Previously:

Taking one last confident look at her friends, Kagome ascended the stairs of the Taisho Dome. She took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm her racing heart beat. She was bubbling with excitement and anticipation, but she didn't want the other Lords to mistake it as fear.

She felt a brisk touch on her arm and looked up to see Sesshomaru. He gave her the tiniest smile for her eyes only and encouraged her with the faith in his amber irises. She smiled and nodded with a final deep breath as he disappeared into the room. She followed, her head held high, ready for her new life to start.

Epilogue

Sesshomaru stood outside the door listening to the soft breathing of the girl inside. It had been a long day for her. She deserved her rest after the long Meeting. He'd done his best to defend his decision to make her an officer, but his fellow Lords did not see it his way, as was expected. He had mentioned that she was the miko destroyer of the rogue hanyou Naraku. The Shikon Jewel shards had given every Lord grief as demons and humans used its powers to feed their lust for power, resulting in feuds and wars that wreaked havoc across their lands, so the fact that Kagome protected the Shikon no Tama did not go unnoticed. Not to mention the training she'd received from Sesshomaru as his apprentice. These facts were enough for the Lords to give her a chance, but they remained doubtful.

Only time would allow her to prove herself to them, just as she had done with him. And just as she had done then, she took on this new challenge with excitement and determination.

The demon lord slipped silently into the girl's chambers, making his way across the wooden flooor to the doorway of her room. Her legs were tangled in her silken sheets, her raven hair spilling across the soft furs she used as pillows. Despite her steady breathing, her brows were furrowed in distress. Sesshomaru was by the bed's side in an instant, staring down at her troubled face.

Before he could decipher his actions, he was halfway on the bed, pushing raven strands away from her face. Her frown slowly became a smile as her eyes fluttered open.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome questioned drowsily. She began to sit up before quickly sinking back under the cover of the sheets, the color rising in her cheeks. With a cough, she stuttered, "It-It w-was hot…"

He glanced down to see nothing covering her shoulders. He cleared his throat before standing straight. "I apologize," he said. "I only meant to check on you. Go back to sleep."

As he turned to leave, he heard her move. Her arms circled around him as she pressed her bare body against his back. As she leaned her head against him, she asked softly, "Did you really mean it?"

Sesshomaru stood rigid as memories of a few days before replayed through his mind. It was the first and only time he had ever acknowledged his feelings to anyone.

"I mean," she whispered, "you didn't just say it to… bring me back… right?"

Sesshomaru felt her body tense as he chuckled softly. Mistaking it as malice, Kagome quickly withdrew her arms. Surprise overtook her embarrassment as Sesshomaru wrapped his arm around her waist. His other hand tangled itself in her hair as he captured her lips.

"This Sesshomaru does not waste words on lies," he whispered.

Breathless, Kagome let herself be pushed back on the soft bed, too aware of her nakedness as Sesshomaru pressed his body against hers and possessed her lips. Her body automatically molded itself against his as her tongue danced with his.

Abruptly, the demon pushed himself off the bed. His back to her, he gasped, "Get some rest." After gaining a bit more control, he continued. "My other general will be here in a few days. You will be under her command, and she will likely get you started as soon as she can."

"Okay," she panted, struggling to calm her racing heart.

The demon stopped at her doorway. "Good night, Kagome," he said softly before disappearing, not trusting himself to look back at her. That moment was for another time, preferably when the other Lords and the girl's friends were not still under his roof, waiting until the morning to depart.

"Good night… Sesshomaru," Kagome whispered into the silence.

xXxXxXx

Maori stared at the bowing girl in contemplation. Sure, the Western Lands needed more officers. She'd even made sure to mention to Lord Sesshomaru that she would like a new one since her trusted right hand demon was forced to return to his dying clan a few years before. But a human?

She didn't mind doing the dirty work that officers were generally assigned to doing, so she didn't complain about not having an officer at first. But then she started falling behind since it was just her dealing with the northern region of the Western Lands. The area was slowly slipping out of her control. Her tardiness to deal with problems resulted in the demon Clans losing their fear of her. They were getting bolder, invading territories more often and destroying human encampments for the fun of it. She couldn't even make it to the Meeting since she was dealing with one such Clan.

Maori didn't particularly care for humans, which was why she was so skeptical of the girl who waited patiently for the general to give her her first orders. But she knew Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't approve of chaos in his lands. So whether she liked it or not, she had this girl to utilize to bring the northern region under control before Lord Sesshomaru noticed it wasn't.

Humans in the Ranks were almost unheard of, let alone a miko. Considering that, if the miko was as powerful as Lord Sesshomaru proposed she was, she could destroy each one of them with her holy powers. Surely the Lords knew this as well. Either way, she'd either be a failure, or just another power hungry blood lusting human.

Did Lord Sesshomaru truly know what he had gotten himself into? He seemed to trust her though. That was enough for Maori to at least try this out. She sighed. Time to get this over with.

"Kagome, is it?" she asked.

The girl nodded.

"Well, my name is Maori, General of the northern region of Lord Sesshomaru's lands. He has put you under my command in particular because you are apparently somewhat familiar with the northern area…?"

She nodded. "When my apprenticeship first started, Lord Sesshomaru had me start with hands-on experience. I dealt with the Panther Clan when the Tiger Clan and humans were on the verge of a war."

Maori nodded and looked away to hide her surprise. That was one of the few times she'd come to the Lord about a problem. Her pride was too great to bother him unnecessarily, so she tried to deal with anything before it got out of hand. But there was also an issue erupting with the Fox/Raccoon Tribes, and she couldn't be two places at once.

"Well, there is much to do, and I won't tolerate any slacking," Maori declared, beginning her speech. "You'd better find a way to fly, or run as fast as a demon because tiny issues can blow up into a full on war in less than a full day. Nipping the problem in the bud is the secret to the success of keeping the region under control. And you better be as powerful as Lord Sesshomaru says, because I will not be happy if I have to waste my time to save your scrawny human ass. Your missions will not be any harder or easier than ones I'd give a yokai officer, so you'd better be able to keep up. Like I said, there's much to be done, so don't expect to have much time to take a break. Realize that not only your reputation is on the line here, but Lord Sesshomaru's as well since he's the one who appointed you."

Maori stopped and took a deep breath to replenish her spent oxygen. She glanced at the girl to see her listening attentively with a flare of determination glowing in her eyes. The girl definitely had spirit. A tiny smile inched its way across her face before she shook her head. "Alright human, your first mission will be to accompany me to the Panther tribe."

Kagome blinked. "Are they causing trouble again?"

Maori shook her head as she began walking toward the Castle's exit. "It is simply the best place to start for a tour of the northern region. In order for you to fully be useful to me, you've got to know your way around the region well enough that you won't get lost and waste time."

The girl nodded and obediently followed her. As soon as they were out of the Castle Garden, Maori took off running northward. The human followed suit, and although she wasn't as fast as a demon, she kept up well. The general glanced back at her officer periodically, but she kept right with her.

As Kagome let the breeze fly past her body keeping in sync with her general, her thoughts drifted to the Meeting that took place a week before. Sesshomaru's speech had been hypnotizing as he'd announced her as a new officer of his lands. But she could feel the tension in the room. None of the other generals or lords thought highly of her. They were either wary of her miko abilities or irritated at having a human in their midst.

None of them could understand the point of having her around for a couple decades at the most before she'd be out of her prime. Her speed and skills would only diminish after that point. She understood that, so she had to make sure her years in the Ranks would be memorable and prove that having her around would be worth it.

After the Lords and Generals departed to their territory, her friends followed suit. Sango and Miroku settled in Kaede's village with Kirara while Shippo when out in search of a Fox Clan to join, eager to continue his journey towards becoming a man. Inuyasha and Kagura left together, both searching for their place in life. All of them promised to visit.

She couldn't help but wonder what was in store for her and the demon lord. She was eager to be alone with him again, but duties unfortunately came first, especially this soon in her days in the Ranks.

Maori slowed as a familiar forest came into view. "You keep up well for a human," she stated with a nod of respect. She pointed to the mass of trees. "That's where the Panther tribe is. We don't have time to visit, but make note of where it is."

Kagome nodded as she caught her breath and observed the area for landmarks so she could recognize the place later. After a few moments, Maori led the way again farther north. They traveled until the stars began to dot the night sky. Hovering near the campfire, Kagome glanced at Maori. It'd be interesting to see what kind of relationship developed between the two.

xXxXxXx

Emerald yokai eyes pierced through the night at the two women talking around the fire. The demon recognized the blond as Maori, one of the Western Lands' generals. The other woman… she must be the miko officer that everyone, demon and human alike, has been buzzing about.

The rumors were true: she was the protector of the Shikon no Tama. He could have recognized its presence anywhere. After years of searching he'd finally found it. Not mere shards of it, but the whole jewel. Finally, he could undo what was done so many years ago. Finally he was in the right place… but at the wrong time. He couldn't do anything at the moment. After all, she was the only one who could break the bonds of the past.

The demon stepped deeper into the dense forest as the girl's eyes turned sharply in his direction. How could he get her to help him? His powers wouldn't help him here. She'd know he was up to something the moment he attempted to use them. As the girl slowly returned her attention to her companion, he narrowed his jade irises. He would find a way to make her cooperate. Everyone had their weaknesses, and he would find hers.

xXxXxXx

Her four friends began to circle around her.

Inuyasha stood, his aura glittering a fiery red… determination set in his eyes.

Miroku studied her with wise eyes, his aura shining blue…

Sango's green aura fluttered… sisterly love glistening in her eyes.

Shippo's yellow aura gleamed… as he smiled at her with complete trust visible in his irises.

Kagome stood in the middle, a glue to them all, as her aura flickered white one moment and black another. She turned in the circle they'd created, smiling at each one of them.

She'd seen this before. It hadn't ended well the first time. What had happened to them?

Suddenly, they looked toward the vast darkness above them.

Their aura's shrank into a tiny sphere.

The four orbs shot off in different directions, leaving her friends as colorless, empty shells.

Kagome stared at the abandoned bodies of her friends, a dreadful feeling creeping up her spine. Just as she was about to tentatively call out to them, everything happened all at once. Inuyasha's body burst into devastating flames, Miroku was pulled into the depths of a watery abyss, Sango was crushed by enormous boulders, and Shippo was swept away by a dark tornado.

Tears burned down her cheeks as she cried out to her friends. But all that was left was her and the never ending darkness…

XxXxXxX

And that is the official end!... Kinda. I obviously left it open to a sequel. I don't want it to be too predictable, but it might be, unfortunately, Lol. Oh well, I'll still have fun writing it I think. I don't think I know how to function if I don't have some kind of project like this pending anyway.

I do still have to figure out a few kinks and details, but I know what the general story line is gonna be. Which is more than I can usually say, Lol. Anyway, I'd like to thank each and every one of my readers for stickin' in there with me. I hope to see you all in the sequel, which will be titled... Well, still tossing around a few title ideas. Anyway, thanks again! Till next time!

Hikoboshi18