ch15
The next morning, the group got up and made last-minute checks on their luggage before gathering outside of the castle. "Alright. Now, we all stick together, no separations. The children are to be protected at all times, no matter what," Sesshoumaru said. "Dear, we know," Kagome said, taking his hand in hers.
Karas and Kira ran into the gardens out of breath. "Wait for us!" Karas said to them as they caught their breath. Sesshoumaru looked up at them
"Made it just in time." Sesshoumaru says to them.
"We can't leave yet anyway, Inuyasha isn't here yet." Kohaku says to Sesshoumaru and Kagome. "We don't need the brat." Sesshoumaru says to him
"Psh, you need all the help you can get," Inuyasha said, walking up the road towards them, his hands hidden in his kimono.
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and said, "We'll do just fine. We've got five priests, though one is still in training, and two more are half-demon, three demons, and two humans who I assume are good with some martial art techniques, as well as a small group of guards. We do not need any more protection or help."
Kohaku smiled and walked over to Inuyasha ."Glad you're here." he says to Inuyasha and sees a sword in a sheath.
"What's this?" Kohaku asked him.
"My dad gave it to me, he said that I can't rely on my brother." Inuyasha says to him.
"He was right you will fend for yourself." Sesshoumaru tells him.
"Whatever come on Kohaku." Inuyasha says to him.
"Wait for me!" Shippo said as he ran after the two teens
Kohaku smiled at the still young demon. "You're coming, too, Shippo?" he asked.
"Yeah, I don't like being in that castle all by myself!" Shippo said. Kohaku laughed and said, "Well, I'm glad you're here. I could use all of the friendly support I could get."
Shippo jumped up on Kohaku's shoulder, Stupid Inuyasha you better not get Kohaku kidnapped!" Shippo tells him.
Kagome laughed as Inuyasha was yelled at by a fox kit "Let's go." Sesshoumaru said to them as Rin and Souta rode atop the dragon.
The group started off, and the guards followed at a respectable distance, yet protective manner. Sesshoumaru looked at Karas, Kira, Caren, Dante, and Kohaku and said, "We'll need your senses to find the jewel shards." They said nothing, just nodded at him.
Inuyasha looked at Sesshoumaru, "So where are we going to camp at Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha asks him.
"When it is time we will set up camp are you that lazy that you're tired already?" Sesshoumaru asks him.
"What you say?!, I was asking cause of the kids you bastard, Kagome how can you stay with this ass?" he asks her.
Kagome smiled and said, "Because I'm just like him, Inu. And don't use the children as an excuse to make camp. If you're tired, just say so." She slid her arm through Sesshoumaru's, resting her arm on the inside of his elbow.
Inuyasha growled at them both and caught up with Kohaku. "So you ready to face Naraku and other demons who will want the jewel?" Inuyasha asked him.
"Yeah I am I better be right?" Kohaku said with a smile.
"Those two are really close." Karas says to Kira.
"I know it's almost like the rest of us are not here." Kira tells him
"That's only because they've been friends since they were born. I don't think they would know what to do with themselves if they were to lose one or the other," Kagome said, smiling fondly at the two boys to see Kohaku playfully push Inuyasha. "Kohaku would be so depressed if he were to lose Inuyasha," Kikyo said, sighing.
The women then both looked at Sesshoumaru. "Fine I'll protect Inuyasha, I don't need my father trying to kill me." Sesshoumaru says to them.
Kikyo smiled at that as she watched Souta and Rin chatting atop the dragon. "Sesshoumaru what about Keski?" Kagome whispers to him.
"He said he won't come back but who knows." Sesshoumaru whispers back to her.
Kaguya and Tsubaki left the castle in search of Kohaku. "Aren't you going to follow Kohaku?" Kagura asked Naraku.
Naraku chuckled and said, "I can keep perfect track of him from Kanna's mirror. When I know he is close, I will go to him." Kagura rolled her eyes and said, "If I were you, I would just go get him and that wench now."
"I can't touch Kagome thanks to Keski so there is no point!" Naraku said as he glared at her. Kagura chuckled. "You mean your former lover betrayed you, this is too much I love to meet him." Kagura says with a grin showing her white teeth
Naraku growled and stood, stalking towards her until her back hit the wall. "Kagura, I am warning you, you do not want to cross me," he hissed.
"I am sorry, I forgot my place." Kagura tells him and bows her head she didn't think he get this upset over that. Naraku raised his hand to slap her when Kanna came into the study. "Master Naraku look." Kanna said holding up her mirror to show Naraku, Tsubaki and Kaguya
Naraku growled low in his throat. "What do those two want?" he hissed.
"Master, I believe they are after Kohaku," Kanna said.
"Yes, I know that, Kanna. If they are after him, then they are after the jewel," Naraku said
"I should have marked him, he is mine and those two are about to learn that!" Naraku growled. "Kanna, Kagura we leave now!" he tells them and walks out the study. Kagura glared at Kanna. "You should have let them have the brat!" Kagura hissed at the little girl. "I obey master no matter what." Kanna says and walks out as well.
Sesshoumaru stopped the group so they could have lunch. Inuyasha and Kohaku sat down as they rested their feet while the adults got the food out. Bankotsu walked over to Rin and took her down from the dragon and then Souta.
Rin ran over to her parents and jumped into Sesshoumaru's arms. "When are we going to find a shard, daddy?" she asked.
"I don't know, sweetie, they're scattered all over the place," Sesshoumaru replied.
Souta walked over to Kohaku and looked up at him. "Kohaku will you teach me how to shoot arrows?" he asked him
Kohaku smiled and stood up. Karas looked at the two it reminded him of when he asked Keski to show him. "Hey Caren does Kohaku know any spells yet?" he asks.
"He knows a few healing ones." Caren tells him
"When do you think he'll get to offensive and defensive spells?" Kira asked.
"I'm not sure, yet. He has to get more experience, first," Caren replied.
"Don't you think he should with Naraku roaming?" Karas asks him.
"I know that Karas !" Caren yelled at him as he watched Souta take the bow and arrow, Kohaku showed him how to hold it and then watched as Souta shot it his aim was off and he hit one of the guards
." Sorry." Souta said and hid behind Kohaku.
Bankotsu looked at him, the arrow in his leg, and forced a smile. "It's alright, master Souta," he said, leaning down and jerking the arrow from his leg, wincing. Kohaku chuckled and walked over, kneeling in front of him. "Here, this should help," he said. He placed his hands gently over the wound and mumbled a spell to help heal the wound.
"Thanks Kohaku, Master Souta you should practice on Fluffy he's a good target that's how Karas and Kira learned." he says.
Inuyasha laughed as he looked over at Sesshoumaru." Fluffy huh, aww are you soft and cuddly?" Inuyasha teased.
Sesshoumaru growled, looking at his brother with narrowed eyes. Inuyasha smirked and said, "Awww, little fluffy's getting mad."
Kagome glared at him and said, "Don't push your luck, Inuyasha. He'll kick your ass, and you know it."
"Hmph he can try then father will kill him, anyway come on Kohaku let's go find some fish." Inuyasha says to him.
"You may go half-breed but Kohaku is staying here." Sesshoumaru says to him as he takes Rin off his lap and stands up.
"Oh boy. Karas said as he got out the way.
"Kohaku isn't a child, Sesshoumaru. Give him some space," Inuyasha said.
"You snuck him out last time, and look what happened! The jewel is shattered, which is what forced us out here in the first place! And now Naraku is after Kohaku more than ever so that he can help him find the shards for himself! Inuyasha, go get some fish, but Kohaku is staying right here where I can see him," Sesshoumaru hissed.
"Daddy scary mommy, like you when I don't eat all my food." Rin says to her.
Kikyo sighed as she sat next to Kagome. "Sesshoumaru how about sending Bankotsu with them?" Suikotsu says to him.
"That's just as bad as Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru growled.
"Hey I'll have you know Kohaku was never taken on my watch!" Bankotsu yelled at Sesshoumaru
"Are you yelling at me?" Sesshoumaru asked him
Bankotsu paled and he said, "N-no sir. Just stating a fact."
"Well, the answer is still no," Sesshoumaru said.
"Please, Sesshoumaru? Honestly, I would like to go," Kohaku said, looking over at him.
"Kohaku do you not recall yesterday, next time HE sees you he isn't going to play he's going to take what he wants and I might not be able to stop him!" Sesshoumaru yelled at him.
"You don't have to yell at him!" Inuyasha yelled.
"Stay out of this Inuyasha, Naraku wants him are you to blind and stupid to realize this?!" Sesshoumaru asked him
"Sesshoumaru, that is enough! If it will make you feel better, you can come, as well. But just because we are traveling together does not mean I have to obey your every single rule!" Kohaku said, staring at Sesshoumaru the whole time.
"Last time you yelled at someone they ended up burning you." Karas says from his place on the log, Sesshoumaru growled at Karas and stalked over to Kohaku and smirked. "Is that so Kohaku you're a man now you think you can defend yourself from the demons, from the male demons that want your body." he whispered against his ear. "I like women and your scent is getting to me but go ahead go with Inuyasha get the fish." Sesshoumaru says to him "I won't follow go."
"Sesshoumaru!?" Kagome and Kikyo yelled.
"Quite he's not a kid let him go ladies." Sesshoumaru says and walks away from Kohaku.
Kohaku watched him walk off and said, "Let's go, Inuyasha." Inuyasha nodded and the two walked off.
"Bankotsu, keep an eye on them, please? Alert us if anything goes wrong," Kagome said. Bankotsu nodded and followed after the two. Kagome smacked the back of Sesshoumaru's head when he sat down.
Rin giggled as her father got smacked. "He said he wasn't going to obey so why should I go out my way to save him?" Sesshoumaru asked her.
"You're just mad caused he defied you for a change." Kagome says to him.
"Hmph whatever don't come calling me if Naraku molest him." Sesshoumaru says to her as he looks at his claws.
"I swear you think Sesshoumaru was the father." Karas says.
"Shut up Karas before I make you leave!" Sesshoumaru hissed.
Karas rolled his eyes and said, "The only way I would leave was if either Kira left or if I died." Kira smiled at him and took Karas' hand in his own. Sesshoumaru sighed and said, "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back soon." Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes as well. "Fine, take your time," she said.
Sesshoumaru growled as he went for a walk, "This is all Naraku's fault and Keski's! he growled out and took his whip out and knocked over a tree in his anger.
"Temper, Temper." Came a deep silky voice.
"Naraku you don't want to deal with me right now in any form you decide to show yourself in!" Sesshoumaru tells him.
"Hmm I watched as you smelled my boy." Naraku tells him
Sesshoumaru growled and said, "He does not belong to you, and he does not belong to me. He belongs to himself and his significant other, do you understand?"
"He is mine you damn dog you were there last night, Keski was practically begging me to take him if I would have said yes I would have had Kohaku's cute little body and there was nothing you could do, Keski would have purified you if I said yes and you tried to stop him."
Sesshoumaru growled at him. "Hm you would sleep with the male who is keeping you from my mate?" Sesshoumaru asked him.
"Of course I would then I punish him." Naraku tells him.
While that was going on Kohaku and Inuyasha caught some fish. Tsubaki and Kaguya found them. "Please help me my sister is hurt." Tsubaki says to them as her clothes were torn now and her hair all over the place.
Kohaku looked at them. "What's wrong with her?" he asked.
"She scratched her leg on the way down the mountain trail just in the forest. Please, she is bleeding," Tsubaki said, a worried look plastered on her face.
Kohaku stood up."Come on Inuyasha."Kohaku says to him and walks over to Tsubaki."Thank you." she says.
"Hey wait!" Bankotsu says to Kohaku.
"Her sister is hurt, we have to help her." Kohaku tells him
"Wait here while I tell Kagome." he says to them.
Tsubaki watched as Bankotsu left."Please if you don't come now she will die." she tells Kohaku
Inuyasha looked at Kohaku and whispered so only he could hear, "I'm right her to protect you." Kohaku nodded and looked at Tsubaki. "Show me to your sister," he said.
Tsubaki limped with them over to where her sister was laying on the ground with her leg bleeding Kohaku walked over to her. "What's your name miss?" he asked.
"Kaguya." she said as she looked up at Kohaku. "My what a handsome boy." she says. Inuyasha watched as Kohaku looked at the wound.
"Kagome, where is Sesshoumaru?" Bankotsu asks her
"He went for a walk. Why, what's wrong?" Kagome asked, standing. "You might want to come with me," Bankotsu said. Kagome looked over at Dante and Caren and said, "Protect the children." They nodded, and she sped off with Bankotsu, running through the trees.
Kohaku healed Kaguya's leg and smiled at her. "Thank you sweet boy." she says to Kohaku and grabs him by the back of his head before he could blink and stands up with him. Inuyasha took his Tetsusaiga out. "Let him go now!" Inuyasha growled.
"You think you can beat us hanyou." Tsubaki said to him.
Inuyasha smirked and said, "I know I can. My father trained me well with the Tetsusaiga, made from his own fang." He glared at them, red flashing with white, and blue flashing with gold.
"You won't make a move as long as I hold him captive." Kaguya says to him
Kohaku looked at Inuyasha
Kagome came on the scene."Let him go now!" She growled.
"Why the lady of the west, so he sent his bitch, instead of coming himself." Kaguya said to her.
"He didn't send me I am my own woman!" Kagome tells her.
"I will rip his head off if any of you come close." Kaguya warns them
Kagome smirked and said, "No you won't. If I am correct, the both of you are dark priestesses, who are also demon. You need him for something, and it's not to find the jewel shards. You won't kill him." She took a step closer, making Kaguya and Tsubaki take a step back, Kohaku with them.
"You don't want to cause trouble Kaguya , I belong to Naraku." Kohaku says to her.
Kaguya laughed, "Really then why isn't he here, and there is no mark on you."she tells him. Tsubaki chants and throws a dark energy ball at Kagome and the others making them jump out the way.
Kagome charged at Tsubaki. "Tsubaki you know where to meet me." Kaguya tells her as she starts to leave. " Sesshoumaru!"Kohaku yelled.