InuYasha glanced quickly at Kagome, then away. "How much longer." He wined again.
Kagome glared at him, "Like I said last time, the Shikon Jewels are in this direction, but it almost feels like they are moving at the same rate we are."
"Then why don't we move faster?" InuYasha growled.
"Its suck a lovely day, its kind of nice to just walk and see the sights." Kagome said smiling at Miroku and Songo.
Shippo poked his head out of the basked of Kagome's bike that she was walking. "I wouldn't mind keeping this pace, it is a nice day."
"Ha! Like you could keep up with me. This is the only pace you can handle." InuYasha said as he crossed his arms.
"I could too keep up!" Shippo challenged.
"Prove it!" InuYasha demanded. "You start running, you get a head start."
Kagome glared at them, "honestly InuYasha, he's just a kid, leave him alone."
"I have to do something to keep entertained if we are going to keep up this blistering pace." InuYasha yawned.
"Come on InuYasha, leave Shippo alone." Songo said, as she pet Kirara.
"None of you think I can do it do you!" Shippo said looking at all of them.
Kagome intervened before Shippo could jump out of the basket, "Its not that Shippo, its just that InuYasha doesn't want to run rite now, rite InuYasha? Your perfectly happy at this pace." She smiled at his confused look
"Duh! I want to run-"
Kagome elbowed him in the ribs, then smiled at him.
"Whacha do that for!" InuYasha said rubbing his ribs.
"Oho no reason." Kagome said winking at Songo.
Miroku scratched the back of his head nervously. "So you said it feels like more then one shard Kagome?"
"Mhmm, feels like a couple. At least the trip is worth it." Kagome smiled.
"It would be a lot more worth it if we were moving faster!" InuYasha wined again. "Here let me just carry this contraption." InuYasha reached for Kagome's bike, grabbing it by the chains. Kagome pushed the bike faster and caught his fingers in the links, he began jumping up and down and howling like a baby, pointing to the single drop of blood on his finger. "Owe, Owe, Owe! Look what that thing did to me!"
"We will just be ahead. No need to catch up any time soon." Miroku said, and hurried forward with Songo, Shippo jumped to Miroku's shoulder to avoid the fight.
Kagome watched them go enviously, then turned back to InuYasha who was pointing at his finger and crying loudly. "I have seen you with holes in your chest large enough to see through, and one little cut from my bike can send you off into a tantrum."
"It hurts it hurts it hurts! Make it go away! Waa!!!"
Kagome reached into her bag and pulled out her first aid kit, "come here let me put some disinfectant on it already."
All it took was one sprit of disinfectant and InuYasha was off on another fit of running around holding out his hurt finger, yelling.
"Honestly, my little brother takes it better then this." Kagome mused to herself as she watched.
It was several hours before InuYasha calmed down and they caught up to Miroku and Songo.
"How far away are the shards now Kagome?" Miroku asked as he sat comfortably in the shade of a tree.
Kagome thought for a moment, "Still about the same, feels like maybe a day or two ahead of us? Odd, how can we be following the holder so perfectly?"
"You sure it's the real thing, I mean we have been following them for three days now, no one in the villages we have been through noticed another traveler." InuYasha said, not bothering to hide his annoyance.
"You know I wouldn't lie." Kagome said angrily, she settled on the ground near Miroku, but glared out around them. "Where are we anyway?"
Songo looked over, "We are in the far east, that mountain up ahead is said to be unclimbed. It supposed to be near impossible according to rumors. We should catch up with the jewel shards before then."
InuYasha looked at the mountain they were heading for and frowned, "doesn't look to bad from here."
"We are still a few days away, wait till we get closer, you will see what I mean." Songo said. "There is a rumor that a powerful Sentient guards those villages."
"What's a Sentient?" Kagome asked.
Miroku looked up, "A Sentient is supposed to be a rare kind of demon that lives their lives to protect a village, or a group of villages. They are fiercely protective of their territory, any demon or traveler with ill will that enters one of their villages, never leaves."
"Well it's a good thinkg we don't have ill will." Songo said, she avoided looking at InuYasha who was ignoring them.
They rested for a few hours before setting off again, this time they ran, InuYasha carrying the bike, Songo and Kagome ridding on Kirara, and Miroku running with Shippo. They made better time, but were never able to quite catch up to the jewel shards. When they rested that night in a village, no one mentioned anything to Kagome, though they all began to doubt her ability, thinking that the gift was leaving her, and she was just chasing the hope of finding more jewel shards. No one said it, but they all began to fear that Naraku had the rest of the jewel shards.
Sesshomaru looked around him and mentally cringed. Humans. He was surrounded by humans. Mortal, weak, humans.
"Well we are here my Lord, where is this person you are to meet." Jaken asked. He looked up at Sesshomaru from where he stood slightly behind him, one hand on Ah-Un's lead rope. Rin sat happily on his back, her feet kicking, as she hummed a song.
"She will meet us when she is ready." Sesshomar said without looking back. He walked up the main rode of the village, noting how the humans scattered before him. It made him happy to know that they could sense his power, that they knew to avoid him. He had never been in this particular village, yet he knew where to look to find Takira. She would be in the fields at midday, working to provide for the humans she protected. She had asked him once if he would ever consider being a Sentient. He had not laughed at her, but never considered it.
Now walking among the humans, he felt dirtied by their presence. Rin was one thing, she was one small human, not a village full of them, always needing something, food, protection, water, help. It was maddening. He had no idea how his sister put up with it.
"My lord? Would you like us to follow my lord?" Jaken asked as he rushed to follow Sesshomaru.
"Jaken, this is something that I am going to do alone. Take Rin and get something to eat." Sesshomaru said, again not bothering to look back
"But my Lord, where?" Jaken came to a stop in the middle of the street.
Rin laughed, "Where else would we find something to eat? In the market place."
"Market place?" Jaken asked looking up at Rin.
"Sure every village has one." Rin's voice faded in the back of Sesshomaru's mind. He couldn't worry about them, they were safe enough in a village guarded by Takira. Not that he would ever admit to worrying about them, but it was best not to think of them.
It had been more than fifty years since he had seen his sister. Which was why he had been so surprised to hear her call on the wind. She was a strong enough demon to not need his help, so why now. What could be going on that she would ask him to come to one of her precious villages? He followed the road to the fields behind the village and stood on a rise, looking out over the villagers, searching for the one he knew to well.
Takira was beyond beautiful, even for a demon. She had long silvery lilac hair that she kept braided back, the last time he had seen it, it had been to her knees, it must be longer now he admitted. She lacked the normal facial markings that would denote her as a demon, or if she had them he had never seen them. Her eyes were not pure amber like his own, but had green around the edges. She was not the tallest of woman, in fact he had been taller then her by the time he was 13. But what she lacked in height she made up for in sheer raw power. Her mother had been a powerful Sentient before her, and their Father being who he was had passed on his own strength to her. Making her more dangerous than anything else. She always had her weapons at hand, her twin curved swords. While she preferred the flowing robes to a more traditional kimono, she had never been caught up in the sleeves, nor tripped over anything. It was as though she had been born graceful.
Gazing out over the villagers he spotted her smaller form with ease, and made his way to her, noting that her hair was now nearly to the ground. Before he had even taken three steps a form flashed before him, and held a spear to his throat.
"Halt in the name of peace!" the girl yelled. She was young, even for a demon, but foolish. Her hair was long brown and flowing around her, with a single braid in the front. Her garb was more traditional in design, but colorful, as though she had been young when she had chosen the fabric. "State your business, demon, or die where you stand."
She was serious, how amusing, Sesshomaru thought to himself. It didn't matter in the slightest that he was staring down her spear. She was a mere maggot of a demon, barely worth noticing. He pushed her spear aside and began to walk around her.
Before he had taken another step the spear was back at his throat. "I said state your business, demon." She growled at him.
"Akima! Stay your spear." Takira yelled as she trotted up the rise. The villagers behind her all wielded the hoes and rakes as weapons. She spun to face them once she was on level ground as her brother. "And you, back to harvest or you will have empty stomachs tonight." She gave Sesshomaru one slashing look, head to toe, before turning her attention to the younger girl. "Do you really think that was wise?"
The girl stuttered, "me?" a quick glance to Takira, then her gaze was back on Sesshomaru, her spear still to his throat. "You trust this demon?"
Takira didn't bother looking at Sesshomaru, "With my life. Now come, lower the spear."
"If you were serious you could just take the dam thing from her hands." Sessomaru said, glaring at the two of them.
"Hush you have caused enough excitement for one day, thank you." Her look was that of a mother to an erring child, and it made Sesshomaru angry. Who was she to correct him this way. One glance at her eyes and he could see the worry in them, so he wisely held his tongue. "Akima, did you not sense how strong he was? Do you really think you could have taken him alone?"
Great, Sesshomaru thought, he was nothing more then a training lesson.
"Do you see his armor? What armor are you wearing rite now?" Takira pointed to Sesshomaru, then to Akima, "cloth wont do anything against a blade, my girl. I know you were protecting, but think before you act. Your brain is your greatest asset, because so few demons use them."
Sessomaru couldn't help but feel that Takira was talking about him, and he didn't like it. When he opened his mouth to say something Takira just spoke over him. "I-"
"The average demon wont present himself as a human, so its good that you could sence he was one, but still, get me before you engage one all right?" Takira said smiling at her pupil. "Now good job, off you go, I need to speak to my brother."
Akima gave Sesshomaru one quick open mouth gape, before running off without an apology.
"New student?" he grumbled.
"She's better then some," Takira smiled after her student. Turning her gaze to her brother she assessed him up and down. "Been to long, walk with me."
It had been too long, yet he immediately moved to obey her. On some level he still craved being with her, like an addiction to a drug he could never get enough of. Everything was peace and order when Takira was around, no chaos, no need to fight, unless there was no other way. It was the oddest thing to walk with her and feel no need to rush.
"The years have been kind to you?" Takira asked, looking up at her brother. She always saw to much, saw more then he wanted her to see anyway. "No they haven't."
"They have been kind enough." Sesshomaru stated, not looking at her, nor where they were going.
Takira accepted the statement that was a lie. Her gaze strayed to the swords he carried, "Tensaga, it has been to long my old friend." She reached out and gently touched the hilt of the great sword. One glance up at Sesshomaru and she realized he still had no memory of their fight. That was for the best she had always regretted the fight, but not the spell her father had had cast after it. "Its fitting that you carry that sword now, it was always Father's favorite."
"Its useless." Sesshomaru said, but flinched when Takira turned her icy stare at him.
"It was a gift from Father, it should be treasured." She looked away, not wanting to fight, yet it was always so easy with him. "Thank you for coming, I know it was out of your way."
Sesshomaru looked over her head, trying to decide where they were going, she seemed to know, but all he knew was they were following a path. "Why was I summoned?"
"I need your help." She started, "I have come to posses some Shikon shards, and know not what to do with them. And because they are here, my villages are in greater danger than before. I cannot leave to discard them, and Akima is a sweet child, but is not ready to go into the world alone." She looked up at him.
"So you want me to do what? Take them?" Sesshomaru asked doubtfully.
Takira shook her head, "they need to be purified, they are tainted with hatred. Until they are purified they are a risk to all who are near them, they will continue to attract demons. Have you heard of anyone who can cleanse them in your journeys?"
Sesshomaru shook his head. "You know I do not intentionally socialize among the humans like you do."
"Yet you travel with a young human female, hmm." Takira said more to annoy him than anything else.
He glared at her. "I have not learned of anyone with that talent."
Takira nodded and smiled at him. "Its good to see you brother. I have missed you."
Sesshomaru gazed over her head, and realized where she had been leading them; they were part of the way up the great mountain, in a clearing where they could look down on her villages. His lips twitched with the desire to smile, but he suppressed it. She had her hands full he could see that, her villages were not grand, but they were well spread out, and more then any other Sentient could handle.
"Another group approaches from the west. A varied group, a few demons, a few humans, one of them is a demon slayer." Takira said, following Sesshomaru's gaze. "If they have been drawn here by the shards, they will not find them. But I must admit, a demon slayer is a new obstacle that I haven't had to deal with recently." She turned to Sesshomaru and eyed him.
"Is this the help that you needed? Taking care of a demon slayer?"
Takira laughed, "I can handle one little demon slayer, but Akima isn't ready to defend a village on her own, nor am I ready to leave to deal with the Shikon shards myself. I need you to escort her to somewhere that the shards can be purified and taken care of. That is why I need your help."
He was silent for so long, she thought he was in a daydream, or remembering how many other times they had stood and looked out over her villages. Then he asked, "Did you mean it?"
Looking up at him she knew what he meant, knew it had been a long time since someone had told him they trusted him. "You are the blood of my Father, you are my sibling. I have, and will always trust you with my life."
He looked down at her, searching her face to see if she spoke true. Her smile was all the confirmation he needed. "I will help for now. But I am not leaving until you have dealt with the approaching demons."
Takira tipped her head back and laughed, "over protective aren't we? You know I have been alone for a few years, I can defend myself and my village."
Nodding Sesshomaru countered, "Be that as it may, I am here, and I am not leaving until the demon slayer, or whoever is approaching is taken care of."
"See there is a loving side to you in there somewhere." Takira smiled. Pushing away from him she turned and grabbed his left sleeve, when she didn't feel his hand she froze, and turned to face him. Without asking she pushed his sleeve up and stared at the stump where his arm should be. "Explain."
Not a request, an order. Sesshomaru felt the hair on the back of his neck raise, but one look at her narrowed eyes, and he cringed, looking away he answered. "Our little brother is awake, he was gifted with Father's greatest sword. And took my arm with it."
Takira shook her head, "How long has he been awake. Why didn't you tell me."
"If it was up to me he would have never woken."
"And since it is up to me you will see the healer in this village." Takira said, this time grabbing his right hand.
Sesshomaru pulled his hand out of her grasp. "No human healer will be able to help me." Takira grabbed his hand again, holding it in a viselike grip. When she didn't answer he pushed, "you keep a demon healer in this village?"
Takira gave him a quick smile, then began walking back down the mountain, Sesshomaru in tow. "It was one of the conditions that I had to agree to, like my own hut, the villagers insisted that I have a demon healer available just in case."
"Have you ever needed her assistance?" Sesshomaru growled.
"No I have never needed his assistance." Takira dropped his hand, content that he would follow her. "He can work miracles, give him a chance."
Sesshomaru snorted his disbelief, but kept following his sister.