A New Path

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspects of the anime Inuyasha. I do not own characters, locations or the storyline. i only own the original plot of this story.

Meanwhile…

While waiting for Miroku and Sango to return with the water, Litara and Shippo chopped vegetables for the stew. Sesshomaru sat on a log opposite Inuyasha with the fire between them. Kagome pat Shippo on the head lovingly, then went to sit next to Sesshomaru. She was still a little awkward about their relationship, so she sat a few inches away from him. He frowned when he smelled uncertainty and unhappiness in her scent, and noticed the distance between them. To reassure her, he put his arm around her and tugged gently. She sighed and leaned against him. He frowningly looked down at her sigh, but smelled the change in her scent and saw her smile. He smiled as well and leaned his head against hers.

Inuyasha watched the exchange, and remembered when Kagome smelled that way because of him. He frowned at the sad, regret-filled memory. Litara noticed that Inuyasha wasn’t happy, and deliberately knocked into him to start a fight.

“You clumsy bitch, can’t you walk straight?” Inuyasha grumbled.

“Perhaps if you got up off your lazy ass and helped out around here, I would have more strength and time to watch where I’m going and not bump into you.” Litara said with a smile.

“LAZY ASS? I’m the one that protects your ass bitch! How dare you say that to me!” Inuyasha said.

“Why don’t we take this conversation over into the woods, and I’ll show you just how little your protection means to me?” Litara said, glancing at Sesshomaru for permission. He nodded, knowing that if Inuyasha and Litara’s relationship was going to develop Inuyasha needed to know that she was a full demon.

“Bring it on wench!” Inuyasha snarled. They went off into the woods and Sesshomaru decided that he should tell Kagome about her heritage after breakfast. They sat quietly and listened to the sounds coming from Inuyasha and Litara.

“OUCH!” Inuyasha yelped. “How did you do that wench? Since when can a human extend their claws?” The was a loud pop, and a power surge as Litara sent a bolt of youki energy at Inuyasha. “What the…?” Inuyasha said. There was a loud thump and Litara’s voice was heard.

“Now you see? While your protection is appreciated, I don’t really need it from these insignificant demons we’ve been fighting. I’ve kept the appearance of a human so that I would be accepted in your group so I could serve Lady Kagome. Next time, help with the other chores around camp, won’t you Inuyasha dear?”

Inuyasha grumbled something and there was another slapping noise. Then he said clearly, “I’ll help out around camp, wench, if you start helping out in the battles.”

“That’s fine, just what I wanted to hear. Now let’s get back to camp and you can start chopping vegetables with Shippo.” Litara said. They came strolling back into camp, and Inuyasha looked a little beat up, but somehow pleased.

Finally Miroku and Sango returned to the camp. Kagome and Litara noticed a glow around the demon slayer, but the boys didn’t notice anything. Until they got closer that is. Sesshomaru noticed Sango’s scent before Inuyasha, and whispered to Kagome.

“I was unaware that those two were mates, they did not seem to like each other.” Sesshomaru said.

“Please don’t say anything, it was their first time, and I think they’d like to keep it private for a while.” Kagome said. Luckily Inuyasha heard the whispers, and didn’t say anything when he smelled her. He didn’t want to upset Kagome.

“Here is the water for the stew Litara. We got a little lost on the way to the stream.” Sango said, blushing slightly. Miroku merely smiled, and tried to refrain from touching Sango’s bottom, out of respect for her(it’s about time huh?).

They ate breakfast and while the others cleaned up, Kagome and Sesshomaru went for a walk in the woods. At first they just walked along holding hands and enjoying each others company. Then when they were a good distance from the camp, Sesshomaru stopped Kagome near a fallen log.

“Kagome, do you think we could stop and talk a while? There is something I must tell you.” Sesshomaru asked.

“Of course Sesshomaru, here, we can sit and be comfortable on this log.” She said. They sat down and Sesshomaru turned to face her, taking her hands into his.

“I want to let you know that I have never liked humans. I hate most of them, and most things about them. This is why my attraction to you seemed so strange. I decided to look into it. I know that you are Kikyo’s reincarnation, so her heritage is also your heritage. So I looked into her bloodline, to see if there was any demon blood.” He said.

“And what did you find?” Kagome asked, wide eyed. Sesshomaru sighed. He explained the bloodline, and showed her the records.

“I believe that you may also have demon blood in your physical familial bloodline as well, this is not enough for me to be pulled away from my hatred of humans.” He said.

“So you mean to tell me that you are only attracted to me because I have demon blood?” Kagome asked, her voice dangerously low and verging on tears.

“No Kagome, I am attracted to who you are, what you are like. All the demon blood did was allow me to look past my hatred of humans, and truly see you. If you were only human, I would have killed you that day, because I would not have seen past the fact that you are human.” Sesshomaru said.

“Oh…Sesshomaru.” Kagome said, leaning in and tilting her head back. He kissed her, but then pulled back to finish talking.

“I would like to know about your physical bloodline as well, not just your heritage through Kikyo.” He said.

“That means that we’ll have to go back through the well, and see my mother. We aren’t far from the well, if we go back and tell Inuyasha where we are going now we should be able to get back by this afternoon.” She said.

“All right, let’s do that. I would like to meet your family.” He said.

They walked back to the camp, and explained where they were going. Litara wanted to come along, but Kagome asked her to stay and keep Shippo company for her. They made it to the well by about four, and jumped down it holding hands.

“Mama! Mama I’m home, where are you?” Kagome called out.

“In the garden dear! Is Inuyasha with you?” Her mother answered.

“No mama, but I brought a new friend with me this time, Inuyasha’s brother. His name is Sesshomaru.” Kagome said.

Sesshomaru bowed to Mrs. Higurashi, and the woman smiled and inclined her head. “It is a pleasure to meet the mother of such a wonderful person as Kagome.” He said formally. Mrs. Higurashi blushed, and looked them over carefully. She saw how Kagome stood very close to Sesshomaru, and how Sesshomaru reached out to touch Kagome’s back every now and then. She came to a similar conclusion as any mother would, but she knew her daughter and was not worried about sex.

“Why thank you ever so much Sesshomaru. Perhaps you’d like to meet Kagome’s brother and grandfather. Though I warn you, Kagome’s grandfather is a priest and doesn’t much like demons. It took him forever to warm up to Inuyasha when he came to take Kagome back to the feudal era.” Her mother said.

“I can understand that…my brother isn’t exactly easy to get along with. He isn’t the most courteous of people.” Sesshomaru said. Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome showed Sesshomaru to the house, but Sota and her grandfather weren’t there. Kagome sent Sesshomaru into the living room and introduced him to Buyo.

Kagome confronted her mother as soon as she could get her alone. She wasn’t sure that Sesshomaru’s theory would be correct, but she had to know as soon as possible. As much as she loved Sesshomaru, she was very confused about her feelings, why would she feel this way, and why would he, after months of being on the opposite side? It just didn’t make sense, especially considering his hatred of humans. She got her mother into her room, and sat down across from her on the bed.

“Mom, I want to know about our family tree. I mean the truth about it…what I mean is; is it possible that there is demon blood in our family?” Kagome asked.

“Um…why do you ask that sweetheart? What made you think something like that?” Her mother asked.

“Sesshomaru, the guy I introduced you to earlier, did some research on Kikyo’s ancestors. I am Kikyo’s reincarnation, so it makes sense that I have demon blood from her family, but Sesshomaru thinks that it wouldn’t be strong enough to draw us together. He thinks that there is demon blood in my regular birthing ancestry as well.” Kagome responded.

“You two love each other; I don’t see what your bloodline has to do with it dear.” Her mother said.

“Mom, you don’t understand, before this happened Sesshomaru despised humans. He hated them with a passion. I don’t think cupid’s arrow could suddenly make that hatred disappear. I don’t understand our feelings, and I need to. Please mom, stop stalling and tell me the truth.”

“All right, after that I can see that you really do need to know, and that you will be receptive to the answer. I warn you though; you are going to be very angry with me when you find out.”

“Just tell me mom, it can’t be that bad.” Kagome said.

“Well Kagome, the man that you knew as father, wasn’t your father. You were born a month too early for that, we hadn’t started having sex yet when your conception would have been. I’m afraid to say that I once cheated on him, before we were married. We were just betrothed, and this man was more than I could have ever bargained for.” She thought back to that fateful night, ignoring the horrified look on her daughter’s face.

“He came to me in his true form, a gigantic dog, with strange colored markings. He was brown, with a blue star on his forehead, and pink stripes on his muzzle. I was terrified, and thought that I was going to die. However, when he had me cornered, all alone in the remnants of Inuyasha Forest, he changed. He had the longest hair I’d ever seen on a man, and the same strange markings on his face, with red eyelids, almost as if he was wearing makeup. He was a deep tan, and his hair was brown and wild, just like his fur in his true demon form. It was the best night of my life. Luckily, he reinstated my maidenhead with magic after he was done, so that I would not be scorned before he could return for me, and you were thought to just be a month early.” Her mother finished with a sigh.

“Mom, you said he was coming back for you, what happened?” Kagome asked.

“He was found a week later, dead. It was on the news, because no one knew who this strange man was, with his equally strange tattoos on his face. But I knew. The moment I saw his face on the television, I knew who he was. I didn’t tell you, because when you were born you looked human, and my husband, Sota’s father, thought you were his, just a month premature. I thought it would be best if you didn’t know that you weren’t completely human…then you met Inuyasha. I still kept it from you though, because you had enough stress without putting this on you too. I was going to tell you either when things calmed down, or when you turned 18. You needed to know now, because of this love you have with Sesshomaru, so I told you now.” Her mother finished.

“So, because of my father, I’m a Hanyou, but because of Kikyo’s blood and influence, I’m a little more than a Hanyou, and I’m a priestess…this is all too strange! And I thought that nothing could surprise me anymore! Mother, I’m not quite ready to forgive you for lying to me all those years, but I don’t hate you. I just need to digest all this, and think. I think I’ll take a nap…could you tell Sesshomaru that I want some time to myself, and that I’ll meet him at the well just before dinner? That should give me time for a nap and a bath…and lots of thought.” Kagome said in a shocked rush.

Her mother knew that it was all the emotions and thoughts caving in on Kagome that made her talk so fast…so she agreed to talk to Sesshomaru, without telling him anything, and let her get to sleep and take a bath. Kagome decided to nap before her bath, so that the bath would refresh her after her nap.

A/N: There ya go guys! Sorry it took so long, lots of stuff happening lately. I'd like to thank Marie for her wonderful review, and let her know that there will be plenty of Miroku in the chapters to come. I'm going to start working on the next one ASAP, but i'm very busy so it will probably be short, but i will update more often. Enjoy! and please keep reading and reviewing!

A/N 2: I'm not updating until I get a review on this chapter! Where did you guys go? I'll have the next one finished in a few days and then I expect at least two reviews before the next chapter is put up. And that means more than Marie! I luv her, but i want more readers than just one! Come on guys!