Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or his characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.
Metamorphosis of a Miko
Phase Five: Taking Action
A few weeks had passed since the Inu pack had been back to Edo village, and learned from Keade that Kagome had finished her training with her.
After hearing that news Inuyasha had rushed out without waiting to hear another word to try the well and see if Kagome was at home. It hadn't worked but he was able to tell that his bastard half-brother was long gone, even his scent was gone from the area.
~Flashback~
"Kagome decided to travel and continue her training on her own. I assume she will be collecting jewel shards as she goes." Keade informed the group when Inuyasha returned. Of course Keade knew Kagome actually would be searching for the jewel shards with her new companion.
"Have any of ye found any shards?" Keade asked the group.
"We have not." Miroku answered. "We came across many demons, but none had any jewel shards."
"When did Kagome leave?" Sango asked with a frown.
"She left two weeks after ye all left." Keade answered.
~End flashback~
They ended up resting up until the next day before they left to continue looking for jewel shards and Kagome. Since then it had been about two weeks and they had yet to find any jewel shards or had any luck finding Kagome. It had even felt like ages since they had seen hide or hair of Naraku and his incarnations. That worried them since it was very possible he was planning something.
It was evening now and they were settled in their camp around the fire waiting for their food to finish cooking, and making suggestions on what they thought Naraku was planning and why they had yet to find Kagome.
"Do you think whatever Naraku is planning has to do with Kagome?" Sango wondered. "And if that's why we can't find her? We haven't seen him or any of his incarnations since before she stopped traveling with us after all."
"Do you think Naraku has Kagome, and that is why they are both out of sight?" Miroku asked. "She is traveling alone now so it is possible." He added thoughtfully.
"I wouldn't be surprised since the wench decided to go off on her own, and it would explain why I haven't caught her scent." Inuyasha said.
"That might be because of her training though." Miroku pointed out. They had no idea what Keade had taught her. "If you could catch her scent then that would mean any demon with a good sense of smell could as well."
"However, at least we know she is not dead." He said before he looked to Inuyasha. "Would Kikyou say anything if that was the case?" He asked.
"I'm sure she'd let me know." Inuyasha said with a nod. "Even if it's just to find out what caused her reincarnation to die."
"Do you think she might have come across Kagome?" Sango asked Inuyasha.
"It's possible. I can go look for her to see if she knows anything." He replied.
"I think that is a good idea, because right now we do not have many other leads." Miroku said and Sango nodded.
"What about Kouga?" She asked. "We haven't seen him in a while. It's possible he's come across Kagome."
Inuyasha nodded. "That flea bag probably wouldn't come and tell us if he had seen her just to spite me."
Sango and Miroku agreed, knowing how Kouga always reacted to Inuyasha. Seeing that their food was finished they ate silently, focusing on their meal and thoughts.
After they finished eating they bedded down for the night. It was a cool night so Sango and Miroku made their beds on opposite sides of the fire, instead of next to each other as they usually did, so they could be close to the heat. Inuyasha sat at the base of a tree, as he sometimes usually did, holding his sword against his shoulder, and they all relaxed and waited for sleep to come.
Nearly an hour later found Miroku sound asleep. Inuyasha opened his eyes and looked at his monk pack mate before he got up and approached Sango and lightly touched her arm. He knew she was close to sleep but not quite there yet, and he really wanted her tonight.
Sango opened her eyes and blinked slowly up at him before she smiled slightly and quietly got up. She looked to Miroku's sleeping form before she quietly followed Inuyasha a ways into the surrounding forest until they came upon a hot spring that was well out of hearing distance from their camp.
Inuyasha wasted no time and pulled Sango to him and kissed her. As their lips locked together he immediately started stripping her of her yukata, eager to feel her warm skin.
He grinned against her lips as he felt her pulling at his haori. She was just as eager as he was.
**MoaM**
Kirara opened her eyes from where she lay stretched out next to a bush. She watched as the hanyou and her ningen companion walked away from camp. They didn't seem to remember or care that she was still in the camp and fully aware of them.
Maybe they think I'm asleep. She considered as her eyes shifted to the fire.
She knew the hanyou used his senses to make sure the ningens were asleep whenever he wanted to go off and do something without one or both of them knowing. His senses, however, were not strong enough to know if she was asleep or awake, and he seemed to underestimate her ability to hear at distances.
She was well aware of the night time activities of those she traveled with, could hear them quite clearly, and was so very glad the miko and kit were no longer traveling with them. She had been watching with sadness for months at what was going on, and wished she could tell the miko what was happening behind her back.
Kirara's ears twitched suddenly as she picked up on the moans and groans of the hanyou and her companions increased activity. She closed her eyes wearily as her ears twitched uncontrollably at every sound they made.
Maybe…maybe I should leave. She wondered.
She never thought she would ever have cause to leave Sango, but she did not like the path her ningen companion had begun to go down.
She understood the need and desire to rut, she even understood the desire for multiple partners since felines tended to have many partners in their lifetime, but Sango was ningen and was supposed to have one partner, Miroku. They had committed to each other and planned on marrying, but it seemed neither one of them was all that committed to each other when it came down to it.
What the houshi did was his business, he was not her companion, but Sango was and she had never thought she would see or hear Sango rutting with multiple partners, especially since she had been untouched until recently. Never thought she would see her being disloyal to her chosen mate and lying to him. Never thought she would see her lying to and betraying the one she called sister.
Kirara did not want to stick around and see Sango's descent, didn't want to see her being used by the hanyou, and definitely didn't want to see her remain with a mate that was unfaithful. She just could not understand her companion! Did she not learn anything from watching the hanyou and the miko? The fact that he would leave her to go to the dead one?
Obviously her companion learned the wrong thing from her observations and talks with the miko. What did she think was going to happen between her and the hanyou? Did she think their situation would last forever? Did she think to commit to the houshi and still rut with the hanyou? Did she think she was the only one he was rutting with? Did she care that she was betraying the woman she called sister?
She yowled quietly in frustration at her thoughts and the increasing volume of the sounds of rutting. She decided then and there that she was leaving. She would not stay and continue to be a silent witness to what they were all doing.
Kirara stood and walked away from the camp without a backward glance then shifted to her larger form and took to the sky.
Where should I go? She wondered as she flew in a random direction. Maybe since I started out with a miko so very long ago I should give it another try. She considered thoughtfully. After a while she nodded to herself before searching for a place to rest for the night.
She would try and find Kagome. She would be a good companion.
**MoaM**
Kagome stood in the forest during the late afternoon practicing with her powers not far from her camp. She wore cream colored hakama and a short kimono with a green design secured closed with a long green obi sash. The pack was taking a break from traveling for the day and the children were busy with their studies so she was taking advantage of the quiet time.
She held a green softball size ball of her reiki in each hand, took aim, and launched one ball at the center of a tree then quickly spun around and launched the second at a tree behind her, pretending they were enemies.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, and imagined that her next imaginary opponent was another reiki user. She didn't know if their powers could be used against each other, wouldn't be surprised if they could since youkai could use their youki against each other, but she wanted to be ready in any case. Especially since she would eventually have to confront Kikyou.
She knew the only physical weapon Kikyou would have would be a bow and arrows, so she opened her eyes and quickly put up a green barrier around herself that would stop physical weapons. Then she held out her hand with her palm forward and shot out a solid green beam of reiki at the nearest tree.
I guess I'm in the mood for green today. She thought idly as she watched her power splash harmlessly against the tree.
Kagome refocused and made reiki replicas of her twin swords, one in each hand, and began to go through the forms that Sesshomaru had taught her.
Standing off to the side out of the way was Sesshomaru, a silent observer and companion. He watched his miko go through the forms he taught her and acknowledged that she had been a diligent student. The more she practiced the more she began to develop a gracefulness to her movements.
As his eyes followed every movement and shift she made he couldn't help noticing the way his blood heated. He had seen female warriors in action before but none had affected him the way his miko did. He considered that fact might be because she was turning out to be a fierce and dangerous fighter as well as having a caring and nurturing heart. She was developing the perfect blend to appeal to his Inu nature.
Kagome stopped her movements and sighed as she released her hold on her reiki and allowed the swords to flow back inside her. She then turned toward her alpha and smiled as she walked up to him. She leaned up in her toes and kissed his striped cheek and nuzzled his chin, which he returned as he ran his claws carefully through her hair.
"When are we going to mate?" She asked as she looked up at him.
Sesshomaru's eyes briefly flashed red and he smiled slightly. He had been waiting for her to mention their mating, to indicate she was ready.
"We cannot mate until your soul is complete, which means you have to retrieve the remainder of your soul. It is important because I need to tie our souls together to create our bond." He stated. "Once your soul is complete we can mate anytime." He added and she nodded.
"What will happen when we become mates? Will there be anything to expect besides us becoming mates? Anything I need to know?" Kagome asked and watched him nod once.
"Our mating will connect us however it will not change your lifespan. I will only have you for your life time." Sesshomaru informed her first.
"Are you okay with that?" She couldn't help asking. "Any children we have will be without a mother while they're still young."
"I am fine with it." He stated firmly. "I considered that piece of information before I asked to court you, back when my attraction to you was just beginning. Our children will be without their mother, but they will still have me. They will have their pack, and they will know their mother loved him." He assured her. There wasn't even a question that she would in fact love them.
"Maybe you'll find someone after I'm gone, so you won't be alone." She said softly.
"No such thing will ever happen. Inu youkai mate for life. You will be my mate forever, even when you are no longer physically with me." He said seriously.
Kagome smiled sadly but said nothing. She already hated that one day she would leave him alone.
"Our children, our pups, will be hanyou." He informed his miko. "Some seem to believe that being mated to a holy being would change that, would make them full youkai. It will not. Our mating will only pass your powers to them in some form." He continued and watched her nod as she took in that fact.
"Lastly, our mating bond will form a connection between us, which is different for every mated pair. I am not aware of what our bond will form, however some examples are that we may feel each other's emotions, speak to one another through our minds, share our powers between each other, or take on the mannerisms of one another. That aspect is not usually obvious since youkai act in similar ways for the most part." Sesshomaru explained.
"Is it possible to have more than one aspect?" She asked curiously.
"It is possible but I am unsure such will happen with us." He answered and she nodded.
"We can become mates any time after my soul is complete." She repeated his earlier answer a little nervously and watched him nod. She nodded in return before she began to pace a few feet in front of him.
"Okay. I'm fine with that. The only thing that worries me is that our relationship, courtship happened so fast. It's only been a few months. Is it supposed to happen so fast?" She asked a little nervously.
Am I ready to tie my life to him? She wondered. Is it just me and my remaining childishness that makes me think it should take longer or is it just the difference between humans and demons?
She and Sesshomaru had spoken to her mother after he asked her for a courtship and she had been supportive, so she wasn't worried about that. Her little brother and grandfather seemed to approve as well. Shippo also approved so it was really only her reservations on the quickness of their courtship that was making her hesitant.
Sesshomaru watched his miko pace for a few moments before speaking up.
"It is your choice on when we become mates. There is no hurry. We will only proceed when you are ready." He reassured her and watched her nod.
"How long does it usually take for a pair to mate after they begin courting?" Kagome asked as she paused in her pacing.
"It is different for everyone. However, once the female begins to mention the mating and her readiness it is only a matter of days." He answered. "This is most likely due to the fact that youkai understand all the nuances of courtship and mating, and figure once they have chosen they have centuries and more to get to know their mate."
"That does not mean you need to rush yourself. You are your own person, and we will do nothing until you are absolutely ready." Sesshomaru said seriously so she would understand that he really meant it. Then he decided to lighten the mood.
"We do not have to wait until we become mates to be intimate." He said in a light suggestive tone, his eyes suddenly like liquid gold with a hint of red.
Kagome gasped in shock, her face reddening, and then narrowed her eyes.
"Really?" She asked curiously despite her embarrassment and watched as he suddenly grinned. Her heart pounded at how much more beautiful he became with the simple action, and she struggled to focus on his words.
"Yes. We can be intimate." He assured her. "There are many things we can do without actually rutting. Although we can actually do that as well, but I do not trust my beast to hold back from marking you, so I would rather avoid that particular activity until our mating."
From there followed a conversation that was embarrassing on her part and amusing on his the longer it continued. After a while Sesshomaru suddenly stopped talking and tensed slightly.
"The fire neko is coming our way." He stated as he relaxed his body.
"I should probably conceal myself." Kagome said as she shifted nervously.
"The neko is alone. There are no other scents with her." He commented and she frowned.
"Does that mean Sango's hurt or…" She asked, but hesitated. "I can't even think of any other reason Kirara would be alone."
"We are sure to find out when she arrives." He replied and she nodded and took a calming breath.
Moments later Kirara walked out of the trees in her large battle form and looked around before shifting into her smaller form and running to Kagome, who automatically scooped her up and coddled her.
"What are you doing here?" She asked quietly.
Kirara began to meow in different pitches and Sesshomaru began to translate.
"She says she left the taijiya. She did not want to stay and watch her descend into what she was falling into. The taijiya, houshi, and half-breed were rutting with one another behind each other's back. She did not care so much about what the half-breed and houshi did, but she cared about what the taijiya was doing." He summarized before listening to the next stream of meows and yowls.
"The taijiya made the decision to be the houshi's mate, but she was keeping secrets and being unfaithful. She was letting the half-breed use her since the neko was aware that he was mated to the dead one, and she betrayed you, the one she claimed to be like a sister." He relayed and paused.
"The neko says she is not a pet. She is a companion, one who was with the taijiya by choice, and she decided she no longer wished to stay with the taijiya. She has thoughts and feels and did not approve of what they were doing, and she refused to stay and be forced to listen to their activities. She apparently left a number of days ago during the night. The houshi had been asleep, and the taijiya had left camp with the half-breed to go rut."
"What bothered the neko the most, more than the rest, was that the taijiya did not notice her disapproval. Apparently the taijiya is usually in tune with her moods but since she began rutting with both males, and especially since you were no longer with the pack, she seemed to stop caring or simply forgot that the neko was aware of what was happening around her." He explained then listened to another string of meows, and his eyes widened slightly.
"The neko wishes to become your companion." He relayed quietly.
Kagome's eyes widened and she looked down at her neko friend.
"Do you really mean it?" She asked, still surprised.
Kirara purred and rubbed against her in answer, then Kagome looked to Sesshomaru for mission since it meant Kirara would also be joining his pack. Sesshomaru nodded approvingly since it meant she would have another form of protection. A constant companion that would always watch her back. He had no fear that the neko would go back to the taijiya should she apologize and change since once a youkai like the fire neko chose a companion they stayed with them for their lifetime unless given a strong reason to leave.
Kagome smiled brightly. "I'm glad to have you here. I missed you, and I'm sure Shippo feels the same."
Kirara meowed happily as she was brought to their camp. Since the children were busy with their studies Kagome introduced her to Jaken and then to Ah-Un as she moved over to the two headed dragon. She told Kirara she was sure the two of them would get along well as they got to know each other.
**MoaM**
Kagome knelt down and dug the tainted jewel shard out of the wiggling severed arm of the youkai she and her alpha had just dealt with. As soon as she had the shard between her fingertips it instantly turned pink, and the severed limb stopped moving. She then lightly placed her hand on the limb and purified it then moved to do the same with the rest of the body.
She stored the jewel away with the rest she carried and the two of them began to walk away from the scene side by side. They could have flown back on his youki cloud but there was no hurry. They simply walked on enjoying each other's silent company and the view of the setting sun. Suddenly Sesshomaru stopped walking and she stopped as well and looked at him knowing he wouldn't stop for no reason.
"I can smell the dead one in that direction." He informed her as he pointed off into the distance to their left.
Kagome took a deep breath and slowly released it. She nodded to her alpha then turned and began walking in the direction he indicated. It was time she get the rest of her soul back.
As she walked she considered concealing herself so Kikyou wouldn't hear her coming, but then she remembered that she would be able to sense her coming through the connection to her soul so it was pointless.
Instead she decided to simply use the time to work on moving quietly through the forest. She glanced over at her silent companion, who had easily caught up with her, and reminded herself that she would be living with graceful demons who seemed to instinctively know how to move silently, and she didn't want to be known as being unable to do so.
The impending meeting she was walking to reminded her of what Kirara had informed them about her previous pack. They were looking for her and thought Naraku might have her and have something planned. She didn't know if Naraku had anything planned but he obviously didn't have her. They also thought Kouga might have come across her, which was true but she hoped that they didn't come across him. She didn't want them learning where she was just yet. Then there was Kikyou. Inuyasha was going to try and find her to see if the dead woman had seen her. Hopefully that hadn't happened yet, and if it hadn't then it meant after her confrontation with Kikyou it never would.
Before long Kagome could see a light in the distance and within moments she could feel the other piece of her soul. Minutes after that the pain she associated with Kikyou pulling on her soul seized her. She took in a sharp breath and brought her hand up to her chest as if she could sooth the pain away. She had forgotten how intense the pain was, but she wouldn't let it stop her.
"I am going to conceal myself so the dead one does not know I am here." Sesshomaru said quietly as he touched her arm.
Kagome nodded and continued walking, gradually getting closer and closer to the light though she could tell it was moving as well. It wasn't long before she spotted the soul collectors, which were the light source, and knew they would let Kikyou know she was there regardless of the soul connection they share. Soon she stepped into a medium sized enclosure and looked at the other woman with her soul collectors drifting around her.
"What do you want reincarnation?" Kikyou asked coldly.
"The rest of my soul." Kagome answered bluntly.
"You are too weak." Kikyou said with a cold laugh. "In fact, I will take this opportunity to take back the rest of my soul just as I took back my man."
Kagome frowned, wondering if she was now about to be told from the source about Inuyasha and Kikyou's mating.
"It is the truth." Kikyou said with a smirk, misinterpreting her frown. "Inuyasha is mine, my mate, and you will never have him."
"I don't want him, so you're more than welcome to him." Kagome stated plainly, and then smiled. "I guess Inuyasha likes females, males, and dead people. Are you aware of your mate's activities with his pack mates?" She asked.
Kikyou frowned but didn't reply. She didn't want to admit that she was in fact unaware, but her silence didn't stop Kagome from enlightening her.
"Even though you're his mate you obviously aren't enough or Inuyasha just wanted a warm body since he's sleeping with Sango and Miroku as well." Kagome informed her and watched the older woman frown, draw an arrow, and secure it in her bow.
"You are not traveling with them. How would you know such was happening?" Kikyou asked.
"Where do you think I got my information in the first place? Didn't you wonder why I wasn't traveling with them anymore?" She responded, not wanting to give away her real source.
Kikyou didn't answer. Instead she sent her soul collectors speeding toward her reincarnation. Before the flying worm like demons reached her a green whip flew in from the side, almost out of nowhere, and sliced the creatures to pieces killing them instantly. Kikyou looked over and frowned deeper at the sight of the demon lord before she quickly aimed her bow at her reincarnation and released her arrow.
Kagome put up a barrier with a thought and moved to the side for a good measure in case the barrier didn't work, but she didn't have to worry. The barrier held and the arrow fell harmlessly to the ground. She then held out her hand, palm forward and shot a beam of white reiki at her, hoping it would actually cause her damage instead of doing nothing.
The beam connected with the dead woman's stomach and left a hole behind. Kagome's eyes flashed at the success before she began throwing purity balls the size of her hand at the woman.
Kikyou had no idea reiki could hurt her and she couldn't even retreat. Her soul collectors were dead and she didn't have the skill to dodge the rapidly thrown reiki balls.
When the clay and dirt woman was sporting burns in her clothing and missing chunks of her limbs Kagome drew one of her swords, charged it with her reiki and ran toward the failing woman, not taking the chance that Kikyou might try to launch some kind of attack. She swung her sword when she was close enough and separated the dead woman's head from her body.
Kagome stepped back as she released her barrier and her power from her sword, and watched as balls of white light rose from the body before it turned to dirt and ashes. All except one of the balls of light rose and floated off into the sky. The remaining ball of light hovered briefly before speeding toward her, and slipping inside her without a problem.
Sesshomaru walked toward her and lifted an eyebrow in question when nothing obvious happened.
"I don't feel any different." Kagome said with a shrug but just as she was about to say more she stiffened and began to glow. Then she gasped slightly as her mind was suddenly flooded with memories.
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes as his miko began to glow then watched in slight worry as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed. He moved quickly and caught her before carefully kneeling down on the ground.
After a few moments the glow faded. He made sure she was still breathing and was otherwise fine before he sheathed her sword and lifted her into his arms as he stood. He summoned his youki cloud beneath his feet and quickly began to travel back to their camp.
As he flew Sesshomaru caught her scent and immediately realized that her barriers were down. She hardly ever let them down since it meant it was possible for the half-breed as well as the wolf to track her if she did. That they were down now was obviously a result of completing her soul.
When he reached their camp he quietly assured his pack that his miko was fine then removed their weapons and his armor so he could hold her properly.
When Kagome woke up late that same night she unhappily informed him that she now remembered everything Kikyou had done since she had been given her half-life. The only good thing she could note besides having a complete soul was that she thought her reiki was stronger than it was.
Sesshomaru simply advised her to disregard what she now knew from the dead woman's memories unless they could be of use to her, and that she would just have to work on her control again until she was back to where she had been before her soul was complete.
**MoaM**
The pack stayed in their camp for a week while Kagome worked on her control. She was determined to get it back to where it was before they went anywhere. It took a lot of effort. She spent hours and hours a day meditating and manipulating her reiki, starting from the simplest things and working her way up to the harder things.
The first thing she did was get her personal barriers back up. The last thing she wanted was to be found by Inuyasha through her scent and aura. She just wasn't ready to deal with him or the others anytime soon.
During the time she was busy trying to regain her control Sesshomaru had taken advantage of the time to further the children's lessons and training, which they adored since they were learning new things and spending quality time with their alpha.
Kagome's control was now back to its usual level and the pack was traveling again, looking for jewel shards, and continuing their routine.
She had just sensed a jewel shard and her alpha was allowing her to handle the jewel enhanced demon. Up until then she had only dealt with a jewel enhanced demon once before. Before that Sesshomaru let her help him deal with the demons so she could slowly work up to fighting on her own. She had been grateful for the experience since Inuyasha and the others always had her standing in the background firing off her arrows.
As she faced off with the demon she avoided its strikes by deflecting them with her bow until she managed to gain enough distance. She then readied one of her sealing arrows, carefully aimed it, and shot it at the demon. The arrow sunk deep into the demons flesh and immediately a bubble of reiki wrapped around the demon before sinking into its skin and halting its movements. She then shot a second arrow at it, this one made of pure reiki, and purified the demon to dust.
She collected the jewel shard from where it landed on the ground then her arrow before walking back toward her pack. Seconds later she paused mid step when she sensed two jewel shards headed their way.
"There are two jewel shards speeding this way. It's obviously Kouga. He must have sensed my power for him to be headed straight for us." She informed her alpha.
Sesshomaru nodded and motioned for her to stand with him as they waited. She expanded her senses and found two more demons approaching from further behind Kouga.
"Two more demons are coming up behind Kouga. It's most likely Ginta and Hakkaku. Kouga has a habit of leaving them to catch up with him everywhere he goes." She informed Sesshomaru so he was aware.
Kouga arrived in a whirlwind and tried to head straight for Kagome, but despite his jewel enhanced speed Sesshomaru was able to use his acid whip to fling him back before he got near her.
Kouga growled angrily as he got to his feet and looked to Kagome. His eyes settled on the crescent moon on her forehead, and then his senses seemed to catch up as he smelt the demon lord and sensed his power on her.
"You allowed him to mark you?!" He yelled in outrage at Kagome. "There's no way I'm going to allow him to mate you! Come here!" He shouted at her.
"She is not yours to order around." Sesshomaru said coldly as he stepped forward.
"She's my woman and I'll tell her to do whatever I want!" He replied angrily, his eyes flashing. They went from his usual blue to red, then blue, and back to red again, showing that he was losing control of himself.
Sesshomaru looked at the wolfling coldly and wondered if he should kill him slowly or quickly. He considered taking his time and enjoying the wolfs suffering but then he thought of his miko. She knew the wolf had to die in order for her to be safe, but he had been her friend. She no longer considered him a friend since he would never settle for that, but she had fond memories of him regardless and wouldn't appreciate witnessing his suffering and drawn out death.
Quickly it is then. He thought softly.
Kagome stepped back as she watched the confrontation before turning to the rest of her pack.
"Ah-Un, Kirara can you take the children away? Jaken can you watch over them please?" She asked the three of them and watched as they all gathered together before flying away.
She did not want the children to see what was going to happen to Kouga, and besides that she knew Rin was afraid of wolves and two more were about to show up. She knew the little girl had good reason as she remembered what Sesshomaru had revealed about his ward. It was still hard to believe that Rin had been chewed, gnawed, and clawed to death.
Kagome turned back to the face off in time to see Ginta and Hakkaku come running out of the trees. She watched them pause in surprise at the scene they had come upon before they spotted her.
"Sister!" They called in unison before they made their way over to her.
"We missed you sister." Ginta said.
"Yeah we missed you Kagome." Hakkaku agreed.
"I missed you guys too." Kagome said with a soft smile.
"So what's going on here?" Ginta asked with a worried frown as he looked to the fight.
"Yes. Why is Kouga fighting the Lord of the West?" Hakkaku asked.
"I'm sorry to tell you this but Kouga is going to die." She informed them sadly yet firmly.
"Why?" They cried out in distress.
"He'll never leave me alone; never be satisfied with just my friendship. He'll continue to pursue me and try and take me against my will." Kagome answered.
"Did he know you were being courted?" Hakkaku asked, seeing and sensing the evidence of such on her.
"No." Kagome said as she shook her head. "The last time he saw me I hadn't entered into a courtship. I was just traveling with Sesshomaru-sama. Seeing the evidence just now only seemed to make him more determined to have me before it's too late, and I'm not sure he would stop even then."
"I hope I can still call you two my friends after this." She said hopefully.
"Of course you can." Ginta said immediately. "You're still our sister."
"Kouga knew what he was getting into. By not backing off he knew there was a possibility he would die, especially since he is facing someone he's no match for." Hakkaku added. What he didn't say was that Kouga most likely thought so highly of himself that he ignored his instincts and thought he would come out the winner.
"Thank you. Both of you." Kagome said before she turned and watched the fight, Ginta and Hakkaku doing the same with sad eyes.
It was obvious to all of them that Sesshomaru was merely playing with Kouga, making him angrier, which Kagome silently noted was probably the point.
Sesshomaru casually flicked his wrist and sent his acid whip at the wolf once again, sending him flying into a tree. He figured by now the wolf was angry beyond rational thought, so when he came at him again he acted to finish him off. When the wolf ran at him again he side stepped him and grabbed him by the neck. He kicked the back of his knees causing him to drop to his knees, and dug his claws into his neck and injected him with a steady flow of his poison.
He figured this way would kill the wolf quickly and yet leave an intact body for his pack to see to. Other methods would have been too tedious, especially since his miko knew the wolf. She would be shocked by any other method, and although he knew she would understand it would still affect her.
"I'm sorry for your loss." Kagome said quietly as she watched Kouga's body collapse to the ground.
"Thank you." They said solemnly.
"One or both of you are going to have to take over leadership of the pack now." She reminded them as she turned to look at them. "I know you'll rebuild your ranks and thrive without Kouga, because even though I thought of him as a friend even I could see that he was reckless and too brash in the time I knew him."
"You two just need to find the right mates to be your partners. One's that will help you thrive and survive, but also who will love you." She finished.
Ginta and Hakkaku listened to their sister intently, and appreciated her words of confidence and wisdom. They liked Kagome but they would not make the mistakes Kouga did. When they found a female they liked they would court her properly, and they would keep promises they made to females. Of course they would be careful about making promises in the first place.
They looked at each other and nodded in silent agreement. They would do better than Kouga had. Their pack would thrive. They would make sure of it.
Kagome walked over to Sesshomaru and retrieved the jewel shards from Kouga's legs since she was the only one who could see exactly where they were. Once the shards were safely put away Ginta and Hakkaku stepped forward and took Kouga's body and began to head back to what remained of their pack.