InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Simple Legacy (II) ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are created by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A Simple Legacy II by elle6778 - Chapter 7

“WHAT?”

Pointing a shaky claw at Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha then turned a disbelieving look at Kagome. “A-And you agreed to go with him? Go where?” he sputtered.

Kagome shifted her eyes, feeling as if this could not go any worse. “Um…I…uh…”

Before she could assemble a coherent reply, Inuyasha spun around to face a stoic Sesshoumaru. “What the hell do you want with her now? The arm wasn't enough of a payment?” he asked, his eyes flashing with fury.

Sesshoumaru's tone was even, but Kagome could see the hint of annoyance in his eyes when he said, “This Sesshoumaru believes that the miko would explain.”

Kagome groaned. It was obvious that Sesshoumaru had no intention of helping her out. She knew that he could simply tell Inuyasha everything but for some reason, Sesshoumaru did not seem inclined to do so. Instead, she had this distinct impression that he wanted her to deal with this on her own. His entire posture told her that he intended to remain on the sideline on this one.

She stiffened her spine. Why was she so hesitant anyway? It was not as if she was doing something wrong.

“Inuyasha,” she called out, placing a hand on his red fire-rat haori to move his attention away from Sesshoumaru. “Let me explain, okay?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Inuyasha glowered at Sesshoumaru. Without looking at her, he snapped, “Well? Explain!”

Pushing back her irritation at his tone, Kagome began, “I returned Sesshoumaru's arm in exchange for his fang. But at that time, with the rosary weakening, I had this idea that I should learn to protect myself without the use of my purifying powers. So I got Sesshoumaru to agree to train me.”

Inuyasha swung towards her, his attention now fully fixed on her. His ears drooped slightly as he gave her a bewildered look. “You asked Sesshoumaru for training so that you can protect yourself against me?” he asked, his voice wavering.

She hesitated for a moment before she nodded. It was time Inuyasha understood what had happened. She winced inwardly as she recalled his animalistic attacks on her. Not that he remembered much of it. In a way, his lack of recollection was probably not a bad thing. Somehow, she did not think that he would take it well.

“The only thing I knew how to use was the miko bow. I suppose I could have used the arrows to defend myself, but I don't want to purify you.” She shrugged. “So, in exchange for the training, I basically owed Sesshoumaru a favor.”

“So this is all because of me,” Inuyasha whispered. His eyes were troubled as he studied her. His ears lowered further until they were flat against his head. Without another word, he spun around and began to walk away from her.

Not wanting him to leave in such a state, Kagome grabbed his arm. “Inuyasha, listen to me. I don't want to leave to look for the shards with things like this between us.”

Inuyasha froze. And then he turned around slowly to look at her, then at Sesshoumaru. “The shards. You want her to go with you to look for shards?” His voice rose in his agitation.

At his words, she suddenly realized that she had yet to explain her payment to Sesshoumaru in detail. If Inuyasha had exploded at the mere fact that she would be traveling with Sesshoumaru, how would he react to the fact that she would be hunting shards with a new partner? “Inuyasha…”

He spun around to face her. “I thought the deal was for the fang in return for his arm. How the hell did it even begin to involve the shards?”

Stiffening her spine, she pressed on. “I just need to go alone with him to find the shards,” she paused, recalling Sesshoumaru's exact words. “Until Naraku is destroyed.”

“We haven't been able to destroy Naraku for years. What makes you think the two of you could do it?” he turned to glare at Sesshoumaru. “And why the hell do you need to be alone with her?! What's going on in that head of yours, you bastard?!” Inuyasha yelled, his face contorted with fury.

Kagome blinked at Inuyasha's vehemence. Yes, it was true that Sesshoumaru wanted her to hunt the shards with him without anyone else hampering his speed, but she could see the logic behind it. Sesshoumaru could travel much faster and by default, it meant that they could cover a larger area in the same amount of time.

She snuck a look at Sesshoumaru to find the taiyoukai looking as disinterested as ever. No help there, she thought with a grimace. Why did he bother to remain there if all he was going to do was to watch silently? He did not even bother to respond to Inuyasha.

She was on her own.

Slowly, Kagome ventured, “Sesshoumaru has a good reason for wanting less people to come along. Don't you, Sesshoumaru?”

The taiyoukai simply quirked a brow.

Glaring at his half-brother, Inuyasha snorted. “Sesshoumaru only wants you as a shard detector.”

Wincing at the hated term, Kagome bit her lips. Sesshoumaru might want her as a shard detector, but it was something that he had paid for with all the training he had given her. And as far as she was concerned, Sesshoumaru had done a good job of the training. It was not as if he had expected her to do him a favor for free.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, had taken her presence for granted all these years. And now, when she had to pay back a debt to Sesshoumaru, he could not even find it in his heart to support her. She gritted her teeth as her irritation grew.

“Try to understand, Inuyasha,” she began tightly. “This is something I have to do.”

Inuyasha rounded on her. “It's something WE had to do together. Not you and him,” he spat.

“Does it really matter so long as we get the shards away from Naraku? You know how much Sesshoumaru hates Naraku and would do anything to bring him down.”

Inuyasha's amber eyes flashed angrily. “Why are you on his side?”

“I'm not on his side!” she denied heatedly. “I'm just telling you that it might not be such a bad idea. He has some sort of plan to take Naraku down, and I think we should try to support him.”

“Do you know what his plan is?” Inuyasha challenged as he shot a glare at Sesshoumaru.

“Um…no,” she said uncertainly. Come to think of it, it was about time Sesshoumaru come clean about his plans. She definitely deserved to know if she was going to be in the thick of it. Giving Sesshoumaru a pointed look, she added, “But Sesshoumaru's going to tell me.”

“Perhaps,” the taiyoukai replied enigmatically. “You will know before we depart tomorrow morning.”

She groaned. Sesshoumaru was not making this any easier.

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, his face set in mutinous lines. “I'm not leaving you alone with him.”

Sighing wearily, Kagome slumped. Her head was beginning to throb. Was it so difficult for Inuyasha to understand that Sesshoumaru's plan might be thing to gain them an advantage over Naraku? The taiyoukai possessed a cunning that was perhaps the only thing that could bring Naraku down.

“Just think about it, okay?” she finally said.

Not wanting to spend another minute arguing with Inuyasha, she began to walk away, ignoring his calls. It did not escape her notice that lately, she seemed to find herself walking away from the two of them quite often.

……………………̷ 0;…

The miko had left, leaving him to deal with a furious Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru considered beating some sense into the thickheaded hanyou, but quickly discarded the idea when he realized that it would change nothing.

Now that he had heard and seen everything, Sesshoumaru suppose he could understand why the miko had been so hesitant to inform the hanyou of her decision in the first place. One had to simply look at the furious hanyou to understand why. Sesshoumaru had seriously considered telling Inuyasha himself, but had held himself back. The miko needed to do this by herself. She did not need him to smother her or protect her. As far as Sesshoumaru could see, all the smothering and protecting Inuyasha had heaped on her did not do much to increase her strength.

And now, Inuyasha simply could not deal with the fact that he was about to lose the company of the miko. His pride and protective instincts were overriding his common sense.

Sesshoumaru had gotten what he came for; the miko had told Inuyasha of her decision. There was no need for him to prolong his exposure to his half-brother.

Turning around, Sesshoumaru began to walk away from the cave.

“Are you just going to walk away as well?” Inuyasha snarled.

Sesshoumaru paused, but he did not look back. “You are in no state to listen to reason at the moment,” he said evenly.

A slight shift of the air was the only warning Sesshoumaru received before felt the impact of cold metal on his left shoulder. His eyes narrowed in annoyance at the sheer stupidity of his half-brother's action. Was Inuyasha attempting to relieve him of his arm again?

In a flash, he spun around and twisted the untransformed Tetsusaiga out of Inuyasha's hand, transferring it to his own. Then Sesshoumaru flipped the katana around and knocked the surprised hanyou onto the ground. Standing over Inuyasha with his foot on the hanyou's chest and the tip of Tetsusaiga piercing his neck, Sesshoumaru smirked.

Inuyasha's eyes widened as his gaze flitted to the katana. Droplets of blood began to stain Tetsusaiga's tip. “H-How…since when you can yield Tetsusaiga?” he roared, his face red with anger.

“Since the day it accepted this Sesshoumaru's fang and youki.”

“But what…Wait a minute! Did you say your youki? I don't believe you. Why would you give up something like that?” Inuyasha snarled, his golden eyes flickering.

“Believe what you will. This Sesshoumaru has no intention of explaining his actions,” Sesshoumaru said coldly as he held Tetsusaiga up between them. “Do not attempt such foolishness again. Next time, this Sesshoumaru would not be so lenient,” he warned.

Tossing Tetsusaiga carelessly to one side, Sesshoumaru called forth his dust cloud and flew in the direction of his castle. He could not harm Inuyasha just yet. The hanyou's presence might be useful to him.

As he neared his destination, he spotted the figure of the miko, the taijiya, the houshi and the nekomata close to the castle entrance. The kitsune, Shippou, was nowhere to be seen. Presumably, he and Rin had found each other. The miko appeared to be in deep conference with her companions. The atmosphere surrounding them was subdued. Sesshoumaru had no doubt that she was telling them about her decision.

Knowing that he still had one more thing to decide before they departed, Sesshoumaru sped up as he made a beeline for the courtyard.

……………………..

Standing near the gates of the castle, for her human companions did not feel comfortable at the idea of entering Sesshoumaru's domain, Kagome came clean about her deal with Sesshoumaru. Their reaction was nowhere near as bad as Inuyasha's. Although they were concerned about her prolonged exposure to Sesshoumaru, they understood that it was for the best in the long run.

Kagome also sensed a hint of relief from Sango and Miroku. Revenge on Naraku or not, she supposed that three years was a long time to spend traipsing all over the place to find shards. Perhaps they were just grateful for a break.

Then she retrieved her yellow backpack from Kirara and went back to her room with it. A quick visit to the kitchen yielded nothing as the cook did not stock any form of fruit, nuts or honey. Kagome was slightly appalled, but the cook agreed to obtain some for her and Moriko.

Now she knelt behind the barrier in front of Moriko with a meager offering in her hands. She could not find much in her yellow backpack, but there was an unopened pack of dried mango and some of Shippou's candy in it. She discovered with relief that the barrier allowed her hand to pass through. Sesshoumaru must have set it up so that things could enter the barrier but not leave.

“What is this?” Moriko asked curiously as she took a small packet from Kagome.

“It's made from…erm…It's made from cane.”

Moriko inspected the candy doubtfully. Then, tentatively, she raised it to her lips and tasted it. Instantly, her expression cleared.

“It taste like flower nectar, only more concentrated,” the forest youkai exclaimed. “I haven't come across something like this before.”

Kagome nodded, happy that she found Moriko something to eat, even if it was just dried fruits and candy. “I have more if you want. And when they finish, I can go home to get more.”

Moriko gave her a small smile. “You are kind.” She put the candy down and reached for a piece of dried mango. “I've never seen these before. Where is your home?”

Kagome let out an uncomfortable laugh. “You won't believe me if I told you.”

Munching on the mango, Moriko said earnestly, “I'm curious to know.”

Taking a deep breath, Kagome began, “I'm not from this time.” As she expected, Moriko looked surprised, but not for the reason Kagome thought.

“Ah, I remember. You're the Shikon miko who traveled from the future,” Moriko stated. “From the Bone-Eater's well, right?”

“How do you know?”

“Nature whispers the secrets it witnesses to me. Naraku uses me to gain information. I know of many things.”

Kagome blinked as comprehension dawned. So this must be why Sesshoumaru had decided to kidnap Moriko. Without her, Naraku would be temporarily weakened until he could create another detachment. Then Kagome remembered the pendant.

“That pendant that you wore around you neck, it absorbs youki, doesn't it?” Kagome asked.

Moriko paused slightly before she continued to bite the mango. She chewed slowly and swallowed before she replied, “Yes. The pendant enables me to collect demonic energy, youki, like you said. Naraku made me absorb the energy of other youkais to increase his strength. He also used the pendant to bind me. I've tried many times but I couldn't remove it.”

Kagome frowned. “To bind you? Then how did Sesshoumaru remove it so easily?”

Moriko shrugged. “Maybe it had something to do with Toukijin. After all, Toukijin had been forged from Goshinki, who's one of Naraku's earlier detachments.”

“Since you're Naraku's detachment, couldn't you do the same?”

Moriko gave her a look of surprise. “But I'm not his detachment. He captured me one day while I was weakened from a battle.”

Eyes widening, Kagome exclaimed, “Oh no… What have we done?” she whispered in horror. They had captured an innocent youkai.

Moriko gave her a small smile. “At least without the pendant, I'm free from Naraku's influence. I just need to figure out a way to get out of here.” Then she gave Kagome a questioning look. “I don't suppose you could help me.”

A sheepish smile flashed across Kagome's lips. “Sesshoumaru would kill me.”

Nodding, the forest youkai said, “I suspected just as much. From what I heard of Sesshoumaru, he's not the kind to take betrayal lightly.”

Kagome laughed weakly. Sesshoumaru would not hesitate to slice her into two if she was stupid enough to betray him.

A moment of silence passed before Moriko continued thoughtfully. “I think I now know what the vines were talking about,” Moriko said, her eyes shining with wonderment.

Confused at her statement, Kagome frowned. “What do you mean? Vines?”

Moriko nodded. “The vines residing in the Bone-Eater well had told me of something which happened eighteen years ago.”

Curious about Moriko's statement, Kagome prodded, “What did they tell you?”

“There was once a mighty sorceress. She was hurt very badly, but she forced herself to run. A great neko youkai was after her. The vines were not sure, but he looked as if he wanted something she was holding. The vines believed it might be the mystical Shikon jewel.”

Kagome's eyes widened in disbelief. “But the jewel was burned along with Kikyo's body more than fifty years ago. How did it end up with the sorceress?”

Moriko frowned in thought. “There had been rumors that the jewel had been sighted after the miko's death. But no one really paid any attention to it because there were many different versions. It appears that there might have been some truth in those rumors.”

“What were the rumors?”

“There were many, but some seems to fit what actually happened. Some says that the jewel was in the hands of evil because it was tainted by the miko's hatred and that the jewel reappeared to seek a pure soul. Some says that the Shikon was evil in the first place and it was in the hands of a youkai. It goes on. No one knew for sure which version is true. Somehow or other, the sorceress must have gotten hold of it.”

“What happened to the sorceress?”

“She and the neko youkai fought near the well. He was clearly stronger than her, but she resisted. She told him that she was going to keep the jewel safe from evil like him. Unfortunately she stumbled down the well and disappeared in a blue light, never to be seen again.”

“The well…” Kagome whispered.

If what Moriko said was true, then the sorceress must have entered her time about eighteen years ago with the jewel. Did the sorceress arrive when she had already been born or before? In that case, the sorceress must have been the one who had something to do with the appearance of the jewel in her body.

Then what about her being Kikyo's reincarnation and the miko powers? How did that work then? Kagome groaned, feeling the onset on a headache.

“Kagome, are you okay?” Moriko asked softly.

“I don't know,” she said weakly. For some reason, she felt strange, like there was something she had to do and she could not quite remember it.

“Kagome?”

“I've got to go.”

……………………̷ 0;……….

The miko had been preoccupied for some time now. He could feel her unease and confusion like it was his own. Something was bothering her, and it was not hard to guess what it was.

Inuyasha's refusal had hit her hard. Sesshoumaru grimaced. He knew that he could not afford to have a distracted miko on his hands, or for her to change her mind about going with him. She had to be focused for his plan to work, or else, they would attract nothing but trouble.

It was time that he had a brotherly conference with Inuyasha. After all, he had something else to ask of the hanyou.

He found Inuyasha perched on a tree in the courtyard, looking as if he belonged there. A scowl managed to make its way to Sesshoumaru's face before he recomposed his expression into its customary look of disinterest. From the sudden stiffening of the hanyou's shoulders, Sesshoumaru knew that his half-brother had sensed his presence. Perhaps the whelp's nose was not so useless after all.

“What do you want?” Inuyasha growled as he turned to glare at him.

Sesshoumaru's brow quirked. “You are sitting in this Sesshoumaru's courtyard, in his tree. And you dare to ask that question?”

Inuyasha snorted derisively. “Don't forget that father had intended for me to stay here. You kind of ruined his plans by kicking us out.”

Was that really what Inuyasha believed? That he would chase his father's second wife and son out of their home? Frowning slightly, Sesshoumaru said, “Do not speak such lies, Inuyasha. This Sesshoumaru had nothing to do with your mother's departure.”

Inuyasha let out a disbelieving bark of laughter. “Yeah, right. So what are you saying? That I'm welcomed to stay here now?”

“Hn. Perhaps `welcomed' is not the appropriate word.”

Frowning, Inuyasha said, “You're serious about this?” Then Inuyasha crossed his arms belligerently. “Anyway, whatever it is, I'm not leaving without Kagome.”

“The miko would not return to you until her task is complete.”

Inuyasha's eyes flashed. “In which case, I'm staying right here until she comes with me.”

“If you insist on inflicting this home with your presence, then you will make yourself useful,” Sesshoumaru bit out.

“You must be out of your mind if you think I'm going to help you.”

“Perhaps this Sesshoumaru should attempt to explain it such that your simple hanyou mind could understand.” Pinning an uncompromising look on Inuyasha, he continued, “The forest youkai has the information we need to destroy Naraku. However, she requires some persuasion in order to bring her to our side. You will be carrying out this task.”

Inuyasha glared at him as he leapt off the tree. “What's stopping you from doing it? After all, she is YOUR prisoner. And anyway, the girl's weird. She was staring at me like she knew me or something. So don't start thinking I'm going to look after her for you.”

“You will do your part, Inuyasha. It is of utmost importance that the rest of the shards do not fall into Naraku's hands. This Sesshoumaru would make sure of that.”

“Shard hunting is MY job, you bastard. Who said that you can take over just like that?” Inuyasha yelled in outrage.

Giving the hanyou a derisive look, Sesshoumaru said, “It had taken you three years to collect a quarter of the jewel and you have lost shards to Naraku countless times. It is clear that you are incapable of completing the task.”

Inuyasha looked as if he was about to combust. “Look, Sesshoumaru. I don't know why you suddenly have an interest in the jewel. But I need it more than you do, so let me get on with my shard hunting with Kagome and stay out of it.”

“The miko will continue shard hunting without your presence. It will be more efficient without your hanyou speed to slow us down.”

“Kagome won't be able to travel as fast as you can.”

“It matters not. This Sesshoumaru's cloud will take care of it.”

Inuyasha growled. “I don't think you get it, Sesshoumaru. She's not going with you.”

“Are your pride and possessiveness so important to you that they even blinded you to simple common sense?” Sesshoumaru asked smoothly, his eyes piercing Inuyasha's, willing him to see sense for once in his life.

“What?!”

“This Sesshoumaru does not repeat himself.”

“What the hell do you mean by that? I'm not doing this because of some stupid pride! And what possessiveness?”

“Possessiveness of the miko. And the perceived loss of face that you would not be the one to take down Naraku,” he said stonily.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. “Why are you doing this? Why the sudden interest in the Shikon shards and Kagome?”

“My motives do not concern you, hanyou.”

“Oh yeah it does. If you think you can butt in like this, then you're sadly mistaken. I need the Shikon jewel and I have a score to settle with Naraku, so just get out of my way, will you?”

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. “You're not the only one with a score to settle with Naraku.”

“But you don't have to drag Kagome or the shards into it!”

“A debt is a debt. She would honor her end of it.” As she would have readily done if the hanyou did not persist in his unreasonable protests, Sesshoumaru thought irritably. Having to actually persuade the miko to do so irked him to no end.

“I won't let you.”

“Perhaps this Sesshoumaru should remind you that she owes the debt as a result of your weakness,” he said icily.

Inuyasha's eyes flickered. “You forced her into it!” But his tone belied his uncertainty.

Attempting to get past Inuyasha's innate stubbornness, Sesshoumaru's voice was low and deliberate when he spoke. “The miko made the first move. She made the decision to save your life by dealing with this Sesshoumaru. Do you show your appreciation by disrespecting the decision she had chosen to honor? You should have a better understanding than that.”

Inuyasha glared at him wordlessly.

“This Sesshoumaru expected better, even from someone like you.”

Turning around, Sesshoumaru began to walk away, leaving Inuyasha to stare at him open-mouthed. He had done all he could, exerted whatever influence he could on the hanyou. But perhaps he could push Inuyasha further.

Without looking back, he added smoothly, “It is without doubt that the miko would appreciate it if you do not insist on making this more difficult than necessary.”

……………………̷ 0;……………..

The flickering light filtering through the translucent screen into the hallway caught Sesshoumaru's attention while he was returning to his room. He had been meditating in the courtyard, getting his thoughts smoothed out in preparation for their departure tomorrow.

The light came from the miko's room, he realized. He deliberated only for a second before he altered his path. As he approached, the noises inside and her feelings of disgruntlement told him that she was fully awake.

Quietly, he slid the screen open to be greeted with her startled face.

“Sesshoumaru,” she exclaimed.

“You are not asleep,” he stated, his eyes landing on the small packets scattered on the futon.

“No,” she said with a sigh. “I can't get to sleep, so I thought I might as well pack for the trip.”

“You will be tired tomorrow if you do not rest,” he admonished, his disapproval clear on his face.

The miko gave him a look of surprise. Belatedly, he realized how concerned he had sounded. He immediately rectified the situation by saying, “Do not expect this Sesshoumaru to stop when you're too exhausted to continue.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “And what makes you think I'm going to do that?” she challenged.

“You're human,” he stated flatly as he walked closer to her. Peering into the bag, he added, “It is not necessary to bring this along. It'll only hamper our movements.”

She looked up at him disbelievingly. “And how do you expect me to survive out there without spare clothes and food?”

“We will only be gone for a few days at a time. A week at the most. As for food, we will hunt. You've proven to this Sesshoumaru that you're capable of doing so.”

The look she gave him told him that she was not convinced. “Right.” Straightening from the bag, she tilted her head to the side and asked, “So, are you planning to tell me what you're up to?”

“We will collect the shards.” His tone was abrupt.

“And?” she persisted.

It was evident from the waves of determination emanating from her that the miko had no intention of stopping this particular line of questioning. Previously, he had never fully divulged his plans to anyone before it became a reality. But this time, he was not alone in his plan.

Cursing the fact that he needed her assistance, he began, “Naraku requires the jewel to make himself a full demon. He is obsessed with it. With part of the jewel in our hands, two things could happen. Naraku could come to us, or he could wait for us to relieve him of his half of the jewel. This Sesshoumaru is counting on the latter.”

“But how do we know where to find him?”

“The forest youkai has the knowledge and power to do so. Her command of the forest elements is what makes her a good spy.”

She gave him a thoughtful look. “I see.”

Then she fell silent.

He quirked an eyebrow, surprised that she did not question him further. In a way, he was glad as he did not want to touch upon the nature of Ryokusen's role in Naraku's plan. It was one of the things he had to find out from the forest youkai. He still found it hard to believe that the Northern Lord would concede to work with the hanyou. Ryokusen was certainly powerful enough without Naraku's influence.

His senses prickled at the approach of a familiar presence. Inuyasha was headed their way, Sesshoumaru thought. After a while, a series of taps against the shoji announced the hanyou's arrival.

“Come in,” the miko called out.

The shoji screen slid open and Inuyasha stepped in. He immediately gave Sesshoumaru a pointed look. “Do you mind leaving us alone?” he bit out.

From the look on his half-brother's face, he already knew that Inuyasha had decided to let the miko leave. Good. There might be hope for the whelp after all. Without another word, Sesshoumaru turned around and left, not missing the look of surprise on the miko's face as he did so.

……………………̷ 0;……………..

It was just after dawn when Kagome found herself soaring over the treetops on Sesshoumaru's dust cloud, a small traditional pouch strapped securely to her back. Sesshoumaru had refused to let her bring her yellow backpack, but she had been relieved when he had tossed her the pouch to carry her necessities. Standing precariously on the small cloud with her fingers gripping his armor and his left hand fisted at the back of her hakamashita, she realized that he had been right. As usual.

She felt surprisingly fresh considering that she had not slept at all the night before. At first, her sleeplessness had been due to Moriko's words, and then, it was because of Inuyasha. As the wind whipped past her ears, she thought back on the conversation she had with her friend.

To say that she had been surprised would be a gross understatement. The last thing she had expected was for Inuyasha to tell her that he would not stand in her way. The hanyou had told her in his adorably gruff manner that although he would not pretend to be happy with it, he understood that it was for the best.

She had been stumped. Just as Inuyasha had been when she had launched herself against him, sobbing in relief. She had not realized how tense she had been until that moment. She had not realized how important it was that he accepted her decision and supported her in it.

A small smile flitted past her lips. At that moment, she had almost…almost fallen in love with him again.

But alas, she knew that the time for that had come and gone. Her priority had changed. And right now, her heart lifted at the anticipation of a new adventure. Sesshoumaru's plan had given her a new hope that they could defeat Naraku.

Sesshoumaru's quiet voice penetrated her thoughts. “You're pleased with your decision, Miko?”

Wondering absently how he had so uncannily guessed how she felt, she replied cheerfully, “It's nice to be looking forward to something. And I have a good feeling about this whole thing.”

“We will succeed,” Sesshoumaru said confidently.

Brushing her flying hair out of her face, she teased, “How can you be so certain? Can you foresee the future or something?”

Sesshoumaru gave her a dry look.

“Ah! I see,” she exclaimed exaggeratedly, one of her hands letting go of his armor to lift a finger up in the air. “It's because you're Sesshoumaru.”

A growl was all she received in response to her question.

She grinned at his response. “So…where are we going?” she asked, grabbing his armor again to make sure that she did not fall off his dust cloud.

His gaze fixed in the distance, Sesshoumaru replied. “South.”

“Any reason why? Hmm…I guess we need to start somewhere other than the west since you've probably cleared out all the shards from there already.”

“Hn.”

“I don't remember going this far south, though. Inuyasha never liked the thought of crossing the Western lands to get there.”

“Miko. Are you unable to maintain silence?” he said as he lowered his eyes, giving her an exasperated look.

She grinned. “Hey, you're the one who wants me along for this shard hunt. You're just going to have to put up with my chattering.”

Kagome could have sworn that Sesshoumaru had grunted at her. Grin widening, she realized that teasing him could be really fun if his reaction so far was any indication. After all, however irritated he got, he could not kill her while he needed her help.

It was a good thing, considering that she had no way of subduing him.

Talk about subduing…

“Say, Sesshoumaru? Do you have any idea why Inuyasha changed his mind?” she asked, giving him a suspicious look. “You didn't threaten him or anything like that, did you?”

“This Sesshoumaru simply presented Inuyasha with the truth.”

She blinked. “The truth? What truth?” she asked a little apprehensively. What truth could Sesshoumaru had told Inuyasha to change his mind so suddenly?

Sesshoumaru fell silent, obviously unprepared to elaborate further.

She gave him a beseeching look. “What is it, Sesshoumaru?”

With an impatient sigh, Sesshoumaru finally replied, “This Sesshoumaru simply informed the hanyou that he has a role to play. Therefore, Inuyasha is remaining in the Western Lands to interrogate the forest youkai.”

Kagome gaped. Inuyasha agreed to help Sesshoumaru? And Inuyasha interrogating Moriko? She had a feeling that things might not turn out as well as Sesshoumaru expected. “Really? Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, this is Inuyasha we're talking about.”

He did not move a single muscle, but she could see the flicker of unease in his eyes. “We shall see when we return.”

“Oh.”

“Now that your curiosity is satisfied, perhaps you could cease with the chatter.”

Smirking inside, Kagome simply rolled her eyes.

……………………̷ 0;…………