Inuyasha 1. Prologue

**I Will Find You Again**   
An InuYasha alternate fanwork by Wolfye Productions. 

_All InuYasha characters are © Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications, Inc., Shonen Sunday, Sunrise and Nihon TV. Characters are used without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story concept, other characters and original situations are © Wolfye Productions; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only._

- † -

**Part 00: Prologue**

"Leave now!" 

InuYasha screamed his final plea into her ear, shoving her forcefully back towards the well. Behind him, she could see the tremendous ball of miasma explode from Naraku's torn body and head straight for where they all stood their ground. 

"No!" she screamed back, trying to shake his vice-like grip from her arm. She didn't want to leave, not now, not ever. She was a part of this fight, and they were winning! 

InuYasha grasped her hand with his, pulling her to him as he whispered in her ear, "I will find you again. I promise." 

Taking advantage of her shocked composure, he pushed her one last time, her leg catching on the lip of the well and sending her over and into the well's depths. As she fell, she saw the miasma as it rocketed past the opening of the well, missing her by mere seconds. The noise of the explosions were so great, she covered her ears and screamed. 

"INUYASHA!" 

- † -

Kagome awoke from the nightmare, her breath heavy, her forehead wet with perspiration. 

That was the last she saw of him, when he had sent her back to her world for the last time. When she had tried to go back, she couldn't. She had tried over and over again, but the well had ceased to work. The only explanation she could think of was that Naraku's final explosion had destroyed the Bone eater's well for good. 

Her head turned to look at her desk. Perched on a small stand was the nearly complete Shikon jewel, its pinkish exterior glowing in the pale moonlight. InuYasha had sent her back with the jewel. He would never be able to make his wish now. 

_- I will find you again. I promise. -_

Yes, he had promised, but what if he had died in that final battle with Naraku? She couldn't bear to think about it, yet it had haunted her dreams day and night for the past year. He had not come for her yet, and now she wondered if he ever would. 

Her weary eyes closed of their own will, perhaps wishing her not to think about him again. They must be tired from crying so much, she thought as she fell into another fitful sleep.

* * *

**A/N:**   
So I've decided to try this fic again. It's been many months since I had started it, but I do intend to finish it, and my muse has finally come back since I no longer work at a tedious 9-to-5 job. I've also decided to catch up with the rest of the fanfic world and re-edit my fics into HTML (gosh I feel like a dinosaur). 

Thank you to those who reviewed my story in its beginning; it's great to know my reinvention of Hojo is appreciated. (0.o) And now, to quote Monty Python - _"Let's get on with it!"_


	2. College Bound

**I Will Find You Again**   
An InuYasha alternate fanwork by Wolfye Productions. 

_All InuYasha characters are © Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications, Inc., Shonen Sunday, Sunrise and Nihon TV. Characters are used without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story concept, other characters and original situations are © Wolfye Productions; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only._

- † -

**Part 01: College Bound**

"Goodbye sis!" Souta waved happily from the train platform. 

Kagome turned around once she was inside the train's confines, smiling and waving to her beloved family one last time. She was going to miss them dearly, but she would always come back for the holidays. 

Today she was on her way to Tokyo University. This was move-in week for the new freshmen, and classes started the following week. 

"So Kagome, are you excited? I know I am." 

Kagome turned to Hojo and smiled at him. He was accompanying her today, helping her move into her new dorm room. They had started dating about a year after InuYasha had pushed her one last time into the Bone eater's well, during their junior year in high school. But Kagome had felt that something was always missing in their relationship, and so she had broken it off with him. 

Hojo had always been a true gentleman. He didn't cry or get angry with her when she confessed her doubts about their relationship, but she should have expected that from him. Instead, he had proposed to her that they remain best of friends, and she had happily accepted. They'd been inseparable buddies ever since. She sometimes wondered what would have happened to her if it hadn't been for Hojo's kindness and caring towards her after that fateful incident. 

She shook her head of the dark thoughts. Today they were moving her into her new life in the big city, and she could hardly wait. Hojo had already moved into his new apartment the week before, and she had helped him with that adventure. She still couldn't believe how the two of them had managed to fit all of his lifetime of junk into that tiny apartment. It was amazing how they did it, but they did. The whole adventure took all of three days and nights to accomplish. 

"I'm really excited," she said to Hojo, turning her face to the passing scenery outside the train. "I still can't believe that we're going to Tokyo University together!" 

Hojo smiled softly to the back of her head. Together, that was something he had desperately wished for when they were still attending junior high. There was no other girl in his heart, then and now. But there was always a ghost in her smile whenever she talked to him, sadness in her voice, loneliness in her eyes. He had tried desperately to comfort her, to console her, to take away her fears and anxieties; to get her to open up to him. And he thought he had when she had finally accepted to be his girlfriend during high school. But no matter how hard he tried, she remained always the same. The same mysterious girl he had fallen in love with in junior high. 

He had consented to let her go, but he couldn't stand the thought of not being near her, not when they had grown so close together in high school. So he did what he thought was best at the time - to remain friends. They already were; but the couple couldn't survive if she always held back her strange secrets from him, the ghosts that had haunted her since she had returned to school after a yearlong bout with illnesses unimaginable for such a young and vibrant girl. 

Friends. As long as they were together, he would do anything for her, anything at all. 

The loudspeaker suddenly blared that their station was coming up, breaking Hojo out of his nostalgia. 

"Come on Kagome," he said, picking up the two heavy suitcases she was bringing with her. "Let's go see your new home!" 

"Yes!" Kagome agreed, stepping off of the train onto the busy platform. Ever cheerful he was, she thought to herself. She sometimes wondered if her best friend carried any demons in his closet. She still had a plethora of them in hers. 

Out of subway hell, the two made their way to the university campus, the route now well known to the two freshmen. The campus itself was very attractive. Sakura trees in full bloom welcomed the beginning of the new school year. Pink and white petals littered the walkways and lawns, creating a most breathtaking landscape. 

After a maze of different pathways through the heart of the campus, they finally came to the dormitory side, where Kagome's own dorm lay waiting. It was a tall brick building, very rustic looking in appearance. Its worn walls spoke of a time long forgotten, while shaded windows whispered of mysterious happenings to come. Walking through the glass double doors found them greeted heartedly by the front desk attendant. 

"Welcome to the West Dormitory, your home away from home!" the young man greeted, his smile disarming in every aspect. "May I have your name please?" 

"Y- yes," Kagome stuttered, taken a bit off-guard by the handsome young man's smile. Did he just wink at her? She didn't notice the side-glance Hojo gave her in her hesitancy. "Kagome Higurashi." 

The young man flipped quickly through a binder on the cluttered desk. Within seconds he found the necessary information and grabbed the welcome packet and keys from the cubbyhole against the wall. Stepping out from behind the counter, he beckoned Kagome and Hojo to follow him to the elevator. 

"All of our rooms are singles here," he explained while they waited for the elevator. "Your room is on the fourth floor, and I believe it's on the side with a view of the park across the street. It's very lovely in the afternoon. I live on the third floor on that side myself." 

"Wow, sounds great!" Kagome chirped, over her initial anxieties about the young man, as the three got into the small elevator. He reminded her too much of Miroku the priest, with his smile and easy-going mannerisms. Idly, she wondered if his hand had ever been cured of the kazaana. 

"Oh, by the way, my name's Miromaru," he said, bowing to the two. "I am but one of the many desk attendants here, and I'm a sophomore." 

"Pleased to meet you," Kagome replied, also bowing. 

"Pleased to meet you too," Hojo said, bowing with Kagome, although somewhat stiffly the other man noticed. 

The elevator doors opened, relieving a bit of the tension building up in the cramped quarters. Both men welcomed the distraction gratefully. The odd three-some walked a little ways down the hall to a door located in one corner of the large building. After fumbling a bit with the keys, Miromaru finally opened the door and stepped to the side, allowing Kagome and Hojo to enter. 

"Well now, let's see," he began, casually leaning against the doorframe. "This is your welcoming packet and your keys," he said, handing Hojo the keys and large package he had been carrying under his arm. 

"Dormitory visiting hours are from 9am to 10pm. Quiet hours are obviously between those times. The outside doors lock at 10pm sharp every night, and the only way in or out of the building is with your outside key, which is the square-shaped one. It's also the key that accesses the stairwell and elevators. The circular key is the key to your room, and the small irregular key is your mailbox key, which you will find in the left hallway in the lobby when you first walk in through the main doors." 

Kagome just nodded her head to everything he said as she walked around the tiny quarters, inspecting everything. The entire room was as large as her bedroom back home, and that was including the bathroom! 

"There is a common lounge area right around the corner. There you will find a study area and a kitchenette, complete with an electric stove, microwave and sink. You are allowed to keep a small refrigerator in your room; you can find a rental form in your packet. The trash shoot is also down the hall. 

"This floor is an all-female hall. This dorm has alternating sex floors, so the floors above and below are all-male floors. There is a coin-operated laundry room on the first floor past the rec room. Do you have any questions?" 

Wow, he must have told this spiel a hundred times, Kagome thought. He sounds like a robot. 

"Nope, I don't have any," she replied, her head stuck in the bathroom. 

"Okie dokie!" he said cheerfully, smiling again. "If you have any questions, I'm in Room 303 downstairs, or just call the front desk!" 

With that, he was gone. Hojo blew out the breath he had been holding the entire time Miromaru was talking. He didn't like that guy at all, visibly flirting with Kagome right in front him! Not like they were together anymore, but he still considered Kagome as his girlfriend. 

"So, what do you think?" Hojo asked casually, shutting the door after the guy. 

Kagome's voice drifted out from the bathroom, the sound of water running showing that she was testing the faucets. 

"It's okay," she said, "It's really small though. My room's bigger than this!" 

Hojo chuckled; he knew her room extremely well, "Well, this'll be your home for at least the year." 

Kagome sighed, coming out of the bathroom. "Yeah," she said, flopping down on the makeshift futon, "I guess. Looks like I'm going to have to get a job and save up some money to get an apartment for next year." 

"Well, you could always move in with me," Hojo casually remarked. 

Kagome gave her ex a funny look. "Yeah right, Hojo. Where am I gonna fit? Under the bed?" 

They both broke out in laughter, both knowing full well how cramped Hojo's quarters were. He sat down on the futon next to her, leaning back against the wall. Kagome leaned up against him, using his strong shoulder as a headrest. This was going to be a long year, she could feel it, but as long as she had Hojo by her side, she felt that she would be able to face it. Moving away from home and her beloved family was the hardest thing she had ever had to do, even more so than leaving Sengoku Jidai behind. But her mother and grandfather had insisted and demanded that she take the prestigious scholarship, and so she had, much against her personal wishes. When she found out Hojo had been accepted too, she had found the move to be much more bearable. 

Yes, Hojo will be her guiding strength in this strange new city. He had a lot of relatives here in Tokyo, so there would be help if the two of them needed it. 

It's finally time to grow up, Kagome, she told herself. It's finally time to forget about the past and make a new future for herself.

* * *

**A/N:**   
I guess I don't have much to say at this point, except to ask, how was that for an opener? 


	3. Mysterious Happenstance

**I Will Find You Again**   
An InuYasha alternate fanwork by Wolfye Productions. 

_All InuYasha characters are © Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications, Inc., Shonen Sunday, Sunrise and Nihon TV. Characters are used without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story concept, other characters and original situations are © Wolfye Productions; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only._

- † -

**Part 02: Mysterious Happenstance**

Kagome hummed quietly to herself as she walked down the busy sidewalk downtown. It was just two days after she had moved into her small dorm room, and now she was roaming the shopping district by the college looking for a part-time job. Hojo was busy all day today with meetings with counselors, so he couldn't come along with her. So she had decided to go by herself. Maybe she'll pick up something for him while she was out. 

Wow, she thought to herself, Hojo's going to be busy during college, majoring in structural engineering. Already he had tons of counselor meetings to go to, and school doesn't start for another four days! Was she ever going to see him during college? 

A commotion down the street caught her attention. As she drew nearer she saw that it was a boy yelling at a red-faced old man over something. The boy was very animate in his carrying-on, arms waving wildly about while his voice got louder and louder. His frustration was obvious to passers-by as he continued to scream at the old man. 

What followed next was a bit shocking to her; she had stopped in her tracks to watch the verbal contest, which was getting more and more heated by the minute. Without warning, the old man, who looked to be five times the boy's age, reached out and smacked the boy sharply across the face. 

Stunned, the boy stopped in mid-sentence and cupped his reddening cheek. One could actually see the handprint the old man had made, testimony to the old man's strength despite his age. Taking advantage of the boy's momentary lapse, he slipped quickly into the shop they were standing in front of and shut the door. 

The loud bang of the door woke the boy up, and he quickly looked around in embarrassment to see if anyone had witnessed his loss of face. His violet eyes locked with Kagome's across the street, and her breath caught in her throat. 

This boy looked to be the exact replica of human InuYasha. Short, unruly bangs hung wildly about his eyes, shading them from the outside world, as if they're sole purpose in life were to protect those violet orbs from the devastations of the real world. There was a sadness in those eyes, and her heart ached anew to see it. 

But the boy took no recognition of her. Instead, his violet eyes narrowed as they flashed an angry red at her for witnessing his downfall that morning. Throwing a menacing look in her direction, he turned and swiftly ran down the street, his form disappearing around the corner. 

Kagome recovered her composure a minute after the strange boy disappeared. Her heart was beating like crazy. Was that InuYasha's reincarnation? No doubt, he had his facial features and his human eyes, but he didn't seem to recognize her at all. But then, if he really was a reincarnate, he wouldn't remember anything of his former life, just like she had no memory of Kikyou's life before her. 

Her feet moved of her own accord, and she soon found herself running in the direction she saw him take. Turning the corner, however, gave no more hints as to where he had run off to, and so she stopped dead in her tracks, depression anew in her wounded soul. He had left her yet again. 

The blaring ring of her cell phone brought her unwillingly out of her trance-like state. It was Hojo, dear sweet, all-knowing Hojo. She was convinced that somehow, no matter where she was, he knew what she was feeling because he always found her in her darkest of moments to save her and bring her back to life. This was what she had come to expect of him over their long years together. She could always rely on him to be there for her, even if she never told him why. 

"Kagome." 

"Hi Hojo," she said, trying to sound like her normal cheery self over the phone. "Are you done with your meetings?" 

"Yeah, isn't that great?" His voice was warm with the compassion she so needed right now. Good old Hojo. "Hey, where are you right now? Wanna meet up for lunch?" 

Lunch sounded great. Food would take her mind off of this little incident. Perhaps it meant nothing at all. Perhaps the boy was not InuYasha's reincarnation; it was just her misleading herself and her own eyes to see things that were not really there. She'd done it before. 

"Sounds great! I'm in the shopping district by campus. Want me to meet you somewhere?" 

"Yeah, there's this great ramen shop on the corner of Shiku and Hanna. It's called Jimen. I'll meet you there in twenty minutes. 

"Okay," she confirmed and hung up. 

Her feet started moving again, making their way back to the main street. While her feet directed her to the ramen shop, her mind wandered. Was she hallucinating back there? Was she starting to see things again? She thought she had put the worst behind her almost two years ago, but she had always known why she had broken up with Hojo. Because she really hadn't; and that was the biggest skeleton she kept in her dark closet. 

Her steps took her right past the shop where she had first seen the boy, and her eyes casually glanced in through the large windows in front. It was a used bookstore. She paused when she saw the small hiring sign in the corner of the window. Well, she was out here to look for a job, wasn't she? That's right, she told herself. There's no other reason why I would stop right here, at this very store. 

Before another thought could surface to stop her from her actions, she slipped inside the quiet shop and handed the old man her resume.

* * *

**A/N:**   
So this fic is moving pretty fast along it's plot lines. So far so good. Any and all reviews are much appreciated! 


	4. Dangerous Attractions

**I Will Find You Again**   
An InuYasha alternate fanwork by Wolfye Productions. 

_All InuYasha characters are © Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications, Inc., Shonen Sunday, Sunrise and Nihon TV. Characters are used without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story concept, other characters and original situations are © Wolfye Productions; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only._

- † -

**Part 03: Dangerous Attractions**

Hojo stared at Kagome across the table. 

The two of them were in the university commons eating lunch. After having found that they shared a common lunch break every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, they had agreed to always meet up somewhere to spend some time together during their mutually busy schedules. With Hojo, it was either meetings or classes; while with Kagome, it was either classes or work. 

Kagome had been acting really strange the last few days, as if she was curling up into an emotional ball all over again. He couldn't understand why. Classes were going well for both of them, work was good for her so far, and they spent almost all of their free time together. And yet, he felt that she was somehow slipping away from him again. She wasn't all there anymore, like she was a completely different person. 

He watched her as she stared blankly out the window at absolutely nothing, her fork idly pushing around the potato mush on her plate. She wasn't even paying attention. 

"So, will you go with me?" he asked for the third time. This was getting irritating. She'd never ignored him before. 

"Hm?" 

Kagome turned her head back to him, eyes wide and innocent. Hojo recoiled a bit. Perhaps he was a bit too harsh-sounding just now. He hoped he hadn't offended her; she was always so fragile looking since her return to junior high. 

"I asked if you would go with me to the luncheon on Saturday?" he repeated, although this time much calmer than the last. "That is, if you're not working then." 

He watched as Kagome reached into her bookbag and brought out her calendar. He had offered to buy her a palm pilot last year, but she had refused, saying that she preferred writing her schedule out the old way. He knew it was just that she didn't want to accept his money. 

"I have to work until one on Saturday. When is your luncheon?" 

"It starts at twelve thirty. Will you be able to make it?" 

"Hm, you said it was at Osagi Hall?" 

Hojo nodded. She had been listening somewhat. 

"I'll be there, but I'll be late." 

"That's okay. I'll make reservations for both of us then," Hojo reassured, ecstatic that she would be there. His professor would be there too, and he was hoping to introduce Kagome to him. 

Kagome smiled. "Okay then, I'll see you then!" 

She picked up her lunch tray and left the table, off to her next class. Hojo remained at the table, watching her as she dumped her tray and left the commons. His next class wasn't for another hour, so he had time to kill. After she was out of sight, he took out his calculus homework and started working on it, trying to drive away the dark thoughts screaming at him in the back of his mind. 

- † -

"Thank you, have a great day!" 

Kagome smiled cheerfully as she handed the customer a bag with their purchases in it. She really liked her part time job at the bookstore. The owner was really nice, and she was paid enough to afford herself a few luxuries a month. 

"Okay Kagome," Mr. Hamasaki said, ambling over to the front door to flip the sign to "Closed". "Thank you for your help my dear. Is it your payday today?" 

Kagome nodded. She was paid every Saturday, but still had to remind him whenever she was to be paid, as his memory was no longer as sharp as it used to be. 

"Very well," he said, ambling back over to the store register. Pushing a button to open the old machine, he counted out her week's pay and handed it to her. 

"I'll see you on Monday, Kagome." 

"Yes sir, Mr. Hamasaki. Thank you!" Kagome said, bowing before leaving the small store. The time was now five minutes past one, and she had to hurry to get to Hojo's luncheon meeting. 

"Hey you." 

Kagome looked up from buttoning up her jacket only to stare openly in shock at the boy with the violet eyes from last week, as he leaned casually up against the old brick wall of the building, hands shoved deep in his jeans pockets. 

"You work here?" 

Kagome almost missed the question in her transfixed state. Numbly, she nodded her head slowly, mouth suddenly too dry to reply. 

The young boy snorted his disgust at her, reminding her greatly of Inu Yasha during his macho moments. The resemblance was remarkable. 

"You shouldn't, ya know," he kept going on, apparently unaware of her blatant staring. "That old fart's crazy." 

Without waiting for her reply, he pushed himself off of the wall and casually strolled down the street away from the store, uncaring of the stares and whispers of passers-by at his torn and tattered clothing. He was walking in the opposite direction of where she needed to be. 

Against the better judgement of the voices screaming to her in the back of her mind, Kagome struggled free of her frozen state and called out after the boy, feet suddenly running towards him. The boy stopped in his tracks, although he didn't bother to look back at her. He didn't even bother to look at her when she caught up to his side. 

"Where are you headed?" she asked, a little out of breath from her short sprint. 

"Huh, what's it to you?" he answered back in a gruff manner also reminiscent of his canine counterpart. 

Kagome smiled at him, "If you're not in a hurry, let me buy you lunch." 

He finally turned to look at her, his violet eyes flashing deep hostility, and yet, something else hovered just beneath his gaze. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. 

"Whatever girl," he replied, although his tone was not so harsh as before. 

Kagome beamed the sun at him, making him suddenly cringe away from so much open affection. He obviously wasn't used to it. 

"There's this great place just around the corner," she said, taking their steps towards the desired location. "By the way, my name's Kagome." 

The boy hmph'd his understanding, but remained quiet. 

"What's your name?" she gently prodded, eager to hear him talk once more. 

"Yamaro." 

"Oh, what a neat name," Kagome commented, inwardly cringing at the lameness of her comment. Yamaro just snorted again. 

Rounding the corner, the two stepped into the cozy cafe, and Kagome quickly drowned out the voices that still screamed in the back of her mind. 

- † -

"So Hojo, where's this person you wanted me to meet?" 

Hojo glanced up from his plate. He had been standing near the entrance to the hall, in hopes that Kagome would walk inside at any moment. Glancing at his watch, he saw that the time was already almost two, and she still hadn't shown. She obviously wasn't coming, and his professor had to get to a meeting. 

"I'm sorry Dr. Asagi, it looks like she wasn't able to make it today," Hojo said to his professor in the most upbeat voice he could manage. Inside he was crushed. 

"Oh, that's alright Hojo. Sometimes life throws us a curve ball every now and then. I'll just have to meet this mysterious person later. I've got to get to my meeting at two, so I'll talk with you later." 

Hojo nodded, waving goodbye to his professor. Dumping his barely touched food in the trash, he picked up his bag and walked outside, making his way to the shopping district. He was determined to find Kagome; she was usually never one to ditch on him without telling him beforehand. Now he looked bad in front of his professor. Maybe he should get her a cell phone. 

Rounding the corner to where her store was, he froze in his tracks, then quickly jumped back behind the building, his heart pounding in his chest. Peeking back around the building, his normally gentle eyes narrowed in jealous rage as he watched Kagome walking down the sidewalk with a strange guy he had never seen before. He scrutinized the guy from head to toe, from his wild black hair to his ratty tennis shoes. This guy looked like a gangster, so what the hell was Kagome doing talking to him? And so friendly too! 

The guy never smiled the entire time, and he barely talked back to her as the two of them walked. Occasionally he would glance at her out of the corner of his eye, but aside from that he remained looking forward the entire time. What a bastard! Hojo screamed silently, his possessiveness of Kagome flooding through his veins, making it suddenly hard for him to breathe. And how dare she! Didn't she realize that she was his, and his alone! 

The two stopped in front of her store. After a few more quick remarks, which the stranger merely shrugged at her, the two parted ways. Shit, Kagome was heading right for where he was. Taking one last look at her oddly happy expression, he turned and made a run for his apartment, glancing back every now and then to be sure that she hadn't noticed him there. He needed to cool down and think things through before he tried confronting her about this whole thing. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but more like the guy she had been with. Something in the stranger's eyes had sent ill waves of uneasiness down his spine, and he needed to find out why before Kagome got into danger.

* * *

**A/N:**   
Woot! Is it me, or is Hojo getting really possessive over Kagome? Who wants to see Mr. Mild Mannered Guy explode? hehehe... 


	5. Beautiful Innocence

**I Will Find You Again**   
An InuYasha alternate fanwork by Wolfye Productions. 

_All InuYasha characters are © Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications, Inc., Shonen Sunday, Sunrise and Nihon TV. Characters are used without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story concept, other characters and original situations are © Wolfye Productions; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only._

- † -

**Part 04: Beautiful Innocence**

Hojo paced the floor of his apartment, contemplating what he should do and how he should do it. There had to be some way he could find out bits of information from Kagome about the guy she had lunch with, but he had to do so in a very gentleman-like manner. There was no way he was going to risk his fragile relationship with her, especially if he wanted to renew it later on in the future. 

Hojo stopped in his frantic tracks, remembering the predatory look in that other guy's eyes when Kagome's back was to him. Waves of uneasiness crept over him again; icy fingers shot their way up his spine and grasped his heart. There had definitely been something wrong with that guy, something almost evil in his countenance. 

The phone ringing broke him out of his thoughts. Walking over to the kitchen table, he picked up the offending object. 

"Hello?" 

"Hojo! It's me." 

"Oh, hey Kagome," Hojo replied, trying to sound as casual as possible. "How was work today?" 

"Oh, it was ok. I got paid today." 

"Hey that's great!" 

"Yeah," Kagome paused on the phone, obviously unsure of what exactly to say, Hojo guessed. He was right. 

"Um, Hojo, I'm sorry about not meeting you at the luncheon today. I kinda got caught up at work." 

Something sharp stabbed at his heart. Kagome just lied to him. She's never done that before. 

"Oh, it's okay, Kagome," he lied back. Truly he was crushed. 

"I want to make it up to you, tonight." 

Hojo's ears perked up. Make it up to him, huh? What was the little vixen planning? 

"Okay," he replied, patiently waiting for her to continue. 

"I wanna take you out to dinner tonight, your choice." 

"Aw, Kagome, you don't have to do that," he said, touched by her offer. "You need every cent you've got to pay for school." And he knew that was the truth. "I'll buy dinner tonight." 

"No Hojo, I really want to. I feel so bad about this afternoon." 

Hojo finally smiled, a plan forming in his mind. 

"How about repaying me in another way?" he asked casually, although intent clearly in his tone. 

Kagome audibly gulped over the phone. He could almost picture her beautiful brown eyes widen in anticipation and shock at what he was about to say. 

"Okay..." 

"Why don't you get all dressed up for tonight? I'll pick you up at 7:30, okay?" 

"Oh Hojo, you know I don't like dressing up," she started, trying to weasel her way out of it. She rarely ever dressed up, and hated to do so, which Hojo always found to be an extra treat when she finally did. 

"C'mon Kagome, you wanted to make it up to me, right? Well, this is the way you can." 

Kagome sighed on the other side. "Alright," she resigned. "I'll see you at 7:30." She hung up. 

Hojo put the phone back onto its cradle, a smile adorning his lips. This was going to be a great night. Walking back into his bedroom, he began getting ready. 

- † -

Kagome looked at herself in the mirror, not liking what looked back at her from the reflective surface. 

She had chosen to wear her dark blue ball gown. The luscious silk fabric clung tantalizingly to her every curve until about knee length, where the last folds fell away in a dramatic flare. To complete the ensemble, she had on a dark blue shawl embroidered in white and gold beads. A pearl necklace, which her mother had given to her on her 18th birthday, adorned her neck. Her hair was done up in a French twist, held in place by a pearl comb to match the necklace. 

The last time she had worn this dress was to an opera, which Hojo had asked her out to. His family was both wealthy and highly influential, and had scored a booth near the stage during one of his father's business dealings. That had been their first date together. She smiled, remembering that night vividly. He had insisted that he buy her a new outfit for the event, and had taken her shopping in one of the city's more up-scale boutiques. How embarrassed she had been in the shop with several women fluttering over and around her, as they fitted her in several different outfits. But the look in Hojo's eyes when she had come out of the dressing room in this particular outfit - even now, a blush covered her cheeks just remembering. 

A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. Taking one last look in the mirror, she made a face at herself, then turned and opened the door. Instantly she was met with a face full of red roses. 

"Ready for the night of your life?" 

Kagome laughed, her voice sending tingles down Hojo's spine. He loved hearing her laugh. 

"Really Hojo," she playfully chided, taking the bouquet from him and into her bathroom, where she filled up the sink with cool water. "It's only dinner." 

Hojo watched her while she put the roses in water, his eyes roving her petite form. She hadn't worn that ensemble since the first time he had bought it for her, but she still looked ravishing in it. Sure, it's only dinner, he reminded himself, but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy it just a little. 

"Ready?" 

Hojo took one more appreciative look at her before moving to take her arm in his. "After you, mademoiselle." 

Kagome blushed, again remembering her awkwardness in this outfit. A warm feeling flooded her when she noticed the loving look in his eyes. It felt good to be wanted. 

Locking her door, they walked to the end of the hall and waited for the elevator. 

"So, where are we going tonight?" Kagome asked, flashing Hojo one of her winning smiles. Hojo felt his heart melt and his knees go weak. 

"Don't you want to guess?" Hojo suggested, a twinkle in his eyes. 

Kagome loved it whenever he had her guess. She took up the challenge and looked at what he was wearing. He was dressed in his black tuxedo with a red cummerbund, and a matching red bowtie. A red rose graced his jacket pocket, and as her eyes drifted upwards, she noticed that he had on a black beret. Then she remembered what he had called her back in her room. 

"A French restaurant!" she exclaimed, confident in her answer. 

Hojo beamed her a huge grin and took his beret off. "You've got it!" 

By then, the elevator opened and they got inside. "We're on our way to an exclusive French club in the downtown district. It's called Le Mon Amie. The food is to die for!" 

The sparkle in her eyes told him everything. She loved surprises, and food. 

"Oh Hojo, that sounds wonderful!" 

The elevator doors opened up and Miromaru stepped in, his eyes immediately taking in Kagome's ravishing figure. Hojo stiffened immediately, and he took a half-step in front of Kagome, staring the other man in the eye. 

Miromaru chuckled, turning around to face the doors. "You two look nice," he said cordially. "Out on the town tonight?" 

"Yes," Kagome answered, not wanting to be rude. Even after all this time, Hojo still got jealous of her. It both pleased and worried her at the same time. 

"That's wonderful," Miromaru replied. "Have a wonderful time!" 

"Thanks," Hojo said quickly. Luckily, the doors opened again and the three spilled out into the lobby, both men taking deep breaths of relief. Hojo quickly ushered Kagome out the door before Miromaru could say anything else.

* * *

**A/N:**   
Okay, don't yell at me for it being so short, but I'm already working on the next chapter. Usually I write _really_ long chapters to my stories, but I had wanted to make this fic move a little faster than normal. 

Any and all reviews greatly appreciated! Thanks for sticking it out with me! 


	6. Discoveries of a Daiyoukai

**I Will Find You Again**   
An InuYasha alternate fanwork by Wolfye Productions. 

_All InuYasha characters are © Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications, Inc., Shonen Sunday, Sunrise and Nihon TV. Characters are used without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story concept, other characters and original situations are © Wolfye Productions; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only._

_This chapter is centered solely on Sesshoumaru, and helps to move the plot along very nicely, if I may say so myself. Oh, and I already know there's a hole in one of my theories in this story, but for now, it'll just have to work, and I'll make it work. So please bear with me if you find inconsistencies. I may have made them for a reason. Thanks for reading!_

- † -

**Part 05: Discoveries of a Daiyoukai**

Sesshoumaru sat serenely in front of the outdoor cafe, idly sipping his tea, quietly contemplating nothing. A few days ago, he had decided to take an extended trip away from his home estate, the day-to-day affairs having once again driven him to the brink of insanity. Despite the fact that his estate was only a fraction of the size it had been since the days he had ruled over the Western Lands, there were still a great many things that needed to be done, much more than he cared for, and he was quickly growing weary of it. 

Today he found himself in one of the many shopping districts of Tokyo, sipping tea and feeling rather bored with himself. He wasn't sure why he had chosen Tokyo as his point of interest for this trip, but he must have had some particular reason for visiting the over-populated and noisy city, and he was sure it had been a good one. After all, he never made any decision without first consulting himself. Convinced of his sound reasoning, he allowed himself a small mental pat on the back before letting his mind go blank once more. 

He watched with no interest at the throng of people who passed him on the sidewalk. Most were oblivious to everything around them, mindlessly babbling over some silly topic that was of no interest to him. A few, however, idly glanced his way, taking in his strange appearance with a frown; that is, until their gaze met with his golden one, after which they tended to find the asphalt much more interesting to stare at. 

"My Lord..." 

The incessant whining tone of Imachi, one of Sesshoumaru's many advisors of the past two-hundred-something-odd years, broke through his moment of peace, entirely unbidden, and Sesshoumaru allowed his lip to curl ever so slightly in a snarl. To his satisfaction, he heard his advisor squeak a little in fear. Unfortunately, that did not stop him from speaking. 

"My Lord," Imachi tried again, "It is time that you produced an heir," he said matter-of-factly, his oddly-shaped head nodding sagely in order to emphasize his point. 

Sesshoumaru sighed a heavy sigh, and not for the first time that day. 

"I remain by my decision," he said cryptically, not even bothering to turn to look at the lesser youkai sitting across from him. He imagined a look of utter frustration on the serpent youkai's dismantled face and allowed a small smile to grace his lips. 

It was then that his sensitive nose caught wind of a familiar scent, one he had not smelled living for several centuries, and his memory stirred. He closed his eyes, concentrating on it, blocking out the mindless chatter of his advisor and the noise of the traffic surrounding them. 

The scent was faint, barely there, but his sharp senses easily plucked it out from amongst all the other smells, as if it were a prized flower and he was in a garden. The back of his mind attempted to inform him that Tokyo was nothing like a garden, but he quickly pushed the comment aside. 

His nose tweaked, and he inhaled the scent deep into his lungs. It was the same as he remembered all those centuries ago; and yet, it was different than he remembered, somehow muffled from its former self. It was as if someone had sealed it behind a heavy iron door and left it there to rot. 

"My Lord!" 

The loud whine of his advisor startled him, breaking him out of his deep concentration. He opened a golden eye and glared daggers at the small youkai, who suddenly seemed to shrink into his own clothes. Sesshoumaru, keeping one piercing eye trained on his advisor, sniffed the air for the scent again, but it was no longer there, almost as if it hadn't existed in the first place. 

Immensely irritated now at the interruption, especially on a topic he had thought he dismissed ages ago, yet somehow kept resurfacing every year, Sesshoumaru turned his full glare on his unwitting advisor, a low growl rumbling in his throat. 

"Urk," Imachi spat out, finding the good decency to attempt to bury himself even further into his garments, inadvertently causing passers-by to snicker at his comical posture. He paid them no heed; self-preservation being his first priority before dignity. At least, that's what he told himself, anyway. 

In his mind, Sesshoumaru allowed himself the satisfaction of imagining the serpent youkai devoid of a nose and several appendages. Without a word, the demon lord stood gracefully from the table and began walking back in the direction of the hotel, leaving a stunned youkai in his wake to pay the bill. 

"Miko." 

The word slipped from his tongue in the form of a whisper, and he rolled it around on his tongue a few more times, tasting the flavour of it in his mouth. How was it she was still alive? he thought to himself, past memories stirring as his mind brought back images of those last several events centuries ago that had taken the lives of his brother and his friends. 

- † -

Sesshoumaru stood facing the vile creature Naraku as he cackled horribly in the middle of the clearing, his back up against his brother's. The two held out their respective swords, metal glinting ominously in the fading afternoon light, twin blades promising death and ultimate destruction to the monster before them. 

"You cannot defeat me!" Naraku exclaimed, one of his many tentacles slashing forward through the air at them. 

With a great speed and power that was borne of the famous Inu clan, Sesshoumaru and InuYasha leapt into the air, each bringing down their blades to strike into the evil hanyou's flesh, black blood spurting forth from their combined efforts, splattering across their already blood-soaked clothes. 

Just as their swords met with poisonous flesh, a bright arrow flashed in-between them, headed straight for Naraku's chest, the glowing light surrounding the flying object so intense it was difficult to look upon. 

The creature before them screamed in complete agony as the arrow hit its destined target, then went silent as his body lurched violently. He was going to explode! Sesshoumaru heard two screams simultaneously. One, he knew from the miko that travelled with his brother, Kagome was her name; the other was from Rin, and his heart picked up as it thumped loudly in his chest. Where was she? 

Sesshoumaru saw out of the corner of his eye as his brother leapt to the other side of the clearing to the miko's side. His eyes searched the clearing frantically for signs of his ward. There! Just beyond the first stand of trees. She stood with Jaken's Staff of Two Heads in her hand, trembling with fear. Where was Jaken? 

As Sesshoumaru raced to the side of his ward, he saw one of Naraku's flailing tentacles stab through the air headed straight for Rin's chest. She screamed again, the terrible sound ripping sharp claws down the insides of his chest. He was almost there! 

Sesshoumaru raised Toukijin and slashed the air in front of him. As expected, the resulting air pressure from the sword cleanly sliced through the tentacle before it reached her, but he didn't stop his pace; not just yet. As the sounds of a great explosion behind him rocketed past his ears, he safely reached the side of his ward and wrapped his long body around hers to protect her from the oncoming shockwave. 

The pain was immense, and his skin burned from where it was exposed to the poisonous miasma that shot out from Naraku's dying body. Tenseiga suddenly pulsed at his side, and soon, he could no longer feel the corrosive effects of the miasma on his skin. He dimly realized that the sword was once again choosing to save his life, and in doing so, indirectly saved the life of his ward. 

After a few minutes passed, Sesshoumaru slowly opened his eyes and looked around, his gold-tinted gaze taking in the battle-torn clearing. Naraku was no longer in the center of it; instead, where he had once stood were now bloody stumps of the various youkai that had made up his grotesque body, black blood staining the once-green grass. 

He slowly uncurled himself and stood up, helping Rin up to her feet. He could feel her trembling next to him, fear radiating off of her tiny form in giant waves, making his nose tweak at the smell of it. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, hoping it would help calm her down. 

"Lord Sesshoumaru?" her tiny voice squeaked out. He looked down at her, but her eyes were not on him for once. Instead, she stood stock-still, brown eyes wide as she stared past the tree line to the blood-strewn clearing. This was not good, he thought to himself. He needed to take her away from here; she had seen too much death in her life for someone so young. But first, he needed to inspect the clearing to see if anyone else had survived. 

"Rin," his regal voice intoned, keeping his voice steady for her sake, despite the foreboding feeling mounting inside of him. Thankfully, she looked up at him, tearing her innocent eyes away from the horror out there. 

"Go back and sit with Ah-Un," he commanded, making sure to keep eye contact with her. "Wait for me there." 

He watched her, trying to convey to her the urgency through his gaze. Slowly, he watched as she nodded her head to say that she understood, then turned to go to where the two-headed dragon lay waiting. He watched her go, making sure that she was okay before turning back to look at the clearing. 

He was about to step back out to the battlefield when his foot hit something. Looking down, he suddenly realized that he had bumped into the lifeless body of his long-time retainer, one of Naraku's tentacles pierced through his chest. From the way his arms were stretched outwards, Sesshoumaru realized that the toad youkai had attempted to block Naraku's blow from hitting the human child, and by doing so had given his life for hers. Jaken would need a proper burial, he thought to himself. He would not leave without the small youkai's body. 

He stepped into the clearing, his feet bringing him to the spot where Naraku had stood before the explosion. His eyes slowly surveyed the resulting damage. There was a large crater in front of him, strewn with various body parts and congealing black blood. The sight was repulsive, and it was only Sesshoumaru's strong will-power that prevented him from grimacing at the grotesque sight. 

He was about to turn away when he saw something twinkling in the middle of the crater. Curiosity getting the best of him, he reached down and picked up the glowing object. It was a large shard of the Shikon jewel; the smaller shards that Naraku had possessed must have fused while within the hanyou's body during the fight. The miko would want this, he thought to himself, quickly tucking the object into his haori for the moment. 

The great demon lord scanned the bloody field again, his feet taking him to the last spot he had seen InuYasha at before the blast wave had hit. 

His brother was not there; instead of the body he had been expecting to find, there remained only charred ground and broken pieces of shattered wood strewn everywhere. The old Bone eater's well had been destroyed. 

Sesshoumaru briefly wondered if perhaps his brother had already left; but then, if he had, why would he leave without the last of the Shikon shards? 

He caught something glinting beneath the pile of rubble. At his side, Tenseiga began to tremble, and he put his hand on it to still it. 

"Tetsusaiga," he whispered aloud, a strange feeling suddenly flooding his body. His hand frantically tore at the pile of debris beneath his feet, expecting to find his brother's lifeless body beneath it. But when he pulled back the last piece of wood, only the rusted blade of the untransformed fang winked back at him. His brother was nowhere to be found. 

Sitting next to the blade was the odd yellow bag that he frequently saw the miko carrying around. Cautiously, he picked it up, bringing the rough woven material to his nose. Her scent was all over it, and he found the smell strangely soothing, readily calming his frazzled nerves. 

Putting the bag down, he stared back at Tetsusaiga, the answer to the riddle he had been pondering finally dawning on him. His brother would never have left their father's sword behind. No, Sesshoumaru thought, understanding at last what had happened. He stood up again, his golden eyes strangely sad as he looked out across the clearing. There, he could see the monk's shoukaju stabbed into the ground across the clearing, and next to it, embedded into the base of a tree, was the taijiya's Hiraikotsu. 

InuYasha and his friends were dead, all trace of their bodies dissolved from Naraku's corrosive miasma. 

- † -

Sesshoumaru walked into his penthouse suite, quickly followed by Imachi, who shut and locked the door behind them. Quickly excusing himself, he made his way to the back of the suite to their makeshift office. 

Sesshoumaru tossed his designer jacket haphazardly onto the couch in the front room, immediately submerging himself in the luxurious velvet cushions. 

"Myouga," he called out once he was comfortable. Within moments, the old flea youkai appeared, hopping up onto his master's knee. 

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Myouga said, "What can I do for you today?" 

Sesshoumaru stared at the tiny retainer for a moment, studying him. Myouga had come into his service after the death of his brother, replacing Jaken in his household. Despite the fact that he found the tiny youkai's cowardice excruciatingly irritating at times, the flea had proven to be extremely adept at gathering information for him over the course of the past several hundred years. 

He noticed tiny beads of sweat forming on the tiny youkai's forehead. Perhaps he had been staring too long. 

"Myouga," Sesshoumaru said, his commanding tone making the flea demon stand to attention. "Tell me what you know of InuYasha's miko." 

Myouga blinked, startled by his master's unexpected request. Lord Sesshoumaru had not mentioned the name of his brother in over four-hundred years, so why would he suddenly do so now? Myouga's brain cranked, curious as to what could have triggered his master's memories. He quickly cleared his throat. To try his master's almost non-existent patience would be the same as inviting death. 

"Which of Lord InuYasha's mikos would my Lord be inquiring about?" Myouga asked. He had long ago learned of the tongue of civility with his new master. Lord Sesshoumaru had not been one who tolerated improper conduct amongst his ranks, even now after all these hundreds of years. 

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes as if the answer was an obvious one. He waved a clawed hand towards the dining table, Myouga's eyes following the movement to the large yellow sack perched atop it. 

Ah, now he understood. For the past five-hundred years since the death of Naraku, the demon lord had never travelled anywhere without Lady Kagome's backpack, and would often be seen sitting quietly somewhere sniffing the mysterious object. No one had ever dared to question the Daiyoukai as to what he seemed to find so fascinating about the strange bag, but Myouga suspected it had something to do with Lady Kagome's unique scent, left imprinted on the bag even after the passing of so many centuries. He had often seen Lord InuYasha doing the same thing with some of Lady Kagome's other belongings whenever he thought no one was looking. 

"Ah yes, Lady Kagome," Myouga informed his master, a smile lighting up his aged face at the memory of the spirited girl. 

"I am aware of her name," Sesshoumaru intoned, getting impatient. "Tell me what you know of her," he demanded in his curt voice. 

A drop of sweat rolled down the side of Myouga's face, and he hurried to continue. 

"Lady Kagome was a most wonderful and extraordinary girl," Myouga stated. "She was exquisitely beautiful, extremely educated for a human girl, and a very powerful miko." Myouga paused, then decided to test his master's reaction. "And she had a heavenly scent and the most delicious blood," he added, remembering the unique taste of it even now. 

Myouga looked up into the face of the great demon lord, searching for a clue as to why his master was so infatuated with Lady Kagome's backpack, but his face remained as impassive as ever. If he had felt anything at Myouga's casual remark, he certainly didn't show it. 

"Was she human?" Sesshoumaru asked suddenly, startling the little flea. 

"Why, yes my Lord," Myouga replied, his head nodding fervently. "Lady Kagome was most definitely human." He watched his master's eyes drift over to where the backpack lay, quietly contemplating something. What exactly, he did not know. 

"Is there anything else you can tell me?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice a bit softer now. He still stared at the large sack, a strange emotion flickering in his golden gaze, but it was gone before Myouga could identify it. 

"Hmm," Myouga said, crossing two of his four arms across his chest. He lowered his head, making a big show of concentrating. 

"Let's see," he said, trying to remember what he knew about the young priestess. "Lady Kagome was the future reincarnation of Lady Kikyou, InuYasha's first miko -" 

"Future?" Sesshoumaru asked, abruptly cutting him off in mid-sentence. He turned his head back to look at Myouga, eyes wide with sudden interest. 

Myouga sagely nodded his head, standing up a little straighter. He was proud to have finally found something that interested his master. 

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru," he continued, "Lady Kagome had told us long ago that she was from the future of Japan, and that a centipede mononoke that had been after the Shikon jewel had dragged her back in time through the old Bone eater's well." 

Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment, processing the information that Myouga had given him. 

"How far into the future was she from?" he asked. 

Myouga shook his head sadly. "Alas, I do not know, my Lord," he replied. "She had never told us that." Then a thought occurred to him. 

"If this lowly Myouga may ask, my Lord, why is it that you ask of her?" 

Sesshoumaru stared at his retainer for a long moment, most likely pondering on whether to tell him or not. He blinked once, then looked back at the yellow bag on the table, that strange emotion once again flickering across his vision. 

"This Sesshoumaru has smelled her scent this morning," he said simply. 

Myouga stood shocked on his master's knee upon hearing the simple confession, eyes wide. Then the words slowly sunk into his brain and he began jumping up and down in excitement, much to the annoyance of his master. 

"Lady Kagome is here?" he shouted excitedly as he jumped around. then a thought struck him and he stopped, looking up at his master's annoyed face. Oops, he thought, but quickly recovered himself. 

"I thought my Lord had said Lady Kagome had died with Lord InuYasha?" he quickly asked, hoping to distract his master from his previous actions, thereby smartly avoiding death at his hands. It worked. 

"That is what I had thought," Sesshoumaru said, gracefully getting up from the couch and walking over to the backpack. He lifted one of the worn straps to his nose and inhaled deeply, letting the soothing scent wash over him, helping him to think. 

If what the old flea had said about the Bone eater's well was true regarding its possible time travel abilities, then perhaps his idiot brother had had the good sense to send her back through it one last time before the well had been destroyed by Naraku's explosion. If so, then that would definitely explain why she was still alive five-hundred years later, especially if she was just a human. 

Sesshoumaru opened his golden eyes again and looked down to see Myouga on the dining table, looking up expectantly at him. 

"Myouga," he said, his tone commanding once more. 

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?" 

"We must go to find the miko," he said simply, though his mind was already churning with a million and one thoughts regarding why. 

A huge grin broke out across Myouga's face, and he once again began jumping up and down on the table's surface, earning a disapproving frown from his master. 

Looking away, Sesshoumaru called loudly for Imachi, who appeared in front of the demon lord within moments, bowing low. 

"We are going out," the great Daiyoukai said simply to the lesser demon, silently communicating to him to prepare for the afternoon outing. 

Imachi seemed to get the message, and bowing once more, scurried off to make the proper arrangements.

* * *

**A/N:**   
So sorry this chapter took me a lot longer to write than I had previously thought it would, but at least the delay was only stretched by a day. I hope you're not mad at me! 

Any and all reviews are most certainly appreciated! Thanks for hanging in there with me! 


	7. Forebodings

**I Will Find You Again**   
An InuYasha alternate fanwork by Wolfye Productions. 

_All InuYasha characters are © Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications, Inc., Shonen Sunday, Sunrise and Nihon TV. Characters are used without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story concept, other characters and original situations are © Wolfye Productions; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only._

- † -

**Part 06: Forebodings**

Tiny tendrils of gold snuck their way through the minuscule crack left open between the two thick curtains draping the front of the dorm window. Overjoyed at their own stealthiness, they danced victoriously across the deep red bedspread, their sole mission that morning to wake the room's inhabitant. Their gleeful rejoicing was cut short, however, when they discovered that the bed was empty. The morning sun shifted across the clear azure sky, and the tiny golden figures disappeared, leaving nothing behind in their wake. 

The sounds of falling water permeated the empty room as wafts of steam drifted from the crack beneath the door leading to the bathroom. Five minutes transgressed and the sounds ceased, only to be replaced with a soft humming sound. 

The door opened and Kagome stepped forth wrapped in naught but a cream-coloured bath towel, her slender fingers dragging themselves through her long ebony locks. 

Kagome glanced over at the alarm clock resting on her nightstand. Atomic green numbers glared accusingly back at her. 7:50. Gah! She was running late! 

Panic flooded through her body, her brain launching into overdrive as it supplied her with a generous amount of adrenaline. She scampered about the tiny room, putting her clothes on while putting various textbooks and notebooks into her backpack simultaneously. She had only ten minutes to get to class, which meant no time to grab breakfast beforehand. A wet lock of hair plastered itself across her vision, temporarily blinding her. She pushed the stray lock out of her eyes with an annoyed sound. She would have to let her hair air-dry today; there was no time left to dry it with her hairdryer. Kagome silently prayed to whichever gods were listening at that moment that she wouldn't end up with flat hair. 

Satisfied that she had everything, Kagome quickly stepped into her sneakers and rushed out the door, making it to the elevator just as the twin doors were about to close. 

"Thanks," Kagome breathed to the girl who had held the doors open for her. She gave her a grateful smile while she attempted to catch her breath. 

"No prob," the other girl said, flashing a winning smile back at her. "Name's Yura, by the way," she said, slightly bowing in the cramped elevator. 

"Oh, I'm Kagome," Kagome replied, also bowing. "Pleased to meet you, Yura." 

"Same here," Yura said, her strangely brown eyes looking Kagome up and down. "Ya new here?" she asked nonchalantly. 

Kagome blinked a little at the question. Was she really that obvious? She glanced at the other girl's outfit, suddenly feeling ridiculously overdressed. Yura was wearing pajamas and pink fuzzy slippers; in her arms she carried a red notebook, a matching red pen sticking out of the spiral binding. Was she going to class like that? 

"Yeah," was all Kagome managed to say. 

"Oh wow, that's cool!" Yura squeaked, making Kagome wince a little at her high-pitched voice. "Usually this dorm's reserved for upper classmen only. How'd you manage to get in? I'm a junior myself," the girl gushed, looking expectantly at her, as though she knew the answer to some terrible secret. 

Kagome gave the girl a wan smile. "Um, I don't know," she replied, and honestly, she didn't. "Got lucky, I guess?" 

Yura huffed at her, obviously displeased with her answer. The elevator chimed, indicating they had reached the ground floor, thus putting an end of the impromptu interrogation, much to Kagome's relief. 

"Well, it was nice meeting you," Kagome said before sprinting forth from the cramped space, not bothering to wait for the girl's reply. In her haste to exit the elevator, she almost ended up running into someone standing just outside the doors, managing to avoid hitting them only at the last possible second. Muttering an apology, she made a mad dash for the doors. 

"Hey Kagome," a voice called out from behind her. 

Kagome paused at the front doors, looking over her shoulder to see who was calling her. Miromaru was standing inside the elevator waving to her, an easy smile gracing his handsome face and a blueberry muffin in his other hand. He, too, was dressed in pajamas. 

"Hi!" she called out, flashing the upper classman a dazzling smile before rushing out of the brick building. On her way out, she flew past two more people coming in, both also dressed in nothing more than sleeping attire. A stray thought crossed her mind as she ran towards the middle of the campus - did everyone living in that dorm not wear regular clothes? 

So engrossed in her thoughts was she that she failed to notice the dark pair of eyes that watched her from across the way, nor did she bear witness to the malicious grin that accompanied it. 

- † -

"Ugh, I'm starving!" Kagome gutted out, plopping her tray down across from Hojo. Collapsing in her chair, she eagerly began scarfing down her wide assortment of food. 

"Hey Kagome," Hojo said in greeting, watching her amusedly as she did her best impression of a vacuum cleaner. "I almost thought you wouldn't make it." 

"Yeah, well," Kagome said between mouthfuls. "My professor had me stay after class." 

Hojo raised his eyebrows at her statement. "Really? What for?" he asked. "You didn't fall asleep in class, did you?" 

He laughed when Kagome threw him an annoyed glare. 

"Nope," she said, pausing to take a sip of her soda. "The proff wants me to take up an internship. He says I'm doing so well right now that I'd might as well start my career early." 

"Whoa, no way," Hojo breathed, completely taken by surprise. "You mean Hammerhead Meguro?" he asked just to clarify. Kagome nodded, stuffing her cute little face with a chicken nugget. 

Hojo gave a low whistle of appreciation. He had heard the many rumours flying around campus about the infamous professor. Not only was the man reputed to bear an eerie resemblance to the archaic sea creature, but he was also said to dislike his students just as much as his students tended to dislike him. His classes were hard and his tests nearly impossible; hardly anyone made it out of that class with anything above a "B-". The unfortunate thing was that his class was mandatory for anyone wishing to go into business; "Business Principles and Applications" was a prerequisite for all of the business classes. 

"So I take it you did well on the midterm?" Hojo asked, although he already knew the answer. 

Kagome didn't disappoint. Pausing in her inhalation of her gigantic burger, she fished out a blue book from her backpack and tossed it at him, flashing him a heartbreaking smile. 

Hojo glanced down at the blue book, smiling at her ravenous antics. That girl sure loved to eat. His hazel eyes opened wide in amazement. 

"An 'A'?" he said, almost not believing his eyes. He blinked and looked again. Sure enough, on the front cover, the letter "A" was drawn out in thick red marker, a symbol sure to catch anyone's attention. 

"Mmhm," Kagome mumbled from around the breaded meat. She made a big show of swallowing the huge bite in her mouth while slurping up her soda. 

"Professor Meguro told me I was the first person in his class to ever get an 'A'!" she exclaimed happily, her chest puffing up with pride. 

"Really?" Hojo replied, giving his favourite girl a huge grin. "Kagome, that's great! You probably just made the Guiness Book of World Records™!" he exclaimed. 

Kagome laughed joyfully behind her burger, somewhat muffled by the large quantity of beef and bread stuffed once again into her mouth. 

"So, would you like to go celebrate?" Hojo asked. It had been well over a week since he had taken her out to Le Mon Amie, and he was itching for some more quality time with the love of his life. The two hadn't been able to spend much time together outside of their lunches since midterms had hit. But now that they were over, he figured that this would be a great opportunity to do a double celebration - the end of midterms and Kagome's miraculous "A". Unfortunately, the Fates didn't agree. 

Kagome's face fell at his suggestion, and Hojo suddenly felt his heart go in the same direction. 

"I can't Hojo, I'm sorry," Kagome said, looking sadly at her best friend. "After work today I plan to go drop off my resumé at this one place Professor Meguro recommended me to." 

"Oh, okay," Hojo said, but he wasn't ready to throw in the towel just yet. He quickly rallied the troops back together. "How about tomorrow then? After work?" he asked as nonchalantly as possible. He didn't want to come across as begging, of course. 

Kagome sat there in thought for a moment, idly munching on a fry. Hojo studied her face while she thought, no doubt going over her calendar in her mind. Her milk chocolate gaze was turned inward, and one of her delicate eyebrows was raised in contemplation. By the gods, the woman was gorgeous, Hojo thought as his heart clenched in his chest, his mind drifting off to scenes of them walking hand in hand along a beach, or dancing together to one of their favourite songs at their wedding... 

"Okay," Kagome said, snapping him abruptly out of the vision of her playing happily with their three kids. 

Hojo blinked. What? She said yes, his mind told him. I know that, he bit back, effectively shutting himself up. He gave Kagome a winning smile. 

"That's great!" Hojo replied, glancing briefly at his watch. He had fifteen minutes to get to class. "I'll meet you at the store then," he confirmed, already knowing her work schedule by heart. Standing up, he quickly gathered his backpack and empty lunch tray together. 

He glanced over at her one last time before turning and leaving, strongly resisting the urge to kiss her goodbye like he used to do back when they were dating. Instead, he offered her his usual verbal one. 

"See ya later Kagome." 

Kagome managed a muffled goodbye around the last remnants of her burger, making him smile in amusement as he walked over to the trashcan to dispose of his tray's contents. 

Hojo kept the easy smile plastered on his face until he was a good distance away from the university commons, after which he allowed his face to drop into an uncharacteristic frown. 

The time spent away from her during the past week-and-a-half had nearly driven him insane. Sure, there were always their shared lunches three times a week, but they only lasted an hour at the most and did nothing to quench this burning need within him that ached to have her near him at all times. 

He did not, could not, understand or explain in the least why he felt this way about Kagome, this raging possessiveness that flooded his veins whenever he simply thought about her. He only knew that he did, ever since that fateful day back in ninth grade when he had gone down to check out the rumours floating around the school about a really hot girl that would get sick all the time. His parents were both doctors and owned their own highly successful practice, as well as a very profitable herbal shop, so naturally he had been concerned for the girl's well-being. 

All of that had changed, however, the moment he laid eyes on her. 

He remembered that moment clearly, simply because it had been the single, most strangest thing that had ever happened to him. 

As he had stood there staring at her, it was as though the world around him had begun to bleed. Everything around him - the classroom, the desks, the chairs; even the other students around him - seemed to suddenly drain themselves of all of their colour. All except Kagome. This bleeding effect continued until nothing remained except her, a vibrant and abstractly colourful being amidst a backwash of muted greys. 

In that moment, something inside of him had lurched. It had been a violent act, and an extremely powerful one at that, and had left him completely staggering for breath. If it had been anyone else, he was sure the pain would have dropped them to their knees. But he wasn't just anyone, and he had remained standing. 

The pain he had felt had been immense, and he likened it to the feeling as though something had just been ripped out from inside of him. But it hadn't been the pain that had truly frightened him then, it was what had happened afterwards that had made his blood freeze in his veins. To this day, years later, he still got the chills whenever he thought about it. 

Without warning, everything in his sight had suddenly turned red, almost as if he was in a darkroom processing black and white film. Everything around him took on a varying hue of crimson; even that which was supposed to have been black appeared as though it was dark red in his eyes. 

He remembered going into shock over what was happening to him. His senses had sharpened suddenly to an impossible degree. His eyes swiveled wildly in their sockets until they locked on Kagome's unsuspecting form, at which point they seemed to focus and magnify her image, just as one would looking through a telephoto lens. His sense of smell had heightened too, it would seem, as he suddenly realized that he could easily smell her intoxicating scent despite the fact that she stood with her friends on the other side of the classroom. And his hearing! It sounded as though she were standing right next to him. 

That was when he had heard it. The sound started off as some sort of low rumbling noise, and at first he had though they were having another earthquake, but the ground hadn't been moving. It hadn't been until the sound increased in pitch that he realized that it was coming from inside his own head! 

Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the sound stopped, only to be replaced by the most frightening and hellish roar he had ever heard in his entire life, accompanied by a powerful wave of rage and possessiveness as he stared wide-eyed at the girl in front of him. 

- MINE! - 

That single word reverberated loudly across his consciousness, the sound of it nearly deafening within his head. The sheer ferocity with which that word was uttered very nearly incapacitated him with fear, leaving him trembling to his very core. 

**- MINE! -**

The voice ground out again, as if attempting to point out a life-threatening fact to him. An intense wave of pure jealous rage flooded all of his senses suddenly, as his eyes flitted to the other teenage boys scattered across the room, all offering appreciative glances to an oblivious Kagome. If even possible, the red in his infuriated gaze deepened even more, and a snarl passed over his lips. 

**- KILL! -**

A strong chill crept up and down his spine as he entered the noisy classroom. Although, whether the action resulted from the frigid temperature that the school insisted on maintaining in their classrooms, or from his terrifying memory, he would never truly know. But what he did know was that after that, the frightening incident had never happened again, for which he was glad. A huge part of him hoped that it would never happen again. 

But despite all of his hopes against the possibility, there was always that tiny one percent, that insignificant one percent of himself, that continuously shouted at him that it would happen again, and whatever it was, it had something to do with Kagome. 

And it was that one tiny thought that made the blood in his veins run cold. 

- † -

Kagome glanced at her watch as she munched slowly on her last fry. She still had about twenty minutes left before she had to leave to go to work. She really didn't want to do any of her insane amounts of homework, so instead she just sat there bored out of her mind, half-listening to the random conversations going on around her. Her attention was diverted to the conversation behind her, however, when one of the girls sitting there squealed loudly in her ear. 

"Oh my god, you guys!" the loud girl squeaked in her high-pitched voice. Kagome grimaced at the annoying inflection in the girl's tone. "I saw him again!" she shouted, placing an uncalled-for emphasis on the last word. A slight breeze rustled the hair on the back of her head, and she knew that the girl was most likely waving her arms about behind her. 

"Oh, no way!" a different girl squealed with the same annoying inflection in her voice. Why do girls insist on talking like that? Kagome idly wondered. Didn't they know that it made them sound stupid? 

"You mean, the one who could give Gackt a run for his money?" 

Apparently not. 

"Mmhm," the first girl replied almost dreamily. 

Kagome almost gagged. Why was she even listening to this? Because, a part of her mind said, you're bored and you don't want to do your homework like a good girl, remember? Oh yeah. 

"Whoa, a real guy that's as good-looking as Gackt?" a third girl gushed. "I totally missed this!" 

"That's because you weren't here last week, Aya," the second girl reprimanded. "You were too busy making out with Keiichi." 

"Well, excuse me for having a boyfriend, Riko," the girl now known as Aya retorted, obviously annoyed with the other girl's statement. 

"Whatever," the girl called Riko bit back, also highly annoyed. 

"You guys, will you quit it already?" the first girl said, apparently annoyed as well. 

"Oh yeah!" Aya exclaimed, as if just remembering something extremely important. Maybe she was, Kagome's brain sarcastically supplied. "What did he look like, Kiki? Did you take any pictures?" 

"No, I didn't have my camera with me," whined the one now identified as Kiki. "But the guy's totally gorgeous!" she gushed out. 

"Details, details!" Aya squealed. 

"Well, he's really tall, at least six feet," Kiki started, her voice gaining that dreamy tone once again. "He's got really long white hair and these gorgeous golden-coloured eyes. And he's built to boot! I wonder if he's in one of those visikei bands..." Her voice drifted off, probably to La La Land, Kagome surmised. 

"Oh please, Kiki, you know they're probably contacts, and I bet he's either wearing a wig or bleached it or something," Aya scoffed. 

"Yeah, well," Kiki sighed, "he's still really hot!" 

"I wanna see him myself," Riko admitted softly. 

Something about this odd conversation poked angrily at the back of Kagome's mind. She blinked. 

"Well, I think he's taken Riko," Kiki said sadly. 

"Why's that?" the girl asked in kind. 

"I overheard him talking about some girl called 'Kagome'. I think she's his girlfriend," Kiki confessed. 

Kagome visibly started like someone had just slapped her across the face. Waitaminute! A really tall guy with white hair and gold eyes? Talking about a girl with her name? The last time she checked, there weren't a lot of girls out there with her same name, and there were only two people she knew of that fit that description, and only one of them was over six feet tall. 

Her brain nearly shorted. 

Kagome whirled around in her chair, eyes wide, nearly scaring the girls behind her. But she didn't care. She needed confirmation; she needed to know if her suspicions were correct. But why would he be looking for you? her brain whispered. It doesn't matter! she bit back in a desperate tone. 

"Excuse me," she said, giving the girl she assumed was Kiki what she hoped was a reassuring smile. She was rewarded for her efforts when the girl smiled back. 

"Hi," Kagome continued, "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, and I was wondering if you could tell me if the guy you saw had any facial markings and a big white fluffy thing on his shoulder?" 

The girl's eyes suddenly narrowed a bit, and she stared back at her suspiciously. She wasn't smiling anymore. 

After a moment, though, the girl started shaking her head. Kagome felt her hopes slowly sink with each shake of the other girl's head. 

"No, he didn't have anything on his face," Kiki replied, "but now that you mention it, he was wearing some kind of a furry boa." 

Kagome's head shot up at the last remark, hope resurfacing once again inside of her. If it really was him, maybe he would know what had happened to InuYasha. After all, he had been there at the last battle with Naraku. 

"Really Kiki?" Riko asked. 

"Why would he be wearing fur in the middle of spring?" Aya remarked, wrinkling her nose in distaste. 

Kagome almost smiled at that. 

"I don't know," Kiki replied, shrugging her slim shoulders. "But it kind of made him look like a girl," she added with a mischievous smirk. Kiki turned her attention back to Kagome. 

"So, do you know him?" 

Kagome blushed a little. "I- I think so." 

What do you mean "you think so"? her mind screamed. It's got to be him! 

I don't really know that for sure, she replied back, silencing the voice in her head once again. 

Kiki and Riko squealed in delight, oblivious to the conversation taking place within her head. Aya merely huffed and rolled her eyes. 

"Ooh, what's his name?" 

"How old is he?" 

"Is he single?" 

"Is he in a band?" 

The multiple questions spewed out from the two girls' mouths before Kagome could even blink, but the last one caught her by surprise. A mental image of Sesshoumaru standing on a brightly coloured stage, microphone in one hand and an electric guitar in the other, suddenly flashed across her inner vision. Without warning, Kagome broke out in a fit of laughter, much to the other girls' confusion. 

"No," Kagome managed to get out, idly wiping away the tears that had leaked out during her mirth. "He's not in a band." Kiki and Riko looked disappointed. 

"But I bet he's rich," Kiki said slyly. 

"Why do you say that?" Riko asked. 

"Cause this other guy with him kept calling him 'Lord'," Kiki replied, a smug look on her face. "And both times the guy was wearing Armani!" 

Armani? Kagome blinked, drowning out the other girls' drabble. She tried picturing Sesshoumaru in one of those highly expensive designer suits, but somehow the image just seemed so... wrong. 

"Hey." 

Kagome refocused on Kiki's face when she realized that the girl was talking to her. The hand waving in front of her face was one clue. 

"What?" she asked. 

"You didn't tell us what his name was," Kiki stated, staring curiously back at her. 

Kagome sweatdropped. "Uh, I didn't?" she asked innocently. 

All three girls shook their heads no, Kiki's expression changing from curiosity to suspicion in the process, as though she knew she was trying to hide something. The girl's eyes narrowed, and Kagome suddenly had the distinct feeling that she was being interrogated. 

"Uh, it's Sesshoumaru," Kagome said a bit softly, unsure of how anyone else would take to his strange name. As though to prove her point, the girls' faces screwed up into half-laughable expressions of confusion and disbelief. 

"Sesshoumaru?" Kiki repeated slowly, as though tasting the name on her tongue. "What the heck kind of name is that?" 

Kagome merely shook her head and shrugged. She had no idea why their father had given them such strange names, but at least InuYasha's was kind of cute. 

"What does it mean?" Riko asked out loud. 

Kagome opened her mouth to answer when Aya beat her to it. 

"It means 'Killing Perfection'," the girl answered, looking dubiously at Kagome. 

Kagome smiled and nodded at the translation, an image of the apathetic demon lord fighting against his hanyou brother crossing over her inner eye. Yep, that name really suited the guy, she thought to herself. 

"That sounds like a gangster name," Riko said, distaste clear in her voice. 

"Yeah, well, he totally doesn't look like one," Kiki defended. She turned back to Kagome. "Sounds like you know him," she stated, her voice making her sound confident in her assumption. "How'd you meet him, anyway?" 

Kagome paused for a moment. Well, she couldn't really tell them the truth, that she had met him about five-hundred years in the past when he'd almost tried to kill her, so what could she say without revealing anything? A quick solution presented itself and she pounced on it. 

"He's my ex-boyfriend's older brother," she said, trying to sound casual about it. It wasn't like a lie or anything, and she'd managed to leave out all the important details. She congratulated herself on her quick thinking. 

She stopped, however, when she noticed two huge grins plastering themselves over Kiki and Riko's faces. Crap, she spoke too soon. 

"Oh my god, no way!" they both squealed out loud, making Kagome wince at the sound. 

"Can you introduce me?" both girls asked simultaneously. 

Double crap, Kagome thought. Now what do I do? 

As if on cue, her watch suddenly beeped the time. 

Triple crap! she thought frantically. I've got to get to work! 

Kagome quickly stood up, gathering her bag and tray together. 

"Uh, sorry girls," she said hurriedly, "but I've got to go now. It was nice talking to you!" 

She quickly hurried off before the girls could say anything more, dumping her tray on the way out the door. 

Kagome didn't bother slowing her pace until she was well off campus grounds, and she turned back to make sure that none of the girls were following her. Man, were those girls scary or what? 

Her thoughts turned back to the topic of their mutual conversation as she made her way to the used bookstore. 

Sesshoumaru was still alive in modern times! It had never occurred to her before on how long demons were able to live, and until now, she had never even thought any of them still existed in her time era. Sure, there had been the Noh mask incident, but that had been an extremely isolated one, thus leading her to believe that it had been a fluke shot created by the Shikon jewel. After all, she had been carrying the jewel with her for more than four years now in modern times, and she had yet to be attacked by another demon for it. And nothing out of the ordinary ever happened anymore. That is, unless you counted the tabloids. 

The movie _Men In Black©_ flashed briefly through her mind at that thought, making her laugh. But, of course, those were aliens, not demons. But then again, what if? There had been some demons she had come across in Sengoku Jidai that could surely pass for being aliens... 

Kagome shook her head slightly as she walked into the small shop, the smell of aging paper and musty tomes assaulting her nostrils. She was about to call out to announce her arrival when she spotted the old shopkeeper towards the back talking with a customer. The customer's back was turned to her as she made her way to the backroom to drop off her bag, but judging by the long white hair pulled back into a low ponytail, the guy was also pretty old. 

The two of them were chatting like old friends as she made her way past them, Kagome trying very carefully not to disturb their conversation. Her thoughts instead turned to other things, like what the cafeteria would offer for dinner that night, and whether or not she should grab take-out on her way home instead. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she failed to notice that the other conversation had abruptly stopped the moment she walked past, and that the figure of the stranger had suddenly tensed. 

In fact, she remained blissfully unaware of everything around her until her hand was almost to the doorknob that led to the shop's backroom. That is, until a deep voice boomed from within the shop's interior, effectively cutting through her random thoughts like a sharp knife cleaving through butter. 

"Miko." 

Kagome paused in mid-action, her fingers mere inches away from the brass doorknob. Her heart began pounding erratically in her chest at the sound of the simple word, her breath suddenly coming out in ragged bursts. Her eyes widened to an impossible degree. 

Oh my god, oh my god... her mind repeated over and over again as she slowly turned around, half-hoping to herself that she had heard wrong. That she was simply hallucinating once again. 

She turned around to face him - HIM! - and she gasped, her hand flying to her chest to keep her heart from bursting forth. He stood before her, tall and regal-looking as ever. His thick silver hair was a bit shorter than she remembered, now only reaching to his buttocks, but it was still abnormally long for a guy in this day and age. 

He was dressed in a dark navy pinstripe suit and cream-coloured button-down shirt. From the look and the cut of the suit, Kagome could tell that it was designer and expensive; but how the other girl could tell whether he was wearing Armani or not without looking at the tag was beyond her. His shoes were made of black leather and were highly polished, and she already knew that they were probably just as expensive as the suit itself. Over the entire ensemble he wore a plain black trenchcoat, which had been the reason she had mistaken him for an older man not two minutes ago. If she had seen his suit beforehand, she was certain she would have known better. 

Kagome's eyes roved over his figure, amazed at what she was looking at. Sesshoumaru - in a suit! A human-made suit nonetheless. This was definitely one for Ripleys™. 

Adorning his right shoulder was that same fluffy furry thing that she was so familiar with, thereby removing any last remaining doubts she may have had regarding this man's identity. Besides, she told herself, no one else knows that I'm a miko other than my own family, and she highly doubted that they would go around blabbing it to every stranger they ran into. 

Her eyes flitted up to his face, and her face took on a look of wonder and curiosity. Gone were his demonic markings, true to the other girl's words, and his ears were no longer pointed, but rounded like that of a human. If Kagome didn't know him as she did, she would have simply thought that he was just another human being, despite his abnormal hair and eye colours. 

Oh, his eyes! 

Kagome felt her breath hitch in her throat as she gazed into those tawny depths. Never before had she ever seen so much emotion swirling through those crystal clear amber pools of both light and darkness. it made her wonder just what had happened to him after all these years that he would allow such a public display of anything besides anger and annoyance. 

His face remained as passive as ever, but his eyes spoke volumes to her. They betrayed his surprise, confusion, frustration, relief... and something else she couldn't quite identify. What was it? 

Her lips parted, and her breath came forth as a ragged whisper, as she continued to stare up at him. 

"Ses... Sesshoumaru?"

* * *

**A/N:**   
Okay, so this is where I apologize for taking a whole week longer than promised to post this. But here's my excuse, and it's a good one, I swear! Thursday and Friday I ended up working a total of 36 hours straight from my two part-time jobs, and I ended up sleeping the entire weekend to make up for it. (I had also only gotten maybe 4 hours of sleep a night the week before Thursday too) And then, when it came to typing out my chapter, it ended up being a LOT longer than I had originally thought, and it actually aggravated me to have to type it all up. And to think I like to type normally... weird. 

And I must say, this chapter didn't end up the way I had originally wanted it to go. In fact, my stories have recently begun to write themselves, and as I was writing this chapter, it would seem that Sesshoumaru decided that he had waited long enough to meet up with Kags again and took it upon himself to grab the end of my pencil while I was writing to suit his own purposes. Kukuku... So thank Sesshy for the pushed-up meeting! 

Hmm... Hold on just a moment... 

Holy Geez! This chapter is 11 pages long, and over 5200 words! I hope for the people who like long chapters that this satiates their cravings until the next posting. Wowza... 

Anyways, I need to go re-edit and proofread this puppy before I upload it. So, yeah, please review to let me know how this chapter is to your liking. And when you do, I'll be responding to them all on my livejournal, where I also give story updates and possible sneak previews... Just check out my profile for the link! Thanks all for sticking it out with me! 

P.S. About my whole Gackt insertion... Yeah, please don't misunderstand; it's not a blow on him or anything. He's actually my most favourite artist. I just couldn't resist the pull, and if Sesshy WERE in fact real, I'd have to imagine that he'd be a lot like Gackt, only a bit more apathetic in expression. But the body, the height (okay, so maybe Sesshy would be a few inches taller), and the overly effeminate look but with a hard-core masculine overtone... Gah! They'd be best friends! Anyways, just my little runaway train of thought. Don't mind me. Yeah. See ya next time! 


	8. Disturbing Revelations

**I Will Find You Again  
**An InuYasha alternate fanwork by Wolfye Productions.

_All InuYasha characters are ©Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications, Inc., Shonen Sunday, Sunrise and Nihon TV. Characters are used without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story concept, other characters and original situations are ©Wolfye Productions; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only._

**This installment is dedicated to ISIMS and kikyo hater, who creamed my butt several times in a row to hurry up with this. My apologies, but life just simply got in the way.**

Apologies to everyone for the extremely long wait. I've had some major personal and business issues hit me all at the same time, but now I'm ready for another go. Before anyone gets confused again over my different spelling of "daiyoukai", I would like to clear it up in advance of the chapter. I simply use the letter "d" because that's what it sounds like to me in the anime. But for all intents and purposes, it is the same word. Please allow me my creative tendencies.

**Part 07: Disturbing Revelations**

It had been two weeks. He had been searching for her ever since he had scented her those two excruciatingly long weeks ago, and still he had found nothing. Granted that Tokyo was an extremely large city, but he had had the absolute finest of his ranks on the job. Still nothing. In fact, he was beginning to wonder if he had just imagined the whole thing up.

He listened with only half an ear while his long-time acquaintance, Shuichi Hamasaki, rambled on about the affairs of his business to him.

Since he had come across the elderly human a scant ten years ago, he had taken to watching over the man through the financing of his business. It was a subtle way for him to ensure the man's safety, most especially when he had discovered who the man's nephew was.

He had been shocked initially to find out that the hanyou had reincarnated, and in his own twisted way, he deeply envied that fact. As a youkai, and as the most powerful to have ever existed in Japan, he was bound to an abnormally long life, prolonged only more so by his possession of Tenseiga. In truth, the mystical sword had refused to allow him to die, as it had demonstrated on numerous occasions over the course of time. And it had proved equally stubborn in its own demise, only to prove to everyone that the legendary Blade of Heaven was all-eternal. It was because of his seeming immortality that he had, over time, come to envy those whom led a mortal life, instead of begrudging their meager existence as he had in his youth. Countless times over the past two-hundred-odd years he had caught himself wishing that he were one of them. There was so much buried within his past that he wanted to forget, most keenly that which caused his chest to ache unbearably everyday for the past several hundred years.

"So Lord Sesshoumaru, have you found a mate yet?"

The roughed tones of Shuichi's voice broke the esteemed daiyoukai from his wandering thoughts, the question triggering his defenses. Shuichi was one of the few humans alive that knew that he was a youkai, and as such understood the predicament that he had found himself in ever since the passing of the treatise forged by the Holy Council over three centuries ago.

"My situation is the same as when I last visited your establishment," he replied ambiguously.

Shuichi gave him a knowing smile; his aged eyes still alight as though he were twenty.

"Ah, my Lord, you really need to get out more."

Sesshoumaru gave the man a withering look. He understood that the remark had been made in jest, but he was annoyed and offended all the same. He lifted his chin in a haughty manner, a gesture worthy of a noble youkai such as he.

"This Sesshoumaru refuses to consent to mate with a human."

Shuichi merely shook his head back at him.

"Well, according to law, you can't mate with another youkai anymore, and you definitely can't take a hanyou or a goddess. So what other choice do you have other than to mate with a human? We're not that bad, are we?"

Shuichi was completely unaware of Sesshoumaru's past history, and he certainly wasn't going to divulge the information anytime soon. He had actually grown quite fond of the human during the short time he had known him, as rare as that was. And it didn't hurt that the man's business turned a decent profit for him, either.

"Humans smell," he replied, giving a dignified snort. "And I do not intend to mate."

"But don't you need an heir, my Lord?" Shuichi inquired curiously. The Great Lord had never announced his intentions regarding his succession before, as far as he knew.

"An immortal being such as I need not concern myself with an heir," he stated with a final air. Subject closed; time to move on. Shuichi was highly intelligent for a human, which was the main cause for his fondness of him. He caught the hint and quickly changed subjects, much to his relief. It was bad enough that he had to deal with his many advisors on a constant basis regarding that subject.

Sesshoumaru inwardly groaned when he heard what Shuichi had changed topics to - his business financials. If there was anything more tedious and more boring than being forced to listen to someone drone on and on about finances, he would probably have to say it to be listening to the Lord of the Northern Lands recount his numerous mating excursions - in detail. But even then, financial statements came in at a close second. Very close.

His drifting thoughts were pulled sharply to the front of the store behind him as his sensitive hearing picked up the sounds of the metal doorknob turning, the predictable ringing of the tiny bells on top of the doorframe following immediately after. He watched with mild interest as Shuichi's eyes flicked over to the front of the store to whoever had just walked in, and thought it curious when he made no move to greet his new customer. Considering this kind of response rate, how was it that his store had been doing so well as of late? Ha! And here you thought that the great Sesshoumaru wasn't listening one bit, didn't you?

The nauseating stench of fast food wafted past his olfactory cavity as the intruder came closer, nearly causing him to gag. How in the seven Hells could humans consume that disgusting garbage? Of all the things that had come with human advancement over the course of time, fast food had to be the most wretched thing they had ever come up with. The stuff was ninety-percent composed of grease, fat and entrails. There was nothing remotely nutritious at all in the so-called foods, so why bother eating it at all? Sure, he had tried eating a hamburger once on a dare from the Northern Lord, and it had turned out to be an experience that he never wished to repeat.

Whoever it was walked right past him, and now he could smell the overpowering stench of raw onions and garlic - definitely not a crowd pleaser. But underneath all that, something decidedly familiar drifted past his nose, and he instinctively inhaled to try to determine what it was that he smelled.

He used his mental capabilities to strip away all of the unpleasant smells, the stench of onions making his eyes water somewhat as he did so. After countless layers that smelled like ketchup, mustard, onions, garlic and rotting meat were finally pushed away, his amber-colored irises shot open once his brain pieced the scent together, his back unconsciously going stiff.

It couldn't be, he thought to himself, as he turned about face, interrupting Shuichi in mid-sentence, his hungry eyes locking onto the distinctively feminine figure in front of him, her back to him. But was it her? Was it really the girl for whom he had dispatched his finest to find, to only come back empty-handed just yesterday? Was she truly the one whom, up until a scant two weeks ago, had been presumed to have died over five-hundred-years ago with his last and only kin?

The sacred word slipped past his trembling lips as he gazed upon the girl's back, her hand slowly inching towards the doorknob to the backroom.

"Miko."

Time seemed to slow for Sesshoumaru as he watched the female turn towards him, his sharp eyes roving her figure, taking in every detail and contrasting them to that which he remembered.

Once long flowing locks were now cut short to a shoulder-length style, wisps to either side neatly feathering her delicate face. All traces of baby fat had now left her, accentuating high porcelain cheekbones and a slim jaw line.

His gaze continued downwards, following the graceful curvature of her throat, to the budding lines of her now womanlier figure. The miko-girl he had once known had finally blossomed into a woman of remarkable figure, he thought with a bit of amusement, and she had filled out in all of the right places. If only InuYasha were here to see her now, he silently mused. Even Kikyou had not fully matured before her untimely death to the Shikon jewel, and he doubted she would have come close to comparing to the vision he now saw before him.

A short gasp brought him back to himself, and he watched as her hand flew up to her chest. Tearing his gaze away from her twin full breasts, he brought his eyes up to hers, suddenly mystified at the uncharacteristic sadness that he found there.

But before he could contemplate on that which he saw, Kagome finally spoke, her soft voice coming out in a ragged whisper.

"Ses… Sesshoumaru?"

Time restarted.

With the sound of her voice, it was as if the glass shield that he had so carefully constructed around himself for so long suddenly shattered. His heart began pounding in his chest, and the deep knot of anxiety suddenly formed in the pit of his stomach. He opened his mouth to say something to her, but immediately clacked it shut when nothing came out.

What the devil was wrong with him? Why was he suddenly so nervous to see her again? Was this not what he had been searching for these past two weeks?

Before he could make more of a fool of himself, Divine Intervention by the name of Shuichi Hamasaki occurred.

"Ah, Kagome dear," Shuichi spoke up quickly, curiosity in his voice as he stepped slightly between the two. "I see that you're familiar with Lord Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru watched as several different emotions flitted across Kagome's face, careful to keep his own as blank as possible. He had always been amazed at how open and readable the miko-girl was, and was somewhat relieved that at least there were some things in this world that hadn't changed so much over the long centuries. Which was more than he could say for himself.

Her features finally settled on a look, and it was a strange cross between suspicion, surprise and perhaps a little anticipation. What a strange creature indeed.

"'Lord' Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked, one delicate eyebrow arched in a manner with which he was entirely too familiar with. Her eyes seemed to pierce him to his very soul, and somewhere within him he could feel his heart flutter.

"Uh, yes, of course," Shuichi replied, clearing his throat in the process. He glanced nervously at the Lord, knowing full well the demon's predisposition towards humans.

Sesshoumaru, for his part, continued to stare at the suddenly defiant girl, eyes narrowed slightly in recognition of the insulting tone with which she had spoken. So, even after all this time, the girl now turned woman was still a fiery upstart. Perhaps his brother would have been pleased with this outcome, were he still alive. Then again, he thought, the two of them used to bicker a lot due to her obstinate attitude... and his stupidity.

"I see that you're tongue is as sharp as ever," he commented blandly. He was somewhat pleased when she immediately began to emulate the facial expressions of a fish out of water. But his victory over the vexing creature was short-lived when she snapped her jaw shut with a resounding clack of her teeth and instead performed the equivalent of an angry pout.

"And I can see that you're as much of an asshole as ever!" she retorted, lifting her chin high and crossing her arms in front as her chest, much to his personal delight, as it only increased her amount of already-ample cleavage for his ever-observant self to gaze upon. The thought of being angry with her for her obvious insult never really seemed to cross his mind.

"My my," he chided, softly clucking his teeth in reprimand of her, thin lips pulling back in a devious grin. "It would seem that your time spent in the company of my dear little brother has only served to lower your standards of proper etiquette."

His words had the correct effect that he was looking for when she immediately backed down at the mention of the hanyou.

Shuichi, for his part, was now thoroughly confused, though he wisely chose to keep his mouth shut. There was no sense in inciting Japan's most powerful demon's ire just to sate his own meager curiosity. He rather enjoyed living, thank you very much.

Now it shouldn't have been a surprise at all that Kagome knew of the Lord, as he personally owned a good chunk of Japan, not to mention a few islands in the South Pacific. He had also founded the oldest and largest international investment chains on this side of the Pacific. No, despite his Lord's tendencies towards being a recluse, his infamous reputation as Sir Sesshoumaru Inukai the XII was well known across the lands.

Instead, what had baffled him was when his Lord had mentioned her association with his brother, whom was known to have died over five hundred years ago at the end of the First Evil. How could this be? As far as he could tell Kagome was human, and his Lord had just called her a miko, so she couldn't be a demon. At least, not to his knowledge she couldn't be. Then again, what did he know? He could have sworn all those years ago that Lord Sesshoumaru had been human.

After a somewhat awkward pause between all parties Kagome spoke up, because Lord Sesshoumaru certainly would not.

"So..." she began, blushing and scuffing her foot on the commercial grade carpet in a very un-Kagome-like manner, "You look... different. Good, but... different. What happened to you?"

So, Sesshoumaru thought, unconsciously performing his trademark eyebrow-raising routine, she's avoiding talking about the hanyou. Well, if that were the case, then perhaps he'd humor her some.

"That is a rather... long story," he stated after a moment's hesitation, "...saved best for another time. In the meantime, why are you here?"

She looked at him with an odd expression then, and he wondered if he had said anything wrong. Perhaps not; he always planned his words carefully before speaking. She was most likely simply curious over that which he cared not to elaborate on.

"Umm... I work here?" Kagome stated in a somewhat questionable tone.

Sesshoumaru immediately turned his penetrating gaze onto Shuichi.

"You did not inform me," he stated rather than questioned. Shuichi visibly sweatdropped.

"It was included in last month's report," Shuichi stated quickly, hoping to stave off imminent death.

Sesshoumaru hurriedly reexamined said report in his mind, having just read it last week, and to his mild surprise, he found that it had in fact mentioned the hiring of a new employee. It just so happened that an actual name hadn't been provided, and at the time, he couldn't have cared less. Now he regretted his thoughtlessness.

"Hn," he said in response, wishing to end the subject. He turned back to Kagome. "You will have dinner with me tonight," he said in his most authoritative voice. To his amusement, he watched as her eyes grew to twice their normal size, then narrow dangerously into thin little slits as her more than supple lips contorted into a thin line.

"Ex-CUSE me?" Kagome replied in a threatening voice. Shuichi blinked. What in the world had happened to his cheerful and quiet employee?

Sesshoumaru grinned back in response. Despite the dulled change in her scent, her fire was still as scorching as ever.

"As you are aware, I am not in the business of repeating myself."

She got even more pissed off with that statement, and he found that he was enjoying every second of it.

Kagome stomped her foot on the carpeted floor, the sheer force behind the impact causing the sound to echo in the small store. Good thing they were the only people there, thought Shuichi, taking a few steps back from the angry woman. Even from back here, he could swear he could still feel her aura pulsing, and he was just a typical human! Scary. And to his utter shock and dismay, he watched as the girl took two brazen steps forward to stand toe-to-toe with the high demon lord and started poking him in the chest! Shuichi was sure he was going to faint.

"Just who in the hell do you think you are, jackass!" Kagome practically screamed at him, his chest beginning to feel slightly sore where she kept insisting on poking him repeatedly. Sesshoumaru suddenly found himself starting to miss his old amour. "You can't tell me what to do, and I'm not one of your miserable subjects either! In case you haven't noticed, Mr. 'Lord of the _Western_ Lands', Tokyo's on the _Eastern_ side of Japan!"

Shuichi nearly choked on his own spittle with that outcry. Has she been living in a hole somewhere? He had thought that Kagome had known who Lord Sesshoumaru was. But if she did, then why was she so clueless?

Sesshoumaru merely raised an eyebrow at her. He need not explain himself nor his actions.

Shuichi quickly cleared his throat. "Um, Kagome dear, his Lord Sesshoumaru does in fact own Eastern Japan," he clarified to the suddenly mystified girl, who was now staring at him with her jaw gaping wide. "Basically, his Lord owns nearly all of the islands of Japan, save for Hokkaido, which belongs solely to the Northern Lord, Lord Mizukake. Oh, and he owns some islands in the South Pacific as well."

Sesshoumaru smirked at the girl's flabbergasted expression. She didn't know, which was odd since he was rather well known in the world. But then again, he did try to keep as low of a profile as possible to avoid human curiosity and suspicion.

"But... how?" Kagome asked, seeming to have finally found her voice.

Sesshoumaru finally allowed himself a small sigh. He so did hate having to repeat himself. And by doing so, he completely missed the second strange look Kagome threw his way before her eyes suddenly rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed in a dead faint. As quick as ever, however, he managed to catch her before she actually fell to the ground.

Shuichi nearly flew into a state of panic when he saw his employee fall, and quickly rushed to his Lord's side to see what was wrong. To his surprise, he found him delicately sniffing Kagome's throat.

"My Lord?" he tentatively asked.

Sesshoumaru paused in his perusal of Kagome's unique scent, though he didn't bother looking up. "The girl is fine," he informed. "She merely fainted."

Shuichi frowned. Kagome fainted? Whatever in the world for?

Sesshoumaru could just feel the questions rolling off of the human, and for once decided to oblige him.

"Most likely from stress and shock."

"Shock?"

Sesshoumaru decided to pick his words carefully. "It has been... awhile... since we have last met," he intoned. "What has she been doing to cause her stress?"

Shuichi thought about that for a second, seriously hoping that his Lord wasn't implying that she was stressed out from working. Honestly, how many times watching your life flash before your eyes in a day was too many? "She only works here part-time, but she goes to school at the university. She just had exams."

Sesshoumaru merely nodded his understanding to the human. So, she was attending college, and more than naught she was likely staying on the campus. No wonder they had had trouble looking for her; she wouldn't have been registered in the city's registry if that were the case.

"She was to work today?" he asked as he gathered her limp form in his arms, the simple question sounding more like a statement coming from his lips.

"Yes, my Lord," Shuichi hastened to answer, helping to gather up Kagome's bag and handing it to the Lord.

Sesshoumaru nodded again, his head barely moving with the slight action. "You may close the shop early today on account of recent occurrences," he said, turning and making his way to the front door. "You will be compensated accordingly."

"Thank you, my Lord," Shuichi replied as he quickly opened the door and bowed as the demon lord passed through. There was no answer; but then again, he never expected one to begin with.

He watched for a bit as the Lord made his way down the street, long silver hair glinting mischievously in the afternoon sun. Once they were out of sight, he went back into the shop to begin closing down, all the while wondering what the deal was between the high demon lord and his new employee. From what he had heard, no one talked back to the Lord without facing dire repercussions in the process.

No one seemed to notice the dark pair of eyes watching everything from the blackened shadows across the street.

* * *

**A/N:**

All I'm going to say is that I'm already working on the next chapter. Please sit tight and bear with me. It's hard getting started again after everything that's happened to me.


	9. Illusions of a Daiyoukai

**I Will Find You Again  
**An InuYasha fanwork by Wolfye Productions.

_All InuYasha characters are ©Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications, inc., Shonen Sunday, Sunrise and Nihon TV. Characters are used without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story concept, other characters and original situations are ©Wolfye Productions; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only..._

**A/N**: Hello all. I am truly sorry for taking so long to publish this next chapter. Many events occurred in my life since my last posting, most of which were not pleasant in the least (just this past Thanksgiving/Xmas, I lost 3 close family members, and 3 more got laid off the day after Xmas). When people say that everything comes in 3's, never doubt it.

As you will be able to attest, my muses left me completely, and I was left for the longest time floudering on how to finish this chapter. This was a tough one for me to do, as it kind of connects one part of my story with the other. Figuring out the transition brought me to my knees. For the first time ever, I am publishing this chapter without doing any real proofreading beforehand. You will see that the latter part of this chapter is rather choppy in how I wrote it, which will vouch for my trouble with writing this piece.

I plan on starting the next one rather soon. For those of you who are waiting for _Courtship Blues_, I have decided to put that one on hiatus until I have made significant progress with this story. I apologize. Also, after much debate on my part, I have finally decided to also post this fic on _A Single Spark_. This action should give the readers some hint as to which direction I may be headed with the bizarre love quadrangle; although, remember that not everything ends up peaches and cream.

**Part 08: Illusions of a Daiyoukai**

The first thing that she registered when she regained consciousness was that she was lying on something that was warm and soft. Really warm; really soft. And the second thing she registered was that her right cheek was stinging. Reflexively, she reached up to smack whatever it was that was disturbing her much-needed cat nap, and immediately started awake when she head someone moan in pain. There was someone in her room!

Kagome slowly cracked open her eyes, hoping against hope that the intruder wouldn't notice that she was awake. But what she saw when she did, told her that she was definitely not in her cramped dorm room like she had thought.

The last vestiges of the afternoon sun drifted lazily through one of the largest windows she had ever seen in her life. The spotless glass spanned the width of the entire wall, and it stretched completely from floor to ceiling. From the other side, one could clearly see the multi-colored neon lights of the world famous Tokyo skyline, signaling the beginning of the city's busy nightlife.

Kagome's eyes continued to drift around the room, taking in the immense size of it. This room alone had to be at least five times the size of her dorm room, if not more. Aside from the amazingly huge bed she was lying in, she could also make out a sitting area on the other side of the room from where her head was turned. She was too afraid to turn the other way lest she alert anyone else who might be in the room that she couldn't see.

Something about the room irked her; it was like she had been there before, but she couldn't figure out when or where. But before she could really think on it, she felt something scratching at the palm of her hand.

Lifting the offending appendage to her face, she gasped as something small, flat and decidedly familiar slowly floated down when she opened her hand. The tiny thing lay on the bed sheet next to her for a few seconds before miraculously popping back into shape.

"My Lady Kagome, it is so good to see you alive and well after all these years!"

"Grandpa Myouga?" Kagome said, almost not believing what she was seeing. Myouga, the ancient flea demon, in modern Tokyo? She glanced back at the window to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, and then back at him. Nope, still there.

"What are you doing here, Grandpa Myouga? And on that note, just where is 'here'?"

Kagome finally allowed herself to sit up, feeling a little more at ease with the flea youkai next to her. At the very least, she wasn't in any immediate danger. Scanning the rest of the large room, she could now see that there was a moderate-sized writing desk and chair next to the sitting area that had previously been out of her field of vision, a matching armoire, and two doors - one open and one closed. The open door seemed to lead out to some sort of hallway.

She reached behind her to pull herself back against the headboard when her fingers collided with something soft and fluffy. Looking back to see what it was she came face to face with Sesshoumaru's pelt. Curiosity and wonder overcame her, and she moved to pick up the massive fur, which she soon found had been wrapped around her body. She had always wanted to touch the fur before, and to her surprise, she found that it was incredibly heavy. But even more amazing was the fact that it was warm, way more so than a fur coat would be. It was about as warm as a second body, almost as though it was actually radiating the warmth that she felt. But before she could contemplate further over the mysteries of Sesshoumaru's fur, Myouga spoke up.

"You must be hungry, my Lady," Myouga said in a quipped, formal tone as he bowed, something Kagome wasn't at all expecting from her old friend. "If you'll follow me, I will show you to the dining room. My Lord is expecting you."

"Lord?" Kagome repeated as she pushed back the covers and got out of bed. Oddly enough, there was a pair of fuzzy white slippers placed strategically on the floor next to the bed that her feet automatically slipped into them as she slid out of the huge bed. She turned back to pick up the massive pelt to take with her, but found that it had mysteriously disappeared.

"Grandpa Myouga? What's going on? Where am I?" she repeated as she followed the eerily unresponsive flea out of the bedroom and down the hall.

Along the way, they passed two more doors, both of which were closed, so she could only assume that they led to additional bedrooms. As she glanced back over her shoulder, she saw that the hallway extended past the room she had just exited from and continued around a bend to the right. The hall itself was decorated very modestly with a few pieces of wall art depicting varying landscapes, intermittently separated by dimly lit wall sconces every ten feet of so. The floor was covered in polished oak paneling, topped with a runner that ran the length of the corridor, patterned in gold and several geometric shapes of varying colours. She couldn't help but notice how nicely the rug complimented the faux-finished walls that had been painted in an antique cream colour.

At long last, they reached the end of the corridor, which then descended in a curving staircase. The room, however, opened up into a loft-style front room below, with floor-to-ceiling windows all along the right side. Below, Kagome could make out an open island kitchen, sitting area, and dining table, upon which glorious amounts of food were displayed, as well as something else.

Kagome gasped when her gaze fell upon the singular object placed strategically in the center of the long dining table. it couldn't be, she thought as she raced down the rest of the steps to the table, not even noticing the tall, silent figure that stood at the foot of the staircase. Her hands nearly trembled as she reached out to grasp the aged leather straps of her old backpack. Very carefully, as though it were made of the most delicate porcelain, she lifted the bag from the table and brought it closer to her scrutinizing gaze. Though the leather was worn and a bit cracked in some places, it was most definitely her favourite pack that she had used to haul around with in Sengoku Jidai. And it was still heavy.

Plopping the yellow monstrosity on a nearby chair, Kagome flipped open the top and peered inside. Soft brown eyes widened to an impossible degree when she started pulling out ramen containers, old water bottles, notebooks, and a couple of her old textbooks from junior high.

"But, how..." she breathed out in wonder as she stared at her old geometry book, its binding nearly falling apart at the seams.

"I had found it by the ancient well on the day the first evil was vanquished," rumbled a deep voice very close to her ear.

Not really expecting an answer to her query, not to mention in such close proximity to her either, Kagome naturally freaked out by immediately screaming at the top of her lungs as she whipped around, only to stop abruptly when she came face to face with the most well-toned chest she had ever had the pleasure of seeing in her entire life, the utter magnificence of it partially obscured by a white wife-beater T-shirt.

Blood instantly shot up into her face, painting her cheeks a brilliant red, as her eyes slowly travelled up hard chiseled pecs that led to broad, perfectly defined shoulders, a slim throat, strong jaw line, lush lips, an utterly perfect nose, and finally to two very amused golden eyes. Letting out a startled gasp when she became aware of just how close he was, she immediately backpedaled and ended up tripping over the chair with her backpack on it. Before she could fall, however, a hand shot out and grasped her by the arm faster than she could blink.

"Ah, t-thank you... Sesshoumaru," she stuttered as she regained her balance with his help. She got a bit nervous when she saw that the hand holding her was his poison hand, but the odd thing about it was that there were no stripes adorning the appendage any longer. Come to think of it...

Her eyes flickered back up to his face, searching for any trace of his unique demonic markings, but there were none. In fact, it appeared as though they had never existed at all. Even his ears weren't pointed anymore. Sesshoumaru, the most dangerous and feared youkai in all of Sengoku Jidai, now looked just so... human. It was weird!

"Are you so taken with my appearance?" Sesshoumaru drawled, one corner of his mouth angled up in a sexy smirk. Oh my god! Kagome mentally screamed. Did she just think Sesshoumaru, the demon that wouldn't even bat an eye while killing you, was sexy?! Was the world coming to an end?! And why was he still holding her?

"Uhh..." she stuttered, totally unsure of how to answer that question. She attempted to discretely disengage herself from the daiyoukai, but instead of letting her go like she thought he would when he realized he was still touching her, he instead propelled her towards a chair at one end of the long table.

"You are hungry," Sesshoumaru stated in that oh-so-familiar authoritative tone of his, which was now really starting to irk her.

"No I'm not!" she insisted, jerking her arm out of his iron grip and whirling about to face him again, making sure this time to look up. It was at this very moment that her traitorous stomach decided to betray her allegiance.

At the sound of the loud grumble, Sesshoumaru's smirk widened into a full-blown grin, and he again gestured to the chair. This time, she sat down in said chair like an obedient child, eyes fully captivated by his gleaming white teeth. It suddenly occurred to her as he began filling her plate with various delicatessens that he no longer had any fangs. They, too, as the rest of his features, were completely normal looking.

"I was unsure of which foods you would have preferred," Sesshoumaru stated, oddly enough, with an air of familiarity. "As such, I requested that the concierge have brought up the finest of what the restaurants had to offer."

"Ah, thank you," she simply replied, not really sure of what else to say. She peeked curiously up at him through the fringe of her bangs as he began to cut up her fillet mignon, wondering about his totally out-of-place character. Even during her last days in Sengoku Jidai when they had approached him for help to beat Naraku (well, when she had approached him after sitting InuYasha into oblivion), he had never acted so casually with them. She studied his face for a long moment, thoroughly noting the rather serene expression he now possessed. Every now and then, his nostrils would flare just a fraction, as though he were taking in deep breaths of something, much like what InuYasha used to do.

Her eyes travelled down to her plate where he was nearly done cutting up the slab of meat when she noticed something else that was out-of-place.

"Your arm!" she squeaked out in a startled gasp, not noticing how he flinched at her rather loud outburst. Without thought, she automatically reached out to touch his left arm, amazement showing clearly in her eyes when she confirmed that what she saw was not an illusion.

Her tiny fingers slid up and down on the rejuvenated arm, pausing here and there to massage small circles into the skin, marveling at the soft texture. For a man (demon) who had done as much killing in his time, he sure had really soft skin. She idly wondered what moisturizers he used to keep it so soft. She abruptly pulled away; however, when she heard a growling sound coming from the owner, shock and embarrassment flooding through her when she remembered just who exactly it was she was with. But when she looking back up at him, she found that his eyes were closed and a ghost of a smile graced his lips.

Kagome, she thought as she watched him open his eyes again and stare at her with an unreadable expression, you have just entered the Twilight Zone®.

"Uh," she said intelligently. "How did you get your arm back?" she asked, attempting to break the awkward silence that had settled over them.

Sesshoumaru blinked lazily at her, and then turned back to the filet mignon, which he finished cutting in just a few seconds. Placing the sharp-edged utensils back onto the table, he reached over to grab a sauce container and began spooning au jus over the meat. More silent moments flew by as Kagome watched him fill up her plate and pour her a glass of wine. He's never looked so... domesticated, she thought to herself. She had to stifle a giggle when a not entirely unbidden image of Sesshoumaru in a pink apron and kerchief came to mind, the sound instead coming out like a harsh cough.

Sesshoumaru glanced curiously over at her as he took his seat at the head of the table to her immediate left.

"Are you feeling unwell?" he asked as he poured himself a glass of wine.

Gods, could she be any more embarrassed? Were the Fates playing some sort of a twisted and cruel joke on her? What did she ever do to deserve this?

"No, I'm fine," she murmured as she quickly dug into her exquisite meal, determinedly avoiding the demon's (or ex-demon's?) gaze. Oh my god, the steak was amazing! A fleeting thought over how much it had cost him drifted haphazardly through her brain.

Sesshoumaru continued to stare blankly at her, seemingly trying to determine what had obviously upset her. Her cheeks were tinted a rosy shade of pink, and he couldn't help but wonder at her apparent state of innocence, even after so long. He knew that she was at least a few years older than the last time he had seen her, and yet she still had remained so pure and untainted, even in this wayward era. She had obviously grown physically, and it was quite a sight to behold, but it seemed she had most definitely failed to mature mentally to go along with it.

He leaned back in his chair, making himself more comfortable, and took a long sip of his wine. The liquid was sweet, aged to perfection, as his taste buds demanded nothing less, and the slight warmth that he gained from the drink helped him to relax; not to mention her scent, which he now drowned his senses in as he once again had it in its purest form.

"My arm," he began, putting his drink aside as he reached for a loaf of bread, "fully regenerated approximately ten years after Sou'unga's demise."

Kagome paused to look at him, wondering about his nonchalant tone regarding the appendage that had apparently taken forever to heal. Considering InuYasha's amazing regenerative abilities, she was surprised that it had taken Sesshoumaru so long to gain his arm back, being that he was a full demon and all.

"Why so long?" she asked simply, unable to keep the question to herself. She watched as he tore off a piece of the bread, plopped it into his mouth, and chewed. Gods, even when he ate he was sexy, she thought, her cheeks once again flushing with her disturbing thoughts. What the heck was wrong with her? It's not like this was her first time around the stoic demon. That's because he'd never been so familiar with you before, a tiny voice in her head whispered. She immediately turned back to her meal, pushing that last thought to the back of her mind. When did it get so hot in here?

Sesshoumaru waited patiently as he watched her reactions. It amused him to see her face distort so much and so quickly with her tumultuous state of emotions, causing him to wonder once more about her. She was like a never-ending kaleidoscope of twists and turns when it came to them.

"When my arm disappeared into hell with the sword and my father," he explained, reaching across the table to place some golden ham and stuffing onto his own plate, knowing that she already knew to which arm he was referring, "what was left began to repair. It would seem that with the other still in existence, whether or not between worlds, what remained could not begin to heal as it was technically not missing anything in its own mind. Besides," he continued, completely missing the strange look from Kagome while he cut up his meat, "bone takes much longer to regenerate than tissue." He finished by forking a piece of ham into his mouth, silently watching for her reaction while he chewed.

Kagome simply watched, completely mesmerized by the simple action of Sesshoumaru eating. It was… bizarre, to say the least. Truth be told, she had never actually seen him ingest anything in the entire time she had known him, even during the time he had spent in their company tracking Naraku. Heck, he didn't even bother to drink any water. Of course, his group had never made camp with their own, choosing instead to remain apart. She had often wondered if it was because of InuYasha's potty mouth, rather than the rest of their company, as the little girl Rin frequented their journeys together. If it were her child, she would most likely have done the same thing, no offense to her favorite hanyou.

The sudden thought of InuYasha made her lose her appetite, and she lowered her eyes to her plate. The food was incredible - the meat soft, tender and juicy; but now she didn't feel like she had the stomach for it. Her eyes started to water, and she quickly berated herself for still crying over the wayward hanyou. It had been nearly four years, and she still hurt from it all. She quickly brought her hands up and squeezed her tear ducts to help prevent any tears from falling. It would not do to break down and cry in front of her host.

Sesshoumaru paused mid-bite when he smelled the scent of tears. He had been watching her the entire time, and curiously she had yet to say a word. As he recalled, she had used to be much more talkative and expressive. Now, she almost seemed like a shell of what she used to be. She reached up and placed her fingers right below her eyes, and he pondered at her strange actions. That was something he had never seen before.

Placing his fork back down onto his plate, he gently reached over and grasped her chin between his fingers, nudging her face up until her eyes met his.

"You are upset," he murmured to her quietly, letting her chin go after she looked up at him.

Kagome sat there in a daze. Just at first, her thoughts had been slowly swirling in a downward spiral of depression as she once again thought about InuYasha and the life she would never have with him, regardless of their situation over Kikyou. She had once thought that they would have still been friends and grown old together; well, at the very least, she would have grown old. She had always had a feeling that he would never follow Kikyou into hell with her final death, no matter what he had promised before. But perhaps that had merely been her own wishful thinking and youthful hope over a love that was truly unrequited. Who knows?

But when Sesshoumaru had grasped her chin and forced her to look at him, she became completely mystified. He had done it so gently, without hurting her whatsoever. Never before had he been so capable of such tenderness; it was baffling, if not somewhat disturbing on some level or another.

The inudaiyoukai, Sesshoumaru – Japan's most powerful and fearsome demon to have ever existed after the death of the Great General – was supposed to be heartless, cold and cruel. Not touching her, a small and insignificant human female, with such care and compassion. Even the concern she could now see swirling in his burnished orbs was highly out of place on the ethereal face before her. She wondered what had happened to him in all this time that could have changed the demon she had known so long ago into what she was looking at today. Her skin tingled slightly where he had touched her, even though he had removed himself from her for awhile now.

She wondered briefly at the sudden expectant look in his eyes when she finally realized that he had just asked her a question. Well, sort of, in the very round-a-bout, Sesshoumaru-like way of asking a question.

"Oh, um..." she stated hesistantly, knowing of his distaste for anything InuYasha. "It was nothing, really."

But he didn't believe her, and she knew that Sesshoumaru was never a fool, even without his insanely accurate canine sense of smell. She knew that domesticated dogs possessed the uncanny ability to sense a person's emotions, and she figured that their youkai counterparts were no different, if not more sensitized.

Sesshoumaru's features darkened slightly when he detected her lie. Her chemical composition had changed and her heartbeat sped up faster than normal, and he wondered to himself as to why she would lie to him, despite how uneasy it made her to commit such an act. But should he know better than to wonder? It was most obviously regarding his half-brother that had likely caused her tears. He had always been brash and careless whenever it came to his emotions and those of others. Coming quickly to his decision, he bypassed any regard for her delicate feelings to uncover the truth.

"InuYasha," he said plainly, without any inflection whatsoever. He watched as she flinched at the mention of his brother's name, and again he wondered why.

Deciding once again to take action, he quickly addressed her to avoid any confusion on his part.

"I did not mention my brother in hopes to make you uncomfortable," he stated evenly. "I merely have observed that he often caused much distress for you in the past."

Unbidden, a wry smirk came to her lips, painting it with irony. Yes, it was true. InuYasha cetainly caused her much "distress" over the short time she had known him, but there had been many more times when she could look past his brazeness and caustic remarks to find the true man she had fallen in love with, and that was was hurt her more than naught. Despite his caring and compassionate side, his sense of honour and duty outweighed any feelings he may have held for her. His responsibility to atone for his past sins had always clouded the hanyou's thinking.

Kagome lifted her gaze to her host once again, taking a moment to clear her thoughts lest she made a fool in front of him. It would not do for her to forget her manners at a time like this.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru," she said quietly, her tone tinged with her gratitude. For unknown reasons, his few simple words had eased some of the ache she had carried in her heart these past four years. "Although InuYasha did many things that I did not agree with in the past, he only acted as only he ever could, and that's why I loved him."

Sesshoumaru paused in his actions, his glass halfway to his lips. Her words caught him off guard. Despite knowing her character and her sense of compassion, it was still troubling to hear those words from her, perhaps even more so now than ever.

"You loved him despite who he was?"

He had to ask. He wanted to know.

Kagome blinked at him. Once. Twice. What kind of question was that? And was it just her, or did she detect some hint of animosity in his tone?

"Well, uh... yeah, I guess so. I loved InuYasha no matter what. But why would you even ask me something like that? What's it to you anyway?"

She didn't know. No, how could she. This was the first time he had seen her in over five centuries, and just a few weeks prior, he had thought her dead.

"It is none of my business," Sesshoumaru said hastily, quickly downing the remainder of his wine. It would not do to say anything now, he thought with a grimace. She still pined over his dead brother. Perhaps it was still too soon for her. After all, it was most likely only a few years since she had last seen him; her wounds may be still fresh. But how long did it take humans to get over a lost love?

Kagome watched the inu lord as he downed his wine in a single gulp, then reached for the bottle for more. Was he a lush? Again, her gaze was drawn to his wrist as he poured himself another glass, reminding her of his missing demonic markings. That's right, she thought, he looks like a human now. Why was that?

"Say, Sesshoumaru," she began hesitantly, wondering which was the best way to bring up a topic that was potentionally endangering to her immediate health. But she really wanted to know, and so she swallowed her fear to ask, "What happened to your markings?"

Again, she would surprise him with her never-ending curiosity. She had not changed that much in the missing years. Taking a moment to assess her mental state of health at the moment after having been plagued with thoughts of his brother, he decided that to tell her of a past that had been left out of history books might just be the distraction she needed to raise herself from her thoughts of the hanyou. Still, he would give her an option.

Taking another sip of wine while he chose his words carefully, his golden eyes roved over the face of one he had thought gone so long ago. Her curiosity shone plainly across her features, and to hide her growing anxiety, she began shoveling the food around her plate with her fork. Setting the glass down, he leaned back in his chair.

"The story is a long one," he began, waiting until her eyes met his again before continuing. "It happened almost three centuries ago with the advancing of humans and their industries. The story is not a pleasant one to tell, but it is your choice should you wish to hear it now."

"Three centuries ago?" Kagome pondered, her mind searching her memories for clues as to the events in her history books.

Almost knowing what she was doing, Sesshoumaru continued.

"You will not find mention of these events in your history books. It was an abomination done to the youkai world, and it is the reason that now humans no longer know of the existence of us except in myths and folklore."

Kagome blinked. What he said sparked an interest in her. She had often wondered why it was that there were no youkai in her time. Why the only mention of them was through stories passed down through generations. Now she would hear the real reason behind it. Although...

"Is that why I can no longer feel any of your youki anymore?" she asked hesitantly.

She watched as his fist curled in anger, and she recoiled in her chair. Even if he didn't seem like the demon he once used to be, she still remembered him as the most dangerous youkai to have ever lived.

Standing up, Sesshoumaru extended his hand out to her. "It is," he began carefully, "and if it is your wish to know, then let us retire to more comfortable arrangements so that I may divulge the reasons."

Taking a moment once again to marvel at the hand that had regenerated over time, she slowly placed her hand in his, noting for the first time how much smaller she was in comparison. It did little to quelch her nerves. Allowing him to pull her up, he escorted her back up the stairs and down the hall around the corner, where they stopped in front of the last door in the hallway. Gracefully opening the door, he led her into a room that was twice the size of the one she had woken up in, complete with a gas fireplace adjacent to a luxurious seating area.

He led her to the sofa and gestured for her to take a seat. While she made herself comfortable, he moved to the fireplace and turned the gas on, deftly igniting the flames with the starter that was perched on the mantletop. After adjusting the flames to a moderate setting, he joined her on the couch opposite her, his eyes searching hers for any hesitation on her part. He would not proceed unless she was ready.

After a bit of fidgeting, Kagome finally relaxed, the warmth from the flames helping her do so. When she finally gave him a hesitant smile to encourage him to speak, he began.

(End of Part 08)


	10. Imprisonment

**I Will Find You Again**

An InuYasha alternate by Wolfye Productions.

_All InuYasha characters are © Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications, Inc., Shonen Sunday, Sunrise and Nihon TV. Characters are used without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story concept, other characters and original situations are © Wolfye Productions; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only._

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I know many folks have been waiting for an update, and I apologize for taking such a long hiatus. Many unhappy things have happened to me over the past couple years. I hope you enjoy this new chappie, and I will now work on the next installment of FD. Jaa. –wolfye p.

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Part 09: Imprisonment

Hojo trudged wearily home, having finally finished his last class of the day. The time was just after seven, and he was about a block away from his apartment. Chem lab was fun for the most part, but his lab partner left much to be desired for. Not to say that Noriko was a bad lab partner; it was more along the lines of her being a complete ditz, where he had to repeat everything at least two times before she would understand anything, and even then she would miss a step or two, forcing them to have to repeat the entire experiment all over again. It was annoying to ay the least; annoying and entirely draining. He couldn't wait until the semester was over and hopefully he would never have to see her ever again.

Immersed in thoughts of laboratory hell, he rounded the corner without looking and bumped into someone. After the initial shock wore off, Hojo looked up to apologize to the person when the words died on his lips.

"You!" he exclaimed, glaring pointed daggers at the very last person he would have asked to bump into.

"Hey, sorry about that," Minoru said quickly, raising his hands up in defense. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

Damn, Hojo thought as his hazel eyes narrowed a fraction, he's playing the nice card. He really didn't like the guy - something about him just seemed to rub him the wrong way, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it just yet. He quickly decided that he didn't want to get into an argument with the guy after his long day.

"Yeah, same here," he replied in as civil a tone was he could muster.

Minoru nodded at him, then started off again towards campus. After a few steps, however, he paused and called back over his shoulder, not even bothering to fully look around.

"By the way, how's Kagome doing?"

Hojo stopped again, this time out of suspicion. "Why do you wanna know?" He turned around, glaring heatedly at the other man's back. There was that eerie feeling again.

"Oh, just curious," the other man replied casually before taking off again, quickly disappearing around the corner where he had come from.

Hojo stared after the man for awhile, not knowing what to make of his cryptic question and subsequent brush-off. Too tired to thoroughly process what Minoru might have been insinuating, he finally shrugged off the strange encounter and continued on his way home, thoughts of the other man being crazy drifting wearily through his mind as he opened the gate to his apartment complex.

_

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_

Roughly three-hundred years ago...

The famed Great Lord of the Western Lands shifted restlessly against the bonds that wrapped around his wrists, securing him to the wall he leaned against, and which prevented him from moving more than a few inches from the slime-encrusted stone. His hands were bound above his head as he sat on the floor, nothing but the shredded remnants of his once-pristine silk hakama shielding him from the grime, dirt and dried blood that covered the dungeon floor.

Sesshoumaru flexed his wrists a bit and inwardly winced as a jolt of purification shot through his system like a bolt of lightening. He grimaced, cursing the holy humans that had bound him into such a predicament.

It had taken roughly fifty of them—an odd conglomeration of Shinto priests and priestesses, and Buddhist monks—in order to finally take him down. He smiled, in spite of his current situation, remembering that it had originally been well over two-hundred of them, backed by an army of over ten-thousand soldiers that had first stormed his stronghold. His own army had fallen prey to the combined might of tactical offense and holy magic. On his own, he had taken down nearly half of the invading army before they finally managed to overpower him, using specially-made binds that coursed with the purification powers of their strongest. Though he was fairly impervious to being purified unlike his weaker youkai troops, when subjected to such strong amounts such as which flowed through the chains that held him prisoner long enough, even he was weakened to the point of a human.

The sound of a click, then metal sliding across metal, the high pitch resounding against his sensitive eardrums, signaled the opening of the main door to the dungeon area. Immediately, a bright shaft of light penetrated the dark and dismal surroundings, briefly obscuring the identity of the figure that strode down the steps and into the room. But he didn't need to see to know who the person was.

Her scent reminded him strongly of that of rotting fruit, and he snorted in a vain attempt to rid his nostrils of the disgusting smell. Her name was Kimeko, a miko of fairly immense power, and one of the leaders of the so-called Holy Order. Sesshoumaru scoffed at the thought. Although she was considered by many humans of this time to be extremely powerful, he remembered a certain priestess from over two centuries ago whose own raw power would make this female's power look like a simple light show. Mighty indeed. It appeared to him that the powers of these holy humans were beginning to slowly dissipate with time. It was very likely that his binds were imbued with the powers of more than a hundred of their kind in order for it to be so strong.

Another scent invaded his senses, even as the sounds of multiple footsteps made their way closer to his cell. The sounds of scuffling, accompanied by muffled shouting and harsh reprimands, indicated that one of the others in the party was bound, gagged and attempting to overcome its captors. As they drew closer, a niggling sense of familiarity in that one's scent made itself known, but to whom the scent belonged to kept escaping his weary mind. His question was finally answered when the group rounded the corner to his back area of the vast dungeon.

The young demon struggled in vain against the four priests that held and dragged him along. Kimeko led the group to their destination with head held high, the haughty bitch sporting a sneer of disgust at her surroundings. Sesshoumaru knew that her hatred of youkai ran deep, deeper than the average holy person's dislike of all demons, and he was fairly certain that it had to do with the three long scars that stretched over her right eye from the temple to her pointed chin. Whatever the cause, it was her extreme hatred combined with her supreme powers that had fueled the Holy Resistance since its infancy.

Any further thoughts on the subject were derailed when the screeching sounds of the cage next to him opened and the young demon thrown inside. One look at the shock of bright auburn hair and Sesshoumaru knew. So, the boy was still alive after all these years, he thought to himself as he watched the kit he remembered as Shippou attempt to regain his footing. With quick precision, a swiftness that belied the many times they'd had to practice the maneuver, he watched as Kimeko laid a hand on the kit, shocking the kit into unconsciousness, while the four soldiers chained the kit to the wall in similar fashion to his own. Lastly, as though an act of mercy, they removed the gag before shuffling out of the small cell and locking the iron gate to freedom.

Just as last time when he had been brought here, he watched as the human bitch placed a hand upon the rotting bars and chanted, effectively raising a barrier to encase the cell. It was odd, Sesshoumaru thought, that she would put the two of them in the furthest corner of the dungeons. He could smell and hear that they were not the only demons being held captive down here; and yet, he, and now the kit, were the sole occupants in this back area. To what purpose, he wondered to himself.

To his utter disgust, his fleeting thoughts apparently signaled the bitch to look his way, and his stomach would have up-heaved its revulsion at the wanton looks she gave him were it not for the fact that he was starved nearly to death.

"''Tis such a pity, my lovely pet," Kimeko crooned as she stepped over to stand in front of his own meager cell. "Should you have been human, I would have fancied you."

A feral growl that shook the ground they stood upon was her only answer, making her smirk in revolting joy. The soldiers wisely took a step or two back, but none advised the priestess to maintain her distance. She was widely known for her fearlessness for all demonkind.

"Now now, my pet," the priestess replied, the insolence in her grating voice enraging Sesshoumaru even more so than before, "You'll simply have to wait your turn. Do not worry; Kimeko shall not forget your role in what is to come."

That gave him pause. This was the first time since he had been locked down here that he had heard anything of why they were keeping him prisoner instead of killing him like they had everyone else. He lifted fiery golden eyes to hers, wishing for her to continue her little monologue so that he could gain more information.

Her smile grew still as their eyes connected, accentuating her hideousness all the more.

"Ah, I see you are a curious one," she cooed at him, and he had to clench his jaw to keep the growl from rising within his throat. "But alas, I cannot tell. You shall find out for yourself soon enough."

With that, she turned to make her leave, the soldiers following her out of the dungeons, and Sesshoumaru found himself alone again without any answers to his burning questions.

A pitiful groan and movement to his right caused him to divert his attentions to the filthy kit next to him. A cursory glance over the kit told him that the young one had not suffered too greatly from the human's malicious treatments, though he was covered in dirt and dried blood. A delicate sniff told him that it wasn't the kit's own blood that covered him, and he wondered why.

Golden eyes trailed down as something moved across the disgusting floor beneath the kit, and Sesshoumaru was surprised to see 5 long fox tails protruding from the young demon's pubic bone. Perhaps at one time, the tails were a magnificent sight to behold; but now the long hairs were matted in filth. Of course, the bearer was not in any better condition, he noticed as the kit finally righted himself, taking care not to jostle the chains holding him to the wall. He could smell where the chains had already burned the young one's wrists from when he had lain unconscious on the floor. To his credit, the kit never cried once from the purification burns.

Dirt-caked lids opened to reveal fierce emerald eyes.

Shippou's eyes swiveled wildly around in bloodstained sockets as he tried to get his bearings. Memories of cruel purification rose to the surface of the storm and he suddenly remembered where he was, but not why. Blinking a few times to clear his mind, he reopened his eyes to take in his surroundings with a clearer mind when he stopped up short.

Impossible, he thought, though his eyes and nose surely could not be mistaken. Next to him sat the Western Lord looking worse for wear, chained to the back wall in the exact manner as he was. He gulped. Much to his consternation, the Lord was directing frozen golden eyes right back at him as though searing into his very soul. Did he remember him? Oh crap! Immediately, Shippou dropped his gaze and shifted uncomfortably on the grimy floor, grimacing when he realized that his once pristine tails were now covered in whatever gross stuff caked the floors.

What the hell was going on?

- Oh Mama! -

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Her breath hitched and her heart beat a million times a minute. It felt like she was going to end up fainting again, but strong arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders, and she leaned into them for support, uncaring at the moment of whom exactly it was those arms belonged to. All she could think of was her kit.

Shippou! Was he still alive? And oh gods! He had been in prison with that horrible, horrible woman! Tears threatened to spill in her horrific realization of all the possible atrocities that her kit might have had to go through at the hands of that wretched priestess, and she had been helpless to save him. Please gods, she prayed, please let him have survived and been okay! After everything she had gone through and imagined since being locked away in her time, she had never once considered her poor kit being in danger, the thought that InuYasha would have been there for him her one comfort towards her kit.

Then logic hit her like a freight train. If Shippou had been captured by that priestess, then what had become of InuYasha? Oh gods! Kagome felt like she was going to be sick. Her vision swam again. No, not again!

Large hands played soothing circles upon her lower back.

"I have said too much," a low voice murmured softly in her ear.

It was then that Kagome registered that she was now sitting in Sesshoumaru's lap, and he was cuddling her like a whimpering child. How the heck—

Attempting to extricate herself from the youkai's sudden vice-like grip on her, she struggled to put together a string of coherent thoughts. She finally decided on one.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, I need to go home."

He suddenly grew stiff. Had she offended him?

"I'm grateful for you telling me all this," she hurried to placate him lest he think her an ingrate. "It's just that this is more than I thought I could handle, even after all these years. Please understand," she said in a small voice. Really, she couldn't do much more.

Somehow, Sesshoumaru relaxed, and she quietly congratulated on not getting decapitated after all her years of surviving Sengoku Jidai. Wow, at least her sarcasm was back.

His arms fell onto the couch like iron bars being loosed, and Kagome shakily got to her feet. Turning, she bowed lowly to him. "Thank you Lord Sesshoumaru."

A long finger that should have been tipped in an elegant claw hooked her chin and tilted her head back up, and she found herself staring into pools of liquid gold, set off by the flames dancing in the fireplace. Whatever he had been searching for, she supposed that he found it, for he nodded once and got up from the couch.

"Do you require an escort back to your home?"

Kagome blushed, for reasons she knew not. "Um… No, I don't think so. Are we still in downtown?"

He nodded again, long silver locks flickering yellow and orange in the low light of the room.

"Then I can find my way home. Thank you."

Sesshoumaru blinked. "Very well. I shall escort you out."

"Thank you," she said again, making herself feel like a broken record.

"Kagome," he said, catching her by surprise at hearing her name drop from his lips, "You may call me Sesshoumaru. There is no need for formality between old friends."

Her brain skipped a step and stumbled. All she could do was nod back at him, following him out the door and back down the stairs. Friends? He considered them friends? That was… unexpected. She hesitated to give the feeling another name, her thoughts still in turmoil over hearing what had happened to Shippou centuries ago, and her imagination supplying wild information about her lost love.

They paused at the dining table, where the demon lord gestured to her long-missing pack. Reaching out with shaking hands, she picked up the worn yellow sack, fleetingly wondering at how the material managed to remain intact after five-hundred years. Surely it should have disintegrated by now. When Sesshoumaru made another gesture for her to take the lead to the front door, she missed the way the youkai looked longingly at the pack in her arms as she walked past.

Once out the front door, Kagome quickly realized that they were in fact in a hotel. If the ornate elevator right in front of them wasn't much of a clue, then the lobby was once they stepped out into it. Surprise and awe flitted over her features as the staff and many of the patrons bowed to Sesshoumaru as they passed. He was still truly the demon lord he had always been, despite how much he did not look the part any longer, which was still something she was dying to understand. Such a shame she had not been able to bear to hear any more of the story that night.

The couple reached the outer hotel doors much too soon for either party's liking, though for much different reasons.

She hesitated only a moment. "Will… will I see you again?"

Kagome hated how small her voice sounded just now, but it was the best she could do under her emotional strain.

Though his face did not betray it, his eyes did, as amusement swirled through the gold gazing back down at her. "Hn."

A small smile graced the angelic face before him, and his heart warmed at the sight. Before he could utter another word, or even feel the inclination to do so, Kagome turned from him and walked through the double-paned glass doors to the world outside. He remained there for several seconds, watching as her lithe figure disappeared amongst the crowds that plagued downtown Tokyo, and then he too turned and headed back to his suite.

As he waited for the elevator to return to the main floor, he reflected on the now-absent pack. For centuries he had had that pack in his care, taking it with him wherever he went in his travels, local and abroad. Now, it was gone, returned to its rightful owner, and he suddenly felt its absence keenly. But the pang did not overwhelm him as much as he had imagined it would, as he had found something much more precious to fill the void.

Pulling out his cell phone, he brought up his speed dial and called the first contact on it. Hearing it ring a few times, he was pleased when a deep voice answered.

"I want you here as of yesterday," was all Sesshoumaru said before he hung up, not waiting for a reply from the recipient.

A flash of green lighted the corridor briefly as the elevator doors opened to take him back to the top, and once again the lord wore his mokomoko upon his shoulder. Pressing the correct button, he turned his head and buried his nose into the soft silvery fur, taking in the strong scent of the miko that had graced his bed mere hours before.

Yes, he would sleep well tonight; perhaps the best he had had in many centuries.


End file.
