Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or his characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.

Soul Cleansing

Chapter Five: Reunion

Inuyasha frowned as he walked back to where his two human pack members were.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" He asked in a slightly irritated tone.

"I don't know but it has something to do with his wind tunnel." Sango said. Her tone was frightened and she was clearly scared that Miroku was about to be pulled into his own hand.

Miroku cried out one more time before he seemed to curl over and rest his forehead against his knees breathing harshly.

"Are you okay?" Sango asked after his breathing evened out, and watched as he sat up and nodded with a sort of dazed look in his eyes.

Miroku blinked and looked down at his hand before suddenly ripping off his prayer beads. Sango and Inuyasha moved back in alarm, but nothing happened. They just watched him stare at his hand. After a few moments they cautiously moved back toward him and took in the sight of his hand with wide eyes.

"It's gone. It's gone. It's gone. It's gone." Miroku said quietly, repeating it over and over as if he wanted to make sure he was hearing his own words right.

"Doesn't that mean Naraku is dead?" Sango asked with a frown.

Miroku nodded absently and Inuyasha scowled in anger. If Naraku was really dead then that meant he hadn't been able to get his revenge! He felt cheated. He was the one who was supposed to land the killing blow on the disgusting spider. He had said he would to anyone and everyone who wanted Naraku dead. So who would've ignored that? He knew that shithead Kouga would have, but he also knew that the wolf didn't have the power to defeat Naraku.

The answer came to him instantly. Sesshomaru would have. He had the power to do it and wouldn't have cared what Inuyasha said.

Inuyasha hadn't seen or sensed that bastard in months, not that he wanted to, but there was usually some sign of him. Coming across him every few weeks or sensing his power at a distance at least.

"It was my bastard half-brother. I know it. There's been no sign of him for months." He said with a scowl, seething in anger.

"Lord Sesshomaru only came for Rin to see Kagome, and since she's not here he has no reason to come." Miroku replied. Although, it would make sense for Sesshomaru to be the one to kill Naraku. I can imagine the spider half demon going after him and losing. Not to mention he's powerful enough to have a reasonable chance on his own. He considered as he watched Inuyasha.

"How would that bastard know the wench wasn't around?" Inuyasha asked.

"He doesn't actually have to see us to know she's not here. He most likely could tell by the fact that her aura was no longer around ours, or he could smell that she was no longer with us." Miroku answered logically.

"I wonder what will happen now to the part of the jewel Naraku had. It can't simply be left lying around, unless Sesshomaru decides to keep it." He added thoughtfully.

Inuyasha didn't like that. He didn't want the bastard to have it. The jewel needed to be purified and destroyed and that bastard couldn't do it. Only Kikyou and Kagome could.

That thought reminded him that he had no idea where either woman was, but he could still get the jewel from Sesshomaru and keep it until he did find one of them. They were his females after all. Kikyou was most likely taking care of some important business, but Kagome he was sure had left on her own just because she was angry with him for punishing her. He was going to have to punish her again once he found her. She had put herself in danger and obviously was still in danger just to defy him.

Hmm…maybe it's a good thing they aren't around. I could get the jewel and use it myself. He considered as he looked away from the others. He would have to think about that.

"Let's go. Now! We need to find that bastard!" He ordered before running off, sniffing at the air.

Sango frowned as she moved to help Miroku get to his feet. Inuyasha didn't even see if he was well enough to travel. Just because he said he was fine didn't mean he could start running around.

"Are you well enough to travel?" She asked him worriedly.

"I'm very tired but I doubt Inuyasha will let me rest with his mind completely focused on finding Lord Sesshomaru." Miroku said with a weary sigh. "And I don't doubt that he's angry that he wasn't the one to kill Naraku. I'm too tired to deal with his anger, so I'll just deal with my own weakness."

Sango frowned deeper as she asked Kirara to transform then helped Miroku onto her larger form. What was wrong with Inuyasha? Now that she thought about it she didn't doubt he was angry at the missed chance at defeating Naraku. She didn't particularly like that she had been robbed of her revenge, but she thought it was more important that the spider half demon was dead.

What she was concerned about now was Miroku's health, the fate of her little brother, and where Kagome and Shippo were. Who cared if Sesshomaru had Naraku's half of the jewel? Even she knew he wouldn't use it. He had no use for borrowed power. Inuyasha should be more concerned about Miroku's health, especially since he had no idea where Sesshomaru even was.

As Sango climbed onto Kirara and asked her to follow Inuyasha she thought about how she didn't like anything about this situation and the half demon's behavior.

~o~o~o~o~

…Kagome spotted Souta near the shrine's sacred well, standing in the doorway and went to see what he was doing before she left for school. He explained that he thought Buyo was down near the well, so she went inside to look for their cat since he seemed incapable. Scratching sounds from inside the well drew their attention, scaring her little brother, but she was convinced it was Buyo.

After she found their cat the well exploded behind her in a flash of blue light; arms reached out, grabbing her, pulling her into the well. Traveling weightlessly through the light Kagome was turned around and finally saw that it was a demon holding her. In her fright she tried to push it away only for a purple flash of light to hit it, sending it away from her.

After what seemed like forever, and yet no time at all, Kagome landed at the bottom of the well. She called for her brother to get her grandfather to help her, and began to climb up the side using vines growing inside the well. When she reached the top she instantly realized that she wasn't at home anymore. She searched the clearing hoping to find her family when she spotted the Sacred Tree from her family shrine. She quickly made her way to the tree, hoping that she would have better luck from there, only to come across a boy with dog ears pinned to the tree. She climbed the tree roots to get a closer look, wanting to make sure he was actually real, and being the typical girl she was she reached up and rubbed his cute incredibly soft ears.

~o~

…Kagome struggled as she was put in a tub even knowing it would do her no good, and cringed as foul smelling herbal water was poured over her body until it nearly filled the tub. She watched as a woman who looked similar to her walked in wearing priestess clothing, and listened as the witch Urasue explained that the herbal water, potion, that had been pored over her would suck out her soul and transport it into Kikyou's body. She looked at the woman in priestess clothing again and realized this was Keade's older sister; this was the woman Inuyasha had mistaken her for when they first met.

Kagome could hardly move. She felt like she was going to be sick to the point where she almost didn't notice the bright light flaring around her. Suddenly she heard Inuyasha say Kikyou's name as if it had been whispered in her ear, and her world suddenly exploded around her. Bright light flared before going out. Everything was dark and she wasn't aware of anything until she heard Inuyasha's scream pierce through the darkness. Somehow she managed to open her eyes, she hadn't even been aware they were closed, and even more surprising she managed to call her soul back to her.

~o~

…Kagome lay still, curled around Shippo, as she watched through slitted eyes as soul collectors arrived. She watched, carefully keeping her breathing slow and even, as Inuyasha glanced her way before running after the glowing floating snake like demons. She waited until he was far enough away before sitting up, tears trailing down her face as she pulled her bow and arrows closer. She silently put more wood on the fire determined to protect her friends in the face of Inuyasha's neglect.

~o~

…Kagome stood in front of Inuyasha silently listening in anger and resignation as he yelled at her calling her weak, stupid, and comparing her to Kikyou as Sango and Miroku stood in the background watching silently. She took a breath and tightened her arms around Shippo grateful that he was trying to defend her yet sad that it was necessary and that he was the only one trying.

~o~

…Pain ripped across her face as her head turned from the impact of Inuyasha's clawed hand striking her. She couldn't believe he'd hit her! Shock joined her pain as her body turned with the slap, fearing her neck would snap if she didn't move. She turned back and stared at him blankly as he stared in horror at his bloody claws. Knowing him as she did she knew his horror sprung from the fact that he had drawn her blood and not the fact that he had hit her, as if one was worse than the other.

~o~

Sesshomaru blinked his eyes open as he slowly woke up feeling a little lethargic, and immediately did an internal examination as he shifted slightly beneath the warm furs. He didn't feel any different but quickly corrected himself as he realized he sensed a sort of blank quiet presence in the back of his mind similar to how it felt when his beast spoke to him. He wasn't sure what it was but he didn't feel threatened and his beast was very calm, so he decided not to worry about it sure that he would find out what it was soon enough.

He looked over to Kagome and seeing her bare back he turned and curled his arm around her, and listened to the even sound of her breathing and steady beat of her heart. He buried his nose in her hair and breathed deeply instantly smelling their mixed scent. He rumbled quietly, pleased at their combined scent and satisfied that his mate was well, and turned his thoughts to what he had seen in her memories.

The time his mate came from was so very different than what he was used to, and he could see how it had shaped her but at the same time he could tell that she was different then the humans there.

He understood better what she meant when she talked about school. He had seen her books and even read them, but it had been hard to imagine the environment she described. Now, however, he had seen it and understood; he even understood that those inappropriate clothes she used to wear was the uniform all females wore at her school.

Sesshomaru saw that his mate was a very good student who did well in all the required subjects, at least until she was pulled down the well. Then her grades steadily went downhill the more time she spent away from the institution, and her family had to come up with an increasing string of different ailments for her constant absences.

He took pride in the fact that she had been able to study and get her work done under his care and was doing better. He would make sure that her progress continued once they reached her time. He knew that she could not sit in a class setting with students of her current age with how old she would be, but he was sure there were other ways for her to complete her education. Not to mention it was a given that they both would be learning as the years passed and the institution of education developed.

He moved on and considered her friends and the boy, Hojo, that would not leave her alone. He had never seen a male so clueless as to not get the hints a female was sending him with her constant rejections, even if they were done politely and not with the specific words one would expect. The number of them, the tone of her voice, and the weariness in her face whenever he showed up should have told the boy something.

Perhaps the boy is willfully blind and needs to see her with another male for him to finally understand that he will never have a chance. He considered thoughtfully, fully willing to play that role for his mate.

Sesshomaru considered his mates modern human friends an irritation even through her memories. The females were loud and pushy. They always wanted to know about the two timing guy she was seeing, whom he reasoned to be the half-breed, and that she needed to stop seeing him.

He agreed when the females said she could do better, but they hadn't wanted to let her do better. They constantly talked about the human boy trying to push her toward him and setting her up on these dates, that he understood were the equivalent of courting outings, without her knowing about it. They seemed to be obsessed with human males and wanted Kagome to be the same. When she expressed her disinterest with the Hojo boy, and they finally listened, they started listing different males to pair her with.

In his opinion these supposed friends of hers were not friends at all. They were only helpful when she asked even though they knew full well about her 'illnesses'. They never made an effort to leave her school work with her mother, and even when she did agree to go spend time with them when she was feeling 'better' they did not want to do relaxing things and talk about mundane topics. They wanted to speak of human males and if they learned that she had been well enough to be away from home for a while they wanted to know where she had been and who she was with. They seemed to think she was not entitled to any privacy.

As for her family, he had no problems with them. They seemed to be close to each other. Her little brother was better then his- enough said, and her grandfather was amusing yet seemed to be full of a wealth of information if you were listening correctly. Her mother was clearly the greatest influence in her development since she seemed to have the same accepting nature. She would have had to be accepting to allow her child to go to a time where she knew there was danger to her life. Although, he was sure she wouldn't have been so accepting if Kagome had told her what her supposed protector was doing and that he wasn't much of a protector at all.

Sesshomaru sighed lightly as those thoughts brought him to the memories of the time since his mate had first come through the well.

He could admit that she had done well with her powers for someone who hadn't even known she had them. She had done well off of instinct alone, but she shouldn't have had to. She should have been taught. The half-breed had been too hell bent on going after jewel shards and then hunting Naraku to let her be taught.

Seeing Inuyasha's behavior since the moment she met him he could easily see how badly she had been mistreated. He wondered if she was aware of all her mistreatment. He was sure she was aware of a great deal more then she had been since he had her study the scrolls on dog demons, but he wasn't so sure she grasped all the mistreatment. The half-breed had been treating her as his mate in all but the physical and affectionate sense.

How long would it have been before the half-breed began to try for the physical aspects of having a mate? He wondered darkly.

He was aware that Inuyasha had been intimate with the abomination that was the dead priestess from what he had witnessed and smelled, but even more so from what Kagome had seen in the dead woman's memories. Still, he was sure that it would have only been a matter of time before the half-breed wanted a warm body to use.

Then there was the constant comparisons to the dead priestess. The half-breed had been doing it since the moment he met her, and it had only gotten worse after the woman had been resurrected. After seeing those memories he wondered if the half-breed held any affection for his little miko at all with the way he treated her and the things he said to her.

It wasn't just the constant comparisons to the dead priestess but the seemingly constant barrage of insults, disrespect, and humiliation. Inuyasha had no problem calling her weak in front of others; stupid, useless, brainless- the list just went on. He was starting to believe the half-breed only wanted Kagome because she had behaved so similar to his mother in the way she treated him and what she allowed him to do and to get away with. The half-breed most likely thought of the dead abomination as his mate despite the fact she had been dead.

These thoughts made him wonder. If his reflections were true, what role did the half-breed want Kagome to play in his life if the abomination was to be his mate?

Sesshomaru held in a sigh and put a hold on his thought process since he thought it was time he got up since he didn't plan on lying around all day. Not that he thought it wouldn't be a nice thing to do, but he needed to begin his day. Starting with finding something to eat since he was hungrier than he usually was.

It's most likely a combination of the youki I extended during the mating as well as how long I've been asleep. He considered as he heard his stomach rumble a bit.

From what he could tell he had only been asleep for a day or so. It wasn't very long but the combination was enough to leave him nearly ravenous. He knew that his mate would be unconscious for a few more days since he had lived much longer then she had and she would have more memories to view, so he was confident he had time to hunt.

He carefully sat up, the furs falling away from his upper body, revealing his arm. His eyes widened at the light blue mark that was clearly a new stripe that had been added to his other two. He pulled the furs away and saw that the light blue stripes had been added to all the others on his body.

The new markings allowed him to finally understand what she had done with her reiki. She had participated in the mating in a way that was not only unexpected but unheard of. He wouldn't be surprised to see a mating mark on his neck. If she could give him a courting mark, and new markings on his body, than a mating mark wasn't a stretch of the imagination.

He then focused on his mate's body and saw her new markings. They looked just like his. There were two stripes that were in the exact same places as his but instead of his magenta hers were a light blue like his new markings. He gently turned her on to her back and looked at her face and neck. Two stripes slashed across the top of each cheek, light blue lined her eyelids, and a perfect replica of his navy blue crescent moon graced her forehead.

On the left side of her neck where her courting mark was now sat her mating mark: a tiny replica of his youki cloud in a very light red with the crescent moon that used to be the outline of her courting mark, which had filled in with a navy blue color, overlaid over it.

She looks even more beautiful then she did before. He thought with a quiet rumble as he nuzzled and licked the mark.

With a content sigh he got up, covered up his mate with the furs, and went to hunt in his true form to sate his hunger and celebrate his mating.

~o~o~o~o~

Nearly three days passed before Kagome began to show signs of waking and Sesshomaru was sitting right next to her on the furs waiting to greet her.

Kagome sighed as she shifted and stretched before opening her eyes to see Sesshomaru gazing down at her with his intense golden eyes.

"Mate." Sesshomaru greeted her quietly. "How are you feeling?" He asked as he ran his claws carefully through her hair.

"A little weak and very hungry." Kagome answered as she gazed up at him. She blinked and finally woke up enough to notice the new marks on his body since he was sitting topless next to her.

"They are the result of our mating." Sesshomaru said, referring to his markings, as he helped his mate sit up and put on her outer kimono so she wouldn't be topless in front of him since she was still modest despite their mating.

"Because a mating has never happened with a miko it was not known that adding your power would give me new markings and a mating mark as well." He explained as he provided her with food he had prepared for her while she was asleep.

Kagome looked to the left side of her mate's neck where his courting mark used to be and saw a golden sun with light blue stars surrounding it.

"Females do not mark males during mating, so I am not entirely sure of what all the benefits will be." He explained. "However, I can tell, now that you are awake, that our bond is stronger than I expected."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked with a slightly confused frown.

"Do you feel anything different about yourself?" He asked instead of answering.

Kagome frowned in confusion but tried to see if anything was different about herself. She closed her eyes and felt for her power. It felt fine so she tried to sense anything else, and she felt a sense of calm patience that she knew she wasn't feeling.

"I can sense a feel of calm patience, but I know I'm not feeling that way." She said after she opened her eyes.

"That is one of the benefits." Sesshomaru stated. "We can now feel each other's emotions, however there is something else. Do you feel anything in your mind?"

Kagome tried to sense anything since she wasn't used to looking for anything in that area, but she finally did sense something but she wasn't sure what.

"What is that?" She asked, hoping he would understand her lack of detail.

"I suspect we can share thoughts. The presence in your mind is me. I felt the same thing when I regained consciousness, and now that you are awake it is stronger." He explained.

"I guess it's something we're going to have to figure out and practice. I think it's a nice benefit. We'll be able to speak to each other without anyone knowing. I think you especially will like that benefit, because you'll be able to speak to me without anyone else being aware and maintain your silent controlled persona." She stated.

"Indeed." He agreed. "We will find out of there are more benefits as time passes, but for now I wish to know your thoughts on my memories."

"Oh! I can't believe how old you are. 856 years!" She exclaimed. He was ancient compared to her! Part of her wondered how he could be with someone as young as her, but she understood from his memories that it was about maturity levels and not simply the number of years. He was many times older then her grandfather, but that didn't make him an old male.

She could hardly believe all the things he had seen and experienced, and especially all the traveling he had done! His memories had been like a virtual museum exhibit.

"That simply means I have more experiences and know what I am talking about." He replied smoothly.

Kagome wanted to roll her eyes and disagree but she could not deny that he was knowledgeable in many things.

"I'm awed and amazed that you're been to ancient Egypt, Rome, China, the Americas, and Europe. I've always wanted to experience those places. Seeing the pictures in books isn't the same." She said with a dreamy sigh, and Sesshomaru determined to take her to those places. It was clear from the tone of her voice that she didn't want to see those places in her time, although he was sure she wouldn't turn down the opportunity.

Kagome went on to describe that she liked seeing his childhood and how he grew up. It helped her understand him better. She didn't like that it all seemed to be about training and studying, but she understood how dangerous that time had been and that he needed to know those things in order to even survive his childhood. She liked seeing that he hadn't always been so controlled with his emotions and presenting a cold façade to the world. That he had been as expressive as she usually was before he had learned that his emotions could be used against him.

She was impressed with his thirst for knowledge and making sure he was not ignorant to things in the world, even if they were beyond what he had to deal with. She readily understood that you never knew when that information would come in handy.

She asked her mate about the assassination attempts since she could not help being curious about them. There had been a disturbing amount of them.

Sesshomaru stated that it was the price he had to pay for being the heir to the western lands. It was part of why his emotions were so controlled and his abilities so finely honed. The assassins could have been anyone and anywhere. After a time, and many attempts, he had begun to be able to tell who was an assassin no matter how they portrayed themselves. They had come in the form of enemies, supposed allies, soldiers, concubines, court ladies, maids, and servants.

Kagome nodded and decided to keep his words in mind for when they began to live at his palace. She was aware of her habit of trusting and giving the benefit of doubt to people who she had just met because they were nice to her. It was something she had been working on and intended to continue working on. She refused to put herself and her family in danger because she couldn't get over her naiveté.

She moved on from those thoughts and exclaimed over the many and varied entrapment attempts since he had become lord of the west. The females had been bold beyond belief in some cases. He simply said those were part of the reasons he hadn't taken a mate before then. He hadn't wanted to be tied for life to any of those females.

"It is time we search out your old pack." Sesshomaru eventually pointed out. "They will need to learn how Naraku met his end, and Inuyasha at least needs to see the destruction of the jewel so he knows it is beyond his reach. We also need to deal with him."

"Yes we do." Kagome agreed. Inuyasha had told her that he no longer wanted to be a full demon, but she didn't believe that anymore, and even if she did believe it she had always wondered if he would use the jewel for something else.

As they dressed and prepared to leave they discussed what to do about Inuyasha because even Kagome, after viewing Sesshomaru's memories of him, knew that something had to be done. He couldn't be left to go around doing to other women what he did to her and using people left and right.

It was instantly agreed that they would not pick up Rin and Shippo. They didn't know how Inuyasha would react to learning they were responsible for Naraku's death, that they were mates, or that the jewel was going to be destroyed. They didn't want to risk the children.

~o~o~o~o~

As the Inu pack traveled in their search for the dog demon lord they ran into Kouga who was traveling with his wolves. He and Inuyasha got into their usual fight, even without Kagome there, but Kouga wasn't in the mood to hear anything Inuyasha had to say about Kagome so he dealt with him quickly, beating him until he was too disoriented to fight. He knew the condition wouldn't last long, but it would be long enough to put off any more fighting.

"Have you seen Kagome at all since the last time we saw you?" Sango asked the wolf demon.

"I saw her just a few days ago." Kouga answered, surprising them all. "What about you all?" He asked, remembering what Kagome had told him about not traveling with her old pack anymore.

"We haven't seen her since the last time we came across you. She disappeared with Shippo and we haven't been able to find her in all this time. We had feared she was dead." Miroku answered.

"She's very much alive and well. She came for the jewel shards I had." Kouga stated. "She's also being courted by Lord Sesshomaru." He added almost gleefully. He was unhappy that Kagome did not want him, but he was satisfied that she hadn't wanted dog breath either. And it was all the more satisfying that he was the one to break the news.

Sounds of denial ran through the air, Inuyasha the loudest among them. None of the pack members believed him. They all thought Kagome was too in love with Inuyasha to allow anyone to court her let alone be interested in anyone else.

"I saw the courting mark and sensed Sesshomaru's power in her, and smelled his scent on her. She's definitely being courted." Kouga stated.

Suddenly a crow flew low with a screeched caw just over their heads and they heard a tiny squeaky voice. "Master Inuyasha!" They watched as Inuyasha suddenly smacked his neck before looking at his hand. Laying there with a slight groan was the flea demon Myouga.

"So cruel." Myouga lamented.

"What the fuck are you doin here?" Inuyasha asked rudely. "You weren't around months ago when I actually could've used you."

"I have news to share Master Inuyasha." Myouga said as he settled comfortably on the half-demon's hand. "I just came from Totosai's. I learned from him that he has recently made some weapons for Lord Sesshomaru from his fang and claw to gift to a female he's courting. He's obviously very serious about this female if he's giving up a fang and especially a claw." He reported.

"I told you so." Kouga chimed in quite happily, and watched as Sango and Miroku began to look undecided and concerned.

"That doesn't mean it's Kagome!" Inuyasha said instantly, displacing Myouga from his seat on his hand.

"Why do you think it's Lady Kagome?" Myouga asked Kouga in confusion as he settled on Miroku's shoulder, deeming it safer there. "Where is Lady Kagome anyway?" He asked Inuyasha in the next breath.

Miroku and Sango explained that Kagome had disappeared with Shippo a few months ago and they had not seen either of them since. They had feared Kagome was dead and it was only that day that they learned from Kouga that she was alive and apparently well.

Myouga nodded and turned to look at the wolf demon.

"I saw her just a few days ago with Sesshomaru. She came for the jewel shards I had, and that's when I learned that she was being courted by the western lord." Kouga said.

"Are you positive she's being courted and not simply traveling with him?" Myouga asked.

"I saw the courting mark. She showed me. I also smelled Sesshomaru's scent on her and sensed his power in her." Kouga said.

"Hmmm…I'm a bit concerned that the female is Kagome knowing her personality and all, but as long as she's happy then I think it will be a good match." Myouga said and Inuyasha was instantly upset.

"That shit can't be true! Kagome loves me! That fuckin bastard is the last person the wench would allow to court her even if she didn't love me. But she does! She loves me and belongs to me!" Inuyasha said loudly.

Kouga simply frowned and shook his head. Clearly Inuyasha was in denial to think Kagome would put up with all the crap he put her through and never get tired of it. And it was ridiculous that he was claiming she belonged to him when he had never marked her. He honestly wished he could be there when the idiot learned the truth. He supposed he could be there, but it was too soon to see her. He still needed time to heal. Besides, he was sure he would hear all about it eventually.

Myouga frowned at Inuyasha's words. He had thought that Kagome was in love with his master as well, but even he knew that Inuyasha did not treat her right a majority of the time. That thought had him wondering again about her disappearance.

"What led up to Lady Kagome's disappearance? Did she leave for a reason?" Myouga asked.

Inuyasha scowled and looked off into the distance, Sango and Miroku looked uncomfortable, and Kouga looked curious since he too wanted to know why she had stopped traveling with her old pack.

After a few tense and awkward moments Miroku explained what happened before she disappeared, and how they had no idea how she disappeared. There had been no trace of her leaving from the stream.

Kouga could not believe what he was hearing. Inuyasha had hit her! He had laid his hand on her in violence because he would not stop verbally claiming her. He was even happier that she finally got away from the idiot. He clearly had problems if he was taking his anger out on a female who had done nothing and had stuck by him for so long.

"I'm glad Kagome got away from you when she had the chance. I hope she and Sesshomaru are already mated so she'll be safe from you." Kouga told Inuyasha fiercely before saying his goodbyes to the two humans and flea. He then turned and took off with his small pack of wolves, determined to not have to see or deal with Inuyasha ever again.

Myouga was shocked. He could hardly believe it. That a son of the great Inu no Taisho would lay his hands on a female in such a way! Not even Lord Sesshomaru with his cold hearted reputation had been known to be violent with a female.

He frowned as he finally realized that all the rumors he had heard over the years about Inuyasha had been true. The anger issues, befriending beings only to use them for his own gain, and thinking he could have whatever he wanted without earning it. That type of thinking definitely explained why Inuyasha went after the sacred jewel the first time. It had the power to make him into something he could never be no matter how much he wanted it.

Myouga looked at the two humans that traveled with Inuyasha and realized he was probably using them as well. He wondered when they would begin to realize it. From what he had heard Inuyasha's attitude began to change toward his supposed friends when their usefulness was up or they realized what he was doing.

I heard a rumor that Naraku's been defeated, so his attitude will most likely begin to change soon if it hasn't already since they had all been traveling together to defeat the spider half demon. He thought with a frown as he looked at Inuyasha.

"Do any of you know anything about the rumors of Naraku's defeat?" He asked instead of responding to the tale and watched as Inuyasha scowled.

"It was that fuckin' bastard! He knew I said I was goin' to be the one to defeat Naraku and he did it anyway!" He yelled irately.

"My wind tunnel is gone so we know Naraku is dead." Miroku said calmly and paused as he glanced to Inuyasha. "We were looking for Lord Sesshomaru when we came across Kouga, because he's most likely the one responsible for Naraku's death."

Myouga nodded. "I think I'll accompany you on your search." He decided. Lord Sesshomaru was dangerous and he didn't like to be around danger but he wanted to know if the demon lord was really responsible for Naraku's death and if he was really courting Kagome. Not that he didn't believe Kouga; he just wanted to see her with his own eyes.

Inuyasha scowled wordlessly and took off to continue his search.

"You're welcome to come, but could you refrain from feeding on us?" Sango said as they begin to follow after Inuyasha.

~o~o~o~o~

A few days later saw the newly mated couple in a peaceful clearing relaxing as they waited for Kagome's old pack to arrive. They had secretly tracked the group by scent and when they were only a few hours apart Sesshomaru allowed some of his youki to leak out for the group to follow.

Sesshomaru sat leaning against a tree with one leg bent and the other stretched out. Kagome lay comfortably on her back in the grass with her head resting on his stretched leg. As they waited Kagome snacked on fruit while they spoke through their bond about the possible reactions to come from her old pack. They both knew that Inuyasha would be loud and irate, about everything, and in Kagome's case he might try to take her by force.

"I think Sango and Miroku will be shocked and surprised that I'm willingly in your company let alone mated to you. If it was before we were mated they probably would have tried to stop me and talk me out of going through with it." Kagome said.

"They do not trust you to make your own decisions." Sesshomaru commented.

"True and I don't understand why. Is it because I'm a few years younger than them? Is it because I'm from a different time? Could it be because they think I don't know how to navigate in this time with its different species, cultures, and traditions?" She said with a frown.

"If that's the case than they should have educated you instead of assuming all would be well because you would be in their presence. There was bound to come a time when you would need to know what to do. If they had been worried then it was reckless of them not to have rectified it as soon as possible." Sesshomaru stated.

"That's true as well, and even if they wanted to teach me Inuyasha wouldn't have given them time since he was so hell bent on collecting jewel shards and hunting down Naraku. Not even health issues were enough to make him stop. I always had to sit him if one of us was sick so we could get rest and get better." Kagome said.

"The half-breed is a disgraceful alpha and doesn't deserve the title." He said in annoyance.

Kagome nodded as she popped another piece of fruit into her mouth. "I can definitely attest to that personally now that I know what an alpha is supposed to be like." She said.

"Hn." He hummed. "I smell Inuyasha and the rest of his pack. They will be here shortly." He announced.

Kagome nodded and took the remaining time to finish her fruit then sat up, and got to her feet with the help of her mate who was already standing. She straightened her clothes and weapons and made sure she was presentable before standing next to Sesshomaru and facing the direction he was looking in and calmly waited.

She sensed them first than minutes later she saw Kirara flying toward them and knew that Inuyasha would be there first even though she had yet to see him. She was right. She watched calmly as Inuyasha burst through the far trees screaming her mate's name, only to come to a halt at the sight of her.

It was in the wake of this that Sango and Miroku arrived. Once Kirara landed they slipped off her, both of them staring at the sight of Kagome standing calmly at the side of Inuyasha's dangerous older brother. As they looked at her they noticed that she looked the same as they remembered yet different. Her clothing was definitely something that was different. The only time they had seen her wear any clothing of their time was when her own clothing was destroyed and she had to wear priestess clothes, and even that was rare.

Now she stood there wearing black hakama and a short kimono with a small crescent moon pattern as well as with what was clearly the demon lord's family crest on her left shoulder and sleeves just like what was displayed on his haori in a blue that matched her eyes. A blue and white obi secured her kimono closed as well as held a sword and long daggers at her waist. Black boots similar to the demon lords graced her feet and her hair was much longer then it was the last time they saw her, but that was not the only difference in her.

It was the way she held herself and the look on her face that had them staring. She stood straight, yet relaxed, with her head held high in a clear show of confidence. Her face showed no embarrassment, hesitation, or fear. Just a calmness and expectation that showed that she had known they were coming.

In addition to that she had marks on her face the same as the demon lord at her side. The only difference there was that her stripes were a different color. Still, it was definitely evidence toward her being courted by the demon lord, perhaps even already being mated.

"Should we say something or wait for them to speak?" She asked her mate as she calmly gazed at her old pack members.

"We should. I have no desire to be here all day. We need to get back to the children, and we still need to announce our mating." He stated.

"Okay." She agreed before taking a steadying breath. "Hi. I'm glad you found us because I have the jewel and I wanted you to witness its destruction." She said calmly.

"What the fuck wench?!" Inuyasha shouted, finally finding his voice again after seeing Kagome standing next to his bastard half-brother and wearing similar demonic facial markings. "Is that all you have to say for yourself?"

"I wasn't aware I needed to say anything for myself." Kagome said with a raised eyebrow.

When Inuyasha's face reddened and he looked like he would explode at her Miroku stepped in to try and defuse the situation.

"I'm happy to see you alive and well since we had thought you were dead not too long ago." He said with a slight smile. "We spoke to Kouga recently and he let us know that you were alive, and he also informed us that you were being courted." He added, trailing off as he looked to the demon lord who gazed back with his usual cold look.

"That's true. We went to find Kouga to get the jewel shards he had before Naraku decided to go after them. I let him know than that Sesshomaru was courting me so he would finally stop pursuing me." Kagome informed them.

"That fuckin bastard can't be courting you!" Inuyasha burst out loudly, unable to remain silent any longer.

"Of course he's not courting me." She responded as she looked at him, and watched as he began to look smug. "He's now my mate." She added before he could speak again.

"Congratulations!" They heard a tiny voice say and looked to see Myouga sitting on Miroku's shoulder. "I'm glad you're alive and safe Lady Kagome even though I had not known you were missing until I met up with Master Inuyasha." He added lightly. "Did you know that the half demon Naraku is dead? I've heard rumors of his defeat, and the good monk here said his cursed wind tunnel is gone."

"Yes we do know seeing as how we were there when it happened." She answered. "Kagura and Kanna are dead as well in case you were wondering."

"You bastard!" Inuyasha exploded. "I know you did it! I told you Naraku was mine to defeat."

"Your words mean little to nothing to me." Sesshomaru stated coldly. "Naraku needed to be dealt with and my mate needed the half of the jewel he had in order to finish her duty to the cursed bobble." He added as he watched him. He could see the half-breed was getting ready to explode in anger and could tell the situation was about to get physical. "Move away. I do not want you hit in the half-breeds rash rush." He told his mate through their bond.

Kagome could also see the signs and simply moved away without responding just as Inuyasha began to yell.

"She ain't your mate! She doesn't belong to you!" Inuyasha yelled angrily as he rushed at Sesshomaru fists raised and fangs bared.

Sango and Miroku along with Myouga moved out of the way and next to Kagome. As they watched the half-brothers fight they once again told her how glad they were that she was alive and well.

Kagome merely nodded, feeling Sesshomaru's curiosity and knew it stemmed from what they would say to her since he could hear perfectly even with his fight going on.

"Why did you leave that day? How did you do it?" Sango asked quietly.

Kagome explained that Sesshomaru had come across her and Shippo at the stream. After she explained what happened he let them travel with him so she could finish collecting the jewel shards, because she couldn't travel with Inuyasha after he had hit her. It was the last straw and she didn't want him to be able to find her. She couldn't continue to stay around someone who would be violent with her, but beyond that there was another major reason.

She informed them about the tainted wish on her soul and how it made her behave toward Inuyasha, and how she fixed the problem.

Sango and Miroku were shocked and surprised. It was definitely a surprise to learn that Kagome's feelings for Inuyasha and her behavior toward him were a result of a wish on the sacred jewel. This knowledge also explained why Inuyasha treated Kagome the way he did, and why he had been so sure she was willing to accept him being with Kikyou as well as her. She would have put up with his behavior and accepted it all because of the tainted wish.

Kagome also explained that she wasn't willing to stay around them either, considering how they reacted and had reacted to many of the situations between her and Inuyasha in the past. They had never tried to interfere or advise her to try and move on from Inuyasha. She and Inuyasha hadn't been in a relationship so they couldn't say that they didn't want to overstep their bounds.

She told them that they had even been pushing her toward Inuyasha and back to him when they had major fights, as if they wanted her to be with him or thought that their being together was inevitable. And they had to have noticed something off about her behavior toward him. She had been putting herself into dangerous situations that common sense said she didn't have to.

"It disturbed me that he hit me right in front of you guys and you did absolutely nothing! You didn't even yell at him. You just stood there and watched." She explained.

She stopped there to let her words sink as she watched her mate fight with her former friend. He had pulled no weapon and she could tell that he was not even trying to fight him with his full strength.

"I am riling him up to see if he will blurt out any guilty admissions." Sesshomaru informed her after catching the thought.

Kagome watched as he almost casually dodged out of the way of Inuyasha's strikes just before they would have landed, and flicked his poison whip at him with just enough power to push him back. She listened as Inuyasha shouted at him to stay still and that he would get him for taking away his revenge and trying to claim her as his mate.

"I'm so sorry Kagome." Sango said remorsefully.

"Yes. I too am very sorry Lady Kagome." Miroku said sincerely. "We're sorry for our lack of action in helping you, and not being the best friends we could be."

"Yes. We should have been better friends." Sango agreed, and hesitated for a few moments. "But can I ask why you're not doing anything to help Inuyasha or trying to stop Sesshomaru?" She asked, her tone a mix of surprise and confusion as Miroku nodded his curiosity.

"I'm serious about being done with Inuyasha. I don't want anything to do with him and besides, he's not my responsibility. He's not my mate, and not my friend. Sesshomaru is my mate. Inuyasha isn't in danger of dying, and he needs to realize there are consequences to his actions. That for every action there's a reaction." Kagome stated firmly.

"Not that I want this situation to become more violent, but…why isn't Master Inuyasha using Tetsusiaga?" Myouga asked.

"Because he hasn't been able to use it in months. We went to see Totosai and he explained that it refused to work for him anymore; that it had rejected him." Miroku said.

"Tetsusiaga rejected him because he hit me; the one he promised to protect. The one that was the reason he was able to use the sword in the first place instead of it simply being an unknown seal on his demon blood inside him." Kagome informed them.

"How do you know?" Sango asked.

"We learned weeks ago when Totosai brought me my weapons." Kagome answered. "Mate." She called quietly through their bond. He hummed in response, never stopping his fight. "Would you mind giving me a turn?" She asked and sensed his curiosity. "For closure." She answered the silent question.

Sesshomaru followed his mate's train of thought and came to the words the half-breed had been telling her from the moment they met: weak, powerless, idiot, shard detector. The words instantly called up the memories he had viewed and all the degrading and demeaning ways he had treated her.

"Very well." He said and hit Inuyasha in the face, knocking him to the ground so hard it left him disoriented. He walked off to where he had been standing previously and watched as his mate walked forward until she was standing where he had been.

Miroku watched this wondering how they moved in the positions they were in without a word, but he was more concerned with a thought that had just come to him. Kagome had said that she had purified her soul but he knew that she needed her entire soul to do that, and he wondered if that meant she actually did have her entire soul.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked, noticing his frown.

"Kagome said she purified her soul. She had to have her entire soul to do that, and if that's the case then what happened to Kikyou?" Miroku said.

Sesshomaru easily heard their conversation and decided to answer the monks question since he knew the half-breed would hear. He knew that the monk was an intelligent human and would figure out quickly what actually happened without knowing the details.

"She is dead." He said bluntly in his cold stoic voice.

"What?!" Inuyasha yelled, instantly furious at the news, and focused on Sesshomaru. He began to run toward him but Kagome intercepted him, swinging a back kick at him that knocked him on his back.

"You killed her didn't you?" Miroku questioned the demon lord, but he already knew. Kagome needed her full soul to purify it completely, and needed her full soul to use her powers to that extent anyway. He also know that Kagome, from what she said, wouldn't be able to do it.

"Yes." Sesshomaru said clearly and unapologetic, and watched as the half-breed practically roared and tried to come at him again.

Once again Kagome stopped his advance with a punch to the face that had him stumbling back.

"What the fuck wench?!" Inuyasha yelled as he grabbed his nose.

"And it was a good thing he did." Kagome said, ignoring Inuyasha's words. "As bad as that sounds it was."

"Kikyou had been helping Naraku. She wanted myself and Inuyasha dead so badly that she was willing to work with the one responsible for her death." She stated firmly to the group at large, feeling her mate's encouragement filter through their bond. "Not only was she feeding him information about us and what we were doing, she was also giving him jewel shards."

"How could you know that Bitch?" Inuyasha asked angrily, his eyes flickering between red and amber.

Kagome looked at him blankly as she felt her mate instantly become angry to the point where it began to spill over to her. She understood why. That name, she learned from Sesshomaru's memories, was only something a male Inu called his mate. Inuyasha was overstepping his bounds, and he was doing it purposely because he considered her to be his.

Kagome's reiki sparked to life around her in her anger which was being joined and somewhat fueled by her mates. She did not appreciate his calling her such a name. Coming from it was derogatory, an insult, and only reminded her of the way he talked to her before she left.

"I unfortunately got to view all her memories when I got the rest of my soul back." She stated coldly. "And there were many things that disturbed and disgusted me; many of which involved you!" She added as she stepped toward him, her power flaring up with each step, a light blue aura beginning to circle her.

She didn't hate Inuyasha but she disliked him and didn't want anything to do with him. She would fight him and show him just how wrong he was about her; show him how she felt about all the things he had said and done to her. She held a hand out, palm forward, and shot out small low powered light blue balls of purification at him. She didn't want to purify him, just give him a very bad sting.

"What the fuck are you doin wench?" Inuyasha asked as he dodged the reiki balls.

Kagome didn't answer. She simply continued to attack. She moved toward him slowly at first using his distraction, then quickly using her power to enhance her speed and strengthen her limbs, and nailed him in the face with a punch then a reiki enhanced side kick that sent him flying to the side before sliding across the ground.

"Bitch! What's wrong with you?" Inuyasha said angrily. "This is just one more thing to punish you for when I get my hands on you!" He stated as he sped toward her.

Kagome frowned. He treated her like an unruly mate that needed discipline. She definitely wasn't about to let him get his hands on her, not that her mate wouldn't step in and stop him before he did. She could sense his anger spike higher and higher at Inuyasha calling her bitch yet again and threatening to punish her.

She knew Inuyasha was fast but Sesshomaru was faster, and after training with him at his speed she had no problem evading Inuyasha's grasping hands.

"Stay still and stop running. You're only makin things worse on yourself." Inuyasha growled in frustration.

Sango and Miroku watched the two with wide eyes. They couldn't believe Kagome and Inuyasha were fighting. It was something they never thought they would see happen. They couldn't help being amazed that she was keeping up with him with no problem and landing hits, and the control she showed when she used her power was incredible. Miroku was sure that Sesshomaru must have taught her these skills.

Aside from that they were more than a little disturbed at how angry and focused Inuyasha was on trying to hit Kagome and wanting to punish her. What was wrong with him? They could understand he was angry at being attacked, but he seemed to be taking it to another level. Didn't he want to be in a relationship with her? Why would he want to hurt her? Why was he being this way? His behavior had been going downhill when Kagome disappeared, but it seemed to get worse once they found out Naraku was dead. Neither one of them liked the implications that implied.

"Sesshomaru, are you ready to take over?" Kagome asked through their bond.

"Are you done?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I'm satisfied that I made my point." She said confidently.

With that assurance Sesshomaru sped forward, vanishing from his spot and appearing in front of the half-breed, intercepting him before he could reach Kagome. His eyes bled red, his anger showing through as he allowed his beast to merge with him as he began to beat his half-brother more severely than he ever had before. He pummeled the whelp as he gladly released the angry tension from standing back and allowing him to speak to and threaten his mate the way he had.

Kagome calmly moved away so she was out of the danger zone so to speak and watched waiting for the moment when her mate was done so they could finish with the situation.

When Sesshomaru and his beast were as satisfied as they could be without killing the whelp and Inuyasha was groaning on the ground, unable to move, they implemented Inuyasha's punishment.

Kagome moved forward and stood next to Sesshomaru. She looked to him and after he gave her a small nod she looked down at Inuyasha and began to focus on her reiki. She held her hands together and slowly pulled them apart, a small tennis sized ball of her reiki floated there, glowing and pulsing as it responded to her will.

When she was satisfied she released the ball, letting it fall over Inuyasha. The moment it hit him it pulsed stronger before melting into him, causing his body to glow a light blue. Red slowly began to mix with the blue, and Inuyasha began to scream.

Slowly Kagome's reiki began to seal away his demon blood leaving him human yet knowing that his demon half was forever locked away. This way he could no longer use his superior strength or senses to harm another female, or to manipulate people into befriending him just to use them. He would have to live like a human everyday instead of just one night a month.

Kagome decided to leave the sacred beads around his neck because even though she didn't want anything more to do with him he was most likely still dangerous. After all human men could be dangerous. She and Sesshomaru would be the only ones to know that those beads could still be used in his human state. The subjugation would just be different in deference to his weaker state.

They watched and listened as Inuyasha lay there groaning and panting from the effects of the sealing. They kept their feelings to themselves, while Sango and Miroku stared wide eyed and confused. Miroku shook his head and decided he needed to know what had just happened.

"What…what just happened?" Miroku asked with a frown.

"I sealed Inuyasha's demon blood away so he won't be able to use it to hurt another female or manipulate another person. If he changes his ways then there's a possibility that he'll earn his demon state back, but only if he can prove to me that he's really changed." Kagome explained patiently.

Myouga shook his head sadly. He had learned so many things since meeting up with Master Inuyasha, but this information was on a whole new level. Inuyasha had finally gone too far and was now paying the price. He wondered if his half demon master would learn his lesson or continue on as he always had despite being human. He would stick close to find out and let Lady Kagome know if he really did change his ways.

Kagome then moved away so that she was standing between the prone half demon and Sango and Miroku with her mate standing right behind her as she pulled out the complete sacred jewel.

"It's time to finally get rid of this thing." She said and heard Sango moan quietly as she gazed sadly at the jewel, and Kagome understood why. "Kohaku wasn't with Naraku so he must have already taken his shard, but that doesn't mean he's dead. The jewel shard had only been keeping him a slave and suppressing his memory. All you have to do is find him. If he's dead then Naraku killed him just for the sake of it." She explained.

Sango nodded as Miroku put his arm around her shoulders. If Kohaku was dead then she still needed to find his body to give him a proper burial with his family.

"I wish for Priestess Midoriko to be at peace." Kagome said and watched the jewel pulse before seemingly sighing and fading away.

They all stood in silence contemplating what had just happened with the jewel and idly listening to Inuyasha groan.

~o~o~o~o~

Time passed as is inevitable and everyone eventually settled into life after Naraku's defeat. After the wish was made Sesshomaru and Kagome left her old pack behind and went home to reunite with their adopted children and begin their mated life.

Through the weeks and months that followed the mated couple began to take notice of the different effects of their bond. The bond had become stronger allowing them to feel each other's emotions more strongly, enabling them to determine how close or far they were to each other, and strengthening their bodies- allowing Sesshomaru to become resistant to any reiki less powerful then his mates, and Kagome to become resistant to all poisons.

Nearly a year passed before they decided they were ready for additional children. Four months after the decision found a shocked and surprised Kagome giving birth to the western heir who surprised his parents by being a full-blood pup in true form. He had moonlight fur the same color as his father, a navy blue crescent moon on his forehead, blue jagged strips on each cheek like his grandfather, and his mother's blue eyes with a golden ring around them.

They had talked about half demon births taking six months in comparison to the nine for humans, but after the birth of their son Sesshomaru felt the need to confirm for Kagome that for full demons it only took four months so she wouldn't think it was unusual. It was later determined that the reason he was a full demon was simply because of their combined power. There had never been a demon lord and a miko mated before let alone ones as powerful as they were.

Their son grew healthy and strong and after a few years, when he was old enough to be left in the care of Rin, Shippo, and a nanny, they began to go out on patrols together. Something they hadn't been able to do since Kagome became pregnant. They traveled nearly every inch of the western lands, but they never went to the village in Edo.

Kagome had been true to her words. She hadn't wanted to be around Sango and Miroku, and especially Inuyasha. Their friendship had taken a turn when they had done nothing when Inuyasha had hit her, and it had officially ended as far as she was concerned when she wished away the jewel.

She knew it was for the best, especially since she would have to watch them grow old and die if they were still friends. She would still have to deal with that heartache with Rin, unless she mated a demon, and any other human friends she made, but she was determined that they would be a better quality of friends.

Despite staying away from her old pack she still knew what was happening with them by way of Keade. She made sure to keep in contact with the older priestess by correspondence since she refused to go to the village with her old pack living there.

Sango and Miroku had gotten married and started their family. After they split ways they had sadly found Kohaku's body at one of the palaces Naraku had taken over. It had apparently been obvious that he had been killed again by the spider half demon. Inuyasha, she learned, had had a hard time adjusting to being human every day and night, but when he finally did his attitude hadn't changed, nor had his behavior.

Keade had informed her that despite these facts Sango and Miroku continued to stick by him. She didn't like what that said about them, but it was their life and their family that would have to deal with him. She just hoped things didn't go badly for them for their misplaced loyalty or whatever was keeping them by his side.

She would continue to write Keade and when she passed away Sesshomaru was sure to have someone watching Inuyasha to see if they either needed to deal with any major problems, since his behavior would still reflect on their family name, or if he managed to change his ways and earn back his demon half.

Kagome supposed time would tell one way or the other.

Author Note: That's it for this story. I think I did okay for my first short story. I've started another short story. The first chapter has already been posted. It's called Metamorphosis of a Miko for those interested.