Protector

This chapter is dedicated to kibou hope, who is now my beta reader.

Chapter 8: Enlightening

Kagome stared at the ancient warrior miko in disbelief. "Me? Why would he choose to come after me?" she asked, voice wavering a little, almost inaudible in the emptiness they currently faced each other in. Midoriko shrugged. "You destroyed his former host. I think I know who it is – it's probably the one who led the army of demons against me. He was a coward, hiding behind his soldiers. When I created the Shikon no Tama, he managed to escape, since he was far away. I did not have the strength necessary to drag him into it. Thus, he lives, like a parasite, by leeching onto other people," Midoriko explained, a bitter look entering her eyes. Kagome nodded, a long finger tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"Wait a minute – backtrack a bit. You said he would endanger my companions' lives – I only have one companion, and that's Kirara," Kagome frowned, uncomprehending. "Ah, yes. Kirara. I remember her well, she was faithful to me. When Kagura stabbed you, Sesshoumaru scented your blood and came to look for you. He carried you back, and both you and Kirara are with him," Midoriko's eyes sparkled with amusement. Kagome groaned and buried her head in her hands. "Ironic, isn't it? I'm a miko who exterminates demons! And here I am, saved by one…" Kagome looked around for a wall or tree to bang her head against.

"Sometimes, Fate has a way of making all your efforts feel futile," Midoriko remarked, a faraway look in her eyes. "What do you mean by that?" Kagome stopped looking about and stared unrelentingly at her mentor. "There's no time to tell you now, Kagome – I believe it's time for you to wake up," The ghost of a bittersweet smile tilted her lips, and with that, the foggy world that Kagome called dreamland faded away, growing mistier and more indistinct.

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Kagome awoke to find Rin's face hovering over hers. She blinked up at the little child, then smiled tentatively. "Uhh… hi?" she ventured, wincing at the lameness of it. "Kagome-chan! You are finally awake!" Rin clapped her hands and backed away a little, allowing the confused miko girl to sit up. She felt soreness in her back, but when she pressed her palm to the painful spot, she did not feel the sticky wetness of blood. Supporting herself against the tree at her back, she glanced around. Kirara lay at her side, still unconscious. Sesshoumaru stood a little distance away, back turned to them. Jaken was scurrying about, packing up, shooting occasional glances at Kagome and Kirara. Aun reclined on the ground, both heads stretched out lazily, watching Rin prance about.

"W-what happened?" she asked, hating the tremble in her voice. After such a long period of struggling to be strong, she felt weak now, in the presence of Sesshoumaru, no less. She wished that the ground would open up and provide her a hiding place. "Do you remember nothing?" he said indifferently, not bothering to look at her. She lifted Kirara into her lap, and stroked the smooth creamy fur gently.

"I remember bits and pieces – I remember Kagura came, and then pain, lots of it… then darkness," Kagome confessed, shaking her head in puzzlement. "Then that is what happened. Kagura attacked you while your back was turned and fled," he seemed as cold as ice, but Kagome knew that wasn't the truth, as Rin ran up to him and his hand was laid on her head.

Kagome shook her head from side to side violently. "No! Kagura is my friend," she denied the accusation vehemently. "Then you are a fool as much as she," came the swift reply. Kagome hesitated. Should she share Midoriko's wisdom with a killer like him? The two sides of her warred within, and she could practically hear them arguing. In the end, the rational part won out, and she wondered where to begin.

"I… had a dream," she said, idly hoping that it didn't sound as stupid to him as it did to her. He remained silent, and that encouraged her, in a way. "Do you know of the creator of the Shikon no Tama?" Kagome asked, running a finger over Kirara's ear. A silvery mist emanated from her hands and blanketed the fire-cat, who still remained unconscious. The wounds began to glow a bright silver, as she sped up the process of healing. "Midoriko," he answered, sounding bored. "Yes, Midoriko. She came to me when I slept… she said that Naraku was possessed," she related. Sesshoumaru said nothing, seemingly dumbstruck.

"And she also said that his possessor has moved on to a new host, and that he still seeks revenge," Kagome finished, inhaling deeply. The healing mist vanished, and Kirara opened her eyes with a weak mew. "You lie," Sesshoumaru said distantly, emotionless. "I do not," Kagome glared at him. "You are delusional," he finally turned, and shot her The Look. "And you've got a stick shoved too far up your ass!" she yelled at him, finally losing patience.

"I will not lower myself to trade insults with you, human," he said, looking down his nose at her. She took a deep breath. And another. And yet another. She heard a soft whisper, as though someone spoke to her. "Patience." Was all the voice said. She blinked, looking around. No one was there. She dismissed it as her imagination, but agreed that the advice was good.

"Give Midoriko a chance. She is real, she lives within me. She has magic of her own," a pleading tone entered Kagome's voice. "Why should I believe you?" Sesshoumaru shot a question back at her, eyes narrowed. "Why shouldn't you trust me? I killed Naraku. I protect the jewel. I am a miko, and mikos do not lie," she listed out her reasons one by one, earning a second glare from the taiyoukai, who didn't enjoy being mocked. Rin looked back and forth between the two adults, before wandering away, unnoticed. She walked through the trees alone, thrilling at the sensation of wind ruffling through her hair, letting it stream out behind her.

Sesshoumaru glared at her, as she stared back at him unyieldingly. Their two gazes locked, caught in a battle of wills. The challenge was on, as they both refused to look down or away. Seconds ticked into minutes, and both remained as stubborn as ever. They only tore their gazes apart when a shrill shriek ripped through the air, piercing Sesshoumaru's sensitive ears.

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Rin screamed as the coils of a serpent demon wrapped around her tightly, binding her arms to her body. A man stood watching her with eyes of deepest blue, and hair as black as night. Sadistic enjoyment was evident on his face as he watched her get squeezed tighter and tighter, the breath driven out of her lungs as she gasped for oxygen. Cerulean eyes glittered with malice as Rin struggled to free herself.

All of a sudden, Kariyu somersaulted away, landing in a wary crouch, just as Toukijin was thrust into the space where he had been. Sesshoumaru stood there, Toukijin already drawn and ready to attack. Kagome was just behind him, an arrow nocked to her bowstring and eyes narrowed in suspicion. Kariyu looked on with interest as her purification powers flared to life, wreathing her in a halo of pink light.

Sheathing Toukijin, Sesshoumaru swept past Kariyu in a gust of wind, swiping at the snake demon who imprisoned Rin with glowing green claws. The demon exploded, and Rin was safe in Sesshoumaru's arm. He landed on the ground and shooed Rin into a bush, where she silently observed, duly chastened for walking off alone.

Kagome tucked the arrow back into the quiver, and Kariyu tensed as orbs of violet flame gathered in her hands. Tiny dabs of fire danced in the air around her, weaving a pattern around her. Kariyu dodged a fireball by doing a back flip. The fireball impacted on a tree, and as Kagome followed its trajectory with her eyes, she spotted another figure standing by that same tree. She strained to see, and Kariyu followed her gaze with amusement. "Kagura, come out," he ordered.

Kagura felt her body obey, even as her mind screamed denial and anger. Kagome fell back, a wounded look in her eyes when she saw the dried blood on Kagura's fan – blood that she knew belonged to her. But there was something wrong with her former friend who wielded the powers of the wind.

Kagura moved jerkily, almost like a doll. Her arm movements were smooth enough as she brought her fan up to a guard position, but she wasn't as graceful as she used to be. The chilling lack of emotion in her eyes was definitely suspicious. Where was the vibrant wind sorceress who felt things so deeply and wasn't afraid to admit it? Where was the expression in her eyes?

Kagome returned her attention to Kariyu, eyes glowing with hatred as he chuckled at her inner turmoil. "Who are you?" Sesshoumaru demanded, red streaking his vision as he fought back his blood beast. "Me? I am Kariyu," the vampire smirked visibly, running a hand through his tresses of black silk lazily. "Why are you fighting us?" an upset demon lord ground out his question. "You don't know? I thought Midorik – Never mind. If you don't know, there's no reason to tell you. Although I am surprised at your stupidity, Sesshoumaru," Kariyu laughed, sending a shiver down Kagome's spine.

"I know why." Kagome's voice was steady, surprising herself. Kariyu turned back to her. "Ah, yes, little miko. You should know. But I am not here to fight you today," he said. A barrier surrounded him as Sesshoumaru attacked with Toukijin.

"Goodbye for now. I'm sure we'll see each other soon," he said cheerfully, wiggling his fingers at them like an immature child. "Are we supposed to be happy with that?" Kagome snarled. Kariyu simply smirked and then faded away, vanishing into the shadows.

Sesshoumaru sheathed Toukijin with a loud 'schrik' sound, drawing Kagome's attention back to him. "Now do you believe me?" Kagome demanded.

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A/N: Tadah! Another chapter done, with fight scenes too. I apologize if they suck. Writing action is not my thing, but whatever. I hope to improve in the near future… I want to say thank you to kibou hope for agreeing to beta read for me… thanks again! (:

Also, I got fewer reviews for the last chapter. Did I not wait long enough, or were you guys not happy with Kagura's return to evil and Kariyu's appearance? Well, I needed a villain – hopefully I will find a way to kill him off. But then again, stories are no fun without a bad guy.

The answer to last time's trivia question was Hiten and Manten, the Thunder Brothers. Quite a few people got that right, and I'm too lazy to go and search through my email inbox for their names, so whoever you are, you know. Congratulations to kibou hope for getting it right first.

This time's question is –

What does Kikyou's name mean? Yes, I know this is much tougher than the other questions, so I don't expect much response to this. But if anyone does get it right… well, you are really dedicated to Inuyasha, aren't you? Since this is more difficult, I'll give you a hint – think of a flower. That's right, Kikyou is named after a flower.

Reviewer responses:

Fate's Princess: Hi there! You liked it? Really? I thought that this chapter might not be so well received. Haha! It'll be quite a while before Sesshy and Kagome get together. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Kibou hope: Hey! Thanks for agreeing to beta read. Congratulations! You answered the first, correctly. And Rin is still a child… well, I'll get around to that soon, hopefully in the next chapter. You'll be the first to know! Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Inuyasha's hun: Wow, everyone sympathizes with Kagura. Then again, who couldn't? Yeah, it would totally suck. I would rather go kill myself… thanks for reviewing, please continue.

StarPrincess2020: The story would end if Naraku ever really died. However, from now on, I will refer to the villain as Kariyu. Ah… thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Gothic-ember: Yes, Kariyu is mean. He should go take lessons from Kagome on how to be a nicer person. Oh well. Actually, Kagura has been free for a hundred years. That's quite a while. Here's the next chapter. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Nomadgirl66: I don't think Inuyasha will be coming in at any time. I will consider it though… thanks for reviewing, please continue.

The Squabbit: You will! I'm so touched! Thank you! Thanks for reviewing too, and please continue!

Me: Yes to all of those. You seem to be on a sugar high right now. (: Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Kyoko super girl: I have a suggestion… get one from China and when she can't speak English, speak Chinese. All the time. Chinese used to be my worst subject, now it's my second best thanks to her. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Kitty-Euphoria: Nope, that hasn't really been answered yet. Hopefully, that issue will be resolved soon. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Midnight Faerie: Hey. Just thought you might wanna know that I confirmed the fact that you are the most insane reviewer I have ever had. Haha. Are you happy? Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Darkflame1516: You like that? Really? I think a lot of people didn't like it. Hmm. Boot camp does not exist in Singapore, thankfully. You're right! Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Hope Swings: I was asking, who killed Shippou's parents? Also, I don't understand what you said… /sweatdrop/ sorry. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

1kenshinlover: Welcome back! I've gotten over that now… Yay, you're hooked! I'm so happy! I hope your workload lessens soon… thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Ladylillyofraza: Yeah, I made Kagura really pitiful. Oh well. Was there fluff between Kagome and Sesshoumaru? I didn't notice… /sweatdrop/ Anyway, thanks for reviewing, please continue.

BloodRuby: I'm glad you think so! Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Kagome21: You don't have to thank me for updating – I think it's what I'm supposed to do anyway. Here's your update. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Kage Bi Koori: Here's your update! Thanks for reviewing, please continue, ok?

Sexymama4ever: Really? Cool! Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Kouga and Sesshy Lover: Really? Yay! I'm happy! Oh, I hope you did well for your exams. I'm so touched. Sorry for taking so long to update… thanks for reviewing!

Kimmichiwa: Here's your update, served warm on a bed of lettuce… okay, now that was pretty lame. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Traveler of the World: Yes, you're absolutely right. Yeah, I love Sesshy being sweet to Rin too… it's so touching, ne? Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Tigeris: Hi there. Sesshoumaru's blood beast is primitive, thus it sounds /cough/ stupid /cough/ In my story, all youkai have a blood beast. It does not plan ahead and does not think logically, thus it is deemed 'unintelligent'. This is what takes over when their eyes turn red. I hope this explanation satisfied you. Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Hermonine: I'm glad you think so. Thanks for reviewing, please continue!

Sennin: Yes! Plots must have twists, or they are not real plots! (Sorry, I feel hyper.) Explanation should be coming soon. Stay tuned for that! Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Kagome-chan: Yes, Kagura is terribly pitiful. Oh well… I intend to let Kariyu have better dress sense than Naraku. DOWN WITH WHITE BABOON SUITS! Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Emotions Can Be Your Weakness Yet It Can Also Be Your Strength: Congratulations. You have the longest username I have EVER seen. Wow! Ooh… thanks for reviewing three times. /huggles/ Thank you for the A! A pluses rock! Thanks for reviewing, please continue.

Won-Won-Weirdo: Here you go. Thanks for reviewing, please continue, ne?

Okay, people… I am sorry for updating so late. I sent the chapter to my beta reader, kibou hope, but she did not reply in four to five days. So I have decided to go ahead and post the next chapter. I originally had this finished two days after the last chapter. Sorry again!

Okay, I gotta go now… I have to do my holiday homework. Have a nice week everyone! (AND YES, MY HOLIDAYS HAVE FINALLY STARTED! WAHAHAHA!)

Kyasarinyume07 signing off.