InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ This Sesshoumaru Needs Not A Mate - ON HOLD ❯ PART THIRTEEN ( Chapter 13 )

DISCLAIMER - The ownership and general brilliance that is the original Feudal Fairy Tale remains the property of its honored and rightfully revered creator Rumiko Takahashi without whose brilliance, we would not have fodder.

 

Mature: Sexual content, you have been warned.

Edited by: Meara

 

Reviews are fuel.

 

EP

 

Japanese Phrases/Words Used In Part Thirteen

 

Jii-Chan - Grandfather

 

Oka-saan - Mother

 

Otousan - Father

 

Aijou - Beloved Daughter

 

Aramitama - Courage

 

Nigimitama - Friendship

 

Kushimitama - Wisdom

Sakimitama - Love

 

Shikon - no -Tama - Jewel of Four Souls

 

Kyudo - traditional Japanese archery

 

Naginata -Classical naginata styles are among the martial traditions of feudal Japan. They have remained unchanged for literally hundreds of years. Unlike modern naginata, classical naginata has no competitions. Instead, classical naginata styles are practiced as prearranged choreographed forms (kata), often performed at great speed and strength, and always with great precision.

Ginjo sake is to regular sake what single malt scotch is to regular scotch, or what 100 agave tequila is to regular tequila. Only 8 to 9 of all sake brewed is Ginjo grade. If you see the term "Ginjo" anywhere on the label, it means the sake you're about to drink is better than 90 of all sake out there.

Part Thirteen - This Sesshoumaru Needs Not A Mate

“Lord Sesshoumaru, I thought I heard your voice. Please forgive our intrusion, but it was necessary,” The priest bowed to the tall male standing in front of him, unsure as to the response he would receive.

“Houshi,” said the Lord with a slight inclination of his head. “Jaken is seeing to both your quarters.”

“Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama. It has been a long day and we are most grateful for your hospitality. Kaede needs her rest,” said the priest quietly, as he gagged the demon lord's mood. His soft violet eyes watched for any signs of trouble before adding, “If I might ask, did you see what direction Kagome went? I need to speak with her.”

The Taiyoukai merely looked at him blankly, his citrine eyes betraying none of his own curiosity as to the contents of the package. Miroku had made one tiny mistake. He assumed the Taiyoukai would allow him to speak with the miko privately.

Sesshoumaru had not forgotten the hand-holding incident between the priestess and the houshi. This was not to be repeated and if he intended to find her, there would, undoubtedly, be more of this disgusting pressing of flesh between the miko and her friend. It might well escalate to even a hug and a crying miko ensconced in the priest's arms. That was simply not acceptable under the circumstances. It might well herald an unnecessary murder. Three youkai had met a most unpleasant end at his hands today; he did not need to add a ningen to his list. If for no other reason, the Miko would undoubtedly become somewhat testy and deny him her touch. So, to avoid all these distasteful possibilities, he would see to her needs - as was only fitting.

His beast purred in approval. Finally, his Master was realizing the obvious. She was his mate, but for a nice little nibble to seal the deal. No male, especially not a ningen male with rather debauched proclivities, was to touch that which was his.

Extending one elegant, tapered finger, the demon Lord pointed indifferently at the nondescript object on the low table, glancing at the elder miko, in an implied question.

“It is from her father as Miroku said, my Lord. I am unaware of the contents. It has been sealed by very old magic beyond my abilities to open,” said the miko tiredly.

“Then you have tried?” intoned the Taiyoukai disapprovingly.

“No, my Lord. I merely explain that no one can open it, but that of the recipient,” said the elderly woman, whose tone bore signs of indignation at his clear assumption.

Sensing that she took umbrage, the Taiyoukai cleared his throat to speak. Turning directly to face the elder miko, he bowed deeply - an unprecedented event.

“Thank you, Miko. I will take it to the priestess. Jaken will take you both to your respective quarters. Ask for whatever you deem necessary for your comforts. A late meal while follow shortly, if you both care to attend,” he said.

Miroku's brow quirked in amusement. If he was not mistaken, he just saw Lord Sesshoumaru put in his place by a feeble old woman. `Will wonders never cease?'

The Taiyoukai bent and reached for the light object. `It has a pulsating aura, almost repellent, as though in defense of itself.' Not threatening exactly, but enough to send shivers down his spine. Had it not been meant for his priestess, he would have destroyed it on principle. `How dare it threaten the great Taiyoukai of the West?'

“Then you feel its magic, Sesshoumaru-sama,” said Kaede with a wry smile. She had been watching his facial reactions intently.

`Definitively not worthy of a response,' Devoid of emotion, he merely looked at her as though she were an insect underfoot and scooped the parchment covered object and was gone in a white blur.

Miroku took the opportunity to smile at Kaede. The old girl had gilded ovaries - that was for sure.

“How odd, this is the only room I feel at peace in,” sighed the miko, wiping her eyes with her now sodden haori sleeve. She had found her way back to her Lord's chambers and thrown herself on his futon, crying as she had never done before. Her world was crashing down about her and she felt very much alone. Yet the scent of him made it a little easier to take. What she wanted more than anything was to see him and be in his protective embrace. He would help her make sense of this.

Walking to the balcony on bare feet, Kagome gazed out at the night sky filled with stars. Yes, the universe went on as it should, even though in less than an hour her world had been turned upside down.

A father she could barely remember had left her something on the other side of the Bone Eater's Well. Her last memory was that of a tall man dressed in priestly garb tending his garden and teaching her the name of plants and their medicinal functions. She had never had any interest. What she did enjoy was his company and her mother's laughter and the joy in her Oka-saan's eyes when she looked at her beloved husband. Her mother's eyes had not held that special light since his passing. It was very much as if a part of her was snuffed out and nothing in her life rekindled the fire.

“Father, why now? I have needed you before this. Your daughter has so much to tell you, but I can't. Daddy, I miss you so very much. I still remember coming home from school and launching myself into your arms. You were always at the top of those endless stairs each day and you always caught me come rain or shine. I have no one to catch me anymore. It's my job to catch everyone now and it is just not fair. Dad, why did you leave Souta and I? We need you. Mom needs you. Jii-Jii misses you too, Otousan and trust me, you don't want to know what he has done to your garden. I swear the maples threaten to die every season,” she snuffled.

“Improper drainage can ill affect trees at times,” said a soft baritone immediately behind her. Kagome closed her eyes and smiled through her tears while hurriedly wiping her eyes.

“Oh Sesshoumaru, thank Kami you're here,” she turned into the scent of perhaps not so fresh linen and smiled. She pulled him to her and rested her head on his chest, breathing him in, gaining comfort for the new, yet cherished, embrace.

“Miko?”

“You need a bath,” she chuckled softly while looking up into querulous sun-kissed amber. It was nice to know Lord Perfection could smell a little off. It gave everyone else a crack. He was not so perfect, after all. The Western Lord was real and for that she was thankful.

Pulling the fully dressed Taiyoukai towards the hot spring without explanation, she slid back the fusuma and breathed in the life giving steam. It was to her surprise to find a fresh yukata for each of them and her personal feminine supplies laying out neatly.

Turning, she looked up at him in wonder. His amber depths were warm as they looked at her with a curious expression.

“You are a snoop! I am going to have to remember that for future reference,” she said finally, a smile playing about her lips through her tears.

Slowly she began to disrobe him. He allowed it, standing like her own personal, living mannequin, simply watching. The armor had given her a bit of trouble, as she had to walk around him to figure it out - without help. Beyond that, stripping him had been a fairly simple and delicious task. `Nature can be so annoying at times,' she thought. Okay they would have to wait a couple days, but she had every intentions of stripping him down again when she could do something about these unbidden responses his body always elicited in her.

“Snoop?” he said innocently in question.

“Yes, you went through my things…and found “the necessaries”…thanks,” she said, blushing slightly.

“You are far too easily embarrassed about the natural order of things. You are a female. This is part of being a bitch, just as my heat is of being a male of my species.”

Kagome took a good, long look at the magnificence in front of her without any reservations and breathed deeply…”Damn you're fine. You are soooooooo fine.”

“Thank you, Miko,” said the dog demon, before reciprocating and beginning the process of undressing his Miko.

He had no explanation for it, but his body became warm in a new way, as his skin took on a blush at her words. He had always known he was a fine specimen, but his bitch re-iterating the obvious made him proud.

He would never give her a reason to wonder, if her facial expression was anything to go by. Not that she would ever have the opportunity. He would murder the male in question in short order before he touched what was definitively his, then find a means of punishing his female - if necessary. This was a moot point, of course, if her expression and dual scent of arousal and the other were anything to go by.

Kagome stopped him when he reached the zipper of her jeans. Gently she removed his hands.

“No, I am going to give you a bath and wash your hair. I need to talk to you. I will bathe later,” she said while smiling at him reassuringly. Making it clear this was her preference under the circumstances.

“No, you will bathe with me now,” insisted the Taiyoukai, unzipping her and pulling her close to his body meaningfully, only furtively looking at her pert breasts and her erect nipples suggestively without making any further moves that would make her uncomfortable.

Shrugging her pale shoulders and let him have his way. She was good for another couple hours. Implicitly she understood his demand. He was trying to tell her something left unspoken by both.

Lifting her, he carried her into the warm steamy water, gently placing her on her favorite flat rock, before settling in front of her, for his much coveted guilty pleasure - scratchies.

She noted the shampoo and conditioner had already been placed behind her - for her convenience, of course.

“Head Slut…The Western Lord is a Head Slut,” she chuckled as she organized her task, opening her legs to allow him closer access to her. Using her thighs as arm rests, he settled in to one of his favorite moments of the day.

Not being able to see his face, she was not to realize, the usual bliss there, was replaced by the stoic mask. The lord definitely had an agenda. He had every intention to mutilate two birds with one well placed strike of his claws.

“Hn?”

“Yes, you will do anything for scratchies. Something else I will need to remember for the future. Perhaps, I will inform your chosen demoness of this one day,” she said with a half smile.

His body became rigid in her thighs embrace.

Kagome pulled his head back and looked at him intently. She had meant no offence, and yet she knew he had taken her comment to heart. Determined, the miko decided she would teach him how to play.

“Lord Sesshoumaru, it is okay for your Mate to know your likes and dislikes, you know? Kami, you would think it was such a bad thing the way you react sometimes, to the concept of anyone knowing your quirks. It is rather endearing and makes you almost normal like the rest of us.”

“This is not up for discussion, ever. Is this understood?” he said coldly, resting his head on her stomach, “You will begin Kagome.”

“Ahh come to that, Sesshoumaru? Why do you select to use my name sometimes? I have become use to being called `Miko' by you. Just curious. I still cannot piece that together?” she said in inquiry as she forced his head under, before beginning her gently ministrations to his scalp. They had developed a routine in a rather short time.

“It is the name your parents gave you. Did your father select your name? My ChiChi selected mine, and that of the half-breed,” he said quietly, losing some of the former, frigid air he had before.

Her delicate, yet strong fingers worked their magic, relieving the tensions of the day. The kitsune and his ward had been rather tiresome without Jaken's able assistance, he realized. Half of the day had been spent retrieving them from some manner of dangerous youkai - all of which currently lay bleeding or dead on the forest floor. At least when Jaken was about he could attend to his lands, without the added encumbrance of fending for his young.

His movements were curtailed without the presence of his retainer, he unhappily discovered. `Perhaps, the Kappa is of some use, after all.'

Kagome selected to ignore his question initially, instead focusing on getting the shampoo through all that length evenly. Sesshoumaru was very particular about cleanliness, and she did not need him sniffing the ends of his hair later and giving her a look when she was busy using him as a pillow. The sound of his heart beating and his body's warmth gave her comfort.

It struck her, not for the first time in just two days, that he thoroughly enjoyed sleeping with this male. In fact, she was hard pressed to imagine sleeping without him as her personal blankie.

Kagome loved her own space and coveted her privacy in sleep, even selecting to sleep slightly away from her tachi. This changed in the presence of the Taiyoukai. She always wanted to be wherever he was. It was most discomforting, this dependence. She had never felt this way about Inuyasha. Somehow, the Taiyoukai's presence gave her peace. Selecting to dismiss these thoughts, and where they would naturally lead, she pulled his locks unintentionally, and was given a querulous and vaguely annoyed look, which she met with an apologetic smile and a soft soapy caress to his cheek.

Once he had turned to that distant horizon he preferred, her brows furrowed. If she was not careful, she could grow attached to the Western Lord, as she had never done with any other before. He could become a necessity to her very existence.

“Never again,” she muttered unknowingly, suddenly growing serious.

The Taiyoukai felt the sudden tension in her body and questioned, “Miko?”

“My father,” she said without enthusiasm, “Dunk, I mean submerge,” she said imperiously, lifting a brow in imitation of the Taiyoukai, receiving for her play a quirked and very irritated supercilious look at her derisive tone.

Resurfacing, he placed himself back into position between her thighs, but not before giving her nethers a pointed leer.

“Off limits, and you know that…so forget it,” she said decisively but with a smirk. `He's not the only one regretting natures practical jokes.'

“Way of the Bow,” intoned the Taiyoukai, settling back into position with a slightly more apparent burden to his youkai, as he folded his legs giving room for Ruru, who did not care for his own ill-timed awakening. This too would pass, once he organized the Miko in the proper understanding of the male dog demon. Her scent was particularly arousing now, but he would humor her. There was time enough, millennia upon millennia to come, in fact.

“What?” she said distractedly, reaching for the conditioner.

“Kagome - The Way of the Bow,” he groaned as her fingers massaged his scalp rhythmically.

“Sesshoumaru - Killing Perfection,” she said, not missing a beat. “A perfect fit. They missed `Sexy Lips', cause you got those,” she said playfully, kissing the top of his conditioned head. The scent was divine, but left much to be desired in terms of flavor.

“Hn… How well did you know your father?” he said in a voice he thought casual. The Western Lord had not spent much time learning how to be deceptively casual.

“I have vague memories. I was young, and I do miss him, very much. Mom keeps telling me we were so much alike and that I look like him,” she said, shrugging.

“Then his physicality was pleasing,” said Sesshoumaru matter-of-factly.

“Why…thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru. I do believe that would be the first time you told me I didn't look like a troll,” Kagome said, chuckling, as she found a knot at the base of his scalp and pulled her fingers through it.

“You need not be told the obvious,” he said flatly, adjusting himself and settling more firmly between her thighs. At this rate, she would have very little room to maneuver as his back caressed her sex.

“A heads up for you, Mighty One. No woman alive dislikes being told she is physically `pleasing' to the male she gives her favors to,” she said, releasing the knot and then continuing to massage the conditioner in for good measure. She enjoyed touching him and regretted that any minute now, the one contact she was allowed would be over, for the time being.

“Submerge,” she said tiredly, before picking up her wash cloth to begin attending to her own personal needs.

The being that rose out of the water took her breath away, as the water droplets caressed his form devotedly. Even they recognized the pleasure of touching him.

“Kami-sama, you are exquisite,” she said as though to herself, to be met by warm lips taking her own.

“As are you, Miko,” he intoned softly. His lips caressed hers, before abruptly taking the cloth from her.

“Fine. Go ahead. I guess I will have to use it after you do, brat!” she said in resignation, but not feeling in the least perturbed by his rather intimate actions.

Tilting his head to the side with just the suggestion of a smirk, he took her one, last, precious soap bar and began massaging it against the cloth before applying it to her chest and back. He then moved down her arms and under them, given a smirk in response, before going further down while watching her expression intently.

Deciding to win this particular battle, Kagome stood, allowing him full access to her person, something she would never have done with any other. She trusted him.

Gently he caressed her nethers, receiving a lecherous smile for his efforts, then took each long well muscled leg in turn, placing them over his respective shoulders as he massaged them with the cloth down to her toes. She maintained her footing by pure force of will.

“Mmmmm…you're good,” she said coquettishly, dunking her body to the neck in the hot spring. The smile never left her eyes as they continued watching each other in challenge. `Damn he is sexy, even in giving me a bath.' She was going to be knocked up a lot if she wasn't careful. It was a small price to pay, to have anyone look at you that way. `Maybe I could keep him…'

This sudden realization, almost caused her to lose her footing, but for the firm grip of callused hands that came about her waist. As if by instinct, her arms went around his neck. They both now stood simply looking into each other's eyes.

“Your turn Taiyoukai,” she said in a husky voice. She lowered one arm and reached for the soapy cloth. He handed it to her with a smug smirk. Beneath the water Ruru stirred. Things were looking up.

“Naughty,” she said flirtatiously before turning and submerging the washcloth and reaching for the soap.

She felt his breath upon her neck as she reached for the scented soap and closed her eyes in satisfaction of his nearness. Kagome felt his warm soft lips suckle her neck, nipping as he purred softly. She consciously willed herself to focus and soap the cloth, preparing to indulge him equally pleasurably.

It was the least she could do considering.

Kagome turned and was met by slight annoyance in his expression, but she did not know why. She had no way of knowing, he had intended to take her in that moment and make her his Mate by marking her, eliminating any further talk of other females to take her place.

Turning and pushing him down on her rock, she began at his shoulders, working her way down each arm, before he stood offering his torso for cleansing. He watched her through thick, silvery lashes.

Going to her knees, she lovingly stroked his abdomen languorously, while maintaining her eye contact beneath her own sooty lashes.

“Hi, Ruru,” she said smiling, without looking at his turgid member which she covered with the warm wet cloth. She massaged him gently with soft strokes away from his body towards her own chest. The Taiyoukai hissed in pleasure, almost losing his footing as he attempted to grasp the warm, slick surface of the hot spring's floor without success.

Paying more than necessary attention, Kagome removed the cloth. She decided to indulge in a particular fantasy she had in the past day or two; if she could work up the nerve.

With a slick soapy hand she continued to stroke him, remembering everything Ayumi had told her. It seemed to be working, his eyes were closed and his teeth clenched. Smiling to herself, she paid particular attention to his responses to determine what next to do. There were advantages to being in the hot spring.

Rinsing him off, she licked her lips and took a deep breath. `Now or never,' she thought, as she tentatively extended her tongue to taste his tip. He hissed again and looked at her with a mixture of shock, surprise and desire.

`Hot, hard yet velvety smooth,' she thought, before being brave enough to take his head in her mouth. She circled her tongue around him tentatively, before beginning to suck, being mindful of her teeth. `This takes co-ordination.'

As if nature gave her all the instructions she needed, her little hand began to stroke him rapidly while she sucked and licked her new toy, lovingly. She did not imagine ever being able to fit all of him within her mouth. Her jaws were already protesting, but it wasn't unpleasant, especially his reactions which gave her the impetus to go on.

Sesshoumaru had never expected this, nor had any female had the privilege of this act with him. His eyes rolled back in his head once more in pleasure at the sensations the miko was causing with her tongue and mouth. He had to control himself as he wanted desperately to thrust within her other soft, slick core. Allowing a demoness to do this was unthinkable, there could be repercussions, but not so this female, who he knew, intrinsically, would never hurt him. She was seeking to pleasure him, as he had her.

Kagome was a quick learner, and had her rhythm down in short shrift. She fondled his sack with her other hand, while the other continued to stroke as her tongue and languidly toyed with the underside of his member, just below his head.

They both were novices to this act, but what she did recognize was there was a growling gently bucking male beast above her trying desperately to control his taut hips, as he began thrusting gently into her mouth. Gagging slightly she retreated on her knees to better manage his movements, and selected to neglect one aspect of his anatomy in order to gain control of the now involuntary quickening thrusts of his hips. Placing her only free hand against one hip bone for leverage, she tried to stave off the force of his need. `He truly is addictive,' she thought as she tried to encompass more of his member, finding it easier and easier to relax her throat, suppressing the gag response. As a point of interest she noted that her dentist would be pleased.

The Western Lord moaned as he felt his full length fill her soft wet orifice completely to the root, and his hands pressed into her scalp keeping her there, ever mindful of his claws, forcing her head to adjust to his needed rhythm.

Though a little frightened by the sudden pressure to her head, more afraid of being choked than not, she continued to work her mouth and tongue around his cock though her jaw ached from the strain. His pleasing reactions gave her confidence that she was doing this right, for a first time, unaware it was his as well.

“Kaa-goooo-mmeeee,” came a deep satisfied groan, before his salty essence filled her mouth, and spilled from her lips, as she swallowed and licked him reverently. She watched his eyes flutter open, his amber gaze held something new. The light within them was intoxicating and she found she had to look away or her heart would burst.

Ayumi was wrong. This was not burdensome in the least. `In fact he's delicious,' she thought as she continued to lap him clean. Was this what he felt when he…he…

Kagome found she was unable to finish the thought, as her heart hammered in a sudden realization. She wanted him, all of him, but would not take the thought further to its natural conclusion. There was time enough for that.

Even now, with his completion, he refused to release his grasp of her now tousled locks. Instead, he stood there, now flaccid, simply looking at his miko in sated wonder.

Slowly she moved away from him, and turned her back and stepped out of the spring to put on her yukata. The silence within the spring became almost deafening as both quietly attended to their own necessary toilet, before returning to his chambers. Neither realizing, their intended destination was the same.

Kagome was not to know, he had prepared for a quiet meal within his chambers, understanding her need for privacy. They would meet with her friends in the morning.

Having dispensed with her own personal needs for the night, and finding that he had gone - as usual, the miko returned to her chambers to retrieve her book, knowing there would be sufficient lantern light in his quarters to see. Kagome unconsciously knew he had an agenda bringing up her father. It was unlike the Taiyoukai to make so intimate a query.

All evening she had tried to avoid the inevitable.

Life has a very peculiar sense of humor and odd ways of making one deal with things you would rather avoid. There on the Taiyoukai's inviting palette lay a seemingly forgotten object on clean rumpled sheets.

The miko looked at it cautiously before her nose thankfully distracted her. On the low table by the fire sat several covered bowls. She smiled, “You're a keeper, Sexy Lips,” she said as the enticing smells made her gastric juices flow.

The first bowl contained a large amount of fragrant rice, and the second a delicious mixture of meat and seasonal vegetables. “You are a chef, Megumi,” she intoned as she sniffed in pleasure before covering the steaming bowls awaiting her dinner companion. She casually noted the sake container and cups. Sake had never been something she particularly enjoyed, but to be companionable tonight she would. He had gone to tremendous efforts to see to all her creature comforts.

Her back to the shoji, she smiled to herself as she felt the presence as the screen opened quietly. She was slowly but surely learning to anticipate his presence.

“How are the trees tonight?” the miko said, beginning to serve out appropriate proportions on the plates provided and pouring some sake for the Taiyoukai. She took her place before the fire, chopsticks at the ready.

The demon lord merely quirked an elegant brow as his eyes moved to the object on her side of the futon before returning his gaze to the priestess. She followed his eyes with an equally blank expression and pointed to his zabuton pillow.

“I am hungry. Let's eat.” she said, settling in for a nice quiet din-din.

Pouring his much beloved Ginjo sake as a form of enticement, she heard him exhale.

“The Miko and the Houshi are having their meal with Rin and the Kitsune. They are aware you are resting, and look forward to speaking with you during the morning meal,” said the Tayoukai as he placed a naginata with a metallic blade to the right of the shoji frame pointedly.

“We will begin practicing tomorrow. You will join this Sesshoumaru in the dojo, post dawn,” he said in his usual autocratic, manner, brooking no argument.

`Jii-Chan has a similar one, except his is used for his morning exercise and it is all wood,” said the priestess as she licked her lips in anticipation of scarfing her dinner. She was starving. Sesshoumaru never seemed to eat with any gusto, something else they did not have in common. The dog demon ate with purpose, always.

As if in afterthought and feeling somewhat uncomfortable at his continued stare, she looked up at him and smiled, “Thank you, for being kind to my friends,' she said quietly, before pointing her chopsticks once more at his pillow.

Sitting elegantly, hardly making a sound, he picked up his sake cup closed his eyes and drank seemingly meditatively.

“Let me guess, the kids wore you out?” she said smiling, having been given tacit permission to begin eating.

“Mmmm, you need to give Megumi a raise. Taste this?” she said, snagging a morsel of meat and vegetable and directing it to his lips, which opened on command as he chewed with purpose expressionlessly.

“It is sufficient,” he said implacably as he continued to chew, pouring himself some more sake, watching the miko's deft handling of her chopsticks as she filled her mouth in appreciation of Megumi's delicious efforts. He really could think of many other uses for those lips, especially now that he knew their skills.

“Why you pervert,” she chuckled, “One does not need to be a mind reader to know what you were just thinking about,” she said smugly, winking at him and pointing to his dish. Even now, he made her blush.

“Can I have some sake?” she said with a happy smile on her face, the only sound in the room that of wood consumed by the living flame in the fireplace.

“No.”

Putting her chopsticks down, he stared at him blinking rapidly, “WHAT?!”

Ignoring her completely, he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat, quietly, chewing methodically before swallowing.

Raising one brow and giving her Taiyoukai the usual death glare, she reached for the sake container at the same moment a clawed hand came up and closed around her fingers.

“Why not?” she said with deceptive quietness.

“You will not appreciate it.”

“How the hell do you know that? I have, you know. I have drunk sake before. It's not my favorite thing, but I thought since you were having some, I would too,” she said annoyed at being made to feel like a petulant child.

“Kagome, this Sesshoumaru does not need another Kouga on his hands. This will not give you strength to face your fears,” he said, gilded eyes looking through her to the priestess' very soul.

Flicking her damp hair over her shoulders defensively, she stared at him with defiance before removing her hand from beneath his, opting to continue eating instead of arguing a senseless point. Unbeknownst to Kagome, she was learning patience.

“Fine, I was just going to keep you company,” she said peevishly, and nodding in the direction of the palette, “I am not afraid…”

They both finished their meal in silence.

A respectful knock roused them both from their own internal contemplations.

“Come, Shou,” said the Taiyoukai before rising to give the servant time to clear. Extending one stripped wrist to the miko, she took the hand offered and rose with him, following to the balcony.

Standing side by side, they each found a quiet comfort in the sound of the endless, rushing waves and the star filled sky. The moon was full, thought Kagome surprised. `Something is very wrong about this,' she thought.

“Why now you think?”

“Everything has a time and a place miko,” said the well modulated baritone as the wind gently scattered drying wisps of ebony and silver which intertwined as they stood both wrapped in their own distant horizons.

Turning her head slightly in his direction, she looked up at the unearthly being standing next to her, `He really is a creature of silence, and the night,' she thought.

“I guess I better get it over with then. It is from my Otousan. How horrible could it be, right?”

“Do you wish to be alone?” he asked without looking at her, his jaws rigid while awaiting her answer. The Taiyoukai vision caught something fiery in the sky above. Well, off in the distance coming towards the shiro rapidly.

“Yes….I mean, no…no, I need you with me,” she finally admitted as she sidled closer to him seeking comfort without asking.

Sesshoumaru simply turned and opened his arms as she buried herself in his chest and hugged him tightly, as his warmth and arms enveloped her.

“Regardless of its contents, know you have this Sesshoumaru's protection,” he said quietly, as he continued to gaze at the strange light in the night sky that kept moving westward.

Pushing her away softly and looking in her fearful eyes he said, “I do not think your father would do you ill. It is of importance. The effort made to keep it sealed should be proof enough. Equally, the effort made by your friends to keep such a great promise must count, Miko.”

Inhaling deeply she willed herself away from Sesshoumaru and headed back down the two stairs separating the chamber from the balcony. She stopped in front of the low table, grabbed his cup and swigged the last of his sake before pouring another full cup which was summarily dispatched.

Coughing `til her eyes watered, she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and looked back with an accusing glare at the Western Lord.

As anticipated, his lips were quirked, his amber eyes were very amused and an implied `I told you so,' was evident in his expression as he leaned with arms crossed in the doorway.

“Well, are you coming or what?” she said, the warmth of the sake was comforting. She looked at the bottle once more before finding she was airborne and in rather firm strong arms.

“Enough!”

Pushing ineffectively against his firm chest, she was met with solid resistance as he placed her on the palette next to her current albatross. She touched the hard parchment covered object, daring it to move or at least do something.

He watched. `She remains afraid.'

Sitting next to her and adjusting the pillows, he settled into the middle of the palette, and opened his arms once more, beckoned to her. Grabbing the rather light box, for want of better words, she scurried into his arms and adjusted herself, leaning to one side as his legs encircled hers. She could feel his youki just below the surface and in response her own miko powers surfacing. Both subconsciously ready to defend the other.

“Right,” she said looking up at him, beaming. She received a nod for her efforts, as strong warm hands encircled her midsection, pressing lightly and pulling her more tightly to him.

The dark parchment was rectangular but thin and brittle from age. The seal bore the markings of the Higurashi Shrine, which consisted of a bow and arrow. What proved most interesting was the design of the bow. Depending on how you turned your head, it was reminiscent of the crescent moon of the house of Taishou.

A cold shiver traveled down her spine in recognition. Kagome soon relaxed, still touching the raised design tentative. Behind her a soft purr emanating from Sesshoumaru's chest calmed her, and she softly reached back and touched his cheek in implicit thanks.

Carefully opening the seal was anticlimactic. It revealed nothing but a thin, yellowed parchment folded in three with something within the folds.

She exhaled with relief and unfolded it carefully. A black iridescent feather fell in her lap. Picking it up, she looked at it quizzically before handing it to Sesshoumaru, who took it and inspected it indifferently.

“So delicate. It hides its true strength,” said the Taiyoukai, handing it back to her. In the moment their fingers touched a blinding yet warm light radiated from its quill as it pulsed.

When they could finally see, the feather was white. Instead of being shocked, Kagome returned it to her lap and began to read. There had to be an explanation.

“Kagome, out loud, please,” said the Taiyoukai, impatiently.

“Sorry,” she chuckled self-consciously.

sks

Aijou,

As I write this, you are but a round bundle with a soft tuft of wavy black hair that sits comically atop your darling little head, fast asleep in your mother's arms. Little do you know the generations of power you carry within.

I speak of the Shikon-no-Tama. Its eventual loss will begin your epic journey. Life as we know it depends on the outcome of your handling of the recovery and the quelling of the evil forces attempting once more to rise.

You will have help on this journey. each within your tachi will manifest one quality of the four souls. It is for you to identify which aspects each represents to best utilize them in this current mêlée.

This scroll will find you in the beginning of your 18th year. The year of the greatest confrontation between good and evil.

In each generation there is a task that befalls the elder Higurashi child, and I pass to you this burden reluctantly, my child. Our family, have been the gate-keepers since the Feudal Era. There are two beings responsible for our existence, one human and one demonic. Both knew this day would come. Both paved the way for our existence.

The Higurashi shrine has not always taken its current form. It is as old as time. It is a portal between worlds and the nexus of balance between those tenuous realities, simplistically described as good and evil.

Only one entity living knows of our true origins, and the pact made so long ago. A neko youkai called Kirara who travels with your group. She will appear once you have read this. Midoriko gave her charge over the object she possesses by which your Mate will be able to traverse the well in the month of two moons.

My gift as priest of the Higurashi Shrine was foresight, even foreseeing my own transition beyond death.

Your task is two fold. To defeat the current manifestation of evil, and to bring forth the Miko who will bestride both worlds. She will be the ultimate manifestation of dark and light.

By now, you have met the sons of the Inu-No-Taishou.

Love has many faces Kagome. There is the love of kindred, and the love that transcends and brings creation. Time, observation and intuition will tell you which is which. One will give you balance, passion, joy and tranquility but not without some work. The other will be as brother, but will not be your soul's mate. Through you, both will find balance and their true purpose. They remain unaware.

“Hn,” said the Taiyoukai dismissively, before being prodded forcefully by a small sharp elbow to his ribs.

The Shikon-No-Tama is more than a jewel. Midoriko was the creator and the first stage of its manifestation. You are the penultimate stage of the perfection of the jewel.

You will not be the last Miko, but the child you will bear with a demon lord will be the final miko;more powerful than both combined. She will need to be. She is the perfect merger of the dark and light and on her shoulders rests all of existence. She will mark the next evolution of the human and the demonic, but in balance.

As she will have dual forces, your discipline and love will be the deciding factor as to the path she chooses. Good or evil is a choice, the difference being, the ability for humility, intellect, reflection, sorrow, and compassion;the very highest manifestation of love. Evil cannot reside in one such as this.

Your daughter will have the one spirit that is referred to as naohi. The four souls that accompany it are Aramitama, Nigimitama, Kushimitama and Sachimitama. The four functions (or souls);courage, affinity, love and wisdomare inherent in all human beings. In every millennium, one is born who is a perfect manifestation.

To defeat the hanyou you will require all aspects of your jewel. The secret gift of your particular incarnation is this: the jewels expression not only resides within you, but in each of your tachi and your Mate.

So, though Naraku holds most of the existing jewel, you have an exacting reflection of the same power he holds in your tachi. This is the great equalizer. Now it is for you to harness it. You and you alone are the nexus, the naohi.

These four amplify your already manifest power. This is the additional strength Midoriko and Kikyou did not have in their incarnations.

Up until now, you and your group have used these powers intuitively. The evil you face has lulled you into a false sense of security, while he continues to compound his strength. His hubris will prove his final undoing. Power is held not in might, Kagome, as you have found, but by the unification of common goal that transcends the selfish to the betterment of all.

Naraku is devoid of the ability to reflect, empathize, feel shame, sacrifice and most of all feel compassion for other beings. All are mere tools for his own conquest. He seeks morethan the power of the Jewel. The hanyou seeks the ultimate subjugation of both worlds. As the Jewel is composed of a duality of good and evil, the bearer determines its function. He must not succeed and that is why you were born.

You must return to our era with your Mate. Within the shrine is an object you will require to harness a power beyond the jewel. It is in the safe keeping of my beloved wife.

Have you never wondered Kagome, why it is your mother did nothing but support your journeys through the well? It is time. It is finally time for you both to speak of such things and if I know anything, I have no doubt she already has given you a nudge in the right direction as to your true Mate. Your mother is also a bit of a matchmaker, and has the ability to see the numinous in the seeming mundane,as she did me.

There will come a moment in battle, when all seems lost. Then and only then are you to summon this power, as the hanyou will not expect it. I can tell you no more. You will know when to use it. You will defeat Naraku and in so doing bringa time of peace until the final,true battle of his final incarnation.

Our choices determine our destiny. Follow your heart and intuition. You are The Shikon-No-Miko. I leave the world's fate in your more than capable hands and that of your Mate.

You now both have something to protect.

Continue to take loving care of our family,most especially my own jewel of four souls, your mother. Without whom, your perfect creation and that of your brother and my granddaughter would never be.

Give the feather within to your Grandfather. He is far more than he seems.

In love, sacrifice and compassion,

Higurashi Kensho

sks

The sudden popping sound of a log within the fire pit brought Kagome out of her stupor and the sound of purring on the Taiyoukai's balcony. There in all her glory stood a very familiar feline form with ruby eyes. Her diamond crested marking glowing at the two beings currently struck dumb, simply staring at her.

Kirara had arrived at the appointed time, as foretold.

Author's Note

Lesson four learned…nothing is without significance in each life.

Ja Ne

ElegantPaws