DM: sigh back to school. Another term of enduring evil homework and trying to stay awake.

Kagome: Hey you changed your username…shouldn't you change your initials?

DM: No…I've been 'DM' for too long now…and it wouldn't make sense anyway…

Kagome: your loss.

DM: Right…I'll keep that in mind…


DISCLAIMER: Those of you who think I own Inuyasha are sadly mistaken.

Inuyasha: And very mental.

DM: Inuyasha! That's not very nice!

Inuyasha: Feh…since when am I nice.

Kagome: ahem

Inuyasha: (OO)"…oh….hi Kagome!…


Previously; As Night Falls: Annoyance.

"I'm sure…go back to Kaede's village and wait 5 days Inuyasha. If you get really desperate, go find Kikyo."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. So did her family's. Kagome had never sounded as cold as she did just then. She instantly regretted saying it though, and looked apologetically at Inuyasha.

"Sorry." she muttered. "I'm just really tired…and…"

"Forget it." Inuyasha said (in a nice way). "Don't worry about it Kagome, I'll come get you in 5 days ok?"

Kagome sighed with relief. "Thank you Inuyasha." she gave him a hug, which he returned.

"Thanks for the food! I'll see you all later!"

"Bye Inuyasha!" Souta grinned.

"You're welcome Inuyasha."

Inuyasha shook his head, smiling. 'Kagome's family is so nice to me…well…not so much that old guy, but oh well…'

Jumping through the well, Inuyasha found himself in the air with someone's hands closed very tightly around his neck.

"What is the meaning of this, hanyou?"

As Night Falls: Probably

Inuyasha grabbed at the hands, his legs kicking in vain. However, it was no use, as his attacker was behind him.

"What…are…you…talking…'bout?" Inuyasha gasped.

"You know what I mean. Where did you just come from?"

"None…your…business…bas…tard…" Inuyasha couldn't quite place the voice, as the lack of oxygen was now making him really dizzy. Only two people brutal enough for this came into mind. Naraku popped up first, but Inuyasha managed to narrow his eyes as he realised there was only one person who would (and could) do this to him AND know about the well. (Not to mention Naraku wasn't usually one for actually going up to him and just randomly strangling him. He used plans that were based on more of a…evil, macabre plot involving miasma, blah blah blah…)


Kagome gasped suddenly. "Oh my god!"

"What?!" Souta jumped. "Sis, don't do that to me!"

"I forgot to give some instant ramen to Inuyasha! I'll be back soon!" she called over her shoulder as she ran out of the house, noodles in her arms.

"Hey! Does he even know how to cook?!" Souta yelled after her. The last thing he heard before she rounded the corner was a faint, "No, but Sango does!"

Flinging herself into the well, she came face to face with the last person she wanted to see right then.

"Se…Sesshoumaru-sama?"


Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her from behind his brother. He was taken aback by the fact that she hadn't forgotten to be respectful towards him, yet very irritated that she had to come along and ruin the 'moment'. (Ah, yes. Brotherly love...)

"Ka…go…me…" Inuyasha winced. "Run…"

"Put him down!" she glared at Sesshoumaru, setting down Inuyasha's favourite food.

Sesshoumaru glared back, reluctantly releasing his half-brother. While he hated the idea of following her orders, he knew that she did have the power to cause him quite a bit of pain.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Inuyasha yelled hoarsely as he rubbed his neck.

"You really should not be asking me that. That is my question, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru taunted him, knowing that he rarely called the hanyou by name in front of him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Again, that is my question."

"I wasn't talking to you, you bastard. I was talking to Kagome."

"Huh?…Oh…well, this time, it appears that I was saving your life just then…correct me if I'm wrong…I only came back to give you instant ramen…and watch your language."

"How sad…to be saved and reprimanded by a human…although she is a miko." he added quietly.

Inuyasha growled at him while Kagome scowled.

"Now, now. Don't lose your temper." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "Why did you just jump out of that well?"

"Didn't Kagome tell you? Oh, poor you." Inuyasha grinned mockingly, ignoring the warning signs that his half-brother was getting annoyed. "I can pass through to her era as well."

Sesshoumaru frowned. Had Kagome told him that? Or had she decided to leave that part out.

He turned from Inuyasha to her.

She was frowning too, although less noticeably. She made eye contact with him. "I thought I told you that part…I can't remember…"

"…I do not recall you telling me this…interesting fact…if you say you did…and if you are lying…"

"I'm not lying, I thought I told you!"

Sesshoumaru gave her a look that said it all. It was one of those 'I-so-don't-believe-you' looks, although he could smell nothing that indicated she was deceiving him.

"Well it doesn't matter, I wasn't trying to hide it from you in the first place." She interjected before he could make a huge mess out of a small misunderstanding. "Here you go Inuyasha." Kagome handed him the ramen. "Get Sango to cook it for you ok? But don't be rude about it!"

Inuyasha grinned at her and gave her a hug, made difficult by the noodles. "Hey Sesshoumaru, by the way, I almost forgot to ask…"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome warned. As usual, he ignored her.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at him coldly.

"Earlier, when Kagome got you to stop choking me…I didn't know she had you trained." he tilted his head cockily.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome began. Inuyasha flinched. "Osuwari!" (I'm using both English and Japanese, bear with me for a moment…Japanese sounds more…dramatic…)

THUD

Sesshoumaru turned away. He knew that no matter how many times he could see that, he would never stop finding it amusing. Amusement was not an emotion he wished to display.

"Kahgohmehhh," Inuyasha muttered into the dirt, "Wha was tha forr?"

"For provoking him. You know, it's one thing to be attacked for a small reason, but it's an entirely different thing to bring it upon yourself."

Inuyasha stood shakily, brushing off the dirt and picking up the noodles he had come close to squashing. He sighed and grinned lopsidedly at both Kagome and Sesshoumaru, then turned and headed for the village.

Sesshoumaru ignored both Inuyasha and Kagome and swiftly disappeared when Kagome had her back turned.

"Sorry about th-" Kagome trailed off. She looked around, then raised her hands in frustration. "What did I do this time…"

Sesshoumaru watched her jump down the well yet again, and took off to find something to eat. Human food was one thing, but fresh prey was something else. God only knew he had to focus on something else.


During the next five days, Kagome found herself enjoying spending time with her family and friends, catching up on what had been happening since she had been gone.

"So, Kagome, are you over that rare disease?"

"Rare disease?" Kagome stared at her friend Eri blankly.

"Yeah…you know…that weird one with the long name? Your grandpa said it all really fast…um…some sort of disease that means you can't go out during the day because of your eye sensitivity, and you can't go out at night because you won't be able to see anything…what was it?" Eri pondered out loud. None of the girls noticed Kagome fuming in the background.

'Grandpa…why can't you make up something more believable…'

"It sounded something like…Argh I don't know. It was too long. I think it…no…" Yuka frowned, then lightened up. "Well anyway, it doesn't matter. I can't believe we get to hang out like this again!"

"Yeah, Kagome, you have to stay well so we can do this more often! And when were you going to tell us you weren't going back to school."

"Well I did tell you, remember? Once I got ba-" Kagome stopped herself. "better." she corrected herself. "When I got better." 'phew. Came close to saying 'when I got back from the feudal era...'

"But you could have called us…"

"Yeah I suppose, but I was…bedridden for a long time. Anyway, I think I should go home now."

"Hey wait a minute! When are we going to go see some movies next?"

"Er…try next month?!" Kagome ran ahead, not waiting for her friends to answer.

"Next month!?"

"What could possibly keep her in for a month..."

"Man…that's some disease…"


Kagome got home and collapsed onto her bed, sighing. She relished the softness of her bed every time she came home. (Hey, sleeping on the ground can't exactly be a party...) She struggled to stay awake, and roused herself by lightly slapping her cheek.

"Ok then!" she said out loud. "Better get packing…"


One hour later…after shoving many articles into a bag, squishing poor, defenceless inanimate objects…I mean, what have inanimate objects ever done to deserve such horrid treatment. Why, I talk to them all the time…ok sorry, I'll shut up…
"Ok guys, I'm going now!"

"Oh, so soon!?" Souta pouted.

"Yeah, sorry Souta…"

"Well, make sure you have everything you need dear…"

"Yes! I do! Argh, if I have to repack one more time…"

Kagome's mother laughed. "Alright, I get the idea…"

Kagome looked around. "Hey, where's grandpa?"

"Out the back…at the well…"

Kagome groaned. "Mum!"

"He worries about you, just like we do, right Souta?…Souta!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Souta yelled from the living room.

"Souta, get away from that TV and go see your sister off."

"But mum! I'm almost past this level!"

"Souta! I will throw that thing in the bin if you don't get out here right this minute!"

"Mum!"

"Souta!"

Kagome sweat dropped and edged out the back door. Shaking her head, she entered the shrine to come face-to-face with her grandpa.

"Ah, Kagome. I was just putting some wards around the well."

"Grandpa, they don't work on Inuyasha."

"Yes, well," he coughed. "These should keep out that brother of his right?"

"…grandpa…Sesshoumaru is even stronger than Inuyasha. Those things would be like…pieces of lint to him. He'd just step on them."

Kagome's grandpa glared at her. "You should have more faith in my abilities, Kagome."

Kagome sighed. "Of course…" she jumped through, ignoring any protests her grandpa may have been about to say.


Sesshoumaru had been glaring at the well for about 10 minutes now, willing Kagome to show up so the whole shard ordeal could be over sooner. It was precisely five days and 20 minutes since she had gone through to begin with (picky picky picky…Mr. Perfectionist).

He narrowed his eyes when a slim hand thrust a bag over the edge, and a head of raven hair followed.

'About time.'

"I'd appreciate some help with this bag." Kagome said quietly. For a moment, there was no movement or sound in the area, save for the rustling of leaves swaying with a cool breeze.

Sesshoumaru landed silently and delicately in front of her. She didn't jump, just blinked on reflex.

"I hope you were not addressing me when you said that." he said blandly.

"Actually, I was. Who else would I be asking, a worm, perhaps? Some kind of plant? Maybe a rabid butterfly for all I know." He glared slightly at her, and she hurried on. "But I said I'd appreciate it, I didn't say you had to, if you're too proud. It wouldn't kill you to show some common courtesy…would it?"

"I think it would…"

"Gee. Thank you."

"You are welcome."

Kagome glared at him and stuck her tongue out at him. Once again, and not for the first time, she surprised him with her audacity.

"Well you do realise that it will take me much longer to get to the village if you don't help."

"…"

Kagome threw her hands up in frustration. "Please! This thing is really quite heavy."

"It is your own fault you know. You should not pack so much."

Kagome opened her mouth, but was interrupted.

"Hey! Kagome!"

Inuyasha came up through to the clearing. He was scowling, for an obvious reason.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hanyou, we went through this last time."

"I don't care. I'm asking you again."

"I think this is business concerning only myself and the miko."

"Hey, listen." Kagome waved her hands around.

"Well she told me already. You're following her around."

"Um...guys..." Kagome waved again.

"Yes. I am. And your point is?"

"What, are you that worried about her? She's coming with me anyway."

"Hey! Guys!"

"I am most certainly not worried about her."

"HELLO!?"

"Well then why bother trailing along then and being a nuisance!?"

"HEY!!!"

"I am merely making sure that Rin's teacher, friend and supervisor is not going to abandon her charges and-"

Crackling energy whipped through the air, missing Sesshoumaru's face by scant millimetres. Both brothers turned away from glaring at each other to look at the source - Kagome.

She was pissed.

Very pissed.

"EXCUSE ME!"

Inuyasha winced. Sesshoumaru adopted a blank stare with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Since when was it polite to talk about someone and ignore them when THEY'RE STANDING RIGHT BEHIND YOU!?"

Kagome had a pink tinge to her now, and was positively livid. Even Sesshoumaru was starting to feel slightly apprehensive.

"DO NOT LABEL ME, AS A MERE BABYSITTER!" If looks could kill, Sesshoumaru would possibly be dead. He blinked, finding it fascinating that a human, albeit a miko, could find the nerve to threaten him.

"AND YOU! DON'T THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY…" she turned to Inuyasha who had been edging away. He flinched again. "Could you help me with this bag?" she said sweetly. The pink aura around her dissipated.

"Wha-?" Inuyasha anime fell.

Kagome shrugged. "It's heavy…"

"Oh, sure thing…" he said quickly, not wanted to piss her off further.

"Thanks…oh and by the way?"

"Yeah?" Inuyasha had already started walking back.

"Osuwari!"

"OUCH!"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Pathetic, Inuyasha. To think you defeated some…reasonable…foes…yet you can be controlled with one word from a human girl."

"Shu-uuu!" Inuyasha coughed around some grass and lurched to his feet. "Oh yuck…"

"Oh sorry Inuyasha…I'll aim for dirt next time…"

"…thank you Kagome."


"Shippo-kuuuun! Shippo-kuuun!" Rin frowned. "Jaken-sama, where's Shippo-kun?"

"How am I supposed to know!?" he grumbled back.

"I thought you would, because you're always talking about how much you know."

Jaken stared at her. "Well…I…I only know about things that are important!"

"But Jaken-sama, this IS important."

"Not to Sesshoumaru-sama."

"How do you know? He's not here…"

"Well I think I would know if he would find this important. And I highly doubt that the whereabouts of a single, insignificant kitsune pup are important."

"Well it's important to me…" Rin said quietly. She stopped and looked around. Jaken had continued walking onwards. She paused, then ran back in the direction they had come from, taking a few extra turns along the way.

"And besides, Rin, I-…eh? Rin? Rin!?" Jaken looked around. "I refuse to join in your little…game! Rin!"

"BOO!"

"AWK!" Jaken jumped and ran straight into a wall.

Rin grinned at Shippo. "Nice one."

Shippo grinned back, then squinted. "Aww…I was aiming to make him pass out after running into that door…I missed…"

"I think the wall was harder though…"

"Yeah, but it means we have to wait longer for him to wake up!"

"Doesn't it give us more time to prepare?"

"Oh yeah!" Shippo's face lit up.

"Come on, let's go!"

"Race you!"

"No fair!"


Three hours later…
"Arrrgh…my head…huh? Oh?" Jaken's eyes widened. He was tied to one of the trees in the lush garden behind the castle.

"Hiya Jaken-sama!" Rin giggled.

"Rin! How did I get here?"

"We put you here." Shippo popped up from behind the tree.

"Wha-…why? What do you think you're going to do to me."

"Nothing, Jaken-sama." Rin said innocently - a little too innocently for Jaken's liking.

"We KNOW what we're going to do to you." Shippo smiled evilly.

"First, we're going to take these flowers here."

"And then we're going to take chains we made out of them."

"And we're going to make you look pretty, Jaken-sama! You'll have flowers everywhere! We even made you comfortable, see, you're leaning against a tree, and this way you won't move and mess everything up!"

'KAMI! Sesshoumaru-sama! Help me!' Jaken struggled, but his bonds were surprisingly sturdy.

"Is it too tight, Jaken-sama?" Rin looked at him, tilting her head.

"Nah, it can't be!"

"Yeah, didn't you say Kagome-chan taught you how to do this? She's a good teacher…"

"Do you think Oka will like what we're about to do to Jaken…" Shippo said hesitantly.

Rin paused, then shrugged. "Probably!"

The two of them neared Jaken, identical grins on their faces, flower chains in hand.


"Achoo!" Kagome sniffed. Inuyasha was sitting in a corner of Kaede's hut, happily munching away, and Sango and Miroku were talking to Kagome.

"Bless you Kagome-sama."

"Thanks Miroku…Gosh…that was sudden…do you think someone's talking about me?"

Miroku and Sango looked at each other and back at Kagome. The three of them shrugged.


Review Replies:

Erenriel the Elven Canuck: But I am a nice author!…most of the time…shifty eyes

DragonessOfDarkness: Yay! Humour is appreciated!

Frozenblossom: starts chanting I will, I will, I will, I have.

Cherry Dragon: Well, now you know

Anigen: I will if my teachers let me.

Singing Madam Butterfly: Ah well, don't worry too much. And of course Sesshoumaru always does something to upset Inuyasha. If he didn't, he wouldn't be Inuyasha's half-brother. Lol.

Mystic Hanyou: Hehehe. Poor Inuyasha indeed.

Aznchicki: Lol, ok then. Cookie!!! Yay! Mmm….chocolate…sugar…

Lady Mystic Saria: You know I will.

Kuramasgal: Thank you! I'll continue, I promise.

Brittany8: Really? Cool. …(OO) is he going too soft?

Demoness of cosmos: bows much appreciated.

Pinayazngrl: Good guess! (oO) am I that predictable…

Chin5cai: I'm glad you love it

Ladyofthedragons1: Hehe. Sorry about that…I got it stuck in my head when I was writing it.

Animelover: Shippo can't suffer too much. ;)

Cool-chick-rae: Yeah! No one shall ever defy the writer! Not even Inuyasha! Ahahaha…cough cough…ahem… aaaahahahaha!!!

Blablabla: (oO) rabies eh? Lol.

Kagomehigurashi12: Wow. I'm drowning in food! Yay! Good way to drown, lol.

Crystal Koneko: Yay! Good!

Hekele Masuyo: Hehehe. I know. I feel the exact same way about my Inuyasha.

allymagicsorceress: But cliffhangers are fun! When you're writing them anyway. Hehe, I work as fast as I can, don't worry.

Midnight: I know, I'd love that too. Maybe...

Black rose: YAY! I have a mindless zombie fan! And don't worry! () I'm VERY mental!

Sesshomaru13: NO! You wouldn't do that to a person!

Phoenix20043: hehe. I stop in all the randomest places…is randomest a word…

Inlovewithsesshoumaru: See! inlovewithsesshoumaru thinks I stopped it in a good place! Thank you!

Brenda: (Is overwhelmed by all your praise)

Fading-lights: Well, that's a new one. () I love the word 'epitome'…just rolls of the tongue…kind of like… 'psychopathic disorder'…which is what I'm the epitome of…

ZeLLy907: Well I updated…just not…really when you wanted me to…still…

Sam: I'm writing, don't worry.

If I've missed anyone, I'm very sorry. I promise I'll hit myself later.


DM: Btw, for some really odd reason, the underscores aren't working...neither are equal signs and stuff like that…oh and sorry for the delay…I've been so busy lately, besides getting back from the Philippines, I've had so much homework it's really not funny. If you want me to be quicker, do the world a favour and kill my drama teacher. Thanks for your patience guys, I can't believe I've hit 100 reviews!