Chapter 4
Frustrated at himself, Sesshomaru threw down the book he was scrutinizing and decided a walk around the perimeter of the palace would do him good. In a flash, he was out the window of his office and already speeding through his territory. Finding a suitable path to his liking, he slowed his pace to a normal stroll, he adopted his bored expression and continued on. After only several more minutes, he smelled the scent of whom he was not to happy to discover. Growling low after he smelled another scent snaked with the first, he changed course to settle the problem. Haughtily approaching the clearing, but keeping his presence unknown for the moment, he halted when he sensed a vast amount of purification energy speeding his way. Readying Toukijin, Sesshomaru jumped into a tree and waited.
Kagome ran right from under him and continued on towards Inuyasha. Curious to see what the whelp would to at a woman's scorn, Sesshomaru snickered and watched from his perch. So, he betrayed his human bitch for the dead one. Half breed, you never cease to surprise this Sesshomaru with your likeness to father.
Suddenly a flare of purification energy lit up the clearing and if he wasn't a Daiyoukai, Sesshomaru would have certainly been at the very least severely burnt. Undoubtedly, any lower level demon within a two mile radius was nothing but ashes now. Peering down and the blistering miko, Sesshomaru listened on.
Finally, after Kagome had finally disowned the hanyou, she walked off calmly and every bit of her was glowing in a commandeering way. Sesshomaru followed her with his eyes then drew his attention back at the two remaining when he was hit with a very uneasy sensation. Then he saw Kikyo lock her eyes onto him and she laughed as she caressed Inuyasha's chest. Sesshomaru withdrew from the shadows slightly disappointed the miko had not attacked Inuyasha. He stood at the beginning of the clearing and stared down his brother.
"You are trespassing," he said in royal cockiness.
"Yeah, you're mother," Inuyasha barked back. Sesshomaru's eyes bled red and he growled low in a death promise. Inuyasha stood and growled back in bitter compliance, throwing on his haori and turned to leave. "I never knew you to spy, Sesshomaru. It is not like you at all," Inuyasha stated in attempt to one up his brother.
"Spy? I don't think so. I merely wished to entertain myself for the evening with seeing a whelp with half demon blood get his ass handed to him on a silver platter. How pathetic that you would allow a woman, human no less, to talk to you in such a way," he scoffed. Turning to leave, Sesshomaru felt ice run down his neck and he half turned to face the dead miko. She was staring at him with calculating eyes. What ever you are planning, miko of the dead, be aware that I am planning as well. Do not cross me.
Almost as if she heard his thoughts, her eyes shifted and she turned to follow Inuyasha back into his forest. Sesshomaru decided to keep a close eye on her and send his spies to study her for a few weeks. His Inu instinct was never wrong. Deciding to first find some information on his own, he followed the trail left by the other onna. Following it to a small village, Sesshomaru stood off to the side and waited. He usually would have just walked in and demand the miko to speak with him, but this night things were feeling very off and he thought better of it. Once he saw that she had finished discussing the events with her pack, and the began to set out, he followed again from a safe distance. He stopped when he heard a voice coming from one of the shacks behind him.
"I fear, dearest Kagome, ye have not seen the worst thy sister is capable of. Stealing the souls of spirits trying to pass is the least of ye worries. Thou should sleep with one eye open from this day onward, child. Ye path will be most difficult." He pieced that the old woman was speaking of Kikyo so he waited to hear what else she had to say.
"But I know ye will not be so alone in this journey. I truly believe fate will have a surprise or two in ye future. Do not doubt ye friends, child. Both in this time, and in ye own." Her own? What could the old hag possibly have meant. Puzzled by the elder's strange words, Sesshomaru decided tonight he would end all the questions.
He continued to stay close to them until it began to darken. Kagome was the first to take note of the changes and he was impressed at her keen sense of time. Setting down her bags in a spot she felt safe enough, she began to assemble camp. None of her pack spoke, for they were much too sorrowful. Loosing Inuyasha was like loosing a family member. And each of the pack of four has lost someone very close to them. It opened old wounds none wanted to revisit. The somber looks on their face spoke as much.
Waiting for the right moment, Sesshomaru jumped into a nearby tree and listened for any hints. Growing impatient, Sesshomaru was about to just barge in when the miko finally said she was going off to bathe. After promising her friends the spring was not too far from their campsite and prying the other onna off of her, the miko grabbed an ugly looking sack and headed due east. Sesshomaru was on his feet in an instant. The spring was farther than she had sworn and he wondered would she actually be able to save herself should someone like him come her way. An evil smile snaked its way to his lips as he concluded, Let's find out.
Stepping up right behind the miko, keeping sure to make his aura masked, he grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth with his hand. She screamed into it and tried prying his arm off her. He whispered low into her ear, "It is only me, miko. Follow my instruction, and This Sesshomaru will kill you this night." Waiting for her signal, he loosened his hand when she nodded in agreement.
Taking two steps back to allow her to recover, Sesshomaru ignored the pain in his left hand. Damn, her power flared and nearly burned off my flesh. But not quite powerful enough to leave more than a blister. With proper training, she could be very lethal.
"What do you want, Sesshomaru?" Kagome said standing straight in an attempt to appear courageous.
"Sesshomaru-sama, miko. Be kind to remember your place," he bit out.
"I will only refer to you with respect once you have earned it. I have already dealt with one baka tonight I do not wish-"
In an instant Kagome's back was pressed against a tree hard and clawed hands were clamped around her throat. Kagome wheezed for air and stared into red eyes.
"If your human life is of any value to you, human, you WILL refer to me with respect. Or your flesh will be mine to melt away with a mere flick of my poisonous claw. Understood, human?"
Kagome tried to gulp down her fear but his hand wasn't going to allow it so she simply nodded again. Letting go of her roughly, she fell to the floor in an inelegant thud and gasped for air.
"What do you want, Sesshomaru-sama," she asked emphasizing on the honorific. Paying no heed to her sarcasm, he turned and looked up at the moon. A breeze stroked his long hair and he sniffed the air. He easily scented out the miko's fear and curiosity that only grew the longer he took to answer her. Her scent reminded him of moonlight and sea salt. It reminded him of the last time he spoke to his father.
"Sesshomaru, do you have something to protect?" Inu Taisho asked his son earnestly.
"Protect?" Sesshomaru answered in question. Scoffing, he turned and began to walk away. "That's preposterous."
Back when he was young, it seemed very ludicrous. Sesshomaru knew that protecting someone meant weakening yourself since part of your attention would always be dedicated to them. But then he met her…and that all changed.
"Sesshomaru?" came Kagome's cautious question. She wasn't sure if he was ignoring her or what, but she was growing impatient. How hard was it for a woman to get a bath around here?!
Without missing a beat, Sesshomaru asked in a bored tone, "What do you know of the dead miko?"
A stab of pain shot through her. Of all the damn things in this world he could talk to me about, he has to pick HER?
"What does it matter to you?"
"Do not test me, miko. My patience has worn thin these days past and you have answers to my questions."
"Why today? Of all the days you could have come to me, why today?" Kagome asked as she smelled salt and her vision blurred. NO, Higurashi. You will NOT cry in front of this pompous ass. Pull yourself together, woman. "I don't know much. Inuyasha did his part in keeping most of her a secret from me," she explained and her eyes took on a distant look. He sensed her pulling away from her tone and he shifted his eyes to look at her. Her body was hunched forward slightly with her right hand was clamped down tight on her left elbow. Her head was bowed and her eyes were heavily darkened by the shade of her bangs. All in all, she looked pathetic.
Shoving his nose in the air, Sesshomaru snorted at her disposition. "Pull yourself together, miko. A half breed is not worth the sorrow you emit to me in these sickening waves. A betrayal is an expected part of life. Take it and learn. Now answer my question."
Her eyes snapped to him quickly. Did…did he just give me…advice? Shaking her head in disbelief, she thought of everything he would want to know. She explained Kikyo's life before her death, how she met Inuyasha, who was responsible and why.
As he listened close, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and began to bleed red at the mere mention of Naraku. Of course that filthy, damned hanyou was involved. But that does not explain the suspicious feeling he received from the dead miko. Giving the onna beside him a look over, he concluded she was not withholding information from him. Not in her current state of mind.
He pivoted on his heel and walked off, moving to leave her to her bathing. She was shocked at his sudden movement, but then quickly regained her self. "That's it? You barge up to me, scare me to death, berate me with your questions, then you simply leave?"
Sesshomaru did lessen his stride as he said to her, "I have nothing more to do with you. You are free to do as you must." Then it hit her. In her absolutely, mad driven mind, her eyes widened a fraction as she pieced together an answer to her new dilemma. He could kill her for merely thinking of asking it of him, but damn it she was desperate. Kagome stood and moved in his direction to stop him but stopped herself. Hearing this, Sesshomaru turned his face and looked at her waiting. "Is there something, miko?" She looked down at the floor and bit her bottom lip trying to find the way to ask him an impossible question.
"There is something I need of you, in favor of answering your question," she began. He snorted and turned his face back in the direction he was going.
"Miko, sparing your life was favor enough."
"Wait! There is something of value in it for you, should you help me," she bribed. Again he paused, but did not turn his face. "There is a secret I have kept from many here. Only my pack knows of it. It…it could be beneficial for you, too." She waited.
Sesshomaru was intrigued. He knew just about everything about both mikos now. What else could there be? Suddenly the elder onna's words echoed in his mind again. In this time and in ye own. Perhaps this is what she wants to explain to this Sesshomaru. He faced her and arched a single eyebrow waiting for her to continue.
Sighing, Kagome began with explaining what was in it for him. It was, after all, all he was interested in. "If you help me, you will gain knowledge over any one else in Japan, or any where else in the world. You will have a great advantage over any enemies. You will be the greatest warlord in Japan," she said trying to reel him in. She could tell he was scrutinizing her, trying to detect any lie in her words. Sensing nothing, he took a step forward and glared hard into her.
"Speak quickly, miko." Trying not to look too much at him, she turned and stared up at the moon. Memories filled her mind as she sighed deeply. Memories of her family back home, of her time in Feudal Japan, and of a future that seemed to be growing more grim by the minute. What was she to do now that Inuyasha was gone. She needed someone to watch over her pack as she returned home to retrieve supplies. She needed help. She was no where near being as powerful as Midoriko. Even dead, Kikyo probably was stronger than she was. Looking down at the floor she turned her face to the demon Lord at her left.
"I will only tell you if you swear to never take advantage of it. You must swear to never become cruel to those in your power and you must be a just and fair Lord. If you cannot agree, my secret will die with me."
Sesshomaru's patience had snapped and he began to growl. How dare she try to make him succumb to her wishes? But if she speaks the truth, what she knows could be very dangerous in the wrong hands. So…did this mean she believed his hands where the right ones to entrust with this knowledge? Why? He has attempted killing her countless times before. He was never kind and he never gave an inkling of any form of respect to her. So why him?
"I agree to your terms. Tell me what it is you want in return, miko." At that, her eyes snapped up at him and her anger flared around her.
"And you must refer to me by my name, Lord Sesshomaru. If I must attach an honorific to your name, you must in turn respect me and refer to me by Kagome. Not miko, or onna, or human. Just Ka-go-me. Agreed?"
If he were any lesser of a demon, he would have rolled his eyes and snapped her neck. But curiosity was eating him up and he wanted to know what knowledge she spoke of. "Agreed," he said through clenched teeth.
"Sesshomaru-sama, I am not from your time. My place does not belong here. However, here is where my destiny lays. I am from the future," she said looking up at him to see his reaction.
Sesshomaru, for the second time this day, was shocked. Although he should have seen something such as this coming. Looking at the girls clothing, it was obvious that where she came from they had no shame or morality of their state of dress. Her strange demeanor always hinted to him that she was much too out of place. But he only figured she was from a distant country. Not a distant time. Then realization hit him. If she is from the future, she knows of history. Which technically was his own future. She knows what is to come. What events will take place, wars, famine, prosperity. She would now where to invest money, where to live, who to trust and who to kill. Yes, her knowledge is dangerous. Should it fall to the wrong hands. But he was no other warlord. And he was a man of his words. He swore to never take advantage of her. He can use her knowledge, but out of courtesy of his promise to her, he will have to house her, protect her, and keep her with him for all her life. Growling at the complication of the matter, he evaluated the gravity of her offer.
He was not about to house a human for any reason. Not after his father shamed the Inu's of the West's name. But having this onna would be an extreme asset to him and the prosperity of his lands. Perhaps some time to think would be wise. More imperative decisions need much thought put into them. And what of the onna herself? Not that he cared for her well being, but if he was planning on keeping her for her knowledge, he had to provide some sort of reimbursement. First, to find out what it is that she had in mind.
"What do you require in exchange, Ka-go-me," Sesshomaru asked emphasizing her name just as she had done with his honorific. Ignoring his tone, Kagome thought a minute about how to go about asking him for his favor.
"Back home, my family is very worrisome about me. I usually go every few months to assure them of my safety and my good health." Taking another second to understand the severity of her own next words, Kagome's heart darkened all the more. "There is a well in the village beside Inuyasha's forest. By jumping into the well, I am able to access a portal that allows me to travel back and forth between worlds. I was planning on returning to my family tomorrow to see them one last time," Kagome stopped there before the tears caught in her throat. Sesshomaru pondered her words. One last time? He raised an eyebrow waiting for her to continue, but remained quiet until she composed herself. "As you know, Inuyasha has chosen the path to walk with Kikyo. I fear that Kikyo will attempt anything to harm me, both physically and emotionally. For the sake of my family's safety, I am going to destroy the well when I return. But I will be in a very vulnerable state as I cast my spell to destroy it. I will need someone to guard me." At that, she picked up her eyes and stared into his pleadingly. She didn't need to ask her request.
Sesshomaru understood her request and thought about the best course of action. This miko was already proving to be much too much of a hassle to even think about accepting her request. Deciding to agree to her terms for the benefit of his lands, even though something was telling him this would not be an easy time for him, he nodded his head curtly.
"I agree to your terms. But now you have some of mine to adhere to. You, from now on, will be residing in my palace. I understand that you are now alpha of your pack. I will allow them to remain in my palace until a hut has been built for them within the perimeter of my lands. You must ask them whether they wish to sleep in separate housings or in one," Sesshomaru finished. He didn't like it, but the odds where that if the miko was happy, she'd be more receptive to telling him everything that was to come.
"Thank you!" she nearly screamed bowing low.
"Do not mistake this for kindness, miko. You are a valuable asset to me and I do not wish to loose that advantage. You will accompany me back to my palace so we can discuss this matter further. There is a dinner gathering with the rest of the Lords and I predict Naraku will attempt something during this time. I do not need you running around like a chicken with no head," he finished as he turned his back and began walking towards his palace.
"My kit!" Kagome suddenly exclaimed. Pausing again, Sesshomaru wanted nothing more than to drag his claws through her throat. "Shippo is my son. If I go with you, he must stay with me in the palace," she finished crossing her arms. Oh yes, slicing her throat seemed very appealing at the moment.
"Your son? I do not smell the scent of a male on you. You are untouched," Sesshomaru asked very simply. Although the very immodest state of her dress deceives one to think otherwise. A blush tinted her cheeks at his bluntness and she lowered her eyes. Apparently, demons where nonchalant when it came to talking about one's sexuality.
"I adopted him after his parents death," she mumbled.
"Very well. We have lost much time and I wish to be back at the palace before the sun rises," Sesshomaru ordered glancing at the position of the moon.
"I'm going to go tell them what will happen now. I will return shortly," Kagome chipped. Gathering her yellow sack, bath long forgotten, Kagome raced back to camp to gather her friends. Sesshomaru shut his eyes and inhaled a deep and long breath. The things this miko knows had better be worth this trouble. Following her back to her camp slowly, Sesshomaru pondered the drastic change in course his life just took.