Author's Note: Well, it looks like it's gearing towards Sess/Kag, eh? Well, keep your votes coming! And keep reviewing, too. *winks*
Shout Outs: Thanks to all the reviewers! I love you all. :D
IN MY EYES
CHAPTER TWO
"OK, flea. Now that you got us out here to talk, you better spill."
Myoga looked up fearfully at Sango before frowning. "A thousand pardons, Lady Sango, but I am here to tell you and Lord Miroku about a change that will be coming over Lord Inuyasha within the coming weeks. After all, I am nervous for Lady Kagome's safety."
"Kagome? Is Kagome in any danger?" Miroku dropped the hand that was snaking towards Sango's read and gripped his staff. "What can we do to help her?"
"Yes, Myoga," echoed Sango as she lifted her hand and motioned to Kirara to come to her side, "what can we do to help Kagome?"
"Please take it easy. Lady Kagome is in no danger right now, but she might be soon. You see, it's his instincts," Myoga said simply before settling back on a patch of grass.
"Whose instincts?" interrupted Shippo, as hopped along next to Kirara.
"Lord Inuyasha's."
"I'm sorry, Myoga, but I don't understand. Inuyasha would never do anything to hurt Kagome. Why would his instincts cause him to change his mind and put Kagome in danger?" asked Sango.
"Because, Lady Sango, Lord Inuyasha is changing. Lord Inuyasha is becoming a man."
Miroku nodded as if he understood what Myoga was saying, but Shippo and Sango just stared. Miroku, noticing their confused expressions, tried to explain. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Myoga, but I think that what you are saying is that it is almost time for Inuyasha to settle down and find himself a mate."
Myoga, though halfway hidden by the grass, was seen to be nodding in agreement. "Exactly Lord Miroku. Lord Inuyasha is coming to the point in his life where his instincts will tell him to find a mate to bear his pups."
Shippo scowled slightly when he realized what Myoga was talking about, but Sango still looked confused. "How do you know that that time is at hand, Myoga? Maybe you're just imagining things. I mean, you're just a flea -- how are you so sure?"
Myoga pulled himself to his fullest height as if to prove to Sango that he wasn't "just a flea". "I may be just a flea, Lady Sango, but that's how I know that Inuyasha is changing. I can taste it in his blood -- his body is preparing to mate."
Sango opened her mouth to ask another question, but Miroku cut her off. "But why would Kagome be in any danger?"
"It's simple. If Lord Inuyasha needs a mate, who do you think he's going to choose? We all know that Lord Inuyasha is torn between the priestess Kikyo and Lady Kagome, but, when it comes to the choosing of a life-long mate, there can only be one choice he can make. The priestess is mere clay and earth, kept alive only by stolen souls, while Lady Kagome is alive. Therefore, it is only right that he would choose Kagome," Myoga explained, as if they all should have known this already.
Miroku nodded before repeating is question. "But why would Kagome be in any danger?"
"Again, it's simple. What if Lady Kagome isn't ready to be anyone's mate? Or, what if Lord Inuyasha can't exercise any control around her and lets his instincts out. When Lord Inuyasha is seeking a mate, his youkai side will overpower his human side. With this power, he might try to mark Lady Kagome as his without her consent. This, in turn, might hurt Lady Kagome."
There was a thick silence among them all as Myoga's words sunk in. Sango was the first among them to speak. "But, Myoga, this is all guesswork, right? We don't know for sure if Inuyasha is going to want to make Kagome his mate, just as we don't know how far he would go to force her to be if he does choose her."
Myoga bowed his head slightly in Sango's direction. "Very true, Lady Sango. This is all assumptions I have made from the taste of Lord Inuyasha's very sweet blood." He paused for a moment, remembering the sweet taste of the forbidden blood; if Inuyasha ever found out that he was sampling his blood at night, he would be squashed faster than Kagome could say "sit". "But, if they are true," he continued, remembering the importance of their morning meeting, "then Lady Kagome could very well get hurt."
Again silence overtook the group. But, while it was Sango who broke the silence last time with her questions, it was Shippo who did so this time with a simple statement. "Inuyasha may be mean to me, but he would never knowingly hurt Kagome."
Slowly Sango, Miroku and Myoga all began to nod in agreement. What were they so worried about anyway? Shippo was right, Inuyasha promised to protect Kagome -- he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Right?
Unfortunately for the group, though, that unasked question was left unanswered as they all rushed forward towards their camp. As they had stood together, thinking, a high-pitched scream had filled the clearing in which they had been huddled. A high-pitched scream that sounded an awful lot like Kagome.
* * *
Sesshoumaru stood in the clearing, sniffing subtly as if to see if he was still following the correct trail. Though it was very faint, he definitely caught a trace of his half-brother's scent. "So you have come this way, little brother," he whispered, smiling to himself. "And you have that human with you as well. Good. I am most eager to meet with her again." Shutting his eyes, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to remember the dreams that have been haunting him for the past fortnight. Beginning with the one where a cloaked maiden approached his castle in the far ends of his Western Lands, he had had many dreams where the same human female came and spoke with him, telling him about her amount of devotion to the Lord of the Western Lands. Smiling warmly as she would run her hands through his silver mane, she would promise him the key to destroying Inuyasha. And, as this human was none other than the human wench who followed Inuyasha all over the warring states, Sesshoumaru believed that what she said was true. Which explained why he and his faithful servant, Jaken, were out on foot looking for both Inuyasha and the girl. Sesshoumaru's cold smile widened when he allowed himself to run his plan through his mind. The last time he had met with Inuyasha, he had definitely come off as worse; Sesshoumaru was eager to exact his revenge.
Then, suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted. What was that? Tilting his head to the side ever-so-slightly, Sesshoumaru caught whiff of a very familiar scent close by, though one he wasn't looking for at the moment. "Jaken," he called, waiting for his toad-like lackey to approach him. When the creature came, clutching a wooden staff in his right hand, Sesshoumaru spoke again. "Jaken, I have decided that this clearing will make an adequate campsite for the night."
Jaken nodded once to show he understood. "Yes Lord Sesshoumaru. I will set up camp right away."
"Good. Very good." He took a few steps foward before sniffing again. That scent, that familiar scent. It was him, Sesshoumaru was almost certain. Maybe I can use him for my plans this time. And maybe I can destroy him as I will do with my half-breed brother.
"My Lord? Camp is set."
Sesshoumaru turned around and nodded to acknowledge Jaken's words. "Thank you, Jaken. I think I will retire for the night. We have a great amount of searching to do tomorrow."
"For Inuyasha and that human?" inquired Jaken.
"No. I have someone else I would like to find tomorrow, Jaken. Now, if you excuse me." Sesshoumaru walked past the confused toad before sinking down and leaning next to a tree. Then, without another word, he shut his eyes and prepared to fall asleep. He was eager to see what message the human brought to him that night. After all, she had appeared every night since the initial dream, always promising to tell Sesshoumaru how he could defeat the hanyou. Maybe tonight would be the night he was waiting for.
* * *
A quiet voice cackled evilly as a lone figure watched out from underneath a massive baboon pelt. "I think my plan is working perfectly," he sneered as he spied on the demon that slept on in front of him, before turning and wandering away. "Sweet dreams, Sesshoumaru. Sweet dreams."
