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AN: Well everyone, I'm back in business! I will be updating as fast as I use to now! I have a computer in my room, so it's awesome! Hope you like this chapter, and thank you so much for all your reviews!
Chapter 23- The Beginning of the End
"Get up Sesshoumaru." Kagome said as she threw a pillow at his head. She walked back and forth for a moment to see if he'd move. "Sesshoumaru! Today's the day that we must get everything packed." Kagome said, louder this time.
It had been a few months that passed by since Kagome last seen her family. It was a wonderful few months of peaceful living within the beautiful palace. Of course there had been a few happenings in between, such as Kagura showing up in the village. For Sesshoumaru's sake, Kagura never remembered anything of what they had a long time ago. Kagome had been on a high fuse just seeing Kagura's face. Sesshoumaru sent her off quick enough though.
InuYasha had also shown up at the palace gate once. He had come for the jewel, and for what Kagome understood; it was Kikyou who wanted the jewel, not InuYasha. By the pleading look on InuYasha's face, Kagome knew Kikyou was being hard on him. At that moment she wished she could have given Inuyasha a shard (not that it would make Kikyou happy, but it would count for something). Poor InuYasha had to turn around again with no jewel to take home for Kikyou. Kagome wondered if Kikyou would even accept the hanyou home if he didn't have the jewel.
At one time it had been Kagome who wanted to keep the jewel, but when the months went by, she realized that Sesshoumaru wanted to keep it more than she did. He became almost obsessed with making sure that it was safe. Kagome figured that he was acting that way because he knows it's the only thing that could make her live as long as him.
The last thing that happened only a month ago, was a large crowd of men that went marching passed the land. They were human men, and all walked in sync with each other. Sesshoumaru had watched them pass by and instantly knew that the war is brewing. Out of pure instinct he felt like running out to kill them all, but he knew that there was to many of them for him to battle.
The next month passed by blissfully and the family of three lazed around, enjoying the comfort of one another. Rin still wouldn't show Kagome or Sesshoumaru what she was doing with the parchment, so they both got used to being shoved out of Rin's room.
Today is the day though. The day that they are finally going to start getting ready to do something about the war.
"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome screamed, throwing another pillow at his head out of slight anger. 'When did he get to be so lazy?' She thought, remembering the days when he used to be up by sunrise. Thankfully, she heard him moan (meaning he is awake), so she stomped out of the room and went to the bathroom to wash up and get dressed.
Sesshoumaru slowly picked himself up off the bed, his long silver hair dragging off of the bed. To his pleasure, his hair was back to its original length. "Kagome." He called as he got dressed. "Kagome!" He called louder. There came no answer so he figured she is downstairs. Walking to Rin's room to get her up, he knocked on the door to hear the usual; "don't come in." 'At least she's up.' He thought and made his way downstairs.
Kagome burst out of the bathroom in a hurry and got abruptly stopped by Sesshoumaru's arm.
"Kagome, it doesn't take all day to pack a few things. Come eat breakfast first." He said, pulling her towards the dining room.
"Oh alright, since I don't have a choice." She replied, giving him a look.
"Do we even know exactly where we're going?" Sesshoumaru asked as he sat down at the table.
"Well, kinda. I have been thinking about this a lot lately and I came up with the best idea I've gotten so far. I was thinking that if I could get Kikyou and Kaede to help me, all three of us could put together our powers and form one great big barrier to separate the humans from the demon, then it could possibly stop the war." Kagome explained.
"It's a good plan, but do you really think that just three mikos could form a barrier that big. And even if you could, do you think the humans would just give up and walk away? This is a war, they aren't going to come this far and then turn around because of a barrier. They'll wait until you three get so weak that your barrier will fall." Sesshoumaru said.
Kagome felt like crying. "Then what do you suggest we do? Do you have any better ideas?" She asked, upset that her best idea wasn't flawless.
"Well, from inside the barrier me and InuYasha could kill off the humans, if you barrier allow our attacks to go through it." He replied.
"You...work with Inuyasha? Ha! And besides, we're trying to stop the war, not make it one sided." Kagome said and then quieted as Rin entered the room.
"Yay! What's for breakfast?" Rin asked, jumping in her chair.
"Smells like pancakes." Sesshoumaru answered. Just a moment later they were served pancakes for breakfast. Sesshoumaru finished his minutes later as usual, then Kagome, then Rin.
"Okay Rin, I want you to go and pack only what you think you will need. It may be a long trip, so you need to get some clothes." Kagome said.
"Okay!" Rin said happily and ran out of the room. She always got excited when they were travelling somewhere, but this time she didn't know why they were travelling. Everytime she asked, her adopted parents would get a sad look on their face and not tell her.
"You know we're gonna have to tell her sometime." Kagome said, looking at Sesshoumaru.
"I know. But I don't think she would fully understand what is going on." Sesshoumaru replied. "Well, you wanted to pack, so let's go pack."
Kagome smiled and then followed the youkai up to their room.
"I bet this will only take ten minutes." Sesshoumaru said.
"We'll see." She replied and began to open drawers. She picked out a few of her kimonos, tanks, and jeans and put them in her empty backpack. "Here, we can put your clothes in my bag too." Kagome said, motioning for him to pass his clothes over.
Sesshoumaru looked at her and then tossed over three pairs of his normal wear, then two of his night robes, which he only wore when walking around the palace at night.
Kagome laughed as she packed away his clothes.
"What's funny?"
"I just think it's funny that you have so many of the exact same white kimono and hakamas you wear. Most people wear something different once and awhile. Then again, InuYasha wears the same thing everyday. It must be an Inu thing." She said, beginning to more or less talk to herself since Sesshoumaru wasn't listening anymore.
"At least I have more than one kimono; Inuyasha only has one." He said, hinting that InuYasha is dirty.
"Yes, but it is made from the fire-rat, so it naturally stays clean." Kagome corrected.
Sesshoumaru just snorted and continued what he was doing.
"I'm ready Kagome!" Rin hollered as she ran down the hallway towards Sesshoumaru and Kagome's room.
Kagome looked out the doorway to see Rin with a small backpack strapped on her back, and a rolled up parchment in her hand. "Rin, we're not leaving today." She giggled and took the pack off of Rin's shoulders.
"I know, but now I'm all ready to go!"
"Yes you are. Hey, why don't we go visit the garden today? It's been awhile since we sat in it. And we can sing that song you love." Kagome said as she zipped up her backpack and set it by the bed.
"Okay, I would like that!"
"Let's go." Kagome said and raced her to the garden.
"I win! I win!" Rin jumped up and down in the small clearing that they always sat in.
"Rin, I want to tell you something." Kagome said. She wanted to tell Rin all about what is going to happen, and that there is a possibility that they may never see each other again after the war, but seeing Rin's happy face; she didn't want to make her sad.
"What is it Kagome?"
"I just wanted to tell you...that I love you, Rin." Kagome replied with a smile.
"I love you too Kagome." Rin said.
Kagome felt tears coming to her eyes. She couldn't help but think that she may lose Sesshoumaru and Rin. What if her idea didn't work? What if the war happened just like it had before? She couldn't bare to think of it.
"You know there is a way that we can get away from all of this and be safe."
Kagome looked to her left and saw Sesshoumaru walking towards her. She sniffed back a tear and watched him sit down beside her. "How's that?" She asked, wondering what he meant.
"We could go through the well and stay at your okaasan's home until the war is over." Sesshoumaru said.
"Sesshoumaru we can't just leave all these youkai to fend on their own. I don't like the thought of running away. We are a part of this world too. I want to stay here and try and stop the war." Kagome said, slightly surprised that Sesshoumaru would think of leaving.
"Then we'll stay, but what if your mother could look after Rin for us while it goes on."
"She could! I never really thought of that. I'm sure mom wouldn't mind." Kagome looked over at Rin, who was deep in her own thoughts while she played with the cherry blossoms. "That way we know that Rin is completely safe."
"We can drop her off right before the war starts."
"I have a feeling that she won't like that." Kagome said.
"What won't I like?" Rin asked, knowing they were talking about her.
"Rin, we're gonna have to let my mother look after you for awhile." Kagome answered.
"Why?"
"Because there is something that Sesshoumaru and I have to do, and it's too dangerous for you." She replied, hoping Rin would understand.
"I will get to stay with Souta and watch TV?"
"Yes you will, and we will come back for you as soon as we're done."
"You won't forget about me?" Rin said.
"Never." Kagome replied. "But this won't be for awhile so you don't have to worry about it now."
"Good." Rin said and continued playing.
"Come on Rin, we're leaving!" Kagome hollered from downstairs by the gate. Her and Sesshoumaru were all ready and were now waiting on Rin.
"Lord Sesshoumaru! Who's going to take care of Buyo?" Rin asked as she ran down the stairs with her parchment and backpack.
"Jaken is taking care of the neko." He answered.
"Are we going on foot this time?" Kagome asked.
"For now. I'm not in any hurry to get there." He replied and began to walk down the path.
Kagome and Rin followed behind him. Kagome honestly wasn't in that big of a hurry to get there either, but she did want to get it over with, mainly the asking Kikyou to help her part. She wasn't sure how Kikyou would react to her idea, or how she would react to knowing a war is coming. "Do you think they'll believe us?"
"Believe what?" Sesshoumaru replied.
"That a war is coming. Maybe they'll just think we're crazy." Kagome said. She had this feeling that Kikyou isn't going to take anything well, especially since they wouldn't give the jewel to InuYasha.
"If they know what's good for them, they'll believe us." Sesshoumaru said emotionlessly as he always sounded.
"I wonder if InuYasha is still alive." Kagome said, thinking of how brutally angry Kikyou could have gotten with him.
"What? You think he's dead?"
"Well, you never know how mad Kikyou might have got. It has been a long time since we heard from him. Actually, it's been since that day that he came." Kagome replied, looking up at Sesshoumaru with worry on her face.
Sesshoumaru made a noise that Kagome knew as his tiny pathetic laugh. "I'm sure he's fine. I know InuYasha would never let a woman kill him."
"That's not true. He said he'd die for Kikyou, and I know that he would." Kagome said, knowing how much InuYasha loves Kikyou.
"I always knew he was weak."
"Hey, are you saying that you wouldn't die for me?" Kagome said.
"No, that's different. You're my mate; I would die for you. But Kikyou and InuYasha are not mates." He replied calmly.
"How do you know that?" She asked with her hands on her hips.
Sesshoumaru turned around and gave her an irritable look.
"Oh fine, it's your nose." Kagome replied haughtily. "Speaking of a snout, how come you never turn into your Inu form?"
"I just don't think to when I'm with you. I guess I'm just so use to staying in this form around humans, that I always am in this form. Besides, that form scares people." He replied.
"Does it feel different when you're in that form?" She asked, curious as to whether or not it felt better or worse.
"Truthfully, when I let my true form take over, it feels like a large weight has been taken off my shoulders." Sesshoumaru said.
"Really. Then you should let yourself go free sometimes. I wouldn't be scared of you, and you know Rin isn't." She said, pointing at the jumping girl beside her.
"I love Lord Sesshoumaru's doggy form!" Rin jumped.
"Doggy?" Kagome laughed. "Where do you like transforming at? Or do you need to be angry to transform?"
"I can transform whenever I want." Sesshoumaru replied. As he continued to walk, he closed his eyes and focused. Suddenly the wind picked up all around him and his hair flew back and forth.
"Are you going to transform right here?" Kagome ran up to his side and asked. She jumped back as he opened his eyes and they glowed red, and backed away as his aura thrashed around him.
"Yay, Sesshoumaru's turning into a dog!" Rin yelled and watched as Sesshoumaru's form suddenly grew about fifteen times bigger.
Kagome had seen him in this form before, but now it just seemed so much larger and amazing. His paws were bigger than her whole body. "Wow." Was all she could say as her mate stood on four humongous paws before her.
"Come on Kagome, let's get on!" Rin said and ran towards Sesshoumaru.
"Get on?" 'Does she actually mean to get on his back?' Kagome thought. All she could seem to do is stand there and stare at him. She watched as Sesshoumaru grabbed Rin by her backpack and lifted her up onto his back, then he almost smirked at Kagome. "Oh, alright." She said and walked towards his head.
"Oh Kami." She said when Sesshoumaru's fangs took hold of her pack's strap and lifted her into the air. 'This is really high.' She thought as he moved her over the ground and onto his back. "Soft fur." She complimented and patted the white fluff.
"Kagome, I can't see." Rin complained from behind Kagome.
"Sorry Rin." Kagome apologized and moved Rin in front of her.
Sesshoumaru felt alive. It was like being set free from a small box. Seeing all the open land ahead of him, he wanted to use his legs and run down the field, so he did. First he started out at a jog, and then he went faster, so fast that everything swept by in a blur, and he could feel Kagome holding on to him tightly.
Rin was squealing gleefully as Kagome held her safely.
After awhile, Sesshoumaru slowed down to a walk, he could've gone for longer, but he knew Kagome wouldn't want to. With how fast he was running, he could tell she was holding for dear life.
"Wow, that's a way to travel." Kagome said and rubbed Sesshoumaru's big ears. She liked him in this form, even though he couldn't speak. "Can we travel on your back for the rest of the way?" She asked, pretty much knowing the answer.
Sesshoumaru gave her a predictable answer by quickly transforming back to his human form and catching Kagome and Rin before they hit the ground. "No."
"Fine." Kagome said and smiled at him. He had never showed her that side of him before, and she was glad he did. Everything they shared with each other brought them even closer as they slowly learned more and more about each other's life. Kagome loves it when they talk; not that Sesshoumaru talks often, but when he does, she loves to listen.
"It draws attention." He added.
"Oh, you think you're that big and amazing huh?" Kagome retorted playfully.
"He is!" Rin answered for him.
For the remainder of the day all three of them walked on. Rin and Kagome played a few games such as; I Spy, to pass the time. Later on they had a dinner of Sesshoumaru's lovely cooked fish that were found in a small brook nearby. Now the sun was setting and all around them it was getting dark. Sesshoumaru decided that it would be best to set up camp and rest for the night. He built a small fire, and they gathered around it until they fell asleep on the soft grass. Little did they know that while they were sleeping, many, many men were wide awake and planning the war from far away.
"Listen up men! There is only a few days until we head out for the war!" A large man with a gruffy mustache hollered. He wore a tight army-green uniform that fit perfectly around his big beer belly; one you would always see a military chief wear. "I want you to train, train, and train some more!"
"But Chief." The crown of men complained.
"No buts!" Tomorrow three scores of armies are coming here to our base and I want you to look like a real army! Once they are here, you will train with them for three days, then we head out. We will meet several more armies on our way to the battlefield! Remember! We are training to rage war against all demons that live in this world. We want to destroy them all. And it will take a great army to destroy the youkai race!" The Chief bellowed out as military chiefs usually do.
All the men looked back and forth and murmured to each other.
"Now, it's passed midnight, tomorrow you start training at dawn. So go to bed and get some rest, cause you're gonna need it." The Chief finished and left to go to his own room. He was lucky; unlike all the men (who most have to sleep on the floor in small tents), he got to have his own room and bed.
'I don't know if they're ready. No matter who wins, this is all going to end in bloodshed.' He thought as he got ready for sleep.
"I think this is ridiculous. How are we going to rid of all the demons? Even if we do have thousands of men; we're only humans. Demons have powers that can create hurricanes, powers we've never dreamt of having. We don't stand a chance." A tall, skinny man said to the men who stood around him.
"You can't say that. There are a hundred times more of us than there is youkai. If we dominate in numbers then we just may be able to do this. We've killed demons before, this time it's just a few more." Another man said.
"Just a few more! Are you crazy! It's a lot more. We're all going to be killed! This war is crazy; it's not like it's that hard living in a world with demons. Why do we have to have a war against them?"
"Because they're dangerous. Do you really think it's safe for our wives and children to go outside when there is demons just outside our doors? This would be a much safer world if there weren't any demons." A big man replied.
"Would you guys just leave!"
The men turned towards the voice and seen their angry Chief staring at them with sleepy eyes. Then he quickly turned away again.
"There's nothing we can do about it anyway. This war is going to happen whether we like it or not. Anyhow you heard the Chief, we have to be up at dawn so I think it would be best to just get some rest." One of the sensible men said and then turned around to find a place to sleep.
With that, all the men murmured as they slowly went to their beds, only to wake up to hard physical training five hours later.
AN: Well, there is chapter 23! Hope you enjoyed!
