Cost of Refusal by MLMonty

Cost of Refusal

A/N: Please read the Important!!! section of my profile before continuing with this story or any others written by me. Special thanks to DemonLordLover for letting me bounce ideas off of her. Special thanks to Yuki hime for helping me get the different forms of speech sorted out so it's not too confusing. And finally a thanks to DebL and Jane for editing. Thanks bunches ladies. Yes, this is a oneshot so don't bother asking for more. Reviews though as to whether you like it or not are most welcome.

" spoken "

' thoughts ' (as applies to Sesshoumaru or any other living character)

" spirit " (as applies to Kagome or any other soul)

Cost of Refusal

The metallic scent of iron wafted on the crisp autumn breeze. Pausing in his patrol, Sesshoumaru tilted his head up slightly to determine the source. The bitter tang he tasted on his tongue suggested blood in abundance, probably human. Why a human would be so close to his border was a mystery. All knew the feared Demon Lord of the West tolerated no trespassers, and there wasn't a human border settlement near the area.

Cautiously he followed the scent trail, gliding over the brittle leaves, careful to not make a sound. The sound of shallow, labored breathing confirmed that the victim was near death. Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, illuminating a small clearing. Deceptively tranquil, the sound of a babbling brook almost overrode the sound of the human's attempt at bringing in the sweet, clean air around it; the smell of blood was slowly overriding the purity of the air. Sesshoumaru stopped at the edge of the clearing, concealed by the few shadows the early afternoon sun allowed. The metallic tang hung heavily, almost oppressively, in the clearing.

A mass of tangled raven hair lay pooled in a crimson puddle. The body of a young woman was barely recognizable as such. One eye was swollen shut; the delicate nose appeared to be broken even from a distance. A ghastly purple bruise spread across the bridge of her nose and under her eyes. The bruise merged with the one encasing the swollen eye, making it impossible to tell the two marks apart. The full bottom lip, fit for gently suckling, was split; a thick trail of crimson ran down her chin, slowly drying in the crisp breeze. The clothing she wore was really the only thing confirming her sex. The tattered remains of a short green skirt fluttered fitfully in the sporadic breeze. Her alabaster skin was slick and red from her blood.

Vaguely, Sesshoumaru wondered how her skin could be so white considering the life she had led. Perhaps it was from the blood loss.

Her arm was bent at an awkward angle, coming to rest beneath her back the hand nestled between her shoulder blades. Deep, thick, claw marks ran from the top of her exposed left breast to her right hip. Her shirt was waving cheerfully from a nearby tree limb, an odd piece of cloth next to it; perhaps a foreign article for binding her ample breasts. Near the shallow crystalline stream that ran at the edge of the clearing a bow lay broken, the string snapped. The quiver was nowhere in immediate sight, but a handful of arrows were scattered around the clearing.

The dark blue eyes of the victim blinked rapidly, as if trying to clear away a film that had settled over them. "Sesshoumaru," the whisper was barely breathed. Unsure if he had heard correctly, he expanded his senses, searching for her attacker. Finding nothing for miles around he proceeded to cross the tranquil clearing to the broken figure by the water's edge.

Kagome looked up at him as he neared, her vision blurred from the pain. It was starting to numb a bit. That was good, the pain made it rather hard to think. Now that the pain was receding she was getting sleepy. She would rest soon, but not yet. There was something she had to do first. Sesshoumaru stood over her bathed in a brilliant white beam of autumn light. It made him look god like. She wanted to chuckle at the errant thought. It would take too much energy though, and she would need it all for what she had to do. Getting the demon to do what needed to be done would be her most challenging task ever. Still, the image of him was awe inspiring. His silver white hair shone brightly, his silk clothes and white skin actually seemed to glow as the sunlight bathed him. Those eyes, however, those amber eyes that locked on to her with the intensity of the sun itself, were what unnerved her. They were cold, unfeeling. No matter what she would do this. It had to be done, for everyone's sake.

"Shikon, take it." It was harder to talk than she surmised it would be. Her blood was thick in her throat, causing it to be raw and making it hard to swallow. Blinking rapidly again, she attempted to gather her thoughts. Her power was already prepared for what had to be done. He would be angry when he discovered the deception, but by then it would be too late. Once she accomplished her task there would be no undoing of it. She only prayed that he would touch the cursed jewel.

"Why would I waste my time with that trinket?" Idly he wondered if he should revive her after she died. She had always been a nuisance; always interrupting when he 'educated' his little brother, speaking out against him, even attacking him on the rare occasion.

"Important. Take it. Hide it. From Inu," She gasped, her words choppy and coarse. The tip of her pink tongue darted out and attempted to wet her cracked lips. It was a useless endeavor. Her voice was barely audibly over the rasping of her lungs and the cheerful babbling of the brook. She seemed to have great difficulty in speaking, but was determined to pass her duty on. Why would she entrust a jewel that corrupts demons and humans alike to him? It must be because he was the only one there.

"Inuyasha? Why would I hide it from him? Is he not to receive it from you? Was he not to use it to become a full demon?"

"No. Looked. Couldn't find." Closing her eyes for a moment she once again gathered her waning strength. "Mustn't find." It took a great deal of energy to force her lids back open. She wanted to sleep. She was so tired, a good nap and she'd feel better. Somewhere she dimly realized that if she did sleep she wouldn't wake again, but it was a vague incorporeal thought at best. 'There is no rest for the weary.' Once again she wanted to chuckle at her thoughts. It was odd what one thought when they were dying. So odd.

"He did this to you?" Surely he mistook the meaning of her words. She was near death after all and her sentences broken at best and barely audible even to his keen hearing. How she was even able to converse at all was amazing. The idea that his bastard brother was responsible for destroying a female in his care was ludicrous. He may be of questionable honor, but one did not brutally murder one's allies. This young woman had been his ally for several years, a close friend as well. Sesshoumaru had always suspected that it was only a matter of time before they mated. Though, even now, he could smell her innocence, a sweet siren underlying the taint of death and blood.

"Yes. Didn't find. Right side. Take." Still reluctant to believe that the half breed would stoop so low as to kill a female he swore to protect, he was, nonetheless, intrigued that the woman claimed the jewel was by her side. Moving carefully, so as to avoid the congealing blood, he scanned the ground for the bauble.

"There is nothing there. This Sesshoumaru senses it nearby, but it is not visible."

"Hand." The fingers of her right hand twitched as if trying to reach for him. "Side." Kneeling down he bit back the revulsion of touching the cooling blood-slick flesh and gently placed his clawed hand in hers. She insisted that the jewel was present and, while he could sense it, the location eluded him. Clumsily, she drew his hand to her side and pressed the claws to the flesh of her side. "Side." His face revealed none of the confusion that wrung him internally. The jewel was inside of her? Was that why he could sense it but not find it? Pressing the pads of his fingers to the spot she indicated he felt something hard shift just below the skin. "Take." Under the pads of his fingers was an old scar, the white lines barely stood out against her pasty skin. He could feel something hard under the slightly puckered flesh.

Sesshoumaru captured the deep blue gaze of the dying miko. She was desperate. Could he really deny her last request? She didn't beg for her life. She was aware that he could resurrect her if he so desired, but she merely wished for him to take the bauble and hide it from Inuyasha and others. No, it wasn't too much for her to ask. If she had asked for her life he would have denied her, but she merely wanted to fulfill her duty. He could respect that, if nothing else, about her. As head of the family it was his responsibility to do what he could for her. To see to her last wishes, especially since it seemed that his brother was responsible for this. His nose had told him that underneath the blood there was the scent of his father's family. He had only one family member left that would carry the scent of his sire. He had not wanted to believe that his brother was capable of murdering one of his own, but he had to face the facts. The facts pointed to his brother; there were no other scents in the area. It did not bode well for his brother or the familial honor. "Very well, this Sesshoumaru will hide the jewel."

A weak smile passed over her lips. He was astounded at the simple beauty of it. In the face of death she was thankful for such a small favor. Any physical beauty she had possessed was long lost, but her internal radiance still shown. With surgical precision, he sliced through the layers of cooling skin. Her body was already preparing for eternal rest. Sluggishly, thick blood seeped out of the thin cut, covering his fingers. A small, perfectly round bead slipped silently out of its resting place, landing in his awaiting hand. Flashes of pink showed through the crimson coating it. "Thank you." Glancing at her one last time he watched her breathe her last as he stood and prepared to leave.

A sharp stinging pain shot from his palm to his shoulder; then down to his chest. Grimacing, he forced his fisted hand open. The Shikon no Tama was slowly sinking into the palm of his hand. No knowledge of the jewel prepared him for this. He had no desire for it. He wasn't attempting to use its power. It shouldn't be fusing with him on its own. A wholly unfelt-before emotion gripped his heart in irons, panic. Gasping for breath he stumbled a few feet from the dead priestess. The pain intensified, causing him to sink to his knees as he clutched at his heart, before losing the battle with the pain and passing out.

***

A splitting headache greeted him when he awoke from his forced slumber. Night had fallen and the sky was awash with stars. Fury burned through him. He was not supposed to be stuck with the damned jewel. He did one nice thing and what happened? He was stuck with an object that would draw lesser demons to him by the horde. More powerful, foolish demons would attempt to battle him as well for it.

"I'm sorry for what I did, but you were my only hope."

"Miko?" Glancing at the body in the center of the clearing he focused his senses. She was dead. She had been for a while, so how was he hearing her?

"Please forgive me. I needed the jewel to be safe. You can keep it safe. In exchange for becoming the keeper of the jewel, you have been gifted with my knowledge and what protection I can offer."

"Where are you miko? How would your meager knowledge be of use to this Sesshoumaru? A mere human's protection is worthless to this Sesshoumaru."

"I am within you. The name is Kagome by the way. You might as well get used to me. I'm part of you now. And my knowledge will be helpful," Chuckling softly she continued, "Trust me, knowing the future is always helpful. Also, the jewel won't corrupt you since I share a body with you. Pretty useful if you ask me; not having to worry about being corrupted. Immunity to purification certainly has its advantages as well."

"I did not ask for the worthless trinket, miko, nor for you. Remove yourself from this Sesshoumaru's person and take the jewel with you."

"No can do. You agreed to hide it, and what better way to hide it than right here in the great and terrible Lord Sesshoumaru's heart." More chuckling reached him. "Guess you do have a heart after all, huh?" the annoying miko snickered.

"You are lucky you are nothing but a voice in my head or I'd kill you." He snarled at the laughing miko co-habiting his body. The damn wench was lucky indeed that she was now a part of him. Her constant presence was annoying and he wished he had just resurrected her when he had the chance. Her constant chatter was beginning to produce a headache, something that he had never experience before. He could have had the pleasure of killing her himself after her resurrection. Unfortunately, his brother had that particular pleasure. A part of him understood the desire to inflict pain upon the miko, but she was under Inuyasha's care. To kill someone you were sworn to protect was a disgrace, unless the person had betrayed you. This was not the case where the miko and the hanyou were concerned. He needed to confront the mistake to his blood line. Not for the miko's sake, but for his family's honor. A small, almost silent, part of him voiced the fact that he was maybe doing it, in part, for the miko's sake. After all she had been put through by his family, she deserved a bit of revenge.

Growling Sesshoumaru shut off the part of his mind that the wench resided in and took off into the darkened sky. It would take effort on his part, but he would keep the worthless whore confined into a tiny section of his mind until he could evict her soul from his body. Right now, however, he needed a distraction before he went on a killing spree in his fury.

***

Sesshoumaru stood silently watching the red, sticky liquid trail in thin streams from the tips of his claws to pool on the leaves below him. He wanted to be able to slice through the layers of his mind to extract the taint within as easily as he was able to slice through the sinew of the ignorant beast before him. The corpse of a foolish youkai lay bloodied and slowly cooling at his feet. If only it was as simple to relieve himself of the annoyance that was now a part of him. A negligent flick of his wrist sent an arc of crimson droplets flying though the twilight around him. He needed to think of some means to extract the annoying presence. He didn't need this level of distraction. It was humiliating enough to know that he had that worthless bauble inside of his chest, but the added shame of having the spirit of a miko possess him was too much for the proud youkai to bear. Something had to be done. Drastic measures would have to be taken. Perhaps a visit to a dark miko would be in order. He would have to kill her afterward, whether she was helpful or not, but one less miko was hardly a problem. The damage to his honor was extensive enough without the added humiliation of others knowing about his shame.

Surprisingly, the jewel buried in his chest didn't attract undue attention. Something, or perhaps someone, was blocking the aura it emitted. Despite the small reprieve it gave, Sesshoumaru was still determined to have it removed from his person, along with the unwanted spirit. Turning sharply on his heel he stalked off, leaving the cooling body behind for the scavengers.

***

"Why were you alone? Shouldn't you have been with your companions the day that you died?" Slowly Sesshoumaru was getting used to having the permanent presence of the miko inside of his mind. It was interesting to be able to talk to her, though annoying at times. At least he didn't have to speak outloud; he found that just by concentrating on her presence he was able to 'speak' to her. It did prevent him from looking insane. Though if anyone ever found out that he possessed the fabled Shikon no Tama and didn't desire to use it, they would certainly think him so. Talking to the spirit of a dead miko that inhabited his body would just add to that image.

His curiosity had been getting the better of him in recent days and he'd allowed her out of the tiny corner of his mind to converse with her before sealing her away again.

"You can just access my memories you know. I've told you how, it's not like I can keep you out, or vice-versa."

"I wish for you to tell me. Memories do not show your thoughts, just your actions or what you witnessed."

"I was running." Kagome's mental voice was soft and sorrow-laden. "I knew that I couldn't give over the Shikon no Tama to Inuyasha. It would corrupt him; he isn't strong enough to possess it. I knew that this time I wouldn't survive him."

"This time?"

Sighing Kagome organized her thoughts. "It started, I suppose, when he awoke from his Kikyou-induced slumber. He wasn't released at first, but awake. I'm not sure how, maybe it was my powers, since I was Kikyou's reincarnation, that awoke him somehow; anyway, I was running from a demon who sensed the jewel in me."

"It was in you?" Sesshoumaru interrupted. That would explain why she had hidden it in her own body. Was the scar where it was before? Had she really hidden it in plain sight to those who knew?

"Yup, I was born with it. Anyway, he was insulting me thinking I was Kikyou. Eventually he realized I wasn't." Kagome's sad voice continued as she described her first encounter with his half brother. Listening to her narration Sesshoumaru, for the first time, accessed her memories. He could see Inuyasha bound to the tree yelling insults. More importantly, he could appreciate for the first time the hard choice that was required of the miko in determining whether or not to release a potential threat in exchange for surviving a current one. "So that's how it all started." Her thoughts brought him back to her narrative of the event as he once more concentrated on what she was saying. "He was constantly insulting me, degrading me, at first. It got better after a while, for a time."

The lull in the internal conversation sat heavily on Sesshoumaru. He had always known his brother lacked discipline, but was it truly as bad as the miko seemed to think? Delving deeper into her memories, he dredged up episode after episode. Inuyasha would flit between sweet, rare moments that had even Sesshoumaru convinced that the half-breed cared for the girl, only to change the next moment with barely a breath and demean her. He witnessed the verbal belittling gradually grow into small physical altercations. The first was simple, Inuyasha had been angry at the miko for not taking a shot at Sesshoumaru when he had been distracted in battle. The insolent pup had wanted the girl to shoot him in the back while he ran to protect Rin from a wayward shot. Sesshoumaru had not been seeking battle that day, but information, when Inuyasha attacked. During the ensuing chaos, Rin had been put in danger. Sesshoumaru had never known the silent exchange had taken place between miko and hanyou on that battlefield; he was too concerned with saving Rin.

After the battle the girl had tried to explain her reasons, but was silenced by a harsh slap across her face, the force of which knocked her to the ground blurring her vision. She had a vivid bruise for days, but she was lucky that he hadn't broken any of the delicate bones in her face.

"Why did you not leave him?" Sesshoumaru interrupted Kagome's musings. Time and again he witnessed the girl through her memories go off on her own to cry, bruised and battered, but she always returned. "Why did the other humans in your group not stand up to him and defend you? Nowhere in your memories do I see them defend you."

"They couldn't really. What would happen if they tried? He would turn on them. Abuse is very common in my time and it's often ignored because people are afraid to interfere. They're afraid that they'll either make it worse for the victim or have the abuser turn on them. In Inuyasha's case that would have been horrible. He has the ability to kill any of the group. Perhaps if we had stood together we could have defended ourselves against him; but for how long? How long before he would get one of us alone and 'reprimand' us? They couldn't risk it." Surprisingly, no bitterness laced her words. She accepted the fact that she had been helpless before a monster. "As for why I stayed; what else could I do? I needed his strength in the beginning. Before the jewel broke I intended to return home and forget about this time. After the jewel broke it became my responsibility to fix the problems it caused. The jewel was of me and it was my fault it shattered and caused such carnage and heartache. I needed his strength; there was no other strong enough to protect me from him if I chose to leave. He was my penance."

"Why do you blame yourself for shattering the Tama? You did not know it would happen."

"Shattering the jewel wasn't my crime," Kagome whispered. "It was the result of it. My crime was running away from my responsibility. By attempting to take the jewel and myself and leave the village alone I put myself in a dangerous situation. I ignored the warnings given to me, I denied my responsibility to protect the jewel, thus leading to my kidnapping, then the jewel shattering, and then that led to everyone suffering. Inuyasha was my penance for not doing my duty, not for shattering the jewel."

Sesshoumaru was silent to that. He had always been taught that you didn't run away from duty. It was cumbersome and unwanted but you dealt with it. He never bothered wondering what would happen if he ran from his duties. It was a moot point, he simply did them. Kagome was an example of what could happen. He felt that she shouldn't have accepted Inuyasha's treatment of her the way she did, but he also realized that her guilt forced her to. He reviewed her memories from the day she fell down the well untill the jewel shattered. He understood why she acted the way she did. She hadn't believed. It was truly too much for her to believe. Everyone was asking her to believe something that would have her labeled as insane in her time. Youkai and magic gems simply didn't exist in her world; then suddenly she was told that she was a reincarnation of a powerful priestess and had to protect a magic object that could destroy lives, perhaps the world. Yes, she had been running, but it was due to not accepting her new reality, not from abandoning her duty.

He didn't bother asking her why she didn't simply 'sit' the hanyou. He had seen those memories. She would be 'disciplined' for that course of action. She didn't have the reactions of a youkai or even a hanyou. Inuyasha could be on her when her attention was elsewhere before she could utter the word that was supposed to be her defense against him. She had learned soon enough that for every 'sit' command used, a 'discipline' was issued at a later date. Sesshoumaru had to hand it to Inuyasha; he took care to only damage the girl in ways that allowed her to still function. He didn't condone the actions against the girl; he was merely surprised at the level of care used to harm her. As oxymoronic as it sounded it was true. A broken bone would hold the search for the shards up, but there were other means of harming the girl. He hadn't thought that the hanyou was that smart.

Sesshoumaru didn't bother correcting her view of Inuyasha being her penance. What good would it do now, when she was already dead? That was one memory he hadn't viewed yet. He wasn't sure he was ready to.

***

Sesshoumaru stopped near an old hut partially obscured by decaying trees. The roof was bowed inward and it was amazing that it hadn't yet collapsed. The floor was raised off the sodden ground by four gnarled wooded posts. Three steps lead to the curtain-covered doorway. The middle step was broken and partially sunk into the soft earth, stagnant water pooled around it. After fielding reports from his spies, he decided that the best place to receive help with his 'little problem' was through Lady Kira. The old miko resided in a swamp, of all things. The scent of decay and death mixed with stagnant water was unpleasant to his senses. Sesshoumaru, however, would do what must be done to rid himself of the presence of the miko and the Shikon no Tama, including enduring unpleasant scenery and dealing with a fallen miko.

In the back of his mind he could feel the prickling of the dead miko's presence. 'Perhaps she senses her doom is upon her,' Sesshoumaru mused 'it would serve her right to die a most painful death after attempting to take refuge in this Sesshoumaru.' Striding puposefully across the soggy ground, he entered the dilapidated building without bothering to announce his presence. If this Lady Kira was truly a miko she would have known he was there. He had not bothered to hide his youki.

The hut was in a dilapidated condition. Murky light filtered through threadbare curtains, dimly lighting the single room. Cobwebs hung thickly along the ceiling and in corners. The floor was made from a water-rotted wood. The ceiling nearly brushed against his immaculate hair. The woman before him was wizened by time. Her hair was sparse and greasy, bald patches were prevalent atop her head interspersed with clumps of stringy hair. Her eyes were a milky white, indicating blindness. Her fingers were gnarled and it amazed him that she was able to pick at the small pieces of dried bone before her. Her form was hunched over a low table in the center of the room. In a corner was a mildew infected palate for sleeping. Broken pottery littered the floor. The added unwelcome stench of defecation only made Sesshoumaru's fury grow another notch. He should not be subjugated to seeking help from wretches like her. "Kiba." Sesshoumaru stated.

"It is, Lady Kiba, to you," she rasped.

"Hn."

"What is it you want, youkai?"

"I require an exorcism."

Lady Kiba laughed dryly, her voice reminding him of fall leaves being crumbled beneath feet. "A youkai needs to be exorcised? How was it that you, a taiyoukai, came to be possessed by another youkai?"

"I said nothing of another youkai."

"Not a youkai then; what, pray tell, possesses you?" Her wrinkled face twisted into a grotesque mask of disbelief.

"A miko."

The response to his proclamation was not encouraging. The old hag was literally doubled over in a slightly comical scene; at least it would be if her mirth was not directed at him. She had somehow managed to laugh and cough at the same time, tears seeping down the deep tracks of flesh lining her face. "A dark miko managed to possess you? Truly you must have been distracted to allow such a thing to happen. Mayhaps her womanly charms were too much to resist, nay?" The smile that split her face revealed a mouth of black, rotten and missing teeth and deseased gums.

"She was not a dark miko. I agreed to do her a favor and was repaid by her possessing me with her dying breath."

"Do not tell such lies." She retorted sharply. "A pure miko would do no such thing. It would be blasphemy." Lady Kiba spat out the word pure, spittle flying across the table as she did so, as if merely saying it was to invite a slew of sicknesses unto her decaying body.

"Nevertheless, she was pure. Now tell me, Lady Kiba, can you remove her from my person." Sesshoumaru's limited patience was wearing thin. His claws literally itched to shred the insolent hag's sagging skin from her brittle body.

"Mayhaps. Tell me of this miko."

The dim light finally waned away leaving the two occupants of the hut in darkness. Neither occupant was bothered with the light's successful slow retreat. The old miko had cast her bones, her hands deftly darting over the fallen pieces in her blindness as Sesshoumaru watched. A sharp intake of breath was his only indication of her surprise. "This bodes ill for you, taiyoukai." Sesshoumaru reined in his impatience and awaited her verdict. "The one who possesses you is indeed pure. Too pure for me to remove."

"Explain."

"There is more that inhabits you than just her soul. My eyes may not see the physical, but they see just well what is meant to be hidden. Her soul is large, abnormally large." A twisted bony finger wrapped in wrinkled paper like skin pointed at him. "Also, something that should never have been resides in your very chest, nay?"

"Hn."

"Any attempt to remove her will cause the cursed jewel to react. She protects it and it protects her." Nodding her head sharply she went silent.

"It failed to protect her in the end, did it not? She was murdered by one sworn to protect her."

"Not the same thing, youkai. It does not protect her from physical damage. It protects her very soul. She would have been immune to soul attacks, such as having it removed from her living body. Now you are her living body. Be wary, if a void youkai were to attack it would be your soul that would vacate your body not hers. That would leave her in complete control and you the mere plaything of a youkai while without a body of your own. I suggest you find a way to compromise with the girl. There is nothing I can do. Now leave before you bring ill-will." Dismissing him she began to shuffle around the room preparing for the end of the day.

"What if I remove the jewel? Will that not allow for the exorcism?"

"The jewel will not allow itself to be removed. The girl will fight it. Her large soul encompasses yours. If she truly wished it, she could take over your very body; forcing you into the recesses of your own mind." Looking up briefly she seemed to debate silently before preceding. "In truth, you be lucky it was a pure miko that inhabits you. If it had been a dark miko to inhabit you, your fate would have been thus. Compromise with the girl, find out what it is she desires." The Lady Kiba once again went back to her end of the day routine.

Infuriated, Sesshoumaru wanted nothing more than to destroy the decaying building along with the worthless miko. Turning swiftly on his heel he took off into the night sky after tossing a few coins on the low table. While a waste of time, the woman had answered his questions, even if the answers were not what he wanted to hear. He decided to allow her, her life for services rendered; no matter his original plan of killing her after her use was done. There was one he could take his anger and frustration out on, however. One who deserved his wrath more: Inuyasha. If he hadn't killed the girl, he, Sesshoumaru, would not be in this predicament. It was time to cash in on an old promise. Inuyasha's life had always been his to take and suddenly Sesshoumaru felt like taking it.

***

The stench of an unwashed half-breed wafted to him from the south. It seemed that his brother was closer to the old hag than he had realized. That was good; he could feel the dead one awakening from the corner of his mind he had pushed her into. He wasn't sure if she would try to interfere with his plans for the whelp. The sky he flew through was clear and the light of the moon was more than enough for him to see by. The terrain below him melted away from a bog into more fertile forest land. Expanding his aura slightly, it didn't take him long to pinpoint his target. Spotting a dim red and orange glow in a clearing Sesshoumaru slowed his flight. 'The half-breed will pay for this Sesshoumaru's indignity.'

Withdrawing his aura and blocking his scent to mask his presence, he unsheathed Tokijin. Once properly prepared he proceeded with caution. It wouldn't do for the whelp to happen to glance up and see him. Suddenly he dived, the wind whistling in his ears, blocking out all sound. He watched as the whelp barely managed to dodge the unexpected attack.

"Sesshoumaru, what do you want, you bastard?" Fumbling with his sheath Inuyasha managed to successfully draw the transformed Tesseiga.

Sesshoumaru glanced at him from the corner of his eye. A large section of earth had been blown away, forming a crater where the pest had been sitting moments before.

"You have disgraced our line and interfered in my affairs for the last time, half-breed."

"So what else is new? Ain't I always doing something to tick you off?"

A quick glance around the camp revealed a lethargic kit, a slayer with puffy, red eyes, and a monk and fire cat trying their best to push grief aside so as to protect the other two. It was obvious that they knew of the miko's demise, but perhaps they didn't know the cause. "Tell me, filth, where is the miko?"

The four companions stiffened at the mention of the missing woman. The kit and slayer's eyes glassed over with barely suppressed tears. He could tell the monk suspected that the mention of the object of their grief was not merely one done out of curiosity. Perhaps humans had some intelligence after all.

"Not that you should care, but she died. I found her body a few days ago." Inuyasha relaxed his posture slightly during their 'discussion'. "The bitch ran off with something of mine and when I found her she was awfully close to your border, Sesshoumaru. What do you know of her death anyway? You kill her and come to rub it in?"

Fury seethed beneath the surface of his mind. 'He dared to place the blame on this Sesshoumaru?' Vaguely he registered that the prickling in the back of his mind where he housed the miko was getting worse, and that the fury was not all his own. "You dare to accuse this Sesshoumaru of your crime?" He snarled narrowing his eyes.

"Don't know what you're talking about, bastard. I found her body a few days ago, ripped apart." Sesshoumaru could smell the deceit rolling off of him. Did the pest truly believe the he could fool him with simple lies? Seeing movement he realized that it was not for his benefit that the half breed bothered to lie, it was for the two humans who wouldn't be able to tell. Their weak sense of smell wouldn't allow them to smell the falsehoods being told.

Two watery green eyes slowly looked from Sesshoumaru to Inuyasha. Taking in the smell of rage off one and the smell of falsehood from the other he decided that it was time to speak up. "You're lying, Inuyasha, I can smell it."

"Shippo," Sango turned and crouched down, getting eye to eye with the distraught kit.

Once again Sesshoumaru felt the prickle in his mind. "What do you want, miko?" He finally gave up trying to block her away, for now. It was pointless in his current fury.

"I want to make sure Shippo will be alright. He can't stay with Inuyasha. Who knows when that bully will hurt him?"

"Hn." He could hear the sob in her voice. The despair was plainly evident, despite her inability to show it in her current form.

"Please, Sesshoumaru, I know you don't like this situation, but it truly could be worse. I could be fighting for control. Not only do you have my memories but you now have protection against holy powers. You are far more powerful now than ever before. You will never have to worry about being purified with me here. I'll rarely ask for anything. Please tell Shippo I'm okay and I miss him. Tell them all to leave Inuyasha. I don't care what you do to him. I just don't want anything to happen to my friends."

"You don't know what you're talking about, runt." The bitter tang of rage thickened the air. Both brothers were rapidly approaching a bloody battle.

"The kit knows more than your human companions."

"What do you mean, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Miroku was wary, but willing to listen.

"The miko was indeed near the Western Land's eastern border when she died. This Sesshoumaru, however, found her before she took her last breath."

"Did she say anything?" Sango asked, tears choking her and making her voice thick with her sorrow.

"She asked for a favor. She wished for me to take the Shikon no Tama and hide it, to prevent the half-breed or any other from finding it."

"She what?" Inuyasha stood with his head bowed. The smell of rage intensified. "The bitch had it on her after all?"

"Indeed. She was most clever in her hiding of it." Ignoring his brother he turned his attention to the group that had cared for the miko. "She wishes for me to tell you that she is well and that it was Inuyasha that ended her life. She desires for you to leave my brother's company."

" 'She wishes'. You can...see her," the kit, Shippo, looked at him with something akin to awe. Should he explain about the odd relationship he and the late miko had?

"I can hear her." Looking into tear-laden emerald eyes was surprisingly difficult; the salty scent of mourning pushed his hand. He was not one to normally offer comfort, but he understood from the miko's memories that this small group was like family to her. Though they were impotent to interfere they had desired to and it had torn them apart being so helpless. "What I reveal goes no further." He waited for their affirmation. It would not do for this secret to get out. The memories of the miko, however, testified that they were loyal to her and thus, as far as this was concerned, to him.

"I came across the miko dying near my border. She was very close to death when I found her. With the last of her strength she revealed the location of the Shikon no Tama and her desire for me to hide it. I retrieved it and granted her last wishes. There were, however, unforeseen consequences for doing so." Sesshoumaru paused looking at the openly crying kit. "Kit, make sure you find a place outside of my brother's company. She fears for your safety." Not that the filthy halfbreed would be around long if he had a say in the matter; which he did.

"Sesshoumaru, is there anyone you know that could take him in?" Kagome's voice whispered.

"Orphaned youkai are left to fend for themselves. It is possible that the slayer and monk will take him, is it not?"

"Yes."

"Then do not worry about it. They will honor your memory by taking him in."

"Where was it?" Glancing at his brother Sesshoumaru took note that his brother's grasp on his anger was diminishing.

"It was where it had been in the beginning. She had simply returned it to its original resting place." There was no need to ask what he was talking about. Inuyasha had a one track mind as far as the jewel was concerned.

A dark chuckle escaped Inuyasha. "Where is it now?" Inuyasha lifted up his head, revealing amber eyes veined with red.

"It is safe. No one will be able to procure it; including you."

"Lord Sesshoumaru," Sango intervened quickly, knowing that Inuyasha was about to attack and their chance to find out Kagome's fate was rapidly dwindling. "How is it you can hear Kagome?"

"She is part of me now. I am unsure how, but she has managed to possess this Sesshoumaru. You are never to reveal this, understood human?" A snarl escaped him before he managed to regain control. It was not the humans' fault that he was in this position. It was Inuyasha's for killing the woman. "I blame you for this, Inuyasha, if you had not killed the wench then she would not have sought to use such drastic measures to fulfill her duty."

"Keh, all she had to do was give me the jewel and I would have let her live." Inuyasha had the audacity to smirk at Sesshoumaru. It was long past time to silence the hanyou.

Without warning Sesshoumaru closed the distance between the two, carefully making sure that his back was away from the miko's companions. He had no intention of listening to her whine if anything happened to them. The cool steel of Tokijin struck that of Tesseiga sending vibrations down his arm. Tightening his grip he pressed the attack, digging the blade into the fang. Blood spurted out of thin slashes across Inuyasha's body as Sesshoumaru used Tokijin's blade pressure to slice away at the hanyou. The trails of blood that flew through the crisp autumn air landed hotly on Sesshoumaru's face. This time he was serious about killing his 'little brother,' he would not hold back, he'd make every hit count.

Before Inuyasha could attempt a counterattack Sesshoumaru was out of reach, carefully calculating his next strike. Sheathing Tokijin, he decided that he wanted the satisfaction of sliding his claws through the pest. He wanted to feel the blood run down his fingers and hand as he shredding sinew and bone. Dodging the enlarged fang was easy the way Inuyasha brandished it about. With every pass he flailed the powerful sword like a club, allowing Sesshoumaru to side-step the attack and counter with his own.

Panting, Inuyasha skidded to a stop, glaring at his brother from under his bangs, the tip of Tessiega drooping toward the ground. Sesshoumaru stood still, his breath even, while he awaited the next attack. Inuyasha was bleeding from several lacerations, his blood pooling rapidly around his bare feet, muddying the ground. Hardening his eyes Sesshoumaru decided that it was time to end the skirmish. Acidic poison pooled under his fingertips before he flicked his wrist slicing Inuyasha across the face with his whip before he had time to block in his weakened state. Pressing the advantage, Sesshoumaru was upon him before he had the chance to register the attack. Thrusting his hand into his brother's chest cavity he released his poison, melting the flesh from the inside. A sickening slurping sound echoed through the clearing as Inuyasha's body slid off of Sesshoumaru's hand. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the remainder of his brother's pack stare silently at the cooling body before turning and walking away.

Staring down at the mangled corpse of his brother, Sesshoumaru wasn't sure what he felt. He had expected to feel satisfaction for having finally removed the taint on his family's honor. It hadn't been the fact that Inuyasha was a hanyou that had warranted his death by his own brother's hands, it had been the fact that he was a bastard son. The stain on his family's honor required Sesshoumaru to eliminate him. The fact that the whelp had no personal honor and reduced himself to thievery and abusing his own pack simply sealed his miserable fate. What Sesshoumaru didn't expect, as he detachedly watched the blood start to slow its escape from the multiple claw marks, was the lack of feeling the sight of his dead family brought at all. He felt nothing. It was as if he had killed a stray, low-class demon, the cattle of the youkai. Idly, he wondered if that was all Inuyasha was in the end, little better than cattle, something meant for killing. Without acknowledging the three survivors of Inuyasha's brutality Sesshoumaru turned and strode away. He was weary and wanted nothing more than to go home for a time. It would take several days travel and he wanted the comfort of his home enough that he would push himself the distance without rest.

***

"Why were you so close to the Western Lands, miko?"

"Inuyasha is afraid of you, no matter how brash he acted. After the final battle he was severely injured. We were too far away from the well for me to escape to my time. We were, however, close to the border of your lands. I knew that if I could have crossed the border and made it deep enough, he wouldn't follow. At least not at first. Given enough time he would have sought you out and claimed I committed some crime against him or perhaps that I was kidnapped. I'm sure you would have looked the other way at his request to search for me if he gave a good enough excuse. I miscalculated. I didn't make it in time. I thought I had another day and I was exhausted. I had stopped for the night and when I came across the stream the next morning I stopped to bathe. " A dry chuckle echoed in the recesses of his mind. "It seems Inuyasha was right for once: bathing really was bad for my health."

Sesshoumaru was taken aback. She was able to joke about her own demise? The miko that co-habited in his body was indeed an odd one.

***

Weariness washed through Sesshoumaru. The battle wasn't hard, but it had been taxing. All he wanted was to do was rest now that he had cleaned the gore off of him. His silver hair was still damp and clung to the back of his silk robe. While he liked his hair free normally, it was always a nuisance when it was wet. Its weight tugged on his scalp uncomfortably. While not painful, it was a bother. Getting his clothing wet was also annoying. He was too tired to care, however, all he wanted to do was to be wrapped into oblivion's sweet embrace right now.

"Oh my god, what is that smell?" Kagome's soft voice drifted to Sesshoumaru from the back of his mind. Recently they had discovered that she could 'feel' what he did. It was a new aspect of her possession of him and not one he entirely liked; though it had some benefits. "It smells like sour cherries, but there's something else there too." Her voice paused in thought. Sesshoumaru knew what it was she was smelled through him, but allowed her to figure it out on her own. "It's almost like sour cherries that have been passed around. Like someone had some and didn't want them and gave them to someone else only for the process to be repeated. Does that make sense?"

"Indeed." Sesshoumaru had a hard time keeping the amusement out of his 'voice'. The miko's description was quite humorous to him and yet accurate in a way. The 'sour cherries' in question had been passed around.

Stopping at an elaborately painted shoji door Sesshoumaru snapped it open. The smell that the miko found so unappealing intensified. Sesshoumaru wondered how the miko was going to react to what awaited in his room. After the last few weeks they had started a tentative truce. On the nights he required sleep she was able to still remain 'awake' and monitor their surroundings. It had been purely an accident that had lead to the discovery that she could share any stimuli he received by concentrating.

"Oh my god, I did not need to see that!" The volume of her screech made him want to wince, despite the noise being internal. "Um...you know what, I think I'll go now. You have a...fun, Sesshoumaru." He wanted to laugh. If he had known that the miko was so sensitive he would have arranged this. Perhaps that was one way he could drive her away permanently. Though, somehow, he didn't think that having her sensibilities injured would drive her away from her duty. Sesshoumaru turned his attention to what had caused the miko such distress. The source of the 'sour cherries' was lying in the center of his futon and was a very naked inu youkai female. 'The miko is correct that she does smell much like unwanted sour cherries that have been passed around.'

"This Sesshoumaru would like to know what you are doing in his private chambers, Toki."

Toki stood up and seductively walked to her lord. Her golden hair glowed in the dim candlelight, her brown eyes alight with desire. The musky scent of her arousal mixed with her natural cherry scent. It would not have been entirely unpleasant if it was not laced with the smell of all the other males that had claimed her. While not technically a whore she smelled similar to one. It was possible, however, to block the smell in exchange for a romp in the sheets. The knowledge that she had been with so many others that it was no longer possible to detect their individual scents upon her, though, was revolting. Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed red briefly as she continued her approach. Her dainty clawed hands ran over her slim hips, up her sides, to cup her small breasts. She was the typical youkai female: built for battle and survival. A brief flash of an ample-breasted female flashed across Sesshoumaru's mind. Once he had often wondered how she could look so soft and yet be battle-hardened. There is no softness to a youkai.

Toki smirked at the slight smell of his arousal. She was almost close enough to touch him, just an arm's length away. Sesshoumaru pushed the errant image out of his mind. It would do no good to dwell on that female, she was far out of his reach, despite being so intimately close. His brief arousal died at that thought. He remembered finding that same female with deep sections of her torso gouged out and covered with blood so thick it looked like she had been painted red. It was a closely-guarded secret that he lusted after the miko now inhabiting his body. He was thankful that she was unable to know his thoughts even if she was able to view his memories. He was equally thankful that his thoughts, were still his own unless he was deliberately 'speaking' to her. There was nothing he could do about his lust now that she was dead. It irked him that she was so close yet so far away. He did regret never taking the miko, however, there were plenty of other females around. Now if only he could get rid of this one who reeked of so many males.

"This Sesshoumaru expects an answer as to why you have violated my personal chambers." He was swiftly loosing his patience. He was tired and wanted to rest. He didn't need this type of distraction. A small army of humans had blocked his path back to the palace and, while he was still weary from his fight with the half-breed, he had plenty of pent-up aggression to take out. The ensuing battle, however, depleted his reserve energy and it took sheer willpower to force himself to bathe before seeking his chambers in refuge.

"I heard you came from battle, mi'lord, this Toki merely wishes to show her appreciation for her lord." Her arousal was thick in the room. It was making it hard to concentrate. Swiftly Sesshoumaru captured the delicate clawed hand that had extended to begin undressing him.

"Then this Sesshoumaru suggests you leave my chambers and not return. I hold no desire for someone who allows herself to be used as you do. If I ever find you in my chambers again I will not hesitate to kill you." Clenching her wrist savagely, he allowed his claws to pierce the skin and released a small amount of poison. Toki gave a whimper of pain as the acidic poison ate at her flesh. Stepping to the side, he tossed her forward through the still open shoji screen releasing her wrist. As she stumbling through the doorway, he lashed her with his poison whip. A strangled scream sliced through the paper walls. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air; perhaps he should find different accommodations for the night. The multitude of smells was making him nauseous. Toki pulled herself into a standing position and turned to face her lord.

"My kimono, mi'lord." Her voice was cool and didn't betray any of the pain he knew she was feeling, both physically and pridefully.

"Denied. Return to your chambers." Stiffening at his callus words, she turned and started down the hall. Locks of golden hair fluttered out of the way as she passed. She still managed to retain what little dignity he had left her with. Her long golden hair had been caught by the whip and severed diagonally right along the burnt flesh running from her lower shoulder to her hip.

Sighing Sesshoumaru took a cautious sniff of his room. Yes, he would definitely have to find new accommodations. He wondered briefly why Toki had thought to intrude upon him. He had never expressed a desire for her either in action or scent. Dismissing it he decided that he'd put the foolish notion she had of him desiring her on the return from battle away and concentrate on finding somewhere safe to rest.

***

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome by the wrist; his claws digging into the soft flesh, small pools of blood welled up from the depressions around them. Extending his arm above him, he dragged Kagome off the ground, dangling her in front of his irate form. She reeked of fear and trembled slightly while trying to maintain a cool facade. "You're gonna be a breeding bitch, that's all you're suited for. Don't forget it." Crystalline tears swam in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to allow them to fall. The pain in her body was nothing; the pain in her heart would fade in time. She would will it to. She would not, however, give the bastard the pleasure of seeing her cry. It was bad enough that he would be able to scent out the unshed tears as it was.

With a casual move Inuyasha flung her away from him. The dirt road they had stopped on for this confrontation was narrow and for that she was grateful. Landing hard on her side the pebbles littering the road tore at her unprotected skin causing multiple abrasions. Sliding the length of the road she skidded into the grass only to stop her forward motion when her upper body slammed into the rough, unforgiving surface of a tree. "Hurry up we ain't got all day, there are jewel shards to find." Without looking back Inuyasha sauntered off down the dusty road expecting her to follow.

The others dashed to her side to tend her. Her body burned from the tiny cuts littering her exposed skin. Blood slowly crawled a sticky warm trail down her wrist to her hand before pooling on the cool grass. Quickly Miroku bound her wrist not bothering to clean it first, there was no time. If they didn't hurry after Inuyasha then he'd come back for them and they would all suffer from his mercurial temper. Deftly tossing her on top of the transformed Kirara the small group followed after the half-breed.

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open. It was more than a dream, it was a memory. For some reason her memories were drifting into his subconscious in the form of dreams. Every abuse she suffered at Inuyasha's hands flitted behind his eyelids, one memory at a time while he slept. He was thankful that he slept so infrequently, but it was still far from restful. Glancing about the clearing he made sure his little pack was safe. Rin was cuddled up against Ah-Un fast asleep in the gray light of predawn and Jaken was laying flat on his back snoring loud enough to wake the dead.

Sesshoumaru never slept fully when patrolling. Especially when doing so with Rin. He was rather fond of the little human child, though he was reluctant to admit it; as such he tended to sleep with 'one eye open' more so than normal with her around. With hooded eyes he concentrated on expanding his senses to make sure that nothing had managed to sneak up on him whilst he was in the throes of the dream. He knew that the miko would have been monitoring the area while he slept but he was reluctant to rely solely on her, especially with this new development.

Part of him wanted to shudder at the feelings invoked by the memories, taking firm hold of his emotions he ruthlessly choked down the reaction. He could feel in the dreams her desperation slowly turning into resignation and then, finally, into a numbing hollowness. Inuyasha's crimes had ceased to faze her after a while. Very little was enough to cause her to flinch in the face of his brutality. Sesshoumaru was uncertain if Kagome recognized the glint in his brother's amber eyes; the one that stated clearly that he was quite cognizant of his actions and was enjoying it. Youkai instinctively craved blood and destruction to a degree. Harming pack, however, was something that only lowly youkai and those without honor would do. Idly he wondered if it was different for hanyou. Pushing the thoughts away with a savage shove, he decided that something had to be done about his little guest. Closing his eyes again Sesshoumaru decided to rest a bit more before waking Jaken to pack camp. There was someone he had heard a vague rumor of that he wanted to visit.

***

"Have you found anything?" Sesshoumaru asked, his smooth voice causing the youkai in front of him to stiffen slightly. He could feel his irritation building. Whatever the spy had to report it wasn't good; the stench of fear that was permeating his office indicative of that.

"No, my lord, there is only a rumor, more a myth, of a sorcerer who lives in the foothills of Mount Fuji. No one has seen him in living history. The myth is a human one. No youkai know of him. It is said that this sorcerer can summon the dead to do his bidding." The slim male before him flinched slightly in the face of his lord's hard gaze.

"Has anyone been sent to find this sorcerer?" He knew the answer almost before it was given. Briefly he wondered if all his servants were completely inept. How hard was it to realize that if he was seeking knowledge of mystics, both human and youkai that had knowledge of the dead that he would want to know the location of them?

"I sent my best men, my lord Sesshoumaru, they found nothing. It appears to be nothing but an unsubstantiated rumor; a myth for the weak-minded humans to cling to and explain away any unusual happenings in the area."

Sesshoumaru watched as his spy swallowed hard, his pupils dilated slightly in the face of his fear. Sesshoumaru wasn't one to take failure lightly. He demanded the best from those around him and perfection from himself. It was possible that the rumor was just that but a nagging feeling, not caused by the obnoxious miko, was insisting that it was more. Perhaps he needed to go himself and scout the area.

"You are dismissed." The spy wasted no time in vacating the stifling room. If his scent was anything to go by he was happy to escape his lord's study alive despite for his failure to confirm the myth, much less escaping unharmed.

Standing, Sesshoumaru went in search of Jaken. He would leave today in search of this sorcerer and he needed to make sure that the toad remembered that he was, indeed, in charge of Rin while he was absent. He found that the little green monstrosity was inclined to 'forget' that part of his duties. Jaken had lost Rin several times since he had acquired her. Obviously he failed to realize that Rin belonged to Sesshoumaru, human or not. That fact alone made her valuable. She was his and would remain so, end of story.

"Do you really think that this mystic can bring me back?" Her soft voice flittered through his mind. He chose to ignore how tense muscles in his shoulders relaxed as she spoke to him.

"I am certainly going to find out. As I have stated before, miko, you will not continue to reside in me."

"And, as I've stated before, it's not exactly as if I had a choice, she snipped back. And besides let's say that it works and this guy is able to bring me back, I refuse to be like Kikyou was. Not to mention the fact that you agreed to protect the jewel."

No, he hadn't forgotten that fact. First, he wanted the miko out of his body. He'd deal with the jewel afterwards. He was becoming uncomfortable with how much he enjoyed talking to her, how much he enjoyed her. While he had lusted after her for a while, he had always passed it off as a sick fascination to lust after a human, a miko at that. It had been nothing more than a bizarre fetish, a type of bestiality, perhaps. Humans were, after all, sub-creatures. Now he was beginning to look forward to the times when it was quiet and he could converse with her on a myriad of subjects. Her light, carefree laughter seemed to reach a part of him that he never knew existed. Her insights into the emotional and physical development of his ward was invaluable and not something he would have sought the answers to. It would have made him look ignorant to not know the basics in human care when he possessed a human child. No matter the fact that it had been irrelevant to him before.

Finding the toad had been easy; all he had to do was roam around the palace until he showed up kowtowing. As soon as he had issued his commands Sesshoumaru departed for Mt. Fuji abstaining from taking any supplies, he wouldn't need them for this trip. He relished the feel of the icy tendrils of air slipping through his long locks as he flew east. The forests and plains below were dotted with small villages here and there. Pinpricks of light were starting to erupt in the villages beacons in the dark as twilight settled in over the land. In only a brief amount of time he was able to descern the white snow-capped peak of the volcano. According to humans, it was a sacred place and was forbidden to women. He wondered if this sorcerer was human and, if so, what was he doing on supposedly hallowed land?

The land around the volcano appeared blasted and barren of vegetation from the height he was currently at. He could travel the circumference in only a matter of hours, however, that was probably what his spies had done and they had no findings to report of the sorcerer. He would be required to make a more thorough investigation of the perimeter, if he intended to determine the validity of the myth about a sorcerer residing in the foothills. Descending, he considered where to start his search.

If only to himself, would he admit that it was unlikely that anyone did reside here and managed to go unnoticed by his men, even if they did only do an apathetic search. Any structure would have stood out against the wasted landscape. There was also the risk of living along the base of an active volcano. Youkai knew better than to tempt nature in such a way. The only youkai willing to live in such volatile conditions were those for whom the conditions were irrelevant. Not all youkai were immune to an erupting volcano. Fire and intense heat were easier to ignore, molten lava and hot choking ash were not.

Frowning slightly he considered that logic. It was much more likely, that if there was a sorcerer living here, that it was a youkai rather than some human, as was reported. It was also likely that the youkai would live in a cave on the mount or even reside on one of the peaks. Making a conscious effort to smooth his brow, he decided that it didn't matter. He would find out first what or who lived here, if anything, and then decide if they had the information needed to assist him in his dilemma.

Beginning his trek on foot Sesshoumaru prepared for a long night. Perhaps the miko was up to another discussion to help while away the tedious hours?

***

Hidden under a crag was a thin crevice along the rock face about two meters high and roughly one across at its widest; a jagged opening that appeared to be merely a dark slash among the night's shadows. Sesshoumaru paused, dismissing it before he scented a faint trace of decay mixed with smoke and herbs. Turning back to the crack he approached it cautiously. The scent trail was faint but grew minutely in intensity as he stood before it. The crevice proceeded into the mountain farther than he had estimated at first glance. What he had assumed to be a superficial mark previously, appeared to dig deep into the old molten rock before widening. He was unable to determine just how much wider it got, but the smells emanating from within were promising to his search.

"You're not actually going in there are you?" Kagome was incredulous. It was so narrow and dark. Piggybacking on Sesshoumaru's senses she couldn't even see how far back it went. While she may technically be dead, that didn't prevent her from having a healthy sense of self-preservation. The idea of entering the unknown blind was enough to make her cautious, at least, the smell of rotting flesh was enough to terrify her. She was sure that whatever was in there she didn't want to encounter it.

"I do indeed intend to enter. Are you scared, miko? Or perhaps you doubt this Sesshoumaru's ability to handle any danger therein." He could feel her fear and trepidation in the back of his mind as if it was his own. It was a disconcerting feeling to say the least.

"I'm not afraid. It's just that if we do encounter any problems, well, it's narrow in there, and how would you fight?" Uncertainty laced her bold words.

"Effectively."

Sesshoumaru entered the rip of stone carefully; maneuvering slowly so that he wouldn't cause his skin or apparel to scrape across the jagged surface, potentially alerting the denizens within of his presence. While he may have told Kagome that he was confident, he did recognize that, while he could rely on his nose to see him through the entrance, he was, in effect blind. The heat inside rose fractionally but steadily the deeper in he ventured. After several elongated minutes he felt the walls widen before giving way. Expanding his remaining senses he determined that he was in a cavern of some sort.

Shifting slightly, he determined, by the feel of the ground beneath his feet and the sound his boots made, that the floor was not rock as he had assumed it would be but a fine grainy sand. Dismissing the question as to why the chamber floor would be coated in sand, he detected two drafts. One brought in fresh air, and caressing him from behind, while the other brought the previous smell of rot intensified. Turning his head slightly he focused on following the trail. In the far wall, off to the side, was yet another passageway. He could feel the creeping panic pressing in around him as the miko attempted to deal with the suffocating darkness. There was no hint of light, nothing to determine what lay before them. It was highly possible that, with the inferior senses of a human, they could have simply walked off a ledge before knowing it, unable to decipher its existence in the void.

"Miko, perhaps you should detach yourself from my senses." He tried to keep the exasperation out of his voice. He didn't need her any more worked up.

"No!" Appearing slightly abashed, her voice came back after a moment of silence following her outburst. "I mean, it's just...it would be worse since I already know we're here. I'll be fine once you can see again."

"Then perhaps you should at least remove yourself from my sight. I will inform you when I am able to see. The lack of sight does not leave me blind as it does a human. I understand, that despite being able to sense what I do, you still think like a human and are...uncomfortable with the lack of sight." He hoped he phrased it in a way that would get her to listen to reason. She still thought like a human. The loss of sight was little to him. The loss of smell would have been substantially more detrimental to his survival than mere sight. Unfortunately, she was not accustomed to relying on his superior sense of smell, but on her inferior sight. He did not need her panicking if a confrontation happened in close-quarters and she was unable to see the enemy.

"Okay, I can try that. It will still be like being blind but it shouldn't be as bad. Just promise to let me know when you can see again."

Not deigning to answer her he continued to ease himself along the path. The ground had once again changed back into the rough rock that was in the first tunnel and along the mountain slopes. Gradually the pitch blackness lightened. Alerting the miko to the development he continued on, careful to not make a sound. The smell of rotting maggoty flesh hung in the air, the bitter scent of herbs contrasting sharply. The smoke burned his nostrils and eyes and he had to resort to blinking back tears. 'The inhabitant of this volcanic dwelling should be disposed of if for nothing else than subjecting this Sesshoumaru to those putrid odors.' Picking up the sounds of soft shuffling, Sesshoumaru concentrated on deciphering anything from the softly lit chamber ahead. He was still far enough down the tunnel to hide himself from wary eyes.

"No, no, that's no good. Have to try something else." The voice was male and sounded young. The mutterings continued for a while rising and falling in volume as the occupant went about his business.

Easing forward, Sesshoumaru stopped at the end of the tunnel and waited for the individual within to notice him while he observed the newest chamber. Stuffed onto roughly hewn ledges were corpses in varying states of decomposition. The ledges had been shorn directly into the rock walls and filled nearly every available space; floor to ceiling. The ceiling itself had been smoothed flat, the floor once again covered in fine grainy sand. Some of the corpses still had their original rainment adorning them, thin garments that time and the dry heat of the volcano had turned brittle. One or two bodies looked recent, the source of the maggot-infested flesh he had smelt. Several ledges were host to a conglomerate of body parts; limbs, torsos, and the occasional head. A smooth stone dais rose from the ground along one wall, proudly displaying mummified tongues and jars made of brown glass clear enough to display the colors of the eyes they contained. Several lamps had been lit, bathing the macabre scene in soft yellow light. The acrid smoke hung thick in the air partially obscuring the ceiling.

A young human male was hunched over a waist-high table continuing his muttered litany. Short cropped brown hair was disheveled from the man running a hand through it periodically. He appeared completely oblivious to the fact that, with every pass, residual blood from his hand coated his locks, matting down the hair as it dried in the aired heat. Dressed in the robes of a priest, he appeared to take care of himself, despite the bloodied front of his attire and the streaks in his hair. All in all, he would have appeared to be a normal human male in a different setting. His face, unremarkable in any way, one of a thousand, was set into a determined frown of concentration.

On the table was the partially-decayed body of a young woman-child. This one appeared to be human; though there was the rare youkai body among the rooms inhabitants. The woman had been sliced open from the top of her rip cage to her pelvis. Her intestines carefully strung out, still attached to the corpse, alongside her. His red dyed hands were firmly entrenched in the woman's chest cavity, reaching up under the breastbone he hadn't bothered to break open. Everything from his elbows down was hidden from view. Her singular mahogany eye stared blankly at the dark reddish brown ceiling. An open glass jar like the ones on the dais sat next to her head.

"Is it even possible for me to be sick? Because I think I'm going to be." Kagome's voice was infused with disgust. Sesshoumaru could almost hear the nausea in her tone.

"No, now silence."

"Ah, there we are!" The priest exclaimed merrily. Straightening up he extracted his arm from the eviscerated cadaver, blood covering his arms past his elbows. In his grasp was his prize: a healthy looking human heart. His ordinary face lit up with glee, making it handsome, if one could discount the blood spattering his face and matting his disheveled hair. "Now, where did I put it?" He mumbled looking around the table.

Turning to look at the dais he finally spotted Sesshoumaru. His face fell into shock before he was able to collect himself and offer a genial smile. Looking for all the world as if he had visitors pop by often and that he wasn't clutching a heart in his one hand and a thin bladed knife only slightly longer than his index finger in the other. "Why, hello there. What a pleasant surprise. I'll be with you in a moment, let me just clean up a bit."

Obviously not finding what he had been looking for, the priest walked over to the dais and placed the heart on a silver serving dish. He tossed the knife into a dark corner; it slid across the sand and clinked against the wall before coming to rest in a pile of other discarded instruments. The sand readily absorbed the blood dripping from the tool, leaving no doubt as to why it was present in the chamber. Walking over to a basin set on a small table next to a futon shoved haphazardly in a dim corner, the priest went about washing his hands. After drying them off on a clean rag he turned once more to Sesshoumaru, a calm smile spread across his face.

"Now, to what do I owe the honor of this visit? I must say not many bother coming to see me nowadays." A self depreciating chuckle accompanied the statement.

"Are you the sorcerer who lives on this mountain?" Sesshoumaru could feel Kagome's unease rolling around in his subconscious. Pushing her feeling of distress and disgust aside, he decided to tread cautiously. It was entirely possible that the man was mad.

"Sorcerer? Well, the people in the village do call me that. But I am nothing but a humble priest, I assure you." He opened his arms wide in a disarming gesture.

"Indeed. Nevertheless, I require aid in a most delicate matter. It would demand your utmost confidentiality."

Waving a hand the priest dismissed it. "Oh course, I am a priest."

"Priest. Yeah right, dark priest is more like it."

"I will not tell you again miko. Silence!"

"Keeping confidences is second nature." The priest continued unaware of Sesshoumaru's internal dialogue. "Now tell me about this problem of yours and I'll see what I can do." His smile widened showing off straight white teeth.

"I seem to be possessed of a dead miko's soul. I desire to have it removed as expediently as possible."

"A miko you say? Well, what kind of miko, and have there been any side effects?" His eyes positively gleamed in delight.

"A pure miko in every sense of the word." Sesshoumaru studiously ignored the indignant sound Kagome made. "I am able to speak to her and am in possession of all of her memories. She has even been able to tap into my senses and, in essence, view the world around her through me. Recently her memories have been merging with my dreams. I have no desire to continue to share my life with her."

The dark priest rubbed his chin and paced along the sandy floor disrupting trails of reddened ground in his wake. There was barely a spot of sand that was not soaked in blood. "That sounds bad. A pure miko," he mumbled. "Tell me did she have aid in any way to accomplish her possession of you? A power source, perhaps, or an artifact, another miko by chance?"

"The Shikon no Tama."

The dark priest stopped his pacing and whipped around to face Sesshoumaru eyes wide. "The Tama. I'm afraid it's bad then. You had best tell me everything before I can offer any advice." Grudgingly Sesshoumaru divulged the tale. "Give me a minute while I think, but I'm afraid I may not be able to think of anything."

Sesshoumaru watched as the man wondered over to a cadaver and began using pliers to remove maggots and place them in a cheap, steep-sloped basin; all the while talking to himself about the worms eating too much of the body before the heat of the cave had it's chance to do it's job. Sesshoumaru's thin patience was wearing almost to its breaking point as the man continued his grotesque litany and poking of bodies. He had no interest in the human's sick hobbies. All he desired was his freedom. About to call the male to attention the priest stopped and turned to Sesshoumaru.

"How long have you been bound to her soul?"

"Several months now. The connection seems to be growing stronger."

"Hmmm. I'm afraid it's permanent. If the Tama wasn't involved then I could have extracted her soul and perhaps used it to fuel one of these beauties." He waved his hand, holding a severed arm casually, indicating his collection. "Lots I could do with a soul," he mused. "However, since you swore to protect the Tama, it acts like an anchor for her soul. The Tama was literally a part of her, from what you've said; when she was born and again when she died. I'd wager a guess that it and her soul are bound. By swearing to protect it, you inadvertently swore to protect her. What few realize is that the Shikon no Tama, in a way, has a mind of its own. Not conscious thought, mind you, but an essence that allows it to dictate its fate to some degree. I highly doubt that it will allow itself to be removed, since it chose to fuse with you and settled in such a vital organ."

He stopped and gave Sesshoumaru an appraising look. "If you do find someone who is willing to remove it be wary. It most likely will kill you to attempt it. It's fused with your heart and even a youkai needs that." A smile lit his face. "I should know. Though I'd be more than happy to attempt its removal; if you died I could use you in my experiments." His face took on a look of thoughtful consideration, "You could try to betray the Tama. That might cause it to seek out another protector. The miko keeps it pure, so there is no risk of loosing yourself to it's darker half. Perhaps if you attempt to use it for your own nefarious gain." His eyes sparkled and his mouth split into a toothy smile, making him look predatory. "I'd certainly welcome assistance in my research. You could use it for that. Reanimating the dead sound appealing?" At Sesshoumaru's blank look he tried again. "I'm always running low on bodies. You could use it to kill off, say, a few dozen or so people." When Sesshoumaru refrained from expressing a peaked interest, the dark priest shrugged his shoulders. "No matter, I make do, and this line of work isn't for everyone."

Sesshoumaru left without a word. The knowledge gained was new but less than helpful. He wondered faintly if he should learn to make the best of this situation. The miko was becoming less of a bother as the months passed by. It was nice to know that he could talk to her about anything and know that she could never reveal his secrets. Refraining from shaking his head at his thoughts he considered if it was worth trying to betray the Tama. Surely it was already betrayed since he had sought out two individuals to assist in the removal of it and the miko. If that didn't betray it what would? The miko was strangely quite as he left the mountain lost in his thoughts feeling slightly empty with her silence.

***

Sesshoumaru looked around the late evening landscape. The sun was setting, bathing the sky in deep reds and oranges, slashed with purple and yellow. He wasn't entirely sure how he came to be in the clearing he was in. The last he remembered was falling asleep in his opulent chambers. It had been a little over six months since the miko and he bonded. Having exhausted his last lead on evicting her pestilent soul from his body, he had returned home to brood. Mentally exhausted he had retired to his chambers to sleep. It wasn't something he indulged in often but he felt he needed it. Upon awakening, rolling hills greeted him.

Expanding his senses he picked up something that had been absent previously. Turning slightly he saw a dark shape out of the corner of his eye. He knew that she wasn't there a moment ago. Watching discretely, he waited to see what she would do while he pondered this latest development.

"Sesshoumaru?" The figure approached appearing to glide across the tall grass. "Where are we?"

He turned to her before answering taking in her appearance. She was dressed the same as she was the day she died: a tattered, short, green skirt that displayed her long legs splendidly. The apparel she normally wore with it was missing, just as it had been the day she met her fate. Her slender arms were wrapped around her chest, attempting to hide her assets. "It would appear, miko, that the bonding has revealed yet another side effect."

"This isn't real, is it?" she stammered. "I mean, it feels real."

Sesshoumaru crossed the short distance to her and reached out a clawed hand. He hesitated as he watched her flinch before steeling herself to his touch. Her reaction to him bespoke of one frequently abused and knowing that fighting would only make it worse. He could feel her smooth, warm skin on the back of his knuckles. He craved more. He wanted to fulfill his desires concerning her that he had never been able to in her life.

"No, miko, it is not real; at least not in the traditional sense. Though you are right, it does indeed feel real." His hand drifted down from her cheek along her neck. His knuckles ghosted across her collarbone before settling on the top of her exposed breast above her trembling arms. "We are in a different plane. I surmise that our consciousnesses have merged while I sleep. Much like when your memories blended with my dreams, our mutual selves have blended while I rest. We are, in effect, in a realistic dream."

His eyes drifted to her plump lower lip, swollen from her chewing on it while he spoke to her. He wasted no more time before he dipped his head and captured the succulent piece of flesh between his own lips. Moaning lowly at the feel, he grazed his fang along it, lightly breaking the skin and releasing some of her sweet blood. Loosing himself in the sensation, he wrapped his arms around her, dragging her to his chest. He ruthlessly pried her lips apart to plunder her sweet mouth. He could feel her tremble in his arms, her naked skin hot against his chest through the cool silk he wore. Pulling back from her, he marveled at the realism of the situation while cursing the kami for the knowledge of its falsehood. Her startled gasp and wide, terrified eyes were the last things he experienced before he was abruptly awoken.

His eyes snapped open; he gazed blankly at the ceiling pondering this new development. He could feel her emotions rolling around the back of his head; shock and confusion being prominent. Feeling something slick on his lips, he flicked his tongue to capture it. His eyes widened at the taste. 'Her blood.' Lifting a trembling finger he touched his lip and brought his finger up to inspect it. Red darkened his alabaster skin. Tasting the blood again he confirmed that it was, despite the impossibility of it, her blood coating his lip.

A smile broke out across his face. He closed his eyes, his smile refusing to depart, as he settled further into the blankets. He had a miko to find and, when he did, he'd finally be able to sate his lust for her. Perhaps being bound to her wasn't such a bad thing after all.