- Ocean's Rhythm -


Kagome walked through the district coming from okiya to her Danna's estate, where she had been staying the night upon his request once again and it was becoming more and more frequent. She was starting to leave her things at his estate and he had set up a room for her adjacent to his chamber. He had gifted her with more things such as kimonos, perfumes that he liked on her and makeup, which was useful for her to use while being a Geisha at the teahouses.

The meeting was becoming more frequents, occurring nightly at several of teahouses since the conventions were drawing close to the end. It had been nearly six months since she started as a Geisha and having SesshoMaru as her Danna. The four Taiyoukai were holding meeting at their estate each weekend, taking turns, holding their own private meetings and the upcoming weekend was SesshoMaru's turn.

He had explained to her that it was the last meeting that he will attend to and he needed her to be there, to introduce her to the other high lords. After that, he would take her to the West and she will no longer be Sadako, but the Lady of the West. She was very curious to what her new life will be, what her new name will be. SesshoMaru had hinted he had thought up a name for her.

It only had been six months since the Convention started and she felt she had gone farther than she ever had. Not that her past life counts, her memories still remained eluded and she was beginning to not care if she was going to ever remember her past life, her life as of now was a happy one for her. Her dreams had provided otherwise, it looked very much like nightmares and with her personal confession to the stoic taiyoukai, he had informed her it was indeed her past life. She told him she had not liked the dreams, how things seemed before and expressed that she did not wish to know more to her past, SesshoMaru allowed the subject to drop for now.

Kaida had long disappeared, she stopped trailing Kagome around and many had suspected she had angered a youkai lord or so and was killed or something. It was common for the youkai lord to kill one or two humans in their wrath and Kaida was known to anger some more frequently. No one really bothered to search for her; after all, no one truly liked her and they were glad she was gone.

Kikuya was proud of Kagome, achieving so much in short time even though she was a bit disappointed that SesshoMaru had a different plan for her. She knew she could not defy the taiyoukai's wishes. She suspected SesshoMaru was going take Kagome back to his palace and make her his mate, after all, he was the only known youkai lord that did not have concubines or harem. Her cousin was elusive on what he planned to do with Kagome, refusing to tell her what he was going to do with her when he leaves.

As she walked through the district, she bowed and greeted the other Geisha she was familiar with. She stopped several times to chat with the others, seeing how they were doing and continued on. She had bought several tea bags with unique flavors that she had come to like and some others that she knew SesshoMaru liked too while walking from the okiya to the estate.

"Geesh Miroku! We wouldn't find here in this place! It's a Geisha district!" Someone berated, her voice rising above normal level. The woman with long black hair and dressed in plain green and pink/white checkered kimono carrying a large boomerang bone across her back looked about ready to kill the purple and black robed monk next to her. They appeared very out of place in the district, causing the other to look at them.

"Honestly! Sango, I felt jewel in this direction and it landed us here in the district. Think about it, the battlefield is several miles outside town, straight from here." The priest, Miroku said, holding his hands up to pacify the angry woman before him.

Sango huffed as she rolled her eyes, "If you're lying, knowing you like to go after women, I'll kill you! It's a geisha district!"

"Yeah, yeah." Miroku sighed and continued walking through the district, his eyes wandering around, typically studying every Geisha that passed him by. Sango fumed next to him, not liking where they were and wondering why Miroku had brought them to this place of all the places.

Miroku stopped and picked up a handkerchief that was dropped by one of the prettiest geisha he had seen in the entire district. She was wearing an elaborate kimono of white with deep red flowers splattered all over; her obi was solid red with smaller ties around it in blue and yellow. If he had a clear mind, he would have recognized the color sign belonging to a taiyoukai he knew. But with lustful mind, his sight was rather clouded. "Ma'am! You dropped your handkerchief." He said holding up, missing the corner with three sakura stitched to the corner with elegant 'S' in kanji. Sango was about to blow a gasket as she saw Miroku stopping to talk with a Geisha which happen to be rather very pretty by her standard.

The geisha turned to him, gasping and smiling, thanking him as she took the white handkerchief. "Thank you, I would be lost if I've lost that." She said and tucked it in her obi. Miroku gazed in awe at her, noticing her bright blue eyes shining. Her face were typically painted in pale white, her eyes lined with deep kohl, accenting her eyes and her lips painted deep delicious red. However, it was not what shocked him, it was her familiar feature that made him speechless.

"Kagome?" He asked as he found his voice and Sango stopped before bashing Miroku to ground as she heard him call the Geisha the name.

Kagome blinked and looked up from stuffing her handkerchief, frowning. No one else knew her true name except for her Danna. "Excuse me?"

"Kagome, we've finally found you!" Miroku cried in joy, grasping her hand in his, causing her to stare at him with shock.

"Uhm, who are you?" Kagome asked as she tried to free her hands from the monk's grasp.

Sango gasped, "Miroku, she does not recognize us."

"I got to go… I can't stay." She said and turned, walking away, leaving Sango and Miroku staring after her in surprise.

"She lost her memory… Damn." Miroku muttered. As the light lit up in his head, "She was wearing a familiar sash, the yellow and blue one."

"Isn't that SesshoMaru's crest?"

"Yes…" He glanced to the side and noticed a sign pasted on the stone wall of a building. He studied it and told Sango, "I get it. There's a convention for all the lords in all Jappo, youkai and human alike. Tonight is the last night… If I'm correct, Kagome has become a Geisha in the time of her disappearance and ended up here and SesshoMaru found her before we did, becoming her Danna… she was wearing her crest and her face was painted in a way that she is not a simple Geisha but belongs to her Danna."

"How did you know all of this about Geisha?" Sango asked irritably.

Miroku chuckled, "Believe it or not, my mother was one."

Sango stared wide eyed at Miroku in shock, "Your mother? Your father was a priest… oy, where is this world coming to?" She slapped her forehead and followed Miroku who chuckled ahead of her. She called after him, "What are we going to do?"

Miroku waved his hand in the air, "Tonight is the last night for a conference and guess who is holding it?"

Sango caught up with him and shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know."

Miroku paused, almost making Sango walk past him. He gestured to the scroll that was pasted on the wall and she looked at it and noticed it was a notice. She glanced around and saw the notice was posted on the wall all over the place. "Okay, what does it say?" She asked, being unable to read kanji.

Miroku closed his eyes in frustration, upset with himself that he had forgotten Sango couldn't read. "It's being held at the Western Estate, hosted by Lord SesshoMaru. It also said that his geisha will be giving a performance tonight."

She frowned, "Isn't that unusual for a lord to announce a performance if he's hosting a conference?"

"Hai, it is. I believe our Kagome is a popular geisha and with her going to perform tonight, she will draw a bigger crowd. So that makes it a lot easier for us to get in!" He smirked.

Sango gaped at him, "How do you plan to do that? We don't even fit in around here at all."

Miroku gave a sly smile and Sango rolled her eyes, knowing the perverted monk had something up his sleeves.


Kagome entered the estate and slipped off her sandals at the entrance and quietly padded her feet into the place, making her way toward the office where she knew SesshoMaru would be. She was mixed up inside since meeting the monk and the slayer in the street, they knew her names and they apparently knew her from her past. She was torn in between going after them to find out who they were to her or abandoning them and hides until they decide to not find her.

SesshoMaru had over the time told her that it was important for her to recall her memory, her past to rediscover who she was. However, she was more inclined to stick with who she is now, not wanting to remember her past. Her dreams were terrible enough that she knew the reality of her past would scare her even more. Yet, her Danna had told her that if she never remembers, she would lose herself, her ability as a Miko which he had mentioned that she was the most powerful one all around.

She knelt and knocked at the door of the office and heard his quiet permission for her to enter. She slid the door open and entered, making her way to sit before his desk where he worked over several scrolls and writings. He looked up and gave a hint of smirk, welcoming her. She smiled warmly at him.

"It is the last night of the Convention. I am not going to stay any longer here in this district. We are going to leave in the morning. Huro will come to the Okiya and gather you and your things in the morning." SesshoMaru said as he placed the brush down. He gazed at her for a while in silent and smiled a true smile. "Go and rest for the night, I'll come and see you before the meeting start. Your Okasan knows that she will have the money when Huro comes for your things in the morning."

Kagome nodded, smiling, "Of course. I can't wait." She tilted her head, "Is it different being a Lady?"

SesshoMaru smirked as he leaned back, resting on his elbows, watching her with hooded eyes, "The duty and lifestyle are different from a Geisha, but your training as a Geisha will aid you to act like a true lady. I believe you will not need any training to be one, there are enough court ladies at my palace and with your skills of adapting, and you will pick up quick enough. I have faith in you, my love."

She grinned at him, "I'm glad you do have faith in me. Won't they object to my being a human?"

SesshoMaru shook his head lightly, "they will not notice. Do you object to becoming a youkai?"

Kagome's eyes went wide, "It is possible?"

"Yes, with us mating, you will become a youkai and the others have no way of knowing that you used to be a human. Kagome, if you wish to not become one, I understand."

"Please, I have nothing else in my life, I want to be with you and yes, I'll become a youkai if it takes to keep me with you for the rest of our life."

"Good." SesshoMaru said as he rose and moved to her side, leaning down and kissing her lips. "Go, I'll see you later."

"All right." She said and bowed to him formally before exiting the office. She headed to the master chamber and went to clean herself off, washing the make-ups and slipping out of her kimonos and into a simple sleeping yakuta. It was not even afternoon and she knew she would have a long night ahead of her and slipped into the bed, falling asleep easily.


Miroku glanced to Sango, who scowled at him with the darkest look on her face. He smirked as he reached up to clean up the red paint smug off the corner of her lips. "Just follow my lead, be quiet and act demure, and no one would suspect us being out of place."

Sango glared at him, "Miroku," She seethed as she rearranged the long sleeves of her elaborate colorful kimono that they had 'pick' up for her to wear. Rather, they had stolen it from several okiya to make a combination of kimonos for her to wear. Her long black hair had been set on her head in a simple bun with some simple decoration and a large flower pinned to distract from whatever may seem suspicious. Her face had been pained like a maiko geisha.

Miroku grinned at her, he was dressed in a lord kimono, his hair loose hanging around his neck and he looked quiet different. "We are here simply to see Kagome and talk to SesshoMaru, we just need to sit in the back, wait for the meeting to end and catch them."

"What if we lose them?" Sango muttered.

"We will catch up to them. Now we know Kagome is in SesshoMaru's hands and how often do we come across SesshoMaru in the past?"

Sango snapped her eyes to Miroku, "But, we have not seen SesshoMaru since before the last battle with Naraku, that's a long time."

"I know." Miroku said softly as he turned and walked toward the Western estate, following the flow of lords and their geishas to the place. Sango struggled to keep Miroku's pace and silently considering bashing him afterward.

They manage to slip in the estate and to their surprise, it was huge and beautiful, then again, it was expected for a taiyoukai like SesshoMaru. They quietly followed the flow to the large garden behind the estate and there were tables set out and places for everyone to sit and relax while the meeting conducted. Both of them chose a secluded spot in the back corner of the garden under a tree, far away to be noticed but close enough to be able to see and hear everything going on.

As they were seated, they had plenty to eat and drink and Sango proceed to serve Miroku and she caught his smirk toward her and quietly, pinched him on his leg under the table, causing him to whimper slightly. She turned to listen to the meeting as it went on and observed around her. She noticed that most of the lords were youkai, very few were humans and almost every geisha that the lords had with them were all youkai for the exception of Kagome being human.

They found Kagome sitting up in the front, next to SesshoMaru, quietly listening to the meeting as she proceed to serve the higher ranking lords at the head table. They watched her intently and noticed SesshoMaru made a tiny gesture and she moved to sit at the end of the table, taking out a flute and played soft song that filled the garden while several lords talked about the subject on the agenda. They watched mesmerized as she played, surprised that she had hidden talents, being a very proficient woman of the art.

As the hours progressed on, it was already late into the night and the agenda had been discussed and agreed on or disagreed on, eliminated and added and finally, it was time for socializing and performances. Many geishas took turns playing music, skits and songs and they teased and flirted with the lords for well good next several hours and Miroku and Sango watched Kagome, observing her behavior and how she interacted with SesshoMaru and the other taiyoukais. They were surprised to see that the taiyoukais easily accepted her presence and enjoyed her banters, jokes and teasing. She flirted only for SesshoMaru.

"Do you think SesshoMaru is taking advantage of Kagome?" Sango asked quietly as she poured another cup of tea for herself.

Miroku frowned as he watched SesshoMaru whisper into Kagome's ear, making her giggle. "I don't think so. He still has the same air about him, yet he showed the compassionate toward her, much more than we have seen him for the little girl who follows him around."
"Rin. Her name is Rin. I wonder where she is."

"Perhaps somewhere with Jaken, waiting for SesshoMaru to rejoin them soon. Kagome must have been here since the battle, probably discovered by a geisha and brought here, and that's how she became one. The conference had been going on in the past six months and it is enough time for Kagome to become a full fledge geisha, if she had been trained rather hard." Miroku said as he sipped the sake. He froze as SesshoMaru looked his way and their eyes met for a moment before the taiyoukai looked away to listen to another geisha with silver hair and mature attitude.

Sango frowned as she noticed Miroku's stiffness. "What is wrong?"

"I think SesshoMaru noticed me. He looked my way." Miroku said.

"Oh."

SesshoMaru gave Kikuya a nod, "It's time." He simply said and glanced to Kagome, giving her a smallest smile. She bowed her head and stood up gracefully, moving around him to stand before the head table in a small clearing. Kikuya picked up the shamisen and started to play a sweet melody. Few of the other that was sitting beside her joined in with their flutes and small drums.

Kagome started to dance, with grace and poise that enthralled the men, human and youkai alike, mesmerizing them with her movement. SesshoMaru watched with pleasure, keeping one eye on her while the other watched the other lords. He had noticed a lord in the back of the audience earlier and recognized him to be one of Kagome's friends from before the battle with Naraku. He was surprised to say at the least that they manage to slip in unnoticed. He had suspected Kagome's distress earlier when she had came back from the market and now, he was able to make connection to her distress. They had found her in the street and confronted her, and she must had left them, confused because according to her, no one else knew her real name except for him and both the monk and slayer knew her name.

He made a mental note to bring them to him after all of the guests leave. He was planning to leave immediately as the last guest left the estate. The sedan with Ah-Un hoisted will be prepared the moment Kagome complete her performance and everything in the palace was already prepare to be shut up for the rest of the time being until he would return someday. He was going to take Kagome away from the city, away from the district and give her a new life.

Miroku and Sango watched Kagome dancing, enthralled by her beauty and grace, surprised to the very core of her hidden talents. They had begun to doubt if it were the very same Kagome they knew years ago, after all, the geisha that followed SesshoMaru did indeed look like Kagome but wasn't her to their best knowledge of her character and personality. The woman dancing for the guest had more grace, beauty, maturity and magic of art than the Kagome they knew. Miroku had sensed very little to no Miko ability in the geisha and wondered why.

Sango looked to SesshoMaru and was surprised to see the taiyoukai's face and eyes soft, watching Kagome. In all of the times she had met and confronted the taiyoukai, he had cold and hard demeanor and wondered how Kagome had melted his icy core. She glanced to his hip, which was clearly seen as he was sitting back and away from the table and she saw three familiar swords. Tokijin, Tessaiga and Tenseiga. She slapped Miroku immediately as she realized something. "Miroku!" She whispered harshly, snapping him out of his trance.

He glanced to Sango, rubbing his sore arm, "What is it?"

"Look at SesshoMaru's swords!"

Miroku glanced back and he frowned, not catching on until he saw Tessaiga. "Tessaiga! How?"

"Wasn't it stuck in the battleground where InuYasha died and Kagome disappeared? Couldn't it be touched?" Sango asked, whispering.

Miroku nodded, "I don't know how SesshoMaru manage to get his hand on it! InuYasha must be rolling in his grave by now."

The music ended and Kagome completed her dance, bowing and smiling as the guest cheered for her. She returned to SesshoMaru's side and sat down, accepting a cup of drink from him. He brushed his hand across her hand and stood up, announcing that it was the end and he thanked the guests for coming.

Slowly, the lords started to leave, their geisha followed. Kagome chatted quietly with Kikuya while the four taiyoukai gathered at the end of the garden, talking quietly together. A lord from the eastern providence, rather drunk approached Kagome and Kikuya, grinning wantonly as he leaned against the head table, "Beautiful performance, would you please attend with me elsewhere? I am sure I'll pay you handsomely." He grinned rakishly.

Kagome gasped softly as Kikuya narrowed her eyes at the drunken lord, "She cannot attend anyone, and she has a danna."

"I'll pay more than he offers."

Kagome gave a huff and stood up, "I am sorry, you won't be able to out pay Lord SesshoMaru." She bowed and turned to leave. He grasped her hand, stopping her and holding onto tightly.

"I said I'll pay more than he does." He growled, looking feral.

Kikuya gasped and stood up to intervene but saw she didn't have to. SesshoMaru was already there in a flash, removing the drunken's lord's hold onto Kagome. "You'll behave in my estate and around my property." He growled as he glared at the drunken lord.

The drunken lord stumbled back, holding his bleeding wrist where SesshoMaru had slashed upon. "My apologies, milord." He bowed and stumbled away, seething.

SesshoMaru turned upon to the eastern taiyoukai, "You best be watching your lords, he behaved inappropriately and it wasn't the first time." He warned.

The eastern Taiyoukai's face darkened, "You've been accusing my lords of misbehaving since the beginning." He walked up to SesshoMaru and sneered as he glanced to Kagome, "She's making you soft. You've clearly stated yourself for years that you do not believe in using geisha or any women that matter and now, here, out of the blue, she appears and she has your scents all over her. I wonder if it is she had you whipped."

SesshoMaru's eyes bled red. "You might as well watch your footing, I do not approve of your ideals and behaviors. I shall not forgive your trespass, but if you cross my line again, I shall not hesitate to kill you."

The eastern taiyoukai snarled and whipped his tail, for he was a tiger youkai and turned to stalk out of the garden, leaving the estate. The southern taiyoukai stepped up to SesshoMaru, his soft voice, "I agree with you that he has been stepping out of line lately. If anything in the matter, I will support you. I've been gathering information from my scouts that he is planning to invade my lands."

SesshoMaru turned to the kitsune taiyoukai and nodded as he felt Kagome's hand on his arm, causing the redness in his eyes recede. "Hai. Forgive me for my rash behavior. I do not tolerate such behavior."

"There is nothing to forgive, rather you've been very lenient much lately." The fox grinned, "It makes me wonder if it is truly the girl that was the cause." He glanced to Kagome who looked away shyly. He heard SesshoMaru growl and laughed. "I must leave, thank you for hosting this convention. I shall see you soon." The kitsune bowed and left.

Kagome looked up to SesshoMaru, "shall I go and get ready?"

He gave her a tiny nod and allowed her to leave, slipping into the estate and he turned to the last taiyoukai, an aged eagle youkai with yellow eyes and graying black feathers instead of hair step up to him. He felt calmer and bowed his head to the old youkai. "Forgive me. I hope things had gone to your expectations tonight."

The eagle youkai blinked and grinned, "Beyond my expectation, your little geisha gave extraordinary performance. I have not failed to be unpleased at all with every meeting she had attended. Where did you find such a little gem?"

SesshoMaru rolled his eyes, knowing the northern taiyoukai had things for women and pleasure. "That would not be your business."

"Indeed. I wish to speak to you regarding to my land sometime soon." The eagle youkai said as he followed SesshoMaru, leaving the garden to the stable where Ah-Un had been hoisted to the sedan, ready to leave to the Western Land. "I wish to name you my heir to my land."

SesshoMaru paused and turned to the old youkai, "Why? What of your children? Wouldn't they try to war against me if I were to have your land?"

"No, I had appointed my eldest son to become the next lord, however, he ran off with some pretty youkai over sea and I have not heard from him since. He had always shown disinterest in my land. I moved onto my next eldest child and she also does not wish to be the next heir. So, I have no one to pass my land from my family. I am the oldest and I trust no one in my court. You've proven yourself to be very strong and wise, your Western Land is flourishing under your rule and I have come to see you like a family to me."

"I am honored. I shall arrange a meeting with you soon to go over the details. I wish to not stay any moment longer here in the city. Western Land has been too long without me."

"A mere six months?"

"A month is far too long."

SesshoMaru smirked as the older taiyoukai laughed. "Now, now. You astound me every time. Tell me, you are taking your little geisha home with you?" SesshoMaru said nothing as he inspected the sedan. Nodding, the eagle youkai smiled, "Ah, she's indeed a special one. I've known from the start that she wasn't really a geisha. She's too special to let go. I will not say a word."

"I appreciate that." SesshoMaru said as he turned back and saw Kagome approaching them. She had washed and changed into a simple kimono with heavy jacket over her body, covering her head. She looked weary but happy. He reached out with his hand and took her hand, helping her to slip into the sedan and settle down. He turned back to the eagle youkai and bowed, "I thank you for your presence tonight. I will send a missive to arrange a meeting soon."

"Hai, thank you for the closing conference. You've outdone yourself as usual." The old taiyoukai bowed and turned, transforming as he took flight into the pinkening sky of the dawn.

SesshoMaru watched the youkai disappear in the sky and turn back to Kagome, "There is one more matter I must attend to, I will not be long." He saw Kagome nod and settle to go to sleep in the sedan and smirked.

He closed the door and turned to find Miroku and Sango approaching him with Huro by their side. He nodded to Huro, "I shall take care of them. See to the estate and follow shortly.

"Hai, milord." Huro said as he bowed and left.

Miroku swallowed and spoke, "Forgive us, SesshoMaru-sama. We had been looking for Kagome ever since the battle with Naraku. We had believed she did not perish in the battle but rather blown away. By the time we were able to come around and search for her, she had long disappeared without trace. Now we believe we had found her yesterday in the street of the district, as a geisha, with no memory."

"You are correct in that assumption." SesshoMaru said. He knew their questions and answered before they could ask. "I found her before the conference when I came to check the area out. She clearly had no recollection of her past before her life in the district and I had been keeping eye on her since then and now, she will return with me to the West."

"We also had been gathering the jewel, it belongs to Kagome." Miroku said as he pulled a small matchbox like wooden box and handed it to SesshoMaru.

The taiyoukai took the box and glanced in it, it was the other half of the jewel. "I have the other half. The jewel will aid her in remembering. I plan to give her the jewel soon."

Sango sighed in relief. "I'm glad. Kagome is the only one who can take the jewel out of existence. It would not be good to allow it exists longer in our world, it draws too many evils to it."

"Hai." SesshoMaru bowed his head. "We must depart, I'll arrange for you to come to my palace in few days time and you can speak with Kagome. She will be pleased to see you again." He said and turned to get into the sedan.

Miroku asked before the door closed, "Milord? How is it you came to have Tessaiga?"

SesshoMaru turned to face Miroku, "Only one way I could come to it. Kagome." He said simply and slipped the door shut and Ah-Un moved, taking to the sky, taking the sedan along with him.

"Eh?" Miroku asked as he watched the dragon and the sedan disappear in the clouds.

"Well, we will find out more soon. I trust SesshoMaru. Kagome is in a good hand." Sango said with a yawn and turned to leave, dragging Miroku along with her. "I want out of this stupid kimono and makeup!"

"Ah, Sango my dear, you look rather ravishing."