XIX.
Touch
As he had run across the plain, Sesshomaru had felt warmth growing in his thoughts, a complete contrast to the faint and flickering pain that had been his feeling of Kagome since he had followed her to the human village.
Now, standing in front of her, he could see the reason - and he was pleased.
Her - friends. They stand by her side.
Perhaps - just perhaps - there was more to these particular humans than he had thought. The kami knew this houshi and his woman had faced him without trembling; for Inuyasha's sake, they had defied his wrath and his killing intentions...and they had done the same for Kagome, he was sure. It was in their eyes when they looked at her, now - as it once had been.
Both Sango and Miroku stood within arms reach of his mate, and there was not a flicker of fear or discomfort in them - or rather, only when they focused on him was there such a flicker.
That is as it should be.
Quickly, he beckoned Kagome forward as he was letting Rin down, and she in turn let Shippou go and turned to him. She was hesitant coming to him, her movements slow and her cheeks flushing with every step. He remembered immediately and perfectly why that would be. A wicked thought occurred to him, and he reached for her and pulled her against his body, bent down and let his teeth hover over the dark mark at her throat, just barely brushing her skin. Her scent warmed and her lips parted; he chose that moment to pull away.
"Rin has brought robes for you in her bag, mate; bathe, and change, and then we must be leaving this place."
"Can I – will I be able to come back here, to visit them?"
She pressed her cheek against his chest, spoke softly.
"They're getting married; I'm going to perform the ceremony for them, so -"
"You may do as you like, Kagome."
His hands caressed her back, her waist. There was something like surprise written faintly on his features, but she couldn't see it the way he was leaning over her. His voice was soft enough that only she could hear him.
"You are my mate, not my prisoner. I will not keep you from your friends."
Her arms tightened around him just a little, and then she let go and stepped away, looked down at the girl peeking around Sesshomaru's leg. There were humans in all directions but Rin was never afraid with Sesshomaru there - and she seemed interested in Shippou. Kagome bent down and smiled at her.
"Rin, are you well?"
"I am happy, Kagome-sama!"
With a straining sound, Rin held up the bag that had been put in her care.
"This was packed for you, and for me, and also Sesshomaru-sama."
She handed her bag up to Kagome, and took a cautious step forward peering at Shippou. After a moment she looked up at Sesshomaru over her shoulder, a questioning expression on her face. He nodded.
"Yes, that is why I brought you here, Rin. This Kitsune is Shippou. He is your...brother."
Kagome looked at him sharply, but his face was calm, showing none of the implications of his words.
Her brother? Does that mean - he wants to be a father to them? To Rin, and my Shippou?
She could barely believe it, could hardly conceive of what such a thing might mean.
"Shippou, would you like to meet your...new sister?"
Kagome's words were hesitant, a little slow, but Sesshomaru nodded his approval and as she looked down at Shippou she saw a bright, dawning pleasure on his face that washed away her uncomfortable feeling. He nodded exuberantly, and took a few hopping steps forward, his eyes on Rin.
"You are...you are my sister now?"
He tested the word carefully, as if might carry a bitter taste. If it weren't for the fact that this Rin called Kagome Kagome-sama, he would have been full of jealousy that the girl had been with his Kagome while he had been left alone with humans. Instead, he found himself strangely pleased with the smiling, nodding girl in front of him.
"I am Rin, and you are Shippou! Kagome-sama told me about you, and how you are hers, and how she found you – is that your tail, Shippou?"
Sesshomaru turned away while they were still just beginning to talk, and strode directly towards Sango and Miroku. Miroku took a half-step forward, shielding Sango, but Sesshomaru stopped far enough away that they didn't really feel threatened, and looked down at them with a masked expression that was more familiar than anything else they had seen from him so far. Rin's pleased reaction had changed his intentions, but there was no need for them to know that. He was beginning to have thoughts about the two in front of him; he had always been quick to grasp any new advantage and there were interesting opportunities here.
"I will go with Kagome - you, houshi, and you, Taijiya - I leave Rin in your care."
Kagome was already walking away down the long path towards the river, and he sped past them with quick, floating footsteps to catch up with her.
Miroku watched him go with wide eyes, and held out a restraining hand when Sango attempted to express her frustration.
"Well if that isn't just - "
"No, Sango, I think...I think this is a test, or maybe just a sign. What kind of trust does he show in us, by leaving this child in our care? And in Kagome, too - because we are the ones who she chooses to be the guardian of her child."
Sango covered her mouth with her hand.
"I didn't think of that. But you're so sneaky, Miroku!"
He grinned a little, and then became serious again.
"I think, Sango, that Sesshomaru may be a much more complicated person than Inuyasha wanted us to believe...or wanted to believe himself."
"I don't know -"
"Does Kagome look unhappy, Sango?"
Miroku could see in her face that she was recalling the way Kagome had approached her new mate, the soft smile on her face.
"No. No, she doesn't."
"Kagome has more trust and love in her than anyone I've ever seen. You and I are suspicious types, Sango, but I don't know if Kagome has a suspicious bone in her body."
He was laughing a little as he said it, but Sango looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Is that what you think? You must not have spied on as many of our baths as I thought, Miroku."
He looked pained.
"Sango, my love, please. Especially considering our current...circumstances, such comments - "
She could not help but giggle.
If Sesshomaru knew Miroku had spied on Kagome, he would chase him to hell and back. Assuming he didn't kill him, I bet that would be the funniest thing -!
Very quickly, her giggles became clear, high laughter. Miroku pretended to scowl.
"Well, I don't see what's so funny..."
Kagome intended to go to the river; she was not looking forward to the autumn chill of the water, but Sesshomaru's instructions provided no room for argument – and she really had no desire to stay in bloodstained clothes, anyway. She was surprised when Sesshomaru caught up with her and tugged her aside, in the opposite direction she had been going.
"Unless you want to wash in cold water, Kagome -"
"No, definitely not!"
"Follow me."
Before long, she could tell where they were going, even though the landscape was passing by her faster than her eyes should be able to catch.
I smell...water...and steam.
It was only a few minutes until the scents became real. In front of them, beneath a layer of mist, hot water simmered in a pool that glistened with a glassy texture. Easily, Sesshomaru stripped out of his clothes, left them piled on the ground and strode into the water. Kagome started and blushed as he walked past her, felt heat shoot upwards from her toes and tingle in the tips of her fingers. Emotional attachments aside, she could not deny that he was the most desirable male she had ever seen - and she knew that he knew how to please her.
Barely visible through the steam was Sesshomaru's silver head, hair dulled almost white with water and clinging to his back. There was nothing uncomfortable or awkward in his movements; he turned towards her, and she ducked behind the pile of rocks at the end of the pool, stifling a nervous giggle. She could see him clearly, the lean muscles in his shoulders relaxed, his features smooth as he lay back against the stone. His eyes closed and she thought she was safe, but the slow drawl of his voice wrapped around her, caressing her, his tone almost...humorous.
"Come here, mate - but I think you should undress, first. The water will make your clothes very heavy."
Kagome stood straight, and notched her hands at her hips.
"You wouldn't dare!"
A smooth, dangerous smile curved his lips, and he stood, wading through the water towards her with long, easy, shifts of his strong limbs. She watched him move, the gather and flow of muscles that rippled under his skin, his claws leaving thin trails across the surface of the water. The spring grew shallower towards her, and she watched him approach her until he only stood submerged halfway up his thighs; then she swallowed hard and turned away.
Oh...I do want him, I do - is that so wrong? Is it...is it bad?
His eyes loomed gold in the mist, bright with a secret amusement, and then she felt his wet hands on her arms.
"You are very strange, mate. In the Chase -"
She flushed a deep, burning red, and he only smiled wider.
"In the Chase, you came to me, and wrapped around me, and there was none of this…red…in you. Come here."
It was a quiet command from a voice she had never heard him use before, ages away from the growling darkness with which he had first possessed her. She wanted to obey him, felt an internal compulsion that did not derive completely from her own will, but from some deep instinct. Immediately, she fought it; it was too much like the overwhelming pull that had catapulted her out to this place in the beginning.
"I said, come here!"
He had her before she knew it, wet fullness of skin and clinging hair and hot breath in the steam as he took a single step forward and grabbed her. A cry escaped her lips as he dragged her back with him into the water.
Heavy cloth floated around her, and the water brushed pinkness into her skin as she gasped and floundered in the sudden heat. A touch of anger rose in her eyes, but his hands were insistently peeling the wet fabric off her skin, and his words slipped into her ears like water through a shell.
"If you are worried about the robes, they are too stained for further wear now, anyway. And if you are worried about me..."
He shook his head a little, and reached out to touch her lips with two fingers, gently, like a kiss. His hands went to work easily and swiftly on the ties of her robes and when he stepped back, the water rose to touch all the exposed places on Kagome's skin, rippling with heat and softness. The silk floated away on the surface of the water, and she curled into herself, still trying to cover what she knew he had already seen, touched...
"I have tasted every inch of your skin, mate. What are you hiding?"
The intensity of his eyes held her while he pulled away her hands, and drew her down with him into the deeper part of the spring. He said tasted, and a serpent of heat uncoiled in her belly and rose through her blood, begging awareness. Even through the steam, the glow of his eyes told her that he was, indeed, aware – the curve of his mouth teased her with his appreciation of her desire.
He pulled her across his lap, and she felt the hardness of him brush against her thighs - but he only held her, and bent his mouth to her throat so he could run his tongue over the mark there. She found the attention oddly calming and realized after a few minutes that she was...growling? He seemed quite pleased with the sound.
Calm spread around them, and she tilted her head up as far as she could, looking at Sesshomaru's face while his eyes were closed; odd-tilted,his eyes, with lashes silver and black both and a narrow, aristocrat's nose. High cheekbones drew his features into smooth planes and sharp angles; his lips were surprisingly full in that slim face, one corner tilted up now and the other out of view. One eye opened, and a gold glint reached out to pierce her.
"What do you look at when you watch me that way, mate?"
"Just - you."
Tentatively, she reached up to touch his cheek, and then his lips, just as he had done, the light pressure of two gentle fingers.
"It is not very nice, you know, to drag me in here and then just doze on me."
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, questioning.
"And?"
"And...?"
"What would you want me to do instead, Kagome?"
She took a deep breath, but stayed silent; he could hear her heartbeat begin to pick up its pace, and bent close to her ear, spoke very lowly.
"Or did you think I had forgotten your promise?"
"My - promise -"
Oh -
His raised eyebrow became the deceptive accompaniment to one of the dangerous smiles she was beginning to adore; he let his mouth sink gently closed over his claim of her. She half-flinched, expecting pain, but a rocking moan escaped her mouth, unnoticed, the moment his teeth entered her flesh. His thoughts swallowed her whole, the faint inner presence that she had only suspected was him raised to unexpected prominence by the soul-filling affirmation of the bond that tied them together.
Carelessly, disregarding her moan of disappointment, he pulled away and spun her around to face him.
"Do you think that I no longer want you, Kagome? Did you think I would take you that once, and never want to touch you again? How plain do I have to make my desire?"
Kagome used the water to her advantage and slipped away, but Sesshomaru waded forward and drew her close to him again; her unbound hair shimmered with wetness and her taut nipples peeked through the damp strands, drawing his eyes despite himself. He found even the points of her ears and the tilt of her eyes alluring; before he could stop himself, he was reaching for her. He did not want to alarm her, did not want to demand what she was not ready to give, but he could not imagine that she would deny him; the fragrance of her arousal was strong even in the steam.
When he reached her, it was as if a dam had been broken; for a moment her eyes showed a sparkle of red, and then her hands were on his skin, her mouth moving from his collarbone to his lips. She kissed him, pulling him closer, and the touch of her tongue slipping between his lips ground a groan out of his throat. She caught his lower lip between her teeth, and nipped gently – the taste and scent of his own blood became an erotic accompaniment to her hips, grinding against his erection, and the press of her soft breasts into his hands.
Gently at first, and then harder as her growls pushed him onwards, he pulled at her nipples and dragged his thumbs over their tips. Abruptly, she pushed him away, and flung droplets of water at him with a demanding motion of hands. There was still a flicker of red in her eyes, but not much; her cheeks were bright and flushed but her fingers were trembling with want. He stood back as she demanded, waiting to see what she would do, but nothing could have prepared him for her intentions. Kagome had let loose her desire, had taken a deep breath and plunged into the truth of her body's response and her own wanton intentions.
She allowed herself to touch him, fingers and claws caressing his back, his shoulders, the nape of his neck, down his chest and over taut abdominal muscles that rippled under her fingers. There was a moment of hesitation, and then her hands moved lower still; her tickling, gentle touch sent shivers through Sesshomaru's limbs.
He reached between them, and slid one finger against her wetness; her moan was breathy near his ear, and then she lay her head on his shoulder and raised her leg to wrap around his hip. She was nearly as strong as he was, now, and in their current position in better charge of their maneuvering; it took her only a moment to take him into her body. A hot, squeeze of pleasure made Sesshomaru stumble, widened his pupils and drew the air out of his lungs and into a moan that was half cry. He heard a sound that was part laughter; she was so pleased at having been able to take him by surprise.
But just as quickly she was off him again, pushing against him with claws and tongue and teeth. Somehow, Sesshomaru ended up pressed against the wall of the spring, and Kagome stalked him with hot eyes. A growl slipped eagerly out of her mouth; she was having fun. He was utterly astonished by her wanton urge, the exact opposite of the reluctance he had expected. What could he do but let her do as she pleased?
Easily swiftly, she lifted herself onto him again, but this time she stayed, moved slowly, watching his face, the gradual parting of his lips, and then faster.
Like a silk sheath, she fit him, tighter than his moment-memory of teasing penetration, slick and deep. Kagome was in control, pleasing herself with his body, and at first, despite the submissive nature of his position, he felt no need to complain. There was something extremely gratifying about this proof of her desire for him, something that gave the heat of his desire an extra layer of urgency – but he could only stay still, only allow her her dominance, for so long.
He waited until her eyes closed and her head fell back onto her shoulders under the force of her climax; her fingers spasmed against his chest, careless claws drawing blood, and the scent drew a darker shade of red into her eyes, made her writhe a little.
He wrestled her hands away in that distracted moment and turned her, pinning her beneath him against the steam-soaked rocks. She growled, showing teeth, and he matched her expression in every degree of fierceness and desire as he drove back into her body.
The hot water added an extra layer of sensation, but it was unnecessary. Kagome let out a long, shuddering wail, and dug her claws into the rock. Legs and feet spasmed together; he bit her throat, her breasts, the soft flesh above them. She scrabbled against him, and the waves of desire mounted high again and then broke as she felt him tense, and then clutch her tightly.
After a long moment he let her go and relaxed beside her, pulling her close through the water.
He expected the next few moments to be awkward; he was aware of Kagome's confusing modesty even if he did not understand it, and he thought she would pull away and cover herself again - but there was a smile on her face as she snuggled close and looked up at him.
"Well, Sesshomaru? What is going to happen now?"
When he let her go, she lay back in the water against his chest, floating in a nimbus of pleasure-that-had-been. Gently, he stroked her cheek and down to the smooth skin beneath where he had bitten her; he finally allowed her to pull away and wash then, ridding herself of the blood scent that had continued to cling to her skin as it clung to her clothes.
"Now? Now, we will leave this place, that village, and go home. I know that those humans are your friends, but I have no desire to stay with them any longer."
He stood, and strode to the edge of the spring, and his eyes studiously avoided meeting her gaze.
"Finish your bath; you must prepare your kit for the journey. There are a thousand things there has not been time to tell you, Kagome...and you still do not know what it means to be youkai, you do not know any of the things that are expected of you, or why - and very soon, there will not be enough time for you to learn."
He shook his head.
"You have no enemies, and that is good; you have no allies, no family, and that is...bad."
"I have family, Sesshomaru - "
"Human family, Kagome. They cannot help you."
She took a deep breath, let it out slowly.
"No. No, they...can't help me. But not because they're human -"
"Why, then? If you think they will be of use to you then I will not object, but to bring humans into our home is dangerous, Kagome. I have fought Challenge because of Rin, and you - you were more dangerous still. Whether you want to admit it or not, there is not much exchange between our two kinds; there are humans who are ruled by youkai, and there are humans who are killed by youkai...and sometimes it is the humans who do the killing. But there is not much peace between us, and to try to make such a peace is always seen as weakness."
She was silenced by his words, but his misunderstanding was greater than he knew.
"Sesshomaru, my family - it is not that they aren't here but that they are not...now."
"I thought that you came from far away, but -"
"No, Sesshomaru. No."
Her interruption, her correction, was soft but firm. He was right, there were a thousand things she didn't know - but the same could be said of him, at least where she was concerned.
"I am not from a far-away place, Sesshomaru. I am - I am from a different time."
She saw confusion, disbelief, and then acceptance move over his face in waves; she was just a little surprised, that he was able to take in such an idea immediately, without proof.
If she had given it a little more thought, she would have recognized that there was plenty of proof, if one cared to look for it - her old clothes, the materials they were made from, the bicycle she had ridden on and the bag she had carried with her everywhere - there were modern bandages in it, schoolbooks, strange food and drink packages, plastic wrappers, matches, pens, batteries, a flashlight, a radio - a hundred and one incredible things, all from the future. And there was her speech - her modern accent, words she tended to use - though less often now than she had first - which no one in this time period could understand.
She had no idea how many of those objects Sesshomaru had encountered, or seen, or how many strange things he had heard her say at the varying times he had come out of the shadows to fight Inuyasha. If he was honest, neither did Sesshomaru, nor could he have named such things, specifically - but the awareness was there all the same.
"The future. The future...not the past."
The words came out of his mouth with a testing quality; not testing of her, not asking for any explanations, just testing the words - their sound, their dimension.
"What year is it, when you are from?"
He stepped out of the spring, and she watched him rummage in the bag that Rin had given her; his own clothes, the familiar colors, were neatly folded at the bottom of the bag, and she saw him withdrawing other silks, presumably hers. But Kagome did not move to get out of the water yet; she sat still, and blinked. She had not expected the query; Inuyasha had never asked, and neither had Miroku or Sango, exactly when she was from. When she thought about it, it seemed a little odd that they hadn't put the question to her.
Then again...
"That's...a hard question, Sesshomaru. I would say it is the year two thousand and two - but that's according to the westerner's calendar; Nihon uses it in my time, and so does most of the rest of the world."
"Westerner's calendar...you are speaking of the humans who live beyond the great mountains in the west, the pale men with yellow hair."
She was surprised.
"Yes...yes, that's right. How do you know about them?"
There was a shrug in his eyes; his voice dismissed her question.
"Youkai are not limited like humans; there are enemies and alliances among us that stretch far beyond this land, where the sun rises - even far into the west, where the sun sets. There are humans there with blackened skin, and they worship demons as gods; I have spoken with a few, but they fear me as much as humans here. I never stay long."
Kagome let out a bewildered breath.
"That...that's incredible. I would never have suspected..."
"Humans do not interact with youkai on such a level as to be aware of our politics, our alliances - only our wars ever make impression on mortals."
Kagome shivered.
"Wars among youkai? That's...not a pleasant thought."
"No. It is not."
His agreement surprised her, and he saw this.
"I am a warrior, Kagome - I fight for my own honor, and for strength, and for power. You know this."
She nodded; in the beginning, that had been the only thing she knew about him.
"War is different. War is not for honor, war is not for strength, or for power. War is for chaos, and sometimes for revenge; war is the one thing that humans gave to youkai, and I have thought many times that they did this on purpose, to destroy us."
"What? Humans - "
"Yes. In ancient times, gods and demons walked the land, and they did fight amongst each other, but it was always a personal battle. Not until men came, with their armies and their banners, ranging thousands against each other, did that concept, that word, begin to move among us - war. "
Kagome heard that special shading of disgust in his voice, the tone he saved for all things human - and in this instance, for the first time, Kagome found herself agreeing with him.
"You don't know, Sesshomaru, how right you are. You...have no idea."
He saw terrible things written on her face, the thought of a nuclear blast first among the horrors, and for a moment he wondered - what kind of place is the future?
But he did not really want to know.
"Kagome, these are all interesting things, and I am glad that you are willing to share your truth with me -"
"My truth?"
She smiled; she thought that was a strange way to put it.
"Yes. But none of this is relevant to what is required of you now, mate. As I said, there are a thousand things..."
She tilted her head a little, looked at him with a curious expression that he could not identify.
"Well, then tell me."
"Tell you?"
He paused. Was it that easy? Could it be so simple; would she really listen?
"I cannot tell you, but there are words...there are things I could find that will help instruct you, teach you what it means to be youkai, Inu, Lady of the House of Blades."
Kagome took quick steps through the water and leapt lightly out of the spring; his eyes were drawn to her skin, and she fought the urge to cover herself again while she reached for clean clothes.
"Lady of the House of Blades – what does that mean? I thought -"
He took her obi, and gestured for her turn so he could wrap it around her waist; she was surprised at his skill.
"The rite of presentation will make it a formal truth, that title. Before it is real truth, you must learn the duties of a lady in this house - the duties of a mate. The names of my allies, and my enemies, the history that binds them to me; and those few who are my kin, you must know them as well, Kagome."
He paused, and she felt his fingers pulling the bow straight, and then his hands, resting lightly at her waist.
"I asked Kinawai to send messages; that is why he left us -"
"I wondered where he had gone! He didn't even say goodbye!"
"I did not allow it. He has been free enough in your company, lately, that I was...aggravated. It is my fault, not his - but the important thing is that the messages he brought are the summons to your presentation, at the dark of the moon."
Kagome felt a shiver that was not cold.
"And that is all, Sesshomaru? There is something else, I know it."
She felt his fingers tighten just the tiniest bit, and she turned in his grasp so she could stare straight up into his face.
"There was...a different set of messages, as well. Kinawai and I...we have called some of our own kin, some of those we trust the most, to come before the presentation and...meet you."
"Meet me?"
He nodded.
"You need supporters, Kagome; I do not want your first meeting with the lords of Council to be a violent one."
Teeth showed in his sudden smile.
"Although...I am thinking, now, that it would be dangerous for them, and not for you. I was worried - but perhaps I need not have been."
"Sesshomaru..."
Their old clothes, he shoved unceremoniously into the bag, and then he reached out a hand for her and started to lead her back the way they had come.
"It could wait until tomorrow, mate; but Kinawai probably will not. He is part of the reason why I must insist we return now - but be careful with him, Kagome. He is my ally, but that doesn't mean he has no plots of his own brewing, and he is notorious for his pursuit of females."
She giggled a little.
"I would never have guessed. But Sesshomaru, aren't I safe from him now because I am yours?"
The words she had chosen pleased him enormously, but he only allowed himself a small smile and a squeeze of her hand.
"If he is wise, that is true enough."
A cold wind blew over them, ripping away the end of his words, and Kagome shivered. It came from the north, that wind, and there was a tingle of unease in it - more than a tingle. But Sesshomaru did not seem to have noticed anything strange, so she shook off the feeling and turned her face back towards the village and the children who were waiting for her there.
A/N: Aha! Not quite as fast as I promised, but still pretty good considering I had twelve hours of class today! I decided to postpone Kasuka til the next chapter, because this one is already 5000 words, and the extra long chapters seem to be a pain in the butt. So - Reviews, beginning with last chapter as I promised! Much thanks to:
Raksha65: More updates, as promised! Much thanks for both reviews, actually, cause I just noticed there is one for the last chapter, too! You rock :D
Selene88Sakura: Hopefully it all is making more sense now, and that will continue to improve as more stuff gets explained! Sesshomaru holding Rin was the best thing I could think of to make him less...dangerous-seeming. I mean, she's tiny and cute, and she's not scared any!
Clara954: Thanks very much! I try hard with grammar and spelling and such...I don't have a beta, though, so sometimes stuff slips through!
Ichirei: That is so much easier to type! No mate for Jaken, that would be...weird to write. Ha! He's been Questing (for Sesshomaru, of course!) He'll reappear shortly I think...and YAY SENSE! I get worried that I'm too sneaky with stuff and then no one's going to know what's going on! But...maybe I don't have to worry! Yay! (again) And remember: giggling leads to hysteria, and hysteria leads to smelling salts, which are nasty! :D
nessabelle20: greatly do I thank you! As much as you love my chapters, I love your reviews!
Chaotic Reverie: As promised, Kagome's promise! Naked Sesshomaru is the best kind! I planned to have more Kasuka, more mystery, and more evil, but there was no room, alas. She can wait, though...might be better...(evil. plot. :D) But, another chapter, another day, and hopefully more awesome reviews! (on a completely unrelated note, for some reason I seem to have put lots of smiley's in this author's note...) More soon!
Anime Lady PIMP: He really can't, but he tries! And...more than a kiss, this time. Ha!
REDWOLF47: Thank you! Hope you like this one too!
Lunarcat12 Ah! Kouga will indeed go berserk! You caught me! But he'll wise up eventually...eventually...ha! And Kasuka, ah, Kasuka on a vengeance quest. People on a vengeance quest are always doomed and they don't even know it! Unless they're the hero - then occasionally they can not be doomed. Also, YAY WEDDING! I still haven't decided what kind of ceremony they're going to have, exactly, but Kagome will officiate and that will surely make people accept her more. Unless I write that they don't (but that would be...pointless.) Some questions answered this chapter...many more next chapter!
Niamh13: I worry about that occasionally - like I'm being too sneaky...have to work on that. But eventually, I promise - all things will be explained! I have this problem with writing 'he thought' and 'she said' and 'they mumbled' after everything...I try to sort of...insinuate it with prose? But if it's not really working than I need to figure something out; I have to give you extra thanks for the thoughtful critique! And sneaky sneaky you - have you been reading the sequel? :D
And, last but not least, Kouga's Older Woman: Ta-da! Sesshomaru brings Rin, and Sango and Miroku get over themselves!
PHEW! More soon everyone, I have a ten hour shift tomorrow, so who knows? :D Please Review!
Final revisions, complete! :D