Disclaimer:

Turtlequeen2: Hello again!

Disclaimer!Inuyasha: Keh! It's about damn time!

Turtlequeen2: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, how'd you like the insults Shippou gave you? -snickers-

Disclaimer!Inuyasha: Well, those don't count for me since that isn't me! Though, I'm glad that he didn't like the runt either… He has good taste.

Shippou: -glares- You're so mean! -hits Disclaimer!Inuyasha on the head and runs off-

Disclaimer!Inuyasha: Why you little…! -chases after Shippou-

Kagome: -sighs- I can assume that this story is in for a lot of those two's antics.

Turtlequeen2: Yep!

I thank the following reviewers for their reviews: xCharlie-Groupiex, junyortrakr, angel-kamui, oro kenshin, K.Higurashi, kagome past and present, Goldenstargirl, and saphira404!

I don't own Inuyasha, though I wish I did… Rumiko Takahashi owns him!

NOTE: Once again, BOLD means finger-spelling.

A little bit of self-advertisement: Please read my two latest Kagura/Sesshoumaru one-shots: Fashionably Competent and Cloud Nine. I'm sure that they're not very torturous. At least, I don't think they aren't…

Chapter 9

Promise

By the time Sesshoumaru arrived at his home holding the precious cargo, he had been stared at strangely at least fifty times. He cared little about what they thought of him, but could not help getting a tad bit irked at the fact that strangers kept pestering him. Then again, who could blame them? It was not everyday that a rich-looking man rode the Shinkansen carrying a beaten girl with makeshift bandages on his injured arm.

Unable to reach for his keys without setting the girl down, he knocked on the door to his house. As he expected, his servant came running to his aid.

The door opened, revealing Jaken regarding him with wide eyes. "M-Milord! Who is that?! What happened to you?!" The questions kept flying until his master stared down at him with a cold expression. Jaken knew not to speak anymore once he saw that look.

"Jaken, follow me," Sesshoumaru commanded, walking until he reached the living room where a western-styled couch resided. On the cushions rested several plush pillows and on the back was a small green throw-blanket. He laid the injured girl onto the couch and turned to his servant who was behind him the entire time. "Jaken, fetch the first aid kit and care for the girl as best as you can. If it is beyond your means, I will drive her to the hospital tomorrow."

"R-right!" When Sesshoumaru left the area, the servant immediately set to his task, grumbling under his breath about how meaningless it was. Why did his master find interest in a half-dead girl? It was so unlike him! Of course, he did not have enough bravery to question his lord on such a matter.

Jaken glanced down at the injured girl, inspecting her wounds. What the heck had happened to her? Why had his lord taken such an interest in the child? Did he help protect her? So many questions swam through his head as he began treating her scrapes and bruises. He was careful not to look at her bare body when he had to bandage her waist and legs. He knew that treating her was all he could do at the moment.

After about two hours, the old servant finished with his task, admiring his handiwork. The girl laid sleeping on the couch with covers over her bandaged and clothed body. Based on the seriousness of the wounds, he knew that she would not be comfortable when she woke up; however, he chose to ignore that fact and went to his lord's study.

Knocking on the door, he awaited permission to enter the premises.

"Come in," came the cold grant.

"O-of course," Jaken replied, shuffling into the room and shutting the door behind him. Looking up at Sesshoumaru, he added, "The girl was tended to. She's still unconscious."

The business man gave a simple nod. That simple gesture was all that his servant needed to see to know that he had done a good job. Unfortunately, the servant's tasks were far from over. "Jaken, I would like you to look up information on that girl. When she wakes up, I will most likely be at work and thus, while I'm gone, you will stay here and watch over her. I want you to get her to talk so that we can figure out who she is."

Jaken resisted the urge to groan. What was he? A babysitter?! He forced himself not to talk and bowed in a formal fashion. "Yes, I will do my best," he finally announced before taking his leave.

After the old caretaker left, Sesshoumaru glanced around the spacious room out of restlessness. He sat down in his leather chair and pounded his fist against the wooden desk in front of him. "Why did I commit such a foolish act?" he demanded of himself. The realization had dawned on him. Sesshoumaru was harboring a strange girl in his house whom he knew nothing of.

Innocent brown eyes blinked open and then squinted because of the bright lights blaring over them. The small girl attempted to speak, but found that she had no voice. She tried to sit up, but found that it hurt too much to even move. The child turned her head to look about her surroundings.

She appeared to be laying on a couch. There was a western-styled coffee table a meter or so away. On the surface laid a small vase of tulips and a glass of water, obviously left behind for her. It was a shame that she could not move to get the glass.

"So, you're finally awake?" invaded a croaking voice that made her want to jump up in surprise.

A short, old man with an irritated expression on his face stalked towards her from the entranceway. His eyes reflected an odd yellow color due to the room's hue. "You were out for quite some time," he added in a calm manner that sounded forced.

Her expression showed confusion and fear. Where was she? She could comprehend him well enough, but could not reply.

"My name is Jaken and my lord has saved you from certain death," the man explained, hoping that she would talk. "Can you tell me your name?"

She opened her mouth only to have to shut it again. Nothing.

"Do you remember your name?"

She nodded, her short black hair bobbing with her head.

"Won't you tell me? It would please my lord greatly…" His tone was becoming more forced with every word. It was obvious that he had not dealt with children very often.

She tried to speak again, but found herself growing frustrated and stopped attempting. She knew that it was not necessarily her health that caused it. It must have been too much talking, right? Her mother told her many times that she spoke too often.

Screaming.

Why did the girl hear a shriek within her mind?

Trailing crimson. The floors. The walls. Covered.

Flashbacks of a violent time passed through her thoughts.

"Girl?" the man questioned, noticing her wide eyes. She appeared to be in a trance. Something was not right with her. Why had Sesshoumaru decided to pick up this girl? Had he gone mad?

Shouts. Signs of struggling. Knives and limbs in disarray, dancing in a ragged waltz.

Where had she gone? Why were her parents not around when she saw such scary things? Why was it so dark? All she could see was the flicker of shadows and liquid red.

Blood.

"Don't hurt our child! I beg of you!"

It was like a mantra swimming through her head. The voice was familiar.

Mother.

Her eyes widened even more. Tears flooded her eyes but did not fall.

"Don't harm our darling! You can kill me and take our things, but please don't harm my family!"

A tear slipped down her cheek.

Father.

The girl's arms shielded her face and she opened her mouth to do something that was unfortunate she could still do.

Scream.

A sigh escaped the young woman who looked out of the window of her dismal room. Even when it was daytime, the house was still dark. She hated being bored nowadays. Her thoughts would always go back to a certain gentleman that angered her beyond reason. The feelings she had for him turned into bitterness and the sensations would show on her face in a scowl.

"You know, I heard that if you keep doing that with your face, it'll get stuck that way," came a teasing voice that startled her.

"W-what do you want, Byakuya?!" the woman demanded.

"Nothing much, Kagura," he replied, walking into her room after sliding her door shut. He sat on the futon beside her, looking her in the eyes with a more serious expression on his face. "What's been on your mind lately? You haven't left this room much since that day at the hospital…"

"Um… that was only two days ago," she pointed out bluntly.

"Point taken," he commented with a small smile. "Either way, you can't let that guy get you down for the rest of your life. There's plenty of other fish in the sea."

Kagura's eye twitched. "Don't even joke about that," she growled, clearly not in the mood for his taunting.

He feigned innocence. "All right, don't kill me for trying to be a concerned brother," he murmured in sarcasm.

Kagura's shoulders heaved. Her hair hung over as her eyes glanced away from him. "If you only saw that guy's face as he contorted…" she whispered quietly.

Byakuya's eyes lost their usual twinkle when he heard her words. "Was it really that bad?" he could not help but ask.

"Yes…" she replied, finding the strength to look him in the eye. "It just tore me apart from the inside… I don't know why…"

"Maybe because the man you respected was the one whom was cruel? It was something you didn't expect from him," came the simple statement.

"H-how would you know?" Kagura scoffed, surprised that Byakuya said something that quickly.

"I'm talented at reading the mind of my sister…" His smirk returned, making her glare at him. He quickly placed his arm around her shoulder. "Look, you're going have to leave this place sooner or later. You can't let that guy ruin your life."

Kagura sighed and leaned her body against him. Her brother was right. "I know… it's just…"

"Don't tell me you love the guy already…?" Now it was Byakuya's turn to scoff.

"No! I never loved him!" she shot back like a reflex.

"Okay, okay…" he relented when she pulled away from him. "Well, I'm always here to talk, you know."

"I know... And I'm grateful for it…" she responded in a believing tone.

"How about… I take you out somewhere?" he questioned. "I bet coffee would do you a world of good."

"Coffee?" Kagura repeated in a hopeful voice. "I hope you're not expecting me to pay…"

"Nope. I'll buy." He flashed an innocent smile and stood up. He brought out a set of car keys and twirled them around on his index finger.

"Aren't those…?" Kagura gasped.

"Yep. Father's keys," Byakuya nodded.

"You're going to steal his car?!" She was gawking at him in disbelief as she rose to stand beside him. "What if he finds out?!" She had a feeling that if they were caught, she would get the blame for it. That was how things usually went for her.

"Don't worry," he laughed. "He's not even here and probably won't be back for a day. He's off on a business trip."

"Since when…? He never told me," Kagura murmured irritably. Well, it actually was not that surprising when she thought about it. With him not telling her when he would leave, he could always show up and catch her off guard if she decided to do something reckless. "Besides, the little bastard in the front room would snitch on us." She was talking about Hakudoushi.

"I took care of that already…" he smirked. "You wouldn't believe what that kid will do for a few business lessons. He's itching to take over our father's company someday."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me…"

He let out a small laugh as he led her to where the car was.

It was a posh black towns car that was surely imported from Europe. The interior was of the finest leather and the exterior shined with a high-polished coat.

Byakuya waited until his sister was secure on the other side before he started the ignition and pulled out of the driveway and onto the street. He was thankful that not that many people drove around the area due to the convenience of the shinkansen.

However, as he continued to drive, the traffic grew more dense. They were entering the downtown district of Tokyo.

"Why did we have to pick the busiest time of day to go to the coffee shop?" Kagura demanded irritably.

"Why not? It gives us more time to discuss your problems," Byakuya laughed. "Besides, as I recall, the traffic is always horrible here regardless of the time."

She let out a frustrated huff and threw a glare at her older brother. "Thanks for looking out for me…" she drawled out in dripping sarcasm. "It's greatly appreciated."

"You're welcome!" He responded in a tone that sounded like she was thanking him for giving her a new dress. "It looks like it's working. There's the sarcasm that sounds like a lot like my younger sister."

She could not help but give him a small smile at that last comment.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at her and saw the tiny speck of happiness that disappeared behind a mask of anger. He sneered, knowing that she was hiding her emotions from him.

After a half-hour, the traffic began to move in a faster fashion, allowing for the two to near their destination.

Their car stopped at an intersection and waited for the red light to change to green so that Byakuya could drive them into the parking garage that laid a few meters from them.

Unfortunately, the two did not notice a crazed driver speeding down the street from the left turn of the intersection. By the time Byakuya and Kagura noticed, it was too late.

The town car cruised smoothly across the intersection when the light changed. The other driver sped past his own stop light, hitting the side of their car and ruining the front side of his own.

All Kagura could see was black as her head hit the front of the dashboard and snapped back due to the force of the seatbelt. The last thing she heard was the consistent beeping of the other vehicles on the road and Byakuya's shouting.

Kagura woke up, surrounded by white and bright fluorescent lights. She tried to sit up, but found that her pounding head would not let her move far enough. She laid back against a cushioned pillow and put her hand up to her forehead only to realize that her fingertips were wrapped up in gauze bandages. She then noticed that the forehead she felt was also wrapped up. Her eyes widened once reality dawned on her.

"W-where am I?" she demanded in a hysterical voice.

"Shh…" came the hushed reprimand from a voice she could recognize. "You're in the hospital. You've been in here for the past two hours."

"I…I was…?" she whispered, feeling shocked. "B-Byakuya…?" She looked over, seeing her brother sitting by her bedside with various bandages around scrapes running along his arms and legs. "H-how are you? It was a car accident, right?"

His eyes glossed over with the expression of relief. "Thank God!" he exclaimed in a quiet voice. "I was worried that your concussion would give you amnesia. And, I was lucky enough to only have a few cuts. The car wasn't as lucky, however…"

Her eyes widened. The first thought that came to her mind was how her father would react. "D-does our father know yet?" she gasped.

"Actually, he's already on his way with the rest of our siblings," he answered, not having any idea of how much stress and worry she was going through at the particular moment.

"How damaged is it…?" she squeaked out in a voice that was very unlike herself. Her eyes held in a contained panic.

"The thing is totally smashed. We should be thankful that we're still alive…" he sighed.

Her eye twitched. He did not understand that there was a chance that she would not live to see the next week if Naraku knew what happened to his car. "H-how did he take the news?"

"Well, he didn't see the damage yet, but he knows about what happened. Of course, he's not too happy, but he said that he's more concerned about our health," he replied.

"That's a lie," she whispered in hushed irritation. She knew that when the time came, she would get the blame for what happened. If he was even concerned about her health, it would be so that she lived long enough for him to be the cause of her death.

Byakuya barely heard her words, but saw her expression. "Are you feeling alright?" he pondered.

"Do I look alright?" she snapped, still reeling with the feeling of dread.

"No, but…" He was cut off when the door to her room opened.

Kagura also heard the door open and felt her stomach lurch. She did not expect them to show up this soon…

"Kagura! Darling!" came the out-of-character cry of her father as he rushed to her bedside. "I left my meeting as soon as I heard about what happened to you and your brother!" He gave her a look that outwardly appeared worrisome like a normal parent. He sat on the side of her bed and grabbed her hand.

However, she was the only one who could see his eyes. They were cold and hardened. The expression was nearly malicious, sending chills up her spine. If she were not already scared enough, she would have snatched her hand away from him. She could only blink away the bad thoughts and fake a smile. "I'm glad that you cared enough to end your trip early in order to see me," she said in a poisoned sweet tone.

Naraku could tell that it was a silent battle of wits. He knew that he was winning, causing a small smirk to form on his face. To everyone else, it was the happy response to her "innocent" statement.

Hakudoushi and Kanna approached her other side with concerned looks on their faces. Well, if that was what the correct term was. Kanna's face remained frozen in an emotionless state. Hakudoushi's countenance seemed relieved of something.

The boy then smirked a little, making Kagura flinch. "And to think that I would have had to keep up with that bribe. Your little accident just saved me the trouble of lying to our father," he mentioned, spiking Naraku's interest.

"Kagura… what bribe?" Naraku questioned in a tone that made Kagura lose the last of her emotional control.

Shooting a glare towards her younger brother, she grabbed a tight hold of him with her free hand and declared, "You little bastard! You want to see me dead, don't you?! You sick and twisted fuck!" She ignored the slight pain it caused her as her fingertips met a surface in harsh manner.

Byakuya's eyes widened as he raced to stop her sister's assault. "Kagura! Calm down!" he shouted.

Naraku turned to smile calmly at his eldest child. "Byakuya, please. I will calm her," he told him. When he saw Byakuya relent, he turned his sights on Kagura who still held onto Hakudoushi. "Kagura… please calm yourself. This is hardly the place to spar with your brother like an immature child." As he said this, the pressure he kept on her hand tightened.

She flinched and released her brother. The agony Naraku was causing hurt much worse than when she grabbed onto Hakudoushi. It was as if needles were stabbing into her hand. "I'm sorry…" she whispered in defeat, inwardly relieved when the pressure was released. She bowed her head, knowing that when she got out of the hospital, she would have Hell to pay. The painful contact he placed on her wrist was going to be nothing compared to the torture she would endure later.

"While I'm not pleased with the way you greeted me, I will forgive you," came the slithering voice of Hakudoushi. "I do hope that you get well soon."

Kagura wished that she could have strangled everyone in that room.

Kagome greeted Ringo and the other staff members she saw as usual. She was directed to Inuyasha's temporary room where he still lay resting in the bed. It was obvious that the staff was being careful and wanted to make sure that he was well enough before they moved him back to his old room.

Inuyasha laid resting until he sensed Kagome's presence next to him. He was instantly alert, stubbornly crossing his arms and rolling over on his side so that he was not facing his teacher.

Kagome heaved a sigh, knowing that Inuyasha would behave like that. "Inuyasha…" she murmured, touching his shoulder. "I'm sorry…"

Her touch, as much as he hated to think about it, was comforting. It was nearly enough to make him forget about how much she had upset him yesterday. Nearly being the key word in that sentence. Inuyasha moved abruptly, sitting up in his bed and crossing his arms in an angered fashion. His sightless eyes narrowed at her.

She let out another sigh. "I know why you're so upset," she said. "So, I think that you deserve some proof that I mean what I say in order for you to trust me again…" The woman brought out her large bag and pulled out a beaded necklace. The piece of jewelry was painted a dark brown with white fang-shaped beads spaced out throughout the chord.

Inuyasha's face contorted into confusion once the smell of wood filled his nostrils. What was Kagome planning?

The teacher grabbed his hand while he was distracted with the scene and revealed his palm. Dropping the beads in, she watched as he ran his fingers over them.

The young man began to see mental pictures of a distant past. It was the first time in years that he could see moving images other than masses of color within darkness. It was what he knew to be his mother and his younger self.

Inuyasha knew that there was a time when he could speak. He could hardly remember his voice and knew that he had never heard his voice as it matured.

Flashback

He knew that he was about five at the time his mother took him to an odd place full of temples, red gates, and odd stones. People were there, bowed in prayer and placing money in slots as offerings. It was a Shinto shrine.

Beautiful women were dancing around visitors. All of them were dressed in the traditional dress of a miko. However, at the time, he only saw them as strange, entrancing women. His mother had left him alone for a few minutes, only to reappear with a gift for him.

It was a set of prayer beads. Izayoi smiled as she placed the necklace around his neck.

"Inuyasha, these are prayer beads. They are for good fortune and luck," she explained in a joyful tone. Her eyes sparkled with happiness.

"You got these for me?" he questioned innocently, touching the small brown and white globes. "Thank you, Okaa-san!"

She grinned and kissed the boy on the top of his head. "Of course I did, silly! You deserve the best that life can offer you." Taking Inuyasha by the hand, she lead him down the long stairs of the shrine grounds and out onto the city sidewalks. "Now, let's go meet up with Sesshoumaru and your father so we can get some ice-cream!"

He laughed, smiling at his mother, not giving a care in the world. Unfortunately, neither of them knew that life would eventually offer him very tragic deals.

End Flashback

Inuyasha's eyes glazed over before his entire face hardened. It was obvious that he trying to fight off his true emotions from recalling the event.

Kagome could instantly tell that the man was reacting to the item she gave him. She saw an expression that she had never seen on his face before then. He looked forlorn.

Inuyasha let out a growl of frustration. He knew that even though he could not see her, Kagome saw a vulnerable side to him. He did not want that to happen. No one had ever brought that out of him in such a long time. He gripped the beads tightly and nearly threw them, but held back.

The young teacher saw his hesitation and sighed. "I'm sorry… it seems like those brought back bad memories for you. I'll take them…" She reached out to take them, but he jerked his hand away before she had the chance to touch him.

"What do you want? You want to keep them?" she whispered, surprised by his sudden mood change. When she noticed him dangling the beads in front of her, she knew what he wanted. "You want me to put them on you then…" She nodded, taking the trinket and putting them over his head.

She smiled softly when she saw him touching the dark-colored orbs. The woman sat at the edge of his bed and took his other hand into both of hers. With one hand under his in order to hold it still, she finger-spelled with her other hand.

"Ya-ku-so-ku," she spelled out in his palm.

With all of the distractions, he was beginning to forget about the anger he felt towards her. He faced her with a confused expression.

"It means a 'promise,'" she explained aloud, touching his arm lightly. "I know that you can't understand me at the moment… but I know that those prayer beads mean a lot to you. To me, those beads represent a promise that I will keep with you. So long as you're my student, you will be the person I turn the most attention towards. I will make sure that you learn how to speak and communicate with the outside world. Hopefully, one day… you will be able to pass through these walls."

Kagome moved his hand to the piece and back into her other hand. She repeatedly signed the Japanese word. Once she was done, he slowly, but surely, returned the word to her.

"Ya-ku-so-ku."

For some reason, Inuyasha knew that this word was important. He knew to keep the sign locked within the back of his mind. He grasped Kagome's hand, catching her off guard.

"W-what are you doing?" she demanded, flustered. "Must we go through this every time I give you something?"

The student growled at her, feeling the scar that ran alongside the hand that had been cut the previous week.

"Oh, that… You're still hung up about that?" she laughed nervously. "I'm fine!"

"Keh!" came the remark that he seemed to be making more and more each time they met.

She rolled her eyes. "I know that you're trying to be sarcastic." She shook her head. "Well, at least that means that you've forgiven me now…"

Inuyasha's sightless eyes appeared to bore into her skull. His intense expression made her speechless. With his hand still holding onto her own, he dragged it up to feel his necklace.

The shocked teacher could only tentatively finger the individual beads. To her, it seemed like he was expressing his gratitude or at least showing her how much he liked his gift. "You're welcome, I'm guessing is what you'd want me to say," she said. She smiled again. "We need to teach you more words if you want me to keep my promise to you."

Inuyasha allowed her hand to drop after a few seconds, allowing her to continue with her daily lessons. As he attempted to gather more words from her, there were some successes and failures. Though, through the entire lesson, he could only think about the beads and his distant memory. He wondered if Kagome understood how much she had given him. It was the most anyone had ever done for him.

There was no way that he could begin to take a step into the normal world without his teacher by his side. He would not settle for less. Kagome was the best that the world offered him and he would take up the deal with newfound earnest.

A/N: Ha! I'm finally done with this chapter! I can't believe I finally finished it after all of this time. I'm hoping some of you can see why I had horrible writer's block over the Kagome/Inuyasha part.

A few translations:

Okaa-san - Mother

Yakusoku - Promise

Once again, I'm sure you'll all like Cloud Nine and Fashionably Competent if you like my Kagura/Sesshoumaru stuff.

I hope that this chapter won't disappoint! Oh, for the next chapter preview: More information on that "mysterious girl" and the future of Kagura.

Please review!

Ja ne!