Author's Note: This applies to this and all future chapters. I own nothing.

Update 9/2024: Editing minor bits before moving along to the new content.

Chapter 1

Sesshomaru frowned as he stared at his young ward playing in a nearby patch of flowers. It had only been a fraction of a second, but he could have sworn he felt the spark of holy powers coming from her general direction. This wasn't particularly surprising to him; many humans had some raw ability within them. However, these powers were usually either too small to warrant notice, or, more likely, there was no qualified person to train them and so the power dwindled to nothing.

The Lord of the West looked away from his ward, studying the scenery. It was nearing the end of summer, and the hot humidity of the season would soon be replaced by cool autumn breezes.

"Jaken." At once, the small, green imp stood at attention at his lord's side. "See to it that Rin returns safely to the castle." The retainer was about to protest, but a sharp look and firm kick in the girl's general direction silenced him.

"Where is Lord Sesshomaru going?" Rin asked with a twinge of sadness. It was always a little lonely without him.

"Don't ask impudent questions, child!" Jaken squawked. And with that, he began to prepare for their journey home.

Sesshomaru traveled swiftly through the forests and mountains of his lands. It would take him a few hours to reach his destination, but that would give him time to contemplate his rather sudden decision, that decision being to ask the young priestess who traveled with Inuyasha to become Rin's instructor.

It had been a year and a half since the defeat of Naraku, and though his main attention since that time had been the protection and management of his lands, the young Lord of the West did somewhat follow the adventures of the rag-tag group his brother was a part of. Not that he cared for him – or them – much, but the group was fairly formidable in a fight. It didn't hurt to know what they were up to.

The fact of the matter was that he would settle for nothing but the best teacher when it came to his ward, and while there were plenty of scholars who would be more than adequate by most standards, it occurred to him that the girl who traveled with Inuyasha would be the ideal choice in this situation. He reviewed the facts in his head slowly, testing the logic and truth of each one.

To begin with, a human female was optimal, being that she would have the best understanding of Rin's needs. In addition, it would be necessary for said female to be a trained miko. The girl who traveled with Inuyasha met all of these base requirements. She was human and female, and she had received training from both her predecessor, before the final battle with Naraku, and from the old miko who lived near Inuyasha's forest. Though the old woman's powers were weak in comparison to the other two, her wisdom was more than adequate for the role of teacher. She might also have been a choice, had her age not been a hindrance. However, there were other criteria as well.

Beyond the base requirements, a solid education was a must. The old miko could surely read and write, but he knew that the younger priestess was educated beyond the simple use of brush and ink. She seemed to have knowledge of things that he was not certain he had ever heard of before. That uncertainty was slightly off-putting. Perhaps it had to do with the strange garments she wore or the unusual objects she carried with her. In any case, she seemed to have a wide, yet thorough knowledge of the world. Her knowledge of herbs and spells from the miko trade must also have grown in the time since the final battle with Naraku.

Lastly, though he grimaced at the idea that this was even a consideration, Rin enjoyed the company of the young miko. He had to admit that her affinity for children was clear, and her ability to deal with them was also apparent by her careful upbringing of the young fox demon.

His decision made, the Lord of the West picked up his pace as he exited his territory, heading east to the village his brother's group favored.

Inuyasha's ears perked up as he sniffed the air with a scowl. Kagome, noticing her long-time companion's agitation, reached out her aura to see if she could determine what the problem was. Most likely it was Koga or-

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha growled softly.

Kagome frowned, slightly disappointed that he had given away the answer before she figured it out. A moment later, though, she felt the familiar, slightly overbearing aura of the Western lord. The group had no reason to fear his presence, but that didn't mean they were particularly at ease about meeting either. Inuyasha stood, motioning for the others to wait while he went out to "greet" his half-brother. Sango shot Miroku a slightly concerned look, but the monk just shrugged.

They didn't have to wait long.

"Oi, Sesshomaru. What the hell do you want?" Inuyasha glared at the demon, blocking his path to the entrance of the hut. It vaguely registered in Inuyasha's brain that the rest of his brother's normal traveling companions were nowhere to be seen.

"This Sesshomaru does not have business with you, half-breed. Where is the young priestess?"

As if on cue, Kagome, who came out to make sure the two brothers were not killing each other, exited the hut.

"If you want to talk to her, you gotta go through me," Inuyasha said harshly.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said gently, "if he just wants to talk it's fine. How can I help you, Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha began to sputter with anger. He couldn't believe she was considering this! He was about to start loudly protesting, when a sharp look from Kagome quieted him instantly. Her eyes told him that the prayer beads around his neck would be the least of his problems if he didn't settle down. The message having been sent and received, the hanyou muttered a "feh" and stalked back into the hut, throwing a "If he kills you, don't come crying to me" over his shoulder.

With the irate half-demon out of the picture, the Lord of the West turned and began walking into the forest. Kagome figured he probably wanted to be out of earshot. But why he wanted to talk to her was, of course, a mystery. She would just have to be patient.

She didn't have to wait long, however. In a clearing, rather near the Bone Eater's Well, the young lord stopped and turned to the miko. She fidgeted, slightly nervous under his direct gaze. His eyes seemed to bore into her being, searching for… goodness knows what. She was about to break the silence, when using his demon speed, he appeared less than half a meter in front of her. The shock caused her to take a step back, and she thought he frowned.

"Miko, this Sesshomaru has a request."

Kagome slowly blinked as her mind took in the information. She stared at Sesshomaru intently for a moment. This didn't surprise him in the slightest. He knew she was not afraid of him (though she should be), nor did she possess the typical habit of averting one's eyes before those of a higher status. She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts.

"A request… for me?" The idea seemed a little preposterous. After all, what could The Great Sesshomaru need done that he would need to ask a human for help.

Sesshomaru regarded the miko with cool eyes, pausing a few moments before elaborating on his statement. "Rin is at an age where she requires an education fitting of her position. She also seems to possess some of the same abilities you have. Therefore, this Sesshomaru would ask you to become her teacher."

Kagome instantly relaxed. "Oh, Rin-chan. I see. How old is she now, anyway?"

Sesshomaru inwardly grimaced at her informal and slightly impertinent manner of questioning him. "She is now in her seventh year," he answered shortly.

"Wow! Already? You must be so proud of her!" Kagome smiled, thinking about the young girl. It had been over a year since she had last seen the little girl who traveled with demon lord. "But are you sure?"

"This Sesshomaru knows of no one better suited to this task."

Kagome's eyes bulged slightly. That was probably as close as Sesshomaru got to a compliment. She rolled the idea around in her head. If he had come to ask her, then that meant that she was exactly what he had in mind. Sesshomaru didn't exactly beat around the bush. But the responsibility of a child's education… well, it wasn't like she had a lot to do around here. After the final battle, she had opted to drop out of high school, not quite fitting in with modern society anymore. She still went home to visit though. In this era, however, matters were not so pressing as they were when Naraku was still alive.

Not knowing the exact direction of her thoughts, the demon lord grudgingly continued. "While this Sesshomaru does not fully understand your origins," he said, glancing pointedly at the miko's apparel, "it is apparent that you possess a wealth of knowledge about a variety of subjects. As ward of a great house, Rin deserves the best education available to her."

Kagome inwardly laughed a little at how a high school dropout in her era was "the best education available." She didn't know the first thing about being a teacher, but it did certainly sound interesting.

"Well, alright, I guess. I can get some things from home. What does she already know?"

Sesshomaru sighed inwardly. While a relevant question, he didn't like that his answer reflected his inattention. "She knows nothing of letters and numbers, though she knows many of the tales of my family's house."

Kagome reflected on this quietly, Sesshomaru watching her carefully. Finally, she seemed to come out of her thoughts. "I accept. It sounds interesting, and I've been meaning to start teaching Shippo more seriously…" She trailed off as she realized she would probably have to leave the kit behind.

"He may come."

Kagome gave a smile of relief. "Great! I'll go back to my tim- I mean, home and pick up some books and things."

"This Sesshomaru would not expect you to gather tools on his behalf without compensation," he said, handing her a small bag. Not being sure of the type of currency used in her homeland, he opted for something she could hopefully trade with. Her eyes widened when looking into the bag, and she let out a nervous laugh. "Also," he continued, "the winter will be setting in soon, making travel difficult. Be prepared to spend the entire time in the Western lands."

"I'll need an entire cart if I'll be gone THAT long!" Kagome exclaimed, never having stayed in the past more than a few weeks at a time.

"Very well. Be ready within the week."

And that was how the young miko known as Kagome found herself in the employment of the Lord of the Western Lands.

Author's Note: So, what do you all think? Want more? Questions, comments, and concerns welcome