Inuyasha 1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer; I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters. – Sigh –**

"You have made a fool out of yourself Sesshoumaru for even considering the thought of being able to surpass me in battle. And for your loss you will bare my mark for the rest of eternity." Were the words that passed from the lips of a slender maiden as she stood over the demon, Sesshoumaru.

Pale skin was smeared with blood as the demon was lifted by the front of his attire to look into a set of hazel eyes. He growled deeply then gasp out in pain when he felt a fist connect with his face.

"Silence dog! You're in the presence of a lady."

Blood streamed heavily from his thin lips as he narrowed his golden eyes in her direction. No words were spoken as she raised her hand to embed the claw of her thumb into his forehead, curving it in to create a design in his flesh. Steam pooled upwards from the area that was his forehead as he released a loud scream of pain. Young age had not suited him well with intelligence in the part of what one should be saying in the presence of a young lady.

"You are mine forever, Sesshoumaru. Let this brand be a reminder to you forever and a day as to whom you belong. I am the lady of the moon and you will respect me." She said, throwing him back onto the ground.

Ebon' tresses fine as silk stream down a slender backside as a maiden begins to take her leave, the unusual rustle of a few arrows within a quiver is audible upon her departure just as the tremble of a blade in a sheath is.

"If you think that I am going to begin following your damn orders you've got another thing coming!" He hissed.

She stopped where she was and turned her head to look back over her shoulder in his direction.

"Oh really little puppy?" Clothing rustled as she came across that ground to touch his pale face, fingertips trembling as they caressed the crimson streaks on those delicate cheeks.

"You are mine now. You will do as I say for as long as I am around." She said softly before she would lift him up by cupping his chin with her hand.

"Now, come with me." She said, turning to begin walking without even setting him down on the ground.

Years had paused since that day in the fields of the Western lands. The demon, Sesshoumaru had grown from a young boy into a man with the aid of his master, Mizuki. Her abilities despite the fact that she was but a human were phenomenal and he learned his ways from her. All this time he bore her mark and when his blood was shed she stepped in like a willing guardian was to do. It was said by many that over time he began to grow rather fond of not only her ability but also her presence in many more ways than one. Who could blame him if he did or not? She was a maiden of slender proportion, toned body always fit to move if she needed to do so at the drop of a hat. Her skin was pale as milk and smooth as soft silk. She was a creature of beauty, grace, and etiquette. She was a grand host when they happened to hold royal parties at this Western domain she called her home. A castle it was for them, a home that he was pleased to call his own.

At least he had been pleased to call it his own until one fateful night he was awoken to the sound of his lady screaming at the top of her lungs. Quickly he rose from his bed to venture forth through the darkness in his nightdress. Fingers tightened around the hilt of a blade he had grown accustomed to using as he stepped out to the front steps surrounding the building. His lady was clutching the hilt of a blade that had been sent to rest beneath her breasts. Her hair was stained despite its darkness with her own blood as she dropped to her knees and her attacker stepped back with a look of pure malice drawn across his face. Sesshoumaru had no idea where he had gone and when he would return but in that instant he felt his entire world shatter at the blink of an eye. Eyes shifted from that beautiful amber to create nothing but a void of crimson as he emits a snarl that rumbled the earth. Vocals tightened in his neck as that body was morphed from a newly created man into a true beast of nature. Coat of sweet alabaster ruffled against toned flesh as he threw his head out to cry into the night. That moon plastered on his cranium seemed to glisten as if fresh paint against a velvet page. He leapt forward with a cry of anger, throwing his jaws open to crush that body in one strike. Curved teeth ground against the bones that connected his form, and the dog tossed his head into the air to devour him whole. Ragged breaths were taken before the canine whipped himself around to leap over to the maiden that he had been living with for such a time. Body was taken back to its more human appearance as he crouched down, lifting her up from the ground to take her into his arms.

She emits a small whimper of pain when he removed the blade from her chest.

"My lady, take it easy. I am going to get you some help." He muttered, brushing her hair away from her face only to flinch when she whimpered again.

Mizuki raised her hand slowly to brush her bloody thumb against that mark on his forehead. "Sesshoumaru, my dear sweet… Sesshoumaru." She whispered.

He tensed a great deal then furrowed his brow then her hand slid down from his face to her own body.

"It's not like forever is truly a long time. Sesshoumaru, I free you now from my binding. You may go as you wish." She whispered.

He clenched his jaw and shook his head lightly, that still boyish face trembling ever so slightly as he watched her.

"I will be back, Sesshoumaru. Just give me the time I need. I promise I will return." She whispered.

"Mizuki, I- I." He stammered, breathing in sudden breaths before he realized she was speaking to him again.

"I love you, Sesshoumaru. Ha… I suppose it was death that put me to the courage of saying it. But there it is… Amazing isn't it? I wasn't afraid of any sort of injury, person, thing, or even death. But I was afraid to tell you that." She whispered as she brushed her hand against his cheek very lightly.

"I will not be here for… much longer." She whispered, breathing in deeper to sustain her torn lungs only a second longer.

"Do not… let the past take your heart into hold, Sesshoumaru." She whispered as she came up into a slight sitting position, blood trickling in small droplets from her full lips as she pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"You're free." She whispered, body going limp for her to suddenly crumble down to the earthen floor beneath.

"Mizuki." He whispered, lowering her body down to the fullest, pulling her hands together to place them over her heart.

Sesshoumaru touched her face, her eyes, lips, and then her hands before he rose to his feet. He was free. Didn't that mean something? Tresses streamed against his form as he turned his body to look away from her and out over the terrain where she had once reigned. He would take it over and cause it to thrive as if it still was in her powerful grip all over again. Which was what he had been doing in his spare timing for many, many years. The demon had buried Mizuki out behind the castle himself. He never retired himself out there to visit with that tombstone, almost as if he was afraid she would suddenly come back to life and argue with him for some stupid thing he did… Just like old times. It was on the anniversary of her death that he found himself standing out on those steps leading to the garden, as he had named it, where she happened to be buried. Silver tresses whipped about his face, hand lifting from his side to touch that mark on his forehead. Would she be proud of him now if she knew of his inner turmoil? No doubt she would probably be angry with him for even feeling the way he did, but then it would make his feelings all the easier to handle in her presence. The dog breathed a sigh, lowering his hand to raise his head up.

"Jaken," Spoke the demon lord.

"Yes Lord Sesshoumaru?" The little, green youkai inquired.

"Prepare Ah-Un for we are to leave shortly." He said, turning himself to look in the direction of the little youkai.

"Yes my lord!" He choked out, quickly bowing before he took off running away from his master to the building where he resided with Sesshoumaru and the young Rin.

_You spoke of returning, my lady… Is the anniversary of your death the day you chose?_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer; I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters!

A maiden groans as she tosses various objects into a bag, lifting it with yet another utterance of displeasure to her shoulder. Ebon' tresses fanned out across her backside as she made a leap down a set of steps to the entrance of the Bone Eater's Well. First things first… The bag goes first. She unpeeled the strap from where it was attempting to embed itself in her shoulder and held it above the well with a great amount of difficulty. She released it, smiling when she heard the thudding sound it made on contact with the bottom of the well. Phew. That hurt more than it usually did… Maybe she needed to start working out or something of that sort. Of course, the maiden shrugged it off for the moment, figuring that she would be able to figure out the answers to her questions at a later time. She stepped up onto the edge of the wall with a small ragged breath, peering back over her shoulder at the door before leaping inside. Blue light enveloped her figure as she was taken from the modern era she had called her home to the feudal era she may as well have called her home. She raised her head to look up at the heavens above her before giving a sweet smile as she lifted the bag up to her shoulders so that she might make the climb from the well.

Meanwhile in lands not too far from the well where Kagome happened to find herself the demon, Sesshoumaru was traveling through the air. He was silent as he stared out over the landscape, pools adjusting to the dimmer lights of the clouds around him. _ My lady… I can smell your scent on the air. Can it truly be you? _He would flare his nostrils, turning his head to look out on the landscape as if in search of where the scent was. Where are you?

Kagome made a soft sound when she tumbled over the rim of the well. It was at that moment she heard a shrill scream and the scent of burning wood reached her nose.

"The village!" She shouted, pushing her body up from the ground to take off running in the direction of the village.

She would throw her bag down in the taller portions of the grass, pulling her bow and a set of arrows from the contents. She could hear the deepened vocals of a massive creature and then the cry of the hanyou she knew all too well.

"Inuyasha!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, pulling to a complete stop in the midst of the village where she had been staying.

Hazel eyes widened as she raised her head up to look upon the beast that stood no taller than Sesshoumaru himself. Strands of hair dark chocolate in shade streamed down around his tanned face to frame the more pale features that surrounded his eyes, lips, and nose, which of course gave him an off sort of appearance. Almost as if he had taken dirt to himself just to appear tanned. His hair went down his broad back to stop at probably the bottom of his ribcage in length, making it easier on him considering he didn't have it coming in his face. He was dressed in your more traditionally styled kimono of orange and blue, the colors coexisting in the tight fabric. In his hand he held a blade that was about the length of his forearm, and it was wavy on both sides of it. Kagome looked around her at all of her fallen allies, the wind whipping through her hair on his command. She bit into her bottom lip nervously, chewing on it out of anxiety as she took in the scene before her. Sango lay atop Kirara amongst the remains of what once was a hut in the eastern portion of the village. That must have been quite the impact since wreckage made up the path to that resting spot. Miroku was writhing in the dust with his hand gripping his wrist in a tight manner, attempting to cease the pain that rested in him for this time. Inuyasha was long gone in the dust with his hand gripping the hilt of Tetsusaiga firmly. His silver hair stained thoroughly with his own crimson life fluid, and it was then that she felt the color drain completely out of her face.

"Inuyasha!!!" She screamed, tearing off the ground in his direction.

But it was not to him that she should manage to reach when the ground split and she was thrown backwards into the dust. Pain ate into her legs as she went to rise again, turning her head to look in the demon's direction through her hair. Blood trickled down the outer regions of her thighs and against her knees as she rose up off of the ground. The demon was approaching her with the blade directed down at his side, pools darkening as he watched the maiden rise.

"What's that there, woman?" He growled, narrowing his crimson pools in her direction.

Kagome furrowed her brow as she looked down against the ground, her hair acting like a quilt of sorts to distort the image of what she was doing. Her eyes closed for a moment as she focused all her attention on what she was doing then, and not on what may or may not come out of it.

"Wench, I am talking to you!" He growled louder, stepping in close for an even better inspection of her.

But it was in that instant that she twisted her body around to release an arrow right at him. The sleek object went flying through the air, a pink light illuminating its surface and path as it swept out towards him. The arrow sunk in against his flesh before a piercing light was erupted and he released a loud shriek of pain. Energy spread across the ground that struck her and sent her flying back through the air to hit the earthy land beneath her. He would step towards her with a rough bounce in his stride, one half of his body pooling out blood because of how the arrow had struck him moments before. Kagome lay flat out on her back, breathing in and out to keep herself in the conscious world so that she could tend to everyone in a moment. Of course, she did not realize that her task was not yet complete. He bent down with his hand open to latch onto her throat, lifting her up from the ground with a deep growl.

"How dare you… Now tell me woman, where are the shards of the sacred jewel?" He inquired, tightening his grip on her throat.

Weapon that had been sheathed not moments before was now ripped out of its sheath to be set deep inside his chest at an angle. He released a sharp scream and slung her back to the ground with a grand amount of force, stepping back to look at the blood that now pooled from his chest.

"Filthy bitch!" He snarled, furrowing his brow as he went to go towards her again.

She felt a rumble of the earth beneath her and then the pressures of another strike of energy were recognizable. Slowly she rolled her body over and stood to look at the presence of the demon lord, Sesshoumaru. She felt her heart stop in her chest as she took a breath, finding herself looking upon not only the demon lord but also the dead body of the beast that had been trying to take her down. It was obvious to her immediately that Sesshoumaru had taken that creature down and saved her life.

His head turned ever so just to look in her direction, taking in her appearance by section of her body. It was then that he recognized the look on those childish features.

"Mizuki." He muttered softly.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer; I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters.

Sesshoumaru bore no emotion across his face as he came across the ground in one stepping motion. He extended his hand out to tilt her head upwards so that he might look upon her delicate facial features, but was to find out rather quickly how disturbed this maiden was with his presence.

"Keep your hands off me!" She shouted, striking him across the cheek with her hand.

The demon lord was not usually one who could be taken by surprise, but it would seem that she had gotten him off guard. He fluttered his lashes upon his cheeks as he shut those eyes, taking a moment about himself to focus on what had just happened. It wasn't long after this had happened that Sesshoumaru opened his eyes to look back over his shoulder at the brother he had long since despised. Acting quickly he turned his head back to the maiden so that he might grab her up by the face and lift her off of the ground. Kagome flinched at the mere touch of his hand, gripping his wrist in one attempt to free herself.

"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha grunted deeply as he wiped some of the blood from his lip.

"Let go of Kagome!" He demanded, lifting up the transformed Tetsusaiga to his brother.

Sesshoumaru raised a fine eyebrow as if asking his brother with his expression if the hanyou actually believed that he would listen to him. Kagome uttered a soft groaning sound as she gripped his wrist tighter to keep the demon's attention off of Sesshoumaru. The demon did turn his head back to Kagome in that instant, golden optics flaring before he leapt away from the attack that his brother made with that heavy blade. She dangled from his tight hold that had now been shifted from her face to her throat, which made carrying her a whole lot easier. The demon lord leapt upwards into the air to the saddle where Ah-Un had been perched in mid-flight.

"Kagome!!" Inuyasha shouted as he leapt to the air, narrowly missing one of those legs that belonged to the dragon beast.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, stumbling against the saddle and Sesshoumaru's leg in an attempt to reach the half demon.

Inuyasha shifted his attention around then looked at the Tetsusaiga. There was no way he could launch an attack without running the risk of hitting her.

"Damn." He growled, whipping around to the moving Sango and Kirara.

"Sango, I need Kirara!" Was all he said before he leapt to the back of the transformed feline and they took to the air.

The hanyou pinned his canine ears back down against his skull as the feline rose higher and higher into the air. Kirara roared, baring her large fangs in protest of going any higher as the dragon was just dead ahead of them. Energy whipped through the air, narrowly missing the face of both creatures as Ah-Un tossed both of its heads. Jaken narrowed his eyes as he looked back over the scaly rump of their beast to point a finger at Inuyasha.

"You filthy half demon! How dare you try to intervene in Lord Sesshoumaru's affairs!" He shouted, waving his staff around, which of course was barely missing the back of the dog's head.

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru warned, keeping his stare set ahead despite the struggling girl and the brother he had following after.

The canine would lean down to whisper something into the girl's ear, his lips brushing across her cheek before his breath even touched her ear.

"If you scream again or move from this saddle… I'll kill you myself."

Kagome's body went completely rigid, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end at even the slightest contact. She raised her head then to watch as Sesshoumaru released his firm hold on her to stand up. Sesshoumaru flexed his claws against the cloth that covered his pale arm, seeming to be waiting for the right moment to make his appropriate strike. It be at the last minute however that this happened:

"Sit boy!!" Kagome screamed at the top of her lungs, gripping the tight leather of the saddle to watch in awe as not only Inuyasha went down but Kirara went down as well.

Inuyasha screamed loudly in irritation rather than anger as they went flying down for Kirara to come out from beneath him at the last minute. The hanyou face planted in the dirt and left a crater that was about a foot deep and the overall shape of his form. He twitched his ears then lifted himself from his hole slowly, spitting out small clumps of dirt and rocks in the process.

"Damn." He grunted.

Sesshoumaru turned his head to look down at the human girl as she leaned over the edge of the saddle to watch for the hanyou. He rolled those orbs of his as he came down to a seated position, grabbing her by the back of the shirt to pull her back into the saddle as she was supposed to be.

"Don't underestimate me, woman. A fall from this height would kill you a lot slower than you think." He muttered.

She furrowed her brow then crossed her arms against her chest, turning her head away from him as if to say that she wasn't going to bend beneath him. Sesshoumaru lifted his eyebrows then turned his head away without releasing the back of her shirt. He may have been born years earlier than her in the ages where no one even knew what shampoo really was, but he did have quite a bit of knowledge in this head of his. He understood what went on in most people's minds when they were put in a dangerous situation. And that was, 'which would be quicker on me? A fall from a high up place or to die by the hand of a powerful demon?' He wasn't a fool. Kagome looked over at him from the corner of her eyes as her expression softened up a great deal. _He's not mutilating me? Wow… Okay Kagome! You can do this… Or maybe you can't. No! Don't think like that. You can do it. All you have to do it wait until he decides to leave the castle and then you can pummel the toad and run!!! Wait… What if he wants to enslave me and torture me? What if… What if he wants to have sex with me!!!! _Her eyes widened a great deal, and she felt a heated blush come across her cheeks at even the slightest thought of it. Sesshoumaru felt one of his eyebrows curl up in question of her rather confusing expression. He turned his head away from her at this point, keeping his confounded expressions to himself at this point. Emotions are but a weakness. Nothing will change that. He had learned this himself after he had lost his master all that time ago.

Sesshoumaru raised a hand instinctively to touch the mark on his forehead, feeling an oncoming headache beginning to make the scar throb painfully. Why was it that it always did that? He suppressed a grunt, leaping down from the back of Ah-Un right before the beast could land before his lair. Kagome squealed on the landing, gripping the saddle as tight as one might grip their lifeline. He snorted audibly then began to walk towards the steps that lead uphill to the castle in which he resided.

"Jaken, see to it that she is scrubbed free of that half-demon odor, and have Rin bring her a change of clothing." He muttered, disappearing up those steps in a matter of one jump.

Kagome opened her mouth to complain then shut it quickly after when she realized that Sesshoumaru was standing at the top of those steps watching her.

"Come on you!" Jaken commanded, tugging on her skirt as a sign for her to come down and follow after him.

Kagome gulped, pushing her body over the edge of the saddle to grit her teeth while following after the little youkai. He didn't intend to bathe her did he? She could only hope that he didn't. Jaken would lead her away to a spacious room that was filled with steam and scented by the finest herbs imaginable. She swallowed as she felt him tugging at her skirt again, looking down at the little male when he began to speak.

"Get undressed and scrub your skin with those bath salts, there." He instructed, pointing at some of the small salt scrubs that were setting by the screen that surrounded the spring.

Kagome nod and stepped over to the screen, stepping on the other side of it before she undressed.

"Toss those contraptions over the screen, wench!" The youkai demanded, throwing his hands up to catch them the moment they were given to him.

Jaken caught the odd items when they were tossed over the top to him, but on the unfortunate side it was to be that the bra landed right on his head.

"What is this?" He inquired of himself, holding up the white contraption to get a good look at it.

"Is it a mask?" He questioned, pressing the cups of it right against his face so that they covered his bug eyes.

The little youkai buckled it against the back of his fat head and began to walk out of the room, managing to not only bump into the door but to walk straight into the wall as well. Meanwhile on the other side of the screen Kagome was slowly slipping down into the spring water. She eased herself down into it, resting back against the edge of the spring for support. Her hand reached out very cautiously to grab one of the bath salts, scrubbing her flesh with it vigorously as on request of the demon lord. She just needed to bide her time until Inuyasha came to get her, and then she would never have to come here again. That was a perfect plan. There couldn't be a single hole in that plot, could there? Kagome sighed, sinking deeper into the water so that her nose and mouth were beneath its surface. Her tresses fanned out beneath the water to tickle at her sides and stick to the parts of her face that weren't wet. She moved about, skin tainted red by the scrubbing salt that she had scrubbed her flesh raw with. The water burnt against her raw skin but she made no note of it, too relaxed by the enchanting scents of the room to realize it.

By the time she realized that she was beginning to prune she could make out the form of a small child standing on the other side of the screen.

"Ma'am." The little one said before pushing the screen aside to enter into the small space between the bath and the screen.

Kagome would rise up and walk over to the edge of the bath where the little girl was standing.

"Master Jaken requested that I bring you these." She said, holding out a small pile of folded clothes. "Rin is here to help the lady in any way." She said softly.

The young lady lifted the attire from Rin's arms to stare at it before she gave a small nod and came up out of the water. She shivered the moment she hit the air, realizing then that the spring was hotter than the room's temperature was. While the dressing was to be happening there would be a rather noisy stirring in the library as a large demon threw his fist down on the table.

"Dammit Sessh-" Of course, the demon found his words to be choked as the demon lord had him down on the floor and restrained by the throat.

"You will not raise your voice to me when you are in this castle, do you hear me? I won't hesitate to kill you… Remember that." The demon lord muttered, rising up off of the man to take a step back from him. Moments later there would be a small knock at the door and Rin would poke her head inside to look at Sesshoumaru.

"She is ready." She whispered, ponytail bouncing against the side of her head as her lord rose up along with his guest.

Rin pushed the door aside very slowly to allow Kagome to step up towards it in her new attire. The maiden was dressed in a soft purple kimono of the finest silks that hugged her form all the way down to her hips. From her hips it got loose to suit her legs since she needed some room to be able to walk of course. A little train of a couple inches brushed the surface of the ground behind her feet that were placed in a pair of knee high socks. The silk kimono had little flower designs on it, the pattern's coloration being that of a dark, violet purple. Her hair had been brushed until it was soft and shone with a healthy gloss as well. Rin had left the hair down for a good measure since according to the painted pictures of Mizuki her hair had been left down. Sesshoumaru shot a glare out the corner of his eyes at the male who stood about three feet from him, furrowing his brow slightly when the demon began to approach Kagome.

"You will keep your distance, sir." She whispered, keeping her stare on the demon instead of Sesshoumaru.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer; I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters. –Sob–

Kagome would narrow her eyes at the demon when he stepped up close to her even then. She felt her heart throb in her ears and furrowed her brow in obvious disgust at his presence. Her hands tightened against the kimono sleeve as she shut her eyes, feeling the breath of that demon on her neck as he began to whisper in her ear.

"I know you don't want t-" He was cut short as that head fell down to the floor from the clean slice from some claws.

Sesshoumaru closed his hand and lowered it down before he turned his head to look down at Jaken.

"Escort him from my lands." He muttered.

Jaken would reach out with his little arms, grunting when he blindly found the body of that demon to begin dragging him out of the room.

"My lord." Spoke another being as they stood/bowed before the demon lord.

"The preparations for the ceremony tonight are ready, and the guests are beginning to arrive."

Sesshoumaru grunted deeply, passing by Kagome and Rin without a word to allow that being to escort him down the hallway. Kagome looked down at Rin then squealed when the little girl tugged on her hand and practically drug her down the hallway.

"Party! Rin never gets to go to the parties." She muttered before she pulled Kagome into a room and slammed the door shut.

Kagome pulled her hand away slowly then turned her head before she uttered a gasp. She brought a hand up to pull her hair back from her face as she began to walk forward. The room they were in… It was beautiful. All across the walls there were different designs that had either been done by someone with a steady hand, or a very famous artist in this era. But the biggest attention grabber is what was placed to rest on the wall right above the bed. It was a portrait that someone had painted of the demon lord with a young maiden.

"That must be this Mizuki he keeps talking about." She whispered as she stepped forward to get a better look at it.

In the painting Sesshoumaru was lying in the grass with his head propped in the lap of a slender maiden. Ebon' and silver mingled together in the grasses around them as she had one hand propped on the ground for support, and the other was resting in her lap as well. The two of them were staring at one another as if they had some big secret to tell. Rin was sitting with her hands over her mouth, as she hadn't quite meant to come into this exact room. She had miscounted which resulted in her ending up in the fourth room down instead of the fifth, which was her own room. Kagome raised a hand to place it over her own mouth as she found herself at a large chest. The maiden lowered to open it up, brushing the dust off of the surface with this action. Her lashes tickled her cheeks as she brushed her hand across the surface of a silk kimono.

"Wow." She whispered softly, brushing the fabric between two of her fingers in awe.

"Whoever this woman was she had a fine taste in clothes." She whispered, closing the chest to turn her head back at Rin.

But of course as usual what she had been thinking she'd find and what she did were two very different things. Sesshoumaru was standing there at the door with this rather confusing expression on his face. Rin was standing up behind him with her back pressed against the door frame in silence, her hands plastered across her mouth to keep her own self quiet. Kagome stumbled back against the dusty chest in shock, swallowing as she nibbled on her bottom lip. Sesshoumaru did not speak when he stepped into the room very slowly, passing his hand against the soft wall where the portrait was before he turned his head to look at Kagome.

"This will be your quarters. Rin shall prepare you for the activities that shall take place this evening." He muttered, turning on the ball of his foot to escort himself out.

Kagome looked down at Rin who shut the door with a small closing sound.

"Lord Sesshoumaru wishes of me to dress you." She whispered, moving over to pull on Kagome's kimono all over again.

"But Rin, I just got dressed again. Do I really have to change?" She inquired as the little girl untied the back of the kimono.

"You need a real important looking one." She said as a matter of fact.

The child had been hanging around Jaken too much. Kagome yelped when the cloth of her attire was dropped to the floor and she was left in her yukata. She looked around then her eyes widened when Rin began tugging on it as well.

"Take it off." She said.

Kagome whimpered, peeling the cool cloth away from her body to stand still while Rin dug down into the oak chest. The little girl came out with a silver colored kimono that had a crescent moon on the sleeves of it.

"Put this one on." The girl instructed.

The older maiden took the cloth from Rin very slowly in a rather unsure manner. She could already make out the voices of people as they climbed the steps, obviously the 'guests' the servant had been speaking off before leading the demon lord away. The human girl shuddered as she pulled the kimono on and began to tie it against her frame. It fit perfectly to her body. It was an off the shoulder kimono that hugged her in the top and at the waist. The sleeves hung down a few inches past her hands in length and brushed against her when she walked. The kimono bore a train behind it that brushed the surface of the ground with each step. It was certainly fit for a princess, a lady, or… whatever you wanted to call it. She gasps softly as she looked down at herself, brushing her hands across her stomach very slowly. Rin stepped up to begin brushing out Kagome's hair from her perch on the oak chest.

"Rin, why do you stay here with Sesshoumaru? I mean, you're a human girl. He detests humans." She whispered.

The little girl was silent a moment or two before she found her voice,

"Because lord Sesshoumaru saved Rin." She whispered, smiling at that point out of happiness for the thought.

Kagome gave a minor nod of acknowledgement to what the girl said, finding that she had lost her voice for a moment or two. Rin set the brush down then slid to the floor so that she might take a look at Kagome now. She gave a giggle and wiggled on one of her feet before she looked at the door.

"Master Jaken will come when it is time for the lady to come to the place." She said before she left Kagome to herself.

Kagome moved over to a small table that was set by a hearth that hadn't been used in quite some time. She came down to sit on her legs, brushing her hands against the surface of a book before she opened it to begin reading in it. A book of her? She pondered softly before she heard a small knock at the door.

"The people call for you." Jaken said, standing at the door with his hands at his sides.

She rose up then with a very calm look on her face. Well, if Sesshoumaru wanted to play then she could certainly play along. She could be this Mizuki person standing on her head. Kagome tucked her hands down together in front of her as she began to walk forward, her eyes cast straight ahead with pride as Jaken held the door open for her. Of course for a moment she dropped her pride along with her jaw. Was that her… bra? He was wearing her bra on his head. She was going to rip it off of his head and smack him for it when he removed it and tucked it down into his kimono for safekeeping. She felt one of her eyes twitch before she managed to recompose herself. Her heart ached in her chest out of fear as she came to the door that opened up to the back garden. She could make out the distant candlelights that were covered by paper lanterns. Kagome took a breath then reached down slowly to slide the door open with her own hand. Her feet were placed in a pair of slippers much like ballet shoes to be honest. She took a deep breath as Jaken stood at the top of the stairs, reading off a sheet of paper before she stepped up.

"I present to you Lady Mizuki of the Moon and the western lands!" He shouted, throwing one of his hands into the air.

The moment she was presented everyone turned their heads to look at her, uttering soft things such as, 'Lady Mizuki? I heard she was dead.' 'Wow. So many years and she still looks young. What do you suppose she's doing?' Kagome shut her eyes just a bit, as she would descend those stairs. It was when she reached the bottom of those stairs that she let herself exhale, stepping away from them to move away from some of the people. She looked down some to take in her own appearance on the gentle current of a brook. She really did look like this Mizuki person. Well, yeah, she had to if she was going to play along with this little act.

_Remember… do not get too attached._


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer; I do not own any Inuyasha characters.

The candlelights burned quietly in their paper lanterns as people began to eat, talking about the overall look of their homes when they did. Kagome listened only halfway to what they were saying at this point, focusing more on the things that were surrounding her than the words. She could register that people were talking to her but it didn't really matter if they were or not since Jaken saved her in the middle of the conversation. Simple enough of an excuse, and that was that she had been ill for some time so Sesshoumaru had been handling the lands. She took a breath then fluttered her lashes, turning her head to look at who had addressed her.

"Nonsense Jaken. I will be fine enough. Please tell me." She said.

The lady of the south, a human like herself, would swallow while shifting her weight rather uncomfortably,

"Yes ma'am. I was going to ask about how you managed to keep the landscape looking so fresh, and about how you managed to stay looking young for so long. If you don't mind my asking."

Kagome brushed a hand across the front of her kimono before she would clear her throat to speak.

"To be completely honest the landscape has been thriving ever since my late father was taking care of these lands. He treated the grass with a liquid to be sure that it maintained a fresh state about it, so no matter what climate the grass resides in it manages to keep a fresh green look. I wouldn't mind giving you the serum for it."

The lady offered a delicate nod then lowered her head down again at one look from the other ladies in her presence. Kagome kept her head high up until she heard the announcement that meant the demon lord was to come down from the castle since his conference with the other lords was over with. She felt her heart stop for a moment when she saw him standing at the top of those stairs. Her body gave an awkward tremble before she rose up onto her feet. The other women turned their heads to look at her in shock at the moves she was making at this point. No one stood up when their lord was approaching! Such acts were considered punishable by the lord's very hand. Kagome stopped when she was right in front of him, fluttering her lashes as she raised her head to look up at his face. He was staring at her with this look on his face that wasn't very easy to understand. At one point it was a blank stare and yet at another it was a look of confusion. Kagome raised her hand to touch that pale cheek of his, the kimono sleeve caressing her bare arm as it drifted down. She made no move away when he flinched against the touch of her hand, stroking the tips of her fingers across the markings that were on his face. He did not make a move to disturb her actions nor to get them to continue on, lifting his hand shortly after feeling her touch to lower her hand down from his face. The dog inside of him whimpered out and begged to feel the caress of that hand, but the demon inside of him coldly brushed it off to return to his conference.

Kagome lowered her hand down when he walked past her to return to the table that had been placed outside. She took a breath, looking back over her shoulder with those deadly eyes. The ladies of the lands were observing her every action with care and they seemed to be thinking of what to do themselves. The maiden tucked her hands against her kimono sleeves before she began to walk away slowly. She had her own places to go instead of being a lady right then. Besides it appeared as though Sesshoumaru had it under control. She tilted her head down to begin walking off in the direction of the deeper portions of the garden, quickly determining that she had people following her when she heard the ladies of the land giggling to themselves.

"I can hear you back there. Don't you ladies have any idea how to be silent when you're following someone?" She inquired, turning her head to look back over her shoulder at them.

They appeared as though they were unsure of how to answer her question, which was enough of an answer for her.

"Forget it. Come on if you're going to come with me."

She would then begin to lead the way into the darkness of the garden to the heaviest rush of current in the river she had been near earlier. Her first intention had been to simply sit here until the meeting was over so that she could get her bearings, but it would seem that she was made to entertain. The ladies were all seated after some time, save for Kagome who merely stood with her head turned away. The women were discussing their lords, their children, the kids they were going to have, and even the kids that they had lost. Unfortunately enough even the lords and ladies lost their young ones on occasion. Kagome suppressed a dead sigh, dropping her head down to close her pools for a moment of rest. But then she tensed when she felt something prickling the back of her neck. She whipped her head around to look before she screamed, "GET DOWN!!!!"

All the women ducked down as she jumped to the ground for a round of electrical energy to go flying overhead. The woman were screaming for their lords but Kagome pushed herself up to grab one of the women and throw them back behind her. She bit into her bottom lip as she stared at the demon before her, his eyes obviously glowing from some sort of rage. The girls had most likely woken him from his slumber without realizing what they were doing. Kagome looked down at the blade on the ground that one of the women had dropped, probably a precaution that her husband had given her to ensure she was safe. She grunted and came down to grab it before she unsheathed it from its blackened sheath. Sure, she had no idea how to really use a sword but that didn't mean she couldn't try to use it. Her chest heaved against the silk of the kimono she wore before she would throw the sword's container to the ground. The demon roared out loudly before it came running forward towards them, tossing its head like some crazed beast of the animal world. Foamy saliva streamed from its curled lips as it bared a large set of fangs at them, leaping into the air so that it might ingest one of the maidens before he was to go back to sleep. Kagome took in a sharp breath before she twisted the sword down to cut the furry chest of this beast. Lucky shot. She was sure of that one. But it was then that she felt a pulse in her chest. Everything was growing black but she did not drop down to the ground. Blade locked in against the bone before she threw her head up, pushing off of the ground to jump back away. Maybe she had been watching Inuyasha far too much in this time period. She was thrown back to the ground where she lay on her back only a moment before the beast came flying through the air. Kagome felt a liquid heat as it began to fall on her body, though what it was coming from she wasn't entirely sure at this point. And of course as usual it was around this time that the demon lords came running to see the condition of their ladies.

"She killed it. A human…" They muttered when they took in the scene.

Sesshoumaru approached with care lifting the demon by the armor he had draped over his back. The canine threw the carcass away to come down in a crouch next to Kagome, sliding his arms underneath her to lift her up from the ground. He could already feel the blood soaking through her kimono to his own skin. Memories surfaced in his eyes at the appearance of her overall being, and he felt his own heart give a tremor within his chest. He curved his arms around her to lift her up from the ground so that he could carry her back to the castle. The other lords did not speak to him as he carried her to the domain he called his own; form gliding up the length of the garden steps in one leap. He pushes the door open without even a word of farewell to the other lords, as he no longer needed their presence.

Sesshoumaru was silent when he entered into the bathing quarters, pushing the door closed behind him. He was patient and careful with his work, not seeing the need to rush in getting her body undressed. Fingertips curled to loosen the kimono on her form, pulling it away to let it drop down to the floor away from him. Heightened senses caught the sound of her breathing and brought comfort to his system knowing that she wasn't dead. The dog reached down to undo his armor, flinching almost at the sound of it clinking on the floor. Then he would peel off his clothing to lift her up from the floor and step down into the water. Blood was rinsed away like dye from their bodies as he held her in his arms, brushing a bathing salt against the edges of her face. Kagome did not stir despite the attention she was being given, but she did however offer a soft groan of protest at the touch of that scrub. He slid his hand up her arm to get the blood away from it, watching with grand interest at how she was acting to this. She began to stir. Her eyes fluttered as she forced them to an open, staring up at the male without very much intensity.

"Sesshoumaru." She whispered.

He silenced her with a brush of his thumb against her lips, caressing her face with his hand. He let his lashes touch his cheeks a moment, bangs hiding his eyes for a moment or two before he brushed her bangs back from her face. He didn't really seem to understand the concept of the fact that it wasn't proper for men and woman to bathe together but she didn't seem to mind. Kagome raised her hand slowly to touch his cheek with her small hand, fingertips dripping wet with the water around them as she traced his markings. She brought her hand up higher to touch his forehead with her fingertips, tracing the crescent moon there.

"You're safe." He muttered.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer; I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters.

**NOTE: **Thank ya'll for reviewing my story. It's nice to know I have some readers out there who are enjoying it.

Weeks had passed since the night she had been bathing with Sesshoumaru in the spring and yet she found herself unable to get it off of her mind. Kagome was seated within the grasses of the garden out back with her hands set in her lap. She was supposed to be out here watching Rin this afternoon but he wanted nothing more than to be back in the safety of his arms. It was rather odd to her to be feeling this way since not a few days earlier had she been wishing Inuyasha would come to rescue her. Now she wasn't even sure she wanted to go home after what had happened. Rin squealed as she ran across the ground, diving after a butterfly in an attempt to make it her new pet. The elder maiden gave a soft laugh at her childishness before she would grab Rin up in her arms to begin tickling her. The little one began to squeal and kick her feet in the air at the tickling rampage she was receiving. Rin stopped struggling as soon as Kagome finished tickling her, and both dark haired females locked eyes for a calm stare to pass between them. But only Rin looked up and away from Kagome to something else.

"Rin is going to play in the flowers." It was then that the little girl jumped to her feet and skipped away to go find some flowers to play with.

Kagome rose her head then gasp softly when she realized who was standing over her.

"Sesshoumaru," she whispered.

The demon lord had nothing to say in response to her speaking his name. She was just sitting there and didn't need anything so it wasn't like he had to respond. Kagome pushed her body up to step towards him a bit more, closing the contact between them, as she would take his hand with her own. Sesshoumaru shot her a look that was in obvious confusion as she flashed a smile and began to lead him away to where Rin was. Any other time the demon lord wouldn't have allowed her to lead him away but he let her today. The demon lord looked down at Kagome when they managed to stop, the wind catching his hair to brush it across to her body and then his own. Everything seemed a blur to him now as he closed his eyes, looking away from her without a single word about the lock of their hands. She gave his hand a light squeeze and flashed him a delighted smile, watching with interest the expression he happened to have on his face. He slowly pulled his hand away from hers to turn and begin walking back towards the castle.

"Sesshoumaru wait!" Kagome exclaimed as she turned herself to reach out to him.

The dog stopped to stand firm in his place having not decided to look back at her because of how she was probably looking. She came forward to move around him so that she could look at him. He closed his eyes very slowly for a tiny amount of comfort since she was making him feel somewhat uncomfortable. His chest was getting all tight and it was making it harder for him to breathe. She must have cast a spell on him. That's the only thing he could think of. She gave a smile then swayed from side to side as he opened his eyes to look at her.

"I don't have time for games. What is it?" He inquired while looking down his nose at her.

She began to giggle fiercely as she walked around him to return to the place in the grass where she had been sitting beforehand. Sesshoumaru snorted in his passing to the castle with every single intention of sticking it out there for the rest of the day. Kagome raised her head as she felt something pass overhead, the shadows of a vessel sending chills right down to the bone. She was about to rise up onto her feet when she felt a hand grab the back of her kimono and pull her into the air. Her first thought was that she was being kidnapped so she immediately proceeded to struggle in the hold, throwing her arms out to strike whomever had their hand on her.

"Let go!" She screamed, slapping someone across the face when she swiped back with her hand.

"It's me, Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted as he drew his head back to keep from getting smacked again.

Male grasp the back of her kimono firmly in his hand while the other hand was holding on to the fur of Kirara's back. Kagome took in a few deep breaths as the castle was beginning to shrink away from sight. It was then that she did something she never thought that she was going to do in all her days.

"Sit boy!!!" She screamed, squealing sharply as the hanyou and her went flying down towards the ground.

Luckily for Kagome's sake he landed underneath her so he cushioned her fall onto the ground. Of course, immediately once the ability was fit for him to do again Inuyasha stood up and began to cart her away with her draped over his shoulder. Once again she did something else she never thought she would do.

"Sesshoumaru!!!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, which caused the hanyou to drop her.

Instantly as if on command the demon lord came into complete view for the both of them. Kagome pushed herself up off of the ground, stumbled, and then ran towards him to throw her arms around him despite his armor. She rested her head against the plate that went across his chest, breathing hard against the metal covering on him. The demon lord did not even look down at her for the moment, staring ahead at the half-demon that stood before him. Kagome whimpered out rather audibly as she held her hands against his backside. He would slowly pull her away from him to step up towards Inuyasha with his golden opticals darkening. Inuyasha would draw his blade from its sheath to perch himself firmly before him.

"What have you done to Kagome?" He growled, narrowing his eyes as he pinned his ears down.

"I have done nothing to this woman, little brother. It is not my fault she has no desire to return home to you." He retorted.

Inuyasha began to growl before he would adjust his position with the Tetsusaiga.

"That's not true! You kidnapped her." He grunted before looking as Kagome stepped up to stand beside Sesshoumaru.

"I don't want to go back, Inuyasha." She whispered softly, staring firmly at the hanyou as if she was unsure of what he might do.

Half dog felt his hands lower the Tetsusaiga down so that the tip of it was touching the ground beneath them all. He was trembling some before he began to growl to himself.

"Whatever." He muttered, sheathing the blade to turn around and take off running.

"He'll be coming back." Sesshoumaru muttered before he turned to look at Kagome.

She looked up at him then flashed a smile at him out of plain happiness that he had come to help her when she had called for him.

"Thank you." She whispered, blushing like mad when she realized the close proximity of their faces.

Sesshoumaru brushed his hand against her cheek to get her hair back away from her face. He tilted her head up to stream his fingers across her cheekbone, brushing his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. Kagome blushed like crazy in the middle of the kiss before she slid one of her hands up against his cheek kissing him in return. He tangled his fingers in her hair on the back of her head, pulling her up closer to him by the pressure he put on her lower back. She would break it slowly to look into his flaming coals before he released her to step back away from her. Kagome would watch him with certain intensity the entire time he turned away from her.

"Sesshoumaru," She whispered.

He didn't turn to look back at her at the speaking of his name, and instead began to walk away from her. Kagome watched him then licked her lips before following after him. She only had one place to go. She stepped up the garden steps as the sky emit a delicate rumbling sound. She looked up at it from her position at the top of the stairs, gasping when raindrops began to fall down on her. She looked down as the little one, Rin, came running into the castle. Kagome brushed her hair back away from her face before entering into the domain where Rin and Sesshoumaru had gone. Her first intention had been to make sure that Rin was all dry since she had gotten wet but that quickly changed when she saw him. Sesshoumaru was wandering down the hallway to his library so that he might work… or something of the sort. She stepped down the long corridor and then pushed the library door to enter into the room with him. The canine did not look up at her as they were the only ones in the room and he knew her scent as it was. Neither spoke to the other as she came walking across the room in approach of him, taking his hands from the paintbrush and ink flask. Kagome slid them both away from them and came down onto the hardwood floor on her knees. He raised his head to look at her with those tired eyes closing his eyes every few minutes. It amazed her then that he didn't even question what she was doing.

Kagome brushed his bangs away from his face to kiss the crescent moon on his forehead. He felt himself tense up as memories shot back into him. _I love you, Sesshoumaru. Don't let the past- _He shook his head roughly then began to blink multiple times in an attempt to focus his vision out. Kagome stroked her hand across his cheek as she mouthed soft things out to him. She tugged on the armor lightly then peeled it away from his body to set it aside, touching the heated flesh of his chest where the armor had been on him. He grunted softly then closed his eyes beneath her touch. He snapped his eyes back open of course when she brushed her fingertips along the design of his face.

"Why?" He questioned.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer; I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters.

"Because-" She began, pausing immediately in her words when she felt those golden pools settle on her form making her feel as though her heart was going to stop beating.

For some reason she found that she could not speak a single word to him when she found that stare set on her. She opened her mouth to speak then turned her head away as she went to rise up onto her feet. Kagome tensed as a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist to prevent her from rising up all the way. She felt her muscles grow weak as another hand slid up to curve around her waist so that she was pulled down. She fluttered her lashes then lidded her pools over when she felt her body being pressed against his toned chest. Claws tightened in the kimono across her back as he slid his arms around her tight. The room just seemed to spin as lightning roared outside the building.

"Mizuki," He whispered against her ear.

Kagome felt her heart drop down and tears fill her eyes before she pulled back from his hold.

"I am… not Mizuki." She whispered before she turned her head to take off running out of the room.

Why did she ever stay there? All she had been doing was toying with the demon lord, and she quickly realized then that it was just how Inuyasha had done her. This only blossomed the tears from her eyes and made them spill down her pale cheeks as she pushed aside the door and ran down the steps. The rain smacked her in the face with each step as she ran away from the castle as fast as she could go. She stumbled, tripping over her own feet to lose her shoes in the tall grass right as lightning went flying overhead. She whimpered in her throat as she pushed up to continue running away from there. It was too much, too fast, too soon. All this time she had been hoping that it had been her that he loved, but in that she was again proven wrong when he spoke the name of this woman instead of her. She had no idea where she was going and what she would do there. She just wanted to get away from there… Strong arms grabbed her and pressed her against a cloth-covered chest as she stumbled and nearly lost her footing. Kagome trembled fiercely as she raised her head up slowly only to see the pale flesh of a neck. It was at this point that she felt the weight of his head atop hers.

"Sesshoumaru," she whispered softly, closing her eyes as those tears continued to stream again.

"Don't leave." He muttered into her hair.

The demon lord hoisted her up off of her feet without a single word to her again as he would carry her back towards the castle. Kagome did not fight him anymore. She was much too tired to do so, and yet that was only half the reason that she didn't. The demon lord carried her inside, strolling down the long corridor to her quarters. She whimpered lightly as he nudged the door aside with his foot. Golden lanterns fell on her form again as he trembled, suppressing small whines when he lowered her down onto the futon. She raised her head up then gasps within her throat as he crouched before her. Claws slid between the knots of her attire to remove it from her flesh, leaving her within the soft white yukata that went with the outfit. He pushed the blankets aside to push her down against the soft comforts of the padding. Once he had her tucked into the bed he would begin to raise up until she pulled one of his stunts and grabbed his hand.

"Don't go… Stay with me." She whispered.

He wrapped his fingers around hers then lowered down onto his knees by her bed as if waiting for her to do something. She did not even wait until he was down on his knees to move over onto the other side of the futon. Kagome slid her hand up to pull the blankets down for him to climb within its warmth and comfort with her. Sesshoumaru seemed uncertain about the entire situation but he lowered down to the futon with her. He turned so that his back was facing her even though she was pulling the blanket up on him. He was comfortable to a degree. He didn't have his armor on him so it didn't matter to him whether he slept here or in his own quarters. Of course what he hadn't been intending on what the fact that she had yet to let go of his hand. So now his arm was draped over his side so that their fingers were laced. He shut his eyes slowly to induce sleep upon himself just so he could sleep through her dozes and then rise when she was asleep. Kagome slid over to be right up behind him, squeezing his hand gently as she nosed her face against his back. He tensed then shifted his eyes back to look at her before scooting just a tad to roll over onto his back. One of his arms slid around her to draw her in closer to his body. Kagome rested her head against his chest in the place of his armor. She could feel the rapid beat of his heart against her ear and gave a weakened smile because of it. This only proved that he was a living creature to her, and he felt things like pain and happiness. Pools rolled to a complete close as the two began to drift away into a silent dreamland that makes promises of tomorrow on children's ears.

Meanwhile in a land much too far away from the western lands to be of much notice to the demon lord there was to be a dark conversation.

"Why do you think he'll come if we nab the girl?"

"Because he is fond of her. Do you not realize who either is?"

"Who are they?"

"You idiot! The Lord of the West and the Lady of the Moon. Have you not been reading the books for the past fifty years?"

"I don't remember even being alive according to last year."

"Idiot."

Jaken peeked through the door in silence to look upon the two on the futon. He felt his eyes give an involuntary twitch before he departed from the room. Rin was pressed right up against his backside the entire time he was looking in the room.

"What is the matter with Lord Sesshoumaru?" She whispered.

Jaken merely looked at her and stepped away without a single word of discussion on the matter. It would not be right. There had to be a mistake. His lord loving a human girl? It wasn't possible.

b Hey guys.. sorry it took me so long to update. Life has been really hitting me. /b 


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer; I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters.

Side note – Thank ya'll for being so patient with me. I apologize for the fact that I have not updated in quite some time but some things went down at my home so… yeah. But anyway, I have uploaded a new chapter as you can see and will continue to do so until the story has ended. Thank ya'll again and I hope you review this chapter!!!

_"Have you no idea what your true potential is?" Mizuki shouted, shaking him roughly by the shoulders so that he was jostled roughly against her. He grunted deeply, narrowing his golden opticals in her direction as though that would bring relief to his now throbbing cranium. She growled, slamming her head against his while throwing him backwards away from her. "What a fool!" She exclaimed. His eyes became mere slits as he managed to maintain his footing, a low sound coming from within him as suddenly he shot through the air and threw her down to the earth. He ground them both in a spiraling rotation through the dirt, their flesh tearing as he landed above her with his hands clasp around her throat. His eyes were that definite crimson, glowing bright crimson as he slammed her head back into the surface. "Yes," she choked out, grabbing onto his wrist as she began to push back up against him. He applied more pressure to her throat in that effort it took to keep from squeezing her brains into complete mush. But then suddenly her head shot up and her lips touched to his in a tender kiss. His eyes softened, blazing down to that melted amber as he released his hold on her neck entirely._

_She slowly came up into a partially reclined position, panting a bit as she stared at him for what was the longest time. The inu demon leaned forward over her frame then forced her back down to the ground with the firm contact of their lips. She grabbed thick handfuls of his hair, rolling her back upwards as she felt the contact of his palms against her lower back. He gripped at the soft folds of her kimono then began to separate them until he could touch the smooth flesh that rested underneath. It was then that she grabbed his wrists and flipped them over so that he was beneath her at that time. She took a cool breath then drew back very slowly from above him so that she might stand. "Not here… Not here." She whispered, brushing her hand against her cheek before she began to walk away, holding herself around the stomach when she disappeared into their domain again._

Kagome whimpered in her sleep, rolling over to touch nothing but the soft air that soared around her. She could feel the rich winds that taunted her strands of hair and tugged at her skirt. Wait a minute! Skirt? Her eyes snapped open for her to see the open air that swept all through the skyline and embraced the clouds that snaked around her. "Sesshoumaru?" She whispered, grabbing at what lay beneath her in an attempt to locate some sort of comforting object. But she was to find nothing but the bare scales of Ah-Un's backside underneath her body. "What? What's going on here?" She inquired, pushing herself over so that she was sitting on her knees. The scenery was the only thing besides Ah-Un that she happened to recognize. She was close to Kaede's village… But why had Sesshoumaru sent her back? She pondered this only a second before she went tumbling out of the saddle to the ground below as Ah-Un came to an abrupt stop three feet off of the ground. She grunted, rolling through the grasses until she hit hardened dirt that lay the fabric of the main path to Kaede's village. The dragon beast snorted through both of its noses, tossing its heads through the air before it twisted around to take off into the clouds. "Ah-Un! Wait!" She called, pushing herself up so that she might clumsily race after it.

Unfortunately she was unable to reach him and fell down to her knees in the grassy fields near the village. Her head tilted forward with tears pooling down her face towards the earth below. "Sesshoumaru," she sobbed, wiping her face with the backs of her hands in an attempt to calm herself down. For a moment she found that her sadness was replaced with happiness and then contempt with her situation. Her eyes had hardened to the world that surrounded her, and inside of that she realized that she would never feel like she had again. How it came to be that way is beyond total comprehension but at the same time completely understandable. She focused her attentions elsewhere, pinpointing something that might enable her to think clearly and without hatred. Every muscle ached within her as she drifted upwards to her feet and found placement within herself. The silent climb down to the Bone Eater's Well seemed to take but an instant where as once upon a time ago it had seemed to travel on forever. When she reached it she slipped over the edge and floated down into the heavenly light that threatened to swallow her whole until she was crouched in the dust on the other side.

"Kagome?" Someone called, shining a light into the portal that was the ancient well so that they might illuminate the darkness. "Souta?" She inquired, tilting her head backwards to peer up at the heavens that rested above. "Yes! Kagome's back!" Souta shouted, setting the flashlight down so that Kagome could climb up the rope ladder without being blinded. Though it wasn't long after she reached the other side that her little brother overtook her. He threw his arms around her, embracing her tight to prevent from losing his hold on her. "Hello Souta." She whispered, giggling faintly just moments after doing so. It was like she found amusement in the fact that he'd been missing her all this time. He shook his head idly from side to side then released his hold on her, "You'd been gone for so long we'd begun to think that you weren't ever going to come back." He said. She sighed heavily though gave a sudden smile to show him that she was okay, "No. I won't die like that, Souta. Promise. You have my word on that." She explained. He gave a fierce nod in agreement with what she said then took her hand to begin pulling her towards the house.

Kagome stepped lightly into the house, pulling her shoes off of her feet to put them by the door. "Mom! Kagome's home!" Souta shouted, jogging lightly into the front room where their mother was resting on the couch. "Kagome," she said, quickly climbing to her feet to take Kagome into her arms. "Oh honey, for a while there I thought I would never see you again." She whispered, rocking the girl back and forth on the balls of her own feet. Then she pulled back and touched Kagome's face, stroking her thumbs against the maiden's cheeks as though to ensure the girl was really there. "It's me, mom. I'm okay. I just need a hot bath." She said, nodding her head as though to agree with herself. "Alright. I'll have supper on the table when you get out." She said, gently nudging the maiden up those stairs where the bathroom waited for her. Upon entry into the small boundary of the rest room she shut the door, locked it, and began to strip out of her clothing. Each strip of fabric fell into its own place and settled in small puddles on the floor's surface. The water's steam collected in the bathroom and threatened to produce tears in her eyes as she waded over into the tub, lowering down with her head dipped back against the edge of it.

The water soothed her senses and allowed the tense ache of her body to drift away from her as she breathed a sigh of relief. These were the comforts of home that would surely overpower any hot spring… no matter how great the guy was who was in there with you. She ran her fingers across the edge of the wall; peering up at the window that rested above the tub when suddenly lights squirmed all throughout her vision and overtook her mind… "Huh?" She choked, her entire body beginning to go rigid as she was convulsing. Her head slammed against the edge of the bath tub, splintering through the porcelain in such a way that blood started pooling down the side of her head. She gasps loudly, kicking her feet up as she started sinking below the surface of the waters. "Kagome?" Souta called, gently rapping on the door with his knuckles while touching his ear to it so that he could listen. She turned her head slowly while mouthing his name. _"Souta… Sou…ta…" _She extended a trembling hand, blood streaming down the edges of her fingertips to plop-plop on the tile flooring that rested below. "Kagome?" He called a bit loudly, listening carefully as though he was sure he would get an answer this way.

Kagome gasp, throwing her head back with the sick sloshing sound of the water bouncing off the wall echoing in her ears. "Souta." She whispered, grabbing at nothing but air with her feeble attempts to get his attention. It was like someone had their hands tight around her throat and was shaking her on a constant level. "Kagome?" He said louder, grabbing onto the doorknob to roughly shake the door so that it rattled on its hinges. "Mom!!" He shouted, glancing back over his shoulder without stopping the shaking of the door. "What is it, Souta?" She inquired, jogging up those stairs to take a gander at her son who at this point was throwing all of his weight into the door. "There's something wrong with Kagome!" He said, pausing his shaking only long enough to call out to the teenager once again. "Kagome!!!" He shouted, banging on the door in an attempt to hear something of a call from her. She grabbed at the towel hanging on the wall, blood streaming from her lips as she spilled out onto the floor where water had soaked into the small carpet. She curled up on her side, her hands grabbing at her exposed flesh in small attempts to conceal herself.

"Kagome?" Her mother shouted, shaking the door so that it seemed like it was going to come completely off the hinges. "Move mom! Step back!" Souta shouted, scooting back about fifteen feet from the door before he tore off at a dead run. The wood practically splintered when he collided with it, his hand grabbing at his shoulder where he'd located a thick tear in the bone. "Souta, are you alright?" His mother asked, touching his shoulder in an attempt to see if he was all right. "I'm fine. Get… Get the door open." He choked out, looking towards at the dark colored wood there. She extended her hand and pushed against the very cradle of it, pushing through the door with such force that she practically tripped over Kagome in the process. "Kagome!" She exclaimed, dropping down onto her knees so that she could scoop her off of the tile floor. "Kagome? Kagome! Answer me!" Her mother demanded, putting a small towel to her head while she wrapped a larger towel around Kagome's body. "Souta! Call 911 and hurry! Kagome, Kagome, honey, Kagome, answer me." She whispered, stroking Kagome's hair away from her face.


End file.
