The Path of Forgiveness

Disclaimer: Still not mine. I just claim the O.Cs.


The youkai cloud dissipated as the duo touched down in front of what was once a grand castle. Sesshomaru looked around and frowned ever so slightly. The two hundred years since his last visit had passed in a blink of an amber hued eye, yet time had seen to the slow and steady decay of his ancestral home. Scattered in the front courtyard were the remains of twenty five or so human soldiers that had made this place their own for a short time. The even older remnants of the old caretaker poked out of an overgrown patch of rose bushes. After the death of his father, Sesshomaru had fired everyone and moved permanently into his personal manor. The old Kitsune had begged to stay, claiming he had nothing better to do with his final years than take care of the gardens. Sesshomaru did not object, so apparently, the old fox had stayed.

“Sesshomaru….” A faint, sorrowful female voice caressed his sensitive ears, tugging at half- formed memories of infancy. Out of the corner of his eyes, the movement of what appeared to be many layers of silk kimonos in the bright colors of spring vanished around the eastern corner of the building. ‘Mind tricks,’ he scolded himself inwardly. He could almost hear Takara berating him about not properly honoring his ancestors and causing their spirits to wander aimlessly in this plane.

Kagome watched the play of emotions across the usually impassive countenance of Sesshomaru’s face. ‘Does he realize his mask slipped?’ She wondered silently as first shock, then longing and sadness passed over his striking features.

Taking Ah-Un’s reins in his hand, he started off to the back part of the grounds. “This way.”

Kagome had to almost run to keep up with the tall demon. No wonder Rin rode Ah-Un all the time, the child would never be able to keep up with her guardian at this pace.

They stopped to let Ah-Un rest for a bit while they headed off further into what looked like a memorial garden that was even more overgrown than the front. The demonic mount would never make it through the tangle. Before it became impossible for the humans and the short imp to pass, they turned off to a different memorial garden, in only slightly better shape.

Sesshomaru stopped suddenly, his eyes narrowing. Up ahead he could see Takara’s family shrine. Incense still burned, but the demoness was gone. Had he missed her? Tilting his head up slightly he sampled the breeze. Not by long, from the smell of it.

They headed up the slight hill so he could get an idea of what direction she had headed. They stopped about five feet away from the shrine. Any closer and the incense would mask Takara’s scent. He tested the air again.

“Impossible.” He turned around. He could smell from which direction she had come, but couldn’t find her scent leaving the area.

A small gasp of surprise from Rin caused him to face the shrine just in time to see Takara appear out of thin air with an object wrapped in red silk in front of her. She mumbled something in the strange language she had used before and passed out.

Kagome blinked in surprise. The woman had just appeared out of nothingness and had spoken in English. Not thinking of her own safety, she fell to her knees to assist the strange woman, putting herself between Sesshomaru and the other person. Expecting to feel herself yanked up at any moment, she reached out to the other woman to maneuver her out of the uncomfortable heap she had landed in.

Kagome gasped and drew her hands back. “Her skin is like ice!” The miko quickly pulled one of the blankets out of her back pack and placed it over the woman. The sound of a sword being drawn forced her attention back to the demon lord behind her.

“No! You can’t kill her; we have no idea why she is here or where she is from!” Kagome tried to place herself between the two even more.

Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow at her unnecessary antics. “Do you believe this Sesshomaru to be without honor?”

Kagome noticed that he had pulled Tenseiga, not Tokijin, and blushed sheepishly. “Sorry, I thought you pulled Tokijin.” She looked down at the woman, and saw that she was breathing shallowly. “But she’s not dead.”

Sesshomaru cast her one of his famous ‘this Sesshomaru does not have to explain himself to you’ looks. “Be still Miko.” He swung at something invisible around the woman.

Kagome’s pretty face scrunched up in confusion. “How does a living person end up with messengers from the spirit realm hanging around?”

“Apparently she was in the spirit realm physically and they followed her back.” Sesshomaru answered, humoring her.

“Shouldn’t she be covered in pink goo like that girl from the Poltergeist mov-…?” Kagome abruptly cut herself short when she realized she was thinking out loud.

Rin giggled at her; Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. The look on his face clearly questioned her sanity.

Kagome turned her attention back to the odd woman on the ground. She adjusted the blanket and laid a hand on her forehead. “She’s warming up. What did she mean by she was leaving your lands?”

“Hn. So you understand that other language she speaks. She and I are acquainted. Her clan served my father for many human generations as infiltration specialists. She was here to place her parents’ remains at the family shrine, then leave on promise of death if I caught her lingering.”

Kagome’s eyes widened. “So you are going to kill her. You could at least give her a chance to leave. It’s not her fault that she got dragged into the spirit realm.”

Two golden orbs narrowed dangerously. “Do not be pretentious, Miko, especially on my lands. You are here to train, not act as an advisor. Learn your place.”

Kagome fixed him with her best glare. “She was going to honor her part of the agreement, and you aren’t even going to give her a chance!”

“Save your breath,” a voice interjected from behind Kagome, in English. “No amount of logic or humanity will get through his thick skull once his mind is made up.”

Judging from the amused look on the Miko’s face, he had just been slighted.
“You will cease to use that grating language in my presence.” Sesshomaru ordered.

Takara handed the blanket back to Kagome and picked up the silk- wrapped object. “Thank you for your assistance, but I have overstayed my welcome.” She stood up and darted away from the small group. The sleeve of the kimono caught on a low hanging dead tree limb, effectively stopping her hasty escape.

Sesshomaru calmly walked over to the exasperated demoness. “Despite your lack of grace, this Sesshomaru requires your services.”

Takara snapped the offending twig. “You fired the clan; therefore you must re-establish relations with the clan leader before you can hire me.”

“You are the sole member of the Blue Lotus clan left. That makes you clan leader by default.” The demon lord informed her bluntly.

A look of momentary disbelief and shock passed over her face. She quickly squelched the emotions. “What is your offer?”

Sesshomaru tossed her a bag of coins. “That monthly to train the Miko in sword play, defense and any other martial training necessary to defend herself.”

Takara looked over at Kagome, sizing her up. “Double it and you have a deal.”

Sesshomaru leveled a hard gaze at the woman. “What reasons do you give for such an exorbitant price?”

“The girl is soft. She lacks discipline and has the air of a pampered noble about her.” Takara replied.

“Hey! I’m not soft and I’ve never been pampered! I’ll have you know that I fight demons all the time!” Kagome snapped angrily at the other woman.

Sesshomaru tossed another bag of coins at Takara and turned around to walk back to the castle.

Kagome gawked at Sesshomaru’s obviously low opinion of her.

“My lord,” Takara called out. “Please, what happened to my clan?”

Sesshomaru stopped and looked at her over his shoulder. “A corrupt leadership betrayed them from within. Those who spoke against them were killed. Eventually the clan fell into chaos and was destroyed by a rival clan.”

Takara bowed her head, causing her long dark hair to fall forward, hiding her face until she regained control of her emotions.

Sesshomaru continued his trek to back to the castle. “Come Jaken, I have a task for you.”

Relieved that he wouldn’t have to watch Rin for the time being he hurried after Sesshomaru. “Yes my lord!”

Kagome felt a demonic aura flare around her new trainer for a brief moment, and then Takara looked up. ‘But she doesn’t look like a demon, except maybe for her eyes.’ She mused to herself.

Rin walked cautiously up to her lord’s new companion. “Hi, I’m Rin. Are you going to be following Lord Sesshomaru from now on too?”

Takara kneeled down so that she was on the girl’s level. “Hello Rin, I’m Takara. I’m going to be around as long as it takes to train the Miko. So what is it you do for Lord Sesshomaru?”

Rin looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well, I pick flowers, sing songs and ask annoying questions. At least that’s what Master Jaken tells me, and Lord Sesshomaru protects me.”

Takara smiled. “Does he now?” She stood up and looked at Kagome. “Looks like there is hope for the old ice block after all.”

Kagome snickered at the comment, and then remembered that she was supposed to be mad at Takara. “I’m glad you at least know how to treat children. Your people skills are really bad.”

“Oh, right the finagling. That was business. Besides, you’ll get a chance to prove me wrong soon enough.”

Kagome crossed her arms angrily. “What kind of an apology is that?”

“It wasn’t one.” Takara responded with a dark eyebrow raised.

The miko let out a frustrated sigh. “You insulted me. Why is it that all you demons think that we mere humans are all so weak?”

Takara regarded the strange young woman thoughtfully for a moment. “I never called you weak. I call you soft and undisciplined. There is a difference.” She walked in a slow circle around Kagome. “Soft refers to the fact you have never had any serious combat training. Your anger at a perceived insult speaks volumes about your lack of discipline.” The demoness’s eyebrows drew together in disapproval. “Do you have anything else to wear?”

Kagome huffed. “And what is wrong with my uniform?”

“Other than you risk flashing every restless spirit and then some in the area, nothing. I think Sesshomaru might even enjoy the show, though he would never admit it.”

Kagome felt her cheeks flush hotly. Takara had made her point very clearly. “I think I might have brought some sweat pants.”

“Well, with that settled, we need to find an area to clear for a training ground. Young Rin, would you like to help us?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “I know the perfect place.” With that she grabbed the two women by the hand and pulled them towards a field in the front of the castle.


***********

Sango sat on the hill overlooking the village, deep in thought. She knew her mind should be focused on figuring out if Naraku was still alive and if he was what his plans were. Instead it kept wandering back to Miroku. She believed that she’d lost another person she loved deeply. Yes, she loved the lecherous monk, and when she first saw him alive she vowed to let him know that. That was the problem. She wasn’t used to expressing herself on an intimate basis. Granted, she told him a couple of times how she felt, but that was in the heat of battle. There wasn’t anything going on around her to distract her from the doubts that kept surfacing in her mind this time.

She sighed. How she wished Kagome was there to talk to at that moment. She always seemed to know how to ease the slayer’s fears. She couldn’t begrudge her friend though. The western lord himself had offered to have her trained. It would have been foolish to turn him down.

The gentle late summer breeze carried to Sango’s ears the sound of rustling cloth. She looked up to see Miroku approaching her.

“Care for some company?” Miroku asked a warm smile on his handsome face.

She patted the ground next to her. “Sure”

The monk sat down beside her. His violet eyes studied her face before he reached up and gently massaged the spot between her eyebrows. “You have been thinking too hard.”

Sango closed her eyes and allowed him to massage away the tension. She smiled slightly. “Yes, about you.”

“Good thoughts, I hope.” He let his hand drop, his fingers softly trailing down her face.

Sango took his scarred hand in both of hers. Lightly, she traced the red star- shaped pattern left in the skin. “When I thought that… I had lost you…I…” She took a deep breath. Why did this seem so hard? She was a woman; shouldn’t she have some sort of instincts about this sort of thing? “I realized just how much I care about you. I want you to know, everyday, that I love you.” Her expressive brown eyes searched his eagerly for a response to her admission.

Miroku tenderly cupped her chin and ran his thumb along her bottom lip, drawing her closer to him until their lips met. He placed a light, almost nonexistent kiss, on her lips.

***********

Kakunou laughed at the monk’s protests. The emotional turmoil made him almost giddy.

“Did you hear that? She loves me.” Kakunou taunted. “And her lips are so soft. I can’t wait until I get to see if the rest of her lovely body is just as tender.”

Miroku cried out in rage, his thrashing held in check by the mental barrier in his mind.

“Oh, don’t worry my friend; you will get to see every little thing I do to her. Too bad you won’t feel anything. I’ll just have to describe what she feels like to you.” Kakunou’s sadistic laughter echoed through Miroku’s mind.

***********

Kagome was exhausted. The trio had worked on clearing a small space to train on for a couple of hours before Takara had decided that it was an impossible task. The vines were thick and covered in thorns, making them next to impossible to remove by hand. Instead, they had gone hunting for dinner that night. Her trainer wanted to see the skill level she had with a bow. The miko didn’t make it that far. She felt awful drawing down on a defenseless bunny rabbit. Inuyasha had done most of the hunting, she had never had to actually kill her food. In the end she couldn’t do it. Takara ended up killing and cleaning two good sized rabbits for dinner. Kagome even doubted she could eat the rabbit after watching it die, but after the meat had started to roast, her stomach revolted against her brain’s objection. She was starving.

The group had gathered in a large room inside the castle that Jaken had spent the rest of the day cleaning out. There was no furniture, but the fireplace worked and they had a roof over their heads.

After finishing the meal, Kagome brought out her first aid kit to clean the nicks and scratches she and Rin had collected.

Takara looked at her funny when she set out a bottle of clear liquid. “Miko, what is that?”

“It’s witch hazel. What is it with you two calling me Miko? My name is Kagome.”

Takara and Sesshomaru looked at each other. “She has no sense of propriety does she?”

“No, she does not.” Sesshomaru responded. “Apparently addressing people informally is normal where she is from.”

“Would you two stop talking about me like I’m not here?” Kagome fumed.

Takara cast her an amused look. “You are a miko correct?”

Kagome nodded. “Well, sort of.”

“In that case your title would be Miko. Addressing you by your given name would be improper, unless you gave us permission to be less formal and use your given name,” Takara explained as she sat down next to Sesshomaru.

“Please, use my given name.” Kagome’s eyes almost popped out of her head when she noticed what Takara was doing.

Sesshomaru looked down at the demoness who had decided to sit uncomfortably close to him. “You will refrain from petting this Sesshomaru’s tail.”

Takara looked up at him, a smirk on her face. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. It’s just that your tail is so…” she bopped him on the nose with the tip. “Fluffy.”

***************

Please Review! Remember the more reviews I get, the better chance of a Sess/Kag lemon.

Faerie_Demoness: Thank you for all the reviws! I always love hearing from you.

sacred_sagittarius: Three reviews is still three reviews! ;) I like to hear from people more than once. lets me know people are still enjoying it. Naraku was always saying he didn't need his heart...