-Chapter 6:-

"Traveling"

-Me Aganist the World-

Yusuke and Kagome laugh and try to catch their breath at the same time as they dash into the Higurashi house and slam the door shut behind them.

"Oh Kami!" Kagome breaths. "That was actually kind of fun!"

Yusuke laughs hoarsely and slides down the door to sit on the floor. "Man, I don't think I've ever run that fast. Botan can sure high-tail it on that oar of hers." He looks over at Kagome. "I can't believe you found that fun! Don't you get enough running done in the Feudal Era when you're running from demons and stuff?"

"I haven't really had to run away for a while now." Kagome says, sliding down the door to sit down beside Yusuke. "I guess I just like the exhilaration. It was fun because we weren't in any real danger and it was more like we were playing a game of cat and mouse."

You never had this much fun with Keiko. Yusuke's conscious tells him.

Yusuke mentally groans. 'Not you again. You got me into enough trouble with Keiko! Shut up and leave me alone!'

Keiko would have made you talk to Botan but she'd give you that look that clearly says she disapproves. Kagome turns avoiding Botan into a game and could care less if you were really caught because she knows you won't get yourself killed.

'Shut up, dammit!'

"…-suke? Yusuke, hello? Earth to Yusuke!" Kagome says, waving her hand in front of Yusuke's face.

Yusuke blinks and looks at Kagome. "Huh? What's up? Besides the obvious, I mean."

Kagome smiles. "Nothing, you just looked a little lost. Arguing with yourself?" She asks.
"Something like that…"

"It really doesn't matter." Kagome tells him. "I basically talk to myself all the time since it seems like Inuyasha never listens to anything I say unless it has to do with the jewel shards, demons, or food." She sighs. "Speaking of Inuyasha…"

"Oi, wench!" Inuyasha yells as he walks into the hall with his usual scowl on his face. "I thought you said you'd be back by now!"

Kagome just stands up and walks over to Inuyasha to shove some of the bags into his arms. "We ran into a little trouble is all." She tells him.

Inuyasha holds the bags up and looks at them suspiciously. "What's this?"

"Food." Kagome replies as she walks past him with her own bags. "You go ahead and take those to the kitchen. Momma will be in there and she'll help you. Yusuke and I still have to pack."

Inuyasha just 'feh's', but takes the bags to Mrs. Higurashi, knowing that if he doesn't he'll be the one wasting time. Meanwhile Yusuke and Kagome pack their bags, and Kagome uses her trick to make them extremely light and have an almost-infinite amount of space.

They leave for the Feudal Era a few hours before nightfall and the three stop by Kaede's to give Miroku, who is the only one there, some food for Sango and also to pick up Shikuro. Then they stop by Shippou and Kojiro's hut so that Kagome can give Shippou the candy she promised to give him.

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Inuyasha, Kagome, and Yusuke are walking through the woods just as they have been all morning. Inuyasha is in the lead, his senses on full alert for any signs of danger. Kagome and Yusuke walk side-by-side a little ways back so they can talk.

"So where exactly are we going?" Yusuke asks.

Kagome glances around at the trees and takes note of the side that most of the moss appears to be growing on. "We're going north toward Lady Flameria's lands. We could pay them a visit while we're up there."

"We're already in there lands." Inuyasha corrects her. "We just passed the boundaries between the Western and Northern Lands."

"Oh… so that means they already know we're here. Which means…" Kagome trails off as she looks up and spots a red dot in the sky.

"Kaaaaaaaggggoooooooommeeeeeee!"

The next thing they know, a young man around the age 16, is hugging Kagome tightly; his bright, fiery red hair that's pulled up in a ponytail blowing in the slightest breeze. Large red wings lay half unfurled on his back. He's wearing white pants with simple red ivy designs and an open vest done in the same design. Pointed ears can barely be seen beneath his messy bangs and the same goes for the small ivory colored horns on his head.

"Aidan!" Kagome exclaims, trying to untangle herself from the dragon's hug. "I see you've been working out in the sun." She says once she manages to take a step away from Aidan and she gets a chance to better look him over and see his more noticeable muscles and tanner skin.

Aidan grins. "That's right! Sis has left me in charge of training our new soldiers. Some of them are pretty pathetic so I've been working with them all day today."

"I'm glad you finally have something to cure yourself of your boredom." Kagome tells him, remembering how bored the young dragon was during her visit to the castle.
Aidan bows. "Thank you, thank you! Now, who's your new friend who Shikuro apparently highly dislikes?"

Kagome sighs and picks up Shikuro before the blind dragon has a chance to light Yusuke's pants on fire again. "I told you, Shikuro, Yusuke is my friend. And we don't continuously attack friends." She tells them, before glaring lightly at Aidan. "This is all your fault, you know. You're the one who told him to watch over me and not let any new guys get close."

Aidan sweat drops and decides to ignore his priestess friend. "So… it's Yusuke, huh?" He says, looking over the raven haired teen. "Well, you seem fine to me, except for smelling a little like Raizen. Now," He smiles at Kagome. "Sis is waiting for us back at the castle and says that Inuyasha had better be ready to fight her again"
"Feh! You can tell her that I'm always ready!" Inuyasha exclaims, his hand going toward his sword.

"She'll be happy to hear that, I'm sure."

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Kagome, Yusuke, and Aidan sit up on a wall in the dojo and watch Inuyasha and Flameria fight. Shikuro is elsewhere in the castle. Aidan is happily eating a sucker that Kagome gave him. The "younger" boy finds them absolutely fascinating.

"She's really good." Yusuke comments, watching the female red dragon spin around and knock the Tetsusiga out of Inuyasha's hands and point her second sword directly at the hanyou's neck.

"I win." Her voice echoes through the dojo. "Now, Aidan, you go show them to their rooms and then bring them down for lunch. I'm sure they're hungry after traveling all morning." Flameria tells him as she sheathes both of her swords. She gives her brother a ghost of a smile before quickly leaving the dojo.

"Aidan, what's wrong with Flameria? She seems upset about something." Kagome worriedly asks the red haired boy.

Aidan half winces. "It's nothing'." He immediately withers under Kagome's rather harsh look. "I'll tell you later…"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Inuyasha, Kagome, Yusuke, and Aidan are sitting around a table talking to one another while eating their lunch. Flameria is nowhere in sight.

While Inuyasha and Yusuke argue about something stupid and completely pointless, Kagome talk to Aidan about what it is that's bothering Flameria.

Aidan lets out a heavy breath. "It all started a couple of weeks ago when sis went down to one of the smaller dragon communities to make sure they had enough food and shelter and to make sure there were no problems. She met a guy while she was there and well, she said she fell in love with him. Not that I don't believe her since with our bloodline we can instinctively tell when someone is suppose to be our mate…"

"So what's the problem?" Kagome asks. "Where is he?"

Aidan pokes at a piece of meat on his plate. "There are numerous problems. First of all he's a slave and his so-called 'owner' won't sell him. With the way our laws go they're unable to become mates anyway unless sis were to step down as Lady of the Northern Lands. She's considered stepping down, but I'm not old enough to rule. I've got another hundred-and-fifty years to go before I can even be considered fit to rule. And second… he's not a fire dragon like us. He's an ice-void dragon."

Kagome frowns and sets down her chopsticks. "What does that have to do with anything?" She asks.

Aidan gives Kagome an incredulous look. "They're as opposite as day and night! And with being a void it means that his ice powers are somehow locked away leaving him unable to defend himself well."

"That doesn't matter." Kagome says firmly. "So what if their powers are opposite. I've et quite a few people who are nearly opposite one another in personality and they've gotten together. Sango and Miroku for example. Sango's a demon slayer who has deadly accuracy when it comes to fighting and hitting things and Miroku's a lecherous monk with a 'cursed' hand. My mom and dad were also opposites and so are my brother and his girlfriend."

Aidan sighs heavily. "Kags… I know that blood and powers and status doesn't matter." He says softly. "I've been trying to help her find some way around the stupid laws, and it's really frustrating. Both of us are loosing hope"
Kagome lays her hand on Aidan's in a comforting gesture. "You guys will get through this. I know you will. If there's anything that the three of us can do to help, just ask"
Aidan pulls Kagome into a hug, thankful to have someone as caring as her for a friend.

"Thanks… nee-chan."

-End of Six-