Chapter #9: A Sesshomaru and Kagura Love Story

Author's Notes: Woot! A new chapter! It's been a while…sorry, I've been caught up in college life and well…you know the story lol. Thanks a bunch to all the reviewers and readers! You guys are awesome! I'm really grateful for all the feedback I've been receiving too. It lets me know what I need to improve on so that I can become a better writer. So…don't be afraid to speak out.

Also, I want to apologize in advance if this chapter to sound a little crazy haha I couldn't help myself and kudos to anyone who gets the South Park reference in this chapter. Beware the double-flashback! Haha you'll know what I mean when you read…as always, I hope you enjoy! :-)


Reaching for the small, round dish to pour the sake in, Kagura wondered how she was ever going to convince Sesshomaru to actually drink the sake. It was one thing to say that she was going to attempt to drug the mighty Sesshomaru, but it was another thing to actually go through with it and live to tell the tale. It wasn't as if she could just walk up to him and politely ask him to drink the sake. How could she, when she knew that he would never allow such a thing? And plainly just shoving it up his throat wasn't a viable option either—especially since she knew that doing so would most certainly guarantee her an early death. So she really had no idea of how she would even attempt to do this, but for the sake of winning Sesshomaru back and putting that conniving wench Hitomi in her place, she would damn well try.

Unbeknownst to Kagura, the very woman she had grown to dislike was now watching her through the trees, observing her carefully to ensure that everything went according to the Lady Mother's plans. Hitomi smirked as she watched Kagura. "Oh good. She has already opened the flask. Now all that's left for me to do is just sit back and enjoy the show." She pictured Sesshomaru glaring at her furiously, telling her to leave. Her smile broadened. "Hmph! If Sesshomaru thinks he can scare me away just by simply telling me to leave, he's got another thing coming. He's going to have to do a lot more than that to get me to go away. The Lady Mother's fury is a lot worse to have to deal with than a simple glare." Her mind went back to her last encounter with the Lady Mother.

….

'Now make sure you watch Kagura carefully to ensure that she does go through with drugging my son, Hitomi. It's very imperative that you do so. After all, we wouldn't want anything to interfere with my little plan to have Sesshomaru and Kagura procreate together, now would we? It only takes one time for this to work and once Kagura follows through with the plan, I'll be one step closer to having those grandbabies I've always wanted." The Lady Mother exclaimed happily.

"Umm…not to be rude or anything, but don't you think you're going a tad bit overboard by having a random woman who you just met try to drug your only son? Not to mention the fact that you're probably sending that woman to an early death…"Hitomi cut in, trying to persuade the Lady Mother against the idea.

The Lady Mother could only look at her in disgust, not believing that she could make such an outlandish suggestion. What did she take her for-a fool? Who was she to question the Lady of the Western Lands' ideals? What did she know anyways? Was she burdened to have to wait years on end to see her own son or to have him be even remotely interested in a female enough for him to want to have children of his own so that her own dream of being an actual grandmother could finally be realized? Was it really too much to ask for this beautiful woman to be happy? The Lady Mother simply glared at the girl in response, folding her arms against her chest.

"Hmph! I do not recall ever asking for any advice from the likes of you. You would do well to be more respectful when addressing the Lady Mother instead of mindlessly rattling off nonsense that doesn't affect you in any particular way—especially when you don't even know the circumstances as to why this is being done in the first place." She answered, fighting the urge to get a more trustworthy person to do this job for her.

But Hitomi did not give in so easily. "I'm only suggesting that you take this into a little more consideration before you-"

"That is enough, Hitomi! I do not wish to hear any more of your incessant objections. I could just as easily have you replaced by any other servant if I so choose and we wouldn't want that to happen, now would we?-especially since your very life depends on the successful completion of this special task I have for you. Do remember that it was I who saved you after that particular incident with the tiger demons."

Hitomi instantly recalled the arduous battle her clan had against the tiger demons. Back then, she was but a small girl at the tender age of 9, amidst all the fighting and tensions going on between the lion and tiger clans. Many brave warriors had dedicated their lives to this battle and there were lives lost on both sides. The battle had lasted for years on end and ultimately, the tiger demons had claimed victory over the lion clan. Shortly after, the tiger demons came to reap the rewards of their newly achieved victory. Defense was weak; once strongly-built fortresses were now replaced with rubble; entire villages had been plundered and lost in the destruction.

Men, women, children—there was no distinction between the three groups—they were all brutally murdered by the tiger demons. She remembered herself as a little girl, basket in hand, walking home that same day her fellow brethren were killed. She had just gotten back from gathering medicinal herbs for her family and a few members of her clan. Approaching the area her clan had once resided, Hitomi instantly sensed that something was wrong. She could see a great fire creeping out from behind the trees in the direction of where her clan used to be. Overcome with fear, Hitomi rushed towards the village in the hopes of finding her clan members alive and well. But as she drew closer, she was beginning to see that she was only getting her hopes up as she saw hundreds of dead bodies marking the pathway to the village. Hitomi stopped, completely horrified as to what could've caused this. She feared the worst…what if her clan had lost to the tiger demons? She couldn't even begin to imagine something so awful happening, not to her clan. This all had to be a terrible nightmare…it just had to be. Without another thought, she ran to the village, making sure not to step on any of the dead bodies that filled the path. She stopped dead in her tracks when she reached the point where the village walls used to be, her eyes widening in shock as she scanned the village for any traces of life as it used to be. The village was completely ablaze with dead bodies of lion demons lying around as far as the eye could see. She gasped when she saw her own parents among the deceased, still clasping on to the weapons they had in hand at the point of death—a sword and a shield. Hitomi could not bear to see her family this way, her entire clan, defeated by the likes of those no-good tiger demons. She slowly walked over to her parents, then stopped right over them, looking down at their lifeless bodies, fully clothed in bloody armor. She felt her eyes fill with water. "Why?" She asked. "Why did this have to happen? Why them? They didn't deserve this…" She dropped to her knees, head down as the tears now came flowing freely down her cheeks. She sobbed uncontrollably, her suffering bearing no end. She cried so much that she almost didn't notice a group of tiger demons appear behind her.

"We must've missed one…kill her immediately! Leave nothing behind!" The chief tiger demon gave the order.

"Yes, chief!"

A group of tiger demons quickly surrounded Hitomi, each fully prepared to tear her limb-from-limb at a moment's notice. Without a word, Hitomi slowly rose from her spot, turning around to face her doom. 'I am not going to let them get away with this! Not when…' She thought, unable to think of all the destruction they caused. She wiped her face with the hem of the kimono she was wearing. Her face was now determined. 'I will not let them die in vain!' She thought as she produced two gigantic clones, each identical to her parents. Her father, dressed in the same black armor, swung his sword at the tiger demons, but missed as they quickly avoided the sword. Two tiger demons quickly reciprocated with their claws, aimed towards Hitomi. The mother, a lioness also dressed in a similar black armor, protected Hitomi with her shield, and slashed at both of the demons, splitting them both in half at the waist.

Hesitantly, a small tiger demon wearing a bright-orange hoodie came forth amongst the demons. Only a small portion of his face was visible because of the extent that the hoodie covered his face, around the mouth. The small tiger demon looked down at his fallen comrades in sadness. Looking back up, he sent a sharp glare towards Hitomi before the two lion demons blocked his view of her, holding up their weapons.

"Mmpf!" were the only words that could be heard from him as he suddenly charged towards the two lion demons in a blind rage. With one swift sweep of his sword, the father clone had instantly brought down the demon, splitting him in half at the waist. The rest of the tiger demons stood horror-stricken as the small tiger demon collapsed to the ground.

"Oh my God! She killed Kenny!" One tiger demon exclaimed, pointing a finger at her.

"You bastard!" shouted another tiger demon, waving an angry fist at her.

The tiger demons became infuriated at Hitomi as an entire group of six tiger demons decided to attack at once, agilely dodging the father's sword, and attacking from both sides. Hitomi took a step back and allowed the mother to take full control by turning around and slicing them all with one quick thrust.

The chief was enraged. "Enough! Move aside, men!" He shouted, signaling to the rest of the demons to end their useless attacks. He took a step forward from the group of demons. "I will handle this one." He said with a smirk. He walked very casually up to the giant clones, smirking deviously at Hitomi though the small opening that was visible to him between the two clones.

"Well, well, well…aren't we the lucky one? It's not often that I have to get my hands dirty with the work I assigned my men to do for me." He said.

Hitomi remained silent, glaring at the chief.

Examining her face, the chief's smile only broadened. "Oh? What's the matter? You don't like the fact that we killed your pathetic clan members?" He laughed heartily. "Well now. Would you like to join them?"

Two tears rolled down the girl's cheeks as continued to glare. "You won't lay a finger on me, I guarantee you that!" She shouted.

"Heh…is that so? Expecting your mommy and daddy to protect you? I recognize those clones as the two simple-minded fools my men killed earlier. They had no trouble at all. It turns out that your parents were nothing but a weak excuse for a demon clan. And you'll be nothing but the same." He snickered. All of the tiger demons joined the leader in roaring with laughter.

Hitomi had had enough. There was no way she was going to let them tarnish her clan's name and insult her parents like that. Not now. Not ever. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" She screamed, covering her ears and startling them all for a brief moment as everyone suddenly grew silent at her voice. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks now as she trembled in rage. Her head bowed, as she shook it vehemently, crying. "I don't want to hear any of it! You have no right to insult my family like that, you bastards! What did they do to deserve this? What? My clan fought bravely to try to restore peace to this community and all you do is only point fingers and laugh at them, regarding them as only weaklings! You forget that you were the ones who started this war in the first place by attacking our clan in the middle of the night! I will restore their name if it's the last thing I do! And then we will see who are truly the weak ones!" Her head snapped back up, her resolve now clear and her face hardened.

"Hmph! Too bad this is the last thing you will do…" The chief said smirking mischievously. "There's a reason my men call me Chief." He took a step towards her, his paws suddenly lighting up with an eerie green glow. Hitomi stood her ground. She would not be intimidated by him any longer.

"I see you have the power to make clones of your own to protect you. This puts my men at quite a disadvantage. Let's see what would happen if we were to eradicate that power," the Chief said as his smile broadened. A green aura surrounded his body as he instantly summoned a powerful blast from his palms directed at Hitomi. The cloned parents immediately sprang into action as they rushed to protect their little girl from the blast. Hitomi shut her eyes.

The clones had made it just in time as they shielded Hitomi from the full impact of the blast. Smoke from where their shields had absorbed the shock of the blast, slowly permeated through the air. A large dent from where the blast had hit their shields had rendered the shields completely useless. As Hitomi slowly opened her eyes, the first thing that registered through her mind was the absence of the Chief. The Chief tiger demon was nowhere to be seen, even as her eyes panicky scanned around for any traces of his presence. This action was short-lived as she immediately found the answer to her question, though not in the way as she was quite expecting. She gasped as she felt the Chief's sharp claws sticking through the middle of her chest, covered in her own blood, followed by an intense pain that hit her almost immediately as she started coughing up blood. Feeling the strength quickly draining out of her, Hitomi's body hung limp in his grasp as she had begun to lose consciousness. Her clones had disappeared, the result was instantaneous.

Grinning, the Chief whispered in her ear, "You're as pathetic as your deceased parents and now you know it too. Oh, and I didn't just lay a finger on you, I laid all five. Rest in peace, twerp."

He violently yanked his claws out of the girl's body, causing her to fall face-down into the dirt. She struggled to maintain consciousness, the tears stinging her eyes, as darkness crept over her. She moved slightly, drawing the Chief's attention. He sneered.

"Oh? Still alive, are we? We can't have that, now can we men?" He said, turning to his faithful men. "Men, I order for you to do what you will with her. Just make sure she's dead, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" The men saluted their leader as he turned his back and walked away. A group of tiger demons approached the girl's body, deciding to take revenge on her for the lives of the men she'd taken. They kicked her in the ribs continuously and stomped on her, causing the pain to shoot throughout her entire body. She whimpered from the torture, coughing up more blood, and rolled over on her back to ease the pressure on her rib cage. They didn't stop once-at least until something had stopped them. Hitomi opened one eye slightly to see a brilliant light flashing around the demons and them staring in awe at the light. Then, suddenly a blood-curling scream rang in the air. And then another. And another. Soon, all that was left was the Chief returning to see all the commotion. Hitomi's vision blurred as she was finding it increasingly harder to stay awake.

The light materialized to a large, white dog demon with a purple crescent mark shape on its forehead. Hitomi thought that she had never seen anything more beautiful in her life.

The Chief glared at the demon. "What business do you have here killing my men, demon? You will pay for your intrusion and for my precious men!" He said as his paws once again lit up in a greenish light. His body regained a green aura as he directed the blast towards the dog demon. The blast hit the dog demon full-force, yet held no effect as was evident when the dog demon merely scratched its ears with its hind-leg as most dogs do.

"Why- you!" The Chief shouted as he rushed towards the dog demon with his sharp claws, to which the dog demon quickly intercepted his attack by merely nailing him with its claws. The direct impact of the attack caused the Chief to disintegrate into nothingness. Hitomi's mind slowly faded to black as she closed her eyes and opened them again slowly, only to see the dog demon transform into a slender young demoness with long white hair, dressed in a beautiful kimono with a crescent-shaped scar on her forehead. She closed her eyes again, opening one last time to see the woman's face close up as the woman slowly carried the girl's body.

"Rest now, child. I will see to it that you remain safe." She only heard the demoness say before everything faded to black as her eyes drooped shut.

.

Hitomi instantly recalled that it was the Lady Mother that saved her from dying that day. If it hadn't have been for her, she would be dead now. She also remembered that it was the Lady Mother who took her in as an orphan and cared for her enough to give her a satisfying childhood with many friends, clothes, food, a home, and an adopted family to call her own and one where she had met Sesshomaru. When she had told Sesshomaru that her parents were killed by a demon, she was not entirely lying. Her parents were, in fact, killed but just not by Naraku. And while it was true that lying to Sesshomaru might not have been the most proper thing to do, he should have at least known something was suspicious had he actually been listening to the times that she had taken to explain her origin to him when they were children. And apparently, he had been listening.

It was also true that Hitomi owed a lot to the Lady Mother and she knew that, but the Lady Mother's constant attempts to take advantage of her were starting to annoy her. But still…the Lady Mother did help her though a lot…

'Damn it all…she's backed me into a corner. That woman can be so infuriating sometimes! Wait; no strike that—all the time! She is definitely Sesshomaru's mother. Nearly everything about the two is exactly the same—the hair, the eyes, and the insensitive attitude. The only difference is that woman's incessant reminders over what she's done for me. It never stops! That woman never ceases to amaze me…' Hitomi thought to herself.

The Lady Mother continued, "As such, you are forever indebted to me until further notice. You are to obey all of my orders, is that clear?"

Hitomi sighed. 'After this, I better not hear anything more about me owing her…' She thought to herself.

"Alright, I'll do as you wish…."She finally relented.

The Lady Mother smiled in approval. "Good. Leave nothing to chance. You may proceed now as originally planned." She said.

"Yes, m'lady!" She responded, leaving the palace.

Hitomi continued to watch Kagura from the trees. A small smirk graced her lips. 'This may be easier than I thought, she's already pouring the sake…' She thought to herself as she watched.

However, as Kagura began pouring the sake into the dish, a familiar imp suddenly appeared behind her, instantly alerting her to his presence when he spoke.

"What are you doing?" Jaken asked, causing Kagura to flinch in surprise. She instantly regretted it as her sudden movement caused her to spill sake all over her kimono. "Damnit!" Kagura shouted in frustration, surprising Jaken with her sudden outburst. "What the hell does it look like I'm doing?" She questioned, turning around to shoot him a sharp glare. 'As if this day couldn't get any worse, I have to deal with this fool now…' She thought to herself in annoyance. 'Today just isn't my day…'

Watching the scene from the trees, Hitomi internally cursed to herself. 'Damn! Does that imp always have to ruin everything?' She thought, frustrated that things might not be going her way after all.

Kagura suddenly tensed, realizing the situation. What if that imp found out what she was doing? Knowing him, he'd probably run off and blab to Sesshomaru that she's trying to drug him. Whatever happened, she would have to make sure that Jaken never found out about the flask. She would hide the evidence from him somehow. Discreetly shifting the dish further into the grass where it couldn't be seen, Kagura slowly rose from her spot, intending to lure Jaken away from the flask. However, Jaken was very suspicious and he couldn't help but notice Kagura's eyes darting off to the side, almost as if she was trying to hide something.

Curiosity overtaking him, Jaken suddenly blurted, "Hey! What's that behind you?" Not wasting any time, he suddenly rushed up to her, intending to find out for himself the answer to his question, when Kagura suddenly held out her fan in front of him, preventing him from going any further. "Hold it! Just where do you think you're going?" She asked, her voice firm. He gasped, jumping back in shock. Then, he narrowed his eyes at her. He wasn't going to let someone like her boss him around, not when he had the upper hand in this fight. He was going to expose this woman for the despicable wench that she was and he would ensure that Sesshomaru was there to see it. 'Then, Lord Sesshomaru would no longer regard me as such a nuisance and I will once again be up for the running as his strong, trustworthy feudal lord after he defeats Naraku.' He thought, his eyes sparkling at the very thought. And if anything, he would finally be rid of this evil wench, once and for all. Instantly recovering from his earlier shock, Jaken charged at Kagura, attempting to knock her down and rush past her to see what she was hiding behind her. This sudden action surprised Kagura as she fought desperately to prevent him from seeing what was behind her. 'Damn him…I never expected someone like him to cause this much trouble…' She thought to herself as she continued to block him. She knew that the grass, as long as it was, would not provide enough adequate means to hide the flask completely out of view.

"Just…got to...see…what's…behind you…" Jaken said as he struggled earnestly to maneuver around her. Feeling fed up with these games, Kagura stopped what she was doing and said, "Okay. I've had enough. Dance of blades!" Two wind blades were unleashed from her fan, hitting Jaken in the chest. On impact, he flew a few steps backwards, landing on the grass with a thud. He laid there for a moment before slowly getting up to a sitting position, his brown kimono torn in two places where he was hit. "ACK! LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO MY PRECIOUS KIMONO!" He yelled, his hands clutching at his brown kimono in desperation, inspecting the tears in it. That was his favorite kimono…what had this woman done? 'For years, this kimono has suited me well. I never even had to wear another kimono, despite being exposed to the many battles I faced as Lord Sesshomaru's faithful servant. And now look at it! It's ruined by that woman of all things! Oh, what shall I do?' He asked himself, frantically. Then, an idea hit him. 'Oh, I know! I'll get the Lady Mother to fix it or me or maybe she'll be kind enough to get me a replacement in the same color.' He smiled brightly at the thought.

With that in mind, Jaken stood up from his spot, glaring at her. "That could've killed me, you know!" He chastised, waving his staff at her angrily. Kagura could only smirk in response. Was it her fault that the shrimp happened to be so weak that he could be overcome by just one simple attack? "Listen up, Kagura. You and I both know you're hiding something and I'm going to find out what exactly." He started.

She quirked an eyebrow. "Oh really? Then I take it that that attempt you made just a moment ago to find out whatever you thought was behind me was only a warm up? Or were you truly being serious?" She asked, amusement evident in her voice.

"T-that's enough, Kagura!" Jaken fumed. "I've heard just about enough out of you. Either you are going to prove to me that you have nothing behind you by moving away from your current spot or I can simply let a certain Lord know that you may be plotting something against him. It's your choice." He said, smirking deviously. 'Though I can't say any decision would prove much benefit to you anyways, seeing that I plan to tell him either way…' He thought.

"I don't have to prove anything to you. Now get lost or I'll make you. Those are two choices right there. Take your pick," She stated as nonchalantly as ever. However, the green imp stood his ground, raising his staff protectively. He bravely took a few steps closer to her, facing her directly.

"Now you listen here, Kagura. I will not be intimidated by you. I'll have you know that-" Jaken suddenly stopped his tirade, cut off by a strange scent that permeated through his nose. 'This scent…could it be-?' He thought as he continued to sniff even more. Perplexed at what could have triggered the imp's strange behavior, her eyes widened as her mind drifted back to the spill from earlier. 'That sake I spilled all over my kimono earlier…could that be what he's smelling?' She thought to herself, worriedly. 'I have to do something before he realizes-'

"Ah-ha! So that's what you were hiding!" He said" Jaken shouted triumphantly, interrupting Kagura's thoughts. His face was smug, looking as if he had just conquered the world. Jaken was so ready to gloat about his new find, much to Kagura's displeasure. But she wasn't going to let this little victory of his get any further than this and the best way to throw him completely off, was to remain calm, which is what she was particularly good at in these type of situations.

"So you've finally figured it out, have you?" She asked calmly.

"Oh, indeed I have, Kagura! And you'll be the first one to know how happy I'll be when I finally get the chance to bring it to our Lord's attention. Won't he be surprised at what he finds out?" Jaken exclaimed. Every second of his gloating made her feel like she wanted to personally rip out his throat, but she remained calm anyways.

"Is that so? Then may I ask just what you have found so incriminating against me? You will find that I have done nothing wrong…" She stated, matter-of-factly.

"…Yet." Jaken continued for her. "The fact still remains that you were planning to do something to our Lord and I doubt he will be very happy to hear that."

"And that something is?" She inquired. Kagura knew that she was grasping at straws there, but she had to make sure that they were both on the same page on what she was hiding and planning to do to Sesshomaru.

Jaken rolled his eyes. "You know very well that you were trying to throw Sesshomaru a surprise birthday party."

Kagura blinked. "A what?" She had to ask again, not believing what she had heard. Where in the world did he get that idea?

"A surprise birthday party." He repeated, a little irritated that he had to say it again. "You even hid the sake for the celebration as proof. But you must know that Lord Sesshomaru has never been too fond of surprises. In fact, he despises anyone who even attempts to throw one for him, which is precisely why you're going to be in a whole lot of trouble when I tell Sesshomaru what you're plotting."

Kagura gaped at him. She certainly wasn't expecting this…

Concealed in the trees, Hitomi was just as shocked as Kagura was. 'Today is…Sesshomaru's…birthday? Why was I not informed of this by the Lady Mother?' She thought as she listened in on the conversation.

"But how on earth did you know that his day of birth is coming up soon? He has never really told anyone about it." He asked, in genuine surprise.

Kagura continued to gape at him, but after getting a confused look from Jaken, she thought of a quick explanation. "I...was informed by the Lady Mother when she brought me into her castle."

"That would explain why the Lady Mother had decided to talk to you in private," Jaken regarded thoughtfully.

Relieved that he looked satisfied by her answer, Kagura gave a sigh of relief. Maybe things would work in her favor after all. It was simple. All she had to do was convince everyone that she was planning a surprise birthday party for Sesshomaru and that would give her enough excuse to bring the sake into the party. She would then convince Sesshomaru to drink some of the sake she brought as a gift and then…he would be all hers. Her cherry-red lips curved upwards. Things were definitely turning around for her. Maybe it was possible to drug the Great Sesshomaru after all…the only thing that she couldn't do was allow Jaken to tell Sesshomaru the plans of this little surprise party of hers. Her eyes shifted back to the green imp, still mumbling amongst himself about her surprise birthday party. She smirked deviously as she raised her fan at the imp and proceeded to attack. After all, she couldn't have him blabbing her secret to Sesshomaru…

Jaken looked up in alarm, just as he heard:

"Dance of blades!"


Just outside of the caverns, Rin and Kohaku were both lying side by side in a small patch of tall, green grass.

"Hey Kohaku," Rin said, looking to the boy lying next to her.

"Huh?" Kohaku answered, looking back at her.

"What do you think is taking the others so long to get back?" She asked.

"I don't know…" Kohaku answered truthfully. "Why do you ask?"

Rin turned away from him to look back up at the sky. "Well, Lord Sesshomaru has been gone an awfully long time-longer than usual-and Master Jaken left earlier because he said he needed to do a few things. But how long does it take for someone to do a few things? And Hitomi's been gone a long time too…" She paused to think for a moment. "Kagura didn't seem too happy when she came back earlier…oh, I hope that nothing bad has happened to her." Rin said worriedly.

Not knowing what to say to that, Kohaku only nodded his head in simple agreement. They laid there in silence for a little while, enjoying what nature had to offer with the chirping of the birds and the warmth of the sun across their faces, the day couldn't have been any better.

Finally, Rin spoke, breaking the silence, "Well, whatever Lady Kagura is upset about, I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru will be there to make her happy again." She said, smiling brightly, still watching the clouds in the sky.

Kohaku's eyes widened for a moment as he looked to Rin smiling. Then, he smiled back gently, looking back up at the sky.

"Yes, Rin…I'm sure he will." He replied. It was silent for only a moment before Rin asked him another question.

"Say Kohaku, do you still miss your sister?" She asked, looking to him.

Rather taken aback by that question, Kohaku answered automatically. "O-of course, I do." He answered.

"That's good. I bet she misses her younger brother too. She looked rather worried about you the last time I saw her." Rin said.

"What happened between the two of you?" She suddenly asked. "I can't think of anything more horrible than two siblings not being able to see each other."

Kohaku's mood was suddenly hampered by that question. His bangs covered his eyes as he lowered his head slightly. "Uhh…I'd rather not talk about it."

Rin looked confused by that answer. "Why not?' She pried even further.

"Some things aren't meant to be said to others…" He answered, hoping that she would just drop the subject, but he wasn't that lucky.

"But you and I are friends, aren't we? And friends trust each other. I promise not to tell." She said, looking hopefully at Kohaku.

Kohaku smiled at that. "Of course we're friends, Rin. But these sorts of things are personal, meant for only families to share." He said.

Rin smiled sadly. "Sometimes I wish I had a family of my own to share my personal stories with, but they're all dead now. Lord Sesshomaru, Lady Kagura, Master Jaken, and you are the only family I have left to share my stories with. I don't know what I would do without you guys…" She said.

Kohaku internally chastised himself for making Rin upset. He sighed. "I'll tell you why my sister and I are separated."

Rin beamed at that. "You will?" She exclaimed excitedly. When Kohaku nodded, Rin made sure to pay extra attention as she waited expectantly for him to share his story.

"My sister and I…we can never be together. Not after what I had done." He began, keeping his eyes focused on the ground. He swallowed hard, unwilling to relive that terrible nightmare.

Seeing Kohaku in distress, Rin tried her best to cheer him up. "I'm sure your sister will forgive you, no matter how bad the situation was. I know she still loves you-"

"No! You don't understand!" Kohaku responded fiercely, cutting her off. "I was the one who killed father and all of our fellow comrades. I was the one who murdered our entire clan!" Tears rolled down his cheeks as he continued.

"I almost killed my older sister! I felt no remorse! I was the one responsible for bringing down an entire village and taking many innocent lives in the process." He toned it down a little as he remarked solemnly, "All I've done is caused everyone pain. My sister, Kagome, Kagura, and Lady Kikyo have all been kind to me. They had all risked their lives to protect me! I can't forgive myself. I don't even deserve to be here! My only wish is to follow father and the others in the grave and somehow repent for my sins.

"But why would you do such horrible things, Kohaku?" Rin asked, unwilling to believe that such a sweet boy like Kohaku could commit such heinous crimes.

"I was controlled by an evil villain known as Naraku. I know it sounds strange, but somehow, it feels like he's been controlling me and I can never seem to be able to get rid of him. And just when I start to think that things will be okay, a dark voice penetrates my thoughts and suddenly, everything fades to black. The next thing I see are bodies lying everywhere and I am covered in their blood." He shut his eyes tightly, trying to rid his mind of those terrible images.

"It's a nightmare! I want it all to end! I can't sleep at nights and every person I come in contact with winds up dead. I almost even harmed you, Rin. Twice. How can I live with myself after something like that? My sister will be better off if I'm not around—at least until Naraku's finally dead. So long as I'm alive, she will never forget the fact that I murdered father and the others. That is why I can never be near her."

"But Kohaku, I don't believe that you're a bad person at all. Those crimes weren't your fault. You were being controlled by that awful man. Earlier you said that Lady Kagura and Lady Kikyo risked their lives to protect you. Well, I believe there was a reason that they did that."

Kohaku looked at her in surprise, waiting for her to continue. Rin smiled brightly. "It's because they believe in you, Kohaku. Just like-: She paused to look at him. "Just like I believe in you," She answered.

"Rin…I-" Kohaku tried to say, but was cut off.

"So you needn't be sad and blame yourself, Kohaku. We're all here for you now and we don't want to see you die. Mother always said that we can never change the past, but we can do things to make the future look brighter. Wouldn't you agree?" She asked.

Hearing those words coming from Rin, it suddenly made Kohaku feel much better inside. It was almost as if a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His sister's words suddenly penetrated his mind. "Kohaku, you must live!" He smiled. Rin was right. He couldn't change the past, but he could make sure that things would turn out a lot better in the future. Naraku didn't stand a chance against him-not when he had others there to back him up. Maybe things would turn out better after all...

"Yes, Rin. I couldn't agree more." He said, returning the smile. They continued to rest in the stringy grass as silence ensued between them. They paid no mind though. They were both content with enjoying each other's company—at least until a familiar wind demon appeared through the trees.

"Look, Kohaku! It's Kagura!" Rin pointed excitedly.

Kohaku looked up in surprise to see Kagura standing across from them. "Kagura!" He shouted.

Rin rushed over to Kagura, leaving Kohaku behind. "Wait, Rin!" He called after her, but it was too late. She had already made it to Kagura by the time he stood up.

"Are you alright now, Lady Kagura? I've been worried about you," he heard Rin say. Kagura looked down at the little girl beside her and smiled reassuringly.

"Yes, Rin. I'm alright now." She answered. Rin smiled brightly at that. "Yay! I'm so glad that you're well!"

Kagura nodded as she turned her attention to the boy now making his way to them. She waited until he was standing beside Rin, before she continued again. Looking down at the two of them, she said, "Rin, Kohaku, there's something I need you both to do for me." She watched as both children's face stared back at her in curiosity.

"Ooh! What is it?" Rin asked in excitement.

"Well, it's Sesshomaru's birthday today so I need you both to-"

"WHAAAT? LORD SESSHOMARU IS HAVING A BIRTHDAY TODAY?" Rin exclaimed, unable to hide her apparent shock. Even the usually calm Kohaku was startled by the news.

"Yes and I want to SURPRISE him by having a birthday party set up for him." Kagura emphasized, hoping that Rin would get the hint to tone it down a little. However, she couldn't help but smile at their faces. She reacted almost the same way when she first heard the news and truth be told, she couldn't quite believe it herself. It was common knowledge that the cold, stoic demon had a birthday, but actually hearing it said aloud somehow made the news downright unbelievable. She had never really given it any thought until then, but to even go as far as to plan a birthday party Sesshomaru sounded rather silly in all sense of the word. She couldn't picture him of all people going through with it or seeing him get drunk for that matter. This was going to be one heck of a challenge alright, but she was going to make sure that this plan turned out a success at all costs.

Rin gasped, covering her mouth in surprise. "We're going to plan a surprise party for Lord Sesshomaru? Really?" She exclaimed excitedly. When Kagura nodded in approval, Rin hopped up and down in excitement. "Ooh! I can't wait! This is going to be so much fun! What should I do?"

In the trees, Hitomi merely smirked. 'Hmph! This should be interesting…'

Kagura thought about it for a moment. "Rin, why don't you gather some flowers for Lord Sesshomaru. You always seem to pick the prettiest flowers." She suggested.

"Sure! I'd love to!" Rin answered, smiling cheerfully. Kagura gave a soft smile in return.

"Good. Then you'll be in charge of the decorations." Kagura said.

"Okay!" Rin said.

Immediately, Rin took off through the forest to look for a place to pick some flowers leaving Kohaku and Kagura to stand there alone. Worried about Rin, Kagura sent Ah-Uhn to look after her in her quest to find flowers.

"Umm…what should I do?" Kohaku asked shyly.

Turning her attention to the boy next to her, Kagura simply said. "You'll be in charge of gathering the food for Sesshomaru."

Kohaku blinked. "But…what exactly does Lord Sesshomaru eat?" He asked in curiosity.

Kagura regarded that statement for a moment. What does he eat? She hadn't really thought about that nor had she ever actually seen him eat. It was all a mystery to her.

Realizing that Kohaku was still awaiting an answer, she merely folded her arms across her chest. "Hmph! Aren't you supposed to be a demon slayer?"

"Yes…" He answered, confused.

"Then locating some mere food shouldn't be such a complicated task for one such as yourself. Just gather a variety of things—berries, fish, demons-I'm sure that man has to eat something… and if not, more for us." She answered plainly.

"Okay, but Rin's better at catching fish than I am…" He replied truthfully.

"Then when she gets back, I'll have her catch the fish. You just focus on slaying those demons and collecting the berries," She said, growing a little impatient.

Kohaku nodded before setting off into the woods for some demons and berries.

Kagura smirked. 'It seems that everything is going according to plan…' she thought to herself…and in the trees, Hitomi was thinking the same thing.


"...nnn…what happened to me…?" Jaken said, slowly regaining his senses somewhere deep in the forest. Rubbing his head, the events leading to his predicament quickly flooded his mind. "Ooh…that witch! I can't believe she used her stupid dance of blades on me!" He exclaimed, infuriated. "She will pay for this once I tell Sesshomaru what she's plotting!" He quickly got up from his spot, determined to get to the cave, but there was one problem…

"Errr…where am I? I don't seem to recognize this place at all…" He said, looking around at his surroundings. "Unless-"He stopped, coming to a realization. He vaguely remembered seeing Kagura carrying his body off somewhere. "Ooh! She makes me so angry! She deliberately left me in some random area so that I'd be unable to tell Sesshomaru anything!" He looked down at his kimono seeing even more tears than before. "And she ruined my kimono even more!" He shouted.

Then, he sighed, sitting back down again. "So then…what now?" He asked himself, feeling hopeless. He was lost now and didn't have any clue as to how to get back. He took in another deep breath to sigh again, but paused as he breathed in a scent distinctly familiar…sake. 'I'd know that scent anywhere…' He thought, sniffing even more. He got up from his spot and started to follow the scent. "Hahaha bet you didn't count on my resourcefulness! Just you wait…" He said, continuing down the scented path.


Meanwhile, Rin had just returned back to the caves from gathering flowers with Ah-Uhn. "Look, Lady Kagura! I found some flowers!" She exclaimed, running up to the wind demon, carrying a handful of flowers.

"Yes, Rin. I can certainly see that." Kagura said, smiling. "You did an excellent job."

"Yep!" Rin replied cheerfully. "And look at what I made!" She said, holding up a ring of flowers to Kagura.

Confusion rushed over her features. "Umm…what is it, Rin?" Kagura asked, not knowing what to take of the colorful chain of flowers.

"It's a crown of flowers for Lord Sesshomaru to wear during the party!" She exclaimed happily. "Do you like it?" She asked.

"Of course. It looks very pretty and I'm sure Sesshomaru will enjoy it," Kagura answered, trying her best not to burst out laughing when she imagined the stoic Sesshomaru wearing a crown of flowers on his head. She definitely couldn't wait to see that and she knew he could never say 'no' to Rin. She could barely compose herself as she said the latter part of her sentence.

Rin smiled, oblivious to the thoughts going through Kagura's mind.

"Rin, why don't you save that crown for when we give out the presents." Kagura said.

"PRESENTS?" Rin exclaimed in excitement. "Ooh! What are you going to give to Lord Sesshomaru, Lady Kagura?" She asked.

A brief wave of shock washed over Kagura's face before she smiled and said, "It's a surprise."

But Rin pressed on. "Ooh! Are you going to kiss him? Because that's what I think Lord Sesshomaru really wants." She asked, growing more excited.

Kagura blushed. Just what had gotten into this girl? Wasn't she a little too young to be talking about this? She waved it off. "No, Rin. It's nothing like that." She answered.

Rin looked disappointed. "Aww…why not? Don't you love Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked.

Kagura was at a loss of words. There was no way she could admit anything to this girl. She needed a distraction. "Rin, there's no time. We need to hurry and put these flowers in the caverns." She replied, gathering a handful of flowers that was on Ah-Uhn's harness.

"Oh!" Rin said, as she also grabbed a handful of flowers and hurried along to the caverns.

Kagura breathed a sigh of relief as her distraction seemed to be working. Suddenly, hearing something in the trees, Kagura quickly tensed. 'Please…not now. We're not ready yet.' She thought to herself, praying that it wasn't Sesshomaru.

Kohaku's form appeared through the trees. Kagura thanked her lucky stars as she walked towards him. "Kohaku…were you successful in slaying any demons?" She asked.

"Yeah…" he answered. "I couldn't carry them all in addition to the berries so I left a pile of demons in the woods not too far from here. Could you help me carry some?"

Kagura smiled. "I'd be happy to, but we have to hurry. We don't have much time." She answered.

"Right." Kohaku replied.

Just then, Rin came from the caverns. "Kohaku! You're back!" She exclaimed. Kohaku smiled back in return.

"Rin, I need you to capture some fish for Sesshomaru's party." Kagura said.

"But…Lord Sesshomaru doesn't like human food…" She answered, hesitantly.

"Well, Sesshomaru's not going to eat all the food, is he? We need to gather some food for us too and Kohaku already gathered some berries and demons for him to eat." Kagura stated.

"Okay!" Rin answered. Then she turned her attention to the two-headed demon. "Come on, Ah-Uhn! We need to hurry before Lord Sesshomaru gets back!" she said as she got up on his stirrups. Ah-Uhn took off through the air, leaving Kagura and Kohaku alone again.

Kohaku quickly placed the berries in the caverns and then came out to find Kagura still waiting on him.

"Come on, Kohaku. We better go too." She stated, ushering him along. Then, they both left to retrieve the pile of demons.

By the time they had all returned, it was already close to sundown. Rin had already cooked the fish over a warm fire, courtesy of Ah-Uhn, and the cavern was now fully decorated with flowers and different types of food. The fish, still hanging over the warm fire, held an intoxicating aroma that captured the senses of anyone nearby. Rin, Kohaku, and Kagura were all lying in wait right outside the caverns for Sesshomaru.


Walking through the forest, Sesshomaru finally caught sight of the caverns where his group had been staying. He briefly regarded at how late he was getting back, but paid no mind when he saw Rin, Kohaku, and Kagura waiting earnestly for him outside of the caverns.

"Yay! Lord Sesshomaru is here!" Rin exclaimed, excitedly running up to him.

Sesshomaru looked down at the girl's cheerful face and said, "I take it you've fared well, Rin."

"Uh-huh!" Rin answered, smiling brightly. "I'm so glad you're back, mi'lord! There's something that we've been wanting to show you!"

Narrowing his eyes, Sesshomaru looked to Kagura for answers. Kagura merely smirked in reply. "Well don't just stand there. You heard the girl. Now, move." She said playfully as she entered into the caverns.

Rin clutched his arm, trying to tug him along to the caverns to which he reluctantly followed.

As they entered the caverns, Sesshomaru marveled at how much work that they had clearly put into this. The entire cavern was decorated with flowers, courtesy of Rin, he supposed and there were demons and berries in two large piles. In addition, there was a fire set up in the middle of the caverns with an assortment of gently crisp fish hanging over it.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin suddenly asked, almost bursting with joy. "Do you like it? We all planned this surprise party for you while you were away, mi'lord."

Kohaku gave a gentle smile and Kagura smirked in reply.

At first, Sesshomaru's face held no reaction. Then, he simply nodded in approval. To anyone else, this simple gesture might've ticked some people off and disappointed them because they expected more, but Rin, Kohaku, and Kagura all knew better. They knew that simple gesture from Sesshomaru meant that he recognized the time and effort they put forth into creating this party for him—that their efforts were not in vain.

Rin smiled cheerfully at his answer. "I'm so glad, mi'lord!"

Suddenly, a familiar imp came panting through the opening of the caverns. "L-Lord Sesshomaru, there's something I—huff—huff—must tell you." Jaken started. "Kagura is plotting to have a surprise birthday party for you!" He exclaimed. "And she-"

"Enough, Jaken. I am already aware of that. Don't state the obvious." Sesshomaru simply stated.

The poor imp just gaped at his master, finally registering his everyone in his surroundings.

"Master Jaken! Welcome back!" Rin waved to him cheerfully, completely oblivious to what was going on. "Now we're all together again!" Suddenly, she realized that she forgot a person. "Oh no, where's Hitomi?" Rin exclaimed, worriedly.

Kagura instantly tensed at hearing the name of that woman. She suddenly remembered the real reason behind planning the party for Sesshomaru. Her mind went back to the image of Sesshomaru and Hitomi kissing in the rain. She grew a little saddened at the thought.

"She left, Rin. She had more important matters to attend to." Sesshomaru said with a strict tone not to ask any more questions.

Everyone looked at Sesshomaru in surprise. What had happened between now and this morning to make her leave?

'So that witch left, huh? What a pity...' Kagura thought sarcastically.

"But why? What's more important than your birthday?" Rin asked, inquisitive as ever.

"You needn't ask such questions, Rin." was his only reply.

"And why the hell not? Doesn't she have a right to know?" Kagura asked in agitation.

"It's none of her concern." Sesshomaru responded.

"It's damn well her concern! If it wasn't her concern, she wouldn't ask." Kagura snapped. "And another thing, Rin is sick of hearing your avoidant answers! For once, she just wishes that you'd man up and spit it out already!"

"I couldn't care less what she wishes." Sesshomaru answered plainly. "My affairs are my concern and my concern alone."

"So you admit that you had an affair with that woman?" Kagura inquired venomously.

Understanding at what she was getting at, Sesshomaru simply responded, "And if I did? What concern is that of yours?"

Kagura's eyes widened for a brief moment before narrowing at him dangerously. "You know what? You're right. It doesn't concern me. I'm through with it concerning me anymore." She fumed. She smirked triumphantly when she saw a wave of emotion pass briefly. "Let's just get on with this damn party already." She said as silence ensued between them.

Rin and Kohaku just exchanged glances with one another in confusion. What was going on?

In the bushes right outside the caverns, Hitomi's eyebrows furrowed with concern. 'No, no, no! She's not supposed to be fighting with him! She's supposed to be getting Sesshomaru drunk! Oh, what a disaster!' She thought to herself. 'I might have to do something about this…'

Not a sound was made in the caverns as the five people resumed the party. However, Rin could only take so much silence though.

"Umm…Lord Sesshomaru? Kohaku slayed some demons and gathered some berries for you to eat, if you want." She said, smiling.

"I'm not hungry." Sesshomaru simply replied.

Rin felt a little disappointed with his answer, but then she turned to Kohaku. "How about you, Kohaku? There's plenty of food for all of us."

"Thanks, Rin. That fish does look tasty." He said, smiling gently.

She brightened as she helped Kohaku to one big, juicy fish. "Here you go!" she said. "Anyone else want any?" She question.

"No thanks. I'm fine, Rin." Kagura simply said.

"Don't mind if I do!" Jaken said. "Oh, and those berries look good too!"

Rin smiled cheerfully as she helped Jaken to both the fish and the berries.

Then, she helped herself to a fish. "It's so good to have dinner with friends!" She exclaimed, taking a bite out of her fish.

Ah-Uhn whined at being left out of the party. They wanted some fish too! Rin laughed at that. "Don't worry, Ah-Uhn. I didn't forget about you," She said as she gave the dragon demon one fish each, multiple berries, and one slain demon.

Then, Rin started talking to Kohaku about menial things such as the weather, how funny it was to see Jaken angry, and about the day. Jaken butted in from time to time—especially when the things she was talking about concerned him.

Everyone seemed to be having fun—except for Sesshomaru and Kagura, that is. They both sat across from each other in silence, neither of them making any effort at conversation. Finally, Rin decided to break the silence by saying, "Lord Sesshomaru, I got you something for your birthday, but you have to close your eyes first."

"What is it, Rin?" He asked in all curiosity.

"Ah, ah, ah…that is none of your concern. You'll have to close your eyes first to find out, mi'lord." She said, smiling.

Kagura couldn't help but chuckle at her words. It kind of reminded her of someone…

Sesshomaru was a little taken aback by having his own words used against him. He didn't question her, but simply obeyed.

Pulling the chain of flowers out of her kimono, she slowly placed it on top of Sesshomaru's head. She giggled. "You can open your eyes now, mi'lord." She said. And that's just what Sesshomaru did.

Kagura instantly busted out laughing when she saw him. She couldn't help herself—it just looked so ridiculous on him. Even Kohaku chuckled a little at the sight of him and Jaken almost busted a gasket, trying to hold in his laughter.

Hearing everyone laughing at him, he knew it couldn't be good. Reaching for his side, Sesshomaru slowly pulled out the Tenseiga from his sheath and looked at his reflection. That's when he realized that everyone was right to laugh. He did look ridiculous! Almost like a…

"Princess!" Rin exclaimed. "You look very pretty, mi'lord," She said, giggling.

At that point, even Jaken joined in with the laughter. That is until he received a sharp glare from Sesshomaru.

"Do you like it, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin said, still giggling.

"Of course he does, Rin! He loves it so much that he's going to wear it until the party's over! Isn't that right, Sesshomaru?" Kagura remarked, smirking deviously.

Sesshomaru sent a sharp glare towards Kagura, but she was simply enjoying it. She never had this much fun in her life.

"Really?" Rin exclaimed excitedly.

Quite reluctantly, Sesshomaru nodded. There was nothing he could do without upsetting the girl.

"Yay!" Rin exclaimed happily. "Oh and Kagura wants to give you something too!"

Sesshomaru regarded Kagura in curiosity.

Now, Kagura was faced with a decision. Should she give Sesshomaru the sake and risk getting hurt or should she decline and live with regret? She decided to take a chance. It was a party, after all.

"It's not really a present, but I thought this would lighten up the party a little." Kagura said, as she pulled out the flask of sake from her kimono.

"You deceitful, conniving wench! You mean to drug our Lord! I knew you couldn't be trusted! Mi'lord would never dream of taking a sip of that disgusting—oww!"

Sesshomaru had wacked the imp over the head. "Jaken, I'll do the talking." He simply said.

"Oh! Of course, mi'lord! My apologies for such behavior." He said, bowing repeatedly.

"Well? What will it be?" Kagura said with a smirk.

"I decline." Sesshomaru simply said. She had a feeling he would say that so she tried a new approach.

"It's a party, Sesshomaru. You can go one night without being so tense all the time. You need to relax. Or are you scared?" Kagura challenged.

"No, I just have no reason to want to drink with you." He answered.

"Then I won't drink. You will." Kagura said, smirking.

"I refuse." He said, rising from his spot. "Inebriation does not sit well with me."

He started to walk towards the opening of the cavern until Kagura said, "Hold it, Sesshomaru. Just where do you think you're going?"

"Out." He simply replied as he reached the exit.

"Oh? And am I to assume that you're leaving because I offered you a simple drink? You really are a coward after all." She called after him.

"Assume what you want. Either way, I really don't care," was his only reply as he left.

"Oh no! I wonder what's gotten into Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin exclaimed.

"Let him be, Rin. If he wants to go off in a corner somewhere, then so be it." Kagura answered as she headed for the cavern exit.

"But…where are you going, Lady Kagura?" She asked.

"I just really need to take a breather. I'll be back soon." Kagura replied as she left the cavern.

In the bushes, Hitomi only rolled her eyes. "Oh, great. Now they're leaving. Just what am I supposed to tell the Lady Mother now?"

"Come on, Kohaku. Let's go chase after Master Jaken." Rin suggested.

"What? No, stay away Rin!" Jaken said, running away as Rin chased after him.

Kohaku only shrugged at Ah-Uhn and followed after them. "Hey! Wait up, Rin!" He called after her.


Sitting in the same meadow as earlier, Kagura contemplated the turn of events that surrounded her day. She sighed. "So I couldn't get Sesshomaru to drink the sake after all…" She said a little disappointed. She pulled the flask from her kimono. "Well, I might as well not let all this sake go to waste…" She said to herself as she prepared to guzzle down a mouthful of sake from the flask.

However, just as the flask had reached her lips, a warm hand stopped her from taking a sip from it. Kagura gasped when she heard a familiar masculine voice say, "Don't." behind her.

She looked back to find none-other-than Sesshomaru standing there, hand still clasped around her wrist wearing a firm expression.

Then, she smiled weakly. "Oh, it's you, huh? What do you want, Sesshomaru? Why can't you just let me be?" She said.

"No. I won't let you take a sip of that sake." He replied determinedly.

"And why the hell not? It's not like you care. Besides, you don't own me, Sesshomaru. I can do whatever the hell I want. I'm free, remember?" She said, growing a little irritated at being controlled.

"If I didn't care, do you think I would be here trying to stop you?" He asked. "And furthermore, drugging yourself does not make you free."

He immediately snatched the flask out of her hand and threw it on the ground, breaking the flask into tiny pieces, to further his point.

That seemed to set her off. "What the hell Sesshomaru?" She yelled. She got up, turning around to face him. "And what would you know about being free when you cower and crawl into your little hole every time a person tries to pressure you into revealing a bit of your emotions." She said. "I could say that the way you're living isn't freedom at all. You're like a prisoner of your own emotions!"

She gasped when she felt her back being slammed against the tree. Her breath caught in her throat at the close proximity Sesshomaru was to her.

"Oh, so now what? This again? I guess you really can't teach an old dog new tricks." She said, smirking. That insult seemed to really set him off the edge as Kagura saw a new emotion pass across his normal façade, dare she say it was—rage?

She laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I strike a nerve?" She mocked. "It seems I am finally able to draw out an emotion from you."

She felt her back being pressed harder against the tree, his claws pinning her in place as she tried to move.

"Let me make this clear. There's nothing stopping me from killing you right now for such blatant disrespect towards me." Sesshomaru growled.

She quirked an eyebrow. "If that is so then why haven't you done it already? Or have you forgotten that you're the one responsible for saving my life on numerous occasions." She challenged.

Sesshomaru was at a loss of words. What could he say to that? It was true that he had saved her life more than once contrary to his usual nature. But for some reason, he just couldn't bring himself to be rid of her. Just what had been stopping him from killing her up till now?

Not waiting for a reply, Kagura continued. "Sesshomaru, I'll say it again. You. Don't. Control. Me. So get out of my face and leave me hell alone." She said, trying to jerk her shoulders from his grasp.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes when he realized what she was doing. There was no way he was going to let her escape that easily. His grip only tightened the harder she tried to pull.

"Let go of me!" She shouted angrily as she struggled furiously under his grasp.

"This Sesshomaru does not cower in fear as you would so presume nor would he spare anyone who believes otherwise. The plan to drug me…this was my mother's doing, was it not?" He asked, maintaining his composure.

Kagura quickly paused from her struggling to level him with a glare. "And if it was?" She asked.

"Then it would explain why you would make use of such things." He stated simply.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Kagura fumed, rather insulted.

"Simply put. You're much better than this." He replied, slowly releasing his hold on Kagura.

She didn't know whether to feel flattered or insulted at his response. She chose the latter. "I see...so sorry I didn't act exactly as you might expect." She stated sarcastically.

"No…no you didn't." He responded rather thoughtfully. "But that unpredictable nature of yours is what makes you…interesting." He stated, his deep, steady gaze on hers now.

She froze. 'Wait. What did he just say?' She thought in surprise. Then, she smirked, taking one step closer to him. "Interesting, huh? More interesting than that Hitomi woman I presume?" She asked casually. She wasn't about to let that one go.

He narrowed his eyes. 'That Hitomi…always ruining everything and I can only assume Mother was behind this as well…' He thought with a scowl.

"Well?" Kagura asked, impatiently folding her arms across her chest. "I'm waiting…and don't think I've forgotten about our earlier discussion on the topic."

He sighed. "That woman you saw was only pretending to be romantically involved with me so that you would go through with my mother's plan to inebriate me." He stated, never removing eye contact.

Knowing that Sesshomaru was never one to lie, Kagura gasped in surprise. "Then…you mean that I...but…but why?"

"My mother wanted you and me to procreate together so that she could have grandchildren." He stated plainly.

Kagura only gave a little smirk in response, her bangs now covering her eyes. "Heh. I...see. Then Hitomi was only…"

"Correct. Hitomi was only sent as a way to ensure that everything went as planned…"

"…meaning that everything I saw with Hitomi was a trick." Kagura finished. She wanted to laugh. She had been such a fool this whole time. How could she not know that the Lady Mother had planned this all along? '…and that would explain why Hitomi knew exactly that Sesshomaru would turn her down and why Sesshomaru had acted so strangely but…but—"

"How?" Kagura voiced aloud. "How did Hitomi manage to fool me into thinking that someone else or some thing was you?" She asked.

"I'll let her explain it to you." Sesshomaru answered briefly.

"What?" Kagura asked, confused. "Is she…here?"

Sesshomaru's eyes quickly darted to the trees as he said, "Hitomi…I know you're there. Come out and explain yourself."

A few moments later, a familiar figure leapt from the trees and landed gracefully on the grassy tundra in front of them.

Hitomi smiled brightly, her blue eyes illuminating through the night. "Mmm…I see. So you did know where to find me." She said seductively.

Kagura narrowed her eyes at her. Just what was with this woman thinking she could just waltz in here like that and flirt with Sesshomaru? Just who does she think she is?

Kagura smirked as she drew out her fan. "Any reason why I shouldn't kill you on the spot for tricking me into some foolish plot?" She asked.

Hitomi merely stuck her nose up and put her hands on her hips. "Hmph! I was only following orders to stay alive. If I recall, that's exactly what you did when you were taking orders from Naraku." Then, she smiled, wrapping her around Sesshomaru's. "Isn't that right…Lord Sesshomaru?" She said with a flirtatious wink. Much to her displeasure, she looked up to find Sesshomaru glaring down at her.

"Hitomi." He stated calmly.

"Hmm? Yes, my lord?" She asked innocently.

"Remove your arm or I shall do it for you." He said.

Definitely not wanting that, Hitomi quickly obliged. "Man, you are just no fun at all!" She fumed.

Watching the scene before her, Kagura could only laugh. What on earth was she worrying for? It seemed that Hitomi didn't stand a chance with Sesshomaru. He wouldn't even give her the time of day.

"So Hitomi, mind explaining how you pulled that little Sesshomaru stunt earlier?" Kagura said, keeping her eyes focused on Hitomi.

Hitomi smirked. "Tricking you was way too easy. I have the ability to make clones, you see. All I had to do was fool you into thinking my Sesshomaru clone was the real Sesshomaru and then you'd be all mine. That scene in the forest when you confessed your feelings to Sesshomaru and that time you saw me and Sesshomaru kissing—they were all me and you totally fell for it! After that, all I had to do was sit back and watch the scene unfolds as your jealousy caused you to carry out the Lady Mother's plan." She answered triumphantly.

Kagura only smirked. "Bravo. It would seem you went through all that and came up with nothing in the end." She stated.

"Not necessarily. Fooled you, didn't I?" Hitomi stated with a sly grin. Kagura glared at her in return.

Hitomi smiled proudly. "And it seems that I'm not the only one who's been deceptive lately. Eh, Sesshomaru?" She said, nudging him with her elbow.

Kagura quirked an eyebrow at that. "What's she talking about, Sesshomaru?" She asked, turning to face him. Sesshomaru said nothing in response, but simply stared back at her.

"Well, it's getting rather late. I'd better go. Enjoy your lover's spat you too," Hitomi said happily retreating into the trees.

But Sesshomaru and Kagura no longer paid her any mind. Both kept their eyes on the other. Golden and Crimson.

"What did she mean, Sesshomaru? Are you hiding something from me?" Kagura asked, growing agitated.

"It's not my birthday." He stated plainly, his face deadpanned.

Kagura blinked. "What?" She voiced aloud.

"I had Jaken lead you into believing it was my birthday in order to understand what my mother had been plotting behind my back." He said.

Kagura couldn't believe she was hearing this from Sesshomaru. She found his words to be rather amusing. She couldn't help but laugh a little.

"I see…so that is how you found out what the Lady Mother had instructed me to do. But…couldn't you have just as easily smelled the sake on me?" She asked, quite curious.

"That only confirmed my suspicions before your little party for me began. In truth, I suspected Mother was up to something from the time we left the palace, which is why I visited Mother again for questioning." He answered.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier? That really might've prevented this." Kagura responded with a sigh.

"I wanted to make sure what my mother was plotting before I took any further action." He stated.

"So in other words, you used me to get what you wanted." Kagura concluded, narrowing her eyes at him.

He smirked. "Heh. So that's how you want to take it…" He said. "If I recall, you've tried to do the same once before…?"

Kagura smirked. He did have a point. She did try to use him on different occasions to free herself from Naraku.

"I see…then we're exactly the same." She replied, walking past him. Then, she stopped at the trees, turning around. "Let's go back. It's getting late." She said, still smirking. She continued walking.

Sesshomaru nodded, following not too far behind. As he was walking, Kagura's words replayed in his mind: 'I see...then we're exactly the same.' He smirked.

'Heh…So that's what she calls it, huh?'


"WHAT?" The Lady Mother screeched, looking like she was about to have a heart attack. "What do you mean she didn't go through with the plan?"

"She didn't go through with it. Your son broke the flask." Hitomi said smiling.

"My son? Why would he do such a thing? What an ungrateful child…" the Lady Mother fumed. 'That Sesshomaru…what could he be thinking? How could he blow a chance like that? Why, I wonder if he's even my son at all…'

She looked to the smiling girl in front of her. "And just what do you find so funny, Hitomi?" She asked angrily.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that I really don't think the two of them need the sake after all." Hitomi said, her smile broadening. "Don't worry, I have a feeling you'll get those grandbabies soon, but not that soon. You'll just have to wait a little longer."

"Oh, but I do so detest waiting." The Lady Mother said. Then sighing, she thought to herself, 'Oh well…as long as you're happy, my dear Sesshomaru.'


Author's Notes: Hmm…things are really starting to look up for our favorite couple. We'll see how things turn out for these two as we go along. In the meantime, the Inuyasha gang appears in the next chapter so be sure to stay tuned!

And reviews are always appreciated! ;-)