16,7,04- Squee!!! I have so many reviews!!!! Sixteen!!! That's more than any of my other fics!!! I was gonna put up a one-shot, but then I checked my stats and . . . and . . . I have reviews!!! I love you guys!!!
From here out, I'm typing it all up as I go along, so it's gonna take longer to get everything up. Chapter One I already had written. And, unfortunately, I've got to go to sleep before I pass out, so this won't be getting up as soon as I would like. But anyways, here's what I've got now!
CHAPTER TWO
'Kuso! What IS this?!' Sesshoumaru thought, shocked beyond belief, as the beads settled on his chest. They had looked like a harmless collection of green stone beads and large animal claws (probably bear or wolf, by the size) strung together with a bit of leather. But once they left Kagome's wrist, they took on a power that was overwhelming and unbreakable.
He had no idea what the purpose of the beads might be, but the miko power in the necklace was immense. The strands of magic immediately wrapped themselves around Sesshoumaru's own core of power, too fast for him to counter. It felt like some sort of controlling magic, linking him to Kagome. By the feel of the link, she was probably the only one who could remove it.
He was surprised that the miko power hadn't tried to harm or subdue him when it was activated. If Kagome had already keyed the necklace to react to a demon, she must have had a large amount of power, raw and emotional, at her command. He wasn't afraid of her power, but it was fairly intimidating in it's own right. A lesser demon would be easily purged by her spells, if she once learned to use her magic properly. But she somehow had avoided the training many others must have desperately offered her. Sesshoumaru resigned himself to the fact that he would never understand this miko girl, untrained but tried and experienced.
For a while they flew on in silence. Sesshoumaru held the passed-out girl in his arms, and the kitsune, tired of playing, had settled down on his shoulder armor to take an early morning nap. Kagome wouldn't be able to stand on the cloud, even if she were awake- she'd fall right through, because it only supported demons. But he didn't really mind carrying her. Sesshoumaru was headed for the place where he had left An-Un and Rin in Jaken's charge. They should have gone back to his castle when he did not return from that ill-fated scouting trip, but with the strange toad-demon, one never knew. Unfortunately, Jaken was more useful than he was bothersome, so Sesshoumaru kept the toad around.
He focused on the cloud spell, bringing it to a halt above the small meadow where he had left his servants. They were not there, and the signs of their presence were days old. Apparently, Jaken had done the right thing for once. Sesshoumaru had been preparing himself to punish the witless thing for leaving Rin unprotected in the forest for days, but thankfully there was no need. Jaken was as respectful as . . . as Kagome was, but he was not the brightest star in the sky when it came to anticipating this Lord's wishes.
Sesshoumaru commanded the cloud to proceed, and without a word to his passengers he continued on to his castle.
Kagome's POV
When Kagome woke, the sun was up and shining with comforting heat on her face. For a moment she forgot where she was, reveling in the warmth all around her and the bright, beautiful day. Then she looked down.
"KYAAAA!!!!" Kagome screamed. Below her dangling feet, trees and meadows and streams rushed away at an alarming rate. She closed her eyes and breathed in heavily, clutching to whatever was supporting her.
"Miko, I will drop you if you do that again," a voice growled in her ear. At the sound, Kagome remembered everything that had happened. The demon had attacked her, and Sesshoumaru had saved her, and then she had . . . No way. And after . . . her green necklace!
"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome apologized, all the while silently berating herself for every stupid thing she had done since the day before and wondering why Sesshoumaru hadn't dropped her already.
Kagome found that Sesshoumaru had shifted her while she was in her unconscious sleep. Her chin was resting on his tail, slung over his shoulder, so that she was looking out behind them. His left arm- the one she had healed the night before- held her body against his so that she wouldn't fall. Kagome had a sneaky suspicion that the cloud thing they were flying on wouldn't support, so she didn't mind in the least the constant contact with the cold-faced Demon Lord. It was far more appealing then falling a few hundred feet to her death on the forest floor below.
Kagome slipped her arms around his neck, taking some of her weight off of Sesshoumaru's arm and trying desperately not to think about being in this position in a less demanding situation. This was the closest she'd ever been to the Demon Lord, and she was acutely aware of the thrills he caused in her body that she'd never felt for Inuyasha. His mere presence commanded the attention of everyone around him, and Kagome found herself having to resist the way she instinctively wanted to curl up and go to sleep again in his arms.
"We are almost to my castle," Sesshoumaru said, and Kagome was uncomfortably reminded that her cheek was pressed against his throat. It was probably disconcerting for the powerful demon, not to mention her, so she politely pulled away a bit. "You may stay there for one night, perhaps two, and then I shall return you to my half-brother's care." Sesshoumaru continued, not acknowledging her movements.
"Arigato, Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome said softly, wary of his sensitive ears only a few inches away. "Thank you also for saving my life and Shippou's."
He said nothing, but nodded, and they fell into a comfortable silence. Kagome, head pillowed on the soft fur of Sesshoumaru's tail, let her gaze trail out behind them, watching Sesshoumaru's beautiful silver hair billowing in the wind. The day was beautiful and clear, and she and her adopted child were safe. Nothing could make this day any better.
Sesshoumaru's POV
They continued on in silence, Kagome resting gently on his shoulder. Sesshoumaru found himself once again contemplating the young miko. He had noticed the way she politely moved away from his neck so that they weren't touching. Most humans wouldn't even have noticed the contact, let alone realized how offensive and uncomfortable it might be for a demon. The neck- the throat- was a universal weak point among the demon lords, who were all mammal-based. Baring the neck was a sign of submission, and to touch another demon's neck without permission was an insult of the highest order.
He'd immediately felt it when she first touched the sensitive skin of his throat, but Sesshoumaru had thought it over and decided it didn't matter. She'd been asleep and hadn't done it on purpose, so he wouldn't snap at her. After a while he'd actually gotten accustomed to having her touching his most vulnerable point, and when she suddenly ceased the contact he'd become a little disoriented. But the fact that she had realized all this about demon society and politely solved the problem without being asked, that was . . . astounding.
Sesshoumaru recalled the way Kagome had sat within his view when she had first offered her aid. Somehow, she was sensitive to the ways of demons. Kagome knew how his mind worked in ways that most humans couldn't guess, and that was more than a little disturbing. She could tell which motions and mannerisms natural to her would bother him, and adjusted herself accordingly. It was both frightening and fascinating to think about.
Sesshoumaru was abruptly brought out of his musings when his nose caught an alarming scent floating on the wind like some poisonous harbinger. Smoke. He pushed the cloud spell onwards, faster, and they rounded the hill to a scene of destruction.
Kagome's POV
Kagome was facing backwards, but she could still smell. The smoke filled the air and her eyes watered. What was going on?
As she struggled to turn around, she heard Shippou coughing on Sesshoumaru's other shoulder. Kagome reached over and pulled him into her arms, managing to twist herself around so she could look forwards. She hugged Shippou close, putting one edge of her kimono over his mouth so he could breathe easier. Sesshoumaru didn't seem to notice her movements, which meant he was probably concentrating on making the cloud thing go faster. As they rounded a tall hill, almost a mountain, Kagome gasped.
A magnificent castle, placed on the side of the towering hill, stood burning in the bright late morning sun. Smoke billowed, blown down over the trees by the wind before rising back up into the sky, a silent sentinel of destruction. The beautiful terraced grounds were black and charred and the towers and walls of the buildings crumbled like a card building. The whole place was as desolate as a volcano field.
"Oh, no . . . "Kagome murmured, gazing in fear and sorrow at the remains of the beautiful palace-like structures. Stone pillars stood like lonesome skeletons amid the burned wood and cloth. Sesshoumaru brought the cloud to a halt above the stone-paved courtyard in the center of the smoking ruins. When he released Kagome, she fell a few inches threw the cloud and landed softly on the large blocks of gray granite and white marble.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" a voice called out. Kagome saw a woman- no, a youkai- run from the shelter of a large stone well towards them. "Sesshoumaru- sama!" The woman gasped out, coming to his feet and sinking to one knee. "I'm so sorry . . . the miko . . ."
"If this is the fault of miko, you are forgiven, Akiran," Sesshoumaru said to the youkai. Kagome studied her curiously. She looked like some kind of canine youkai, but not any kind that Kagome could recognize. Her hair was long and pale red in shade, almost like fiery gold. As any youkai, she was slim and graceful, with elegant features compared to a human, though not so commanding as Sesshoumaru was. She was dressed in a kimono, plain and unadorned, and presently smeared with dirt and soot, but of good quality fabric.
"They came just after dawn, my Lord," Akiran said brokenly. "There were so many, we had no chance. The castle attempted to fend them off, but their magic was too strong, and they burned the walls down around us as we tried to keep them at bay. They somehow knew that you were not present to defend your lands or us. We could do nothing, and barely got away alive."
Kagome listened with growing horror at this terrible account. Miko had done this? She was glad all her training had been gained from personal experience and Kaede's peaceful and practical teachings. As the youkai servant spoke, Kagome suddenly realized that she was bleeding. There was a large cut on her shoulder, badly wrapped and still unhealed. Her face had some small burning on it as well.
"You're wounded!" Kagome said softly, almost to herself. She wanted to move to help the woman, but didn't want to interrupt Sesshoumaru. He definitely needed to find out what had happened here. She restrained herself, clutching Shippou, very glad that her little kitsune had not been here for this battle. She knew he would grow up to be a disillusioned and battle-hardened kitsune, but she tried to spare him as much as possible.
"Kagome," Sesshoumaru spoke impassively, "if you are able to, please heal my servants." She turned to look at him, and saw the slight smirk in his eyes. Of course he would have heard her comment, seen her start to move forward. Sesshoumaru by now had an intimate knowledge of Kagome's need to heal others. He was practically teasing her.
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said, smiling thankfully at him. She allowed Shippou to crawl over onto her back, then knelt down beside the youkai.
"My name is Kagome," she said to the woman. "You are Akiran?"
"Hai," the woman answered, looking Kagome over intensely. "I- you're a miko!" she exclaimed, staring at Kagome in sudden terror.
"Kagome is . . . a very special type of miko," Sesshoumaru interrupted, "almost unique, I believe. She heals youkai."
"Honto?" Akiran said, looking from her lord to Kagome and back. Kagome smiled and reached her hand out towards Akiran's shoulder. The wound looked nasty. It was burned around the edges, and a large splinter of charred wood was buried deeply in her flesh. It looked very painful, and Kagome hoped she could get it out before it became infected.
"May I?" she asked softly.
"Wait, please," Akiran replied softly. "My daughter . . . a beam fell from above us. I protected her from the wood, but she was badly burned. If you would tend to her first . . . I can handle this for a while longer."
"Alright," Kagome said, hiding her surprise that Akiran had a child. "Take me to him, please, Akiran-san."
Later That Day
Akiran's daughter, Kotoko, was lying under a tree, away from the still burning buildings and out of the path of the wind. Kagome knelt down beside her in the grass, noting in the back of her mind how similar the two looked as she observed Kotoko's wounds. Only about five or six years old by human looks, Kotoko had the same fair features as her mother, the same pale, straight youkai hair and bright green eyes. Her lightly tanned skin was covered in burns and cuts, and splinters of burned and blackened wood poked out from her arms and legs.
Shippou watched on from behind Kagome's head as she carefully pulled all the bits of wood out of Kotoko's skin. She sent Akiran in search of hot water, vaguely noticing that Sesshoumaru had left without saying to where he was going. Kagome's healer instincts had kicked in by then, and she used tiny bits of her power to isolate all the abrasions on Kotoko's body to keep infection from getting in and spreading.
When Akiran returned with the water and a damp cloth, Kagome carefully washed all the soot away from Kotoko's wounds. Kagome knew the little girl's burns were paining her more, but she had to get the soot out of Kotoko's body before it got in her blood stream and poisoned her. Maybe Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha could withstand deadly wounds and poisons, but Kagome doubted that little Kotoko would be able to.
Finally, Kagome finished. It had been hard sometimes because her burns had cuts on them where the wood had burned her as it scraped at her skin, but Kagome had managed. She put aside the bloody cloth and placed her hands on Kotoko's limbs, then concentrated.
The multitude of cleanly bleeding cuts disappeared at once. After a moment, the burned tissue on the youkai girl's body healed as well, slowly melting away to form perfect flesh with hardly a mark to show for the horrible burns that might have scarred Kotoko for life. Kagome sight back with a sigh, a little exhausted from the long physical and magical process.
"Akiran-san?" Kagome requested wearily.
"Hai, Kagome-sama?" the response came from behind her. Akiran had sat well away, not wishing to distract Kagome while she worked.
"I'm done here," Kagome said. "With a little rest and good care, she'll be just fine."
"Arigato!" Akiran said softly, moving to her daughter's side. "Arigato gozaimasu, Kagome-sama!"
"I can heal you as well, now, Akiran-san," Kagome said, shaking her head a bit to clear it. "Let me get the splinter out of your shoulder before it gets infected, and the rest will be easy."
Sesshoumaru's POV
Sesshoumaru followed Kagome to where his servant's daughter lay. Once Kagome was underway, he pulled Akiran aside and asked after Jaken, An-Un, and Rin.
"Rin was taken, my lord," Akiran said mournfully. "When we escaped the main complex, Rin was with me and Kotoko, but I was slowed up by the burning beam falling above us. A miko snatched her away while I was still under the wooden post. I had the girls crawl out from under me, Rin first, so I was helpless to stop them when they took her. Please forgive me!"
Sesshoumaru nodded to her, thoughts elsewhere. If they had taken his human girl . . . these must be Dark miko from the village west of his lands. They sacrificed blood at the change of each season, but instead of giving of their own ranks they took children from the streets or raided villages and castles. Spring had begun just weeks ago, so Rin had three or four months yet to live. Unfortunately, Sesshoumaru could do nothing.
The village was made entirely of miko women and male slaves. It would be impossible for him to pass the border without being purged by their magic wards. Powerful as he was, no demon, not even a Lord, could withstand the combined purging and guarding spells of over fifty powerful Dark miko. It would be suicide to go near the place himself, and all his servants were youkai as well . . .
Sesshoumaru's gaze settled on the young, untrained girl kneeling before young Kotoko. The human girl. He almost smiled. This was the answer to his problems. Kagome could retrieve Rin for him, all she needed was a little bit of training. Unfortunately . . . that put Sesshoumaru even more into her debt. He simply couldn't get out of this circle of events, could he? Every move he made put him more and more under her control. First her saving his life, then that necklace, and now Rin. But it couldn't be helped.
Sesshoumaru would never admit it, but the little human was far more than his property. He had grown quite fond of her over the three years she'd been following him around. Now a bright young lady of eleven, he had raised her as a demon child might be raised, educating her and teaching her to fight as best she could in her meager human body. It was not a mere affront to his youkai honor that made it imperative that he retrieve her.
"Where are Jaken and An-Un?" Sesshoumaru demanded of Akiran.
"They followed after the miko," Akiran replied, "trying to retrieve Rin. I doubt that they found success, but they will have trailed the witches to their foul lair."
"I will be back shortly with them," Sesshoumaru informed her. "In the mean time, Kagome will be in charge. Try to form a shelter for the next few months. When I return, I will call in the people of the Western Lands to rebuild the castle, but until it is done, you will be in charge of our domestic needs."
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama," Akiran said dutifully.
He turned, glanced once at the miko hard at work, and summoned a cloud spell. Sesshoumaru set off to the west and the border of his lands, beyond which was sparsely populated land, and then the coast. And, of course, that thrice-cursed Dark miko village. He'd been aware of its existence for some time, but unable to do anything unless they came onto his lands. Well, now they had, and it was time they paid.
That Night
When Sesshoumaru returned on An-Un's back, he found Kagome happily helping Akiran sweep away cinders from the courtyard. Kotoko and Shippou were running around collecting large chunks of burned and charred wood, wearing gloves that appeared to be fashioned from the sleeves of Kagome's now tattered sleeping kimono, while the miko and the youkai servant chatted pleasantly over crude brooms. A small clearing had been made near the edge of the forest beside the remains of his once-proud castle, and a fire-pit had been dug and marked by stones.
Sesshoumaru directed An-Un to land on the unused meadow in front of what was left of the main gate. This whole business with the castle was unfortunate, and bothersome. Sesshoumaru had dismissed all of his father's servants and guards when the family had broken up over a century ago, counting on his own power to protect the few required to keep the castle up and running. His clan had lost a lot of face after his father's scandal and eventual death. Although Sesshoumaru himself commanded a great amount respect among his peers, the Western Lands had lost a lot of territory and power in his father's time, a delicate matter that Sesshoumaru had not until recently been able to attend. Within the last decade he had begun to increase his control and take back some of the lands that had been lost in his youth.
Unfortunately, the Dark miko must have heard of his apparent downfall and attacked his now unprotected castle. It was a mistake that he must quickly rectify (quickly for youkai, anyway; in this situation, he had until the change of the season before things became disastrous). In that time, he could both rebuild his castle and remind his subjects that they were just that.
The three females greeted him with shouts and waves as he landed. Sesshoumaru patted one of the faithful dragons' heads, then turned the intelligent creature over to Jaken to look after. He strode over the rubble of the wooden walls and intercepted Kotoko, gazing down at her as she bowed happily, arms fool of charred wood.
"Did Kagome-sama heal you and your mother satisfactorily?" he asked her. The little youkai child nodded exuberantly.
"Hai, hai, Sesshoumaru-sama, she did!" Kotoko told him, beaming up at him in a way that reminded him somewhat painfully of Rin. Sesshoumaru patted her head affectionately, then turned his attention to Akiran.
"You have assembled a camp for the night?" He asked, noting the lowered sun. In less than an hour the twilight would become darkness.
"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama," Akiran replied, nodding to the small cleared area under the trees that Sesshoumaru had noted before. "Nothing survived the fire, but we can last for a few days until your subjects arrive to rebuild the castle. The well water is clean, at least."
He nodded, then turned to the miko, who had paused her sweeping when he arrived. Sesshoumaru approached her, stealing himself for something he'd never thought he'd have to do.
"Kagome," he began, remembering how she had hated it when his insolent brother called her names, "I have a request . . . if you would consent to help," Sesshoumaru ground out, trying to remain polite. He almost felt empathy towards his brother for being forced to deal with the miko on equal terms for over three years. Five minutes of this made Sesshoumaru feel more awkward than he could ever recall being before in his life.
"Ask, Sesshoumaru-sama, and I will do it if I can," she told him.
Trying to remain impassive, Sesshoumaru continued, and was pleased when his voice came out as cool and emotionless as it normally would. "Rin was taken by the Dark miko to a place that I cannot follow. I would . . . like you to get her back for me."
"Oh!" Kagome exclaimed. "That cute little girl that I've seen with you? They took her?" Sesshoumaru could easily read her emotions on her face as Kagome went from feeling sad to feeling furious. "Of course I will, Sesshoumaru-sama!"
Sesshoumaru began to simply nod his head, but caught himself immediately. "I . . . thank you, Kagome," he said uncertainly. This was the most disconcerted and confused he'd ever felt. To be asking help from a miko woman! It was shameful, especially when one considered the debt of his life in her hands, which had only been half-repaid by his saving her from the fire demon early that morning.
"You will need some training," Sesshoumaru said calmly to distract himself from what he'd just done. "I will shelter you for a few months and teach you to fight properly, but before we begin, there is something we must do. Give me your hand."
Apparently, Kagome was fine with him taking charge again, because she immediately settled her right hand in his outstretched left one, carefully avoiding his claws. With the claws of his right hand, Sesshoumaru sliced the veins in both their wrists, quickly and efficiently pressing the cuts together so that not a single drop of blood was lost. Kagome twitched, but otherwise did not react or try to pull away, and she restrained her powers, which Sesshoumaru felt trying to heal the cut.
"This will make it possible for us to fight each other without the chance of you losing control of your miko power and harming me," Sesshoumaru explained as he held their wrists together. "I do not believe you could kill me accidentally, but I would be forced to seriously hurt you if you lost your control in battle. This mixing of blood will cause your power to be nullified around me. Only by directly attacking me will you be able to use you miko power against me."
After ten minutes or so, he pulled their wrists apart. The two cuts swelled with blood, but Kagome quickly reached out and healed first his, then hers. Sesshoumaru stood silent and still as his body tingled, adjusting to the presence of her blood in his veins. The miko power in her blood, when it reached his heart, curled around his spirit's core, in a different way than that of the spell in the necklace the still rested over his rumpled sleeping kimono. It marked his spirit, as he'd explained, and he felt the way her power stopped fighting her control to get at him as the basic blood magic seeped into his being.
He hadn't forgotten that necklace, no indeed. Sesshoumaru intended to find out exactly what it was for as soon as this little ritual was over. He looked over the miko who'd given it to him and barely concealed an amused smirk.
Kagome stood rigid, mouth open in a silent 'Oh'. Her scent fluctuated, taking on a hint of demonic power. After a moment the smell faded slightly, but was still detectable. His demon blood, quite powerful, would leave a permanent mark on her soul, which would be detectable to any well- trained nose, just as his own scent aura now held a trace of the miko's power.
"Wow . . ." Kagome whispered, staring blindly as she felt the demon blood's effect. "That's . . . really, really cool."END OF CHAPTER TWO
SILVER MOONSHADOW
well, that's it for now! I'm gonna hit the sack. Hope you enjoyed this, y'all, and thanks bunches for everyone who's reviewed!!! I love you guys!is sesshie too OOC? I tried to keep him normal, but it was hard to do with all the talking and stuff that happened this chappie. and also, do you think i need a jap/eng dictionary? i'll add it if any one asks for it. any opinions or advice would help me out in the future!!!
A thousand thanks to: My Lovely Reviewers:
henteiyaoilover (howdy, beckster!)
bubblesbb03 (isn't sess/kag the best? chuckles)
NightOwl360 (thanks for the advice! )
personwithnoname (as you command, and thanks!)
jerry (I aim to please)
RoguesHeart (twice . . . I love you! and yes, I hate kikyou's rotten, evil guts, so look forward to some death, doom, and destruction!)
Pixy-Misa-Misao-Amano (arigato! hope you like this one too)
sataness-ov-desire (I'm glad you find it as amusing as I do!)
LionHeart823 (thankyouthankyou!!!)
Wolf-Dog-Demoness (I'm glad you like the title, I'm thinking I'll keep it. and yes, I intend for that scene to be laugh-you-ass-off hilarious)
Megan Consoer (thanks so much! I write for my reviewers!)
Caitlin M (I'm waiting . . . are you EVER gonna update?! smirks)
moo (laughs as you say)
Saphira-Dragon-Rider (I DO intend to finish . . . eventually
