Just a Little Rivalry

Chapter 24: Sweet Relief within Revelations


The next morning after Kagome had finally managed to push Inu Yasha out of the room so that she could go fix something to eat, everybody was sitting in the kitchen around the bar or standing around. She knew she was starving and apparently so was everybody else.

She smiled over at her mate as she pulled out the Nutella to go with the homemade bread that she was baking up. She filled up the fruit basket on the table with apples, oranges, bananas and grapes. She was currently slicing up the grapefruit while some eggs were poaching. It was definitely the morning for a big breakfast and some talking.

She was only slightly surprised to see Kikyo and Onigumo come in and sit with everybody else.

It seemed that Sesshomaru had mostly slept in the guest room while Koga and Kagura along with Kanna occupied the pullout sofa in the living room. Her mom had accepted Inu Taisho’s and Izayoi’s invitation to stay with them in the hotel suite to give them time to get to know each other better.

Now, the whole crew were sitting and standing predominately in her kitchen all talking about what had happened.

She had been wondering about the jewel that Naraku had wanted her to release.

“Kikyo, what was it with that jewel? Why could I open it? You seemed to know so much about me, and I have no clue what it is that you seem to know.” She was looking at the other woman as she gave her a small, soft smile and started to help by pulling the eggs out and placing them on a platter to carry to the bar.

Once Kagome had finished voicing her questions, the entire house had gone deafeningly silent.

Kikyo spoke quietly but clearly. “I almost sense that you are unaware of your miko powers that flow and pour out from you. I know that you can at least sense auras and the jewel calls out to you in a way that it never speaks to anyone. That jewel is the Shikon No Tama and is extremely powerful. I felt as though I knew you when you visited. As soon as you and Sango left, I began to be able to see out of myself. I know that sounds weird, but before, I could not talk to anyone. I could not even really see them. All I saw was Naraku. I know that you had to have problems with what they did to you, but I also have no idea how you dealt with it. I couldn’t get past how alike my beloved Onigumo they looked and could see my love killing me. While you were there, I tried to warn you. I could sense Inu Yasha, who I did always consider a good friend even after I admittedly betrayed him and his trust in my fidelity. I knew that he was never really for me. I digress though, you wish to understand about the jewel and probably why it called to you. I don’t know much more than I have said, but I will be honored if you allow me to help you find out.”

Kagome just absorbed everything that had come so quietly out of Kikyo’s mouth. She then sent a puzzled look to her mother.

“I’m a what? A miko?”

Sesshomaru stepped up and nodded before her mom could say anything. “I sensed it the moment we met. You are and a strong one at that. It is what confuses me about you. We should be enemies by nature, but your aura instead embraces mine as it does Inu Yasha’s. I think that you may be the miko that is supposed to protect youkai and the jewel that is meant to enhance a youkai’s power. That is why Naraku had to go to such lengths to find the miko power that instead of repelling his youkai embraced it. You repelled him as an intruder and attacker not because he was demonic. I am not saying you welcomed him or anything. I am saying it was the way your aura behaved.”

Kagome looked about ready to say something before she closed her mouth and walked over to Onigumo and hugged him.

“Thanks for doing the right thing and helping us.”

He merely nodded and lightly and awkwardly patted her back.

She next grabbed Sango and moved her further into the kitchen and away from Miroku. Kagome had a few things to say about what she knew happened last night.

She felt her mouth curve and turn up in her usual bright and chipper smile.

“Now, Sango. I hope you were careful last night.” She nudged her friend who was now the color of the tomatoes in the bottom drawer of the fridge.

“Errr… Kagome! How on this every loving Earth do you even know about that?”

Her smile changed to a smirk. “Because, Inu Yasha was wanting to do the same thing.”

Sango was really ready to commit murder right at that moment and the only saving grace was that the noise had started right back up after Kikyo had moved back toward Onigumo.

“You are so dead later.” Kagome grinned even bigger at that statement. Finally, her friends weren’t on pins and needles around her.

The day progressed with the crowd moving from the kitchen to the backyard with some playing with a football and others sitting on the grass or in the patio chairs that they moved from the pool area.

Kagome and Sango recruited Inu Yasha and played against Koga, Sesshomaru and Miroku.

The girls were really smug with their “secret weapons” on their side.

The two girls and one hanyou huddled. Inu Yasha had to forcibly not allow himself to laugh at their battle plans. He couldn’t wait to see this plan in action.

Sango was planning on taking down Miroku. She knew all she had to do was run at him while Kagome went after Sesshomaru. Inu Yasha could handle Koga.

Kagome was to get the ball and just had to get past the dog demon.

They broke and lined up. Sango grabbed Miroku, who went down willingly under her. Inu Yasha picked at Koga and was occupying him.

Kagome ran full speed toward Sesshomaru, who had the football and was trying to run past her. She tripped and found herself in a pair of arms and looked up to find her objective holding her.

She smiled up at him while inconspicuously slipping the ball out of his arm.

She gave him a grin and lit out of his embrace to run towards the goal.

She found herself lifted up before she made it two feet and being jostled slightly as her captor ran the opposite way with her.

She looked up into Sesshomaru’s smug smirk as he made the winning touchdown for his team.

Sango yanked Miroku up despite his ear-to-ear grin. Kagome noticed that she didn’t smack him despite the required feel that everyone who really knew him knew had taken.

The couple ran over to Sesshomaru. Sango yelling about “rules” that said not to manhandle the girls. Kagome was nodding.

Sesshomaru smirked.

“Well, you took advantage of being female, so I took advantage of being stronger.”

Kagome mock pouted at his words while Koga and Inu Yasha ran up to them. She suddenly grinned as Sango walked up behind him.

She knew what her friend was up to. Now, all she had to do was her part.

She began to wiggle in his arms and twist around. She started tickling his front just as Sango jumped him from behind, intent on knocking him down.

The two girls giggled as they made Sesshomaru squirm around.

“Give yet?”

“No! Just admit that we won.”

“You did, Cheater!”

Inu Yasha jumped in and began to tickle his mate, giving his brother a fighting chance against the two hyper females.

Everybody was enjoying the scene from the sidelines, laughing at the groups’ antics.

Kagome felt herself being picked up. She looked up into Inu Yasha’s golden eyes. She loved his eyes, just as she loved every bit of him.

She looked around. The day had passed so quickly. It was already early evening and her mom as well as Sesshomaru’s and Inu Yasha’s parents were leaving. Koga had opted to go back to Kagura’s with her, and Onigumo said his house would be empty since his brothers would no longer be there. Kikyo asked about staying there for a little while as long as she wasn’t even near Naraku’s or Muso’s room.

Sesshomaru was following behind her and her mate back into the house. She began to think about how all of her friends had paired off but him. She puzzled over all of the implications that came with that.

A/N: I think one more chapter will see this through. I know that I have been taking just for forever with my updates, but I now have a full time job rather than the temporary work. It comes with a whole slew of extra responsibilities.

I would love to thank everybody that has been reading this and I want to ask you all what you would like to see happen next. I am a little stuck with what I really want to happen. I was going to create an OC, but I don’t really think I want to do that now. I need to know what you all would like to see happen with Sesshomaru. Stay single, Mate with Inu Yasha and Kagome or mate with another person… (not OC. I need you to suggest somebody. Thanks.)

Well, let me hear how you would like this to end.

Love you all for reading, rating and reviewing.

Thanks especially to:

Lord of the Flames: You know I love to see your reviews. Talk to you later. I guess you will answer my challenge then. Grins.


Danny’s Girl: I finally sat down and did this and ate an oatmeal raisin cookie while I was at it. My mom’s Newf loved them too. (At least I got one around her… Laughs.) I love to see you reviews. Love ya lots.

Madmiko: Another faithful reviewer that I look forward to every time. I appreciate the points you brought up in your last review. I wasn’t trying to use Kikyo as a heroine, but rather a distraction for Naraku. She was getting out what she needed to while Onigumo took advantage of that to rectify what his siblings had been doing. I was looking on it as a group of survivors. I was thinking along the lines of a group victory. It took all of them to capture them. I didn’t realize that it came across like that. I wanted to keep the same sense of comrade-ship that is in the series. Everybody leans on everybody else within the group. I hope you still enjoy my story. Please, tell me what you would like to see as I asked earlier. I always love to read your suggestions.


Well, thanks again everybody. Please read, rate and review.