A/N: This is an answer to Montik’s challenge. Other chapters will follow to her challenges.

Chapter one: Ko-dama

Kagome cursed as she walked though the woods. She could have sworn that she had been there already. For hours she walked around the place. And to make matters worse, it was raining. “Damn it all…”

“Damn it all…”

Kagome turned around once more and muttered curses under her breath. Those damn voice again. They kept sounding like an echo, but she knew better. Voices don’t echo in woods.

Kagome blamed Inuyasha for the fact she was lost in these damned woods too. Once more she ran into the two together in a passionate embrace. She was so sick and tired of seeing them together. Her heart kept breaking each time she saw the two kissing, embracing, loving each other. Honestly, Kagome never even tried to understand why Inuyasha loved that clay pot. Kagome wondered if she gave him a clay vase if Inuyasha would make out with it and even stick that thing he called a member into it. It couldn’t have been any better then Kikyou.

The girl sighed. “I shouldn’t think things like that. I’m just frustrated is all.” She muttered to herself.

“I’m just frustrated is all.”

“Oh will you just shut up!” Kagome yelled.

“There is no need to yell miko.”

The girl angrily turned around, heaving the voice behind her. She stopped seeing the silver hair, golden eyes, and the unmistaken markings that donned the taiyoukai’s face.

Kagome gasped slightly as she saw the taiyoukai there. She really didn’t mean to snap at him, or yell for that matter. Then again, the voice before his was defiantly not his own. A small blush painted on her cheeks, she looked down, not wanting to meet those cold sunset eyes. “Sorry Sesshomaru-sama. I didn’t know it was you.”

The stoic youkai lord looked around the woods, seeing the slight mist that had settled. He refused to admit that he himself got lost as well. He had sense the presence of something, then was listening to hear a slight voice in the woods. It didn’t take long for him to realize what it was that was speaking to not only him, but to the miko as well.

“So, do you know what’s up with these woods?” Kagome asked him, looking around. “I keep hearing this voice, but I can’t figure out whose it is.”

“Ko-dama.”

Chocolate eyes blinking, Kagome looked around. “A tree spirit? But I didn’t think those existed.” Then again, if youkai lived in this era, it wasn’t far for something like a Ko-dama to exist either. But if there was one in these woods, then maybe if she found the large old tree that it resided in, she could convince it to let her out of the woods and let her go home.

Sesshomaru looked down at the small onna before him. Her long black hair framed her face, showing off her deep chocolate eyes. Honestly, it reminded him of the woods in the mist of winter with snow dusting the ground. And for a human, her sent was not appalling either. Even though her eyes reminded her of winter, her scent was that of spring flowers. Though how a human could smell that nice would be a mystery to him. He shook his head of the though of the miko before him. It would do him no good to think about his brother’s bitch. He turned to walk away only to be stopped by said onna.

“Miko, you will unhand this Sesshomaru’s sleeve.” Sesshomaru’s voice dropped a couple notches to the point that it could freeze hell with just the sound. His eyes could freeze over the world with the glare he gave her. Even if she smelt good didn’t mean that he would have her touching his person.

“Please don’t leave me alone…” The girl muttered. Sure, the man was as cold as the polar ice caps, but it was better then to be left alone with a Ko-dama. “If… if you can bring me to the large tree that holds the Ko-dama, then I promise I’ll leave you alone Sesshomaru. I just want to get out of here and I just don’t want to be alone…”

“Be alone.” The voice echoed.

The small hand that held his sleeve tightened slightly.

If Sesshomaru was a lesser creature, he would have sighed. But he wasn’t a lesser creature. He refused to sigh. He turned and began to walk. “Come.” Was the only word that left his lips.

Kagome let a small smile escaped her lips as she followed after him.

Three hours. It took them three hours to find the tree. And even then Kagome couldn’t see anything. She could see the power that was in the tree, but she couldn’t figure out how the hell to talk to the damn spirit to let them out. She tried begging it, she tried kicking it (Which hurt her foot), she even offered to come in every now and then to bring it lots of water. Nothing seemed to work.

Sesshomaru on the other hand could see the Ko-dama watching Kagome and smirking at her. It would not appease to her wishes. It was only messing with them. Even though she was a powerful miko, there was no way she could see the creature before her. Being a youkai with the Tenseiga on the other hand, he could. And oh how he wished to cut it down. Then again, why wasn’t he?

The taiyoukai unsheathed his Tenseiga completely intent to cut the spirit down. It wouldn’t take much. Only a slash with his sword and they would be out of this mess.

Kagome’s eyes widened at the sight of the sword and instantly got in the way. “Sesshomaru don’t!” She cried out.

His eyes narrowed at the miko before him. The spirit was already much afraid when it knew what he was about to do. It may not be a spirit of the dead, but a spirit it was. “Move miko.” He growled at her.

Kagome shook her head. “I won’t. It may be playing tricks on us, but it might just be doing that because it’s lonely. I will not allow you to just kill it at your convenience.” For added measure, she glared at him.

A silver eyebrow arched at her efforts to stop him. Did the girl not realize that he could easily kill her with a swipe of his claws? She wished to save it because she felt pity for the creature? Nonsense. This is why he couldn’t stand humans and their emotions. “I will not repeat myself miko.” He growled at her.

“And I will not move Sesshomaru.” She snapped back at him.

The Ko-dama watched the two, shocked at what the miko was doing for it. She was risking her life for him even though he tricked her. Going back into the tree that was his home, he lifted the concealing spell around the forest.

Kagome blinked as she looked around. She knew this forest! It was the forest of Inuyasha! Turning around to actually look at the tree, the teenage miko just wanted to bash her head in. It was the god tree behind her that the Ko-dama had resided in.

“Pathetic.” Sesshomaru said, sheathing his sword and turning away from the miko.

Kagome turned and glared at the taiyoukai. “It’s not pathetic to care about other things Sesshomaru. Maybe if you cared about other people besides yourself, you wouldn’t be so alone all the time.” She snapped.

The taiyoukai stopped for a moment to glance over at her. “That is a human emotion miko. Just because the half breed shows emotions does not mean that other youkai do. Remember miko, he is half where I am full. This time I shall allow you those words. The next time you utter them in my presence, your tongue of yours will be removed. As well as the rest of your head.”

Kagome couldn’t help but to just glare at him. Even as he disappeared from her sight. “At least I have emotions…” Kagome muttered before looking at the tree again. “At least your safe.” With a defeated sigh, the girl headed back to the village.

TBC… (Till the next time Monti throws another challenge.)

Shinki by Kai

Ko-dama