Priceless (an InuYasha FanFic)

Friends With the Monster

Kagome blinked in surprise, somewhat jarred by the sudden difference between the Sesshomaru she knew and had grown to love and the Beast which now sat before her. The only real physical difference that she could see was that his eyes were no longer gold, but a glowing red, their countenance, however, was starkly different. While Sesshomaru prided himself on staying calm and stoic and generally carried himself with an air of cool arrogance, the Beast was openly emotive, and his every feeling played on his face. After taking a few moments to regain her bearings, Kagome answered the Beast with a gentle smile. "I enjoyed your gift very much. Thank you."

The Beast preened, spreading an almost maniacal grin over Sesshomaru's face. "Good! Good!" It exclaimed. "Mate Kagome is beautiful." It said then, and Kagome blushed.

"Thank you." She replied.

The beast was honest and unfiltered. It was almost childlike in its need to please her, and his pride in her acceptance of his gift was proof of that. "We are glad that Mate did not die. We would have been very sad if Mate had died..." The Beast grinned at her again.

Its statement threw Kagome off for a moment. Was the Beast referring to how they met? Or the encounter with the would-be spider demon from a few weeks ago? Deciding that It referred to both, Kagome gave a gentle, almost sad, smile in return. "I am glad also. I am sorry that I scared you before."

"Mate is forgiven. Mate was hurting very badly. We don't like when Mate hurts."

Kagome felt her heart squeeze a little at his declaration. Primitive as it was, the Beast was really quite endearing. "Thank you for saying so. I am lucky that you found me when you did. I am happy that I get a second chance at a happier life."

The beast preened once again at her statement.

"May I ask you a question?" Kagome requested.

"What does Mate want to know?" He asked her.

"Why... Why me? What makes me a suitable Mate for Sesshomaru and you?" She asked, self-consciousness getting the better of her.

"We knew, from before our beginning, that our mate would carry your scent."

"How does that work though? Surely others have carried the same scent as me."

"Maybe others had similar scents, but everyone has a core scent that is not the same as any other. It is like a true name written into your being."

Kagome took that in for a moment before replying. "So then, how did you know my scent before I was even born?"

"We don't know. The knowledge was written into our being somehow. We knew your scent even before we learned to change our form."

"I see." Kagome took that in, her head spinning a little. "What... would have happened if you had never found me?"

The Beast looked contemplative. "We would probably have gone mad in a few hundred years. We are not meant to be alone. Our true Mate is the only one who can be guaranteed to survive the years with us and keep us sane. We keep eachother sane."

"Oh... May I speak with Sesshomaru again?"

The Beast pouted a little, but he nodded. "Beast is happy that he got to speak with Mate finally."

Kagome smiled. "It was lovely to finally get to meet you. I look forward to the next time we talk."

Just like that, Sesshomaru's irises returned to their usual molten gold color. "He really likes you."

Kagome grinned at him cheekily. "What's not to like?" she asked as she stood and sauntered over towards where Sesshomaru sat.

He looked up at her and beckoned her to sit on his lap. "Nothing. You are perfect for us. He would not have chosen you otherwise."