Chapter three: The Plan Decided

Kagome drug her hand through the clear and cool blue water. The summer seemed not to be affecting the waters refreshing temperature. She had been restricted to her room for a whole week; only going out to go to the restroom. Part of it was due to her condition; she had only now felt complete healed of her injuries. She let out a deep sigh. What was she going to do?

Inu no Tashio and Sesshoumaru had not been seen ever since she first arrived. She was thankful for being rescued but now she was wondering if in this large fortress if they had simply forgotten her. Or maybe she was to leave on her own? Something had to be done. She had to find a way back to her time; or really Inuyasha's time.

"Miko?" She turned suddenly making sure to keep her balance on the ledge of the "youkai-made" pond to see a slightly smiling Inu no Tashio only a few feet away. She hurried to stand and bow but he waved her off and he too came on took a seat on the ledge. "How did you wonder out here?"

"Well…" He was looking at her expectantly and she sighed, not wanting to lie to the one who had took her in. "I got bored in that room! And I've been there all week and I really am feeling a whole lot better and yeah, I just wanted to look around and I found this garden and this pond so I just thought I would rest for awhile." She finished with a heavy breath.

Inu no Tashio chuckled at her. "My, I don't know if I have heard anyone talk so fast." He told her and she bowed her head slightly.

"I've been told that." She replied quietly with thoughts of Inuyasha. He must be worried sick about her.

"Yes well I am also surprised that you speak so freely to youkai. I hear you have made friends in the East wing?" She smiled at him not sure of how much she should tell him, if anything at all. She never thought to treat youkai any differently than she did humans but perhaps she should have done so in order to not stand out? He took a deep breath next to her. It was strange that his sons seemed so much different than he.

"Now Kagome I am sorry that I have not been to talk to you. Although I did tell Sesshoumaru to check in on and suggested that he take you out of your room." Kagome could not contain her laugh at this and Inu no Tashio joined in after a few seconds. "Yes I suppose that that was not wise of me to think that he would actually do it."

"You're so different the-" her eyes went wide with shock as she realized what she had been about to say! This is why she had to leave as soon as possible; she was horribly at lying! She would let things slip that weren't suppose to. She smiled nervously at the youkai who was now giving her a curios look.

"Kagome you cannot pretend that there is not something…unusual about you. Can you tell what this all about?" He asked her so sweetly and Kagome almost grunted in frustration.

"Iun no Tashio-sama" she began but he caught her off.

"Simply Inu no Tashio." She nodded as she tried again to explain, without explaining anything at all.

"I am not from here." She said slowly and he laughed.

"This much I could tell by your strange clothes and your speech." She faked a smile. Yes she defiantly needed to try to fit in. she sighed.

"I'm sorry, but the truth is that I am from the future…well really the future of the future, but that's not the point." She expected him to interrupt but he merely raised an eyebrow at her. "The point is that I am not suppose to be here and I need to find my way back but I have no idea how to do that. And also, although I would like to answer question concerning your future I really can't. I think it would be a big mistake." She finished hoping that he would understand. He smiled in his easy way.

"I see." He told her and she laughed knowing that he could not possible "see". "And what is that you're carrying inside of you? It projects power and would be sought after by many youkai. It is what got you taken by Hukin is it not?"

She nodded. "Yes, well, in my time I fell through a well and went 500 years into the past where I met- um- a friend...well we were not friends immediately, but anyway! I kind of saved him but only to have this jewel that an evil hanyou was after. And I broke it so it was my duty to travel back and forth through time with, this friend, and get and protect this jewel…we had just completed it when I was brought to this time…I know this all really confusing." Now she did grunt in frustration; what was she doing trying to explain all of this? She wanted him to trust her and to understand her situation. After all she would need his help.

Inu no Tashio was trying hard to take in all she said. Her eyes where in her lap where her hands also laid. "A hanyou has been powerful enough to cause a threat?"

Ironic for him to say, seeing that he'll sire a pretty powerful one himself. She though with dry humor. But to his credit he had not said in disgust like Sesshoumaru would, only in mild wonder.

"Yes he has been wrecking havoc for years, but I think we got it under control." She told him and he continued looking at her with a puzzling look.

"I see." He replied for the second time; usually a youkai of great social ability she had floored him with her short and confusing story. She sighed again and he searched for something to tell her.

Originally he had only thought she would be of great use if he could convince her to side with him, but now he was thinking of a way that he could help the poor girl. He smirked; there was one that may be able to help. He made minor adjustments to his former plan, wondering if it would work.

"Do you know me in the future?" he saw her tense and was slightly sorry that he had asked, but he could not help his curiosity; it was in his blood.

Kagome knew this was dangerous territory but she tried to give him an answer nonetheless. "I don't think I should answer. I don't want to change history." Inu no Tashio nodded, knowing that to be a yes of some sort. If she didn't at least know of him in the future then she would have simply said no.

"Well, Kagome, I think that I may be able to help you." Blue eyes brightened and looked up at him. "But I will need to research the matter for myself before I tell you." She seemed disappointed but recovered quickly.

"I will be eternally grateful!" She with a smile and a small bow. He stood and reached out to ruffle her hair. He couldn't help; there was something so innocent and pure about her. She looked surprised but relaxed with a confused smile.

"Consider me a friend little miko. I will look to this matter now; seeing that it is top priority." He turned from and walked away. "I will have someone to get you for dinner."

Kagome watched him as he went. This was the great Inu no Tashio: father of both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. She smiled. No he was not what she expected at all. He was not as snippy and rough as Inuyasha nor as cold and distant as Sesshoumaru. Actually he seemed to be the opposite of those things.

She sat a while longer lost in thought. Her mind drifted to what would become of Inu no Tashio and his two sons. It left earning to know what had really happened. Where was Sesshoumaru's mother? How had the youkai become so cold?

"My lady?" She looked up to see Herion, a female youkai that had been waiting on her for the last week. How strange- a youkai waiting on a human. But this youkai was both sweet and humble; never had she showed any hostility.

"Hi Herion, and please it's just Kagome." She said with a smile and the female nodded.

"Yes, we did not know where you had gone, Kagome. Please come and have dinner?" Kagome smiled again as she stood.

"Just lead the way to the way!" The youkai smiled and did so.

Iiioooiiioooiiioooiii

The youkai stopped walking. It was late or early really. Within this hour the sun would rise into the sky. Usually those wishing to seek out Yenia would search for day to find her, but he had a privilege. The two happened to be good old friends and he had only to call for her and she would come. The only point he traveled as far as he did was to get away from any who may listen; friend or foe. Perhaps he should have gone further but he wished to return as soon as possible.

Letting his aura flare to almost its full potential he said softly, "Gasiu no te Yenia." Come now Yenia.

He only waited a few minutes before a movement among the trees caught his eye. He pulled his aura back into himself. The female wore a black kimono. Her ink black hair was almost long enough to touch the ground and her old and wise eyes held every color imaginable in them; she was after all not of this world and could hardly be contained to look normal. "Inu no Tashio, to what do I owe another meeting from you so soon?" She asked smoothly and he took a few steps towards her.

"Do you not know already why I come?" he asked and she shrugged gracefully. He sighed. The only down side to seeking her out was that her position caused her to be secretive, often speaking in riddles and half truths. "A miko from the future has dropped into my hands."

Her eyes gleamed. "Has she?" she asked and Inu no Tashio nodded.

"Is this the result of what I last came to speak to you about?" Once again she did not give him a direct answer.

"What does that matter Inu no Tashio? If fate has dropped her in your hands like you say, who are you to shun that?" he only nodded in response. "Tell what else troubles you."

He leaned his back into a tree looking in to her multicolored eyes. How many times had he tried to name all the colors? But it was pointless; it was like perfect painting; all the colors merging together in harmony.

"Is she to stay in this time?" He told her and she smiled but sadly.

"No. This is not where she belongs." She answered him.

"Then will you provide a way for her to get back?" he asked her expectantly

"It could be arranged. But I will not come to her; she must seek me out herself." She told him strictly, but he had expected as much.

"My son could escort her." At this her smile became large and her eyes shined with humor.

"Are you sure he will agree?" she asked and Inu no Tashio laughed. His son would not go freely.

"No, but I will ask the miko to take down the evil miko witch. And I will send Sesshoumaru for her protection and supervision. Seeking you out will be for afterwards." She looked at him thoughtful in the way she always did. He knew that she knew how things would end up, but never the less she would not tell him.

"I look forward to meeting them." She finally said as the first pink rays hit the sky. He knew how she hated to be out in the sun and turned to make his leave.

"Thank you Yenia." He told her knowing that their friendship had always given him an upper ground. "I will speak with you again soon."

"Inu no Tashio." Her voice called back with and edge and when he turned to look into her eyes he found sadness. "I fear that my magic has done what I cannot control. There are many factors involved and I see pain is an easy outcome." He thought over what he had last spoke to her about. His firstborn's future. The blue eyes of the miko filled his mind and he wondered if his trust was misplaced in her.

"I am aware of that. But I feel this is what should be done." He told her and she nodded as she turned in the opposite direction he was going.

"Then so be it Inu no Tashio. So be it."

iiioooiiioooiiioooiii

Sesshoumaru watched her carefully, making sure to keep both him and his aura indictable. This really was a strange place for her to be seeing that it was on the western side of the house and her own room was on the eastern. Initially he had attended to tell her to return to her room. After all it was late, well after midnight and she was wondering close to the private family wing of the fortress. Upon encountering her, however, he was unable to intrude.

She was in the hall of art. He himself had come here at times to think or clear his mind. His late mother had contributed to the wall greatly. And she a human miko, examining each piece with a trained eye. It had never accrued to him that humans enjoyed such things as art, not to mention cared to take the time to understand.

But he stood corrected. He could tell by her simple body language which masterpieces she liked and which she did not. For a miko she wore her emotions on her sleeve quite readily. His father had left the previous afternoon without so much as telling him why. He knew Inu no Tashio was up to something. This could be told by how greatly he was avoiding him and giving him aggravating task. Such as watching over the miko he now observed.

He had been watching her for some time now; how much he wasn't sure. He noted each one of her small steps and the way she folded her arms across her body. He set his ears to listen to her heartbeat and her calm breathing. She was completely relaxed and at ease. Strange for a human miko in a structure filled with youkai.

She sighed in content. She had been at this painting for a very long time. It was a painting of a sunrise over the water, but if one looked into the reflection they would see the shimmer of the moon underneath. The sun and moon were connected; completely different and yet solely relaying on each other. Unified.

He closed his eyes searching for anyone in the halls; there was no one. Only servants cleaning a ways off. He stretched his senses further to reveal that Inu no Tashio was a mile or so away. He would be here shortly.

He turned his attention back to the girl. She had moved on the the next painting; Inu no Tashio in his full beast form. Her blue eyes lingered on the red eyes and her hand was reaching out to touch it. Such a painting should have disgusted a miko.

He felt his father aura searching out the castle for something. He assumed that he had been searching for the miko, he could see his father's aura touch her own and she had not even noticed. A second later he felt his father's aura land on him in first surprise and then amusement. He growled lightly, his own aura pushing at his fathers.

He was discovered. The miko had suddenly tensed and was looking around the hall uneasily. "Sesshoumaru…" She did not say it to address him but more voicing her revelation that he was in the hall with her.

Kagome's eyes widened as Sesshoumaru stepped into view. From they way he did so it seemed like he was…spying. But not that could not possibly be right! And she was surely not going to ask him. Atleast not right now when she did not know his intent.

Truth be told she had not planned to explore for so long- but she had gotten lost through all the twist and turns and had ended up her. The art was beautiful and remind her greatly about the time she had visited an art museum in Tokyo. "Why are you here?"

He asked and she noticed that he seem slightly annoyed. Had she done something? She looked him over closely; she had never had a real conversation with him before, here or in the future, and the prospect of doing so was very attractive in some way. Sesshoumaru had always seemed a puzzle to her and always drawn her attention. Not to mention how obviously attractive he was. But of course he was- he was the Taiyoukai of the west. Or soon to be whatever. The point was that he was a great and powerful youkai so of course he was attractive. A blush rose on her cheeks. There was no harm in admitting the truth, she told herself calmly. Not like she was going to crush on him or anything.

"Um...Well I got lost..." she told him dumbly and he only continued looking at her.

"I was unaware the human took such interest in art." Her eye twitched upon his assumption of humans.

"I'm sure you are unaware of a lot things we do." She said a bit sarcastically and in an instance her hands flew to her mouth in shock that she had done so.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You speak freely." He commented and she tried laughing it off.

"Yeah I've been meaning to work on that." She replied dumbly and he looked at the painting that she had been looking out just before she had heard him growl and felt his aura. He regarded it coolly and then turned his golden eyes back to her.

"Perhaps you should work harder." He told her coldly and she took a step back from him. "You are not disgusted by a youkai in his real form."

It took a second for her mind to register what he was talking about but then her eyes landed on the picture of the transformed dog youkai and she understood. "No I think it's beautiful. In a frightfully beautiful way." She said softly and Sesshoumaru hid his surprise at her words. It was one thing for a miko to speak freely around youkai and completely different matter for a miko to regard them as beautiful. "Is it Inu no Tashio?" her blue eyes looked up to his and he nodded.

"Why are you so familiar around me?" Kagome tensed at the question. She knew what he meant; she had been bad at acting like she had no clue who he or Inu no Tashio was and also at fearing them.

She laughed nervously again. "What do you mean?" He eyed her but said nothing. Unable to keep the intense stare she looked back at the painting. She walked past him, stopping at the painting of both the moon and the sun. "This one is my favorite." She told him, mainly to fill in the gape of silence.

"Where did you learn your appreciate of art?" Oh so he was on that high horse again? She sighed.

"Where I come from it's kinda an important thing." She said absently and she heard him take a step closure to her.

"Where do you come from?" Really did he have to ask so many questions? The Sesshoumaru she knew would have never done so! Wasn't he suppose to just be all cold and walk away or something? Well he was still a bit cold…

"A place far far away." She told with a smile but he did not seemed amused. She watched as he noticeably tensed and stepped away from her.

From the end of the hall came Inu no Tashio. She smiled brightly upon seeing him, having been waiting for his return hoping he had found a way home for her.

Inu no Tashio smiled at his sons anger but did not meet his gaze. "Kagome, How nice to see you! Although I do wonder how you got all the way over here." At this he did shot a glance at Sesshoumaru who did nothing in return to answer him.

"I'm sorry! I just got a little lost and I ran into this hall and I really liked looking at this art. And then Sesshoumaru came just now." She added in her cheerful voice and Inu no Tashio's smile widened. His Son scent had been in this hall for a lot more then 'just now'. It was more like close to an hour. So he had observed the miko?

"I see. Well perhaps you can see more art tomorrow? There is much more that I can show you. However, it is late and I think that you should get some sleep." He watched as blue eyes sparked infront of him.

"Really? That would be great." She said joyfully although he could smell her wonder.

"Be not worried. I will speak to you tomorrow on my research." At this his son shot him a rather intense glare. Oh well. He would know soon enough.

The miko smiled again and nodded her head. "Okay. I guess I'll go to bed." He watched amused as she turned and then paused as if debating with herself. In defeat she turned back to face them.

"I have no idea where I am at." She sighed helplessly and Inu no Tashio chuckled.

"Sesshoumaru I seek a word with you. Take her to her room and then meet me in my office." He turned and left before his son could argue, but the annoyed and angry aura was enough for him to know his son was upset. He smiled.

Kagome waited awkwardly while Sesshoumaru continued to glare at his father. He was outwardly upset and acting…not childish! But more childish then she had ever seen him act. It was the closest thing to pouting she was sure to encounter concerning the youkai in front of her. It was kind of cute. She wondered distantly just how old he was.

"How old are?" The random question brought him back to her blue eyes.

"127 years old." He said before pushing past her, leading the way to her room. She remained silent for only a few seconds.

"well that's not that old! You must have been young when-" she stopped her talking and he wondered what she was going on about.

"Again miko, you speak with such familiarity. I must have been young when what?" he asked her rather sharply and she searched for a subtle answer.

"When umm your mother passed." Kagome felt like melting in to the floor! That really was not something she wanted to bring up but she could think of nothing else to cover her tracks. She was sure that Inu no Tashio would tell him about her being from the future but she did not care to answer all his questions nor explain the whole story. What she had really been wondering was if he was young when he took over the western lands. How old was he in Inuyasha's time?

He paused at her statement and she nervously wondered if he would kill her. Golden eyes flickered back at her and then he continued walking. She let a deep breath. "She died when I was 54." She was utterly shocked to stillness as he relayed the information to her.

Why was he telling her? Especially since she had brought it up so bluntly.

Sesshoumaru himself was wondering what made him say that, since he had never before discussed such matters with anyone before. Perhaps it was because he was not describing how she dies or the exact effects her death had, but was merely telling her a fact. The miko was also lying. That was only a cover up to what she was previously going to say.

The entered the east wing with silence. "Do they dress so indecently where you come from?" Kagome was surprised that he had decided to talk to her again and it pulled her out of sulking over the last comment she had made.

She thought over to the jeans and tank top she had been wearing before. "Well, that's actually pretty decent where I come form." She said in her defense and he made something of a snort.

"Then perhaps The place you come from is overall indecent. Seeing that I suppose they do not teach one to hold their tongues either." He said the last part harsh enough for her to wince. She was glad when she saw her door up ahead. He stopped walking and she timidly continued.

"Yeah, I guess your right." She managed to mumble dumbly. She walked faster to her door glad to get away from him.

Once in her room she let out a deep sigh. She could not wait to leaves this time!

a/n: WOW. Thanks so much for the response to the first two chapters!! Writing so far has gone really fun:] super sorry for such the late update! there's been alot on my plate:/

If it if not apparent now; this is a sess and Kag fic. Thanks to all who said to go on with it! Im super excited. I hopes that my writing will improve [were my sentences better..a little little? ]

Once again plz feel free to make any suggestions!

Next chapter: What does Inu no Tashio have to tell his son…and how will his son take it? I wrote this chapter kinda fast…