Chapter 3

Kagome

I opened my eyes to see light filtering into the cave. I let out a little groan as I pushed myself to a sitting position. I rubbed my hand over my eyes, trying to get the remainder of sleep to go away. I didn't have to worry about it for long because I was startled out of it. The moment I sat up, Rin was suddenly in front of me, making me jump back. I placed a hand over my beating heart and glared at the young woman.

"I'm sorry, Lady Kagome. I'm just so excited. Sango and Miroku will be here today." Rin said, holding her hand out to me.

"It's okay, Rin." I replied, taking her hand. She pulled me to my feet and we made our way out of the cave. Sesshomaru stood beside Ah-Un while Mattaki leaned against a tree. I let out a yawn and heard a chuckle coming from the older inu yokai.

"Rin, where are you going?" Sesshomaru asked, looking at the two of us.

"To take a bath." Rin answered.

"The spring was ruined last night." I told her, wishing I could get the dried goo off of me.

"There is another one not too far off." Sesshomaru stated, making my mouth drop.

"You couldn't have told me this last night?" I asked, glaring at him.

"Did you not splash yokai intestines on my face?" He replied, not looking at me. I growled, ignoring the amused looks I received.

"Your growl is getting better, Lady Kagome." Rin complimented, making things worse. I loved this girl, but sometimes her innocent ways annoyed me.

"Let's just go bathe." I groaned, grabbing my bow and quiver from the dragon, where they had already been packed, and stomping off in the direction Sesshomaru had pointed.

When we arrived, I let out a sigh of relief at the sight before me. It was small, but Rin and I would fit quite well. The steam rose from the still water in little swirly clouds. I set my bow down against a tree and began to quickly undress. I folded my clothes neatly before placing them beside my bow.

I turned and walked away from the tree, heading straight for the water. Taking the first few steps into the spring, I was surprised by how deep it was. At first it seemed normal, but the farther out you went, the deeper it became. I leaned back against the edge, wishing to soak away the tension of the previous day.

Mattaki had been a complete surprise. I mean, I stood inside of his tomb for crying out loud. Yet he walks the earth again. His reasoning behind it was just as confusing. Not only was he supposed to help fight off some kind of evil, but he was required to make InuYasha learn to better his ways.

Could the Kami really be mad about what InuYasha did to me? Sure it hurt, but am I really that important? I sighed. No, I wasn't that important, and I never would be. If Mattaki was sent to Sesshomaru, then the Kami must want him to fight as well. If he were to fight, then so would I.

Maybe that's why the Kami are mad at InuYasha. They are not angry for what he did to me; they are angry for what it caused. I held up my hand and looked at it. He did so much more to me than I ever thought he could. He had so much power over me, and I am ashamed at seeing just how much. What he caused my reiki to do…

"Lady Kagome, I know I may sometimes annoy you," Rin started, but stopped to warn me not to interrupt. "I think of you as a very dear friend. I always have. I know I bring up InuYasha when I shouldn't, but I just wish for you to be that happy woman that you used to be. I'm not saying that it has to be me, but maybe you should talk to someone."

"I know, Rin." I sighed, making her look at me in shock. "You are right, just as Sesshomaru was. I have been holding on to my pain for too long. It's just harder to let go than I ever thought it would be. And now, with Mattaki, I will have to see InuYasha again, and I'm not sure how I will handle that. I appreciate that you worry about me. I also see you as a close friend."

"Let's just enjoy our bath. Then we'll be ready for when Miroku and Sango show up." Rin said, giving me one of her warm smiles. I gave a small smile in return before cupping water in my hand and rubbing it over myself.

I had to admit, it felt nice getting the dried goo off. The warmth of the water relaxed every tight muscle I had. For the first time in a long while, I was able to calm myself a bit, although that only lasted a second. A little yelp made my head snap towards Rin, but to my surprise, she wasn't there. The water itself held little ripples from bubbles that broke the surface.

Instantly, I knew something was wrong. Rin never put her head underwater. She always claimed that it hurt her ears. With a loud yell for Sesshomaru, I dove down into the water, swimming through the deep hole that opened up into an underwater cave. I noticed Rin trying her best to swim towards me. Her face was red with her need for air.

I grabbed her hand and began to kick to the surface. Just before I made it, a large tentacle shot out from the kelp on the cave floor and wrapped around my ankle. I could feel myself being tugged down and I knew there was nothing I could do.

Without hesitation, I pushed Rin to the surface, letting the kraken take me. At least she would be safe. When I saw her head break the surface and her feet disappear from the water, I turned my attention to the demon below me.

My need for oxygen was beginning to make my lungs feel as if they had caught on fire. The increasing pressure in my head, as I was pulled farther down, was making me feel as if I would explode. I could see the beast's eyes staring at me as its beak clamped down before opening and repeating the action. I knew I had my reiki, but it would only work if I got up close and personal.

I also knew that a kraken's tentacles contained poison. If I got too close, I would be struck and that would be the end for me. Luckily, the tentacle that was wrapped around my ankle didn't contain anything that could harm me, but it was squeezing the life out of my leg. Pain was shooting through it, but if I could somehow kill it, I would live.

I was shocked when a green and blue whip suddenly surged past me on either side. I knew one belonged to Sesshomaru, but the blue whip confused me. Who else had the ability to manipulate their youki in such a way? A large hand went around my stomach as the two whips connected with the kraken, effectively tearing it into pieces.

I looked over to see Sesshomaru swimming back to the top beside me. He gave me a look full of worry but my curiosity just rose. If he was swimming beside me, who was holding me? When we broke the surface, I took in the biggest gulp of air I could and started coughing as I was carried to the shore. I was set on the ground as I tried to get my breathing under control.

"Lady Kagome!" Rin shouted, running over to me. "Are you okay? Thank-you for saving me!"

"I'm okay, Rin." I stated, trying to sit up. I noticed that she was still naked, just as I was.

"We need to get dressed. It's not proper for us to be unclothed in front of Lord Sesshomaru and Mattaki." Rin said.

Wait, Mattaki? If Sesshomaru wasn't the one who carried me, that means…I turned slowly to see Mattaki sitting on the ground. His knees were bent and his elbows were resting on them. His head was bowed and I could tell his breathing was erratic. I was going to say something when Sesshomaru beat me to it.

"Get dressed, Miko." He ordered, handing out my clothes before handing Rin hers. I gave a nod and got dressed quickly. I didn't know what was wrong with Mattaki, but the tone of voice Sesshomaru held told me something was indeed wrong.

I never once stood as I dressed due to my legs being too shaky, but it still didn't take too long for me to do so. I could see Mattaki calming down slightly and I knew that he was okay. I looked towards Sesshomaru who had an amused look in his eyes, mixed with the relief for the safety of Rin.

"Mattaki?" I asked, worried for him still. He looked up at me and his eyes were blood red. His irises had changed to blue, just like Sesshomaru's when his beast was out.

"I'm fine, Little Miko." He said, his voice rough from the added black blood coursing through his veins.

"Thank-you for saving me." I said before looking at Sesshomaru. "You, too. Thank-you both."

"You are a part of my pack, and you saved Rin." Sesshomaru stated before beginning to walk away. "Father, pull yourself together. It may have been two-hundred years since you last saw a naked woman, but you are acting like a pup."

"What?" I squeaked, suddenly realizing what was wrong with the daiyokai beside me. Sesshomaru held out his hand to Rin, who took it, before making his way back towards the cave, leaving me so very alone with his horny father.

"Do not fear me, Little One. I would never dishonor my family name for a quick rut." Mattaki said, making me look at him. I was thankful to see his eyes had returned to the gold I was so used to seeing on the Taisho males.

"Well…I'm glad." I whispered, still unsure of what to say.

"We should head back." He added, before pushing himself to his feet. I went to do the same, but the moment I tried to put weight on my ankle, I let out a small cry and fell back to the ground. Two strong hands were on me in an instant, and I couldn't keep the blush from flaming my cheeks.

"You are hurt?" He asked, looking me over. I nodded before pointing towards my ankle. His hands gently picked up my foot before running over the bruising. I was surprised when his touch didn't hurt. Instead, it almost seemed to calm me. The way his deadly hands gently moved over my skin sent shivers through my body.

"It is not broken, but you should stay off of it for a few days." He stated, before gently setting my foot back to the ground. "I will carry you back to the cave. From there, you can ride on Ah-Un until you are healed."

"Thank-you, again." I said softly as my blush became deeper. If he noticed, he didn't say anything as he picked me up and held me against his chest. He walked over to the tree that contained my bow and leaned down so I could grab it.

"How are you with that weapon?" He asked, his voice smooth even though I could feel the vibrations in his chest.

"I'm okay. Sesshomaru has trained me with it. When I first arrived with him, I didn't really know anything and relied mostly on luck." I answered as I looked at the bow in my hands.

"It is good that you have been taught. Sesshomaru has done much for you." He stated as more of an observation than a question.

"Yes, he has. I owe him a lot." I replied, looking out into the forest as we walked slowly.

"Do you love him?" He asked, catching me off guard. I looked up at him and saw his golden eyes staring down at me. Curiosity seemed to be screaming at me through those eyes, but something else lingered there as well.

"Not like you are thinking. He is a dear friend, one of the closest I have, other than Sango and Miroku, but that is all we will ever be. Besides, there are two very big reasons as to why it would never work out." I retorted, noticing the way an eyebrow went up under his bangs. He was waiting for me to continue and I sighed.

"Sesshomaru's heart already belongs to another. When it comes time for them to be together, I will be leaving to give them the privacy they deserve." I added, hoping that he would forget about the second reason.

"Does Sesshomaru know of this plan? Does he wish for you to leave?" He asked, looking a little angry.

"Yes, and no, but I will just be in the way if I were to stay. They need to live their lives together without some old maid trailing along behind them." I sighed as I looked up at the bright morning sky.

"Now you have no reason to leave." He retorted, his face calming down slightly. I looked up at him and cocked my head, curious as to what reason he could have for me to stay.

"And what reason would that be?" I asked, my tone a little playful which brought a smirk to the daiyokai's lips.

"If you leave, I will be left alone. Then I will be the old maid that is following behind the two." He said, making me giggle at the thought of him being an 'old maid.' When I looked up, I saw him staring at me with wide eyes. His feet had stopped moving and I realized I didn't care.

I was stuck in his gaze. His beautiful molten eyes held mine in his. I hadn't realized before but his eyes were much more gorgeous than InuYasha's, and even Sesshomaru's. They almost seemed to scream out every emotion that he carried. At the moment, so many of those emotions were flashing through his eyes that I couldn't tell what any of them were.

"You should laugh like that more often. Your eyes sparkle when you do." He whispered, making me gasp slightly. In truth, I had not laughed like that in years. In the West, I was referred to as the 'Ice Princess.' While I was not as cruel as Sesshomaru was, I never showed any emotion, nor did I want to.

"Father." Sesshomaru called, making me jump and Mattaki look in the direction of his son. Sesshomaru had an eyebrow raised while he looked between us.

"My ankle is hurt so he is carrying me back." I quickly explained. The last thing I needed was for Sesshomaru to think I had the hots for his father.

"Hn. The demon slayer and monk will be here within the hour." Sesshomaru said as he fell into step beside his father.

"What is your second reason for not mating with Sesshomaru?" Mattaki asked, making me blush and Sesshomaru's steps to falter. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as he looked at me, making my own eyes glare right back at him.

"Don't give me that look. I didn't bring this up, nor did I tell him anything you wished to be kept secret." I stated, making both daiyokai look at me.

"Miko, answer my question. I can tell you are trying to avoid it." Mattaki ordered. I noticed a smirk on Sesshomaru's face and I wondered what was going to be so amusing.

"Father, do you still believe in soulmates and the need to love and be loved in return?" Sesshomaru asked, his smirk never leaving his face.

"Of course, Boy. I will never lose my belief in such things." Mattaki answered, looking confused at such a question. I groaned, now realizing why Sesshomaru was inwardly laughing at me. His father was a hopeless romantic, everything that I stood against. This conversation was about to go downhill real fast.

"Kagome, tell me your reason." Mattaki demanded, now starting to put two and two together.

"I do not believe love exists." I answered, knowing that there was no longer any way around it. Once again, we stopped moving, but this time, Mattaki's face was frozen in angered shock. His eyes were strained forward, not moving an inch. Even when Sesshomaru waved a clawed hand in his face, there was no reaction.

"How can you say such a thing?" Mattaki asked suddenly, making me jump. He looked down at me and I could see the anger rolling through his eyes.

"Because it's the truth." I answered. I could feel the older yokai's hand tightening against me as he looked at me, his mouth slightly agape.

"Then how do you explain the people in love?" He asked, trying to make a point.

"I believe people become infatuated with each other. All creatures are driven by a need to reproduce, to carry on the bloodline. In the case of yokai and humans, who have developed emotions, instead of living off of instinct, they created this thing called love. I believe that this love is just something that was made up to explain these urges so people can understand them more." I explained, noticing that, as I spoke, Mattaki was getting angrier by the second.

"What about soulmates? You can't explain that away." He growled, looking away from me.

"That's simple. Where I come from, there are these things called fairytales. They are stories that were made for little kids. They were created in the hopes of teaching children how to behave without actually having to teach them. I believe that soulmates were created in much the same way. I do not believe that two people can share a soul in such a way." I replied, my thoughts instantly flying to Kikyou. We technically shared a soul, but it was stolen from me. What Mattaki talked about was completely different.

"Take her." Mattaki said, before suddenly putting me in Sesshomaru's arms. I watched in shock as the daiyokai stalked away, not even waiting on us to begin moving.

"What did I do?" I asked, looking up at the demon who held me.

"Father has been searching for his soulmate for over a thousand years. He thought he had found her in Izayoi but learned the truth on his deathbed." Sesshomaru answered as he began to walk again.

"So basically, everything I just said insulted everything he has been working for." I sighed, already knowing the answer.

"Indeed. Even this one does not believe your words." He answered, never taking his eyes from the forest around us.

"Because you fell in love." I stated, raising one of my own eyebrows. "The Ice Prince fell in love with his precious ward."

"Hn. Maybe one day the Ice Princess will fall in love as well." He replied, making me glare at him. I knew by the tone of his voice that the conversation was over.

I will never understand why everyone wants me to put myself out there again. Do they wish for me to be hurt? Do they wish for my heart to be shattered once again? Look how long it has taken for me to finally accept what has happened to me, for me to realize that I need to move on. Yet everyone insists that I need to throw myself out there and hope that someone will catch me.

It didn't take long before we reached the cave. Mattaki was leaning against a nearby tree with his eyes closed, but I knew that he knew we arrived. I felt guilty looking at him which angered me. I should be able to believe what I want without someone getting mad at me, but I also knew that, in a way, I had insulted him.

Sesshomaru gently placed me on Ah-Un's back and I grabbed a hold of the saddle, steadying myself. I knew the cave had been packed up, and that the moment Sango and Miroku arrived, we would be leaving, but I had no idea where, nor did I want to ask. In all honesty, it didn't matter to me.

"They are here." Sesshomaru stated as Rin ran to stand beside him. I looked out towards the trees and held my breath. Any second now, I would see my friends, and I wasn't sure how to feel about it. Would they be mad at me for not visiting? Would they even be happy to see me?

The first thing I noticed as the two stepped into my vision was that Sango had her armor on. Her Hiraikotsu was perched on her shoulder as always, but it shouldn't be. She shouldn't need such a weapon just to travel to the West. Kirara was also perched in her hand. Miroku also wore his monk robes. While that may not be so surprising, what was surprising was the way his prayer beads were wrapped over his right hand. He had removed those when the wind tunnel disappeared so why was he wearing them now?

"Lady Kagome, it has been a long time." Miroku said, bowing to me. I urged Ah-Un forward so I could be closer to them. I could already feel the tears trying to spring free, but I would not allow myself such a weakness.

"Miroku, I have missed you so. I would get down to hug you but I was recently injured." I stated, leaning down to wrap my arm around the monk, while my other hand held me to the saddle.

"I understand. I am just glad to see you healthy and safe, although I was hoping to see you happy as well." He replied softly, making me flinch. He, of all people, could always read me like an open book.

"Kagome." Sango whispered, making me release Miroku. I looked at the woman I considered a sister. Her eyes were glazed over as if she was trying not to cry. I gave her a slight nod and she bolted towards me, hugging me so hard, I very nearly fell off of the dragon.

"I've missed you, too, Sango." I said softly. As I pulled away, Rin ran over and gave her own hugs. When that was finished, I motioned towards Mattaki who was still leaning against the tree but was now watching the interaction.

"This is Inu no Taisho, Sesshomaru and InuYasha's father." I introduced, making Miroku and Sango's eyes go wide.

"I though you said he was dead?" Sango asked, looking confused.

"Yes, dear Kagome. Was it not his tomb where InuYasha received Tessaiga?" Miroku asked, holding a hand to his chin in thought.

"Wait, you were in my tomb? And InuYasha has my fang?" Mattaki asked, pushing himself from the tree and walking over to me.

"Well you see, Sesshomaru came up with this plan–" I started, but was interrupted.

"Miko." Sesshomaru warned, making me sigh.

"Jaken came up with a plan. Sesshomaru just went along with it. It was actually the first time I met Sesshomaru. Anyways, they used the Unmother to distract InuYasha by making her look like Izayoi." I paused when a low growl escaped Mattaki's lips. "Do you wish to know the story?"

"Continue, but do not say her name." He stated, waving a hand much like Sesshomaru would.

"Anyways, by doing that, Sesshomaru was able to find your tomb in InuYasha's eye. We followed Sesshomaru in and a big battle broke out between them, just like always. Long story short, neither one of them could pull the Tessaiga, but I could. Sesshomaru actually tried to kill me for it, but the sword protected me."

"Miko." Sesshomaru warned again.

"I know, I know. Do not speak of all the times you tried to kill me." I sighed, watching as Mattaki's eyes shot towards Sesshomaru before returning back to me.

"You pulled my fang?" He asked, looking completely shocked and confused.

"Yea, it was actually quite easy." I stated while shrugging my shoulders before turning back to Sango and Miroku. "He was brought back to fight against some kind of evil and to teach InuYasha something."

"An evil?" Miroku asked, as he and Sango shared a look.

"Yes, an evil thought to be destroyed, but not." Mattaki answered, also noticing the reaction from the couple.

"Kagome, there is a reason we came to find you." Miroku started, looking up at me with worried eyes.

"Naraku is back." Sango finished.

-sSs-

Teaser: Chapter 4: How does Kagome react to the news of Naraku? Can Mattaki get more information about the way InuYasha treated Kagome? Continue reading to find out.

I do not own InuYasha.