I don't own InuYasha.
A/N: I'm glad to have such positive reviews and such an increase in followers! I reread the last chapter and the grammar mistakes caught my eye. I'll try to work on keeping future mistakes down to a minimum. I usually write these chapters at like 3 in the morning so I'm a bit out of it when I do post them. However, with Hurricane Issac headed straight for where I live, I will probably have lots of time on my hands to work on more chapters so I hope everyone enjoys what's to come!
InuYasha growled and pulled out his sword, Tetsusaiga, ready to fight his older half-brother.
"What do you want?" InuYasha growled.
Sesshomaru gave his brother a side glare as he turned his attention back to Kagome. She was terrified, that much was evident without the need of his youkai senses but he could also pick up on her aura flaring dangerously close to his. "It would be wise to keep your aura in check," he warned Kagome as clashing auras would surely bring out their inner beasts.
"Sorry," Kagome mumbled as she reigned in her powers. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and she felt a presence inside of her growing restless. A distinct urge to protect her friends washed over her.
"What are you doing here?" InuYasha asked as he stepped closer to Kagome, sword still in hand. Sesshomaru nodded his head towards Kagome, never faltering the intense gaze he had on her.
"We don't know how it happened, Sesshomaru-sama," spoke the monk.
"Yes, as you know, Kagome is...was a miko,"Sango reminded him.
"Perhaps," Sesshomaru coldly replied. This baffled him, not that he would ever admit it to his current audience. 'How is it that a human miko would end up with these powers? She would prove very strong if she were trained properly. Her markings though… Surely she can't be...'
"Sesshomaru, why are you here? We aren't on your lands. This is none of your business and if you have a problem with it I will gladly kick your ass!" challenged the hanyou.
"So eager to be defeated?" teased Sesshomaru as he finally gave his brother some attention.
"Hold on, InuYasha. Milord, do you have any idea how Kagome could have ended up in this predicament?" Miroku asked.
Sesshomaru looked at the monk and was impressed with his courage and the respect he gave the Western Lord. "She attained this power and status the same as any other demoness." 'If I'm right, it is best that she leave her companions. Her very company will be the cause of their painful demise and while I would like to see the half breed suffer, it will not be permitted by any other hand but my own,' he thought to himself.
"Are you saying that Kagome was always a demoness? That she was born this way?" asked Sango.
"I do not like to repeat myself, girl," Sesshomaru retorted.
"Lord Sesshomaru, I wasn't born a demon… I was… am a miko. A human miko. How is it that a miko could also be a demon without purifying it," Kagome asked.
"You were never a priestess and a demoness at the same time so there was never a need for the two auras to clash and cause damage to each other," the youkai answered as he returned his gaze to Kagome.
"Milord, if I may interrupt you once more, earlier you said power AND status, what did you mean by that. Surely you don't mean what I think you mean?" Miroku asked as he pondered the Lords earlier words.
"Keh, that bastard's probably just spewing some crazy shit to throw us off so he can try to take Tetsusaiga," InuYasha scoffed.
"First off, half-breed, I do not spew. That is strictly reserved for worthless and tasteless beings, such as you. There is no need for me to try and distract you for if I wanted to take the sword father left in your care, I would have it and your severed head. Secondly, I advise you to clean up your act in front of your superiors," corrected the elder brother sternly.
'Wow, I think that's the most I've ever heard Sesshomaru speak at once,' Kagome thought.
"Just because you're a full demon doesn't mean that you're my superior! I can still wipe the floor with that smug face of yours!" InuYasha yelled.
"Are you truly that dense, little brother?" Sesshomaru sighed. "While the girl and I do surpass you in power, I meant superior as in status, as in class."
InuYasha looked at his brother in confusion but it was Shippo who spoke up, "So Kagome's a princess?!"
"Hn, if you value the life of your friends, I suggest you leave," Sesshomaru said as he turned and began to walk away.
"Wait! Sesshomaru-sama!" Kagome called to the other inu-youkai but in a flash of light, the demon was gone.
'What did he mean? Surely I am no princess! I'm not even from this world so it's not like I can be born a demon because there aren't even demons in my world! I needed to talk to him more, he seems to know something that I don't and maybe he has answers as to how I can go back to being a miko! But more importantly, what did he mean when he said I should leave if I value my friends' lives…?'
"Aye, Kagome, let's go, we're wasting daylight! We still have to make it to the northwestern lands and locate the shards Tsukiko talked about," InuYasha called, snapping Kagome out of her thoughts. She nodded and the group kept on walking. Her thoughts never left the words the Western Lord spoke though. She replayed them over and over again in her mind, contemplating their meaning.
'Hn, if you value the life of your friends, I suggest you leave,'
"It was odd to see Lord Sesshomaru without the usual fight," Sango piped up, longing to break the awkward silence that had settled upon the traveling companions after the Taiyoukai's unexpected visit and swift departure.
"Curiosity killed the pup," laughed Shippo from Kagome's arms.
"The pup?" Kagome asked, used to the modern version.
"Yeah, haven't you ever heard the saying?" Shippo asked as he peered up to look at Kagome.
"No, in my time it's often 'curiosity killed the cat,'" she explained.
"Well that doesn't make sense. Dogs are much more curious that cats and that's also true for demons of said species. I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru came out of curiosity more than he did about the thought of Kagome being a threat. As InuYasha pointed out earlier, we aren't even on his lands," Miroku said.
Kagome wondered about the Western Lord and his lands. "InuYasha, where are Sesshomaru's lands and palace?"
"Hell if I know. I was the hanyou outcast. I wasn't worthy enough to be graced by out lordship's presence," InuYasha said, letting vemon and sarcasm drip menacingly from his words. Kagome cringed from his tone of voice and realized that she had struck a sore issue for her friend.
As the group made very little progress that day, InuYasha decided to make camp early, commenting that no progress would be made with everyone's mind elsewhere.
Kagome lay in her sleeping bag with the sleeping Shippo and watched the moon. She closed her eyes and let her senses wander the surrounding area. Life at night was similar and yet so different from say time. Once again Kagome felt like she was opened up to a whole new world.
She heard Sango huddle closer to Miroku for warmth and Miroku unconsciously wrapped an arm around Sango, their auras humming in contentment. Kirara let off a calming and peaceful purr that caused the air to vibrate around her. Shippo was snoring lightly and he curled into a tight ball, hiding his face in his soft and bushy tail. InuYasha was perched in a tree with his sword leaning again his shoulder. His breathing was soft and even and his ears would twitch slightly every so often, tickled by the whispering winds.
'Protect,' came a demanding voice inside her mind and Kagome opened her eyes and looked around the campsite. She knew that she valued her friends' lives but what could she do to take them out of harm's way if Sesshomaru had been right.
'What should I do,' she frowned.
'Quiet. Feel,' the voice inside her head demanded. It was anxious and yet she didn't understand why. With a calm breath Kagome closed her eyes once more. A wintery thunderstorm…
'Sesshomaru-sama!' Kagome gasped. She got up carefully so that she didn't disturb anyone else and bounded through the trees, following Sesshomaru's aura.
"I wasn't sure if you would come," Sesshomaru said as he looked at her. The moonlight cast an eerie glow on his already pale skin. It kissed the flowers at his feet and the entire scene held a ghostly appearance. It was picture perfect, inviting yet deadly. Kagome imagined a Venus fly trap or a mouse trap, both lured their victims to an inevitable death.
"What a beautiful disaster you are," the girl spoke softly, unaware that she was voicing her thoughts.
'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea… but I need answers. I need to protect my friends. I'm no longer a human; I can deal with this… I hope,' Kagome inwardly thought.
"I have many questions, Lord Sesshomaru," she voiced. Sesshomaru stared at her for a while then inclined his head sharply and rose from the tree trunk he had been leaning against. As he walked away he turned to give her a pointed glare.
"Okay, I get the point," Kagome grumbled and with one quick look behind her, she followed Lord Sesshomaru into the unknown. 'I really hope I don't regret this!' the demoness inwardly huffed.