Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I in any forseeable future, own Inuyasha.
"Over the river and through the woods! To grandmothers' house we go!"
Kagome laughed at herself as she had begun singing the silly tune almost immediately after she got out of earshot of the village. "Woo, glad I got that out of the system!" she laughed.
As funny as the moment was though, she knew she had to get serious. This was a matter of life and death unfortunately, but Kagome was going to stay positive. She had too. She didn't want to consider the possibility that Mitoku's grandmother was in fact, gone.
She came to the river rather quickly. It had slightly frozen over at one end, while another showed the quickness of the passing river. Piles of snow were visible on both sides of the banks, while no sign of a trail could be seen on the other side. "Hn, it seems like no ones been to see grandma for a while." She bit her lip as she considered the possible length of time this woman. Judging from the snowfall, it could've been anywhere from just a few days to a few months. Kagome shivered slightly, gently pulling the red cloak up around her neck. "She's gonna be okay… I hope."
She spotted an old bridge wobbling over near the partially frozen side of the river. It appeared to have been decades old, and in dire need of repair, but Kagome quickly noticed that this was the only way across. She approached it with caution, checking that the knots were stable enough to hold her frame. She tenderly grasped the old ropes and wearily made her trek across. The bridge swayed gently with the cold wind, but Kagome did not allow her grip to lesson as she finally made it to the edge of the bridge and her feet touched down on the snowy ground.
"Halfway there." She thought to herself with a sigh.
Suddenly she stopped and turned. She could feel a youki's presence and from the feel, it was definitely familiar. She smiled as she smelled the lilac scent in the air, almost reminiscing of her days when she had a "pack" that involved him. Her memories were quickly stopped in mid thought as she heard his cold, indifferent voice echo across from her. "Miko, you test this Sesshomaru's patience by trespassing on my lands. Even you should be aware that this Sesshomaru holds no emotional attachment towards you; your death would not weigh on this Sesshomaru's conscience."
Kagome's breath caught itself in her throat unintentionally. His pose was not one that signified a challenge, but merely one of indifference. His body was half turned, staring in the direction of where she came, while his face, though blasted with the ice cold wind, was still as stone. He was still as beautiful as she remembered from when they first met, and even now, after eight years and numerous battles together, circumstances seemed to be the same when they first crossed paths as they were now; He was ready to kill her, she was not ready to die.
He turned to face her then; slightly agitated that she had not made a move to leave, to apologize, or even to truly acknowledge him. "Miko, this Sesshomaru will not inform you twice of the consequences of your actions." Kagome bowed then, her face hidden from his view. "Sesshomaru, I-""You will not speak to this Sesshomaru on such… common terms." Kagome rolled her eyes, careful to ensure he would not see it under her low bow. "Lord Sesshomaru," she began, "I am only here to retrieve a woman that is unknowingly on your lands. She is not completely here, in her mind I mean."
Sesshomaru sighed inwardly; he was well aware of the woman and had been for some time. He had not gone to kill her for trespassing for even he could see the dementia that she possessed. He could smell the death on her since the moment that the pitiful humans brought her there. They brought her six months ago, almost as an experiment to see if he would indeed kill her for the trespass.
He recalled visiting her on a number of occasions within these past months only to see if indeed she was dead. He did not wish to have a human corpse soil his lands. She stayed strong for four of those past months, but within the last two her condition had seriously deteriorated. Her granddaughter had stopped visiting, considering her grandmother a lost cause, and she began going days, and soon weeks without eating, bathing, or even properly dressing herself. He had gone just about an hour ago to see if she had died yet.
"The woman you speak of is dead."
Kagome felt her chest beginning to hammer hard as her breath began to quicken unintentionally. This woman died alone, cold, and probably scared. Her granddaughter probably sent her knowing full well that the woman was dead. Tears began to fall from Kagomes eyes as she shook her head. She knew that the woman had to be dead deep down; it just took a lot out of her to accept it. "I trust that you are not lying to me, or trying to dissuade me?" She found herself saying in anger.
Before Kagome realized what had occurred Sesshomaru pinned her to a tree and roughly had her neck in his elegant hands, slightly twisted as if ready to break. She saw the flicker of red in his eyes as his cold, staotic voice began to speak. "This Sesshomaru has no reason to lie, or dissuade you Miko. This Sesshomaru does not want his land soiled by human blood, but the way you tempt him may cause him to reconsider this situation." Kagome felt herself try to gulp, or nod, but all she found herself able to do was breathe quickly. She could feel his hand on her throat quite easily, but the hand that had her chest pinned to the tree was the one that grabbed her attention. It was settled between her breasts, awkwardly positioned in a way that his fingertip lightly grazed her nipple every time she inhaled. While she was scared at the possibility of death, her overworked, undersexed brain began to take control.
As she inhaled again, starring into his face, looking for a sign that he was going to let go, she felt his fingertip graze her hard nipple. Her breath was instantly gasped out as her face grew red in a blush. She was desperately trying to shut her sex side of her brain out, but all she could hear in her head was, "He is so sexy. Damn. Touch it! Touch it again!"
Sesshomaru noticed the changed in her breathing and saw the blush on her face. He was confused at her reaction to death, but did not allow it to show. "What is going on here?" He thought. "Why is she acting…?" And then he caught it, ever so lightly in the harsh blowing wind, was Kagome's arousal. At then he realized, glancing down at her hardened chest, that he was unintentionally touching her sensitive nubs with his fingertips. This close proximity, this threat of death, and the fact that even he could tell that the woman had never been taken, was enough to make him drop her quickly and frown. "You will leave this Sesshomaru's land Miko. It would be most… unwise for you to remain any longer." And with that he was gone.
Kagome could feel that he had left her. The blood was slowly returning to her neck where he had squeezed while speaking to her. She laughed a little then, happy that her life was spared at the moment. She stood hesitantly, looking for the dog demon, but was grateful that there appeared no trace of him in the area. She pulled her red cloak around her neck and shook her head.
As a miko and a woman who has been in Sesshomaru's company before she should have been more alert to her surroundings. He was more than capable of killing her and truly reiterated that fact today. An uneasy feeling overcame her as she continued onward. He was very clear as to what the consequences would be for her continuing her quest to the grandmother, but if the woman was indeed dead it would be disrespectful and unprofessional as a miko to allow her corpse to lay unburied, or unblessed. Even though Kagome wasn't sure if it mattered, she wanted to provide the grandmother with some sort of sense of peace, even if it had to be only in the afterlife.
Sesshomaru stood far from the banks in which he encountered the miko. He masked his scent and hidden his aura to ensure she would not detect him. He wished that she would heed his warning and immediately leave his lands, but it appeared that this would not be the case. He brought his hand to his temples and rubbed lightly, she was not making this an easy decision.
Part of him realized that she was more than likely would not listen, but it did not lessen the anger that she was beginning to cause. She was disobedient, rude, insubordinate… and of all things still pure. This is one thing that stood out most from their encounter. He was certain that the hanyou would have taken her, but it appeared that instead she had either dismissed him, or he chose that clay pot of death. He did not truly care about the intricate affairs of the two, but the matter still perplexed him.
She was not ugly by human standards, nor was she by demonic standards. She had grown and fully developed; her breast had definitely grown, and she now had hips that ensured she could bear children quite well. She had the figure that was deemed desirable by Sesshomaru; even he could not lie about that. Her status as a powerful miko also made him not as repulsed by her as he often felt with humans.
He frowned then, angry that he had considered the miko desirable. "It is merely her pure scent that drives this Sesshomaru's beast. If she was soiled, this Sesshomaru would have not thought such disgusting thoughts." He then slowly began to follow the miko towards the grandmothers house, determined that if she made it that far, that he would indeed kill her for her insubordination.
The red cloak flapped in the harsh wind behind her as she trekked in the knee deep snow, trying precariously to stay on the "path" that would surely lead to the grandmother's home. She knew she was close, she had to be. She estimated that she was within a half mile of the home when she caught the top of the roof in sight. Kagome found herself sighing with relief. She was relieved to get out of this snow, but not at the possibility of finding the dead woman.
The heavy snow and wind ensured that she did not reach the home until nightfall.
Sesshomaru watched as she walked up the steps of the home and gingerly knocked on the door. He had arrived ahead of her, but remained outside the property. He could feel a youkai's presence in the home and knew that it was a shape shifter, probably feeding on the dead woman's remains. He was curious as to why the miko still knocked on the door, as she could probably feel the weak youkai on the inside.
Kagome felt the demonic aura on the property the moment she had been within 500 feet of it. It was a weak aura, most likely about where Shippo was in his training. She flared her miko powers a bit in an effort to scare the demon away, but when it appeared that it was staying, Kagome decided to go all in.
She again knocked on the door, hearing the rustling behind it as she placed her hand on bow and slowly pushed open the door. "Grandmother? Grandmother? May I come in?" Arrow drawn back Kagome pushed through the door. She eyed the debris in front of her, obviously left from the youkai that was somewhere inside. A bit of torn clothing and a small pool of blood with a trail that led towards the closet a few feet away caused Kagome to gulp rather loudly as she again began taking tentative steps.
More rustling could be heard from the room on the left, but Kagome had to ensure that she was alone before she could investigate. With her front facing the bedroom door she began to step to the side to check the small kitchen, weary to maintain a visual on the predator waiting. She quickly glanced in, noticing the dust that had built up and the lack of food in the open pantries. She drew the arrow back down, allowing the tension in the bow to lack and she quickly dropped her pack that she had carried with her. Nothing in there was going to help her in this situation. She only had a spare set of warm clothes and some small dried food incase she was to take longer than she planned out here. Obviously she had no need to carry the sack while fighting.
Kagome again drew the quiver and kept the bow low as she walked towards the bedroom door, softly side stepping the blood trail. She reached the door and prepared to push as a voice stopped her in her tracks, "Come in, my child." She knew that she had been heard, and in a defeated smile, she opened the door wide, eyeing the demon that had lain itself in the elder woman's bed.
The gasp that Kagome had allowed to escape was the only sound the young miko was able to make. In the bed was an older woman, most likely the grandmother, but at the same time it was not her. Kagome quickly realized this was the demon she felt earlier, but could not quite fathom the complexity of this youkai's abilities. The youkai had mirrored the grandmother's form, but had still retained some of their demonic features. "She must still be young and trying to understand her powers…" Kagome thought as she continued to stare, arrow still facing the ground as if unable to be lifted to meet the new threat.
"It is rude to lurk in doorways… One would question your upbringing, granddaughter." The laughter that flowed after that caused Kagome's blood to freeze; it was so unnatural that she found herself unable to move more than a step or two towards the demon. Again, she found herself starring at the now clearly demonic features that remained. Did this youkai really think that they were fooling her with this facade? "Only one way to tell..." Kagome thought as she took a step forward, placing the bow on the table.
"My grandmother! How I've missed you so!" Kagome said, stepping forward and bowing low, the red cloak twisting around her back till it pooled around her sides. The demon was genuinely caught off guard and her response was one that was laced with uncertainty. "My, my, my… little red…" and at that her voice cracked, showing that she was struggling with maintaining this form. Kagome smiled then, realizing that this might be her only way to make peace for the actual grandmother.
She stood up, looking at the features now, and smirking, "Grandmother, what big eyes you have."