A/N: First off, Happy New Year to everyone! Second, so when I made the original promise to post every day I did not consider the fact that New Years Eve would be one of the days. As a result I didn't post as you probably noticed. So I will post on Saturday to make up for Thursday's post. After that it will be once a week on Fridays.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for the few characters that I have invented to make my story possible. If there are any questions about the story refer to the end of chapter 15 or leave a signed review and I will answer it.
Ch. 16 The Second Task
Jaken and the little dragon were stopped at a dead end. They had spent the morning walking along the narrow rocky path through the thorns looking for the flower to no avail.
Jaken turned to look where they came from, "Maybe we should go back and look again. Perhaps we missed it?"
The little dragon shook its head and grabbed at Jaken's clothes pulling him forwards.
"There is nowhere else to go it is a dead end unless we try and go through all these thorns to find it!"
The dragon then let go and moved towards the edge of the path near the thorns before entering them.
"Ah! Get out of there now!" Jaken yelled running over to where the dragon disappeared, "You will get hurt if you go in there!"
He didn't hear anything and after a few seconds he went in after it.
'This dragon is going to get me killed.'
He immediately noticed that as he went further in the ground got lower and he could walk up right.
'So this must be a secret path under the thorns. How did the dragon know this was here?'
"Ka-cheep! Ka-cheep!" The little dragon called from ahead.
"Hey! You get over here now so you don't get lost!"Jaken yelled but the little dragon kept on going.
"Ah, wait!"
He yelled running after the dragon but he tripped over a jagged rock and hit the floor with a 'oomph'.
'Definitely will be the death of me.' He thought as he pulled himself off the ground looking at his foot that had been scratched and was slightly bleeding now.
"Ka-cheep!"
This time Jaken couldn't see the dragon, but he could hear him from what sounded like above and ahead of where he was.
'Where did it go?'
Jaken walked towards where the sound came from and soon saw an opening in the thorns. He moved forwards and started to climb up a somewhat steep incline to get out. When he reached the top though the thorns hadn't stopped, instead they merely formed a canopy of sorts over what appeared to Jaken to be a meadow.
"How is there a meadow in the middle of all these thorns, I never would have found or even thought of something like this being here."
He looked around. The thorns allowed for light to come in and Jaken understood that the thorns were probably the protection for the flower he was seeking.
"Ka-cheep!"
The little dragon now came running forwards with the very flower in its mouth happily wagging its tail.
Jaken took the flower careful not to cut himself on its thorns. It had blue petals and looked similar to a rose but the thorns where very big and red like Bokusenou had told him. The few leaves that decorated the flowers base were black too just as it had been described.
He then leaned over to smell the flower. A pungent smell that was overwhelmingly sweet and disgusting at the same time assaulted his nostrils.
"Yuck! It doesn't smell at all like the flowers I have normally seen!"
The dragon tilted its head questioningly.
"You did very well little one. If you didn't see that path we never would have found this so easily."
He patted the dragon on the head and it began to jump around happily.
"Now, there is only one last thing to collect before we can go back to Bokusenou."
Jaken said pulling out the map, "It appears that it will take us a day to walk there but there is a forest not like any other that is home to the bird of paradise. This bird has rainbow colored feathers and a long flowing tail but does not sing. Hmm, all we need to do is catch one. That should not be too difficult."
He then rolled up the map and started heading back where they had come from the dragon following after.
~*~*~*~
Kagome soon found out that the horses that they were ridding were demon's and didn't need to stop like normal horses and they also went faster, so when they reached the western lands a couple hours into their journey she was surprised.
"Lady Miyuki, have you ever been to the western castle where Lord Sesshomaru lived?"
"No, but I have heard it is near the sea and as such the cowards will not have the opportunity to leave out the back door since we will be assaulting the only side that has an entrance."
"Isn't that a bad idea for a lord to live in such a position?"
"Only if he wishes to have an escape root otherwise it shows your enemies that you intend to fight back till the end. "
Kagome nodded her head and looked out along the land, "So how long will it take to reach the castle then?"
"I would say a bit longer since we are about half way."
"I wonder what kind of terrain we will be fighting on."
"From lord Sesshomaru's briefing of the soldiers this morning it sounded like there are hills and plains but we will be positioned towards the back near the back on top of a hill."
"Were we supposed to be there to hear him?" Kumiko who had been listening asked.
Miyuki laughed, "No, I wasn't allowed to so I disguised myself and snuck it."
"Why didn't they want you there?" Kagome asked.
"We did not want any of you there so that you wouldn't be tempted to join the fight." Lord Kazuki's voice came from behind them.
Miyuki smiled, "Hello dear, and how did you manage to get to the back of the ranks? Shouldn't you be at the front with Arisugawa?"
"Lord Sesshomaru told me of you three being back here and suggested perhaps I accompany you in the rear in case anything should happen." He replied to his mate before turning to the other two women.
"Your only job is to help the wounded and if necessary repel any attack that makes it through though I doubt we will allow for that."
"Of course but we could also…" Kagome began but Lord Kazuki interrupted.
"That is your only job and you will stick to it. This is for your protection, and anyways you will be needed in helping the injured. Without you they would die or become very ill without treatment."
Kagome nodded her head as she looked down into the horse's mane. 'I want to assist lord Sesshomaru and my friends more in this fight but Lord Kazuki is right, as a miko I have an obligation to the sick and wounded also.'
Kagome then heard Lady Miyuki say something and looked up. Stopped ahead were Sango, Miroku, and Shippo on Kilala.
"Kagome!"
She smiled and road her horse forwards a bit faster having it stop near them before getting off, "Why have you stopped?"
Sango smiled petting Kilala, "She needs her rest since she carries all three of us. We were going to keep going but Shippo said he saw you so we were waiting."
Kagome smiled, "You didn't have too, but thank you. I've missed you guys so much it seems like we hardly have time anymore to talk or anything."
Sango laughed, "Well we all have been busy. But after all this we will finally have time again."
Kagome's smile went away a bit, "Maybe."
Miroku then spoke, "Of course we will Lady Kagome. The jewel will be complete and Sango and I will be married and you won't have to worry so much anymore about your studying."
Kagome laughed, "Yes I guess so. So you two getting along better now I see."
Sango blushed a bit, "Well yes."
Miroku then put his arm around Sango, "She has finally consented to bearing my children!"
Sango then wacked him over the head, "Stop yelling that!"
"But it is true my love! We will be married and you will bare many of my children!"
She wacked him again and he tried to move out the way but she tripped him with Hiraikotsu, "Loud mouthed monk."
Kagome and her then laughed as Miroku sat on the ground rubbing his head.
Lady Miyuki and Kumiko soon caught up and joined them, "Is everything alright?"
Kagome turned to them, "Yes, these are some of my friends they were waiting for me since it has been so long since we last got to be together."
"Oh. Well we will continue on then."Miyuki said maneuvering her horse.
"No that's ok here. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo these are my new friends Lady Miyuki and Kumiko."
Shippo then asked, "Is Kumiko a fox demon?"
Kumiko laughed, "Yes I am and you must be Shippo, lady Kagome has told me a lot about you."
Shippo smiled, "Yup!"
Kagome then picked up Shippo, "We should move along so we don't get too far behind."
Sango nodded and Kilala transformed before se mounted followed by Miroku, "So Totosai gave you that armor Kagome?"Miroku asked as they started to move again.
"Yes, how did you know?"
"We saw him carrying it but we didn't know who it was for. When did you ask him to do that?"
"I didn't, Lord Sesshomaru asked him to make it for me."
Sango and Miroku exchanged a glance and then Sango asked, "Is there something going on between you and Sesshomaru? I mean when you guys came to get us and all you seemed closer than just allies but I didn't ask but he had armor made for you now so…."
Kagome looked down cast as everyone waited for her next words, "He is a Lord and I simply serve him for now. That is all Sango, the armor is because I'm clumsy and easily hurt myself."
Kumiko then asked, "But it doesn't have to be like that. He cares for you Lady Kagome, everyone can tell even if he cannot. Don't you have any feelings for him?"
Kagome then looked up at her on the brink of tears, "I do not belong here. The only reason I am here is because of my powers that can possibly fix everything that was cause initially by my first mistake here."
She then snapped the reins of her horse and quickly road forward to get away from everyone.
Sango watched as her friend road off resisting the urge to go after her. The next person who spoke was lady Miyuki, "Kazuki, why does he allow this? He gives her attention then he treats her badly so now she doesn't want anything to do with him. Doesn't he realize that she will be lost at this rate?"
They turned to the Dragon youkai for an answer any answer that could mean that their mutual friend had a chance to be happy, "He is like his father more than he realizes and all he see's is the bad. There is nothing anyone can do. Arisugawa explained to me that it is best to leave the two alone when I asked him myself."
Sango shook her head in defeat, "maybe it is best this all ends with this war for her sake. Kagome never belonged here really and she would be able to go back to her home and put this behind her."
Everyone else seemed to agree with her but Miroku felt differently, 'If he knew. If someone told him his effect on her, what would he do?'
~*~*~*~
'Why do they want me to have these feelings? Why can't they leave me alone so that I can ignore this pain in my chest and get this all over with so I can leave once and for all?' Kagome thought as she road past the ranks of soldiers, never allowing herself to look at them as they must have looked at her.
Shippo then pulled at her sleeve, "Kagome mama, don't cry. Sesshomaru-sama is just like Inuyasha."
Kagome looked down at her kit remembering that he was still with her, "What do you mean?"
He smiled, "He's just a dummy. He doesn't realize what's going on and he doesn't know how to handle it. At least he doesn't run off with Kikyou."
Kagome laughed as he repeated what she and Sango had always used as an excuse for Inuyasha and it was funny that he had applied it to Sesshomaru now, "Shippo, lord Sesshomaru is very intelligent and I am sure he knows. I am the one who can't handle any of it."
"Then don't, I will take care of everything." He said puffing out his chest to appear stronger for her.
Kagome laughed again this time wiping away the remaining tears, "We will take care of it all together. Don't worry I'm going to be ok now."
"Are you sure mama?" Shippo asked worriedly.
"Yes, I am sure. Now let's keep going. We are going to defeat Naraku and finish all of this."
Shippo nodded as they continued alongside the soldiers of the North, East, and their allies.
~*~*~*~
A/N: Well here is the chapter that should have been done and posted last night I am sorry again. I will post the next chapter to make up for last night's missed one either later today or tomorrow depending on my inspiration level (seriously). Please leave a review even if it's just one word 'Good' or 'bad' it makes me feel better regardless.
-Vamp