Chapter 10: Back to the Past
The four days had passed and it was time for the time travelers to return to Feudal Japan. Kagome led her three friends back towards the well house and jumped landing approximately five hundred years in the past. Inuyasha told everyone to grab hold of him and he leapt out of the well carrying his passenger load.
Kagome looked around while raising her hand to shade her eyes from the early morning rays of the sun. "I don't see Kouga or Sesshoumaru. I suppose we should head back to the village and wait for them there." The others agreed and they headed back to the village with a seven year old miko.
Suddenly Kagome halted and spun to the South. "I sense about six jewel shards approaching this way and fast!" Inuyasha jumped in front of Kagome in an effort to protect her from the threat.
He visibly relaxed as the familiar scent met his nose, but before he could tell everyone that there was no threat he felt himself being pushed out of the way.
Kouga emerged from his tornado and grabbed Kagome's hands within his own. "I am over joyed at your return, Kagome. I have brought the gifts of several shards that I found during your absence." He handed four of the shards to Kagome, the other two were imbedded within his legs. He began to reach down to remove them, even though he was a bit remorseful because they did improve his speed.
Kagome grabbed his arm to prevent the removal of the shards. "Why don't you keep those for now? It's probably not a good idea for me to carry all the shards anyway. Besides, they did seem to make you somewhat faster."
Kouga flashed her his most stunning smile. "I am honored that you have gifted me with your trust Kagome."
"Just let me make sure those shards are purified, I'd hate to see you corrupted by them accidentally." Kagome leaned down and with Kouga's absolute trust, touched the shards to purify them of any malice, but was surprised to find they were completely untainted. 'Kouga must have a pure heart.' She silented thought.
Kagome redirected her attention to the new shards Kouga presented her with. She walked towards the monk. "Miroku, would you be so kind as to guard three of these shards? You are a holy man and I trust that you can keep them safe." Miroku extended his hand to accept his new responsibility.
"I am honored Kagome-sama." Miroku placed the shards within his robes.
The group walked closer to Kaede's village and were soon greeted by a certain youkai lord and an immense surge of power from jewel shards. Sesshoumaru approached Kagome while extending his hand.
She opened her palm to accept his gift. He deposited exactly 1/4th of the sacred jewel. The group stared in bewilderment.
"There were several trespassers in my lands foolishly using shards in an attempt to attack me." Sesshoumaru's silky voice replied. Kagome smiled at him and melded the shards with the ones she already possessed. Roughly, they had already acquired a little over half of the jewel.
"Thank you Sesshoumaru-sama. Your aid is most appreciated. I know now that it is wrong to hold you to me. Could you bend your head perhaps?" Kagome asked the dog demon.
Sesshoumaru obliged and waited until the human miko removed his subduing necklace. He withheld the smirk that threatened to mark his features as he felt the necklace removed and the first steps on his plan to regain Tetsusaiga achieved.
"Well now that you've removed that annoying necklace I can do this." Quick as lightning Sesshoumaru grabbed hold of Inuyasha and stuck his hand into his right eye removing a black pearl.
"You son of a bi-----ch" Inuyasha cried in pain as he held his bleeding eye. Lucky for him, his demon blood would soon heal the wound. "What the hell did you do that for?"
Kagome rushed over to Inuyasha holding her hand over his that was covering his eye. She glared at his older brother. "What is the meaning of this Sesshoumaru?" She demanded.
Sesshoumaru turned a cool gaze upon the group. "This is they key to finding Tetsusaiga, father's fang. It can decimate 1000 demons in a single strike." His stooge Jaken emerged from the woods carrying a walking stick of sorts and placed the stick over the pearl.
A vortex appeared before the group's eyes and Sesshoumaru and Jaken disappeared into it. Kagome pulled Inuyasha along towards it.
"Come on Inuyasha! We have to go after them!" They jumped into the vortex as well. It sealed up before any of the other three could react.
After riding on some skeleton birds, Kagome and Inuyasha saw a giant dog skeleton. "This is the grave of my father." Inuyasha explained.
"What does Sesshoumaru want with his fang?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha grabbed hold of her and jumped inside his father's skeleton where they saw Sesshoumaru trying to pull a sword out of the proverbial stone in vane.
"Perhaps we should ask him." Inuyasha answered.
Sesshoumaru whirled around to face the two new arrivals. He wasn't surprised. In fact he would have been severely disappointed if they had not followed him in.
"Do not disturb the great Lord Sesshoumaru you human tainted weaklings!" Jaken screamed. Sesshoumaru walked away from the unmovable sword and kicked Jaken.
"Inuyasha, you don't even know about this sword do you?" Inuyasha shook his head no. "For some reason father left it as an inheritance for you while giving me the Tensaiga." Sesshoumaru pointed to the sword in his scabbard. "My sword can save 1000 lives in a single stroke while Tetsusaiga can kill 1000. My lands would be much easier to protect with this sword. But for some reason, I can not pull it out of the stone. Explain."
"Sesshoumaru, your father left it for Inuyasha for a reason. You do not need a special sword to fight. You are without equal on your own abilities." Kagome tried to answer.
Inuyasha glared at her. "Are you saying I'm weak?" He demanded.
"No! I'm saying you are only half demon, that perhaps your father wanted to give you this sword because you would be in danger because of your inheritance and would need the extra help." Kagome tried to answer reasonably.
"You think I'm weak! I am not weak! I don't need that rusted hunk of junk!" Inuyasha shouted stubbornly.
"In that case, why do you not remove it and give it to me then?" Sesshoumaru asked amused at the fight he witnessed.
"Fine." Inuyasha stalked towards the sword and began to tug. Unlike Sesshoumaru, he was not shocked by the barrier but he was unable to pull it free. "It won't move!"
"Inuyasha! You can't give him the sword because you are too stubborn to admit when you need help. And you Sesshoumaru, you should be ashamed of yourself! You can't demand him to give you the sword. Your father had a reason for giving you your sword and him this sword. Now both of you move!" Kagome pushed the brothers out of her way and stood before the sword.
She took a deep breath and then turned to the short-tempered brothers. "If I can remove this sword, whomever I give it to is the rightful owner, no trading, no arguments, deal?" The two brothers nodded their heads. It wasn't like she would be able to remove it anyway. She was just a mortal girl.
Kagome grasped the handle of the Tetsusaiga and pulled it out of the stone with ease. She walked towards Inuyasha and placed the hilt within his hands. "You are the master of the Tetsusaiga. Honor your father's wish."
Sesshoumaru was angry and his eyes were burning crimson. "Sesshoumaru, you promised! If you are a man of honor then you will calm down this instant!" Kagome declared.
Sesshoumaru's golden eyes focused on her. She was right, he was an honorable demon; he could always get the Tetsusaiga at a later time. Perhaps after Inuyasha discovers his inability to wield it.
"Fine. Let us leave this place of death."
Moments later, the four arrived back upon the normal plane of existence and were faced with three anxious faces.
"What the hell happened?" Kouga demanded looking between the guilty disappearing party members.
"Where did you get that sword?" Miroku asked.
"We went on a little trip to their father's grave and this is Inuyasha's inheritance. It is called the Tetsusaiga. Sesshoumaru was kind enough to help us retrieve it. Isn't that right, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome spoke.
Sesshoumaru mumbled something that no one could quite understand.
"What was that?" Kagome asked in agitation.
"I said Yes!" Sesshoumaru shot her a venomous look then kicked Jaken out of the clearing telling him to go back to the palace.
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A few hours had passed and the group was heading North of the village on the search for more shards and for clues upon the whereabouts of Naraku. Inuyasha kept swinging around his sword in an attempt to unleash some of it's special powers. Sesshoumaru was livid with his brother's foolishness.
"Inuyasha! Do you want me to show you how to use the fang?" Sesshoumaru finally asked in an annoyed voice.
"Keh, I can figure it out. It is MINE afterall." Inuyasha stubbornly declared.
Kagome halted the group. "Sesshoumaru, show him how to use it. But no funny business! Inuyasha, learn from your brother."
Inuyasha looked at her with a hurt look in his eyes. Was Kagome betraying him? Did she not trust in his abilities to figure out his own sword?
Sesshoumaru walked with a triumphant gait and took the sword from Inuyasha's grasp. He concentrated on the winds and then shouted 'Kaze no Kizu!' A giant land scar marked the nearby mountain. He looked back at his brother with arrogance.
"You must smell the wind. When the two winds clash that is when you release the attack." He handed the sword back to his half brother. His hands itching to regain the lost power.
The group decided to take a break. Or rather, Kagome decided the group needed a break. "You boys practice that move. I want Inuyasha to have a good grasp on how to use his fang."
Sesshoumaru glared at her in disbelief. 'Why am I allowing her to boss me around? I'm am Sesshoumaru, I answer to no one. She doesn't even have that subduing necklace on me, why am I listening to her? Could it be that I actually respect her this much that I do not wish to appear dishonorable? She's a mere woman and a human at that.' Frustrated, Sesshoumaru roughly grabbed hold of his brother and led him off to practice with their father's fang.
She lay down on the ground and stared at the clouds that drifted by in the late afternoon sky. Kouga sat beside her and watched the clouds as well.
"I may need to leave the quest, Kagome." He told her softly.
She redirected her gaze towards him. "What? Why?"
"I must claim a mate within the next few days. I had originally planned to quit my role as leader if the elders pressed the issue, but I now realize that I am the only one capable of proving a worthy leader. I do not want to mate with Ayame, but I must sacrifice my own happiness for the sake of the tribe." Kouga kept his gaze averted from her and inwardly his heart raced hoping that she would present him with a solution.
"Isn't there anything we can do? You don't love her! You shouldn't be forced to mate with her. Can't your elders understand that?" Kagome demanded grabbing hold of his shoulders and forcing him to look at her.
Kouga gave her a sad smile. "There is only one option. Some one would have to agree to be my mate. All they would have to do is agree, we wouldn't actually have to be mated. It would buy me more time." Kouga hoped with all his heart that this human girl would agree to do this.
Kagome looked thoughtful for minute then gave him a determined look. "Then claim me. I'll agree to be your mate. Then you can meet the girl of your dreams and mate her. No problems! You don't have to mate with someone you can't stand and you can help us on the quest." She flashed him a winning smile.
Kouga gazed longingly at her pearly teeth. He focused on her canine teeth and was visibly reminded of her humanity. "We will have to tell the elders that you have agreed to be my mate in three days. We must be convincing."
"That's fine. We act all lovey dovey around your tribe. No problem." She reached her hands towards his face and kissed him on the tip of his nose. Then she smiled at him. "No problem at all."
Kouga stared at the spot on the ground and smiled to himself. 'She agreed! This was way too easy.'
"Sango!" Kagome called out as she went to find her friend. She found her talking to Miroku as they dropped off an armload of firewood each. "Let's go hit the hot springs!"
Sango smiled at her best friend and flashed the monk an apologetic look. "Okay Kagome-chan!"
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Sesshoumaru returned to the camp with his bloody brother in tow. Only the wolf demon and human monk were there to greet them.
"Where are the women?" Sesshoumaru demanded.
"They went to the hot springs. What happened to Inuyasha?" Kouga asked noticing the battered body of the hanyou.
Sesshoumaru glanced back upon his brother. "He is a slow learner. You let the women go to the springs by themselves? Are you absolute fools?"
"They wished to have some privacy Sesshoumaru-sama." Miroku answered as he made room for the battered Inuyasha to sit beside him.
However, Inuyasha didn't sit. He more collapsed beside the monk completely exhausted from his brother's methods of training.
"I will hunt us some food." Sesshoumaru told the group and then disappeared into the forest heading in the direction of the hot spring.
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"Kagome-chan, I can not believe you agreed to be his mate!" Sango exclaimed.
"It's not like I'm really his mate. We're just going to pretend that I'm his intended so that we can buy him some more time. Besides, between him, Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha we'll be done collecting the shards in no time!" Kagome told her as she rung out her wet hair.
"As long as you know what you are doing. Demons take this mating stuff very seriously and especially canine demons. You must be very careful." Sango climbed out of the water and dried herself. She then got dressed and looked at Kagome once more.
"You go ahead, I want to relax a bit more." Kagome dismissed her.
Sesshoumaru adjusted his position in a nearby tree. He had been listening to the exchange between the two women. 'Why would she agree to pose as Kouga's mate? What is it about this girl that intrigues me so much. I'm even tolerating my brother at her mere request. If I kill her, then I will not suffer from this ailment.'
He had already killed a boar and had some blood upon his hands. Perhaps he could wash in the hot springs and rid himself of his human distraction at the same time. He strips down to only his pants and enters the water. Kagome is leaning against a rock with her eyes closed. She won't even sense his demon-aura because she has categorized him as 'friend' and not 'foe.'
He walked closer towards her, his thoughts of killing her rapidly fleeing his mind as he took in her form. She was absolutely stunning. Then she opened her eyes and stared at him.
Kagome shook her head but her eyes could not leave the chiseled perfection of the god before her.
Sesshoumaru held up his hands innocently. "I got a little dirty during my hunt. You do not mind sharing the hot spring do you?" He noticed the direction of her gaze. He knew that she was enjoying the view. She didn't need to know that he too was enjoying the view of her. Perhaps if she remained distracted she would forget to slip deeper into the water.
Kagome blushed like a tomato and slid deeper within the waters. "Of course not Sesshoumaru-sama, it's not like you are a pervert only coming into the water to stare at me." She laughed nervously as her heart raced and she moved to the other side of the rock to escape his view.
Sesshoumaru rinsed his hands and felt something hard hit his head. He reached up his hands to rub the sore spot. "Human, what did you throw at me?" He asked angrily.
Kagome peeked her head around the bolder. "I'm sorry Sesshoumaru-sama, I threw you my shampoo. It's for your hair. It cleans it very well. I thought you would like to use it."
Sesshoumaru examined this shampoo that was floating near him. "How am I to use this?" He demanded shaking the container and listening for any reaction.
Kagome sighed. "You open the top and squeeze some of the liquid out and them clean your hair with it."
Sesshoumaru moved closer to the boulders with a wicked, unnatural grin. "I'm afraid I do not understand, Kagome. Could you do it for me? Then perhaps next time I can do it myself." He handed her the shampoo bottle.
Kagome swallowed thickly. "Um, you want me to wash your hair?" Sesshoumaru nodded. "Okay. Um, turn around. I need you to dunk your head under to get your locks wet first."
Sesshoumaru submerged himself under the water and allowed his hair to become wet. Then he broke the surface but remained sitting upon his knees to give Kagome easier access to his scalp. She squeezed some of the shampoo into her palms and began to massage the liquid onto his scalp.
His hair was so silky. Kagome was instantly jealous. "No fair. Your hair is better than mine," she muttered under her breath. She was surprised when the demon lord chuckled softly at the compliment. "Oops, I didn't mean for you to hear that."
After she was satisfied that every inch of his long, thick mane was completely saturated in her herbal essence she asked him to dunk under the water once more. He rinsed the remainder of the shampoo and turned around to smile at her.
"If you ever need help washing your hair, do not hesitate to ask this Sesshoumaru." Then Sesshoumaru used his demon speed and was on shore dressing before Kagome could even register that the great demon lord, Sesshoumaru had just given flirted with her!
Sesshoumaru went back behind the trees to pick up his boar and then headed back to camp. On the walk he kept asking himself 'What did I do back there? Why didn't I kill her?'
By the time Sesshoumaru returned to the camp, the fire was started and the two humans were sitting beside it watching the two demons argue back and forth. Sesshoumaru dropped the boar down beside the fire and the two humans began the process of roasting it.
"Damn it! She's not your woman!" Inuyasha argued.
"Can you even say a sentence without cursing dog-face? And technically she IS my woman. She agreed to be my mate." Kouga answered derisively.
"She obviously didn't mean it. Besides, she told all her friends in the future that I was her boyfriend." Inuyasha answered smugly.
"No, she was obviously just trying to keep that human boy from bothering her. Besides what do you care? It's not your business." Kouga answered annoyed.
"Of course it's my business! She's our shard detector and we can't have her distracted!"
"Look Dog-turd, Kagome is my woman and I won't have you upset her!" Kouga shouted.
"You wimpy wolf! I'll beat you into the next era!"
Both demons paused in their argument as they smelled the scent that signified Kagome's hair. The both turned to face the object of their fight with innocent smiles that melted off their faces at whom greeted them.
"Why the hell do you smell like Kagome?" Inuyasha demanded of his brother.
"That is not of your concern. However, if you two do not cease this pointless banter right now, I will be forced to silence you both permanently." Sesshoumaru threatened.
Inuyasha and Kouga tossed each other a final glare and settled down on opposite sides of the fire. About two minutes later, Kagome reached the fire and sat beside Kouga. She found it strangely quiet. She gazed across the roasting boar and noticed the blood caking the side of Inuyasha's face.
"Oh no! Inuyasha! Are you okay?" She rushed to his side to inspect his wounds.
He flashed Kouga a smirk. "Keh, I'm fine. Just got a little messy training with Sesshoumaru earlier." Inuyasha replied trying not to wince as she prods his still tender flesh.
Kagome didn't believe his declarations and rushed to her backpack to retrieve her first aid kit. She made him sit still as she cleaned and treated his wounds.
"You realize I'm not human. These will treat on their own." Inuyasha told her confused by her actions.
"It doesn't matter if they will heal faster, they still should be treated." Kagome scolded him.
Inuyasha was confused because he had not sensed such concern over his well- being from anyone other than his mother. 'This must be what friendship is about. This is what love is like.' Inuyasha could feel his heart becoming attached to this strange woman from the future. Suddenly, he couldn't imagine not having her in his life.
He began to wonder what would happen after the jewel was complete. Would she leave them forever to return to her time? Would she visit them? If she so easily agreed to be Kouga's mate, maybe she could be convinced to stay in this time with him. Kouga wouldn't win her without a fight at least.
"There you go. I'd hate for you to get an infection." Kagome told him as she finished up tending his wounds. She returned to her previous position beside Kouga. She smiled at Inuyasha across the fire. He seemed to be intently staring at her. Then she noticed that Sesshoumaru was staring at her as well. Suddenly she shivered under the intensity.
Kouga noticed the shiver and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to provide her some comfort. It wasn't cold, but she did seem to visibly relax. Kagome melted into Kouga's embrace and stared at the boar roasting on the fire.
Miroku began a pleasant conversation about all the wondrous things in Kagome's time. Sango and Kouga appeared to be the only two participating in the conversation. Kagome had drifted off to sleep and the two brothers were both lost in their own thoughts about a certain sleeping beauty.
The four days had passed and it was time for the time travelers to return to Feudal Japan. Kagome led her three friends back towards the well house and jumped landing approximately five hundred years in the past. Inuyasha told everyone to grab hold of him and he leapt out of the well carrying his passenger load.
Kagome looked around while raising her hand to shade her eyes from the early morning rays of the sun. "I don't see Kouga or Sesshoumaru. I suppose we should head back to the village and wait for them there." The others agreed and they headed back to the village with a seven year old miko.
Suddenly Kagome halted and spun to the South. "I sense about six jewel shards approaching this way and fast!" Inuyasha jumped in front of Kagome in an effort to protect her from the threat.
He visibly relaxed as the familiar scent met his nose, but before he could tell everyone that there was no threat he felt himself being pushed out of the way.
Kouga emerged from his tornado and grabbed Kagome's hands within his own. "I am over joyed at your return, Kagome. I have brought the gifts of several shards that I found during your absence." He handed four of the shards to Kagome, the other two were imbedded within his legs. He began to reach down to remove them, even though he was a bit remorseful because they did improve his speed.
Kagome grabbed his arm to prevent the removal of the shards. "Why don't you keep those for now? It's probably not a good idea for me to carry all the shards anyway. Besides, they did seem to make you somewhat faster."
Kouga flashed her his most stunning smile. "I am honored that you have gifted me with your trust Kagome."
"Just let me make sure those shards are purified, I'd hate to see you corrupted by them accidentally." Kagome leaned down and with Kouga's absolute trust, touched the shards to purify them of any malice, but was surprised to find they were completely untainted. 'Kouga must have a pure heart.' She silented thought.
Kagome redirected her attention to the new shards Kouga presented her with. She walked towards the monk. "Miroku, would you be so kind as to guard three of these shards? You are a holy man and I trust that you can keep them safe." Miroku extended his hand to accept his new responsibility.
"I am honored Kagome-sama." Miroku placed the shards within his robes.
The group walked closer to Kaede's village and were soon greeted by a certain youkai lord and an immense surge of power from jewel shards. Sesshoumaru approached Kagome while extending his hand.
She opened her palm to accept his gift. He deposited exactly 1/4th of the sacred jewel. The group stared in bewilderment.
"There were several trespassers in my lands foolishly using shards in an attempt to attack me." Sesshoumaru's silky voice replied. Kagome smiled at him and melded the shards with the ones she already possessed. Roughly, they had already acquired a little over half of the jewel.
"Thank you Sesshoumaru-sama. Your aid is most appreciated. I know now that it is wrong to hold you to me. Could you bend your head perhaps?" Kagome asked the dog demon.
Sesshoumaru obliged and waited until the human miko removed his subduing necklace. He withheld the smirk that threatened to mark his features as he felt the necklace removed and the first steps on his plan to regain Tetsusaiga achieved.
"Well now that you've removed that annoying necklace I can do this." Quick as lightning Sesshoumaru grabbed hold of Inuyasha and stuck his hand into his right eye removing a black pearl.
"You son of a bi-----ch" Inuyasha cried in pain as he held his bleeding eye. Lucky for him, his demon blood would soon heal the wound. "What the hell did you do that for?"
Kagome rushed over to Inuyasha holding her hand over his that was covering his eye. She glared at his older brother. "What is the meaning of this Sesshoumaru?" She demanded.
Sesshoumaru turned a cool gaze upon the group. "This is they key to finding Tetsusaiga, father's fang. It can decimate 1000 demons in a single strike." His stooge Jaken emerged from the woods carrying a walking stick of sorts and placed the stick over the pearl.
A vortex appeared before the group's eyes and Sesshoumaru and Jaken disappeared into it. Kagome pulled Inuyasha along towards it.
"Come on Inuyasha! We have to go after them!" They jumped into the vortex as well. It sealed up before any of the other three could react.
After riding on some skeleton birds, Kagome and Inuyasha saw a giant dog skeleton. "This is the grave of my father." Inuyasha explained.
"What does Sesshoumaru want with his fang?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha grabbed hold of her and jumped inside his father's skeleton where they saw Sesshoumaru trying to pull a sword out of the proverbial stone in vane.
"Perhaps we should ask him." Inuyasha answered.
Sesshoumaru whirled around to face the two new arrivals. He wasn't surprised. In fact he would have been severely disappointed if they had not followed him in.
"Do not disturb the great Lord Sesshoumaru you human tainted weaklings!" Jaken screamed. Sesshoumaru walked away from the unmovable sword and kicked Jaken.
"Inuyasha, you don't even know about this sword do you?" Inuyasha shook his head no. "For some reason father left it as an inheritance for you while giving me the Tensaiga." Sesshoumaru pointed to the sword in his scabbard. "My sword can save 1000 lives in a single stroke while Tetsusaiga can kill 1000. My lands would be much easier to protect with this sword. But for some reason, I can not pull it out of the stone. Explain."
"Sesshoumaru, your father left it for Inuyasha for a reason. You do not need a special sword to fight. You are without equal on your own abilities." Kagome tried to answer.
Inuyasha glared at her. "Are you saying I'm weak?" He demanded.
"No! I'm saying you are only half demon, that perhaps your father wanted to give you this sword because you would be in danger because of your inheritance and would need the extra help." Kagome tried to answer reasonably.
"You think I'm weak! I am not weak! I don't need that rusted hunk of junk!" Inuyasha shouted stubbornly.
"In that case, why do you not remove it and give it to me then?" Sesshoumaru asked amused at the fight he witnessed.
"Fine." Inuyasha stalked towards the sword and began to tug. Unlike Sesshoumaru, he was not shocked by the barrier but he was unable to pull it free. "It won't move!"
"Inuyasha! You can't give him the sword because you are too stubborn to admit when you need help. And you Sesshoumaru, you should be ashamed of yourself! You can't demand him to give you the sword. Your father had a reason for giving you your sword and him this sword. Now both of you move!" Kagome pushed the brothers out of her way and stood before the sword.
She took a deep breath and then turned to the short-tempered brothers. "If I can remove this sword, whomever I give it to is the rightful owner, no trading, no arguments, deal?" The two brothers nodded their heads. It wasn't like she would be able to remove it anyway. She was just a mortal girl.
Kagome grasped the handle of the Tetsusaiga and pulled it out of the stone with ease. She walked towards Inuyasha and placed the hilt within his hands. "You are the master of the Tetsusaiga. Honor your father's wish."
Sesshoumaru was angry and his eyes were burning crimson. "Sesshoumaru, you promised! If you are a man of honor then you will calm down this instant!" Kagome declared.
Sesshoumaru's golden eyes focused on her. She was right, he was an honorable demon; he could always get the Tetsusaiga at a later time. Perhaps after Inuyasha discovers his inability to wield it.
"Fine. Let us leave this place of death."
Moments later, the four arrived back upon the normal plane of existence and were faced with three anxious faces.
"What the hell happened?" Kouga demanded looking between the guilty disappearing party members.
"Where did you get that sword?" Miroku asked.
"We went on a little trip to their father's grave and this is Inuyasha's inheritance. It is called the Tetsusaiga. Sesshoumaru was kind enough to help us retrieve it. Isn't that right, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome spoke.
Sesshoumaru mumbled something that no one could quite understand.
"What was that?" Kagome asked in agitation.
"I said Yes!" Sesshoumaru shot her a venomous look then kicked Jaken out of the clearing telling him to go back to the palace.
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A few hours had passed and the group was heading North of the village on the search for more shards and for clues upon the whereabouts of Naraku. Inuyasha kept swinging around his sword in an attempt to unleash some of it's special powers. Sesshoumaru was livid with his brother's foolishness.
"Inuyasha! Do you want me to show you how to use the fang?" Sesshoumaru finally asked in an annoyed voice.
"Keh, I can figure it out. It is MINE afterall." Inuyasha stubbornly declared.
Kagome halted the group. "Sesshoumaru, show him how to use it. But no funny business! Inuyasha, learn from your brother."
Inuyasha looked at her with a hurt look in his eyes. Was Kagome betraying him? Did she not trust in his abilities to figure out his own sword?
Sesshoumaru walked with a triumphant gait and took the sword from Inuyasha's grasp. He concentrated on the winds and then shouted 'Kaze no Kizu!' A giant land scar marked the nearby mountain. He looked back at his brother with arrogance.
"You must smell the wind. When the two winds clash that is when you release the attack." He handed the sword back to his half brother. His hands itching to regain the lost power.
The group decided to take a break. Or rather, Kagome decided the group needed a break. "You boys practice that move. I want Inuyasha to have a good grasp on how to use his fang."
Sesshoumaru glared at her in disbelief. 'Why am I allowing her to boss me around? I'm am Sesshoumaru, I answer to no one. She doesn't even have that subduing necklace on me, why am I listening to her? Could it be that I actually respect her this much that I do not wish to appear dishonorable? She's a mere woman and a human at that.' Frustrated, Sesshoumaru roughly grabbed hold of his brother and led him off to practice with their father's fang.
She lay down on the ground and stared at the clouds that drifted by in the late afternoon sky. Kouga sat beside her and watched the clouds as well.
"I may need to leave the quest, Kagome." He told her softly.
She redirected her gaze towards him. "What? Why?"
"I must claim a mate within the next few days. I had originally planned to quit my role as leader if the elders pressed the issue, but I now realize that I am the only one capable of proving a worthy leader. I do not want to mate with Ayame, but I must sacrifice my own happiness for the sake of the tribe." Kouga kept his gaze averted from her and inwardly his heart raced hoping that she would present him with a solution.
"Isn't there anything we can do? You don't love her! You shouldn't be forced to mate with her. Can't your elders understand that?" Kagome demanded grabbing hold of his shoulders and forcing him to look at her.
Kouga gave her a sad smile. "There is only one option. Some one would have to agree to be my mate. All they would have to do is agree, we wouldn't actually have to be mated. It would buy me more time." Kouga hoped with all his heart that this human girl would agree to do this.
Kagome looked thoughtful for minute then gave him a determined look. "Then claim me. I'll agree to be your mate. Then you can meet the girl of your dreams and mate her. No problems! You don't have to mate with someone you can't stand and you can help us on the quest." She flashed him a winning smile.
Kouga gazed longingly at her pearly teeth. He focused on her canine teeth and was visibly reminded of her humanity. "We will have to tell the elders that you have agreed to be my mate in three days. We must be convincing."
"That's fine. We act all lovey dovey around your tribe. No problem." She reached her hands towards his face and kissed him on the tip of his nose. Then she smiled at him. "No problem at all."
Kouga stared at the spot on the ground and smiled to himself. 'She agreed! This was way too easy.'
"Sango!" Kagome called out as she went to find her friend. She found her talking to Miroku as they dropped off an armload of firewood each. "Let's go hit the hot springs!"
Sango smiled at her best friend and flashed the monk an apologetic look. "Okay Kagome-chan!"
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Sesshoumaru returned to the camp with his bloody brother in tow. Only the wolf demon and human monk were there to greet them.
"Where are the women?" Sesshoumaru demanded.
"They went to the hot springs. What happened to Inuyasha?" Kouga asked noticing the battered body of the hanyou.
Sesshoumaru glanced back upon his brother. "He is a slow learner. You let the women go to the springs by themselves? Are you absolute fools?"
"They wished to have some privacy Sesshoumaru-sama." Miroku answered as he made room for the battered Inuyasha to sit beside him.
However, Inuyasha didn't sit. He more collapsed beside the monk completely exhausted from his brother's methods of training.
"I will hunt us some food." Sesshoumaru told the group and then disappeared into the forest heading in the direction of the hot spring.
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"Kagome-chan, I can not believe you agreed to be his mate!" Sango exclaimed.
"It's not like I'm really his mate. We're just going to pretend that I'm his intended so that we can buy him some more time. Besides, between him, Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha we'll be done collecting the shards in no time!" Kagome told her as she rung out her wet hair.
"As long as you know what you are doing. Demons take this mating stuff very seriously and especially canine demons. You must be very careful." Sango climbed out of the water and dried herself. She then got dressed and looked at Kagome once more.
"You go ahead, I want to relax a bit more." Kagome dismissed her.
Sesshoumaru adjusted his position in a nearby tree. He had been listening to the exchange between the two women. 'Why would she agree to pose as Kouga's mate? What is it about this girl that intrigues me so much. I'm even tolerating my brother at her mere request. If I kill her, then I will not suffer from this ailment.'
He had already killed a boar and had some blood upon his hands. Perhaps he could wash in the hot springs and rid himself of his human distraction at the same time. He strips down to only his pants and enters the water. Kagome is leaning against a rock with her eyes closed. She won't even sense his demon-aura because she has categorized him as 'friend' and not 'foe.'
He walked closer towards her, his thoughts of killing her rapidly fleeing his mind as he took in her form. She was absolutely stunning. Then she opened her eyes and stared at him.
Kagome shook her head but her eyes could not leave the chiseled perfection of the god before her.
Sesshoumaru held up his hands innocently. "I got a little dirty during my hunt. You do not mind sharing the hot spring do you?" He noticed the direction of her gaze. He knew that she was enjoying the view. She didn't need to know that he too was enjoying the view of her. Perhaps if she remained distracted she would forget to slip deeper into the water.
Kagome blushed like a tomato and slid deeper within the waters. "Of course not Sesshoumaru-sama, it's not like you are a pervert only coming into the water to stare at me." She laughed nervously as her heart raced and she moved to the other side of the rock to escape his view.
Sesshoumaru rinsed his hands and felt something hard hit his head. He reached up his hands to rub the sore spot. "Human, what did you throw at me?" He asked angrily.
Kagome peeked her head around the bolder. "I'm sorry Sesshoumaru-sama, I threw you my shampoo. It's for your hair. It cleans it very well. I thought you would like to use it."
Sesshoumaru examined this shampoo that was floating near him. "How am I to use this?" He demanded shaking the container and listening for any reaction.
Kagome sighed. "You open the top and squeeze some of the liquid out and them clean your hair with it."
Sesshoumaru moved closer to the boulders with a wicked, unnatural grin. "I'm afraid I do not understand, Kagome. Could you do it for me? Then perhaps next time I can do it myself." He handed her the shampoo bottle.
Kagome swallowed thickly. "Um, you want me to wash your hair?" Sesshoumaru nodded. "Okay. Um, turn around. I need you to dunk your head under to get your locks wet first."
Sesshoumaru submerged himself under the water and allowed his hair to become wet. Then he broke the surface but remained sitting upon his knees to give Kagome easier access to his scalp. She squeezed some of the shampoo into her palms and began to massage the liquid onto his scalp.
His hair was so silky. Kagome was instantly jealous. "No fair. Your hair is better than mine," she muttered under her breath. She was surprised when the demon lord chuckled softly at the compliment. "Oops, I didn't mean for you to hear that."
After she was satisfied that every inch of his long, thick mane was completely saturated in her herbal essence she asked him to dunk under the water once more. He rinsed the remainder of the shampoo and turned around to smile at her.
"If you ever need help washing your hair, do not hesitate to ask this Sesshoumaru." Then Sesshoumaru used his demon speed and was on shore dressing before Kagome could even register that the great demon lord, Sesshoumaru had just given flirted with her!
Sesshoumaru went back behind the trees to pick up his boar and then headed back to camp. On the walk he kept asking himself 'What did I do back there? Why didn't I kill her?'
By the time Sesshoumaru returned to the camp, the fire was started and the two humans were sitting beside it watching the two demons argue back and forth. Sesshoumaru dropped the boar down beside the fire and the two humans began the process of roasting it.
"Damn it! She's not your woman!" Inuyasha argued.
"Can you even say a sentence without cursing dog-face? And technically she IS my woman. She agreed to be my mate." Kouga answered derisively.
"She obviously didn't mean it. Besides, she told all her friends in the future that I was her boyfriend." Inuyasha answered smugly.
"No, she was obviously just trying to keep that human boy from bothering her. Besides what do you care? It's not your business." Kouga answered annoyed.
"Of course it's my business! She's our shard detector and we can't have her distracted!"
"Look Dog-turd, Kagome is my woman and I won't have you upset her!" Kouga shouted.
"You wimpy wolf! I'll beat you into the next era!"
Both demons paused in their argument as they smelled the scent that signified Kagome's hair. The both turned to face the object of their fight with innocent smiles that melted off their faces at whom greeted them.
"Why the hell do you smell like Kagome?" Inuyasha demanded of his brother.
"That is not of your concern. However, if you two do not cease this pointless banter right now, I will be forced to silence you both permanently." Sesshoumaru threatened.
Inuyasha and Kouga tossed each other a final glare and settled down on opposite sides of the fire. About two minutes later, Kagome reached the fire and sat beside Kouga. She found it strangely quiet. She gazed across the roasting boar and noticed the blood caking the side of Inuyasha's face.
"Oh no! Inuyasha! Are you okay?" She rushed to his side to inspect his wounds.
He flashed Kouga a smirk. "Keh, I'm fine. Just got a little messy training with Sesshoumaru earlier." Inuyasha replied trying not to wince as she prods his still tender flesh.
Kagome didn't believe his declarations and rushed to her backpack to retrieve her first aid kit. She made him sit still as she cleaned and treated his wounds.
"You realize I'm not human. These will treat on their own." Inuyasha told her confused by her actions.
"It doesn't matter if they will heal faster, they still should be treated." Kagome scolded him.
Inuyasha was confused because he had not sensed such concern over his well- being from anyone other than his mother. 'This must be what friendship is about. This is what love is like.' Inuyasha could feel his heart becoming attached to this strange woman from the future. Suddenly, he couldn't imagine not having her in his life.
He began to wonder what would happen after the jewel was complete. Would she leave them forever to return to her time? Would she visit them? If she so easily agreed to be Kouga's mate, maybe she could be convinced to stay in this time with him. Kouga wouldn't win her without a fight at least.
"There you go. I'd hate for you to get an infection." Kagome told him as she finished up tending his wounds. She returned to her previous position beside Kouga. She smiled at Inuyasha across the fire. He seemed to be intently staring at her. Then she noticed that Sesshoumaru was staring at her as well. Suddenly she shivered under the intensity.
Kouga noticed the shiver and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to provide her some comfort. It wasn't cold, but she did seem to visibly relax. Kagome melted into Kouga's embrace and stared at the boar roasting on the fire.
Miroku began a pleasant conversation about all the wondrous things in Kagome's time. Sango and Kouga appeared to be the only two participating in the conversation. Kagome had drifted off to sleep and the two brothers were both lost in their own thoughts about a certain sleeping beauty.