Frozen Flame by Blood Phoenix

Unlikely Protector

Frozen Flames

Chapter One: Unlikely Protector

I disclaim that I own none of the wonderful Inuyasha characters. If I did, I assure you I wouldn't be writing fan fictions.

His moon-blue hair glistened in the twilight as he made his rounds over his lands. He had sensed her approach for just over five minutes now, and she would soon be close enough to question without actually pursuing her. He descended from the skies on his energy cloud, noting how her scent of morning rain had shifted to a raging storm, completely overriding the underlying scent of spring flora.

♠♣♠

'Don't fall,' scrolled through her mind like a marquee on high speed.

'Stupid, Kagome, you're stupid' she chastised in her mind, tears falling freely from her eyes; 'You knew he loved her, yet you let yourself fall. Baka!'

She sensed an aura near, a great one, but continued her sprint through the wood, for she cared not what befell her that night.

Kagome kept her head down as she ran, ebony hair flying wildly behind her. She knew not how fast she was actually running, nor how far she was from Edo now. Then, as if it had appeared out of thin air, she ran face-first into a boulder right in the middle of the forest. Or what she thought was a boulder anyway. She lifted her head, ready to glare down said rock when she spied the one she least expected to see.

"Sess...Sesshoumaru?" Her voice was barely louder than a whisper, but she knew he'd hear her perfectly.

"Why are you in this Sesshoumaru's lands, miko?" His voice was cold and seemed to mock her, just as she always knew it to be.

"I... I'm in the Western lands? But that's a two-day journey from Edo." Right then, before she could receive an answer from the stoic lord, her exhaustion caught up to her and she passed out at his feet.

♠♣♠

Three days later, Kagome awoke in a strange room on a strange futon, only aware of the fact that someone was watching her. She was met with a pair of large chocolate eyes directly in front of her face when she opened her own eyes. Yelping in surprise, she jumped back nearly four feet, only to scare what was now very obviously a young girl of about nine-years-old into squealing and jumping as well.

"Rin-chan... is that you?" Kagome coughed out in between breaths.

"Hai, Kagome-neechan. Rin missed you!" It was then that Rin tackled her, successfully knocking the air from her lungs.

"I've missed you, too, Rin-chan. Air, please?" Kagome rasped, prying the girl from her torso.

Rin babbled on, talking of the ways she had found to torture Jaken since she had last seen Kagome almost two years before.

"Gee, Rin, look at how you've grown!" Kagome interrupted her mid-sentence.

Rin faltered a second, and then flashed Kagome a toothy grin, and Kagome quickly took note that she now had both front teeth again.

The shoji door of her room suddenly flew open to reveal a panting Jaken. Both females looked at him curiously.

"Miko! You are to report to Lord Sesshoumaru's study immediately!" The hiki-youkai squawked.

"What is it with everyone calling me miko?" Kagome did a very good impersonation of a dog growling. "I have a name. Kagome. Say it with me: Ka. Go. Me." Then she stood, muttering under her breath about stupid toads.

Kagome stopped short in the hallway, though. 'I don't even know where his study is!'

She stopped the next servant she saw and had them lead her to where her presence was required. Kagome ended up in what she figured to be the west wing of the estate, since she could see the sun setting through the windows along the way. When they reached the hall where Sesshoumaru's study was located Kagome stopped abruptly in awe of the simplistic beauty of it. The servant whom had led her stopped and pointed to the last door on the left.

"Arigato gozaimasu," Kagome said in dismissal, still staring in awe. The servant bowed and scurried away as a mouse would from a cat. Kagome started toward the door and opened it, only to be shocked into a standstill at the room on the other side of the shoji door.

The study was massive, with rows upon rows of shelves of scrolls therein. Sesshoumaru didn't acknowledge her presence as she entered, so she continued on into the study. Kagome seated herself in front of his desk and when he finally looked up from the scroll he had been reading, he pinned her with a glare.

Kagome was instantly uncomfortable under Sesshoumaru's scrutiny and looked anywhere but him.

"Why were you on my lands?" The question came suddenly and startled the living daylights out of her.

"Eeto... I really don't know, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed a fraction more. "Where was your hanyou, then?"

That particular question elicited a whole new round of tears from the eighteen-year-old miko. The salty scent filled the air around her while Sesshoumaru only continued to glare, now peeved by the smell of her tears. It took a few minutes, but Kagome finally pulled herself together enough to relate that night to him.

Flashback

Kagome had returned to Sengoku Jidai early and decided to take a walk before returning to the village. She unconsciously traveled in the direction of the Goshinboku, leaving her signature yellow bag by the well. Dusk had arrived and it would not be too long before the sun would set over the rolling hills of Japan.

The miko stopped at the edge of the clearing housing the god tree, hearing moaning and whispers beyond the bushes. She knew it was wrong, but Kagome's curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked through the foliage.

It was the biggest mistake she could ever make. There, just beyond the cover of the forest plants, was Inuyasha taking Kikyou as his own. Neither the undead miko nor the hanyou took notice of Kagome as she turned on her heels and ran, never to look back.

♠♣♠

"After a couple hours, three tops, of running was when I ran into you, in the most literal sense of the word," Kagome finished, her tears reduced to mere snivels.

Sesshoumaru said nothing throughout her short interlude, only stared at some undefined point on his desk so as not to make her pause and waste time under his scrutiny. For some reason to which he'd never admit to even himself, he didn't look at her for the uneasiness he felt at the sight of her tears. He contributed it to the fact that Rin was beginning to look very much like the miko as she grew, and Sesshoumaru was still unwilling to see the child upset. He shoved the thoughts aside as he peered up at Kagome once more with his piercing golden eyes.

"Tell me, miko. Where is it you had intended to run to? Or were you intending to stare death in the face that night and not make it out with your life?" Sesshoumaru very much commanded instead of asked, if not with a little less icy malice than he had before. His eyes met hers, a strange glint gleaming in them, before Kagome looked away from the intensity.

She scowled at the bluntness and implications of his question. A not-quite-so-human growl left her throat and Kagome was startled with herself. Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed briefly as he took notice of something the girl was completely oblivious to.

'What is it I sense within her? It's been locked away, but I believe it wishes to show itself once again.' The demon lord thought, still observing her intently.

After the shock the growl had caused in her passed, Kagome looked to her scrutinizer once again. A look of near hopelessness passed over her visage as his words finally sank in completely.

"I had nowhere to go, because Inuyasha could find me no matter where I was, whether it would be my home or the village. But I ran without considering its possible outcomes," The young woman whispered almost brokenly as she bowed her head, in shame or sadness she did not know. All of a sudden, Kagome let out a string of particularly colorful curses creative enough to rival Inuyasha, which caused Sesshoumaru to raise an eyebrow.

He almost felt pity upon this holy creature. Why, he wasn't sure, but he did nonetheless. Letting out a small breath many would mistake for a sigh, Sesshoumaru looked at the young miko before him.

"Miko, if you so wish, I shall let you remain in my estates for a period of time, but not without price. You will train Rin in the Shinto arts. A holy power is growing within her, and I wish for it to be kept within her control."

Kagome's head jerked up, a smile bright enough to outshine the sun set upon her features. Was Sesshoumaru actually being nice to her? She wondered why, but didn't question it. She had been taught never to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Standing and bowing deeply, she looked up and into the eyes of the Western lord. "Arigato, Sesshoumaru-sama. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated." Quite honestly, Kagome felt as if she could kiss him. Sesshoumaru had saved her, if only for a little while, from the pain of returning to Edo. She left the lord's study without another word and ventured the halls in search of the kitchens.

♠♣♠

"Where in the world could she have gone?" Sango asked, pacing the length of her and Miroku's bedroom in their home. "It's not like her to just up and leave without a trace like this. What if something's happened to her, Miroku?"

Miroku watched as his wife walked around the room. She had been this way since they found Kagome's bag at the well, but no Kagome. Inuyasha refused to talk if he did know anything, and Kikyou had been hanging around the village quite a bit more recently. They knew what that very likely meant.

"Sango, Kagome-sama is a strong woman. She can very much take care of herself," He responded, wishing he could calm the woman before him.

"Unless she comes across a tai, like Sesshoumaru or something! They would kill her on sight!" Sango exclaimed in her frustration, unaware of just how right she was in the possibility of Kagome coming across a taiyoukai, and tried to make Miroku see her point.

"There's nothing else we can do. We know the direction she went in, that's it. Inuyasha followed her scent a two day period from here, and that's when he wasn't hindered by our slower pace. Kagome-sama is far from here by now. If she wishes us to know her whereabouts, she will return or send some sort of message." Miroku stood and put his arms around his wife, effectively stopping her pacing.

"I'm so worried for her," Sango commented brokenly. Since Naraku had been defeated just over a year before, the taijiya had been at her wit's end with worry.
Between planning her and Miroku's marriage, concerning herself over Kagome and Inuyasha's dead end relationship and her friend's emotions, and now planning for a child, Sango was going to drive herself insane before she was thirty. Yes, the taijiya had finally consented in bearing the houshi an heir.

"We all are."

♠♣♠

As she continued to get herself even more lost in the hallways of Sesshoumaru's estate, Kagome dared to ponder over her state of mind and emotions. On one hand, she was upset and heartbroken, which was to be expected. On the other hand, she had found somewhere to recuperate. Kagome had someone protecting her, only since she was now technically in his service, who wouldn't emotionally hurt her as Inuyasha had. That was only because there was absolutely no way she and Sesshoumaru would become attached to one another. The thought alone made her giggle.

'Sesshoumaru plus emotion equals no solution, definitely. So not possible,' She mused to herself. But why was she even thinking of such things? Though his never-ending iciness intrigued her, the only reason she'd want to melt it would be to see why in the world he was that way in the first place. 'I think he may have a stick permanently stuck up his ass.' Maybe it was the hysterical and desperate state her heart was in that was grasping at something – someone – just to stabilize itself.

Finally, Kagome found herself near the kitchens. Following the very noticeable smells that floated from within, she nearly jumped for joy at finding the entrance. She saw Rin seated at a table, munching away on an apple and rambling nonsense to a very displeased Jaken. The young girl turned at the sound of Kagome's footsteps.

"Kagome-neesan!"

"I'll watch her, Jaken, go ahead and leave."

Jaken looked almost relieved before scowling and leaving the room in an annoyed manner.

"So how are you, Rin-chan?" Kagome asked once the hiki-youkai had left. Grabbing an orange and beginning to peel it with her fingernails, she took a seat beside the brown-eyed child.

"Rin is well. Is Kagome-sama going to stay with Rin and Sesshoumaru-sama?" She inquired innocently, observing the older female. Though she had aged some, Rin had yet to lose many of her child-like qualities. Namely, her manner of speaking.

"I am. But not for very long. I have to... get better before I return to my village."

"Nee-chan is sick?"

"I am." 'In the head.' Kagome nodded. She smiled softly at the nine-year-old, and then took a bite of her orange. After a moment, the miko asked; "Would you care to show me some of Sesshoumaru-sama's estate, Rin-chan?"

Rin smiled brightly, nodding her head. "Hai." She stood and grabbed Kagome's hand, pulling her in the direction of the back entrance of the house.

"Rin-chan!" Came a woman's voice in a warning tone, not far from them.

Rin turned cautiously, letting go of Kagome's hand right as they reached the door leading to the gardens. "Hai, Kaida-sama?" She asked, acting almost ashamed. After all, if Kaida was actually warning her, it must be serious.

Kagome turned to see a beautiful young woman with long violet hair and lavender eyes. Kagome could see the deep purple scales gracing the sides of her neck that signified a dragon youkai and the blue stripes on her cheeks. The woman was dressed in a simple cloth kimono that Kagome assumed to be used for cleaning.

The young woman took a few tentative steps forward. "Rin, why are you dragging the estate's guest out in her sleeping robes?"

It was then that Kagome realized she was no longer in her normal garbs of a skirt and blouse, but a simple sleeping kimono. She had yet to notice up until then, but the only thought that passed through her mind was; 'Sesshoumaru better not have had that toad change my outfit while I was out of it.'

"I only asked her to show me the estate," The miko said as she found her bearings. "I didn't even realize I was in sleeping robes."

Kaida looked into the chocolate eyes of the guest of her lord-master. "Kagome-sama," She then said, bowing her head in respect as she folded her hands into the sleeves of her cleaning robes. "I apologize for my being rude. I am Kaida, head servant and caretaker of milord's estate. I have instructions to care for any of milady's needs."

Kagome's head cocked to the side in curiosity and slight confusion. "Milady? Sesshoumaru has a mate?" For some reason unbeknownst to Kagome, the thought tugged at her heart just a little.

Kaida released a sharp laugh. 'This girl is quite naïve. She will learn soon enough, though.'

"No, Kagome-sama. I speak of you."

Kagome's demeanor switched from slightly confused to completely baffled in a matter of seconds. "Why milady, then? I'm no one of such importance. Just plain ole' Kagome is fine with me."

Kaida shook her head slightly in amusement. "Even then Kagome-sama, I might suggest you change to a more appropriate kimono before going into Sesshoumaru-sama's gardens. I do believe he is out there, and should you not be properly dressed then it is a fault of mine. Plus, you should not be dressed so... casually around milord." She nearly laughed aloud at the blush staining the young girl's cheeks, but managed to reduce it to a mere smirk. 'Does she have feelings for Sesshoumaru-sama?'

"What else am I going to wear? I'm positive my uniform is in shreds." Kagome put her hands on the sides of her head, feeling frustrated.

"I have kimono for you, milady. Sesshoumaru-sama has ordered it of me."

The eighteen-year-old was feeling rather confused again. 'Sesshoumaru requesting – no, ordering – that I wear kimono? Since when does he care for my dress habits? Or maybe it's just because I'm staying in his estate for the time being.' She bowed her head in resignation. Kagome had never been fond of formal attire, but if it was required of her, she would wear it. To her, it was better than miko garbs.

"All right, then. Where are they stored?" She inquired, defeated.

Kaida smiled as she turned, violet hair fanning out around her before settling against her back once again. Kagome followed her obediently, Rin trailing at the miko's heels. When their destination was reached after a series of winding halls, Kagome had to gawk at the collection the room beheld. Hundreds of kimono, from generations upon generations of ladies of the estate. And she was to wear them. Oh, the implications.

After long deliberations and arguments with Kaida, a kimono was finally chosen to be worn. It was dark red, nearly black in its depth, with designs in a lighter tone of roses and vines. A blue obi was chosen to go along with it. Simple, yet elegant.

She dressed with Kaida's help and it was then that Kagome finally got to explore with Rin as her guide.

They started out in the gardens as originally planned, walking slowly and enjoying the warmth of the sun. Or Kagome was at least. Rin, however, was running amok, laughing and having herself a grand time. And why wouldn't she, with Kagome presiding over her care instead of Jaken? Certainly a nice change for the nine-year-old.

The miko froze suddenly in her walk along the path, sensing the aura that could belong to none other than Sesshoumaru, approaching from ahead of them. Apparently, Rin sensed it as well, for she stopped and stared ahead, searching the owner of the aura that caused the shivers down her spine. Upon sighting, the child beamed, then looked back to her elder with that same, bright smile.

Kagome gave Rin a soft smile in return, then looked ahead, catching the eye of the demon lord.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," She acknowledged, no malice or hatred hidden within the tones of her voice as she bowed her head slightly in respect.

His eyes narrowed slightly at her. Sesshoumaru, of course, expected the mortal woman's respect, but he found it oddly disturbing that she be so civil toward him. And she wasn't nearly as... bubbly as she normally was, even with Rin at her side. Maybe Kaida had worn her down some? No, not likely.

For the first time in over two years, the two females could be observed side-by-side. Rin had grown quite a bit, and with the childish features giving way to a less chubby, cherubic visage, she looked like a younger version of the elder woman beside her. They could certainly pass for blood relatives. The demon lord noted, only to himself, that Kagome would be a good role model for Rin. That was something that would never leave the sanctity of his mind, however.

As Sesshoumaru met eyes with the miko again, something seemed to click into place deep within her and it showed in her eyes as they shifted from brown to cobalt and back again.

'Odd.'

Kagome felt something happen within herself, as if her very soul has changed or shifted. She saw a slight shock pass through the stoic youkai's eyes as the aura that had been closely bound to her all her life unleashed itself. Why did she feel so... vulnerable all of a sudden?

'What is this change happening within her?'

Rin felt Kagome's aura expand as well, and jumped in reaction to its intensity. Kagome looked back and forth between the two of them, baffled.

"Your body is changing, miko," Sesshoumaru said, then brushed past her and farther down the path, leaving her in his wake with an odd expression adorning her features.

The shock remained only a second, however. "Sesshoumaru, wait!" Kagome turned and ran after him, nearly colliding with the demon's back where he had stopped mid-step. After partially regaining her composure, the young miko took a step up beside the lord and asked; "What do you mean? I don't understand." She looked up at him curiously, her eyes begging for an answer from him.

Sesshoumaru refused to look away from the path ahead of him, but did try to answer the best he could after a moment, as he started to move forward once again. "This Sesshoumaru knows not why or how. But something locked deep within you wishes to be freed. Your aura has expanded fully, your eyes change colors." He took a discreet sniff of the air. "Your scent has even shifted slightly."

Kagome was stunned, not only by his explanation, but how much he had said to her. The demon lord was rarely obligated to say more than a couple words, after all.

"When I go home soon, I'll ask Mama. She'll know." The comment was more to herself than anything, a mental note to remember to ask her mother about her changes.

Sesshoumaru peered at her from the corner of his eye. "You will not leave the estate grounds without this Sesshoumaru's permission, nor without an escort. You would be killed on sight by assassins."

"How would they know I'm been staying here?" Kagome asked, feeling almost defensive. Almost.

"The symbols on your kimono are proof enough, along with the scent of the estate upon you," Sesshoumaru responded, carefully avoiding saying 'The scent of myself upon you.' It would surely earn him a yelling he didn't feel obliged to listen to. It's not as if he intended that toward a mortal woman anyway.

Kagome stopped short. She hadn't considered that. "Oh."

It was then that the inuyoukai chose to leap up to the balcony of his bedroom without looking back to the aggravated miko on the ground below.

"Kagome-neechan," Rin called as she came up behind the older female, who continued to stare after her lord.

"Yes, Rin-chan?"

"Do you love Sesshoumaru-sama?"

♠♣♠

FIN.

Do hope you liked it so far. That's the longest intro I've ever written. Stay tuned, more to come.

My current plan is this little saga will span out over at least two stories, maybe more. It depends on how much I can tie into one without rushing it too quickly and making it a piece of crap, in which I will be unwilling to devote my time.

Chao,

Blood Phoenix