Once In A Blue Moon

Author's Note: Hey all! I revised the chapter a bit... MistressDragonFlame pointed out a few kinks in the story, and I acted upon it. Thanks also to ShadowHeart, who I will try my hardest for. Thanks for informing me, and I will try my best to confuse you until ^^ the last few 'eye-opener' chapters arrive! Lol. J/k.

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Inuyasha reached the well, and did not find anything out of the ordinary. There were no new scents in near the well except for Kagome's and his own. Looking around, Inuyasha began to clam down. Sesshoumaru was not even near the well... according to his senses.

However, what Inuyasha did not know, was that the stoic lord was cleverly hidden from his nose and his sights within the forest. Inuyasha climbed into his favorite tree, and watched the clearing, seeing everything from his position.

Inuyasha was about to make himself comfortable on one of the branches, when he noticed a white, eel-like youkai floating in the air, with a bright blue ball in its arms.

'Kikyou...'

Feeling indecisive, Inuyasha battled himself to choose which woman to go to. A part of him told him to stay, and guard the well... yet another part of him wished to seek out Kikyou.

'Damn it...' he thought angrily, shoving his claws through a tree. He looked sadly at the well, and made up his mind. ' Kagome knows better than to come back... and Sesshoumaru probably won't risk going through a strange well...'

With that, he leapt into one of the branches, and swiftly made his way towards the tree where he was first struck. There, he found Kikyou high above the ground, being fed by her soul-stealers. It pained him to see her in such a state. Where once, she saved others' souls... now she fed upon them.

'That yarou no baka Naraku!' he thought bitterly, clenching his fists. ' If he didn't trick us... Kikyou would be put to rest... or she may not have died at all...'

He looked up at Kikyou, inhaling her scent, forcing himself not to retch. The pure scent that Kikyou once held, was gone forever. Replaced by the stench of death, bones, and dirt. Her once beautiful, warm eyes were replaced by dull, hate-filled eyes. Even her power was not as potent as it was before. It was still powerful, but nothing compared to the powers she once held.

"Kikyou," Inuyasha whispered. " Why do you continue like this?"

Kikyou faced her pained lover, and smiled sadly, floating down towards the ground. " You know why, Inuyasha."

He hung his head, unable to answer. He knew that Kikyou was there to bring him back to hell with her. But he couldn't... not yet. He had obligations to fulfill...

Kikyou kept her silence, and her stern expression. She knew why Inuyasha was quiet. " I will kill Naraku this time."

Inuyasha's head shot up, and anger filled his eyes. " No!" he yelled. " I will not let you die again!"

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Kagome checked everything in her pack, making sure she had all that she may need in Shengoku Jidai. As she went out the door, she noticed the staff that the youkai had given her. Kagome hesitated, and reached for the staff. As soon as she made contact with it, her hand, along with the staff, began to glow a bright pink hue.

'That was new' she thought to herself. She lifted it, and was surprised that it had suddenly gown lighter, as if knowing what exactly was needed to make itself useful.

"What am I going to name you?" Kagome said out loud. She felt something carved onto the length of the staff. Taking it into the light, she noticed that there was a name engraved upon its surface, that she had not noticed before.

"Sakaeru..." Kagome mused. " I guess that's your name."

Still a bit wary of the weapon, Kagome made sure it was close enough to defend herself, but far enough to throw.

'Here goes nothing' she thought, and leapt into the well, feeling, once more, the wave of magic that surrounded her. She smiled, feeling refreshed, and felt the ground under her legs.

Looking up, she saw a bright blue sky. Throwing her bag over the rim, Kagome wondered how she would climb out of the well with the staff in hand. ' Makes someone want to fly.' Suddenly, as if hearing her wish, she began to glow pink, and sure enough, the ground began to sink, or rather, Kagome began to float into the air until she was well over the rim of the well.

"That," Kagome said, " was definitely cool."

She landed softly on the grass, smiling at her weapon. ' Perhaps that youkai was a friend... but who was he?'

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Sesshoumaru, who was waiting in the forest for Kagome's arrival, was surprised to see her fly in the air. He decided to wait out a bit longer, knowing that the lords were perfectly comfortable in his castle.

He watched with interest as Kagome began to walk towards the location of his half-brother and his undead wench.

'Why is this Sesshoumaru hiding in the bushes like a lowly youkai?' he wondered, feeling disgusted with himself, yet he kept himself hidden.

He had already delayed his meeting with the lords of the land, and he refused to return without his primary objective- the girl. His condition would surely worsen if he let the woman free. Because of her stupidity, she was bound to him, and his youkai seemed to approve of the bonding, not wanting to part from the miko.

'Yes... I shall retrieve the onna, and after one month's time... she will no longer hinder this Sesshoumaru'.

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Kagome reached the Goshinboku, and gasped slightly, finding Inuyasha and Kikyou in a position that brought sad memories back to her mind. This was not the first time she found Inuyasha and Kikyou embracing each other with a passion that Kagome had never experienced with Inuyasha. Nor was this the first time that she felt a stabbing pain in her heart. Though her hearing was not as sensitive as Inuyasha's, Kagome was able to hear parts of their conversation.

" Kikyou," she heard Inuyasha say. " Be at peace... Naraku will be slain."

Kikyou shook her head furiously. " I will not rest until I see Naraku die in my hands," she said coldly.

Kagome hid behind a tree, clutching Sakaeru close to her heart. She watched as Inuyasha moved to kiss the dead priestess. Tears formed in her eyes, but she willed them not to fall.

Inuyasha held Kikyou in his arms, and whispered something that Kagome was not able to hear. Kikyou pushed Inuyasha away, and glared at him.

" You are mine, Inuyasha, and I will drag you back to hell with me," Kikyou said flatly. Then, her soul stealers wrapped themselves around her figure, and they floated into the air, leaving Inuyasha alone.

Kagome knew it would be a matter of time until Inuyasha would sense her. ' Please... send me back to the meadow' she thought, as she clutched Sakaeru tighter in her arms. Just as before, she was enveloped in a pink light, and her wish was granted.

Sesshoumaru, took the opportunity to step out of the bushes, startling Kagome. Fear rose in her eyes, but she calmed, not sensing any threat from the stoic lord. He looked at her strangely, not knowing the reason for her pain.

"You know, it's rude to stare!" Kagome snapped, angry at him for just standing there, gawking like an idiot. She stood, and walked towards him. " Are you just going to stand there?"

Sesshoumaru frowned as Kagome stood defiantly before him. He kept his bored expression, and stepped closer to the angry ningen.

"You are a ningen, and are therefore below my status," he said. " I do not have to explain myself to you."

Kagome rolled her eyes, and turned her back on him. " Oh, shove it! I am so tired of being pushed around by arrogant pricks like you!"

Hearing her tone, Sesshoumaru became angered, and turned her around forcefully. Kagome began to regret her choice of words as she saw the tinge of red in Sesshoumaru's normally golden eyes.

"Onna, do not presume you can order this Sesshoumaru around," he warned, trying to control his anger. He grasped her arm tighter, making Kagome wince in pain. " You will return with this Sesshoumaru."

Kagome was about to protest, but Sesshoumaru cut her off. " You saved my life, and I saved yours. We are now no longer in each others' debt... I am free to do with you as I will."

Knowing she was at a loss, Kagome shut her mouth, and followed him. Sesshoumaru smirked as he called his cloud, and ordered her to follow.

Looking down at the forest, Kagome made a silent plea that Inuyasha would save her. 'Help me...'

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Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. And thanks for your reviews!