Disclaimer: Yes! Finally! I DO own InuYasha! (turns to lawyer) Yes! Finally! I Do own InuYasha t-shirts!

Thanks to my reviewers so far! Hope you enjoy chapter 12!

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"I want to go too!"

Kagome heaved a heavy sigh. She had spent the last thirty minutes trying to do her hair while at the same time explaining to Rin why she couldn't go to dinner with her. At long last Sakurako returned with Rin's dinner.

"Sakurako! Please ask Kagome to take me to dinner with her!"

Sakurako gave a small smile before turning to an exasperated Kagome. It seemed that she was having a hard time doing her hair.

"Rin, if Kagome says you are to stay here than you will stay here. She probably wants you to stay in bed and rest."

"But-"

"Rin." Kagome decided to intervene. It wasn't part of Sakurako's job to take of Rin. "How about I send Kohana up to visit with you for a little while? Would that be better?"

"Yay! I get to play with Kohana!"

"You have to stay in bed though. You can teach her how to play the card games I taught you last night."

"Okay Kagome." Sakurako set Rin's food down before walking over to where Kagome was sitting in front of a vanity mirror.

"Can I help you with your hair Kagome?"

Kagome gave her a grateful look before nodding. "Yes, please! I don't know why I'm so nervous. I mean, it's just dinner right?"

"Right." Sakurako picked up a hairbrush and started brushing her long ebony locks. "I understand why you are scared. Any human would have fears about dinning with the four demon lords of Japan."

'Okay Kagome girl, all you have to do is remember to breath. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.'

Sakurako looked down at the young woman and asked a question that had been bothering her for a while. There had been rumors running through the castle ever since the unusual young woman first arrived. She had noticed the young woman's strange clothing and even stranger aura.

Kagome's aura wasn't really strange, but the size of it was! She had never met a human with such an intense aura. It was rare to find demons with such power. The lords and ladies were examples. She had a feeling that Kagome would do just fine with the other demons. Kagome was sure to earn their respect. Now she just had to ask if the rumor was true.

"Kagome, would you mind if I…asked you a question?"

"Sure. Ask away."

"There are rumors…about you."

"Really? Like what?"

"Well, I was wondering if one of them was true." Sakurako looked to Kagome and continued. "Some say that you are a collecting the shikon shards."

"Yes that's true." Kagome answered nodding.

"Then you…are a priestess?"

Kagome gave a small sigh. "Yes that's correct."

'That explains this girl's aura.'

"So the rumors are true then."

"I guess so. Are there any other rumors that I should know about?"

"No. If I hear any new ones I'll tell you."

"Okay. Now, what do you think I should do with my hair."

Sakurako took small amounts of Kagome's hair from the sides of her head and pulled it to the back of her head and braided it with a small piece of hair from the back. She then tied it off with a light blue ribbon to match the kimono before adding a barette with dark blue gems imbedded in it to each side of her head to hold any loose strands from coming out of the tie.

"There. You look lovely Kagome."

Kagome turned around holding a small mirror while looking at the larger one that sat on the vanity behind her.

"Wow, thanks."

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'Okay, Kagome you can do this. You can do this. Remember to take deep breaths. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.'

Kagome was walking down the halls to the dinning room reminding herself to breath. She was terrified. Why? Because the four demon lords were sitting just beyond the next door. All she had to do was walk in.

'Remember to walk in gracefully. And for the love of God don't trip!'

At that moment Kagome did just that. She fell forward, tripping on her own feet. Luckily the fates were on her side, somewhat, for two reasons. One, she wasn't in the dinning room. Two, someone broke her fall, which led to number three. Her kimono didn't get dirty.

Sadly the person her broke her fall was not one of her biggest fans. Kagome looked up when she heard the said person give a warning growl and found herself in the arms of Ryuji. Kagome looked in to the eyes of a very angry dragon demon and found herself speechless.

"Uhh…I am so sorry."

"Priestess you are lucky that you are under Lord Sesshomaru's protection or I would have your head."

"Believe me no one is as grateful as I am."

"You should watch your mouth wench. Know your place. You are still a human and human should get no better treatment than the dirt on my boots."

"Ryuji."

"Master Kin."

"You should address Lady Kagome in the proper manner. You forget your place. She is a guest of Lord Sesshomaru's and is to be treated as such despite her race or your opinion of her. Is that perfectly understood?"

"Yes, Master Kin."

"Good. Don't make the same mistake again or you will find yourself in the dungeon. Be gone."

And with a wave of Kin's hand Ryuji disappeared.

"Allow me to apologize Lady Kagome. Ryuji is not easily controlled."

"No, it's okay. I know I'm not well liked here."

"Nonsense."

"Look I may be human, but I'm not dense as to the danger I have put myself in by coming here."

"My lady, please do not worry yourself. No one would dare lay a finger on you. Lord Sesshomaru would slice of the soldier's head before they even had a chance to plead for mercy."

"Big surprise." Kagome mostly said it to herself, but she earned a hardy laughter out of Kin.

"Yes, I understand what you mean. Allow me to escort you to the dinning hall."

"Oh, thank you." Kagome hooked her arm through Kin's offered one all the while thanking all the gods above. 'Now I won't get lost.'

Kagome looked back up at Kin. He really was a beautiful demon. He looked very different from Sesshomaru yet at the same time very similar. They were opposites, like the moon and the sun. Where Sesshomaru was cold and distant like the moon, Kin was bright and warm like the Sun. It made Kagome wonder.

"Kin?"

"Yes Lady Kagome?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course Lady Kagome."

"Well, I guess I have two questions. One, can you please stop calling me Lady Kagome. Kagome will do just fine."

"I was informed to call you by your proper title."

"I know, but I am not of nobility."

"But you are a priestess."

"Please, I only ask this one favor of you." Kagome started batting her eyes. 'Now let's see if Sesshomaru and Kin have the same weakness. If they do then there is no way in hell they're not related.'

Kagome remembered when her and Sesshomaru were on their way to the Western Lands.

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"Come on Sesshomaru! I really need to take a bath."

"You don't need to tell me."

"Shut up you creep! Just let me take a quick bath and then we can start walking again."

"What do you mean we?"

"Huh?"

Kagome looked down at her feet and noticed for the first time that they weren't on the ground. They were on Sesshomaru's cloud.

'God, can I get more dense!'

"Look I'll take a fast bath. Besides, the warm water might do Rin some good."

She noticed Sesshomaru look at Rin out of the corner of his eyes when she mentioned that. He looked back down at her and that's when Kagome used the golden method that almost always got InuYasha to stop, besides the sit command.

Sesshomaru looked down at Kagome. Her lips were pouting ever so slightly and turned down in a slight frown. She was batting her eyelashes like mad. He noticed that she looked very alluring.

'Damn all women, human and demon alike. Why did the gods give them the power to manipulate men to their liking.'

Though Sesshomaru would never admit it, it was rather difficult to look at Kagome at that very moment and say no.

Kagome didn't need to hear Sesshomaru's admission. She knew her plan worked. If it works on one family member why wouldn't work on another?

"Very well, take Rin and take a quick bath." Sesshomaru descended followed by AhUn. "Return immediately. I am in no mood to look for you if you take too long. Understand?"

"Yes, of course your worship" Kagome stated matter of factly. The pompous jerk always acted like he was the king of the whole frickin' world!

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Kagome came back to reality when Kin called her name.

"Kagome?"

"What did you call me?"

"Oh I am sorry."

"No that's what I want to be called." Kagome continued after noticing Kin's worried expression. "Look just call me Lady Kagome when you have to. Otherwise, it's Kagome, got it?"

"Alright, as you wish."

"Can't you just call me Kagome because you're my friend, not because I wish it?"

"Friend?"

"Yes, friend. You're my friend."

"Why am I you're friend?"

"Well, why not?"

Kin's eyes widened a fraction. Why not in deed? Why couldn't he be friends with her? Oh yes, now he remembered why not.

"You are a priestess and I am a demon."

"What's your point? I have other friends who are demons. It really doesn't matter. Humans and demons aren't as different as everyone wants to believe."

"You don't think so?"

"No. We all need the same basic things. Food, water, friends, love."

"Demons don't need love."

"Neither do humans, but it's good for both races to have love and friendship. It makes all the hard times easier."

"Hard times are not suppose to be made easier."

"Why not?"

"Because that's what makes us strong."

"No. What makes us strong is how we deal with the hard times. Weak people roll over and accept the things they think cannot be changed. Strong people try to find a way to survive and see tomorrow. Strong people always find a way to live on. Having friendship and love helps one survive in a cold and harsh world."

Once again, Kin was shocked by the young priestess. She spoke of things only experience could teach. This young woman didn't appear to be older than sixteen or seventeen. How could one so young see things that demons that were over a thousand years old could not? How was such a thing possible?

At that moment Kin realized why Lord Sesshomaru sought Kagome out. She had wisdom that few had. She held power that few ever possessed.

"Remember Kin, people need hard times in their lives to survive. We don't learn anything without them. Humans have known this for centuries and that is why we have survived. We may have bad judgment at times, but we learn from that to. We never stop learning during our lifetimes. There is always something that we didn't know before and there is always something more to be learned. No one can ever possibly know everything."

Kin looked at Kagome awe-struck.

'I guess there are surprises around every corner.'

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A/N: I hope you are all happy I updated so soon! I really got some awesome reviews again. This is kind of an inspirational chapter to those of you who are experiencing some hard times. I like thinking out loud, but it's even nicer to share my thoughts with others! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

-AnimeGurlie