Last time: Rolling her eyes, she took off running, the demon after her.

Sesshomaru could only think of killing his miko once he saved her. That damned snake demon was way too close to her.

Kagome glanced behind her. 'There it is.' Her eyes opened wide when she saw, way too late, that it's tale and swept in front of her. Tripping, she stumbled to the ground and turned…in time to be swallowed whole.

Now:

"Momma/Kagome!!!"

Inuyasha growled lowly, tightening his hold on his heirloom sword's hilt. "Oh, you are dead, you piece of shit! Windscar!" He waved the large sword down, nostrils flaring in anger as the attack tore toward the snake demon along with one of Kikyo's sacred arrows.

Hissing, it slithered aside quickly. Though it's tail caught the attack, it rejuvenated in mere seconds. Smirking and blinking it's tainted purple eyes, the demon swished his tail.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango flung her boomerang, which was plastered with Miroku's sacred prayers. The bone sliced through the demon's head, decapitating it instantly. But instead of falling, as they had hoped, it glowed a deep, tenebrous (That's my word of the day) purple, a new head sprouting.

Sesshomaru set narrowed eyes on the demon. The damned youkai had taken his miko, and for that, he would be severely punished. Grunting, he sprung up from the ground, swinging his sword at it. He would have his miko back, even if he had to cut her from that things stomach. His first few slices were long and deep, but the fucking thing healed at an alarming pace. He quickened his swipes, slashing precisely.

The demon hissed loudly when Sesshomaru slammed Tokijin into his neck. Furious and annoyed, it swiped its tail at the Daiyoukai, effectively batting him off.

Landing beside Inuyasha, he growled. 'Fuck it all.' He sounded like his big-mouthed little brother, but that was how he felt. If the thing healed and rejuvenated, how the hell was he supposed to kill it. The group exchanged looks and nodded in agreement. It was time for them to all attack at once. Crouching down to spring, they all took a run at it, skidding to a stop when the snake demon's stomach began to glow.

Confused, the humans stepped back, while Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were seemingly frozen where they stood. The Daiyoukai's body pulsed and began convulsing. Shuddering violently, it collapsed to the ground and burst. From the pile of blood, burnt organs, and smoke rose Kagome, her fists clenched and her shoulders shaken.

"Momma!"

Miroku blinked a few times. "Kagome-sama is furious." His eyes snapped to the demon's head when it twitched. He grabbed the prayer beads on his hand, seconds from ripping them off and releasing his wind tunnel, when Kagome stormed over to it, crushed it under her foot, and purified it. She then turned on her heels, starting back toward the group.

"H-hey, you okay, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked.

Glaring at him, the miko grabbed her blood stained silver hair in her hands, wringing it out. 'I hate this era. I hate demons. I wish I could just purify 'em all!' Her aura flared dangerously before settling suddenly. Kagome felt a strange tugging at her soul and glanced over her shoulder at the youkai's mangled carcass. 'It's fangs are calling to me.' Easily, she severed the fangs from its skull, hugging them to her. 'I can make my own sword!'

"Oi, Kagome!" Inuyasha's ears twitched in his confusion. "What're you doing?" He took a step back when she hurried to him, eagerly showing him the fangs. "Okay…What are you plannin' on doin' with that, wench?"

Lying the fangs down, Kagome snatched Tetsusaiga from him, waving it.

"Sword!" Shippo chirped. "Momma wants to make a sword with the fangs!"

Nodding, Kagome jumped up and down happily, pausing when Inuyasha snorted. "You can't do that! That thing was possessed! Who knows what having that sword with you will do!"

Kagome's eyes brows rose as she gave him the best pleading face she could manage, fluttering her eyelashes. She mouthed, "Please, Inuyasha!"

"Don't look at me like that!" His puppy ears flattened on his head when she stuck her quivering lower lip out. "Keh! Fine, but when you're trying to kill everyone, don't come crying to me!"

"…" Kagome shrieked silently before kissing his cheek. Pumping her fist into the air, she raced around in a circle. Her fourth time around, her circle expanded and, with one wrong step, she slipped in the splattered youkai guts and fell on her back with a loud 'THUD'. 'Ow.'

XXX

"My, what a lovely choice. Snake demons have some of the best bones, my dear." Totosai piped eagerly observing the structure of the fang Kagome had given to him. "And such a lovely ivory color! What colors would you like the hilts to be?"

Kagome drummed her hands on the ground of his cave as she considered the possibilities. 'Red and blue…Silver and gold…Purple and gold…' She glanced at her armor and beamed, waving it in the old demon's face. She pointed out the two colors.

"Ah, lavender and white…"

Narrowed golden eyes stared back at him. 'He's kidding right.' Pushing her shoulder pad closer to his face, she pointed again.

"Pale jade and grey?"

'Ugh!' Kagome opened her mouth to yell, "No, you fucking idiot! It's blue and silver! Are you blind, old man?!" But nothing came out. Annoyed pushed the body armor directly into his eye balls.

"Solid black?"

She fell over. 'Could he really be so blind?' Huffing, she stood, and walked as far away from him as she could while remaining in the cave.

"Ah, pale blue and silver!" He peeped, nodding. "Excellent choice!"

Kagome fumed. 'Oh, so he sees it when I'm far away. Damn bastard.'

"It's rather late. You all may make camp here. If you do, I could have the swords done by morning. And maybe you could prepare me another bath, Inuyasha."

"Or maybe I couldn't, you old turd." The hanyou plopped down, leaning against the wall with Kikyo at his side. Smiling slightly, he closed his eyes.

The living Shikon miko's heart grew heavy as she watched them. She looked to Miroku and found him pulling Sango to him and kissing her forehead. Koga, Ayame, and Kagami were curled up in a corner. The children were all sleeping, Sesshomaru was out, and Kagome feared that she would be alone that night. Sensing her loneliness, Kohaku sat beside her. Now that she'd had a growth spurt, he was only an inch taller than her.

"Hi, Kagome."

She smiled softly, mouthing, "Hi, Kohaku."

He pulled his hair from its tie, shaking his head. The teen had always liked his hair better down, but his mother had told him that he looked simply adorable with it in a ponytail. Looking adorable before Kagome wasn't what he wanted; He needed to look mature, old, manly. "You know, my birthday passed recently. Sango doesn't really keep up with hers, but I do."

Taking his hand, she used a claw to gently write, "Congrats. You're sixteen now, old enough to start a family." She took note of how close he was and wondered if he really did have feelings for her. "My brother's birthday is coming up! He's going to be fifteen, I think." Her face became melancholy. "I won't be able to get home in time."

"Well, when his birthday comes, maybe I could do something to take your mind off of it." He suggested with a hopeful smile.

"Maybe," she wrote before yawning.

"Are you tired?" Blushing, Kagome nodded. Kohaku started to get up. "I'll go so you can rest."

Eyes wide, Kagome snatched him back down, writing in his hand, "Don't go, please."

"You want me to stay?" When she nodded, he smiled and blushed, "I'll stay then." He whispered.

Kagome beamed, rested her head in his lap, and stretched, mouthing, "Thank you." Snuggling deeper into his lap, she sighed and drifted off.

Kohaku smiled gently. It felt so nice to have her lying there on his lap. It was almost like she was relying on him, and that was what wives did with husbands so…they were a step closer to being together, he concluded as he ran his fingers through her hair. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, falling asleep.

Meanwhile:

Sesshomaru gazed up at the stars as he leaned against a tree. A part of him wondered why he had left Kagome in the first place if he was longing for her so much, but the other part knew that if he were at her side then, he would be holding her, itching to kiss and touch her, unable to stop himself. She wanted things to go slowly, so he had to be sure that he did.

"The great Sesshomaru, actually taking time out to look at the stars."

The Daiyoukai looked over his shoulder at the transparent image of his father. "Why are you not in your grave, father?"

"I have more important things to handle." He walked around Sesshomaru, strolling through the forest and knowing that his son was following. "My son, what has changed you?"

Sesshomaru smirked to himself at the irony. "A human woman." He had been the cold youkai that he was ever since he was a pup, and even then, he had been able to talk to his father when he knew that he could not talk to everyone. "And I assure you, she will eventually become my downfall as your ningen was to you."

Inutaisho smiled, slowing his pace so that they were side by side, a great honor for Sesshomaru. Even as a child he had not been able to walk alongside his father, though he'd always wanted to. "Leave it to you to feel for a human woman, hell, a woman period, and still consider her dangerous to your status and life."

"I could think of her as nothing else."

"Care to tell me about this woman, my son?"

"Do not act as though you do not know, father." He flashed his father a miniature smile. "She is the woman that you transformed simply out of hope that that would assist me in coping with the fact that I care for her."

He chuckled a loud, rumbling chuckle, "You know your old man too well, Sesshomaru. Although…I can tell you now that there is more to it than me simply needing you to be cooperative. She is technically now one of your own kind. You'll figure it out in due time, my pup. Now, tell me about the little onna."

Sesshomaru closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, looking to his father, "She is extraordinary. No matter which form, her beauty is striking. She is stubborn, annoyingly so. She gains enjoyment from the most simple of things. The little bitch shows me nearly no respect." He smiled fondly against his will. "She is not like the other onna. She is absolutely nothing like the other onna."

"Sounds like you are in love, pup."

"I feel no such thing, father." He objected.

"Oh please, Sesshomaru. Even as a ghost, I can read you. Admit you love her now, and things will be a lot smoother."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, then looked to the sky again. "Perhaps…I care very greatly for her."

Inutaisho could have squealed…had he not been the Great Dog General. "Yes. I knew that."

"Always observant, ne, Father?"

"I couldn't be who I am if I weren't, Sesshomaru." He paused in his step, turning his body to face his son. "Give the girl a chance."

"Hn."

"I will take that as a yes. And you'll find the self control you need, my boy. She is in pain. Speaking of which, that little brother of yours is in for a world of hurt. I tell him to attend to her, and he's too busy with someone else. I fear she'll learn to lean on someone other than one of you, and if she does…I don't wish to think on it."

Sesshomaru arched a brow. "She is mine. No one would dare to take her from me."

Inutaisho smirked. "Keep that mentality, but be careful. There are many who long for her. She was destined for you, Sesshomaru, and unless she is with you, neither of you will be happy."

Strangely enough, that made the great demon uneasy. Something was scratching at him, telling him to go check on her. "I must leave now, father."

"Going to see your woman?" He taunted.

"Yes, father." Sesshomaru sniffed. "I am." With that, he took off, flitting to Totosai's cave. The closer he got, the more anxious he became. And as he entered the cave, he realized why. Anger boiled in his veins. That damned taijiya boy was holding his mate. He looked over to Jaken, who was sleeping. He'd told the imp to watch her! Bringing his foot back, he sent a swift kick to the imp, watching with clenched fists and a set jaw as the tiny youkai flew into a wall.

Everyone shot up with a start, turning their attention to the obviously livid Daiyoukai. Inuyasha glared. "What the hell is your problem, Sesshomaru?!"

Instead of answering, he sent a quick glare at Kagome and Kohaku. 'The bitch should make up her mind. This Sesshomaru, or that pathetic human child!' Folding his hands into his sleeves, he sat against a wall and closed his eyes.

Kagome rubbed her eyes, sitting up from Kohaku's lap. Yawning, she crawled over to the demon lord and looked him in the face, causing him to open his eyes. "Something wrong?" She mouthed. When Sesshomaru looked away from her, she tried to pull him to his feet, only to fall back on her but. 'Ow!' Still refusing to look at her, Sesshomaru rose to his feet. Satisfied, Kagome got up and pushed against his back, forcing him out of the cave.

"Is she safe with him?" Sango whispered.

"I'm not sure. It seems that he is angry with her." Miroku thought aloud.

"What for?" Inuyasha asked, forever clueless.

Kikyo rolled her eyes at him. "For being cuddled against Kohaku."

Kohaku fiddled with his hands with a blush. "We weren't cuddled."

Sango smiled. "Might as well have been."

"Still, what right does he have to be angry?"

"He likes her, might even love her."

"Please!" Inuyasha snorted. "My brother ain't got feelings!"

Miroku arched a brow. "I beg to differ."

The hanyou frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Shh, they're returning."

The pair reentered the cave. Kagome started to return to Kohaku, when Sesshomaru grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him. Narrowing his eyes in the boy's direction, he sat, pulling the miko to come closer. He then closed his eyes, keeping his tight hold on her hand as he placed his head on hers. Kagome smirked, rolled her eyes, and closed them. 'Might as well sleep while he's willing to let me.'

Once sure that his brother was asleep, Inuyasha blinked. "Fuck."

"That's all you have to say?" Kohaku asked, furious. He'd had her in his arms until that asshole had decided to take her.

"I don't know what else to say." The hanyou confessed. "I'll think in the morning." This was all so confusing. He needed to sleep on it. He'd have something done in the morning. For now…he'd rest.

Q&A PT2

Q: Was that Kiyoshiyuki that gave Kikyo and her baby souls?

A: As you may know by now, yes. Kikyo isn't living again, yet though. Soon enough, she will be.

Q: You said you had a Nar/Kag screen name what is it?

A: I had to delete it because I wasn't really using it much.

Q: So will the two Kagome's go their separate ways?

A: They have by now…However, I've gotten a lot of review and pms pleading for me to bring Ashi back…I think I might in a pretty bizarre way.

Q: So why is Sesshomaru trying to make Kagome stronger?

A: Sesshomaru craves power. In every story, his reason is a little different. In my story, he has a few reasons that'll come up later.

Q: Does her head hurt b/c of her powers or new abilities?

A: Her head, as you now know, had been hurting because of her loss of her powers.

Q: What does she mean when she said that Naraku said that Kakudan wasn't his?

A: Well, if you refer back to the Banished chapter, you'll read that Naraku yelled, "Damn the baby?! How do I know if the fucking bastard is mine?!"

Q: WHAT!!?! Sesshomaru killed Kagome??

A: Ha! That part was sooooo funny! And it was spur of the moment to! I just suddenly decided, and I was very sleepy at the time, that Sesshomaru should decapitate Kagome. It made things that much…dramatic. And the messages were amusing too. It was a nice cliffhanger if you ask me, though I hate cliff myself. It actually does make a story better…when you use the right kind.

Q: Why did Kagome forget after being decapitated?

A: That's Tensaiga's doing...or more Inutaisho/Inumaru's! We couldn't just let her come back to life and remember! I mean, how awkward would that be…Then again, finding out you've been decapitated is just as bad.

Q: Why did she lose her powers?

A: That will be revealed. Kagome and Naraku are going to have a little chit chat soon.

Q: Is she no longer connected to Naraku?

A: Nope. No longer connected to Naraku, except through Kakudan.

Q: Whyyyyyy?!

A: Because, Inutaisho replaced her spider blood. If Ashi comes back, so will her Narection (Naraku connection…or Naraku erection…but she's a girl….)

Q: Does this mean he'll stop acting like an **?

A: Nope. Sesshy has to be an ass. That's what makes him so gawrsh darn smexy!

Q: Now especially since she isn't evil and doesn't have his blood, how can she become a greater evil than Naraku?

A: Ohhhhh oh ohhhhh! I can't wait to get there. Kagome is gonna be on badass bitch soon! I swear!

Q: What's up next?

A: Well…Kakudan soon has a major one on one with his father, and it ends in blood….Ohhhhh! lol.