A/N: Wow this one took me forever to write

We have more development in the relationship between Ari and Sesshy. Plus Kikyou

Disclaimer: I do not own anything (for now*insert evil laugh*)

"So we're going to Mt. Hakurei? Why? I thought that was a sacred place do you suddenly feel the urge to get purified?" Ari asked when she saw the holy mountain looming in the distance. They hadn't spoken about the kiss much to Ari's frustration but that could have been more to do with the fact that they hadn't had a moment alone together since but Ari didn't want to ask him directly as she feared the response he would give however she knew that she have to ask eventually. Not that Sesshoumaru ever let her out of his sight and accompanied her everywhere even to the hot springs.

"That mountain will not purify this Sesshoumaru." He replied haughtily.

"Right, because you're untouchable." Ari said sarcastically rolling her eyes.

"Precisely."

"Ooh I swear you're more arrogant then Malfoy in first year and I thought that was impossible." Ari said shaking her head.

"This one is not arrogant I was simply telling the truth." Sesshoumaru replied amused.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Ari said.

It was late when Ari finally asked the question she had been both anticipating and dreading. Rin and Jaken were sound asleep so it was only her and Sesshoumaru awake. Ari quietly got out of her sleeping bag next to Rin and made a shushing sound to Lord Fluffy whose head shot up at the movement and made her way to Sesshoumaru. She sat next to him when she received a nod of acknowledgement and taking a deep breath she began.

"Why did you kiss me? The second time I mean because I know the first time was to stop me from being all I wanna kill you all. Still it was a rather weird way to do it. But I really don't get why you kissed me the second time." Ari said in a hurried rush.

"This one kissed you because he wanted to." Sesshoumaru stated.

"I think I'm going to need a little more information than that." Ari said exasperatedly.

"This Sesshoumaru is unsure why he kissed you again." Sesshoumaru said honestly.

"You are so hard to understand did you know that? You shouldn't just go around kissing women when you feel like it, it gives the wrong impression." Ari said.

"And what impression is that?"

"Oh I don't know maybe that you like them a little more than usual." Ari whispered harshly.

"This Sesshoumaru is unsure of what I feel for you."

"So what do you feel for me?" Ari asked blushing slightly when Sesshoumaru pulled her into his lap his mokomoko wrapping around her.

"This one feels a strong desire for you," Sesshoumaru said as Ari played with his fur. "I want to protect you from all harm as is the normal desire for the alpha. However I find that I desire your body in a way this one has never desired the female body before." Sesshoumaru paused to trace his lips gently down her throat and Ari had to bite her lip to keep quite. "Was that a satisfactory answer?"

"I...Think I got the point." Ari whispered breathlessly as Sesshoumaru pulled away.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" Sesshoumaru said. "Do you understand what it means to have someone like myself attracted to you?"

"Um no not really." Ari said blushing.

"It means that it is taking everything within my control not to get up and bring you to somewhere private and take you." Ari blushed heavily and asked the question that every girl desires to know the answer to when it comes to the opposite sex.

"Do you love me?"

"I do not know," Sesshoumaru said. "I have never felt the emotions I feel when something involves you."

"I don't know what to say Sesshoumaru, I mean I've never done anything remotely like this." Ari said looking down.

"This one does not wish to do anything without your approval but there are other complications you should be aware of." Sesshoumaru said closing his eyes.

"Like what?"

"You are mortal, I am not." Sesshoumaru said softly causing Ari to jerk slightly in surprise.

"Uh well that's not entirely true," Ari said with a nervous laugh. "You see I maybe, kind of, might be somewhat immortal."

"What?" The surprise was clear in his voice.

"Um well in the magical world there are these three items that were a gift from Death and you see well I have these three items." Ari said unclipping the charms on her bracelet returning them to their original state. "The wand of Elder, the most powerful wand in existence and will win any and every dual. The resurrection stone with the ability to call back souls of the dead but only in a ghostly form they don't actually exist because they don't belong in this realm of living. Finally, the invisibility cloak to keep your enemies from detecting you and allowing you to be shielded from death's gaze. All three together make the Deathly Hallows and the owner of the three the so called master of Death." Ari said and then went on to explain about her connection with Death and her own immortality.

"You, little witch, are by far the most unusual and intriguing human this Sesshoumaru has ever had the pleasure of meeting." Sesshoumaru said once he heard the tale in its entirety. "There is also something else you should be aware of; my beast has deemed you worthy enough to be my mate."

"Mate? I'm guessing you don't mean it in the way the term means in the future?" Ari asked hesitantly.

"What does it mean in this future of yours?" Sesshoumaru asked rubbing his nose against Ari's cheek.

"It's just another term for friend." Ari said.

"Then no, I don't mean it in that way," Sesshoumaru said frowning slightly. "To be ones mate in the sense I mean it to be is to be bonded together."

"Oh so it's like marriage."

"No it is nothing like the marriage between humans. Mating is higher than that, if you choose to mate someone you are choosing to spend the rest of your life with them. Each type of youkai has different rules in mating but there are some rules that apply to all for example the male must prove himself worthy to the female."

"Oh I see." Ari blushed it sounded so romantic to be with one person for the rest of your life. "You said that your beast wants me to be your mate but what about you yourself? What do you want?"

Sesshoumaru paused and looked away, he had thought about this continuously since his beast let him know what it wanted from Ari. He refused to mate someone who was mortal but Ari wasn't mortal and could choose when she wished to die. She was human though she was powerful and held this rare beauty that couldn't be found in any demoness but any pup she bore him would be hanyou. A very powerful hanyou that would be a mix of demon and magical blood. He found he became very jealous when he imagined her with anyone else but with him but when he imagined her with him she would always have a little silver haired boy in her arms with little twitching dog ears on top of his head and shining green eyes and he found the idea didn't repulse him at all as a surge of desire flowed through his body. The idea of Ari carrying his pups didn't repulse him at all.

"What this one wants is you my little witch." He murmured quietly only to see Ari had fallen asleep during his contemplation. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and joined the rest of the camp in dreamland his head filled with a green eyed hanyou heir.

OoO

They arrived at Mt. Hakurei the next day and Sesshoumaru had disappeared to whatever it was Sesshoumaru did when he went off alone. Ari was left to babysit Rin not that she minded Rin was a very well behaved child.

"Where did you go Ari? Rin was worried when you left."

"I went to go see my godson." Ari replied munching on a raspberry.

"Rin thought that he was very far away."

"Oh he is but I know a shortcut." Ari said with a wink making Rin giggle. Ari watched as Rin played with Lord Fluffy and smiled slightly before looking down at the photo album in her hands. She had been showing Rin the pictures earlier; she opened the book again and turned it to the picture which showed her parents dancing happily together.

"I miss you," she whispered softly touching the photo. "I wish you here now mum."

"Rin where are you going?" Ari heard Jaken shout. Ari quickly grabbed the photo album securely and chased after Rin.

Once she entered the barrier she found that her sight was impaired by the fog. Ari cursed quietly and carried on forwards looking for Rin after her point me spell had failed. It seemed the barrier around Mt. Hakurei affected her magic and whilst she was still able to cast spells they weren't as powerful.

Ari continued walking for a while until she felt herself pass through the barrier once again and turning she found herself on the other side of the mountain. She frowned; she wasn't walking for that long was she?

"You are from the future are you not?" said a voice from behind her and turning she found herself looking at...Kagome? No, Ari realised this wasn't Kagome this was the dead priestess Kikyou.

"How did you know?" Ari asked.

"Your clothes." Kikyou remarked with a pointed look towards her jeans and hoodie.

"Well it's hard to fight when you're wearing a dress and the clothes from around here are really itchy." Ari said with a sheepish shrug.

"Do you know Kagome then?" Kikyou asked as she turned and continued to walk away.

"Yeah, she's part of my adopted family." Ari said jogging to catch up with her.

"I see," Kikyou said. "My reincarnation wishes to take Inuyasha from me doesn't she?"

"Kagome loves Inuyasha," Ari said softly. "However she knows that Inuyasha loves you, so she is willing to keep on being friends with him knowing full well he would choose to be with you."

"Why would she put herself through that is she truly that selfless?"

"It is better to have loved and to have lost then to have never loved at all." Ari said in reply to Kikyou's question.

"You too know heartache, all though it is not in the same context as Kagome." Kikyou stated.

"A lot of people have died around me."

"I see then you know what it is like to carry a burden."

"Yes, in my time I was the child destined to defeat a very evil and powerful man. I was forced to grow up without having the chance to experience the wonders of childhood." Ari said sadly.

They both walked in silence for awhile before they came across a man with a rather large sword. Kikyou had stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him with narrowed eyes as he passed them, only to pause about four steps behind them.

"You, priestess, are you the one they call Kikyou?" He asked.

"And you are with the Band of Seven." Kikyou stated and Ari wondered who the Band of Seven was, the guy with the big sword just laughed and walked away causing Kikyou to turn back around. "Wait!"

"What do you want of me?" The guy asked.

"You're supposed to kill me are you not?" Kikyou asked in return.

"I dunno, Naraku hasn't given my any orders to do so." Ari frowned, so these Band of Seven guys were Naraku's allies. "I've heard the rumours about you; still I never imagined you'd be so beautiful."

"Wow real smooth." Ari said sarcastically as Kikyou pointed her arrow at him.

"Oh and who are you?" He asked looking at Ari.

"Someone who thinks that sword of yours is clearly over compensating for something that's very small." Ari grinned and Kikyou let out a bubble of laughter.

"I should kill you for that remark." Ari just laughed and pulled out her own sword.

"I'd like to see you try." Ari said.

"Stop!" Kikyou shouted at them and they both turned to look at her. "I want to know why you keep on killing."

"I don't need a reason to kill people do I?" He laughed and after uttering something about the afterlife which Ari quickly got bored listening to, he left with a wave of his hand.

"Why do you not travel with Inuyasha?" Kikyou asked once she had explained who and what the Band of Seven was.

"Oh well that's because I travel with Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's brother." Ari said.

"How interesting." Kikyou remarked. "That trinket you carry around your wrist is from the spirit world is it not?"

"How did you know?" Ari asked amazed that she knew.

"I have been dead as you well know, your trinket has an aura of death around it."

They continued walking in silence for a long time both caught up in their own thoughts until a scream tore through the air followed by a little girl shouting someone's name, a name that Ari recognised all too well.

"Rin!" Ari cried out and ran in the direction of the scream. She hid behind a tree when she arrived at the small hut and saw Rin in the hands of a very oddly dressed guy, Jakotsu. This guy was talking to another guy Suikotsu, who looked like he had Wolverine claws Ari almost sniggered at that. Drawing her sword she made to follow them quietly as they moved back inside the barrier, Ari frowned when they mentioned using Rin to lure Sesshoumaru into the barrier.

Ari kept a fair distance behind them so she could just barely make out their silhouettes in the fog. She heard the oddly dressed guy's remark about Sesshoumaru no longer following and frowned knowing full well Sesshoumaru wouldn't have stopped following Rin. To prove her point Sesshoumaru appeared on top of the ridge glaring at the two members of the Band of Seven.

"Damned wretch you're a demon but the barrier doesn't seem to affect you." Jakotsu said angrily pulling out his sword from its sheath on his back and struck at Sesshoumaru. "Maybe this will."

Sesshoumaru dodged the attacks and deflected the last one on Tokijin and Ari nearly gasped as she realised Sesshoumaru had been cut, so the barrier was affecting him. Ari shook her head and pulled out her sword and carefully made her way over to where Suikotsu stood, his back to her holding Rin with his Wolverine claws poised to attack her. She almost grinned as she brought her sword up and allowed the point of her sword to touch the back of his neck.

"Let her go." Ari said in a deadly calm voice.

"And if I don't." Suikotsu asked.

"Well let's just say you will be getting real friendly with my sword." Ari said allowing a grin to appear.

"Ari you came to rescue me too." Rin said happily.

"Of course I did, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't?" Ari said. "Now put Rin down."

"Alright." Suikotsu said as he dropped Rin and turned quickly to try and stab Ari with his claws but Ari blocked it on her blade.

"Who the hell is that bitch?" Jakotsu asked looking over at Ari.

"You will not look at her." Sesshoumaru said harshly as he swung Tokijin down causing Jakotsu to dive out of the way. Jakotsu flung his sword towards Sesshoumaru who caught it on Tokijin and hauled Jakotsu over his head behind him. The Daiyoukai kept up the attack pushing Jakotsu further down the mountain. Meanwhile Ari had lunged forward thrusting her sword against Suikotsu and managed to catch his arm. Ari watched as the place where she cut turned black and began to spread all over his body, his arm became unable to move and he slowly crumpled to the ground.

"What is this?" Suikotsu asked desperately.

"My guess is it's the Basilisk venom on the blade and because you are already dead it's countering the Shikon shard you have and your skin is decaying instead I'd say you have little more than a minute left of your current existence." Ari said.

"Ari!" Rin shouted as she threw her arms around Ari and in response Ari picked her up and hugged her close.

"Damned woman!" Jakotsu shouted and he threw his sword in her direction as Sesshoumaru intercepted it and impaled Jakotsu on his sword.

"He is being sustained by a jewel shard Sesshoumaru, he won't be killed like that." Ari shouted over to the Daiyoukai, who looked over in her direction and Ari watched as his eyes widened causing Ari to freeze.

"I will kill you wench." Suikotsu hissed breathing heavily. Sesshoumaru pulled away from Jakotsu as Ari turned around and Suikotsu threw his hand forwards. Ari felt as if time had slowed as she watched Sesshoumaru rush towards them out of the corner her eye and Suikotsu's clawed hand come closer to her body. She distantly heard Rin screaming and Sesshoumaru shout her name as a pink light shot passed her and into the throat of Suikotsu. Ari was pulled away by Sesshoumaru as Suikotsu stumbled back by the force of the arrow.

"You are unhurt." Sesshoumaru stated as he checked her over.

"We are both fine Sesshoumaru." Ari said but her quivering shoulders gave her away. Ari swallowed heavily as she rested her head against Sesshoumaru's shoulder.

"Why did you leave me again?" He asked quietly.

"I didn't do it on purpose, Rin ran off and I went to fetch her but I got lost. I couldn't use my wand because this barrier has weakened my magic and made my spells go all odd." Ari replied. Ari lifted her head from Sesshoumaru's shoulder and putting Rin back on the ground she watched as Kikyou moved past them towards Suikotsu. Jakotsu was nowhere to be seen it seemed he had fled when Kikyou appeared.

"Lady Kikyou, it's you." Suikotsu said as Kikyou knelt by his side.

"Doctor Suikotsu." Kikyou responded.

"At last I have returned, the tainted light prevented my return and I am sorry it came to this." Suikotsu said turning slightly to look at the sky. "I want to take my jewel shard Lady Kikyou. Please do this for me so it can all be over and I can rest in peace."

"Are you certain? Do you choose death?" Kikyou said, sadness edging into her tone.

"I am certain." Suikotsu said resigned. "When I was alive before I was torn, I didn't know what was right nor what was wrong. I was a physician, sworn to save people's lives and yet I killed someone with my own hands. I couldn't forgive myself. Then I heard a voice and I realised that it was myself, I was speaking to myself, telling me that I wanted to kill and keep on killing. An incredible evil lurked in my heart and it took over and made me kill. Not long after I met Bankotsu and joined the Band of Seven then murder became second nature. I've done some terrible things, I don't think I can ever seek redemption, and there is no hope for me now."

"There is always hope," Ari said walking over to Suikotsu. "You need only ask for it and it is given."

"Then perhaps I can truly rest in peace then." Suikotsu said. "Please Lady Kikyou I beg of you take the jewel shard from me, give me death."

Kikyou rose her hand and clenched it across her heart, then with a determined glint in her eyes she reached out to take the arrow away but she hesitated. Jakotsu's sword came flying out of nowhere and dislodged the jewel shard from Suikotsu, he caught it from the air and took off saying he would keep it as a memento. Suikotsu breathed his last breath and his body turned to dust and blew away in the wind leaving behind his clothes and bones.

"Rest in peace." Ari murmured sadly as she walked back to Sesshoumaru who began to walk away. "Goodbye Kikyou."

"Goodbye." Kikyou whispered as she got on her horse and left.

OoO

It was a few days later when Ari felt the barrier around Mt. Hakurei completely disappear and Sesshoumaru and taken her with him to investigate why it was gone.

"Naraku is nearby." Sesshoumaru told her with a low growl.

"Well let's go." Ari said rolling her eyes but paused when she felt Sesshoumaru grab her wrist.

"This Sesshoumaru does not wish for you to get hurt." He pulled her into his chest and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I know you will not listen if I tell you to remain here. I just ask that you do not do anything reckless."

"I'm not stupid Sesshoumaru, I won't do anything reckless." Ari said smiling.

They continued walking to where Sesshoumaru could smell Naraku and when they arrived Ari stared worriedly at the scene in front of her Kikyou stood with her bow drawn pointed at Naraku. Naraku raised his arm and one of the spikes on it grew longer and after saying something Ari couldn't make out he used his youki to snap Kikyou's bow and cut her shoulder. Ari gasped and it was only Sesshoumaru's hand wrapped around her wrist that prevented her from rushing forward.

Naraku spoke again but Ari still couldn't comprehend what was being said as she watched Kikyou fall onto the floor. Naraku used his youki to extend his hand into a rake-like claw and speaking again he used that hand to pierce through Kikyou's body and Ari watched as she fell into the miasma filled chasm beneath them.

"Kikyou!" Ari shouted yanking her wrist out of Sesshoumaru's grasp she rushed forward. She stopped at the edge of chasm looking desperately for Kikyou.

"Well isn't this a wonderful surprise." Naraku said from behind Ari.

"You monster!" Ari screamed as she whirled around sword raised and rushed at the hanyou. She attacked blindly tears falling from her eyes in a steady flow, Naraku easily dodged each blow. Using one his tentacles to grab Ari's wrist and flung her word away from her and it clattered to the ground in the distance. Naraku quickly formed a barrier to prevent Sesshoumaru's oncoming attack, he pulled Ari to him.

"Your attack can do nothing to harm me dog!" Naraku hissed out angrily. "My barrier absorbs your attack but it can also do this."

Naraku grinned sadistically as he sent Sesshoumaru's attack back at him and watched somewhat disappointedly as he managed to dodge it.

"Would you like to know what else I have been working on?" Naraku asked Ari as he pulled out a phial with a liquid in. "This is a very powerful sedative, I made it just for you my precious Arianna."

He quickly covered her nose with one hand and laughed when Ari refused to breath and slowly turned red. Ari gasped as her natural survival instincts kicked in and Naraku shoved the liquid into her mouth and closed it watching gleefully as she swallowed it in surprise.

Ari felt weird she could hear someone calling her name in the distance but it was fuzzy. In fact the whole world seemed fuzzy she made a slight spluttering noise before the world turned black and se knew no more.

A/N: Ooh cliffhanger, naughty author

So Naraku has Ari captured within his barrier oh my I wonder what will happen to her.

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