InuYasha Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Through your Heart ❯ The 4 Lords ( Chapter 13 )

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Through your Heart

Chapter 13: The 4 Lords

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"Ku! Ku! Ku! So they think they can defeat me by forming an alliance between the Lands? Foolish Lords! Kagura!" Naraku cackled evilly before calling out to the wind demoness sharply. Kagura entered the dark room waving her fan and with the usual loathing gaze towards her 'master'.

Naraku frowned disapprovingly at the look but didn't comment, instead going straight to business. "Kanna has been of a great help Kagura, unlike you. She has shown me the other Lords preparing for the war to come against this great Naraku. Pitiful imbeciles, with more than half of the Shikon jewels, I am by far more powerful than any of them. Even without them, my power is enormous. The shards are merely a bonus…" Naraku cackled evilly and his blood red eyes darkened, making Kagura wave her fan a little bit faster out of nervousness.

"You will get all the most powerful dark youkai available to me. I possess in my body thousands of demons, but I will need a ground army." Naraku chucked a few jewel shards to her and she caught the dark pieces with a questioning gaze.

"Rally every youkai possible and give these little gifts to those who refuse to be on my side. Ku! Ku! Ku! This is going to be fun! Kanna! Show me the Lord of the South again. His antics amuse me. Go Kagura and don't return until your mission is complete." He discarded Kagura as if she was nothing and the demoness was all too happy to oblige with a stiff bow, barely refraining herself to throw a Dance of Blades at him.

When Kagura was far enough in the corridors, she breathed a sigh of relief. When she had entered the room and saw that Naraku was there watching Kanna's mirror, she had been scared to death that the evil one had seen her treason. Lucky for her, he was too preoccupied with the other Lords to even care about her at this moment. She had also spotted a couple of new urns where Naraku created his detachments from.

"This is going to be one hell of a war." The wind demoness muttered before she took off to find youkai that would help Naraku in his cause.

*~*

The group was advancing fast for hours now. After Kagome had sensed an unusual amount of power towards the middle Lands and InuYasha an unusual amount of youkai, they had decided to take a look. Usually the hanyou would not have been able to sense something like that from this far, but the concentration of youkai had to be very big if he could without trouble.

So now Shippou, Miroku and Sango were riding on a transformed Kirara and Usagi and Kagome on the silver haired hanyou. The rabbit had protested but InuYasha had simply hauled her on his back and taken Kagome in his arms.

He matched the pace of the neko youkai so he wouldn't tire but he soon accelerated because a familiar scent caught his attention. "InuYasha! Wait for us!" Sango yelled and Kirara gave a burst of speed to catch the hanyou.

"I smell wolves! A lot of them!" InuYasha simply said with a frown and Kagome warned him not to get into trouble like always.

Usagi giggled when InuYasha simply pouted at the miko. "Keh! I'm not always the first one to start a fight!"

Usagi patted him on the shoulder. "Of course not, InuYasha. We just don't want to fight the wolves, that's all. So please refrain yourself until we know what they are doing so far away from their territory."

InuYasha nodded seriously and Usagi and Kagome shared a smile. Their burst of speed made them catch on with the pack of wolves quickly. But this wasn't a pack, it was a whole army! Smelling the new arrival, the Ookami youkai all turned towards them ready to attack while the wolves growled and howled to warn their leader.

InuYasha let Kagome and Usagi touch the ground before he unsheathed Tetsusaiga and pointed the enormous fang at them, until a familiar voice intruded.

"I don't recommend you to do that, dog-turd. It would be bad for your health to take on a whole Ookami army."

Kagome gasped happily and InuYasha growled as Kouga walked to them, his blue eyes riveted on the hanyou's deadly sword.

"What? Afraid I'll kill them all, Kouga?" InuYasha spat out at the wolf prince with a smirk on his face.

Kouga frowned and didn't take the bait, being serious for once. "Not at all. But I need all of them for the war that is to come."

That made InuYasha put Tetsusaiga in its sheath, willing to listen to what was going on. The other wolf demons relaxed slightly when Kouga motioned for them to back off and the members from Kouga's pack came to them. "Kagome nee-chan! Usagi nee-chan! It's good to see you again!" Ginta and Hakkaku shouted in unison and hugged both girls happily. They sure looked cheerful for a couple of youkai preparing for a war.

"Why don't we go sit somewhere to talk? We were about to stop a little to rest anyway. We'll need all the energy we can get to fight." Kouga ignored the questioning gazes from the other wolf youkai and they went to sit near a water source, Shippou still on Kagome's shoulder, eyeing the many wolves surrounding them in nervousness.

"So Kouga, what's going on? Where are you going in such a great number?" Kagome asked, her hands folded in her lap.

Kouga sighed and plopped himself down in front of her while Kirara went to drink some water under the watchful eyes of Sango. In her small form, the neko wouldn't be strong enough against a rebellious and hungry wolf.

"It's Naraku."

InuYasha's ears straightened on his head and he tensed when he heard his enemy's name being mentioned. "What about him?" The hanyou spat in disgust.

"Well, he's been pushing the other Lords way too far this time and he's now going to pay the price. The 4 Lands are going to join and form a truce to eliminate the threat, that's why we're heading towards the Forsaken Land. The 4 armies are going to join there to prepare for the battle and to come up with a strategy." Kouga explained.

"Forsaken Land?" Usagi asked with her head cocked on the side.

It was InuYasha who answered the question this time. "The Forsaken Landis also called the Central Land. It's the joining point between the 4 main Lands; South, North, West and East. They're called Forsaken because it's a real wasteland and nobody wants to take possession of it. Perfect for a battlefield, I admit."

Usagi nodded to the answer as well as Kagome, who hadn't voiced the question out loud but listened to the answer. "Well, I guess we should go to, then. If Naraku's going to be there, we can't miss the opportunity. He'll probably have his jewel shards with him too."

Kouga and InuYasha were about to protest her coming too to the dangerous war when she shut them up with a look. "I've been fighting for 2 years now and I don't want to wait any longer! He may have done things to you in the past, but he pissed me off seriously too! Ask Sango and Miroku! And even Shippou! They might be human or young, but they know how to fight and their hatred for Naraku is as strong as yours! Let us fight too!" The miko said this with so much conviction that the others couldn't help but agree with her, even if InuYasha had his worries.

'If she goes I'll have to protect her more than ever. I guess it's not a bad thing…' The hanyou said to himself.

They soon started to move again but this time, instead of being on InuYasha's back, Usagi was sitting on Soranamida's back again, giving the hanyou a chance to advance in the troop's speed.

They weren't running at full speed, only trotting and sometimes even walking to keep their strength. Each time they were walking InuYasha put Kagome down, but it was also a fight between Kouga and the hanyou to know which one would carry Kagome, making the poor girl say 'the word' a couple of times to prevent a fight.

*~*

For once, the group didn't encounter any interruption. It had to do something with the fact that no sane youkai would ever dare attack an entire army by themselves… Or maybe there wasn't any youkai left in their way.

The atmosphere was rather quiet and making the others fidget a bit. The sun was beginning to set when the army finally slowed down. Ginta and Hakkaku ran beside Kagome and the others with serious expressions etched on their faces.

"What's going on? Are we stopping for the night already? Where's Kouga?" Kagome asked, eyeing the almost deserted land around them. The only thing that kept this land from being totally deserted was the trees. They were surrounded by them, but no sound could be heard.

Ginta and Hakkaku closed in on them, making InuYasha growl slightly. "We're sorry, doggie, but we've arrived. We better stay near the humans so the others will see that they're with us or else you'll be in trouble. Maybe you even have enemies in the other armies so you'll have to set camp on the side so it won't create any conflict." Ginta said, and told them Hakkaku and he would stay with them to keep them company, which made Kagome very happy.

InuYasha growled at being called doggie and tried to swipe his claws at Ginta, who luckily evaded the sudden attack at the last second with a yelp.

"InuYasha! Don't hurt him! He's only trying to help us!" Kagome admonished the hanyou who pouted and crossed his arms. "Keh!"

"Jeez! Would you look at all those youkai!" Sango muttered at the Inu-Tachi. "There must be at least 3000 demons here! Kagome, do you sense any jewel fragments?"

Kagome concentrated and moved her gaze over the crowd. "Except Kouga's, maybe 2 or 3 others. But other than that…This must mean that all the youkai here must be on the good side, well, you know what I mean." Kagome said with a sweatdrop.

"We'll go more on the side. The youkai here are so serious it gives me the chills. I don't know how Kouga can withstand to be in their presence for so long, but I guess it's none of my business." Ginta said while leading the group on the sides.

Every other demon not from their group were eyeing them suspiciously, mostly InuYasha though, but the hanyou merely ignored them. Usagi had long ago put on her cloak and hood and was walking beside the miko as to not attract attention to herself.

"So, where's that wolf anyway?" InuYasha asked bluntly while checking his entourage.

"Oh! Well, the armies are divided in 4 parts and are circling the leaders' campsite in the middle. That's where the decisions are taken so Kouga will stay with them for tonight. I guess we'll walk around a little tonight to see who our allies are so we won't target the ones on our side." Hakkaku said when they finally stopped to rest.

They decided to make camp a little farther than the first camp on the borders so they wouldn't bother anyone. InuYasha also needed to practice with the Tetsusaiga so he needed a lot of space, plus his charming personality tended to cause some problems. (More like explosive personality…-_-;)

InuYasha finished his bowl of ramen in record time and got up, calling Kirara over right afterwards. The tiny neko mewled and transformed instantaneously, making the others look at them weirdly. "InuYasha, what are you planning on doing with Kirara?" InuYasha was about to walk away when he froze in his steps with the suspicious voice of Sango.

"Keh! I'm just borrowing her for a moment, girl! I just want to practice with the Tetsusaiga, it's still too heavy to handle." InuYasha lifted his nose in the air as if to ignore the Taijiya but quickly blocked it with his hands when he took a big sniff out of the air.

"What's wrong, InuYasha?" Kagome was worried and about to get up when InuYasha put his hands down slowly and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry. It's just that in this distance it's okay for me to smell away but I took a sniff a little too big. I don't know how those youkai can withstand to be all huddled up together like this, it's sickening. They reek of sweat and blood, totally disgusting." The hanyou said with a grimace.

Miroku shrugged and leaned his back on a rock. "I guess it doesn't really matter for them. They're full demons after all and the smell of blood doesn't affect them like it does you."

Shippou nodded. "Makes sense. But since I'm not accustomed to it, I also have to reduce my sense of smell. Don't forget InuYasha, I'm a full demon."

The hanyou pulled out his tongue at the kitsune. "You don't have to rub it in my face, brat! Now let's go Kirara!"

The moment InuYasha pulled the Tetsusaiga out of its sheath it transformed in its usual enormous fang. He lifted it slowly and pointed it at the neko youkai and concentrated on the wind scar just to relax and get into it.

The Inu-Tachi gazed at the scene with small smiles on their faces. InuYasha sure looked mysterious just standing like that with the fang pointed at its opponent, the wind playing with his hair. So mysterious that, despite their hesitation at getting near the humans and half-breed, some soldiers approached the group slowly, curiosity and awe etched on their faces.

Miroku glanced backwards a little and smirked. "It looks like we have some company doesn't it, Lady Sango?" The monk whispered to the Taijiya, who agreed.

"Yes. InuYasha may be just a hanyou but he is still quite powerful."

Kagome sweatdropped and muttered back; "Yeah, when he's not busy opening that wide trap he calls his mouth…" The others nodded while snickering at the unsuspecting hanyou.

All the while, InuYasha felt his body unwind and he saw the wind scar in its totality. 'Good, now I just have to concentrate on wielding its weight.' InuYasha thought while lowering his sword.

Kirara slackened and de-transformed when she sensed that the hanyou didn't need her help anymore. Kagome was about to get up and join him when he let out a loud yell and swung the sword everywhere he could clumsily. The earth didn't offer any resistance to his attacks and he started to make big chunks of land and rock fly away with the brute strength of his assaults. It looked as if he was fighting and invisible enemy, preferably Naraku.

But all this sudden noise and change of attitude started to alert the soldiers and more got out of their tents and they looked at the hanyou with apprehension, also eyeing the ones with whom he had come with. "They're humans! Filthy humans and a hanyou! What is he doing with that thing?!"

They truly wanted to stop InuYasha but didn't dare go near that sword.

Kagome groaned and rolled her eyes towards the night sky. "Why oh why did he have to break the mood? For once everything was perfect! InuYasha no baka!"

The others shook their heads in disappointment while Ginta and Hakkaku tried to get the soldiers to back off. It wasn't going very well.

*~*

While InuYasha was wreaking havoc on the poor land, the 4 Lords and other leaders were talking about war strategies in their personal tent. A strategist was pointing at a map and was about to elaborate one of his ideas when a high-class soldier ran into the tent, making the others stop what they were doing to stare at the rude intruder.

The snake youkai, in his human form of course, bowed low and apologized profusely to his own master. What a comical scene; his forehead was almost touching the ground in pardon since he knew he had intruded in a very important meeting. "Forgive me My Lord for my lack of manners but this is urgent!"

His Lord was none other than Ryuu, the Taiyoukai of the North. He was of the dragon clan; very serious and wise, and also the oldest of the Lords. His son was standing at his side and he looked clearly bored. Ryuu got up and motioned for the snake soldier to speak up.

"My Lord! The soldiers are getting restless at the end of the campsite!"

Sesshoumaru stayed seated with an emotionless gaze but the other Lords immediately got up. "Is Naraku attacking already?!" Kurama, the Kitsune Lord of the South, asked with urgency written in his voice.

The soldier shook his head negatively and glanced at the Southern Lord briefly. "No Lord Kurama! Apparently, there's a silver haired demon at the camp's borders handling an enormous and dangerous looking sword. The troops do not know how to deal with him! Humans were seeing at his side too!" He bowed his head down again when he finished delivering his message.

Ryuu didn't even have the time to place in a word when Kouga slapped his forehead rather loudly, muttering obscenities under his breath. "Why me? I thought I specifically told him to stay quiet and not attract attention to himself but nooo! He just can't listen just one time in his life! Damn dog-turd!" He swore and then froze slightly, turning to the Inu Lord. "No offense, Lord Sesshoumaru." He laughed nervously.

The cold Taiyoukai didn't even bother to look at him and remained motionless, all thoughts lost in his head once again. "Milord? Are you all right Milord?" Jaken asked timidly, not wanting his master to show a moment of weakness. He got no response whatsoever and sighed.

Ryuu frowned at the unusual behavior but didn't have the time to dwell on it, other matters being more important at the moment. "Tell us Kouga, you know of this troublemaker?"

Kouga growled and muttered a couple of other swears before he answered. "Yeah I know him…unfortunately. I also know the humans he came with and one of them's my woman, so no touchy!" he almost snarled out, before he remembered he was in the presence of his comrades and not some lowly youkai. "Sorry about that, can't seem to control myself when it comes to her…"

Raijuu, the son of Lord Ryuu, snorted inelegantly and turned his gaze elsewhere than on the Ookami. "Figures. Even with your stature you live in caves, so it's no shocking matter that you chose a filthy ningen to be your wench."

Kouga snarled at the cocky young prince and was about to show him his place when Ryuu did it for him with a sharp slap behind the head. "Silence son! Remember to whom you are talking to here!" The Northern Lord said sharply.

The young dragon youkai bowed his head but sent a sharp look at the Ookami when his father wasn't looking. Kouga only smirked back.

"Well, what I was saying before being so rudely interrupted is that the woman I put a claim on is a miko." The uproar was loud in the tent but he quickly made them stop by lifting his hand. "They all hold a grudge against Naraku so I don't see why they should be excluded from this battle. They could be of some help. After all, he also has a monk and a Taijiya at his side. Plus your messenger was a little wrong. He's no demon, he's a half-breed named-"

"InuYasha."

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open; his glazed look clearing the more Kouga was talking, until he heard the word half-breed being mentioned.

He said his brother's name with disdain but refrained from showing anything on his face as he got up and put a hand on Toukijin, which pulsed slightly in return. The other Lords looked at him with apprehension, more so his deadly sword, and they watched his every movement as he walked towards the entry of the tent.

Kouga gave him a puzzled look. "You know of him, Lord Sesshoumaru?" He gulped when the only response he got was a fierce glare. It wasn't directed at anyone in particular, but it still chilled their backs a little.

The other Lords and their subordinates followed him outside in curiosity and they immediately blocked their keen sense of smell. 'No wonder I could not smell him through all these different scents.' Sesshoumaru pondered to himself. His gaze fell over the crowd where most of the soldiers had gathered and they quickly parted on the side to leave the Lords pass through with no difficulty.

Kouga was still grumbling when they arrived at the scene. Ryuu and Kurama's eyes widened slightly when they saw the havoc the hanyou made on the land and the size of the sword he was carrying. "The half-breed is swinging the sword like an amateur." Ryuu stated, and Kurama nodded. "Hmm. His movements are erratic and ungraceful; it is to wonder how he could have stayed alive with such poor swordsmanship. The sword clearly is too heavy for him to handle correctly."

Kouga sighed and shook his head. "You shouldn't underestimate him. He's a little crude but dangerous still. We have to find a way to make him stop before he thrusts this at one of us. Trust me, he knows how to fend for himself." Kouga said while glancing at where Kagome stood and breathing a small sigh of relief when he noticed she had to scratch on her lovely skin. She had opted to yell angrily at InuYasha to stop acting like a moron, making the Ookami smirk a little despite the situation they were in.

"Oh well, it looks like I'll have to sacrifice myself and try to stop him from harming anyone. I just hope he won't try to slash me with that thing. He's swinging the sword like an idiot who doesn't know what to do with it." Kouga was about to run towards the concentrated hanyou when Sesshoumaru stepped in front of him without looking back, his icy gaze riveted on the half-breed.

He cracked the knuckles from his one good hand a little and his claws lengthened a bit. "He still does not know how to handle the Tetsusaiga. Father must be rolling in his grave right now." He murmured and, completely ignoring the other's baffled and confused looks, he pounced on the unsuspecting hanyou.

*~*

Kagome, Sango and Miroku gasped loudly in surprise when a silver blur pounced on InuYasha and pinned him on the ground by his throat. The Tetsusaiga was now stuck on the ground a few meters away and some soldiers ran to it, trying to touch the now ordinary sword. They recoiled quickly when it singed them with its powerful kekkai.

"Hey! Don't touch that!" Kagome shouted while running towards the soldiers. Sango and Miroku swiftly ran to the miko to protect her against the tense demons, Miroku's void and Sango's Hiraikotsu at the ready.

Kagome picked up the sword with no problem, making the Lords and soldiers eyes widen with surprise. A human could touch the sword but a youkai couldn't? What was the world coming to?!

Usagi had troubles watching what was going on and it pissed her off. Kirara was transformed and in front of her and Shippou was busy yelping and jumping from Kirara's back to her shoulders, and back again. The crowd was thick and the youkai who now had InuYasha's neck pinned against the ground in a death grip had his back towards her.

Kagome, however, could clearly see who it was and her heart jumped in her chest. "Please release him!" she cried out in desperation. "You know he needs the sword or else he'll transform!"

But now no words seemed to reach the normally calm Lord as the 2 snarled at each other. The Taiyoukai's grip tightened unconsciously as the half-breed beneath him refused to submit. InuYasha's eyes started to redden a little and the ragged violet marks on his cheeks appeared slowly.

The hanyou roared in fury and tried to slash the hand that was holding him down but to no avail, the Taiyoukai's grip was unyielding. Kagome began to cry and beg for him to let go and the other Lords didn't know what to make of it. Sesshoumaru had never looked so enraged before as his eyes started to bleed red too.

"He's really gonna kill him isn't he?!" Kouga said with a shocked look. The wolf prince didn't know why, but the idea of InuYasha being killed like this didn't appeal to him one bit.

Ryuu was at a loss of words. "Nothing can be done now. I do not know why Sesshoumaru is so furious, but when he is like this nobody can stop him."

On the side, Usagi's eyes widened when she heard that bit of conversation. 'Se-sshou-ma-ru? Can it possibly be?' Blue eyes studied the youkai's familiar clothes. All sounds were cut off as she walked past Kirara and soon Miroku, Sango and Kagome.

She was in a complete daze and didn't even hear the warnings being sent off by Kagome or Kouga. Everybody just watched as she walked until she was but a few meters away from the 2 very dangerous and out of control demons.

"Sesshoumaru?" she whispered, as if being afraid that all of this was a dream.

Although it was whispered in the softest way, the red-eyed Taiyoukai froze the moment the wind brought her voice to him. He let go of a winded InuYasha and Kagome sneaked her way behind him to give the sword to its owner. InuYasha didn't even have the time to snarl when Kagome yelled the word so he wouldn't budge. "OSUWARIII!"

The demon yelped and fell face first on the ground rather painfully, leaving the miko enough time to put the sword on the hanyou's back, making him revert to his normal self.

Sesshoumaru, however, was another matter. He still hadn't reverted and was snarling at the cloaked person who dared to intrude in his business. 'That voice…' he thought, but his youkai now had control and didn't want to believe for one moment that *she* was still alive.

"Die." He rasped out in fury.

He moved so fast even Kouga had troubles discerning his movement and it was now Usagi who had the enraged Sesshoumaru's claws around her neck, pinned to the ground.

Kagome cried out and InuYasha got up as soon as his vision cleared up. "Shit! What the hell happened!? SESSHOUMARU!? What is he doing?! He's killing her!" The hanyou readied the Tetsusaiga again when Usagi painfully lifted a hand to make the hanyou stop in his track.

"Se-Sesshouma-ru." Usagi had troubles breathing but she knew the Taiyoukai wasn't in his right state of mind at the moment. 'Of course he doesn't recognize me. I have my cloak on and dogs rely on their sense of smell to identify people.'

It was beginning to be difficult for her to move but her hand shifted to her hood, making the red-eyed full blooded Inu Youkai snarl and growl, his grip tightening even more. His claws started to glow a greenish color, a proof that he wasn't joking at all.

But Usagi gripped her hood nonetheless and she took it off swiftly, all the while putting her other hand on Sesshoumaru's neck and burying his head in the crook of her neck. She did this so suddenly that Sesshoumaru didn't have the time to protest as he was assaulted with the familiar sweet smell of the young woman who had taken care of Rin and him.

"Calm down, Sesshoumaru. This isn't like you at all." She started to stroke his hair gently and his growling ceased immediately, the golden color in his eyes returning gradually.

Kagome had long ago stopped breathing along with Miroku, Sango and Shippou. InuYasha was too busy opening and closing his mouth in pure bewilderment to even notice Jaken running towards his master and the blonde who were still sprawled on the ground.

"I can't believe it! You are still alive!" Jaken exclaimed with a wide grin, and he bowed when Sesshoumaru tensed, remembering where he was and what he was doing. The Inu Lord got up stiffly with his usual stoic mask on and Usagi sat up with a smile as if nothing had ever happened. "I never thought I'd see you here, Sesshoumaru! It's been a while. I see you're doing well too, Jaken! Where's Rin?"

"Oh, we left her somewhere safe. This is no place for a child." The small demon toad answered promptly. He helped Usagi to her feet and she was about to say her thanks when InuYasha growled and readied his sword, now pointing it at the blonde woman.

"You 2 know each other?! Are you an enemy, girl?" The hanyou spat out in disdain. Kagome puffed up her chest and was about to say *it* again when Usagi surprised them all by laughing.

Sesshoumaru looked at her for just a second and moved his gaze back to the transformed sword. He thought he had lost her once, he wasn't about to see her die by his half-breed of a brother's sword!

"InuYasha put the sword down. I think you've created too much trouble already. And I've known Sesshoumaru for a couple of months now. I took care of his ward once when she had been hurt in a fight." She purposely left out the part where Sesshoumaru had also been wounded, much to his silent gratitude.

"Well, this is certainly interesting. But why don't we go back to the tent to be more comfortable and away from prying ears?" Lord Ryuu hinted while glaring at the curious soldiers who gulped and quickly went back to their business by fearing the dragon Lord's wrath.

They all stopped talking and eyed the wise Lord closely before nodding their assent. Sesshoumaru walked back beside the other Leaders without a single glance towards the blonde woman, but Usagi already knew he wanted to talk later so she shrugged it off and went back by Kagome's side.

"I can't believe you're still alive. Sesshoumaru tried to kill us so many times before it's a wonder how WE are still alive right now." The miko muttered to Usagi under her breath.

InuYasha was eyeing the blue eyed girl suspiciously but a part of him didn't want to believe for one second that she was an enemy. She had been such a great friend to Kagome and the others, and she had also been the one to make him think about Kagome's feelings and her difference between Kikyou. His thoughts were all jumbled up until he just decided to see what would happen. 'Sesshoumaru has sure been acting strange around her…I wonder…' The hanyou left his trail of thoughts unfinished.

All the while, Raijuu walked beside the mysterious looking blonde with a glint in his eyes Usagi didn't think she liked. She heard him take an intake of breath and her eyes twitched in annoyance when he smirked.

"Hmmm! A human. You smell rather good for one, too. I first thought you were a demon like me when you lowered your hood. And such beauty…I could bypass the fact that you are ningen…" He hinted with a lecherous gaze, licking his lips and eyeing her seductively.

Usagi grimaced internally and didn't even acknowledge him.

Sesshoumaru didn't show any sign of wanting to break off the impertinent youth's bragging but he growled imperceptibly. 'How dare he. I should rip the annoying brat's head off right now.' A streak of possessiveness and jealousy hit the Inu Lord and he tried to quench the feeling aside for the moment. They had more important matters to deal with right now.

They entered the tent and sat on beds of cushions. Shippou made a small happy sound in the back of his throat as he nestled himself on Kagome's stomach and fell asleep. He was interested in what was going on but sleep was more important at his age. He would try to know more from his adoptive mother tomorrow. Kagome would tell him what was going on.

"Now that we are all comfortable, I think it would be important to know why you are all here, don't you think?" Kurama asked with a raised eyebrow to the Inu-Tachi.

InuYasha merely turned his head away and ignored him.

Kouga growled at the hanyou's rude behavior. "Hey dog-turd! You could be more polite to one more powerful and high-classed than you! If we have had our way with you, you would already be dead!"

InuYasha snorted. "Says who?"

Kouga smirked cockily. "I do. I am Kouga, Prince of the wolf tribe but also Lord Kouga of the East!" He said with pride while InuYasha's mouth fell on the ground.

"YOU?! You're the Lord of the East?!" The hanyou started to laugh hysterically and evaded one of Kouga's slashes, said Ookami being offended by the mockery.

Kagome bonked him on the head when she finally snapped out of her surprised daze and bowed slightly to the wolf prince as an apology from InuYasha. "Forgive his reaction, Kouga-kun. I think InuYasha and the rest of us, for that matter, were just surprised that you were one of the 4 main Lords. After all, you do live in a cave." The black haired miko explained so he would calm down.

Kouga nodded. "It's understandable. I do have a castle in the depths of my territory but I hate this kind of life. And I'm not even bothering about telling you of the clothing details." Kouga made a face and the others chuckled. A wolf was truly destined to be free it seems, no matter it be an animal or youkai.

When InuYasha finally calmed down, Kagome started to tell the story of how they had met and why they were fighting Naraku now. Kagome told them she could detect the jewel shards and looked timidly at Lord Kurama, who smiled back peacefully at her and gave her the piece he had hidden on himself so no other youkai would try to use it for bad purposes.

"Thank you Lord Kurama! I didn't dare ask for it before since I didn't know your intentions…" she finished shyly, a small smile appearing on her lips.

The fox Lord only gave her back a playful look, clearly showing he didn't held any grudge at loosing his piece of the jewel. "That's ok. I wasn't even using it. I have no use for such a thing."

Kagome nodded with a grin and showed the piece to InuYasha before putting it on her necklace and continuing the story. Sometimes, Sango or Miroku would add some details in the story and they all listened dutifully.

Sesshoumaru was bored out of his mind and staring at the drapes in the tent, half-listening to the miko from the future. When the time came to listen to Usagi's part of the story, they all turned to her and several eyebrows raised in unison. "I guess we won't hear her part of the story tonight…" Sango said with a smile.

Usagi had long gone fallen asleep, all nestled up in the fluffy cushions. Her hair was sprawled around her and she was breathing softly, making the others stare at the heavenly image in a daze. Sesshoumaru shifted in his cushions this time, resisting the sudden pressing urge to snarl when they so unabashedly looked at her like this, especially Ryuu's son.

They all came back to reality and rasped their throats, not daring to look at Sesshoumaru directly for some unknown reason, and they prepared themselves to sleep.

When he was sure everyone was fast asleep, Sesshoumaru gazed one last time at the blonde rabbit, making sure she wasn't going to be harassed by the young dragon in the middle of the night. No problem there; the Taijiya was sleeping at her right and the miko at her left. So of course InuYasha was sleeping near Kagome in a situation like this, with so many youkai around. He could sleep peacefully; the insolent young youkai wouldn't dare try anything while Usagi was being so well protected.

There was just one thing he absolutely had to do though if he didn't want to make a fool of himself the next morning. He twirled his tail tightly around his body and gripped the tip of it in his hand in extra precaution.

He was about to go to sleep when he felt his tail twitch unconsciously. Sesshoumaru *almost* rolled his eyes upwards in annoyance. 'This is going to be a long night indeed.'

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R&R!!!

Eternal Cosmos ^_~