Time stilled for Seshoumaru. His eyes widened fractionally as he watched the miko struggle to breathe as if something was suffocating her. His past self's expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief. The woman-child's aura was grappling in the air wildly, as if trying to escape from something. The inuyoukai's eyes narrowed as he saw it.

He didn't so much as see, as he felt it. It was his aura, trying to dominate that of the priestess. His youki was trying to force a protecting mark on the girl's aura. He threw a sharp glance at Maru, but his youki was rising with distress. Oblivious to the horrified cries of the humans and the hanyou, Seshoumaru realized that it was truly his own youki which was acting on its own will.

Snarling in anger, he tried to reign it in but it wouldn't obey him.

"Do you have someone to protect?"

Furiously thrusting those words from his mind, Seshoumaru unleashed his true form, forcing his unwilling youki back into his body. The wind blew wildly with the display of this clash of wills. Just as quickly as he transformed, he reverted back to his human form, his reiki tightly leashed. Watching dispassionately, he noted the hanyou throw s snarl his way, and push Maru out of the way to reach the girl's side. Her eyes were still closed but her clour had returned and her aura had subsided. As the last entrails of it disappeared, he shuddered as they danced teasingly on the skin of his forearm. Clenching his fist, he focused on the priestess.

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around at her friends, confused.

"What's going on?"

It was the slayer who answered, her voice shaking, "You collapsed, Kagome." Inuyasha snarled at Maru, who was still on the ground where Inuyasha had pushed him, "It's that damn brat's fault. That's it, Kagome. Get rid of him. He ain't tagging along with us. Useless piece of shit."

It was the echo of the slap which remained in the silence that followed. Kagome's face was red with barely contained fury. Leaning her face closer to that of the shocked hanyou's, she snarled, "Don't ever say that again, you bastard. In the three years we've travelled together, you've demeaned me every chance you got, and I bore it. But don't you ever abuse someone I care about! You will regret it, Inuyasha. I swear it."

Seshoumaru was frozen on his spot as he watched the girl unleash her cold wrath upon the half breed. He watched as she stood up from her spot, stumbling a little. Walking past the stunned Inuyasha, she stood over the pup and extended her hand to him. Her voice still had remanents of that fury, as she spoky, "Come on, Seshoumaru. Let's go."

He stared up at her for a few seconds, unable to comprehend what had just happened. He glanced uncertainly at the stunned pack and then at the priestess. Finally, he took her hand, and stood himself up.

Kagome shot him a quick reassuring smile and then looked at Seshoumaru who was still staring at her with a strange look in his eye, "Seshoumaru-sama?"

He blinked languidly.

Shooting an angry glance at the hanyou, and a half hearted apologetic one towards her two human companions, she spoke, "If you don't mind, could Maru and I travel with you to search for the shards. Just the two of us with you." Inuyasha growled, "Look bitch!"

Kagome turned to him and raised a brow, "What are you complaining about, Inuyasha? For so long you've been complaining that I'm not good enough, that I'm so very useless,Kikyo this, Kikyo that, well, how about this. Why don't you find Kikyo and let her join your pack. I'm sure with her superior skills and all, you'll find the shards way quicker than with me."

Sango and Miroku watched the exchange silently, knowing and understanding that Kagome needed to be away from all of them, especially with the way they had been acting. While not snubbing the young Seshoumaru, they had certainly not treated him kindly. Slightly ashamed, the two of them, watched Inuyasha splutter and then snarl, as he marched up to the girl. However, before he could take one more step, a cold wave of purifying energy tainted with a hint of youki met him, making him howl.

Kagome's eyes were cold as they met his. "I've said what I had to say. Now the rest is up to Seshoumaru." She turned towards the inuyoukai, who studied her contemplatively. This could actually be an opportunity to study this strange priestess, away from the filth of the hanyou and the humans.

Shrugging, he turned and started walking into the forest. Kagome started to follow when a slight tug on her sleev made her pause. To her surprise, it was Shippou. His eyes were filled with tears as he mumbled, "I'm sorry, 'Gome, for being bad. I'm just not good at sharing and- and-" He burst into tears and as much as Kagome wanted to hug him and comfort him, she forced herself to let him act maturely for once. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, Shippou looked at the startled Maru and said, "I'm sorry for being mean to you. Please don't be mad at me."

Maru was stunned. Nobody had ever apologized to him before, and now that this kit had, he had no idea how to react towards him. What hsould he do. Offering a tentative smile, he murmured, "It is all right."

He glanced upwards to catch Kagome's approving smile and turned sightly red. Shippou nodded and then turned towards his mother figure, "Can I please go with you guys? I'll be very good."

Kagome studied him and smiled as she realized that he meant it. Ruffling his hair, she said, "Come on."

Turning, the three of them followed Seshoumaru into the glades, separating from their pack.

A.N: I know this is a very late update but my papers are in May and I'm very very very very busy studying. Today, I just typed up this chappy in arpund 40 minutes and let it loose, so please of any grammatical errors are spotted, excuse me.

And please review. I have no idea when I'll be able to update.