Disclaimer: InuYasha, and all its characters, including the hotness that is Sesshoumaru, all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. At least until I'm older and she's dead and I buy the royalties off whoever inherits them.

Many apologies to the people who have been waiting so long for this! My muses decided that March was the perfect time to go on vacation, and I've been stuck with the short end of the stick. On top of that, my internet suddenly crashed, and it took me a week and a half to get it up and running again. So, now that the muses have returned to me, here is the next installment of Elderly Wisdom. I hope you can forgive me for the wait.

HAPPY EASTER!

CHAPTER 14: THE POWER OF THE PACK BOND

Kagome entered her house, her mood dark and annoyed. "I can't believe we have to travel all the way across Japan again!" She muttered to herself. "Of all the ridiculous, stupid, and moronic things, we now need to go to the underworld. For all we know, Naraku doesn't even have a reason to go there, other than to say he can!"

Stopping just outside the main entrance to the shrine, she let out a frustrated scream, ignoring the startled gasps she heard from the shrine. The scream didn't last that long (only about ten seconds) but when she had finally let it fade, she felt so much better. Finally able to smile, she stretched her arms wide and looked up at the sky. Life always seemed so much better in the sunshine.

"Ow."

Kagome's eyes widened, and she whirled to see both Kin and Ao, with the elderly inuyoukai wincing and gently rubbing his ears. With a gasp, Kagome quickly bowed. "I'm so sorry, Kin. I had no idea you were behind me!"

Ao rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. He's just being a baby." Kin glared at her, and she chuckled and kissed his weathered cheek. "And by that, I mean that he is so tough that he can easily overcome something so pathetic as a scream."

Kagome and Kin smiled nearly simultaneously. "So, the two of you are together again?" Kagome asked hesitantly.

Ao laughed. "He may drive me insane, but he's still my Kin." For a moment, the two shared a look. But then Ao turned to Kagome, eyes narrowed. "Now, what was all that screaming about, young lady?"

"Just a release of frustration." Kagome answered, shrugging her shoulders. "Some friends of mine are being complete and utter morons, and it's frustrating me."

Ao studied her face for a moment, then shook her head. "Well, then how about you come with us. We just finished in the shrine, and we were going to head down to the park. How about you come with us?"

Kagome grinned. "I would love that."

In the Feudal Era

Sesshoumaru glared at the well, annoyance hanging in the air around him. They had only a limited amount of time before Naraku got to the Barrier Between Life and Death, and that meant that they needed to move as quickly as possible. If they were to successfully use the entrance that Miyoga had told them about, then they would have to move quickly.

But how were they supposed to go anywhere when that stupid miko was out on vacation?

Sesshoumaru growled again as he stared down at the well. As if he had nothing better to do than stare at some ridiculous well waiting for an adolescent girl to reappear. Even if she was the Miko no Shikon, it was asking too much. He ought to just leave her behind and be done with her.

There was a sudden movement, and InuYasha stood perched at the lip of the well. "Didn't think I'd find you here."

Sesshoumaru didn't answer, instead focusing solely on the well. How long would the hanyou wait before leaving?

"But then again, I didn't know you had the ability to care." InuYasha continued. "So maybe I was wrong about other things as well."

"Try not to think on it, InuYasha." Sesshoumaru cut in, before the pup could think too far. "You might injure yourself."

InuYasha whirled and glared, but refrained from his usual insults. "What is it about her that interests you so much?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "She is merely a tool to destroy Naraku. Nothing more."

InuYasha glared. "Don't talk about her like that!"

Sesshoumaru let out a silent breath, suddenly tired of the conversation. "Think what you will, InuYasha." He turned and walked away, ignoring the pangs of some unknown emotion jabbing at his heart. A question rose in his mind, but he was quick to push it away. But that didn't stop the thought from making itself known to him.

Why does it hurt to call her a tool?

The Present

"Are you sure you can't tell us?" Ao prodded.

The three friends sat in their favorite café, each with their usual drink in hand. As was becoming habit, they sat at the round table in the corner, between the windowed front and the wall. Ao sat with her back to the window, facing Kagome. Between them sat Kin, who Kagome couldn't help but notice kept his eyes moving from place to place, as if expecting trouble. It was a trait she had recently begun to notice about him, and she was secretly becoming worried.

With a sigh, Kagome shrugged off Ao question. "I wish I could, but unfortunately, I promised to keep it a secret." Seeing the worried looks on Ao and Kin's faces, she sighed. "Look, there's this. . . necklace of mine that this guy named Naraku took. He's currently in Northern Japan, and me and some friends are going after him. The only problem is, I know for a fact that he doesn't have my necklace with him. So I don't understand why we're going in the first place."

"Do you know what he is doing in the North?" Kin asked.

"Well, yeah." Kagome answered. "But what he's doing has nothing to do with my necklace, so I don't understand why we're going after him instead of finding my necklace."

Ao's eyebrows furrowed. "I completely agree. The entire idea is absurd."

Kin shook his head. "I must disagree." Ao and Kagome turned to glare at Kin, so he explained. "You have no idea what he's doing, so how do you know that it doesn't relate to your current problem?"

"Because we're trying to find my necklace." Kagome answered. "If it isn't in the North, then what's the point?"

"Sometimes the obvious isn't the truth." Kin answered. "Just because you believe it has nothing to do with your necklace, doesn't mean that is completely unrelated. What if he is trying to find someone who will buy the necklace? Or maybe there is someone with a similar necklace that he is attempting to take."

Ao's eyes widened, and she quickly nodded her head. "He makes an excellent point, Kagome. As long as you don't know what he's up to, you can't be sure that it doesn't relate to you."

Kagome shook her head. "But I know that there is nothing up there worth finding!"

"You cannot read minds, nor can you see into the future." Kin answered calmly. "So you have no proof that what this Naraku character is up to is unrelated to your current pursuit."

Kagome opened her mouth to answer, but Ao quickly cut in. "Look, there's no reason to fight over this. Kagome has her opinion, and you have your own. Neither one will be swayed, and it will not change what will happen. Let's not let it spoil our day." Kin and Kagome looked at one another and nodded. The truce settled as Ao spoke again. "Now, on to more important matters. What are you doing with that new found power of yours?"

Kagome turned to Ao with a confused look on her face. "What do you mean?"

"You can see the bonds between people, right?" Ao answered. "Have you tried expanding on that?"

Kin shook his head. "What my ever so articulate mate is trying to say, is have you been working with the gift you were given when you shared blood with Sesshoumaru?"

"Oh." Kagome answered. "Well, not really. It kind of slipped my mind, to be honest. There really doesn't seem to be much use for it. I mean, I used it once to prove that Sesshoumaru's sword was bonded with him, but other than that, it hasn't really come up."

"Wait a second!" Ao nearly shouted. "Do you realize that that means your new power works on things as well as living beings?"

Kagome shrugged. "I guess, although Sesshoumaru's sword has enough jiaki that I'm not sure if you could call it an inanimate object."

"Darn!" Ao exclaimed. "I just thought that if it did work on objects, you could use your power to find your necklace."

Kagome started, and her eyes widened. Ao was almost right! The Shikon no Tama had just as much, if not more, power as Tenseiga. If she could find the bond between the pieces of the Shikon no Tama, then she could easily find the final shard and Naraku's portion! Why hadn't she thought of that before?

While Kagome thought, Ao had continued. "Well, that's beside the point. My question is, why haven't you used your abilities to find this Naraku person?"

Kagome refocused on the conversation and shook her head. "Believe it or not, the thought has occurred to me. But the truth is that we're not ready to confront him yet. And until we are, there's no point in tracking him down. Just because there's more of us doesn't mean everything will turn out like we hope."

Kin nodded. "That is sound reasoning. You are quite wise for someone your age."

Kagome blushed. "Well, I do my best." She quickly changed the subject. "Kin, I've been meaning to ask. Do you happen to have any records of the Shikon no Tama?"

Kagome would have to be a fool not to notice how Ao stiffened at the mention of the jewel, and how Kin instantly focused all his attention on her. "Why would we keep records on a legend? We have never had need of it."

Kagome's eyes narrowed, especially when she saw how Ao deliberately kept her gaze away from Kagome's face. They were lying. She stood slowly. "I don't appreciate lies, or the people who tell them." With a single gulp, she drained her cup. "Thank you for the coffee. I'll just be going."

"Kagome, wait!" Ao pleaded, reaching forward to grab her arm. "Everyone has their secrets. The Shikon no Tama is just a sensitive issue, that's all. Please, come sit down."

"No thank you, Ao." Kagome answered, gently tugging her arm away. "I think it's time for me to-"

"Be quiet and sit down." Kin interrupted. "Do not over dramatize the event."

"I don't think it's over dramatized to be upset that you're lying to me." Kagome snapped.

"The Shikon no Tama is a legend about an extremely powerful object." Kin answered, his eyes boring holes into Kagome's. "If it was real, and information on it existed, a public café would not be an intelligent place to hold a conversation about it."

Kagome felt all her anger disappear in a moment. "Oh." She whispered. "Right."

Ao relaxed and grabbed her purse, which had been hanging off her chair. "Well, if Kagome's done, why don't we head home?" Kin nodded, finishing his coffee and standing. "It was a pleasure to see you again, Kagome." Ao said. "I'll see you real soon, and then maybe we can talk more."

Kagome got the hidden message and reached over to hug her friend. "Sorry I freaked." She whispered.

Ao squeezed Kagome tightly for a moment. "Remember what I said." Ao whispered. "All of it."

The Feudal Era

"WHAT!" Kagome shouted.

She looked at the rest of the group, who all sat around Kaede's fireplace in the center of the room. Even Sesshoumaru, Rin, and Jaken sat in Kaede's hut, in order to share the information they had gathered while Kagome was in her own time. Kagome had arrived a few minutes before, a day early, and had met the group just as they returned from their trip. While she had recovered, they had gone to the home of Hosenki, the demon who made the jewel in InuYasha's eye.

"You heard me, wench." InuYasha answered. "Hosenki is dead, and he took the last shard of the Shikon no Tama to the afterlife with him."

Kagome groaned. "So that's why Naraku is so desperate to get to the Barrier Between Life and Death. I was kind of hoping that he was just messing around."

"When has Naraku done anything that wasn't in connection with the Shikon no Tama?" Miroku asked, glaring down at his right hand. The wind tunnel stared back at him, though protected by his prayer beads.

Kagome sighed, and shook her head. "Well, if Hosenki is dead, and his heir doesn't have anymore jewels, is there another way to get to there?"

"There is a portal in the North." Sesshoumaru answered. "Presumably, that is why Naraku has gone there. We will be following, as planned."

"Terrific." Kagome mumbled. She had hated the North ever since the last time, when she'd gotten that terrible cold. Shaking off her depression and annoyance, she looked up. "Well, I have some excellent news of my own." With a huge smile on her face, she announced her newest discovery. "I can find the shards of the Shikon no Tama!"

The Shikon group's reaction was not like Kagome had thought it would be. Sango and Miroku exchanged a look, while Rin and Shippou just looked confused. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, wondering if the miko's mind had broken.

"We've known that since the day you shattered the stupid jewel, Kagome." InuYasha scoffed. "If that's all, then let's get going."

"No, you don't get it!" Kagome answered, glaring at InuYasha through the fire. "I can find them without sensing them!" She looked around, expecting the same excitement she was feeling. Instead, she just met more blank stares. With a groan, she fell back so that she stared up at the ceiling. "I don't know how I can explain it better."

Suddenly white flooded her vision, and she focused to see Sesshoumaru standing over her. "Miko, how did you discover this?"

Kagome grinned and quickly described her meeting with Ao and Kin, and the revelation she had had while speaking to them. Ignoring the sputtering from InuYasha when he found out what she had been up to, she turned to Sesshoumaru. "You see what I mean now?"

Sesshoumaru kept his outward calm, although his eyes were shining with excitement. "Have you tested this theory?"

"Yeah, I have!" Kagome answered. "I put the Shikon shards all around the shrine, close enough so that I could sense them with my normal abilities in case it didn't work. I could see the bonds just like I can see the bonds between people!"

"Did you try it at a longer range?"

"Yeah, I gave a piece to Souta to take to with him when he went out to play. I could follow the bond all the way to him."

"Will someone explain what the heck is going on!" InuYasha shouted.

Kagome sighed silently and turned to InuYasha. "I can find the shards no matter where they are, or how far. I could even find Naraku's pieces, or Kohaku's."

InuYasha was silent for a second, then grinned and jumped up. "Then let's go hunt down the bastard!"

"No." Kagome and Sesshoumaru answered simultaneously.

Four pairs of incredulous eyes turned to the pair. Kagome almost wilted under the betrayed gaze Sango gave her, and the irritated one from Miroku, but she held firm. "Guys, I want to kill Naraku just as much as you do. But we can't go after him yet."

"Why not!" Sango shouted. "He deserves to die! He's going to kill all of us, if he gets the chance. We have to get him before he comes after us."

"I know but-"

"I must agree with Lady Sango, Lady Kagome." Miroku answered. "I do not have time to wait."

"Yes, but-"

"Why the hell are you holding us back, wench?" InuYasha demanded.

Kagome started to reply, but Sesshoumaru stepped in before she could begin. "She stops you because she is the only one of you with the intelligence to see the truth."

"Who asked you, bastard?" InuYasha shouted. "It doesn't make sense not to go after the bastard if we know where he is!"

Sesshoumaru growled in frustration, and stood. "Rin, Jaken, we are leaving."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin said, before standing and running out of the hut. Jaken bowed and quickly followed after the younger girl.

Once the others had left, Sesshoumaru turned to the miko, the question in his eyes. Kagome looked at him, then at the people who had become her family. We aren't ready to face Naraku. Heck, since he removed his heart, we can't even kill him. Why don't they see that? She looked at InuYasha, whose temper was quickly rising. If I go with Sesshoumaru, they'll never forgive me. It'll be a betrayal of the worst kind. But. . . if I go with them, they'll expect me to use my powers to find Naraku. And if we do find him, we'll die. . . I can't let them get hurt!

Slowly, Kagome turned away from her adopted family and walked over to her bag. She pulled out several things, not only lightening the load, but also giving them the things they'd need. Then she stood and settled the bag on her back. Still not facing the others, she looked at Sesshoumaru. "I'm ready to go."

"What!"

"Kagome!"

"You can't be serious!"

"What the hell are you doing, wench!"

Kagome bit her lip and focused her eyes on the floor before walking to the door. But before she could leave, a sea of red suddenly stopped in front of her. "Kagome."

Kagome forced herself to look up at InuYasha. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Why are you listening to this bastard?" InuYasha demanded. "I can protect you, you know that! You don't need to be afraid of him!"

Kagome bit her lip and shook her head. "It has nothing to do with that, InuYasha. It's just something I have to do. Now please move."

"But-"

"Sit." Kagome whispered.

InuYasha dropped, and Kagome felt her heart break. But she forced herself to leave, to not look back at the others, or to acknowledge the hurt in InuYasha's voice as he yelled after her. She even managed not to cry until she was on AhUn's back in the air.

That Night

Something was very, very wrong with him.

Sesshoumaru leaned against a tree, watching the fire that Kagome and Rin had set up before they went to bed, and he scowled. It was entirely Kagome's fault, of that much he was sure. He never felt this way before she entered his life, so she must have given him a disease of some sort. Nothing else explained his violent reaction to the scent of the female's tears. He had smelt tears before, and had even been the cause of them several times. But for some reason, Kagome's tears made his gut to awful, unspeakable things that he had only heard of. And he was getting damned tired of it too.

Finally, Sesshoumaru couldn't take it anymore. He stood and silently crossed the campsite to where the miko slept, crying in her sleep. Softly, he sat beside her, and was about to wake her when she suddenly spoke.

"I'm sorry."

Sesshoumaru froze, and waited a few moments until he realized that she was still asleep. Feeling foolish, but deciding it was worth a try nonetheless, he whispered back. "Why are you sorry?"

"I'm sorry I left." Kagome answered, tears still slipping from her eyes. "I just didn't know what else to do."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

Kagome's explanation was disjointed and mumbled, but Sesshoumaru got the point. As she began to cry again, Sesshoumaru hesitantly employed a trick his own mother had used when he was a pup. Gently, he rubbed Kagome's cheek with his fingers. "All will be well."

It took a few minutes, but Kagome eventually calmed enough to stop the tears. Sesshoumaru sat beside her for a few moments more, unconsciously continuing to rub her cheek. At the time, he had wondered why she had left her pack, and a bit insulted that she seemed to hate being with them. Now. . . he just didn't know what to think. Humans didn't understand the concept of honor, nor did they understand putting the good of the pack before their own welfare. It was for these reasons that most of the upper level demons looked down upon the species. And yet a miko, his kind's worst enemy, encompassed these qualities more than most demons he knew. For half a second, he considered the possibility that perhaps she had demon blood in her. He quickly shook that thought from his mind, however. The very thought was foolish, since he would have sensed it long before this.

Sesshoumaru remained in his place beside Kagome throughout the night, not moving until Rin began to stir the next morning. His face held an expression seldom seen on the inudaiyoukai's face, and normally those who did see it didn't live to tell about it.

It was amazement.

Five Weeks Later

"Windscar!" InuYasha shouted.

Gozu, one of the two stone statues that guarded the entrance to the Barrier Between Life and Death, didn't even bother getting out of the way. Just like the previous attacks, it failed to even create a crack in the stone statue. "It is useless." Gozu's voice boomed. "Retreat while you can."

"Why don't you shove it up your butt!" InuYasha shouted. He dodged the giant sword of the other guardian statue, Mezu, then pushed himself forward. "Windscar!"

The attack failed again, and InuYasha let the sword drop until its tip hit the ground. He stood still, panting as he tried to think. As much as he hated to admit it (and he really really did hate it), he attacks just weren't powerful enough to do any real damage. And to make matters worse, he was getting tired, and his attacks were losing power as he did. They'd also figured out that Miroku's wind tunnel wouldn't help, and Sango's hiraikotsu was just as useless. Things were looking bad for them, and if things didn't start going well, they were going to be in serious trouble.

"InuYasha, look out!" Sango shouted.

InuYasha looked up and barely brought Tetsusaiga up in time to block the attack from Mezu. Even with the added protection of his father's fang, InuYasha was still sent flying into the wall. He hit with a sickening crack, and his head hit hard enough to daze him for a few moments. The added fall to the ground, about 10 feet down, was enough to keep him down for half a minute. He heard someone screaming, and the thuds that indicated one of the guardians were coming closer. But he couldn't communicate the need to move to any of his limbs. Not until a very familiar voice pierced the air.

"INUYASHA!"

Kagome. Tetsusaiga pulsed in his hand, and InuYasha turned his head just enough to see Kagome's feet rushing towards him. Panic and adrenaline sped through his veins at unbelievable speeds as he realized what she was doing. With a growl, InuYasha forced himself to stand, completing the action just as Kagome reached him. "You stupid wench! Get back!"

Kagome glared at him and turned to the giant guardian that now stood just a few feet away. "Hey you! How dare you pick on someone weaker than you!"

The guardian paused, as if incredulous that someone would stand up to him. InuYasha, however, turned to glare at Kagome. "What the hell do you think you're saying?"

"InuYasha, I don't have time for your pride." Kagome snapped, her eyes never leaving the giant guardian. "Leave him alone, you giant bully!"

"Only the dead may pass." Gozu intoned, taking a small step backwards. "All others must be stopped."

Kagome drew herself up to her full height, though she was still dwarfed by Sesshoumaru and InuYasha. "I am Higurashi Kagome, Miko no Shikon. It is my duty, as deigned by the kamis, to retrieve and restore the Shikon no Tama, and then to remove from this world entirely. You are keeping me from my duties."

"Only the dead may pass." Mezu answered.

"As the Miko no Shikon, I demand that you let myself and my companions pass." Kagome demanded.

Gozu lowered his sword, aiming it directly at Kagome's head. She didn't move an inch, and instead kept her stubborn gaze on him. "Do your worst, you jerk!"

InuYasha stared at her incredulously. "Kagome, what are you-"

Kagome turned to him and smiled. "It's alright."

InuYasha just stared as Kagome turned back to face Gozu. There was no hesitation in her stance, nor was there any fear. As he stared, he had a sudden flashback to the girl who had stumbled in front of him just a few years ago. Looking at Kagome now, he saw very little resemblance to that helpless young girl.

Gozu lifted his sword again, this time focused on Kagome. Slower, as if giving her time to move away, he swung at Kagome. The young miko raised a shield around herself, putting all of her energy into it. Even so, it wasn't enough. As soon as the sword hit the shield, the shield shattered into pieces.

"Kagome, look out!" InuYasha shouted. His eyes widened even as he raised the Tetsusaiga and started forward. He wasn't going to make it.

Something white flashed in front of him, and Gozu's sword froze. Everyone centered on Sesshoumaru, who stood protectively in front of Kagome. His eyes blazed red, and his teeth were bared in a snarl. His one and only arm was raised, and Tenseiga pulsed as he held it up to block the giant's sword.

Gozu and Mezu stared in shock at the Tenseiga. Slowly, the two giant statues knelt before Sesshoumaru.

"You may pass."

"He who wields the sword of the netherworld."

InuYasha stared in shock as the doors, which the two stone guardians had fought to protect, suddenly opened. Sesshoumaru carefully watched the two guardians, but motioned to the others to enter the gateway. Quickly, both InuYasha's group and his own headed to the gateway and disappeared in the eerie blue light that emanated from it. Finally, only InuYasha, Kagome, and Sesshoumaru were left. They walked towards the gate, but as InuYasha and Kagome entered, Sesshoumaru turned to the guardians.

"Explain."

The two guardians stood and faced the daiyoukai who wielded the Sword of Heaven. "Your sword cuts down those who do not belong in this world."

"It is as if we ourselves have been cut."

Sesshoumaru stared at them for a moment longer, then carefully sheathed the Tenseiga. "So you will not engage in a needless fight. Very admirable." With that final word, he entered the gateway after the rest of them.

On The Other Side Of The Gateway

Kagome found herself on the ground, looking up at the giant skeletons that made up the Barrier Between Worlds. It was a very different perspective from her previous trip, when she had fallen from the sky. The ground was covered in smoke, and she could only see a few feet in front of her. But it was enough for her to see the tension on everyone's faces.

It was Shippou who made the first move. Hesitantly, he walked up to Kagome. "Kagome?"

Kagome smiled and knelt down. "What, no hug?"

Shippou grinned and jumped, landing right in Kagome's arms. "I really, really missed you, Kagome."

"I've missed you too, Shippou." Kagome answered, hugging him closely. "It's been a bit boring without you around."

"Don't leave again, okay?" He asked tentatively.

"I won't if I can help it, Shippou." Kagome answered. "I'll do everything in my power to stay."

Sango moved forward, caution on her face. "Why did you leave?" She asked softly.

Kagome sighed and stood. "Because we aren't ready to face Naraku yet. But you guys wouldn't even let me speak to get my point across. I thought that if I left, then you guys would keep out of danger until you calmed down enough to listen."

Miroku came to join Sango and looked at Kagome questioningly. "Why do you not believe we are ready?"

"Miroku, we can't even kill him." Kagome answered. "We can cut him up into bite-sized pieces, but we can't kill him. The last time we tried, we were the ones who almost died. So until we can find a way to kill a hanyou without a heart, we just aren't ready."

The group was silent for a moment, except for Shippou, who was busy burrowing into Kagome's chest. Finally, it was InuYasha who made the decision for the group. "Keh, stupid wench. We all know we ain't ready. But we can't stop trying just because we're scared." He moved forward dropped into a crouch in front of Kagome. "And why the hell did you sit me!"

Kagome couldn't help it. She burst out laughing at InuYasha's outrage, unable to hold back. He sputtered at her, but it was halfhearted at best. The weeks she had been gone were the worst traveling they'd ever done. They'd bickered and argued the entire way, and without Kagome's calming presence, the arguments just grew worse. Her laughter was like a balm, soothing the hurts and healing the rifts between them. The three adults relaxed and smiled as Kagome continued to laugh. They had missed their center.

Kagome suddenly heard footsteps behind her, and she turned to see Sesshoumaru walking up behind them. Once again, his eyes were red, and Kagome had a sinking suspicious she knew why he was angry. He stopped just behind her, and Kagome could almost feel the fury radiating from him. InuYasha growled and tried to move so that Kagome was behind him, but she stopped him with a shake of her head.

"Miko." Sesshoumaru growled.

Yup, I am so dead, it's not even funny. Kagome thought. She stood and faced Sesshoumaru, a sheepish grin on her face. "Um. . . sorry?"

"I believe I told you to warn this Sesshoumaru before you did something so reckless again." Sesshoumaru growled.

"Was that being reckless?" Kagome asked innocently. "I wasn't really thinking about it. I just wanted to get to InuYasha."

Sesshoumaru growled, and took a small step closer to Kagome. "Do not act so foolishly again."

Kagome stared at him for a moment, then grinned. "I won't." Turning away, Kagome focused on the jewel around her neck. As focused as she was, she didn't see the astonished looks on the others' faces at the interaction between the miko and the inudaiyoukai. They'd never heard anyone speak to the Lord of the West in such a manner, nor had they seen Sesshoumaru act like that. It was almost disturbing.

In Kagome's mind, she could see two strands shooting from her shards. One was thick, indicating a large group of shards in one location. Naraku. She thought. She shook her head and focused on the second, thinner strand. It led in almost the opposite direction of Naraku. She nodded, then turned to face the group. "The shard is that way." She pointed as a visual aid. "Naraku is here as well, but he's headed the wrong way. If we can get there before him, we'll have no problem getting the shard."

"Then let's get going!" InuYasha shouted.

Kagome smiled as everyone gathered together and began to walk. It was like she had never left, though it had been five weeks. When Shippou turned to call her, she laughed and ran after him, happy to be among her friends again.

The only one who didn't immediately follow was Miroku. He stopped beside Sesshoumaru, and looked up at the ancient daiyoukai. "I would be careful, Sesshoumaru-sama." Miroku said softly, following Sesshoumaru's gaze to see Kagome. "If you keep up with this behavior, someone might think that you care about Lady Kagome."

Sesshoumaru growled at the audacity of the human male, but didn't dignify the statement with a response. After all, a human was a human. . . even if their name was Kagome.

One Hour Later

"We have to climb up that?" Sango exclaimed.

Sesshoumaru whirled on Sango with a snarl. "You will show respect for the remains of the Inu no Taisho!"

"The Inu no. . . you mean, InuYasha's father?" Miroku asked, his eyes widening as he stared up at the giant skeleton. "It's gigantic!"

"It actually looks bigger from down here than it does from in the air." Kagome answered lightly. "But yes, we have to go up. I can sense it as well as see the bond, and its definitely coming from up there."

InuYasha nodded. "Well let's get going! We don't got all day." He leaped up, landing on the nearest of the skeleton's ribs. Sango and Miroku sighed as Kirara transformed, and Shippou joined Rin on AhUn's back. The two demons rose, following after InuYasha.

Kagome sighed and stared up at the skeleton. "Now what?" She muttered.

An arm snaked around her waist, and Kagome felt herself shooting upward. She bit back a shriek and snapped her head to the side, only relaxing when she recognized Sesshoumaru as the being that had lifted her up. She smiled as they passed the others and headed to the top. "Thank you."

Sesshoumaru merely nodded in response, focusing more on moving forward. Kagome let him focus, smirking at InuYasha's shout of surprise as they surpassed him. A pulse from the strands connecting to Naraku's shards pulsed as the strands began to shorten. Kagome's eyes widened, and she turned to Sesshoumaru urgently. "Naraku knows we're here."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, and his cloud picked up speed. "Where is the shard?"

Kagome focused, and then pointed to the right. "Up and to the right. We're almost there."

Sesshoumaru nodded, and changed the direction of the cloud. A few moments later, and Kagome called out for him to stop. But the shout was almost unneeded, since Sesshoumaru had stopped anyway. He stared ahead, and Kagome looked to see what it was Sesshoumaru had found. She started when she saw the crystal growth that had appeared on the Inu no Taisho's skeleton.

Sesshoumaru snarled, and in a voice that Kagome had recently begun to refer to as his I-am-the-great-Sesshoumaru-fear-me voice, he roared at the growth. "Announce yourself!"

For a moment, Kagome thought that Sesshoumaru had lost it. Then the crystal growth began to shift, eventually revealing a face. "Intruders!" A voice shouted. "Despoilers of the grave of the Inu no Taisho!"

"I am not a growth on the skeleton of the Great Dog Demon!" Sesshoumaru spat. "Remove yourself from the body of my late father!"

"Father. . ." The face seemed to move closer, as if examining Sesshoumaru. Then it growled. "I see. So the son of the Inu no Taisho has come to visit the grave of his father. You have my apologies."

Sesshoumaru snarled, only stopping himself from drawing his weapon because of his grip on Kagome. "Name yourself, parasite!"

"Parasite! You dare name me parasite!" The voice roared. "I am the Demon Jeweler Hosenki! I am greater than a pup like you could imagine! And you dare to call me parasite!"

Sesshoumaru growled again and started to speak, but Kagome cut him off. "My Lord Sesshoumaru meant no disrespect, Hosenki-sama. He was merely disturbed to find another in the place of his father." Hosenki seemed to settle down a bit, and so Kagome moved on to the next order of business. "Hosenki-sama, my name is Higurashi Kagome. I am also called the Miko no Shikon."

Hosenki rumbled. "So it is you who shattered the great jewel." Seeing Kagome's blush, he laughed. "No, little human, the Shikon no Tama was meant to be shattered. There was no other way for its true wish to be fulfilled."

"Its true wish?" Kagome asked. "What do you mean, its true wish?"

By this time, the others had managed to reach the crystallized remains of Hosenki. "Kagome, where's the shard?"

Kagome almost answered, when she suddenly stiffened. "Miko?" Sesshoumaru questioned.

"Naraku." Kagome whispered.

"Well, it would appear that I have been preempted."

The entire group whirled in shock at the sound of Naraku's voice. The hanyou floated behind them, surrounded by his usual miasma and protective barrier. Twin growls erupted from Sesshoumaru and InuYasha, and Kagome felt frozen.

Kami help us. We're not ready!

Author's Rant

Sesshoumaru: Hello, lunatics who actually think this is a good story.

Kagome: We are sad to announce that the muses of this story won't be appearing in this author's rant.

Sesshoumaru: Serephina of the Kamis is furious that her two muses played hooky, and so the two of them are under house arrest until further notice.

Kagome: You know, I kind of miss them. It's been boring without them around to mess things up.

Sesshoumaru: This Sesshoumaru has been enjoying the silence.

Kagome: . . . so, what do you want to do?

Sesshoumaru: Sit and enjoy the silence.

[Long drawn out silence]

Kagome: We need to break them out.

Sesshoumaru: I completely agree.

End of Author's Rant