Kagome put a hand to the wound on her hip, and when she pulled her bloody hand away, there was a small pink orb sitting in the palm of her hand, it glowing with a soft, comforting aura. "So that's the jewel." She said weakly, before blackness consumed her, and her head fell back against Sesshomaru's shoulder.

'Well she has some explaining to do.' Sesshomaru's beast said. 'Agreed' Sesshomaru thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sunlight filtered through the bamboo shades to shine on the peacefully sleeping face of Kagome. The bandaged wound on her hip was already almost completely healed, the jewel resting inside her loosely closed palm, still glowing with a soft pink aura.

Sesshomaru sat in a chair on the left side of Kagome's bed, doing nothing but watching her breathe and subtly checking the sound of her heart beating, making sure that it was nice and regular. His own regular breathing bringing him the rapidly fading scent of the woman-child's blood. Finally he began to detect that she was beginning to wake up, and within seconds he heard a soft sigh from the bed and saw Kagome slowly raise her upper body off the mattress, using her arms a support.

* Kagome POV *

'Wake up child, you are needed.' A soft comforting voice whispered to Kagome. For some reason it sounded like her mother. But that wasn't right, her mother was dead, she died long ago, when Kagome was just a child. She'd died saving her and Akihito.

'Mother?' Kagome sobbed. It sounded so much like her mother. She hadn't heard her mother's voice in so long. She sounded so close.

'Open your eyes my child, my beautiful Kagome, you are needed beyond this place.' The voice said, beginning to sound farther away.

'Mother please! Don't leave me again!' Kagome wailed.

'Open your eyes, my child.'

A very bright light greeted Kagome's wide open eyes. That combined with the dream she had just been experiencing caused a cascade of tears to start pouring down her cheeks. She barely noticed when Sesshomaru appeared by her side seconds later, deeply curious as to what was making her cry.

It took several seconds for Kagome to calm down long enough to take stock of her surroundings, and even then a couple more seconds to realize whom exactly was sitting next to her with a very strange stare in his eyes.

"Where am I?" Kagome finally managed to get out after a quick and furious eye-rubbing session.

Sesshomaru allowed himself another second of that strange stare, and then let out a muted, "Your chambers in my home: The Palace of the Crescent Moon, in the center of the Western Lands. I had a maid and a doctor dress your wound and your robes. You will meet me in the dining hall in one hour so that you can explain exactly what happened three days ago, and exactly what that is." On the word 'that' Sesshomaru nodded his head towards Kagome's right hand that was still enclosing the small pink jewel.

Kagome was still to shaken from the memory of her resent dream that she couldn't' even muster enough defiance to give Sesshomaru a properly sarcastic "Okay."

"Amie. Nikia." Sesshomaru commanded. Two female Neko demons wearing servants clothing appeared at the far end Kagome's room. "See that she is properly bathed and dressed. I want her in the dining hall in one hour, no excuses." And with that Sesshomaru swept out of the room.

The two Neko's came forward. "Lady Kagome, please follow us, we will show you to the palace bathhouse." The one on Kagome's left said. She resembled a Bengal cat, while the one on her right reminded Kagome of a mountain lion she had seen once as a little girl.

"My name is Amie." Said the Bengal.

"And I am Nikia." Said the lion. "We will be your servants while you reside in the Palace of the Crescent Moon. I'm sorry my lady but we really must be taking you to the bathhouse."

"Well, I've never really had a servant before, and I don't plan on having any now." Kagome said, pulling aside her blankets, and setting her feet on the floor. "I can always use more friends though. Would you like to be my friends?"

Amie and Nikia took a quick look at one another. Their new mistress was certainly strange. "Of course, milady." They chorused.

"Please, call me Kagome. My brother will be the first in a long line of people that will inform you that I'm not a lady." Kagome said with a smile. "Very well then, I suppose we must follow the Great Lord Fluffy's orders. Lead the way to the bathhouse. I apparently have three days worth of grime to wash off before I'm worthy enough to bask in his awesome presence."

Both Amie and Nikia unfurled fans from their belts to hide the smiles that they couldn't suppress at Kagome's humor. They where not used to their masters trying to make them smile, and it threw them both for a small loop.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After taking a satisfying, albeit rather short, soak in the bathhouse, Kagome returned to her room with Amie and Nikia right behind her. Kagome took a quick look into the wardrobe in the corner, and selected a deep blue Kimono, cut much like the one she had worn on her way to the Western Lands. The silk of the Kimono was such a deep blue that in the shaded areas of the room it looked black. Small golden phoenixes frolicked over the surface with great golden dragons, the thread for all of them carefully stitched into the fabric.

Nikia put Kagome's hair into a beautiful design, allowing, at Kagome's request, for the placement of a couple of throwing daggers disguised as hair pins. Once that feat was done, Kagome allowed Amie to dab a small amount of scented oil on her wrists. A concession since Kagome had not allowed her to put any makeup on her face.

Now that all of the primping was done, Kagome assumed that it was time for the posing. Amie, and Nikia escorted Kagome through a maze of halls until they reached a set or massive oak doors. Each of them grabbed a handle and pulled the door open, bowing slightly as they did. Kagome took a quick look inside, and saw Sesshomaru sitting at the far end of a massive table. She heard a rustle of clothing behind her, and saw Nikia come up to her side out of the corner of her eye.

"My Lord Sesshomaru wishes you to sit at the opposite end of the table." She said under her breath, her head bowed so that Kagome couldn't see her face.

Kagome bristled with indignation. "I shall do no such thing!" she said vehemently and began to storm her way up the left side of the table towards where Sesshomaru was seated.

Amie and Nikia let out a simultaneous yelp and began to follow helplessly behind Kagome. Both of them knew that Lord Sesshomaru would be very displeased with both of them for Kagome's actions, and yet there was nothing that they could do to stop her. They would be killed if they should do so much as to lay a hand on their Lady.

"What is the meaning of wanting me to sit all the way at the other end of the table? If I'm that offensive to you, then you might have considered stopping at another village!" Kagome snapped at the unmoving Sesshomaru. "And I saw that look you threw to those women! Don't you dare even consider punishing them for this! Both of us know that there is absolutely nothing they could have done to stop me so there's no reason that they should get into trouble! Now explain to me why you wanted me on the far end!"

Amie and Nikia stood motionless behind their mistress. They had never before had anyone stand up to them. Not even to their fathers, let alone the Lord of the Western Lands.

Sesshomaru also sat motionless. No one had ever questioned him. Not a single human or demon had ever dared to question anything he said. And yet, here stood this scrap of a girl standing in front of him, hands on her hips, pink tinging her cheeks as her anger began to mount. And he had never been more aroused.

'Let me kiss her.' His inner demon urged, straining against Sesshomaru's mental bonds. 'I want to see if those lips taste as good as they look.'

'Absolutely not.' Sesshomaru snapped back. 'She is not worthy of having this Sesshomaru as a mate.'

'Who said anything about mating?' his demon asked, never letting up on his struggle to break free. 'I just want to kiss that stern look off of her face, and maybe cop a quick feel of those perky little breasts.'

'I'll repeat it one last time: Absolutely not.'

'Cock-blocker.' He heard his demon mutter before he finally gave in to his restraints.

Kagome, completely unaware of Sesshomaru's inner battle, could feel a flush start to coat her cheeks as she got angrier at the fact that Sesshomaru was apparently ignoring her. Just as she was about to start yelling again, Sesshomaru abruptly stood out of his chair and faced Kagome. Kagome, now thoroughly alarmed at his sudden change in attitude, began to slowly back away from him, only dimly aware that the predatory gleam in his eyes shone brighter the farther she backed away. He began to follow her until Kagome felt the tell-tale thump of the wall at her back.

Sesshomaru continued to slowly stalk towards her until he stood flush in front of her, the heat of his chest permeating through the thin silk of his morning haori. He leaned his head in until his mouth lay poised next to her right ear. "You would do well to remember never to question me Ka-Go-Me. I do not take well to such things. Now sit down in whichever chair you choose, and be silent so that this Sesshomaru can explain to you precisely why he has come to get you."

Kagome nodded silently, and felt Sesshomaru's smirk against the side of her face before he stepped back and silently went to sit in his chair. Kagome quietly took a seat two chairs down from Sesshomaru, and almost instantly several servants began to place plates laden with food and steaming cups of tea on the table in front of her.

"Now then," Sesshomaru began as Kagome started to eat. "We must find and eradicate a Hanyou named Naraku."

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A.N. Sorry this one took me so long guys. I've kinda had a lot going on lately. I just got a new job *Yay me* a new apartment, and I'm still trying to get divorced. I'll try to update more often. Don't forget to review ;~