Summary: She could purify him with a single look. She sent his heart racing and her heated stare melted his every icy wall. Sesshomaru kidnaps Kagome after realizing that she had stolen his heart. Kagome fights the feelings raging within but nothing can change how attracted she has become to the King of Ice.

Author's Note: Okay, I deleted this story earlier because I felt it could use a lot of improvement. To all of those that have this story on alert, if you want another chapter you're going to have to leave a review. I only received TWO reviews last time and I had over one hundred hits. Do you people think I'm a mind reader? Well, sorry to say, but I'm not. I don't care if you hated the story but you could at least take five minutes out of your day to leave a review telling what you liked, didn't like, what you think should change or what you think should stay. Constructive criticism is my friend and it makes it so much easier for me to put out more chapters when I see that people actually like it. I was disappointed last time so hopefully things will turn around. So, on with the story and don't forget: REVIEW! I also want to point out that this is NOT a one shot as most of my stories are. I hope to really get this story going. My creative juices are flowing like crazy and I'm very excited about this story. I haven't been able to really do multi-chapter stories because I would just run out of inspiration but have no fear because I think I'm back in the writing saddle. Also, I start school soon but I will be taking a class on Creative Writing so that will really help me with new ideas. Anyways, enough with the rambling, please enjoy the edited and improved story now posted under the title you see below. Read and Review!

Purify My Heart

He fought the laughter that bubbled within when he first witnessed her challenge. He heard Inuyasha snarl as his golden eyes fell upon the human that his brother seemed to have feelings for. Her arrow, trembling against the humming string of her bow, pointed directly at him but he had no worry that it would hit its' intended mark. Her arrows always fell short of their destination. It was rumored that she was Lady Kikyo's reincarnation but looking at her he would never have guessed. True, she did resemble Kikyo in some ways but other than that she was completely different…and completely beautiful. His cold demon heart raced when he saw her eyes narrow with determination. She was lovely, far more beautiful than any mortal female he had encountered before in his rather short life.

"Sesshomaru," he heard her voice say and though she tried to keep her cool he detected a shaky tone in her voice that betrayed her fear.

"Until we meet again, Inuyasha," he said coolly as he turned and disappeared in a cloud. From that moment he knew that she had stolen his heart.

Inuyasha's Forest, Bone Eater's Well

He watched her now with intense curiosity. He was blatantly aware that she was far from oblivious to his presence but since his brother was not there he could make his approach. He stepped out from the forest and heard her gasp even from where he stood.

"Sesshomaru, what are you doing here? Inuyasha isn't around if you want a fight.
"A fight is not what I desire, miko," he said as he took another step towards her. He watched her eyes dart from side to side as she searched for a weapon. Finding none, his eyebrow raised with amusement as she picked up a nearby stick and pointed it at him. "You wish to do battle against me with a stick?" he inquired with disbelief in his voice. He could see her form tremble as she fought the urge to turn and run.
"Never underestimate the power of a priestess," Kagome challenged but felt no confidence in the least. Helpless to defend herself against this powerful demon, she took a step back glancing over her shoulder. She knew from experience that her sacred arrows had no effect on him for the last time she shot at him he had snatched the arrow in midair and melted the wood with the acid in his claws. Before she could even blink he was standing before her with the stick melting from her grasp and his only arm wrapped around her firmly waist.
"You frustrate me, miko," he admitted with a growl creeping into his voice. "I cannot rid myself of your presence even in my slumber. What sort of spell have you cast upon me?"
"T-there's no spell," she said and blushed when she realized how close their faces were to touching. If she just moved an inch their lips would be touching. He felt frustration pushing at the confines of his will. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her right there and be seen as a total fool by doing so. By Kami's sake he as if he were some hormonal human male! How could such a simple woman cause so much turmoil to develop within?

"This Sesshomaru is irritated, miko, and I intend to rid myself of such pointless feelings." She tilted her chin up defiantly and stared boldly into his eyes.

"Then kill me if that is what you wish." Silently her mind was screaming for her to break free and run but a part of her wanted to remain in his grasp forever and never leave. She had brought the great Lord of the Western Lands to his knees and now he was begging her to leave him be. What a triumph this was for her!

"I have no desire to slay you," he said finally. "I may have some use for you yet."
"I am not some pawn for you to play with!" she shouted. "I am a living person and I won't let you control me like I'm nothing!" He was taken aback by her declaration. Never had anyone dared to speak to him in such a manner save for his father. Now he was under the complete control of a human woman who could purify him with just a snap of her fingers. Oh how the mighty have fallen!

"Sesshomaru, let go of Kagome right now!" he heard Inuyasha's voice yell. Sesshomaru glanced coolly at his brother who had just jumped out from the mysterious well and now had his large sword drawn ready to do battle.

"I will do no such thing. This woman belongs to me now." Inuyasha's growl was audible and tension filled the air with such intensity that Kagome felt as if she could cut it with a butter knife.

"Let her go, right now, before I kill you."
"You have made better attempts before, Inuyasha, and each attempt has been more pathetic and worthless than the next. I would have thought that your abilities would have improved with time and not decreased. You are a pup, a weakly runt, and I admit that I am shocked to see that you made it this far in life." Inuyasha opened his mouth to say some snappy retort but Sesshomaru rose up in the air standing upon a cloud with Kagome held close to his side. Kagome cried out for Inuyasha holding her hand out but they now stood far up in the air where Inuyasha could not reach. She bowed her head and closed her eyes with Inuyasha's yell lingering in her mind.

Seiryu Castle, Western Lands

Servants scrambled to prepare for their lord's return. The lady of the castle, Rin, smiled cheerfully and helped the maids. She had grown now and was of fifteen human years. Over the years she evolved into a great beauty and had already received numerous letters asking for her hand in marriage.

"Mistress, we must have new bedding for the master's bed," said a maid as she bowed. Rin nodded and scurried off to find some when the large gate opened and Sesshomaru entered with a struggling woman at his side. Jaken ran to greet him but was met with Sesshomaru's boot.
"Jaken, I tire of your ceaseless prattle. If you wish to make yourself worthy of my service then go and prepare a second room for the priestess." Jaken did as he was told eager to please his lord in any way possible. Kagome finally managed to break free from Sesshomaru's grasp and stared at him with a fierce glare in her eyes.

"How dare you do this!" she shouted as she shoved a finger into his strong chest. "You can't just take me away from my friends like this! You can guarantee that Inuyasha will come to take me back."
"Yes, and I am quite prepared to deal with that when the time comes. However, at the moment you must go and bathe." Even though Kagome hated the thought of being told what to do by such a pompous man she desperately longed for a long, hot bath and something clean to change into. Her clothes had become soiled during the journey and she felt quite ill from being wrapped in such filth. She stormed off after a maid who was leading her to the bathing chamber.

Seiryu Castle, Eastern Hallway

They walked down a long corridor and Kagome took the time to look at all the finery that lined the castle walls. It was obvious Sesshomaru was quite wealthy and that he wished to flaunt in subdued artwork and fine lighting.

"I am called Eien," the maid said. She was a full blood demon with lovely red hair adorned with seashells that flowed down to the small of her back. She wore a simple red kimono with a silver fang imprinted on the back, the crest of Taisho House. "I am to be your maid during your stay in the castle. Meals are served three times a day. You will take your first and second meals with Lady Rin and will be expected to join Master Sesshomaru during the third meal." Her pointed ears twitched and her bright blue eyes met Kagome's dark brown orbs.

"Well, Eien, do you know why Sesshomaru brought me here?" Eien shrugged an obvious sign that she was of serving rank for her manners were far from graceful.
"The master does not tell us why he does the things he does. However, another servant mentioned that the master intended to bring you here as his bride." She said nothing more and continued on her way not seeing the look of shock and horror upon Kagome's face. Eien approached two double doors and pushed open the massive gateways so that warm steam rushed out hitting Kagome like a blast from a furnace.

"Here is where you will bathe. Lady Rin takes her baths in the evening and you may wish to do so if you require company. A fresh set of clothing has been set out for you. You will need assistance in dressing so please call me when you are done." Kagome blinked with confusion at the thought of having help to dress but when she saw what she would be changing into Eien's explanation made sense. An elaborate kimono display was set out for her. The under kimono was made of white silk. The said kimono, the kosode, was joined by multiple layers of other kimono each in a bright, eye-catching color. It was called juunihitoe and it was quite the time consuming task to put on. It was next to obsolete in her time period but in the Feudal Era it was quite common amongst the hierarchy. She fingered the fabric with timid fingers fearing that she would somehow damage the kimono. Kagome then sighed and nodded slipping into the main room and letting Eien close the heavy doors behind her. Kagome undressed leaving her dirty school uniform on a low couch by the door. She slowly dipped into the warm, steaming water and sighed loudly with relief. The water instantly took away all the aches and pains her muscles had received from constantly sleeping on rocky ground. She closed her eyes and began to relax…

Village of Kaede near Inuyasha's Forest

Inuyasha was livid. No, livid did not do justice to how angry he was feeling right then. His brother, the only person he hated more than Naraku, had kidnapped HIS Kagome! He paced back and forth inside the tiny hut that belonged to Kaede. The old priestess watched him pace and shook her head.

"Inuyasha, why do ye not go after them if ye are so upset?" questioned the old woman. Sango replied before Inuyasha could open his mouth and say some snappy comment that would do no good.

"Because if he did that then he would be trespassing on Sesshomaru's lands," explained Sango. "And Lords as powerful as Sesshomaru have every right to slay every intruder on their lands. We don't need a battle; we need a plan."
"And I will be the one to come up with the plan!" Miroku declared with a smile.
"If it involves you chasing after every maid in Sesshomaru's castle and frustrating the demon so much that he kills us all then no," Inuyasha snapped. "We need something that will help us not send us to the dungeon." Sango and Shippo nodded their agreements. Miroku just sighed and bowed his head with disappointment. Inuyasha stormed out of the hut and stared out to the east upon arriving in the fresh air. 'Kagome,' he thought with a sad expression on his face. 'I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I promise that I won't leave you alone. I'll find you and bring you back.' He turned to enter the hut again when he felt a sharp prick on his neck. He smacked the offending area and pulled his hand away to reveal a flattened Myouga.

"Hey there, you pesky flea," Inuyasha grumbled. "What do you want?"

"I heard that the Lady Kagome was kidnapped by Lord Sesshomaru." Inuyasha nodded and leaned against the side of the building.

"Yeah, that's right, he just snatched her without explaining what he wanted with her and left."
"I have a feeling that Lord Sesshomaru intends to wed the Lady Kagome." Inuyasha's eyes widened with shock.
"Are you serious?" he exclaimed. "That can't be right. She would never consent to that and plus even if she did have a child it would be a hanyou like me."

"Yes, this is most confusing. What will you do?"
"I can't just go barging into his lands and think that he's going to hand her over. Also, how could I even get far enough to rescue her? I know better than to go trespassing on a demon's lands." Myouga nodded but stared up at his master.
"I have an idea," said the old flea. "It is true that you would be entering the lord's lands without permission but as the late Inutaisho's son you have rights to the land. You are a prince of the Western Lands whether Sesshomaru likes it or not." A slow smirk crept across Inuyasha's face.

"Myouga, you are a life saver. Sometimes," he added as an afterthought. "Let's go inform the others."

Seiryu Castle, Eastern Hallway, Bathhouse

Kagome awoke to feel someone frantically shaking her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open with a gasp and she turned to look at a very frightened Eien.

"Eien, what is it?" she asked. The maid breathed an audible sigh of relief and smiled as she moved back.

"It is nothing, milady," she replied. "It is just…when you took so long and did not move when I first entered to find that you were not moving I feared that you had taken your own life out of grief and spite towards the master." Kagome sighed and shook her head standing and allowed Eien to wrap her in warm, soft cloths to dry her wet body.

"No, I wouldn't do something like that. Inuyasha will come for me, I know that already." Eien stared at Kagome with a puzzled expression on her pretty face.

"Who is this Inuyasha you speak of if you do not mind me asking, milady?" Kagome stared up at the ceiling as she held out her arms and felt the smooth silk of the kosode slide over her body.

"Well, he's Sesshomaru's half-brother for one thing. Sesshomaru dislikes Inuyasha because Inuyasha is a hanyou. He and Sesshomaru always fight when they come around each other. Whereas Sesshomaru is more refined and deadly Inuyasha is loud and cocky. Their looks are about all they have in common.

"What does he look like, milady?" questioned Eien curiously. She could sense love and affection coming from her mistress as the lady spoke of this Inuyasha and Eien was wondering what kind of man could make such emotions come from a woman such as Kagome.

"He resembles Sesshomaru a lot but his hair is slightly shorter. He wears a rosary around his neck that is bound by a subjugation spell that only I can wield."
"Amazing, mistress, amazing, you have caught the eye of the most powerful taiyoukai and now you can subdue a demon with just a word?" Eien's eyes were as wide as saucers now and her original admiration for Kagome had increased tenfold.

"Well, he's just a hanyou, but yes, I suppose you're right." The girls had a small laugh about this and continued with the dressing ceremony.

Seiryu Castle, West Wing, Office of the Taiyoukai

Sesshomaru's frustration was more than obvious. Items, many priceless, slammed against the walls and shattered upon contact as he continued with his tirade. He felt like a spoiled child that had not gotten its way and now he was throwing a tantrum about the unfairness of the situation. He had heard Kagome's description of Inuyasha as he passed by the Bathhouse and he growled deep in his chest just thinking about it. Why couldn't she speak of him with such love and adoration in her voice? He was ten times as powerful as the mangy hanyou but yet his name just brought out the worst of her when she spoke of it. He wanted her to love him and not his brother. His brother had Tetsusaiga and Sesshomaru had Tenseiga, a worthless sword if he had ever seen one. The only time it had proved useful was resurrecting Rin from the dead for she had proved to bring a little happiness into his dull life. His brother had everything and Sesshomaru was left with nothing! The injustice of it all sent him spiraling into another tantrum and he finally slid gracefully to a pillow by his low desk. He was going to focus on his duties as Taiyoukai and ignore the fact that the woman that had stolen his heart wanted nothing to do with him. She would learn, in time, that he was the better man…or should he say, demon? This thought brought a rare and dark smile to his beautiful face causing him to look almost sinister. Ah yes…Jaken was quite correct in saying that when Sesshomaru smiled trouble must be near.

"I shall win you yet, Kagome," he said in a low voice. "And when that time comes nothing can tear you away from me."

TO BE CONTINUED… (AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW THIS TIME!)

For more information on the juunihitoe (jew-knee-hee-toe-eh) go to: http // en .wikipedia. org/ wiki / Junihitoe and delete the spaces. It's a very fascinating article. I couldn't believe how well it related to the Feudal Era when I read it. If you don't want to spend your time reading through the whole article then try to get a picture of Izayoi in your mind because what she wore in all those flashbacks Inuyasha has is the juunihitoe. It's really cool.