Sanctuary
Author's Note: Hello everyone! How do you do? Okay, so maybe that last chapter was a bit of a cliff, but its like part a to this part b. Besides, if I continued then I would not have fit the chapter without it bunching up, so do not blame the author blame the computer… er… whatever.
Disclaimer's Note: OH WOW! I Don't own InuYasha and co?! I didn't know that! -Mutters-
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Kagome knew that SesshouMaru had been staring at her. It didn't take a genius to still sense his presence. Of course, she had no idea why she didn't really mind. 'He was incredibly warm…'
She slapped her forehead and started scolding herself. 'Bad 'Gome! BAD! Do NOT think that about SesshouMaru!'
She scuttled off to find Shippou and tell him of the news. She knew that he would be very happy. She passed by her father's study and stopped. 'Shikon shards?'
She went inside and found Kouga asleep on one of their father's chairs with an old scroll laid on his chest. Kagome looked for the shards and was surprised that they were not imbedded in his legs, but were inside his kimono.
" Kouga-oniisan"
He stirred and mumbled a few things that made Kagome giggle. 'So I was not his only love interest after all!'
" Ne, who's Yuuki?"
Kouga suddenly sat upright and was now the color of a tomato.
" Kagome! What-what-"
Kagome laughed softly. " Mou, you were asleep… I sensed the Shikon and well-"
Kouga smiled and reached inside his armor and took out a small pouch. He took Kagome's left hand and placed the pouch on it and closed his hand in hers.
" I've decided to follow Okasan's wishes… I will train harder to protect my clan… These shards are just false strengths for me… I'd rather help you find it than keep you from completing the jewel." He said sincerely.
Kagome smiled brightly and nodded. "Arigato. I appreciate it Oniisan… now…who's Yuuki?"
"hai?"
Kagome turned around at the voice. There in the doorway was a wolf youkai that looked no younger than herself. She had light brown hair, brown eyes and her scent reminded Kagome of Mrs. Higurashi. Suddenly, she felt saddened but pushed it away before anyone noticed.
" Ohayo! My name is Kagome! So you're Yuuki-chan!" Kagome said happily. " What do you do here?"
The youkai girl named Yuuki blushed and bowed. " Hime-sama… I am Lord Kouga's personal servant…"
Kagome smirked as she saw both Kouga and Yuuki blush. " You know you remind me of my friend Sango… only she's not as shy… anyway, I'll leave you to whatever you were going to do!"
Kouga growled playfully. " Kagome… I will personally see to it that you get something icky in your bed tonight!"
Kagome laughed merrily as she ran down the hallway. Ever since she remembered who her real family was, she was more comfortable and began to soften up to them. Kouga became more open to her and did not act so 'Kouga' like anymore. He was more himself and brotherly now. Komashiro had taken on the role of her father and always looked for ways to spoil her.
She stretched as she walked towards the garden. 'That nap really did me good' She blushed as she recalled what had happened. 'Now didn't I tell you to cut it out?!'
"Okasan!"
"Kagome-sama!"
Two children ran up towards her and almost hugged the life out of her.
" So what have you two been up to since lunch?" she asked. " I hope you kept clean!"
Rin and Shippou nodded and smiled as they showed her their hands. " All clean!" they both said.
" We were only talking and playing a game called 'I spot'"
Shippou nodded. "Remember the game you taught me, Okasan? I taught it to Rin and we found all sorts of neat stuff!"
Kagome smiled and hugged her pup. "That's great! Oh, Rin, would you mind if I talk to Shippou for just a second?"
She saw Rin's happy expression turn sad and she realized her mistake. " Its nothing bad, I just need to tell him of something that's happening tomorrow night!"
Rin smiled and nodded. "Hai!"
When Rin was gone, Shippou and Kagome were left sitting on the grass. Shippou was slightly nervous as to what the news was. 'I hope its what I think it is…'
" Shippou, before we go on for tomorrow night… I was just wondering. Would you like to become my pup?" Kagome asked. " I know that I think of you as my pup already, but youkai terms… would you…"
Before she even finished her sentence, Shippou was hugging her and she felt tears on the back of her shoulders.
" Arigato! I've wanted you to ask me that for so long!" Shippou cried. "I finally have a mother!"
Kagome smiled and hugged him back. "Now go and play with Rin, okay?"
Shippou nodded. He stopped and Kagome looked at him expectantly. " Can Rin come to the ceremony?"
" Of course! Everyone in the castle is invited!" Kagome smiled.
Shippou's smile grew even wider as he ran towards the black haired ningen child.
" I believe you have made his lifetime"
She turned towards the masculine voice and found her father standing right next to her.
" Otousan! Yes… I believe I have," she said softly. " Otousan… why is it that whenever I talk to Kouga-oniisan about adoption… he gets all sad?"
Komashiro looked at Kagome and felt his heart clench with pain. 'Oh Kagome… my child… how thankful we both are that you are back…'
" Otousan? What's the matter?" Kagome asked worriedly. " Would you like me to call a servant?"
Komashiro shook his head and placed his arms over her shoulders and gave her a sideways hug. " No, I am fine… its just that both Kouga and I are so happy that you are back…". He let her go and faced her once more. " The reason why Kouga is saddened by the thought of adoption…"
Kagome stared intently at her father.
"… is because our castle was attacked and your Okasan died during his adoption ceremony."
She took a step back as if she had been slapped. All this time she had been so happy about Shippou's adoption… she had never thought that Kouga had a rough time…
" D-did Okasan ever-"
Komashiro shook his head, answering her question. "Kouga's ceremony had been permanently postponed…"
Hanging her head, Kagome stared at her feet. She felt her father leave and she sighed. Making sure that someone was watching the children, she turned on her heels and made her way towards Kouga.
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Yumemaru gasped audibly as she saw the scroll on her bed.
" Recognize it?"
She turned around and saw Kouga with a passive look on his face. " Otousan had no idea… but you did, didn't you?"
"I-I-"
Kouga motioned for her to stop talking. All his pent up rage and his grief and confusion was going to be let out whether Yumemaru wanted it to or not.
" You knew all along where she was and you never told us! You knew that but you kept it from us! You knew why we were attacked! You knew who attacked!" he stopped just two inches before his chin nose touched hers. " You knew that InuYasha would go ballistic and would add to Naraku's destruction… but you never bothered to tell SesshouMaru-san…" he added silently. His tears now running free.
Yumemaru stood there fear emanating from her. But she dared not to move, shock was in control of her body and she knew by experience that if a young pup was enraged… that it was best to stay still.
" I don't really care about not telling SesshouMaru… but… you knew it would happen… why?" he asked.
Yumemaru sighed and motioned for him to take a seat.
" Kouga… we did do something. Your mother was a miko… a youkai miko granted… but still a miko. She knew that this would happen and nothing could change it. Your sister had to be protected. InuTaisho and I had searched everywhere until we found a well that was connected magically through to the future. Your mother and I cast a spell to keep her safe and human to conceal her heritage…"
Kouga watched her intently, his anger disappearing by the second. "Well, what happened?"
Yumemaru's gaze darkened.
" We had not anticipated InuYasha… that scroll is a magical one that records events that have already happened. Events that are set and that cannot be changed. But we were not shown that particular passage…" Yumemaru started straight at Kouga. " That hanyou… he is not of true blood… he is not InuTaisho's child… not even partially SesshouMaru's brother…"
"Then whose is he?"
Both Kouga's and Yumemaru's head turned towards the gentle voice. There, Kagome stood with confusion and hurt in her eyes.
"Tell me… whose child is he?"
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SesshouMaru had freshened himself up and felt quite better. He longing felt the need to find Kagome and rip her clothes off. Although just thinking about it made him feel flustered.
'You seriously need to take a break!'
Never heard you complaining before!
'That's because I never had to bother with you before!'
…
Satisfied with the limited silence between himself and his inner youkai, he savored the peace as he walked through the gardens. He had immediately sensed his 'daughter' and Kagome's soon-to-be pup.
His head jerked towards the western lands. He unknowingly growled and flew towards his lands. Something was amiss and he needed to know what. Knowing well what had happened more than a half century ago, he knew that even a possibility of disaster should be checked out.
He would not let that same disaster happen. 'That kit will be adopted… why do I care?'
See? You need me for these things!
SesshouMaru growled at himself and decided to ignore the pesky inner youkai.
'Every youkai deserves to have at least one member of their family… real or adopted. Whether the youkai is annoying or not.'
You just don't want anything to happen to your beloved!
The voice kept taunting him until he reached the forest, the only piece of land that was not his. It was a strange sight to see, the Lord of the Western lands having a small piece of land surrounded by trees which was not considered his. Technically, the village inside the forest and near it was in his half brother's care.
'So why I am here…?'
"You came"
He needed not to turn around to figure out whose voice it was. He always recognized that voice, it didn't matter whether he saw his face or not. Without a word, he turned around and his eyes widened slightly with surprise. His brother was ningen.
"What happened to you?" he asked letting his mask go.
InuYasha was half surprised, half worried. He had not seen this side of his brother in a long time, in fact, he had not seen this side of him since they were kids.
SesshouMaru, however, did not care. He was curious as to how the change had occurred and why it occurred. Then he noticed his scent had changed.
"You rutted with that corpse?!" SesshouMaru said in a low voice.
He saw InuYasha bow his head with shame and nodded.
"I had no choice… Kikyou's sleeping right now, but we will have to travel for her to feed…" InuYasha said sadly. "She's not the same woman I used to love… she controls my youkai blood now… willing me to be ningen or youkai whenever she wishes…"
'I pity you… this would not have happened if you did not abandon Kagome…'
The pity that he felt now left him and was replaced with anger. 'InuYasha is just a hanyou and a stupid one at that. He deserves this. But I should thank him… yes… it is only proper…' he thought with a sadistic grin. (Being youkai has its upsides… it makes you blind to other people's emotions.)
"I forgot to thank you, Brother" SesshouMaru stated in his monotonous voice.
InuYasha stared at him blankly. " What for?"
SesshouMaru stood and began to walk away, but not before answering his question.
"For giving me the best thing that has ever happened to my life… the one thing you so carelessly abandoned."
If he had not flown away, he would have seen a broken InuYasha sobbing on the ground.
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Kagome stood patiently as the seconds ticked away. None of them had moved for the past thirty minutes. Kouga was still sitting beside Lady Yumemaru and they were still clutching onto the scroll, but both of them were still staring at Kagome.
" Well?!" she asked finally losing her patience.
Finally Lady Yumemaru sighed and patted the space next to her. Kagome, thankful that she would not need to stand anymore, took the seat next to her and made herself comfortable.
"InuYasha's mother, Leiko is not the kind of woman you would call… faithful. She's a person with a very colorful background…" Yumemaru started.
"Who is his father?" Kagome said slowly.
" One of InuTaisho's guards. Neither Leiko nor I was aware of whom it was," she said.
An unhealthy silence wrapped over them once again.
"Oh"
Kagome then looked at her hands and recalled the time she pulled out the Tetsusaiga.
" W-who was the Tetsusaiga made for?"
Yumemaru stared at the girl next to her and blinked. 'The steel-cleaving fang?'
"It was made to protect the Western lands'…" then she realized what Kagome was implying. "Oh, Myouga probably told you it was made to protect InuYasha's mother, ne?"
Kagome nodded.
"Well, that's not the entire truth. Its made to protect the destined mate of the Lord of the Western lands," Yumemaru stated bluntly. " As to why Taisho thought that meant Leiko, I have no clue! Totousan is very skilled in these types of things…"
"Did he ever have to fight for La-Leiko?" Kagome asked. ' InuYasha cannot be the lord of the Western lands because… he's… not full and he's not InuTaisho's son…'
" To think of it… not really. Everyone feared Taisho. He would go mad when any youkai came across any object that was his."
Kagome noticed the sadness that seemed to come from Lady Yumemaru. Standing up, she gave Lady Yumemaru a slight hug and silently left the room.
" I shall have to talk to Kouga later…" Kagome said.
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Author's Note: Hello! Okay this isnt a real cliff hanger either! Im building up the suspense okay?! Don't worry… the whole Kag/Sess waffyness will come soon… after the whole adoption thing. I wont go with too much details on the training… just after will do. ^-^ Thank you for the reviews!
