Well like I promised, and I'm impressed that I've kept my word all this time. Anyway I will move on with this author note. I would like to thank all of you who added me to alerts and favorites.

I would like to give an extra special thank you to my one and only reviewer for this chapter:

Princess of the western lands: At first she'll be traveling with someone but not any of her group. I also just finished writing the chapter with Inuyasha and Kikyo so you'll see them in about two chapters. The same one has Kouga in it. Itoe-sama won't be making an appearance for a while.

Anyway thanks so much for the review getting at least one made my day.

Enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 13:

Sesshomaru had allowed her to start off by herself since Rin and Shippo still had lessons that needed to be finished before they could leave for an extended amount of time. So she had left that night, feeling slightly uncomfortable with leaving her kit with someone who she had viewed as an enemy for so long. Even if said enemy expressed a great deal of concern for her in the future, and had taken care of her child for the past year.

She had decided that he would get an entirely new start from her, for her own reasons rather then what Itoe-sama had requested and so she'd trust him until he betrayed that trust. Now she was uncomfortable for an entirely new reason, someone was following her. The kept the majority of their aura masked, but they weren't as strong as Sesshomaru so it would fall every so often alerting her to the presence. It was a familiar presence, one she had spent a lot of time around 'Susuki.'

She hadn't been kidding when she had said that she would attempt to kill her, she just hadn't thought it would be more than once. Kagome sighed and stopped in her tracks and looked at the spot Susuki was sure to burst from. Thinking about their earlier encounter Susuki had never really been close to attempting to kill her, Sesshomaru had interfered . . . again.

It didn't take too long for Susuki to carefully walk out of the forest she glared and hefted the spear she had into a fighting position. Susuki's favourite weapon in the future had been the same thing, even though it was out dated. They hadn't been training her for the future though and Kagome had a sneaky suspicion that Itoe-sama had planned the entire thing, she smirked slightly in memory of the clever old dog.

"You will not get what you seek," Susuki whispered dangerously just loud enough for Kagome to hear.

"You better hope that I do," Susuki may just think that she's a human looking for power but she wasn't, and the alternative was worse.

"I will not! You won't get it while I'm around!" Kagome paused for a moment and looked at the girl questioningly. She was supposed to be on Sesshomaru's side why didn't she want Naraku to have the jewel, unless. . .

"Do you even know what I'm looking for?"

"You want to find some way to make Sesshomaru fall in love with you! I won't let the greedy demoness' do it and I will not let some pathetic human!"

Kagome sighed and rubbed her head, she got the woman's concern since she was a close friend of Sesshomaru but as such she should know that Sesshomaru may be taking care of humans but there was no way he'd fall in love and mate with one. "Listen I know you're a friend of his and looking out for him and all, but relax. I'm not here to make him fall in love with me, in fact that is the last thing I would want. I just stumbled upon you guys quite by accident, and it was a surprise for me that he didn't attempt to kill me upon sight. It was a bigger shock that he claimed my pack as his own, and looked after my kit. My point is my quest is for the Shikon jewel not to seduce the un-seducible."

"Ha! He'd never fall in love with a woman that wanted false power! Try some other way to get his attention." Kagome groaned she was starting to think that this woman spent more time around Inuyasha instead of his stoic older half-brother, "Sesshomaru doesn't attempt to take lives, he does. He doesn't need to try."

"Wow. Listen Kit, I'm not interested in Sesshomaru! I'm the Shikon miko so therefore it is my purpose to seek the jewel. And Sesshomaru isn't always successful; he had attempted my life very seriously at first and failed to kill me. So now can e stop the talking and start the fighting?"

"I am not a Kit!" with that she charged forward, her form matching Sesshomaru's almost exactly except made sloppy by her anger.

Kagome sighed and side stepped her first attack, adapting a rather bored expression. 'No wonder Inuyasha always loses'. "You're acting like one," Kagome said and parried a thrust of Susuki's spear, she was using little energy in the fight. Thus she could see why Sesshomaru insulted Inuyasha constantly.

To their audience of one it looked exactly like a battle between the two brothers, except that they were female, unrelated, and not a half demon verses a Taiyoukia. He was surprised that the miko resembled him more than his friend and general, and he smirked as the banter reached his ears. Yes the proud Sesshomaru had decided to let a pack member fight her own battles and he was pleasantly surprised about her skill.

She wasn't purposely egging the fox demoness on, it just so happens that each statement that came from the demon could be countered with the truth she didn't want to hear. So as each answer made her angrier her attacks became wilder, one had even grazed the miko's shoulder but before blood could bubble to the surface and before the scent found its way into the air, the wound was gone. Now though she was getting bored of the game and attacked with a little more force them before shocking the demoness and sending her flying backwards, and before she could get to her feet Kagome was on top of her.

"It was foolish for you to put away your sword," the woman general gritted out as she attempted to move, but she found she couldn't.

"No not really. I am a miko, my very body is a weapon against most demons"

"Most?"

"Except for the ones I choose. Now I'm going to teach you a lesson," with that said Kagome's body glowed a soft pink and Sesshomaru started to move to stop the purification until he realised that the light wasn't harmful, at least in the death kind of way. He was unable to move after that, and he understood that there was a barrier around him. The miko had known he was there.

As the glow started to fade Kagome got to her knees and picked up something that was at her feet, she turned around and smiled at Sesshomaru before holding up a small animal, "Do you mind if I take Susuki. We need some bonding time." The miko had turned his general into a pup one that was unable to transform, "She has all her powers and can turn into a bigger version. Like Sa- the demon's slayers neko!"

No Susuki had not been turned into a kit, she had been turned into a demon familiar which was more degrading. He was angry, but there was nothing he could do. The miko had every right to kill the fox demon, but she had not instead she turned it into something that would be dependent on her. Thus showing the protective general that the miko could be trusted, and the same woman hadn't really given him a choice for she had already started to walk away.

0.0.0

"So another day spent in a futile attempt to find a shard," Miroku huffed as he crumpled at the base of a tree. A year had passed and in all that time they had stumbled upon three shards, they hadn't even realised it until the demon didn't die easily. The demon had all three shards and had it not been for the wolf demons bonded to them by their 'alpha' they'd have died that day.

They went from fight to fight and demon to demon in an attempt to finish the quest and it hadn't worked out for the best. In fact their lives seemed to have gotten even more complicated, instead of the bonding time that he would have like to have with his beloved Sango he got bouts of jealousy as one of Kouga's pack members became infatuated with him.

He could have sworn that the demoness was actually related since she would appear in a whirlwind of dust grip Miroku by his hands and proclaim her love loudly and in Sango's face. Masami was her name and although she was beautiful with her shoulder length brown hair held out of her face with two braided pieces and pined in the back by a very expensive looking paw clip, her gray eyes speckled with green, and her lean body that moved gracefully in battle. She was attractive, but not who Miroku wanted.

The one he wanted had adapted the habit of throwing herself into a jealous rage after each encounter, and while he loved seeing her angry as her jerky and spastic movements made his imagination run wild he had preferred it when it was caused by his lecherous ways. To say that he understood Kagome's exasperation was an understatement at least Inuyasha didn't take out his jealousy on Kagome, which was one thing Kagome had gotten away with by being female.

His thoughts automatically saddened as he thought about the futuristic miko, he missed her especially when Sango was throwing various objects at him. She would stand and happily declare that it was bath time, and whenever they had come back Sango would be in a much better mood until of course his had found its way to her bottom again.

"You are thinking of her again," Sango said suddenly her voice becoming low, not in the dangerous kind of way he had gotten used to. There was no need to ask which 'her' she had meant, their sister and their friend was the only female that hurt them mutually to mention and to think of. Miroku nodded his head as hestared into the fire not seeing the dancing flames, no he didn't see anything at the moment, "It's still possible . . ."

"Y-yeah," his voice cracked slightly, he didn't know how many times Sango had wished she was here but he had almost every day and night. Three years was enough to get attached to someone, especially someone like Kagome who drew everyone in. She had even attracted the attention of their stoic pack leader, who had questioned them about her each time they had caught him checking up on them.

Sango had sat next to him, something she rarely did now that Masami had staked a claim on Miroku. He missed the closeness the comfort, and although he missed it the least he even missed groping her bottom and receiving injuries for it.

"I could really use some girl talk," Sango said although the monk was sure it was more to herself then anyone, "A lot goes on in one year." Miroku nodded and was slightly surprised when she turned fully to look at him, "What do you miss the most?"

That was hard to say especially about Kagome. Inuyasha would say something like how he missed her bringing ramen, if he even missed her. Shippo would cry and say he missed her hugs and her scent, and how she could always make him feel better. Sango he knew missed her calming ability and how the girl could make Sango forget about what had happened, "How she made everyone so happy, with just the small things she did."

He missed the entire travelling party, Inuyasha a little less then everyone but that was only because he caused the separation. The half-demon was still his friend, best friend even, and he missed the innocence of Shippo. The miko he missed the most, she had brought them all together and without her it seemed like there had been no point in staying together. Sango, had she left, he would miss the most and it wasn't hard to see why.

It had taken a few days for him to instantly be interested her, a year for her to be the only receiving end of his perverseness and by the middle of the second year he had fallen in love. She didn't know and at the moment he hadn't wanted to tell her, it would just seem to fake. So he showed her, he had even stopped groping her at special 'moments' Kagome had called them.

In fact thinking about it he hadn't touched in a very, very long time. He looked at the demon slayer a devious look coming into his eyes, but she did not see it. So ever so slowly he shifted closer, his hand inching further then his body moved. In a flash his hand was rubbing the firm round bottom he had missed so much.

She paused for a moment confusion making her brow frown, that was of course until she recognised the familiar sensation. Then her face went blank, but didn't stay that way for long. Miroku was not disappointed to see the red slowly creeping up her face, or the way her eyes narrowed. Most of all he loved the way her body tensed, she lifted her arm and it darted forward for his face.

He caught it in his own hand and pulled her forward on top of him, eliciting a surprised squeak from the slayer and he smiled tenderly at the sound. There was no sound for a moment as her face was buried into his shoulder and her body crushed against his in a tight embrace, there was no movement until the embraced demon slayer noticed something hard between their bodies. If possible her face went an even brighter shade of red and she squirmed to get a way.

"HENTAI!" she screamed but the seriousness was lost as she let out a giggle.

"I see you guys don't change," a gruff and familiar voice said from the tree line.

Miroku had been enjoying himself, and it had been the best moment of his life. However the moment that he heard Inuyasha's voice any further enjoyment or plans had flown out the window. He sat up and was pleased to note that Sango didn't immediately remove herself from his body, in fact if anything she shifted closer to him and if he hadn't been glaring slightly he would have beamed with pride.

"What is she doing with you?" Miroku asked pointing to Kikyo who had remained in the shadows, subconsciously he moved his arms around Sango as if to protect her from the dead woman's evil glare.

"She has decided to help me collect the rest of the shards," Inuyasha said proudly and Miroku thought of something that made him smile slightly.

"It's pointless to continue the hunt," Sango looked appalled at what he said, but he pushed on to explain, "You, Sesshomaru, Kouga, and any other demons are going to have to wait five hundred years to complete and get rid of the jewel."

"Why is that?" Miroku was no idiot he could see Naraku's aura lingering on Inuyasha's old love, and he wasn't about to give the miko a hint to help the hanyou.

"Kagome is dead," Sango immediately caught on and buried her face in his shoulder, "I was informed of her return only a little while ago. She had located a spell that would open a rift in time, however one of Sesshomaru's men killed her and Kouga was too late to save her so cremated her with the jewel shards she had. You'll have to find her incarnation."

He was a convincing liar; he had to be with all the scams he pulled about evil spirits. However he waited patiently for a sign that his story was bought. Inuyasha's jaw had opened and regret was evident in his eyes, as were unshed tears. Kikyo however showed no sign for a moment before gripping her chest and glaring at him.

"You are mistaken, my soul would have returned to me." Miroku shook his head.

"You are the one mistaken," she looked offended and Miroku made a mental note to laugh at her later, "You and everyone else in this era assumed that she was the reincarnation of you. This could not be for she was born with a heart free of greed. If I recall correctly all Shikon miko's look the same due to its link with its creator. She holds her own separate soul thus it would not return to you, however if you were the one to die instead of her the part you hold would return to her."

It was a theory he had thought on for a while now, and by the understanding glint in the miko's eyes it wasn't unbelievable. The almost victorious smirk was replaced as an imitation look of heart break or sadness.

"The poor girl! I did not wish death on her! This is a tragedy," Miroku was not deceived by the act but Inuyasha ate it up, wanting to believe that his old love was not as full of hate as he feared, "Please let me be alone for a moment. I must grieve for the girl as a fellow priestess."

It was a believable act and Inuyasha was all too ready to believe it so that what he feared about the dead one would be only a fear. It was the same reason he so readily ate up the story of Kagome's death, he feared it and so believed it.

They all watched as Kikyo ran off and from the same direction he felt Naraku's faint aura as if he was trying to hide it. Inuyasha didn't notice, so the monk said nothing soon enough Kikyo would be found out and he wasn't going to risk his friendship with Inuyasha to help him realise it.

End Chapter.

Anyway it turns out that this chapter was the one with Inuyasha and Kikyo in it which I forgot, but that doesn't matter at the moment.

Tell me what you think.

See ya next monday.