AN: A Guest questioned Sesshomaru's abilities. He still has them, but he didn't know that Kagome wanted to be near water. Remember most humans at that time didn't bath as much as they do in modern times. For that time period most humans bathed once a month or maybe twice a month. Hygiene wasn't on the top of the list. Why do you think they were always considered filthy humans.

After that Sesshomaru always made sure that they are near water whenever possible.

I have had a rough week…. I ended up having to re-write 3 chapter… :( damn inner muse wanted something, but it didn't fit with what we were doing… she ran away with my fingers, now I have lots more work ahead of me… I hate being so far behind...

Chapter 6

It was spacious enough to accommodate the large group, without having to be near his brother and his companions.

"Set camp as far a possible away from the others." Saito bowed to his Lord and followed his directions, going to the far side of the clearing, he let Ah-Un settle, before he gave the two-headed dragon it's evening meal. He quickly started gathering wood to make a fire, when he noticed that the little miko had beat him to it and had the fire pit set-up and ringed with stones. She had set her pack near a tree, that was not too far from the fire pit she had built.

"I'll be back in few." Kagome stated and she was gone again with no sign where she had gone off too, leaving the others to wonder what she was up too, as they set up camp away from Sesshomaru, whom they noticed took a tree not far from where the miko had placed her own pack.

The others set up there camp far away from Sesshomaru, not wanting to press their luck. Kikyou hadn't stopped complaining about everything. Mostly though she complained about Kagome and how the Wench would try to steal her mate from her and how she was enticing the males around her. That Kagome must be a whore, since she was talking so friendly with the servant and how she had Sesshomaru wrapped around her little finger.

It had gotten to the point that even her mate told her to shut up and stay silent, that none of them wanted to hear any more of her mouth. So now Kikyou sat away from her mate sulking. She thought that everyone would be on her side, since they had gotten rid of the pathetic Wench, all those years ago.

She was thinking of how to get rid of the Wench, once and for all. She had attacked her when she first saw her, clawing the girls back and injecting her with the poison that now flowed through her veins and that didn't work. The Bitch just purified it and healed her wounds, that should have left her crippled or dead. She didn't have her soul collectors any longer, to have them steal the girls soul for her.

She hadn't done much in the last fifty years. She wasn't a fighter, and she didn't have any miko powers any more to aid her. She needed to come up with something to kill the wretch. Though the girl seemed more powerful than she, herself ever had been in life or death. The hit that she took from girl, hurt like hell. She wasn't expecting to be hit so hard from a pathetic human, now that she was no longer ningen herself. The girl shouldn't have been able to do what she did.

She also wondered how she managed to kill Naraku and his minions. There was no way the girl could have done what she supposedly did, unless she had help. But who would help such a pathetic being.

Kikyou knew that the girl had to be lying, when she came back earlier, after saying that she took out a dozen low level youkai. The girl couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, let alone take out so many youkai, regardless if they were low level or not.

She had been watching the girl all day, knowing that the Bitch, was going to cause trouble for all of them. She had no right to be here. This wasn't her place. Her time. Her world. She had planned on killing the girl, once they reached her time, long before she reached the age of going through the Well.

Maybe she should take up her bow again, that way she could kill the girl from a distance and claim it was an accident. When they got back to the palace, she intended to search Sesshomaru's library for ways to get rid of a pesky miko.

Kagome wasn't gone long, when she came back to camp, Sesshomaru raised a thin brow, at what she had in her hands. Two rabbits and three fish already gutted and skinned. Without a word, she found thin sticks and placed the fish near the fire to cook, while looking for proper sticks to set up for one of the rabbits to roast over the fire. With that done, she dug into her bag and brought out a small cutting board and three plates.

She went about cutting up the rabbit, knowing from her long years of studying, certain youkai preferred their meat raw and bloody. After placing the cut up rabbit on a plate, she reached into one of her pouches, removing a leaf pouch and setting its contents to the side on the plate. Grabbing a set of chop sticks. When finished with what she was doing, she walked over to Sesshomaru whom she knew had been watching her every move.

"I know you don't eat human food, I hope this is acceptable. I placed the heart and liver on the leaf, just in case." Kagome said in her soft tones, smiling softly, hoping that he would accept the food.

Sesshomaru was shocked when the miko handed him the plate of food. He wasn't expecting her to feed him or his servant, as he watched her cutting half of the other rabbit into chunks and placing them on another plate, pulling out another leaf pouch, he noted that this one had berries and other types of fruit, he watched her grab another set of chop sticks as she stood going to his servant and talking quietly to him, while handing him a plate of food.

"I'm not exactly sure what horse youkai eat, so I hope that this is okay?" Kagome said smiling softly to Saito whom wasn't sure if he should take the food or not. He looked towards his lord for an indication whether he should take it or not. He noticed his lord nod his head slightly saying it was alright for him to accept the meal the little miko had prepared for him.

Saito watched as the miko handed him the food, when he took it she beamed with happiness. He smiled gratefully at seeing that she not only gave him rabbit, but fruits that he really liked.

"Thank you, kindly, miko~sama." Saito bowed from his sitting position next to Ah-Un.

After handing out the food Kagome went back to the fire, turning her fish so that they wouldn't burn. She stood up and went over to Ah-Un and dug into her pouches again before bringing out some thistle and long flowering grass, and some fruit that she knew he would like. Patting them on them their heads, she turned back to the fire taking the fish off she cut one up, leaving it on the cutting board she set it down beside her for Kirara, before taking the other two fish and placing them on a plate for herself to eat, along with some fruit. When the rabbit was done she set it aside to cool.

She never paid attention to what the others were doing and she rightly didn't care, though she could feel the anger and jealousy coming off of InuYasha and the hatred off of Kikyou, Sango and Miroku were sitting sullenly by themselves eating dried foods that they brought with them.

After Kagome was done eating dinner, she gathered all the dirty plates and utensils and brought them to the stream to wash, before packing them away in her pack. Wrapping the rabbit that she set aside. She gathered her bathing supplies and a towel.

She turned towards Sesshomaru. "I will return shortly. I want to take a quick bath." She left unsaid that she wanted him to watch her back and make sure the others didn't try to accost her while bathing. Sesshomaru gave a short nod, understanding her need for privacy and not wanting to have to deal with the others.

Sango wanted to join Kagome in bathing, but was unsure how she would take it, and given the look in Sesshomaru's eyes, she knew that she wasn't welcomed. She wanted to cry, she had always enjoyed her baths with Kagome. They had always talked things out while relaxing in water. She was jolted out of her thoughts by Kikyou's never ending ranting.

"How do we even know, that she isn't casting some kind of spell over everyone? Just look how everyone is treating her. She has everyone fooled."

"Kikyou, shut up!" InuYasha fumed. All his mate had been doing since Kagome arrived, was rant and rave about every little thing and personally he was getting tired of it.

"See. She even has you fooled." She bit out angrily. "Why, is it that only I, can see her for what she is?"

"Shut up, Kikyou." Sango snapped this time. She never really liked the female, she had tolerated her for InuYasha's sake.

"Silence your mate, InuYasha." Sesshomaru stated coldly. He had had enough of the wench.

"Even you are being fooled, Sesshomaru. Allowing that girl such liberties. Making you do her bidding."

"That's enough, Kikyou!" InuYasha bellowed, grabbing his mate, forcing her to look at him. "Ever since Kagome showed up, you haven't stopped. Enough! She's never done anything to you. No one wants to hear anymore. If you don't want to come with us, then go home."

"And leave you with my pathetic reincarnation. I think not. I can't believe that she is reincarnated from me. I was once a great and powerful miko. The strongest this land has seen, since Midoriko walked the lands. Did you know that, I am her reincarnation? That is why I was the Shikon no Miko."

"You are not Midoriko's reincarnation. If anyone has that claim it is the miko. You may have been strong, though it just shows the weakness of the times, when poor breeding, begets weak beings. The miko is far from weak. As it now stands, she is far stronger than any miko that has walked this world." Sesshomaru stated coldly. He was not about to tell any of them that the little miko did not come from the future, but from another reality all together. That was something that he would keep to himself.

"You're right." Kagome said in her soft voice. "I am as much her reincarnation, as her mate is the reincarnation of a rock." She finished as she placed her bag near a tree. She was still dressed in her black and blue clothes, her weapons in hand as she seated herself, she laid her swords across her legs, her bow and quiver leaning against her bag, that was sitting beside her.

"What did I miss?" She asked, as she sat not far from Sesshomaru, ignoring the others on the other side of the clearing.

"We were discussing, how a pathetic ningen, was able to put a spell on everyone." Kikyou sneered, trying to get a rise out of the girl. She wanted to prove that the girl was bewitching them all, but her.

Kagome refused to acknowledge the female inu. She wasn't going to waste her breathe or her patients, she had far better things to concern herself with, than an ignorant fool. Kagome also noticed that Sesshomaru was ignoring the others as well.

"Nothing of importance." Sesshomaru stated.

"Well in that case. I think I will rest."

Shortly after Kagome dozed off leaning against her tree, Kirara settling in beside her. Sesshomaru watched as the miko slept, somewhat fitfully, as her breathing and heart rate would increase and sweat would dot her brow. He knew that she must be having some type of night terror. He was experienced with night terrors, as Rin would often have them.

When she finally settled, he looked over at Saito as he too watched the miko. He stood without a word and left camp. Saito knew that was his cue to watch over the little miko. Saito watched as Ah-Un got up from his place to resettle himself near the miko and neko, causing him to get up and follow the dragon. Once they were settled, he leaned against the dragon knowing that he would alert him if anything was near, or if the others decided that now that his lord was out of camp to come to the miko and cause trouble. He hoped that they wouldn't. He wasn't a fighter, he didn't know how to fight.

Sesshomaru noticed that the miko was slowly falling behind. He wasn't sure what was causing this in her, all he could feel or smell from her was apprehension and foreboding.

"Miko?"

"I'm alright." Though she didn't sound it, even to her own ears. Her heart was racing, she felt her insides tremble, her breathing was becoming shorter and shorter. Whatever happened here left a very strong echo behind. The closer they got the worse she was feeling.

Everyone in the group was silent as they watched the miko, as the turmoil within became an outward visibility, her body was shaking and she was perspiring.

"Miko~sama!" Saito yelled, dropping Ah-Un's reigns and rushing towards the miko now on her hands and knees, panting hard while sweat dripped from her face.

InuYasha and the others watched as Kagome fell and wanted to rush to her aid, but were held at bay by the dragon and Kirara growling viciously. The only ones allowed near Kagome's fallen form, were the servant and Sesshomaru as Saito knelt to one side and Sesshomaru in front of her.

"I'm alright. I just need to catch my breath." Was her weak reply.

"What are you feeling?" Sesshomaru demanded. He was trying to hide the worry in his voice.

"It's like an echo. Feelings mostly. I have been told that I have empathic abilities. I feel too much."

"Hn." Sesshomaru wasn't about to dispute her words. He knew that she felt things that most didn't. That and she felt the pain of others as keenly as her own. It was due to the compassion she held for others, that most likely brought out her empathy.

"Miko?" Kagome knew that he wouldn't ask a question a second time and knew what he wanted.

"I feel pain, fear, sorrow, panic. Can you not feel it as well? The closer we get to the village the stronger it's becoming."

"Hn. I feel nothing. Are you able to continue?"

"Of course. I just have to block as much as I can." With that she stood taking a deep breath, centering herself, before giving Sesshomaru a small nod, indicating that she was ready to proceed. Ignoring the others as she had been doing.

Kikyou was ranting once again, saying that she was just trying to gain sympathy and attract attention to herself, while the others looked on worried about their once friend.

"Are you sure, you're alright, Miko~sama?" Asked a worried Saito. "If you want, you can ride Ah-Un. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." He said, blushing like mad. He really did like her, she was nothing like other ningens and most higher ranking youkai always treated him poorly, due to his low rank.

"Thanks, but I'm fine." Kagome stated, as even Kirara was wanting her to ride and rest.

Within fifteen minutes they had reached the outer fringe of the village. Some of the buildings were destroyed, while others still stood. Not a sound could be heard, not even the birds or the rustle of the wind. There were no remains of the inhabitants, only items thrown or dropped, broken pottery and other items could be seen. It was an eerie sight to behold, even Sesshomaru whom was least effected got chills.

"I don't see what's so special about this place." InuYasha stated, breaking the silence as he went to take a step closer and was stopped by Kagome.

"Don't take another step. I need this place as untainted by the living as possible. Kirara go with Ah-Un and Saito~San. Sesshomaru, I suggest that you may want to back up a bit. I am going to be releasing my powers and I don't want to singe you in any way." When Sesshomaru just stared at her, she knew that he wouldn't be moving. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Kagome mumbled as she walked towards the center of the village alone. She contemplated putting a barrier around them, but decided against it, it would teach some not to mess with her.

Sesshomaru watched as Kagome walked slowly into the center of the village, bringing her hands up in prayer, he watched fascinated, as her lithe body started to glow in iridescent pinks and blues with hues of gold, her hands slowly lowering, palms facing outward and slightly away from her sides. Her powers creating a wind around her, causing her cloak and clothes to flutter in the power driven wind, as her powers expanded to reach the far corners of the village.

He heard the others hiss as the miko's powers touched them, making their bodies sting in response to her. He could smell the distinct stench of burnt hair, flesh and cloth. Even the humans were effected by the touch of her powers. He heard their hurried footsteps, retreating from the power touching them, and their shocked whispers. Though he felt a slight sting, he also felt a warmth and tender touch, when her powers washed over him. He had to fight his own bodies reaction to her powers, though he was not surprised that he was growing aroused by her. She was the strongest female, that he has ever come across and dare he think it, she was just as strong as he, himself was. A slight smirk appeared on his lips, his eyes going slightly darker.

His eyes snapped to attention, when he heard the miko cry out, as he was about to go to her, he felt her powers again rise, stopping InuYasha just in time as the miko placed her hands on the ground, he felt his eyes widen as he watched as everything within the village turn to dust and the land sprout with green, before the miko fell to the ground.

When he felt that her powers had receded, he rushed to her side, turning her over he noted the slight trail of blood coming from her nose. It didn't take long before her eyes fluttered opened finding blue meeting the concerned golden.

"Well, well, well… What do we have here?"