InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The return of Anubis ❯ Departue ( Chapter 6 )

A/N: I do not own Inuyasha.

I do not own YuGiOh, either.

And as an Easter egg, I've made two special guests in this chapter! Should be easy to figure out who they are. ;)

And no, their back story/background will have no ties to this universe.

Anyhow, enjoy!

~X~

It was time!

A month had gone and went which only meant that dragoness would be returning to Japan soon enough.

Kagome had packed all what she'd need to pack and she was so glad she kept her huge knapsack with her that had been used time and time again. It wore down throughout the entire time she passed through the well, jumping from the past to the future and back again, but she was there to patch it back together in case the stitching wore out. Sango had even helped her pack, knowing that this trip of hers will be a long one.

And for some reason, Inuyasha had been sticking around a lot more than the norm, too. Was it because they were leaving sometime this week? Or did he finish whatever he was doing that had him busy these last few weeks?

Off to see Kikyo… For reasons unknown.

Had something happened for him to no longer see her anymore? Should she ask?

A concerned look would grace her features when she closed her knapsack by the time she finished packing what most she could; now moving to stand and make her way out of her home. She wore one of her many simple colored kimonos that she would wear when relaxed, soft blue in color. Once she reached outside, she found Inuyasha in the distance, currently in conversation with Miroku and Sango not too far off but she would be busy with her children as she cradled her son in her arms.

The look upon her face was that of sadness, as much as she wished to not show it. She loved him greatly but she just wasn't sure. And for the first time in her life after a long while, she wanted to head home. Home home. Not here. Back at the time period where she belonged. Her arms slowly hugged herself and turned from the spot, heading back inside that little home of hers. She didn't get far as she'd sense a presence behind her, immediately freezing at the spot. Was that who she thought it was?

Slowly she'd turn around to find the DaiYoukai standing there just outside the doorway of her humble abode, giving her one of his hard pressed stares. Kagome would softly smile back but Sesshoumaru knew something was wrong as it was evident within those blue eyes of hers.

“Ohayou, Fluffy-chan.”

That soft voice of hers was heard in the small space between them. His head would tilt just slightly in curiosity when he viewed her face, searching for what could possibly be what had upset her.

“Is something the matter?”

Kagome would slowly shake her head and wave her free hand in the air to dismiss the thought.

“No, I'm fine. Just… A bit tired.”

Tired was an understatement. She'd have to be completely drained from what all she had been doing these past four weeks. Training with her new weapon, dealing with Inuyasha, dealing with Sesshoumaru and trying to piece together her feelings… She was like an emotional wreck! But luckily she managed to keep some part of her sanity.

“Actually, to be honest, I don't feel so good.”

Sesshoumaru heard this and gazed at her intently, glancing over her form. Was she not well? She looked fine so perhaps this may be a different matter?

Kagome was about to head off and gather her bow and arrows but she'd seen Sesshoumaru move towards her so fluidly, having missed his footsteps. She blinked up at his face in question when he drew so close and then she'd feel a warm touch upon her chin.

Eh?!

His thumb and index finger caught a hold of her chin and tilted her head upwards so that he could lean down and capture her lips again in a kiss that always managed to catch her off guard. The moment their lips melded together, their eyes would draw close and Kagome felt the warmth not only from his lips but from her being as well, enveloping her heart. That kiss remained as is, though, having not head anywhere and that had that miko swooning. But she'd quickly realize where they were and pulled away, fluttering her eyes open to look upon the DaiYoukai while her heartbeat began to pick up.

Again, he kissed her.

Why? And every time he had done so, she never thought once to pull away or reject him. How could she? Not after what they did about a week ago. Kagome shivered at the thought.

A heavy blush crept up upon her cheeks when her mind began to wander but quickly her gaze went downwards so that she could no longer remember those events, the DaiYoukai observing her closely.

“Hah, to think Aria was so right…”

Sesshoumaru heard her speak and was about to question what she was referring to but he'd remember those words that dragoness gave them when she had departed these lands a month ago. Kagome couldn't believe that she suddenly felt much better than previous when Sesshoumaru kissed her. Why couldn't Inuyasha show her this level of affection? This level of compassion? And who would have thought the Western Lord would be able to give it when Kagome needed it the most?

When this trip was over, she was going to have to have a long talk with Inuyasha.

“Umm… I need to gather my things and have my bath, so…” Hoping the male would get the hint! And so he would, giving the miko one last look before he'd make his leave from her home and once he was out of sight, Kagome exhaled out heavily as if she was holding in a breath. Her heart managed to settle down and breathing was calmer, running a hand through those dark locks.

Anyhow, she was off to take her long needed bath and change into her clothing she was always known for.

Some hours would pass that led the day into the afternoon.

And the lot of them there was gathered today, including some of the villagers as they would wait to see Kagome off and head to her new adventure. Both Shippou and Rin began to cry their hearts out because Kagome was leaving! They weren't going to have any more of her delicious cooking for a while, too. Actually, they all were a bit saddened at the fact they weren't going to be having anymore of Kagome's cooking for some time.

That much she knew.

Sango's twins began to cry; likely confused about it all but they knew they were not going to see Inuyasha for a long time after today. The taijiya held her son within her arms with Miroku right beside her, followed by Kohaku and Kirara. And there Jaken and Ah-Un would be with Sesshoumaru some ways off, the little green demon trying his hardest not to cry as he learned of the news that the DaiYoukai will be going along with the miko and the hanyou.

Sesshoumaru found this highly annoying that his long time companion began to shed tears for no reason at all.

“Jaken.”

“Y-y-y-es Sesshoumaru-sama!”

He tried to calm himself but he couldn't, much to his dismay.

“You will be in charge of looking over the castle. I trust you will have no problems while in my absence.”

“O-of course, Sesshoumaru-sama! You can count on me!”

He'd nod his head towards the tiny youkai and now his gaze set to his two-headed dragon that had been traveling with him for quite a long time. A hand rose and it was placed atop one of the dragons' head, the creature making a pleased sound as he did this. Hand was then removed when he noticed someone approach, that being Rin and she'd draw near her guardian she had come to know for such a long time now.

“Sesshoumaru-sama… Please protect Kagome-sama, okay?”

He saw that look in the girl's eyes, looking like she was ready to cry but she held back those tears when she looked up at the DaiYoukai. Sesshoumaru would nod his head to Rin and she began to smile happily and offer a small giggle when he bent down to pat atop her head gently.

And right on schedule, the lot of them would sense a large amount of youki heading there way but it held familiarity that they all knew. A roar would be heard from high up above in the clouds and their eyes would go skyward, now looking out for that dragon. And she would make her appearance as she began her descent, emerging through those clouds and from what they could see, she was carrying something large. Was that a crate of some sort? Kagome's eyes narrowed as she tried to get a better look and as she got closer and closer to the ground, that crate became bigger and bigger… What was it for?

The wings would pick up when the dragon's strong flaps were heard from using those extra limbs, again landing just outside the outskirts of the village and the earth shook greatly when she'd land. Within moments that dragon took her human form and they could sense that Egyptian woman heading their way.

Aria made her appearance by crossing over that small hill and treaded along that dirt path that led into the village, her eyes finding Kagome almost immediately and began to wave at her from the distance.

“Kon'nichiwa, Kagome-san!”

That mocha skinned beauty would be wearing an entirely different dress this time around. Again, sheer white silks graced her form but it was longer than the last time she saw her, reaching down to her ankles and left quite a bit of cleavage. A black sash was tied around her waist, leaving the ends of it flow freely down her front. Thick arm bands of gold were found upon her biceps on each limb with jewels encrusted upon those metals. There would be another thick beaded necklace around her neck, covering her entirely neck and collarbone which stopped just above the top of her breasts. Nails were still painted black in color and some digits held golden rings with tiny letters encrusted upon the metal.

Again, she was given quite the stare from Kagome and Aria would just smile brightly at the miko, waiting for her to come back to her senses.

She would just in time when Aria waved a hand at her now approaching companions, grinning widely at a particular DaiYoukai. Kagome blinked rapidly and blushed lightly in embarrassment when she realized she was staring!

“Ah, sorry, again.”

Golden hues would turn back to Kagome before her and still kept that smile to the miko.

“Kagome, how good it is to see you again. It has been a long month, ne?”

Kagome nodded her head and smiled back in return. “Yes, it has.”

“So, are you ready?”

Was she ready?

She gripped tight onto that strap that held her arrows, having remembered the many days she had trained quite hard for this. She wasn't about to back down, she made that clear to everyone around.

A firm nod of her head was given to the dragoness before her.

“Yes.”

“Good. I'll give you some minutes for you to say your goodbye's and once you are ready, gather your things and let us depart at once.”

Kagome nodded her head once more, “Thank you.”

Aria would watch as Kagome would be off to say her goodbye's to those that were here to see her off but soon her gaze would head to her husband, Inuyasha. He wasn't near with Kagome, in fact, it's like he was keeping himself isolated from everyone else. Why? This had her questioning what all that has happened between him and the miko. But it was not her business so she should not bother with such…

Then again, she was far too curious for her own good and wished to ask Kagome when they were out of Japan.

Eyes now found Sesshoumaru who was staring back at Aria with a slight annoyed stare yet she would smile back and wave her hand at the DaiYoukai. He was about to growl at her but then she'd rise up her hand and covered one side of her mouth, her lips moving as she uttered out words that he definitely knew what it was.

It was that damn nickname again. Luckily there were only two women that he had not minded for them to call him by this name, but… He just had a feeling one of them would slip up and reveal something they shouldn't have. And when that time comes, he would be the one to silent them all by his hands.

While Aria bothered with Sesshoumaru, the miko was off saying her goodbye's to those she held dear to her heart. Kagome said her final goodbye's to Kaede, giving the elderly woman a big hug and tried not to cry.

“Don't worry child. I know you'll be fine and will do your best.”

“Thank you, Kaede-san.”

Kagome would pull away from Kaede and the elderly woman nodded her head at the miko who seemed determined to see this all through. The miko gave one last look to the area before taking hold of her huge knapsack. She was about to hoist it up but it was suddenly taken up by another, that being Sesshoumaru. With ease he'd lift up that huge knapsack of hers and she would smile back and nod her thanks.

Kagome would find Sango just up ahead and she tried her hardest not to cry, looking at her dear sister she'd come to know for so long. Damn, right when Kagome was already trying to hold back those tears, a few manage to slip out from corner of her eyes. Nothing was said when she approached the taijiya but instead, they'd give each other a big hug like the last she gave to Kaede.

“Stay safe, Kagome-chan.”

“Don't worry, I will.”

They'd pull away and smile brightly at each other but their gazes would then switch to the approaching Miroku who was currently holding his son and then those twins would hug Kagome's leg with their eyes so big, tears already within them. Aww.

Both Kagome and Sango reassured them that she will be okay and will return soon. Honestly, Kagome wasn't so sure how long she'd be gone for but it was definitely going to be a long time.

And then came Shippou, her precious fox kit she had come to accept as her son of sorts. He was crying his heart out ever since that dragon arrived and couldn't stand to see his dear friend go who he viewed as his adoptive mother. He lunged at for Kagome and she could catch him in her arms and hugged him tight while he nuzzled close into her chest. She had re-assured him that she could be okay and perhaps bring back some gifts for him that he may enjoy.

Kagome would now set down Shippou upon the ground after giving him one last hug and now she'd turn to Sango's brother, Kohaku. He was having a hard time trying to say goodbye to her but Kagome saw this and only smiled at the boy. She would also give him a hug and that had Kohaku feeling quite sad, eventually hugging her back.

“You'll be okay, right Kagome-chan?”

“Of course. I've got Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru to protect me.”

The two would pull away from the hug and continued to smile at the young taijiya before her.

“Knock `em dead!”

Kagome reassured the boy with a firm nod of her head, gripping tight onto her strap that held her quiver.

Now that that was done, Kagome would now turn to everyone that would see her off. To think she would be leaving the village she had come to live in for so long now and became her permanent home. All of the villagers knew her and were quite saddened to see her go. She promised them all that she would be returning safe and sound once her mission was complete.

After one final wave to all her companions and the villagers, she would now be making her exit from the village, gripping tight onto the strap that held her bows and there was that pit feeling of nervousness in her stomach, rising upwards into her throat. She felt like she was going to faint but she managed to keep her composure and pace her way down that dirt path, heading to where Aria had landed.

And to her surprise, Inuyasha would catch up to her once she was out of the village, the miko looking to her husband and gave a soft smile in which he'd return with a grin. To think she was going to be traveling to Egypt with not only Inuyasha but with Sesshoumaru too.

And what made things even more worse was that these two held such a big secret that they would not ever dare to reveal with each other and will likely carry it for the long days ahead. Kagome knew this was wrong as she was not that type of woman to ever do that to her `husband' but how could she even call him that after what has been happening lately. Kikyo definitely still lingered within his heart, perhaps even more than ever and she couldn't do anything about it.

Inuyasha saw this look upon her face and to her surprise, she'd feel his warm hand reach out to grasp her own that had her regarding the hanyou with a quizzical look with brows rising slowly.

“Is something wrong, Inuyasha?”

The hanyou would shake his head, still keeping a gentle hold on her hand and soon their fingers would interlock. It was a gesture Inuyasha had not done in quite some time but for some reason, it made her happy. So happy to a point where she knew that it was worth it coming back to the past and spend the rest of her life with Inuyasha. No answer came from the hanyou as all he would give is a gentle squeeze of his hand over her own.

They'd be hand in hand when they'd come to the clearing where Aria had landed, the two now watching Aria and Sesshoumaru some feet ahead and currently they were exchanging quite the choice of words. Aria would be standing atop that large, wooden crate, Kagome unsure why the dragoness carried it with her, with Sesshoumaru standing upon the grass before the crate. He was growling at her while Aria beamed at her long time friend. The miko didn't have to guess what was happening in which she giggled quietly to herself, Inuyasha looking quite puzzled all the while.

Was something amiss?

Aria lifted up her head to see the pair arrive into that clearing and regarded both Inuyasha and Kagome with a bright smile, Sesshoumaru turning his head to see that miko approach with his half-brother, standing awfully close. And they were holding hands. Sesshoumaru felt something burn within him, a feeling he had not ever thought he would come across during his lengthy life.

Was that… Jealousy?

His view of the miko and the hanyou would be quickly blocked when Aria leapt down from that crate and approached the married couple.

“Ah, Kagome-chan. I did not expect for you to bring Sesshoumaru along with us!”

She'd grin just a tad to the female before her and Kagome laughed lightly, sparing the DaiYoukai a quick glance. He had not looked their way but instead, he would head inside that large crate, both Kagome's and Inuyasha's eyes showing much confusion when they viewed this. Aria knew exactly what they were thinking.

“What, you expect me to carry you three on my back? Nonsense!”

Free hand now gestured to the crate, motioning for them to follow. It seemed like an ordinary crate on the outside but when Aria opened that wooden door, inside was much decorative than the outside. Carpeted floor no doubt, a rich crimson color while the other half of that `room' was completely cushioned in that same crimson color should those wish to lounge upon the softness. The walls within the large box were painted in various pictures that described ancient Egypt. It held drawings of the people, worshipping various animals Kagome had to assume were youkai, ranging from something small as a cat to a bigger creature such as the mighty dragon. And so many hieroglyphics! She wished she knew how to read them because she would be savoring this moment forever.

Each of the three walls within that rectangular box held two, large windows, currently covered with crimson colored curtains but the wall in the back that was directly across from the entry would have no windows and this was where Kagome would find Sesshoumaru sitting within the back corner. So the back part of the room had the cushioned part.

“Ooh…”

Sesshoumaru sat cross legged and remained silent within his spot, his arms folding into the sleeves of his haori and eyes would close, head tilting downwards as tad as he seemed to wait for the dragoness to take off. He was still feeling a tad bit jealous and he hated it. To think that a male of his stature, a male of his status would even think of becoming jealous over his dimwit of a half-brother! It angered him greatly but he would not dare let that show upon his face or his being.

Kagome had noticed her large knapsack was placed just upon the middle of the wall where carpet met cushion, frowning just a tad. Was something the matter with Sesshoumaru? He was awfully quiet this morning… Even after that kiss they had. Did Aria say something to him?

The crate itself was about ten feet wide and fifteen feet long… It reminded her of a single bedroom within an apartment if she made the comparison.

“Atem is such a show off.”

The dragoness waving her hand in the air lightly. She'd wait until her three passengers got comfortable within the crate—Sesshoumaru off to himself at the other end, Kagome settled down on the same side as Sesshoumaru but was now leaning against her large knapsack and Inuyasha would be sitting right across from her, resting his back against that painted wall.

“How long will it take us to get to Egypt, Aria-chan?”

“I've rested well for this trip so it'll take us about six hours or so.”

Aria would now step out of that crate as she opened the door, turning to give her companions one last look before she grinned, “Oh and… If you're feeling queasy,” Pausing to jut her thumb to the windows, “That's why they're there.”

Oh dear. Well, Kagome was certain she wasn't going to be air sick… Hopefully.

Inuyasha on the other hand was feeling quite excited for some reason. He was finally going to revive his dear beloved Kikyo in about a month. He patted himself down to make sure he had his charm, feeling the paper that was tucked safely away into his haori. So far, so good.

And when Aria closed that door, Kagome was surprised to see that they did not sit in darkness. The small crate was lit up from within, her eyes finding the walls as those painted torches would give off light, akin to a real torch within a cave. Was this a spell of some sort?

Then the ground shook violently and she immediately grabbed a hold of her knapsack when Aria took to her true form but Kagome was so curious to see and had to take a look outside! She got up from her spot and went to one of the windows beside the door that was led out, pulling those curtains aside and peered out the window sill, gasping as she felt like she was being lifted. She had to grab a hold of the window sill tightly to prevent from losing her footing and to her surprise, Inuyasha would be across from her, having had the same idea as she and took up the space within that other window.

She'd then hear the strong flaps coming from the dragon, hearing some chains move and then the ground started to become more and more distant. And once she was high enough, Kagome could see the village she called home in the distance, catching the tiny bodies of the villagers and her dear friends who were waving their arms at her as well as hearing those cries in the distance. She couldn't hold back her tears then and leaned out of the window, waving her hand at them all and shouted back that she will be safe and return in one piece.

And higher and higher they took off, Kagome gasping at how high they began to climb. They were so high up! As if she was in a plane but this plane had no cramped up seats and the like… With a dragon as the pilot. Both Inuyasha and Kagome would peer over their windows and glance down at the now tiny region they had just came from, their eyes catching the passing trees, mountains and hills they'd pass by, hell, they even managed to catch Mount Fuji in the distance. This felt amazing!

“Enjoying yourself, Kagome-chan?”

Kagome gasped out in surprise when she heard that ethereal voice from out of nowhere but it belonged to none other than Aria herself. She sounded entirely different when she was in this form in which Kagome had initially thought that the dragon was male. Kagome peered over just a tad more through the window to catch a glimpse of the large dragon's head just above them. Aria's head would tilt downwards to look upon both the miko and the hanyou who gazed up at the dragon in amazement.

“Oi, you better not drop us!”

“Inuyasha! You dare doubt my strength?! I'm hurt.”

Inuyasha all but snorted at the dragon lady and Kagome would just giggle softly at the two.

“Don't worry, Inuyasha. We are in good hands now, ne?”

And if she was certain, she could have seen a smirk form on that dragon's maw but that's when Kagome's eyes caught a glimpse of the scenery change from land mass to a vast ocean, stretching far out and wide as the eyes could see. Inuyasha gazed in amazement because he had never seen so much water ever in his life. Was this the direction towards Egypt?

Kagome leaned back and stood upright before that window sill, smiling brightly to herself as she viewed the earth move beneath her. Her head tilted some and glanced behind her to find Sesshoumaru again sitting by himself, still quite silent and has yet to say anything since. Was he not curious to see?

Anyway, Kagome would now return to her huge knapsack, sitting just beside it upon the cushioned side of the `room' and leaned upon it as she got comfortable. Inuyasha had also had enough of looking outside and would place himself upon the cushioned side across from Kagome but then she'd hear him yawn out tiredly and this had her smiling at the hanyou.

“Did you not sleep, Inuyasha?”

“…Not really. Was actually kinda nervous about this whole thing, ya know?”

Kagome nodded her head but she'd hear an odd sound not too far from her, her eyes going over to Sesshoumaru curiously. Was he growling?

Gaze would return back to the hanyou and it seems he already got comfortable on his side of the wall as he lay on his back with arms folded behind his head. He'd gaze up at the ceiling for long moments, having viewed the many paintings and hieroglyphics he could not understand. Kagome watched him briefly but soon her gaze went elsewhere, taking a look out the window across from her that she could see nothing but the sky and the clouds.

Silence fell between them all in which they did not mind; only hearing the strong flaps coming from the dragon that was currently carrying the three to her home land.

The miko managed to get comfortable within her spot; using her knapsack as one large pillow and in no time at all that girl fell asleep, hoping she'd awake when they'd arrive at their destination.

~X~

It was still quite silent from within that crate the dragoness was carrying and Aria could sense that two of them were asleep but one was not. It was quite easy to guess who that was, though.

The `air ride' was going smoothly and still on schedule should Aria keep up her pace.

Inuyasha was knocked out cold within one corner of the cushioned side and to their luck, he was not snoring. As for Kagome, she was dreaming quite soundly from her spot but she would make a sound that had Sesshoumaru rising up his head to stare hard at the now sleeping girl.

From her lips, a soft moan had escaped with her heartbeat picking up in speed as those seconds passed by. Was she dreaming? Her body shifted a bit, the girl uttering out quiet words that even Sesshoumaru couldn't pick up.

In truth, Kagome was indeed dreaming. She was dreaming about that very day Sesshoumaru had found her in that rest house and gave her so much pleasure that she could not even have imagined. A blush had crept up upon the miko's cheeks, her legs squeezing tight and began to rub against one another, likely to cause friction in a certain place. This very act had the girl breathing heavily and Sesshoumaru caught on to this, followed by the slight change in her scent.

Again, she was aroused but this was not the place to be in such a state. They were several meters up in the air currently with his half-brother sleeping like a rock across from him. Luckily he could not catch the sudden change in Kagome's scent. But he had to wake her, knowing full well this situation may be awkward for the lot of them. But how would he do such?

He'd begin to move from his spot upon the cushioned side, making his way over to the sleeping miko as she'd now sit upon the carpeted side that was directly on the other side from the bag she was sleeping on. Here he could see her sleeping face and those flushed cheeks, her breathing quieted down some but her scent was still the same. Who was she dreaming about? About his half-brother?

The thought again had him feeling that damn jealously he did not wish to feel, teeth gritting tight and growled lowly. This sound was just enough to wake the sleeping girl since Sesshoumaru had decided to approach the woman, those eyes blinking open slowly. Her vision was blurred but she would focus in no time at all, gazing out in front of her. It took her a moment to figure out where she was but everything came back to her rather quick.

She was currently en route to Egypt with Inuyasha, who was asleep within the cushioned corner and Sesshoumaru—

Wait, he wasn't there.

Where was he?!

Her head tilted downwards to gaze at the other corner and did not find Sesshoumaru there but she'd freeze the moment she sensed someone just beside her. Her head tilted upwards from where it lay upon her knapsack and was now gazing at a rather annoyed DaiYoukai.

“Sesshoumaru…?”

Her quiet voice rang in the small amount of space between them, Sesshoumaru immediately ceasing his growls and spared a side glance to the miko who was now fully awake. The moment their gazes met, Kagome blushed again, having remembered that dream once more. She remembered his mouth, his lips and his tongue… Oh god.

A flash of hunger would be visible within those amber hues when her scent changed again, the DaiYoukai wanted to avoid this as much as possible. Not make matters worse.

Kagome immediately sat upright and squeezed her legs again, shaking her head to rid of those blasted thoughts.

“S-sorry…! I'm… Uhh… It was a dream…”

The girl now trying to calm herself and not have Sesshoumaru jump on her or anything. She knew how youkai could get once they caught a small of their prey.

“What were you dreaming about?”

Kagome eeped quietly in surprise upon hearing him speak, his voice heard so strongly within close proximity. The only thing separating them was her huge ass knapsack with god knows what was inside! Kagome rubbed her face as eyes closed, trying to calm herself within that small amount of space within the crate. God, she was going to crazy if she stayed cooped up in here with Sesshoumaru. And what's worse, Inuyasha was right there! Asleep but who knows when he could wake up.

“About… Things…”

“Like what?”

Damn, why was he so curious to know? Was he trying to make her remember it? Ugh.

Kagome's hands folded in her lap and kept them there, trying her hardest to not touch herself. Because if she did, well, there would be quite the problem on her hands! She rested her back against the wall and tilted her head upwards, again closing her eyes and breathed in deeply through her nostrils. Once she managed to get her bearings, she would ready her words for the male.

“The things… we did… some days ago…”

Well, he did mostly all of it but she did contribute somewhat!

Sesshoumaru was surprised that the miko was not dreaming of his half-brother but instead, dreaming about himself. And just from those words alone she had trouble voicing, Sesshoumaru knew it was still fresh within her mind as her scent still had not changed. It was faint, yes, but the arousal was still there and he knew no matter what he may say or do, it would continue to stay unless he completely ignored her. That was out of the question, though.

“Hn.”

…Was that all? All she got was a flat response from Sesshoumaru and for some reason, this annoyed her. Now her arousal would slowly dissipate into nothing as her anger would slightly rise and take its place.

“Whatever.”

A quiet breath leaving her when word left her lips, the girl now moving to stand and ease her mind from these thoughts. She'd return to the same window from previous, resting her elbows upon the edge and gazed outside. There was nothing but endless clouds all over, unable to make out anything below since they were currently high up.

How long as it been since they left?

“Aria-chan. You okay?”

She could still hear those strong flaps from the dragoness and said dragoness would tilt her head down to view Kagome's tiny form that peaked out from that window.

“Ah, you are awake. Had a good sleep? And yes, I am quite alright.”

Kagome nodded her head at the dragon. “That's good to hear. How long do we have?”

The dragon raised up its head to gaze out towards the sun briefly with eyes slightly narrowed.

“About two more hours and then we'll arrive.”

Kagome was so excited! She couldn't wait to see ancient Egypt! The people, the clothes, the pyramids… Everything!

Aria watched Kagome pull away from the window and disappear inside, the dragoness quite curious what she was doing inside there with Sesshoumaru awake. And Inuyasha was still asleep! A devious smirk formed on that dragon's maw and did something Kagome had not expected she would ever do.

When Kagome was pacing back to her spot beside her bag, she suddenly felt a dip as if they were being dropped. Kagome cried out in surprise when she immediately lost her footing and was about to fall right onto the carpeted floor. But she didn't come in contact with said floor but instead, she would be found within the arms of Sesshoumaru who caught her before the fall even registered.

Eh?!

Eyes were shut tight but they'd open when she knew she was safe somewhere, blinking them open to gaze up at the painted ceiling and then slowly turned her eyes to look upon Sesshoumaru who looked to be quite annoyed when he was also gazing up at the ceiling, narrowing his eyes.

“Wh-what…. Aria-chan! You did that on purpose!”

The miko shouting from her spot and began to pout while Sesshoumaru held her. But she'd quickly come to realize something when her head tilted upwards to look over at the other corner where Inuyasha would be and to her surprise, he was still asleep. How the hell did he manage to sleep through that?! Guess he really didn't get enough sleep as he claimed. Kagome laughed lightly to herself as the hanyou twitched from his corner and this had Sesshoumaru gazing down at the miko in his arms.

“Ara? I don't know what you're talking about, Kagome-sama!”

Kagome could very well hear that chortle that came after those words from the dragoness again huffing at her spot. Wait a minute. She was still in Sesshoumaru's arms!

Kagome blushed lightly once more when she'd now gaze up at the DaiYoukai who was already staring down at her with his same, icy, cold regard. However, Kagome hadn't seemed to mind this, having known Sesshoumaru for some time now to a point where she could see right pass that wall that hid any and every emotion from his face.

“Ah… Thank you for catching me.”

“Ho ho ho, I hope Fluffy-chan broke your fall!”

Kagome gritted her teeth and was about to scream her frustrations at the dragoness but she knew that would only wake up Inuyasha and he'd find her at quite the unusual position with his half-brother. Sesshoumaru would growl as well, angered by the fact Aria would dare to speak that name but luckily there wasn't anyone around to hear since they were several meters up above the ground. That and Inuyasha slept through everything.

Sesshoumaru would then feel a touch beneath his chin, again glancing down at the woman in his arms and when he gazed at her face, she would smile up at him, pulling away her hand.

“Didn't I say you shouldn't growl so much, Fluffy-chan?”

“And since when this Sesshoumaru has ever taken orders from a miko?”

Kagome pouted upon hearing his reply. “What, you didn't seem to mind before…”

And yes, he did not mind but for some reason, something had changed. He wasn't so sure what it may be but it was starting to bother him a tad. Kagome blinked up at him as he stared at her for long, long moments, the girl staring back and wondered what the matter was. Was he thinking about something? She felt herself being raised after some moments, only to be set down gently upon the cushions. Those eyes never left him as he moved away, again returning to that same spot as previous.

When Kagome leaned up to sit upright, she would gaze at him as he'd seemed to isolate himself within that corner, keeping all to himself. For some reason to her, the DaiYoukai looked to be lonely. But she knew that wasn't possible for him, right? Again he'd take that position with arms folding into his sleeves, head tilting forward a tad and eyes closing. Kagome moved to her hands and knees and began to crawl her way towards the quiet youkai that sensed her oncoming approach. He remained still, even as she would place herself right beside him, leaving little to no space in between them.

He still hadn't moved or regarded the miko but she knew that he was likely paying attention and listening to what she may have to say.

“Thanks again for coming, Fluffy-chan.”

Again, he regarded her with nothing. Nothing at all. She frowned. Honestly, she did not wish for this trip to be a bad experience for either of them, so, the only thing she could think of was to lean in and place a small kiss upon his cheek and that was enough to have him looking right back at her when she pulled away.

She would smile back when their gazes met and again, that blasted dragoness that was carrying them had once more took a quick dip that had felt like she dropped the crate and Kagome gasped out in surprise at the sudden movements.

She was going to kill that dragon!

But soon she'd realize where she was…

“Eh?!”

Kagome was sprawled out on her back with her hair fanned out beneath her and just above her was Sesshoumaru. Somehow during all the movements done by that dragoness, they ended up in this slightly awkward position. Her face was so red by now and what made things worse was that Sesshoumaru didn't move! He stared down at her and seen those lips of his pull back, showing off those sharp fangs. She gulped.

But wait, wouldn't Inuyasha see?!

Her head turned quickly to glance at the other end of the corner and again, Inuyasha was out cold, snoring as loud as he could as he'd lie upon his side.

Thank goodness.

The moment that woman exposed her neck to him; he delved in and took the invitation for his own. Kagome gasped when she felt his warm face draw close and press his lips to her neck, now showering her pale skin with warm kisses. She bit down upon her lip to prevent from emitting anymore sounds but that was going to be difficult. She didn't even stop him, either. Is this what he wanted?

Kisses remained around her neck and all Kagome would do is give him more access to her flesh as her head tilted even more and she could feel his lips never miss a single spot. The girl felt herself draw hot the more he kissed her skin and only wanted to feel more of his warm mouth upon her flesh. So, without even knowing it, a hand would raise and grab hold of her collar, pulling the material away from her skin and exposed just enough flesh that revealed her collarbone and just the dip between her breasts.

And Sesshoumaru would gladly take this invitation as his kissing trailed down further along her neck, reaching her collarbone and then she'd gasp the moment his teeth came into play. She'd feel those sharp fangs poke and prod at her flesh, nearly breaking it as if he wished to draw blood. He wouldn't do that, would he?! Both sides would be given equal amount of attention and again Kagome had to stifle in her sounds as she grew quite enticed.

His lips drew downwards even further so a point where she felt his warm breath waft over her cleavage.

Oh god!

She could feel the ends of his hair trickle over her clothing, pouring down both sides of his head as he trailed down her body. Kagome kept passing quick glances over towards Inuyasha with hope that he would not awake. Her eyes widened when she felt his teeth nipping at her flesh again, nipping around the spot just above her right breast. It was as if he wanted something.

What did he want?

It would soon dawn to Kagome as she figured out what he wanted… And upon realizing this, she blushed quite heavily once more.

Should she give in to what he wants?

The girl would finally make her decision as a shaky hand would raise and again she would grip onto her collar, tugging the fabric open to reveal more of her pale skinned flesh. When the material of her haori was pulled, those strings that held the fabric together popped and the miko had exposed her bare right breast to the DaiYoukai above her. She felt so embarrassed as she did this, unable to even look at him now when her eyes shut tight. And within seconds, that mouth of his closed over that exposed pink nipple and Kagome gasped out quietly again, free hand moving to cover her mouth from making anymore sounds.

“Mmph!”

That nipple was sucked upon rather greedily and Kagome had to arch her back the more he had teased that tiny bundle. It sent waves of pleasure through her spine and again, her arousal was slowly beginning to rise. Should they stop? But Kagome just couldn't find herself to stop him. It felt so good, the way he used his mouth and that tongue of his… It was felt from within, flicking against that nipple that hardened immensely from his ministrations.

Another quick intake of breath was done when she'd feel his teeth gently bite down upon that nipple and felt another wave of pleasure wash right through her, eyes shutting tightly.

Did he not know where they were currently?!

“Hoo… I don't know if you all are alive in there but we are nearing our destination soon.”

That sudden voice of the dragoness was heard by the both of them and Kagome was so thankful that she spoke because this was enough to snap Sesshoumaru out from that state.

With one last lick over her breast, he'd finally pull away and licked his lips slowly, eyeing his `work' upon her flesh. There were various bite marks across her collarbone and neck, seemingly standing out quite a lot given how pale her flesh was. And the moment he leaned away from her, Kagome quickly covered herself up and exhaled out heavily through parted lips, those eyes opening up slowly to view the small space once more.

Was it over?

Head slowly turned and again ocean blues met burning ambers, the hunger evident within them and she could only just cower beneath his intense gaze. But luckily enough, Sesshoumaru had moved from atop the woman and returned to his spot upon corner, leaving the girl there stunned as can be.

Dear heavens…

She rolled herself up to sit upright and take another breather, calming her poor heart. The strings that held her haori together would be redone and fastened tightly, knowing full well that she had to be in the right state of mind now as they were just moments away from Egypt. Hands moved to her hair and tied back those dark lock ends into a small braid that was soon draped over her left shoulder.

She'd begin to crawl over the cushions and move to stand now, making her way for the window and noticed the sun was still high above in the sky but knew it was already drawing late in the afternoon.

“Alright, brace yourselves my dear passengers! We are going to land.”

And Kagome was going to witness it.

They'd begin to descend and Kagome felt her heart dip the moment the land mass below her came into view. Nothing but dry land from what she could see but there was a mass amount of water just above two large landmasses—that had to be the Mediterranean Sea, right? And just below it was a like a crack into the earth that split, one path winding down further along that dry land mass with the other path opening up with even more water within.

It was the Nile River and just across from it was the Red Sea.

And more of the land began to be distinctive when Aria made her descent, making out the many land structures below, followed by all the Pyramids! Was that the great Giza pyramid?! She wasn't so sure. And there was the Sphynx pyramid!

Kagome wasn't one who liked history that much but this was just so cool to see. She wanted to visit each and every location! Now her sights was on a particular city in the distance that they were likely heading towards and she was just awestruck at its entire view.

It was a massive city built right next to the Nile, huge, stone walls and looked like to be a fortress of some sort. Was this Atem's kingdom?! It was huge!

On the outer edges of those large stone walls, there would be smaller structures built in stone that Kagome would assume to be homes for all the villagers within the city. But the buildings would change the more it drew to the middle. Just north of the entire city was a massive structure that was far fancier than the rest with vivid colors of paint found upon those walls, pillars painted in those same bright colors. Was this Atem palace? It had to be!

And in the epicenter of it all would be the largest platform ever. Was that a stage? Or perhaps some sort of landing platform? Each of the four corners of that stage had a statue that represented the great gods of Egypt but Kagome had a hard time figuring out what each one was. They were all facing towards the center of the stage and in the middle was a double circle with ancient hieroglyphics inscribed in between the spaces of the circles. The bottom half of that stage had an extremely large crowd, Kagome able to hear the cheers of those Egyptians and they were nearing the platform.

Suddenly Kagome felt quite nervous.

What if she couldn't do this? What if she let down Aria and all her people?

That's when Inuyasha was seen poking out his head from the other window, his eyes lighting up as he was now watching the view Kagome had just looked over.

“Sugoi! It's so much different than home!”

Kagome smiled softly and nodded her head, turning her gaze back down below.

That's when Kagome saw three other crates just as large as the one they were in, followed by three other huge dragons that stood beside each one in a single line. There was just one space left at the end and she'd assume that's where Aria was headed.

The other three dragons? She gazed at all of them in amazement.

At the far end was a white colored dragon, its scales shining brightly and gave off an ethereal glow when the sun beamed its strong rays upon the beast, reaching just as tall as Aria herself but it was far slender than the norm. It stood tall upon its two feet, those glimmering white scales upon its underbelly seemed to glow a bluish hue when no light shown upon them, the same bluish glow seen upon the inside of its wings as well. Said wings looked strong, perhaps reaching as wide as fifty feet, maybe more! It had a large head, a long, whip length tail and sharp talons found upon its hands and feet. Lastly, it had strikingly beautiful blue eyes that matched the very color of the sky itself.

The next dragon was completely red in color that resembled the very life force within all life upon the planet… Blood. This one also stood upon its two feet but it was shorter compared to the white dragon. Actually, it looked like a Tyrannosaurus. But it was a far bigger Tyrant… A Giganotosaurus shape? Its body was very thick, knowing full well that scaled hide looked tough to penetrate through. It had jet black spines atop its brows and trailed down its body, thicker, sharper spines found along its spine but they would grow smaller and smaller once it reached its tail tip. Lastly, thick, large horns were found atop its cranium that resembled horns of that of a ram and it held the most beautiful shade of green for its eyes. Was that emerald? This dragon had no wings, from what she could see. Perhaps it was hidden? She'd manage to catch thick fumes of black smoke leaving its nostrils when it snorted. This had her giggling lightly.

And then the third dragon was a wyvern. The wyvern was completely green in color with black zebra stripes across its body. It was large as the red one but far slender than the rest. She knew this one was the speedy type! It had wings upon its arms, a very long snout with two sharp fangs protruding from its maw. Dull colored horns would jut outwards from its skull, curling at the tips. Eyes were a mix of blue and green… Turquoise maybe? And that tail was quite long, too. Was that a stinger? She could see the blade tip from the end of that tail, the sharpness of said blade glinting in the sun's light. Everything about this wyvern reminded her about the forest… Was nature its specialty?

“So, are they your brothers?”

Aria heard her voice and had to wonder what she was talking about but when she glanced down, she caught a glimpse of said `brothers' who had already arrived with their shrine maidens.

“Indeed. Well, two brothers and one sister. I'll let you guess who the `sister' is.”

Kagome blinked curiously and stared at all three dragons again, unsure of who was female. It was so hard to tell! Maybe if she could hear a sample of their voice? No… That didn't work when Aria arrived. She would have to see them take their human forms.

And now that roaring crowd got louder and louder when Aria made her descent, both Kagome and Inuyasha had leaned away from the window once they had finally landed at their destination.

There came that nervousness again! She seriously hoped she wouldn't make a fool out of herself.

Nostrils flared and took in a deep breath.

“Are you ready, Kagome?”

Came Aria's voice from outside and her eyes would stare hard at that door. Hands rose and rubbed either side of her face, nostrils flaring and took a deep breath.

“Yes, I am ready.”

Inuyasha had stepped off to grab up Kagome's bag with ease and soon the door would open, having assumed Aria had done so but she was still in her dragon form from what she could sense. The door was opened by a guard that definitely worked underneath the Pharaoh, given their attire. Shirtless but white silks would grace their lower half, followed by jewelry upon their person. The spear was gripped onto tightly as they bowed their head before Kagome, now gesturing for her to step outside.

And slowly Kagome would step forth, now taking some steps outside as her feet was now standing upon that `stage'. From here she could hear the roaring crowd at its fullest, likely cheering them all on as they came from so far away to Egypt. The crowd was on her right and she glanced at all of those people, unable to tell any apart from human or youkai. And then to her left, those other shrine maidens would make their appearance, stepping out from their crates.

The one who stood near the green wyvern was a pale skinned girl like Kagome, however, she looked a bit younger than herself. She had short, curly hair that was a burning orange color with a laurel made with white flowers in her hair. She wore white silks similar to the Egyptians but it hugged her form a bit loosely akin to a dress, the material dropping down to her sandal covered feet. She had freckles upon her face, too. Was she from Greece?

The second girl who came out from the crate beside the large red dragon wore clothing that reminded her of the Indians she had studied about. Animal skins graced her form, followed by war paint upon her tan skinned flesh. She wore moccasins upon her feet that looked to be worn down a tad. Her hair was black in color, straight as can be and its length stopped just at her waist.

The last girl at the end where the white dragon stood was another slightly tanned skinned girl, however, she wore thick clothing that belonged to the people in the far north who chose to live in that weather. She could not make much of her features considering she was a bit far and hid her face mostly. Shy perhaps? She didn't know.

Then the dragons would soon pace forwards, all of the shrine maidens there gazing at amazement at the dragons when they'd tread upon the other end of the platform, soon turning around to face the four girls they brought here and soon bowed their heads.

The roaring crowd did not die down either. Some would even try to get up upon that platform but they'd be quickly stopped by the guards that were posted completely around them. It was heavily guarded and not one person was getting through unless they held some sort of significance to the group.

With that said…

The crowd suddenly became louder as all their sights were directly ahead. Was something coming?

Head raised and turned to see someone approach the stage. All of the four girls would look on with interest as the very Pharaoh would grace them all.

Kagome could sense the massive amounts of youki from not just him but also from the man that stood beside him.

Was this Atem?

He held a strong, arrogant air the moment he graced them all with a praised look, the staff in his hands held tightly. The end would clink against the ground as he paced forwards even more, now standing within the middle of that platform.

He had spiky hair with golden highlights and upon his head he was wearing a crown with an `eye' craved right in the middle. Expensive silks graced his form with bands of gold found upon biceps and his wrists, various one's upon his neck. He wore a cape that was dark indigo in color, stopping just at the back of his shins. Those eyes though are what got her. They were a beautiful shade of purple. Was it purple? Those pupils were narrowed into dangerous slits and it was no doubt this male was youkai.

And just beside him was a man dressed in the same expensive silks but if she were to guess… Was this a priest? He was far taller than Atem, though. If Kagome hadn't known any better, she would have thought for him to be the Pharaoh. Luckily she knew her history a bit.

He was graced by servants and guards, said guards moving down to kneel upon one knee while the servants had graced the maidens and their companions they brought along with.

Atem would now raise his free hand and immediately the roaring crowd before him would silence. Kagome's brows rose so high in surprise to see that the Pharaoh had easily quieted down his followers. Impressive.

“My people! I, Atem, welcome all of you here. And we, our people, my people, welcome all of you—“

Pausing to gesture to the four shrine maidens and all of them would blush quite heavily once all eyes were on them. This brought a smirk upon the Pharaoh's lips but he would continue on with his words…

Wait a minute. She understood him?! How?! She knew he wasn't speaking her language as again, it reminded her of Ancient Egypt, having heard Aria speak that language once before. Those words rolled off of his tongue with ease and those maidens were quite confused how they all managed to understand his every word.

“…To our homeland. And we also thank you all for coming here in our time of need.”

Again Atem would pause, gracing each of those maidens with a glance and the moment that Pharaoh laid his eyes upon Kagome, she felt her heart skip a beat. She could not find herself to avert from his powerful gaze that held those beautiful purple irises…

Atem would then turn and again to face towards the crowd once more.

“The days will draw dark ahead but we shall not fall into darkness. We will prevail and stop Anubis once and for all when the planets align.”

He'd grip tight onto that staff and raise it high into the air, the sun shining down its rays hard onto the land below and Atem's staff seemed to glow once the light shone upon it. Was that an eye on the staff? It resembled the same design that was carved onto the crown he wore. What was its significance?

“We will succeed as the gods have willed it!”

And immediately the crowd bursted out into a fit of roars and cheers for their beloved Pharaoh and those four dragons that served beneath him would roar out in unison once Atem had finished speaking.

So, this was Atem… Hands clasped before her and she could not stop that smile from forming upon her face.

Atem would now walk off to where his dragons would be, regarding each one with a strong glance. No words were said to any of them, knowing full well they had completed their mission as instructed. Those four dragons would bow their heads before the Pharaoh and Kagome watched on with awe. To think this man had quite an army under his belt! Sure he had guards and other officers but this? This was just the icing on the cake. Atem's staff rose again and immediately brought it down upon the floor, an action Kagome hadn't known what it was for. But soon she'd see that same swirling aura beneath the dragons' feet, matching the same color as their scales. Those orbs would envelop the dragons and soon they'd shift back into their human forms, kneeling before the Pharaoh.

Kagome gasped in surprise when the one whom she thought was female was not! The green wyvern was actually a male. The real female was the blue eyed white dragon from earlier.

Both Aria's and the white haired female's attire was the exact same and similar for the males as they too wore similar clothing.

The men both had their chests bare but expensive silks would be found around their lower half, the material stopping just above their knees. A thick, golden sash was tied around their waist with a golden dragon's head buckle holding that sash firmly. Thick bands of gold were found around their wrists and their biceps and lastly, golden sandals would grace their feet.

Such a well chiseled chest! She could make out every detail of their body, too. Oh dear, too many hot people in one place!

But what surprised her was that these dragons did not look like each other. They all had distinctive looks. Were they not related? Or perhaps Aria meant `brethren' as if they belonged to the same group with Atem?

The white dragoness' human form was a pale skinned woman with pure white hair that reached down to her waist, her eyes a bright blue, the same as she was when in dragon form.

The red dragon's human form was just as she suspected… A red haired hunk. His hair was quite long, reaching to his lower back but those ends turned to a shade of a darker red. Was it dyed? There would be black paint upon the left side of his face, outlining his eye like makeup of sorts.

The green dragon's human form had green hair that matched the scales when he was a dragon, his skin the same shade as his red dragon friend. He, too, would also have long, waist length hair that was tied at the end in a short ponytail with bangs that was brushed to the right side of his face, deliberately covering his right eye. That same black paint was found over the left side of his face with a beauty mark just beneath that eye. His body build was more athletic compared to the red one, far taller than the rest of the dragons, too.

“Kisara. Asche. Freed. Aria.”

Atem regarded each of the dragons before him with their names and they'd all stand in unison, saluting their Pharaoh as their left hands would be placed right over where their heart was.

“Yes, Lord Atem!”

“Please see our guests to their rooms. They must be quite tired after their trip.” Those dragons would bow their heads before their Pharaoh, heeding to his command. Then Atem would turn to his side, now regarding the priest that stood beside him that remained silent all the while.

“Seto.”

“Yes, my liege.”

“Are the dinner preparations complete?”

Seto would nod his head. “It shall be ready within the hour.”

Atem grinned. “Marvelous. Now, you four are dismissed. I shall call you when dinner is ready.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Atem then turned from his spot and made his way over to where the shrine maidens would be, motioning for them to draw closer. Kagome gulped. What did the Pharaoh want?

All four of the girls would draw near to the Pharaoh and once they were close, Atem would turn his head to gaze upon a servant that was currently holding a small basket. What was in it? Kagome watched the servant closely as she drew near to the Pharaoh and once within range of the male, she knelt before him with her hands raising that basket in the air for Atem. Were those bracelets?

They looked to be regular, wooden beaded bracelets.

Atem then reached out to grasp up one of the bracelets and with his right hand and his left hand would remove from the staff he held, Kagome staring at the staff oddly as it stood there to her surprise as it did not fall. What the heck!?

Her eyes then turned to Atem now who would gaze back at her, their gazes meeting again and Kagome could feel her heart race. Atem could hear her heart beat against rib cage in which this had him gazing at her questioningly.

“Is something the matter, Miss Kagome?”

Oh god. When he spoke to her, she really felt like she was going to swoon. His voice was so rich and smooth, like butter! Then she'd hear an odd sound coming from behind her. Ohmygod, she totally forgot about the Inu Brothers! They were likely growling lowly but they made sure to keep their distance from what was happening, lest they'd get thrown out of Egypt. Hah.

“O-oh, no…! I'm just surprised that you know my name! And I can understand you…? How?”

Atem chuckled at the girl who seemed to be quite confused, the other shrine maidens as well as they, too, could understand Atem when he spoke.

But first…

“May I?”

Kagome blinked slowly wondering what he was referring to but she saw him stretch out a hand to her, assuming he wish to take her hand? Slowly her right hand would raise and place it into Atem's offering hand, now feeling his warm fingertips enclose over her own. Kagome couldn't stop herself from blushing as the male was now holding her hand. What was he going to do?

“It is one of my abilities, you see,” Pausing to rise up Kagome's hand while his other one drew near. “It enables others to understand me when I speak in my native tongue.” Atem had opened up that bracelet and would place it on Kagome's right wrist, the girl still blushing as she felt his warm fingertips brush over the skin upon her hand. It felt so nice!

“This bracelet has been imbued with my power, allowing those who wear it be able to understand each other should they speak different languages. It is an idea my cousin, Seto, had come up with to help ease with the language barrier.”

So the priest was his cousin? Ocean blues briefly viewed the one called Seto momentarily; his gaze was hard pressed as he took a look at all of the maidens before him. It reminded her so much of Sesshoumaru's own looks.

And soon Atem removed the hold on her wrist, Kagome's eyes dropping down to the bracelet that the Pharaoh placed on her and viewed it closely. She could sense the Pharaoh's power coming from it… It was pretty, too, now that she got a better look at it.

“And of course I know who you are. I know all of you. What kind of Pharaoh would I be if I had not known who would be coming to my kingdom?”

The other three maidens would receive the same treatment Kagome was given, placing a bracelet upon their wrists. Once done, he'd grab a hold of his staff once more and take some steps back, again regarding the four maidens with praise. Staff was tapped onto the floor and the Pharaoh would bow his head slightly.

“Now, I must depart to prepare for tonight's festivities. My dragons will see you to your rooms and carry any belongings you have brought.”

With that, the Pharaoh would take his leave with Seto right beside him, the guards and servants stepping back and made way for the Pharaoh who now took his exit from the platform. The roaring crowd continued to cheer endlessly for the Pharaoh, shouting his name in a victorious chant of sorts.

“Wow…”

She was then nudged lightly by Aria, Kagome blinking rapidly as she regained her focus, turning her gaze to the dragoness.

“Ah, Kagome-san. What do you think of Atem?”

“He is… Very nice.”

“And handsome too, eh?”

Aria saw her blush and knew what she may have been possibly thinking, quickly waving her hand in the air. “Please, Aria-chan.” The dragoness laughed lightly and soon she'd turned to gaze upon the Inu brothers who had been silent the entire time. Well, not like they could do much! This was a big event for the shrine maidens, after all.

“Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Kagome… Welcome to Egypt! I do hope you all enjoy your time here.” And she would grab up Kagome's belongings Inuyasha had long set down since they'd arrive here, slinging it right over her back with ease.

“Hey, as long as the food here is good, we're cool.”

Kagome shook her head, “Really Inuyasha, is that all you think about? Food?”

“What…? It's been a while since I've had anything to eat.”

“As always, my half-brother likes to think with his stomach.”

Inuyasha glared daggers at his elder sibling and both Kagome and Aria giggled at the two when they exchanged words.

“Do not worry, Inuyasha. You will have your food soon!”

Aria regarding the hanyou with a wink and now they were all off, leaving that stage with the rest of the dragons and maidens in tow. Kagome took one last look to the roaring crowd ahead and felt that rising pit feeling deep in her stomach.

She couldn't see herself disappointing all of Atem's people…

As she said before, she had to be vigilant in this task. The strap to her quiver was gripped onto tightly and would now head off, following Aria and her silver haired companions into the palace ahead.

Woo, what a day.

~X~