Authors Note: Okay. So (Spoiler but not really) this chapter I will ease off of the brother's relationship and focus on Mido and Sesshy. So if you are wanting more brotherly love… not incest it's not that kind of story. I mean hell I'm not opposed to writing that kind of story, but this one isn't. Anyways. I feel like at this point I am maybe a third of the way done. A lot more has to happen to catch up to the present. I'm mostly playing this entire story by ear. I know key events that I want to write about (some actually happened some I made up) but I need filler chapters in-between them… Well not really filler. Anyway I have author noted enough. Onward my ducklings. UPDATED AUTHORS NOTE: I am going to change a few things from my original story. The main pairing will still be midoriko/sesshomaru, but I hate it later on that it hinted at a relationship between sesshomaru and rin, and I don't like that. I'm really writing it where it's more of a father daughter relationship. So I will rewrite it where Kagome and Sesshomaru will be the second pairing. I still stand by that there will not be any major sex scenes or the like. And most likely there will be hinted at Inuyasha Kikyo pairing. I hope this change does not spoil the story for anyone, but I'm weirding myself out with the rin/sesshomaru thing. And I've been wanting Kagome/Sesshomaru to be the second pairing for a while. Anyways sorry for the long authors note and now again. Onward my ducklings.

"Big brother. I don't want you to be gone."

"It will not be for long. If you were older then you could come as well, but it will be dangerous until you are stronger. Mido-chan needs help. You don't want her to have to fight alone do you?" He shakes his head.

"No. I understand."

"You and your momma know how to hunt now, so make sure to eat. Your momma will not be working while I am gone, so you will not be alone. Do you still have the dagger I gave you?" He nods.

"You told me to always keep it with me."

"That's right. Your weapon is your lifeline. Only ever use it if you feel you are in danger, and if you must use it only use it to slow down your enemy until you can run away. Do not run head first into any fight."

"I know big brother."

"I will be back before the new moon." He tenses and then nods.

"I understand big brother. I will get strong quickly so that I can come as well." My hand lays on top of his head.

"You don't have to rush. It will take a long time until your demon powers come in. Do not push yourself." I hate to leave him. He isn't like Mia. He isn't my child. He does not need to be dependent on me.

"You worry too much Sesshy. His mother isn't as strung out with stress, and he is more confident. He will be perfectly fine."

"I would be more comfortable if we do one thing first."

"Sesshy, I know what you're thinking. It's reckless, immature, kinda crazy, and I'm in. No one messes with my best friend's brother and gets away with it. Especially not when my best friends brother has the cutest fuzziest ears that I just want to nom on."

"Focus Mido-chan."

"But he's so cute. And he's got the golden eyes, and the ears. And the please love me vibes. Hell. He's like a younger you." She rolls the pearl in her fingers; she's been wearing it in a necklace. The one I gave her. The one that controls my emotions.

"Do not let my beast take over." Soft rain falls.

"Well obviously. Come on Kirara." The kit mews happily. Her mother is with Inuyasha. Just in case. I growl when I see the group of humans. The ones that my brother tried to play with. "That them." I nod. "Your emotions are too closely to the surface. Let me take care of this." My eyes are already bleeding red.

"That would be for the best. I cannot guarantee that I would keep from killing them." She exhales to calm herself. She is fire. A burning flame determined to destroy all those that seek to harm. She calmly walks to the group of men. The leader she grabs by the collar and lifts up. One tries to strike her but she already has a barrier around her.

"The child Inuyasha and his mother Lady Izoyoi. If anyone from this village attempts to harm them. Man woman or child. I will hold you personally accountable." The rain falls harder and sticks to me.

"I don't know who you are. But conspiring with demons is unsightly. They are evil and will eat you. Don't you know about demons."

"This is my path that I have chosen, and I know where it leads me. If your path leads you to harm the members of my pack then I will return the pain you have spread tenfold." She drops him, and he falls on his ass.

"That half breed shouldn't even be alive." I can see her eyes glowing from here. They have turned a dull green. Her power is staggering. The humans can not feel what she has done, but there is no rain now. Looking up I can see it falling, but it doesn't land. They also notice this.

"I have put up a barrier to keep the rain from falling here. This village like many relies on the rain to keep the plants strong. Without rain, you're village will soon be in a drought. The crops will burn up, the people will starve. No one will be able to leave my barrier." She looks down her nose at him. "Or maybe you can simply leave the child and his mother alone." She dissolves the barrier and a splash of water falls all at once. She holds out her hand to help him up, but he doesn't take her hand.

"You are as monstrous as they are."

"Yup. And I'm not afraid to hurt someone that harms my pack. You leave them alone, and I'll let your head stay attached to your neck." The humans nods frantically and then runs. She is fire. A child runs to catch up to his mother and slips. His leg is bleeding. She gently picks him up and heals him before the child has noticed he is injured. She is rain. She heals the destruction. She pats the brat on the back and sends him on his way before calmly walking back to me. She is rain. She extinguishes all fire. "He said that he understands the error of his ways and will refrain from harming your brother." She smiles at me. An innocent happy smile. "I think they will be safe until we return."

I find myself smiling before I can stop. "I'm sure they will Mido-chan."

"The great Midoriko, creator of the jewel of four souls, was willing to destroy an entire village for a half demon child." The spider is baiting me. I'll bite.

"She was not a very good priestess. At least, not in the forgiving way. She was strong and kind, but quick to anger. She also had no qualms about revenge. When we were children I was injured by a demon. It nearly blinded me. Midoriko didn't even bother purifying the demon and instead opted for disemboweling it and ripping out it's throat. She was immensely protective of me." A strange look passes over my little brother's face. "And of Inuyasha. She saw him as a little brother, and would not tolerate anyone harming him."

"Someone was willing to go that far for me."

"You have always had those willing to go to extremes for your sake." How many demons have I killed simply because they tried to harm my brother.

"Let's stop here for now. There is a hot springs nearby and I'm desperate to bathe." I've long since accepted that she is the leader. She is stronger, and truthfully I enjoy following her orders. Going at her pace. It's a small clearing and the earth has a scorch mark in the center. "I've camped out here several times. There is already a stack of firewood from the last time. We'll leave our things here and go bathe." She stretches her arms above her head.

We have known each other to long to have any level of self-consciousness between us. Add to that, that we have both had similar afflictions. She lays her sword down and the tenseiga joins hers. She removes her armor effortlessly and it clinks loudly with the ground. They are not used for defense so much as to further strengthen her.

At one point her hair was much longer, now it just reaches to the middle of her back. It swishes and twirls around her. We do not feel any modesty between us. She has no shame in removing her clothing. And neither do I. We have seen each other in every state of dress and undress in the years we've spent together. Her skin isn't as fair as most women. She is always outside protecting those that don't deserve her time. Her skin isn't soft. She has callouses and scars over every part of her. Every mark is proof of the danger she has dealt with. She ties her hair back and more scars are visible on her back.

"Do you need me to tie your hair back."

"No. I can do it." She laughs slightly.

"Remember when we were children and I always had to do it for you. I have no idea how you did it before I came around. You always had to wear your hair tied back and your mother I know wouldn't have helped."

"Mia helped me tie it back when it was to long for me to manage." Neither of us focus on that thought. (okay I don't typically put author notes in the middle of paragraphs… because I find it annoying, but I was about to put train of thought…. Anachronism is the word for that if you were wondering.) She steps into the water and it comes up to her waist. Slipping further down into a sitting position the water comes up to her chest. I follow her in.

She exhales visibly relaxing into the water. Every time I look at her she has aged more. She is a woman now. She no longer has the round face of a child. Though right now they are closed. Her eyes are more slanted and observing. She doesn't miss anything. "Sesshy, would you care to tell me why you are eyeing me." She never has missed anything.

"You are at the age where most human females take a mate and have pups. Maybe it would be best if you did the same."

"Are you at the age where you can take a mate Sesshy?" She knows that answer.

"No. I am not."

"Then the only one I am willing to take as a mate and have pups with is unable to mate with me. End of Discussion."

"Midoriko, I will not reach the age of maturity while you are still living. You have served people your entire life, and you deserve someone who can return your affection." Her eyes open.

"That isn't possible. I will wait for you to come of age. If I die before then, so be it." She makes little barriers around the steam. "I have nothing to give to anyone. My chastity was taken from me. My love belongs only to you. And my life will be lost in battle. I could not find happiness with any other. And I know you Sesshomaru. You aren't fooling me for a moment. Hell you'd be completely lost without me. As if I could leave my puppy to fend for himself. You'd go deranged. Hell I can only imagine what would happen to your already pathetic social skills." She's smiling.

She is rain. Calming the rising flames back into submission. Nurturing life.

The smile vanishes.

"Who in the hell thinks that they can spy on me and get away with it." She stand abruptly. She hastily grabs her sword completely neglecting her clothing. I didn't even sense the intruder. Before I can stand to aid her she already has the sword to a lion demons throat. "Just because it's your mating season doesn't mean I'll let this slide. I suggest you take your dick out of your hand before I cut it off." He yelps and runs away. Mido-chan rejoins me.

She is fire. Blooming and consuming everything in reach. Furious and unapologetic.

"Mido-chan, was that really necessary."

"Hey, you don't put up a tough front and everyone tries to take advantage. That was great though; he looked ready to piss himself." She laughing like a child. "Besides I had to. He was looking at you, and I'm not a fan of what's mine being ogled."

"Monk, if you continue to look at Midoriko in that way then I will do more than simply hit you." She does not deserved to be looked at in that way. She was more than just a female.

"So many scars." The demon slayer.

"She was incredible." I turn to the priestess. "I wish I had some of that confidence. She wasn't afraid of anything."

"She was terrified of everything." I find myself saying. "She hated the dark, and lighting. Snakes creeped her out. She feared death. Men were a different monster to her entirely. But nothing every stopped her."

"How tragic." The spider laughs. "I bet you were destroyed when she died." I smile halfway.

"I never recovered."