Update: 6/30/17: I am now editing this entire story, slowly but surely, before going on with the updates. My writing style has changed a lot in the past three years, and if I were to continue this from the last chapter it would be a bit incoherent. Plus I foreshadowed too much and all the surprises I had planned for the later chapters won't actually be surprises at this rate. So just bare with me if the later chapters don't make much sense with the earlier ones: it just means I haven't edited them yet. I'll put this note at the beginning of each edited chapter to let you know which ones they are. Happy reading!

-oOo-

Last Time…

Zap!

Kagome's jaw dropped as suddenly the energy that had been collecting in her hand was released, arcing through the air so quickly even Sesshoumaru didn't have time to dodge. It hit him square in the chest and he flinched backward a couple steps before regaining his footing. Kagome faltered, shocked. "Uh… I…" Before she could utter another word she found herself suddenly pinned about three feet off the ground to a tree with Sesshoumaru's hand pressed around her throat. His fangs were bared and his eyes were tinged blood red.

"You smell, human wench."

-oOo-

Chapter 2: Motormouth

Kagome blinked. Sesshoumaru growled. The spectators drew in a collective (albeit slightly delayed) breath, with the exception of Inuyasha, who was currently teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.

"What did you do to me, wench? Why do you smell good? Why did I just say something so obviously inappropriate in this situation? I never do that. What is going on?"

Oh my God, Kagome thought, cringing as she struggled for her breath.

"Answer me!" he snarled.

"I—I can't breathe!" she gasped, her hands grasping at his arm.

"Maybe that's a good thing. You talk too much anyway," he said. Kagome's jaw went slack and she stared at him as he went on. "Why did I just say that? What did she do to me? This stupid wench!"

"Hey, stop calling me that!" She coughed weakly. "And let me go!"

"Why should I do that? You'll probably make another attempt to assault my person."

"Let. Me. Go!"

He gave her a threatening look as he slowly lowered her to the ground. It might have been more threatening if he hadn't said at that very moment, "Your face red, human."

She coughed, rubbing her throat with her hands. "Of course it is! You could have killed me just now!"

Before he could respond with another rude remark Sango and Miroku were suddenly standing between the two of them, wielding their weapons. Sesshoumaru sneered at them, and in particular at Sango. "Maybe if you wore some decent clothing the monk wouldn't be trying to feel you up all the time, taijiya," he informed her.

Sango's eyes widened in shock, a slight blush creeping up her neck. "Wh—what?"

Kagome gulped as the taiyoukai turned his murderous gaze on her and stepped forward. "Tell me what you did to me."

She struggled to pull herself to her feet, still fighting off a wave of vertigo. She shook her head. "I—I don't know…"

"You have a leaf stuck in your hair."

"Oh, thank y—" She stopped herself, her hand halfway to her head. Her eyes widened. "You have to say everything you think, don't you?" she said.

Sesshoumaru gave her an icy look. "Yes. Now fix it."

Bewildered, she exchanged glances with Miroku. Sango was too busy glaring at Sesshoumaru for insulting her choice in clothing to be of any use. The monk was obviously fighting back an amused grin. Kagome wasn't feeling so happy though. In fact, she was starting to feel very, very worried. To have to say everything he thought… She certainly wouldn't be happy if she were in his place. There were some things that were just meant to stay private.

She looked at him guiltily. "Uh, I don't know how to fix it," she said. "I don't even know how I did it."

He growled, causing Sango and Miroku to tense visibly. "I don't want your pity, human wench."

"Stop calling me that!" she snapped.

"Then fix it."

"I told you I don't know how!"

"Sesshoumaru-sama," Miroku cut in, sensing things were about to get nasty if he didn't do something to aid the situation. The taiyoukai's eyes remained on Kagome, but Miroku could tell he was listening. "Kagome-sama's powers are not fully developed yet," he explained. "I assure you any… curses placed on you were purely accidental. However, perhaps Kaede-sama would know what to do."

"DIE! DAMN BASTARD!"

"SIT, INUYASHA!" Kagome yelled. The approaching hanyou crashed to the ground.

"That amuses me," Sesshoumaru deadpanned.

Miroku snickered. The taiyoukai immediately told him that his ponytail made him look gay. Kagome groaned. "I think Kaede's our best bet."

-oOo-

"Her skin is so wrinkly."

"Ignore him, Kaede-baasan," said Kagome tiredly. "He's having issues."

"Tch."

It had been a full three days since the Incident had occurred. Sesshoumaru had grown steadily more irritable, if that was even possible, since then, preferring to stay as far away from the group as he could.

Kagome was feeling worse than ever about the whole thing. Sure, she and Sesshoumaru weren't the best of friends, but that didn't mean he deserved to have all his innermost thoughts laid out in front of God and everybody. And for it to happen to Sesshoumaru, of all people… Why not Inuyasha? Speaking his mind every once in awhile would probably do him some good. Then he'd actually be forced to come to terms with his feelings, as opposed to avoiding them. Why not Miroku? Everyone already knew what he was thinking anyway!

Kaede squinted at the group as they entered her small hut, flanked by the last person she'd ever expected to see in her home. "Sesshoumaru-sama," she said, inclining her head respectfully. "What brings you here?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Kagome cursed him and he's being a wimp about—"

"Shut up, Inuyasha," said the taiyoukai, glaring daggers at his half-brother. Miroku snorted. Sango thunked him upside the head with Hiraikotsu.

Kaede raised her eyebrows at Kagome, who shrugged apologetically and said, "It was an accident?"

"Hm…" She looked between Sesshoumaru and Kagome a few times before continuing, "Please sit down." When they were all seated in a small circle (with the exception of Sesshoumaru, who informed them solemnly that he didn't like sitting with other people-friggin' special snowflake), Kagome began explaining what had happened, cutting out her little "argument" with Inuyasha. When she was finished the room fell silent, each engrossed in their own thoughts. Sesshoumaru was currently fighting to not think about anything so that he wouldn't say something else that was totally uncalled for.

"So you don't know how you managed to curse him?" inquired Kaede.

Kagome shook her head miserably. "No idea. I just said that I wished he'd speak his mind, and then zap." She clapped her hands together.

Kaede frowned. "You wished?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah. It was sort of a heat-of-the-moment thing."

"Do you have any idea how this may have come to be?" asked Miroku in one of his rare serious moments.

"A few," said Kaede. "In moments of heightened emotion we often find ourselves to be capable of much more than usual. When our lives are threatened, for example." She looked at Kagome. "Or when we're angry. It brings out strengths that weren't present before. Or, at least, we didn't know they were."

"So you're saying I had the power to wish a curse on someone all along and it just so happened that Sesshoumaru got in the way?" asked Kagome.

"Exactly."

"That would make it Inuyasha's fault," Sesshoumaru said calmly.

"Hey! It's not my fault you lousy—"

"Ahem!" Inuyasha fell silent and Kagome turned back to Kaede. "I've never heard of a miko being able to curse someone," said Kagome. "Other than Tsubaki. But she was a dark miko."

"Yes, usually a holy miko would bless her target. That is our purpose, after all." Kaede glanced at Sesshoumaru, humor in her eyes. "Although it may simply be that you thought of it as a blessing at the time."

Sesshoumaru sneered. "You're so wrinkly."

"Don't you disrespect me, Sesshoumaru-sama," said Kaede, her voice suddenly strong. "You are a guest in my house."

"Excuse me for thinking," he retorted.

"Please, Kaede-baasan," said Kagome, interrupting before Sesshoumaru could insult her further. "Is there anything you can think of that might assist us?" She hesitated. "When I was cursed, it was different. Tsubaki had to constantly use her powers to control me. But this isn't like that. It's more of a… a one-time ordeal. I don't think it will be as easy to overcome."

Kaede turned back to the girl, sighing. "You are right about that, Kagome-sama."

"So what can we do?"

The old woman stood, exhaling heavily as she strode slowly to her door. The group watched as she shifted the reed door to the side, gazing out at the mountains that surrounded the tiny village that would one day become Tokyo. "I do not know. But I know of someone who might." She turned back to the group. "There be a monastery southeast of here, in a large city called Kyoto."

"Kyoto?" asked Kagome in surprise.

Kaede looked at her. "It still exists in your time?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yes. I've always wanted to go there…" She sighed. "It'll take forever to get there though. It's at least 450 kilometers."

"Yes, it is quite far away," said Kaede. "Two weeks at a steady pace, I've been told."

"Two weeks?" said Inuyasha. "No way. We're looking for the Shikon shards. We don't have time to be traipsing around monasteries and—"

"Actually, Inuyasha," said Sesshoumaru coldly, "we received word of a youkai in possession of a shard southeast of here, in a large city. Perhaps it is in Kyoto."

"Was that the shard Rin told me about?" asked Kagome curiously. With all the hassle to get back to Kaede's village in the past three days she'd completely forgotten the entire reason Sesshoumaru had shown up in the first place.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" said Inuyasha grouchily, glaring at Kagome and Sesshoumaru in turn.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You were too busy attacking your brother every other second for us to get in a single rational word with you, Inuyasha."

"Half-brother," said Sesshoumaru.

"Whatever." She stood up and brushed off her uniform skirt. "I need to go home for a couple days anyway to stock up on new food. We're running out of Maruchan."

Sesshoumaru growled. "What did you just say?"

Kagome stared at him, not understanding his sudden anger. "Uh, that we're running out of Maruchan? Oh!" She grinned, suddenly realizing what she'd just said. "No! I didn't mean it like that. I swear!" She giggled. Miroku smirked. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed to slits.

"What are you laughing at, human wench?"

"Nothing, nothing! It's just…" She suppressed a smile. "It's a ramen company. Y'know, noodles?"

She was suddenly pinned against the wall again, his hand pressed against his throat. Sango cried out in surprise and Inuyasha cursed. "Don't mess with me, human wench," Sesshoumaru said in his usual monotone.

She waved her hands in front of her face, still holding back laughter. "No, no, I swear I wasn't making fun of you. I swear!"

"Then why would you say that?" he asked, baring his fangs and pressing his hand tighter around her neck.

She gasped. Before he hadn't really been holding her tightly, but now it was starting to hurt. "I told you, it's a noodle company!"

"What is a noodle company?!"

"Just what it sounds like!" She spied Inuyasha about to bash Sesshoumaru over the head with Tessaiga, and did the only thing she could think of to prevent Kaede's hut's imminent destruction. "Sit!" Crash! She turned back to the subject at hand as Sango and Miroku took the hint and backed off a bit. "I can show you if you let me down, okay?"

Sesshoumaru paused for a few seconds, absorbing this, before slowly removing his hand. She tried not to make her now difficult breathing too obvious as she stepped around him and grabbed her backpack. She reached in and fished through it for a few minutes until she found what she was looking for: instant ramen. She held it out to him, displaying the large label which read very plainly, "Maruchan." It was in English, but she was pretty sure he could read it anyway. He seemed like an educated type of guy. Taiyoukai. Whatever.

He took the package in one hand, eyeing it suspiciously as it crinkled under his touch. "What is this strange substance?"

She grinned crookedly. "Ramen noodles. Food."

"No… What's this?" he inquired, poking the plastic wrapper distrustfully.

"Oh, that's plastic," she said.

"Where is it from?"

Her brows knitted together. "Well, my home, I guess."

"Then it is decided," he said, tucking the package of ramen into his sleeve.

Kagome was starting to feel a bit sick. "Er, what is?"

"I am going to your home."

-oOo-

Thanks for reading!