Author's Note: This story contains spoilers from the Final Act. If you have not seen the conclusion to InuYasha, I highly recommend that you return to this story only after you have.

Chapter One: Familiar Faces, Worn Out Places

White steam rose up in tendrils from the mirror surface of the hot spring, disappearing into the night sky. Kagome sighed heavily as she sank further down into the sweltering waters, unable to quite reach bliss as she usually did when in such a relaxed state. She didn't understand. She just simply could not wrap her head around it. Now that all of her worst problems were solved, her most horrible adversaries overcome, why could she not relax?

The battle with Naraku was over. Through a string of complicated events, Lord Sesshomaru had regained his left arm and a new sword, Bakusaiga. Inuyasha had gained a new technique for his Tetsusaiga, the Meido Zangetsuha. Kagome smiled softly at the memory of the two brothers, finally working together to bring down the greatest evil that the world had seen in a very, very long time. Through their combined efforts, the great spider had fallen to the ground, nearly decimating Edo. Kagome had purified the beast, piercing the Jewel and sending Naraku to his demise.

The final wish upon the Jewel Kagome had also made, a selfless wish; "Shikon no Tama, I wish for you to disappear. Forever." And the Shikon no Tama was no more.

So simple a wish! So why had everything suddenly gotten so much more complicated? Life should have returned to normal. Shouldn't it?

Kagome knew the answer. The Bone Eater's Well had been sealed off forever, leaving her in the Feudal Era. As it turns out, Kagome thought with a mental laugh, that she did belong here after all. Otherwise, she would have been returned to her own time to live out her life, go to college, the way that life should be. And for a while, she had. She had returned to the other side for three years. She had finished high school. Until her desire to return was so great, on the day of her graduation, she revisited the well. It had granted her wish. She had been returned to Edo, five hundred years in the past. Inuyasha had been there to greet her when she emerged, and he had been so happy to see her… at first.

But why did she belong here? Now that the Shikon Jewel had been purified, Naraku had been slain, what was there for her here? Suddenly, Kagome was reminded of why she couldn't relax. Kikyo.

Yes, Kikyo. Oh how ironic it was, that now that the priestess had passed on, that she and Inuyasha still could not be together. The half demon was so torn, so inconsolable over the death of his lost love, that he had left Kagome and the rest of his friends to live the life of a loner. Kagome hadn't seen Inuyasha in almost two weeks.

Chocolate eyes clenched hard, but it was futile; warm tears still trickled down either cheek, disappearing into the hot spring. What had she become? Over the past two weeks, she too, had become a recluse. She almost never spoke anymore, every smile was forced. What was she to do? She no longer had a purpose. And she no longer held a spot in the hanyou's heart. She had become a broken shell of a woman, just like the undead priestess Kikyo had once been…

Kagome sunk down into the hot spring, submerging herself in the crystal clear, hot waters. Here, beneath the surface of the water, there was no light, no sound, and no smell. No sensation other than warmth. Was this what it was like to be dead? She supposed, after all the pain, torment, disappointment in her life, this was exactly what she needed…

After what seemed like an eternity of submersion, Kagome's lungs began to ache. She sprang to the surface, eagerly gulping air, before sighing as she looked down at her slender hands. Her fingertips were just beginning to prune. Her time in the spring was done. She waded to the wall of the hot spring in which she had placed her kimono, the traditional garbs of a priestess; a white haori and red belled pants. She had discarded her school uniform in favor of this new attire, reasoning that now that she was going to live in this time, she may as well fall into step with tradition.

Stepping out of the water, Kagome shivered as the night breathed cool air over her damp skin. Hurriedly, she pulled on her kimono, ran her fingers through her wet hair, and began to rub her hands together to warm them. I've got to get back to the village, she thought. Even though Naraku is dead, I still don't like being out here alone for too long…

At that precise moment, somewhere in the shadowed forest behind her, a twig snapped. Her blood ran cold in her veins and her limbs locked up. She was frozen. Her breath came in short, shallow pants as she slowly forced herself to turn to face whatever was coming. Now, she could sense a demon's aura. Stupid, stupid, stupid! She cried to herself. You're so stupid to come out here unarmed!

The demon in the shadows laughed, a deep, monstrous laugh that sent wild shivers down Kagome's spine. She took a step back, putting as much distance between her and the demon as her body would allow.

"It has been quite some time since a human so willingly wandered into my midst!" Kagome whimpered at the large, glowing red eyes that were approaching at a menacingly slow pace. "You even tenderized yourself for me, steaming in the hot spring!"

Now the demon was in full view. It was a hideous ogre, with scaly green skin, a flat face and very, very large teeth. Those red eyes bore into Kagome's. The beast stepped closer, his steps lumbering, shaking the ground at her feet. Kagome braced herself. She had to defend herself, or else she was going to be this demon's dinner. She couldn't let that happen; if she was going down, it wouldn't be at the hands of this monstrosity. With surprising speed for its massive size, the ogre swiped a huge clawed hand at the priestess, colliding with her petite form like a wrecking ball.

Before Kagome could process what was happening, she was suddenly airborne, her body wracked with pain from the blow, and again as she was hurdled into a large oak tree. Her bruised body slumped down the ground at the trees' twisted roots, a sob wrenching from her mouth. The demon cackled hysterically as it swiftly approached the human woman, his jowls dripping in anticipation.

"No," Kagome whimpered. "No, no, no. This can't be…" The demon was closing in. she had to do something.

It took tremendous effort to raise herself up on one elbow. With defiant, shining brown eyes, she glared scornfully at her attacker, and outstretched her hand to meet the demon head-on. A bright pink light burst from her palm, a cool, electric, pulsating energy that purified the demon on contact. It screeched to a halt, bellowing, screaming, as its body disintegrated into ash. The backlash from Kagome's own power had her body airborne once more as it slammed into her. Raw, searing pain had her vision darkening at the edges as she sailed over the treetops.

Kagome's poor, battered, broken body collided into a solid form in the sky, knocking the last of her breath out of her lungs. Her head swam dizzily and her vision blackened. Demonic aura swirled around her form, burning her, setting her nerves aflame, as two strong arms folded around her. She began to fade into unconsciousness, sweet blackness and anesthesia. This is it…

Light filtered down through the forest canopy, turning the black inside her eyelids red. Kagome groaned as a fresh wave of pain overtook her, seeping into her bones. What happened? Finally her eyes slid open to find that she was lying on the ground, staring up at the boughs of the merrily swaying trees. How did she end up here? Last night, she had been…

Last night!

Flashbacks and terrifying images flooded Kagome's brain, and she convulsed from the weight of this new knowledge. She gasped aloud and flung herself upright, only to cry out in agony as a ripping sensation coursed over her abdomen. Wrapping her arms around her torso as if she had to hold herself together, she doubled over in a groan. Taking deep, calming breaths, she slowly righted herself and took in her surroundings.

She was somewhere deep in the forest, sitting upon a remarkably comfortable blanket. The one that had been covering her was in a bundle at her knees. Kagome turned to look at whatever her head had been resting on, knitting her brows. This looked familiar. She reached a timid hand out to run her slender fingers through the white, furry pelt, nearly sighing at its softness. As she stroked her makeshift pillow, she swallowed roughly. Her throat was dry and gritty, as though she had swallowed dirt. She eyed a small bamboo bottle lying next to the blanket on the spongy forest grass, and swiftly reached for it, threw her head back and drained it. The water splashed uncomfortably against the bottom of her empty stomach, but cleansed her mouth and throat of gritty, sandy dirt. In her haste, droplets trickled down her chin and ran down her neck.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome winced at the throb that the movement provoked, and looked down to examine herself, when the breath caught in her throat. What on Earth… She was shirtless! Panic bubbled up in her chest as she patted herself down, staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the bandages that encircled her torso from her waist to her collarbones. Whoever had saved her had undressed her completely, removing her haori and her modern undergarments; she had refused to give up her bra and panties, arguing that this traditional clothing allowed too much room for uncomfortable bouncing. A bright spot of blood on her ribcage was seeping through the pristine white bandages, doubling Kagome's terror. Now, upon closer inspection, she could see how her arms were horribly bruised black and blue, and her legs and back ached in the worst of ways. Kagome knew there would be bruises there as well.

Stumbling to her feet, Kagome tried to fight back the hysteria that was beginning to prompt her stomach to quench, swallowing against the retches that threatened to rob her of the water she had just downed. Calm down, Kagome, she prompted herself. Someone obviously saved me. If they went through all the trouble of saving me, they wouldn't kill me, right?

She could sense something. A person? It was very faint, but there nonetheless. They were close. Could this be her rescuer? Bracing herself, Kagome walked, rather unsteadily, towards the presence, determined to find them.

The closer she got, the stronger the feeling, and Kagome knew that this was no ordinary person. Staggering through the underbrush, Kagome came to a small stream. Her mahogany eyes scanned the area, and when her eyes trained on the only entity here, the breath flew out of her lungs and her knees buckled. A thin film of perspiration coated her palms. Her head swam with the preposterousness of what her eyes were telling her. This was impossible!

"Sesshomaru," she breathed, as the demon lord turned to bare down on her with steely amber eyes. "It was you? You saved me?" she whispered, unable to gain her breath.

"Hn."

She was dead. I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I died, I admit it, I'm dead, Kagome repeated over and over again, but as she awoke once more on the silky blanket beneath her, her head resting upon the heavenly softness of a white pelt, she knew that that notion was horribly false. That's why this pelt was so familiar, she mused. Because I have seen it so many times before. It belongs to Sesshomaru.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Kagome slowly sat upright, pushing herself up with her hands. Idly, she noted that her bandages were once again fresh. She knew she had to face this problem, this horrible nightmare that never seemed to be ending. It wasn't going away, so there was no point in running from it. Time to put on your big girl underwear, she thought to herself sarcastically as she met the cold yellow eyes of demon Lord Sesshomaru. He sat regally at the base of the tree opposite to her, one knee outstretched, the other pulled to his chest with his crossed arms draped over his knee casually. His head was tilted down slightly, and his eyes smoldered at her from beneath heavy, thick black lashes. His gorgeous mane of thick silver locks tumbled over his shoulders and pooled on the ground at his sides, shimmering in the mid-afternoon sun.

Wait, gorgeous? As Kagome silently studied the demon, this was only one of the words that were running rampant in her mind. Yes, gorgeous. But, since when was Sesshomaru so… pretty? Clearing her throat timidly, Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come. She closed her lips quickly, racking her brain for something, anything to say.

Sesshomaru watched in strong stillness as the woman opened and closed her mouth several times, resembling a fish that had been jerked from the water, trying to compose herself. He was no fool; this was a great deal to take in, even for himself. Yes, he had saved the young priestess that had for years traveled with his hated half brother, after she had suffered an honestly terrifying attack from an ogre. The slashes on her rib cage had drained her of quite a bit of her human blood, and she was fading fast when she was thrown into the night sky. Sesshomaru, who had been traveling westward to retire to his Western premises, had spotted the airborne woman. Recognizing her instantly, he had leapt up and caught her, half-dead and vanishing quickly.

He did not quite understand why he felt the need to save her. But, alas, he had, bandaging her wounds and laying her on the forest floor. No demon dared to approach them in the night, not with him around, even with the sweet aroma of her blood hanging like a thick curtain of temptation in the air. Sesshomaru had to admit to himself, that though the woman was human, her scent had a strange, pure allurement to it, with underlying of tones of citrus and jasmine. Pleasant. Nearly scowling as that though entered his mind, Sesshomaru snorted inaudibly at himself. Ridiculous.

Finally, the woman spoke, her soft voice only slightly shaky. Impressive, for someone as afraid as she was at that moment. Her fear added a spice to her scent that invoked an odd sensation in Sesshomaru's gut.

"I-I want to thank you, Sesshomaru, for helping me." She began, gulping slightly as she paused before continuing. "You saved me. I could have, and probably was, dying. I don't mean to take away from the… unexpected chivalry of your actions, but I have to ask, why?" by the time she had finished, her voice no longer quavered, replaced by a tone of determination that Sesshomaru had always furtively found admirable in the human woman.

A single, sculpted dark brow rose for an instant as Sesshomaru contemplated his reply. Instead, he would give her a question of his own, one that had been nagging at the back of his conscience for weeks. "Tell me, priestess, where is Inuyasha? His absence has not gone unnoticed by this Sesshomaru."

Ah, that struck a nerve. Kagome visibly shrunk away from the name of the hanyou, resembling a wilting flower. "In-Inuyasha," she whispered. Even Sesshomaru had to listen carefully. "I don't know. I haven't seen him in weeks."

"So, Inuyasha is on the run." Kagome shivered as the smallest of smiles crept onto Sesshomaru's statuesque face. "As is anticipated. Still, this Sesshomaru cannot but wonder, why he has left his greatest possession vulnerable and unprotected."

He was not surprised by the abrupt flare in her aura, nor by how she flashed those large, defiant brown eyes, or the glare she fixed him with.

"Possession?" the girl spat, her tone hard. "I'll have you know that I am no object, and I certainly do not belong to anyone, least of all Inuyasha!" Kagome nearly gasped aloud as the words sprang from her own lips. Was this how she felt? It was true, that through most of the duration of her companionship with Inuyasha, she had felt like nothing more than a tool, a Jewel shard detector and collector.

Sesshomaru's glare didn't faze Kagome as it would have five minutes ago. Instead, she glared right back. They locked eyes for what felt like an eternity before finally, Kagome turned her head away. Sesshomaru smirked in satisfaction as the young woman backed down, her face a pretty shade of dark pink. She was clearly agitated. No matter.

With fluid grace Sesshomaru rose to his feet, strode over to the priestess, and in a very uncharacteristic gesture, held out his hand to Kagome. With a small surprised gasp, Kagome stared at his large, clawed white hand, before placing her much smaller hand in his. The skin of that hand was slightly calloused and emanated strength, enhanced with an odd underlying softness and warmth. He pulled her gently to her feet with what seemed to be no effort at all, before scooping up his pelt and throwing it casually over his shoulder.

Before he was able to retrieve the rest of the items that were obviously his, he was stunned to find that Kagome lowered herself to her knees, folding the blankets and gathering up the bamboo container. His brows knitted as he watched her work, her dainty hands working the fabric quickly. This woman was indeed intriguing. Moments ago she had been defiant and hard-eyed, but now, here she was, gathering his things in submissive silence.

After she had finished, Kagome rose to her feet and turned to look at the demon lord, clutching the blankets to her wrapped bosom. Now, she was in a predicament. She knew that Sesshomaru was ready to depart, to God knows where and for how long. Yet, here she was, wrapped up in bandages that he obviously provided. She was, Kagome grudgingly admitted, indebted to him for saving her life. After all, was she really so eager to return to Edo? There was nothing for her there but a life of constant reminders of what almost was, what could have been… besides, in her current position, she wouldn't last half an hour in these demon infested woods, bruised and battered as she was. Kagome chewed on her lower lips absentmindedly as she contemplated her situation.

Sesshomaru's eyes were drawn inexplicably to the woman's plump, pale pink lower lip that she was worrying with pretty, square, white teeth like a bee worries a flower. When she spoke, he was taken aback by her request, settling his eyes on hers once more, but he hid it well. After all, could he have expected anything else?

"I know you are probably a very busy man, Sesshomaru, and I don't want to be a burden, but…" she sighed exasperatedly and went on with it. "But the situation I'm in isn't a very good one. You've seen the shape I'm in. I'm in no way able to defend myself right now, with my injuries, and no demon is stupid enough to come near you. I'm not exactly eager to return to the village, either. So, if you don't mind, I would like to…"

"Accompany this Sesshomaru?" he finished, quirking a brow.

Kagome was struck suddenly at the realization of how handsome this man in front of her really was. And he had seen her half naked. The realization had blood flaring bright pink in her cheeks as she averted her gaze. "Yes. Just until I am healed and able to defend myself."

Sesshomaru was silent for a moment, studying this human priestess that now, for unknown reasons, refused to look at him. With a grunt, "I care not." He then turned on his heels and headed along his way silently, without so much as a glance back.

Hurriedly, Kagome jogged to catch up with the demon lord, biting her lower lip fervently. What on Earth had she just gotten herself into?

Author's Note: So there you have it; chapter one of my new story, Mad World. Pretty please leave me a review so that I know to keep updating. Otherwise it'll just sit here :/ I don't have a bunch of extra time on my hands to be fooling with a story that no one is reading, what with a full time job and being a full time student. Pretty please let me know what you think, I'll really apreciate it :) Until next chapter! BuhBye.