Debts Repaid

Ilyo felt the blade whistle by his ear and he pulled back as the Tenseiga slashed the air above Kagome's body. He watched in amazement as she immediately groaned and began to stir.

Ilyo looked up at Sesshomaru, his eyes wide. He opened his mouth to speak but Sesshomaru interrupted him. "I don't want your thanks," the demon Lord coldly said. "I didn't want to watch someone as powerful as you waste away over the death of a female." He fell silent and then turned and walked away, heading back to the castle.

Ilyo watched him go, but another groan brought his attention back to the girl in his arms. He looked down just as she opened her eyes. She tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "What happened?" she inquired in a hoarse voice.

Ilyo smiled gently at her and began to explain. "Kuttsoh-turas killed you and Sesshomaru brought you back with the Tenseiga. You're lucky he was here. If not, you would still be dead."

Kagome was shocked that cold, heartless Sesshomaru had brought her back to life with the Tenseiga. She started to ponder this more, but her thoughts were interrupted when Ilyo bent down and kissed her.

At first, she remained rigid in his grasp, then she got more into it and things might have went further, but Ilyo pulled back. She looked up at him, confused, but he merely picked her up. "We should get back to the castle. You're pretty dirty from when you crash landed in the dirt." He silently carried her to the castle door, and kicked it open.

Once inside, he carried her to her room. "Can you walk?" He didn't want to put her down, but she realized that he was saying she needed a shower.

"Yeah," she assured him. Setting her down gently, he watched carefully as she took a few steps. She looked at him and waved before heading into her private bathroom. Ilyo resolved himself to wait for her, so he lied down on her bed. He heard the shower turn on.

Half an hour later, he heard the water finally shut off. Sitting up, he waited for her to come out. He was surprised when she only stuck her head around the door. "Umm, can you get me some clothes? Mine are in pretty bad shape." Ilyo nodded silently and got up off the bed. Looking around, he spotted the dresser. He opened the drawers, but they were empty. He looked around for anything else that might be concealing clothing, but he couldn't find anything.

Walking to the bathroom door, he knocked quietly. "Kagome, I can't find any clothes. You'll have to make do with what you have."As an answer, the door opened slightly.

"I don't really want to put these clothes on again. They're covered in dirt and blood. Could I borrow your coat?" Ilyo immediately removed the garment in question and handed it to her. Then, he went and sat back down on the bed, waiting for her to finish whatever she was doing.

Finally, after another few minutes, the door opened. Kagome stepped out. Ilyo immediately thought to himself, damn, this girl would look good in anything. All she had on was his coat and she still looked great. To him, it reached just below his waist, but on her, it fell below her knees. She had brushed out her hair till it shined, and she no longer smelled like blood.

She smiled at him as he looked at her. Getting up, he motioned for her to follow him, and he led her out of the room, looking for present day Sesshomaru. "We'll find Sesshomaru. He'll probably have some proper clothing for you to wear." Kagome nodded.

When they rounded a corner, the encountered Sesshomaru, but it was past Sesshomaru. He looked at them coldly before speaking. "I suppose the female needs clothing." Ilyo nodded.

Turning, Sesshomaru walked off, leading them a short way down the hallway, into a small room. There were no fewer than six dressers along the walls. Gesturing, Sesshomaru indicated the dressers.

"Take what you wish. I am sure my future self won't mind." With that, Sesshomaru whirled around and left, closing the door behind him. Kagome immediately went to the dressers and started looking through the drawers. Ilyo looked on in amusement as she picked up and discarded many items. Finally, she settled on a black t-shirt and a short black skirt. Without thinking, she took off his coat, and stood before him, naked. He averted his gaze. Blushing, she quickly donned her chosen outfit.

Clearing her throat nervously, Kagome picked up Ilyo's jacket and handed it back to him. He took it and slipped it on. Getting up, he led her silently down the stairs into main hallway on the ground level. No one was there. Ilyo could smell food, so he followed his nose, and it led both of them to a large room, filled with many tables. Seated at one of the tables was Icthalur and present day Sesshomaru. Past Sesshomaru stood beside the table, leaning rigidly against the wall.

Ilyo and Kagome approached the table silently. Icthalur felt his friend approaching and stood up. He and Sesshomaru both gasped in shocked surprise at the sight of Kagome. Sesshomaru opened his mouth like he was going to speak, but he stopped when Kagome walked up to past Sesshomaru.

"I want to thank you for returning me to life. I wish there was something I could do for you." As she said this, she placed her hand on his shoulder. As she spoke, the two began glowing. Ilyo and Icthalur looked at the scene before them in puzzlement, but present day Sesshomaru just smiled knowingly.

The glow began to expand, forming the shape of an arm where Sesshomaru had none. The glow slowly solidified and turned into a real arm, complete with the purple markings that adorned his other arm.

Kagome withdrew her hand in shock once the process was completed. Sesshomaru looked at her like it was some kind of trick and then flexed it experimentally. He looked at Kagome, and for a moment, she could swear she saw a look of gratitude on his face. Then, his normal emotionless mask resumed its position on his handsome face.

"Thank you, girl," he said coldly and nodded once politely.

Kagome was slightly insulted by his emotionless response, so her own words were said in the same cold tone he had use. "Consider it a debt repaid." Sesshomaru nodded curtly.

That being done, Kagome turned to Icthalur and present day Sesshomaru. They were still looking at her in amazement. She sighed and started to explain. "Sesshomaru used the Tenseiga to return me to life. In return, my spiritual powers granted my unconscious wish to repay him the favour. I gave him his arm back."

Present day Sesshomaru nodded his understanding, mentally beating himself for neglecting to remember his own Tenseiga.

Ilyo suddenly remembered what Inuyasha had done. He quickly filled Kagome in on what had taken place before she was revived. She shook her head in anger. Ilyo, however, was not angry. He could respect the fact that his little brother didn't want to be weak. But Ilyo considered his methods of gaining power as pretty cowardly, stealing the shards from a supposed friend and then picking the rest from a corpse.

"Now, we don't know what Inuyasha has planned," Ilyo said. "I could probably track him down, but I have no way of knowing exactly what he has used the jewel to do. For all we know, he could be powerful enough to take me out."

Kagome looked surprised at that. "But I thought he would use the Shikon Jewel to become a full demon," she stated. "It is what he has always wanted, isn't it?"

Ilyo shook his head in reply to this. "He has always wanted to be a full-fledged demon, but I think that this may have changed. When he found out how easily I destroyed his full demon form, I believe that he decided to use the jewel in other ways. He can use it to boost his own powers, or give him new powers. Not to mention that as a half demon, he can still wield the Tetsusaiga."

Kagome nodded in agreement. Ilyo's reasoning made sense.

Through all of this, Icthalur had remained silent. Finally, he spoke up. "I know what he will do first."

Ilyo looked at him in shock. "What? You know? How?"

Icthalur shrugged his shoulders, as if to say that the answer was obvious. "What would be the first thing you would do if you were trapped in a strange land, with no way home? Then, suddenly, you had the power to return home? Inuyasha will teleport himself back to the Feudal Era."

Ilyo was silent for a moment after Icthalur said that. He was sure that his friend had guessed Inuyasha's intentions correctly. But Ilyo had a question. "Why would he even want to return? There is nothing in the Feudal Era for him."

Icthalur halted Ilyo with an upraised hand. Ilyo immediately fell silent and indicated that Icthalur should speak. "You say that Inuyasha craves power. Well, now that he possesses the completed Shikon Jewel, he is certainly very powerful. But I believe that he craves other types of power as well. Now, I'm not sure how this works, because this is a pretty unique set of circumstances, but when Sesshomaru left the Feudal Era, it was like he became dead in that Era. Therefore, his position as Lord of the Western Lands was immediately forfeited. That honour would be bestowed upon his second in command."

Everyone looked to Sesshomaru at this statement. He smirked coldly. "Next in line to the throne is my retainer, Jaken."

Kagome shuddered when she heard that. She was imagining the little toad ruling over the land.

Her thoughts were interrupted a second later by Icthalur's voice as he continued his little speech. "Now, all Inuyasha would have to do is kill the current Lord, and he would automatically become the new Lord." He paused and shook his head. "It's sad when you think about it; he will have inherited the Lordship that all three of us can lay claim to." At this, Icthalur looked at Sesshomaru and Ilyo. Ilyo was forcefully reminded of the fact that he and Icthalur had almost fought a battle to the death over the very Lordship that now belonged to some little toad demon.

Sesshomaru, the past version, immediately stepped forward. "I will not allow that half breed to take over as the Lord. I will destroy him." With this statement, Sesshomaru turned and walked quickly from the room. Ilyo immediately followed him. He instinctively knew that Sesshomaru would stop at nothing to track down Inuyasha and attempt to destroy him before he could return to the past.

As he followed Sesshomaru, Ilyo became aware of the fact that everybody else was trailing along behind him. They all arrived at the main door of the castle and quickly went outside. They watched as Sesshomaru suddenly threw his head back and screamed to the sky. Then, his body began to expand and twist.

In almost no time, they were looking at a huge silver dog. Kagome recognized Sesshomaru's true form from the time that Inuyasha had severed Sesshomaru's arm. Without waiting, Sesshomaru leapt into the air and quickly flew off through the night air in search of Inuyasha.

Kagome turned and looked at Ilyo, just in time to see him shaking his head sadly. She gave him a questioning look. "Sesshomaru might be a cold, unfeeling, emotionless bastard, but he does not deserve the beating he will get at the hands of Inuyasha. Even if he lives, his shame at being beaten by a half breed will probably destroy him."

Ilyo was suddenly interrupted by a harsh voice. "I wouldn't worry about Sesshomaru. By the time he gets back, you'll all be dead anyway."