Hey everyone. I'm not sure how it happened, but chapter 1 is actually chapter 22 while chapter 22 is still in the right place after 21! It's in there twice and I don't know how to get rid of it without reposting all the chapters from the beginning! For those of you readers that this has confused or annoyed, believe me when I tell you that it is nothing to the frustration I am feeling at my inability to figure out how to fix it with a simple solution! Forgive!
Hmm. Does anyone have a solution? One that doesn't include me finding all my files that are scattered on various disks and putting them in order to replace what is already there in the correct sequence? Help!
Sigh...If it can be lived with until the story is complete, I intended to revise and edit the story to my fullest ability then. Thanks for all the support I have received from everyone!
Sylvannastar
What Are You Doing Here?
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The next few weeks flew by. They were calm and relaxed with just enough of a hint of danger to keep her on her toes.
School had just let out when she met Hiei and Yusuke at the gate. Kurama, leaving from the same class, was already at her side.
"Hey guys!" Kuwabara yelled from across the yard. Boton stumbled along beside him.
"Where's Keiko?" Boton asked.
"Some sorta after school club thing..." Yusuke waved it away.
"So what are we gonna do today?" Kuwabara cracked his knuckles, making Kagome wince.
"You mean you are not going off to see that Yukina girl?" Kagome teased him.
"Humph! I just found out that you guys have been fighting demons everyday with out the great Kuwabara Kazuma! Why didn't you tell me?!"
"They're just lesser demons," Yusuke shrugged. "It usually only takes one of us, and even then it's not much of a fight."
"Everyday?" Kagome looked surprised. "I've only seen two..." she stopped. "Make that three." She tapped Hiei on the shoulder, since he was closest, and pointed to a filthy looking beggar shuffling down a cluttered alley. There was something wrong with the scene though. The man was stumbling along on three legs.
"Man, his spirit energy is so weak, I didn't even feel it," Kuwabara announced. "I bet even this girl could beat him."
'This girl' glared angrily at the orange haired oaf. She caught his eye and he coward and ducked behind Hiei of all people.
Hiei shoved him away with one arm, sending the idiot into a brick wall. "Baka," he said quietly.
The demon finally spotted them and tried to run away.
"Yusuke?" Kurama offered.
"Keh! Don't insult me!"
"It's not worth my time," Hiei crossed his arms when the fox looked his way.
Kuwabara was still twitching on the ground. Kurama sighed and pulled a seed from his long red hair. "Kagome, you should stay-"
Kagome wasn't there. In fact, she was marching up to the demon who was running slower then she was walking. The spirit detectives stood there, looking at her disbelief. "Hey!" she glared evilly down on the misshapen creature.
"Ahh!"
"Shut up," she aimed a kick at it. It tangled itself in the folds of the giant overcoat it was wearing as a disguise. The third leg was revealed to be a staff.
"Whaaa!" it croaked.
She looked at in disgust. "Jaken, what are you doing here?"
The creature's bug eyes bulged at the sound of it's name and stood up. "You!" the toad demon shouted. "But how..That's not...Grrrr!" he pointed his staff of heads at her and prepared to shoot at her.
Kagome crouched in front of the ancient Youkai, plucked the staff out of it's hands and calmly smacked him in the head with it. "I won't repeat myself again, Jaken. What are you doing here?"
"Give it back!" he jumped uselessly at the staff held above the girl's head. "Damn it, human! First you take Sesshoumaru-sama, now my staff! I won't let you!"
"You know this demon?" Yusuke pointed a toe at the ugly thing.
"Unfortunately. It's Sesshoumaru's servant."
"Sesshoumaru-SAMA to you, human!" Jaken seethed. "And I'm not anymore, thanks to you, Bitch!"
Kurama growled and his eyes changed to a feral gold color. He trained his oddly hues eyes on the grey, green thing at his feet. It 'eeped' and hid behind the very woman it had insulted.
"Well, answer her question," Yusuke demanded.
"I don't work for you!" It shouted bravely.
"Hn."
He made another useless attempt to grab his weapon. "Give it to me!"
"Stupid demon," Kuwabara came over, holding his side. "Hey, shrimp! I'll get y-"
Hiei sent him into another wall.
"Hiei! Don't forget he's human!" Kagome admonished.
"How could I forget?"
Kurama held back a chuckle.
"Jaken..." Kagome got the demon's attention and handed the staff to Yusuke. "Here, burn this."
"Yeah."
"Awwk!"
"No?" she said sweetly. "Care to explain yourself then?"
"Human bitch!" it squealed. The aggravating sound was cut short by a firm hand around the neck. Jaken gasped at the familiar feel of being choked and looked into eyes as gold as Sesshoumaru-sama's. There was power there, power like his beloved master had. It was almost like being with his beloved leader again.
"Call her that again and I'll kill you slowly."
Kagome watched the demon nod hurriedly and drop to the ground. She viewed Kurama carefully. He still owed her an explanation for the ways his eyes kept changing like that. She put it to the side for now.
"Maybe we should take him to Koenma alive," Boton joined in.
"Why?" Yusuke grimaced at the creature. Lord, he was foul.
"He can answer some questions we have..." Boton fidgeted nervously. Maybe he can tell us where the barrier is down and why..." I really think that we should."
"If you are sure..." Yusuke tossed her the staff.
"Eeeww!," she took a closer look to the heads attached to it.
"Awwk! Be careful! That is priceless!"
"Uh-huh," Yusuke sniffed.
"I have to stay," Kagome suddenly announced. "I have to finish a literature assignment. Will one of you come back and tell me what's up?"
"Hn," Hiei agreed before Kurama could claim her time. The green eyes flashed yellow again and met Hiei's calm ruby gaze.
"Let's go then...here, Kuwabara, take this!" Boton shoved the gross object at the recovering giant. She opened the portal to the spirit world and ushered them in. "Bye Kagome!"
"Bye!" the girl answered as they vanished from sight. She ran home, thinking about the toads words. Sesshoumaru was gone because of her? What was going to happen to him?
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Inuyasha paced back and forth at the edges of his forest. He was disturbed by recent events more then he would admit to anyone. Well, anyone but Kagome. She never judges me...Inuyasha sat on his haunches and splayed his front limbs out. Thinking about his friend turned his thought back to the blue haired Boton. Kagome, how am I gonna tell you that I like someone else? What am I thinking? That's not important right now! Naraku, I know you're out there. Your stink is all over my forest. What are you planning now?
He scratched behind one ear with a clawed hind foot in a very dog-like manner before resuming his pacing. Should I go get Kagome? Should I tell her that Naraku is close? Is she safer in her own time? I'll wait a few more days. Maybe then I'll know...
"Inuyasha," Sango called out, "we've been looking for you."
"Keh." he kept pacing.
Sango dropped from Kirara's back and stood somewhere in the middle of his trek. "You'll never guess who's here. He said he wants to talk."
"I know. I could smell him the moment he got here." Inuyasha made no move to stop so Sango was forced to step aside, out of his repetitive path. "I don't have time for him."
"I can't tell him that!"
"Feh!"
"Inuyasha, I'm sure he doesn't want to fight. He brought that servant and the child with him. And he helped Kagome that time. Shouldn't you at least see what he wants?"
"Feh!"
"Inuyasha!" Sango's voice rose in anger.
Suddenly Inuyasha grabbed Sango's head and twisted it to face the dim line of trees across from him. "See that? Can you feel that? He's in there...mocking me. I can smell him. Everyday I smell him. I hate him and he's just out of reach of my claws! I do not have time to deal with my fucking brother right now!" He released his grip but Sango remained motionless.
"Naraku's here?"
"..." he paced by her again.
"But I can't feel him...Neither has Miroku."
"He's still hiding. I can barely catch his smell."
"How long?"
"What?"
"How long has he been here?"
"About ten days that I'm sure of."
Sango swallowed and gripped her weapon tighter. "Kohaku...is here too?"
Inuyasha stopped and looked at her. "Probably. I haven't seen anyone yet, but..." he trailed off.
"Inuyasha," both Sango and the hanyou turned to look at he owner of the new voice.
"Sesshoumaru, what do you want? I'm busy," he growled at his brother. "I don't have time for your crap!"
The answering growl was one of impatience. "This Sesshoumaru needs nothing from you. I am here to inform you that I will joining the battle against Naraku." The silver-haired demon lord turned away. "Do not get in my way."
"What!? Bastard! Naraku is mine to kill!"
"We will all take him down," Sango corrected the irate hanyou. "We all have a debt to pay back to that monster. It will take all of us."
"You speak true, human."
"Well, we don't want your help!" Inuyasha yelled in anger. "You would probably turn on us in the middle of the fight!"
Sesshoumaru's honor insulted, made the demon's eyes bleed red. He turned back to the hanyou. "I, Sesshoumaru, always keep my word. If you are too stupid to accept an alliance, then it is your own death that will result. If this is your choice then I will not force the issue. However, do not expect me to help when he is destroying you."
"Wait!" Sango cried. "Inuyasha may be too stubborn to put aside past offences between you, but we still need the help. Don't go."
"Sango!" Inuyasha spat. "We don't nee-"
"Yes we do! We need him and you know it! This has to end, Inuyasha! One way or another, it has to end soon!" She turned back to the once again impassive face of the demon lord. "Please stay. At least let us talk before you decide."
"Very well, human." He scented the air and gave Inuyasha a hard look. "Where is the Miko?"
"Keh! Why do you care?" Inuyasha growled.
"She was perhaps the best equipped to kill the coward. Have you lost her again, brother?" he calmly asked.
"Bastard! I didn't lose her to begin with. She was carried off."
"With the same result. It does not answer where she is now. Have you let her wander alone when the enemy is so close?"
"She is at her home," Sango answered him. "Kagome is safest at her own home, Sesshoumaru-sama.
He was curious about this home of hers that he could not detect with his fine tuned senses. The old woman hinted that it was in the forest Now this exterminator indicated she was safer alone in the woods then with her companions. Humans were illogical creatures.
"Inuyasha!"
"Now what?!" Inuyasha gritted out as Miroku jogged up to meet them.
"Oh, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Miroku looked amazed at the brothers. Neither was making a move to kill the other. How strange. "Forgive me," he bowed slightly. "I wish to offer you my thanks for helping Lady Kagome."
Sesshoumaru nodded in response. The monk had, after all, shown some respect.
"Inuyasha," he began again, "Kagome was here for a few minutes and wished for me to ask you to go visit her. She said she had some information to give you."
"Keh! Stupid girl..."he pouted. "She can wait. I'm busy."
Sesshoumaru was amazed at his brothers stupidity. The girl was their best weapon and was a person worthy of respect. In just the two days that she had traveled with him, he had recognized her strength and potential and came to respect the girl, though regrettably, she was human. She was not only the smartest one in this group, but also possessed the clearest head when it came to the enemy. He turned to face the monk. "Take me to the Miko. I will speak to her."
"Uh, I can't." Miroku looked ill.
"Take me to her home, human."
"You can't go to her home, Sesshoumaru-sama," Sango said. Somehow he pulled off an expressionless glare, where only his eyes revealed his anger. She gulped. "What I mean to say, is we can't go to her home, so we can not take you there."
"Feh! Only I can go see her," Inuyasha swaggered past his brother. "She can wait."
"Fool," Sesshoumaru said softly. "Show me," he demanded of the slayer.
Sango looked undecided. He was an enemy sometimes, and an Allie at others. What of now? How was she to choose?
"Uh, Sango?" Miroku felt he was missing something.
"Fine. Follow me," she said.
"What!? He can't get through!" Inuyasha barked a short laugh. "Go ahead and try!"
"Idiot," she hissed. "If only I had the power to 'sit' you!"
He glared at her, promising revenge.
Sesshoumaru followed her down a small path, away from the village and to a clearing empty except for the old dry well. She stopped and sat on the old wood.
He could faintly smell the girl but there was no other sign of her presence. "Human, where-"
"My name is Sango. And this," she patted the well, "is where Kagome lives."
His expression flickered to surprise for a moment. He walked over and glared into the empty depths of the abandoned well. "Explain."
"Kagome lives on the other side of the well. It is magic...I don't know how it works."
The demon lord stood looking into the well for a long time. "She will return from this place?"
"Yes. It is the only portal to her home. At least, it is the only one we know of."
"Then I shall wait here for her."
"But-" Sango felt a rush of air as he used his inhuman speed to disappear. She sighed. "Who knows when she'll come back through..."
The demon dog returned quickly with the little human girl, Rin, and the toad, Jaken. "Make camp here," the lord said and resumed staring at the well.
Jaken grumbled and complained but soon had a fire going and was entertaining the talkative little girl.
Sango sighed and decided she best stay too, in case Kagome did come back. She didn't want her friend to be scared to death by the oh, so pleasant greeting Sesshoumaru's sudden presence would give her. She just hoped Kirara or even Miroku would show up soon. He was giving her the creeps.
