Chapter 22

Sesshomaru could admit that, for the first time in years, he felt a part of something. The group had found a cave to settle in for the night, a fire going to keep them warm and to cook the boar Sesshomaru had hunted. He had fallen into place easily once the others had become open minded.

At first, Miroku was reluctant. Kagome and Sango hadn't shown any negativity to him coming back to traveling with them. Miroku kept his comments to himself, but he was quiet, observing Sesshomaru for the entire first week.

He had seemed to come to some sort of conclusion, because unexpectedly, he had begun to talk to Sesshomaru, to include him in conversations, and decisions when it came to the safety of the girls. Miroku had been the lead, the girls following his orders. Now Miroku and Sesshomaru decided together.

The dynamic of Sesshomaru's life changed drastically. When his mother died, Sesshomaru had felt completely lost. Because of his father's decision to forgo the promise he made to Satori, Sesshomaru couldn't go to him. There had been no one that he felt close to aside from Nakoa. He was lost and alone.

Now though, with Kagome's help, he had fallen into a makeshift… family. He wasn't sure if that was the right word. Perhaps friends was a better word. He could tell they were still watching him, making sure he didn't revert back to the way he once was. He understood and expected it. The damage he did to Kagome wasn't going to go away overnight. He was happy with what he was allowed.

"Go ahead, Miroku, tell us about the first night you got drunk." Kagome was laughing, cheeks pink from the fire and amusement. Sesshomaru couldn't help but to look at her, take in the sight of her laughing and happy. He never wanted to see her any other way.

"I barely remember." Miroku chuckled, rolling his eyes. "That was almost two hundred years ago." Taking a moment to think, he tapped his fingers on his knee. "If I remember, it was Kagome's fault. She didn't want to drink, so everytime this boy who liked her offered her a bowl of sake, she poured it in mine. By the night's end, I didn't remember anything."

"You tried riding a horse naked." Kagome finished for him, still laughing. "You got naked to flirt with the women, and when that didn't work, you got on an unbroke stallion. You were kicked off. Our mother was horrified to come outside and see you flying through the air naked. She beat your behind for it too."

Sesshomaru chuckled, picturing that very thing. He found Miroku getting beat by his mother even more amusing. "And what of you, Kagome? Do you have any drunk stories?"

"Kagome? She's too good to drink." Sango teased, punching Kagome's arm lightly. "Since I met them a hundred and fifty years ago, I've never seen her drink."

"Someone can call me at any time. I want to make sure I'm always available." Kagome defended herself, blushing as all the attention ended up on her. She was never one that liked being the center of attention, another thing Sesshomaru liked about Kagome.

"What about you, Sesshomaru? You have access to demon sake. Do you have any memories of being drunk?" Miroku asked, directing the conversation back towards Sesshomaru.

"There were several times I can recall. However, if you are wanting comical, only one comes to mind." Sesshomaru bent up his knee, resting his wrist on it. "I was young. Too young to be drinking sake. Father and mother kept a bowl of it in their rooms at all times. I snuck in an…"

All thought left Sesshomaru as the breeze blew past, carrying with it a scent Sesshomaru never thought he would smell again. His eyes widened, entire body tensing as he took a moment to breathe it in, trying to process what he was smelling.

At first, he thought he was imagining things. Perhaps there was something around that carried that scent, not the original source that he was thinking. There just wasn't any possible way that what his nose was telling him was right. It couldn't be.

Then Nakoa lifted her head, scenting the same thing he did. She could smell the familiarity and he knew, somehow, he knew his nose wasn't wrong. Standing, he didn't take the time to explain his actions to anyone. He was gone before they could even ask.

Stopping at a tree, he breathed in again, finding the scent much deeper and stronger. He was on the correct trail. Chasing it, he stopped again as the scent became overwhelming. The cause of the aroma had stood here for some time, not moving. Sesshomaru wondered why, but then he realized he could hear the camp the group had made. She had been listening to them.

Growling, Sesshomaru took a step, but stopped when Kagome appeared in front of him out of thin air. She looked strained, and he realized she mostly pushed herself to teleport to his last location, just for him to take off running again.

"Sesshomaru? What is wrong?" She reached up, grabbing his face to look more fully into his eyes. Fangs bared, he grabbed her wrist, not having time to explain. Wrapping her up in his arms, he took off again, following the scent once more. This time when he stopped it wasn't because the scent changed. It was because the person he was following was there.

Standing at the bottom of a hill, Sesshomaru could only stare. There, at the top was Satori. His mother. Her hair rustled in the breeze, the clothing different from what she normally wore. However, the fur boa around her neck was the same. Her scent was the same. His mother wasn't dead but standing right in front of him.

"I wasn't sure you would notice me, Sesshomaru. The scent of your humans was so strong, I didn't think you would realize I was there at all." She turned slowly, cocking her head to the side. Her eyes roamed over him, narrowing on Kagome who was still wrapped in his arm. Ignoring Kagome, she looked back at Sesshomaru. "My boy, you have grown."

"Mother. You're alive?" Sesshomaru was surprised he could talk at all. All this time he had been grieving for the loss of his mother, and she had been alive. "You faked your death?"

"I take it your father fell for that ruse I left behind? The man really was foolish." Satori chuckled, walking towards Sesshomaru. Holding out her hands, she smiled at him. "Come, my son. I have missed you."

Sesshomaru took a step forward, and then stopped. No. He wouldn't go to her. He wouldn't pretend that his whole world wasn't getting thrown upside down right then. "I fell for your ruse, Mother. I found the body and thought you had killed yourself."

"Why would you ever think I would turn myself human, Sesshomaru?" Satori waved a hand at Kagome with a scoff. "You know I only tolerate their existence. I would never change myself into a human, for any reason. I'm not even sure that is possible."

"Why?" It was a growl, pure rage surging through him. All this time, he had thought she was dead. His actions, while his own, had been spurred because of that grief. He had attacked Kagome, hurt her, Izayoi, and his father because she had died, when in truth, she hadn't.

"To spite your father, of course." Satori rolled her eyes as if annoyed to have to explain herself. "Think about it, Sesshomaru. He spurned me. He threw me away after breaking our promise for another woman. What better way to get him back than to have my "death" hanging between him and his new lover?"

"Touga could have handled that situation better, but Izayoi is his soul bonded. I'm sorry you were hurt, but he couldn't reject her without causing them both pain." Kagome interjected, going to step forward. However, when she did, Sesshomaru pulled her back, not letting her leave his side. He wasn't sure he trusted his mother anymore.

"Little human, a piece of advice. Stay out of matters that do not concern you. By now, Izayoi is rotting in the ground, and I can only be happy about that. I wish I could see Touga's grief at knowing he could have had eternity but gave it up for a few measly years." Satori laughed, and Sesshomaru wasn't sure what to say. This wasn't the mother he remembered at all. She had always been somewhat cold, but this was different. This was cruel.

"It would have been worth it. Better." Sesshomaru whispered, and he saw the switch in his mother. She looked at him, betrayed and angry.

"You agree with your father?" Satori stepped up to him, looking up at his face with her head raised. "Your father is a coward. You are following in his footsteps. I had planned to take you with me Sesshomaru. I was going to fake both of our deaths, but you never came to me. Your father had just thrown me away into a cage disguised as a castle, and you never came to visit me. When you didn't, I knew you were growing to be just like your father, so I left." Looking down at Kagome, Satori sneered. "I do hope this one isn't your soul bonded. I had hoped Kagome would be a strong demon, not a weak human."

"I am not weak." Kagome snapped, but Sesshomaru growled, keeping her back. The last thing he wanted was Kagome and his mother fighting. He was already in turmoil as it was. His emotions were all over the place, so scattered he couldn't focus on a single one.

"You are the fool mother. You are angry at father for choosing his soul bonded, however, I have no doubt that if the roles were reversed, you would have done the same. Meeting your soul bonded… it is not something you can fight, no matter how hard you try. It is better not to fight it at all." Arm squeezing around Kagome, he stepped towards his mother, fury the emotion that surged forth out of all the others. "You are selfish. You wished harm on father, and your son. You wanted to spite them, because your life didn't go as you planned. Your pain and anger were understandable mother, but everything else afterward was the actions of a child."

"You wouldn't know anything about pain and disappointment, Sesshomaru." Satori snapped, stepping into Sesshomaru's face.

"You know nothing, Mother. You were not there." Closing his eyes, Sesshomaru felt all anger drain from him and was left with nothing but mourning. "There were many times that I had hoped for this day. I thought it to be a foolish dream. I was correct. Meeting you now, does not fill me with pleasure, but with disappointment." Turning on his heel, he began to walk away, keeping Kagome next to him. He only stopped when his mother asked him one last question.

"How unhappy is your father, Sesshomaru? Is he wallowing in his grief?"

At first Sesshomaru wasn't going to answer, but then he decided to ruin his mother's glee like she tried to ruin his fathers. "Father is happy. Izayoi does not age. And they have a son together. Your vindictive plan did not work mother. You failed."

Before his mother could say anything more, he picked up Kagome, and took off, running back to the cave that Miroku and Sango were waiting in impatiently. When he arrived, he set down Kagome, then walked to the back of the cave. He needed time to process what just happened.

He wasn't sure how long he was sitting there alone, but he didn't think it was very long before Kagome came to sit with him. She leaned on the wall next to him, offering her silent support. As soon as she did, he leaned over, placing his head in her lap. He could feel her surprise at his actions, but right then, he needed more than silent support. He hoped Kagome could be what he needed.

After a moment of hesitation, she began to run her hands through his hair, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly. Burying his face into her stomach, he breathed in her scent. This was what he needed. Kagome was the soothing comfort he needed to process what had just happened.

...

Well, look at that plot twist. so, Satori was completely wrong in her actions. She wanted to hurt Touga and ended up hurting her son as well. However, with that being said, her heart was broken, she was embarrassed because Touga brought his new woman to call things off, and she felt thrown away and alone. Her actions are not excused, especially with the pain she caused Sesshomaru. She will learn she did wrong soon enough. Everything is cause and affect. Touga was the main root of the problem, causing Satori to act impulsively, which lad to Sesshomaru grieving his mother in a unhealthy way. With that being said, Touga is getting a lot of hate. His actions were wrong, I won't deny that, but try to be empathetic. He made a promise to a woman, never expecting to met the woman fated to him. He broke that promise, hates that he had to hurt Satori, but he couldn't very well turn away from Izayoi. There were things he did wrong, things he could have handled better, but that doesn't make him a bad person. He made a mistake, and I think we have all started to realize this story has a reoccurring theme. Redemption.

Let me just say, my back is killing me and I'm still sick. It's planting season. Every day I have been working in the yard. Yesterday I planted a butterfly garden, and I can't wait for it to take off so I can sit on the bench surrounded by butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. I know, I'm weird. lol. I also feed the neighborhood birds and can have around forty birds at the feeders in a single go. And yes, I sit at my window and watch. I'm in my twenties, but I act like I'm older. Is that bad? lol

Anyway, on to the teaser. I need twenty-five reviews from different people by Wednesday. I have no doubt that you all will achieve that. The teaser is: FLIRTING. Yes, I said, flirting. I won't say for who though. Hehe. Also, what does the group decide to do now that they know Satori is still very much alive and still very much angry.