A Quick Notice from the Author and A Few Words to the Followers:

Hello there!

Originally, I was going to place a little rhyme right here in this exact spot, but in the end, I chose to write this instead. X3 This story was once an eight-chapter romance story, one that fulfilled my romantic writing needs. About three months ago, I finally broke out of my laziness shell and decided to rewrite it after re-reading it. I am most certainly taking my time on this, but I have four chapters down. That's like, what? Half the story already!

Or is it?

Revolving Around Water was a great hit and most certainly on the favorites list of many of my faithful followers. I may have four chapters completely rewritten and although this is true, only three of them have been double checked and grammatically corrected. I will be posting these three chapters consecutively, but here are some notes so that those who have read Revolving Around Water (as well as those who haven't read it) can get the gist of what I'm doing.

For those who have NOT read Revolving Around Water:

You may go ahead and skip to the first page separator. There isn't much I have to say to you, honestly, except enjoy the story! This is not a sequel, so you should be spot on with everything in the story.

For those who HAVE read Revolving Around Water:

This is NOT a sequel.
New chapters have been added to the original story.
More scenes were added to already posted chapters in Revolving Around Water.
Scenes HAVE been removed and replaced.
And the original story WILL remain right where it is, untouched. In my inventory as well as here on .

This story will be more in-depth. My ultimate goal is to give our main character (Kagome Higurashi) more interaction with the other characters and to build on her relationship with Sesshomaru. Don't worry, my main theme is still water, but I'm sure you (as the reader) will notice a few other trends as well.

There will be (possible) footnotes at the end of each chapter noting all of the things I have changed from it's original. If something important (say a short hiatus or something...) I will probably post it at the beginning of the chapter, or say a quick hello or comment about the chapter you will be reading.

Please keep in mind that I am still re-writing, and I'm attempting to get three chapters uploaded each time I update. So if you don't see something for a while, it's because I'm working on the chapters. I am, quite literally, reading everything I have already written word for word. I am replacing weird scenes, getting rid of scenes I don't like, and absolutely "polishing" this entire story. Then I am re-reading, correcting grammar, and double checking all spelling errors.

And without further ado, please, enjoy Chapter One of the rewritten story titled Elements of H2O.

Chapter One:
Foreshadowing Insight

This was just too weird. She hadn't realized it before, but for a while now, they've been on the outskirts of each town and never once set foot into Sessomaru's territory, yet Sesshomaru was the one always on the borders of his own land. Over time, it was clear that the demon lord had absolutely no wish to end his half brother's life, yet he still picked a fight with him. Kagome had long since stopped worrying and began actually wondering if Sesshomaru was actually training him himself. Obviously, it wasn't ever a real battle for she knew that Inuyasha would more than likely be long dead.

It took a while for her to realize that even though Inuyasha and Sesshomaru hate each other's guts, they were still brothers, which made them family, or in demon terms - pack.

Now, as she started paying closer attention to the subtle gestures of his head and shoulders, the words he spoke as if in riddles, and even his eye movement told her volumes of which no one else seemed to catch.

"You think I come for the sword?" He asked. It truly was that moment in time when she began noticing he really wasn't speaking to Inuyasha, or even to her for that matter. He brought it to her attention that he spoke to them as one.

"Why else would you be here?" Inuyasha immediately retorted, not a bit discouraged by his brother's odd behavior.

"I simply came to observe and understand," and for a brief moment, his eyes had connected with hers , and she had wondered if anyone else had caught it. It was raining that day, not really a downpour, but a drizzle rather. She remembered how his hair and clothes stuck to his skin like a second layer. She remembered those burning ember eyes staring at hers, even if it was but a moment. She could still feel his stare looking at her as though she were having the conversation with him and not Inuyasha. She shivered just recalling the memory. Then the words he had spoken hit her - observe and understand? Was he coming to observe and understand something that puzzled him? What sort of enigma had the demon lord so baffled?

She understood he really wasn't speaking about the sword - of which she had realized long ago - however, he wasn't really speaking about anything else in particular either. She got the distinct feeling that it was her he spoke about. That it was her that was baffling him to such a degree. She honestly didn't know, but as much as she tried to come up with anything else other than herself, the answers always pointed right back to where she had begun. She, in all demon sense, was the alpha-female of Inuyasha's pack, therefore, he wasn't just speaking to Inuyasha, but her as well.

Thinking about everything had placed her in a foul mood. She wondered what it was that the demon lord was after. She also wondered if her assumptions were correct, if they were, then why? She didn't like being an object under inspection. She didn't like being toyed with either. She did know, however, that it would be only a matter of time before she found the answers she sought.

"Hey, Kagome, are you listening?" Sango asked, "What's got you in such a daze?"

"Oh," she replied, immediately snapping her attention back to the present, "sorry, I wasn't paying any attention. I was just thinking about an upcoming test the school is having. It's a mathematics test, like a placement test to see how much we've learned or if we need some tutoring. Knowing me, I will be needing tutoring."

She had gotten quite good at coming up with lies on the spot. Sango and Miroku never suspected a thing, and if they did, they were doing a fine job of hiding it. She truly did hate lying, but a small fib or two here and there seemed appropriate. She had, in all aspects, been contemplating the placer's test for a while, but her thoughts took a sudden turn when she was thinking about what had gone on just a month prior. Since then, Kagome and Sesshomaru had been meeting at random intervals, and on civilized terms, no less.

For instance, just a two months prior to this one, it was the middle of the night. Kagome couldn't sleep because Inuyasha had taken off, no doubt to be with Kikyou. She ended up going for a walk and came across a pond, and it was there that Sesshomaru had spoke to her for the first time - nearly causing her to have a heart attack, mind you. For a while, neither of them moved from their positions beside the water, looking on at its murky surface and the reflection of the moon. She hadn't the slightest idea why he was there, or why they were even on such civilized terms, but in the end, it had been an enjoyable moment. It was a memory she found herself reflecting on a little too often.

It had been a moment where, for once, her mind was not stuck on the constant heartbreak Inuyasha induced on her, their arch nemesis that constantly caused havoc no matter where he went, or Kikyou, the woman who always stole the man she loved away from her nearly every other night.

Sighing for what felt like the thousandth time that day, she actually paused to take in her surroundings. The scent of moisture hung heavily in the air - the heavy humidity caused a slight mist to form, reaching just above her own ankles. They were in the middle of the rainy season, and with the days getting longer and the nights shorter, everyone was on a short fuse from lack of sleep as well as the heat. She smiled to herself for a moment, thinking about who would be the first to break in this undesirable heat. They were on a dirt path in the middle of a forest they were venturing through. Everything was so green and beautiful, and only slightly cooler in the shadier bits of the trees and bushes.

Sango looked worn out, possibly about ready to drop dead. Kagome knew that it was no easy task when you were constantly wearing a demon slaying outfit hidden beneath regular village clothing while carrying a large weapon equal to your size in height on your back - not to mention the several, much smaller, weapons hidden within her clothing. She had tried it one day just for amusement, but it truly wasn't that easy. Sango was constantly in work-out mode, which made her grateful she only had a backpack full of books, personal belongings, and food for the road.

She huffed, blowing stray hairs from in front of her eyes. She looked at Inuyasha - he wasn't so much as breaking a sweat. She could see Miroku practically dying next to Sango - no doubt laundry day would come much sooner rather than later, considering all of the sweat marks on all of their clothing. Looking back and forth between Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha, she honestly had to wonder if half and full demons had an immense amount of stamina or metabolism that kept them going without all of the huffing and puffing.

"Let's take a break," she said, out of breath herself. She was near collapsing anyway, may as well get comfortable. "Inuyasha, is there any water around here?"

He took a sniff at the air, huffing at their exhaustion but complying with Kagome's wishes. He pointed in a direction and she quickly grabbed everyone's water containers and canisters to go fill them up, as well as take a dip in the water to cool herself off.

"I'm going in for a bath," she turned to look at Sango a moment, "would you like to join me?" She asked.

"I don't think I can do anything," Shippou muttered - it occurred to her that he had slightly pinked cheeks. For a moment, she felt worry for the little one as he plunked down on Sango's lap, almost immediately falling asleep.

"I'm going to go ahead and stay here, Kagome-chan," she replied with a heavy smile. "I think a nap sounds heavenly at the moment." Her own cheeks were pinked as she slowly closed her eyes, laying her head back against the trunk of a tree. She had went ahead and taken a seat nearly as soon as Kagome said to take a break.

The river stream was crystal clear when she layed her eyes on it in the rather small clearing. The light mist that surrounded her ankles and feet swirled gently around the little watering hole that reminded her of a cul-de-sac street, just in the form of water. It was a nice little sight, especially with the small creek that streamed from a much thinner stream and plopped right into the circlet of water. The trickling sounds of the water was enough to ease her mind as she undressed and hovered over the water.

Looking at her reflection, her own cheeks were pink. She hoped she wouldn't get sick, though with her luck, it was more than just a little likely. She took a step into the water before letting herself seep into it's depths, allowing the water to bring down her slightly risen temperature.

"You are far from your group today," a deep, masculine voice called out to her. She looked around when she surfaced the water and saw Sesshomaru standing there on a boulder, his back turned toward her and his face upturned to the slightly cloudy gray sky.

Her cheeks turned a shade darker when she came to realize just how naked she was as well as just how close their proximity was to one another. Granted, they may not have been right up on each other, but she most certainly felt a little more than naked when in his presence. He turned to look down at her before taking a seat on the boulder he had previously been standing upon. He watched her for a moment.

"Will you not get sick?" He asked.

Kagome brought herself up from the water, knowing that her skin was very bare in the midday sun. "Well, I was probably going to get sick whether I took a bath or not." She smiled at him, attempting to ease his curiousness. "What are you doing here? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were stalking us. It's amazing Inuyasha hasn't picked up on your scent yet."

"Nor will he," he replied with a nod of his head, "I always remain downwind of my enemies - it is a tactic I have made habit. As for why I am here, I simply happen to be crossing paths."

"I highly doubt you stopped for a short 'hello'," Kagome replied, "but I'll pretend that you did."

"Tell me of the place you come from," Sesshomaru said, "your mannerisms are... odd."

Kagome tilted her head to the side, a little curious about his question. "Why do you want to know?" He gave her no reply, but gave her an intense stare that made her want to squirm beneath his gaze. "Can I tell you a secret?" She asked hesitantly.

Again, Sesshomaru made no move, but of course, who would he tell? Sesshomaru hardly seemed like he would have an enormous amount of friends. Then again - how would she know? She barely knew the guy. "I come from five hundred or so years in the future - or at least - that's what everyone believes."

For a moment, the demon lord stared at her, his gaze just as intense as it always has been. He looked away for a moment, staring into the water and causing her to drop her own gaze. She could see the sun's reflection rippling across it. She was glad it wasn't still-water - otherwise she really would be just as naked as she felt.

"Your family is of nobility?" He asked, taking a glance at her clothing.

She caught his glance, and she, too, looked over at her own clothing. She blushed a bit at her exposed bra atop all of her other clothing. She supposed a person of the past would consider her wealthy because of the strangeness to all of her belongings. "On the contrary - my family is actually quite poor. We own a shrine which allows us to make some profit, though from what I last heard, the family business is beginning to decline..."She paused a moment to gather her thoughts, "I suppose you could consider us a bit above average, but not enough to be considered middle class..." Her voice trailed off as she leaned up against one of the oblong sides of the cul-de-sac of water.

She sighed, closing her eyes. They remained in silence for quite some time and she even began to fall asleep. When her eyes opened, she was propped against a tree with a white piece of fabric laid delicately over her skin. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a haori of sorts with small, pretty pink sakura blossoms etched into the very edges of it. With a look around, she realized it had been Sesshomaru who had laid such an expensive piece of clothing over her. Upon further realization, all of her efforts of upholding every bit of modesty she had was thrown out the window.

And Sesshomaru was completely gone from view. She quickly grabbed the canisters and bottle containers, only to realize they were all refilled. She wondered exactly how long she had been out for. She wrapped the delicate fabric tighter around her body, hugging her curves, and even went so far as to stick her hands into the pockets. She found dry leaves in them. She held one and realized upon closer inspection, that it was a leaf from a rosemary bush - a strong scent that would trick any demon into thinking an individual had simply vanished.

She smiled with appreciation - who knew the demon lord would be so thoughtful?

And when she returned to her friends, she found that two of them had come down with a fever - her following shortly behind.

Alterations Made:
Ultimate scene removed and rewritten.
Added mini scene.
Grammatically corrected and spell-checked.

If you happened to notice a grammatical error or typo, please let me know so I can get it fixed ASAP! I'm leaning towards perfection with this story, so any little bit helps. X3 See you in the next chapter!