Her Destiny

Chapter 29

A couple of days have passed and Inutaisho still has not seen his elder son. He was still in his room with his mate as she recovered from the battle with Jakyoku. But what he did notice was that a particular monk was coming by the castle seeing a certain Taijiya. He owed it to the girl’s father to protect her from this monk; he would observe from time to time when she would slap the monk for taking liberties with her body.

He didn’t want to be away from his mate, but he had to find out what the monk’s intensions were towards Sango. He excused himself from his mate for a little while, he summoned a guard to go get the monk and bring him to his study. It was now time that he did his lordly duties.

Miroku was surprised, and so was Sango, that he has been summoned to the lord’s study. He wondered what the lord needed him to do as he walked with the guard to their destination. Sango was following closely behind Miroku, wanting to know what was going on. She was scared that Lord Inutaisho might hurt Miroku for his perverted ways.

Yes, he reverted back to some of his normal tendencies, but she still enjoyed his company. The guard stopped in front of the lord’s study as he knocked on the door. When the guard heard the call to enter, he opened the door and announced that he had the monk and that the Taijiya was there with him.

Inutaisho was surprised that Sango came along with the monk. When they entered his study, he promptly said, “Sango, I want you to wait outside for a moment.”

Sango obeyed his command, she stepped back outside, but not before giving the monk a worried look.

Once she left the study, and the door was closed, Inutaisho turned his eyes toward the monk. He motioned for him to sit on the pillow directly in front of his desk. He studied the monk for a few minutes, making him squirm, under his icy gaze, before he started to speak, “Miroku, I have noticed that you are coming around a lot lately. You have been keeping company with Sango and I want to know what your intentions are?”

Miroku swallowed hard when he heard the Lord’s question. Yes he has a right to know what his plans are with Sango. But he really didn’t want to tell him everything. He knew he could not lie about what he was doing, because inu youkai could always smell a lie.

He sighed, resigning himself to his fate, and replied, “I’m deeply in love with Sango, milord. I want to make her my wife as soon as I get the courage to ask her. I thought that I almost lost her, when I found her in that village unconscious. I knew then, that I held deep feelings for her. I can’t stand the thought of not being near her or not protecting her. Yes, I know that I’m a pervert, but she is the only female that I have been able to touch, I don’t touch anyone else.”

Inutaisho understood what the monk was saying. He has been watching them for the past two days. He is the first male, which he is aware of, that was rejected by Sango, but keeps coming back to her. Her father mentioned that she will not take anyone’s suit. But it seems that the monk has won her heart and is willing to go though any pain to stay with her.

Inutaisho raised an elegant eyebrow, he observed the monk to see if he had any malicious intent. When he found none, he continued, “You know monk that you are going to have to ask her if she will let you court her properly, and then, you must meet her father for his approval. But when you decide to ask her, know this, Sango still has an obligation to me. But if she desires to take a mate, then I will allow the both of you to stay here in the castle, or in a hut of your own within the boundaries of my land, the choice is yours.”

Inutaisho saw the gleam of happiness come into the monk’s eyes. Apparently he was concerned that she will reject his offer because of her duties to her clan and him. But now that he said that they could stay in the castle or in their own hut, he was happy.

Miroku couldn’t even express his happiness at what the Lord just said. He has not asked his lovely Sango to be his wife because he knew that she still had obligations to the Lord of the Lands, but knowing that the lord will accept their union, and still allow them to live in the castle, or in its boundaries, made it easy for him to get the courage to ask her.

Miroku stood as he bowed deeply to the Lord, saying, “I thank you Lord Inutaisho. You have just made me the happiest man alive. Now all I have to do is ask my sweet Sango if she will accept me as her husband.”

Miroku turned to leave, but before he even took three steps, he heard the Lord say, “Miroku, if you ask her now and she accepts, you have my permission to travel to the slayer village to meet with her father. She has three days and I expect her back by the end of the third day.” Inutaisho wanted him to understand that he was going to do things right by Sango, or he will have to suffer his wrath.

Miroku understood the underlining tone of his voice. He could not keep company with Sango, unless she agrees to be courted by him. He will have to get her father’s permission to court her and he was giving them time. He swallowed hard, nodding his understanding of what he was told, and made his way out of the study.

The moment he walked out of the study, Sango jumped into his arms, holding him in a tight embrace. She then released him and asked, “What happened Miroku? I’m glad to see that you’re still alive, but… why did he want to see you?”

Miroku chuckled, while he wrapped his arm around Sango’s waist, “Come Sango, we have much to discuss, and I will tell you why he wanted to see me.” He led Sango out of the castle as they went back to the gardens.

He found a secluded spot in the nearly dead garden; he turns and looks at Sango right in the eyes. He noticed that her eyes were sparkling in the sun, her light brown eyes held the love, that he was longing for, “Sango, there is something that I have been wanting to ask you since the day I found you in that village unconscious. You have no idea how I almost saw my world come to an end, when I found you like that. I felt my heart break into a thousand pieces, thinking that I lost you. I don’t ever want to feel that way again, Sango.

“Lord Inutaisho called me into his study to make sure that I do right by you. He wanted to know my intensions towards you.” He stops talking, turning his head upward to look at the morning sky. It was beautiful just like the creature that was standing next to him.

She was his world now as he took another deep breath and continued, “I told him the truth, Sango. I told him that I love you deeply and that I want you as my wife. But I was afraid of getting rejected, that’s why I have never asked you. But now he has told me that we can be together here in the castle, or in a hut of our own choosing.”

Miroku then kneeled in front of his beloved, looking at her straight in the eyes. There were no hentai thoughts there, only love and devotion. He grabbed her hands in his as he said, “Sango, I can’t live my life without you. I can’t bare the thought of losing you to another male. I ask you here and now will you accept my suit to become my wife? I will love and cherish you for the rest of my life. I will make sure that you are the happiest woman in all the land. Please Sango, can you find it in your heart to love someone like me?”

To say that Sango was shocked was an understatement. He loved her, even after all the beatings she has given him, he still loved her. He was the only one to ever come back when she rejected him. She didn’t know what to do, he needed her father’s approval to marry her, but how can she leave this place when she has a duty to perform.

She turned her watery eyes towards Miroku, a lone tear falling down her cheek and replied, “Oh Miroku, I would love to tell you yes, but you must have my fathers approval to marry me. Plus, I can’t leave here, I have an obligation to the Lord of the Lands to protect Kagome.”

Miroku stood as he walked closer to Sango, he leaned down towards her ear whispering, “If that is a yes, then we have three days to go to your village, so I may speak with your father. Lord Inutaisho has already given his permission for us to go. I promise to win your father over so you can become my wife.”

The tears that Sango has been trying to hold back, came running down her cheeks as she softly said, “Yes, oh yes Miroku, I accept.”

Miroku grabbed Sango by the waist and raised her off the ground, spinning the Taijiya around in a circle. He was overcome with joy that she accepted his suit. Now for the hard part, to convince her father that he was the best choice for a husband.

He set Sango down on the ground as he kissed her for the first time. It was a sweet innocent kiss, which told of his love for her. When they pulled apart Sango was left breathless, then she heard Miroku say, “Well then, I guess we better head towards your village. We don’t have much time and I want to make sure that I have you back here by the third day.”

Sango agreed, calling for her friend, Kirara. They watched, while she transformed into her true form. They both got on and then they were off, going toward Sango’s village with great speed.

Lord Inutaisho witnessed the whole thing and knew that those two were meant to be together. The monk cared deeply for Sango and was the only one to actually tame her fiery spirit. Now he only hoped that her father will accept the monk that has won his daughter’s heart.

---oOo---

Kirara flew with speed, making good time in reaching the slayer village. They arrived at the village late in the afternoon. They were circling above the village when they heard the sounds of the alarms being given, warning the village of the approaching youkai. They saw the village men gathering in the center of the village with weapons raised, ready to do battle.

Miroku was a little bit intimated by the show of force but he set his resolve because he was here to ask for his lovely Sango’s hand in marriage.

Sango’s father, Hiro, was out in front of his people when he saw Kirara coming down. He saw his daughter on the fire neko along with someone else. It was a male that was with his daughter and his curiosity was peeked on who this person might be.

Kirara landed softly in the middle of the village, Miroku got off the giant neko and then helped Sango down. Once they were both standing, Kirara transformed into her kitten form and jumped on Sango’s shoulder.

Miroku noticed right away how nervous and scared his lovely Sango was acting. He wondered why she was acting this way, while they made their way toward the villagers that were standing there waiting for them.

Sango was nervous; she didn’t know how her father was going to take to the news that she brought back to the village. She will have to admit to her incompetence in protecting her charge, then how they fought an entire Inu army to get her back, and defeating the threat to the west.

She stopped in front of her father, bowing deeply to him, and said, “Milord, I have returned to the village for a small visit. We need to talk to you in private if we may.”

Hiro raised an eyebrow at his daughter, while he turned his gaze to the monk, eyeing him to see if he could detect what he wanted. He turned his full attention back to Sango and replied, “Very well Sango, you will have your chance to speak to me in private, but first you must tell me what has happened in the west. We have heard rumors of a war brewing and an inu youkai army threatening the west. We need answers.”

Sango agreed to his request, as he led his daughter to the main gathering place for the village. Once everyone was settled, Sango began her tale of what happened in the west. From the threats received of the impending battle with the Black Inu Youkai, who wanted to take over the west, to introducing Miroku as a powerful monk who helped them defeat the Inu Army. She explained everything in detail to her father and the village elders.

The look on Hiro’s face was not a good one. Sango noticed the anger in his eye for failing in her duties as the miko’s personal guard. She knew that she was not going to like what her father was going to say as she held her breath, waiting for his decision.

Hiro thought long and hard about what his daughter said. He was disappointed in her for not protecting the miko. It was her fault that the miko was taken in the first place, thus putting the miko’s life in danger.

He took a deep breath and then released it, trying to steady his nerves before passing his punishment, he looked up at his daughter and said, “You failed to protect the miko and that is how she got captured, along with the Lady of the West, Sango. I thought that your training was better than that. You should have been able to pick up on the threat and gotten her out of harms way.”

Sango lowered her head in shame. It was as she thought she has disappointed her father and brought disgrace to her village. A lone tear could be seen as it went down her cheek, her head bowed in disgrace.

Miroku had enough of the way the village leader was belittling his Sango, for failing in her duties. He was there and knew that she did not fail. Miroku stood as he addressed the village headman.

“Excuse me for interrupting this debriefing, milord, but you were not there and have no idea what happened or how powerful this Black Inu Youkai was. It was not Sango’s fault that they were captured. Two companies of the Western Lord’s soldiers personally escorted the Lady of the Lands and the miko.

“These black Inu's managed to defeat the western soldiers, a task that is very difficult to do in the first place, for the western soldiers are the best trained in the land. They used a powerful potion to put them all to sleep and then used black magic to subdue them. Even the most powerful youkai would have succumbed to this black magic.

“The young miko is very powerful, she is the most powerful miko I have ever seen, yet she was subdued by these youkai. It took my most powerful sutras, plus my inner strength, to break the spell that was placed on Sango and the others from the western lands.

“As it was, it took the might of the western army, and the combined forces of the Heir to the Western Lands and his mate to finally defeat these youkai.

“So you cannot blame Sango for not protecting them because she did, but even the strongest opponents will fall to a superior force.”

Sango was shocked that Miroku would speak on her behalf. He didn’t know that he was speaking to her father, but for him to do this for her, to standup for her honor, made her feel things that she never felt before. It was no wonder that she agreed to be his wife, because she did love him deeply.

Hiro saw how the monk stood up for the honor of his daughter. Never, has any male stood up to protect the honor of a woman, who was a youkai exterminator. Women, even in his village, were too weak to be exterminators. But his daughter has proven herself to be a fighter. Yes, she tended to act more like a male than a female, thus why she never accepted any male suitors, but she was the equal to any male in his village.

He was hard on his daughter because he wanted to make her strong so she could survive without his protection. But his heart sank when she told him what happened in the Western Lands. She failed to protect the miko. She had brought dishonor to her clan and he, as their leader, had to deal with her as such.

Hiro stood eyeing the monk in front of him. He knew that he needed to speak with his daughter, but first he must deal with her punishment for failing in her appointed duties, and then he will deal with this monk.

He looked at Sango with saddened eyes and said, “Sango, you know the penalties for failing in your duties.”

Sango swallowed hard, she nodded her head yes to his statement.

Hiro closed his eyes, as he pronounced judgment on her, “For your failure to protect the miko from harm and for dishonoring your clan, you are here by banished for the period of two seasons. When the time of your banishment is over, you may return to the village.”

Miroku was shocked to hear what the village leader did. He heard the soft cries of his lovely Sango and it ripped his heart apart to see her like this. He looked into the village leaders eyes as he said, “Your punishment is unjust. She does not deserve to be banished from her village because of something she has no power over. Even you should know that no one changes the mind of the Lady of the West once she gives orders. She does as she pleases even if it puts her in danger.”

Hiro looked at the monk as he said, “Monk, do not presume to tell me how to run my village. Sango knows the laws and when she became a youkai exterminator, she agreed to abide by my laws. I will not change them, not even for her.” With that said, Hiro turned his attention to all in the great hall, “This meeting is over.”

Miroku was fuming. ‘How dare that man treat my Sango like this! She has risked her life to rescue the miko and this is the way her village repays her, by banishing her for two years. I will spend the rest of my life making her happy, they don’t deserve someone like Sango in their village.’ He watched as everyone left the large hut they were in.

Once everyone was gone Miroku turned his attention to the crying girl on the ground. He walked over to his lovely Sango as he brought her into his embrace. He stood with her in his arms and held her. He was not perverted in anyway, he just wanted to offer her what little comfort he could.

Hiro turned and saw the monk comforting his daughter. He was wondering what was going on, he turned his attention to them and said, “I want you two to follow me.”

Miroku followed the lord of the village out of the large hut with Sango in his arms. They went towards the end of the village, to a smaller hut, and entered. Once inside he told them both to sit, but they refused, choosing to stand instead, not backing down for what they were there for in the first place.

Sango managed to stop her crying as she tried to get her composer back. She needed to speak to her father before she left again.

Hiro noticed that Sango and the monk were on the defensive, he waited to see what they will do and why there were here. When they didn’t speak Hiro broke the silence as he looked at his daughter and said, “Sango, my daughter, I’m sorry for doing that but it is the law that you have sworn to obey. If I were to lift the law now, then the village will think of me as weak. The day I trained you as a youkai exterminator, I knew that there will be a time when you would fail, but I also know that you have made me very proud to be your father.”

Miroku could not believe what he just heard. This man, this male, standing right in front of him, was none other than Sango’s father, and he just banished his own daughter from the village. Miroku was beyond flummoxed; he stared at the man standing in front of him, trying to understand why he was doing this.

Sango finally got her composure back, she moved out of the monks embrace and faced her father. She knew he was a hard leader to please, but she thought that he would have believed her, that there was nothing she could do to prevent Kagome from going to that village. Her friend has a mind of her own and when she has her mind set, there was no one that could change it.

She stared at her father, as she said, “Father, I do not agree with your judgment. There are things that are out of my hands when it comes to protecting someone. Kagome has a strong will and when she is determined to do something, she will do it. No one will stand in her way, not even her own mate. I was always there to protect her no matter what, but even you have failed in your life and remember that you learn from your mistakes.

“I came here today not to be judged, but to introduce you to Miroku. He wanted to come here to the village to speak with you.”

At this Hiro turned his attention toward the monk as he waited for him to speak. He was very curious to find out what he wanted.

Miroku gathered his thoughts, he had to phrase this just right or he will not win his intended, he took a step forward and, said, “Lord Hiro, I come here today to speak to you about Sango. I want your blessing to take her as my wife.”

Hiro’s eyes opened wide when he heard the monk’s declarations. He could not believe that he wanted to marry his daughter. He turned his eyes to Sango, she had her head bowed waiting for his answer to the monk’s question. How could he let a monk marry his daughter? What kind of life will he offer her? Could he even provide for her well-being and happiness?

“Monk, how can you provide for my daughter? As far as I know monks don’t have a permanent home in any specific village. They roam the lands helping the people in every way possible. What kind of life is that for my daughter? I want her to be well provided for and have a roof over her head. She needs someone that will care for her, not someone that is just going to be moving her from place to place.” Hiro spoke with conviction in his voice. He didn’t see a way that this would work for his daughter.

Miroku was furious at the way this man was acting towards him. Yes, monks roamed the lands never staying in one place for too long before moving on to another place. But there were exceptions to every rule.

He has the Western Lord’s guarantee that they will be welcomed at the castle. He will still be able to fulfill his mission of helping the people as an advisor or by going out and taking care of the problems that arise on the lands. Sango will be well provided for and she will have a roof over her head.

Miroku turned his deep violet eyes toward the leader of the village, and said, “I am aware of the fact that most monks roam the land, taking care of the people, but there are exceptions to every rule. Sango will be well provided for. She will have a home that I will build with these two hands and she will want for nothing. I will protect her with my life as I have done in the past and will see to her needs, this you have my word on.”

Hiro was still not convinced about the monk’s sincerity toward his daughter. He knew that there were men out there that impersonated being a monk, just so they could get money from the villagers, or food and a place to sleep, for ridding them of a non-existent threat.

He has seen too many of these men to be convinced that the monk standing right in front of him, will provide for his daughter’s future. He will need proof of his powers to protect his daughter and he thought that he had the right thing to prove his worth.

He turned his attention back to Miroku, “Monk, if you want my daughter’s hand in marriage then you will have to prove yourself to me. Are you willing to take a test to prove to me that you are able to take care of my daughter?”

Miroku looked at Sango’s father. He did not trust him for some reason. His gut instinct was telling him to be careful, but if this was the only way that he will be granted permission to marry Sango then so be it. He will prove to her father that he is a monk of his word. “Yes, I’m willing to take your test to prove that I can, and will provide for Sango.”

Sango was shocked when she heard her father’s words. No one has ever had to try and prove themselves to her clan before. She didn’t know what her father was trying to do; she looked at him with narrowed eyes, “Father, why does he have to prove himself to you? No one has gone through such a test before, why should he have to.”

Miroku took the liberty of answering Sango’s questions, “Your father does not believe that I’m a real monk with holy powers of my own. It is often that you will hear of monks that fake their powers so they can take advantage of a village. But fear not my lovely Sango, I will prove to him that I’m a real monk with holy powers.”

Hiro was still not convinced that this monk would be a good provider for his daughter. He didn’t want his only daughter to marry a monk. There were other lords in the area that were looking for a wife and his daughter could have any of these rich men.

Sango might not be able to see through the monk’s deceit but he could. He looked at the monk as he said, “Very well, you will come with me and we shall see if you are worthy to be my daughter’s husband.”

Miroku followed Hiro out of his hut as they went toward the middle of the village. At that moment, the alarms were sounding throughout the village that there was danger and youkai were approaching. They all took off as they reached the center of the village and they heard one of the scouts say, “There are youkai approaching the village! They are destroying everything in their path.”

Hiro was giving orders to his men as Miroku looked toward the direction where the youkai were coming. Something didn’t feel right about these youkai. He started walking toward their direction to see if he could figure out what was wrong. Sango was by his side as they walked out of the village to face this danger together.

Miroku was very much aware that Sango was with him. He kept it in the back of his mind as they continued toward the youkai. They stopped in a clearing that was far enough away from the village as they waited for the youkai to come to them. If their current route was any indication of the direction they were traveling, then they will have to pass thru this area.

He placed holy sutras behind him to prevent the youkai from going any further toward the village. Then he started to concentrate on what was wrong with these youkai. Yes, they were strong but their aura was off. It seemed tainted in some way and this is what was making them act this way.

Then ten youkai came crashing into the clearing as Miroku faced off with them. He told Sango to back off and stay out of harms way.

Sango backed away from Miroku but she still kept her eyes on the youkais in front of her. She too could sense that something was wrong with them. These Tanuki youkai lived in the surrounding forest and never attacked her village before, but now they were.

Miroku eyed the youkai in the center of the group. He recognized this particular youkai and knew that he would never attack a village of his own free will. But he was the one that was controlling the rest of the youkai in the area. He had a black aura around his body as he sensed the evil spirit that was in control. These youkai were not at fault for what was happening, they were being controlled and now he had to find a way to free them all.

Miroku took out his ofuda’s from his robes as he concentrated on them. He threw them at the youkai that were being controlled as he immobilized them to prevent them from being killed by the villagers that were behind him.

Oh yes, Miroku noticed when Sango’s father came into the clearing, ready to kill everything there. He, as a monk, had a responsibility to all living things and he was not about to let these innocent youkais be killed for something that was not their fault. The barrier that was placed around the youkai will protect them until he dealt with the threat.

Miroku eyed the youkai that was controlling the rest, as he got ready to do battle. He caught movement out of the left corner of his eye as he yelled, “Stay out of this fight. This youkai is controlling the rest. There is something different about this youkai and you will not be able to handle what he is going to do.”

As if to emphasize his point, the youkai let go of a powerful blast that went straight to them. Miroku took his Shakujo and hit it on the ground as a powerful barrier surrounded all there to protect them from the attack.

Miroku took one of his ofuda’s, and threw it at the youkai, as he was seeking to subdue him. The evil aura that was within the youkai did not want to relinquish his control, as it moved quickly out of the way of the holy paper.

Miroku moved with speed as he threw another one of his ofuda’s, this one hit the face of the youkai. The youkai screamed, as the paper ofuda was starting to do its job. Miroku then got another ofuda out and sent it toward the youkai. He followed right behind the ofuda as it landed on the forehead of the youkai, he took the end of his Shakujo and hit the ofuda with his holy rod.

His power went through his Shakujo as it infused the ofuda with his holy powers and the evil that was within the youkai left his body. It looked like black smoke floating above the youkai as it was enraged at having lost its host.

Miroku was trying his best to contain the entity when he noticed that several of the villagers were racing toward the apparition that he was trying to contain, to destroy.

Miroku noticed what they were trying to do, as he yelled, “NO! Don’t go near it!” But it was too late. The evil entity saw the humans coming toward it as it split into several different pieces and attacked the humans. It entered their bodies as it took over their souls, and then they turned to attack their own as they tried to subdue them.

Miroku had to move fast or else this evil spirit will attack the rest of the villagers to gain control over them. He raised his Shakujo as he chanted his spell, then he pointed his Shakujo toward the villagers that were affected by the evil spirit, and released his spell. He encased them in a barrier that the apparition could not escape from.

He then walked toward the group of men that were affected by this evil entity. He counted at least five villagers that were now part of this evil aura. He pulled his ofuda’s out of his robes as he chanted his spell. He had to make sure that the evil spirit did not escape their host until he was able to exercise it from their bodies.

Once he finished his spell, he threw the ofudas toward the men, as it landed on their chest. They froze in place for just a minute before they all fell to the ground unconscious with the evil spirit still inside of them.

He looked around the area and found Sango on her hands and knees breathing hard. He rushed to her side to see if she was hurt.

---oOo---

Sango has never seen anything like this before. She knew the youkai that were about to attack the village and she couldn’t understand why they were attacking. They have always been peaceful youkai and they lived deep in the forest.

She was standing behind Miroku to offer him support in fighting these youkai. She noticed that Miroku was giving the youkai in the middle his undivided attention and figured that this one must be the one controlling the rest.

She saw Miroku attack the youkai as she observed out of the corner of her eye that her clan was about to attack the youkai that were in the clearing. She rushed toward them, trying to make them stop before they regretted their decision.

Her own clan pushed forward wanting to kill the youkai that were close to their village. Sango has never seen this look in their eyes before. It was a look of pure hatred and the blood lust that came with it. She tried to reason with them but they attacked her and pushed her to the side as they did as they pleased. She tried to stop them but they were too stubborn to stop.

She watched as their bodies were taken over by the evil aura that came out of the youkais. She looked on as Miroku subdued them and placed them in a barrier that will not let them escape.

Sango was looking at the ground trying to figure out what they should do to help the members of her clan that have been possessed.

She felt a gentle arm go around her waist as she looked up and saw Miroku looking at her with concern in his eyes. He gently picked her up as he held her in his arms, trying to offer her some comfort in what just happened. She didn’t know how to fix this and she didn’t know if the ones that were possessed will be able to be returned to normal.

Miroku looked around the clearing as he saw the rest of the villagers standing around looking at their fellow comrades in shock. They didn’t know what they were going to do.

Then Miroku noticed as Hiro started walking toward him and Sango. You could clearly see the worry he had in his eyes as he came closer to them. He stopped in front of them as Miroku heard him say, “Monk, is there anything you can do for them?”

Miroku shook his head as he said, “You should have listened to me when I said not to get any closer to them. This evil spirit is powerful. I tried to contain it so I could send it to the netherworld but as you can see it didn’t work. Now it’s in my barrier and it’s too weak to break through it as long as it stays in its current form. The ofuda will keep it from leaving its current host. If it found a way to get out, then it will form as one entity again and it will look for a stronger host.

“I have restrained them temporarily, I have sutras to banish the entity to the netherworld but I don’t have enough power to do it. I need help and the only one that I know of, that is powerful enough to help me, will be Lady Kagome.

“If she is willing to come here, then I will bring her back and we will exorcize the evil aura out of your friends, but if she doesn’t come, then know it’s not her fault for not coming, but that of her mate for not letting her. He is very protective of her at the moment and he won’t let her out of his sight.”

Hiro understood what the monk was saying as he turned back to his men and said, “Post a guard around them to make sure that they do not break free of the spell they are under. We will wait for the monk to return with Lady Kagome.”

Miroku watched as they placed guards everywhere to guard the possessed men. Then Miroku saw, as the villagers were getting closer to the youkai that he held in his barrier.

He turned his attention back to the village leader as he said, “Milord, your men are not to touch the youkai. They didn’t have control over what they were doing and killing them will be wrong. If I come back and I see that the youkai have been harmed in any way, I will take care of the youkai and leave you to tend to your own. Do I make myself clear?”

Hiro didn’t like taking orders from this monk, but at the moment he didn’t have any choice. His men needed to be released from this evil thing that possessed them and the monk was the only one that could do it. He will abide by his rules for now, until his men were freed from his barrier, then he will make no promises. He looked at the monk as he said, “The youkai will not be harmed.”

Miroku had to settle for his reply as he turned, with Sango in his arms, and summoned Kirara. Kirara came and transformed into her larger form as they both mounted the fire neko. They took off at a fast pace heading back toward the western castle to see if Kagome could come and help the villagers.

They had to stop when it got too dark to travel as they rested until dawn, then they will continue their journey back to the west.

---oOo---

Hiro watched as his daughter and the monk left on the fire neko. He continued to observe until they were just specks in the sky. He has misjudged the monk. He was a powerful monk and he helped his village defeat this threat. They should have listened to him and not gone near that youkai, if they did, they wouldn’t be in this situation right now.

His heart ached as he watched his daughter leave their village. He didn’t know when he will be able to see her again. He just hoped that she will forgive him for his actions. But it was part of the oath that she took and she should have tried harder to keep her charge out of danger.

He shook his head out of its current thoughts, as he headed back to the village. He had to inform the elders of what happened in this battle. They will wait until the monk came back with Lady Kagome and he will pray that they will be able to defeat this evil spirit.

He made sure to tell his men that the youkais were to be left alone or their comrades will not be set free. He watched as all of his men agreed to his orders. They will not risk one of their own, just to kill youkais.

---oOo---

It was the day after Miroku and Sango left the castle that Kagome started to stir. Inutaisho was true in his predictions; it has taken Kagome three days to recover from her exhaustion. True to his nature, Sesshoumaru did not leave Kagome alone during that time. He was constantly with her making sure that she was well protected and seeing to all of her needs.

Kagome woke up finally feeling strong. She has been in bed for the past three days sleeping with her mate close to her side. He never left her alone and was her ever vigilant protector. He always made sure that she at least ate to help her recover her strength.

She didn’t mind in the least and he was a great comfort to her. She was growing dependant on his presence though and she knew that this was not good. She will have to go back to her normal life and do the things that were required of her.

For the first time in three days Kagome was actually up and about as she got dressed to join their family for the morning meal. Sesshoumaru was right next to her with his tails wrapped tightly around her waist.

She has grown fond of her mate’s tails, although they would be mischievous as if they had a mind of their own. From time to time they would tickle her, or catch her off guard, and wrap themselves around her body. But most of the time when she woke up they will be wrapped around her body keeping her warm.

They made it down to the dinning hall as the doors were opened for them. His parents greeted them, as they all sat down to eat.

Kagome noticed right away that Sango was missing from the table as she turned to Inutaisho and asked, “Otou-san, where is Sango this morning? You don’t have her going around to the villages again?”

Inutaisho smiled, as he said, “No pup, she left yesterday to head back to her village.”

Kagome became alarmed when she heard this, as she asked, “Why? Why did you send her back home? Did she want to go back?”

“Kagome, calm yourself. She only went back for a visit and she took the monk with her. The monk has business with her father and I gave them three days to get it done. She should be returning by tomorrow evening.” Inutaisho said, as he saw his pup calm down. He could tell that she was fond of Sango and didn’t want her to leave her side.

They continued to eat in silence and once they were done, Inutaisho looked at his son and said, “Sesshoumaru, I need you to come with me this morning. We have some pressing business to take care of and it needs your attention.”

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrow at his father, as he asked, “What business requires my attention? I would prefer not to leave my mate at the moment, could this not wait?”

Inutaisho sighed, as he said, “No, my son, it can not wait. We have received news that something or someone is going around the northern part of our lands destroying everything in its path. We need to come up with a plan of action before it reaches us here. You are needed because you are the current ruling two tails. You must have a hand in everything that is happening from now on in the lands.”

Sesshoumaru sighed; it looked like he was not going to have any time alone with his lovely mate. He didn’t want to leave her at the moment. He was having too much fun just teasing her with his tails.

His inner inu was very fond of touching their mate and his tails were the only part of his body that he had control over, though he secretly enjoyed his teasing of her as well. It has been enjoyable to watch, as his tails would attack her during the day, or the way it they will possessively wrap themselves around her. Plus she was enjoying their attention too.

Sesshoumaru turned to his mate and said, “I’m sorry mate, but I must go with father this morning. I will see you later today.” He then leaned over and kissed Kagome on her crescent moon as he got up and left with his father to see to the business at hand.

Kagome looked on with sad eyes. She didn’t want her mate to leave her just yet, but she understood that he has obligations to his father. She turned and noticed that her mother was also gone from the dinning area. She was alone once again and sighed. She guessed she better get used to it because it was going to happen more often as time progressed.

Kagome got up and went upstairs to get something a little warmer to wear. It was cold outside and she wanted something warm in case she needed it.

Once Kagome got herself a cloak to wear, she headed for the kitchen. She was going to see her dragon and bringing them a treat was always fun.

She walked into the kitchen as she was looking around. She was trying to find where they kept the carrots so she could have two. Kagome never noticed, as Katsuki walked right up to her and held two carrots right in front of her face, as she heard her say, “Is this what you are looking for Kagome?”

Kagome’s eyes lit up when she saw the carrots. She turned to the elderly cook and said, “Yes! That is exactly what I was looking for. How did you guess?”

Katsuki laughed, as she said, “Hmm, now let me see.” She thought as she tapped her index finger against her chin and continued. “Well the lord and his son are in a meeting. Lady Ayashiko is tending to a matter that requires her attention. The Taijiya and the monk are gone from the castle to visit her village, and you are left alone. Meaning you are going outside for a while since you are wearing your cloak and you haven’t seen the dragon in days. So you thought about bringing him a treat for being good. Am I right?”

Kagome giggled, as she hugged the elderly cook and said, “Yes, that is exactly right. I guess I’m just too predicable. Everyone knows what I’m going to be doing.” She took the carrots out of Katsuki’s hand and then walked out the back door, saying a thank you to the elderly cook for helping her.

Kagome continued on her way as she walked toward the stables. When she entered she went straight to where Ah, Un were being kept. She saw her dragons lying on the ground with their eyes closed. She wondered if they were all right as she gently opened the stall and went to kneel by them. She reached out with her hands and stroked their cheeks.

Ah, Un felt someone actually giving them attention. It has been a while since they have seen their mistress and they missed her. They opened their eyes and were shocked to see their mistress there petting them with concern. They both raised their heads as they each nuzzled and purred their delight at having her back.

Kagome giggled when the dragon showed her their affection by nuzzling her, she reached into her sleeves and pulled two nice big juicy carrots for them. They gladly took their treat as they munched on it gratefully.

When Kagome noticed that they were done, she asked, “Do you want to go outside with me? I know that you would like to stretch your legs from being in here all the time.”

The dragons were happy that they will be leaving the stable for just a little while, as they agreed with their mistress. Kagome opened the gate to their stall as they made their way outside. Ah, Un purred in delight as they both felt the morning light touching their skin. They accompanied their mistress on her walk as she turned and walked into the forest.

They walked for a short while until Kagome came to a large clearing in the forest. She liked this area as she walked out to the middle of the clearing and sat down to enjoy the sun.

Ah, Un came up to her and laid down behind her, as they offered her their warmth on this cold day. Kagome leaned back against the dragon as she took in their warmth and just relaxed. It was the first time since she has been back that she was able to relax completely and not have to depend on her mate to be at her side.

They stayed in the clearing for the majority of the morning when Ah, Un picked up on an aura moving towards them, and fast. They started to growl as they looked up at the sky to see who was coming their way.

Kagome woke up from her nap as she heard her dragon growl. She knew it meant danger as she sat up and looked over her shoulder. She gazed in the direction that the dragon was looking, as she concentrated her senses on the approaching threat.

She relaxed, as she sensed that it was Sango that was coming back from her home, as she said to the dragon, “Ah, Un it’s just Sango coming back from her home. They are riding Kirara and the monk is with them.”

She waited for her friend to come down as she saw the small speck of fire coming her way.

---oOo---

Sango and Miroku woke up early this morning as they began their journey back to the western castle. It took Sango a long time before she fell asleep, and even when she did, it was a restless sleep. The words her father spoke to her were still fresh in her mind and it bothered her greatly to be banished from the village for two years.

They were approaching the western castle when Kirara turned away from the castle and went in another direction. Sango noticed that her friend was heading the wrong way and asked, “Kirara, why are you not going toward the castle? We have to find Kagome so we can head back to my village.”

Kirara growled her response as she continued on her way. She has sensed the miko in a clearing away from the castle with her dragon. She knew that they had to hurry so she went towards Kagome at a fast pace.

Sango noticed where Kirara was heading, and she was happy that she found Kagome in a clearing. At least this way she will be able to talk to Kagome in private to see if she would be willing to go with them, back to her village.

Kirara finally landed in front of Kagome and let her passengers off her back. She transformed back into her normal form, while she leaped and landed on Sango’s shoulder, as they continued to move towards Kagome.

Kagome noticed right away that something was wrong with her friend. Something happened that upset Sango terribly. She stood on her feet as she waited for Sango to reach her.

Sango came running up to Kagome with Miroku right behind her. She stopped just a few feet away from her best friend and saw the concerned look in her shinny blue eyes. Then she heard her friend say, “Sango what’s wrong? Why are you so upset?”

Sango couldn’t hold back any longer as she leaped into Kagome’s arms and cried. She tried to be strong but she was losing the battle with her emotions.

Kagome tried her best to calm her friend down as she was rubbing small circles on her back to soothe her. Once Sango got her composer back, she said, “Kagome, we need your help. Yesterday a group of youkai attacked my village. The strange thing about it was that they were tanuki youkai and they live peaceful lives in the forest. They have never attacked a village before but they were going to attack ours.”

Miroku took up the story from there as he continued, “I noticed that something was wrong with the tanuki youkai, because the one that seemed to be in control of the others was my vassal.”

Kagome looked at the monk as she asked, “Vassal?”

Miroku lowered his head as he continued, “Yes vassal, he used to serve my father until his demise. When I fully became a monk, he came under my service, but I released him so he could live his life. His clan is from the forest near Sango’s home, I told him that if I ever needed him that I will come looking for him.” Kagome nodded her understanding of his explanation, while she continued to offer some comfort to Sango.

“My vassal was possessed by an evil aura that was making them attack villages around the area. I succeeded in extracting the evil aura from his body, but this entity still has control over the youkais. I didn’t think that this evil spirit was going to be so powerful. I didn’t have the power to contain it, and then I saw the men from Sango’s village starting to attack.

“The evil spirit saw the attack coming and it split into five equal pieces and entered the chest of the village men.

“I knew that once the entity entered their body it was going to be hard to break the spell, and get it back out. I tried to stop it, but I couldn’t. I was forced to put a strong barrier around them to subdue them for the moment. I have sutras that will banish the evil entity back to hell, but I need more power. I don’t have enough spiritual energy to exorcise the spirit from their bodies.

“We came here with hopes that you will return with us so we can defeat this threat and help save Sango’s village. My sutras will not hold for very long and when they fall, they will attack the village.”

Kagome listened to everything they were saying, but she knew that this situation was not what upset her friend so much. She looked down at Sango, as she said, “Sango, I understand what is going on, but this is not what is upsetting you. Why are you crying Sango?”

Sango couldn’t bring herself to tell Kagome what happened in the village. It hurt too much and she didn’t want to make her feel bad. “Nothing else happened Kagome. This is what’s upsetting me. We have to get back as soon as possible to help my village. Do you think you can come back with us?”

Kagome sighed, she knew her friend was not going to tell her the truth. She will just have to find out for herself, what was making her so sad. She turned towards her friend as she said, “I must inform my mate of where I’m going. Once that is done then we can leave here to help your village. You will have to give me a few minutes to change clothes so I can travel better, plus I need my sword.”

Sango agreed as she sat down on the ground. Kagome turned her attention to the monk and saw the concerned look in his eyes. She knew that there was more to this story than what was being told to her. Kagome turned to her dragon and said, “Ah, Un stay here with Sango. When I come back, I need your help to reach Sango’s village. Will you help me?”

The dragon was more than willing to take his mistress anywhere she wanted to go. They nodded their heads in agreement and saw the bright smile that she gave them. Kagome then turned to the monk and said, “Miroku, I will be back in a few minutes.”

Miroku bowed to her, as Kagome left her friends in the clearing and took off toward the castle. She needed to get warmer clothes and something that she could fight in. The kimono she was currently wearing will not let her fight effectively.

Kagome raced back to the castle, as all of the servants saw her rushing upstairs to the western wing. Once in her room, she picked a fighting gi and hakama that were warm and then placed her sword in her sash, as she got ready to leave. She needed to tell her mate where she was going, so he wouldn’t be mad at her.

Kagome concentrated on her connection with her mate, as she said, “Sesshoumaru?”

It didn’t take long for her mate to answer back, as he said, “Yes mate, I’m busy right now, I’m in the middle of a meeting that is very important and I need to concentrate on what they are saying. I will speak to you later tonight.”

“But Sesshoumaru, this is important…” said Kagome in her mind, as her connection was broken with her mate. A lone tear went down her cheek, as her mate put her off, not having anytime for her.

She quickly turned to the desk in their room and wrote him a quick note telling him where she went. She explained the problem Sango was having and she said that she was on her way there to help the village. She placed the note on the bed and left her room.

She hurried back outside as she went to where they were waiting for her. Once she got there, Kagome mounted her dragon as she took off, heading toward Sango’s village. She needed to help her village, then she will come back to deal with Sesshoumaru. She knew he was going to be upset that she left. She did try to talk to him, but he just ignored her. If his meeting was more important than she was, then she will not disturb him again.

The guards around the castle noticed when Kagome left the castle with her dragon, Taijiya, monk, and the fire neko. They were heading north at a fast pace so they figured that it was an emergency. They informed their commanders just in case their lord inquired where the young miko had gone.

---oOo---

Kagome and the others traveled quickly through the sky. They needed to get back to Sango’s village as soon as possible. While they were traveling, Kagome turned to the monk and said, “Miroku, how will we get rid of this evil spirit?”

Miroku pulled a sutra from within his robes and handed one to Kagome. Kagome looked at the sutra and understood what it was. The sutra was a very powerful spell that will encase the spirit and then send it to hell. But the problem was how to remove the pieces that were inside the villagers and contain it long enough, so that the spell could be cast to get rid of it.

Kagome pondered this question in her mind, as she searched her memory to see if she read anything that might be of help. But she hadn’t. She turned her mind inward as she called, ‘Midoriko, I need your help.’

Kagome didn’t have to wait for long when she heard, ‘Yes, my Musume. How may I help you?’

Kagome smiled as she asked, ‘Midoriko, is there a spell that I can use to remove an evil spirit from the host body without hurting the host?’

Midoriko thought for a few minutes as she came up with a spell that she could use. She instructed Kagome on what she needed to do and the incantation. Kagome pulled some plain paper from the folds of her gi as she wrote down the symbols she needed on the sutras. She thanked Midoriko for the spell, as she opened her eyes and spoke to the monk, “Miroku, this sutra will help in removing the evil spirit from the villager’s body. It will just remove the evil spirit without harming them.”

Miroku took the sutra from Kagome’s hand as he looked at it. It was an ancient spell and he was wondering where Kagome got this from. “Lady Kagome, where did you get this spell? It’s an ancient spell that I have not seen or heard of it before.”

Kagome smiled as she said, “Someone very close to me gave me that spell. She told me that it will come in handy one day.”

Miroku didn’t press the issue anymore. But this Kagome was full of surprises. He was wondering if she would be willing to teach him some new spells once they got back to the castle. He then turned his attention to the miko, as he asked a question that has been burning in his mind, “Lady Kagome, did you have any problems with your mate?”

Kagome looked at him with confusion in her eyes as she asked, “What problems would I have with him?”

Miroku rephrased his question as he said, “Does he know where you have gone?”

Kagome understood his question as she said, “He didn’t have time for me, so, I left him a note. Maybe the next time I try to talk to him he will listen to me.”

Miroku swallowed hard, if Sesshoumaru got angry for her leaving the castle he will come after her in Sango’s village and it will be hard to stop him. They continued on their way to the village. It will take them another hour or so to arrive and then they can set to work and revive the villagers that he had under his spell.

After about an hour more of traveling they were finally approaching Sango’s village. Kagome remembered this village from a distant memory. She knew she has been here before, but she couldn’t remember when. She shook her head, as they started to head down toward the village.

Kagome looked on as the alarm was sounded that they were approaching. When they were finally on the ground, Miroku got off Kirara and headed toward the village leader as he bowed and stated, “Milord, I have brought Lady Kagome back with me. She has been briefed on the situation and we are ready to remove the evil spirit from the villagers. Are they still in the same location?”

Kagome noticed that the village leader was keeping his eyes on Sango. He looked an awful lot like Sango and she wondered if this was her father. She peeked at her friend from the corner of her eye and noticed that she had her head down. She would not look up from Kirara’s fur, as she found it more interesting at the moment.

Kagome got off her dragon as she walked toward Miroku and stopped at his side. She eyed the village leader and she was about to put everyone in their place. No one treated her friend like she was a low life.

Kagome’s blue eyes sparkled with anger as she looked at the village leader and said, “We need to get to the villagers that are possessed. You will take us there now.”

Her request brokered no argument as Hiro looked at the girl. He saw the crescent moon on her forehead and knew who she was. He bowed to her as he said, “If you will follow us milady, we will show you where they are located.”

Kagome nodded her head as she said over her shoulder, “Come on Sango, we have work to do.”

Sango got off Kirara as she walked over to Kagome to stand by her side. But before they could leave the area Hiro said, “Excuse me milady, but the slayer is not permitted in our village.”

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him, as she asked, “And why is she not permitted in the village?”

Hiro took a deep breath, as he said, “Because milady, she has been banished from the village for two years for not fulfilling her duty as a slayer.”

Kagome’s eyes started to change color as her anger grew, she turned her full attention to the leader of this village, as she said, “Very well then, you can deal with this problem on your own. If Sango can not come with me, then I’m not going into the forest without my guard.”

She turned to leave when she heard, “Please milady, you have to help our village.”

Kagome looked into his eyes, as she said in a deadly voice, “I don’t have to do anything if I don’t want to. Remember you are all in this mess because you refused to obey the monk’s orders. You wanted to attack and kill innocent youkai for no reason at all. Then you get into the line of fire that requires me to be here to remove this entity. Sango will come with me or you will solve your own problems.”

Hiro lowered his head in defeat, as he said, “She may accompany us milady.”

They turned as they followed the leader of the village toward the men that needed her help. Now Kagome knew what got Sango so upset. She didn’t know that Sango got banished from the village because they thought she has not done her duty. That was far from the truth. Sango was great in her job and once she took care of this little problem, then she will deal with the leader of this village.

They walked to the clearing that held the villagers with the evil spirit inside their bodies. Kagome looked at the villagers and saw the black aura that was surrounding them. Miroku was right, this was not a demon but an evil spirit that somehow found a way to possess any body it wanted. She could not allow this spirit to continue roaming around the land.

She pulled her sutras from her gi as she looked at the monk and said, “Miroku, are you ready?” Miroku nodded that he was ready as he took his Shakujo and placed it in front of him ready to capture the evil spirit.

Kagome noticed out of the corner of her eye that the villagers were too close for her liking, as she ordered, “You will all move away from his area now! I can’t risk this thing coming out and possessing anyone else until we can get rid of it.”

The villagers did not like taking orders from a female, but they complied with her wishes. They moved back to the edge of the forest as Kagome nodded toward Miroku that she was now ready.

Kagome’s aura spiked, as she drew forth her powers. She removed her sword from it’s sheathe as she got ready.

Miroku was nervous, if this did not go the way they have planned then this could turn out very bad for them. He placed ofuda’s all over the area to prevent the spirit from going anywhere once it was removed from the bodies. It also served to protect the villagers from harm incase the evil spirit had any ideas to take another host.

He pulled the sutras that Kagome gave him, as he said the incantation that she taught him to say. He channeled all of his power into them, as he then turned and threw them toward the unconscious villagers.

When the sutras landed on the villager’s body they started to glow a pale yellow as it drew the evil spirit out of their bodies. It incased them in a golden globe as you could see the black smoke that came out.

Kagome was looking on with interest. The sutras she made were doing its job as it removed the spirit from everyone’s body. They were incased in a golden globe of light as it was lifted from their bodies.

Kagome put her sword to the side as she channeled her power into it. She felt that something was going to happen and she needed to be ready. She was holding the sutras that Miroku gave her as she started to chant her spell. The sutras started to glow a pale pink as she finally finished her spell. She then threw them at the golden globes, as they landed, and started to grow with power.

Kagome brought her sword forward getting ready for anything.

The golden balls were starting to glow even brighter as the spell started to gain energy. One by one, each ball started to disappear from the mortal plain as it sent the evil entity back to hell. But the final ball was having difficulties in performing its task, as the evil inside started to gain energy to fight back.

Kagome saw this and knew that if this thing did manage to break out of the ball, she will have a real fight on her hands. She was channeling more power into the sutra that rested on the ball to get rid of it.

Miroku saw what was happening and this did not look good. They got rid of four golden balls, but the last one was giving them problems as he pulled some ofuda’s out of this robes and started some new spells. He was going to be ready just incase this thing broke out of the golden globe and decide that it wanted a new host.

---oOo---

Sango was standing guard behind Kagome as she watched what was going on. She noticed out of the corner of her eye, as one of the villagers stepped forward with some daggers. She could tell that he was ready to attack the golden globe and she could not permit it. She got ready as she threw her Hiraikotsu toward the member of her clan. But she was too late, as he already released the daggers, and then dodged her attack in the process.

Kagome saw the dagger going toward the golden globe and knew that this was not going to be very pretty. The dagger hit the sutra on the globe as it tore it apart thus breaking her spell. The evil within came out, as it was now free to do as it wished.

Kagome cursed under her breath, as her power started to increase. She put her hand out to the side as she summoned a ball of pure purification power. She sent it in the direction of the dark cloud as it hit. She could have sworn that she heard the thing scream in pain, but it did not get rid of it. It was still on the field and now it was even angrier than before.

Miroku saw what Kagome did. He got an idea as he charged his ofuda’s and threw them at the dark cloud. They hit as sparks of electricity started to go around the cloud holding it in place while he and Kagome set up the final attack.

Kagome saw as Miroku immobilized the dark cloud as she started her chant. She started to glow even brighter than before as her true powers came forth. Kagome held her hand up as she started to form several smaller balls of her purifying power. She then sent each ball to a different location as it surrounded the area they were in. She was not going to take the chance of it escaping again.

Kagome then formed her bow and arrow as she took aim. She was looking for a certain spot in the dark cloud, when she found what she was looking for. She took aim and released her arrow as it was glowing pinkish white in color. It went for the center of the cloud as it was going towards it target.

To her surprise she saw as the cloud parted in the middle and the arrow went right through it without even touching the cloud. Still she heard the thing shriek in pain as the amount of her purifying power was great, and in passing actually purified some of the cloud.

The evil entity, that was inside the cloud, at that moment broke free of the golden globe and went straight for Kagome. It was looking for a powerful host and it found it in her. Her powers will suit his purpose well, once he has her under his control.

It engulfed Kagome’s body as it tried to take over.

Kagome was fighting against this evil entity as she finally realized where this thing came from. This evil spirit was the one that took over Jakyoku in their final battle with him. He gave himself over to the dark powers and it engulfed him.

When they defeated Jakyoku, the evil entity must have fled his body and was now seeking another to take over. But what it didn’t expect was that the female was very powerful and she has something that was preventing him from taking control. It continued to attack her body to see if the barrier that was around her would go down.

Kagome was concentrating on the evil cloud that was around her body. It was busy trying to take over her body and she was not about to let that happen. She felt the fang that she was wearing, come to life as it put a barrier around her body. This gave her time to put her next plan into motion.

Kagome knew that there was a chance that the evil spirit would escape her golden globe and so she had another plan just in case. She didn’t count on her mate’s gift to be helping her in this fight. It gave her a chance to concentrate as she set up the next attack.

She felt her mate’s barrier starting to break as she tried to reinforce it. But then her mating mark came to life as it supplied her necklace with more power and it actually pushed back the offending threat.

Kagome concentrated on her spell, as she summoned the smaller balls of purifying power to surround her. When she felt them all in place she started her chant. She continued until she finished her spell and then released it. Her body glowed brightly as her powers increased, pushing her purifying power out in order to destroy this evil.

---oOo---

Outside, standing in the clearing, Miroku was going frantic, Kagome was engulfed by this evil entity and he didn’t know what to do to help her. He noticed that the purifying balls, which Kagome set up around the clearing, moved to encircle the place where she was standing.

They were starting to glow more brightly as he observed what was going to happen next. They continued to gain power, then all of a sudden the area was engulfed with a bright light and when the light was gone from the area, Kagome stood in her place panting from the effort of destroying the evil spirit.

Miroku breathed a sigh of relief that the evil spirit was finally beaten. He started to take off his spell from those in the field as he heard a war cry coming from his lovely Sango. He looked over his shoulder to see that she was fighting against one of the men from the village.

---oOo---

Sango was not too happy when she saw the daggers being released and going toward the golden globe. She was not fast enough to stop him, as she pulled her twin swords from their sheath and attacked the offending male. It was her job to protect Kagome and that’s what she was going to do.

She was fighting with the male as she took her right fist and it connected with his jaw, sending the offending male backwards to hit the ground unconscious. She stood to her full height as she eyed all those in the field and said, “Now, anyone else wants to get in the way?”

The males didn’t know what to do. Sango just beat one of the strongest warriors in their village. They were amazed at her fighting skills and wondered if they did the right thing in banishing her from the village.

Kagome watched everything from where she was standing. She was still panting hard as she stood straight up and pulled her power back in. Once she was calm she walked over to where Sango was standing and stood by her side.

Kagome was pissed that these villagers got in her way when she told them to stay out of the fight. She looked at Miroku who was standing to her left, he was eyeing the village leader and she came to the conclusion that the village leader owed Miroku an answer to a question. She nodded to the monk giving him permission to speak his mind.

Miroku bowed to Kagome giving his thanks for the chance to speak. He then turned his attention to Hiro as he said, “Milord, the threat to your village is now gone. The evil spirit has been sent back to hell and the one’s that were possessed by it are now back to normal. I have held up my end of the agreement, do you agree to let me court Sango and let her become my wife?”

Hiro was not happy with the outcome of this situation. The monk proved to be a real monk and had great powers. But he still thought that he will not make the best husband for his daughter. “You have proven yourself to be a real monk but I still don’t think that you will be the best choice to be Sango’s husband. So I must deny your request.”

Sango became angry at her father’s words as she said, “Father, you have no say in who I chose to be married to. I have accepted Miroku’s offer of marriage, and if you don’t agree with my choice then I will never chose another. I love him and he is the one that I want.”

Hiro looked at his daughter and said, “You don’t have a choice in the matter Sango. I will choose the best male for you. You will be married to someone who can provide for your future and keep you safe.”

Kagome heard enough as she stepped forward, her eyes were turning darker while her anger grew. She saw Miroku about to reply back to Sango’s father as she held her left arm out stopping his speech.

She turned her full attention to Sango’s father as she said, “So what you are telling me is that you refuse Miroku to be Sango’s husband because he is a monk?”

Hiro turned his attention to the Lady of the West, as he said, “Yes, I don’t believe that he will be the best choice for her. She deserves better than a monk who will never provide her with a proper life.”

“Oh, and you don’t think anything is wrong with banishing her from your village for two years for not doing her duties? Which, I would like to know how she has failed in that part?” Kagome now was fuming, as she watched the males in the area. She could see their distaste for her as she was challenging the lead male of the village.

Hiro straightened his back as he said, “She failed in protecting you, which lead to you being captured. She should have sensed it coming and gotten you to safety milady.”

Kagome huffed as she said, “You should know by now that I take orders from no one, not even my own mate. If I did, I wouldn’t be here right now helping this village. Even now I can sense that he is very angry with me for leaving the safety of the castle and is, at this very moment, on his way here.

“I challenge you, leader of the slayer village, to a fight, if you beat me, then we will leave, the monk will go on his way, and never see Sango again. But if I win, Miroku is given permission to marry Sango and she is no longer banished from this village.”

Hiro didn’t know what to do. A female has given him an official challenge, no less. If he refused then he will appear weak in the eyes of his people but if he accepted he will have to hurt the mate of the heir to the west. He has no choice, he has to accept the challenge to save face in front of his village. “I accept your challenge.”

Kagome smiled evilly as she said, “Very well, name your weapon.”

Hiro smirked as he said, “I choose hand to hand combat.”

Kagome could not have been happier to hear this. She didn’t have to use any of her powers to fight him, or to bring him down. “So be it.” Kagome said, as she turned and moved into the center of the clearing.

Everyone gathered around the two fighters, as they watched their leader. He was about to teach the female, with a big mouth, that didn’t know her place, a lesson. It didn’t matter to them that she was mated to the heir of the west. She was human and shouldn’t be mated to a youkai. As a powerful priestess, she should have been married off to one of the local warlords to protect the lands. They waited until the signal was given as they watched what was going to happen.

---oOo---

Kagome stood in the middle of the clearing as she waited for her opponent to get ready. They each stood there looking at each other as if deciding on what moves to make.

Hiro was not one to wait for an opponent to attack. He wanted to get this over and done with. He attacked as he came racing in looking like he was going to tackle her. He was going to use his brute strength to make her submit to him, but his plan was not going to work the way he would have liked.

Kagome eyed what Hiro was going to do. He has no fighting form, so she will have teach him that just using brute strength, was not going to work on her. She waited until he was close enough, as it looked like he was going to punch her in the face.

Kagome ducked under his arm as her leg came out and tripped her opponent making him fall flat on his face and skid to a stop. She quickly turned and was ready for another attack as she went on the defensive.

Hiro was stunned at how fast this girl could move. She was no older than his own daughter, but she was fast. He quickly got back to his feet, as he faced off with her once again. He was curious to see how strong she was and how skilled.

He took a fighting stance this time, as he got ready to attack. He saw the girl get into a defensive stance that he couldn’t recognize. He has never seen anyone use it before, but he was determined to win.

He moved in, as he brought his fist up ready to strike but to his amazement the girl just blocked his attack and hit him in the chest with such force that he took a few steps back. He attacked again but this time he was ready as his fist went through thin air. He turned and immediately countering with another move, that she was sure to miss. But he never expected what happened next.

Kagome noticed that he changed his fighting stance and she was prepared. He moved in again as she blocked his attack and quickly went down into a crouch as he countered immediately. She swept his feet right out from under him as she gave an elbow hit to the stomach and quickly moved away from his next attack.

Hiro was breathing hard. Her attacks knocked the air right out of his lungs. He was left breathing hard, as he got back on his feet and attacked again. His blows were coming faster and faster as he continued to battle with the girl, who was dodging all of his attacks.

Kagome kept dodging his attacks, until she countered with her own. Her attacks hit home as they were starting to leave bruises on his body. She hit him on the side of his chest as he doubled over in pain. She cracked a couple of ribs with just one punch. Kagome continued to battle with him, teaching him a lesson to never underestimate your opponent for they could be stronger than you.

Kagome was getting tired of all of this, as she decided to end this fight. She took her foot and hit him on the outside of his knee, which caused him to cry out in pain. She then started a series of kicks as she used her legs to her advantage.

She raised her right leg as she brought it up and connected with the right side of this face. Then quickly followed with a combination, with her left leg up, she hit him on the left side of his face and then quickly turning on her other leg, she hit him in the chest that sent him flying backwards to the ground.

Hiro was hurt. He could feel that a couple of his ribs were broken, but this female was powerful. Not only did she have strong spiritual powers, but she was strong physically as well. He felt a pressure on his neck as he saw the female standing over him. She had her foot placed in a spot that if he decided to move she could easily break his neck.

Kagome looked down at the man lying on the ground. She had her foot on a very sensitive area that if he moved she would kill him. He must have known that, because he made no move to stand up.

“Now that I have your attention, do you submit to me as the winner of this battle? Or do I have to kill you?” Kagome asked, as she heard a gasp coming from behind her. She knew that it was Sango who did that, but this was a fight that could end in death, if either of them refused to submit.

Hiro looked at the determined face of the miko. She had him trapped and unless he wanted to die, then the only other thing he could do was submit to her. He closed his eyes as he said, “I yield, you are the winner of this battle.”

Kagome removed her foot from his neck as she offered him a hand so he could stand. He had numerous cuts and bruises all over his body and Kagome had none. He could never land a hit on her no matter how hard he tried.

Kagome looked at Hiro, as she said, “I believe that you have something to say to those two.” Kagome said, as she pointed over her shoulder to where Sango and Miroku were standing.

Hiro nodded his understanding, as he limped toward their direction. He stopped just a couple of feet from them as he said, “Sango, do you really love this man?”

Sango looked at the beaten form of her father as she stood straight and said with a confident voice, “Yes, yes father, I do love this man.”

Hiro nodded his understanding as he turned his attention toward the monk and said, “Miroku you have my permission to court my daughter, and then when the time is right and she agrees, to marry her. All I ask is that you take good care of her and make her happy.”

Miroku bowed toward Hiro as he said, “Fear not milord, I will take good care of her, she will want for nothing in this world. And I promise to make her very happy for the rest of my life.”

Hiro then turned to his daughter and said, “Sango, you are no longer banished from the village. You may come and visit whenever you wish, as long as it is all right with Lady Kagome.”

Sango was so happy that she jumped into her father’s arms as they embraced. She did love her father dearly it was just that he was not willing to change the laws when he knew they were stupid. It left no room for error and that was just not fair to the person.

Kagome walked up to the little group and cleared her throat. When she had everyone’s attention she then said, “Sango, I believe you have until tomorrow to return to the castle. Take today to visit with your family. I will be returning now. I want to see if I can lead Sesshoumaru away from your village. He has already found out that I left the castle and he is on his way here as we speak.”

Kagome then turned her attention to Ah, Un, as she was about to board the dragon. She stopped her action as she felt a powerful aura coming her way and a loud, thunderous howl, was heard throughout the area.

Kagome paled as she lowered her head. She knew who that voice belonged to and he was not happy with her at the moment. He was coming toward the village as she turned and said, to everyone there, “Everyone please leave this area at once. I can handle what is to come, but if he finds you all here with me then it will be harder for me to control him.”

Sango paled at what Kagome just said, she turned to her friend as she asked, “Kagome, who is coming?”

Kagome took a deep breath as she said one word, “Sesshoumaru.”

---oOo---

This is the end to another chapter. Miroku deeply loves Sango and had to go through a lot to get permission to marry her. Though Sango’s father is not happy about the idea of her marrying a monk, he has to live with the decision that was forced upon him by Kagome.

I want to thank everyone for reading my story. As a thank you and in honor of my birthday I give you this chapter. We are rapidly coming to a close on this story. We only have 8 more chapters to go before it’s finished. Yes my dear friend only 8 chapters are left to be posted.

Join me in the next chapter when Sesshoumaru tracks down his runaway mate. Find out why Sango’s father didn’t want her to marry the monk and what Inutaisho has to say about all of this.

Also it is time for Kagome to go into heat so the next chapter will contain a lemon for your reading enjoyment.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!