Her Destiny

Chapter 7



The month’s passed and Kagome had settled into the castle. Ayashiko noticed that there was something wrong with her pup she wouldn’t speak. Her daughter would talk to her but no one else. It seemed like she was closing herself off to everyone and she didn’t know why. She would spend a lot of time in the library reading until she finished every book, scroll, and parchment in there.



When she didn’t have anything else to read, she would spend her afternoons in the gardens, sitting underneath the sakura trees. Ayashiko noticed the looks that her pup was receiving from the servants.



At first the servants seemed curious about her but then they started to keep their distance from her and would only nod when she requested something from them. She observed when her pup tried to engage the servants in a conversation, trying to learn from them, but they would just ignore her. That’s when she noticed that the girl was withdrawing within herself and not speaking.



She had been going down to train every morning. Her mate had determined where he needed to start with her training when she first fought with her elder son. He had them training together because they would bring out their most hidden powers when they practice together. They were both growing together in strength and their aura’s were getting darker. She could tell that her son was still a little stronger than her, which was good if he wanted to mate with her.



Ayashiko had every right to be concerned. If the servants were treating her pup this way then they would not protect her as well. She had noticed that the soldiers would be watching Kagome from a distance.



The look in their eyes didn’t have the same appearance that they had when they protected someone, but their look said that they wanted her as a mate. They could not concentrate on anything coming their way because they were letting their inner beast have full control over their bodies. They wouldn’t touch her for fear of what her mate might do to them. But they wouldn’t protect her either.



Ayashiko went looking for her mate and she found him in the library looking up some laws. She sat down next to him as she heard him say, “I can’t believe how organized this place has become. I can actually find what I’m looking for with ease.”



Ayashiko smiled at her mate as she said, “You have Kagome to thank for that, Tai-li had accepted her help and she came up with the design to organize this place. But he is the only one in this castle that has treated her as such.”



That last comment caught Inutaisho’s interest as he put the parchment down and asked, “Ayashiko what’s wrong? Have you noticed something that upsets you?”



Ayashiko lowered her head, as she said, “No one in the castle talks to our pup. All the servants shun her and no one will speak to her. The guards lust after her but they won’t touch her because they know of your threat to protect her. I want her to feel free to go wherever she wants and still feel protected, but I’m afraid that no one here wants her to feel comfortable.”



Inutaisho listened to his mate and thought about what she had said. ‘Maybe if I find Kagome a female bodyguard she might be happier here, but where would I find one that is good in protecting.’



Inutaisho thought for a few minutes and then he got an idea. He would have to leave first thing in the morning if he wanted to get Kagome a guard. He turned to his mate and said, “I think I know of a place to get her a personal body guard, a ningen one in fact. If I’m lucky I might be able to get a female that will keep Kagome company while she is here, that way she won’t feel so lonely. But I will have to leave first thing in the morning so I can return quickly.”



Ayashiko looked at her mate with concern. She couldn’t believe that they had to resort to this. She agreed with her mate as he left the library and got ready to leave the next morning.



When the next morning came, it found a very sad Ayashiko as she saw her mate off. She was waving goodbye to him and would wait until his return. She just hoped that he could find someone that would protect her Musume.



---oOo---



For the past few months Sesshoumaru has been keeping an eye on the girl and studying her from afar. He had found out a lot of information about miko’s. He read that if he took her as a mate that he would not lose her for her mortal body. Her life span will be the same as his and they would be together for all eternity.



He had been getting stronger with each passing day. He had to be ready for when his parents brought the nobles together to see if they could find her a mate. He was planning on competing for her and he was determined to win. By law he could not speak to her. She had to be formally presented to be of mating age and since she didn’t have a clan here, his father would step in for her as clan leader.



His beast though restless, understood that if he wanted to mate with the girl he first had to defeat all eligible suitors for her. Only the winner of the match will be allowed to dominate her. Then he will have a real fight on his hands. He has been sparing with her for the last few months. He knew her strength and weaknesses but it could change in a moments notice.



The girl had a way of keeping you guessing what she would do next. He still could not manage to defeat her in combat. It has always ended in a stalemate. They were evenly matched and he had to find a way to make her submit.



He had noticed that she had been quiet here lately and the beautiful smile that she would have upon her lips was gone. It saddens him to see her this way. He liked it better when she was laughing and being carefree but something happened to make her this way. But he could not approach her. His father had forbidden him from having any contact with the girl when he was not around. Sesshoumaru couldn’t even talk to her.



So he went along with his plans, when his father announced that she was ready to mate, he would have everything he needed to mate her. He had already gotten her some gifts. He just hoped that she would accept them. He wanted to court her and if he was anyone else, he could take the chance and approach her. But he wasn’t, he was of noble birth and as such he had to mate a noble female, so he was forbidden to approach her with his intensions. He could only watch her from afar.



He had noticed that his father had left the western castle heading northeast. He was wondering if anything was wrong. He could ask his mother but then she would see the concern he had for he girl. He didn’t want to give away his plans just yet; he wanted to surprise his father. He would have her as his mate, because she was the only one that worthy enough to have the title Lady of the West.



He jumped from his perch in the trees as his cloud formed beneath his feet. He had to go and check on one of the gifts that he had purchased for her. It was due to be done soon and he wanted to get it so he could put it in his room along with the other gifts that he had for her.



---oOo---



Inutaisho flew away from his castle using his youki cloud. Once he was out of the barriers that protected his home he turned into his orb form and traveled to the slayers village. He knew that there he would find someone that would be able to befriend his little one as well as protect her. They were the only fierce warriors that he knew of who could battle youkai and defeat them.



He streaked across the land heading northeast to get to the village. The whole time he was traveling, Inutaisho was getting the feeling that something was going to happen back at his castle. His instincts were telling him that danger was near and that he had to hurry back.



Under normal circumstances he would have traveled via his cloud but he had to travel with haste, he could not shake this feeling of impending danger. He traveled for about two hours before he finally arrived at the northern mountains.



He transformed back into his normal form and floated above the slayer village for a few minutes before making his descent. It wouldn’t do for him to land right in the middle of the village in his orb form and scare the ningens half to death. It was a sure fire way for him to get attacked if he didn’t give them any warning that he was approaching.



Once he landed, his friend Hiro greeted him. “Milord, welcome back! We are honored that you have returned to our village. How may we be of service?”



Inutaisho took a deep breath as he said, “Hiro, my friend, I am in need of your services. I need a slayer to serve as a body guard for a young ningen onna that is staying in my castle.”



Hiro could not believe what his ears were hearing, ‘Did he just say that he had a young onna staying in his castle?’ “Milord you have a young onna staying with you?”



Inutaisho chuckled as he tried to explain. “Yes I do. She is a young miko and I have taken her to my home to protect her. I have found out that she is a descendent of Midoriko and she is under my protection until I can teach her how to use her powers to their full extent. It was a promise made a long time ago between Midoriko and my mate that they would watch out for each others families.”



Hiro understood as he turned around to find his best warrior that could protect the girl. They were the protectors of the Shikon No Tama for a long time and now they would accept the honor of protecting the descendent of Midoriko.



All of his warriors were good but they were not up to the task of dealing with a young female. Females were difficult enough to deal with without adding in their mood swings. His daughter was one of those females. She was strong and her temper so far has prevented her from finding a suitable husband.



‘Wait a minute Sango would be the perfect person to go with the Lord to protect this young lady and she might learn how to control that temper of hers if she did. It will also allow me time to find a suitable husband for her.’ Thought Hiro as he turned his attention back to the Youkai Lord.



“Milord, it would be an honor if you were to take my daughter as the personal guard for the miko. She is a fierce warrior and can hold her own in battle. I think that she might be able to help with the young girl.” Hiro said as he waited for the Youkai Lord to make up his mind.



Inutaisho thought about the female Taijiya that he had met once before. He remembered that Hiro had told him that she had a temper that was preventing her from finding a suitable male. He thought that she would be a good match for his little one since she was about the same age.



He turned to his friend and said, “That would be acceptable Hiro. We must leave at once. I fear that there is trouble brewing at Gengetsujou and I must return. Something is not right and I’m afraid that they will attack my castle and try to take the young miko away from there.”



Hiro understood his urgency as he turned to Sango and said, “Sango, you are to go with Lord Inutaisho. You have the honor of protecting the descendent of Midoriko. Bring honor to our village and make sure that the young one is protected from harm.”



---oOo---



Sango, who was standing behind her father, listened to what the Youkai Lord wanted. It was rare that the Youkai Lord would visit their village so soon. When she heard that he had a young female staying with him she was shocked. She didn’t think that youkais would protect ningens. But when she heard that she was a descendent of Midoriko she then understood why he was protecting her.



She watched as her father turned around looking for a suitable guard. She knew that she didn’t have a chance in the world of being that guard. Her father had been mad at her for her temper when an available male came to court her. She would usually just turn them down politely and when they refused to leave her alone she would thrash them.



When she heard that her father recommended her to the Youkai Lord as the perfect guard her heart leaped with joy. She was honored that her father thought so highly of her. Plus she wanted to go outside the confines of the village and see the land. This would be the perfect opportunity to do so.



As soon as her father finished speaking to her she bowed deeply to him as she said, “I will do my best to maintain the honor of our village father. I will protect the miko with my life.”



She then moved closer to the Youkai Lord as she bowed deeply to him and said, “I am ready to leave whenever you are milord.”



At that moment a small kitten with two tails ran in between everyone to get to the person she wanted. She jumped and landed on Sango’s shoulder and purred out loud. She wanted to go with Sango when she heard that she was going to leave the village.



Inutaisho saw the kitten and knew right away that it was a fire neko. He looked at the kitten and she looked familiar to him. The kitten had a black diamond on her forehead. Her paws were black and on her tails there was a black stripe, the tip of each tail was also black. Her eyes were red from the power within her. He held out his hand, palm up, as he said, “Kirara? Is that you?”



The neko on Sango’s shoulder looked up when her name was called. She recognized the Youkai Lord from long ago as she jumped from Sango’s shoulder and landed neatly in the palm of his hand.



Inutaisho then brought his hand closer to his face as he said to the neko, “Kirara, it’s nice to see you again. I see that you have taken a new master now.” He listened as the neko purred and meowed out her request. He chuckled then said, “Yes, you may come too if that is what you wish. We can talk later.”



Kirara meowed happily. She rubbed her head under his chin as a sign of gratitude then she turned around in his palm and jumped back toward Sango’s shoulder.



Inutaisho’s eyes gleamed as he watched the neko, ‘Hmm, this neko will be an asset in protecting the little one.’ He turned his attention to the female Taijiya and said, “You may bring the neko with you if you wish.”



Sango was happy that she could take Kirara. She was ready to leave with him whenever he was ready.



Inutaisho turned to Hiro and said, “Hiro, your daughter will be well provided for in my castle. I will make sure she has everything that she will ever need.”



Hiro bowed deeply to the youkai lord as he replied, “I know that my daughter will do her duty and bring honor to our village. I thank you Lord Inutaisho for taking my daughter under your wing.”



Inutaisho bowed his head lightly in acknowledgement as he turned to Sango and said, “Hold on to the sleeve of my kimono and don’t let go. We must travel quickly back to Gengetsujou.”



Sango did as she was told and as soon as she touched his kimono sleeve they were enclosed in a golden ball of light. It hovered for just a couple of seconds before it shot out of the village heading toward the west.



Hiro stood there for a few minutes until he could no longer see the golden light as he turned around and went back to his hut. He would miss his daughter and hoped that he had made the right decision in letting his only daughter go with the Youkai Lord to protect the descendant of Midoriko.



---oOo---



Inutaisho traveled as quickly as possible. The feeling that something was wrong was getting stronger. He felt that the danger was to his pup and he needed to be there to protect her.



With this in mind he traveled even faster than before. He made it back to the western castle in a little over an hour. While they were traveling Inutaisho took the time to talk to Sango and let her know what her duties were. He explained a few things about his pups and why he had come to their village to get a guard for the girl.



Sango understood the Lords concern for the girl. Even though she had never met the girl she felt sorry for her. She was the only ningen in the place and that must be hard on her. Sango was used to it because she was a slayer and no one ever wanted to talk to slayers. She just might be able to help this girl get over her loneliness.



On his approach Inutaisho transformed out of his orb form and traveled on his cloud. Sango still had a death grip on his kimono sleeve and he had put his tail around her waist to steady her when he transformed in mid flight. It was disorienting when he did that and when he saw Sango waver he had wrapped his tail around her waist to steady her. It wouldn’t do for her to fall to her death since he had gone to the trouble of getting her as a guard for his little one.



He sniffed the air and found that there was an unfamiliar scent in the area. He found that there were too many youkai close to his home and he didn’t like it. He let out a deep growl as they flew faster toward the castle.



Sango heard when the Youkai Lord growled. She could feel the Jyaki in the area and there were a lot of them. A good portion of that Jyaki was tainted dark meaning they were the one’s that were attacking the castle. She turned her head toward the neko on her shoulder as she quietly said, “Kirara, prepare yourself, it looks like we are heading into battle.” The neko meowed in agreement as she got ready to transform.



When they got closer to the castle they could hear the sound of the battle being fought and they saw a blast of Reiyouku. His first thought was that they were attacking his little one or that she was right in the middle of the battle. What he didn’t expect, when he started his incantations to let him through the barriers, was that his little one was defending the castle along with his eldest son. They were fighting side-by-side preventing the enemy from entering the castle.



He gave a vicious growl as he quickly descended down toward the castle hoping to get there to end this fight.



When Sango noticed that the Lord was making a rapid descent down to the castle she turned to him and said, “Please milord, release me so I can fight.”



Inutaisho heard her request at he unwrapped his tail from around her waist. Sango took the neko from her shoulder and threw her into the air letting her transform into her true fire neko form. He saw Sango leap from his cloud and landed neatly on the neko’s back as she pulled her weapon off her shoulder getting ready to fight the enemy, as they continued going towards the battle.



---oOo---



Kagome was in the garden thinking about everything that she had been through in the last few months. It has been three months now that she has been here in this castle and she still missed her mother.



She has learned a lot during her time here in the castle. She has made a couple of new friends Tai-li was one of them. He was very nice to her and was always willing to help her. She had also made some friends in the kitchen too. The servants down there were very nice and when she had offered to help them cook because she wanted to learn, they were more than willing to teach her.



Kagome had watched her mother cook before so cooking for her wasn’t anything new. She observed the servants going around making the food and asking questions when she was curious about something. She took special note on how to make certain dishes that Sesshoumaru liked.



She would help the kitchen staff when she would go out into the forest and bring back all manner of herbs for them to use. Some herbs the staff was not familiar with so Kagome had to explain what they were used for. The additional herbs improved the taste of the food considerably and they were all grateful. So whenever she went down there they were happy to see her.



The castle servants were another story. They did not like her at all. At first they were curious about her and would even talk to her. But then in the last couple of months, they started to look at her with hatred in their eyes. When she would ask them for something they would only nod, not willing to speak to her. She had wracked her brain to see what she had done wrong to make them hate her, but she couldn’t think of anything that she had done wrong to make them upset.



She stayed away from them because of the way they would look at her. Then she stopped going to the library and visiting Tai-li when she overheard several servants talking about her. They were saying that she had no right to be here in this castle for no ningen had ever stepped foot in this castle before. Youkais were of a higher station than ningens and therefore they had no right to be here in the first place.



She had stopped going to the kitchen for fear that they would be talking about her there as well. So she kept to herself and the only one that she would speak to would be her

Hahaue, she knew that it didn’t matter to her that she was a ningen.



She noticed that it was mostly the female youkai that were giving her the dirty looks while the males eyed her with lust. Oh she had seen the look in their eyes whenever she would walk by them. They were looking at her body, not at her. She felt like they were taking her clothes off every time one of them looked at her. It would send shivers down her spine and not in the nicest way either.



So she avoided any confrontations by staying away from them and being in the garden. The garden was the only place she could be, where no youkai would come to disturb her. This was the only place she would find peace from the rest of the world.



Some times she would see Inuyasha and he would come and talk to her. She would often play games with him when he was bored. She showed him plenty of new games to play that were new and he became very good at. But still it was not enough to make her heart stop aching.



She wished for an intelligent conversation so she could express herself. But not even Sesshoumaru would speak to her. It was the same thing all over again. She was shunned because of her gifts and more so now because she was a ningen. She felt utterly alone in this place.



She sat against a tree pondering everything and how her life sucked. Then she started to feel a large amount of Jyaki in the area and this was not good. They weren’t the auras of the soldiers that would normally patrol the castle grounds. These auras were darker, much more evil, and they meant to do harm.



She quickly stood up on her feet as she scanned the area looking for the threat. Some how the enemy had made it through the barriers and they were about to attack the castle. There was something strange about these particular youkai. She tried to see if she could see them but she couldn’t.



She saw movement off to her right as she quickly went in that direction to see if she could spot the enemy. She hid her aura and scent as she quietly made her way through the forest. That’s when she saw them. They were shadow youkai and they were using the shadows to move closer to the castle.



Fear went through her heart as she tried to think of a way to stop them. From everything she had read they could not be easily defeated. They used the shadows to move freely through and area. Their bodies would be more like smoke in the dark and no one could hurt them as long as they were in this form. But then she thought, ‘The shadow youkai strength lies in the shadows. Take away the shadow and they can’t get near their intended victims.’



She had the perfect spell to protect the castle and all within as she brought her hands together and started her incantations. When she was done she spread her hands apart as a powerful barrier was put up. The barrier would not allow the shadow youkai to enter the castle and it would not allow anyone from inside the castle grounds to come outside as well.



No harm would come to the youkai that were part of the lord’s soldiers but if the shadow youkai touched her barrier, well lets just say their death would not be pretty.



She took out her twin swords when the sword on her hip started to pulsate. ‘My sword has never done that before.’ Thought Kagome as she put the sword that was in her right hand into her left and pulled the sword on her hip out of its sheath. When she looked at it her sword had changed. There was an Inu Youkai on the blade along with the sun and a crescent moon. There was something that looked like the Shikon No Tama engraved on the sword as well.



She continued to look at her sword as her fingers ran down the blade. The blade started to glow brightly in her hand as she felt the power within. She grabbed the hilt of the sword as her powers mixed with the blade making her the true owner. When it stopped pulsating she looked up to see Midoriko looking right at her.



The mikokoro of Midoriko appeared in front of Kagome. She had a smile on her face as she heard her say, “Musume, you hold in your hand the Jenjou. This sword is the heaven and earth sword born of my sword to protect and your sword of a pure soul. When both swords combined together it gave birth to this sword. This sword will help you protect the land and everyone that lives on it. You will command the powers of heaven and earth. Use it well my Musume.”



The mikokoro then disappeared from her sight and left Kagome totally confused. She had a new sword and she didn’t know how to use it, but Midoriko said that she had the power of heaven and earth.



Kagome took this information and started to formulate a plan with it. She would let the sword guide her hand and its power.



She put her twin swords back into their sheath as she held Jenjou in her right hand. It pulsed with power, as she got ready to fight the enemy.



She could hear the panic that the castle was in as the guards that were inside were coming out to fight. But when they hit her barrier they were left there watching as the battle unfolded.



---oOo---



Ayashiko was in the castle talking to the servants about dinner when she felt a powerful barrier going around the castle. The alarms started to sound in the castle as they were under attack.



Ayashiko ordered the soldiers in the castle out to fight the intruders as she ordered one of the servants to take her youngest son to his room to be protected. She closed her eyes as she concentrated on her elder son as she said, “Sesshoumaru we are under siege. They are after Kagome again.”



---oOo---



Miles away from the castle Sesshoumaru was heading back home. In two days time they would be finished with the gift that he had gotten for his intended. He stiffened when he heard his mothers call, “Sesshoumaru we are under siege. They are after Kagome again.”



Rage built up inside his very soul when he heard they were after his intended. He transformed into his orb form and streaked across the skies back to the castle.



---oOo---



Kagome was standing in front of the castle with her sword in her hand. She was waiting for the shadow youkai. She knew they were there as they were making their way towards the castle. When the first wave of the shadow youkai hit the barrier a bright flash of light came out as the shrill of pain was echoed throughout the area. The bright flash of light incapacitated the shadow youkai and made them solid once more, while her purifying power killed them.



She figured that she had destroyed at least half of the youkai that were there to attack the castle.



Then an Inu Youkai came out of the forest as he stood in front of Kagome. Somehow this ningen had found a way of stopping his shadow soldiers.



The Inu Youkai then started an incantation as the area around the castle started getting dark. Dark clouds formed overhead blocking out the sun that was high in the sky. Once he was done and the sun was gone, he gave the order to attack.



Kagome stood firm in her place as she saw a spell being cast. The area around the castle started to get dark as the shadow youkai attacked the castle. She was determined to protect her Hahaue from harm and anyone else in the castle.



She gripped her sword tighter as it started to pulsate in her hands again. Knowledge on how to use the sword came to her mind, as she got ready to unleash its power. She saw at least a hundred shadow youkai coming towards her as she swung her sword across her body and yelled, “Mienai Tamashii Akari!”



A bright arch of light came out from her sword as it engulfed the area. The brightness of the light stopped the attack of the shadow youkais as they lost their advantage of the dark. When her attack hit them, they were all purified with her powers.



The inu youkai at the edge of the forest was furious that she had managed to kill his shadow youkais. He called for another attack as the youkais surged forward to attack the ningen standing in front of them.



Kagome was panting hard. That attack took a lot out of her and there were more youkais coming her way. She got ready to attack again when a bright flash of light landed right next to her to help her in this battle.



Kagome’s eyes opened wide when she saw Sesshoumaru standing next to her as he drew his sword. He looked pissed and she hated to be in those youkais shoes right now.



---oOo---



Sesshoumaru’s eyes flashed red when he saw the youkais attacking his intended. He was diving to get to her in time when he saw the power that she had released from her sword. The light temporarily blinded him but he clearly saw the power that came out of her sword as she killed all of the shadow youkais in front of her. He was amazed at her powers when she purified about a hundred youkais all by herself.



He quickly headed down and landed by her side. He took out his sword as he stared at his enemy. He saw the Inu Youkai as he hissed, “Vermin! How dare you attack Gengetsujou! You will pay with your life.”



The Inu Youkai that was commanding the shadow youkais laughed in Sesshoumaru’s face as he said, “How dare I? I dare and I will have your head Sesshoumaru! Then I will take great pleasure in having my way with the wench before I kill her. I will make sure that your mother and brother die a slow and painful death. We will see the great house of the Western Canine finally fall by our hand. We are the rightful rulers of this land not your father. He will pay for what he has done.”



Sesshoumaru’s eyes turned red as his youki bleed into his sword. He saw the youkais attacking as he took off after them. He looked out the corner of his eye and saw Kagome battling along side him as a smirk came to his face.



As he reached the first wave of youkai he lashed out with his sword. The pure light of his youki decimated the youkais as he was cutting a path through the enemy to get to his target.



Kagome rushed in with Sesshoumaru as her sword was glowing in a bright light. She slashed out with her sword, and killed waves and waves of the shadow youkai. It was strange fighting against the shadow youkais, when the sword would run through them it felt like it was cutting through air. But she saw the youkai dissolve as she continued cutting them down with ease.



Sesshoumaru had dashed off and left her to fend for herself as she put a barrier around her body to keep her safe. Slowly she was battling her way towards the Inu Youkai that was in the forest. She had some questions of her own that she wanted answered.



Kagome then saw that she was surrounded by the shadow youkai. She extended her barrier to give her some more room. They all attacked as one as they hit her barrier head on. You could hear the screams of the youkai as they were purified by her powers. But the more she killed the more came to attack her. She was weakening and she knew it. She would not be able to defend herself for too much longer.



She looked for Sesshoumaru and saw that he was battling his way to the enemy to get some answers. He would not turn back to help her so she was on her own.



Then she felt that her barrier was beginning to crack under the strain of the shadow youkai attacks. She saw a weapon come in and kill a large majority of the youkai that were surrounding her. She noticed the large weapon go back to its owner who was riding what appeared to be a very large neko with long fangs. To Kagome the neko reminded her of a saber tooth tiger but she knew she must be wrong.



Then she saw the white tip of a whip come down from the sky and got rid of the rest of the youkai that were trying to get into her barrier. That’s when she noticed that the Lord of the castle had joined the fight. He had with him a ningen girl and the large neko that stood in front of her to protect her while she was down.



Kagome knew she had to tell him some important information if this battle was to be won. She concentrated on her powers as she said into Inutaisho mind, “Milord, you must get rid of the spell that hangs over the castle. When you do this then the shadow youkais will be easier to defeat. Plus there is an Inu youkai that is controlling all of these youkai. He is the one you want because he has information on the ones that are attacking the castle.”



Inutaisho eyes opened wide when he heard his little one talking to him in his mind. Her powers had grown again if she could have a mental link with him. This link was only possible with his family and yet she shared a link with him.



He heard her words and this threw him into a rage. He looked around the area as he saw his son going toward his target. The Inu Youkai was standing near the forest as the shadow youkais were attacking. He had enough as he pulled his sword from its sheath. It began to pulsate with power as a golden aura surrounded the sword.



He lashed out with his sword, sending the attack into the sky destroying the spell that has been cast around his castle. The darkness that was there quickly went away as the shadow youkais became solid, then he and Sango started to kill them all.



Inutaisho had looked over his shoulder and noticed that Kagome had passed out from her efforts to protect the castle. He was pissed that his son would leave her side and would not protect her. No Inu Youkai would leave a female to fend herself no matter how powerful she was and if Sesshoumaru wanted this one as a mate, he has just made the biggest mistake of his life. He would have to teach his son an object lesson once he got rid of all of these infernal youkai that were attacking his castle.



He was rushing forward as he was killing all those in front of him. The youkai slayer was taking care of the ones he missed along with the fire neko. Within minutes he was standing next to his son as he growled his displeasure at him and turned his anger toward the Inu Youkai standing in front of him.



“Who are you to dare attack my home and my clan?” asked the Youkai Lord with rage.



The youkai that was standing in the forest could not believe that his plans had been deterred as he watched all of his shadow youkais fall to their death. It was that damn ningen onna that did this. She had killed the majority of his army that he had brought with him. Then the son of that bastard had come in and started attacking as well. He was losing and there was nothing he could do about it.



He was about to make his escape when a new youkai came into the fight. He recognized this youkai as the one that he was sent to kill. He heard his question as he answered, “Feh, you of all people should know who I am. But let me say this, we are the ones that are going to bring down the Western Canines because we are the true rulers of the west. Your claim to this land is a farce.”



Inutaisho growled fiercely as he rushed in and slashed with his claws, killing the Inu Youkai in front of him for his arrogance.



He turned in time to see Sesshomaru rushing toward the Taijiya as she was trying to get to the girl. Kagome had fallen unconscious from using almost all of her powers. He rushed after his son trying to prevent him from killing the slayer.



---oOo---



Sesshoumaru had watched as his father came to his side. He heard his growls of displeasure and figured it was directed to the youkai that was standing in front of them. He saw as his father took off and killed the bastard for insulting him.



He had turned his head as he looked for his intended and saw that a ningen with a fire neko was trying to get to her. He growled as he took off to defend her when he had seen her on the ground unconscious. He brought up his claws as he yelled, “SOUHAKIZU!” and sent his attack toward the ningen.



---oOo---



Sango was looking around the area trying to see if there were any more threats to the miko. When she saw that all of the youkai’s were dead she relaxed as she walked over to the girl. She saw her on the ground unconscious as she tried to get to her. Her barrier was one of the strongest ones she had ever encountered. It was almost the same one that Midoriko had on the outside of her cave that protected everything that was inside.



She knew then that this must be a descendant of Midoriko, for only a descendant could put up a barrier this powerful. She was trying to figure a way into the barrier, to get to the girl, when she heard Kirara’s growl. Sango quickly turned to see a silver haired youkai coming toward her fast.



She brought her Hiraikotsu around in front of her when she heard him yell, “SOUHAKIZU!” She got ready as her weapon took the brunt of his attack as she held on for dear life. Once the attack was over she swung her weapon around over her head getting ready to do battle. At that moment she saw the Youkai Lord intercept the other youkai as he landed right in front of her.



Inutaisho was impressed with the way the female Taijiya protected herself against his son’s attack. It’s one of his most powerful attacks and against a ningen it would have quickly kill them. He had rushed forward as he landed in front of Sango and blocked Sesshoumaru from reaching the girl.



Sesshoumaru stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his father standing in front of that ningen. He was about to go around him when he heard his father say, “You will not attack the female Taijiya. She is here to be Kagome’s bodyguard; from now on she will be protecting Kagome until I find a suitable mate for her.”



His words stung Sesshoumaru as he turned to his father and said, “Why would you bring a ningen to protect the girl? I can protect her just fine as well as all of the soldiers around the castle.”



Sesshoumaru knew he had said something wrong when his father barred his fangs at him. His father was so mad that his eyes started to bleed red.



Inutaisho had finally lost his patience with his son when he heard his comments about protecting the girl. He snarled at him as he said, “Protect her! How can you say you would protect her when you left her unprotected in battle and she almost paid for it with her life! An Inu Youkai never leaves his mate or intended unprotected. You have broken the most sacred rule in protecting a potential mate and now she may reject you for such an act.”



Sesshoumaru’s eyes went wide with understanding. His father was right. If he wanted to have her, he had to show her that he would protect her, as a mate would. He had opted to go towards the enemy and leave her side. She had been attacked, judging from all of the dead youkai in the area. He knew that she was powerful but she had used a tremendous amount of energy to defeat the first waves of youkai to attack the castle. He knew she was tired but he still left her to fend for herself. He turned on his heels as he left the area. He needed to think if he could salvage what he had done.



Inutaisho noticed as his son realized what his actions implicated. Any female would reject a male that would fail to protect her. If Kagome refused his son there was nothing that he could do but accept her decision and not interfere for he had witnessed his actions.



He turned, when he heard a moan coming from his little one, as he walked over to her. He saw her opening her eyes as she sat up rubbing her head. He looked at her as he said, “Kagome, please lower your barrier.”



Kagome looked up as she lowered her barrier and the barrier around the castle. He then said to her, “I want you to go up to your room and wait for me there. I have to take care of a few things before we can talk.”



Kagome remained silent as she got up on shaky legs and walked off into the castle. Once Inutaisho saw that she was far enough away he turned his head toward Sango and said, “Sango, please follow me.”



Sango obeyed and followed the Youkai Lord into his castle with Kirara sitting on her shoulder in her kitten form.



Inutaisho approached the soldiers that were standing outside the castle as they all kneeled in front of him. He told one of the soldiers to get all of his commanders. He wanted to see all of them in his study in 10 minutes. The soldier did not waste any time as he took off to do his bidding. It would not go well to get on the bad side of their Lord when he was angry.



Inutaisho continued to go into his castle as he saw that his mate was safe. No harm had come to her as she rushed into his arms. He held her as he purred to calm her. He was just glad that he got back to the castle before he lost her to that fool. He pulled her away from him as he said, “Ayashiko I would like you to meet Sango. She will be Kagome’s personal guard from now on. She is very capable of protecting her until I can reach her.”



Ayashiko turned her attention to the ningen standing just behind her mate as she saw her bow deeply to her and say, “Milady, it is a pleasure to meet you. I will do my best to protect Kagome.”



Ayashiko smiled at the young Taijiya. She was very polite and she could tell that this Taijiya and her pup would get along very well.



Inutaisho saw that his mate was pleased as he said in her ear. “Mate take her to Kagome’s room and introduce the two. I will be up there in a moment. I have to take care of a few things first.”



Ayashiko agreed to his request as she said to Sango, “Please follow me and I will introduce you to Kagome.”



Sango smiled as she followed the lady of the castle to Kagome’s room.



Inutaisho turned to the business at hand as he made his way to his study. When he entered there waiting for him were the commanders of his forces. He could smell fear radiating off them as he reached his desk and stood behind it. His commanders were all kneeling in front of him as he said, “There is another ningen onna in this castle. She is to be treated with respect and anything that she requires from my commanders she is to be given. She is Lady Kagome’s personal guard and I will not have her efforts hindered.”



The commanders were shocked that their Lord would bring in a ningen to protect the powerful miko. One of them was even bold enough to ask, “Why milord? Why would you bring a ningen onna to protect the miko? Our soldiers are capable of protecting her.”



Inutaisho growled his frustrations at his commanders as he answered, “Protect her! Ha! Where were the guards that were supposed to protect her when the castle came under siege? Why did they let the shadow youkais enter my domain? And why did they let that bastard of an Inu Youkai come close to my home?”



None of the commanders wanted to answer his questions. They knew were their soldiers were located and they didn’t want to tell their Lord the truth.



Inutaisho eyes bleed red as he said, “What? No answers? Well let me tell you where they were. They were fighting each other to see who was the strongest, to take her as a mate. You left her unprotected and this is unacceptable. You get your soldiers and start protecting this castle or I will be the one to kill the next soldier that lust after my pup. Besides none of the youkai in this castle will be able to dominate her. She is too powerful and your men would wind up dead. Now go, before I change my mind and kill you all myself for being incompetent.”



The youkai commanders did not waste anytime in leaving their lords office. He had been right they had all been fighting amongst themselves to see who was the strongest so they could attempt to mate with the miko. After this battle every male in this area knew that she was very powerful and no one will be able to dominate her. They all set out to spread the threat of their Lord as they got everyone back in line to protect the castle.



Inutaisho left his study as he made his way to Kagome’s room. He just hoped that Kagome would like the Taijiya and they could become friends.



---oOo---



Ayashiko and Sango went up to Kagome’s room. The both of them have been talking the entire time they made their way upstairs as they got to know one another. Sango understood that the demoness was just worried about Kagome. She could tell that she loved her just like one of her own pups and she wanted to make sure that Kagome was happy.



Once they reached Kagome’s room Ayashiko knocked on the door as she entered. They saw Kagome standing by the window as she turned to greet her Hahaue.



Kagome noticed right away that there was a ningen girl with her adopted mother and she wondered who she was. She was a ningen like her as she looked at Ayashiko with curiosity.



Ayashiko smiled when she saw the expression on her Musume face as she said, “Kagome I want you to meet Sango. She is to be your personal guard from now on. She will follow you everywhere you go and be with you constantly throughout the day unless we are with you.”



Kagome smiled as she turned to the young girl and said, “It is a pleasure to meet you Sango-sama,” as she bowed deeply to the Taijiya.



The formal greeting surprised Sango as she said, “Please just call me Sango. I’m not worthy to be called by such an honorific.”



Kagome smiled as she said, “Only if you call me Kagome. I don’t like the honorifics either. They are not for me nor is it who I am.”



Sango agreed to her request as she heard a meow from her shoulder. She chuckled and said, “Kagome, I want you to meet my friend Kirara. She will be helping me protect you while I’m here.”



Kagome was amazed at the neko that was sitting on Sango’s shoulder. She had never seen a fire neko before. She had only read about them. She was even more surprised when the neko jumped from Sango’s shoulder and landed in her arms. She was purring in contentment as Kagome began to stroke her fur. She was so soft to the touch that she couldn’t believe that her fur could feel this way. Bouyou, her cat, his fur was never this soft. She smiled as she said to the neko, “Why hello Kirara. I hope that you will enjoy your stay here with us.”



Kirara just purred her response back to Kagome as she continued to pet her fur. Then she started to lightly scratch behind her ear as Kirara moved her head closer to her hand so she could scratch harder. Kirara was really enjoying her fingers, she was scratching every itch she had behind her ear.



The girls just laughed at what the neko was doing when they heard a knock on the door and in walked Lord Inutaisho. He smiled when he saw Kagome standing there with the neko in her arms as she was scratching behind her ear. He chuckled as he said, “I’m glad that you are getting along with Sango and Kirara. I know that they can protect you Kagome and she will go everywhere you go.”



He turned his attention to Sango as he said, “Sango, I want you to stay with Kagome. We will have your room ready for you by tonight.”



Sango agreed to his request as they watched the Youkai Lord and his mate leave Kagome and Sango alone in the room. They stayed there the whole day as they talked and got acquainted with each other. They had a lot of things in common and by the end of the day they had formed a bond with each other.



Sango was given a room right next to Kagome and she was happy. Kagome now had a friend and she didn’t feel so lonely.



That night when they had gone to dinner Sango was introduced to Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. Kagome noticed right away that something was wrong with Sesshoumaru. He wouldn’t look at her and half way through the meal he had excused himself and left. She had never seen him do this before and she felt that maybe it was her fault from the battle this morning.



Once dinner was over they all walked upstairs to rest for the evening. Kirara went with Kagome and slept in her room. Kagome welcomed the company as she crawled into bed and said out loud, “I wonder what I did wrong that now Sesshoumaru is mad at me? Did I do something wrong during the battle this morning? Did I make him look bad? Or could it be that he is disappointed in me for not being strong enough to continue in the fight? I have no idea what was wrong with him tonight but he was not acting like himself.”



Kagome pondered these questions for a while. She couldn’t come up with any logical answers as she turned to Kirara and asked, “Kirara, do you know what I did wrong this morning?” The kitten just meowed at her and she sighed. ‘Kami I wish I could talk to cats maybe she could give me some advice on what happened today.’



Kagome gave up as she laid down and went to sleep. She had been so concerned at the way Sesshoumaru was acting that she never noticed that he was standing right outside her door. He didn’t even try to hide his aura to see if she would come out and talk to him. He was very disappointed when she went to sleep and never even notice that he was there.



It didn’t take long for the young miko to drift off to sleep as the neko that was with her was looking at the door. She could tell that the elder son of the lord was listening to what the girl was saying. He was interested in her and she could smell the sadness that radiated off his form. She heard when he turned and went back into his room. She wondered if there was anything that she could do that would help the young lord get the girl of his dreams.



---oOo---



Menai Tamashii Akari – Soul Blinding Light

Jenjou – Heaven and Earth sword



This is the end to another chapter. I wanted to address some questions that have been asked so far. Kagome is 18 in this fanfic. As far as will she find someone to love her? Well you will have to wait, there is still a lot more to this story.



For all of you that are wondering, I post the next chapter when the reviews hit 30. You have Kavfh who was the 30th reviewer for the story and Yakunantenshi who was the 31st for the posting of the next chapter. Do not worry everyone. This story will be completed. I have never left a story undone and I don’t intend to start now. I don’t believe in quitting what I start. This story contains 37 chapter and you will get to read every single one.



In the next chapter Sesshoumaru’s inner beast takes over when it comes to Kagome. Her training with the demon lord is coming along as she learns to unleash her inner most powers. You will also learn of a prophecy that was told many centuries ago concerning Kagome and Sesshoumaru. Join me in the next chapter as Sesshoumaru’s beast has a mind of his own and wants the miko.



Until the next chapter!



Ja ne!