Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Inuyasha.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I had some health issues, and I hope you respect that my health comes before any fanfiction. Anyway, since you waited far too long for this, I wound up with a little over four thousand words. I hope someone appreciates it, because I don't know if another chapter will be this long. Well, you never know.
I would love to thank you all for the lovely reviews, and I will try to respond since now you can send replies. A special thanks to spiritoftomoe. Your review was wonderfully appreciated and made me smile.
Two important facts for the story:
1) Kagome's home is now the Feudal Era. She will not be returning home thru the well.
2) Inuyasha, nor any of the other members of the group, will show up. They will be mentioned, but not seen. Maybe one, but I haven't definitely decided.
This story is solely Kagome and Sesshomaru.
Chapter 3: Examine
The moon radiated a shimmering incandescence on the dense forest creating small lighted paths in the dark woods. Usually there would be many creatures out using this to their advantage, but tonight they were all quiet. None wished to break the tension that flowed in the air around the two silent individuals who ventured through their forest. Each was lost in their thoughts, but one paid close attention to the surroundings.
Sesshomaru had pushed his thoughts on the priestess leading him aside for the moment to study their traveling path. He recognized the area from his travels across the country, but it was not a familiar recognition. It was obvious to him they were not in the Western Lands since he knew every bit of his land, but he could see that they were just outside of it. 'At least I'm close enough to know if anything disrupts my lands. It seems it is the only good thing to come out of this fiasco.'
His thoughts could not stray away from the priestess and what happened earlier. He still did not believe her ridiculous notion of soul mates when he was positive there was something between her and his half-breed brother. Yes he knew of the dead priestess his brother was once involved with, but he could not believe his idiotic brother would choose the dead one over a living, breathing, (something he would not mention out loud) beautiful young woman. 'Then again, this is Inuyasha I am thinking about. He would be that stupid to continue to pursue a dead woman who could not accept him as he is even when she was alive.'
He began to ponder what could have happened to cause the female in front of him to want to cast the spell to locate a mate. Did she search for a suitable one before resorting to using a spell to find herself a mate? Surely any human male could see what an exceptional woman she was. From his previous brief encounters with her, he knew her to be (again something he would not admit aloud) a powerful priestess, an educated female, and a kind and caring soul even if her emotions sometimes got in the way. There was no one who could compare with her, yet she needed a spell to find a male she wanted as a husband.
The Western Lord knew being a demon meant he was superior to humans, but it did not mean it could be a passable reason for her to avoid obtaining a human male. He was determined to prove he was not the one for her. It was unfathomable to him that a spell with a priestess' soul would seek out, acknowledge, and accept a demon's soul as a compliment to their own. It was unheard of and taboo. A demon and a priestess are natural enemies, so it would be impossible for them to coexist peacefully together as mates. Yet she, her soul, and the spell firmly believe he is her soul mate. How could a priestess' soul willingly consent in having a demon as a mate?
All these thoughts were swirling in his mind, but he could not come up with an answer to any. This priestess who was walking quietly in front of him was a conundrum, and he did not appreciate it. The dog demon wanted to throw her on the ground, threaten her, and demand answers, but he barely restrained himself. He was fairly aware of the prayer beads around his neck and didn't wish to be subdued again by her. His eyes flashed red, 'I will make her pay.'
Coming out of his introspection, Sesshomaru once more checked his surroundings. He noticed the trees were becoming less, but the foliage did not ease up. It was odd to see, but he had a feeling she had something to do it. Priestesses were one with nature, so it would be no surprise if she purposely did this to keep her home a secret from others.
Sesshomaru breathed in the air to familiarize himself with the area and came upon a peculiar scent. He took a deep breath and found the aroma to be refreshing. It smelled of a waterfall and water lilies. Closing his golden orbs, he inhaled the fragrance methodically in and out and could not get enough. Not only was it exhilarating, it also had a soothing quality to it. He had to know where this scent was coming from.
Opening his eyes, Sesshomaru lifted his nose to the air and tried to pinpoint the aroma. After a few sniffs, he discerned that the smell was ahead of him. He gazed over the female's head to evaluate the area in front of them, but he did not see any type of water. It puzzled him that there would be a smell of a waterfall, yet there was no water. The dog demon inhaled again to be sure where the aroma was and knew it was definitely before him. He quickened his pace to get to the fragrance, and as he got closer and closer to his walking companion the stronger the scent became. When he was behind her, he took another sniff of the air and found the source of the marvelous aroma.
It was the priestess!
He could not believe such a pleasant and fresh scent could come from a human. Most humans reeked of sweat and the aging of their mortal bodies. Yet, she smelled of neither. She had a clean, pure and crisp scent, and it was wonderful to his senses. It was both relaxing and invigorating to his body, and he had to get away from her. If her scent alone could do this to him, he had to make sure he was never too close to her again. He did not want to give her another idea, beside her ludicrous soul mate belief, for her to keep him near. Taking several steps away from the priestess, he kept the distance between them reasonable and brought his concentration back to the path.
Ahead of him, Sesshomaru noticed the area was opening up, and that the female was slowing down. He felt a little relieved, because it meant her home was close, and she would have to finally leave him alone when she rested. As they stepped into the clearing, he glanced around to habituate himself with the area. Above them was a small cliff which ironically had a waterfall pouring over the edge of it into a pool of water that led to a small stream. To the right, a line of tall thick bushes and a few trees formed a three wall setting at the foot of the cliff. Tall trees and small bushes surrounded the area to help keep it secluded.
He had a feeling that was where the priestess lived, because even to him it was the ideal place for her home. The scent of her that he wished to avoid was permeating the area, but he knew it was just not her. With the waterfall flowing and the flowers around them, it perfectly melded with her own scent that you would not know if it was her or the clearing itself. 'She somehow must know what her scent is, because this area would confuse anyone should someone try to follow her. Hmm, clever human.'
The dog demon saw the priestess heading toward the 'wall' and place a glowing hand on it. When she lifted it, the bush opened as a door to a home. She beckoned him with a smile, and he obligingly followed. He was curious to see what lay behind the 'wall.'
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Kagome felt her tension reduce when Sesshomaru complied with her silent request to trail after her inside. The priestess knew he was still angry about the prayer beads and didn't want to further incite him by using it again so soon. She really only wanted to use it to protect herself, not control him. Well, she would if he didn't concede to something within reason. It was not about dominance, but to prove that she would do anything to be treated as an equal.
After the dog demon entered, the door closed behind them and left them in a narrow porch. She took off her shoes and the cloak as he took off his shoes, and she opened a sliding door to let them into her home. The main room was a simple one with wood floors and light green screen walls that had a sliding door on each wall. The walls were plain while the doors had a scene of some sort on each. It was not too wide, but had enough space for a low mahogany table which had two dark green plush cushions to the right side of the room. In the center was a fire pit for cooking or warming the place.
The young woman led him to the furthest door that had a design of a type of yin and yang symbol, except one side had sun and clouds while the other had the moon and the stars. Pushing the door aside, Kagome ushered her quiet partner through which brought them back outside. The backyard consisted of a small garden of herbs and flowers, a lone tree separate from the 'wall' with little flower bushes on either side of the trunk and a cave entrance in the rear.
In a polite and soft voice, Kagome explained the layout of her modest yard as they walked on the stone path. "As you can see, I have a herb garden that I like to keep nearby if I'm ever needed by any close villages." Pointing to the tree, "Over there is where I like to meditate, because of its peaceful smell and aura. And back there," tilting her head towards the cave, "is the best part. Come on, I'll show you."
The threshold of the cave was seven feet high and ten feet wide with climbing vines along its sides. Inside on the smooth rock floor, several spots were covered in moss to create a comfortable and cushiony feel for the sole of a foot. To the left was cascading water producing a natural shower which poured into a small stream of water that led underground to the outside pool. A hot spring was to the right where two small boulders were in the front and a large one in the back of it. Flowers sprinkled the boulders to help give an overall calming effect.
A happy smile came upon Kagome's face at the sight of the hot spring. She was ready to dive in there for some relaxation, but she still had to do one more thing. It was not something she was looking forward to do, yet she did not want to put it off till later. It was better to get it over and done with, instead of procrastinating.
Shaking her head to dispel it from her mind for now, Kagome glanced at the stoic demon from the corner of her eye. As usual, he had a blank look on his face. The priestess hoped with time she would be able to discern any type of emotion he might have. She did not want to spend the rest of her life with an aloof person.
Again she briefly questioned the spell and its accuracy, and then squashed the thought. The spell was full-proof and could not be changed. Once it found your soul match, it was up to the individual whether or not to pursue it, and fulfill your soul's destiny for its soul mate. Otherwise, a void would be felt within your being until you could meet again in another lifetime.
After the recent unfortunate events in her life, Kagome wondered if fate was playing a joke on her. How else would a bright, energetic, warmhearted and loving priestess be the soul match of a brooding, indifferent, and seemingly coldhearted demon lord? Maybe she was looking at this all wrong. What if perhaps fate brought them together, because he had been in a similar situation? Maybe their union was meant to be, seeing that they suffered in the same way, and possibly only each other could heal their wounds. If so, she had a lot of hard work to do.
Coming out of her stupor, the young woman from the future directed her attention back on the Western Lord. "Uh," 'smooth Kagome. Stop acting like an idiot and act normal.' "Here is the hot spring, and you can use it anytime you want. It's great for unwinding and loosening muscles, not just for bathing." Getting a grunt for an answer, she exited the cave.
&$&$&
Walking back into the house, Kagome stopped in front of the door with a unicorn grazing in a field of flowers. "This is my room, so if you need anything," mumbling under her breath, "which I doubt," and continuing in a regular tone, "just ask and I'll help in any way I can." Striding to the door with dueling dragons on it, she slid it open and motioned him in. "Here is your room."
The bedroom was sparsely furnished like the rest of the humble home. There was a full-sized futon on one side of the floor. It was decorated in a deep blue blanket and sky blue sheets and pillows. A three-drawer dresser was placed by the foot of the bed. An average size, low desk sat on the other side of the room with a short shelf next to it that had several books on it. Near the desk, a stand for armor and a sword rack stood in the corner.
Sesshomaru knew his own home had far better rooms, but for this quaint house it was fairly adequate. Scanning the room, the dog demon concluded it was more suitable than sharing with the priestess. If he had to, necklace or not, he would have physically harmed her. There were boundaries to this precarious relationship, and she would not be crossing any if he had anything to say about it.
Kagome was getting nervous. She knew what she had to do, but it didn't mean she wanted to do it. 'Get a grip, girl! You're only doing this to protect yourself. It has nothing to do with my curiosity to...' blushing bright red and mentally shaking her head, 'Bah! Stop it, Kagome! Remember the reason why you're going to do this. No fear, just be strong.' Inwardly patting herself on the back for the little pep talk, she faced the demon Lord.
Gathering her courage, she spoke in a friendly tone. "Sesshomaru, you can place your armor and swords in the corner." The suggestive quality of the statement had an underlying order to it that did not go unnoticed by the demon.
He pondered over her request, but saw nothing wrong with it. The Western Lord was planning on removing said objects from his person, because he wanted to be comfortable while he thought more on the priestess and her motives. Narrowing his golden orbs at her, he wanted to get across that he was not doing it because of her suggestion, but on his own volition. Turning his back on her and ignoring her presence, he began to take off his possessions and settled them on their corresponding stand.
Once he was done with the miniscule task, he looked back at the female. She was somewhat fidgeting her fingers on the hem of each sleeve and had a slight blush on her cheeks while avoiding making eye contact. He could not fathom what was going on in her mind to cause such a reaction. Deciding on her having mental deficiencies, the dog demon waited for her to have her say and leave him in peace.
Meanwhile in the land that she liked to call her mind, Kagome was having some issues. Her earlier pep talk had gone out the window when her shyness and modesty came to the forefront. She could not believe she was actually going to go through with it. It was one thing to think about it, but actually doing it was a whole different matter. She was always a shy girl when it came to boys, and it didn't change as she got older. At nineteen, she assumed she would have gotten passed some of her bashfulness and be more zealous. Then again, she didn't think she would be still in the Feudal Era, and... 'No! No, don't go there Kagome. This is not the time to think about that shit.' Contemplating her previous thought, 'Maybe I should recall what happened. It was the main reason I cast that spell.' Recalling the past events, the young woman strengthened her resolve to push onward.
"Remove your clothes."
"Excuse me?" Eyes widening slightly by being surprised again by her, Sesshomaru was sure he heard incorrectly even with his impeccable hearing. The priestess did not just tell him to do that. "I believe I have misunderstood your words priestess. Surely you did not ask that I remove my clothing." The smile he hated so much when she first greeted him this evening was reappearing and he did not like it one bit.
"You're right, I did not ask you. I told you to." Her smile brightened when he snarled. "Do as you're told, or I will have to enforce it." Her eyes flared pink in warning.
Growling, Sesshomaru did as ordered. 'Why does she want my clothing gone? What purpose does it serve? Does she intend to humiliate me further? If so, she has given me another reason to punish her severely when I get rid of this necklace.' When he was down to his undergarment, the dog demon glanced at her to see if she was satisfied, but instead became confused by her expression. The smile was no longer there. It was replaced with an expression as if she had eaten something sour. He did not appreciate that look. To him, it seemed she was appalled by his appearance. 'Perhaps the stub of my left arm disgusts her. Well, if her precious half-demon had not cut it off, I would be more appealing to her view.'
In actuality, Kagome's thoughts were far from that. There was a reason for the sour look. She was attempting everything possible to keep her mouth from hanging open in awe. 'HOLY SHIT! He has a freaking body of a God. I don't think there is one ounce of fat on his gorgeous body. His body is nothing like Inuyasha's and Miroku's. It's a whole hell of a lot finer!' Staring at his chest and abs, she was yelling at herself not to act like some crazy fan girl. 'Must not open mouth! Must not drool! Must not embarrass myself with gawking and slobbering all over the floor.'
Reining in her wayward thoughts, she circled his growling figure much the same way she did the first time. The priestess was astonished he did not try to attack, since she did not have him subdued. Shrugging, she came to stand before him and took four steps back. She knew this order was going to cause a physical reaction.
"Take off the undergarment." As expected, he lunged for her neck. "Heel!" Just like earlier, he was stopped before he could touch her. Now he was red-eyed and snarling viciously, but Kagome wouldn't back down from this. 'It took my pep talk and past memories to get this far, so I'm not going to let some growls get in my way. He better accept it, or I will be forced to use the beads.'
Sesshomaru was beyond livid. After everything that happened all ready, this pushed the last straw. 'This wench has gone too far! I am not here for her viewing pleasure. I am the Lord of the Western Lands and deserve respect.' Opening his mouth to speak, he saw the priestess' eyes turn bright pink and stay that way. He knew she was serious in her request and would command him if he did not comply willingly. Not wanting the pull of the necklace to press his actions, he firmly shed his undergarment and was left bare to her sight.
For her part, Kagome's eyes did not immediately dart down. Oh, she was interested to see what it looked like, but refrained from doing so. She was a lady. All right, she wasn't a real lady, but she did have some dignity. Staring at his private area was not dignified. Well, what she was about to do would put that last statement right in the garbage.
Striding closer to him, the priestess gazed straight into his red orbs. The fierce crimson spheres held malice for her, but it wouldn't deter her from her task. Sapphire eyes glanced down to the object she had been avoiding visually. Fortunately for her since long ebony locks blocked his vision; he did not catch her wide-eyed expression and mouth hanging ajar in a silent gasp. 'He's... he's... he's so...' Words could not describe what she was seeing. She had seen both Inuyasha and Miroku, not intentionally of course, and neither of them was close to this. And even odder, he was hairless. She didn't know someone could be hairless there naturally. An absent thought flowed through her mind, 'Maybe it has something to do with this form and his true form.' Slowly, her hand extended and grabbed a hold of his length.
To say he was shocked was an understatement. When she approached his figure, he had reasoned she only wanted a closer inspection of his body. He was slightly uncomfortable as she looked upon what defined him as a male. But when the priestess gripped him, his sanity flew out the door.
"Bitch, what do you think you are doing?" The dog demon snapped at her through lengthening fangs.
"Silence!" It effectively quieted his words, but not his growls. It was fine for Kagome, because as long as she couldn't hear his voice she could concentrate.
What Sesshomaru did not know was that she really wasn't manhandling him, but in reality examining him. She wanted to make sure his vital male organ was working properly and healthy. She didn't know if demons had any kind of sexual diseases and definitely didn't want to catch any of it. Also, she had to be certain he could father a child. The young woman wouldn't hold it against him if he couldn't; she just wanted to be assured. Kagome always wanted a child of her own and wanted confirmation she could have one with him. She wasn't going to pressure him in doing so, but hopefully over time he would want one too. With her.
Guiding one glowing pink hand to what she referred to as 'the hanging thingy,' she massaged it lightly to get a feel of the potency inside. After a minute, she became relieved to know that he could sire children. Now with her other hand which was still on his member, she began a more thorough exam to ascertain if he had any STDs. 'A gorgeous guy like him probably had tons of women.' Mentally shaking the thought away, she continued to focus on her inspection. Sliding her hand up and down to feel it in its entirety for several minutes, she realized she had found nothing yet. Accumulating additional power to her hands, she performed a more in-depth exam of the private area and found something unbelievable.
Backing away, she licked her dry lips and exclaimed her find without consideration. "You're a virgin!" When she didn't even get a growl from him, she sputtered on. "But... look at you! Who the hell wouldn't want you!"
Golden eyes stared coldly at her and stated in a monotone voice, "Leave me." The priestess did as requested without complaint. When she was by the door, he spoke again in a tone that sent shivers up her spine. "I WILL make you suffer."
Kagome turned around and gave him a sad smile. "What makes you think I haven't all ready?" Shaking her head, she left the bedroom and closed the door behind her softly.
Each retired to a restless night lost in a world of chaotic thoughts and unanswered questions.
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Whew, finally done! So, what do you think? I bet none of you thought I was going to do that. There was a reason why I said I was inspired by the other fic and why I rated it M. Don't worry; it won't go as far as the other one did.
I would like to point out that the 'he-hem' examination was necessary for Kagome to do. As I wrote, she wanted to be sure he could father a child and had no 'cooties.' She was not trying to humiliate him; she was only trying to protect herself. Also, she's not trying to force him or keep him against his will. She firmly believes in the spell and will not let this 'opportunity' go. Also, I decided to make him a virgin, because I thought it would interesting to see what lay behind the cold facade for him to remain celibate. And the fact I can't stand stories where they have him sleeping with every woman that crosses his path. That's not an appealing quality to me. Nor does it make his character more of a man/demon if he could bed every woman in sight. Hey, that's just my opinion.
Next chapter will have Sesshomaru's thoughts when she was examining him, as well as hers from her finding. And soon, you find out her reasons for casting the spell. Hopefully, it won't take me as long to get out.
And to any of my fans of 'Transformations,' I hope to have it out by the weekend, so look for it.
Please rate and review!
DOTS