"I win," Rin exclaimed as she ran towards the head of a dead yokai.
"I lose," Jaken sighed in defeat as he caught up to Rin within a few seconds. Quickly, he turned to her, "Wait, we weren't in a race."
Kimiko chuckled as she walked along Sesshomaru's side. The group had been walking towards an abandoned village. The only thing that Sesshomaru told them was that there was a slain yokai before he headed that way.
Rin pointed at the dead yokai. "Look, Master Jaken! Just like Lord Sesshomaru said!"
"My goodness, who could have…"
"It was Inuyasha," Sesshomaru interrupted Jaken and stood behind him.
Kimiko stopped at his side and turned to him. "Inuyasha? We are getting close to them then?"
"Yes. Although… I don't think he got away unscathed either," he stated as he picked up the head, causing Rin to scream halfheartedly. "Let's go." Sesshomaru turned around, holding the head upon his shoulder.
"I hope he and the others are okay," Kimi said as she began to follow behind. "What are you planning to do with that?"
Seeing that Rin continued to scream off and on about the dead yokai, Sesshomaru told her to hush. The girl stopped screaming immediately, spun around, and ran to catch up. Kimi huffed and glared at the lord as he continued to ignore her question. Sesshomaru stopped in a random clearing after an hour of walking. "Rin, Kimiko, Ah-Un, stay here," he ordered as he walked away with Jaken.
Having seen flowers, Rin immediately went to pick them. Kimiko sat down and sighed. She did not know what Sesshomaru planned to do with the demon's head, nor did she know how much longer it would be until she found her friends. To be honest, she wasn't sure what she would do when it came time for her to go. Surely Sesshomaru would not let her stay with them and Rin would certainly not leave his side. Yet, Rin would not want to be away from her either. Though their time together was short, the two of them had bonded rather quickly. The situation was not something she gave much thought until that moment. "Rin," she said.
The girl spun around, grinning as she held dozens of flowers in her arms. "Yes?"
"You know how I am trying to get back to my friends, right?" The girl nodded, so she continued, "I was wondering if you would want to stay with me?"
Rin tilted her head in confusion, "Stay? You mean we would leave Lord Sesshomaru?"
"Only if you would want. I am sure I am not someone he wants to keep around. I don't believe he would like the idea of bringing you every so often to visit, either." She imagined the two brothers would fight anytime Sesshomaru would bring Rin to see her. She was already praying that they did not fight when she saw her friends again.
The girl looked at the ground sadly, "Rin doesn't want to leave Lord Sesshomaru. Rin also doesn't want Mama to go."
Kimiko's eyes widened. "Mama?"
Looking at Kimi in shock, Rin slapped a hand over her mouth. Slowly, she pulled it away and stared at the ground once more as she drew circles in the dirt with her foot. "R-Rin has been meaning to ask if you would be her mother."
Though being asked caught her off guard, Kimiko had considered herself such since a few days ago. Well, maybe more of a mother figure for Rin. She never considered the thought Rin would want her to fulfill that role. A part of her had just assumed Rin would think she was trying to replace her mother.
Kimi beckoned the girl to come to her side. She ran to Kimi and the woman pulled her into a hug. "Of course I will! I will figure out something when the time comes, I promise. So don't be sad, okay?" The girl nodded as she held her new mother tightly.
For three days, the group did not move their camp. When asked why, Sesshomaru would ignore the question. Jaken would claim they were waiting and that is was none of their business. On the third day, Sesshomaru sent Jaken away with Ah-Un. When they did not arrive back on time, Sesshomaru left on his own. Kimiko watched over Rin in their absence. It was not until nightfall did the three of them come back.
Jaken sighed as they appeared from the treeline, "That Kaijinbo, where'd he go with that sword?"
"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin exclaimed as she ran to him.
Kimi stood to greet them, but immediately felt an evil presence behind her.
"Rin, don't move," Sesshomaru ordered.
The girl immediately froze with one foot on the ground and the other in the air. Sesshomaru jumped, landed behind Kimiko, and with a flick of his wrist, cut down two trees. A woman jumped out from behind the trees and landed in front of him.
Jaken sniffed the air. "This smell… Just like that strange one who approached you with the arm with the Sacred Jewel fragment… The one wearing the baboon hide."
Kimiko grit her teeth and took a step forward, "You work for Naraku, don't you?! Did you have a hand in slaughtering the slayer's village?!"
With no left arm to put in front of her, Sesshomaru stepped in front of Kimiko in order to keep her away from the intruder.
"I'm Kagura the Wind Sorceress. Just another incarnation of Naraku." She looked at Sesshomaru, "You must be Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's older brother? You're slimmer than what I imagined." She looked at the woman he hid behind him. The sudden attention on Kimiko had made Sesshomaru tense slightly. He was not about to let Naraku obtain something as powerful as her. "Though, you are someone I do not know about. The answer to your question, however, is no." Once more she looked towards Sesshomaru, "The fangs you gave to Kaijinbo to make the sword were those of a demon named Goshinki. Like me, he was also created out of Naraku."
"Did you come here just to tell me that," he asked.
Kagura opened her fan and hid half her face behind it. "Don't you smell it? The sword which reeks with the aura from Goshinki…Tokijin is so close." Suddenly, a huge gust of wind appeared as Kagura took a feather from her hair. After it grew in size, she began to fly away on it.
"What was with that woman," Jaken muttered.
Sesshomaru turned his head towards Rin, "You may move now." She relaxed her body and took a deep breath. After stretching, she let herself fall to the ground.
Jaken stared at her and muttered once more, "Speaking of strange women."
Sesshomaru turned to look at Kimiko. She was glaring at the spot Kagura disappeared at in the sky. Though her face showed anger, he could see the pain and anguish that showed from within her eyes. He placed his hand on her shoulder, drawing her out from her thoughts. She turned and gazed up at him. She understood his look and started to calm down. After a few moments, he pulled his hand away and turned to Ah-Un. "Jaken, look after Rin." He walked to the two-headed dragon and quickly mounted it. Then, he steered the dragon to walk and stop and Kimiko's side. Instantly, knowing what he wanted, she sat behind him and held onto his fur.
Before they took off, she turned to Rin. "I won't be gone long, I promise." Rin nodded sadly and watched as they flew off into the sky.
Once they were in the air, Kimiko decided to question the lord once more. "Why did you use the head of an incarnation of Naraku to make a sword?"
"This one desires a sword that holds more power than Tessaiga."
She scoffed, "Is that what this is about? Did it ever occur to you that your power may already be stronger than Tessaiga? You can already resurrect the dead, a feat I am sure only you can do. Therefore, you are already stronger than anyone out there!" Silence was her only answer and she sighed. "Will you at least tell me why I am going with you?"
"Tokijin's scent and the half-breed's scent leads to the same direction."
His response made her smile and at the same time frown. The thought that she would soon see her friends made her happy. Yet, she knew she promised Rin she wouldn't be gone long. When they would arrive, she had no idea what would happen and if she would even get to see Rin again. She didn't even get a chance to properly say goodbye.
Hours passed as they flew. She held on to Sesshomaru's fur to steady herself and silently hoped he was okay with that. She thought it to be better than to wrap her arms around him. Kimi wished that she was in front of him to be able to hold onto the reigns. Instantly, an image of their positions switched and Sesshomaru's arms around her as he also held the reigns made her blush ten shades of red. Cursing the fact that she imagined such a thing, she tried her best to calm her fast beating heart.
Unknown to her, his beast liked the closeness between them. As she ran her hands through his fur, occasionally tugging, it made his beast howl in pleasure. His beast was Sesshomaru's pure, raw emotions, thoughts, and primal instincts. Unfortunately, the logical Sesshomaru, the one who was in control, did not enjoy it at all. The fact that his beast acted in such a way angered him. Never in his life did his beast react like this and the fact this girl was causing it made him want to be rid of her as soon as possible. The pressure of her against his back snapped him out of his thoughts. Listening to her breathing and heartbeat, he could tell she had fallen asleep. His beast rumbled in content as he made no attempt to remove her from his person.
==OOO==
As the sun rose, Kimiko woke up. Opening her eyes, she realized she was snuggled into his back and quickly pulled away. "Sorry," she muttered embarrassed. "I didn't realize I was so tired."
"Hn."
Though she thought he was probably mad, a part of him was upset that she pulled away. It was something he would refuse to admit. Focusing back on their goal, Sesshomaru could sense his brother was near, along with the sword he had crafted. Within a few moments, they began to descend into a clearing. Her friends were gathered not too far from a sword that was stuck in the ground.
"Hold on to this one."
Although confused, she quickly grabbed onto his fur. Sesshomaru leaped off of Ah-Un's back and Kimi closed her eyes tightly, holding onto him tighter. The fall brought back memories of right before she died. Sensing her fear, he slowed their descent and landed gently on the ground near Tokijin.
"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha exclaimed. "Why are you here?!"
"That's my line," Sesshomaru responded. "I only came after this sword. I guess the demon you killed was so bitter, it wanted revenge against you even after it became a sword."
Letting of him, Kimiko walked out from behind Sesshomaru and to his side. "Only for the sword? What about the fact that you were bringing me back," she huffed.
"K-K-Kimiko...," Sango whispered as tears began to fill her eyes.
The rest of the group stared at Kimi in shock. Remembering the reason she was here, she turned to her friends, smiled and waved. Before she could say anything, Totosai interrupted as he watched Sesshomaru walk forward and reach for the sword. "Sesshomaru, do not touch the Tokijin. Even you will be possessed by Tokijin's evil aura."
"Just who do you think I am?" Sesshomaru grabbed Tokijin and pulled it out of the ground without effort. A pink aura that formed around Tokijin disappeared as quick as it appeared.
"The evil aura was overtaken by Sesshomaru," Totosai exclaimed.
"The sword chooses its master. Draw your sword, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru demanded. " I want to verify something."
While Kagome tried to talk Inuyasha out of it, Kimiko glared at the inu lord. "We just got here and you already want to fight? Can you not get along for like five minutes?!"
Ignoring her, Sesshomaru rushed at Inuyasha. Quickly, the younger inu unsheathed Tessaiga and instantly had to block a swing from Sesshomaru. Inuyasha's moves were slower than normal. As Tokijin hit Tessaiga, it pulsed and sent Inuyasha flying backward.
"Did you alter the way you fight, Inuyasha? You usually come at me blindly," Sesshomaru mocked.
Inuyasha growled as he struggled to lift Tessaiga above his shoulder, "Just shaddup!" He ran towards his brother and struck. It was blocked by Tokijin easily. The two swung at each other again, only to come to a standoff. For a moment, they pushed their sword against each other, back and forth. Sesshomaru pushed one last time with more might and caused Tessaiga to fly out of Inuyasha's hands. As it spun in the air, Inuyasha was thrown back. When Tessaiga landed, it reverted back to its rusty state. Making a quick recovery, Inuyasha charged at his brother without a weapon. As her friends yelled for Inuyasha to stop, Kimiko looked at Sesshomaru, "Stop it now! Sesshomaru, this fight is useless! It has gone on long enough!"
Ignoring her once more, he pointed Tokijin at Inuyasha and sent light surging from the blade, striking his brother. Inuyasha fell to the ground, coughing as he struggled to get up.
"I see now. Enough of this." Sesshomaru charged once more, "Die!"
Refusing to let him hurt Inuyasha anymore, Kimiko charged at them. As she got closer, she felt the wind change and a strange power radiate from her friend. She shook her head. She did not know what was going on, but Sesshomaru was still charging at him. At the last second, she managed to stand in front of Inuyasha with her arms spread out, shielding him. Sesshomaru's eyes widen and stopped at the last second, Tokijin just inches away from her chest. She looked at Sesshomaru and begged, "Please, stop..."
Sesshomaru watched as Inuyasha drew his arm back as he prepared to strike her down. Dropping Tokijin, he pushed her hard enough to send her flying a good distance away from his brother. As he did so, Inuyasha slashed Sesshomaru's left shoulder. Before anything more could be done, Totosai spat fire, making it form a wall separating Sesshomaru from everyone else. Kagome quickly yelled a sit command allowing Miroku and Sango to pull Inuyasha away. As Kimiko stood up, she went to face Sesshomaru, but Kagome grabbed her hand and pulled her away to flee with the others.
"Kagome! Wait, no, stop," she protested. Unfortunately, her friend refused to listen and continued to pull her as they fled.
The Inu lord watched through the flames as the Miko pulled Kimiko away. The sound of blood splattering on the ground had caused him to look at his wound. He thought about the fact that he had saved her two more times. When he had stopped to prevent Tokijin running through her and when he had pushed her out of the way, taking the blow for her. Neither of those were intentional, his body had reacted on its own. If she would have died, it would have been her own fault for getting in the way. He had delivered her to her friends as requested, making her safety no longer his duty.
We should go after her!
He growled as he grit his teeth. This one has done what was requested of him. She is where she WANTS to be.
She NEEDS to be with us!
Red began to seep into golden eyes as his beast fought for control. Her needs have nothing to do with this one! She is fragile and weak. This one knows not the reason for your fascination with her. Whatever the case, it stops now!
Do not lie. You know her scent is appealing. She is beautiful, brave, a good mothe-
How well she takes care of Rin has nothing to do with this Sesshomaru.
His beast did not reply but silently noted that nothing of what he said was denied by his logical side. No longer sensing his brother's pack in the area, Sesshomaru turned around and walked to Ah-Un. Upon mounting the dragon, he stared at the last spot the woman had been. He did not like how much his beast was fascinated by her. Fascination. He was sure that that was all it was. To say his beast cared or like the girl would be admitting that he himself did. Yes, it was only fascination. She was something he had never encountered before. Sure there were fortune tellers that attempted to predict the future. Fortune tellers relied on the lines on one's hand along with a little dark magic. Any prediction they would give would be vague and more than likely would not come true. Seeing the future and the past as though yourself were there was something completely different. Knowing the future could put you a step ahead of your enemies and knowing their past could reveal their dark secrets and fears. He wondered if the girl would ever be able to see the present. The ability to do that would allow one to spy on others. Unfortunately, he knew Kimiko could not control it. That defeated any useful purpose he could use her for. He grabbed the reigns and flicked it once, signaling for the dragon to take off into the air.
==OOO==
Upon reaching a safe place, the group took turns hugging Kimiko and apologizing for not being able to save her. Before she explained what happened, she wanted to know why the now unconscious hanyo almost attacked her. Kagome was the one to explain the fight between Inuyasha and Goshinki. During the fight, Goshinki broke the Tessaiga, causing Inuyasha's yokai blood to take over when he was about to die. When Sesshomaru was charging at him one last time, Inuyasha was overtaken once more and was not in a clear state of mind, allowing himself to attempt to kill Kimiko. The Miko also decided to inform her friend of other events that occurred in her absence. Naraku had also created two more incarnations besides Goshinki. Surprised that Kimiko knew about Kagura, she told her of Kanna, a girl dressed in pure white and who held a mirror. Kagura had managed to trick Koga into thinking Inuyasha killed his tribe and then manipulated their dead bodies to attack both them and Koga.
Seeing that their friend was caught up on the past events, Miroku decided it was their turn to be informed. Nodding, Kimi sighed and tried to think of the best way to explain. "Well, obviously I fell to my death. I guess I landed in a river because Sesshomaru had found my body near one. He then used Tenseiga to resurrect me, but I couldn't stay awake so he brought me with them and made sure I lived through the night. I eventually had to tell him about what I could do, but made him promise to keep it a secret and bring me to you guys."
To say that the group was shocked is an understatement. Many of them had wide-open eyes and some even had their jaws dropped. Totosai walked to the girl and poked her head. "Are you sure didn't dream all this?" He pulled away and placed his hand under his chin. "Although, the fact that you were with him and that he protected you kind of supports your claim."
She rolled her eyes, "Of course I didn't dream this. A day or so before he saved me, he saved a small human girl as well. Her name is Rin and she has been traveling with him since." Her friends' shock was ignored by her. The thought of Rin had reminded her of her promise and caused her eyes to widen. "Oh no! I need to go back! I promised her I wouldn't be away long!"
The slayer quickly blocked the way to Kirara. "We just got you back. I'm not going to let you run off to go find Sesshomaru! If he really did save that girl, I am sure she will be okay with him."
"I have to agree with Sango," Kagome spoke up. "We don't know why he helped you or her, but you shouldn't push your luck with him."
"Lord Sesshomaru would not harm me!" At least, she hoped not. "I promised Rin I would not be gone for long. She needs to be with her mother!"
Kagome looked at her with wide eyes, "Mother?"
Sango stared at the girl questioningly, "Lord?"
"Yes, I consider myself her mother. Her family was killed way before Koga's wolves attacked her and her village. And also, yes, Lord Sesshomaru. He not only resurrected me, but saved me from a serpent yokai, bought me this new kimono, and helped me to find you. I think to give him the respect he wanted was the least I could do."
The more she talked about what had occurred in her travels with the Lord of the West, the more her friends would discover levels of shock that they did not know could be achieved. After consistently being refused to seek out Rin, Kimiko went to sleep on the other side of camp away from her friends.
==OOO==
Birds chirped in treetops and butterflies fluttered around. Though the sun was out, it had yet to rise high into the sky. As the group walked along a rocky path that was surrounded by flowers, Kagome couldn't believe how peaceful it was. These types of moments were rare things lately. Usually, there are so many battles that it felt like sometimes they could not get a break. She smiled as she held Shippo in her arms. This was a moment she wanted to enjoy as long as it lasted. Unknown to her, not everyone in the group felt the same way. Inuyasha who led the group was more concerned about their quest. Sango was worried about her friend who she thought of like a sister. She knew Kimiko wanted to search for Sesshomaru, but she was too scared of what could happen. Miroku had made it his mission to tend to the overly worried slayer as he walked by her side. At the very back of the group, Kimi walked alone. The sight of every flower made her think of Rin. The longer she was away from the girl, the bigger the void in her heart seemed to be.
Hearing Kagome gasp caused her to become the focus of everyone's attention. "Huh? I sense the Sacred Jewel. And it's getting closer!" Instantly, the group put their guards up as they scanned for the possible enemy. Within seconds, a tornado raced towards them and dispersed as it stopped in front of them, revealing Koga.
"Yo!" He smirked at the group and quickly walked to Kagome, "I caught your scent, Kagome, and came to see you. How've you been?"
Inuyasha moved in front of Kagome and glared at the wolf. "Whaddya want, wolf cub?"
"Inuyasha, don't pick a fight," scolded Kagome.
The wolf's blue eyes widened as they fell on the girl who stood at the back. In an instant, Koga ran to Kimiko and hugged her. Though the action slightly surprised her, she patted his back hoping he would let her go soon. He pulled away with a smile on his face, "I'm glad to see you are okay! To be honest, I found it hard to pick up your scent when I arrived."
"That's because she reeks of Sesshomaru," Inuyasha exclaimed with irritation.
Koga looked at him confused. Before he could ask a question, Kimiko decided to argue with the hanyo. "If I smell so bad, I will gladly leave! At least he didn't constantly complain!" It wasn't the first time this was brought up. When she first found out she mainly smelled like Sesshomaru, it made her smile a little. Yet, if Inuyasha would talk rude of his brother, she would quickly get irritated even though she didn't know why. It didn't help when the others stared at her strangely each time.
"Keh! By all means! I wouldn't have the urge to throw up every five minutes then!"
Lavender eyes glowed as she growled at him. Without another word, she stomped off into the nearby treeline.
"Did her eyes just glow? ...And did she just growl," asked Inuyasha.
An hour passed as she walked through the trees. No one had bothered to come after her. She figured this was a sign that they were finally letting her go. Approaching a small pond, Kimiko knelt down, cupped her hands, and placed them into the water. As she finished drinking, she could feel something approach from behind her. She spun around quickly and came face to face with a man in a baboon hide.
"Naraku," she spat. "So I finally meet you."
He chuckled as he took a step closer. "It would seem you know me and speak with such hatred. Yet, I do not know who you are or why you hate me so."
"You don't deserve to know my name. Though, I will gladly let you know why I hate you." She glared at him, lavender eyes full of hatred and anger. "The slayer village. They were like a family to me and you had them slaughtered! You caused me to lose another home, left Sango without her family, and caused so much pain and torment to my friends!"
"I see." He stepped closer, leaving only a few inches between them. "I wonder something. What is the reason that someone such as Sesshomaru would allow you to travel with him? Not only that but to protect you as well. Kagura told me of his actions during his fight with Inuyasha."
Her eyes narrowed. "Is that what this is about? Trying to see if the mighty Lord of the West has a weakness?" She scoffed, "Even if you were to tell him that my life was in danger, he would not come."
"Oh? That's something that waits to be seen." He placed a hand on her cheek and rubbed it with his thumb as he leaned in closer. "Such beautiful eyes, you have as well. Odd color to see in a human."
As she went to slap his hand away, everything in front of her began to fade to black. Slowly trees began to appear, but not the same ones that just surrounded her. The black floor beneath her feet slowly changed as grass began to sprout all over. The black sky quickly became blue and light filtered through the trees. A woman, dressed in white and red, walked from out of the trees. At first, Kimiko thought it was Kagome, but quickly realized it was Kikyo. She walked past Kimi, stopping not far from her. As Kimi turned around, she saw Naraku standing in a tree, wearing the same baboon fur.
"Naraku…what do you want?"
"Sharp as usual, Kikyo."
"How could I not notice you? Not only today, you've come to spy on me countless times. You seem to be quite concerned about me, Naraku." A moment passed before she placed a hand to her mouth and began to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"Naraku… You can't help but be concerned about me. Because…Onigumo's heart beats strong within you."
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew, causing Kikyo to shield herself. Kimiko could feel the wind but, knew it was not real so she did not react. As she continued watching, Naraku fled with anger. The world around her began to fade away once more. When she blinked, she saw that Naraku was once more in front of her, his hand still on her. Then she laughed just as Kikyo had done.
Surprised by the sudden laughter, he asked, "What's so funny?"
"You seek out the weaknesses of others, yet you struggle with yours. No matter what you do, Onigumo's heart is still in love with Kikyo."
Her response caused both shock and anger within him. This caused him to react too late as a white flash appeared next to them and cut him down; revealing that it was just another puppet of Naraku's. As it fell to the ground, Kimiko stared in surprise as she realized who had just appeared. Golden eyes scanned her as though looking to see if she was harmed. Seeing that she was okay, he sheathed his sword once more.
"So you came," laughter rang out from the puppet. "I see Kagura managed to give you the message, Lord Sesshomaru. How interesting. I wonder how you would react if I said that your brother was battling one of my incarnations as we speak."
Without hesitation, Sesshomaru smashed the head of his puppet with his foot. "This Sesshomaru does not care for such things." He focused his attention back to Kimiko and spoke, "Inuyasha is not far. His scent is strong to the north of here." He turned around and began to walk towards the opposite direction.
Kimiko quickly grabbed his hand. His eyes widened slightly then quickly returned to normal as he turned to her, though he did not speak a word. Nervous, she licked her dry lips, an action that he closely watched. She looked up at him as she started to ask for his help. Quickly, she changed her mind. He had already claimed he didn't care.
"Lord Sesshomaru... Thank you." She let his hand go and turned to the north. She wanted to go with him so she could see Rin, but she needed to make sure her friends were okay. "Let Rin know I miss her... And please, keep her safe Sesshomaru. I don't know if Naraku realizes what I am capable of, but I don't want him to be able to use her to get to us." Not waiting for a response, she ran to her friends.
Sesshomaru watched as she disappeared into the forest. He was on his way to see an old friend of his father's when Kagura appeared. She told him that Naraku had attacked Kimiko and she was dying from poison. The moment the sorceress disappeared, he had used his own power to fly since he was much faster than the dragon. When he had arrived, he felt both relieved and furious. He was relieved that she was okay, yet the sight of seeing the wretched hanyo touching her continued to cause anger in him even now. Since he had let her leave to be with her friends, Sesshomaru had been at constant war with himself. To make it worse, Rin continued to cry every day. A part of him was tempted to go retrieve the onna, but seeing as though she was concerned about her friends, he decided against it. Remembering he had more important things to do, Sesshomaru turned around and walked back the way he came.
Many thoughts ran through her head as Kimiko raced towards her friends. She felt guilty for running off the way she did, anger that Naraku attacked them and tried to use her as bait for Sesshomaru. She mentally paused. Was she bait for Sesshomaru? Or was he so close that he could smell his scent? No, Naraku said Kagura delivered a message. Then, was he truly there because of her? Perhaps, it was not her but the fact that he thought he had a lead on Naraku. When it came to the daiyokai, she would forever be confused. He was a very complex man.
As Kimiko finally found her friends, she saw Kagome continuously give Inuyasha sit commands before stating she was going home. Walking towards her friends, "I guess I got here too late to be of any help."
They all turned to her surprised before the girls ran to hug her. "We were worried about you," they exclaimed.
"We wanted to give you time to cool down. When we were going to go looking for you, Inuyasha had smelled Naraku's scent," explained Kagome. "He had created more incarnations that we had to fight."
Inuyasha walked to Kimiko with a hand covering his nose. "You have Naraku's scent on ya, but Sesshomaru's has gotten stronger."
Sighing, Kimi responded, "If it makes you happy, direct me to hot spring and I will gladly take a bath. After having Naraku touch me, my skin feels all crawly."
"You ran into him," Sango asked worriedly.
"Yeah. I guess he thought he could use me as bait to get to Sesshomaru. I ended up having a vision in front of him. I'm not sure if it was of the future or the past. In it, he was talking to Kikyo, but she upset him and he fled. After the vision, Sesshomaru appeared."
Sango stared at her strangely. "What do you mean that he wanted to use you as bait for Sesshomaru?"
The sound of his brother's name caused Inuyasha to become fired up. "That bastard is here?!"
"No," she sighed. "He left after he destroyed Naraku's puppet. According to Naraku, Kagura told him something to make him go there." She shrugged, "Anyway, it doesn't matter anymore. He left, so can we please find somewhere to bathe? And maybe a weapon that I could keep so I can defend myself? I'm tired of being so defenseless."
Though they didn't want to drop the subject, they did so anyway. A few of them had wounds they needed to tend to and one wanted to go home so she could relax in her bed in the future. They could always ask more questions later.
.x.x.x.x.x.x.
I am not entirely sure how I feel about this chapter. Personally, I hate my writing but, I hate anything I make. Review and let me know what you think so far so that I know if this is something worth continuing or not!