A/N: There was some random technological craziness with last chapter. You're not crazy. I don't know what the hell that was.

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Fetch

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"In one days time, you will meet This Sesshomaru in your village," the daiyoukai cut her off curtly - the rest of their exhausted group sitting bolt upright as his voice reached their ears, "There is..."

"You have InuYasha?" Kagome replied breathlessly as she gaped openly at the stoic as ever demon, "And you're going to just give him to us?"

If the miko didn't know better, she'd have sworn that the daiyoukai cringed before he responded, "It would dishonorable to kill him in his current form. Therefore..."

"Because he's a dog," Kagome pressed with an audible question mark in her tone before adding quickly when something flashed in his eyes, "Yes. Yes. One day. We'll be there."

"Hn," Sesshomaru hummed by way of acknowledgement before turning and making his way back into the forest.

"That was weird," Shippo commented as he jumped atop Kagome's shoulder, "You really think he'll do it?"

"When I spoke to InuYasha he was with Rin," Kagome replied absently before glancing over her shoulder at the slayer and monk who were blinking stupidly in the direction the daiyoukai disappeared, "Well we better get going."

"So Inuyasha is a dog?" Sango murmured more to herself than to the others, "How awful. Why would she..."

"We'll find a way to bring him back," Kagome cut her off confidently as she got to her feet and slung the ten ton backpack over one shoulder in one swift movement - knocking Shippo off her shoulder with the motion, "We just need to ask Kaede. I'm sure she knows how to fix him."

"The whole thing is so strange," Sango whispered quietly to Miroku as he moved a little closer to her, "Why would Kikyo go through all this trouble just to give him to Sesshomaru? What was her end game? What would be the point?"

"Her actions suggest it may have been an impulsive decision," Miroku murmured as he furrowed his brow and a pensive look graced his features, "Perhaps he did something that displeased her."

"What could he have done to deserve such a fate?" Sango replied cautiously as she slung the boomerang over her shoulder with a soft grunt before her eyes popped open with understanding and she turned a slightly hopeful glance at the monk, "Do you think he told Kikyo he loved Kagome?"

"I highly doubt it," Miroku replied derisively as he rolled his eyes, "InuYasha would never admit such a thing to himself much less Kikyo."

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"Kaede!" Kagome called out anxiously as she slid off Kilala's back and frantically ran to the old priestess' home, "Kaede are you home?"

"Yes child. What has happened?" Kaede replied anxiously as Kagome rushed into the hut and slid to her knees in front of the elderly matron – her entire energy screaming desperation and fear.

"Kikyo turned Inuyasha into a dog," Kagome breathed in a hurried and somewhat manic tone, "How do you undo it?"

For a moment, Kaede merely gaped at the girl as though she barely believed her ears before the old woman's face fell and she returned to poking the small fire in her home. After a few moments, the elderly miko sighed and began slowly, "I am familiar with the spell ye have told me. It is dark magic. From what I know, it is temporary in nature but temporary is not what ye might imagine."

"So like a few months or…" Kagome began leadingly as her eyes filled with hope and a grin burst onto her face before it faltered when Kaede sighed and met her gaze with a sympathetic look.

"Child, the curse is intended to last a century," Kaede informed the young miko, "For humans, it is a death sentence – their lives shortened to the span of a common animal. For a demon, however, their youkai lengthens their life in a different way. In a few months time, the Inuyasha you knew will be gone forever. He will forget his identity. His past. Even ye. After a century has passed, he may regain some of his former life but I know not what will become of him. It is a cruel curse."

Blinking stupidly at the old miko, Kagome mouthed wordlessly for a moment before shaking her head and pressing, "There has to be some way to undo it, right? A counter-curse or…or something?"

Sighing heavily, Kaede furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by a startled gasp from the young miko before her.

"I mean, I can just take him to my time, right? It's more than a century into the future," Kagome enthused manically as her eyes dilated and her breath came in short frantic pants, "Surely that'd work. I mean, he can't be a dog forever, right? He just can't!"

"I don't know if that would be wise," Kaede replied slowly, purposefully, "It may very well kill him."

"I mean, we have to try don't we?" Kagome choked as she leaned forward to grasp her mentor's shoulder, "I have Kikyo's soul! Isn't there some way for the caster to undo it?!"

"Child, ye must remain calm," Kaede pleaded softly as she reached a withered hand to pat the side of Kagome's face lightly, "There may be a solution. Let me consult the scrolls that are kept in the shrine and I will let ye know what I find. Until then, do not act rashly."

"There has to be a way," Kagome pressed as tears welled in the corners of her eyes, "There just has to be."

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It wasn't so much that the water was freezing cold that bothered the hanyou turned pup. No, that was the farthest thing from his mind. What bothered him was that Rin had dunked him in it and was now lathering him with some type of flowery substance that made his nose burn. Eyes watering from a mixture of agitation and embarrassment Inuyasha tried to his best to stay calm as the small girl hummed and washed the gunk out of his fur. Every once in a while she'd gasp slightly as yet another clump of hair came off in her hand. Then out of the blue she huffed in frustration and began pulling at the beads around his neck. They'd shrunken with him – forming a collar of sorts – and were still as glued to him as ever.

"Whoever had you before made these too tight," Rin grumbled under her breath as her nimble little fingers tried to free her new puppy from the smooth beads, "Rin is very worried. All the hair is gone and it's so red but don't worry puppy. Rin will get it off."

Amber eyes widened in panic as Rin yanked – hard – at the beads, essentially choking him before huffing and picking up a much too sharp looking rock with the clear intent to try cutting them off.

"Rin, stop that," Sesshomaru's voice suddenly ordered softly – a small hint of amusement in his tone as he continued, "What are you doing?"

"The puppy was dirty so Rin was trying to clean him," Rin huffed as she dunked Inuyasha's lower half into the water, "Someone was very mean to him, my Lord. Very mean. Rin thinks they did something to that collar because Rin has tried and it will not come off."

"No, I imagine it wouldn't," the daiyoukai commented in a softer, more affectionate tone than any Inuyasha had ever heard escape his brother's lips, "You've done well but leave it be for the moment, Rin. We must move on."

Inuyasha's tiny puppy mouth hung open as he blinked stupidly at the daiyoukai who had reached one hand down to help the small girl out of the river – a slightly soft and adoring look in those usually cold amber eyes. It wasn't anything untoward, nothing romantic in that gaze. More like a father who loved his child. Sesshomaru. A father. Who loved somone. What the literal hell?

"Where are we going, my Lord?" Rin asked as she placed the small puppy on the ground and lovingly reattached the leash she'd left on the bank before trotting along behind her father figure. Glancing down at the small puppy, she sighed, "Rin thinks she needs to carry him. He doesn't look so good."

"Do what you will," Sesshomaru replied before glancing down at her, "In either case, you, Jakken and that animal will ride Ah-Un to our next destination."

"Why can't Rin keep him?" the small girl asked as she turned giant chocolate puppy eyes onto her Lord, "Rin would take care of him and feed him and…"

"He is not yours to keep," Sesshomar replied in his normally cold and aloof air, "We must return him to his master."

"Who owns him, my Lord?" Rin pressed as she knelt down and scooped the puppy into her arms, "They must not love him if they let him get so dirty and sick."

"They love him very much. They have been trying very hard to find him," Sesshomaru replied softly to the young girl as he took her small hand the corners of his lips twitched upwards – again making Inuyasha almost die of shock. When the daiyoukai continued, he met his brother's gaze as he spoke, "That is why we must return him to where he belongs."