InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Strange Duet ❯ Coping with Frustration ( Chapter 15 )

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

Girl time is interrupted when Kagome receives a summons from Sesshoumaru. Unfortunately, the interaction backfires as Sesshoumaru winds up learning what's been on her mind.

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Hentai / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.09.2006 | Pages: 6 | Words: 10.3K | Visits: 460 | Status: Work In Progress

Welcome to the 15th chapter to Strange Duet everyone! Things are starting to pick up from here so, expect more in terms of excitement and suspense! The plot grows thicker with each chapter! All your reviews are loved, cuddled and treasured above all else! So please keep doing so! I have a few messengers so, if you'd like to chat about the story, feel free to look me up on my profile, I like hearing from my fans!

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha/co are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, I do own Chimokoumaru and his family, along with any other OCs that may pop in here.

Tracklist C15: Pretty Life- Jakalope

“I can see the fear that's in your eyes

Are you ready?

There's no stopping time” “Pretty Life” - Jakalope

Five weeks since her return to the past and already Kagome was back at her time.

But this time, it wasn't because of a fight with Inuyasha. It was because of the small part time job she had taken in baby-sitting the adorable, if willful and stubborn, hanyou twins.

Chouko and Nushimaru were the busiest little grade school children she had ever seen in her entire life. Kagome was willing to make her mother a bet that even she hadn't been that energetic and into everything when she was their age. And as far as personalities went, the two had their similarities and some major differences.

Nushimaru, the youngest by not very long, Kagome couldn't recall at the time, was almost a miniature Inuyasha in some ways, especially where his temper was concerned. But, he had his gentler sides to him, though he always tried to hide them whenever he thought his sister was looking. She had sworn she had seen him talking to someone at the edge of the shrine and yet, she hadn't seen anyone there.

Or felt them for that matter.

`I think he has something he isn't letting his father know about.'

And then, there was Chouko.

Such an adorable little girl and so sweet…

Until something made her mad, that was when she even surprised Kagome with the force of her sheer temper. Otherwise, she was extremely curious about everything in the world, asking multiple questions of surprising depth for her age before nodding and going quiet to think them over before asking another series.

Strange thing was, they seemed to be able to communicate with just a look and a nod before they'd do something like tackle her out of the blue or start playing their games of “hunting” her.

She kind of missed the way she and Souta used to interact like that, teaming up to tackle the neighborhood bully and put him back into place before going back inside to treat whatever scrapes and marks Kagome's little temper had gotten her into that day. Chouko and Nushimaru reminded her of those times with Souta frequently.

“Alright you two, we're going home now. Say goodbye to Kagome and we will see her in a few weeks.”

Reikan smiled at the surprised look on Kagome's face before he ruffled her hair and eased her surprise.

“I'm taking the children on a trip; they've behaved and deserve one. Unless they've misbehaved in some way that I haven't been informed of…”

His eyes landed particularly on Nushimaru, who scowled and looked somewhere else other than at his father as he waited for Kagome to rat him out.

Kagome smiled at the sullen yet expectant look in Nushimaru's eyes as she laughed and shook her head.

`Other than terrorizing Gramps and Buyo…they've been fine.'

“No, I'd definitely say that they deserve a treat like going somewhere fun.”

She bent down to have the kids give her a hug and smiled as she gave them a hug in return. There was something that made her feel so protective of these children and she couldn't figure out why. Though, as her mother had told her with a laugh one day, she always had had an affinity for children.

“You two behave for your father, alright? Don't make him stay up too late or let him eat too much candy.”

“We won't!”

The twin chimed in at the same time, both of them laughing at that thought as they hugged her once more and ran to attack and most likely terrorize their bodyguards again. That left her alone once again with this….strange man.

Blue-grey eyes were shining as she looked at the laughing, happy children chasing the three black clad youkai around as if they were children their age before looking over at Reikan's own softly smiling face.

“They're so happy with you, and with your bodyguards.”

Reikan smiled mischievously, tugging one of the small braids that, amazingly enough, Nushimaru had wanted to put into her hair, before he responded.

“They miss their mother fiercely but, it seems like you give them a mother's care.”

Kagome's face turned an interesting shade of red that had the older man laughing in amusement.

“I-I'm sorry, it just happens, I don't really know how but-”

His hand against her cheek shut her up as affectively as if someone had hit her in the stomach. Her eyes widened and her face darkened in color as she looked into the sunlit gold eyes. His touch was gentle and caressing, not to mention warm and- oh god, what was she thinking! The man had just lost his wife and she was practically hitting on him!

Reikan smiled slightly again, watching her cheeks redden even further before he spoke to her quietly, ears catching the tell tale sign of fabric rustling in the breeze.

`She is purposefully doing this to me.'

“I thank you for keeping them happy and for being there to support them. As always, if you have thought of a way for me to repay your debt, all you have to do is ask it of me and I will see to it that it is done.”

Oh and if she was Miroku….egad, she was almost trying to think like her beloved, if perverted friend!

Shaking her head and trying to clear her thoughts, Kagome smiled weakly as she shook her head to say that she hadn't as of yet before he nodded and bowed before taking off to catch up with the very faint shadows that were his children and their guards. As soon as he was out of sight, she felt her breath leave her and her butt hit the ground.

`That man is far too intense for his own good.'

She thought to herself before swallowing hard and opening her eyes.

Kagome froze as she noticed the sight in front of her, heart leaping into her throat as she pushed herself to her feet shakily and stood up.

`She came again…'

“It's you…”

The white clad woman turned around, holding a long white wrap around her head, half of it covering her face, save for her eyes as she tilted her head to one side and began to enter the well house, white fabric blasting behind her as she vanished into the darkness of the well.

“Wait!”

Kagome called out frantically, desperate to know who this woman was as she stumbled into a run, nearly falling and skinning her knee a couple times as she grabbed the entryway of the well house and entered it. Eyes trying to focus in the darkness as she nearly killed herself by falling down the stairs and hitting the bottom of the dusty ground in front of the ancient well itself.

When a look around didn't place the strange woman anywhere, Kagome looked down into the well, trying to see if she was inside or something when she felt a hand against her back and froze.

`Why does it feel like my body's fallen asleep?'

A woman's voice, sounding amused yet reprimanding as she spoke, filled Kagome's ears as she felt the woman's presence become stronger, the rustling of fabric in her ears as she struggled to turn around and found herself pretty much paralyzed.

“I see that you still race after something without thinking about it. Such a habit will get you killed or someone you care for killed as well if you don't watch out.”

…completed Shikon no Tama glinting darkly in the hands of someone she felt was familiar and exploding into blackened flames that reeked of death and decay even as those flames attacked the unidentified person and sent them writhing in agony even as a pure white-gold light in the shape of a sphere emerged and shot into a still body being cradled by someone else…

…head in the black flames turned, eyes opening as the sorrow filled eyes suddenly became colored with gold, a voice spoke her name with longing as she opened her mouth to scream in denial and in fear…

Kagome gasped, trying to shake the images out of her mind as she managed to find the strength to get her voice working.

“Who are you!”

“You don't know me?”

“There's no way…”

The woman chuckled throatily and none too gently gave Kagome a shove that sent her tumbling into the well head first, her voice following her even as the well opened up the portal and embraced the young priestess in training. The woman watched her fall; eyes still somewhat hidden save for the brief flash of light that showed a pale grey eye and something that might have been a scar of some kind dividing her eyebrow.

“You should know by now that nothing is impossible. After all, anything can happen with the Shikon no Tama, especially where Inuyasha is concerned.”

Kagome twisted, wincing as she did so the wrong way and looked up to see a smile before the well's opening vanished and she was briefly enclosed in the darkness. When the sunset of the past was in the sky, Kagome found herself puzzled as to what the hell just happened right there.

`That woman…'

She shook her head and frowned again, she must have had the sun in her eyes. There was no way that that woman could have been there…right? Kagome scowled and pushed herself to her feet, beginning the climb up the well in order to get to the village before dark.

Inuyasha had positively freaked out when she had come back to the village after it had turned to dark, scolding her and generally not leaving her side until she promised not to do that again without someone with her.

He could be worse than a mother with her children sometimes, she thought to herself with a small laugh as she noticed Sango and Inuyasha warming up in a sparring match against each other. Miroku looked up from polishing his staff and smiled at her, giving her a wave before returning to his task and allowing Shippou to run at her and jump into her arms.

“You're back Kagome!”

She smiled down at Shippou and winced as she heard the crack of a weapon connecting solidly with some bone in Inuyasha's body. Sango looked suddenly apologetic as Inuyasha let out a yell and started swearing, glowering at the slayer fiercely as she pulled up his haori to check his side.

“Son of a…dammit Sango!”

Miroku chuckled to himself as Kagome walked over there, shaking his head as Inuyasha yelled again when she tried to examine the area and ended up in an argument with the wounded hanyou about why he should take it easy at times.

`Things are back to normal again.'

Sango smiled at him, her eyes softening fondly, as his probably did, as she walked over and left the two to quibble again. She sat beside him and touched his hand hesitantly, fingertips touching the covered up section of the cursed hand. Her eyes darkened as she looked at his half smile and leaned a little against his body, resting her head on his shoulder as she spoke gently to him.

`He's been worrying…'

“Hou-…Miroku…”

His hand covered hers as he looked down at her; his eyes betrayed the carefree exterior he always wore for everyone else in the group as he softly spoke to her. Miroku was being careful to try and make it seem like nothing was wrong, and of course, being preoccupied was a fabulous way to do that.

“I'm alright Sango.”

“Don't lie to me Miroku. It's the kazaana, isn't it?”

She chided firmly before she looked at him seriously, her hand holding his firmly as she tried to give him her sternest look and wound up looking more like she was about to cry.

Miroku gave her a slight smile before kissing her neck gently, lips pressing against the slightly sweaty skin before he rested his head against hers. Cobalt blue eyes stared at his covered hand, the one she had her hand resting on before he spoke.

“As always you see right through me.”

Sango sighed and bit her lip.

“What's going on with it?”

“I'm not entirely sure…I don't want to alarm anyone by assuming it's…”

She nodded and touched his face with her other hand, maroon eyes darkening in worry as she tried to give him as much comfort silently as she could before speaking.

“That it's growing again?”

Miroku nodded, eyes catching the movement of Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippou heading towards them before he gave Sango a small kiss against her neck again before he sat up and gave a mocking smile to Inuyasha.

“You've finished so soon Inuyasha? Perhaps you should have a little more concern for your welfare and stamina as a man…”

Inuyasha and Kagome's face turned a rather lovely shade of red while Sango elbowed him sharply in the ribs, hissing out a reprimand even as Inuyasha grabbed for the Tetsusaiga and began to storm over to kill the rather lecherous monk.

“You fucking lecher, get over here!”

Miroku was on his feet in a flash, now used to this kind of routine, as Inuyasha whipped out the Tetsusaiga and began chasing him down, yelling all kinds of threats to the ex-monk as the two women shook their heads and smiled at the insanity of it all.

It was good to see things were back to normal once again.

Inuyasha was still refusing to apologize for the beating he had given Miroku about six hours later, claiming that he had had a right to deal the bastard a blow he'd never forget after his comment despite the impression that Sango would like Miroku as whole as possible. Kagome was attempting to decide whether or not she wanted to get between Sango clobbering Miroku for his comment earlier or give Inuyasha a poke in the ribs to scold him and to see if he was okay.

In the end, what she wound up doing was neither of the two options. Instead, Kagome decided to treat herself to a nice, long and hopefully, uneventful dip in the hot springs to ease her tense muscles in her back and shoulders. If she didn't quit lugging that damn backpack around she'd be paying for it about five years down the road or so.

`Ah…nothing like a nice hot soak to drain away the cares of the world.'

Kagome thought to herself happily as she sank down a little lower into the steaming water, head cradled against a rock as she made a small sound of contentment. As far as the feudal era went, the hot springs were definitely a big plus. And she loved how there was usually one always nearby when she needed one.

Wait a minute; didn't that defy some kind of logic?

The girl sat up straighter and frowned down at the clouded water as the thought began to pick at her brain mercilessly. Blue-grey eyes darkened as she began to try and figure out the odds of running into a hot spring every time she needed one. She was still trying to come up with an explanation that was feasible when Sango slipped into the water and startled her out of her deep thinking.

“Kagome-chan? Your eyes will stay crossed if you keep that expression for much longer.”

The older woman merely looked amused as Kagome gave her a rather startled look before settling back down into the water. Maroon eyes closed in content as she sighed and settled herself into the water. The two of them laughed after a moment before beginning their usual chatter about the idiocy of the two others they traveled with, and remarking on Shippou's rapid growth spurt.

“Kagome-chan, is it too strenuous to be training with all of us at one time?”

Sango asked, concerned about the fading bruises on Kagome's sides from her own sheathed blade and that of the practice one she hoped Sesshoumaru was using. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as she waited patiently for Kagome's response.

As to be expected, Kagome's reaction was more than a little surprised at the mentioning of her training.

She shifted slightly in place and sighed, looking into the murky water before finally looking back up at Sango, determined to be honest with her friend even if it killed her to admit some of her thoughts. It was Sango for crying out loud, they were practically sisters with how close they were by now.

Thought, she was more than a little uncomfortable with the fact that Sango and the others were aware of her training sessions with Sesshoumaru. It just didn't seem…right somehow. Not that training with Sesshoumaru was any more right than the others knowing about it was.

“No, I'm just not used to working as hard. I was more than a little lazy when I was at home all that time and, well, I need to get back into shape if there's another battle soon.”

When Sango didn't reply, Kagome let out another breath and spoke again, this time a little more quietly than she had before. She wasn't sure how to explain her feelings to Sango at the moment. Besides, how could she explain what she didn't understand?

`I think I liked life better before all of this mess happened…'

“I'm just…not sure about some of the things.”

As usual, something about the way she had worded it had sounded off, even to her ears as she noticed the sharp look Sango gave her and winced.

“Wait, that came out wrong-”

“Has he done anything indecent to you Kagome-chan?”

Kagome laughed nervously and shook her head vigorously, trying to reassure the slayer that it wasn't what she had meant. After a time, Kagome and Sango both wound up tying their hair back so that they could soak more in the springs and not get their hair wet. Unfortunately, Kagome had all but forgotten that the mark Sesshoumaru had given her.

At least, until Sango noticed it and spoke up.

“Kagome-chan, what is that on your neck?”

“Eh?”

A rather blank and confused look came over Kagome's face as she reached up to where the woman gestured and brushed her fingertips over the marking, eyes widening as she felt a small tingling sensation from the contact and jerked her hand away.

Oh, she had been talking about that.

“It's…”

`I can't tell her that the price of being trained was my blood being drawn by Sesshoumaru, though, I should ask him why he decided hewas the one to take it and in such a…I don't know, gothic fairytale manner.'

“A symbol of the contract I have. When my training is done, I'll have it removed. Basically, it reminds me of when I have to train.”

`Or whois the one training me. It's not a very subtle symbol…'

She thought in annoyance as she recalled the shape the strange mark had taken and sighed to herself and stretched out in the steamy water happily. Kagome opened her mouth to say something about the way she was being trained when she felt her muscles lock up, the words die in her throat and an all too familiar pulsating within her entire body.

She was being called and by the strength of this one, he was in one of his rare pissed off moods.

Usually, that translated into being worked into the ground or he settled his temper down. Which ever wound up coming first. Fortunately, she could still try and stop him if he was working her too much. Kaede's lessons were getting more and more difficult, the newer ones including how to reach and find the core of power that kept eluding her in the past when she really wished she could use her powers in battle before.

“Kagome-chan?”

Sango asked worriedly, her eyes darkening in concern as the feral expression in her friend's eyes suddenly vanished and the girl's body relaxed as much as possible from its tensed state. She reached out before halting, noticing the rather annoyed look on Kagome's face and instead choosing to see what was going on.

“Are you alright?”

Kagome smiled slightly at Sango, despite the fact that the older woman could see that she was definitely restraining her anger, and nodded once before getting out and drying herself off.

“I'm fine Sango-chan. I'll make it up to you, alright? I'll be back soon.”

“Kagom-”

But the girl was dressed and out of sight, the expression of restrained fury on her face had Sango almost praying for the person who had invoked her ire. When the rustling of bushes caught her ear, the annoyed slayer reached for a rock and threw it expertly in the area where she had heard the crackling sound.

Then again, she'd have to settle for praying for her own husband's soul if he was to survive without cutting that damnable habit of spying on her and Kagome while they were relaxing and sharing some much needed girl time.

When the yelp came, along with a muffled curse of pain, Sango smiled grimly and wrapped the towel around her, one hand already gripping the strap of Hiraikotsu as she headed towards the bushes.

It was time to teach her husband a little lesson in the matters of privacy.

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It was one thing to wake her up in the middle of an already restless sleep, but, it was another thing entirely to commit the sin of interrupting the sacred thing called “girl-talk”. Especially when said talk had not happened in quite some time and thus, had much to be talked and gossiped about. The practice blade was where she had left it as she picked it up and continued to follow the path towards where he would be waiting for her.

There was a saying that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and yet, no one had ever seen it when a woman's gossip time with her best friend was interrupted.

That was when all the horrors and myths of a woman's utter fury became reality.

The handle held so tightly that her knuckles turned white, Kagome finally entered the clearing where the ever impassive Sesshoumaru stood and awaited her arrival. Just seeing him again made the feelings she had kept away come back.

The fact that she didn't know what she felt towards him just pissed her off all the more as she gritted her teeth and managed to restrain her urge to just attack the hell out of him for the moment.

“You called?”

Any other man or villager who had experienced the temper of the young woman knew to tread lightly on such grounds. Unfortunately, such wisdom did not come naturally to the longer lived youkai as he turned and seemed to ignore her irritable aura before speaking.

“You are slacking in terms of promptness when I summon you.”

Oh but men could be the absolute worst, Kagome's mind shouted furiously as the young woman nodded once and tried to reign in the frustration within her.

`Come on Kagome, don't lose it in front of him now. You've done well so far, he's being an absolute jerk and doesn't know any better because he's so self-centered…'

Somehow, the little voice of reason in her mind only served to just put the final straw on the already weighted down girl's back. Like every other person the saying applied to, she did what so many had done.

Kagome snapped.

Her hands automatically positioned themselves on the sword, like he had taught her, as she raced forward and swung at him with all her strength, aiming for that stupid expressionless face he always wore around her and yelled out at him. Of course, she was so caught up in her rage and emotion that she didn't realize what she was saying to him, though the receiver of her words was all too aware of what the words were.

“Why did you have to complicate things!”

Sesshoumaru was surprised by the sudden and unexpected vicious and aggressive streak that had emerged in the woman. Though, with a temper such as she possessed, he suspected he should have guessed that there was a fighter in there somewhere before. Something was completely off about the situation, he noticed with narrowed eyes as she stumbled past him after he dodged another of her strikes. Only when he could smell her crying, and the blood she had gotten from the brush scratching into her when she had been unable to control her running and had crashed into the brush.

Women, especially the human women, were too much of a puzzle for it to be healthy.

Though he had to admit, Sesshoumaru thought to himself as he blocked a blow with the blade he wielded at the moment, she was improving greatly. Not to mention that she was getting stronger by the months that passed by.

A loud echoing crack filled the air as Sesshoumaru used a rather fancy combination of footwork and sword play to send the blade she wielded into the air and somewhere behind her. Despite the fact that she was weaponless, Kagome still came after him, using some of the basic exercises Sango had taught her for hand to hand combat and attacking him, trying to land just one solid blow on him for practically shattering the peace that she had had in her life before he had shown up with his damn offer.

“Answer me!”

She yelled at him, striking with her elbow as he avoided a kick at his side and glared at her. Her vision was blurred by her tears as she refused to let herself grieve the loss of the precious illusion, the one that had kept her so comforted during her long years of traveling. When he vanished from her sight, only to reappear behind her, Kagome tried to move with him and found herself trapped with her back against the stone clad chest of the youkai lord behind her. Her arms trapped in front of her, held by her wrists by one strong hand, her struggles to get away were minimized by the arm holding her around the waist.

`Tell me why you've messed everything up and tell me how I can fix it…'

“Let go of me!”

She yelled angrily, twisting and jerking in his grip as she managed to wiggle her wrists free and swung her fist up to neatly connect with his chin, making him stumble rather un-lordly away from her, one hand touching his chin as his eyes narrowed in quiet irritation.

This girl was going to have to handled roughly, due to her unacceptable wild behavior at this time, he thought to himself scowling mentally as he sidestepped her attacks again and again, waiting for a time where she was open enough for him to attack.

Her words annoyed him though. How was he the one who had complicated matters in her ridiculously simple life?

That question would be answered as soon as he managed to pin the wench down and get her calmed down before the fool arrived to take things in the wrong manner, as he had before.

Amber eyes flashed as he noticed the moment she was letting her guard down, looking for him in the shadows before trying to see him some other way.

Pity, he thought to himself, it would have worked save for the fact that he was of a different class completely when it came to the youkai race. He silently moved behind her, knocked her feet from beneath her and managed to pin her down on her back with her arms above her head before she could even utter a yelp of surprise.

“Now, explain your foolishness and cease your useless struggling. You have lost this battle.”

Sesshoumaru commanded sternly, his senses irritated by the scent and sight of her tears. His grip wasn't too harsh and he was being careful not to allow his claws to dig into her skin. All in all, a rather compromising picture was being presented and had anyone been around to witness it, they'd have most likely thought that the powerful and cold youkai lord was following in his father's footsteps.

Kagome was mortified that she was crying and yet, she couldn't stop it for some reason. Her voice was choked as she spoke.

“All I'm doing is crying lately, and I can't stop it when it happens.”

His eyes narrowed slightly as he frowned a little, not understanding why she was unable to halt the tears. After all, she seemed rather in control of her own physical body, though the emotional aspect of her personality could use some serious work. How could such a simple thing such as halting her tears be such a strenuous task to her?

“I have no knowledge of what you are speaking, explain yourself clearer woman.”

Kagome glared at him through a veil of tears, trying to get her wrists free and succeeding only in making herself uncomfortable when he shifted his weight to follow her body movements, still pinning her down.

“You wouldn't understand it even if I could explain it to you!”

Sesshoumaru's expression turned icy as he responded.

“You know this already? Explain yourself, now.”

“Fine! You want to know so badly then I'll tell you.”

Kagome snapped at him before she threw out the first thing that entered her mind and unfortunately, it was one of those times she wished she could have someone kill her first.

“I can't figure out why it's been so complicated ever since I entered that stupid contract with you! Everything just went wrong from there.”

His eyes didn't change, neither did his expression as she continued on her rant.

“I've lost everything that had been in the past between all of the people I care for somehow and I can't get it back. You complicate things even more because of this stupid mark you put on me and because you won't quit insinuating that we do more than train when you talk with Inuyasha!”

Her expression suddenly crumpled from furious to heartbroken as she tore her eyes away from his and hunched her shoulders up, trying to hide her face as she began to weep again softly. Kagome's voice was softer, more lost and confused now as she gave into her body's insistent urge to cry.

“I…I've lost what I had with Inuyasha. We had so much together and now, everything is just gone. I don't know why I'm here anymore, I don't feel like I belong here or at home…it's like everything I try to do ends up with me doing more harm than good…not to mention I'm losing everything.”

Sesshoumaru instinctively knew the next two words she was going to say. How he knew was his own business and yet, those words triggered some rather ugly memories he was going to set aside to deal with privately later.

“I'm lost. I don't know where I am, how I got this far or how to go forward. And this…this…whatever this is that somehow has you and I teaming up…I don't know what to make of that either.”

He said nothing, only watching her as she sobbed out the grief and all the other things she had been keeping within her for some amount of time. When her shoulder had stopped shaking and her breathing had deepened and evened out with the faintest trace of a sharper intake of breath every once in a while, Sesshoumaru removed himself and stared down at her with a rather contemplative expression on his face.

He had underestimated her greatly. This was interestingly useful information that he could add to the growing pile of things he was finding out about her. Those words she had spoken, he had little doubt that she had spoken those to anyone else.

“You continue to be a puzzle and yet, one that I have no qualms against continuing to solve.”

Sesshoumaru told her quietly before he knelt down and picked her up, kicking her blade to the side for her to find later. And if she failed to find it, then he could use that as another excuse to push her to her physical limitations. As he turned to walk back towards the village, a chilling wind swept past, seeming to bring a warning into the air around him as he paused and glanced coldly over his shoulder at the shadows deepening behind him.

“Spy as you'd like Naraku, you will not catch this Sesshoumaru off his guard.”

His voice was rather icy and matter of fact as he vanished into the shadows of the forest, heading for the girl's dwelling with her annoying companions so that she would not be exposed to fool youkai.

I'm lost…

Sesshoumaru's eyes landed on her tear stained face as he contemplated those two words alone from the rest of what she said.

“Aren't we all.”

He muttered to himself as he picked up the pace and noticed the small party about ready to search for her.

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“Enough Kanna.”

The images in the mirror faded as the pale girl placed the mirror face down against her knees and awaited her instructions from the man sitting across from her.

Scarlet eyes narrowed as the man contemplated what he had seen from the interactions between the two former enemies. He could use this to his advantage, though, it would take some careful planning and arranging ahead of time.

With so much tension mounting, there was sure to be a point at which he could interfere and make things more complicated than before. After all, the little wench who resembled Kikyou seemed to be establishing a connection between the ice-hearted youkai lord whose power he coveted and vowed to make his own one day soon. And her rising conflict with Inuyasha was always considered an added bonus.

Perhaps he should pay the girl a visit himself, to see how much she had grown, or rather, what kind of strength her fear had gathered ever since their last encounter. A smile crossed his lips as he rose from his place and slid the door open to enter the outer hallways of his domain.

“Perhaps I shall do just that.”

After all, nightmares were at their most terrifying once one was forced to face them directly.

Finally, this chapter has come out and is finished. Please leave a review if you can spare the time, it is much appreciated and loved when I receive one telling me of what I can improve on and how much people are enjoying the story. I will be going back and fixing the first 2 or so chapters because they need some serious revising and work. Please continue to watch for more chapters, once I'm done with the editing work, I'll begin the stages for the 16th chapter.

Thank you all and please come again!