Blue and pink mixed beautifully in the sky, creating purple. Orange began to seep into pink as the sun just began to rise. A peaceful silence filled the cool air and fresh dew laid upon nearly everything. It was a beautiful sight. Kimiko loved the moments when she woke up early before the others. With all the fighting from their quest, it made moments of serenity, like this, much more enjoyable.

As she laid on the ground, she stretched. It might be weird to say but she always loved that feeling. Her muscles stretching to release the stiffness and kinks in her back and legs. She let out a quiet yawn as she gradually sat up. She wiped her eyes and looked around.

Most of the group surrounded a campfire that had long gone out. Kagome held Shippo as they slept, Miroku laid not far from Sango, and Rin was curled up by Kimiko. A blob of red in a tree caught her eye. She looked up and saw Inuyasha had fallen asleep on a branch. Honestly, she was surprised that he slept at all. With Sesshomaru here, one would figure that Inuyasha wouldn't feel safe enough to sleep. Speaking of the daiyokai, she realized that she didn't even see him. A glance behind her only revealed that Jaken and Ah-Un had slept together a distance away from her. The good news was that this meant he would be back.

Kimiko quietly stood up and placed the blanket she shared back onto Rin. She made her way to one of Kagome's bags and pulled out a pot. Since she probably wouldn't see her friends for a while, Kimi felt that today was the best day to cook some Ramen. Though it was food from the future, it was a simple thing to cook. She had watched Kagome do it so many times. However, she was going to have to find some type of meat to put into it. Ramen was tasty and filling, but it wouldn't keep you full for long. Rin had already lost some weight and needed to eat well.

She placed the pot next to the extinguished campfire and reached into the bag once more. This time, she pulled out a large water bottle. A frown appeared on her face as she realized it was empty. With a sigh, she stood up once more and made her way into the forest. As she went into the forest, it became harder to see. The sun had only just begun to rise and the trees blocked most of the light it provided. After a minute of walking through the trees, a stinging pain in her left calf made her freeze. A quick glance down revealed that a snake was bitting her. At first, she wanted to panic, it wasn't until she realized that its head was rounded did she calm down. It wasn't venomous, yet, she didn't understand why it bit her. Taking a second to examine the reptile closer, she realized her left foot was on top of the rest of its body.

Tenderly, she grabbed the snake not far from its head and picked up her foot. It released its mouth from her leg as the rest of its body was free. She muttered an apology and carefully placed it onto the ground. After it quickly slithered away, she continued.

When she arrived at a small stream, she felt relieved. Her shock from the bite had worn off and no longer hid the burning pain. Swiftly, she filled the container with water and closed it. Then, she placed her calf in the stream and splashed water onto the wound. The water washed away the blood and added cool relief.

"I'm beginning to think misfortune is drawn to you."

Her lavender eyes widened as she jumped. She turned around quickly and looked at who stood behind her. When she spotted the amusement that danced in his eyes, she glared at him. "Shut up." Kimiko stood up and softly shook her wet leg. "What are you doing here?"

"When I returned from my hunt, you were not there," Sesshomaru stated. "I smelled your blood and followed the scent." The amusement in his eyes vanished as he became serious. "You shouldn't go off on your own alone, especially without a weapon."

"It was only a snake. Don't worry, it wasn't poisonous. I couldn't see well and stepped on it." She ran a hand through her black hair and pushed it behind her back. "As for a weapon, I forgot it when I chose to follow you. Not that it was any good. It was an old and rusted sword we found as we traveled."

He focused on her left leg and took a few steps forward. "Sit."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to be Kagome or something?"

"Sit."

This time, he said the word firmer and she decided to obey. As she sat down on the ground with her legs out in front of her, he knelt down and leaned in. She couldn't help but noticed the closeness between them and blushed. She could feel the heat in her face and silently cursed at herself. When he placed his hand on her ankle, her blush darkened. For a moment, she thought he was pushing his hand further up her leg. She was proven wrong when he pulled her to him by the ankle.

"W-What are you doing," she stuttered.

He had positioned himself in between her legs. One by his side and the other in the air by his head. Sesshomaru did not answer as he brought her wound to his lips. His lips parted and he slipped out his tongue as he began to lick her leg.

A surge of emotions had gone through her at that moment. Embarrassment, pain, and... pleasure. It hurt as his tongue continuously passed over the bite. Yet, as time went by, the pain went away and electricity shot out from where his tongue would touch, sending shivers down her spine. Then, before she knew it, it was over.

Sesshomaru pulled away and stood up. Though his face did not show it, he was once more having an internal battle. It was of no surprise to him that the woman was attracted to him. She had openly admitted as such. What surprised him, was that he responded to her. He had licked her wound in order to heal it. By the time she began to enjoy it, the wound had faded away long ago. The woman had enjoyed it and he continued because of it.

"Sesshomaru?"

Her voice drugged him from his thoughts and into reality. His eyes focused on her as her lavender eyes gazed at him with worry. He had never realized that she had stood up as well. Nor had he realized she had also placed a hand on his cheek.

"Are you alright," she asked. "Your eyes have red in the corners. You've also been standing there for a while."

He heard her but did not answer. Instead, he was focused on her words. Red. There was only one reason that color would be in his eyes.

He growled mentally, 'What is it that you are after now?!'

'I did nothing.'

'Lies! You made this one react-'

'I can take over during certain times or even help to influence. However, I did nothing. You chose to react on your own. Smell.'

Though anger fueled him, Sesshomaru listened to his beast. He inhaled and his eyes widened. The reason he had never realized it beforehand had escaped him. There was no denying it now, however. She was approaching a period of fertility.

Normally, this would be of no problem to him. Many demonesses would seek him out when they were fertile in hopes that a mating would take place as a result. He always dismissed them due to the fact that he had no interest. Yet, he had started to act like the yokai of the lowest rank. They procreated the same way animals did; just because a female was in heat.

He tightly grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away from his face. As he released it, he coldly said, "This one is fine." He turned around and began to walk towards the camp. "This one has healed your wound. We leave the moment Rin and you are done eating."

Kimiko stared at her wrist confused and hurt. First, he was fine, then he made her feel a mix of emotions, and now he was cold towards her. She wished she could understand how his mind worked.

With a sigh, she grabbed the water container and followed behind him. "Going back to talking about yourself in the third person, I see."

The Lord of the West didn't respond. He was preoccupied with the fact that he was surprised again. He had not realized that he had stopped referring to himself as 'this one'.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Everyone, except for Sesshomaru, gathered around the small fire. It warmed her heart as Kimiko watched Rin. The girl stared at the boiling pot excitedly as she sat in the slayer's lap, who was styling her hair. Sango saw how much Rin loved flowers and had the idea to put them in her hair. It was a time-consuming thing, but she carefully tied strands of hair to the stems of small white flowers.

It amazed Kimiko that they bonded quickly. Once Rin realized her new aunt wouldn't take her mom away, she began to ask Sango thousands of questions. Most were about Kimiko when they were younger. Sango was quick to tell embarrassing stories of her sister.

"We are going to need more water," Kagome declared as she drained the water from the noodles. "I was only able to cook enough for a few of us."

Kimiko stood up, "I'll go."

"Jaken." All eyes turned to Sesshomaru. Since he and Kimiko had returned, he had never spoken. Instead of sitting with the group, he sat against a tree away from everyone. "Go with her."

"Yes, m-"

"Inuyasha, come with me." Kimiko gave Sesshomaru an annoyed look as she began to walk towards the stream. Sure, she got bit by a snake. It's not like it was poisonous. Plus, the forest was dark at the time. The sun was high enough now, that she could see where she stepped. Then again, lately she did have a tendency of running into problems when she was alone.

"What's bothering you," Inuyasha asked. He had waited to speak until they were farther away from camp. Whether Sesshomaru could still hear them or not, he didn't know for sure. If he could, he'd probably have to strain to listen.

Kimiko sighed and stopped in her tracks. "Your brother," she answered. Inuyasha was probably the worst choice to talk with about Sesshomaru, however, he was probably the one who knew the most about the daiyokai. Jaken would likely praise Sesshomaru for everything he did, even if it was the fact he stepped on an ant. "This morning, he seemed more like a person. As if his own personality was seeping through, not his cold demeanor."

Inuyasha froze. Was she slowly breaking Sesshomaru's walls as Kikyo did for him? "Then, he went back to being high and mighty?"

"Yeah. Right after he licked me."

If he was shocked before then Inuyasha had no idea what to call the feeling he now had. Though, such an action had multiple meanings, especially for an inu yokai. Still, most of it dealt with mates and courting.

"Please, stop looking at me like that." She sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "I stepped on a harmless snake and it bit my leg. Sesshomaru eventually appeared and licked the bite. When he pulled away, the wound was gone."

His body relaxed from its tense state as he let out a deep breath. "An Inu's saliva has healing properties to it. Even mine, but not to an extent to heal a wound that quickly."

Kimiko nodded and continued to walk. It explained why he did such a thing, however, something still bothered her. When they arrived at the stream, she knelt down and placed the large water bottle into it. "We were in an awkward position and at first it hurt." She blushed and slowly said, "Then, I started to like it. Not long after, he quickly backed away. There was red in the corners of his eyes."

As she told him, he became rigid. She found it enjoyable and Sesshomaru was tempted by it. He didn't mind if she broke through the bastard's walls, but now he was worried for her. Even he could sense she would soon be fertile. Most of his group were women so he was used to it. The only one that ever really bothered him was Kagome, but she usually went home for that time. The fact that his brother was even tempted by it showed that the daiyokai was attracted to her in some way.

The question he now faced was if he should tell her. Sesshomaru cared too much about honor to force himself on her. Then, there was the fact that she was human. Distant yokai ancestry or not, she wasn't a full yokai. That was something he was sure his brother would struggle with. If he did tell her, it would make things awkward for her, but she would also be prepared. "Kimiko, listen. I- Kimiko?"

It wasn't until now that he realized his friend was staring into space. Her eyes seemed as if they had a soft glow to them. He waved his hand in front of her and she did not move. A moment passed before it dawned on him that she was likely having a vision.

Eventually, she blinked a few times and grabbed his sleeve. "Inuyasha, we need to get to camp now!

"Wha-"

"Now!"

Without another word, he picked her up and darted to the others. Everyone turned to them as they ran into camp. Kagome raised her eyebrow when she saw Inuyasha held Kimiko bridal style. She said sternly, "That was a long trip for some water."

Sesshomaru's golden eyes glared at his brother. The reason he had told Jaken to go was not only for protection but because he knew that the imp wouldn't try anything. His brother, on the other hand, he had no faith in. He already knew about the miko and the undead one. The way Inuyasha was holding his alpha female gave him no credit.

As Inuyasha set her down, Kimiko spoke, "We need to leave now! Rin, get on Ah-Un!"

"What's going on," Sango asked as she stood up.

"Naraku has been watching us this whole time," she announced. "He's coming."

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and grinned. "Is that why you are freaking out? We outnumber him. This will be easy!"

"I doubt it will be as easy as you think," Miroku muttered.

"Kimiko, Rin, get on Ah-Un." The moment her lord spoke, Rin ran to the two-headed dragon without a second thought. As she climbed onto Ah-Un, Sesshomaru stood up and drew out Tokijin. He could finally sense Naraku approaching. "Jaken, take them to the castle."

"I can't ride with them," Kimiko responded. As Sesshomaru glared at her, she continued, "He's been watching us since yesterday. He knows about me. That's why he is coming. If I go with Rin, that puts her in danger."

Both golden and lavender eyes focused on each other. After a moment, Sesshomaru motioned for Jaken to go. Rin began to protest, but before she could say anything, Ah-Un took to the sky.

Sango's anxiety was up. It seemed the thing she wanted most not to happen, was going to happen. She felt at fault. Sure, Naraku had been watching them and might have found out eventually. But, she was the one to go out right and say it. She turned to Sesshomaru, "Take her and go. We'll distract him. You gave Rin a head start, so follow after her. If Naraku realizes and does follow after you, at least he can't catch up to Rin. If he doesn't follow at all, then you have nothing to worry about."

Kimiko shook her head, "I'm not leaving you when-"

"I'm trying to protect the little family I have left," Sango interrupted. "We will be fine. Chances are he was planning to take you when we were distracted. Once he realizes you aren't here, he won't stay. We'll be a diversion long enough for you to make it to safety." She focused back on Sesshomaru. "You said you would protect her, so do it."

"Hn."

Kimiko ran to Sango and threw her arms around her. "I don't agree with this at all. Just promise me you won't die."

Her arms tightened around Kimiko as she said, "I promise."

As they let go of each other, Sesshomaru sheathed his sword. He went to Kimiko and quickly wrapped his arm around her. A cloud formed around their feet and she yelped as they took to the air with speed. She held onto him tightly as they flew for miles. The view was truly beautiful, sadly, she was too filled with worry to even enjoy it.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

To say that his castle was beautiful was an understatement. It was tall just as it was wide. The outside walls were white with gold trim and a black roof. A wall of the same colors surrounded the castle with a large gate in front. Cherry blossom trees grew all over within the castle grounds with a few red maple trees as well. Inside, the wood floors were a beautiful dark brown and the walls were white just like the outside.

The room that Kimiko loved the most so far was her own room. The floor was the same as the rest of the castle, but the walls were golden. The wall behind her large cot had a beautiful painting of a waterfall surrounded by trees on it. A sheer curtain was tied back. If it was undone, it would hang in front of the cot, giving her a sense of privacy as she slept.

She heard laughter from her open balcony door and went to it. The sight took her breath away. Her balcony overlooked the castle's garden. There were even more cherry blossom and red maple trees, as well as tons of different flowers and bushes. It wasn't long before she found the source of the laughter. Rin was running through the garden as she and a maid played a game of chase.

Kimiko smiled and felt relieved. She didn't think the servants would welcome them as they had done. They weren't stuck up or even slightly rude. Instead, they were all kind and caring. The only bad thing was that they all assumed she was Sesshomaru's mate until he quickly shut down that rumor. While he was upset by it, she only blushed.

When it came to the opposite sex, she had no experience and was easily embarrassed by such things. She was welcomed in the slayer village, but that did not mean it was completely easy for her. Lavender eyes were not a normal thing for a human. It was a constant reminder of her ancestry. This made everyone her age timid around her. While many boys flirted with Sango and other girls, she was left alone. It was the kids who were years younger than her that had accepted her. They thought her eyes were cool and had found her fun to play with.

A light knock on the room's door brought her out of her thoughts. "Come in."

A maid with blonde hair entered the room and bowed. "Kimiko-sama. I've come to get you ready for lunch." She stood up straight and made her way to the wardrobe. She opened it and turned to Kimiko. "Is there anything, in particular, you would like to wear, Kimiko-sama?"

"You can just call me Kimiko. Anything more seems a bit weird."

The maid's blue eyes widened. "I-I couldn't-"

"Please. At least when we are in private."

Her blue eyes focused on the ground as she thought it over. It was not a simple task that her new lady had asked of her. Such a thing went against centuries of tradition and rules that had been engraved inside her head. With a soft sigh, she looked up at Kimiko. "As you wish, Kimiko."

Kimiko's face lit up as she smiled happily. She turned her attention to the wardrobe and bit her lip in thought. "What do you think would look best?"

Blue eyes scanned her up and down repeatedly. The maid then hurried to the wardrobe and pulled out a beautiful dark purple kimono. It was not long before Kimiko was stripped and redressed. The experience was slightly awkward for her, but she tried her best to keep a calm mind. When the maid was done, Kimiko examined herself. Flowers of different shades of purple and white decorated her left shower, the bottom of both sleeves, and a large area around her legs. The obi she now wore was yellow and had a matching pattern. "It's beautiful," she whispered.

"I am glad you like it." The maid escorted her to a large mirror. After plucking and refining Kimiko's eyebrows, the maid had Kimiko open her mouth wide. When she did, the yokai smiled happily. "I see you do not do Ohaguro."

Kimiko shook her head gently. "No. I never saw the appeal in that." Ohaguro was a custom of dyeing your teeth black. Such a thing was common among noble women when they came of age. When Sango had told her of the custom when they were young, she thought her sister was lying. Sure she had lived in a village that was hidden from the outside world, but she couldn't believe people would do that. It wasn't until years later when Miroku convinced a noble that a spirit haunted his home did Kimiko believe. The man's daughter had black teeth.

The maid lightly laughed as she applied makeup to Kimi's face. It was only enough to heighten the natural beauty she had. "That is good to hear. My kind has never understood that custom. As well as the custom of painting your face white, which, I hear is beginning to end. Yokai prefer natural and if makeup is used, it is only a little bit to add to one's natural beauty." The maid pulled away after she applied a light shade of pink to Kimiko's lips. "Do you prefer your hair up or down?"

"Down is fine. I don't want to take to much of your time."

The maid bowed. "It is an honor to do this." As she stood straight again, she grabbed a brush and began to brush her lady's hair.

"I just realized," Kimiko said, "I never asked your name."

"My name is Maemi."

"A truthful smile?" Surprise shone brightly in her eyes. "How odd. That was a topic I wanted to talk to you about."

Maemi tilted her head slightly as she brushed Kimiko's hair. "What do you mean?"

"Sesshomaru," she paused and added, "-sama." Now that she was considered his alpha female, if she only said his name, others would assume there was something between them. "Its a known that humans aren't his favorite thing in the world. I kind of expected the same from his servants or at least fake kindness."

"Yet, you have sensed nothing of the sort."

A small smile appeared on Maemi's face as she stopped brushing and walked in front of her lady. "Every servant here, excluding Sir Jaken, have been hand-picked by the late InuTaisho. When he left Sesshomaru-sama's mother, many were outraged. While it is common to mate for political reasons, it is not common to leave a mate for another. Especially, for a human." She set the brush down and grabbed a large hand mirror. As she handed it over, she said, "The backlash upset him. He wanted his new mate to be welcomed by those that she would encounter here. So, he told all the servants who hated humans or that could not respect them to leave. New servants replaced those that left and he then investigated everyone to ensure no bad apples were in the mix. After his father passed away, Sesshomaru-sama allowed Izayoi-sama and her son to stay here."

Astounded and confused, Kimiko grabbed the mirror from her. Instead of looking at herself in it, she laid it on her lap. Her brows furrowed as she focused on her thoughts. The last bit of information she had received made no sense to her. "Why would he do that? Doesn't he hate them?"

Her smile turned to one of sadness as she closed her blue eyes and shook her head. "Being involved in yokai court requires one to have their barriers up. When Toga-sama died, my lord had never felt such a loss. It made him barricade his heart even more. He had allowed them to stay here due to honor and the respect he held for his late father. His icy nature made Izayoi-sama feel as though she was a bother, so she returned to her own home."

"When she died, he kept his distance from Inuyasha, not wanting to deal with the loss of his brother. Am I right?"

When Maemi nodded, Kimiko let out a sigh. "I never met someone so smart who was so stupid." Maemi's eyes widened as she tried to warn her lady not to say such things. However, Kimiko didn't care and interrupted her. "He caused more pain by staying away. Inuyasha grew up alone and only knew a brother who seemed to not want anything to do with him. When Inuyasha dies, no matter how much distance he kept away, it will still hurt him."

Deciding it was time to change the subject, Maemi cleared her throat. "We took a bit of time getting ready. The food should be prepared now if you will follow me."

As Maemi walked towards the door, Kimiko took a quick look at herself in the mirror. She released a small gasp. When it came to how she looked, she had never felt that she was pretty. At the moment, she felt beautiful. Her lips had more color to them, her cheeks had a soft pink, and the black that outlined her top eyelids made her eyes seem bigger. Quickly, she placed the mirror down and followed Maemi.

To say that the dining room was gorgeous was an understatement. The walls were a beautiful gold, like her room, with painted scenery. The dark wooden floor seemed to glow due to the many metal lanterns that hung from the entire ceiling. In the center of the room was a long table with chairs all around it.

"Sesshomaru-sama had traveled to a place far from here. He had liked the way they dined so much that he had it recreated here," Maemi whispered.

It disappointed Kimiko a little bit when she found out Sesshomaru wasn't joining Rin and her for lunch. She was, however, a bit excited and nervous about talking to him. In the middle of their lunch, a servant told her Sesshomaru wanted to speak with her after she was done. The only possible topic she could think of was Sango and the others. As soon as both he and she arrived at the castle, Sesshomaru went back alone. This only made her wonder if they were badly injured or worse.

After having a maid lead her to his study, Kimiko stood at the door. Lightly, her knuckles tapped against the door. Had he been a human, he might have not heard the noise. When she heard him tell her to come in, she opened the door and walked in slowly. Anxiety filled her as she entered. His study was decorated with furniture that was not traditional to this land. She wondered if this was more things that he had recreated here.

Moments passed by as Sesshomaru quietly stared at documents. She awkwardly shifted her weight between each leg, waiting for him to say something. It wasn't until she cleared her throat that he looked up. As his eyes gazed at her, his eyes widened a tiny bit. It was an action that she missed. He tossed away whatever thoughts he had and focused on why he had called her here.

"It was as you claimed. Naraku's target was you."

Her breath hitched in her throat. She knew he was now after her, yet, the idea was still able to bother her. It wasn't her safety that she was concerned about. Naraku loved to use those you cared about against you. That meant her sister, daughter, and friends would be in possible danger because of her. Though, Rin was her main concern. The others were already after Naraku in the first place so it was no new danger for them.

Sensing her unease, he placed the document he held down. "Just as the slayer said, he left when he realized his plan had failed. There was a small battle, but they are unharmed." He grabbed a scroll of his desk and stood. After he walked around his desk, he handed it to her. She grabbed it and opened it to see its contents. It was drawings of battle poses. "This one has arranged for you to train every day with the general of my army. In unlikely unforeseen circumstances that I cannot, you are to protect the pack. That is a duty of the alpha female."

Kimiko didn't think as she reacted to his news. She threw her arms around his neck as she hugged him happily. She was grateful that he was not wearing his armor. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama," she whispered.

The fact that she acknowledged his position surprised him as well as the fact she currently had her arms wrapped around him. The scent of vanilla and cherry blossoms invaded his senses and he inhaled it greedily. A warm feeling slowly radiated in his chest and a part of him liked it. As she pulled away, the warmth left as well as the need to breathe in her scent. She bowed to him before taking her leave. As the door closed behind her, he just stared as he recovered from his quick daze. He couldn't understand why he kept acting in such ways. However, he knew he was going to keep his distance to prevent it from ever happening again.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Let me know if Sesshomaru feels out of character or if it seems things are going to fast between them. I liked parts of this chapter and parts I didn't care for. I continue to doubt how well I am doing with this story lol.

On a separate note, I want you guys to tell me what you like! Do you like a happy ending, tragedy, no cliches, all of the cliches, etc.? I have many ideas on how to proceed with this story and how to end it as well as new characters to introduce. I am mainly curious to know everyone's likes and dislikes ^^