InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Little Faith ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are created by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, but the new plots and the original characters (Akiyama, Katsuo, Natsumi, Shin, Isamu and Moriko) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm back from my 3 weeks vacation overseas. I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but the sun and sea kind of made it hard for me to focus on writing, :P. Oh, and I saw Nemo while snorkeling. I was so excited that I almost choked in a lungful of water! Anyway, back to the story. Your reviews were most encouraging, and I thank you sincerely for them. This is the longest chapter so far and as always, I hope that you will all enjoy it.

A Little Faith by elle6778 - Chapter 9

Once again, it was time for him to fulfill his duty to his lands.

Donning his attire with efficient moves, Sesshoumaru then proceeded to leave his sleeping chambers. He would complete the patrol of the rest of his lands today, considering that he had only managed to cover half the last time he had done so. The mating mark had made it impossible for him to be apart from the miko even for that one single day and he did not wish to be interrupted by their mating mark once she found him absent from the castle. This made it necessary for him to inform her each time he left, something which irked him greatly.

His lips tightened at the thought of the pending patrol as he made his way out of the castle, intent on finding the miko. Undoubtedly, the patrol today would suffer the same fate as the previous ones. However fast he traveled, it was simply not possible to thoroughly inspect his lands in just one single day.

A movement out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention and he turned. The miko was seated on the wooden platform surrounding the castle, talking animatedly with two of his inuyoukai guards. As if sensing his attention, his guards straightened with identical looks of unease and subtly stepped back from the miko.

The image of the miko brought back the memory of the previous night, the second night which he had approached her with the intent of familiarizing her with carnal acts. Although still somewhat nervous, she had responded more passionately than he had anticipated. It was clear that she understood his intention, even without him explaining his sudden physical interest in her. That very fact reinforced the fact that she was not unintelligent.

The mere memory of just how she had responded brought him a sense of anticipation for their next encounter and an answering call from his flesh. Perhaps it would be wise to ensure that such events occur more frequently. After all, the faster she acclimatized to it, the quicker they could complete the mating and break the bond, he told himself. It had nothing to do with the fact that he relished the touch of her skin against his, or the scent of her arousal, or the soft whimpers of need emitted from her lips.

Irritated by such notions, he shook himself inwardly, willing himself not to indulge in further thoughts of the miko. It would not do to form any attachment to the human wench. He would not allow himself to be weakened by such a thing.

With a graceful leap, he crossed the distance and landed close to the miko and his guards.

“Lord Sesshoumaru,” his guards greeted respectfully. Then they retreated discreetly.

The miko looked up at him, her expression turning wistful as she asked, “Going out on patrol again?”

“Hn.”

“I see.”

The look she wore unsettled him, reminding him that she had not been outside the castle walls for more than two months. A twinge of what felt like guilt jolted through him. Perhaps he had been too harsh in restraining her movements. After all, she had not attempted escape for a considerable time now.

A solution suddenly presented itself. One which would allow the miko to travel and for him to complete his patrols without the unwanted interruption of the mating mark.

Before he could reconsider the sudden notion, he asked, “Miko. Do you wish to venture outside the grounds?”

Her eyes widened in obvious disbelief as she stood up slowly. “You're telling me you're going to let me go?” she asked, incredulity lacing her words.

Did she really think that he intended to release her? Perhaps he had been too generous in his assessment of her intellect. “No,” he said flatly.

An irritated scowl appeared on her face. “Then what is it?”

He fought the urge to frown at her expression. Instead, he chose to wear a disinterested mask when he explained, “You will accompany this Sesshoumaru on patrol.”

Lips parting, she gasped, “You want me to go with you?”

Did she not hear his words? He disliked repeating himself and he had no intention of doing so this time. Therefore, he simply stared at her silently.

“Really?” she repeated in a hush.

“Miko…” he bit out, realizing that she would not cease her questions. “It is not necessary for this Sesshoumaru to repeat himself as you've obviously understood.”

Slowly, a grin stretched across her expression. “Then what are we waiting for?”

His lips twitched at the sudden brightening of her countenance. It appeared that she was more than eager to leave the castle. However, there was something she must do prior to departure. He raised a brow at her attire. “You are not suitably dressed.”

The miko glanced down at a green and white kimono which he did not remember providing her. It seemed that one of his servants or guards had chosen to present her with the fine garment. A stab of annoyance coursed through him when he realized that all he had only instructed Natsumi to provide the miko with sleeping yukata and training garments. Was he annoyed because he had not anticipated her needs or that others had done so before him?

Eyes flashing brightly, she laughed, oblivious to his thoughts. Sesshoumaru blinked in surprise when the sound sent a pleasurable tingle down his spine. He stiffened his posture, unsure what to make of the odd feeling.

“I'll go change into one of my miko outfits,” she said exuberantly. After taking two hurried steps in the direction of the castle, the miko paused. With a sheepish look on her face, she asked, “Would that be alright?”

“Hn.”

The rapid pattering of her tabi-clad feet grew softer and she disappeared from his sight. Only then did he blink. Her question had surprised him. The fact that she had sought his approval on such a mundane matter gave him an odd feeling of… pride? He frowned, not comprehending why such a small action was significant.

It was not long before she returned to him wearing her usual miko attire.

He held out his hand to her. It was only after her brief hesitation in accepting it that he realized such action seemed too familiar, too intimate, for them. However, he retained his hold on her hand until they ascended into the sky, with the miko gasping in surprise at the flight. Once they had reached a suitable height for travel, he released her hand and encircled her small waist with his arm, holding her securely against him. After an initial awkwardness, she eventually relaxed against his armored chest. They traveled for a while in silence.

A gasp from her drew his attention.

“Sesshoumaru, look!” she exclaimed.

He directed his gaze in the direction she was pointing at. There was a small lake in the distance, surrounded by a wall of tall trees. The light from the sun filtered through the leaves and branches to hit the calm surface of the water, making it appear as if the lake was shimmering. He admitted that it was, indeed, a pleasing sight, although he had not bothered to ponder upon it before.

“Isn't it pretty?” she whispered in awe. “Everything looks so different from up here.”

He allowed himself a small smile at her enthusiasm. “Indeed.”

With they continued with their journey. Their companionable silence was only broken occasionally by her exclamation of wonder, at which he found rather amusing.

Perhaps he should allow her to accompany him on future patrols, he mused.

…***…***…***…

Kagome smiled softly as she looked past the fluttering white silk towards the open landscape. The sun was setting and the sky in the horizon was streaked with hues of orange and red, a sight she knew she had never seen in Tokyo. Right there and then, she promised herself that when she returned to her era, she would make a point to find such a sight. Surely there was somewhere in Japan where nature was protected well enough to allow one to indulge in such beauty.

Yes, she would try another escape when this whole mating bond thing was broken.

But first, they had to mate.

Surreptitiously, she glanced up at the demon who held her in his arms. Immediately, her body flushed at the recollection of what he had coaxed out of her last night. Not that she had not done anything.

She sighed inwardly.

She should be mad that he was taking such liberties with her body, but it was not as if she did not know what he was trying to do. In a way, it was almost…kind of him. He had not said a thing to confirm it, but she knew that he was just trying to get her used to the idea of sex. And he was doing a remarkable job of it because until a few days ago, she had no idea that it felt that good.

It was a scary thought.

How could she enjoy it that much, considering that there was nothing between her and Sesshoumaru except the mutual need to break the accidental bond? Did it mean that she would feel like this with every man who touched her? Or was it just because it was Sesshoumaru?

The cloud under her feet descended suddenly, jolting her out of her thoughts. She tightened her grip around the spikes on Sesshoumaru's armor. When they landed, the cloud dissolved under her feet. The abruptness of the landing made her stagger and in a fit of irritation, she glared at Sesshoumaru, all fond thoughts of his touches evaporating instantly.

“Do you mind giving me a little warning next time?” she sniped.

He only quirked his brow at her, but declined to reply.

She rolled her eyes, figuring that she should be used to his silences by now. Deciding that there was no harm in asking more questions, she went on, “Why are we stopping here?”

“Miko. This location is suitable for our rest.”

Her eyes bulged. What did he mean, they would be resting? “We're not going back?” she asked disbelievingly.

He gave her bland look, but there was a flash of impatience in his eyes. “Miko. It is this Sesshoumaru's impression that you wish to travel.”

She studied their surrounding. The clearing was small and was bounded by shoulder height rock outcrop, ensuring them of privacy. Privacy, she grumbled silently. For what? Then she flushed when she realized what could happen. But they were out in the open. Surely Sesshoumaru would not decide to start one of their `practice' sessions again. Especially here, out in the open.

She shook her head, trying to clear the image of their last encounter from her mind.

Back to the current situation. Sesshoumaru was still looking at her with his stoic version of puzzlement. She frowned at their surroundings. Yes, the trees could provide shelter and she had slept on the ground before when she had arrived in this era for the first time. But why did he need to stay for the night?

“Sesshoumaru? Why are we staying out tonight? I mean, you normally return to the castle at night.”

The muscle in his jaw twitched. “This Sesshoumaru wishes to complete the patrol.”

She blinked. “I don't understand. Haven't you been doing so the last few times? Completing the patrol, I mean?”

His posture was a picture of unease. “Miko. You will cease your questions.”

“Typical,” she muttered, rolling her eyes. Why could he not just answer her for once?

He gave her a look of disapproval.

“Oh, come on, Sesshoumaru. I promise I won't tell anyone that you broke that promise,” she coaxed with a straight face.

Wariness clouded his eyes. “Promise?” he queried.

She bit back a grin. “The promise that you made to yourself that you'll make it difficult for anyone to pry anything out of you.” At the tightening of his lips, she lowered her voice and whispered, “I promise not to do anything to spoil that cold and ruthless image you present to everyone around you.”

His eyes flickered. “It is not a farce, Miko.”

A smile flitted across her lips. “You know, Sesshoumaru… Akiyama told me many things about you. But I don't think he's right. I mean, you're alright…for a demon.”

“You know not of what you speak of,” he intoned flatly.

She snorted, waving her hand dismissively. It was obvious that he would not be enlightening her on that topic anytime soon. “Fine.”

With that, she proceeded to make her way to the large trunk of a felled tree and sat down in front of it. Leaning back, she tilted her head up. She heard the rustle of silk nearby but she did not bother to turn her head. Sighing happily, she as she stared up at the clusters of stars twinkling in her sky. It was never this clear back in her time.

Suddenly she felt a bout of homesickness. Her family must be worried sick by now. But Souta had seen her fall into the well, right? She wondered what they must be thinking. No doubt Jii-chan would tell them some legend associated with the well. And considering what she had seen so far, his tales might have some truth in it after all.

Yawning widely, she lifted her arms out and stretched. Although she had not done a thing except watch as the beautiful scenery rushed by beneath her, she felt oddly tired. She supposed it had been a pretty long day. Her eyelids felt heavy and she allowed them to fall shut.

Before she even realized it, she was fast asleep.

…***…***…***…

The chirping of the birds was louder than usual this morning and dimly, Kagome wondered why. However, her sleep laden mind did not wish to work overly hard that morning. She smiled, snuggling deeper into the softness under her cheeks. It was so comfortable, with the furry thing under her cheek, her front and back pressed against a soothing warmth and wait…the strangely sharp and unpleasant feel of something sticking into her thigh. Something which felt like twigs.

Her eyes snapped open to find a view of the clearing before her. Only then did she remember that she had gone on patrol with Sesshoumaru and had slept outdoors.

“We will continue with the patrol.”

Upon hearing his voice, she twisted around to look at the taiyoukai who was at the moment, leaning against the trunk of a tree staring down at her with his usual imperious look. It appeared that she had used him as a pillow for the night. And strangely enough, he did not seem to be offended by it.

Wait a minute, she thought. Sesshoumaru was nowhere near her when she fell asleep last night. She glanced around her quickly, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“This was not where I fell asleep last night,” she pointed out, turning her questioning gaze to the taiyoukai.

“Indeed.”

She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Sesshoumaru was as talkative as a brick wall. “So? Did you move me…” She glanced down to find that she was using the top of his left thigh as a pillow and her body captured snug between his legs. “…Umm…here?” Maybe it was a better idea if she was to move off him. A blush surfaced when she realized just how close she was to his groin.

His eyes flickered, but his gaze remained fixed on her. The golden orbs then took on a look she had come to recognize as lust. Her throat instantly went dry.

“Sesshoumaru…” she whispered, feeling an instant increase in her body temperature.

Then she let out a squeak of surprise when he hauled her up higher against him. Her arms immediately went around his neck to balance herself, but before she could take a breath, his lips swooped down to claim hers. Mind clouding, she moaned as his tongue played with hers, teasing her while his hands swept down her back to cup her.

A growl sounded from him and the sound sent shivers up her spine, making her arch backwards as he trailed his lips down her neck. The lapels of her top parted under his encouragement, and she looked down with glazed eyes to find that he had attached his lips to the swell of her breast. She did not know if the rapid beating in her chest was due of the anticipation of what he would do next, or that she feared what he would do next. Whatever it was, it did not prevent her from threading her fingers through his hair, reveling in the silky feel of it.

Suddenly, his eyes met hers.

To her befuddlement, the golden orbs sparked in what could only be described as anger.

“What?” she asked hesitantly. Did she do something wrong? Slowly, she extricated her fingers from his hair.

Then she found herself tossed off him. For a moment, she just sat on her behind, staring up from the ground at the taiyoukai who was now towering over her. It did not take long for her annoyance to set in.

“Hey! What's your problem?” she yelled indignantly, jumping to her feet. What was wrong with him? Passionate one moment and angry the next.

“Silence,” he ground out icily, his eyes focused on a point in the distance.

Kagome closed her mouth, surprised at his tone. Something was off, she thought. Sesshoumaru was wearing a very intent look. Only then did she realize just how silent it was around them. Nervous, she crept sideways until she reached Sesshoumaru's side. The taiyoukai still stood immobile, as if waiting for something.

The soft sound of shuffling reached her just as three humans made an appearance. One older man stood between a young woman and a young man, all of them clad in what looked like tight warrior outfits. Their faces were half covered with masks, leaving only their eyes visible.

“Demon!” the young man shouted. “You will release the miko and leave this place immediately.”

Kagome's eyes widened in alarm. That was definitely not the sort of thing to say to Sesshoumaru in his own lands. Hang on. Were these people the demon slayers they had argued about weeks ago?

The taiyoukai simply stared at the newcomers. Then his lips curled in derision, exposing his sharp fangs. “Insolent humans. You dare to trespass into the Western Lands?”

The older man stepped forward, appearing undaunted by Sesshoumaru. “We are demon slayers. And if you don't want to be slain, you will leave now.”

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Recognizing his fury, Kagome instantly held her hands up, stepping between Sesshoumaru and the three humans. “Wait! I think there is some misunderstanding here.”

“Miko. You will step back,” Sesshoumaru instructed tightly.

The young warrior gave her a look of concern. “Don't worry, Miko. We will free you from this demon,” he reassured loudly.

“No! Listen to me. You are on his lands,” Kagome explained urgently.

The young woman beside the warrior frowned. “It does not matter whose land this is. We won't tolerate demons taking a human miko as a prisoner.”

At that, Sesshoumaru issued a growl and Kagome winced. Technically, she was a prisoner, and she wanted nothing more than to go home. But not like this. Especially considering the improving relationship between her and Sesshoumaru. If she were to leave, it would be by some other way.

“Enough talking!” the older man said harshly. “Sango, you'll rescue the miko while the two of us take care of the demon.”

The young woman nodded firmly. “Yes, Father.”

Kagome's jaw dropped in horror as the older man drew his blade and readied himself in a battle stance while Sesshoumaru simply stared on, looking almost bored. He wouldn't really kill these humans without a single remorse, would he? Kagome thought with growing trepidation. Surely he was just planning to scare them off.

She gasped when the two male demon slayers rushed forward. But before she could say anything, Kagome suddenly found herself pulled to the side, away from Sesshoumaru. Her eyes landed on the one responsible for her current position. It was the young woman, the one called Sango.

“Hey!” Kagome protested.

“Miko. Don't worry. Everything will be fine,” Sango said kindly.

Kagome resisted the urge to groan. They were only doing what they think was right. But in this case, it was really a misunderstanding. And she had to make them understand it.

It suddenly occurred to her that this was exactly what she wanted, to be rescued from her so-called imprisonment. Only now did she realize that at some point in the past weeks, she had stopped thinking about it as an imprisonment. Not that she did not want to go home. And anyway, bonded as she and Sesshoumaru were, it would not be the best idea to leave. Not to mention that in order for them to successfully rescue her, they had to at least knock Sesshoumaru out.

She shivered at the thought of Sesshoumaru being injured. No, she did not want them to hurt him. And she did not want him to hurt them either. But this battle looked as if it was getting really serious and eventually, someone would lose or get hurt. Although she had been on the receiving end of it before, Sesshoumaru's whips now seemed more lethal than she remembered. And from the looks of the demon slayers, they were obviously skilled in fighting.

“Look, tell them to stop!” Kagome urged, grabbing the other woman's arm for emphasis.

Sango frowned. “The spell must be strong, if you're still concerned about the demon.”

Kagome exhaled a sigh of exasperation. She needed to do something to stop. Turning away from the battle, and trying to ignore the sounds growls and the battle cries, she pressed on insistently, “There's no spell. Sesshoumaru and I…we are mated.”

Sango's eyes widened. “What?” she whispered in disbelief, as she lowered her large boomerang.

Kagome flushed. This was getting to be just a little uncomfortable. Obviously, matings between humans and demons were frowned upon in this era. Not wanting more questions, she said quickly, “Just go, alright? I'll be alright. You see-”

Sango suddenly gasped, her eyes rounding as she stared past Kagome's shoulders. “NO!” she yelled, rushing past as she did so.

When Kagome spun around and took in what was going on, her blood ran cold. Nothing at all had prepared her for the sight of Sesshoumaru carelessly tossing the limp body of the young demon slayer away from him.

“Sesshoumaru…no…” Kagome whispered disbelievingly as she stared at the young man who had vowed to rescue her. He was bent at an odd angle against a tree and from the amount of blood covering him, she did not think that he could still be alive.

She spun towards Sesshoumaru. “Why?” she demanded, horrified by what she had seen. Unknowingly, she took a step away from him

The taiyoukai regarded her stonily. The only movement he exhibited was the hardening of his eyes as she took yet another step away from him.

“Miko. Come with us,” the woman called Sango urged. She was now beside the older demon slayer, who was carrying the body of the younger man on his shoulders.

“This demon is dangerous, Miko,” the older man added.

Kagome looked back and forth between the humans stood to her left and the taiyoukai on her right, torn between running away from Sesshoumaru and running back to him. He had just murdered the young man ruthlessly, without blinking an eye and without any remorse. Was he truly a monster? But they way he treated her so far said otherwise. One day, would he treat her life as brutally as he had done the young mans? What should she believe?

“Miko. It would be foolish to leave with them,” Sesshoumaru told her in an icy voice, but made no move to retrieve her. However, she did not miss the tightly coiled tension in his body. It was strange how well she could read his body language, she thought vaguely.

“Miko! Do not listen to the demon! He's trying to trick you!” the older man shouted urgently.

Kagome's lips parted and her breath became shallow. She did not know what to do. What could she do? As long as their mating mark bonded them, she could not leave him, however much his actions had scared her. And whilst she was beginning to have some weird physical attraction towards him, it was not something which was important enough for her to stay in this era voluntarily. These demon slayers offered her an escape, but could she cope with the side-effects of the separation from Sesshoumaru?

Before she could decide, she saw a white blur before her and the next thing she knew, the air was rushing past her at a great speed. She was airborne on Sesshoumaru's cloud, her head pressed against his armored chest while locked in his merciless grip. The gasp which escaped her lips did not prevent her from hearing the loud protests of the demon slayers far under her. Shocked at their sudden ascend, she could only hang on to his arm tightly as the voices grew dimmer with the distance.

Then she felt a rumble under her cheek just as Sesshoumaru spoke above her. “You wish to escape.”

She bit her lips. What should she tell him? “N-No…”

A squeak of alarm broke from her when he brought them back down at a breakneck speed. Her feet met the ground with a jarring impact and she stumbled slightly before she righted herself, only to meet a pair of uncompromising golden orbs. It was obvious that Sesshoumaru was less than happy.

“Then perhaps you wish to explain your actions, Miko,” he hissed, squeezing her arms for emphasis before he released her abruptly.

She averted her gaze. What should she tell him? “I…um…” Sighing heavily, she admitted, “Alright, maybe I did think of leaving. But I wasn't planning to follow them.”

“You wish to leave and subject yourself to the pain caused by the bond?” His tone was hard and uncompromising.

“Of course I don't!” she denied heatedly.

“Your actions proved otherwise,” he pointed out coldly.

Lifting her chin, she held his eyes. “No, Sesshoumaru. I didn't choose to go with them.”

“Yet you hesitated to remove yourself from them.”

“I was confused, alright? It's not like you don't know that I want to go home,” she snapped.

He stared at her silently, the coldness in his eyes sending shivers up her spine. This was no longer the passionate demon who made her blood rush with his touches. This was the ruthless demon which Akiyama had told her about.

Kagome gulped as she took a step backwards. “Sesshoumaru. I won't try to escape. I can't, remember? The bond is still there.” Then she added under in her mind, at least until the bond was broken.

The taiyoukai's eyes narrowed, but he did not respond verbally.

…***…***…***…

Promises.

Her past self promised not to leave Sesshoumaru.

And her present self had promised Sachimaru that she would not let anyone take him from her.

Both her present and her past self seemed to have this knack of making difficult promises, Kagome thought with a sigh as she glanced at the boy on the swing. Her morning was free and she had brought Sachimaru to the park to play. Sat on a nearby bench, she watched the morning sun glinting off his silver locks as the boy laughed while he challenged gravity with his swings.

No, she would not let Sesshoumaru take her little boy from her.

“Okaa-san! Look!” he shouted gleefully as he pushed the swing harder, building up enough momentum to throw the swing to its highest point.

Kagome's eyes widened in alarm as she shot to her feet. “Sachimaru! Stop that!” she scolded, worried that he might fall and harm himself.

“But it's fun,” he whined.

Kagome called forth the most uncompromising look she could summon to her face. To her relief, Sachimaru reluctantly toned down his swings. Not that he had not been hurt before. But considering how energetic the boy was, she supposed it was expected. Fortunately, all his various wounds seemed to heal fast.

Too fast, she thought wryly. But now that she had met Sesshoumaru, it was very possible that Sachimaru might be his, which would mean that Sachimaru possessed demonic abilities. And deep down, she knew that it was more than a possibility. There were too many things about Sachimaru which pointed in that direction; his strength, agility, intellect, intuition and his capacity for healing.

Father or not, Sesshoumaru would know nothing of Sachimaru if she could help it, especially after the dream she had last night. Kagome sighed, slumping slightly as she thought over it. She had not expected Sesshoumaru to be so cold and ruthless. And neither did her past self, it seemed. This new revelation of his character worried her. Or perhaps her past self had simply been too naïve to see him for what he was.

Ever since she had met him at Rin's farm, she had been mulling over the entire idea that she was the reincarnation of a miko who lived five hundred years ago. Was it normal to have dreams of the person one was reincarnated from? She did not think so.

And then there was this niggling doubt in her mind because there was something which just did not fit the picture. If those dreams were simply memories of the person she was reincarnated from, then where does the well fit in? Because the dreams had begun with her falling into the well dressed in her school uniform. Kagome very much doubted that the green and white attire was the norm back then.

Could Sesshoumaru be wrong?

If so, then they were back to square one.

Where did it leave them if she was NOT the reincarnation of the miko?

Whatever it was, until the dream revealed more, there was no way either of them could tell. And anyway, she had something more important to settle at the moment.

Her expression tightened with determination. She needed to avoid Sesshoumaru at all cost. It would be disastrous if he found out about Sachimaru. There was no way she would give up her adopted son to him. Especially now that she knew that Sesshoumaru could be ruthless when crossed. The dream she had about the fight with the demon slayers had proved that much to her.

Yes, it would be best that she avoided him.

But she could not do it alone. And considering how their last encounter had come about, there was only one person she could talk to.

Shiori.

Kagome glanced at her watch. She was not due in for her shift until two hours later but if she wanted to catch Shiori, she had to hurry home now.

“Sachimaru,” she called out. “It's time to go home.”

“Okaa-san!” he complained, blinking hopeful golden eyes at her. “But we just got here.”

Kagome's lips twitched. “We got here an hour ago.”

“Another minute, please?” he pled.

Scolding herself for being too indulgent with her son, Kagome smiled and gave him a nod. With a squeal of excitement, he abandoned the swing and rushed towards the monkey-bars. She helped him up until he had a firm grip on the bars before she released him to swing himself from one bar to another.

Another twenty minutes had passed before they left the park and went home.

When Kagome finally made it to Tsukuyo Medical, she noted worriedly that she had only fifteen minutes to catch Shiori. She did not know how the head of the Medical Centre would take her request, but Kagome knew that she had no other choice. Besides, Shiori seemed to be the reasonable type, although her outwardly gentle manner hid the underlying strength in the woman. Kagome supposed that without that strength, Shiori would not have made it to the top of the ladder.

She took a deep breath when she reached Shiori's office. Steeling her spine, she knocked. When Shiori replied, Kagome pushed the door open and hoped that she was doing the right thing. The grey-haired woman looked up from her desk when she stepped into the office. Now that she knew that demons existed, Kagome wondered vaguely if Shiori was one. No woman would voluntarily dye her hair grey and with those bright purple eyes could not be human.

“Kagome,” Shiori greeted. “Is everything alright?”

She would save the demon question for later, Kagome decided. Licking her dry lips, she began slowly, “I know about the call yesterday, Shiori.”

The woman at the desk stilled. “I see,” she said softly, her eyes troubled.

“Why?” Kagome asked.

Shiori did not answer her question. Instead, she asked, “I take it that you know Sesshoumaru?”

“You could say that,” Kagome replied dryly.

“Then you should know that he'll manage to get his own way, sooner or later,” Shiori pointed out, looking exasperated.

A feeling of desperation coursed through her. She had to make sure that Sesshoumaru did not get his own way when it came to Sachimaru. “Shiori, please keep Sesshoumaru away from me,” she pled.

Shiori's lips parted in surprise. Then her eyes clouded with concern as she asked, “Kagome. What's the matter? Did he hurt you?”

Kagome shook her head, and then took a deep breath. “This is really important, Shiori. I can't be near him.”

Blinking in confusion, her boss asked, “Why?”

What could she tell Shiori? “It's a long story, but I think Sesshoumaru wants something from me that I can't give.”

Shiori's lips twisted wryly. “It must run in the family,” she muttered.

“Huh?”

“His brother. Inuyasha.”

“Inuyasha?” Kagome echoed. Was that the man she had met when she was temping in IY Media and Entertainment? It must be the same one, because the family resemblance was uncanny.

Shiori waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Forget it.” Then she frowned. “Kagome, you need to tell me if anything had happened.” She took a deep breath. “I had no choice when he asked me to send you over, but if he harmed you, I need to know.”

Kagome shook her head, plastering a reassuring look on her face. “No. He didn't harm me. I can't tell you the reason, but it is best if I don't end up in the same place as him in the future.”

“I see.” Shiori looked thoughtful for a moment, and then she said quietly, “I'll try my best.”

Kagome expelled a relieved breath. “Thank you.”

The smile Shiori gave her was troubled.

…***…***…***…

Sesshoumaru barely registered the heavy traffic before him as his mind ran over the events that had occurred that morning.

He had been surprised that he had managed to recall something of what he now knew was his lost memories. The flashes were fragmented, but it was enough to confirm that those so-called dreams were not dreams. Unfortunately, before he could find out if he and the miko had indeed, completed the mating, the shrill ringing on his cell phone had broken the fragile thread.

It was only then that he had realized that it was already noon. He had spent the entire morning submerged in flashes of the past that had eluded him for centuries. Natsumi's call had reminded him that he should be at work, and that Katsuo and Inuyasha had wanted to speak to him regarding the work his spies had done.

Feeling irritable, Sesshoumaru growled in his throat as he pulled into the parking level of Taishou Securities. Much as he wished to continue forcing his memories forth, he knew that an important matter must have occurred for Inuyasha and Katsuo to be in the same room without fighting. For some unknown reason, the two half demons had always been antagonistic towards each other. Inuyasha had claimed that Katsuo was a useless general and when asked, Katsuo had only said that Inuyasha rubbed him up the wrong way.

Sesshoumaru's lips tightened as he exited his car to make his way to the lift. There was no doubt in his mind that once he recovered all his memories, the reason behind the antagonism would surface. As well as the outcome of his odd relationship with the miko of the past. And then, perhaps he would discover the identity of the pup who looked so much like him.

Yes, until he recovered enough memory to satisfy himself, he would refrain from taking any further action on the subject of the miko and the pup.

When he reached his office, Natsumi looked up in surprise.

“Mr. Taishou,” she greeted.

Sesshoumaru inclined his head. “Natsumi.”

“Inuyasha and Katsuo are in the building somewhere. Shall I call them?” she asked.

“Hn.”

Without waiting for an answer, he strode into his office and sat down behind his desk. It did not take long for Inuyasha and Katsuo to appear. The two half demons entered his office, standing a fair distance from each other.

“Oi! Where have you been? I was out since dawn this morning and you slept until what? Noon?” Inuyasha exclaimed incredulously.

Katsuo directed a sideways frown at Inuyasha. “Mr. Taishou shouldn't have to answer to you,” he scorned.

Sesshoumaru watched impassively as Inuyasha glared at Katsuo. “Was I talking to you?”

“I'm just pointing out the obvious,” Katsuo responded flatly.

“Enough,” Sesshoumaru interjected, tiring of the pointless bickering. He did not come to the office to be annoyed by such antics. Raising a brow at Katsuo, he asked, “You have a report for me?”

Katsuo nodded. “I was tailing a suspect and he ended up in Inuyasha's place to meet up with a female.”

“One of the hostesses caught a few words from the male and the female.”

“Names?” Sesshoumaru asked.

“The male is unknown, but the female is Kagura,” Inuyasha said.

“The wind sorceress,” Sesshoumaru hissed. Kagura had been a part of Naraku's group for many centuries. So, it was Naraku who was behind all the demonic attacks. The pathetic hanyou obviously wished to be taught a lesson.

“I wonder what they are up to,” Katsuo mused.

“Keh! Naraku probably have some stupid scheme to gain more power or something,” Inuyasha offered, crossing his arms over his chest. “That idiot!”

“Hn.”

Naraku had always been in the background but had never attempted something like this before. The demon had been created when a bandit called Onigumo had allowed himself to be possessed by many different demons. And since then, he had absorbed more and more demons, increasing his powers as the years went by.

Perhaps it was only now that he had gained sufficient strength to consider himself powerful enough for whatever scheme he had in mind, Sesshoumaru thought with distaste. He had always disliked the shady half-demon, but Naraku had kept out of his way, giving him no reason to destroy the hanyou.

Until now, it seemed.

“It sounds like Naraku is definitely involved in the attacks, considering that Kagura was talking about some new poisonous gas,” Inuyasha remarked.

Sesshoumaru tapped a claw on his desk thoughtfully before he turned to Katsuo. “Summon Kouga.”

Katsuo nodded. “I'll inform him.”

Meanwhile the silver-haired hanyou snorted. “You're calling that stinking wolf back? What for?”

“Kouga needs to return to his responsibilities,” Sesshoumaru said. With such disturbances and Naraku's involvement, it was highly inappropriate for the wolf to extend his vacation. Naraku was based in the east and the east was Kouga's responsibility.

“Keh! As if he's going to be of any use.”

Sesshoumaru leveled a firm look at Inuyasha. “Nevertheless, he will return.”

Eyes narrowing maliciously, Inuyasha said, “Say, how about letting me break the news to Kouga. I'm sure Katsuo has better things to do.”

Katsuo glared at Inuyasha. “That's my job.”

Inuyasha quirked a brow. “Oh? You're not busy enough? Nothing else to do?”

Lips tightening, Katsuo turned back to the seated taiyoukai. “Mr. Taishou. I will be more than capable of carrying out the task you assigned me.”

“Do as you wish,” Sesshoumaru said dismissively, tiring of the continual bickering.

“Keh!” With that, Inuyasha swept out of the office.

Katsuo gave him a respectful bow before he, too, exited the room. No doubt their bickering would recommence once again, Sesshoumaru thought dryly. It mattered not to him who summoned Kouga. Once Kouga returned to his duties, he would speak to the wolf prince about monitoring Naraku's activities. Naraku must have some plan in mind if he ordered those attacks. No one would be so irrational to expose themselves without reason. Sesshoumaru was certain that soon, the foolish actions of the hanyou would be halted.

In the meantime, perhaps he should explore his lost memories further. His fists clenched in concentration, Sesshoumaru willed his memories to return. His mind resisted for a moment, as if there was something blocking it.

Then it came in a flash and his office faded into the background.

He saw himself returning to the castle with the miko in tow. They had traveled in silence after the incident with the demon slayers. It was clear that the miko was discomfited by his actions. He saw his past self watching the miko's retreating back as she walked away from him, her posture tense.

A ringing sound cut into mind and his office came into sharp focus. Sesshoumaru's lips tightened in irritation. It appeared that he would be once again denied his memories. Retrieving his cellphone, Sesshoumaru glanced at the number and frowned.

“Yes?” he barked.

A rasping sound came across the line, and a chill immediately ran up his body. Then came a choked series of words, “L-Lord S-Sesshou-maru…”

Sesshoumaru grip tightened as the voice registered. The inuyoukai was in charge of the security in Inuyasha's company. “Isamu?”

“A-Attack… bees…”

Bees? Sesshoumaru frowned as he stood up and streaked out of his office past an astounded Natsumi. “You're at Inuyasha's company?” he asked as he took the stairs up to the roof.

“Y-Yes…”

The line went dead just as Sesshoumaru reached the flat roof on top of the Taishou Securities building. In a blink of an eye, he transformed into his energy orb and shot through the sky towards IY Media and Entertainment. The surrounding buildings blurred past him in an unrecognizable mass, but he knew exactly where he was heading. He only hoped that the situation could still be contained. If this was another one of Naraku's attacks, he would see to it that the hanyou suffered.

Reaching his destination a mere minute later, he landed on the roof. Extending his claws, he melted the door which stood in his way and flew down the stairs until he reached the main level, his acute hearing catching the increasing sound of buzzing as he did so.

Expanding his senses, he detected the presence of the employees. And from their slowed heartbeats, they were evidently unconscious. His lips tightened in anger as he detected the presence of another demon. Flexing his hands in readiness, he melted the door and stepped into the office.

A purple haired demon, human in all appearances, stood facing him with a placid look on his face. A large group of bees swarmed around him, apparently awaiting instructions. At his entry, the strange demon blinked in surprise. “I see…reinforcements?” he uttered curiously.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. Although he did not take his eyes off the demon, he could see the prone bodies of his employees scattered about. “Your actions will cost you your life,” he intoned icily.

“There is no need for threats so early in the day. And you are Sesshoumaru, I presume. I'm Goshinki,” the demon introduced calmly.

The demon's scent seemed familiar. Then it dawned on Sesshoumaru that the scent reminded him of Naraku. So, this was the hanyou's doing after all. On second thoughts, perhaps it would be wise to keep this demon alive for a moment longer. Until he outlived his usefulness, of course.

Goshinki's eyes gleamed as he raised his hands. The bees immediately darted forward.

“Pitiful,” Sesshoumaru sneered as he extended his whip. With no one to observe, the taiyoukai concluded that it was safe to use his demonic powers. One by one, the bees exploded in the air at the contact with his whip. “Do you think that such a weak attack would suffice?”

Goshinki growled angrily as he glanced at the dead bees. “Maybe I underestimated you.” Then his eyes sharpened. “I see. You already have your suspicions. You think I can't tell?”

Sesshoumaru stiffened. Did this demon have the ability to read minds? In which case, he needed to be more cautious.

“You will not be getting anything out of me,” Goshinki growled.

Sesshoumaru declined to reply. Instead, he raised his whip and snapped it towards the other demon. Anticipating the attack, Goshinki immediately launched himself to the side, swinging his claws towards Sesshoumaru as he did so. The hand was immediately sliced into two by the whip, but to Sesshoumaru's annoyance, the appendage crawled back and reattached itself to the smirking demon. Once again, Goshinki attempted another attack using his claws.

This demon was powerful, but not enough, Sesshoumaru thought as he sidestepped the attack. Extending his fingers, Sesshoumaru released a stream of poison at the demon. Although Goshinki managed to avoid being hit, the poison melted the concrete floor, forming a hole through which the demon fell through.

Sesshoumaru immediately followed him through the hole to the floor below.

Goshinki snarled as the shock of the fall caused him to reveal his true form. A pair of sharp horns appeared on his forehead while his lips stretched into a gaping jaw filled with sharp fangs. His body expanded and elongated, breaking out of his human disguise. Red eyes glared at him.

Sesshoumaru's lips curled. “You're merely a lowly oni,” he intoned derisively.

With a roar of outrage, Goshinki charged. Keeping his thoughts hidden, Sesshoumaru darted to the side before bringing down his whips. The oni's eyes widened a fraction before the whip landed on his back. He snarled in pain, but was undeterred. Instead, Goshinki chose to launch himself forward.

Sesshoumaru hid a smirk. The oni's anger was affecting his concentration. A common mistake amongst common demons. He extended his whips again, but this time, Goshinki managed to avoid it and in retaliation, he charged angrily towards Sesshoumaru. A stream of poison shot out of Sesshoumaru's claws but the oni did not stop, even though the bones of his left arm was visible through the mess of poison and melted flesh.

Unheeding of his own life, Goshinki simply continued to charge. Then with an unexpected twist, the oni was by Sesshoumaru's side with his fangs bared.

The sharp teeth sank into his left arm, and to his horror, Sesshoumaru felt the breaking of his bones. Impossible, he thought even as he sank his claws into Goshinki's throat. The oni released another roar before the red light dimmed from his eyes.

When the oni fell lifelessly to the floor, Sesshoumaru stared at him with disgust. Ignoring the pain in what remained of his left arm, Sesshoumaru switched his attention to his lifeless limb which was still held between the oni's fang.

Although he was outraged by the insult done to his person, Sesshoumaru realized that if the oni's fangs could break his arm so easily, then they must be powerful. If one decided to forge a blade from those fangs, the blade would be powerful indeed.

He glanced down at the stump of his left arm, not unduly concerned about it. Centuries ago, it would have taken him many decades to regenerate his arm, but Shiori would be able to attend to it in matter of days. Kneeling down, he removed the detached portion of his limb from Goshinki's fangs and set it to one side. With a swipe of his claws, the oni's head was severed from his body. As Sesshoumaru inspected the fangs, he allowed a small smile to cross his lips.

Yes, the fangs would do well as a demonic blade.

Standing up with the oni's head in his remaining hand, Sesshoumaru glanced around, assessing the damage. It was obvious that the damages done could not possibly be of human origin, he noted irritably. He needed to summon Shippou to mask the damages with an illusion until the place was repaired.

Yes, he would do so before he informed Shiori of the requirement for the medical services.

…***…***…***…

Kagome fidgeted anxiously as the ambulance approached IY Media and Entertainment. She glanced out of the ambulance window at the other two ambulances as the building loomed closer. Things must be bad if they needed three of them, she thought with trepidation.

When the emergency call had arrived, Shiori had given her an odd look, but to Kagome, it did not matter that Inuyasha's company was related to Sesshoumaru. All she could think of was Yura and Isamu and all the other employees she had gotten to know while she was temping there. She needed to go. She needed to find out if they were alright.

The moment the ambulance stopped, Kagome rushed out with Moriko close beside her. To her surprise, the moment she stepped into the building, the first person she saw was the host from the demon carnival, the one called Shippou. What was he doing here? He seemed fine, although he was turning around as if to check his surroundings. The offices seemed intact, from what she could see.

Then her eyes landed on the unconscious forms of the employees. Everything else fled from her mind as she and the other paramedics knelt down to check on them. Her hands shook a little when she swept Yura's short hair out of her face and then checked her pulse. It was beating strong, Kagome noted with relief, even though Yura seemed a little pale and cold sweat beaded her brows. Not far away from her, she saw another paramedic checking Isamu over.

“They are all alive,” the paramedic declared. “But I think they've been poisoned. We need to get them to the medical centre.”

Kagome stood up. “Let's get them onto stretchers.”

Moriko nodded at the door. “Manten is bringing them in.”

Spinning around, Kagome walked away to retrieve a stretcher from Manten when a movement out of the corner of her eyes caught her attention. Her steps immediately faltered when she took in a familiar form.

“You!” she exclaimed incredulously.

The figure did not turn around, but she could see the slight stiffening of his shoulders.

Her lips tightened as she strode up to him. “This had better not be another thing you planned,” she said to his back. The demon was abusing his powers, using the emergency services as and when he pleased. But she doubted he would go as far as to harm so many people, or maybe they were demons. Would he?

When he turned around, her eyes lowered and she gasped in horror at his tattered, bloodstained sleeve. Where was his left arm?

“S-Sesshoumaru…” she whispered unsteadily as she took a few steps closer to him. “Your arm…Oh, Kami…” she mumbled, then raised her eyes up to him. How could he just stand there like nothing was happening when his entire arm was severed? She forced back a feeling of nausea when she saw that he held the severed arm in his other hand. If she had any doubts, this would certainly confirm that Sesshoumaru was really not human.

He quirked a brow. “You appear to be concerned, Miko.”

“Concerned?” she echoed dumbly. Then she gestured at his arm. “How can you just stand there? Let me get you into the ambulance.”

Eyes flickering, he stared at her and said, “It is not necessary. You will attend to the rest.”

Her lips tightened. There he was again, ordering her about. “Don't be so stubborn. There's enough space for everyone. Come on, Sesshoumaru. Just get into the ambulance. You can't be walking around like that.”

A contemplative look crossed his face, one which sent warning bells ringing in Kagome's head. When he spoke, his tone was moderated. “I will agree to it on one condition.”

“What?” she asked cautiously.

“That you will share your dreams of the past with me.”

“WHAT?” she exploded. Just how much more sneaky could he be? “NO!”

He simply turned away from her and began to walk away.

Kagome stared at him disbelievingly. What sort of bargain was this? She did not want to tell him about her dreams but she could not very well let him leave like that. What should she do?

“Sesshoumaru, wait!” she called out.

His steps slowed. “Do we have an agreement, Miko?” he asked, turning around slowly.

Kagome bit her lips, her eyes going to the puddle of blood forming next to Sesshoumaru's feet. Her past self's feelings for the taiyoukai must have transferred across to her if she felt this concerned for Sesshoumaru. But she just could not bear to see him walk away hurt like that.

If she was careful and just spoke of the dreams and nothing else, there was no reason for Sesshoumaru to suspect that she had a son who looked like him. Right?

Taking a deep breath, she raised her eyes.

Brown locked with gold.

She was about to say yes.

Until she saw the gleam of smug satisfaction in his eyes. Riled at his presumptuousness, her lips tightened. Who did he think he was, manipulating people left, right and centre? Shiori's face immediately came to mind. No, she would not be one of his pawns. She would not buckle under pressure. How could she defend Sachimaru if she backed down so easily? And if he chose to abuse his powers and get her sacked from Tsukuyo Medical, she could always find another job. It would not be as good as working there, but at least she was not under the constant threat of Sesshoumaru being close by.

Anyway, if Sesshoumaru was not concerned about his own arm, then he must know that it would be fine. His demonic healing abilities would probably take care of it in no time.

As he continued to regard her silently, she could see the gradual replacement of his smug expression with one of wariness. “Miko…” he said cautiously.

Lifting her chin, she declared firmly, “Either come with us in the ambulance or not. It's your choice, Sesshoumaru. I'm not going to make any deals with you.”

His eyes hardened instantly.

Without another word, she turned around and walked away from him.

…***…***…***…

t.b.c.

A/N: It feels nice to be posting again. I missed it! Updates will be back to normal, i.e. every 5 days or so from now on. I hope you've enjoyed the chapter and any reviews would be appreciated. Thanks!