Hi all thank you for reading and reviewing! Thank you for reading as always. Here's the next chapter. Do not own Inuyasha but I do own this story, poems, songs and charters not pertaining to Inuyasha.
~AnimeGirlMiranda
"What the hell Sesshomaru!?" Kagome said glaring at the demon lord next to her.
"A miko should not use such language." Sesshomaru replied raising an eyebrow.
"Whatever, you didn't have to just grab me and take off." Kagome said as she noticed said demon lord still had his arm around her waist. She blushed.
Sesshomaru glanced over at her face was red and she was leaning slightly away from him. Did she detest his touch? Sesshomaru inwardly smirked, her scent told him otherwise.
"So, any way how long till we get to your place?" Kagome said shifting slightly. She didn't really have any spot to move to on Sesshomaru's cloud.
"Depends on how fast I wish to be there." Sesshomaru said dropping his honorific. Making Kagome even more aware of her closeness to him.
"And how fast do you want to get there?" Kagome asked looking over at him for the first time while being on Sesshomaru's cloud.
"Hnn." Sesshomaru said
"That is not an answer!" Kagome said huffing turning to look away from him again. She didn't know how long she could stand this. Why was she so uncomfortable anyway?
Sesshomaru was her friend, it's not like he wanted to her kill or hurt her any more. Well at least he wouldn't act on it any way. Kagome glanced over at him. Sesshomaru was facing forward not looking at her. Kagome studied him, he was very handsome and that was an understatement. He had a strong chin and high cheek bones with his demon markings upon them. His eyes a rich gold like yellow diamonds. She blinked. She was attracted to him she realized looking away. And not just his looks, she actually liked him and his stupid smug demon lord self. Well crap. Sesshomaru was the only male that didn't have a mate/spouse that she saw on a regular basis and well Sesshomaru was hot. Of course now of all times would be when she realized this. When she was leaning up against him with nowhere to go. Ugh. Just what she needed stupid girl feelings. Whatever she'd just ignore them.
Sesshomaru had thought about actually replying to Kagome when he notices a change in her scent, he looked over at her right after she turned away. She's doing it again, he realized. He continued to watch the miko's many facial expressions until she seemed to come to a conclusion and she groaned. She certainly was entertaining.
"Miko, what are you thinking about." Sesshomaru asked curious.
"How I'm an idiot for thinking your-." Kagome froze. Did she really just say that!? "Ah! Nothing never mind nothing important really!" Kagome stamped quickly hoping Sesshomaru would not ask any further questions.
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at the miko.
"For thinking what about this one?" Sesshomaru asked eying her. He didn't know humans could become this red he mused watching her face turn bright red.
"Nothing!" Kagome tried again praying to kami that the he would drop it or that she'd fall in a deep whole away from her embarrassment.
Sesshomaru starred at her. He would not let it go she noticed and groaned.
"I don't want to tell you." Said Kagome.
"This one didn't ask if you wanted to tell me or not miko." Sesshomaru said glaring and holding her tighter.
"Finish your statement." He would be spending a seeming long time with her when going to the future and did not wish for any surprises.
Kagome sighed and mumbled incoherently. Sesshomaru continued to stare at her. Kagome decided to try one last thing.
"UGH! You are so impossible!" Kagome said. "That's what I was going to say?" Kagome turned her head away from him.
"You're lying, which this one had hoped was beneath you." Sesshomaru stated Kagome turned towards him looking at him.
"You know what? FINE." Kagome said. "I'll tell you!" Kagome looked down blushing again "I... I was just thinking you were hot." Kagome said turning her face away.
"This one's body's temperature is normal." Sesshomaru quested bewildered. Why was telling him that embarrassing? He thought taking in her scent again.
"I think your attractive ok?!" Kagome stampeded out quickly.
Sesshomaru's eyes widened. She was thinking about him? In that way? Interesting. He smirked
"Wha- what?" Kagome stuttered looking at Sesshomaru's smug expression and smirk. He was usually more guarded.
"I see." Sesshomaru said leaning his face closer to hers. He was going to have fun with this. He had already known she found him attractive but to have her say it to him...
"Hnn you find me to be a 'sexy demon' then?" Sesshomaru said eying her, as he used her words against her.
"Waaa?" Kagome looked at him, his face was turned towards her and only a foot away. His eyes were slightly shut revealing his red eyelids. His wild demon eyes were staring into hers. Kagome gulped. Yup, defiantly the one that wrote the book on sexiness.
"Hnn? I believe you heard me Kagome." Sesshomaru said pausing as she looked at him in surprise.
Kagome gasped. He had said her name! He had never before said her name, she wondered if he had thought it beneath him. Completely forgetting his question Kagome looked at him.
"You said my name." Kagome said repeating the obvious.
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. He could hear the miko's heart beating faster when he said her name. Do humans always get excited when someone says their name? Surely not. He had heard many of her friends call her by her name and never with such a reaction. Even when she had been "in love" with his brother she didn't have such an odd reaction. At least not one he saw, which means she reacted to him differently.
Behind them
Nuriel watched with great interest at the two in front of him. He had made sure to keep them far enough ahead that the children would not disturb them. But close enough so Nuriel could see them. Nuriel could see the miko becoming red and Sesshomaru adding to her embarrassment. Nuriel wondered how much Sesshomaru knew about human women. Maybe he would give him some pointers. He did have a hundred years or so of experience more than he did after all.
"Um Nuriel-sama?" Rin asked hesitantly.
Nuriel turned his attention to the three in front of him. They had re arranged themselves so Jaken and Shippo had switched spots. Jaken was on A-Un's neck and Shippo was sitting next to Nuriel and Rin.
"Yes?" Nuriel asked smiling at her shyness.
"I was wondering if you could tell us about your mate." Rin asked. Rin had heard them talking about Raya and was curious.
"Ah you would like to know?" Nuriel asked happily. Sesshomaru never let him gush about Raya and all her cuteness.
"I'm curious too!" Shippo said looking up at him as well.
"Well then what do you both want to know about my Raya?" Nuriel said folding his arms getting comfortable. Both Shippo and Rin started talking at once with an onslaught of questions. Nuriel held up his hands up.
"Whoa whoa whoa! One at a time!" Nuriel chuckled. "Rin go ahead and ask the first question." Rin thought for a moment.
"Is Raya-sama pretty?" Rin asked
"Of course!" Nuriel said "She is very pretty." And beautiful and cute and adorable and...
"What does she look like? Is she a kitsune like you?" Shippo asked looking at Nuriel's unique colored tail and ears.
Nuriel looked back down at the fox. "No. Raya is not a Kitsune like me." Nuriel said
"Is she like Shippo then?" Rin asked.
"Nope she's not a Kitsune at all." Nuriel replied.
"Oh, ok. What kind of demon is she then?" Shippo asked.
"Raya is actually human like you Rin." Nuriel said.
"Really?" Rin and Shippo asked surprised. They had only seen one human/demon relationship and that was Inuyasha and Kikyo and Inuyasha was half human. Nuriel was obviously a full demon.
"Yup."
"Is it ok for your mate to be human?" Shippo asked.
"Why wouldn't it be?" Nuriel said
"Some demons think they should not mate with humans. And some humans think we should not mate with demons." Rin said
"Well, some humans and demons don't like it. But Raya and I don't really care about that. Why should I care what other people think about my relationship with Raya?"
Shippo and Rin took in Nuriel's words, they had never really heard a grown up talk about it so bluntly
"Let me tell you two something that I learned the hard way hmm?" Nuriel said looking at them both as they nodded.
"If you live your life trying to make everyone happy, you'll just end up making no one happy and yourself especially."
The children looked at him wide eyed. Nuriel chuckled at their expressions and continued.
"You know what Rays says when we meet a demon that doesn't like that she's my mate?" Nuriel asked.
"No?" Rin said.
"What does she say?" Shippo asked.
"Well the demon will say something like 'humans are pathetic why would you mate one?'" Nuriel said in a different voice pretending to be such demon.
"And Raya will say something like 'better a "pathetic human" then a stupid and ugly thing like you'. Nuriel finished.
Shippo and Rin giggled.
"Wouldn't the demon get mad?" Rin asked
"Ehh usually, but then that's when I come in." Nuriel said winking and giving an evil grin.
"What if you meet a human that doesn't like you?" Shippo asked
"Heh. Well since most the time said human will say something like 'a demon had tricked you let us help you' to Raya." Nuriel said
"That sounds like what some people say to me." Rin said
Nuriel patted her head.
"But neither Raya nor you were tricked right?" Nuriel asked as Rin shook her head.
"So I'll say one of two things depending on how the humans are acting towards us." Nuriel smirked at his most recent encounter.
Flash back
"Hey Raya! Do we have to stop in this human village?" Nuriel wined to his mate.
Raya sighed exasperated then rolled her eyes.
"Nuriel I have to get something here if you don't want to come stay outside of the village." Raya said.
Nuriel pressed a hand to his chest acting shocked. "And leave my precious mate unprotected? I think not!"
"Then come on and quit complaining." Raya said glaring at him then giggling at his over exaggerated expression of being offended.
No sooner had the walk into the villages and passed the first hut a priestess walked out in front of them.
"Young lady come with us quickly you have a demon following you!" The young priestess said as a few of her shrine maidens stood by her.
Raya looked at them. 'Not again she thought.' And then said.
"Well I would hope so." Raya turned to look at Nuriel and smiled at him.
"Do you know this demon?" The priestess asked.
"I should say I do. He is my mate after all." Raya said turning back to them.
The priestess and shrine maidens gasped.
"Surely you have been tricked child!" The priestess said.
"First of all I'm not a child; I'm much much older than you." Raya said. "And-"
Nuriel cut her off and wrapped an arm around his mate and said.
"You're just jealous you don't have a sexy demon lover like me." He then kissed Raya's cheek making sure to make eye contact with the priestess as he did.
"Wha- no of course not!" The priestess stuttered out blushing at their display.
"Hmm, sure. The thing about us demons is we are very very good to our mates." He grinned as Raya turned to him blushing at his antics.
"Unlike human males, we always make sure to please our mates in every way." Nuriel said in a low voice as he nibbled on Raya's ear.
"Nuriel!" Raya gasped blushing. She looked over at Nuriel embarrassed. As she swatted her mates arm.
The priestess has seen enough her face red and her shrine maidens looking at them with a mix of awe and jealousy.
"Fi-fine! Whatever demon finish your business here and be gone!" The priestess said clearly flustered as she turned and left to the shrine followed by her two shrine maidens.
Present
Raya had gotten so mad at him, that village apparently was one she had planned on visiting more than once. Nuriel grinned to himself. But she forgave him soon enough, come night time. He chuckled.
Rin whispered to Shippo.
"Do you think he's ok? He's been smirking to himself for five minutes now."
Shippo whispered back.
"I think so."
"Uhh." Nuriel looked at Shippo and Rin probably shouldn't tell them the details of that.
"Any way, I'll just kiss Raya's cheek and tell them to mind their own business."
"Oh." Rin said.
"What's the other thing you say?" Shippo asked.
"Hmm pretty sure Sesshomaru and Kagome wouldn't want me telling you that one." He said. Teaching the kids swear words was probably not a good idea.
"Something like 'go stick your head in a hornet's nest'" Nuriel said.
Rin and Shippo laughed.
"Oh hey you should tell my mama about that! I think she'd laugh" Shippo said
"I think Lord Sesshomaru might like it too!" Rin said.
Shippo called out "HEY MAMA!"
Nuriel had tried to stop him not wanting to interrupt the two but it was too late.
"Tell me miko do you like me calling you by your given name?" Sesshomaru said watching her closely.
"Uhh, I-I don't know." Kagome said looking straight into his golden eyes. They seemed to hold her captive.
"Hnn." Sesshomaru leaned back looking her over. He had not known her to be shy but here she was. He found he enjoyed making her this way. He pulled her closer to him and leaned over her. She was so small compared to him.
Kagome's mind was in over drive. She could not believe what was happening. Sesshomaru Lord of the West was seemingly flirting with her. Seriously was there any other explanation? Maybe he was just messing with her. Yeah that's it! He was just messing with her. Right? Kagome thought this as Sesshomaru looked her over. Then he pulled her towards him and leaned over.
"Eep!" Kagome let out a small noise as he leaned forward. Her mind screaming 'nope definitely flirting!'
"Are you sure you don't know Ka-go-me" Sesshomaru said silkily.
"I-I." Kagome stammered her mind shutting down.
"You?" Sesshomaru asked with a raised eyebrow.
Before Kagome could reply.
"HEY MAMA!" Shippo bellowed.
Kagome glad for the interruption (kind of) push herself back to look at Shippo.
"Ye-Yes Shippo?" Kagome called back as Sesshomaru's mask was replaced and he slowed down so Kagome could speak with her kit.
What had gotten into him? Sesshomaru thought re thinking his actions. He had almost... Hnn.
Nuriel cursed under his breath well there goes the moment. And by the look of it Sesshomaru was pretty close to getting to first base.
"Oh we're here!" Rin said pointing towards the western palace.
"Whoa it's huge!" Shippo said as the group landed in front of the gate. Shippo hurriedly got off A-Un and looked around.
"Yea! And Lord Sesshomaru has a flower garden in the back just for me!" Rin said "Want to see?" She asked as Shippo nodded.
"Stop." Sesshomaru said as Kagome side stepped away from him. She froze was he talking to her? She glanced at him.
"Rin show Shippo where he will be staying and introduce him to whom he needs to know." Sesshomaru said as he ignored Kagome's awkward movements and obvious embarrassment.
"Yes Lord Sesshomaru." Rin said as she took Shippo's hand and led him inside. Kagome following them.
Rin introduced Kagome and Shippo to any servant or guard that came by telling them, that Kagome and Shippo were guests. Everyone had bowed politely and smiled at Rin. That little girl was obviously well liked. Rin lead them up grand stairs onto the third floor. Down the main hall way that dead ended into another hall way that appeared to only hold bed rooms. Rin walked over to the one in the corner to the right and opened the doors.
"This is my room; you can stay with me in here Shippo!" Rin said as she walked into the biggest room Kagome had ever seen made for a child. It could easily fit six of her bedrooms in it. Rin had a huge canopy bed. She had a chest of toys and another for clothes. She also had a sitting area with a low table and cushions around it. Rin ran around the room and then back to where Kagome and Shippo stood in the door way. Kagome realizing the reason the room didn't have any more furniture was so Rin could run around.
"Do you like it?" Rin asked.
"It's very nice Rin plenty of room for both of you." Kagome said smiling. Kagome turned to see Sesshomaru walk up beside her. "Time to go?" Kagome asked him
"Hnn." Sesshomaru said turning to look at Rin who had hugged his leg. "Be good Rin." He said putting a hand on her head.
"Yes!" Rin said.
Kagome hugged Shippo and Rin joining them in a big hug as they laughed.
"Alright you two stay out of trouble!" Kagome said as Shippo and Rin nodded.
Sesshomaru nodded towards the children then led the way back out into the courtyard where Nuriel and Jaken were waiting for them. Nuriel was silent as he watched them come out. He noticed Sesshomaru had put his mask back on and hadn't taken it off. Stubborn he thought. When Raya was safe he'd work on getting the stick out of the western lord's ass.
"Jaken." Sesshomaru said as he walked forward turning slightly towards the toad.
"Yes my lord?" Jaken said bowing
"Do not let anything befall the children or palace in my absence." Sesshomaru said
"Yes my lord." Jaken said bowing.
"I have already spoke with your guards they will not let anyone in save ones of the palace." Nuriel said as he led the way out of the palace grounds.
Sesshomaru nodded and motioned for Kagome to stand by him.
"So cloud riding fun?" Nuriel said as Sesshomaru produced his cloud and raised it skywards making the miko hold onto his arm for his support.
"Kind of!" Kagome said as they flew off. She watched as Nuriel transformed and sped towards their destination.
After what seems like moments they were landing in front of Bokuseno.
"Hey tree demon!" Nuriel called as he landed. "We brought the Shikon maiden! Now tell me how to go get my mate!"
Bokuseno's face appeared chuckling. "That you have." he said
"Oh!" Kagome looked over at the tree and went over to stand closely to it. "Hello I'm Kagome!" She said cheerfully. "Oh well you probably knew that already huh? Well um nice to meet you Bokuseno-sama"
"Hello Shikon Maiden Kagome. Yes, I know of you but it is good to officially meet you dear one." Bokuseno said smiling at her.
"Bokuseno, how do we proceed?" Sesshomaru asked getting straight to the point
"Have the Shikon maiden Kagome stand in front of the fallen tree behind me." Bokuseno instructed as she complied. "Both you and Nuriel must place a hand on her to continue with her." Nuriel stood next to Kagome on her right placing a hand on her shoulder and grinning at her reassuringly. Sesshomaru took his place on her left and placed a hand on her shoulder as well.
"Good. Now you all must focus on something that is of the future." Bokuseno said then explained. "Nuriel you must think of your mate and follow your mating bond, Kagome you must think of your family and Sesshomaru you must think of the miko Kagome." Bokuseno transferred his face to his back to make sure they were complying.
"You all most focus your thoughts on the person or people I have spoken to you, do not think of anything else less it tear you from one another. And you will arrive in the future separate from each other." Bokuseno glanced at the group Nuriel and Kagome already were focused and thinking of the ones they should. He however notices Sesshomaru seeming to be stalling. Something so unlike him.
"You must all think of this before the magic within me will work. You must all keep this thought or as I said be separated from each other." Bokuseno repeated noticing Sesshomaru glare at him then close his eyes thinking of the miko he was near. Bokuseno chuckled.
"Well then let time be on your side friends." Bokuseno said as the fallen tree pulsed to life. The blue fog coming out in waves wrapping itself around the three and drawing them in. With a loud crack, Sesshomaru, Kagome and Nuriel were in the future.
"Good luck." The great tree demon said. "For you will need it."
