What's A Dragon to Do?

Chapter 21

Sesshoumaru handed the children a fish each when they returned to camp.

"Shippou and Rin stay here and watch over Kagome while she sleeps. I have to go talk to someone." He saw Shippou and Rin answer him and he took off into the forest. He came upon the edge of the orb and yelled for Ah Un. He waited and still nothing happened. He wasn't about to give up so he would wait a little while then he would call for the dragon again.

~ Western Lands~

Kikyo climbed the mountain. It wasn't that steep. Surely the barrier didn't surround the rest of the Western Lands. She walked towards a rock facing and could make out the entrance to a cave. I will rest there for a little while. She walked to the cave and ran into another barrier. What is with all the barriers? She tested the barrier and found it to be weaker than the other one. She readied her bow and launched an arrow at it. She smiled as this one crumbled under her attack. At least she would get to see what this one had hidden.

Ah and Un were sleeping when they heard someone touching their barrier. They stood up and faced the mouth of the cave. About that time they heard their master call them but before going to him they would have to deal with the intruder.

They watched as a miko who smelled of death and soil entered their cave. They watched as she stopped when she spotted them. They were even more shocked when she raised her bow to shoot them.

Ah opened his mouth and blasted the miko with lightning before she could even draw her bow back.

Un followed his brother in attacking the miko and watched as his blast finished the miko off.

They watched as she was turned to dust and little orbs of light floated in the air where the miko had been. Most of the orbs had flown out of the cave but a bigger orb remained and started to fly into their orb.

Ah turned to Un, "Why is that one trying to get into our orb?"

"How would I know? Maybe it can sense our master and Kagome or one of the children." Un just stood back and watched the orb beat against their orb. "Maybe we should let it in to see what happens?"

Ah watched as the little orb circled theirs trying to find a way in, "It does seem determined." Then he heard his master call them again. Well he should be able to handle the orb if it is up to no good.

"Lets put the barrier on the cave entrance back up then we will let the orb into ours." They moved to the mouth of the cave and erected another barrier then they turned to their orb and saw the smaller one still beating at the sides of it.

"Ah, I will talk to Lord Sesshoumaru and you can follow the little orb." With that said they soon entered the orb. Taking the smaller orb with them.

Ah ignored his master and followed the orb further into the forest. He watched as it came to the clearing where his master and Kagome had made camp. He was shocked when it went to Kagome and was absorbed into her body. Oh great it attacked the masters mate. We are so dead. He waited to see what happened. And gasped as Kagome sat up and started crying. It must be hurting her. He turned to find his master glaring at him and he slunk back away from him.

Sesshoumaru saw Un and Ah both enter the orb but they brought another orb with them. What are they up to now? He watched Ah follow the orb and saw that it was going to the camp where Kagome and the children were. He took off and reached the camp and watched as the orb was absorbed into Kagome's body. He turned to Ah and picked him up by his throat.

"What are you doing to her?"

"My Lord I am doing nothing to her. A miko entered the cave and we killed her and she had all these orbs flow out of her body. This one was determined to get in our orb so we let it and before I could stop it Kagome absorbed it into her body. I don't know what it is."

Sesshoumaru dropped Ah when he heard Kagome crying. He walked over to her and took her into his arms. He sniffed her to see if she was unharmed and could find no wounds on her.

"Why are you crying?"

"I cry for Inuyasha." Kagome couldn't stop the tears from flowing. She woke up when the small orb had come to her. And she knew what it was. It was a part of her and there were no mistaking what had happened. Sesshoumaru frowned down at Kagome.

"Why do you cry for my half brother?" Kagome leaned back away from Sesshoumaru and looked up into his face.

"He has lost the one that meant the most to him." Sesshoumaru still didn't know what she was talking about.

"How do you know this?" Kagome wiped the tears from her face before answering.

"My soul is now whole. The only way that could happen is for Kikyo to have died." Now Sesshoumaru understood what had happened. He was glad that his mate had gotten her entire soul back. He laid her back down and told the kids to watch over her. Then with a glare he motioned for Ah and Un to follow him.

When they were far away from the camp Sesshoumaru stopped and waited for the dragons to catch up to him. It didn't take too long. Ah and Un walked up to Sesshoumaru and bowed.

"Yes My Lord." Sesshoumaru waited for them to stand and then glared at them.

"I have mated Kagome. Why do you still keep us here?" Ah looked into his master's face.

"Yes my Lord, we know that Kagome is now your mate. But if you recall that is not what is keeping you in here. Our spell stated that you must figure out what the miko means to you. In other words you must admit that you love her and you have yet to do so." Sesshoumaru glared at the dragons before him.

"If I didn't love her why would I have mated her?"

"All we know my Lord is that until you admit to the miko how you feel the orb will not release you." Ah turned to Un and then they walked into the forest and disappeared.

Sesshoumaru watched the duo leave. He walked back to camp. Along the way he thought of many terrible ways to make the dragon pay. When he returned to camp he found the children and Kagome playing. At least she isn't sad anymore. And why would she cry over the dead miko's new death. She should be happy that she is dead and no longer around to try and kill her. He shook his head. Would he ever understand his mate?

~Western Palace~

Kitaro found Miroku in the eastern gardens relaxing as if he had done nothing wrong. How dare the monk hurt Sango like that and not regret it. He walked up to the monk and glared down at him. "We must talk monk."

Miroku looked up and saw an angry inu-youkai facing him. Why is he angry with me. I have done nothing to him.

"Well I am here general, so talk." Kitaro growled at Miroku and reached down and picked the monk up by the front of his robes. When he had the monk eye level with him he growled.

"You have hurt Sango by your deeds and you just sit here and act like you have done nothing wrong." Miroku glared back at the general holding him.

"Do you not think that I don't know what I have done to Lady Sango?! I can't undo the pain I have caused her. It's not like I can go and comfort her anymore. It is no longer my job. I sat here to meditate because if I didn't I would be in her room asking her to forgive me. For three years I have been with her. We looked for the jewel shards and we grew closer together. And then one day I asked her to bear my children and she said yes. I had waited for that moment for a very long time. My Sango had said yes. But in a moment of weakness I messed up everything. I hurt more than you can possibly believe. I threw away the best thing to ever happen to me. I am mated to Masumi and no matter what you think of me I will not let another lady down."

Kitaro listened as the monk explained his actions. So the monk had loved Sango. But Kitaro was not about to let the monk hurt Sango again.

"Sango is mine and you are not allowed anywhere near her." He turned the monk loose and took delight in the fact that he had fallen to the ground. Miroku stood up and brushed off his robes. He looked up and glared at the general.

"Sango doesn't belong to anybody. And if I want to see her or talk to her you can not stop me." Kitaro growled deep in his throat.

"Would you like to bet on it? I will make sure that you are never alone with her monk."

"You may try your best to do so. But know this when Lady Kagome returns we go to find the last shards. And you are not part of our group. But don't worry I am sure Sesshoumaru will find some meaningless task for you to perform while we are gone. But don't worry. I have Masumi and she will be with us when we leave to hunt the shards." Miroku turned away from Kitaro and headed back to the palace. He stopped and turned his head back to the general. "You say Sango is yours. I think she would be the best one to judge that. It took me three years to get her to say yes. I highly doubt you achieved something like that in just a matter of days." With that said he resumed his walk to the palace.

Kitaro couldn't believe that monk. He was gutsy if nothing else. He would make sure that when Sesshoumaru came back that he went along on the hunt with Sango's group. He wasn't about to let her deal with the monk alone.

~With Masumi~

Masumi had awoken from her nap and was disappointed that Miroku was nowhere to be found. She got dressed in her furs and took off to find him. She followed his scent to a room and knocked gently on the door. When she heard a male voice bidding her entry she breathed a sigh of relief. She opened the door and found a silver haired man sitting behind the desk. He must be kin to Lord Sesshoumaru. Masumi knew what Sesshoumaru looked like due to his visits to the Northern Palace.

"I hate to disturb you but I am looking for Miroku." Inuyasha stared at the ookami in front of him. No wonder Miroku strayed. She was very pretty. Not as pretty as Kikyo but pretty nonetheless.

"I believe he went to the garden. When you find him can you tell him that it is time to eat?" He watched her nod her head then leave the room. I guess I had better go check on our prisoner. He got up and headed to the dungeons. He was almost out of the study when Kitaro appeared in the room.

"Prince Inuyasha I have a request for you." Kitaro bowed down in front of him thus stopping him from leaving.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha looked down at the youkai bowing before him. He would never get use to that.

"If Lord Sesshoumaru permits I would like to join you on your quest for the remaining shards." Kitaro rose to face Inuyasha. Inuyasha hadn't expected that request.

"Why would you want to join us?"

"My Prince, I wish to protect Sango." Kitaro watched as Inuyasha leaned against the wall then fell to the floor and started laughing. "I didn't think my request was a laughing matter." Inuyasha stopped laughing and looked up at the general.

"I am not laughing at your request. I am laughing because you think Sango needs protecting. Let me tell you something about Sango. She is one of the strongest women I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I am glad that she is my friend. I have faced her in battle and I hope that I never have to again. I have seen her take on hundreds of youkai at once and come out victorious. Sango doesn't need you to protect her." Inuyasha stood back up and looked at the general.

"That may be Prince Inuyasha, but even the strongest lady needs protection at some point." Kitaro bowed and turned to leave.

Inuyasha was shocked at the general's words. "If Sango agrees and my brother lets you I will agree to your coming with us."

Kitaro turned around and bowed to Inuyasha and turned and left the study. He was happy that the prince had agreed to let him join the quest for the shards. He would be close to Sango and then he would be able to keep the monk from hurting her any deeper. He was so preoccupied that he didn't sense Sango and as he turned the corner he bumped into her. He wrapped his tail and his arms around her to stop her from falling.

"I'm sorry, Sango. My mind was else where."

Sango couldn't believe what she had heard. Kitaro wanted to join their group to protect her. And Inuyasha had said something nice about her. What is the world coming to? Sango smiled at Kitaro and looped her arm through his.

"That's ok I was just on my way to get something to eat. Would you care to join me?"

Inuyasha followed Sango and Kitaro to the dining room and found Miroku and Masumi already seated. They had stopped talking when they entered the room. He watched Miroku scowl at Kitaro and Masumi scowl at Sango and all Sango did was smile back at everybody else. Did he miss something? That's what he gets for deciding to be nice to his brother. He should have turned him down. Then maybe he would know what was going on. He saw the servants bringing the food and placing it on the table. Soon everyone was eating and before long they were done. It doesn't take long to eat when everyone is scowling at everyone else. Inuyasha just shook his head and stood to leave the room. The silence and glares were getting on his nerves.

He was halfway to the door when he felt something hit him. He felt himself falling and could do nothing to stop himself.

Kitaro watched Inuyasha leave the four of them alone in the dining room and turned back to Sango but before he could say anything he heard a thump behind him. He turned to find the prince on the floor. He jumped up and ran to him. He was alive but for some reason he was unconscious. He picked him up and started for the healer's room with Miroku and Sango behind him voicing their concern.

Kitaro laid Inuyasha down on a futon that the healer had selected and stood back to allow the healer to check him over. After being quiet for about five minutes he couldn't take it anymore and spoke up.

"What is wrong with him?" The healer turned and glared at Kitaro.

"I don't rush your training or your wars so you will desist in rushing me." She took her own time to look over the young prince.

"Has he been acting differently lately?" The healer turned to the four people standing silently behind her.

Miroku started thinking about Inuyasha's behavior lately. Then nodded. Sango thought about how Inuyasha had been acting lately.

"He has been acting strange for about a month or so. Ever since he started seeing Kikyo regularly." The healer turned to Sango and frowned.

"Who is this Kikyo?"

Sango stared at the healer and answered her. "She is a resurrected miko and his lover."

The healer turned quickly to Sango when she heard the words Miko. So that is how it happened. "He will be fine in a day or so."

Miroku turned to look at Inuyasha and then back to the healer. "What is wrong with him?"

The healer turned to the monk and shook her head. "I smell the scent of a potion on him. It has a very unusual ingredient and if I didn't know this plant I would have missed it. The only potion that I know this plant is used in is designed to give control of the person over to the maker of the potion. If she did use the potion I am thinking of it must be re-administered every couple of days for it to remain in effect. How long since he has seen this miko?"

"He has not seen her since he has been here. Of that I am sure." Kitaro went to stand behind Sango just in case she needed him. He could tell by her scent that she worried about the hanyou.

Sango felt Kitaro come and stand behind her and she was silently glad that he could lend her his support without words.

"He didn't see her the night before we came to the palace either." The healer nodded her head and walked to a table that held many herbs and plants. She picked a few here and there and ground them up and made a tea and with the help of Miroku and Kitaro forced Inuyasha to drink it. After he had drank it all she turned to the group behind her.

"Leave him with me for the night. In the morning he will be who he once was."

Sango felt the tears fall as she heard this. She had lost so much since the beginning of their quest. She didn't want to loose anyone else. And Inuyasha had become like a brother to her. She was just so glad that he was going to be fine. She turned around and put her face on Kitaro's chest and felt his arms go around her waist and rub her back offering her his comfort. She turned back around and thanked the healer then walked out of the room.

Kitaro couldn't believe that Sango had let him hold her, especially in front of the monk. With a smile he couldn't hold back he followed her out of the room and down to the dojo. Why did she go here?

Sango walked to the dojo. Now that she knew Inuyasha was going to be fine she needed to work off some stress. If she ever got her hands on Kikyo the miko would be dead before she could utter a single word. She would make the miko's first death look like a picnic when she got done with her. Not to mention that there would be no remains for anyone to steal to put her back together again.

Sango went to the weapons rack and took down her Hiraikotsu. She turned and smiled at Kitaro. "Care to spar? I need to blow off some steam."

Kitaro walked up to Sango and smiled. "What do I get if I win?"

Sango frowned up at him."I don't have anything to give you."

Kitaro walked up closer to Sango and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "How about the loser has to do what the winner wants for one whole day."

Sango leaned her head back to look up at Kitaro. "What do you mean by what ever the other wants. Isn't that a little vague?"

Kitaro walked to the other end of the dojo and drew his sword. "Well if you have so little doubt about your ability we could just go ahead and spar."

Sango glared at the inu-youkai baiting her at the other end of the dojo. She knew he was baiting her but couldn't help herself.

"Fine the looser will do what ever the winner wants for one whole day." As soon as she finished the last word she threw her Hiraikotsu and sent it flying at the youkai that was smirking at her.

Kitaro jumped out of the way when Sango sent her Hiraikotsu at him. He was so busy watching her that he didn't see the Hiraikotsu coming back at him. He jumped out of the way right before it whirled by him. He felt the edge of it clip his hair and he looked to the ground and saw a few locks of his hair lying there. He dropped to the ground and let the Hiraikotsu fly by him again. He used his demon speed to run at Sango but jumped out of the way when she caught her boomerang and brought it around to hit his head. He ran back to the end of the dojo and awaited her next throw.

Sango saw Kitaro run at her and she caught her Hiraikotsu and used it to swing at his head. He dodged her blow and countered it with a swing of his sword. She managed to block his sword and swung at him again and watched as he jumped out of her way.

Kitaro saw her bring her arm back to swing at him again and moved closer to her. He brought his sword up and blocked her attack. He moved his tail behind Sango and when she swung at him again he wrapped it around her ankles and pulled her feet out from under her. When she fell to the ground he placed his sword at her throat.

"I win." Sango was still trying to get her breath back when she felt the cold steel of Kitaro's blade against her throat. And if that wasn't bad enough she heard his laughter and the words that spelled her defeat. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"That was a sneaky way to win."

"That was not sneaky. It is called using the resources available to you. Hence not sneaky." Kitaro removed his blade and held his hand out to Sango and helped her get up. "I am so going to enjoy having you at my mercy tomorrow."

"Well live it up because the next time it will not be so easy to defeat me." Sango walked to the weapons rack and replaced her Hiraikotsu and then turned to Kitaro. "I am going to take a bath in the hot springs and then go visit the gardens. I will see you at dinner." She turned and walked out of the dojo and back to the palace.

Kitaro watched her sway out of the dojo then he turned and looked around the building. He had to go check on the soldiers and the palace security before he could join Sango for dinner. Not to mention he had his own paperwork to complete. He had let it slip since Sango had come into his life. If Lord Sesshoumaru had found out he had been slacking in his duties he would be on guard duty for a month.

Miroku watched Sango leave the room with Kitaro right behind her. He follows her around like a lost puppy. He went to go after them when he felt Masumi grab his arm. He looked down at her and couldn't help but smile at her.

"Yes dear."

"I am going to take a soak in the hot tub. Then I am going to take a walk in the gardens. Would you like to go with me?"

Miroku smiled down at Masumi. "To the hot tubs?"

Masumi laughed and just shook her head. "No for the hot tub. How about the garden?"

Miroku smiled and leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I would like too but a request has came for me to visit the village elder. The village is not far from here. He wants me to exorcise a spirit in the village. I should be back before the evening meal and I will see you then." With one last kiss he left her standing in the hallway.

Masumi watched Miroku walk away from her and sighed. Well I guess I get more time in the hot springs then. She walked to their room and grabbed a new outfit and headed for the hot springs.