A Future Full of Beautiful Malice

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters associated. This is for pure enjoyment and entertainment.

~Chapter 10: Home Sweet Home~

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

"That's it…almost there. Just….just a little further…"

"OW! Son of a bitch!"

"Almost there…."

"Fuck! Fucking stop!"

"Hold still Kagome or this needle is going to damage you, not heal you."

"It's already damaging me, how much longer?"

"Maybe if you stop squirming and close that fowl mouth you have acquired, then it will only be a few more minutes."

Kagome rolled her eyes and slammed her forehead back onto her folded arms. "Just hurry up," she mumbled from underneath.

Besides the Miko's innocent cries of discomfort, Rin had managed to clean her wounds, apply herbs, and stitch up the bigger gashes. The last crevice proved to be more challenging than the others, but her needle and thread finally started to head towards the other side of the cut.

Kagome's body tensed as the needle broke through a thicker part of skin. Sweat streamed out of every pore possible. Her body started to shake lightly from the newfound pain seeing as sedatives and anesthesia were not fully developed in this era.

Shippo lightly rubbed her calf muscle to distract her from the needle. "You're doing great Kagome, almost done."

"Mhmmmmmhmm…" she managed to say with a clenched jaw.

Another minute passed before Rin slid the needle from her body and broke the thread with her teeth. "There. Good as new."

She made a motion to get up, but Rin pushed her legs back down. "Nope. You're not moving just yet. Give the stitches some time to settle in." Rin gathered the needle, cloth, and thread to clean, then headed towards the other room. "Shippo, make sure she doesn't move. I'm going to keep Sesshomaru Company," she said moving the matt door out of the way.

Shippo nodded and watched her leave. Once she was gone, he turned back towards Kagome and started to slowly but firmly massage her worn out legs.

"Mmmm…thanks. You always know how to make me feel better."

"Haha. It's not that difficult to make a woman feel better if you rub their muscles."

"Very true...very tru..." But the blissful massage left her half dozing off.

Right before she drifted off for good, she remembered something. "Hey…Shippo, so where's the woman that I was with?" She asked wondering if he figured out who she was yet.

"I told Miroku he was needed outside…haha," he said with a knowing chuckle.

"HAH…here we go."

They shared a peaceful laugh in each other's company until Kagome's heavy breathing indicated she was unconscious.

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

Miroku slid the embroidered burlap to the side, revealing the shining sun and flowing grass. The soft noises of farmers and vendors going about their usual activities were calming to him. Sheep dogs chasing loose chickens were dashing throughout the village. Kids chasing other kids were copying their moves; except for one. He wasn't moving as the others did, he was moving elsewhere.

When the sun's rays didn't alter the boys form anymore, he could see that the child was rushing towards him. Rushing with a face full of fear yet excitement. But just as the boy seemed like he was going to run into Miroku's arms, he ran into someone else's.

He blinked his eyes a few times, completely dumfounded that he had not seen a woman standing beside a tree not ten feet from him only moments before. She scooped up the boy with her back turned to him. She was slender, maybe a little too slender, with short brown hair and pale skin. She was wearing some sort of ripped clothing, and that confused him.

"What's wrong Toshi?" The woman asked the small child.

"Some girls were being mean to me out by the rice fields," the little boy answered wiping a single tear from his rosy cheek.

"Toshi, what did I tell you? Girls are not to be messed with."

"I know! But this one girl Emiko has really pretty hair."

"Haha I'm sure she does. But heed my words child."

"I'll try," he said with a large toothy grin.

"So, did you look after her while I was away?" The woman asked.

"Hehe," the boy said as she set him down. He lifted his arm and with two fingers in his mouth, he created a loud whistling noise.

Miroku looked around even more confused than he was before. He didn't see anything. He put his hand out in front of his forehead to block the light from impairing his view. When he squinted his eyes, he could see a small creature sprinting towards them with unrelenting speed. It was running in the middle of the path surrounded by huts and civilians. It jumped right into the woman's arms and cooed with delight. He could now make out the creature fully. White abundant fur spread throughout its fragile frame. A black marking adorned the forehead and two very large crimson eyes were widely opening and closing from happiness. Its tails were wildly shaking back and forth while the woman scratched its ears…

'Wait, two tails…Cats don't usually have two tails unless…. unless it's a yokai feline. A Yokai feline with two tails…'

Realization dawned upon the monk. His face drained of color and his mouth dropped so fast, he thought he heard his jaw crack.

'Holy…shit.'

Miroku went numb. He tried to take a step forward but a jolt of uneasiness and bile rushed from his stomach to his throat. He swallowed hard, steadied his dizzy head, and slowly began to walk towards the unsuspecting woman.

"Thank you so much Toshi. You took great care of her."

"You're welcome miss Sango. And thank you for helping me with Hitomi before you left," he said twirling his foot into the dirt with a blush.

Sango shook her head and smiled. "Stick to only one girl at a time okay? That will help you in the future."

The boy giggled and skipped away humming merrily to himself and the world around him.

Miroku was only inches from her back now. He reached out to tap her arm, but his hand froze in midair. It was shaking uncontrollably and the sun hot on his body started to make him perspire. He took his hand back and slowly began to back up. Just as he was about to flee, two red eyes popped up from behind the woman's shoulder. The cat purred and made a sound of remembrance. The woman was now alert and sensed someone. Her head moved first, gradually tilting a little behind her. Her peripherals caught a glimpse of purple, and that was all she needed to know who it was. She casually turned around, now fully facing him.

There was only silence. Deafening…overwhelming silence. Neither of them made the incentive to talk first. Indigo irises' stared into chocolate ones. It was as if they were trying to communicate telepathically. Or, that they could discover what they wanted to say by just looking at each other. But, with time, everything fades. Over the years the distance between them grew. They could no longer tell what the other one felt, or what the other one wanted to say.

They both knew their bond had been broken. They both knew they were now just strangers looking at each other. Looking at each other as if they had not shared a past.

Sango gulped audibly. She had overcome many obstacles recently, so she figured overcoming one more couldn't hurt.

She cleared her throat and inhaled deeply. "Hello Miroku," she said trying not to sound hoarse.

"Sango," he nodded.

"How…how have you been?"

"Can't complain, and yourself?"

"I've been better. But being reunited with Kagome is 'all' I need," she said with a small hint of acid.

He looked to the grass then to the trees. He seemed to be avoiding more eye contact. Her stare pierced his very being, and scrutinized him for all of the lecherous and mischievous deeds he had done within the years. But there was no possible way she could have known, even though it didn't take a scholar to figure it out.

"Yes…I uh, see that Kagome is not in the best of shape. Whatever trial's you have gone through, I'm grateful that you two are alive and well," he softly said.

"I am too."

"So…I did not know Kirara still resided in this village during you're absence. I have not seen her around at all," he stated changing the subject to avoid more awkward silence.

"Oh…yes. I needed her here. I needed her to be safe. I didn't want to worry about her well-being while I was away. When the time was right, I was going to return for her. But I guess that time is now."

"So I'm guessing your appearance is only temporary."

Sango nodded. "I go where Kagome goes."

"I see."

The dreaded awkward silence came once again. Except this time neither of them looked into each other's eyes. The only detectable sound was Kirara's purring.

After minutes, it was now Miroku's turn to end it. "Well, you should come inside and eat. I'm sure you're starving and you have more traveling to do. Maybe Rin can rummage something suitable for you to wear."

He walked back into the hut and left Sango alone. She looked down at her feline companion and nuzzled her fur. "I missed you girl," she whispered. Kirara reciprocated with small mews.

Sango brought her head back up and sighed. She told herself a couple motivational phrases, and then followed Miroku into the hut.

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

"Oh my…I don't…Kagome."

"I know."

"That is…that is just terrible. If I was there, I would have given them a piece of my mind…those…those bastards."

"Haha thanks Shippo, but no thank you for waking me up."

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't wait any longer. I needed to know what happened after those spies attacked us." Kagome nodded and started to rustle around. "Here, let me help," Shippo said gently gripping her arms. He got her to her feet and brushed off any dust that settled on her clothes.

"Shippo, you don't need to baby me. I'm twenty-eight years old…older than you…you demon," she said flicking him on the forehead.

Shippo recoiled then rolled his eyes. "Yeah…" he said bending down until he was level with her, "but when you're eighty years old and shitting your pants…who do you thinks gonna take care of you?" he said flicking her in the nose.

Both of them laughed then exited the back room.

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

When they emerged into the front room, they automatically sensed the awkward tension.

Sesshomaru was in the same position, now eyeing Kagome.

Rin was cooking dinner off to the side.

And Sango and Miroku sat on opposite sides with the fire blocking one face from the other.

The miko instantly dissipated some tension by flinging herself onto the cushion next to Sango. She grabbed the feline from her arms and squeezed the cat tightly to her chest. "KIRARA! Oh how I've missed you!" She harshly swayed the cat back and forth, hardly allowing it to breathe.

"Kagome, if you rip open you're stitches, it will take twice as long with the needle next time," Rin said without averting from the food.

She stopped her swaying in an instant with widened eyes. She looked back down at Kirara and cooed to her. Kirara nestled her back and licked her cheek.

"Sango, I feel horrible," she stated stroking her tails, "Not once did I ask you where Kirara was since we started our journey."

"Kagome, it's okay. We had more severe challenges to think about. Plus, I knew where she was. I knew she was fine, if she wasn't, you would have heard about it."

"I know. But I still feel like shit."

"Trust me, don't worry about it," she said. All that was heard besides Kirara's soft mews were the sounds of boiling water and chopping.

A room filled with this many people should be noisy and warm. Laughter should be heard along with the sharing of bountiful adventures and the clatter of glasses. And although this particular group aside from one or two usually partook in those activities, it was unusually silent, and the tension returned. Luckily, minutes later, Rin finished making dinner and served each member a bowl.

Sango greedily snatched it and dove in. Kagome followed suit not even aware of what the contents of the dinner were.

Watching the feral women, Miroku, Shippo, and even Sesshomaru exchanged an interesting look between one another before properly eating their own food.

After everyone finished their meal, Rin gathered the bowls and set them in the washbasin for later. Her main concern was now on the slayer. "Sango. We need to find you some clothing before you depart."

"Oh, uhm. I mean, that would be lovely, if it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all. Come with me, I'm sure we can find you something," said Rin dragging Sango along with her into the backroom to attend to more feminine matters.

"Uhm, Kagome?" Asked Miroku.

Kagome looked up from feeding Kirara scraps of food that fell onto the floor. "Yeah?"

"So, what happened to you after we were knocked out?" His pending question needed to be answered. Hoping that if she told him, he would also find out what happened to Sango. Sesshomaru turned towards the Miko, a little curious himself. He only found the aftermath of the event at the encampment, not what occurred during it.

She took a minute or two before she decided to respond. "Lets just say it's a moment in my life I can't erase from memory. Although I deeply wish I could."

"But…I mean, ahem," Miroku cleared his throat and tried to sound like more of an adult, "We were all very worried. Will you be able to recover from the ordeal?"

"I hope so. But if I was never captured…I would not have rescued Sango, so I guess one good thing came out of it." She glanced at Sesshomaru who was staring at her intently, although she couldn't tell if his stare was of wonder or just his usual stoic expression.

"Yes, yes I guess that is a good thing. Where is you're friend Penna?"

"Beats me. But I need to find her and make sure she is okay."

"I hope she is. Uhm…" Miroku scratched his scruff from lack of shaving and shifted in the cushion, "Where was Sango all this time?" He asked slowly.

"She's gonna have to tell you that herself Miroku."

"I doubt she will."

Before he could ask any more questions, the two ladies emerged from the backroom. Rin smiled to herself and made her way over to the washbasin to begin her chores. Sango took a step forward and let the matt slide into place. She placed her hands behind her and rocked up and down on her heels with a small blush.

Rin had given her a luxurious kimono, presumably one of Sesshomaru's many lavish gifts. The outer layer was a silky light pink, while the under layer was a magenta color. Green stripes adorned the sleeves along with the collar of the garment. It was very simple yet elegant, and accented her usual style wonderfully. She also wore brown sandals on her feet. Rin must have combed her hair and washed her face for she appeared healthier, still a little too skinny, but getting better.

Miroku tried to speak, but no words escaped his mouth, so Kagome did it for him.

"You look divine Sango. Simply beautiful."

She giggled lightly. "Thanks, and thanks to you too Rin."

"You're most welcome."

Miroku couldn't keep his eyes off of her, and Sango noticed. She crossed the room quickly and gathered Kirara in her arms. "So am I allowed to come?" She asked glancing at Sesshomaru.

Kagome snapped her head towards his direction. Her eyes held nervousness. She inhaled her breath and held it until he answered.

The yokai said nothing for a moment. He held his stance on top of the cushion surveying the embers. When he figured the Miko was about to pass out from lack of oxygen, he slowly exhaled his own breath and responded.

"It is time to leave."

And with that answer, he got up from his seat. Rin ceased her washing to give him a small hug. With slow even strides, he exited the hut.

The slayer and the Miko exchanged a look. Kagome rose from her cushion and made her way over to Shippo. "So, I guess this is goodbye, for now." Shippo's lip quivered a little but he bit down on it and wrapped his arms around her waist with his forehead leaning on her shoulder.

"I'm going to miss you," he muffled into her jacket.

"I know. I will too."

"Is there any way me and Miroku could come visit you?"

Kagome ended the embrace and looked up, admiring the way the fire complemented his hair. "I'm not sure. "I don't really know Sesshomaru's rules yet," she scratched her head in contemplation for a second or two before she thought of a solution, "How about I write to you at the end of every week. I'm certain they have messenger birds or some type of delivery service."

"That's a great idea!" The Kitsune boomed with joy, "I'll write back to you as soon as possible. I need to hear of you're progress and such."

"Deal."

Kagome walked over to Rin with a large hug, and then made her way over to Miroku. He rested his hand upon her shoulder and smiled. "You can do it Kagome. I've always had faith in you…But if you ever need help again, you know where to find us."

She grinned and set her own hand on his shoulder. "I hope so….and hey, you never know. Ukaran might be easier to defeat than we think. I could be home within the month."

"Yes…let's hope so."

"Oh, Kagome?" Shippo asked before she started to head towards the door.

"Yeah?"

"Who was that man you came here with in shackles?"

She looked at the matt, then the floor, and finally to Shippo. "I don't know yet. He could be our leverage. He could be our answer. Or he could prove useless to us. But I guess we'll find out."

Everyone except for Sango eyed her with a suspicious and confused look. When no one expressed their questions, Sango waved to them goodbye and followed Kagome outside.

When the sun hit her face, she noticed Sesshomaru already waiting by Ah-Un with prisoner in hand.

Kagome stretched out her muscles, jogged in place for a moment, and shook out her body. "Okay, I'm ready for another long walk."

"We will not be walking."

Her eyes widened with glee but she quickly hid it and acted apathetic. "Oh? And how will we be arriving to you're lands if we aren't going to walk?"

"I don't know if you have noticed this Miko, but behind me stands a two-headed dragon that has the ability of flight."

She protruded her lips and laid a hand on her waist. "Right…just a, one problem."

Sesshomaru's face did not falter.

"I…I'm not too comfortable with heights."

"Hn," if Sesshomaru could laugh, that snort was the closest sound to it, "Humans," he added, half-rolling his eyes. He walked over Jaken and hoisted him upon Ah-Un with two fingers. He then turned around and stalked over to the miko.

Kagome started to back up in protest, but stopped when she heard the matt door open. Both the Daiyokai and the ningen turned to find the monk standing in the doorframe.

He walked over to Sango but said nothing.

A perplexed expression crossed her face. "Uhm, what is it Miroku?" She asked calmly.

He tried to speak but choked on his own saliva. When she heard no answer, she began to shift towards the dragon's direction. She pivoted her body but just as she was about to take a step, Miroku grabbed her arm. They stayed in this position for a minute or two in silence.

"Am I ever going to see you again?" He asked gathering courage.

She did not respond right away, for she didn't know the answer. She tried to continue towards Ah-Un, but his grip was too strong.

"Please Sango," he almost whispered.

She searched the ground for conclusions. 'I don't know,' she said. But when he did not say anything back, she realized she had not said it out loud. So instead, she bent her head towards him, only allowing his view to see half of her face. She curved her lips into a small smile, and walked away.

His grip loosened when he saw her little effort of a happy expression. Maybe that was all he needed to satisfy him for a while. Maybe once this whole ordeal was over, things could go back to the way they used to be. Maybe…

And with that answer, he allowed himself a small grin. He waved to them goodbye, and headed back inside the hut.

Sango climbed on the back of Ah-Un and waited for him to take off. Sesshomaru tied the captive's shackles to Ah-Un's reigns then threw him in between the slayer and the toad. Once he finished, he spun towards the Miko's direction.

She threw her hands up and continued to back away. "Wait...wait Sesshomaru please, WAIT!"

Kagome tried to run for it, but he was too quick. He tossed her over his shoulder and nodded for Ah-Un to take flight. The dragon bowed they're heads and bolted into the sky, leaving behind a rush of wind and ruffled grass.

Her kicks of protests and screams had no effect on him. "Be still, or this won't be a pleasant trip."

"This WON'T be a pleasant trip either way. Put me the hell down now, I would rather walk."

Miko, we do not have the time for you're human insecurities."

"I'm not insecure you white demon! I just don't prefer heights."

"That sounds like an insecurity."

"No, it's a fear."

"Which is an insecurity."

Kagome raised her fists and was about to strike him in the back, until she realized something. Her vision must have been failing her, because she wasn't looking at the foreground at eyelevel. She was looking from a bird's eye view. Reality hit her, along with the weight of her fear.

"HOLY SHIT!" She screamed into the passing air. Her body instinctively started to squirm and shift from Sesshomaru's shoulder.

"Cease you're moving. You are making it difficult for me to concentrate."

She did not listen. Kagome kept fidgeting and flailing about violently until she finally felt safer in the bridal position. Her fingers clenched desperately to Sesshomaru's Kimono, and her face was buried into the cloth with her eyes sealed shut.

The yokai shook his head and continued onward.

Her heart was beating uncontrollably. She tried to find inner peace to keep her from screaming, but the fact that the only reason that kept her from falling to her death was a demon that despised her did not help. She peaked one eye open and closed it just as fast. She now started to shake a little. The only thing she could ever remember she feared besides her new nightmares and losing her loved ones, were heights.

She didn't know why. Maybe it wasn't the actual aspect of high altitudes. Maybe it was the outcome of the body going splat against the pavement. Fear of the result could be the actual fear itself.

Just when she thought she was going to have a heart attack, She felt the hands on her body tighten. Her eyes popped back open and looked up at the flying yokai. His face looked forward, but his gaze was looking directly at her.

"Thanks," she whispered. She heard a usual grunt that sounded like a 'your welcome'. Kagome finally relaxed into the somewhat forced embrace and closed her eyes out of fatigue rather than anxiety.

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

"Kami, how long is this going to take?" The sun was lowering in the sky as time passed, and nothing in the scenery indicated they were any closer to the western lands.

"Be patient human. We will arrive when we arrive," the toad retorted.

"Yeah h'uman," the prisoner mocked in his foreign accent.

Jaken slapped him upside the head. "Quiet fool."

Sango rolled her eyes and looked at Kirara peacefully sitting on one of Ah-Un's necks.

"Kirara…why didn't I just ride on top of you? We would have been there by now."

The small feline pretended not to hear her master, and instead turned around and enjoyed the breeze.

The slayer huffed and tried to think of other things to pass the time.

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

From afar, the silent treetops were blown into a hissy fit by two creatures rocketing through the sky. The moon was high up above, and the stars were out and shining with elegance. Although, no one seemed to take in its beauty except for one soul. He didn't need to focus in front to know where he was heading. He knew ever inch of the lands they were in now, it wouldn't be long until they reached their destination.

The figure he held tightly to his body began to stir. He looked down and observed the snoozing woman. She was silent as a mouse while she slept. Her black lavish hair hung over his arms and delicately blew in the wind. Her small frame looked healthier than when he first rescued her. Although it had only been a few days since she was set free, her skin seemed to glow a little brighter. And the ribs that were very noticeable were hardly present. She had quiet a nice complexion for a human. There were hardly any errors that he could see on her face and arms. She definitely had grown over the years, in more ways than one.

'I suppose she isn't so repulsive for a human. But…she is still a human. And that is how she will remain.'

Kagome finally came back into the conscious world. Sesshomaru quickly shifted his eyes forward. She looked up, stretched, and took in her surroundings. Her dreams made her completely forget about how high up she was, and her fear suddenly dawned upon her once again.

Out of reaction, she buried her head back into Sesshomaru's clothing and hung on for dear life. A few more minutes passed until he finally announced some good news.

"We have arrived."

Her head shot out with a grin and scanned the area.

"Wow," she whispered.

The yokai flew slow enough allowing her to focus. The land was absolutely breath taking. There was a vast grass area with trees lining the outside path in the middle. Flowers and other assorted floral plants were scattered throughout the plane. Far down the path was a very upper class looking village. The ground was made out of brown bricks and lead to different shops and vendors. Medium to large sized stone homes were placed behind the market place. Behind the homes were small grass areas with bushes or trees surrounded by a fence for gardens or recreation. To the very right of the village looked like some sort of stadium. A spacious platform was surrounded by immense rows of stands. Kagome's guessed that it was probably used for tournaments and entertainment. As Sesshomaru flew onward, the village turned back into only one path surrounded by lines of trees. A mile or so down the road held a ten-foot wall with a gate leading into the fortress. Guards were patrolling along the top of the wall along with the actual gate. Within the wall, Kagome finally realized what it looked like to have a shit ton of money. The walls length and width didn't look so big from far away, but flying over it was a different story. It was as big as a college campus. In the front towards the side held a barracks along with an extensive training ground. On the opposite side looked like a medical wing seeing as she witnessed a soldier walk out in a sling. Gardens with much abundance were next to the sides of the walls. Small huts that she guessed were for the servants lead to the main fortress. A grand fountain was stuck right in the center. A stone path rimmed the circular monument followed by an immeasurable front yard. The massive estate sat at the back. Although it was dark, many lanterns and torches used as spotlights lit up the whopping structure. It was very traditional to what Japanese lords homes resembled, but it also seemed quite modern to the castle mansions she had seen in her own time.

Sesshomaru landed in the front yard and waited for Ah-Un to follow. Kagome jumped out of his arms and kissed the grass, which earned her an annoyed look from the yokai. The two-headed dragon landed a foot away from them. Sesshomaru took Kagome's belongings from Ah-Un's reigns, and tossed them on the ground next to her. Sango slid down along with Kirara and stood by the miko. Jaken shoved the prisoner off the saddle and hopped down after him.

"Jaken, take Ah-Un to the stables," Sesshomaru said grabbing the prisoner.

"Yes mi-lord," he bowed and then took Ah-Un around the side of the mansion.

The yokai turned around and stared at the two newcomers. "I am taking him to the jail cells underneath the fortress. Do not move from this spot, I will only be a minute."

"Yeah yeah," Kagome said sitting pretzel style on the ground.

The two men walked away and into the large home. Once they were out of sight, Kagome stood up and began to walk towards the front of the fortress.

"Where are you going? Lord Sesshomaru told us to stay put," Sango yelled from her position.

Kagome turned around with her eyebrow raised. "You're calling him 'Lord' now?"

"Well yeah. I mean, were guests in his home. We need to respect him. And you never know, there might be a law against it or something."

"Psshh yeah, okay."

She turned back around and resumed her movement. Sango rolled her eyes and sat beside her friend's assets. She didn't really feel like breaking the rules on the first night.

Along the path Kagome took in the sights around her in detail. She could see banners with the western lands symbol on the walls, posts, and guards. The soil around here must be very fertile. Every garden was filled with juicy plump vegetables and fruits. Glorious flowers she had never even seen before hung on windowsills and grew in the grass. But her main focus was the training ground and barracks. She figured she would be spending a lot of time there, and personally wanted to be familiar with it.

No one was practicing fighting as she moved passed the training grounds. Seeing as it was nighttime, it was probably their opportunity for drink and rest. She tiptoed to one of the windows inside the barracks. Swords, batons, and chains with spikes on the ends lined the walls. To the right of the wall were tables with eaten food and spilled cups. In the large center area was nothing. It was completely empty. Maybe the ones who weren't patrolling were out completing missions or sleeping elsewhere. She went to the front door and walked in.

The smell was interesting. Besides the faint scent of wine and food, a deep musk of rotten metal and sweat hung about. It wasn't nauseating, but it wasn't pleasant to be around for long periods of time. She made her way over to the weapons and admired them. Each one had the symbol of the west gilded on the handles. The crest was a pentagram with small symbols at each point. A circle surrounded it. It was very simple, and she assumed it was also very important…but she didn't know why the symbol was a pentagram.

"Hey! You're not allowed in here!"

Kagome snapped out of her thoughts and turned around. Boatloads of soldiers were now in the area. She didn't understand how she did not hear them come in.

"Seize the human!" The soldier in the front yelled.

"Wait! You don't understand!" she tried to back up but she was already up against the sword rack.

"Take her to the cells."

Before she had time to run the yokai soldiers had her in their grasp. Two men dragged her by the arms and took her outside of the barracks.

"That's what you get human!" She heard one of the men yell from back in the room.

She tried to break free but their death like grip only made her arms hurt, so she just let them drag her.

Sango watched them take her into the mansion. She quickly grabbed Kagome's things and her and Kirara bolted after them to find the heir to the west.

"Please, you don't understand. I'm supposed to be here."

"No humans are allowed within the wall, so nice try."

"No really. Sesshomaru is allowing me to stay here."

"That is 'Lord' Sesshomaru to you, you ingrate."

Kagome half rolled her eyes and sighed. They dragged her down a stone spiral staircase that lead to a huge room filled with cells. She had to look away from the torture devices. Even being around them made her sick to her stomach. They threw her in one and walked away without a word. She sat cross-legged with a pout on her face.

'At least these cells have cots and lanterns in each one.'

She looked to her right and instantly felt even more pissed off.

"Well well well. I see you've made yourself at home already," said the prisoner from the camp that coincidently was her cell neighbor.

"It's a misunderstanding, so shut the fuck up or ill kill you."

"My my, such anger coming from a woman. Not a desirable trait."

"Yeah well in my time, uh…I mean, I was raised to speak my mind. Anger is a frequent visitor, so deal with it."

"And you have a mind of your own, no wonder you're in here."

Kagome crawled to the bars and held on to two of them with her face against the metal. "Once I get what I want from you, I am going to make you feel the pain that I felt in you're encampments."

"I look forward to it."

Just then Kagome's hands lit up, but they disappeared quickly when a familiar white haired demon walked down the stairs. He had a look of death in his eyes as he made his way down the aisle to her cell room. He stopped when he reached hers.

He opened the door, grabbed the miko by the arm sternly, and walked away.

"I will be seeing you soon," the man whispered from inside his jail cell.

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

She was forcefully dragged up the stairs and down a long hallway. It held many doors on the sides that she secretly couldn't wait to explore. Beyond the hallway held the massive front door to the right. On the left was a gigantic foyer. In the middle held a tremendous marble staircase that had two hallways on either side at the top. An exquisite chandelier was in the center. Soldiers were guarding doors that lead to other various areas of the home.

Kagome was guided up the stairs and taken down the right hallway. At the end of the hallway was another giant door. Sesshomaru opened it and pressed on. The palace seemed never ending. Behind the door was a much wider hallway but not as long. Each side had three doors. She was steered to the middle door on the left and shoved inside. She turned around and waited for instructions.

"I asked one simple task of you, and you could not even do that."

"I'm sorry. I just wanted…"

"I could care less what you want. Let me make myself perfectly clear. This is not a vacation. You are hardly welcome here. You are here to accomplish a goal to ensue a happy future for the lands…that is it…nothing more, nothing less. If this behavior continues, I will revoke my offer and send you back to Rin's village. Do you understand?"

Before she could answer he continued.

"This part of the palace are my quarters. Seeing as you are a guest, you will be staying in my part so I can keep an eye on you along with the slayer. The three rooms across from you are all mine. You do NOT enter them. That goes for every other room in this place. Do not enter the grand ballroom unless told so. Do not enter the kitchen unless told so. My home was built thousands of years ago. So, there are many secrets this house holds that I myself don't even know about. Do NOT go exploring different rooms; you may wind up setting off traps or revealing secrets that were meant to remain hidden. You are only allowed to be in the dining room, the barracks, the training ground, you're room, and the cleaning facilities. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sesshomaru. I understood you the first time, Sheesh."

"Good. You're belongings are on the bed. The slayer is in the room next to you. Now go to sleep."

Kagome shut the door and sighed.

"That's the most I've ever heard him speak…and of course it was to lecture me."

She observed her room thoroughly. For a guest room, it was quite spacious. The walls were a navy blue. A large window was in the middle far wall with lavish red drapes over them. In front of the window was a humongous-feathered bed. The dark maple wood was shining and tantalizing. The sheets were red and the pillows were all different hues of the same color. On either side of the bed were maple nightstands that both held lanterns and candles on them. A small chandelier hung above the open area. A decorated and designed rug took up most of the room. A deep oak dresser with a mirror was to one side of the wall, and a red cushioned seat was angled at the opposite corner. A chest for knickknacks and other assortments lay at the foot of the bed.

Kagome couldn't believe she was going to be spending her time here. She didn't think she could get used to all of these fancy objects, and all of these rules and restrictions. It just wasn't her.

She walked over to her bow and arrows and placed them inside the chest. She opened her bag and put the knife on the nightstand. She then placed her soap, brush, bandage wraps, and herbs on top of the dresser. She left her Flintstones in her bag and tossed the bag in a corner of the room. She removed her shoes, shook off her jacket, hopped out of her jeans, and jumped under the covers.

The bed was absolutely what she needed. Sleeping on the cold ground and rough jail cell did a number on her back. And it being damaged didn't help either. Maybe she could get used to the bed…

She didn't exactly feel comfortable being here. But Sango was with her. And she would have to put up with it if she ever wanted to play a part in Ukaran's defeat. That was her main goal. She would just need to find ways of dealing with Sesshomaru's overbearing pride and stoic expressions. They would need to work together if they were to accomplish what they wanted to, whether they liked it or not.

After a while of thinking, her eyes slowly began to close, and she let herself forget the problems of tomorrow for the moment.

~~~~~ooOoo~~~~~

A/N: I know it was a shorter chapter but its leading up to everything so dont worry.

I'm not going to post another chapter until I at least reach 100 reviews. Thats not asking much. I just need to know if you guys like this story or not. I hope you do, im really trying to entertain you and what not. So far i love youre support. You could say anything...just dont flame the story. Positive and helpful criticism is always appreciated, i can handle it haha.

so please, the goal is 100 reviews, lets make this happen people. I love you all!