winged moon: Since so many people seem to like it I will! ( Can Kikyo stay dead? ) I really don't like Kikyo…soz to all those who do…so I'll probably kill her (which is weird considering she's dead) and send her straight to hell…very un-nice of me…I know…once again…sorry to those who like her
Mitsuki sama: Wow! You really seemed to like the story! Yeah. LORD Sesshomaru's children…people are talking so much about them that…who knows…
Ghost101: I'm sorry about the suspense! But I'll update reeeeaaaallly soon! I promise! Thank you, thank you.
DarkCh3rry: Thanks! Hope you like this new chapter.
Waxynixo: Glad to see you're still reading.
WTF101: Since I don't want your death on my hands…I UPDATED!
And everyone else who reviewed…thanks a lot! Your reviews encouraged me to fight writer's block! Here's the next chapter!
She could feel it. The evil was all around her. It lapped at her like flames on wood. There was no escaping. And the worse part was that it felt familiar to her, as if it had been sneaking up on her for some time now, and she'd never noticed. What was this evil?
Awakening with a cry of fright, Kaede looked around the darkened hut. Her heart knew that this was a premonition—a warning of what was to come. Something was going to happen to someone she cared for. But what was going to happen? And who was it going to happen to? The woman rubbed at her tired eyes, sleep evading her once more.
Lately she hadn't been having enough sleep. It all started the night after Kagome and Lord Sesshomaru returned from Kagome's Era and left for the Western Lands. That had been four nights ago. Things should have worked out as they were supposed to. Inuyasha was supposed to have met young Aiko and fallen in love with her after he rescued the girl from the hyena demon. But he hadn't even taken a second glance at her. Annoyed by her constant attentoion he had left her in Miroku's hands to be healed—and now Aiko and Miroku seemed smitten with each other. That wasn't supposed to happen either! Miroku's son with Sango was supposed to be a very important man in the future! Nothing was going as the prophesy had foretold it! Someone, who had known the prophesy, was messing with the vital elements in the prophesy. And Kaede shivered. Kagome and Sesshomaru were, unknowingly, the last hope they had to defeat Naraku. If something happened, and the prophesy concerning them didn't come true… She shivered once more.
…
Her eyes widened as she took in the beauty of the mansion hidden in the middle of luscious green forests and meadows. This place was everything she had ever dreamed for—if not a little big. And to think they there weren't at his palace yet! Sesshomaru had told her that they were going to spend some days here so that she could grow accustomed to be "Lady of the Western Lands" and to learn how to conduct herself properly when around other nobility. Even though she had been rather disappointed that they were staying here for practical reasons and not romantic ones—Kagome was so entranced with the scenery—and the interesting servants—that she didn't complain.
At first the servants had been frightened and wary of her—since she was both a human and a miko. But she'd made friends with her personal maid while staying there—Fusako—and then the other servants followed. Kagome realized that Sesshomaru didn't approve of hismate being on friendly terms with the servants, but since he hadn't said she couldn't do so she wasn't going to stop.
The days she passed there were wonderful—even though the lessons in etiquette she had to go through with Sesshomaru were rather tedious—but the nights made up for any annoying thought or feeling she'd had for him during the day. Even though he'd never repeated those three words to her since the first night, she could feel it in the way he held her. His kisses were filled with loving passion. His hands seemed to cherish and praise her skin. Sesshomaru's cold eyes would turn heated, and she would be able to read the expressions of love in those eyes.
Lying with her back to him, she smiled when his grip around her waist tightened when she moved. Even in his sleep he didn't like her being far away from him. She'd noticed that during the days he would come around wherever she was—he always acted indifferent—and watched her as she talked to the servants. When he was sure that she was fine, he would leave as suddenly as he'd come. The smile deepened on her face. He wanted to make sure she was still there with him.
Turning around in his arms, Kagome looked at Sesshomaru. Even in sleep he was unearthly beautiful. He'd say he wasn't 'beautiful' because that is feminine. A smirk played on her lips as she looked at her beauti—handsome mate. Rin would be arriving today, along with Jaken—the toad demon. They'd spend three more days here and then leave for the palace. A frown appeared on her face. If everything was so perfect—why did she have such a bad feeling?
…
In a cave, not so far from where Kagome lay sleepless in her bed, Naraku sat by the fire, reading the copy he'd forged of the prophesy. Ever since one of his minions had discovered the prophesy, Naraku had had it copied and brought to him, so he could examine it himself.
He'd been there for almost a month, trying to decipher the prophesy, and he believed that he finally had. The message in the prophesy had left him wide eyed and horrified. He couldn't let that happen! No! And to think that he'd tried killing the key to his victory. With that he had begun his planning, changing events in the prophesy so that the future would be altered word by word. And so far things had worked out well—until he realized that that miko had left with Lord Sesshomaru towards the Western Lands—as the prophesy had said they would. They were one of the last things on the prophesy that was still happening as it should. Well, I'm just going to have to do something about that, now won't I?
The light from the fire played on the parchment as he tilted his head to one way, growling as he always did when he got to the last sentence. It spoke of his defeat if things happened as it was written on this parchment. Naraku hadn't come all this way—done all that he had—to be defeated. He'd get the Shikon No Tama, he'd make his wish, and the world would be his to reign over for eternity. And there was a bonus. The smile of a predator appeared on his face as he thought about that some more. A rather attractive bonus.
…
Watching as his mate played and laughed with Rin, Sesshomaru nodded to himself with deep satisfaction. This had been the happiest he'd ever seen Rin…and Kagome's smile was so beautiful that it nearly coaxed a smile of his own. But he quickly put that thought aside. He was the Lord of the Western Lands. If the Lords from the Eastern, Southern or Northern Lands thought that he was getting soft there would be war—and he was just married—he didn't want to have to leave Kagome to go and destroy the weaker enemies.
"Is my master sure that he did wise in marrying a human?" Jaken asked in a whinny voice for the millionth time since he had arrived with 'the tedious human child' that morning. The toad demon still couldn't believe that his worst nightmare was coming true—his master's mate was human. She was a low, filthy, insignificant human. Why had Lord Sesshomaru picked her as his mate when he'd had so many youkai ladies pinning for the position?
Once againSesshomaru knew that he mustn't show his weakness when it came to his Kagome. Standing stiffly, he clasped his hands behind his back, watching Kagome and Rin through his Study's windows. "She is more than a human—Jaken. She is a miko, a miko more powerful than the one she was reincarnated from. It is very convinient to have her on my side as my mate."
Thinking that over point over, Jaken was half-convinced, but still didn't comment. Maybe having a the most powerful human miko as a mistress wouldn't be a total disgrace. Shaking his head, the toad demon sighed with confusion and looked up at his master. A doubt was plaguing his happinnes. Was Lord Sesshomaru in love with the human—miko?
…
Rushing into the hut at the speed of light, Miroku pushed his back against the door and closed it—catching the attention of all those inside the hut. The monk's eyes closed and his cheeks burned red when the others heard the reason why he'd ran so horrified towards the hut. The villagers were all gathered outside, banging on the door and demanding for him to come out.
Inuyasha stretched rather lazily and looked up at him. "What did you do now?"
When no answer was given, Sango frowned slightly deeper. Getting up, she went to peek out of a window and her eyes widened. Turning, she stomped towards Miroku. "They're waiting outside with torches! WHAT DID YOU DO ?"
Opening one eye, Miroku gulped loudly. "They discovered me with Aiko-sama."
Thump! Watching him fall to the ground from her lick, Sango growled, looming over his fallen figure. "What WERE YOU THINKING OF?" When he opened his mouth to answer, she raised her hand. "No, I don't want to hear it!"
Voices from outside caught their attention. "BRING OUT THE MONK!"
Shippou blinked. "Oooh. Someone's in trouble."
Miroku would have snapped back, but Inuyasha stood and spoke. "I can't believe it. You're going to get us kicked out of the village because of your perverted ways!"
"I am not perverted!" Miroku announced self righteously from his place on the ground. "I am a man on the cloth."
Sango folded her arms over her chest and glared down at him. "I still don't know how they made you a monk. Monks are supposed to be virtuous men!"
Miroku looked up at her blankly. "And your point would be?" This earned him another sound thump.
Kaede sighed with a heavy heart from her place by the fire. The prophesy wouldn't come true the way things were going. If things continued this way, Naraku would be victorious, for sure.
Inuyasha growled angrily, got up, and picked up the fallen Monk by his collar. Opening the door with one hand, he dragged Miroku outside with the other. Seeing the villagers with torches, his grip tightened on Miroku's shirt collar as the monk tried to break free and scurry to the hut once more. "The monk is sorry for what he did."
Miroku stopped trying to break free and glanced at the hanyou in curiosity. I am?
"The monk will do the right thing." Inuyasha announced, getting the attention of everyone—especially Miroku.
I will?
"Tomorrow he will marry Aiko and bring an end to the disgrace he caused this evening."
Miroku went white. WHAT?
…
Walking away from the stuttering monk, Inuyasha growled menacingly,causing the villagers make way for him. If he had told Kagome he loved her the villagers could be congratulating Kagome and him for their wedding. But no. He hadn't told her, always taking her for granted. And now she was his brother's mate. Sesshomaru didn't even like humans! He'd taken Kagome and made her his mate just to spite his brother. Inuyasha growled once more at that thought of his Kagome being Sesshomaru's mate. But it won't last for much more. Kagome was his.
…
In the hut, Kaede sat silently, listening as the villagers welcomed a pale and speechless Miroku into their closely-knit community. He would soon be one of them.
Shippouran outside to get a better look at what was happening. Ever since Kagome had left, he'd been gloomy, and Kaede was partially happy to see some interest on his part once more—even if it was to Miroku's expense.
Sango returned and sat down next to Kaede. "At least he won't have to ask every pretty woman he sees to have the 'honor' of bearing his children." Seeing that Kaede wasn't listening to her, Sango frowned. "What's wrong, Kaede?"
The woman turned to look at Sango in fear. "Everything's gone terribly wrong."
