Hey! Well, I've decided to update my fics according to how many reviews I get for each story. And no, I am not a review addict, I want to try to update fairly, because a lot more people like this story than Finding Love in War and Survivor. So...This story will be updated the most, Survivor will be updated second most, and FLIW will be updated the least. But I'm never very consistent, so that plan may be discarded. I will try to update once a week, if I can. I might even update more if my stories keep doing well. ::nudges readers and shows them the review button::

And, although no one seemed to notice, I did call Inuyasha's dad Hiroshi instead of Inutaisho. Unfortunately I have to watch the Adult Swim version of Inuyasha, and as far as I know, It hasn't mentioned his name before. But I'm going to keep his name how I made it, so I don't confuse my readers.

Review Responses-

There were so many that I wanted to respond to, so I decided that everyone is going to get individual responses this time! ;-)

Arianna233- I was going to have Inu's dad be a little more evil, but I decided that there was already a lot of drama going on. (; I'm glad you liked my chapter. Thanks for the review. I appreciate it.

Wo Ai Ni16- Wow! You are so nice! Thank you for the compliments on my writing. I'm glad you think that I'm original and staying in character. Thanks for the review.

lazy lady- You are one silly little girl, do you know that? Thanks for reviewing, cuz.

Inuyashasluvforever- Lol! You must have more? Well, here you have it! Thanks for the review.

Redrose Moon- Yes, sesshoumaru will be appearing in this story. I'm glad that you think my story has potential.

Essence of Randomness-I'm happy that you like my story! I updated! (duh, lol)

FieryDemonFox- ;) I liked the parent's 'plan' with the baby too. I had a hoot writing it. Thanks for the review.

seida02- I'm glad you liked. Thanks for the review.

Rushyuo- I'm sure that Inuyasha will find Kagome's new look pleasantly surprising. Thanks for reviewing.

OceanBreeze777-I love 'pup' too! It's just too cute, and fun to say. Lol. Wow! You totally inspired a scene in my chapter. You'll know it when you see it! I dedicate it to you.

Morlana- Don't we all want a prince? Or at least a night in shining armor...(;

megu-sama- Bad! You are not supposed to read my mind! I do plan on doing that in the future. Thanks for the suggestion. Suggestions are always more than welcome.

Inu-babe666-I'm glad that the AN helped you. I updated, not exactly soon, but I still updated. Thanks for reviewing.

inuyasha-angel2004- I loved writing out their plan. It was so much fun, and I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for the review.

Kostos- If my parents were like that, I would have pounced on them too. I updated soonishly. ;)

Dragon Man 180- I couldn't help but put the little thing about Inuyasha being dropped on his head. I thought that it was so funny! I know, Kikyou is probably going to cause some problems, but a little bit of love conflict can be healthy for a fic, right...right?

Well! Here we go!

The Shikon Child

Chapter 4- The Escape

-

Smiling broadly, Kagome spun around, seeing how she looked at different angles. "The kimono is so beautiful, Emi!"

Emi peeked into the bathroom, and watched as Kagome twirled. "The kimono is pretty, but it is you that makes it look simply dazzling. It fits you very well."

Kagome blushed at the comment. She couldn't help but admit to herself that she looked pretty good, not as good as many of the women she had seen, but not too bad.

She walked back into Inuyasha's room, and plopped herself on the heavenly silk sheets covering the giant bed. "So, are you Inuyasha's personal maid, or do you work in the whole palace?"

"I only work on the third story, which is a great bit of area to cover." The maid tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. "I work with five other maids, which is a lot less than the number of maids that work on the first and second floors. They need more help because of the kitchens, the ball room, the tea room, the dining room, the room for the council when they come to meet, and all of the other rooms needed for company. This floor is has only guest bedrooms, Inuyasha's room, and the treasury, so it's not so hard to clean."

Kagome cocked her head to the side, confused. "They keep their treasury up here? Don't Kings usually keep them underground to keep the money safe?"

A wry smile spread across Emi's face. "Did you notice that there was no mote or other form of protection around the palace?"

Kagome nodded slowly, remembering only a garden around the large palace.

"Well, there's no mote there for the same reason that he keeps the treasury up here."

"I don't get it."

Emi ran her hand through her hair, and looked around uncertainly, as though expecting to see someone to be standing behind the curtains, listening to their conversation. She leaned in closer to Kagome. "Because the king is very confident...and a " She stopped, searching the room again, then continued. "He thinks that no harm can befall his castle while he is protecting it."

Kagome looked up at Emi, chewing her bottom lip in confusion. "But isn't that dangerous? To just assume that you're safe can lead to disaster."

"Well, Lord Shima is probably the strongest demon in this land, and maybe even farther. He has a right to be confident. He has never faced an opponent that he couldn't defeat, and he has two sons to back him up." She sat down next to Kagome, becoming too engrossed in the conversation to realize what she was doing. No maid was ever allowed to be so casual with the guests, or sit on the master's bed. There was also the fact that she had called her King 'cocky'.

"It's still not safe to be that way! You must always be aware that an enemy could somehow find your weakness and attack!" Kagome said loudly, as she threw her arms in the air, trying to get her point across.

Emi looked at Kagome with newfound respect. Finally she had found someone with common sense at this place! Most people were all too confident and never bothered to think that someone would dare attack the land.

Kagome was about to add more, but was interrupted by a booming knock on the door.

Hopping to her feet and straightening her skirt, Emi went to the door. But she didn't open it. "I'm sorry. Lord Inuyasha does not want guests in his room at this time."

"It's me. Let me in now!"

The maid noticed Inuyasha's voice, but decided to look in the small looking hole in the door. Opening the circular wooden plug in the door, she stood on her tiptoes, looking through the glass. She saw a slightly distorted vision of an impatient Inuyasha in the curved glass.

She opened the door, getting out of his way, and looked at the floor submissively.

Inuyasha came into his room, feeling a bit peeved. He wasn't fond of the way his parents had made sure that he was 'mature enough' to have a pup. 'Why couldn't they have just asked me? I would have told th-'

His pondering automatically stopped when he caught sight of Kagome. She looked stunning to say the least, much better than she had looked when she had first been taken to the palace. She smiled shyly at him as she tucked her hair behind her ears.

His mouth seemed incapable of working, having gone completely dry. For a while, all he could do was stare.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome realized that it was the first time that she had said his name. It seemed to just roll off her tongue. She liked it.

Inuyasha shook his head, forcing himself to come to his senses. "K-keh! At least you don't look and smell so bad."

Kagome's first instinct was to get angry at the rather rude comment. But then she saw the expression on Inuyasha's face, and knew that he had given her something as close to a compliment that he could probably give. "Thanks...I guess."

Looking away from her, Inuyasha tried to hide the light blush that was spreading up his face. He turned to the maid, who was still standing in the room. "Go prepare a guest bedroom for her."

Emi bowed and left the room, leaving them alone.

"My parents are fine with you staying here, and keeping the pup," Inuyasha said, still not looking at Kagome. "They were just 'testing' me."

Kagome felt enormous relief. "Testing you?"

"Yeah. Something about me being responsible enough to have a pup or something..."

She nodded, but gave him a strange look. "Why do you keep calling the baby a pup?"

Inuyasha frowned in confusion, and turned back to her. "What else would I call it? You haven't named it yet, have you?"

"Well no..." Kagome picked at the silk bedding, feeling slightly uncomfortable under his penetrating golden gaze. "I've just never heard a baby called anything other than a baby."

"It means the same thing. I guess it's a dog demon thing. Do you not like me calling it that?"

Kagome smiled. "No, I like it. I think it's cute."

His blush deepened and he turned away again. "Whatever." He remembered how sick she had looked when he had first brought her to his room, and was relieved to see that she looked much happier and healthier, but he didn't dare voice that aloud.

Kagome yawned, and swayed a little, having to throw her hand back to catch herself. She was tired. All of the excitement had numbed her sleepiness, but now it was coming back in full force.

A timid knock came to their ears. Inuyasha went to the door, and opened it.

Emi stood in the doorframe, holding a dirty rag. She bowed. "I found a suitable room that will be sure to fit Kagome's needs just down the hall, my lord."

Looking at Kagome's tired form, Inuyasha nodded. "Take her there and make sure she goes to sleep. Send two guards to stand guard by her door. Not the human guards. Send for the demon guards. Tell them not to let her out until I say she can." He didn't want to take any chances. If Kuro was right, then Kagome could be in a good deal of danger. He didn't want to risk leaving her and the pup unprotected.

Kagome wasn't paying any attention to him any more. Her vision swam, and she felt lightheaded. She didn't know if she could stay awake any longer.

"My lady." Emi temporarily switched back to talking formally to Kagome, knowing that Inuyasha would not be pleased if he heard a maid talking casually to her. She gently grabbed Kagome's hand and led her to the door. "I'm going to take you to your new room now so you can sleep, all right?"

Kagome blearily noted that the halls seemed never-ending, and all of the different doors that led to who knows where as she was guided to her room.

Emi took a key out of her pocked and used it to open a large wooden door. She steered Kagome inside. "This will be your room for now. I hope you find it comfortable." She patted Kagome's shoulder comfortingly. "If you need anything, ask for me."

"Okay," said Kagome as she stifled a jaw-cracking yawn. She tried to hide the disgust from her face when she looked around. Everything was pink and frilly. She had nothing against pink or frilly things, but when it was used in such quantities, it made her want to gag.

Emi left, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Walking over to the bed, Kagome noticed that the covers had been pulled back for her. She slid herself under them, and fell asleep before she even put her head on the pillow.

-

Kagome woke up to find that her mouth was completely dry. She sat up and was suddenly overcome with nausea. She held her stomach, and looked around. Spotting the bathroom that was connected to her room, she ran for it, barely making it in time. She held the sides of the toilet as she emptied her stomach of its contents.

When she was through coughing and hacking, she looked at her chewed up dinner in disgust. She smiled wryly at her bad luck. "When I finally manage to have a good meal, I just have to throw it up."

She left the bathroom, feeling slightly better than earlier. Deciding that she didn't want to sleep anymore, she opened the bedroom door, ready to explore the palace, and maybe get a tour from Emi. But when she tried to leave the room something caught her by the arm.

She looked and saw a male dog demon with silvery hair that came to his shoulders, and piercing yellow-golden eyes. His clawed hand had a firm grip on her arm. "Hey, kid! You're not allowed to leave your room until master Inuyasha gives permission."

Her cheeks reddened in outrage. "What? I can't leave the room until he says I can?"

"Yeah, sorry kid," said a female dog youkai on the other side of the doorframe. She had the same short hair as the other demon. "We were sent here to make sure no one comes in and no one comes out."

Kagome stomped her foot, enraged that Inuyasha would have her caged like a bird until he felt it convenient to let her out. She was about to yell at them to let her out, but then decided against it. She knew that they were paid to guard, and wouldn't abandon their post. She went back inside, slamming the door in the process.

What was she supposed to do now? She looked through the room, trying to find something to entertain her until Inuyasha came.

All there was in the room was a bed, a dresser, an empty closet, a lamp, and a small shelf full of books.

She grabbed the first book that she saw, finding nothing else to do. She looked at the title, which read "The Enchanted Fairy".

Flopping herself down on the silky pink sheets, she began reading.

When she was only a few pages into it, there was a knock on the door. Kagome placed the book upside down to keep her page, then opened the door.

Emi was standing there, holding a tray of breakfast, and glaring at the guards. When she saw Kagome, she smiled a bit, and tried to go into the room.

"You can't go in the room!" The male demon stood protectively in front of the door where Kagome stood. "You can leave the food with us, and we'll give it to her."

Sighing, and giving Kagome an apologetic look, Emi started to hand the food to Kagome, but it was intercepted by the female dog demon.

"Hey!" exclaimed Kagome. Her stomach was growling, showing its eagerness for the scrumptious smelling food, even if she was still slightly sick. She felt as though she hadn't eaten in weeks.

The female dog youkai gave Emi a suspicious look, and sniffed the food.

Kagome's eyes widened. "What are you doing?"

"I'm seeing if there is any scent of poison. Lord Inuyasha said to make sure to check your food for it." She took another long sniff. "It seems good enough to me."

She handed Kagome the tray of food, and Kagome took it eagerly. She gave Emi a small smile before once again retreating into her room.

Setting the tray down on the bed, she began eating Indian style, with her legs crossed. Her breakfast consisted of two eggs, sausage, bacon, and a couple of pieces of buttered toast. She downed it so fast that it was gone in less than three minutes. Kagome was startled with herself. She wasn't really one to eat in large quantities. "Well, what can you expect? Kuro said that I'm already one month pregnant.'

She set the tray aside, and, with nothing else to do, indulged herself back into her book.

A couple of hours later, Kagome slammed the book shut. She was tired of just sitting there, doing nothing. She was used to always either traveling or working, and although she did like to just relax, she didn't want to do nothing. She wanted to be back outside and stretch her legs a little. Kagome had always loved being outside. When she had free time, she would just sit under the warm sun and bask while listening to the wildlife around her.

She was starting to sweat, and was feeling claustrophobic. 'I have to get out of this room, or I'm going to go crazy!'

Spotting a window, she ran to it and opened it. She felt relieved when the breeze came across her face. She sighed, and just stood there for a while.

When she looked down, she saw a lattice that came all the way up to her room. It was full of some kind of green-leafed vine. She looked around the yard, and didn't see anyone outside in the gardens. 'I wonder if this could hold me...'

Holding onto the windowsill, she tested her weight on the lattice. It creaked a little from under her, but was otherwise sturdy. She let go of the window and started lowering herself down.

To the normal person, it would have been a scary experience, climbing down a three-story wall. But Kagome was more than used to climbing, because of her travels.

She managed to get to the bottom without trouble. She wasn't sure what to do, now that she was free.

Spotting the stables, she decided to go and see the horses. She had never been able to afford a horse for herself, but she had at one time had a job as a stable boy where she would spend all day with them. She had grown to like them, and she had worked with them very well. All of the horses she had encountered had allowed her to ride them easily, never giving her a hard time.

When she got there, she looked at all of the beautiful horses. There were horses of all different colors and sizes. One particular horse caught her eye. It was the most beautiful horse she had ever seen. It was a pure white female with dark violet eyes. Even its hooves were white. It seemed to have a fire in its eyes, and Kagome liked that. She preferred a horse with spirit against a subdued one.

She went to the horse, and stood by its stall. The horse backed away a little bit, and neighed, apparently untrusting of her.

"Come here," she called soothingly, as she held her hand out.

The horse took one step forward, but still kept its distance.

Kagome extended her arm out and clucked her tongue a couple of times. "Come here, girl."

Slowly, the horse walked up to her, and allowed Kagome to pet its long snout. But its muscles were tense, ready to bolt away at the slightest sign of danger.

Kagome began petting its ears, and the animal slowly relaxed from her touch. "Well, you're a good girl, aren't you?" Kagome asked it in a sweet voice.

The horse nickered and threw its head back, as though answering her question.

Smiling, Kagome rubbed its nose. The horse leaned into her touch, all thoughts of running away gone from its mind.

"What are you doing?!"

Kagome jumped slightly, and turned towards the source of the soft, masculine voice. Behind her, there was a boy with short, brown hair. He was wearing long overalls and boots. He had a shocked look on his face as he ran up to her.

Kagome lifted an eyebrow. "I'm petting the horse. What's wrong with that?"

The boy looked between her and the horse, his mouth wide open. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"How did you get the horse to act that way." He scratched his head. "How did you get her to come to you."

She looked at him as though he had lost his mind. "I called her. What else would I do?"

The boy looked at her, just noticing that she was wearing royal clothes. In his excitement he hadn't noticed. "I'm sorry, my lady. I shouldn't be addressing you so." He bowed in apology.

Kagome was startled by the change of topics. She looked down at her blue kimono, and then back at the boy. 'He must think that I'm royalty because of my outfit...'

She lifted his chin with her finger, forcing him to straighten up and look at her. "The name's Kagome. You have every right to talk to me."

His face brightened a bit. "Are you the one that Inuyasha brought here? The one that is having his baby?"

Kagome nodded. "How did you know?"

"Well, word spreads like wildfire around the palace. Everyone knows about you."

"Oh." She felt the horse nudge her hand, trying to get her to pet it again. "So...what's your name?"

He shuffled his feet a little. "Hojo. I'm the stable boy." He looked at the content horse that was currently being patted by Kagome. "That horse has never cooperated with anyone before. She usually doesn't let people near her. Nobody has ever been able to ride her yet. I've never seen her warm up to someone like this."

"I guess I have a way with horses. I used to work with horses too. I've always liked them," said Kagome with a shrug.

"Well, would you like to see some more horses? I could give you a tour. This place has over a hundred." Hojo blushed as he looked at the ground.

Kagome smiled at his blush. "Okay. Show me around."

-

Wow! That was the longest chapter that I have ever written! Ten pages! That may not seem like a lot to you guys, but it's quite the accomplishment for me! I hope that you enjoyed. I'm expecting some good reviews for such a long chapter! And yes, Kagome is getting the dreaded morning sickness! There will be more changes with her as the story progresses. As soon as I get all of the settings and people in, the story is going to speed up a little, because it takes a while before you have a baby! ;)

Lima S