Evolution of a Taiyoukai

By Danyealle

(MF/FanFiction/Angst)

Chapter 9

As could be expected the following morning Kagome was tired when she woke even though she had slept longer than she normally did.  When they finally did start moving Sesshomaru rode with her on Ah-Un.  She was curled up on his lap, resting against his chest.  He had hoped that she would be able to get some sleep that way.  It had worked.  An hour after they had started out she had fallen asleep, arms wrapped around him.  He hadn’t realized how tired she was until she had been asleep for a couple hours.  Riding on the dragon demon wasn’t the smoothest mode of transportation but the jolts and being jarred around didn’t even stir her.

Worried about her friend, Sango kept shooting glances at the sleeping miko.  Yes, when they had days they didn’t move Kagome slept more as they all did but she had never seen her sleep this much unless she was sick or something was wrong with her.

After a couple hours she drifted to the back of the pack where the dragon was and fell in step with the creature.  “Is Kagome OK?  She isn’t sick or anything is she?” she asked Sesshomaru quietly.

Looking down at the slayer, the demon lord nodded. “She’s fine just tired,” he replied softly so as not to disturb the sleeping onna.

“I’ve never seen her sleep so much that’s all,” she explained to him.  Glancing around to make sure there wasn’t anyone close, she lowered her voice as much as she could.  “Wear her out, did you?” she teased, a grin on her face and twinkle in her eyes.

Smirking at the joke, he shook his head but gave an internal grin when he heard Inuyasha give a disgusted snort.  “No, the last couple nights she’s been having nightmares that have been waking her.”

Nodding, Sango understood.  “OK, that makes sense now.  Nothing to worry about then.”

“No, nothing to be concerned about at this point,” he told her quietly.  But that wasn’t the complete truth because he was a bit concerned.  If they weren’t dreams as she suspected and were a future event that caused her that much terror then there was something coming that wasn’t good.  He had been around her long enough to trust her gut feelings and if her gut was telling her it was a premonition then he believed it.  Plus, in the time he had been traveling with the pack, he had never seen her have dreams such as these, even after some of the nastier confrontations with the spider hanyou.  Yes, she had bad dreams about that ‘stuff’, they all did, but nothing like this.  However, until he had something concrete to prove it he would keep it to himself and say nothing to the rest of the pack.  Though he would go by the supposition that they weren’t dreams as far as the rest of the pack would be concerned that would be all they were.

For the most part the day was a quiet one.  Inuyasha was still pouting and not saying much to anyone so there was only a bit of quiet talking here and there.  After they resumed traveling after a break for lunch Kagome had rested enough that she was awake for the remainder of the day so when they resumed their travels things were a bit more lively and the usual banter and joking around took place, making for a pleasant day and time seemed to go by quickly.

Though Kagome was awake and alert, Sesshomaru rode with her, holding her.  No, she was in no danger of any kind but for some reason or other he was in protection mode with her and felt the need to stay as close to her as he could.  He didn’t know why or understand it but he followed his instincts.

Despite his intentions to take their budding relationship slow that wasn’t happening nor, it seemed, could he allow himself to do so.  In fact, his instincts were telling him the complete opposite.  Something in him was calling for him to mark her as a mate sooner rather than later. No, it wasn’t his beast, though that part of himself was lobbying for it as well, but something deeper and more instinctive.  It wanted the obvious bond between them strengthened.  Now honestly, he didn’t have a problem with that.  He indeed did want her as a mate, longed for it as a matter of fact, but the way he saw it the problems were going to come from her end.  Despite how she was acting and the fact that it was fairly obvious to all that she had some fairly strong feelings for him as well as the fact was she had just gone through a bad break-up of a long standing, very serious relationship, he wasn’t sure she would be willing or even willing to consider such a big step.  Nor could he blame her.  Yes, they were taking it faster than either had anticipated but mating was a huge leap.  Quite honestly, he would admit to himself that he loved her and he was prepared to admit that to her as well but he wasn’t sure how deep the feelings on her end went.

Giving a mental sigh, he made what he was sure was probably one of the most monumental decisions of his life.  That night, when they made camp they were going to slip away and he was going to tell her how he felt and just what he wanted then ‘open a dialog’ as she put it, and see just where they stood so they could decide where they stood so they could decide where to take things from there.  If she wasn’t ready for that big step he would understand, it would at least let him know where he stood and what he had to work with.

Once more he was honest with himself and would admit that this was probably going to be among the hardest things he had ever done.  Naturally a very private being, he was known for not showing emotion but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel it because, like every other being on the planet, he did however he just kept it under control and didn’t let it show.  Almost all that knew or who had met him would be stunned to find out that he really was a very passionate being when it came to love, hate and everything in-between.  Not showing it was not only a way to protect himself but also a way to keep an upper hand.  But it was now time to reveal that to someone and let her fully in.  It was also time to open up in a way he never had.  But somewhere inside himself he knew that there was no one any safer to do that with than Kagome.  She didn’t manipulate anyone or use information she knew against anyone other than the enemy, he didn’t qualify as that anymore.  Sweet, kind and caring, she would never knowingly hurt someone unless she was back into a corner and was left with no choice.  Especially if she had feelings of some kind for the being.  No, he wasn’t worried about her laughing at him or rejecting him, it was just hard to open yourself up in that way when you’ve never done it before.  But there was a time and place for everything and now was the time for that.

There were also a few things about him and mating she was going to need to know before they went down that path.  He didn’t want her to have any nasty surprises so he was going to be up front and open about all of it, no matter how unpleasant it may be or how bad he may look in the process.  First thing that came to mind on that topic was that he was going to have to find out just how much she knew about youkai mating.  His assumption was she probably had a pretty good knowledge about the topic because of both Inuyasha and her close friendship with the slayer but he needed to know to make sure she had the correct information as well as fill in any gaps that may be in her knowledge.  He also wanted to make sure that she understood that it was going to hurt.  She may already know that but he wanted to make sure of it.  There was no way he was going to inflict any kind of pain on her without her knowing it and giving her consent.

The next topic he was going to have to bring up had to do with himself and what he was like during the act of sex.  Up to this point all she had seen from him was gentleness but that wasn’t going to be the case when it came to sex.  No, he wasn’t violent nor would he hurt her but the nature of the act called to his bestial side and baser instincts, meaning that his other half would show its self at some point during the act.  It was also an act that brought out his dominant nature.  Again, he wasn’t going to hurt her or force her into anything but was always the seme and in charge, dictating the action.  There was also the fact that, without realizing it, he could be fairly foul-mouthed during the act.  Now, knowing Inuyasha the way he did, he was sure the whelp didn’t even know the meaning of the word gentle as well as giving whole new meaning to the words foul-mouthed so he was sure Kagome already knew about all of that but he just wanted her to know what to expect from him so she wouldn’t be shocked or frightened by it. But, by far, the worst to explain was also going to be the hardest. 

He was a youkai and youkai, by nature, liked their sex dirty.  Oral, anal, regular, it didn’t matter, they liked it all and indulged in what they felt like.  No, he wasn’t extreme, his far end was anal, but he didn’t want to shock her by such things or drop it on her out of the blue with no warning.  But he wasn’t sure just how she would react to it.  Once again, he was sure Inuyasha had ‘corrupted’ her in that way but he didn’t want to spring any surprises on the little onna.  But there was also a bit of insecurity that she might think he was a freak and be disgusted by it.  From the way she had talked as well as what he had seen in that ‘magazine’ thing she had shown him he knew her time was far different and their views on sex were far more liberal than humans of this time.  He just hoped they extended to some of the ‘kinkier’ things. 

Making a mental note, he vowed to try and take things slower with the sex than he had with the relationship, at least until he had some inkling as to how experienced she was or open she was to certain things.  Try was the operative word in that sentence because he wasn’t sure about his self-control in that area or any other when it came to anything with her.  He had always prided himself when it came to self-control in all areas but it seemed that all of it flew away on little birdie wings when it came to anything to do with Kagome.  But, honestly, he rather liked that.  It was nice to be able to free himself enough with someone to be allowed to lose it.  That meant he felt comfortable with her enough to free himself and let down his guard, something that had never happened before.  It felt good.  With her he could just be Sesshomaru not a Lord, not the Lord of the West, not anything but who he truly was.  He doubted anyone before her had that privilege, at least not that he could remember since he was a small child.

Unconsciously, he held her a bit closer to him and kissed her on the top of the head.  Hearing her sigh contentedly and feel her snuggle up to his chest he gave a contented growl. She made him feel so good, so alive that he couldn’t even fathom once more going back to the way things used to be nor would he ever want to.  His life had been changed in a way he could never have imagined and he loved it.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sitting in a quiet room of the isolated temple, Kikyo poured over the books and scrolls that were piled on the table around her, confused.  Nothing that she was reading made any sort of sense to her.

She had visited this temple several times when she had been alive because it had a vast library about magic and spells of all kinds, both light and dark.  There was a wealth of information on everything and anything any miko or priest could ever want.  What was here was invaluable for reference but it was raising more questions and giving her very little when it came to answers. 

From what she was reading there seemed to be no way that she should still be walking the earth.  When Kagome had pulled her soul back from her after Urasue had sucked it out to resurrect her there seemed to have been no explanation as to why she would retain what little of it she did.  Kagome was powerful enough to pull back what she did so there was no reason she couldn’t have pulled back the whole things.  That made no sense.  For a long time she had thought it was flue or something had gone wrong but now she was sure that wasn’t the case.  Now, she was convinced something, somewhere, something very powerful meant for this to happen.  That is the only thing she could think of because, by rights, she should be back in her grave right now from what she was reading.

Though that area, Kagome’s powers and her undead state, was leaving her more confused the topic of the miko and taiyoukai and the power she saw from them was a bit clearer.  It was an obscure scroll she had found almost by accident that had shed some light on the topic.  It was about youkai/miko soul mates.

Youkai/miko soul mating was the rarest of the rare pairings and very little was known about them nor were they like normal soul mates that know at the first meeting.  For this pairing they would know each other ahead of time, sometimes for years or even decades, before they would come together.  For normal ningen soul mates anyone can tell they are meant to be and destined for each other but not this paring, only the most powerful of witches, seers or mikos could see it, the ones that had the ‘sight’.  Kaede was strong but not strong enough and the only reason she herself could see and feel the energy was because of Kagome’s soul.

From what she read she was sure the power she had seen and sensed was only the beginning, that what was to come would be a power the likes of which no one had probably ever seen before and probably never would again.  From what she could discern from the scroll no two beings anywhere near as powerful as Kagome and Sesshomaru had paired up before so the sheer magnitude of their combined powers was unheard of.  Anyone who had been near Sesshomaru, those gifted and those not, could sense his massive demonic aura.  Kagome’s though wasn’t that way, it was understated and she was sure that she was really the only being that knew what the true extent of her powers were because no one had ever seen just how powerful she was.

Separately they were a force to be reckoned with but together they were going to almost unstoppable, if the scroll was right.  Once they were mated, she was sure that happening was a forgone conclusion at this point, their powers would not only combine to an extent but they would be able to draw power from each other when it was needed.  Then there was the mating bond.  To an extent any being mated with a youkai or hanyou would have a bond where there was a connection to an extent.  But a mating such as this one would create a bond of such strength that it would be almost telepathic in nature.  No, most times they couldn’t read each others thoughts, though at times that would be possible, but their emotions and how they felt would be easily felt.  It seemed that this kind of soul mate was almost like two bodies but one person and the pairing was always a ying and yang, opposites in some way or another.

From what she knew the miko/taiyoukai pairing was a new one, something that didn’t come about until Kagome and Inuyasha’s relationship ended.  But, after finishing reading, she was sure that within a very short period of time they would be mated.  If what she had read was correct it would be almost impossible for them to stay apart.  There would almost a deep, physical need or each other that would be all but impossible for them to ignore and deny.  They would be so drawn to each other that almost everything and everyone else wouldn’t matter.  Until that bond was made and they felt ‘complete’ they would feel anxious and stressed.  She was sure that by the time she ran into Inuyasha’s group again her reincarnation would be the demon lord’s mate.

When she was sure she had learned all she could from the library she returned the materials and decided to head to another temple she knew of that may have more of the information that she needed.

Just as she was leaving a soft voice behind her asked, “How is your sister Kaede doing?  I imagine she’s gotten on in years now, hasn’t she?”

“Yes, she had but she’s doing well and still getting around fine,” Kikyo answered without thinking.

“I thought that was you Kikyo,” an old woman said as she stepped out of the shadows.  “You still look the same as you did all those years ago.”

“Azi, you look well,”  Kikyo said to the elderly, wizened miko she had known so many years before. 

“And you Kikyo were dead,”  the older onna replied, a distinctly frosty tone in her voice.  “And still are dead from what I can see.  How disgusting!”

Kikyo stared at her old friend but said nothing.

“I had heard you were resurrected and still walked but I didn’t believe it.  The Kikyo I knew would never do such a thing even if she had nothing to do with her rebirth.  Yet here you are.  How sickening,” she snarled.  “And selfish.”

“What do you mean selfish?”  Kikyo asked quietly.

“You share your soul with the shikon miko if what I’ve heard is correct.  She battles that even hanyou Naraku to keep him from completing the jewel of four souls and gaining more power yet you continue to walk, making him more powerful by doing so.”

“How am I making him more powerful?  I’m also doing my best to rid the world of Naraku.”

“If I understand correctly what I’ve heard he keeps growing stronger so he can purge himself of his obsession with you.  So deep does it run that he is too weak as he is to rid himself of it so he has to keep making himself stronger in order to be able to rid himself of it.  When you were alive you never would have aided such a vile, evil creature yet now you walk as the living dead and remain even though it gives strength to the greatest evil in our time.”  Stepping back, the old miko glared at her.  “Be off with you Kikyo.  Rest assured that this will be your last visit here and you are no longer welcome.”

Without so much as a glance back, Kikyo walked out of the gates to the shrine, her face a blank mask.  But she was troubled; now by more than just the information she had learned. Was her old friend right?  Was she really aiding, in a peripheral way, Naraku to grow stronger?  She had been aware of his obsession with her and what that thief Onigumo had felt for her but was that truly part of the reason he strove to gain the power he did?  A sick knot began to twist in her spirit because that did seem to have some basis in logic.  Although Naraku himself was responsible for his crimes, could it be possible her return was pushing him to become more powerful?  It did appear that way.  Already, because of what she was and what she did to remain ‘alive’, she was going against much of what she had once so believed.  That was hard enough to deal with.  Could she also ‘live’ with being the inspiration for such a gigantic evil becoming more powerful?  That she wasn’t sure about.  Would her return to where she belonged help those trying to end Naraku’s reign of terror?  From what she could tell it probably would.  If he held to his pattern then he would focus on the jewel shards rather than trying to get rid of his human heart, growing stronger with each of those attempts.  That was an answer she didn’t like.

Sighing, he walked on and tried to focus on something else; the reason she still walked.  She thought that, maybe, if she found out the answer to that question all the other answers she needed would come as well.

~~~~~@~~~~~

After stopping for the night everyone went about their normal routine for setting up camp. While Inuyasha was off hunting Sesshomaru grabbed the water containers to gather it.  Normally the kit took care of that chore but the river was quite a ways off and he felt it was better if he collected it this time in case there was danger.

While kneeling down and filling the containers of familiar voice reached his ears.  It was coming from the camp.  Immediately, his hackles rose and he bared his fangs, eyes narrowing.  Grabbing the containers, he headed back to camp as fast as he could through the brambles and brush.

When he got to camp Inuyasha was cleaning his kill with a wide grin on his face and a sparkle in his eyes.  Sango, Miroku and Shippo were off to one side with what could only be described as an ‘oh shit’ look on their faces when they saw him step into camp.

Kagome was stuttering and trying to extract her hand from Kouga’s as he was asking how ‘his woman’ was doing.

Emitting a sound that seemed to be a cross between a grown and a snarl, Sesshomaru handed the containers to those seated then stalked over to where the two were standing.

As far as Kouga was concerned, all this was working out great!  Easier than it had ever been in the past.  Mutt face hadn’t done anymore than call him a mangy wolf since he had torn into their camp, not like usual where he tried to keep him away from the delectable little priestess.  Nor had anyone else.  This was perfect!

Once behind Kagome, Sesshomaru glared at the ookami, baring his fangs then wrapped one arm around her and pulled her back against him while he extracted her hand with the other.

“Hey!  Just what do you think you’re doing?”  Kouga shouted, glaring at the big inu.  “I suggest you get your hands off my woman! First mutt face over there,” he said cocking his thumb at Inuyasha, “Now you?  No way!  Kagome is mine! I put my claim on her long ago!  So back off!”

“Oh no!”  Kagome whimpered, eyes widening.  “Kouga, really…”  That was all she got out when a loud snarl drown out what she was saying.

Eyes flashing, Sesshomaru hissed out, “She is not yours ookami!  I would strongly suggest you back off now!”

“What?  You think you have a claim on her? No way!  She’s my woman so get lost!”  Kouga shouted, fists clenched.

Abandoning any attempt to look like he was still cleaning his kill, Inuyasha was grinning from ear to ear and all but giggling like a school girl.

Sure of what was coming and not wanting to be minus a friend, she asked softly, “Please don’t Sesshomaru.”

Holding her close, the taiyoukai stroked the little miko’s hair.  “Calm down Kagome,” he soothed while he glared at Kouga.

“Get your hands off her!”  he ookami bellowed, unable to stand seeing someone hold her like that.  Reaching out, he grabbed hold of Kagome’s wrist and tried to pull her away from the demon lord. 

That was all she wrote for Sesshomaru.  Kouga had crossed a line and he couldn’t just let it go.  Holding his miko with one arm, his other hand shot out and grabbed the ookami by the throat then lifted him off the ground seemingly without effort.  “She is not yours!” he hissed, eyes flashing and small veins of red starting to twist among the gold.  “Kagome has told you no and chosen to be with another.  I suggest you learn that!”  His hand kept tightening and his claws dug into the tanned skin of Kouga’s throat, causing tiny trickles of blood to run down his neck.

Blue eyes wide, Kouga grasped Sesshomaru’s wrist with both hands, trying to wretch them free, gurgling and gasping for air.

“Do you understand me Lord Kouga or do you wish to escalate the altercation?”  Sesshomaru asked, tone deadly.

“I understand,”  Kouga managed to croak out.

“Good.  Next time I won’t be so nice,” Sesshomaru told him as he released his hold, letting the wolf demon drop to the ground.  Wrapping his other arm back around the little priestess, he nuzzled her head gently while baring his fangs at the kneeling, gasping ookami.