Chapter 2
"It seems Rin has gotten a hold of you." Sango smiled as she saw Kagome walk into the kitchen, the flowers still in her hair, Shippo in her arms. Kagome smiled as she saw the much more comfortable looking Sango, wearing dark gray sweat pants and loose shirt hanging off of one shoulder. Miroku was still in his tie and button up, but the jacket was gone, replaced by an apron with his sleeves rolled up and the tie loose at his neck.
Kagome touched the flowers atop her head and smiled. "Oh, yeah. . ."
"That child is obsessed with flowers. . ." Miroku smiled as he leaned against the counter of the kitchen, in front of the large rice cooker.
Kagome smiled as pulled Shippo higher on her hip. "I saw that. The crown she made for herself was beautiful, and Sesshomaru seemed happy with it. You should have. . ."
"Sesshomaru?" Miroku and Sango said together, astonished that Kagome was saying his name without the honorific, and that she had actually met him.
Kagome scowled as she sat at one of the stools along anther counter. "Um . . . yeah. I'm not really sure what his relation with Rin is, but he showed up in the gardens right after I found Rin and Shippo playing . . ."
"Shippo played with Rin? Are you sure?" Miroku asked, his eyebrows cocked at unsure angles.
"Of course I'm sure. They made this wreath together." Kagome said, touching the flowers on her head and getting annoyed that there was something wrong with her son being friendly.
"So, Sesshomaru-sama saw Shippo and Rin playing and didn't order that the boy leave her alone, and you called Sesshomaru-sama just Sesshomaru and he didn't break your arm for it?" Sango asked, having stopped her string to stare at the Guide of Spirits before her.
"Um, I didn't say anything to him, and why is Shippo playing with Rin such a bad thing? They were having innocent fun." Kagome scowled.
"Oh. . ." Was all Miroku said, and went to stir what Sango had stepped away from.
"What is going on?" Kagome mean to ask softly, but she was too tired and annoyed and it came out growling at the end.
Sango stood before Kagome, leaning her elbows on the counter Kagome sat at. "Sesshomaru-sama is very protective of his Rin, and believe me, she is his. He was the one that had found her after her family was killed in a burglary and she's to him like Shippo is to you. Sesshomaru-sama doesn't let anyone, not even Koga's kid, play with Rin, thinking they'll hurt her or they're not worth her time."
Kagome was still confused. "So. . . you're shocked because Sesshomaru-sama saw them playing together?"
"No," Sango smiled in awe, "We're speechless that Sesshomaru-sama didn't threaten your life for letting your son play with her. He told Koga to keep his son away from Rin if he wanted to have another."
"Wow. . . he didn't do anything but nod and say 'Hm' at us." Kagome remembered, seeing in her mind his gorgeous honey eyes staring at her.
"That is really surprising. Normally that bastard doesn't talk to strangers." A man said as he walked into the kitchen and Kagome was shocked. He had long white hair to his rear, a black t-shirt and loose jeans, and the same honey eyes as this Sesshomaru-sama. He also sported a pair of small, white inu ears.
"Kagome, this is Inuyasha, the financial manager of the bar and Sesshomaru's brother." Sango smiled, the awe of the Sesshomaru encounter over.
Kagome smiled and bowed her head to the man. "Nice to meet you."
Inuyasha nodded his head. "Hey."
"Well, this is a little weird. I leave Kikyo in one room and see her in another." Koga laughed as he stood behind Inuyasha. Kagome scowled, until she saw a slightly older version of herself walk into the room and kiss Inuyasha on the cheek.
"Wow, Sango, how did we miss that?" Miroku asked, looking from the young Spirit Guide sitting before him and Inuyasha's mate in the middle of the kitchen next to her mate.
Kikyo looked Kagome up and down, like everyone else had today, but instead of giving Kagome a soft smile, she sneered slightly. "You're that Spirit Guide Raina's daughter, aren't you?"
Kagome felt her eyes water but she held her comfortable, normal smile. "The late Raina, I'm afraid."
"What a loss, she was a strong woman." Kikyo spat, as if even she didn't believe in what she was saying. Just then, the bell for the food went off.
"Will this banter stop so that this Sesshomaru can eat?"
Everyone looked to see Sesshomaru standing in the doorway to the dining room, Rin at his side. He had that same empty look on his face, and Rin was wearing a smile, which only intensified when she saw Kagome and Shippo and she started waving at them excitedly.
"Sesshomaru-sama, can Kagome-san and Shippo sit next to me at dinner?" Rin asked excitedly, her flower wreath still atop her head. Sesshomaru nodded and Rin squealed before she walked over to Kagome and offered the young woman her hand.
"Come Kagome-san, I'll show you where we sit!" Rin grinned, and pulled the staring Kagome up out of her chair and lead her past everyone in the kitchen and past Sesshomaru into the dining room. Sesshomaru looked at everyone once, before he quickly flowed after his charge and the young woman.
"Well, nice to know the Spirit girl he doesn't know is higher on his list then his own brother." Kikyo glared as she stood close to Inuyasha.
"Well, if Inuyasha would stop calling him bastard and filth, maybe he'd go up a few notches." Sango laughed as she picked up some of the food and walked through the swinging door into the dining hall.
"How old are you Kagome-san? What is your power? I know everyone here is special, even the humans, so what makes you special?" Rin rattled off quickly a moment before she shoved a a large bite of rice into her mouth.
Kagome breathed a chuckle after Rin quickly asked her so many questions. "Well, I'll be 20 in 2 months, I am a Guide to the Spirits, and so I guess that makes me special."
Rin's tiny brown eyes lit up at that. "What's a Guide to the Spirits?"
"Well, it's a modern day miko, in a way. We purify that which is tainted by evil, we guide lost souls into the light of the kami, and we defend those who have no power to defend themselves, lots of stuff." Kagome explained, not realizing that all eyes were on her, and Shippo became excited.
"Kagome mama is super strong! There was this one time, this bear demon was thrashing through the temples in the mountain, and with one shot of her arrow Kagome mama had it on the ground." Shippo explained dramatically, adding sound affect where he thought was necessary.
Rin seamed incredibly interested and the two children started to talk amongst each other about Kagome's exploits.
"Is it true that Spirit Guides were blessed with long life by the kami's?" Sango asked Kagome, across the table the young girl.
Kagome pushed a lock of her long hair behind her ear. "Yes, we were. Depending on the Guide, they can live to 600."
"How do you know?" Miroku asked, interested in the workings of the incredibly private affairs of the Spirit Guides. They hated talking to outsiders beyond helping them. It was nearly impossible to get a normal Spirit Guide to talk about their way, powers, and lives.
Not Kagome, she seemed happy to explain all questions she had an answer to.
"Well, that is how old the Guide in the mountain shrine is." Kagome said simply, taking a bite of the delicious food.
"Fascinating." Miroku breathed, and Kagome smiled, even as Kikyo frowned.
"How do you know this woman is not lying to you about her age?" Kikyo asked, the sneer in her voice only notice by the demons in the room. Shippo got angry and had stopped talking to Rin as he stared at Kikyo. How dare this human lady say that to his Kagome mama.
"Spirit Guides, real ones, can't lie." Shippo corrected the women, annoyed and ridged in his seat.
Kagome smiled down at her kit and kissed the top of his head. "She was only asking a question Shippo, its okay."
"No she wasn't." Sango said under her breath a second before she shoveled food into her mouth and looked away as Inuyasha glared at her.
Dinner was eaten in silence for a time after that, and Kagome couldn't help notice everyone that ate at the table.
Inuyasha and his wife were sitting at the farthest end of the table from Kagome, and across from them was Koga and what appeared to be his mate with their son, a boy who looked about 8 or 9, who had introduced himself to Kagome as Hiro, her future husband. Next to Inuyasha were Miroku and Sango, who were sitting across from Kagome and Shippo. No one sat next to Sango, and beside Shippo were Rin and Sesshomaru, who had yet to say anything all night.
Suddenly, and small green demon rushed into the dining hall and made his way to their table. He carried a strange staff with him, two head wrapped together, and his robes said vassal of some kind.
"Forgive my, my lord, but Ah-un just would not come home until he found something to eat." He little creature said in a squeaky, deep voice, if that were possible, and he sat down in front of Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru only gave the little demon man a nod and continued eating, but Rin seamed excited as she looked at the impossible.
"Jaken, did you and Ah-un have a fun time? I bet it was lots of fun!" Rin prattled on, her voice as excited as always. She seemed very happy that the silence in the room was over. Jaken, did not.
"Rin." Sesshomaru said simple, quietly under his breath, and the little girl sopped bombarding the imp demon with questions.
"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama." Rin smiled and sat quietly sat and waited for the imp to reply, which he never did. The little creature simply filled his plate with food and sat back to eat. He finally looked up, and that was when he noticed Kagome.
"Does Lady Kikyo have a sister?" Jaken asked quietly, scowling at Kagome a minute before he looked at Kikyo. He quickly looked away from the fuming woman, her eyes ablaze with anger.
"No, I do not have a sister. That child and I are nothing alike." Kikyo growled, Inuyasha placing a hand on her back to try and calm her down.
"No need to say that, woman, we all know you are nothing like the Spirit Guide."
Everyone stared wide eyed at the demon at the end of the table, who kept his eyes closed as he silently ate.
"W-well. . . Kagome, what was it like with your family?" Sango tried, yet again, to include Kagome and diffuse the tension in the room. The poor demon hunter was having the worst trouble with her journey for success.
It was Shippo who answered, most of his food gone from his plate. "It was great! Kagome mama would go to school during the day, while I and papa worked on our and Kagome's house's! Raina would always let me help her with her chores around the shrine, and Mr. Higurashi would always show me the different types of seals. Then when Kagome mama would come home and she would train or we would play!"
"That sounds very exciting!" Sango smiled, happy to see the seemingly pensive boy finally smiling.
"It was! My papa was even helping me with my kitsune magic! Kagome mama was the most help with it though. Papa loved it when Kagome mama helped me." Shippo giggled, hugging Kagome's arm.
"Your papa must have been very happy to have Kagome around." Miroku smiled, wondering how close the Guide was to the demon that his child would call her mama.
"Yup, he was going to ask Kagome mama to marry him. . ." and suddenly, Shippo became very quiet and Kagome felt her breath catch.
'Shippo has to be joking! Why would Dai want to marry me? He didn't love me. . . He loved Natsumi, not me!" Kagome thought, and managed to keep a straight look on her face. She looked down at the now very overwhelmed kitsune as his eyes filled with tears.
Miroku smiled at them, trying to bring the little demon fox's smile back. "It sounds like. . ." he tried, but was cut off as Kagome's eyes shot up to look at his and she shook her head no quickly once.
Kagome didn't want to be in this room anymore, she wanted to take Shippo away and hide with him, getting far away from the worried and curious stares of those at her table. Shippo was very upset, thinking about his papa always did that, and she knew he would be crying soon if anything else about his dead family was said. Kagome herself was overwhelmed, the idea of Dai wanting to mate with her more confusing than anything she heard in a long time, and the looks in everyone's eyes after Shippo had said that was embarrassing.
"I think we should figure out where you're going to have your room Kagome. Normally the human staff of the Shikon House sleep in this main building, but since you've got a special ability, I was thinking you should sleep in one of the demon housings." Sango smiled, and Kagome managed a warm for the woman.
"Oh," Rin exclaimed, bouncing on her floor pillow turning to Sesshomaru, "can Kagome-san please sleep in our house? I promise to show her around, and explain all the important rules! Like no flowers in master Jaken's room."
Sango watched the little girl, feeling bad that her excitement would be so short lived. Rin was always so willing to welcome everyone and be friends, if only Sesshomaru would let her.
"That is a choice for the Guide, not this Sesshomaru." Sesshomaru said simple before taking a slow drink of tea.
Rin turned her large, twinkling eyes on Kagome. "Oh, please, Kagome-san! Please, please, please."
"Rin." Sesshomaru corrected and the little girl stopped begging to simply smile at Kagome.
Kagome smiled back at the little girl, then turned to Sango, whose mouth was hanging like her jaw was on a broken hinge. "Is that alright, Sango?"
"Uh, yeah, of course it's okay. We'll have some of the man take your belonging to an available room in the west house." Sango stammered, then quickly bowed to her table and excused herself to do just that.
Shippo looked up at Kagome, his little eyes puffy with tears he wouldn't let fall in front of all those around him. "Kagome mama, can we be excused?"
Kagome smiled and pushed his bangs back to kiss his forehead, neither of them caring about the affection they showed in front of the strangers.
"Yes, we can. How about a little walk before bed?" Kagome smiled and Shippo sniffled lightly and nodded.
"Good night." Kagome sighed softly, bowing her head to the table before she stood and picked Shippo up. She didn't look back as she walked past the workers tables and into the kitchen, making her to the impressively calming garden.
Ayame grinned wildly as she watched the young woman leave. "I like her! Her scent is beautifully sweet." She giggled.
"I agree." Hiro grinned, getting a quickly laugh from his mother and father.
Miroku nodded with a smile. "That's the purity of it. All Spirit Guides smell like that."
"Feh, how do you know what she smells like? Just 'cause you teach demon's doesn't mean you have their noses." Inuyasha snorted, holding his wife close to his side.
"That does not mean he is unaware of her presents. A scent is part of a being, and since the Guide is pure, her scent would be also. I am sure you have a brain, even for simple half-breed, why don't you use it." Sesshomaru said simply as he stood up at the table. Inuyasha was going to throw an insult at his pompous older brother, but Sesshomaru spoke before he could.
"You will come to this Sesshomaru with your reports after you have finished," Sesshomaru said simply, looking down that the imp, then turned to Rin, "come." he finished, and walked away, toward the kitchen. Rin giggled and quickly bowed her head before she skipped after the man.
"Jackass." Inuyasha growled under his breath.
"You're just jealous pup." Koga laughed before he stood and offered his wife and son a grin, "let's go."
"What would you be jealous of?" Kikyo glared and she folded her arms over her chest.
"Nothing." Inuyasha rolled his eyes, annoyed that the wolf was more perceptive then he had thought he would be.
"It's okay Shippo, I'm right here." Kagome whispered, holding the kitsune close to her chest as he cried quietly in the cool night. She knew it wouldn't be long before his strength buckled and the poor boy started crying.
"I miss them." Shippo cried, burying his face in Kagome's hair.
"I know, I miss them to. So very, very much." Kagome whispered as she slowly began to rock Shippo in her arms. She hummed their song in her ear and rubbed his back, it began slowing down his tears. After a few minutes of crying, Shippo grew quiet and Kagome smiled.
Shippo pulled back and wiped his face clear of his tears. "I think I'm all cried out."`
Kagome nuzzled her nose against the boys and grinned. "That's good."
"Shippo! Shippo, Kagome-san! Are you out here?"
Kagome looked to the door leading inside and saw Rin walking out of it, a smile on her face as she made her way toward Kagome and Shippo.
"Yes Rin?" Kagome smiled as Shippo turned in her lap to smile at the girl.
Rin stopped in front of Kagome with a soft smile. "Are you okay Shippo?"
Shippo sniffled and nodded. "I'm okay. Does Sesshomaru-sama know you're out here?" Shippo asked, almost worried.
"Of course he does, see." Rin giggled excitedly.
Kagome looked to where Rin was pointing. There, outlined by the light from inside, was the figure that she assumed was Sesshomaru. His leaned against the door frame, his arms crossed, and his hair that lay over his shoulder that leaned outside and it waved softly in the breeze.
"Rin," Kagome figured she would ask this since she knew Shippo wasn't quite ready to talk yet, "why did you ask Sesshomaru-sama if I could live in your house?"
Rin grinned warmly. "I wanted my friends close. I don't have many friends, just Sesshomaru-sama, Jaken, and Ah-un."
"Well, that's enough for me." Kagome smiled and Rin giggled.
"Come." Sesshomaru said from the doorway and Kagome scowled. He was very good at ordering people around, but a please every once in a while would be nice.
Rin pulled at one of Kagome's hands and lifted her off of the concrete bench around the large tree and pulled her toward the demon in the doorway.
"Yes Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin smiled, releasing Kagome's hand to smile up at Sesshomaru. Instead of looking Kagome up and down like everyone else seemed to be doing, he looked into Kagome's eyes. His golden eyes finally had a glimmer of emotion in them.
Understanding. Sesshomaru looked away from Kagome and she finally let go of the breath she was unconsciously holding.
"Your room is ready." Was all Sesshomaru said over his shoulder as he walked away, and Kagome was shocked at the thought that passed through her mind.
'What do I care if he walks away from me.' Kagome told herself, then she and the Rin followed after him.
Rin skipped between Kagome and Sesshomaru, humming to herself and playing with a loose lotus flower in her hands. She was more than happy that Kagome was going to be living with her. It was sure to be lots of fun with friends so close, especially friends that Sesshomaru approved of.
Kagome was sad to admit that she was mesmerized by the swish of Sesshomaru's hair. The way it's soft silver glimmered in the light, the sound it made as he moves. She didn't even realize that they were out of the main, or south, house and walking into the west house until she left Shippo gasp in her arms.
Kagome was about to ask Shippo what was wrong when she finally looked around and was shocked herself.
The inside of the West house was stunning. The warm reds and comforting navies that covered the entrance and art work, the neutral wall colors and traditional screens, it was gorgeous.
Sango smiled as she saw Kagome walk in after Sesshomaru, who had made his way up the stairs already. "It's beautifully decorated, isn't it? Sesshomaru-sama made sure that everything was up to his royal standards."
Kagome's eyes bulged. "Royal?"
Rin giggled. "Don't you know Kagome-san? Sesshomaru-sama was the demon King of the western lands a long time ago."
Kagome's mind finally clicked all the pieces together. No wonder he was so stoic and cool, he had been raised to be. No wonder everyone was so shocked that he was talking to lowly little her. He was king!
"I had no idea . . ." Kagome breathed, and Rin giggled.
"Don't worry, you're new so you don't have to know. I'll teach you!" Rin giggled a moment before she tried to hide her yawn.
Sango laughed. "Come on Kagome, I'll show you where your room is."
They walked up the stairs slowly, Shippo slowly falling asleep against Kagome with each step she ascended. By the time they reached the eighth and final floor, the kitsune was dead weight in Kagome's arms.
Sango smile as she looked back at Kagome. "He's so sweet."
"Yeah." Was all Kagome said, not realizing how tired she was until they had gotten up the stairs. It had been so long since she had really slept. The hotel she had been staying is was uncomfortable at best, not to mention the nightmares that plagued her little kitsune.
"I'm going to go to bed now, see you tomorrow!" Rin smiled before she walked to one of room Kagome and Sango walked past.
Sango continued to walk down the hall and smiled at the young woman beside her. Kagome looked so tired, and her actions proved that she was. She was humming softly as she rubbed Shippo's back in small circles, her eyes dangerously close to closing.
Finally, just as Kagome was finding it hard to walk in a straight line, they made it to the room the Sesshomaru had specifically asked Kagome be put in.
"Here we are." Sango smiled and opened the door for Kagome, who stumbled inside. She was going to walk in after and help the sleepy girl, but was stopped.
Kagome barely realized where she was, her body and mind so exhausted. She was fairly sure that the one helping her into the room was Sango, and was vaguely aware that said someone was helping her with her sweater, boots, and crown of flowers.
"Thank you." Kagome whispered as she knelt to the ground on a warm, fluff futon on the ground. She snuggled into the sheets and sighed, sleeping more soundly then she had in 3 months.
"You're welcome." he whispered as he pulled the blanket over the Guide and young kitsune.
