9

Well, despite wishing on more than ten shooting stars, I still do not own Inuyasha. I can only write fan fiction about it. Hope you enjoy.

A/N: Sorry about the late update. My compute caught the Ebola of technology, I.E. a Trojan. It is all better now (After a bunch of work, losing EVERYTHING except the files they were able to back up, and $300). So I am back on track


Previous chapter: Sesshomaru was pleased when he noticed that the onna's aura was not moving from the spot that he left her to bathe. After about ten minutes, she began to return. Following behind, he smirked at her clumsiness and decided to collect her. As soon as the sun rose, he again allowed her to eat and gave her the potion. He then gave instructions to Jaken to take Ah-Un and meet him at Yosutebito's meadow. He then gathered the onna in his arms and left for his journey.


Chapter Four: Curiosity Killed the Cat….err Inu

Sesshomaru arrived at Yosutebito's meadow with the confused Miko in his arms. Since the journey was more than two and a half hours long, she had woken up from the potion, but was reeling from the effects of traveling via his light orb. Setting her down, Sesshomaru took the onna's upper arm in a firm grip and then flared his aura to announce his arrival. As soon as the hut appeared, Sesshomaru walked towards it, dragging his prisoner along. The monkey youkai greeted them at the door with a bow to the daiyoukai and an appraising glance at the Miko. Sesshomaru was amused, and shocked, when the onna pressed closer to him, as if she felt safer in his presence than the sorcerer's. Then again, considering that Yosutebito was about to test her powers, that could prove to be true.


Kagome was confused. When she drank the potion that morning they were still in the clearing. Now, Sesshomaru was holding her and they had just landed on a barren plateau. Once she had been set on her feet, Kagome felt a surge of Sesshomaru's power and then everything changed. The rocky soil became thick grass with wildflowers and the abrupt edges of the plateau were shielded by trees. There was even a small lake with a hut next to it. However, the idyllic surroundings were marred by an ominous aura that made Kagome want to hide. This option was not open to her, though, as Sesshomaru had her arm in a firm grip and was pulling her towards the hut. When they reached the hut, a monkey youkai emerged and bowed to Sesshomaru. But the way he looked at her made Kagome even more nervous. Without even realizing what she was doing, Kagome moved closer to Sesshomaru to shield herself from the strange youkai. Something bad was about to happen, she just knew it. But she could not clear her thoughts enough to figure out what to do.


"Welcome Sesshomaru-sama" the sorcerer said in a fawning voice. "If you will just follow me we can get started." Pulling his reluctant captive along, Sesshomaru entered the hut. Once inside, he barely manage to restrain his instinct to wrinkle his nose at the odors that assaulted him. The onna had no such reluctance and started coughing and sneezing. Yosutebito paid his guests' discomfort no mind and led the way to the back room of his home. Once there, he went to a table and picked up a bowl, jar, and a knife. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at these items, then felt a tugging at his arm. Turning his head, he saw that the onna had gone wide-eyed at the sight of the knife and was now trying to pull free from his grasp. Tugging his prisoner in front of himself so that he could control her better, Sesshomaru addressed Yosutebito about the test he was about to perform. "What is the meaning of this? This Sesshomaru told you that my prize was not to be harmed." The sorcerer glanced at Sesshomaru nervously. "Don't worry Sesshomaru-sama. The knife is only to make a small cut. I need the Miko's blood to help determined her powers. Once I have gathered the required amount, I will heal the cut with the ointment in this jar." Sesshomaru was not exactly pleased with the information, as the knife had strange symbols etched in the blade and was giving off an unknown aura. However, the sorcerer was his only chance for binding the onna's powers. Nodding his assent, Sesshomaru took firm hold of the struggling Miko and allowed Yosutebito to cut the Miko's arm. The onna whined as the blood began to flow. After a small amount had been gathered in the bowl, the sorcerer grabbed the arm above the cut to stop the flow of blood. However, when he went to put the salve on the cut, a pink glow surrounded the arm and the cut was healed. Sesshomaru and Yosutebito looked at one another in surprise. The Miko's powers were supposedly sealed, even against unconscious use. Yosutebito took the bowl back over to the table and poured the contents into a pot that was boiling over a fire. He then beckoned the daiyoukai and Miko to a circle that had been drawn on the floor. Telling Sesshomaru to make the onna sit in the center, the sorcerer took the contents of the boiling pot and began pouring it into the star and suns design that had been placed around the circle. As he poured the potion, the symbols began to glow and create a barrier around the Miko. After all of the symbols had been filled in, the barrier began to shrink and fade into the Miko's skin. The onna screamed as though in pain. Just as Sesshomaru turned to Yosutebito to demand an explanation, there was an explosion that knocked both the daiyoukai and Yosutebito back into the walls of the hut. Once the smoke had cleared, the two youkai saw that the sorcerer's lab had been destroyed and the Miko was surrounded by a barrier that was glowing a soft pink.


Yosutebito turned to Sesshomaru with an incredulous expression. "You did give her the potion as instructed, right?" "Do you think this Sesshomaru a fool? The potion was administrated by this Sesshomaru personally to your exact specifications." "I have never seen a Miko with this much power. That explosion should only have been possible for a fully trained Miko that was not sealed" Sesshomaru snarled at the sorcerer. "Are you telling this Sesshomaru that you are not capable of binding her powers?" "No my lord", Yosutebito said, shaking at the daiyoukai's anger. "I will simply need to use a stronger spell on the binding. However, we will need to wait another day to allow the sealing potion to take effect. I cannot test her powers at the moment." Sesshomaru stared at the Miko and the barrier that she had created. He wondered how he was going to retrieve her so that they could continue to administer the potion. The he noticed something. Every time the sorcerer tried to approached, the Miko's aura flared in warning. However, when no one was near, it was calmer, almost curious. Like when it had been investigating his aura back at the camp. When he was investigating the Miko's aura at the camp, it only became aggressive when the onna felt threatened. So, if she was approached in a non-threatening manner, they should be able to pass the barrier. Approaching the onna slowly, Sesshomaru flared his aura with an invitation to investigate, just as he did back at the camp. As he approached, the Miko's aura flared suspiciously, but did not attack. Once Sesshomaru reached the Miko, he scooped her up and exited the hut. Once outdoors, the Miko's aura calmed down, showing that Sesshomaru's theory that it was reacting to threats was valid. Placing the Miko under a tree, Sesshomaru allowed some of his poison gas to flow over her to ensure that she stayed unconscious. Returning to Yosutebito's hut, Sesshomaru called to him to discuss the future testing. "This Sesshomaru has determined that the Miko's energy responds to physical threats. How aggressive are the tests that you have planned?" Yosutebito was again surprised. What type of Miko, or even ningin, did not automatically see youkai as a threat? Still, this gave him a little bit of time to work with. While many of the test used stress to coax the aura to emerge, there were several that were not painful and those could be performed while they were waiting for the Miko to receive more of the potion that would seal her powers. "That is indeed helpful Sesshomaru-sama. There are several test that I can run over the next couple of days that will not overly stress the Miko. While I generally do not start with these ones, I will be able to begin to gauge her powers while the potion is further sealing her powers." "Hn, sorcerer. For your sake, this Sesshomaru hopes that you will be able to gather the information that you need. Remembered, the protection of the Western lands can be revoked at this Sesshomaru's discretion." Returning to the Miko, Sesshomaru decided to continue to familiarize himself with her aura until the toxin wore off.


Kagome woke up with stiff limbs and a raging headache. All she wanted to do was snuggle under her covers and go back to sleep. Surely kaa-san would understand that she was too sick for school today, right? But when Kagome went to grab her blanket, it was not there. Did she kick it off during the night? And why is the sun so bright? It must be late morning. So did kaa-san know that she is sick and could not go to school? If that is the case, she should let her know that she is awake. Kagome tried to get up but her head started spinning and her vision was blurry. What happened? Why can't she remember what caused her to feel this way? "Kaa-san, kaa-san, something's wrong. I don't think I can go to school today. I feel really sick." "Wench, this Sesshomaru does not appreciate being ignored for some fantasy." When Kagome heard that cold voice, it was as though someone dumped ice water on her. She remembered the strange monkey youkai cutting her arm. She remembered being placed in circle with sun and moon designs and then that same strange youkai pouring a potion made with her blood on it. She remembered a tainted aura attacking her. Then everything went black. Now it appeared that she was outside, but Kagome had no memory of leaving the hut. What were Sesshomaru and that strange youkai after anyway? Whatever it was, Kagome hoped that they got it, because she never wanted to go through something like that again. At this point, about all she could do is lay as still as possible and hope that the pain would go away soon. Unfortunately, now that she was awake, tall, pale and frigid seemed to want to have a conversation. Great, not only does she have a headache the size of Mount Fuji, but now she has to concentrate on not spilling the beans about the future.

It had been a few hours since the explosion in Yosutebito's hut. Sesshomaru was still sitting beside the Miko watching the dance of her aura and allow his to brush up against it every once in a while. Sesshomaru was hoping that this process of slow familiarization would counteract the Miko's instinctive reactions to threats. When he noticed that the Miko's aura began to settle into a waking pattern, Sesshomaru backed up slightly and waited for her to open her eyes. However, instead of getting up, the onna started calling for her kaa-san and complaining about feeling ill and something called "school". Feeling ill after such an explosion was completely normal, and thinking about her kaa-san right after waking might be understandable, but what was this "school" that being ill would keep her from? Hmm, if the onna was not feeling well, then she would not be on her guard as much either. Perhaps it is time to ask more questions. Of course, first it was time to remind her exactly where she is and who is alpha. "Wench, this Sesshomaru does not appreciate being ignored for some fantasy." Sesshomaru watched the onna's reaction to his words. She paled as she remembered where she was and the day's events. Good, she would be less inclined to lie to him. "Wench, you will tell this Sesshomaru more about the place you came from. What is this "school" that you were babbling of earlier?"


Kagome was relieved, school was probably the easiest thing to explain away. "School is a place to go for education Sesshomaru-sama. I was actually on my way there when I was captured." Sesshomaru looked at her strangely "Your family is wealthy enough to educate you?" "No, no. The shrine makes a decent income, but we are by no means wealthy. Our er... area believes that an educated populace is valuable Sesshomaru-sama, so all children are provided an education free of charge from the time they are six until they are eighteen. You can then pay for further education if you want." Sesshomaru decided to put aside the question as to why a shrine would need to make money rather than be supported by the village and find out why the onna was not trained. "Wench, if you live in a shrine, how is it that you are not trained as a Miko?" "In Tokyo, Miko's are only considered helpers to the priests, Sesshomaru-sama. We have not had one with powers for many generations. Probably because there are no powerful youkai around to attack. Even most of our priests do not have much power. My jii-san can do exorcisms, but not much else" "And your Otou-san?" A sadness radiated from the onna that surprised Sesshomaru with its intensity. However, the sadness also seems to be old, as the sharp edges had been ground down. "I do not remember what my tou-san could do Sesshomaru-sama. He died when I was five. I was playing outside the shrine and a car…t lost control. Tou-san was able to push me out of the way, but he was not able to save himself." Just as Sesshomaru was about to question the onna as to why her Miko powers did not rescue her from the youkai that captured her, Yosutebito put in an appearance. It seemed that the next test was ready.


"Sesshomaru-sama, everything is now prepared." Yosutebito said, bowing. "If you bring the Miko to the center of the center of the field, we can get started." Seeing that the onna was unable to move, Sesshomaru picked her up and began to follow the sorcerer. As he was walking, he hear a constant mumble of "no" and "I don't think I can go through that again" coming from his captive. However, Sesshomaru did not bother to acknowledge her worries or even glance down at her. Soon they came to an area in the field that had been cleared. In the center were two seven-pointed stars. Where the points were touching, a large scrying bowl had been placed. Sesshomaru put down the onna in the one of the diagrams and then turned to Yosutebito, who was sitting in the other. "What is the plan this time sorcerer? The Miko is already weakened and this Sesshomaru does not wish permanent damage to occur to that which belongs to him." Yosutebito turned to Sesshomaru and lowered his head in respect. Do not worry Sesshomaru-sama. There is no chance of the Miko being hurt. All I will be doing is using my aura to blanket hers. The scrying bowl in the center will measure how much power I have to use to push down her aura. While this is not a completely accurate test, it will give us a general idea to work with." Sesshomaru stepped out of the heptagram as Yosutebito began to push his dark aura towards the Miko, whose pure aura began to respond.

In theory, the plan was sound. There was no actual threat, just pushing, so that Miko's aura should not have responded violently. However, that is not what happened in practice. Perhaps the Miko's aura did not like being blanketed. Perhaps it recognized some dark intent in the other aura. Or perhaps it even recognized the other aura as belonging to the one who had caused pain before. No matter what the cause, Yosutebito had only been pushing at the Miko's aura for a few minutes before there was an actual growling sound. Apparently, this was a warning, and the only one at that. When Yosutebito did not pull back, the Miko's power exploded once again. This time, however, it was focused towards the sorcerer. Yosutebito was thrown from his heptagram and landed several feet away. The scrying bowl was shattered into dozens of pieces and the heptagrams were erased so completely that it looked as if they were never even there. All through this, Sesshomaru had felt little more than a stiff breeze. Glancing at the onna. He saw that she had once again fainted and there was a pink glow surrounding her. However, this time, the violent lashing and threat of purification was missing. So it seems that her aura did respond differently according to the nature of the threat. Sesshomaru went over to the onna a picked her up. Turning to Yosutebito, he saw that the sorcerer had recovered and was coming towards him. "Yosutebito, there will be no more testing today. This Sesshomaru suggests that you think carefully before about your methods before continuing tomorrow. There will be no mercy if you fail." Yosutebito cringed. "Of course Sesshomaru-sama, I would never fail in a task that you gave me. However, due to the Miko's unusual nature, it may take a few more days than the promised four." Sesshomaru's only answer was a cold glare, then he turned and walked away.


When Sesshomaru returned to the trees, he saw that Jaken had arrived with Ah-Un. The little toad youkai had heard the commotion in the meadow and was now falling over himself trying to figure out what happened and if his lord needed assistance. "Sesshomaru-sama, what was that explosion? Has that filthy ningin been causing problems? Please allow me to discipline her with the ninto…" Jaken's ramblings were abruptly stopped when Sesshomaru's foot came down firmly on his head. Depositing his burden under a large tree, Sesshomaru turned to his retainer and began giving orders on setting up camp. "Jaken, we will be here for several days. Gather firewood and then unpack the necessary supplies from Ah-Uh." Hearing a moan, Sesshomaru turned back to his prisoner. Staring down at her, he wondered how so much power could be contained in such a small and weak frame. Then the onna shifted slightly, exposing a leather cord that Sesshomaru had not noticed before. Pulling the cord out from under her kimono, Sesshomaru saw that it was holding a small bottle with what appeared to be a shard of a pink stone. Strangely, the pink was almost perfectly matched to the pink that was in her Miko aura. Severing the cord with his claws, Sesshomaru brought the bottle up to eye level for closer inspection. It was then that he felt the slight pulse of power from the shard. It was as if it was calling to him. Trying to temp him to join his power to its. Just as he felt that pulse, Sesshomaru felt the onna's aura wash over him. It wrapped around the power that the shard was sending out, attempting draw all of it back into the shard and contain it. The attempt was not entirely successful, Sesshomaru could still feel power emanating from the shard, but it was dimmed. Sesshomaru was wondering what this shard could be. Obviously the onna was using her Miko powers to keep it contained and that is why he did not notice it before. But why would something try to temp him to join powers? Then it hit him. The Shikon No Tama. That accursed jewel created by Midoriko and said to increase the powers of youkai. Of course he, Sesshomaru, would never seek such false power. But many lesser beings would. Still, how was it possible that this onna possessed even a small part of the Shikon? The jewel was burned in the funeral pyre of the Edo Miko that Inuyasha had fallen in love with. And indeed, even with its reappearance, how would such a powerful object be broken? It seemed that there would be another round of questions when the onna woke.


For the second time that day, Kagome came to with a throbbing headache and the desire to go right back to sleep. Prying open eyelids that felt like sandpaper, Kagome saw that Jaken and Ah-Un were now with them. The little toad youkai was tending something over the fire while the dragon youkai watching her, just as he used to do back at the old clearing. Hearing a noise, Kagome turned her head and saw Sesshomaru sitting a few feet away. Dangling from one of his clawed hands was her shard bottle. Instinctively, her hands flew to her throat. "So, I see that you recognize what is in this Sesshomaru's hand. Tell me wench, how long did you think to keep such a thing a secret? Now, explain to this Sesshomaru how it is that you have the Shikon No Tama when it disappeared from this realm many years ago." Kagome stared at the daiyoukai, her mind going over every scenario that could possibly get her out of this situation. Finally, Sesshomaru snapped and was face to face with her "This Sesshomaru has not the patience for you to stare like befuddled calf wench. You will explain the appearance of this bauble Now." Feeling overwhelmed, Kagome began to speak before her mind could even comprehend what she was telling him. "The jewel came from within my body Sesshomaru-sama. When the centipede youkai chased me into Inuyasha's forest, she bit me in the side and the Shikon No Tama fell out. It was then that I freed Inuyasha from the spell and he killed the youkai to retrieve the jewel. Another reason they feel that I am Kikyou's reincarnation" "Hn, I am surprised that fool did not try to claim it for himself." A small smile passed Kagome's lips at the memory. "Oh, but he did Sesshomaru-sama. He even went as far as to threaten my life and the lives of the villagers to try to force us to hand it over. Because of that, Kaede baa-san, the current village Miko, put a kotodama no nenju on him. Now whenever I say "Osuwari" he comes crashing down like a bag of rocks." Horrified, Kagome put her hands over her mouth. She realized that she had just given Sesshomaru a weapon against Inuyasha. Sesshomaru, however, smirked. "Appropriate that the hanyou is now reduced to the level of a pet dog." Bristling at the slight against her friend, Kagome forgot about her fear of the Western lord and was about to leap to Inuyasha's defense. However, Sesshomaru spoke before she could let loose her temper. "Now, you will explain to this Sesshomaru how the Shikon No Tama came to be broken and where the rest of it is." Narrowing his eyes, Sesshomaru then gave a chilling warning. "And do not think to lie to me wench. This Sesshomaru knows the effect of this accursed artifact. If disaster comes to the Western lands because you attempt to withhold information, then the pain will be revisited upon you ten-fold." Kagome swallowed past a large lump in her throat. She Knew Sesshomaru was not going to like her answer and was worried what he was going to do to her. "A crow youkai stole to Shikon No Tama Sesshomaru-sama, and I was trying to retrieve it with Inuyasha's help. The youkai was using the power of the Shikon so much that the only way the stop it was a purification arrow. Unfortunately, I am not a great shot, so I used a foot of the youkai that Inuyasha had severed earlier. When my arrow collided with the crow youkai, the foot had not guided it to the body like I had assumed it would. Instead, my arrow was guided straight to the Shikon No Tama and, well, it shatter. That fragment was the only one that landed near the village. Inuyasha and I were about to set off to track down the other fragments when you captured me." "How did the two of you plan to do this, wench? If you had no idea where the shards went, then you would not know where to look." "We intended to gather rumors of the shards, Sesshomaru-sama. Once I am close enough, about one hundred yards or so. I can sense the shards. Then, when we get within visual range, I can see them no matter where they are hidden. It does not matter if they are in the ground, in an object or if someone has swallowed them. I can pinpoint their location with complete accuracy."


Sesshomaru kept his face blank. However, his mind was in turmoil. First, there was the manner in which the Shikon made its reappearance. Then there was the fact that this onna, no, this Miko, had enough power to shatter something like the Shikon No Tama. No wonder it was difficult to measure her powers. Still, Sesshomaru was reluctant to give Yosutebito this information. He knew that the monkey youkai wanted to siphon off some of her Miko power, despite his warning. Knowing that she was the current source of the Shikon No Tama, And powerful enough to shatter it, might make him ignore the threat and try something. Despite what Sesshomaru had warned, he did not want to kill the sorcerer, at least until he had finished the binding spell. Then he would gladly slaughter the youkai if the fool were to go against his orders. Deciding that he had enough information think over for one night, Sesshomaru stood and beckoned Jaken to bring the onna's supper. He had also order a blanket to be brought to her, since his foolish retainer had failed to build the fire near where she would sleep. Sesshomaru remember the instructions that Fumiko had sent regarding ningin and cold. If the onna was weakened by becoming ill, then the testing would take longer. You will eat now. Eat everything that is given, you have much to do tomorrow. Turning to walk away, he her the onna say in a frightened voice. "I have to go through that again? Why?" Dropping the blanket in a heap, Jaken bristled at the question. "Filthy ningin, how dare you question the great Sesshomaru-sama. Be grateful he is sparing your worthless life. He should be torturing you to de..." Sesshomaru cut him off with a simple command of "Jaken." At this point in time, it would not do to have her more fearful. Once she had finished eating, he went over to administer to night's potion. The onna looked at him with fear and tears brimming in her eyes. Still she downed the potion without complaint and was soon sleeping soundly.

Sesshomaru had gone into a meditative state to better ponder the information he had received that day. However, he still was aware of the world around him, so he was not surprised when Yosutebito appeared a few hours after moonrise. "Sesshomaru-sama, I have thought about the problems with the Miko's aura attacking. I believe the solution is to test it while she is unconscious. If you please Sesshomaru-sama, tomorrow do not give her any food. Simply give her to potion as soon as she wakes, that way it will have a greater effect. Also, increase to dose to half again as much. If you will then bring her to the cleared area in the field, I will have everything prepared. I am positive that this time I will not fail you my lord." "Be certain that you do not sorcerer, for this Sesshomaru is not known for his mercy."


Unfortunately for Yosutebito, the next three days went pretty much the same as the first one. He tried using everything to subdue the Miko so her powers could be tested, but nothing worked. He tried testing her when she was under the potion in the morning. He tried testing her when she was under the potion in the evening. He tried testing when the potion had been doubled. He tried testing her when spells of sealing had been cast around her. Each time he was given one warning and then her aura attacked him. Each time the attacks grew more violent in nature, although none were strong enough to permanently maim or kill. Throughout it all, Sesshomaru kept up his stoic face and veiled threats regarding failure. However, within his mind he was not surprised at all. Since the Miko had brought back the Shikon No Tama and then managed to shatter it, was it truly hard to believe that it would be well-nigh impossible to seal her aura by force, at least until it was properly bound? And, in truth, it was rather amusing to see Yosutebito constantly thrown about like a kodomo's doll. The sorcerer had an over-inflated opinion of his powers and needed to humbled somewhat. However, Sesshomaru was also confused. There was Always a warning and the attacks were Never meant to do permanent damage. While the onna did seem to have some sense of self preservation, she had no killing instinct. How could someone like that possibly survive, even with the amount of power she has. It made Sesshomaru even more curious about the land of her birth. If what she said was true, most of the populace was educated, meaning that they would make perfect scribes and lower administrators, ningin or not. They were not used to powerful youkai, so they would have little to no defense to one such as he. Even if he did not go in as a conqueror, he could probably get a most favorable treaty. Yes, he would need to get more information about her home. But that was for later. After the first day of Yosutebito humiliations, Sesshomaru had an idea of how her strength could be gauged, although he kept it to himself. After all, the sorcerer had made a promise, and should suffer the consequences of failing to keep it

Yosutebito came limping into camp on the fourth day and bowed low to Sesshomaru, his head to the ground and his arms starched before him. There was an air of utter defeat surrounding him. "I have failed you Sesshomaru-sama. I can only beg that you will spare my life, as you have seen the extent of this Miko's powers for yourself. For some reason, nothing can seal them. She even seems to be able to fight off the mind numbing effects of the potion. It has only made her more docile, not completely compliant as it should have." Sesshomaru stared down at the prostrated sorcerer. "It is true that you have failed this Sesshomaru. However, I find that I still need you to create the bindings, so your life will be spared this time. Be aware that this is your final chance." The monkey youkai paled. "But Sesshomaru-sama, I cannot bind a power that I cannot measure. The binding will either be too weak and shatter or too strong and destroy the one that they have bound. There is only a small chance of them working." Sesshomaru continue give an icy glare. Just as Yosutebito was beginning to squirm, he spoke. "You failed because you relied too much on your magic and not on the cunning of a warrior. This Sesshomaru, on the other hand, is not such a fool. The onna is too weak at the moment for further testing. She will rest for the next two days. On the evening of the second day, have your most powerful measuring device prepared. This Sesshomaru succeed where you have failed.


True to his word, Sesshomaru came into the center of the meadow on the evening of the second day, the unconscious Miko in his arms. Seeing a jade scrying bowl in the center of the cleared area, he turned to Yosutebito. "How much distance does there need to be between us and the bowl sorcerer?" Yosutebito was a little frightened of what the daiyoukai planned to do. After all, no protective seals or diagrams had been set. Still, he dared not question the Western lord. "There should be seven feet between each of you and the scrying bowl, Sesshomaru-sama." Putting the Miko down at the required distance, Sesshomaru settled himself on the opposite side. Yosutebito was getting more and more nervous and finally spoke. "Sesshomaru-sama, may I ask what you plan to do?" "No." Sesshomaru growled. "And do not interrupt this Sesshomaru again." Unknown to any but Ah-Un, Sesshomaru had been investigating the Miko's aura for the last six days. He had also been allowing the Miko to investigate his aura in return. Even though it was on a completely subconscious level, the Miko's aura no longer saw him as threatening, more as a power that could be useful in training itself. Sesshomaru fully intended to use that to coax the aura to fully show itself this night. He had chosen night because the aura would be more visible to him and because the Miko herself always seemed to be in a deeper sleep, allowing instinct to take control. Pushing his aura out towards the Miko, he allowed it to brush against hers. With his power, he also sent a promise of information, much as he had seen inu parents do while he was in court. This technique was used to encourage pups to make use of their full powers and learn new ones. While he did not want to strengthen the Miko, at least not yet, he hoped that it would serve the same purpose of drawing out her full power. True to his expectation, her aura began to try to latch onto his, however, he would not allow it to draw power from him. Instead, he drew back, pulling the Miko's aura out as he spiraled up. Sesshomaru was astounded at how far he had to go before the Miko was no longer able to follow him. Most youkai were two or three centuries old before they could even begin to reach the amounts of energy that the fail onna so effortlessly wielded. Holding his aura steady, Sesshomaru spoke. "Yosutebito, do you have the information that you need?" The sorcerer came out of daze to pull his attention back to the scrying bowl. It glowed blue, showing that it had successfully measured the energy that was crackling between the daiyoukai and the Miko. "Y-yes Sesshomaru-sama. I have a measurement of the Miko's power now. I will be able to determine what is required to craft the binding." Sesshomaru stood and walked over the after her aura had been completely exposed, she seemed even smaller, although not so frail. While much of her powers had retreated back into her body, there was still much that was free, eager to explore. Sesshomaru began the delicate task of soothing that power into a sleeping state. Once that had been accomplished, he picked her up and turned to the sorcerer. "As you have no more need of the Miko, this Sesshomaru will take his servants and depart. Directions will be left so that you may find the shiro where this Sesshomaru will be currently residing. Regular reports on your progress will be expected." With that, Sesshomaru began to walk back to the camp to collect Jaken and Ah-Un. He was eager to leave the unsetting presence and foul odors that Yosutebito's home always seemed to give off, even when outdoors. His shiro at the Yosai Mountains would be a welcome respite.


Waaaahhaaaa. Poor, poor Yosutebito. Ok, I actually don't feel the least bit sorry for the jerk. So, to all those that were hating me for sealing Kagome's powers, turns out that they weren't. You just had to threaten her to activate them. (Remember, she has known that she is a Miko at this point for a month, tops. She is running on almost complete instinct.) And Sesshomaru was smart enough to figure out a way to get around the fact that her power would attack even when Kagome was unconscious. Of course, he is the "Killing Perfection", which means he is probable a tactical genius as well. Sesshomaru is also getting more answers to his questions about "what" Kagome really is. (Shikon Miko, the person that shattered the jewel, etc.) Although we still don't know how a ningin could pull out the Tessaiga or have that much power. But don't worry, we'll get there, eventually;)


Japanese terms


The list is getting to long to update at the end of each chapter. I am have posted the terms on my profile instead