"I don't see them." Shippo voiced out, anxious.
Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the demon who was sitting upon her shoulder. "Of course not, the trees are in the way." Seeing the child's blush, she laughed again. "They are here. I sensed him."
She was with the group when she felt it, a surge of energy chilling her very core. She could only get a feel of how close it was before it vanished just as quickly. It wasn't until it happened again, five minutes later, that she realized what was going on:
Sesshomaru was calling her.
Though she did not like to lie to her friends, she made up an excuse and took Shippo with her. There was no doubt in her mind the boy wished to see Rin again and play with her. It had been almost a month since their first time meeting. When they were alone, Shippo would ask her if Rin would come and play again, and she would have to reply with 'I'm not sure Shippo'. The lonely and sad look on his face always pained her afterwards.
Other than the village kids, Rin was the only one close to Shippo's age for him to hang out with.
After few minutes walking, the trees cleared out, revealing an open field. It was there, in the center, the proud demon lord stood. Beside him the child seemed very small in stature. "Rin!" Shippo wasted no time and jumped off her shoulder.
"Shippo!" Rin raised her hand and waved as she ran towards him as well, the two excited children meeting in the middle.
Kagome watched the two kids exchange excited words, a ghost of a smile gracing her lips. Minutes passed, and she looked away from the two, her eyes landing on the demon who already got comfortable beneath a tree on the outside of the field.
The miko reached up and shifted the strap of her backpack on her shoulder in nervousness. She glanced at the kids one more time, seeing that they were occupied playing tag with one another. She moved her gaze back to the demon lord.
With her mind made up, she steeled her resolve and began walking towards his resting from, determination in her eyes.
.-
Kagome was sitting beside the powerful demon as the children played in the field. He was an arm's length or so away from her. She kept a fair distance from him since she wasn't sure what his actual 'personal space bubble' was.
For whatever reason, she decided that today would be the day that the great demon lord would talk to her. He can't be a stick in the mud all the time—there must be something beneath that 'I will kill you' glare, and stiff personality of his.
After a moment of uneasiness, she took another peak at the demon from her lashes. It was now or never. Come on, Kagome girl, you can do it.
Kagome cleared her throat. "So…" She glanced towards him out of the corner of her eye. "It's nice and warm today, isn't it?" Once again, her default conversation was the weather. When he of course didn't respond, she looked down at the ground and plucked the grass beneath her.
Someone please, just shoot her now.
"Isn't it hot with all that armor on?" She asked him, curious. But still, he did not take the bait she was offering and started a conversation with her. She had to stop herself from sighing in defeat. Maybe it was a lost cause?
"Kagome!" Hearing her name the miko looked up and spotted Shippo galloping towards her on all fours as fast as he could, a big smile on his face.
She waited until the child reached her, before she spoke up. "Yes Shippo?"
"Can I have my colors?"
She nodded at him then turned towards her pack, which was sitting beside her. "Sure." It didn't take long for her to find the box that had all of the demon fox's tools, and handed him a few coloring books as well. "Here you go."
The fox's smile grew. "Thanks!" With his colors in hand he ran back towards Rin, who was patiently waiting in the middle of the field for him to return.
Her blue irises lingered on the children's form as they drew. Her expression softened when she saw how happy the human girl looked, playing with the demon. "I'm glad that you didn't punish her for coming to me on that day." The words left her mouth without much thought.
She didn't think she would receive a reply, so when his deep voice answered she was more than a little shocked. "Her disobedience did not go unpunished." He informed her. "This one did not allow her to come see you or the fox kit for a full moon cycle, giving her time to reflex on her transgression."
"You…" Kagome allowed the words to sink into her mind for a minute. When his comment finally clicked in her mind what he had done, she couldn't help but allow the feminine giggle to leave her lips.
"Does my choice of punishment amuse you girl?"
Hearing his tone and that he was most certainly not happy by her laughter, she quickly raised her hand to her mouth to try and cover up her giggles—and failing. "Of course not, Lord Sesshomaru." She tried to seem sincere, but the delight dancing in her blue eyes gave her away. "I think it was the right way to go. I just didn't figure you would actually do something like ground her."
Kagome couldn't get the image out of her head: Sesshomaru standing in front of Rin, an 'I am not amused' look on his face as he stared down at her. Then he says "You are grounded young lady." She almost went into another fit of giggles on the thought alone.
"This Sesshomaru did not throw her onto the ground."
The miko blinked, then tried to hold back another set of laughs. "I didn't mean it like that." She tried to tell him. "It is just an expression, from where I come from."
The dog demon stared at her, taking in her words. "Hn." Then he turned his head away, no longer concerned, and once again kept his golden gaze upon the children.
Kagome found a smile gracing her features, then she too turned to watch the kids play in the field.
.-
Kagome was currently weaving a crown of flowers in her hand. After the first ten minutes or so of watching the children, she thought about reading a book or doing her homework, but decided against it. She didn't want the demon lord, who was still currently sitting beside her, to get curious and question what she was doing.
She knows that in this world women reading or writing was unheard of. She didn't want him to start asking questions that she was uncomfortable answering at the moment. There was a chance that the demon wouldn't care one way or another what she was doing, or even notice at all, but she didn't want to risk it. So she decided instead to make a crown of flowers, and give it to Rin when she was done.
When she looped the last stem together, she held up her finished work with a smile. "Done~!" She sang out in joy as she felt proud of herself— The sound and small movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she looked over, seeing Sesshomaru now standing.
"Rin." His voice was deep and easily carried over to the children, who were still playing.
There was laughter as Shippo and Rin both ran towards them at full speed. "I win!" Shippo skidded to a halt, almost running into the miko who was still sitting on the grass.
"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin smiled up at the demon lord.
"Rin?"
"Yes?" She asked again, still smiling.
"What are those marks upon your face?"
Hearing his words Kagome looked away from her crown and at the two kids. A gasp of surprise left the miko's lips. The child's happy grin just spread even wider. "Markers!"
The miko paled at her words, but the demon just hummed at her answer. "Properly named…"
"Shippo!" Her scolding tone caused the demon to flinch and lower himself, knowing he did something wrong. "I told you not to make a mess!" She grumbled beneath her breath as she turned to her pack and began rummaging through it. "I should have watched you two closer, but I thought you were old enough not to do such a thing." She quickly changed into 'mother' mood, and going straight for the 'I am disappointed in you' speech.
The two children looked down at the ground, now feeling guilty. Yet the picture was rather funny to look at, since their hands and face had different colors, shapes, and squiggles printed on their skin. Finding the alcohol, she huffed. "I know your nose is sensitive, but it's the only way to get it off." She dabbed some of the liquid on a cloth. She started with the demon first, rubbing the rag on his hands, and cleaning the permeant marker off of his pale flesh.
The child didn't persist until she began washing his face. "You're rubbing my face off!" He grumbled, his nose and face scrunched up as he tried to hold his breath from the strong odor.
"It's your own fault. I told you not to get it on you because it's hard to get off." At this point, his face was now red from all the scrubbing, but at least the colorful ink was gone. "Okay Rin, it's your turn." She turned away from Shippo, and to the girl.
"M'kay…" The girl, seeing the harsh way it was removed from Shippo, reluctantly walked up to her to receive the same treatment to remove the blemishes. She held out her hands, and she removed it easily enough, then came the girls face. As she raised the rag, the child's face already scrunched up in anticipation and Kagome couldn't help but laugh.
Like Shippo, Rin had to put up with the rough washing, but she was able to get it all off of the child's skin. "Let that be a lesson to you both." She warned them as she put the rag and alcohol away, standing up.
"Yes, Kagome." They both said at the same time.
"Does that mean I can't have any more markers?" Shippo asked, a sad look in his eyes.
"I don't know." She told him, unsure. "We will have to see." The demon shifted his feet in sadness, but didn't object to her punishment.
"Rin." Sesshomaru called to his ward, causing them to all look towards him. "We are leaving."
"M'kay." Rin nodded.
"Oh, wait." Her words caused the girl to pause and tilted her head at her. Kagome reached down and picked up the crown she had been working on. "This is for you." The girl's eyes lit up with delight upon seeing the flowers.
"It's beautiful!" Rin commented when Kagome placed the crown upon her head. "Thank you!"
Kagome laughed. "You're welcome."
"I wish I can make you one."
"You will." She encouraged her. "You just have to keep practicing." She told her. "I'm sure the one you make for me will be even prettier."
Her words caused a blush to appear on the girls face, and she nodded, her smile brightening. "Bye Kagome! Bye Shippo!" She waved to them, before catching up to the demon lord who was already heading to the tree line.
They both waved back smiling. "Bye Rin."
Kagome called to the demon as they continued to walk away. "Goodbye, Lord Sesshomaru." Of course, she never received a reply from him.
"Come and play again soon!" Shippo shouted, his tail twitching behind him.
Rin turned and waved again as she walked backwards. "I will!" She promised.
Kagome smiled, feeling happy that the two got along so well with one another. "Come on Shippo." She caught his attention. "The others are probably starting to worry."
"Alright." He nodded.
They both gathered their things, and went back to camp.
.-
Kagome leaned back against her tree in the shade and huffed. "It's kind of hot today. I still don't see how you deal with this heat in that amour of yours." She glanced over at the demon lord who was beside her, as if the heat didn't bother him. When she didn't get any response from him, she wasn't surprised. "I'm glad you two came to visit so soon." She told him as she watched the children playing. "Shippo is too." She added as an afterthought.
When she felt his familiar aura in the air, she was taken off guard. It had only been two weeks since their last visit. Had Rin pestered him and asked to come and visit early? He didn't look mad, so maybe not.
"So hot~" She could feel the trickle of sweat start to roll down her face and she reached up, wiping it away with her sleeve in a huff.
"I do not understand your complaints, considering you wear such small amount of clothing."
She felt heat rush into her cheeks at his words. "Just because I show some skin, doesn't mean I can't get hot under 90 degree weather." The demon sent her a look, thinking otherwise. She opened her mouth to speak her mind, but luckily her brain caught up with her flapping jaws in time to save herself. She had almost forgotten who she was talking to: Sesshomaru.
He wasn't Inuyasha, who she can say and do whatever she wanted and banter with. No, this demon would kill her if she spoke the wrong thing and he believed she was humiliating him in anyway. In fact, she was surprised he even allowed her to sit with him while the children were playing.
Believing she has risked her life enough for one day, she decided to take out her bow and arrows and examine them. The rest of the evening she fixed and sharpened her arrows, checking her bow for signs of stress. She had been meaning to do so earlier, but she hasn't had the time to. She really should do so more often, for it would mean the difference between life and death, should something happen to her only weapon during battle.
"Rin." Kagome paused and looked up at the demon who was standing, calling to his ward.
The miko looked up to the sky, and was surprised to see how much time had passed while she was tending to her weapons. "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin was smiling up at him, Shippo standing beside her. They both had markers printed all over their faces again, except this time, it looked like they were getting more artistic about it. Shippo was a flower of some kind, while Rin was-
She flashed him a wide smile in joy. "I'm a cat!" The demon lord didn't even bother to respond to the statement. He just stared at the girl for a moment, then turned his head to look into Kagome's blue pools.
"Don't worry." She smiled at him. "It's washable." She told him with a wave of her hand as if it was no big deal. "Just take her to the river and it will wash away with water this time."
He nodded his head and then turned and began walking away. Rin gave a small pout, but she didn't object and turned towards the two with a smile. "I'll see you guys later!"
Kagome and Shippo both waved goodbye as the two left the field. "When do you think they will be back?" Shippo didn't even wait a few seconds before the question came out of his mouth as he looked at her.
The miko laughed. "Already missing her?" She only laughed harder when the boy's face flushed with color. "I'm sure they will return when they have time."
She doubted it would be soon. Sesshomaru was a busy demon after all…
.-
"Roar!" Shippo popped out of the tall grass, holding up a picture that Rin and him drew together: A red dragon. "I am the Dragon King! King of the dragons!" The fox used his magic, and placed his hand behind the picture. Flames came out of the side of the picture, where the dragon's mouth was, making it look like the dragon was breathing fire.
"Oh no!" Rin placed her hands on either side of her face.
"Imma eat chu!" Shippo waved the picture back and forth, then he took off running towards the girl. Rin then gave a fake scream, then started laughing as Shippo chased her around the field with the picture.
Kagome couldn't help but allow a smile to cross her features at the cute image. She then turned her head to the sky and almost sighed in relief. "The sun isn't so hot today." It has started to cool down. Fall will be upon them in another month.
Meeting Sesshomaru and Rin had become a regular occurrence anymore. While the children played, Kagome would talk about the weather, then trail off and not speak anymore when she never got a response. Then she would entertain herself, or just sit and watch the children until Sesshomaru decided it was time to leave.
Kagome glanced at the demon beside her. He seems to have changed from the cold killing monster she remembers when she first met him and he wished to take Tessaiga away from Inuyasha. Maybe he isn't so bad after all?
"Your staring is tiresome girl, remove it." Then again…
She gave an unladylike snort through her nose, and placed her hands up on her hips. "You know what Sesshomaru? You—"
"Kagome!" The miko's rant was stopped before it even began and she looked towards who was calling her. Shippo was headed towards her at full speed, his paper hat almost falling off of his head, and he had to hold on to it. In his other paw was a paper sword. When he reached her, he didn't waste any time and grabbed her hand, tugging on it. "We need a virgin princess to rescue from the dragon!"
"A—what?" Kagome pointed to herself—
She heard a sound, it was small, and if she had to guess she would have thought it was a snort coming from the proud demon lord beside her. "The unclothed miko can't even pretend to be such a thing."
Blood rushed into her cheeks at his comment. She turned towards him in a huff. "I'll have you know I haven't even-…" She quickly stopped herself and placed her hand over her lips before she even finished her words. Her blush intensified when the demon lord raised a single eyebrow towards her. She cleared her throat and put her attention back towards the fox. "Shippo, do you even know what that means?"
The demon child blinked up at her with such innocence she almost cried. "No?" He pouted. "Miroku told me that's what dragon's eat. Why? Is it important?"
Dang it Miroku…
She opened her mouth to tell him, but then her entire face became flushed. "I will tell you when you get older."
Shippo shrugged. "Should I ask Miroku?"
"No!" She quickly became flustered at the stares from the two demons then she cleared her throat. "N-no." She spoke softer. "Don't ask him anything. Just forget it."
He gave a small shrug. "Okay." He then began tugging on her hand again and she sighed, allowing herself to be dragged to the centre of the field. "I got the virgin princess!" Shippo shouted loudly so Rin could hear across the field.
"Yay!" The young child giving a shout of joy as she held up her paper sword. Kagome's blush returned full force as she raised her hand to her face to try and cover up her embracement.
She then plopped down onto the ground so that she was level with the children. Rin placed a crown of flowers upon her head- "Virgin! Virgin! Virgin!" The two circled around the miko chanting. Kagome released a groan as her entire body felt like it was on fire as she sat there.
"Here Kagome. Hold the Dragon King. You are his prisoner now." Shippo handed her the picture.
Kagome glanced at the demon lord who was sitting across the field— He had the same indifferent look upon his face, but she could just tell that he was mocking her behind that façade of his.
She raised the picture up and used it to cover her reddened face with another groan, as the children around her continued their charade, trying to rescue the virgin princess from the clutches of the Dragon King…
.-
"Sorry we didn't save you in time and you got eaten Kagome." Rin's voice and expression looked truly guilt-ridden as she spoke those words, as if the act was real. Rin and Sesshomaru were departing, and the child was speaking her last words of goodbye, yet she felt guilty over the outcome of the pretend story her and Shippo did.
"It is okay Rin." Kagome bent down so she was eye level with her. "You rescued the village, remember?" The girl nodded and Kagome smiled. "The lives of many, outweigh the lives of one."
"Hn." The sound of agreement came from the tall demon standing beside her.
Rin still felt bad, so the child looked up at her with determination in her eyes. "I'll save you next time."
Kagome couldn't help but laugh and she reached out, ruffling the child's hair in praise. "I know you will." The child flashed her a large smile, and Kagome returned it with a smile of her own.
"Come, Rin." And with the familiar command, the two left the field.
.-
Shippo popped out of the grass, holding his sword in the air. "The Dragon King has returned!"
"Quick! We must save the virgin princess!" Rin jumped up, copying Shippo's body movements.
The virgin princess gave a squawk of disgust, the yellow wig placed upon his head shifting in his sudden movement. "Do you two even know what that means!" Jaken waved his staff in the air in disapproval, but the children ignored him, running around the imp while chanting 'virgin virgin virgin.'
"Come Rin—We ride!" Shippo and Rin both got on top of Ah-Un, continuing their quest to save Jaken from the dragon.
The whole time, Kagome couldn't stop the laughter that spilled from her lips at the scene. "Well, Jaken should be happy that he isn't playing the role of the monster this time and being hit with the swords like usual."
She received the normal reply of "Hn."
Sometimes Sesshomaru would bring Jaken and Ah-Un. When he did, the toad was the subject of the two children's games, casting the demon as the evil beast that must be slain. She would feel bad for the toad at times, but then the imp would say something mean, making her think otherwise. If he got too rowdy, a small rock coming out of nowhere would hit the green toad and she would try not to laugh as she glanced at the demon lord beside her, wondering where he stashed the pebbles at.
After her fits of laughter finally went away, she watched the children play with a light heart. After a while, she turned her gaze to the demon sitting beside her, and her thoughts began to wander.
Spending so much time with Sesshomaru, she has almost forgotten that he was a powerful demon who could easily kill everyone in this field in a blink of an eye. A few months ago, she would have believed he could have done such a thing and had no remorse over it—But now? She thinks that the demon cared deeply for Rin, and would do anything to protect her. Whether he knew it or not, she wasn't sure.
Kagome might not have been able to strike up a conversation with the lord yet, but she could see the change in him from when they first met, back in when Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were fighting over their father's fang. He has changed, she can see it. Rin has changed him. It was a good change.
"You know Sesshomaru, you are not as cold-hearted as you pretend to be." Kagome once again had a one-sided conversation while sitting beside the demon. "Inuyasha is the same way. He always acts tough, but he is actually very kind."
The only warning she received with the icy chill of his aura flaring before she felt a heated touch upon her neck. "Do not mistake my mercy for kindness." She flinched from the pain, and she found herself staring into molten gold. His hold on her neck tightened, causing her to hiss.
She reached up and placed her hands upon his wrists, but he didn't budge. "Sesshomaru-!" His name barely wheezed out as she tried to gasp for air.
"I have put up with your presence long enough. I grow tired of this." Tears started to form in her eyes when his grip became even stronger, and her vision started to go black.
Her heart began to pound in her ears, and her body started to tremble. She knew that he was serious. Her life was in danger, and she couldn't stop him. She opened her mouth, her lungs burning, needing air, but she couldn't breathe. Panic started to swirl in her mind with each desperate gasp that yielded no oxygen.
She glanced over at the children, who were still playing, unaware of what was going on at the end of the field. "R-Rin." The single word escaped her crushing throat in desperation. He tried to remind of him the child. He couldn't kill her. Rin cared about her—She would be sad if she died.
"She is young, she will get over the loss quickly enough." He spoke as if he was referring to a pet goldfish which had to be flushed down the toilet, instead of a human being.
Her vision was darker, and her head was becoming light. She raised her hands to his chest, trying to call forth her powers, yet without an object to channel it into, it never came forth. In that moment she began to regret. Regret that she had been deceived into ever thinking that Sesshomaru was anything but a killer. She wished that she trained more—Wished that she just kept her big mouth shut. As she felt her body becoming limp, her arms falling to her side, unable to hold them up any longer, all hope of surviving began to dwindle. She wished…
"I-Inuyasha." The name barely slipped out.
"My brother?" Yet with his fine senses, he heard it. "He cannot save you. He can't defeat me, even as revenge for your death." Pain pierced her heart at his words, because the fact was, she knew it to be true.
His vice grip tightened, and she felt the pinch of his claws upon her flesh, the feeling barely registering beyond the haze of dizziness and pain that washed over her. Then she felt a shock course through her, her energy coming forth. There was a sizzle, and a light beyond the blackness of her vision. Pink lightening danced across Sesshomaru's claws and hand, crawling up his arm. The attack was sudden and it caught the demon lord off guard. In reaction he released his hold and she gasped for air.
As she coughed, her vision began returning, but the dizziness was still upon her. Her body swayed as she placed her hand upon the ground to study herself. She glanced at the demon, seeing him staring at his hand in puzzlement. He was testing out his hand, as if perplexed and unsure. He then lifted his gaze, his golden irises met her blue ones. In that moment she realized: He was really going to kill her.
She shivered as a wave of fear pooled in her stomach and she scooted away from him—Her back hit the tree behind her and her eyes widened.
He took a step towards her—
"Kagome!" She jumped at the sound of her name and she saw Shippo and Rin running towards her, still riding Ah-Un. "You alright?" The demon questioned once they reached her. "I thought I smelt your blood…" Shippo jumped off of the dragon and walked up to her—His eyes widened when he saw her and she reached up, covering her throat with her hand. She could feel the warm liquid against her fingers. "I'm fine. I just… stabbed myself with my pen."
Shippo gave her an odd look. "In your neck?"
She tried not to mumble beneath her breath, knowing she wasn't the best liar in the world. "Yeah." She subconsciously glanced out of the corner of her eye, at the tall demon who still stood beside her. Shippo easily noticed her movements, and he followed her gaze. The child's eyes narrowed at the demon, giving him a questioning look.
"Come Rin, Jaken." He turned on his heels. "We are leaving."
"Aww…" Rin gave a small nose of persisting, but the dragon was already following behind his master, the yellow wig wearing toad wobbling behind as well. "I'll see you guys later!" Rin waved to them over her shoulder.
"Bye Rin!" Shippo gave the girl a smile and waved back, but once they were gone into the shadows, he turned back towards Kagome. "Are you really okay?" He was now sitting upon her lap, looking into her eyes.
"I—I'm fine." She told him. "I was just caught off guard is all…" She looked down at the ground, knowing it was her own fault. She let her guard down.
She should have known better…
.-
The group was traveling, headed back towards the Kaede's village. They had been walking for two days now, and they were almost at the village. They would be arriving within the hour.
"Kagome?" The famine voice called out to her.
Kagome waited for Sango go walk beside her, until she spoke. "Yes?"
"Do you know why Inuyasha suddenly demanded that we turn back?" She asked.
"I—I don't know." She shook her head.
"Did something happen while you and Shippo were out gathering berries?"
The miko reached up and touched her neck, which was wrapped all the way around in a white bandage. "I told you before that I fell and scratched myself on a branch." Just when she thought she couldn't think of an even more ridiculous lie. But at least she thought of something better then stabbing herself in the neck.
"Well, if you're sure…" Sango didn't push it any further, but she kept a watchful eye on her.
Kagome felt bad about lying to everyone, but she didn't really want to explain herself. After she got back from the field, Inuyasha began questioning the bandage around her neck and she told him she cut herself on a branch. She hoped the lie worked, but only seemed to make Inuyasha madder, and he told them that they were going back to Kaede's.
"Hey." A gruff voice broke her thoughts and she almost jumped. "Can I talk to Kagome alone for a minute?" Inuyasha turned toward Sango, and the demon hunter nodded her head. Kagome and Inuyasha walked in silence for a few minutes behind the rest of the group. Unable to take the tension anymore, the dog demon spoke first. "How are you feeling?"
She shrugged. "Fine."
His ears gave a small twitch. "Keh." He turned his gaze away from her, and they once again was in silence. Every now and then he would sneak a peek at her, but then he would turn from her again.
She gave an irritated sigh and finally addressed the issue. "You wanted to talk to me Inuyasha. What is it?"
He flinched at her words, then he shifted in his spot. She could feel his temper flaring for a minute, then he collected himself and shrugged. "What happened while you were away at camp?" She gave him odd look, and opened her mouth to reply, but then he cut her off. "And don't give me none of that bull about tripping and falling either." Shock was on her face as she stared into his intense amber orbs. "Don't lie to me."
She abused her lower lip with her teeth as guilt hit her stomach. She fiddled with the ends of her sleeves and looked away from him. She didn't want to lie to him, or the others. But she didn't want to worry them either. She was unsure of what to do, so she stuck with the plan—"A branch hit me—"
"Bullshit!" His shout of anger caused her to jump, and he reached out, grabbing her arm. The sudden anger caught the attention of the others, and they too stopped walking. "You didn't just fall, and a branch wrapped around her throat and cut you!" He reached out and with one quick swipe, the bandage was shredded. Kagome let out a gasp when the air hit her throat. She reached up to quickly cover it, but he held her wrist. The dark bruise was now clearly visible, along with the dried blood from the small cuts. "A branch that was conveniently shaped like a hand, and dug claw-like punchers into your throat!" He snarled. "Now give me the fucking truth Kagome! What the fuck happened!"
Her lip began to tremble, no words coming out as she looked up at him. Guilt hit her hard as she stared into his eyes, and she looked away, unable to take his heated gaze. "I… can't."
Inuyasha snorted in disappointment and he released his hold on her wrists. "I know it was Sesshomaru." His words caused her eyes to widen and her head whipped back towards him in surprise. "I'm not stupid Kagome. I know every time you went with the runt, you were meeting him." He confessed. "I waited, thinking you would tell me sooner or later about it, and I believed you knew what you were doing. You would come to me if something happened." Hidden beneath his rage was hurt and guilt.
"Kagome?" Sango's voice spoke up amidst the tension. "Is this true?"
The miko glanced over to her friends, who were all watching with worry in their eyes. She didn't have to say it, for Shippo spoke up. "It's true."
Inuyasha growled, his knuckles clinching at his sides. "The bastard..." The rumble in his chest intensified. "I'll kill him."
"I'm sorry…" The whisper barely left her lips. "He saved your life, and I just thought that he couldn't be all bad…"
"You idiot!" His shout caused her to jump. "He wouldn't think twice about killing you! Stupid!" He held both his hands in the air, as if saying 'whatever' "But you know what? Maybe I am wrong? Maybe he is actually a nice guy! Yeah~! Like he hasn't already tried to kill you before—Pshhtt." He waved the thought away as if it didn't exist. "Maybe Naraku is a nice guy too! He just confused. If we all became friends we can be just fine! In fact, trying to fucking kill you is the initiation into our friendship circle!"
Her guilt was replaced with anger. "I know I made a mistake! You don't have to be such an ass about it!"
"No! This needs to be dealt with now!" He pointed his finger at the ground. "You are not going to see him anymore!"
"You know I can't just do that!" She argued. "He saved your life! We owe him!"
"I don't give a fuck!"
"You know what? I don't care what you say either!" She shouted back.
"Don't argue with me Kagome about this shit!"
"I can argue with you all I want to!" She huffed.
"Fine then, be that way, but I am not going to let you go home until you agree to never see him again!"
Her rage was boiling over at his words. "How dare you! You can't tell me what to do! I can go home anytime I want!" She turned to her friends, and they all flinched when her gaze locked onto theirs. "Sango? Can I borrow Kirara?" They were just an hour away from the village, but she couldn't wait that long.
"Umm…" Sango looked at the cat upon her shoulder, as if asking for permission. It gave a soft mew. "Sure—"
"No you don't!" Inuyasha got in front of her and growled. "I said that you wasn't going to go home!"
"I don't care what you say! I'm going!" She growled. "Sit!" With a harsh thud the demon hit the dirt, the sound of muffled curses left his mouth. She easily walked by his downed from and retrieved the demon cat from the exterminator. "Thank you."
"You're welcome…"
With a mew, the cat transformed in a burst of flames, and the miko was off into the sky, mumbling coherent things to herself as she headed home. After a few more seconds, the half-demon removed his face from the ground.
With a huff his shook the dirt off of his body and he sighed. "Did she go?"
"Yeah." Sango nodded.
"Inuyasha…" Miroku approached his companion as the dog still continued to brush off the dirt that clung onto his clothes "We was headed towards Kaede's anyway. Was getting Kagome home your intention from the beginning?"
Inuyasha scratched the back of his head and sighed. "She was upset. When she gets like that, she won't listen. If I told her to go home, she would have stayed. I didn't want to yell at her, but she needed to go home." He confessed. "I'm not good at that touchy feely shit. That is what a mom is for, isn't it?"
The monk reached up and patted his friend on the shoulder in praise. "That was very mature of you."
Inuyasha just turned his head away with a snort. "Feh."
.-
After the incident with the scantily dressed girl, something strange began to happen to the demon. At first Sesshomaru denied his thoughts, but by the third day of their pestering, the demon lord was forced to admit the odd and rare feeling he had been experiencing: Curiosity.
Sesshomaru looked at his hand, flexing it to test his strength. He was not physically wounded, but he could still remember the sheer power of the attack that was place upon his person that evening.
When his claws nicked the girls skin, drawing blood, her powers reacted instinctually and lashed out at him. It was so sudden, the power—The purity from it, was indescribable. The pain was like nothing he had experienced in his long life, even when his half-brother severed his arm. He had to admit that it actually hurt.
When it hit him, he instantly recoiled from it, releasing the girl. When he did, the pain vanished. There was no harm, except to his pride. A small human female caused him to retreat. It was degrading, and at first he didn't believe it, but the lingering tingle still affected his hand, telling him that it was not his imagination, and what just occurred was real.
This girl—no, this miko- He had to correct himself, for even though she did not look the part, she was still of holy power. She actually caused him pain.
What was that power? Where did it come from?
So lost in thought, Sesshomaru didn't realize his own actions until Rin's voice caught his attention. "Are you going somewhere Lord Sesshomaru?"
The demon lord looked down at the child from his high perch upon his cloud. He glanced around, then spotted his servant beside Ah-un. When he locked his golden orbs upon the imp, the green toad gave a small sound then his body became stiff, but he understood the meaning clearly enough.
"I will guard her my lord!" Jaken squawked.
"Hn." The demon then turned and continued his flight into the sky.
.-
He followed his brother's pack scent from above. When he realized which direction he was headed, it wasn't hard to figure out where they were going. He landed a good distance away from the village, inside the aggravating forest he had the great pleasure of memorizing top to bottom in the days he had been there. He calmly walked to the village, where the human stench was almost unbearable, even from this distance.
The wind shifted, and the demon lord halted in his stride when a sweet fragrance caught his attention. This scent…
He turned around and followed the smell, leading away from the village. It wasn't long until he found himself in an open field. He scanned the area, but did not find what he was looking for: The source of the sickening-sweet scent.
He entered the field, walking towards the only object worth investigating, an old well. He peered inside, yet nothing was there, leaving him puzzled. The scent radiated from the well like the plague, yet the girl was not here. She must come here often, the area reeked of her scent, but the real question was: Why?
There was only a well here, why bother coming here at all? What was the importance of this place?
It was such a strong smell, lingering for days. She practically marked it as her territory with the sweet odor. A smell, which he could not place a resemblance to anything he has ever scented before, was a sweet tang that left a taste upon his tongue whenever he inhaled too deeply. It was insufferable whenever she would sit close to him, subjecting him to her odd stench.
Judging by her lasting aroma around the area, even though she wasn't present at the moment, she will sooner or later come back. All he had to do was wait here, and he wouldn't have to force himself to walking to the village of humans to retrieve the female. Then again, he was not one that waited for another for any reason…
He turned away from the well, and looked towards the direction of the village. It was close enough that if he spread out his demonic aura, she would be able to sense him. Just as he was about to do so, he stopped when he noticed something. Another scent mingled with the girl's. The bitterness clashed horribly with the sweetness of the females, and he couldn't help but raise his nose to the familiar odor.
"Little Brother." He greeted with coldness as he turned towards the tree line.
"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha all but growled out as he jumped from the branch in a red blur, landing a few feet away from him. "You better heave a damn good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." His clawed hand reached for the hilt of his blade.
The demon almost scoffed. "Do not make idle threats that you cannot deliver."
"You think I can't kill you?" The grip on his sword tightened, but he still did not unsheathe it. "Wanna bet your life on it?"
"Do you wish to risk your own life?" He repeated the question back at him. "When you die this time, I cannot revive you." He warned.
His brother snorted. "Feh! I don't give a fuck if you did save my life! I didn't ask you too!"
"No, but your female did." He purposely tried to find a way to push his half-brother's buttons, making him angrier. "She approached this Sesshomaru, begging—"
A flash of metal was the only warning, but Sesshomaru easily dodged the sword's swing with a side step. "Still, you swing your sword with no real thought behind it. Pitiful."
Inuyasha snarled, bring his sword downward. "Shut up!" He gracefully dodged the barbaric moves, and watched as his father's fang hit the ground, burying itself into the dirt. "Damnit! Hold still! I'm going to cut off your other arm!"
His brother's words caused his golden eyes to narrow towards him, his lips curling ever so slightly. His hand reached for his blade, and he pulled out Tokijin. The sound of metal hitting metal rang out as the brother's clashed in the field.
His brother was grinning ear to ear as he pushed against his blade, both swords at a standstill. "Hit a nerve, did I?"
"Hold your tongue, least I remove it for you."
Inuyasha snorted, pushing harder against his brother's sword, creating sparks from the friction, but he didn't budge. "Stay away from Kagome."
Unable to stand the closeness anymore, his brother's bitter scent causing his nose to sting from the stench. He easily overpowered his brother and pushed him aside. Instead of falling to the ground, Inuyasha just jumped back with a growl.
He looked down at his brother from his nose. "What makes you think I seek your female?"
He slashed the air with his sword. "I don't know why, but I don't care. It stops now."
"You commanding me, brother?" His tone became venom on the last word.
"I am stating fact, brother." Inuyasha returned with just as much hate. "She is not going to see you anymore. I will make sure of that."
"Believe what you will, but when this one seeks out the miko for the debt that is owed, on your behalf"—The demon lord almost smirked when he saw the guilty look flash across his brother's face—"I will have my favor." He sheathed his blade. "It is amusing that you truly believe you can stop me from getting what I want."
This time it was his brother's turn to smirk, which caused the demon to raise an eyebrow in question at his reaction. "Oh." He held up his blade, looking at it with a sly grin. "Haven't I already done so before?" Hinting rather heavily.
Sesshomaru's nose crinkled for a moment, as if his comment caused a foul odor to repel his senses. He turned away from his brother, showing his back to him without worry. "You have the fang because of this simple fact: I no longer want it."
Having the last word he summoned his could and took off into the air, back towards his group. He can seek out the miko and question her another time. His brother's stench and foul manners were try his patience for the day.
.-
Kagome sighed when she lifted herself off the edge of the well, greeted by the sun's bright rays upon her flesh. She took a deep breath of the fresh air as she shifted the yellow monstrosity on her back and started walking to the village. After a few steps the miko paused and looked at the upturned earth beside her. She tilted her head as she looked at the wound upon the ground.
It looked like deep gash, like someone or something attacked and missed. She glanced around when worry started to settle into her bosom. She then noticed smaller damages around the area and her fear spiked—
"Kagome!" Her name being shouted snapped her out of her daze and she looked just in time to see Inuyasha land in front of her.
"Inuyasha." Her worried look quickly washed away upon seeing his uninjured body. "What happened here?" She looked around— The heavy weight upon her shoulders vanished and she blinked in surprise. He hoisted her pack on his shoulder with little effort.
He gave a small shrug in reply. "Just a stupid demon I had to chase off."
"Ah." She nodded her head and smiled at him.
A light blush entered his cheeks and he turned away from her. "Come on, the others are waiting."
He began walking and Kagome quickly kept in step with him as they went through the forest. They walked in silence for a little while, and the miko was enjoying the sounds of nature around her.
"Kagome?" She hummed in reply. "Are you okay now?"
The concern in his voice caused a soft smile to adorn her face. "I failed my test again." She admitted. "I might have to end up getting an afterschool tutor…" She looked up at the sky and sighed.
"That is not what I was talking about." His gruffness caused her to giggle. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and smiled, teasing him. "Feh." He snorted, causing her to laugh again. "Kagome?" He turned to face her, a serious look on his face. "Promise me you won't see him again."
The miko began nibbling on her lower lip as she turned her eyes away from him and off to the side. "I owe him—"
"I owe him." Inuyasha corrected. "You don't owe him anything." He told her. "Let me settle my own debt."
"But I'm the one who asked him for help."
His eyebrows angled downward and he frowned. "He save me, not you." He snorted through his nose. "It is my responsibly, not yours." He took it upon himself. "If my idiot brother wants something… I guess I could help him." He turned his head away from her, his cheeks stained red. He then mumbled under his breath. "For your sake…"
She felt her own rush of embarrassment at his words, finding her face suddenly heated up. "Inuyasha…"
"Now don't get all mushy with me." He gave an animal-like growl. "You are not going to see him anymore." He stated more then asked. "You have no need to." A look of guilt flashed across his face. "What happened—It shouldn't have." He told her. "I don't want to see you get hurt again—I won't let him hurt you."
His guilt was strong, radiating off of him and into her own body, making her feel just as guilty. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry." She apologized. "I'm sorry for not telling you about my meetings with your brother."
"Feh." He flashed her a fanged smile. "Don't sweat it." He told her. "Just don't hold a secret like that from me again, okay? How am I supposed to protect you, if you don't trust me?"
Another heavy weight of guilt hit her chest, and she looked down. "Yeah…" She reached up and touched her bicep with nervousness and she sighed. "I promise I won't." She told him. Her blue orbs kept focus on the ground, the urge to bite her lip becoming unsettling. "And I… I promise I won't go see him again either."
There was a small huff of approval from the male beside her. She looked up, only to see him crouching in front of her, her bag in his hands so there was room on his back. "Hop on." He flashed her another grin from over his shoulder and she smiled at him.
She didn't hesitate as she climbed upon his strong back and got into positon, her body all too familiar with the movement that she could do so in her sleep. The next thing she knew, the trees and shrubbery were fly by in a blur as the demon ran through the woods. His silver hair swayed behind him in the fact rush of wind, mingling together with her rave locks.
"Inuyasha?" She called out to him, peeking her head out from behind his shoulder. He gave a hum in reply. "How did you know?" She leaned forward as the question came out. "That I was meeting with Sesshomaru?" She added, just in case he didn't know what she was referring to.
"His scent." He answered, turning his head so he could look at her with a single amber orb. "It was on your bag."
She lowered herself back once again as her shoulders sagged. Her gaze fell slightly, the grip on his shoulders loosening just a little as her eyes clouded over in thought. "I see…"
.-
A couple of weeks later, the gang was sitting around a campfire, the last light of the sun leaving the horizon. It will be dark within the hour. They haven't found any shards yet, or even a rumor, but Inuyasha didn't seem that upset about it, which caused a sense of ease to encircle the group in their search.
"Maybe he has been brainwashed?" Sango suggested as she leaned in towards the miko. Kagome gave a small laugh behind her hand.
A voice called out. "What if that isn't really Inuyasha?"
Kagome back at the fox who was perched upon her shoulder, and questioned him. "What do you mean?"
"What if he is Naraku in disguise?" Shippo spoke up, seriously worried.
The trio grouped together as they all stared at the half-demon sitting on the other side of the fire. He had his eyes closed, his back leaning against the bark of the tree, his sword resting against his shoulder. After a few minutes of their intense stares, a tick of annoyance appeared above his brow and he growled, his ears twitching. "What are you staring at?" He snapped his eyes open and gave them a heated glare.
They all jumped back in surprise, and stammered. They looked at each other, then Kagome just laughed and scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Nothing…"
"Keh." He gave another growl and closed his eyes again with a huff.
Shippo leaned towards the girls once more. "Yup." He nodded. "Definitely Naraku." He held out his top. "Maybe we should hit him?" A playful grin was on the foxes face. "You know, just to make sure."
Kagome tried to stop the giggles, and placed her hand in front of her lips—A chilled jolt went straight through her, and she let out a small gasp in surprise. The sound caught everyone's attention and they all became tense.
"Kagome?" Sango spoke first, her hand reaching towards her boomerang. "Is it a shard?"
"S-shard?" Kagome repeated, then shook her head. She glanced over at Inuyasha, and when their eyes met, she couldn't cold the gaze long and lowered hers to the ground. "No. It's nothing." Everyone then relaxed at her words and went back to their previous positions.
"Are you cold, Kagome?" Shippo asked, still on her shoulder. "You're shivering."
"No." Then it happened again, and Kagome clinched her hands into fists to stop herself from shivering. "I just umm… going to feed the fire." She got to her feet, when she did so, Shippo hopped off her shoulder and onto the ground without a sound.
She gathered the wood, piling it up onto the already blazing flame, the chill upon her frame not going away. It pulsed a third time, hitting her with a heavy force, then dissipating. As she kneeled by the fire, she glanced in the direction of where she could sense it. Then her blue irises landed in Miroku's direction, gaging his reaction. He hasn't changed or even hinted at anything. He could not sense it.
It hit strong, but was gone just as quickly. Truth is, it might not be strong at all, but just a mere fraction of his power. Even so, she was rather troubled with the fact that her powers were so in tune with his. Recognized him so easily, that even a smidgen of strength sent her senses in a whirl, picking it up instantly when even Miroku could not.
After the fifth pulse, it finally stopped, and she sighed in relief, the strong aura no longer effecting her. Her body no longer cold as ice, she stood back on her feet and went to her things, going to prepare dinner for everyone.
Minutes had passed, and everyone was now sitting around the warm fire, eating their meals. Kagome placed the hot noodles into her mouth, slurping with glee. She tried not to laugh at Inuyasha, whose slurping was the loudest of them all, filling his mouth greedily, then swallowing without even bothering to chew.
Using her chopsticks she pulled up another string of the steaming noodles and ate them—She froze, the food mere clinometers from her mouth. She closed her eyes and shivered. She exhaled, and when she did, she half expected the cold ice of her breath to be upon her lips. She shivered when another hit came and went. She looked down at the ground as she lowered her food back into its bowl. She had to bit her lower lip to stop her teeth from chattering.
He was being rather aggressive—She shivered again when another wave brushed against her senses. She wished he would just stop. The grip on her chopsticks tightened. It was starting to really annoy her now. When another pulse hit, she sighed in defeat and let go of her eating utensils.
She thought for sure that she would never see him again. Why was he here? What did he want with her? The questions continued in her mind, even though she knew she was entering dangerous grounds by doing so. What if something was wrong? What if he needed her?
With that thought, she didn't hesitate. She placed the bowl down onto the ground beside her and stood up. She began walking in the direction of the pull. She passed the campfire, her eyes straight ahead as she moved forwards—
A grip on her wrist caused her to pause. She looked down, seeing serious amber staring back at her. In his hand was his bowl of ramen, in the other, he griped her wrist firmly but gentle, and being careful of his claw.
She opened her mouth, to tell him that she was just going for a walk. She will be right back. She will be fine and not to worry. But she knew anything that came out would be nothing but a lie, so the words caught in her throat and couldn't escape.
Then his expression turned solemn, almost heartbreaking. "Don't go." The whispered words slipped out, and she almost cried at the plea. He didn't command her. He didn't even bring up her promise, using it against her. He just asked for her to not go… It was very out of character for him.
As she stood before him, she believed that even if she went, Inuyasha wouldn't get mad over her choice. He might be a little hurt, but he wouldn't get mad. Had he not done the same thing as well? Maybe that is why he was acting so different. Was it guilt, over the fact that he would do the same thing whenever Kikyo was near? She was not sure, but by looking at him as he sat there, waiting for her decision, she didn't think that was the reason at all.
In that moment, she made her choice. Her expression softened, and a smile graced her lips. Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief, and he released her wrist. Noticing that everyone was staring, he quickly huffed and turned back to his food. "Hurry up and eat, or your food will get cold and soggy."
Her own smile grew just a little, as she went back over to her spot and picked up her bowl. She walked over to the half-demon, and plopped down, eating beside him.
He pause in his eating to glance at her. She flashed him a happy smile. He stuttered, then began devouring his meal once again, only this time, his cheeks were stained red. She ate her own quietly, the pleased smile never leaving her face as she ate—Even as the cold returned, reminding her, he kept her warm.
When by his side, she easily ignored the cold touches, and kept her mind away from anything else except the white haired half-demon sitting beside her.
.-
She has never been this late in responding to him before. He wasn't worried, just a little impatient and irritated. No one has ever kept him waiting before. When she didn't respond to his second call, he waited twice as long before trying a third time.
He sent out his aura in a burst, then called it back into himself. He did this several times, each time the distance between the pulses would become shorter and shorter, showing his impatience.
Yet when the miko did not appear, he was forced to turn on his heels and walk away. Not hearing familiar footfalls behind him, he stopped and called over his shoulder. "Come, Rin."
The girl looked up at him, puzzled. "What about Kagome?"
"The miko will not be coming today."
"Why?" Like usual, she was a never-ending fountain of questions.
The demon lord stared at the girl for a moment, as if thinking over the right response. "She is preoccupied." It was the only answer he gave her, before he began walking towards the tree line once again.
This time, the soft patter of feet followed behind him, and she strangely enough, didn't question the demon lord any further…