A/n: Revised. I hope you like it and I apologize for any grammatical errors.

~Chapter 20~

The sun began to rise, casting shadows around Sesshomaru who stood at the entrance of the cave looking out to the West. It would take them weeks to get back to the safety of the citadel, and he could only hope that they made it there in one piece. The soft pad of footsteps caught his attention, drawing his gaze down to Rin whose lavender eyes held more wisdom than Sesshomaru was comfortable with.

"How are you feeling Rin?"

The little demon cuddled into the softness of his mokomoko, "Much better. Is it time for us to leave?"

Sesshomaru placed his hand on the top of her head with a sigh, "Yes, we have much ground to cover if we wish to reach the west before the Darkness comes upon us."

Rin pulled away from him and shook her head, "My lord, we are not going west—to do so would be disastrous."

"Oi, what does that mean shrimp?"

Both Inuyoukai turned towards the Inuhanyou who stood a few feet from them, stretching out his arms and arching his back.

"There was no hidden meaning Inuyasha-sama, it is just as I said. If we go west we will die."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the odd demon, "Well, where else are we supposed to go?"

Rin looked out at the horizon and whispered, "Kagome will know, she will lead us."

Sesshomaru knew then that Rin had inherited much from his aunt's body, "What will become of her Rin?"

"I don't know, I know only what I hear," she answered and then realized that Sesshomaru had asked her a very pointed question that revealed her new ability.

Sesshomaru patted her head, "It is a gift, a troublesome one, but very rare and you should treasure it. This Sesshomaru will find a worthy teacher to teach you how to control it when this is over."

Inuyasha raised his brow when Rin smiled beatifically up at Sesshomaru and wrapped her arms around his waist in a quick hug before running back into the cave to wake up an irate kitsune. He ignored the hanyou as he walked back to his mate, but kept an eye on the young pair, not fully trusting the kit with any other than his mate. Sesshomaru watched as they stared at one another, neither verbally speaking, but there was obviously some form of communication occurring between the two.

Koga who had been scouting the area for food hopped up on the ledge beside Sesshomaru with a boar over his shoulders and followed the Inuyoukai's gaze.

"Yeah, I don't know what to tell you about that. I've watched those two sit and stare at each other for almost an hour—it creeps me the fuck out."

Sesshomaru scoffed, "They are speaking to one another."

Koga rolled his eyes, "I kinda figured that's what they were doing, doesn't make it any less creepy. The fox needs to start actually talking so we can figure out how to help him already. Maybe your pup can find a way to get through to him?"

Sesshomaru shook his head, "No. It's not Rin's place to help him; she knows this. Only Kagome can help him…"

Koga pulled a knife from his side and began to ready the boar, "Can he even be helped? I've met a few Kitsune in my time, but I've never seen one like Shippo. The kit is wicked strong and runs on pure animal instinct, even as a youkai I have no idea how to help him. Hell, I wouldn't even know where to start."

Sesshomaru watched as Shippo knelt before Kagome's sleeping form and reached down to kiss her forehead. "You're not the kit's mother. Kagome is the only one who will be able to reach him."

And then the little kitsune turned to them, staring at the two older demons with big blood red eyes, letting them know in the silent way of his that he could hear them.

Koga shivered, "Yeah, definitely creepy."

Sesshomaru stared back at Shippo until Rin drew the kitsune's attention away once again. Koga began to throw the bones of the boar off the ledge before turning back to the demon lord, "The humans need to eat; we can leave afterwards. How long do you think it will take us to get back to the citadel?"

"We will not be returning to the west."

The wolf tensed, pausing for a moment before returning back to the boar. "If I had known this I would have brought Ayame with me. I don't like leaving her for too long."

"If this Sesshomaru had known, I would have informed you. It would seem that Rin has an unusual gift and she is certain that should we return, those under the protection of my barriers will fall and we along with them. It is for the safety of those we left behind that we do not return yet."

Koga remained silent as he finished up and then gruffly asked, "How long will they remain safe without us there? I can't lose Ayame, she is my mate and the last of my pack. If anyone could understand how important she is to me, it would be you."

Sesshomaru turned to Kagome and Rin, "Yes, this Sesshomaru understands. I do not have an answer for you, my pup only knows that we are to follow Kagome."

Koga nodded, "Well, I trust Kagome probably more than I should. We need firewood, I'll be back."

Sesshomaru watched the wolf walk away before turning back to his pup when she called his name.

"Sesshomaru-sama, come look!"

The others were already standing around Kagome's sleeping body with confused frowns and when Sesshomaru saw what they were looking at his eyes widened. In Kagome's hand rested a magnolia, its wide thick petals overtaking her palm.

The monk kneeled down and whispered, "Perhaps she had it before Bokuseno sent us from the forest."

Sesshomaru shook his head, but before he could tell Miroku that he knew for a fact that she hadn't had the flower, Rin grasped onto the monk's arm, "No! It just appeared while Shippo and I were watching her."

Before they had a chance to respond Kagome made a small sound, her lashes fluttering before her eyes slowly slid open and then widened when she realized she was surrounded, "What…what's wrong?"

It was Shippo who reached forward and pulled the flower from her hand, holding it in front of her face. Sesshomaru expected tears but they were all surprised when instead Kagome sat up and gently took the flower from Shippo. She held it to her face and took a delicate sniff before looking up and smiling sadly. He could see in her eyes something that wasn't there before—secrets.

~oOo~

Kagome tried to get Shippo to eat, but he kept pushing his cooked bar meat away and pointing at her. She hadn't seen her kit eat not once since she had been back, he had even refused the lollipops and pocky she had brought just for him. She sighed and looked over at the small pile of raw meat at the front of the cave and suddenly it clicked—young youkai at anything, but the youkai who were mature or reaching maturity required raw meat to keep up their strength.

She set her food to the side and got to her feet, making her way over to the little uncooked pile. She knelt down and picked up a good-sized piece, ignoring the blood that oozed through her fingers. Miroku and Sango watched her with confused eyes as she sat back down and offered the bloody meat to her kit who looked on with his big crimson eyes. He reached out and took the meat from her hands, his movements clearly unsure. He pointedly stared at her food and then up at her, but Kagome shook her head, "No. I want to see you eat first Shippo, I haven't seen you eat a single thing in days. You eat, and then I will eat."

Shippo stared up at her and Kagome's breath caught at the sliver of green that filtered through the red before it vanished. He stared down at the boar meat for a second before raising it to his lips and tearing into it, blood gushing from it and down the sides of his mouth. Within minutes Shippo was finished, licking the red stains from his lips and hands. Kagome went to reach into her bag to pull out something to clean his mouth with, but thought better of it and used her fingers instead. "Do you want more?"

He nodded and she went to get him another piece, watching him eat it with less vigor than the first. When he was done she raised her brow, "More?"

With a small shake of his head he stood and sat on her lap, bloody fingers reaching for her cooked food and raising it up for her. She took it from him and enthusiastically bit into it, finishing it off almost as quickly as Shippo had his own. When she was finished she looked back down and chastised her kit, "I won't have you going hungry Shippo. If you want me to eat, then you have to eat as well. If you want raw meat then I will get it for you, so don't go so long without food again. Do you understand?"

Shippo stared up at his mother, watching as her azure eyes narrowed at him as she waited for an answer. "Do you understand Shippo?"

He nodded and froze once again when instead of hugging him as she usually did, she nuzzled his face, "Good."

Shippo lifted his face and barely tilted it to the side to encourage her affection; her actions were not of the usual and though it was confusing to the kit he welcomed the change.

Sesshomaru watched for a moment before turning to Koga with a smirk—only Kagome could help the kit and it seemed that she was off to a good start.

"Kagome, if you are finished…?"

Kagome looked up with a nod, standing and placing Shippo on her shoulder.

"Yes, I need to speak with you privately before we leave."

He held out his hand for her to take just as Inuyasha stepped forward, "What's the big secret? Why can't you tell all of us?"

Kagome frowned, "It really isn't any of your concern Inuyasha. I don't want to argue with you and the truth is I don't have to explain myself."

"Kagome…"

The hanyou stared at her for a second longer before nodding and turning away, even though he had already lost it was still difficult for him to let go. It was something he was going to have to work on.

Kagome let Sesshomaru lead her out of the cave and to a secluded area where he stopped and tilted his head before assuring her that they were far enough from the others to speak freely.

He gestured for her to begin and the the first words out of her mouth froze both the Daiyoukai and the Kitsune.

"I know how to stop the Darkness."

Sesshomaru took a step back and stared at her in shock, his golden eyes wide and his hand clenched tight around his sword. He knew he had heard her correctly, but he needed to hear it again.

"Pardon?"

With a sigh she shook her head, "You heard me. I know how to stop the Darkness."

"How did you come by such knowledge?"

Kagome smiled sadly, "Bokuseno told me."

A/n: Kind of a filler chapter, the only pertinent information is that they aren't going west.

~Inari