Ch. 18

Sesshomaru stood in front of the door, staring at it. "You know nothing is going to happen if you try to burn down the door with your stare Sesshy." Said Khan in a bored tone, his eyes closed.

"…I can try…" whispered Sesshomaru.

Kagome's mind

"What… would I have to do? Who are you?" Kagome asks.

"I am Midoriko. You are not Kikiyo's reincarnation."

"I'm not?"

"No, you're mine. I put my soul into the jewel before I died. Your looks slightly resemble Kikiyo's because she had the jewel burned with her when she died. You only have half of your powers right now."

"Half?" She looks bewildered.

"You have your miko powers."

"I'm more then a miko?"

"Yes. You are a demon as well."

"How?"

"Because I am a demon. A black/blue wolf to be exact."

"What powers do you have?"

"You already know. You've already started using them a while ago. But the attack you used was just one."

"Pyro?"

"Yes. In order to get the rest of your powers and be able to switch to your demon form you must complete your task."

"And if I don't?"

"You will die and never see your mate again. The rest of your powers are in the rest of your soul, which was stolen from you."

"Kikiyo…?"

"You must kill her. You must complete this task yourself and you may take one person, who cannot be your mate, with you for company. I will use the power I have left to keep you alive. When you receive the rest of your soul you will be engulfed in blue light and your wounds will heal. You'll have scars, but they will be faded."

"What must I give for all of this?"

"Your humanity. You will not be able to look like a real human ever again. And you are not allowed to see your mate until your task is complete. That includes not talking to him. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Then begin."

"…Oliver?"

"Lady Kagome!" He hugs her, then realizes what he did and backs away. "I'm sorry! I was just so happy that you're alive! Please don't kill me!"

"I need you to get Khan, only Khan. Do not tell them I'm still here."

"Uh… ok." He comes back two minutes later with Khan who tackles her.

"I knew you'd make it! And here you are! I was right all along!"

"Khan… you're squishing me." Kagome remarks.

"I'm not sorry! I was worried about you!"

"I can see that. Could you do me a favor?"

"Anything you want my Lady."

"Would you accompany me on a field trip?"

"Just me?"

"Yes."

"Where are we going?"

"Hunting."

"Cool! I'll go tell Sesshomaru –"

"No. Sesshy can't know where we're going and I'm not allowed to see or talk to him. We have to leave now."

"Why can't you see or talk to your mate?"

"It's not allowed. If I don't accomplish this task I won't get the rest of my powers back and I'll die."

"Hold on, back up. You have more powers?"

"I'm a demon as well as a miko."

"Sweet!"

"I am Midoriko's reincarnation, not Kikiyo's. And Kikiyo has the rest of my soul, so my task is to kill her. If I do not get the rest of my soul back, I'll die. The only reason I'm not dead right now is because Midoriko is buying me time for my task. We must leave now."

"I'm not allowed to help kill her am I?" Khan looks disappointed.

"…no."

"Damn. Alright, let's go." He picks her up.

"Khan, I can walk."

"I don't really care what you want to do or what you think you can do. You are not."

"Khan…"

"Lady Kagome."

"Khan."

"My Lady."

"Put me down Khan."

"No, I don't think I will."

"Here is her bow and arrows." Oliver hands them over to Khan.

"Oliver! You're not helping!" Kagome gets a bit aggravated.

"Sorry Lady Kagome, but we will not be fooled by your condition a second time."

"This is a conspiracy! Put me down! Give me back my bow and arrows!" Kagome accuses them.

"And we're off, see ya." Khan jumps out the window.

"Ek! Khan!" Kagome buries her face in his shoulder.

"Oh please." Khan rolls his eyes and lands perfectly on the ground. "Did you honestly think I couldn't land a couple floors? You know I wouldn't let you fall, there was no reason to panic."

Kagome gently whacks him. "That was NOT two floors Khan! That was three!"

"What's your point? We landed and you're perfectly safe."

"You know I dislike heights! Don't do that again!"

"Well then, let's cure you of that fear." He tosses her into the air.

"Eeeee!" Kagome screams.

Khan changes into a giant wolf and catches her on his back. "That wasn't so bad, was it my Lady?"

"Remind… me to… kill you… later." A petrified Kagome holds onto him with a death grip.

"Exit Western Lands stage left!" Khan takes off.

(Back the castle)

"WHAT!" A very unhappy Sesshomaru starts to lose his temper.

"Sesshomaru, please calm down." Hiroto holds him to a chair.

"If she didn't fallow the rules of her task she'd be dead! She was given a choice! To sacrifice or to die! She chose her task so that she could return to you! Have some understanding!" Oliver defends himself. "Don't kill the messenger!"

(Elsewhere)

"She's close, I can feel it."

"Well we're going to stop for a bit." Khan puts her down and changes back.

"We should travel the rest on foot or she'll spot us."

"We can start walking in the morning."

"Alright, good night."

"Night my Lady."

( the castle)

"When is she coming back? Tell me?" Sesshomaru starts to strangle Oliver.

"Lord… Hiroto… a little… help… please!" Oliver gasps.

"Sesshomaru! Let him go! Have some restraint! Control yourself!" Hiroto tries to pry Sesshomaru's grip on Oliver off.

"When the hell are they coming back damn you?" He continues to shake Oliver violently. "I should kill you for letting them leave!"

"Put him down right now cuz." Hiroto doesn't sound very happy.

"Or what?"

"Or you'll see the dark side of the spoon."

"…what?" Sesshy looks questioningly at Hiroto.

"You heard me."

"You've got to be kidding me. You still carry around that spoon?"

"Yes, it's a good weapon."

"You're serious."

"I was when I told you I was going to keep it."

"You wouldn't DARE hit me with that spoon."

"Try me. I can and I will if you don't put Oliver down."

"I don't believe you –" He drops to the floor unconscious, a nice mark on the side of his head. Oliver uses the wall as a means of support, trying to regain all the oxygen he lost.

"You hit him!" Oliver sounds bewildered. "With a giant spoon!"

"I told him I'd hit him, he was testing my patience." Hiroto picks up Sesshy. "I'm gonna bring him to his room, hold this." He hands Oliver his giant spoon. "I better get that back when I return."

"Yes my Lord." Oliver looks disappointed.

Hiroto leaves the room, walking down the hallways. He brings Sesshy to his room and drops him on the bed. "Take a nice long nap cuz. Then I won't have to worry about you going off the deep end. Your mate is fallowing the conditions for her task so that the two of you can be together again; do not make her task worse or her effort to stay for you in vain. Think about your actions, if you're being helpful… or just a pain in the ass." He walks off.