InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Simple Legacy III ❯ Chapter 10 ( Chapter 10 )

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: Wolf-of-black-flames-kikyo, darkserenity07, Heartstar and Katie33h…Thanks for your reviews!! Here's the next instalment…

 

 

 

A Simple Legacy III by elle6778 - Chapter 10

 

 

 

Kagome leaned back against a large tree root, her bare feet submerged in the little stream which ran across the forest near the castle. She closed her eyes, feeling more relaxed than she had been for the last few days as the cool water ran between her toes.

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she ran through the different ideas in her head. Now that she knew what was going on, she had every intention of making Sesshoumaru suffer over what he had put her through for almost two weeks. She had fallen for him and according to Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru felt the same. All she needed to do now was to cajole Sesshoumaru into admitting it.

It was odd that Inuyasha, of all people, had been the one to get her to see the truth. Especially considering what she had gone through in the past with her hanyou friend. That crush she had on Inuyasha felt like an entire lifetime ago. But now, it looked like both of them were moving on. Come to think of it, she must remember to ask Inuyasha how the courting was progressing between him and Moriko the next time she saw him.

In the meantime, she would just sit here and plot.

“You look happy about something.”

She looked to the side to find Akiyama staring at her with a bemused expression. With a small laugh, she replied, “I was just thinking about something.”

“Whatever it is, it must be good.”

Grinning, she leaned close to him and whispered, “Thinking of ways to torture Sesshoumaru.”

Akiyama's brow shot up. Then he laughed. “Perhaps that will loosen him up a little. I take it that he's courting you?”

Kagome could not keep herself from blushing. Nice as he was, Akiyama was still practically a stranger to her. “I guess so.”

“It must have been tedious for you to cope with the advances of other youkais,” he mused.

She blinked in surprise. “You know about that?”

“One could not help but hear the rumors.”

“Thank Kami you're not one of them,” Kagome muttered, her mind going back to the crane, squirrel and the panther youkai who had the nerve to come after her.

A short pause followed before Akiyama admitted wryly, “If I did not have a future mate, it is possible that I would be one of them.”

She glanced at him sharply, shocked at his words. “Uh…” Perhaps it was not such a good idea to be out here with him. Alone.

A smile spread across his face. “Then again, I'm not in the habit of infringing on another's territory.”

Territory? Kagome's eyes narrowed. Properties and territories. What was with all there youkais? Then she remembered something. “So why aren't you mated to Moriko's friend yet?”

The light in his eyes suddenly dimmed. When he replied, his words were slow and deliberate. “It's a long story. One filled with battle and bloodshed.”

Eyes widening, she prodded. “What happened?”

“It occurred many decades ago, Kagome. It's already in the past.”

“Still… I just want to know,” she insisted. Then she added, “If you don't mind.”

He gave her an thoughtful look and then finally nodded. Staring into the distance, his blue eyes clouded in remembrance, Akiyama began, “It started off as a territorial thing, as usual. The earth youkai fighting amongst each other to gain control of a greater territory, the air creatures battling each other for air space, the water youkai for the control of more expanse of water and the fire elementals who wanted everything for themselves. It eventually escalated into an all out war.”

Kagome's eyes widened. “What about the rest of the youkai like Sesshoumaru and Kouga? Were they involved?”

Smiling slightly, Akiyama shook his head. “They are different. Pure-blooded elemental youkais like us tend to remain apart from them. The war is only between the elementals, and no one else dared to interfere. You see, with the power to command elements around us, we possess a different kind of strength and what we seek is different from others.”

Frowning slightly as a thought occurred to her, Kagome asked, “Is Moriko an elemental youkai?”

He tilted his head to one side. “Moriko is not pure-blooded. For those like Moriko, her powers are diluted because her pure-blooded father mated a non-elemental.”

“I see. What happened in the war?”

“Moriko's father, an earth youkai, was an advisor to the eastern forces. Just before the war, the ruling fire youkai clan in the east joined forces with the south. At that time, my father ruled the southern waterways. That was how Moriko and I met. To cut a long story short, the eastern and southern forces fought against the north and the west.” Akiyama grimaced. “It was a carnage. None of those from the west survived, at least, not that we know of. The elementals which formed the Northern forces retreated and since then, we've heard nothing from them. And in the east, the only survivors on the forest side are Moriko and another minor water youkai. As for the south, I'm the only survivor from the ruling clan.”

He paused before saying quietly, “My promised mate, the daughter of the eastern ruler, disappeared soon after the battle.”

Kagome gasped. Poor Akiyama. “That's terrible. And you haven't heard any news since?”

His eyes flickered. “No. I searched for her for many years, but I have not seen her.”

Her eyes softening, Kagome said softly, “I'm sorry to hear that.”

Akiyama's shook his head slowly. “What happened was to be expected after such a war.” He took a deep breath. “Actually, this brings me to another thing.”

“What?”

“I'm afraid my intention in approaching you is not quite as innocent as it had seemed.” His voice was grave.

Kagome felt herself stiffen. Surely Akiyama was not thinking of courting her. Did he not just say that he did not infringe on another's territory? Was she wrong about him?

“What do you mean?” she asked cautiously.

“I wanted to get to know you, to see if you can be trusted. There is something I need help with and been unable to find someone I could trust. Until I got to know you.” He gave her an apologetic look. “I need a favor. And in return, I will pledge my alliance to you for as long as you need it. As me for anything and I will not refuse.”

He did not want to court her, she thought in relief as she let out an imperceptible sigh of relief. Then when the rest of his words registered, Kagome shook her head vigorously. “You don't have to do that. If I can help, I'll help.”

Akiyama's face set into uncompromising lines, eerily reminding her of Sesshoumaru. “Nevertheless, you will have me as an ally.”

Holding his hands out in front of him, his brows furrowed as he concentrated. Right before Kagome's eyes, a beautiful conch shell materialized in his palm, seemingly out of thin air.

“What is this?” she asked curiously.

“My father's power and soul. He sealed himself in the shell with his last breath when he realized that he was losing because he didn't want our enemies to make use of his powers. The shell stops that from happening, but it also traps my father's soul.” The light in his eyes dimmed. “I just want my father to be free.”

Kagome frowned as she reached out to touch it. The conch glowed slightly, but before she could snatch her hand back, she felt a wave of reassurance washing over her. She gasped, it seemed like the shell had just tried to communicate with her, to tell her that it meant no harm.

Akiyama smiled. “It didn't reject you. I was right in thinking that you might be able to free him. Only one which is pure of soul could do so.”

Kagome laughed uncomfortably. If the sorceress's spell was still in effect, Akiyama might be in luck. She locked her eyes on the shell. “I'll try. What do I have to do?”

A small frown appearing between his brows, Akiyama muttered, “I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps you should touch it and simply command his soul to be free?”

She gave him an uncertain look. What if she messed this up and his father's soul end up permanently locked in there?

He gave her a reassuring look. “Nothing could be worse than him being trapped in there now. I would really appreciate it if you just try.”

She could not let him down now, could she? Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

Placing both hands on the shell, she closed her eyes and called forth her healing powers, willing it to be pure and inoffensive. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally purify the old youkai's soul. Her hands tingled, telling her that her miko powers were in effect.

Slowly, she felt an answering call seeping into her palms, reaching up to her from the warm shell underneath. Smiling a little, she gently coaxed the old soul to be free, telling him that it was safe to do so now. That his son was right there waiting for him to rest in peace.

Just when she thought that it was not going to work, something washed over her, a feeling which reminded her of being under a waterfall. Immediately, her eyes snapped open and her lips parted in surprise. A filmy substance which looked like steam began to seep out from the shell, faster and faster, swirling around both her and Akiyama. Kagome gulped, wondering what she had gotten herself into this time. The feeling she received from it was not malevolent, which went a long way in reassuring her.

Her eyes followed the bluish-white substance as it left her, some dissipating upwards into the air. To her surprise, a small amount remained behind and continued to circle Akiyama, whose blue eyes were staring unblinkingly at the substance. Suddenly it stopped and shot straight into Akiyama.

The moment the filmy substance disappeared into him, the elemental youkai gaped, his expression awash with shock and wonderment. Then he blinked once and turned to her with a brilliant smile.

“I can feel him. He just passed his powers to me,” he exclaimed happily.

Kagome beamed. “That's great!”

Akiyama's blue eyes flickered. Then he clasped her hand in his gratefully. “You don't know how much this means to me, Kagome. Thank you. For without your help, my father would still be trapped.”

Kagome's eyes softened.

Then, to her surprise, his eyes became troubled and he squeezed her hands tight. Haltingly, he uttered, “Kagome. Believe me when I said that I'm your ally. No matter what.”

Unsure how to take his words, Kagome simply stared at him.

It was then that she felt a prickling feeling at the back of her neck.

Suddenly, a white blur appeared between them, throwing her and Akiyama apart.

What on earth? Then her eyes widened in recognition.

“Sesshoumaru!” Kagome exclaimed as she pushed herself up from the ground, surprised to see him standing there.

Sesshoumaru did not acknowledge her. Instead, his expression was chillingly stony as he stared at Akiyama. His red-rimmed eyes however, were burning hot. Kagome gulped, suddenly feeling nervous. What was going on with him? The last time she had seen those red eyes, he had been affected by the panther youkai and had barely been able to control himself. Right now, he seemed to be holding himself tightly, as if to prevent himself from doing something.

“Sesshoumaru?” she called out in a softer voice, taking a few cautious steps towards him. “What's wrong?”

Akiyama got to his feet warily, his eyes not leaving Sesshoumaru. “Sesshoumaru-sama. Do you wish to say something?” His tone was icy.

Sesshoumaru's youki pulsed, and his eyes turned completely red.

Akiyama immediately straightened, his countenance turning dark as he raised his hands.

Kagome felt her blood run cold. It was obvious that Sesshoumaru and Akiyama was about to fight. Not wanting it to happen, she yelled frantically, “No! Both of you! Stop!”

They ignored her.

The first set of attacks happened too fast for Kagome to tell who started it. All she could see was Sesshoumaru's whips shooting out, clashing with the twin jets of glowing fluid released by Akiyama.

“NO! Stop it!” she yelled again, stepping back from the explosion.

Her eyes widened in horror as Sesshoumaru unsheathed Toukijin. The katana pulsed, and then a blue beam of light streaked straight towards Akiyama. The elemental youkai shot upwards, dodging the attack. Even before Toukijin's blast subsided, Akiyama opened his mouth and a stream of mist rushed out.

Kagome gasped in alarm as the mist turned into what looked like a cyclone, wrapping around Sesshoumaru, obscuring him from her view. A crack sounded in the air and with a flash of gold, Sesshoumaru sliced through the surrounding water.

Barely another second passed before both of them flung another attack at each other. This time, the resulting blast threw both of them apart.

“ENOUGH!” Kagome yelled desperately as she ran between them, holding her glowing hands out threateningly. “Stop it before I stick both of you in my barriers. What do you think you're doing?!”

Sesshoumaru raised himself to his full height, glaring at Akiyama. “You will stay away from the miko,” he snarled, his fangs bared.

“I have no designs on your future mate,” Akiyama snapped harshly as he straightened, his eyes remaining fixed on the taiyoukai.

Kagome gasped, her hands flying to her lips. “Is this what all of that was about?” she exclaimed incredulously.

A brief frown crossed Akiyama's expression as he looked back and forth between the two of them. Then he bit out, “I believe the two of you should talk. I will excuse myself.” With that, he disappeared into thin air.

The moment Akiyama left, Kagome turned her attention to the motionless taiyoukai, her heart gradually slowing down to its normal rate. From the way Sesshoumaru held himself, it was clear that he was still tense from the fight. She sighed. How did everything get so messed up? First, she had been filled with nothing but confusion and doubt about his actions. And now, he was jumping to the wrong conclusion about her and Akiyama. She supposed she should not really blame him. After all, she had felt just how possessive he was.

Her lips twitched. Both of them really should talk.

But before that, she had to calm him down.

She stalked towards Sesshoumaru and looked up into face. The redness in his eyes was beginning to clear as he stared at the spot where Akiyama had stood just moments ago. Cautiously, she laid a hand on his arm.

“Sesshoumaru. Look at me,” she coaxed softly.

His eyes flicked down. She blinked at the hint of fury in the golden orbs. Wordlessly, he turned around and began to walk away.

Alarmed at his lack of reaction, she ran after him. “Sesshoumaru! Wait!”

Suddenly, she found herself grabbed around the waist tightly. A second later, his lips descended to claim hers in a rough kiss. It felt almost desperate, Kagome thought as she gasped into his mouth. Her hands tightened around his shoulders as her eyes fluttered shut under his assault. She could feel his sharp claws raking up her back to thread through her hair.

As abruptly as it had begun, he broke their kiss. Her eyes snapped open as he pulled her head back, forcing her to meet a pair of flickering gold orbs.

His voice was harsh when he spoke. “Do you wish this Sesshoumaru to cease?”

“Cease?” she echoed numbly, still disoriented from their kiss.

“The courtship.” His voice was hard.

Eyes rounding, she sucked in a sharp breath. Why was he asking something like this all of a sudden? Yes, she had been uncertain before this. But her conversation with Inuyasha had cleared up quite a number of things and she did not feel so confused anymore.

Her heart twisted painfully at the thought of Sesshoumaru distancing himself from her. The answer was obvious.

She buried her face in his shoulders and inhaled his scent, knowing that she was in too deep now for either of them to stop. Her heart would break into pieces if he stopped. So what if he did not sprout love poems and sappy stuff like that? He would not be Sesshoumaru if he did.

“No. I don't want you to stop,” she mumbled into his shoulder.

His arms tightened around her, but she could feel his tension seeping out of him at her words.

She smiled softly and snuggled closer to him.


…***…***…***…


Runn ing his fingers through her hair, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes in relief as he bent his head to nuzzle her forehead. He had taken a risk in asking her if she would like him to cease. However, in the heat of the moment, he had not been able to think of anything else to force her to accept the obvious.

It was fortunate that she had chosen to accept him. Otherwise, he would have to find another way to force her into accepting it.

Now that she was in his arms, he could not help but feel a little discomfited at his reaction earlier. It appeared that there might have been a slight misunderstanding on his part. As angry as the elemental youkai had been, there was no mistaking the sincerity in his declaration that he had no intention of courting the miko.

His eyes narrowed. Inuyasha would suffer the consequences of his interference once they returned to the castle. He could not believe that the hanyou had the audacity to trick him in such a despicable manner. In addition to that, Inuyasha had also mocked him and laughed at his expense. He gritted his teeth, determined that his brother would be suitably rewarded for his folly.

A soft sigh distracted him from his irritable thoughts.

Perhaps Inuyasha's interference was not completely useless, Sesshoumaru thought as he pulled the miko closer to him. After all, it had resulted in the acceleration of the miko's acceptance of his courtship. It suddenly occurred to Sesshoumaru that perhaps he should heed his brother's advice.

As distasteful as the notion might be.

Straightening reluctantly, he placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her head. Their eyes met and she gave him a small smile. Determined to ensure that there were no further misunderstanding between them, he lowered his barriers, noting how her eyes widen in surprise as he did so.

“Sesshoumaru?” she whispered.

He placed a clawed finger on her lips to silence her. Justifying his actions felt unnatural to him but he would make an exception this time. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. “This courtship did not result from the need to protect your strength from others. And although your reputation is not unimportant, it is not the reason either.”

She blinked at him.

“However, there is an element of truth in what you mentioned a few days ago, with regards to your strength.” He paused in thought, trying to find an appropriate way of wording his explanation. “It is inherent in a youkai to seek a powerful female as a mate. And that is one of the reasons why this Sesshoumaru is pursuing you.”

Her lips parted against his fingers.

“There are, of course, other reasons,” he said stiffly, growing increasingly uneasy. This was more difficult than he had anticipated.

A small hand grasped his wrist, pulling his hand away from her lips. Their eyes still locked, the miko inhaled a deep breath and said, “Sesshoumaru, I understand. I know that this is making you uncomfortable. So you don't have to explain.”

He quirked a surprised brow at her. There he was, trying to force the words out and she did not even need to hear it? His lips twitched. It appeared that she understood him too well.

“And anyway, Inuyasha explained it earlier.”

His eyes narrowed. Inuyasha again. Why did his brother insist on interfering with his courting? Granted, his interference was beneficial. However, it still irked him that Inuyasha played any part in an incident of such a personal nature.

She smiled brightly at him. “Still, I'm glad you've decided to talk to me.”

“Hn.”

Her smile widened. “Now, if you've said something sooner, all of this wouldn't have happened, right?”

The miko was admonishing him for his silence? Did she expect him to talk as much as she did? Not knowing how to respond, he simply gave her a blank look.

“Okay, I get it,” she said with an easy laugh. “You're not going to say another word.”

His lips twitched, suddenly reminded again of how well she understood him. He had certainly chosen well.

“We will return now,” he declared as he began to walk towards the castle.

“Um…Sesshoumaru?”

He glanced over his shoulders. Finding that she was still standing in the same position, her expression hesitant, he quirked a brow. “You do not wish to return?”

She shuffled slightly. “I…umm…was wondering if you'd like to go for a walk. While we're out here, you know? Just to get away from the castle for a while.”

He simply studied her wordlessly for a moment. Her suggestion was appealing. After all, it would be pleasant to roam the Western Lands briefly before he returned to his other duties. Reaching out for her hand, he said, “We will fly.”

A delighted grin exploded on the miko's lips.


…***…***…***…


Kag ome closed her eyes and smiled as the wind blew past her, making her hair stream wildly behind her. She had really missed flying high above the treetops with Sesshoumaru. But knowing that this would not last long, she was determined to enjoy it. They had gone so far that they were almost at the border with the east already. Sesshoumaru would definitely want to turn back soon. As if was, he had already indulged her enough.

Opening her eyes, she let her gaze touch the scenery beneath her. To her surprise, she saw a flash of blue and black in the distance. Her brows furrowed in confusion. The figure reminded her of Akiyama, but there were another two figures not far from him. She could not quite make out what was going on, but she was sure that Sesshoumaru's eyesight would be able to tell them more.

Reaching up to tug Sesshoumaru's sleeves, she asked, “Sesshoumaru? Can you see what that is down there?”

“Where?”

The moment she pointed at the particular spot, he stiffened against her. Abruptly, his cloud descended downwards. Tightening her grip around his waist, Kagome gulped at the speed at which they were dropping down. When they landed, Sesshoumaru immediately cautioned her to silence. A little confused, but not wanting to argue, Kagome simply nodded and followed silently behind him, keeping her scent masked.

It did not take long before they neared the area she had spotted from the air. She could now recognize the figure in the clearing as Akiyama. However, the two hooded figures not far from Akiyama did not seem familiar.

She glanced up at Sesshoumaru, watching his eyes narrow speculatively as he studied the trio who appeared to be conversing in a somewhat terse manner. As she was about to move, she noted the sudden stiffening of Akiyama's shoulders. To her shock, the elemental youkai raised his arms.

A blinding flash appeared.

Kagome gasped, squeezing her eyes shut as a loud explosion rocked the forest. When she next opened them, she found Akiyama standing in the clearing, facing away from them. Alone. Not far from him, there were two piles of what looked like dehydrated carcasses.

She glanced up to find Sesshoumaru staring straight at Akiyama with an unreadable look on his face. The tension in the air was thick and it was making her uncomfortable. Nervously, she shifted closer to Sesshoumaru until their arms were in contact.

She watched as Akiyama slowly turned around. His face was suffused with barely contained fury as he pinned his gaze on them, strangely unsurprised at their presence.

“Ryokusen is recruiting more warriors. He's planning to intensify his attacks,” Akiyama said flatly.

Kagome's eyes widened in realization. “Those two were…Ryokusen's…” she faltered uncertainly. But if they were spies for Akiyama, why did he kill them?

The elemental youkai nodded. “They were rogue warriors.” His eyes narrowed. “But I suspect that they were about to go back to Ryokusen's side. Apparently, the incentive I offered was not sufficient. They wanted more.”

“And what did you offer them?” Sesshoumaru asked evenly, speaking for the first time since they arrived.

Akiyama's blue eyes did not flicker when he replied, “That is between me and them.”

“Indeed.”

Kagome frowned. She could not tell if Sesshoumaru believed Akiyama or not. But she supposed what Akiyama said made sense. After all, he was spying on the Northern Lord on behalf of Takeo.

Akiyama inclined his head at Sesshoumaru. “I will soon depart. It is now imperative that we gather our forces as soon as we can.”

“Hn.”

Kagome almost rolled her eyes at the satisfied gleam in Sesshoumaru's eyes.



…***…***…***…


Sesshoumaru glanced out of the corner of his eyes at his half-brother. Wearing a look of utter boredom, Inuyasha leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Sesshoumaru's lips compressed into a thin line. The hanyou would need to learn to conduct himself in a manner befitting the son of Inu-no-Taishou.

Sesshoumaru nodded to the generals in front of him, dismissing them for the day. Their reports on the progress of their respective teams were encouraging. Soon, they would be able to launch the attack on Ryokusen.

The only concern Sesshoumaru had was the emerald in Ryokusen's possession. However, he had discussed the matter with the miko and it had been agreed that both of them would face the Northern Lord themselves, making sure that the neko-youkai did not have an opportunity to use it on the rest of the Western Warriors. It was risky, but they had no other choice.

The other lords had left the Western Lands a week ago, much to his relief. Kouga and Takeo's forces would be helpful. However, Sesshoumaru had no intention of fully depending on them, ally or not. As far as he was concerned, they would serve only as defense and distraction.

Especially now that he had a suspicion that Akiyama was hiding something from them.

“Feh! That was boring.”

Brows furrowing, Sesshoumaru pinned a hard look at the hanyou. “It was necessary. And you will learn to conduct such matters.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and strolled out of the room while Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth in annoyance.

Straightening his limbs, he stood up and made his way out of his study. It was time he sought the miko's presence. She had been occupied earlier, teaching Rin how to shoot using a bow and arrows. He had observed them briefly, noting her patience with his excited ward before he returned to the task of inspecting his warriors.

Soon, his senses brought him to the courtyard. The moon was high, shining brightly down onto the figure crouching beside the small pond.

Standing beside a stone bench, he called out, “Miko.”

She glanced over her shoulders and gave him a smile before she walked towards him. Looking up at him with mischievous brown eyes, she prodded him in the chest. “So, you were watching me and Rin earlier. What do you think?”

“There is room for improvement.”

The miko rolled her eyes. “Give her a break. It was only her first lesson.”

“Hn.”

The miko stretched and walked past him towards the bench. Before she fully lowered herself to the bench, he pulled her close to him, securing his arms around her waist as he sat down. He saw a small smile gracing her lips as she shuffled into a more comfortable position. Involuntarily, his body began to respond to her movements. Ignoring his soft growl of warning, she twisted again before she finally stilled and looked up into the night sky.

“The stars over here are really bright,” she sighed.

“Surely they exist in your time.” He sounded bemused.

“Yes, but the sky is polluted, making it harder to see the stars,” she explained wistfully.

“What else is different?”

He was rather surprised when she pursed her lips in thought, and then hesitated. What was it that she was so reluctant to tell him?

“Inuyasha never detected the presence of youkai in my time.”

Sesshoumaru stilled. He did not want to believe that it was possible for youkai to be exterminated by mere humans. There must be some other explanation to it.

“But then again, with so many overpowering scents, he might have just missed it,” she continued thoughtfully.

“Hn.” That sounded more likely.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while before the miko asked curiously, “Say, don't you think it's about time you called me Kagome.”

His lips twitched in amusement. “You do not wish to be addressed as such?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Would you like it if I addressed you as Taiyoukai?” she retorted.

Keeping his face bland, he replied, “It would not be inappropriate.”

Throwing up her arms in an obvious sign of frustration, she glared at him. “Fine. Keep calling me `Miko' then.”

“Very well…Miko.”

She groaned in response.


…***…***…***…


One more week had passed before Kouga, Takeo, Akiyama and Ginta returned to the Western Lands. It took them that long to gather their own forces but from the sounds of it, their numbers were rather limited.

Kagome sighed in resignation as she watched Kouga shoot yet another glare at an expressionless Sesshoumaru. Perhaps not expressionless, but more like bored and disinterested. Kouga had been even more antagonistic towards Sesshoumaru ever since Inuyasha told the wolf about their courting. She did not understand the problem, seeing that Kouga was already mated. Maybe he was just concerned, much like the way Inuyasha had been before he finally accepted it. It did not help that Kouga also thought that Sesshoumaru was selling him short.

The wolf prince snapped irritably, “I want to sink my fangs into Ryokusen, Sesshoumaru! Why is it that I should end up being a distraction instead?”

“The terms of this alliance is clear, Kouga. The decision is not yours to make,” Sesshoumaru intoned flatly.

Akiyama glanced at Kouga. “Someone has to do it.”

The wolf prince bristled as he flicked a glance at the elemental youkai. “Why doesn't he do it then?”

Kagome frowned and said pointedly, “Neither of you have any ways of defending against Ryokusen if he decides to absorb your youki. At least I'm immune and Sesshoumaru is protected.”

Kouga looked at her in surprise. “You're fighting as well?” He turned an incredulous look to Sesshoumaru. “You're allowing her to fight?”

She closed her eyes wearily and held out a hand. “I think I'm quite used to battles, Kouga.”

Inuyasha smirked. “A mangy wolf like you won't even last a second in a fight with her.”

“Why, you stinking mutt...” Kouga snarled.

Kagome exchanged an irritated look with Sesshoumaru. Having Inuyasha and Kouga in the same room was definitely not a good idea. As she was about to tell them to quit bickering, the shoji screen slid open.

A breathless Jaken stumbled in. “S-Sesshoumaru-sama,” the toad youkai huffed.

Sesshoumaru frowned at the interruption.

“Jaken?” Kagome prompted softly as she went to the toad youkai. “What's wrong?”

He turned a pair of wide eyes up to her. “Miko, the scouts came back injured, all three of them. They need to be healed.”

Kagome's lips tightened. It must be Ryokusen's doing again. “Bring me to them,” she told Jaken in a strained voice.

Jaken gave Sesshoumaru a questioning look. At the taiyoukai's grim nod, he rushed out of the study. Kagome eyes locked onto Sesshoumaru's as she let down her barriers, telling him not to worry.

“I'll ask them what happened and report back,” she said as she stepped out.


…***…***…***…


Once the shoji screen slid shut behind the miko, Sesshoumaru turned back to face the rest of the males.

“That emerald is going to be a problem,” Takeo grumbled.

“The best course forward is to destroy the emerald,” Sesshoumaru remarked thoughtfully. “However, to achieve that, we would have to first gain entry into Ryokusen's castle.”

“Yeah, IF we can get in and IF there's a way to do it, that would definitely even out the playing field,” Kouga added grumpily.

“If we can get to it, Kagome can probably disable the spell if she tries hard enough. After all, when she placed her miko powers on the armband, it did not reject her,” Inuyasha said.

Sesshoumaru stiffened. He did not like the direction this appeared to be heading. However, he would simply observe. For the moment.

Takeo mused, “Or if the miko could put some sort of barrier around the emerald, then maybe we can stop it from working.”

“But how? It's not like we can just grab the emerald from under Ryokusen's nose and run,” Kouga grumbled.

Inuyasha smirked. “You mean you're not fast enough,” he taunted.

Kouga threw him a glare, “Shut up, mutt!”

Sesshoumaru frowned. “Enough! You will stop your childish bickering.”

They all turned to look at him. A long moment of silence passed before it was broken by a quiet voice.

“I can get in undetected.”

Sesshoumaru turned a pair of irritated golden eyes at the elemental youkai. Even after Akiyama's declaration that he had no intention of courting the miko, Sesshoumaru could not help but feel a certain antagonism towards the youkai who had befriended his miko. Not to mention he did not trust him after their encounter in the forest a little more than a week ago.

Something within Sesshoumaru pointed out that he could be simply reacting to the fact that the elemental youkai could pose a real threat if he wished to do so. After all, an elemental's strength was usually more potent due to their very nature. Sesshoumaru brushed away the distasteful notion. He had battled briefly with Akiyama and he was certain that the elemental youkai was not invincible.

Akiyama simply gave him a level look before turning back to the rest. “It's simple for me to follow the waterways until I reach his castle. And as far as I know, there is no elemental youkai protecting his waters.”

“So you can bring it out with you?” Inuyasha asked.

Akiyama paused in thought, and then said slowly. “I'm not sure if I can transport a non-living object like that out of the castle by water. Someone will probably see it. Unless I cast a spell on it. But that's doubtful.”

Shaking his head, Kouga sighed. “Knew it was too good to be true.”

“Can you transport people?” Takeo asked slowly.

Akiyama nodded. “Easily. People are largely made up of water.”

“So if you bring the miko along, she can disable it, then both of you can get out undetected,” Takeo said thoughtfully.

Sesshoumaru stiffened. “No.” His voice was implacable. Not only it would endanger the miko, this plan would also mean that the miko would be spending an unacceptable amount of time with the water youkai. Alone.

Beside him, Inuyasha jumped to his feet, his eyes flashing. “Are you out of your mind, Takeo? How can you even suggest something like that?” he yelled.

Akiyama frowned at the bear youkai. “I'm not sure it's a good idea, either. If Kagome gets captured…” He paused, glancing pointedly at Sesshoumaru. “We need to find another way.”

Takeo bristled. “Have you all forgotten how strong Kagome is?” Gesturing around them, he continued, “I bet she can single handedly take any one of us down.”

“Keh!” Inuyasha exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ginta scratched his head. “I suppose if she's that strong, it might not be a bad idea.”

Having had enough of the ridiculous suggestion, Sesshoumaru stood up. “The miko is not going.”

“It makes sense that she should go, seeing that she's the only one who could possibly disable the emerald,” Takeo spat angrily. “You're letting your feelings get the better of you, Sesshoumaru. You would never have hesitated on something like this before.”

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. Southern Lord or not, the bear youkai's insolence would not be tolerated. “You will mind your words, Takeo,” he warned icily.

Takeo sneered. “Or what? Hell, it's so obvious. There's a good way out of this and you're not taking it because you're weak!”

In a blink of an eye, Sesshoumaru had Takeo pinned against the bamboo wall. As the bear youkai glared furiously at him, Sesshoumaru intoned in a tight voice, “Do you wish for your tongue to be removed?”

The elemental youkai stood up. His voice was terse when he said, “Sesshoumaru-sama. You will not harm the Southern Lord.”

Sesshoumaru flicked a dismissive glance at the tense youkai before he returned his attention to Takeo. Giving him a hard look, he hissed, “Do not presume to think that this Sesshoumaru is weakened by any feelings.” His claws tightened.

Takeo's eyes bulged as he struggled to breathe.

Akiyama stepped closer and said evenly, “Takeo should not have insulted you, but you have to admit that his idea is not without merit.”

Without loosening his grip, Sesshoumaru intoned flatly, “Such an idea will not be carried out.”

Inuyasha snorted. “Oi, Sesshoumaru, let the stupid bastard go before he dies on us. He's not worth the effort anyway,” he drawled, sounding disgusted. Cracking his knuckles, the hanyou continued threateningly, “But if Kagome hears about this, we know whose head we should bust open.”

Sesshoumaru straightened his fingers, allowing the bear youkai to crumple to the floor. Pitiful, he thought in distaste. Someone so weak should not be ruling the Southern Lands.

“There will be no further mention of this foolish notion,” Sesshoumaru declared dismissively as he turned to the rest of them. “We will prepare to launch the attack as discussed previously.”

Rubbing his sore neck, Takeo simply glared at him. The wolf prince stood to one side, for once, keeping his thoughts to himself.

“Keh! That took long enough,” Inuyasha exclaimed disinterestedly before he strode out of the reception hall.

Deciding that he had enough of the other lords' company as well, Sesshoumaru followed suit. His eyes narrowed in anger as Takeo's words came back to him. He was aware that Takeo's plan could be successful. However, the thought of sending the miko into danger did not appeal to him, therefore he refused to allow it.

It seemed that the rest agreed with him, obviously out of concern for the miko. Even the elemental youkai. Takeo, however, might prove to be more problematic.


…***…***…***…

< br> A loud battle yell rang through the air.

Tetsusaiga descended hard on the dojo floor, ripping a hole in the mat as Kagome flipped backwards away from the large blade. Standing to one side, she exhaled loudly at the close call.

Although Inuyasha was always careful with his attacks, their recent sparring sessions had been unlike the one they had indulged in when Inuyasha had just found out about her increased skills. Now, it was as if Inuyasha knew how important it was for her to practice pitting her skills against a difficult opponent.

And he was making it real difficult, she thought as she streaked to one side, flinging her miko whips at him.

Tetsusaiga came up and swept her whips aside.

“Keh! Too slow, Kagome!”

Her eyes flashed indignantly. “Oh yeah?” she exclaimed, swinging her body down to avoid Inuyasha's blade. Then she spun around and launched into the air. “Take this!” she yelled.

She saw Inuyasha's eyes widen at her descending kodachis. At the last possible second, he brought Tetsusaiga up to counter her blow. The two blades sparked at the contact and the resulting burst of energy threw them both apart.

“Damn! That was close,” he exclaimed as he ran his sleeve over his forehead. Turning to look over his shoulders, he yelled, “Moriko! Get in here.”

Kagome's eyes widened as they landed on the forest youkai who was observing their training session. Inuyasha wanted her to fight both of them at the same time?

“Hey! That's not fair!” she exclaimed indignantly.

Inuyasha smirked. “I thought you wanted to improve? Ryokusen's warriors won't fight fair.”

Grinning, Moriko hopped off the bench at one side of the dojo and walked towards them. “Better listen to him. This is one of the rare moments he actually makes sense. Let's not discourage him.”

“Hey!” Inuyasha protested resentfully.

When Moriko simply tweaked his ear, Kagome could not help but laugh. “Alright, then. Let's do it.”

Gripping her kodachis securely, Kagome stilled and waited for the attack. Inuyasha did not waste any time in charging forwards with Moriko not far behind. Kagome held her ground, waiting until Inuyasha was close before she sidestepped and brought her kodachis down. Inuyasha dodged the attack at an inhuman speed.

Before she could pull back her kodachis, Moriko came at her, bringing with her a swirl of glowing, spiky leaves. Knowing that there was no way she could duck or run away, Kagome instantly raised her barriers. The spiky leaves hit the large pearlescent sphere and instantly disintegrated.

Grinning, Kagome dropped her barriers and immediately channeled her powers into one of her kodachis. A thick miko whip burst out of the tip of the blade. With a flick of her kodachi, the whip sparked and snapped right towards Moriko.

Moriko's eyes widened in alarm just as Inuyasha shot between them, throwing her out of harm's way.

“Oi! You could have purified her!” Inuyasha exclaimed indignantly as he jumped to his feet.

Kagome shook her head, smiling wryly at Inuyasha's obvious concern for his mate-to-be. “No. I would have retracted if you didn't jump in,” she assured him.

“Inuyasha! I could have blocked that,” Moriko admonished. “And anyway, how's Kagome supposed to improve if she has to hold back all the time? Not to mention I've got a little something to protect me, right?”

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and averted his gaze. “Keh!”

Kagome gave Moriko an interested look. “Something to protect you?” she prompted.

Smiling, Moriko nodded and reached under her top to pull out a necklace of some sort. A pair of gleaming fangs dangled off the white necklace. “Inuyasha gave me this,” the forest youkai said softly as she glanced down at the object.

When Kagome realized what she was looking at, she gasped. It must be Inuyasha's courting gift to Moriko. Eyeing it curiously, she suddenly realized that the chain was made up of what looked like Inuyasha's hair. “It has got a spell on it?”

“Keh! It's just my fangs and my hair. I got Totousai to do the same thing to it as he had done with Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga. The necklace will form a shield if anyone tries to harm her for real. So if she gets stuck in a place without plants, she'd still be alright,” Inuyasha explained gruffly. “I remember how she couldn't protect herself when we first met.”

Moriko blushed while Kagome gave Inuyasha a warm look. But before she could say anything, she heard a commotion coming from the outside of the castle walls. Curious, she went to the dojo entrance and stepped out.

“I think I'm going to check what's happening out there,” she said to Inuyasha absently.

He tilted his head and stiffed. Then his expression cleared. “It's Sango and Miroku.”

Kagome's eyes widened and her lips curved into a large smile. Without another word, she dashed out of the dojo and ran towards the entrance. Inuyasha appeared soon after, running alongside her. When she reached the entrance, the two inuyoukai guards inclined their heads at her.

One of them said, “You have human visitors. We were about to send someone to fetch you.”

“Thanks! I'll just go out and get them myself,” Kagome exclaimed before she stepped out to find herself facing Sango, Miroku and Kirara.

“Kagome-chan!” Sango greeted with a smile.

Laughing happily, Kagome enveloped her friend in a hug. Then turning to Miroku, she asked, “Are you well, Miroku?”

The houshi nodded, and then a deceptively innocent look crossed his face. “Marriage bed…umm…life, suits me.”

Sango glared at him, but the houshi simply smiled peacefully at her before turning around to greet Inuyasha. “It's good to see that you made it here safely, Inuyasha,” Miroku remarked.

Inuyasha gave him an incredulous look. “What? You think I couldn't make it here with Moriko?”

Kagome grinned, happy to see them getting along very much as they had done before. Turning her attention back to Sango, she asked, “So you got married already? And you didn't tell us?”

“We didn't have a ceremony or anything like that.” Sango's face clouded. “Things are too unsettled out there at the moment.”

“Something like a wedding will probably drag out all the troublemakers,” Miroku added and then wrapped an arm around Sango. “When things settle down, we'll do a proper ceremony.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Though it might be a little difficult once you're bearing my child.

Sango gave him a disbelieving look as Kagome laughed. Some things just never changed. In this case, she was glad it did not.

Miroku cleared his throat, and then directed a pointed look at Sango.

With a gasp, Sango turned to her with shining eyes. “You've got to come with us to Kaede's village.”

Kagome arched a brow. “Now?”

“Believe me, Kagome. You'd want to go as soon as you can,” Miroku remarked enigmatically.

“Why?” she asked, rather baffled at her friends behavior.

When Sango told her what was so important, Kagome's eyes rounded and her jaw dropped.


…***…***…***…


The sounds of metal clanging against metal rang through the air as Sesshoumaru paced the training grounds, silently observing the warriors as they trained.

A flash of red and green caught his eyes. Fixing his eyes on the kit, Sesshoumaru watched as the red-haired figure executed a slash in the air against his opponent, Shin's young pup. The katana only sparked briefly, but it was enough to tell Sesshoumaru that with practice, the kitsune would be able to channel his youki effectively into his weapons.

Perhaps once this battle with Ryokusen was over, he should consider retaining the services of one of the generals so that the kitsune could be properly trained. The miko would certainly appreciate such a gesture. Furthermore, he would not tolerate a weak, untrained male in his dwelling.

It seemed that he would not have to wait long before he saw the miko again. His lips quirked as he felt her emotions before she came into view. The miko appeared to be very excited about something. Her bubbling feeling coursed through him like it was his own. As always, she had forgotten her barriers in her excitement.

Not that he minded. Her emotions were often interesting, and on occasion, amusing.

Sensing her presence, the inuyoukai warriors in front of him halted their moves to glance into the distance behind him. Annoyed at the ease they had allowed themselves to be distracted, Sesshoumaru composed his expression into one of disapproval.

Instantly, the warriors began to move again, somewhat guiltily.

“Continue until the general instructs otherwise,” Sesshoumaru intoned.

With a nod to instruct Shin to carry on, Sesshoumaru turned around and made his way towards the small approaching figure. The miko was smiling widely, her eyes shining in excitement as she ran towards him.

“Sesshoumaru!” she called out when she skidded to a halt before him, her chest heaving as she dragged in large gulps of breath.

“What seems to be the matter, Miko?” he asked evenly, not betraying his amusement at her disheveled appearance.

She lifted a pair of gleaming brown eyes to him. “I've got to go to Kaede's village,” she declared.

His amusement instantly evaporated. “Miko, that is not advisable considering the situation.”

“I know. But this is really important.”

“Why?”

The miko took a deep breath.

“Sango and Miroku found the last shard.”


...***…***…***…


A/N: (Twitches nervously) Umm…yes, just a tiny cliffie there. Well…I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. And as always, please review to let me know what you think! Thank you!