Kagome bit her lips softly and lowered her gaze. "Inuyasha is in the village. He had been missing for a short while but he has returned." Sesshomaru was far more fearsome than any youkai inhabiting the area. But he was also noble, Kagome knew that. The daiyoukai turned away from the woman, focusing his attention on the hesitant flock. With a flick of his wrist he released his dokkasou whip, cutting through a line of crows perched to the side of him. It only took the small warning to send the rest of flock scattering, screeching in terror as they took off. Once the birds were Kagome, sat up holding on to Chen to keep him from trying anything funny. The dragon youkai hissed at the daiyoukai, recognizing the kinship between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha through scent. The similarity was slight, but recognizable.

"Chen, hush, do not fight him." Kagome warned, but she was but she was barely able to control the boy. She was only able to over power him because of his injuries. Sesshomaru's gaze lowered to the child with mild interest. At least until he noticed the boy's eyes. A bone chilling smirk graced the graceful daiyoukai's features. The miko never ceased to amazing him even whilst pathetically cowering. She had pulled the tetsaiga from his father's tomb, dared to fire her arrows at him, and stood upon the front lines of battle against the pathetic spider Naraku. Now the woman stumbled upon the most interesting of treasures he'd seen in centuries.

"Miko silence the child and prepare to return to your village. I seek my half brother." He spoke, implying he would return her safely to his hanyou brother.

Kagome shook her head. She placed her hand on Chen's head, pleading for him to calm down. The boy's hissing subsided but he still glared up at the daiyoukai. The miko then gazed up at their savior and smiled sadly. "Thank you Sesshomaru, but I can not accompany you to the village. I do not wish to return."

At this the daiyoukai raised his brow, "Explain."

Kagome quickly gazed away. She hadn't even told her closest friends of her nightmare of a life with Inuyasha, so she definitely did not want to discuss it with his older half brother that she was not even remotely close to. "I just…do not have a desire to return."

"Are you not the hanyou's mate?" It sounded more like a statement then a question. Sesshomaru took a moment to take in the miko's scent before growling softly. His fool of a brother also never ceased to amaze him. "I see so he wished to take you on human terms, the fool." While Sesshomaru turned his nose away from the human breed he did not deny worth when he laid eyes on it. If it were not for the female his foolish brother would be dead. He could not even extract his revenge on Naraku without this wench. The miko would have been a great asset as a mate, with her abilities his pups would have been formidable even despite their mixed blood. But he did not bond her to him. Inuyasha was just incapable to the very end. "However, are you not his wife? Why should you not return to his side?"

He had no reason to doubt her faithfulness; he could scent no other male on her with the exception of the boy, whom he was curious about but would inquire of him later.

"I just can not Sesshomaru." Kagome spoke, her voice rising with the anxiousness she felt welling in her stomach.

The daiyoukai did not appreciate the tone. In one fluid motion he unsheathed bakusaiga, holding it to the female's neck. "Woman do not test this Sesshomaru's patients. You will honor this Sesshomaru's status and tittle properly as both Inu no Taisho of the West and as your older brother."

He had not attended Inuyasha and Kagome's wedding, he had not given his blessing for it to commence and so to him the marriage didn't really exist, nor would any youkai acknowledge it. However because of the power the girl possessed…he would claim her. He was older brother of the shikon no miko and the hanyou son of the Great Inu no Taisho, both of which were now held in high regard amongst the youkai nobles for the destruction of Naraku. They held great titles even if the fools did not know it, titles which looked very nice under Sesshomaru's belt of power.

Chen narrowed his eyes at the new comer. The red haired boy grabbed the sword to push it away from Kagome, but he could not budge it. He was trying to hard but the sword did not falter even a centimeter. He gasped in surprise when the sword suddenly released a burst of power, burning his hand. He hissed, and drew his hand to his chest. Sesshomaru then moved the sword from Kagome, instead holding it to Chen's neck.

"Sesshomaru…-sama. Please..please don't hurt him. He's been through enough today!" She begged. She had no choice. "Inuyasha and I we, we aren't working out." Sesshomaru pressed bakusaiga into Chen's cheek, just enough to draw blood. He wanted her to get to the point. Kagome's eyes widened, and she spoke quickly. "Staying with him will kill me. Ever since I failed to give birth to our child he has hated me. Day in and day out the abuse gets worse and worse. He only becomes more violent towards me. I can't live with him any longer, I've become weak and so pathetic I can't even stand myself. I just want to be free and happy again." She cried, the tears forcing their way out. She shook violently and held Chen tightly, "Please Sesshomaru don't hurt him, he is all I have now."

Sesshomaru lowered his sword and placed it back into its sheath. He seemed unmoved by the display, but he was concerned for several reasons now. "Miko, the hanyou had impregnated you without going through the mating process?"

Kagome wiped her eyes and nodded her head slowly. "I'm not to sure what the difference is between mating and marriage, but yes he never mentioned anything about a process. I became pregnant not to long after we were wed. But the child died in the womb, my miko no chi had tried to purify it because of his youkai blood and it ended up killing it. It all happened so fast, as I was giving birth…"

"Hn." Seemingly unmoved by the story Sesshomaru turned his back to her. "Come miko you will reside with this Sesshomaru's pack for the time being." He did not wait for her and began walking in the direction he had left Rin, the toad, and Ah Un. Kagome slowly released Chen, and wiped the blood from his cheek. She didn't try to explain to him what was happening.

With a bit of struggle she managed to pull herself up to stand. She held Chen by his arm and helped him up after. She had no strength to carry him nor support him. The two stumbled behind the daiyoukai, walking in silence, trusting the daiyoukai, following him blindly into the night.

Without realizing it they reached the camp quickly. It was the Kagome realized that all that commotion had been to close to the camp and more specifically Rin for Sesshomaru's comfort. That is why the daiyoukai stumbled upon them. It seemed faith and luck did look upon her every once an a while. She lead Chen close to the fire, and the boy collapsed there before she could say or do anything else. He couldn't even glare at the daiyoukai anymore, that's how tired he was. It didn't seem like Kagome was under any stress either, or at least no more stress than the usual amount, so he had no problem falling asleep. Kagome sighed and shook her head, slowly lowering herself onto the ground. She was concerned because she had nothing to disinfect their wounds with or even wrap them, but she supposed she'd just have to put it out of her mind for now. She glanced around the camp. Rin was sleeping, curled up next to Ah Un on a plush futon like pillow, Jaken also slept propped up against the dragon's hide. Ah Un however stirred from his sleep, the two heads staring intently at the dragon boy.

"Miko, this Sesshomaru is curious as to how you stumbled upon that boy?"

"Oh? You mean Chen?"

"Hn."

"Oh, well I found him, or perhaps rather he found me. Regardless, he has not chosen to leave me so I have taken him in." Kagome looked down at the sleeping boy. "You know of his origins Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Not specifically, however this Sesshomaru is aware of the existence of his kind. I have visited the mainland before and have met with his kind. They are an extremely rare breed of youkai. It troubles this Sesshomaru that one has stumbled into these lands." The daiyoukai stared into the fire for a moment mulling over his thoughts. "Tell me, my foolish half-brother would not have let you go freely, how did you manage to escape him?" Sesshomaru seemed to be asking all the questions with answers she wanted to avoid thinking about.

"Well, it was thanks to Chen. The morning after I found him we had been eating breakfast when Inuyasha found me. He was going to take me back to the village but he and Chen fought. Chen burned him terribly with fire he expelled from his mouth. The skin of Inuyasha's arm was completely burned off." She explained, just the thought made her shiver. It had looked horrific. Sesshomaru smirked, amused that his brother couldn't even handle a child, even after defeating the dragon that caused their father's death. "A dragon's fire is not to be taken likely, the fool is lucky his arm was not incinerated. The boy is a child but even so a dragon's fire can continue to burn for hours to even weeks and even once the flames are put out the skin will continue to burn as if the flames were not extinguished."

Kagome nodded. That must have been why Inuyasha had taken so long to return. He must have had trouble putting the fire out. "What about water? Wouldn't jumping into a river or lake help."

"No, it takes rather strong magic to put out a dragon's fire otherwise one must wait for it to die on its own." Sesshomaru closed his eyes slowly as he leaned against the tree behind him. "You are an extremely perplexing woman. You seem to attract very valuable rarities and immeasurable amounts of trouble. This Sesshomaru does not know if you are lucky or cursed."

Kagome chuckled weakly; she wasn't to sure about that either. "Well, I would like some good news…how would I be lucky?"

"Dragons are perhaps the only creatures that can have a sense of loyalty that runs as deeply as the Inu's."

"Really? So I guess that is why AhUn is by your side?"

"This Sesshomaru hatched AhUn from its egg." He spoke. The statement explained the basis of their relationship simply enough. "If the boy has chosen to stay by your side, he will until your feeble life has ended. You are lucky, while loyalty is unquestionable; gaining that loyalty is extremely difficult in most scenarios."

"How come?"

"Because dragons are rare, and they are rare because they are hunted for power. A single fang can posses an immense amount of power, and depending on how it is harvested and forged it can create a powerful weapon with unpredictable prowess. Gaining favor from a dragon is a high honor. There are not many left in these lands…"

Kagome nodded her head at the new information. It was a bit much to take in and she still had more questions. It also brought more worries. "He was lost in the forest, and he ended up mistaking me for his mother. I can not communicate well with him because he does not speak our language but I was able to correct him. He probably just stays with me for safety..which is fine I suppose, but he will leave when he finds the means to take care of himself or maybe he might even find his parents."

"Foolish woman. Youkai do not mistake strangers as kin. For him to select another must mean his parents are dead. You have corrected nothing. He stays with you because he has sensed that you have the ability to raise him. He has claimed you as his new mother. When a youkai child is abandoned by its parents its automatic instinct is to find a new shelter, new protection, a new care giver. It is a process of sensing and logic. You hold power miko, he knows it. He knows you can protect him. He can feel that you are one with a kind and giving heart, you can take care of him and accept him. And since he is by your side it means you have already accepted him."

"What? No, I…I never agreed, he didn't even ask!"

"Miko this Sesshomaru will not argue with your ignorance. Rest now as we begin travel early tomorrow morning."

When Kagome opened her mouth to protest, his gaze hardened. Her mouth shut instantly, swallowing her question till morning. She sighed and laid down by Chen, getting as comfortable as she could on the hard ground. Nonetheless falling asleep was easy, completely worn out the woman slipped into a more or less peaceful slumber.

When morning came Kagome woke up someone shaking her softly. Opening her eyes she woke up face to face with a toothy grin.

"Good morning Kagome-san!" Rin greeted cheerfully. "Its time to get up!" The girl had done a lot of growing up in the last five years, however she remained as cheery and innocent as ever under Sesshomaru's the careful and protective watch. The twelve year old, brushed her hair back behind her ear as she stood up. "Sesshomaru-sama caught some fish and Rin has cooked it up."

After blinking a few times, everything about her current situation had finally sunk in. Smiling weakly she sat up and stretched, as soft yawn escaping her lips. "Morning Rin-chan, it's been a while." She patted the girl's hair affectionately before rising to her feet. She glanced around the clearing and had spotted Chen stretching a little by AhUn. He had flowers braided into his hair which was odd but she was more concerned about his wounds that hadn't been treated, he shouldn't have been moving around so casually. She on the other hand felt stiff and sore. The girl took her hand and led her to her breakfast. "It has been a while Kagome-san, Rin has missed you so much, but Rin wanted to spend more time with Sesshomaru-sama while he was not to busy."

Kagome chuckled and nodded her head, "I understand Rin-chan, I don't mind at all, I get to see you now after all." It was hard not to be cheery around the light hearted girl, "Um, have you gotten a chance to meet Chen yet?" She asked, motioning to the youkai boy. Rin nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Yes! He is very nice. He let Rin braid flowers into his hair, and we already ate our breakfast together." Well that explained the flowers, and it actually made Kagome laugh. It wasn't surprising Chen bent to the girl's will; he had done the same with Sango's twins. He was surprisingly warm hearted. The two girls sat down near AhUn and Chen. With Rin's encouragement, Kagome rested against AhUn as she sat. It was her first time being so close to the dragon; she remembered only having seen him from a distance a few times. AhUn, paid little attention to her, to use to being used as a cushion these days; however, what they were focused on however was Chen. It was their first time since Ryukotsusei that they had come across another of their breed. Although Chen was different from them. Like the inu's and kitsune's or any other breed of youkai, there were common lines and then there were the daiyoukai. The daiyoukai were those with the purest of blood lines, they were the strongest; they were usually royals or born into one of the other levels of nobility. Chen was a daiyoukai. AhUn was sure his master could sense it, the pureness of his blood line, and his inner strength of dragon fire. The two headed dragon had over heard the conversation with the miko last night, and wondered why his master had not informed the miko more on what she was dealing with now. He pitied the female for what fate had put her through so far, but the two headed dragon felt proud to say that her troubles would disappear before her eyes because of the strength of this boy, of dragons. He would surely help open up the door for her. Yes, even the lowly two headed dragon could sense what swelled beneath the surface of the miko. He had watched her from afar during the war with Naraku. When she helped destroy him she had been so close to breaking the walls around her trapped power and becoming stronger than the his master's hanyou brother, but alas that hanyou ended up breaking her to the point where she is now weaker than she had been when the dragon had first laid eyes on her.

"Chen, you don't feel sore do you? You should sit and rest some more before we get moving."

The boy cocked his head at her then went back to his stretching and Kagome could only sigh as she remembered he could not understand. "Chen," she tried again and this time she patted the ground next to her. "Sit."

Chen nodded and sat down by the miko with his legs crossed. He stared out into the field before them, taking his surroundings for the first time since waking up. He hadn't traveled this far past the village as yet since he had been traveling from the south. And he was glad to not have gone alone, the night before had been deadly. However now that he was at full energy his body already healed most of the damage from last night. Kagome had noticed that. The miko ran her hands along Chen's sun kissed skin in amazement. She knew fully grown youkai healed quickly but even those as young as Chen could as well? The boy's gaze turned to her as she touched him and almost instantly he reached his hand out and brushed her cheek.

It happens within the first few moments of meeting.

Kagome smiled softly, "I guess I did agree didn't I?" But she still believed that such a decision as adopting a new parent, so to speak, was a big deal. There was no way the decisions could be made on such a whim. No, she would wait until she and Chen knew each other better, until they could have proper talks and share their feelings before asking if he really wanted to stay with her. As Kagome ate, Rin chatted with her happily. The young girl had plenty to tell and ask her about. She didn't get time to spend with other females and since Kagome explained Chen did not know Japanese the girl felt safe to talk about everything.

"Oh Rin, you really have discovered a lot all by yourself." Kagome giggled softly, patting the girl's hair affectionately. Chen watched the display as the girls went back and worth with a tad bit of jealousy. Kagome hugged the girl and stroked her fingers through her hair. They laughed together and Rin even got to hold her hand at one point. They were so close. He was glad when Sesshomaru, though he still didn't trust him, came and spoiled their fun.

"We will set out now, ready yourselves." Sesshomaru spoke passively as he walked by the little group to scout ahead of them. As the two human girls stood up, Rin took Kagome's hand again and lead the woman off after her dear Sesshomaru-sama. "Come on Kagome-san, we wouldn't want to get left behind!" She cheered gleefully while Chen huffed and followed behind them with AhUn.

A/N: ok so i decided to shed some light on a few things in this chapter but don't think all the mysterious have been solved yet. thank you for those that have reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. it really motivates me and its good to know people enjoy this story. r&r please