Tsukinoshi woke with the sun falling on her face. She sat up and looked around the room. "Damn wards," she muttered. Looking herself over quickly she wondered when she had had a bath. "Hmph she even bandaged her own wound... wait a minute." The youkai woman thought back, remebering that Sesshoumaru had come in not long before she effectively blacked out. Did he? A light grin touched her lips, Well isn't that interesting? She got up and walked over to the closet and dressed herself in the other kimono. What could she do today to make Sesshoumaru's life more difficult?
The door opened a crack and from just beyond the door's barriers stood the child. "Kagome-neechan?"
She turned and smiled at the child. That will do. "Good morning Rin."
The girl smiled brightly and almost entered the room when she stopped.
"What's the matter Rin? Don't you want to play?"
"Sesshoumaru-sama said I can't play. Sesshoumaru-sama told Rin that you're mean, Tsukinoshi-sama."
Tsukinoshi walked towards her and knelt infront of the child. "Well aren't you clever? How did you know it was me?"
She pointed at her face, "You have silver eyes, Kagome-neechan's are blue."
"I see," she grinned, "You know what?"
"What?"
"What they said about me was right." Tsukinoshi grabbed the girl's hand which had come through the door way and pulled her into the room. She picked her up around the waist and walked back near the window.
Surprisingly enough the girl did not cry she only screamed and kicked."Put little Rin down! No one can pick Rin up unless I say it's ok! PUT RIN DOWN!You're holding me to tight! Jaken-sama! SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!!!"
Squeezing the girl again Tsukinoshi knelt down and picked up the knife which Sesshoumaru had neglected to remove from the previous night. She turned and walked to the middle of the room placing the blade at the child's neck, who had still been calling for the demon prince. "Shh, stop squirming you little brat or I might accidently slit your neck open."
"Tsukinoshi."
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" In the doorway stood the demon prince with Jaken beside him.
"Let me out of here or the brat dies."
Sesshoumaru's eye's narrowed, "You should not threaten me so, Hinako."
"Well there's a name I haven't heard in a long time."
If she hasn't gotten all her speed back yet I can easily get to her before she kills Rin. I don't want her hurt but if I'm not fast enough I can still bring her back. Faster than the human eye Sesshoumaru was in the room twisting Tsukinoshi's wrist back. The woman dropped the child and swung for Sesshoumaru's face. He leaned away from her twisting her wrist further. She winced and flipped over backwards, causing him to lose his hold and she came at him again. Before she reached him his youki whip snapped an hit her in the chest. She cringed back a bit before the whip came back for two more quick snaps, then wrapped around her. A quick flik of the wrist and bolts of energy shot through her.
The whip was made to sting and even paralyze youkai, for a human however the pain would be almost unbearable. That was when Kagome woke and Tsukinoshi wasted no time in putting the girl in charge. The scream echoed throughout the castle before her eyes rolled back and she fell to the ground. His whip unravelled and Sesshoumaru watched the still form for a moment. "Kagome-neechan?"
"Stay back Rin." He walked to her and knelt beside the girl, staring at her. "Woman. Wake up." Her head lolled to one side and he heard her wimper. He picked her head up. "Kagome. Now." Rin's eyes brightened for some reason Jaken could not determine. A second later the girl stirred again and her blue-gray eyes opened.
For a moment she forgot where she was and why. Most of all she was, for that moment frightened and confused as to why Sesshoumaru was kneeling beside her. She scooted away from the youkai with a small yelp, then noticing the pain. She looked around, seeing Rin and Jaken as well. Then she remembered why she was here. But why did she feel sore all over? "Did my roommate misbehave?" She asked watching Sesshoumaru stand.
"The bad lady tried to hurt Rin, but Sesshoumaru-sama saved me!" The girl answered happily.
"I see," she went to stand, but fell back down before she was halfway up. She put a hand to her dizzy head. "Why am I so weak and sore?"
"That would be because of me." The demon prince offered her his hand and she took it. He helped her up and to a nearby table. Kagome figured his helping her was his way of saying he was sorry so she decided not to press him on the matter like she normally would with Inu Yasha.
Inu Yasha! "Sesshoumaru, how long till you think Inu Yasha get's here?"
Sesshoumaru turned towards the door, "Jaken see that there is some breakfast brought here. Rin go with him, I'm sure you know what kind of human food is good." He turned back to the miko-girl, "Unfortunately I do not think I can give you free reign over any part of my castle. Rin wanders too much and I would not want to have to deal with that again."
"Neither would I." Kagome winced a wave of pain went through her after a few seconds hunched over the table she looked to her host. "What was that?"
"My youki whip has some... residual effects, it will pass in a few minutes."
"You're kidding right?" She looked up at him, "You're not kidding." He stood behind her silent for sometime and she was mostly unaware of him, as she quitely endured the last of said residual effects. When it was over sweat poured down her face and her body shook slightly. A cup of water appeared in her vision and she looked up at the demon somewhat surpised. She gave him an appreciative look and downed the contents of the glass.
"Wow Kagome-neechan you drink fast!" She blinked at the child who stood where her guardian had been only a few moments earlier. Turning further she saw the youkai picking up the dagger. A servent entered and put food in front of her before he left Sesshoumaru addressed him. "Stay here and make sure Tsukinoshi does not attack the child. Use force if you must but do not kill her under any circumstances."
Rin chatted up Kagome for a few minutes before looking around and whispering to her, "You know what Kagome-neechan?"
"What is it Rin-chan?"
"I think Sesshoumaru-sama likes you."
Kagome choked.
"Kagome-neechan?"
"-cough-cough- How... how can you tell?"
"Rin heard him say your name when he tried to wake you Kagome-neechan. He doesn't use people's names unless he likes them."
"You sure? I've seen him beat up Jaken a lot."
"If Sesshoumaru-sama didn't like Jaken, Jaken would be dead already. And I would not be here now if Sesshoumaru-sama didn't like Rin."
"And what about Inu Yasha, he uses his name and he's always trying to kill him."
"Well Inu Yasha is Sesshoumau-sama's little brother right?" Kagome nodded. "So he can't really hate him right? OH! And he always looks at you when he talks to you too."
This can't be right... She's saying Sesshoumaru is not as hateful as we all kno... think he is. "Are you sure Rin-chan?"
Rin bit her lip in concentration, looked up at Kagome and smiled. "Hai!"
The miko just blinked at the child and sighed almost hoping the girl was wrong. But why almost?
~*~*~*~
"You called for me Sesshoumaru-sama?"
"Juutsuma, any word on those sent to delay my brother?"
"Hai, there is another youkai on the way here, a wolf. They tried to detain him as well, but he was too fast, so they continued on to intercept Inu Yasha."
"A wolf?"
"Hai."
"Send Makumba to delay the wolf. She should be able to keep up with him easily. I do not want Inu Yasha or that wolf showing up before I have a plan for dealing with Tsukinoshi."
"Hai Sesshoumaru-sama."
Juutsuma left him and Sesshoumaru continued to his room, placing the dagger on his dresser for now. He stared at the blade for a moment, for the first time he noticed the blade was familiar. He picked it up again and examined the inscriptions on the hilt. This is-
~*~*~*~
"Hiraikotsu!" The hawk woman lept back and deflected the exterminator's boomerang.
"Get out of my way!"
Inu Yasha readied for his kaze no kizu when the youkai before him jumped back. "Youtei time to go!"
"Hai!"
"What the?" Inu Yasha and the others stood there a moment in surprised shock as the two youkai they'd been fighting for the past twenty minutes just up and left. Miroku was the first to recover, "That was strange."
"I agree, and there was no real reason for them to attack us, Kagome has the shikon shards."
Inu Yasha sheathed his blade, "And since when do horse and hawk youkai work together?"
Crawling out from behind Kirara Shippo pipped up, "Forget about them we have to save Kagome!"
The fox's companions turned to him in unison. Sango looked to the others, "We're in a rush to get to Kagome and then youkai attack us for no reason."
"You don't think they're trying to slow us down?"
"That is exactly what I think Houshi-sama."
"Keh well that's their mistake then!"
"Why do you say that Inu Yasha?"
With a superior grinn Inu Yasha tapped his nose, "I was having difficultly tracking her scent since they took to the air, but now I can follow their scents right back to Kagome."
~*~*~*~
Sesshoumaru stalked into the room. "Sesshoumaru-sama!"
The prince did not take his eyes from Kagome, which unnerved her. "Rin, go play outside."
The girl thought to ask why but she never questioned him before, why start now? "Hai!" The girl skipped out of the room, her current watcher walking out behind her and closing the door.
"Come out woman." His voice was carefully neutral and his eyes cold.
"Eh?"
"I want to talk to Tsukinoshi, Kagome, let her out."
"Ummm... hai... What do you want?"
"This dagger, where did you get it?"
She grinned wickedly, "Oh you recognize it do you? Your dear father gave it to your mother as a gift. Then I gave it to her, slitting her throat before ripping off her pretty little head. And to think she trusted me as her handmaiden."
A growl emanated from the youkai's throat and once again he held her off the ground by her throat. "You bitch I'll kill you," he growled.
"You can't do that... I'm trapped.. in this room... and there's only one body... for me to take... You think you can fight me off?"
"I tamed Toukujin, I could easily fight off a petty creature like you. But I would never want to share my body with something as vile and disgusting as you." He casually tossed her and she landed on the bed.
"Ohh gimme more, I like it rough." He cast her one last disgusted glance then left the room, Tsukinoshi's laughter echoing behind him.
~*~*~*~
Kouga ran trailing dust and violent winds. "Hey there wolfie."
"Wha-" as one might imagine Kouga was quite surprised at the cheetah youkai keeping pace beside him. He skiddied to a halt and the woman stopped only ten feet infront of him. She smiled charmingly at him. "How do you run that fast?"
She grinned, "My parents are cheetahs, high speed cats, they came here from another country. How do you do it?" He looked at her oddly so she continued. "My lord could not help but notice that you are seemingly heading towards his home. Why?"
Maybe this was just a coincidence. "Your lord a dog demon?"
"Hai."
Guess not. "Then I'm headin' there. Ya here to escort me?"
She walked up to him somewhat meekly, "Actually," She looked up at him, fluttering her lashes. "I'm here to detain you." Makumba flipped backwards catching his chin with her heel.
Kouga picked himself up from the ground rubbing his chin. "Heh, you can't unless you catch me first!" The wolf sprinted off and the cheetah grinned. Bursting ahead on all fours, when she got behind him she reached out and tripped him. Unable to regain his balance at such a speed the wolf tumbled over himself. The cheetah youkai barely missed him as he rolled up, clawing the ground instead. Planting his hand on the ground Kouga kicked out at her face, but it met with her crossed arms.
She grinned, "Oh this is going to be a good fight."
~*~*~*~
Inu Yasha was getting pissed, those two youkai they had been fighting kept coming back to annoy them periodically. Right now they were stopped for a meal and Inu Yasha really didn't want to waste time as it was however Miroku had managed to convince him with his usual logic. "If they're going to keep showing up and not let us get where we're going till they want us to we might as well take a break where we're not fighting."
~*~*~*~
Night came and Sesshoumaru found himself walking the halls. It was late but like most full youkai Sesshoumaru could go up to five days without sleep and still suffer no ill effects. The only real reason he slept nightly was simply to pass the time and to alleviate his eternal boredom, partially by dreaming and later trying to piece them back together. But tonight he was still trying to figure out the problem currently residing under his roof. He heard a wimper come from a room he was passing. He stopped. Was Rin having a nightmare... no it was the wrong room. Sighing he realized it was the girl again.
He opened the door and looked inside, she was still asleep on the bed, the blankets and sheets tangled about her. He watched the girl turn a few minutes before realizing he was staring. Her left arm became visible from her sleeves and the blankets along with one of her bare legs, noticing then the red that seeped through the bandages. Sesshoumaru scoffed, dammit, blood was hard enough to get out as it was. The demon prince went over and sat down on the bed beside her, he could probably change the bandages without waking her if he were careful enough.
Carefully he slipped his arm under her shoulder lifting her up, then moved his tail around to support her head. He easily cut off the old bandage and began replacing it. Suddenly he realized that Kagome had since started to look more peaceful in her sleep. Come to think of it why was he holding her like he was? It was even making his job harder. Continuing his ministrations he listened and smelled her. Her heart rate was slow and clam along with her breathing. Putting his arm back under her shoulders he readied to lay her back down when she turned into him, one of her hands grasping his kimono. He froze as she sighed contentedly against his chest. He stared down at her angelic face with demonic markings. Her bangs had fallen to reveal the red moon and sword upon her forehead... and she was smiling.
Gazing down upon her he could not help but think of the current situation. And how is it that this poor girl gets stuck in the middle of all this? "Poor girl?" -hmph- Rin has made me soft.. sympathetic. But was that truly so bad? What if that was the key to completely mastering the Tenseiga? After all she had said it herself. He was "mean".
She stirred slightly and he quickly but gently set her down and was out the door before she approached conciousness. She yawned and rolled over, pulling a pillow close to her chest in an attempt to regain the warmth that had just left her. But in he half awake state she had no idea where it had come from or gone to.
~*~*~*~
She had been running cut off at every turn by a red clawed hand or a silver eye. The laughter was never ending. She was sweating and cold. She didn't know how or why but she tripped on something. She brought herself to her knees and looked to see what tripped her, horrified to see Inu Yasha's body. She scrambled back on her hands and feet shaking her head as the body rose, like a marionette. He examined his body with blank eyes, he looked up at her with the same dead eyes. "Kagome... why?"
From the left she heard footsteps and Kagome turned seeing Kikyou walk up to Inu Yasha. She smiled and put her hand to his bloodied face. "Because, she now knows we belong together. She sent you to where only I can have you."
"Really Kagome?" She was horrified but could not look away from his red smiling face. "You killed me for us?"
"Of course.. since she does have my soul she could always join us." A wave of her hand and Kagome felt an arrow embed itself in her stomach, but she lacked the sense to react.
She shook her head, but could not find her voice watching with wide eyes as Inu Yasha and Kikyou began to sink into the black void around them, wind whipped about her and all she could do was shake her head in fear and denial. Before the void reached their waists something warm and comforting wrapped around her, two strong arms around her shoulders, the arrow dissapeared "Don't look," a soothing male voice whispered, "It's not real."
She blinked back tears that had somehow found their way pass the earlier fear. "Daddy?" Her wound closed up.
"No. But don't worry, it's not real." As soon as he finished this time the horrible image before her faded away and the blackness melted into a grassy hillside. "See? All gone." Kagome also noticed she wasn't wearing her uniform anymore, but a long comfortable sundress and bare feet. She sighed and closed her eyes and leaned back into the chest of whoever it was that had chased away those horrid visions. Her hands came up and grasped the arms that rested over her collar bone. She wanted to know who it was, and for some reason she wasn't dissapointed that is wasn't her father. She also knew it was not Inu Yasha, it defintely was not his voice, but it was so soft she could not place it. His arms were bare so clothing was no way to determine his identity.
"Is this real?"
His mouth came down next to her ear, "Not completely, but it's more real than what was here before."
"Why do you make me feel so safe?"
He lightly kissed her cheek, "Because I want to protect you... I just don't know it yet." For some reason this line did not confuse her at all. She leaned further back into him and down, snuggling her head under his chin. Right here, right now she didn't care who he was. He drove away her nightmare, but when she woke, she would wonder...
Tsukinoshi was not happy that someone had ruined her fun.