InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Cross of Blades ❯ A Near Fatality and The Bet ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: No, I don't own it. So there! You guys can't sue now! Oh, and this chapter starts a little differently. There's no letter to Souta, but there is something interesting all the same. Don't worry. You'll come to realize how many years have passed as the story goes on. Oh, and the names of the gunblades are due to the hard work of my beta Tessa3. So everyone give the girl her props already!

Chapter Three: A Near Fatality and The Bet

I

He sat at his desk, glacial blue eyes bored beyond comprehension as he stared out his office window at a flock of seagulls flying past. He followed them wistfully, remembering days when he too flew where he wanted at will. `Well, it was sorta like will,' he smirked as the bell on the elevator in the hallway outside rang out. He gathered the documents before him and attempted to appear to be busy as the office doors opened.

"Hey Squall," Zell called out as he burst into the room. "Quit pretendin' and take a look at these!"

`There went that idea,' Squall commented and winced when Zell slapped a large stack of files on his desk. "What's this?" he asked as he removed the rubber band holding them together and began to read the first file.

"It's the candidates for the SeeD exam this year. Oh and this-" Another set of files plopped down on the antique desk with a thump, this set bound with a blue rubber band instead of red. "These are the candidates for the four year SeeD evaluation."

Squall sighed tiredly and glanced from one stack to another before grasping one of the evaluation files. "Let's see..." He tossed Zell the file and leaned back in his seat, patiently waiting on Zell to do the same in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk and read aloud the file in front of him.
"Right. I remember this guy!

Name: Endo, Sesshoumaru (2nd class)
Age: 21 human years
Height: 7' 2"
Class: Gunblade Rank 27
Station: Clearance, Galbadia (twenty miles west of Timber)
Squad Leader: O. Nobunaga

"You remember him too right?"

"Yeah, I do," Squall said with a nod. "What does his squad leader say about him?"

"Um...well, he's on the phone. Why not ask him?"

Squall looked down at the light flashing on the phone, shook his head and pressed it and the speaker phone button to answer. "Captain Nobunaga?

"Hello headmaster," the captain's voice called out. "How are you this morning?"

"I've been better," Squall growled slightly and shot a pointed glare at Zell. Zell ignored it happily, the grin on his face widening with each second. "But you have something to tell me about someone with you."

"Oh yeah, Sesshoumaru," Nobunaga said after a moment. "I guess I should get straight to the point. He's not a bad warrior. We normally have him as back up just in case a mission goes south."

"I get it," Zell said as he continued to read the file. "Its because he's the only youkai with you guys right?"

"That's right. He doesn't exactly mind, so we don't do it any differently. There is one thing though."

"What?" Squall inquired.

"Well...you can tell he doesn't like humans," Nobunaga said finally. "I mean, he's not snarling, growling and just outright rude, but he's not the kind of guy that you'd expect to join you at the campfire and exchange battle stories."

"I figured that," Squall muttered. "Anything else?"

"Just that sometimes he disagrees with our battle plans," Nobunaga replied. "I mean, his father is Ambassador Sigumi Endo so there's no doubt that Sesshoumaru has some knowledge in war strategy. However, when he disagrees with us he doesn't force us to go with his plan. When it goes south, he just does whatever it is that he does and the mission succeeds." He laughed then and said, "Hey, the people we've arrested even have a name for him."

"Really?" Zell asked, instantly interested. "What is it?"

Nobunaga laughed a little longer before saying, "They call him `GoldenEye'."

"That is funny," Zell snickered. "Why?"

"They say that's all you see before he clocks you. That's why we've had so many brutality charges. Is that all Headmaster?"

"Yes, that's all."

"Alright then. I've gotta report back."

"Thanks Captain. I'll be in touch." Squall hung up and glanced at Zell. "So?"

"So what?" Zell countered. "I like the way the guy sounds."

"You would," Squall replied, but drummed his fingers against the desk's cherry wood surface. "But I agree."

"You do? Dude, since when?!"

"Since now," Squall retorted before grabbing another file. "I say make him a candidate. Make sure he's here for next month's SeeD exam."

II

He stepped off the train, his duffle bag at his feet and a black umbrella in his left hand. He made quite the contrasting picture, dressed in a pair of black dress pants, a coffee turtleneck and a black wool peacoat that settled at his lower thigh. The last three buttons of his coat were unbuttoned, leaving room to quickly reach the gunblade inside if he had to. The wind from one of the departing trains whipped the silver ponytail trailing down his back to flutter against the back of his knees.
`This place still looks the same,' he thought as he took a quick sniff. `Smells like it too. It's good that some things do not change.'

"Thanks for riding with us," the conductor said. "Hope to see you again mister...."

"Endo," Sesshoumaru answered.

"Ah, Ambassador Endo. If I had known it was you I would have arranged fo-"

"I'm not the Ambassador," Sesshoumaru said before bending over to pick up his duffle bag. "He's my father."

"Oh, excuse me then. Hope to see you soon Mr. Endo."

"You most likely will," Sesshoumaru remarked as he left the station. He glanced around the town itself, his gaze falling on the items shop beside the train station. `This town has always made sense,' he thought as he stepped up to the counter. He waited patiently for the sales girl and found her fully engrossed in some teen magazine with the latest boy band on the cover.

"Excuse me," he said as he rang the little hand bell.

"Yeah, welcome to Balamb Item Shop," the girl said, still involved in her book. "Can I help you?"

`You could look up for one,' Sesshoumaru commented drily, but decided to let it slide as he looked at the items list on the side of the shop. "I require...three potions and two phoenix downs."

"Sure, hold on a sec." She stood up and ambled around the shop, blonde pigtails brushing against the pages of the book. She fumbled for the things he requested, bottles of potions and other remedies clicking haphazardly against each other before finally filling out his order. "Let's see now," she mumbled as she rang up his total. "Three potions and two phoenix downs. That'll be...1300 gil."
Sesshoumaru handed over the bills without complaint, his hand momentarily brushing against hers when she accepted the currency. She glanced up at the contact and openly stared, her brown eyes wide as he waited for her to finish his order. "Is there a problem?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Um...no, not at all," she said as she shook her head and handed back his change. "Here you go sir. Have a great day."

Sesshoumaru merely quirked a brow, grabbed his purchases and left, a slight smirk gracing his features as he felt her eyes bore into his back. `At least she's out of her book,' he commented to himself. He stopped at the nearest trash can, put the items in the small items pouch attached to his belt and tossed the brown paper bag into the trash can. He set his duffle bag on top of the trash can, searched inside for a black ammunition holder and strapped that to his right thigh before closing the bag and continuing toward the town entrance and the auto rental.

"Hey man," the mechanic drawled as Sesshoumaru approached the counter. "How's it hangin'?"

"I need a car," Sesshoumaru answered instead. "Today preferably."

"Yeah man, whatever you need. We've got classics and sports....well, we had em anyway. We've only got one left." He pointed around the corner toward a royal blue car riddled with dents and a missing fender. `At least the roof's intact,' Sesshoumaru remarked irritably. "I'll take it."

"Right....Well here's the keys. Don't worry about gas though. There's enough in the tank to take you all around this island four times if you wanted to."

"That's not necessary," Sesshoumaru said as he pocketed the keys. "I'm only going to the Garden."

"Balamb Garden?" The mechanic grinned when Sesshoumaru nodded. "Hey man, it's your lucky day then! We've got this really stellar deal for Garden students and stuff. It's great. You should check it out."

"What is it?" Sesshoumaru asked the surfer reject. "And do try to be quick. It's going to rain soon."

"Yeah. Well....um....what was that deal again?" Sesshoumaru fought the urge to sigh, deciding instead to forgo the deal when the ditzy mechanic remembered what he was trying to say. "Yeah man. All you got to do is show us your dog tags and we, like, take off 500 gil. I ain't gotta touch em or nuthin. I just gotta see em."

`What a deal,' Sesshoumaru thought sarcastically. `Never mind that renting the rust bucket is going to be 2500 gil. May as well though. At least this time will have been wasted on something productive.' He reached for the silver chain hanging around his neck and held it up so the mechanic could see the two metallic ovals with his name, date of birth, height and weapon class stamped on the front.

"Cool man. Here ya go." He refunded Sesshoumaru's 500 gil and waved as he walked away. "Hey man, are you gonna return it or do you need someone to come and get it for you?"

"It shall be returned within the week," Sesshoumaru answered as he unlocked the driver's side door. He tossed the duffle bag and umbrella in the back then sat behind the wheel just as the first of many fat raindrops began to fall from the sky. He pulled out of the auto garage cautiously, ignoring the wave the mechanic gave him as he drove out of the city and began his way toward the Garden.
He soon found himself wondering about what was going on and why he had been called back after so many years. He unbuttoned the rest of his coat and left it open, his ears twitching slightly at the rattling coming from the engine. `I'll have to look at it once I get to the Garden,' he told himself, then winced as a loud explosion went off outside the car. He glanced into a forest at the left and watched as a large fireball disintegrated in the rain, with a loud roar following soon afterward.
He stopped the car, grabbed his umbrella and stepped out, the umbrella held over his head as he stared into the forest. He could see nothing inside the forest despite his youkai vision but he could plainly hear the roars of multiple monsters. `Perhaps this requires some investigating,' he thought as he pulled the keys out the ignition, put them in his pocket and walked toward the forest. `Besides...this may provide some entertainment.'

III

She just had to try to get to Balamb, didn't she?

Never mind that Instructor Kinneas said to come straight back.

Noooooo, she just had to listen to her rumbling stomach the moment the thought of Mrs. Dincht and her oden crossed her fatigued mind. Her mood had brightened instantly and instead of reporting back to Balamb Garden to get the results for her run through for the Fire Cavern, she decided to go (on her own) to Balamb to see Instructor Zell's mother. The lady reminded her of Sango's mother, and was a killer card player.
But instead of being in either Balamb or the Garden, she was chased into this dark forest, her stomach still rumbling as the sounds of the other stomachs around her growled viciously.

She just had to be hardheaded, didn't she?

She studied the two caterchipillars in front of her, giant green centipede creatures at least two feet longer than she was tall with hot pink bellies that warned of the poison they carried. Of course, the two caterchipillars were the least of her worries. The three bite bugs hovering above them (giant blue mosquitoes with an evil streak) were.
`Argh!, I hate those things! One bite and you itch like crazy for weeks!!' She sighed despondently and groaned when a raindrop hit her square in the eye. She tried a Fire spell before the rain started and groaned again when the few drops already falling extinguished it.

`That's just great,' she complained as she backed toward the opposite side of the clearing. `Not only am I stuck fighting them, that blast will attract anything in the nearby area. Just great. Now why couldn't I go to the cafeteria like a good girl?' She sighed again and readied herself, ignoring the rain that was swiftly drenching her as Sesshoumaru appeared beside a tree on the edge of the clearing.
He made sure to keep out of sight so he could watch uninterrupted, one hand buried deep within his pocket with the other holding up the umbrella. To him, she looked like a regular Garden student dressed in the boys' issue uniform. Her ponytail hung from the back opening of her baseball cap, the obsidian strands heavy and curling under the water's weight. He never realized she was a girl until she shed the waterlogged jacket and tossed it to the forest floor.
He studied her, watching as she shifted into a ready position, her feet shoulder length apart and her right hand at her left side. The rain quickly soaked through her white tank top and clung to generous curves that flowed to a perfect hourglass figure. The blue pants clung to her hips, his eyes only moving when she raised her left hand palm out in front of her.
Sesshoumaru stood at her right, so he was unable to see what she was reaching for with her right hand as she circled the monsters in front of her and waited. One of the bite bugs was the first to move, it flying at a kamikaze speed toward her. She dropped to one knee and sliced upward with a flash of silvery blue light, then quickly sliced another in half that tried to take advantage of her inattention. The last bite bug was disposed of with a quick Blizzard spell, leaving her alone with the two poisonous insects and a gunblade grasped in her hands.

`Another female specialist? Hmnh,' Sesshoumaru snorted lightly as she once again circled the monsters like one would prey. `I must say, she has some skill....for a female.'

She spun the weapon around her right hand, a silent challenge to begin toward the two monsters. One took the challenge fully and attacked, releasing a smoking stream of web from it's hind quarters. She cut through the webbing before it could wrap around her, rolled forward and tossed a stone from the silver item pack at her left. The stone exploded instantly and Sesshoumaru shielded his eyes from the activated Flare spell. When he looked back the caterchipillar was gone with only one more remaining.
`She's quite good,' Sesshoumaru commented to himself as she stared down the last one. `Now if only I could see her face...'

She beckoned the creature forward but this one refused her bait. She shrugged and shook her head, water droplets flying from the ends of her hair to mingle with the ones falling around her. She charged forward with a growl and leapt into the air, her gunblade high above her head..
`She knows Inuyasha, that's for sure,' Sesshoumaru quipped drily, recognizing the move from when he used to spar with his younger sibling. `Perhaps she's not as skilled as I first thought.'
She surprised him and the caterchipillar by landing in a crouch and rolling to the insect's right side. She quickly ran the tip of her blade through it, ignoring it's snarls and growls of agony as she hacked it to pieces. She stood above it and groaned, finally facing Sesshoumaru as she lifted her weapon from the mess and frowned.

"Ohhhhh," she complained miserably as the blue blood coating dripped from the curved tip of the blade. "I just cleaned this." She held it in front of her, the blade shielding half of her face from Sesshoumaru as she frowned up her button nose. "I guess I'll just have to clean it again..." She glanced up slowly, blue green eyes darkening to a deep emerald before lighting slightly to an aquamarine.

Sesshoumaru knew he was discovered when she slowly shifted her weight to her right leg, her hips sliding seductively into the motion as the empty silver holster bounced against her left side. Her head tipped slightly, her eyes dancing merrily against the lightening as aquamarine met golden for the first time in four years.
`Do I know this human,' Sesshoumaru wondered and cursed the rain for drowning her scent. She gave him a sweet smile, her lips tilted up a little higher on one side as she cocked the blade back and tossed it in his direction. Sesshoumaru ducked quickly, tossed his umbrella away and unsheathed his gunblade before she could blink an eye. He attempted to strike her but his weapon bounced off a shield surrounding her. She waved, that smile once again on her lips as she pointed behind him.
Sesshoumaru turned, his eyes narrowed slightly as he cursed the rain once again. There, where he was just standing, was her gunblade, the hilt still shaking from the force of her throw as it pierced the heart of a caterchipillar and pinned it to the tree behind it.

"I suppose thanks are in order," he said as she dropped her shield and went to retrieve her weapon. "However, you should be smart enough to know that one does not throw away his...or her weapon."

"Gee, thanks for the lecture Sesshoumaru," she replied as she planted one foot on the right side of the tree, another foot on the left and gave the blade a giant tug. It came free with a groan and a creak from the tree. She rocketed away from it and flipped backward to her feet. "I don't need to hear that from you though. Inuyasha tells me that all the time."

"So you do know the halfbreed," Sesshoumaru said more than asked as she sheathed the gunblade and grabbed her jacket off the ground. She brushed it off with a sigh, a `go figure' look on her face and put it back on much to Sesshoumaru's amusement. "Are you going to answer me?"

"Why should I?" she commented. "You're still rude as ever."

"And you know me? Interesting..."

She looked at him in confusion for a moment, then said, "Do I really look that different? It's gotta be the rain. That's why you can't pick up my scent." She glanced at her wristwatch, then up at the sky above before shaking her head. "Oh well. There goes the oden. I guess I'll go back." She turned her back on him and made to disappear into the woods when he called out to her.

"Ride with me."

She stopped and glanced over her shoulder, the brim of her cap creating a shadow over her eyes. "What did you say?"

"I said `ride with me'," Sesshoumaru repeated before retrieving his umbrella.

"I don't think so," she said with a shake of her head. "I'm almost positive you don't like the smell of wet human in your car."

"It's not my car," Sesshoumaru quipped, then actually sighed when she glared at him. "You do not have to you know. You could always walk back to the Garden and risk getting sick. Isn't the SeeD test in two days? You would definitely miss it. If you do not care then neither do I. "

"Yeah you're right," she sighed irritably, then walked up to him and gestured for him to lead the way. He closed his umbrella and entertained a moment's thought to allow her to use it before dispersing the thought like wind to a cloud.

She opened the passenger door and sat down, her wet uniform squeaking against the leather seats. Sesshoumaru entered next, then started the car and cranked up the heat. He noticed her shiver, her hair sticking to the back of her neck to wrap around the front in dark fingers. Her hands were stuffed inside her sleeves and her shoulders drawn up as she occasionally brought the material up to her mouth and blew warm air into it.

"You are cold."

She huffed lightly. "Yeah, I know."

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye from time to time, but otherwise continued to drive in complete silence. He noticed her shiver but chose to study her until they pulled int the Garden parking lot. She hopped out before he could fully stop the car, leaving a wet imprint in the seats. She waited patiently for Sesshoumaru to get out and walked with him to the commons area where a student her age with short brown hair stood waiting.

"Hey Kagome," he said as he ran to keep pace with her. "Um, I was wondering-"

"Can I take a raincheck Hojo?" Kagome interrupted as she gestured to her soaked clothing. "I'm kinda in a need for a new set of clothes."

"Um..." Sesshoumaru looked on in disgust as Hojo checked her out, forgetting that he had done the same thing not fifteen minutes ago. "Sure Kagome. You just find me when you're ready."

"I will, I promise. Oh, and Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru looked up expectantly, the look of boredom never leaving his features.

"That knocking noise is your fan belt coming loose. You'd better fix it before you take it back, because they'll swear it's your fault."
He watched her as she walked away, noticing the slightly lopsided swagger caused by the weapon at her side. Her left hip dipped slightly farther than her right, giving her a walk that was signature, confidant, unique...

And sexy as hell.

Sesshoumaru mentally slapped himself for the thought, reminding himself that he still had no real clue as to who she was. Hojo sighed beside him, a happy smile on his face as he turned to Sesshoumaru. "Do you know her?"

"Not exactly," Sesshoumaru replied, then decided that this may be the ample time to gather some information. "Why, do you?"

"Everybody knows her," Hojo said enthusiastically. "That's Kagome Higurashi."

"Really?" Sesshoumaru drawled dryly. "How...interesting." `Not really,' Sesshoumaru thought to the contrary. `However, he may have something useful on the girl.'

"Yeah, I know it. I mean, out of all three Gardens, Balamb ends up with the only female specialist from Esthar. She's taking auto mechanics and hostage negotiations, and she's like lightening with that gunblade of hers. You know, they say that she's like the female Endo, the older one of the two brothers. What's his name...." Sesshoumaru looked on as Hojo struggled to remember, a slight smirk on his face when Hojo shrugged and continued.

"Anyway, I've been trying to go out with her since I transferred here. But she never seems to have time between her training and her friends. Besides, I hear she has a boyfriend. This Kouga guy swears that she's his woman."

"Is that so?" Sesshoumaru yawned, already deciding that this human was useless. `I've learned absolutely nothing about her. Why do I want to know...It has to be because she's a specialist. I feel like I know her from somewhere...maybe I've been away from the Garden too long. "You must excuse me. I have something that I must attend to."

"Sure man. Hey, what's your name?"

Sesshoumaru paused and turned to the boy with a smirk, allowing a single fang to glint dangerously in the sunlight. "Endo. Sesshoumaru Endo."

He expected the shocked look on his face as he walked away, and the shuddering fear that went along with it. `He remembered my name after all.' He walked up the stairs to the elevator and slid his ID card through the slot inside the elevator car. He waited for the three beeps that allowed access to the third floor and the headmaster's office. `May as well report in first, then see to my room,' he said to himself as the elevator began its assent. `Then we shall see what else has changed in my absence.'

IV

Kagome quickly walked down the hallway, her head ducked down to avoid the eyes of passerbys as she rubbed a towel through her wet hair. `I feel so much better now,' she sighed happily as she walked back into her room and patted Shippou's head before disappearing into her bedroom. `To be wet and cold is one thing, but to be wet from a bath is another. There's nothing like being clean.'

"Hey Kagome," Shippou called from the front room before turning off the TV. "How did your Fire Cavern test go?"

"It was alright," Kagome's muffled voice replied from underneath a giant blue hoodie that obviously didn't belong to her. "I picked the twenty minute time limit and made it out in less than eleven minutes."

"Not bad. I did it last week and came out in twelve minutes and thirty four seconds. I would have been faster, but I messed around and used a Thunder spell instead of a Blizzard. Made a bat real mad at me." He grinned when Kagome laughed, a sound that was rare to hear. She was always so serious and so quiet that it worried Shippou sometimes. The few times he could make her laugh were ones he cherished, each one going to a special part of his memory to join its brethren.

"So how did Diablos do?" he asked next. He ducked his head to hide his smile when Kagome came out, one foot inside a pair of sneakers, the other desperately following it as she hopped around the room. "You know, that works so much better if you sit down."

"Don't (hop) have (hop) time (hop) (thump). Crap," Kagome muttered when her hip knocked against her gunblade case. It fell heavily to the floor, the weapon inside rattling slightly while Kagome finished tying her shoe and stood it back up. "I've got to get to the cafeteria before it closes."

"You haven't eaten yet?" Shippou asked. Kagome shook her head. "I was going to see if I could get something in Balamb, but I got a little sidetracked."

"Yeah, I saw that. You do remember that we have an assembly tomorrow right?"

"Yes Shipp, I remember," Kagome groaned. "We've got two free days right? Then it's our exam."

"Yup," Sango said as she opened the door and walked into the room. "So what are you guys doin'?"

"I'm going to the cafeteria before it's too late," Kagome replied as she straightened out her black jogging pants. Sango took one look and grimaced. "Is that Inuyasha's hoodie?"

"Nope," Kagome said as she shook her head. "Mine...now."

"That's so wrong," Shippou commented with a smile. "You're always taking his stuff."

"He's always pissing me off! If he left me alone-"

"You'd get mad because he's not speaking to you," Sango finished. Kagome huffed and turned away. "Where is Dog Boy anyway?" she asked Shippou.

"He and Kikyou are in the quad helping Instructor Kinneas set up for the Spring Garden Festival."

"But that's not until March," Sango complained, then shrugged and grabbed Kagome's arm. "Come on Kagome," she said as she shoved her out the door and down the hallway. "I'm hungry, and I can hear your stomach without Shippou's youkai hearing."

Shippou shook his head after they left, his mind once again on the old fashioned radio he was struggling to put together for his homework assignment. `Imagine, I've got a SeeD test in a few days and she still gives us homework,' he griped and jumped back when a wire shorted and sparks flew. `That's it,' he said as he tossed aside a pair of pliers. `I quit. I'll figure it out later.' He left the room and decided to stroll around the commons circle, his mind wandering from one thing to another before he turned toward the cafeteria, intent on asking his friend what the strange, yet familiar smell from earlier was.

V

Kagome groaned as her alarm clock rang, her fingers fumbling for it before finally knocking it off her nightstand with a heavy thud. She sat up groggily and rubbed her eyes, the orbs half hidden behind heavy lids as she struggled toward the waking world. "I was supposed to do something today," she said to herself as she looked around her room. "But what was i-"

"Hey Kagome!" Shippou yelled as he pounded on her door. "Could you come on? We've got our assembly today remember?"

"Oh crap!" Kagome exploded as she bolted from her bed. She threw open her closet and desperately searched for something to wear. She grabbed a lavender bandeau top and quicky slipped it on, then grabbed a pair of sheer bell sleeves from her drawer and tied them to her upper arms with pink ribbon. She struggled to get into the black jeans she found next, her tugging and twisting resulting in her tumbling backward and onto her unmade bed with a squeak.

Shippou rammed the door open a second later, worry and anxious fear on his face before his cheeks darkened to a light pink. Kagome, either unaware of his presence or just uncaring, continued her attempts to get dressed. Her legs were high above her head as she balanced herself on her shoulders and back and jerked the pants down inch by inch. She stood up with a sigh when they were finally on, quickly threw the elastic band in her hair to the side and grabbed a brush while Shippou recovered his senses.

"Jeez, could you not do that," he finally grumbled at last. "I thought you were being killed in here!"

"Oh please," Kagome smiled before leaning over. Her face disappeared underneath the mass of black locks as she brushed it forward before she flipped it back and searched for her boots. "You're only fifteen Shipp. I have the right to scare the hell out of you sometimes."

"You're starting to sound like Inuyasha Kagome," Shippou chastised as she tugged on her boots. "You know that's not good for you."

"Yeah I know. Sorry about that." She stood up and grabbed her gunblade case, flipping the locks open with nimble fingers. Shippou handed her the silver holster hanging on her wall and stood by as she strapped the silvery blue weapon into place. "OK, let's go."

They left the room in a dead run, barely avoiding other Garden students as they went about their normal day in their mad rush to the quad. Shippou finally tired of Kagome's pace, picked her up and ran full throttle down the hallway. "Why didn't you do this earlier?" Kagome asked as she held on to him.

"Don't want you getting used to it," he answered with a smile and was glad when she returned it. He burst onto the quad, taking the first and second flight of stairs in giant leaps to the bottom platform where other students sat waiting. He stopped in front of Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha and placed Kagome back on Earth before turning to the others with a grin. "Hey you guys. You could have come to get us."

"Yeah, but we knew you and Kagome would show up eventually," Miroku replied. "We did save you a seat though."

"Thanks you guys," Kagome said as she and Shippo took their seats. Sango sat on Miroku's left, with another Garden student on the other side. Shippou sat beside Miroku with Kagome beside Inuyasha.

"Here," Inuyasha grumbled as he dropped a box in Kagome's lap. Kagome gaped at it in surprise, then at him before returning to the package again. "What's this?" she asked as she began to peel the tape off of it.

"Don't know," Inuyasha said with a shrug. "I was in the office earlier when it arrived, so I told the secretary that I'd give it to you. Don't open it yet."

"Why?" Kagome asked, then quieted along with the rest of the students as Headmaster Leonheart descended the stairs. Following behind him were a group of uniformed SeeDs, six in all including Sesshoumaru and another hanyou with white hair and tiny feelers on her head. Squall took his place at the middle of the platform, with the SeeDs lining up along the wall behind him before falling into parade rest.

"It's good to see you all up this morning," Squall began as he glanced at the eighteen nervous cadets in front of him. "As you all are aware, your SeeD exams are scheduled for this week. However, the rumors that your exam is going to be tomorrow are completely false. The test is Saturday, not Friday so please remember that. The test will be a short scrimmage in Balamb. You are expected to act as if there were a real mission and behave yourselves accordingly.

"What else was there?" he mumbled to himself, then shook his head. "Oh yeah. Anyone and everyone that hasn't taken the Fire Cavern test must speak with either instructors Kinneas or Trepe. Any of those three will be able to take you to the cavern, but you'd better do it before it's too late. You must have a Guardian Force, or GF for this scrimmage too so be sure to have one or two equipped. Are there any questions?"

"Um, yes sir," one cadet said as she raised her hand. "I have a question Headmaster sir."

"Go ahead," Squall permitted. "What is it?"

"Who's going to lead us through the scrimmages?"

"I'm glad you asked." Squall stepped to the side and gestured toward the SeeDs behind him. "They will be your leaders. Each person will be assigned a SeeD member as a squad leader."

"That's just great," Inuyasha gripped softly. "If I end up with Sesshoumaru, I may as well sit on my ass and say the hell with it."

"Shhhhh!" Shippou and Kagome hissed. Inuyasha made a rude gesture and quieted.

"If that's all then...I guess you're free for the rest of the day. Cadets..."

The cadets stood quickly, coming to an immediate attention as Squall paced in front of them.

"Cadets, if you're not nervous about the next couple of days you should be," he told them grievously. "Yes it is just a test, and yes you can always take it again if you fail."

"Like Kouga," Inuyasha growled softly. Shippou snickered, then winced along with Inuyasha when Kagome nudged them in their sides. All three looked up to find Squall's eyes on them, his brow raised questioningly. Kagome and Shippou found sense enough to blush, but Inuyasha `Feh'ed before going silent.

"Then again, you guys have to remember that there are some people who take this test repeatedly and NEVER pass. It's said that if you don't pass the test the first time, you'll never reach the levels you could have had you passed on the first try. This test will shape your future. Cadets, do you understand?"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Good. First Cadet Higurashi, step out of the line please." Kagome stepped forward obediently, her eyes narrowed slightly as she began to plot the many ways she would skin both Inuyasha and Shippou at the same time. "The rest of you are dismissed."

The others filed out quickly, some casting sympathetic glances in Kagome's direction. Shippou picked up her package and flicked his tail against her left hand in apology before following the others. Squall stood in front of her, his eyes boring into hers like icy drills until only Kagome, Squall and the SeeDs behind him were left.

"At ease First Cadet," he ordered with a yawn. "You're not in trouble."

"That's good sir," Kagome said in relief. "But why did you pull me away from the others?"

`Not like I mind or anything,' one of the other SeeDs thought while Sesshoumaru busied himself with delving into the minds of the others around him. `Man, it's got to be good to be Headmaster when all he does is stare at pretty girls like her all day long.'

`Utterly repulsive,' Sesshoumaru thought to himself as the slight scent of arousal permeated the air, though he wasn't sure if it was the thoughts of his comrades or the scent of the males around him was what repulsed him. He growled slightly, not loud enough to draw attention but enough to be effective. The arousal all but disappeared much to his relief, and to the hanyou at the end as well if her gentle sigh meant anything.

"I wanted to talk to you," Squall answered, both he and Kagome unaware of the going's on behind them. "How is Junsei?"

"She's a lot better," Kagome smiled happily. "She was a lot heavier, but she's perfect now."

"So you took her to that junkshop in Timber?"

"Uh huh," Kagome nodded. "Master Totosai right? Yup. All I had to do was say your name and he fixed it right up for me."

"That's good," Squall nodded. "What about your GF?"

"Well..." Kagome began sheepishly. "He's not exactly happy to be with me. It's like he doesn't like me. It takes him forever to be summoned."

"That's because he's not used to you," Squall assured her. "You have to use Diablos more often, especially with your Holy absorption abilities."

"Yeah, but couldn't I get a different one other than that temperamental bat?" Kagome asked. "Like...Alexander or something like that."

"We don't keep those kinds of GFs here. You'd have to find another one on your own." He frowned at Kagome's disappointment, then gestured to her side. "Let me see her."

Kagome complied without question, quickly un-sheathing her gunblade and handing to him. Squall held up the blade and inspected it, his eyes expertly searching over the razor sharp blade before drawing his finger along the blunt edge on the other side. "Where's your insignia?"

"My what?" Kagome replied. "What's that?"

"It's sort of like a seal, so that if you're weapon ever goes missing it can be returned to you. Haven't you thought of a symbol?"

"No," Kagome shook her head. "I haven't. I haven't had the time to."

"Well do it so we can get Junsei registered. Name and description alone aren't enough." He returned it to her and dismissed her, the last Kagome saw of them was when the headmaster turned to address the SeeDs behind him.

`A seal...what kind of seal...' she wondered as she turned to the right toward the directory. `I wonder if the others have a insignia. They haven't said anything.'

"Hey Kagome!" she heard Shippou shout from in front of the directory. "Come this way!"

"Where was Kikyou Inuyasha?" Miroku asked as Kagome walked up to them. Inuaysha shrugged. "She can't take it the test this year."

"Aw, that's too bad Inuyasha," Kagome said as she sympathetically patted his shoulder. "I'm sure she'll take it next year."

"Yeah well, I won't be here next year."

"Ain't that sweet?" Shippou teased and grinned when Inuyasha growled at him. "Inuyasha's just a widdle biddy baby puppy without his Kiky-wiky!"

"Don't say that!" Inuyasha growled. "Don't start Shippou!"

"And you're gonna do what if I do?" Shippou provoked, his fists already raised as Inuyasha glowered in front of him. "Not a thing so kiss ass puppy boy."

"That's it!"

"Inuyasha Stop!"

Inuyasha froze mid stride, amber orbs glittering angrily as Kagome scolded Shippou. "You shouldn't have said that Shippou. That wasn't very nice. And you Inuyasha, it's not nice to pick on Shippou! He's younger than you you know."

"Feh!," he grumbled through gritted teeth. "Like I care how old he is! The way I see it, once they're old enough to hit, they can get hit back."

"But he hasn't even hit you yet!" Kagome argued as Kikyou appeared at the edge of the group. "So why don't you stop bothering him!"

"They're arguing again huh?" Kikyou asked as she tapped Sango's shoulder. Sango nodded and sighed. "I swear, they fight more than old married people."

"I heard that Sango," Inuyasha snapped heatedly before glaring at Kagome again. "And you! You let me out of this!"

"No!" Kagome shot back. "Not until you promise not to hurt Shippou!"

"You can't make me," Inuyasha snarled.

"Oh yes I can!"

"No you can't."

"Yes I can!"

"No, you CAN'T."

"YES, I CAN!!!"

"No you CAN'T!!!"

"And why can't I?" Kagome demanded. Inuyasha snickered and said, "Because I'm stronger than you, that's why."

"And here we go," Miroku grumbled while Shippou ate up the argument like cotton candy. "How do you think they'll settle it this time?"

"Push ups," Sango said as she stared ahead of them. "What makes you say that?" Miroku asked.

"Oh," Kikyou said as she pointed back to the pair. "That." Miroku glanced back and found Inuyasha out of his previous paralysis and down on all fours on the polished hardwood floor. Kagome was laid out facing him, her palms flat on the floor as she matched every push up he made.

"Hey, no fair," he said after twenty five. "She's doing the girl push ups! Not bloody fair!"

"Just in case you haven't noticed Inuyasha," Shippou said as a spectator stopped to watch the show. "She IS a girl! She can do them!"

"Yeah," Kagome huffed irritably. "You're not the one lugging C's off the cold ground."

"You're still cheating!" Inuyasha griped, but this time with a feint blush. "I'm not gonna do this if you're not gonna play fair!"

"All right you whinny baby," Kagome relented as she switched from her knees to her toes and continued. Inuyasha smirked knowingly when she began to tire, victory and Shippou's beat down imminent when a pair of black boots, shrouded along the legs in black uniform pants, straddled Kagome's feet. Inuyasha looked up and gaped in surprise, the contest long forgotten as cool golden eyes glared down at him.

"Please do not tell me you're cheating Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said with a growl of disapproval. "Do you treat all of your friends this way?"

"Butt out asshole," Inuyasha shot back, then gaped when Kagome stumbled and fell from surprise. She hadn't realized that was Sesshoumaru was standing over her until he said something, and the initial shock caused her to lose what little balance she had. She turned over quickly and glared up at him, the question on her lips dying the moment he offered his hand to help her up.

"No thanks," Kagome mumbled as she stood up, dusted herself off and readjusted her sleeves. "I don't need your help."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed a fraction as a memory resurfaced, this one of an angry thirteen year old with the same shifting blue-green eyes shouting up at him. `I thought I knew her,' he said with a mental smirk. `So...this is how she grew up. Impressive...' "I merely wanted to return the favor."

"Wait a second," Inuyasha interrupted, latching onto the sentence and the little hint behind it like a leech. "You mean to tell me that Kagome's helped you?"

"Yes, during my arrival yesterday," he replied while Kagome sheepishly stared at the ground in front of her. "I'm surprised she didn't tell you."

"Yeah, you never said anything about running into Fluffy Bottom here," Inuyasha yelled in her direction. "Why the fuck not?!"

"Well, I...uh...excuse me." She walked off without another word, only stopping to pick up her package before disappearing around the bend of the commons circle. "Oh that's just great," Inuyasha griped while Shippou ran off behind her. "You just had to come over here and make a scene didn't you?"
"Actually dear brother, you and your woman were making the scene," Sesshoumaru commented dryly.


"Kagome's not my woman, jackass!" Inuyasha retorted with a angry glare and a barely hidden blush. Sesshoumaru noticed the blush however, and the slight feeling of...something when Inuyasha responded. "I see," he said cryptically. "Then she does have an ounce of sense. Clever girl..."

"Hey, why don't you go the fuck on?!" Inuyasha demanded before Kikyou and the others attempted to try to calm him down. "No body asked you to stop and be nosy ya priss!"

"The name calling is unnecessary. I assure you, I am not interested in your little group." He turned and left them to their day, leaving nothing more than confusion and questions behind.

`I don't get it,' Inuyasha said to himself as Kikyou scolded him for his behavior toward Kagome and Shippou. `I mean, I didn't even see him walk up. No scent, no nothing then all of a sudden he's there. It's just not right. And why didn't Kagome tell us she helped him? And why WOULD she help him? She practically hated him, but now they're all buddy-buddy?'

)-(

"Kagome, wait up!" Shippou huffed as he ran after her. `For a human, Kagome sure can disappear when she wants to,' he griped to himself as he followed her scent down the hallway to the dorm. He stopped in front of their room, his hand on the doorknob as he pushed a stray piece of hair behind an elfin ear. `Come on Shippou, it's just Kagome,' he chastised himself. `She's your friend and she might need to talk to you right now. Just open the bloody do-`

"Shipp!"

"KAYAAAA!" Shippou screeched when the door opened and Kagome practically dragged him inside. He stood flabbergasted as she hugged him, her happiness enough to bring him out of his stupor. "What's going on?" he asked when Kagome finally let him go. "You practically ran from us and now your-"

"Look what Souta sent me!" Kagome interrupted as she held up her IBook. Shippou took the silver diskman from her and pressed play, then watched as a holographic version of her brother appeared with a birthday cake.

"Happy birthday to you!" the hologram sang as two more people, Shippou guessed Kagome's parents, appeared beside him and began to sing along. "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Kagome! Happy birthday to you!! Yayyyy!!!"

"Yeah, I know," the hologram of Souta grinned as the others faded to the background. "You're birthday was last month, but we can still celebrate! Hey, it's not everyday your sister turns seventeen AND becomes a SeeD!!! I can't WAIT for you to pass so I can tell all my friends! There's Matthew, Jason, Ken, Ami, Ry-"

"Souta dear," Kagome's mother said from behind him. "Finish up please. You only have a few seconds left."

"Oh yeah. Sorry about that. Hey! I got you something with my own gil! That's right, I saved! I did some chores, helped out a few people in the neighborhood and boom! There ya go! Yeah! I wish I could see your face when you open it!!!"

"Souta," the father warned sternly. "Remember the time."

"I know Dad! Anyway, you're gonna love it! I know it. Maybe you'll wear it the next time I come to Timber...or maybe you'll come see me someday. Anyway, at school-"

BEEP!

"No, wait!" Souta exclaimed. "I'm not-"

BEEP!

"I'm sorry Kagome! Wait a minute! I wanna say some-"

BEEP!

"I love you Kago-"

`End message' appeared in the middle of the hologram screen, signaling the end of the recording. Shippou handed it back to her gently, knowing that Kagome treasured the few recording and messages her brother sent almost as much as some people hovered over a favorite necklace or bracelet. "What's in the box?" he asked. Kagome shrugged and together they dragged it toward the couch and sat down. They pawed aside the balls of styrofoam until they came to a large parcel tightly wrapped in white paper.

"What do you think he sent me?" Kagome asked as she began unwrapping the paper.

"I don't know, a fish maybe?" he joked. "That would explain all the paper."

"Uh huh," Kagome mumbled as the last of the paper fell free. She sorted through the bundle of heavy black cloth underneath until she found a sleeve, then another and stretched the bomber jacket out in front of them. "Oh wow," Kagome breathed as she turned over the heavy material in her hands. A small gunblade was embroidered on the left breast, with a Celtic cross surrounded by flame on the back in silvery blue thread.

"Isn't it great Shipp," Kagome said as she shrugged into it and stood up. She turned around for him to see better and glanced at him from over her shoulder. "Isn't it perfect?"

"Yeah," Shippou nodded and watched the smile on her face grow. "Best I've seen in a long time."

"Really? Oh wow, I've got to find a way to thank him!" Kagome giggled as she held the jacket closed and gave a happy spin. "I can't believe this! How could he have afforded this! It must have taken him a long time to save up!" She sniffed then and Shippou's nose twitched at the hint of salt in the air. "Souta you brat," she sniffed again before a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Hey, don't cry," Shippou reprimanded softly when she began to cry. He tugged the free end of her coat until she was seated beside him and draped an arm around her shoulders. "He sent that so you could be happy right?"

"Yeah," Kagome whimpered with another sniff.

"Then why are you crying? I thought you humans only cried when your sad."

"That's because I am sad," Kagome confessed. "I've been such a jerk to him and he's been this great brother. He's not even mad at me!"

"Look Kagome," Shippou began, then sighed when she buried her face in the collar of his blue and gray rugby shirt. "Hey, don't cry. If you think you've been a jerk, then make up for it. You can't do that by crying you know."

"Yeah, you're right," Kagome agreed and calmed down. She dried her face with the back of her hand and glanced down at her jacket again. `All he wanted to do was help me,' Kagome reminded herself as she traced a finger around the cross on the front of the jacket. `And I think he's been more help that he may have realized.'

VI

Bleary eyes opened and stared around in confusion before a fisted hand came up to rub them. Kagome yawned and stretched carefully, mindful of the head in her lap as she finally registered where she was and with whom she was with. She was in the front room of her and Shippou's dorm, with the others sprawled around her and the TV still on. She and Shippou were sitting on the floor in front of one end of the couch, Shippou sprawled all over the place with his head in her lap and an arm tightly wrapped around her waist. Kikyou and Inuyasha were seated on the other side of the couch, both asleep with their heads resting against one another. Sango and Miroku rested at the table with their heads on their arms. Wrappers of various junk foods lay scattered around them, the remaining evidence of their party last night. To her, both couples made the cutest picture and she smiled to herself.

`They're so cute,' she mused as she gazed from Miroku and Sango to Inuyasha and Kikyou. `I'm glad we could spend this last little bit of time together.' They had the party early, deciding that Friday would be spent just enjoying each others company. Kagome figured that, since Inuyasha would be graduating a year before Kikyou, that they would somehow sneak away from the others and spend some time alone. `As a matter of fact, I bet that's what Sango and Miroku will do too.' She looked down at Shippou and smiled again as she petted the ponytail in the back of his head. `Now that only leaves you Shipp. We've got to find you somebody nice.'

To Kagome, Shippou was her best friend in the entire world. Sure, she and Sango were close but she and Shippou had become nearly inseparable since they were assigned the same dorm a few years ago. Out of everyone else in the room, Shippou was the only one who knew why she left home, why she never wanted to go back for the holidays, why she would cry whenever she received a message from Souta...

And he was the only one who knew about the crush she once had on Inuyasha.

Nothing changed on the outside, but inside Kagome was a complete mess. When she was fifteen, days were spent trying to impress him either through their training, their arguing or just plain out through her company but nothing ever felt like progress. Inuyasha still regarded her like a little sister, and she quietly accepted whatever attention she received from him while at night she could do nothing but cry. It was Shippou, then thirteen, who sat up with her and hugged her. She could remember even now his whispered promises, that everything would be fine and someday Inuyasha would wake up and see her the way she saw him.

When Inuyasha finally did ask her something, it was whether or not she thought Kikyou might be interested in him. She truthfully answered that she hadn't a clue and the rest of the week was without incident until Kikyou asked if she minded her and Inuyasha dating. Of course, since Kagome and Sango were Inuyasha's friends before she came along, she felt that she should ask them first before making the first move. More than anything Kagome wanted to be selfish and tell her yes, that she minded and that they shouldn't date but she couldn't. She told Kikyou no with a smile, then spent the next three days recovering from the `flu'.

It was then that Shippou began to take the teenage form he held now, with his hair much shorter than it was when he was a kid. He stayed by her side the entire time, with the both of them on the couch and her completely curled up within his fluffy tail. She emerged afterward still a little tender about the situation, but accepting that Inuyasha just wasn't for her. Besides, he and Kikyou made the perfect couple. She would have ended up shooting him for some of the things Kikyou allowed him to get away with.

"You're going to make some lucky girl really happy someday Shipp," Kagome whispered as she kissed his forehead. `We're gonna have to look for you somebody. I bet that girl in the library has a crush on you.' She yawned and glanced around the room again, staring dismally at the mess before turning to the heap of presents piled up in a corner. They all decided to give each other something, with Shippou and Sango providing the drinks and food. Miroku gave them all ammunition that he blessed himself, his studies as a monk allowing him to do such effectively. He told them that the altered bullets would help against undead creatures so the presents were readily accepted. He handed Shippou a pair of gloves that were blessed as well. Kikyou gave her and Sango girlie things like lotion and shampoo, while Kagome gave Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Shippou com-phones like hers with the numbers already programmed inside. But out of them all it was Inuyasha who gave the most practical gift, giving everyone a black all weather duffle bag with their initials monogrammed on the shoulder strap.

Kagome glanced down at her watch and sighed, figuring that four twenty-seven was way too early to try to clean up. `Besides,' Kagome thought as she leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes. `We can always clean this mess up together later.' She sighed heavily and relaxed, and was almost asleep when

MEEEE

MEEEE

MEEEE

MEEE

Kagome shot up with a start, as did everyone around her as an alarm sounded throughout the hallway outside. "Just what the fuck is that?" Inuyasha yelled over the noise as he covered his ears.

"It's the Garden alarm," Miroku hollered as he scrambled for his boots. Sango and the others followed suit as he explained. "The alarm only comes on in an emergency."

"What kind of emergency?" Shippou asked as he pulled on his gloves. "And why does it have to be so loud?"

"It could be anything. It might be a system malfunction, a siege, missiles-"

"MISSILES?!" Kikyou shouted back. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious. It's happened once before. There's no telling what it could be."

"Well I'm not standing around to find out," Inuyasha yelled as he grabbed his gunblade and tossed Kagome hers. "I'm going to check it out." He opened the door and stormed outside, only to freeze in place at the visitor leaning against the wall on the other side of the hallway. The others immediately crashed into his back, sending him sprawling to the floor with everyone else plied high on top of him.

"I wondered how you all manage to walk without difficultly," Sesshoumaru smirked, his arms crossed over the front of his SeeD uniform. "Now I see that you can't."

"Shut the hell up," Inuyasha mumbled from the bottom of the pile before shoving everyone to the side. He stood up and shook himself off while everyone else collected themselves. "What's going on Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha demanded. "You're not sitting outside here for nothing."

"I was asked by the headmaster to find you and bring you all to the dormitory courtyard," Sesshoumaru answered before turning on his heel and walking away from them.

"That doesn't explain what's going on," Inuyasha shouted. "Why's the damn alarm going off?"

"Because as of right now, we are under attack."

"Is he serious?" Kikyou asked Kagome. Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. I guess so."

"That's not funny Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha retorted hotly. "Now what's going on already?!"

"I think he's serious Inuyasha," Kagome said from the back of the group. "I mean, why would he lie?"

"To get back at us for the pink hair dye we put in his shampoo a couple of years ago," Inuyasha replied with a grin. "That was pretty funny."

"As immature and unnecessary as that was Inuyasha, I assure you I had forgotten about that...until now."

"See Inuyasha," Kagome hissed. "You just had to open your mouth."

"Whatever Kagome," Inuyasha said as he shoved her to the side. "What's attacking us Sesshoumaru?"

"I do not know," Sesshoumaru answered, his gaze still on the hallway in front of him. "I was assisting the headmaster with a systems repair when the alarm sounded. At first it was thought to be a tripped circuit, but after running some tests the headmaster decided to evacuate the junior classmen and send someone to wake the first cadets."

"So you've had to wake up everyone," Miroku said. Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Not everyone. Just you five."

The group exchanged worried glances as they trailed along behind him, their concerned and confused thoughts echoing one another until Kagome gasped.

"What now Kagome?" Inuyasha mumbled. "Its not like we don't have enough to deal with."

"Shut up Dog Boy," Kagome snapped before tapping her right index and middle fingers on her lower lip in though. "Sesshoumaru said something about them evacuating the junior classmen right?"

"Yeah," Shippou nodded. "So?"

"So Kikyou's with us. What are they going to do with her?"

"That's right," Sango said as Kikyou paled. "Kikyou wasn't in her room last night. You don't think they're looking for her do you?"

"Oh my God I totally forgot!" Kikyou squeaked suddenly. "I'm so dead!!!"

"Do try to be quiet," Sesshoumaru commanded. "Or are you trying to get us caught?"

"No it's not that," Kagome said as Kikyou started to panic. "See, Kikyou's a junior. She-"

`Was not in her room last night," Sesshoumaru finished. "Yes, I know. The headmaster is aware of it as well and she's to report to him once we arrive at our destination."

"See Kikyou," Inuyasha told her when they continued forward. "Everything's fine. You're not going to get into trouble." Kikyou nodded in relief, her scent and countenance much calmer as they descended the concrete stairs to the outdoor courtyard where the other first cadets sat waiting. They took their places among the other cadets while Sesshoumaru and Squall discussed something they couldn't hear.

"I don't know about this you guys," Kagome whispered among the others. "Something feels odd about this whole thing."

"Like what?" Shippou asked when she had his attention. "I mean, it's got to be legit. The headmaster's here."

"Yeah, I know but have you noticed that the only people here, besides maybe twelve instructors and SeeDs, are the SeeDs and the students that went to the assembly meeting yesterday?"

"Yeah, I noticed that," Inuyasha replied, then shrugged. "So?"

"So?! So don't you think that's weird?"

"No, not really," Miroku said before the others nodded in agreement. "Remember, Sesshoumaru said that the junior classmen were evacuated. That's why we're the only ones here-"

"Cadets."

Miroku and the others immediately snapped to attention, as did the SeeDs in their company. They patiently waited for Squall to continue, with Sesshoumaru the only one not at attention. He sat down on a nearby bench and went over his conversation with the headmaster while he spoke to the others.

"At ease. For you guys that haven't heard, the Garden has been invaded by terrorists," he told them, fully expecting the tension that followed. "They've managed to infiltrate the front gate through means of an outside source and have managed to take the first floor commons circle from us."

"You said terrorists sir," a SeeD with short blonde hair said after she gained Squall's attention. "What group?"

"The Happy Bunny Brigade."

Inuyasha snorted, then laughed outright as the others gaped in shock. "Are you serious?" he gasped between guffaws. "There's a bunch of kindergartners overthrowing the school?! Hahaha! That's sick!"

"I don't see what's funny Cadet," Squall frowned. "The HBB are a dangerous group. They would blow this Garden to bits, if only to have the fun of watching it burn to the ground."

"Man," Inuyasha mumbled, his laughter quieted. "Sorry Headmaster."

"What's the plan?" Instructor Trepe, one of the few instructors out there, asked. "Are we calling for help?"

"No," Squall shook his head. "We're going to capture them, then hold them for questioning. If we don't, we can't go on with the SeeD exams tomorrow."

"Then what's the plan?" she asked again.

"The cadets are going to split into groups. Shiori Lowe?"

"Hai headmaster," the white haired hanyou female from the assembly responded as she stepped forward and saluted.

"You're to take...First Cadets Endo, Almsay, and...wait a second. Where is Darwin?"

"Right here Headmaster," Hojo called as he ran onto the courtyard. "I didn't hear the alarm. Sorry."

"Not a problem," Inuyasha smirked evilly. "The Garden's just being ganked from us by a bunch of crazed bunnies, that's all."

"Hey, I said I was sorry!" Hojo retorted, his run bringing him right to Inuyasha's face. "So why don't you lay off."

Inuyasha smirked again and shoved the shorter teenager. "Yeah, your damned right your sorr-"

"Silence Inuyasha."

Inuyasha gaped, then growled at Kagome and mouthed "Take it off." Kagome immediately shook her head. "Not until you stop it."

He growled again and tried to speak, then sighed and relented. Kagome tossed him a vial of Echo Screen, watched as he downed it in one gulp and grimaced. "Ugh," he groaned miserably. "Nasty."

"If that's finished, then I can assign the rest of the groups." He quickly split everyone up equally, with three cadets to each SeeD member. Somehow Kagome, Miroku and Shippou ended up with Sesshoumaru. Together, they were supposed to make their way to the quad and restrain the terrorists there.

"So," Miroku began as an attempt to cut through the silence while the others made their way toward the commons circle. "What's the plan?"

"We do as the headmaster instructed," Sesshoumaru replied before gesturing for them to line up against the wall. Shippou stood behind him, with Kagome between Shippou and Miroku while Sesshoumaru glanced around the corner to the commons hallway. He quickly pulled back and muttered what sounded suspiciously like a curse before glancing to the others. "There is one heading this way."

"Good," Kagome grinned as she and Shippou cracked their knuckles. "Let `em come."

"No," Sesshoumaru disagreed. "The resulting scuffle will cause unwanted attention."

"Why don't we try one of the access tunnels to the basement level?" Miroku suggested. "That way we could crawl through them without worrying about being seen, then appear in the quad and take them by surprise."

"Where would one of those access tunnels be?" Sesshoumaru asked, completely unaware that there were access tunnels. `I've been away far longer than I thought.'

"There's one in every wing, but the closest one would be one in the dorms," Miroku answered, then scratched his head thoughtfully. "But I don't know where that tunnel is."

"Then it is a useless suggestion," Sesshoumaru replied. He glanced back at the approaching gunman, then at the others when Shippou spoke up.

"Hey Miroku, what does one of those access tunnels look like?"

"Well, they're not obvious," Miroku answered with a shrug. "I mean, they could be under a rug, behind a bookcase-"

"Or under a bed?" The others glanced at him thoughtfully as he grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "I think there's one in our room."

"You think?" Sesshoumaru repeated. Shippou nodded. "I remember nosing around when Kagome and I were first assigned the room. I found something really weird, like a doorway leading to somewhere. I never got a chance to explore it because Kagome came in the room. I forgot about it until now."

"Well Captain," Kagome said as she turned to Sesshoumaru expectantly. "Should we check it out?"

"I do not see why not," Sesshoumaru replied. He gestured for Kagome and Shippou to lead the way back, then closed the door as the others filed into Shippou's room.

"OK you guys," he said before tapping the wall above his bed. "This is it." They stepped back in alarm when the wall slid open, revealing a passage big enough for them to crawl in single file. `Oh ew,' Kagome thought to herself as she crawled inside the dark, musty tunnel behind Shippou. `I bet there are spiders in here. I hate spiders.'

)-(

Squall glanced from one monitor to another, watching the cadets and their SeeD captains make their way toward their designated positions.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Instructor Trepe said with a shake of her head. "I mean, you said not to seriously hurt anyone but you're forgetting that we have two youkai taking the exam this year."

"A youkai and a hanyou," Squall reminded her and smirked when she let out a frustrated breath.

"You know exactly what I mean!" she vented, then sighed and shook her head. "You're impossible. I just hope it doesn't backfire."

"It won't," Squall assured her, then went back to the monitors. "The snipers have nothing more than beanbag bullets and the close combat people have the soft leather gloves."

"What about the gunblade specialists?" Instructor Trepe asked and frowned when Squall paled slightly. "You didn't say anything to them did you?"

"No, but that shouldn't matter. All three are aware that they're not to draw their gunblades. Nothing will happen, you'll see."

)-(

Kagome grumbled to herself from the front of the team, having switched places with Sesshoumaru five minutes into the extensive crawl through the tunnel. According to Miroku, they were no longer in the basement. Sesshoumaru and Shippou could hear the faint sound of flowing water. "We must be approaching the quad," Shippou said from the back of the line.

"Thank God," Miroku groaned and wiped the sweat from his brow. "It's hot in here."

"No use complaining," Sesshoumaru told him as he nudeged Kagome's shoulder. "Let us go and get this over with."

"Fine, fine," Kagome complained as she stumbled forward. She crawled on a loose vent and fell through, the vent grate falling to the cobblestones walkway of the quad below with Kagome not too far behind. She landed heavily, a groan escaping her lips as she rolled into a nearby bush.

"Hey Sesshoumaru, look!" Shippou said as he pointed toward three men with pink floppy helmets. "They're gonna find Kagome! Shouldn't we get down there?"

"No," Sesshoumaru shook his head and relaxed against the side of the vent. "I believe we'll allow her this. After all, she is the negotiator."

Kagome sat up groggily, her hand agains the side of her head as she grasped a tree for support. "Woah," she groaned aloud. "Man, that last step sucked."

"Hey you!"

Kagome lglanced up and groaned again. "Oh man..."

"What're you doin' over thur?"

"Um..." She peacefully held up her hands as they surrounded her, her eyes on the guns in their hands as she tried to get away from the trouble she suddenly found herself in. "I'm Kagome and-"

"We don't care who ya are?" the second terrorist growled. "We just want cha ta come wit us!"

Kagome glanced up at the vent and, having found it empty, shrugged and sighed. "Sorry boys, I'm afraid I'm going to have to say no." She held up her fists and grinned as the first gunman attempted the first punch.

"She's not half bad," Miroku said as she ducked the blow and punched the unsuspecting man in his abdomen. Shippou grinned proudly. "Yeah, I know."

Kagome kneed the first gunman in the groin, then smashed his head into her knee before tossing him aside and gesturing for the next two. They backed off, quickly stepping to the side as their leader approached her. He walked with a cocky, arrogant air, his brown tail swishing back and forth behind him like the pendulum of an old grandfather clock. He too wore a happy bunny helmet, except his was more of a mask than the short helmet that covered the eyes of his lackeys.

"Come on," Kagome began as the youkai circled around her. "Don't you want to talk about this?" She jumped aside and bent herself backward to avoid his fist. "Guess not? Oh well." She ducked his advance again, then punched the youkai square in his furry pink jaw. He winced and fell backward, his hand to his face before a snarl ripped from underneath the mask. Kagome smiled back when he glared at her and before she could utter a word the youkai backhanded her, sending her flying across the quad pavilion and into a nearby tree. Her breath left her in a woosh when her back slammed into the rough bark and she groaned as she slid down it to the grass below.

"Oooooo," Miroku muttered as Kagome sat there stunned. "That looked bad."

"We should go help her," Shippou nearly shouted as he made his way toward the vent opening. He snarled at Sesshoumaru when he grasped his collar to hold him back, then backed down at the warning growl he sent back. "You will do no such thing," Sesshoumaru told him after shoving him back toward Miroku. "Higurashi can handle herself. Observe." He gestured below them and all three watched as Kagome rose to her feet, her legs wobbly but reliable. "The girl has not been harmed."

"The hell you say," Shippou muttered, then gasped as the strong, almost overpowering scent of Kagome's anger engulfed them in tides of lavender tinged water lilies. They all looked down and watched as Kagome unsheathed her gunblade, all earlier warnings for it to remain at her side forgotten.

"What is she doing?" Sesshoumaru growled as the terrorist leader took a cautious step backward.

"She's mad," Shippou whispered. "And when she gets mad like this, there's no talking to her."

Their eyes widened at the familiar sound of metal shifting against metal, Sesshoumaru recognizing it as the sound of the safety lock on a gunblade disengaging. He jumped down without another word, his gunblade already unsheathed and in his hands.

)-(

Red.

All around her, all she could see was red. The pain in her jaw was sharp, and she could almost swear that it was broken though her subconscious told her otherwise. All she could think about was the nerve of this guy. `He hit me,' she said to herself over and over as she unsheathed her gumblade. `That SOB hit me.' She unlocked her safety and charged the youkai, only giving him a second's time to prepare before slashing through one of the furry ears of his mask.

"And that's just for starters," she growled dangerously. She grinned at the audible gulp from behind his mask. She swept his feet from underneath him and stood over him as he struggled to rise, gunblade raised over her head and a sweet smile on her lips.

He narrowed his eyes at her and growled before she struck, her gunblade slicing through the air in a blue iridescent arch. He teeth jarred as metal hit not the terrorist's mask but the hardness of a dark gunblade. The blade itself was wide and heavy, with a thin golden line painted in the middle of the black steel. She followed the line to Sesshoumaru, her eyes blazing angrily as he stared down at her and growled.

"Stop this," he demanded as the terrorist scurried from underneath their weapons. "Put away your weapon and stand down Higurashi." Sesshoumaru growled again when she defied him, her green eyes boring into his as she ignored his order. His youki howled in righteous indignation at her defiance and the need to make her submit quickly dismissed any previous thoughts of self control. Crimson threads wove themselves into the whites of his eyes and jade flecks were beginning to swim in golden pools when she broke eye contact with him.

Kagome kept her gaze to the ground as she retreated and sheathed her weapon. She trembled slightly, her hands still fisted and her anger still present as the others jumped down from the vent and quickly subdued the other terrorists. Sesshoumaru calmed himself with a mental shake of his head and glared at Kagome as she sheepishly stood by.

Instead of explaining like Kagome was sure he was expecting, Kagome walked up to the leader and punched him in the nose. "OW!!!" he howled. He whimpered slightly and grasped his nose as it bled down his front. "Come on cutie! Can't you take a joke?"

"Cutie?" Kagome repeated in surprise. "What th-" She grabbed the mask, ripped it away and stared in disbelief into familiar blue eyes.

"Heh," Kouga weakly laughed as he wiped the blood away from his face. "Hey cutie. How's my girl doin'?"

"I'm pissed off, that's how I'm doin'!" Kagome said as she grasped an ear and hollered into it. "What's the big idea hitting me like that Kouga?"

"He said to make it believable, so that's what I did."

"Who said?" Kagome asked, her fist raised again as Shippou, Miroku and Sesshoumaru glared down at him.

"I did." They turned just as Headmaster Leonheart appeared at the top of the stairs, their jaws slack as he descended toward them. "It wasn't my idea for them to be so aggressive, but yeah. This was my idea."

"But why?" Miroku asked. "Why fool us into thinking that the Garden's under attack?"

"Because," Sesshoumaru answered as the obvious became known to him. "This is the SeeD test, is it not Headmaster?"

"Yeah, this is it," Squall nodded. "Normally, we have our candidates sent on an actual mission. The world has been rather peaceful lately, so we doctored up this simulation instead."

"So this was all fake?" Shippou asked next. "The guy we beat up in the hallway, the others that are walking around...all of them are nothing but SeeD members?"

Squall nodded again, then reached inside his pocket for a mini paging system. "All SeeD candidates," he said as his voice called over the loudspeaker. "The time is 6:00 am. You're final exam is now over. Please report to the second floor classroom hallway in front of the elevator to receive you're results. All SeeD members taking the captain's exam are to report to the quad immediately." He ended the message and returned the pager to his pocket. "That means you as well," he said as Miroku, Kagome and Shippou gawked at him. "Go on. You're results will be given to you shortly."

VII

Kagome paced the hallway anxiously, her hands inside her uniform pockets as she walked from one end of the hallway to another. "Would you sit down?" Inuyasha demanded as he watched her walk past for the umpteenth time. "Why are you so nervous anyway? It's not like you didn't do everything perfect."

"She didn't," Miroku said and stepped back when Inuyasha appeared in front of him, eager and ready to hear about Kagome's mishap.

"What'd she do?" he asked as Kagome groaned and sank down against a wall. "Disobey Fluffy? I bet that's what she did-"

"She nearly killed Kouga today."

Inuyasha blinked, then blew it off with an annoyed groan. "Oh man, is that all," he growled as the other candidates stood by and waited. "I thought she did something different."

"Kagome, are you ok?" Sango asked as she sat down beside her and gave her a hug. "What happened?"

"He hit her," Shippou answered with a sigh. "Kagome got mad and withdrew her gunblade. She nearly sliced his head off but Sesshoumaru stopped her."

"Damn it," Inuyasha snapped. "That bastard's always getting in the wa-" He quickly shut up when a member of the garden staff appeared at the end of the hallway, the tall men dressed in red and white with straw umbrella hats easy to discern from the others that attended the school.

The attendant cleared his throat reverently, held up a piece of paper and said, "I have here the names of all who passed their SeeD exams. When I call your name, please enter the elevator at the end of the hallway and report to the headmaster's office on the third floor."

Everyone tensed, each anticipating the moment when their name was called.

"Hojo Darwin please step forward." Hojo quickly disappeared down the hallway, a bright smile on his face and his brown eyes shining in triumph.

"Miroku Saikai."

"Sango Almasy"

"Inuyasha Endo."

"Shippou Makayura. That is all." Shippou stopped at the end of the hallway, his eyes on Kagome as she buried her head in her arms, the tears she struggled not to shed burning his nose. He forgot about the elevator and kneeled in front of her, her arm outstretched and waiting. He stumbled backward when she flung herself at him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders as she continued to fight her disappointment. Neither noticed another attendant approach the first on, hand him a slip of paper and walked away.

"Oh, and Kagome Higurashi. Kagome Higurashi, step forward."

Kagome's head shot up from Shippou's shoulder, her eyes sparkling a light blue as they stood up and entered the elevator together. The attendant was the last to board and was the one to begin their ride to the third floor. The elevator stopped soon after starting and opened, revealing a lavish hallway decked in wooden accents and a burgundy carpet.

The attendant stepped aside so they could disembark and gestured to a set of heavy double doors. Inuyasha and Shippou opened them and everyone gasped at the lush office inside. The entire outer wall was made of glass, with an enormous desk sitting in front of it. Weapons of all shapes and styles were mounted on the walls beside them and the same burgundy carpet lead them toward the middle of the room where Headmaster Leonheart leaned against his desk and waited for them to step forward.

They lined up in the order they were called and saluted, with Hojo on the opposite end of Kagome. Shippou's tail briefly flicked against her leg, the giddiness in her heart enough to stir a giddiness in his own.

"You all are the six that passed? Not bad if I do say so myself," Squall said as he clapped his hands. "At ease cadets." He smiled as they relaxed but stayed in respectful readiness as he continued. "I'm proud of all of you. This is the most promising group this Garden's had in a while. I have here your dog tags and your ID cards. Both are to be kept on your person at all times."

He stood and walked down the line, making sure to shake the hands of each cadet before draping the dog tags over their heads and handing them their ID cards. Squall bowed his head when he reached Kagome, smiled back when she grinned at him and gave her the dog tags and a bit of advice. "Learn to control your temper," he whispered in her ear as he pressed her ID card into her hand. "You'll be able to be a better fighter once you can."

Kagome nodded in acceptance and came to attention with the others when he called it. "Now, last but not least is tonight's ball. You're SeeD uniforms are in your rooms already, so I suggest you rest up and calm yourselves down before attending the ball and dressing up for the first time. Alright," he said with a wave of his hand. "You guys can go."

They parted with a salute and descended to the first floor commons circle, each with dazed and happy looks on their faces before Inuyasha gave a lout war whoop.

"We're SeeDs!" he cheered as Sango and Kagome hugged each other. "It's about bloody time! Hot DAMN!!!"

"After the dirty trick they played on us, I think we deserve to be SeeDs," Shippou replied, then blushed when Kagome hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"OK guys enough goofing around," Miroku said as he held up his dog tags. "Let's see what ours say."

"Mine's says I'm a sniper, rank 13," Sango said as she read the upside down engravings around her neck. "What about you guys?"

"Close combat, rank 15," Shippou said proudly.

"Sniper, class 12," Miroku groaned. "I thought it would be something higher."

"What about you Kagome?" Sango asked as Kagome stared in open confusion at her tags. "What's yours say?"

"Mine says I'm a class 17."

"What?!" Inuyasha exploded before grabbing her tags and jerking them to his face. "How the fuck do you get to be ranked 17 when I'm only a 15?!"

"That's pretty high Kagome," Shippou said as he patted her back in congratulations. "Well done. And to think you were worried."

"Yeah, I kn-"

"How did you get to be higher than me?!" Inuyasha continued to vent. "It's not fair! I should be higher!"

"Why?" Kagome demanded as a crowd began to form. "Because I'm a girl!"

"No, you stupid bitch! Because you almost killed a guy!"

Kagome visibly winced, her eyes closed at the low blow as Shippou and the others glared at Inuyasha. They all expected her to do or say something, but she only turned her back and walked away without another word, her head hung and her dark eyes blurry.

"Damn it Inuyasha," Shippou snarled, his eyes flickering a light crimson as he glared at him. "You just had to say that didn't you? You couldn't go one day without being stupid. Hey Kagome!" he shouted as he sprinted away to catch up with the girl.

VIII

Squall observed the party around him, taking a moment to smile down at his wife's questioning gaze before catching a sense of deja vu. He glanced toward a nearby corner and smiled at a familiar sight leaning against a wall. "Excuse me," he said to the group around him. "I'll be right back."

He walked up to her slowly and grinned as she griped about her uniform completely unaware of his approach. "I can't believe this," Kagome grumbled as she tugged insistently at the shorts of her SeeD uniform. "I'm so gonna hu-"

"Kagome?"

Kagome looked up and smiled as Squall leaned against a nearby pillar. "Hi headmaster. How are you?"

"I could be better," he admitted. "I'm stuck here, watching one of my best students squander the night away by complaining about her uniform."

"I'm sorry," Kagome apologized guiltily. "I'm just hate these shorts! They're so uncomfortable."

"Dance with me private," Squall requested with his hand extended toward her. "We'll discuss what's to be done about your uniform then."

Kagome accepted reluctantly and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor and into the dance. "So," Kagome asked at the middle of the waltz. "Is there a chance I can get some pants Headmaster?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Squall admitted as they whirled past another couple. "I'm not in charge of the uniform distribution. I can make a request, but I doubt you'll get the pants you want."

"Awwwww," Kagome groaned miserably. Squall gave a friendly chuckle at her disappointment. "I know your disappointed, but you may have to get used to it. If it's any comfort, you rarely have to wear it."

"Yeah Headmaster," Kagome mumbled as the waltz ended. "It's a real comfort."

"Excuse me Headmaster," Kouga began as he tapped on Squall's shoulder. "Can I cut in?"

`Oh no,' Kagome moaned to herself as Squall bowed and stepped aside. `Not him. Not now. I'm so not in the mood.'

"So how's my girl?" Kouga grinned as he led them into the next dance. "Still mad at me?"

"No," Kagome sighed with a shake of her head. She glanced across the floor at the buffet table and found Shippou and Inuyasha arguing. She laughed to herself when Shippou's tail whirled around and whipped out. Inuyasha fell silent seconds later with a confused look on his face before complete fury made his hair stand on end. Kouga glanced over his shoulder at them and shook his head.

"Stupid mutt," he growled in contempt. "You won't have to deal with him once we're mated."

"Look Kouga," Kagome began as she stopped and backed away from him. "You're nice and all, but I don't think we'd be good together."

"Yes we would," Kouga stated before he wrapped his tail around her waist and jerked her back to him. "You'll see. We'll have to get my dad's approval, but I'm pretty sure he won't refuse."

"That's great Kouga, but like I said," Kagome insisted. "I just don't like you that way. You're a great friend, so I think we should stay that way. Why ruin it by trying to be something we shouldn't?"

"Who says we shouldn't?" Kouga demanded hotly. "Whoever they are they're stupid. You're my woman and that's that...at least, you will be once I come back from assignment."

"You're leaving?" Kagome asked, hoping that the relief she felt didn't show in her voice. Kouga nodded. "Yup. I'm being assigned to the white SeeD ship near Esthar. That's what this means." He pointed to a silver bar on the left side of his uniform jacket. "See? I'm gonna be gone for at least six months."

"Oh, that's too bad," Kagome replied, feigning disappointment when someone tapped Kouga on his shoulder. Kouga turned and growled, ready to turn down the gentleman when a subtle growl came from a few inches above him.

"Excuse me Higurashi," Sesshoumaru said, completely ignoring Kouga as he none too gently shoved him aside. "Do you mind?" Kouga shot back. Sesshoumaru glared at him a moment, then grasped Kagome's hand and led her toward a different part of the dance floor.

"Annoying pest," Sesshoumaru growled slightly. Kagome merely stood by, shocked as he led her into the dance. Her gaze momentarily flickered from his face to the furry white...thing, draped over his shoulder. It swayed slightly, of it's own accord or because of Sesshoumaru's movements Kagome couldn't tell.

"Um," Kagome said after a few moments. "Why are you dancing with me?"

"Would you rather I left you to the wolf?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Oh, so you're trying to rescue me again huh?" Kagome huffed in annoyance. "Thanks, but no thanks. I don't need any help."

"Yes, I remember," Sesshoumaru assured her. "As a matter of fact, you were rather rude about it the last time we talked."

"That's because you were trying to cause brain damage," Kagome retorted with an angry huff. "You know what? Forget it." She moved to walk away from him and gasped when he grabbed her by her elbow and dragged her back to his side. "Hey!"

"I am not trying to fight with you today," Sesshoumaru told her as they returned to the waltz. "I actually wanted to congratulate you."

"Really?" Kagome said, a light blush staining her cheeks. "Wow, that's um...thanks. Hey," she said as she pointed to his left lapel. "You got your captain's bar. Congrats."

"Thank you." Sesshoumaru gave the golden bar with a red stone in the center a passing glance and brushed her thanks aside. "Are you looking forward to your first mission?" He frowned when she laughed, her shoulders shaking and her hands over her mouth. "And just what is so funny?"

"It's not you, I promise," Kagome replied as she fanned herself. "It's just that, I doubt anyone would want me on a team with them after the way I handled Kouga. I don't think I'll go on assignment for a long time."

"I disagree," Sesshoumaru responded. "Were you not the highest ranked of the cadets that participated in the test this year?"

"Yeah-hey, how did you find out about that?" Kagome demanded and frowned when he smirked. "Everyone knows. After all, Inuyasha shouted your rank to half of the commons."

"Oh yea, that is right," Kagome replied dismally, remembering the fight the two got into earlier. "Still, that doesn't mean the headmaster's going to think I'm ready for a mission. I bet he thinks I bother him enough about my uniform."

"And what is wrong with your uniform?" Sesshoumaru asked as he looked down at her. "It is the standard issue, is it not?"

"Well yea but I hate shorts and skirts," Kagome griped. "I'm never comfortable in them. How am I supposed to work my blade if I'm stuck in a skirt."

"I see..." Sesshoumaru mumbled as an idea suddenly blossomed. "So...you are uncomfortable in them."

"No, it's not that," Kagome retorted angrily. "I just don't like them."

"Then perhaps you'll be willing to make a small wager."

"What kind?" Kagome asked, her eyebrow raised curiously.

"Just a small one," Sesshoumaru assured her and waited for her to relent.

"Fine," Kagome nodded. "Let's hear it."

"You're to wear a skirt the first day of your assignment if you're assigned to a team before the end of the month."

"And what do I get if I win?" Kagome wondered. Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Whatever you wish, so long as it's reasonable."

"OK then..." Kagome thought for a few moments, allowing Sesshoumaru to lightly spin her before an evil smirk graced her features. "I know..."

`I am not going to like this,' Sesshoumaru determined as she smiled up at him.

"If I win, you have to be my personal slave for two weeks."

`Slave? Me? Surely she is joking.' One look at her proved him wrong, and he mentally smacked himself for starting this in the first place. "Fine. So be it."

"Alright!" Kagome chirped, already imagining Sesshoumaru and the torture she was going to unleash at the end of the month.

"Do not be so confidant Higurashi," Sesshoumaru sternly reprimanded before turning at a tap on his shoulder. "Hello Headmaster," he greeted as Kagome waved from behind him. "Are you better now sir?" Kagome asked.

Squall shook his head. "Unfortunately, things have become worse. I need to speak to you Captain Endo. It's urgent."

Kagome nodded when they excused themselves, frowning slightly as she remembered the headmaster's urgency. `Hmmm...I wonder what that was about,' she asked herself. She shrugged it aside when Shippou walked up to her, then hugged the startled kitsune and dragged him onto the dance floor without another thought.

IX

Sesshoumaru closed the door to the headmaster's office and followed the uneasy human to the desk in the middle of the room. "What is it Headmaster?" he asked when Squall gestured for him to take a seat. Sesshoumaru did so and waited while Squall reached for a folder on the desk behind him. "What is so important?"

"I'm giving you your first assignment as captain," Squall told him as he handed Sesshoumaru the folder. "It's a small one, but it's still important." Sesshoumaru read through the folder as Squall briefed him on the situation.

"I see," Sesshoumaru muttered once he finished. "And my team?"

"We're sending you and two more people," Squall told him before tossing over another folder. "That folder is for Private Almasy. She's a sniper class. You're going to need her."

"And the other?" Sesshoumaru asked. Squall shrugged. "That's for you to decide."

"Really?" `Hm...' Sesshoumaru said to himself. `I believe I know just the person to request.'

X

Kagome used her new ID card to unlock her door, already missing Shippou's familiar company as she walked into the empty room. The new SeeDs were assigned new rooms of their own, and though Shippou was on one side and Miroku on the other, she still missed him walking around tinkering with whatever little electronic he happened to get his paws on.

`Oh well,' Kagome sighed as she flopped down on the bed. `At least this place has it's own bathroom.' She looked up at a knock at her door. "Now what," she mumbled as she opened it. She barely stepped out of the way as Sango barged in with two yellow folders in her hands.

"Kagome guess what?" she cried before grabbing the younger girl and squeezing the life from her. Kagome struggled and gasped for air as Sango barreled on. "I got my first assignment!"

"Really! That's great!" Kagome squeaked out. "But Sango, I need to breathe."

"Oh, right, sure." Sango let her go and smiled as Kagome dusted herself off. "I just got my assignment from the office. Oh, you've got something too."

"So when do you leave?" Kagome asked as she tore the folder open.

"Tomorrow morning. This is so cool! The only downfall is that-"

"Sesshoumaru's your captain," Kagome breathed as she read her folder. "Yeah," Sango said. "How'd you know?"

"Because he's mine. Dear God, how did I let him talk me into that stupid bet?"

(End Chapter)

Not bad for a fourth chapter huh? I'm pretty happy with it myself. I feel good. Just in case you haven't noticed, Kagome's a lot more stable than she's been in the last couple of chapters. She's a near adult now, so she's thinking a little more instead of going with her emotions. That doesn't mean she won't blow up on someone now...she's just a lot calmer than she used to be.

Sesshoumaru's definitely interested, but it's not love. (Shakes head) Nope, we're not there yet. It's wayyyyy too early for that sort of thing. Sesshoumaru's interest is pretty much the interest he had in her when he was still at the school, except now he has a chance to study her. She's like an odd little firefly who keeps running into a window. He can't quite understand why she does what she does but he finds it fascinating all the same. Oh, the preview is below.

Inuyasha: I just don't understand. I mean, what sane person would want Kagome and Sango with them on a mission? It's just asking for trouble. Well...now that I think about it...Sesshoumaru deserves a little trouble, the prick. Heh. That reminds me of the first time we met Kagome. That girl's always into something. Shippou's moping around now without her. That kit is starting to worry the hell out of me, but Kikyou won't let me hurt him. Hey, didn't Sesshoumaru say something about going to Winhill on a train?

There aren't any trains to Winhill.

Poor bastard....Hahahahahahahaha....

Chapter Four: The New Monster Hunters of Winhill