1001 Futures
Just A Starving Writer

Part: 3/? -- INCOMPLETE. There's your warning.
Pairing: Sesshoumaru/Kagome
Summary: A good future is hard to find and even harder to accept.
Author's Plea: Enjoy if you can.

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies.

Part 3: Three Parts Personality, Three Parts Potion

Last time....

"I… I would like to agree, but I'd also like to know more about it."

The miko was smarter than he'd given her credit for. It had taken some prodding, sure, but not nearly as much as he'd been anticipating. The other possibility he'd assumed had also not occurred – though she did accept his offer, she certainly didn't jump on it like a power hungry ningen.

Instead, she'd allowed him rebuttals, put aside her emotions and spent some time in thought before accepting with the understanding that she would be provided more information.

He was… impressed. For a moment, he considered that she would likely prove a benefit to his kind. Once he realized where his thoughts were, he quickly amended that she certainly would only be better than hanyous and a select few lower youkai.

Getting back to the point of the matter, her request for additional information was acceptable. Rather than explain all the details himself, he took her to visit Bokunesou. The ancient tree demon was surprised, needless to say, but seemed to quickly warm up to the miko. It almost irked him that his source of information was quickly showing signs of joining the ranks of the miko's admirers when the boring tree had never been anything but bland or condescending to him. The miko herself continued to impress him as she asked a host of important questions.

When she was done with her interrogation, she requested time to think about it. Knowing her final decision would flounder in the face of her comrades, he allowed her only to walk out amongst the nearby trees while he remained with Bokunesou.

"Sesshoumaru…." the tree croaked. The lord made no reply but somehow showed he was listening all the same.

"The miko… Kagome… she will be a great youkai."

It was something Sesshoumaru was starting to believe himself. Her weaknesses seemed to be tied only to her humanity.

"However," the tree continued, "miko and youkai are not intended to live in the same body. In this case, I believe the fates will allow it but not without penalty."

He hadn't considered that, but it certainly made sense. Instantly, he was mildly grateful the tree hadn't brought up this concern with the miko herself.

"You must protect her, Sesshoumaru."

Protection had been his intention since the witch had first acknowledged that his success depended on the girl's life. Thus, he had no problem nodding, even though he had a feeling the tree meant something much further.

Silence followed this short discussion until the miko started making her way back, resulting in much noise and a few squeaks as she tripped. When she finally made it back to them, she straightened her spine, bowed, and formally accepted his offer.

The miko would become a youkai.

He almost smiled, but he thankfully turned it into a smirk before otherwise tempted.

She didn't want to tell them. She knew she had to, knew that the only reason Sesshoumaru had brought her back to her group was to allow this necessity, but she still didn't want to.

There would be arguing. Not the mature discussion she'd had with Sesshoumaru, but an emotional argument that would almost certainly result in her breaking into tears.

She wondered idly if Sesshoumaru had ever heard that it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

"So, Kagome-sama…" Miroku began with what she supposed was supposed to be nonchalance. He was failing miserably. "What did Sesshoumaru-sama want?"

"Well…" she began with only a slightly better version of nonchalance. "He… wanted… He's concerned for my safety."

Apparently hearing this line was every bit as strange as saying it. Miroku and Sango looked shell shocked. Inuyasha huffed in disbelief.

"It's true!" she spouted, suddenly disliking their apparent distrust of the lord's motives. "He thinks I am necessary to win against Naraku. However, because I'm so weak, he doesn't think I'll survive."

This started a round of varying responses, ranging from Shippou's denial of her weakness to Inuyasha's denial of his inability to protect her from her weakness. After five tedious minutes, she gave up trying to answer them and instead waited for them to finish.

"I agree with him!" she finally yelled when she could take no more. "I'm weak. There's no denying that. But Sesshoumaru also thinks I'm important… which is surprising but rather nice… and he's found a way to make sure I don't die."

Everyone looked at her expectantly. She knew what they wanted to hear, but she still didn't want to tell them.

"If I told you that it would make all of our lives easier, would you accept it without having to tell you the details?"

Each and every one shook their head in disagreement.

She sighed before taking a big breath, pulling all her courage together.

"He has found a way to transform me into a youkai."

It was thirty minutes before she bothered speaking again. By that time, Miroku was sporting a black eye that was not associated with perversion and Inuyasha was gone, off into the wilderness.

"But Kagome…" Sango began as she helped the houshi hold a cold compress on his eye. "How is this possible?"

"It's not easy. There are restrictions. No one with youkai blood can do it, for one. But, as far as I can see, it is possible."

"How is it done?" Miroku mumbled through the towel obscuring most of his face.

"There's a whole process… Sesshoumaru is already gathering all the ingredients for the potion. Once it is prepared, I'll begin. Besides the potion, there are spells and a sacrifice of blood."

"Blood?"

"Yes… I have to offer my own blood in exchange for the change."

"Couldn't that be dangerous?"

"I don't see any other way."

"You don't have to do this Kagome," the slayer mumbled sincerely. "We can protect you."

The miko smiled grimly.

"You can't protect me all the time." She sighed. "And I wouldn't want you to. You have your own lives to protect."

The miko turned her gaze away, staring into the fire contemplatively.

"I've already agreed to the procedure, and I will not go back on my word. There isn't a need to. This is the only way."

And though the group still felt there was more to discuss, they let the subject drop. They couldn't argue with such a pitiful expression.

When Sesshoumaru returned to gather his new miko, he found the group achingly quiet and the girl downtrodden and despondent. He found himself a bit insulted. After all, it wasn't as if he was leading the miko to her death (though that was still an uncomfortable possibility). No, he was giving her the rare and undeserved opportunity to overcome her measly status. She should be proud!

Still, despite her sad state, she squared her shoulders, gathered her belongings, and accompanied him without reservation. For that, at least, he couldn't fault her.

"Um… I guess I'll see you guys…eh… later."

The group responded with similarly doubtful well wishes, and before his idiot half-brother could return and further delay him, the youkai turned and began walking away. The miko's clumsy footsteps followed shortly thereafter. Once they were a suitable distance away, he pulled her towards him and again took to the air. Though he would have preferred to walk, the miko was still a liability.

He didn't want to tempt fate any more than they were already.

It took a week for the potion to be prepared, and he made every effort to keep the miko from discovering what all it contained. If knowing the ingredients made him nauseous, he didn't care to imagine how she would react.

Instead, he kept her otherwise occupied in the dojo, struggling to learn basic katas. Of course, he had better things to do than teach her himself – he had soldiers for that sort of thing—and he didn't have the patience besides. Regardless, the thought of the miko dying inadvertently when they were so close to completing the procedure irked him enough that he brought his work to the dojo and kept half an eye on her while she tried and failed.

The instructor he'd picked, an older boar youkai that had served with his father, had spoken to him only once regarding the miko's inadequacies. When Sesshoumaru had claimed his intention was only to keep her occupied and not actually prepare her for battle, the boar had looked grateful for the first time since Sesshoumaru had known him.

It had taken a week for the potion to be prepared – and that's all the time the miko needed to befriend half his staff. Those that didn't immediately fall under her spell were either absent or deeply entrenched in disregard for humanity. He felt it was a safe bet that she would have everyone at her beck and call once she was youkai. It seemed unfathomable that she wouldn't. Even her fighting instructor, as frustrated as he could get with her in the dojo, seemed flattered by her attempts at friendship.

Altogether, it was enough to make him wonder at her skills. Was it her power that attracted everyone? Was it something else?

There were other changes he began to notice – the girl seemed to gain confidence and maturity as the days progressed. If he was such a being to say so, she seemed to bloom more every day. However, he would only allow to himself that taking her away from his half-brother did seem to have a positive effect. Her eyes were not as teary, her shoulders were more often squared, she seemed to have a better understanding of her surroundings, and she'd fallen down outside of the dojo only once since her arrival. All told, it was easy to see the potential she had beneath her enduring humanity.

Another added benefit was her service as unintended ward-watcher. The little girl had immediately clung to the miko's side, and the miko hadn't seemed to mind the least bit. He decided she must have grown accustomed to otherwise sentient beings behaving like parasites. What he'd seen of the group dynamics within his half-brother's pack, this seemed true. As long as his ward didn't start adopting any of the miko's less than flattering quirks, he was perfectly willing to burden his guest with the child.

Altogether, he was pleasantly surprised to find that the miko's presence did not have a negative effect on his home or his staff. None of the expected consequences occurred – he did not lose the respect of those in his employ, mass havoc did not occur, there were no doubting whispers, or furious missives from other demons who thought (quite incorrectly) that they were as powerful. By the end of the week it was hard to remember how the property was before he'd brought the miko. This was the only possible negative, and one he never would have thought to ponder before – what would come of his home once the miko left?

But those were thoughts for other days when the stench of a disgusting potion wasn't clogging his nose and causing him to think of such silly things.

When the potion was finally completed, coating an entire side of his home in a thick layer of stench, he contained it and gathered the miko. Knowing even her inferior senses would be able to smell the atrocious potion making her unable to stomach the liquid, he made up an excuse that they had to perform the transformation at a sulfurous hot spring. The rich smell of the sulfur would mask the potion's odor, hopefully enough to complete the transformation.

She didn't look pleased, but the resolve in her gaze was easy enough to read. So was the nervousness.

"And this is the only way?" she asked, somehow managing to sound both weak and confident.

"Yes."

"Okay then." She squared her shoulders to the point that he was almost worried about her spine. However, the time for worry was gone. This was the time for action.

Taking the bowl of potion from his hand, she grimaced.

"Don't think you fooled me about what's in here. It would have helped if someone hadn't left the ingredient list lying around."

And, using one hand to pinch her nose shut while ignoring his indignant expression, she tilted the bowl back and drank its revolting contents, beginning her transformation into a new world.

to be continued...