A/n: Okie Dokie. We're gonna have an updating change. I'm going to be updating Honor and Glory every other week. On the weeks that Honor and Glory isn't updated, I will be updating my other sess/kag story, The Japanese Yodeling Vetrinarian from the Alps.
Sadly my schedule won't allow for me to keep updating both stories weekly. Plus it's really HARD to write both chapters in a space of twenty four hours.
I'm doing the math…to be honest I don't know how many more chapters of Honor and Glory there are going to be. I would say count on at least 5 more chapters… but I really don't want to drag this story out like I did with My Pet.
Anyway, I give you this week's update of…..
Honor and Glory
I hate titling chapters
"Sesshoumaru, sit! Down boy! Roll over, play dead! STOP IT!" Kagome shouted at the still seething taiyoukai. She and Sanru where vainly trying to pull Sesshoumaru backwards, away from the balcony that he was leaning over in order to viciously laugh at the unconscious Mihoku, who was passed out on the lawn thanks to the impromptu throw off the ledge Sesshoumaru had delivered to her.
"Can't hold him!" Sanru shouted.
Kagome privately agreed, but she forgot all about Sesshoumaru when she heard an adorable, quiet little voice behind her.
"Kagome?"
Kagome instantly released Sesshoumaru, who went flying over the balcony with Sanru, and spun around to stare at a conscious Kirara with wide eyes.
"Kirara!" Kagome cried, throwing herself at the bed. "You're okay!" Kagome said, hugging the slightly confused feline.
"Kagome?" the cream haired youkai repeated, crimson red eyes tracing up and down Kagome's forum.
"Yep," Kagome beamed as she leaned in closer to the feline. "Kirara, you have no idea how relieved I am to see you."
Strangely Kirara's face looked stricken and turned a slightly ashen color. "You've been alive this whole time?" she asked with a trembling lip.
"Well… yeah," Kagome said, scratching her head.
Tears welled up in Kirara's eyes. "Kagome," she whispered.
Kagome reached out to hug the fire cat again, but she was abruptly wrenched backwards.
"Kirara," Sesshoumaru acknowledged in an icy cold voice as he shoved Kagome behind himself.
"Lord Sesshoumaru," Kirara meekly said as she struggled to bow from the bed.
Sesshoumaru cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "What, no screaming or shouting this time? Here I was looking forward to you cursing me and insulting my mother again."
Kirara both blanched and blushed. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that Kagome was alive—,"
"No, of course you didn't. None of you idiot Shikon Shamers even bothered to check, even though you know perfectly well that Kagome would be alive in this era," Sesshoumaru cruelly remarked, causing the creamy cat to cringe.
"Sesshoumaru, be nice," Kagome said, poking his spine with a finger.
"You need to prepare yourself for class," Sesshoumaru said, turning around to address the modern day miko.
"Yeah," Kagome agreed, trying to lean past Sesshoumaru to peep at Kirara. To her irritation Sesshoumaru leaned with her, blocking her vision. "Fine, I'll go get ready. Just please tell me you didn't injure Mihoku too badly."
"If she was hurt by the mere act of me throwing her from the patio, she has no business being the descendant of that perverted monk and the youkai slayer," Sesshoumaru scoffed.
"That's not exactly reassuring, Sesshoumaru," Kagome said.
"Sanru is with her. I am sure she is fine. Now leave," Sesshoumaru barked.
"Fine, fine, fine," Kagome said, giving up much easier than Sesshoumaru thought she would. "See you later Kirara," Kagome called over her shoulder.
Sesshoumaru wondered why she so easily gave into his demands. It did not occur to him that Kagome noted she would no longer need Sesshoumaru's help to enter Kirara's room. Indeed, instead she could enter the room next door and climb across the patio to get into Kirara's.
Sesshoumaru waited until Kagome had retreated far enough down the hallway to be out of hearing range. Undoubtedly she was going to make herself another gargantuan breakfast.
"One wrong move cat, even a hint of a wrong move, and I will not hesitate to erase your existence from this earth," Sesshoumaru uttered with a growl lining his voice.
The fire cat didn't say a word and instead stared at Sesshoumaru with glittering eyes. It was Sanru, who swung into the room with a painful limp, who voiced her thoughts.
"Wow Sesshoumaru. Feeling protective? Even that time when Shippo accidentally cut Katashi on the forearm you never once threatened to kill anyone. Well, you went ballistic and mauled Shippo, but that's besides the point. You've strangely always let the Shikon Shamers be," Sanru said.
Sesshoumaru didn't say a word, although his golden eyes flared red with his youki, but both Sanru and Kirara knew that this time it was different. This time Kagome was in his clutches, and he wouldn't just kill anyone who could possibly pose a threat to the miko's health. He would massacre them.
More than anything in the world Kagome wished she was back at Sesshoumaru's house, disobeying him and chatting with Kirara. (They had so much to catch up on after all.) But instead she was stuck inside the museum, holding her bow and quiver as she watched children enthusiastically chase after Jaken.
Kagome heaved a sigh and leaned against her bow as the toad youkai and his pursuers zoomed past.
"Tired?" Sanru asked with a quirky smile. Both he and a recovered Mihoku had shadowed her for the day.
Kagome considered the would-be monk. Although Sanru clearly took after Miroku, Kagome felt the same companionship with him she felt with Sango. It was a closeness, almost a sibling-like relationship born from the mutual desire of survival and common interests. "Not really. Perhaps just a little bored."
"Really? I thought Jaken and Mihoku were livening things up," Miroku said as a fat child leaped at Jaken and squashed him, halting his stamped. Mihoku was across the room, wearing a youkai slayer outfit while she outrageously hit on several of the more handsome males that were visiting the exhibit. ("Why don't you wait until I get off work? Want my number?")
"Fine, so sue me. I would rather be at home talking with Kirara than babysitting Jaken," Kagome rolled her eyes, slightly shifting her weight.
"You are that anxious to see the fire cat? Even though she's been hunting Sesshoumaru with the other Shikon Shamers?" Sanru asked.
"No. Kirara and I have a shared history," Kagome said, her eyes gazing off into space.
"As do you and lord Sesshoumaru," Sanru pointed out.
Kagome snorted. "Yeah, he tried to kill me a bunch of times before helping us defeat Naraku. Oooohhh I get warm fuzzies just thinking about it. No, Kirara knew me. She knew Inuyasha, and Sango and Miroku. She knew Kouga and his wolf pack, and she traveled with me every day for so many months. Kirara knows," Kagome softly said.
Sanru looked oddly hurt. "Isn't the present the most important thing? You can't live in the past Kagome."
"I know that," Kagome responded, shifting her blue eyes to stare at Sanru. "Obviously I know that, or I wouldn't be living with Sesshoumaru. But it's still nice to remember the fun times. And I want to know what's going on. Sesshoumaru has only told me his side of the story. Surely there must be some reason why no one tried to warn me, why no one tried to find me. The Shikon Shamers are obviously wrong… but there's something that's not quite matching up," Kagome said, tapping her chin. "That's why I want to talk to Kirara. Maybe Miroku or Sango told her something. Granted it was a long time ago, but maybe, just maybe…" Kagome trailed off.
Sanru looked away from her intense gaze. "I'm sorry," he stiffly said.
Kagome blinked. "For what?" she asked.
Sanru turned his violet eyes back onto Kagome. "I'm sorry that I am not Miroku."
Kagome frowned a little. "I don't understand," she slowly replied.
"If I was Miroku I would know exactly what to say to you because of our joint past. If Mihoku was Sango then she would instantly be able to put you at ease. But we're not from the past were from the present, and we're practically no help at all," Sanru spat. "We're only treasured for our looks. Our behavioral and thought patterns were manipulated since we were small. We have no idea who our ancestors were, but everybody clearly keeps wishing we were them. You don't want me here, you want the real Sango and Miroku," Sanru hotly said. "And Mihoku and I can't do anything except pretend to be them," he said, turning on his heels.
Kagome cautiously approached the young man, who was breathing deeply and clenching his eyes shut. Kagome put a hand on his shoulder. "Sanru? I, I understand."
"How could you?" Sanru asked, opening his eyes to stare at Kagome with a strange mixture of despair and hope.
Kagome smiled. "Kikyo," she said as a screaming Jaken ran by, a four year old dragging behind him.
Sanru frowned. "Your soul's incarnate," he said.
Kagome nodded. "Inuyasha constantly compared me to her. I had never known her, but I was told I looked a lot like her. We acted completely different from each other, but sometimes Inuyasha still slipped. It hurt a lot," Kagome admitted. She turned her head slightly to meet Sanru's eyes with a smile.
"I apologize Sanru," Kagome tenderly said. "I, more than anyone, should understand your feelings. I know you are not Miroku or Sango, and I treasure your friendship all the more. You really have no reason to be so nice to me, but you still are. Thank you Sanru, for being you," Kagome said before leaning over to hug Sanru.
Sanru squeezed his eyes shut as he hugged Kagome back, reveling in the moment.
That was when a throat was cleared behind them.
The two parted and turned around to see a very irate Sesshoumaru holding onto a crying Jaken. "I believe I pay you to give tours Kagome, not to create touching scenes in the middle of the exhibit."
Sanru froze. The taiyoukai was clearly unhappy, and that was never a very good thing. It was probably best so slowly back away and not aggravate the dog youkai anymore than he already was. Kagome's retort caused Sanru to have a heart attack.
"Oh you're just jealous Sanru got a hug and you didn't, Sesshoumaru. But remember I bounced on your bed this morning, and I shared my breakfast food with you, so you get more special treatment than he does anyway. Can I go see Kirara now?"
Sesshoumaru glared at Sanru before turning to Kagome. "Yes," he decided after a few moments of silence.
Both Sanru and Kagome were slightly surprised, but Kagome was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. So she scurried away with a few joyful hops before jumping down the well and into her private dressing room.
"Aren't you in a giving mood today, Sesshoumaru," Sanru awkwardly laughed.
Sesshoumaru frowned. "No," he frankly said. "I just want her away from you," he finished before turning and walking away, leaving a gaping Sanru and flirting Mihoku in his wake.
"Well… that was an unexpected realization," Sanru said, rubbing his head.
"Kirara," Kagome softly called as she peeked into the room, Sesshoumaru standing at attention behind her.
The fire cat, who had been lightly dozing, opened her crimson eyes and smiled at Kagome. "Lady Kagome," she greeted.
"How are you doing? Are you feeling any better?" Kagome asked as she romped into the room, quickly twitching off Kirara's blankets to inspect her nearly healed wounds before throwing the blankets back on.
Sesshoumaru shadowed her steps.
"Much better. Thank you, lady Kagome, for your concern," the cat said with a respectful bow of her head.
Kagome sat on the edge of Kirara's bed. She reached out and placed a hand and the cream colored cat's head. Kirara looked up into Kagome's regretful face. "I'm sorry Kirara, but I need to know what's going on. What happened to you last night? Why are you here?"
Kirara heaved a great sigh. "You deserve an answer, lady Kagome. And I will answer you, but I'm afraid it is going to make you think very differently about me," Kirara said as Kagome's hand slipped from her head.
Kagome swallowed and glanced up at Sesshoumaru. The taiyoukai was staring at Kirara, but he shifted forward just the tiniest amount so his thigh brushed up against the side of Kagome's right leg.
"I was dispatched here by the Shikon Shamers," Kirara said. "It was my mission to recollect Sanru and Mihoku. Initially I was unwilling to do it. I didn't really believe Sanru when he said he found you, but it was obvious to me that the two of them wanted out of the Shikon Shamers very badly. I didn't understand why we would force someone to stay with us when they clearly didn't want to."
Kirara took a breath and turned here eyes away from Kagome and Sesshoumaru. "After I was… confronted and punished for my disobedience I was sent to Sesshoumaru's mansion with orders to recollect Sanru and Mihoku, and kill the object of their affection, you."
"I don't understand, if that was your mission then how did you get to be in the middle of the road?" Kagome asked. She shakily raised her right hand and clenched the sleeve of Sesshoumaru's dress shirt.
"Shippo and the Shikon Shamer's leader were very angry at Sanru and Mihoku. Kagura was already talking about leaving before the twins fled. She disappeared shortly after. It wasn't until my punishment that I discovered that they had locked her up," Kirara shuddered.
"Wait, so your saying all of your wounds are from your punishment?" Kagome asked as she leaned forward, looking eye to eye with the feline.
"Yes," Kirara replied.
Kagome leaped to her feet, her left hand clenched in a tightening fist as she ripped at Sesshoumaru's shirt with her right hand.
The hairs on the back of Sesshoumaru's neck stood on end and he realized that Kagome wasn't just angry, she was furious.
"Shippo," Kagome growled, her blue eyes flashing.
"Lady Kagome, please don't do anything rash," Kirara begged, stirring in the bed. She reached out to grasp Kagome's left fist. "He's not the same kitsune you once knew. He's grown, he's more powerful. He won't ever acknowledge your presence! He'll kill you!"
"That's where you're wrong," Kagome said. Kirara looked up and felt her heart leap to her throat. Kagome was clearly smirking, a smirk worthy of Sesshoumaru himself. (Later Kirara would wonder if Sesshoumaru and his smirks were rubbing off on Kagome the same way Inuyasha and his foul mouth had.)
"Shippo has become an overgrown, spoiled rotten brat, who's going to get what's coming to him. I am his mother, it is my failure as a parent that he has turned into such a little weakling," Kagome said.
"Don't blame him lady Kagome," Kirara begged. "It's only because he loves you so much,"
"DO YOU NOT SEE IT?" Kagome bellowed. In spite of her attempt to rein in her temper, her miko powers flared. "HE IS TURNING INTO A SECOND NARAKU! No son of mine will ever become like that creature! And if he is weak and pathetic enough that he insists in acting in a matter like this, even though we spent YEARS trying to fight that same kind of sick and twisted love, then I am going to have to snap it out of him," Kagome said before spinning on her heels and stomping out of the room.
Sesshoumaru silently followed her, shaking his wrist so Kagome released his shift cuff before he intertwined his hand in hers. Kagome was still seething, and Sesshoumaru was smirking proudly.
Together they exited the room, leaving a wide-eyed and somewhat frightened Kirara in their wake.
"That was a sight I never thought I would see," Kirara said, pulling a blanket up to her chest.
Sanru unexpectedly swung into the room. "I agree. But that seems to be a common thing around here these days," Sanru agreed as he sauntered towards Kirara. "I'm sorry Kirara. If I had known they would do this to you I would have insisted you come with."
"No, I didn't believe you at the time," Kirara said, shaking her head. "And besides… Kagura deserves more of your pity than I do. She knew before any of us, and they've been torturing her ever since."
"Still," Sanru said, his violet eyes glowing with regret.
Kirara smiled. "Don't," she wisely advised. "Don't regret. You made your decision, and I assure you it was a good one."
Sanru sighed with relief but startled when his twin appeared besides him.
"She's got the most wonderful aura," Mihoku said, snapping a piece of gum.
"Kagome?" Sanru asked.
"It's so powerful, but so warm. Like sunlight on your skin," Mihoku considered. "And those miko powers of hers, what a rush!" she happily sighed before frowning. "We were blind not to sense it before."
"We were," Sanru agreed.
"Strange, I almost feel like I'm waking up from a very strange sleep," Kirara said as she shifted in the bed.
"You know—," Sanru started.
"We thought so too," Mihoku finished, exchanging glances with her fraternal twin. "It was like our mind cleared when we left the Shikon Shamers."
"So strange," Kirara muttered.
"Very much so," Sanru agreed.
"I almost wonder if it has something to do with our leader," Mihoku mused.
In the moon basked garden Kagome was doing her best to try and rein in her rampant emotions and miko powers. She had released Sesshoumaru's hand, and was instead stalking up and down the pathways of the garden, occasionally stomping on a stray plant that dared to be in her path.
"Interesting," Sesshoumaru observed as he sat on a bench while Kagome barreled past him for the tenth time.
"What?" Kagome barked.
"I thought you were more of a weepy type of girl. I thought you would cry, a lot," Sesshoumaru said. (He would never tell her he had stuffed his pockets full of Kleenex because of this prediction.)
"How could I be when Shippo is turning into a second Naraku right before my very eyes?" Kagome said.
"I don't understand. What is the similarity between Shippo and Naraku?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"Even until the very end Naraku, in some deep part of his heart, always loved Kikyou. She was the reason why Onigumo made the bargain with the demons in order to become more powerful. Although he killed her, Naraku still loved her in a sick and twisted way. Essentially that is what Shippo is doing," Kagome said, looking up at the moon. She was beginning to feel calmer.
"I'm his mother and he loves me very much. But it's not touching at all that he's willing to kill you and your workers for my sake. It's sickening. And how could he just stand by and watch Kirara be tortured like that?" Kagome shuddered. "Didn't he learn anything from our struggles against Naraku?"
"Sit," Sesshoumaru ordered, tipping down to empty space on the bench next to him. Both of his arms were thrown over the back edge of the bench.
Kagome sighed and flopped down in the empty space, leaning up against the back, her head touching Sesshoumaru's arm.
"I understand the kit's dilemma. I was also troubled when Rin passed away," Sesshoumaru said.
Kagome looked up and studied Sesshoumaru's face. Although he said he was troubled, the far away look in his eyes said he was devastated.
"Minutes before she died Rin had given me the very cause of her death, her daughter, Katashi," Sesshoumaru said. "I had a choice, to protect Katashi, or to never forgive her for what she unknowingly did. I chose the former. Shippo did not have anything to fight or live for when you supposedly died. So instead he chose to wallow in his despair. Do not hate him for it."
"I don't," Kagome sighed. "But it hurts, to see what he's done to our friends," Kagome quietly said. Sesshoumaru was internally triumphant when a tear slid down Kagome's face.
Sesshoumaru leaned over and brushed it away. "We will confront him soon enough. It will all be over then," he soothed. He was slightly astonished at Kagome's retort.
"But how could he? How could he think that I would be weak enough to be killed by you?"
"Excuse me?"
"I mean my gosh, I know I was sometimes stupid back then, but would I honestly let myself get sliced through like an idiot?" Kagome complained.
"You only wish you were not weak enough to be killed by this Sesshoumaru."
"Oh dream on. You may be a taiyoukai but whenever you try to kill me you only used a fraction of your strength. You were more like a large dog trying to teach a puppy some canine instincts. I would be beyond pathetic if I actually got myself killed by you!"
"…I think I was just insulted."
"Don't take it personally. I'm still blaming Shippo."
Kouga stared at the glossy photograph he had printed out. It was the picture of Sanru and the Kagome look alike from the museum. He didn't know why he printed out a copy, he just did.
"Better to know a target before stalking it?" Kouga suggested to himself as he tucked the photograph away in his black backpack. "Maybe I'm just getting sentimental in my old age," he muttered, shouldering the backpack.
Even after Kagome died, he had never taken on a mate. Kouga himself wasn't sure if this was because he really loved Kagome, or because he was so angry that someone dared to kill one of his companions.
Lately, with all the wussy heartbreak he had been going through, Kouga wondered if it wasn't because he really did love her.
Kouga knew better than to breathe a word of his thoughts to Shippo and their leader. Shippo was beginning to recall his love for Kagome less and less and seemed more hell bent on punishing Sesshoumaru.
Kouga stretched lightly, checking for flexibility in his clothes. He was wearing khaki slacks with a blue shirt that matched his eyes. Not like it mattered, he was practically going on a suicide mission anyway.
Kouga walked through the Shikon Shamer's compound, heading for the front door.
"You're leaving?" Shippo asked, coming down the stairs.
Kouga turned around. "Yep. I'm going to survey the area before I move. If I'm lucky I might be able to snatch Sanru, Mihoku and Kirara back without Sesshoumaru around. There's no way I'll be able to do it if he's around to protect them."
Shippo nodded. "You don't have to worry about Kasumi. He left with Katashi several days ago. According to our spies they flew to China."
"Good to know," Kouga said, bobbing his head before opening the door.
"Kouga," Shippo called.
"Yeah?" Kouga asked, turning around one more time.
"If you can't get them back… eliminate them," Shippo ordered.
"Got it," Kouga said before leaving the stronghold. He walked two blocks down the street of Tokyo before pausing and lifting his backpack from his shoulders. He dug out the photo and stared at the glossy surface again.
"Kagome," he whispered as a finger carefully traced the contour's of her look alike's face. "You have no idea how much we miss you."
A/N: Awwww what a touching end, no?
So as you've all guessed, a confrontation with Kouga is due in the next chapter. I'm not sure how long it will stretch out to be honest, but it will be interesting. Kagome is really going to cut lose and nail Kouga a good one.
I had a few more sess/kag moments. Next chapter will be a larger one. (if I remember) and you got a little more characterization of Mihoku and especially Sanru in this one.
I've read a lot of Sess/Kag fics in which Miroku and Sango are reincarnated, and it always bothered me that they never feel sad, like how Kagome feels sad because everyone compares her to Kikyo. Same thing with the weepy Kagome syndrome. Kagome's ticked at Shippo because he basically is becoming a second Naraku. There's a lot of parallels aren't there?
Well thank you so much for reading this story! I love every single last one of you! I would be ever so honored if you would drop me a line or two to let me know what you think of this fic, aka please review!!!!!!!