The group was warily led into the castle by Sesshoumaru, Kouga, and the little girl who hummed happily as she skipped down the hall with them. Inu Yasha stopped when they passed a room with broken doors, he could smell Kagome in it, and her blood. "Inu Yasha?"
Sesshoumaru, knowing why his brother stopped spoke up, "She was moved to another room earlier today, since this wolf broke the door I thought it a good idea."
"Sesshoumaru if you hurt her I swear-"
"She does not need me to do that, Tsukinoshi seems quite happy with that department on her own." At the other's confused expressions he turned and ld them past a few more doors before opening one.
"Don't you ever knock?" she said, not looking up from the book she was reading.
"Kagome!" Shippo went to jump into the room but Sesshoumaru caught him by the tail. "Hey lemme go!"
"It's not her," Kouga explained.
She looked up and put the book down, a rather bored and umimpressed expression on her face, "Well lookie here, if it isn't the peanut gallery."
"Kagome?" Sango looked at her friend as she stood, noticing first the the obvious physical changes then the change in her voice and stance. "Who are you?"
She smiled, a sarcastic amount of civilty in her tone. "My name is Tsukinoshi. And you... must be Sango." She walked up to the doorway and reached out as though to grab the kit, but drew her hand back when she was shocked.
Shippo sniffed, "You smell weird lady! Give Kagome back!"
"Can't do that I'm afraid, it's not that easy." Kagome sighed inside something was definetly going "outside" bored as she was she decided to try and take control. "Oh no you- I so hate you you know that? -Whatever girl, when this is all over- Yeah yeah yeah save it." For those who had just arrived this was quite an odd scene. Finally she sighedm eyes closed concentration showed on her face. She opened her blue eyes and smiled at her friends, "Hey guys you're late for the party."
With Kagome now in charge, Sesshoumaru handed Shippo to her and walked into the room. Seeing him walk in the others swarmed around Kagome. She smiled hugging her friends. Inu Yasha was the first to catch the sight of the bandage around her arm when her sleeve slipped back. "Kagome what happened?
She didn't know what he meant till he glanced at her arm, for an instant the dream from the other night returned to her mind. "Oh.. Tsukinoshi, I think she's a sadist and a masocist."
Miroku came up and took her arm, "May I?" She nodded and unwrapped her arm, they gasped at the severity of the wound. He turned to Sesshoumaru, "I take it you have some herbs around here?"
"Juutsuma?"
"Hai Sesshoumaru-sama." The tiger youkai looked to the monk, "This way houshi-sama."
Miroku looked to his friend, "I'll make some ointment for that and I'll be back later. Will you be here?"
Kagome looked to Sesshoumaru, then around to her friends, "Yeah, I'm sealed in here after all."
"You're what?" Inu Yasha immediately turned on his brother, but before he could get there.
"Sit." WHAM! "It's for my own good, Inu Yasha, and Rin's safety."
"What do you mean Kagome-chan?"
"Well.. Tsukinoshi kinda tried to use Rin for a hostage then, well..." She bowed her head, looking to Sesshoumaru briefly then back at the ground.
"I was forced to stop her," the youkai prince finished, "then Tsukinoshi let her deal with the consequences."
"See? She causes less trouble, I get less pain. Good for me."
Inu Yasha was still pissed. "You. Hurt. Kagome." he asked protectively, standing less than a foot from his brother.
Sesshoumaru looked calmly at the hanyou, "I stopped Tsukinoshi. If there was another way to do it I probably would not have hurt her." He looked up at the others, "There is much to discuss on this subject. Come."
"Wait shouldn't Kagome be involved in this?"
Sesshoumaru looked to the hunter, then to Kagome she looked as though whatever his decision would be she would understand, butshe was curious. "Yes and no. She should know, but Tsukinoshi should not. If she takes control and discovers our plans, it will make things more difficult. Besides according Kagome Tsukinoshi has access to her memories."
"But I wanna stay with Kagome!" Shippo whined from his spot in her arms.
Sango looked to the kit, "You can stay here until we find out what we are going to do. ok?"
Sesshoumaru was actually glad about that, he was sure he would have to explain quite a bit just to get Inu Yasha to understand, he didn't need the kit asking more inane questions. He looked down at Rin tugging on his pant leg, "Can I stay with Kagome-neechan to?"
"Makumba, watch the children while we talk."
"YAY!!" Rin jumped over to Kagome and reached up to Shippo. "I'm Rin!"
Shippo jumped down next to her, "I'm Shippo."
"Is that you're tail? It's not like Sesshoumaru-sama's"
"That's cause I'm a fox, not a dog."
Kagome smiled at the two and Sesshoumaru simply shook his head, "This way." The remaining adults went to follow the lord out. Inu Yasha stopped at the door and urned back to Kagome, "You sure you'll be alright Kagome?"
She looked up at him from where she was picking up the flowers Rin had discarded, she smiled at him reassuredly, "I'll be fine. Especially since I know you guys will get me out of it." She laughed, "I mean if you can be around Sesshoumaru for ten minutes without attacking him anything is possible right?"
~*~*~*~
It didn't take long for Miroku to join them, it turned out the medicine he had intended to make was already made. He settled down by the table between Sango and Juutsuma. Sesshoumaru was at the head of the table, Juutsuma and Umajin on either side, and Jaken stood beside him. Inu Yasha and Kouga sat opposite each other. The only ones that none of the visitors had seen yet were two older looking youkai, both appeared completely human except for their pointed ears and slited eyes. Sesshoumaru looked over at them, "Well? Have you found what I asked for?"
"Hai Sesshoumau-sama. We've found an inscription that will bring her body back to her."
"Do we have what what is necessary?"
Before he could be answered Kouga spoke up, "Whoa whoa what's all this about bringing a body back?"
"Tsukinoshi, we are going to give her body back," Sesshoumaru answered plainly.
"What!?"
He turned calmly to the others at the table, "If we return her to her body, then we can truly kill her, otherwise she will just find another body to inhabit."
Inu Yasha stared at his brother, "You are absoluetly positive about this?"
Sesshoumaru looked to the old woman at the other end of the table. "Yes," she answered, "We have gone over the text several times just to be sure."
"Obaba, do we have all we need?"
"Yes actually, the main thing required is a weapon of great helaing power, for which the Tenseiga is perfect, you only need to learn the spell required."
"There is one detail we seem to be missing," Miroku said, "Exactly how do we go about doing this." He had a bad feeling about this last thing.
"The first thing required is that we remove the soul from it's current host body."
"And how do we go about that?"
"We have found only one way to go about removing this kind of possession." The elderly man who had spoken, looked to his lord as if asking permission to reveal this peice of information. Sesshoumaru nodded. "We must kill the host."
As Sesshoumaru had expected, their reactions were quite volatile. Inu Yasha, the wolf and the two humans stood, and of course at that Umajin, Juutsuma and Youtei all stood ready for anything. Sesshoumaru and the two old youkai were the only ones who remained seated and calm. "Sit!" he said, not too loudly but they way he said it, it was a command that could not be ignored. Slowly all present took their seats. "You need not fear for the girl."
"How can you say that! We can't kill Kagome!"
He looked at the huntress blankly, "You don't have to, I will do it."
"You lousy bas-"
"Inu Yasha wait!" Miroku held onto his friend and turned to Sesshoumaru, "Sesshoumaru, your Tenseiga... what is the extent of it's power?"
He almost grinned, he had expected this as well, "It can bring back the dead."
Inu Yasha went leaned over the table, "Are you sure?"
Sesshoumaru nodded, "I have brought back both Rin and Jaken."
"How do we know you'll do it?"
Sesshoumaru turned to the wolf, this time he actually let the grin touch his lips at the irony of it all, "You'll just have to trust me."
"Wait." Sango said, she stood and looked to Inu Yasha, "What about Kikyou?"
"Who?"
"What about Kikyou?" Inu Yasha asked.
Miroku decided to explain for the benefit those who did not know. "Kagome is Kikyou's reincarnation, or at the very least, Kikyou has a part of Kagome's soul. You see she was reanimated by Urasue. Kagome's soul was put into her body for a time before she.. reclaimed it. I believe that Sango is worried that if Kagome is killed that her soul will go to Kikyou before you can bring her back."
"There is a potion, after she is killed if she is fed it, it will keep her soul in her body." The old witch turned back to her lord, "You will have to drink something as well so that you can see her spirit form Sesshoumaru-sama."
"Is there anything else we need to know?" Sango asked.
"Wait you're not seriously considering this are you?!"
"Yes we are Kouga and I'll tell you why. If we don't Kagome will be lost to us and that thing is going to be running around in her body." Inu Yasha sat back down and looked at Sesshoumaru, "Do you give us your word that you will bring Kagome back to life?"
"Yes. Now what else do we need to know?"
"It would be best if, until her body is complete, Sesshoumaru-sama be the only one near her."
"Why?"
"Because the spirit will go to inhabit a new body, it's best if... how should I say this? If she doesn't have much of a choice."
"What if she takes over Sesshoumaru?"
"That will not happen. We will do this tomorrow morning."