InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Ai no Koinu ❯ The Same, Yet Different ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

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Rating: NC-17 - For sexual situations and Inu Yasha's fondness for swear words.

Pairing: Ultimately, IY/Kag. With hints of Sess/Kag and Kik/IY along the way.

Disclaimer: Inu Yasha, Kagome, Sesshoumaru, Shippo, and Kikyou do not belong to me.. they are the creations of Takahashi Rumiko. The planet of Amoi and Tanagura itself (both the city and society) are not mine.. they are from the novel "Ai no Kusabi" by Yoshihara Rieko. I know, I'm so unoriginal. ;_; But please don't sue me. I'm cute and.. okay.. perverted, but that's not the point! All I own are my notebooks and a bunch of fansubs! Honest!

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It took Inu Yasha a few moments to notice the rumbling in his chest that indicated he was growling in the privacy of the elevator. DAMN Sesshoumaru! The bastard actually enjoyed taking the light out of a Pet's eyes, breaking them until they lost any will to truly live…

He looked at Kagome out of the corner of his eye and immediately became even more worried. The dead, glazed look was still in her eyes and she hadn't said a word since they left the office.

"Hey Kagome."

No response.

Inu Yasha waved a hand in front of her face. "Helloooooooooooooo!"

She didn't even blink.

Just then, the elevator stopped and Inu Yasha was forced to guide his Pet into the apartment.

"Welcome.. home?" Shippo was stopped mid-outburst by the emptiness in Kagome's eyes. He turned frantic. "What happened to Kagome-sama?"

"Sesshoumaru insisted on 'inspecting' her," he spat out the vile word as if it were poison.

Shippo's eyes widened. "He didn't…"

"He did," Inu Yasha bit out. "Now are you going to help get her to the couch, or do I have to fire you for not doing your job?"

That snapped the Furniture out of his shock, and between the two of them, they got the Pet safely to one of the couches. Kagome sank down on the cushions obediently.

Inu Yasha very much wanted to worry at his lower lip with his teeth, but he did not dare show such open emotion. Shippo, though, had no such reservations as he literally jumped onto the Pet's lap and threw his arms around her waist. "Kagome-sama! Snap out of it, Kagome-sama!" he wailed.

"Sh.. Shippo-chan," she replied in a monotone.

Which made the Furniture cry even harder.

Very good. That's much better. You have come to realize that you cannot save her now. You doomed her the moment you took her in your arms.

Words from long ago echoed in the silverhair's mind. Those brown, expressionless eyes, devoid of all signs of life struck a chord that greatly unnerved him.

The last time he had tried to bring the light back into a pair of eyes like that, it had only made things worse. But this Pet was his. And he'd be damned if he let another girl like her die.

Besides, Shippo's wailing was giving him a headache.

Inu Yasha reached out one well-manicured hand and cupped Kagome's chin, his fingers resting lightly on either side of her jawbone as he drew her head to the side to face him. She stared blankly ahead, still locked away from reality.

Shippo stopped crying as he saw his master move, then lean in.

Slowly, hesitantly, Inu Yasha drew closer to Kagome until their faces were just centimeters apart.

Then the silverhair closed his eyes, trying to keep his touch businesslike. However, his pulse was racing and his breath caught in his throat as he blushed, contemplating what he was about to do. He shouldn't.. it wasn't right…

But his body had disconnected itself from his brain and closed the distance, his lips pressing warmly and firmly against his Pet's.

As if waking up from a deep sleep, Kagome's mind slowly started to function again. The first thing she was aware of was a desire to keep her eyes closed. But then she realized that her impulse wasn't because she was sleepy, but because there was something pressing against her lips. No one had told her to kiss anybody! Her eyes flew open and she found herself staring at someone's closed eyelids, their face flush up against hers.

She blinked once. Twice. Then her hand came up.

SLAP!

Inu Yasha flinched backwards, opening his eyes and nursing his stinging, bright red cheek.

"What the hell are you doing?! Get away from me!" Kagome raged, eyes blazing.

For a moment, the silverhair looked hurt, but he quickly regained his composure enough to cover his surprise with a smirk. "Nice to see you back to normal."

The Pet let out something close to a growl before crossing her arms and tossing her head.

After less than a minute, her self-righteous pose started to melt as she woke up the rest of the way and the realization hit her.

That hadn't been just some wayward Pet! She had just slapped her master!

The part of her that had been trained as a Pet quailed in horror, waiting for her punishment to be handed down. Most owners, she knew, would not hesitate to discard her after this. Yet the part of her that was her blood, her ancestry, was making her feel strangely satisfied. The smug jerk deserved it!

Cautiously, she peeked out of the corner of her eye. His smirk had widened to almost a grin. "What the...?"

"You almost had me worried there, bitch," he told her. "Taking orders without any kind of backtalk! Keh! If I wanted something spineless, I would've bought a worm!" He kept the haughtiness in his eyes, but deep inside, he was nervous about letting so much information about his preferences slip out. Yet somehow he felt the admission a small price to pay in exchange for Kagome's spirit.

"You.. you actually like me like this?" Kagome stuttered in disbelief.

Inu Yasha snorted. "When I take you out, as I'm sure my brother will make me do, you'll need to go back into Pet mode. But here in private.. do as you like."

The Pet bowed her head, hiding her eyes behind her bangs. "Thank you," she murmured.

Then silence descended. Inu Yasha was at a loss as to how to respond to such unadorned sentiment.

But Shippo helped him with that.

From his standing position on her lap, the Furniture could still see his charge's face. So he was the first one to see the tears roll down her cheeks and plop onto her chest.

"Kagome-sama.. you're crying."

That did it.

"Oh great. If I'd known that'd make you go all weepy on me, I wouldn't have been so nice!"

The Pet did not respond, lost in her own thoughts.

But the silverhair could see her shoulders twitching

"Shippo," Inu Yasha barked, "when she's done getting my couch all soggy, take her back to her room. I'll be in mine. And don't bug me unless you want to get flattened."

Shippo's eyes were as wide as saucers. Inu Yasha was REALLY scary when he said stuff like that. "Y.. yes, sir!" he all but squeaked.

With that, the silverhair turned on his heel and stomped out of the room, his footsteps audible until they were punctuated by the pounding of his fist on the wall as he released the locking system on his bedroom door.

For a few minutes, the only sound in the vast main room was Kagome's sniffling. After a while, she finally wiped the tears from her eyes and met Shippo's worried gaze, forcing a smile as she did so. "Sorry about that, Shippo-chan."

"It's okay, Kagome-sama!" the Furniture reassured her. "But.. why were you crying?"

Kagome bit her lower lip for a second before deciding to confide in the servant. "At first it was because I was so relieved that he wasn't going to get rid of me. But then, after his rude comments about my crying, it was because I'm confused," She fought down another wave of tears. "What is he really like? One moment he's being an ass, then he's being nice.. it's tearing me apart."

Wisdom beyond his apparent years shone in Shippo's eyes. "That's just the way he is, Kagome-sama."

"What do you mean?"

Shippo looked around her arm, gazing at where Inu Yasha had disappeared down the hall. "He really has a good heart; he just has to keep it secret. If anyone else in Tanagura knew, they'd only see it as a weakness, and try and destroy him. It's bad enough that Sesshoumaru-sama knows!"

Kagome nodded. "I see…"

"In fact," he turned his full attention to her and gave her a mischievous smile, "don't tell him I told you this, but he hates seeing girls cry. That's why he left!"

Kagome was stunned. She didn't know anyone could survive in Tanagura with a purely honest heart. Her master must have been forging the armor around it from the day he was born.

And yet, it seemed to dislike being contained.

"Thanks, Shippo. I feel better now," she said, giving him an honest smile.

"Good!" the Furniture replied, nodding in satisfaction. "Now, I know the perfect thing to cheer you up! The catalogs I ordered for you came in today! Let's go to your room and shop!"

Kagome couldn't help but chuckle a bit at Shippo's enthusiasm. "Okay," she agreed, and the boy hopped off her lap to lead the way.

Besides, maybe she'd think of some way to subtly thank her master for his kindness while she was looking at the catalogs. She'd have to ask Shippo what Inu Yasha's favorite color was…

Inu Yasha stomped into his room, whipping his hair to the side as soon as the door was closed and reaching for the zipper of his jumpsuit. He pulled it down partway, then expertly brought his arm around the other way so he could grasp the bit of metal again and pull it the rest of the way down. After that, he went over and sat on his bed, letting the cool air of the room play over his back as he pulled off his boots. Once the footwear was safely deposited at the end of his bed, he peeled the jumpsuit off his shoulders and arms, pausing only for a moment before standing up and ridding himself of the outfit entirely. Feeling much more comfortable, he went back over to his bed and slipped under the covers, pulling them up to his chin with an irritated jerk.

"Stupid wench," he muttered, trying to force his mind away from the image of his Pet's lowered head and shaking shoulders. It was nearly an hour before he could calm himself down enough to let the land of dreams embrace him and take him away from that unfamiliar twinge he was feeling deep in his heart, even if for only a few hours.

"Damn it all to hell!" Inu Yasha burst out, doing his best to fight the urge to shred his pillow just to have the satisfaction of taking his frustration out on something.

The second moon had already risen, and he was still wide-awake.

Of course, the fact that his first major business meeting was scheduled first thing in the morning couldn't possibly have anything to do with that!

He ground his teeth and plopped face-down onto the pillow, nearly smothering himself. Of course, if he did choke to death, he wouldn't have to face his brother and the men on the Board of Trustees of the company his family ran. It was starting to look like a tempting alternative…

When there was a knock on his bedroom door.

Inu Yasha gave vent to a huge sigh before calling out, "Shippo.. I'm trying to get some fucking sleep here! I'll take care of it in the morning!" and he re-buried his head.

The knock came again, more tentative this time, followed by a voice. "Forgive my intrusion, Inu Yasha-sama. However, Sesshoumaru-sama commanded me to come here."

That voice. Inu Yasha had never heard it before. It was sweet and relatively high-pitched.. definitely female. Sesshoumaru had to be up to something, but he was too weary to try and figure it out. He threw off the covers and drew on a pair of loose pants before striding to the door and keying in the "unlock" sequence.

As the door slid to the side, he could see his visitor clearly. She was a few inches shorter than him, with deep black hair that hung past her waist. She was clothed in even less than he was.. just a simple elasticized band around her chest, and another one that barely reached from her waist past the round curve of her hips and buttocks.

A Pet. Great. Just wonderful. What was Sesshoumaru playing at, anyway?

"So what do you want? Or should I say.. what does my brother want?"

Keeping her head down demurely as she had been taught to do, she folded her hands in front of her and bowed, a bag of netted cloth dangling from her wrist as she did so. "He merely sent me to you for the night. To do with as you please."

Inu Yasha crinkled his nose in disgust. "Then take yourself right back up to Sesshoumaru's. I'm not interested," he informed her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get some sleep." With that, he turned away from her and went back to bed, taking care to leave his pants on. Hopefully she would take the hint and leave.

He pulled the covers up over his body and settled in to at least make an attempt to sleep.

All was peaceful for maybe five minutes before his mattress sank, as if an extra weight had been added. He felt the intruder hesitate, then slide up against his back.

Maybe she'd get a clue if he kept ignoring her.

Unfortunately, that strategy fell to pieces when the Pet snuggled up against him, the curves of her breasts pillowing his spine and her pelvis all but grinding against his rear end. An arm went around his waist and a low voice murmured in his ear. "Please.. Inu Yasha-sama," she moaned.

"Damn it, woman, I'm trying to sleep!" he barked, rolling forward and away from her, placing one foot on the floor as he leapt out of bed. He stayed close, though, his eyes taking in the barely-dressed Pet with a look of indescribable sadness in her eyes.

Argh. He hated it when women looked at him like that!

"Look," he began, crossing his arms over his bare chest. Maybe if he spoke more like his brother, she would actually listen to him. "I don't know what Sesshoumaru has up his sleeve, but I have a very important matter to attend to in the morning, so I need my rest. Kindly leave here NOW!"

The Pet raised herself up onto her knees, sitting back and staring at him with eyes that threatened to spill tears.

"O.. oi…"

"If.. if I go back without having fulfilled.. my duty.. Sesshoumaru-sama will.." she looked away and hiccupped, obviously trying to hide her tears.

Oh great. Just fucking wonderful. That damned brother of his knew exactly how to pull his strings.. all he had to do was prey on the younger man's sense of pity. With a deep sigh born of resigning himself to the inevitable, he asked, "And what is your duty?"

The Pet on his bed faced him with limpid eyes. "I know of your meeting tomorrow, Inu Yasha-sama, for that is the reason I am here. Your family's business associates are worried about you, and I was sent to alleviate their fears."

"And what are they so worried about?" Inu Yasha asked, his voice laced with skepticism.

"Inu Yasha-sama owns no Pets. Therefore they are uncertain if you are.. functioning correctly."

The silverhair's face turned red, but not from embarrassment. "You mean those jackasses think that just because I don't fuck anything with a hole I'm flawed?! Everything works fine, thank-you-very-much!"

The Pet flinched, shrinking away in the face of Inu Yasha's tirade. "Inu Yasha-sama…"

For the first time, a new emotion crept into her eyes.. fear.

Fear of him.

Inu Yasha took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He hadn't meant to take it out on her, but she was the only person in close proximity. When he was finally more in control of his emotions, he asked, "What's your name?"

The Pet seemed startled. "Ki.. Kikyou."

"Kikyou, huh? Well then, Kikyou, how were you going to get this proof you said you need?"

Both her eyes and face went blank as she automatically recited her orders. "My explicit instructions are to pleasure you and put the results in this container." She reached around and off to the side toward his nightstand, her hand closing around something, bringing it in front of her.

A medical specimen cup with a screw-on lid.

"Damn perverts," Inu Yasha muttered. Then he raised his voice, "and if you don't come back with it, you'll be punished?"

"Ye.. yes, sir."

"Well, that's easily enough solved," the silverhair smiled a bit in relief. "Just give it to me and…"

"Forgive me, Inu Yasha-sama," the Pet interrupted, "but they will be checking for my bodily fluids as well.. as proof that you can function with someone other than yourself."

If he wasn't a silverhair, Inu Yasha would have spat. "Damn it all anyway," he grumbled. His heart began to beat nervously, and he could feel the blood starting to rush to his groin in instinctive anticipation. "I'm not a fucking Pet," he thought viciously. But if he did not allow the Pet to complete her task, he would be the cause of any pain they inflicted on her. "Fine then," he told her, a light blush of color on his cheeks. "What do I have to do?"

With the barest of smiles, a trained parting of the lips, Kikyou patted the bed next to her "Just take off your clothing, lie down here next to me, and leave everything else in my hands."

She looked like she had said the same thing a million times, her expression welcoming, but her deep brown eyes showed not even a hint of light.

Nevertheless, Inu Yasha followed her instructions, stripping off his pants and carefully climbing back onto the bed, mindful of the semi-erect length between his legs.

He laid down and settled back against the pillows, closing his eyes with slight apprehension. His breath caught as a hand, slick from some type of lubricant, closed around him and began to stroke. He could feel himself hardening, ardently responding to the pleasurable caresses he was receiving.

But what he wasn't expecting was the sensation of warm dampness closing over the sensitive head. He gasped and reflexively opened his eyes to see Kikyou, her hand still moving over his shaft, but now the tip was enclosed in her mouth, her tongue bathing the exposed sensitive skin with expert precision. Her other arm was thrown across his hips, controlling any sudden movements he might make.

Inu Yasha fought against the frantic impulse to climax right then and there at the combined sight and feel of Kikyou's ministrations. He could see why sex was the common entertainment in Tanagura. The risk of not knowing how he would be touched was only heightening the pleasure. It almost.. almost.. blotted out the reminder that this was all happening solely because his brother had ordered it.

But, being as inexperienced as he was, he was completely overwhelmed when the Pet's talented tongue whirled around the wider base of the head where it connected to his shaft, stopping every few rotations to lightly tap the notch that disturbed its circular path.

Inu Yasha's hips furiously tried to buck upwards as he closed his eyes and let his pleasure overtake him, shocks of ecstasy flowing through his veins as he exploded in Kikyou's mouth.

The Pet took as much as she could, then released him, sitting up and opening the container before spitting the silverhair's seed into it. She screwed the top back on, and set it back on the bedside table before milking the last few remaining drops of her partner's climax from his body. If she had cared more, she might have laughed or teased the boy about his lack of control. As it was, she simply reached over, grabbed a few tissues from the table, and cleaned him up. Then she slid off the bed, threw the used pieces of softened paper away, and took up her sample before turning and bowing to him.

"Thank you very much, Inu Yasha-sama. Have a pleasant evening," she said softly.

"Yeah, okay," were the only words Inu Yasha could really come up with. The sea of pleasure that had washed over him was ebbing away, leaving him with only an echo.

An echo as empty and devoid of emotion as the voice of the Pet who had serviced him.

Now that he looked back on it, it wasn't really anything special. Yes, it had been intensely pleasurable, but the emotions it evoked were fleeting.

Of course, emotion was not supposed to be felt at all in Tanagura. But if any emotion were to be allowed, such a transitory one would be closest to ideal.

Following the curious heaviness in his limbs, Inu Yasha pulled the bed sheets back over his naked body and snuggled down, waiting for the darkness at the edge of his consciousness to finally claim him.

Apparentl y, the board members had been satisfied, since he didn't hear anything about it afterward, and the eyes that had rested on him during the meeting were more relieved than truly interested in what he was saying.

That should have signaled a return to the normal, peaceful life he usually led, but such was not to be. When he wasn't forced to keep his mind busy with work, it tended to fill itself with images of the raven-haired Pet that had come to him for such a brief time.

To be honest, he had never really had a chance to talk to a Pet, but what he had seen scared him. It wasn't the blatant sexuality or technique that unnerved him.. it was the blasé way in which the Pets handled their work. It went above and beyond the strict concentration most jobs required.

It was as if their very souls had been sucked out.

The more Inu Yasha observed, the more he became aware of the differences between the Pets and regular servants. The servants, at least, had a modicum of freedom during their off hours. But the Pets were given orders during all hours of the day, and they did whatever was asked of them, no matter how cruel or degrading the task might be. It was sickening!

Yet they didn't even seem to care.

Of course, it didn't help that after that evening, it was almost as if Kikyou was being thrown in his path at every opportunity.. parties, meetings, everywhere! But each time they met, she looked right through him as if he weren't there.

So he decided to turn the tables on her, purposely learning her schedule so he could keep up with her, see how her days were spent.

Never once did he see her smile, aside from the conditioned lifting of the corners of her mouth when it was socially expected.

It almost became an obsession with him. Was there something, anything, that would awaken her from her stupor? He had to find out!

Finally, Inu Yasha discovered that the only time Kikyou tended to be alone was for roughly a half an hour after lunch when she'd sit in the middle of one of the pleasure gardens deep inside the harem and simply stare into space, almost as if she were contemplating something.

That would be the best time to corner her.

The pockets of Sesshoumaru's Furniture were already well fleshed out with credits thanks to his "generosity"; it seemed the servants were very susceptible to bribes. He supposed that was what happened when a male lost one of their most prized body parts, that individual would indulge in whatever other luxuries still available. Hence, money apparently spoke when dealing with most Furniture.

Besides, they also seemed to be damned amused about the whole thing, judging by the snickers and winks he got when he entered the harem.

Just as he had expected, Kikyou was sitting on the lip of a fountain, the water cascading behind her in graceful arcs. The scent of flowers perfumed the air, and the artificial light that was calibrated to act as the sun shone down. The whole scene spoke of tranquility.. but none of it was real.

Inu Yasha made his way along the path to the center of the garden, his eyes fixed on the Pet's serene expression and the dark hair that flowed down her back in direct contrast to the rest of the setting. She didn't even sense him as he came within a few feet of her. Finally, he sat down on the edge of the fountain within talking distance.

"Kikyou."

The girl started, almost falling backward into the pond. But before the silverhair could so much as extend a helping hand, she gripped the edge of her perch and got herself under control. Wide, fear-filled eyes stared at him. "Inu.. Yasha-sama," she gasped.

"Calm down, would you? I'm not going to eat you or anything," he grumped, looking away from her.

A blush spread over her cheeks as she gazed at him in shock. Then the reality of the situation crashed down on her. "You shouldn't be here! Go! Before the guards catch you!" the Pet urgently begged him.

"They know I'm here."

"WHAT?!?"

"I paid them off, okay?" Inu Yasha glared at Kikyou. "And I did it because I just want to talk to you. You're the only Pet I know."

"You don'tknow me! And I don't know you, so get out of here!" she cried, sounding caught between anger and fear.

"Not until…"

"NOW!" Kikyou flew at him, beating her fists against his chest. But the silverhair seemed unfazed as he caught one wrist, then the other, forcing her to stop. Yet she still struggled, but whether she was trying to break way, keep hitting him, or both was anybody's guess.

Finally, when she realized he wasn't going to let her go any time soon, she settled down, tears of frustration rolling down her cheeks.

Upon seeing her tears, Inu Yasha steeled himself to speak. "That's better. In fact, those tears are what I wanted to ask you about."

"Huh?" the Pet stopped moving altogether and merely stared up at him in utter confusion.

"Every Pet I've ever seen has never worn a smile." Kikyou opened her mouth to speak, but Inu Yasha silenced her, "and not that fake thing, either! Whenever I look into a Pet's eyes, all I see is emptiness, or some negative emotion." The silverhair released her wrists to cup her face, gently smearing the tracks of her tears with his thumbs.

"I.." she tried to move away, or even just look away, but his hands held her fast. "We.. You could never understand the life of a Pet, Inu Yasha-sama…"

"Try me."

Seeing that her master's brother had the upper hand, she finally gave in. "There is nothing in this existence to justify a smile. There is no happiness, no joy. Only despair and a commitment to following orders, whatever they are. We have no free will. Our happiness is killed the moment we begin our training. A silverhair like you could never understand!"

"What? You think I'm happy being a silverhair?" Inu Yasha demanded.

Kikyou lapsed into shocked silence.

"You wouldn't know because you've never had it, but money and status do the same thing. You must always act a certain way, there is always someone overseeing your work. Happiness must be sacrificed for the sake of duty. Sound familiar?"

Kikyou was speechless as Inu Yasha could see in her eyes that her whole world had just been turned upside-down. "You're not.. happy?"

"Hell no," he spat out. Then his expression softened. "Look, maybe we got off on the wrong foot, but perhaps we might become friends."

"Friends?!" the Pet echoed. Then she snapped out of her stupor. "A Pet could never be friends with a silverhair! It's forbidden!"

Suddenly, a pair of arms went around her, wrapping her up and crushing her against a warm, solid chest, her own arms pinned in front of her. Inu Yasha's chin rested on her shoulder for moment before he lifted his head to whisper in her ear. "You talk too much."

"LET GO OF THE PET! NOW!" an amplified voice boomed from the edges of the garden.

Kikyou fought to get out of Inu Yasha's arms, but he only held her even more tightly, protectively. He looked around, gauging how many people there were. He could see at least two Furniture on each side.. all aiming laser pistols at them.

"It seems my pockets are deeper than yours, little brother," a smooth baritone chided.

Inu Yasha scowled as the distinctive white and red clothing of his older brother showed through the flowers. "Sesshoumaru!" he growled through gritted teeth. "You bastard!"

"Now, now.. such language is most unbecoming of a silverhair," Sesshoumaru practically purred. His cold amber eyes flickered to the Pet. "Ah, Kikyou. How the mighty hath fallen."

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" the Pet nearly screamed, tears swimming in her eyes once more. "This isn't my fault! I HATE him! Forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sa…"

"Enough," her master cut her off. "That does not matter. In fact, you both walked into my trap quite nicely."

"What?" Inu Yasha and Kikyou chorused.

Sesshoumaru smirked. "You are getting quite old, Kikyou. The only reason I have kept you around for so long is your talent. I needed an excuse to be rid of you, and I know my pure-hearted little brother would give me the perfect opening. Poor child.. he is such a sensitive, gullible little boy.."

"Shut the fuck up, Sesshoumaru!" Inu Yasha snarled.

The older silverhair merely clucked his tongue. "Such a pity. Guards!"

The Furniture that had been guarding the perimeter came closer to the center of the circle, four of them holstering their guns. Before the two knew what was happening, Inu Yasha's shoulders were gripped and held firm as Kikyou was torn out of his arms. The silverhair struggled to get free, but somehow they were holding him easily. "Kikyou!" he cried out.

"You asshole! I HATE you! Do you hear me? I HATE YOU!" the black-haired Pet screamed, baring her teeth as the two Furniture holding her arms restrained her. "This is all because of YOU! I'll never ever forget this!" The girl kept ranting until she had been dragged out of the garden and well out of earshot, fighting her captors every step of the way.

Inu Yasha fixed glittering eyes on his brother. "What are you going to do to her, Sesshoumaru?"

"Is it not obvious? Oh, that's right. You have never owned a Pet, so you would not know. She is going to Ranaya Uugo."

"Ranaya Uugo?!" Inu Yasha's jaw went slack with shock.

"Of course," Sesshoumaru responded, obviously bored. "All Pets that are too old or useless are sent there. It's better for them to work hard and die quickly than simply linger on like a ghost until they die of old age. That way, they will not be devastated by having to see their beauty further marred by the hands of time."

"Don't make me laugh!" the younger brother spat. "That's just what you jerks tell yourselves to shut up what little conscience you have left.."

"Inu Yasha." The words snapped out like a whip, forcing the restrained silverhair to be silent. "I would not say another word, if I were you. You are in quite a predicament yourself, at the moment.. consorting with another man's Pet without permission." Sesshoumaru walked up to his captive and cupped his relative's chin. "I should have you join Kikyou in Ranaya Uugo. But.. I can't be that cruel to my baby brother, now can I?"

Inu Yasha purposely bit his tongue to keep himself from throwing out more insults. Much as he hated to admit it, there was nothing he could do. His brother was much, much more powerful than he was, even if that power was all in money and influence.

Sesshoumaru took his silence as a sign of surrender. "Very good. That's much better. You have come to realize that you cannot save her now. You doomed her the moment you took her in your arms." He leaned in so that his face was only a breath away from that of his brother. "Since you were a good boy and gave in so easily, I'll go lightly on you. Inu Yasha."

Inu Yasha sat straight up, his eyes snapping open as the voice in his memory speaking his name in such stomach-turning, honeyed tones echoed over and over until it slowly faded into nothingness. He clamped his hands down over his ears and leaned forward, his chest heaving as he struggled for breath. At some point during the night, he had apparently broken out in a cold sweat that had dampened both his skin and the bed sheets. A gentle draft blew over him and he moved to wrap his arms around himself in a futile effort to ward off the chill.

A dream. It had only been a dream. It was over and done with. There was nothing more he could have done back then.

But this time, the girl was his, and he'd be damned if he let anyone take away her soul.

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Author's Note: I'm actually really proud of this chapter, especially since I did such a rush job on Chapter 2. ^_^;; But this is edited and gone over to the point that I'm happy. *whew* I hope you all enjoyed it!

Also.. Chapter 4 kind of ran away with itself. ^_^;; So there's going to be some lovely lemon meringue to start off the next chapter, so for those of you asking "where's more WAFF? And maybe some lemon?", here it will be. That particular chapter WILL be unedited, since well.. I really can't cut it out without losing most of the point of the chapter *LOL*.