Her Destiny

Chapter 10



Sesshomaru was pacing in his room. He has been locked up since the day he protected Kagome from his father’s wrath. His inner inu had taken over and he was still in control. His eyes were still blood red as his beast growled with anger.



For days now he has heard the sounds of swords clashing in the near distance as his intended battled with his father. He knew that his father could hurt her again and he had tried to break out of the prison he was being held in, but the spells were proving to be difficult to break. He could not transform, he had tried to do so in order to protect her. The spells and enchantments that were placed in his room prevented him from using most of his powers.



He would hear her gentle voice speaking to him when she was training, telling him that she was fine and that his father was not hurting her.



It was funny the way that had happened. The day after he protected Kagome from his father’s wrath, she was able to connect with him. She told him that she was grateful for his protection and wished that she could really speak to him in person. She was also told that she could not have contact with him.



Of course that did not prevent the two from having conversations with each other on a daily bases. He looked forward to those times and she kept him abreast of what was going on in the castle and around the area.



She would go and read all of the scrolls that would arrive for his father. She was a very fast reader so no one ever caught her reading the scrolls. After that they would often talk trying to get to know one another. He determined that she was very intelligent and possessed great knowledge.



They would often talk to each other during the day but then today it all stopped. He could no longer talk to her and that upset him. He had enjoyed his conversations with her and he knew that his father must have discovered that they were still having contact with each other.



He had been pacing in his room when he heard the wails coming from her room. She was upset and crying. He had no idea why she was crying but all he wanted to do was go to her and offer her some comfort in any way he could.



He was desperate. Her wails and loud sobs penetrated to the deepest part of his soul. He needed to go to her no matter what. He gathered all his strength and lunged for the door with everything he had. A magical barrier reinforced itself around the door and it blew him back into his room. He hit the wall behind him hard, making an indentation in the wall and fell unconscious to the ground. He was still thinking about his blue/black haired angel with the beautiful blue eyes.



---oOo---



Days passed and Kagome did not come out of her room. She would not eat and her crying was still ever present. Sango kept a silent vigil outside her room making sure no one would try to get her out unless she was ready to do so on her own.



Sango had become very protective of her adopted sister. Whenever a servant went by and shot a dirty look at Kagome’s door, Sango attacked, making sure that they knew, that kind of behavior was not allowed in her presence. They were going to stop mistreating her sister or face death by her hand. Kagome had a kind and gentle soul and she couldn’t understand why they were being like this.



Sango didn’t know when she started thinking about Kagome as a sister but she did. She was the sister she never had and she knew she had to protect her against anything that would hurt her.



One day Sango had over heard several female servants talking, they were saying, “Did that ningen come out of her room yet? You know that she is the cause of why master Sesshoumaru is being confined to his own room. They say that his inner beast is still in control, lusting over that pathetic ningen onna. I don’t see what is so important about her. We are more suitable to be his mate than that wench.”



‘So they are all jealous that Sesshoumaru is paying attention to Kagome and not them. The only wenches around here are them and the way they lust after power is disgusting.’ Thought Sango as she stepped out of her hiding place to confront the servants.



Screams were heard all over the castle as Sango beat the living daylights out of the servants by just using her bare fists. Previously, they had taken away her Hiraikotsu when she almost killed one of the servants. She was about to deal the killing blow when she was grabbed from behind and pulled away from her target. She was not done with them yet as she struggled in the person’s arms. A loud growl made her stop as she looked over her shoulder to see the youkai lord standing behind her with one arm wrapped around her waist.



Sango settled down once she saw who held her. When she had calmed enough he released her and asked, “Sango, why are you beating on the servants again?”



Sango gave an impressive growl and said, “They shouldn’t be talking bad about Kagome. They are just jealous because Sesshoumaru-sama is paying attention to Kagome and their lust has them blind to the fact that they can never mate with your son. They should know their place if they want to continue to live.”



Inutaisho’s eyes glowed red with anger as he looked at the servants that were trembling at his feet. He could tell that what Sango was saying to him was the truth as he eyed the female servants. Inwardly he reflected that Sango had gotten stronger during her stay here in the castle. She just took on three female youkai’s and they were the ones on the floor bleeding while she didn’t have a scratch on her.



He turned his attention to Sango and said, “Go back to Kagome’s room. If she comes out of her room I want to know right away. Any change that you feel in her room I want to know about it.”



Sango agreed as she left the demonesses lying on the ground giving them all death glares that stated, ‘Say anything bad about Kagome again and the next time he won’t save you.’



Once Sango was out of the area, Inutaisho looked at the servants on the floor. He lashed out with his whip as each of the females received his punishment for talking bad about his pups. “Now you three will listen to me. There is no way that I would let any son of mine mate with the likes of you. Know your station, the next time I hear you talking about any of my pups you will die by my hand. Is that understood?”



The three servants nodded their head in understanding as they struggled to get up and leave their lords presence before they were killed. They will get even with the ningen for doing this to them. Then they will kill the other ningen that stood in their way of getting to Sesshoumaru.



Inutaisho knew that this would not be the last time he would have to deal with those three. He knew he should have killed them on the spot but he couldn’t bring himself to kill a female. He sighed in frustration and went looking for his mate. Maybe she would be able to do something.



--oOo—



Kagome was sitting on the windowsill of her room. She was feeling weak at the moment since she has refused to eat or leave her room in days. Kirara was her constant companion during this time. She had tried to get the neko to leave by the window. She told her that she would open her barrier to let her out so she could go and eat. But the neko refused to leave her alone.



Kagome sighed; she knew she would have to leave her room to get Kirara to eat so she would not die. She hated thinking that she was suffering because of her own stubborn pride.



Kirara was presently lying on Kagome’s bed asleep. She knew the neko was weak from not eating food and she couldn’t let her die. Her friend would not forgive her if something were to happen to her pet.



She sighed out of frustration. She got off the windowsill and walked over to the neko and picked her up. Kirara opened her eyes and she meowed to her friend. Kagome nuzzled her close to her face as she said, “Alright you win. We will both get something to eat. Then I want to be left alone.”



Kirara purred at the attentions she was getting. She was happy that her plan had worked. Kagome didn’t know that she could go days without food or drink and it wouldn’t affect her. But Kirara had been concerned for the girl that had been hurt so much. She gave Kagome a lick to her chin in gratitude as she felt the girl walk over to her door.



Kagome took a deep breath as she opened the door and the first person she saw was her friend Sango. Tears where coming from Sango’s eyes as Kagome was caught in a big bear hug.



Sango couldn’t help herself, she was so glad to see Kagome that she lost all her composer, as she leapt and grabbed Kagome in a big bear hug. She let her go once she heard her friend say, “Sango please, I can’t breathe.” Sango quickly let go and offered her friend an apology for hugging her so tightly.



Kagome then walked past her as she made her way down to the kitchens. She didn’t want to go to the dinning hall. She had enough of the servants of this castle and if they said anything wrong to her or looked at her in the wrong way, she knew she would lose control. She continued making her way down to the kitchen with Sango following closely behind her.



When they reached the kitchen Kagome looked for the only servant that had ever been nice to her. She was looking for an elderly youkai. Kagome saw now that she had silver hair with a gray stripe going down the middle of her head. It used to be a dark brown in color with a black stripe going down the middle. She had one soft brown stripe on each side of her cheek that was not as smooth as they once where. She had deep piercing green eyes. But her features held all the wisdom of her years. She appeared to be a shimarisu youkai to Kagome.



She approached the elderly youkai and said, “Katsuki if its not too much trouble could I have something to eat please?”



The elderly youkai known as Katsuki whirled around when she heard a familiar voice behind her. She was so relieved to see the young miko standing in front of her. “Why yes of course child, come sit at the table and I will personally make you something to eat.”



Kagome smiled the very first smile since she was told of her fate. She went and sat at the only table in the kitchen, while Katsuki got busy making the young girl something to eat. She set a couple of bowls of oden in front of the miko and her friend along with some bread and meat for the neko.



Katsuki turned with a motherly expression on her face and said, “Now I want you to eat everything I gave you. You have not eaten anything I have sent you for the past few days and it’s not good for you to go without eating. Look how skinny you have become because of it.”



Kagome lowered her head at being chastised for what she did as she said in a low voice, “Gomen nasai, I will not do it again.”



Katsuki was satisfied that she got her message across to the young miko as she saw her start to eat. Sango joined her in the meal and when they were done and Katsuki was satisfied that she had eaten enough, she let them leave her kitchen. But before Kagome went too far she said, “Little one, I want you to come down here every meal. I will feed you from here. If you don’t come down to eat then I will come after you, am I understood?”



Kagome nodded her head in understanding. She would not get on the elder youkai’s bad side. She had seen first hand what she could do when she was mad and she didn’t feel like being humiliated in front of everyone if she came looking for her for missing a meal.



Kagome and Sango walked out of the kitchen with full bellies and went outside. Kagome knew that the only place she could go was to the gardens so she headed there.



Sango was concerned for her friend. She had not spoken except for the few words she said to her upstairs and the few words she spoke to the elder youkai in the kitchen. Kagome was very withdrawn into herself and this was not good. For now she would let her be until she felt that Kagome was ready to talk. She knew that her friend was still upset over what had happened.



They got to the gardens and walked over to the sakura trees where they spent the rest of the day in complete silence. Kagome even took a nap under the tree, enjoying the nice cool breeze that blew through the area.



Sango had asked Kirara to make sure that the guards stayed away from the gardens. The neko transformed into her true form and flew away looking for intruders to keep them away from the girl that she was protecting. She found several that she attacked and sent them on their way. None of the soldiers would attack the neko, they knew that if they did they would attract the attention of their lord and that’s something no one wanted.



Sango and Kagome spent the afternoon in the gardens. When the sun started to go down they made their was back into the castle and down to the kitchen. Katsuki was waiting for them with their food already on the table. They both sat down and ate in silence. Kagome was still unwilling to speak to anyone.



When they were done, the two girls left the kitchen and headed upstairs. When she reached her room, Kagome turned to her friend and said, “Goodnight Sango, sleep well.”



Sango couldn’t take it any longer as she asked, “Kagome? Will you ever talk to me again? I’m sorry that I didn’t try to stop you from leaving the castle grounds a few days ago. I knew we would get into trouble but I wanted you to be happy even if it was for a few hours.”



Kagome looked at her friend with concern. Kagome’s eyes revealed everything about her. She was sad, lonely, but most of all she felt unloved. “It’s not your fault Sango. I knew what would happen if I left the grounds and now I’m paying for it.”



“Will I see you in the morning then?” asked Sango in a shy voice.



Kagome sighed; she could not neglect her friend no matter what she felt for this place. She did make her life a little brighter. “Yes you will my friend. We will go down to eat in the kitchens from now on. Down there no one looks at me with hatred in their eyes.” She then turned and went into her room followed closely by Kirara.



Sango sighed in relief. Her friend was on the road to recovery and she would make sure that she was well protected. She turned on her heels and when she was about to leave, Sango noticed that Kagome had placed her barrier on her door again. She went down to the main dining hall where she knew the lord and his family was eating. Well everyone except for Sesshoumaru he was still being kept locked up in his room.



As Sango approached, the doors to the dining room were opened for her. She walked straight to the youkai lord, kneeled in his presence, and spoke, “Milord, Kagome has finally come out of her room and is eating again. She wishes to eat in the kitchen where she feels comfortable.”



Inutaisho was relieved to hear that his pup had come out of her room. But he was not happy about her eating down in the kitchen like a common servant. “That is wonderful news Sango, but I would prefer for her to take her meals with us.”



Sango took a deep breath to calm down. She knew that this was going to be hard for them but they had to understand what Kagome was going through. “Milord, Kagome is still upset about everything that has happened in the last few days. She is not speaking at the moment and has withdrawn considerably within herself. I would recommend that you let her take her meals with Katsuki-san down in the kitchen. If you refuse her then she will not come out of her room again. The only reason she did was because she was concerned about my friend Kirara. She was afraid of hurting her because she had not eaten in a few days.”



Inutaisho understood what was being said. He had to tread lightly with his little one until she felt safe again. He has been trying for days to instill order in his castle. His mate had taken care of the more outspoken female youkai’s because she killed them for their insolence.



Ayashiko had overheard what they were discussing and once all of the servants knew the consequences of talking ill about her pup, they had stopped talking about her completely.



“Very well Sango, she may take her meals in the kitchen. But it will not last forever. She is expected to act her station and soon the other lords will be coming here to meet her. She will be presented to them as my pup and ready to find a mate.” Inutaisho said as he looked at Sango to see if she understood what he was talking about.



Sango was glad that she was able to get her friend at least a little time to herself as she said, “Yes milord. It is understood.” Sango then bowed deeply to him before she got up and left.



Inuyasha had been sitting there the whole time listening to what was being said. He had not seen his friend Kagome and he missed playing with her at times. He looked at his father and said, “Chichiue, what is wrong with Kagome?”



Inutaisho turned to his son as he said, “She has not been feeling well lately. The castle servants have been saying very mean things about her and have hurt her feelings.”



Inuyasha’s eyes opened wide as he said, “They have no right talking about her like that! She is the nicest person in the world and someday I want to mate with her.”



Both Inutaisho and Ayashiko’s eyes opened wide with surprise, and then as calmly as possible Inutaisho asked, “You want to mate with her?”



Inuyasha nodded his head as he said, “Yes I do. She is really nice and she is very powerful. I want her as my own.”



Ayashiko turned to her son and asked, “Inuyasha, what would you do if Sesshoumaru wanted her for a mate as well?”



Inuyasha exclaimed “Feh!” then said, “Fluffy can’t protect her, he is locked in his room for misbehaving. Plus I know he is not going to mate with her. He doesn’t like ningen.”



At this Ayashiko giggled. It was wonderful to know that both her sons wanted to mate with the miko. She smiled as she said in a serious tone, “Inuyasha, you can’t take her as a mate yet. By the time you are old enough to mate she will be dead. Ningens don’t live as long as we do Musuko.”



Inuyasha thought about what his mother had said and frowned. “You mean that I can’t have Kagome as a mate?”



Ayashiko shook her head no. She could see that Inuyasha was upset about not being able to have Kagome as a mate. She soften her eyes as she said, “Musuko you will find the one that is destined to be your mate. One day you will find her and you will know that it’s her when your heart tells you.”



Inuyasha understood what his mother was saying, but he was disappointed, he asked to be excused and left to go to his room to sulk. He wanted Kagome for his mate but he couldn’t have her according to his mother. Maybe he could get Kagome as a friend since he couldn’t mate with her. He continued to ponder this as he was walking to his room.



---oOo---



The days passed by without incident. Kagome would meet Sango outside her room, and they would take all of their meals down in the kitchen. Katsuki would wait for them to come in and then serve them their food once they got there. Katsuki was glad because she saw the little one gaining the weight she had lost.



Kagome had stopped her training with Inutaisho and the youkai lord was not happy about that. She kindly reminded him that the training fields were outside the area she was told she could be in.



Inutaisho could have sworn that Kagome smirked when she told him that. When he said that as long as she was with him she was allowed to leave the garden, he saw a defiant look come into her eyes.



Kagome, being the ever-stubborn miko that she was, refused his offer and said that she would obey his original punishment for her.



Needless to say, Inutaisho was not happy with his pup. She was being very defiant, a trait not looked upon very favorably for someone that was looking for a mate. He growled and barred his fangs at her before he left. He needed to get away from her for a while before he did something he would regret.



He entered his study with a growl and caught the attention of his mate. Ayashiko looked up from the book she was reading as she eyed her mate. He was irritated which means he had words with their pup. She sighed as she asked, “What’s wrong Koiishi?”



Inutaisho turned around barring his fangs at his mate and said, “Your pup is impossible!”



Ayashiko eyes opened wide at his proclamation as she giggled and said, “Oh, so she is my pup now is she.”



“She defies me and won’t train. She says that the training field is outside the area she is allowed to be in.” He spoke with a growl in his voice.



Ayashiko soften her eyes as she said, “Well she is correct in that aspect.” She knew that she was not making the situation any better for him.



Inutaisho didn’t know what to. His pup has defied him and now his mate was teasing him. He growled his frustrations at his mate and said, “I know this mate, I had given her permission to go to the training field with me but she still defies me by saying that she will follow my original orders for her, impetuous pup!”



As he calmed himself he said, “She almost acts like you when you go into heat. Are you sure she is not your real pup or do all women act like this?”



Ayashiko snapped her head up when she heard his comment. You can see the fear in her eyes as she asked, “Inutaisho, please tell me did you smell anything different about Kagome?”



Inutaisho was confused. His mate never said his name unless she was upset about something. He took a deep breath and said, “It’s the scent of Night Blooming Jasmine with a touch of cinnamon, why?”



“Quickly we must find her before the males do!” Ayashiko said in fear.



Inutaisho was still confused as he said, “Why? She should be safe inside the barrier.”



“You don’t understand. Your senses have been dulled because we have been mated for a long time. But think back to the first time we met and the first time I went into heat!” yelled Ayashiko as she ran out of the study toward her pup. She had to reach her before anything happened.



Inutaisho came out of his shock, finally realizing what his mate had said as he rushed out of his study. He had finally caught up with her as they were leaving the castle. They stopped in their tracks when they heard the piercing cry of the Dragon that belongs to Sesshoumaru, calling for his master. Inutaisho turned to his mate and said, “Something must be wrong if the Dragon is calling for Sesshoumaru, but he can’t leave the castle.”



The moment Inutaisho said that, they heard an anguish howl coming from deep inside the castle as an explosion rocked the palace. The castle shook as a powerful aura landed outside in the gardens. When they finally got there, they found Sesshoumaru in his true form fighting the hordes of males after Kagome. The Dragon was protecting her as Sesshoumaru stood over their bodies protecting them.



Inutaisho was shocked when he saw his son. His inner beast had two tails instead of the one.



--oOo—



Kagome was sitting underneath her favorite tree. She was happy that she had irritated the youkai lord. She knew that she shouldn’t disobey him but she was being stubborn at the moment and she actually felt good for doing it.



Kagome had just closed her eyes and was resting comfortably when she sensed a large amount of youkai in the area. She snapped her eyes open at once and stood up from her spot. She scanned the area around her and then she saw them. There must have been about a hundred youkais standing there looking at her. All of them had blood red eyes, which looked at her with lust. They were all growling as they started to make their way to her location.



She had a bad feeling about this as she took out her twin swords getting ready to attack the males that came into the gardens.



Sango stood next to her as Kirara transformed into her true youkai form and gave a piercing roar over the area warning all the youkai to stay away from the girl. But they all attacked at the same time as Sango let her weapon fly. She cut down as many youkai as she could while Kirara attacked those she missed. Even with her battling all these youkai and killing a good portion of them, some still got through her and Kirara as they went after Kagome.



Kagome was scared. For the first time in her life she was actually scared about what was going to happen. She lashed out with her swords as she said, “Raijin Kogeki!”



A wide path was made as she released her lighting attack towards the enemy. Well they weren’t really her enemy but the soldiers from the castle. She didn’t want to kill them but she didn’t have a choice, she didn’t understand why they were attacking her in the first place.



The more she attacked and killed the more of came after her. She was hit from behind as she went down. She was grabbed roughly by a youkai but she was knocked out of his hold by another youkai. She landed on the ground as the two males battled with each other. More males came into the scene as Kagome tried to protect herself from the advancing males. She was grabbed off the ground as several males fought each other with her in the middle of the fight.



Kagome finally managed to get free from them as she landed on the ground. She was hurt and bleeding very badly. She couldn’t concentrate on putting up a barrier for the pain was too great for her to handle. She closed her eyes and called for the only one that she could still contact. He would be the only one that could still help her at this moment. “Ah, Un please I need your help!”



The dragon heard the girl’s silent call as they reared on their hind legs and blasted the roof off the stable. They leaped from their stall and flew to the girl to defend her. When they got there, they released a band of their dragon breath and killed the males around his mistress. She was hurt and on the ground unconscious as they landed on top of her.



The Dragon roared a powerful roar calling to their master telling him that his intended was injured. The Dragon knew that this female belong to his master, she carried his scent on her.



Ah, Un lowered their body down to the ground as they were almost lying on top of Kagome. Their hind and front legs kept the full weight of their body from crushing the girl. They were shielding her from the onslaught. They wrapped their tail around their legs to make sure no one got near the girl as their wings came down as a second layer of protection. They continued to blast the idiotic males away from her. They roared again as an answer roar came back telling them to protect the girl. They would do as their master has instructed them to do with their last dieing breath.



--oOo—



Sesshoumaru felt like a caged animal. He was pacing in his room again and sensed that danger was very near. He knew that his intended was in danger but he couldn’t break out of this room.



He continued to pace as he picked up on the battle going on outside the castle. He attacked the walls of his room to get out, but it was to no avail. Then he heard the call of his Dragon. He had not seen them in weeks as they called for him. They told him that they were protecting his intended and that she was hurt from the horde of males attacking her.



Sesshoumaru’s anger increased ten fold as he drew out an awesome amount of power from deep within him. His inner inu raged as he continued to pull on this power. He was finally able to break the spell that held him as he transformed into his orb form. He blasted out of the castle and shot up into the air. He transformed into his true form as he headed for his intended.



He landed right on top of his Dragon and growled his displeasure at the other males in the area. He let his youki spread over the land showing his power and demanding that all the males back off from his female, she was his and no one was going to take her away from him.



A few chose to challenge and met a quick death as he struck with his twin tails, killing the irksome males. The other males backed off, they knew that they could never fight such a powerful youkai and win.



Sesshoumaru didn’t back down until he saw all the males retreat back into the forest. He transformed back into his human form and approached the Dragon. He petted their heads in thanks as he said, “You have done well, now where is my intended?”



Ah, Un got up and stepped away from the girl. When they did Sesshoumaru’s eyes almost went red again. She was in heat and her scent was the most wonderful fragrance he had ever encountered. But when he looked at his intended she was hurt. She was covered in claw marks and she was bleeding badly.



He quickly went to her side as he kneeled down beside her. He picked her up in his arms as his inner inu started to whine for not being able to protect her from this. He held her close to his chest as he rocked her back and forth trying to offer her some comfort in her pain. Sesshoumaru started to lick the wounds on her face, healing the worst ones that would scar her beautiful porcelain skin.



Kagome whimpered in pain as she was moved. She finally felt safe as she was picked up off the ground. Her whole body hurt as the pain was becoming too much for her to handle. She tried to concentrate on healing herself but she was too weak to do that. She felt something warm on her face as it was taking away the pain she was feeling.



She tried to move but her body refused her commands. She slowly started to fall into the dark abyss where she would feel no pain at all.



--oOo—



Ayashiko had watched in horror as the males from around the castle tried to get to her pup. She knew without a doubt that the Dragon standing before her was protecting Kagome. The dragon was protecting something that was underneath him and she figured that’s where her pup was located.



She saw that her elder son had escaped the castle and its enchantments to come and protect his intended. Once all the males were gone he had transformed back into his human form. His eyes were back to normal and when the Dragon stood away from Kagome, did she finally see the condition her pup was in. She let out a strangled cry as she ran at once to her pup.



Her son was holding her pup now and his eyes were still normal. She had a chance to get the girl away from him and leave this place to let her heal. She approached slowly as she heard the warning growls from her son. She stopped when she was close enough to him as she said, “Sesshoumaru you must give me Kagome so I can take her away from here and heal her wounds. She is in heat and this place is not the area she needs to be in at the moment. Please, I promise to take care of her and bring her back once she is healed.”



Sesshoumaru heard his mother’s plea. His inner inu was growling at her for wanting to take his intended away from him again. The rational side won out this time as he stood and brought the girl with him. He held her close to his chest as his chest vibrated to soothe his mate. He turned to his mother and asked, “You will not harm her? And you will bring her back once she is well?”



“Yes Sochi, I will bring her back once she is healed, you have my word.” Ayashiko said as she looked at her pup. She needed to get Kagome away from this place and soon.



Sesshoumaru agreed as he let his mother take his intended away from him. He watched as his mother held Kagome close to her chest and kissed her forehead. It was a sign of respect among youkais and of love among one’s family. His heart leaped with joy knowing that his mother approved of his chosen mate.



Sesshoumaru saw his father approaching his mother and mate. He was about to growl when his mother beat him to it. Her growls had more of an affect than his for making his father stop his approach.



Ayashiko turned to her mate and growled as she said, “I will be leaving the castle until Kagome is over her heat. I need to treat her wounds and make sure she is strong enough when we return. It is not safe for her here while she is this way and I’m taking her to my sanctuary.”



Inutaisho could not believe his ears. His mate has never left the castle before on her own, the only time she ever left was when she was threatened and had taken Sesshoumaru to her sanctuary. He had been devastated about the whole ordeal. He had no idea where her sanctuary was located but she came back to him once he had taken care of the threat.



But he understood her concern for her pup. Kagome was in heat and so far the soldiers of his castle have attacked her but there were others more powerful coming to this area. He could sense them on his lands. He turned to his mate and said, “Do what you think you must. But return to me as soon as possible.”



Ayashiko understood his concerns as she looked at Sango and the fire neko. “Sango I want you to come with me to help protect Kagome.” Sango agreed and moved closer to Lady Ayashiko. Kirara transformed into her kitten form as she jumped on Sango’s shoulder.



Ayashiko turned to her son and told him, “Your intended will be protect by me with my life. I will return when she is well again.” She moved closer to Sango as she said, “Sango grab on to my sleeve and hold on tight, we will be traveling fast.” Sango nodded and did as she was told. Ayashiko then transformed into her orb form that shot up and disappeared into the sky.



Inutaisho turned to his son and asked, “Do you want to help me get rid of some vermin that are after your intended?”



Sesshoumaru smirked as he transformed into his true form and waited for his father.



Inutaisho observed that his son did not have the twin tails like he had before. His transformation is not complete yet, but he had a feeling that he will transform and accept the power of the two tails to protect his beloved mate. He had never had a reason to accept that ultimate power before, but Inutaisho had a hunch that his son will and it will be very soon.



He transformed into his true form as they both took off into his lands to rid the area of the vermin who were trying to get to his pup. He saw that his son was enjoying himself as he destroyed those who didn’t run at just the sight of the both of them defending the west.



--oOo—



Ayashiko traveled fast through the area. It was late in the afternoon when they finally landed and the orb in which they were traveling in, dissipated.



When Sango’s eyes finally came into to focus after being in the orb, her eyes were as wide as saucers. She had never in her life seen such a beautiful place. The land in front of her was covered in a blanket of green grass. There were flowers that were scattered around the field in groups as she saw a deer eating in the meadow. In the distance you can see the tall trees that surrounded the land. They stood tall as their majestic branches reached to the skies taking in that glorious sun.



Further into the horizon, you could see the mountain that was a great distance away from them. You could see the white peaks from where she stood and it looked beautiful against the blue skies up above.



She turned as she followed Lady Ayashiko. When she had turned around she spotted a modest castle sitting against a lake. It was not very big, not like the one in the west, but it was still grand in its appearance. It was only three floors tall. The castle was all white with a black roof. There were many windows that allowed the sun to enter the castle and the cool breeze to cool its interior during the day. There were no walls around the castle for the mountains protected it.



The castle’s reflection appeared in the crystal clear water as the blue sky gave it the perfect backdrop to its beauty. Further down the lake you could see the other mountains that were present around the area. At the base of the mountains you could see the forest that surrounded it. There were no roads leading to this place, at least not that Sango could see. The crystal clear water of the lake held the reflection of the mountains and the trees, the scene was absolutely breath taking.



Slowly Ayashiko walked up to the castle. At first Sango thought that there were no servants here but that was quickly brought to rest when about five servants ran out of the castle to greet their lady.



They stopped in front of her when they saw the girl she was holding in her arms. Ayashiko got down to the business at hand as she said, “Go and get the healer and bring her to the room right next to mine.”



The servants dashed off as one of them went to get the healer and the others went to get the room prepared. By the time they arrived at the room, the healer was just arriving.



The healer was an older fukurou youkai with great knowledge of healing. She had dark brown hair that came to about her waist. It was tied in a low ponytail about where her shoulders blades would be. She had brown eyes and around her eyes lids there was a hint of a white shadow that circled her eyes. She had one stripe on each side of her face that looked like feathers. She wore a blue kimono with a simple white sash. She was wise beyond her years. She approached her lady as she asked, “Milady, what happened to the young one?”



Ayashiko placed Kagome on the bed as she said, “Oyuki she was attacked by the castle guards when she went into heat. I didn’t know she was going into heat and by the time we got to her the damage was already done. I want you to help her heal for she is weak and she can’t heal herself with her Reiyouku.”



The healer understood as she went to work on the girl’s wounds. Ayashiko and Sango watched to make sure that she would not hurt Kagome.



When she was done she turned to Ayashiko and said, “Milady, I’m afraid there is some bad news. Although her wounds are not life threatening, her heat cycle is. She has gone unmated for a long time and this time her heat will be very painful for her. In her weakened state I don’t know if she will survive such an ordeal. The longer the female goes unmated the harder the pain of her heat. Her body will start to crave for a male and she might try to escape from here.”



Ayashiko didn’t understand, her pup was ningen how could she be having the heat cycle of a youkai. She turned to Sango and asked, “Sango is this something that is normal for ningen females? Do you have the same heat cycle as a female youkai?”



Sango was still trying to get over that last bit of bad news. She heard her lady’s question, and replied, “No milady. In a ningen female the heat cycle comes every moon. We bleed for a week and have slight discomforts but nothing more. We do not go through the same heat cycle as a female youkai.”



Ayashiko was deep in thought. None of this was making any sense to her. Her pup was ningen and she was sure of that. But she kept on showing signs that she was a youkai and now with her heat cycle it proved her theory even more.



Ayashiko was even more puzzled as she tried to figure out why this was happening, but first things first. They had to make sure that Kagome stayed here in this castle. She was safe here because there were no males.



She turned to her servants and said, “Oyuki we will take her to the special room that we have. Make sure that we have everything that we will need for when she awakens. You are to make sure that the barriers around the castle hold up until my pup’s heat passes.”



Oyuki and the other servants left the room they were in as they set out to fix the special room that their lady requested. The room was in a special part of the castle. It was located at the very bottom, where most dungeons where located. But this was no dungeon. The room contained a waterfall within. It was used to cool the heated flesh of the demoness that was in heat. It had barriers and enchantments that prevented the scent of her heat from seeping out of the room. It would keep the most powerful demonesses sealed within its walls with no way out.



Ayashiko knew she had some time to mediate before the room was ready. She asked Sango and Kirara to keep an eye on her pup as she went down the hall into another room. That room was mostly empty and the only thing there was a mat in the middle of the room that she went to and kneeled upon. She readied herself, she needed to contact her friend and find out how to help her daughter.



Ayashiko closed her eyes as she concentrated. She called out to her friend in a silent plea to come to her. She relaxed her mind as she continued to think about her. When she had reached her goal of relaxation she slowly opened her eyes.



After a few moments Ayashiko started to see her friend materialize right in front of her as the mikokoro of Midoriko came to stand before her. She took a deep breath before she spoke to her friend, “Midoriko, it has been a long time since we have last talked. I need your help with the pup that you have entrusted my mate with protecting.”



The mikokoro of Midoriko looked at her friend as she said, “What would you like to know my friend?”



“How is it that this ningen pup shows signs that she is youkai? She is not youkai but yet now she is going into heat like a bitch would. I don’t understand what is going on and I’m at a total loss on how to help her. She has stayed unmated for far too long now and her heat is going to get worse.” Ayashiko said in anguish.



Midoriko arched an elegant eyebrow at her friend as she asked, “Didn’t your mate tell you that she is the Shikon No Tama in ningen form?”



Ayashiko eyes went wide when she heard this. This would explain a lot of what is going on with her pup. Fear took over as a thought came to her mind and she asked, “Midoriko did the Shikon No Tama merge with the girl?”



“Yes my friend. It did merge with her. She now possesses not only her soul but also mine and the other youkai that existed in the jewel. She was strong on her own before but when the Shikon No Tama merged with her she now has our combined strength. That’s why she is the Shikon in ningen form.” Midoriko said.



‘No wonder Kagome was acting like a youkai and why she is so powerful. If she is the Shikon then she is going to be hard to subdue.’ She sighed as she turned back to her friend and said, “Thank you for the information. I will try to keep her safe until her heat is over but it will not be easy.”



Midoriko nodded her head in understanding as she said with concern in her voice, “Yes I know that it will not be easy. I will be keeping a close eye on her to make sure that she maintains control but right now her control is slipping away from everything that has happened today. I will help you in very way possible with the girl.”



Ayashiko couldn’t ask anything more from her friend as she saw her fade away into the light. She got up as she left the room. Her questions having been answered by her friend, she now knew what she had to do. She would have to wait to deal with her mate once she returned. He should have told her this little bit of information. She could have taught Kagome how to handle all of this and she wouldn’t have gotten hurt in the first place.



She went back to the bedroom where Kagome was being kept. When she entered she looked at Sango and asked, “Sango, has she woken up yet?”



Sango shook her head no as Ayashiko approached Kagome. She picked her up as they headed towards the special room she had in mind. Sango was following closely behind Ayashiko as they descended into the depths of the castle. They continued to descend down into the lowest reaches of the castle as they made their way to the room they were going to keep Kagome in until her heat was over with.



Sango thought for sure that they were going to the dungeons. It was what her clan thought was located down in the lowest part of any castle. She knew that she was underground for the air was cooler down here, and when they finally made it to their destination Sango breathed a sigh of relief. It was almost like going into the depth of hell when you went down here, so deep underground it was.



Sango opened the door in front of her to let Lady Ayashiko enter with Kagome. When Sango turned around she was surprised by what she saw. In one part of the room there was a big futon. Two smaller futons where fixed up near the bigger one. On the opposite side of the room there was a hot spring for them to use but what made it even better was that the hot spring had a built in waterfall.



‘The water must be coming in from the lake outside.’ Sango thought as she continued walking with Ayashiko until she came to the large futon and placed Kagome down on it. The easy part was over as far as Ayashiko was concerned; now the really hard part begins.



Ayashiko told Sango to rest while she had the chance. They both knew that they were going to have their hands full when Kagome finally wakes up and she feels the full affects of her heat.



The days passed and they had managed to keep Kagome asleep for most of her heat. But on the night of the third day she had woken up screaming from the heat within her body, it was just too great for her to handle.



Kagome lashed out with her powers as she almost purified Ayashiko. She was trying to make it to the door so she could leave. Kirara had tackled her from behind as she pinned her to the ground. Kagome was struggling to get out of Kirara’s hold. She wanted to leave this place.



Ayashiko got some enchanted shackles as she put them on Kagome. She hated to do that to her pup but she didn’t have a choice. The shackles were attached to the walls of the room. They had put shackles on her wrist and ankles to hold her in place.



Kagome struggled against the chains but to no avail. Try as she might she could not break out of the shackles that were placed on her. She was panting hard on the floor as she tried to regain control of her body. The pain was great. Never before had she ever suffered so much pain. It felt like someone was taking their nails and raking them within her stomach.



Kagome’s body yearned for the touch of a male. She knew that a male would be able to take the pain away from her and she, at this point, was willing to do anything to make the pain stop.



She bolted for the door as the chains held fast, making her fall on her hands and knees. She started to glow again as Ayashiko, Sango, and Kirara backed away from her. They wanted to make sure that they were not hit with her purifying powers.



Kagome couldn’t take the pain anymore as she rose to her knees and screamed a blood-curdling scream that went straight to your soul. She continued screaming as she was holding her head, the pain was too great for her and her body couldn’t handle it. She collapsed on the ground and went into a coughing fit. Blood started to come from her mouth and nose. Her blood, being over heated, had to escape her body before it ripped her skin apart.



As much as it pained Ayashiko she held on to Sango and waited for this episode to pass. This one was the worst of them all. If she survived this one she would survive the rest.



Ayashiko noticed right away that something was wrong with her pup, Kagome’s breathing had become shallow. Ayashiko raced to her side, but before she could touch her, a barrier went up, preventing her from getting to the girl.



The barrier crackled with power as it foretold the death of anyone who would touch it. Ayashiko watched on in horror as her pup bleed to death and she couldn’t do anything about it. Sango was at a loss for what to do. Even she could not touch the barrier for fear that it would harm her.



At that moment, they saw the mikokoro of Midoriko appear as she hovered over her daughter’s body. She kneeled next to her and wrapped her arms around her pup. She soothed her daughter to ease her breathing down. She reached into Kagome’s mind and showed her where to use her healing powers to help her overcome all this pain. The pain being the one thing that her body couldn’t tolerate as it was on the verge of shutting down.



Slowly a blue aura surrounded Kagome’s body as the healing process started. Soon she stopped bleeding and started to breathe a little easier. Midoriko was still holding her in her arms. Once she saw that her breathing was back to normal and her bleeding had stopped she let go of her Musume. She rose up off the ground and raised her hand. The barrier went down as Ayashiko came running to her pup. She kneeled by her side as she saw that Kagome was in a deep sleep.



She looked up at her friend as she said, “Thank you for helping her. I almost lost her because of this.”



Midoriko smiled as she said, “Ayashiko, she must be mated by her next heat cycle or you will lose her. I cannot stop what her body is yearning for. She will need the help of her mate in order to survive the ordeal. I cannot predict when her next heat cycle will be. It is unstable now for she has gone a long time without mating. The youkai souls are slowly gaining strength and the only way to keep them at bay will be for her to mate as soon as possible.” Then the mikokoro Midoriko slowly disappeared from the area.



Ayashiko nodded her head in understanding as she took off the shackles that her pup had on and removed her clothing. She then stood and striped as she grabbed her pup and entered the hot springs there in the chamber they were in. Sango soon joined her as she helped Ayashiko bathe Kagome. The worst of her heat was finally over; all they had to do was wait until she got stronger to head back to the west.



--oOo—



This is the end to another chapter. Kagome’s heat almost caused her demise. It is now imperative that Kagome find a mate to help her through the next one.



Now that Ayashiko knows that Kagome is the Shikon in human form she will try to help her get stronger. But Jakyoku comes back in the next chapter and he has some friends that mean to do Kagome some harm. He still wants her as his mate and he will stop at nothing to get her.



Inuyasha decides to play his tricks on Sesshoumaru. But like all his practical jokes they don’t always come out the way he wants them. People get hurt, things are said that cause friction between Kagome and Sesshoumaru.



Kagome has a revelation and comes to terms with her heart. Join me in the next chapter as things heat up when they want to get Kagome and Lord Inutaisho is not about to give up what is his.



I want to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! I will continue posting next year. Also, I have a little treat for all of you. I have a one-shot that I wrote its called A Christmas Wish. I know I didn’t get it finished or edited in time for Christmas but it is finished and I’m posting it. For those of you who want to read the uncensored version of it go to my profile and I will have a link to the sites that have it. A Single Sparks and Adult Fanfiction will have the uncensored version of this story.



I have another one shot in the works but I’m not done editing yet. So you will have to wait just a bit for that one. Again there will be a censored one for Fanfiction with the uncensored being posted at the other two sites.



Have a wonderful New Years and I will see you all next year!



Until the next chapter!



Ja ne!