Chapter 9

I was able to find a way to type up chapters, but I won't be able to update like I usually do. Maybe every two or three days and no more than two chapters at a time (though I already do that). It's because I love you guys so much.

To respond to KitBitMe's review, thank you for pointing out those mistakes. The eye color was a small one, but switching Kouga's and Aki's name was very embarrassing. I fixed it though.

This is to everyone- the next two or three chapters is where everything is finally going to happen, so be prepared for Kikyo's rage.

The three days had passed in a blur. Kouga took any chance he could to try and woo Kagome. Sesshomaru wasn't all that motivated, but there were many times when he talked to Kagome. She had even watched him train in the castle's dojo. After he was done, she looked up at him with sparkling eyes, telling him how she hoped that one day she could fight as good as him. He had told her that she would need to learn to defend herself when she was older so she could protect her children. She had smiled wider and they walked to the garden to sit in the place they sat the first day. They would sit there almost every time they talked to each other. It was their special place, as Kagome had put it.

At the end of the third day, Hikaru had asked Kagome who she wanted to mate, but she said that she didn't know and wanted to wait a little longer. And by a little longer, she apparently meant fifty years. Kagome got a laugh out of it. Today was her birthday and she looked like an eighteen year old now. Kikyo looked twenty years old, Sesshomaru looked twenty five years old, InuYasha looked nineteen years old, Kouga looked twenty three years old, Kaoru looked sixteen years old, and Akio and Akio looked twenty years old.

Kagome had grown up to be absolutely beautiful. She looked just like her mom, save for the hair and eye color. She filled out in just the right places and not a scar nor blemish marred her creamy skin. She wore a dark blue kimono with gold trimming and a gold obi and gold flats. There was a large, gold sun sitting on her right breast and smaller gold suns running down her left sleeve. She wore a gold chain necklace with a dark blue sun hanging from it, a gift from her father last year.

After all these years, her relationship with Kikyo had not gotten better. In fact, it only got worse. As mentioned before, Kagome had filled out beautifully, but Kikyo hadn't really. She wasn't as curvy as Kagome and her features were more sharp as apposed to Kagome's rounder features. Kikyo had gotten more dull and distant as she grew up. She was ignored even more now. Even on her birthdays, she didn't get the attention she wanted so badly. It seemed every birthday she had, her father was always pulled into some important meeting. He would promise her that they would celebrate another day, which would sometimes be weeks later, so it didn't have the thrill it usually would. Kagome would be the only person to give her a present, and it would always be jewelry or a bouquet of red and white roses. It didn't mean anything to Kikyo.

The Western, Northern, and Eastern families had all come to the the Southern castle to celebrate Kagome's coming of age. They had eaten lunch and cake, much to Kagome, InuYasha, and Kaoru's delight. After that, everyone went out in the garden to relax.

Kikyo and InuYasha were sitting in a grove of fruit trees talking. They had not mated yet. Believe it or not, InuYasha was the one to say he wasn't ready. He had become hesitant about mating Kikyo. When he had first met her, she seemed so nice and somewhat lively and looked for attention anytime she could get some, since she was so deprived of it. But now, she was very distant, and he had to go looking for her when he wanted someone to talk to. She never came looking for him like usual and he always had to be the one to start the conversation. He didn't like what she had become at all.

Kagome and Sesshomaru were sitting in their special place, sitting in a comfortable silence, watching the koi fish swim around. Sesshomaru was just the same as he was when he was younger, just more intelligent, stronger, and powerful.

Aki and Kaoru were sitting on a bench next to the stream in the garden, talking about anything. They had grown a little closer when Kaoru could fully understand what having a mate meant. Aki had not changed one bit, but Kaoru was coming out of her shell, though she was still shy. Aki liked that she was shy, which was why he didn't want her to change.

Kouga was sitting with Akio on the bench in front of the waterfall, pouting about the fact that he wasn't with Kagome and Kaoru was talking to Aki. Now he was stuck with Akio who wasn't saying a word, until he spoke up now.

"Fret not brother. One day, you'll realize that this is all good." He said, staring at the water running out of the fountain. Kouga rolled his eyes.

"Okay, first of all, I am not your brother. Second, what do you mean by that?" He asked him. Akio didn't answer him, making Kouga huff in annoyance. Akio had been saying stuff like that for a few years now and it really pissed everyone off... everyone except for his brother who got a kick out of it.

The Lords and Ladies were sitting at a circular stone table with small designs carved into the edge and a large sun carved into the middle. The table was surrounded by stone benches with the same designs as the table with the exception of the sun. It was all in a large clearing with shrubs surrounding it.

Hideo sat with his wife, Ryukotsusei sat with his wife, and Hikaru sat with InuTaisho, as Izayoi had died many many years ago due to old age. They were talking about small things, as nothing big was really going on.

Kagome and Sesshomaru were still sitting in silence when she spoke up.

"Hey Sesshomaru."

"Hn."

"I never did tell you that I found out what my seishin dobutsu is, did I?" She asked him. A seishin dobutsu was a demon's spirit animal, though only demons of the seasons had one. They found out what it was a few days before they became of age. It perfectly described their personalities. Hikaru's seishin dobutsu was a dog, respectful, helpful, and sincere, protective of their loved ones. Etsuko's was a snake, soft spoken, charming, and mysterious. Kikyo's was a dragon, proud, demanding, and self- assured.

"No, you didn't. When did you find out?" He asked her.

"Just yesterday, though I could only hold it for a few minutes."

"What is it?" He asked her. She smiled.

"I'll just show you." She closed her eyes and held out her hand, concentrating her power into it. Her hand glowed pink and blue until a ball of her power formed into her hand and then shifted into an animal. She opened her eyes and smiled. Sesshomaru looked at the tiger and thought that it described Kagome perfectly. Optimistic, resilient, and influential, often the center of attention. Rebellious and passionate. The tiger moved through the air and went towards Sesshomaru, stopping a few inches from his nose. He reached his hand up to touch the pink and blue glowing tiger, staring into its white eyes. When he came into contact with it, a bright, pink and blue light glowed throughout the garden and the smell of purification and burning skin and clothing wafted through the area. The glow disappeared and everyone ran to where the source was.

When they made it there, expecting to see Kikyo, they were shocked when they saw Kagome and Sesshomaru standing up. Sesshomaru's burned skin was already healing but his clothes were singed. Kagome was standing next to him, fussing over him and apologizing.

"Kagome?" Hikaru called to her. She looked at him, the worry in her eyes getting stronger.

"Dad! I didn't mean to do it!" She said, shaking her head. Everyone, except Sesshomaru looked at her confused.

"What happened?" InuTaisho asked.

"I was just showing Sesshomaru my seishin dobutsu and he touched it and then this happened." She gestured to Sesshomaru. They looked at the slowly healing burn marks on Sesshomaru's skin.

"Is- is that purification?" Ryukotsusei asked.

"It couldn't be possible." Kikyo said, looking at Kagome wide eyed.

"I thought you said she didn't have miko powers." Chinatsu said to Hikaru.

"She's not supposed to. Only Kikyo should have miko powers." He responded. Kagome felt tears gather in her eyes.

"Dad? What's going on?" She asked him. He walked toward her and gathered her in his arms, trying to soothe her.

"It's fine Kagome. You'll be fine." He kissed the top of her head and looked to everyone.

"Why don't we all go inside. The kids can rest while we try to figure this out." He said. Everyone nodded and filed inside. All the kids headed to one of the resting areas of the castle and either sat in the chairs or the couch, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Are you sure you two didn't somehow share powers or something?" InuYasha asked the two sisters. Kikyo nodded her head.

"Only the first born would inherit our mother's powers. I was born first, so only I would get her powers."

"So did they just appear suddenly?" Kouga asked. Kagome shrugged.

"I highly doubt it. This wouldn't just be something that appears so suddenly. If it did, I would probably be purified. I would have had to have had these powers when I was born." She said. They sat in silence until Aki spoke up.

"So now you both have miko powers, what now?" He asked. Kagome looked to Kikyo who only stared at her with an eyebrow raised.

"Now we see how much power Kagome has." They turned to the entrance at the sound of Hikaru's voice. All their parents walked in.

"Do you know how I got these powers?" Kagome asked her father. He shook his head.

"No. We have no idea how you got these powers, though we assume that you've had them since you were born." Hikaru said. Kagome nodded.

"I thought that too."

"Maybe that's how mother died." Kikyo said. They looked to her. "So then it would be your fault."

"Kikyo." Hikaru said with warning in his voice. She looked away, crossing her arms.

"Uh, so how do we see how much power I have?" Kagome asked them. They all sat down and began to explain to her how this was going to work.

"You're going to need to close your eyes and concentrate on your power. Do it now." InuTaisho said.

"Okay." Kagome said. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her power. At first, all she saw was darkness, but then she was overwhelmed with pink with swirls of blue. On the outside, her body was encased with a pink and blue hue which was her aura.

"Good, now imagine your power as a well. Once you do that, dive into the well, and once you get to the bottom, come back." InuTaisho finished.

It only took a few seconds for Kagome to imagine her power as a well. It was a wooden well with vines running out of it. She hesitated before jumping in the well. The inside of the well was pink and blue like her power.

Everyone continued to watch Kagome, waiting for her to come back to reality. It was a few minutes later when they decided that she needed to come back.

"Kagome." Hikaru called her name. When her aura didn't die down and her eyes open, he called her name louder.

"Kagome!" Still, she didn't come to. He reached forward and grabbed her shoulders. Shaking her, he called her name.

"Kagome!" Her eyes snapped open, and she jumped back into reality. Her aura disappeared immediately with the sudden awakening.

"What?" She asked, confused.

"You were out for a few minutes." InuTaisho said.

"Really?" They all nodded their heads.

"That means that you must have an unlimited amount of power. You are more powerful than Kikyo." Akio said. Kikyo growled deeply, annoyed at Akio.

"How do you know if I do or don't have an unlimited well of power?" She asked, glaring at him.

"Do you?" He asked her, an almost invisible smirk on his face. She sneered at him, sitting back and crossing her arms. Aki wanted so badly to laugh, but even he knew that this was not the right time, especially with the way his mother was glaring at him.

"Okay, that's enough you two." Hikaru said. "Right now, we need to focus on how she got her powers. Until then, we'll rest." The adults got up to leave and Aki and Akio went to sit in front of the fire place. Kouga sat with Kaoru at a table, Kagome and Sesshomaru sat in a love seat together, and InuYasha and Kikyo sat in a love seat.

"Kikyo?" InuYasha asked her, worried about her. Her shoulders were shaking lightly, her cheeks were red, her eyebrows were furrowed, and her eyes were so narrowed that they were almost closed.

This is all so wrong. That girl is not supposed to have priestess powers! I was the first born, so I have the powers. I am supposed to be the powerful one, not her. Why does she get everything handed to her on a silver platter?! My life is not fair! Kikyo thought to herself. She got up and stormed out of the room. Her fists were clenched and her teeth were grinding against one another.

Kagome will regret ruining my life. That, I promise.

Now we're getting somewhere.