It's been a little over a month, not bad, not bad. Ah school has started up again for most of you, yes? Same, second year of college and my nerves are driving me crazy. Any way you don't want to hear about my boring life- you want to read the new chapter. Well, here ya go! :)
Disclaimer:Do not own Inuyasha etc etc
Chapter 15: Back on Track
*Begins from where Sesshomaru left the healing room*
Sesshomaru clenched his fist as he walked down the many halls toward the kitchen. As he passed the dining hall the remaining occupants could feel his angry presence. Even Rin, a human, could tell something was wrong. He signaled for Hayate to follow him and entered through the doors that led to the kitchen. He kept his aura low so when he came through the door all hands stopped and looked at him. It was unusual that their lord would come into the kitchen.
"Lord Sesshomaru, how may we be of service?" the head chef asked bowing low. He could feel the suppressed anger coming from the daiyoukai and hoped it wasn't directed at them.
"Who handled the miko's meal" the daiyoukai demanded.
A small demoness walked up and bowed. "I did mi-lord."
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes slightly. "Did you not notice the berries on the miko's plate were poisonous?"
The young girl's head shot up, and her eyes grew fearfully wide. "Poison? No! I didn't know. Forgive me!" She said with another bow. Her whole body was shaking with fear.
"How could you not know?" He asked although he didn't scent any deceit on her.
"Another servant gave it to me. He said it was for her health, but I didn't notice the berries were poisonous. They seemed ordinary to me."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know. The gardens I believe."
"Find him and bring him here. Do not let him know I sent you."
"Yes mi-lord." the girl hurried out the kitchen, trying to calm her nerves along the way. Once she was gone Sesshomaru hid his aura and stood in the back of the room, where he would stay hidden. If the person knew the berries were poison no doubt he would question if the miko ate it. Several minutes passed before he picked up two voices coming through the entryway.
"-you still haven't told me. Did the young girl eat All of the berries?" came a voice as the servant led a male boar youkai in. The scent he emitted told the daiyoukai he was from the eastern part of the castle. Also he was a soldier not a servant, especially from the clothes he wore.
"The miko was poisoned by those berries did you know that?" Hayate questioned causing the other youkai to jump momentarily.
"Oh" he replied, calming himself. "That is such a shame. I hope her corpse does not offend the nose of our lord."
Hayate let out a dangerous smirk and laughed. "Ah what a response. You poor fool. Your rotting corpse is the one that'll offend his nose. How'd you plan it?"
"Call me a fool all you want but I will not say a word."
"Why want her dead?" Hayate questioned again. Then he tried taunting the youkai. "Afraid of a little priestess?"
This brought on a reaction. "Afraid of some weak, pathetic human?! Don't make me laugh. It's bad enough Sesshomaru brought in that filthy child, but then he takes in another lowlife mortal?! Then he even let that half-breed mistake in! It's a disgrace and I'll kill them all just like that little whore!"
"Oh my, oh my. Well now is that what all you bastards think?" Hayate said frowning. "Lord Sesshomaru I believe he just confessed to the attempted murder on Kagome."
"Indeed." Sesshomaru responded, letting the fury of his youki surround the unsuspecting youkai. He looked at the daiyoukai with a shocked and terrified look. "You attacked someone under this Sesshomaru's protection. That alone is a crime and treason against me." With that said Sesshomaru quickly and effectively sliced the youkai's neck and major arteries with his poison whip.
"Shall I clean this up?" Hayate asked.
"Yes. Get another guard and take the body to the eastern wing."
Hayate gave a quick bow before leaving, luckily he didn't need to go far to find a fellow guard. They both entered, went on both ends of the body and began picking it up.
"Let them know this is what will happen to anyone that tries this again."
"Of course Lord Sesshomaru." Both youkai responded, carrying the bloodied corpse out.
He turned away from the body to the other occupants in the kitchen. "Let this also be a lesson for you. Do not trust someone who does not work along side you, or is not recognizable as a member of the western wing. I will not risk the well-being of others on foolishness." When they all showed they understood, Sesshomaru headed out. He passed the miko's little group as he walked out the door. He stared at them coldly before going off to his study. He wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone at the moment, especially them. Just a few more days and things will go back to normal and all of them will be gone. Well, except for the miko and pup in his palace anyways.
The weeks that passed by was absolute agony for Kagome. She had healed fine of course, quicker than was expected too. Sesshomaru had theorized that it may be the demon blood she drank. Most inu-youkai have the ability to withstand different types of poison. So she was completely fine. She even got Sesshomaru to agreed to her practicing her archery and miko abilities in the training fields. The problem was for the last two and a half weeks her friends have not left her side.
A couple days after the poison incident they kept her company and made sure she was never alone. She understood for the most part, they were worried and it couldn't be helped. But as time passed she realized they were being way too cautious and overprotective. She could barely concentrate on her archery when she could feel them staring at her or even worse, at the youkai soldiers nearby. It took every bit of convincing to get Miroku AND Sango to go on the journey mentioned before. So after the one week, her two companions set off to find anything related to the old monks seal. All that was left was Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha for the last time you do not have to keep following me everywhere. I am perfectly safe getting to the dining hall by myself."
"I'm not taking that risk."
"Ugh! You're so infuriating. Things are fine now, so you still have a chance to catch up with Sango and Miroku."
"No way. Besides those two are good enough for that journey." Inuyasha stated as they entered the dining hall.
"Well could you at least continue the search for Naraku?" Kagome asked as she sat down, waiting for the hanyou to sit with her. Truth be told this had made her the most nervous and what she was about to say will make her sick to her stomach.
"I could, but what would be the point if you have to stay here." He responded looking at Sesshomaru. "You are the only one who can sense the shards."
The daiyoukai only stared at him, before turning his attention back to Hayate who was giving him the daily patrol.
"I'm not the only one" Kagome whispered so soft the hanyou nearly missed it.
"What?"
She sighed. Here it goes. She was probably making the wrong decision but they needed to get the jump on Naraku. "Kikyou. Find her and get her to help you track down the remaining shards." The entire table got quiet, even young Rin and Shippo had stop talking.
"Kagome-"
"Look we don't have another choice! Naraku is planning something with this Katsurou person and we don't know the full danger of the situation. Right now we need every bit of help and opportunity to find and stop him. I don't trust Kikyou, you know I don't, but right now we can't be picky."
"Alright, I understand." Inuyasha said softly. "I'll set off tomorrow at noon."
"Yeah, okay." She responded quietly picking at her food. "Let's leave it for now, okay?"
The rest of the evening went on pretty quietly, until for the third time Kagome found herself in the gardens with a restless pup. "You know if I knew motherhood would be this tough I would have asked for a manual." She said jokingly to herself, sitting comfortably under a sakura tree. It was a good spot for her to think, especially about her ever changing life. Suddenly she started thinking about her family beyond the well. "It's been so long they must miss me." But she couldn't leave. Not when Mizuki needed her, and definitely not when Naraku was roaming about. Sighing she began to wrap her reiki around her and the pup, as she had done before.
"You fools!" Meichiko raged at the two youkai in front of her. She had only left for a few days, and came back to the western land to find that one of them had tried to kill the miko. "Do you know how much of a step back my plans have been placed?! Who gave you the brains to act on your own?!"
"Watch it witch before I tear your heart out. It's your own fault for making us wait this long." The snake youkai said. He was already angry that his fellow companion had acted by himself and died. He did not need some strange old hag telling him so.
Meichiko snorted. "As if you're a match for me." The old witch shot her hand in front of her and dark thin strings wrapped around the youkai's neck. He began to struggle for breath and fell to his knees before she decided to let him go. "I'll only say this once. Do not cross me. If you want the miko gone you have to do what I say. Am I understood?"
The youkai growled before he and the other both nodded.
"Good. Now because of your companion's irrational actions my plans may have to wait."
"For how long?" the bear youkai asked.
"Till I feel it is at an opportune moment. Until then you are to keep away from the priestess. We don't need another incident like this now do we?"
"Miko, you are here once again." Sesshomaru said walking toward the half asleep mother and pup.
"Sorry. I don't know why she won't sleep." Kagome said, the slight stress in her voice was noticed by the daiyoukai.
"Hn. Hand her to me" he said motioning for her to stand.
Confusion evident in her eyes, Kagome got up and stood next to the inu-youkai. Carefully she helped place the pup into his one arm. He shifted a little so that his pelt rested slightly on and around the pup. Mizuki curled her small hands around the fur pelt and almost instantly fell asleep. Kagome looked at the little inu in amazement then at the daiyoukai, only to find herself in more shock. He Looked Happy! She blinked and just as fast as she had seen it, the look on his face was gone.
'Great! I'm so tired I'm starting to see things.'
"Come." his voice interrupted her thoughts as he began to walk away.
"Where?"
"Where else? Back to your room."
Kagome just shook her head. When they reached the door she reached out for Mizuki but was stopped. "I will hold the pup for the night."
"Why?" She asked as they entered her room. She sat on her bed as the youkai took a seat against the wall. Mizuki was still asleep, snuggling deeper into the pelt.
"When a pup is born they imprint immediately on their parents. Since you contain the blood of her birth mother, it was easy for her to identify you as her mother. A pup is blind to the world and is vulnerable to many dangers, which is why it needs a strong youki to rely on. A strong youki that usually belongs to the father."
"But because her father is dead, Mizuki wasn't able to imprint on any youki holder." Kagome said understandingly.
"You have a strong reiki which surprisingly replaced the need for youki temporarily. Unfortunately because you are a miko and she is a youkai, her soul and Ki are off-balanced. Which accounts for part of her discomfort."
"Ah, so your youki is putting her back on balance."
Sesshomaru nodded, partially relieved that he didn't have to give a long explanation for the miko. She was much smarter than she looked.
"So that makes you Mizuki's father now."
Or not. "Miko"
"That's good." Kagome said smiling softly before laying back and closing her eyes. "Now she has both parents to protect her."
"Did I not already promise to protect her?" He asked, but she had already fallen asleep. He watched her for a while before looking down at the pup. She was staring at him momentarily with a peaceful, sleepy expression before gripping his pelt closer to her and falling back asleep. It gave him a strange feeling, one he didn't understand.
So I wanted to end the chapter with a little Kagome, Mizuki and Sesshomaru moment. Don't worry there will be plenty of fluff and cuteness later on... with the addition of some action. Any way, hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Expect another by the end of the month...maybe...no later than October. Promise ^^ Please review