What's A Dragon to Do?

Chapter 19

Miroku saw the palace come into view and could feel Masumi tense up. He tightened his arm around her waist to offer her a little comfort. He watched the palace grounds as Kirara circled the palace and started to land in the garden. He glanced down and saw Sango walking toward the palace. He watched as she stopped when she heard Kirara's roar. Of all the people he had to run into first it had to be Sango. He hadn't even come up with what he was going to tell her yet.

Masumi felt her mate tense when he spotted the women walking in the garden. What was she to him? She looked back to Miroku to find his face had gone ashen. Was there something he forgot to tell me?

Sango looked up when she heard Kirara roar. She shielded her eyes and smiled when she saw her neko friend heading toward her. As she came closer she could see Miroku on her back and he had his arms around a beautiful wolf demoness. What is going on? She got a weird feeling in her stomach. Something told her that she didn't want to know. She felt Kitaro walk and stand behind her.

Kitaro saw the neko youkai heading for Sango and he also saw the monk and an Ookami youkai on her back. He could tell by their scent that they were mated. He also smelled the nervousness of Sango as she spotted the Ookami with the monk. Was there something between Sango and the monk? He stood behind her just in case she had need of him. He felt that what was about to happen would have a major impact on her.

Sango watched Kirara landed in front of her and she watched as Miroku helped the Ookami get off her.

Miroku took Masumi's hand and all but drug her over to Sango. He kept his head bowed and refused to meet her eyes.

"Sango it is good to see you and that you are well."

Sango wanted to run to him and make him look her in the eyes and demand what he was doing with the Ookami. But she held herself place.

"It is good to see that you returned safely. Who is this with you Miroku?" Miroku drew Masumi in front of him and placed his arms around her waist.

"This is Masumi, my mate. Masumi this is a friend of mine, Sango, and Lord Sesshoumaru's general, Kitaro."

Sango felt her knees start to shake but she wouldn't let Miroku see how upset his words made her. The hell she wouldn't. She stepped up to Masumi and gently pulled her away from Miroku. And before turning back to Miroku she looked at Masumi.

"Believe me when I say he deserves this."

Sango drew back her fist and slammed it into Miroku's jaw. She took a lot of delight in watching the monk fall unconscious to the ground. To bad she didn't have her Hiraikotsu with her then he would really be in pain. She stepped over him and She then walked over to Masumi and embraced her.

"It's good to meet you Masumi. Welcome to the Western Lands. Are you going to join us on our hunt for the shards? You might not want to let your mate out of your sight. It is hard to tell what kind of mischief he could get into. I have traveled with him for a few years and boy could I tell you some stories." She turned to look at Kitaro and hoped he understood what she wanted.

Masumi watched as the slayer punched her mate. Then she watched her mate fall to the ground. How dare she. What could Miroku have done to deserve being hit like that. He hadn't touched her or anything. She would wait for her mate to wake before she dealt with the slayer.

Kitaro watched as Sango greeted the Ookami civilly but he could tell she wanted to punch her or something like that. Then he watched as she pummeled the monk. When he was unconscious with the Ookami looking after him Kitaro turned to look at Sango again. She had turned around to look at him and he knew what she wanted.

"Lady Sango, we have to go check on the preparations for Lord Sesshoumaru and Lady Kagome's party." He turned to the monk and Masumi, "When the monk wakes up I am sure that Inuyasha would like to talk to him. He is in the study." With a nod to the ookami he took Sango's arm and led her into the palace and to her room.

Sango didn't know where Kitaro was taking her. She was so much in shock Kohaku could have walked up to her in that minute and she wouldn't have known him.

Kitaro closed her door and drew her into his arms. He picked her up and moved her to her bed. He sat down and held her in his arms that seemed to release the hold that she had apparently had on her emotions. He let her cry till there were no more tears for her to cry. He wrapped his tail around her and held her till she cried herself to sleep. When he was sure that she was asleep he removed his tail and used it to pull the covers back. He laid her in her bed and covered her up. He kissed her forehead and left her room. He had a monk to find and have a talk with.

~ The border of the Western Lands ~

Kikyo's soul stealer's flew her into the western lands. They went to fly up a mountain and were repelled by a barrier. They set her down at the base of the mountain.

Kikyo looked up the mountain and moved forward. Surely the barrier would allow her to enter. She walked right up to the barrier and got thrown backwards about a foot. She stood up and dusted herself off. So the barrier repels even me. We will see about that. She drew her bow and notched an arrow into it. She drew her miko powers into the arrow and released it. She watched as it neared the barrier and stared in shock as it disintegrated when it met the barrier. Whatever the barrier was hiding it would keep its secrets for now. She would find some other way around the barrier. With a nod to her soul stealer's she let them pick her back up and they continued to search the western lands for Inuyasha.

~ Western Palace ~

Inuyasha knew the moment that Miroku landed and that he had an Ookami demoness with him. He stayed in the study and waited for the monk to come to him. About an hour later he heard him knock on the door.

"Enter." Miroku entered the study and found Inuyasha behind the desk. He appeared to be buried behind a stack of scrolls.

"I can see that you have been kept busy."

"From your scent I can tell that you too have been busy. Would you like to tell me what happened Miroku? And why it took you so long to come and see me?" Inuyasha moved from behind the desk and sat down on a cushion that surrounded a small table. He picked up the sake bottle and poured them both some. Miroku looked at the sake cup but refused to touch it.

"None for me Inuyasha." He sat down on a cushion across from the hanyou.

"Where's the Ookami that came with you?" Inuyasha took a sip of the sake and leaned back against the wall so that he could study the monk.

"She is resting in my room. The trip wore her out. She is not use to traveling." Miroku could tell that Inuyasha wanted to ask him what happened and was surprised that he didn't just come out and ask. Instead he seemed to be waiting on him to tell him. Inuyasha just nodded at Miroku.

"Ok I waited for you to tell me how you ended up mated to an Ookami but you don't seem to ready to do so. Now I want to know what happened." Miroku sighed. He knew that Inuyasha wouldn't change that much in just a day.

"I delivered your first scroll to the lord of the North. By the way did you know that Kouga was the Lord of the North?" He could tell that shocked Inuyasha. "Anyway Kouga offered me some sake to toast Kagome's mating to Sesshoumaru and I couldn't very well turn it down or he would have thought something was up. The next thing I know I wake up this morning mated to Masumi." Inuyasha hit him on the head.

"You baka, how could you do that to Sango. You knew that she loved you and you turn around and mate the first thing you could when she isn't around. No wonder she was always chasing you away from the other women."

"Inuyasha I feel bad enough about what I did without you beating me up over it. I know I hurt Lady Sango and I will never forgive myself for it." He bowed his head and then raised it to look at Inuyasha. "I have to take care of Masumi now. And no matter how much I wish I could undo what happened I can't."

Inuyasha knew what it was like to love two women at the same time. So he sympathized with the monk. He just nodded his head and downed his sake. If Miroku wouldn't drink it he would.

"What took you so long to get to the study did you get lost or something? And what about the other Lords?"

"Sango met us in the garden and by the time I woke up and took Masumi to my room some time had passed. And Kouga ensured that the other scrolls got delivered." Miroku smiled at Inuyasha. "By the way Kouga said that he will come in a months time to the mating ball and that you had better be there so that he could extract his revenge on Kagome's behalf for letting her get mated to Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha just glared at Miroku.

"How come he wants to kick my ass? Besides he will look stupid for causing such a fuss when Sesshoumaru and Kagome come back unmated. Not to mention that everyone will get to see me kick the scrawny wolf's ass."

"Apparently he didn't see through your scheme and wants to beat you to a pulp for not protecting Kagome." Miroku smiled at the look of utter disbelief on the hanyou's face.

"What kind of story did you tell the stupid wolf?" Inuyasha laughed when he saw a vision of the wolf making a fool of himself in front of Sesshoumaru.

"We both know that they are not mated but until they do arrive I would be a little quieter about statements like that or everything we have done thus far will be for naught." Miroku stood up and then turned to leave the study. "I am going for a walk in the garden. If you happen to see Masumi wondering around can you tell her where I am?"

Inuyasha nodded to Miroku. You had to have respect for a guy who honored his mistakes. He watched Miroku leave the study then he looked at the desk. No wonder his brother was always in a foul mood. All this paper work would make anyone grouchy. With a small growl he returned to his work.

Miroku left the study and was lost in thought as he made his way to the garden. He found a secluded bench and sat down. It was very peaceful here. He was enjoying his peaceful solitude when he felt a demon near him. He looked up and started to smile at Kitaro but one look at Kitaro's face wiped the smile off his.