was looking for him.

Once Inuyasha was out of the kitchen, Katsuki started to issue orders to her helpers and gathered some of the maids to go and clean the sanctuary that their Lord built for his eldest son. She knew that if the young master's inner youkai was in control, it meant that Lady Kagome must have gone into heat. They must hurry for they knew he will be arriving here shortly and they didn't have much time.

Katsuki and her helpers made quick work in getting the sanctuary ready. Once they were done, Katsuki made the rest leave quickly as she went about checking that everything was satisfactory. Her final stop was the kitchen where she made sure there would be enough food for the couple to eat. She sincerely doubted that they will be able to enter the sanctuary after master Sesshoumaru arrived.

She was about to leave the house when she felt a powerful aura approaching the castle. Katsuki left in a hurry not wishing to be seen by the young master as he approached his sanctuary. She prayed to Kami that everything went well for the young Kagome. She has heard that this heat could be dangerous for Kagome and they will all be worried for her safety.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru left the slayer's village in a flash of light. He was in a hurry to get his mate to a safe place as he streaked across the sky. He looked upon his sleeping mate as he continued to purr to keep her asleep and calm in his arms. She looked so peaceful just cuddled up against his chest as he stroked her cheek in affection.

They could both feel her discomfort and knew that this was going to be the worst heat that she will ever experience. Sesshoumaru, however, was ready for the challenge. He was not about to lose his mate. He could sense that he was finally approaching his sanctuary. He quickly landed in the small clearing outside the house.

Sesshoumaru sniffed the area, searching for intruders. When he found no one in the immediate area, he headed straight into the house. He went straight for his bedchambers as he quickly entered and placed his mate on their futon. He then turned his attention to what he needed to do to keep her safe during this time.

Sesshoumaru casted a powerful barrier around the area that will let no one enter his sanctuary nor will it allow Kagome to leave this area should she escape him. The barrier also sealed off the area so no one could hear nor detect his mate's scent. He then placed a barrier on the doors and windows to prevent his mate from leaving their shared room.

Once all this was done, Sesshoumaru turned his attentions towards Kagome. He moved towards their futon and he proceeded to remove her clothing. She wouldn't need them during this time, plus it made it easier for him to see to her needs if he didn't have to fight to get her clothing off.

He saw the shackles on the wall as he took them in his hand and pulled hard. They were securely affixed to the wall and will not let go anytime soon. He could tell they were enchanted to subdue his mate's powers and to keep her here with him.

Sesshoumaru then proceeded to place the shackles on her wrists as he laid her on the futon and then pulled the covers over her body. He quickly left their room as he searched the house looking for anyone that might be there. He hurried to the kitchen as he checked the area. He noticed the abundance of food there for them to eat while here in his sanctuary.

This pleased him because he will not have to go out and hunt for his mate while she was like this. His sensitive ears heard a moan coming from their chambers, Sesshoumaru quickly turned and left the kitchen. He was back in his room in a flash, when he saw his mate stirring from her slumber. He could tell she was in pain as he quickly striped out of his clothes and crawled into the futon, waiting for Kagome to awaken.

Kagome was slowly waking up from her slumber. She was in pain as she curled into herself and moaned. She slowly opened her eyes to see where she was and noticed that she was not wearing any clothes at the moment. She also took note that she was shackled to a futon. Kagome became alarmed thinking that she was captured again.

Then, she heard a gentle growl as she turned and saw Sesshoumaru lying behind her. She calmed herself knowing that she was safe because her mate was with her. Another pain racked her body as she whined in agony. She felt her mate's warm body pressed against her back and her pain started to subside.

She regained some of her control as she asked, "Sesshoumaru, why am I shackled to the futon?"

Sesshoumaru purred as he said, "Mate, you have to be shackled in case you try and escape from me. I only desire your safety and this will provide me with it."

He noticed her heavy breathing as he said, "Mate, will you allow me to ease your pain?"

Kagome didn't understand his question as she said, "What are you talking about? Can you get rid of this pain that I'm in?"

Sesshoumaru pressed his body closer to his mate as he curled around her. He put his hand on her stomach as his hand started to glow green. He released a small amount of his youki as it spread and entered Kagome's body, while he held her close to him.

Kagome felt the pain that she was experiencing starting to go away. She was grateful as she finally relaxed into her mates hold. She turned as she said, "Thank you mate, I feel a little better now."

Sesshoumaru growled as he said, "This is only temporary, but I will make sure that I keep your pain at bay." He knew that his mate was not ready to be pupped just yet, as he gently rubbed her stomach to sooth her.

Sesshoumaru notice that his mate was content for the moment and he saw his chance to talk to her before she became uncontrollable. He continued with his caresses as he asked, "Mate, we have not talked about this, but do you want to have any pups?"

Kagome's eyes opened wide when she heard his question. She has been meaning to talk to him about this, but she never had the nerve to bring up the subject. She sighed, as she said, "Yes I want pups. I have wanted to talk to you about it. I want to know your feelings on having pups of our own, and how big of a family you want, if you decide that you want to have some."

Sesshoumaru's eyes lit up, as he purred in her ear, "I want as many pups as you will grant me mate. I will love all of them. Please grant my wish and let me pup you this time while you are in heat."

Kagome was confused as she heard his request, then she remembered some of the lessons that she received from Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji. He told her that it was the females who controlled whether they wanted to have pups. She had the power to grant a pup to their mate if she wished to do so. He also said that once a demoness grants that wish she will not go into heat for at least a 100 years.

He explained that this was the way that youkais dealt with their pups. They will have their pups and then they will care for them until they were of age. This will allow both parents to give their full attention to the pups without having to share that attention with others. It was the way of things and it steadied the youkai population. Making sure they didn't over populate the land, so it will provide for all.

Kagome knew that she wanted a family of her own, she wanted to love and share that love with her children. She promised Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji to pass on his knowledge to her pups. She turned in her mate's arms as she looked into his eyes.

She saw the glimmer of hope in them, as she said, "Yes mate, I will grant you a pup of your own. I will grant you a pup every time I go into heat if that is your desire. But I warn you right now Sesshoumaru, I want them to feel the love of their father.

"I don't want them to have the life I had while I was growing up. I don't want them to grow up without love. I don't want them to be hated for what they are or be put down because of it. Because if that is the case then I do not want any pups at all. I won't put them through all of that pain."

Sesshoumaru saw the lonely tears that came from her eyes as he leaned down and licked them away from her cheek. He purred as he said, "I will love them with all my heart Koiishi. They will always feel loved by all of us and be well protected."

_**--Start of Lemon--**_

Then another wave of pain hit Kagome as she cried out and held on to her mate. The pain was getting worse as she trembled and started to push Sesshoumaru away from her. Her heat was taking over her instincts, as she was lost in her pain.

Sesshoumaru noticed the pain she was in. When she attempted to push him away from her he growled and pinned her hands over her head as he rolled her onto her back. He parted her legs with one of his knees while his other hand went down to her heat. He found her little nub and started to rub her. She was wet and ready for him as he moved and sheathed himself fully in her heat.

He heard his mate crying out in ecstasy as he started to move within her body. He built up their passion as he continued to pound into her heated core. This feeling was different from what he has experienced in his love making with Kagome. She was extremely demanding and wanted no foreplay as he went faster at her request.

He noticed right away that she didn't want the caresses that she was so fond of. She didn't want to be handled gently like he normally did when they were making love. She was in pain and the only thing that will alleviate that pain was for him to go faster and harder, and he was more than happy to oblige.

Soon he brought her to her peak as she clamped down hard on his member. Sesshoumaru pushed once more before he met his end and filled her with his seed. Sesshoumaru was panting hard as he looked up at his mate. She has fallen asleep as he moved off her and then held her in his arms.

He will have to wait until she reached the peak of her heat and then he will be able to pup her. Until then, he had to keep her pain at bay and subdued. When next she woke he will be ready for her, as she will begin to get more aggressive until she was pupped.

And indeed Sesshoumaru was challenged. For the past three days his mate's pain was increasing in its intensity and she tried to escape several times. He barred the marks of her anger as she struck out with her powers at him. His mating mark saved his life several times as he subdued her.

The shackles she wore, kept her in their room and safe, for the moment. The closer she came to her peak the more Sesshoumaru's inner inu wanted to be set free. He still held his control, but it was becoming difficult.

Sesshoumaru was actually getting tired, but he knew that soon Kagome will be in the height of her heat. Her scent was getting stronger and by the next night she will be at her full heat.

--oOo--

Sesshoumaru stood by the window of his chambers as he looked at the night sky. The moon was full this night and he noticed that it had a red tint to it. He has never seen the moon like this before. It was strange that it would appear to be red, but he put that thought aside for the moment as he thought about his mate.

Kagome was in tremendous pain during her heat. He tried his best to alleviate the pain that she was feeling. She was hard to subdue and he was thankful for the shackles that she was wearing. It kept her from leaving their bedchambers and escaping into the night.

But Sesshoumaru sensed that something was off this night. His mate's aura was not the same as it has been in the past few days. Instead of the pure white aura that she possessed, it was slowly changing to a deep red, almost blood red in color. He has never read nor heard of this ever happening before. He was sure that his father didn't know what this meant because he has never shared this information with him.

He sniffed the air and noticed that his mate's scent has changed again. It was spicier now than it was before. His inner inu started to react to it as it sensed that his mate was finally reaching the peak of her heat. He walked across the room as he stood next to his futon, gazing upon his mate. She was beginning to awaken and he knew it will be harder now to subdue her than in the past. Her strength was growing by the minute and her aura was getting a deeper red.

Kagome started to wake up from her slumber. The pain that she was experiencing was too much for her to handle. She knew that her mate did his best to prevent her from being in pain, but each time it came back, it was much more painful than the last.

She was curled on her side as another round of pain shot through her body. She felt her body being moved to another position on the futon. She was pulled down on the futon so that she was laying on her back, with her arms above her head, to prevent her from lashing out.

Kagome was in pain and didn't want to be touched at the moment. Then she stilled when she felt a nice wet tongue on her most sensitive area. She purred her delight as wave after wave of pleasure rocked her body. It was making the pain, in her body, go away and she was all for that at the moment.

Sesshoumaru moved down as he subdued his mate. He needed to prepare her before she became uncontrollable. He continued to ravish her body with his attention as he toyed and played with her. She reached her peak as she arched her back up wanting to get more contact. Her eyes turned red at that moment as she was now fighting the male that pinned her to the futon.

Sesshoumaru was rewarded for his efforts, as he tasted his mate's juices. He just could not get enough of her as he continued to feast upon her gift. Then he noticed that she was fighting him again as he pinned her to the futon.

He moved as he looked at her. His eyes opened wide when he noticed her blood red orbs. She was struggling more in his grasp as he pinned against the futon. His sensitive nose picked up a new scent as his body shook with the anticipation. Kagome has finally reached her full heat.

He threw his head back as he howled his delight. His body was engulfed with a bright white light, as his beast finally broke free of its restraints. His eyes turned a pure white with just a hint of gold around the edges.

Sesshoumaru grew slightly in size but didn't transform fully as his claws and fangs grew longer than before. His smoothed magenta stripes on his face grew ragged as part of his beast was released. His hair was flowing behind him like a soft breeze was moving it. His manhood was now even longer, as master and beast finally joined as one to pup their mate.

Sesshoumaru then grabbed his mate as he flipped her on her stomach and pulled. He wanted her upper body to be pinned to the futon as he fully mounted her. His body was now covering Kagome's as he caged her underneath him.

Kagome was still struggling to get away from the male, as he latched on to the back of her neck, with his newly formed fangs. She stilled immediately, he took one of his arms and wrapped it around her waist.

He growled as Kagome tried to move again, but she stilled under him when she heard his command. Kagome felt when she was filled to the max. He was larger than before as she was held still under her mate. She whined at the pain she was feeling as she tried to move away from the male that was above her.

Sesshoumaru then started his slow and even dance, he gently pulled out of his mate and then pushed his way back in slowly. He savored the way she felt around his girth as he continued to pump inside her.

He kept pulling her backwards to keep her off balance. Sesshoumaru's fangs never left the back of Kagome's neck as he continued with what he was doing.

Soon he was approaching his release, his mate was almost to the edge of hers as well, while he continued to thrust into her. Kagome lost control as she went over the edge first, screaming her release, as he felt her tightening around him, squeezing him as much as possible.

Sesshoumaru lost it as he hurried his pace meeting his end. He howled his achievement as he was finally knotted to his female, while he continued to pump his seed into her awaiting womb.

_**--End of Lemon--**_

Kagome came to her end and she was panting from the effort. Then she felt as Sesshoumaru met his end, but instead of growing smaller, from his release, he grew in size and length. He was deeply imbedded in her and when he howled his release, she felt massive pain, as she yelled and tried to leave his embrace.

Sesshoumaru was not about to let his mate leave his protection as he moved his body to cage her even more. He heard her whines of pain, as he smelled the scent of her tears. There was nothing he could do but comfort her as they were now joined at the hips. He will not let go until she carried so she has to stay still.

He started to lick her neck to soothe her from where he grabbed her too roughly. He felt her trying to leave his embrace as he pulled her closer to his chest.

Kagome couldn't move. The male above her will not let her leave as he was still deeply embedded in her. The pain was great as she looked up at him and then turned her head slightly until she was able to nuzzle him under his chin, begging for forgiveness. If he forgave her then she might be able to move away from him.

She licked and nipped at his neck, as she whined, but he still held her close to his chest. She whined in pain as she tried to move once again. But her efforts were useless because the male will not release her.

Sesshoumaru's inner inu noticed that their mate was in distress. He started to purr as his chest vibrated and soothed her pain. He held her even closer to his body as he moved them both to lay down on their side. His body was curled around hers as he pressed her closer to his to alleviate some of her pained pressure. Once he had her in the position that he wanted, her pain started to go away.

Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome calmed from their mating. Her whimpers were less now than they were before. Though at times she will whine in pain, but she was starting to fall asleep as he continued to purr.

With his mate tucked tightly against his body Sesshoumaru finally found sleep as well. They were still joined and until she carried, he will not release her from his hold. His tails wrapped around the both of them as it kept them warm for the night. He was truly tired from everything that has happened, and he needed to rest.

With a slight upturn of his lips, the smile that graced his features was undeniable. He was happy knowing that soon he will have a pup to call his own.

--oOo--

This is the end to another chapter. Kagome has finally gone into heat and Sesshoumaru finally got his wish and pupped her. Lord Inutaisho has finally found out what Sango's father was really like. He never thought that he would sell his daughter for power and status.

In the next chapter we will learn what happens between Sango and Miroku. Kagome takes on a teaching role as Ayashiko asks her some questions about modern women and their sexual desires.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

The night was cold, colder than any other night since they arrived back at the castle. There was a thin layer of ice on the ground as the earth settled down for the winter months. Most of the animals have left the area for a warmer climate or have settled down for a long winters nap. The trees were now devoid of all their leaves, their arms bare until the spring.

The occupants of the castle were slowly waking up. Servants were starting the fires in the hearths to slowly warm the castle from its chilly state.

A lone figure could be seen standing on one of the castles highest peaks. His hair was whipping around him as the morning wind blew his silver locks behind him. He was dressed warmly, not needing anything heavy for his blood naturally kept him warm during the winter.

He was looking towards the horizon as the sun was slowly coming up. It promised to be a cold day, there were clouds in the sky that will prevent the land from warming up with the rising sun. Soon it will snow and then the world will be covered in a blanket of white.

The lone figure contemplated everything that has happened this year. From finding his little one and knowing what she was, to having his eldest son fall in love with said person and taking her for his mate. Now here he stood on the highest peak of his castle, worried, he was worried about his little one and whether she survived her heat. He knew deep in his heart that she did. His son will not let her die but she would have been in a lot of pain.

He remembered his own mates heat and the hard time he had keeping her comfortable. It seemed, that the moment he finished with what he had to do, it would start all over again to quail the thirst of her heat. He briefly wondered if Kagome will grant his son a pup of his own.

If Kagome did grant his son a pup then they will have to get ready. The other lords will not be happy about the next heir to the west being a hanyou no matter how powerful the pup will be. Even though they all agreed to the mating and approved her to mate with a noble, did not mean that they will be agreeable to having a hanyou as an heir. It was complicated at times but this is what he had to put up with. They will not allow Sesshoumaru's son or daughter to take their rightful place with it being a half-breed.

But they still had time to change everyone's mind. He looked up at the sky and saw the full moon before it finally hid for the day. He noticed the moon had a red tint to it, and then he remembered that the moon had a red tint when Kagome and his son mated the first time. There was something about a red moon that stuck out in his mind and he needed to find the answers to his questions.

He turned as he headed for the library. He needed to find anything that will tell him about the red moon and what it means.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru was slowly waking up from last night's activities. His mate finally reached the peak of her heat and he was able to join with her. Kagome gave her consent for him to pup her, without it, his beast couldn't join with her. His mate had to willingly allow his inner inu to join with her or else it wouldn't work, no matter how much he tried or wanted. Once they were joined he knew his beast will not let go of her until she carried his pup.

He moved slowly as he felt a warm body pressed up against his chest. He moved his arms closer to his body and nuzzled against his mates neck, taking in her delicious scent. His eyes shot opened when he noticed that her scent was back to normal. There was no evidence that she was ever in heat. But there was a faint undertone to her scent. Her beautiful scent of Night Blooming Jasmine was there but there was also a slight spiciness to it, like a hint of cinnamon and vanilla.

Sesshoumaru's eyes opened wide as he realized what that scent meant. She was now carrying his pup and he was happy. She has gifted him with the ultimate gift that a mate could give her male, a pup of their own.

Sesshoumaru never knew such happiness could ever exist, as he started to lick Kagome's neck in affection. He saw were he grabbed her a little too hard and his fangs bruised the back of her neck leaving behind black and blue marks along with the blood that dried on her neck.

He moved her hair out of the way as he soothed her neck, cleaned her wounds, and then he sealing them making sure they will not bleed again. He noticed that his mate has not moved nor did she wake from his touch. Her breathing was even and he didn't detect any pain coming from her. He must have really tired her out last night if she was still asleep.

He reached around her still form and took off her shackles; she will not need them anymore since her heat was finally gone. He noticed the wounds that the shackles left as it cut into her wrists. His eyes soften just a bit, he brought her wrist up to his mouth, as he licked and healed her wounds.

Once he saw to her comfort and her wounds, he untangled his body from around his mate in order to stretch. He found the bedchamber to be cold this morning as he looked at the fireplace and with a thought he started the fire to warm the room. He knew that he will have to get his mate to eat. She was eating for two now and he will not let her go without a meal.

But before any of that happen they were both in desperate need of a bath. He picked her up in his arms and moved to the hot springs so they could bathe.

Kagome remained asleep during this time as he took care of her. He bathed her with care, as he made sure that she was clean from their passion. He then placed her on the oversized pillow that was near the cleansing area while he took care of his own body. When he was sure that their bodies were clean, he then took her into the heated water and looked for his favorite stone, he sat deep inside the pool and relaxed with his mate.

Sesshoumaru felt his own muscles relax in the soothing water as he held his mate close to his chest. He was purring his contentment at having his family in his lap. His tails were wrapped around her body to make sure that she was close to him. He was gently rubbing her back as he heard his mate purr with happiness.

Kagome was slowly waking up from her sleep. She felt safe and warm, the gentle heartbeat that she was hearing was soothing to her, while she rubbed her face into the nice soft chest that was her pillow.

She caught the scent of her mate and she was happy. He helped her with her heat and she was grateful for it. She didn't remember much about what happened. The last thing she remembered was him saying that he could help her with her pain.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes as she looked around the area. They were in the hot springs and the hot water felt good against her skin. It made her muscles relax as she felt the aches going away.

Kagome turned her head up as she nuzzled her mate. His skin felt so soft against her nose and she enjoyed the attention that he was giving her. He held her even closer to his chest as it vibrated in a soothing manner.

When she was able to think clearly she asked, "Sesshoumaru? Where are we?"

Sesshoumaru noticed when his mate woke up from her sleep. He was enjoying her attention as she was caressing him on his neck. It has been awhile since his mate showed him any attention and he will enjoy it while he can.

He heard her question as he said, "We are in our sanctuary. We came here four days ago when you went into heat. Now your heat if over and you're back to normal."

Kagome shifted as she looked at her mate, her eyes were soft as she said, "I'm sorry."

Sesshoumaru's eyebrows furrowed together, not understanding why she was apologizing to him. "Why are you apologizing mate? You have done nothing wrong."

Kagome shifted as she sat up in his lap and winced in pain. Her whole body ached, she had muscles that was hurting that she didn't know existed. She took deep calming breaths, as she settled down again, and said, "I'm sorry that I left the castle without telling you where I was going. I'm sorry that I have been such a burden to you. I know that I must have been difficult when I was in heat and you had to deal with that."

"Kagome," whispered Sesshoumaru as he brought her closer to his chest, while he purred to relax her. "You have nothing to be sorry for, I understand why you left the castle to begin with. It was my fault for not listening to you, as for your heat, yes it was difficult and your pain was great, but I'm happy that it's over and that you're safe. I've missed making love to you while you were in your heat."

Kagome was confused as she looked at her mate and said, "What do you mean by that? I thought that all youkai enjoyed when their mates go into heat."

Sesshoumaru chuckled as he said, "Yes we do, but I enjoying making love to you. When you're in heat the only thing you want is for me to take care of your pain. I can't touch you, I can't make your body talk to me, and I especially can't taste you. Your body demands that I take care of the pain you are in. Even though I enjoyed it, I prefer to make your body sing with my touches."

Kagome listened as Sesshoumaru spoke. Her eyes were going wide with each statement that he made. She never knew that he enjoyed making love to her. He just didn't want to rut with her, he wanted to actually engage in intimacy with her. She could now see where some of those books that she read were wrong.

He was different from the other inu youkai who will only seek out their mate when they wanted to rut. They never showed that they cared for their mates in any way, other than to make sure that they were ready to accept them into their body.

With Sesshoumaru she never experienced any of this. He was very attentive to her needs and he did enjoy making love to her. She was still learning her own body, but knowing that he actually enjoyed making her body talk to him, made her want to be with him even more.

Then Kagome got a wicked thought in her mind and wondered if her mate will let her play with his body. She wanted to see if she could make him squirm and cry out her name in ecstasy as she showed him pleasures that he never knew existed.

She shifted as she straddled his lap, coming even closer to him in their embrace. She rose slightly on her knees as she brought her hands up and started to scratch behind his ears. She heard the purr like growl that came from him as he fully relaxed into her hold.

Sesshoumaru noticed when his mate was deep in thought. He was wondering what she was thinking about when he felt her move and straddled his lap. She cuddled closer to his chest as he held her in his arms.

She shifted just lightly as her hands came up to wrap around his neck. Then he felt her fingers as they started to scratch behind his ears. He went stiff and then relaxed completely as she was showing him such pleasures that he was in heaven.

Kagome wanted to get him more comfortable than being in the hot springs. She leaned in as she whispered into his ear. "Mate lets go back to bed."

Sesshoumaru was in a daze as they got out of the hot springs, dried, and went back into their bedchambers.

Kagome was leading her mate back to bed. She hoped that he will enjoy her gift to him. She moved as she pushed Sesshoumaru on the bed. He looked at her with wide eyes as she crawled on the bed and whispered into his ear. "Mate, lay on your stomach for me."

Sesshoumaru was stunned by her request but he was also curious about what she was going to do. So he complied with her wishes to see what she was going to do.

Kagome was happy when Sesshoumaru rolled over on his stomach. It was her chance to show him what it was like to mate with a female from her era.

Kagome slowly moved to straddle Sesshoumaru's hips, as she pulled his hair out of the way and laid it off to the side. She moved further up his back as she stood on her knees and reached up to his shoulders. Her small hands touched his shoulders, as a small amount of heat generated from the palms of her hands, to slowly heat and soothe his sore muscles. She felt her mate stiffen and then relax under her fingers as she worked his back, massaging each muscle until they relaxed and alleviated his pain.

Sesshoumaru rested his head on his hands as he felt his mate move on his back. She was sitting on top of him as he felt the heat of her slick core. She was wet for him as he felt her tiny hands start rubbing his sore muscles.

He relaxed under her fingers as they moved with gentle ease over his sore body. He felt heat being generated from her hands as it went straight to his muscles and relaxed them. He has never, in his entire life, felt this relaxed before.

Kagome worked all the knots out of his muscles as she heard her mate purr with delight. She smiled when she felt that he was enjoying her administration of his body. She continued to move down his body as each muscle received special care from her. Then she did something unexpected as she leaned down and started to kiss his back gently.

She felt him shiver under her as she continued. When she got to the end of his back she took her tongue and started to go up his spine. She left a nice wet trail behind as she came to the base of his neck and started to suckle there, scraping her teeth against his skin.

Sesshoumaru growled when he felt what his mate was doing. It was the best feeling he has ever experienced and he wanted more. His mate was lighting a fire deep within his soul as he tried to move to get to her. To his surprise she pinned him to the bed as he heard her say, "No mate, I don't want you to move. There is still more to come and I want you to enjoy yourself."

Sesshoumaru stopped his movements when he heard his mate. He was breathing hard as he complied with her wishes.

Kagome knew she was driving her mate crazy with desire. She pressed her breast against his back as she went back down, leaving a trail of wet kisses behind. She moved over his ass as she then took her hands and started to gently massage his generous backside.

She paid special attention to each cheek as she massaged it with ease. His tails were another story as they had a mind of their own. They tried to wrap themselves around her waist but she was quick to stop their actions as she ran her fingernails down through the fur. The tails shook as a loud howl was heard from her mate.

Sesshoumaru was having a hard time trying to comply with his mate's wishes. His body was in flames from all her attentions. She even subdued his tails into behaving as she continued to massage his legs. By the time she was done he was panting hard with pent up frustration.

_**-------Start of strong Lime-------**_

Kagome smiled, her plan was working as she slipped her hand under his waist and grabbed his manhood. He was so hard that she couldn't wait to satisfy his need. She got her mate to roll over as she stopped him from grabbing her when she went straight for his manhood.

Her tongue darted out as she licked around his excited head. A loud growl was heard as she made her point with her mate. She brought it into her mouth as she suckled on the tip. Slowly her head lowered even more as she relaxed her throat to take even more of him into her mouth.

She soon released him as she went down to his jewels and started paying attention to them. She massaged, licked, and then suckled each one into her mouth, enjoying the howl her mate released from his throat as she continued to show him pleasure.

Sesshoumaru never knew that his mate could be like this. What she was doing to him was truly amazing and he thought that he will go mad with want. Her mouth was hot as she was suckling on his manhood. Then when she left his manhood and took one of his jewels into her mouth, he almost saw stars. Kami he never knew that it will feel so good to have that done to him. Her hand was still moving up and down on his shaft as she continued to pay tribute to his jewels.

Soon he felt that he was losing control and if she continued he will spill his seed everywhere.

Kagome felt when Sesshoumaru was almost to his end. His jewels slid up as she moved and started to suck even harder on his manhood. Soon she had him howling as he released and she drank every bit of his essence.

Once she drank it all she moved over his body as she started to lick his neck. She nuzzled him in affection as she felt his arms coming around her body to hold her closer to his chest.

_**-------End of Lime---------**_

Sesshoumaru was panting hard. His mate has never been this passionate in their love making before. He felt her moving up his body as she settled on his chest. She was licking his neck and nuzzling him with affection. He brought his arms up as he held her closer to his heart.

He felt as her breathing evened out and she fell asleep in his arms. It will be the first time that she pleased him and he will not get the chance to reciprocate the act back to his mate.

He held her body closer to his as his tails came up and wrapped around her small form keeping her warm. He will get food for her a little later, she needed her rest as much as she needed to eat.

---oOo---

A few hours later Kagome started to stir from her slumber. She groaned as she shifted her body over, looking for the warmth that would usually be there. Her arm extended out only to find the softness of her futon.

She felt warm, feeling the now familiar fur that was wrapped around her body, but the warm body was missing from her senses. She slowly opened her eyes as she noticed that her mate was missing from her side. A whimper escaped her lips as she shifted to sit up.

Kagome noticed that her mate's pelt was wrapped around her body and wondered where he was. Taking a few minutes to come fully awake she sat in bed as she rubbed her eyes trying to get rid of the sleep that was still there.

She slowly moved to the edge of the bed so she could getup. But before she got there she felt her stomach roll in protest. She suddenly didn't feel well at all, as what was left in her stomach wanted to come out violently. She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself but she was loosing the battle. She reached over and grabbed the robe that was laying there for her as she slipped it on.

Then her stomach rolled threateningly as she quickly got out of bed and rushed outside. She was able to make it to a tree as she let go of what was in her stomach. She had no idea what was wrong or why she was so sick. All she knew for sure was that when she smelled the food that was being cooked she couldn't take it. It made her sick to the point of having to leave the bed she was in and rush outside.

Kagome turned pale as she leaned against the tree after letting go of everything that was in her stomach. The fresh air was doing her a world of good as her body calmed down. She had no idea what was going on and she will have to see the castle healer to find out why she was so sick. She thought that this was strange because ever since she came here to the feudal era she has not been sick at all, now all of a sudden she couldn't keep anything down.

Kagome closed her eyes as she leaned against a tree. She slowly felt her body going back to normal. She continued to take deep breaths when she felt a strong pair of arms encircle her waist as she prepared to attack the one that captured her. But the sweet smelling aroma relaxed her as she recognized her mate's scent.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru was laying next to Kagome and was watching her while she slept. He was not tired at all from their previous activities. His mate was very aggressive, a side of her that he has never seen before. He decided that he liked this side of her and wanted to see more of it.

He watched as she slept. She was so beautiful and having the knowledge that she was carrying his pup made it all the more exciting. He will soon have a pup of his own to love and protect, and he had his beautiful mate to thank for it.

He will have to tell her soon about being pupped. He couldn't risk that she would use her Reiyouku and hurt the pup. He was afraid that she might purify it if she lost control over her powers.

He decided that Kagome needed to eat so he got up and got dressed so he could bring her some food. He dropped his barrier from around his sanctuary, knowing that Kagome's heat was long gone and the danger to her was now over. It was a sign to his father that all was well and that they will be at the castle soon.

Sesshoumaru made sure that Kagome was covered up from the cool air in the room. He wrapped his pelt around her body to keep her warm while he was gone, he then started the fire in the fireplace. Once he was assured of his mate's comforts he left their chambers and walked toward the kitchen.

When he was close enough he noticed that someone was in there as he sniffed the air. He noticed that it was Katsuki and he was surprised to know that she was here. He entered the kitchen as he saw the elderly cook by the fire cooking the morning meal.

Katsuki noticed when Sesshoumaru came into the kitchen. She stood from the fire as she turned and bowed deeply to the young master. "Good morning Sesshoumaru-sama, I hope that all is well?"

Sesshoumaru looked at Katsuki with curiosity as he answered her question, "All is well Katsuki, but what are you doing here this morning?"

Katsuki laughed full and hearty as she said, "I saw that your barrier was down this morning and I came to fix the morning meal for you. How is Lady Kagome? We have all been worried about her."

Sesshoumaru shook his head, everyone was very attentive to what was going on over here. He looked at Katsuki and said, "Kagome is fine. She made it through her heat and she is resting at the moment."

Katsuki was very happy to hear this. They were all worried that something might happen to the young miko. Then a thought came to her mind as she asked, "Ne, Sesshoumaru-sama, is Lady Kagome pupped?"

Sesshoumaru got irritated at such a personal question. He didn't want to reveal so soon that his mate was pupped. He wanted to wait for a few days before he said anything about it.

Katsuki saw the irritation in Sesshoumaru's eyes as she quickly said, "The only reason I ask young master is because Kagome will become sick and I can help her if that is the case."

"Sick? What do you mean that she will become sick from being pupped?" Now Katsuki had his undivided attention. He didn't know that his mate could become ill if she was pupped.

Satsuki chuckled as she said, "Do not worry young master, it's a part of life. Every female gets sick when they are first pupped. My, I remember when your mother was pupped with you. She got very ill when she was first pupped. We had to set up spells in the castle that will get rid of the smell of food in the air, which will usually set her off to go running into the woods and get rid of everything in her stomach. But every female is also different. Lady Kagome might not get sick at all, but if she is then there are tea's that I can make to soothe her stomach first thing in the morning."

Sesshoumaru took all of this in as he watched the old cook go about her business of making the morning meal for them. Then Sesshoumaru sensed that his mate was up and that she was in distress. He turned to Katsuki and said, "Katsuki, you might want to make some of that special tea for Kagome. She is pupped and at the moment she is in distress. She is not feeling well and I have to go to her."

In a flash Sesshoumaru was gone from the kitchen as he went back to their bedchambers. When he arrived he looked for Kagome but she wasn't there. He tilted his head up and sniffed the air as he found her trail. He followed it outside when he saw his mate laying against a tree. He rushed to her side as he wrapped his arms around her waist, he brought her closer to his chest, and settled her in his lap.

He was concerned for his mate as he asked, "Kagome, are you all right? What are you doing out here?"

Kagome felt when her mate wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her closer to his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder, trying to get her stomach under control as she said, "I felt sick so I came out here to relieve myself. But my stomach is still upset and I don't know why."

Sesshoumaru understood as he took Kagome near the spring that was feed by the waterfall and allowed her to clean her mouth. Once she was done he sat back with her in his lap as he thought it best to explain what was happening to her body.

He held her closer to his chest as he started to speak, "Kagome, I know what is making you sick."

His statement caught Kagome by surprise as she turned her head slightly and asked, "What is making me so sick Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru took a deep breath as he said, "Koiishi, you are carrying our pup."

Kagome froze when she heard his words, 'I'm… I'm… I'm carrying his pup? Does that mean that, I'm pregnant? It would explain the way I'm feeling at this time but how could I be pregnant so fast? How does he know?' Confused, at this line of thought, she turned towards her mate as she sat up and asked, "Sesshoumaru, how could I be with your pup? How do you know that I'm carrying?"

Sesshoumaru held her tighter in his arms as he responded, "Inu Youkai can tell when their mates are carrying. It allows us to protect them even more because during this time is when you are weakest and could lose the pup. Your scent has changed just a little telling me that you are carrying our pup.

"When you go into heat it allows us to pup you. My inner Inu needed your permission to join with you last night. When you gave your permission, my inner inu was ready when you reached the peak of your heat. We cannot pup you unless you agree and are willing to be joined with us until you carry.

"At the height of your heat is when you are the most fertile, at that time we can join to produce a pup."

Kagome was shocked to hear this. She agreed to be pupped by him and her agreement meant that they joined last night. So it's only been one day since she has conceived, this line of thought was giving her a headache as she leaned into his strong chest.

She was happy that she was going to have a child of her own, but she was also scared that its father wouldn't love it. She turned as she asked, "Sesshoumaru, will you love this pup? I don't want it to grow up the way I did. I don't want it not to feel the love of both parents."

Sesshoumaru looked at his mate and their eyes meet. He saw the worry that she held for their pup as he said, "I will love all of our pups, Kagome. I told you that before, that all of our pups will know the love of their father and grand parents. I will protect all of you with my life, this is the vow that I gave you."

True happiness could be seen in her eyes as she turned and hugged her mate. She was truly happy and that's all the mattered to him. They sat there for a while as he held her in his arms. Sesshoumaru was thinking that something was not right with his mate. She didn't remember the conversation that he had with her prior to her heat starting full force.

He turned to her as he asked, "Mate, what do you remember while you were in heat?"

Kagome started to think as she replied, "The only thing I remember was you offering to help me with my pain. I remember that I was shocked that you could do that for me."

Sesshoumaru's eyes sadden as he said, "Then you don't remember our conversation about the pups you promised me?"

Kagome noticed the sadness that radiated off his aura as she said, "Anata, please tell me what I promised you."

"You said that every time you went into heat that I could pup you. You said that you wanted a big family with me." Sesshoumaru could not bring himself to look at his mate. If she did not remember her promise to him then he will not be able to pup her every time she went into heat.

Kagome's eyes softened as she said, "Aiyoku, I do want a big family with you so my promise still holds. I will allow you to pup me every time I go into heat."

Sesshoumaru felt his heart leap with joy as he crashed his lips to her and kissed her with such passion that it took her breath away. When they pulled away from each other they were both breathless as she gave a joyous laugh and wrapped her arms around her mate.

They sat in comfortable silence until he felt someone coming towards them.

He stiffened and held his mate closer to his chest until he felt the aura of Katsuki coming toward them. She was holding something in her hands, being careful not to spill its contents. When she reached them, she bowed, and said, "I have brought something that will settle Lady Kagome's stomach," she then extended her hands out offering the tea that she held in her hands.

Sesshoumaru reached out and grabbed the pre-offered drink as he held it for his mate to take and consume.

Kagome turned slightly and looked at the tea that was being offered by her mate. She didn't feel like drinking anything right now, as she turned her head and said, "I don't want anything right now."

Kagome heard the growl that escaped Sesshoumaru's throat, as she looked up at her mate. He was not happy at the moment, as she heard him say, "Kagome, you will drink the tea that Katsuki has brought for you. You need to eat for the pup and this will help you not to get sick."

Kagome whined but then she heard Katsuki say, "Young lady you will drink this tea and then eat the food, I will bring for you. You now have the responsibility of caring for your pup and you must force yourself to eat. Your diet will have to change a lot too, as you will need more protein to nourish a youkai pup, if you don't you will loose it."

Kagome's eyes opened wide at what she was just told. She didn't want to lose the pup that she was carrying, and she knew that Katsuki will not let her go without eating. She was even scarier than her mate when she was mad, she sighed and accepted the tea that she brought for her.

Kagome took in the aroma of the tea and it smelled heavenly. She took one sip and tasted the smoothness of the tea as it went down her throat. It was not strong, but it did have a mild flavor to it that she couldn't quite describe. As soon as it hit her stomach it soothed it so it was no longer upset. Her eyes brighten as she asked, "Katsuki, what kind of tea is this? It settled my stomach right away."

Katsuki laughed as she said, "This is a tea made from Linden flowers. It helps soothe upset stomachs so you can eat and then rest. I will have plenty of this tea for you for as long as you need it. Now, if you will excuse me I have a meal to finish this morning. I will bring it to your room once it is done." She bowed once again as she left the gardens to go finish cooking.

Sesshoumaru picked up his mate and then headed back to their room once she was done drinking her tea. When he got back to the room he set her down on the futon and watched as she fell asleep once again. 'Katsuki said that it would help her rest.' Sesshoumaru thought, as he continued to protect his mate until she woke.

A little while later Katsuki came with the morning meal as she told Sesshoumaru, "Young master, if Lady Kagome refuses to eat please let me know. I will get her to eat for your pup, and make sure that she stays healthy for you." She then bowed and left the room, leaving Sesshoumaru to deal with his mate.

Sesshoumaru shook his head when he heard Katsuki's words. He knew he will have plenty of help to get his mate to eat her meals and make sure that her health was good.

Kagome started to stir as Sesshoumaru looked at his mate. She slowly opened her eyes as she looked around the area and saw her mate staring at her with apprehension in his eyes. She smiled as she said, "I'm better Sesshoumaru. I don't feel sick anymore."

Sesshoumaru noticed that the color has come back to her face as he helped her to sit. She was still weak from their mating and she needed to eat. He reached over as he picked her up and placed her in his lap. He enjoyed feeding her and if he had to feed her every meal, to get her to eat, then so be it.

He watched as his mate ate her food and was paying close attention to make sure she wouldn't get sick. To his surprise she ate all of her food and was still hungry as he started to feed her some of his. She finished half of his food before she said she was full and cuddled into his chest and fell asleep once more.

Sesshoumaru chuckled because he knew she has not really eaten in days and it made him happy that she ate so much. He will have to tell Katsuki to bring extra food if his mate continued to eat like this. He placed Kagome back on the futon as he finished what was left of his food and then laid down with his mate. Later on they should be able to go back to the castle. He knew his parents were worried about Kagome and if she survived her heat.

---oOo---

Inutaisho has been in the library all morning. Tai-li was helping him to find books that will tell him anything on the meaning of the red moon. But the more he searched the more discouraged he became. He could not find anything about the red moon and its meaning.

He did not go down for the morning meal and his lovely mate came looking for him, to see if anything was wrong. Ayashiko found him in the library with his head in a book as she approached.

To her surprised her mate never noticed her approach as she stood there for a good five minutes before she cleared her throat and said, "Koiishi, what are you looking for that you would miss the morning meal with us?"

Inutaisho head quickly snapped up as he found his mate standing there just looking at him. He sighed, as he lowered his eyes once again to the book in front of him, while he replied, "I'm looking for the meaning of the red moon. Twice now I have seen it and I think there is something of importance that we need to know about it."

Ayashiko was confused as she asked, "You have seen it twice now? When?" She moved to sit down next to him as she waited for his reply.

Inutaisho continued to look through his book as he said, "The first time I noticed the red moon was the night that our son mated with Kagome. The second time I saw the red moon was this morning. It means that there was a red moon last night. I have a feeling that this means something special but I can't find the answer to my questions."

Ayashiko sat there and thought about what her mate said, she too remembered her mother telling her something about the red moon but she couldn't remember what that was. If her mate thought it was important enough to search for the answer then she will help him find it.

She reached over and grabbed a book that was laying on the table as she said in a low voice, "Too bad Kagome is not here, otherwise I could just ask her if there is anything here about the red moon, since she has read everything in this library."

Inutaisho looked up from the book he was reading as he said in a shocked voice, "You mean to tell me that Kagome has read everything in here already?"

Ayashiko stopped reading as she looked at her mate and said, "Why yes, she finished reading everything in here about 3 moons ago. Tai-li keeps the new additions off to the side for her to read. When she reads them he then puts them away. You know that our pup loves to read anything she can get her hands on."

Inutaisho was amazed by this information, yes his pup asked to read the books in his study, but he assumed that she just wanted a look at the books that he had. He never knew that she read everything there is to read in his library.

He sighed as he closed his book and said, "Come mate, we will go and research the books in my study. I know for a fact that she has never read any of those books and when Sesshoumaru and Kagome come back to the castle then I can ask her."

Both Inutaisho and Ayashiko left the library as they went to his study. His study contained his personal books that were left to him by his father. He has not read everything in there yet and he hoped that he could find the answer to his questions.

He never let Kagome read these books, because he had books that contained very powerful spells, that was the source of his powers. If anyone got a hold of those books they could easily defeat him in battle.

Upon their arrival in his study they each took a separate section of the room and started to look for books that will tell them what they wanted to know. They looked for books on mating, ningens, youkai, and unnatural events. None of these books held the information they wanted. They searched for hours with no luck and they were getting discouraged.

Ayashiko returned her 20th book of the day as she saw one that took her interest. It was a book of legends as she took the book and went and sat down to read what was in it. She has never seen this book in her mate's library before, so she wondered where it came from.

She was half way through the book when something caught her eye. The title was 'The Legend of the Moirai Moon.' Her eyes opened wide as she turned to her mate and said, "Anata, I think I found the meaning of the red moon."

Inutaisho turned from the book he was reading as he gave his mate his full attention. He settled back on his pillow as he heard his mate read about the Moirai Moon.

"The Legend of the Moirai Moon has been around from the beginning of time. Legend has it that this phenomenon occurs every two to three hundred years. Only the truly powerful may take advantage of the Moirai Moon since only they can tap into its magic. It is said that the Moirai Moon came to be, to help those who the Fates has wronged. Not many can take advantage of this phenomenon but those who can, will be blessed.

"On the night of the Moirai Moon the moon will turn red. On this night only the most powerful of being may tap into the power of the moon. In the past the only ones who were able to tap into this power have been members of the Inu Youkai who have two tails.

"It is said that if a powerful miko, was to mate on this night, she will be able to tap into this power to gain knowledge and strength in her mating, if she was to mate with a full youkai. Her body will change with the power of the moon, though she will look ningen, her body will not be ningen. But it will also bestow upon the miko a powerful gift, as she will be able to produce full youkai pups.

"This is only the first step in the legend. The miko who has mated under the Moirai Moon will have to go into heat by the next Moirai Moon in order to be bestowed this power. During the peak of her heat her eyes will turn blood red and her aura will change to a blood red in color. It is during this time that she will be able to conceive a full-blooded youkai pup, therefore making her able to produce full youkai pups for the rest of her mated life.

"It is well known that the pups from this miko will be strong and powerful, they will be hard to defeat if they were ever challenged. Many youkai look for powerful miko's to mate with during this moon. But not every ningen miko can tap into the magic of the moon. Only those, which fate has wronged and then set to right, will be able to tap into this power. But no one knows who these miko's are. There have only been a hand full of miko's that have been able to tap into this power but none are alive today.

"Special care must be taken with the miko of the Moirai Moon. The instincts of a youkai, especially those mated to Inu's, become very predominate during the time she carries the pup. The female will be unaware of this new found instincts, therefore the male must stay close by his mate to make sure that she does nothing to harm herself or the pup she carries.

"Purification of the pup the miko carries is always a threat but most miko's will protect their young without their knowledge, instincts will take over during the height of a battle to protect the little one she carries.

"How long the miko will carry the pup is still unknown to this date. They are all different depending on the power of the miko. She may carry the pup for the same length of time as a normal youkai birth or could carry the pup for the length of a normal ningen pup.

"But once a miko conceives under the Moirai Moon she will always conceive her pups this way. She will never be able to be pupped unless the Moirai Moon is present."

Ayashiko finished reading the legend of the Moirai Moon as she looked at her mate. She has heard about this legend but it was when she was very young. It has been too many centuries since she heard it and that's why she couldn't remember.

She looked at her mate as she said, "If this legend is true and the moon was red during our son and Kagome's mating, and if Kagome was pupped last night then she will produce full blooded youkai pups."

Inutaisho looked at his mate deep in thought. He heard what she said about the Moirai Moon legend and he was intrigued. If this legend was true, then this will solve all of their problems with the other ruling lords, about the next heir of the west. But there is a reason it is called a legend, it's because it has never been verified or seen to this day. They have never known of a powerful miko mating with a youkai before now.

Inutaisho looked at his mate as he said, "If this legend is true then Kagome will be one of a kind, for she will be able to produce full youkai pups that will be very powerful. The only thing we can do is ask Sesshoumaru if Kagome's eyes turned red and whether her aura changed color. That is if Kagome granted him permission to pup her during this heat."

There were many unanswered questions and they will all have to wait until their son returned to get the answers. They both stiffened as they felt the aura of their eldest son returning to the castle.

A smile came to Ayashiko face as she stood and ran out of the study, heading towards her pups. She was happy that Kagome survived her heat as she rushed to check on her. She has missed her since she has been gone.

Inutaisho shook his head as he followed his mate out of his study. He could smell that Kagome was with Sesshoumaru and seems to be well. Though there was something off about Kagome's scent. He will have to see what it is as soon as he meets them.

---oOo---

Kagome was slowly waking up from her nap. She was feeling a lot better than she did this morning. Her stomach was not bothering her at the moment and she was happy for this. She felt that she was being held very tightly in strong arms as she looked down and saw the arms of her mate around her body. He had one arm firmly around her waist and the other was snaked up between her breasts, with his hand resting on her shoulder.

The way he was holding her she could not move without him noticing that she was awake. She chose to lay there for a while and just enjoy her mates embrace.

She started thinking about the life that was now growing inside her and the family that she was finally going to have. She loved this idea because it will keep her busy while her mate was tending to matters of the land and she was left alone. She was wondering what it will be, if it will be a boy or a girl. She will be happy with either as long as it was healthy and that her mate loved it.

She didn't want it to grow up the way she was raised. Never being accepted for who she was, rejected because of the things she could do. She was always being sent away from her family because of the money the doctors will pay to experiment on her. She wanted a better life for her children and growing up in this era will give it to them.

Though she had a feeling that she will have to viciously protect any pup she has from the rest of the world. She guessed that every mother was like that when it came to her pups, and Ayashiko was no different. She has showed her that she will go through any length to see to the safety of her pups and she was not any different.

Kagome was laying there just thinking when she started to feel something coming up her leg. It was nice and soft as it was slowly wrapping itself around her body. Then she felt the gentle caress on the back of her knee and knew she was in trouble.

Sesshoumaru's inner inu was in a playful mood and it was going to try and tickle their mate. She tried to move out of his embrace but strong arms kept her in place as the caresses became more persistent. She started to giggle as she continued to move trying to get the insufferable soft appendage to quit its current activity. But she was failing miserably when she was pinned against her mate's body.

Sesshoumaru noticed that his mate was awake but she was just laying there in his arms, thinking. He felt his tails moving, going up his mate's legs as it was gently caressing her. His inner inu was in a playful mood and was teasing their mate. He let his beast indulge himself as he watched what his mate will do.

He noticed that Kagome was trying to hold in her laughter as his tails teased her. She was moving more in his arms as he held her firmly against his chest. He could not resist any longer as he started to nibble on her neck and let his tails continue with their teasing.

Kagome couldn't hold on any longer. She started to laugh rich and hearty as her mate's tails had their way with her. Tears started to come from her eyes, because she was laughing so hard. Soon she found herself on her back as her mate dove in and kissed her with such passion that it took her breath away.

Sesshoumaru could not hold off any longer as he turned his mate in his arms, and kissed her with such desire that he thought that he would consume her. His passion for her grew as he released her lips and started to nibble on her neck.

_**------Start Of Lemon-----**_

Kagome was still breathing hard as she felt her mate attack her neck. She was aroused by his passion as she felt the tip of his tail reaching her most sensitive spot. He had pushed her legs apart as his tail had its way with her, slowly stroking her clit in a sensual way.

It seemed to her that Sesshoumaru and his beast were taking advantage of her as one was suckling on her breast while the tail teased her entrance. She was aroused like nothing she has ever felt before, as she moaned her delight.

Sesshoumaru was aware of what his tails were doing, as it was attacking her heated core. He will permit his beast to have some fun until he wanted a taste of her. He continued to suckle on her breast as he pulled a nipple into his mouth and sucked hard. He was lost in the scent of her arousal and he will not stop until they were joined. He will repay her for her earlier gift ten fold before he was done with her.

Kagome could not believe what her mate was doing to her body. It was set on fire as her passion for him grew in its intensity. She loved what he was doing to her as she raised her arms up and encircled his head, holding him closer to her chest as he paid tribute to it.

She found his most sensitive spot as she scratched behind his ears and felt his chest vibrate with his purrs. It sent her body to a whole new level of passion as she continued to tease her mate.

Sesshoumaru's tails were equally as busy, one of his tails was rubbing against her clit while the other one was seeking her heated core. Once it found her slick entrance it started to enter as it stroked her.

Kagome shut her eyes as she felt what was happening to her body. Her breath hitched as she convulsed, screaming her mates name in her release as she came hard.

Sesshoumaru felt when his mate was nearing her release. He felt as her hot sheath started to contract around his tail as he quickly left her breast and went down to feast upon her juices. He moved his tails out of the way as his mouth found her entrance and suckled. She tasted heavenly, sweet and tart at the same time as he drank everything she had to offer. It has been so long since he has been able to feast upon her like this.

He brought her to several more orgasms before he was satisfied and then crawled up her body, leaving wet kisses in his bid to find her hot mouth. His member was painfully hard as he reached her lips and kissed her passionately. He moved his member to her entrance as he slowly entered her heated core. He was in heaven as he fully embedded himself into her. He started to move slowly as he released his mate's lips so he could gaze upon her as he made love to her body.

Kagome has never felt such cardinal need to be with her mate. When he finally entered her she was in heaven. His strokes were gentle as he slowly took her. When she opened her eyes she saw that he was staring at her looking deeply into her eyes.

She raised one of her legs up as she reached his shoulder and hooked it there. He was going deeper now and she loved it. She moaned and moved her hips in time with his thrust as she ground into him making him go deeper and hit a place that was making the knot inside of her stomach tighten with every stroke.

Sesshoumaru noticed when his mate brought her leg up and hooked it on the top of his arm. He went deeper into his mate as he felt her shudder underneath him. He was deeper and she was reacting to it as she rolled her hips into him. He was hitting something that made her cry out in ecstasy as he continued to move.

Soon the both of them were close to their release, Kagome closed her eyes and her body started to convulse, as she screamed, "SESSHOUMARU!" and came to her end.

Sesshoumaru felt his mate come to her end as he gave his last thrust and came with her. He howled his release as he bit into her shoulder and renewed his mating mark again. They were both panting hard as Sesshoumaru released Kagome's leg and then settled on top of her making sure he kept most of his weight off her.

He was breathing hard as he raised his head and looked at his mate. She was sweaty again as he started to lick her neck, then found her nice soft lips, and kissed her. Once he thoroughly ravished her mouth he pulled away as he nuzzled her and asked, "Koi, are you all right?"

Kagome was still panting hard as she replied, "Oh yes, that was wonderful, we will have to remember this for the next time. I definitely enjoyed myself."

Sesshoumaru's inner inu growled his approval of his mate's statement. She liked what he did to her with his tail. Oh yes, there will be more of that in the future if he had any say in the matter.

_**-----End of Lemon-----**_

Once Kagome calmed down from her passion she turned to her mate and said, "Your inner inu is very playful. He better be careful because I'm full of surprises and I will get him back for all the tickling he did to me."

Sesshoumaru's eyes opened wide at her statement as his beast smiled and couldn't wait for her to try. He will be ready for her and will not fall into her trap. He growled and nuzzled their mate enjoying her scent.

Once they had both calmed down Sesshoumaru looked at his mate and said, "We should go and get cleaned up. My parents are probably worried about you and how you faired during your heat."

Kagome understood what he was saying as they both got out of bed, bathed, and then dressed. They walked out of their sanctuary hand in hand as they went back toward the castle.

During their walk Sesshoumaru's tails wrapped themselves around Kagome's body to keep her warm. She was shivering from the cold wind that was blowing as Sesshoumaru picked her up in his arms and covered her with his tails. He didn't want her getting sick now that she was pupped, and hurried his pace toward the castle.

When Sesshoumaru arrived his mother greeted him as she was looking for his mate. He smiled, a rare smile, as he pulled his tails away from his mate and set her on her feet.

Kagome looked up in time to see her Oka-san standing there in front of her as she smiled and went into her embrace. She snuggled deeply into Ayashiko's arms and felt the warmth of her love. She was home again and she was happy.

They pulled away from their hug as Ayashiko said, "My Musume, I'm glad that you are safe and that your mate was able to help you during your time of need."

At that moment Inutaisho appeared next to his mate as he looked at Kagome. He opened his arms and she rushed into them, hugging the life out of him. She was happy to see him as he held her closed to his chest.

Inutaisho was happy to see his little one safe as he held her in his arms. He took in her scent and noticed that it was different. There was spiciness to it as he detected the scent of apples and cinnamon. His eyes opened wide when he caught this scent as he pulled his little one away from his chest.

He looked at his son and saw the proud gleam in his eyes as he smiled and said, "Congratulations my boy, I'm glad that we will be adding a new member to the pack soon."

Ayashiko eyes opened wide as she heard what her mate said. His nose, being more sensitive than hers, picked up that her Musume was pupped. She smiled as she looked at her son and saw the proud smirk that came to his features.

Sesshoumaru smirked as his father caught the scent of his mate. He knew that she was now pupped and he was happy. His tail went around his mate's waist as he pulled her closer to his body and wrapped his arm around her. He tucked her into his side as he relaxed once she was where she should be. He didn't like not having her close by when she was with his pup.

Inutaisho straighten his posture as he said, "This is wonderful news indeed. We could announce this event in seven days when we host the winter formal. All of the other lords will be here and then we can make the announcement."

Sesshoumaru did not like his fathers comment about telling everyone that his mate was pupped. His protective instincts were kicking in as he said, "Father, I do not wish to let anyone know that my mate is pupped. Her scent will still seem normal when they are here and I would like to keep this information from them. With everything that has happened to us in the last couple of moons I want to keep this information from everyone until the pup is born."

Inutaisho saw the seriousness in his son's eyes. There was something there that he was not voicing and he had to find out what it was. He understood his son's concerns as he said, "Sesshoumaru, I need to speak to you in private. Kagome can stay with Ayashiko, while they go upstairs and find something warmer for Kagome to wear."

Sesshoumaru was not happy, he didn't want to leave his mate at the moment but he saw something in his father's eyes that said he needed to go with him. He turned toward his mate as he nuzzled her neck and whispered into her ear, "Kagome, stay with mother, I want to see what father wants."

Kagome understood what her mate wanted as she walked on unsteady legs over to her mother. Ayashiko wrapped her tail around her pup as they left and went to the western section of the castle.

Sesshoumaru watched as his mother and mate walked away from him as they made their way upstairs. He then turned his full attention to his father, he followed him toward his study so they could have a private conversation, without anyone being able to hear.

Once they reached the study they both sat as Inutaisho turned to his pup and said, "Now, what is the real reason that you want to keep the birth of your pup a secret?"

Sesshoumaru took a deep breath as he calmed and said to his father, "Father, I want to keep Kagome safe from any harm. The spies that Jakyoku has in the palace are still here unless you have caught them. As long as they are here Kagome's life is in danger. They are bound to be angry over losing Jakyoku and I don't want anything to happen to her while she is pupped."

Inutaisho had forgotten about the spies in the castle. They were a real threat to his little one and his mate. His son was correct in saying that they will be upset over the defeat of Jakyoku. He looked at his son as he said, "Yes, I have forgotten about them. We will have to keep a closer eye on your mother and Kagome. We can't risk her getting hurt while she is pupped. They will try everything in their power to capture Kagome, to get to you."

But there was something that he wanted to ask his son as he continued, "But we will just have to table that problem for the moment. I have a very important question for you, did anything strange happen when you finally got to pup Kagome?"

Sesshoumaru raised an elegant eyebrow at his father as he remembered what happened last night. He cocked his head to the side as he said, "Yes, something strange did happen last night when I finally got the chance to pup her." Sesshoumaru then proceeded to tell his father about how Kagome's eyes turned blood red and her aura changed from that of her pure white to red.

He told his father everything that he could remember and then he had a thought as he asked, "Father, there is something else that was strange, do you know the meaning of the red moon?"

Inutaisho sat back on his pillow as he smiled. It was as he suspected and his little one was now connected to the red moon. He heard his son's questions as he said, "Yes, I know the meaning of the red moon. I have seen the red moon this morning and wondered what it meant. I found the answer in this book and I think that you should read what it has to say." He reached over and grabbed the book that was sitting there on his desk as he handed it to Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru took the book that his father handed to him as he proceeded to read about the Moirai Moon. His eyes opened wide when he read what the red moon meant. He was deep in thought as he tried to remember if there was a red moon on the night of his mating. He was too busy with his lovely mate to notice such trivial things. He turned his eyes back to his father and said, "I don't know if there was a red moon on the night of my mating with Kagome. I was a little preoccupied with my mate to notice such things."

Inutaisho chuckled and said, "There was a red moon on that night. I remember seeing it that night as well. So this legend has some merit as it might come to pass. We will have to wait and see if Kagome will produce a full youkai pup. We will have to keep our eyes on her and make sure that she is not left alone for too long."

Sesshoumaru understood what his father was saying as they continued to talk about the Moirai Moon legend. Then Sesshoumaru had a thought, as he wanted some answers from his sire for his lack of information. He turned his attention towards him, as he asked, "Father, why didn't you tell me about the pleasures that a female can bestow upon her male?"

Inutaisho sat straight up on his pillow as he heard his son's question. He had no idea what he was talking about as he said, "Sesshoumaru, I have shared all of the information that I have about what the female will bestow upon the male. What exactly happened that you think I will hold such information from you?"

Sesshoumaru looked at his father and decided that maybe he really didn't know so he proceeded to tell him some of his experiences with his mate. The more Sesshoumaru thought about what his mate did to him the more aroused he became. He wanted nothing more than to go and find his lovely mate and ravish her body once more.

Inutaisho listened closely to what his son was telling him. Never before has he ever heard of such things being done to a male. His son was truly blessed as he wished that his lovely mate would do some of those things to him.

Inutaisho shook his head as he said, "Sesshoumaru, what you have just described I have never heard tell of any female, be it ningen or youkai, doing that to a male before. A female will never lower herself to do these things to a male. But from what you are telling me its common practice in Kagome's era and she has bestowed a great gift to you, my son. I only wish that your mother would do some of those things. I would love to experience some of that myself."

Sesshoumaru looked at his father and saw the curiosity in his eyes. He experienced something that his father never experienced in his life. He was truly blessed with his female because she found joy in giving him pleasure and it made their joining even better than he ever thought imaginable.

The two males continued to talk about what Sesshoumaru experienced with his little mate as the smell of arousal became very heavy in the room.

---oOo---

Ayashiko had her arms wrapped around her Musume's shoulder as she led her upstairs to her room. They needed to get warmer clothing for her. She now knew that they will have to keep the room, in which Kagome was in, a lot warmer than usual. Her body could not take the cold weather like they could.

Along the way they meet up with Sango as she was heading downstairs. Upon Sango seeing that Ayashiko had Kagome with her she decided to join them as she turned and went with them to Kagome's room.

Once they got there Ayashiko sat Kagome upon her futon, went to her clothes box, and retrieved some warmer clothes for her pup. They helped her undress and then put her in a warmer outfit as Kagome finally stopped shivering from the cold. Kagome was not used to the cold weather of their era and she was having a hard time adjusting to it.

When they were assured that Kagome was warm enough they headed out of the room as Ayashiko took them both to another part of the castle. They entered this large room as Kagome's eyes opened wide. She has never seen such a room before.

The room was big but not that big that it would take forever to heat. There was a fireplace in the middle of the room that warmed it to perfection. There were big soft pillows to sit upon close to the fire. There were also tables with vases and some flowers that Kagome didn't recognize, but found it strange that they were still in full bloom.

But what really caught Kagome's attention about the room was that on one end of the room there was no wall. Part of the ceiling was gone as well as it showed the complete outside. Just outside that wall was a garden, which she was sure, when the flowers were in full bloom, would be beautiful.

But Kagome was curious on how this could be done, as she got a closer look at the transparent wall. She noticed that it didn't have any glass at all. There was a barrier that was set up to prevent the elements from coming indoors but gave you the illusion of being outside. She instantly fell in love with this room as she finally took her seat by Ayashiko.

Ayashiko watched Kagome with curiosity. Her pup was like any other pup, she was curious and wanted to learn how everything was done. She saw her going over to the outer wall to see the spell that she cast to prevent the cold weather from coming inside the room they were in.

Once Kagome was seated on the cushion right next to her, Ayashiko saw her pup turn her attention towards Sango, smiling brightly, as she said, "Sango, how have you been? Where is Miroku? Has he been behaving himself lately?"

Kagome noticed right away that something was wrong. She looked at her friend as she asked, "Sango, what's wrong?"

Sango knew that Kagome had a right to know what happened once she got back from her village. She was going to find out anyway so why keep the truth from her best friend and sister.

Sango looked up from her lap as she said, "We got back from the slayers village late that night when Sesshoumaru showed up to get you. Ah, Un were wonderful as they brought me and Miroku back to the palace."

Sango got rid of the tear that fell from her eyes, with the back of her hand, then she continued with her story, "I noticed that while we were traveling back to the palace, that Miroku was very quiet and didn't talk to me the whole way back here. He didn't even make a perverted pass at me. He was sitting quietly behind me, deep in thought.

"It wasn't until we got here that I learned what he was thinking about during our travel.

"He told me that he was sorry that he caused me so much grief. He didn't mean for me to be banished from my own village, and be disowned by my father, for my choice in who I wanted as a husband. He said that it was his entire fault and that if he kept his intentions to himself, none of this would have happened.

"I told him that he was not at fault for what happened, that my father would have banished me from the village, no matter what. It is the law that I agreed to obey when I became a slayer, I was bound by my word, no matter how much I thought that the laws were unfair.

"He shook his head and looked up at the almost full moon as he turned to me and said, 'Sango, I'm truly sorry for everything that has happened to you. Maybe if I withdraw my suit your father will take you back. I know that he wants you to marry in the noble class and be well provided for. I'm just a lonely monk and have no wealth to think of. I only have my heart and my love that I'm willing to bring into our marriage.

"I will always fight to protect you but I can't help but feel that I have caused you so much pain in losing your family. I release you Sango, from your promise to marry me. I wish you well in the new life that your father will pick for you.' He then turned and left the palace and I have not seen him since.

"The fool didn't even let me tell him that I wished for no other male in my life. He left that night and I have not been able to find him. Kirara has gone all over the area and it seems like he just disappeared off the face of the earth."

Kagome was horrified to hear that Miroku left Sango behind. All her efforts to help them was for not. She couldn't understand why he did this but then again, this was not her era and the males here put a lot of pride in their honor, Sango's father stating that Miroku could not provide a future for his daughter hit home. Now he has left a broken Sango behind and she will never marry any other male.

Kagome crawled from her pillow towards her friend and she brought her into an embrace. She held Sango as she cried her heart out for the monk. She knew that Sango loved Miroku deeply as she tried to offer some comfort to her friend, "Sango, I know that I don't understand everything that goes on in this era but let me say this. Your father's words have hit the monk hard. I know that male pride is a big thing in this era and to be told that you are worthless and will never provide for the female of your dreams hurt Miroku deeply.

"Everything that I have read so far tells me that Miroku will return when he has proven your father wrong. He wants to give you a wonderful life and he is going to do it. Have faith that he will return to you one day and that he will keep his vow to you."

Ayashiko watched her pup as she tried to console the slayer. She didn't know why the monk left until today. She will have to speak to her mate and see if they could send some soldiers out to track him down and bring him back here.

Ayashiko knew that her mate planned to give the monk some land to build his home, plus be a part of his court. He will be very well paid and he could provide Sango with a rich and full life. Her pup will be devastated if Sango continued with her heartbreak.

At that moment there was a knock on the door as a servant came in and served the tea and sweet rice that she ordered. They brought Kagome her special tea that will help her keep her food down. Ayashiko remembered well when she was pupped and the feeling of getting sick every time she was near food. She looked up just in time, Kagome face was turning green, as she quickly gave her some tea to settle her stomach.

Kagome gratefully drank her tea as her stomach settled down once more. That was close she was about to run out of the room when Ayashiko gave her the tea to drink. She will have to thank Katsuki for thinking about her and her weak stomach.

They were all sitting there around the fire just talking about anything. Sango finally stopped crying and was joining in on their conversation, trying to forget about the monk.

Ayashiko heard so many stories about Kagome's era and she got curious about one thing that her pup has not mentioned. She turned to Kagome as she asked, "Kagome, I know that in your era things are different. Do the females act differently towards their mates?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow at the question as she tried to think of a way to explain future females. She then put her tea down as she placed her hands in her lap and proceeded to tell her about modern women.

"In the future females are taught that it is their responsibility to keep the male happy. If a male was to stray from their mating, then it will be looked down upon on the female, for not doing her duty. I was brought up on how to take care of my male. My family was very deep in tradition and this is what I was taught.

"But that is not the way females of the future are. There are very few of us that will wait until we are mated to join with a male. Females from my era have more freedom. They can chose to be with any male they want and not worry that it is looked down upon. Sex or rutting as you call it, is very open and pleasuring the one you are with does not have to involve full-blown sex. Oral sex is something that all young people of my era devil in and it brings pleasures to both partners without penetration."

Ayashiko listened to what her pup was saying, she couldn't believe that the young ones from her era would do such things. But something that Kagome said caught her interest as she asked, "Kagome what is this oral sex that you are talking about? Is it that pleasurable?"

Kagome blushed a bright red as she said, "Oh yes, oral sex can be very pleasing if done in the right way." Kagome then remembered that in this era oral sex was not widely done to the males. She could still hear her mate's growls of pleasure whenever she did please him that way.

"Sesshoumaru seems to like it very much and I can always get him to purr for me. It gives a female certain control over the male when they are together. Sesshoumaru himself is hard to keep still but his tails are the worst. They have a mind of their own and I always have to subdue them." Kagome said in a huff, she still had to devise a plan to get back at his inner inu for tickling her this afternoon.

Now Ayashiko was interested in what Kagome did to subdue her son. Her mate was just as bad and she has never been able to subdue him in anything they did. She turned to her pup as she blushed a light pink and asked, "Kagome do you… do you…" Ayashiko blush turned red as she tried to get out her request as she blurted out, "Do you think that you could teach me how to do these things? I want to be able to subdue my mate but I have not been able to do that."

Kagome shock was clearly written on her face. But then a bright smile came to her features as she said, "I would love to teach you how to do this." She then turned her attention toward Sango and asked, "Sango, would you like to learn too? That way when the monk comes back he won't be the only hentai in the family."

Sango blushed a furious red as she threw a pillow at Kagome that she easily dodged. She smiled at her friend as she said, "Yes, I would love to learn all about this oral sex of yours. Who knows I might still be able to win back my monk."

The ladies giggled at Sango's comments as Kagome took her teaching role and started to explain oral sex to her mother and Sango. They spent a couple of hours discussing the finer points of a male's anatomy and where all the points of pleasure were for them.

Kagome went as far as taking off her sock and then stuffed a napkin inside to show them what she was talking about. By the time she was done there was a strong smell of arousal coming from the room that had the male servants and guards on edge. Never before have they smelled something so heavenly.

The scent was so powerful that it traveled to the other side of the castle as it reached a pair of sensitive noses.

---oOo---

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru were still in his study as he listened to his son talk about his mate and how well she pleasured him. What he wouldn't give for his lovely mate to do that to him. He sighed as he sniffed the air. He caught a wonderful scent as he let out a growl. He heard a similar growl come from his son as they realized that their mates were aroused. They were so aroused that the scent has reached their sensitive noses.

They both left the study as they followed the alluring scent. They were coming upon a room that Inutaisho knew his mate has redone for Kagome's enjoyment. The arousal was thick in this area as they continued to follow the alluring scent. When they turned a corner they spotted several males by a door as they were deeply inhaling.

A growl left both Inu's that caused all the male servants to leave the area in a hurry. When they approached the door they could hear laughing going on inside the room, as Inutaisho opened the door to see who was all in attendance.

To his surprise they saw his mate, Kagome, and Sango sitting in front of the fire just talking and laughing at something that Kagome just said. They both walked in as Inutaisho said, "What's so funny?"

Kagome was explaining to Ayashiko and Sango that when she scratched the base of Sesshoumaru's tail that his leg will come up and start to scratch the air. Kagome explained that Sesshoumaru never noticed when he did this since the pleasure she was giving him was overwhelming. The ladies all broke out in laughter as they heard this. It will be wonderful to actually see Sesshoumaru doing that.

Then all too soon a baritone voice said, "What's so funny?" The ladies immediately stopped laughing as they saw their mates standing in the room with them.

Sango was the first to notice that the lords of the castle were in the room and that their eyes were slowly turning red. From the way she felt she could almost guess that they were picking up the scent of their arousal from what Kagome was teaching them.

Kagome said that she barely touched the surface of what she could teach them about oral sex in general. Apparently, from what Sango understood, there are many positions that one could take that will enhance the pleasure of mating as she has called it.

Sango stood as she bowed to the lords and then turned toward Ayashiko and said, "I will find Inuyasha and make sure that he is fed his dinner and then put him to bed. So enjoy your evening maladies." Sango blushed a bright red as she quickly left the room. She did not want to be in there if anything got started and she sure as hell did not want Inuyasha in the middle of all that arousal that was very thick in the air.

Kagome watched as her friend left the room they were in. She noticed that her mate's eyes were turning red from the arousal in the room. They got into some heated descriptions on what to do with a male and it aroused them like no tomorrow.

Kagome then turned her eyes and looked at her mother as she smiled wide. She could tell that she was going to have fun this evening and try some of the things that they discussed here this afternoon.

Ayashiko noticed the red eyes of her mate and her arousal spiked. She looked at her pup and smiled as they both stood and then left the room, going towards the dinning room with two very aroused males following them.

Dinner was anything but quiet as you could hear both males growling at their mates. When they were done with their meal, each male took their perspective mates in their arms and rushed upstairs to their rooms. They each could not wait any longer to have their mate.

The scent of their arousal was driving them mad and they were about to collect on it.

Both females squealed as they were picked up and the next thing they knew they were in their bedchambers.

Sesshoumaru put his mate on her feet as soon as he reached their room. He turned as he closed the door and locked it. Then he placed his barrier on the door so no one will disturb him while he was busy with his mate.

Kagome stood there stunned, not knowing what was wrong with her mate. She looked up at him, once he turned around, and noticed his blood red eyes. This was not good if his inner inu was already in control.

Sesshoumaru stalked his mate like a predator stalks his prey. Her scent was intoxicating as he asked in a gruff voice, "What were you and the other females discussing that had your arousal spiking so high? It was so powerful that it reached my father and I on the other side of the castle. You had every male nearby, standing at the door, to that room, wanting to get to you because of your scent."

Kagome's eyes opened wide as she heard her mate's comments. Then she huffed, stood to her full height and crossed her arms over her chest, as she said, "I don't have to tell you what your mother and I discuss when we are alone. I don't ask you what you and your father talk about all the time."

Sesshoumaru did not like this answer from his mate. He rushed forward, grabbed her, and then threw her on the futon, with him landing right on top of her.

Kagome was in a daze as she finally opened her eyes to see that she was being subdued and her mate was pinning her body to the futon with his own. She tried to move but it was pointless as she heard her mate say, "It is not a secret Kagome, what I was talking to father about was all the pleasure you have given me. It is not often that I can share information with him on something that I have experienced and he has not."

Kagome's face paled as she heard her mate's words. 'He was telling his father about what we did when we… when we… oh kami how can I face him again?' Her breathing became labored as she tried to get herself under control.

Sesshoumaru became alarmed when he saw his mate pale. She was breathing heard as he got off her and brought her into his lap. He held her close to his chest as he purred to calm her. He didn't think she would get upset over him telling his father about their mating. He did have a right to share information with his father.

Kagome started to calm down, she shouldn't have gotten so upset about him telling his father, what they did in the privacy of their bedchambers. It was no different than the information she gave his mother about what to do to pleasure her mate.

The color started to come back to Kagome's face as she calmed. She looked at her mate as she said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten upset and scared you."

Sesshoumaru stroked his mate's cheeks with his thumb as he saw her close her eyes to his touch. She enjoyed his touch very much but she was still not off the hook. He wanted to know what they were doing that got her so hot and her arousal to spike like it did.

He leaned down into her ear as he asked, "Kagome, what were you discussing that caused you to get aroused?"

Kagome opened her eyes as she looked at her mate. She saw the longing in his eyes as she asked, "Why do you want to know? We were just talking girl talk."

Sesshoumaru growled as he said, "Girl talk does not make you that aroused! When father and I walked into that room it wreaked of arousal from all of you. Now what were you discussing?"

Kagome got an evil thought in her mind, as she will show him what they were talking about. She got a burst of energy as she pushed her mate on the futon and pinned him there. He tried to move but he couldn't. His mate had him pinned in such a way that he couldn't move.

Kagome used her power to restrain her mate as she made quick work of his clothes. Within seconds they were both naked and she was on top of him as he saw an evil gleam to her eyes. They were glazed over in passion, a passion that he has never seen before as he heard her say, "So, you want to know what we were talking about hmm? Why should I tell you when I could show you what we were discussing? I'm positive that you will find it most enjoyable."

_**-----Start of Lemon-----**_

She leaned down and kissed him with such passion that Sesshoumaru's arousal spiked through the roof. When he opened his eyes they were blood red with passion as he tried to move to grab his mate but he couldn't. It seemed that his lovely mate had other ideas as she began her dance to tell him what she and his mother were talking about.

Kagome had Sesshoumaru with his arms spread out on the futon. His legs were slightly spread to make sure that she had access to his precious jewels.

She started on his ears as she licked and suckled on the soft appendage. Sesshoumaru purred his delight as she continued to show him attention. Then she started to suck just behind his ear and he saw stars in front of his eyes. He was so aroused that it became painful for him as he snarled at his inability to move and grab his mate.

His beast was fighting to get free but found itself tied with chains around its neck and legs. His mate managed to subdue even him. She made good her threat that she would get even for what he did to her earlier today.

Sesshoumaru was shaking with need as his mate continued to tease him. He didn't know how much more he could take before he lost it.

Kagome was having fun. It was the first time that she was able to restrain her mate and his beast. She has now moved down to his neck as she suckled there for a while. She gave him a gift as she marked him in several different places. Her hands were moving to find his male nipples and gently caress them, she pulled on them until they were hard and then she suckled on them making him pant with want.

She lifted her head as she asked, "What do you want Sesshoumaru? Tell me."

Sesshoumaru snarled at his mate. She wanted him to beg and he will not lower himself to do that. He tried to free himself from her spell but it was no use. Her spell was too powerful. He continued to struggle until he felt her touch. He stopped all movement as he felt her tiny hands wrap around his girth. She moved ever so slowly up and down his shaft, gently squeezing him as she came up his hard member.

Kagome lowered her head as her tongue came out and then started to lick him. She lapped up the pre-cum from his slit as she continued to move upon her mate.

Kagome moved her legs apart as one of her hands slowly caressed her breast and then went lower to her nether lips. Her finger found her clit as she started to rub herself. Her arousal went to the roof and Sesshoumaru howled with desire.

Sesshoumaru watched as his mate pleasured herself. This enraged him for no one will pleasure her but him. Then he felt as her mouth wrapped around the head of his manhood as she started to take him into her mouth.

Kagome moaned as she felt her juices starting to flow down her thighs as she sucked on her mate. She noticed that Sesshoumaru was panting hard as his growls increased.

At that moment Kagome heard another howl that was given down the hall as a vicious snarl soon followed. She smirked knowing that Ayashiko had her mate subdued and was enjoying herself.

Sesshoumaru couldn't take it any longer as he growled for his mate, "Kagome!"

Kagome stopped what she was doing as she looked at her mate, "Yes aiyoku, what is it that you wish of me?"

"Release me now bitch!" Sesshoumaru and his beast were now fighting together to break her spell, she knew she will not be able to keep him restrained for very much longer. He howled and snapped his teeth at his mate as Kagome said, "No, not until I have my way with you or you beg me to let you go."

Kagome resumed pleasuring herself, as she got good and wet. She sucked on her mate's manhood making sure that he stayed nice and hard for her. When she was ready she got on top of him as she slowly slid down his manhood. She rolled her hips as she got a howl of pleasure from her mate.

She started to move her hips as she slowly lifted up and then back down. She sat up straight as she grabbed her breast and started to pull on her nipples while she continued to move. She went fast as she was building the pleasure between them.

Sesshoumaru started moving with his mate as he raised his hips to meet her thrust. He was growling in pleasure and soon he will meet his end. He saw as his mate sat straight up and started to play with her breast as she continued to move on him.

Sesshoumaru will never admit out loud that he was very aroused by what his mate did to him. She wanted to be the dominant one, and she was, she kept him subdued as she had her way with him, knowing full well that if she released him he would be in total control of their lovemaking. This time it was his mate that was making his body sing to her caresses and he didn't know how to handle it.

Then he felt the signs of his lovely mate coming to her end as he started to feel her walls closing in on him. He hurried to finish with her as he howled his release into the air. His mate having come to her end collapsed on his chest as she was breathing hard. Her control on his restraints was loosing as she succumbed to her bodies desire to rest.

Sesshoumaru, having been released from his bonds, wrapped his arms around his mate on his chest as he shifted and turned on his side. He held her close to his body as he brought the blankets over them to keep them warm. His mate did not let him play tonight, but if what she did to him, was what she discussed with his mother, then he and his father will have a very interesting conversation in the morning.

His ears twitched as he heard his fathers howl his release and then all went quiet. Sesshoumaru smiled as he thought that his father got some of what Kagome's considers her era's pleasure and for the first time in his life he felt that his parents were actually happy with their lovemaking. He sensed the overwhelming love that came from their chambers, and was happy to know that his mate made that possible.

He cuddled closer to his mate as he held her in his arms. He closed his eyes to finally have sleep come and take him away. He noticed that his beast was very pleased with what his mate did to them. She found a way to pleasure him too and subdue him while she had her way with him. The thought was not unappealing as he finally drifted off to sleep, thinking about the way he will get his mate back for what she did to him tonight.

---oOo---

This is the end to another chapter.

Hello everyone, I want to apologize for not updating in a long time. But the last month has been really rough for me. From fighting a battle with pneumonia that sent me to the hospital for a week to getting back my eye infection that leaves me partially blind. But I did manage to proof this chapter for you.

I even made it extra lemony just for your reading enjoyment.

Inutaisho finally tracks down Miroku and finds out why he has left Sango's side. Miroku will get to feel the wrath of a very pissed off miko for what he did to her friend.

The winter gather is approaching very quickly and everyone at the gathering will find out just who is Sesshoumaru's mate. They will learn first hand that you shouldn't piss off a miko, it could mean your death if you did.

Join me in the next chapter as things start getting interesting.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Kagome was the first to stir the next morning. She found herself tightly wrapped in arms and legs, plus she was pinned against Sesshoumaru's chest. She yawned, trying to stretch her tired body from sleeping in one position all night.

Her mind started to process everything that happened the night before as a bright red blush started to appear on her rosy cheeks. Then she heard a growl coming from behind her, and before she knew what was going on, she was rolled onto her back, with a nice set of lips crashing into her own, ravishing her nice warm cavern.

Her mind went blank as she gave into her passion for her mate. When they finally separated she was panting hard for some air. Her body was tingling from the affects of the kiss while her arousal went through the roof.

Sesshoumaru woke up when his mate started to move in his arms. He remembered what she did to him last night, his beast reared and pinned her to their futon. He kissed her with such passion that he took away her ability to breathe. When he finally released her, he raised his head as he looked at his mate.

His mate was flushed, her eyes were unfocused, and her scent was very arousing. He nuzzled her under her chin while he waited for her to calm. Once he felt that she was calm enough he said, "Why did you subdue me last night?"

Kagome heard her mate's question, and answered, "You asked me what your mother and I were discussing. I thought that I would show you what we talked about instead of telling you. Did you not enjoy yourself? Did I not please you last night?"

Sesshoumaru growled viciously at her as he said, "You are not the dominant one here mate. I am the male, it is my right to pleasure you, not you pleasure yourself."

Tears formed in Kagome's eyes, her sorrowful orbs turned towards her mate, as a single tear left her eyes, stating, "I… I… I didn't please you then? I'm sorry. I will never do it again."

Sesshoumaru's beast did not like it when their mate cried. It purred to comfort her as his chest vibrated for a few minutes. Once she calmed, he tried again, "Kagome, you pleased me very much last night, but I could not touch you. I would have enjoyed it much more if I could have touched you. I have never been subdued and it was very stimulating, but I also wanted to bring you pleasure. Next time allow me to touch you."

Kagome nodded her head in agreement as he continued to ravish her neck. He captured her lips again, as he left nothing untouched by his tongue, he then moved south to her glorious mounds.

---oOo---

Down the hallway a similar thing was happening to Ayashiko, when she woke up this morning.

Inutaisho has been awake for a while now, after a night of wondrous passion, that left his body totally ravished by his mate, his beast was fit to be tied. His inner inu, having never been subdued by his lovely mate, didn't know what to make of it.

They have never been pleasured like that before and they were at a loss for words. They wondered briefly, if their lovely mate was speaking to their pup about such acts, as how to please a male.

Now he understood what Sesshoumaru experienced, he had to say that he loved it. He hoped with all his heart that his lovely mate will do that again, but first thing first. He had to show his lovely mate that he was till the dominant male and her alpha.

He will welcome such acts in the future, but with some modifications. He turned his attention toward his mate that was waking up from her night of increditable passion.

Ayashiko woke this morning feeling exuberated. She never noticed that her mate was already awake and he was looking at her with lust filled eyes.

Ayashiko never thought that she had it in her to do that to her mate. But when she got started she found that she could not stop what she was doing. She felt empowered by it all as her real passion for her mate was released. Her pup was right it did make her more excited to be with her mate.

Her mate reacted so positive towards her administration. When he howled, at the feeling of her sucking on his manhood, it gave her a feeling of power over her mate.

She never knew why the females of her era never learn any of this, and wondered what else she could learn from her pup. Now she knew why he was always the one to dominate. It gave you the feeling of power, over the one you loved, and she wanted to experience that once again.

She was laying on her futon, thinking about last night, as her arousal spiked. The next thing she knew, she was forced onto her back and pinned to the futon by her mate, with his lips on hers. His hands were going everywhere as she submitted to his will. She still loved his domineering ways. She would love to continue experimenting from time to time, but right now, she was too interested in the male that was on top of her.

Inutaisho had an evil thought, as he broke away from his kiss with his mate. He never seen her so passionate about their joining before and it excited him. He looked into her eyes, while they were tainting red. He then growled and said, "Last night, my mate, you were very naughty. I will have to punish you and show you just who the dominant one is."

He took her hands and pinned them above her head as he began to ravish her body. Ayashiko thought that if this was her punishment for her treatment of him last night, he could punish her this way everyday for all she cared. She was in heaven as they proceeded to join once more before they started their day.

---oOo---

Kagome finally made it out of the bathing chambers, she got sick again this morning, before Katsuki brought up her tea to settle her stomach. They were in the middle of making love when she got sick.

Much to her mate's disappointment and vicious growls at her, for pushing him off her body, she managed to leave their futon and run into the bathing chambers with her mate hot on her heels. The servants put a bucket along with some fresh water in an empty room for her, so she could relieve herself if she was to get sick.

When she was done cleaning herself she sat back and groaned. She just wished that she could get over this part of being pregnant. She hated throwing up every morning and if she had any say in it, she would have Katsuki bring up her tea before she woke.

Sesshoumaru was watching her from the door of the room and once she was done he moved in and picked her up off the floor. He cleaned her up and then went into the hot springs to soothe her. They stayed there for a while until her stomach settled.

Sesshoumaru summoned Katsuki when he got his mate dressed for the day. She brought up the tea for her and waited until she finished drinking it. Once she was feeling better she and Sesshoumaru walked out of their room and went downstairs to eat.

When they entered the dining area his parents greeted them. There was something different about them this morning as Sesshoumaru watched his parents carefully. He has never seen his father this calm before and he was pleased to see him this way.

He saw the bright smile on his mothers face as she was looking at his mate. He glanced out the corner of his eye to see the bright smile that Kagome returned to his mother. It seemed that his mother tried some of the things that Kagome mentioned to her last night, hence the good mood his father was in.

He wondered, what exactly did his mother do, to make his father so happy this morning? He would have to find out once they were alone, after all he could not stand it if his father experienced something he has yet to experience.

They all sat down as they ate their morning meal. It was anything but quiet at the table as everyone was carrying on a conversation. When they were done his mate leaned over and kissed his cheek as she went to stand and leave. He grabbed her wrist as she turned to look at him with a question in her eyes. He didn't want her to leave just yet as he asked, "Where are you going?"

Kagome's lips widened, while she responded, "I have some things to do with your mother this morning. I will see you later aiyoku."

Sesshoumaru released her wrist, while he watched her leave, with his mother and Sango in tow. He had no idea what they were going to do this morning. He really wanted to be with his mate, he was not finished with her. They didn't finish their morning activities, she got sick before they got started, and he really wanted to go back to their room and finish.

Inutaisho looked at his son and noticed the disappointment in his features. He knew that Kagome was trying to adjust to the normal way of life here, and leaving her mate to conduct his business, was just part of the routine.

He cleared his throat, bringing his son's attention back to him, "Come Sesshoumaru, we have work to do. You do not have to worry about your mate. She will be well protected with your mother and Sango."

Sesshoumaru sighed, he knew his father was right but he just did not want to leave his mate. He had a bad feeling that something was going to happen and he needed to be near her. He had no doubt that his mother could protect Kagome but she was still his to protect.

They both got up, leaving the dining hall and going towards his father's study. When they arrived at their destination they submerged themselves into the matters of the lands.

Sesshoumaru was not interested in what his father was saying. His thoughts were on his mate as he reached out with his senses to find her. He felt her happiness and laughter, he wondered what they were talking about that made her laugh like that.

He sighed thinking, 'We have to find Jakyoku spies as soon as possible. I don't want them to learn that Kagome is pupped or they will go after her. I want her safe and I can't shake the feeling that something is going to happen and soon.'

---oOo---

The days passed as everyone settled down to his or her daily routine. Kagome, Ayashiko, and Sango would go off every morning and spend the whole day together. They never left the castle, as they spent the day in the sunning room, as Kagome called it.

This was Kagome's favorite room in the castle. She said that it made her happy because she felt like she was out doors while she was nice and warm inside the room. They set up a painting area for her so she could paint her marvelous paintings.

Kagome painted a portrait of her mate and his father in their true form. She witnessed when Inutaisho changed into his true form, father and son had to leave the castle to take care of some youkai that were causing trouble in the area. She was amazed at the two and had captured their expression perfectly as they left to protect the lands.

Ayashiko upon seeing the portrait asked Kagome for it and she was happy to give it to her. Kagome painted several others as she painted a portrait of Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji, Inutaisho, and Sesshoumaru. When Inutaisho saw the painting he was amazed that she was able to capture his Jii-san so perfectly. He really didn't have any portraits of his Jii-san and was surprised when she painted his portrait, and then she presented the painting to him as a gift. That portrait now hangs in Inutaisho study as a personal gift from his pup.

On this day two of Inutaisho's soldiers came to his study and knocked on the door. Upon hearing that they could enter, they opened the door and stepped in. Between them they held a ningen tightly in their grasp as they released him, making him fall flat on his face, in their lord's presence.

---oOo---

Inutaisho was discussing the winter formal that is to happen in a few days. Their mates were getting the castle ready to receive their guest. He was amazed at the way everything looked. Kagome had some wonderful ideas on how to decorate the castle. There were red and green fabrics hanging in different places to enhance the beauty of the castle.

She got a few of the servants and went out into the forest to cut down some pine trees. They brought them back to the castle, as Kagome had them decorated for the formal and they looked beautiful. There were red, silver, blue, and yellow bows on the trees. She had a star on the tops of all the trees as she placed them all over the castle, including the grand audience chamber. She explained to them, that if they kept the trunk of the trees in water that they will last for a few weeks and still be fresh. The castle now smelled of pine and it was very pleasing to his senses.

Inutaisho was discussing what else they needed to do for the formal, when they heard a knock on the door. Inutaisho felt his soldiers standing there with another individual with them. A smile came upon his features as he said, "Enter."

Sesshoumaru was watching his father carefully. In the days that followed his first experience, at what his mate called oral sex, his father was in a really good mood. He was relieved to find out that his father experienced the same thing he did that first night. Though hearing these things from his father made him a little uncomfortable.

His father will often smile when he was deep in thought and his arousal would spike because of it. It was not often that he would smile, but now there was something at the door that his father has been waiting for. He turned to the door and looked to see who was coming in.

Inutaisho witnessed as his soldiers came into the room and then dropped Miroku on the floor. "Thank you, now why don't you two go and take a nice long rest. I will handle this one."

The soldiers bowed as they left the room, they felt pity for the monk, they were well aware of the lord's wrath when angered. And by the look in his eyes, this monk did something that angered their lord, it was not going to be pretty, once he was done with him.

---oOo---

Miroku has been traveling the lands since he left the western castle, almost two weeks ago. His heart was heavy for having to leave his beloved behind. He truly loved Sango but he could not be with her, at least not yet.

He has no money or wealth to call his own. Yes the Lord of the Lands said that they could stay at the castle or in a hut of his choosing, but it was not his so he could show no wealth.

When he could finally prove, to her father, that he could provide for her well-being, then he could be with her, but not before then. His male pride will not allow him to be with her. He knew that he left Sango in tears but there was nothing he could do at this point in time.

While he traveled he thought about what happened, he couldn't help but kick himself for not noticing that Sango's father wanted to marry his daughter off into a high ranking noble family. If he succeeded in doing this, then he would profit from her union. That's why he didn't want to give his blessing for their union. He was still hoping that he could convince his daughter to see the errors of her ways.

Miroku traveled far and wide as he helped all those in need. When they paid him with money he would put it away and save it. He needed the money to buy some land so that he and Sango could build a home.

But nothing is ever easy in his life. He came upon a family that was in need of food and clothing for their children. The male was injured and could not provide for his family. The look in the children eyes told of the rough time they had.

He sighed as he went and brought enough food to last them for at least a month. It was not much, just rice and vegetables, but it will go a long way to feed a family that didn't have anything to eat.

He went hunting for them but was only able to capture a small rabbit to feed them. He brought fabric, so the woman could make warm clothes for the children. Then he went to a farm and brought several live chickens and a roster and brought everything back to them.

The family was very grateful for his assistance but they almost didn't accept the food. He explained that it was his duty, as a monk to Buddha, that he helps the people of the lands. The family accepted his gifts as he left them and continued on his way.

Miroku sighed as he was walking down a dirt path leading to another village. It was a cold day and he was trying to keep warm while he traveled. He stopped in the road when he noticed some soldiers coming towards him. He stepped off to the side to let them pass as he continued to walk toward his destination.

The soldiers stopped and eyed the monk, as one of them steps forward and asked, "Are you the monk known as Miroku?"

Miroku was curious as he said, "Yes, my name is Miroku, what can I help you with?"

The soldiers looked relieved to have found the ningen that their lord wanted as the soldier replied, "You are to come with us. The Lord of the Lands demands your presence at Gengetsujou."

Miroku's eyes opened wide as he said, "I'm sorry my friends but I can't go with you at the moment. I have pressing business in the next village and they are waiting for me." He tried to go around them but the soldiers stopped him in his tracks.

Then one of the soldier said, "You don't understand monk, you don't have a choice in the matter. We were sent by Lord Inutaisho to bring you back to the castle and that's where you are going. So come with us quietly or we will take you by force."

Miroku was about to pull out a sutra to stop the soldiers but they were faster than him. One of them rushed in and knocked the monk unconscious, the other soldier picked him up and then they raced back toward Gengetsujou, glad that they did not have to spend months out here looking for this monk.

Miroku was finally coming around when he noticed that he was being held tightly between two soldiers and was being dragged to the lord's study. He remembered this place very well as he struggled to get free.

The soldiers held him firmly in their grasp, as they stopped in front of the door and knocked. When Miroku heard the call to enter, he grimaced, and was dragged inside the room.

He was not prepared to be released so quickly, as he fell to the floor on his face. He sat up rubbing his head as he saw a pair of booted feet come to stand in front of him. His mouth felt dry as he got up and kneeled in front of the lord. He swallowed hard and asked, "How may I be of service to you milord?"

Inutaisho watched as his soldiers dropped the monk in front of him. He dismissed them as he got up from his desk and walked in front of the monk. He could smell the fear that the monk was emanating from his body as he saw him bow low to the ground. He was not happy with this monk at the moment as he said, "Miroku, give me a good reason, right now, on why I should not kill you?"

Miroku shook in fear as he heard the lord's question. He sighed as he said, "I do not know what I did to merit being killed at this moment, milord. I can only hope that I can clarify any misunderstandings that you might think I have done, and make them right."

Inutaisho sniffed as he continued, "Why did you leave the castle when you and Sango got back from her village, without informing me?"

Miroku cringed at the way Inutaisho was speaking to him. His voice was harsh as he kneeled fully, placing his staff on the ground, and hung his head. He took a deep breath as he said, "Milord, I didn't want to go, but on the way back here I realized that Sango's father did have a valid point. I'm not rich, nor am I a man with lands of my own. It will take time for me to have these things and being a monk does not help.

"I roam the land helping all those in need. I sometime get paid with food and a place to stay for the night. Sometimes I get money for my services. I do try to save but when I run into a family in need, then I am forced to help them. What little funds I have I spend to help the people of the lands, to help them to maintain their families, until they are back on their feet.

"I realized that Sango deserves a better life than this. I want to provide her with the best of every thing and put a roof over her head but my current occupation makes that hard. I thought that if I left her here, under your care, that she will find someone that will take care of her the way she deserves."

Inutaisho's eyes soften just a little bit. He understood what the monk was saying, and if truth be told, he was at fault here as well. He should have told the monk what he planned so he could get his agreement to work for him.

He sighed as he looked at the monk and said in a commanding voice, "Miroku, get up."

Miroku shuttered as he stood on his feet, he never raised his eye to the Inu Lord as he stood there waiting for his next commands or to be killed. Either way he knew he was not going to like what will happen next.

But to his surprise he heard the Lord say, "Miroku, take a seat by my desk."

Miroku was shocked to hear this but immediately complied with his request. He looked up long enough to notice where the pillow was located, as he spotted Sesshoumaru sitting to the right of his father's desk. He held no emotions in his features and he briefly wondered if he ever showed any. He sat on the indicated pillow waiting to hear what Inutaisho wanted from him.

Inutaisho walked back to his desk as he sat down and stared at the monk. He had to approach this subject carefully, he wanted to make sure that he did not insult the monk. He knew that Sango desired this man, and as a man, he has been hurt by not being able to provide for his chosen female.

He took a deep breath as he started, "Miroku, I guess some of this is my fault. I should have talked to you before we left the slayer village, so you understood what I have planned. But unfortunately for you, I was more interested in my mate and pups, to pull you off to the side and speak with you.

"I have a solution to your problem, if you take it, Sango will be well provided for and she could still serve as the personnel body guard to Kagome."

Miroku looked up to Inutaisho for the first time, hope was seeping into his heart, 'Could he really have a plan that will enable me to have Sango as my wife? It couldn't hurt to listen to what he has to say and see if it's to my liking.' He waited patiently for the Lord to continue with his words.

Inutaisho saw the look of hope in Miroku's eyes as he continued, "Monk, I want you to work for me. You have a certain talent with the people of my lands. Your knowledge and caring nature for both the ningens and youkai surprises me.

"You proved this when you saved those youkai from being killed for no reason. You kept them safe and subdued until you found a way to release them from the spell they were under.

"You go out of your way to help the people of the lands because it's the right thing to do. I'm impressed. I have seen too many of your kind turn their backs on those in need and leave them to their demise.

"If you accept my offer then you will receive a small particle of land here within the boundaries of my castle. You may build a home for yourself and Sango. I will provide the material and labor to do so.

"You will be paid for being a trusted advisor to me, anything that you can tell me on how to improve on the lives of the people from my lands I will listen to. If you have any knowledge on who needs food and other necessities for the winter you are to tell me and we shall send help to that region. I want to make sure that ningens and youkais alike survive the winter months."

To say that Miroku was shocked was an understatement. The lord's offer will let him provide for his beloved Sango and still help the people of the lands. He knew of some places that were having a rough time right now, in trying to feed their people. If what he was saying was true, then he will be able to send help to them.

Miroku looked at the youkai lord as he said, "Very well milord, I do accept your offer. I know of some villages that are having some problems feeding everyone for the winter. I also know of some youkai settlements that are having problems as well. If you will help these villages and settlements, then I will have peace of mind that I did my job to see to their welfare."

Inutaisho was surprised that he had many villages that needed help. He was unaware of all of this; no one has reported to him that they had a need. He will have to take note of where these villages were located so he could bring that regions minor lord before him.

They were declared minor lords to make sure that the area was taken care of, not have them starve to death. This monk might prove to be very useful to him, he could easily go out in the land and look around to see how the people are living. This will help him manage their welfare and keep an eye on them to make sure they have enough food for the winter.

Inutaisho looked at the monk as he said, "Very well monk you are now working for me. The only thing that I will need from you is to show one of my people where you would like your home to be built and everything else will be taken care of. It will have to wait until the spring before we can begin to build it. Its too cold and the wood will be too wet to handle." After he got Miroku's agreement about when the home would be built he continued.

"Now I want to know of these villages that are in need of help. I have not been made aware that there is a need throughout this land and every minor lord has a responsibility to his people. If they are not taking care of them then I need to know who they are."

Sesshoumaru, so far has been sitting next to his father quietly. He had a thought as he voiced his concerns and desires, "Father, before you get started on this, I have something that I want the monk to do for me."

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow to his son and nodded for him to proceed with his request.

Miroku sat up straighter on his pillow as he listened to see what Sesshoumaru wanted from him.

Sesshoumaru turned his attention to Miroku as he said, "Monk, you know that you will have to deal with my mate before you will be allowed to see the slayer. She is upset at the moment because you abandoned Sango. Plus there is the fact that she went through all that trouble, to make sure that Sango's father agreed to let you two mate."

Miroku lowered his head in shame, he did not mean to make the miko angry with him, "I am aware of that milord. I will make amends with your mate. I am hoping that she is of a forgiving nature and understands what I have been going through."

Sesshoumaru smirked, while eyeing the monk, "Yes, my mate is very forgiving but not before she tells you what is on her mind. But her wrath is not what I wanted you to be aware of. My mate is pupped, or pregnant in ningen terms. She gets easily upset and I will not have that. Plus, I want it kept a secret for the moment. Only those with need to know have this information.

"There are spies here in the castle that used to work for Jakyoku when he was alive. I believe that they will extract revenge on us, for destroying their lord.

"What I want is for you to keep your eyes and ears open. Since you don't know anyone here it should be easy for you to scrutinize everyone in the castle. We, as inu youkai, tend to take loyalties to our clan very seriously. We have no idea how long these spies have been in the castle and we wish for a fresh set of eyes to see all, that way we can weed out these spies before they attack my mate and mother."

Miroku understood what Sesshoumaru was saying. He could be able an impartial judge on who is a spy and who is not. He looked up at Sesshoumaru as he said, "I understand milord, I will try my best to see if I can find them. When I have found them I will report to you or your father."

Sesshoumaru was happy about this. He has been trying to find these fools but it's been difficult. He had a suspicion that it might be someone they trusted and he didn't want to take the chance with his mate. The sooner he found this threat, the sooner he could get rid of it.

They finally got to the business at hand, which area of their lands needed help with supplies for the winter. There were amazed that the monk traveled so much since he left the castle, and they took note of those areas in trouble. They will have to go out there to see what is going on and why these minor lords have not informed them that their area was in need of food for their people.

---oOo---

After Miroku provided the lord with all the information he wanted he was introduced to the Kenchikuka, Tsutomu, who will be building his home. They walked outside as Miroku turned to Tsutomu and said, "I have no idea what location will be good to build in. If you have any suggestions, then please by all means let me know."

Tsutomu was an Inu Youkai with brown hair, he had white splotches scattered throughout. His hair was pulled into a high ponytail on the top of his head to keep it out of the way. He had well defined muscles and stood about Miroku's height. He was wearing a tan haori and hakama with a green slash, holding what appeared to be a small dagger and something else Miroku could not identify.

Tsutomu stood there thinking as he said, "I take it that you want an area that the soil is rich for growing. A place that is quiet, where you can raise your family in peace. A location that will give you a place to meditate, yet close enough to the castle so you could do your duty."

"Yes, that is exactly what I need, my intended is the guard for Lady Kagome and she needs to be close incase someone attacks. I want Sango to be happy there and to live in peace." Miroku said as he eyed the Kenchikuka.

Tsutomu knew of a good location for him, as he turned to the monk and said, "Then follow me, I think I know of a place that will suit your needs. It's close, private, and it's the best lands that surrounds, Gengetsujou."

Miroku agreed as he followed Tsutomu into the forest. They didn't walk very far into the forest when they came to a small clearing. It was beautiful in Miroku's opinion. There was a small stream that was running to the right of the land. A small hot spring was to the left and the land in the middle was rich and flat. Easy to build a home on and plant a garden for his beloved Sango.

Tsutomu turned to the monk and asked, "Will this place suit your needs? If not we can go elsewhere to find another piece of land."

Miroku shook his head, as he said, "No, this place is perfect. I could never find another area as pure as this one. This is the perfect place to build the home that I want for Sango."

Tsutomu nodded his head in understanding, "All right, I will get the workers started on your new home when the first signs of spring is present. We should have the project completed in a half moon cycle. Lord Inutaisho has already told me everything that I need to know on how to build it."

Miroku was shocked to hear this as he asked in a shaky voice, "What kind of structure did Lord Inutaisho ask you to build?"

Tsutomu smiled, "I'm not at liberty to tell you monk. Just know that it will be suitable for you and your mate to be."

Tsutomu turned and walked away, now that he had a location for the structure he was to build, he needed to make sure that he had everything that he needed to build it. He was not one to deny the lord anything he wanted. He was sure that the monk was going to be surprised once he saw the structure that the lord ordered him to build.

From what he has heard, it was the slayers father that was interfering in their mating, and the lord was determined to prove him wrong. The young slayer will live like a queen and will be well protected within the confines of Gengetsujou.

He couldn't wait to see the slayers eyes when she saw his creation. He was very fond of the slayer but she never gave him the time of day. He knew that she didn't care that he was a youkai; she just didn't want any male near her.

Who could blame a male for not going back to that female? She had a mean right hook, which he himself had the pleasure of coming into contact with. He gave the monk some credit. He didn't know how he could keep going back to her while she beat him senseless for his lecherous acts. But then again, when you are in love there is no way anything can stop you from getting, what you want.

Miroku watched as Tsutomu left the area. He turned back to the area they selected to build his home. It was beautiful and calm, he felt at peace here like he was meant to be in this place. He stayed there for a while enjoying the quiet surrounding. Then it was time to face the music, he had to go back to the castle and see Sango, but before he could talk to her, he had to get passed the miko. This was not going to be easy.

---oOo---

Kagome, Ayashiko, and Sango were all sitting around the fire in the room that Kagome called the sunning room. They have just finished decorating the castle for the winter formal. Kagome came up with the idea on what to do since it was very close to Christmas. She knew that no one in this era knew what Christmas was but she just could not help but feel happy about decorating the castle.

They were all tired from their efforts and Kagome's eyes were beginning to close. She was sitting on her favorite pillow as she snuggled deeper into it and let the warmth of the fire take her. She didn't know that being pupped would take this much out of her, but she was happy that she was. Nothing could upset her, she was going to have a pup of her own and she was happy.

Kagome almost fell asleep when there was a knock on the door. She opened a lazy eye as she heard Ayashiko say "Enter." She was about to close her eyes when she noticed the male who came into the room. Her tiredness went out the window as she stood on her feet to face the male.

She heard a gasp from Sango when she saw him walk into the room. Kagome's anger was slowly growing, turning her heated eyes toward the male, she walked in his direction. He was going to answer her questions before she allowed Sango to speak to him. And if he didn't answer to her satisfaction then he will feel her wrath.

---oOo---

Miroku got his nerves under control as he made his way over to the sunning room. He had no idea what this room was but he gathered that the females of the castle could be located there.

He stopped in front of two very large doors as he took a deep calming breath. He knew of at least one angry female that was going to eat him alive for leaving his lovely Sango behind. But he had to make her understand his side of things and prayed to Buddha that she will not kill him before he could speak to his beloved.

Once his nerves were under control he brought himself to his full height and knocked on the door. He waited patiently when he heard, "Enter," from inside the room. He swallowed hard and let out a long calming breath before he opened the door and stepped in.

His breath hitched when he saw the love of his life, beautifully dressed in a green kimono and golden obi. Her hair was up in a tight bun at the base of her neck. She looked beautiful in his eyes, when he heard a growl to the right of Sango. He turned his attention towards the person that growled, he was surprised that the growl came from Kagome.

It was a ferial growl that she released and Miroku was amazed that she could even do that at all. He stopped in his tracks, as he kneeled in front of Kagome with his eyes down. If he appeared to be submissive, then she will not get angry, and her mate will not kill him.

Kagome noticed when the monk landed his eyes on Sango. He was staring at her with hungry eyes, and he had no right. He left her behind, like garbage, and this was not acceptable, pride be damned.

She let loose a growl that even frightened Ayashiko and Sango. She stood as she walked toward the monk in a regal manner. No one has ever seen Kagome act like this before. She was acting her station and commanded respect, stopping about two feet away from him.

Another growl left her chest as she said, "What are you doing here Miroku?"

Miroku swallowed hard, trying to get his nerves under control, "I came here to apologize to the lovely Sango, milady. I didn't mean to leave her the way I did. But what her father said held merit. I have no wealth to call my own, no lands, or servants. I'm a simple monk that wishes to serve the people of the lands and I made a mistake when I left her.

"My days have been endless, with no happiness to fill it. When I see the children playing in the fields, I wonder what mine would look like if Sango and I were together. I wanted to prove her father wrong, that I can provide for her.

"I left here with the hopes of returning to the castle one day, once I had these things. Then I could to make her mine.

"Now my future is looking brighter. I now have the means to provide for her well being, and if she still agrees, I want to court her until she comes to term with me and then we can marry."

Kagome detected no falsehood in the things he said. She looked over her shoulder and noticed the tears that were falling from Sango's eyes. She could tell that she loved him and that soften her heart. Her anger started to go away while her aura calmed.

But she was not going to let the monk off the hook yet. He made Sango cry and he was going to pay for that. She turned her attention back to Miroku narrowing her eyes at him. "I understand that your male pride has been hurt, Miroku. To be told that you have nothing to offer a young maiden as a husband.

"I don't even know if my understanding of your traditions is correct. You traveled all the way to the slayer village, to meet her father, to prove to him that you are the perfect male for his daughter. You fought a battle, which was to test your word to protect that, which is dear to you.

"You came all the way back here, to get me, to help you seal an evil entity that possessed several youkai and ningens. You were not ashamed to accept my help in destroying it.

"But the moment you leave the slayers village, the moment you leave the other males that you were posturing against, to show that you are a worthy male, you have your doubts. You let their feeble words cloud your judgment and rule your life.

"You pushed Sango aside like she was nothing and left her to her own demise. The male pride is a dangerous thing, Miroku. It can lead you down the wrong path in life. Only the strong can accept the things they can change and live with the things that they cannot.

"A strong and powerful female comes along only once in a lifetime and if you are stupid enough to let her fall through your fingers, then you don't deserve her.

"But it's not my decision to make. It is Sango's and I will live with her decision. But if it were left up to me, you will not have her. You are certainly not worthy enough."

Kagome then turned and went to the clear wall, she looked out into the dead forest, wondering if she made any sense to the useless male, that wanted her best friend and sister. She will protect her at all cost, but the choice was Sango's to make. She could not tell Sango who she could love.

Sango sat there stunned at what Kagome said to the monk. Never before has she ever heard Kagome speak so forcefully, so eloquently, and with so much passion. It was evident that Kagome had a rough life and she understands all too well where the female in this era belongs. She is strong of will and Sango hopes that Kagome never looses that part of her nature.

Now she has a decision to make, can she accept the male back into her life, when he so blatantly, left her for no other reason, than he had no wealth? She took a deep breath as she stood and walked over to the monk. He was still kneeling in the room as he thought about what Kagome told him.

Miroku was shocked at the way that Kagome spoke to him. She spoke with such conviction and passion that it had him thinking about the things he did. She was right in one thing though, a strong female comes along once in a lifetime. If he could not make amends with Sango then he knew that he has lost the one person he truly wanted to be with all his life.

He heard the gently padding of small feet as he looked up to see Sango approaching him. He lowered his eyes, not being worthy enough to look upon her beauty. He felt ashamed for what he did to her, and he will not blame her in the least, if she denied his suit.

Sango stopped in front of Miroku, she noticed when he looked away from her, while she was walking towards him. She could understand why he did it, but they could have talked about this before he left her here.

She gathered her wits, trying to get her thoughts together for what she needed to say. When she had them, she started her speech, "Miroku, you and I could have talked about what my father said. I could have told you, that I knew about his reason to marry me off to one of the warlords in the area. He is my father after all and I did grow up around him.

"I know of his lust for money and power. The only way he could obtain these things was to marry me off to one of the wealthy nobles in the area. That would have brought him wealth and respect among the villagers.

"When Kagome fought him that day, he lost face in the village. As much as he thinks he is still the leader, he is not. They will pick another to lead, one that will not be beaten by a mire female. But it matters not, if Kagome is the female who is fighting them, they will still fall by her hand.

"Why didn't you stop to talk to me first? Don't you know that I don't care about money or wealth? I loved you Miroku and wanted to be with you, but you left me broken that day and it took a good amount of time for me to get myself back together again.

"Now you come back here wanting to court me again. What guarantees do I have that this will not happen again, Miroku? I don't want a male that doesn't know what he wants. I want to feel loved and cherished not just a trophy someone has. You had your chance monk and you left it."

Sango turned and went back to her place. She noticed that Lady Ayashiko was comforting Kagome near the clear wall, she had her arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders and it looked like she was crying. She couldn't help but feel that she was at fault.

Miroku heart just broke. Sango will not give him another chance. He knew he was to blame for this, but it was still hard to take. He stood on his feet and walked over to his lovely Sango.

He stopped just a few steps from reaching her, "Sango, I understand and I accept your decision. But I only want one thing from you, could we at least… still be friends? I don't want to loose you, if I can not have you as my wife, I would still like to be your friend."

Sango considered his words, she thought long and hard about his offer, she turned towards him and said, "Yes, I would like that. We can still be friends."

Miroku smiled as he turned to leave the room. He had his answer from her, but he was not going to give up. He will give her time, and then once the house was built, he will try again to see if she will marry him. At least he still had her friendship and that's what counted.

Ayashiko was watching everything that the monk was doing. He was a very sneaky individual. He asked Sango to still be friends and she agreed. But it was his way of keeping company with her, a way to protect her if he had too. She could tell that he was very much in love with Sango, and she will watch to see how all of this will turn out.

She turned her attention toward Kagome who was still upset at the monk. She had calmed down some but was still a little upset, "Come Kagome, I want you to lay down for a little while and rest. I will have Sesshoumaru come up and get you when dinner is to be served."

Kagome let herself be dragged out of their special room, as she was taken upstairs. Once in her own room, Ayashiko put her in her futon and then pulled the covers over her to keep her warm. She noticed that her pup had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows. She started the fire in the hearth to keep the room warm, when she was done she left the room to let her pup rest.

Ayashiko noticed how passionately her Musume talked to the monk. It was like she experienced that male pride that she was describing. It was just another part of her pup's life that she didn't know anything about.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru went up stairs to see about his mate. His mother told him how upset she got when she was talking to the monk. She recited word for word what Kagome said.

Ayashiko watched the stunned faces of her mate and Sesshoumaru, when she was done speaking. It was her mate who came out of his musing first, "So, this is yet another incident that Kagome has experienced in her life of misery. For her to speak in such a manner she must have experienced this in her life as well.

"We must help her get through this part of her life. She must learn that not all male pride is bad and that she must have faith in us. What the monk did was wrong but it did have its valid points. But we must also understand that she comes from an era where everyone is treated as equals and she is trying to adjust to our way of life."

Sesshoumaru understood his father's words but he felt that there was something more to this. He finally reached his room as he opened the door. He saw his beautiful mate standing by the window, looking at the setting sun.

The skies were painted in the most glorious of colors. The red, orange, yellow, and white were painting the skies, making it look picturesque this night, as his mate took on a wonderful glow. It was a soft light that surrounded her body and made her look, divine.

He approached her from behind while she was deep in thought. Wrapping his arms around her small waist, he brought her into his embrace and just held her. He was offering his warmth and strength to help her cope with everything that has happened.

Kagome closed her eyes the moment her mate held her. Somehow, he always knew what she needed to make her feel better. She has been deep in thought about the things she said to Miroku. She had no right to say those things but they just came out.

She needed to get her anger under control and her other emotions as well. She was getting too emotional and that could be dangerous. She could really hurt someone if she lost control. She figured that it was all due to her being pupped. Her hormones were going crazy and it was hard for her to understand what was going on.

She was brought out of her musing when Sesshoumaru said, "Mate, we must head down for dinner. It is about to be served and they will be waiting for us." Kagome nodded her agreement as they went downstairs to eat.

Everyone that was there greeted them as she turned her gaze towards Sango. There was sadness there and hurt. She will have to speak to her a little later to see if she could make amends. It is not her place to tell Sango who to love. She just wanted her to be happy once more.

When they were done eating, they all left to rest for the night. That night there was no night of passion. There was the gently pulling of arms as her mate brought her into his chest and cuddled behind her. He was gently rubbing her belly as she sighed in contentment. He showered her with attention and love, as she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Sesshoumaru watched as his mate finally fell asleep. She was emotionally drained and he had to make sure that she got enough rest. He brought her even closer to his chest while his beast soothed her into slumber. Once she was in a deep sleep, he closed his eyes and followed her lead.

He will have to keep a closer eye on his mate from this day forward. He could not take the chance of her purifying their pup.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru woke to the sound of someone knocking on his door. He gave a growl asking who was there. There was a soft yip telling him that they had the morning tea for their lady.

Sesshoumaru grunted, instructing the person to leave the tea outside the door, he will get it in a few minutes. An answering growl came acknowledging the command.

Sesshoumaru then focused his eyes and looked into his arms. His mate was no longer in his arms as he felt a heavy weight on his back. He looked over his shoulder and was surprised to see his mate draped over his back, with his tails wrapped snuggly around her body.

He wondered when she did this, but it didn't matter at the moment. Her tea was outside and it was getting cold so he needed to move her to the futon. He lifted his tails up as he shifted her sleeping form back onto the futon. Then he slowly pulled his tails away from her body, hearing a whine of protest coming from his mate.

He turned his gaze to his mate, noticing that she was shivering from the cold air in the room. He took the fur covers and placed them on top of her to keep her warm. She settled down, once she felt the warmth surrounding her body, sighing in comfort. He observed as her fingers were seeking him out and moved out of the bed to retrieve her tea.

Quickly putting on a robe he walked to the door and retrieved the tea that was placed on a small table outside. He placed the tray on the small table next to their futon as he poured some in a cup for her, now for the hard part, to wake his mate.

Kagome was having a wonderful dream, it was a beautiful place with lots of flowers and a gentle breeze was blowing through the area. She was laying on her back, with her eyes closed, enjoying the sunshine, when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. It was trying to wake her, as she gave a groan that told of her displeasure.

Sesshoumaru was shaking his mate trying to wake her. When she wouldn't respond to his touch he decided to wake her, his way. He leaned down and started to lick her neck as he enjoyed her taste, she still tasted like honey with apples and cinnamon mixed in.

He went down further as he slowly pulled down on the furs to reveal her perky breast. Her nipple extended immediately when the cold air hit it as he brought one into his mouth and started to suckle. His mate shifted as she groaned, while he continued to ravish her nipple.

When he saw her slowly opening her eyes, he stopped what he was doing, and kissed her with all his love. At first she didn't respond to his gentle touch but then he felt her returning his affection ten fold.

When he pulled away from her sweet lips, he noticed that she was awake, as he nuzzled her and said, "Koiishi, your tea is here and you must drink it. I don't want you getting sick later."

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, then she felt the familiar churning of her stomach, as it was slowly starting to protest. She nodded her agreement as her mate helped her to sit up on the futon. Her mind was still not all the way cleared, but she accepted the drink as she slowly drank it down. Once she was done she closed her eyes again, her mind took her back to her dreams of a few moments ago.

Sesshoumaru was still holding on to his mate, when he noticed that her eyes were closing, falling back to sleep. He took the cup out of her hands and laid her back down to rest. He stood as he looked at the room, it was cold in here, so he went and put more wood on the fire, making it spring to live once again. Soon the room warmed and he went back to his futon where he joined his mate once again.

He gave a big yawn, his canine teeth clearly showing through his mouth, while his tongue curled in an upward motion. He pulled his mate back into his arms as he snuggled into her warmth and went back to sleep.

He hoped that she will soon get over this morning sickness of hers. He was tired of getting up early to make sure she drank the tea so she wouldn't get sick. He put his nose into her hair and smelled her sweet scent as he fell asleep once again.

---oOo---

Kagome started to stir a couple of hours later. The room was brighter but there was no sun. She could tell that it was cloudy outside and it will be downcast for the rest of the day. She sighed, she hated when the day started dark and gloomy. She preferred the sun to this any day, but she must take what the Kami's gave her.

She noticed that her mate was wrapped tightly around her body as he held her close to his chest. He smelled wonderful as she enjoyed his scent for a few minutes. His scent was soothing, her body relaxed completely in his hold while she took her hand and gently caressed his back.

She heard a low growl coming from her mate, his chest vibrating gently, while her head was resting on him. She felt his arms tightening around her body, pulling her closer to his, while her hands continued to caress his back.

Sesshoumaru woke up to his mate gentle touch. It made his body hot with desire as she continued with her attention. The sensation was so wonderful that he started his growl like purr, while he pulled his mate closer to his body.

He wanted to stay in bed with his mate. It felt wonderful just to lay there with her in his arms, but all too soon he felt her moving and knew that they had to get up. The festivities were to start in a few hours. The first of their guest were arriving here at the castle before lunch so they had to be ready to greet them.

He growled his displeasures as his mate escaped from his arms. His eyes snapped open to see his mate going into the bathing chambers with a smile on her face. She eyed his body with lust as her eyes narrowed with her desires. He saw her robe fall off her shoulders, slowly letting the material expose her skin for his hungry eyes. She disappeared into the bathing chambers as he raced after her.

---oOo---

They finally left their room about an hour later, Kagome was dressed in a red kimono that sported a white Inu running across the bottom, with a white juban underneath, and a white obi holding everything together. The kimono was very warm for her since she could not take the cold like her mate could. The crescent moon was placed on her right shoulder signifying that she was mated to the heir.

Sesshoumaru had on a similar haori and hakama. His was red with white sakura blossoms running along the edge of the sleeves. His favorite sash was wrapped around his waist. The purple and yellow color of his sash contrasted perfectly with his clothes, while he tucked his swords into his sash. Then he turned his heated eyes towards his mate.

She was beautiful in his eyes as he wrapped his tails around her waist and pulled her into his body. With a growl to show his possessiveness they walked out of their room and headed down to meet his parents.

---oOo---

The morning meal was a short one. There was a lot of things to do, the females were the first ones done as they left the dinning hall to see to the final preparations.

Soon it was time to greet the guest as Kagome and Ayashiko joined their mates outside to greet them.

The day was a cold one. Sesshoumaru wrapped his tails around his mate to keep her warm and tucked into his side.

It was times like these that Kagome appreciated her mate. Not only did he keep her warm with his tails, but he was tall enough to block the wind from hitting her. Inuyasha was standing on the other side of her as he offered his body heat to her to keep her warm.

Sesshoumaru's beast must have been bored by all the formalities because it decided to tease their mate. His tails would, from time to time, tickle Kagome. It would get her on her neck, around her waist, on her leg, and other hidden places.

It was hard for Kagome to keep her composure as she glared a threat to her mate, that he either restrains his other half or she will do it for him. The look told Sesshoumaru that he will not like her second option so he persuaded his beast to stop. He told him that they could get her later this evening, once all the formalities are over with.

Kagome was standing next to her mate as she watched every lord arrive at the castle. She saw the Northern Lord Kasumigaoka arrive with his mate Lady Tsukiura. Her Otou-san was happy to see his old friend again. She didn't see that bitch Yoshino with them and she was thankful for that.

Then the Southern Lord, Lord Hashimoto and his mate Lady Keiiyuko arrived next. Her Otou-san greeted them with warm smiles as they exchanged a few words. They looked her way and she saw when Lady Keiiyuko gave her a dirty look. She didn't understand what was going on but she will find out later. She held her ground as the greetings were passed and they were escorted inside to their rooms.

Lord Yugawara and his mate Shirinko, from the Eastern Lands, arrived without his heir. They were greeted with warmth and kindness from her Otou-san and Oka-san. Again Kagome noticed the evil look she got from the Lady of the East. She had no idea what was going on. She did not have time to speak to these ladies before nor does she have the desire to do so now. She didn't appreciate their looks and wondered if they got up on the wrong side of the futon this morning.

Once they greeted all of their guests, they walked back inside the castle, and mingled with the crowd of nobles. Kagome was feeling tired as she turned to her mate and said, "Sesshoumaru, I think I'll go and laid down for a while. I'm tired and I want to rest."

Sesshoumaru nodded his agreement to her request, as he turned around to escort her upstairs. When they started to walk away, someone called out to Sesshoumaru and requested his presence for a few moments.

Kagome smiled as she said, "Its all right mate. I can go upstairs by myself. You stay here and attend to your duties." She reached up and kissed his forehead, once her mate leaned down for her to do it, she then turned and continued on her way to her room.

Kagome was about to exit the hall she was in, when she heard some females talking. They were talking about her as she stopped to listen to what they were saying. They either didn't see her, or they didn't care, but they continued to rip into her.

There were three female Inu Youkais observing what was happening between Sesshoumaru and the filthy ningen. She was just hanging on Sesshoumaru like the whore she was. Sesshoumaru should have never mated with that filth, he could have any youkai female he wanted but he chose a filthy ningen.

They observed as the ningen leaned up and whispered something in Sesshoumaru's ear. They watched the couple, as they were about to leave the Grand Audience Chamber. They were all jealous that he mated that bitch instead of one of them. The couple almost reached the door, to leave the hall, when they heard someone calling to Sesshoumaru. They needed his assistance in a delicate matter and wanted a few minutes of his time.

They all heard the ningen say that she will just go up to her room alone and for him to tend to his duties. This was their chance. The ningen was going to pass close to where they were standing, as they all got ready. They were trying to make her leave the castle and abandon her mate. It will be the greatest offense that she could do to her male. To leave her male behind meant that he was not powerful enough to protect her and she will bring dishonor to the lord's family.

When they were sure that she could hear what they were saying they started their rant. "I can't believe that Sesshoumaru had the nerve to mate that ningen. He must have known that if he mated her, their pups will never be accepted as heirs to the west.

A half-breed, that is what the pup will be called, it will be called a half-breed. Not human, not youkai, the pup will forever wonder the lands wondering where it belongs."

Another female youkai continued the conversation, "That's right they will never accept her as the next lady no matter how powerful she is. She is still a filthy ningen, not worth the dirt beneath a youkai's feet. She is pathetic. She is not worthy to be mated to Sesshoumaru. We are more worthy than she is to be his mate.

"We better pray to Kami that she dies during the birthing of her first monstrosity. It doesn't deserve to breathe the air we do. If it does survive the birthing process, we know that there will be others that will come to kill it. We all know that she won't be powerful enough to protect it like a demoness, as you know we are very powerful when protecting our young. But humans hold no such abilities and it will be quickly killed. "

The last female youkai took up the conversations from there. "You do know that Sesshoumaru picked another demoness to mate with before she showed up. They said that she was very beautiful and was very powerful. How could he choose to bring dishonor to his clan is beyond me. That ningen is a poor excuse for a female. If I were Sesshoumaru I would kill her and be done with it. He should find another female to mate so that his clan can stay in control of the west."

The most hateful comments that Kagome heard, even though she was mated to Sesshoumaru, was that her pups will never be heirs to the Western Lands. They will be half-breeds that didn't deserve to live and the youkai will praise Kami if she died trying to give birth to the first heir. The other comments hurt her as well, while she continued to listen to the rest of their conversations.

Tears started to form in her eyes and Kagome left the hall. 'How could Sesshoumaru accept me as his mate, when he knew that our pups will not be accepted in his world? How could I give birth to this pup and have it know the hatred that the others hold for it? How could Sesshoumaru do this to me?'

Kagome continued to go towards her room. Her aura was flaring around her body as the tears continued to fall down her cheeks. She was upset and she had every right to be for the things she heard.

Once inside her room a powerful barrier went up to prevent anyone from entering her room. She didn't want to be with anyone right now, not even her mate. She threw herself on her bed as she cried her heart out. "Why did this have to happen? Why can't they accept our union and be happy for us? I can't bring a life into this world knowing all the pain and suffering it's going to be in. I can't do it. It will be just like when I was growing up.

"My own father telling me that I was a freak, not worthy enough to be his daughter, and being worthless in his eyes. He wanted a son but instead he got a worthless daughter. I was a disappointment and nothing I did, proved to him that I was worthy to be his daughter. That's why I was sent away. That's why my father hated me."

Tsuyoimaru heard the painful sobs of his little pup. He searched for her all over the castle. He finally found her in her room with a powerful barrier that will prevent anyone living, from entering her room. He, though, was not living, so he was able to pass through the barrier with ease to reach her.

Once inside the room he approached his little pup. He bent down and wrapped his arms around her as she fought to get free. He purred deep and rich to soothe her and it did. Soon she was sobbing in his hold as he asked, "My little pup, what has you so upset?"

Kagome was hiccupping in his arms as she said, "They don't accept me. Even though I'm mated to Sesshoumaru, they still don't accept me. Is it true what they said?"

Tsuyoimaru was confused at her question, "What did they say?"

Kagome breathed deeply, in order to calm her nerves. When she was calm enough she proceeded to tell him, "They said that even though I'm mated to the heir of the West that our pups will never inherit the West. They said because they will be half-breeds, they have no rights."

Tsuyoimaru now understood what was upsetting her so as he tried to assuage her fears, "My precious little pup. You of all people should know how jealous those bitches can get. They are jealous because you mated Sesshoumaru and they couldn't. They were not powerful enough to mate with him. Plus it was not them that the fates deemed worthy to be Sesshoumaru's mate. You were chosen from all the females of the lands, both in the present and future to become his mate.

"Remember what I said my little pup, you will have to protect your pups like a demoness protects her pups. Do not let them win or the future for all youkai will end in this era. They have to see the errors of their ways. You are the chosen one, who was picked by the Kami's, to wield Jenjou. No one has the power to wield the heaven and earth sword.

"You must correct everything that is coming if you want a peaceful future. One filled with both ningen and youkai living together in harmony. That's why you were destined to be with my Sesshoumaru. Together you will have the strength to fight those who pose a threat, and those that will not yield to Sesshoumaru laws, will be dealt with.

"So please calm yourself and enjoy the celebration with your mate. He is very proud to have you on his arm this night."

Kagome knew that what Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji was saying was true. She was brought back here for a reason and he just told her what that reason was. She should quit acting like a child and take her role as the new Lady of the West with pride and honor.

She was a miko, a powerful one at that, and they will bow down to her wishes and live together in peace. She will have to be strong for her mate and especially her pup. She will not let anyone hurt it.

She sat up straighter, turning to look fully at Tsuyoimaru, and said, "I understand what I must do, if those bitches think that they can get my Sesshoumaru, then they have another thing coming. They will respect my mate and I. Our children will rule one day and they will be accepted by all or it will be their death."

Tsuyoimaru laughed as he hugged his little pup. She was a breath of fresh air and he loved her as his own. She will have to face more trials but he was confident that she could handle what is to come. But first she will have to clean house downstairs and this should prove to be very entertaining.

He looked down and noticed that she fell asleep in his arms. He turned and placed her on her futon so she could rest. She had plenty of excitement today and he had no doubt that she will have more by the end of the day.

He disappeared from the room, leaving her to rest. He went back to watching the party and noticed a female inu youkai standing off to the side watching his souson. He was amused, to say the least, if she thought that she was going to get his souson away from his mate. She maybe powerful, but she is not as powerful as his own mate.

He settled back to watch. When Kagome returned it should prove to be very interesting.

---oOo---

Kagome woke about an hour later. She felt refreshed, now that she was well rested. She remembered her conversation with Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji and it was about time that she acted her station, as her mother would say. She giggled and got out of bed. It was time that she dressed in the special kimono that she had made for this occasion.

She went into her clothes box as she pulled out a box that was in there. She had this kimono especially made just for this night. She hoped that her mate would like it, because she was about to make all those youkai down there drool.

She pulled out a midnight blue kimono. It had crescent moons all over the fabric along with stars. She had a golden obi to go along with it. This kimono was different from the ones she was used to wearing. It had no hakama with it. It hugged her figure to perfection and its long sleeves almost touched the ground.

The front of the kimono came down enough to show some cleavage, but not too much or her mate will be angry. The golden obi was wide and thick, wrapping around her waist perfectly. She knew she will not be able to wear this again but for tonight it was worth it.

She went to the mirror and sat down. She took her hair and made some fancy braids that she neatly looped and tied to the back of her head. She had several braids this way with a tight bun on the back of her head. She put some jeweled combs in her hair, which her mate gave her. They had blue diamonds and they glittered in her hair.

She applied a little bit of makeup to enhance her eyes, and then she was done. She stood as she looked in the mirror at her reflection. She liked what she saw and hoped that her mate will appreciate what she has done.

Kagome squared her shoulders and held her head up high. It was now time to return to her mate and see what has been going on since she has been gone.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru was with his father the whole time that Kagome was resting. He had no wish to walk around and talk with these fools. The only one he was interested in talking to, was his mate, but she was not there at the moment.

Sesshoumaru felt that if he walked around and talked to these fools he will lose his temper and kill someone. He has been hearing for the last hour the nasty comments about his mate and he was slowly losing his patients with these fools. They were insulting his mate and his pup, his eyes were slowly tinting pink as he was losing his control, he didn't know how much longer he will be able to put up with it without some blood being shed.

Then he felt a powerful aura coming towards the room and he knew it was his mate. No one had an aura like hers, he turned his attention to the doors as they opened. His breath hitched when he saw her. She was breath taking in the kimono she was wearing.

It showed all of her curves and the milky white skin between her breasts. It didn't show off too much of what belonged to him, but it was just enough. His anger started to recede as her scent reached his nose and calmed his inner beast. He moved away from his father as he went towards his mate. He could not bear to be without her at his side.

He finally reached her as he took her hand and gently kissed the back of it. He took a step forward as he said, "You look breath taking my mate. No one has a prettier mate than I."

Kagome smiled one of her beautiful smiles as she hooked her hand around his arm and allowed her mate to escort her around the room. All eyes were on Kagome, there was not a male in the room that was not panting hard for the female. She was breath taking and they all wanted what belonged to Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru was not oblivious to all of this. He knew that these males desired his mate, but she was his and he will not give up what belonged to him. As if to emphasis his point, his twin tails wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to his side.

Ayashiko and Inutaisho watched as Kagome came back to the party. They breathed a sigh of relief that she did come back. They were noticing how angry their son was getting at all the comments directed at his mate and pup. Her scent calmed their son and they were grateful for it.

When Inutaisho and Ayashiko saw her kimono they were impressed with the way it looked on her. She was a thing of beauty and Inutaisho couldn't have been prouder. She was taking every males eyes, and with reason, when he saw his son approach her.

He could have sworn that his eyes tainted red for just a second before returning to their normal color. He saw him escort her back to his location as he looked at the three male lords in front of him. His pup hypnotized them all, he couldn't help but smirk at their reaction to her.

Once Sesshoumaru was back at his side they continued with the current conversation.

Ayashiko was watching the other three female youkais. They were giving her pup an evil look and then she saw them pale. She looked out the corner of her eye as she saw her Musume with her eyes glowing white. It was a challenge that she was issuing to the three females from the other lands, that if they were strong enough to take her on, then she will have no problem killing them.

Their eyes quickly turned away from her pup and she settled down to watch what was going on. It seemed, to Ayashiko, that her pup has things well in hand. She just put the three most powerful females of these lands in their place. They will respect her or she will kill them, it was that simple.

The females stood silently by their male's side as they continued to talk. Finally the entertainment was there as they set up and started to play their music. The conversation was quickly cut off, as all the females left their mates to go and prepare for the dance. Ayashiko grabbed her pup and followed after the other females.

Kagome was confused at what was going on, "Oka-san what is going on? Why did we leave our mates?"

Ayashiko pulled her pup off to the side so she could explain, "Kagome, it is tradition that the ruling females dance for their mates. It shows them that we are still attracted to them. I know that I didn't explain this to you but I'm sure that you will do fine."

Kagome paled at what Ayashiko just said to her. She didn't know if she could dance the way they do. She came from the modern era and she has no knowledge of what to do. She calmed as she heard, "Kagome, all you have to do is watch the rest of us when we dance. It will give you an idea of what to do. You will be the last to dance so you will have time to see how it's done."

Kagome nodded her head as she watched the Lady of the South go first. The music started playing and she started her dance. Kagome noticed that everything she did was sharp and crisp. She never faltered in what she was doing.

Kagome continued to watch and she was very impressed with the way the ladies of the South, North, and East danced. Then came Ayashiko. She was truly amazing at the way she danced. She did some moves that she has not seen the other three do. She was very impressed with her Oka-san and hoped that she will be just as graceful as she is.

It was now time for Kagome to dance. She got an idea as she pulled two fans from her obi before walking out to the floor. She held one in each hand as she waited for the music to start. She was nervous about dancing in front of so many people, as she concentrated on what she had to do. She was standing there with her head bowed, her hands out straight in front of her, slightly in a crouch. That's when the music started.

Kagome looked at her mate through her bangs, as she started her dance. She moved her arms with snapping movements as she held on to the sleeves of her kimono while she swiftly moved to the side and extended her arm. She snapped the fan open in her hand as she gently twisted her wrist from side to side.

She shifted her body fluidly to the other side and did the same thing with her other hand. She brought the fans together as she gently moved her right hand down in a show of flowing motion down her body. Slipping her finger into the hole that was in the fan, she began to spin them, making it look like it was round. The crescent moon on her fans became even bigger as she spun them. Her other hand slowly lowered the fan she was holding down the front of her body.

She brought both hands up and then snapped the fans together to form a bigger one. Slowly she moved it down across her body as she rotated her chest to the left then to the right behind the fan.

She brought her hands up to her right side as she snapped the fans apart and then flip the fan into her other hand. She snapped her hand up and caught the fan as she twisted the fans in her hand. She covered the lower portion of her face as she eyed her mate. She was looking into his hungry eyes as she continued to move with crisp movement to the side and then taking a few steps forward towards her mate.

She then fanned the front of her chest before she closed the fans. She bent her knees slightly, with her arms straight in front of her, as she finished her dance to her mate. She waited patiently when she felt warm strong hands lift her from her position as she was pulled into a tight hug.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru was watching his mate dance for him. Her movements were sharp and elegant, that it made the rest of the females for the other lords envy her movements. She was the best dancer out of all of them and they all knew it.

He growled when she hid her face behind her fans and only let her eyes show. She was looking straight at him with those hungry eyes. He could see her lust for him as she finished her dance and waited.

He walked to where his mate stood and brought her into his embrace. He leaned his head down and said in her ear, "You were wonderful mate. You have out done every female mated to the other lords. You have shown them all who you belong to."

Everyone saw as Kagome danced for her mate. Her dance was more graceful than the other females that danced for their mates. The other female youkais were jealous of their joining. But one demoness in particular was jealous beyond all control.

She has been watching the handsome youkai for a long time. She was an inu youkai but not a pure one. She was a mixed breed and the nobles looked down upon her. She has been eyeing Sesshoumaru for over a century, lusting after him, wanting to mate with him. But he never showed any interest in her.

She remembered the day that she introduced herself to him. She was dressed in a pretty pink kimono. Her hair was done up in a high ponytail and her makeup was perfect. She literally ran into to him that day.

_**----Flash Back----**_

She has been watching Sesshoumaru from a distance, while he walked through the middle of the village. The elders surrounded him as they conducted business in this area.

She waited for her opportunity and when she saw it she took it. She ran out from the side of a hut as she ran right into his person. She backed up as she bowed low to him and said, "Please forgive my insolence for running into you milord. This Ashi meant no offense."

She smiled as she raised her eyes to look at him. She thought that she would see some warmth in his eyes and maybe lust, but what greeted her was a coldness that she has never seen before. He narrowed his eyes at her and sniffed. Then he turned around and walked away from her, like she was just some bug he just squashed.

He tore her heart that day and she vowed that she will get him as a mate.

_**---End of Flash Back---**_

She heard that the Lord of the Lands was introducing a new pup to be approved by the other lords for mating. She tried to attend back then, but without an invitation she could not even approach the castle.

Then the news spread that Sesshoumaru won the right to mate with a ningen. A filthy ningen won his heart, now he was mated to her. But that didn't matter to her. She was going to get him one way or another, and then she will kill the filthy ningen.

She saw her chance, they were walking away from the dance area and going towards the area where drinks were being served. She noticed that the ningen walked off by herself, now he was alone. This will be her only opportunity to get him.

---oOo---

Kagome was tired from dancing for her mate, she told Sesshoumaru that she was tired and wanted a break. They turned and noticed everyone looking at them. Kagome blushed in embarrassment, while her mate ushered her toward the table that contained the refreshments.

Kagome excused herself from her mate as she said, "Please excuse me mate, I will return shortly."

Sesshoumaru understood where she was going as he nodded his head to her. He watched her leave his side, her hips swaying from side to side as she walked. Then he heard someone speaking to him as he growled in anger. He wanted to be left alone.

He turned his attention away from his mate, as he looked over his shoulder at the one that wanted his attention. It was another bothersome female that wanted him to leave his mate for her. He turned fully around as his eyes narrowed in anger. This female will learn her place when it came to him.

Ashi looked at the handsome youkai standing in front of her. She ignored his growls of anger as she said, "We meet again Sesshoumaru-sama, and I must say that you look even more handsome than the last time we met."

Sesshoumaru eyed the wench in front of him. She was an inu youkai but she was a mutt. She had mixed breeding in her line and will never find a mate among the nobles. She was forced to look for a mate in the lower levels of their society. He sniffed as he said, "What do you want wench?"

Ashi stood her ground and replied, "Why, what every other demoness wants Sesshoumaru, you." She started her spells and incantations as she sought to trap Sesshoumaru in her web of spells. But what she didn't expect was that Sesshoumaru was a lot stronger than she ever imagined. The star below his crescent moon was slowly starting to gain power. It was glowing brighter the more she sought to entrap him.

At that moment she heard a female's voice, "What do you think you are doing with my mate?"

Ashi turned her attention to the ningen that returned. She smirked as she said, "What does it look like ningen. I want Sesshoumaru as my mate. You are not worthy enough to have him, so I will just kill you and then we can be mated."

---oOo---

Kagome was coming back to the party. She had to go relieve herself so she left her mate briefly. Upon her return, she was surprised to find a female youkai trying to put a spell on her mate. It was a controlling spell that will bend him to her will.

Her anger flared as the mark on her forehead started to glow. She was feeding his mark and making it stronger so that the spell will not take hold. She stepped forward as she said, "What do you think you are doing to my mate?"

When Kagome heard the answer to her question she smirked. "You think that you are powerful enough to take my mate away from me? Ha! Think again fool. I will not step down from being his mate.

"The Kami's brought us together for a reason. My destiny is tied to Sesshoumaru and no one else. We are meant to be together in this world and my job is to pass judgment on all those who hate others for who and what they are."

Kagome's eyes started to glow a pure white in color. Her powers were growing faster than she could control as she faced off with the demoness that wanted her Sesshoumaru. She brought her hand up as a purifying ball appeared there. She held it in her hand as she looked at the demoness.

"I pass judgment on you for your evil ways. Your blatant disregard for other species cannot be condoned. You are here by sentenced to death by my hand." Kagome then turned her hand forward as she released the ball of purifying magic and it went straight for the demoness.

Ashi tried to move out of the way of the blast, but it just followed her wherever she went. She screamed her head off when it finally made contact and purified her to oblivion.

Everyone in the great hall witnessed what happened to the demoness who challenged Kagome for her mate.

Kagome then turned her attention to the ones that spoke ill of her and her pup. Her eyes glowed a pure white as she said in a commanding voice, "And for those of you who spoke ill of me, in saying that my pup will never inherit the West, think again. I will protect my pup and it will rule the West when the time comes.

"It will take its rightful place in this society and you will accept it. And to prove to you that I mean what I say, the three females that spoke ill of me, I pass judgment on you as well. You will not have the honor of meeting my pup once it is born."

Again another ball of purifying magic appeared in her outstretched hand as it took off and went after the females that made her cry. The ball made contact with each of them as they screamed in pain before they were purified.

Everyone started to panic as they tried to leave the area. But a powerful barrier prevented them from leaving, they were forced to watch what Kagome will do to the females that spoke ill of her. They all felt the bite of her powers but soon a barrier was set up to protected them from her wrath.

It was her right to fight for her mate, and it was her right to put those females in their places for insulting her, they all had to witness the demise of the female youkais.

Inutaisho was worried about his little one, she has lost control, and could purify the pup that she carried. He turned his eyes toward his son as he yelled, "Sesshoumaru! You must calm Kagome down or she will purify your pup!"

Sesshoumaru fought off the controlling spell of the vile female but he was stuck in a barrier placed by his mate to protect him. He was flattered that she would protect him from a female but her barrier wouldn't let him move. He concentrated on his youki as he broke his mate's protection of him.

He felt the last strings of the barrier wear off, when he heard his father's words. He turned toward his mate, making his way to her side as fast as possible. When he reached her he said, "Mate, calm yourself or you will hurt our pup."

Kagome turned her eyes towards her mate. She heard his words as tears formed in her eyes. She lost control over her emotions, there was a chance that she has purified her pup, realization finally hit her as she calmed.

Tears were now going down her cheek as Sesshoumaru moved quickly to her side. He grabbed her in his arms as he said his incantation to put her to sleep. He caught her as she fell, picking her up in his arms. Sesshoumaru left the party, taking his mate upstairs to rest. On his way to his room he summoned the healer to come and check Kagome. He had to know if the pup was gone.

When Sesshoumaru and Kagome left the grand audience chamber Inutaisho let his anger fly. "Never in all my years, have I ever been ashamed of being a youkai. You all discuss me. That pup has done nothing but help the people of this land and you all look at her with hatred in your eyes. What has she done to any of you? To my knowledge she has not hurt a youkai that didn't deserve it. But you turn your nose up at her because she is a ningen."

The Eastern Lord, Yugawara, turned to Inutaisho and said, "When she produces a pup, it will be a hanyou, a half breed. It can never be heir to the West or you will lose everything. The law clearly states that it must be a youkai that rules the lands, not a hanyou."

All the other lords agreed with what the Eastern Lord said, they will not allow a half-breed to inherit the west.

Inutaisho took a deep breath and said, "Who says that she will produce a hanyou? She could very well produce a full-blooded youkai. You don't know until the pup is born."

The other lords looked on in shock as Kasumigoaka asked, "What do you mean that she can produce a youkai pup? How is that even possible?" Kasumigaoka heard the other lords agree with him on how the ningen could produce an inu youkai pup.

Inutaisho thought about his question and answered, "I have an idea on how this will happen, I have no proof of it ever happening before in our history. But if it comes to pass then I will recite the legend were it comes from. I will have to wait until Kagome's pup is born to see if this legend is real.

"But still the fact remains that your own mates were giving Kagome dirty looks and challenging her openly, until my pup challenged them back. When they saw the power she held they backed down. They know that they cannot fight her and win, or you all would be looking for new mates. I have no doubt that Kagome will kill them if they were to challenge openly.

"Plus I will not stand for someone challenging the females of my pack. It is a direct insult to me since I'm the alpha and current ruler. If you want to challenger her then I must approve it. I suggest that you clean up your own house if you want to go by the rules. To challenge Kagome openly without going through me means that you want to fight me."

The other ruling lords backed down since he did have a point. Their females cannot challenge the ningen unless he gives his approval. They will have to go through him for a challenge to be given. Their mates have embarrassed them in front of the ruling lord and they will have to speak to them about it.

Inutaisho watched as the other ruling lords back down from what he was saying. They knew better than to challenge him in a fight. Then he continued with what he was saying, "If I were you I will heed Kagome's warnings. She is the only one, which I know of, that can carry out that threat. You have no idea how powerful she really is. What happened here tonight was just a very small portion of her powers. She will not hesitate to pass judgment on any of you and I for one will not stop her."

The youkais were all in shock from what the Western Lord said. No one knew Kagome was this powerful. Her powers were so great that she protected all those in the area and killed the ones she was after. Only a very powerful being could have such control over their own powers.

The female youkais were rethinking what they wanted to do with the ningen. If this is just a small sample of her true powers, then they were very lucky that they didn't die for what they have done.

The party broke up after that, Ayashiko rushed out of the Grand Audience Chambers to see how her pup was fairing. Plus, she had to know if Kagome purified her own pup or did she protect it.

---oOo---

This is the end to another chapter. I guess Kagome put all those demoness's in their place when she killed a few of them.

I proofed another chapter for your reading enjoyment because its my way of saying sorry for making you wait for so long. But you will have to wait for the next chapter because I need to see what I'm doing.

I hope that I got everything straight in this chapter, if you find spelling errors or grammatical errors please forgive me for them.

The attacks are not over with yet. There are youkai who are looking to see if they can get their hands on Kagome. Sesshoumaru will have a harder time trying to protect her as time goes by.

Miroku is found and brought back to the castle to face the Inu Lords wrath. Join me in the next chapter to see what happens.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Sesshoumaru rushed upstairs to his bedchambers carrying Kagome in his arms. He opened the door with a bang, placing his beloved mate on their futon. A few minutes later the castle healer came rushing into the room, looking at the young master.

Sesshoumaru didn't even turn away from his mate as he explained to the healer what happened. She understood the problem and after a few minutes of talking to Sesshoumaru, she finally convinced the young master to step away from his mate, so she can examine her.

After a few agonizing minutes the healer turned to Sesshoumaru and said, "Sesshoumaru-sama your mate has protected your pup and is doing fine. There is a barrier around it as we speak that will protect it from her powers. She must have done this subconsciously to make sure she wouldn't hurt it. The pup's heart is beating strong and it's doing just fine."

Sesshoumaru breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this. He was so afraid that Kagome purified their pup. Then he heard Kori clearing her throat and continued, "I will need you to release your mate from your spell so I can give her something that will make her relax. Even now, under your spell, she is agitated and is not resting. We need to calm her so she can rest and let her know that the pup is fine."

Sesshoumaru understood as he kneeled next to his mate and chanted the spell to release Kagome. He watched carefully as his mate stirred from her slumber and opened her beautiful blue eyes. He saw the confusion that she had, and then he noticed the tears that developed in the corner of her eyes.

Kagome woke up feeling disoriented. The last thing she remembered was being in the great hall enjoying the party. Then her memories started to come back, she remembered the fight she had with that demoness that wanted to take away her mate.

She remembered her anger and rage, as she purified the bitch to oblivion. Then, in her anger, she remembered the bitches that talked ill of her. The way they said that her pups will never inherit the West because they will be half-breeds, she took her vengeance out on them too, purifying them to hell.

Then she heard the words, she never wanted to hear, her mate caught her attention, by saying, "Mate, you must calm down or you will purify the pup." Those few words hit her like a rock as she quickly pulled in her powers and controlled them.

She turned her head, as she saw her mate kneeling next to their futon. His eyes showed his uncertainties for her, she gathered her strength, wanting to know if she did the unthinkable, "Sesshoumaru, did I… did I… did I purify our pup?" The tears she has been trying to hold back started coming down her cheeks, while she waited anxiously for her question to be answered.

Sesshoumaru moved his hand up, cupping her cheek, while he wiped away her tears of pain. He turned his honey colored eyes to his mate, answering her question, "No mate, you did not purify our pup. As a matter of fact, you protected it. You have placed a barrier around it and its still there."

Words could not express the joy that Kagome was feeling, that she protected her pup. She cried full force, as she felt herself being lifted and settled on her mates lap. She buried her face into his chest and cried, glad that she didn't hurt her own pup.

Kori had a cup of tea in her hands, she gave it to Sesshoumaru so he could make his mate drink, to calm her down.

Sesshoumaru pushed against the top of Kagome's head, wanting her to look at him. When she finally pulled away from him, he had her attention, "Mate, please drink this. It will help you to calm down from what has happened."

Kagome agreed as she drank the tea and felt its affects. But before she gave into the effects of the tea, she had a request for her mate. "Anata, please I'm begging you, I want you to seal my powers until the pup is born. I cannot take the chance that I will lose control again and hurt the pup. I was able to protect it this time but there is no guarantee that I will do so in the future."

Sesshoumaru's eyes opened wide at her request. If he sealed her powers she will not be able to protect herself if someone was to attack. He pulled her closer to his chest, letting a soft word leave his lips, _"Kagome."_

Kagome knew what her mate was thinking, but this was for the best. She could not live with herself, knowing that she cause the death of her pup. "Please, I know that you can protect us. I couldn't live with myself if I was to hurt our pup."

Sesshoumaru looked up towards the door, his father was standing there along with his mother. Inutaisho heard Kagome's request and nodded his head in agreement. He knew his little one needed this or they will lose her if she was to lose this pup.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes as he resigned himself to what he had to do. He will suppress her Reiyouku but not all of it, only the part that could hurt or purify the pup. He turned his attention back to his mate and whispered, "Very well mate, I will seal your powers until the pup is born, but not all of it. I will leave your healing abilities alone so you can heal yourself should something happen."

Kagome agreed to his request. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, releasing his youki, as he surrounded his mate with it. Kagome's Reiyouku automatically reacted to the threat and surged forth to protect.

Kagome was trying to control her powers, but then she heard her mate say, "Kagome, do not suppress your powers let it go. I promise that it will not hurt our pup, but I have to have all of your Reiyouku so I can suppress it."

Kagome understood what her mate was saying and let her powers go. His youki took her powers and held it in its grasp, he was pushing it back down to suppress it. The more she fought the more he had to flare his own powers to make hers submit to his.

Once he had it firmly in his control he started his spell and channeled it into her necklace. It will suppress her powers until the pup was born and then the spell will break.

Kagome finally gave in to the sleep that was pressing on her senses. She turned her head into her mate's chest as she gave a sigh of contentment and fell deeply asleep.

Sesshoumaru held his mate closer to his chest. She will not be able to defend herself from now on. He will have to be with her to make sure that she was protected at all times. He was rocking her back and forth offering, his strength for what was to come.

His inner inu was growling softly, soothing her in her time of need. Sesshoumaru took his hand and was running his long fingers through her hair, not paying attention to those in the room with him. His only concern was for the female that he was holding and her comfort.

Inutaisho watched as his son suppressed Kagome's powers. He understood her reasoning for wanting this done. But now that she could not fight back, they will be hard pressed to make sure she stayed safe. They have no idea how long she will stay pupped. A normal youkai pup will be born in 5 moon cycles and a normal ningen pup will be born in 9 moon cycles. These next few moons will prove to be interesting to say the least.

Inutaisho and his mate left their pups alone for the rest of the night. They understood that Sesshoumaru will become more protective of Kagome now that she could not protect herself.

---oOo---

That night there was a meeting in a cave deep in the forest around the castle. There were youkai making their way toward this meeting, as one by one they sneaked away from the castle.

Marude and Bakeru called this meeting, so they could plan for the Western Lords demise. They wanted revenge for what they did to their Lord. They were devastated to find out that they killed Jakyoku. That filthy ningen helped in his destruction and they will make her pay as well.

When everyone was there, Marude took a head count. They had at least 25 spies in the castle and they all had different areas of responsibilities. There were cooks, maids, gardeners, soldiers, and many others. They had the whole castle under surveillance.

Everyone quieted down as Marude started the meeting, "We all know what happened to our lord. Those youkai came back here proud to have defeated Lord Jakyoku. Well that will not go unpunished. They will suffer just like we have and our clan.

"We have to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike against the Western lord. His son will pay for his part in destroying our armies. The ningen will also have to be dealt with because our lord desired her and she rejected him.

"We need to keep our eyes and ears open for any information that will be useful to us. We need to dispatch a few of you back to the place where our armies were last seen, we need to see if we can find any survivors. If they have survived the attack from the western army, then we need to gather them together, to strike, when the time is right."

At that moment one of the serving wenches for the castle raised her hand as she said, "Tonight, I heard some interesting information. And if it's true then we can strike when the time is right."

Everyone was interested in what she had to say as Bakeru asked, "Well wench, what did you hear?"

The female inu youkai huffed as she said, "The ningen has been pupped. If this is true then she will give birth to the half-breed in about 9 moons. Time will tell if this is true because she will begin to show in a few moons. She will be weak during this time, if we keep watch, for our chance to retaliate, then we can capture her and the runt of the castle, we will be able to deal with them for what they have done."

Marude liked this idea, he turned his attention to everyone there, "This is indeed good information to have. When we find the rest of what's left of Jakyoku's army, then we can have them wait until we capture her. She will still be a hand full to over power, so we will have to come up with a plan on how to subdue her. Taking the runt, will definitely hurt the Western Lord, and when they find their dead bodies they will know how it feels to lose your love ones.

"Now here is what we are going to do, I want you two," he pointed to two inu youkai that were leaning up against the wall, "to find any of Lord Jakyoku generals. They will know were the rest of his army is located. Bring him back here by the next full moon and we will then discuss what to do, to capture the ningen. She will be the hardest to obtain.

"As for the rest of us, we will keep an eye on what's going on around the castle. We will go about our normal duties like we usually do. Now let's all get back to the castle, we have a busy day tomorrow and we need our rest."

They all agreed, the two-inu youkai that Marude pointed to, left the castle grounds to go and find the generals that were in charge of Lord Jakyoku armies. They were to bring him back by the next full moon, so they could continue to plan the Western Lords downfall.

The rest of the spies returned to their duties, they sneaked back into the castle to get some much-needed rest before the start of their day. They will sit and watch to see what was going on, looking for any weaknesses to the lord's protection of his family. He was bound to make a mistake and they will be there when he did.

What these youkai didn't notice was that there was another set of eyes watching them. The violet eyes of the monk were watching who was coming out of the cave that was close to where he was going to build his home. He was mediating when he spotted the group of youkai in the forest.

Miroku thought this to be odd, so he followed the youkai to their meeting place. He took note of everyone in the cave. He didn't know their names but he will find out. He saw them end their meeting as he hid in the forest, making sure that he hid his aura and scent from the inu youkai.

When they were all gone from the area, Miroku sat down and took out some paper and ink. He then proceeded to write down what he saw so he wouldn't forget. He wrote down everything that he could think of, and when he was done he headed back to the castle, to the room that was given to him by the lord himself.

He will wait until morning to speak to the lord about what happened here tonight. He didn't want to wake them at this hour. They had a very trying day and they needed their rest.

Miroku finally made it to his room. It was in a secluded area of the castle and no one saw him coming or going from the castle. He was like a ghost in a sense, but an effective one.

He went to sleep that night, going over in his mind what these youkai looked like. He will find them, this was his vow, to protect the miko from getting harmed. If anything ever happened to Lady Kagome he knew that Sesshoumaru will destroy the castle trying to find the ones responsible. He finally fell asleep, as he waited to tell his lord what he saw this night.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru has been awake since early this morning. He was keeping an eye on his mate as she slept. He was worried that her body might reject the pup because of her upset. He knew it will destroy his mate, if anything was to happen to the pup.

He put his hand on her stomach and let his aura search. He was searching for the pup but there was a barrier around it, protecting it from any harm. He felt its heartbeat and smiled. It was strong, its little heart was beating good and strong, he hoped with all his heart that it survived what was to come.

His mate started to stir at that moment, he leaned in, trying to see if she was feeling any better this morning.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes, she was in her room and her mate was watching her closely. She smiled as she said, "Good morning, koibito."

Sesshoumaru smiled when he saw her beautiful smile. He leaned in and kissed her while he asked, "How are you feeling this morning mate?"

Kagome giggled at her mate, he was so worried about her, but something was strange this morning. She didn't feel sick at all, like she would be on previous mornings. She smiled at this, "I feel just fine. I'm not sick this morning, as a matter of fact I'm a little hungry this morning."

Sesshoumaru's heart leaped with joy. His mate has gotten over being sick in the morning and now was actually hungry. He pulled her into his arms as they went into the bathing chambers to get cleaned up. They dressed and then walked out of their room heading down toward the dinning hall.

Sesshoumaru's tails were securely around her waist, holding her close to his side. He will protect her and his pup with his life. The doors to the dinning hall opened as they entered. His parents along with the other lords of the lands greeted them.

He felt his mate stiffen by his side, he brought his arm down around her waist to comfort her. Kagome relaxed in his hold and they then proceeded to sit in their perspective places.

Kagome forgot that the other lords were still in the castle. She refused to meet their gaze as they all ate in silence. When they were all done eating the Northern Lord was the first one to break the silence.

Clearing his throat, "Sesshoumaru, my boy, I wanted to be the first one to congratulate you for your new pup. May it grow up happy in your home and loved by all here."

Sesshoumaru was shocked to hear this. He didn't think that any of the lords would be happy about the pup that was to come. He heard the echoes of the other Lords agreeing to what Lord Kasumigaoka said.

Inutaisho was taken by surprised by his friend's words to his son. Then to hear the other lord's echo his sentiments made all the difference in the world to him. They have all accepted the pup that was to be born as the heir to the west. He smiled and joined in the toasting to the new pup and mother.

Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'They… They accept my pup and me? What happened to change their minds? Did losing my temper last night set everything right in their minds?'

Kagome watched as each lord made a toast to the future and happiness of her pup. She noticed that the ladies of the lands kept their head down during these proceedings and wondered what was going on. She will have to ask Ayashiko once all this was over.

Finally all of the lords from the other lands said their goodbyes. All of the guests were leaving today so they could get back to their duties. Kagome was one, who was happy to see them go. Maybe now everything will get back to normal.

She couldn't wait to see Sango. She needed to talk to her in a very bad way. She needed to apologize for her behavior and she also needed to apologize to the monk. She knew that his way of thinking was proper for this era and she had to accept that.

If Sango wanted the male then she will support her with all her heart. She just wanted her sister to be happy. Plus, she needed answers, which only Ayashiko could provide, so she could understand what was going on.

Once all of the other lords for the lands were gone with their mates, Kagome made to move away from her mate, so she could go with Ayashiko to their special room. But there was a problem, Sesshoumaru would not release her from his grasp, she turned to her mate, and said, "Mate, please let go. I want to go and talk with your mother for a while."

Sesshoumaru growled, as he said, "No, you are to stay at my side from now on. With your powers suppressed, you could be attacked and will not be able to defend yourself." That was definitely the wrong thing to say, as his own mother turned on him for his words.

"Sesshoumaru! Are you saying that I can't defend my own pup! She will be safe with the slayer and me. Plus we have the neko youkai with us and our special place is very well protected. No one comes in, unless I allow him or her in the room. If you doubt my powers then maybe I should show you how well a mother protects her pups." Ayashiko growled at her own son, 'How dare he insinuate that I can't protect Kagome!'

Sesshoumaru swallowed hard as he saw his mothers eyes turn red. He definitely said the wrong thing around her. She never called him by his given name unless she was really mad at him.

He saw, out of the corner of his eye, his father's mirth at his predicament. He sighed, he knew that he was defeated as he said, "Very well mate you can go with mother. But do not leave her side for anything, I want you with someone at all times."

Kagome smiled as she turned, kissing him on his crescent moon, nuzzling him under his chin in gratitude, then she felt when his tails released her. She turned and walked over to his mother as they both left the males alone to do their business.

Inutaisho chuckled as he saw his mate win against their son. He knew that Sesshoumaru would lose that fight to his mother. To tell her that she is not capable of protecting her pup was the ultimate insult.

He turned his attention to his son, "Come Sesshoumaru, we have to plan on sending that help to those villages that the monk spoke to us about the other day. Those ningens and youkai will not be able to last much longer, if we don't send aid, plus I want to plan on paying that area a visit. The minor lords to that area have some explaining to do on why they let their people go without food."

Sesshoumaru sighed, his inner inu was not happy about letting their mate out of their site. His beast wanted to go with her and if he was honest with himself he wanted to go with her too. He was interested in what the females talked about all the time.

He turned and followed his father. He understood that he had responsibilities to the people of the lands and he had to make sure that they were all fed during these hard times. He, himself, wondered why the minor lords haven't said anything to them about the need for food. Something didn't feel right about all of this.

They finally made it to the study, when Inutaisho approached he felt that someone was already inside waiting for him. He knew who it was by his scent, he opened the door, and stated, "Good morning Miroku, what can I do for you this morning?"

Miroku stopped his nervous pacing as the door to the study was opened and in walked Inutaisho with Sesshoumaru following closely behind him. He heard the lords question as he replied, "Milord, I have some information for you."

Both inu youkai stopped in their tracks when they heard the monks answer. They quickly closed the door and then sat down to hear what Miroku had to say.

When everyone was seated, Miroku started to tell them what he saw last night. He pulled out a piece of parchment as he started to describe each youkai that he saw in the cave last night.

Inutaisho listened carefully to what the monk was saying. He pulled out his own parchment and some ink, while starting a list of names of the youkai he described seeing last night.

When Miroku was done he had a list of at least 15 names on it. He had a feeling that these were not all of them. "So these youkai have learned that Kagome is pupped. We will have to be careful with her from now on. Since her powers have been sealed, she is vulnerable, if she is attacked."

Miroku looked up as he said, "Her powers have been sealed? But why?"

Inutaisho turned to Miroku and replied to his question, "It was at her request that this was done. She lost control of her temper last night and passed judgment on some female youkai that couldn't accept her as the next Lady of the West, she purified them to oblivion. Her anger was so great that we thought that she purified the pup. She requested that her mate seal her powers until the pup is born to protect it."

Miroku understood Kagome's fears, she is only trying to protect her pup from herself but at the same time it made her open to attacks. He has to be around to protect her, which he didn't mind since he still wanted to see Sango.

Miroku then said, "I will be part of those guards that protects Lady Kagome. I can place seals on the doors to the room they are always in, and make sure that only those with no malice in their hearts can enter. It will protect her while she is here in the castle. I can also give Sango some of my sutras that she can throw, to help protect Kagome, if they are attacked."

Inutaisho agreed to the monk's idea as he saw Miroku leave the study. In a matter of days the monk has proven his worth. He now has a list of possible traitors to his clan and they will be dealt with. But not yet, he needed more information, he has doubts that the generals that escaped him, will be quiet for very long. With these many spies in his castle, he was sure they will be back, and when they came back, he will have a surprise for them.

Inutaisho then turned to his pup as he said, "Now we have a list of those that are spies in our castle. But I have a feeling that these are not our only worry. The general that escaped us in the final battle is still out there and a very real threat. We will keep an eye on these fools and wait, I want them all in one place before we kill them."

Sesshoumaru agreed with his father. This was just the start of an elaborate plan to strike back at them for killing Jakyoku. But they will get rid of these youkai once and for all. They turned to the business at hand, food for the villages and settlements that were in need, and when they will get this aid.

---oOo---

Kagome was happy that she got away from her mate. She loved him dearly but he was so possessive. She was thinking that maybe she made a mistake in telling her mate to seal her powers away until the pup was born. As she thought about it she realized that no she didn't make a mistake, she will protect her pup even from herself, having her powers sealed will just help her pup grow.

Sango meet them on their way to the sunning room. Kagome missed her special room, where the girls will gather to sit and talk. They finally made it to the room as they all walked in and settled down on the pillows in front of the warm fire.

Kagome got her chance to speak with Sango, "Sango, I'm sorry for the things I said to Miroku the other day. I didn't want you to get hurt again. But I had no right to say those things. It is up to you if you want to take him back. All I want, all I ever wanted, is for you to be happy."

Sango heard Kagome's words and knew she was sincere in what she said, she smiled at her sister, "Kagome, you don't have to apologize for what you said, I know that you are trying to protect me. I didn't take Miroku back, I told him that we can only be friends."

Kagome smiled at this, she knew better, if the monk wanted to be her friend, he still had contact with her and maybe, just maybe he could get her to marry him in the end. 'Hmm, I will have to speak to the monk. If he wants to still pursue Sango, then I could help him with it, but he will have to promise me, that he will never hurt her again.'

There was a knock on the door and Ayashiko said, "Enter." Katsuki walked in with a tray in her hands as she serviced the tea for everyone and then left the room. When they were alone Kagome turned her attention to Ayashiko and asked, "Oka-san, what happened down there in the dinning hall this morning?"

Ayashiko was taking a drink of her tea when she heard her pup's question. She raised an eyebrow in confusion, "What do you mean, Kagome? What did you see happen in the dinning hall this morning?"

Kagome explained what she felt, "Oka-san, yesterday all of the ladies of the lands were giving me dirty looks. I never did anything to them, to be treated in such a manner. But this morning they were avoiding me like the plague. What changed their minds?"

Ayashiko chuckled as she explained, "Well after you lost your temper with those females that talked ill about you, and the one that tried to take your mate, the other ladies of the land had a revelation. They finally realized just how powerful you are and that you could kill them for the way they were treating you.

"You, as the next Lady of the West, have more power than you can even imagine. You can strike them down for their insolence. They knew that they escaped being killed by just a fraction. Plus, their mates put them in their places last night. They embarrassed their mate in front of your father and that was not taken very well."

"They embarrassed their mates?" Kagome repeated as she thought about what Ayashiko said, then something clicked in her mind, "Oh Kami! Did I embarrass Sesshoumaru last night?"

Kagome was panicking. She didn't want to embarrass her mate in any way. Tears started to form in her eyes, as Ayashiko quickly spoke, to get her to calm down, "No Kagome, you didn't embarrass your mate last night. The only thing you did was to prove, that you are just as powerful as he is, and that he has the better mate.

"The mates of the ruling lords openly challenged you last night by not going through the proper procedures. To challenge you in the eyes of youkai society they must go through your father in order to do it. They have to openly challenge you in front of him and he has to agree to the challenge.

"This is done because your father is the alpha of our pack and he is the leader, to openly challenge a female from his clan without going through him, means that the ruling lords are challenging him and his authority. Your father called them on it and the other ruling lords backed down. They have no desire to fight your father because they know they will lose.

"So Sesshoumaru was not mad, nor embarrassed by you for putting those bitches in their places, it is expected of you."

Kagome's tears started to go away as she listened. Then she said, "It is expected of me? Why?"

"I am the dominant female to the ruling lords. I am more powerful than the rest of the ladies of the lands. They all bow down to my desires as their males bow down to your father's desires.

"Now Sesshoumaru is the dominant male in the lands, they all have to listen and obey his laws, just like they have to listen to your father. You had to establish your rule over them and you did. So you losing your temper last night was a good thing. It shows that you are the dominant female and a powerful one. No one will challenge your authority." Ayashiko finished speaking as she watched her pup. She saw the line of confusion leave her features, as she understood what happened.

Kagome now had a better understanding of what was required of her. She had a role to play in this life and that was to dominate the rest of the females of the land. They will all do as she commands or face her wrath.

Ayashiko sensed that there were some servants in the hallway and she wondered what they were doing here. She got up from her pillow as she walked to the door. She turned to her pup and said, "Kagome, I want you and Sango to stay here." She then turned her eyes towards Sango, "Sango, do not leave Kagome unprotected. If you hear anything outside the door do not come out, is that understood?"

Sango nodded her understanding as she looked at her friend. Kirara understood and transformed into her true form, as she stood ready.

Kagome was scared as she asked, "Oka-san? What's going on? Who is out there?"

Ayashiko didn't answer her pup, as she walked out the door. When she closed it behind her she placed a seal on the door to prevent anyone from going inside, except her mate. She looked to the right and noticed two male servants just down the hallway.

She approached as she asked, "What are you two doing in this part of the castle? This area is forbidden to all servants except those which I have given permission to enter here."

The males in question stopped what they were doing. They have been caught red-handed spying on them. They turned and bowed to their lady as one of them said, "Please forgive us milady. We were only trying to clean up this part of the wing, along with our normal duties. We didn't know it was restricted."

Ayashiko was not buying it. These two have been in the castle long enough to know that this area was off limits. She summoned the guards with her mind as she said, "I don't believe you. You have been here long enough to know that this part of the castle is off limits to you. If you think that you can hurt my pup then think again. No one will touch her."

At that moment the males attacked, Ayashiko was ready to attack when the males froze in place. Ayashiko looked around the area and spotted Miroku coming down the hallway, she raised an eyebrow to him in question.

Miroku was hiding in the shadows keeping an eye on things. He noticed the two males that came into this wing and wondered what they were doing here. He knew this area was off limits, so what could they possibly want?

He observed the males placing barriers around the area that will conceal anyone hiding in those areas. He knew that they were part of the spies that were still left in the castle. He must have missed seeing these two at the cave last night. He pulled out his sutras getting ready to detain them, when the lady of the castle walked out of the room, where Sango and Kagome were located.

He witnessed the exchange between them and when they attacked, he attacked them before they hurt her. He looked to the lady of the castle and saw the question in her eyes, as he answered, "I'm part of security for Lady Kagome. I will be near to make sure that no one harms her."

Ayashiko understood what the monk saying, at that moment she felt her mate's aura coming towards her in a big hurry followed by her son.

---oOo---

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru just finished the details on how they were going to send food to the troubled area of their lands. They made plans to leave in the morning, for a visit, so they could see for themselves what was going on.

Then Inutaisho felt his mate's aura flare in anger as he took off towards her. She was being attacked, he will kill the bastards that dared lay a hand on his lovely mate.

Sesshoumaru felt the panic rise in his mate, she was scared and she was calling to him. He rushed out of the study following his father to where their mates were located. When they got there they had blood red eyes. They saw two males frozen in place with Miroku standing next to Ayashiko, in a protective manner.

The soldiers that Ayashiko summoned had just arrived, as they were ready to take the two youkai down to the dungeons. They were waiting for the monk to release them from his spell.

Inutaisho looked at his mate as he asked, "Mate, are you all right?"

Ayashiko smiled as she said, "Yes Koi I'm fine. Miroku came to help me."

At that moment Sesshoumaru felt his mate's distress and went into the room she was in. He opened the door and rushed to her side, as he said, "Kagome, please calm yourself."

Kagome was having a fit. Her mother went outside the room because there were intruders in the hallway. She was scared that something might happen to Ayashiko. If she was to get hurt it will be her fault.

Sango tried her best to comfort Kagome, but she was too upset to settle down. Sango heard Miroku's voice and was relieved that Ayashiko was protected. Then she felt the aura of the youkai lord enter this part of the castle, and they were not in a good mood.

Sango thought it best to move away from Kagome. As soon as she and Kirara moved away, Sesshoumaru came crashing into the room, and was at Kagome's side in an instant. He was trying to calm her down but it was no good. She was upset as hell and didn't want to calm down.

Sesshoumaru held his mate in his arms to try and calm her. "Mate, mother is fine, she was not hurt. The threat to this part of the castle is over. You are safe once again."

Kagome heard Sesshoumaru's words. She knew that he would not lie to her about something as serious as this. She was starting to calm down when she saw Ayashiko walk back into the room. She was unharmed and that's all that matter to her. She fainted in her mates arms as Sesshoumaru panicked.

"Kagome!" Sesshoumaru yelled as he shook his mate. She was unconscious and he didn't know why.

Ayashiko rushed toward her pups as she looked at Kagome. She placed a hand on Sesshoumaru's shoulder and calmly said, "Calm yourself Sesshoumaru, she just fainted. This incident just overwhelmed her a little, nothing more. She has to get used to not having her powers and remain calm when something like this happens. I will have to train her in this area."

Sesshoumaru was relieved to hear this, he brought his mate closer to his chest, as he picked her up in his arms and stood. He was not leaving his mates side for a while. He turned and left the room they were in, heading upstairs to their chambers.

He wanted some peace and quiet for his mate, and the only place that could be had, was in their private chambers. He walked into their room and shut the door quietly, he wanted to make sure he didn't wake his mate. But instead of laying her on their futon, he chose to walk over to the fireplace and sit on the large pillow that was there.

He sat down and placed Kagome in his lap, his tails wrapped around the both of them, as his inner inu purred to comfort their mate. Sesshoumaru started a fire and soon the room was warm for them. He cuddled into the pillow with his mate in his arms.

He was feeling tired. He didn't get any sleep the night before, worrying about his mate. He was up watching her all night, making sure that she wouldn't have nightmares during the night.

His tails provided warmth for the both of them as he placed a barrier on the door to make sure they weren't disturbed. Having her in his arms meant that she was safe. Only he could protect her the way she needed to be protected.

He didn't know what he was going to do when they left the castle to go visit these villages that needed aid. He thought for a little while and wondered if he could get her to come along with him. That way he could protect her and have her with him. He was sure that he could convince her to go. But if she didn't want to go, then he will have to leave the whole western army to protect her. He knew he was being possessive but that was his nature.

He brought his mate closer to his chest as he took in her scent. It relaxed him enough to fall asleep with her in his arms, keeping her safe.

---oOo---

Inutaisho watched as Sesshoumaru tried to calm Kagome. She was inconsolable; she was worried about his mate and thought that she might have been hurt. When they came into the room he saw his pups eyes shine with happiness and then she fainted in her mate's arms.

Inutaisho panicked thinking that something was wrong with his little one, but when his mate said that she was just overwhelmed by everything he relaxed. His knew his son was not going to leave anything to chance. He was not disappointed, when Sesshoumaru took his mate and went to their private room.

Inutaisho turned to his mate and said, "He is not going to let her out of his sight now. We are going to the villages that need food for the winter in the morning. We wanted to see the area for ourselves and see how bad everything is. I know that Sesshoumaru will take Kagome with him, he won't leave her unprotected, and so my lovely mate, do you want to come with me?"

Ayashiko smiled, she has never been anywhere with her mate before. This was a treat for her as she said, "Yes, I will come with you."

Inutaisho smiled as he turned his attention toward Sango. He saw her shifting in her position, feeling uncomfortable witnessing the events between them. He cleared his throat and said, "Sango, while we are gone tomorrow I want you to work with Miroku. He has a mission and I know that you can help him with it. You two together will be a great help to me in finding what I need."

Sango blushed, when she heard the lords request, she will have to work with Miroku and his wondering hands. But if what he said was true, then she could help protect Kagome. This was her priority and she will do anything to make sure that Kagome was protected. She stood to her full height as she said, "As you wish milord, I will do what I can to help."

Inutaisho smiled as he escorted his mate out of the room. He turned to Miroku and said, "Did you hear what I told Sango, Miroku?"

Miroku bowed deeply as he said with a smile on his face, "Yes milord, I heard what you said, Sango will be a great help to me on what I have to do."

"Very well Miroku, make sure that your hands don't wonder where they don't belong or you might be minus a hand when I get back." Inutaisho warned as he walked away with his mate tucked into his side.

Miroku sighed in relief. Lord Inutaisho could be very scary when he was angry. But he will take his warning to heart. He wanted to fix things between Sango and himself. He needed to respect her and still work together to get this problem solved.

Miroku finally released the two-youkai spies to the soldiers standing in the hallway. He watched as they escorted them to the dungeons and sighed in relief. At least there were two less spies to worry about.

He then turned as he went into the room where Sango was located. He needed to brief her on what he was doing.

---oOo---

Ayashiko looked at her mate as she saw the amusement he had in his eyes. She could tell that he was up to something as she asked, "Mate, why did you put those two to work together?"

Inutaisho smiled as he said, "I am well aware that the slayer has turned down the monk. I am also aware that he still loves her, but he must repair the damage that he has done, of abandoning his mate to be. I am giving him the chance to repair said damage."

Ayashiko didn't know that her mate was so sneaky. He could pass as a woman for some of his behaviors. She laughed at the thought, as they continue to walk out of her private part of the castle. Tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day.

---oOo---

Kagome woke up in the middle of the night. She was hungry and couldn't sleep anymore until she got something to eat. She shifted but got the tightening of arms around her body. She looked up and saw her mate starting to wake up from his slumber.

Sesshoumaru sensed that his mate was waking, but it was still in the middle of the night and wondered what was wrong. He opened his eyes and looked at Kagome. He saw her wide-awake and asked, "Mate, what's wrong? Why are you awake at this hour?"

Kagome felt sorry for waking her mate, "Anata, I'm sorry for waking you, but I'm hungry and I want to get something to eat."

Sesshoumaru was surprised by her statement, "You're hungry?"

Kagome turned red from embarrassment and said, "Yes."

Sesshoumaru slowly unwrapped his arms from around his mate as he slowly stood from the pillow they were laying in. He turned to her and offered her his hand to help her stand.

Kagome accepted her mates help as she stood on her own two feet. He then pulled her into his side as they started to walk towards the kitchen. At this time of night they will have to get their own food, since everyone was asleep.

Kagome walked close to her mate. The castle was dark and she really couldn't see where she was going. She tripped once and was swept up into strong arms to keep her safe. When they finally made it into the kitchen Sesshoumaru put her down as his lit the candles.

The fire in the cooking pit was always lit to make sure that it was ready when the staff arrived. Kagome went into the kitchen as she found something to make a meal for them. She threw everything into a pot and started to make a small stew.

Sesshoumaru watched as his mate made herself a meal. It was nothing fast, it was a well thought out meal that was nutritional for her and the pup. He noticed that she didn't put enough meat in what she was cooking as he walked up behind her and grabbed a fist full of meat and put it in the pot to cook.

Kagome turned to her mate, and said, "Hey, there's too much meat in the pot."

Sesshoumaru turned to his mate and stated, "You must eat more meat for the pup. It needs the protein contained in it. If you don't it would greatly weaken it." Kagome seemed to be thinking about what he said. Her face was contorted in concentration, as she seemed to be searching for something. She seemed to have come to a conclusion as she went about finishing her meal.

Sesshoumaru sat on a mat and watched as his mate finished their meal. She took two bowls and filled them with stew, she placed a bowl in front of her mate and the other in her spot.

Sesshoumaru sniffed the meal that his mate made. It smelled good, he took a bite of the food and it was full of flavor. He settled down to eat as he looked at his mate. She was eating her food with enthusiasm and he was happy to see her eat. She was eating a lot of meat, which made him very happy. But she would need to take raw meat as well.

He looked at Kagome as he said, "Kagome, you will need to consume raw meat for the pup as well. I suggest that you fix that sauce you made when we mated. It was the only time that I saw you eating raw meat and enjoyed it."

Kagome thought about what her mate said, she could understand why she needed the raw meat. Back in her era, if she was pregnant, she will receive iron pills from the doctor and vitamins to supplement her diet. But here in the past none of this has been developed yet. She needed to make sure that she stayed healthy for the pup. It was the only way it could survive. She agreed with her mate as she continued to eat her food.

Then Kagome got the scare of her life when she heard, "Kagome, child, what are you doing up so late at night?"

Kagome jumped, screamed, as she dropped her food on the floor. Sesshoumaru had her wrapped in his protective arms in an instant as his claws grew in length. He was pissed at himself for letting down his guard, when he was with his mate. He was ready to kill the person that interrupted their meal together, when he saw Katsuki come into view.

Sesshoumaru relaxed as he looked at his mate. She was pale and having a hard time trying to calm down. He growled his displeasure and said, "Next time you come into a room and know it's us, make some noise so you don't scare Kagome half to death. Now it's going to take me some time to calm her down."

Then they both heard a noise, as they looked up, to see his father and mother coming into the kitchen. They were worried when they heard Kagome scream and came running downstairs to see what was wrong. They looked at their son, as Inutaisho asked, "What in Kami's name are you two doing up this late at night? You should be in bed."

Sesshoumaru huffed as he said, "Kagome was hungry and we came down to get something to eat. Since it was late she cooked her own meal."

Both Inutaisho and Ayashiko sniffed the air and picked up on a wonderful scent. Ayashiko turned to her son as she asked, "Sesshoumaru, what did Kagome make that smells so good."

Sesshoumaru looked at his parents, stating, "She calls it a stew. Its cooked meat in a favorable sauce, it has it own unique taste, which I have never tasted before."

Then Sesshoumaru turns his attention to Katsuki, "Katsuki bring Kagome another bowl of her stew. She was not done eating when you scared her. She needs to eat to sustain the pup."

Katsuki quickly got another bowl for Kagome and while she was at it she gave the lord and lady some of this stew to try. They all sat at the table and ate their meal. Sesshoumaru had calmed his mate enough so she could finish her food.

Inutaisho was amazed at the way the food tasted. It tasted wonderful and he wondered if all food tasted this good in the future. He looked up at his little one as he said, "Kagome this is wonderful. What other kinds of food do they have where you come from? Is it this good?"

Kagome smiled as she said, "There are a lot of different foods that you can eat. All made in different ways, we learned to try other food from different countries so we know what to eat when we go there."

Inutaisho was amazed to hear this, he will have to get his pup to make some more of these strange meals, so they can try them. "You will have to make some of these meals so we can try them. I am most interested in trying something new."

Sesshoumaru turned to his father and said, "Kagome makes this sauce that you can eat with raw meat. It gives the meat an interesting taste, its smooth on the palette, I found myself enjoying it immensely. I have asked her to make this sauce again and teach Katsuki how to make it. I think that you will like it father."

Inutaisho eyes lit up as he said, "Good, maybe one day soon you can make it for all of us to sample my little one."

Kagome blushed, her mate was so proud of her cooking. They all seemed to enjoy the meal that she quickly put together. Even Katsuki was enjoying a bowl of her stew. Kagome agreed to his request as they finished eating.

Kagome gave a big yawn, she was getting tired really fast and she needed to get back to her room and soon. Sesshoumaru saw this and picked her up in his arms as he proceeded to take her back upstairs.

Inutaisho and Ayashiko followed behind them as they gave their pup a kiss good night and went to their own rooms. Inutaisho turned to his mate and said, "You know, you were like that when you were reaching the first month of being pupped. I wonder how long Kagome will carry her pup before she has it."

Ayashiko was thinking the same thing as she said, "I was just wondering that myself. I say she will carry the pup half way between a youkai birth and a ningen birth. That will be at the seven moon mark. Because she is a ningen her body needs to take longer to birth a youkai pup. But I will be watching her from the time she hits the fifth moon of being pupped. Everything will be ready for when she goes into labor. I will need you to subdue your son when she does. He will be unstoppable, just like you were, when he smells the blood."

Ah Inutaisho remembered those days well. He was in an uncontrollable rage when he smelled his mate's blood upon giving birth. They had to subdue him in order for her to have her pups.

He agreed with his mate as they went back to their room. Now that they had their midnight snack they were ready to go back to sleep.

Sesshoumaru entered their room as he closed the door behind him. He placed his barrier on the door and then proceeded to undress his mate. She was asleep in his arms again as he put her into their futon with nothing on. He undressed as well, climbing in after her, and pulling the furs over the both of them to keep them warm. He fell asleep immediately, with a full stomach, and cuddled up to his mate.

---oOo---

The next morning the castle was anything but quiet. Inuyasha was whining to his father about wanting to go with them. Inutaisho turned his attention toward his youngest son and said, "Inuyasha, you will stay here and continue with your lessons. I have been lenient up to this point but when I come back I expect you to have more control over your sword. When you can manage a hit on my person then I will think about taking you with us. Right now you cannot even protect yourself against a show of force. Your swings are wild and you show no control in what you do. You have to greatly improve on your skills if you want to travel with us."

Inuyasha listened to what his father was saying, he was right, he didn't have any control over his sword and his fighting style lacked finesse. He will have to study hard and control his temper while fighting, if he even wanted a chance to hit his father. His father was fast and it was next to impossible to hit him.

He wanted to go with him so he could help protect his mother and Kagome. But how could he do that, when he couldn't even hit his own father in training. At that moment he made up his mind. He was going to improve. He will show his father that he was willing to learn and that he could help protect the females of his pack.

He looked up into his father's eyes as he said with determination in his voice, "I will improve on my sword fighting father, and when you come back you will definitely see a change in my fighting abilities, after all I have something that I want to protect, and I will protect it with my life."

Inutaisho was shocked by what his youngest son said. The look in his eyes showed nothing but determination, he felt his powers grow, when he said that he had something to protect. If he could learn this lesson now that he was young, he will be unstoppable when he was fully grown.

Inutaisho looked at his youngest with new eyes. His pup was slowly growing into a full youkai and it won't be long before he reaches his maturity. Soon he will have to face the hormones that will possess him when his inner beast will awaken. He will have to show him how to handle his beast, show him how to dominate his inner inu, this was a dangerous time for all pups to face. That will be his trial for maturity, the taming of his beast.

Inutaisho looked on as his son walked away. He had a growth spurt recently where he grew in height, he now reached just below his brother's shoulder in height, but he was almost as tall as Kagome.

He will soon be a full-grown youkai, with it came responsibility, that he was sure he will have no trouble in handling. He shook his head to clear his mind as he said to Sesshoumaru, "Are you ready to leave?"

Sesshoumaru was standing off to the side as he watched his brother walk away from his father. He knew what Inuyasha was going through. He, himself, had gone through this same stage in his life, wanting to prove to his father that he was grown and could handle himself.

Sesshoumaru heard his father's question as he said, "Yes, we are ready to leave."

He pulled Kagome closer to his side as they both formed their golden orbs of light and took to the skies.

Kagome was excited, her mate has never taken her anywhere before. The only times she has been outside of the castle is when she left on her own, or when she went with Ayashiko to survey the other villages close to the castle, but unfortunately that time they were captured by the enemy. But she has never been anywhere with her mate and now she was going with him.

She was happy that she could spend some time with her mate even if it's seeing to the welfare of the people on their lands. She welcomed the change in scenery and the distraction it caused in her mind.

Sesshoumaru noticed that his mate was happy for once. Her aura was at peace and he could actually feel her happiness. He never knew that taking her with him would cause such a reaction from her.

When he asked if she wanted to come with him this morning, she all but jumped into his arms, exclaiming that she would love to join him. She was happy then, as she was quickly getting dressed to make sure he wouldn't leave her behind.

He chuckled at her antics but he could understand her excitement. She has not been anywhere on their lands. His father brought her here to the castle a while back and she's been kept under lock and key. She was not allowed to leave the castle grounds, though she did find ways of sneaking out without permission.

He held her closer to his chest while they traveled. He found that he was happy as long as she was in his arms. His nose, would from time to time, rub against the top of her head. She smelled wonderful and he couldn't get enough of her scent. Even though her scent was a part of him now, it was nothing compared to the real thing.

His inner inu was at peace with their mate, he felt his tails moving as they wrapped around her small form to keep her warm on this cold day. She was so fragile, so small compared to him. He towered over her by about a head, she, just coming up to just under his neck when she stood by his side.

They were nearing their destination as both orbs slowly descended to the forest area. When they landed the orbs disappeared, they were standing in the middle of the forest, not too far away from the youkai settlement that was their target. They didn't want to frighten the youkai, so they landed just outside of their domain.

Both youkai sniffed the area looking for threats, when they found none, Inutaisho lead the way toward the settlement.

The cold wind was picking up around the area. They were approaching the settlement when Kagome stopped in her tracks. Something did not feel right about the village. She felt no danger here, she could feel the youkais that lived here but they were not moving around.

She thought this to be a little odd for youkai. It was in the middle of the day so there should be some movement. But she couldn't even feel the pups playing in the area, the pups should at least be playing. She has observed the pups at the castle and they will play every chance they got, but there were no pups playing here.

Sesshoumaru stopped as he looked at his mate. He noticed that she was concentrating on the area around them. He sniffed the air trying to pick up on any danger but he couldn't find any. He sent is aura out trying to ferret out the enemy but he found none. He turns his attention back to his mate, "Kagome, what's wrong? Why did you stop? Do you feel danger in this area?"

Kagome took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She looked at her mate with concern in her eyes, "The pups, the pups are not out playing this time of day. At the castle the pups there play all day if you let them. They play every chance they get, but here, at this settlement, the pups are not moving. They are not playing with one another.

"There are also the adults, no one is moving, there is something wrong here, but I can't figure out what it is."

Ayashiko heard what her pup was saying, and it was true, the pups that are in the settlement up ahead were not playing. Everyone was hiding and they didn't know why. She turned to her mate as she voiced her concerns, "Mate, our pup is right. There are no pups playing in this area. Everyone is hiding for some reason, so we must proceed with caution. I don't feel that this is a trap, but we must be cautious with these youkai."

Inutaisho heard his mates concerns and they were valid. What his mate and Kagome just said was true. Everyone was hiding and he needed to know why. He turned to his son and said, "Sesshoumaru, be on alert. We don't know what this settlement is afraid of. I have never known youkai to hide in fear before."

Sesshoumaru nodded his understanding as he brought his mate closer to his side, so he could protect her and his pup. They continued to walk until they came to the settlement.

Youkai settlements were different than those of the ningens. Their dwellings were either in the earth, cave, or trees. There was a common area where they would sell different things to other youkai that traveled through the area. But even this place was deserted.

The group looked around the area trying to figure out what was going on. Inutaisho allowed his youki to flare around the area announcing his arrival at the settlement. They heard movement off to the side as the males took a defensive position in front of their mates.

Out of one of the caves three elder youkai came out to greet them. They looked sick in Kagome's eyes. Kagome used her powers to seek out what was wrong with them. Kagome gasp as she could feel how weak they were. It looked like they have not eaten in days, if not weeks.

Kagome grabbed the back of her mate's haori and said, "Sesshoumaru, these youkai are malnourished. They have not eaten in weeks. If they don't get food soon this whole settlement could perish."

Kagome's statement took both Inu Youkais by surprise. Inutaisho stepped forward and said, "Good day elders, what is wrong with your settlement? Where are the others that live here?"

The elders stopped in front of their lord and bowed deeply to him in greetings. They heard his questions, the one that was the leader of the settlement, was the one to answer, "Milord, this village is in dire straights. We do not have enough food to feed everyone here. The adults have taken the minimum of food and have given what they have to the pups, but this is not enough. This settlement is dying and we can not stop it."

"Did your settlement not gather food for the winter?" Asked an exasperated Inutaisho, he really wanted to know what was happening here.

The elder seemed to hesitate in answering his questions. Inutaisho, on the other hand, was clearly not in the mood to be lied to, "Tell me what is happening here, I can't help you unless you tell me what is wrong."

The elder sighed, gathering his courage, he finally spoke, "The Lord of this area came through this area a few moons ago, he took just about everything that we had to supply his castle with. We tried to tell him that we needed the food to feed everyone here for the winter but he cared not. Several of our warriors were killed in the process of protecting what little we had."

Inutaisho was not happy at all. This is not what the minor lord of this area was for. His job was to see to his peoples needs. Not take it away from them. If he could not meet their needs then he had the right to contact him and ask for aid. This was unacceptable; he will personally deal with this minor lord. He turned his attention back to the elder as he asked, "Who is the lord for this area?"

The elder looked up from the ground as he said, "Senshu, Lord Senshu is the lord of this area."

Sesshoumaru turned to his father when he heard this name, "Father, who is this Senshu?"

Inutaisho eyes harden as he said, "He is a yamaneko, a very powerful one if memory serves. I put him in charge because he showed potential in caring for all in this area. When there was trouble, he saved countless of villages and settlements in the area and I thought he would make a good lord. But I guess I was wrong, if he is doing this to this settlement, what is he doing to the villages where the ningens live?"

Sesshoumaru understood what his father was saying, they will have to visit this Senshu and find out what is going on. If he was behind all of this, then it will be his great pleasure to get rid of this curd.

Kagome was standing next to her mate listening to everything that was being said. She was worried about the youkai in this area and wondered if they will survive until help arrived from the castle. She knew that her Otou-san has already dispatched help with food for this area, but they needed help now.

Kagome was brought out of her musing when she heard a noise off to her side. A demoness was slowly making her way over to her and she held a bundle in her arms. She kneeled in front of Kagome as she offered the bundle to her.

Kagome was curious about the demoness, as she walked away from her mate and went to the one that was kneeling not too far away from her. She kneeled in front of youkai and asked, "Can I help you?"

The demoness knew that she was dying. She wanted to give her pup to someone that she knew will protect and care for it. She looked up at the ningen that was kneeling in front of her. She was finely dressed and then she saw the mark of the western lord's clan on her forehead. This meant that this female is mated to one of the heirs to the land.

She swallowed hard as she said in a horse voice, "Please…, please milady…, please take care of my pup. Don't let him die because I am unable to feed him. My life is nothing, I will gladly give it to save my pup. Please I beg you, please see that he grows up to be happy."

Kagome could not believe what this demoness was saying to her, she wanted her to take her pup and care for it. She took the pup from her arms as she unwrapped it. Tears started to form in her eyes when she saw the pup. It was so thin and it was barely breathing. It didn't have long to live as she searched her mind for answers.

'What can I do? This precious pup is going to die unless I can help it. All of these youkai will die unless we help them now.' Kagome continued to think trying to find the answer to all of her questions.

A lone tear left her eye as it slowly went down her cheek. The tear had a celestial glow as it traveled down. It turned a pure light blue like her eyes as it fell from her chin. The moment the tear fell it grew bigger than life. It broke into a millions pieces, as it searched for all the youkai in the area. It healed every youkai that was weak and dying. It filled them with energy to sustain them until the food from the castle arrived.

Kagome whole body was washed in a blue aura as she held the pup in her arms. She was oblivious to what she was doing as her mate turned to her and panicked.

Sesshoumaru was talking with his father and failed to notice that Kagome walked away from his protection. He felt a wave of power going around the area as he turned searching for his mate. She was kneeling on the ground in front of a demoness and she was holding something close to her chest.

He rushed to her side, when he looked at what she was holding, he noticed that it was an inu youkai pup. It seemed healthy and had a pair of lungs that would wake the dead. He watched in awe as the light from her tear spread out through the area seeking all those that were weak. Even the elders they were talking too, felt rejuvenated.

Kagome came out of her fog like mind when she heard the pup crying in her arms. The pup knew she was not its mother, as she gave him back to the demoness in front of her. She looked at the demoness as she said, "I don't think that your son wants to come with me. He wants to stay with his mother and I don't blame him. Help is coming from Gengetsujou and they will be here soon."

The demoness felt strong again as she looked at her son. He was healthy and had a strong cry, a cry that she has not heard in days. Tears were running down her cheeks as she said, "Thank you, thank you for helping my pup milady. We will be all right, now that help is coming. Thank you."

Kagome blinked when she noticed that her mate was kneeling next to her, she didn't know what was wrong as she inquired, "Sesshoumaru? Is something wrong?"

Sesshoumaru pulled her into his embrace and checked her to make sure that she was all right. The flare of her powers surprised him as he checked their pup. Their pup was fine, it was unharmed and Kagome didn't seem to know what she just did.

He pulled her away from his chest and asked, "Kagome, how are you feeling? Are you hurt?"

Kagome was confused, she had no idea what her mate was talking about. "Mate, I feel fine, why are you asking me this? What did I do?"

Sesshoumaru raised an elegant eyebrow at his mate, 'She doesn't know what she just did to save these youkai.' He took a deep breath as he explained, "Kagome, your powers surged throughout the area."

Kagome panicked as she said, "Did I hurt anyone?"

"No mate, your powers didn't hurt anyone, but it did heal all here in this area. When your tear fell from your eye it turned blue, like your eyes. It broke into a million lights and touched every youkai in this area. You healed everyone here until the wagons get here from Gengetsujou. Look around mate, no one is weak any longer." Sesshoumaru said, while his mate looked around the area.

Kagome noticed that the youkai that inhabited this settlement were starting to come out of their hiding places. The pups, those precious little beings, were running around playing again in the morning sun. 'I did this? How? I don't remember doing this or using my powers to do this.'

Kagome was confused at her mate's words, but accepted them. She was glad she could help, even though she didn't know how she did it. She got up from the ground as Sesshoumaru wrapped his tails around her, making sure that she stays put this time, and doesn't wonder off.

They returned to his father side, he noticed that his sire was concerned about Kagome as Sesshoumaru said, "She is fine father, and she doesn't even know how she did that."

Inutaisho nodded his head showing that he understood. He looked at his mate and motioned with his head towards their pup. Ayashiko understood as she went over to talk to Kagome. She, herself, wanted to make sure that Kagome was all right.

Kagome was speaking to Ayashiko when she noticed that the pups were running to her. She turned as they all stopped in front of her and bowed. The oldest of the pups, that was in the group, came up and kneeled in front of her, as he said, "Milady, we wanted to thank you for healing us. We have not felt this good for a while now. We all wanted to know what your name is?"

Kagome smiled as she kneeled down to the pups. It was hard to move as two tails tightened around her waist and she lightly tapped them to loosen their hold on her. When they did she was able to breath, she turned her attention to the pups, and said with a smile on her face, "My name is Kagome, I'm glad that I was able to help you. What kind of games do you all like to play?"

Kagome sat there and talked with the pups for a while. Ayashiko joined her on the ground, she was holding one pup in her lap. Kagome had all the pups sitting down while she told them a story. The pups were very quiet as they listened to the story being told. Their mothers were near by watching, to make sure that their pups did anything to insult the ladies of the west.

When Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru finished their business with the elders of the settlement they turned looking for their mates. Sesshoumaru still had his tails wrapped around his mate so he knew where she was. She was sitting right behind him as he heard her talking.

He turned around and to his surprise she had all the pups there listening, to of all things, a story that she was spinning for them. His eyes glowed with warmth at seeing his mate with the pups. He knew that he was looking at the future with their pups. He looked at her as he said in a gentle voice, "Kagome, its time for us to leave."

Kagome looked up at her mate, then she heard the whines of the pups, they were protesting that they wanted to know what happened next. She looked up with pleading eyes as she said, "Can I finish the story first, I'm almost done."

The look in her eyes made him cave as he nodded his agreement. Kagome turned around once more and continued with the story. It only took her a few more minutes to finish her tale, when she was done all of the pups came up to her and hugged her goodbye.

She stood along with her mother as they waved goodbye to the pups and followed their mates away from the village.

Kagome was quickly pulled into her mates embrace as he nuzzled her on her neck. She laughed as she asked, "What was that for?"

Sesshoumaru growled as he said, "For being you, and for caring for those pups back there. They never expected that my mate would be so kind hearted, that she would be willing to take care of another youkais pups."

Kagome didn't understand what the big deal was, his statement confused her, "Why wouldn't I care about another pups? They are the future of these lands, if we show them to take care of each other, then they will live in peace with one another."

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru were taken by surprise by her statement, but what she said was true. If they educate everyone to live together, then the future will look brighter. They continued to walk and Kagome was wondering where they were going. She turned her attention to her mate, "Sesshoumaru? Where are we going now, to another settlement or a village this time?"

Sesshoumaru face became hard as stone, answering, "We are going to meet the one responsible for all this hardship. He is the governing lord for this area and we have some things that we need to discuss with him."

Kagome raised an eyebrow at her mate as her temper started to rise. She knew that she could not use her Reiyouku but she was not defenseless. She had a few choice words to say to this youkai. Not her mate, nor her father, was going to stop her.

Sesshoumaru noticed that Kagome's anger was growing. This was not good if she tried to access her Reiyouku. He will have to keep an eye on his mate, he didn't want anything to happen to her, if her anger got the better of her.

---oOo---

It took them about an hour to arrive at Senshu castle. They were amazed that he could live so lavishly, while the people of this land were dying of starvation. They approached the castle, as the alarm was given that there were approaching youkai.

When Inutaisho got to the gate he said, "Open the gates now! I want to see Senshu."

The guards were not about to open for him as one of them said, "We do not open the gates just for anyone, who are you to demand anything of us?"

Inutaisho eyes flashed red as he said with a growl, "I'm Lord Inutaisho! Lord of these lands, now, if you don't open these gate then I will have the pleasure of taking them down for you."

The soldier scrambled to get the gates opened when they felt the youki of the youkai standing in front of them. It was a powerful aura and they knew that he has to be the lord of the lands. They quickly opened the gates as they bowed and offered their apologies for being rude.

Inutaisho was not in the mood. His fist went right through the first guard's chest, the one who had insulted his person, he turned to the rest that were standing there and said, "Take me to Senshu!"

The guards complied with his wishes as they led him inside of the castle. Not only did the outside of the castle looked beautiful, but the inside was even more lavishly decorated, there was gold everywhere. The four of them were lead into something that was the equivalent to the great hall in his castle.

When they entered they spotted their prey and walked in his direction. Inutaisho could see that the yamaneko was scared out of his mind to find him in his domain. He stopped in front of this so-called lord and said, "Senshu, we have much to discuss."

---oOo---

Senshu was in his bedchambers when he got word that the Lord of the Lands was in his castle. He didn't think it possible that Lord Inutaisho will come all this way to visit him. He was after all a minor lord in his kingdom.

He tricked this Inu into giving him rule over this part of his lands. For years now he has been bleeding this area dry, of everything they grew and the weapons they made. He was planning on leaving this area when the spring season came around. By then all in this area will be dead from lack of food. There will be no one left that will accuse him of bleeding this area dry.

He told the soldier standing at his door to escort these people to the grand hall. He will be down shortly to greet them. It was probably some minor lord from another area, wanting something from him. He had plenty of the other lords coming to him for help and he will refuse each one.

He checked his person in the mirror, when he was satisfied with the way he looked, he made his way to the grand hall. He entered the room from his private door, when he spotted the intruders to his castle. He swallowed hard when he noticed that it was the Lord of the Lands that was waiting for him.

He was not alone either, he had with him the Lady of the West, and another youkai that looked a lot like him. He figured that this was his eldest son and heir, but what amazed him was his aura, it was a pure white in color. It signified that he has reached the height of his powers. A feat that was very difficult to achieve.

He saw this youkai unwrap his tail from around something that he held in his arms. He lowered a ningen onna and placed her on her feet. She had midnight black hair and beautiful blue eyes. They were looking around the area until they landed on him.

He stood straighter making his height look impressive to the little onna, and then he noticed her eyes. They were changing color very fast, like there was a storm approaching his domain.

He stopped right in front of his lord and bowed when he heard his declaration. He didn't like his tone of voice, it meant trouble for him.

He stood straight up as he looked at his lord and said, "Oh, what do we have to discuss, milord. All is well here in this area of the lands."

Inutaisho growled his displeasure, "No, everything is not well in this area. I have been to one of the settlements and the youkai there are starving. There was no food in the village for them to eat or provide for their pups. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Senshu was caught, Inutaisho has been to one of the settlements, he knew that he has seen the condition it was left in. The look in his eyes told him that he will die this day for everything he has done to the people of these lands. He squared his shoulders as he replied, "I have no idea what you are talking about milord. The villages and settlements in this area, have plenty of food to last them through the winter. If the settlement was starving then they have not informed me of it."

Kagome was standing next to her mate with his tails wrapped tightly around her waist. Her mate was not about to let her get near this youkai. She slipped her hands inside her sleeves. It was to hide her hands as she pulled several shuriken from her obi to get them ready. She had a feeling that this youkai will attack her Otou-san and she was going to get them first.

Her eyes roamed the area when she saw several youkai hiding in the shadows. She pulled several ofuda's, that Miroku gave her, to freeze the youkai in place. She knew where they were as she silently said her spells and got them ready.

There was a heated argument going on between Inutaisho and Senshu when the attack came. Kagome was ready as she threw her ofuda's and landed on the youkai that were in the shadows and her shuriken went towards Senshu.

Her shuriken hit their mark as it pulled the youkai backwards and pinned him to the wall. His arms and legs were spread out effectively trapping him in place. It helped that the shuriken had a spell placed on them as well, to hold the youkai in place.

Kagome grinned when she saw what she did. Now her Otou-san could take care of this fool, because if he didn't, she will kill him herself, for what he has done.

Inutaisho blinked and the next thing he knew Senshu was pinned to the wall in front of him. He looked to his side and saw several youkai frozen in place. He did not sense them at all, nor did he pick up on their youki or scent.

He turned around and looked at his pup. She was smiling, 'Kagome must have sensed them and she attacked before they did us any harm.' Thought Inutaisho as he looked at his mate to make sure she was unharmed.

Sesshoumaru was equally surprised when he noticed what happened. He did not even sense that they were in danger but his mate did. He turned his head toward his mate as he asked, "Mate, how did you know they were waiting to attack us? I didn't even sense them."

Kagome never took her eyes off of Senshu as she said, "They are ninjas, and they have ways of blocking you from detecting them. I am also a ninja, I can break through their spells to find them. I noticed those three hiding in the shadows waiting for a chance to attack. This one though, I could feel what he was going to do before he actually did it, and I was able to subdue him."

Kagome then turned to her Otou-san and said, "Lord Inutaisho, if you do not deal with this filth, then I will deal with him myself. I will pass judgment for what he has done to the people of this land. I know that you sensed that he has been lying to you, about what is happening here in the lands, plus he is the cause of all of it."

Inutaisho was impressed with his pup. She was very powerful if she detected these cretins, where he could not. His eyes flashed red as he turned his attention to the one that was pinned to the wall. He smirked and when he spoke it sent shivers down Senshu spine.

"So, Senshu, you like to lie to your lord. It's a good thing that we brought Kagome with us. You see she is my eldest son's mate and a very powerful miko. She would love nothing better than to get her hands on you for what you have done to the people of this area.

"She had to heal all of the youkai from the settlement before we came here. If she didn't then they would have died before help could reach them. So give me a good reason why I should not let her kill you?"

Senshu, was shaking in fear. He has never seen a female this powerful, he could tell that she didn't even use any of her powers to subdue him. Her eyes went to a dark grey almost black in color as she stared at him.

He shivered in fright, he turned his eyes to the Lord of the Lands, and said, "Please forgive me milord, I meant no harm. I just wanted to live like you, have nice things in my home and be a lord in my own right. I can make things right, I can make sure that the people of this land have more food in the settlements and villages. Let me prove to you that I have changed my ways."

Inutaisho laughed, 'Does this youkai think that I'm stupid? He has no intentions of righting his wrongs. I have no choice, I can't let Kagome kill him, she can't use her powers and if she tried then it will hurt the pup.'

Inutaisho stopped his laughing, and then he turned his attention back to his prisoner, "No, you had your chance, you should have helped the people of these lands, but you chose to hurt them instead." He then turned his attention to his son and said, "Sesshoumaru, will you please do me the honor of getting rid of this filth. I'm sure that as the ruling two tail you will enjoy it much more than I."

Senshu finally noticed that the heir to the west was a two-tail inuyoukai. He was the ruling youkai for all the lands, not just the west. His eyes opened wide when he noticed that his hand was glowing. Before he could say anything in his defense a golden whip came out of his hands, it was the last thing he saw before he died.

Sesshoumaru smiled at his father as he brought his hand up and cracked his knuckles. He summoned his golden whip and struck out at the youkai that was pinned to the wall, and sliced him in two.

He flicked his wrist and the whip came around, seeking those that were being held under Kagome's spell, he easily killed the ones that were trying to do them harm. When he was done he called back his whip as they all turned around and left the castle.

They will have to find someone else to take over this area and make sure that they work for the people and not against them.

They walked out of the castle only to be greeted by Senshu army. Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru stood in front of their mates to protect them. They attacked as both inu youkai attacked with a vengeance.

Ayashiko and Kagome were standing back, there were trying to stay safe but they were attacked as well.

Ayashiko pushed Kagome behind her to protect her. Her anger grew at the youkai who were trying to hurt her pup. She brought her right hand up as a green whip came out to attack those who wished to do her pup harm.

As more soldiers converged on them Kagome started to panic. She could not help them fight and she was worried about Ayashiko. She didn't know how much longer she will be able to protect her as Kagome's fears grew.

Ayashiko felt her pups fear as her rage took over. These filths were scaring her pup and she needed to put a stop to it. She let her youki go over the area as she attacked the soldiers that were coming after them.

Kagome witness for the first time a mother's rage, as she saw the power that Ayashiko held. She never knew that she was this powerful as she killed all the youkai soldiers in the area with just her youki, while she protected her.

Kagome noticed that more soldiers were coming from behind as she screamed and Ayashiko quickly turned to take care of the threat. She was hit in her shoulder as she went down to her knees.

Kagome seeing that Ayashiko got hurt protecting her lost it, as she screamed in anguish.

Sesshoumaru heard his mate's screams as his rage took over. He spun on the toe of his right foot as his golden whip came out and destroyed the youkai that was around him. He leaped from his position as he landed near his mate and took care of the ones that were attacking Kagome and his mother.

Inutaisho had about enough as his let his powers go. His sword lashed out at the youkai soldiers killing them in one swift move. He turned as he looked for his mate and his little one. He saw them on the ground as Kagome was crying near his mate. He rushed to their side to see what was wrong.

Kagome was crying her heart out when she noticed that Ayashiko was hurt trying to protect her. She turned towards her Oka-san and said, "I'm sorry Oka-san, because of me you were hurt trying to protect me. I'm worthless to all of you."

Ayashiko noticed that all of the enemy soldiers have been dealt with. She heard what her pups said to her, as she grabbed her by the shoulders and said in a forceful voice, "Kagome, how can you call yourself worthless? You are the most powerful female in all the land. You have done more than any other female has done in her lifetime. You healed a whole settlement with just a drop of your tear because you cared enough about them to help them. I don't call that being worthless. You have to stop putting yourself down every time someone gets hurt. Its going to happen whether you are here or not."

Kagome started to cry even harder, she was scared, she was scared that she would lose her, and threw herself into Ayashiko's arms and cried. "I was so scared that I would lose you, I don't want to be left alone again."

This statement caught Ayashiko by surprise. She didn't know what her pup meant by that statement, as she brought her closer into her embrace. She will have to find out later what she meant by that statement.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru was breathing hard as he approached his mate and kneeled behind her. His mate was still upset, as he looked at his mother, pleading with her to release his mate to him.

Ayashiko noticing that Sesshoumaru was kneeling behind Kagome, saw the pleading look in his eyes. She nodded that she understood as she moved Kagome away from her and let Sesshoumaru take his mate.

Kagome was still upset as she was pulled into Sesshoumaru's embrace. He held onto her while his beast purred to calm her. He rubbed her back in a soothing motion as her cries turned into hiccups. Kagome finally calmed down as she held on to her mate.

Inutaisho was standing there listening to what his little one was saying. She was upset and wouldn't calm down no matter how much his mate tried to comfort her. He saw as his son took his mate from his mother and tried to comfort her.

Inutaisho then had his chance as he went to check on his mate while his son took care of his. His eyes soften as he said, "Mate, are you all right?"

Ayashiko purred as he brought her into his embrace and said, "I'm fine mate, but I'm worried about what Kagome has said. Who did she lose that meant that much to her? We know that her mother is still alive, so who died?"

"I don't know mate, but we will find out. She just needs some time to calm herself down." Inutaisho then picked up his mate, while he turned to his son and asked, "Are you ready to leave Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru turned from his mate as he said, "Yes, Kagome has finally calmed down so we can leave." Father and son left Senshu castle, each holding on to their mates as they made their way into the forest.

Inutaisho turned to his pup and asked, "Do you think that we can go to the next village? Or do we need to return to Gengetsujou?"

Sesshoumaru looked at his mate who was still awake, but holding on to him with a death grip, she seemed calm enough and was resting against him, so he decided, "No, we don't need to return just yet. I think that we could go on to the next village and see how they are doing."

They both took their orb form and took off to the next village. They arrived to see that his soldiers were there with the needed supplies for the villagers. The ningens were grateful for the help as they expressed their gratitude.

Kagome was standing next to her mate the whole time. She didn't move nor did she speak to anyone. Ayashiko saw her opportunity, as she walked over to her pup and pulled her along with her. They went to sit down at the edge of the forest where they could have some privacy, there they waited until their mates were done with their business.

Ayashiko pulled her pup toward her and wrapped her arms around her. She nuzzled her, offering her comfort. After a while she finally felt when Kagome relax in her arms. They sat like that for a while until she turned to her pup and asked, "Kagome, who did you lose that you don't want to be left alone?"

Kagome knew this was coming, she said something that she had deeply buried in her mind. She tried to pull away from Ayashiko but she will not let her go. She relaxed as she said, "The person I was talking about was my Baa-san. She was the one that protected me from my father. She was always there to hold me when I was hurting. She caught on to what my father was doing and she protected me from him.

"Then one day she got sick. We had to take her to the hospital, which is a place that takes care of anyone who is sick. They told my mother that there was nothing that they could do to help her. She died when I was holding her hand, she got hurt because she was protecting me, but she didn't want me to tell anyone. That day I vowed that I will not lose anyone who tried to protect me."

Ayashiko had tears coming from her eyes as she held her pup. She could not believe that Kagome has suffered so much in her life. She now understood why she said that. She rocked her pup in her arms, as she softly hummed to herself. It soothed Kagome until she fell asleep in her arms.

---oOo---

Inutaisho turned to look for his mate. She was gone from his side as he turned to Sesshoumaru and asked, "Sesshoumaru, have you seen your mother and Kagome?"

Sesshoumaru finally noticed that his mate was gone from his side. She has been quiet since she got upset at Senshu castle. The last thing he noticed was that she was standing quietly behind him. "No I have not seen either of them. I have no doubt that Kagome is with mother."

Inutaisho agreed as they went looking for their mates. They finally found them sitting under a tree near the forest. The area was quiet and they were both sleeping soundly in each other arms.

Inutaisho thought that it was a beautiful portrait. Both of them looked like angels sleeping together. He then turned his attention to his son and said, "You take Kagome and I'll grab your mother, but be careful, we don't want to wake them. If your mother notices that someone is taking her pup she will attack."

Sesshoumaru understood his fathers warning as he approached his mate. He moved his mothers arm from around his mate without waking her. He slipped his arms around Kagome and gently pulled her away from his mother. Kagome stirred but quickly settled back down when his inner inu soothed her.

When he was assured that Kagome will not wake up, he stood with her in his arms and moved away, this allow his father to grab his mother. When the males had their mates, securely in their arms, they left the village and went back home. They had the knowledge that everyone got the supplies they needed and will survive the winter.

---oOo---

This is the end to another chapter. Kagome's powers are now sealed until her pup is born. Sesshoumaru will be hard pressed to keep her safe from now until the pup is born. Miroku is going to have a hard time trying to convince Sango to marry him, but we all know that our favorite monk will win Sango's heart and change her mind.

Hey guys for all of you who didn't know the last time I posted 2 chapters. Chapter 31 and 32 are new chapters. Many of you only read chapter 32 and didn't read 31. You need to go back and read 31 if you missed it. How do I know? By the number of hits that the chapter got, there are twice as many hits for chapter 32 than there is for chapter 31. Just thought I let you know.

I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. From my family to yours, may you have a Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year. Our story is rapidly coming to an end. Only 4 more chapters to go and then my story will be complete.

Kagome is now showing and it has finally snowed in the western lands. Join me as Kagome teaches the pups of the castle the joy of snowball fights and other wonderful winter games.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

In the days that followed their return to Gengetsujou, Kagome had settled down. She was eating more, much to her mates delight. She made the marinade that she promised for her mate, the one she made for the first time, prior to them mating. This was the only way that Kagome could eat raw meat for the pup.

Inutaisho was in heaven with the marinade, as Kagome called it. He loved the taste and asked Kagome to make sure that his cooks knew how to make it. He wanted more of this marinade in the future and having his cooks know how to make it will ensure that he got it.

Ayashiko told both her son and mate about the person that Kagome lost in her life. She explained that Kagome's Baa-san was the one who protected her when she was a small pup from her father's wrath.

She explained that the elder ningen had died while protecting her, that's why she was so upset, when she gotten hurt protecting Kagome. She had told them of her vow not to let anyone else die because they were protecting her. Kagome saw it as someone leaving her again and she didn't want to be left alone.

Both males understood her concerns and they would try and show her that they were not weak ningens that would fall so easily.

When they arrived back at the castle Miroku had a few more names to add to the list of possible spies. With Sango's help he was able to pinpoint some more youkai that were not at the meeting in the forest.

Miroku was trying his best to get on Sango's good side, trying to win her back, so they could marry. He was not pushing the issue now because their home was not started yet. They were scheduled to start in the early spring, and he, for once in his life, could not wait until it was finished.

On any given night you could see Sango and Miroku together just walking around under the starry sky. Miroku learned a lot of things about his beloved Sango. She was a passionate creature that wanted only to be loved for who she was. She was strong for a female and most males did not want that in their wives.

Miroku knew that most of those feelings was male pride, getting in the way of things, but he did not mind Sango's abilities. On the contrary, it was those abilities that caught his attention, he liked who she was and loved the fact that she was strong on her own. He would protect her, yes, but he knew that if he could not reach her in time that she was capable of protecting herself.

---oOo---

Winter was finally upon them. The snows came in over night and the land was covered in a white blanket of fluff. This was Kagome's favorite time of year. She loved the winter and she especially loved it when it snowed.

You could sometimes find Kagome outside in the snow just enjoying its beauty. The pups from the castle would be outside playing in the white stuff. Kagome taught them some games they could use to play in the snow.

Kagome taught them how to slide down a hill by just using some flat wood that they had found in one of the storage huts. She had taken the children to a hillside and placed her own piece of wood down. She sat upon it and then pushed herself down the hill. She laughed her heart out as she picked up speed and soon was at the bottom.

She stood just in time to see Sango following her down the hill, when the females laughed and giggled, the pups put their own down and then did the same thing. The sound of laughter could be heard all around the castle.

Ayashiko was wondering the forest trying to find her pup. She wanted to know what she was doing, she finally heard the laughter around the area, with the pups screaming their lungs out in joyous laughter.

She was curious and followed the sound to the hillside, close to the castle. When she saw what they were doing she almost had a heart attack watching her Musume going down the hill with the pups.

She rushed to the hillside and was about to reprimand her pup when she noticed how happy she was. She could not, in good nature, take away something that she was laughing so hard at and really enjoyed. She did notice, however, that Kagome was being very careful of her belly, now that she was showing. She had a pillow, which was strapped tightly around her stomach, to make sure that it was protected.

When they all climbed up the hill, she noticed how red faced her pup was, but she was happy. They all gathered around Ayashiko, as they tried to convince her into trying the sled. She used Kagome's piece of wood, as they all got ready to go down once more time.

Kagome gave the signal and they all took off down the hill. Ayashiko could not believe what fun this game was. She loved it, as she too started to laugh and enjoy herself. When the time came to go back inside the females were happy and it reflected in their auras.

That happiness was transferred to everyone in the castle and the mood lighten a bit.

Ayashiko sent Kagome up to rest for the afternoon, while she saw to the evening meal. Sango stayed by Kagome to guard her, Miroku would show up out of the blue, to keep her company as they guarded Kagome's chambers.

Ayashiko was making her way down to the kitchens when she spotted her mate. She gave him a wonderful smile that lit up her eyes.

Inutaisho could feel the happiness that was radiating from her aura. He wondering what has made his mate so happy as he asked, "Mate, what has you in such a good mood?"

Ayashiko smiled as she said, "I have been introduced to the wonders of sledding. Kagome taught me how to ride, what she calls a sled, down a hill. It is the most amazing thing that I have ever experienced. I feel like a pup again!"

Ayashiko then turned and continued into the kitchen, she had a spring to her step as she walked away from her mate.

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow at his mate, while he watched her walk away from him. He will have to see what this sled is and see if it is as fun as she says it is. He shook his head as he continued on his way to his next meeting. He will have to find out what else his mate and pup do during the day.

---oOo---

The next day it had snowed some more. They could not go sledding because the snow was just not firm enough. There was too much of it on the ground and it was not packed down for what they needed. Kagome thought about what they could do with this snow. Then she got an idea.

She bent down and grabbed some snow in her hands, 'This is perfect! The snow is wet so it packs firmly in my hands, we can make some snowmen out of this, or even get into a snowball fight.' Kagome grinned to herself, she stood and brushed the snow off her hands and turned to her friend.

She enlisted Sango's help and they built a snowman. When they were putting the finishing touches on the snowman the pups from the castle finally made it to her side.

Kagome explained to the pup that there was too much snow to go sledding so she said that they could build snowmen or anything else they felt like making.

Kagome and Sango were amazed at the creativity of the pups. They didn't make snowmen, but instead they made snow sculptures. There were inu youkai that looked similar to the guards that protected the castle. There were dragons, horses, kitsune's, ookami, and many more, some of the pups even made a couple of castles on the opposite sides of the field they were in.

Kagome was working on a sculpture herself. After seeing what the pups were doing she decided to try her hand at it. She got several snowballs together and then placed them one on top of each other. She then took some snow and filled it in where it needed. Then she found a stick and started to make the person she saw in her mind.

It took her a couple of hours to make, but when she stood back, looking at her creation, she was shocked. She never thought that she was any good at sculpting, but oh boy was she ever wrong. Standing in front of her was a replica of her mate. She had carved every detail of him into the snow and now he stood there in all his glory.

Kagome smiled at her handy work, she thought that she could bring her mate out here so he could see what she made.

Kagome then turned to look for her friend and noticed her a few feet away. She had her Hirakotsu, implanted into the ground, standing on its end, she was making her own creation and Kagome got curious.

She made her way over to Sango's side and notice what she made. She gasped as she saw Miroku's form in the ice, standing there with his staff, looking proudly over the land.

Kagome could not resist the comment that she blurted out of her mouth, "Sango that is a wonderful likeness of Miroku. I think he is going to like it very much."

Sango quickly turned around, she was not expecting to see Kagome standing behind her, admiring her work. She blushed a deep red, "No, I don't think that he will like it that much. I'm not very good at doing this kind of stuff."

Kagome huffed as she said, "That's not true, come here and stand by me. Then turn and look at your sculpture. I will bet that you will agree with me."

Sango was doubtful of Kagome's words, so she went to her side and stood there, while she turned her attention back to the sculpture she was making. Her breath hitched when she looked at what she had done. 'Kagome was right! It does look like Miroku.'

"I apologize Kagome, I now see that you were right. It does look a lot like him. I didn't think that I could make something like that." Sango said as she lowered her eyes to the ground.

Kagome chuckled at her friend, "Don't worry about it Sango. All we have to do is go get the guys and show them what we made." With that both girls walked back into the castle.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru just finished going over the treaties that were necessary for peace between the east and west. He felt his mate's aura entering the castle and felt her excitement. 'I wonder what has Kagome so excited?' He got up from his desk as he followed his nose to where his mate was located.

It took him a few minutes to find her and when he did, he had to brace himself for the impact. His mate had thrown herself into his arms, as he wrapped them around her body, bringing her closer to his chest. When he felt her let go of him he released her and looked into her eyes.

When Kagome saw her mate she ran into his arms. His arms were the only place she always found comfort and she loved to be held by him. When her need to be comforted subsided she pulled away from his chest, looking up into his eyes, "Sesshoumaru? Do you have some time for me? I want to show you something that is outside."

Sesshoumaru nodded his agreement and wrapped his arm around her waist. He noticed right away that she was very cold. His tails came up and wrapped themselves around her body to keep her warm from the cold of the winter winds.

Kagome took her mate back to the field that they were in all morning, when they entered the field Sesshoumaru's eyes went wide. The area looked like a tribute to everything in the Western Lands. He noticed all manner of animals and youkai, but just to his left he saw something that was familiar to him.

He walked in that direction as he eyes opened wide. There stood a life size figure of himself, totally made of snow. He turned to his mate as he asked, "Did you do this mate?" Kagome smile widen as she nodded her head yes to his question.

The next thing she knew, she was pulled into a heated kiss, while he took her breath away. When they pulled apart, Kagome's face was flushed. Sesshoumaru moved his head lower and nuzzled his mate, as he said, "The sculpture is beautiful my mate. I can't believe that you made that out of snow. You are truly talented."

Kagome turned to another area of the field and noticed the castles that the pups made. She furrowed her eyebrows together and then got an idea, turning to her mate, "Sesshoumaru, I think I found another game for the pups to play in the mornings. They can play capture the flag and it will teach them how to strategize.

"The only thing that they can use as weapons is the snow. That way they won't get hurt, while trying to take each other flag. They will also have to make sure that they don't destroy anything already here, they will have to think on this game, but I bet that they will come up with a plan."

Sesshoumaru was impressed with his mate. She was always thinking up ways for the pups to improve on their new skills, the hardest thing for anyone to learn was strategy. But if she could make the pups, think up their own strategy, to win a game, then she will be teaching them all a hard lesson. But he couldn't understand how a game will teach pups how to strategize. He made up his mind that he would watch the next day to see how this could happen.

The next day Kagome was outside with the pups. She explained the new game to them and they were eager to play. She split them up into two groups. Sango and Kagome each took a group, but they were not playing, they were there to help or give advice, if they needed it.

Inuyasha was the selected leader for the blue group and Shippou was the leader for the red group. A blue and red flag were placed at the snow castle, now the game will start. Each side took the game seriously. They planned out their defenses and their attacks. They each selected one person on their team that will attempt to steal the flag from their enemy.

Kagome sat back and watched as Inuyasha planned a good defense and attacks against Shippou and Sango. When both sides were ready with their plans the attacks started.

Snowballs were the weapons of choice as each side attacked. The majority of their fighting forces were engaged on the battlefield. Their attacks were very well placed and they didn't touch anything that was already on the field, nor did they destroy anything that they thought was valuable.

Kagome noticed, out the corner of her eye, a pup moving in to steal the flag. She wondered if Inuyasha knew that he had an enemy approaching from behind. She watched with interest to see what would happen. She couldn't warn him about it, so she just watched.

In a real conflict, Inuyasha will have to pay attention to what is going on around him, or he would have thought of a way to defend his position. Being that she was on neutral ground she could not interfere or it would be cheating.

To Kagome's surprise, as the pup was about to grab the flag, a trap was sprung and it threw the pup away from their flag. Not only had Inuyasha prepared his attacks but he also thought of a defense just in case they got past his defenses, which in this case, worked.

Just then Inuyasha and his group surged forward, in an all out attack against Shippou's forces. Shippou noticing that his attempt, at getting the flag failed, he was now frustrated. They will have to try again and watch out for any more traps. Then a loud howl was heard over the battlefield as Inuyasha's group surged forward to storm his castle.

Shippou defended his territory by sending everybody to the front. This was his mistake as one of Inuyasha's friends was moving slowly behind Shippou's defenses to get near his flag.

Covered in snow the neko went unnoticed by everyone, while sneaking up to the flag. He searched the area to make sure that there were no traps hidden in the area. Having been the one who set up the trap to defend their own flag, the little neko youkai sniffed the area and used his feline senses.

Satisfied that the area was free of traps, the pup surged forward and grabbed the flag. He quickly retreated back to his side and gave the flag to Inuyasha, who howled his victory over his friend. The game was over as soon as the flag reached Inuyasha and they lifted it into the air to show, they got their flag.

Kagome praise each side for their plans and attacks, she also told them that they have to plan for every possible scenario when it came to a real battle. Kagome also noticed that Inuyasha had a lot more pups with him this time than the last time they played a game. She was wondering where all these pups came from.

She turned her attention to Inuyasha as she asked, "Inuyasha, where did all these pups coming from? You didn't have these many friends before?"

Inuyasha smiled warmly at Kagome as he said, "They are the ones that used to threaten all of us at one point in time. Your training has enabled us to teach them all a lesson. We beat them in combat, so now they respect us. They asked where we learned to fight so well and we told them that you taught us.

"So now they are following us in hopes that you will teach them as well." Kagome was completely shocked to hear this. She didn't know that all these pups, kits, and cubs, were hoping that she would teach them. She had to smile at all of them when they left. They were good students and maybe she will teach them how to fight.

The twenty or so pups learned a lot that day and they were planning on coming back the next day to play again.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru was standing in the distance watching the pups. He observed when his mate split the pups into two groups, they separated, each going to their own castle to plan their attacks. He watched his brother carefully, to see what he would do.

While the pups set up for their attack, Inutaisho came to join his eldest. He had spotted him just standing on a hilltop and was curious on what he was doing there. When he got to his son's side he asked, "Sesshoumaru, what are you doing here?"

Sesshoumaru didn't take his attention off the pups that were in the field, but explained the game that the pups were currently engaged in. Sesshoumaru told his father that Kagome wanted them to learn how to strategize, attack, and defend.

Now Inutaisho was interested in what would happen next. He stood by his son and watched as the battle unfolded down in the field.

They were both amazed at the way the pups attacked, defended, and used their cunning to get the flag from their enemy. They didn't destroy anything on the field meaning that they kept the property damage down to a minimum, which is good, because you wanted to capture everything intact.

They noticed that it was Inuyasha's group that won the game, when his group captured the flag. Pride swelled in Inutaisho chest, he was amazed at how ruthless his youngest could be. He planned for everything and managed to win the battle. Inutaisho had to admit that Kagome's little game did teach the pups what they needed to know.

Father and son soon turned and went back to the castle. They will have to think about something like this game for their own armies to practice with, but on a larger scale. Then they could see who would be the victor in such a fight.

---oOo---

Marude and Bakeru have been very busy since the night they called the meeting of all the spies in Inutaisho castle. They all made a vow that night that they will plan the fall of the great inu youkai lord. They will take that which he prized, once in their possession, they will make sure that they died a slow and agonizing death.

One moon cycle later, they brought General Kizuato back to Gengetsujou. He was a black inu youkai that was very powerful. He was an old hand at fighting wars. He has survived countless battles and had a nasty scar to show for it.

It went from the left side of his face, across the bridge of his nose, down, diagonally across his right cheek, and came to rest on the right side of his jaw line. He was very tall, had a very firm body, jet-black hair, and dark brown eyes. He wore the colors of Jakyoku's clan, proudly.

Kizuato was amazed that Jakyoku had so many spies in the Western castle. Upon his arrival at the cave, in the middle of the night, he was introduced to Marude and Bakeru.

He was briefed on the situation by the two-inu youkai, he listened with rapt attention to everything they said, and started to form a plan of his own. Once the briefing was over, he stood, as he began to dictate his orders.

"We will bring down the Western Lord and his clan. We will start with the miko and the runt of the litter. Once these two are in our grasp the Western Lord and his heir will bend to our will.

"I want the females to watch the miko. She will soon slow down as a sign that she is about to give birth. When this happens, pay attention to everything. An opportunity will present itself only once, when that happens, grab the miko and the runt, then leave Gengetsujou.

"I will provide you with something to subdue her and the runt with. What is left of the great armies, which belong to Jakyoku, will be moved south of this location. We will take over a portion of that land for our purpose.

"Once the miko and the runt are in our hands, then we will make our demands. I don't care that the heir is a two-tail inu youkai; we will put an end to his rein along with those who killed our lord.

"I want the miko to be taken alive along with the runt. They will be no good to me if they are dead. If she was to give birth while in our hands, then it will add fuel to the fire. I will kill their pup, when Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho are brought before me. We will take our revenge on these youkai and show them no mercy, just like they didn't show any mercy to our lord.

"You now know where to contact me. Send a message if there is to be a change of plans. We have roughly about 4 to 6 months to get everything in place. I'm sure that we can pull this off and strike them down before they are the wiser."

All the spies nodded their agreement of what General Kizuato said, with a firm plan in place they will start the final down fall of the Western Lord. They couldn't wait to see him fall, the way that their lord fell by their hands.

A couple of the spies escorted the general back out of the barrier. They left him as they went back to their duties, waiting for their sure victory.

Kizuato walked away from Gengetsujou, when he was far enough away, he turned and looked back down at the castle from a hilltop. An evil smile spread across his face, making him look sinister.

A low chuckle was heard as he whispered, "Just you wait Inutaisho, you think that you can protect your little family, but I know better. You will get comfortable and when you do we will strike against you. I will become lord to this region and you, will be dead once I kill your family right in front of your eyes."

He then turned and started to walk away from Gengetsujou. He was a patient youkai, he will wait for the right moment, and then all will be within his grasp. He will be the new Lord of the West, and with it came all the riches that the current lord possessed.

---oOo---

The winter was a hard one. There were times that Kagome could not go outside because it was just too cold for her. She would spend countless hours in her little sanctuary. Just staring at the snow as it whipped around outside. It made the ground fluffy white and it was deep. This was the most snow she has ever seen in her life and it looked beautiful.

Just then she felt her pup move. She was almost three months pregnant and wondered when it would move. It kicked her very hard as she gasped and held her stomach. She was breathing hard when Sango and Ayashiko came running to her side. They were worried that something was wrong with the pup, when they saw tears running down her cheeks.

Ayashiko heard her pup gasp in pain, rushing to her side, she held her against her chest. Kagome let out a cry as she said, "Oka-san it hurt! Why does it hurt so much?"

Ayashiko had no idea what she was talking about, she was panicking while she asked, "Kagome, what do you feel?"

Kagome was breathing hard. She was trying to catch her breath as she said, "It feels like the pup is clawing at my insides. Please make it stop." Kagome closed her eyes as she silently called, _"Sesshoumaru."_

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru was with his father when he heard the pained call of his mate. His eyes turned blood red, he growled deep and menacing, while he rushed out of the study as he went to find her. He knew where she was located, she was always in the same place everyday.

A silver blur was seen streaking across the castle as he finally made it to where his mate was located. He smashed through the door, as he growled, looking around the area to see who dare harm his mate, eyes red from anger, the only thing he knew was that his mate was in pain and someone was the cause of it.

Ayashiko moved away from Kagome when Sesshoumaru entered the room. His eyes were blood red when he looked at his mate. She was in pain and probably thought that they did something to her.

Sesshoumaru rushed to his mate as he picked her up in his arms. He placed her in his lap as he growled to soothe her.

Inutaisho at that moment came into the room, looking for his own mate. He was worried that his pup might have hurt his mother, in his haste to reach his mate. He rushed to her side as he held her, then he asked, "What's going on? Why is Kagome crying?"

Ayashiko quickly told him what was going on. She said that the pup was hurting Kagome and that they were trying to calm it down.

Inutaisho looked at his son as he said, "Sesshoumaru, you must give your pup some of your youki and make it calm down. If you don't it could kill its mother."

Sesshoumaru understood what his father was saying. He put his hand on his mate's stomach and feed it some of his youki. Slowly the pup started to calm down, as Kagome's cries became whimpers. Sesshoumaru continued to feed his pup until it was calm and it was no longer hurting its mother.

Sesshoumaru continued to hold Kagome until she fell asleep from her ordeal. When he felt that she was not in anymore pain, he turned his attention to his sire. "Father, why was the pup hurting Kagome?"

Inutaisho came forward, still holding on to his mate, and sat down in front of his son. He looked at his little one, trying to think of a reply that he could give to his pup. He looked up from Kagome and answered, "I have a theory, youkai pups feed off the youki of their mother. Kagome being ningen, and a miko, has sustained it for as long as she could. Her body is weakening, thus the pup sought to get more power from her.

"You will have to feed your pup regularly or this will happen again Sesshoumaru. We can all feed it our youki and make sure that it has enough to sustain it. There will be times when you won't be here to feed it."

Sesshoumaru growled at his father. He will not leave his mate while she needed him. He will take care of his pup and make sure that he fed it whenever it needed. _'But what will you do if we are called away to defend the lands. We must have a way to keep our mate safe if we are not near. Our sire does have a point. They can help feed the pup if we are not around to do it ourselves.'_ His beast stated with a growl.

Sesshoumaru growled, his beast did have a point. He knew he could not be around her constantly, no matter how much he wanted to be. If there was trouble in the lands he and his father will have to leave the castle to take care of the problem, so that would leave his mother to care for his mate.

He will have to tell his parents later that he was willing for them to help him with his pup. His feelings didn't matter when their mate's health was his first priority.

He stood with Kagome in his arms. He left his father and mother behind as he took his mate up to their rooms. He could feel how tired her body was. The attack that the pup had given her weakened her. His tails came up to encircle her body and keep her safe.

---oOo---

Inutaisho watched as his son took Kagome back up to his room. She was weakened by the attack. But what he couldn't figure out was why she was weakened so much? Yes the pup had attacked her, but she shouldn't have gotten this weak.

Inutaisho turned his attention to his mate and asked, "Mate, have you noticed anything different about Kagome?"

Ayashiko was confused at his question, but answered, "No I haven't noticed anything different about Kagome, why are you asking?"

"Kagome was greatly weakened by that attack. One pup should not affect her that much. I have been able to detect only one pup, no more. I was hoping that with your hearing that you might have detected if she was having more than one." Inutaisho said deep in thought.

He had an idea that Kagome might be carrying more than one pup but he couldn't prove it. Then again the pup had the two most powerful parents in all the land. The pup might be that powerful that it requires large amounts of youki to sustain it.

'Hmm, my mate has a valid point. Kagome was greatly weakened by that attack, but I haven't heard another heartbeat. But it would be wonderful if she did have two. I that way I will have two pups to spoil instead of one.' Ayashiko thought as she turned to her mate.

They both left the room they were in as they made their way to get changed for dinner. Wondering why Kagome was so badly weakened by the pups attack.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru took his mate back up to their rooms and watched her closely for the remainder of the day. When she finally woke he was relieved that she was feeling better.

Kagome opened her eyes and saw her mate leaning over her, with a worried expression on his handsome face. She was confused about why he was worried, "Sesshoumaru is there anything wrong? I feel better now, do you know what happened?"

Sesshoumaru caressed her cheek, loving the feel of her skin on his fingers. "The pup needs my youki from time to time. From what my father tells me, all pup's need the youki of their mother to grow and be strong, but since you are ningen it was feeding off your Reiyouku. Your energy must have been low and the pup sought to draw more from you by attacking your body, that's why you were in so much pain. As soon as I fed it some of my youki it settled down again and let you rest.

"I will be feeding it on a regular basis so that this never happens again. If I am unable to do so, then mother or father can feed the pup. We will all be attentive to you from now on, we should have seen this coming, but we didn't know that the pup would do this to you."

Kagome understood what her mate was saying as she relaxed in his hold. She was hungry as she looked out the window and noticed that it was getting late. She looked up at her mate and said, "Sesshoumaru, shouldn't we be getting downstairs? The evening meal is about to be served and I'm hungry."

Sesshoumaru chuckled at her request. He moved off the bed, and then extended his hand so that his mate could take it. Kagome was still shaky on her feet but Sesshoumaru supported her weight with ease. They left their chambers and went downstairs for the evening meal. Everyone was happy that Kagome was up and about once more.

Sesshoumaru informed his mother and father about keeping an eye on Kagome and that if he was nowhere near his mate that they should help the pup and feed it their youki.

Inutaisho and Ayashiko were stunned by Sesshoumaru's words. Youkai, especially Inu Youkai, never let another youkai take care of their young, especially if it was unborn. They felt honored at his request and agreed to help the pup whenever they could.

---oOo---

The winter was harsh over the Western Lands. It snowed heavily and Kagome was confined to being inside the castle much to her disappointment. She could be found on a daily basis in the sunning room. She was getting bigger during this time and the larger she got the slower she moved.

They finally had a way to keep her still, though she did try to continue with her normal duties. Ayashiko kept a very close eye on her, when she noticed the first signs of her being in pain, she would feed the pup her youki. With all three of them feeding the pup their youki the pup will get something from each of them as a gift.

Kagome had taken to sleeping more now that she was getting bigger. The pup would not let her sleep at night because of its movements, often Sesshoumaru and Kagome would stay in their chambers to allow her to rest.

On days that Sesshoumaru could not be with his mate, he would bring her downstairs for the morning meal, and then put her in her sunning room in her comfortable pillow. Sango was always by Kagome's side. She would not leave her sister behind or unprotected for any reason.

---oOo---

Kagome's spirit started to pick up when the snows started to melt and the days were starting to get warmer. She was now five month pregnant and everyone was watching to see when she will go into labor.

A room has already been prepared for the birthing and Kori was ready to deliver the pup. They have all talked at length about what could happen when Kagome was giving birth and what they will do in those cases.

Kagome taught Kori some of the modern day medicine and showed her how to do a c-section in case the pup was breached. They had helped one of the servants that went into labor and Kagome was present for the birthing.

Kagome noticed that the pup was breached, Kori, not being experienced in doing a procedure like this, had Kagome help her with the birthing of the pup. Kori learned a lot that day and asked that once Kagome gave birth, if she was willing to teach her some more. Kagome happily agreed to her request.

Once spring started to come around Kagome wanted to go outside for a little while each day. Guards were set around the perimeter where she was located and she always had someone with her.

Kagome knew, in her heart, that her day for giving birth was at hand. She was tired and her body ached everywhere. She was not walking any more as her mate would carry her to where she needed to be. He would allow her only a couple hours a day to be outside and the remainder of the day she was to rest.

Kagome could not see anything wrong with this, since she wanted more sleep than usual. Her appetite also slowed down, she was not eating as much as before. The weight she had gained was going away as it fed her pup to make it healthy.

During this time Inuyasha had grown in height, he now almost came up to his fathers shoulder. He finally proved to his father that he was able to protect those of his pack, when he managed to land several hits on his father during a training session.

Inutaisho was caught completely by surprise when his youngest pup managed to make contact with his person. That, and if he was not wearing his armor, his blows would have done him harm. He had learned to master his sword, which he had gotten from him, the Tetsusaiga.

He was now allowed to stand guard with Sango, when Kagome was outside, or when the ladies of the West moved around the area. Inuyasha was proud of his achievements and he will protect his mother and Kagome with his life.

Inuyasha knew that the females within his pack were valued among other males. They were to be loved, cherished, and taken care of. They produced the next generation of youkai and they must be protected. It was an honor to be allowed to guard them, so he took it seriously and with pride.

But the spies in the castle were watching the family of Inu Youkai, they were looking for an opening to strike and they had a feeling it would be soon.

---oOo---

Marude and Bakeru have been steadily observing what has been going on with the ningen. After those two idiots were caught, they meet with their demise before the Inu lord could interrogate them. It was unfortunate that they were caught but they were told to be careful around the ningen.

They knew that the alpha bitch was not to be messed with. Ayashiko was viciously protective of her pups and she has claimed the ningen as her own. Her senses were even sharper when she was protecting one of them. So when she caught those two idiots they deserved their fate.

They also noticed an illusive ningen male around the castle. No one has been able to see what this ningen looks like, but he would appear out of nowhere when they almost had their hands on the miko. He seemed to be a silent protector to the miko, they needed to find out more about him, but first they must find him.

Marude understood that as long as the miko was in the castle she would be hard to reach. But then he started to notice that she was getting weak and slowing down in her pace. Now they could tell by the time of day where she was located and who would be protecting her.

The miko was very picky on who she had around her. She didn't trust anyone she didn't know and always wanted someone from her family to be near her. Anytime any of his spies got near, she would snarl at them and they were made to leave the area. If they didn't move fast enough a golden whip would be their punishment from the Lady of the castle.

With the warmer days approaching and the start of spring, it made it easy to determine where the miko would be. She will always go out to the gardens in the morning, then after lunch they would escort her upstairs to rest.

So everyone started to pay attention to what the miko was doing when she was outside. They noticed all of her movements. She would sit and talk, then she would sit back and relaxed while there was a gentle breeze blowing through the area. She would take a nap under the sakura tree that she was leaning against for a few hours. Then they would wake her to escort her inside for lunch.

They noticed that the barriers around the outside of her chambers were the strongest they have ever seen, so taking her from there was out of the question.

Bakeru made the suggestion that they could grab the ningen when she was outside during the morning. Yes there were guards around the area, but on certain days, there were not that many of them. They should be able to get close enough to her and then cause a distraction to get rid of the guards that were protecting her.

They have been keeping Kizuato informed of their progress. The general had moved the remaining of Jakyoku's army to the south. They were already prepared to receive the female and the runt of the pack.

Kizuato also sent them some form of powder, which was hard packed into a small ball, and were told that this powder would render the ningen and anyone around her unconscious, so they could grab her and the runt. They were then to make their escape from the castle, where a company of his soldiers will be waiting to escort them back to where he was located.

Nothing was being left to chance, they planned for everything they could think of and set up a diversion to get rid of her guards. All they needed was the right moment to do it, and so they waited.

After another month of waiting, the ningen was now in her sixth moon of carrying the bastard pup, the time finally came for them to make their moves. The ningen was in the garden sitting under the sakura tree, like she would every morning. The Taijiya was also there along with the neko youkai, Lady Ayashiko, and the runt. They saw no trace of the ningen male that would be present to protect the female.

Marude and Bakeru were in the gardens tending to the flower beds like usual. No one paid them any mind since they were there every day doing their duty.

Marude gave a nod and their plan was put into motion. A servant came forward and bowed to Lady Ayashiko, "Milady, there is a matter in the castle that requires your immediate attention. We have told them that you were not to be disturbed but they insisted upon speaking with you."

Ayashiko gave a growl of annoyance as she turned to Sango and said, "Sango, I will be gone for a short while, please watch over Kagome for me."

Sango agreed and stayed by Kagome's side. She was talking to Inuyasha about fighting techniques, while Kagome took a nap under the tree. They both watched as Lady Ayashiko left them to tend to her duties.

A few minutes passed and then Bakeru gave a nod, as the second part of their plan was set into motion. A disturbance was made in the forest that had the guards quickly react to the threat.

Sango saw what was going on, itching to release some pent up frustrations, she turned toward Inuyasha, and said with a commanding tone to her voice, "Inuyasha, take Kagome back into the palace and stay with her. I will go see what is going on."

Inuyasha moved to comply with her orders, while Sango and Kirara left the area in a hurry. Inuyasha quickly walked over to Kagome and bent down to pick up her sleeping form.

At that moment they were attacked as a puff of smoke landed right in front of them. Inuyasha tried to cover his nose and not breathe in whatever was tossed at them. Try as he might, he was soon over come by the fumes and passed out. Kagome having been asleep was put into a deeper sleep and would not move.

Marude and Bakeru dropped the implements they were using and rushed to their side. Seeing that the sleeping pellets worked, they grabbed both Inuyasha and Kagome, and then left the area quickly. The disturbance was bringing the rest of the soldiers to the area and they needed to get away as fast as possible.

They ran faster than they thought possible, to the place where they would meet Kizuato soldiers. When they arrived the soldiers quickly surrounded them, they took off toward the south, where the army was waiting for them. They left no trail behind to make sure that they were not followed to their new location. It was now time that the Western Lord pay for his crimes against Jakyoku.

---oOo---

Miroku was at the location where his new home was being built. The youkai Kenchikuka was truly the best in his job. It has only been two days and already the outside of the structure was up and they were beginning to fill in the walls.

The place, in Miroku's opinion, was huge, it was bigger than even he could afford to build for his lovely Sango. It was a small retreat, where he and his lovely intended could raise their children in peace and be protected.

It was everything that he wanted to give her and more. It would prove to her father once and for all that he could provide and protect Sango. He knew that he was now in servitude to the youkai lord. But he didn't mind at all. He will work for the rest of his life, and his descendant will too, to repay this debt.

He made a vow that day that his line will always be here to protect the youkai lord and his family for as long as his family existed. Each generation will accept this vow with honor, for what the youkai lord has done for him. He was grateful and this was something that he could never repay in his lifetime. But maybe with the generations to come they will be able to repay the debt to Lord Inutaisho for his kindness.

Miroku was in deep thought about his good fortune. He had been at this site for hours now, and didn't realize that he was gone that long from the miko's side.

He was brought out of his musing when the alarms around the castle were sounding. He turned, racing back to where Kagome was located, to see if she was all right. He cursed under his breath for being away for so long, now because of this, he has failed in his duty to protect Kagome.

He arrived back at the sakura tree and noticed that everyone was gone. He rushed toward the sound of battle and braced himself for what he might find.

---oOo---

Sango had no idea how these youkai got into the castle grounds, but she was not going to let them get any further. She and Kirara attacked the offending youkai as the soldiers were holding them in their current location.

The majority of the garrison trained on this day so there weren't that many guards protecting the area. But the ten guards that were there were fighting and winning against the 40 soldiers, which were sent there to distract them.

It was working the enemy soldiers understood that this mission, was to be their last. They took their duties with honor, if it meant that they could deliver the ningen to the general, then revenge could be extracted. It's what they lived for.

The western soldiers were indeed trained well, it was 4 to 1 odds and they were holding them off. They could not get to the miko like they were instructed to do. They were starting to push forward when a ningen female, with a giant youkai bone on her back, came to help the soldiers.

The tide of the battle was turning as the enemy was being pushed back. The neko youkai in her battle form, joined the fight, and they were next to impossible to defeat. Jakyoku soldiers battled hard, one of them was about to give a killing blow to the ningen onna, when a ningen male came to her aid.

---oOo---

Miroku finally made it to the battle and was frantically looking for Sango. He knew she had to be in the middle of this fight. He spotted her fighting three youkai on her own, when he noticed, that one was about to deal the killing blow.

He ran towards his love and pulled out an ofuda from his robes, he held it between two fingers, and then threw the ofuda toward the youkai that was about to attack his Sango. The youkai froze in place as Miroku came up behind him and used his Shakujo to destroy the youkai.

Miroku then joined the fight, making quick work of the enemy soldiers, when the fighting was over they all looked up and took a head count. They lost no one to the attack and they were thankful for that.

Miroku quickly turned to Sango and asked, "Sango, what happened to Lady Kagome?"

Sango turned to Miroku and smiled at him. She was grateful that he came to her aid during the battle. She heard his question as she replied, "I sent her and Inuyasha back to the castle when the battle broke out. I didn't want her out here, when there was danger in the area."

Miroku relaxed when he heard this, 'At least Kagome is safe in the castle where her mate is located.' He thought as he turned to return to the castle, leaving the soldiers there to clean up the mess.

He hadn't taken two steps, when a tremendous howl came from the castle, which shook the ground where they were standing. Miroku looked at Sango as they both paled. They knew that howl and it was Sesshoumaru. He didn't sound too happy, while they rushed back to the castle to see what was wrong. Something was telling them that Kagome never made it there.

---oOo---

This is the end to another chapter. Sorry for the cliff hanger but I did have to leave it somewhere.

Kagome and Inuyasha have been captured by the enemy. Jakyoku's men are about to feel the wrath of Sesshoumaru as he goes after them for taking his mate.

Kagome is very close to giving birth and the stress of being taken from her mate causes her to go into labor. Inuyasha helps her as much as possible but remember he is still young but he does try hard to protect her.

Join me in the next chapter as Kagome finally give birth to the new heirs of the lands.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Sesshomaru and his father were in his study trying to figure out which area would grow the best crops this season. Some areas were better in growing certain types of crops than others. They needed to make sure that they had a variety of food grown so they can feed everyone during the next winter.

The Western Lands faired well this past winter. They stored enough food at the castle to feed the villages that were in need during these hard times.

They were deep in discussion when they heard the alarm being sounded around the castle. Both males paled as they rushed out of the door looking for their mates.

They found Ayashiko in the main hall of the castle wondering what was going on. She had come in to take care of some business, but there was no one there for her to meet. She turned and saw her mate coming towards her as she stopped and waited for him to reach her side. She saw Sesshoumaru rushing outside looking for Kagome.

Ayashiko turned to her mate as she asked, "Aiyoku, what is happening? Why are the alarms going off?"

Inutaisho finally reached his mate, ignoring her question, he asked, "Have you seen Kagome?"

Ayashiko was stunned when her mate didn't answer her questions as she replied, "I left Kagome outside with Sango, Kirara, and Inuyasha. They are protecting her at the moment. Why? What's wrong?"

Inutaisho grabbed his mate as he rushed outside the castle. They stopped in their tracks when they heard Sesshoumaru howl his anger into the sky.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru left the castle looking for his mate. He knew that Kagome had to be outside because her scent and aura were not in the castle. He ran to the area where she would normally be and noticed that his mate was not there.

He sniffed the area and caught the scent of a sleeping powder being used. He picked up the scent of his mate and his little brother in the area along with two unidentified scents. He growled, closing his eyes he tried to reach his mate through their connection. He was beginning to get angry when he couldn't reach her.

He tried to follow her scent but it vanished from the area along with his brother. He let out a thunderous howl that told of the death of the one's who had taken his mate. His fang around her neck will not activate unless she was awake and aware of the danger she was in. Most of the power for the fang was being used to subdue her powers to make sure that she didn't purify their pup.

Sesshoumaru eyes were blood red, when he turned and noticed that his father and mother were standing there behind him, looking forlorn. He tried to take a deep calming breaths but it was no use. His inner inu was upset at having their mate taken, yet again.

He turned his blood red eyes to all in the clearing. Sango and Miroku had joined them when they heard the howl coming from him. "I want all of the spies that are currently in the castle taken prisoner and brought to the central courtyard."

Inutaisho was about to intervene, when his son cut him off, "Not this time father, they will pay with their lives for taking what is mine. These lands will suffer my wrath until I get my mate and pup back. They have also taken Inuyasha with them, so this is an attack against our clan, which needs to be dealt with."

Inutaisho was surprised to hear this. He sniffed the area and found that Sesshoumaru's claim held truth. He growled as he said to the general standing behind him, "I want all of the youkais, on this list, to be brought to the central courtyard, immediately!"

The general did not hesitate as he took the list and started to round up all the known spies in the castle.

Sesshoumaru made his way toward the central courtyard. His blood red eyes were taking in every one of the spies that were standing before him. He noticed right away that there were at least 10 spies missing from the list of 25 that were known to be in the castle. He deduced that these ten were responsible for taking his mate and his little brother.

The western soldiers surrounded the area making sure that these fools did not leave the area, if they were to break free from the chains that bound them.

Sesshoumaru could smell the scent of fear coming from each of them as he stepped forward. He smiled and the group gasped as one, they knew he meant business; someone was going to die this day. The heir to the Western Lands was not known to smile, unless he was going to kill.

Sesshoumaru stopped in front of the group as he said, "Now, I want to know where my mate was taken to."

The spies noticed that Sesshoumaru's eyes were blood red. His inner inu was in control and he was not about to let them live without answering his questions. One of the females spies stepped forward and said, "Milord, we don't know where she was taken to. That information was not given to us."

Sesshoumaru smelled the lies coming off her form as he let his whip fly and cut her in two. He growled again, "NOW, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. It does not matter to me. But, I will have my answer on where my mate is located, and if anything happens to her, I will make sure that you all die a slow and painful death."

He eyed the group again, when they didn't answer, he let his whip fly once more, killing 5 with one swipe. The females in the group screamed and started to move away from him. But it was useless, the shackles held them in place, preventing them from leaving the area.

He walked up to a male as he grabbed him by his neck. He lifted him up in the air and growled, "Where have they taken my mate and little brother?"

The youkai in Sesshoumaru's grasp smiled an evil smile as he yelled for all to hear, "You will never find her or the runt. They left no trail, but you will be contacted soon, so you can witness the ningens demise along with your pup. As for the runt, we will enjoy watching the youkai lord suffer his loss. The way we suffered when you killed our lord!"

Sesshoumaru had enough as he used his poison and melted the imbecile into a pile of sludge. He looked around to the remaining prisoners and knew he was not going to get his answers from them. He cracked his knuckles and let his poison flow free from his claws.

One of the females in the back was shaking in fear, she didn't want to die, dying for Jakyoku, was not going to bring him back. She fell to her knees as she said, "I will tell you what I know."

The others in the group snarled at her betrayal, as one of them said, "SAY nothing to him! Where are your loyalties to Lord Jakyoku?"

The demoness snarled as she said, "What good will it do to keep quiet! He is dead, and killing the lady miko will not bring him back. We lost this fight because they are the true heirs of this land and the land feeds them their powers. I will not keep quiet and die for a bastard that never gave anyone of us a chance to live a normal life.

"Instead of spending all of his time and money on revenge, we could have built a life for ourselves. We could have set up another village and lived in peace raising our young. WHAT good are his empty promises now!"

Sesshoumaru snarled, "Enough! Tell me what I want to know wench!"

The demoness looked at the ground and said, "All we were told was that she was to be taken to a location in the south. General Kizuato has gathered what remains of Jakyoku army and they have set up a location there. We were not told where it was located. The plan was to grab the miko and the runt, and take them to that location. A small group of soldiers were to meet them in a designated location and then escort them. The general never trusted us with that much information."

Sesshoumaru nodded to one of the guards and they led the demoness away from the rest of the prisoners. His bright red eyes scanned the rest and within minutes they were all dead.

Sesshoumaru then turned his attention to his father, "Gather the army, we head south within the hour."

Sesshoumaru then walked away. He knew that he agreed, that he will rule with his father, but his mate was taken, he could not afford to let his father's heart guide them in this, not when it meant the lives of his mate and pup.

Inutaisho understood what his son was saying. It has been his error that allowed the enemy to take his mate. They all should have been captured and thrown into the dungeons for what they were.

He turned and ordered his generals to get the army ready, they were leaving within the hour. Once he gave his orders he turned toward his mate. She was upset at having her

pups taken from her and she was worried. He held her close to his chest to comfort, but he knew that she was not going to be consoled so easily.

Miroku and Sango heard what the demoness said. They looked at each other wondering what they were going to do. Miroku got an idea as he signaled Sango to follow him.

Once they were away from the youkai lords, Miroku turned to Sango, "Sango, we should leave now and head south. Let's see if we can pick up on where they have taken Lady Kagome and Inuyasha. If we do some of the legwork, then maybe we can tell them where to go when they get closer."

Sango agreed with his plan, she was feeling guilty for leaving Kagome with Inuyasha, thinking that he could get her back to the castle on his own. She called to Kirara as she transformed into her battle form. They both mounted her and then took off heading south. Sango asked Kirara to keep her senses open and see if she could pickup on where Kagome was being held. Kirara growled her agreement, as she continued to head south.

---oOo---

Inuyasha was slowly waking from his forced slumber. His head hurt and his body was not responding to his commands. He couldn't even open his eyes, as he started to think about what happened.

He remembered that there was a disturbance and he was told by Sango to take Kagome back to the castle to be protected. He obeyed her command and he was about to pick her up when yellow smoke was thrown at them. He tried to cover his nose, so he wouldn't breathe in the gas, but it was too late. Whatever it was made him dizzy and he passed out.

Now his body wouldn't react to anything he did. He wanted desperately to open his eyes to see if he could find Kagome. He could not pick up on any scents at all, but he did feel that his body was being suspended in the air with his arms pinned against something hard.

He waited patiently for the affects of the gas to wear off. Slowly his senses were the first to be restored. He didn't smell anything familiar to him, while he sniffed the area trying to see if he could determine where he was. He finally picked up the scent of Night Blooming Jasmine with a hint of apple and cinnamon.

He knew that Kagome was close, if he was able to pick up on her scent. Then he started to pick up on sounds that were coming from a distance. He figured out that they have been captured, because none of those voices belonged to the guards at the castle.

Inuyasha was slowly gaining the use of his body. He figured that he has been awake for at least a couple of hours. He slowly opened his eyes and let them get focused. He was in a dark cave that was being lit by torches. He looked around trying to find Kagome.

He looked down and to his right, spotting his pack sister there on the ground. She was unconscious still as he focused on her pup. It was still alive and he could hear a strong heartbeat, for this he was grateful, that they did not harmed her.

He looked up to see that he was shackled to the wall of the cave. His arms were firmly held in place and he couldn't break the bonds that held him. 'They must have enchanted these shackles, now I won't be able to escape from here and take Kagome with me.

'I have to try though I can't stay here and let them hurt Kagome. I promised my father that I would protect the females of our pack with my life. I have proven to him that I am strong enough now to do this.'

Inuyasha noticed that he still wore his sword on his hip. They, one, thought that he was not good enough to wheel a sword, or two, they didn't think that he was able to escape from here. It didn't matter to him. He will break out of this place and then take Kagome with him.

He turned his attention toward Kagome, he needed to know if she as hurt. He softly cleared his throat as he said in a low voice, "Kagome? Kagome, are you hurt?" Inuyasha waited for a few minutes, when she didn't respond to his call he tried again. "Kagome, please wake up. I need to know if you are hurt."

---oOo---

Kagome was slowly coming out of her fog like mind. She heard someone calling out to her. Slowly her mind was becoming clearer. The last thing she remembered was taking a nap against her favorite tree. But right now her body felt like she was laying down on the hard ground.

She was picking up the dampness in the air along with the putrid stench of something long dead, like the place she was in was some sort of cave, but wait, how could she be in a cave when she was outside in the gardens?

Kagome's mind started to work faster as she tried to open her eyes. When she couldn't she pulled on her powers for healing and the necklace that she wore from Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji. Slowly she was able to move her body and then opened her eyes. When they were finally focused she noticed that she was in some sort of cave.

Fear took over her heart, as she remembered the time that she was captured by Jakyoku. That was an experience that she didn't want to relive. She noticed that she was shackled but she had enough length in the chains that allowed her to move around, so she wasn't chained on a short leash to the ground.

Kagome looked up and saw Inuyasha pinned against the wall. She slowly sat up, as she tried to maintain her balance. It was hard for her to move around, her belly was so large that she thought that soon she would give birth to her pup. But she would be damned if she gave birth here. She will not let these bastards harm her pup.

Once she was sitting she asked Inuyasha, in a low voice, that only he could hear, "Inuyasha, do you know where we are located? Or who might have captured us?"

Inuyasha shook his head as he replied, "I don't know Kagome. I never got to see who our enemy is. I was to take you back to the castle, because we were under attack. When I went to pick you up, they threw some sort of powder at us and I passed out. Are you all right? You're not hurt are you?"

Kagome shook her head, "No, I'm not hurt. I just don't like dark caves."

Kagome had an idea as she closed her eyes and tried to contact her mate. She concentrated hard but she couldn't reach him. She reached up and felt around her neck to see if she had another collar that was subduing her powers, but she didn't have anything remotely similar to what she had on before.

Kagome opened her eyes and looked around the area. She said a small incantation that would allow her to see all the spells and incantations that were placed in this cave. There was a subduing spell that will not allow her, or Inuyasha to contact her mate or Otou-san.

There were other spells in this cave that will not allow her to send one of her Shikigami to her mate, like she had done before. There was also a spell that would alert their captors that they were awake. She knew they were about to have company, when Inuyasha started to growl at the approaching footsteps.

Kagome moved closer to Inuyasha seeking comfort and protection from him even though he was pinned to the wall. The fang around her neck started to react to her fear, it broke whatever spell that was in the area, as it formed a barrier around her and Inuyasha that was so close to her.

---oOo---

The enemy soldiers that were standing guard alerted General Kizuato that the miko was awake. Kizuato smiled an evil smile as he approached the cave that held her captive. He walked through the tunnel and stopped at the entrance. He spotted the miko and the runt, both awake, as he approached.

He smirked as he said, "I'm glad to see that you're both awake. I'm General Kizuato, Supreme General to Lord Jakyoku armies."

Kagome was stunned to hear this as she said, "Jakyoku is dead, so why are you still serving a dead lord?"

Kizuato growled at her comment, "Quiet wench! I am well aware that you helped in the demise of our beloved lord. We will have our revenge against you and your mate for killing him. The Western Lord will die this day, and when I kill him then I will take control over the West. But not before he has the great pleasure of watching you die. You ningen, will die by my hand and when that happens, so will the rest of your clan."

Inuyasha growled as he said, "What makes you think that you can take on my father! He is the most powerful youkai in the West along with my big brother. It is you who will die this day, not them."

Kizuato huffed at the arrogant pup as he turned his heated eyes towards him. "You don't know what you're talking about. You have never seen your father fight in a battle. I have come close to killing him myself, if it were not for other obligations."

Kagome laughed as she said, "What obligations? You mean running away from the last battle with your tail between your legs? Because if memory serves, you ran that day along with what was left of Jakyoku armies. You had a yellow streak up your back that was so pronounced, that everyone there that day saw it. So don't think that you can defeat my mate so easily."

Kizuato growled as he sent an attack her way. The blast of youki was powerful, but not powerful enough to kill her, but it would make her lose her pup, and that was a start for the loud mouth ningen.

But he got the shock of his life, when his attacked had no effect on them, a barrier protected both the ningen and the runt. His eyes opened wide, 'How is this possible! I had an incantation put in this cave that would subdue the fang, but I guess it is more powerful than I thought it was. No matter, if I can't touch her then she will die because I will not give her any food or water. She won't last long.'

Kizuato smirked as he said, "Well it seems that the fang around your neck broke one of my spells. Well it doesn't matter to me, you will still die by my hand, directly or indirectly, it matters not. Enjoy your stay here for you will not live long enough to really enjoy it."

Kizuato turned as he left the cave. He had other things to attend to, rather than be here with them. They will die soon enough.

Kagome mind was working a mile a minute. She was trying to come up with a plan to escape this place. They needed to leave as soon as possible, she turned her attention to Inuyasha, and asked, "Inuyasha, do you know if there are a lot of guards outside of this cave?"

Inuyasha sniffed the air as he said, "There are about four guards standing outside the cave at the moment."

Kagome thought about this as she said, "If you were free can you take them?"

Inuyasha huffed as he said, "Of course I can! What do you take me for? A weakling?"

Kagome smiled at his outburst, "I can get these shackles off of us, but we need to leave this place as soon as possible. Your father and Sesshoumaru will not attack this place, if they think, we are still being held captive here. But if we're gone then they can attack full force. I for one want to get out of this cave."

Inuyasha understood as he nodded his agreement. He watched as Kagome pulled one of her adornments out of her hair and then took the flower off the top. He noticed that there was a metal object inside it. It was shaped funny as he observed what she was going to do with it.

Kagome pulled the lock pick out of her hair. She quickly put in her shackles as she proceeded to open the locks. It only took her a few minutes to get her shackles open. The part that she was having problems with was standing. She couldn't get a good hold on something to pull herself up from the floor.

She turned her attention to Inuyasha and grabbed on to his lower legs, pulling herself up. Kagome was panting hard from just standing on her own two feet. She leaned against Inuyasha as she tried to catch her breath. She really needed to move around again if she wanted to get back into shape.

Once her breathing was under control, she turned her attention to Inuyasha's shackles as she started on his locks. She made quick work of his bindings as he lowered his arms and rubbed his shoulder to make the circulation come back.

Kagome's center of gravity was off since she was so big around the middle. She made a vow this day that she will not allow her mate to carry her anywhere again while she was pregnant. She needed to stay as mobile as possible during this time.

She did her best though, using the wall as a support, she followed Inuyasha out towards the entrance to the cave. She concealed their aura's and scent from the Inu's that were standing guard. It looked like that there were no other soldiers in the area, as she got ready to run.

She prayed to kami that she was still able to do this, she hadn't run in a long time and she feared getting captured again, or worse being killed.

Inuyasha took a deep breath, while he pulled Tetsusaiga out of its sheath, transforming it, as he got ready to attack. He had to kill these four quickly, then grab Kagome and leave this place. He sniffed the area and discovered that these four guards were the only ones outside the cave.

He looked over his shoulder, signaling Kagome that he was ready. He got a smile in return, as they both braced themselves for the fight ahead. He bowed his head, set his resolve to win this fight, and attacked.

Inuyasha was fast, he killed all four of his enemy with one stroke of his sword. He put it back in its sheath and noticed that Kagome was already running out of the cave and heading toward the forest. He caught up to her quickly, picking her up in his arms, and used his demonic speed to leave the area they were in.

Inuyasha ran fast through the forest. He was leaping from tree branch to tree branch, making great time in leaving the enemy behind. He stopped on a tree branch as he looked around the area, he could sense that the enemy has discovered their departure from their area. They were being chased now and he had to move quickly.

He looked down at Kagome and noticed that she was in pain. He kneeled on his branch as he asked, "Kagome, are you all right?"

Kagome was breathing hard. She was having pain in her stomach every few minutes. She would breathe through them as best she could, but she knew what was happening to her. With her running out of the cave, and the excitement of the day, she was going into labor.

She heard Inuyasha's question as she said, "Inuyasha, the pup is coming. We need to find a village and quickly. I don't know if I can birth this pup by myself."

Inuyasha was starting to panic. He didn't expect for her to go into labor, now of all times. He stood as he looked around the area, putting his nose into the air to see if he could find a village.

Kagome looked at her surrounding, she noticed the tall tree they were currently in. It was familiar to her, the tree called to her heart, 'This is the Goshinboku, we must be near Kaede's village.' She turned her attention toward Inuyasha and said, "Inuyasha, go in that direction, there is a village there. They have a priestess by the name of Kaede, she will be able to help me with the pup."

Inuyasha didn't waste any time, he leaped from the tree branch and headed in the direction that Kagome wanted him to go in. Within minutes he was at the village as the villagers ran from the sight of him carrying a ningen onna in his arms.

One of the village men ran to get Kaede. She was the only one that could deal with the youkai that just arrived in the village.

Inuyasha stood in the middle of the village looking for this priestess that Kagome told him about. He was getting angry as the villagers were forming a circle around him and Kagome. He would let no harm come to her, he had to protect her at all cost.

He looked down at Kagome as he whispered, "Kagome, do you know where this priestess is located, we are surrounded by the villagers and they mean to do us harm."

Kagome lifted her head as she looked around the village. "Inuyasha put me down please."

Inuyasha didn't want to set her on her feet. He was worried about the villagers attacking but he complied with her wishes. He set her on her feet as she leaned into him for support.

Kagome stood on her own two feet as she looked at the villagers, "I need to see the priestess Kaede, do you know where she is located?"

One of the villagers stepped forward and said, "What business do you have with our priestess? She is not for the likes of you. Now leave our village before we kill you and your filthy mate."

Kagome's anger grew as she straightens her posture and said, "A priestess or miko is for everyone in the land. She is to serve everyone not just the ningens. I should know since I'm a miko not a priestess like she is. I need her help and I will not leave until I speak to her."

The man that spoke to her spat at her feet, "Well you will leave here one way or another. We don't care, you will not get near our priestess."

Kagome heard Inuyasha growl at her side as she raised her hand and placed it on his chest. She calmed her friend as she said, "You have no right to keep me from the priestess. I am in need of her services and I shall see her."

The ningens were not backing down as Inuyasha yelled, "You will bring the priestess Kaede here to me. My name is Inuyasha and my father is the Lord of these Lands, deny my request and I will make sure that my father destroys this village, although my big brother would be more than willing to level this village for denying his mates request."

The villagers backed away from their position. They didn't know that this was the youkai lord's son. They had no idea what to do when Kaede came into the center of the village. The villagers made way for her as she said, "I am the priestess Kaede, now how may I help you?"

Kagome turned her blue eyes toward the one person that she knew in this era. She doubled over in pain as Inuyasha caught her before she fell. She was holding herself up, with one arm around her belly, as she said through gritted teeth, "Kaede, I need your help. I'm about to give birth to my pup and I need your assistance."

Kaede rushed forward as she saw the young girl fall to her knees. When she was close enough she recognized her. She was the miko that helped protect this village when it was under siege. The youkai lord of the lands had taken her away and she has not seen her since. She then heard her words as she said to the young youkai standing next to her, "Bring her to my hut, I will help her with the birthing of her pup."

The villagers were shocked as the one man said, "Lady Kaede, are you crazy! Helping the wench of a youkai!"

Kaede stood up as she faced the villager that was complaining about the miko. She squared her shoulders, as she said, "No I am not. We owe a deep debt to this miko for saving this village last season, when those six Oni attacked. I didn't see you defending this village to keep everyone safe. This miko came to my aid and helped me destroy those youkai. She never asked for anything in return. Now she needs our help and it's our duty to repay her for her kindness."

The villager was not about to back down as he said, "We don't care. She is with this youkai and they are not welcomed here in this village. If you won't make them leave then we will."

The villager moved to attack Kagome as Inuyasha growls grew threatening. His claws grew longer as he said in a deadly voice, "Touch the Lady of all the Lands and you will die by my hand. My brother is the ruling two tail inu youkai for all the land making him the ruling lord over everyone. This is his mate, if she requests the help of this priestess then this village must provide it. I will not let you hurt her."

The villagers didn't care as they attacked. Inuyasha handed Kagome over to Kaede as he attacked the foolish ningen with his claws. It only took one swipe to take down the arrogant bastard as he turned his blood red eyes to the rest present and growled, "Anyone else wants to try and hurt Kagome?"

The villagers backed away, they left the youkai alone with their priestess. Inuyasha seeing that he had no more challengers moved to take Kagome away from Kaede, as he picked her up in his arms.

Kagome then turned her head to the north as she felt the army of youkai coming after them. She turned her pained filled eyes toward Kaede and asked, "Lady Kaede, I have a need for five ofuda's please. I need to setup a barrier around the village to protect it. We are being followed by enemy youkai and I must stop them until I give birth to my pup."

Kaede complied with the miko's command and gave her the five ofuda's from within her kimono.

Kagome took the ofuda's and held them in her hands, she said her incantations, when she was done chanting her spell, four of the ofuda's glowed and her left her hand, as they flew to the four corners of the village. Once they were in place she dropped the one that was left and when it hit the ground it glowed pink, as powerful barrier was placed around the village.

Once Kagome was done setting up the barrier Inuyasha followed the old priestess back to her hut so she could help Kagome with the birth of her pup.

Kaede instructed the young youkai lord to place Kagome on the futon near the fire. She started to get everything ready for when the miko gave birth. She could tell that the young miko was close and she will do her best to deliver the pup. She got the miko out of her kimono and into a short yukuta, and then placed a blanket over the lower potion of her body. This provided her with easy access to the pup when it was ready to be born.

Inuyasha stayed by Kagome's side, he wouldn't leave her unprotected in this place. He still did not trust the priestess with Kagome. Then he felt a large amount of youki coming their way. He stood on his feet and sniffed the air. He started to growl as he heard Kagome say, "Inuyasha, do not leave the protection of the barrier. My barrier will not let them through to harm this village. I know that you can detect them but as long as I stay awake the barrier will hold."

Inuyasha understood her warning, but he could not stay in the hut with her for too much longer. He turned his attention to the old priestess and the young ningen onna that was with her. "Priestess, I leave Kagome in your care. If I find that you have harmed her in any way, or have harmed her pup, I will not hesitate to kill you. My pack sister carries the next heir to the west and nothing will stop my brother from destroying this land if he was to lose his mate or pup."

Kaede understood his words as she said, "Worry not young lord, I will take good care of the young miko. I will do my best to birth her pup."

Satisfied with the old priestess words he left the hut to go to the edge of the village. He will be there to protect the village incase the barrier falls.

An hour passed and Kagome was getting close to having her pup. Her water broke over 30 minutes ago. She was in full labor and was sweating, the young girl with Kaede was putting cool cloths on her forehead to keep her cool.

Kagome noticed that something was not right about her labor, she closed her eyes and silently called with her mind, _'Midoriko, I need your help, something is wrong with the pup.'_

The mikokoro of Midoriko appeared right next to Kagome. It scared the living daylights out of Kaede and her helper, as they moved away from the young miko. Midoriko kneeled next to Kagome as she looked at her. 'This is not good, the pup is breached and she will not be able to give birth to it.'

Midoriko turned her attention to the priestess as she said, "Kaede, I am Midoriko, this miko is my daughter and her pup is breached. Do you know how to deliver a breached pup?"

Kaede was shocked to see the Mikokoro of Midoriko kneeling right in front of her. She bowed deeply to the apparition, as she said, "No miko-sama I do not know how to birth a breached pup."

Midoriko thought for a moment as she asked her Musume, "Kagome tell me how to birth a breached pup. Yours is breached and we don't have much time."

Kagome couldn't speak, but Midoriko put her hand on her forehead and she received all the information she needed. She looked up at the old priestess and said, "I will guide you in what you need to do. You need to get warm water and a very sharp knife."

Kaede complied with her wishes as she got the necessary items. Midoriko turned to Kagome and placed a sleeping spell on her, she didn't want her to experience being cut open. Once Kagome was asleep she then proceeded to tell Kaede what to do.

Kaede steadied her hand as she cut the miko's belly open where Midoriko indicated. She cut through the layers of muscle until she reached the womb. Blood and fluid started to come out of the incision, making Kaede panic for just a second, she claimed getting some cloths to wipe away the excess blood. Midoriko then instructed her to place her hand inside and find the pup.

Kaede was sweating, trying to do as the mikokoro instructed, she reached in and found the pup as she pulled its legs out of its mother. Slowly the pup was pulled into the living world, but they were not done yet. Because with this pup came another as they noticed another small hand that held on to the first, it was eager to follow the other pup out into the living world.

Midoriko was shocked that her Musume was carrying two pups instead of one. She looked and smiled as she saw them. They were beautiful and both were full-blooded youkai.

Kaede assistant took the pups and cleaned them off. She wrapped each one in a white cloth and then set them on their mother's chest. Kaede finished delivering the after birth and then stitched the miko up. Once she was done Midoriko released Kagome from her sleep.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes, she was no longer in such intense pain, but she felt weak and sore from the ordeal. She blinked and looked at Midoriko, who was sitting next to her. She saw her smiling as she said, "Congratulations my Musume. Your pups are beautiful." She then left Kagome, knowing that she was safe.

Kagome's eyes opened wide when she heard her say pups. 'I have more than one pup!' She then turned her attention to her chest as she heard two pups crying. Her arms came up as she saw them both. Tears of joy were coming from her eyes as she looked at her children. They were perfect in her eyes. She noticed right away that they were both full-blooded inu youkai, she didn't understand how this happened but right now she didn't care.

Kaede looked at the young miko and said, "Congratulations Kagome-sama, you have a son and daughter." While she pointed to each gender so that Kagome knew which one was which.

Kagome looked at her pups; they both had the crescent moon and her blue teardrop on their foreheads. Her son had markings like Inutaisho and her Musume had markings like Sesshoumaru. Her son had silver hair, with black tips, and he had markings on his face and wrist. Her daughter had black hair with white tips, she too had markings on her face and wrist. Both were healthy and that's all that mattered to Kagome.

Then they heard an explosion near the village, where the battle was being fought. Kagome's barrier fell when she was put to sleep by Midoriko. She tried to sit up, when she felt pain on her stomach. She looked down to see stitches and then looked at Kaede.

Kaede saw the unasked question of the miko as she said, "Lady Midoriko informed me that the pups were breached. She put you to sleep and then told me how to help you, but I'm afraid that you can not move until you have healed."

Kagome listened to what Kaede told her. She knew that Inuyasha was fighting what was left of Jakyoku's army alone and she had to help him. Her full powers were now restored, since she has given birth to her pups, she placed her hand on her stomach as she healed the wound there.

Another incantation took care of the blood flow that she had once she gave birth. This was a little trick she learned when she read all those books, scrolls, and parchments, in the library. It prevented anyone from knowing that she has just given birth and prevented other youkai from finding her pups and going into a blood lust. She learned that the excess blood would be released when she would go and relieve herself. She then placed her pups on the futon as she stood to her full height and dressed.

Kagome closed her eyes as she concentrated on the area around her. She found Inuyasha and he was hurt. She could feel his pain through her bond with his family. She then made contact with her mate as she said, _"Sesshoumaru, ask your father to bring you to the place where he first meet me. The village here is under attack as they are trying to get to me. Inuyasha is holding them off, but there are too many for him to fight alone. Hurry mate, I need you."_

A few moments later a thunderous howl was heard over the lands. Kagome knew now that her mate was on his way. She took her haori and then wrapped her sleeping pups in it. It had her scent and it will comfort them until she came back. She placed a powerful barrier around the pups to make sure no one got near them, the only one who would be able to break her barrier would be her mate.

Kagome then stood as she called for her sword. When she had it she turned her attention to Kaede as she asked, "Kaede-sama, please protect my pups until I come back for them. I need to help Inuyasha fight this enemy until my mate arrives."

Kaede was honored by her request, "Kagome-sama, I will protect your pups for you. Please be careful child, you have lost a lot of blood giving birth to thy pups."

Kagome understood what Kaede was saying, but she needed to help defend this village since they helped her in her time of need. Kagome started to feel weak as she fell to her knees. Kaede rushed to her side the moment she fell and tried to help her. Kagome was breathing hard, trying to stand back up so she can go and fight, but she couldn't.

Kagome began to shiver as she felt something happening to her. She didn't want these youkais to harm her pups. The soul of the demoness within her came forth as she offered her assistance with this task. The demoness did not want anything near her pups. They were hers to protect and she will do it. She offered her help to the miko, in which she was housed, and the miko accepted her with open arms. They merged together into one and when Kagome opened her eyes they were blood red in color.

She stood on her legs as she rushed out of the hut that held her pups so she could go fight to protect them, leaving behind a stunned priestess when she saw her blood red eyes.

---oOo---

Miroku and Sango were trying to find Kagome. They were traveling south to see if they could locate her and Inuyasha. They stopped from time to time and talked with the villagers in the area. They were looking for information on a large group of youkai that might have taken over a large area of land.

They searched everywhere and when they thought that they would never find them they found a village that had some information. They were told that a large group of youkai has taken over a piece of land about 25 miles south from their current location. This happened about two moons ago and as far as they knew they were still there.

Miroku thanked the village leader for the information as they hurried toward the location they were told about.

Kirara was flying over the area where the youkais were located. Sango and Miroku looked down and noticed a lot of movement going on down below. Sango immediately recognized the uniforms that the youkais were wearing as that of Jakyoku army.

They were moving out of the area very fast as if they were searching for something. Sango then turned to Miroku and asked, "Miroku, do you think that Kagome and Inuyasha escaped and now they are searching for them?"

Miroku thought about what she said, "It might be a possibility that they have escaped. I do not sense Kagome-sama spiritual powers down below. There is a powerful barrier around this area, but it's not very good. I can sense the youki flicker from time to time. We should follow them to see where they are going. I'm sure that if they escaped they will find them very soon."

Sango agreed with Miroku as they followed the youkais down below. Soon they came to a village that had a powerful barrier around it. It was holding off the enemy youkais from getting near the village.

Sango and Miroku had the same thought, 'This is Kagome's barrier that is protecting this village.'

Kirara stayed in the air circling the village. They were keeping an eye on what was going on down below. In there passing they noticed something red hiding in the trees near the barrier. They figured that this was Inuyasha and he was keeping an eye on the enemy in case something happened to the barrier.

Then the barrier started to flicker as it weakened. Then it collapsed giving access to the black inu youkai to destroy the village.

They saw them surge forward to attack the village, Kirara went down fast to try and head them off, when three bright flashes of light came out of the forest. It killed the first hundred youkai that were in the lead as they landed on the ground. They saw the familiar red and white streak running across the clearing and knew who it was, as they joined Inuyasha in the fight.

The three of them were holding off the enemy as they heard a loud howl rip through the area. Inuyasha smiled as he said to his friends, "Sesshoumaru is on his way."

Sango and Miroku smiled. All they had to do was keep them here and make sure that Kagome did not get hurt.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho were traveling towards the south, they were moving fast to locate Kagome and Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru's beast was still upset and it wanted more than anything to find its mate.

They stopped for just a moment to decide in which direction they wanted to go. Sesshoumaru was spreading his youki through the area trying to find his mate. He has been trying for several hours to make contact with his mate but it was no use. He could not get in contact with her or his brother.

He closed his eyes thinking about his mate. He missed her and when he located her, the ones responsible for taking her were going to pay for it with their lives.

Then he felt a gentle touch to his mind. He heard the words of his mate and his heart leaped with joy. She was safe and telling him where she was located, but from the way she sounded she will not stay safe for too much longer.

He opened his eyes and turned to his sire, "Father, where is the place where you first met Kagome?"

Inutaisho opened his eyes wide, he was curious to know why he wanted this information, as he said, "There is a village that is due south from here, a newer settlement, which is where I first met Kagome. Why are you asking?"

"Kagome just contacted me. That is the place where she and Inuyasha are located at the moment, by the sound of her voice they will not stay safe for too much longer. We will head in that direction, the enemy youkai is also there trying to get to her and Inuyasha is fighting them off at the moment." Sesshoumaru said with conviction to his voice. He was going to get his mate back. He howled into the air telling them that he was on his way.

Inutaisho told his general in which direction to travel with his army, then he, Ayashiko, and Sesshoumaru took off toward the village where he first met Kagome. They traveled faster than the army so it didn't take them that long to get there.

Sesshoumaru finally made it to the village where his mate was located. They came upon a battle in which they were holding off the enemy from attacking the village. A powerful barrier protected the village as he took note of four individuals that were fighting off the youkais.

Sesshoumaru spotted his mate down in the middle of the fight. His eyes were starting to turn white when he saw that she was no longer carrying their pup. His heart clinched in his chest, a pain so immense that he didn't know if he could survive it.

He howled his anger and rushed into the battle, determined to get to his mate.

Inutaisho and Ayashiko looked on, as the battle was raging near the village where he first met Kagome. Ayashiko noticed where her youngest pup was located, he was in the middle of the battle, fighting to protect her Musume. Her eyes turned red when she noticed how the enemy youkai had hurt her pups.

Ayashiko aura flared with anger, her instincts was kicking in as she descended the hill they were standing on, to go protect her pups. Her mate was following closely behind her to make sure that she wouldn't get hurt. No one dared get in her way when she was letting her instincts guide her. She was on a mission to protect that, which was hers.

They attacked the enemy from the rear, taking them by surprise as they battled to get to their pups. Sesshoumaru was cutting a path to his mate, he had to get to her no matter what.

---oOo---

Kagome arrived at the battle as she placed another barrier around the village to protect it. Her sword was alight with power as she joined Inuyasha, and to her surprise Sango, and Miroku, in the battle. She was feeling weak, but she was determined to protect her pups.

Inuyasha noticed when Kagome came into the battle, he rushed to her side to make sure nothing happened to her. He noticed that she had given birth to her pup as he yelled, "Kagome, go back to the pup! It needs you right now, we can handle this."

When Inuyasha turned to look for Kagome, he thought that she took his words to heart and went back to her pup, but he was shocked at what he saw. Kagome's eyes were no longer blue but a deep red, just like a youkai. He was surprised by what he noticed but he remained strong to protect her. His inner power was coming forth as the need to protect something that he loved came forth. Together they battled and were pushing the enemy back, away from the village.

Kagome was letting go of attack after attack from her sword. She was weakening even more but she didn't care. Her pup's safety was her priority and she was not about to let these fools hurt them. She got knocked to the ground and was about to be impaled, when Inuyasha caught the strike on his sword, saving her life.

Kagome tried to get back up but she couldn't. She was breathing hard when she felt a familiar aura heading her way. She looked up in time to see her mate coming to protect her, before she fell unconscious.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru was keeping his eyes on his mate. He was making his way toward her location, slashing with his sword and his golden whip, any and all youkai that stood in his way from getting to her.

He saw Kagome go down as his rage took over. His inner inu had about enough, he broke free of his rational sides hold, and transformed into his true form, going after the offending males. He was aware of where his mate was located, she was unconscious, and killed all the surrounding youkai's that were not from his pack.

He saw the general from Jakyoku's army making his way toward his mate. His sword was in the air, ready to strike the killing blow. Sesshoumaru took his paw and dug it into the youkai's side. He sliced him in two for even thinking about touching his mate.

The enemy soldiers, noticing that their general was killed, decided to leave the area with haste. At that moment the Western army came into the area, as they heard Inutaisho say, "I want them all dead! Do not let them escape again!"

The western soldiers complied with their lord's orders, as they chased after, what was left of Jakyoku armies. They will never live to threaten the west again.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru shifted back to his ningen form and rushed toward his mate. She was weak and the scent of blood was on her. Sesshoumaru, for the first time in his life, knew what true fear was. He has never experienced fear before, but he now knew for sure that he didn't want to experience it ever again.

He picked up his mate and placed her in his lap. He quickly gave her some of his energy to sustain her, while she healed. Once he was sure that she had enough he looked for the source of the blood scent. He opened her juban slightly, wondering where her haori was located, and looked for injuries. He noticed the scar, which has been partially healed but was bleeding again, it looked like someone took the pup from her.

He howled his anguish into the sky, not knowing what happened to his precious pup. His eyes turned blood red, turning to those who were approaching his beloved mate. He will not let anyone near her. He will protect her himself and make sure that she stays safe.

---oOo---

Ayashiko was looking for her pups. The first one she saw was Inuyasha as she rushed to his side. She brought him into a tight embrace, holding him against her chest as she purred for her pup. She was glad that he was not hurt. She pulled him away from her chest as she asked, "Are you hurt?"

Inuyasha smiled at his mother as he said, "No mother, I'm not hurt. These are just scratches and they are already healed, I was able to protect Kagome from getting hurt."

Inuyasha then turned his attention to Sango and Miroku, "Thanks you two for all the help, how did you find us anyway?"

Miroku was the one to answer Inuyasha's question. "There is a village not too far away from here that noticed what was going on in this area. They never saw the youkai army that resided here but they told me enough for me to put two and two together. When we finally got here, we noticed the powerful barrier around the village. We figured that it was Kagome's doing so we stayed in this area."

At that moment they heard Sesshoumaru's howl of anguish. They had no idea what was going on as they rushed to his side. They stopped short of reaching him, as they saw the red, bleed into his eyes.

Ayashiko was the first to notice, as she asked, "What happened to Kagome's pup? She is no longer carrying her pup. That is why Sesshoumaru is so upset."

Inutaisho made it to his mate side as he heard what she said. He turned and looked at his little one as he noticed the anguish in his son's eyes. He was devastated, knowing that she lost her pup.

At that moment Inutaisho heard his youngest say, "No, Kagome didn't lose her pup. She gave birth to it. The old priestess is protecting it in the village. Kagome seemed to know her and she trusted her. Even though the ningens that live there were very rude to her, but one has already paid for his comment, I killed him for attacking Kagome."

Inutaisho was surprised to hear this. But he put those thoughts aside for the moment, as he got a little closer to his son. He kneeled in front of Sesshoumaru as he looked into his red orbs.

He took a deep breath as he said, "Sesshoumaru, my pup, your pup is alive. Kagome gave birth to it before the battle. The old priestess of the village is protecting it. She has a kind heart and Kagome knows her. We need to find a way to get past the barrier so we can go and retrieve it."

Sesshoumaru's beast calmed as he heard his sires words, his pup, his precious little pup was still alive and being protected by the priestess of the village. His eyes returned to normal as he looked at his mate. He nuzzled her with affection. He was amazed at the female he was mated to. She gave birth and then came out to fight to protect it. His heart swelled with pride as he stood with Kagome in his arms.

He turned and walked toward the village. He stopped in front of the barrier as the star on his forehead started to glow. He lowered the barrier as he continued on his way to get what belonged to him. His father and mother were following after him, as well as the rest of their pack.

---oOo---

Kaede was sitting in her hut protecting the little ones that she was entrusted with. Kagome, that wonderful girl, has a heart of pure gold, she felt like she knew her somehow, but she couldn't remember where they meet before. She only remembers seeing her once, the previous season when she protected her village from the Oni's.

Kaede continued to sit in her hut as she was hearing the sounds of the battle they were fighting, to protect the village. It seemed like they were fighting for hours when she heard the loud howl that rocked the area. It was a sound of pure anger as she felt sorry for the enemy youkais that dared to take was what his.

Then she felt the earth moving as something big was in the area. She went outside to look and was amazed to see a giant two-tail inu youkai, fighting the ones that were attacking their village. Then everything went quiet as the two-tale transformed back into its human form.

Kaede heard another howl, go throughout the area, it was a howl of anguish, and her heart went out to the youkai, whatever it was hurting for, it truly loved. "Did the miko meet with her demise?" She wondered. No, the miko cannot be dead, she has these two little ones to protect and care for. So why is this youkai in anguish?

She then felt some powerful aura's coming her way. She stood in front of her hut protecting the two little ones inside. The villagers felt the aura and came to stand behind their priestess. They will protect her no matter what.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru slowly walked into the village. It had a foul stench that he could not stand, but if his pup was in here then he will retrieve what is his.

He looked down at his mate. She was asleep in his arms and resting. He had to feed her some more of his energy to keep her alive. She used so much of her powers that she was dangerously low.

They all finally made it to where the old priestess was standing, with all of the village men standing behind her. Inutaisho stood next to his son and so did his mate. They all looked at the old priestess as Inutaisho stepped forward and said, "Hello priestess Kaede, it has been a long time since I have seen you last."

Kaede kneeled in front of the Lord and said, "Welcome, Lord of the Lands. How may I be of service to you?" When the villagers all heard what she said they kneeled as well to protect themselves, they didn't want to provoke these youkais for showing them disrespect.

Sesshoumaru stepped forward as he addressed the old one, "Priestess, you have something that my mate has given you to protect, I wish to have my pup."

Kaede rose to her feet as she noticed the young miko in his arms. She became alarmed as she asked, "Milord, is the miko hurt?"

Sesshoumaru just shook his head and stated in a cold voice, "No, she is not. She used too much of her energy and is now sleeping. Now priestess, I want my pup."

Kaede bowed as she said, "If you will come with me, milord, I will show you where they are. Lady Kagome put a barrier around them that I cannot remove. Only her true mate can release them from her protection."

There was a collective gasp from the group, Inutaisho came out of his shock first as he asked, "Them? You mean there is more than one pup?"

Kaede smiled as she said, "Yes milord, Lady Kagome gave birth to two pups, a male and a female. Both were breached, I didn't know how to bring them into this world in that condition but Lady Midoriko came to her aid. She showed me what to do and they were both born healthy."

The youkai's moved towards her as she walked into her hut. There in the middle of the floor was Kagome's haori, wrapped inside it were the pups.

Sesshoumaru turned to his father as he asked, "Father, can you please hold Kagome for me?"

Inutaisho smiled at his son as he opened his arms and accepted his little one. His tail came around to cover her form as he placed her close to his chest. He watched with anticipation as his son approached the barrier that protected his pups.

Sesshoumaru heart was beating fast, he could not believe that his mate has not only given him one pup but she has gifted him with two. This was the greatest honor that she could bestow upon him. He kneeled as he looked at the bundle. You could not see them but their scent was there.

Sesshoumaru reached out with his hand as his star started to glow with power. This barrier was even more powerful than the one she placed around the village. Once he felt that he had enough power he put his hand on the barrier.

The barrier crackled in the air as it flickered twice before it lowered. He felt someone approaching him as he growled, he wanted no one near his pups. He picked up the bundle in his arms and felt the two little ones stir. He growled gently at his pups as they settled back down. He pulled away the cloth that was covering them as he gazed upon his pups for the first time.

They were beautiful in his eyes. The perfect image of him and his mate, he took in their scents and realized that they were not hanyou but pure blooded youkai. He noticed that his son had hair like him with black tip and his little girl had black hair with white tips.

His youki flared around his body to engulf both himself and the pups. His youki was familiar to the pups as they feed from his youki, when his youki had marked them as his, he stood with the pups in his arms. His chest vibrating to keep his pups calmed, as his inner Inu basked in happiness.

Sesshoumaru walked toward his parents as he pulled away the silk cover of their mother's haori and showed them to his father, mother, and Inuyasha. Tears could be seen coming from Ayashiko eyes as she cried in happiness at seeing them both alive and healthy.

Sango and Miroku looked on as they saw the new heirs to the west. They were beautiful and it brought a longing into Sango's eyes that was not missed by Miroku. They both walked out of the hut to give the family some time alone to greet the new members of their clan.

Sango noticed that the villagers were still standing outside the priestess hut. She could hear them talking among themselves and she didn't like what she was hearing. Her weapon came forward as she stood in front of the hut. Miroku seeing that Sango was taking a fighting stance turned his eyes to the men standing in front of him.

Miroku didn't like what he was seeing as he asked, "What can we help you with?"

One of the villagers stepped forward and said, "We want those youkais out of our village. They have no right to be here."

Miroku huffed as he said, "You know you are all ungrateful, that youkai in there made sure that this village was provided for during the winter so all would survive. He is the lord of these lands and he has every right to be here. Why do you want him to leave?"

"No one rules over this village and we don't want their kind here. You can take that filthy whore that mated that youkai with you and never return here to this village." The ningen said with disgust in his voice.

Then Miroku felt a powerful aura rising within the hut. This was not good he had no idea if it was Kagome or her mate that was getting angry. He got his answer when he saw the person exit out of the hut, and the look on their face, was not good, for the one that made that comment.

---oOo---

Kagome started to stir when she felt that her pups were close by. She moved taking in a deep breath as she opened her eyes. She noticed that she was being held by her Otou-san, she turned her head and noticed that Sesshoumaru had their pups.

Sesshoumaru turned his eyes toward his mate, he smiled one of his rare smiles at her, as she heard him say, "They are beautiful aiyoku, thank you."

Kagome smiled at her mate. She was happy that he loved his pups, this is what she was waiting for, she wanted to know that he will love them and she got her answer when she looked deep into his eyes. There was nothing but love in them for his pups.

Then Kagome heard something coming from outside. She heard every word being said as her temper started to rise, 'Didn't these villagers learn their lesson when Inuyasha killed that bastard for his prejudice toward other beings? Well it looks like I will have to clean house here in Edo before I start with the rest of Japan.'

She turned to her Otou-san and said, "Please, put me down."

Inutaisho took his eyes off his Magoko as he heard Kagome's request. "Kagome, you used a lot of your energy to fight in that battle, when we finally reached you, your powers were almost depleted. You must rest."

"Please, put me down Otou-san. There is something going on outside that I need to take care of. I guess these villagers need a lesson on how to treat others when they visit their village, they didn't learn their lesson when Inuyasha killed that fool for his arrogance. I will have to clean house here in Edo before I can fix the rest of your lands." Kagome said with conviction in her voice. She knew what her purpose was to be here in this era. The Kami's gave her this task and she will take great pleasure in putting everyone in their place.

Sesshoumaru heard what these filthy ningens were saying about them. 'How dare these ningens treat us this way? We that made sure that they were feed throughout the winter, so all would survive.' His temper was growing by the minute but the shift in his arms brought him back to his senses as the pups moved to get his attention.

He turned as he heard his mate's words, "Kagome, I can not allow you to endanger yourself any more. I will go out and deal with these fools. I want you and the pups to stay here where it's safe."

Kagome's anger rose, her eyes turning white, as she looked at her mate, "I can not allow you to do what is required of me by the Kami's Sesshoumaru. They have given me this mission and I gladly accept it. They have brought me here to you and I'm repaying a debt for the happiness they have given me. Do not worry mate, you will have a chance to pass judgment when we have to deal with the hoards of youkai that don't want to bow down to your rule. But for now I must deal with this."

Sesshoumaru understood what she was saying, 'She has to start cleaning their lands in order to get everyone to live together. If she makes this village the example, on what will happen if they don't comply with their orders, then the other villages will fall into line. She has to establish her rule and I understand this, but in the future we will both clean the Western Lands and she will never have to go alone to do it.'

Inutaisho heard the exchange between his son and mate. He was amazed that she knew why she was sent back here. He noticed that her aura was growing in power. He placed her on her feet, and Kagome never wavered when she stood. She put her hand out to the side and her sword came to her without her uttering a word. She walked outside and prepared for what she was going to do.

Kagome's eyes changed colors as they turned a pure white, she was quickly followed by her mate, Inutaisho, Ayashiko, and Inuyasha. She stopped right next to Miroku as she looked at the villagers standing before her.

The villagers all took a collective step back in fear, as they heard her say, "So, none of you have learned your lesson yet. You would think that if one of your own was killed for threatening me that you will learn not to insult me again. I guess you are all bigger fools than I thought, because now you will have to deal with me. I was sent to this world to make sure that there is a future for your children. Your hatred of others because they are different is not acceptable. So allow me to correct your way of thinking. I pass judgment on the village of Edo! Your sentence is death for your hatred of others."

Kagome raised her sword into the air as it started to glow. She cast her spell as she let her powers go. Beams of light shot out of her sword as it killed every one with hatred in their hearts for other. This cycle was about to stop and she will teach them all to live together.

Surprisingly the majority of the people she killed were standing right in front of her. Not that many that were left in the village were killed by her spell as she said, "Hear me village of Edo, those that have tainted your village with their hatred of others, are now dead. You are to live your life in peace with the youkai. If I hear that you are not complying with my request I will come back and clean this village again. This is what is required of you and you will all obey or suffer my wrath."

The village as a whole bowed to the miko as they all agreed to her request. Kaede heard Kagome's proclamation as she asked, "Miko-sama, why do you call this village Edo? We have not named this village."

Kagome turned her white eyes to Kaede as she said, "I have named this village, from this day forth this village will be known as Edo. You will all comply with my wishes, for this village will grow and prosper in the future. You are to set the example for the rest of the lands that we can live together in peace. We will be here to see that peace is maintained for the future. Our children must learn from the beginning that hating another because they are different is not acceptable. But if you refuse to comply with my request, to live in peace with each other, I will return to this village and enforce my will upon you."

Kaede understood as she bowed deeply to the miko, that was the next lady of the west. She was learning her role well and took charge of what she wanted. She will help rule the west and Kaede could only think that things will change for the better with her protection.

Kagome then turned to her mate as she said, "Sesshoumaru, I want to go home." Kagome then fainted. Sesshoumaru reacted quickly as his tails came out and grabbed their mate. She was exhausted again as he growled in anger. That growl sent his pups to whining since he scared them.

Inutaisho came forward and took Kagome from his tails and cradled her in his arms. He held her in one arms as his tail wrapped around her body to keep her safe.

Sesshoumaru was grateful that his father came and took his mate from his tails. He then turned his attention to his pups as he purred to calm them. He forgot that he had them in his arms.

Once his pups were calmed he turned to the villagers and said, "I would take heed of what my mate has promised. I for one will not stop her from doing her duty. Youkai and ningen must learn to live together in peace. Not one race is better than the other, so learn to live together in peace."

He then made his way out of the village heading back to the west. He had his mate and pup's, he was one very happy youkai. Once they made sure that their armies were returning back to the west, both inu youkai turned and then formed one big golden orb as they all headed back home.

---oOo---

This is the end to this chapter. Yes Kagome had twins. I hinted to that in the previous chapter.

Kagome's life is now complete, she has her new pups as she now takes on the role as a mother. But there is still something that she must complete, Sango is still not happy in her life and she must find a way for the monk to pop the question to her sister.

Join me in the next chapter as Sango finally gets the monk of her dreams.

Until the next time.

Ja ne!


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

They flew speedily in order to get back to the western castle. The pups were starting to get fussy and Sesshoumaru had no idea what was wrong.

Ayashiko looked at her son, seeing the confused look on his features, she knew what he was thinking about. The fussing pups in his arms had him baffled, she smiled, "Sesshoumaru, the pups are starting to get hungry. They will need to be feed soon or you will have two crying pups on your hands."

Sesshoumaru's eyes opened wide as he understood his mother's words. He looked at his mate in his father's arms and was worried. 'What if Kagome does not wake up to feed them? What will I do then?'

Inutaisho upon hearing what his mate stated increased the speed on the golden orb to travel faster. If those pups started to cry, Kagome will come out of her slumber quickly and attack anything in her way to get to them. He for one did not want to get blasted with her holy powers.

Sesshoumaru did a wonderful job keeping the pups comforted, it took them another 20 minutes before they arrived at the castle. Once on the ground they hurried to get the pups upstairs and to Sesshoumaru's private rooms.

The servants were all on hand to see if they could take a peek at the new heirs of the lands. Word reached them only moments before they arrived that the miko had given birth to two pups instead of one. They have heard that there was a son and a daughter, and they wanted to see what they looked like.

But, upon his arrival, Sesshoumaru covered them with his tail and he would not let anyone near his pups.

Ayashiko was rushing after Sesshoumaru and her mate. She was yelling orders to the servants, for the things she needed to be put in Sesshoumaru's chambers, before they made it up there. The servants, stunned at the rush of orders, raced to comply with their lady's wishes. By the time they got up there, they had everything they needed.

Ayashiko walked over to her son and asked for the pups. Sesshoumaru's eyes turned red, but she said in a stern voice, "Sesshoumaru, give me the pups unless you want to change them."

Sesshoumaru thought about what his mother said and relented. He gave her the pups as he watched to make sure she did not hurt them. There was an area that was set up for them in the room as she walked in that direction and proceeded to take care of them.

Inutaisho walked over to the bed and laid Kagome down. He stepped away from her as he turned to his son and said, "Sesshoumaru, you have to see if you can wake your mate. She has to feed the pups before they start to cry."

Sesshoumaru was now torn, he wanted to be by his pups to protect them, but at the same time he knew they needed nourishment from their mother. The pups need won out as he walked over to Kagome and sat down on the futon. He looked at his beautiful mate and started to caress her cheek. He called out to her, "Kagome, you must wake up, the pups are hungry and need to be fed."

---oOo---

While Sesshoumaru was trying to rouse his mate, Inutaisho heard his own mate gasp. He walked over to her and inquired, "Mate, what's wrong?"

Ayashiko turned to her mate, and whispered, "Look at our magomusuko, mate."

Inutaisho turned his attention to the pup she was changing. His eyes opened wide when he saw the pup. His magomusuko has his color stripes on his wrist, hips, and ankles. He had his crescent moon on his forehead along with the teardrop from his mother. Upon further inspection, he found that his magomusuko had two tails lying off to the side.

He was confused on why he would have his markings upon birth. Inu youkai never had their markings until they reached maturity. His own pup, Inuyasha, just received his own markings but a few moon cycles ago. As far as he knew, they got their two tails when they inherited their father's powers.

Inutaisho noticed his mate staring at him, "I don't know mate. I have never seen this before, so I will have to do some research on how this happened. I'm wondering now if our magomusume has the same markings."

Ayashiko didn't know, so she finished with her magomusuko before she changed her magomusume. Once she was done with her magomusuko and gave him to his Jii-san, she grabbed her magomusume and tended to her needs.

When she finally got her unwrapped, they discovered that she too had the same markings but they were Sesshoumaru's color. Her magomusume also had two-tails and the crescent moon on her forehead along with the blue teardrop of her mother.

Ayashiko turned to her mate and said, "Should we tell Sesshoumaru about this?"

Inutaisho shook his head, "No, not now, he will find out soon enough about this." Ayashiko agreed with her mate as she finished up with her magomusume.

---oOo---

Kagome started to come around. The mention of her pups brought her consciousness forward making her open her tired eyes. Looking around the room she was in, she identified it as home. She looked to her side and noticed that her mate was sitting there next to her. She smiled and asked, "Where are the pups?"

At that moment Ayashiko came over with two very clean pups and handed them to her son. She turned and grabbed her mate and left the room to give them some privacy.

Kagome struggled to sit up; she was still too weak to do it on her own. Sesshoumaru, seeing the difficulty that his mate was in, placed the pups on the futon. He sat behind Kagome and helped her to sit. He rested her back against his chest so he could support her.

Kagome reached up and undid the ties of her juban. She opened her top and Sesshoumaru noticed for the first time how big her breast had gotten. His mouth started to water, that was his favorite part of her body. There was now more there to play with when she was ready.

Once Kagome exposed her breast she reached for the first pup. Sesshoumaru saw what she wanted as his tail went around the first pup, picking him up, and brought him closer to Kagome.

Kagome grabbed her pup and settled him in her arms, as he lashed on to a nipple and started to feed. When she settled her son on her breast she looked for her daughter. Sesshoumaru already had the squirming pup in his tail waiting for Kagome to accept it.

Kagome quickly fixed the other breast for her other pup as Sesshoumaru placed his daughter in her arms. She held her daughter closer to her breast as she too lashed on and started to feed.

Sesshoumaru seeing that Kagome was having trouble keeping both pups up to feed, he helped her from behind, by placing his arms under hers to support them. Then, he leaned back with Kagome in his arms so she could be comfortable as she fed them.

Sesshoumaru watched as his pups feed with fascination. They both had very good appetites as he heard them suckling hard on Kagome's nipples. He was jealous that he had to share those nipples with them, but it was worth it to see his pups feeding.

Sesshoumaru sniffed as he took in their combined scents. He noticed right away that Kagome did not have enough protein in her milk to supply the pups with. Her breast must produce the right milk for their pups or they will not remain healthy.

He turned slightly as he said, "Kagome, your milk does not provide enough protein for the pups. You will need to eat large amounts of raw meat to keep them healthy."

Kagome listened to what her mate was saying. She understood what he wanted, but she wasn't sure if she could eat that much raw meat. But there was one thing that she wanted to know that was bugging her, "Sesshoumaru, why are the pups full blooded-youkai and not hanyou?"

Sesshoumaru tensed as she asked that question. He had forgotten to tell her about the Moirai Moon. He snuggled her closer to his chest as he began to tell her about the Moirai Moon and what it meant for them.

Kagome was stunned that she could produce full-blooded youkai pups when she was in heat during the red moon. It pleased her to know that her pups will now be accepted because they were full-blooded youkai and not what they called half-breeds.

But, something he said confused her as she asked, "So what you are telling me is that since we mated under the red moon, and I conceived under the red moon, that I can only conceive under the red moon while in heat. Is this correct?"

Sesshoumaru didn't like this one bit. It meant that as long as there was no red moon she could not conceive his pups. "Yes, that is correct mate."

Kagome sighed, as she said, "I'm sorry mate. I gave you my word that every heat I go through that you may pup me, but it seems that the fates have other ideas in store for us. We will have to see what the future holds for us to have more pups. Now, before we continued to have any more pups, we have to name the two we have. Do you have any ideas what we should name them?"

Sesshoumaru thought for a while as he saw his pups falling asleep. They were still suckling but the motion of eating was putting them to sleep. He turned his attention back to his mate as he said, "Tradition is that the male names the son and you may name the female."

Kagome's eyes lit up with joy. She has been thinking about a name for her daughter as she turned to look at her mate, "Could we name her Ayako?" Sesshoumaru was shocked when he heard her request. He smiled at his mate before he asked, "Why do you want to name her after my mother?"

Kagome lowered her eyes as she looked away from her mate. She sighed as she said, "Your mother means the world to me. She has taught me so much since I have been here. She has taught me to be strong and how to act like a lady. I want to honor her, but if you think that she will take offense, then I can come up with another name."

Sesshoumaru was stunned by his mate's statement. He didn't know that she cared so much for his mother. Kagome was the only one that he was willing to share his mother with. "I think that mother would be honored if you named our daughter after her. I'm sure that Ayako will grow up to be a proper lady with you as her mother."

Kagome blushed at his compliment. "All right, now there is another pup to name, so what is his name going to be?"

Sesshoumaru thought as he looked at his pup. He finally got the right name as he stated, "I would like to call him Takahiro."

Kagome thought about the name and she liked it, "I think that Takahiro is a wonderful name. I just hope that he lives up to it." She looked down at her son and noticed that he was done eating and so was his sister. Their little mouths were hanging open, with her nipple pulled away from them. They would motion again like they were suckling, but they were just sucking air.

Sesshoumaru noticed that his pups were done. He grabbed both of them at the same time and lifted them from their mother's breast. He laid them down on their large futon, close to where Kagome was resting.

His tail then reached for one of the furs and covered them. The pups stayed still as they both continued to sleep. He then pulled Kagome into his lap as he brought her closer to his chest and kissed her hard. Oh how he had missed her, as he lost himself to his mates taste.

Then he remembered his favorite treat as he pulled away from her lips and gently lapped at her nipple with his tongue. His pups taste was still there, he cleaned her breast for her, as he took it into his mouth and tasted the milk she produced. It was rich and full of flavor. But he was right. She needed to eat more raw meat to provide protein for their pups. He then did the same thing to the other breast as his mate moaned her pleasure.

He knew that he couldn't take her just yet, but this was his way of reestablishing his connection with her. He pulled away from her as he looked into her eyes. They were full of passion for him and that's all he needed to see. He nuzzled her as he said, "I want you to rest. You are low on energy and it will take days before you recover fully. I will go get you something to eat so then you can go to sleep."

At that moment there was a knock on the door, he covered his mate's chest as he said, "Enter." He knew who was on the other side of the door.

Katsuki walked into Sesshoumaru's room with a tray in her hands. She put the food down on the low table next to the futon. She turned and bowed deeply to Sesshoumaru as she said, "Congratulations, on your new pups, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Katsuki then turned her attention to Kagome. She saw that the new mother was pale and worn. "Kagome, how are you feeling?"

Kagome smiled a warm smile at the elderly cook, "I'm fine Katsuki, thank you for asking, I just have to rest for a while."

Katsuki smiled as she said, "Don't worry Kagome, I know what to feed you to make sure that you provide your pups with the right nourishments to keep them healthy, all you have to do is eat everything I send you."

Kagome's eyes opened wide as she groaned. When Katsuki said all she has to do was eat what she sent up, she knew she was in trouble. Katsuki always sent up too much food. She then noticed as her friend left the room in a big hurry.

Kagome turned to her mate as she asked, "Anata, why did Katsuki leave so soon?"

Sesshoumaru turned his blood red eyes to her as he said, "There is a period of bonding that must take place with the pups. I will not allow anyone to get near them until that bond has been established. They need to learn that I'm the alpha male and that you are the alpha bitch and mother. I also need to mark the pups as my heirs and then we can allow the others to see them. But, until that time we will remain here to protect them."

Kagome groaned. She was going to be stuck indoors until the bonding occurs. She didn't like that one bit. Then, she blurted out without thinking, "What am I going to do while they are taking naps during the day, and between feedings?"

Kagome saw an evil gleam in her mate's eyes as he said, "What do you think you will be doing mate? First you need to rest to recover from your ordeal, and then I will reestablish my claim on you."

Sesshoumaru then kissed her on her forehead as he reached over and started to feed his mate. He had to make sure that she ate the right food to nourish their pups. Once she had her fill she cuddled into his chest to rest. Sesshoumaru was now able to eat his fill, once he was done eating he was free to rest with his mate.

Sesshoumaru pulled Kagome down to rest. He knew she needed to rest, but she was just too stubborn to do it on her own. He started placing kisses on her neck, to distract her, and said a spell. Her eyes slowly started to close until she was asleep.

Sesshoumaru then pulled Kagome closer to his body. He wrapped his arms around her and sighed in contentment. He had one tail over his mate and the other was draped over his pups to keep them warm. He fell asleep this way, holding on to his family.

---oOo---

It had taken over a week before Sesshoumaru and Kagome left their rooms to join the rest of their family in a normal meal. The bond that Sesshoumaru talked to Kagome about was now established and their pups were now connected to them.

Both of them were surprised that Sesshoumaru did not have to mark them as his heirs because they already had their markings. They also discovered that they both had twin tails like their father, and that the markings that they would normally receive when they reached maturity were already there. They were both confused as to why this had happened, but this only proved to them, that their pups were powerful in their own right.

They both had to nip each pup on their ear, since they could not use the crescent moon to establish their connection with their pups. Sesshoumaru was the first to mark them, though both pups whimpered when they were marked. Kagome had to fight the urge to attack her mate for hurting them.

Kagome was the one that had a rough time marking her pups so that she could be connected to them. She didn't mark them, but with her powers she managed to form a connection between them that was even deeper than the one they shared with Sesshoumaru.

Kagome always knew just before the pups would wakeup to feed. So when they would stir she would be there for them. They both learned during that week that both pups possessed her holy powers. They found out the hard way when Ayako started to fuse and cry. Her brother thought that someone was attacking her and let his Reiyouku go to attack. Fortunately, the star on her mate's forehead saved him from their son's wrath.

Kagome had to seal their holy powers away until they were old enough to use it. Her pups were strong, even at such an early age, they both will be a hand full to train once the time came.

When Sesshoumaru finally presented his pups officially to his father, as the next heirs of the West, his mother broke out in tears, when she heard the names that they have been given. Ayashiko was proud and honored that the female pup was named after her. She never knew that her Musume would have such feeling for her.

During their meal Inutaisho did some research concerning his Magoko, "Sesshoumaru, I have done some research to find out why your pups have their markings. I found out that only the strongest of youkai will have their markings at birth. This is the sign that they are the most powerful youkai in the land. As for the two tails that they have I have no idea why they were born with them. They should only have them if they inherit your powers."

Kagome was listening to what was being said as she interrupted the conversation, "That is not correct. The pups can be born with two tails if one of the parents is a two-tail inu youkai who has reached their ultimate power and the other is powerful in their own right, and has also reached their ultimate power. They have two tails because both Sesshoumaru and I have reached our ultimate power and Sesshoumaru is the ruling two tail of the lands."

Everyone was shocked that Kagome knew this. Inutaisho asked, "How do you know all of this Kagome? I have not been able to find anything in reference to this."

Kagome smiled. "I have spent a lot of time with Tsuyoimaru-sama. He has passed down his lineage to me so that I may pass it down to my pups. Plus, there are plenty of books in his library that has been keeping me busy for a while. I have yet to finish all the books in there."

Inutaisho was surprised at the information that Kagome had given him. He would have to pull her aside later and find out what exactly his Jii-san said to her. He would love to learn more about his Jii-san.

During their meals, when they would sit down to eat, each of them will hold one of the pups to keep them close. When everyone started to go back to their normal routines around the castle, it would be Ayashiko, who would grab the pups and take them away to their sunning room.

Ayashiko had a surprise for Kagome when they went to their special room. The wall that would be there to protect against the elements was now gone and you could easily walk outside to enjoy the sunshine.

Kagome was overjoyed at the idea and when she stepped outside for the first time with her pups, she was truly happy. She put her hand into her kimono and pulled out some ofudas as she chanted her spell. The ofudas flew out of her hand and went to a different place in the garden. Once affixed to a tree, a powerful barrier was raised that would let no one through. The only one who would be able to go through her barrier would be her mate.

Kagome trusted no one with her pups. She was the one who cared for them and never let anyone touch them unless it was her family. Her protective instinct would kick in when someone she didn't know came close to them. She kept them hidden from everyone's view until they were old enough to protect themselves.

Life around the castle started to settle down. The pups would take a few years before they were grown enough to crawl and walk. Kagome will always be protected when she was with her pups in their special place. Sango was her constant companion and she could see how much she loved to be near the pups. She helped Kagome care for them, but Kagome also saw the longing in her eyes for her own children.

Miroku was always around to be near Sango. The only time he wasn't was when he had to do something for Inutaisho. Kagome noticed the way that Miroku looked at Sango with longing in his eyes. He truly loved her and wanted her to be his wife.

One day when the pups were asleep in the special bed that Kagome had made for them, she left Sango to protect them while she went and talked to Miroku. She had promised to teach him some of the spells she knew and now had the opportunity to do so.

She approached him as she said, "Miroku, will you walk with me. I thought that maybe we can go over some of the spells that I know." Miroku happily agreed to her request and moved over to the other side of the garden so they could talk without disturbing the pups.

Once they reached their destination Kagome turned to him and asked, "Miroku, do you still love Sango?"

Miroku's eyes opened wide at her question. He looked off into the short distance and looked at the woman he has fallen in love with. His eyes soften, "Yes milady, I do love Sango with all my heart. I want her to marry me but I don't know how to ask her again. I'm afraid to be rejected.

"The home that your father built for me is finally finished and it's the most beautiful home that I have ever seen. I wanted to present it to her and ask her if she will reconsider being my wife. But, I haven't had the chance to ask her, she has been busy with her duties and won't leave."

Kagome thought for a while as she came up with a plan to help the monk. She turned her attention back to him as she said, "Miroku, I will help you win Sango back, but if you ever abandon Sango like you did before, your life is forfeited, is that understood?"

Miroku's eyes opened wide when she said that she will help him get his beloved back. He heard her warning as he bowed deeply and said, "I promise milady, that I will not abandon Sango ever again. I made a bad decision and I never should have left her without first speaking with her. I have learned my lesson and I will never repeat it."

Satisfied that Miroku was telling the truth about his feelings for Sango, Kagome turned and went back to her pups.

When Kagome got near her pups she looked at their sleeping forms. They were close together in a huddle, her son being very protective of his sister. She guessed that the feeling to protect was a part of his inu nature, even this young in his life.

She then turned to her friend and said, "Sango, do you still love Miroku?"

This question took Sango by surprise as she turned red and looked away from Kagome. She knew that her friend wanted an answer as she swallowed hard and said, "Yes, I still love him, but I'm afraid to be with him. I'm afraid that he will leave me again."

Kagome understood Sango's feelings, "I understand that Sango, but don't you think you should give him another chance? He knows that what he did was wrong, but what you are doing is wrong too. You have to talk to each other. That is the only way your doubts will go away. He has learned a hard lesson with all of this and I'm willing to bet that he will be a different person from now on."

Sango thought about Kagome's words. Her friend was right, she needed to talk to Miroku about all of this and see if they could come to an agreement. Her heart ached to be with him and being afraid of what MIGHT happen, was keeping them apart.

Sango turned and smiled at Kagome as she said, "I guess your right, I should speak with him about all of this, maybe we can come to an agreement."

Kagome was happy to hear her sister finally admit that she loved the monk enough to go speak to him. She was positive that Miroku will do things right, this time around for her friend. She watched as Sango turned and walked over to Miroku, who was still on the other side of the garden.

Sango was nervous, she didn't know what to expect from the monk, but she was determined to at least speak to him about their future together.

Miroku looked on as Kagome was talking to Sango. He had no idea what they were talking about since he was too far away to hear them talking. His eyes opened wide when he noticed that the love of his life was walking towards him. He swallowed hard as he thought, 'Ok, this is my chance to tell Sango how I really feel and ask her to be mine again. Oh Buddha, please give me the strength to do this.'

Sango finally reached the place where Miroku was standing. She was a bundle of nerves as she shyly said, "Umm, Miroku we need to talk."

Miroku turned to his lovely Sango as he said, "Yes, I think it's about time that we talked, would you take a walk with me?"

Sango wasn't sure if she could leave the area, she turned and looked over her shoulder only to see Kagome waving them off, saying it was all right to leave her alone with the pups. She noticed out of the corner of her eye when Inuyasha came to keep Kagome company for a while. Kagome was still well protected, so she didn't see any harm in it.

She turned her attention back to the monk as she responded, "I would love to take a walk with you."

Miroku smiled one of his sexiest smiles for Sango as he turned and led her into the forest that surrounded the castle. Their house was not far from this location and he wanted to show Sango, her new home.

They walked in silence side by side. Sango was wondering where they were going when they came to this clearing and her eyes opened wide. Never before has she seen anything so beautiful.

There in the middle of the clearing was the biggest house she has ever seen. You could see two sections to the house, with a raised walkway to connect the two together. In the front there were flowers of every kind she could think of, giving it a perfect and elegant look.

Miroku grabbed her hand as he led her into the structure. He was proud of the way his home looked. It was what he wanted to give to her, to prove that he can provide for her. When the couple walked in, they were in the sitting room. There were large cushions everywhere for them to sit. There was a fireplace on the left hand side of the room with cushions placed in front of it for their use, with a low table in between them. There were tables with vases that held the most fragrant flowers and made the place look homier.

He then continued through the house where there were more rooms for sleeping. These rooms were for guest or for their children when they have them. He finally got to their bedchambers and it was beautifully done.

There was a big futon in the middle of the room, with black and purple sheets and blankets. There were two clothes boxes in the room, they detailed the doors to reflected Miroku's heritage of strong powerful monks. A monk standing on the edge of a cliff, head bowed in prayer, with his Shakujo held in his hand, over the land below. The other held Sango's heritage of the Taijiya, a lone female standing in front of a great youkai with weapons in hand ready to fight to protect that which she cherished.

There were little things in the room that made it homey for Miroku, like little gifts of gratitude he received from villagers, for helping them in their time of need, were spread around the room. There was also a large fireplace in the room with large cushions sitting in front of it. There was a fur rug there, of a great youkai, which was prominently displayed in front of the fireplace to make sure that their bare feet stayed warm.

He led her out of that room down another hallway. When they got to the end Sango was blown away. It was an indoor hot springs for their use. Miroku had gotten the Kenchikuka to enclose the hot springs that was on the land and built an enclosure for his Sango. He wanted her to have her privacy when she bathed.

It was nicely done as they had enclosed the hot springs but left it as natural as they could. They put in a stone walkway to the springs. There were benches on two sides of the spring and cabinets that held all the fragrant soaps he could find. Towels were on the benches for them to use and the natural flowers that were growing around the spring were still there, adding to its beauty.

Sango has not said a word about what she was seeing. She was amazed at this place and she was speechless. She finally came out of her shock as she asked, "Miroku, who lives here?"

Miroku turned to her looking at the expression on her face, "Do you like the house Sango?"

Sango shook her head to clear it of its many thoughts, he never answered her question, "Yes, I love this house, it's beautiful, but who lives here?"

Miroku smiled at her statement, he was happy that she loved the house, "I live here Sango, this was a gift from Lord Inutaisho. He had this built for me as payment for the service I have provided for him. He knew that the reason I abandoned you was because of my male pride. I could never build something like this for you on my own. But the information I provided to him at the beginning of the winter was valuable and this was his payment to me. He also gave me a position within his court so I will be one of his most trusted advisors.

"Now I have a way to provide for your future, your father has no right to complain that you will not have a roof over your head and that you will be moving around the area with me. I will still have to leave from time to time, but you will be well protected here."

Miroku continued to watch Sango as he saw a lone tear fall down her cheek. He reached over and dried her tears with his thumb as he looked into her light brown eyes. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, "What I'm trying to say Sango, will you still have me as your husband?"

Sango's eyes opened wide when she heard his statement. She couldn't believe that he still wanted her as his wife. She turned him down when he arrived back, for leaving her the first time. Her heart was heavy then, knowing that she could never love another as much as she loved him.

She half heartily laughed as she said, "I can't believe that you still want me as your wife, even with everything that has happened. All the pain and suffering that I went through because I fell in love with a monk."

Miroku's eyes lowered when he heard her statement. He made her suffer through all this and then he left her on her own. He lowered his hand from her cheek as he stepped away, not willing to look into her eyes. "I understand Sango, if you still don't want to be my wife. I have made you suffer a great deal to then abandon you after everything was said and done."

He turned, willing to let her find her own happiness even if it was not with him, when he felt a small hand touch his arm. He stopped as he heard her say, "Yes I suffered a great deal for you, Miroku, and I would gladly go through it again if it means that we can be together. Yes, yes Miroku, I want to be your wife if you will still have me." Tears of joy were running down Sango's cheeks as she waited for her monk to react to her statement.

The next thing Sango knew she was being pulled into a tight embrace as his soft lips found hers, he kissed her with such love and passion that she melted into his arms.

Miroku was overjoyed that Sango accepted his offer and would be his wife for the rest of his life. He quickly turned and pulled her into his arms, dropping his staff in the process, kissing her for all he was worth. When they finally separated he looked into her eyes, "Thank you Sango, I thought that I might have really lost you for my stupidity. I promise never to leave your side and to always talk to you about what I'm feeling."

Sango was happy with his promise and jumped into his arms, kissing the perverted monk once again. His hands were going down to her butt, but she didn't mind in the least bit, knowing that his hands were only for her, and as long as they were in a private setting she would not hurt him for it.

They walked out of the house holding each other's hand. They went back to where Kagome was sitting with her pups. Inuyasha was sitting next to her talking softly about what was going on around the castle lately.

Kagome turned as she saw her sister coming back to her. She smiled when she noticed her swollen lips and felt how happy she was. When they were close enough she asked, "Well did you work out your differences?"

Sango smiled wide as she said, "Yes we did, and I have accepted Miroku's offer to become his wife."

Kagome squealed and jumped into her sister's arms, hugging her for all she was worth. When she pulled away from her, she looked at the monk, and said with a serious tone to her voice, "Remember my promise Miroku, hurt her and you will suffer my wrath."

Miroku looked at Kagome and bowed deeply to her in gratitude, "I will always remember your promise milady, and I will never hurt Sango again. That is the promise that I have given my lovely Sango, I will love her for the rest of my life."

Kagome was happy to hear this, she wanted her sister to be happy and then she grabbed Sango by the arm, leading her back to where her pups were napping, so they could plan for the wedding.

---oOo---

It took them a year but they finally got everything ready for Sango's big day. They set the date for the ceremony for when the Sakara blossoms would be in full bloom. Kagome had Sango's wedding kimono made especially for her. The white kimono was form fitting and with an outer kimono that depicted the Taijiya heritage along the edge.

They got Kaede, at Kagome's request, to come and preside over the ceremony for them. Kagome had even convinced the Lord of the castle to invite Sango's father to the ceremony.

It took giving him puppy dog eyes, in order to have her way. She finally explained to Inutaisho, the benefits of having him come to the ceremony, and letting him see that his daughter was marrying into a good family that can provide for her.

Kagome even went as far as to stroke his male ego, by saying that once he saw the beautiful house that was built for his daughter, he will eat every word that he has ever spoken against the monk. That was enough for Inutaisho and he sent word to Sango's father when to attend the ceremony.

The day finally came for Sango and Miroku to get married. It was a beautiful day and only friends and family were present for Sango's big day. The ceremony was held in one of the gardens that Kagome favored on the west side of the castle.

Tension was running high, as Sango's father, Hiro, came to the ceremony. He was not allowed to see his daughter until the ceremony started. They were ready for the bride to appear as everyone stood and turned to where Sango was walking towards the raised platform they placed in the garden.

Miroku was nervous, he could not believe that the day has finally arrived when he will marry his Sango and live the rest of his life in peace with her. He was aware that Hiro was in attendance, but he didn't care at the moment, he was waiting for his bride.

Miroku saw everyone who was in attendance rise to their feet and turning to someone approaching. He turned and saw Sango coming towards him. His breath hitched in his throat when he saw her. Her kimono was beautiful and her hair was fixed in such a way that she looked like royalty. She carried a bouquet of white Sakara blooms in her hand. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes told of her happiness.

Her outer kimono was long and flowed behind her as she walked; the inner kimono was form fitting with intricate designs along the bottom from her heritage. Her beauty mesmerized him and when she finally got to him, he let out a breath he did not know he was holding and remembered to breathe.

Kaede then proceeded with the ceremony and it was beautiful. When they were finally done and had given their vows to each other, Kagome was overcome with tears of happiness for her sister. Her job was now done. She will watch and see her sister's family grow for generations to come.

There was a small reception after the ceremony. There was food there that Kagome made from her era and Inutaisho was enjoying it immensely. He was sampling all of it and the ones that he liked he made a mental note of it, so his little one could teach his cooks how to make it.

Miroku and Sango were having a good time, the food was good and they could not be happier. Then, Sango's father approached the pair as Kagome watched out the corner of her eye. She wanted to make sure that Hiro did not do anything that he would regret in the future.

Hiro watched every thing from afar. His daughter looked beautiful when she went to the monk that was waiting for her. She was beautifully dressed in an expensive kimono that made her look like royalty. His daughter, his precious daughter, was now the wife of a monk and he still could not get over it.

He walked up behind them and said, "Sango, I hope that you will be happy in your new life with the monk. I was honored to have been here to witness it."

Sango stood as she faced her father. There was still hard feelings between them as she said coldly, "You have Lady Kagome to thank for you being here father. The Lord of the Lands was not going to let you come here. But, I'm glad that you could attend the ceremony. As you can see, I will be well provided for here and I can still do my duty to my lady."

Hiro stood in front of his daughter and said, "Having a fancy ceremony means nothing if you don't have a roof over your head. I still think you could have done better than the monk you married."

Sango was fuming as she turned to Miroku and said, "Miroku, I will be right back." She then turned to her father and said, "I want you to come with me."

Sango left the reception with her father as they walked into the forest. She led him straight to the house that Miroku built for them to live. When she finally reached it she stopped and turned towards her father and said, "I think that this house has a roof on it. This is the home that Miroku has given me as a gift. This is where I will live and raise my family happily. If this doesn't prove to you that he can take care of me, then I don't know what will."

Hiro was amazed at the home that the monk has provided his daughter with. It was even bigger than the one he lived in. He turned his eyes towards his daughter and asked, "He built this for you? How can he afford something like this? He is only a monk and doesn't have any wealth to call his own."

Sango huffed, as she said to her father, "Do you think so lowly of him that he can't provide for my welfare? Miroku is a very intelligent man. He works for the Lord of the Lands as his most trusted advisor and you still doubt his honor.

"I for one will not stand for it any longer, father. You will respect the male that I have married. He is kind and loving, not the type of male you wanted to marry me off to so you can gain power. Are you so blinded by power and greed that you wanted a life of misery for me? I wanted more and I have finally found it with him."

Hiro's temper rose as he backhanded his daughter and sent her crashing towards the ground. He towered over her prone form as he said, "You will still respect me Sango! I'm still your father and what I say goes. You have no idea what you have done to the village since you left to go with that monk.

"If you married one of the warlords to the area it would have improved life greatly at the village. Now all we can do is sustain life the way it is with no improvements. It would have put me in a position to bargain with the warlords for more lands and respect from them. But, instead you chose a worthless monk and our village stays the same."

Sango rose slowly from the ground as she stood her ground against her father. She will not back down to him, ever. "I don't care about our village any more. You made it perfectly clear that I was not a member. So what goes on there is not my concern. But I do know one thing, father, I know that you are no longer the leader of our village."

Hiro's eyes opened wide as he said, "How do you know this?"

Sango smirked as she said, "You were beaten by a woman, and the males of that village will not stand for a weak leader that couldn't defeat a woman. But, you chose the wrong female to fight that day. Lady Kagome is powerful in her own right, she can beat any male, be it youkai or ningen. So you see, you never had a chance that day, and never will as long as she is your opponent."

The insult that Sango threw at Hiro was too much; Hiro's anger was beyond control as he raised his hand to hit her again. He swung his arm down but it stopped in mid-flight as he was held back by a strong force. He looked over his right shoulder and saw the monk standing there preventing him from dishing out his punishment onto his daughter.

---oOo---

Miroku watched as Sango left with her father to go towards their home. He was worried that Hiro would do something to hurt his beloved, so he followed in their wake. He kept himself hidden from their view as he trailed after them.

He arrived just shortly after Hiro hit his new bride and heard his hateful words. His Sango stood up for his honor as her male, he was proud to learn that she thought so highly of him. As the heated exchange continued, Miroku noticed that Hiro was losing his temper again. This time he will not allow him to hurt her. She was his to protect and her father no longer had any control or say in her life.

Miroku rushed in as he saw him about to hit Sango. He grabbed Hiro's right arm and held it as he looked into his father in-law's eyes and said, "You will never again touch what is mine. Sango is now my wife and you have no say in her life anymore. Learn to live with it because I'm not going anywhere for a long time."

Hiro wretched his arm away from Miroku and turned to face him, "This is all your fault! If you hadn't seduced her then she wouldn't be fighting against me. I sent her to guard a ningen miko, descendant of Midoriko, and she comes home with you, wanting to marry you. She doesn't see through your lies, but I do. You will never be able to maintain this life for long when you have to travel the lands to help everyone on it. You can't stay in one place for too long."

"That is where you are wrong. For my ladylove, I'm willing to do anything to keep her happy. I will never separate her from the family she cares about." Miroku stated as he stood in front of Hiro, with Sango standing behind him. He was not going to let him hurt Sango again.

Hiro was beyond reasoning as he yelled, "I'm her family! You are keeping her from me!"

Miroku smirked as he said, "No, you're not her family. Her family is Lady Kagome and her pack. You see, by law if you abandon a female and banish her from your clan another clan can take her in. Lady Kagome accepted Sango as a sister to her pack, so she is now apart of the clan of Two-Tail Inu's. Since Kagome's mate is the ruling two-tails for all the lands, even the other three lords have to bow down to him as supreme leader. They are the ruling pair for the lands and what they say is law.

"So Sango being a sister to Kagome, was given a higher position than you can even think of holding. She is above you in every sense of the word and you must bow down to her, for she is now royalty."

Miroku then called Sango over to him as he turned her face to look at him. He moved the hair away from her neck as he revealed the crescent moon that was hidden there behind her right ear.

Hiro's eyes opened wide as he saw the marking. His only daughter was now related to the clan of two tail Inu youkai. 'How dare she let herself be marked by these filthy youkai! Now no warlord will want her because she is marked as youkai property. But then again, because she is marked as a member of the two tail clan, the warlords will want to get their hands on her, for they will be tied to the highest nobles of the lands. Yes this could work to my advantage.'

Hiro had enough, if he killed the monk, he will be able to take his daughter back to their village where he could marry her off to a warlord and he can gain back his status. He could show her mark to the warlords and then let the highest bidder take her. His greed for power was his driving force and he wanted that more than anything in this world. The person he once was did not exist anymore.

He pulled a knife from his sash as he attacked the monk. Before Miroku could do anything to protect himself, none other than Kagome intercepted the attack.

---oOo---

Kagome was standing in the shadows observing what was going on. She had seen Miroku and Sango go into the forest with Hiro. She didn't trust the man; he was unstable mentally since losing everything in his fight with her. She made sure that her pups were protected, and placed a barrier around their forms until she returned.

A smile came across her feature as she heard Miroku speak the truth about Sango. Because Sango was considered her sister, that made her part of her pack and she had a new family. She remembered the day that Inutaisho made her part of her little family and was overjoyed in having a sister of her own to talk to.

Then she notice when Hiro removed a knife from his sash as she moved to intercept. He will not hurt her sister again. A powerful barrier went around Miroku and Sango. Her sword appeared in her hand as she blocked the attack from Hiro.

The female that had beaten him in a fight at his village pushed him back as he skidded to a stop just a few feet away. He watched, as her aura appeared around her body. Hiro was actually surprised that he could see it. It was said that if a mire ningen could see the aura of their opponent it meant that they were very powerful and that there was no way that they could be defeated. Her aura was white. It had a heavenly glow to it as he continued to watch what she was doing.

Kagome lost her temper as she let go of her true powers and transformed. Her transformation caused every youkai in the area to go on alert for she never released her powers so easily. She spread her wings out to conceal her sister and to get Hiro's attention on her instead of Sango.

She held her sword out the side as she said, "Hiro, how dare you harm my sister! You banished her from your village, rejecting her because she failed in her duty to protect me. Does it look like I would need her protection to fight my battles? I can assure you that I don't.

"I picked up the pieces of her broken heart and accepted her as my sister to my pack. She is now above you in ranking, Hiro. Is that not what you wanted? Oh let me guess, it is what you wanted but you don't have control over the wealth she has, is that it? You are just like my real father, Hiro, he only wanted money and power. He didn't give a damn about me and I rejoiced the day that he never returned to my home.

"I lived a better life without him and all the pain he caused me. Then I came here and met the Lord of the Lands and he took me in. He showed me what a true father was like. He is the person you should be imitating to be a good father. There is no one like Lord Inutaisho and I am proud to call him father.

"Now leave before I forget that you are Sango's father and pass judgment on you for your evil ways. Because if you press me today, on the happiest day in Sango's life, since she arrived here, I will kill you."

Kagome gave a powerful flap of her wings as she knock Hiro flat on his ass, knocking the knife out of his hand. He tried to reach for it, but a golden whip came out of nowhere, melting the knife. He looked around only to see the ruling youkai standing by the female that was still glowing with power.

He got back up to his feet as he turned and left the area. There was no way that he could get to the monk to kill him so he could have his daughter back. She was now part of this youkai's family and there was nothing he could do about it. She had riches beyond his wildest imagination and he couldn't even touch it.

As he walked away, Hiro turned taking one last glace at the daughter that he had let slip through his fingers. He turned silently and began to make his way back to the village that banished him for his lack of leadership, and for being beaten by a female.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru had turned looking for his mate. She was nowhere to be seen and he noticed the powerful barrier she placed over the pups. He growled knowing that she was doing something she shouldn't be doing. Then he felt her anger flare as he raced to where she was located.

When he got to the place where Miroku and Sango were located, Sesshoumaru noticed that his mate had let her anger go. She transformed into her true form as she faced off with Hiro. He walked to her location and stood just behind her to make sure she didn't kill this ningen in her rage. He knew that if she killed him, she will never forgive herself.

He was standing just far enough away that when she flapped her wings it didn't hit him. He noticed when the ningen went after his knife again as he used his golden whip to melt it. This ensured that he would leave the area, now that he didn't have a weapon to fight with.

When the ningen left, Sesshoumaru approached his mate. Kagome's anger was still high as his aura flared around her body to calm and soothe her. He purred deep in his chest as he continued walking towards his mate. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his chest. His purrs soothed her until she dropped the sword and fainted in his arms. It has been a long time since she has used these powers and it drained her.

Once her wings were gone he picked her up and went back to the castle. He turned his attention to the monk and slayer and said, "Enjoy yourselves," while he continued to walk back to the castle with his mate.

Miroku had an evil gleam to his eyes as he eyed his Sango. He picked her up bridle style and then raced into the house with her in his arms. He didn't stop until he reached their bedchambers. Once he got there he started to show her how happy he was that she was finally his.

---oOo---

This is the end to another chapter. As you can now see Miroku and Sango are now happily married.

The pups are now a part of Kagome's and Sesshoumaru's lives as they will grow up being protected by their parents.

My friends this story is rapidly coming to a close. The next chapter will be the last for this story as I finally finish what I started so long ago. Join me in the next chapter as this story comes to an end.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!


	37. Chapter 37

Sorry about all the error. I had trouble uploading to this site last night and I didn't check to make sure everything was all right. I have corrected the errors and this should be fine now. Again I apoligize for what happened.

Cindygirl

Chapter 37

The years passed and Kagome watched as Sango's family grew. Three moon cycles into their new life together, Miroku wasted no time in getting Sango pregnant. Sango had her first child a year after she was married to Miroku.

Their first-born was a son, that they named Yoshiro. He was a happy baby and often times could be seen playing with the twins.

Although the twins were almost 2 years old they were still infants and needed to be taken care of. Two years after Yoshio was born, Sango had another son named Akito. He was just like his father in every way.

Sango took it upon herself to train them in the ways of the Taijiya. She wanted them to be able to protect themselves and not always count on their spiritual powers to help them, though with both skills, her sons were very dangerous fighters.

Sango's sons continued to grow and prosper while Kagome's pups were slowly growing. They would have growth spurts every so often, and by the time that they looked to be about 6 years old, Sango and Miroku were nearing the end of their life spans.

Kagome saw them growing old together. She knew that soon she will lose them both to their mortality. They had a long 50 years together and fought side by side when Kagome and Sesshoumaru started putting their rule into affect.

Together, they traveled around the lands setting examples of what they wanted all to do. But many were not ready to accept their changes. These people spread hatred against the ruling Lord and Lady. But, they were soon killed for their loathsome actions. When others in the land saw that, they were more than willing to comply with the laws of Sesshoumaru and Kagome.

The Lords to the North, South, and East complied with their laws, though reluctantly. It was the Southern Lord who did not want to comply with their wishes. Lord Hashimoto's clan lost the right to be the ruling lord when his clan was weakened by in breeding.

Kagome tried to warn them about what they were doing to their own clan, but they refused to listen. A clan of panther youkai took over the Southern Lands when they defeated Hashimoto, who fled with the remainder of his family for their own safety. The panther youkai refused to bow down to Sesshoumaru as the Supreme Lord to the Lands.

They challenged Sesshoumaru for his right to lead and that was their biggest mistake. Sesshoumaru and Kagome fought side by side and obliterated the panthers from the face of the earth.

Sango and Miroku were there to fight along side them. The panthers thought that they were two very weak ningen, but they were surprised by the amount of power that came from these two, as the South finally fell under the rule of the Western Lands. Once the battle was over, all those that lived there bowed to their will.

Both of Sango and Miroku's sons married very powerful priestesses and in doing so, strengthened their bloodline. They continued their father's work and became the trusted advisors to the Lords of the Lands.

By the time that Sango and Miroku passed away, they had lived a full and happy life together.

Kagome took Sango's death very hard. Her loss made Kagome feel that she was alone again. The only family Kagome had from Sango were her children that continued to grow and live on the lands close to her.

Sesshoumaru helped Kagome during the time that her sister died. He thought that she would never snap out of her depression until their pups reminded her that she had something to live for.

Over the years, Kagome never allowed anyone to see her pups outside of her family. She wanted them protected in case someone came after them. During these years, Kagome witnessed the love that they received from her family.

Lord Inutaisho and Ayashiko were very loving toward the pups. But it was Ayako that was the apple of Inutaisho's eyes. He loved her with all his heart. He made a point to show her his love, and could be often seen with her in his arms. He loved Takahiro very much as well, but it was her Musume that held a special place in his heart.

Sesshoumaru, to her amazement, surprised her the most. He was a very loving father and often time could be seen playing with his pups. It was something that Kagome thought she would never see. He would also tend to them from time to time to give her a break from her duties.

When they had grown a little and were crawling, or as Kagome would say, running on all fours, they would tackle their father to the ground and crawl all over his body biting and playing. When they got too rough, Sesshoumaru would discipline them for their behavior. Only when they submitted to him, did he forgive them for what they did and continued to play.

Kagome, on occasion, got her mate to leave the castle in his true form and they would go off together just to be alone. She had formed a special bond with his other half and would give them equal time. Kagome found that his inner inu was just like any other inu. Sesshoumaru loved to have his ears scratched, and she, on some occasions, got him to role on his back while she rubbed his belly. He loved it and would purr his delight. These were the moments that she cherished with her mate.

Select few in the castle were privilege enough to be in the presence of their pups and Kagome wanted it that way. She wanted to train them before she formally introduced them to the other lords of the lands. The other lords have been demanding for years that Lord Inutaisho present the next heirs of the West, but Sesshoumaru stood by his mate's side and her reasons for not doing so.

Kagome undertook her pups education, as she schooled them in what they needed to know. They were very intelligent and learned quickly. They learned how to use their Reiyouku once she unsealed their powers. They were both very powerful and her son was the one that learned the fastest. Often you could see him helping his sister learn her lessons.

It was during this time that Inuyasha finally came to his maturity. His inner inu was coming awake and Inutaisho was helping him learn how to dominate his brassier side.

One day, Kagome was in a clearing showing her pups how to pick herbs and what they were used for. They heard a howl in the distance as Kagome felt a powerful aura coming her way. She did not have enough time to get her pups to safety and placed a powerful barrier around them. Kagome told Takahiro to protect his sister.

She had just risen to her feet when a giant inu youkai came into the clearing. She stood in front of her pups protecting them as the inu approached. She growled, telling the inu to back off and leave the area. The Inu, however, did not obey any commands it was given.

Kagome knew that it was Inuyasha and that he lost control of his inner inu. When he came towards her, Kagome jumped high into the air and smacked his nose for being rude. She channeled some of her Reiyouku into her hand so that it would sting when she hit him.

Inuyasha's inner inu stopped, as it blinked in confusion at what she did. He went into a sneezing fit as he shook his head trying to get rid of the sting from his nose. He tried to attack again and Kagome hit him again. This time with a little more bite.

The Inu quickly backed away from the female that was hurting him.

Kagome seeing that she had his attention place her hands on her hips and said, "Down!" When he didn't comply with her wishes, she let her whip hit his nose again as she ordered, "DOWN!!!!"

Inuyasha's inu complied immediately, as he lay down on the ground. Kagome was pleased as she growled, barked, and yipped, _"You will learn how to behave around me. You have no right to come here and scare my pups to death. The next time you do this your punishment will be more server, is that understood?"_

The giant inu whined, yip, and growled, _"Yes I understand. Sorry for scaring your pups."_

Once Kagome forgave him for scaring her pups, Inuyasha's inner inu started wagging his tail. Kagome smiled at him, _"Why are you being difficult? Your other half is very nice and only wishes to protect his pack. Don't you wish to do the same thing?"_

The giant inu nodded his head up and down as he answered, _"Yes, I do. But I want to be able to play too. Its boring to have to always listen to what I'm being told to do."_

Kagome understood as she turned to the other inu that was sitting behind Inuyasha, _"Leader male do you think that you could allow him some play time? If you do, you might find that he will be more agreeable to do his training."_

Inutaisho had raced after his pup when he lost control of his inner inu. He chased after him knowing that Kagome was in the area with her pups and did not want them to get hurt. To his surprise, he witnessed as his little one stopped Inuyasha from getting near her pups.

She disciplined Inuyasha's inner beast as he listened. He sat there and watched what his little one was doing. He was amazed that she could have such control over any creature. Then he heard her question and said, _"I will think about it when he learns how to obey. For now, we will leave this place so we can continue with what we were doing."_ He turned his attention to his other pup, _"Come, we must leave this area."_

Inuyasha's inner beast complied with his father's wishes as they left the area. Inuyasha finally learned how to control his inner beast when he took Kagome's advice and he learned how to be its friend instead of trying to dominate him. He was a lot happier for it, as his inner beast helped him when he needed it the most.

---oOo---

Then the time came when Sesshoumaru told his mate that the pups were old enough to train. Kagome undertook their first training. The first thing she taught them was everything that she promised Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji that she would pass on to her pups.

Inutaisho was present for the lessons on his Jii-san when Kagome went through and told of their family lineage. He was amazed at the amount of knowledge that she possessed of his Jii-san. Some of it he never knew until she spoke about it.

The first thing she taught her pups was how to control their Reiyouku along with their Youki. They were both smart and learned quickly on how to control and use them together in a fight.

Kagome then trained them in all her fighting styles and when she was done, she then trained them in the ways of the Inu of over 1000 years ago. She had promised Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji that she would pass on his legacy and she did.

She taught them how to fight with different weapons and they were both ruthless in their attacks. Her daughter was as powerful as her mother and had a temper that rivaled hers. Her son was as calculating as her mate when he fought, but would viciously protect this mother and sister if they were in danger.

Kagome finally figured out that it was her son that protected and concealed his sister's existence when she carried them. It was shown in their earlier years that he had the power to conceal her to make sure that she would not get hurt.

Everything she learned from Sesshoumaru's Hiijiji she passed on to her pups. The time came when the pups had to be tested with a sword and this was a mother's worst fear, but Kagome was confident that she trained them well for this.

Sesshoumaru and Kagome were present together in the training dojo with their pups.

There, in a passing of age ritual, Sesshoumaru gifted his son with a sword fashioned out of his own fang. With time, as the pup grew, so would the power of the fang.

Sesshoumaru inclined his head to his son, indicating it was time for their match to begin. Surprising his father, Takahiro took a defensive stance that Sesshoumaru has never seen before. The two-tailed alpha turned his eyes to his lovely mate. Sitting off to the side with their daughter, he spied Kagome with a smile on her features.

Sesshoumaru returned his attention to his son. Without a moment's hesitation, he raced forward to attack his pup. But, Takahiro avoided his initial attack, twisted and parried his father's second move with ease. Sesshoumaru was amazed by the way his son moved as he defended himself.

Sesshoumaru upped his son's training by seeing how the pup would react to defending his mother. Devoid of the slightest indication, Sesshoumaru went after the pup's mother.

Takahiro guessed what his father intended to do and prepared himself to defend others. He would not allow his father, the attacker, to reach his mother and sister.

Takahiro, though young by youkai standards, had the body of a 10 year old. But, the power he held far exceeded the capacity of his small body.

Takahiro's aura flared around his body and swelled in size. His aura was so great that it would make even an adult youkai stop and stare. Surprising Sesshoumaru, Takahiro intercepted his attack and fought viciously to protect his mother and sister. Sesshoumaru found to his astonishment that he could not get through his pup's defenses.

Sesshoumaru could not believe that he was having a hard time trying to break his pup's defenses. Takahiro proved he was powerful and defended his mother well. Sesshoumaru then used his youkai speed and disappeared from in front his son and went straight for his mate. But, before his sword came down, Takahiro was already there to intercept the strike. With surprising force, Takahiro pushed his father back with a blast of youki.

Sesshoumaru landed on the other side of the dojo. He looked up and was amazed at what his son has done. He did not think it possible that at such an early age, Takahiro could be this powerful. Sesshoumaru flared his aura, letting it grow in power and attacked again. A barrier stopped his attack and pushed him back once more.

Sesshoumaru could not get by his son's strange fighting style no matter how hard he tried. When he saw that his pup was getting tired, he stopped the fight and walked over to his mate. "Mate, you have done a wonderful job in training him, but what is this fighting style that he is using? It's so effective that even I can't counter."

Kagome smiled at the praise she got from her mate. "Your Hiijiji taught me that fighting style and I promised to teach it to our children. In this way we will honor him."

Sesshoumaru was blown away by her response. He will have to get her to teach him this fighting style. It would not do for his son to defeat him in battle. Yes, his son was strong, but he had not used all of his power to defeat his pup. Sesshoumaru was still the most powerful and he wanted to keep it that way.

Next, Sesshoumaru tested his daughter's fighting skills. He found out quickly that she was as good as her brother. His mate had trained both pups well and that made Sesshoumaru come to the conclusion that his young were ready to be presented to the other Lords of the Lands.

For years now, the other lords have been demanding the ruling pair to present their pups. But, Kagome was not willing to do so because she prophesied that someone at the introductions would attack them. However, seeing that Takahiro and Ayako were more than capable of defending themselves, the couple made the decision to finally introduce their pups.

The date was set and the two ruling lords of the lands were invited to the Castle of the West to be introduced to the next generation of rulers.

---oOo---

Kagome was fit to be tied. She was a nervous wreck and could not stop planning counter steps should anything happen at the ceremony. Time passed quickly and before Kagome knew it, it was the day of the presentation. The time has come for her to go down with her pups to initiate them into the life they were born to. Kagome was proud of her pups and did not doubt that they could not defend themselves should the need arise.

Kagome gathered her pups and led them downstairs to the grand audience chambers. She stopped outside the doors. Anxiously, she looked at each pup and saw the smiles that they gave her. From those smiles, Kagome received strength. She knew she could not stall this day any longer. But, she hoped against hope that her premonition of the attack will not come true. Kagome nodded with a smile as the doors opened to the chamber that was crowded with youkai.

A hush came over the room as they entered. She noticed her mate making his way towards her. A slight sense of relieve washed over her knowing he was near. Her Otou-san and Oka-san were standing with the rest of the lords of the lands, gazing in her direction. It was too quiet for Kagome's taste, then she felt it, the hair on the back of her neck started to rise and before she could react to the threat, her son responded to it.

Two powerful blasts were sent their way, but Takahiro intercepted the attacks. He did not have his swords, but he did have his mother's powers. The pup made a sword out of his Reiyouku and destroyed the blast before they could hit his mother and sister.

Kagome placed a barrier around everyone to protect them, while her son went after the culprits that attacked.

Sesshoumaru growled, as he saw the attacks going toward his family. He saw his son save his mother and sister and go after the one's that attacked. Sesshoumaru leaped after Takahiro. He did not want him to kill the attackers because he wanted information and he was going to get it.

Takahiro had both youkai on the ground withering in pain as he cracked his knuckles readying his poison to kill them. He stopped when he heard his father say, "Do not kill them Takahiro. I want to find out who is behind this attack."

Takahiro lowered his hand, not wanting to disobey his father. Sesshoumaru nodded and the guards came forward and took the two Inu's prisoners. Then, Sesshoumaru turned to his son and said, "I'm proud of you for protecting your mother and sister. The females of our pack are our most prized possession. They are to be loved and protected at all cost. You have honored me by protecting them."

Takahiro has never heard such praise come from his father before. He felt proud that he did well to protect his mother and sister. They both turned and walked back to where Kagome and Ayako were standing. They noticed that both mother and daughter were encased in a powerful barrier that would allow no harm to come to them.

When Sesshoumaru was close enough, the barrier fell. He walked up to his mate and held her in his arms. He pulled away just slightly as he asked, "Are you hurt?"

Kagome smiled at her mate, "No, I'm not hurt, just a little shaken up that's all."

Sesshoumaru understood, he turned his attention to all in the room and announced, "I want to introduce my heirs, Takahiro my son and Ayako my daughter."

The whole room gasped when they noticed that the pups both had twin tails. There was no doubt that these were Sesshoumaru's pups. But, what they could not understand is why they were full blooded youkai instead of hanyou.

The room erupted into a buzz of whispers. Their guests were making presumption upon wilder presumption that in order to obtain youkai heirs, Sesshoumaru has bedded another. The incensed two-tailed Sesshoumaru stepped in the middle of the room and with a loud growl, said, "Kagome is capable of producing youkai pups. That's why they are full-blooded."

The room grew quiet again as Sesshoumaru lead his family to where his father was standing with the other lords. The other lords of the lands inclined their heads toward Kagome in respect. If they did not, they will definitely meet with their demise with Sesshoumaru, for not showing his mate respect.

Kagome inclined her head to them in greetings and stayed by her mate's side to listen to the conversations being carried. During the course of the evening, her pup's tails grabbed her hand, seeking comfort from her. Kagome, of course, bestowed her affection readily on them. They did what was required of them and stood silently. Even the twin's grandparents were very proud of the duo. From time to time, Ayashiko came to Kagome's side and took the pups off her hand's literally to give their mother a break.

At one point in the evening, Inutaisho could be seen walking around the room with a giggling Ayako in his arms. Ayashiko went to Takahiro and asked if he wanted to be carried by his grandmother around the room. But the two-tailed inu pup's face turned red as he shook his head rigorously.

When the party started to break up, Kagome excused herself to take her pups to bed. They were tired and she wanted to put them to bed. She walked away with her pups after wishing the other lords and ladies a good night.

Once Kagome had left, the Northern lord turned to Sesshoumaru, "You have definitely gotten yourself a good mate, Sesshoumaru. She is one of a kind and powerful. To think that a mire ningen could produce a youkai pup. That is truly amazing."

A growl was heard from Sesshoumaru as he said, "Yes, I am truly fortunate to have found Kagome. But she is more than you think. She will make sure that the youkai survive what the fates have in store for them. Only by living side by side with the ningens will we survive what is to come. If you should refuse her request, it will be your demise.

"I plan on leading our country into a future where our pups will grow free and happy. We have peace now, but the future is changing. We will have to stand strong together. Outside forces from foreigners will come here to change our ways, but we must hold true to our heritage."

The other lords took the warning that Sesshoumaru gave. They all have to bow to his rule for he was more powerful than the rest of them.

---oOo---

The years continue to pass, Kagome and Sesshoumaru kept the lands safe from all those that wished to destroy it. They fought together side by side and killed those that did not comply with their rule and would set the future of their lands in jeopardy.

The fate of the future of Japan did change. It was meant to change, that's why Kagome was sent back to the Heian era of Japan. They sent her back far enough to affect future generations of youkai if they were to survive what was to come. Ningens lived in harmony with youkai. Together they set the future of Japan to a prosperous one.

Youkai having a sagacious mind for business made them the perfect businessmen. Japan prospered under their care and became the leading nation in economics. They developed ways in which to save the environment and still keep pace with the growing population.

Kagome was blessed with two more pups during her life with Sesshoumaru. They were two more sons to help them manage the vast empire that her family accumulated over the centuries.

Inuyasha was given the Southern lands to rule as his own. Knowing that he will never rule over the West, he took the lands with pride. Ayashiko did not want to see him go, but she knew that he had to make a life for himself. She made him promise to visit and that she would go and see him whenever she could.

It was not until a century later that Inuyasha appeared in the Western lands and introduced the female that he wanted to mate to his parents. Her name was Shirori. She was a bat youkai with a very kind heart. She had the power to protect and to create strong barriers. She made a wonderful addition to their clan.

Shirori and Kagome got along wonderfully. They became close to each other and would talk for hours. The rules on how to choose a mate for the nobles was dissolved once Sesshoumaru took his rule. Though it was the way that he met his mate, it was not right to keep them apart until they fought for the mate they wanted.

The other ruling lords agreed to his decision after seeing how depressed their own pups were for not being able to choose the mate they really wanted. So, that's how Inuyasha was allowed to mate with his love. Together they ruled the South and kept it safe.

---oOo---

Sango's and Miroku's family also grew in numbers with the passing years. Their sons had each married powerful priestesses and continued to live near the Lord of the Lands. Miroku's promise made several centuries ago was still enforced by his sons, grandsons, and so forth. Each generation took the oath with pride. They had a rich life and one that was filled with happiness throughout the years. They protected the youkai Lord and his family and they wanted nothing in return.

Kagome watched each generation grow and prosper. Her sister's family grew large, some of them, having left the confines of the Western Castle to help the people of the lands. They settled around the area and some even moved to Edo and settled there. When the priestess Kaede finally passed away Kagome was heartbroken. She loved Kaede like her own baa-san and her death was hard to take.

One of Sango's great grand daughters went and settled in the village when the last remaining priestess died and there were no more to take her place. They wanted to make sure that the village had a priestess that will keep the peace in that area. Kagome would check on her from time to time and any problems she would have with the villagers it would be fixed when she stepped in.

After several centuries, the villagers were grateful for all that the Lady of the Lands has done for them. They built a shrine in her honor, not too far away from where the bone eaters well stood.

Kagome and Sesshoumaru went to see the new shrine. Kagome's eyes opened wide when she noticed that it was the shrine in which she grew up in. It needed a few more buildings added to the grounds but it was her home.

She spotted the well in the distance and walked over to it. Kagome stood by the rim and looked down into it. This was the place where she first emerged into this era and yet she could not return to her era when she tried to jump back in. It sadden her a bit, but then she remembered that her mother has not even been born yet. She took comfort in that thought as a powerful arm snaked its way around her waist to hold her close to a warm chest.

Sesshoumaru had seen his mate deep in thought, he was wondering what she was thinking about as he walked over to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his chest. His chest vibrated for a few minutes before he said, "Mate, what are you thinking about?"

Kagome leaned back into his arms as she took comfort from him. She sighed, "This is the well that brought me to this era. When I first came here, I had no idea where I was. The area was so clean and beautiful, like it is now. I tried to jump back into the well to see if it would take me back home but it wouldn't. The only thing that happened was that I hurt my pride. After realizing that I couldn't return, I decided to take a look around the area.

"I found the Goshinboku and it was younger here in this era. You see that tree still exists back home where I'm from. To see it here was a shock, I always knew that the tree was old but I could not determine its exact age, but I knew it was over a thousand years old. It seemed to me that I was wrong since its here but much younger.

"Then, I found the village of Edo and figured I was sent back to the past. There was not a lot of information on this era back home, so I observed the village from afar to see how they lived. Then the Oni's attacked the village and I had to help them. Kaede was not strong enough to purify the youkai.

"I lead them away from the village and fought them. Once all of them were killed, I turned my attention to your father. I detected his aura in the area but he didn't attack me. So I figured that he really didn't want to hurt me. But something was telling me that if I went with him, like he wanted me to, that there would be trouble.

"We fought and he won, because I was already weakened by the fight with the Oni's, that's how I got to your castle and met you."

Sesshoumaru was surprised. He never thought that's how she met his father. That time seemed like a lifetime ago and they were happily mated now for over 600 years.

Kagome stirred in his arms as she continued, "This shrine is the start of the Higurashi shrine, my home, in the future. This shrine along with a few others will be there in the future, where I grow up. It holds a lot of memories for me, both good and bad." She turned and wrapped her arms around her mate as she settled in his arms. She felt protected in his arms and never wanted to leave.

Sesshoumaru now understood why she was acting this way. He swore that he will protect her in the future and would make sure that she has a happy childhood. He could not stand to see her this way as he turned them around and started walking back to where his father was waiting for them. It was time to head back to the Western lands.

---oOo---

The years continued to pass. Kagome was able to tell them what was to come. They avoided a lot of the trouble that would have meant certain death for all of them. The wars that raged around them still happened but they kept the youkai safe from harm and they continued to prosper.

With Kagome's knowledge, they were able to buy into companies that were to make certain items, which were to be a hit in the future. They expanded their holdings by buying lands overseas like in Canada. They also purchased several islands that were near Japan which were for youkai use only. It was a place where they could go and live in peace if they so wished it, or take a break from the pressures of the modern world.

Kagome requested many years ago to never have her picture taken or for her identity to be known to the world at large. She explained that if they actually saw or had a picture of her, that her family here in Japan might recognize her and she didn't want that. She preferred to stay hidden until the day came and she was sent to the past.

Inutaisho understood her concerns as they agreed to her request. Kagome would never be seen and she was always protected when she went out into the public. For years now the media and new reporters wanted a picture of the heir's mate. They were doubtful that Sesshoumaru was mated and wanted proof of her existence.

Inutaisho would rebuff the allegations that were written and when they would print untruths about his son, he would go after them with a vengeance. They learned quickly not to print anything that was not true about the Western Canines.

They were the most powerful family in all of Japan and they were well respected for their kind hearts and for helping those in need.

But, that didn't stop the hordes of females that would show up trying to entice Sesshoumaru into mating with them. If anything, Sesshoumaru was very loyal to his mate as all inu youkai were to their females.

Often times Kagome would sit in front of the television and looked on as her mate dedicated a new building for under privileged children or a new wing to a hospital for the needy. She would watch, as the hordes of bitches would flaunt themselves in front of her mate. Slowly, her eyes turned red and her aura would crackle around her as her anger grew.

She would then take a calming breath to still herself. No one could take her mate away from her and she knew it. But, it didn't mean that she could not extract vengeance on the females that were trying to lure her mate away from her.

Kagome became very protective of her mate after all these years. As protective as he was, she was even worse. There have been countless times that she had to step in and protect her mate from the females that wanted to do him harm. His honor would not let him fight a female but she did not have a problem thrashing them around the area before she got rid of them.

Soon though, it would be time for Kagome's younger self to leave for the past. She had just been born and is now with her mother in the shrine. Kagome would go there from time to time just so she could see her mother. She saw how loving her mother was towards her, but then her father would show up and she saw nothing but loathing in his eyes. He did not want her as his daughter and it sadden Kagome deeply to see that he only despised and hated her.

She would leave with tears in her eyes as she went back home.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru tried his best to keep his mate out of Japan while she was growing up not too far away from their current home. They have a mansion near the city of Tokyo, it was the biggest mansions in the area. Their castle was still in tact and was protected by a barrier that prevented anyone from seeing it. Only those that still lived there were allowed to pass through the barrier.

His mother played a big part in keeping his mate occupied while all this was happening.

Sesshoumaru got his mother to take Kagome to their home in Canada. He told her he needed her out of the country for a while so she would not be so depressed. He had followed his mate on several occasions and found out where her shrine was located. He spotted a woman with a small baby in her arms. The ningen onna looked a lot like his mate and he thought that this onna could be her mother.

He did some investigation and found out that this onna was her mother and he stayed in the area until he found out who her father was. Once he saw what he looked like and he had his scent, a plan started to form in Sesshoumaru's mind. His father informed him that he wanted to be involved with anything having to do with his demise.

They took turns watching from a distance at the way the ningen treated the young Kagome. Sesshoumaru couldn't believe just how much his beloved mate resembled their daughter when she was a child. They were identical to each other in every way except that their daughter was youkai.

At times it took all of Inutaisho's strength to hold back his son when he saw this ningen male hit Kagome for no reason. They saw how he mistreated her in her young life and now understood the suffering she went through as a pup. But even Inutaisho had a difficult time in restraining himself from running to his musume's rescue when he heard little Kagome screaming as her father beat her.

Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho came up with a plan that would eliminate the male from Kagome's life and allow her to live in peace once and for all.

They had the names of all the doctors that studied Kagome from the age of four. Some were gentle with her, but the others meant to do her harm. They wanted to see if they could program the mind into doing what they wanted. They often took children that were prodigies and treated them in this cruel manner. Those were the doctors that Inutaisho went after. They have no right being doctors when all they did was hurt children.

The doctors either met with their demise or their licenses were revoked so that they never practiced again. Inutaisho was ruthless when it came to his little one and he made sure that no one was ever treated that way again.

He developed programs that brought in all of these talented children and let them be creative with their ideas. He fueled their passions and they became wonderful adults that would later work for him in one of his many companies.

---oOo---

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru were hiding in the trees near the shrine. They kept watch as the ningen male came out of the house and headed into town. Inutaisho gave a signal to several men that were waiting in the shadows to follow the ningen. They were on a mission and they knew who to collect.

The two men followed Kagome's father through the streets. They were dressed in black and blended in perfectly with their surrounding. It was night and only the low lives in the city were out during this time.

The two men followed their target and looked around the area. It was deserted, there was no one around that will witness what was about to happen. One of the men pulled out a sutra from within his jacket and chanted his spell. When he was ready he nodded to his partner as they got closer to their target.

Yakumo Higurashi was walking down his favorite street. He was heading toward his favorite bar to get his normal drinks for the night. He was just paid to have his daughter help these fools with their research. His life was perfect, as long as he had the little bitch to sell to these doctors for their work. Who would have thought that they would pay so well for a lab rat?

He continued walking down the street as he was approaching his favorite bar. He noticed that there were two men following him on the street. He didn't pay much attention to them until one of them came along side him and asked, "Excuse me but are you Yakumo Higurashi?"

He stopped as he looked at the man from top to bottom as he answered, "Yea my name is Yakumo Higurashi, what do you want?" Before he could even move a sutra was placed on his chest as the man next to him said, "Now you will come with us."

Yakumo obeyed his commands, the other man that was with the first, came to the other side of Yakumo and escorted him into an awaiting car. They shoved him into the car as it took off to an unknown destination. The car traveled outside the city and stopped only when they reached a secluded part of a forest.

The men got out of the car and escorted the ningen to the awaiting youkai. Once they arrived at their destination they both bowed, as one of them said, "Milord, this is Kagome's father, Yakumo Higurashi. No one noticed what we did nor did they see us leave with him."

Inutaisho nodded his approval of their work, "Very good, now take the sutra off him so that we may speak to him." The man in black did as ordered as he removed the sutra from Yakumo.

Yakumo came out of his dream like sleep as he saw two youkai standing in front of him. He has no idea who they are nor did he care. All he wanted was to get to the bar so he could drink the night away. He turned his attention to the youkai and said, "What do you want? Why have I been brought here?"

Inutaisho took a step forward and said, "You are Kagome's father are you not?"

Yakumo stood straight as he said, "Yea, I'm her father what of it?"

Before Yakumo knew what was going on he was smack across the face as he landed on the ground. He looked up at the youkai in front of him that now had blood red eyes. He spit on the ground to get rid of the taste of blood that was there, as he heard him say, "How does it feel to be slapped across the face? How does it feel to have blood in your mouth? This is the way your daughter feels every time you hit her for no reason."

Yakumo got up from the ground, his eyes turned hard as he spat, "What is it to you if I hit my daughter? She has to be disciplined into listening to the doctors. It's none of your business what I do with her. What gives you the right to interfere with what I do with my daughter?"

Sesshoumaru had enough as he rushed in and grabbed the ningen by the throat and raised him off the ground. "You have no idea what you are doing to her do you? You are not there at night when she screams in her sleep begging for you not to hurt her. You are not there when she wakes up from her nightmares, shaking in fear, for what you have done to her. You are not there when she cries herself to sleep at night because of the pain you have caused her throughout her life. You have a wonderful daughter and yet you don't care about her or her feelings."

Sesshoumaru let some of his poison seep out of his claws as it made contact with the ningens neck. He released him and let him fall to the ground as he withered in pain from his poison.

Inutaisho came to stand by his son as he continued, "Your pup has suffered much in her young life all because of you. She only seeks your approval of her, as your daughter. She tries hard to impress you but instead of protecting her you beat her for loving you.

"Many nights I had to hold her in my arms so she would quiet down from her fears. I love her with all my heart and she has filled an empty place that I thought would never be filled. She is the daughter that I never had and she will stay there for the rest of eternity.

"You on the other hand will never see her grow into a woman. Your life ends tonight for what you have done to her. But tell me ningen why do you not accept her?"

Yakumo was scared of these youkai, they meant to do him harm as they talked about his daughter. 'How do they know Kagome? She has not been anywhere and we have never seen these youkai before. So who are they?' Yakumo thought as he eyed the youkai.

"How is it that you know my daughter when she is only six years old? As far as I know we have never met." Yakumo asked with conviction in his voice.

Sesshoumaru was the one to answer as he said, "Your daughter will grow up to be a beautiful woman and a powerful one. About twelve years from now she will fall through a well that will take her back to the Heian period of Japan.

"There we will meet and she will become my mate. We have been with her for over a thousand years and we know the damage you did to her. She didn't want to love or trust in any man until she met my father. He showed her, what a true father was like, we had to work hard to get her to accept and live through all the pain you inflected on her.

"We are the ruling lords for Japan. Your daughter is my life mate and my queen that helps me rule. So you see even if you don't love your daughter, I love her and she has not gone without as long as I'm here to provide for her."

Yakumo's eyes opened wide as he said, "You are mated to my daughter? You are Sesshoumaru the Supreme Lord to the Lands?" Sesshoumaru nodded his head yes to his questions. "How dare you take my daughter as your mate without speaking to me first. You owe me for her and I intend to collect on it. You can have her for one million yen. She is worthless to me anyway, I wanted a son and my stupid bitch grants me a daughter as my heir."

Inutaisho grabbed his son, as he was about to attack the offending ningen for his words. "Sesshoumaru let me take care of him, that way if Kagome asks you if you had anything to do with his disappearance you can answer her with honesty that you didn't."

Sesshoumaru backed off knowing his father was right as he let him take care of the ningen for him. But he will see him die this night.

Inutaisho turned to the ningen and said, "You have no right to make any demands on us. Kagome was 18 when she came to us and according to her you were dead. So we are going to make that come to pass. You will never see your daughter grow into the young woman she will become."

Inutaisho was about to teach this man the meaning of pain. He was going to beat him the same way he beat his daughter only worse. He brought up his right hand as he put two fingers together. They started to glow a golden color as he lashed out and his golden whip made contact with the ningen.

Yakumo cried out in pain as a golden light made contact with his legs. He fell to his knee's as he looked at the youkai and screamed, "What the fuck was that for?"

Again Inutaisho flicked his wrist as his whip made contact with the ningens back this time. It ripped his jacked as his whip cut right through it and his shirt going directly to the skin that was being protected. He heard his question as he said in a deadly voice, "You are going to feel all the pain you have given your daughter. How does it feel to be helpless while someone is towering over you, beating you for no reason, other than they hate who you are?"

Yakumo cried out again as another whip mark hit his back. "You bastards! You have no right to do this to me! I can do whatever the fuck I want with the little bitch and you can't do anything about it!"

"Ah, that is where you are wrong, ningen. I am doing something about it and I'm enjoying hearing you cry out in pain with each flick of my wrist." Inutaisho continued striking the ningen on his back and legs in the same way he would beat his little one.

When the ningen was a withering mass of flesh on the ground he finally had his revenge on him for all the beatings he gave his daughter.

Yakumo was in a great deal of pain as he tried to get on his feet. He figured that if he could get up he would have a chance to attack them, while he got away from them. With them being the ruling youkai of the land he could get a lot of money for keeping his mouth shut about what they did to him. He finally made it to his feet as his eyes opened wide in fear.

Inutaisho let his claws grow as poison started to come out of the fingertips. Yakumo saw this and tried to run from the youkai. Inutaisho struck with his claws, as he let his poison go, there was nothing left of the person who used to be Yakumo Higurashi.

Inutaisho turned to the two men that were standing there watching as he said, "Make sure this mess is cleaned up, I don't want anyone to know what happened here tonight." Both men bowed deeply to their lord as they got to the task at hand and got rid of what was left of Yakumo.

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru left the area, they were feeling good knowing that they have gotten rid of the one person that was causing the most pain in Kagome's life. They both knew that if they lived long enough to reach Kagome's era that they would be the one's to get rid of the ningen. He never cared about his daughter because she was not a male. They both shook their heads not really understanding why he couldn't accept her as his pup.

---oOo---

Finally the day came when Kagome knew that she would be heading to the past. Now it was time that the world knew who she really was. She has talked to her mother about what she was planning. They went shopping and they found the perfect dress for the gala that night. Ayashiko knew that Kagome needed this. She was about to put all those bitches in their places when she appeared next to her mate. She couldn't wait to see what will happen tonight.

Everything went as it usually did. Kagome would see her mate leave with his parents and she would stay at home, well not tonight. She had some servants help her get dressed and to do her hair. She then got her guards to get the limo and have it ready to take her to the gala. The servants were excited that their mistress was finally going to stand by her mate's side. It was about time that she did this. There has been tension between her and her mate because of her self-imposed exile from his side.

When they were done with her, she looked gorgeous in the outfit that she was wearing. She looked like the queen she was and she was ready to meet her king. The servants escorted her to the awaiting limo and wished her luck.

Kagome smiled as she got into the limo and took off to the gala. Ayashiko knew what to do since they talked. They will be waiting for her just inside the entrance to the gala and from there they will be together.

Kagome's limo arrived at the gala with plenty of time. Her guards made sure that no one got near her as they helped her out of the limo and then she walked into the hotel that was hosting the event.

Pictures were being snapped as everyone whispered, "Who is she? We have never seen her before in one of these events."

Kagome smiled inwardly. She knew that she was turning heads as she walked into the hotel. She stopped as she looked around the area. She was keeping her aura hidden so her mate did not see her just yet. She spotted them off to the side as she made her way towards him. She noticed a female youkai posturing in front of her mate trying to get him to take her on his arm for the night. This was the same bitch she has seen on the television, on numerous of occasions, and tonight Kagome would set the female straight about her mate.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru and his parents arrived at the gala on time. Sesshoumaru always hated to come to these things without his mate. He wanted to stay home with her, but this was an event that he had to make an appearance. He needed the exposure for future products that his company was in the process of selling. If anything, this was the perfect place to meet the top executives of the most prestigious companies of Japan. Even though he and his father had the biggest companies, they still had to deal with others.

There were standing at the main entrance of the hotel as they waited for everything to get started, so the people could be seated for dinner.

Sesshoumaru groaned when he noticed the female inu that was approaching him. He had several confrontations with her in the past and he just wanted to be left alone. She was not even beautiful compared to his mate.

She was tall and slender and didn't have that many curves. She had dark brown hair and green eyes. She was wearing a black form fitting dress that didn't look good on her at all. He snorted when she stopped in front of him and said, "Good evening Sesshoumaru, fancy meeting you here, I was wondering if you would do me the honor of escorting me this night?"

Sesshoumaru was about to reply to the bitch when he heard someone say, "I'm afraid not, he is already escorting me to the gala, so go find yourself someone else to sponge off."

He knew that voice as he turned and saw his mate standing there next to him. She was beautifully dressed in a black evening dress that came down to the floor. It had a slit up both sides of her beautiful legs and it stopped just short of her thighs. The dress was cut low to show her beautiful milky skin between her breasts. She had on a shawl that covered what was his as he growled at her and wrapped his arm around her waist in a possessive manner.

The demoness that was standing in front of Sesshoumaru growled and said, "And who are you to tell me to go away? I saw him first so it's you that needs to leave." She flexed her claws at Kagome trying to scare the ningen away from her intended.

Kagome, up to this point was hiding her aura. When she released it the markings on her forehead was revealed. The entire room went quiet as she said loud enough for everyone to hear, "Who am I? Well, I'm his mate of course and I do not take kindly to bitches like you telling me what they want to do with my mate. Now leave before I teach you a lesson for thinking that I will leave my mate to someone like you."

The demoness took a step back when she noticed the crescent moon on Kagome's forehead. The blue teardrop on her forehead was glowing with power as her aura spiked in the room. She backed away from her as she bowed in respect and said, "Please forgive me milady, I thought that the rumors of him being mated were false. I didn't know that he was actually mated to you."

"Well know this, I stand by my mate and whoever wants to challenge me for him then they are more than welcome to try and defeat me, but I will guarantee that you will die by my hand." Kagome spoke with command in her voice as the demoness left the area very quickly. Then she felt a nip on her neck as she calmed and turned to her mate.

Sesshoumaru had no idea that his mate was coming to the gala. She certainly put every demoness in the area in their place when her aura flared around her body. Everyone that was standing around them took a step away as the confrontation started. There were whispers going around the area about the female that was on Sesshoumaru's arm for that night. She was the most powerful female in the area and they were giving her the respect that she earned.

They all noticed the crescent moon on her forehead and knew that this must be Sesshoumaru's mate. They have never seen her before this night and they didn't blame him for keeping her hidden. She was beautiful and the way he was holding on to her told of his love for her.

Sesshoumaru turned to his mate and asked, "Kagome, why didn't you tell me that you wanted to come to the gala tonight? I would have preferred to escort you instead of you coming by yourself."

Kagome smiled as she said, "If we came here together then all those photographers outside would have taken my picture with you. This way they saw you enter and then they saw me enter. They have no idea that I'm your mate at least for a little while. I do hope that they don't let them in here to take pictures. I would prefer to spend the evening with you in some semblance of peace before we go home and they catch us."

Sesshoumaru growled as he kissed her. He was happy that she was by his side once more. He missed her at his side whenever he had to go to these functions. He turned to his parents and saw them smiling at him. 'They knew that she was coming to this gala tonight and they didn't tell me.' He thought as he growled at his parents for keeping this a secret from him.

Inutaisho just shrugged his shoulders at his son. He had no idea that his little one was coming to the gala. He looked at his mate and saw the gleam in her eyes. Yes, the females of his pack still conspire with each other to pull something like this off. Throughout the years they have been able to surprise them with anything, without the males knowing about what was going on.

Once everything started to calm down, everyone started to approach Sesshoumaru for a chance to meet his mate. They talked business and made deals prior to the start of the gala.

Sesshoumaru was very happy, he got all the deals that he wanted because his mate was now by his side. The doors to the dining hall opened as they all walked in and looked for their table.

Once the meal was done the music started as Inutaisho and his mate got up to dance. Sesshoumaru held out his hand to his mate as she accepted and went to the dance floor with her mate. They enjoyed their time together as they dance the night away.

Soon it was time to leave as they all headed for the door. There standing in front of the hotel, were the photographers and newspaper reporters, waiting for them. Kagome was a little scared at all the attention that she was bringing upon herself. She didn't expect this much attention when she showed up at the gala.

When she arrived here this evening there were not that many reporters outside taking pictures, now there seemed to be hordes of them waiting.

Word reached the photographers that the Sesshoumaru's mate has appeared inside for the gala. The reporters upon hearing this tried to get into the building, but were stopped by security. None of them were permitted to enter the building as they were told to leave.

The reporters sent messages to every single newspaper in town that the mate of Sesshoumaru was in attendance at the gala. They arrived by the carloads as they waited patiently for them to leave the gala that night.

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru stood there, as they saw all the reporters standing outside waiting for them to leave. Inutaisho pulled out his cell phone, dialing a number, he got some of his security people to come and push the nosy reporters away from the door.

It didn't take long for the youkai security to arrive and push the reporters out of the way. There was a wall of youkai on both sides of the steps as the limo doors were opened and waiting for them.

Each male took their female and held them firmly around their waist as they exited the building and made their way quickly to the limo. They quickly entered the car as they closed the doors and it took off heading back home. It was the most enjoyable night that Sesshoumaru ever had in one of these events and he had his mate to thank for it.

They finally made it home as their mates went up to bed. Inutaisho spotted some of his spies off to the side and said to his mate that he will be up in a minute. Sesshoumaru having heard what his sire said went with him to see what was wrong.

They entered their study, the two spies kneeled in front of them, as one of them said, "Milord, we witnessed a building appear on the Higurashi shrine. It appeared out of nowhere as we watched what was going to happen.

"A ningen onna, dressed in low cut grey sweat pants and a short white t-shirt came to the shrine and noticed the building. There was a glow coming from the building and she went to investigate. She was only in the building for a few minutes when the light inside the building exploded and then the building was gone.

"The mother came home shortly after that and then the police showed up at the shrine. They reported the daughter missing from their home as they looked around the area for her. The dogs they had kept going to the area where the building appeared and then vanished. Their handlers thought that it was strange and just pulled the dogs away from the area.

"The mother came out later tonight as she went to the Goshinboku, she placed her hand on the tree and asked it to protect her daughter. Then she left to go back inside her house. We left the area soon after and came back here to report to you milord."

Inutaisho looked at his son as he said to his spies, "Thank you for the information. You do not have to go out there any more. You have both earned a good rest and you will be well rewarded for your efforts. Speak of this to no one, understand?"

Both spies nodded their heads in understanding as they left the library and went home. They were tired and wanted to get some rest.

Inutaisho waited until the spies were gone as he turned to his son and said, "That explains why Kagome went to the gala. Today was the day she left to go back to the past. She is now free to come out of hiding and live her life."

Sesshoumaru understood what his father was saying. His mate was now free to do as she pleased. He smiled as he growled and went upstairs to his mate. He needed some attention from his mate for everything she put him through this night. She was a breath of fresh air and made the gala a tolerable event for him. Now that she was free to do as she pleased, she will be able to go anywhere she wanted to go.

Sesshoumaru made his way upstairs as his father followed closely behind him. He too wanted to speak to his mate about keeping secrets from him. She should have at least told him about what was going on so he wouldn't be in the dark about things.

---oOo---

The next morning Asami sat down to drink some coffee. She was still upset at having her daughter missing. They searched everywhere for her but they have yet to find her. She opened the newspaper and was shocked to see a picture of her daughter on the front page.

The headline read, "Could this be Sesshoumaru's mate?" Below the headline was a picture of her daughter beautifully dressed in a long black evening dress as she attended a gala last night at one of the fanciest hotels in the area. She read the article that went along with the picture and she was shocked to read what it had to say.

Asami put the paper on the table as she went to get dressed. She had to find out if this was her daughter or did this girl just resembled her daughter. The only way to find out was to go to the mansion where the Supreme Lord lived and ask to see his mate.

She got dressed and then told her father where she was going and why. She asked him to look after Souta until she returned. Asami headed out the door and made her way to the mansion where she believed her daughter was located.

---oOo---

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru were the first to make it downstairs to breakfast. Their mates will be down in a minute and that gave them time to read the paper before they showed up. As soon as both of them opened the paper, they saw Kagome's picture on the front page with the headlines saying, "Is this Sesshoumaru's Mate?"

Father and son looked up from the paper and paled. They did not know how they were going to tell Kagome about this. Just then, one of the servants came into the dining hall and said, "Excuse me milord but there is a ningen onna that is asking to see Lady Kagome. She says that she is her mother and wants to see her."

Inutaisho took a deep breath as he said, "Escort the onna into my study and tell her to wait in there. We will be there shortly." The servant bowed and left the dining hall in a hurry to carry out his orders.

Kagome and Ayashiko finally made it down stairs to eat with their mates. When they walked into the dining room, they noticed right away that something was wrong as they could feel the anxiety in the air.

Kagome was the first to speak as she asked, "Sesshoumaru, what's wrong?"

Sesshoumaru looked at his mate as he said, "I think that you will want to see this."

Kagome walked over to her mate, she took the paper out of his hand and opened it. Her eyes went wide when she saw her picture in the paper along with the caption. She quickly read the story that went along with the picture and had to sit down.

Ayashiko went over to her mate and grabbed the paper and started to read what it said. She turned to her pup and said, "Well, they really don't know for sure that you are his mate. They are making speculations that you are his mate."

Inutaisho cleared his throat, "Kagome, there is someone here that is asking to see you. She says that she is your mother."

Kagome looked at her hands as she started to shake. Tears were coming from her eyes as she said, "I'm sorry, I should have never gone to the gala last night and just stayed hidden from the world. All I wanted to do was stand by my mate the way I was meant to. I have been gone from his side for so long that all those bitches were trying to take what is mine. Now I made a mess out of everything and I don't know how to fix it."

Sesshoumaru kneeled next to his mate as he wrapped his arms around her. He held her tightly in his arms and said, "Mate, I'm not ashamed of you. I was happy that you went to the gala last night. It was the first time in a long time that I truly had fun at one of those affairs. What is done is done. Now we must take care of what comes next. The first thing we need to do is go see this onna and see if she is your mother."

Kagome nodded her consent as she dried her eyes and stood. Sesshoumaru wrapped his arm around her waist as they left the dining room to go and see this woman.

---oOo---

Asami was sitting in the study waiting to see if this woman was her daughter. She was nervous because if she was wrong, she was making a fool out of herself. She heard some footsteps coming her way as she stood and faced the door. The door slowly opened and the Supreme Lord of the Lands stepped inside the room with a young female tucked against his side. There were two other youkai that came into the room with him. They looked a lot like the Supreme Lord as she waited for the girl to raise her head so she could see her.

Sesshoumaru entered the room with his mate. She had her head down hiding her face from the onna that was there. His parents followed after him as they closed the door behind them so they could talk in private.

Sesshoumaru looked at the onna standing in front of him as he said, "I am Sesshoumaru, and this is my mate. We were told that you wanted to speak with her."

Asami swallowed hard as she said, "Yes, I did want to speak to your mate. In the paper this morning there is a picture of a girl that looks like my daughter. She has gone missing and I have been searching for her. I wanted to know if your mate is my daughter."

Sesshoumaru tilted his head to the side and said, "If she is your daughter what will you do?"

Asami was beside herself as she answered, "I want her back home where she belongs. I never gave my permission for her to be mated to anyone."

Kagome went stiff next to her mate. No one was going to separate her from the one person who has loved and protected her all these centuries. She lifted her head as she looked at her mother.

Asami's eyes went wide as she saw her daughter standing next to the Supreme Lord. She tried to go to her but she was stopped by what her daughter said to her. "Mother, let me tell you right now that I will not be going home with you. Yes, you see me standing here before you but the Kagome that you knew died a long time ago."

Asami paled as she asked, "Kagome, what do you mean? I just saw you yesterday morning before you went to the dojo to train the children. I came home and you were gone. I have been worried sick about you. You will come with me when I leave young lady, and I don't want to hear anymore of your lies."

Three growls were heard in the study as she just insulted the Supreme Lord and his family.

Kagome held up her hand to stop anything from happening, as she stepped away from her mate to face her mother. Sesshoumaru didn't want to let go of her, but the gentle pat of her hand on his reassured him that she will be all right. He let her go, reluctantly.

Kagome gestured to her mother to sit in one of the many seats in the study as she sat facing her, her mate sat to her left, Inutaisho and Ayashiko sat in another pair of chairs. "Mother, before I get started I would like to introduce you to Lord Inutaisho and his mate Lady Ayashiko, they are Sesshoumaru's parents and you will show your respect."

Asami was about to say something when her daughter cut her off, "Mother, disrespect them and it will be the last thing you will ever do. They are above you in everyway, they are royalty and you are not. I am Sesshoumaru's mate and that means I rule these lands with them. So, if anything, if you disrespect them, you are disrespecting me and my laws for these lands where youkai and ningen live together in peace."

Asami did not like it, but she kept her mouth shut as she let her daughter have her say. But, when she was done, Asami was going to make sure that Kagome went home with her whether she liked it or not.

Now Kagome had control over what was going to be said. She grabbed her mate's hand for comfort as she felt him squeeze her hand back. She looked up at her mother as she started her long story on what happened to her yesterday. She explained everything that she has been through and her life with her mate. The children that she gave birth to, and the ones that she was planning on having in the future.

Asami listened to her daughter as she told her story. She was amazed at what her daughter has done during her life and here she sits next to the youkai that is her mate for all eternity. "So, what you are telling me is that you went back about a thousand years to the past to set things right. That would mean that you are over a thousand years old! How can you live for so long and still look the same as you did yesterday?"

Kagome smiled as she said, "When I mated with Sesshoumaru my life span was extended to match his. I will continue to share his life span for the rest of our life together and even in the after life. We are tied together and I have found the one that I was supposed to be with. I had to go back a thousand years to find him, but he is my soul mate and I will not leave him."

Asami had enough of what her daughter was saying that she will not leave the youkai sitting next to her. "Kagome, I understand that you have been through a lot, and what you have told me is hard to believe. Now I want to go home and you are going to come with me. I will hear no more nonsense from you young lady."

Kagome stood up as she walked away from everyone in the room, her anger flared as she let her powers go. She transformed into her true form as she turned to her mother and said, "No mother, I'm not leaving here. This is my home, this is now my family and I will not leave them. They have taken care of me for over a thousand years where you and father failed in that responsibility. You let father abuse me and you knew what he was doing to me.

"I didn't want to think that you knew. I thought that he was doing all of this behind your back. But, you willingly left me in the house with him so he could punish me."

Asami rose to her feet as she faced her daughter, she needed to explain, "Kagome, it was not that way at all, you don't understand."

Kagome cut her mother off as she continued, "Oh, I don't understand. Hmm, let's see, with both my past self and current self in the same time period I was able to observe what went on in my life. I watched you on a daily basis to see why you never helped me when he was hurting me.

"You let baa-san get hurt by him and then kept her injuries a secret and she passed away. I saw it all. You lied for him and there was nothing I could do to prevent her death because she wanted to help me.

"You continued to let him hurt me because you are just like him and wanted the money that the doctors were giving to our family. I'm not a fool mother, I saw everything and yet you sit there telling me that I have to go back home. Over my dead body! I will never go back to that life when the one I have here is much better than that old life.

"If you even think that you are going to go to the reporters with this, think again. If you do go to them then I will expose you for what you are. You pretend to be a loving mother, but your not. You are no better than that so called father of mine and you don't give a damn about me."

Kagome's aura flared even more as her wings spread and took up the full length of the room. She was angry beyond belief. Sesshoumaru thought that even he could not calm her from her rage this time. She had to learn how to deal with her emotions and come to terms with them.

Asami didn't know that her daughter knew about what happened to her or her going along with her husband to sell her for experiments. Kagome was right, she let her father punish Kagome for not listening to the doctors. But, she made him promise to do it when she was not at home. She did not want her daughter to think that she was in agreement with him.

Asami noticed as her daughter's powers flare even more, becoming even stronger. Kagome spread her wings even more and looked like a goddess that has just been insulted. Asami got scared that her daughter would do something to her as she took a step back from her in fear.

Sesshoumaru could not allow his mate kill her own mother. He got up and cautiously approached his mate. He walked slowly towards her and gently called out her name, "Kagome." He saw her eyes turn towards him; they were white from her anger. He continued to walk to her as his Inner Inu purred to calm her. He has not had to do this in a long time as his purrs rose and lowered to comfort her.

He finally reached her and pulled her into his chest, while he wrapped his arms around her. He held her as she started to calm down from her anger. Slowly, Kagome's powers started to go down as she calmed. Her wings reseeded back and faded away. She went limp in his arms as he picked her up and held her against his chest to soothe her.

Asami watched everything that was happening. This male was able to calm her daughter as her powers went back down. She took a step towards him to get her daughter when a vicious growl came from the male. She stopped as a series of other growls came from him that she couldn't understand.

Sesshoumaru was speaking to his father as he held Kagome in his arms. _'Father, I cannot permit this onna to take my mate. I want you to wipe her memory of Kagome and then send someone out to the shrine to do the same to the rest of her family. In this way we will be able to protect her from the pain that she has suffered at their hands.' _

Inutaisho understood what his son was saying. _'It will be done my son.'_

Sesshoumaru then turned to the onna that was Kagome's mother. His eyes had turned white as his beast came forth to calm their mate. When he spoke it was with a voice of authority. "You will never speak to her in such a way again. She is my mate and as my mate she is above you. You must bow down to her and her will. You will not take her away from me when we have been bonded for over a thousand years. To do so would kill her. But worry not she will be well taken care of and you will have no memory of her being your daughter."

With that Inutaisho moved with speed as he pressed the spot behind Asumi neck and she fell unconscious in his arms. He put her in the chair as he turned to his son and said, "I will take care of what needs to be done. From what I know, the only one's that knows about Kagome is her Jii-san and her brother. The rest of the family has not been made aware of her existence. Her father was so ashamed that she was not a male that they never announced her birth to them."

Sesshoumaru nodded his agreement to his father as he turned and went upstairs to his room. His mate needed to rest and he will not leave her for the rest of the day.

Inutaisho turned to the business at hand as he put the palm of his hand on Asami's forehead and got rid of all her memories of Kagome. He turned to his mate and nodded. Ayashiko understood what he wanted. She walked out of the study as she told someone to bring the limo around the back.

The back of the mansion was heavily guarded against intruders and no one will see them taking the ningen onna from their home. Inutaisho picked up the onna and headed towards the back door. His mate was following behind him as they both got in and had the driver take them to the shrine.

Once they got there, both Inutaisho and Ayashiko walked up the long stairs to the shrine. They looked around the area and spotted no one on the shrine grounds. They went up to the house and noticed that no one was up or moving inside the house. It was still early in the morning so maybe the old man and the boy were still asleep inside.

They opened the front door and quietly walked into the house. Inutaisho noticed that an older looking ningen was asleep on a chair staring at the television. He turned to his mate as he quietly whispered, "Mate, go see if you can find Kagome's brother and erase his memory of his sister." Ayashiko agreed and headed upstairs where she heard the gentle snores of the young ningen.

Inutaisho moved into the living room and put the palm of his hand on the elder ningens forehead and erased his memory of his little one. Inutaisho hated to do this, but he had no other choice. They had to protect Kagome and that's what they will do. He pulled his hand away from the old one as he continued to sleep.

Inutaisho stood on his feet and walked into the hallway looking for his mate. He saw her coming down the stairs. Softly, he whispered, "Did you find the boy?" Ayashiko nodded as they both walked out of the house and down to the limo. They got Kagome's mother out of the limo and brought her up to the shrine, they knocked on the door as the old one opened it a few minutes later.

The elder ningen surprise was evident on his face as Inutaisho said, "Excuse us, but we found this onna on the street where she fainted, her identification says she lives here, is this true?"

Jii-san eyes opened wide as he looked at his daughter and said, "Asami, what happened to you?" He then turned his eyes to the youkai in front of him as he said, "Please, bring her inside and lay her on the couch."

Inutaisho agreed to his request as he walked into the house and laid Asami on the couch. She started to come around as Inutaisho waited to see if she remembered anything that happened earlier this morning.

Asami slowly opened her eyes as she saw that she was home. She looked around and saw some youkais standing there looking at her. Once the male saw that she was awake, asked, "Are you all right now?"

Asami sat up on the couch and answered, "Yes, I'm fine, but what happened?"

Inutaisho looked at his mate as he answered, "We were driving by when we noticed that you fainted. We looked in your purse and found out where you lived and brought you home. Are you sure that you are feeling alright? We could take you to the hospital if you are not feeling well."

Asami rubbed her forehead as she said, "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for bringing me home. I have no idea what came over me to faint in the middle of the street. I was on my way to the market and I must have passed out."

Inutaisho stood as he said, "Very well then, if you are feeling better then we will be on our way. Have a good day."

Inutaisho took his mate and then left. He felt sorry for his little one. When they walked in to get rid of everyone's memory, he saw that there were no pictures of Kagome in the entire house. It was a shame that they would think so little of her as to not have pictures of their own daughter. They had plenty of the boy, but none of Kagome.

They got back in the limo and went back home. Inutaisho and Ayashiko went and checked on Kagome, but she was still asleep with Sesshoumaru wrapped tightly around her small form. They left them alone until his little one woke from her sleep.

---oOo---

Kagome started to wake up. She remembered that her real mother had come to the mansion and she panicked. She started to get up from her bed when she felt a tightening of arms around her body. She struggled to get free, but a gentle purr calmed her down as she settled in her mates embrace.

Sesshoumaru noticed when Kagome woke up from her sleep. She was trying to leave their bed as he held on tighter and purred to sooth her. When she calmed, he asked, "Kagome where are you going? You are not in any danger and no one will take you away from me."

Kagome listened to what her mate was saying as she said, "But, my mother will make trouble for us. She will come back for me."

Sesshoumaru purred and said, "No, Kagome, your mother will not come after you or cause anymore problems for you."

Kagome was confused as she asked, "Why?"

Sesshoumaru did not know how she will take his news as he said, "We have taken care of her." Sesshoumaru felt his mate start to panic, as he continued, "No mate, we didn't harm her in any way. We knew that you will be upset if we did. We just took her memories of you away from her. She doesn't remember that she ever had a daughter."

Kagome was shocked as she heard what her mate said. 'She doesn't remember that she gave birth to me?' Kagome rolled over to face her mate as she asked, "She doesn't remember me any more?"

Sesshoumaru kissed her forehead as he replied, "No mate, she does not have any memories of you nor does the rest of your family. We knew that your parents never announced your birth to the rest of your family. Your father was ashamed that you were not a male, so he never told anyone of your birth. There were no pictures of you in your house only of your brother. We thought it best that we did this to protect you.

"From what you said, while we were in the study, your mother hurt you just as bad as your father. I didn't know that you were following around your birth parents. That could have been dangerous for you."

Kagome didn't realize that her mate and his family did this to protect her. Yes, her mother was just as bad as her father. She realized that her own mother did not care for her as much as she thought she did. She has received more love from her mate's family than she did from her own family.

Kagome brought her arms around her mate's chest and buried her face into his chest. It was a hard thing to learn that your own mother disowned you because you were not a male when you were born. Kagome cried, she cried because of all the people to love her it was his family that showed her what it was like to be loved and cherished.

Sesshoumaru continued to hold his mate and comfort her. He knew she was upset to hear this but it had to be said. He loved her very deeply and did not want her to be hurt ever again. He got an idea and said, "Mate, if you are up to it how about you get dressed and we go out to dinner just the two of us."

Kagome heard her mate's request as she said, "Yes, I think that I would like that very much Sesshoumaru. Are you sure that you just want to be with me tonight? You don't want to invite your parents?"

Sesshoumaru got an evil gleam in his eyes as he said, "No, mate I don't want my parents to come along with us. I just want us to go out and have a good time, just the two of us."

Kagome was happy to hear this. She didn't think that he wanted to go out alone, just the two of them. She wondered what Sesshoumaru had planned as she let go of him and he got out of bed and headed out the door.

Kagome sighed as she went to take a bath. Her life was all messed up and the only thing that was steady in her life was her mate. She never doubted that he loved her nor did she doubt that his parents loved her. She wondered, why couldn't her real parents love her as they loved her? These were the questions that were running through her mind while she bathed.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru walked out of his room and went in search of his mother. She always had good ideas on what he could do to make his mate happy. He found his mother along with his father in the sitting room as they were reading a book. He walked in and approached his mother, "Mother, do you know of a good restaurant that I can take Kagome to and have it be a romantic dinner?"

Ayashiko put down her book as she thought about his question, then she got an idea as she said, "You could take her to that the fancy French restaurant downtown. I have heard that the food is wonderful and it has a very relaxing atmosphere. I think that Kagome will enjoy going there."

Sesshoumaru thought about what his mother recommended, "I believe that this place will be acceptable. I want to take her to a place where she will enjoy herself and not think about what happened today. She has come to terms with it, but she feels so betrayed by her own parents. I want to take her out so she can start living her life again."

Ayashiko understood what her son was saying as she said, "Fine, I can call the restaurant and make reservations for you." Sesshoumaru agreed as he left his parents and went back upstairs. He knew that his mate was bathing and wanted to join her before they left for the evening.

Sesshoumaru and Kagome left the mansion a couple of hours later. They got into the limousine and the driver took them to the French restaurant that was located downtown. When they arrived, Kagome was amazed at the way the restaurant looked. It had the feel of a real French restaurant like those in France. It had low lighting that gave it a soothing feeling. They took them to a secluded part of the restaurant where they were seated at a table for two. There was a candle lit on the table for them as they ordered their meals and drinks.

Kagome could not help but feel happy that her mate took her to such a romantic place. She liked this restaurant and she would love to come back in the future.

The waiters brought out each of their courses once the couple were done with the first. Sesshoumaru and Kagome sat and talked for the longest time. It had been so long since they really had a conversation that did not involve politics or work. Kagome felt like a teenager again as she looked at her mate with love in her eyes. This dinner was rekindling her love for her mate, and she wanted nothing more than to be by his side.

By the time the couple finished their dinner the final surprise of the evening came. There on a plate was a single red rose. Sesshoumaru picked it up and gave it to his mate. Kagome was shocked. Her mate has never given her a rose as a present before.

It smelled heavenly as she heard him say, "Kagome you are the love of my life. I love you more than life itself. This rose represents everything that we have together. It intertwines within itself, just like our life together, the most beautiful thing that has ever happened in my life. You being my mate was destined to be. I will never give you up to anyone. I love you Kagome." He then leaned over and kissed her with such passion that it took her breath away.

Kagome's cheeks flushed a bright red as she heard her mate's undying love for her. Her heart beat faster with each word he spoke, when he was done he kissed her, it was like he was kissing her for the first time in her life. She loved this youkai, he was the love of her life and she was happy to be with him.

They paid their bill and then left the restaurant. But, the moment they stepped outside the restaurant the reporters were there with their cameras flashing. They took them by surprise as Sesshoumaru let out a feral growl from his chest, which meant death to anyone that got near his mate. They could not go out and have a meal together without the reporters having to be around them.

Kagome had enough as she flared her aura and destroyed all the cameras they were using to take pictures of her and her mate. Their limo arrived just in time as they got in and went back home.

Kagome was still clutching her rose in her hand as the thorns pierced the palm of her hand. Sesshoumaru picked up the scent of her blood as he panicked and looked to see where she was hurt. He opened her hand and noticed where the thorns had embedded themselves into her skin. He grabbed the thorns with his claws and pulled them out gently. Once they were out, he then licked her wounds to close them so they would not get infected.

Kagome smiled at her mate for what he was doing for her. He always took care of her no matter what. But, she knew that they will have to do something about the reporters before someone gets killed.

They arrived back at the mansion. If it had not been for the reporters the night would have been perfect. They went upstairs to their room and retired for the night. They were both exhausted as they fell asleep in each other's arms.

---oOo---

The next morning both Kagome and Sesshoumaru came down to breakfast. They met their parents there as they all sat down to eat. Once the meal was done, Kagome broke the silence and stated, "We need to do something about the reporters that keep showing up wherever Sesshoumaru and I go. I'm afraid that someone is going to get hurt if they do something that angers Sesshoumaru's inner inu. I was able to stop him last night, but if he ever gets out of control while he is protecting me, I will be unable to stop him."

Inutaisho and Ayashiko looked at their son so he could explain. Sesshoumaru seeing that his parents wanted an explanation, proceeded to tell them what happened. The good thing was they never got a picture of the two of them, because Kagome had destroyed the cameras.

"We are going to have to call a news conference and have them all in one place so we can introduce Kagome as Sesshoumaru's mate. I don't see any way out of this. If we don't present her they will be following you two around until we do. The problem is, what do we tell them about Kagome's origins?" asked Inutaisho as he eyed his pups.

Kagome looked up from her plate and said, "We can tell them the truth." Her mate interrupted her as he said, "Kagome, we can't tell them that you come from this era and somehow managed to travel back to the past. They will think that we are crazy."

Kagome sighed as she said, "Mate, let me finish what I was saying. I said we could tell them the truth; say that my mother was Midoriko and that I was born over a thousand years ago. I am a powerful miko and it is a proven fact that a powerful miko can mate a youkai and live as long as they do. Plus, if we don't tell them that how are we going to explain our pups? I will never deny my pups for anyone."

Sesshoumaru finished listening to his mate and she did have a good idea. They could say that she was Midoriko's child and that they mated a long time ago. They could never deny their pups and this will get rid of the reporters once and for all. "I agree with Kagome. I suggest that we tell them the truth that she is Midoriko's daughter and that we mated over a thousand years ago. This way we can get rid of these troublesome reporters."

Inutaisho agreed as he had someone set up the meeting so all those reporters could get their story and leave his pups alone. He did not want to explain why his son killed one of the reporters because they got too close to his mate.

A few days later a news conference was set up for all the news media's in the city. The story was so big that reporters from foreign countries sent their reporters to cover this event. There were thousands of cameras that where set up in the area to take pictures of Sesshoumaru's mate. Every single news station cut off their normal programming to air this news live.

Kagome was nervous as hell. She was pacing the room they were in while Ayashiko tried to calm her pup down. She knew that if Kagome didn't calm down she would let go of her powers and they did not need that.

Ayashiko heard as the reporters all quieted down, and her mate began the news conference.

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru were standing on a stage, scanning the area. They were looking for threats to their mates and when they did not find any Inutaisho approached the microphones and began to speak, "Good evening everyone. I have called you all here today to introduce my son's mate, Kagome. I am aware that you all have been following them around trying to get pictures of Kagome. Once this news conference is over with, you will not follow them again. If you do, we will not be held responsible if Sesshoumaru's beast takes over to protect his mate.

"It is a part of all youkai to protect their life mates. We do have control over our beast, but when you endanger our mates, they will come free of our control and they will attack with the intent to kill. Now if you will all stay quiet, I will bring Kagome out here to meet you all."

Ayashiko heard her queue, grabbing her pup, as she walked out of the room. She saw her son walking over to her as she silently said her thanks. Kagome needed her mate right now to calm her before she walked out there.

Sesshoumaru seeing that his mother was having a hard time with his mate went over to get her. As soon as he wrapped his arm around her waist, Kagome calmed down as she walked next to him. He led his mate right next to his father and announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the pleasure of introducing Kagome, mate to the Supreme Lord of the Lands, and reining queen of all Japan."

There was a silence in the room as everyone got a good look at Kagome. She didn't look more than 24 years old and they could not believe that she was the one that was mated to Sesshoumaru.

One of the reporters was bold enough to stand up and say, "Are you telling us that this woman is the life mate of Lord Sesshoumaru? She can't be more than 24 years old, how could she be his mate?"

Talk started going around the area as they were all taking this presentation as a joke. There is no way this woman could be Sesshoumaru's mate. She would have to be over a thousand years old.

Kagome temper was growing as she stepped up to the microphone and started to speak, "Why do you think that I cannot be Sesshoumaru's mate? Is it because I look young? Well then I must thank you for the compliment. But, in truth I am Sesshoumaru's mate, and I am over a thousand years old."

Everyone started to talk all at once, they could not believe that she was Sesshoumaru's mate. They heard one reporter yell, "How can you be over a thousand years old? You look to be around 24 to me!"

Kagome chuckled as she answered, "My mother was Midoriko." There was a dead silence that came over the place as Kagome continued, "It was an arrangement that was made between our parents. I was betrothed to Sesshoumaru when we were young. My mother Midoriko made sure that I was taken care of before her death. Only a powerful miko can mate with a youkai and have a true-life bond. Plus, it helped that he was my soul mate and when we mated, my life was tied to his."

When Kagome finished there were whispers going around saying there was no way she was a powerful miko. Kagome turned her eyes towards the person that was saying that, as she said, "Why do you think that I'm not powerful? Because I don't let you see my aura or flash my powers you think that I'm weak? You are truly fools if you think that. Never judge your opponent by what you see, looks can be deceiving and it could be your death."

The person that said that comment swallowed hard as kept his mouth shut. But the rest of the crowd did no such thing until she proved that she was powerful. Their chatter continued to grow, and Kagome could not even hear herself think. Kagome had enough as she let go of her powers, transforming into her true form. She had enough of these fools for doubting who she was.

Kagome transformed into her true form as she gave a powerful flap of her wings and rose above the crowd. Her voice carried over the noise as she yelled, "Silence!" The room fell quiet as Kagome continued, "I am Kagome, daughter of Midoriko, and mate to Sesshoumaru. You fools don't think that I am powerful enough to enforce the laws to these lands. You all live together in peace because it was my desire for you to do so.

"We have taken care of the ningens and youkai for over a thousand years and you still doubt that I will not take retribution for your arrogance? Think again, now you all wanted to see my powers, so be it."

Kagome summoned her sword and then raised it into the air. She started to gather her powers as the sword pulsed with life.

Sesshoumaru did not like where this was going. His mate might hurt all of these fools for doubting her powers. He formed his cloud under his feet as he rose into the air and floated right in front of his mate.

He looked into her eyes as he saw her tears. She was crying as he said, "Mate, you don't have to do this. These fools don't have to see the powers that you hold. They don't deserve nor do they have the right to deny that you are my mate. Let them think what they want because we both know that if anything ever threatens these lands they will come to us to help them."

Kagome heard his words and she had to smile, he was right, these fools didn't deserve to see her powers but she had to teach them all a lesson though. She looked into her mate's eyes as she said, "Thank you mate for your words, but I think that I still need to teach them all a lesson in manners."

Sesshoumaru smirked as he moved to the side of his mate. He will stand by her side as she always stood by his.

Kagome looked down at the hordes of reporters as she said, "So, the only way that you will believe me, if I show you my powers? Well, I aim to please."

Kagome held out her sword as she created a purifying ball at the tip. She raised her sword over her head as she let her purifying magic go. It went straight towards the crowd of reporters as they all screamed and tried to dodge the attack.

Kagome placed barriers around the area to prevent anyone from leaving the hall. They were all forced to sit there and watch as the attack came closer to them. The attack hit her barrier as it showered the area with a gentle glow of light. The blast was not meant to destroy or kill anyone, but it was an object lesson to all those seated down below.

"Take heed, that blast could have been my purifying power or a blast that could have killed you all. But, I chose to show you just what I can do with my powers. I have never harmed anyone who didn't deserve it.

"I have protected this land and everyone on it for a reason. I think that all life is precious and should be protected at all cost. But if you still do not believe that I'm Sesshoumaru's mate, I don't really care, because I know that I am and no one will take him from me." With that said, Kagome came down towards the ground as she drew her powers back inside herself. She then made her way to her mate's side and stood by his side.

Inutaisho stepped up to the microphone, as he was still in awed at what Kagome had done. He thought for sure that she was going to kill all these fools for their arrogance. He looked out in front of him as he said, "Now, if you still have doubts that Kagome is Sesshoumaru's mate let me introduce you to all of their pups, first born Takahiro and his twin sister Ayako."

Both of Kagome's first-born came forward as they greeted their mother. Ayako stood by her mother's side and you could almost swear that they were twins, for mother and daughter looked so much alike. The crowd was awed as they continued to watch.

"Second born to Kagome, Kurogane." said Inutaisho, as he watched Kagome's second son come forth and give his mother a hug and stood by his siblings. He had black hair and white tips just like his sister. His eyes were just like his father's as his tails were streaked in black and white.

"And the final pup born to Kagome, Mitsukake." Inutaisho watched as Kagome last pup came up and hugged his mother. As the last of her pups, he was the one that most resembled both parents. His hair was white with black streaks running through his hair. He had one golden eye and one blue. He stood as tall and was built like Sesshoumaru.

All of Kagome's pups had twin tails giving no doubt that they were the ruling two tail for the lands. Their combined auras were the most powerful in all of Japan. No one who stood up to them will win the fight, especially when they were protecting their mother.

The reporters were shocked silent as they looked at the family of Inu Youkai that resembled the miko so well. There was no doubt that she was their mother and that she was the mate of Sesshoumaru.

Kagome turned to her mate as she said, "Sesshoumaru, please, I want to go home."

Sesshoumaru turned to his mate as he wrapped his arm around her waist and turned with all of his pups and left the news conference. They were done as he took his mate back home so she could have some time with her pups.

The next morning both Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru wanted to see what the papers had to say about Kagome. There on the front page was Kagome in her true form as the headline read, "Powerful miko is the mate of Sesshoumaru."

They both read with satisfaction that they accepted Kagome as Sesshoumaru's mate. This made them happy as they waited for their mates to come down.

Kagome and Ayashiko came down to breakfast and when they entered the dining hall, they noticed the smug look of satisfaction on both males faces. They looked at each other and smiled. They knew then that the world has accepted Kagome as Sesshoumaru's mate and that's all they wanted.

For now, Kagome was happy. She finally had the life that she wanted and a mate that loved her for who she was. His parents were her family now and they loved her as their daughter. She could not have asked the Kami's for anything else, as her life was finally complete and now she could start living it to the fullest.

Then Kagome felt a familiar pain in her stomach as her eyes opened wide. Before she had the chance to cover her scent, her mate caught it in the air. Her eyes opened wide as his eyes turned blood red. She got out of her seat with her mate following closely behind her, "No Sesshoumaru, I don't have time to go into heat, I have too much to do." She yelped as she rushed out of the dining hall and was tackled by her mate. She was made to submit to him as he put her to sleep and formed his ball of light and took off with his mate.

Inutaisho and Ayashiko smiled, they knew where their son was going and they wished him luck this time around.

Four days later, Inutaisho was looking out the window of his old room in the castle. They came home to wait for Kagome to get over her heat. The castle has stayed the same over the centuries. He did not want to spoil its beauty by modernizing it.

He looked up at the sky and gazed at the red moon hanging in the night sky. He called his mate to him as he said, "Look mate, there is a red moon out tonight. Let just hope that Kagome has reached the peek in her heat so Sesshoumaru can pup her. She should have never made that promise to him because he always tries to pup her when she goes into heat."

A few minutes later they heard the powerful howl of conquest as they both turned and smiled at each other. They knew now that Kagome was pupped and there will be another pup on the way.

Life could get no sweeter than this as Kagome lived out her destiny with her mate.

---oOo---

This is the end to my story. I wanted to thank everyone who joined me in this adventure and I hope that you enjoyed the ride.

Yes there will be another story, I'm currently working on another its called Cheaters Never Win. It started off as a one shot but turned into something so much more. I figured that if it went over 50 pages that it was too long to be a one shot. So, since I got all these wonderful ideas, it because a story all its own. I am still in the process of writing that story so it will be a while before I start posting it.

The story is set in modern Japan, a little different from my previous stories. Yes all of our favorite characters are there and a few that are new that I created for the story. I want to make it a little shorter than my previous stories but I don't know how successful I will be.

So I will be taking a break until I'm done with the story before I post it, as before I look forward to hearing from you when I start posting again.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!

Cindygirl


End file.

Inuyasha, Adventure, Romance