Chapter 7

Sesshomaru was irate to say the least. He needed to confront the ningen miko about her behavior last night. There was no reason for her to step out of her boundary and absolutely no reason for her to violate his person. He needed to set her straight. She needed to understand where her place was and that challenging him in any manner was unacceptable. She would learn this lesson before the court arrived.

Taking long and heavy strides to the gardens, Sesshomaru radiated his youkai aura so that none would approach him. He was never dishonored in such a way. Not by a human or a high level youkai. Not even by his very mother. This agreement he made with the miko had his hands tied as well. He couldn't slit her throat and be done with her. He already housed her pack and took on the responsibility of sheltering them. To end her life now would be useless to him.

A snide smile kissed his lips as he went through his strategy to domesticate this out of control miko. What ever they taught her in the future, in his era, she was to submit to his will. He was the lord of the house. He provided housing, protection and food. She will learn to submit to his will in return. Such were the ways of the Feudal Era.

He had tied his hair to the back of his head to keep it out of his face. Although he refused to put it in a high tie, since it was a style his father chose to wear. He, instead, put his tie right at the base of his neck. His bangs fell over his face and placed a wicked looking shadow over his eyes.

He made his way to the back of the palace, deciding to take the path leading from the front and around to blow off steam. As he reached the clearing of the back of his palace, he removed his haori and swords. Ignoring the sharp bite of the cold air, he dropped them down beside him and he stepped to the middle of the clearing. Spreading his legs shoulders length apart, he bent down and shut his eyes, extending his right arm in front of him, and began deep breathing. He lowered his heart rate and timed it with his breaths. Shifting his left heal outward, he moved his body to the left and slowly raised his right hand to his face. He then pushed it forward quickly and shot a ball of youkai energy out of his palm. Dropping down to the cold floor and rolling foward, he stood quickly and assumed the first position. He did this continuously until he felt slightly more relaxed. He still had far too much anger in his heart so he pushed more youkai out of his palm than before. Small beads of sweat coated his shirtless upper body and he pushed himself further and further.

He sensed her coming up from behind him and he continued to exercise as she approached. She paused a few feet away from him and he could feel her curiosity emit to him in waves.

"Assume a defensive stance miko," he said without turning to look at her

"Sparring? You want to spar me in this?" Kagome nearly screeched pointing to her kimono. "I don't want to ruin it!"

"Suit yourself," he said. He spun on his heal and knelt low to swing his left foot out, bringing it around her feet. Tripping, she fell backwards into the wet snow, slack jawed.

"Get up."

"What do you think you're doing!" she exclaimed grabbing her injured shoulder. "I'm still hurt, you know!"

"Your actions prove that you are an undisciplined and uneducated creature in proper etiquette. Should I even decide to allow you to continue remaining within my walls after your bold and dishonorable move, you will learn to control your actions, mind, and emotions," he ordered taking a bow. He then straightened and stared hard at her waiting for her to rise.

"I understand if you want to train me, but its freezing now and why in this kimono? It's so beautiful, I just don't understand why you would have it crafted to be ruined."

"You will." Growing tired with her refusal to rise, he lifted her simply and waited only a second for her to regain her balance before sending a hard hit to her unhurt shoulder.

"OW! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?"

"Defend yourself. I will not take this lightly. You will be punished for your unwise decisions," he said coming from behind her and hitting her square in the back, making her fall to her knees. She fell straight into a spot of ice and burned her knees on it. Feeling a jab of pain when she landed shoot through her whole body, she just couldn't get herself back up.

"Is this how the miko from the future settles a fight? Sits and takes it? I cannot believe I have broken you this soon. Where is the fire you had when Inuyasha snuck off behind your back?" It was a low blow, but he had to. She was refusing to fight and he would have none of it.

"Leave him out of this," she said through clenched teeth. How dare the arrogant jerk? She deserved whatever punishment he sought to give her and she was willing to just allow him to do it. But he damn well leave Inuyasha out of this, she thought bitterly.

"She was right under your nose, miko. If you are good enough to be called one. How could you not sense her arrival? Or Inuyasha's disloyalty all these years? You are weak and you do not deserve the powers in your blood."

Silence. Kagome heard nothing. She allowed one tear to fall gently down her cheek. He was right. All these years, all these nights. She denied them. Times when he wouldn't return sometimes until the next day without a word. He always kept his eyes away from her and he would never talk to anyone. She knew he was seeing her, but she pushed it away. She just wanted him to love her.

"Kagome, Inuyasha would never love someone like you. The dead miko was strong and fought to the death! She was so strong she even returned from the dead to haunt you. Take back what was hers because you were foolish to love the half breed. Get up, wench! Are you going to sit and take it just like you sat and allowed the bastard to walk all over you? Get up!"

"Shut up!" Kagome screamed getting on her feet. Blood boiled through her body and if she were a youkai, her eyes would have bled red. Sesshomaru could feel her anger flare and he knew she was ready.

"No, human. I will not silence to the heeding of a love-sick wench. A wench who fell for a cheating half breed. I feel worse for Kikyo. She tried for years to gain back his love while you just ignored his wondering eye. Pitiful girl," he said with a smirk.

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Kagome screamed running to him. She knew he would jump up and away from her so she shot up a bright blue and pink ball of purification energy. It nearly hit him as he bounced away from her attack.

Bringing himself behind her, he struck her back with his youkai whip. Slicing right through the kimono, he cut deep into her back and she yelled out a painful gasp. Turning to face him, she quickly resurrected a barrier as he flicked another whip at her. Keeping her barrier firm in place, she shut her eyes and concentrated on the ground. She connected with the earth and felt his position. "I hate you, Inuyasha!" she screamed as she shot down electric pink energy to the floor that sped straight to him.

He jumped only milliseconds before it struck him and it barreled straight to a tree. The tree cracked with energy and exploded at the attack. She used a lot of energy doing so, so she brought down her barrier right after he took another swing at her. She leapt out of the way and sent a wisp of energy at his good arm just as he sent his own ball of energy towards her side. Both made a hit and were sent backwards, away from each other. Rising on their feet quickly, they locked eyes and neither made a move.

Taking a good look at her, she was bloody and her kimono was destroyed. Her hair had fallen out of place and cascaded down over her bloodthirsty face. Her tiny rasps of angry breath heaved her chest heavily and her hands shook with fury.

"Miko," he said straightening. "Now you will learn to channel your emotions."

"How dare you berate me with matters that don't concern you? For your own amusement!? I knew you were uncaring to people, but I did not take you as cruel, too!"

"Cruelty, is allowing your own emotions to rule your thinking. To judge your actions and force you to speak what you do not mean. These are actions of fools. You are allowed to feel, but you will learn to separate feeling from thinking."

Kagome stared at him blankly. Did he rile her up to prove a point? Why? Why force her to remember these things when all she wanted to do was forget. She would have been just fine if he didn't bring it up. So why?

He saw her face contort as she tried to sort her thoughts. Still, she didn't understand everything in her body language spoke her thoughts clear as day. He did not blame her for her action the previous night. As an Inu, he knew that when the alpha of a pack felt that things were out of control, the alpha always challenged those around him who were a possible threat. It was the way of things. But he never thought a human would be so relatable to youkai behavior. And if his hypothesis was right, she would respond to youkai training more than human confrontation and punishment. She needed to be taught her lesson, through another lesson. It was something he learned long ago.

"Sesshomaru," Sazumi called down the garden. A young youkai boy strode his way to the strangely calm demoness.

"Yes, Okaasan?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"Can you make an egg square?" she asked him.

"I don't understand your question, it is impossible," he said with an arrogant tone.

She extended her palm to him which held a single hard boiled egg. "Make this egg square."

"I cannot. What is the point of your berating? I have business to attend," he said curtly.

Sazumi took with her other hand a small dagger and sliced the egg. When she was done, it had a very straight, square shape. He looked at the egg and raised a single eye brow waiting for her point. "Something which naturally would have been oval, is now changed to square. A dagger was the means to do so. Is it not familiar to you? Something naturally that would have been kind, oval, words, were changed to cruel, square, words with the assistance of a dagger-like tongue."

Then he knew what she had called him for. Earlier that day, one of the new human maids that had straightened his room, touched something she was not asked to. Despite her good intention to dust it off, he was angered by her stupidity. He struck her and called her whole race filth that infested the earth and told her she would make it better by never returning to the palace. As he walked away and left her cradling her cheek, he passed by his father. His father bore a look of great disappointment and he turned his face from his son.

Sesshomaru scoffed. His father would pity the human, just like his human whore.

"My business is my own affair mother. Please be kind to leave your remarks to yourself. You do so with your cheating mate, anyway," Sesshomaru said as he turned his back to his mother.

Suddenly he was brought down to his knees with sharp deadly claws aimed right at his left artery. "Silence your tongue. Listen to your own advice, stay out of my business. You will not handle the servants cruelly because of your father's action. Humans and demons alike bleed, cry, and love. Learn to be obedient to the laws of the world and be kind to those who inhabit it. Never again question what you don't know entirely of. Even a sheet of paper has two sides."

Sesshomaru remained silent as his mother released her grip around his neck. He turned to face her and eyed her closely. Despite the recent news of his father's betrayal, his mother did not waver in her beauty, or her regality. She was the Lady of the Western Lands and she was the most poised and fair Lady out of them all. Her white hair was braided at the bangs and brought around to a low knot in the back of her head. She had pale blue eyes that matched a cloudless sky. Her kimono matched perfectly to the color of her eyes and the obi was made of a dazzling gold color. The hem of the kimono had black crescent moons that danced along the back and faded as they reached the front. It was her favorite dress, one she received from Toga Taisho when they were first mated. It reminded her of her happier years and the age when she was still a blushing newly mated. She wore it on this day because her mate was leaving the following morning to tend to his pregnant human. She wanted to remember why. Why she loved him then. Why she still loved him now.

Noticing for the first time her kimono of choice, he lightened his hard look at her. "Okaasan," he said. It was the only thing he could say. She reached out and caressed his cheek softly.

"My darling son, even when days are dark, there are memories of the sun. Cruelty begets cruelty. Never strike with an angry hand, for then you are striking for pride. Instead, strike only to maintain the prosperity of the lands and your family and even then, to those who only bid you harm. The world is fragile. It is up to us to maintain strong hearts to flourish it." She smiled softly at him as she walked away gracefully.

Never would he forget that day. His mother was his inspiration and he dreamed of finding a mate suitable to fit her standards. She was beautiful and wise, she ruled with a hand of balanced justice and remained poised and proper. Even when his filthy father left at night to bed the human, she remained regal and pleasant. He saw her sadness, though. He felt her pain. He hated his father for causing it, but there was nothing he could do.

Kagome, however, she did not understand these teachings. But he made certain she would. Kagome lowered her gaze and bowed her head. "I still don't understand what you are trying to teach me. I was fine with pushing my feelings aside. Why must you bring them forth?'

"Laughter cannot bring back what anger has driven away. You must understand your emotions, understand what has happened, and resolve them. Years of joy will not make up for a day of hurt. Today, I am going to teach you that you are not to blame for things that are not your fault."

Kagome glanced up at him to look at him with a confused look. Sighing silently, he knew he'd have a long way to go with her. Looking at her wounded form, he extended his hand ahead to signal her to follow him. Limping slightly behind him, she waited for him to continue. She could feel the blood running down her back and shoulder, but she remained silent.

He lead hear deeper into the gardens, ignoring her pained breath. He knew she was injured, but she needed to awaken her healing powers to take care of that. Yes she was human, but she had a great advantage over the whole race. She was a miko and he was going to make sure that she would be prepared to face the court under that title. They would test her thoroughly and it was his responsibility to make sure she was ready. Otherwise, he would bet the one to look like the fool for bringing an untrained miko as his advisor. Plus, if the palace was ever under attack, he had to trust that he had a useful warrior within her.

"Where are we going?" she asked growing weak. The blood was trickling down her side and she felt dizzy.

"As far as it takes, miko."

"As what takes? I don't even know what you are doing! I'm bleeding, can we please stop so I can take care of it?"

"No."

Kagome wanted to scream her head off. The nerve! She stopped following him and plopped herself on a boulder to the side of the path. Lifting her arm slightly, she examined her wound. It was fairly deep, and the skin around it was beginning to tint purple from the cold. She had to wrap it or do something soon. Glancing at the ripped kimono, she decided one more rip wasn't going to do much damage. She tore the hem off of it, and began to bunch it in her hand to dab the blood away. Just before she put it to her wound, a clawed hand grasped her tightly.

"I said, no. Do not disobey me."

"You're mad, you know! Do you want me to become ill? What use am I to you dead?"

"You do not need human resources to heal yourself."

"What are you going on about? If you don't want me taking care of it, please be kind enough to at least tell me what it is you want," she exasperated.

"You have the power within yourself to heal most injuries you receive. Use it."

With that, he took the rag from her hand and continued forward. She furrowed her brows and thought hard. Is he truly expecting me to master healing right here and now? For God's sake I was just sick with fever and I lost enough blood last night. I think he is trying to kill me, very gruelingly slow.

"Let's get a move on," he said not lessoning his strides.

Getting up weakly to follow him, she used the trees to keep herself up. Damn Inuyasha. If he wasn't such a baka I would never be in this mess. I wouldn't have to close the well, I wouldn't have to be bleeding following Japan's biggest jerk whose eyes are as cold as the snow I'm walking on. I wouldn't have to be in this horrible, horrible mess.

She could feel something stir inside her but she ignored the tingling feeling. Years ago I fell madly in love with a hanyou who betrayed me for a zombie. My family doesn't know if I'm dead or alive. My friends have probably already concluded that I'll never be there for them like before ever again. Flashes of her kit attacked her heart and she clutched a tree tightly for support. Shippo is looking to me for guidance when I don't even know where to look myself. And my sole purpose in this world is to guard some stupid gem a stupid miko created hundreds of years ago just so vermin like Naraku doesn't get their hands on it and destroy the world! Damn it I can't do it on my own!

Suddenly, a purple glow surrounded her body and her eyes blackened for a moment. When she opened them again, she was laying on her back looking up into amber eyes.

"Good. Now learn to control it."

"What?" she asked utterly confused. He stepped back waiting for her to get up. Sighing loudly, she rose and stared at him angrily.

"What do you want from me? I followed you and fainted because of it! What more do you want?"

"Miko, that is not why you fell momentarily," he said gesturing to her side.

She looked down and noticed her entire wound had closed. She looked up at him in confusion and waited for him to continue.

If he were a lesser demon, he would have slapped himself in the forehead. Is she truly this unaware of herself? What in holy heaven did I do to deserve this?

Maintaining his bored expression, he began to explain. "What ever it was going through your head, it triggered your power to surface. It felt your pain and reacted to it, trying to heal all wounds. My hypothesis for you loosing consciousness is that the pain was not only physical, and the only way it could heal that was to shut you down. Now that you can recognize the feeling of your healing power, tomorrow we will work on bringing on command."

Nodding her head in compliance, she stood there with her head bowed and her gaze lowered. Am I hurting so bad that even my natural power cant' deal with it?

Something began to tug at Sesshomaru as he looked at the pitiful miko. Whatever it was, it did not like the look she had written on her face.

"Come. We have a few hours left before the court arrives. It is time to teach you the etiquette of a proper advisor."

He turned away from her because looking at her broken eyes felt strange. He'd seen men groveling over loss of family, women beating their own bodies over grief, and sadness this miko most likely knows not of. But the look in her eyes was the most heartbreaking thing to look at. Something as innocent as her should not bare looks of sadness.

Her eyes were much to similar to his Rin's. He remembered their look when he revived her. The darkness floating around hindered its natural joyful appearance. It made him feel strange then and it is making him feel strange now.

Quickening his pace, he made his way into the palace doors, with Kagome trudging behind, where things made sense. At least, for now.