InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Chou Shoki I: Learning from Yesterday ❯ Chapter 43 ( Chapter 43 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

These two hated with a hate

Found only on the stage.

- Lord Byron, “Canto IV, st 93”

CHAPTER 43

I arrived late that night after my trip. Father was busy at a meeting with the council of daimyo. One of the servants told me that Lana had been sent to a nearby village to bring back some scrolls my father had requested. As odd as it sounded, I gave it no more thought. I bade good night to Hiro when I bumped into him on my way before turning to my `cabin' for the night.

And as usual, I would have ignored the many lesser youkai and foolish bandits hovering around the area, but something caught my attention. No sooner had the thought left my mind when their voices echoed acidly.

“Vermin. You know what to do.” It was my `on' button and their go-ahead.

It wasn't youkai or human, but it was definitely here for the jewel. Sighing in exasperation, I threw my swords, yumi and ya on the floor. They wouldn't be of any help for this one. I did, though, grab a small pouch inside one of the holes I had carved in the wall. I exited my quarters making sure the fire inside was alive and that it wouldn't escape to burn down my shelter.

When the cold air hit my face, I realized that I had left my cloak inside. Shaking it off, I sprinted into the village, following the trail the creature left. I needed to find it before it found a human victim. If I didn't, the human would be lost and I would have to kill it.

I weaved through the scarce citizens that were out this late at night. None of them noticed what was moving through them. But then again, I couldn't see it, why the hell would they? The trail it left was abnormally high for its kind and fading as fast as it was moving. I cursed under my breath. The cold air was burning my lungs and I could feel my body getting exhausted too easily. That was the only thing I hated about winter. For some apparent reason, the cold season never bode well for me.

As I neared the west end of the city, I noticed a man standing several feet away. His aura was powerful and the closer I got to it, the more familiar it got. The creature must have perceived him, too.

“You've sense it, too.” he said, a cloud of cold air left his mouth accompanied by words

“Yeah,” I replied almost out of breath. “And `it' is actually a `they'.”

“So, that is the reason for its unusual high level of power.”

I nodded. “They separated when they felt both of us. You feel like getting your robe dirty or do you want me to take care of them myself as usual?”

He pinned me with a scathing look. “I may not fight very often, betsushikime, but I'm capable of keeping my end. I'm also a messenger. You continue west and I'll follow the other south. If you're not back by morning, I'll go out to look for you.”

“Now, who's undermining who,” I bit back.

“Be careful, Kagome. These ones are smart and neither of us has ever dealt with one of these creatures.” Sometimes I thought he worried too much.

I scoffed. “Worry about yourself, houshi.” But as I walked toward the creature, I shouted over my shoulder. “Don't die, Kazuo.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

He chastised himself over and over for heading there again in the same month. He had his answers about her already but it seemed that it just wasn't enough for his own peace of mind. The last time they'd talked, she had been clear.

And yet...

And yet, he couldn't keep his mind from wandering to her. Kagome.

Ujio had kept himself occupied by becoming more involved with learning more about a position that he hoped he would soon be occupying. Day after day, he wore himself out training with the western army both physically and mentally for a battle his father refused to elaborate on. And when that wasn't enough, he would either find Juro to try and start up a conversation (not a very interesting one, he might add) or try to seduce some demoness into his bed (not that it was hard), only to discover that neither could erase the image of the damn miko.

The operative word on both situations was `try'.

For numerous nights, he stayed up late pondering on the strange miko. There was something about her that really wasn't sane. He was used to dealing with beings who tried to hide their insanity. Females who could play docile, damsels in distress while inside they were cold and cruel.

Kagome lashed out and yet she hadn't hurt him.

She was something that wasn't possible. He'd seen her kill and attack. He'd heard from other youkai who had been made witnesses to things she was capable of committing - of the most atrocious acts of violence when provoked. Nonetheless, he just couldn't get out of his mind how gentle and kind she had been to those village children she had sung to. Or the way she had fought, defending youkai she should rightfully kill, in the War of Lords. She was a walking contradiction. A mixture of night and day. Of heaven and hell.

So, being the kind of youkai that saw things unto the end, he concluded it was his duty to find out exactly what this miko was…for his brother's sake, of course.

Fortunately for him, the miko-hime was for some odd reason keeping to her lands. Thus, making it easy for him to follow the soothing scent of kuchinashi and lilies. Not that he'd ever admit to her that she smelled of heaven!

Ujio came to a halt just a few feet from the palace walls that surrounded her home. He knew there was a barrier surrounding it. Sniffing inconspicuously, he realized that her scent trailed off and was still a few minutes fresh. There was also the aura of something he'd never encountered before. It wouldn't have worried him if it weren't for two reasons. One, it radiated of pure unknown evil; and two, the miko's scent followed the same path it did.

Pushing himself to his limits, he ran on the roofs of the houses, pursuing his prey. He wouldn't - didn't want to - admit that something inside of him feared for her safety. After all, it would be best for the world, and his own sanity, that she finally is put down.

He shuddered at that particular thought. The notion was unexpectedly hard to digest and harder to envision.

The darkened aura that the miko was following brought him just outside the city. The area was covered with rocky mountains on all sides. Ujio could barely walk without bumping into some huge boulder twice his size. What was even stranger was that there were no sounds. No animals, youkai or humans. No sign of life whatsoever. That enough should have made him turn around and wait for the miko outside her home. But he did the exact opposite.

Ujio walked cautiously, using his excellent hearing for anything that moved. His nose didn't catch any hints of scents, especially that of a deranged miko. He knew that using his own powers to shed some light would be like placing a sign on himself that read `easy prey'. In other words, he was walking blindly into what could easily be a trap. Had Kagome been...

He was suddenly pulled back between a crack in one of the mountains. A hand lay across his chest keeping him completely immobile. The other hand was covering his mouth. A soft breath blew across his cheek. Whoever it was, had managed to bring him down to his knees and was using some strange power to keep him paralyzed.

He was about to protest, when a bright flash exploded before his eyes. He felt himself travel outside his body as he tried desperately to comprehend what was happening.

In a quick jerk, Ujio returned to his body. Before he could compose himself, he was overcome by intense pain all over. What was more, he tried to stand only to have several feet kick him down and throw something at him. He could barely make out muffled voices. All his senses were dulled. His head was throbbing and he couldn't open his left eye.

Using the somewhat operable right eye, he tried to focus almost unsuccessfully on recognizing his attackers. It took too much energy and his body was completely overtaken by soreness. All he could really do was curl into a tight ball as the unknown attackers continued to assail his weakened body.

Then, when he thought he might actually die, he heard the oldest one speak. “What? Rotten cabbage too good for a slave like you?” He gave a maniacal laugh as he kept on hurting him.

Ujio just wanted them to stop. Why were they doing this to him? Why would they always treat him like this? He couldn't take anymore punishment for something that wasn't his fault. Maybe today was the day he would actually die.

Again, the same voice spoke. “I'm talking to you, `your Highness'!”

Involuntarily, Ujio's head shook. He never felt above anyone. He might be a royal but that didn't change the fact that here he was just another apprentice.

“Don't Ban! She's our princess! You could be killed for this!”

A soft hand was placed on the tender area of his shoulder. Ujio cringed. A soft murmur reached his covered ears. “Kagome-sama, are you all right?”

With his conscious mind returning, Ujio's eye snapped open - pain shot throughout him but he ignored it. He focused his vision and stared at his reflection in the small puddles left by last night's rain.

It was Kagome's injured and horribly disfigured face that looked back at him. If it weren't for the small lavender color that peaked through a swollen eye, he wouldn't be able to recognize this hideous creature that was now a woman of incomparable beauty.

He gasped, but before he could assimilate the situation better, the scenery around him changed once more in a blinding burst of light.

This time as he opened his eyes, he saw himself walking among many dead human bodies. There were in the hundreds, covering the ground. The air smelled of burned flesh, death and decay. Fear. Some of the homes were still burning and those that weren't had already been turned to ashes.

He looked around again as he continued to wander. As he surveyed the area, and what dead-on description he had been given by other youkai, this was probably the village that Kagome had destroyed. His eyes took in every detail of the scenery.

Something about this was wrong. Somehow he felt it. Ujio had never heard of someone dreaming in such vivid imagery.

He saw Kagome ahead of him, wandering among them. She was much younger, a child. Her face was ashen, grim. She was hugging herself, terrified at what she was seeing. Before he could reach her and ask her what was going on, he heard the painful cry of an old woman. Kagome rushed to her side.

Ujio moved closer to hear their conversation. He kneeled in front of both of them. Kagome probably didn't even know he was there. He watched the miko's anguished and horror-filled face, as she tried to use her powers to heal her. But her powers were weak and she couldn't do anything.

The woman turned accusing eyes to Kagome. “How could you?” The light faded from her eyes as she died in her arms.

The miko lowered the woman and pushed herself up. She paced around the woman's body in wide circles, raking her hands through her hair and looking every bit as insane as everyone always said she was. Kagome's anger and pain rippled through the area just as strongly as her raged cry.

Another sound came and Kagome quickly followed it. Ujio trailed fast behind her as he passed the deadly scenes. He almost crashed into Kagome.

The miko stood by a doorway where a small child was crouched. “Please! Please! Please miko-sama, don't kill me! Please, don't kill me! I promise I won't say anything! Just don't kill me!”

He saw the child pass by Kagome trying desperately to stay away from her. The human ran towards a group of samurai that were slowly nearing. There had been a genuine fear of Kagome in the child's eyes and he had to wonder if Kagome was truly the monster everyone always claimed.

Deep within his soul, he knew better.

As he turned again to the miko, the air from his lungs was sucked out of him as a hand grabbed him by the neck and held him up in the air. He looked down to see Kagome, no longer a child.

The miko whispered ominously. “Puppy, came back to play?”

He couldn't speak, both from the surprise and the hand blocking his airway. She bared fangs at him. “Stay out of my head, dog!”

An instant later, he was standing on all fours, coughing on the cold ground. Leaning back on the side of the mountain, he looked up to the infuriating miko. Pain and weakness etched her beautiful face. He looked her over and noticed the huge hole on her right thigh that was bleeding profusely.

His gaze traveled back to her face. Intense lavender eyes stared back at him with as much confusion and anger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The creature moved quickly and before I knew it, it had taken me into one of the mountainous terrains that surrounded the city. Kazuo was right. This one was smart.

As powerful as I was, I still bruised if I walked into something and I could break my neck if I fell off the paths that led into the mountains. Not even the moon could shine bright enough to light my way. But if it thought it had out bested me, it was in for a rude awakening. The Kami gave me more than a bad attitude. My eyes had been `adjusted' for poor lighting.

Creeping soundlessly and moving around the enormous rocks that littered the way, I managed to find a small clear area about fifteen feet in diameter. This was as good as it was going to get, I realized. I walked to the center and took out the pouch I had taken from my shelter. Dropping to my knees, I made a hole no wider than a foot in the snow but deep enough to see dirt. I poured the contents of the pouch into it.

I drew a Choku Rei (symbol that could be used as a seal) around the yellow powder.

Closing my eyes and focusing my reiki, I chanted the words to the Kami. “I call upon the power that is within me. I call upon the Sentinels of the Heavens. I call upon all good spirits. I call for protection, defense, and safety. With white light, build a force field around it. Keep it sealed and render it helpless. All negative disperse and dissolve at the touch of the radiant light that emanates from the core of my being. All evil flee. All harm and danger is neutralized by the touch of my glowing aura. By the power within me and the power around me, only love, peace and serenity may exist within my protective barrier.”

After the last word left my lips, the Choku Rei glowed with power before radiating it outwards, disappearing around the area. I stood again, and brought all my senses to attention. With the spell in place, the creature would soon be coming towards me.

Shutting my eyes, I closed in on its aura as it neared at almost lightning speed. Much to my chagrin, I realized that it had already taken a victim. A small child. Dammit!

I looked around for a safe place to hide. My eyes fell upon a narrow crack in the mountain. Stealthily I move toward it, placing an ofuda outside to erect a barrier. Hopefully I wouldn't have anything else to deal with tonight. My powers would be significantly weakened during and after this fight.

A few moments after I slipped into the crack, a humongous creature with the face of a Shisa (guardian statues), large green horns, red eyes and muscular body, suddenly materialized above the area. A loin cloth was the only thing covering its otherwise naked body. Despite its appearance, I could see the child's body and soul it had devoured to obtain the power it had now. But it didn't come down and only looked, probably surveying the area for the one that had followed it. I recognized what it was immediately.

Meinar.

The Meinar were creatures that even the Kami supposedly feared. Stories existed that told of how eight Meinar were once the actual rulers of our world, wreaking havoc and destroying anything that the gods fashioned. Anger towards the Kami had sprung out when the deities created creatures - humankind - that far surpassed the beauty and intelligence of the mononoke the Meinar had made. In a fit of jealousy, the Meinar began devouring all the humans the Kami had created. But the Kami overtook them and absorbed their power to save humankind. Not all Meinar had been beaten, only five. The three remaining had gone into hiding and were awaiting the appropriate time to attack the Kami and take back what was rightfully theirs. It was also rumored that while they waited for their chance, they surfaced every few hundred years to take an enormously strong soul that would give them a small fraction of the powers they once possessed. Unfortunately for them, this power only lasted a few days and then they would be drained once more.

Taking a few steps back, I kneeled and placed my palms together in prayer. Preparing myself, I took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Holy power burning bright; water, fire and blade, charge my soul, fill it with might. Here and now the transfer is made. Wave and tree, hedge and flame, strength of the Kami gather here to bless this messenger and empower her well to complete your will far and near. Mystic Moon and Brilliant Sun send your power here this way. Gracious Lord, Mighty Lady, bless this messenger that pleads to you. Kami that are, Kami that be, gather around this servant. Empower my working three times three. Send me forward to see me succeed. Your will shall be!”

I felt my self detach from my body as I stood. There was immense power flowing through me. In this form, I felt no limitations, no barriers. It was as if I could release my entire energy without the fear of killing something or someone. Although Tanaka-sensei had prepared me for these kinds of battles, I was never allowed to use them unless absolutely necessary. The incantation allowed for only spiritual energy to be used. If the user was not strong enough it would kill it. I had seen its effects on strong beings and only a handful had returned alive, only to remain in a comatose state for the rest of their lives. More than anything, while the soul was the one battling, the physical body could also feel the pain and receive the scars. In my case, there were so many possible consequences. Mostly, Tanaka-sensei feared that once my soul was detached from my body, the Shikon no Tama would try to merge with me. Apparently he had been wrong.

I chanced a glance at my body. It felt like walking in a dream. I gazed down at my physical form. I looked like I was asleep sitting down.

Making sure that the barrier to the passage was strong, I passed through it. No sooner had I left its confines when the creature dove down towards me giving an eerie shriek. It was a mixture between a woman's scream and a dragon's. It missed me by a hair's width.

Calling my power to my fists, I charged them with my power and threw balls of energy at it. It was fast and with it being able to fly, it was even harder. Some time into the fight, I realized that there was a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing was that, while in this form, my powers had no effect on the physical world or else the area we had been battling would have been nothing but a patch of black dirt. The bad thing was that I had not even made a scratch. While my powers were practically limitless in this form, I realized that the Kami weren't letting me use the full of them. Damn them a million times over!

It had already dove down several times and cut me across the chest. On another occasion it had grabbed my arm and swung me to the wall of the mountain, successfully pulling it out of its socket from the force of the throw. I had a cut across my brow where it tried to gauge out my eye.

It laughed at my crouched position and called out mockingly. “Tired already miko? Karato is has only been playing.” Its voice was that of a child. Probably the one that it had absorbed.

If I didn't hurry and kill it, the child would be lost. Of course, nothing in my life ever turned out the way I wanted.

Gasping for air, I called upon my power. There was no way I was letting it beat me. “Hell, no. I'm giving you time to rest. I'm only getting started. You see,” - I tried stalling as my power continued to gather - “I'm hoping for more pain. No pain no gain, right?”

It looked at me with disdain. “Brothers were right. Miko truly suffers from insanity. But all the exercise is worth the great power you possess.”

I managed a pitiful snort. “Insanity?” I laughed at the idea. “A condition many say I suffer from after being alone for so long. But I don't suffer from my insanity - I enjoy every minute of it.”

Narrowing its red eyes, it was about to dive again but it stopped. It smirked. “Looks like Karato found another tastier and better prey than human child while Karato obtains miko's soul.”

“What the hell are you- ” I swallowed hard.

Things truly never went my way! I groaned miserably.

I saw him enter the area as if looking for something. Damn. Why was he here? He wouldn't be able to see Karato coming at him. I turned back to the Meinar, barely catching a glimpse of it as it headed directly for the youkai. I wouldn't reach it in time. It would absorb him and I would never be able to kill it.

The Meinar probably saw me running in its direction, my fists glowing with power. It threw two of its black claws. One went through my thigh and I barely managed to evade the other that cut the side of my neck.

Dear Kami! Don't let anything happen to him! SAVE HIM!

Panic and desperation kindled something inside me. Before I was pulled in the direction of my body's hideout, I could have sworn the jewel shone with an intense light. The next thing I knew, I was reliving my nightmares and the stupid inu youkai was inside them, too.

We were in the village, after I had killed all the people. He turned to look back at me when the young child passed by him. A mixture of anger and shame overtook me as I grabbed his neck and held him up in the air. He looked down at me.

Half-smirking, I whispered. “Puppy, came back to play?”

He couldn't speak, both from the surprise and the hand blocking his airway. I hissed at him. “Stay out of my head, dog!”

We were both brought back to our own bodies. He crawled to the wall and leaned back, all the while coughing. He looked up at me after staring worriedly at the hole in my thigh.

“You okay?” My voice was barely above a whisper. I felt my entire form scream in agony as I moved to kneel before him. He had a cut across his left upper arm. It didn't look good, but I don't think he noticed as his gaze returned to my own wound.

“Yeah,” he murmured.

“What the hell were you thinking coming here?! Do you want to die?” I was so angry. He could have been seriously injured. The Meinar could have...

I didn't even want to think about it. I didn't want him dead - at least for now. Not that the Kami wouldn't want an explanation for this and probably another lashing. But I suppose it might just beat the monotony for now.

“I was worried.” He stiffened.

I don't know who was more shocked by his words. His eyes moved slowly towards mine. We didn't move for a long time. I didn't want to know what he meant by that and by the look on his face, neither did he.

He stared back to the place where Karato and I had been battling. “What is that?”

I frowned at him. “You can see it?”

He nodded his head. “I hadn't when I first came but now I can.” He looked at me again. “So, what is it?”

“It's a Meinar. Haven't you ever seen one?”

“No. Should I?'

I shrugged. “You're old. I'd figure you'd at least heard of one.”

He glared at me. “I'm not that old. And that doesn't mean I've seen or heard about all kinds of youkai. I usually stopped listening when our teachers talked about history.”

I smiled and I didn't know why. I could easily imagine all three brothers sitting in a room, looking completely bored and making fun of their sensei. I shook the image from my mind and explained to him about the creature and about how I had been battling it.

The inu youkai glanced again at the Meinar that was yelling angrily for me. “What are you going to do now? You're really weak and it doesn't look fazed at all.”

“I'm going out there again and - ”

He sprung forward and grabbed my shoulders. “You can't! He'll kill you in the state you're in! Do you want to die?” The gut-twisting feeling was there but we both ignored it.

“Why do you care, Ujio? With me dead, Sesshoumaru is free to mate whoever the hell you think is good for him.”

He stood and turned his back to me as he looked at the Meinar screaming outside of the barrier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What the hell were you thinking coming here?! Do you want to die?” She was livid. He realized, though, that the anger wasn't reflected in her mesmerizing lavender eyes.

In fact, it seemed that she had been worried he would die. She had, after all, gotten him out of the way before he was injured more seriously.

Ujio answered without thinking. “I was worried.”

He froze as the words passed his lips. While true, he had never thought to confess such a thing to the very woman that made his world such a mess. Slowly, moving his gaze toward hers, he found her just as surprised at him. Her pale face was suddenly covered in a soft pink hue and her lips were slightly parted.

Kami, she was beautiful. Mentally berating himself for those horrible thoughts he looked away. He stared at the area where the weird creature was busy looking around. “What is that?”

“You can see it?” She sounded skeptic.

He nodded once. “I hadn't when I first came but now I can.” Ujio turned to her. “So, what is it?”

“It's a Meinar. Haven't you ever seen one?”

He searched inside his head for the forgotten lessons from his childhood. “No. Should I?”

Kagome shrugged. “You're old. I'd figure you'd at least heard of one.”

He was appalled by her answer. “I'm not that old! And that doesn't mean I've seen or heard about all kinds of youkai. I usually stopped listening when our teachers talked about history.”

She smiled unexpectedly and he was floored by the action. She appeared to go inside herself then. He wondered how she could seem so nonplussed when he could tell she should be on the ground screaming in pain.

Ujio glanced again at the Meinar that was shouting for the miko. “What are you going to do now? You're really weak and it doesn't look fazed at all.”

“I'm going out there again and - ” His chest tightened at the contact. He was all familiar with the barrier that Sesshoumaru's mark created.

There was no way he was letting her out there. Without thought to his own personal safety, he grabbed her by the arms, trying to shake some sense into her. “You can't! He'll kill you in the state you're in! Do you want to die?”

She looked at him as if he'd suddenly grown another head. “Why do you care? With me dead, Sesshoumaru is free to mate whoever the hell you think is good for him.”

He shouldn't care. He didn't. But that didn't mean he...

Ujio couldn't even finish that sentence himself. The truth was, he didn't even know what he wanted anymore. Maybe the situation would be different if she had been purposefully attacking someone. Here, however, she was trying to save a life. And on that last thought, his mind wandered to images of the village he had seen.

Even though a small part of him still wasn't completely positive Kagome hadn't killed all those people, he couldn't deny what he saw - what he felt. It was so much different than what he always imagined. In his mind, Kagome had been laughing like the lunatic she was, hacking at everyone in her way. He had seen her choking the life out of everyone and driving her sword through their stomach.

Now, he knew, or rather, understood so much more. The Kagome he had seen was fragile, human. There had been so much anguish and hurt as she cradled the old crone's head in her arms. Had seen the way she had hugged herself just after the old woman had died and the cry of wrath that she bellowed.

No. That was not the reaction of a merciless killer. That was the reaction of someone that carried the guilt and hurt of the world on her shoulders. How did she live like this? Taking inside her all the blame. All the guilt. All the hatred.

Maybe she wasn't completely innocent, but she wasn't as ruthless as everyone had made her out to be. Ujio turned around to face her again. She was looking intently at the creature, brows furrowed. “I'll fight with you.”

Her eyes snapped in his direction. “You can't fight it. You won't even be able to see it. It'll devour you before you even blink.”

He couldn't resist taunting her, even at a time like this. “Aww. You're worried about me.”

She grunted. “Don't flatter yourself! If Karato absorbs your power, it'll be harder to fight him.” She paused for a moment, then added. “Still, if he absorbs you, I have free reign to kill you.” She smirked.

Ujio graced her with his own smirk. He knew he shouldn't be enjoying this as much as he was, but it was hard to deny the delicious electricity that crackled when he was around her.

It was then that her words sank in. “What do you mean I wouldn't be able to see it? Didn't you hear me say I could see it now?” He grabbed her chin, unconsciously, and turned her head to both sides. “Did the creature damage your ears?”

She glared at him, pushing his hand away with just a little too much force. “I can hear you fine. And the only reason you can see it is because you're inside this barrier. If you leave it, you won't able to see it anymore.”

He shrugged like her. “Then do your magic and let's go.”

She fixed him with a droll stare and wiped rapidly at the blood from his wound. Nonetheless, the gentleness of her action warmed something inside him. “I can't.”

“Sure you can. Just do whatever you did to make yourself invisible. But this time, do it to me.”

Kagome looked at him as if he were stupid. “You're a youkai, idiot. It doesn't work like that.”

Why the hell was she so stubborn? Ujio had half a mind to tie her up until she succumbed. Those images, however, created a whole different scenario - one that included her, him and none of their clothes. He kicked himself for even thinking of something like that now. Instead, he thought about what she had said of the process she had used.

“You told me that you use your soul to fight this creature, right?”

She fixed him with a less than amused stare. “Youkai don't have souls.”

Ujio closed his eyes and counted to ten. She really knew how to try one's patience. “No, psycho-brat. But, we have a demonic essence, which is the closest thing to a soul. What if you used that?”

“Psycho-brat?” Kagome repeated. “Hmm, I like that.”

The inu youkai was puzzled. She seemed to jump from topic to topic. It was like she was in a garden with different flowers and only picking out the ones she thought stood out. What an odd female. He'd never encountered anyone like her. It made her even more interesting.

“So?”

“So what?”

He heaved. “Are you going to do it or not?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So?”

“So what?”

Ujio blew out a breath of exasperation. I loved trying his patience! Though I had to admit I didn't know why. “Are you going to do it or not?”

Of course I didn't want to. If the Meinar found a way to eat him, I might loose. Even worse, was that it could use Ujio as ransom for the jewel. Right now, however, I really didn't have an option. With Ujio's help I just might save the kid. But if I was wrong...

I shook my head and taunted him. “You sure it doesn't scare you too much?”

He appeared offended but he didn't deny it either. “Just do it already.”

Limping to his side, I pushed him down to kneel with me. I gritted my teeth as the wound stretched. “I'm not sure this is actually going to work but if it doesn't, then I want you to run out of here like a bat out of hell. Got that?”

He looked at me as if I was speaking in anything other than Japanese. “Like a what from where?”

I rolled my eyes at him. “Just run and don't look back.”

“I'm not leaving you fighting by yourself. I'm not a coward.”

“As touching as that was, I'm not asking you. I'm telling you to get out of here the moment this doesn't work! I can't be worrying about you, too!”

He would have argued, I'm sure, but my confession left him speechless. He whispered a moment later, head bowed, hands fisted in his lap. “I'm not leaving you.”

“Fine. Just don't say I didn't warn you.”

I stood on my knees but my body protested the movement and a soft cry escaped my lips. Ujio noticed and stared at the opening on my thigh. “We need to take care of that before we go out there.”

“It's nothing.”

“Well, I sure hope I don't ever come across Nothing. I'd seriously hate to feel the way you look.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I said it's nothing.”

“Maybe. But you'll only be a burden to me in that state.”

Scowling, I moved in front of him. “The only burden here is you.”

Probably sensing that I was going to argue no matter what, he pushed himself back a little and then, using his claws, tore a hole on the pants of my chihaya. I immediately voiced my indignation. “What do you think you're doing?!”

He looked up at me, his face inches from my bare thigh, and replied calmly. “I'm going to close the wound.”

“And how exactly are you going to do that?” My face was probably the color of a tomato.

“I'm going to lick it close.”

I choked and pulled his face up. “I don't think so, Rex.”

He smiled - a true smile. It made him look even more handsome. Then he sobered. “You want to beat it, don't you?”

Thinking about the child's safety, I groaned and let his face go. “If you touch anything else besides the wound, I'll rip your tongue out and then stuff it down your throat.”

He smiled again. And I decided then that I would make sure I never said anything that made that hypnotizing smile appear again. “Your loving words send shivers down my spine.”

Ujio pulled down and started licking my leg. An involuntary jolt shot up to my heart. The mating mark, I suppose. I closed my eyes and tried to think of anything except his tongue. But it was useless. The rough texture of it reminded me of Sesshoumaru and all the things we had done. I felt him stiffen then. However, he returned to what he was doing, more quickly this time.

Some minutes later, he straightened but wouldn't look at me. His breathing was erratic and his aura was pulsing. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. “Let's do this.”

He looked at me then and the white of his eyes had turned black and his irises were green. I was taken aback by the change. Blinking the stupefied look in my eyes, I licked my lips and watched him follow the movement with his eyes. I nodded once. “Put your palms together in front of you as if in prayer.” As soon as he did, I covered them with mine. Another pain, similar to the one I usually felt around other men, twisted my stomach. “Close you're eyes and call out your essence to the surface. Hold it there until I can reach it.”

As I closed my eyes and concentrated, I found him in a dark place. He was being held down by an invisible force. This part of Ujio seemed too deadly and menacing with its black eyes and searing green irises that felt like they were just waiting for me to free it so it might shred me to pieces. Half of his face was covered in some weird markings and his claws were much longer than usual. I closed the distance rapidly.

“Ujio. Let it go. I can take it from here.” The inu youkai must have hesitated but he eventually did.

And when he did, I held it with both arms as it squirmed and bared its fangs at me. While extremely strong, I knew I could have overpowered him more easily if Sesshoumaru's mark wasn't trying to separate us. I tried to concentrate as I heard my outer self chanting the incantation once more.

This time however, it was me that would be in for a surprise.

A blast of yellow light exploded before me and when I opened my eyes, I discovered that I was running happily inside a huge hall. I was holding the hand of a beautiful demoness with red hair, blue eyes and pale skin. She was laughing with me and encouraging me to run faster.

I felt myself smiling and obeying her. A joy, similar to the one I hadn't felt since my mother lived, filled my entire being. After we made a turn, we stopped in front of a huge door. I giggled. She squatted down to me and put her finger to her lips still smiling. “Shh, my Ujio. Remember that we want this to be a surprise for your sire.”

The words that I was still chanting echoed distantly. They served to remind me that this was not one of my memories. I was inside Ujio's head, but even if I wanted to leave, I couldn't until Ujio pushed me out or it ended.

Painful moans brought my attention back. I looked up at the demoness that had stopped with her hand on the door. I smiled at her and whispered excitedly. “Hurry, okaa-san. Chichi-ue will be up soon!”

The inu demoness pushed open the door at the sound of a woman screaming. I remained rooted to the spot, too terrified to even think of the real reason behind that sound. As the doors opened, I saw my father on the back of a woman as he continued pushing against her, unaware of the two spectators at the entrance. But, then I turned to see my mother growl darkly and bolt towards them.

The last words of the chant pushed me out of the dream/memory. Nevertheless, I had seen enough. Understood enough...

~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was looking at his father through the translucent veil of curtains that surrounded their bed. He'd been too young then to even understand what it was that his father was doing. But the next day he knew. He had overheard the servants as they whispered the truth.

Too overwhelmed by the painful memories he forced himself out of there. He hadn't been alone this time. She had been there. Kagome had seen what had happened and it was all he needed to get out before she saw all the other horrible things that followed.

Ujio came awake. He focused his eyes and realized that he was lying on top of something soft and warm. He lifted his head and came face to face with a glaring miko. “Do you mind keeping yourself off me?”

He picked himself up and extended his hand to her. She ignored it and dusted herself off. She jiggled her leg, trying it out. “Use any kind of power that you have. Don't try to kick it or punch it. Its skin is as thick and hard as rock.” With a final glance at their bodies, she walked forward. “Don't die on me, inu youkai.”

He ran after her and as soon as the Meinar saw them, it smirked and dove towards them. He ran at the creature only to crash with Kagome's back. She whirled around quickly and pushed him to the side. The creature managed to bury one of its claws in her but not before receiving a blow of her blue energy ball on its shoulder. The Meinar screamed in pain and perched itself on top of a giant boulder.

“Why did you push me away? I can fight too without your help!” He yelled angrily at her.

She pulled out the claw, tossing it to the ground and hissing as it burned her hand. She ran to his side and whispered. “I set a trap at the center. If you had ran inside it, you would have been trapped and purified. There would have been nothing for me to do.”

He was stupefied by her actions. She went on and on about how much she hated him and wanted him dead. And yet, for all that talk, she was going out of her way to save him? He shook his head. “Tell me where not to step.”

“I can't tell you without giving it away to him, too. Just stay behind me all the time. I'm going to stand at the edge the entire time.”

They turned just in time to leap in opposite directions. It turned in Kagome's direction. She ran at the edge of the trap, firing at him one after another with all the power she could. She was weakening fast and Karato knew it. With a quick movement, it fired another one of its claw at her, pinning her to the ground.

Ujio used the small distraction from him to climb on the boulder behind the creature and jump on him. The added weight made Karato unbalanced and he slowly began descending. The inu youkai called on his power. His hands wrapped around the Meinar's neck as fire gathered at his claws.

Karato's painful screams pierced the area. It squirmed, as it wrestled with Ujio and began dropping at an alarming rate.

Kagome had been awed by the realization that the inu youkai could summon fire at will. She hadn't known he wielded one of the elements. It made her wonder what else he could do. The Meinar's shrieks caught her attention and it was then that she became conscious of the situation. Glancing back and forth between the two in the air and the trap, she pulled the claw from her side and ran to the center of the trap.

“Get off him, Ujio!”

The inu youkai made no signs of acknowledgement as it continued battling in mid-air with the Meinar. Even though the Meinar was visibly losing, it managed to graze Ujio's cheek and tear at his stomach. Ujio was alternating between burning him and choking him with his miasma. He was fighting fiercely; his eyes were still black and green.

She tried again as they neared the ground. “Ujio! Let him go!”

Still, he didn't budge. Kagome looked around desperately, trying to find something to pull them apart but she came up empty handed. She could use all her power, but that would also take down the inu youkai. Looking up again, they were almost on top of her. Without further thought, she blasted Ujio from him, as Karato fell and grabbed her.

The area lighted up with a blue Choku Rei and erected a barrier with both the miko and the Meinar inside. Suddenly, blue streaks of light burst out of the ground and traversed the body of the Meinar. Kagome lifted her head and watched the creature shake and scream in agony as its body was being destroyed.

Ujio opened his eyes when the shrieks of the Meinar reached his sensitive ears. As his eyes focused, he realized Kagome was slowly making her way to the creature. However, when she neared him, it gripped her ankle and the blue streaks that had been destroying him, slowly began to pierce her skin. Even though it had lost, it seemed to want to take the miko down with him.

The miko gritted her teeth but she didn't voice her agony. There was no need. It was etched in her every pore. Despite the torture, she dug her hand inside its chest and began pulling at something.

Ujio moved towards them but was repelled by the barrier. He tried to burn it down to no avail. He tried clawing at it. He could only watch her struggle. He had never felt so helpless in his life since the day his mother died. In spite of the anger she seemed so readily to tap within him, he couldn't envision a world without the crazy miko anymore.

The Meinar was dying fast, but somehow managed to reach for Kagome's chihaya and pull her face to his. “Do not think for a minute that miko won! The real victor in this battle was Karato. Tell your masters this is far from over.” It half-laughed, half-choked before disappearing in a black explosion.

The moment the Meinar was gone, the barrier disappeared and Ujio was sucked back to his body. He inhaled sharply as his senses returned. With it came the immense pain and the internal exhaustion. Damn. If that was what spiritual battling felt like, he'd choose scars and holes in his body any time of the day.

The sound of loud cursing made him look ahead. He lifted himself quickly to check it out. But, the moment he was on his two feet, the world spun around him.

“Damn - ” was the last word before he fell to the ground with a thud.

~~~~~~~~~~~

When the black cloud disappeared, I was transported back to my body. The instant I opened my eyes, I rushed back where I'd been moments before despite the immense pain wracking my body. There lay the body of a small boy, five years old at least. I checked for a pulse but there was none. Putting my hands on his little chest, I concentrated my power to my hands and let it seep into his body.

I was weak, hurt and almost completely drained of my power. That didn't stop me from using every last ounce of energy to try and wake him up. For several minutes, I did everything I could to bring him back. A small voice inside my head kept repeating for me to blow air in his little mouth. As crazy as it sounded, I obeyed. Anything to get him to blink his opened eyes.

It was no use. I knew all along that the child's soul was lost.

My face hardened as I closed his eyes and pushed myself off the ground cursing at the four winds. “You send me here and yet you refuse to save him?! What kind of Gods are you! Damn all of you! Does it please you so much to see me lose, huh? You sadistic bastards! Answer me!”

A half curse and a loud thud made me turn. “Damn - “

Ujio was on the ground in an instant. I ground my teeth in anger. “Just like your brother, huh? You come around without asking, trying to play hero by saving me. Instead, I have to be the one to save you both. Stupid dogs.”

I removed the outer portion of my chihaya and covered the body of the child. I shivered. It was getting colder and my frail state didn't help. Not to mention that only yesterday I'd had another painful episode and my body had still been trying to recover. I was hungry - not for food though. It been weeks since my last feeding. My head was throbbing and everything was spinning but I needed to get out of this place. We were too close to the city for my own comfort and Kazuo would surely be coming my way. Hopefully the houshi had better luck eradicating the other Meinar. A portion of me wanted to go and ascertain that Kazuo was still alive but leaving Ujio like this was nagging at my growing conscious. Besides, the child deserved a proper burial.

Tying my chihaya to serve as a sling, I tucked the child to my front. I pulled Ujio over my back and walked up the slope with both bodies. I'm sure I made a funny image with a six foot six inu youkai on my back but that was the least of my worries right now. My feet felt like stones and it was really hard to breathe. I fell down several times but I refused to give up. Every time, I picked up the inu youkai and slung him over my back.

Five hours later (which really should have taken me an hour) I reached the other side of the mountain. I dropped the man without caring if I hurt him more. Serves him right. He had no business following me around. I undid the knots of the makeshift sling and carefully placed the child on the ground. I wandered off a few feet from them, alert the entire time while I picked up the herbs that grew in this particular location. I picked up two flat pieces of rocks and took them back with me.

Sitting next to the inu youkai, I arduously began working on the herbal remedy that would help the inu youkai with his wounds. An injury from a creature like the Meinar did not heal on its own. Even the strongest youkai couldn't recover from such injuries.

My eyes began to close and I could hear the drumming of my heart in my ears. I hurried and placed five small drops of my blood in the mixture. With trembling hands, I opened his kataginu and kosode to reveal a torso rippling with taut muscles. Even with the five nasty gashes across his abs, I had to whimper at the delicious sight before my eyes.

I definitely needed Sesshoumaru back.

I grabbed a small portion of the paste and put it on his stomach and on his cheek. His eyes opened to reveal the same black and green that his essence had had. He grasped my wrist and stared hypnotically at my lips, growling low. His touch sent jolts of electricity through my entire body. My breathing quickened. I became aware of the familiar sensation that pricked at the back of my eyes before they shifted to silver.

My eyes darted to his neck. To the pulsing vein that sung sweetly to me. I licked my lips.

Just one bite. Just one taste. Just one sip and the pain will go away...

Wiping the fogginess in my brain, I shut me eyes and willed the voices of the Kami to go away.

The pressure of his fingers on my wrist disappeared. I looked down at him and noticed that he had again passed out. Thank Kami!

I crawled to the body of the child after making sure that his wounds were covered in the paste. I didn't bother making more for my wounds. With any luck, I'd finally get my wish and die. It was wishful thinking, I knew. The Kami would be angry at me, but they'd rather suffer with my existence than grant my wish. Where else would they find a slave like me?

Gathering the lifeless body, I let my eyelids close. I'd never felt this tired. Then again, I had never fought anything remotely close to this kind of power. The only other time I'd felt this physically drained was when Sesshoumaru and I...

I smirked. Definitely not a time to be thinking about those kinds of things. Especially as mad as I was with Sesshoumaru not being the one here and with the constant worry of when the Kami would come to collect because I had mated Sesshoumaru.

“Go home and get stoned.

We can end up making love instead of misery.

Go home and get stoned.

`Cause the sex is so much better when you're mad at me.”

I didn't even know why those words came to my head then or why I even sang them. Had no idea what that first line meant, either. I just knew them and the rhythm of the song but the rest of it was a blur.

But I was still weak and my mind might have been playing tricks on me. Using the last of my power, I erected a barrier around us and dozed off to sleep.

My sleep was filled with nightmares of the past and the usual visit from the only faceless being not afraid of me that partly healed my wounds while I slept.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Darkness. A soothing voice...

“Go home and get stoned.

We can end up making love instead of misery.

Go home and get stoned.

`Cause the sex is so much better when you're mad at me.”

The words of the song echoed softly in his head. The voice was sensual, full of life. It felt like the one who sang them knew exactly what they were talking about. He furrowed his brow.

`Get stoned? What the...'

Then he slipped off into unconsciousness once more. The words and its meaning put away for later examination...

There was so much pain. His limbs felt so heavy and the air that entered his lungs burned his insides. Whatever thing had used him as chewing toy, had really done their job. Little by little, he became aware of his surrounding. He had yet to open his eyes, but judging by the sounds of the animals and the scents in the air he knew he was inside a small forest. There was also a small fire burning beside him. He still didn't open his eyes. It required an energy that he didn't have at the moment.

As he lay there, his mind slowly replayed the last few hours. Ujio saw himself sparing with Juro and getting beat up because his brother had been angry and taken it out on him. He remembered going over battle tactics with his chichi-ue out on the training grounds. Then he had gone to visit one of his favorite demoness in the youkai village a few minutes from their home. Except that the moment he would have taken her behind her parents home, he pushed her away. He had sprinted back to the Crescent Moon, bathed and told his father that he had something personal to take care of.

The Inu no Taishou never liked to get involved in their sexual life, so he simply let them sate their hungers - to a certain extent of course.

And as he ran, with no particular destination, it dawned on him that he did, indeed, have a destination.

Kagome...

With a sudden bolt, he sat up. He blinked. The action caused his world to spiral rapidly. He held his head in both hands, waiting for the cyclone to cease. After it did, he looked down to his stomach where a ripped cloth was tied around his torso. Undoing the knots, he opened it to reveal pink scars. As he further unraveled the cloth that had been used to cover the wound, he was horrified to find that it was his kosode. Or at least, what had been his kosode.

Ujio turned his head looking for the miko.

For a moment, he stopped breathing at the sight before him. To his right, the miko lay slumped against the bark of a tree. In her arms, there was a small child. Her face was so pale and her lips were an odd shade of blue. Her hair was almost completely covered in snow and her otherwise white kosode spotted blood on her upper right chest and on her lower left side.

Kagome looked like she was sleeping. Gone were the usual scowl and its frightening demeanor. In its place was the epitome of stilled beauty in all its glory and perfection. Was that what Sesshoumaru had seen? Had he been able to see beyond the daily façade and see the lost and troubled female?

The smell of death reached his nose. Panic unlike he'd encountered in his two hundred years, wrapped around his heart. Did she die? Did she die fighting the Meinar? Did she die from the wounds it had inflicted on her? Did she die using her powers to save him? Did she save him instead of saving herself?

A lump formed in his throat as he slowly crawled toward the two bodies. The feat caused a crippling ache in his stomach but he ignored it as he crept closer. The smell intensified, but because of the snow, he didn't know which of the two, if not both, the stench was coming from.

When he was directly across them, he sat on his heels. He reached out to her first, but his hand stopped numerous times before touching her. He didn't want to know if she was dead. For that would mean she had died because of him. That would mean she wouldn't ever look at him again with that intense lavender gaze. That would mean she wouldn't argue with him ever again. That would mean that he would never hear her melodic voice again. That would mean he would never be able to say...

He shut his eyes tightly as emotional pain overrode the physical. Growling in rage, he punched the tree she was lying against. Both of his fists were buried inside the bark. He laid his forehead against her cold one. A moment later, he felt a push of energy twist his stomach. He hissed.

“You're hot.” A raspy voice said.

Ujio tensed. He didn't want to open his eyes for fear that his mind was playing games on him.

“Haven't I warned you enough times to keep your distance? I don't like it when people touch me.” Again the hoarse voice cautioned, stronger this time.

The inu youkai opened his eyes and was caught in the depths of violet oceans. He chuckled and cupped her face. He caught himself an instant before he pulled her lips to him. She was still weak and hadn't noticed what he almost did.

“You're making me hot.” She repeated feebly.

He pushed himself to the side and off her. Sitting next to her, he breathed a sigh of relief. “It's my charming smile. But do try to keep your hands to yourself. You are mated to my brother after all.”

Kagome's hand punched his abs. It wasn't a strong hit, but it felt like someone had dropped a house on him. He grunted and she turned her head to the side. “You're pathetic. Crying over a small superficial cut! I'd like to you see take a real beating!”

He chuckled again despite himself. Right now, he was just happy she was still breathing and as irritating as usual. For now, he could admit that much to himself. “Yes, well, forgive me if am not as insane as someone who lives for the pain.”

“Pain doesn't hurt.” He sobered at the seriousness and hurt in her tone.

“Is that what you told yourself when you were constantly beat up by those boys?”

The next movement had him staring at swirling silver eyes. Her hands were blocking his air intake. The second she spoke, he was paralyzed by the gritting fangs. “I told you to stay out of my head, dog!” She growled low in her throat. “If you ever tell anyone about what you saw, I'm going to make sure you never want to close your eyes at night! Got it?”

Her mating mark was wreaking havoc in his injured stomach and the loss of air was making him light headed. Even he knew when the odds were not in his favor. He stopped struggling and bared his throat at her. It was inu instincts that had him showing his neck in submission. He didn't realize that she probably didn't know what it was he was doing.

His thoughts took flight when he felt her tongue lick the juncture of his neck, up to his chin. She laughed darkly. His youkai instantly surfaced. He felt his groin tighten despite the soreness in his abs. Her aura was shifting and lashing out with such a force that had his demon trying to break free and push her on the ground to mate her.

Ujio was paralyzed once more when he felt her open her mouth over the vein in his neck. She suckled lightly and a satisfied whimper left her mouth. He wrapped his arms around her torso and pulled her delectable curves closer.

He wasn't prepared for the feel of fangs slowly pressing down on his neck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ujio chuckled softly beside me. I closed my eyes again. I had been having the nightmare of the village again when a burning sensation traveled all over my body. For a moment I had thought it was because of the fire in my dream but as I continued to burn, I heard a small hissing sound.

I had come awake with the inu youkai pressing his forehead against mine. There was intense pain in his features. And when I talked, his eyes snapped open. I was surprisingly relieved he still lived and was as annoying as ever. One of his comments had me punching him in the stomach. His painful groan made me turn to him.

“You're pathetic. Crying over a small superficial cut! I'd like to you see take a real beating!” Really! Could he be more a cry baby?

“Yes, well, forgive me if am not as insane as someone who lives for the pain.”

“Pain doesn't hurt.” Loneliness did.

He turned to look at me then, worry in his eyes. “Is that what you told yourself when you were constantly beat up by those boys?”

That was something I didn't see coming. His words triggered the humiliation and degradation that I usually kept under wraps. With it, usually came the anger that always threatened to kill. Before he could understand what was happening I was squeezing his neck. Why did he have to say that?

“I told you to stay out of my head, dog!” I felt my power and bloodlust returning. “If you ever tell anyone about what you saw, I'm going to make sure you never want to close your eyes at night! Got it?”

I felt the mark on my neck singe at the nearness of another male, but the darkness inside overrode it. Ujio turned to the side and the movement made my mouth water and my stomach growl.

It had been too long. I had been putting off the hunger and now my body was demanding it with an intensity that I couldn't restrain. His vein pulsed and it reverberated in my head. I felt my mouth near its destination. I didn't even know what I was doing until I was tasting his skin. Gods, he tasted divine!

With one long lick from the juncture of his neck up to his chin, I lost all common sense. I laughed and even my voice sounded different to my ears. His youkai instantly surfaced. His aura fought with mine for dominance. It was an exciting battle.

Kissing his neck I bit down playfully. He tensed even more before he growled and wrapped his hands around my waist, pulling me closer.

That was just the opening I needed. I opened my mouth and let my incisors press against the delicious flesh. The snow was falling faster now and it melted as it fell on his heated skin. It was as if it were raining instead of snowing.

Seconds before I cut his skin, I heard a voice inside my head.

`Keh! It can't rain all the time, wench!'

My eyes snapped open and reality came crashing down. What was I doing? This was a youkai! And not just any youkai, my husband's brother! In my delirium, I'd let my dark side take over.

I pushed myself off him and gathered the forgotten child's body. My head was still turning and though my entire powers had returned, I was trembling. I refused to look at him as I began to wrap the child again in the chihaya. The eerie silence made his ragged breathing sound ten times louder than it should have.

After a pregnant pause, he asked, “What are you going to do with the child?”

“There's nothing to do. He's dead. Just another worthless body for the insects in the ground and a waste of my time.” I said in disdain.

“You don't have to sound so smug!”

Forcing myself to keep my back to him, I continued to tie the chihaya to my body as a sling once more. “That's reality. By the look of his rags, this child was probably some orphan the Meinar picked up on the street. He would have grown up to be a thief, an abuser of women or even a murderer. His environment wouldn't have allowed for anything more.”

“You can't know that,” he added.

I finished with the knots and then I turned to him. “Look, if you want to believe that there is good in everyone and that there is hope, then so be it. It's not my fault you can't see past your perfect little world. Here, in a little something I like to call the real world, crap happens and there is no god or living being that will risk their necks for you. You are born at the bottom, you die at the bottom. But I can't expect some pampered little prince like you to understand that.”

Fury burned in his azure eyes at my blunt response. “You think my life has been perfect? You think social status makes everything easier? You think it buys peace of mind? Forgiveness?”

One side of my lips curved up mockingly. “I don't see you complaining. I don't see you giving out all your money or going out of your way to help a stranger. Or living out on the forest with nothing but the rags on your body to shelter you. Wondering day by day what you're going to eat when you have absolutely nothing. No. You're just a scared little puppy who thinks that his world came to an end because he found out that his father was a cheating bastard and not the high and mighty lord everyone thought.”

He was frozen to his spot by his anger. I continued. “No. For all your talk of righteousness and disgust at what I am and do, you are just like everyone else. Just a self-serving idiot who thinks that his suffering is so much worst than anyone else's that they fail to see that they have everything to be happy right in front of them. They're just too stupid to see it.” Giving him one last condescending stare, I added, “No. You're just a coward like all of them. Well, I've got two words for you, Rex - BOO.HOO.”

Turning on my heel, I allowed my words to sink in.

“What about you? Who are you?”

He was walking behind me. I pressed my lips together. These inu youkai were really stubborn. “That's easy. I'm psycho-brat, remember?”

“Are you?”

Coming to a stop, I peered up at him as he caught up. “You've heard what everyone says. They all know that I've killed so many people. You saw the results yourself. Even now, you still think that I slaughtered my charges.”

He blinked. “I think there's more to you than you let others know. I think that somewhere inside that black heart of yours lives a portion of that little girl I saw.”

I wasn't going to let him anger me so easily again. “Well, if you see her some time, tell her to hide. Because if I find her, she's going to wish I had killed her along with all those other people.”

This time I didn't let him continue poking holes in my head. I jumped down to the path below us and ran the rest of the way to the city. It was early morning and the air was freezing, but I embraced it. Hell, I'd been left naked outside in colder winter months at the monastery! This was like a day in the beach compared to those nights.

Kazuo met me at the entrance of Kotoku-in, the Buddhist temple he oversaw. I turned over the body to him and let him take care of finding his parents, if he had any.

I ran into Lana by the gate of the palace as she was coming back from the market. She asked about my whereabouts last night. Hearing about the missing child from the people in the market this morning she had readily assumed I had gone to retrieve it. I confirmed it and gave her a brief description of what had happened. Even going as far as telling her about the help from Ujio but excluding my slip.

“Does he know then that you didn't do all that they are accusing you of?”

“Lana, don't start with me. I told you already that I did do it and I made peace with it a long time ago. I don't care whether he or anyone else believes I did or not.”

She only shook her head. “I will never believe that. No matter how many times you acknowledge it, I know the truth. My little girl would have never done something as atrocious as that. They wouldn't believe it either if they had seen your eyes when you came back here afterwards. Or heard you scream night after night because you were reliving the same thing over and over.”

I pushed open the door to my shelter and went directly to the hole on the wall where fresh sets of chihaya were folded. Going into the bathing room, I filled the tub-like hole on the ground with the water that was in the buckets beside it. “You're little girl is dead. She was beheaded with her brother years ago. I'm nothing like that pitiful and stupid wretch.”

Without any care, I pulled harshly at my clothes and ripped them off me. I jumped into the water, cooling my burning flesh.

“Kagome! This water is freezing! You're going to get sick!” She exclaimed wiping the hand she had dipped to test the water.

“Lana, please, leave me alone. I'm in no mood to be around anyone.”

“Today or ever?”

“Do I even need to answer that?” I mumbled before immersing myself completely.

From underwater I heard her next question. “He hasn't come, has he? Sesshoumaru-sama, I mean.”

I held my breath despite the constriction of my lungs caused by the cold water.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Lana, please, leave me alone. I'm in no mood to be around anyone.”

“Today or ever?”

“Do I even need to answer that?”

Lana looked at her from her kneeling position next to her. Kagome looked exhausted and pale despite her constant confirmations that she took care of herself.

There was always a crippling ache in her heart when she looked at the young woman inside the water. Lana loved her like she was her own child. Every time Kagome left, she felt her heart leap to her throat. She couldn't help worry about her all the time. She'd give anything to cut the chains that kept her tied to the Kami.

But what she feared above anything was that her little girl was slowly dying inside. Every day saw her rotting inside, chipping away a tiny piece of her soul. That was why she thanked the heavens that Sesshoumaru arrived in her life. While not a match she would have foreseen or particularly liked, she had to admit that the young demon found a way to worm his way into the miko's cold heart. He alone had been able to reach her and try to break her from the darkness she seemed so eager to embrace.

Lana would never understand why the gods would bestow Kagome with such burden. Kagome hadn't even been born when the transgressions of others had begun. She had been made the recipient of their ire. She had paid in blood for her parents' errors. Lana had hated them then. She had wished that her mother and father had never met. Midoriko should have never fallen in love with Kagome's father and condemned her daughter to the hell she was living. But Lana quickly realized that Kagome would not be here had they not crossed paths. As selfish as it sounded, despite knowing what Kagome was going to have to endure, she knew that a world without her little girl wasn't worth having.

Her little girl deserved happiness. After all the sacrifices she had made for others and because of others, she was more than worthy of love. All she could hope was that Sesshoumaru would be able to save her.

She peered over the edge of the tub at the submerged girl. “He hasn't come, has he? Sesshoumaru-sama, I mean.”

Kagome didn't move. She was stalling, she knew. But after all these years, Lana had learned to be patient with her ward. Just as she guessed, Kagome poked her head out and glared at a point across from her. Had she not been staring at the miko's face, she would have completely missed her answer.

“Iiee.”

She extended her hand and cupped her chin, gently turning her face to look directly into her eyes. Smiling, she tried to offer solace. “He loves you, my little girl. He'll come soon enough. And so will Kirara. You'll just have to be patient for once.”

It was one of those one in a billion moments when Kagome let her guard down. It was rare and fast. “I hope so, Lana. I miss them both so much.”

Leaning down to place a motherly kiss on her forehead, she lingered. “They will.”

Like she said, it was rare and fast. Scowl in place, she pushed her away. “Get out of here.”

Lana took no offense to Kagome's response. It was seldom Kagome really meant her harsh words. Smiling at her even when she knew Kagome wasn't looking, she bowed and left her alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I was treading through the high-rise snow. Kazuo and Eriko followed far behind as we headed back to Kamakura. I could hear the girl's incessant chatter and Kazuo's deep laughter. As usual, I was in a foul mood. Nothing new.

On this particular occasion, nonetheless, I was beyond seething. We had been urgently called to exorcise the grandchild of a daimyo on a city six days away. To my ever scaling irate, the instant we reached the large home, the daimyo greeted us at the entrance with a smile from ear to ear. He offered food and a room to stay the night since we had arrived late in the afternoon. Politely declining, Kazuo explained that we only came to do our job because we were needed elsewhere. I just stood in back of him, arms crossed as I fixed him with a dark stare.

He kept balancing himself from foot to foot. That and the smile should have tipped me off. The daimyo began by apologizing for the urgency of his message and then thanking us for responding so quickly and making such a long journey.

A moment later, he fell to the floor in front of me. “You see, your highness. My granddaughter...she is young...and...and...and...she likes to play games - ”

I really didn't want to know the answer to my own question but if he kept beating around the bush, we were not going to leave anytime soon. Through gritted teeth, I asked. “She's not possessed, is she?”

He was shaking like a leaf. “Well...technically, no.” He chuckled nervously.

Eriko giggled but quieted when I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Technically?”

The daimyo lifted his face. “Please understand, Kagome-sama, she's only seven...she let's her imagination fly...a-and s-she sometimes...sometimes says things...sees things that aren't real.”

Kazuo had to hold me back as I growled at the daimyo that had fallen back on his rear. He was slowly moving back. The guards had come to see what was happening when they heard him yelp. As soon as their eyes landed on me, they froze on the spot.

Whispering to calm me down, Kazuo kept a hand out to keep me from advancing but remembering to keep the contact to my person to a minimum. “We understand.” I snorted and he glared at me then turned back to the scared man on the floor “We understand and we don't take any offense to this.”

“I do!” I fumed.

“I don't!” Eriko quipped.

“Kagome-sama, please.” Kazuo's eyes pleaded.

Scoffing, I began walking back. The houshi apologized and offered his blessings to the man and his household.

And so, now, I was practically melting the snow that blocked my path. Most of the way I had been cursing at the infuriating man. Some time later, both Kazuo and Eriko caught up. The snow had started to fall again and if we didn't find some shelter soon we'd be completely buried. It was already up to our thighs.

“Come, Kagome-sama. You can't possible be upset over that little incident? It was an honest mistake. There is no way Lord Yoshi could have known his grandchild wasn't possessed,” he said gently, lifting his straw hat to see better.

I was still bristling. I pretended to ignore him. Besides, I didn't like to talk. That was why I preferred to travel alone. Eriko was happy listening as Kazuo kept trying to start up a conversation with me. Nevertheless, I refused. Why would anyone want to chat with me anyways?

“Kagome-sama?” Eriko pulled the hood of my black cloak (which she was wearing) away from her face.

I almost whimpered. Why oh why did the Kami not just send their usual punishment? Why did they have to send this child? “What do you want?” I snapped.

“Can I sing our song?”

I just wanted them to stop bothering me. Maybe if she entertained herself and Kazuo, they'd just leave me in peace. “Sure. Whatever,” I tossed.

She squeaked happily. “Nama no naka. Mori no naka. Kaze no naka - ”

My eyes almost fell out of their sockets when I realized my mistake. I hurriedly clamped a hand on her mouth. How could I have forgotten she mentioned Sesshoumaru in that song?

“On second thought, I don't think that song is such a good idea,” I added in one rushed sentence.

“Why not? It sounded promising,” Kazuo questioned.

“I just don't like it.”

Eriko peeled off my hand and glared at me. I hid my smile. A glare would never become her. It disappeared easily, though. “Will you sing to us then?”

“No.”

“Please?” she whined.

“No.”

“But you - ”

“No.”

Kazuo joined her, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Please?”

“No.”

She insisted, pulling down on my sleeve. “Just - ”

“I SAID N - ” All three of us stilled.

Eriko's hand gripped tightly at the edge of my sleeve. “Kagome-sama?” There was a bit of fear laced in her words.

Instinctively, I pulled her back between Kazuo and me. “Erect a barrier just like we've been practicing. Whatever you do, don't try to attack. No matter what, stay close enough but don't get in the way.”

“Hai.” She moved to the side, her back against a giant tree.

“It's coming towards us fast, Kagome-sama.” Kazuo removed the hat and tossed it aside.

“Look out for the girl. I'll do the dirty work.”

He knew he really didn't have an option. It was no surprise any and all attacks had one objective - the jewel. Which meant I was the one they went after.

The monk ran in front of Eriko and waited, shakujo (staff) in hand. I glanced back and nodded to them. He nodded back. I reached back for both naginata.

Right away, an orange blur ran around us. It stopped between the monk and me. It was a cheetah youkai. She didn't look like much yet her youki said otherwise. Her skin was bronzed and covered with black and yellow spots. Her hair was a vibrant yellow that matched her eyes to perfection. She was wearing a strange black kimono, the type of which I'd seen only in one place. She flashed a cocky smile.

“So you're the psycho-miko?” she asked in the tongue of the Mainland. It confirmed my previous assumption about her origin. “I don't understand what all the uproar was about. You're nothing but a sack of flesh and bones.”

She wasn't the first to think that way of me and probably not the last. “Yeah, yeah. Less talk, more fighting.”

The demoness paced around me, taking her time sizing me up. “You're a cocky little ningen, aren't you? Do you actually think you can beat me? What do you think you are?”

Tapping each naginata on either shoulder, I addressed her like one would address a child. “Let me give you the job description. Me, psycho-miko. You, demon. I hit. You bleed. I kill. You die.”

She curled her lips at me. “Insolent whelp! Let me teach you how we dispose of your kind back home!”

She charged at me so fast, I barely managed to move sideways. Her claws did cut at my back. Her movements were quick, precise and utterly getting on my nerves. During the fight, I tried to land a kick to her mid section but she caught my ankle and swung me against a far away tree. The only time I was able to hit her, I barely made a scratch. She was sporting a small cut to her upper arm.

Her mocking laughter filled the area. I was losing and that did not equal a very happy miko. I couldn't slow her enough to cause any real damage and using my spiritual powers wasn't an option.

If I used my powers, I'd be debilitating the barrier that hid my mating mark. I hadn't had the time to prepare the concoction that would permanently hide my mating mark.

“Kagome-sama! Purify her!” Easier said than done!

I peered at Kazuo from the corner of my eye. It was the wrong thing to do. The demoness used the distraction to tackle me. When we were on the ground, she straddled me from behind and kept slashing at my back before turning me over. I tried my best to block her attacks, but most of them hit their mark. Blood was oozing from all the cuts to my face and upper body.

Suddenly she stopped and pinned my arms with her legs. She wrapped one clawed hand around my neck and squeezed. “Mmm. I love the smell of fear on my victims before they die!”

Smirking at her, I replied. “So do I.”

“Admit that you've lost. Admit that you've finally met your match, psycho-hunter.” She squeezed harder.

I grunted. “The only thing I'll ever admit to is insanity.”

She lowered her face. Then, she inhaled. Her head jerked up and then she moved down again. “You smell like...” She frowned. “But you can't. It's impossible,” she whispered. “You smell like...him.”

Kazuo voiced his confusion. “Kagome-sama, what is she saying? I don't understand her.” And it was a good thing he didn't speak the language much less understand it.

My stomach twisted. “I'll tell you what you smell like and it ain't pretty.” She backhanded me. I laughed. “That the best you can do. Come on, kitty. I know you have it in you for more.”

“My name is Chuntao not kitty!” She used her free hand to reach for the jewel.

I narrowed my eyes at her. “If you touch that jewel, your wish better be to have never crossed my path.”

She smiled evilly down at me and whispered low. “Oh, I'm going to enjoy my wish! But I think I'll enjoy more the look on the general that dared turn me away when I show him the head of - ”

She jumped off me then, roaring furiously and trying desperately to remove something at her back. “Kagome-sama! Now!” Kazuo yelled. He had thrown a hamafuda (purifying scroll) on her back.

It was Eriko's arrow that flew across the field and pierced the cheetah in her leg. The arrow was not sufficiently infused with spiritual power to purify the youkai. She roared and pulled the arrow out breaking it in two. Chuntao hissed at the monk and child before disappearing.

I whistled at her. “Hey, fur ball! I'm not done playing. Show yourself.”

Chuntao's voice echoed in the area. “All in good time, demon-hunter, all in good time. You see, I'm not like the other's that cower and run from the big, bad psycho. I'm the big, bad cat who executes the psycho.”

Her disembodied voice gave a dramatic pause. “You and that houshi have been merciless in your pursuit of my brethren and the time has come for you to know fear. By the time I finish with the two of you, you will be begging me to let you die.”

I tried hard to locate her demonic aura, but I couldn't find it. It was as if she was all around us at the same time. The rapidly falling snow didn't do much to help either. I could barely see an inch from my nose. I needed to keep her distracted while I searched. I lowered my head and laughed. “Fuzzy-dearest, I have never begged a day in my life, and the sun will surely splinter before I ever plead for anything from the likes of you.”

“Great pride,” Chuntao said. “I so love punishing that crime.”

“Tell me, do you care for the child?” She then asked.

I looked around the area. I stared fiercely all around. “I'm so going to enjoy killing you.”

The cheetah youkai laughed. “I doubt you'll get the chance once your friends find out what you really are.” There was an underlying meaning to her words. Somehow, deep down, there was that little voice that told me that her words had nothing to do with Sesshoumaru.

I cast a glance at Kazuo and Eriko that told them to keep quiet. “Is that your game? Pitting us against each other? You want to watch us fight?”

“Oh, no.” Chuntao said. “Not my plan at all. If you kill each other, that would be fine by me, what I intend to do is expose you for what you are. You see, the demon-hunter is about to become the hunted and I'm going to thoroughly enjoy tracking you down and making you suffer. There is no place that you can hide that I won't find you.”

I smirked. “You think you're capable of hunting me?”

“Oh yes. Yes, I do. You see. I know your weakness even better than you do.”

“I have no weaknesses.” My eyes fell on the two across from me. Kazuo knew he shouldn't move and I was thankful he wasn't trying to be a hero.

The cheetah laughed. “Spoken like a true demon-hunter. But all of us have a weakness, especially the messengers of the Kami. Even as their leader, you are no exception.”

I swore I could almost hear her lick her lips in satisfaction. “Your greatest weakness is your nobility. Humans hate you, yet you won't kill them to free yourself. While they try to kill you, you guard them from us with your life.” Chuntao laughed evilly. “You can't resist a human in peril, can you?”

“Fuzzy, fuzzy, fuzzy.” I tsked at her. “What do you take me for?” I pushed my aura outward hoping it would bump into hers.

“Don't you dare take that flippant tone with me? And stop mocking my name!”

“Why ever not?”

“Because I'm not some scared little demon to run cringing from you. I am your worst nightmare.”

Scoffing, I continued to make her angry. Maybe then she'd show herself. “Must you resort to such common and boring expressions? C'mon Fur-Tao, couldn't think of anything more original than those old bad guy lines?”

A furious snarl echoed in the area. “Stop making fun of my name!”

“Sorry, you're right. The least I could do is show you respect before I expire you.”

“Oh you won't expire me, psycho-hunter. You are the one who will die this time. Have you given thought to how much they are going to slow you down? Not to mention that even you can't be in two places at once. They are going to be your downfall. You have never known suffering like the one I will inflict upon you.”

My lips in a tight, firm line, I smiled at the youkai's threat. “You seriously overestimate your abilities.”

“We shall see.”

I felt the soft shift of the wind just before she appeared spontaneously, charging directly at me before changing direction. I lunged at the lone naginata on the snowy ground. I was too late though.

It had been a serious miscalculation. I saw two glowing daggers fly in separate directions as she lunged for Kazuo. The first dagger pinned my hand to a tree behind me. I watched the second dagger fly directly towards Eriko.

I doubted the child's barrier would block its path.

NO!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I don't think it's such a good idea that you go back to her.”

He ignored his brother's angry comment. After all, Juro had been in the most foul of moods for the past moon cycle. Even, knowing what he knew, Juro had not been prepared to hear what their father had said on his return from the Southern lands.

“I'm not going to `see' her. I'm going to make sure she isn't with another male.”

Juro pushed him against the wall of his room and bared his fangs. “Don't lie to me, Ujio. The moment you returned five days ago, I smelled her on you, inside you.”

“I was in close proximity to her, idiot. Of course, I would smell like her.”

The red-haired inu youkai was easily loosing his patience. And that was a feat no one had ever been able to achieve. Not only had he received a confirmation to his long-time doubts but now had also found out that Ujio was hanging around Kagome. Two things about the latter made him fume.

One. The miko was already mated to their brother. By inu youkai mating laws, no unmated male was allowed in such close proximity to an unescorted mated female. Two. Ujio had been stubborn about his dislike for the female and yet had gone out of his way, for no apparent reason, to seek her out. He claimed to be doing his job by guarding her while Sesshoumaru couldn't.

So, why did that make Juro angry, one might ask?

Well, that was simple. She was mated...to their brother. In spite of what he had told Sesshoumaru, there had been a stab of jealousy when he'd realized that Kagome had chosen their younger brother. A minute part of him still felt it. Kagome had rapidly etched herself in his heart. The female was intelligent and passionate, everything a male like himself had envisioned in a mate.

But now that she was mated, even he found himself wanting to challenge her claim. It was outrageous and yet he was more amazed that of all beings, Ujio had been the one to make the move he hadn't dared to make himself.

Juro glared at his brother. He was more than sure that black was seeping into his eyes. “Her scent is in you, not on you! Gods, Ujio, what did you do?”

Ujio pushed his brother off him, leveling him with his own glare. As the eldest of the three brothers, his inu instincts were yelling at him to make Juro submit immediately. “I didn't mark her if that's what you're thinking! I'm not as stupid as Sesshoumaru as to bind myself to the likes of her.”

“Then why do you seek her? And don't think those lies of yours are going to convince me. Remember who you're talking to.” Juro closed his eyes and tried to regain control over his growing jealousy. “At least tell me why you are going to see her for a second time?”

Third time, actually. But Ujio wasn't going to let him know that. He opted for a safer excuse. “I told you that she didn't look well when I left her. You know how stubborn she can be. I like her just as much as I like venom for breakfast and the idea of seeing her is not something I'm looking forward to. Believe me. But she is pack now and we are in charge of making sure she stays alive.” He glanced at a scowling Juro. “If not for her, then for our brother.”

That sobered the red-haired inu. “Then, if you're going, I'm going, too.”

Ujio stopped mid-action with one arm through the sleeve hole of his kataginu. He had half a mind to growl in jealousy at him. With Juro there, he wouldn't be able to...

To what?

Dismissing any ending to that sentence, he finished putting on the garment and tying its knots. “Do as you please.”

Juro seemed more at ease with the response his brother gave him. “I'll tell chichi-ue.”

Ujio reached for him and turned him. “Are you insane?! You're going to tell chichi-ue we're going to see the miko?”

He rolled his eyes. “I'm telling chichi-ue that we are going to the youkai village in the eastern lands to get supplies for the arrival of the other Daiyoukai next week.”

Skeptical he asked, “And you think he's going to believe that?”

“Chichi-ue has never had any reason to mistrust us. Up until now, it has been Sesshoumaru that has pursued Kagome-san. Besides, we aren't lying. I do have to make a stop at a youkai village before we head to the Imperial city.”

They exited the room and went to see their father. As planned, they both informed the Inu no Taishou of their destination. Thankfully, for both young demons, Lord Keiji had been reading a message with his officers that had his complete attention. He dismissed them both with a heaving sigh and told them not to be more than two days.

Leaving the grounds of the Crescent Moon, they were both engulfed in a green light that darted towards the youkai village at the edge of the Western lands. Juro entered a small hut while Ujio paced impatiently outside. Making his purchase, Juro exited the shop with a smile on his face.

Ujio snarled as both were once again swallowed up in green. They traveled fast until the scent of the miko stopped them some ways from her home. Juro jumped on the highest cliff and lifted his nose, scenting for the gardenia trail. The snow had covered most of it but one thing about Kagome's scent was that it seemed to linger for days. It was as if the land itself rejoiced in her smell so much that it held on to it as much as possible.

A tiny movement to his left alerted him to his brother. He turned to Ujio and noticed him scenting the air, too. Juro also noted that Ujio had his eyes closed.

Opening his eyes, Ujio looked at Juro. “She went south. She's almost a quarter of a day away.” He paused for a minute. “I don't think she's alone, though. There's a strong youki in that same direction and one that's extremely familiar. Let's hope that whatever Kami the psycho answers to, is with her today.”

Juro felt his demon stir. “It's her, isn't it?” He didn't turn but he knew the black-haired inu nodded. “Let's hurry, then.”

They tore through most trees and jumped over almost all the mountains trying to reach the miko in time. And as they neared the location, they became aware of two other humans that accompanied Kagome. One of the auras was strong and resembled somewhat that to Kagome - a houshi. The other aura was also instilled with some reiki but not as strong as the other two. It was young, a child perhaps.

The two inu youkai stopped several feet away. They perched themselves on a high precipice where they watched the miko push the child and the monk to the side. A powerful youki entered the area fast and halted between the miko and her companions.

Recognition befell the inu brothers. “Chuntao.” They whispered in unison.

Too stupefied by the appearance of the demoness, they failed to notice the graveness of the situation. Chuntao was a lethal demoness. She'd once been the commander of the armies of the Golden Ray. But the youkai was too out of control and was fast relieved of her position. She'd been angry at the dismissal and with good reason.

“You don't think she knows who Kagome's okaa-san is, do you?” Juro asked, in spite of knowing the answer.

“What youkai doesn't know who the psycho-brat's mother is?”

Oh, yeah. This was fast spelling trouble with a capital `T'. They watched as Chuntao sized the miko up.

Despite the great distance, both demons could hear with crisp precision what was said between the two. Ujio and Juro smirked when Kagome made condescending comments at the cheetah. The smirks disappeared, though, when the demoness lunged at the miko.

Juro was held back by a seething Ujio. “Not yet, brother. If we interfere, the miko would surely take out her anger on us, too. It is a fair fight - her fight - and unless she is in immediate risk of dying, we cannot interfere. Remember that she is still an ally to the Crescent Moon. We can defend her if need be.”

The red-head inu growled then nodded grimly. That was something that Ujio knew and yet he couldn't stop the fast beating of his heart. But, in all honesty, it had been like that since the day he left her.

He couldn't get out of his head the fact that he'd almost kissed her. Even worst, he had let her kiss him. It wasn't even considered a kiss. He knew that. Still, the feel of her velvety lips on his neck had scattered all his thoughts and inhibitions. Her gardenia scent had invaded all his senses and all he could do was touch his lips to her neck. Ujio hadn't been able to move his lips. He'd been frozen on the spot. He could tighten his arms around her and pull her closer.

His breath had left him in a gasp when she had nibbled on his flesh. Kami! It had been the most erotic and sensual thing any female had ever evoked in him. But she had gotten hold of her mind and pushed him away. He'd been left utterly confused and weak.

Moreover, on his way back home, he had been so angry at her comments that he hadn't realized how much he smelled like the miko. It was a relief that their father had been patrolling the lands for the following evenings. He had successfully avoided the Inu no Taishou the past few days. Juro had been home, however, and had since then nagged incessantly about it. He hadn't known how to answer.

Ujio hated her then. He hated Kagome for seeing and knowing him like no one else had. He hated that she was capable of making him feel all those things she had thrown to his face. He hated the fact that he, indeed, felt her inside himself. He felt a connection so strong that he was starting to doubt that he hadn't marked her while unconscious. More than anything, he hated her because she was starting to be a necessity. She was fast becoming an addiction he yearned for every waking moment.

The strong smell of the miko's blood brought his attention back. “She's loosing, Ujio. Chuntao is too fast for her.”

Both brothers observed the demoness sitting atop the miko and continue bickering. Kagome looked like a string-mat with all those cuts in her face yet the wounds didn't seem to faze her. Snow was falling much harder now and they could barely see what was happening. The inu youkai jumped down and ran quietly towards the area. What neko youkai lacked in scenting they made up in hearing. One small noise and the cheetah would know they were there. Juro motioned with his head that he was moving towards the other two humans. Ujio moved toward the two females bickering on the floor. They heard the demoness comment on Kagome's scent. Two sets of blue eyes met in concern. However, their concern turned to confusion when Chuntao mentioned a `general'.

She smelled like a general?

It was the actions of the monk and the child that made them move back and hide in the snow. Chuntao jumped back and disappeared. They waited as the miko and the cheetah exchanged insults. They had to stifle a laugh at Kagome's answers.

The argument didn't last long. Chuntao jumped out and in a fast movement threw two daggers - one at the child and the other at Kagome - as she pounced at the monk. The houshi barely managed to place his shakujo between him and demoness before being swept away.

Juro reacted and dove for the houshi and the child at the same time. The demoness roared in anger when she realized that her prey wasn't dead or even below her.

Ujio dashed toward Kagome. The miko had managed to pull out the dagger from her hand as she placed the uninjured one over the gaping hold. Her face was carved with relief but the paleness told Ujio that something else was wrong. She turned her eyes up to him as if seeing him for the first time.

He looked down at her injured face that was lined with a mixture of blood and snow. Her hair was completely down and a bit disheveled. Her black chihaya was slashed and barely hanging to her form. Yet, for the life of him, he couldn't help thinking of how breathtaking she looked. He swallowed and blinked away his treacherous thoughts. He pushed a strand of hair behind her dainty ear, away from her face. A wringing ache attacked his stomach. He knew what that signaled and still he ignored it. She didn't pull away.

Pushing herself off the floor, Chuntao snarled in their direction. “Who the hell do you think you are? I found her. I will kill her. So whatever damn clans you belong to, you insolent mutts, you better crawl back to them before I decide to kill you, too!”

Miko and inu youkai both felt when someone stopped behind them. They didn't look back. They knew who it was. “I left them quite a distance from here. They're safe. Although, that houshi did burn me with one of those papers he carried.”

“I'll remember to chastise him later. If he was going to start something, he should have finished it,” Kagome added.

Before he could reply, Chuntao moved closer to them. Juro moved to Kagome's right and Ujio to her left as they prepared to defend the miko. When the cheetah's blazing gaze fell on them, she widened her eyes.

“The Twin Rays.” Her murmur more a question than a statement. She put one knee on the snowy ground, showing her respect.

As confused as Kagome was, she didn't wait for them to tell her what their connection was or why the demoness had called them that. She charged at the cheetah with full force. With Kazuo out of sensing range, she was free to remove the barrier that blocked her scent. She caught the demoness by the side.

Chuntao was momentarily dazed by the two inu youkai at the miko's side and the strong energy the miko released. The barrier that had been holding the miko back disappeared the moment the psycho-hunter ran at her. The hidden power seemed to seep from her every pore. The miko moved like any sleek cat.

A hit to Chuntao's side brought her out of her musings. The miko picked her up by the neck, tossed her up the like a doll and kicked her mid-air. The youkai shook her head and lunged at her again. As she ran straight at her, Chuntao saw the miko smirk and then disappear. She stopped only to feel two swords, one at each side of her neck.

“I thought I was going to suffer? Or were those just sweet words to get me to play with you, Fuzzy?”

Chuntao didn't get a chance to reply before she was pulled up and a few feet away from the miko. She was stunned to see that the youngest of the inu was holding her back to his chest and glaring down at her. His jo was restricting her movements. Blinking in confusion, she turned her sight to the miko, who was being held against the chest of the other inu youkai. He had his arm across her chest with one of his sai to her neck and the other sai pressing on the miko's lower back.

The cheetah youkai took note of the situation, then for good measure, glared in the miko's direction. The psycho-hunter was ready to purify all three of them with one blink of her eyes. Her aura was growing increasingly and was making it harder to stay upright. She wondered how it was that the young demon lord could stand being that close to her.

Kagome gritted through her teeth. “What the hell do you think you're doing, Rex?”

Ujio held tighter to her, careful of the sai pressing against the small of her back. Her mark pushed at him with more intensity. “You can't kill her.”

“The hell I can!”

Juro answered her. “No, you can't, Kagome-san. Chuntao is an officer of the Golden Ray.”

The miko stilled for a moment. Then she continued to squirm. “I don't care what she is. She just put her name on my list. And unless you want me to forget who you are, you better let me go.”

“That disgusting ningen deserves to die. She is the daughter of that traitor. Not only is she an abomination, but she also lacks the knowledge to give the respect the Twin Rays deserve. She must die!”

Ujio growled behind the miko. “You will not touch this miko. She is an ally to the Western lands.”

“Kami, help you Rex, if you don't let go of me now!” Ujio chuckled. He let her go but kept close.

Kagome was ramrod stiff beside him and clutched her swords with a white-knuckled grip. Her features were even sharper now. Her eyes brittle. How she managed to look attractive like that he didn't know, but there was something about her and her anger that set his hormones on panting.

Suddenly the verse she'd been singing after the attack with the Meinar started going through his head. Totally inapproprate, especially at this moment in time. Still he couldn't help wondering if anger really did make sex better. Then again, he had no real idea of what sex felt calm.

`I really need to start letting myself out more.'

Kagome glanced up at him as if she could read his thoughts. Oh, that's good. Just what he needed - her inside his head, hearing the fact that he felt compelled by her angry looks. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

He might as well blush like a pup while he was at it and tell her how hot she looked when ticked off. His luck, she'd stay that way.

“Chuntao, you have no say in this matter. It was the Inu no Taishou, Yasu-sama and Fatsu-sama that made the alliance with her. You cannot attack her and expect to live. All three Daiyoukai would hunt you and shred you to pieces,” Juro tried to warn.

“More importantly, you cannot disobey an order from your Daiyoukai,” Ujio stated.

For a second, Chuntao was left thinking of the consequences. She was trained as a soldier of the Golden Ray to follow the orders of her leader. Yet, the miko represented all she had lost. It was because of the miko's mother and father that she had been exiled. What else could she lose now? She'd gladly give her life if it meant killing the psycho.

She lifted her angry gaze at the miko. A gasp escaped her mouth when her yellow eyes fell upon something she had completely missed. Between her brows was something that she had never expected. It was tiny and barely visible, but it was there.

The mark of the white inu youkai clan sat between auburn brows. She inhaled and was appalled to confirm what her eyes saw. She was marked!

“Y-you...belong...you...are mated...to a member of...” Chuntao stopped when the deranged miko stopped her actions and only glared in her direction. “Who...?”

The older inu answered. “It doesn't matter. All you need to know is that you can't kill this miko.”

The cat youkai's face twisted in anger and disgust. “How could such honorable house fall so low?!”

That was the drop that spilled the glass. Kagome shouted in anger. She used her aura and threw Ujio behind her almost purifying him in the process. In one quick movement, she was next to Juro, pulling the cat youkai towards her and blasting the inu away.

With a jerking movement, Kagome snapped the youkai's arms. She took out her naginata, crossed them before her and blew air at them. “Soyo Zetsu.”

The snowstorm ceased only in the area they were.The two inu youkai had just sat up when they saw Kagome utter her words. Her red blades turned to black dust and rushed into all the openings of Chuntao's body. The youkai stood immobile and then began to shake violently. Blood seeped out of all the places the dust had gone into as her body racked in pain. In no time, Chuntao fell to the ground dead. The miko simply held the hilts to her sides as the dust once more returned to them forming her black blades.

Sheathing her naginata, she turned angrily at them.

Ujio didn't know what possessed him. Without thinking, he lashed at Kagome. The miko widened her eyes momentarily before blocking his attacks. He made a superficial cut on her neck before Juro grabbed him.

“What is wrong with you, Ujio? She's mated to our brother. You could kill Sesshoumaru!”

Not even the miko had realized that by the look in her face. The words should have had a calming effect on the black-haired inu, but a reminder of her claim was having the opposite effect. He growled loudly in anger.

“I told you not to kill her!” Even Chuntao deserved to be taken before the youkai council.

“She attacked me first. I only defended myself and those under my protection. But I have no need to explain myself to the likes of you.”

Juro stood between both of them. “Kagome-san, we don't condone what she did, but our laws prohibit us to take a life without permission from the youkai council. Chuntao was a soldier.”

“I don't obey youkai laws. I was given a job years ago and given specific orders. I only kill youkai that are on my List. She signed her name herself the moment she tried to kill the kid!”

Ujio pointed one of his sai at her. “You are insane! She wouldn't have killed you knowing what she discovered!”

“Would you have liked to bet your brother's life on that?”

The thought gave them pause. Ujio and Juro looked at each other. Then, Ujio questioned her. “What list? Show me.”

“You cannot see it.”

“Then how do we know what you say is true. How do we know that you aren't just killing youkai for your twisted fun?”

Kagome looked at them and they had to question their own sanity and sight. She looked so pale and tired. Her shoulders were slumped and her aura was almost non-existant. The miko fell to her knees but used her swords to remain upright. Her gaze lifted and it paralyzed both demons, seering them with the graveness of her words. “If I truly enjoyed killing for my own pleasure, I would have killed Sesshoumaru when I first met him. If I truly enjoyed killing, you would have been dead the moment you delivered that first message. If I truly enjoyed killing, Juro would have been purified when I opened the door to the hall outside your father's study and saw him standing there.”

Juro stood above Kagome. “Why haven't you killed us?”

Snorting, Kagome glanced quickly to the side. A barrier surrounded her. All three felt the incoming auras. “I told you, Butch. I only kill what I'm told. You're not on my list...yet.”

The monk and the child came running into the area. One hand inside the lapel of his robe, the houshi was already preparing to attack them with hamafuda. Eriko was holding tightly to her bow.

Kazuo entered the area and was enraged to see Kagome on her knees before two youkai. She was weak and the poison from the dagger was already taking its toll on the young miko. He took out the purifying scrolls and threw them at the two youkai that were in no apparent hurry to leave. They hadn't even looked at him. Their gaze was directed at the woman almost buried in the snow.

Before the scrolls touched their skins, Kagome appeared before them; her aura dissolved the hamafuda that would have otherwise purified both inu youkai. Kazuo stopped dead in his tracks.

“Kagome-sama. What are you doing?”

“I killed her already. That was all the vermin I had to kill today.” She walked slowly toward the monk and child.

Kazuo frowned and looked between the two youkai and the miko. “We can't let them live. They will surely attack someone.”

Kagome stopped again. “I can't kill them, Kazuo. I'm not allowed to. You know that and I will surely not add to my sentence.”

“Just try it, monk. I would like to see you try and kill me.” Ujio quipped.

“He attacked you. That cut on your neck came from his weapon. Are you willing to let that go by without repurcussions?”

Trying to get a reaction, and perhaps an explanation to her actions, Ujio taunted her. “Yes, I did. Will you kill me now, psycho-brat?”

Kagome wouldn't look at them. “I'm willing to spare you because you chose the welfare of an innocent human over your own…” Kagome glanced at Eriko before she spoke again. “And over that of someone you have no ties to. In my book, that makes you worth forgiving.”

Ujio was stunned by her turnaround. It didn't seem logical. “So you're bowing out of this.”

Kagome scoffed. “'Bowing out' implies a chivalry I lack. Let's just say, lucky for you, I didn't find what I needed to. The messengers only kill for a reason, and that reason has to be justified to the Kami or we're executed.” She wiped at the blood on her neck that was left by the sai he had used to slash at her. “Killing you isn't worth my life. But you still have a miko who wants you dead. Watch your back.”

Juro smiled at her. “Thank you, miko.”

“Don't thank me, Juro. I didn't do a favor here. I just did my job.”

Kagome motioned with her head to the monk and child to go on ahead. Despite his doubts, Kazuo walked ahead with Eriko at his side giving one last warning glance to the two youkai. Juro reached for the miko's shoulder and gently turned her. He grabbed her hand and placed something small. He felt a small prick in his stomach at the contact with the miko.

She looked down at her closed wrist. Then opened it to reveal a white pouch. Lifting her puzzled gaze to him, she asked. “Nan desu ka (What is it?)”

Juro smiled down at her. He lost himself in her lavender eyes. There was something utterly mesmerizing about those eyes. They were filled with so many emotions that he wondered if Kagome ever realized how many things she could evoke in a male. He didn't think so. Kagome had a sensuality and attractiveness that went unnoticed by her. She had a way to her that made it hard not to look and feel aroused.

Her brows furrowed and that reminded him of whose mark she bore. “It's something that I saw and I thought of you. It's not much.” He offered another gentle smile. “Open it.

Kagome's lips parted slightly at his confession. She didn't know what to say. She knew she should throw it in his face, but she found she couldn't. Doing as she was told, she was again surprised by his actions. Inside the pouch were two strips of the most beautiful green ribbon she'd ever seen. Even the material seemed unearthly.

“I know blue is your choice of color, but I think that green suits you more.”

“It's my favorite color.” Her head snapped up at her confession. If she didn't watch her tongue, she might end up confessing to all three of them things she didn't want them to know. Ever.

Kagome fisted her hand and scowled. “I don't need your petty gifts.”

“I didn't mean to offend you, Kagome-san.”

“I take offense to anything that comes from any of you,” she sneered. Throwing the small pouch at him, she turned to glare at Ujio. “Stop following me, Rex. I'm in no mood for your sniffing.” She glared at Juro. “And that goes for you,too, Butch.”

She faded into the darkness.

Juro looked through narrowed eyes at Ujio and through gritted teeth asked, “Care to explain what she meant by that, Rex?”

Arching a brow and pushing down his growing jealousy, he answered in much the same manner. “I have no idead, Butch.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was trying not to fall from the dizziness the poison was causing and the lack of good sight. I could feel Kazuo and Eriko's aura close by. They were waiting for me. From my travels I had learned to tell where I was by the position of the stars, but the weather wasn't helping. Yet, I noticed earlier that we were close to a town, maybe about half an hour in the direction I was heading.

When I caught up to them, they said nothing. Eriko was probably too cold and Kazuo was confused. I made a mental note to travel with Eriko only when the weather was like this.

Arriving at the town, we were instantly given lodging and food. Eriko ate, took a hot bath and rapidly fell asleep. Kazuo brewed a tea for me that would lessen the effects of the poison. I was still going to wake up with a massive headache. After I finished it, I went to sit outside despite the biting weather. He joined me shortly.

We sat quietly for some minutes but I could tell he wanted an explanation for what happened. “Look, I know where my duties lie. I made an oath to the Kami and I'm not trying to find a way to break it.”

“That's not what concerns me.”

“Then what is ?” I asked.

“Do you remember what the Kami told you the night you were made a betsushikime?”

“Nothing comes without a price.”

“Exactly. These youkai are inside you, little sister. I saw the way they looked at you and the way you looked at them. There's something you're keeping from me - something that ties you to them. Especially the one with the black hair. I felt a strong connection inside you two. If you don't get him out, he will unlock those powers you were taught to bury.”

He was right. I did feel a connection with Ujio. I had felt it since I placed the herbal paste to heal his wounds. That shouldn't have been the outcome. It had left me thinking these past few days and I couldn't find a reason other than the fact that the mixture had included a tiny dosage of my blood. As ludicrous as it sounded, I liked it. I had never felt connected to anyone on the level that I was to this particular being.

“Would that be so bad?” I whispered, not really expecting a response.

Kazuo removed his straw hat and gave me a hard, serious, stare with those wise, compassionate eyes of his. “Yes, it would. You are the one messenger we all depend on to have a clear, level head. You are our leader. We need you to stay focused, especially since we have youkai fest coming up in a few months and kuro miko out to kill you.

Your emotions are the key to your powers, Kagome. When you lose your control, you lose your ability to act rationally, and I don't want to see you dead because you can't control your desires.”

Desires? For Rex? As if!

“Don't worry. I'm under control.”

“Good. Just make sure you stay that way because if you don't, you will get yourself killed.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello,

It's been quite a while since I have updated this story. A lot has happened in these past months…

First, I'd like to thank those of you who are still out there waiting for updates. Thank you so much.

It has taken so much for me to get back to doing all the things I had once done - work, school…life. As most of you know, my Keshiro had an accident last year. And those who have stuck around, I still can't thank you all for the warm wishes and prayers for his speedy recovery.

Unfortunately, a medical “slip” (as they call it) took a turn for the worst. My Kesh… developed an acute peritonitis. As much as they tried to help him, he slipped into a coma on June 8 and on July 24 my Kesh passed away at 2:37 am.

It's been hard but thankfully I've been able to pull through. I'm slowly coming into my normal routine and continuing with all the plans we had…mainly for him.

And well, he always encouraged my writing. So here I am putting my all into a story that has so much of him and what we had shared.

So, I hope I haven't completely lost all of you.

As usual please review.

Reika