Shards, Miko, Hanyou, and Daiyokai

Hello, again! Here is the next chapter of Shards, Mikos, Hanyou, and Daiyokai.

Update: This chapter has been updated as of 1/18/20.

This chapter is going to be told in Sesshomaru's POV

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

*"Sesshomaru's Beast Speaking"

"Regular Conversation"*

Chapter 2 in Sesshomaru's POV:

I had followed the miko to the spring to make sure that no one would harm her while she bathed. As I sat against a tree a little distance away I started to think about the miko.

I had been watching her these last few moons. I've seen her grow into a strong and capable young woman. She's been a great help with Rin. I often debated the idea of asking her to help teach Rin what it means to be human because I thought the miko would make a good role model for Rin. The miko is a good mother figure as well for her kit. She may not know everything there is to know but it doesn't detract from her ability to mother the kit. It's unfortunate that he will have to leave soon to go to kitsune school, so he can learn the ways of trickery and such.

The kit has always been a point of curiosity to me because most miko would not even go near a full blooded yokai unless they had murderous intent, but this miko didn't seem to care whether one was a yokai or not. Puzzling indeed. I often wonder where it is, she came from. She dresses in unusual clothes and does not address people with power with their proper title. She treats everyone around her with a familiarity that is borderline naive. I do believe it's gotten her into trouble a few times.

I shook my head as I finished that last thought. I noticed the miko had come out of the water and was drying off and getting ready to head back to camp. I followed behind her and when she finally walked into Kaede's hut, I walked back to my camp with Rin and Jaken.

I noticed that Rin and Jaken had already retired for the night when I got back to the camp. I sat down against a tree nearby and let my eyes drift closed. Soon I was asleep as well.

-The next morning-

I woke up just as the sun started to rise and watched Rin sleep on her furs a few feet away from me for a few minutes before deciding that I needed to hunt for breakfast. I got up and walked the woods until I found a couple of rabbits. I killed the rabbits quickly, skinned them, and cut them up to bring back for Rin to cook and eat.

Jaken was awake when I got back to the camp, and he had started a fire. Rin was starting to wake up as well. I gave the meat to Jaken while Rin got up to get ready for the day.

At times having a ward was very pleasing. It was nice being able to have someone other than myself in my pack to take care of. She is a quiet thing, and she is mostly calm for such a young child. Most yokai children are far too excitable when they become old enough to walk and talk. Rin truly is a blessing.

Having a human or demon woman as a mate never truly interested me at any point in my life, but I am curious about this young miko. She's a puzzle that I would like to solve. My idiot half-brother has been chasing that clay golem for as long as she's been around, and I have seen how it affects the miko. She seems to be alright with it, but even I know better. She grows tired of Inuyasha not being able to choose who he would rather be with. The half-breed's priestess had left when the fight with Naraku was over, so I have no doubt we will see her again eventually.

I shall ask her today if she is willing to teach my ward. In return I could possibly train her to become a better fighter, so I don't have to rely so much on Inuyasha's capability to wield the Tetsaiga. I know that Rin would have to stay with the miko for a while so as to learn much before Kagome finishes the jewel. No one knows for certain what will happen to the Miko in the event that she wishes on the jewel at its completion. I do not like asking for help from anyone, but Rin simply refuses to leave my side. I want to be able to take care of her to the best of my ability. The Western Fortress is a dangerous place and there aren't any humans there who could help her learn. She is still very young, but I know she likes the miko. It is my intent to have Rin live in a human village as soon as possible. Being with me is very dangerous for her.

The sound of Rin's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Lord Sesshomaru, are we going to the village soon?" Rin asked after she finished her rabbit.

"We shall leave soon, Rin. We don't want to go too early in case they aren't awake yet," I answer calmly.

"Perhaps we should pack up camp. Right, milord?" Jaken asked as he extinguished the fire and got up to start putting his things away in Ah-Un's pack.

"Perhaps you should," I answer before getting up to wander toward the village.

I decided that I would go make sure that the humans were awake before walking Rin, Jaken, and Au-Un to the village. As I got closer to the village, I felt more than saw the miko come out of the elder priestess' hut.

"Oh, good morning, Sesshomaru!" She greeted me cheerfully.

"Good morning, Miko. Did you sleep well?" I ask her with a small smirk as I turn around to face her.

"I did, thank you!" She answered with a smile.

"Good. This Sesshomaru is going to retrieve Rin and Jaken. This one merely wanted to see if you were awake. This Sesshomaru will be back shortly," I turned on my heel and walked back the way I came.

When I got back to the camp, Jaken and Rin had already put everything away. They had been waiting patiently for me to return.

"Let us go to the village then," I waved for them to follow me as I walked back to the village.

When we got to the village the Miko was sitting outside with her kit and they were talking quietly to each other. When Rin approached, the kit and the miko turned their attention to her and greeted her with smiles.

"Hi, Rin!" Shippo greeted with a hug.

"Good morning, Rin," the miko greeted with a smile.

"Miko, can we talk privately?" I ask as the children take off to play a game.

"As long as we don't go too far," the miko answered looking at her kit.

"We will be close enough if any trouble comes, this Sesshomaru will make sure of it," I'm quick to reassure the young miko as we start walking towards Inuyasha's forest.

The miko followed me quietly as went further into the forest. I stopped when I felt like we were far enough away from prying ears but not too far away from the children and asked her my question.

"Would you consider teaching this one's ward what it means to be ningen?" I ask her quietly.

"That would mean that she would have to stay with me for a time," the miko answered considering, "I don't know if you would want her to stay with us while we travel though."

"In return for teaching her how to be ningen, this Sesshomaru would be willing to teach you how to properly fight," I offered after a few moments of consideration.

Logically, Rin would have to stay with her to learn her ways effectively which would mean that I would teach the miko during the time Rin is with her. This way, she can properly watch over my ward if anything were to happen along the way. I am hoping that by having Kagome help her to learn how to be human and being around other human's would convince Rin to decide to stay in the human village. I didn't want to owe the miko a debt by asking for her help, so I offered to teach her something in return for teaching my ward.

"So, you plan to travel with us while we find the rest of the shards?" the miko looked up at me as she asked.

"Rin is still young and impressionable. She has not been around ningen while in this Sesshomaru's care. This Sesshomaru feels woefully incapable of teaching her the things she needs to know. She doesn't seem inclined to want to stay in a ningen village on her own, so it leaves me with little choice," I responded trying to lay it on thick, so she wouldn't think that I was trying to push her on the miko and her friends.

The miko sat down on the ground quietly in thought. I chose a tree not far away from her to lean against and stood with my arms crossed waiting for her answer.

"I would teach Rin what she should know to the best of my abilities. I just wouldn't want to cause you any trouble in the meantime. There are demons everywhere, and some wouldn't hesitate to harm the ward of the Lord of the West. I am incapable of protecting her right now, and I would have to talk to the others to see if they would be alright with her traveling with us. Inuyasha won't be too happy about it," the miko nearly whispered that last part to herself.

"This Sesshomaru hardly cares what the half-breed thinks. This Sesshomaru wouldn't just leave her with you, regardless because this Sesshomaru would teach you how to protect her in exchange for you teaching her what she needs to know. This Sesshomaru would be around as much as possible to help you with your training and to also learn things for Rin so that if she chooses to stay, this Sesshomaru could know what it is she needs so that this Sesshomaru may be able to help her in the future in the event that you are no longer around," I answer somewhat miffed at her worrying over the half-breed's feelings.

"You could drop the honorifics while it's just the two of us you know," the miko said in a teasing tone.

"Or you could use my title as one of my station deserves," I retort with my eyebrow raised slightly.

"Okay, Lord Sesshomaru," she added an emphasis to my name as she grinned cheekily, "I will speak with my friends and see if they would be alright with Rin traveling with us. We will be seeing you fairly often I presume, so I shall ask them what they think of the situation. I would be more than happy to teach Rin, and I would be more than grateful if you taught me how to defend myself."

"Do not wait too long to answer this Sesshomaru. I will have to leave for the Western Fortress today to make sure all is right in my absence. I ask that you keep Rin for the day, and I shall return tomorrow morning as a test to make sure she is comfortable with the transition. Jaken will take over my duties at the Fortress when I leave to travel with you and Rin."

"If I may," she began looking at me for an answer that I gave with a nod of my head, "can I speak with her to see how she would like this arrangement while you are gone? I don't want to make her uncomfortable. Although, I am sure she wouldn't mind as long as you were around to make sure she was alright. She worries when you leave her for any period of time."

"This Sesshomaru is aware of his ward's feelings. That is why when I leave, I try to make sure it isn't for very long. Jaken can be insufferable."

The miko laughed after I was finished speaking. I gave her a pointed stare before she immediately stopped laughing.

"I'm sorry, Sesshomaru. I was just thinking about all those times he got a bump on the head from a rock being thrown his way. It was quite funny to see," she giggled some more after she finished speaking.

"Sometimes he deserves it," I allow with a small smirk on my face.

This woman is definitely unafraid to be around me that much is for certain. She had to know that I was the one who threw the rocks at Jaken when he was being particularly annoying and she still chooses to laugh. I find that I don't mind the sound of her laugh.

"This miko is a curious creature," my beast purrs in the back of my mind.

"So she is," I answer back in my mind.

"I shall be leaving as soon as I collect Ah-Un and Jaken. You are free to speak with my ward as you wish, miko," I move to start walking back towards the village as I'm speaking.

The miko hurriedly gets up and starts walking behind me. We walk all the way back to the village and see the children doing something to Jaken. Upon closer inspection it looks as though they are putting flower crowns on his head. The miko starts laughing again once she sees Jaken.

"Why Jaken, you look beautiful," she manages to get out between giggles.

The children immediately start laughing at Jaken's expense because of the miko's complement. Jaken blushes and immediately stands up to knock all the flower crowns off of his head all the while making noise and stamping his feet.

"This Sesshomaru didn't think you were the sort to wear flowers upon your head, Jaken," I say with a smirk to further Jaken's embarrassment.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what have I done to deserve this?!" Jaken squawked loudly as he took off the remaining flower crowns and moved to grab Au-Un's reigns.

"Jaken, we are leaving. Rin, you will stay with the miko and her friends until I return tomorrow morning. Do not misbehave," I announce to Rin and Jaken.

Rin walks up to me and holds her arms out to me. I kneel down and allow her to give me a hug.

"Be careful, My Lord. Rin will behave for Lady Kagome," Rin said as she hugged me.

I released her and turned to the miko before nodding. Then I turned and walked out of the village before summoning my yoki cloud to return to the Western Fortress.

*Thank you for sticking with me. I'm still getting in the hang of writing again. I haven't written in so long, that I worry this story won't come out how I want it to. I appreciate the favorites and the follows. I hope I don't disappoint! I will try to post new chapters regularly. *