++++++++++++++++++++

Chapter 5

++++++++++++++++++++

Kagome, Kaho, and Sango served up breakfast that morning to a troop of hungry demon exterminators and villagers.

"Kagome-sama," Sango said softly, "is everything okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Kagome smiled as she and Sango sat down with their own breakfasts.

"You're worried about Inu Yasha and Sesshou Maru, huh?" Kaho sat beside Kagome.

"Uhm… Yeah." Sango frowned, confused.

"Who are they? Your suitors, Kagome-sama?" Kagome blushed slightly and opened her mouth to respond, but Kaho cut her off.

"Sesshou Maru is. Inu Yasha is… different." Kaho finished with a smile that said what she really thought. Kagome's face was a brilliant shade of red as she concentrated on her breakfast, trying to block out what the other girls were saying. They continued chatting and giggling in a way Kagome hadn't thought possible for Sango.

"So!" She cut in suddenly, sitting up abruptly and smiling. Kaho and Sango paused and blinked at her. Only then did Kagome realize she didn't have a new subject in mind. "So, uhm… How 'bout them Lions?" she laughed weakly at her own joke.

"Kagome-sama?" Sango began. She was cut off, though, by a cry from the gates. Kagome sighed in relief and rose to answer it, Kaho following close behind.

"Kagome-sama!" the excited guard ran to meet her. "Kaho-sama! They've returned! Sesshou Maru-sama and his brother have returned!" Kagome broke out in a wide grin and ran to the gates to meet the demon brothers.

They were just entering the gates, looking exhausted. Kagome waved to them and called out a greeting. Sesshou Maru managed a smile and semi- enthusiastic greeting, while Inu Yasha grunted, barely acknowledging her presence.

"Honestly, you two!" Kagome huffed, small smile still in place. "What on Earth could have happened to make you both… so…" she trailed off as the answers—the /six/ answers—entered the gates. Kagome did a quick head count.

Miroku… //Good.// The kitsune family… //Better.// And two retainers. //Uh- oh.//Jaken and Myouga came in, squabbling and bickering as always. Kagome barely stifled a groan and moved her attention to the other guests. She was just introducing Miroku to Sango and Kaho when the bickering between the retainers became a full-fledged brawl. Of course, since Myouga /was/ a flea, it mainly consisted of Myouga jumping onto and off of Jaken's head, taunting, and Jaken slamming his own staff into his body and cursing at his failed attempts to squash his contemporary.

"Would you two kindly /SHUT UP/?!" Kagome shot them a look that could have frozen boiling water. They promptly complied, shrinking back slightly. Kagome smiled suddenly and returned to her introductions, almost missing the proud-but-slightly-stunned looked she was getting from Sesshou Maru and the stunned blink from Inu Yasha.

++++++++++++++++++++

"Lord," the voice was smooth, with only a hint of whining, "I'm bored."

"Well, Yura," he answered patiently, "You might… make yourself useful." Yura gazed at him, curious. He sighed. Apparently he would have to give her detailed instructions to get her to leave his side. "Have you inspected the armory?"

"Done."

"Checked on the troops?"

"Done."

"Checked on the /opponent/?"

"Don—wait. No." she laughed sheepishly. "I think I'll go do that now…" and she was gone.

He sighed again and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. That was too /Human/ a response. Perhaps his body was still unaccustomed to the change. He certainly caught himself, on more than one occasion, having /other/… Human… reactions to a few in his ranks. He shook his head, clearing his mind as he attempted to complete the spell. //A little more… Just a touch… further. There!//

He looked up into the viewer opened on the screen in front of him. Everything looked alien to him. There was a shrine. He recognized that much, anyway. And a tree. //That tree…// he smirked, satisfied. //So this is where that girl comes from? Interesting…//

++++++++++++++++++++

"Aaagh!" Kagome let out the little shout as she stretched. It had been a /long/ day.

"Kagome," Sesshou Maru sounded a little tired himself, "You should sleep." The demon sat in the corner he seemed to have claimed as his own.

"I know…" she crossed to her futon and sat down gratefully. "Ugh. I'm soooore!"

"Small wonder." Sesshou Maru moved easily to kneel behind her. He began kneading her shoulders, easing the knots out gently.

"Ahhh… that feels too good, Sessh." Kagome smiled gratefully, eyes closed. "Sesshou Maru," she turned, frowning slightly, "Do you think we're ready? I can feel that /something/ is going to happen soon. But I don't know if we're really ready." Sesshou Maru didn't respond for a long time. When he did, it was only to tell her to sleep well before he moved back to his corner.

Kagome frowned lightly at the not-quite-answer to her question, but she didn't argue with his suggestion. Instead, she lay down, asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

++++++++++++++++++++

"Yura!" The young ogress sat bolt upright, blinking groggily. Her short dark hair looked terribly unkempt and her short sleeping yukatta was in a horrid state of disarray, but she clambered quickly to her feet at her lord's call.

"My Lord!" she gasped as she opened the door to her chambers. "Wha—What's the matter?" He took in her appearance in a glance before he strode into the room, glancing around. Yura tucked and tugged at her yukatta and smoothed her hair down as she moved forward. "May I get you anything?"

"No." The young Lord spun abruptly, fixing his subordinate with a smug smirk. "There's been a change in plans…"

"A well." Yura repeated as the Lord finished explaining the plan. "We are going to pass by the village entirely and attack a /well/ in the forest."

"Precisely."

"My Lord," Yura fidgeted, "You know that I would /never/ oppose you." He nodded smugly. "And you know that I will follow you to the end of the earth," another nod, "but may I ask? Why a well?"

"No, Yura, you may /not/ ask." He was smiling, but the warning was all too clear to the ogress. "You may wait for morning and find out when we arrive." Yura blinked several times and bowed her head.

"Yes, My Lord." She said softly. Then, without another word, he was gone. Yura secured her door and looked to the skulls lining the shelves around her chambers. "Well, Darlings," she drawled, smiling, "Looks like we finally get our fun."

++++++++++++++++++++

Next Chapter: The battle begins.

++++++++++++++++++++

++++++++++++++++++++

Notes:

Eek! It's up! *whining ensues*

Anyhow! Next time—I swear!—there will be action! So. Good news: Miroku, the Exterminators, and the Kitsune are all there. Bad news: so are the "retainers". Hehehe… Should I bring Rin into the story somehow? Hm… I wonder…