Kitten in Chaos

"Just teaching you a small lesson. Neko's don't hate water, we just avoid it. Also, I'm curious if a certain myth is true. Can Imp yokai survive underwater just as well as they can on land?" Kagome chortled as she stepped deeper into the pond. She ignored the shudders she felt through Jaken's haori.
"No! No! We Can't! You stupid, stupid girl! If I could live underwater I wouldn't be here." Jaken exclaimed, sparing little attention to what he said and who might be around. Kagome growled when Jaken called her stupid. He just wouldn't learn his lesson!
"Very well, since you insist on calling me derogatory names, I will continue the lesson." Kagome said with ice, and steel in her voice. She wasn't the same Kagome that Jaken once knew. This was a different person. She wasn't as sweet and forgiving, she'd teach the lesson with malice if that's what it took for him to learn it.
Kagome took another step forward, getting a little deeper in the pond. The water now reached Kagome's chest, and started to grab at Jaken's ankles. Jaken stuttered, unable to make any actual words, as he stared at the water. A chuckle rumbled from Kagome at Jaken's reaction. She started to move further into the water, when she felt Jaken's body shudder.
"That's enough." A voice rang out, clear, strong, and unquestionable. It was Sesshomaru, and he watched as Kagome turned to face him. Her eyes were filled with many emotions. One was an emotion Sesshomaru was unable to identify, a loss of identity. The others were anger, sorrow, and extreme pain.
Kagome tossed Jaken to the side of the pond, where he fell limp. He had fainted mere moments before Sesshomaru had commanded her to stop. The two stared at each other for a couple moments, expecting the other to make the first move.
Kagome's patience lost, and her emotions took over. She was still not completely healed from the emotional wounds, and that was reflected in the tears that now fell from her eyes. Kagome stayed in neko form, but she shrunk to kitten size when she reached the bank of the pond.
Sesshomaru sighed, and then picked Kagome up and carried her with him. He ignored his unconscious servant, Jaken would be awake soon enough and bothering him as usual. Neither Kagome or Sesshomaru spoke as he placed Kagome on his shoulder between his neck and his moko-moko. Kagome curled into the moko-moko and continued to cry. She kept asking herself questions that she wanted the answer to but didn't have.
'Why did I stay? Inuyasha still didn't pick me over Kikyo, so what was the reason for my staying?' Kagome cried until the emotional exhaustion overwhelmed her and she slept. Her paws had hooked the moko-moko with her claws to prevent her from falling as she slept.
Sesshomaru really had no clue what to do with her. He felt he couldn't turn her away when the faint smell of Inuyasha's blood on her yelled to all that she was no longer allies with his half-brother. Even though it was hanyo blood, a low standing yokai might take her as a threat. He had also told her that she'd tell him what happened at the mid-day meal. Which did imply that she'd be staying, even if just to the meal.
When he looked at the now sleeping neko on his shoulder he faced the same dilemma and uncertainty he had faced when deciding on whether or not Rin would stay with him. Sesshomaru shook his head and decided he'd make his final decision after he'd heard her story.
He was slightly curious as to how she'd been turned into a nekomata, and how she'd come to be at his palace gates. He was quickly yanked from his thoughts at the sound and scent of a certain hanyo he had never wanted to see again. Especially since said hanyo was the reason for his missing arm.
As Sesshomaru approached his once more chaotic front gates, another scent hit Sesshomaru's nose like he'd walked into a brick wall. He had no idea why he hadn't noticed it before, it was so overwhelming. Decay, death, and dirt, it could only be one other person. Kikyo.
Sesshomaru walked out to the gates with his normal indifferent, if slightly irritated, facial expression. He took in the scene, and had a vague sense of dejavu. If he hadn't smelt the offensive intruders, he would have expected to see Kagome there on the ground, and the neko on his shoulder to be gone.
As he walked towards the movement, he saw what was happening. Kikyo and Inuyasha were fighting his guards. They were shouting something, but their words were scrambled enough for Sesshomaru not to understand what they were blathering about.
"Halt this nonsense." His voice seemed to bounce off the stone walls surrounding them, and off the trees in the forest just beyond the gates. The effect was enough to cause the four struggling people to stop their movement and turn their attention to him.
Sesshomaru held back a smirk as he watched something happen that amused him. Kikyo's lips pulled back in a snarl that was more fit for a yokai than a supposed miko. In reaction to Kikyo's snarl, Inuyasha looked at her in surprise.
Kikyo wasn't paying attention to Inuyasha though. Her eyes were on Sesshomaru's shoulder, where a kitten sized fire nekomata rested, her focus on Kagome with deadly intent. Inuyasha's face was one of jealousy, because he thought Kikyo was looking at Sesshomaru. Whereas Sesshomaru's face was one of an irritated person. His land had been trespassed upon twice in one day, and it was wearing at his patience.
"You two are trespassing and will leave immediately if you don't wish to face this Sesshomaru in battle" Sesshomaru stated, ignoring Kikyo's intent that was focused on the neko on his shoulder. He felt it necessary to prove the point, so Sesshomaru bared his fangs slightly.
"We're only here to pick up a little kitten that escaped it's cage." Kikyo's voice lashed through the air as if trying to cut all life out of the air itself.

AN: Another chapter done and completed. I'm liking where this is going and how it's developing. I'm not a Kikyo hater, but I do think that she was weak for allowing herself to be tricked. Making her out to be the bad guy was only to fit the story line. However, don't get me started with Inuyasha's unfailing ability at being unable to choose Kikyo or Kagome... I'm afraid of saying anything else and spoiling what's coming up. Enjoy, and look forward to the next chapter. ^_^