"But I'm REALLY tired, mommy." Sukashi whined. "And I don't even know what we are looking for! We've been traveling for three days and two nights like this, with only two small rests!"

"Quiet." Sesshoumaru demanded of the child. Sukashi flinched slightly. She hesitated for a moment before clenching her fists and stopping. "NO!" She said resolutely. "I don't care! We just keep walking, and you guys never talk. I want to know what this is about, because then if I do, I can help!"

Sesshoumaru growled, but Kagome placed her arm on him and turned around to the red-temper-tantrum Sukashi. "I think we need to take a rest and explain this to her, Sesshoumaru." She said. His gaze lingered on her for a moment, eyes narrowed, but he agreed.

"Sukashi, remember when I told you about the half-demon Naraku?" Kagome began gently.

"Yea….but I thought that he was your enemy a long time ago…I mean, you said you haven't seen him in years."

"Well, we need to find him now. Both Sesshoumaru and I can feel him, his evil presence of hatred. He did something very bad to us…Sesshoumaru and I, so we need…to…settle the score."

"What did he do?" Sukashi asked breathlessly.

"I'll tell you later, Sukashi. Right now, we need to search for clues of his whereabouts."

"I can help!" Sukashi chirped. "What are we looking for?!"

"Death…destruction….and hatred. And, also, if you ever see a demon with a spider shaped mark on its back, you tell me, or Sesshoumaru. It doesn't even matter if it's a tiny mouse demon, If you see that scar on it, you tell us immediately."

Sukashi screwed up her face in thought. She picked up a stick and began drawing something in the dirt. "Is this what it looks like?" She pointed to the drawing of a spider-looking shape.

Kagome peered at her daughter. "How do you know that?" She asked urgently.

"Well…"Sukashi paused, looking down at the stick as though it would make her remember. "When you got really sick suddenly…that demon that attacked us when Sesshoumaru tried to get you to safety…well, after Shippou and I killed it…We saw the mark on its back." She looked up at to see two sets of eyes looking at her. Two golden, and two brown. 

After a long deliberate pause, Kagome said, "I see. We can stop here for the night, Sukashi, and you may rest and eat."

***

Kagome looked at the sleeping form of her daughter, then at Sesshoumaru. "So he tried to prevent me from healing…So he most definitely must know that we are trying to find him, and he is probably setting up a trap."  Kagome pushed her thick bangs out of her eyes and looked at the ground.

"We will try to find a way." Sesshoumaru said.

"Yea." Kagome mumbled, playing with a strand of her hair and continued to watch the shadows that formed on the ground as a result from their small fire. Suddenly she felt, or perhaps saw a dim flash of purple light that ran across her eyes.

"I…sense a jewel shard." Kagome said very slowly. "Very far off."

"Those are of no importance to me." Sesshoumaru said bluntly, staring at Kagome's lowered head.

"Are you kidding me?" The miko looked up to look at Sesshoumaru questioningly. "Jewel shards are very important. They can help us become stronger, and they can give us a clue about Naraku!"

"Well, human miko, tell me which direction the feeling is coming from." Sesshoumaru said almost in a sarcastic way.

Kagome shot Sesshoumaru a glare then closed her eyes and opened the rest of her senses. No matter which direction she looked, she could not feel any more jewel shards. "Damn….Damnit! I lost it. I can't find it anymore!"

Sesshoumaru fought off a smirk.

Kagome, looking in his direction, saw his inner battle not to laugh at her, and clenched her fists.  "Grr! What is so damn funny to you! This is definitely no laughing matter."

"I agree that this is no laughing matter, miko. I just find your frustration very comical."

"So…you're not laughing at the situation, you're laughing at ME." Kagome said, glaring at him.

Sesshoumaru looked her directly in the eye and said, "yes".

Kagome narrowed her eyes and threw herself at him, trying to make for a slap in his face. He caught her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist so she was trapped against him. Kagome's face was inches from his, and she felt VERY flushed all of a sudden.

"…Why…" She began breathlessly. "Do you play around with me like this, when you know HE'S watching."

"Its because I know HE'S watching us" Sesshoumaru's breath was hot against her neck. "that I act like this. Why are you so hesitant? Are you still afraid of me after all these years?" He moved so that his lips were brushing her neck.

"You could say I'm a little bit hesitant, Sesshoumaru." Kagome said quietly. "I haven't seen you for so long, and I don't know whether you still are transformed like you were back then. I was even still hesitant when you took me for your own, and that was the last time I saw you." Kagome blushed at the memory. They were silent for a moment before Sesshoumaru pushed the shoulder of her garb away to see the mark he had left on her.

"Do you know…" Kagome began to smile. "How mad Inuyasha was when he found out?" Sesshoumaru stiffened slightly as he watched Kagome close her eyes, silently remembering. Kagome relived that day as she told Sesshoumaru about it.

***Flashback***

Kagome grunted as she crawled out of the well. "It seems like it's been FOREVER since I have done that!" She exclaimed. "Well, technically about 7 months." She scratched her head.

"Ka-Kagome?!" Is that you?" You're still alive!" Inuyasha exclaimed, coming down from his tree. "I thought you would never come back, you stupid human! It's been 7 months! Hey, you look skinnier!"

"Uh…Thanks. Well, I told you that I really needed to go through the rest of the school year. I mean. My mom was going to kill me!"

"Well, how come I couldn't get through the well?" Inuyasha said angrily.

"Well, my mom made my grandpa seal the well up." Kagome said, smiling.

Inuyasha looked at her suspiciously. "Your Grandpa could never seal it before…"

"KAGOME!!???" An extremely exited monk, kitsune, and ex-demon exterminator ran towards her, exclaiming over her and giving a lot of hugs.

***

Kagome looked up at Sesshoumaru, who was staring at her, listening intently. She reached to touch the mark on her neck, before continuing the story.

"Later that night… I found myself alone with Inuyasha…"

*** Continuing Flashback***

"Kagome…I really missed you while you were gone." Inuyasha took a step towards her. "You were gone for so long…"

Kagome tried to take a step back, but found that there was most definitely a tree behind her. He got closer to her, and Kagome took a sharp breath in. "Please, Inuyasha….don't."

"What?" Inuyasha said. "Why Kagome?"

"n…Nothing." Kagome said, moving slightly, and accidentally making her school uniform slide so that it exposed the mark on her neck."

"Kagome, what is that wound on your neck?" Inuyasha said, moving closer.

"It's really nothing!" Kagome said, tugging the fabric so it covered her back up. "I…um fell down the stairs, and I got this wound…"

"You know, Kagome, you really do smell different…" Inuyasha said, taking another step closer, so that he was close enough to touch her. "Here…Let me see that wound." He reached over and tugged at her uniform to see the mark.

"Hey…" Inuyasha said slowly, "This is a demon mark! Its only made during mating! Kagome!" He searched her face for a sign, but only saw eyes that didn't meet his own. "Is that why you were gone for so long? Kagome? Kagome! Were you pregnant or something. Who took you?!"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said softly. "I…" Kagome stopped when she saw Inuyasha lean in to sniff her.

"You smell like…" Inuyasha hesitated to sniff a little more. "Sess…..Sesshoumaru?! What the hell?! Did he rape you or something?! Because if he did, Kagome, I'll kill him! I really will."

"No!" Kagome said loudly. "He didn't ….rape me…. Inuyahsa, please don't tell Shippou."

"You mean you willingly—"

"Osuwari!!" Kagome breathed heavily. "I did, Inuyasha. I'm sorry."

***

"You apologized?"

"Well, um….yea, I did.  Inuyasha looked so hurt. And I supposed in a way, I DID betray him. And I still think that he thinks that I did it to spite him and Kikyou. That's why he hates Sukashi so much."

"Hm…" Sesshoumaru looked away, and Kagome shifted so she was looking back at the ground.

"Sesshoumaru?"

"…"

"There is a place I would like to visit before we continue our journey."

"What place?"

"Midoriko's cave."

***

Sukashi looked up at her mother, squinting in the sunlight. "Is this the place?"

"Yes." Her mother said, looking somewhat distracted. "I feel something very odd, however…." It was a familiar feeling. Actually it was more like three overlapping feelings that each meant different things. The three strong feelings were so jumbled together that Kagome could not tell which was which. She knew one of the feelings was the presence of Midoriko in the cave, but the other two were puzzles to her.

"Why couldn't Sesshoumaru come with us?"

"I don't know if Midoriko would let him in the cave. Besides, I think a demon like him needs some solitude every once in a while. Freedom from annoying pups." Kagome smirked down at her child, who was, in turn glaring at her mother.

"Now it is time to go in." Kagome said in a serious tone. "Just walk through the barrier, Sukashi." 

The two walked through the glowing entrance to the cave without problem. As they silently trudged through the dark cave, Sukashi began to pick up the scent of another demon. She decided not to say anything to her mom, however, because she was sure that her mom would be able to sense it. A low growl reached her ears, and Sukashi began to growl low in her throat.

"Mom—"  Sukashi began, but was suddenly silenced as as she saw two red glowing eyes in the darkness. The demon leaped at her and Sukashi tried to block the claws and teeth with her own claws.

Kagome took a step back and used her magic to separate the two. She blindly reached for an arrow and strung it on her bow. Searching for her target through her glowing magic, she pulled the arrow back. Kagome saw two red cat-demon eyes and a diamond shaped marking on the demon's forehead. The miko dropped her arrow suddenly in astonishment. Sukashi watched the arrow fall to the floor from her spot on the ground, then looked back at her mother, who was covering her mouth with her hand.

"Kirara?" Kagome said in a quivery voice. She dropped the magic that was holding the cat in place and ran towards the fire-cat. She threw her arms around Kirara and buried her head in her fur.

"I thought I wouldn't see you again!" Kagome said smiling into the cat. Kirara purred and swished her tail. The miko took a step back and watched as the large demon transformed into the smaller one. Seeing Kirara reminded her painfully of Sango, and Kagome fought off crying. Seeing a very confused-looking Sukashi out of the corner of her eye, the miko gestured over to her daughter.

"Kirara, this is Sukashi, my daughter. And Sukashi, this is Kirara, and old friend." Kagome beamed as Sukashi reached a hand out and the small Kirara squeaked and jumped into her lap. Watching the two, Kagome concluded that the feeling that Kirara was here was definitely one that she felt before entering the cave. Now that she had two of the feelings cleared up, Kagome felt a little bit more secure about proceeding further in the cave.

***

A small gasp of breath escaped Sukashi as she saw the forms of many stalagmite demons surrounding a warrior as the ceiling opened up and the floor dropped down.

"That warrior is a girl, mama! She's so beautiful." Awe filled wonder filled the young hanyou's voice.

"Her name is Midoriko, and it was inside of her that the Sacred Shikon no Tama was initially created." Kagome said, staring at the wonder herself. 'Its been a long time since I have visited this cave…' Kagome thought to herself.  The miko told her daughter the story of Midoriko as Sukashi listened with wide eyes.

"…Then the villagers came to Kikyou, and gave her the jewel to protect. 50 years after Kikyou died, along came little ol' me…" Kagome paused to smile, then continued in a false happy tone. "And I broke the jewel into a million-kajillion pieces that we have to find—" Kagome broke off and smiled again at her daughter, who was giggling at the Miko, then sighed.

"But, I guess, if the jewel hadn't been broken into a million pieces, then the future would be way different. I wonder if I'd be dead." Kagome said, halfway to her daughter, halfway to Midoriko.

"That subduing spell would have little to no effect on the full-demon Inuyasha. He would have killed you, being the stupid weak girl you were then." A cool female voice said out of the darkness.

Kagome stiffened and turned around. However, she didn't even need to turn around to know who it was, and the feeling generating from 'it' was the final strong feeling she had prior to entering the cave.

Kagome drew in a slow breath as the figure belonging to the voice stepped out of the darkness. "…Kikyou"

Well, whaddya know. EXACTLY 13 pages. Isnt that eerie because it is chapter 13 after all. Well, that was certainly a cliffhanger, and a VERY long chapter. (For me at least) But I FINALLY got it done, didn't I? (And about the whole laywer thing….uh, I was just kidding! I LOVE lawyers! *Giant evil-looking lawyer nods in agreement as TheFLyingMonkee rubs the ruler marks on hands*