If part of me never wants to be found...

Author Note:

Taking a break from writing Of Gods and Demons. Suddenly got the urge to add to this story. Enjoy.


Sesshoumaru glared down at the bustling toad with an air of impatience. He had assigned Jaken the simple task of shining his boots - a task he was completing with the utmost vigor. On any other day it might have been an amusing sight to witness as Jaken took to any task he was assigned as though it were the most important task anyone had ever been given in the history of existence. But on this day nothing could amuse Sesshoumaru. Well, perhaps destroying a few villages could, but in accordance with that blasted treaty he had signed he couldn't even do that.

Why had he agreed to that again? Ah yes, that's right. The ningen population was growing exponentially while the youkai population was slowly dwindling to nothing. How... annoying that realization had been. It only seemed fitting that the solution he had agreed to was proving rather annoying as well.

It was two moons ago that he was approached by possibly the most elderly human priest he had ever seen. The man had said that he was sent on behalf of the East. He recited his pathetic plight as Sesshoumaru barely restrained the urge to end the old man's life that had already been stretched too far. The priest claimed that too many youkai were attacking their villages and that too many men were lost whilst trying to fight the hordes of uncontrolled demons. He told Lord Sesshoumaru that it benefitted neither race to keep up these pointless squabbles and that a treaty should be proposed.

As much as Sesshoumaru was loathed to agree, he was not unreasonable. He knew that what the humans lacked in power and strength they made up for in numbers and if youkai continued to attack ningen settlements, there would be a war. The most troubling part was that Sesshoumaru wasn't so sure that the youkai would win.

And so, a treaty had been drafted, an alliance had been formed, and - as custom with important matters such as these - a symbolic joining had been proposed. It was a bond that was to be forged to show the peace between races, a bond between a youkai and a miko. And of course, as the most powerful demon lord in Japan, the obligation of this bond fell upon his shoulders.

And today the time had come to fulfill that obligation. Today he was getting...married.

"Milord, you put even the gods to shame!" Jaken squawked enthusiastically, wiping the sweat from his brow as he gave the lords boots one last rub.

He gave the toad an imposing glare before kicking him out of the way and exiting his chambers. "Come, Jaken. I would have this over quickly."

"Y-yes, Lord Sesshoumaru!" He stuttered in his haste to pick himself off the ground and hurry off after his master.

Higurashi Kagome, he thought to himself. Yes, that was the girl's name I believe. He had heard rumors of his bride ever since the engagement had been agreed upon. It was said that she was the reincarnation of the legendary priestess, Kikyo. The same priestess who had sealed his oaf of a half-brother to a tree. It was also said that his betrothed had released said half-breed from his fifty year slumber and that the beast rarely left her side.

It was troubling. Sesshoumaru couldn't care less about the girl, but as of two moons ago she was his and he would not have his property associating with filthy half-breeds. As soon as their marriage was final, he would order her to never see Inuyasha again. In fact, he might as well just kill the hanyou; he could not sully Sesshouamaru's existence if he no longer existed.

Yes, that seemed like the best idea, he would get around to it as soon as he had the chance.

"M-my lord!" A shaking servant squeaked as Sesshoumaru rounded a corner. The servant nearly fell to the ground in his haste to bow before his master. "I have a message, an u-urgent message!"

His face remaining bland and impassive, he merely narrowed his eyes at the pathetic creature. "Speak quickly."

"Y-yes, of course!" The servant said, bowing again. "I come with news from the East! It seems as though Lady Kagome has been abducted! We received word not but moments ago, my lord."

The terrified servant looked up at his notoriously ruthless lord and tried to gauge just how long he had to live. It wasn't uncommon for lord Sesshoumaru to behead "bearers of bad news" whenever it suited him, and he truly hoped that he would be allowed to remain intact.

Sesshoumaru, in the meantime, was contemplating the pros and cons of this newest development. No miko meant no wedding, no wedding meant no wife, no wife meant less hassle in his already vastly complex life. On the other hand...no wedding meant possible war and no wife was particularly damaging to his ego, seeing as he had already announced the engagement to the demon court. In theory he could just slaughter the current court and appoint a new one, but that was all very time consuming and messy.

Perhaps...finding the miko would be a better idea? Yes, he would have to find this pesky miko, marry her, and then lock her in a room for the rest of her miserable existence so he would never have to bother with her again.

Decision made, he merely kicked his groveling servant aside and continued his walk. "Jaken, ready Ah-Un. I have a bride to retrieve."

"You're being ridiculous, have I mentioned that?" Kagome sighed tiredly. Thrown over her insane best-friend's shoulder like a sack of rice w asn't her favorite way to travel, but at least she could insult him quite readily. Her face was right next to his ear after all.

"Keh, only every second you get the chance." He shrugged, "Doesn't change anything."

"How do you know that this marriage would be such a bad thing?" She tried reasoning. "I mean sure there are the rumors, but he can't be as awful as everyone says. People have a way of exaggerating the evils of their enemies."

"Kagome, he's the most feared and powerful demon lord in the country," Inuyasha growled tiredly. "He didn't get that reputation from kissin' babies and helpin' the elderly."

"Yeah well, I'm the great and powerful miko of the East," she countered. "I didn't get that reputation from doing anything significant except waking up your sorry behind, and I have no idea how - or even if - I really did that!"

Ears ringing from the shrill voice she seemed to adopt whenever she stumbled into the realm of hysterical, Inuyasha hurried his pace. He wasn't sure where his was going, but he figured that was ok. After all, if he had no idea where he was going, how would anyone else?

"Are you even listening to me?" She squeaked, bopping him on the head. "If you're going to kidnap me, the least you could do is listen!"

Can't she just shut her trap? Why am I trying to keep her around again? The hanyou huffed. "Are you trying to make a point somewhere in all that babbling, your highness?"

"Yes!" Kagome squealed in frustration. "I'm just saying, sometimes people aren't actually anything like what you've heard or what you expect."

"No, they are. You're just an exception."

Kagome floundered for another point, came up short, and sighed in resignation. "Yeah well, I can't be the only one."

"And what makes you think my sorry excuse for a half-brother is an exception?" He snorted.

Kagome's mood sunk as her argument faltered, and she morosely addressed a passing rock. "Optimism?" She told it. It frowned at her as Inuyasha's march put increasing distance between them. A pessimist for sure. "I agreed to marry a murderous taiyoukai for kami sake, I have to keep my half-filled cups in vast supply these days!"

The rock was soon out of sight, but Kagome had the distinct impression that it hadn't bought her ridiculous defense anyway. She also had the distinct impression that she had suddenly gone crazy, considering that she was having conversations with rocks.

"Good thing I'm saving you then, huh?" Inuyasha said matter-of-factly, bringing Kagome back from her minds lapse in sanity.

"You're not saving me, Inuysha," she said with an emptiness that echoed in his head, "you're simply delaying the inevitable."

The two fell into an uneasy silence, the soft patter of the hanyou's footfalls ticking like a clock.

"You're an awful optimist," he finally said, earning a half-hearted giggle for his half-hearted tease.

"Yeah, I know."


Chapter Notes:

Soooooo, yeah. We all talk to inanimate objects - admit it, we all have those one sided conversations insulting the stupid toaster when it burns your toast.

Me: "Now my toast is awful, I hate you toaster."

Toaster: "..."

Me: "Yeah, you think about what you've done."