Her Destiny

Chapter 11

In a dark and cold tunnel, Jakyoku’s generals were walking towards his location. They were very much aware of the foul mood their lord has been in these past few months. His aura was steadily growing darker with each passing day. The dark cavern they finally reached did not help the situation since it was only lit with very few torches. The general’s eyes had to adjust to the darkened space as they waited for their lord to speak.

Jakyoku was deep in thought as he sat in the middle of the cavern. He had been thinking about everything that has happened in the last three months. He just couldn’t believe his rotten luck. So far all of his efforts to obtain the miko has ended in a total fiasco. The fools he had sent to keep an eye on Gengetsujou had turned up dead. After about a week of not hearing from his soldiers he sent a small scouting party out to try and find them. He was hoping that they would find them alive and bring them back so he could enjoy torturing them for not corresponding with him.

The scouts came back about a week later and reported that everyone in that group had been killed. Rumor had it that it was a ningen miko with great powers who had defeated them.

Jakyoku’s blood started to boil as he remembered this little bit of information. He had now lost two companies of youkai to that ningen female and the Western Lord. This female was proving to be strong and difficult to obtain. She was everything that he needed and wanted in a female. She was very powerful if she defeated this group of youkai that he had sent to the Western Lands to keep watch over Gengetsujou. They had been one of the top companies in his army, never failing in their mission.

But the question was how to capture the ningen onna? Everything he has tried to do so far has failed. For one thing she was being kept on a short leash. She never went anywhere without an escort or without Inutaisho himself. He knew that his elder son was not allowed to be near the girl if he was planning on competing for the right to court her.

‘Those fools think that I will enter some competition to see who is the strongest male to court her. I will take what I want, while they are playing their foolish games, I will be the winner when I walk away with the girl. For it is said, only the strongest will rule the lands. I am the most powerful Inu youkai in this area and soon I will prove that I am the most powerful in all the land. There will be nothing that they can do about it.’ Jakyoku thought darkly as he continued to think about the girl.

Then he thought about the girl’s power, it was proving to be bothersome if she kept killing his youkai soldiers. He will have to find a way to partially seal her powers making her weaker than himself. She was getting stronger and he knew that he could only withstand a couple of hits of her purifying magic. But once he dominated her and she became his mate there was nothing that she would be able to do about it.

If she were to escape him he would track her down and bring her back. The punishment for leaving his side was not a good one but one that he knew he would have to teach her. He growled as he thought about this.

His generals were moving away from their lord. They were giving him his space just in case he lashed out with his anger. None of them wanted to die today.

Jakyoku’s anger was at an all time high as the urge to kill was evident in his eyes. A servant made his way around the cavern giving everyone something to drink. He came to his lord’s side as he bowed and then placed a goblet on the low table beside him. He stepped away and bowed to his lord again as he turned making his way back to the kitchen, his task finally complete.

At that moment Jakyoku lashed out with his claws at the servant, whose body laid in two pieces on the ground. His anger finally subsided once his blood lust was satisfied, while he continued to ponder what to do.

The generals all sat waiting, hoping that their Lord would not take out his anger on them.

Jakyoku had to come up with another plan to get the ningen onna or at least continue with his original plan of killing the Western Lord. He smiled an evil smile as he thought, ‘Yes it is about time that I kill Inutaisho. Once he is dead the west will slowly start to fall apart. His son, Sesshoumaru, will not be able to take over the Western Lands and rule as lord. He will never be able to handle the responsibility of such a large territory. I could move in, attack, and take the west by force.

When it comes to strategic battles I am far more experienced than Sesshoumaru so therefore I should be able to get what I want. Then I can have the girl because there will be no one to protect her.’ Now this plan he liked as he started to formulate how to do it.

A wicked smile came across his features as he got the perfect plan. Inutaisho will meet his death very soon. He called for his favorite assassin the Nezumi youkai. They were very clever when it came to assassinations and they are able to penetrate the most powerful barriers with little problem.

Sado came scurrying into his lord’s cavern. He kneeled in front of him as he said, “How may I be of service milord?” His nose was moving from side to side as he picked up everyone’s scent. He knew that he was loathed in this place but he didn’t care. He did his job well and his lord always rewarded him for his efforts.

Jakyoku looked at his assassin and said, “I have a job for you. I want you to get rid of the Lord of the West. Make sure that his death is a painful one.”

Sado laughed as he eyed his lord. He was even more evil than himself. He thought for a few minutes as he asked, “Milord, I could use one of our most powerful poisons. They have no cure and will work slowly to kill your intended victim by eating them from the inside out.”

“That would be perfect!” Jakyoku’s grin widened at the thought of Inutaisho dying a horrific death.

With that Sado stood and left his lord. He had to get his equipment and companions ready. He needed to find the poison in question so he could take it with him. The Lord of the West will soon be dead and Jakyoku will rule supreme. An evil laughter escaped Sado’s lips as he continued on his way through the darken caves.

Jakyoku turned his attention to everyone else in the cavern. His gaze was enough to freeze hell over. Then he said in a deadly voice, “Once I have received word that Inutaisho is on his death bed and close to dying we will set up to attack the west. I will not tolerate failure of any kind. I have already lost two companies of youkai and I don’t plan on losing anymore is that understood?”

The youkai generals acknowledge his orders as they quickly left the darkened cavern. They needed to train their soldiers for the fight ahead. The western soldiers were the best trained in the land and it will be difficult to defeat them. But they were confident that they would win the war and gain control over the Western Lands. Soon they will be able to leave these caves and move above ground again. Living underground all these centuries like common moles and hiding from their enemy was a disgrace. They were a proud race and they deserved a better life than this.

Oh yes the time to move to the west was at hand and they will fight to the death to achieve that goal.

---oOo---

Kagome has been slowly recovering from her ordeal. It was the worst cycle she has ever had since she can remember. She has never been through so much pain in all her life.

Ayashiko and Sango had been with her during this time and they had taken very good care of her. She had been left so weak that she thought she was going to die from it. It took her a couple of days to finally get enough strength to sit up. She expended a lot of her energy just to sit up and she was quickly exhausted.

Sango was concerned at seeing her friend like this as she turned to Lady Ayashiko and asked, “Milady, is it normal for a youkai female to behave in this manner? I mean are they normally this weak after coming out of their heat?” Sango had been worried, her friend had bleed so much that they thought they might lose her. When her blood finally started to slow they were both relieved.

Ayashiko looked at Sango and pondered how to best answer her question. She said in a most caring tone of voice as she could, “No it is not normal for a female youkai to be this weak after her heat cycle, because no female youkai would wait this long to find a mate. But Kagome is different. Once she wakes up and is able to talk, you will find that all of your questions will be answered. I have some questions of my own for Kagome and it will make things easier to explain.”

Sango understood what the female youkai was saying. She didn’t want to explain herself twice so she was choosing to wait until Kagome woke up to tell her what was going on. So they waited for Kagome to get stronger.

A couple of more days passed and Kagome was finally strong enough to walk. They left the special room as they went into the upper portions of the castle. There they were to rest a few more days until Kagome was stronger so they could travel back to Gengetsujou.

Ayashiko knew that asking Kagome questions was going to be difficult but she needed answers. She had tried once before to get Kagome to answer her questions about herself, but she had refused to reveal anything about where she came from or herself. But this time her pup was going to answer her questions. The time for her to trust her mother was at hand and she needed this information in order to protect her.

They were all sitting outside in the warm sun. It was a nice fall day as the trees were starting to change. The area looked absolutely beautiful with all of its colors painting the landscapes. You could see the patches of yellow, red, orange, and green spread around the area. Soon the winter winds would begin to blow and snow will cover the land.

Once all the servants had left and it was just the three of them, Ayashiko cast a silencing barrier around them. She didn’t want anyone to hear what they were going to discuss. When she had finished with her spell she turned to her pup and said, “Kagome, I have a few questions that I must ask you before we go back to Gengetsujou. It will help me prepare you for what is to come.”

Kagome looked at her youbo with curiosity in her eyes. She wandered what kind of questions she had for her. When she nodded her willingness to answer her questions, she heard her youbo continue.

“Kagome, I want to know how often do you normally go into heat?” Ayashiko questioned as she looked at her pup.

Kagome was confused by her question for she didn’t know what she meant by heat. “I’m sorry but I don’t understand the meaning of your question. I know that heat for me means to make warm or hot, but I gather that’s not what you are asking.”

Ayashiko raised an eyebrow in confusion, ‘Hmm, maybe I’m phrasing this question in the wrong manner for her.’ Ayashiko was spared from answering when she heard Sango chime in as she said, “Kagome what she means is how often to do you have your cycle or bleeding time?”

Kagome looked at Sango for a minute before she got the meaning of what they were asking. She now understood their questions as she said, “Well I have never been normal for a ningen. I was taken to the healers many times because I would not have a normal cycle. The healers told my mother that there was nothing they could do about it. My body would not go into heat, as you call it, every moon cycle, they could never find anything wrong with me. When I did go into heat I would bleed for a longer period of time. They said that I would have a cycle only twice, once in the spring and once in the late fall. But from what you have just told me I went through a heat cycle and it’s too early for it.”

Ayashiko was listening to her pup with interest. Then she asked, “When you would go through your heat would the pain worsen each time you had it?”

Kagome nodded her yes to her question. Ayashiko sighed, ‘I knew it. She has been in heat for far too long.’ She turned her gaze to her pup as she asked, “Did your mother ever help you through your heat?”

Kagome was surprised by this question and said, “No, my heat has never been this bad before. It has always been normal for me. I would have pain with each cycle and with each cycle the pain would get a little worse. But it was nothing that I couldn’t handle during that time. I have no idea why I got so sick this time.”

Now this was interesting. Ayashiko had a theory on why her heat had suddenly got worse as she asked, “Kagome in your village do you have any youkai in the area?”

Kagome eyes opened wide as she slowly stuttered out a “No.” Kagome was confused as she asked, “Why are you asking me all of these questions?”

Ayashiko took a deep breath as she started to explain. “Kagome, I have a theory on why your heat was so bad this time. Do you have any idea of who and what you are?”

Kagome shook her head no as her breathing was starting to get labored. She didn’t think she was going to like what she was about to be told. She knew that she was different but she really had no idea how very different she really was.

Ayashiko pondered this for a few minutes as she asked her final question before she told her pup what was going on. “Have you ever heard of the Shikon No Tama?”

“Yes I have. It was the jewel that Midoriko created when she was battling all of those youkais. It is said that with the last bit of her energy she sealed the youkais souls along with her own into the jewel that she created. It is also believed that she still fights the battle with those youkais that are still within the jewel.” Said Kagome, she was confused where all this was leading.

Ayashiko nodded her head in response to Kagome’s statement as she said, “Yes that is true. My friend, Midoriko, did create the Shikon No Tama to prevent those youkai from killing all the ningens in the villages around the area that she protected. The jewel was found after the battle by my mate and he had taken it for safekeeping. No one knew where he had hidden the jewel and Midoriko’s sword which held a tremendous amount of power.”

At this Sango interrupted Ayashiko as she said, “Lord Inutaisho took the jewel and the sword to my village where it has been protected all these years. There is a cave there that Midoriko protects and that’s where we kept the jewel and the sword until Lord Inutaisho came back to our village and took them.

He arrived a several months ago and when he came he had someone with him. He kept this person hidden from all of our view with this tail so no one knew what he held in his arms. All we saw was the blue/black hair and nothing else. He had entered the cave that held the jewel and the sword but Midoriko would not allow my father or me to follow him. It is her will on who enters the cave and who doesn’t.

He came out a couple of hours later saying that Midoriko wanted him to protect the jewel and the sword. He took both with him that day and we don’t know where he has hidden them.”

Understanding came to Ayashiko, as she finally understood what her mate was doing. He is protecting the jewel, that jewel being Kagome. She nodded her head in understanding as she said, “Well I think I might be able to answer where the jewel is.”

She turned her attention to Kagome again as she said, “Kagome you are the Shikon No Tama in ningen form.” This statement caused both girls to gasp.

Kagome was so shocked to hear this that she asked in a shaky, stuttering voice, “How… How… can I … bbb… be … the Shikon No Tama… in ningen form?”

Ayashiko knew now that she had to tell her pup the truth. She had to understand what was coming and she had to learn how to protect herself against the other youkai. She took a deep breath as she said, “Kagome you are the Shikon No Tama in ningen form. When my mate found you and saw the power you held he knew you to be strong. He wanted to protect you and that’s why he took you with him. What he didn’t realize was that you were Midoriko’s pup. She had, for a long time, known about you. She described you to perfection and told me to protect you when you finally came into my possession.

When my mate came home with you in his arms and told me that Midoriko was the one that asked him to protect you, I knew then who you were. I accepted you as my pup and I love you as my Itoshi Musume.

The original Shikon No Tama has merged with your body. Midoriko told me that much. When the jewel merged with your body, you received the power of Midoriko and the youkai that were in the jewel itself along with their souls. You must have purified the jewel enough for Midoriko to win the battle she has been fighting all these years.

The souls became docile and that’s when the jewel merged with your body. It became you in essence, and you now have that power to use as your own. The reason you act like a youkai at times is because of the youkai souls are trying to take control of your body.

Your heat cycle was the worst you have ever experienced because you now have the youkai souls in your body. Your cycle mirrors that of a female youkai. We go into heat twice a season just like you, always in the early spring and late fall. Your cycle now has become unstable with the added youkai souls, and when you go into heat the next time you might die if you are not mated.”

Kagome was in shock. She didn’t think that she could die just by having her menstrual cycle, but from what she was just told she could. She closed her eyes as she started to think.

She had read something about this in the library back in the castle. She didn’t understand what it was talking about when it mentioned heat and she has wanted to ask this question for a while. But now that her youbo had explained what heat was she understood what the book was saying.

It was very brief but it did say something about a female youkais heat being very powerful. It was a need that the female youkai has to be bonded to a male in order to produce the next generation of youkai. If she didn’t find a mate then she would die because her body would not be able to handle the changes without a male to help her through it. She now understood what her body went through and if what Ayashiko was saying is true then she could go into heat again very soon. She hated to think what would happen if she was not mated.

Ayashiko observed her pup to see how she was taking the news. Kagome seemed to be deep in thought as she was remembering something. Ayashiko could tell when Kagome figured out what she was telling her as a blush came over her cheeks. She smiled when Kagome understood the reason for a mate.

Ayashiko decided that she should continue on with her explanation. “Kagome when we return to the castle there will be a few changes, mostly with you. I want you to act your station. It is time that you started acting like my daughter and demand respect from everyone around you. That includes all of the servants in the castle. They will not respect you if they think of you as weak. You have been hiding your aura when you are in the castle and I don’t want you to do that anymore. You should not be ashamed of who or what you are. Be proud of being a miko and wear Midoriko’s mark proudly.

The teardrop represents that you are a powerful miko in your own right. The star underneath the teardrop represents that you are the protector of the land. You and your mate are destined to protect this land against the evil that is coming. You have to be strong and use that stubbornness of yours to protect everything that you love. That is the only way that you will be able to release the powers you have deep within you.

When we get back to the west by the next full moon cycle you will be presented to the rest of the lords of the land. You will be presented as one of my pups that is ready to mate. They will test you and you must behave accordingly. They will test your knowledge and your strength and once they approve of you then any male seeking a mate will make their suits known to you at that time.

You will not pick from these males they will just present themselves to you as someone that is interested in mating with you. There will be a tournament to determine the strongest male. The winner will win the right to dominate you. If you are stronger than the male then you may turn down his suit. No other male will come forward for the male that won the right to dominate you would have been the strongest male available to mate with you. Which means you will easily win against any other male there.

But if the male does subdue you and you submit to him by raising your chin and exposing your neck to him, he will then place a courting mark on you and take you away. You will stay with him until you submit to him fully and mate.”

Kagome listened intently to what Ayashiko was saying. To say that she was shocked was an understatement. She didn’t know what was involved in the mating process of a youkai. She has not been able to find any books, scrolls, or parchments on the subject. She has searched the whole castle for any additional rooms that held books and never found anything. Then she was taken to the study; she has never been in that room before. That room held a lot of books that she has not read yet. She would have to go there and read what was in there. Maybe it holds the answer to all of her questions.

Kagome thought that the whole idea of them fighting over who would get to dominate her was ridiculous. She should be allowed to pick her mate and be in love when she mated. She couldn’t willingly submit to a male and mate with him if she did not love him.

Then Kagome had a thought as she turned to her youbo and asked, “Hahaue, did you love Lord Inutaisho before he dominated you?”

Ayashiko was not expecting this question from her pup. She would have expected something along the line of, ‘Why do you have to find me a mate?’ or ‘I don’t want to mate with those bastards.’ But instead her pup asked her if she was in love with her mate before he dominated her.’

Ayashiko thought about this question and worded her response carefully as she said, “No, when we fought for the first time he proved himself to be a powerful youkai. I did not love him then. I started to fall in love with him when he took me away. I didn’t want to tell you this part right now but I guess I should explain what happens when the male leaves with you.

Once you submit to the male and he marks you, their inner Youkai become very protective and possessive of their intended female. It is a part of their nature and when their feral side takes over they cannot help the way they act. It can be frightening at first but you must get to know the both of them.

The couple head for a secluded place where the male is the only thing constant in the females mind. It is his job to prove that he can protect you, care for you, provide for you, and possibly love you. Not all mating happens because you are in love with the youkai that was stronger than you. Sometimes the mating will happen because you are forced into the mating. It is the way of things.

In my case I fell in love with your Otou-san before we were mated. He showed me a side of himself that I have never seen before the mating phase of the courting. He was loving, caring, and very attentive to my needs. So that made our mating special, because we connected in a way that no one will ever separate us. We are soul mates and we will be together for all eternity.”

Kagome’s head snapped up as she heard her youbo say she fell in love with her Otou-san. “Otou-san?” Kagome whispered underneath her breath as she thought about this new revelation.

Ayashiko looked at her pup with confusion, ‘Did she not think that my mate was not her father?’ “Yes Otou-san. My mate is your father Kagome. He will protect you like one of his own pups. He will not let another male come anywhere near you because you are his only Musume. He loves you as his Musume and nothing, anyone says, will change his mind. He is hard with you because he needs to teach you, but he does love you.”

Kagome didn’t know how to take this little bit of information. This was all new to her. She had grown up all her life not having a father. Her father died when she was just 6 years old and her brother was two. She didn’t remember that much about her father because he was never around.

Then she started to think that the youkai lord had been more of a father to her than anyone else in her life. He protected her, trained her, she would even see the proud look in his eyes when she did something right. He had been a father to her and she repaid him with her defiance and stubbornness.

She felt ashamed for what she had done to him. She had no right to do that. Her mother had taught her better than that. She knew that she would have to apologies to him once she got back and start listening to what he told her to do.

Then she turned her attention back to the business at hand, the mating. “I don’t know if I can go through with the mating if I don’t love the person I’m to be mated to. I want to feel loved when I’m with someone. Since I have been here you are the only one that has shown me any love. I know that the Lord of the lands loves me but it’s hard for me to think of him as my Otou-san. I never really had one, when I was growing up it was only my mother, brother, and my Jii-san.”

Ayashiko stood as she went to her Musume and held her in her arms. She comforted her pup as she asked, “Musume, when will you tell me about where you come from? I would like to know more about you and the place you where born.”

Kagome felt very safe in her youbo’s arms. She knew that she deserved to know where she came from. Maybe if she told them they would understand why she was so hesitant in saying anything or mating with a complete stranger. “Once we get back to Otou-san then I will tell you all at the same time. You have a right to know where I come from and the implications of me mating with someone I don’t love.”

Ayashiko was happy to hear this as she said, “All right Musume when we return you can tell all of us where you come from. We will wait a couple of more days before we head back to Gengetsujou. I want you to be well rested before we return. But remember you will start acting like my Musume once we return. Do not let any youkai push you around and if you have to purify any of them I will understand. Sometimes you have to give them an example before they take you seriously.”

Kagome understood what her youbo was saying and she would change just for her. She was getting tired of the way the servants were treating her and it was about time that she showed them who she really was.

Sango had been listening in silence the whole time. She was so shocked to hear everything that was said. Kagome now knew some of the things that were going to happen when they returned. It was going to be hard for her to stand up to those servants, but she will make sure that she was by her friend’s side when she did. She just hoped that she would be invited to listen when Kagome explained where she came from, she was curious to know herself.

They remained outside for a good portion of the day. Then Kagome asked Ayashiko if she could spend some time with the healer of the castle. She had some questions and she was hoping that the healer could provide some answers to her questions.

Ayashiko agreed to her request and introduced Kagome and Sango to the healer. She then left them so Kagome could learn what she wanted from the healer.

When Ayashiko left, Oyuki was left with the two young females. She smiled at them as she asked, “Now my little one what questions do you have that you want answers to.”

Kagome was very nervous as she said, “Oyuki-sama, I have questions about poisons.”

Oyuki eyes opened wide as she heard this, and then she said, “First of all call me Oyuki, now why do you want to know about poisons?”

Kagome hoped that she could explain this as she said, “Well its kind of complicated to explain. I keep getting this feeling that something bad is going to happen. That someone close to me is going to get poisoned and I have a need to know how to make an antidote to counteract the poison. I can’t see everything but I sense that my healing powers will not be able to help this person.”

Oyuki understood this. The young pup was a powerful miko and she had the gift of sight. Though she has not developed them yet, she could still see things that were to come. She is trying to get ready to help this person before it happens.

Oyuki stood up from her chair as she went and got several books off the bookshelf. She returned as she asked, “Can you read little one?”

Kagome smiled wide as she said, “Yes I can.”

Oyuki handed her the books as she saw the girl open the first book and ran her fingers down the page. She watched with interest as Kagome continued with her actions until she was done with all the books she had given her.

Kagome turned her bright blue eye up toward Oyuki as she said, “Oyuki these books contain cures for very basic poisons what about poisons that have no cures? What is the best way to make a antidote for those?”

Oyuki was impressed with the young one. She had actually read everything that was in the books. She didn’t think she would understand what her books were saying as she looked at Kagome with curiosity and asked, “I didn’t think you would be able to read those books. They are written in Latin and no one knows that language but me. Where did you learn it?”

Kagome blushed; she was fluent in several different languages. She had happened to learn Latin when she was being taken care of by the doctors. She was getting tired of the doctors talking around her in another language and she wanted to know what they were saying. So she had picked up some books on how to speak and read Latin and the next day she knew what they were saying. She always hated to be in the dark and she always found a way around her situation.

“I learned the language in my village. I am gifted with the skills to learn very quickly and I was taught this language.” Kagome said in a very low voice. She didn’t know if the youkai would even buy off on her explanation.

Oyuki was indeed impressed. She turned around and got several more books off the shelves as she said, “The answers you seek are in here. Once you read this then we will discuss in detail what you must do to mix an antidote.”

Kagome nodded her head in understanding as she read the next books handed to her. Once she was done they discussed in detail how to make antidotes to poisons. She spent hours with Oyuki as she had all of her questions answered. When they were finally done, Kagome stood and thanked Oyuki for the information.

Sango was very impressed with her friend. She was learning something new about her everyday. She never knew that she could speak another language. But what fascinated her the most was that Kagome could read and the way she read. She had never seen anyone read like that before.

Sango could read just a little. Her mother had started to teach her when she was young. She died giving birth to her brother and her father didn’t think that it was a skill that she needed to learn. She was wondering if her friend could teach her as she looked over at Kagome and asked, “Umm, Kagome? Do you… Do you think… that you could… teach me how to read?”

Kagome’s eyes opened wide when she heard her friend’s request. She smiled and said, “Yes Sango it would be an honor to teach you.”

Sango was very happy as she said, “My mother started to teach me but she died before she finished her lessons. My father thought that it was a skill that I did not need so he never finished what my mother started.”

Kagome felt sorry for her friend as she said, “Don’t worry Sango I will teach you everything that you need to know including how to do mathematics. You need to know how to count and make sure that you get what you have coming to you if you trade for anything. Where I come from everyone learns these basic things.”

They both continued to walk until they got to the dinning hall and joined Ayashiko for the evening meal. When they finished with the wonderful meal that the servants had provided for them, they all retired for the night.

Kagome laid awake in her bed. She was wondering how everyone was going to react to her once she got back to the castle. She especially wondered if Sesshoumaru had missed her since she has been gone.

Kagome blushed as she thought about Sesshoumaru. If there were a male that she was willing to submit to it would be him. But who was she kidding. Sesshoumaru didn’t like ningen; he had said so when she first met him. Then again she had enjoyed her conversations with him until she couldn’t connect to him anymore. Was he just satisfying his curiosity about her? Or was he getting interested in her?

She would have to wait and see once she arrived back at the castle. Kagome fell asleep thinking about Sesshoumaru and what his reactions would be once she got back to the castle.

---oOo---

The next morning Ayashiko, Kagome, Sango, and Kirara said their goodbyes to the servants of the castle. Kagome thanked Oyuki for teaching her so much as she promised to come back and visit sometime in the future. The servants waved goodbye as they saw their lady form her golden globe around all of them as they left the area.

Oyuki kept on looking until the orb was out of sight as she mentally thought, ‘Take care Kagome, you still have a lot of trials to go through before you can find true happiness. Be true to yourself and follow your heart.’ She then turned and went back into the castle as the servants continued with their normal duties.

---oOo---

Sesshomaru was currently sitting underneath the same sakara tree that Kagome would frequent. Her scent was all around the tree because she had spent so much time there. It was the only place he could be in that would relax him enough to keep his inner beast under control.

It has been over a week since his mother had left with his intended. He missed his mother yes but he missed Kagome even more. He missed her presence around the castle and he wanted more than anything to see her again.

His inner inu had complained that he shouldn’t have let their mother take their intended. Sesshoumaru had countered by saying that their intended was hurt and that her safety and health came first above all things. His inner inu whined his apologies to him for he knew that his rational side was right in this one instance. Her safety and health was very important to them.

The attack on Kagome from the soldiers in the garrison caused his father to make some major changes. Kagome, Sango, and Kirara had killed a good portion of the soldiers so the garrison was down in its numbers. His father had killed his present commanders for defying his orders about his pup.

He selected new ones that were mated and slowly the garrison was getting back to its normal routine of guard duty. Only mated soldiers were allowed close to the castle. They were the only ones that would be able to keep their minds on what they were doing. Until they presented Kagome to the rest of the lords of the lands this is the way it was going to be.

Sesshoumaru himself was spending a lot of time with his father. His training had been stepped up and it was becoming more intense. He understood what his father was doing. Somehow he has guessed that he wanted the ningen as his mate and he knew full well that he was going to compete for the right to dominate her.

Sesshoumaru had his eyes closed as he thought about the conversation that he had with his father this morning. He had plenty of conversations with his father but the one that he had today really made him look at things differently. He sat there as he pondered what his father had said to him.

------FLASHBACK-------

Sesshoumaru was walking briskly through the castle. His father had summoned him to his study and he was making his way there. He was wondering what he had done today to be summoned to his fathers study.

He had not seen his brother at all this morning so he knew he was not in trouble for wanting to kill him. They had been going at it since his mother has been gone. The brat was getting on his nerves, as he would constantly play his practical jokes on him. But each time he had caught on to what he was doing and he had, on several occasions, taught his brother a lesson.

Of course the brat would go crying to his father and he would always get punished for his transgressions but it was worth it. He made his brother pay several times for his stupidity.

He was approaching his father’s study as he stopped right outside the door. He took a deep breath to calm himself and knocked. He waited to be let in and when he heard his father say, “Enter,” he opened the heavy doors and entered his father’s study. He walked right up to his father and said, “You wanted to see me father.”

Inutaisho looked up from the scroll he was reading as he said, “Yes, I did want to speak with you. Please sit down.”

Sesshoumaru sat on the pillow that was directly across from his father as he waited patiently for his father to speak. Patience was not one of his strong points and even though he kept his stoic mask in place he was still fuming on the inside as he waited.

Inutaisho finally finished reading his scroll as he looked up at his son. He knew he had to have this talk with him but it was not going to be easy.

He cleared his throat as he said, “Sesshoumaru, I wanted to speak to you about Kagome.”

This little bit of information caught Sesshoumaru’s interest as he sat a little straighter on his pillow and listened to what his father had to say about the girl.

“When she comes back I have no doubt that your mother will see to it that Kagome will be acting more like her station. Meaning she will be more forceful when she comes back. She will be able to handle everything around here and she will be able to deal with the males around the castle.

When we present Kagome at the next full moon to the rest of the lords I have no doubt that they will accept her. But what I fear most is that she will be dominated by a male that will not love her.”

This little bit of information shocked Sesshoumaru as he asked, “What does love have to do with anything? Youkai mate the most powerful female for them. Why should it matter if they love each other?”

Inutaisho thought about his questions as he replied, “You don’t understand anything about women Sesshoumaru, you especially don’t know anything about Kagome. Kagome is a special pup. She has gifts that the ningens have shunned her for all her life. She is very intelligent for a ningen. Her knowledge is vast and I wouldn’t be surprised if she had knowledge of things to come.

From what I know about her and what Midoriko has told me about the girl, her happiness will determine if she stays on this plane. This tells me that she has been neglected as a young pup and has never had the love that she craves. She seeks approval and acceptance from us. That’s why she tries so hard to learn.

It will be hard to find her a strong mate but it will even be harder to find her a mate that will love her for who she is. Many youkai will see her as a powerful female and for this reason alone they would want to mate with her.

You yourself admitted to the girl that she was not worth the dirt beneath your feet but yet you try to protect her like she is your intended. Tell me Sesshoumaru, could you ever love Kagome for who she is? Would you give your life to protect her? But most of all can you win her love and her heart?”

Sesshoumaru couldn’t answer the questions put to him. Yes he had said those things to Kagome when he thought that she was just a weak ningen onna but when he saw the power that she held and her aura, he quickly changed his mind. ‘But father has brought up an interesting point. Can I win her love and her heart? But most of all what are my feelings for the girl? Do I love her? or do I just see her as just another strong female?’

Sesshoumaru sat silently and never answer his father’s questions. Inutaisho was watching his son intently. He knew that he got his son’s mind going when he asked those questions of him. “I will only let someone that will love her, mate with her. She deserves to be happy with someone that will return her feelings. If you have any plans of contending for the right to mate with her, think it over well.

If you really want her for a mate and want a special bond with her you must love her for everything she is. Showing her a cold and an indifferent persona will fail, for she will not respond to that. She does not care about money and power that much I have observed in her so far.

She will follow her heart and if her heart does not tell her that the male that wants to mate with her will not love her, she will fight not to be subdued. More importantly she will fight to the point of giving up her life instead of being bonded to a male with a cold and uncaring heart.

If you can open your heart to her and show her your love, only then, will your souls bond for all eternity, this is the level of the bond that I have achieved with your mother. She is my heart, my soul, and she is my very life. I will love her till the end of time and then beyond. I would do anything to make her happy. I truly love your mother Sesshoumaru.”

Inutaisho continue to observe his pup. He was happy to see that he had his mind going again on what to do with the girl. Yes he knew that Sesshoumaru had an interest in the girl but could he love her, the way she needed to be loved? Will he be able to show her his emotions and his heart? Now that was the question of the century.

-----END OF FLASHBACK-------

Sesshoumaru continued to sit under the sakura tree as he pondered his father’s questions. ‘Could I love her? Ridiculous this Sesshoumaru does not need to love anyone. I simply want her as a mate because she is a powerful female. Males of my station only wish to mate the strongest female so they could produce the strongest pups.”

At this train of thought, his inner inu growled his displeasure. ‘Female may be strong but the power from within her will only come out if we love her. We must love her, not hurt her. We must give her what she desires or lose her we will.’

Sesshoumaru growled as he thought, ‘Nonsense this Sesshoumaru does not need to love anyone. She will still be our mate.’

‘I love mate, why can’t you accept this for mate. We must show her that we will love her. It’s not enough to prove to her that we will protect. It will not be enough to show her that we will provide. But if we show her that we will love her then she will truly be ours.’ said his inner beast.

Sesshomaru continued to ponder what his inner beast had said. ‘Can I achieve that special bond that my father has with my mother? What are my feeling for this girl?’ Sesshoumaru kept thinking about all of those questions.

Then his beast decided to add to his thoughts, ‘Why do we ache when she is away from us? Why do we feel pain in our chest when she is in danger? And why do we feel happy when we see her beautiful face smiling at us? Even this one has to admit that she brings a warm feeling deep within our soul. A feeling that has never been felt before in the presence of any other female youkai.’

Now his beast has brought an interesting thought to mind. He didn’t feel anything when other females were around him, only this one. He had to admit that he did miss her warm smiles and the way her face would light up whenever he was around.

He had sat there for a good portion of the day coming to terms with his feelings for the girl when he caught a flicker of moment off to the side. He turned as he shot up to his feet and softly said, “Kagome.”

---oOo---

Inuyasha had been having some fun while his mother was gone. He was free to play his practical jokes all the time now that there was no one there to stop him. His father would be too busy with matters of the land to pay attention to what he was doing.

He had made it a point to torment Sesshoumaru while his mother was gone. It would be the only time that he would get away with it since his mother would almost always stop his fun. He had played many tricks on his brother but so far none of them have worked on him.

He decided that he needed a co-conspirator as he enlisted the help of his friend Shippou. His friend was just a little shorter than him. He has flaming red hair and bright green eyes. He wares a blue bow in his hair to keep it out of the way of his eyes. He has a red bushy tail and fox like feet. He was wearing a dark blue hakama with a lighter blue haori. Shippou was a fox youkai and he has very special powers. He could perform illusions with his magic and he has the perfect trick to play on his brother. Inuyasha knew that Sesshoumaru was missing Kagome.

So Inuyasha, with the help of his friend, Shippou, were going to create a Kagome for Sesshoumaru. The trick should work this time since he was sitting under the sakura tree that Kagome would normally sit under. Her scent was saturated in that place so he would not be able to tell the difference.

Currently Inuyasha and Shippou were sitting on a tree branch a short distance away from Sesshoumaru. They were down wind from him to make sure that he couldn’t detect their presence. It wouldn’t do for them to get caught because he knew that his elder brother would probably kill him for what he was about to do.

Inuyasha looked at Shippou as he whispered, “Hey Shippou are you ready?”

Shippou nodded his head indicating that he was ready. He threw his leaf into the air as he concentrated his fox magic. The leaf popped as a beautiful version of Kagome was standing down below on the ground. Both youkai’s giggled at what they had done as Shippou gave the fake Kagome a final look to make sure he got her right.

They saw the illusion walk away as they watched what was going to happen. As soon as Sesshoumaru saw the illusion of Kagome he was on his feet in an instant as they heard a soft, “Kagome,” come from his lips. The illusion had stopped a little distance away from Sesshoumaru because they didn’t want him to notice that it was a fake Kagome standing before him.

Sesshomaru saw Kagome approaching him as he quickly stood up on his feet. He was surprised to see her there. She was still as beautiful as ever as he eyed his intended mate. He noticed that something was off about Kagome, she didn’t move towards him nor speak to him. He took a step forward as he asked “Kagome is anything wrong?”

Shippo and Inuyasha were giggling in the tree. The scene before them was just too funny to watch. Sesshoumaru actually thought that this was the real Kagome and he was trying to speak to her.

Sesshoumaru didn’t know what was going on but he didn’t see any aura around the Kagome in front of him and he couldn’t pick up on her heartbeat. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at what he perceived to be Kagome. Then something clicked in his head as he started to pick up the sound of giggling in the area. ‘So this is just another one of Inuyasha’s practical jokes.’

Sesshoumaru growled viciously as he lashed out with his whip and destroyed the illusion that was before him. Then he turned his attention to the tree just a few feet away as he said in a deadly voice, “Little brother, if I find you I will make sure that you die a slow and painful death along with your little friend.”

Both pups saw what Sesshomaru had done to their illusion. He has caught on to what they were doing as they heard his threat. They were both scared out of their minds as they jumped from the tree and headed back towards the castle.

Inuyasha was racing back to the castle when he caught his mother’s scent. She has finally returned as he headed her way. He raced as fast as he could when he spotted her in the middle of the courtyard. He had missed her so much as he raced into her arms.

---oOo---

Ayashiko, Kagome, Sango, and Kirara have been traveling for the majority of the day. They were traveling a lot slower now that Kagome was not in danger. Ayashiko had taken this time to educate her pup on what she needed to do when she got back to the castle.

She would scold Kagome when she would hesitate on what she needed to do in a given situation and praise her when she did well. By the time they arrived back at the castle Kagome had a good understanding on what she needed to do.

When they finally landed in the middle of the courtyard it was late in the afternoon. They didn’t have to wait for long when a streak of red and silver made itself known to his mother. Inuyasha rushed into the outstretched arms of his mother as she hugged him close to her chest.

Kagome heard the guards announce their arrival at the castle as everything came alive once more. Kagome sensed that Sesshomaru was close by in the garden as she slowly started to back away from her youbo and Sango. She wanted to see Sesshoumaru before they told her she couldn’t talk to him at all. She had already talked to Sango about her plan so she would cover for her while she was gone.

She turned away quickly and made her way to the garden to see Sesshoumaru. She was there in a blink of an eye as she was slowly walking towards her favorite tree. She had seen him sitting under the sakara tree with his eyes closed.

She stopped just a few feet away from him. ‘He looks so peaceful just sitting there under the tree relaxing.’ Kagome thought as she admired his perfect silhouette.

She was about to get closer to him when she heard him say, “What do you want wench?”

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru had gone back to the tree he had been sitting under. He was pissed that his brother would pull a trick like that. It took a while for him to calm his inner inu. He was just relaxing when he heard a noise off to the side.

He cracked an eye open as he saw another illusion coming his way. ‘When will that brother of mine ever learn to leave me alone?’ Thought Sesshoumaru darkly as he closed his eyes again and waited. He was going to teach his brother a lesson.

He observed that the illusion had come closer to him this time. He figured that his brother was getting bolder with his jokes. He noticed as the illusion of Kagome stared at him for a while and when she moved to get closer to him he asked in a deadly voice, “What do you want wench?”

Kagome had stopped in mid step when she heard his question. She thought that they were beyond all of this. She took a deep breath as she said, “Hello Sesshoumaru, I came to see how you were doing? We just got back with your mother and I thought that we could just talk for a little while.”

Kagome had a few seconds to react as she jumped out of the way of his whip. It had ripped the sleeve of her kimono as she turned to see why he had done that.

Sesshoumaru had enough of this illusion as he let his whip go and tried to get rid of it. He saw the illusion move with speed and he had to give the little fox kit credit. His illusions were good almost like the real thing. He stood on his feet as he turned towards her and said, “How I am is none of your concern. I could care less that you have come back here to this castle. You disgust me and I want you to leave.”

At that moment Sesshoumaru realized his mistake. This was no illusion as he caught the sent of salt water in the air. The real Kagome had come back and he just made the biggest mistake of his life. He moved towards her as he said, “Kagome, I’m…” he never got to finish as the girl moved away from him. Her head was bowed and she wouldn’t look at him.

Kagome heard his hateful words. She should have known that he didn’t care about her but she had hoped that he at least cared just a little for her. She moved away from him as she turned and ran off. She had learned her lesson and now it was time to act her station and get this mating over with. Maybe if she defeated these males she could leave this place.

She took off as she rushed back toward her youbo. When she got back no one had noticed that she was gone as she stood off to the side and watched what was going on.

Inutaisho had come out of the castle to greet his mate. Oh how he had missed her presence in the castle. He hugged her tight against his chest as he purred his delight at having her home. He pulled away from his mate as he looked around for this pup. He saw her standing off to the side as she was looking up to the sky. He could sense that something was wrong with her as he turned to his mate and asked, “Ayashiko what is wrong with Kagome?”

Ayashiko turned and looked at her pup. She didn’t see anything wrong as she asked, “I don’t see anything wrong with her.”

Inutaisho shook his head as he said, “She seems upset about something. Did anything happen on the way back here?” Ayashiko replied, “No everything was fine. We didn’t run into any problems coming back.”

At that moment they both turned as they heard someone rapidly approaching. They looked to see Sesshoumaru coming towards the group. He walked right by his parents as he went straight for Kagome. He stopped behind Kagome as he said, “Kagome I have to talk to you in private.”

Kagome turned around as her aura flared to protect herself. Her emotions were fueling her powers, as she said, “No, I think you have already said enough, you have made your opinions clear to me. This disgusting ningen will not be in your presence.” She turned as she started to make her way into the castle with Sango and Kirara following closely behind her.

Sesshoumaru hung his head in shame. He had really messed up with Kagome. He had thought that she was another illusion that his brother had created to torment him. He felt a presence behind him but he didn’t turn around to see who was there. He knew that it was his father. He started to walk away to try and think about how to fix the mess he had just gotten himself into. He stopped in his tracks as he heard his father say, “Sesshoumaru, what did you say to Kagome?”

Inutaisho witness the confrontation between his pups. Kagome was angry with Sesshoumaru for some reason. He noticed right away that her sleeve was torn and by the looks of the wound it appeared to be done by an energy whip.

He asked his question waiting for his son to answer. He heard him sigh as he responded, “I thought that she was an illusion just like the other one, I said some things that I should never have said.” He saw as his pup walked off to the gardens. Inutaisho turned as he looked at his youngest son who was trying to leave the area as he said, “Inuyasha!”

Inuyasha stopped in his tracks when he heard his father’s voice. He knew he was in trouble now. He had been warned about him playing jokes on his brother and the look in his father’s eyes told him that he was not too happy with him right now.

Inutaisho eyed his youngest son. Somehow he knew this was his fault. When his son stopped and turned to face him he pinned him with a stern look and asked, “What did you do to Sesshoumaru?”

Inuyasha thought about lying but the look in his fathers eyes promised pain if he did not confess to what he had done. He looked at the ground as he told his parents about the trick he had pulled earlier on his brother. When he was done his father was not happy with him at all.

Inutaisho growled as he said, “Inuyasha, what have I told you about playing your practical jokes on people? Didn’t I say to you that one day your jokes would hurt someone? Well I hope that you are happy, because of your refusal to listen to what I say, you have now hurt Kagome and Sesshoumaru deeply. Granted Sesshoumaru should not have said those things to Kagome but the fact remains he would not have said them if you had not provoked him earlier. Now go to your room.”

Inuyasha turned as he rushed away from his parents. He knew that his punishment was not over yet. He still had to face whatever his father set as punishment, for him disobeying his orders.

The youkai lord and lady looked at each other as they sighed. They didn’t know how to fix what just happened. They turned as they started to go towards the castle when they heard screaming coming from within. Then they heard Kirara’s roar of anger as they raced into the castle to see what was going on.

---oOo---

Kagome and Sango made their way into the castle. They were heading towards the western wing to their rooms. Kagome had briefly told Sango what had happened out in the garden and she requested to be left alone.

Sango felt for her friend. She knew that Kagome had feelings for Sesshoumaru but the arrogant bastard was still being stubborn about his true feelings for her sister. She kept quite as they walked. Not wanting to upset Kagome anymore than she was already. They were both tired from the long journey and she knew that Kagome just wanted to be alone for a while. She could tell that Kagome was trying hard to keep her temper under control but she was not having any success.

They were walking down the hallway when Kagome sensed three evil auras near her. She scanned the area for them as she stopped in the middle of the hallway.

Sango noticed when her friend stopped as she was looking around the area. She didn’t pick up on any danger nor had Kirara. She was curious as she asked, “Kagome is something wrong?”

Kagome had her senses opened trying to find where they were. She felt the attack coming and placed a barrier around herself, Sango, and Kirara to protect them. The youki hit her barrier as it deflected the attack back towards their owner.

It impacted on one of the walls in the hallway, servants yelled and scrambled to get out of the way of the fight that was about to ensue. Kagome saw three female youkais step out of the shadows, their anger was clearly seen in their eyes.

Sango stiffened next to Kagome as she recognized the three females. They were the ones she had beat the living daylights out of, when the Lord of the Castle had pulled her away from them. They would have died that day but he had spared them.

Sango cracked her knuckles as she faced her enemy, if they wanted to fight then she was more than willing to kick their asses from here to the next kingdom. Kirara at that moment jumped off Sango’s shoulder and transformed into her true form. She roared to tell the three demonesses to back off.

Kagome watched Sango from the corner of her eye. She noticed that her friend recognized these demonesses as she asked, “Sango are these friends of yours?”

Sango snorted as she replied, “These three are no friends of mine. They would have been dead if it were not for Lord Inutaisho stopping me that day. They were insulting you and I defended your honor.”

Kagome was touched that her friend would defend her honor in such a manner. Now she turned her attention back to the three in front of her as she asked, “What do you want? I have not summoned a servant.”

The female youkai’s have been waiting for their chance to get even with these ningen onna’s. They wanted them out of this castle. They were not welcomed here and it was about time they learn their place. The demoness in the middle of the group took one step forward and said, “You whore! You are no longer welcomed here. You are to leave Gengetsujou and never return. Master Sesshoumaru does not deserve to be locked up in his room because of you, you stinking, filthy, ningen.”

That was it. Kagome’s anger was already fanned by Sesshoumaru’s comments to her in the garden and now these three were making demands upon her. She had enough as she said, “I am not going anywhere and neither is Sango. You three will have to deal with us being here. Lady Ayashiko has accepted me as her pup and I’m not about to leave here because of the likes of you.”

Kagome had enough as she let her full aura spread throughout the castle. The air was charged with her Reiyouku as she sent every youkai in the castle a shock of her holy powers.

The three demonesses in front of Kagome stepped back when they noticed how strong her aura was. There was no way they could defeat such a powerful ningen. They were about to turn and run when Kagome caught them in a purity cage.

Slowly all three demonesses where pulled into the air as Kagome brought them closer to her. The demonesses shrieked in fear as they saw the ningen up close for the first time. She might have been small but her powers were great. Her hair was currently floating behind her as her Reiyouku whirled around her body. The air crackled again as the demonesses screamed in pain. They had pissed off the wrong person.

Kagome’s anger was beyond control. They will be her first object lesson for the servants of this castle. They were going to start respecting her and it was starting right now. Her eyes were a deep grey in color as the edges of her eyes were starting to turn red. She looked at the three in front of her as she said, “Now since you three seem to have a problem with me and my friend, I think that I can resolve your problem. Since you didn’t want to leave on your own when I asked you to, now you will leave by my hand.

But before you depart this world let me tell you a few things. Ever since I got here you three have been behind all the rude and nasty comments said about me. You were the three that I saw in the library talking to Tai-li, you were trying to convince him to turn his back on me but he refused. I had stopped going to the library to make his life a little easier from youkais like you.

You are also the three that tried to get the castle cooks to turn their backs on me. That’s why Katsuki attacked you that day because she would not let anyone talk ill of me. But you didn’t stop there did you. Your hate for ningens led you to bully and hurt the rest of the castle staff into hating me.

I cannot help the way I was born. I am who I am. My mother is Midoriko, and my Karioya are the Lord and Lady of this castle. If more youkai acted like the lord and lady of this castle everyone would get along a lot better. No one would have to die and races will survive what is to come. But in order to make that happen I will have to purge scum like you off the face of the earth.

I will not let arrogant youkai such as yourself live to put down another race because you just don’t like them. Everyone is valuable in this world and you are not kami to make the decision on who will live and who will die. But my mother gave me life and with both my mothers help I will set things right in this world of yours. I will pass judgment on who will live and who will die.

Plus if you really must know, Sesshoumaru-sama does not have any interest in me. If he is being kept locked up in his room that is for his parents to decide not you. Now, stay out of my life!”

Kagome’s powers circled around her body as she let her attack go. It went towards the three demonesses as the purity box they were in purified them to hell. The explosion was so great and blinding that everyone had to look away from the blast.

When the light finally died away everyone looked up to see Kagome moving towards her room, her aura still deadly as she looked for peace in her heart.

---oOo---

Inutaisho and Ayashiko finally found their pup. Inutaisho immediately recognized the three demonesses in front of him, as the ones he saved from Sango’s wrath. He was about to move forward to take care of them when someone grabbed him by his arm. He turned to see who had touched him. To his surprise his mate was the one that was restraining him from going to their pups aid. “Ayashiko why have you stopped me from going to her?”

Ayashiko looked at her mate as she said, “Let her handle this. She is never going to get the respect she needs if you keep stepping in to help her. She must establish herself as my pup and demand respect from all here.”

They both turned their attention back to what was going on between their pup and the demonesses that were in the hallway. They felt the change in the air as Kagome released her Reiyouku throughout the castle. They heard the anguish cries of the servants as they tried to get away from their pups power.

To their surprise her Reiyouku did not harm them. Kagome had enormous control over her Reiyouku, as she was picking and choosing whom she was punishing with her holy powers. They heard everything she had to say and she was well justified to pass judgment on the three that were before her.

When she purified them to oblivion, they both had to look away. The light from her powers was so strong that they were temporarily blinded by it. When the light finally receded back they saw their pup walking away. She was heading toward her room. Her aura was still whirling violently around her small form.

Ayashiko was happy with the way her pup had handled herself. She demanded respect and she will get it from now on. Everyone in the castle now knew of her powers and she struck fear in their hearts.

Then she started thinking again and she had something else that needed her attention as she turned to her mate and said, “Now that Kagome is not going to be bothered by the rude comments of the servants, there is something that we need to discuss.”

Inutaisho was confused at his mate’s statement. He saw her aura spike indicating that she was angry as he gently asked, “What do we need to talk about mate?”

Ayashiko look at her mate straight in the eyes as she put her right hand on her hip while her left index finger poked him in the chest as she made her point, “We need to discuss why you didn’t tell me that our pup is the Shikon No Tama in ningen form.”

Inutaisho’s eyes opened wide to her statement as he took a step back away from her. Her eyes were turning red as her anger grew. He swallowed hard as he said, “Let’s go to my study to discuss this. I don’t want the rest of the castle to hear what we will be talking about.” He turned, as he quickly made his way to his study. He knew he had a lot of explaining to do to his mate if she knew about Kagome.

---oOo---

It was in the middle of the night and Kagome was still awake. She couldn’t sleep and she wanted to leave her room to go outside. She didn’t think that she was going to have any problems with the servant or the guards around the castle.

She walked out of her room and headed outside. She was dressed in a white nemaki that made her look like a sweet angle. She padded silently down the stairs in her bare feet as she made her way into the gardens.

The full moon was out this night as it lit up the entire area in its beautiful light. She stood in the middle of all the flowers as she looked up to the moon. Tears of pain were going down her beautiful pale skin as she asked herself, “Why? Why must I be made to suffer like this? What have I done wrong? Please, won’t you please tell me what I have done wrong?”

Kagome was so lost in her sorrow that she never noticed the pair of golden eyes that were watching her. He approached, as he got closer to the one that has literally taken a piece of his heart. She had come into his life and has brought him such joys that he never thought possible. But here she was crying her heart out, her pain was so great that it was attacking his senses and sending his emotions to a whole new level.

When he was close enough to her he said, “Kagome, my little one, why are you crying?”

Kagome felt a presence behind her as she slowly turned around. Tears of sadness were coming from her eyes as they went slowly down her cheeks; they were tracing her jaw line, dripping off her chin to land on the ground. The pain in her eyes was great as she saw the only person to be a real father to her.

She quickly turned and raced into his opened arms as she cried into his chest. Inutaisho’s arms came down, going around her protectively, holding her close to his chest, as he tried to soothe her aching heart.

He had been in a half sleep, half awake mode. His discussion with his mate earlier about his pup being the Shikon No Tama was finally put to rest. He had heard his mates concerns about this and he understood that if he had said something earlier it would have prevented his pup from getting hurt. He had told his mate what happened to Midoriko’s sword when she inquired about it.

He had been worried about his pup since she passed judgment against those three demonesses that did her so much harm. He knew he should have killed them when he had the chance or let the Taijiya slay them for what they had said about his pup.

He felt her presence in the hallway as she was walking away from her room. He had to follow to make sure that she was all right. He had gotten up very gently, laying his mate back down on their futon, as he quickly dressed and went after his pup.

He followed his nose and found her in the gardens. She was crying now as he heard her questions to the moon. He didn’t know what had brought so much pain to his pup. He had called out to her and when she saw him opened his arms for her, she quickly ran into them for comfort.

He held her tightly against his chest as he purred, the sound he made always calmed his pups down and it was working for Kagome as well. Once she was calmed enough he asked, “Kagome why are you crying? What has gotten you so upset?”

Kagome’s cries were now just hiccups as she pulled away from his chest. Her head was bowed low as she said in a low voice, “Please forgive me. I have not been behaving accordingly. Please, I will do better I promise.”

Inutaisho’s eyes grew wide as he heard his little one. “Kagome, there is nothing to forgive. I know that it must be hard for you to adjust to this kind of life and your behavior is to be expected.”

Kagome shook her head as she said, “No its not. My mother has taught me better than that. She would be ashamed of my behavior. You have treated me with love and kindness and I behaved like a spoiled child. I don’t deserve to be treated this way but yet you accept me as one of your own. I promise to do better and listen to what you are telling me. I will make you proud.”

Inutaisho hugged Kagome back into his chest as he showed her his love. “My little one you already make me proud.”

Kagome hugged the youkai lord as she pulled away and asked in a very shy voice, “May I ask you a question?”

Inutaisho was curious about what she could ask of him as he said, “Yes.”

Kagome took in a deep breath as she asked, “May I call you Otou-san?”

Inutaisho thought that he would never hear those words come out of her mouth. His heart filled with joy as he said, “Yes, my little one, you can call me Otou-san. I thought that I would never hear those words out of your mouth. I didn’t think that you would accept me as your father.”

Kagome turned from his grasp as she looked up at the moon and said, “I never really had a father to call my own. My father died when I was six summers old. Even when he was alive he was never there with us. It has always been my mother who took care of us. But you have shown me a father’s love and that is very precious to me. You have been more of a father to me than my real one ever was.”

Inutaisho had been right about the girl. She was only looking for someone to love her for who she was. When he heard that he has been more of a father to her than her real one, his heart swelled with pride.

At that moment he had caught the scent of the enemy youkai making their way towards them. He pushed Kagome behind him as he unsheathed his sword. It hummed to life as he yelled, “Show yourselves! What are you doing on my lands you filthy bastards?”

Kagome got her emotions under control as she opened her senses to the area around them. She found a large amount of youkai in the area and they were not her Otou-san’s guards. She cursed under her breath for she had left her swords back in her room. She was defenseless and they were surrounded.

At that moment Kagome heard in her mind, “Musume, call to the sword and it will come to you.”

Kagome knew who it was as she closed her eyes and said, “Jenjou, come to me.”

Kagome put her hand out to the side as it started to glow a pure white, suddenly a sword materialized in her hand, as she stood by her father ready to do battle.

They saw the youkais emerge from the forest. There must have been about 50 Nezumi youkai in front of them. Kagome shuttered at seeing so many of them. It repulsed her as she held her position ready to fight.

The leader of the group stepped forward as he said in a squeaky voice, “Tonight you die Lord of the Western Lands!”

---oOo---

Nezumi – Rat
Youbo – Adoptive Mother
Itoshi Musume- Dear Daughter
Karioya – Adoptive Parents

Ok people I have to answer this one statement that has appeared on several reviews. I am very well aware that Ah-Un does not have wings. I understand this but in my story he has wings because the dragon is so skinny that he does not offer much protection if he is laying on top of Kagome and he is protecting her. So since this is my story and my imagination he has wings. Anyway I like him with wings.

This is the end to another chapter. Oh my The Nezumi youkai that Jakyoku sent after Inutaisho have finally showed up. Now the fight begins, who will win the fight or who will die?

In the next chapter you will see whom Kagome was dreaming about that will be in danger and she has to make an antidote to cure them. Read as Kagome goes off to find the only ingredient that she doesn’t have to make her antidote and who she must fight to get back in time for her to save the person from her dreams.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!