Chapter Seven
EternalAffliction: I thank you so much, I was really worried about that song chapter, I'm so glad that you liked it even if you didn't like the song. Here is another chapter up, thank you for your review.
lil-kag0m3: Thank you for the review, I'm glad I did good with Kagome. Here's chapter seven.
Disclaimer: Hokori, Mayoka, Mitsukai, Kibou, Hana, and Kyouko belong to this plot and me. Inu-Yasha and the others belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Don't sue me, please.
Sango's eyes slowly opened, the sound of voices waking her. She lifted her head to look up at Miroku holding her in his arms. Memories of the night before flashed in her mind. Who ever knew he could make her feel that way? Her attention turned to the voices outside as she heard her name mentioned.
"Sango-sama hasn't come out of her hut since we arrived…" The Taijiya recognized the voice of the oldest female from the night before.
"Maybe she's trying to tell us kindly that she will not train us." The oldest boy added. Sango slid from under Miroku's hold as she quickly got dressed.
"Wait!" She called, pushing her way out of the hut, and running after the four children. They stopped, already outside the gates of the village, and turned back to look at her.
"Sango-sama?" The oldest boy questioned as she reached the group.
"Yes…" She took a deep breath and stood up straighter, staring intently at all four of them. "Yes, I will train you to become Taijiya warriors, able to slay the hordes of demons rampaging the land." The children stared in shock at the woman. "And stop calling me "sama", it's Sango, just Sango." She added as she smiled at them. Suddenly all four smiled back and ran at her, giving her a four-way hug.
"Thank you Sango…" The younger girl whispered before barring her face in the woman's stomach. The Taijiya had to smile as she returned their gesture, wrapping her arms around the children.
Miroku smiled softly as he brought his head back inside the hut. He moved to clean up where he and Sango had slept the night before. He was so proud of her, moving on like that. Everything wasn't going to be perfect, but he would stay by her side through it all.
((Across A Land))
Mayoka was woken by someone shaking her shoulder. Her eyes were slow to open, and her body even stiffer to sit up. Was it because she had spent the night on the cold ground, or her wound? Probably a mix of both. Her head lifted as the youkai walked off. "Um, Sir?" She tried to be formal. The ouji stopped and looked back.
"It's Koga." He snapped. The child recoiled slightly and nodded.
"Koga, I'm sorry to have slept so long." The girl spoke again, for she could see the sky lightening through the trunks of the trees to her left. The ouji sighed as he shook his head. He turned back, his eyes closed, and crouched in front of her.
"Mayoka, look, Kagome means a lot to me, so I have to find her." His eyes opened, showing worry, sadness, passion, and even a bit of fear. He was afraid for Kagome-sama. "You don't' have to come. Stay here with Hokori when he comes back." He stood straight again, and turned his back to the girl. She watched silently as he just stood there, his head lowered.
"You love her." Mayoka whispered, putting the pieces together. She remembered the look of distant pain in Kagome-sama's eyes when she spoke of trying to find "someone." It couldn't be this Koga…could it? "Does she love you back?" His head snapped around at her accusations, his deep gaze locking on her.
"What did you say?" His voice was rough, almost as if he was fighting back tears, but the child knew that wasn't true.
"Does Kagome-san love you back?" She repeated softly. She held his stare for a second before her eyes lowered away from his. "Gomen, Koga, that was rude. Forgive me."
"No, Mayoka, it is I in the wrong." He sighed again as he shook his head. He crouched to her level again and held out a hand to her.
"Hu?" The girl lifted her eyes. She only blinked at the ouji. Koga laughed slightly as he rested his left elbow on his knee.
"Kagome didn't tell you then."
"Tell me what?"
"Who she's looking for."
"No, she got angry when I asked. I thought it was you when you said that stuff." Mayoka said innocently.
"Hm, really now." The youkai smiled at her. "Well, if Kagome didn't want to tell you about… her past, then it is not my place to tell you." The ouji stood up, still holding out his clawed hand to the child. She finally reached out to take it, smiling up at him. He helped her to her feet. She winced slightly and held her hand to her chest. "What is it?" Koga questioned.
"It's nothing, I'm fine." Her fingers shook as they lifted from her clothing.
"You don't look it." He sniffed the air, recognizing human blood tingeing his nose. "You're bleeding." Why hadn't he realized it earlier? Was it because he was so worried about finding Kagome?
"Not anymore." Mayoka's voice drew his attention again. She smiled softly.
"Mayoka…" He opened his mouth to continue, but stopped himself. The ouji returned her gesture, one fang glistening slightly. "You remind me of someone…"
"Hu? Who do I remind you of, Koga?" She questioned, tiling her head slightly.
The youkai shook his head slightly. "Never mind. How old are you anyway?"
"I'm ten, just turned ten last week." The child nodded once, confirming her words. But then her happiness faded as she remembered her Okaasan had been killed right after that. The youkai stared at her silently until Hokori returned.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot," Koga started, turning away for a second and then holding out a bag to the girl. She looked questioningly at him, but took what he held out to her. "You're probably hungry." He added as she looked inside.
There was an assortment of nuts and berries, along with a small comb of honey wrapped in a leaf. "Thank you, Koga-sama." Mayoka said happily, gabbing a handful of the berries and nuts. She really was hungry. When had she eaten last?
Koga raised an eyebrow at her name for him. "Sama?" He repeated. Her eyes lifted.
"Yes, you are the ouji of the wolf youkai, ne?" There was red juice on the side of her mouth as she chewed her breakfast.
"Yeah, but," he glanced at Hokori. "Don't call me that, ok? Just Koga." He finished, turning back to the human. She nodded, seeming more interested in the food than his words. "Hurry and finish, Mayoka, we need to move on." The ouji added, turning his attention to the lightening world around.
"You mean I'm still aloud to travel with you?" The girl questioned. The youkai turned back, smiling.
"Of course."
((Across A Land))
He took to the trees, snarling breath passing his lips in anger. Where were they? His bother and Kagome's scents had just vanished, and now he had to backtrack.
The sun was already almost at noon, and he had yet to even scent either youkai or Miko. Another snarl left his bared fangs as his human heart got anxious. He needed to find the Miko; every second without her had begun to eat at him. He ran on, forcing the human into a corner. He didn't need that bitch, only a weak human heart had those feelings.
((Across A Land))
The woman sat silently, her hard eyes staring as the land flew past in a blur. It was not her idea to allow the youkai Lord to carry her the whole way to the Western Lands. She gasped slightly as he jumped into the air, his speed suddenly increasing to no more than a flash. She glared at him as he snickered at her.
"You spook easily, Miko." Sessho-maru didn't look down as he spoke.
"Why the change?" Kagome asked, ignoring the youkai's comment.
"I dropped the barrier so I can move faster."
"Barrier? What barrier?" Her eyes narrowed at the Inu.
"To hide your scent." His tone never changed; his eyes never lowered.
"Hide my scent from who?" Kagome's voice was harsh.
"We're almost there." He replied, completely ignoring her question. The Miko growled under her breath as the conversation was finished.
This had better be worth it, Sessho-maru…
((Across A Land))
Ok, another chapter done. Please review for me, I didn't get as many as usual… it makes me sad, and have no incentive to write more. OK, all a poor fan fic writer like me asks is for reviews, I'll even bribe you all, with ZEBRA CAKES! Review and you can have a package of zebra Cakes, ok, well, got to go to work now, but please do review for me!
Myst