Chapter Twelve: The Nightmares of Training

Disclaimer: Forgot this last chapter… but yeah… don't own InuYasha.

Well here we are… 125 wonderful and amazing reviews and counting. And I love all of you that have stayed with me from the beginning and I love the people who have just joined along for the ride too! This story is actually my favourite one to write right now! Even more then my Novel series… then again I simply have too much to type for that . But yeah enjoy this new chapter… because it will be the longest chapter I have ever written. I think it might even me longer then my story Distraction! But yeah here I go!

Okay, I have a few things to say before I go on with this chapter, and the first thing I want to say is sorry.

Over the Last few months life has been hitting me with every possible obstacle… and then kicking me back on my ass every time I try and get up. But things are slowly starting to change, and I am beginning to see the dawn after a dark and stormy night.

Now regarding this story… I got a major writers blocks regarding all of my projects around two months ago, and this block included fanfics . But now that my stress is clearing my brain is beginning to clear up. And voila I am beginning to update again… after like 3 months…

So here is my apology, and to all of those who've stuck with me… thank you, your support is greatly appreciated, and I adore you for sticking with me during my hiatus.

Crystal

On with the Story!!!!

Chapter Twelve: Requests and Observations

Sesshomaru raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow as he watched his ward embrace the Miko. He was astonished at how quickly Rin had attached to the woman. As far as he had known Rin had difficulty growing attached to humans, and yet here she was embracing a human woman with all her might.

What surprised him even more was that the Miko was trying to reassure her, he knew that the Miko had suffered greatly, and was continuing to suffer, yet she pushed it all aside to calm down the distraught young girl.

Both of the humans shocked Sesshomaru greatly, from his own personal knowledge humans were cold and ruthless beings that only cared for themselves. They were also filthy disgusting beings that held no class or any sort of sophistication whatsoever.

Yet there was Rin, a human girl who showed him no fear as she attempted to heal him when he had been hit with the Wind Scar. A young girl who continued to show him no fear as she travelled with him, and witnessed him slaughter many offending Youkai with no signs of remorse. She continued to show him complete loyalty, an act that was quite slowly beginning to melt the ice around his hardened heart.

And then there was the Miko, she had baffled the great lord from the very first moment he had caught sight of her hiding in behind his pathetic half brother. She may have shown fear but it was quickly discarded when she realized just how malicious and manipulative he was willing to be in order to obtain the Tetsusaiga. She was the only one who was able to retrieve the sacred blade from its pedestal, the only human woman to capture his curiosity.

And she continued to capture his curiosity as he watched her befriend InuYasha, and a Kitsune kit. He then watched in wonder as this simple human appeared to adopt the Kitsune as her own child… an act that was unheard of.

Sesshomaru continued to watch as Kagome embraced Rin, and he could not help but to allow his eyes to wander across Kagome's body.

She was curved in all the right places, and her face spoke of an unearthly beauty that nearly stole the stoic Lords breathe away. As for the way she was dressed well...

"The Miko bears beauty beyond her years… does she not master? Similar to that of her who we will not speak of…" Sesshomaru's beast put in silently as it glanced lustfully at Kagome's body.

"She is human, and therefore unworthy of such thoughts… and you shall not mention her again…" Sesshomaru replied as he lifted his eyes from Kagome's body only to catch her eyes staring at him.

"Why is he staring at me like that? He seemed so sad for a moment there… yet angry at the same time…" Kagome thought curiously as the averted her eyes from Sesshomaru and returned her attention to Rin.

"Come on little one… let's go eat." Kagome said with a soft smile as she placed her hand on Rims back and slowly propelled her towards the table where there were four place settings.

Sesshomaru sat at the head of the table with Rin on his right, and Kagome presumed she was to sit next to Rin, while Hikari was meant to sit to the left of Sesshomaru.

However as she prepared to sit Sesshomaru interrupted, "Miko, that seat is not meant for you…" He then lifted a flawless hand and pointed to the seat next to his.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Kagome mumbled as she walked over to her appropriate spot awkwardly and sat down quietly.

She then watched in silence as a small parade of servants came seemingly out of no where carrying vast amounts of food. She could not help but gasp silently as she stared at the food, while her stomach grumbled slightly in anticipation.

She quickly glanced down at her stomach and blushed before saying, "Sorry, Sesshomaru… sama, I'm just very hungry…"

"There is no need to apologize for your body responding to a lack of nutrition. It is natural for humans such as yourself." Sesshomaru responded emotionlessly as he poured himself a cup of tea and helped himself elegantly to some food off a platter that was before him.

Kagome almost instantly filled her plate, while attempting in vain to remain sophisticated enough as not to disgust the Youkai lord who sat next to her. She the proceeded to eat as delicately as she could, which was difficult since she was tempted to just scarf down the food before her. However she did succeed at holding her dignity together while she ate her food, a fact which gained her a bit of respect from Sesshomaru.

After she was ensured that she had eaten enough Kagome took a deep breathe and spoke, "Thank you Sesshomaru-sama, if it were not for your arrival I am certain that Rin would have died, not to mention my own life that was slipping away… I would also like to thank you for having Hikari care for my wounds…" Kagome began as she stood and bowed to Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru-sama, I know that I am in no position to ask you a favour, but I was wondering if possibly I might be able to train within your training room… you see before I was taken from my pack I was training myself to better use my Miko abilities, not to mention trying to learn to use a weapon efficiently." Kagome said slowly as she chewed her bottom lip nervously.

Sesshomaru caught sight of her nervous gesture and contemplated her request. After a few moments of contemplation he replied, "This Sesshomaru sees no reason why you should not train, this Sesshomaru shall inform his General's to aid you in your training, and to give you full access to the training facility."

"Thank you Sesshomaru-sama, your generosity is greatly appreciated. I have one more request as well, if I may be so bold…" Kagome said with a slight hint of joy as she thought of her upcoming training.

"Proceed…"

"I was wondering if you might have a Library, and so… if I might be able to visit so I may find some reading material for any spare time I may have…" Kagome asked, she then braced herself for the outright denial that she was expecting.

Sesshomaru could not help but to raise an eyebrow at Kagome's request. He had never heard of an educated human woman, in fact according to his knowledge the only educated humans were either royalty or monks. And this woman was certainly neither.

"How is it that you are educated?" Sesshomaru asked finally as curiosity finally overwhelmed him.

Kagome stared at him blankly for a moment until realization finally dawned on her, this was the Sengoku period in history, nearly no women, human or demon, were educated, how could she be so stupid… after insulting herself a few times Kagome mustered up her courage once again and responded, "Where I'm from everyone is educated. We are taught from a young age how to read and write. And we are also taught a variety of subjects such as Literature, History, Math, and Languages…"

Sesshomaru had to struggle to hide his surprise, not only was this woman educated, but she was taught many of the subjects that he had been taught in his training to inherit the western lands… However he was now curious as to where exactly this woman came from.

He knew she was not from the surrounding area, her clothing and strange speech was proof enough of that. He also knew from personal experience that she had the tendency of disappearing into a well for days at a time. He then began to wonder if his estimations of the well being a portal were actually correct.

Deciding to quench his curiosity Sesshomaru asked, "This Sesshomaru wonders where exactly you are from Miko, since no human women that he knows of are educated."

Kagome took in a deep breath as she listened to Sesshomaru's question, she was afraid that he was going to ask that, and she didn't quite know how to respond. If she told the truth, she faced ridicule, and possibly even worse, death. For the truth wasn't exactly easy to accept… heck, she even had a hard time accepting that she was capable of time travel thanks to her Miko powers, and the Shikon no Tama. Then again if she lied, she once again faced death, because Sesshomaru would no doubt sense her lie and be furious at her refusal to tell the truth. Weighing her options Kagome decided to risk it all.

"I'm from the village near the Bone eaters well… the only thing is it isn't a village when I am there, it's a huge city with Millions of people living there. You see Sesshomaru-sama, I am from the future, five hundred years in the future to be exact. That is why I am educated, and why my usual dressing standards may seem abnormal…" Kagome explained as she prepared herself for the death that awaited her.

"Though your explanation may be far fetched, it does hold truth to it, and This Sesshomaru highly doubts that you would risk lying to him. He also doubts that you would be able to fabricate such a tale on the spot… in short, he believes you, for now." Sesshomaru explained as he accepted that he had been correct, while he thought of all the knowledge that he could obtain from the Miko. Knowledge of the future to come, and the Youkai's role in said future.

Kagome released the breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding. She was happy that he believed her, and relieved that she was still alive. However his tendency to speak in the third person was getting old. Fast.

"You may use This Sesshomaru's Library Miko, under one condition. You are to teach his ward Rin how to read, as well as how to write. That is the only condition." Sesshomaru finally said, causing Kagome to smile.

She had no issues with teaching, she had been teaching her pack, (spare InuYasha who refused outright) how to read and write, and teaching Rin would be simple for her.

"I accept Sesshomaru-sama, however I ask that you refrain from calling me Miko, my name is Kagome." She replied as she bowed low in a sign of respect.

"Hn," Was the only response she got as Sesshomaru returned his attention to his dinner.

"May I be excused Sesshomaru-sama? I would like to visit the library so that I might pick out some material. I am also slightly tired, and I believe some rest would be beneficial to my health." Kagome mentally sighed as she continued with her formal speech. It was beginning to get boring and she longed to speak casually; however she realized the importance of speaking formally while in the presence of a Lord.

"This Sesshomaru gives you and Hikari permission to leave the dining area, so that Hikari may show you to the Library. This Sesshomaru will speak to his General's after lunch and will ensure that you will be able to use the training room tomorrow. As for Dinner, he will ensure that you have some food brought up to you, to ensure that you are not interrupted during your rest." Sesshomaru responded as he nodded to Kagome and Hikari, who had just finished eating when Kagome had asked to be excused.

"Thank you Sesshomaru-sama, I appreciate your hospitality. I also wish to thank you once again for saving me from Naraku and for healing me…" And with that Kagome bowed low and followed Hikari, (who had risen and was standing near the door to the room) out of the room.

After walking for a few moments in silence Kagome whispered quietly to Hikari, "Does he always talk like that? I mean talking in the third person? It got annoying so quickly…"

Hikari chuckled lightly as he responded, "He only speaks that way in front of guests, and it is his obligation as a Lord to remain respectful and honorable at all times. Not to mention that's sort of how he has to talk in front of guests, he isn't the only Lord who speaks like that; the other Lords speak that way as well. And I agree it does wear on the nerves quite quickly."

Kagome sighed as they approached a large pair of double doors made from solid wood, which was strange since the rest of the castle consisted of silken doors. Her attention was then turned to Hikari who opened the doors effortlessly, revealing to Kagome that they were at least half a foot thick.

"What's with the enormous thick doors?" She asked curiously as she attempted to push the door with one arm, only find that it barely moved, even though she was pushing with a fair amount of strength.

"They are a precaution set up in case of a fire, should a fire erupt these doors will take some time to burn through, therefore giving time for us to rescue the knowledge stored within." Hikari explained as he watched Kagome use all of her strength to push the door closed, which she only succeeded in with some help from Hikari.

"Oh, I get it, a sort of early safe room theory… cool." Kagome responded as she turned around and gaped at the library.

She had been expecting a moderate sized room filled with a handful of bound books, and possible a few hundred scrolls. Instead she found herself staring at the largest book collection she had ever seen. There were thousands of bound books on hundreds of bookshelves that were almost as tall as Sesshomaru was in his Demon form. And the room was larger than the garden that surrounded the tower where her room was located. And there were more scrolls than she thought possible to have existed, in the very centre of the library lay a desk, a very large table, three long futons, and numerous comfy looking chairs.

After a few moments of gaping around the room Kagome returned her attention to Hikari saying simply one word, "Wow,"

"Impressive isn't it? Within this library there are books from all over the known world, Lord Sesshomaru and his father have had Youkai gathering this collection for centuries. There is books on every kind of Youkai in here, books on their origins, on their powers, and on every other fact the may be important to them. There are books on Youkai rituals and laws, on human rituals and laws, and numerous other subjects. You see Kagome, both Lord Inu Taisho and Lord Sesshomaru believe that Knowledge is power, and since they strive to be the strongest,"

"They strive to have the knowledge of everything, gaining themselves an advantage against any foe they face." Kagome concluded as she walked towards the nearest bookshelf.

"That bookshelf contains all the information one might need to succeed in Youkai society. It teaches you how to act, behave, and present yourself in youkai society." Hikari explained as Kagome tilted her head and skimmed the titles.

Her eyes finally settled on a book titled, Youkai society, the Do's and Don'ts. Kagome then figured that since she was staying in Youkai Lords house, she might as well learn how to act while in his presence…

After choosing her book Kagome turned to Hikari and smiled, "Well shall we head back to the room? I wasn't kidding when I told Sesshomaru that I was tired…"

"Yes, of course." Hikari responded as he lead her back to the room, the two of them chatting happily as they walked back to her room.

~/Meanwhile back with Sesshomaru/~

Sesshomaru could not help but chuckle mentally as he caught Kagomes soft question,

"Does he always have to talk like that?"

Truth was Sesshomaru did not favour the speech of a Lord; however Hikari was correct in his answer. As a Lord Sesshomaru was expected to speak with dignity and digression, not only to hide his intentions from any who may try to harm him, but to also show that as a Lord he commanded respect. Still Sesshomaru despised his formal speech and only used it when necessary, or when he found it amusing, such as a predicament where he could annoy one of his brothers comrades.

His attention then began to focus on the Miko, or Kagome as she preferred to be called. She was truly interesting to him, a miko able to travel through time, a miko with ties not only to the Shikon no Tama, but also to his moronic half brother. Throughout the years he had watched the hanyou's group from afar, and he had come to two conclusions, first his brother truly was an idiot.

He had watched with hidden interest as his brother played with the hearts of the living Miko, while spending his time pining for the dead Miko that had betrayed him. He had also watched as the hanyou blatantly missed the signs of affection that the living Miko gave off, instead focusing his time on insulting her and attempting to control her with his brash words and demonic strength, but he never succeeded in his acts.

This fact lead Sesshomaru to his second conclusion, InuYasha was not the Alpha of his pack, the Miko was, she was the one who depicted when they rested, she as the one who fed and cared for the pack, ensuring that they were healed after battles, and being a shoulder to lean on for the Exterminator while she mourned the loss of her brother. It was the Miko who commanded the others in battle, telling them where to attack, on order to obtain the jewel fragments. And in Sesshomaru's opinion she was the only reason that her two human companions tolerated his dimwitted half brother.

As he contemplated his observation of the Miko Kagome his memory brought up one more fact about the woman that spurred his curiosity.

Her courage.

Despite all that they faced she remained strong, never faltering in her quest to collect the shards of the accursed jewel. Ignoring the rude remarks directed at her from the mutt, and continuing to show a happy face to her group despite the pain she was obviously feeling. And with her courage came her anger.

An unbridled wrath that had caused his half brother to eat dirt more then once, and seemed to rival that of a mother Youkai protecting her young from danger.

Sesshomaru was drawn from his thoughts by Rin. She was tugging gently on his sleeve, her big brown eyes looking up at him, a full smile placed on her face as she proudly announced, "Rin is done Lord Sesshomaru, may she go and play in the garden with Jaken now?"

Sesshomaru grinned inwardly as he thought of Jaken's displeasure of being forced to watch the energetic young girl.

"Yes you may Rin, just remember to be safe." Sesshomaru responded as he gently patted Rin's head, the slightest hint of a smile gracing his lips as she leaned forward and embraced him tightly.

"Thank you Lord Sesshomaru, thank you for saving Rin's nee-san, thank you for saving Rin… thank you…" Rin mumbled slowly as she continued to hug Sesshomaru. "Thank you…Daddy."

And with that Rin ran out of the room calling for Jaken, leaving a shocked Sesshomaru in her wake.

"Did she just call me Daddy?" Sesshomaru quickly shook his head and began to make his way towards his office.

Part way towards his office he stopped a servant and said, "This Sesshomaru would like for you to bring Keiji to his office, inform him that it is important." The servant bowed low and nodded her head before speeding off to find the greed haired Kitsune.

Meanwhile Sesshomaru continued towards his office his mind still going over Rin's last words to him before her departure to torture Jaken, "Thank you… Daddy."

He knew that she had looked up to him, and he was aware of her affections towards him, yet he was unaware of just how attached she had grown to him, and he was just beginning to become aware of just how attached he had grown to the young girl. Of how much he looked forward to hearing her giggle and laugh as she picked flowers and bestowed them upon Jaken and Ah-Uhn. Or the calm serene look on her face when she slept. He thought of how her constant chatter was a nice change from the silence that usually filled his patrols of the Western lands.

He also began to realize how protective he had grown of the young girl, how willing he was to drop everything and risk it all merely to assure that she was safe. How he was prepared to fight off all of Japan to ensure her safety. A few years ago Sesshomaru would have though of her as a weakness, a ploy in which his enemies could use to manipulate him, yet now he found himself thankful for her presence.

Instead of making him appear weak, he found himself growing stronger, he now found himself willing to fight any foe in order to protect her, he found himself willing to stay alert fully so that he might protect at any time. And he found himself training more often to ensure that he was capable of protecting her.

As he thought of his increasing strength due to his young ward his thoughts were drawn to his father's parting words to him.

"Sesshomaru, have you someone to protect?"

At first he had thought his father was mad, why would he need someone to protect? All he had to worry about was his own safety, which fitted him well, yet as time passed Sesshomaru came to realize to meaning of his father's words; however fate had been cruel to him and he failed in his duties. An act which brought upon the cold hearted Lord that currently ruled upon the western lands.

Yet once again he found himself willing to protect someone with all of his strength. Someone he was willing to both live and die for, someone he was willing to kill for. Someone he was willing to care for…

By the time he had finished his thoughts Sesshomaru was seated at his desk and awaiting the arrival of Keiji, his loyal General and the only true friend he had. His wait was short lived as his sensitive ears caught the sound of the Kitsune's approaching footsteps, and just as Keiji approached the door Sesshomaru said, "Enter."

Keiji smirked as he entered the room, Sesshomaru never waited for him to knock on the door, always calling him in seconds before he could knock. And as he entered the room he shook his head in silent laughter, "Your getting better at sensing me Sesshomaru; however you don't need to say 'Enter' every time. I know that when you summon me I'm going to be allowed in no matter what…"

"I know Keiji, but old habits die hard… now as for why I called you here…" Sesshomaru began as the Kitsune plopped himself down in the chair opposite his.

Keiji truly was a unique Kitsune, especially with his bright green hair that reached the small of his back. His eyes matched his hair perfectly, and always seemed to be laced with mischievousness. He wore similar clothing to Sesshomaru's; however his hakamas were black, his obi was forest green, and the decals on his upper Kimono were the same colour as his hair and eyes. At his hips lay two short blades that he wielded as twin blades, a weapon that suited the swift and agile Youkai. Finally adorning his face were the markings of the Kitsune royalty, one single turquoise stripe adorning each cheek and a single green oak leaf marking on his forehead.

"Let me guess… it's about the woman you have staying in the room connected to your own? The human miko that travels with your meddlesome brother…" Keiji assumed as he leaned back in his chair, allowing his three visible tails to shift so that he might make himself comfortable.

"Half-Brother, and yes. She is interested in using to training room to further herself in her training. You are to oversee her training, so that she might be able to protect herself from any danger that may threaten her or her pack. Also I want you to keep me updated on how her training is going." Sesshomaru began as he rested his chin on his arm which was resting on his desk, giving the appearance of someone lost in thought.

"All right, so you want me to train her eh? I don't have much experience with Miko's but I'll try. As for physical training I'll do what I can…" Keiji trailed off as he began to form lessons in his mind.

"Do not underestimate her Keiji, she is the Shikon no Miko, and has great powers locked within… Do not push her too far, or you might just end up finding yourself in a great deal of pain." Sesshomaru cautioned, causing Keiji to raise an eyebrow.

"Also do not try to woo her as you do with all the other women in the castle… she does not need the pressure of a lecherous Kitsune while training… do I make myself clear Keiji?" Sesshomaru said flatly while shooting his friend a knowing look.

"Yeah yeah, you just have to ruin my fun don't you… fine, I'll leave the woman alone… but I can't help it if she flirts with me, after all I am the best looking General you've got." Keiji replied arrogantly as he jerked his thumb at his chest.

"You're the only General I have, and don't you worry she wont be flirting, her heart still longs for the mutt, not to mention the fact that she has suffered sexually thanks to Naraku…" Sesshomaru shot back as he shook his head in disappointment.

The two men spent the rest of the evening going over possible training exercises for the Miko, they were only interrupted at Dinner, when Sesshomaru merely had food brought to them, while ordering for some food to be brought up to Kagome and Hikari.

The sun had set by the time Keiji stood and stretched saying, "Well Sesshomaru, that's all for me tonight, I need my sleep… especially since I have a new charge in the morning." He then nodded to Sesshomaru and headed towards the door, where he was stopped in his tracks by the sound of a shrill effeminate screech that rattled his eardrums.

Immediately Sesshomaru stood and raced towards the central tower, a single thought on his mind,

"The Miko!"

ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Well there you have it, 14 pages of text that is pretty boring, but will mean a heck of a lot more as the story continues on… gotta hate those storyline chapters that seem boring until you realize just how important they are… like 5 chapters later. Next chapter will be much more interesting. Including some action, some curiosity, and an update on the other group (S+M)

Gtg, need my sleep.

Saffire Ryver