InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unexpected Allies: Chosen, The Tosusaiga's True Master ❯ Santuary ( Chapter 12 )

{Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha. I don't even own this computer. It's a rental. What do you expect from a poor college student?}

Unexpected Allies Trilogy

Part Two

Chosen, the Tosusaiga's True Master

Chapter Eleven:

Sanctuary

Kagome continued to climb, struggling to answer Rin's various questions. She leaned back and looked up, trying to see if she could find any sign of the cave.

She reached the black volcano on the beginning of the third day just as Kikyou said she would. The instant she saw it, tears streamed down her face, making clean tracks in her mud-splattered face.

Kagome bolted across the grass for the volcano's edge, jumping up the side and climbing immediately. Kagome wiped the sweat from her brow then reached for another boulder. She pulled herself and Rin up slowly, making sure to take it easy on her tired muscles.

'When I get home, no one will believe I've been sick,' she thought as she pulled herself up another rock. 'I probably look more like a bodybuilder than a sickly person.' Kagome laughed out loud, thinking of all the ridiculous excuses her grandfather would have to come up with for this one. Rin stared at her.

"What's so funny, oneechan?" she asked. Kagome sighed. "You wouldn't understand."

Rin nodded and continued telling Kagome about what she would do the next time Jaken had to look after her in Sesshoumaru's absence. Kagome sighed, reaching for another ledge in the volcano's surface. 'I feel so sorry for Jaken,' Kagome thought to herself, laughing at Rin when she said something about poking the poor toad in the eye with her chopsticks.

'Sesshoumaru really needs to find someone else to babysit her.' Kagome sighed again, suddenly feeling wistful. 'Sesshoumaru. Man, I miss him. Who would have thought I'd say that?' Kagome smiled, imagining him at the cave already, yelling at her not to be so slow. She could practically hear his voice in her ear.

'Hurry up, Kagome. I know your inferior human body can go faster than this. You are not trying.'

"Yeah, yeah Seishou-sensei," Kagome grumbled. She did speed up though, her feet boosting her up as her hands gripped another rock. She lost her grip suddenly and grabbed a sharp rock to keep from falling.

"Oh great," she grumbled as a sharp pain flashed across her palm. When she had her balance again, she glanced at her hand. There was a fresh cut across her palm, not deep enough to reach bone but would probably become infected if she didn't clean it.

Kagome groaned. 'If I clean it now, then my hand will be too wet to get a good grip on the rocks. Oh well. I guess I'll have to keep climbing until we get to the cave.' Kagome reached up again, but this time her hand flattened out. Kagome peered over the edge and cried out in relief.

"Thank GOD!!! We're here!" Kagome cheered as she boosted herself up. She wiped her hands on her hakamas as she glanced at her surroundings. They were standing on a platform in front of a large cave, the platform and cave as black as the rest of the mountain.

"You o. k.?" Kagome asked. Rin nodded.

"Alright. Let's go."

Kagome untied Rin and sat her on the ground, then walked into the cave. The inside was as black as the outside and dark. The cave went on for what seemed like miles, the darkness never breaking. The cave floor slanted, taking them further underground. Kagome held Rin's hand, singing to keep herself and Rin from becoming scared and bolting out of the cave and trying their luck on the outside. A soft white light lit up the cave in front of them, giving them hope as they walked toward it.

*When they reached the light, they found two white feathers. The feathers reached from the floor of the cave to the ceiling, curving slightly against it. Together they made what seemed like an archway. Kagome and Rin stared in awe.

"Wow, oneechan," Rin whispered. Kagome reached to touch one, feeling a warmth under her fingers. It shimmered, then glowed a soft, warm white. Kagome clutched Rin's hand and lead the way into the cave.

With each step they took into the cavern, a pair of feathers lined the wall and lit the way ahead. They walked until Kagome felt something soft under her feet. The feathers raced ahead of her along the wall, revealing a large cavern. Kagome and Rin stared in amazement at the room ahead of them. They could still see the black walls of the cave between the glowing feathers, leaving a zebra-like effect on the wall. The floor was covered completely in furs, with no trace of the dark floor. In the back of the room were four tunnels. *

Rin smiled up at Kagome. "Where are we?" she asked. Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. How about we look around?" Rin nodded and they moved to the center of the room, leaving their shoes behind. Kagome glanced around, staring at each tunnel. 'Which one first?' she thought to herself. Rin pointed to a tunnel on the far right.

"That one, oneechan. It smells good."

"Huh?" Kagome sniffed and her stomach growled in response. "You're right, Rin. Let's go see."

They turned and walked down the tunnel, the glowing feathers racing ahead of them again. When they reached the cave at the end, they gasped. In front of them was a large table, with foods of all kinds on it. Rin ran toward it, grabbing an apple and taking a bite.

"You shouldn't have done that." Kagome scolded gently. "This must be someone's home, and to take food without asking is rude."

"But Rin is hungry and there is so much here. Does Kagome think they'll mind?"

Kagome thought a moment, then shook her head. "No, you're right. I'm sure they'll understand when they get here. I tell you what," she said, reaching for Rin's hands. Rin put the apple back on the table and Kagome used the cleanest part of her haori to wipe Rin's hands clean.

"I'm going to look around. You stay here until I get back. If you hear me scream, run out of the cave and down the volcano. Look for a field of flowers and run through them until you reach a village. Stay there until Sesshoumaru-sama or I come for you, o. k.?"

Rin nodded and continued to eat the apple. Kagome walked around the table, glancing at the food on it. There were apples, oranges, grapes, and other foods that Kagome thought were foreign to Japan in this era.

Kagome patted Rin's head and headed out of the cave and back down the tunnel. When she reached the larger 'receiving' cavern, she turned into the cave nearest to her on the left. Again, the feathers lit her way as she made her way down. The furs suddenly stopped, the black stone leading down the rest of the way to the cave.

Kagome stopped at the mouth, flabbergasted. The floor ramped down to the base of the cave, into an underground pool. Blue lights from the bottom of the pool flickered on the obsidian walls. Kagome sighed wistfully, kneeling at the water's edge. She moved her hand over the surface, her finger making small ripples in the water.

"This is perfect," Kagome purred, hypnotized as her hand made waves in the glass-smooth water. She stood up reluctantly, promising to come back after she ate with Rin. She walked back to the receiving cave and down the next tunnel.

At the end were a small sleeping area with a futon and three cabinets in the corners with chests all over the room. Kagome walked to each cabinet and opened the doors. The first in the right-hand corner near the entrance was empty, but the one across from it held fur blankets and bathing towels. The next on had two sleeping kimonos. Kagome reached inside and shook them out, examining them for insects. They both were white, with one in Rin's size and the other in Kagome's. Kagome folded them, tucked them under her arm, and left the sleeping cave. She reached the receiving area again and stared at the last cave.

* "Well, this is the last one. If anyone's here, then they're in there." She nodded in determination and walked down the tunnel. This time, the feathers didn't trail before her. Instead, a blue light from the other side leading her way. Kagome stopped in front of another pool. It was the same blue as the bathing pool, but this pool was smaller. Kagome smiled down at it, then turned to leave. She saw something in her peripheral vision. She walked toward it to the right corner of the cave, reached down and picked up a leather sheath.

"What this?" she wondered aloud as she turned it in her hands. The leather was cracked and worn, with heavy water damage. "If this is a sheath, then where's the sword?" Kagome glanced across the water to the wall on the other side. There, in the center of the wall embedded up to the hilt, was the missing sword.

Kagome groaned. "Great. I should just leave it there." Kagome tied the sheath to her hip anyway, and waded across the water to the sword. Kagome moved until the hilt was directly in front of her, then sighed.

"I should leave this here. After all, it's not mine. It probably belongs to whoever lives here. They wouldn't like it if I took it." Kagome's hand wrapped around the hilt, feeling the cracked wood and the scraps of leather under her palm. "But I need something to protect Rin with until I get to the village. I hope they understand." She gave a hard yank on the sword. It slipped out easily and quickly, the momentum knocking Kagome on her butt in the middle of the pool. She stood up, sputtering water, glaring at the sword.

"Oh my God! What am I supposed to do with this thing?" she despaired, pointing the sword's tip to the ceiling so she could see it better. The sword was worst than the sheath. It looked as if it were being eaten alive by rust, some falling off into the water. Whatever leather cords were left on the hilt were hanging on by a thread. The wood was cracked beyond repair. Kagome sighed and put the sword in its sheath.

"Oh well. Its better than nothing." She waded back to the edge of the pool and out of the cave, not noticing the blue lights fading behind her, nor the fact that she was bone dry.*

"Rin," Kagome called as she entered the dining cave. Rin turned and smiled, handing Kagome an orange.

"Here you are, oneechan," she chirped. "Rin doesn't know what they are, but they're good."

Kagome thanked her and peeled the skin off with her nails. As they ate, they talked and joked until they were both full. Kagome lead Rin to the bathing pool in the next cave. Rin marveled for a moment, then tossed off her tattered orange kimono and jumped in. Kagome laughed and joined her, swimming to the far wall. In the wall was a shelf with bathing herbs. There were even some for their hair. Kagome rubbed the herbs against her skin, instructing Rin on how to do the same. When they were finished and their hair washed, they waded out of the pool to the towels at the entrance. As they dried off, Kagome glanced at her arms.

'Wait a minute. Wasn't I cut up earlier?'

The trek through the woods and up the volcano left some cuts and bruises on her arms and legs. She glanced at her hand. The cut she acquired across the palm of her hand coming to the cave was completely healed, along with the rest of her injuries. Kagome shrugged and dressed in her sleeping kimono.

'No need to worry about it. It's a good thing anyway. Besides, what can I do about it?' she assured herself as she lead Rin to the sleeping chambers. Kagome waited until Rin was safely tucked under the covers and asleep before she settled in beside her. The feathers faded to a barely visible glow, much like a nightlight.

Kagome sighed. "The next time I see Kikyou, enemy or not, I swear I'll hug her!" She giggled quietly at the idea of hugging the cold woman, then slipped into sleep.

+++++

He sniffed as he entered the cave, his nose alerted to two foreign scents. One was obviously human, and a small child, but the other was different. She smelled human, but on closer inspection, she didn't. He shook his head, confused, as he made his way to the dining cave. Their scents were here too, the child's lingering longer than the woman-child's.

He followed their scents to the bathing pool, finding their towels folded on the edge of the pool. He turned again, following the woman-child's scent to the last tunnel in the cavern, skipping the sleeping area. He immediately noticed that the feathers lit the way instead of the blue light. The feathers lit the pool, the blue light gone from its depths. He stared at the wall beyond, and found the sword missing.

"It would seem InuTashio did not waste a fang for nothing. "

He turned away and walked toward the sleeping area. The feathers in the room brightened enough for him to see, but not wake the two sleeping. He blinked, confused. 'Why will the feathers not do as I command? They only respond to me and my children.'

He moved to the edge of the bed, studying the woman-child. She was sleeping peacefully, a small smile on her face. Her dark hair flipped in her face and over her shoulder in a midnight stream. He brushed it behind her gently, careful with his claws as he watched her sleep. She sighed and rolled on her back, her hands to her chest. He smiled, then gasped as her scent caressed his nose.

'She smells like…me. But why? She's not a child of mine.' He touched her cheek. Instantly, under his touch, her hair turned from black to silver white. He jerked his hand away and the strands returned to their black color. He gasped. 'She is of me. But how, unless…'

He nodded.

Now he understood.

He smiled and kissed her forehead. The strands flickered between black and white again. Just as he was standing to leave, the child beside her woke up.

"Who are you?" the little girl asked sleepily. He smiled. "Who is she?"

"She's Kagome-oneechan."

"She's your sister?"

"No. Rin has no sisters, but Kagome's just like one. Kagome's so nice. Kagome protects Rin when Sesshoumaru-sama isn't here."

He nodded. He remembered the name of the taiyoukai, but couldn't understand what the three of them had to do with each other. He delved into the woman-child's _Kagome's_ dream. In an instant he was shoved out by another force. He growled; ready to wake her when Kagome giggled and batted at something above her in her sleep. He relaxed and put his finger to his lips.

"Don't tell your onee-chan I was here, o. k.?"

Rin nodded. "What's your name?"

The man smiled. "Narasa."

Rin nodded and went back to sleep.

++++++++

"Seishou, would you calm down please?" Kagome yelled, shattering the peace of the afternoon. She was dreaming again, and who did she find waiting on her, madder than all hell?

Sesshoumaru.

Kagome watched like a spectator at a tennis match as he paced back and forth on the grass in front of her, growling and grumbling something about 'beheading Inuyasha', 'killing Naraku', and 'chaining her to him at all times'.

Kagome huffed. "You're going to have a stroke that way," she warned, singing the words. He glared back at her.

"Well, at least you stopped. Now sit down-"

>Flop!<

"Oops. Sorry Seishou-sensei." She crawled to him and sat down. "Now what's wrong?"

"I have not been able to reach you for two days, my only sign that you are still alive is the fear in your sub-consciousness, and you ask what is wrong?" Sesshoumaru growled, his tail twitching back and forth at the tip of the ? mark.

Kagome reached over and hugged him. "I'm sorry, Seishou-sensei. I didn't mean to make you worry!"

He grumbled something close to 'silly twit' and hugged her back when the subdue spell wore off. Kagome sighed as he pulled her into his lap.

"I've missed you," she whispered.

"You have said this."

"You said you missed me."

"I do."

Kagome turned and kissed his cheek, surprising him.

"What was that for?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"You kissed me, so I kissed you."

"I did not kiss you like that."

Kagome smiled back at him, mischief dancing in her bluish-gray eyes. "I know."

"Are you toying with me, girl?" he asked, amusement in his voice.

"Mayyyy-be."

Sesshoumaru growled playfully and knocked her off his lap. Kagome squealed and tried to crawl away when her legs were jerked from behind. The next thing she knew, Kagome was staring at Sesshoumaru's shirt with her back pressed against the grass.

"Are you toying with me?" she asked, perfectly imitating the taiyoukai above her. Sesshoumaru thought a moment, then

"Mayyyy-be."

Kagome giggled and threw her arms around his neck. "How kawaii!"

Sesshoumaru shook his head in feigned disgust, his hair falling over his shoulders to the ground below her. "Release me, woman."

"Kagome, remember?"

Sesshoumaru sighed. "Yes, I do. Your name will be on my gravestone. It will read something like this:

Here Lies Sesshoumaru

Son of Inutashio

Taiyoukai of the Western Lands

Felled by a Human Miko Named Kagome

Because She Called Him Kawaii and Choked Him In His Sleep

"You will be hunted for years."

Kagome shook her head. "Sick. That was just sick. Don't say stuff like that."

"Why?"

"Because it's not funny."

"Where are you?" he asked, changing the subject.

"In a cave in the side of a black volcano."

"Narasa's Mountain. We are almost there."

"How are the others?" Kagome asked, flipping a piece of his hair off her face.

"They are not pleased with me."

"Why?"

Sesshoumaru propped his elbow beside her head and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. "I told them about the mind link."

"Why?" Kagome asked, tears in her eyes. Sesshoumaru blinked down at her, confused. "Why are you so upset?" he asked.

"Because now you'll stop visiting me."

Sesshoumaru softly traced her eyebrow with his finger. "I will continue to visit you. All this will mean is that they know who is with you when you dream. I said I will protect you, and I will."

"I know." Kagome sighed and closed her eyes, allowing Sesshoumaru's warmth to flow through her body.

"Inuyasha said something…interesting."

Kagome's eyebrow quirked up. "What did he say?"

"That he loves you."

"That was worse than your gravestone comment."

"I am serious."

Kagome thought a moment as Sesshoumaru gazed down at her. She looked up, staring into deep, golden eyes.

"Why did he say that?"

"I will not say. "

"Why?"

"It would hurt you."

"You know I could read your mind, right?"

Sesshoumaru nodded and Kagome sighed in defeat. "I have a better idea. How about I guess what he said? If I'm right, tell me."

Sesshoumaru nodded.

"O. k., first a few questions."

"What is it with you and the questions?"

"Patience is a virtue Seishou-sensei. Question one: Have you seen Kikyou?"

Sesshoumau nodded, then rested his head against her shoulder. The closeness of the position made Kagome blush slightly, but she continued.

"Two: Did Inuyasha talk to her?"

Sesshoumaru nodded again, his head still on her shoulder. Kagome sighed.

"Then she told him that they couldn't be together, didn't she?"

Sesshoumaru glared up at her. "I thought you said you would not read my mind?"

"I didn't. Kikyou is different for some reason, and I just guessed. But if she said that, then the only reason Inuyasha loves me is because of Kikyou, right?"

Nod.

"That's what I thought. Too bad."

Sesshoumaru sat up, his face the perfect picture of confusion. "Too bad?"

Kagome nodded. "That's right. Too bad for him."

"Do you not love him?" Sesshoumaru asked, propping his head up again. Kagome looked away, deep in thought.

"I used to. I mean, there were times when I honestly thought I couldn't live without him. He'd smile at me, and it would just light up my day. Sick, huh?"

Sesshoumaru snorted softly, gazing at a certain miko that made him feel the same way. "Not exactly."

Kagome smiled. "Thanks. Anyway, things have changed. I still care about him, but he isn't as perfect as I used to think he was."

"Inuyasha perfect? You must be delusional."

"I was in love, o. k.? I believed anything he told me, including what he said about you."

"What did he say?" Sesshoumaru asked, wondering to himself why he cared. Kagome taped her chin thoughtfully.

"He called you sadistic, cruel and coldhearted. Sound familiar?"

Sesshoumaru nodded, remembering the last time she said that. "I am all those things."

"No you're not," Kagome argued, scowling. "If you were, you wouldn't keep Rin and Jaken around. The only thing that really irks me about you is your obsession over the Tetsusaiga. It's stupid."

Sesshoumaru shook his head, sitting up and pulling her up as well. "It is not stupid to want ultimate power."

Kagome crossed her legs under her and shook her head. "If you would just take the time to look, you'd see that you received the better sword."

Sesshoumaru, who until then was investigating the white button neck t-shirt he was wearing, glanced at her in surprise. "How is that?" he asked.

Kagome shrugged, the straps to the red halter top rising and falling as she did so. "The way I see it, anyone can have the Tetsusaiga's power. Have you read its insignia? It says 'Destruction'. Anyone can destroy. Its not hard. Low level youkai, humans, even Rin can destroy if you've watched her eat. Give me your sword."

Sesshoumaru untied the Tenseiga and passed it to her. Kagome turned it until she found the insignia.

"See here," she said, pointing to the small kanji that was made where the hilt and the sheath met. "Your insignia says 'Life Renewed '." She passed the sword back to him and sat back against the tree behind her. Sesshoumaru waited patiently, flicking a ladybug off of his dark jeans.

"Yup, I'm right, as always-"

"Get to the point," Sesshoumaru growled.

"I am, jerk. As I was saying, any creature can kill. You don't even need the Tetsusaiga for that. What you don't seem to get is that Inuyasha needs it. It controls his youkai blood, so he can't be without it until he learns control on his own. You could throw the Tenseiga away today and you'll still be Sesshoumaru.

"Your father gave you the most powerful sword in existence. Any sword can kill, but your sword can give life. You could save so many lives, help so many people, with just the flick of your wrist. You have the ultimate power, Sesshoumaru, but you never stop to think about it. All you see is the obvious power of the Tetsusaiga. Its blinding you from appreciating the Tenseiga's true power. There are people, youkai, even gods that would kill to have that kind of power. Once you see that, you'll see the real power behind the sword and come to see that I'm right. As always."

Sesshoumaru sat back, considering her words. 'She might be correct. After all, it is easy to kill, after you get past the idea. How could a creature so young be so wise?' Sesshoumaru returned to the original subject.

"What do you mean by 'you were in love' with Inuyasha?"

Kagome blushed. "Just as I said."

"Then you do not love him?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, I don't."

Sesshoumaru leaned closer to her, his hand resting on the thigh of her blue jeans. "Why?"

Kagome thought for a moment, avoiding Sesshoumaru's inquisitive stare. 'Why don't I love Inuyasha anymore? Its not because he's a jerk, or that he and Kikyou were together though that certainly helps. So what is it?'

'Your heart belongs to another,' a voice whispered in her head. Kagome sighed. 'Who?'

'You know who,' the voice whispered. Kagome looked up, and into Sesshoumaru's eyes. 'I do, don't I?' Kagome thought back to when she was climbing the side of the mountain, so tired and ready to quit, when his voice called to her.

'Hurry up, Kagome. I know your inferior human body can go faster than that. You are not trying.'

* 'Yup, I do.' Kagome knocked Sesshoumaru on his back, straddled his hips, then leaned closer to his face. She stared at him a moment as he looked at her, bewilderment sparkling in his eyes. Kagome smiled and shook her head, her dark hair falling over her shoulder to mix with the white strands on the ground.

"Because," she whispered, lowering her face closer to his. She stopped a breath away from his lips, smiling wickedly.*

"I

Love

^^^^^^^

"you," Kagome whispered as she opened her eyes. She looked around, finding Rin asleep in a ball beside her. Kagome smiled and stood up, heading for the dining cavern. 'I bet Seishou-sensei is mad about that.'

+++++++

Sesshoumaru eyes snapped open. He blinked in confusion for a moment, then cursed. Shippou woke up, tugging Sessoumaru's tail to get his attention.

"Are you o. k., Sesshoumaru?" he asked. Sesshoumaru nodded.

"Is Kagome?"

"Kagome is fine."

The others around him were already up, so when this whispered bit of information passed Sesshoumaru's lips, pandemonium broke out.

"Is she o. k.?" "Is she hurt?" "Where is she?" and other questions rang out into the morning sun. Sesshoumaru raised his hand, silencing all but Inuyasha.

"How is she, Sesshoumaru?" he demanded.

"They are fine," Sesshoumaru informed him, reminding everyone that there was a child missing also.

"Where is she?"

"She is not far from here," Sesshoumaru said as he stood up. The others sighed in relief, resuming their morning duties. Inuyasha glared at Sesshoumaru as he brushed off his pants.

"Did you tell her what I said?"

"Hai."

Inuyasha beamed. "What'd she say?"

Sesshoumaru regarded him behind his mask of boredom with mischief. 'I suppose I should tell him the truth, even though the little minx didn't tell me who the other man was.' He remembered the last time they raced motorcycles in her dreamscape, and what she said when he told her she was going to lose. Sesshoumaru smiled and rested his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Inuyasha, you do not have a snowball's chance in Hell."

He walked away, leaving the others in open mouthed shock. Shippou, being the only one to hear Kagome say that when she was studying for a test, burst into giggles as he and Sesshoumaru headed toward Narasa's Mountain.