Destiny For A Reason

Disclaimer:I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Kagome was sitting beside her daughters while they laid down beside the fire. It had been three days since they had left the wolf den. A part of her couldn't believe all that had happened. Not long ago she was sitting in her home in America wondering what was to become of her life. She was with Inuyasha now, something she had dreamt about for over seventeen years. She was happier than she'd ever been. Even Michiko was mated, which still didn't sit well with her. Much was owed to both of them for making her come back. What worried her most was Kimi, not the threat that hung around her, but the way she looked. Michiko was always the chipper of the two but Kimi had never been melancholy. Her youngest hardly spoke, ate, or slept. Now, she layed on her side but had fallen asleep out of exhaustion. Something else nagged at her, Kouga. Both her and Inuyasha had worried that he would do as before and pester her. Since, leaving he not once grabbed her hands, called her his woman, or came on to her in anyway. She was starting to suspect the reason for it. No one had mentioned what happened the few days Kimi was there alone with the wolves. The more Kagome watched Kouga it was obvious he was interested in her daughter. Upon her waking she'd begun to travel on his back, much to her displeasure. Several times she'd heard complaints that he was holding onto her too tight. When he thought no one was watching he'd keep his eyes on the girl. At times they reminded Kagome of her and Inuyasha all those years ago. Bickering like cats and dogs. Even now he was leaning against a near by tree staring very rudely.

Inuyasha had gone hunting to bring something back for dinner. Sesshomaru was standing not far from his mate watching her as she slept. They hadn't stopped till late today because tomorrow the would be hitting more mountains. If they were guessing right somewhere in these mountains lurked Kuroyama.

Kouga stood leaning against his tree trying to sort out his feelings. All those years ago he remembered staking a claim on Kagome, and promising to make her his woman. He'd followed her around for months believing himself in love with her. If he loved Kagome then what did he feel for Kimi? All those times he'd left Kagome in Inuyasha's care trusting him to protect her.
Yet, he'd just left his tribe because he didn't trust not only Inuyasha but Sesshomaru to keep Kimi safe. He'd let Kagome travel alone with Inuyasha for months and it hadn't bothered him. He'd be damned if he left her daughter alone with another man. Even seeing her Ginta had caused him to have a fit of jealousy. He remembered touching Kagome back then and the other day when he handed her the flowers. The touch had been and still was comforting. But when Kimi touched him it made his blood catch on fire. Every nerve in his body came alive at her slightest touch. He'd been upset and had missed Kagome when he found out she was gone but he had been able to go on without much difficulty. When he thought of something happening and never seeing Kimi again his heart felt like it was being ripped out. He began to question; had he really ever loved Kagome? Or had she simply been an image of what he thought he wanted. He saw her stand up to put more wood on the fire and came to a quick decision.

Kagome got up, walked over to the stack of wood laying a few feet away across from the girls. The night was getting colder so they would need the heat. A shadow fell over her and she found Kouga standing over her. "Hey, Kouga." He grabbed her hands like in the olden days. "Heh."

He knew what he was about to do was against everything he believed in. She had a mate but he had to know. "Kagome, there's something I need to do please understand." He grabbed her shoulders and brought his mouth crashing down on hers.

Kimi heard her mother get up and turned over to see where she was going. She opened her eyelids only wide enough to watch her mom. Her heart caught in her throat as she watched Kouga approach her, she couldn't hear what was being said. Tears began to form as she watched as he grabbed her and kissed her. 'Just like all the times he kissed me. Had he been thinking of her as he was with me?'

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY WOMAN, YOU BASTARD!" Inuyasha was standing at the edge of the camp with a transformed Tetsusaiga in one hand and a disgruntled Jaken in the other. "I'm going to fucking kill you, you mangy wolf." He dropped the toad and charged forward.

"Sit boy," Kagome watched as he fell making a nice crater. "It's ok Kouga, I think I understand." She gave him a bright smile leaving him to calm down the pissed off hanyou. "Inuyasha come take a walk with me real quick. Sesshomaru, we will be back in a few please don't start without us."

She pulled him along behind her, waiting till they were far enough from the camp to explain. "You will not start a fight with Kouga over this."

"Why the hell not. He not only touched you but had the nerve to kiss you." Inuyasha was ready to go back and kill him.

"I think it had to be done," she placed her hand over his mouth before he could interrupt. "Listen, haven't you noticed anything at all. That was the first time Kouga has payed me any attention. Haven't you even wondered why?

"NO."

"I love you Inuyasha but you are dough head sometimes. I'll make this quick because I'm sure Jaken has some information to share with us. But I think by having Kouga kiss me he has just realised that he doesn't love me. Which means he can move on and get over his idiotic idea that I should be his woman." She left out the part that she had a feeling that her daughter would be taking her place.

"Fine, but if he touches you again I get to kill him." Inuyasha didn't believe her but let himself be dragged back to camp where that bastard wolf waited.


Kouga was once again leaning against his tree waiting for the two to return. His fingers reached up to touch his lips and a sigh escaped his lips. He'd been hoping to feel something when he kissed her. It had been pleasant but that was it. There had been no spark, no passion, like kissing an old friend. He remembered that night in his cave when he'd kissed Kimi. What he felt then had been breath-taking, unexplainable. He looked over to see her back turned to him still sleeping beside the fire. The mere sight of her caused his pulse to quicken. He almost laughed when he realised he had never truly been in love with Kagome but was now hopelessly in love with her daughter. He saw the two return and went to stand next to Sesshomaru.

Not only had Jaken returned but Myouga was there on Lord Sesshomaru's shoulder. They gathered to hear what information they had obtained. It was Myouga who spoke, "It seems you were right, my lord. The reason his name sounded familiar was because he was once an enemy of your father's. He was once the Lord of the Northern Lands, or as they once called him, Lord of the Black Mountains. He was extremely powerful and showed no mercy in battles, not even to women and children. He destroyed all that stood in his way even then. That was some three hundred years or so I believe. Rumor has it that he died over two centuries ago leaving the northern lands without a Lord. We found out something else another rumor to be exact. This one was that the lord didn't die but merely disappeared since no body was ever found. It also said that the lord had been waging war on the other lords when one day he'd come across a human priestess. Supposedly, he wanted to make her his mate and became obsessed with the girl. However, the girl was killed one day by demons which caused the lord to go mad. He was never heard from again after the incedent. As to the truth of the girl, there wasn't much information about her. All we were able to get was her name, she was the priestess."

"Suki." The answer came from the sleeping form of Kimi. "Her name was Suki or should I say my name?"

Sesshomaru walked over to the girl, "How long have you known?"

"Does it matter? I thought you were after him because he is killing innocent people and terrorizing your lands. NOT because he wants to fuck me." A growl came from somewhere but she ignored it. "Since you all now know he doesn't want the damn jewel feel free to stop protecting me, I could care less either way. Now leave me alone I wish to go back to sleep." She gave them all her back and closed her eyes.

Sesshomaru felt like picking the girl up and shaking some sense into her. Didn't she realise that if Kuroyama wanted her for his mate again then she was in more danger than if he'd simply wanted the jewel. He remembered tales from his childhood about the Lord of the Black Mountains. He also knew that if the demon got ahold of the girl and found her already spoiled by the wolf he wouldn't be too happy. "Nothing has changed. We now know his objective."

"There's something else Lord Sesshomaru." Jaken squawked. "Seems that two more villages were found destroyed and everyone within slaughtered. There were reports of a huge red dragon causing the destruction."

"We leave first thing in the morning."

The next morning the girls were woken up right before dawn. Kagome filled Michiko in on everything going on since she'd slept through it. The three demons all stood in a tight little circle which caused Mich to think of football players. She was waiting on them to huddle over and start chanting. She couldn't hear what was being said but it didn't look good.

She walked over to her twin who looked like shit warmed over. "So you are some kind of reincarnation or something. Thats understandable I guess. I've always known I'm the reincarnation of Marilyn."

"HA, you wish. Listen I know you are trying to cheer me up and I appreciate it. I got a lot on my mind," Kimi felt the tears begin to form. Everynight when she slept the same images came to her mind. Nightmares of when she died and it seemed real everytime.

She saw the tears starting to flow down her sister's face and reached out to comfort her. "Shhhh, what is it? Please tell me. I can't help you if you don't tell me."

"I can't sleep, don't you understand. Everytime, I close my eyes I watch myself die. I see everything, who I was, and most of all I feel.... emotions that aren't mine. He is always there," she buried her face and let the tears flow. For several minutes she let herself shed the tears that had built up for the last four days. "I don't want this anymore."

Michiko couldn't imagine what it felt like to watch your own death everytime you fell asleep. No wonder she was a complete mess, all because some sick bastard wanted something he thought he'd lost. "I'll go wet a rag so you can wash you face, I'll be right back."

Kouga heard her crying and wanted to comfort her. He waited for her sister to leave and walked over. Her shoulders stiffened when she sensed him come up. "How are you feeling?"

"Why do you care?" She felt her temper rise when he had the nerve to stand there and act like he cared. His hand reached up to touch her shoulder and she slapped it away. "Don't you fucking touch me!"

"Kimi, I think we need to talk. Theres something I need to tell you," he tried once more to reach for her.

"We have nothing to talk about," She didn't want to hear him say what she already knew.

"Damn it, I lo," he was cut off by a sharp scream.

"Michiko," Kimi took off in the direction her sister had gone. Sesshomaru and the others were right behind her.

Michiko had reached the stream after fetching the rag. Part of her felt angry at herself, the last few days she'd been so caught up in Sesshomaru that she hadn't noticed that her twin was suffering. She felt there was more to it than just the dreams bothering her. If she had to guess, her sister seemed to have a thing for Kouga. But wasn't Kouga in love with her mother. He didn't act like it though, if anything he acted like he had a thing for Kimi. She squeezed the excess water out of the cloth and stood up. A sharp pain pierced her shoulder causing her to yell out.

Thats how they found her, hanging in the air with a something protruding from her shoulder. Behind her stood a demon that resembled a human up top with the abdomen and legs of a spider. One of his legs was holding her up several feet in the air. She could feel blood running down her chest and back. Sesshomaru jumped at the demon with every intention of tearing him apart but was thrown back. A wall of water was acting as a shield.

"Michiko," Kimi tried to run to her sister but Kouga grabbed her arm.

A high squeeky voice filled the air and behind the demon a small pixie stepped out. Sesshomaru instantly recognised her as the one he'd missed killing the other day. "Hand over the girl or this one dies."


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