Disclaimer: As cruel as the fates are, they went so far as to have me born in the United States and not Japan. Also, I am not Japanese. And I am, additionally, not the author of Inuyasha. Sighs How sad. (Got to love the good ol' US of A!)

A/N: Hello there! It has taken me longer than last time to update, I'm afraid, but I promise to continue for as long as I can. I do wish to finish this fic before the summer is out. I've continued to gain pleasant reviews, though not as many as I hoped for with the last chapter, but I appreciate all of you who put in the time to let me know how I'm doing. I've also received some interesting suggestions which, sadly, I must decline. At the end of this chapter I will expand further. Thank you so much, and have a lovely time!

Some Vocabulary (for those who do not know):

Miko: priestess

Youki: demon aura

Youkai: demon

Hanyou: Half-breed, or half-demon

Heat of Reaction

Chapter 9 – What Hurts

Kagome arose to a feeling of discomfort. The way she had slept was not at all different to how she had been sleeping for the past three years, so it was not due to bad positioning. It was due to the feeling of eyes. As she cracked open her lids and her vision cleared, she caught sight of a black shoe very near her face. As she peered up the expected white outfit of her latest traveling companion came into view bit by bit, until it ended at his face. It was back to the way it had been in battle against them – blank and unreadable. His eyes, however, seemed harsher than before.

Never before had Sesshoumaru stirred her from sleep either, and Kagome had to wonder what was wrong. Her sleep had not been particularly sound last night, considering what had transpired between them and the strangled way it had ended.

After mulling it over in her mind all night, the young woman realized she could have handled the situation much better than she had. Her broken answer had undoubtedly confused him, not to mention that refusing him altogether was something he was unaccustomed to. There was so much she wanted to explain, but she could not seem to put to words the sense her mind made.

Last night, when Sesshoumaru had kissed her, it had been unimaginable. Any questions of why and how had been dispelled by the simple touch of his lips, as well as any thoughts of her duties to the Shikon and Inuyasha. That was what had scared her most, that he had caused her to forget what her presence in the Feudal Era was for. It was even more petrifying that she had felt more right in his arms than she had in a long time.

Lord Sesshoumaru was the long-time opponent of her best friend and not-to-be love, always instigating fights over the heirloom his younger brother possessed. He was powerful, arrogant, crude and cruel at times. He was someone she was supposed to hate or in the very least dislike, yet she could not help but want to be near him. She had seen that he could be civil, and he was obviously caring, for if her were not he would not have sought her out to cure Rin. Kagome did not want to know what Inuyasha would say sat the moment. Perhaps he would be too stunned for words, but she was certain he would want to kill her.

"Good morning, Sesshoumaru." Sitting up, she diverted her eyes from his golden glare, feeling like a guilty child.

"-Sama."

Kagome's eyes shot up to his as he added the honorific with forcefulness. His eyes were still on her for several moments before he looked off into the distance. The traditional armor he usually wore adorned his chest and his katanas were sheathed at his hip.

"It is time you rise. Gather your positions, or I shall leave without you." He turned from her and strode toward the opposite side of the clearing where Jaken was harnessing Ah-Uhn. The sound of giggling brought Kagome out of her stupor, and her attention was drawn to the little girl who stood next to her.

Kagome's yellow backpack in hand, Rin smiled widely. "Come on, Kagome-san! Or Lord Sesshoumaru will leave us behind!"

Allowing the little girl to take her hand, Kagome gathered her sleeping bag, already rolled up, and hung the strap from her shoulder. She hollowly followed the tachi she had recently joined, recalling the demanding tone the great Western Lord had taken when correcting her greeting this morning. It made sense, with the way she had treated him the previous night, but it strangely made her feel more guilt.

Evading the encroaching churn of her stomach that undoubtedly would come later, Kagome turned her mind to a still more curious topic: Why he had awakened her so early, and why Rin and Jaken had also risen before her. No doubt Sesshoumaru, the earliest riser of them all, had taken the liberty to draw them both from sleep, but for what purpose? It was not a custom for them to leave so early on their travels. The sun had barely crested the hills ahead of them and the morning mist clung invisibly thick in the piney forest air.

Noting the location of the sun, the young black-haired priestess cocked her head, letting the voice of the child beside her fade into the background. In the two weeks she had accompanied Sesshoumaru's tachi they had roamed the boarders of his territory. After that had been done, she was sure they had been traveling West toward what she supposed might be his fortress. Now, however, the sun was rising in front of them, indicating they were backtracking. What business Sesshoumaru could have come across suddenly interested her.

For several minutes, Kagome contemplated asking him about their sudden change in direction. He did not seem particularly inclined to speak with her and she did not want to seem nosey. On the other hand, her fate was intermingled with theirs now, and she deserved to know just what they were getting into. Finally, she relented.

"Um, Sesshoumaru…Sesshoumaru-sama?" she questioned unsurely. When he did not respond, she took it as a sign to continue and cast away the thought she had been simply ignored. "Um, where exactly are we going?"

"Where we go is no particular matter of yours," the Taiyoukai answered regally. Then, with just as much an air, he continued. "We travel to the North East."

Kagome rolled her eyes at his back. "I figured that much."

Casting her a glance, Sesshoumaru said coolly, "Then do not thin my patience with questions you have already answered."

The futuristic miko frowned at the response. It had a sense of finality that warned her not to make further inquiries, but gave her the feeling it had something to do with her. What did he mean, 'do not thin my patience'? Surely she had a right to know exactly where he was leading her. Whether she was in his good graces did not matter.

Casting his back an indignant glare, she ignored the insulting comments of the toad-like retainer at her left and focused on the little girl who gripped her hand securely. Rin, who had quieted as her Lord spoke, recommenced her happy chatter.

"Flowers are so pretty Kagome-san! Especially the ones you and Lord Sesshoumaru bring me," she informed, swinging their joined hands. "My favorites are the daisies, though. What's your favorite flower?"

Kagome forced a thoughtful smile to stretch her lips, if only to placate Rin. "I don't know, Rin-chan. Almost all are pretty. I don't know if I can pick just one."

The rest of the morning passed in such a matter. Rin spoke unceasingly to Kagome, asking myriad questions as children are prone to doing, and Sesshoumaru spoke not at all unless directly ordering Jaken. Nearing Noon – or Eleven Thirty, if Kagome's cheap plastic watch kept correct time – they stopped near a river so Rin could eat. Kagome splashed with her by the bank and was successful in procuring a meal for herself and the child. After both cod had been finely roasted and devoured, Rin began to chase the Lord's toad-like retainer.

Kagome stood, after contemplating the subject that dwelled in her mind, and strode to the Western Lord with purpose. He stood at the opposite side of the fire, looking off into the distance in that stoic and aloof way he always did, as if he were watching a scene unfold a country's length away. As Kagome reached him, her will began to cede. The anxiety that had plagued her in the night had not much abated, and she sought to redeem herself in whatever way possible. Sesshoumaru, though terrifying, must also be reasonable, she thought. Even so, she was hesitant to inspire the conversation she wished to have.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she spoke to his massive back, "I am going to pick flowers for Rin. Would…would you like to come?"

Sesshoumaru turned only his face to her and looked down his nose. "Why would this Sesshoumaru venture on such a flippant errand?"

The coldness in his voice upset Kagome. True, he was angry, but it was due to a misunderstanding on his part. She would accept his anger and disappointment to some degree, but how could he dismiss all of their neutral excursions as flippant?

"Sesshoumaru, if we could just talk about last night, if I could just explain-"

"The explanation you first provided was sufficient for my purposes," he cut her off sternly. "Now ready your belonging. We will depart now."

Kagome stared at his back angrily, clenching her fists, as he once again turned his face away from her. Turning around, she began her march to collect her bags.

"And miko," his chilling voice stopped her mid-step, "I shall not remind you to use the title appropriate to my standing. Be warned."

Left, Right. Left, Right. The words clicked like a metronome in her mind as the raven-haired miko's white tennis shoes took even, measured steps. Beside her, a little girl clung to her hand in a signature sunset checkered kimono, her floppy pony tail bouncing joyously. The pair in front of them – a brown-robed imp and royal Taiyoukai who wore nothing but white – was mostly silent, the job of governess being left to her.

Kagome sighed. They had been walking for a little more than two hours, and her back was beginning to hurt. All the medicine she had not needed to use on Rin still took residence in her back pack, adding unnecessary weight to the usually gluttonous sack. It was also around three in the afternoon, when the sun was particularly vengeful, and they had traveled an expanse of land without shade for the last hour. It was only springtime, but everyday the temperature seemed to get incrementally hotter.

Finally they had reentered forested land, only now things seemed to be more familiar. Kagome snorted at the thought. Feudal Japan was essentially untouched by development. How could this forest possibly look any more familiar than all the others she had crossed? Yet she could not shake the feeling she had stepped over that particularly treacherous root before, or seen a tree with that strangely an angled limb.

She had tried, and failed, to procure an answer from the increasingly detached Taiyoukai as to their destination. The void of silence he provided, however, was filled by Rin, who undoubtedly broke the world's record for the longest, uninterrupted, one-sided conversation ever to be held. Occasionally, Kagome would nod to show she was listening, although she may not have caught everything the young girl said due to the fact that her mind had wandered.

The awkward situation with Sesshoumaru the night before stilled plagued her, and her stomach grumbled with unease and hunger. Unscrewing the cap to her bottle, Kagome took a swig of water and relished in the relief it offered her parched throat before passing it down to Rin. The Western Lord was being insufferably obstinate; a trait she was beginning to think was familial as his younger brother was equally hard-headed. He had refused to listen to her at lunch hour, but she supposed that, given some time, he would again become reasonable. At least, she hoped that Inuyasha's trait of blowing off steam also ran in the family.

Just as she was wondering what other secret and subtle characteristics the two brothers shared in common, she sensed a somewhat powerful demonic aura in the distance. Stiffening, she looked forward at Sesshoumaru for any sign of hesitance or information, but the Taiyoukai continued along as if the youki meant nothing. There was a familiar feeling to the aura, and it unsettled Kagome as she looked at the foliage of the surrounding forest. A familiar aura, in a forest that seemed all too familiar. She did not know what business Sesshoumaru held in this region, but she was oddly suspicious that she would not like the outcome.

As they drew nearer to the aura, voices became audible. The words were indistinguishable to her, although she suspected that Sesshoumaru could hear them quite well and no doubt had for the past few yards. Again, a familiarity about the tones put Kagome on end. She was about to make a connection when the sound of chatter ceased suddenly. That didn't stop Sesshoumaru.

The Lord of the West continued in stride, if not increasing his pace marginally. Hesitantly, Kagome followed, unaware of just what lay beyond the lining of the trees. Much too soon, they cleared the brush, and Kagome froze.

Before them, in position for battle, stood the travelers of her previous tachi. As always, Inuyasha stood in front, Tetsusaiga having been unsheathed as he felt Sesshoumaru's powerful aura nearing.

What could Sesshoumaru possibly want to accomplish here? For a moment, the fear that he would take the anger he felt towards her out on his younger brother struck her.

"What the Hell do you want Sesshoumaru?" yelled the red-clad hanyou with evident ferocity. He stared from the Lord to the rest of his troop, eyes landing hard on the gaping Kagome.

"How dare you, you disgraceful-mmph!" Jaken was silenced as the Western Lord knocked him forcefully with the two headed staff, the whole time not removing his cold glare from Inuyasha.

"I have come to return your priestess," he almost hissed out with derision. An audible gasp escaped Kagome.

"You can keep her," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Inuyasha!" his companions all scolded him in unison.

Ignoring their exchange, Rin began to whine. "But Lord Sesshoumaru! Rin wants Kagome-san to stay! You didn't even give Rin a warning," she added as if that were a valid reason for her new playmate to stay. Sesshoumaru turned to face the two females and Rin reluctantly pulled away from the arm she was clinging to.

"Miko, you are released from your duties," he said stolidly.

Kagome stared at him incredulously, shaking her head slowly. He just expected her to return like nothing had happened, without so much even as a forewarning?

"Seshoumaru-"

A light flared in the depth of his golden eyes, something much like fury, and Sesshoumaru grabbed her firmly by the arm before pushing her towards the group. Sango and Miroku twitched reflexively, afraid he would actually try to harm their friend. He released her, however, and the force made Kagome loose her balance. This time, when she tripped, he did not move to prevent her fall and she landed sideways in the clearing between both brothers.

"Your duties have been fulfilled," he said stonily, "You are no longer needed."

"Please, Lord Sesshoumaru," Rin started again, "Please –"

"Enough." The declaration demanded a silence. "We leave."

Kagome watched as the Western Lord turned his back to her without sparring her another glance. Rin followed him silently, staring back at Kagome mournfully, and even Jaken seemed to have been shocked into silence. Immediately Sango, Miroku, and Shippo ran to her side where she remained sprawled on the grass. Inuyasha looked at her grudgingly and "humphed" as he sheathed his father's fang.

"Are you alright, Kagome?" the monk asked as he crouched at her side. Kagome nodded absently, looking down at the ground. Behind her bangs, her eyes glassed over with tears.

"Thank goodness!" Shippo cried out with tears in his overly-wide and childish eyes. "We were so worried!"

Sango then placed a protective hand on her back. "At least he didn't hurt you.

Little did they know he had.

A/N: I do not usually like to write notes at the ends of my chapters because it takes away effect from the literature, but I wanted to answer one of the suggestions I recieved in a review. A lovely reader wrote "can i request something ... Ok for a way to have kagome stay with Sesshoumaru's group is that Rin wants her to stay!!" As you have seen from this chapter, Kagome did not stay with them simply because Rin wanted her to. It is my impression that although Sesshoumaru harbors secret paternal affection for Rin, he is not the type to be so easily swayed, especially when he feels betrayed.

Hint for the Future: Rin plays a subtle, but key, role in the next meeting between Kagome and our favorite Taiyoukai.