InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Reunion ❯ Chapter Ten: Gatherings ( Chapter 10 )

Chapter Ten

A/N: Howdy, folks! It seems that I need to answer a reviewer. Dear PJ, I appreciate your reviews and I am glad that you like my story. I can tell that you are an avid Kagome fan. That's alright, I don't mind at all, and I welcome criticism. But, I feel that it is important that I point out a few things about Kagome. She is bright, funny, loyal, and trusting. She is also very stubbourn and oppinionated. She is capable of great insights and understanding concerning Inuyasha. She is also a teenager with the ability to win arguments with a single phrase, i.e. - "Sit, boy." I have a fifteen year old daughter, I would hate to see that power in her hands! shudders This is not to say that she is bad (Kagome), she is immature in some areas of her life. And yes, a person can be mature enough for love but not completely mature. Ask most women about their husbands and they will agree! Anyway, Kagome has been told that Kouga is not to be trusted, but that was discounted because it came from Inuyasha. I hope that you take no affense at this, none is intended. Just wanted to defend my point of view. Now, on to more pleasant stuff. Inuyasha doesn't belong to me, though I do have a beautiful malamute that has his ears.

Kagome collapsed in the middle of the clearing, falling to her knees as the sobs shook her body. Sango and Miroku knelt on either side of her. Sango put both her arms around her best friend and pulled Kagome's head to her shoulder. Miroku placed a comforting hand on Kagome's shoulder. Sango glared at Miroku, silently warning him that his hand better stay on Kagome's shoulder!

Miroku grimaced slightly at the glare. He wasn't that insensitive! He waited for Kagome's sobs to lessen before clearing his throat to speak. "Lady Kagome. We need to set up camp. It is almost full dark. Daremo's companions have already lit a fire. We need to go there and join them. The warmth will do you good and we can eat something."

Kagome looked up with red eyes. "I'm not hungry." she said hoarsely. "I want Inuyasha! I have to talk to him."

"He and Daremo have gone to find Sesshomaru." said Sango. "He said he would be back in a couple of days."

"I need to talk to him now!" Kagome got to her feet. "I've got to find him!"

"No, Lady Kagome. You must stay here." objected Miroku. "He told us to protect you and wait for him here. That is what we will do. Now, unless you intend to 'sit' me..." Kagome's reaction to this statement startled Miroku. She burst into a fresh round of sobbing.

"Oh, God! He's never going to forgive me!" sobbed Kagome.

"Kagome! What did I say!?" exclaimed a shocked Miroku. "Please, my lady, I am sorry for causing this! What did I do?" Miroku was distraught. He wasn't used to invoking tears from young women.

"I .... I .... I didn't mean for Kouga to try and kill him! I ... I only wanted to give Kouga a chance to get away!"

"Kagome? What did you do?" asked Sango in a low voice.

"I sat Inuyasha!" she wailed.

"WHAT?!" shouted Miroku and Sango.

"Inuyasha was about to kill Kouga! I just wanted to stop him and give Kouga a chance to get away until Inuyasha calmed down!"

"Kagome, Inuyasha is your declared mate. Kouga has expressed his desire to be your mate. When you told him that you had chosen Inuyasha, he did what demons always do when they desire the same female as another. They fight ... to the death." explained Sango, in some exasperation.

"But ... but that's insane!"

"And when you sided with Kouga in this fight ....sigh.... Inuyasha's instincts are telling him that you don't want to be his mate. That you had chosen Kouga."

"But I didn't chose Kouga! I love Inuyasha!"

"Inuyasha knows that you love him, but his instincts are overriding that. That is why he left. He was afraid to stay because he didn't know what his instincts would tell him to do." Miroku was in a quandary. He could sympathize with Kagome's desire to save life, but he also saw the folly of what she did. "Kagome, when Inuyasha returns, you will need to show him that you are his mate."

"How?" Kagome looked at Miroku as if she were ready to do anything.

"You will need to show him that he is your mate. You will have to submit to him." Replied Sango, when Miroku looked at her for help.

"What do you mean 'submit'?"

"There are certain acts and gestures that show that you are willing to put yourself in his power. His instincts will respond and his human side should be able to keep control. His demon instincts will be reassured that you have chosen him for your mate."

"And if he doesn't keep control of his instincts?"

"Then, he will probably take you to mate and mark you as his."

Kagome's mouth opened in shock. "I don't know if I can do that."

"If you love him, you may have to."

Kagome bowed her head. When she looked back up, she had determination in her eyes. "All right, Sango. Tell me what I have to do."

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Kouga stormed around the pack's cave. "She can't do this to me! I am her mate! Not that stinking half-breed! She'll regret this! I'll make her pay! She will be mine, and now I'm not going to give her the honor of being my mate! She'll be my slave and all her friends will be dead!" He continued to rant along these lines for a few more minutes when one of his wolves came in. The wolf came up to him and whined for attention. "What do you want?" Kouga snarled. The wolf shrank back on his haunches and whined again. Kouga calmed down somewhat. "What do you have to report?" The wolf began to yip and moan at Kouga. As he reported what he had seen to his master, Kouga's smile got wider and more feral. "So, the mutt has left in a huff and taken that damn swordsman with him, huh? Good! Kagome is all but unprotected. Soon, I'll have her and my jewel shards back, plus the ones she has!"

Ginta stepped forward. "Kouga, are you sure you want to do this?"

Kouga looked at his brother for a moment before backhanding him into the wall. "I am pack leader!" he howled. "You will do as I say, when I say! Unless you want to challenge me for the leadership of the pack?!"

Hakkaku ran to help his brother up. "No one questions that, Kouga!" To Ginta he hissed, "You know better than to question him when he is in one of these moods!"

"I know, I know!" Ginta whispered back. "But, he plans on attacking sister Kagome and her companions. That monk and that demon exterminator aren't going to be pushovers!"

"That's right, Ginta, they won't be!" stated Kouga. "Oh, don't look so surprised, Ginta. You never could whisper well." Kouga grinned again. "But I have a plan to get them out of the way that will make it easy for me to get what I want. Now, gather the pack. We attack at dawn!"

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At the first grey light of the false dawn, Daremo had his horse saddled and was preparing to ride when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He spun to face whatever was about to enter the clearing. He was very surprised when a young girl of about seven came running into the clearing. He was even more surprised when a two foot tall toad demon carrying a long staff came running into the clearing after her! The girl was being attacked! Quickly, he drew his katana and leaped to get between the youkai and his prey. "Get behind me, girl!" he shouted. "I'll protect you!"

The little green demon came to a halt before Daremo. "Get out of my way, human!" he huffed. "That little imp pushed me into the pool and now she's going to get it!"

"You will do nothing of the kind, Jaken." stated a cold voice from the edge of the clearing.

Daremo turned to see a tall, arrogant looking youkai. His face was coldly indifferent to the scene before him.

"B, b, b, but my lord! She pushed me into the pool!" wailed the short demon.

"You needed a bath, Jaken." explained the little girl, with a giggle.

"Punishing her is not your perogative." reprimanded this new demon. "Rin, come here."

"Yes, milord!" said the little girl brightly. She started to move from behind Daremo when he put his hand in front of her.

"Stay were you are girl." he ordered.

This got a reaction from the cold youkai. His eyes narrowed in anger. "Do not trifle with me, human. Just because you have the scent of my brother around you will not protect you if you interfere with my ward again."

'Ward?! Scent of his brother? Oh, no! Not again?!' "Are you Inuyasha's brother, the demon lord of the west, Sesshomaru?" Daremo asked weakly, as if fearing the answer.

"If you know my name, then you know that interfering with me is a sure road to your destruction."

Daremo dropped to one knee. 'I've been doing this a lot lately.' he thought with some resignation. "Forgive me, my lord! I meant no disrespect! I was just wanting to protect this young girl."

"She needs no protection. She is under my care." Sesshomaru paused, "However, I respect your courage in facing me to protect a child unknown to you." Sesshomaru's lips curled slightly, "Not your wisdom, however." Sesshomaru's face went emotionless again. "Now, were is my brother? I smell his scent but it is hours old."

"My lord, he returned to the side of his mate, fearing threat to her from the wolf demon, Kouga. I was about to break camp and follow."

Sesshomaru's eyebrow quirked up. "Mate, eh? I was wondering how long it would take that fool brother of mine to come to his senses. I assume that you refer to the miko, Kagome?"

"Yes, my lord."

Sesshomaru appeared to be lost in thought for a moment. "Jaken. Take his horse. Rin, come with me." He turned to Daremo, "You have a name?"

Startled by the order to take his horse, Daremo nodded. "Yes, my lord. Daremo."

"Very well, Daremo. Come with me. I have faster transport than your horse. Jaken, you will follow with the human's horse."

"But my lord, I don't know how to ride one of these things!" protested the toad demon, shrilly.

"Then learn." He turned on his heel with Rin and Daremo in his wake.

"My lord? Speed is of the escense."

"Do not question me, human. My mount is much faster than yours and all of us can ride."

"You'll like Ah-Uhn. He's nice." chimed in Rin.

"Ah-Uhn?" Daremo asked. No sooner had he asked than a two headed dragon stepped from out of the woods.

"Mount quickly." ordered Sesshomaru. "If what you say is true, and there is a threat to the miko, I wish to be there."

When the three were on the dragons back, Sesshomaru gave a command and their mount leaped into the sky, trailing the fast moving Inuyasha.

A/N: Okay! That's enough for now! I'm sorry it is taking me so long, but this story is taking on a life of it's own and I'm not sure if I'm writtting it or if it is writting me! Seriously, I just keep coming up with ideas. It's hard to keep them out, and some of them are very good (or so I think!) Anyway, please let me know what you think of my story so far. Oh, and I will listen to any suggestions you have. I may not use them, but I will listen. And if I use them, I will credit the person who suggests it. Thanks.