A/N: I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I really have no excuse except that it was a hard one to write. I figure there's about six more chapters left, maybe more. I wasn't planning that many, but I felt that it would be too rushed to finish in five or less. I've incorporated so many threads that it's going to take awhile to tie them all up, but I'm sure you guys don't mind. Thanks to all of you that congratulated me on my engagement. It meant a lot to me. I hope you enjoy the chapter and be sure to review!

The Broken Miko

Chapter 21: The Northern Army

Sesshoumaru stood by his window and watched the rays of the rising sun crest over the horizon. Placing a hand on the windowpane, he could tell the air was cool, finally the temperature that was proper for this time of year. Soon the herds of animals would be penned, readily accessible for the winter feasts. The final harvests would be brought in as well, for not all demons ate only meat, as he did. He never had kept crops before, leaving such a task to the seven lesser households of the city. Only when Rin had arrived did he see the necessity for grain and rice in his home.

And now Kagome of course. She ate with the children, the food of lower class demons and humans, although he did not mention that to her. The servants certainly knew better than to say such things. He supposed that it was prudent to overlook her human vices.

He exited his bedroom and opened the door to the left in the short hallway. Although his father had kept this room as a personal shrine, Sesshoumaru had immediately converted it to something with more relevance to his own life. It now held three full walls of armor and weapons. They were mostly useless trinkets that past lords had used in their own glory days. Many were broken or dulled to the point that they couldn't slice bread, much less bodies.

Upon the fourth wall, however, were his most treasured possessions. The statue of Bishamon, god of war and justice sat beneath the windows. It had been this god that his father had revered so greatly, and although Sesshoumaru was not particularly religious, he occasionally would offer a prayer to this Western family protector. To the side of this statue, a sword rack held both Tokijin and Tenseiga. His power and his birthright.

On the other side, there was a cedar chest that held his mother's possessions, which he had saved since childhood. He had always hoped to return these, and his father had allowed this bit of sentimentalism in usually stoic son. It was to this chest that Sesshoumaru went now. Opening it, he saw the fine silk of his mother's most treasured kimono. She had worn it the day she was presented to his father as a mate. Since then, Kaori had only taken it out for special occasions. It was rather old-fashioned with a pattern of cranes and flowers, but it was still elegant. Sesshoumaru remembered that she had worn it the day before she had disappeared, to celebrate their victory over the humans.

Atop the kimono, Tetsusaiga was resting quietly. It was so battered and lackluster. No wonder he had not been enamored with it at first. But true power was deceptive; it lay beneath the surface. Now it was beautiful.

He picked it up and pulled the sword from its sheath. The fact that he could hold it was precious to him, a gift from Kagome that she hadn't been aware of giving when she willingly handed it to him. It remained the beat-up katana that she had pulled from its place in his father's tomb so long ago. He knew it would not actually work for him without human blood. And yet, Sesshoumaru studied it from every angle, relishing these few moments with the object of his deepest desire.

But Kagome possessed it now, even as he held it in his hands. Her scent was permeating the metal and wood, mingling with the older scents of his brother and father. It spoke of its dedication to his lineage, but not to him.

At least his child would be able to handle the Fang, with its fourth of human blood. He never thought that having a pup with impure blood could be an advantage in any way.

The sunlight began to pour in through the window and Sesshoumaru realized he had been dallying over Tetsusaiga for entirely too long. Despite any declarations of love she had made, that wouldn't stop Kagome from chewing him out for being late. He tucked the sword underneath his sash, quickly pairing it with his other two blades.

As soon as he stepped out of his apartments, it was clear that all of the guards had heard of Kagome's imprisonment. Their eyes burned with questions, although they tried desperately to hide it. He ignored these covert stares, but could not stem his annoyance for the perpetual gossiping of his court.

The staring followed him all the way down to the main floor and to the black door. A few nobles even gazed at him openly, with no fear of his temper. He made a mental note to make a heartless decision in the near future. If these fools thought that a half-demon female was making him soft, they would be very much surprised.

The air of the dungeon was more oppressive than ever as he descended the stairs, but at least there was no scent of blood in the air. Kagome had apparently kept her mind intact and had not gone homicidal on his guards. Thank Kami for small blessings, he thought idly.

He waited for the final door to be unlocked and went down the hall towards Kagome's cell. He could hear her rustling about and her yawning. Smirking, the inuyoukai finally had her in his view. "Good morning."

Kagome smiled at him. "Morning." She was folding her previous day's clothing. Jaken had apparently done his duty and brought her fresh clothing for her morning training.

Sesshoumaru produced the key from the folds of his kimono and unlocked the door, but did not open it. "I trust you slept well?"

She shrugged and picked up the spring green yukata. "It was okay. I didn't have any nightmares, but it was kind of hard to fall asleep on this straw mattress. It's not very comfortable."

"Do you expect to be comfortable if you're in the deepest dungeon of the Western Lands?"

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him as he finally swung the door open. "Jerk," she huffed. "So what torture are you putting me through this morning?"

Sesshoumaru considered several possible answers to her question, many which were not meant to be spoken aloud. Kami, when had his mind become so sullied? Finally he said, "Nothing strenuous, considering our remaining injuries. I have decided that you will practice transforming the Fang. You need to learn how to handle it properly."

"I can handle it just fine," she commented as they began to climb the stairs.

The taiyoukai raised an eyebrow. "You hold it as just a weapon. It must be held as an extension of your own body." He pulled Tetsusaiga from his sash and handed it over to her.

Kagome looked down at the battered katana. "Inuyasha certainly treated it that way. Seemed to work for him, I guess." She glanced back up at the taiyoukai. "Well, I'll try. Don't expect much from me though."

"When I was a child, my father feared that I had no skill in battle," Sesshoumaru said after a moment. "I had little desire to follow in my father's footsteps."

She stared at him for a moment and then laughed. "I don't believe you!"

"You think that I would lie to you?" he asked with a raised brow. "I was simply trying to… empathize with your fears of inadequacy."

The hanyou laid a hand on his forearm and grinned. "Well, I appreciate it, but are you really trying to tell me that you, of all people, didn't want to pick up the first sword you could lay your hands on and go to battle?" She shook her head, still smiling. "I just can't believe it, but it's really sweet of you to say that."

Golden eyes turned down to hers. "It is true, Kagome."

She swallowed. "Oh. What happened? You seem totally committed to your skills now."

Sesshoumaru nodded once. "When my mother disappeared, I vowed vengeance. I dedicated myself to the study of the sword and surpassed all expectation. I transformed from a lost cause to a prodigy quite quickly. Within a year my abilities went beyond all others of my age."

"Now you get to have your revenge."

"Yes. I had thought that it was hopeless, but Amatsu has ironically made it possible." He gave her sidelong glance. "I would appreciate knowing more of how this is possible, however. The method of melding between my mother's lover and the god could prove crucial to his demise."

Kagome smiled weakly. "I know. I'm trying to remember, but it's difficult. I might not even know anything useful."

"I understand. We will not attempt to meditate together again, considering the possible risks. Relaxation techniques will probably suit our purposes. It opens the mind, but not to outside influences," he said.

"Sounds good."

Sooner than expected, Kagome found herself outside once again. She sucked in the cool air greedily, happy to be out of the stuffy dungeon. Around her, she noticed that the gardens were beginning to hibernate and the leaves were turning. Autumn was approaching fast and she wondered if the castle would be very drafty.

Silently, they made their way down to the dojo. Kagome, now that she was free from the oppressive prison, was becoming increasingly nervous. It had been more than a week since she lifted a sword and she desperately tried to remember all that Sesshoumaru had taught her. He would expect that she would know her kata and his basic guidelines, but all she could recall was his admonishment for swinging the sword like a club.

"Calm yourself," said the taiyoukai softly as they entered the building. "I will not yell at you. Not today."

Kagome laughed softly, knowing that he was only half joking with her. She was slightly more at ease though, and so she nodded and moved to the center of the room while Sesshoumaru remained by the wall. "Okay, what do you want me to do?"

"It would be prudent to see if you can even transform Tetsusaiga into its lethal form."

"You're kidding right?" She pulled the katana from its sheath and gave it a flick of her wrist, immediately replacing the battered blade with a deadly weapon. The hanyou gave her love a self-satisfied look. "I've been able to do that since the beginning. I was the one who told Inuyasha how to do it."

"Were you?" the taiyoukai asked rhetorically.

She ignored his superior tone and answered anyway. "Yes. I discovered the secret when it transformed for Inuyasha after he promised to protect me. From you, I might add."

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow. "I remember the event distinctly."

Kagome's eyes softened a bit, but she did not say anything more about that day. It seemed as if they had reached an unspoken agreement about it. He had tried to kill her and lost an arm for the effort. "You taught Inuyasha about the Wind Scar though," she finally said. "And that it sealed his demon blood."

The taiyoukai nodded once. "The Wind Scar was not an intentional lesson, but I did not wish that his demon blood be released. Mindless murderers do not preserve my family's name."

She smiled, realizing that the inuyoukai could be at knife point and still not admit that somewhere he harbored a bit of brotherly affection for Inuyasha. It was expected from the stoic dog demon and she didn't want to push the issue. Instead, she turned back to her sword. "Okay, so what do you want me to do now?"

Sesshoumaru drew Tenseiga and walked forward. "I want you to attack me. You should get used to the Fang's unusual size and shape. It is not like any other sword you will ever wield."

Kagome lifted the blade and stared at him. Something was itching at the back of her mind. "I could hurt you."

"No, you don't have that ability."

The hanyou nodded and raised the sword to the level of her shoulders. "Ready or not, I guess," she whispered, running forward and aiming at Sesshoumaru's side.

He blocked the blow and moved to the left. "Very good. Attack again."

Kagome breathed a bit easier, knowing that she wasn't failing miserably. He had even complimented her! She turned and attacked with increased fervor.

The sound of metal sliding against metal rang through the air as the Fang ran along the Tenseiga. Kagome felt the tension between the swords leave and pushed away, immediately swinging again at his throat. Sesshoumaru fell back after effectively blocking Kagome's assault and lowered his sword. He stared intently at the girl.

The hanyou frowned deeply. "What? Did I do something wrong?"

"No. Nothing," he responded. He approached her slowly, keeping his eyes locked with hers. "Where did you learn that?"

Kagome lowered her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about. I just did as you asked. I attacked you."

"You moved like a professional. Many of my soldiers could not defeat you. You actually caught me off-guard."

The red and black headed girl shook her head. "I don't understand. Isn't that a good thing? I'm not actually better than you, am I?"

Sesshoumaru scowled. The memory of her swordsmanship during her brief time with Amatsu entered his mind. He had thought that was only another part of her capabilities, something that she should have lost with the other powers. "No, but I find it highly suspicious that you return from Amatsu's control with such skills as these. There is no way Inuyasha could have taught you all of this in just two days, Kagome."

"Well I know that." She put Tetsusaiga back into its sheath and looked at it. "It's just when I'm holding it, I know what to do with it. Is that weird?"

"Yes, I believe it is," replied the taiyoukai without hesitation.

Kagome gave him a deadpan stare. "Haha. Really, Sesshoumaru, I can't explain it. I just know. It's like last night when I figured out that I was actually, truly pregnant. I just sense it."

"It is possible that this is a remnant of your connection to Amatsu," he offered.

"More like a connection to Inuyasha," she murmured, biting her lip. She looked up to see the dog demon giving her a venomous glare, and she realized what she had said. "No! Not like that, I promise. The memories I do have though, they give me the sense that it was so highly spiritual, in a sick, twisted way."

"You shared all of your memories with Inuyasha?"

Kagome sighed and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. With Kikyo too. That's the part that really bugs me. I mean, Inuyasha already knew most of it, but now Kikyo knows my deepest, darkest secrets."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "But this means that somewhere in your mind reside all of Inuyasha and Kikyo's memories. It will be an even field once you unlock those. You may even be able to use their secrets against them in battle, turning your experience into a tactical advantage."

The hanyou winked. "Aw, you really know how to make a girl feel good about being kidnapped and used as a divine weapon."

"Hm, yes I suppose I do," commented the taiyoukai offhandedly as he moved towards the wall and picked up a thick bladed, blunt sword. "Use this weapon. I want to truly assess your abilities."

Kagome exchanged her Tetsusaiga for the sword that Sesshoumaru handed to her. "So I can't hurt you with this?"

He arched an eyebrow. "If you have inherited Inuyasha's skills, then I have nothing to worry about," he responded. "Now attack."

The hanyou gave him a wry smile and then complied with his request. Blow after blow, they sparred with their weapons. At first, Kagome simply attacked with what Sesshoumaru would call a very 'human' style. She dodged when necessary and took the few advantages he afforded to her.

Soon, he was pleased to see that she began to improvise her moves, using her demonic powers. She lifted off the ground like an angel, avoiding his strikes with graceful, arcing jumps. Her speed and size became her allies, helping her dart around as fast as possible.

Outwardly, he remained composed as he fended off Kagome's attacks, and during the few attacks he laid upon her. Inwardly, he was pleasantly surprised. Inuyasha had never challenged him this way. Kagome had surpassed his brother's skill by tenfold and he wondered why. Could this be residue from being linked to not only Inuyasha, but Amatsu himself? Surely a god could defend himself. Perhaps Inuyasha's battle skills had tempered Kagome's knowledge, instead of enhanced it. Anything was in the realm of possibility when a god was involved.

Finally, as sweat streamed down Kagome's brow, Sesshoumaru decided to end the lesson. He slid Tenseiga along Kagome's sword as she attacked and locked his blade around her hilt, flipping it out of her grasp. She hissed as it skated away across the floor, grabbing her wrist. "Ow, that hurt! You jerk!"

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow. "Are you actually injured?"

She rolled her eyes. "No… but ow." She let her arm fall to her side as she smirked at him. "So, how'd I do?"

"Acceptable." He began to walk towards the exit.

"Oh, come on!" she called, tagging along. "You know damn well that I kick major butt now. It's official."

He sighed inwardly. "Yes, you have become a skilled warrior in a shocking amount of time. Do not let that create complacency. You must still practice your talents."

They began to walk towards the bathhouse. "I know," the hanyou responded. "I'm not going to get lazy. Hey, do you think that I can do the Wind Scar, Backlash Wave and all that other stuff now? I mean, if Inuyasha's link to my mind gave me all of this knowledge, wouldn't that cross over too?"

"You were able to call forth the Wind Scar when you fought me."

Her eyes grew wide. "You didn't tell me that. Why did you even question my abilities then?"

"I had believed that you would have lost that knowledge once your mind broke free from Amatsu. It was a reasonable assumption, considering that you cannot remember your time with him. Anyway, you didn't really fight with the Tetsusaiga. You simply pulled it from its sheath and attacked us with the Wind Scar, probably in an attempt to unsettle me. There was no true skill involved."

"I see. Well, knowing what we do now, I probably do know all of Tetsusaiga's special attacks then."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "It's entirely possible, but we will test the hypotheses at another time. For now, you will bathe."

Kagome scowled and looked over at him. "And you aren't going to? You just as grimy as me."

He met her eyes. "I was planning to bathe after you were finished, unless you would rather we take one together? It would be more economical."

The hanyou blushed brightly. "No, that's okay. I'll manage on my own."

They entered the bathhouse, the steam rising above the screens surrounding the hot water. Kagome escaped behind these screens and began to undress for her bath, stopping with half an arm out of her shirt when she realized Sesshoumaru was still there. His shadow was tall and impressive through the thin rice paper screen, standing still just beyond the entrance. "Are you going to stay here while I take a bath?" she asked incredulously.

"Naturally. You wished to have me with you at all times to prevent any further incidents." The shadow moved and sat upon a low bench. The screen bubbled out where his back was pressed into it.

Kagome sighed and removed the rest of her clothing. Jaken had apparently gone above and beyond his usual distaste for helping her and had left a kimono on a shelf for her. It was blue silk, accented with green and pink embroidery of flowers and birds. It was quite formal. "Why did Jaken leave such a beautiful kimono for me to wear today?" she asked as she stepped into the hot water. Her skin immediately began to flush with the heat.

"You will accompany me to the city's audience. They need to hear of our decision, before they realize that you are pregnant."

"But I thought it didn't matter when we actually became mates, as long as it was before the baby is born." She rested the back of her neck against the pool edge and stared at Sesshoumaru's shadow.

"It is not required, but it is best if my court believes that we came to this decision before conceiving a pup."

Kagome nodded. "Okay, I guess that makes sense. It's all so political. I suppose I'm going to have to learn all these things? Who hates who, who likes who. All that."

The shadow's head bobbed once in agreement. "It is useful knowledge, but as long as you know who graces one another's beds, that will be sufficient."

She laughed and grabbed the rough, homemade soap that Jaken had left for her. "I didn't think that you were the type to gossip about those things, Sesshoumaru."

The screen went flat again as Sesshoumaru stood up. "It is not gossip, Kagome," he said, clearly affronted by her insinuation. "It is tactics. If the wolf ambassador is sleeping with the badger ambassador, obviously I would not appoint him to be arbiter between the mole and raccoon demon clans."

Kagome was silent for a moment. "Wait… what? What does a badger have to do with a mole?"

The shadow moved impatiently. "The badger and mole clans are allies out of necessity. They both make their homes under the earth. Raccoon demons are notorious for disturbing these ancestral homes while searching for food. Normally the wolves would be impartial, but not if the ambassador was in love with one of his female's allies."

The hanyou tried to picture Hachi, Miroku's fat raccoon retainer, ferreting around in the ground for food, disturbing others' homes. She shook her head after a few seconds. The picture was not coming to her. It was too ridiculous, but she took Sesshoumaru's word for it and murmured a quiet agreement.

"You will learn these things in time, Kagome."

She nodded again, although he couldn't see it. "I know. I also know that there will be a lot of people not happy to hear that the Inutaisho has chosen a half-demon as his mate."

His head turned, casting his perfect profile upon the screen. "They will accept my decision. You are more than worthy."

Kagome smiled and immersed herself in the warm water, scrubbing at her scalp as she looked up through the water. The liquid filled her dog ears, creating the soft sound of waves. Her hair swirled around her like tendrils of wet silk. She wondered idly how long she could hold her breath as a half-demon, but decided not to test it at the moment. Sesshoumaru might think she had drowned.

Lifting her head out of the water, Kagome immediately became aware of someone else in the bathhouse. There was no scent of danger, but even so, she ducked back in until only her eyes and ears were above water level.

"He is with them, my lord," a vaguely familiar voice was saying. Kagome took a moment to connect it with the weasel demon that had helped her find Nami.

"How soon will they arrive?" asked the rich tone of Sesshoumaru's voice.

"The scout said that they would be here in early afternoon, my lord."

She heard the taiyoukai give a small sigh. "Inform Jaken of this. You are dismissed." The weasel demon exited the bathhouse a moment later.

"Sesshoumaru? What's happening?" Kagome asked, lifting her body from the water. Chills ran down her spine as she padded across the floor to pick up a towel and to wrap it around her frame.

He appeared at the opening between the screens. "The Northern army is coming to assist us. Fifty thousand extra swords," he said, keeping his eyes trained upon her face.

Kagome shivered again. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes," he conceded, "but Lord Makoto is accompanying them, which can only bode ill. He is no longer a young demon. He was ancient in my father's time. If he is traveling, leaving the North in this troubled time, he must feel that it is absolutely necessary. I fear that he has no good news for us."

The hanyou nodded. "I guess so, but we should wait before becoming pessimistic. Are we still having the audience?"

"Yes, but we will wait until Makoto arrives." He looked at her pointedly. "He is an elder who deserves the utmost respect. I have allowed you to call me by my given name numerous times, but you will not do the same to the Northern Lord unless you add the proper honorific."

She scowled at him. "Stop talking like I'm an idiot, Sesshoumaru. You sound just like the jerk you were when we first met."

He blinked, realizing that he had indeed slipped back into his old treatment of the hanyou. "I apologize," he said, rather awed at his forgetfulness. "Makoto's presence is rather disturbing to me. That is all."

Kagome shrugged and picked up her kimono, one hand keeping her towel in place. She gave him a lopsided smile. "It's fine. I should get dressed though. And you need to bathe."

They exchanged places, Sesshoumaru now disappearing behind the screen as Kagome began to towel herself dry. Hair was draped over her ears like cobwebs, the steam making it nearly impossible to remove the water from her black and crimson locks. Finally, she felt dry enough to slip into the complicated formal kimono, binding herself with the cream colored obi. It took awhile to figure it out, since she had never worn a formal kimono without her mother's assistance. Unlike human kimonos, this one allowed much more movement, something that Kagome decided she definitely preferred about the demon fashion.

She toweled her hair once more before letting it fall down her back. Tucking Tetsusaiga under the obi probably looked strange, but she didn't care at the moment. Sesshoumaru appeared at her side, his hair damp and his kimono clinging to his damp skin. He was gorgeous. Kagome almost forget to breath, but she finally grinned, letting the air out of her lungs. "Ready then?"

This was the first time he had ever seen her in a formal kimono, he realized. And even with her damp hair, she was a vision. The thick folds of the silk unfortunately hid her figure, but the taiyoukai remembered that from then on, he was the only one that would be allowed to see that. "Do you like it?" he finally said, pleased that his desire was kept out of his voice.

"It's beautiful," she answered, running her hands over her sides, craning her neck to look at the silk confection. "Am I going to be dressed like this all the time?"

"If you wish, but I doubt that you can resist the comforts of simpler garb after awhile."

She looked back up at him, swathed in white and red silk. "You wear that kimono every day. It's quite formal."

He arched an eyebrow. "It is comfortable and versatile. I would not wear it otherwise. But I will be changing for the audience with Lord Makoto. It is not appropriate for greeting such a powerful youkai."

Kagome smiled at him. "May I pick out the new outfit?"

The already arched eyebrow disappeared underneath his white locks as he recalled her joy at Izo's castle. It seemed such a long time ago now and he had interpreted her happy attempts to find him a suitable kimono as side effects of her insanity. "Do you enjoy dressing me as your plaything?"

The hanyou bit her lip, trying not to think of his comment in twentieth century terms. "I don't know. If I don't help you, I'll just be sitting around bored. I'll help the children too, if they're allowed to attend."

Sesshoumaru nodded, aware that Rin and Washi would be quite distressed if they were the last ones to hear this particular piece of news.

Kagome slipped on her geta sandals and they began to make their way back to the castle. Around them, soldiers were marching along the city walls, looking much more serious than she had ever seen them. Several of them, she noticed, were getting dirty looks from their comrades for dirty helmets and unkempt uniforms. "They're rather competitive with other armies aren't they?" she asked, guessing correctly why the soldiers looked so uptight.

The taiyoukai spared his men a brief glance. "Yes, extremely so. Perhaps I should invite a foreign army here every month if it produces this reaction. They have clearly become disorganized in my extended absence."

"There seems to be more of them than usual," she noted.

"I have seven hundred thousand men in my army," he responded. "The vast majority of those live apart from this city, but I felt the need to call back a few companies. If the city falls, so will the Western resistance to Amatsu."

She looked at him with some doubt in her eyes. "I can hardly believe that you would ever give up fighting, Sesshoumaru."

"I would not," he agreed, "but if the city falls that means that I have died. There is no fighting after death."

Kagome gave him a half smile. "I don't know. Yurei can be quite troublesome when they want to be."

A memory sparked in Sesshoumaru's mind. "Yurei?"

She frowned at him. "Yeah," she responded with uncertainty. "Ghosts have popped up here and there on my travels. They're not very fun to deal with, I can tell you."

"Kita and Danjuro mentioned the yurei. I had forgotten until now."

"Kita?" Kagome collected her damp hair and twisted it. "That horrible woman from the village? The one that was so bent on killing me that she even wanted to stand up to you?"

"Yes. I killed her and her husband in the forest before I found Washi. They had been working for Amatsu. He had promised them the extermination of all youkai, including you. It was how I discovered your capture. The woman was the one who told me of Amatsu's human shell. And they mentioned yurei working for the god."

Kagome nodded, finally understanding, and not feeling sorry for the deaths of two despicable humans. "You think that the yurei are those shadow things."

"That is what I thought at the time," he responded. "Do you remember anything that confirms the idea?"

"Sorry, no. There's still a lot more I have to work out." She frowned and looked up at him. "Kita and Danjuro had three kids. I wonder what will happen to them."

"They were as rude and cruel as their parents," Sesshoumaru pointed out. "Why do you care about their welfare?"

The hanyou shrugged. "They're kids. They could still turn out okay, now that their parents are out of the picture. Of course, they still live in that awful village. Some other bigoted family will probably take them in and continue their twisted education."

Sesshoumaru highly doubted that any amount of retraining could remove their parents' beliefs, but he didn't say it. He knew that pregnant females rarely wanted to hear such things. Instead, he simply opened the door to the castle and led Kagome to the East wing once again. He looked at her walking by his side, a contented smile upon her face. It struck him that he was very close to binding this female to him forever. "Do you ever plan to return to your time?"

Kagome took a deep gulp of air. "I don't even know if I can."

"You haven't tried."

"No," she admitted. "I'm terrified that it won't work. Or that it will, and I won't be able to come back. The Jewel is gone. That's what enabled me to go through the well. On the other hand, Inuyasha clearly didn't need it. He could go through without help from the Shikon no Tama."

Sesshoumaru looked at his future mate. Her eyes were rimmed with tears. "If you had to use the Jewel and Inuyasha did not, that implies that the well had more variables than you have accounted for. It is entirely possible that you will be able to move back and forth through the portal."

Kagome shrugged, not letting hope affect her, in case she was terribly let down. "My mother is probably worried sick about me. I've been gone for seven months." She lowered her voice and placed a hand on her abdomen. "I don't want her to miss knowing her grandchild."

"When this war is over, we will try to return to your time," vowed the taiyoukai.

She stared at him. "You actually want to come along with me? You'd be willing to risk that?"

He tried to appear nonchalant about the possibility of leaving behind his kingdom. "We will be bound to one another. I cannot allow you and our child to take such risks without my supervision. You may need my assistance."

The hanyou smiled gently at the taiyoukai. "We'll work it out, even if I do end up going myself. After all, you would just have to wait five hundred years and then you would see me exactly the same as I was when I left."

"Even for a demon, five hundred years is a long time," he said as they reached the third floor landing.

"Yeah, I know, but there's the whole time paradox thing. I don't want to blow up the universe or anything just because I wanted to see my mother." She waited until they had gotten onto the bridge to the East wing before saying, "You do know what I mean, right? I understand if you don't. It's rather out there."

"If you go forward in time at this point in your life, you cannot also see your family when you are five hundred years older. It would expose your family to the present and the future Kagome, potentially causing harm if you would meet your future self," he said. The taiyoukai turned his face down to the woman beside him. "I may not be from your advanced time, but I can conceive of these ideas."

Kagome blushed. "Of course. Sometimes I forget the distinction between intelligence and knowledge."

They reached Sesshoumaru's apartments and Kagome spotted the rose haired, sapphire eyed soldier standing guard by her own door. Before the taiyoukai could open his door, she placed a hand on his forearm.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I would like you to meet someone." She smiled brilliantly at the young sentinel. "He defended my honor once. I thought that you would want to meet someone that is clearly dedicated to the West and to you, my lord."

The taiyoukai, slightly amused at both Kagome's sudden ladylike behavior and the pure terror on his guard's face, decided to play along. "Name?"

The guard looked like he was about to lose his breakfast, but managed to choke out, "Hachiro."

Kagome grinned. "Eighth son? Wow, I hope you appreciate your mom."

Hachiro smiled nervously. "I do, my lady."

Sesshoumaru nodded once in satisfaction and then turned to enter his room. Kagome winked at the guard before following the taiyoukai. "Don't worry, he doesn't hate you," she said laughing a bit. "I'll see you around, Hachiro."

She joined Sesshoumaru in his bedroom, where he had opened his ebony wardrobe to reveal several lush silks. He gave her an appraising glance. "You like the boy."

"I appreciate that he stood up for me when another guard insulted me." She tilted her head. "You aren't jealous, are you?"

He fully faced her, uncurling his tail from his shoulder. "I am not my brother. If you say you love me and will become my mate, I have no reason to doubt you. Why would I? Jealousy is beneath me."

Kagome joined him at the wardrobe and began to flip through the choices for the evening. "Well, if you maybe were a little jealous, I wouldn't mind," she joked as she pulled out a midnight blue kimono. "It's kind of flattering. Now, what about this one?" She barely gave him the chance to look at it before shaking her head and throwing it aside.

"I would think that after so many years between my brother and Koga, you would prefer a jealousy-free life," he responded as he watched her discard a yellow kimono.

"That was different. It was boyish overprotection. I was just kidding anyway, Sesshoumaru. I don't ever expect you to be jealous of another male. When you think about it, I should be thanking my lucky stars that we're going to be together. Males in my time are notorious for leaving the females they impregnate."

Sesshoumaru's eyes darkened. "That is dishonorable."

"Well, I didn't say that all of them did it," she amended. "Sometimes these things can turn out very well, but sometimes they don't."

The taiyoukai pondered this for a moment. "Is there anything else I should know about your time before I visit it?"

Kagome laughed, a sound that was becoming precious to the inuyoukai. "Lots, but there's not enough hours in the day for me to tell you all of it. A lot of it you're just going to have to learn yourself. It's very different, but not necessarily in a bad way. For example, we've discovered the cures to a lot of very dangerous diseases you have here. On the other hand, there are many new ones that we don't have a clue how to cure. Not yet anyway."

"It is a troubled time then."

"Yes, in some ways. In other ways, it's wonderful." She sighed and looked at him. "You're coloring is extremely difficult to match without making you look like a circus freak, you know that?"

He nodded, having heard the complaint from his mother and nurses in his earlier years. Not in those exact words, but close enough. "If we must live through the next five hundred years, we will manage it quite well, as long as you know your history of this land."

The pile of silk on his bed was growing as Kagome continued to go through his kimonos. "What do you mean?"

"You will be able to predict what will happen and where. That could be used to our advantage."

She arched an eyebrow at him, holding black silk in her hands. "Isn't that cheating? Just a bit?" asked the hanyou.

"It is using the knowledge we have at our disposal."

Kagome gave him a wry smile, throwing yet another kimono on the bed. "That's really rather underhanded of you, but I guess you're right. Just promise that we'll get out of the country around the middle of the twentieth century."

"Why?"

"I'll explain later." She pulled an ocean blue kimono from the back of his wardrobe and shook it out. It was unadorned, but bold. She held it up to his eyes, pleased that the golden undertones of the azure silk matched his eyes. "Perfect. This will look great on you. Not flashy, but dignified."

"There was a reason it was in the back," he commented as she handed him a rich amber and orange sash to replace his usual yellow and blue one. "This is a bit bright."

Kagome stood back with an incredulous look on her face. "You're a taiyoukai! You should stand out, Sesshoumaru. It's strong, not bright. I mean, what do you usually wear to these things?" She watched as he pulled out a plain gray kimono and a black sash. "Oh no… no, no. Boring!"

"I am not an ice demon."

"No, you're hot." She caught Sesshoumaru's confused glance and blushed. "Sorry, that was a joke that was beyond bad. I'm gonna go and help the kids so you can change, okay?" She waved goodbye and skipped out before the taiyoukai could protest further.

"Strange female," he murmured staring at the garments in his hand.

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Kagome knocked on the taiyoukai's door. "Sesshoumaru-sama, the Northern army is here. Lord Makoto is about to enter the city." Behind her, the children were beginning to bicker again. Neither one was very pleased about being forced into formal wear and uncomfortable shoes. She sighed and knocked again.

The door opened as she was lifting her knuckles away from the thick wood. The dog demon stood within the frame, clothed in the blue kimono. She was pleased to see that he had chosen to wear the amber sash that she had picked out as well.

"You look very handsome, my lord," she said smiling. "But why are you wearing your armor?"

Sesshoumaru glanced down at the metal plates adorning his chest. Even though Jaken had scrubbed it for hours, the steel would always possess the dents and scratches that prevented it from gleaming, as proper armor should. "It is traditional, in times of war, to wear armor," he answered simply.

Kagome shook her head, still smiling. "Well then, we should get downstairs. You have to greet your guest, right?"

The taiyoukai closed the door behind him and joined the hanyou in the middle of the hallway with the children. Rin was quite pretty in a cream colored kimono, decorated with elaborate flowers of all shades. Beside her, Washi was clothed in brown and gold. Both children were tugging at their collars, trying to loosen the restrictive clothing. He raised an eyebrow. "Cease your fidgeting. You must learn to dress and behave like others in your station."

The hanyou had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as the children dropped their heads and gave a guilty, chorused, "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Sesshoumaru nodded in satisfaction and led the way down to the main section of the castle. Behind him, Kagome held the children's hands, telling them that they must be quiet and well-behaved during the audience, regardless of what happened. He noted with pleasure that she carried herself well in the difficult geta sandals and that she was calm and collected.

The public sector of his mansion was more tranquil than it had been in days. He could hear his clerks' brushes sweeping across their pages, trying to finish all of the wartime paperwork, but otherwise, the hall was quiet. All of the nobles and their lower-born assistants were apparently already in his throne room, awaiting his news and the arrival of the Northern lord.

They walked down several long hallways, towards the grand doors that opened to the front walk. Soldiers pulled the thick wooden slabs apart, allowing the cool autumn sunlight stream into the entryway. Kagome could see a large entourage approaching them, an enormous youkai in the front. His wings nearly obscured his attendants and they shimmered with each step of his strange green, squirrel-like steed.

Finally, the party was before them and the monstrous celestial dismounted, handing the reins of his beast off to a waiting servant. The lord was clearly much older than her Sesshoumaru, but his eyes held much more energy than she had suspected. His body and wings were much like Keitaro's glittering skin, but more rotund and he sported a long silver beard. He looked like the lovechild of Santa and an angel. He was certainly not the frail youkai that she had envisioned when Sesshoumaru had spoken of his great age.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" boomed Makoto. "How nice to see you again, my boy, even if it is under such horrible circumstances."

The dog demon bowed with Kagome and children following suit behind him. "Lord Makoto," he intoned with much more calm. "A pleasure as always. I trust your journey was not too difficult."

The celestial laughed loudly, making it ring in the hanyou's sensitive ears. "I'm an old demon, but not that old. How quickly you forget how tough I am. I doubt anything could pierce this rough hide of mine." He laughed again and crossed his arms over his dark blue kimono. "I see that you look as young as ever. I keep telling you though, that sour disposition of yours will catch up to you one day," he joked.

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow. "I am sure that I will manage, Makoto."

The pearly blue eyes of the Northern lord finally rested upon Kagome and the children. "And who are these creatures you have with you?" He sniffed the air and laughed again. "I never would have thought of you keeping company with a human, a half-demon and an eagle youkai. Where did you find them?"

The inuyoukai half turned and gestured the children on either side of Kagome. "The human girl is Rin, who have kept as my ward for four years now. The boy is Washi, an orphan of noble blood." He lowered his hand and kept his eyes locked on the hanyou. "The female is Kagome, my half-brother's travelling companion until he died. She is a powerful priestess."

"A miko?" repeated Makoto. "Interesting. I didn't think a demon could have purification powers."

Sesshoumaru remained silent, which Kagome took as an invitation to answer the Northern lord's unspoken question. "I was once entirely human, my lord," she said, bowing. "When I became a hanyou, I retained my priestess abilities."

"I can imagine that would be useful," Makoto said approvingly. "You must tell me how you managed such a transformation. I have never heard of it, but that is a conversation for another time. As is the subject of Tetsusaiga, I see." His jovial eyes swept down the length of the Fang's sheath.

The dog demon nodded once. "There are many things we need to discuss, Makoto, but at the moment, we have an official audience to attend. It would be an honor if you could join us."

"Of course, my young friend," the celestial answered with a chuckle. "Must be important." He winked at Kagome and let out his hearty laugh again as he walked over the castle threshold.

The taiyoukai sighed inwardly as he tried to ignore Kagome's surprised expression. Sometimes Makoto was too insightful for his own good. He was only thankful that the announcement of his choice of mate would be quite soon, instead of having the old youkai dropping hints all over the castle. He fell into step with his father's old friend. "Why did you accompany your troops, Makoto?" he asked in a quiet, firm voice

The celestial became serious, a frown creasing his face. "I thought we were going to discuss these matters at a later time, Sesshoumaru."

"I would prefer to know now." He glanced behind him, assuring himself that Kagome was occupied with straightening the children's hair. "Even if you must explain your reasoning later."

"Very well, I shall tell you, although it is really none of your business," Makoto admonished. "The truth is that if I hadn't left my home, I'd be dead right now. There is a traitor in my court and I cannot find him. I cannot defend myself against a foe I cannot see."

Sesshoumaru nodded. The fear of betrayal was one that every lord had to be conscious of. It was in everyone's best interest if the lord left his estates if that fear became all consuming. Assassins were nothing to be trifled with. "You are welcome to remain until the matter is resolved. I assume that your son has taken charge of the North?"

The celestial's wings rustled as he folded them tightly across his back. "The boy is inexperienced, but he can defend himself much more easily than I can. I've left him and his younger siblings ample instructions. I can only hope the place is in one piece when I get back. If I get back."

"You are their father. I am sure that you have imparted your wisdom to your progeny."

"I would hope so, but sometimes I think that their mother's death has had more of a consequence upon them than I want to believe," he said. Makoto's mate had died in childbirth two centuries previous, bringing their fifth child into the world.

They stopped in front of the closed doors to the throne room. Sesshoumaru glanced over his shoulder once again and was rewarded by a brilliant smile from Kagome. "Go in," he instructed her. "I will join you in a moment." He watched the hanyou and the children slip through the doors and decided to let the court stare at them for a few more moments before entering the den of lions.

"She's quite beautiful," commented Makoto, following the taiyoukai's line of vision. "And she's powerful as well. I can see why you have chosen her. And it's nice to know that the Western line will be preserved by this pup she's carrying."

A muscle in Sesshoumaru's cheek twitched. "How did you know?"

The celestial laughed heartily. "You stare at her as if she's made of porcelain. Not to mention that she's practically glowing with the joy of it. I doubt anyone else has noticed though, so I wouldn't worry, my boy. She'll be an excellent mother."

"If she doesn't turn evil again," he muttered darkly.

Makoto sighed. "Well, we really do have quite a bit to talk about, don't we?"

The taiyoukai brushed his hand through his long white hair. "You really have no conception of it. The woman has turned my life inside out."

"All the good ones do," chuckled the celestial.

They opened the doors and entered the throne room together. As expected, almost all of the courtiers were staring at Kagome, but they now turned to watch the inuyoukai and Makoto make their way to the head of the room. Parting before them, the demon bowed in reverence but kept their eyes fixed on Sesshoumaru. As he passed by them, they stood up and began to whisper, trading ideas about what this audience could possibly be about.

He approached Kagome, who was in a small circle with Nami, Ruri and Keitaro, just as he had expected. As the celestial beside him paused to greet a few of the higher-ranking nobles, Sesshoumaru joined his future mate, effectively stopping her in mid-sentence.

Nami and Keitaro slowly separated, putting a few feet of space between them before the young celestial bowed. "Can we help you, my lord?"

Sesshoumaru felt increasing anxiety emanating from Kagome. She clearly thought he had forgotten his promise to not harm Keitaro, even though the celestial had technically encroached upon his own claimed mate. He didn't assuage her fears directly, but lifted his chin and gave the trembling pair a stern glare. "I do not appreciate having secrets kept from me, especially when they concern the future of the Western Lands," he said. "However, in light of other circumstances, I will accept your behavior without punishment. Nami, you are freed from your obligation. Chose your mate as you will."

Nami bowed. "Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru, for this decision."

Keitaro moved back to the water demoness's side. "Thank you," he echoed. "It is most kind of you, my lord."

The hanyou exchanged a bemused look with Ruri as she felt Sesshoumaru tense up. The celestial was truly naïve sometimes. Complimenting the benevolence of the dog demon was exactly what he shouldn't have done. She had never seen anyone put the taiyoukai on edge this often since Inuyasha had died. He and Nami were truly perfect for each other.

She turned the now irritable dog demon. "Will this be a very long audience, my lord?" she asked. Not that she actually cared; he could take all day as long as he made their decision official, but it would keep him away from Keitaro for the moment.

"No, I just have two matters to discuss," he responded, taking a deep breath of her scent. The citrus aroma immediately calmed him. "It will begin shortly." He finally looked at her, silently telling her to prepare herself, and then disappeared into the crowd to find Makoto.

"He seems a bit anxious," commented Keitaro.

Kagome stifled a giggle. "He's been this way all day," she said when she finally could trust herself with a straight face. "I think that Makoto-sama daunts him a bit."

Nami looked at her friend, noting with pleasure how the hanyou's arms were crossed over her abdomen in a protective posture. "Kagome-chan, I don't want to be too forward, but is this audience about what I hope it is about?"

The hanyou bit her lip, turning her eyes up to the ceiling and giving a small shrug. "He's so unpredictable," she said, neatly avoiding the question.

The water demoness gave a happy little sigh, looping her arm around Keitaro's and leaning against his shoulder. The celestial looked rather clueless but smiled at his love's actions. Ruri meanwhile rolled her eyes. "Well, all euphemisms aside," the skunk demon began, "I wish the best for you, Kagome-chan."

For a moment, guilt stabbed Kagome's heart. Ruri had just lost her beloved mate and here they all were, choosing new mates around her. She knew from experience how painful it was to see others happy and in love when you were alone.

The black and white haired youkai caught Kagome's sympathetic stare. "Don't worry about me," she assured her. "I'm fine. I'm happy for my friends."

The hanyou squeezed Ruri's hand as she noticed a hush was falling over the crowd. Turning around, she saw that Sesshoumaru was approaching the dais with Makoto taking his place of honor on the right side of the platform. Kagome looked down as the children rejoined her, tired of running through the crowd. She held their hands and smiled reassuringly.

The taiyoukai stood before his court, waiting for the last whispers to die. "I have only two matters to discuss today," he said, his deep voice stretching out across the hall. "First, we must welcome Lord Makoto of the Northern Lands. He has arrived with a portion of his army in order to help protect the West from invasion. War is on the horizon and we must all appreciate the North's assistance." He and Makoto bowed to each other as the court clapped politely.

"I remind all of you to extend every kindness to the Northern subjects," he continued once the clapping had ceased. "They are to be treated with the respect every guest in this territory deserves. Any undesirable behavior towards them will be brought to my personal attention." His voice held the promise of severe punishment. "Now, are there any questions?"

The nobles remained silent. The castle grapevine would answer any questions that were not proper to ask in an official audience. "Very well," said the taiyoukai. "I shall move on then to something of a more personal nature. As you all know, my half-brother died many months ago, a fact only brought to my attention recently. Since then, I have accepted that we have no heir to the West. Especially in this time of war, this is a dangerous situation to be in. Therefore, I have selected a mate."

As expected, a wave of murmuring swept the floor. Makoto appeared genuinely amused, Kagome's friends appeared pleased, but the rest of the crowd seemed rather confused and annoyed. The knot of females that constantly followed his movements was looking at each other accusingly. The hanyou herself was extremely pale, but calm and even had a small smile on her face. He took a deep breath.

"I have chosen Kagome as my mate and Lady of the Western Lands."

There was stunned silence from the majority of the crowd. Nami, Keitaro, Ruri and Makoto began to clap wildly however as soon as the words escaped Sesshoumaru's lips. On the other side of the room, Kagome could hear the wolf brothers yelling, "Go nee-san!" as she walked forward and joined Sesshoumaru on the platform. The children stared for a moment but then began to scream in happiness and jump around.

She bowed to the court, trying to ignore the many venomous looks that were replacing stunned expressions. As she straightened up, other youkai were finally beginning to join her friends with a smattering of applause.

Sesshoumaru frowned slightly. He had not expected for his court to embrace this decision with great joy, but he had anticipated more support than this. The frown deepened as the clapping faded and hands began to be raised in hope that he would answer their questions. He looked down at the hanyou beside at him. She was trembling ever so slightly, but she returned the glance with a confident smile. "I have no desire to listen to selfish questions that are of no concern to us. Fetch the children. Makoto and I will join you in the East wing shortly."

Kagome surveyed the crowd that was now whispering about her. "What? You don't want to defend me?" she teased.

"I do not need to justify my decisions to my court. They are here to serve me and provide for the West. You and the pups you bear will be a great boon to my territory. They will not question my choice," he said rather heatedly. The truth was that he could have made many more valuable political alliances if he had chosen from the gaggle of females that followed him everywhere. In fact, his choice probably would damage some ties he had, but Sesshoumaru hardly cared. His entire life had been invested into the wellbeing of the West and no one could argue that a powerful miko could hinder his progress.

The hanyou grinned. "Well, it's official now so I don't care what they have to say anyway." She bowed deeply, aware that hundreds of eyes were still upon her. "I will meet you and Makoto-sama upstairs then."

Sesshoumaru watched as she stepped off the dais and collected the children, who were both still bouncing with joy. As she hugged her friends, including the wolf brothers that had appeared by her side, Makoto approached the taiyoukai. "It will be an interesting match. I just hope the pups take after her." He let out a loud laugh.

"We shall see," the dog demon replied as he gestured for the guards to throw open the doors, the signal that the audience was over. "But for now, we must go to my study. We have many things to discuss."

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A/N: It took forever to write that last scene. I was considering having the court ask Sesshoumaru their burning questions, but I don't think anything he could say would convince them that a half-demon was the best choice for him to make. So Kagome will have to prove it to them herself, eh? I apologize for grammatical errors – I usually edit thoroughly but I have a midterm on Wednesday and I'm sure you didn't want to wait any longer while I studied. Thanks again to everyone who congratulated me! And here are the review responses:

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