Hey guys! I know you guys are just as tired as I am of this long adventure, but its coming to its inevitable end. Please join me for the last few chapters, but first, a question. Should I include an epilogue of timed passed or not? ~Catclass

Chapter 12

Ah-Un floated over thick canopy of a forest that Kagome recognized from her jewel shard years. That group of monk, demon slayer, half-demon, miko, cat and kit had had no reason to enter this area because no shards pulled them here, but close. There was a village barely a hand toss away, well at least from the height of the canopies where the draconic stead hovered.

Her gaze locked on said rooftops and steady smoke columns of a thriving town all the while remembering those days. However, with hardly a moment to reminisce, Ah-Un found a place to circle under and land. The miko's view of those days was lost behind branches and foliage.

It wasn't a palace as majestic as some of the places, but Kagome could hardly say it was just a home of feudal Japan. This building was well built around trees and with the trees, but not in the means that it simply had a lot of wood. A grand tree or two seemed to be a part of the structure itself. The green and yellow stained panels of what looked only to be for the doors of a main entrance sat prettily but hidden. This was a place of someone who simply preferred to not receive many visitors.

Even though Kagome slipped from Ah-Un to approach on foot, she paused and watched Sesshomaru stand oddly before the structure. He just stood there, waiting. So, she did just that as well.

The screen slowly slid open to reveal a female with lustrous brown hair and eyes. Her skin was not as pale as most but in a way that made her seem healthy. Her face markings of green started as any stripe would, traveling from her ear to beneath her eye, but ended in small hooks. Beyond that, perhaps she seemed completely human if her ears, fangs, and claws were ignored. As subtle as they were, it wasn't impossible.

Believe it or not but this was the retired Lady of the North. She had chosen to give away her position to the present wolf lord after many decades of ruling. This Daiyoukai of great power greeted them in a simple brown, knee length kimono and bare feet.

"Lord Sesshomaru" She spoke in a voice of honey, "I am surprised to see you have considered me. Welcome."

As they moved inside to sit more comfortably, Jakken did as he had a tendency to do and stayed with Ah-Un outside. This time, Kagome rather wanted to enter the strange building, regardless of her own inner turmoil.

In passing the demoness, brown met blue and small smiles were shared. "Hello, I am the Lady Noriko." She greeted.

"Hi." Kagome replied with her little wave and strong grin. "I am the miko Kagome and matchmaker to Lord Sesshomaru."

"Are you, indeed?" It was not a sneer but a genuine and pleasant surprise from the lady. "Well, then I hope to receive your approval, miko Kagome."

With this, they sat and talked. The great lord had little if nothing to say, but neither Noriko nor miko minded. It was all fairly small talk for an hour or so, before Kagome finally gave in to do her job.

"You retired from your position to live in this home, so why did you submit an application?" The miko had started.

"In truth, I want to be a mother." Noriko admitted, "I loved the North and her people, but as their lady I am untouchable." A sad gleam flickered across her auburn eyes as the hard decisions of her past haunted her still.

Kagome took a moment to assess the qualifications in her thoughts. Noriko would be able to produce and raise an heir of full demon heritage. She was educated and had many connections from her previous life as Lady of the North. With such previous experience, this candidate would be able to rule in Sesshomaru's stead without problem. Finally, the miko came upon the only thing left to really ask.

"Um, what are your views on humans?"

The demoness blinked at the odd question. "Humans are no different than demons in bravery or foolishness. They are a weaker species but only due to their short lifespans."

With a bow, Kagome thanked their hostess for her time. Sesshomaru watched on in silence, not having said a word this entire visit. In fact, she wondered if she had even heard his voice this morning at all.

Climbing back onto Ah-Un and wincing at her bruises, the miko waved farewell to the demoness. The whole group seemed pleased, ignoring one demon lord, that this visit went quickly. Once air bound however, she sighed. Jakken had his hands on the reins and his back to her, so Kagome felt she was allowed a moment of defeat. She knew it already, but she still had to document it.

Gathering herself up, the miko called out, "Yes or no!" The lord in front of her didn't even bother to turn his head when a whisper of "yes" met her ears. She would be sure to write it first thing once they landed.

"How many more troubling women must my lord meet?" The toad suddenly squawked while looking over his shoulder. "We've been running around for a near month now!"

"What!" Kagome gasped in her own mild panic before desperately digging into her bag. She grabbed her plans and checked the days herself. The poor paper was almost crushed when angrily shoved back into the big, yellow backpack. "Jakken, you jerk!" She yelled, "It's only been fifteen days. That's barely two weeks."

"Two weeks, too long." He grunted. "These women cannot begin to grasp my lord's greatness."

A sudden memory of hot breath warming her throat as a pale bottom lip teasingly slid over exposed flesh replayed in her mind. "Yeah, 'greatness'." Kagome mumbled, before swallowing. "Well, you'll be happy to know that there is only one more lady to meet and we should get there by night fall." If this pleased the toad, his grunting and mumbles sure didn't make it obvious.

And by night fall, they did arrive.

The miko had spent the commute vigorously studying. In the moments that her mind did waver, her thoughts either softly drifted to how he kissed her or slap her with the passion of his 'inner beast'. Kagome wondered why she never thought of Inuyasha in this "heated" way. Was it because she was still a young, high school girl when she loved him?

Seeing as she would see him tomorrow, the miko put a pin in that thought and took in the sights around her. Perhaps it was her impatience, but Kagome didn't find anything particularly special about this building. It was a large, gated house with wooden walk ways and koi ponds. Such a look was just above the look of most human noble's homes in this era. Pretty women glided here and there looking as a noble's daughter would, but their tasks marked them servants.

"Lord Sesshomaru." A deep voice called out. It belonged to an older dog demon with spiked armor and great puffs of black fur at his collar. The man stood as tall as Sesshomaru and looked twice his age. With a hard, etched frown the general gave a deep and formal bow. "Welcome to my home, my lord."

More silence from said demon lord, but the proud host rigidly showed them to a feast. "In honor of your visit, my lord." He said while motioning to an array of foods. "Please, eat."

Kagome wondered what her own dog demon would do when a slender, clawed hand plucked a piece of meat from the spread and put it on his plate. It was his own hand of course and though he did not eat much of it, he still ate parts of it. The host began eating as well, though still in such a way that Sesshomaru had the choice of picking the best pieces.

This was a feast for the men, she surmised. She had been served a small portion of rice with wooden chopsticks, but no other plates as they had. Perhaps she was wrong, but the host had not yet even looked her way. Kagome slowly chewed at the rice; it was good she had a snack earlier. That is, until Sesshomaru handed her his plate.

On one hand he was giving her his scraps, but on the other, he had sampled everything on the dish before giving to her. She bowed in thanks and smiled at his cryptic ways. "This man never explains anything, does he?" The miko thought while eating the better food.

That is when she felt the stone expression weigh on her soul. A glance up and Kagome found the general glaring at her. To be fair, with that constant angry look it was hard to tell if he was just staring or not. So Kagome stared back.

Many dog owners learn that prolonged eye contact is often seen as a challenge; Kagome was the proud owner of Buyo, the cat.

"My lord is most kind to servants." The old man huffed; his eyes squinted further into a glare. "My beautiful daughter appreciates such kindness."

The door slid open to a black haired demoness dressed in formal, red kimono with black fur at the collar just as her father's. "Please, excuse my lateness." She offered before bowing and entering. It was when she sat across from Kagome did the two of them come to an interesting discovery; they were nearly identical.

Keiko did hold the basic of demon attributes: pointed ears, fangs, claws but everything else was eerily similar. The length of her long black hair appeared longer only because it was braided and Kagome's sat in a high ponytail. Their bangs fell the same way around the same round faces, though one held thin blue stripes over her cheekbones. The demoness's lips were painted red to match her clothes while the miko's remained naturally pink. Perhaps, if they were to stand in the sun, Noriko would have paler skin and lighter blue eyes, but inside they appeared close enough to be the same.

With a subtle cough from the host, the young woman snapped out of her astonishment. "Welcome, my lord." She pleasantly greeted with a cheery smile. "It is an honor that you have chosen to consider me. Please, if there is any business then let us speak of it in the morning." Of course the last part seem oddly directed to her own father.

Sesshomaru still never spoke a word while the general sang praises of his little girl. Even Kagome remained silent as she continued eating in his stead. The demonic doppelganger was not as well connected as Noriko or Yuuka, but he boasted of her kindness and ability to earn the respect of everyone. Keiko's father wasn't quite as proud to admit that he let his daughter practice medicine on the sick or injured humans of a nearby village, but he had worked himself up in a need to prove her purity.

The demoness said little while eating with the occasional glance between the miko and lord. And really that's all there was of dinner. Father and daughter bid their lord good night as servants showed them to a room.

Kagome placed her bag near the short table with a candle and pulled out her records as she had done before. As she marked a yes next to Noriko, she wondered how Sesshomaru felt about all this. Looking at him though, her voice simply stopped in her throat.

He wasn't across the room or sitting against a wall; the lord was right beside her. Golden eyes reading the same scroll as she was.

"Sesshomaru?" She quietly asked, "Why?" There were a lot of "whys" that suddenly plagued her thoughts, but each one failed to come out. Why was she picked as matchmaker? Why did he consider her pack? Why did he flirt with her? Why did he kiss her? In a motion not like the lord and yet very Sesshomaru, his response was to sigh and slowly meet her eyes. In a gentle move, he tucked the hair behind her ear before moving to sleep against a wall.

"Oh."

Kagome wasn't that clueless; she could get the general idea about half the things he said or did. So, he liked her. Maybe it was love or maybe not, but the miko smiled because at least the cold and stoic Lord of the West liked "her".

When it came time for her to pack her things and lie down for the night, blue eyes stared into the darkness for about an hour. A young Kagome from two or three years back would have told him to follow his heart and everything would work out. And yet, somehow it was different when it involved her. The advice felt too self-serving to offer. Before slipping into nostalgic dreams, the miko reached a level of empathy for the demon lord. Sesshomaru was choosing an heir for his people over his own affections, and she would support him.

Morning came slowly; it was the last day before they returned to the West. With black hair tied into her usual ponytail and Sesshomaru naturally pristine, the two went to meet the Keiko and her father one last time. Kagome led them to the meeting room and greeted their hosts appropriately.

It was as if neither of the black dog demons had moved from the previous night, but such a silly thought was improbable. The miko sat tall across from her demonic reflection. "Good morning. I am Kagome, the lord's matchmaker." She started, watching the general shift in disguised surprise. "Do you mind answering some questions, Lady Keiko?"

"Not at all." The sweet voiced demoness cooed. "Please, ask."

"Do you want kids?"

"Of course, she does." Interrupted her father with his glare, extra squinty and frown prominent. Both pairs of blue glanced his way before returning to each other.

"I do."

"Do you have any ill feelings towards humans?" A scoff from the old man caused yet another pause.

"I do not."

"Would raising a human child trouble you?" Not everybody needed to know about Rin; it just wasn't safe.

"What kind of question is that?" The older demon grumbled while noisily sipping his beverage. "Why would the Lady of the West need to deal with a human brat?"

"It should not. A child is a child, after all." Keiko kept to Kagome's idea of letting the dog bark.

"Your father said you were educated. Do you think you are?"

"I do, but I am willing to learn anything that my knowledge may fall short on." With a nod, the miko showed that her questions were done. Both women shared gratitude for hospitality and being considered before Sesshomaru moved to leave.

Jakken and Ah-Un were called for as the troop inwardly celebrated the end of these travels. Kagome was just situating on the draconic steed when Keiko called out. "Lord Sesshomaru!" She quickly glided up to the demon in question before bowing deeply. Her dark braid slipped over the red clad shoulder as she moved to stand. "Thank you for coming and I hope to see you again." The demoness smiled prettily with a soft blush adorning her cheeks.

"Hn." He replied with a modest nod. She took it kindly and smiled all the more. Keiko was a "yes" Kagome decided. They would see her again very soon, but human eyes couldn't help but stare as Ah-Un took to the skies. She vaguely wondered if she had become Kikyo, the first love, and that was her, Kagome. It tasted bitter for a thought, so she quickly let it pass.

The flight back to the Palace of the West took forever. Studying on the two headed dragon barely helped distract the miko and her records were updated within five minutes. Then, when she was about to jump from boredom, Kagome spotted the familiar roof tops. Even Jakken sighed in relief at seeing his home.

During the descent a red blur bounced from a window and swept the miko into a fierce mid-air hug. "Inuyasha!" She cried out in joy, while the toad scoffed. They all landed, some more gracefully than others, but the miko stayed bound by the scruffy half-demon.

"You sure took your time out there!" Complained Inuyasha to the annoyed lord, "Leaving me with all that paper work, you cruel bastard."

Kagome giggled, but struggled to escape. "Inuyasha, let me go already. I need a good shower."

"Keh! Fine." He huffed, letting her properly turn to see him. "But, after that, you better tell about your trip. I gotta make sure the prick didn't do anything to ya."

Sesshomaru tilted his head with a smirk, "This Sesshomaru has not done anything you haven't to the miko." With that, he walked away. Kagome stifled a burst of laughter as the younger brother called out, "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

She would have paused and listened to the masculine voice that hadn't been used for so long, but a glance at red stopped her. Inuyasha wore armor and his hair was tied up. When he noticed her looking, Inuyasha scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "They said I didn't look much like a lord." He reluctantly explain, "They've been touching my hair too. Gotta wonder if I look like him, ya know?"

Kagome smiled and knew. Sesshomaru would always look more like Inu noTaisho as a full demon with light silver hair and facial markings, but Myouga had spoken of the similarities of Inuyasha and his father. The grey-silver strands caught the soft breeze and blew more freely now that they were combed and put into a high ponytail. They both shared that particular hairstyle now, though with different reasons.

"Well, go on and bath!" He huffed and swatted her along.

As she entered the building with her yellow bag, a female servant rushed past. "Lord Inuyasha! Lord Sesshomaru has returned!" She called out. Kagome paused and watched the scene over her shoulder.

"Yeah, just saw the bastard." He replied to the panting demoness as she bent over to catch her breath.

"Will-will you be staying another night?" The poor girl gasped, finally evening out her breaths.

"Will I be 'staying'?" He echoed as if it was obvious he'd leave as soon as possible. That grey ponytail danced as he scoffed at the stupid question; he almost laughed.

"You're staying." She demanded, "One more night at least." Even from this distance Kagome saw quite the stubborn look.

"I'm staying." Inuyasha sighed in defeat; his little ears flattened atop his head. A smiled pulled at the side of Kagome's lips at the scene. The servant girl was sure happy and beamed victorious. "Perhaps, it should be a short bath this time." She thought while walking inside.