InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Simple Legacy III ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

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

A/N: HentaiVixen, Katie33h, darkserenity07 and Heartstar…Thank you for reviewing the last chapter! Oh, I've drawn up some new Inuyasha stuff, including an original character who will appear in this chapter. If you want to have a look, here it is: elle6778.deviantart.com

A Simple Legacy III by elle6778 - Chapter 4

The safe place turned out to be an underground chamber only accessible from Sesshoumaru's room. The wooden hatch under the tatami mat was invisible until Sesshoumaru laid a hand on it. Then, with an answering pulse, the hatch opened.

Kagome's eyes widened as she descended on a flight of wooden stairs down to a dim tunnel, illuminated only by an odd glow on the wall. Strangely enough, she found that she could see quite clearly. She shook her head slightly and chalked it down to yet another thing she had picked up from Sesshoumaru.

Her eyes landed on an old wooden door at the end of the tunnel. Walking towards it with Sesshoumaru beside her, she figured that it must lead to their destination. When they came upon it, she automatically reached out and pushed it open.

“Miko!”

Bewildered at his harsh tone, she turned back to find him staring at her with a look of disbelief.

“What?” she asked nervously. She had taken two steps into the dark space before she halted. Maybe she got the wrong door, but there was only one way to go.

As she stared at him, Sesshoumaru's look of disbelief changed to a look of comprehension and then rapidly turned to annoyance. Kagome's eyebrows rose at the sight. She had never seen Sesshoumaru wearing so many different expressions in such a short span of time. Something must be bugging him.

“Um…Sesshoumaru? What's going on?”

His expression became unreadable. “You should not be able to enter, Miko,” he said flatly.

She jumped in surprise and looked around before her eyes snapped back to his golden ones. “B-But how? I thought only you and your line are allowed to enter.”

His eyes flickered. “One could only surmise that your ability to enter this room is the result of the connection between us.” He stepped into the room before he continued, “It is becoming tedious.”

Kagome frowned. “The connection?”

“Hn.” He sounded irritated.

Her lips twitched. “Why?” she asked deliberately, knowing that the last thing he wanted was for her to keep questioning him.

“The extent of its influence is unpredictable.”

She grinned. “It looks like I share quite a lot of things with you. Emotions, strength and now, even this.”

“It is not amusing, Miko.”

She sobered up as another thought came to her. “Hey, do you think it works both ways?”

He gave her an unreadable look. “This Sesshoumaru does not possess any of your strength.” His tone was dry. “And unlike those who wish to court you, this Sesshoumaru has no intention of obtaining it.”

Then something else occurred to her, making her sigh. No doubt Sesshoumaru would not be too happy once he heard what she was about to say. “You know, it's not only my strength they'll be getting. It's yours as well.”

Sesshoumaru's lips tightened.

Guessing how he felt, Kagome quickly assured him. “Don't worry. I have no intention of accepting them as mates or whatever.”

His eyes flickered, but he did not respond. Instead, he swept past her into the room.

Following behind him, Kagome soon found herself standing in a semi-spherical chamber. She gaped as she noted the bright moss growing high up on the wall, bathing the space in an eerie golden light not unlike Sesshoumaru's barrier. Further down, the rock face was covered with various heirlooms, mostly weapons, Kagome noted. There were also several old chests pushed against the walls. Sesshoumaru's ancestors must have used this place as storage for their prized possessions.

“Miko.”

She swung around to find Sesshoumaru staring at her expectantly.

“Oh,” she exclaimed as her hand flew to her neck. Carefully, she removed the chain holding the warded Shikon jewel. It was still glowing with a strange mix of purple and green as a result of both their barriers. Holding the chain, she held it out to Sesshoumaru.

As he placed the Shikon in a box and sealed it, he cautioned, “Do not speak of this place to others.”

Kagome blinked.

Suddenly she realized how much trust Sesshoumaru was placing in her by telling her of this place. And knowing Sesshoumaru, trust was not something he gave away easily. Softening, she smiled at him.

“Thank you for keeping the jewel here. I promise that I won't tell anyone about this place,” she assured him earnestly.

“Hn.”

…***…***…***…

Dawn arrived bright and early, but Sesshoumaru had been awake long before the sun appeared in the horizon.

He frowned as he stared out of the window, his mind going over what he had decided just a while ago. He did not like the conclusion he had arrived at, but he was practical enough to know that it was necessary. After what had happened between him and the neko-youkais, there was a slim chance that he might not make it out. Hence his contingency in the unlikely case that everything went wrong.

There was only one thing which gave him pause. The miko's presence in the coming battle concerned him, but he knew that their merged powers would be invaluable in this fight. She was strong. In any case, it was not as if he could prevent her from following him.

Knowing that it would be pointless to delay the inevitable any longer, Sesshoumaru left his chambers and began to track Inuyasha's scent. As expected, the hanyou was in his usual tree. Vaguely, Sesshoumaru wondered if he should offer Inuyasha his own quarters in the castle. It was unseemly for him to continue living out of a tree in the courtyard.

As he approached, Inuyasha looked down. At his questioning glance, Sesshoumaru gestured for the hanyou to follow him.

“What do you want?” Inuyasha asked brusquely as he caught up.

Turning around, Sesshoumaru went straight to the point. “You will remain in Western Lands, Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha's eyes clouded in confusion. “Why should I remain in the Western Lands? You're not inviting me to stay here for good, are you?” he asked warily.

Sesshoumaru gave him a hard look. Much as he hated the thought of it, Sesshoumaru knew that it had to be said. “The Western Land requires protection while this Sesshoumaru travels to the north. As the youngest son of Inu-no-Taishou, it is your responsibility to do so.”

“You're confronting Ryokusen?” Inuyasha exclaimed with a frown. “Not that I care or anything, but you almost died just a week ago.”

A growl escaped Sesshoumaru's lips. “This Sesshoumaru is more than capable of destroying one such as Ryokusen.”

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and gave him a challenging look. “Then why do you need me to stay here?”

Glancing into the distance, Sesshoumaru continued evenly, “The battle might conclude in an unexpected manner. In that unlikely event, the Western Lands would require a lord.”

Silence enveloped them as Inuyasha's eyes rounded in disbelief. “W-What are you talking about? You can't be saying what I think you're saying,” he stuttered.

“It is simply a precaution. You will rule the Western Lands only if this Sesshoumaru fails.”

Inuyasha expression became uneasy. “Look, I'll come with you,” he offered gruffly.

“Ryokusen's warriors are fully trained, full blooded youkais,” Sesshoumaru pointed out, arching a brow.

Inuyasha bristled. “I've hacked down my share of full blooded youkais, Sesshoumaru. Ryokusen doesn't scare me.”

“You will not come, Inuyasha.” His voice was stony. The hanyou would be of more use if he simply remained in the castle.

Gesturing in the general direction of the north, Inuyasha protested, “You can't go in there if you think you can't win. What about Kagome? She'll never let you go alone!”

Sesshoumaru suddenly wished that he was not having that conversation at that moment. The hanyou would no doubt be furious at his next words. “The miko is coming with this Sesshoumaru.”

The silence was thick.

“Sesshoumaru, you'd better not be saying what I think you're saying. You mean you're going into this knowing that things might explode in your face and you're bringing KAGOME along?!” Inuyasha's voice rose to a yell.

“You said yourself that the miko will not let this Sesshoumaru go alone,” Sesshoumaru intoned flatly, his fists clenched by his side to prevent himself from beating the insolent pup down to a bleeding heap. Never mind that the hanyou's words had rung with the truth.

“I can try to stop her. Hell, I can try to stop you!” Inuyasha exclaimed heatedly.

Sesshoumaru smirked. “Have you attempted to prevent that miko from doing anything lately? Have you not realized that she could easily overpower you?”

After a moment's pause, Inuyasha sighed, looking uncharacteristically weary. Then the hanyou spoke quietly. “This is not good, Sesshoumaru.”

“Ryokusen will continue attacking until he is destroyed. It's better to be the one attacking than to hold back in defense, considering the recent depletion of his forces.”

Inuyasha gave him a worried look. “I sure hope you know what you're doing.”

Sesshoumaru gave him an odd look. “You jest, Inuyasha,” he remarked disdainfully.

Ignoring him, Inuyasha continued. “And if Kagome is harmed, I'll kill you.”

“The miko will be unharmed.” His voice was tight.

Inuyasha ground his teeth together. “It's a good thing I know that you care for her, or else…”

“This Sesshoumaru cares for no-”

Inuyasha interrupted rudely, “You can stop it right there. I know what I see.”

Sesshoumaru ground his teeth together. Although he had admitted to himself that he was somewhat attached to the miko, he had no intention of confirming such a thing to Inuyasha.

“You are mistaken.”

Inuyasha simply snorted derisively and turned to walk away.

…***…***…***…

A feeling of exhilaration coursed through Kagome as she eyed the rapidly passing landscape beneath Sesshoumaru's cloud. She had not realized how much she had missed traveling like this, clinging on to Sesshoumaru's armor with the wind streaking through her hair. The last time she had done so, she had been too tired and sleepy to fully appreciate it.

She sighed in contentment, her feelings not marred at all by the thought of the imminent battle. In fact, she rather looked forward to it, she thought with narrowed eyes. She was practically itching to destroy the youkai who ordered the attack on Sesshoumaru and Rin. And they had attacked Sesshoumaru from the back, no less. Despicable creatures.

The intensity of her feelings surprised her. Her lips quirked. She wondered what Sesshoumaru would think if he knew that she felt so protective of him and Rin.

“Something amuses you, Miko?”

Hiding her grin, she looked up at the pair of golden eyes staring down at her. “No,” she replied with a straight face.

“Hn.” It was clear that he did not believe her.

“We didn't really have the time to catch up last week, with everything being so messed up. What have you been up to since we destroyed Naraku?”

“Tending to the affairs of the Western Lands.”

She rolled her eyes. He was still as reticent as ever when it came to giving up information. “What sort of things apart from your patrols?” she pressed.

He gave her an odd look. “Is there a reason for your curiosity?”

She sighed in exasperation. “It's called having a conversation, Sesshoumaru.”

“It is pointless.”

Grinning, she poked him in the chest playfully. Ignoring his low growl of warning, she said, “Pointless things could be fun too, you know.”

“Hn.”

Shaking her head at his look of disdain, Kagome glanced into the horizon, noting that the sun was already setting.

“Are we stopping soon?”

Sesshoumaru focused his attention at some point in the distance before he said, “We will rest soon.”

“Good. Can you find somewhere with water? I want a bath.”

“There is a hotsprings not far from here.”

Kagome beamed in anticipation.

…***…***…***…

The soft morning sun peeked through the gaps in the trees, sending sharp rays of light in the direction of the clearing they had spent the night.

Sesshoumaru glanced at the miko. Her eyes were bleary with the last vestiges of sleep as she stood up and stretched. He would have continued traveling through the night, but he had felt compelled to stop so that the miko could refresh herself and rest for the night. After all, they had been traveling the whole of yesterday.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru felt a warning prickle.

He stood up instantly, his eyes narrowed. His senses told him that they were being approached by a youkai. The glimmer of youki from the direction of the hotsprings told him identified the intruder as an elemental youkai.

A frown graced Sesshoumaru's brow. Elemental youkais tended to keep to themselves. Particularly since their numbers had been greatly diminished in the battle a few centuries ago. Therefore, it was odd that one was approaching them now. One which appeared to possess substantial strength.

It did not take long before a blue-haired youkai appeared in the clearing. His black kimono floated behind him as he took measured steps towards them.

The elemental youkai inclined his head at Sesshoumaru in acknowledgement. Their eyes met for a moment and in that short time, Sesshoumaru had gleaned enough to know that this youkai had no intention of causing trouble. Now that he was close, Sesshoumaru recognized him as some form of water youkai. The water drop against his forehead identified him as a member of the ruling clan, much to Sesshoumaru's surprise. He did not realize that there was such a survivor from the last battle between the elementals.

“Greetings, Sesshoumaru-sama, Lord of the Western Lands,” the youkai said formally. “I'm Akiyama. My presence concerns the miko.”

Sesshoumaru kept his expression impassive. What did the youkai require from the miko? Then, in a move that greatly irked Sesshoumaru, the youkai turned away and focused his complete attention on the miko. Sesshoumaru watched with narrowed eyes as the youkai stepped closer, stopping just an arm's length from the miko.

“Miko. I hail from the springs of the southern mountains,” he began with a slight bow. “I was simply passing the area when I sensed your presence.”

“Um…hi.” The miko sounded uncertain.

“The tale of your success in the battle with the hanyou Naraku had spread far. I congratulate you on your victory. Naraku deserved no less than what you have inflicted on him.”

The miko shuffled, looking uncomfortable. “It's not just me. A lot of my friends were there as well, including Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru was the one who released the killing blow.”

The youkai inclined his head politely at Sesshoumaru, but the taiyoukai had an odd feeling that he was being dismissed. His eyes narrowed a fraction at the disrespect as the youkai turned his attention back to the miko.

“I would be honored if you would accept this humble youkai's offer of friendship.”

Sesshoumaru stilled as a feeling suspicion began to grow. Perhaps, like the crane, this youkai was also seeking to court the miko. But unlike the crane youkai, this one was far from weak. The entire thought induced a strangely uneasy feeling in him.

The miko gaped at the youkai, obviously stunned by the sudden request. Then her eyes flicked to him and Sesshoumaru felt her plea for assistance trickling over him. However, regardless of how he disliked the thought of it, he had no intention on interfering with another youkai's courting ritual.

Yet.

The miko's irritation at his lack of response and her uncertainty was clear as she glanced back and forth between him and the male youkai.

“Miko?” the youkai prompted politely. “It would be a great honor if you accept.”

Sesshoumaru's lips tightened. The youkai was respectful towards the miko. However, there was something about the entire situation which made it barely tolerable. His eyes narrowed as the youkai gave the miko a charming smile.

The miko's lips twitched as her uncertainty dissipated. Then it grew into a smile as she looked at the youkai. “Friendship? That's all, right?” she asked.

The youkai nodded. “Yes. And perhaps the next time we meet, you might consider allowing me the privilege of addressing you by your given name.”

Looking surprised, the miko asked, “You know my name?”

“It is Kagome, is it not? I have been informed by my ally.”

“Your ally?” the miko prompted. She sounded curious.

Sesshoumaru felt his annoyance spike and decided that they had wasted enough time with the pointless interaction. Grimacing inwardly, he wondered how many times they would be interrupted during this trip by youkais seeking to court the miko.

“Miko. We will continue with our journey.”

The water youkai spared him a quick glance before he inclined his head at the miko. “I shall not delay you any further. It is clear that you have an important quest. I hope that we will meet again soon.”

The miko nodded.

Sesshoumaru's eyes did not leave the youkai until he dissolved into the air, vanishing right before them. The fact that he could evaporate at will confirmed Sesshoumaru's thoughts that Akiyama was indeed a powerful youkai.

His thoughts about all the unworthy youkais courting the miko returned to him, and Sesshoumaru glowered inwardly. Much as he would like to do so, he could not place this youkai in the same rank as the crane youkai. An elemental youkai like this Akiyama did not need the miko's power to supplement his. He was powerful enough in his own right.

Someone such as this youkai might just be worthy of the miko.

Unwilling to examine the reason for his edginess at that very thought, Sesshoumaru quickly banished it from his mind. Instead, he focused on the fact that many other youkais would certainly present themselves to the miko at odd times.

It would be highly disruptive to this journey they were making. The last thing Sesshoumaru wanted was untimely interruptions from some worthless youkai while he was preparing himself for battle. This water youkai would be the last one. Further interruptions would not be acceptable.

He glowered inwardly. There was only one way he could think of to deter the approach of the other youkais.

…***…***…***…

Kagome watched the departing youkai with interest. His wavy shoulder length blue hair swayed lightly behind him as he seemed to float away from them before he disappeared, literally into thin air. She wished that she was as graceful as he was. He must be one of the most interesting youkai she had ever met in terms of appearance, with those odd but beautiful eyes and an elegant, sculpted face. He was not as tall as Sesshoumaru, but he held himself with confidence and poise.

“What sort of youkai is he?” she asked as Sesshoumaru began to walk.

“An elemental youkai. He possesses power over water,” he replied without glancing down at her.

Her expression cleared as comprehension dawned. “That explains his eyes. They look like pools of water. And that weird water droplet on his head.”

“Hn.”

“I guess with that sort of power, he's pretty strong, huh?” she mused. Imagine having the power to control bodies of water. Kagome shuddered at the thought of the damage Akiyama would bring if he had any inclination to do so. It was a good thing she did not reject his friendship.

“Hn.”

Sesshoumaru sounded completely disinterested, but Kagome had a suspicion that he was not telling her something. The taiyoukai looked too absorbed in his thoughts. There must be something on his mind.

“It's nice of him to offer to be my friend, don't you think? It's good to have someone like that on our side.”

“Hn.”

Frowning at Sesshoumaru's monosyllabic answers, Kagome glanced up to him. Wondering if there was something he was not telling her, she asked, “So what do you think of him?”

He glanced down at her, his face expressing nothing but disdain. “He is not worthy of this Sesshoumaru's time.”

Kagome rolled her eyes. “According to you, no one is worth your time.” Then she paused in thought. “Except Rin.”

“Hn.”

“So? Is that all you can say about him?” she pressed, still convinced that there was something Sesshoumaru was not telling her.

“The youkai appears to be courting you, Miko.”

She stilled, and then frowned thoughtfully. Thinking back, she had felt nothing like that from the other youkai. “I don't think so. He said just friends. And anyway, he didn't do any sort of mating dance.”

“The mating dance is not performed by all youkais.”

Suddenly curious, she asked, “What about inuyoukai like you?”

He did not reply.

“Sesshoumaru?”

“There is a ritual.” His voice was flat.

“What sort of ritual?” she asked, wondering if it involved any prancing, or dancing.

He paused and turned to give her a stony look. “Miko. Unless you're preparing to accept an inuyoukai's advances, it is not necessary for you to possess this knowledge,” he bit out tightly.

A little taken aback by the intensity of his response, Kagome just gaped. Then, remembering how the conversation had ended the last time she prodded him about something like this, Kagome decided that it might be better if she quit while she was ahead. Sesshoumaru was probably just embarrassed.

And anyway, she could always ask him some other time, she thought with an inward grin. Shrugging her questions off, she continued to walk beside him, wondering absently why he had not launched them into the air yet.

“Miko.”

She gave him a look of surprise. He had given every indication that he did not want to talk, so what did he have in mind now?

“Do you wish to discourage future advances?” he asked evenly.

Stopping in he tracks, she blinked. “From those youkais?”

“Hn.”

“Of course. But short of fighting them, I don't know what else to do.”

Turning around, he gave her an odd look. Then he declared, “This Sesshoumaru has a solution. The more persistent ones would continue with their advances but it would deter the rest from approaching.”

“What is it?” she asked curiously.

His eyes flickered. He looked as if he was about to say something. A flash of hesitation crossed his face before it was replaced by resolve. Then his jaw tightened in determination.

Mesmerized by the myriad of emotions crossing his face, Kagome simply stared wordlessly. Suddenly, she found herself pulled forward towards him. A squeak of surprise escaped her lips when she felt Sesshoumaru's cool cheek pressed against her.

He was nuzzling her cheek.

Breath caught in her throat, Kagome remained frozen to the spot as he rubbed his soft, smooth skin against hers. Her body heated in response and she could feel her face reddening. She tried to ask him what he was doing, but the words refused to form. Goosebumps exploded over her skin as he moved lower to her neck, continuing with the rubbing motion.

Just as suddenly as it had begun, he stopped and stepped away from her.

Her legs wobbled from the abrupt loss of support. Lips parted in shock, Kagome simply stared at him wordlessly, noting that there was a strange light in his eyes.

The first words which broke the silence yanked Kagome out of her stupor.

“This Sesshoumaru's scent will act as a deterrent.” His voice was clipped.

Her eyes widened when she realized that he had simply been covering her with his scent. Kagome let out the breath she did not realize she was holding. What else did she think he was doing anyway? She did not really think that Sesshoumaru meant anything else, did she?

Clearing her throat uncomfortably, she averted her gaze before muttering, “Um… thanks.”

“Hn.”

With that, he pulled her closer and launched into the air.

…***…***…***…

Sesshoumaru glanced down at the miko. She had been strangely silent ever since he had covered her face and neck with his scent. Perhaps she was in shock.

He grimaced inwardly. What he had done brought back memories of the night when she had fallen asleep on his futon. Back then, he had deduced that it was the weakness from his injury which had prompted him to indulge in such an action. However, he was neither weak nor injured a while ago. Therefore, it was highly disconcerting to find out just how much he had enjoyed touching her in such an intimate manner.

He shook the feeling away. Regardless of his own responses, at least they would be assured of some peace now that the miko's own skin, not just her clothes, was covered in his scent.

They continued to fly for a few hours more before she caught sight of a large expanse of water ahead. Sesshoumaru could see the large expanse of water ahead of them. In mere moments, they would be crossing the sea to the Northern Isles.

“Um, Sesshoumaru?” she whispered shakily as she tugged at his armor.

He glanced down at her.

“We're not flying over the sea, are we?”

His eyes flickered. “It appears so, Miko.”

Her expression sank visibly. “Sesshoumaru, can't we go by boat or something?” she pled.

Brows furrowing, he gave her a puzzled look. “No.”

At that moment, his cloud crossed the border between land and sea. The miko suddenly threw her arms around his shoulders, her grip almost desperate. The cloud swayed a little at the suddenness of her movement and he let out a growl of warning.

“Miko…” he broke off as he noted the look on her face.

The miko's eyes were wild with fear as she protested loudly, “Sesshoumaru! No!”

He frowned. It was clear that the miko was afraid to fly over water. However, he did not understand the reason behind it. After all, one was more likely to die hitting dry land than water.

“Miko…” he gritted out in warning as her arms tightened almost painfully around him. “You will loosen your hold.”

“Not a chance!” she exclaimed shakily. “We're over water.”

Sesshoumaru suppressed a wince when her blunt fingers dug into his shoulders. Her unnatural strength proved to be unpleasant at such times. Perhaps he should teach her to have a little faith in him.

Forcibly prying her hands off his body, he fisted the back of her hakamashita and held her an arm's length away. Her eyes immediately rounded into fear-filled brown pools as her lips parted in a silent gasp before she froze.

“SESSHOUMARU!” she yelled frantically. “What are you doing?”

His ears rang with the volume of her voice, but he ignored her words and gave her an uncompromising look. “Miko. You will calm yourself.”

She trembled. “I-I can't.”

The fear in her usually bold eyes instilled a strange feeling of protectiveness in him. It was disconcerting to see her like this. Sighing in resignation, he pulled her back to him. Placing his hand at the back of her head, he pushed her face firmly onto his Mokomoko-sama.

“Close your eyes.”

A small whimper escaped her lips, and something within him tightened uncomfortably.

“We will arrive soon,” he reassured her, hating how husky his voice was.

He felt a shaking motion as she nodded into his Mokomoko-sama.

Fortunately, it did not take long for them to cross the large expanse of ocean. As they neared land, Sesshoumaru felt himself growing progressively alert. They were in Ryokusen's domain now. The stench of neko-youkais was strong and he did not intend to let his guard down while he was on this isle.

“Miko, we are over dry land,” he announced.

…***…***…***…

Her heart beating wildly, Kagome barely heard Sesshoumaru's words.

“Miko.”

Inhaling a shaky breath, she pulled herself away from the protection of his soft Mokomoko-sama. To her relief, she found that they were, indeed, flying over land once again. Suddenly, she felt a little embarrassed by her outburst earlier. Yes, she had been scared witless by the thought of the large expanse of water under her, but maybe she should not have tried to strangle Sesshoumaru.

Her eyes went up to his neck, wincing as she noted the red marks left by her fingers on his pale skin. She must have exerted quite a bit of force if she had managed to mark him.

Reaching out, she touched his neck lightly. “I'm sorry about this,” she whispered remorsefully as he stiffened at her touch.

“Your fear is unreasonable, Miko,” Sesshoumaru remarked dryly.

Suddenly irritated, she snapped, “Well, it's not like I can help it, you know!”

He narrowed his eyes at her.

Deciding not to say anything further, she averted her gaze. Perhaps her nerves were still too frayed for her to attempt a conversation with Sesshoumaru.

The tree-dotted landscape beneath them flashed by swiftly as Sesshoumaru continued to guide his cloud towards their target. They had traversed what seemed like hundreds of miles before Kagome felt the taiyoukai beside her tense. It was obvious that he had sensed something.

“Prepare yourself,” he cautioned quietly as he guided his cloud downwards.

Nodding wordlessly, Kagome expanded her own senses, trying to detect what Sesshoumaru had found. Standing at the top of a flat piece of land on top of a cliff, she could not see anything but she persisted in looking using her powers. It was not long before she felt a malevolent presence heading their way.

A short while later, the breeze around them picked up and she saw a tall figure approach from the distance. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the Northern Lord for the first time. Clad in a rich red outfit surrounded by armor, the youkai standing in front of her was obviously from some noble background. His green eyes with its vertical slit confirmed him as a neko-youkai.

However, that was not why she felt an almost mind-numbing shock coursing through her body.

“It's you,” Kagome whispered. His identity was unmistakable. She remembered seeing him in her dream of the sorceress.

It was her power-crazy mate.

Ryokusen peered at her in distaste before he turned his attention to Sesshoumaru. “I see that you've acquired yet another human,” he taunted.

Sesshoumaru simply regarded him with disdain.

The Northern Lord quirked his brow. “Tell me, don't you find it curious that you've inherited your father's habit? His penchant for weak humans was his downfall.”

Sesshoumaru's lips lifted in a smirk. “That's where you err, Ryokusen. This human is not weak.”

A speculative gleam entered Ryokusen's eyes. “Ah, your miko ally. Not only you're consorting with a human, but the breed which is our enemy as well?” He clucked his tongue. “I'm rather disappointed in you, Sesshoumaru.”

Unable to keep her silence any longer, Kagome snapped, “You're the enemy, not me. How could you attack Sesshoumaru like that? How could you send so many of your warriors to literally stab Sesshoumaru in the back?”

“Warriors?” Ryokusen snorted in disgust. “Those were simply useless pawns.”

“Then you should have kept them to yourself!” Kagome snapped.

Ryokusen's green eyes gleamed knowingly. “Ah…the miko is protective.”

Her eyes flashed in anger as the memory of broken body of a little kitten named Sachi and her crying mother came to mind. “As you should have been towards your own mate, you bastard!”

Ryokusen stiffened visibly. “You know my mate?” he growled menacingly.

She lifted her chin, refusing to be intimidated. “Wouldn't you like to know?”

His eyes hardened. “It's obvious that she survived the fall into the well, since the half of the Shikon had been in Naraku's hands. So, where is Hikari?”

“Wouldn't you like to know?” she taunted.

“Miko,” Sesshoumaru warned. “That's enough.”

Kagome held her tongue, but kept her glare firmly fixed to the neko-youkai in front of them.

“You will tell me what I want to know, human!” he snarled threateningly. His eyes gleamed for a moment before his lips curled in a sneer. “I suppose Hikari was the one who gave you the Shikon jewel,” Ryokusen said as he placed his hand on his katana.

Kagome's eyes immediately went to the hilt of Ryokusen's katana and she gasped. As Sesshoumaru stiffened further beside her, she knew that he had seen what she had seen.

The pendant Naraku had placed on Moriko was now firmly embedded in Ryokusen's katana. The only difference was that the katana had two of them, one on each side of the hilt.

Ryokusen noticed the direction of their gaze. Laughing, the neko youkai said, “I see you recognize this emerald. It was a little something I had my mate make for me. Hikari was a sorceress, one powerful enough to infuse a great spell on this emerald. It's very useful for collecting youki.”

Kagome's eyes widened. The sorceress had made that for him? But why give someone so evil such a powerful weapon? And then she remembered that Ryokusen had not always been like this. She remembered the sorceress thinking about him as a loving mate before his greed for power had overtaken him. His greed, which had eventually resulted in the death of his mate and his own little daughter.

She gritted her teeth. And for that, Ryokusen would pay.

This was not only Sesshoumaru's fight now.

It was hers.

…***…***…***…

Sesshoumaru kept his face impassive as he tore his eyes away from the green jewel. “The hanyou Naraku held it once.”

Ryokusen smirked. “I missed it sorely when I traded half of it to the hanyou.” His eyes narrowed. “But Naraku, for all his ambition, was stupid. So, I thank you for collecting Naraku's powers for me. I've been waiting for someone to do so for a while now. Too bad his little forest youkai prisoner did not do it. You see, Naraku and I had a deal. While he lived, he was free to use the emerald's powers to absorb youki for his own use. And if he died, his youki would go straight into his half of the emerald and it would return to me.”

“Why you…” the miko growled.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed just a fraction. The urge to tear Ryokusen apart with his bare claws was overwhelming, but he forced himself to remain calm. His expression did not betray his unease at Ryokusen's revelation. All the power that Naraku had possessed in addition to Ryokusen's own youki would mean that he had grossly underestimated the situation.

Retreating, however, was simply not an option. Even if they tried, Ryokusen would never let them leave.

Ryokusen's eyes gleamed. “It is time the Western Lands fall to me. Prepare to die, Sesshoumaru.”

In a blink of an eye, Sesshoumaru unsheathed Toukijin and prepared to unleash his attack.

Ryokusen laughed as he held up his emerald studded katana. “Let me have your power, Sesshoumaru. Please.”

Sesshoumaru growled as he realized what he had almost done. Attacking Ryokusen would only strengthen him. He had to exercise caution and only attack by surprise before Ryokusen could command the emerald.

The miko, however, had no such compulsions. Her face set in determination, she launched forward, her kodachis glowing with her miko powers. Ryokusen sidestepped the approaching kodachis and brought his katana down in a swift move.

A blast of red light exploded just a second after the miko jumped out of the way.

Gritting his teeth at being denied his revenge, Sesshoumaru tried to find an opening to attack. Out of the corner of his eyes, he registered the approach of a large group of neko-youkai warriors. They were headed straight for the battle.

He raised Toukijin in reflex. But before he could attack, he felt his senses spike. Turning around, Sesshoumaru saw that Ryokusen had taken his attention away from the miko for a moment, smirking as he held out the katana studded with the pendants.

Sesshoumaru immediately retracted Toukijin, a low growl building up in his throat. The situation was impossible if he could not even attack without giving Ryokusen the opportunity to absorb his powers. The only method left to him was simply to use brute force without expanding his youki. Sesshoumaru grimaced at the thought of such an uncouth manner of battle.

Knowing that he had no choice, he streaked forward, heading straight at Ryokusen. The Northern Lord was battling furiously with the attacking miko. But Sesshoumaru could see that she was beginning to tire. It was hardly surprising considering that Ryokusen was far more experienced in battle while the miko had only discovered the extent of her abilities less than half a year ago.

His path was blocked by a handful of warriors. Annoyed at the interruption, Sesshoumaru slashed Toukijin forward. The neko-youkais managed to avoid being hit. Then they advanced on him. Katanas clashed in moves which seemed almost graceful as Sesshoumaru took on the five neko-youkais. However, using only his brute strength, he soon found himself on the receiving end of several youki-infused blasts from the insolent neko-youkai warriors.

Although the damage was relatively minor, it irked Sesshoumaru that he had sustained injuries at all. It was unacceptable. And it was time he took some risks. A quick glance sideways told him that Ryokusen was still preoccupied with the miko. Eyes gleaming, he held Toukijin forward at let out a powerful blast. The neko-youkais surrounding him let out screams of horror as they disintegrated. Sesshoumaru quickly retracted his youki before Ryokusen had a chance to absorb it.

As he turned around, his eyes landed on a shaking figure not far from him. A low growl escaped his lips when he recognized the figure as the inuyoukai traitor.

“Sesshoumaru-sama! I was forced into this,” the inuyoukai pled.

Not believing the inuyoukai, Sesshoumaru simply advanced. The inuyoukai's eyes rounded in fear as he held his katana out.

Sesshoumaru smirked. “You will pay for your betrayal.”

Even without his youki, Toukijin was deadly. The inuyoukai did not stand a chance. In fact, his attempt at retaliation was nothing short of pitiful. Absently, Sesshoumaru wondered if all his guards and servants were so sorely lacking in battle skills. Making up his mind to remedy the situation once he returned to the Western Lands, Sesshoumaru delivered the killing blow. He watched dispassionately as the inuyoukai choked on his own blood before he slumped lifelessly to the ground.

Turning around, Sesshoumaru headed towards the miko, not failing to notice that more neko-youkai warriors were approaching.

When she saw him, she immediately yelled, “Stay back, Sesshoumaru!”

His lips tightened. “Do not presume to give this Sesshoumaru orders, Miko,” he snarled, annoyed at the entire situation. He should be the one battling Ryokusen, not her.

Ryokusen laughed. “How sweet of her to care,” he drawled as he extended his claws and flung spikes of energy at the miko.

Without pause, the miko swept his spikes aside using her glowing kodachi and retaliated with a powerful pearlescent beam of miko power. The Northern Lord launched himself in the air, avoiding the attack. Undeterred, he came back with a roar.

His katana pulsed.

A second later, a large force swept out in concentric circles, its waves forcing anything in its path to the ground. Ryokusen did not seem to care that he was killing his own warriors in the process. Stabbing Toukijin into the ground, Sesshoumaru held on and gritted his teeth as the wave of energy passed.

A strangled squeal of outrage followed by mocking laughter reached him. Sesshoumaru's blood ran cold when he saw the miko doubled over on the ground, holding her midsection. It was clear to him that she was injured, even without the waves of pain which was currently washing over him, courtesy of their connection.

Ryokusen was standing over her with his katana, ready to deliver the killing blow.

There was no time to think. No time to hesitate. Whether Ryokusen absorbs his youki or not, if he did not act now, the miko would die.

Sesshoumaru raised Toukijin and commanded it to attack.

Ryokusen laughed and held his katana out as the blast headed towards him, his eyes glowing in anticipation. The emeralds began to glow in preparation.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru felt a strange warmth from his left arm. Glancing down in surprise, he found the armband beneath his kimono glowing green, expanding outwards towards the blow he had just released. Before the blast from Toukijin could be absorbed by the emerald, the green glow from the armband shot forward and blocked it. Stunned, Sesshoumaru noted that the emeralds were unable to absorb his youki.

Ryokusen's eyes widened.

Then a blinding explosion rocked the ground, throwing the Northern Lord backwards as Sesshoumaru continued to stare in shock.

As comprehension dawned, Sesshoumaru realized that he could now attack freely without holding back. The protective spell from the armband the miko had given him must have acted in his defense. Absently, he wondered why it had not protected the sorceress from her mate's wrath many years ago. Brushing the stray thought away, Sesshoumaru continued to focus on his current situation.

Still alive but clearly angry, Ryokusen picked himself up and stood facing Sesshoumaru. They stared at each other, a pair of furious green eyes locked onto a pair of gleaming golden ones.

A smirk grew on Sesshoumaru's lips.

Ryokusen would die this very day.

…***…***…***…

t.b.c.

A/N: (Grins) Hope you have enjoyed the little bit of action and the further development between Sesshoumaru and Kagome. As always, please review and let me know what you think. :P