Author's Note- I hope I didn't keep you waiting with that last cliffhanger. I didn't have the time to correct this one and post it up but I did have it finished for a while now. I'm now writing chapter 14 and I'm enjoying the story so far, as I hope you are as well. Anyways... less talk and more reading.

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Time seemed to stop as the wind blew past them gently, the only thing that reminded him that they were here. Inuyasha felt Kagome's warmth against his palm and looked down into her milky brown eyes. He was right. The night brought out the darkness of her hair, reminding him a raven's feathers that glistened when the moonlight shone on it. Her hair was long and softly caressed his knuckles as her face fit just right in his palm. Her brown eyes were what captivated him. He saw himself in her eyes, his silver hair glowing from the moon, or maybe it was the glow from the moon shining in her eyes. He didn't know. All he knew is that he heard her call his name.

"Inuyasha…"

Moments before he was hiding in the tree tops, watching her emerge from one of the shrine houses. He noticed how tired she looked, furrowing his eyebrows as to what she was doing in there. He had just arrived about an hour ago, coming back to the village when the sun went down after his run of the land that brought him straight back here. Without knowing, he went searching for her in the village, following her scent. Ending up here at the shrine, Inuyasha could smell her everywhere. He went to the room they were in earlier this morning only to find that it was empty, only one futon now in the center of the room with a bow and arrow in the corner. He figured it was her room. Inuyasha left and stealthily tracked her in the shrine, making sure no one discovered him. Her scent was the strongest in the small shrine house towards the back of the main shrine, and he knew she was in there. But as he neared the front of the shrine, a woman sat there, keeping guard. So he decided to just wait, not knowing what he was doing there anyways. Inuyasha leapt into the trees, settling on a tree branch, and waited until the miko came out. The whole time, he thought about why he came back. He realized he wanted to see her again as there was something about her that he found intriguing. But even though he had questions to answer, he tried to come up with questions to ask her so he didn't look like an idiot showing back up.

Standing here now, with her right in front of him, all his questions flew out of his mind. Inuyasha could only stare at her and drink in her scent, such a sweet and calming scent. He found himself relaxing, even his demon, which shocked him. 'What is she doing to me? It's as if even my demon recognizes her and needs her like he needs air to breathe.'

All he knew was that the moment she whispered his name, as if no one was listening, he immediately felt pulled to her and his ears perked. She had said his name. She was thinking of him as she looked up to the stars, and he couldn't believe it. When she said his name, she said it like she needed him. And that was all it took for him to jump from his hiding spot, where she never even knew he was sitting, and right in front of her.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered, watching as her eyes moved. She looked so fragile, so innocent, and he saw her cheeks start to blush. He blinked, never realizing how long he was staring at her, and rubbed his thumb against her now rosy cheek. Her skin was so soft and it amazed him at the color change. "What's wrong?"

Kagome grasped at her hakui, feeling her cheeks burn when she caught herself staring at his lips, and took a step away from him, already missing his warmth. Inuyasha dropped his hand to his side and gazed at her, wondering what she was doing. She took a breath, composing herself. "What are you doing here, Inuyasha?" she asked, getting the topic off her and what she was caught doing.

Inuyasha smirked and crossed his arms, "I came back to see you, what else," as if it was that simple.

She blinked, shocked at his confession. 'See me? Why?' Why did it matter? Truthfully, she was elated that he was back. It was like she wished on the stars that he would come and he did. Kagome bit her lip, unable to tell him that. Inuyasha's eyes, however, followed her lips and his expression grew serious.

"Well… would you like to have a seat?" she asked, figuring that maybe they could have a conversation instead of standing here staring at each other's mouths.

Inuyasha nodded his head and followed her to the stone bench next to them. Kagome sat and motioned for him to sit next to her. The two of them sat there, miko and demon, looking at the grass in front of them, neither choosing to speak first. But she soon broke the silence.

"How are you wounds?" she asked, wondering how he was feeling.

Inuyasha turned to face Kagome and saw her looking at him with a smile, her eyes sincere. "So you did heal me." Of course she did, but he needed to know for sure.

Kagome nodded her head. "Yes. Your injuries were really bad. Any minute and you would've died if I hadn't." She showed her disapproval in her face but just shook her head at his smirk. "You definitely didn't seem like you were on the brink of death."

"Keh, I'm tougher than I seem, woman," he said with an arch of his eyebrow. Kagome smiled at him and nodded her head.

"I know. I realized that when I saw your wound," she said, her face growing serious and far off. "You had internal bleeding and your ribs had pierced your skin. You had lost too much blood and there was no way you would've survived."

Inuyasha frowned, gazing at her with wonder. "How did you heal me?" He watched as she closed up, turning her head from him to hide her expression, as if suddenly there was a wall between them. He tilted his head, wondering why she didn't want to tell him. After all his years of living, he had never met anyone, let alone a miko, who was able to heal him in just overnight. Something was different about her, giving Inuyasha a hint as to why those demon slayers were so protective of her. He sighed and crossed his arms, looking out over the opposite bench across from them. "Feh, you don't have to tell me."

Kagome frowned, wanting to tell him but afraid of what he will do when he found out. 'Can I trust him?' He did come back to see her, not to kill her like most people did when they returned. And they were sitting here together, talking. She felt comfortable around him, like she could trust him. Kagome turned to him, seeing the side of his face and the irritated look as he looked ahead of him. Softly, she confessed to him.

"I used my gifts." Inuyasha's ears twitched and he turned to look at her. She was looking up at him, trepidation in her eyes. He uncrossed his arms, placing them on his thighs, trying to make her feel comfortable to continue on.

Kagome took a deep breath and calmed her nerves. "I have special gifts, Inuyasha, gifts that many people, humans and demons alike, would go to war for." That made him stop. Inuyasha furrowed his eyebrows, looking into her eyes, trying to figure out what was so special about her. "One of my gifts is of healing." She raised her hands, showing him her palms as they both looked down at them. "I can heal people with my hands, channeling my miko energy through them."

Inuyasha blinked, piecing together what he remembered when he was unconscious. "So… that was you last night?" She looked at him confused. "When I was unconscious, I felt a warmth… I didn't know where it came from. But it made me feel safe and strong."

Kagome smiled up at him, glad to hear that she was able to help him, even while unconscious. She never really knew what the person she was healing would feel or goes through when she did it. "I'm glad. Yes, it was me last night. And I must say… it wasn't as nice as it sounded for me. Your demon actually thought I was trying to kill you."

Inuyasha gasped, knowing that his demon was a part of him that he could never trust. He feared for her and hoped he wasn't the reason why she was so tired this morning. Maybe she had to fight him off. Maybe he hurt her while she was trying to save him. Kagome caught the fear in his eyes and reached out, placing her hand on his bicep to silence his fears.

"Inuyasha… you didn't hurt me. Not intentionally, anyways."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked a little roughly, wanting her to tell him if he did.

Kagome frowned, seeing how much he feared if he had hurt her or not. She tried to reassure him because she didn't blame him or his demon. "When I tried to heal you, your demon came out and used its energy to block mine. I know you didn't hurt me intentionally. Your demon just thought I was the bad guy. So… I had to talk to it." She took her hand back and sat up, tilting her head to the side. "I used my mind and my aura to try and coax it, to reassure it that I didn't want to hurt it or you. And after a while, it relaxed and allowed me to heal you," she said with a smile, grateful that his demon trusted her. Trust is what she was giving back to him now.

Inuyasha was dumb-founded. Kagome can heal people and to top it off, his demon came out and accepted her? Because he was a half-demon, his demon side was always left unchecked, and he had a hard time controlling his demon. His father had given his sword, the Tessaiga, because it was a sealing sword for his demon blood. The Tessaiga acted like a shield, preventing his demon blood from surfacing and him losing his mind to bloodlust. But he couldn't believe what Kagome said. 'My demon… was pacified by this priestess?' He never believed that his demon could ever be tamed, but it sounded like Kagome did just that.

Kagome felt uncomfortable, his eyes looking at her intensely, making her squirm. 'What is he thinking? Why is he staring at me like that?' She let the silence stretch on and finally turned from him, wondering what he was thinking. She feared what he might do now that he knew about her gift.

Kagome gasped in surprised. Inuyasha ran his claws along her left temple, pushing her hair back behind her ear and grabbing the back of her head. And before she knew it, he brought his face to the crook of her neck in one smooth movement. She heard him inhale and then his breath shot out, tickling the soft skin of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. She brought her hands up, intending on pushing him away, but Inuyasha wrapped his left arm around her, bringing her flush against his chest. She gulped and turned beat red. 'What's he doing?!' He used his right hand to run against her hair and tangle in her strands, holding her against him so he could inhale her scent.

Inuyasha felt a stirring within him. He didn't know what came over him, but in an instant he wanted to take in her scent, and to thank her for saving him. But what happened next, he was shocked by his own actions. He found himself touching her again, and then he went to her neck, closing his eyes. Her scent was strongest there, the scent he came to know as Kagome's and one that soothed his soul. He could smell the rice bran that she used to scrub on her skin and some fragrant herbs scented her hair. He wanted to undo her hair-tie at the nape of her neck and bury his face in her hair. Inuyasha had to suppress his growl that came out of nowhere. He felt her move then and didn't want this to end. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into him, and held her head so he could bury his nose in her hair, breathing in and out. His blood boiled and his stomach dropped, his body getting aroused, marveling at what she was doing to his body. No one has ever made him feel this way, not for centuries. He felt alive, his body coming to life at just the scent of her. He wanted her.

"Inu… Inuyasha…" she whispered, placing her hands on his chest. She stared up at the trees, noticing his ear twitch so she knew he heard her. But he remained still, just as she did. His hair was tickling her nose as some fell over his shoulder, his silky strands running along her cheek. She smiled, grateful he couldn't see her and that his hair was down. As much as she was shocked and a little uncomfortable with this new situation they found themselves in, her soul felt at ease and the comfort of his arms gave her a sense of security. She felt safe in his arms, felt like a woman. She forgot what it was like growing up in this village with no one her age that she could date. But this man, this hanyou, he brought out the longing in her to be loved, to be wanted, to be desired by a man.

Inuyasha felt Kagome relax and he smiled, truly smiled. He wanted to stay here forever, he could stay here forever, just drinking in her scent as sustenance and feeling her body against his as his warmth in the night. "Thank you, Kagome," he whispered, his eyes still closed as he tilted his head just a little, moving his nose up behind her ear.

His breath sent shivers down her spine again and she was suddenly aroused at the warm blast. She heard a deep growl come from his throat, wondering if he was getting mad, but she could barely focus on anything but him right now. "For what?" she whispered, unable to find her voice. The pressure between her legs ached and she tried hard not to move, in fear of her arousal spreading like fire.

Inuyasha knew, he could smell it. She was aroused for him. It turned him on even more, knowing that she wanted him. And he would've taken her, if not for the fact that she was a miko and he wanted to give her more respect than that. She deserved it, after what she did for him. "For saving my life… and for trusting me."

Kagome held her breath. 'I do trust him.' That's why she told him. She felt that she could trust him with her secret, and here they were, so intimately close, and she felt like he would keep her secret safe, the same way he made her feel. She smiled, resting her cheek against his head, "You're welcome."

Inuyasha took calming breaths, needing to stop the pounding in his ears as his blood boiled and he yearned for her. Slowly, with much difficulty, he released her, grabbing her arms and leaning back so that he could see her. Kagome's cheeks were flushed and her mouth was slightly opened. She had her hands against his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his chest. Her eyes were stark with desire, reflecting his own and pushing out all sane thought he had. He moved his face towards her, making her blink at the realization of what he was doing.

Kagome's breathing became quicker as her pulse leapt. He was going to kiss her. She didn't move, wanting this just as much as she was sure he did too. His eyes were hooded as he moved down, his lips so close to hers that she could feel the breath come out of his mouth and she stared into his eyes, her breath caught in her throat.

With a growl, the magic between them was broken. Kagome saw it in his eyes and felt his aura change immediately. He squeezed her arms in warning and began to growl, a different kind of growl this time, making her blink several times to get rid of the haze in her mind. Inuyasha's head whipped to the side and as he glared at the intruder. He was still aroused, and the demon in him was staking his claim on her, angered that he was interrupted. But what pushed his demon was the fact that he smelt another male close by just as he was about to kiss Kagome. And that brought out all his protective instincts, his demon leaping to the surface to protect what was his.

"Kagome!"

Kagome snapped out of it when she heard Kohaku's voice to the side of them. Inuyasha's hands gripped her tighter as she tried to move. When she looked at him in confusion, he was glaring daggers at Kohaku but something was different. His aura changed and she recognized it from the night before. She saw on his cheek a purple mark began to form from under his long bangs on the sides of his face, stretching out across his cheek like a thick lightning bolt. Kagome's heart raced as she had a flash back of the inu-taiyoukai that killed her parents. 'No! Inuyasha is not him!' she reminded herself. She remembered that the inu-taiyoukai had two purple marks on each cheek, not one. Kagome knew this was his demon coming to the surface.

"Inuyasha," she said softly, ignoring Kohaku for a minute. She needed to get his demon under control before he attacked Kohaku and she would have to choose between the two. The hanyou, however, ignored her, his growls getting louder as Kohaku withdrew his wakizashi at his waist and bared the blade at him. Kagome turned to catch Kohaku's eyes and she sent him a warning look, shaking her head. She watched his surprise, his body frozen, not really sure what to do.

She took Kohaku's distraction to turn her attention back to Inuyasha. She reached up and grabbed both sides of his face with her hands, turning his head so that he now looked at her. His eyes were still gold but his cheeks both had a purple mark on them.

"Inuyasha, please… you need to relax." She felt his jaw tense, but his growls quieted as he focused on her. She searched his eyes, looking for the sanity in him, willing him to calm down. "Come back to me," she said softly, knowing that if she didn't get control of his demon, like last night, something bad would happen. She watched as his markings went away and his grip on her loosened until he blinked as if he never knew what he was doing. He dropped his hands away from her but she wouldn't let go of his face.

Kagome smiled, running her thumbs along his face. "You really need to have a talk with your demon," she joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

It worked a little. Inuyasha smirked and moved back, pushing his hair behind him as he sat tall and regarded the demon slayer near the shrine house regarding them passively. "It's not that simple."

Kagome let her hands fall as she took in his words. With a sigh, she stood up facing her friend. "Kohaku… was there something you needed?" she asked, wondering why he was here.

Kohaku waited a heartbeat, weighing the situation. Kagome didn't seem threatened by this hanyou, obviously since he walked in on them so close together. To him, it looked like the hanyou was having his way with her. That's why he got so upset and drew his blade, preparing to strike the half-demon down. And then he noticed how he gripped Kagome harder, making him furious that he would touch Kagome like that. But now, somehow the hanyou was back to himself. Kagome had somehow calmed him down and the atmosphere around them wasn't so threatening anymore. What was even stranger was how calm Kagome was around him right now. Kohaku shook his head, not really sure what to do now.

"No." He looked at her, taking in her frown, and then sheathed his wakizashi. "Sango wanted me to check on you. She's busy tending to her Hiraikotsu and was worried about you." Kohaku then looked to the hanyou who was staring at him, his face stoic but his eyes told a different story.

Inuyasha stood up, gaining the boy's full attention, and he smirked. 'This boy is really starting to push me.' He didn't know what it was about this boy, but the way he cared for Kagome really ticked him off.

Kagome glanced behind her, noticing Inuyasha stood right behind her, his arms crossed in his haori sleeves and his eyes focused on Kohaku. He didn't say a word, but his face was stoic. She frowned, turning back to Kohaku.

"Kohaku… maybe we can talk tomorrow? It's been a long day," she said, hoping he got the hint to leave. She didn't want him or Inuyasha to get in an altercation now, not after what just happened between her and Inuyasha.

Kohaku regarded Inuyasha steadily, testing the hanyou. He didn't want to leave Kagome here with the demon, even though he didn't know how long they were here together before he got here. Kohaku just worried for her and he didn't trust this demon at all.

"Kohaku, please. I'll be okay." He looked to her and then sighed, his body relaxing a little. He still wasn't comfortable with leaving, but if that's what she wanted, he would give her that.

"Good night, Kagome-san," he said formally, turning on his heel and heading back around the shrine towards the stairs.

Kagome watched as Kohaku left, inwardly sighing that things didn't escalate. She closed her eyes, letting out her breath. 'What a day…' she thought. With that, she turned around and noticed Inuyasha staring down at her, an intense look in his eyes.

"What?" she asked, wondering what got him so worked up now that she got Kohaku to leave.

"Who is that kid?" he asked, judging her reaction.

"Kohaku-san. He's like my older brother," she said fondly with a smile. "Kohaku is actually Sango's brother…"

"That's what I figured out today," he interrupted, still trying to figure out the relationship between the two of them. He was uncomfortable with this feeling that he had when Kohaku came and pretended to save Kagome from the big bad hanyou. "Does he have feelings for you?"

Kagome blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Does he have feelings for you?" he repeated, still waiting.

Kagome chuckled and turned around with a shake of her head, walking towards the shrine going along back way, heading to her room. She was tired and didn't want to deal with anyone right now, especially not a jealous hanyou. "Yeah… probably as his sister. We are all pretty close. We grew up together and protected each other since we were small." She couldn't believe she was explaining her situation with Kohaku to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha was on Kagome's heels, his arms still crossed, looking at the back of her head. "Do you have feelings for him?"

"Yes. I care for him. I told you… we grew up together and I see him as my brother when I didn't have any siblings of my own blood."

"So you care for him?"

Kagome turned around quickly and placed her hands on her hips, glaring at him. It stopped Inuyasha in his tracks as he noticed the fire in her eyes.

"I love Kohaku as a brother! I care for him as a brother. What's your problem?" she asked, raising her voice a little too loud that it echoed around them. 'Errr… why do I even care if he's jealous or not? It's not like…' she thought, her cheeks turning pink at how angry she was at a complete stranger's jealousy.

Inuyasha took in the way she looked now, all hot-headed and tempered, and he shook his head, chuckling. "What's so funny?" Kagome asked him, recovering with a glare.

"Nothing…" he said, noticing how her eyes softened and she sighed. "Just thought I'd ask."

"Sure…" she said sarcastically, turning around and walking again. He followed her, not wanting to leave just yet. Inuyasha remained quiet, listening to the sounds her feet made against the stone and the way she breathed. He could tell she was still mad, but he didn't know what came over him when he had caught Kohaku's scent. It was as if all his protective instincts overcame him and he was going to defend what was his.

'What?' Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes going wide as he stared at the ground. 'Mine? Kagome isn't mine…' he thought, wondering what overcame him to think that. Whatever reason, his demon definitely thinks that Kagome belongs to him. But they just met last night! He knows nothing about the miko and she like hell knows nothing about him. Besides, she was a miko! A miko.

Kagome stopped when she didn't hear Inuyasha's footsteps behind her. She turned around and noticed him staring off into space, a shocked look on his face. "Inuyasha," she called, "Are you okay?"

He snapped out of it and looked at her, walking towards her and forgetting about his dilemma. "Yeah," he said. The two of them walked towards the room they were in together this morning. They rounded the corner and he followed her up the stairs, watching her open the shoji and walking in. He followed, noticing how everything was the same as when he came here a couple of hours ago looking for her. Kagome's scent was everywhere in this room.

"This is my room," she informed him, as if answering his earlier thought. Inuyasha looked at the back of her head as Kagome walked over to the side of the wall where there were two piles of clothes, one with her miko robes and one with a blue kimono. The room was completely empty and illuminated by two lanterns, each hanging on a wooden pole at the corners of diagonally opposite sides of the room. She grabbed the kimono pile and stood, turning around to regard him, her cheeks flushing.

"I need to take a bath." 'Oh…' he thought with a smile. Inuyasha uncrossed his arms and rubbed his chin.

"Well…" he said with a mischievous smile, his eyes sparkling. Kagome gasped and glared at him, causing him to laugh out loud. The tension between them suddenly evaporated.

"Uh…" Kagome said, unsure of what to say, listening to his laugh. She smiled, his laughter contagious and she didn't know what they were laughing about but she enjoyed his humor. 'Oh… he's teasing me!' she thought, wondering how their conversations got to be so… casual.

Inuyasha composed himself and cleared his throat. Kagome walked up towards him, holding her kimono tight against her chest, her head down. "Will you… will you be here when I get back?" she asked softly.

Inuyasha tilted his head with a smile, reaching down to grab her chin so he could look in her eyes. "I'll be here," he promised. He watched her smile and was inwardly glad that she wanted him to stay and loved how happy she was to know that he would be waiting here.

Kagome nodded her head and left, heading out into the back of the shrine to the forest where she had her personal onsen. Only her maidens knew about the onsen because the forest around the shrine was off limits to the public. It was considered sacred land and going in them would ruin the serenity of the shrine and would defile its purity. Kagome was the priestess of this shrine and she was what made this shrine sacred. She made her way into forest, going along a small beaten path. The forest was dark, preventing the moonlight from shining through. She knew this path like the back of her hand. She knew where the roots of the trees were and she knew when to take a short turn. It wasn't a long walk before the trees opened up into a small clearing, allowing the moonlight to shine again on the land. There was a small onsen in the middle of the grassy area, littered with a few boulders at the edge of the onsen for her to leave her clothes. Steam rose from the water, happily inviting her in.

Kagome quickly undressed, untying her hair and dropping her hair-tie on her miko robe. She put her hair up in a bun and stepped into the warm water. It was just the right temperature for her to relax her tired muscles. It was a shallow onsen too, deep enough for her to stand and up and have the water line just above her chest. The center of the onsen though was a little deeper if she wanted to walk in and submerge herself.

Her thoughts wandered, thinking of the half-demon that waited for her in her room. She didn't know what she was doing, why she wanted him to stay. She never wanted anyone to be by her side, not even Sango or Kohaku. She always feared for their lives especially when they fought a demon and she would've preferred if they never put their lives in danger for her. But Inuyasha… she wanted to be with him. She wanted him by her side always. She blushed, thinking about how close they were earlier and how he made her feel. The warm water against her skin didn't help the fire that he had built in her earlier, bringing it back to life when she thought of Inuyasha's lips. He did something to her, making her feel beautiful. Cherished.

She smiled to herself, her eyes hooded as she walked over to the side of the onsen. Is this what she wanted? Someone, anyone, to look at her like she was a normal human woman and to desire her? She saw what love did to people. The villagers fell in love with each other all the time, as some of them chose to reside here because they fell in love. She saw what love looked like on a woman's face, the way she would blush and giggle, and on a man's face when he would look at his woman with adoration and desire. Sometimes she wished she had that for herself and sometimes reality crept in. And now… someone was giving that to her. Half-demon or not, Kagome didn't care what anyone thought. She knew that Kaede, Sango and Kohaku would not agree. The Kamis probably wouldn't either. She didn't even know if it was possible for her to be with Inuyasha because of her status.

Demons and humans mated all the time, creating half-demons like Inuyasha. So it was possible for her to be with him. 'Right?' But the thing she feared the most was for her secret. Kagome looked down at her chest, feeling safe that she was alone, and placed her hands over her heart. A bright light flashed under her palms until it subsided. She lifted her hands and looked down at the small ball of light beneath her skin, just over her heart. The Shikon no Tama.

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A baby's first cry broke through the air just as a bright light engulfed the hut, blinding the occupants inside for a brief moment. The child cried and cried until the light dimmed and everyone was able to see again, looking at the screaming pink baby. The light grew dimmer and eventually faded away inside the baby's chest.

"What was that?" Isao asked as Suzume panted besides him. He was bent protectively over her, giving her as much strength and encouragement as he could while she pushed their child out of her womb. But when the child emerged, that bright light startled all of them and they had to shield their eyes. Isao was blinded for a moment, stroking Suzume's hair, letting her know that he was right beside her even though she couldn't see him.

Kaede had the screaming baby in her arms, separating mother from child with her blade and whacking the girl's backside to make sure the child got all of the blood and birth out of her mouth. Kaede flipped the child over and cradled her in her arms, wrapping the white cloth around the child to dry it off. "I don't know. Takeo… was that…?"

Takeo came up beside Kaede as Suzume had allowed him to stay in the room and witness her birth. He would know what to do if something should go wrong. Takeo reached for the child and Kaede handed the girl over to him, who was now settling down, pacifying for the moment. Her face was scrunched from the intensity of her cries. She had all ten fingers and all ten toes as he opened the cloth to examine her physically. But of course, what they all wanted to know was the light that blinded the entire house.

"That was the Shikon no Tama," Takeo said, confirming Kaede's suspicions. Kaede gasped, making Isao and Suzume look between the two of them.

"What does that mean?" Isao asked, worried for his child's safety. "Where did it go?" Suzume laid waiting, too tired to speak, but wanting to hold her baby.

Takeo looked down at them with a sad smile. "You have a beautiful baby girl," he said, handing the girl down to her mother. Suzume reached out eagerly and grabbed her daughter gingerly, amazed at what she and Isao had created. For a moment, she relished in the fact that she just gave birth and had a beautiful, healthy baby girl in her arms.

"I will tell you the legend of the Shikon no Tama," Takeo started. "It is said that long ago, a priestess was the guardian of an ancient and powerful sword. She lived in a village of demon slayers and was one of the protectors of the village. Many demons came to their village, seeking out this sword's power, but none proved strong enough. The priestess and her allies cut down any demon that would try to use the sword for their own selfish desires." Takeo sighed, moving to sit next to Suzume's left as Kaede continued to clean up the aftermath of birth. He seemed weary all of a sudden but continued on. "Everyone wanted this sword because of the power it gave to its wielder. The power to open the Underworld and become the leader of an army of dead soldiers. The priestess was charged to make sure no one ever laid a hand on the sword and used it for their personal gain." Kaede dressed and covered Suzume back up, now focusing her attention on Takeo's voice. She moved to sit next to Isao, looking over Suzume's body at Takeo. She had heard this legend before, though not many knew of it, and she knew of the jewel.

"A man came into the village, a human, and he eventually won the heart of the miko. But he was an evil man who had teamed up with a demon that promised to give him the power to wield the sword and take it from the miko. Both of them, human and demon, were filled with their own selfish desires to take the sword for their own and had a plan to, in the end, kill the other once they had the sword. The human was to make the miko fall in love with him so that she would let her guard down, and then kill her. One night, after making love, the man stole the ancient sword and plunged it straight into her chest while she slept. The miko woke, heartbroken and dying, as the man stood over her, an evil smile on his face as the demon materialized next to him and tried to take the sword from her body. Both were now fighting each other for the sword. The miko cried as the betrayal from the man filled her with hatred. Using her last ounce of strength, she cursed the man and the demon, binding them together forever in a drop of her tear that became a small jewel. She made sure that they would forever be fighting each other, an ironic twist of fate. But because of her hatred, her curse backfired and she was trapped in the jewel too, forever to join the evil-hearted man and demon."

Isao listened, gazing down at his daughter in Suzume's arms. The child was quiet, only making little suckling noises with her tongue. He gazed up to see Takeo with his head in his hands.

"A heart filled with evil will bring evil upon oneself."

"Takeo…" Suzume called, making the man bring his head up. "What about our daughter? Is this thing going to make her evil?" she asked, now worried on what the jewel will do to her.

Takeo smiled reassuringly and shook his head. "It is said when the three souls were bound together, they created the Shikon no Tama. A jewel that was created from evil has the power to do evil. But when the miko realized that she brought her fate upon herself, she cried and sent out her blessing for a pure heart before she was sucked into the jewel. Her wish for a pure heart is the balance to the evil of the jewel." Takeo looked down at the child as she started to squirm and make noises. "I believe that your daughter is the pure heart that the miko prayed for. The jewel is within her chest, right over her heart, where the miko would want her pure heart to influence the jewel. It's up to your daughter whether or not she will use its power for good or for evil."

Suzume was confused, shaking her head in disbelief. "You want her to make the decision? She's just a child!"

Takeo nodded his head, looking at her seriously. "That's why I sealed her powers when you allowed me to." Isao nodded his head, remembering what happened days ago.

"No one knows what happened to the jewel or the sword after it was created. It's said that the miko's servant came running in to see the final events unfold and there was a flash of light. The jewel was suspended in the air and then just disappeared. The miko's body dissolved into ashes and as it did, the ancient sword vanished. No one knows the whereabouts of the sword now. But since the jewel has appeared, it's only safe to assume that the sword has appeared as well."

"What does it mean for Kagome?" Isao asked, wanting to know what his daughter had to do with this legend. She couldn't be the miko's reincarnation, could she? "Is that why you asked Suzume of her family lineage?" he asked, piecing it together.

Takeo nodded his head, looking at him. "I can't tell you for sure if your family is the descendants of the miko. But what I can tell you is the legend of the jewel. The Shikon no Tama will return within a pure heart. Whoever is in possession of that pure heart can use the jewel's power to destroy the world or protect it, whatever they desire."

Suzume and Isao both looked at each other with fear. Their daughter, just minutes born, was burdened with this powerful jewel that, if got in the wrong hands, would be used to destroy the world. Suzume cried, clutching her daughter against her chest, fear for her daughter overcoming her.

"Kagome…" Isao whispered in Suzume's ear, stroking her hair back. "Her name will be Kagome."

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Kagome could still remember her mother and father telling her of the legend, the curse that she bore. When she was two years old, the seal that Takeo had place on the jewel broke and Kagome woke screaming in the night, saying she saw demons grabbing at her in her dreams. Every night she had nightmares, and every night they would have to comfort her. Some days she would be sitting and would have flashes before her eyes of things happening, maybe seeing a village burning or a demon attacking unsuspecting travelers on the road. She told her parents about it but they just dismissed her, thinking it was her imagination as a child. But one day one of her imaginations came true. She had told her parents that their village would be attacked by a water demon, and later on that day it was. Her parents took her to Takeo and told them all that happened, making Kagome replay every event that happened in her dream, only to realize that all those things happened in reality. They lost two lives, the same people she saw in her dream, and the exact same houses and food carts that she dreamt were destroyed actually were.

Kagome sighed and started to sweat, her signal to get out of the onsen. She wiped her forehead and got out, wiping the water off her body with a long white cloth as a towel. She got dressed, getting into her rich blue kimono and tying the yellow obi closed, reaching up to let her hair fall out of her bun. Bending to pick up her miko robe, she made her way back down the trail to the shrine.

Her thoughts wandered, as Kagome remembered how her parents got really protective of her after that day. They wouldn't let anyone see her, only Sango and Kohaku since they were her best friends. The villagers weren't allowed to see her and Takeo had to have a talk with them to ease their worries. After that, her parents warned her of her newfound powers and tried to guide her as best they could. But not even they could imagine what she was able to do. They warned her to never tell anyone about her powers, especially a stranger. No one could be trusted with her secret as both humans and demons would want the power of the Shikon no Tama for themselves.

Back on the shrine grounds, Kagome made her way to her room. She noticed the shoji was still open and walked in, seeing Inuyasha leaning his back against the wall to her right, his arms crossed under his haori. His eyes were closed and his face looked serene, making her think he fell asleep. She also noticed that his sword wasn't on his hip, making her wonder where he put it since she had noticed earlier how much he relaxed when he got his sword back from Kaede. But she smiled, relieved that he was here and kept his promise. She turned to shut the shoji and noticed next to her bow and arrows was his sword. They both were unarmed and defenseless.

Kagome turned around to look at him and gasped, seeing his golden eyes watching her. She blinked, frozen in her spot. 'What do you do now, Kagome?' she thought. She wanted him to stay and so she needed to grow up and get a grip. It's not like they were going to do anything. She turned her eyes from him and flushed, the memory from earlier coming back to her. Not to mention the fact that her body was still heated and soft from her bath. She kept her miko robes against her chest and walked over to place them at the shoji opposite Inuyasha. This door led to the haiden and tomorrow Asami would come to collect her dirty clothes for wash. Turning around, she noticed he was still staring at her, his face giving nothing away. She frowned, looking at him shyly, and moved to her futon in the middle of the room.

"Do you live nearby?" she asked, not knowing what else to talk about. The silence was deafening. She got to her knees and waited, watching as he watched every move she took.

"No."

Kagome nodded, wetting her lips and fiddling with her fingers on her lap. "Where do you live?"

"Nowhere."

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows. "You must have somewhere you live?"

He shook his head, his eyes serious. "I don't sleep in one place too long. I move around a lot. Sometimes I just find a place in the forest somewhere and sleep there. Then, I keep moving. I try not to stay in one place for too long."

"Why?" she asked, her voice sad. That sounded like a terrible life, moving around for years, not settling in one spot. 'How sad…'

Inuyasha shrugged. "Never had a reason to."

Kagome regarded him steadily and decided to drop it, seeing as he wasn't going to open up any more about it. She sighed and lifted the blanket from the futon so she could get settled in, sitting on her futon with her blanket over her legs. "Do you sleep?" she asked, not meaning for it to come out sarcastically, but it did.

Inuyasha arched his eyebrow at her and she giggled. He smiled and moved, his clothes shuffling as he stood and walked over to her. Inuyasha got down on his knee, resting one arm on his left thigh as he used his right arm to reach up and run his knuckles along her cheek. Kagome immediately stopped and watched him, her eyes unreadable. He gazed into them, finding himself drowning in them, fast.

Kagome felt her heart beating fast again, all her courage disintegrating now that he was so close. Her skin tingled all over and she felt his touch run through her. "Inuyasha…" she whispered, watching as his eyes grew hooded and he moved closer. He was just inches from her face and Kagome grew still, looking at his lips. She wanted to reach out and touch him, his hand now cupping her face. She moved her head into his palm, closing her eyes at the feeling of his skin. When she opened her eyes, his golden eyes were swirling with a yearning fire that she thought she would melt for him.

Suddenly, he released her, bringing his hand back. Kagome immediately felt his loss as he pulled away from her, standing up and moving back to the wall. "Go to bed."

Kagome blinked, watching him, unsure as to what just happened. She ran her right arm up and down her left arm, feeling the loss in warmth from him. Or maybe it was just the fact that she was rejected.

"Are you going to sleep too?" she asked, turning to look at him. Inuyasha turned and sat down, curling one leg towards him and the other propped up so he could rest one arm on it. When he looked up, she turned and avoided his eyes.

"No. I usually don't sleep well… especially in a place I don't know," he pointed out.

"I see." She wondered if it was something she said or did. But Kagome tried not to let it affect her. She went to her back, lying on her right side so she faced away from him, pulling the blanket over her for protection. She didn't want to see him, not now. She was hurt that he just left her like that and confused as to what just happened. She sighed and tried her best to fall asleep knowing he was watching her.

The room was still bathed in a soft light by the dimmed lanterns. Inuyasha watched Kagome, looking at her from the top of her head down to her feet that were hidden from his eyes. Her blue kimono peaked out from the blanket on her shoulder. He could see her figure even under the blanket, his eyes wandering down the dip in her waist to the rise in her hips. He listened to the beat of her heart, noticing how it began to slow after some time. 'She's restless,' he's thought, waiting for the slowing of her heart to signal that she was finally asleep. Inuyasha sighed and got up. He walked over to one lantern, lifting the lid to blow out the flame, then went across the room and did the same to the other. He was quiet, not wanting to wake her so he could think. He needed space from her, or maybe just space from her eyes and mouth. Now was a perfect time to think. He still wanted to be around her, her scent did something to him that he couldn't understand. He had never been this comfortable around anyone his entire life. Ever since his mother died, his life was changed and he became the man that he was today.

Walking over, deep in thought, Inuyasha moved to sit cross-legged in front of Kagome, looking at her face in peaceful sleep. He blinked, his brow creasing as he tried to answer some questions. 'What is it about her that I just can't shake off?' This troubled him since last night. She amazed him. She was a fighter. The way she fought on the battle field last night, riding in on her horse and shooting that rock demon with her arrow. He thought she was the most beautiful human he had ever seen, her face determined and fearless, her hair whipping behind her in the wind. It looked like she was born for battle and charged at the demon, not recognizing his presence as he lay on the ground, his body numb from when the demon threw him and the kid to the ground.

'She's beautiful…' he thought, gazing down at her in sleep. He missed her eyes, now hidden from him. He remembered the way her brown eyes looked at him last night, reflecting the moonlight. The moon brought out a deep brown hue and he wondered how the sun would illuminate her brown eyes. Inuyasha sighed, closing his eyes as he stood and went back to his spot against the wall. Her physical appearance was not the only thing that drew him to her. Sliding his back down, he crossed his legs and crossed his arms, unable to relax with his wandering thoughts.

His mother, Izayoi, was a very beautiful woman. She lived in a village far from here where she was the only daughter in the family, holding a lot of burden to uphold their prestigious family name. Izayoi had many suitors as her beauty and family name caught the eyes of men and demon alike. Then one day, she had met his father, Inutaisho, and she fell for him instantly. His father had told him once that it was love at first sight. '"You will know, son, when you find your mate. Your demon will know before your human side will. For your mother and I, it was love at first sight. I didn't have to have my demon tell me that she was the one. I knew when I first saw her… when I first took in her scent."'

Inuyasha's eyes widened at the memory and he gazed down at Kagome's body. Is that what this is? His heart began to pound, racing at the realization of what he discovered. 'She's… she's my mate?' He didn't have to wonder if he was physically attracted to her. His body stirred to life at her scent, his nose rubbing against her skin, her hands on his chest. But what did that have to do with her being his mate?

'"Inuyasha… don't be hasty when finding a woman. A woman can either be just a tool for our body or a lifeline for our soul."' When he had reached of age, he remembered his father telling him this, warning about the dangers of sex and what it can reproduce. He knew what his father meant by a tool. He had had his share of women over the centuries, many throwing themselves at him because of his golden eyes or his silver hair. They all wanted him physically, and because he was a demon and could give a damn about them, he took them, most of the time a little too rough. Though they never fought him off, he saw in their eyes as he plunged into them that they were a little afraid of him. He would sometimes harm them and they would cry out, but never could get away from his demanding body as he took what he needed from them. That's all they were: a tool for his body's needs.

Inu-hanyou can only impregnate their mates because of their mixed blood. There is a chemical that can only be released in his blood when the blood of his mate's would mix with his. This chemical would trigger his fertilization, giving him the ability to create offspring. It was a mating ritual that only had to be done once, but once he found his mate, her blood would forever change his and he would be able to impregnate her. And only her. His father had told him this, yet he never told him why it was so. Inuyasha figured it was the Kami's way of preventing weak hanyous from overpopulating the world with their mixed-blood. 'Pathetic.'

Over his centuries of living he never understood what his father meant by a woman being his 'lifeline'. Until now. Until this woman came into his life and threatened to kill him. Last night was the first time he caught her scent and when he did, the blood pounding in his ears and the need to kill suddenly stopped. His demon was instantly calm. And then again tonight in the garden, when he drew her into his lungs, it was like a warmth spread through his body and he felt so relaxed. He felt at peace. Kagome was his balm, his lifeline.

Inuyasha blinked, his eyes watching the back of her in the darkness. He could see her clearly, the way her body rose and fell with each breath, her dark hair fanning out around her head. He couldn't believe he was falling for a priestess. He smirked at the irony and closed his eyes, knowing that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep here even if he tried. And his mind still wandered at the irony of it all.