A/N: It's been a long, long time between updates. Which isn't a surprise to me, really: summer is a time of laziness and sloth. I'm in school again, now, however. We'll see if this makes me write more.

Filler chapter, I know; probably a disappointment with such a long wait, though a necessary evil. Please, leave a review at the end!

Elements

Chapter 12

"And just where were you?"

Kagome glanced up upon returning to the campsite at the sound of a curt voice to see a rather familiar figure standing tall, arms folded crossly, a scowl on his face. She sighed.

"I went for a walk," she said simply, moving to pack her things as Sango and Miroku watched on, almost in pity.

InuYasha was in a mood. Finally fully healed from the slight purification, he was back to his full power, baring his fangs menacingly, his silver hair falling down his back. His eyes were flashing, and his posture spoke of barely-restrained anger, making him almost quake where he stood. Kagome was reminded of the time she had snuck out of the house to meet Eri and Yumi to go see a concert and come home to find her mother at the door.

Only Kagome had a feeling that dealing with InuYasha would be much worse than dealing with her mother ever was.

"Where were you??" InuYasha demanded. "You weren't walking anywhere around here, and a human like you couldn't have gone off that far!"

"Just around, InuYasha!" Kagome said, someway irritated as she tugged at a zipper, trying to shut her crammed backpack without breaking it. "What's it matter?"

"Why couldn't I find you??" InuYasha's eyes flashed, his voice growing more and more intense. "Why couldn't I follow your scent?"

"I masked my scent," she said flatly, rolling her eyes, and Sango hid a snicker.

"Keh! Humans can't mask their scents," he said dismissively. He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "You weren't with anyone, were you?"

Kagome hesitated, and InuYasha yelped, her pause giving her away.

"You were with someone!" he accused. "Admit it! You were! Who were you with?! Was it Sesshomaru?!"

"Who else would it be?" Kagome muttered, exasperated.

"I knew it!" InuYasha yelled, his ears twitching wildly. "You were off training with him in secret!"

"I had to keep it secret!" she snapped, her nerves fraying. "I knew if I told you you'd stomp and yell and pitch a fit much like you are now!"

"I am not pitching a fit!" InuYasha stomped his foot, his hands on his hips, furious. "My god, Kagome! You're hanging out with an evil demon lord and then getting upset when I worry for you!"

"That 'evil demon lord' happens to be my friend," Kagome said nastily. "And you don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"Oh, sure you can," InuYasha scoffed. "Just like you took care of yourself the times you were kidnapped by Urasue and Tsubaki!"

"If I might interject, InuYasha," Miroku broke in politely, "but all of those happened a very long time ago. More recently, Kagome-sama has fended off-"

"Shut up, monk!" InuYasha snapped, livid. Kagome's eyes flashed.

"Can't bear to hear the truth, InuYasha?" she said coldly. "I can watch out for myself now. I don't know why you keep clinging to me when I don't need it, but it'd be a lot better for everyone if you'd just cut it out!"

InuYasha looked struck for a moment, before he sneered at her, his eyes cruel.

"Yeah," he said nastily. "I'm sure you'd much rather do the clinging to Sesshomaru."

"SIT!"

InuYasha crashed to the ground, and Kagome clenched her fists, her face tight with restraint, her nails digging into her palms. She took a deep, shuddering breath, before turning to the others and offering them a weak smile.

"We're leaving as soon as he gets up." She gestured to the hanyou, determinedly not looking at him. "Get your things."

Miroku and Sango quickly finished packing up, Shippo scurrying around as InuYasha got up, crouching near the ground, his face scowling, glaring at Kagome, who was busy watching the others, overseeing their cleanup.

"Did you see that?" Shippo hissed to Miroku. "Flames came up when InuYasha hit the ground! It was only for a second, but I saw it! I know I saw it! Did you see it too??"

"Yes, Shippo," he said quietly, watching Kagome from under his eyes. "I did see the fire. We would do well to be cautious around Kagome when she is mad."

"We're leaving. Now."

Both monk and child looked up to see the miko in question snapping at the hanyou on the ground who scowled but rose, his arms folded, grimace firmly in place.

"You guys hear that?" he said shortly, slinging Kagome's pack over his back. "We're leaving. Quit your chatter."

Miroku and Shippo exchanged a glance before rising and falling in line with Sango as they lift the campsite. All of their eyes rested warily on the backs of the angry miko and scowling hanyou, silently hoping that the dam of tension between them wouldn't burst.

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"Kagome-sama is maaad" Rin sang, dancing around Sesshomaru as the three walked on "Kagome-sama got mad at the baka inu"

"Cease your childish wailing!" Jaken squawked, banging his staff. "Sesshomaru-sama does not care about the silly girl! Nor does he appreciate your noisiness!"

"Jaken-sama is just mad that he can't tell Kagome-sama is mad like Rin and Sesshomaru-sama can," Rin teased the kappa. "Jaken-sama is not special enough"

Sesshomaru sighed, tuning out the senseless squabble behind him. Though obnoxious, Rin had a point: the miko was mad. He'd been able to sense it. The wind had shifted and the earth had moved restlessly as he heard a distant yell of her voice. It was almost disconcerting, really, how the earth and air reacted to her fury without her so much as acknowledging them when he had to work so hard to control both elements on his own. Just another testament to her power, he supposed.

"Why is Kagome-sama so angry?" Rin asked, looking up at Sesshomaru curiously, cutting into his thoughts. "Did the inu-baka make her mad again? I thought they just fought the other day. Shouldn't they wait longer before fighting again?"

Sesshomaru hid a smirk. "InuYasha hardly has the sense to do so," he informed her.

Rin frowned. "But he keeps making Kagome-sama mad," she complained. "I don't like it when Kagome-sama is mad. It changes things."

This, too, had truth in it, Sesshomaru recognized as they walked along. It was odd, really. When Kagome was upset, the world seemed distorted, out of sorts. The two mindless presences that had taken up residence in the back of his mind whispered restlessly, shifting, refusing to settle down, almost as if waiting for a storm. The air seemed colder, less giving, and the earth seemed almost as if it would ignite.

But it was more than that.

Knowing Kagome was upset seemed to unsettle something in him, as well as the elements around him. It was almost like he could feel her ire inside his mind, fuming, bothering him and bothering him as long as he knew she wasn't alright.

"Annoying," Sesshomaru murmured, and Rin glanced up at him, amused.

"If Sesshomaru-sama doesn't like the earth being loud, he can try to cheer Kagome-sama up," she said, impish. "If Kagome-sama stops being mad, the earth will stop being loud, too."

"Rin," Sesshomaru said, looking down at her, one eyebrow raised. "We are not traveling with Kagome and her group, only near them. I have no way to communicate with her to settle her fury."

"Would you, though, if you could?" Rin asked, looking up at him. "Sesshomaru-sama and Kagome-sama are friends now, right? Wouldn't you like to help her feel better?"

Sesshomaru looked down at his ward, his lips tight.

"Kagome can deal with her own problems," he told her. "I have enough issues of my own to regard."

"But wouldn't you like her to be happy again?" Rin pressed on. "Kagome-sama probably feels all alone and isolated with just the inu-baka and her anger. If you could, wouldn't you like to help her to feel better? Don't you feel happier when she's happy too?"

As loathe as he was to admit it, she was right.

"...I might," he reluctantly acquiesced. Rin beamed.

"But Sesshomaru-sama can communicate with Kagome-sama!" she said, happily, her eyes sparkling. "All Sesshomaru-sama has to do is ask the earth to be a messenger for him, and it's easy as counting to five!"

Jaken objected indignantly, saying that that was impossible and ridiculous, and Rin retorted calling him a name while Sesshomaru rolled his eyes tuned them out once more.

Use the earth as a messenger system?

How odd.

The earth could provide energy and influence the growth and movement of other earthly things. But how was he supposed to get a message to Kagome through the earth? It wasn't as if he had the skill to carve kanji into a tree a mile away. It was impossible.

Then again...

It wasn't as if Sesshomaru understood everything about the earth and these elements he'd learned about yet. He'd only just begun, having reached a basic understanding with them. Maybe it was possible. Rin certainly seemed to think so, and he doubted that she'd just make something like that up. And the earth did like to help with things, didn't it?

Perhaps it was worth a try.

All in the name of furthering his own mastery over the element, of course.

Gently extending his mind back to the green presence in the back of his mind, Sesshomaru tried to communicate his message, trying to get it sent in a ball of energy through the earth. As soon as it went into the earth, though, Sesshomaru could feel it dissipate, losing its form.

Sesshomaru twitched, annoyed. He had to be missing something. If Rin could do it, so could he.

One alternative would be to use his own energy, he mused. He could push his youki into the ground and send it through the earth that way. That, however, was bound to not work; the earth rejected things such as youki and demon energy, so there was no way that would do.

He glanced at Rin, musing. She had most likely used whatever spiritual energy she had in the earth. With her dominant element being of earth, the earth would accept it easily, but it'd retain enough of her own nature to keep it separate from the rest. He, however, had no such spiritual energy, only youki, which he'd already determined wouldn't work.

The earth's presence flared inside his mind as the wind suddenly ran cold, and Sesshomaru could feel an angry presence pulse in front of them. Rin shivered slightly, teeth chattering, and Sesshomaru bit his lip, wondering what the idiot hanyou was doing now.

There had to be some way of contacting her, short of catching up with them and just talking. He had all these new abilities at his hands now, didn't he? And he couldn't even figure out how to make them work?

Gritting his teeth as they walked, Sesshomaru pondered, bracing himself against the wind, when the answer suddenly became clear.

If his energy didn't work and he couldn't use the earth's, why not use the air?

It made sense. All the elements had energy – the earth's was just the most readily accessible. And with the earth and air being natural compliments to each other, it only made sense that he'd be able to send a message using the air by way of the earth.

At least, in theory it would.

Concentrating again, this time Sesshomaru reached out to the flighty, cold presence in the back of his mind, grasping it, willing it, pulling it into a ball, trying to give it tangible form. He wove the words What did the hanyou do now? into it, making them tangible, and slowly pushed the ball of abstract energy out through his feet into the earth, directing it to go to Kagome.

Almost immediately, he felt the ball take off and flee, skittering through the ground out of his awareness, shooting off in front. Sesshomaru allowed himself a small smile as he relaxed. It seemed that this strategy had worked.

They walked on, and it was a few minutes later when Sesshomaru suddenly felt a strong presence of wind and mist overwhelm him, entering his mind, echoing with Kagome's voice.

Nothing unusual, just pitching a fit, saying I'm useless and a burden and whatnot. Why do you ask?

He nearly laughed as the message dissipated. She'd sent him an answer back! He wasn't quite sure what he'd been expecting with her response, but it was certainly fascinating to be able to communicate in a way such as this now.

Summoning his will again, Sesshomaru set about weaving another air ball. I could tell you were upset, he pushed. Things were shifting in the back of my mind, and I could almost taste your ire upon the air. He paused, considering, before adding Ignore the hanyou. He's a fool to not realize you for the asset you are to his team.

He sent it off, watching without eyes as it zoomed through the ground, ears deaf to Rin and Jaken's constant bickering. A few long moments passed until he felt something come whizzing back to him, filling his mind once more.

I just don't get why he cares so much when I go off alone. He has no right. I can take care of myself now; can't he let me go?

Sesshomaru frowned. It was all too clear why he was always so enraged when she did so. He doesn't like that you don't need him anymore, he said reluctantly, feeling more than a little odd for revealing his brother's mindset so easily. He cares for you and wants you to depend on him, make him feel special. When you don't, it makes him feel neglected and mad.

The response came quicker this time, Kagome's indignant voice flooding his mind. That's ridiculous! Who else is going to kill Naraku and beat all the demons into a pulp? I'm certainly not going to, and Miroku and Sango aren't nearly up to his skill with the whole slaying bit. Honestly! What's he think we'd do without him?

But you don't show that, he reminded her wordlessly. Right now, all he sees is you growing more independent and going off on your own, leaving him behind.

What's he care? came her curt reply, and Sesshomaru sighed.

Feeling needed is a powerful thing, he said carefully, measuring his words. It's empowering for a man to know someone else depends on him. Not for survival, perhaps, but for happiness and well-being and such.

Kagome's reply was slower this time, more thought-out. Needed? I'd never want to feel needed – it'd feel too restrictive, to be needed all the time. I'd rather be appreciated for when I do help out.

But that makes sense, Sesshomaru argued silently. A man would rather feel needed, while a woman would want to feel cherished. They're different. Look. Sesshomaru struggled for a moment to think of an example, not wanting to go into detail about the interactions between his father and his mom. Take Rin and Jaken, for example. For all their arguing, they're still very close. Rin needs Jaken to provide for her and is always grateful when he does, and though he might grumble, he appreciates it and continues to do so in the end. Rin, on the other hand, feels cherished and loved when he goes out of his way to do things for her, like help her find flowers to pick. It's a bit twisted, but it makes sense, and it works.

The earth was quieting down in the back of his mind, as was the wind, and Sesshomaru felt himself slowly relaxing as the tension slowly ebbed out of the world.

Kagome's reply this time was neutral, her voice sounding thoughtful in his mind. That makes sense... she murmured. InuYasha doesn't cherish me anymore; he has Kikyo. And I don't need him for physical or emotional security anymore... not really...

He felt the end of the message trail off, as if Kagome had lost herself in her own thoughts, and he wisely refrained from replying further, recognizing her need for a bit of space to think.

Another thought bubble came bouncing through the earth a while later. You're not supposed to be the one with psychology expertise she complained. All you're supposed to know about is demon diplomacy and how to kill things.

Sesshomaru had to restrain a laugh. Youkai politics are inseparably entwined with how the mind works. How can you predict your opponent's move without knowing how he thinks?

You. Shut up. You make me feel dumb.

Sesshomaru suppressed a smile at that. Maybe you are dumb. Maybe you're just a silly human girl who's so wound up over a filthy half-breed calling her a few names that you can't even think straight.

The reply to that was mocking, jaunty.You'rethe one who's wasting his time talking to such a silly human girl. Who do you think's the dumb one now?

His lips twitched. Perhaps I enjoy talking to silly human girls.

Kagome's reply was low, teasing, her tone almost flirtatious, and Sesshomaru could practically hear her breathy tone and see her coy look at him. ...Do you now?

He choked, but before he could reply, another message arrived, one with quite a different mood. Ugh. We were passing through a village and InuYasha got beat upside the head by the village elder for saying he smelled. I'll have to cook lunch and heal him before we can continue on. There was a pause. Thanks for cheering me up and calming me down. I didn't know you knew how to communicate like this, she said, playful. Then again, I suppose there's a lot of things about you I don't know.

Sesshomaru smiled despite himself. It was my pleasure. Best of luck dealing with the idiot hanyou.

There was a faint, exasperated reply of baka as Sesshomaru pulled himself out of his thoughts, returning to the normal world once more, leaving his head. He was startled to find Rin and Jaken both staring at him silently, their eyes wide, and he quickly checked his person to make sure there wasn't anything defacing his clothes.

"What?" he said curtly, and Jaken quickly looked away, muttering an apology, while Rin continued to stare.

"Sesshomaru-sama looked... happy," Rin said, awed. "Does talking to Kagome-sama always make Sesshomaru-sama smile like that?"

Sesshomaru tensed, hiding all his reactions, before coughing briefly and looking away.

"I don't know. Does it matter? Maybe. Perhaps."

He glanced back towards Rin, who was grinning now, having discovered some deep dark secret, and felt his cheeks start to heat up before he repressed the reaction, shoving it down. It wasn't as if it mattered. Rin was overly excited over nothing. Nothing.

Because it wasn't a bad thing that he enjoyed talking to Kagome. Or unusual or uncharacteristic of him in the slightest.

...Right?

Still, Sesshomaru couldn't seem to banish the slight feeling of satisfaction knowing that he'd made Kagome happy again.

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Did you like it? Hate it? Get a kick out of the secret message that's revealed when you read every fourth word? Regardless, please let me know! Please, review!