Not long after dawn Sesshoumaru sat out in his garden contemplating the situation at hand. He cursed when he realized it likely wouldn't be long before his brother showed up and he couldn't let that demoness out of his sight. Of course if they tried to take her out without telling him or giving her the chance to explain they would only end up hurting Kagome, or ruining everything. He supposed he would have to intercept them and actually explain what was going on when they got here. Hopefully his brother would actually listen seeing as Kagome's well being was involved.
Wait a second, when did he start thinking of her as "Kagome" instead of "Inu Yasha's woman?" Hmm I know her name. He mused to himself, true he knew a few humans names, but what did she do to make herself worthy that he should bother to know it? Maybe she did have a point about the Tenseiga though. It might give them someway to get rid of Tsukinoshi...
His musings were interrupted by a force he felt approaching his castle with unbelievable speed. He was almost alarmed when he saw it come over the wall. "A twister?" He stood and watched with disbelieving eyes as the dust devil went right into the house. RIN!
Faster than the twister Sesshoumaru rushed into the house and passed it a kind of paternal instinct taking him over (though he would never admit it), and he was soon joined by Makumba who went to cut off the twister on the otherside. He watched as the cheetah overshot it as the twister swept into... Kagome's room?
~*~*~*~
She sat up in bed her doors bursting open. She guarded her face from the wind and watched with mild disinterest as it dissapated revealing the wolf youkai. "Don't worry I'm here to save you Kagome."
What? He didn't even take a moment to consider her surroundings. He simply picked her up and headed towards the door. "Wait! What're you-" She was cut off by her own screams as he tried to take her through the door.
"Kagome wha-" Just as Tsukinoshi was cut off by her own screams Kouga was cut off by a swift backfist that threw him back into the room and Kagome with him. The wolf turned himself so he would hit the ground instead of her.
"How dare you enter my home unannounced. Tresspassing and endagering my guests so."
Kouga got up and put Kagome over on the bed. "I don't know who you are pretty boy but I'm taking my woman out of here with or without your permission."
Sesshoumaru snorted, "I doubt that cub. Those shards will not help you either."
"Yeah well I probably don't need 'em considering you only got one arm."
A grin actually touched lips, I have much more than that. Faster than Kouga thought possible for a dog Sesshoumaru was behind him. Kouga kicked back but Sesshoumaru easily dodged. Similar to a fight with his brother all Sesshoumaru had to do was dodge. Although in this wolf's case the blows were quicker and came in varying combinations. They were also fighting indoors which left less room to move about. After ten combinations Sesshoumaru decided to show the boy how it was done. In one swift move Kouga barely caught Sesshoumaru punched him in the gut and sent him flying into the already dented mirror on the vanity.
Tsukinoshi watched with mild amusement and scutiny. Seeing Sesshoumaru fight and getting a bead on his style and moves would be very important in destroying him later. But weakened by the seal she felt Kagome waking, "dammit."
"Oh come on let's watch them kill each other."
"Will... you just... STOP IT!" Kagmome's voice screamed out on the last two words. Sesshoumaru froze, his tail having pinned Kouga to the wall and his fist pulled back for another strike.
"Spoil sport." Tsukinoshi pouted
"You know I really wish you would just shut up." She muttered.
"Get used to it. I'll be with you for a long time girl. I won't leave you till you die and that's not my choice."
"We'll just see about that."
Kouga, still pinned to the wall looked at her quite confused. "K.. Kagome?"
Kagome looked up as though finally realizing the two men were in the room. "Sesshoumaru could you put Kouga-kun down?"
Kouga-Kun? Maybe she was his woman... nah. He removed his tail and Kouga slipped to the ground. "Kagome what's going on... wh..what happened to your hair."
"Well you see, I'm kinda sealed in here, but it's for my own good!"
"Nanda?"
"Well... I'm kinda...kinda possessed."
"What!? That dog-face let you get possessed!?
" Over by the door Sesshoumaru snorted, Like you could have stopped it. Kagome caught it and surpressed a laugh. "Well it's not like he let it happen. It just did."
"Bu... but how? who?"
Her eyes shifted silver and he was answered with a swift punch in the face, "Me." Sesshoumaru turned his head and watched as the demoness approached him like an angry mother. However since Kagome still wore the oversized robe to bed, it made her look less threatening. "Listen welp. Let me out or I'll-"
"You'll what wench? Kill me and lay claim to my land?"
Suddenly she grinned seductively, "Unless you'll give me some other way to do it." He looked down at her somewhat bored. She stood on her toes, leaning her chest against his. She brought her mouth up to his ear and whispred. "I can tell you Inu Yasha's little secrect, when his demon blood stops. Then you can have what you want. If you just give m-"
Sesshoumaru pushed her off and she stumbled back a few steps. "Tsukinoshi no one would bed a snake for so foolish a reason. Defeating Inu Yasha as a human is no victory. I do have some honor." The woman simply crossed her arms in a huff. "Besides I already know."
This whole time Kouga watched the whole thing a rather shocked expression on his face. He was surprised enough not to think through what he said next, "I wanna know."
"Why should I tell you?" She snapped turning to him, "You can't touch him even with two shikon shards! If I thought you could kill this sunnova-"
"Enough." She turned to Sesshoumaru all to glad that once again, she got a reaction out of him. "Wolf, come with me we should let them... her get dressed."
"Oh you don't have to leave, I don't care."
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at Tsukinoshi, then he looked to Kouga who was still on the floor. "Out. Now."
Sesshoumaru followed him out the closed the door, as well as it could at any rate. Hmmm.. she'll need a new room. "Hey, you gonna tell me what's going on?"
The dog turned to the wolf, "I'm sure my brother will be here by dinner, I will explain when everyone is here. Why don't you go hunt for dinner." It wasn't really a question.
Kouga huffed, "I'm not hunting for you! I'm the prince of the wolf tribe. I'm not hunting for some pampered pretty-boy dog."
"I proved by that fight we just had that this Sesshoumaru is not quite so papmered as you would think. Think of it as payment for the door."
"Again, why should I do as you say?"
Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at him. Not a very bright one is he? "Do you want me to kill you?"
"Are you going to answer my question?"
He didn't really care to say, this fool should really respect him already considering how badly he was beat. Fortunately Jaken chose to enter in that moment. "You fool!" he shouted brandishing his staff, "That is Sesshoumaru-sama! Prince and heir to the Western Lands!"
Kouga stared at the little green youkai then looked at Sesshoumaru. Hold on.. THAT Sesshoumaru.. like there's another one. He sniffed in Sesshoumaru's direction. "Dog face is really your brother?"
"If you mean Inu Yasha, yes."
"Same father?" Sesshoumaru nodded. Kouga tilted his head back looking at the ceiling. "I don't believe it... that dog face is related to Inutaisho? Un-freaking-believable."
Sesshoumaru just stared at the wolf as if to say, "Isn't it?"
"Wait a sec, are you lyin'? This ain't the Western Lords Castle."
"This castle is mine alone, my father willed me be older before I took my rightful place. Our uncle currently reigns."
Makumba approached Sesshoumaru and knelt before him, "Forgive me for not being able to detain him longer Sesshoumaru-sama."
He looked down at the forgein youkai, her form was somewhat battered and he could smell her fatigue as well as the wolf's, though hers was more potent. From what he could guess she probably couldn't keep him longer because he had shikon shards so he didn't tire as easily. He wondered if the fight would have gone more easily if they were equally equipped. "You performed well. Go tend to your wounds and report back to me later."
"Hai." She stood cast a glance at Kouga then walked off.
"Where did you pick her up?"
Sesshoumaru didn't even look at Kouga, "If she wishes to let you know she will tell you."
~*~*~*~
As she changed Tsukinoshi took notice of some white fur that was on the back of the robe she had slept in. She grinned as she whiped it off. Wonder what happened last night? she mused.
~*~*~*~
A few hours later Kouga sniffed around Kagome's door, her scent seemingly to have returned. "Kagome?"
"Come on in Kouga." He opened the door and walked in. The room was a bit more presentable then then when he had last seen it. Many things were still broken but they had been moved into one corner of the room. Kagome was sitting on the floor with Rin drawing and one of their servants stood off to one side to make sure of Rin's safety around the unstable miko. "Kagome, umm... why do you look so different?"
She looked up to him then put her hand on Rin's shoulder. "Rin-chan? Why don't you go pick some flowers? I can help you arange them for Sesshoumaru when you're done."
"Really!?"
"Yes, now run along, but make sure you ask if you can go out first." The little girl laughed hugged Kagome and ran out followed by the servant. She looked up to Kouga and stood, then scanned the room for a place to sit. "I wish she hadn't thrown the stool out the window the other night..." She went over and sat down on the bed, Kouga remained standing. "I found out that Tsukinoshi is.. well her possession includes a physical change, to make the body suit her better I guess." She held up her hand again, rather fascinated with the slow change in them. "See? My nails were normal two days ago now they're shaped like claws." She stared at them again, "...and I think they're a bit harder.
"I got some speed and stregnth too, but I can't seem to access it, only she can. OH! Flying too. Unfortunately she said she can't leave until I'm dead."
He blinked at her, he smiled, "I am always amazed at how well you handle these situations Kagome." He took her hands in his, "That's why you're my woman."
Kagome sweat dropped with nervous laughter. Tsukinoshi, however was throughly disgusted. "Can I smack him?"
"Oh come on he's a nice guy."
"You should know by now that I hate that.You make me sick wolf." Kouga blinked in surprise. "Pinning after this little slip of a human girl? -Ugh- and that wolf stench! Get the HELL out of my room you peasant!"
Kouga stood proudly infront of Tsukinoshi. "Listen woman I am the prince of the wolf tribe. I am no peasant"
She looked at him as though that made him the prince of a rock. Tsukinoshi was quite unimpressed, and he was getting on her nerves, and since he was standing infront of her she swung for the area between his legs. Fortunately for him Kouga blocked the blow and dodged back. He walked out and sat down on the opposite side of the hall. For whatever reason Tsukinoshi chose this moment to vent, and the pile of rubble on the side of the room was perfect ammo. She picked up a damaged pot and threw it through the barrier. Kouga leaned to one side and it crashed against the wall behind him. He sat there amazed and somewhat repulsed for a full twenty minutes before their host walked up. Sesshoumaru stood outside the room of the raging youkai. "Damn that girl! I can't even remove these shards much less use them!"
The shards, he had almost forgotten about them. "Tsukinoshi."
She turned and bared her teeth when she noticed him, which didn't look quite so threatening without fangs. "What do you want?" She threw half of a small end table at him, it broked against his chest, he gave no reaction.
As always the demon prince watched her triad with disinterest. "Do you two want another room?"
"Us two? -Hmph- I suppose she actualy cares about the accomidations. Being nice to us are you?"
"Fact is I prefer to keep you close by, and as I do feel some responsibility as a host to offer you another room. Especially since the door cannot close. Of course if you ruin that room you won't get another." She crossed her arms turned her back to him walked to the bed and back slowly while looking around the room. "I suppose a clean room would be nice."
Sesshoumaru turned to walk away then stopped and faced Kouga. "Shouldn't you be getting dinner?"
~*~*~*~
"Juutsuma, where are Youtei and Umajin?"
"They're a few hours away, taking up position for another encounter."
Sesshoumaru thought a moment, "Call them back, Inu Yasha and the others will be wary enough to slow their pursuit on their own. Since that wolf is already here it does not matter how much more we detain them. Be ready to meet Inu Yasha at the door with Youtei and Umajin, I do not want another arrival like that wolf's."
"Hai Sesshoumaru-sama."
Sesshoumaru sighed, "Have you found anything on how to get Tsukinoshi out or how to destroy her?"
"All we have is that you have to kill the host body to get her out. There was an allusion to giving her body back and then, as you could guess, she can be killed."
"I see." He glanced down at the two swords at his hip, "Once we find out how to give her a body, I suppose I will have to kill the girl."
~*~*~*~
Inu Yasha was the first to cross through the gates in the light of the setting sun, he was greeted by the sight of four youkai. The two they had been fighting, a tiger youkai and an odd leopard looking one. Inu Yasha grinned and pulled his Tetsusaiga one Kaze no Kizu and they'd all be long gone. "Inu Yasha don't!" Miroku shouted.
"Kagome-chan might be in there!"
Growling his distaste for not having been able to use the kaze no kizu even once and not hitting anyone in the past two days severely pissed him off. He willed his youki gathering around the blade to disperse. Then he looked up with more disgust in his eyes ( if that was at all possible) upon seeing his brother. "You are quite right exterminator, she is here. Please come in and I will explain all."
Sango and Miroku looked at each other fairly confused, they had expected a full on battle to retrieve Kagome instead they were greeted in a civil manner. Inu Yasha on the other hand was not buying it, his brother's attitude only put him more on edge. What the hell is planning? "Where's Kagome Sesshoumaru?"
"She's detained, come inside and you can see her."
Inu Yasha refused to put down his Tetsusaiga, and his other companions were too confused with how different one of their deadliest enemies was acting to decide whether or not to let their guard down. But the next two voices they heard more or less solved their debate. "Shit dog turd took you long enough to get here."
"Kouga?" As much as he hated to admit it if Kouga was here and not dead, (because he was sure that in a fight with Sesshoumaru the wolf would surely be killed) then Kagome must be in relative safety. "What the hell are you doing here!?"
"Being better than you."
"Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama!" Further confusing the latest arrivals a young girl ran up to the youkai lord and tugged on his pants, with one hand, the other full of flowers. Inu Yasha was so surprised the Testusaiga became untransformed. "Can I go see Kagome-neechan again!? She's going to help me arra.. arrange these!"
Sesshoumaru looked up at the completely dumbfounded group of "rescuers" before him. A grin tugged at his lips and he turned gesturing for them to follow. "Follow me I will take you to her."