AN: I made some minor changes to earlier chapters. Most of the changes are cosmetic (a couple misplaced commas and spelling errors), but I also restored Sesshomaru's arm in the last chapter and improved the consistency of language regarding the placement of the library and study. As for the arm, I recently finished watching the Final Act and saw that it was restored. Since this takes place after the series, I changed this point for consistency with the original ending. It does not affect the direction this story is going, however. Happy reading.

Chapter 6

"Kagome-chan! Bye-bye!"

"Goodbye, Kagome-sama. See you soon!"

Kagome turned around and waved at the two young children standing near the castle. She was out in the courtyard again, preparing to depart. As Sesshomaru had promised, Ah-Un was saddled and ready to ride.

She saw that her faithful yellow backpack was already attached to Ah-Un, probably put there this morning by a servant. She had packed the basic necessities for her trip the night before.

A sleeping bag, a pot to boil water, a couple packages of cup ramen, a lighter, pajamas, a change of undergarments, a face towel, a hairbrush…

Feeling like she was forgetting something, Kagome looked at Ah-Un's saddle and noticed that her bow and arrows were there as well.

I guess that's everything.

Kagome wiped her hands off on her skirt and walked closer to Ah-Un, getting ready to mount. She had on a green skirt reminiscent of her uniform but paired it with a cream-colored sweater, a slight defense against the growing cold. Waving one more time at the children, she climbed up on the demon's back and sat sidesaddle, looking at Sesshomaru who stood waiting beside her. He still held Ah-Un's reigns.

The demon lord frowned slightly. Certainly, she had something more appropriate to wear now that the weather was changing. The edges of her skirt wavered slightly in the cool breeze, drawing attention to her bare legs. Maybe he should tell her to get another kimono for herself while she was in town…

Unwilling to enter into that conversation, however, the demon lord settled for passing the reigns to the priestess and staring out over his lands to avoid looking at her person.

"So… how do I get there?" Kagome asked, shaking him from his thoughts.

"Ah-Un knows the way," the demon lord replied shortly, still avoiding her and those clothes.

Kagome nodded and gripped the reigns tightly as Ah-Un began to take off. She must have said something wrong if he was going to such lengths as to avoid even looking at her.

"Goodbye, Lord Sesshomaru," said Kagome softly, knowing he would hear but not answer.

The young lord had already turned to walk back into the castle but froze perceptibly at her parting words. She was unfailingly polite, always greeting him when they happened to meet and waiting until he started eating to begin herself. However, something about her farewell struck him as a little… sad? It was no more than a whisper on the breeze, but he had heard it as clearly as though she were standing beside him.

Unsure what this could mean and feeling a rather unpleasant sensation in his chest, the demon lord straightened his posture and entered the castle.

Sesshomaru rested on a cushion in his private quarters after the miko's departure. The children had been noisy without someone to direct their energy, so he instructed them to play outside with Jaken and out of earshot. Not having any lessons to eavesdrop on, the demon lord found himself more bored than he had been since the mysterious priestess' arrival.

He found himself almost missing her voice drifting through the walls of his castle. It had a calm, soothing quality to it. Perhaps it was one of the reasons she was successful in keeping the rapt attention of her young charges. That, and also the subjects themselves. How much had he discovered or learned more about since her time here? He thought back to the pencil and abruptly stood up.

Walking purposely through the halls of his castle, the demon lord walked straight to the library. Upon opening the door, he was immediately greeted with the residual traces of her scent, a light flowery fragrance with a hint of spice. It was already fading with her departure.

Sesshomaru shook his head and focused his mind on his original purpose for coming here, which was definitely not to bask in her scent. He strode over to the desk and knelt before the papers as the miko had done the day before. He picked up the pencil and looked at it, marveling at how strange it felt in his hand, cooler and harder than any brush. He lowered his hand to write but lifted it again to turn the end towards himself so he could click the end and watch the tip extend. Preparing himself to put pencil to paper again, he thought back to how Kagome held the device. She did not keep her wrist straight like when using a brush, rather, she tilted her hand slightly and wrote side to side, not top to bottom. Sesshomaru frowned, turned his wrist, and rested the tip of the pencil against the paper.

What should I write?

The thought shocked him slightly because all his actions had some motivation, whether he chose to admit them or not. His intent in coming here was to try the pencil himself, but that implied he had something to write, did it not? The demon lord's scowl deepened until he came up with a solution: He would write his own name.

Sesshomaru pressed down and was about to draw the first stroke when he heard a snap. Confused, he picked up the pencil and looked at the tip. The portion that had extended before had broken off. He clicked three more times and tried again.

Snap!

Growling slightly, Sesshomaru attempted to calm himself with a deep, controlled breath. He clicked three more times and ever so gently wrote his name from side to side.

When he was done, the demon lord placed the pencil down parallel to the paper, much like he would a brush after finishing a correspondence, even though there was no inkwell to rest the tip against. He surveyed his work with a critical eye.

It was awful.

The balance looked off and the space between the characters was inconsistent. He supposed this new medium required practice, but he was also unwilling to admit that he – the Great Demon Lord of the Western Lands – required practice in anything so menial as writing his own name.

Annoyed with this development, Sesshomaru stood and left the library. He would find another way to amuse himself while the miko was away. Perhaps Jaken would do something annoying and give him an excuse to let off some steam…

Kagome frowned at the setting sun. She could see the outline of the village – Tanomura, Sesshomaru had called it – on the horizon, but it would be full dark before she reached there.

It might be nice to camp again. It's been months since I last slept under the stars.

Deciding to complete the last leg of her journey at the break of dawn, Kagome asked Ah-Un to take her down to a small clearing near a stream. Upon settling on the ground, Kagome removed her pack and weapon from Ah-Un's side, unsaddled him, and ushered him to a nearby patch of grass to graze.

Kagome wasted no time in collecting some small branches, making a fire, and getting water from the stream. Once the water was positioned above the flames, Kagome went back to the river to wash her face and change into her night clothes. By the time she returned, the water was ready to be poured into the ramen she had brought.

When the noodles had finished soaking, Kagome sat back against a tree with her meal. It reminded her of Inuyasha and her companions, of their travels and the laughs they had shared. Slurping the noodles appreciatively, Kagome also thought about her mother, little brother, and grandfather. Maybe she should ask Sesshomaru for a little vacation before it began to snow? Would he grant such a thing?

Fat chance.

Kagome snorted. What a funny thought! She finished up the noodles, rinsed out the styrofoam cup, and replaced it in her bag. She had gotten into the habit of collecting them and taking them back to the modern era to dispose of them. After all, she would hate to confuse the poor scientists of the modern era any more than necessary.

Kagome unrolled her sleeping bag near Ah-Un, who was curled up against a tree near the fire. She got inside and looked through the tree branches to the starry sky above. It really was a beautiful night to be outside. Her last thought before she drifted to sleep was that she wished there was someone to share it with.

Sesshomaru had instructed one of his female servants, a cat youkai by the name of Izumi, to care for the children after the evening meal. He then took his leave of the dining hall, retiring to his study as was his custom. Sitting down in front of his desk, he surveyed the various reports and correspondences that required his attention.

In the time since Naraku's defeat, the young demon lord had taken greater interest in and care of his lands. When his father had passed 200 years ago, Sesshomaru had little patience for the politics and responsibilities of maintaining the kingdom, preferring to travel freely and seek out the strongest demons for battle. He would not be satisfied until he was sure he was the most powerful.

Somewhere along the way, however, he began to wonder what the point of it all was. Fully confident as he was in his own abilities and strength, what did it matter if there was one other out there who was stronger? In any case, the greatest threat to their world – Naraku – had been taken out, thanks to the combined effort of Inuyasha, his companions, and Sesshomaru. And Inuyasha was not any stronger than he was… not any weaker either though.

This thought no longer bothered Sesshomaru. After all, were they not brothers (or half-brothers) of the same great father? If Inuyasha was (almost as) strong as Sesshomaru, surely it did not matter to him?

Snorting lightly, the demon lord focused his thoughts and energies back on the papers before him. Picking up the nearest document, he read over the neatly written report from the Western edges of his lands.

Nothing unusual. No battles.

He moved onto the next paper, a report from one of his spies who was keeping tabs on Inuyasha and his land.

The group has headed north to exterminate a youkai infestation. How fitting.

Again, the paper was set aside and another picked up. This one caused the demon lord to read it twice.

"Lord Sesshomaru, this humble person begs your assistance. A group of youkai bandits has been terrorizing the town and its inhabitants for more than a week's time. Many men have already lost their lives, and the women and children live in fear. Please send help. Your humble servant, Ryosuke of Tanomura."

Kagome awoke with a start. Something was not right.

Looking over at Ah-Un, Kagome saw that the demon was also awake, scanning the tree line with his bright yellow eyes and testing the air cautiously. He seemed tense.

Kagome reached behind herself, taking care not to make a sound. Her hands felt around blindly before coming to rest on top of her bow and arrows. Slowly slipping the quiver over her shoulder, Kagome crawled out of her sleeping bag and notched an arrow.

I can't see anything, but I know there is something out there…

Kagome turned in a small circle, trying to extend her spiritual energy and search for whoever was in hiding. Suddenly, Ah-Un growled at something behind her in the bushes and lunged forward to protect her.

"Heh, your guard dog seems protective of you, miko. Too bad he is no match for us."

A tall, imposing figure strode into the dim light of the dying fire. The pointed ears gave him away as of demon origin, but as to what type of demon he was, Kagome was unsure. His hair was a dark green and his eyes were a fiery red. He snapped his fingers, producing more demons from the shadows.

"My comrades," he said with a smile, "it seems we shall have a special treat tonight."

Evil laughter and the sound of cracking knuckles filled the clearing.

Kagome took half a step back, but her arrow remained steady. How many of these youkai could she take out before she was overwhelmed? There were at least six in the clearing, but it was impossible to see deeper into the darkness.

A short but heavy-looking demon on her left took a step forward.

Here goes nothing.

Kagome let the arrow fly.

Sesshomaru sped above the trees, going as quickly as his sphere of light allowed. What had he been thinking allowing the miko to travel unguarded? Even without the Shikon no Tama she was a target due to her spiritual powers.

Sesshomaru frowned as he looked down at the ground below. He wondered if all this worrying was for nothing. Maybe she was staying inside the village and was being protected at this very moment. Perhaps the bandits had taken a night off or already left. His frown deepened. It wasn't like him to think obsessively of possibilities. The last time had been when Rin had died a second time in the Underworld, and he had thought there was no way to get her back.

A glow of pink light caught his attention in the distance and a painful scream reached his ears. He veered right, descending into a small clearing with his claws extended and eyes tinged with red.

How dare they attack his companion.

As he surveyed the scene, however, it became apparent that his claws were not necessary after all. Kagome was standing next to Ah-Un in the middle of the clearing with an arrow notched and ready to fly. It was pointed in the direction of the last three fleeing bandits, who were hurtling curses at her and the demon lord's sudden arrival. The corpses of their comrades were scattered ash around the clearing.

Satisfied that they were safe, Kagome put the arrow back in her quiver and turned to face the demon lord.

"Are you ok?"

Am I ok? Whatever does she mean? I'm not the one who was attacked by a band of youkai.

Sesshomaru growled as she stepped toward him, his irritation palpable. But why was he upset? Was it because she had been attacked when she was supposed to be under his care? Because she had taken care of the problem? Because he had been too late to even offer help?

Kagome stepped toward the demon lord again, frowning as he growled at her again. His eyes were still red around the edges.

"Um… Sesshomaru-sama?"

Suddenly, he seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in. His eyes became passive, cold, and a clear gold once more. The growling ceased entirely.

"Sleep, miko. I will watch over you."

Kagome, rather used to demons and their mood swings at this point in her life, simply shrugged and headed back to where she had left her things. If he wanted to stay up all night, that was his problem. She crawled back into the sleeping bag and was soundly asleep in moments, undisturbed by the gold eyes watching her from a short distance away.

"Thank you for your purchase."

Kagome took the paper-wrapped parcels and unceremoniously squished them into her backpack, much to the horror of the shop keeper who had so meticulously wrapped them. Kagome had chosen three kimono for Rin in fabric appropriate for the upcoming cold and a couple of hakama and gi for training. For Shippo, she had chosen two new hakama for daily wear and two more for training, picking out three new tops that could be mixed and matched.

Pleased that she had accomplished everything that was asked of her, Kagome left the village and returned to the clearing from the night before where Ah-Un was waiting for her. When she arrived, she was surprised to find that Sesshomaru was waiting for her. She had half expected him to depart as soon as she was on her way to the village proper.

She had felt his presence in the morning when she got up to wash her face and change. She had even called out to see if he wanted breakfast, but she had not received an answer and so had eaten alone. This had annoyed her slightly at the time.

It wouldn't have killed him to say "no, thank you."

But the negative feelings had faded. She really shouldn't have expected anything different. In any case, he had come to help her last night, and even now he was taking her bag and attaching it to Ah-Un.

Kagome looked up at the demon lord with a mix of confusion and apprehension. Sometimes, like now, he almost seemed nice. She thought back to her almost fall from the railing in front of her room and how interested he had been in the pencil. But those images contrasted with the cool regard his eyes seemed to have for her and the commanding tone he used. There was definitely a disconnect between his words and actions. This reminded her of a certain hanyou, which led to her thinking about her friends and family again. She missed them dearly.

"Are you ready?"

Sesshomaru regarded the girl staring blankly at where he had attached her pack to Ah-Un. Clearly, she was lost in thought, although his words seemed to bring her out of it a bit. She nodded mutely and climbed up on the demon's back.

Sesshomaru found himself curious as to the direction of her thoughts. While normally an open book, there were times she seemed to be somewhere else entirely. But what purpose would asking her such questions have? He certainly did not care what she was thinking about, did he? Sesshomaru stepped back and took to the sky, glancing back slightly to be sure Ah-Un was following with the miko.

Perhaps if I can find a good reason to ask…