Chapter 8-Relaxing, Fighting, and the Adamant Barrage

As soon as the gate doors were opened, there was a collective gasp of awe from Kagome, Shippo, Miroku, and Sango. The entry into, and the exit from Sesshomaru's home was a huge field of grassland and flowers. It was a testament to the nature of the Western Lands. There were little shaded areas made by the trees encircling them. Shippo immediately looked at Kagome who nodded before he took off with Rin, Ah-Uhn, and Kirara. Miroku and Sango walked off with Saia to go learn about the various trees, flowers, and anything else they could find to ask her. Sesshomaru and Cade looked at Kagome who was watching the children.

"Kagome-sama would you like to go for a walk?" Cade asked her.

She looked at him and nodded. As they walked they talked about all the things she had seen today. Sesshomaru watched them warily, not entirely sure what his General was up to, and not sure he was happy about those thoughts. Cade was known to be worse than Miroku in all regards. No woman was able to keep him post coitus and he never failed to get what he wanted. Then again as his oldest friend Cade might have been able to pick up on what he had been feeling for the miko, and as such might leave her alone. What did he feel for her anyway? Troublesome thoughts, he shouldn't be pondering this.

He turned back to the children and a feeling of peace entered him. Rin seemed a lot happier since Shippo came, she finally had people to play with that she trusted and wasn't shy around. He had let her play with the servant's children but she didn't show this level of enthusiasm and seemed withdrawn with them compared to how she was now.

"Anything on your mind Sesshomaru-sama?" Saia asked after coming to stand at his side.

"Where are the monk and slayer?" He questioned, glancing at Kagome and Cade again.

"In a little shaded area under some sakura trees. Why they're not already married I'll never understand." She chuckled.

"Hn, the monk's curse from Naraku." Sesshomaru replied.

"That would make sense… So Sesshomaru-sama," Saia started.

"Saia, enough, now is neither the time nor the place. We'll discuss that later." He replied, narrowing his eyes when Cade grabbed Kagome's hand and took her, half-running mind you, to a copse of trees to show her the cherry blossoms.

"He likes her, most of the staff do. If it wasn't for you declaring her as your equal she would have been showered in mating proposals milord." Saia replied keeping an eye on the children, but grinning at Sesshomaru's expense all the same.

'We like her.' His beast told him.

'I know, but she doesn't have any idea…' Sesshomaru said to placate it.

'Must tell her soon, so why not keep reminding her we like her?' it replied.

'Hn.'

"Milord?" Saia questioned.

"Go to the spider she had seen, have clothing made for the ball coming up… In the Western Lands colors." He told her.

Saia smiled and walked away to do her lord's bidding. She hadn't seen a look on his face like that since he was but a child. Saia used to be his mother's handmaiden. Until Kagome had shown up she was running the house for Sesshomaru until he found a mate. Maybe soon?

Miroku and Sango had joined the children; Kagome was heading over there as well to start a game of tag. General Cade was making his way to Sesshomaru… Then all hell broke loose.

"WIND SCAR!" came a shout from the front gates.

Kagome and Sango were placing Rin and Shippo on Ah-Uhn when Kirara transformed, Miroku jumping on her back.

"Mama!" "Kagome-nee-sama!" The children cried as Ah-Uhn took to the skies to take them back to the castle interior. They could see all the gates closing and the soldiers taking their places as the people ran inside whatever shelter they could find.

Kirara landed next to Sesshomaru as Miroku and Kagome got off and stood next to him.

"I'm going to scout and see who else is with him and the numbers!" Sango shouted before Kirara took to the air again.

"Kagome-sama you must get back to the castle." General Cade told her urgently.

"No. InuYasha is as much our problem as he is yours," She told both him and Sesshomaru while taking off the Haori and Hakama to reveal the Slayer outfit underneath. "More so since he was in our tachi in the first place."

"He probably has Kikyo with him Kagome-sama." Miroku told her getting his sutras at the ready.

"He does, I can smell the clay and graveyard soil." Sesshomaru told them, narrowing his eyes at the entrance.

"She has shards… But they're still slightly tainted." Kagome told them all.

Sesshomaru nodded his understanding before leaping to meet his brother who had just broke through the gate. Sango hopped off Kirara while she landed next to Kagome and Miroku.

"It's just InuYasha and Kikyo. None of Naraku's forces seem to have followed them so I'm not sure what they want besides…" Sango told them before looking at Kagome.

Cade who was watching the fight between the two inu's looked at the others when Sango trailed off. An arrow whizzed by their heads glowing slightly and everyone turned to Kikyo.

"Stupid whore. First you're with a Hanyou, and now you're a demon's lover? Pathetic." Kikyo said to Kagome while notching another arrow.

"She's mine. Don't interfere unless she doesn't something underhanded." Kagome told them stepping forward and away from both the fight between Sesshomaru and InuYasha as well as the others in the group.

"She'll kill her, Kagome doesn't know swords." General Cade said alarmed.

"She doesn't know swords, but she does know hand to hand and knives." Sango said smiling.

Miroku looked at the inu's fighting. He saw the red in InuYasha's eyes.

"He still has the Tessaiga but he's in full demon form…" He told Sango and Cade.

"I don't understand." Cade replied.

"The Tessaiga was a control for his demon blood, that's why his father gave it to him upon his death." Sango explained.

"So that's bad then, a hanyou in an uncontrolled rage could destroy quite a bit." Cade said.

"Which is why I need to seal him in sutra's and try and help him gain control again." Miroku told them both.

"Kirara!" Sango said to her feline friend.

Kirara transformed and Sango and Miroku got on her back before taking to the skies. Which left Cade to watch over Kagome. He was surprised to see that she was on the offensive against Kikyo, and winning if the wounds he could see were anything to go by.

Kagome, however, was only focused on inflicting wounds enough to try and take Kikyo down. She had some questions for the woman and Kikyo also had shards that Kagome needed to gather and fuse with hers. The taint was getting worse as the fight went on and Kagome almost got struck with Kikyo's bow as she ducked and swept the other woman's legs from under her. Not missing a beat she soon had Kikyo in a submissive hold, her bow long gone, and the shards in her container after purifying them.

Cade breathed a sigh of relief and went to help her tie Kikyo up. Sesshomaru would have killed him had anything happened.

Just then a bright flash was heading towards Kagome and Kikyo. InuYasha had released the Adamant Barrage…