InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Destined for Me ❯ Chapter 34 ( Chapter 34 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 34

Just before Sesshomaru's arrival with his mate they had found out who was guarding the southern sector of the forest before the enemy attacked.

General Hisoka had been true to his word. They had brought those soldiers before him and his suspicions were correct. He had been looking for the traitor in his mist but he had been too careful in the past and had always evaded his detection. But this time he had made a fatal mistake.

Lady Kagome had caught the enemy's approach, they had sent out the alarm to warn everyone that they were about to be attacked. But they never realized that putting her in danger once he had given his word to protect her and her descendants would be their death.

The young inu youkai was in league with the commander of the enemy forces. He had given them a way into their camp without being detected. If Lady Kagome had not sensed them coming he would have lost a good portion of his soldiers.

This did not sit well with Hisoka as he growled out his demands, “You have betrayed me in letting the enemy soldiers pass through our perimeter. You never cared if your fellow soldiers were killed because of your actions. You could have hurt Lady Kagome and ruin our chances in the peace that she could bring this land. I want to know who you are working for and where you are going to meet them.”

The prisoners never said a word as they were taken away to be interrogated. They didn't have much information for them as they met their death at the hands of Hisoka. His leak within his ranks was finally found and he could rest a little easier.

~oOo~

The night was becoming colder. The wind was whipping around the area sending chills up everyone's spine, as our group of travelers was settling in for the night. Ah and Un had noticed that his mistress was shivering from the cold night air. She had cuddled closer to his master for warmth as his master pulled the blanket closer around them to try to keep them warm.

They moved closer to his master and mistress hoping not to wake them. They knew that being a fire youkai they radiated high heat so he could keep them warm for the night. The trick was to get close enough to them without waking their master in the process. They knew that he was very protective of her and if they admitted it to themselves, they were too.

They crawled their way over to them and to their surprise their master did not sense them near by. They curled their body around them making sure that they didn't touch his master or his mate.

He put his wing over them to protect them from the cold wind that was blowing around the area, as they settled down to sleep. His body heat was gently encircling the people he protected as they sighed in contentment.

Ah saw out of the corner of his eye that his mistress had stopped shivering and fell into a peaceful sleep. He growled telling Un that their idea had worked to warm her and they both sighed glad to be of service to her. They closed their eyes and fell asleep knowing that their master and mate were warm under their wing.

~oOo~

Sesshomaru started to stir first thing in the morning. It was just his habit to wake up early in the morning. He shifted as he felt something warm hitting his chest and heard a light growl of protest. He opened his eyes as he allowed them to come into focus.

He furrowed his eyebrows together when he noticed that they were being protected from the falling snow that had started. He turned his head and looked up to see the wing of his pet dragon draped over them. `When did Ah and Un come to lay next to us? And how come I didn't notice them being this close to us? I should have sensed that there was another demon near my mate.'

Sesshomaru did not like this train of thought as he turned to his inner inu, `Why did you allow this dragon near our mate?'

`Dragon helps protect our mate. He is very protective of her. We could not keep her warm last night. Dragon is fire youkai, warmed mate, kept her safe.' Said his inner inu as it purred to keep his mate asleep.

Sesshomaru heard his inner inu and sighed. He looked down to see his mate curled into his body for warmth. He could feel her bare chest on his as he felt one of her legs in between his. Her arms were around his chest, while her fingers were laced through his hair, gripping it tightly in her fist. There was no way for him to get up without her knowing about it because of the way she was position.

He remained still for a little while as it continued to snow. `If it continues like this it will be hard for us to travel. The way to the southern castle is a long one and we might still find trouble along the way.'

Sesshomaru started to hear the camp coming to life as they got food ready for those who wanted to eat. He shifted trying to get up when a growl of annoyance stopped his movement. He looked at his mate as she started to wake up.

~oOo~

Kagome was very warm, she was tired and didn't want to get up. When she felt the person she was holding on to move she started to growl for being disturbed. Slowly she opened her eyes to see that she was staring at a bare chest. She looked up to see the golden eyes of her mate as she smiled lovingly.

She tightened her hold on her mate as she started to settle down again to continue sleeping. When she felt her mate moving again she growled, “Where are you going? I don't want to get up yet.”

Sesshomaru chuckled as he lowered his head to her ear, licked her, and then he said, “I have to get up. We have to leave soon and you need some new clothes.”

Kagome looked down and saw that she was naked. She blushed a deep red as she looked up at her mate with horror in her eyes. “What happened to my clothes? Did you destroyed them last night in the hot springs?”

Sesshomaru was happy that she remembered their time together at the springs but she did not remember what had happened before that. He held her closer to his chest as he explained. “You turned into your true demon form yesterday and went into a blood rage. It took me a long time to subdue you before you could transform back into your human form. I was afraid that I had lost you to your inner inu.”

Sesshomaru saw the confusion in her eyes as he continued to explain, “When a demon goes into a blood rage they lose control of their inner inu. If it is left to go on the rampage then you may never return to your human form.”

Kagome took all of this in as she started to remember what happened the previous day. As her memories returned so did the guilt of not being able to protect the child that had tried to protect his mother.

Kagome started to cry as she buried her face into her mate's chest and said, “I couldn't protect him! I didn't make it there in time to save him. WHAT GOOD AM I?!!”

Sesshomaru held Kagome tighter as she tried to get free from his embrace. He held her as he started to purr to calm his distraught mate. Once she stopped struggling he said, “Mate I could not let you carry the guilt of not being able to protect the child. I used Tenseiga and revived him after you took off to catch the one's who had hurt him. He is alive and he is with his mother.”

Kagome calmed as she heard his words, she looked up into his eyes and saw the truth in them. He had revived the child because he knew she would be blaming herself for his death. She wanted to know if this was the only reason he had revived the child as she asked, “Why? Why did you revive him? Did you revive him because of me?”

“No mate, that's not the only reason I revived him. I could not let a child die because of the actions of adults. He was young and only did what came normal for a child. He wanted his mother to be safe and he protected her. He should have never died because of that.

But I can only bring back those, which Tenseiga gives me permission to bring back. My father's sword has a mind of its own and if it felt that this was their destiny then I cannot revive them. I know this because I have tried before and have failed.” Said Sesshomaru as he saw his mate relax into his arms.

He held her for a few more minutes and then said, “Kagome, I will return shortly. I will get you something warmer to wear and bring you some food before we head out.”

Kagome nodded as she released her mate from her embrace and immediately felt the stinging cold hitting her skin. She brought the blankets closer to her body trying to stay warm as she curled into a fetal position.

Sesshomaru stood as he grabbed his haori and put it on. He stood as Ah and Un moved their wing slightly to let him rise. It raised its heads and waited for their master to speak. They knew they were in trouble for being so close to him.

Sesshomaru stood as he eyed the dragon. It was waiting for some form of punishment from him for being so close to his mate. He reached out with his hand as patted each head before he said, “Ah, Un, stay with Kagome and keep her warm. I will return shortly with some warmer clothes for her and some food.”

To the dragons delight his master was not mad at them for being close and he was telling them to keep her warm while he was away. They were happy as they growled their agreement to his master's request.

As soon as Sesshomaru walked away the dragon moved its wing over his mistress and curled his body closer to her. He saw as his heat warmed his mistress and they purred with delight.

Once Sesshomaru was gone from her side Kagome felt the cold on her naked body. But soon she felt warm again as she looked up to see Ah and Un with their body curled around her keeping her warm. She smiled as she said, “Ah, Un, did you keep us warm last night?”

The dragonheads moved up and down confirming her suspicions. Kagome giggled as she reached up with her hand and petted each head in turn as she said, “Thank you both. I know that Sesshomaru appreciates it as much as I do.” Kagome shifted her position as she wrapped her blanket around her body and moved closer to the dragon. She sat by his side so that he wouldn't have to keep his wing up and he could relax a little.

Ah and Un did relax their wing as they settled it to the ground. It still covered his mistress and provided her with warmth. They were lying on the ground with their heads held high. They were scanning for potential threat that would want to do his mistress harm.

~oOo~

Sesshomaru got a status report from his brother and the commander of his forces. He was informed that they had taken care of the village after the attack yesterday. Everyone was accounted for in the village and they had lost no one in that attack.

General Hisoka came forward and kneeled on one knee in front of Sesshomaru. His head was bowed low as he said, “Please forgive me my lord but it was several of my people that had let the enemy through our defenses without sounding the alarm. They have been dealt with once we got the necessary information from those individuals.”

Sesshomaru eyebrow twitched as he saw the general step forward and kneel before him. He was wondering what was going on when he heard his words. He had almost forgotten about that incident as he growled. “What information could they provide us before they met with their demise?”

Hisoka replied to his Lords demands, “My Lord, they didn't give us a lot of information but they did say that Kumar is trying to take hold of the south and is trying to rally the surrounding lords to his side. What Kumar fails to know is that the lords surrounding the castle are loyal only to the true Lord or Lady that would claim the south once their presence is known.

They all hold faith in me that I would send word back to them when we have a new lord for the south. My messengers are currently on their way to inform them of your impending arrival. They will keep Kumar satisfied for now and go along with him until we lay siege to the castle.”

Sesshomaru looked at his brother to see if he knew about all of this. Inuyasha inclined his head saying he did know about it and approved. He would trust his brother's judgment for now, as he said, “Very well, we head toward the Southern castle in one hours time. Make sure that everyone is ready to move by then.”

Once everything was settled Sesshomaru moved to one of the wagons that carried supplies for him and his mate. He got Kagome some warm clothes and then got her something to eat as he walked back to his mate.

Inuyasha saw what his brother was doing as he moved to intercept. He wanted to know how Kagome was doing as he stopped right beside him and asked, “How is Kagome? Is she back to normal?”

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow at his brother and said, “She's fine. She has recovered from her blood rage and from her passion last night.” He smirked when he saw his brothers eyes open wide at his comment as his face turned as red as his haori.

“Oii bastard! I didn't need to know all that! I just wanted to know if she was all right! I am entitled you know!” raged Inuyasha as he saw his brother walk away from him. He has been doing well in keeping his temper in check but when Sesshomaru teased him like that he couldn't help the feelings he had when it came to Kagome.

Yes he loved her but not in the way he used to love her. She was his little sister and that made her special. With his temper raised he started giving orders to get ready to move out as he bounded into the trees to cool off.

Sesshomaru couldn't help the chuckle that came out as he walked away from his red-faced brother. He always liked getting under his brother skin and it's been a while since he had done that. He knew that Inuyasha was trying hard to hold his temper in and he had been proud of his brother for doing it so well.

But the last couple of weeks had taken its toll on everyone and he needed to get his brother to relax even if he had to poke fun at him once in a while to get him mad. He had to remember to do that during a battle because he always fought harder when he was pissed.

He finally got back to Ah and Un as the dragon raised his wing to allow his master to enter.

When Sesshomaru looked for his mate she was sitting up against the dragon asleep just under his wing. The blanket was wrapped around her body to keep her warm. He reached out with his hand and touched her cheek as he saw her stir from her sleep.

Kagome woke up when she felt someone touching her. She knew this aura as she opened her eyes to see her mate sitting in front of her with a smile. She smiled back as she sat up and he handed her some clothes. But before she could pull away the blanket Sesshomaru stopped her as he said to the dragon, “Ah, Un, lower your wing so you can cover Kagome.”

The dragon complied with his master's order as he lowered his wing to hide her while she changed. As soon as his wing came down the area around Kagome became warm again as she proceeded to get dressed.

Once she was done dressing she ate the food Sesshomaru brought her. She was not really that hungry and ate only a part of the food that Sesshomaru brought her.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow when he saw that his mate didn't eat all the food. He knew she needed nourishment as he asked, “Was the food unacceptable that you didn't finish eating?”

Kagome turned to him and said, “I'm not that hungry this morning so instead of eating it all and getting sick later, I chose to eat a small amount. That way I can keep the food in my stomach.”

Kagome then turned and gave the rest of her food to Ah and Un as they ate it greedily. Sesshomaru understood her actions now, `She wanted to make sure that the dragon had some food to eat. She cares for him just like everyone else. She will never cease to amaze this Sesshomaru.'

Kagome got busy getting the dragon ready to leave once he was done eating. When she was done she walked over to her mate and immediately his tail went around her waist as she was pulled into his side. The order was given and everyone started to move to the southern castle.

~oOo~

Along the way Sesshomaru had explained to her what has been going on. He explained what they were going to do once they reached the southern castle.

Kagome listened to her mate as they walked. She understood the plan as she was looking around trying to find Inuyasha, who she had not seen that morning. Once Sesshomaru was finished with his briefing she turned to him and said, “Sesshomaru? Where is Inuyasha? I haven't seen him this morning and he always stops by and says good morning to me.”

Sesshomaru chuckled as he explained what had happened that morning between him and his brother. Needless to say when he was done with his explanation and looked at Kagome she was as red as a tomato.

At that moment Kagome felt a familiar aura coming toward her as she turned and noticed Inuyasha heading her way. She smiled as she saw Inuyasha briefly stop and said, “Good morning Kagome.” He turned as he growled at his brother before he leaped from her side to go to the front of the group to see what was going on.

She sighed there was nothing she could do to stop them from teasing each other. It was like having two more children with her and she was becoming tired of it. But then she chuckled when she remembered all the times she would tease her brother just to make him mad. She guessed that it was no different between the brothers and let them be. If they got too out of hand she would deal with them.

Sesshomaru and Kagome were walking in the middle of the group choosing to let Inuyasha and the general lead the way to the castle. They seemed to have formed a bond together and Sesshomaru was not about to break it up. It would be good for his brother to establish himself with the general if he was put in charge of the south. The general would make a strong ally and help keep the peace.

They traveled through the snow all day. It never let up as kagome reached down and picked some snow up in her hand. She noticed that the snow was dry almost like powder and wouldn't pack together as she sighed and let it go.

Sesshomaru was looking at her in curiosity. He observed what she did and sighed as she stood and let the snow fall from her hand. He wanted to know what was going on as he asked in a curious voice, “Kagome, why did you pick up the snow only to let it go again?”

Kagome looked at her mate as she said, “I wanted to make a snowball but the snow is too dry and it won't stick together. Back home when it would snow my brother and I would go out and have a snowball fight, but when it's this dry it won't work.”

“Indeed and what would having a snowball fight achieve? Surely it must be meant as some sort of training.” Asked Sesshomaru while he continued to walk and scan the area for threats.

Kagome giggled as she said, “There doesn't have to be an objective to have fun hitting each other with snowballs. It was just a game we played because of the snow we would have. We would just have fun. Haven't you ever played any games when you were young and just have fun?”

Sesshomaru snorted as he said, “This Sesshomaru doesn't play games. When I was a child I had studies to go to and had instructors who would instruct this Sesshomaru in swordsmanship. There was no time for such meaningless games.”

Kagome raised an eyebrow at her mate, `So my mate has never played a day in his life, well we will just have to change that.' She excused herself from her mate as she stepped behind a bush to relieve herself. She didn't have to go but she had an evil idea that had just popped into her mind.

She smiled an evil smile as she reached down and grabbed some more snow. She held it in the warmth of her hands as it started to melt and form a ball. When she had one that was hard enough and wouldn't fall apart she turned to her mate and let it go.

The snowball flew true and hit her mate on the back of his head as she broke out in a fit of laughter as she saw her mate stop in his tracks.

Sesshomaru felt something hit him in the back of his head as he stopped and whipped the snow out of his hair. He looked at his mate and saw that she was laughing at him as he went after her.

Kagome seeing that Sesshomaru was coming towards her leaped into the air and took off at a dead run with her mate following closely behind her.

She raced with blinding speed as they overtook the front of the line and spend into the forest, all the while Kagome was laughing her ass off at her mate.

Inuyasha was discussing tactics with the general when he heard Kagome laughing behind him. He felt her aura coming quickly to the front as he turned in time to see Kagome running off into the forest with Sesshomaru following closely at her heals.

Inuyasha chuckled as he continued walking in the direction they were going. He knew what Kagome had done and she needed to get his cold ass brother to have some fun every now and then.

She had done the same to him a few years ago and she had taught him that having fun was not a bad thing. It lets you have release of all of your pent up frustration, as it would relax you for the fight ahead. He continued to walk all the while smirking at what his brother was going to look like once he came back.

Hisoka saw as Kagome and Sesshomaru left the group and went running into the forest. He was curious as to why Kagome was laughing so hard as he turned to Inuyasha and asked, “Why is Lady Kagome laughing and her mate chasing her into the forest?”

Inuyasha chuckled at the general's question as he answered. Hisoka now knew what kind of Lady they had for the south. She knew enough to know when to fight for real in a battle and win, but she also knew when to relax.

They continued on their way for they knew they would be back soon or they would meet up with them in the forest. They were, after all, heading in the same direction as them.

Kagome was having fun. It has been too long since she had any fun at all. She wanted some release and she had to show her mate what it felt like to play a game and have fun.

As she was running through the forest she gathered more snow. She formed them into balls as she kept them in her arms. When she had enough of running away from him, she turned as she let her mate have it.

Her throws hit home every time as they hit his chest, arms, and legs. She continued to run giggling all the way.

Sesshomaru couldn't understand what was wrong with his mate. She was attacking him openly. She was challenging him and all he wanted to do was catch her. He saw her turn, as she sent some more of those snowballs his way that hit his chest, legs, and arms. She was deadly accurate in her hits even though they were moving with speed.

If he had been an enemy he knew that she would not hesitate to kill him. He put on a burst of speed as he was catching up with her. He saw her reach down for some more snow and was not about to be hit with the blasted things again. He reached around with his tail, encircling her waist with it, and then pulled her back into his chest.

They both fell to the ground as he landed on top of her with her hands above her head to pin her down. She was still laughing as he asked, “What in the hell is wrong with you? Why did you attack me openly in front of everyone with that snowball?”

Kagome finally calmed down as she looked at her mate. She purred as she reached up with her head and licked him under his chin. Her gentle purring caused him to moan as it calmed his inner inu.

When Kagome observed that he was under control again she asked, “Did you not have fun chasing me through the forest? Did you not like catching me and throwing me in the snow? Do you not like the position you're in with you on top and me on the bottom?”

Sesshomaru heard her question as he thought about how to answer her. She did have a valid point. He did enjoy chasing her. She made it almost impossible to catch her. The sounds of her laughter lifting his heart to a new level of joy as he smirked and said, “Yes, yes I did enjoy chasing you through the forest and finally capturing you. You make my blood boil woman. Do you know what you are doing to me?”

Kagome looked at her mate and smiled as she said in his ear, “Yes, I know exactly what I'm doing to you. Sesshomaru, for the first time in your life you have just played a game and had fun doing it. It's no different than running in the rain or rolling around in the mud to get dirty.”

Sesshomaru's eyes grew wide with understanding. She had made him chase her with her snowballs. She had meant for him to have some fun in his life. He growled low and deep in his throat as he let his body weight rest on top of his mate.

Sesshomaru moved his tail around as it gathered some snow and made it into a big ball. When he was done he moved off his mate as he stood next to her. He readied his tail as he brought the snowball over her and then squeezed as it fell on top of her, covering her in snow.

Sesshomaru laughed. For the first time in his life he actually laughed full and hardy when he saw the look of shock on his mates face. She was now covered from head to toe with snow. Her once blue-black hair was almost the same color as his as he continued to laugh.

Kagome had been shocked when Sesshomaru dumped a pile of snow on top of her. It was cold as she quickly got up and shivered. She shook her body to get the snow off her as she turned to her mate. She heard him laughing, not just the smirk and chuckle that would grace his face every now and then, but a full laughter that would warm your soul to the very core.

She couldn't help but join him. It was worth getting the snow dumped on top of her just to hear him laugh. He had a beautiful laugh it was deep and elegant, she wished that he would use it more.

Kagome shivered when the wind picked up and whipped around her.

Sesshomaru seeing that his mate was cold stopped laughing. He rushed to her side as he wrapped his tail around her to keep her warm. He leaned down and said in her ear, “Thank you, I have never in my life laughed like that.”

He picked her up and held her close to his chest as he formed his demonic cloud under his feet. They left the area as they went back to the others. When they rejoined the group Sesshomaru went to Ah and Un, he rode the dragon for the rest of the day with his mate held in his lap. They were warm on the dragon as they continued on their journey to the southern castle.

They travel the rest of the day without getting attacked. They saw no villages in the area as they continued on their way. The snow had stopped falling sometime late in the afternoon but it was still cold.

They continued walking until they found a place to bed down for the night. Sesshomaru had left Kagome with Ah and Un to be kept warm and protected, while he tended to business.

Kagome was sitting against the dragon relaxing when she felt someone coming towards her. She opened her eye to see the Kitsune youkai that was in charge of the supply wagons coming her way.

Ah and Un immediately started to growl preventing the Kitsune from coming any closer to Kagome. She reached out a hand to the dragon as she said, “Ah, Un, let him come closer to me.”

The dragon complied with her request as they stopped growling and let the kitsune come near Kagome. They were still keeping an eye on him just in case he meant to do her harm.

The kitsune came closer to Kagome as he kneeled and said, “Milady, I have a need to speak with you.”

Kagome became concerned as she looked at the kitsune and said, “Aiki? What's wrong? Has the food supply gone bad?”

“No milady the food is still good but we are running low on supplies. We have given a good portion of our food supplies to the villages that were not going to make it until aid came from the west. Now with the added soldiers that has joined our group we are using more of our supplies.” Said Aiki as he had his head bowed low to Kagome.

Kagome stood up from the side of the dragon as she said, “Aiki take me to the supplies that we still have.”

Aiki complied with his Lady's request as they made their way toward the supply wagons. Ah and Un were following closely behind his mistress protecting her. Once they got to the wagons Kagome looked at the supplies they had left. `There's not enough here to feed everyone for tonight. What are we going to do to feed them all?' Thought Kagome as she took a quick inventory of the supplies.

“Milady, I'm sorry, I should have told you about how low we were running on supplies. But when the villagers needed food to feed the children I too could not hold back on the supplies to feed them.

With the land barren of animal life it makes it hard to feed everyone.” Aiki was in pain he wished that the animals would come back to the forest because that would solve all of their problems. They could hunt for what they needed and it would feed the people of the south.

Kagome didn't know what to do. They had no food left to feed everyone and she had no idea how long it would take them to reach the southern castle. The only option she had was to tell her mate what was going on and let him come up with a solution.

“Aiki, I have to tell my mate that we are running low on supplies. Maybe General Hisoka would know where we can get some more for our journey.” Said Kagome with concern in her voice. She wanted to make sure that everyone got feed.

Kagome was about to walk away as she heard Aiki say, “I wish with all my heart and soul that the animals would come back to the forest. In this way they could feed everyone in the southern lands for as long as they needed to. I also wish that the land could provide them all with food again.”

Aiki had said it in a very low voice that Kagome almost couldn't hear his wish. It was a wish from the heart. He truly wanted the animals to come back to help feed everyone.

Kagome was about to leave when she stopped in her tracks. Her breath hitched as she started to glow a bright green in color. She was breathing hard as her head fell back and was looking up at the sky. Her arms were out to the side as her eyes glowed with power.

Her body was gathering energy as Aiki looked on in horror. He had no idea what was going on as he saw Kagome aura getting engulfed in bright green light. She gathered so much power that when it released it brought forth a bright flash of light as it spread throughout the land. Kagome's aura must have spread all over the Southern Lands from the force when it left her body.

Kagome fainted on the ground as Aiki became alarmed and yelled, “MILADY!” and rushed to her side. But before he could even reach her the dragon was by her side. He was protecting her as he was standing above her with Kagome under his massive form.

Ah and Un growled viciously at the kitsune because in their mind he had done something to his mistress. They both raised their heads into the air as they roared for their master to come to their aid. He would protect her for as long as it took his master to come back.

~oOo~

Sesshomaru was in another part of the clearing when a bright flash of light engulfed the entire area. The light blinded them all for a few minutes. Once their eyes cleared everyone looked at each other wondering what was going on and where that light had come from.

They heard a roar from the other side of camp as they became alarmed. That was the dragon's call for help as Sesshomaru took off to where the dragon was located.

When Sesshomaru arrived he spotted his mate on the ground unconscious with the dragon standing over her protectively. The dragon moved as soon as it saw his master and allowed him to get to his mate.

Sesshomaru rushed to Kagome side, she was unconscious and he didn't know why. He turned his attention to the dragon as he asked in a deep and harsh voice, “Ah! Un! What happened to Kagome?”

The dragon roared as he stared at the kitsune that was there with his mate. Sesshomaru growled as he asked, “What happened to my mate Aiki!!!”

Aiki feared his lord more than anything as he kneeled in front of him and told him about the food supply. But that was not enough for Sesshomaru as he continued to question the kitsune. “Aiki, what caused my mate to be unconscious and if I don't get the answers I want then you will pay the price.”

Aiki started to think he couldn't remember what caused her to faint as he remembered something, “Milord, I made a wish prior to me seeing Lady Kagome glowing a bright green. I wished for the animals to return to the southern lands so that the people here would have food for the winter.”

Sesshomaru thought for a few minutes as he realized what the kitsune had said. He had made a wish and his mate being a pure heart miko could grant wishes if she saw that the wish was a pure one and not used selfishly.

Sesshomaru turned his attention to his brother and said, “Inuyasha, send some men into the forest to hunt. I believe that we will be able to find game now.”

“Sesshomaru do you know what happened to Kagome?” asked Inuyasha with worry in his voice.

“Yes, if what I am thinking is true, then Kagome just granted Aiki wish. Remember brother she is a pure heart miko and she can grant wishes if they are pure enough. The enormous scale of the wish made her faint because she had to use a tremendous amount of her energy to grant it. Aiki didn't just wish to feed us for the next few days. He wished that there was game for everyone in the Southern Lands.” Said Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha understood as he turned to his commanders and nodded. They left to give the order to go look in the forest for game. Five different groups of soldiers left the area heading in different directions. They came back about half hour later carrying a big elk, a deer, a wild boar, some rabbits, and pheasants.

Once the catch had been handed over to the cooks the soldiers reported back to their commanders. “General Hisoka, there is game now in the forest. Big herds of Elk can be seen going through the forest. There are also rabbits, pheasants, wild bores, and deer that we have picked up on. There are tracks everywhere.”

Sesshomaru now knew that his mate was capable of granting wishes. He moved away from the supply wagons as he walked back to the fire he had built for his mate earlier. He leaned Kagome against Ah and Un while he got the blankets out for the night. He then picked Kagome up and laid down for the night. They had a long day tomorrow for they would be at the southern castle by late afternoon. Then the fight will really begin for the south.

~oOo~

Morning came and Sesshomaru was wide-awake, he was waiting to see if his mate would wake up. She was still asleep from using her powers last night to grant a pure and unselfish wish.

He heard footsteps coming towards him as he gently let go of his mates and covered her up with at the blanket they had used for the night. He stood as he looked at Ah and Un and told them to watch Kagome while he tended to business.

Sesshomaru noticed that his brother, the general, and his commander were all coming his way. He thought that there maybe trouble as he stopped to observe what they were going to do. They had confusion clearly written on their faces and Sesshomaru became curious to see what had them in such a state.

When they finally arrived he heard his brother say, “Sesshomaru, not only did the animals come back into the forest but the supply wagons are full again. They have all manner of food in them from fruits to vegetables, all of it fresh.”

Sesshomaru's eyebrow twitched as he pondered this new information that he was given. `Kagome is truly powerful if she filled the empty supply wagons. But I wonder if she also filled the storage bins of the villages to make sure they would survive the winter. If she did then that's why she has not woken up yet. She must have used all of her powers for that wish to come true.'

At that moment he heard the rustle of cloth as he looked over his shoulder to see his mate trying to get up from the ground. She looked disoriented as he excused himself from the meeting and went to his mate.

~oOo~

Kagome awoke with a start the only thing running through her mind was that there was no food to feed all of the soldiers that they had with them. She couldn't understand why she was laying down on the ground or remember going to sleep last night.

Her whole body ached like she had taken a beating and was still recovering from the fight. She couldn't understand what was going on as she tried to get up. She almost had the blanket away from her body when she felt strong arms encircle her body to stop her.

She looked up to see Sesshomaru holding her in his arms as she stopped and looked at him. “Sesshomaru we have no more food to feed everyone with. We have to find a way to keep everyone in the Southern Lands alive until we can send them help from the west.”

Sesshomaru purred to calm her as he said, “Do not worry my mate. The people have been provided for and we have all the food we need.”

“But Sesshomaru…” Her mate cut her off as he continued with what he was saying.

“Kagome, my love, you have provided food for everyone. There are now animals in the forest for the people to eat. The wagons have been filled once again to feed all of our soldiers until we reach the Southern castle.

I want you to calm down and rest so you can regain your strength. We should be arriving at the southern castle sometime this afternoon and then we will lay siege to the castle.” Said Sesshomaru as he was holding Kagome in his arms. He was concerned for her for she was still very weak from using all of her energy the night before.

Kagome was shocked to hear this from her mate. She had no idea what he was talking about as she said, “But Sesshomaru how did I provide food for everyone in the Southern Lands?”

Sesshomaru chuckled as he said, “You granted Aiki wish last night and the animals have returned to the forest. You have restocked the supply wagons with fresh fruits, vegetables, and grain. I don't know if you did the same with the villages in the area but we will find out soon when we start to travel again.”

Kagome was surprised to hear all of this. She didn't know that she could grant this kind of wish to someone. She was tired as she rested her head on her mate's chest and sighed. She really had to stop doing things like this if she was going to help them fight in the upcoming battle.

Sesshomaru noticed as his mate settled down. He was holding her in his arms as he gently rocked her to calm her down. Her confusion was great and she had to have time to deal with everything that has happened so far. He heard a noise to his left as he turned and saw his brother coming towards him with some food in his hands.

“I thought that Kagome might be hungry. She has to eat to regain her strength as soon as possible.” Said Inuyasha as he put the food down by his brother so he could make her eat. He knew she was going to put a fight so he left him to his mate.

Sesshomaru was grateful that his brother was thinking about his mate. He picked up the food as he placed it in front of her so she could eat.

Kagome groaned, she didn't want to eat right now and she had a headache the size of a mountain. She protested as she said, “I don't want to eat right now. I'm not hungry.”

Sesshomaru growled as he said, “You have to eat, you have a headache because you have not eaten for a while. If you don't eat then you will weaken even more. The food will provide your body a way to get stronger so you can recover quickly.”

Kagome looked up at her mate and noticed the look in his eyes. He was not about to back down from this and if she didn't eat then he would shove it down her throat until she did. She sighed as she began to eat her food. When she was done her headache started to go away as her eyes grew heavy. She fell asleep with her head resting against her mate's chest as the darkness consumed her.

Once Kagome had fallen asleep Sesshomaru placed her on top of Ah and Un as he covered her with a blanket to keep her warm. He gave the order to move out as he sent word to his brother that when they found a village to send out a scouting party to see if the storage bins had been replenished.

About two hours into their trip Inuyasha approached his brother as he said, “Sesshomaru the storage bins in the villages have all been refilled. We have found two villages in the area that are happy to have enough food to survive the winter. With the animals back in the forest they would have enough meat to keep everyone alive. They are very grateful for the food but they have no idea how it got there.”

Sesshomaru took all of this in as he looked at his mate while he was walking. She was definitely full of surprises as they continued walking toward the southern castle.

At about mid day Sesshomaru started to sense that there was a large amount of youkai approaching them. He looked over to see that his mate had yet to awaken. Protecting her was his number one concern as he turned to Ah and Un and said, “Ah, Un, I want you to take to the skies and follow. We are about to have company and I don't want Kagome to get hurt.”

The dragon understood as he leaped into the air with his charge. He would protect her no matter what as he watched what was about to happen from high in the sky.

Sesshomaru moved up to the front, as everyone was alert to the threat that was coming. They were surprised to see Sesshomaru as he stopped in his tracks to await the group of youkai coming their way.

“General Hisoka, do you know any of these demons?” Sesshomaru asked as he waited. He noticed out the corner of his eye as his soldiers spread out into the forest getting ready to attack the youkai that came their way.

Hisoka was staring out into the forest trying to see if he knew who was approaching. He couldn't recognize their aura as he said, “No milord, I don't think I know these youkai.”

That was enough for Sesshomaru as he cracked his knuckles waiting for the threat.

Inuyasha was worried about Kagome he didn't want her to get caught in the middle of this fight. He knew that his brother had taken care of her before he showed up in front. He was willing to bet that the dragon had Kagome safe for the moment when he noticed that the enemy had showed themselves.

A group of youkai appeared in the clearing they were standing in. They were soldiers and they looked tired from fighting so long. They stopped in front of the group that was heading toward the Southern castle as the leader stepped forward and said, “Who are you and what do you want in this area?”

Sesshomaru huffed as he said, “I am Sesshomaru, Taiyoukai of the Western Lands, move aside and let us pass we are on our way toward the southern castle.”

The youkai looked at the silver haired demon in front of them. They had not received word that a great Taiyoukai was coming to visit as the leader said, “We have not received word that a Taiyoukai from the west was coming to the castle. We will not let you pass until we have orders from General Kumar saying to let you enter.”

Hisoka had been standing back as he eyed the soldiers in front of him. They were Kumar's personal warriors and knew them to be a threat to their plans. He leaned over and spoke quietly to one of his soldiers as they moved away from the group and headed into the forest undetected.

Hisoka moved closer to Sesshomaru, hiding his presence from the soldiers in front of him, as he said to the Taiyoukai, “Milord, they are loyal to Kumar. We have to take them out before they send word back that you are here.”

Sesshomaru understood and picked up on his soldiers moving into position. He growled as he said, “Move, I do not have to announce my intentions to a mire general. I will deal with him once I get to the southern castle.”

The enemy brought forth their weapons as they took a fighting stance. They eyed the demon in front of them as the leader said, “I'm afraid that we can't do that. You are to leave this area or die. The choice is yours.”

Sesshomaru smiled as he moved forward to walk past them. They attacked as he released his poisoned whip and took care of the demons that dared to attack him. His soldiers reacted to the threat as they attacked the demons in front of their lord.

The battle was a swift one as they took them all down. Hisoka received word that they had gotten the messengers that had left the group to warn General Kumar. He was pleased as he turned toward Sesshomaru and said, “Milord, all of the enemy have been dealt with. The messengers that were on their way back to Kumar are dead as well.”

Sesshomaru was pleased to hear this as he raised his hand into the air. Ah and Un descended from the sky with his mate when his master summoned him. He walked over to Kagome and she was still asleep, oblivious to the battle they had just fought.

They gave the order and everyone started moving again. They knew they were getting closer to the southern castle as the battles became more intense. Each time Sesshomaru would send Ah and Un into the sky to protect his mate as they dealt with the threat.

They finally stopped as they secured an area for themselves for the night. They sent out some scouts to see what they were facing.

When the scouts came back they gave a full report of what was going on in the castle. “Milord, the defenses around the castle are great. They have at least 200 soldiers guarding the castle from the outside.

They have a strong barrier that is next to impossible to penetrate. In order to gain access to the castle we will need to take out their defenses and then break the barriers.

We have meet with the surrounding minor lords and they have assured us that they have their people in place in the castle to help us. We will have reinforcements when we come up with a plan of attack. The minor lords will wait until we are ready to take back the Southern castle.

They have also informed us that they have many youkai that are strong and would be hard to take down. We will need our strongest warriors to defeat them.”

Sesshomaru listened as he was briefed on what they had found out. He was pleased that they had more help coming. From what he was hearing it was going to be one hell of a fight to take over the castle.

His eyes glanced to the right as he saw his mate still asleep on the dragons back. She had not moved at all since this morning. He knew that she was still tired but he wished that she would wake up from her sleep. It would let him know that she was all right; he missed her gentle smiles and her council when planning an attack.

She had given him some good ideas in the past on how an attack should go and sometimes he would take her advice. He didn't want his soldiers to get hurt and he especially didn't want to lose anyone in this attack. But he would have to wait until she regained her strength.

He turned his attention to the business at hand as they started to make plans on the assault on the castle. The barrier would be easy to bring down with Inuyasha's red Tetsusaiga. It had cut through Naraku's barriers before with ease and he didn't doubt that his brother's sword would bring down the barrier.

They made plans to attack in one hours time. They wanted it to be swift and before the enemy discovered that they were in the area. This would give them enough time to inform the minor lords of their plans. The meeting broke as everyone went about their business to get everything ready for the battle.

Sesshomaru walked over to his mate as he gazed upon her while she slept. She was beautiful and his concern shown in his eyes. He was worried about her and her safety. He would have to come up with a plan to keep her safe and the only way to do that was to have Ah and Un up in the air while the battle was being fought.

He looked at the dragon as he said, “Ah, Un, I will be counting on you to protect Kagome while we fight the battle in the castle. I don't want her in harms way and her safety is the most important thing to me. If it looks like we are losing the battle or if you see that we have been defeated your job will be to get her back to the Western Lands safely. Do not let her come into the battle, is that understood?”

Ah and Un growled that they understood their masters instructions. They will protect her no matter what. They took pride that their master was giving them such trust in protecting his mate. This was an honor for the dragon as they finally earned their masters trust in protecting that which he held close to his heart.

The preparations were finally made as the group started to make their move. They were about to go into battle as Sesshomaru sent Ah and Un into the air to follow. They were keeping their distance and hiding in the treetops to make sure that the enemy did not see them from a distance.

They approached the castle as they all spread out and got ready to attack. Once everyone was in position the command came to attack. The fight for the Southern Lands was finally at hand.

~oOo~

General Kumar was feeling very secured in his castle. For the longest time he had wanted to be lord and there was always something in his way preventing him from getting what he wanted.

With Kamlyn's demise and his bitch of a daughter dead he was now free to take his rightful position as lord. He was not about to let the other lords of the lands put someone else in charge of the Southern Lands. These lands were his and he had waited for a long time to take them over.

He had his feet firmly planted and he held the heart of the Southern Lands. Anyone that ruled the castle ruled the lands. He had his people scattered around the lands bring down anyone who would rise against him.

He had heard a rumor that a strong demon was starting to take over the lands as he sent Hisoka after him to make sure that he was killed before he made it to the castle.

His castle was very well defended. He had his soldiers around the outside of the castle as they guarded it against intruders. There was a powerful barrier that had been placed around the castle keeping it safe from attacks that was still in place. He had a couple of surprises in the castle in case they were attacked and he was keeping them well hidden for now.

He had his food stores full of food and he had plenty of slaves to entertain him. He was running low on them and wondered when that fool that he had sent to one of the villages in the area was coming back with his new slaves.

They had been gone too long and he was starting to get worried. He had not received any more reports on that youkai that was battling with the minor lords of the lands. He thought that Hisoka had taken care of the problem and killed them all. He couldn't take the chance that the Lord of the Western Lands would come here and try to take possession of the lands.

Kumar knew that his mate was the rightful ruler of the lands and now that she was mated to Sesshomaru that meant that he was their lord. He had purposely left out who had killed Kamlyn because he knew that if the other had found out that there was a new lord already they would stay loyal to them.

He wanted these lands for himself so he had left out that little bit of information when he had briefed the other generals. No one had caught on to what he was doing. Too bad for them, by the time they realized what was going on he would be lord in his own right.

He was in his bedchambers at the moment as he was having fun with one of his slaves. The young girl was crying her heart out as he was pumping into with all his might. He loved them young and innocent as he continued to violate her young body.

He stopped when he heard an explosion that was near the castle. The alarms were sounded saying they were under siege. He got up as he quickly dressed. He had to find out what was going on. By the time he made it to the front of the castle he saw his barrier glow an eerie red before it went down.

His eyes grew big when he saw two white ghosts descend from the sky as they landed in the middle of the courtyard and started battling with his soldiers. His worst fears had been realized as he saw the Western Lord fighting against his men.

~oOo~

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were fighting side by side as they made their way to the barrier. Once they were there Inuyasha concentrated on his sword, as the Tetsusaiga turned red. He looked at his brother and nodded as he leaped into the air and brought Tetsusaiga down on the barrier as he channeled his powers into the sword.

The barrier wavered as it finally came down and allowed their forces to enter the castle proper. Inuyasha and his brother landed in the middle of the courtyard as they started to battle the enemy. They made it to the gate as they opened it to let their forces into the castle.

They were making quick work of the enemy as they surged forward trying to find Kumar. They were at the castle steps when they heard a large roar break through the sounds of the battle. They looked around trying to find the source of that noise and they didn't have to wait for long.

From inside the castle two dragons appeared as they made themselves known. They were very powerful as they attacked without mercy.

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha moved to intercept for they didn't want the dragons to take down their men. They instructed that they will fight the dragons and for the rest of them to find Kumar and capture him until the dragons were defeated.

Sesshomaru face off with the first dragon as he brought Tokijin in front of him. He waited for the dragon to attack before he made his move.

The dragon turned eyeing his opponent. He was a puny Inu Youkai as it opened his mouth to get rid of the insect. It released a powerful blast of youkai energy as it sent it toward the silver haired demon.

Sesshomaru saw the attack coming, as he got ready. This was a powerful demon but he knew that he was stronger. He leaped out of the way at the last minute avoiding the dragon's attack. He brought Tokijin forward as he attacked the dragon. The attack hit the dragon but it had no effect on it.

Sesshomaru was surprise by this when he noticed his brother fighting against his own dragon. He used the wind scar on him and it also didn't have any affect on the dragon. He now knew that they had a fight on their hands if their weapons were ineffective against the dragon.

The dragon leaped forward as it brought his claws to bear. Sesshomaru had barely enough time to move out of the way before the attack landed. He used his poisoned whip, and it didn't have any affect against the dragons skin.

The dragon's skin was strong. Stronger than anything he had ever felt before. It seemed that these dragons were being protected by a spell and he had to figure it out before they got hurt.

They continued battling against the dragons but everything they tried was useless against them. The dragon roared loudly into the sky as it spotted another dragon with something on his back. It reared up on his hind legs as it sent a blast toward the dragon in the sky.

Sesshomaru turned his head in time to see the dragon shoot his blast of pure energy toward his mate. He knew that Ah and Un would never be able to avoid the attacked. He screamed, “KAGOME!!!!” as the blast hit the dragon. He couldn't believe that the dragon was hit as his heart ached in pain. `I can't lose her like this.'

Sesshomaru refused to believe that Kagome was gone as he waited for the smoke to clear. His eyes opened wide when he saw what had happened.

~oOo~

Ah and Un were observing how the fight was going on down below. It appeared to the dragon that his master was winning the battle. They were moving swiftly through the area as they made it inside the castle grounds. The dragon thought that they would not have to leave to go back to the Western Lands if they continued attacking the way they were.

The dragon felt that his mistress was waking up from her ordeal. He felt her moving as he slowed his speed and hovered over one area waiting for her to awaken. He had to be careful for he didn't want her to role over and fall off his back.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes to see that she was staring at the beautiful night sky. She took a deep breath to clear her mind as she concentrated on where she was. She felt the gentle movements of the dragon. She knew that they were moving but why weren't the stars moving if the dragon was walking on the ground.

Kagome turned her head from left to right and noticed that there was no one near her. She slowly sat up to see where she was when she noticed that she was up in the sky. She was wondering what was going on when she heard an explosion down below.

She sat up straighter as she moved into Ah and Un saddle. She grabbed the reins as she scanned the area down below. There was a battle going on and she figured that Sesshomaru had sent the dragon up in the air so she would be protected.

She was scanning the area for her mate as she finally found him. He was battling against Kumar's soldiers in the middle of the castle grounds as she watched with interest. They looked like they were winning the fight when she saw them surge forward trying to get into the castle.

She heard the loud roar that came from within the castle as she waited to see what it was. Then she saw the dragons come out and this was not good. The dragons were strong and very powerful, but what got her was that these dragons had a protection spell on them that would make them hard to be defeated in battle.

She watched as Sesshomaru and Inuyasha fought against these creatures and they were losing very badly against them. She was trying to think of a way to break their spell when she heard the dragon roar again and a blast was sent her way.

She cursed under her breath as she tried to move the Ah and Un out of the way before the blast hit. She knew that they would never out run the blast as she concentrated. She formed a barrier around the dragon as the blast hit them full force.

She told Ah and Un to hold on and not to move from his position. The dragon tried to comply with her wishes but it was very difficult for them to do. They lost a little ground but managed to hold steady in the same position they were in.

Once the smoked cleared Kagome saw as the dragon turned to her mate and was about to attack. Her eye got red from her anger as she pulled her sword from her sheath and told Ah and Un to dive.

Ah and Un did as his mistress asked for he wanted to get back at the dragon that had just attacked them. He came in fast as Kagome raised her sword and yelled, “JUNJOU-BOUGO!!!” (Pure heart protection)

A white energy surrounded her sword as it shot forth. It split into two separate attacks and went after each dragon down below. The energy formed into a very large arrow of pure miko power as it went straight for the dragons.

The dragons saw the attack coming their way as they fired repeated shots of their demonic powers at the projectile. Nothing they did would destroy the arrows coming their way as it struck each dragon in turn.

The dragons cried out in an agonizing roar as the arrow destroyed the spell that had protected each of them. It penetrated the dragon's outer skin as it hit home in their hearts. It purified the dragons to oblivion as everyone looked on in awe.

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha looked on as they saw Kagome's attack. They leaped out of the way as her attack hit the dragons. Sesshomaru saw the spell that was protecting the dragon from their attacks as it destroyed the spell and then killed the dragons where they stood.

He saw his mate coming in fast as she pulled up on the dragon's reins and went straight for Kumar who was standing there just stunned at what she had done.

Ah and Un seeing the source of his master and mistress pain standing before him let his flames go as he attacked the Inu Youkai that was standing in front of him.

Kumar snapped out of his shock in time to see the attack coming his way. He leaped from his spot as he barely avoided the attack from the enraged dragon. He landed in a crouch position as he saw the female that had kill Kamlyn jump off the dragon with her sword in her hand.

He stood as he took a fighting stance in front of her ready to do battle for the Southern Lands.

Kagome stopped in front of the general that had caused so much heartache for the people of the south as she said in a deadly voice, “KUMAR! You will submit to me here and now for I am the true ruler of the Southern Lands! I will no longer permit you to do harm to the people of the South. Your rein of terror is now over.”

Kumar laughed an evil laughter as he said, “Do you think that I will submit to the likes of you! You're a weak human that can never hope to rule over these lands. No one will want you to rule over the south.”

Kumar's eyes opened wide as he saw the multitude of soldiers and Lords standing behind this wench. He saw as Lord Sesshomaru move next to his mate as the rest moved forward to take a stand against him.

He saw Hisoka standing next to Sesshomaru as he said, “Hisoka, you traitor! You stand next to these fools that want to take over our lands and make it a part of the west! You should be here next to me trying to defend what is ours.”

Hisoka moved forward as he said, “No, it is you that should be gone from the south. You have brought nothing but pain and suffering to our people just so you could become lord. I have seen first hand what you were going to do to a village just so you could get slaves to work here in the castle and give you pleasure. A good lord looks after the welfare of its people and takes care of them. He would never hurt them to gain power.

I stand behind Lady Kagome and Lord Sesshomaru. They are the rightful rulers of the south and with them we will finally live in peace and make the lands prosper. You are to stand down for if you don't we will take great pleasure in seeing to your demise.”

Kumar could not believe what he was hearing. These fools wanted him to give up his kingdom. Never, he would never give it up he would rather die trying to keep what was his.

He brought his sword forward as he sent a powerful blast toward Sesshomaru and his mate. It hit as he waited for the smoke to clear. He was smiling as he thought that he got rid of the threat before him. To his surprise his attack didn't have any affect on them as a powerful barrier protected them all.

Kagome was feeling weak again as she was standing next to her mate. She had not fully recovered from the previous day but she couldn't let those dragons hurt her mate or his brother. She had used what energy she had gathered to defeat them and she let the dragon attack Kumar to make sure that he was weakened before she confronted him.

She saw his attack coming as she put a barrier up to protect everyone from the blast. She wavered as Sesshomaru grabbed her by the waist and steadied her. She was breathing hard trying to regain her strength.

Sesshomaru saw how weak his mate was. He signaled Inuyasha as he came towards him and said, “Protect Kagome.”

Inuyasha picked Kagome up and held her in his arms so she could rest. He saw, as his brother was about to take care of the problem in front of him. He looked pissed and he hated to be that general at this moment.

Sesshomaru had about enough of this idiot as he walked forward. His temper was at an all time high because this fool was the cause of his mate being so weak. He flexed his claws and let a small amount of his poisonous gas escape his fingertips.

It was enough to put fear in the general's eyes as he attacked. His poisonous whip came out as he lashed out at the general. He avoided his whip as he went after Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru's eyes turned blood red as he went after the insignificant fool. His demon raging inside his head wanting the blood of this youkai on his claws for causing his mate so much pain.

Kumar turned to face Sesshomaru as he went to attack him. He was sure that he could beat him when he saw his eyes go blood red. He saw Sesshomaru disappear from in front of him as he felt something hit him.

There seemed to be no pain as his world went black.

Sesshomaru moved with speed as he slashed out about 10 times at his enemy. When he landed on the other side of him everyone was looking at the general to see what happened.

Kumar just stood there for a minute until his body fell in pieces to the ground dead. Their fight was finally over as all those around them screamed with joy at having a new lord and lady for the lands.

Sesshomaru slowly walked back to his brother as he took Kagome from his arms. He cradled her against his chest as he said in a low voice, “Inuyasha, I want you to take control of the castle. Make sure its secured and then post guards around the area. Have everyone get some much-needed rest for a job well done. I will be back in the morning once Kagome is awake. I need to take her somewhere safe for tonight and let her rest.”

Inuyasha understood what his brother wanted. There was no way they were going to rest in this castle until they got it cleaned up and up to acceptable levels for him. He wanted to be with his mate so she could rest in peace.

They watched as Sesshomaru walked over to the dragon. The dragon lowered himself to the ground to allow his master to get on with his mate. He gave the order and the dragon rose off the ground at a steady incline as he took off to find a place where they could rest for the night.

Everyone watched as Sesshomaru left with Kagome. They were all worried about her but they knew that she needed rest. There was no way that they could rest comfortably here in the castle.

Inuyasha turned to the general and said, “General Hisoka we have a lot of work to do before my brother returns in the morning with his mate. We must search the entire castle and look for any traps that might have been set up.

We must see who he has in the dungeons and let the innocent go and keep the ones that are suppose to be there. I'm going to want the castle scrubbed from top to bottom to get the stench of out of it before my brother returns in the morning.

I know that Kagome will not be fully recovered but I want her to feel comfortable when she does come here in the morning.”

General Hisoka understood what had to be done. He split his forces and set up guards to protect the castle. They got busy with what they had to do. They had to be ready for when the Lord and Lady returned in the morning to take control over the Southern Lands.

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder as he stared up into the sky. They had to fight long and hard as they finally got control over the Southern Lands. In the morning they will formally announce the ruling pair for the lands and new laws will be decreed. New minor Lords will be appointed and he had to make sure that they had suitable quarters for his brother and mate.

He turned as he made his way into the castle with the general and commander following closely behind him. They had their work cut out for them as they started to restore order to the southern region.

~oOo~

This is the end to another chapter. The battle for the Southern Lands was a hard one but they finally won at the end.

Now comes the hard part as they set everything into motion to get the lands under control. Once that is done then they will be free to return to the west and get some much-needed rest.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!