Chapter four: new discovery

Some where to the north.

"They know that I am loyal to you."

Naraku chuckled. "Are you scared of them Lord Doiku."

"Well…"

"Don't be. Though I am upset at you failing to capture the miko, Kagome." His voice had venom and the Lord shirked

"Yes well, that fox kit killed the men I sent." He replied

"That fox kit isn't even a general. Will you're men be ready for this?" he asked

"Y-yes of course."

"Good. Now go." He laughed as he left. "Ah, Sesshoumaru I hope that you are preparing for this war…or then again….I hope you under estimate her."

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"Yup, but he was so cute!" Rin brust out laughing.

"How small was he when you found him?" She asked. Kagome put another strawberry in her mouth.

"Um…well I found him just before he hit the growth spur that all youkai hit. Its so hard to even imagine him that small anymore, but here." Kagome handed her, her book of drawings. "That first one is him."

"Ahhhh, he's so cute!" Rin exclaimed, turning the page to look at the other drawings. "These are really good Kags."

Kagome shrugged. "It's just hobby."

"Kagome!" Inuyasha busted into the room were the two girls sat.

"What Inuyasha?" she asked

"There's some youkai asking entrance so that he can see you!" he said and to Kagome he seemed angry.

"Why you telling me? It's not like I can grant entrance, you can." She said not fully getting what he intended her to do.

"Will you just hurry up and see if you know him!" he yelled at her.

"Well if you would have told me that from the start!" she yelled back before turning to Rin. "I'll be right back."

Kagome made her way to the front hall. She knew her way around well enough now, and Inuyasha had to get back to his troops. It seemed so strange when Kagome imagined Inuyasha having a group of loyal men under him.

Gashunaru surprisingly met her at the front. "Kagome who is this asking for you?" he asked her, his voice more alert then usual.

Kagome looked through the looking glass that showed who was trying to get in. She felt her stomach drop when she saw who it as. "He's…you can let him in." She said and Gashunaru nodded and gave the command.

Kagome waited side-by-side with Gashunaru. "What is the meaning of your displeasure? Are you uncomfortable with him?" he asked not taking his eyes off the gate.

"I guess you can say that." She said as the huge gates opened and there stood Zikoah.

Gashunaru took a step in front of Kagome before Zikoah could make a move. "I'm here to see Kagome not you." He snapped.

Gashunaru was the perfect picture of calm and collected. He nodded. "I understand, but in order for you to have any contact with my charge, I will need to talk to you first."

"Whatever, I'm not answering any of your questions sissy boy!" he yelled

"Zikoah, can you just listen to him and not be so hard headed for once." She sighed

"You! I don't want to even hear anything like that from you. You should have just listened to me, but no you have to be a bi-"

Gashunaru appeared before him striking him across the face, and Kagome thought she saw ice fly when he did. His voice was strict. "Unacceptable. I am General Gashunaru, and representing my Lord, I will not have you talk to my charge that way."

Kagome watched Zikoah back down. "You mean 'The Gashunaru?'" Kagome watched as Gashunaru gave him a cold smile. She shivered. 'Did it just get colder in here?'

"Hai. What are you're intentions of coming here, Zikoah, is it?" he asked his voice still calm, but Kagome realized it had a scary edge to it.

"K-kagome." Zikoah said boldly. "I've been looking for her. You see we're courting." Gashunaru looked back at Kagome just in time to see her roll her eyes.

"I see. Well, Zikoah, access granted. But I will warn you that, being my charge, I have a certain mind link with her. If she so much as gets a bad feeling…" he left the threat open and turned and walked away.

'Call me if needed.' Kagome heard Gashunaru's voice inside her head, and she jumped. Then she heard his laughter in her head and she smiled.

"What are you smiling at? You have a lot of explaining to do." Kagome gave him a dry look.

"Follow me." She said and went to find somewhere to talk. The gardens.

"What are you doing here, Zikoah? You made it perfectly clear that you didn't want anything to do with me last time we talked." She said as he sat down.

"Would you believe me if I said I came to make amends?" She now sat down across from him.

"Who was it?" Sesshoumaru asked his general

"He said he was courting her, My Lord." Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow.

"You're dismissed." Sesshoumaru too got up. It was his job to make sure everyone that entered The Gates, was not a spy.

He watched as the girl sat across from a youkie with short straight black hair and purple eyes.

Kagome wasn't sure what to say. She had meet Zikoah when she was very young. He had always been there for her, but as they grew up he changed. Things happened, and they drifted. Kagome's heart broke every time he wouldn't let her in. He usually would get mad and yell at her, but she knew that he didn't mean it.

But the last time he had pushed it. After telling her that he loved her and that he would never run off again…he did. Then when she discovered it, and told him that she wasn't going to take it anymore. At first he said he was sorry. Then he said she deserved it for being her. He hit her too.

"You got mad, and it was your fault. You hit me." She said solemnly.

Sesshoumaru's lip curled in disgust. A youkai that couldn't control his anger, and hit women. A disgrace. Also, a youkai courting a human.

"I didn't mean to I was just so frustrated-"

"Yeah because I was the one hiding stuff from you." She snapped sarcastically

"Can you get over that?" He rolled his eyes, and Kagome stood up again.

"Forget it! You're the one with all the secrets! What are you doing here anyway?" she yelled

"I heard you were here. I was a little shocked that you wouldn't… tell me. Besides Kagome- running to the Guild? Are you crazy?" His eyes were at a downcast now.

"But I guess we're even." He said making eye contact with her

Kagome swallowed. Memories flooded back to her, reminding her. Warning her.

"Last time…what happened?" she asked softly "You.. you hurt me. You were trying to take me away, or something, and you hurt me. How can I trust you after what happened?"

"Kagome you have to. Let me take you away from here, and I'll protect like I always have." The figure listening narrowed his eyes. Something was not right about this Zikoah.

"No. I will not leave." Kagome stood up turning away from him. She couldn't explain the strange uneasy feeling that was exploding in her stomach.

"Yes you will. It's what you parents would have wanted." He replied

"You don't know that!" she yelled at him a tear streaming down her face

"You will leave with me." He said through gritted teeth as he made his way to her grabbing Kagome's wrist.

Kagome's mind went in a panic. 'No, not like last time!' scenes of the past raced through her mind.

Sesshoumaru saw fear explode from her like a bomb had gone off. 'Why would she get so scared?' He was about to step in but he felt Gashunaru, and wondered why he was even thought of going to her rescue. He shut his mind out, and watched in the shadow.

"Let go of me." She said it so soft Sesshoumaru had a hard time making it out.

"No. Not till you listen to me." He said and Kagome tried to get out of his grasp.

"Please, you've done enough damage. Just leave." She pleaded

"No, listen to me." His grasp went up to her shoulders.

Sesshoumaru distantly wondered why it was taking so long for his general to get to his charge that he Sesshoumaru had assigned to him. He smelt a new emotion spark in the miko. Anger.

Kagome was mad now, and she suddenly felt some spark lit in her stomach, wanting to come out of her. She let it. Zikoah went flying across the room.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as Gashunaru flew past him. What ever the outburst that Kagome just had was not over. Some strange and unknown power was still surrounding her. Sesshoumaru watched as Gashunaru looked at Zikoah and carefully stood away from Kagome.

"Kagome?!" Kagome heard Gashunaru's voice but she couldn't respond. "Kagome?!"

"Help! What's going on! Make it stop!" she shouted in her head hoping he would get the message.

"Hold on. I'm trying." Gashunaru cursed, every time he stepped near her he would get knocked over. Sighing, he retreated into her mind looking for what had happened. He couldn't find anything. Feeling someone else in the room he snapped his eyes open.

"My Lord. I-I 'm sorry that you have to see this. I don't know what happened and can find no outlet for her power." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes.

"You know how to deal with this, do you not?" Gashunaru did know how. You strike the subject hard enough to knock them out.

Sesshoumaru formed his wipe about to swing it when,"My Lord. No need for that. I'll just mind freeze her."

Sesshoumaru nodded not letting his confusion show. Why would he use extra energy, when all he had to do was hit her. 'He feels guilty.' Sesshoumaru realized and growled lightly.

Gashunaru didn't hear it. He was concentrating. Mind freezing was not hard for him, but if you didn't concentrate you could easily kill the person. That was the intentions when he first discovered the attack. How useful it would be to manipulate a man by simply unlocking his mind, finding what he needed, and killing him. Gashunaru was not so strong at hand to hand combat, but he could work wonders with the mind.

He had latter discovered that he could also just knock his opponent uncautious. This was useful in training his troops.

"Kagome, this won't hurt."

"What are you gonna do?" she didn't receive an answer, just darkness. He caught before she hit the floor. He could hear Zikoah grunt beside him.

Sesshoumaru watched as Gashunaru kicked over the youkie called Zikoah. "Stay here. I deal with you when I come back." He said with his cool voice.

"My Lord." Gashunaru bowed and then materialized before his very eyes.

He brought her to the girl called Rin's room, asking her to look after her. He quickly made his way back to where Zikoah was, he knew he couldn't just transport everywhere.

Zikoah was sitting with his head in his hands. "What happened?" Gashunaru asked his voice was like usual was light, and had the edge that so many people talked about.

"Nothing, she just went all crazy. What are you 'll doing to her? She had never done that before." He accused looking up at the general who leaned against the wall. He looked away quickly. He knew that all of Lord Sesshoumaru's generals where forces to be reckoned with, but this one was just plain scary.

"Even an idiot such as you knows there's a war going on." Gashunaru ignored the growl. "Did you know that she the protecter of the Shikon? Her outburst earlier, well it was the first. Maybe she'll have more and we can investigate."

Zikoah had known that Kagome was the protector, however he didn't need to give Gashunaru a reason to search his mind…

"So how does a guy get a room around here?" Gashunaru narrowed his eyes.

"He gets out of the main building, and sees what rooming is open. I suggest you make hast, leave." He replied coolly before walking out of the room.

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"My Lord, we did not think you would call on us so soon." Sesshoumaru walked into the room that was for his researchers.

"I haven't come for your report. I have a second assignment for you. I need you discover what power the miko has. She had an outburst." He said indifferently.

"We would need to see the power first hand." he replied.

"Find Gashunaru, ask him for the memory." Sesshoumaru turned and left the room.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome ran after him. It had been a week after the Zikoah incident. Seeing Zikoah seemed to remind Kagome that she had a life outside The Gates that she had abandoned.

"What's up Kags, you know I have to leave." Kagome knew alright.

"Can I come with you?" She watched as you laughed as if she was joking.

"No can do, Sesshoumaru and Gashunaru would kill me." He said tying his sword to his waste.

"Come on tell them I forced you! No, tell I snuck out and then you found me and had no choice!" She pleaded, taking his hands in hers. "Please Inuyasha. I just want to see my old friends."

Inuyasha looked down at her. How could he say no to that? He would just tell his brother and Gashunaru that she pulled puppy eyes. Ha! Like they would buy that.

"Feh! Stop begging like you're desperate women. Come on." He said as he activated the gates to open.

Kagome walked next to Inuyasha, looking around. The world still looked the same. Mud, dead bodies lying randomly. Fire, and in the background you could hear scream of the tormented. Hungry demons leered at her from the shadows. She took a step closer to Inuyasha.

"Can we go to the academy?" she asked once they were out of the creepy-demons-are-looking-at-me zone.

"No, are you stupid. They'll take you back then I'll have to fight off a shit load of miko. I mean I could but I don't know if you want to a bunch of your friends dead." He told her

"They were never my friends." She said quietly.

"Kagome! Kagome is that you!" She heard someone yell and she turned to see a youkie exterminator riding on a cat demon. A young man sat behind her.

"Sango!" Kagome cried and Inuyasha looked up.

The cat landed in front of them. "Kagome, we don't have time for this!" Inuyasha yelled at her.

"Calm down it won't take long." She assured him embracing her friend.

"We looked every where after the fires, and we couldn't find you. Why are you with a hanyo?" she asked.

"Hi Miroku." She greeted before turning her attentions to Sango. "What fires? This is Inuyasha. He kidnapped me a few months ago and brought me to The Gates. Yeah it turns out I have the Shikon Jewel in me. What have you'll been up to?" she said almost laughing as with each word her friends faces changed.

"So then you don't know about the fires." Sango said solemnly. "It was horrible. The burnt down all the academies. They where looking for you. It was some hanyo named Naraku. He…he killed my brother…" tears flooded Sango's eyes and Miroku tired to calm her.

"We are a couple of the few that survived. We've been looking everywhere for you, Kags. Do you know where Shippo is? We haven't seen him either." Miroku asked.

"He's a lieutenant, for the Guild. Under Sesshoumaru-sama." She answered shaken by the information she had received.

"Kagome, don't mean to break up your reunion, but there's a couple of powerful youkai coming." He old her roughly and Kagome got behind him. Luckily this time she brought her arrows. Miroku and Sango managed to get in fighting position also.

"That's part of Naraku." Sango growled as Kagura landed before them. Another youkai stood next to her.

"Hm…great you'll brought what I needed to me." Inuyasha growled. "We've been looking for something to link to Naraku, for weeks. Who the hell are you!" he added to the mistress with a fan in front of her face.

"An Inu-hanyo…I wonder are you under Sesshoumaru?" was her only reply and Inuyasha drew his fang.

"What of it?" he asked and Kagome knew that he was ready to fight. This is what he trained for.

"So you Guild do have the miko called Kagome. We have been through a lot to recover her." She stretched her arm with the fan in it. "The name is Kagura, I've been set on Naraku's behalf to get the girl."

Inuyasha growled. "Your ass you are!"

She smiled bringing the fan down. Inuyasha cursed as he dived back protecting Kagome from the attack. The result of his actions: cuts all over his body. He shoved Kagome away standing once more. "Wind witch!" he yelled and she nodded.

Kagome got her bow and arrows, and she could see Sango and Miroku also doing they're share.

Kagura saw the arrow hit the ground before her. 'That little… she disrupted my wind control!' Sure enough Inuyasha's hit smashed into her knocking her several feet away. "It won't be so easy." She grunted. She raised her fan blowing it at Kagome.

All watched shocked as the little miko held a shield against the attack. 'Miko or not, her shield shouldn't be so strong!' was a thought by all present.

Kagome put her hands waiting for the pain that never came. She saw the other youkie that was with the wind witch running towards her. Fear rose in her, and she felt the same strange unknown power from before rose in her. Instinct took over.

Kagura grinned her teeth. "Hiata! Get her!" She yelled making sure to occupy the others away from her.

"Dammit!" Inuyasha yelled realizing that there was no way one of them would get to her on time.

Kagome felt kept her shield up, and the youkai took his sword and after a few blows it broke. Not exactly understanding how she could do it. She jumped back finding herself a few feet away from the youkie.

He closed the distance bringing his sword for a blow. Kagome lifted her hand to meet the blow; her hand lit up like pink balls, and stopped the sword. She gasped and took the youkai's surprise as a advantage. She twisted, and jumped away again, this time strangely hanging in the air.

'Go ahead..' a voice sounded in her head and she knew it wasn't Gashunaru's. It was the voice from her dream.

She put her hand together, and thought of a way to not get killed by the attacking youkai. 'Get him away! He'll kill me!' She yelled inside her head.

There was a laugh. 'No this is your time. Go ahead…' Something clicked in her head, and she stretched her hands wide.

She opened her eyes to see the youkie looking up at her, ready to attack. "All the blood on your hands…" she said, for she could fell each sole he had ended. "May you return to the Earth." A swirl of energy surrounded the youkie, choking him, until he was no more.

Kagome fell to the ground shaking. She rolled over to see Inuyasha. "What just happened?' She mumbled sitting up. Inuyasha and her friends stared down at her speechless.

"We have to go back to The Gates…now." Inuyasha said and he picked her up. He turned to Sango and Miroku.

"Sorry, but you can't come. I'll send Shippo to you as soon as we find something out. Since you know him…" they nodded.

Were the youkai had been killed, there was a small sprout of green grass. Life.

alright hommies!
Just keep reading…or if I haven't up updated….i will soon so…yeah!
How do you'll like it so far? I love Gashunaru! My own made up character!

so i know Zikoah is a little confusing but i thought i would have a source of past heart ache.