Not Your Average Day

Disclaimer: Look I'll make this short and sweet: don't own, so don't sue. Get it? Got it. Good. This is my first IY fic, so be nice plz...

Jaro, Joro, and Jiro are mine.Himitsu is as well. Forthose who read the original, Tazekaja is now called Himitsu, okay? Okay.

"blah blah" ... dialogue

blah blah ... thoughts

blah blah ... emphasis

blah blah ... sound outside of speech

"blah blah" ... action or sound made during speech

(blah blah)... Me talking to you

Word behind Japanese word... Translation

Today, we find our favorite shard hunters taking a rest.

Kagome was sitting in the grass,looking atthe glistening jewel shards and listening to her best friend, in this era anyway, Sango. Shippou was curled up next to her, taking a nap. Sango was lying on her stomach, talking to Kagome about something or other. Miroku had decided to take a nap on the side of the tree Kagome was leaning her back against. Inuyasha was roaming by the stream. The stream was within sight, but Kagome and Sango suddenly noticed that Inuyasha was not there. Kagome rose, which woke up Shippou. He yelped at her sudden movement and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"What's wrong Kagome?"

Kagome was looking around. "Inuyasha is missing."

Miroku had been awoken by Shippou's yelp. "What is it?"

Sango sighed. "Inuyasha is gone. He took the Tetsusaiga with him."

Kagome nodded. "Of course he did. He goes; it goes. That's normal."

Inuyasha's ears perked and he jumped out of a tree, scaring the living daylights out of the others. He hadn't been listening to them, so he didn't know what they were talking about before he dropped out of the tree. Kagome was not happy with his sudden appearance.

"Osuwari!"

Inuyasha fell to the ground, as per the enchanted spell's command. "Itai Ouch/Ow!! What'd you do that for?!" He was rubbing his sore head.

"For disappearing!!"

Inuyasha scrunched his nose up. "What are you talking about? I was by the stream and then I jumped into a tree. So what?"

Kagome sighed. I swear he's clueless. You can't just go around hopping down from trees like that, it's scary. And with so many demons around.. An unbidden voice from within mumbled, But he's cute scrunching his nose up like that...

Inuyasha's ears perked again and he growled lowly. He was baring his fangs slowly as his claws sharpened. The Tetsusaiga began to react and glow from this and it alarmed Kagome. I don't sense any Shikon shards... "What's wrong Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha's hair blew sharply to the side. He didn't turn like the others did. He knew who it was.

He ground out one word, though it sounded more like a sharp hiss. "Sesshomaru."

(I could be cruel and stop. I know some that would. But I'll write more.)

And, indeed, it was Sesshomaru. The startingly beautiful, but doubtlessly male youkai approached the group casually. One could almost wonder if he even intended to stop by them. Shippou unconsciously held his breath, praying that the powerful youkai would just pass them by. Unfortunately, reality kicked in. That meant that, of course, Sesshomaru would not be flying by them. He descended from his cloud and walked slowly over to Inuyasha, his small, trademark smirk on his marked face.

"Happy to see me?"

As if.

Sesshomaru jumped back from an attack that would have beheaded him. "Tsk, tsk," he mockinglyscolded. "None of that, Inuyasha. Not if I'm going to travel with you."

Inuyasha's eyes flashed in disbelieve. He said it so casually...he can't be serious!! "You're joking."

Sesshomaru smiled thinly. Well, as close to a smile as you can get from him. "It wasn't a question. I have no choice." Joking? Apparently not.

Kagome and the others kept their distance from the two brothers. Sangothought to herself, No good will come of this. What does Sesshomaru want? It must be a trick, a way to get to the Tetsusaiga. Itwas the only way things made sense to her.Inuyasha glared darkly at his half-brother, obviously thinking along the same lines as Sango. "What's in it for you? Why are you doing this?"

Sesshomaru sighed. "Tell me you didn't forget."

Inuyasha tilted his head to the side. "Forget what?"

Sesshomaru gave another sigh, this one silent and long-suffering. Why me? Why was I cursed with such a densehalfing for kin? "Don't you remember the curse placed when you were born?" The silver-haired youkai had the feelingthat he shouldn't have even bothered asking.

A negative shake of the head.

It seemed he was seldom wrong in his feelings. Sesshomaru sighed once more. Of course not. "A jealous wench of a Lady was seeking Father's heart. He didn't want her, of course, because he could do better. When she was rejected, first for my mother, and then for yours,she cast a curse on you and myself upon your birth. The curse made it so that we had to be together, for a time, every three years." Now for the catches."If one of us dies and the other could have done something to stop or postpone it, both of us will face our worst nightmare, relive our darkest memory, and then die a slow, painful, and humiliating death. The same goes if we deliberately harm each other."

Inuyasha was about to question something he said, but Sesshomaru caught it. "The curse makes sure that in the case of one letting the other die, the one dying will be withheld from death and forced through the punishment and then released."

Inuyasha was surprisingly silent. "Oh yeah...I think I recall something like that." Not really.. Not that he was going to admit to that. Especially not in front of Sesshomaru.

Kagome spoke up. "So you two have to play nice for about a year?"

That about summed it up, sadly. Sesshomaru sighed disappointedly. He also hada feeling that he would let out many silent sighs during this trying task. It had been so easy before. There wasn't much to worry over with Inuyasha pinned to a tree. But now, oh now.. He just had to fall for yet anotherwench priestess, human of course. Not that he knew any youkai mikos. Not anymore... Stifling the memories that threatened to rise, he replied, "Unfortunately, yes."

Inuyasha stared at the sky. Somebody up there hates me. I can feel it. "Great. We're stuck with you."

(In this fic, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru have never fought. Well, not in front of Kagome and the others anyway. Why? Because I'm the authoress and I said so!)

Kagome waved it off. She had never known Sesshomaru very well and thought nothing of it. Inuyasha had never spoke of him. It can't be that bad. If she only knew just how wrong she was. "Oh well, too bad for you Inuyasha. Have you eaten Sesshomaru?" And he's kind of cute too, she giggled to herself. Sango gave her a strange look and Kagome gave her a secret look. It was a look that said 'I will tell you later'. Accepting that, Sango shifted her glance in time to glare at Miroku, whose hand had strayed once more.

Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow at the human girl in front of him. Offering me food? And is she smiling at me? A little too cheerful for my tastes. The hanyou must not have told her or these other weaklings anything of me. I hate to say it, or think it, but it's a good move on his part. I wouldn't tell them myself. "I've eaten already."

Kagome nodded. "Alright then. We have to get moving. There's a shrine or some kind of temple ahead, so we'll stop there."

Inuyasha had no desire to stop. "Why? You just took a break."

Sango waved it off. "Yeah, but we didn't eat and we need somewhere to sleep. We won't get anywhere today, it's too late in the afternoon."

Inuyasha groaned. "So we're stuck in that place 'til tomorrow?"

Miroku answered him as the girls had taken to ignoring him. "Yes. You'll have to keep still for a while. The shrine ahead is very famous. Known all over in fact."

"Why is that Miroku?" Shippou wasn't curious, but wanted to talk through the silence and glaring contest between two resident half-brothers.

"Well, it's said that this is the only shrine with an underground temple."

Shippou blinked. I've never heard of something like that. Maybe this is interesting... "Oh?"

Miroku nodded. "Yes. Not only that, but whispers of the residing priestess's beauty has spread over the land." He got a daydream-like look on his face. "They say her beauty is unrivaled. I wonder if she's already taken..." You could practically envision the monk drooling during his endless fantasizing.

Shippou, Kagome, and Sango sweatdropped. Even Sesshomaru looked at him strangely for a moment and Inuyasha paused to whack the back of his head. "Is that all you think about? Pretty women?"

Miroku feigned confusion. "Isn't that what all males always think about?"

Inuyasha sighed but didn't go back to his glaring contest with Sesshomaru. This shrine sounds familiar. But it couldn't be... Are we really this far along? Inuyasha listened in on the conversation for more clues, but managed to retain a disinterested, 'I am not listening to you' look on his face.

Sesshomaru was the only one to notice his interest. What's caught your attention pup? He listened as well and kept an eye on Inuyasha to see what he did and did not respond to. Perhaps he wouldn't be so bored with these simpletons after all.

Miroku continued, startled out of his lapse by Shippou's tapping on his leg. "Like I was saying, there's an underground temple, a beautiful priestess and...and..." He stopped walked, a frown on his features. "Oh, well that's definitely going to be a problem."

Kagome and Sango turned. "What's a problem?"

Miroku'sfrown stayed in place. "Well, if memory serves, heard that the priestess created a seal so strong that demonscan't get in the shrine or the temple without fatal injury. And even if some youkai got in, she would destroy them upon sight. Not a trace of the youkai's presence would be left behind."

All eyes turned to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, then to Kirara and Shippou. Kagome bit her lip. "What do we do?"

Miroku came up with a plan. "Look. If we can get the monks there to call the priestess to the gates, maybe we can convince her to call the spell off for our resident demons," a disdainful glare from Sesshomaru made him add, "andyoukai here."

Kagome and Sango looked skeptical, but nodded. "Alright, let's go."

Inuyasha was mumbling all the way. It was assumed he was complaining, but he wasn't. No one would have been able to hear him, but...

"I can't believe this." He actually sounded very happy. "This is the one. Himi's shrine. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she sees me. I wonder what she looks like now." Inuyasha sighed silently in content at the memory of a brightly smiling young lady. Pale blue hair that reached just above the middle of her back waved in the wind. A soft, pale hand reached up to brush her hair from light aqua eyes. A pale violet star was seen briefly as she moved her hair. Three white and pale blue tales swished behind her. Bells could be heard ringing as the three tails moved from side-to-side. Inuyasha clasped his hands behind his head at the memory. He snickered silently to himself. It seems you forgot to mention this one very special detail about the priestess, monk. His face remained mostly indifferent, but a small smile slowly crept across. "This takes too long." This was out loud. "See ya!" Inuyasha proceeded to jump highly and speed along ahead of everyone else.

Kagome yelled out to him. "Inuyasha!"

Sesshomaru stopped her, though he didn't know why. What should he care? They'd never catch him. Such blatant stupidity must be bothering me. Yeah, that had to be it. "Don't bother. Something about this temple has made him very happy. I don't know what it is, but he's anxious to get to this shrine you spoke of."

Kagome was confused. "Anxious? I don't understand. Inuyasha is rarely happy or anxious like you say. I've never seen him like that and he's never displayed any emotion other than anger, annoyance, and so on."

Sesshomaru shrugged. What was that supposed to mean? He was the Great Sesshomaru, he knew everything,and that included Inuyasha's moods. "That may be so. However, something at this shrine is important to him and he's happy about it."

"Enough. We're here anyways." Miroku pointed to Inuyasha. He was hopping from foot-to-foot.

Sango smiled wryly. "What's wrong? Looking for something?"

"No. I have to use the bathroom." Sarcasm was evident.

"Yes, may we help you? Oh my..." Three identical old men with differently colored monk clothing stood at the gates. The only apparent difference were the different shades of their clothing. They looked pleasantly surprised at Inuyasha's presence, but alarmed at the others.

"Inuyasha! How are you?"

Inuyasha blinked at the short old man with a staff and black clothing. "Hey Joro. I'm okay."

The second old man was closest to the gate and hadblue clothing. "My, my look at you; all grown up."

Inuyasha scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, that's nice Jaro. Uh...isHimi' here?"

The third old man spoke up. He had a warm smile and very dark green clothing. "Why yes, she is."

K. ... Nani? That's all for this chapter! This is my first IY fic, so feel free to comment. But try not to be mean about it...

Anyway, read and review please. I'd like to know what you think.