Usagi blew some of her hair out of her face as she finally got up the courage to look Sesshomaru in the eyes, "Tease me all you want, but a true gentleman
would help a lady out of this predicament." She watched as he came closer and a sudden chill ran down her spine, "Hold still." The closeness of his voice caused her
senses to shut down and she watched as he gently removed her ankle from the grasp of the floor boards. She reached out to touch the fine silk of his shirt, but
stopped as an image of inuyasha appeared before her. She bit her lower lip and pulled her hand back to her. Inuyasha was the only one she could be with; no one
else will be allowed. "I'm not carrying you." He said as he stood, "No one asked you to!" usagi cried indignantly at the shutting door, "jerk."
Sesshomaru exhaled slowly as he shut his eyes. His mind and body were completely out of sync. His self control was faltering, and here he was pushing his limits,
playing with this deadly fire trying to see how far he can go without giving in to the need. Her scent was everywhere. It covered him like second skin, teasing him. A
low growl rolled in his throat as he began his journey back to his room. He couldn't escape it. That sweet scent that marked any and everything she touched. The
bathroom door opened, "Um…" Sesshomaru paused but didn't turn, "Jakin told me that I was to start cooking for you." "And?" he asked after a moment of silence,
"Oh, well….um….what do you eat?"
Tora screamed as she kicked the remaining ashes of a small hut away from her, "Damn it hiroshi!" She turned and glared at the ruined village, "Well this
was a complete waste!" Leiko muttered as she flopped down on the ground. Tora ignored her sister's remark as she walked towards the large pile of ash. Kneeling,
she picked up a small piece of red cloth and her blue eyes twinkled as she caught the faint sweet smell that resided. With an evil chuckle she took off leaving her
brother and sister struggling to keep up.
"Kagura!" Inuyasha growled causing the wind sorceress to stand, "Well well isn't this a lovely surprise." "Who's your friend? Another one of naraku's
disgusting incarnations?" The sorceress laughed as she glanced at her blue haired companion, "No, just an unimportant no-" "The names Shuuya" the strange man
said with a smile as he pushed kagura out of the way and held out his hand. Realizing that the hand shake wasn't going to happen, Shuuya reached in to his pocket.
Inuyasha to a step back and growled, "No need to be defensive." He pulled out a little figure and showed it to the group. Kagome leaned closer and gasped, "That's
kagura!" Shuuya gave a wide smile "Yep, that's my wifey!" "WIFEY!" A loud bang echoed through the forest and Shuuya crouched to the ground as he gripped his
head in pain, "Must you let everyone know how much of a moron you really are!" Kagura growled her face slightly red,
"Wait a minute. You mean to tell me you're hanging around that because you want to?" "Watch it mutt!"
Momo leaned out a little to get a better look at the odd couple. Shuuya's lower lipped trembled as he looked up at the even stranger woman, "Why must you be so
abusive?" "Why must you be so obnoxious!" He dropped his head in mock hurt for a minute before lifting it again. His crimson eyes locked on to her black ones and
immediately he rose. Momo tried to step away but he managed to slip by the others and take hold of her arm. Her breath hitched in her throat at the sudden physical
contact and he smiled. She looked passed the fool façade and deep in to his eyes. Although she could place her finger on it, she saw something; something dark and
ominous, "You smell delicious." A jolt of fear went though her, and she glanced around finally realizing that everyone else was still, "I know who you are." She
managed to say in a strangled whisper and Shuuya chuckled, "Oh?" he leaned forward, "And do I scare you?" "Yes…" he patted her head as if she were a child, "My
my, it seems I have a smart sister-in-law after all, but don't worry dear….you're not the one I'm after."
Miroku's staff suddenly came between them and Shuuya turned his head, "Release her now!" "Ah!" he gasped as if suddenly realizing her arm was clenched in his
hand, "My dearest apologizes." He stepped back and kagura grabbed his ear, "Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow." "Will you come on!" The others watched as the two
disappeared and kagome turned towards momo, "Momo! Your pale." Momo's lip trembled slightly and her arm burned from his touch, "We must find usagi!" "We have
to get you to safety first." Miroku stated as he placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and shook her head, "I am no longer a priority…especially when something
so dangerous is this close."
Sesshomaru's eye twitched and he set his chopsticks down, "This is disgusting." Usagi's face fell as she stared at the meal she so carefully prepared, "It can't be that bad."
She stated lightly before she placed a piece of meat in her mouth. Her face suddenly contorted in to a look of utter disgust as she placed her hands over her
mouth. Her body jerked in its futile attempt to keep the rancid meat from being swallowed, and her eyes watered as she finally managed to choke the piece down,
"Wow," she muttered her hand still coving her mouth to prevent anything form coming back up, "you were actually being polite." She exhaled softly once she knew
everything in her stomach was staying there, "I could try again." She said meekly as Sesshomaru stood, "Don't" was his only reply as he headed up the stairs. Usagi's
body slumped, "I never cooked with ingredients like this before," she muttered softly to the ground, "I just wanted you to like my food." "Then I suggest you cook
better." The room went quite and finally usagi heard a door close. "Ass" she muttered softly as she gathered up the dishes and walked back towards the kitchen. She
scrapped the remaining food in the potted plant and it died. She glared violently at the plant as she dumped the dishes in to the large bin to be washed later, "I'd like
to see you come up with something better with these ingredients." She said venomously and she lightly kicked the base of the pot.
Usagi crossed her arms over her chest as she headed towards the front door, "I didn't want to please him anyway…" she mutter softly to herself as she walked out in
to the flame engulfed yard. Her body froze in utter horror as she watched the flames devour everything on Sesshomaru's estate. She could see Rin and Jakin's lifeless
forms slowly burning away. A scream escaped her lips as she slowly backed away from the terrible sight only to realize that the palace was gone; she turned see a
massive mound of ash resting where the palace once was. The earth shuddered and screamed in agony beneath her feet as she turned back around and fell to her knees,
"Do you see how easily this earth can be destroyed." A voice said softly in her ear as a strong forearm wrapped itself around her body and pressed her body against its owner,
"Do you see how easily I can take everything you love away…no, not love…..obsess…." Hand gently ran through her hair and usagi continued to stare blankly at
rin, "This is what you choose over me….this hobby….this obsession…..it ruined us!" "I loved you both equally." She was suddenly spun around coming face to face with
the voice's owner. His ruby eyes flashed with rage as he began to crush her wind pipe with his hand. She gasped as she tried to claw at his grip, "Lies!" The man
bellowed shaking the very earth beneath them. The wind blew through his midnight blue hair as he tightened his grip ever so slowly. "Eck….eh…..please..." "You cared
more for this disgusting rock than the man who gave it to you…" "T-t-that's….n-not….t-t-t-tru…" He growled "STOP LYING!" "p….please…t…take….shi…." Her hands
moved from her throat to his outstretched arm. She clawed at it hopelessly and silently watched as everything went black. "I love you."
Usagi took a sharp inhale as her vision came back in to focus. She was on her hands and knees. Dirt was clenched tightly in her hands as she tried to catch her breath.
She pushed herself up and sat on her knees. Her fingers slowly traced her throat and she swallowed, "Usagi!" Her head jerked up at the sudden call from rin and she
watched as the little girl rounded the corner and ran up to her. Rin's smile faded as she crouched down next to her, "Are you ok…you look pale." Tears spilled down
Usagi's eyes as she pulled rin into a hug and sobbed quietly on her kimono. Rin lovingly patted her on the back, "It's ok…lord Sesshomaru is a very picky eater. He'll
like you food next time…I promise." She started to cry harder.
Momo winced as she buried her face in to miroku's back, "It everything alright?" Momo glanced around her seeing that the flames disappeared just as magically as they appeared.
She shook her head, "It's nothing." Kirara dropped lower to the ground next to inuyasha and he glanced over at her, "Mind telling us why we need to
rush and find usagi?" "That man….. he…..he was a kelm." Inuyasha stopped, "What?" "Are you certain?" Momo nods, "Then why didn't he try to kill you?" Momo looked
away from kagome and sighed, "He said I wasn't the one he was after." "But I thought their goal was to kill all the kelms." "I did too." Momo said with a sigh as she
turned towards sango," Now I'm not sure what they are planning, but I do know that we need to reach usagi before they do." "Inuyasha… do you think Sesshomaru
will allow us into his home. "Inuyasha eyes narrowed slightly at kagome's question and his pace quickened, "I don't really care what he will allow us to do. If we need
to get in to save usagi we will, by force if necessary."
Usagi stared at the setting sun as the nail on her index finger dug into Sesshomaru's hardwood floor. Her mind lost within itself trying to remember the vision that happened only a few hours ago.
She fought against her mind's impulse to push the traumatizing images away, but could only manage to grab fragments of fire and a man before it was completely gone.
She remembered their lips moving, but the words eluded her, "His name…" she muttered softly to herself, "What was his name?" A
soft voice sounded beside her but she ignored it as his image appeared before her eyes. His face, his eyes, and his hair…no one she had ever seen before in her life
and yet familiarity gnawed at her mind and heart as if begging her to remember. His stare was one of the betrayed, filled with so much hurt and anger. His jaw was
clenched shut as if trying to keep the rage within…..but she had never seen him before. "Your name….what is your name?"
Concern was spilled over rin's face as she discreetly shifted her weigh off of her sleeping leg. She glanced down at the small blood covered crevasse in the floor and
the slender finger with the torn nail that was diligently trying to make it deeper, "Usagi?" rin whispered terrified of what breaking usagi's trance would do, but she
didn't move with the exception of the finger that took on a life of its own. She gently placed her small hand on usagi's arm and patted it lightly. No response. She
then carefully inched closer to her and placed both of her hands on her shoulder, "Usagi?" she called out a little bit louder as she shook her, "Usagi!" Rin quickly stood
when she received no reply and ran off towards the stairs.