InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Simple Legacy III ❯ Chapter 11 ( Chapter 11 )

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: Darkserenity07, gradualwisd0m and Heartstar… As always, thank you for reading and reviewing the last chapter. This penultimate chapter is especially long, and I was so relieved when I finally finished it!



A Simple Legacy III by elle6778 - Chapter 11




Kagome found herself filled with anticipation as she changed and tucked her kodachis at her waist. Finally, the jewel would be complete, she thought happily. Inuyasha would no doubt be ecstatic about it.

As she walked out of her room, she saw the hanyou heading towards her from the other end of the hallway. Arms crossed over his chest, his expression was uncharacteristically sober considering the news they had just received.

“Inuyasha?” she called out, suddenly worried at the look he was wearing.

She could see his amber eyes flickering uncertainly as he paused in front of her. When he spoke, his voice was strained. “You're going with Sango and Miroku?”

Kagome nodded. “Sesshoumaru is flying me there with them.” Then she brightened. “Can you believe it? The last shard!”

“Feh!”

Her excitement instantly dimmed at his reaction. “Inuyasha? I thought you'd be happy about this.”

Glancing at her, his expression softened. “Well, yeah. I'm glad you don't have to worry about it anymore.” Then he took a deep breath. “Look. About the jewel…” he trailed off.

“What, Inuyasha?”

“Remember I said I wanted it?” He paused briefly before continuing, “I don't want it anymore.”

Stunned, she simply blinked. “You don't?” she repeated.

“You heard me! And anyway, I think I'm fine being a hanyou,” he declared gruffly.

Her eyes widened and then a slow smile grew on her lips. Inuyasha had accepted himself as he was. After all those times she had tried to convince him that he did not need to be a full-youkai, Inuyasha finally accepted it.

With a laugh, she threw her arms around him in a bear hug. “I'm glad, Inuyasha,” she said softly once she detached herself from him.

“Keh! It doesn't belong to me anyway. It's yours.”

She smiled.

“Inuyasha!”

Kagome spun around at the sound of Moriko's voice reaching them from some distance away. Poking Inuyasha's arm lightly, she teased, “Your mate is demanding your presence.”

“She's not my mate yet,” he muttered.

She grinned, remembering what he had said about Sesshoumaru. “Why Inuyasha…I thought you'd move faster than this.”

He gave her a baleful look. “I'm still thinking of what else to give her, alright!”

Kagome's eyes widened. “Oh.” She supposed that with nothing to his name, it might be a little difficult for him to come up with something else to give Moriko. Then a thought occurred to her. “Hey, why don't you ask Sesshoumaru?” she suggested.

His eyes bulged. “You've got to be kidding.”

She planted her hands on her hips. “I think the two of you are getting along well enough now to discuss such things.”

Inuyasha grunted.

But he did not deny her words.

Lips twitching, she turned and walked away from him.


…***…***…***…


Not long after the miko's declaration that the last shard had been located, Sesshoumaru found himself flying high over the treetops with the miko in his arms. It was an understatement to say that he had been surprised by this development. And he was even more surprised by the fact that Inuyasha had declined to follow them, seeing that the hanyou had spent so many years searching for the shards with the miko.

As he guided his cloud, he listened to the conversation between the miko and the humans who were seated on the large nekomata.

“Where did you find it?” the miko asked.

Absently slapping the houshi's hands from her rear, the taijiya replied, “In the well.”

The miko's eyes widened. “The well?” she whispered shakily, her grip tightening on his arms.

Subtly, Sesshoumaru rubbed his thumb in a circular motion at the small of her back in an attempt to reassure her.

The taijiya nodded. “You know we were fixing the well, right?” She gave the miko a sheepish smile. “The villagers even helped, thinking that it would be a great tribute to what you did for them. They're grateful that you fixed stuff with Naraku. And I guess they feel a little bad because they knew that for some reason or other, the well is important to you.”

“Why didn't I sense it before if it was so close?” She sounded confused.

He glanced at the miko. It was entirely possible that the miko did not detect the shard because the well had erected a protective barrier to protect itself against the combined blasts during the battle with Naraku. After all, if the well was capable of transporting the miko through five hundred years in time, it was almost certain that its powers were substantial.

The houshi frowned thoughtfully. “The shard is stuck at the side not far down the well. We were clearing it up when I felt a strong energy. It's some sort of barrier, but it's strange because it's neither holy nor evil. When we looked down the side, we saw something glinting against the wood. When we tried to get at it, the barrier repelled us.” The houshi's frown deepened. “But I could have sworn that I felt something else down there as well.”

Sesshoumaru looked at the houshi sharply. “What did you sense, Houshi?”

“I'm not sure.”

Turning to the miko, the taijiya ventured hesitantly, “I don't want to give you false hopes, but I think that maybe the well is not as damaged as all of us had thought.”

Sesshoumaru felt his blood freeze as the miko tensed in his arms. The implication of the taijiya's words was obviously not lost on either of them.

So, there was a hope that the well might let the miko return to her own time. His lips tightened.

Would she leave him for her own world in the future?

Would he allow her to leave?


…***…***…***…


Ka gome's nerves were drawn taut they approached the well from the sky. At first she had been excited, but now that she thought about it, she was not so sure anymore. She glanced up at Sesshoumaru. What could this mean for them?

Finding the last shard meant that the jewel would be complete, ending a chapter in her life. What about the next chapter? What about Sesshoumaru? What if the well was somehow still working like Sango had said? As the questions continued to bombard her mind, she felt the onset of a headache.

The moment they landed in the clearing in front of the area where the well resided, Kagome's jaw dropped. Her eyes rounded in recognition. There was no mistaking it. The sloped roof and the wooden walls were eerily familiar, hiding the well from her sight. The structure her friends and the villagers had built so far was identical to the one in the future shrine she knew. What could this possibly mean?

Drawn to the wellhouse, her feet moved on its own accord. She could feel Sesshoumaru and the rest of her friends following close to her. When she reached the wooden door to the wellhouse, she pushed it open. Her breath hitched in her throat as she took in the familiar steps before her. The only thing that was different so far was the actual well.

Or the lack thereof.

“We decided to build the outside first before we start clearing up the well. The ground around the well was pretty messed up, so we decided to dig it up and make the floor lower. That was when we realized that there was a barrier,” Sango explained. “So we left it as a hole in the ground.”

Kagome nodded as she descended the steps numbly. Sango was right, she thought as she noticed the glow around the hole. There was a barrier.

“Break the barrier.”

Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru uncertainly. She wanted to get the last shard, but the fact that the well might still be working worried her a little. What if she fell in? What if she could not get back to Sesshoumaru? But how about her family in the future? They must be worried sick by now. It had been months, almost half a year since they had seen her. A wave of homesickness washed over her.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced backwards in time to see Sesshoumaru giving her an encouraging nod. Then he said, “You will attempt to break the barrier. It is not malevolent.”

Her motions were jerky as she walked to the well. When she reached, she glanced into the well with trepidation.

It was as if the well recognized her, for she felt a strange warmth washing over her. She did not have to do anything. The presence of the Shikon jewel which had been cloaked from her all this time suddenly slammed into her like a sledgehammer as the barrier dissolved by itself.

Kagome sucked in a sharp breath.

“It's there,” she whispered shakily. Now that the barrier was gone, she could feel the ancient power of the well reaching out to her. But it felt…different. There was a sense of weariness emanating from it. Perhaps the blast had weakened it somehow.

Sesshoumaru was by her side in an instant and she felt her arm being held tightly by him. It was as if he was afraid that she would fall in. She swallowed hard, realizing that she did not particularly want to fall in either. It disturbed her that she felt this way. After all, her family was on the other side of the well. She felt almost…disloyal for her feelings.

“Is that the shard?” he asked evenly.

She nodded and pointed. “Down there on the left. It's not far down,” she said numbly.

Not wasting a moment, Sesshoumaru planted Toukijin firmly into the ground beside the hole. Gripping the hilt securely with one hand, he reached down into the well. Kagome pressed a fist to her lips, trying to still her anxiety as her eyes remained trained on the taiyoukai's broad back.

When he straightened to face her, she let out the breath she had been holding. Then he held out his palms to her, displaying a tainted Shikon shard. Almost in reflex, she reached out and placed her hand over the jewel. It glowed briefly and then she lifted it up to her eyes.

The shard was pure once more.

“So, that's the last shard, huh?” Miroku exclaimed brightly.

“You must be relieved, Kagome-chan,” Sango remarked

Kagome exhaled loudly. “Yeah.” She was definitely happy that they had found the last shard, but she still did not know how she felt about the well's powers. Surreptitiously, she snuck a glance up at Sesshoumaru. He was regarding her with an unreadable look.

“So, what do you think? Is the well still working?” Miroku asked curiously.

She averted her eyes. “Maybe. I'm not sure.”

Sango then asked, “Are you going to try to go back?”

Kagome gave Sesshoumaru a questioning look, unsure how to respond her friend. She wanted to go back, but at the same time, she wanted to stay.

“Kagome-chan?” Sango whispered uncertainly.

Obviously noticing the tension, Miroku remarked in an overly bright voice, “Well, I guess Sango and I had better go check on the stock. We still have to build the floor. Come on, Sango.”

Her taijiya friend gave her a soft look before she turned to walk away. When the two of her friends had left, Kagome shuffled her feet, her eyes pinned to the tuft of abused grass.

“You wish to return to your time.”

She sighed and nodded slowly. “But if I go, I don't know if I can return.” Dragging in a deep breath, she continued, “You see, the well is damaged. I can feel it.”

“Hn.”

An uncomfortable silence descended upon them.

Although he did not say a word, she knew that Sesshoumaru was impatient for her answer. His apparent disinterest did not fool her, for she could see the tension in the way he held himself. Standing there next to the well with the last shard held in her hand, Kagome knew that she had to choose.

Should she choose to return to the future and spend her life with her family?

Or should she choose to remain in the feudal era and live out her live with Sesshoumaru and her friends here?

She glanced at him, studying his perfect features carved in stone. His expression betrayed nothing, but she knew that he was waiting for her to make her decision. She looked down at the last jewel shard, the thing which had brought her to this era. It was then that she realized that almost four years of her life had been spent here and she had never regretted it. She had never regretted leaving behind the life of a normal high school girl in the bustling city of Tokyo.

The answer had always been there. There was no need for her to choose. She would miss her parent, but she had her own life to consider as well.

She closed her fingers around the purified shard.

Turning up to look at Sesshoumaru, she declared without a doubt, “I'll stay here…with you.”


…***…***…***…

Sesshoumaru released the breath he had not realized he was holding.

She had chosen him over her life in the future. The enormity of her decision did not escape him. However, he had no doubt that she would be pleased in her position as his mate.

He would make sure of it.

His hands reached up to cup her face. Locking their eyes, he declared, “You will not regret this decision.”

The corner of her lips tilted. “Is that all you can say, Sesshoumaru? I mean, I'm giving up hot showers and electricity, not to mention plumbing.” A groan escaped her lips. “And all those fast food,” she breathed out.

Electricity? Plumbing? Fast food? Those words were not familiar to him, but it was clear those items were some form of luxury. Perhaps he should attempt to find out the nature of those luxuries.

“You will gain a mate,” he pointed out. Then he added dryly, “One which would tolerate your aggravating mannerisms.”

She prodded his chest lightly. “Hey! Don't make it sound as if you're doing me a favor. And anyway, you're the one who decided to court me.” She grinned. “So I guess you're now stuck with me, huh?”

He lifted a brow. “Indeed.”

A warm felling washed over him as she laughed.

He would bestow the mating mark on her soon. However, he had to first explain the next step of the courting ritual. The armband she had given him months ago would suffice as a courting gift to him, but he needed her to present it to him again. It was a ridiculous symbolism, but he had every intention of keeping to the ritual.

Leaning down to brush his lips against her forehead, he said, “It's time to return, Miko.”

She nodded. “Let's go.”

Not keen on spending any more time away from his lands, Sesshoumaru chose to travel by the fastest means he possessed. In an instant, he morphed both of them into a ball of energy and shot towards the west.

It had only taken a few short hours for them to reach the castle. By then, he had already decided on how he should progress with the next step of their courting. It occurred to him that what he had in mind was completely unnecessary. His eyes gleamed speculatively. However, it would no doubt be enjoyable.

“Sesshoumaru?”

Distracted from his thoughts, he turned to the miko to give her a questioning look.

She glanced down at the shard in her hand. “I think I should put this back where it belongs.”

The miko was correct. Caught up in his preoccupation with their courting, he had neglected to consider the jewel. He glowered at himself, somewhat incensed that he had let such a thing slip his mind. The courting was distracting him and yet, he was unable to begrudge himself the pleasure of doing so.

“Sesshoumaru?” she prompted.

He nodded at her. “We will proceed to the chamber.”

Together, they made their way to his sleeping quarters and then down the narrow steps to the warded underground chamber. His lips tilted once it occurred to him that he had ventured down there more frequently in these past months than he had done in the last century.

When they reached the warded box containing the rest of the jewel, Sesshoumaru removed the jewel from the box and placed the small sphere in the miko's upturned palms. Her eyes remained fixed to the incomplete jewel as she brought the last shard to it, visibly holding her breath.

A bright light flared outwards before the jewel returned to its usual pearlescent sheen.

The jewel was complete.

Sesshoumaru observed silently as a weight seemed to lift from the miko's shoulders. He understood how she felt. After all, it had taken her close to four years to reassemble the jewel.

“Finally!” she exclaimed.

Then she raised her eyes to him and reached out for his hand. Sesshoumaru frowned uncertainly as he allowed her to pull his hand closer.

To his astonishment, she placed the jewel on his palm.

“This is my courting gift to you,” she said shyly, a faint blush tinting her cheeks.

His eyes widened slightly as he stared down at the complete jewel in his palm. The miko was aware that he did not lust over the trinket's power. But the fact that she had given him something which she had protected so fiercely all these years implied something else to him.

Trust.

A trust that he would protect the jewel and not abuse its power like so many other youkai.

His fingers closed around the jewel. With his other arm, he pulled her to him and lightly brushed his lips against hers. When their eyes locked, he said, “This Sesshoumaru accepts your gift.”


…***…***…***…

< br> Kagome smiled as she leaned closer to him, snaking her arms around him.

She did not really have anything else to give to him, seeing that she had nothing she could call her own in this era. Her lips twitched wryly. Come to think of it, it was not as if she actually owned much in the future either.

Sesshoumaru was obviously shocked at the gift. But she was glad that he had chosen to accept it. He was probably the only youkai she knew who did not seek the power of the jewel and she trusted him enough not to use it for some evil purpose.

“Miko.” His voice rumbled against her cheek.

Pulling away without releasing her hold on his waist, she glanced up at him questioningly. To her surprise, he simply detached her arms and held her hand.

“Come.”

Brows rising, she asked curiously, “Where?”

She saw a glimmer of mischief in his eyes before the golden orbs became shuttered again. “Sesshoumaru?” she prompted warily.

Without another word, he led her out of the underground chamber up into his room. Her interest was piqued when he continued to lead her out of the room into the hallway. When she finally realized where they were headed to, her eyes widened.

“Sesshoumaru?” she gulped. “Are we going to the hotsprings?”

“Hn.”

A blush crept up her cheeks and her steps faltered. “Um…why?”

Pausing, he turned and gave her an odd look. “One usually utilizes the hotsprings for the purpose of cleansing.”

Trying to clear the jumble in her mind, she did not realize that he had pulled her unresponsive body along through the large doors into the hotsprings, until the steam hit her face. Her eyes widened further as the door shut behind them with a final-sounding thud.

Only then did Sesshoumaru turned around again.

Unconsciously, she raised her arms to her chest. “We're bathing together?”

His lips twitched. “Be assured that you will not find such an event offensive.”

She gaped, and then quickly protested, “No. I don't mean it that way!”

Come on, Kagome. Sesshoumaru had seen everything before anyway, right? And not to mention once they were mated, he would see a lot more. Her cheeks burned at the thought of what else they would do once they were mated. Images of their limbs tangled in the sheets, their bodies sleek with sweat as Sesshoumaru….

Gah!

Squeezing her eyes shut, Kagome quickly shook the images out of her mind, barely hearing the shuffling sound in front of her. Nothing had happened yet and she was already growing hot over what was to come. How would she even survive that if she was embarrassed about taking a bath with him?”

“Miko.” His voice contained a hint of amusement.

Her bewildered eyes snapped up to him. His expression gave away nothing but his eyes were twinkling. Suddenly she felt irritated. There she was, feeling rather shaken up by the images her mind had conjured up, and he was laughing at her?

Planting one hand on her hip, she prodded his chest with another. “Hey! Stop laughing at me.” Then she paused as her gaze traveled down to her finger.

She was prodding Sesshoumaru's bare chest.

Her mouth went dry as she took in the rest of his naked body. When did he take off all his clothes?

“Miko. Perhaps you should undress.”

The only sound she could manage was a pathetic squeak. Her vocal chords were rendered useless at the sight of the fine male specimen in front of her. It was not as if she had not seen his bare chest before, but the rest…down there…was something new. Not to mention this time, Sesshoumaru was standing right in front of her without any sign of unease, looking as if he was displaying himself for her inspection. To her horror, her fingers began to twitch. Groaning inwardly, she clenched her hands.

Now she understood how Miroku always felt.

His husky voice broke into her thoughts. “You will have the opportunity to touch this Sesshoumaru once you undress.”

She immediately flushed in mortification. How did he guess? Without thinking, she retorted belligerently, “And who said I want to touch anything?”

He raised an eyebrow, obviously not believing her words. “It may prove to be difficult to cleanse each other without touching, Miko,” he stated wryly.

Gulping, she echoed shakily, “Bathe each other?” Was this some part of the courting ritual Inuyasha had forgotten to tell her?

“Hn.”

“Is this part of the courting ritual?”

He gave her a thoughtful look. “Perhaps.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Perhaps? What do you mean?”

“This Sesshoumaru will scent mark you afterwards. The ritual did not specify where the scent marking should take place. Your acceptance of the scent marking would inform this Sesshoumaru that you wish to proceed with the mating.”

He sounded so sure about her acceptance, she thought wryly. “Oh. So you want us to bathe together before scent marking me?” she asked quietly.

“Hn.”

She took a deep, calming breath. Well, it had to happen sooner or later, right? Nothing to be embarrassed about, right? Then she noticed that he was still staring at her expectantly.

“Alright.” Her voice was soft as she began to remove her clothes, a blush imprinted firmly on her cheeks.


…***…***…***…


H e had spoken the truth about the ritual. Cleansing each other was not part of the courting ritual. However, he felt oddly compelled to do so with her. It was somewhat symbolic, cleansing away everything before the scent marking. Or perhaps it simply appealed to him because of his fond memories of how he had scent marked her after his bath in the hotsprings some weeks ago. Although he had scent marked her many times before, he knew that this time, it would be different. Simply because the miko understood that by accepting this, she would be accepting him.

As the last piece of her clothing dropped to the stone floor, Sesshoumaru felt his throat constrict. She was standing in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest, otherwise bared to his gaze. It was obvious that she was acutely embarrassed by the entire situation. Embarrassment, however, was far from his mind. Instead he could feel his mind clouding over with a haze of desire as he took in her curves.

His voice was strangely husky when he held out a hand to her. “Come.”

Her eyes widened slightly before she reached out to place one trembling hand in his palm. Curling his fingers around her, he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Together, they descended into the steaming water.

Cupping the water in his hands, he began to wash her flushed skin with lingering touches. His eyes and his hands memorized her texture, the hardness of her muscles under the soft, gentle layer of skin, learning how she reacted to certain caresses. Their breaths deepened as he continued his ministrations.

The first touch of her fingers against his skin was hesitant, but he felt it like a burning brand. Soon enough, her caresses became bolder as her innate curiosity overcame her shyness. Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth, willing himself to remain still regardless of the overwhelming urge to take her right there and then. It was torturous, but he had no one to blame but himself for his current predicament.

With a growl, he threaded his fingers into her hair and crashed down to her lips, his mouth capturing her gasp of surprise. He could feel his blood heat further as she returned his kiss just as hungrily. Their combined emotions washed over him, the heat and arousal almost blinding in its intensity as they ran their hands over each other feverishly.

The tension in his body tightened painfully as the urge to take her grew. From her responses, he could tell that she would be a passionate mate in every way and he was impatient to find out just what it would feel like.

But it was too soon.

He had to stop himself while he could.

With a reluctant groan, he broke their kiss and fixed his gaze onto her.

The miko stared at him with glazed eyes, her lips slightly parted. Her emotions reached him clearly, allowing him to comprehend her confusion at his withdrawal. Then the faint hint of disappointment which emanated from her almost made him groan out loud.

He pressed his forehead to hers, trying to calm his erratic heartbeat. There was nothing more he wished to do than to continue touching her. However, he had every intention of waiting until they were in a proper position to progress to the next stage, the completion of the mating ritual. It was currently impossible with the pending battle with Ryokusen, seeing that the mating event itself would continue for a prolonged amount of time once he bestowed a mating mark on her.

He needed to explain his thoughts to her before she misunderstood his actions.

Pressing his palms against her cheeks, he whispered raggedly against her lips. “Kagome… This Sesshoumaru wishes for nothing more than to take you right now.”

She moaned, sending a shiver up his spine.

He forced himself to continue. “Considering the circumstances of the upcoming battle, it would be prudent to wait.” Gritting his teeth, he added, “No matter how disappointing the notion may be.”

The miko's lashes fluttered against his cheeks as she let out a warm breath of air. “It's alright…I-I understand.” Her voice was soft.

Holding on tightly to his control, Sesshoumaru tightened his arms and with a leap, brought them out of the water to land on the stone floor. Releasing her reluctantly, he went to fetch a few sheets of dry cloth before returning to her. Keeping his eyes locked onto hers, he began to dry her damp skin, trying hard to maintain his hold on his composure. The miko bit her lips as she returned the favor, gently sliding the cloth down his body. Sesshoumaru almost groaned at the sensation as the miko's eyes flickered heatedly in reaction.

Knowing that he had to proceed with the next step of the ritual, he reached out and stilled her hands. “Do you wish to be scent marked?”

She blinked as she came out of her haze. Then she licked her lips, drawing his attention to her flesh. Then, to his surprise, her brows furrowed. An unfamiliar feeling of trepidation washed over him. Surely she did not intend to refuse now.

“You know, since you've scent marked me so many times, did all those times mean anything to you?” she asked.

He froze, unsettled at her question and uncertain how he should respond. As she continued to stare expectantly at him, he finally decided that it would do no harm in admitting the truth. “It begun as a means to deter others. However, this Sesshoumaru would not have done such an intimate thing without a real desire to do so.” He paused briefly, and then continued in a flat voice, “It soon became something which this Sesshoumaru…craved.”

A small smile graced her lips. “I'm glad you did.”

“It was also…enjoyable,” he admitted wryly.

Her smile widened into a grin, and then her eyes narrowed mischievously. “Really? How so?” she asked in a teasing voice as she ran a finger down the middle of his chest.

A growl escaped his lips as he grabbed her wandering finger. “You will cease your teasing.”

She arched a brow. “You don't like it, Sesshoumaru?” she asked innocently. “I promise you won't find it…offensive,” she added before lowering her head to nip his chest with her teeth.

Sesshoumaru groaned as she nibbled on him. He had released a monster. “Miko…” he gritted out as he cupped her chin to pull her away from him. “Do not tempt this Sesshoumaru. For once you receive the mating mark, we will not leave the mating chamber for days.”

Her lips parted in surprise. “Days?” she squeaked disbelievingly.

He could not help but smirk at her expression. “Yes. Days, perhaps a week.”

“But the battle…” she trailed off thoughtfully, obviously coming to the same conclusion as he had done. Then she released a heavy breath and muttered, “I guess we should wait.”

She sounded almost petulant, he thought, amused.

Lowering his head, he began to nuzzle her, taking care to cover her face and her neck with his scent. She sighed, leaning closer to him as reached up to rub the back of his neck. A rumbling sound escaped his lips at her soothing action.

Once satisfied that she was sufficiently scent marked, he lifted his head and brushed his lips against hers.

One more step.

One more step and she would be his.


…***…***…***…


Sess houmaru knew that he would have no reprieve until Ryokusen was destroyed. However, it occurred to him that fate could have just allowed him one or two more days alone with the miko. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Just one day after the scent marking, the news that both the Southern and the Eastern forces were prepared for battle had arrived in the form of Takeo, Kouga and to Sesshoumaru's utmost irritation, Akiyama. After resting for the night, the group was now seated in the reception hall together with him, the miko and Inuyasha.

“We will depart on the night of the full moon,” Sesshoumaru declared. The sooner they did so, the sooner this entire debacle would be over. Then he could return to his peaceful existence with the miko.

Takeo nodded his agreement. “If we go back tomorrow morning, that means we'll get there by dawn two days after just in time for the full moon.” Turning to Kouga, he advised, “Don't forget to launch your attack just before dawn. We need Ryokusen's forces to split up.”

Kouga snorted. “As if I will forget. I'll be there to distract his warriors.” Cracking his knuckles, he continued, “I'll make sure they pay for all the damages in my territories.”

The miko frowned. “What if Ryokusen turns up to battle with Kouga as well?” she asked, giving him a worried look.

“Unlikely. Ryokusen would consider it unnecessary. He would remain at his castle,” Sesshoumaru replied. The neko-youkai knew strength of the Eastern forces, and he doubted that Ryokusen would personally appear to battle with the wolf prince.

Kouga bristled indignantly. “Hey! What are you trying to say, Sesshoumaru? That my forces are insignificant?”

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed.

“Shut up, you flea-infested wolf!” Inuyasha snapped harshly. “Someone's got to do the job and your territory is the closest to the bastard.”

“Who's asking you, stinking mutt?” Kouga shot back.

“That's enough.” Sesshoumaru's voice was cold. As Inuyasha and Kouga continued to glare at each other, he turned his attention to the Southern Lord. “You know what to do?”

“Yeah. Akiyama and I will lead a group of warriors to surround the place once you're in.” Turning to Kouga, the Southern Lord remarked, “Remember to leave half your warriors back at your lands. We don't want to end up having our lands taken while we're away.”

“I get it!” Kouga snapped impatiently. “You don't have to repeat everything back to me. Do you think I'm stupid?”

Inuyasha snorted. “Keh! You-”

“Inuyasha…” the miko warned quietly.

The hanyou's jaw snapped shut.

Sesshoumaru smirked inwardly. It seemed that even without the subjugation rosary, the hanyou still maintained a healthy wariness of the miko.

The elemental youkai turned to him. “And I suppose you already have some sort of protection in place for the Western Lands?”

Sesshoumaru glanced at Inuyasha. He had not spoken to the hanyou about it.

Even before he opened his mouth to speak, Inuyasha gave him a bored look and held a hand up. “You don't have to say it. I'll stay here to watch over this place. Moriko can deal with the barriers once you all get out of here.”

Sesshoumaru reined in his surprise. Inuyasha had finally accepted his responsibilities as the son of Inu-no-Taishou.

Without being prompted.

How surprising.

Then again, Inuyasha had exhibited an unexpected amount of maturity in the past few months. Perhaps he should not be too surprised.


…***…***…***…


The sharp chirps of crickets and the muted sounds of other night creatures filtered through the calm air towards Kagome as she stepped out from the dojo. Inuyasha and Moriko had already left some time ago, leaving her to fix the mess they had created.

Dusting her hand, she glowered inwardly at the hanyou. If it had not been so obvious that the two of them were impatient to go off somewhere alone, she would have insisted on their help. However, she had not had the heart to keep them from whatever personal thing they had planned for themselves. So she had ended up clearing up the mess all on her own.

A small smile lifted her lips. She had hinted to Sesshoumaru earlier about Inuyasha's search for a courting gift for Moriko. The taiyoukai had not replied to her, but she had seen the thoughtful light in his eyes. Maybe he would be able to help Inuyasha.

As she made her way down the open platform along one side of the east wing, a lone figure caught her attention. Her eyebrows rose at the uncharacteristically dejected posture of the Southern Lord. Takeo looked worried, she thought. Silently, she made her way to him. As she neared him, the bear youkai looked up.

“Kagome,” he greeted with a nod. “You should be resting.”

She sighed, taking a seat beside him on the grass. “I guess I will go to bed soon.”

He did not reply. Instead, he continued to stare into the distance.

Not able to stand the silence, Kagome ventured, “So, what's bothering you?”

He swung around at her. Then he averted his gaze. “Nothing,” he declared in an overly bright voice.

Kagome's eyes softened. It was obvious that something was really bothering Takeo. “You can tell me, you know.”

“Nothing's wrong, Kagome,” he insisted vehemently.

Taken aback, she raised a brow. “No? Oh, Come on. Whatever it is, it can't be that bad, right?”

Takeo sighed heavily. “Alright, fine.” He paused briefly, and then continued, “I'm not so sure we'll get out of this whole thing alive, that's all.”

Kagome's eyes widened. “Oh.”

“Not that I don't trust Sesshoumaru or anything like that. His plan is as good as it can get, considering the circumstances.”

“What do you mean?”

He gave her an uncertain look. “Ryokusen could easily absorb our youki, no matter how many warriors we send in. The odds are not good.”

“Don't worry about that. Let me and Sesshoumaru will deal with him. We will not be affected. And anyway, you'll be fighting away from the castle,” Kagome assured him.

Takeo shook his head. “We don't know for sure where Ryokusen would be. It will only take a few seconds for him to turned around and attack us.”

Kagome sighed. “We're just going to have some faith. There is no other choice anyway.”

“There is one other choice,” he muttered under his breath as he glanced away from her.

“What do you mean?”

Shaking his head, Takeo replied in a tight voice, “There no use talking about it. We discarded the idea.”

She was growing more and more confused by the second. Whatever it was, she must have been absent when they discussed it. “What idea?”

Takeo rubbed the back of his neck, looking unsure. Then he turned to her. “We spoke briefly about gaining entry to disable the emerald before battling Ryokusen.”

Kagome gasped. “That's suicide. No one can get into Ryokusen's castle undetected.”

“Akiyama can do it. He's powerful enough to blend himself into the waterways and bring someone along with him. But he does not possess the power to disable the pendant.”

Frowning, Kagome asked, “Who can disable it?”

Takeo's hesitation was clear. That itself was enough of an answer for her.

“You think I can disable it?”

“Possibly. At the very least, you would be able to wrap a purifying barrier around it.”

Her eyes widened in comprehension. Then she glanced away into the distance. What Takeo said was true. If she could get in to put a barrier around the emerald, it would make things much easier for the rest. Ryokusen was strong, but without the emerald, the rest stood a better chance. The whole thing made sense to her.

So why were they not doing it?

She exhaled loudly when she realized what must have happened during the discussion. No doubt Sesshoumaru stood against the idea of letting her go. It was not as if she did not understand how he felt, but did he not realize how beneficial this could be for everyone?

“I'll go,” she said softly.

Takeo froze. His eyes took on an excited gleam for a moment before it suddenly dimmed. “No,” he said firmly.

“Takeo, I know that Sesshoumaru is the one who is against the idea. But if Akiyama can get me in, then at least I can try to do something to the emeralds.”

“Sesshoumaru would never let you go.”

Kagome's lips tightened. “Look. This is my fight as well, you know.”

“I don't have any objections to the idea-”

“Good,” she interjected. “I'll go then.”

Takeo's lips quirked. “I see why Sesshoumaru's so smitten with you. You're probably the only one who dares to stand up to him.”

Kagome laughed. “Don't forget Inuyasha.”

“Ah, yes, but that's different. Inuyasha is his brother.” Takeo gave her a searching look. “You do realize that if this fails, Sesshoumaru would not hesitate to kill me. And Inuyasha would gladly help him tear me apart.”

Kagome grimaced. “Then I'll have to make sure that I won't fail.”

The bear youkai gave her an odd look. Then his eyes widened and his gaze shifted to a spot behind her. “Ah, just the youkai I want to see,” Takeo boomed.

Kagome turned around to find the elemental youkai walking towards them, wearing a slightly suspicious look as he eyed Takeo.

“Takeo, I don't like that look you're wearing,” Akiyama declared.

Takeo gestured dismissively in the air. “What I look like isn't important.” A satisfied look came across his face as he continued, “Kagome has agreed to go with you to disable the pendant.”

Akiyama sucked in a sharp breath. “Takeo, I thought we all agreed not to go ahead with that?” he admonished in a harsh tone.

Kagome bristled. “Did anyone even bother to ask me?” she snapped irritably. Was Takeo the only one who had enough faith in her abilities?

The elemental youkai took on a look of concern. “Kagome, this is not something to be decided on a whim.”

Takeo sobered up as he looked at Akiyama. “You know as well as I do that it's the only way. Otherwise the battle will be over even before it begins. So many things could go wrong. Everyone except Kagome and Sesshoumaru is vulnerable to that youki-sucking jewel of his. ”

“I'm not disagreeing with you on that point.” Turning to her, Akiyama continued, “Did he explain how dangerous this can be?”

Kagome nodded. “I might get captured or killed. And if that happens, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha would make mincemeat of Takeo.”

Takeo cringed visibly.

“So I'll make sure either of that doesn't happen,” Kagome declared emphatically. “Akiyama, please. It's a good idea.”

Akiyama's lips twitched. “Fine.” He took a deep breath as he turned to Takeo. “I suppose my life will be forfeit as well if anything happens to Kagome, now that I'm stuck in this harebrained scheme of yours.”

The Southern Lord waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Consider your debt repaid in full once this is done. So who's going to tell Sesshoumaru?” he asked, giving Akiyama a pointed look.

Akiyama shook his head slowly. “It's your idea, Takeo. And if he kills me, we'll lose the only way we have to get into the Northern Isles undetected.”

Kagome rolled her eyes at them. “I'll tell him.”

Both of them turned to give her identical looks of unease.


…***…***…***…


T he shadows from the lamp flickered against the bamboo wall as the shoji screen to his study slid open. Still engrossed in the parchments in front of him, Sesshoumaru simply inclined his head at the miko before he returned his attention to the reports.

“Sesshoumaru,” she whispered as she settled next to him.

He could not help himself from responding to her.

Turning away from the low table, he wrapped an arm around small form and pulled her closer. As she leaned into him, he nuzzled her hair. His weakness for her presence was embarrassing, but he had no intention of ceasing.

She took a deep breath. “You know that I will do whatever I can to destroy Ryokusen, right?”

A frown marred his brows. Slowly, he lifted his head from her and turned her around. Her expression was troubled.

“Sesshoumaru, I want to try to disable the emeralds.”

He froze as her words sank in. It did not take long for him to realize who must have spoken to his miko about the foolish plan. The bear youkai needed to be taught a lesson in discretion.

His voice was stony when he spoke. “You were informed of this by the Southern Lord?”

She averted her gaze. “He didn't ask me to go. I insisted on going.”

Lips tightening, he gave her an uncompromising look. “No. You will not.”

Bristling visibly, the miko tried to push herself off his lap. He immediately tightened his arms around her, giving her an uncompromising look. Realizing the futility of her actions, she finally ceased.

“It's something that I can do, Sesshoumaru!” she exclaimed heatedly as her fingers clenched the front of his kimono.

“It is not necessary.”

She glowered at him. “Of course it is. Imagine how easy it'll be to defeat Ryokusen when he doesn't have the ability to absorb anyone's youki. Surely you can see the benefit of that.”

“The risks outweigh the benefits.” His tone was flat. The miko would not travel to the Northern Isles without him. And certainly not with the elemental youkai.

“What risk?” she shot back, her annoyance flaring visibly. “Either way, we'll be facing Ryokusen. The only difference is that I go in earlier before he figures out that he's being attacked. Just a few hours before the rest of you arrive is more than enough. And if I get captured, you'll be there soon anyway.”

“You will forget this ridiculous notion,” he demanded tightly.

Her eyes flared. “Sesshoumaru, please don't be unreasonable about this. Have some confidence in me.”

Why did the miko always insist on defying him at every turn? Did she not understand that although he trusted her, it did not mean that he would allow her charge into danger by herself? “This Sesshoumaru has utmost confidence in your skills,” he bit out.

“Then why?” she yelled.

“Do not raise your voice, Miko,” he snapped sternly as his hold on his fury slipped further. Gritting his teeth, he stood up abruptly. “This discussion is closed.”

She gave him an accusing look as she jumped to her feet. “You don't even want to consider it.”

“No.” His word carried a tone of finality as he turned away from her.

A tense silence followed.

Then a shuffling sound reached him. His entire body stiffened as he sensed her approach. To his surprise, a pair of slender arms wrapped around him from behind. As the miko rested her head against his back, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and felt his tension seeping out.

“Don't be upset, Sesshoumaru,” she whispered as she rubbed his chest with her palms.

Turning around, he dipped his head to bestow a kiss on her upturned lips. Then he pulled back to give her a firm look. “Kagome. This Sesshoumaru understands your reasons. However, it would unwise to risk your life in such a manner.”

She gave him a small smile. “Don't worry, alright? Just go ahead as you planned.”

His eyes narrowed.

Giving him a quick kiss on his chin, she said softly, “It's late and you should sleep. The next few days will be difficult.”

“Hn.”

With that, she turned around and left his study.

She did not say that she would not proceed with her foolish plan.

Sesshoumaru ran his claws through his hair in an uncharacteristic gesture of frustration. Knowing the miko, she would do whatever she wished regardless of what he had forbidden her to do. He would have to watch her carefully tomorrow to ensure that she did not leave before the rest of them departed.


…***…***…***…


Kagome held her breath as she tiptoed out of her room, keeping her scent masked. Sesshoumaru's lessons in stealth had been ingrained in her for so long that it was easy for her to traverse the West Wing without being detected. He would no doubt be fuming once he found out what she had done.

However, she had a feeling that she would be safe until dawn. After all, the plan she had outlined to him involved her leaving only a few hours before the others, which meant that he would probably plan to keep an eye on her during the day. It was unlikely that he would suspect her of carrying this out before dawn.

Reaching the East Wing, Kagome made her way to Akiyama's room. When she found the right one, she slid the shoji screen open silently. A blur of blue flashed before her and the next thing she knew, Kagome found herself on the floor with Akiyama's knee on her stomach.

His blue eyes widened in surprise as he stared down at her.

“Shh… We got to leave,” she whispered urgently.

Akiyama frowned as he released her and helped her up. “I take it that Sesshoumaru doesn't know about this,” he whispered back.

She shook her head grimly. “He won't listen when I explained it. He said it was too risky. Come on, we need to leave before he finds out.”

His frown deepened. “Kagome, maybe you should reconsider. Sesshoumaru has a point, you know.”

“I know. But if this is going to make things less complicated, it's worth the risk,” she insisted. Surely Akiyama was not planning to back out now?

A thoughtful look crossed Akiyama's face as he turned around.

Finally noticing that he was topless, Kagome quickly averted her gaze and turned her back to him. As the sound of rustling clothes reached her, she eyed at the shoji screen nervously. If they did not hurry, Sesshoumaru might wake up. And there was no telling how mad he was going to be once he found out that she had defied him. Again.

“Akiyama, please. We really need to do this to give everyone a better chance,” she said softly.

A resigned sigh reached her. “Fine.”

She turned around sharply, and then her eyes brightened. “Great.”

“First thing first,” Akiyama muttered absently. Closing his eyes, he held out his hands, palms up.

Kagome blinked in surprise when she saw something materializing there, slowly solidifying until she recognized it as being some form of greenish black fabric.

Opening his eyes, the elemental youkai held out the fabric to her. “Wear this.”

“Huh?” Now she was really confused.

“You need to wear this, otherwise you'll be unclothed when we recompose into corporeal forms,” he insisted gently.

Her eyes widened in understanding. “Oh.”

When Akiyama had explained how they would travel through the water, it did not occur to her that he would actually break them down into elements. She gulped nervously. This had better work, otherwise she would end up scattered in millions of pieces all over the Northern waterways.

He seemed to understand her unease. “Do not worry, Kagome. I've done this many times with others and it's safe.”

Swallowing hard, she nodded. Once Akiyama turned his back to her, she shed her clothes and pulled on the two piece garment not unlike her hakamashita and hakama. As she told Akiyama that she was done, she glanced wistfully at the bracelet Sesshoumaru had given her.

“It's better to leave such valuables behind, especially something so small,” Akiyama advised. Then nodding to her kodachis, he said, “I can carry those in the current. Those shouldn't raise the alarm, seeing that they're not demonic weapons.”

She nodded slowly and took off the bracelet, placing it carefully on her pile of clothes. Not wanting to delay any longer, she turned to him. “Let's go.”

“We need to get to the stream.”

Silently, they snuck out of the castle, their scents masked so that the guards would not be alerted. It did not take long before they reached their destination.

The stream flowed in front of them, looking deceptively harmless. Kagome felt a moment of trepidation as she eyed the water. What if she drowned? What if Akiyama made a mistake and she ended up being lost in the water? Gritting her teeth, she swept aside her misgivings. It was something that she had to do, and she would do it without her stupid fears.

Akiyama turned to her. “Ready?”

Her eyes taking on a determined gleam, Kagome nodded.


…***…***…***…


E yes snapping open to sudden wakefulness, Sesshoumaru sat up on his futon. His instinct was alerting him that something was amiss.

Quickly dressing, he gathered his weapons and streaked silently along the hallway. He fanned his senses out, but he failed to detect the presence of intruders. However, something else nudged at him. Spreading his senses again, he finally realized what was wrong.

He could not detect the miko's presence.

His eyes narrowed in disbelief as their conversation earlier yesterday came back to him. The miko had the audacity to disobey him again? Gritting his teeth in irritation, he attempted to locate the elemental youkai and was unsurprised to discover that Akiyama too, was absent.

However, there was someone present who would suffer the consequences of the miko's absence.

His steps were unhurried, but there was no mistaking the intensity of his fury as he made his way to the East Wing. When he reached his destination, he threw the shoji screen open with a swipe of his hand.

Takeo was already standing up, eyeing him warily.

“Now, Sesshoumaru…” he began quietly. “Whatever it is, just calm down, alright.”

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. “Are you aware of the miko's whereabouts?”

Takeo's eyes widened slightly before he straightened and took a deep breath. “The miko and Akiyama, I take it? I suppose they've left for the Northern Isles.” He sounded resigned.

Quirking a brow, Sesshoumaru asked in an icy tone, “This Sesshoumaru assumes that this is the result of your indiscretion.”

Throwing his hands up, Takeo snapped, “Look! I told you we won't stand a chance if Ryokusen comes after us with the pendant. The miko is the only one who can stop him. I-”

In a fraction of a second, Sesshoumaru pinned the insolent youkai to the wall. A strangled sound escaped as Takeo reached up to grasp the striped wrists, but Sesshoumaru held on. The Southern Lord had the audacity to encourage his miko to head straight into danger and for that, he would pay.

“Oi! What the hell is going on?”

Without releasing his grip on Takeo, Sesshoumaru darted a glance at a disgruntled Inuyasha. His voice was flat, unemotional, when he spoke. “The miko is on her way to the Northern Isles with the elemental youkai in an attempt to disable the emeralds. And the one responsible should be taught a lesson in discretion.”

A moment of stunned silence passed before Inuyasha exploded, “WHAT?! Takeo told Kagome?”

“What's all the racket about?” It appeared that Kouga had decided to join them as well.

“The stupid bear TOLD Kagome to go disable the youki-sucking emeralds? What the hell did you do that for?” Inuyasha exclaimed incredulously, glaring at Takeo.

“What?” Kouga whispered disbelievingly. His eyes shot towards the pale bear youkai. “Takeo, are you out of your mind?”

Sesshoumaru did not move a muscle, and neither did the bear youkai suspended in the air in front of him.

“She agreed, alright! She wanted to do it,” Takeo choked out.

Incensed beyond words, Sesshoumaru's fist connected with Takeo's jaw. The bear youkai's head snapped to the side at the impact but Sesshoumaru felt no satisfaction at the blow. He wanted the miko back by his side, not making her way across the lands to Ryokusen's lair. No amount of broken bones would satisfy him.

Nevertheless, he had no intention of stopping.

His fist made contact with Takeo's stomach and the bear youkai began coughing. Dropping him, Sesshoumaru stepped back and waited for him to compose himself. Eyeing him warily, Takeo pushed himself up and took a few steps back.

Sesshoumaru took a step forward before his path was blocked by the wolf prince.

“That's enough!” Kouga said with a frown.

“Do not interfere,” Sesshoumaru bit out, shoving Kouga to the side before he delivered another blow to Takeo's face. A crack sounded as the punch connected.

“You're going to kill him!” Kouga yelled.

“If he wanted to kill the bastard, he wouldn't be using his fists,” Inuyasha gritted out. “And anyway, he deserves it.”

“Shut up, mutt! This is not the time to be fighting each other.”

Breathing heavily, Takeo held a hand out. “Kouga, just let him take it out on me.”

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he pulled back. “You will pay with your life if Kagome is harmed.”

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles. “Can I have my turn now?”

Sesshoumaru glanced at his brother out of the corner of his eyes, sharing a rare moment of accord with the hanyou. Much as he could like to see Takeo beaten to death, it is clear that it would be foolish to do so. After all, the Southern Lord needed to be able to move to execute his part in the battle.

So he finally said to Inuyasha, “Perhaps after the battle.”

“Keh!” Inuyasha turned away in disgust. Pinning a murderous look on the panting bear youkai, Inuyasha gritted out, “Kagome had better be alright out there.”

Takeo sighed wearily. “You can kill me if she's not. But leave Akiyama out of it. He owed me a favor and was honor-bound to obey my orders.”

Sesshoumaru clenched his fists. Favor or not, the elemental youkai would pay for disrespecting his orders.

“What are we waiting for?” Inuyasha exclaimed impatiently. “Let's go get her!”

Sesshoumaru leveled a hard gaze upon his brother. “It would be unwise to do so.”

Inuyasha sputtered. “W-What? You're going to leave her there?”

“Approaching Ryokusen now would only result in complicating matters. We will proceed as planned,” Sesshoumaru bit out distastefully.

Takeo ventured, “It'll make Kagome's work harder if we raise Ryokusen's suspicions.”

“Keh!” Glowering, Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest.

Kouga sighed. “I guess it's not long more, right?” Turning to Takeo, he said, “We've got to leave soon to get our forces out in time.”

Takeo nodded, and then turned to Sesshoumaru. “I did not intend to tell her, Sesshoumaru. It just came out.” Then he added, “Maybe we can go earlier.”

Sesshoumaru clenched his hands into fists. What the Southern Lord said no longer mattered. What mattered to him was the miko's welfare. He was incensed that he would have to wait until dusk to depart for the Northern Isles. However, he had no other choice.

Sesshoumaru gritted out, “We will wait.”


…***…***…***…

< br> A/N: (Grins) So that's it! The next chapter will be the last one of the trilogy. Please review and let me know what you think of this one!!