Sanctuary
Author's Note: thank you so much for all your reviews! I feel much better now and I hope this chapter will be just as good or better than the last one! Sorry for the delay, I had a bit of writer's block…
Disclaimer's Note: see note in chapter 1/ prologue.
Special thanks to: step's angelgirl who told me that the song 'Smile' was from My Girl 2.
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Kagome smiled as she entered the beautiful dining room. There were paintings and vases placed out around the room.
'I bet Lady Yumemaru decorated the house… back then' she thought.
As she walked deeper into the dining room, she found a large rectangular set table. She had never seen most of the food on the table in her life, save for the movies. In present day the cuisine that was served right on the table would have cost Kagome most of her life savings!
" Imouto, I have not seen you in a while," Kouga said slyly. " I wonder what you were doing?"
Kagome blushed as she slapped him playfully. Kouga noticed the mark on her forehead and smiled. It really made her look more regal than she already did. The crescent moon that signified the Western Family was now imprinted on Kagome.
Kouga sighed in relief. 'At least the faint noise I heard in the gardens wasn't just a mere need for SesshouMaru to pass the time.
A moment later, Kouga, Mariko and Kagome were frozen in their seats. InuYasha and SesshouMaru were talking like brothers! SesshouMaru's arm was draped on InuYasha's shoulders as InuYasha's were on his.
" I see you've resolved your sibling rivalry," Mariko said happily.
InuYasha flushed and grunted. SesshouMaru merely walked towards his mate and sat beside her. Rin bounded in happily and sat on Kagome's lap.
" Well, shall we?" SesshouMaru asked and began to eat. Kagome nodded and followed suit, feeding Rin as well.
Jaken, smiled inwardly as he looked at his master and his master's mate. ' It's about time' he thought. ' Maybe it's time I find myself a suitable mate…'
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Yumemaru stormed into the castle, not caring about the servants who yelled at her rudeness. She needed to get to her son and soon. Shippou was sleeping in her arms and she was thankful that he was not going to get in her way.
'Please be alright… I do not want that hanyou to be the downfall of such a lovely couple…' she thought sadly.
She sensed a gathering in the dining room and burst in. She was surprised to find Kagome sitting with her son, who sat next to InuYasha.
" Lady Yumemaru," Jaken croaked. " I was not told of your arrival today…"
SesshouMaru stared at his mother and smiled.
" Mother, you must be tired… I shall get your chambers ready and you can join us," he said courteously. Yumemaru sighed and smiled.
" Hai… I won't take long." She said happily. " Oh, Shippou fell asleep…"
Kagome stood and took the sleeping child in her arms. " I'll put him to bed. If you don't mind, koi?"
SesshouMaru shook his head. " Not at all."
Kagome bowed respectfully and went towards their chambers. SesshouMaru looked at his mother and motioned for her to sit down.
" I don't think you came all the way here just to bring Shippou to his parents… what is the matter?" SesshouMaru asked.
Yumemaru looked at InuYasha and pointed towards him. " The Tetsusaiga. Does he still have it?"
InuYasha nodded and stood up. He took the katana with the scabbard and untied it from his hip. He laid it on the table and sat down.
" What is the meaning of it?" Mariko asked. " Why ask InuYasha for the sword?"
Yumemaru sensed Kagome returning from SesshouMaru's chambers and she waited until she was in the dining room.
" The steel-cleaving fang no longer responds to the hanyou," she said gravely.
Kagome gasped. " Is that true?" she asked, clutching the gem on her necklace.
InuYasha nodded. " I-I don't know when it happened… Before I… killed… Kikyou we were being attacked by youkais and the fang would not transform."
Kagome looked at Rin and saw her horrified expression. " Jaken, would be so kind as to bring Rin to SesshouMaru's chambers? Shippou is there as well."
Jaken nodded and took Rin.
" So, would you mind telling me why it won't do anything anymore?" InuYasha asked. " I… I can fend for myself without it… but… my blood…"
Mariko looked at him with sad eyes. ' InuYasha…'
Silence fell over the group. Mariko couldn't stand it anymore. " I can help you."
They all looked at the neko as she spoke. " I am hanyou too… I learned to control my blood… just as you can…"
" …That's all good and everything… but why doesn't it respond to InuYasha?" Kagome asked. " I mean, it transformed for him before, why not now?"
Yumemaru cleared her throat. " Shippou told me of how InuYasha got his paws on the katana, and it leads me to believe that the Tetsusaiga had chosen you to become the new Lady of the Western lands long before you met my son."
" The Tetsusaiga was made by InuTaisho to protect his land and to ensure that he would have strong heirs. It was made to protect his mate as well as his next generation's mate and so on," Yumemaru started. " Shippou tells me that you were the person, who pulled the sword from its holding, were you not?"
Kagome nodded. " Yes, but Myouga-san-"
" Myouga? Ha!" Yumemaru scoffed. " That flea does not know the difference between a fox-fire and a thunderbolt!"
" So you mean to say, that Kagome and I were going to be together whether she was youkai or not?" SesshouMaru asked curiously.
" Hai." Yumemaru said. " But it is likely that the Tetsusaiga knew of her power and of her heritage."
SesshouMaru nodded. " So, let's eat…"
Kagome strayed to the dojou after lunch and began to think of Yumemaru's words. 'Would SesshouMaru love me now if I were human?'
She fingered the rusty katana that InuYasha had given to her. After Mariko had offered to help him, he decided it was best to give the fang to someone who could use it. She stood and unsheathed the katana and went into stance.
In her concentration, she was not aware of anyone else's presence around her. SesshouMaru smiled as his mate, successfully going through the kata he had shown her.
He watched her as she gracefully sheathed the fang back into the scabbard. He went behind her and wrapped his arms around his mate.
Kagome tensed until she smelled his light scent around her. " SesshouMaru" she whispered. Turning around in his arms, she smiled sadly.
SesshouMaru noticed the change in her emotions and looked deep into her eyes.
' What's wrong?' he asked.
' I…I was just thinking' she thought back.
They had found their link to be quite useful in reading each other's thoughts.
' Liar' SesshouMaru said as he chuckled lightly. He wrapped his arms around her tighter and inhaled her lavender scent. ' You're worried aren't you?'
' I…' she pulled out of his grasp and looked him square in the eyes. " Do you love me?" she asked out loud.
" I do. I always will," SesshouMaru said truthfully. Then, taking her hands in his, he kissed them both softly. " And I would have loved you… even if you weren't youkai."
Kagome smiled and nodded. " I'm sorry to doubt you…"
SesshouMaru nodded and picked up a light katana. " Shall we?"
Kagome laughed sweetly, making SesshouMaru's heart skip a beat. " We shall!"
InuYasha and Mariko were out in the gardens sitting on two boulders. Mariko had her eyes closed and seemed to be as still as a statue.
" What is the relevance of all this?" InuYasha growled in frustration.
" Meditation. It clears your mind and your emotions are easier to keep in check!" Mariko said happily as she opened her eyes and leapt from the boulder.
Looking up, she found InuYasha crouched and glaring at her.
" What?" she asked innocently.
" You're supposed to be helping me!" he growled. " This does not fit into any of that!"
Mariko giggled and called him over. He reluctantly followed suit and found her leading him towards the dojou where they saw SesshouMaru and Kagome sparring.
" Do you see how Kagome is right now?" she asked. " She's in control of her emotions, she's not mad that she can't fend off SesshouMaru. She knows she will be able to later on, but for now she's calm and concentrated."
InuYasha watched Kagome longingly as she gracefully moved syncopated with SesshouMaru's movements.
" It's like watching them dance." He breathed.
Mariko nodded. " It takes time, but with some help you will be able to control your blood. You can even control it so that you don't change into ningen."
InuYasha's ears perked up and he turned towards her. " Let's go."
Mariko smiled and offered her arm. InuYasha got a mischievous smile on his face. He picked her up, causing her to squeal with fright and he ran as fast as he could towards the gardens.
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"Do you really have to leave?" Kagome asked as she and SesshouMaru escorted Kouga towards the entrance.
" I've been away long enough and Father must be worried about me…" Kouga lied.
Kagome smiled slyly and nudged him.
" Yuuki must be worred as well, ne?" she teased.
Kouga turned a bright red and faced the door. " Anyway, say goodbye to Shippou for me."
" I don't have to. We're going to visit once in a while," Kagome said happily.
Kouga smiled and took his sister's hand in his. " Thank you"
Kagome watched as her older brother ran towards the North Western lands. She took out her pouch and SesshouMaru watched as she molded the two jewel shards she received from her brother earlier to the rest of the shards in the small jar.
He found 1/4 of the jewel was still missing.
" Is that how much you still need to find?" he asked.
Kagome shook her head. " Iie. That's how much of the jewel is with Naraku."
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"Mariko!"
" What? I only took one!"
" That was MINE!"
" Was not!"
" Too!"
"Not!"
"Too!"
Kagome sighed and leaned back into SesshouMaru's chest. Ever since she found she still had a few of her candy stashed in her bag, Mariko and InuYasha were always fighting over who got the last candy drop.
" You know… by the time candy is invented, they'll be so angry at each other, they won't even care!" Kagome huffed.
SesshouMaru hugged his mate lovingly and chuckled. " No, I believe they'll be mated by then"
Kagome smiled at the thought. " Yeah… maybe"
" SesshouMaru-sama! Kagome-sama!"
Miroku ran inside not caring that SesshouMaru was glaring at him and that Kagome was blushing as she pulled the sheets up towards her chest.
" Sango and I believe that Naraku may be planning something," he said. " We were out in the village collecting the herbs you asked us and we heard many rumors of a baboon-clad youkai roaming around the western lands!"
SesshouMaru tensed and sat up. " Impossible… I would have noticed him!"
Kagome placed her hand on his chest and calmed him down.
" Naraku can hide his presence… even his evil miasma. He is a powerful youkai… especially since he has the rest of the jewel." She said. " Thank you Miroku-san. We shall be down soon. We have to prepare for the final battle"
Miroku nodded and closed the doors behind him.
Kagome stood up and began to dress. SesshouMaru felt his pride swell up as he watched Kagome's determination. He had trained her well.
" We need to hurry, koi. I still have a lot to learn before I can help defeat Naraku."
SesshouMaru nodded. 'I will protect you my love… even if it costs me my life'
Both did not notice the sudden pulsing of a rusted sword that was propped against the wall. The Tetsusaiga had found its master and was ready for a fight.
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"Kukukukuku" Naraku chuckled as he played with the shards in his possession. " It is time…"
A shadow fell upon his form and he smiled. " Kohaku, prepare the army. We shall go into battle soon."
A small boy, about ten to twelve of age came behind the shoji screen. His black hair hung and covered his emotionless eyes.
" Yes, Naraku-sama."
Naraku chuckled as the boy left. " United they stand," he said as he fingered a wooden doll. Taking one of his hair, he wrapped it around the doll, watching as it formed into a complete replica of himself. " Divided, they die."
The Naraku replica began to walk towards the exit. Placing a baboon pelt around himself, he went towards the Western lands.
" Soon, I shall have the Shikon and I shall be the most powerful youkai. None will say otherwise."
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Author's Note: Well? A bit fast? I know… I just lost my writer's block and began to write… I was so stoked and then… well I figured it might not be 'A' material… but it gets my point across…
