A/N: hiya guys thanks for the reviews! I love feedback, tell me what you think Love it, hate it, what do you think should happen? Send me your inspiration! Though I do wonder, what do you think should happen to Kagome?
I groaned slightly waking up for the second time in an unfamiliar place. Opening my eyes I stared at the dark stone ceiling above me blankly as my mind caught up to my situation. I had been saved, not once, but twice by Kouga of all people. Saved by my enemy from my friends I cringed, my friends all of them save Miroku had completely betrayed me! They forced me to kiss all those creatures, but that wasn't the worst part, the sickness I felt after each of those things touched me doubled under the attack. I barely remember most of them just passing out and waking up in pain and sickness.
Growling I sat up, and paused, I felt better than I had in a long time, the terrible sickness that had plagued me the last time I woke was gone entirely. That wasn't all, not only was I not sick anymore I felt, I'm not quite sure how I felt, not strong as clearly I was in human form, but like a weight had been lifted from me. Like a cage I hadn't realized I'd been in just opened and I'd escaped into the world again.
That's when I realized just what it was, the prayer beads! Kouga had gotten Kagome to remove those damnable chain-beads! I practically bounced with glee, no longer would I be forced to the ground for the simplest infraction. I was free! I got up and did a little victory dance, I was free!
"Ha ha! Free free free-EE!" I gloated, before I realized I had three pairs of shocked eyes on me, Violet Green and Blue stared at me for a moment before they started all cracking up. I blushed brightly and balled up my fists.
"HEY! What are you laughing at?" I demanded hotly, attempting to threaten the three into silence. Not even the kit was scared; Shippou was the one laughing the hardest. I sighed; you just weren't intimidating in human form.
Looking now to the mirth filled faces of Miroku and Kouga I smiled, they had gotten me out of there. Well really it must have been Kouga, I remember Miroku had been knocked out… so had Kouga gone back for him? Frowning now in suspicion I wondered just why Kouga had saved me, was this some strange, 'now-you-owe-me-so-I-get-Kagome' thing? Well he could have her; I certainly didn't want her anymore!
"Why did you uh... Help me back there?" he asked, not wanting to say that Kouga had saved him that would make him sound too much like a damsel in distress!
Kouga sniffed haughtily and crossed his arms over his chest, piercing me with his arrogant smirk.
"You mean why did I save your filthy human ass?" I could feel my eye twitching in irritation as Kouga continued.
"Well no one else was going to untie the weakling from the tree so I figured I might as well" Kouga finished and I suddenly wanted to strangle him.
"Kouga was great Inuyasha, he beat up the demons then carried you away in his arms!" the kit piped up and I cringed at the mental image of Kouga carting me away like some girl.
"He came back though, for Miroku and I, boy Kagome was sure angry too! He had to wait till they went off to bathe before he could safely come down. She wasn't to happy about your kidnapping" he continued and I smirked, kidnapping? Sure I hated the mangy wolf but saving me from a lunatic Miko and her taijiya lackey was hardly kidnapping.
"so what's going on then? Why aren't there a horde of demons in here?" I asked, easing away from my temper to get the facts. I didn't want to blow up if doing so would cause more of that damnable sickness.
"Well Miroku has a shield and sutra put up at the mouth of this cave so none can smell your allure." Kouga explained boredom lacing his words.
Looking around the cave now I noticed, a fire was lit, and a healthy amount of log lined one wall, and in the corner, many dead beasts no doubt hunted down by Kouga. They all intended to stay and wait this out?
"Guys…waiting this out won't help any…" I sighed, though glad they would stay with him, even though Miroku had originally helped the girls, Kouga hated him, and Shippou was more attached to Kagome, so he'd thought.
"We know hiding out won't work but it should give us some time to think, and lure them off your trail for awhile. When I take down the barrier we should have considerably less demons hanging around. Running is easier when there's less to run from" Miroku stated.
I frowned; it was obvious we couldn't run forever, why couldn't we just kill all the horny bastards? As if Miroku had guessed my thoughts he spoke up.
"We can't kill all of the demons in Japan Inuyasha; as well I don't think we'll have to"
Miroku had all of our attention now, had the hoshi found me a way out of this mess?
"It would seem Inuyasha that you're repulsed by the presence of all demons. Therefore the easiest thing to do is to run, one step ahead of the demons till we find the one that you aren't repulsed by. Also I think it imperative we find your brother." What Miroku was saying had made sense up until the part about Sesshoumaru. There was no way I wanted to go near him!
"What does my brother have to do with this mess?" I demanded, feeling sick already.
Miroku sighed,
"Inuyasha, calm down, I know you don't like your brother by any means. But he is the most knowledgeable demon we know. We cannot go to lady Kaede with this, she would not know of demonic mating habits, as well Kagome and Sango would most likely make their way to her village." He reasoned.
"So you're saying you want me to go ask my brother about mating?" I asked, a blush rising on my face as Kouga started to snicker in the corner.
"Well I think it would be good to know about how we go about locating your mate. Myoga never gives the whole story and Sesshoumaru, though cruel, wouldn't with hold this information I think. His toad assistant happens to know a lot as well, if Sesshoumaru won't say anything, he will."
I sighed again; I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. There was nothing I could do about it I supposed. We were going to see Sesshoumaru.
(A/N Kouga's POV)
I had been sitting silent as the two humans concocted their scheme. Going to the Lord of the Western lands huh? It made sense; Lord Sesshoumaru was a very intelligent demon. Though in Kouga's own opinion, the Lord of the North had far more intelligence, he was older after all.
We set out the next morning; most demons didn't like to appear during the day as many of them were nocturnal. Plus out of the four of us, only I and the kit had night vision, Miroku and Inuyasha would be at a disadvantage at night. Though the next morning I found I needn't have worried in the first place.
"We can get there much faster if you carry us" The monk was telling me. I glared at him.
"Carry both of you? Are you insane?" I asked, glancing at Inuyasha who looked just as apprehensive at the idea as I did. But Miroku stood firm,
"It's not like you can't do it you have jewel shards in your legs, and you already have demonic strength. The trip will take us days where it could take you just a few hours if you just carry us" he proclaimed and I sighed heavily, that's when Inuyasha spoke up, putting a hand on my shoulder.
"don't worry about it Kouga, I have no interest in seeing my brother I'll just stay in the cave, that way you won't be tailed by demons either" Inuyasha stated then moved away to sit with the Kit who sidled up to him to show him some little toy he had.
Both Miroku and I protested to this,
"Inuyasha this information is for you we can't just leave you behind" Miroku said.
"Yeah what's the point in my carrying Miroku if you're the one that needs to hear what your brother has to say," I added.
Inuyasha looked up at Miroku and I then with a smile he said
"Well I trust you two to tell me what he said when you get back; you wouldn't lie to me since lying holds no merit for you."
I was shocked, Inuyasha trusted me? I felt a strange flutter at that information then, pausing I shrugged it off.
"Alright then come on monk" I said to Miroku before heading out the mouth of the cave, Miroku took the barrier down to let me out then quickly put it back up, to protect Inuyasha while we were gone. The Hoshi then turned to me and I sighed, turning and crouching, to allow him to climb on my back.
Then we were off dashing through the woods at whirlwind speeds, Miroku was right. With my speed it hadn't taken long at all to reach the borders of the western lands, though Kouga's vision had long since tunneled out after seeing nothing but tree's for so long. Now that they were in the Daiyokai's territory, the hard part was locating him, the scent of Inu's was everywhere in this area so that could easily become misleading Kouga paused however, scenting a human. What was a human doing in demon territory?
"Do you sense him?" Miroku whispered in my ear, an all around uncomfortable feeling in my opinion.
"no but I do smell something strange" I mumbled and headed after the scent of the human, it wasn't far at all. If anything stupid thing was probably lost. I sniffed my way into a clearing, full of flowers and morning sunlight. Looking around I spotted her, setting Miroku down I almost went over to see if the child picking flowers was alright, as she was bound to be scared in these woods. Instead a piercing scream lit through my sensitive ears.
"EEEEEK! A wolf! Help me Lord Sesshoumaru!" the girl cried, dropping her flowers now she turned and ran, and no sooner than she'd started running, Sesshoumaru appeared in the clearing with them, claws at the ready. He stared at me, I stared back.
Finally he sighed and pulled out of his fighting stance, leveling us with a stoic gaze, he asked.
"What business do you have in my domain prince?"
"I've come with questions that need to be answered," I said in the same formal tone Sesshoumaru used, "The monk is here on behalf of your brother sir, as you are the most knowledgeable of all the demons he knows"
Sesshoumaru's gaze slid calmly now over to Miroku, who was looking at me in shock up until the stony gaze caught his. The poor monk blushed and stuttered for a moment not sure what to say, and I almost laughed. Not many clergy men were so baffled by the silver haired beauty that they couldn't speak! But Sesshoumaru saved him from more embarrassment by speaking.
"I take it you wish to know about his mating cycle then?" he asked with a slight look of annoyance, though I wasn't there to see the kiss that had occurred between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, from what Miroku told me of it, neither had responded well. I could only assume that's what had broken through the carefully placed mask Sesshoumaru wore to show such annoyance. Miroku nodded the affirmative and Sesshoumaru began to speak.
"Well monk, I suppose since even I would not stand to have the family reputation smeared by a half-breed that kisses every demon in sight…" Sesshoumaru shuddered imperceptibly at this, I guess only I was the one to notice because Miroku didn't give any clue that he'd noticed the demon's discomfort.
"Every half breed, male or female has the ability to bear children; as such he will have a mate, usually a demon. A demon and a half breeds whelps are generally stronger than most demons because when the half breed goes into it's mating cycle it's demonic blood is sheltered away and turned into an energy source for future pups. Before the half breed can bear however, he has to find his mate. To do this he must fight his way through the unworthy, displaying demons to find the one demon he can stand being in the presence of. This will be the only demon capable of withstanding his allure; this is a problem because that allows the opportunity for the prospective mate to refuse him. If said mate refuses the half breed the half breed will eventually grow suicidal and end up killing them both, if not however he will regain his demonic blood, and bear many pups for his mate" Sesshoumaru said in a text book manner, completely blowing us both away.
Inuyasha's mate was someone he was able to be around, and didn't have the urge to jump him? I paled considerably. No, it couldn't be me could it? No! There was no possible way I was the mate to that mangy mutt, I hated the mongrel! Didn't I? Glancing over to Miroku I saw him giving me the strangest look, and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was.
"It would seem you have an idea as to who Inuyasha's mate is, good, that means I will not need to intervene" The Daiyokai commented before turning to leave with the small human girl, who was apparently his charge.
"Kouga…" Miroku started, and I held up a hand.
"I don't want to hear it, let's just go back and tell that mutt what he needs to know so I can go home" I grumped, and not waiting for an answer from the Hoshi, slung him over my shoulder and ran back for the cave we'd left Inuyasha in.
We got back to the cave around nightfall, and found Inuyasha and the kit asleep by the fireside. It was then Miroku spoke to me.
"Kouga you know as well as I what's going on don't deny it."
"I'm not his mate it's not my problem" I grumped, crossing my arms over my chest.
"You are too! Inuyasha turns green around any demon that's not you and I have yet to see you molest him so you're the one it has to be!" Miroku hissed, I turned angry cobalt at him before turning and marching over to the sleeping hanyou.
"You want me to molest him and prove that I'm not it? Fine! I will!" I whispered back, and slid to my knees, leaning over the Inu I ghosted my lips over his hesitantly, before kissing him soundly.
I gasped slightly as I felt a sudden charge of energy rush through me, pleasure tingling my lips from the kiss, almost immediately I broke free of the kiss and stared in shock as the pitch hair lit like charcoal embers before turning the brightest silver, as if the sun was seeping away from the other male to leave a moonlit beauty in his place, staring down at the silver haired sleeping beauty fear gripped me, and I ran. I never saw the shocked gaze of Miroku; I was long gone by then, denying it all.
I just couldn't be that mutt's mate! He was so beautiful lying there… no! no, he wasn't Inuyasha wasn't beautiful and I wasn't his mate! I was in love with Kagome not him wasn't I?
A/N poor Kouga's all confused; I wonder how Inuyasha will wake now that he's gotten his half demon powers back?