A/N: O-EM-GEE. Umm, over 1000 reviews!? THAT'S A FIRST FOR ME! You guys are the BEST!
DISCLAIMER: All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!
The Sword Smith's Secret
By MissKatt
Chapter Fifty-Six: The Journey Continues
After morning meal, Kagome stood in the courtyard of the shiro with Inuyasha. She was dressed, much to her dismay, in a navy blue yukata, baby pink sakura petals decorating the hem and sleeves. She felt naked without her armor, but knew it was being stored in on of Ah-Uh's saddle bags until she could get a normal hakama and haori outfit.
Fingering the vile of shards around her neck, she pursed her lips together. One more. They only had to find one more and the jewel would be complete. She frowned as she thought about what completing it would bring, and then instantly blushed when she remembered what happened earlier that morning.
Seeing her grip the container tighter and hearing her heart beat quicken, the hanyou put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"
She blinked out of her thoughts and gave him a forced smile. "Just thinking about the last shard."
His white ears flattened again his head, "You'll find it and everything will be as it should."
Her fake smile vanished. "That is what I'm scared of, Inu-kun."
Not knowing what to say, he tightened his grip on her shoulder for a moment before releasing her. He turned to his half-brother as he approached with Ah-Un, Ryura and Kagura next to him. He crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at his brother. "You sure you want to leave already? You just got back."
"We must finish the jewel as soon as possible. We can all rest once it is done." Sesshoumaru replied, looking at Kagome seriously.
The miko looked away from his pointed look. How did he know what she thinking? She clutched the vile a final time before tucking it away inside her yukata. Not replying to Sesshoumaru, she looked at Kagura, "Will you be joining us this time?"
"No," Ryura responded for her, giving Kagura a stern look when she opened her mouth to speak. "You will stay in the West while we are gone."
She huffed at him, crimson eyes narrowing at him. "Who says you can tell me what to do? You hold no control over me."
His eyes softened a fraction. "You are right, I do not. However, I would rather you be here and out of trouble while I am away."
Her cheeks flushed before she turned away from him haughtily, crossing her arms over her chest. "Who says I would wait for you? Do not presume to know me, Dragon Boy."
Crimson eyes flashed with playfulness. "Fine, leave; I enjoy a good hunt."
Kagome smiled at the way the wind youkai blushed and turned her nose up. She looked back at the dragon youkai. "Ryura, why don't you just stay here?"
"The Western guard will accompany you," Inukimi stated as she walked towards them, Rin at her side. "Now that you have most of the shards, more trouble will be attracted to you. You will need the help." Her amber eyes looked at Kagura. "You may stay here while they are gone so that I know you are not going after the jewel for yourself," Seeing her red lips part in protest, she continued on, "Prove you are no longer associated with Naraku or his schemes and stay here until the jewel is gone from this world."
Kagura looked from the former lady to Kagome, to Ryura, to Sesshoumaru, before looking back at Inukimi. "I suppose I have nothing better to do." She grumbled in a defeated tone.
This time Kagome watched Ryura's mouth twitch into a smirk before he patted the woman's head, which she immediately smacked away with reddened cheeks. She gave a soft laugh and then looked down at Rin as the girl stared pointedly at the ground.
"Rin-chan? Are you okay?"
The girl fidgeted before shyly meeting her blue pools. "Ri-I, don't want you and Lord Sesshoumaru to leave again."
Kagome briefly met Sesshoumaru's amber eyes before looking back at the little princess. She kneeled down and stroked her brown hair lovingly. "We will be back, Rin-chan."
She shook her head vehemently. "Last time you left, Lord Sesshoumaru didn't come back with you. Yes, you brought him back eventually, but what if you can't next time? What if he can't bring you back again?" Her large brown eyes welled with tears. "I don't want to lose my parents again!"
The assistant blinked in surprise as the girl threw herself into her arms and sobbed into her shoulder. She quickly overcame her shock and wrapped her arms around the little girl. "Shh, Rin-chan, it will be okay." She cooed softly. She glanced up when a shadow loomed over her and gave him a worried frown when he kneeled down next to her.
"Rin," He called as the girl took in a shaky breath before another sob escaped her. He put his hand on her back and watched as she turned slightly away from the miko's shoulder to glance at him. "This Sesshoumaru and the miko will always return home."
The girl blinked away her tears as she looked at her father. She sniffled loudly before moving away from Kagome to hug her father tightly around his neck. "Don't break your promise, Otou-sama."
Why did his heart seem to falter every time she called him that? "I keep my word."
She pulled back and smiled a warm, wide smile at him before releasing him and making her way back to Inukimi's side. She watched her new parents rise back to their feet before grinning at them, cheeks still red from her crying. "Travel safely."
"We will." They both chimed back at the same time. Rin beamed as she watched them look at each other, both surprised at their mirrored responses. She folded her hands together in hope as she watched her mother-figure's eyes soften, her cheeks turning red as Sesshoumaru smirked at her.
Oh, yes, she hoped both her parents came home together.
*~~~SSS~~~*
Kagome sat on Ah-Un as they suspended themselves in the air. She narrowed her eyes in a squint as she looked off towards the South as she felt a tingle in chest. With a satisfied smile, she patted the dragon's neck, signaling him to go down. With a snort, the dragon descended back to the earth. Sliding off the saddle, she brushed off her newly purchased hakama and grinned at her youkai companions.
"It is for sure towards the South." She stated proudly, hands going to her hips.
"The South again?" Ryura questioned from his spot under the tree. "That is where the last one was located."
Her smile faltered as she remembered Bankotsu and Jakotsu. "Do you think they could have had another one?"
Sesshoumaru looked at her. "I believe you would have sensed it if they did." He replied before looking at the agitated dragon. "It makes sense that there are more in the South since that is where the Jewel was shattered."
The guard snorted, a puff a smoke escaping his nostrils as he pushed off the tree. "Then let us be off."
Kagome's brow furrowed at his attitude. "Why are you being so curt, Ryura-san?"
His hands clenched when he was called out. "We have already been gone for two weeks, Kagome-sama and fall is soon approaching. I did not anticipate this taking as long as it is." He began, his mind on a certain red-lipped, red-eyed, wind demoness. "All we have accomplished is seriously cutting down the lesser youkai population."
Her brow furrowed deeper. "Japan is quite large, Ryura-san. The jewel shard could have been anywhere so it took a little bit to find." She defended herself. "But, now that I can sense it, we can go and finish it." She looked down at the ground. "I wasn't aware that you wanted this completed so quickly."
His red eyes softened a little at her defeated aura. He should have chosen his words more carefully. He forgot about what could happen when she completed the jewel. "Kagome-sama, I-"
"You have said enough, Ryura," Sesshoumaru interjected, coming up to his beta's side and putting his hand on the small of her back, earning him a blush. "Let us be on our way." He said as he looked down into her cerulean orbs.
She stared at the ground as she nodded, cheeks aflame. The past two weeks had been taxing on her. Nearly every day they were attacked by youkai and oni trying to steal the jewel shards, sometimes more than once. But, at night, she had to force herself to sleep across from Sesshoumaru. She made the mistake of sleeping too close to him one night and his poor hand suffered the wrath of her teeth as it muffled her mewls.
Even during the day, she had to keep her eyes off him. His golden orbs were too inviting, his alluring smirks too taunting. Her body ached and burned to be touched by his skilled hands and mouth once again, but she wouldn't allow it when Ryura was so close to them. She knew Sesshoumaru had no qualms about pleasing her in front of the dragon, but she most definitely did. She could barely imagine kissing the taiyoukai in front of the guard without blushing.
So, she felt her stomach twist in need as Sesshoumaru walked alongside her as they traveled back to towards the South. She glanced up at him from the corner of her eye and took in his beautiful profile. His angular face and striking markings, she just wanted to run her fingers over them. Not paying attention to her legs, she swayed a little towards him and their arms brushed. Even through both their silk fabrics, her skin felt like it was on fire. Kami, she just wanted him to touch her. And she wanted to touch him, to taste his skin as he did hers.
"Kagome-sama."
Kagome ripped herself out of her thoughts with a startled gasp and then proceeded to trip over her own feet as she tried to put more distance between her and her alpha. She felt a pressure on her arm, it keeping her upright as her feet failed her. Her cheeks turned red from embarrassment as well as excitement at Sesshoumaru's firm grip on her arm. Why was she imagining that hand on her neck?
'Wah! Stop it, Kagome! You're just making this harder on yourself!' She berated herself mentally. Kami, what in the world was wrong with her?
Forcing down all the unaccustomed feelings, she looked at Ryura with a shaky smile. "Yes, Ryura-san?"
The dragon studied her flushed face carefully before his eyes flickered back to his lord. Sesshoumaru's face had its stoic mask in place, but there was an unfamiliar gleam in his eyes. If he didn't already know there was something going on between them, he would have known then. "I was simply wondering if you had any idea as to what you were going to do with the jewel."
Instantly the air grew thick with tension.
"I'm not sure," She admitted with a frown. "I was going to wait until I completed it."
"That is the best course of action." Sesshoumaru replied, resisting the urge to strangle his guard. Her scent had been intoxicating him with its beginning signs of arousal and he had been entertaining himself with how many times he could make her blush.
He knew she craved him. He desired her just as much, but it was beginning to become something deeper. His beast was starting to become more prominent once again, his instinctual side clawing at his brain to make the girl theirs already. He wasn't sure if he wanted to Mate the miko, but was sure that he wanted her body. He was beginning to understand that he wanted her heart, but wasn't certain if he wanted to give his to her.
He was a very private person and extremely guarded. He didn't let anyone into his personal life and he liked it that way. The only reason a few people knew a handful of things was because they were there when it happened. Did he want to reveal these things to his beta? He almost had on more than one occasion during this trip.
The miko had opened up to him about her real parents and what had happened to her village before she came into Totosai's care. She had told him how hard it had been to live with a youkai at first. She had willingly gone to live with the swordsmith, but she didn't emotionally accept him for almost a year, her heart still shattered from the loss of her family at such a young, tender age.
Sesshoumaru had listened carefully, his attention captivated by the assistant. Most of the time, he didn't care to hear about others' life story, but he found himself immensely interested in hers. His keen eyes took in every scar she showed him, remembering which one came from where.
For instance, there was a pale, thin scar that ran along the outside of her left hand. She acquired this particular one from when she was first learning to polish a sword. She had applied too much oil to the blade and her hand had slipped off the blade as she was swiping down it.
Then there was the diamond shaped scar on her right knee that was from falling into a hunter's hole-trap set up in a forest. She claimed it took her hours to climb out of it, but when she finally escaped, the hunter had arrived and berated her for ruining his carefully laid trap.
With the countless other stories she told him, the one that helped him understand her the most was the one explaining her self-consciousness. He had questioned her about it the day after the left the shiro. She had been hesitant to tell him, but something in her made her give in and tell him. When she told him about how the other human villagers treated her for years on end, it made sense why she had doubts about her self-image.
If one was born a swan, but was called a duck for most of its life, then even it would think the same.
The Western lord had felt a slight twinge of guilt for thinking the same thing of her when he first met her. He scoffed as he remembered how he thought her a boy; she was most definitely a fine specimen of a female. How could he have ever mistaken her for anything else? The reminder of his mistake fueled his need to bury himself within her even more.
He and his beast were pleased that she had shared so many things about herself to him. He had learned so much about her the past week then he had in the whole season of summer. So, when she asked him to tell her something about him, he complied…to an extent. He graced her with the knowledge of his childhood, telling her about how it was him, his father, and his mother for a few centuries until his father had begun to disappear for days on end. And then he returned with a pregnant Izayoi.
"Wow…that must have been hard. How did you feel when he brought her home?"
His brow twitched. No one had ever asked him his feelings on it. "I was confused," He admitted to her. "I did not understand why my father had chosen another woman when he already had my mother. To my knowledge, they had seemed quite content with each other so it came as a surprise."
"I bet!" She commented as she looked at him with wide eyes. "So, you said your mother knew your father was going to break their bond, why did she stay with him if he chose another?"
"Because he did not choose another," At her questioning look, he continued. "He chose them both. Their mating was arranged, but they grew to love one another, I think; at least my mother did. Izayoi simply called to his beast, making his rational half want her too."
She frowned suddenly. "What would have happened if Touga stayed in love with your mom, but his beast stayed in love with Izayoi?"
He stared at her impassively. "What do you mean?"
"Say Touga never fell in love with Izayoi, but his beast did. How would that work? Would he constantly be at odds with himself?"
He frowned. Was that what his mother had meant when he asked her about his active beast? "I suppose he would have gone mad. A beast is never meant to be fully active and conscious. Once in a while, yes, but once it starts taking over the main conscious, it can turn disastrous."
"Has something like that ever happened to you?" She asked, tilting her head.
His amber eyes stared at her, the honey color turning a molten orange from the fire in between them. Did he dare tell her the truth? Perhaps he would only tell her the second time it happened. "Yes, when you and I were arguing."
She blinked at him owlishly. "I roused your beast?"
"He is what drew my attention to you in a different way." When her face became creased with worry, he held up his palm. "All is fine between us miko. He is getting what he wants." As soon as the words came from his mouth, he knew she would misconstrue them. "No." He simply said when began to open her mouth.
She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't tell me 'no'. Did you just listen to yourself? You practically told me you're only acting this way with me because your beast wants it!"
"That was the case at first, yes," He began and then reached out to cup her jaw, forcing her head back to look at him. His beast rumbled inside him when her defiant, stubborn eyes met theirs. He had to agree that he enjoyed the constant challenge she gave him. "But that is not the case anymore. Now he is jealous that I have all your attention."
She blushed when his lips caressed hers in a soft kiss before he released her as Ryura walked back into their camp.
Sesshoumaru was drawn from his memory when he felt two small hands wrap around his. He turned his head to look down at his beta and lifted a brow at her questioning look. "What is it, Miko?"
She flashed him a small smile, not liking at how he was spacing out after they started talking about the completion of the jewel. "Everything will alright, right?" She asked softly.
His eyes softened slightly, "I will allow no harm to come to you."
Her smile widened and she squeezed his hand before looking at Ryura. "See? And Sesshoumaru always keeps his word. So, let's get this last shard and be done with Shikon no Tama!"
Ryura met Sesshoumaru's eyes for a second before he gave the miko a brief smile. "Yes, then let us finish this and start the next chapter in our lives."
Her smile turned into a wicked grin. "Do I see a certain wind youkai in your next chapter?" She laughed when the dragon's face instantly turned red. "I knew it!" She giggled.
Ryura's stuttered over his words before he glowered at the miko. "And I think I see more inuhanyou pups running around the shiro." He smirked in triumph when she instantly stopped laughing, her face turning bright red. His smirk dropped into a small smile when she turned away from him, her hand never leaving Sesshoumaru's as they continued on towards the South.
Yes, they were both starting the new chapter in their lives that fate had laid out for them.
A/N: -peeks around the corner- Umm, hey? . I know it's been a while and that this chapter wasn't super eventful…but it did have its purpose. Kags and Sessh need to know more about each other and I think that we all needed to know how Sessh was feeling towards his miko at the moment. So…yeah. Final shard chapter is coming and with it will bring about more familiar faces. Any guesses?
