InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Paradox ❯ Be Careful What You Wish For...(Part3) ( Chapter 8 )

Author Notes: Gomen nesai!!! This is much longer than I thought it would be and I decided I would split it up here before pressing forward with a major turning point - revealing Kagome's wish. I must apologize for my tardiness in posting the completed chapter 8, but I do have a good excuse - my ISP got all testy about MediaMiner's content and blocked the site yet again. I've spent the last couple of days begging and pleading with them to re-open it, which they finally agreed to do today though I still get the occasional `blocked site' screen while trying to browse *grrrrr*.

RedHerring: You are simply wonderful and thank you for reviewing the partial chapter. Your suggestion to split the chapter kind of stuck in my head and what do you know, I ended up doing just that. However, I do hope that the additional content herein meets with your approval.

Laura-chan: Very sweet of you to review the partial chapter and I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm pretty much an Inu & Kag supporter as well, but I have read some really great alternative pairings that occasionally convince me to think of the other possibilities *wide evil grin*

wufeicustom: Wow, you went back and re-read the previous chapters in one sitting! That's got to be one of the nicest compliments I've had regarding this piece. Arigato gozaimasu!

Amethyst: *grin* and *hug* (enough said *wink*)

witchygoddess10: Hello and thank you very much for the review and ratings! You are too kind with your comments! Arigato!

youkaitsuki: Thank you so much, I am indeed honored to have made your favorites list. I am also very grateful that you took a chance and decided to read my story. Arigato!

Paradox

Chapter 8: Be Careful What You Wish For…(Part 3)

Last Time:

It was the same lesson she had sought to impart to him all those years ago while they were hunting for the Shikon no Kakera, battling Naraku and trying to put his past to rest. The same lesson he had been forced to learn and relearn numerous times over the last five hundred years, his brother being the one who had painfully instilled that knowledge in him on each occasion. Funny how, if asked, he would be the last person to admit it; yet, he couldn't deny that none of them would be here today if it hadn't been for Sesshoumaru. Oh sure, he might loudly bemoan the fact that he had such an egotistical, aristocratic snob for a brother; but deep down, he was secretly and eternally grateful for everything the taiyoukai had taught him.

Now it was his turn to pass on that knowledge to someone else and much like his brother had done, he would have to be patient until Kagome realized that she didn't have to face her fears alone.

++++

`Hmmm, delicious.'

Moaning thickly as he tasted her lingering essence, his red tongue darted out to lick sensuously over firm lips; capturing every nuance of her exhilarating fear. Inhaling deeply, he could still smell her exquisite scent, its delicate fragrance intoxicatingly sweet and so uniquely her own. His fingers tingled in excitement; aching to stroke her petal soft skin, creamy and smooth like fine porcelain; yet so warm, flushed rosy with her anger. He shivered; remembering the wild fluttering of her heartbeat tickling his lips as he kissed her throat.

And her blood. Heat flared low in his groin as he recalled the heady flavor spilling over his tongue. Hot and spicy from her rush of adrenaline, he had savored its slightly coppery tang as if drinking the finest of wines. Like an aphrodisiac, the delightful liquid had heated his own blood awakening a raw passion that left him shaking with need. Her innocence and purity had made the electrifying sensations all the more erotic; heightening his pleasure to the point of ecstasy. Pressing his hand firmly against his throbbing length, he groaned; trembling slightly as melting heat snaked through him.

He craved another taste.

She was far stronger than he expected, enough so that he had resorted to using her dreams to enter her subconscious, but still not powerful enough to cause him worry. He must admit that he had enjoyed that unforeseen challenge; preferring it over disappointment had he been able to control her easily. Of course, struggling against him was useless; though that didn't mean he wouldn't delight in breaking through her meager defenses. Let her resist as much as she liked, he would have what he wanted soon enough; their shared dream practically guaranteed him his victory.

He had sensed the change in her; how her confidence had wavered in those last few moments. Unwittingly, she had exposed to him her greatest weakness and how he had laughed at her naivety. He could finish her off in a heartbeat now if he wanted; but where would be the fun in that? No, he wanted to play a little longer. He wanted her to be plagued by insecurity and helplessness; incapable of escaping from the nightmare he would create especially for her. He would push her to the very limits of sanity; breaking her indomitable spirit before he mercilessly crushed her.

Then, when she was nothing more than a tortured soul trapped in a lifeless shell, then, she would understand that she should be careful what she wished for…

++++

They had entered into a sort of stand off. Brown eyes staring into blue, they studied each other carefully; neither party willing to make the first move and inadvertently put themselves at a disadvantage. Almost twenty minutes they had been like that, not giving or gaining an inch. Exasperated by his adversary's ridiculous persistence, the taller one glowered down at him, his lip curling in a snarl. Lifting his chin a notch, the smaller one defiantly glared back, his face a mask of determination.

Fed up with this nonsense, Kouga growled in irritation, snapping, "Damn it, kid, move your ass before I move it for you."

Not the least bit perturbed by his threat, Souta stood his ground, singularly intent on keeping the wolf at bay. He had been given a task to do and he wasn't about to call Sesshoumaru-sama's faith in his abilities into question by failing. The demon Lord had expressly forbidden the dark haired demon from entering Kagome's room and appointed the Higurashi boy as her guardian to enforce that order. Initially surprised by such a request, Souta was immensely grateful that he now had a valid reason to remain beside his sister and thus was no longer in danger of being sent back to the shrine.

Eager to see Kagome after their long separation, it came as no surprise that Kouga summarily dismissed the older demon's directive and headed straight for her room as soon as he arrived. Naturally, the taiyoukai had anticipated this reaction and stationed Souta outside his sister's door early this morning to impede the demon's advance. However, dissuading the youkai from his course of action proved more difficult than he had expected and Souta was uncertain he could stop him if the wolf decided to simply push his way through. Folding his arms over his chest, he tried to affect an air of authority, exasperatedly explaining for the third time in a tone that bordered on icy, "Sesshoumaru-sama said only Sango-san is allowed to go inside."

Kouga bit back another growl when the boy's speech seemed to mimic another, more familiar cadence; its coolness reminiscent of the one person he usually had little choice but to obey. His lips drawing back in a sneer, he instantly recognized who was behind this little charade. He should have known that overbearing taiyoukai was calling the shots and how so like him to let someone else do his dirty work. And who better to do it than the boy who had been with Kagome when they found her. Wasn't he her brother or something like that?

Snorting as the boy stepped in front of him when he made a move to walk past, Kouga decided that he had played this game long enough. Irregardless of whatever dictate the demon Lord had laid down, he wanted to see Kagome. Rolling his eyes, he grumbled, "I don't care what Sesshoumaru said. I want to see my Kagome."

Inwardly wincing at how close to whining that came out sounding, the wolf glared at the young human whose previously rigid appearance had begun to soften towards a slightly sympathetic look. Much to his chagrin, the kid looked like he actually felt sorry for him which only served to increase the demon's anger. He certainly didn't want the little baka pitying him. Then again, he wasn't too far from wallowing in his own self-pity; seeing as how he was the only person Kagome hadn't spoken to.

After spending the night guarding that bastard hanyou, he had wanted nothing more than to get to Sesshoumaru's so that he could finally be reunited with his woman. He had been looking forward to this moment for as long as he could remember; meticulously planning a tender, passionate reunion with the woman he loved. Those plans had suddenly gone awry when he ran smack into the human guarding her door. Now, while it certainly was amusing to see the kid stand up to that annoying puppy, Kouga wasn't too thrilled being the butt of joke this time.

Damn, this stubborn brat was really starting to get on his nerves.

Muttering a colorful string of curses beneath his breath, he was secretly satisfied to see the boy's face pucker in disapproval at one particularly rude expression. Anything was better than the big soulful puppy eyes that had threatened to spill tears on his behalf.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to either of them, the underlying cause behind their disagreement had stepped from her room in time to hear the tail end of Kouga's ranting, her jaw dropping as the crude invective burned in her ears. Incredulous that the wolf would use such nasty language in front of an impressionable young teenager, Kagome gasped, "Kouga-kun! Don't talk like that in front of my brother!"

Two pairs of stunned eyes whipped around to take in the fuming woman's furious expression; the lines of her face set in a thunderous scowl. Her irritation was directed solely at the unlucky wolf and she looked ready to commit murder. Gulping down the laugher which had bubbled up in his throat as his sister chewed the demon out, Souta decided to leave Kouga to Kagome's tender mercy. With a friendly little wave completely at odds with his earlier behavior towards the wolf, he airily announced his departure. "I think I'll go see if Shippo-san needs any help."

Ironically, after trying so hard to get the kid to leave, Kouga, now faced with Kagome's wrath, found himself wishing the human had stuck around a little longer. Having finished her lecture while he had been busy watching the boy's escape, he could feel the miko's heated gaze boring into him and knew he was in serious trouble. Glancing sheepishly across the hall to where Kagome stood, her hands fisted on her hips as she glared at him, he immediately regretted losing his temper; especially now that he was on the receiving end of the annoyed expression she usually reserved for dog breath. Belatedly wondering how he was going to fix this, he stammered, "O-oi, I didn't mean to say all that. It's just that he wouldn't let me see you and…"

He fell silent when he saw one dark eyebrow lift upwards as if to say there was no acceptable excuse for his crass conduct. Snapping his mouth closed, he felt his heart sink even further into his feet when he noticed another emotion apparent in her gaze. Along with the frown furrowing her brow, he detected deep disappointment shining in her eyes and was saddened by the knowledge that he had been the one who put it there. Swallowing nervously, he hung his head in shame; mentally kicking himself for spoiling the moment. This certainly wasn't how he imagined their joyous reunion to be.

Scratching the back of his head in an effort to hide his hurt and embarrassment, he turned pleading blue eyes towards her, an apologetic grin tugging at his lips. "Gomen ne, Kagome."

Something about the pitiful way he looked at her tugged at Kagome's heart and she felt her anger begin to dissolve. Of course, she was still pretty mad at him, but with his expression similar to that of a naughty child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, she was torn between berating the wolf demon again for using such filthy language around Souta and hugging him. In another century and under different circumstances, she would have launched straight into the lecture he deserved. However, seeing as how he appeared genuinely sorry and a little lost for words, she figured she would cut him so slack and opted for the hug. Flashing him a bright smile, she threw her arms around his neck and exclaimed, "It's so good to see you again, Kouga-kun."

The mercurial change in Kagome's temperament was startling and for several seconds Kouga stood rigidly as she tightly squeezed him. Fortunately, he managed to recover from his initial shock fairly quickly and wrapping his arms about her waist, he swung her around in a circle enjoying her delighted giggles. Holding her securely against him, he nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck, deeply inhaling her sweet scent. Gods, how he had missed her glorious fragrance. Cherry blossoms, vanilla and cinnamon tickled his senses and he sighed happily.

Drawing another breath, he froze when he caught another scent mingled with hers. It was the smell of the forest after a rainstorm and seemed slightly odd coming from Kagome; yet, at the same time vaguely familiar. Sniffing experimentally, he suddenly realized where he had smelled that particular scent before. Pushing away from her, but maintaining a firm grip on her upper arms, he growled fiercely, "Oi, why the hell do you smell like dog turd?"

Thrown off balance by Kouga's strange question, Kagome's eyes widened and she blinked owlishly in confusion. Eventually grasping what she considered was the offensive comment's inference, her earlier irritation swiftly returned and she bellowed, "What?!?"

Wincing as her sharp retort rang loudly in his sensitive ears, Kouga grimaced when the hanyou's scent became more distinct as her temper flared. Releasing her arms and backing up a step, he tugged on the hair falling across his forehead; his distress over what their commingled scents implied causing his heart to clench painfully. How in the hell had the stupid dog gotten to her before he had? Of course, the answer was simple; he'd never been afforded any opportunities to get close to her.

When they had first found Kagome, he had been the one assigned to take care of the straggler demons while the others brought her back to Sesshoumaru's. Then, Sesshoumaru had sent him on one errand after another concluding with the most unpleasant experience of being forced to spend the night in the company of that bastard hanyou. And finally, when he might have caught up with Kagome before they were called for the meeting with Naraku, the damned taiyoukai had set a clever little watchdog by her door just in case he managed to slip in unnoticed and snuck upstairs to her room. Not that he would sink to such depths. Well, okay, maybe just this one time he had, but it was extremely unfair that he was the only one in their group who hadn't spent some time with Kagome.

Unaware that Kouga's poor choice of words had resulted in a gross misunderstanding, the raven haired woman sucked in a deep breath, willing her hands to remained clenched at her sides rather than delivering the slap she thought such an insult warranted. Seething with rage, Kagome tried to remain calm; he had not just said she smelled like dog poo. Blue-gray eyes flashing, she rounded on the hapless wolf demon, hissing through clenched teeth, "What did you say?"

Eyes widening as Kagome slowly advanced towards him, her mouth set in a grim line, Kouga had absolutely no idea what he had done to piss her off. He could feel the anger rolling off of her in waves and the air around them crackled with electricity. Gone was the sweet smile from before and in its place was a menacing glare which sent cold prickles of apprehension down his spine.

Completely unbidden, one of the taijiya's favorite modern sayings popped into his head, `Open mouth, insert foot'. The meaning behind that enigmatic phrase had always eluded him in the past, but he surprisingly understood its significance when Kagome poked him in the chest with her finger, and growled, yes, actually growled at him. "When did you become so insensitive? Honestly, I might have expected something like that from Inuyasha, but certainly not from you."

Bewildered and off balance as she chastised him, Kouga could only stammer in his defense, "G-gomen ne, w-what did I say that upset you so much?"

Stiffening in shock and indecision, Kagome couldn't believe he would try to pull such a lame stunt as feigning ignorance. Sure, Kouga could be a bit thick-headed at times, but he was generally pretty straightforward, usually blurting out the first thing that popped into his mind. He wasn't conniving or crafty as you might expect a wolf demon to be, and the `wolf in sheep's clothing' adage simply didn't apply. In fact, he had always been really sweet and thoughtful whenever he spoke to her, which was probably why his hurtful remark that she smelled bothered her so much. What's more, it was strange that he would resort to subterfuge to conceal his guilt; especially when he always admitted when he made a mistake, though he would try to cover up his embarrassment with some sort of arrogant remark afterwards. Leveling her gaze at him, her cheeks flushed, Kagome snapped, "You said I smell bad."

Staring blankly at her, he shrewdly disputed that point. "Huh? When?"

Her eyes narrowing dangerously, she ground out, "You asked why I smelled like dog poo."

Suddenly everything clicked into place. She had somehow mistaken his question about the hanyou's scent on her as an insult. Laughing nervously, he slowly explained, "Oi, I didn't mean that you literally smelled like that; I meant you smelled like that dog breath, Inuyasha."

It was Kagome's turn to become confused, wondering what he meant by that. And how could she `smell' like Inuyasha? She had taken a shower earlier and the only scents she could smell coming off of her were the soap and shampoo she had used. Tilting her head a little to the side in wonderment, she hesitantly asked, "Why do you think I smell like Inuyasha?"

Before Kouga could answer her, she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist and draw her back against a firm chest. His deep voice rumbling beside her ear, she shivered slightly as he murmured against the delicate whorls, "Because you belong to me now."

++++

Gazing impassively at the dark haired hanyou seated across from him, Sesshoumaru silently searched for any discrepancies which would disprove he was the same man they had supposedly destroyed all those years ago. His form and aura were identical to what he remembered as well as the sharp, slightly sulfurous smell that permeated his youki. The `scent' he had concealed so often due to how distinct it was in comparison to other youkai. The scent which he was making absolutely no effort to disguise now; the strong odor foul and acrid as it burned his sensitive nose. If there were any differences, they were far too subtle to be detected and he was forced to accept that this was indeed Naraku.

The half demon's crimson eyes flashed with amusement, thoroughly enjoying the taiyoukai's narrowly concealed disgust. His gold eyes hardening as the hanyou passed an appraising look over him, he murmured, "Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama, I see that you are as powerful as ever." His expression turning sly, Naraku candidly inquired, "Tell me, do you still have Toukijin?" Pausing to stroke his chin thoughtfully, he mused, "I must admit that of all my offspring, I never thought Goshinki would prove so useful."

Silence was the only response his query evoked and Naraku had to resist the urge to scowl. He had never particularly cared for the stoic demon Lord, though he had been rather useful at first. He had hoped that his plan to pit brother against brother might be more successful, but he had played his cards too early; making the mistake of having that whelp Kohaku kidnap the human girl under Sesshoumaru's care. Unfortunately, the demon Lord had an unexpected soft spot for the little human and instead of widening the breach between the brothers, his scheme had backfired and brought them closer together; at least enough that they joined forces against him in the final battle.

No great loss in the end though. The miko's wish had rectified all his previous miscalculations and allowed him a second opportunity to finish both the taiyoukai and his bastard half-brother in one fell swoop. He would find another wedge to drive between them and unless he was again mistaken, the miko would prove most useful in that regard. In the meantime, what harm could there be in having a little fun.

One corner of his mouth kicking up in a half smile, he casually asked, "Whatever happened to the little girl who was always with you, Sesshoumaru? She was such a pretty little thing. Now that I think about it, she looked an awful lot like Kagome, didn't she?"

Sesshoumaru felt his demon blood begin to boil when the bastard had the audacity to smirk; a low, feral growl rumbling warningly in his chest. He knew the hanyou was trying to get rise out of him; taunting him with memories which were all too painful even after five hundred years. Rin. How dare he speak of her, sullying her memory with his foulness; he would show her the respect she deserved.

Rin. The tiny girl who had changed him in ways he couldn't have imagined, forcing him to feel again and acknowledge emotions to which he had believed himself immune. He had cared for her much like a father for his daughter and her inevitable passing had wounded him deeply.

All those years, Rin had known who Kagome was and she had never breathed a word to anyone about their connection. Sweet, innocent Rin had harbored a secret that none of them had ever suspected and it wasn't until her final moments on this earth that she had passed that knowledge on to Sesshoumaru. He still remembered her last words to him; her voice soft and raspy with old age as she drew him down to whisper in his ear, "Do not grieve for me, Sesshoumaru-sama. We will meet again. And when we do, protect her as you have always protected me."

He had promised her he would do just that and honor bound, he had watched over Rin's ancestors; saw in each generation a faint glimpse of the young woman he had loved so deeply. Then, sixty years ago he began a friendship with one of those descendents, Higurashi Yoshiki, Kagome's grandfather. He remembered meeting the much younger Higurashi-san, listening to his far-fetched tales that held more truth than he realized. The legend of the Shikon no Tama was his personal favorite and for hours he would expound on his theories regarding its disappearance.

The old man had never suspected he was dealing with a demon and until nearly eighteen years ago, had thought that Sesshoumaru was the grandson of his old friend Inutaisho. Then Kagome was born and Sesshoumaru instinctively knew that she was the girl he had met in the Sengoku Jidai. The same girl who had battled for the Shikon no Tama and the lives of her friends and companions. The same girl whose own grandfather considered the stuff of legend rather than a living, breathing person. The same girl who was so much like Rin it was a wonder he had never seen the resemblance between the two before.

And somehow Naraku had picked up on their connection when no one else had.

"You would do well to keep silent on matters which do not concern you." His tone was frigid, the very temperature in the room dropping a few degrees, and it took every ounce of his control to not tear the leering half demon to shreds.

This wasn't some friendly, social call between old acquaintances and if he had his way, Naraku would swiftly be returning to whatever hellish abyss he had managed to escape from. As far as he was concerned the half demon didn't deserve to be alive, poisoning the very air around him with his vile, acrimonious presence. However, Kouga had filled him in on the hanyou's claims that any harm to him would reflect poorly on the miko and they couldn't risk attacking him should the claim prove true. It was an effective, difficult to dispute threat which was the only thing currently staying his hand; leaving him with nothing more than his glare and growl as weapons.

Naraku was immensely pleased by the reaction he received from baiting the taiyoukai. He smiled a secret smile; knowing he had hit a nerve and filing that information away for future reference. His adversaries were so easy to read sometimes; their pitiful emotions making them vulnerable to his scheming. It always paid to know your enemies' weaknesses and he never passed up the opportunity to take advantage of them; particularly when the source of that weakness proved to be same for all of them.

++++

"SIT!"

She said it out of instinct; that simple command she had used so many times in the past to defuse their arguments, and immediately felt guilty when Inuyasha went crashing to the floor at her feet. She could hear him muttering curses into the thick carpet as he waited for the spell to wear off and she stood there helplessly, her hands nervously twisting the bottom of her t-shirt, trying to apologize. "Gomen ne, Inuyasha. I didn't mean to…I forgot about the spell…"

Kouga wasn't helping matters any by laughing until Kagome shot him a warning look that had him clamping his mouth shut mid-chuckle. She could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment and her discomfort increased ten fold when Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Souta came sauntering down the hall towards them to find Inuyasha with his face firmly planted in the carpet.

"Uh, Kagome-sama, what happened?" She could tell Miroku was desperately trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably; his wide grin clear evidence of his amusement. Shippo and Souta were less reserved, snickering softly behind their hands while Sango also had a small, slightly sympathetic smile tugging at her lips. Their amusement wasn't making Kagome feel any less guilty and she fervently hoped that Inuyasha didn't catch sight of them laughing at his expense.

Unfortunately, this wasn't going to be her lucky day.

"Damn it, wench, what the hell did you do that for?" The spell had worn off enough that Inuyasha could glare up at her although his limbs were still too heavy to move. His face was set in a dark scowl and she could see the hurt reflected in his amber gaze. That expression wounded her more than his harsh tone and she looked away, ashamed that she had hurt and humiliated him in front of their friends. Crouching down beside him, she cautiously reached her hand out to stroke his head in apology, her blue-gray eyes filled with worry and concern.

"Gomen ne." She said it so softly that only Inuyasha, Kouga and Shippo could hear her and it was filled with such regret that the wolf and kitsune felt a pang of guilt over their behavior. Slowly threading her fingers through his silky hair, she jumped when his fingers closed tightly around hers. Dropping her eyes to meet his, she saw a sparkle of mischief in them as he said, "Don't worry about it, I forgot about the damned rosary as well. But if you want, you can always make it up to me later."

Her blush brightened again as he practically purred the last sentence; her stomach tingling at the seductive sound. Feeling intensely shy at his intimate suggestion with so many people watching, Kagome ducked her head to hide her reaction. Since their fingers were still entwined in his hair, she gave it a slight tug, muttering, "Baka, don't say such things in front of other people."

Smirking at her shyness, he reached his other hand out to gently caress her cheek which brought her startled gaze back up to meet his. Brushing his thumb lightly along her cheekbone, he murmured, "You don't need to feel shy, Kagome. They already know how much I love you."

Covering his hand with hers, Kagome whispered, "Inuyasha…"

Unable to watch the romantic scene any longer, especially since it wasn't him on the receiving end of Kagome's affection, Kouga loudly piped up, "Oi, since everyone is here, we need to get downstairs. Sesshoumaru is waiting for us."

++++

Pale, early morning sunlight filtered through the slatted door. Tiny motes of dust danced in the golden beams, stirred up by the old man working furtively to remove the wooden cover sealing the well. His joints groaned in protest along with the weathered wood as he maneuvered the crowbar underneath the lip of the lid; attempting to pry the thick boards upwards. With a pained grunt, he managed to partially dislodge the heavy planks while the fudas set along the seams glowed a soft blue then disappeared altogether in a bright flash of color. The lid rose more easily now and a waft of cold air rushed up from inside the well as it came completely free.

Setting the cover to one side, he peered thoughtfully into the dark hole; his nose wrinkling as the scent of decayed wood mingled with damp earth assaulted him. The unpleasant smell was reminiscent of grave soil and decomposing flesh and for a brief moment, he fancied he was able to see the various corpses of long dead demons piled high in the depths. Greatly disturbed by the image, his heart thudding painfully hard in his chest, but the vague apparitions swiftly faded and revealed nothing more than firmly packed earth lining the bottom.

Aside from the unwelcome vision, the well seemed innocuous enough and certainly didn't give the impression of being a time portal to another century. A half rotten, rope ladder hung from one side; leading down into the dankness and looking incapable of supporting the weight of a small child, but otherwise, the well was empty. In fact, there was nothing which might lend a small amount of credence to Kagome's claim of having used the well for nearly a year to travel to the Sengoku Jidai.

However, he had lived long enough and seen enough in his time to know that not everything was how it appeared at first glance. That fact was further driven home when he befriended Inutaisho or rather he should say Sesshoumaru-sama. The demon Lord had spun quite a tale about his granddaughter being the legendary miko who valiantly reassembled the Shikon no Tama accompanied by a fiercly loyal inu hanyou. He had found the story quite humorous at first; that was until Kagome nearly did fall down the well on her fifteenth birthday.

And suddenly, history had gone astray instead of repeating itself.

Whatever had happened in the past had altered the future as Kagome knew it. He didn't understand precisely how the overlapping of time periods worked, only that it had created a different course of events than what should have happened. Therefore, when Kagome didn't go into the well in the future, the past should also have been altered; yet for some reason, it remained unchanged. He had some vague notion that this had something to do with the space time continuum; preserving events which had already occurred while future events were subject to changes made in the past.

Of course, when the past becomes one's present and the present one's past, how then did you determine the effects of decisions made in each.

Shaking his head to clear it of such confusing thoughts, he derailed that train of contemplation before he gave himself a headache. Focusing on the task at hand, he lifted the bucket of sacramental sake and began chanting in a low, droning voice. All that mattered now was helping Kagome find the Shikon no Tama before the past and present collided with very unpleasant consequences.

++++

"What the fuck is he doing here?"

Surprisingly enough those words came not from Inuyasha's mouth, but Kagome's as she stared in abject horror at the handsome, dark haired half demon seated across from Sesshoumaru. Her startled question turned several heads in her direction, including the silver haired hanyou's who had slung an arm around her shoulder in support when she began to dazedly crumple to the floor. However, Kagome was too preoccupied to notice their concerned regard; her gaze fixed intently on the evil being who they had recently discovered was not only mysteriously alive but on a more personal level, also invading her dreams.

Crimson eyes glittered with amusement as he watched her stunned reaction, their coldly calculating gaze sending an involuntary shiver of apprehension traipsing down her spine. His roiling, dark aura encircled her like a thick cloud; leaving her lightheaded and queasy as her miko senses flared sharply in awareness of the turbulent atmosphere. Her hands tightening fearfully around Inuyasha's forearm, Kagome struggled to keep the rising panic fluttering wildly in her belly under control.

For the life of her, she couldn't understand why Sesshoumaru would willingly allow Naraku to enter his home. Sure, they knew that he was somehow involved in this whole mess and his cryptic letter insinuated he knew more about what was going on than they did; yet, neither of those were reason enough for the taiyoukai to openly invite the proverbial fox into the hen house. Therefore, she felt her question was more along the lines of rhetorical though she still received an answer in the form of a softly spoken reply from the demon Lord, "Naraku has offered to help us."

If Kagome's unprecedented cursing hadn't shocked those assembled that little bit of information certainly did. Of all the likely explanations Sesshoumaru might have given that one was furthest from everyone's minds. Even Shippo and Kouga, who were fortunate enough to know that the hanyou was here, had a difficult time masking their surprise.

"And you believed him?" His voice rich with sarcasm, Inuyasha glared at his brother; his face mirroring the cynicism he obviously felt towards his sibling's actions.

A small smile played about Sesshoumaru's lips as he countered, "Of course not." Several mouths opened simultaneously as if to speak, but the demon Lord preempted their comments when he continued, "However, I will listen to what he has to say before I decide to avow or discredit his usefulness."

Watching the exchange with shrewd eyes, Naraku kept his own astonishment regarding the current situation carefully concealed beneath a mask of indifference. First of all, he had anticipated that the miko would immediately detect his presence; however, the fact that she had evidently not sensed him until they were practically face to face was most unexpected. Then, when she had first stepped into the room, he was struck by how her miko abilities seemed virtually non-existent as if she were simply another inconsequential human.

Not surprisingly, that curious assessment quickly changed when he felt her sudden surge of power and with it an intriguing darkness that lingered just on the fringes of her subconscious like a shadow. If he was forced to place a label on it, he might even call it a taint of evil though the idea seemed rather farfetched even to his twisted mind; yet, he couldn't deny that there was definitely something off about her.

Considering the innumerable possibilities, he paused briefly and wondered if perhaps his first impression hadn't been that far off base. There was a reasonable probability that her wish might have affected her miko abilities perhaps enough that she was no longer a threat to him. Her behavior towards him implied that his assumption might hold more truth than she was willing to acknowledge. Plus, he was fairly certain that she hadn't divulged that pertinent bit of information to her companions; preferring to deal with her weakness on her own.

Unconsciously licking his lips in anticipation, he savored having this opportunity to test the miko's limits. And if his suspicions proved true, what other secrets might she be hiding?

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"Absolutely not." Kagome's voice rang out loudly, her eyes flashing angrily as she stood her ground in front of an equally annoyed Sesshoumaru. She couldn't believe he would trust a single word which came out of the dark hanyou's mouth; not to mention that he expected her to work alongside him should his information prove useful.

How many times in the past had one of them fallen into his carefully conceived traps? How many times had Naraku pitted them against each other? Played off their insecurities and weaknesses for his own sick amusement? How many times had he stolen the Shikon no Kakera and eventually the jewel itself when they made the fatal error of letting their guard down?

She wasn't going to do it and there wasn't a damned thing the demon Lord could say which would change her mind. Or so she had thought at first; unfortunately, she soon realized that regardless of her feelings on the matter, she was going to end up doing precisely as Sesshoumaru suggested. Grinding her teeth together in frustration, she muttered, "If something bad happens, just remember it's your fault."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at how childish she sounded, the taiyoukai gave a brusque nod that effectively signaled the end of their discussion. With Kagome's cooperation finally secured, he switched his gaze to his brother who had yet to utter a single word of objection to his plan. In fact, Inuyasha hadn't said anything since asking if he trusted Naraku which was rather odd considering his brother vehemently protested against just about everything Sesshoumaru tried to do. Hoping he would be spared the discomfort of airing their differences in front of their mutual enemy, he murmured in a soft voice meant only for his brother's ears, "You are awfully quiet."

His tone equally subdued, Inuyasha tersely responded, "What do you want me to say? That I like the idea of having that bastard around?"

A small smile hovering around the corner's of his mouth, Sesshoumaru dryly quipped, "The truth would be permissible. Delivered in your inimitable, loquacious style perhaps."

What he got instead was a derisive snort which made it perfectly clear Inuyasha wasn't interested in continuing this conversation. As far as the inu hanyou was concerned, he would grudgingly listen to whatever lies Naraku intended to spread and then he would rid them of the bastard's presence once and for all.

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Coming Soon: Chapter 9: Be Careful What You Wish For…(Part 4)