Oi minna-san! *waves happily* Look who came to visit! *grabs Sesshy's shirt and drags him out on screen*
Sesshy: Came for a visit my ass… *grumble*grumble*
Landlady: And it's a cute ass too! *cute little grin, er, make that wide evil grin*
B0b: (to J0rge) Yup, someone definitely got into the catnip again.
J0rge: I told you so.
Sesshy: *running frantically away from Landlady who is trying to glomp him* Damn Bitch! Let me out of this hellhole! *slams into computer screen, banging his fists on the glass furiously* Is anyone there? For the love of Kami, get me out of here!!!! *turns to muses* Get me out of here or I swear I'll… *poison begins to drip from his fangs*
B0b: Pah. You're just pissed because you fell for the 'trail of dog treats leading to a cage routine'.
J0rge: *discreetly trips Landlady who is still chasing after Sesshy*
LL: *sits up rubbing the huge bump on her head* Oww… *looks around* What happened?
Sesshy: *stops trying to back away* You mean you don't remember?
B0b: You put catnip in the spaghetti sauce again.
LL: Catnip? I thought that was Oregano!
J0rge: Well, that explains a lot.
Disclaimer (cause I forgot to do one last time): I don't own Inu-Yasha or any of its characters. I am, however, temporarily holding Sesshy-kun hostage. He's allowed to leave as soon as he can find a way home. *snickers* It's a good thing for me that the feudal era has no concept of cyber-space.
Author's Notes: I'd just like to say that I'm really, really sorry about the end of this chapter. In case you couldn't tell, I've been really hyper for some reason lately (It must be all your great reviews! … or something I ate), and things got a little … screwy, for lack of a better word. Oh well, if you guys thinks it's too out there then I'll change it, but otherwise, I think it's pretty funny, so it's going to stay. (Plus I'm a lazy.) Please review! And thank you all for reading! Oh yea, and Inu-kun and the others make an appearance too!
Promises
Chapter 3: And Don't Call Me Fluffy!
Sesshoumaru, the demon lord of the Western Lands, had the patience of a rock. His long life had taught him that it was often better to wait than to rush into something unprepared. He had won countless battles that way; it was part of the reason why he had lived when his father had died.
But for some reason, he couldn't seem to sit still while he waited for Kagome to come back. Part of it was the smells that saturated the surrounding air; the God-tree wasn't so far away that he couldn't detect the stench of his half-brother that still lingered there even after a year and a half. Every few moments, the wind blew by and he had to reassure himself that his brother wasn't really anywhere near. The mixing scents of the other two humans and the kitsune didn't help matters.
That wasn't the entire source of his discomfort, however, but the rest was a little hard to pin down. Curiosity came to mind; Kagome hadn't really said anything about what was on the other side of the well, particularly what the dangers were. Sesshoumaru wasn't a fool. He knew that every place had its share of hazards, and a frail human like Kagome was susceptible to most of them.
Don't be stupid, the youkai growled to himself. Kagome knew her own world better than he did, and after all, she had managed to survive the majority of her life there. She should be fine, not that he really cared as long as she came back alive. That was all he had promised: her life for the sword.
But she was late. Not excessively so, ten minutes at the most, but long enough to cause all sorts of "what ifs" to run through his mind.
Tossing his head to drive the thoughts from his mind, Sesshoumaru's keen hearing picked up the faint sound of voices. "Are you sure, Inu-Yasha? She could have come back weeks ago…" "She's here now. I'm sure of it!"
The demon's eyes widened slightly. Impossible! How could they have gotten so close without him realizing it? Then he noticed the direction they were coming from: upwind. He growled softly, debating. If he stayed, there would be no way to avoid an altercation, not that he was necessarily opposed to one. If he left, Kagome would come back to Inu-Yasha and the others waiting for her, and there was a chance that she would violate their deal and go back to his treacherous half-brother.
Sesshoumaru glanced down the well. Kagome was late. Assuming that the portal would allow him to pass, it would be the perfect solution; he could warn Kagome and satiate his curiosity at the same time. And if he couldn't pass, then the well would be the perfect place to hide and wait to spring.
Without a second thought, he jumped.
Inu-Yasha was the first to step (well, bound) into the little clearing that housed the well. His hackles rose immediately, and unconsciously, he growled.
"What is it, Inu-Yasha?" a worried Miroku asked, looking around for the source of the dog-demon's anger. All he saw were his companions on this strange journey that he had got himself into. With the exception of Kikyo, they were all – including Inu-Yasha – showing signs of exhaustion. Ever since Kagome had disappeared over a month ago, they had been chasing after her. Or trying to, she had led them on a wild goose chase until Inu-Yasha had finally lost her scent, somewhere west of here. It was only when they were headed back that the half-demon had picked it up again, leading towards the well.
Miroku took the moment to study Inu-Yasha discreetly. He seemed to be taking Kagome's disappearance harder than he let on, despite the fact that he let Kikyo travel with them. For her part, the corpse apparently had no preference as to whether they found her reincarnation or not, even though Miroku was sure that she had something to do with the girl's disappearing act.
Iun-Yasha will still growling, and finally Sango snapped, "Did she go down the well or not?"
The half-demon blinked and seemed to deflate, his exhaustion showing through. "She did. And Sesshoumaru went with her."
***
For a moment, Sesshoumaru thought that he was still in his time. He looked up expecting to see the sky, and maybe some trees, only to realize that there was some type of wooden roof over his head. Looks like it worked after all, he thought with a smirk as he jumped out of the well and surveyed his surroundings. Only humans would build a house for a well.
Following Kagome's scent outside, he stopped dead. The smell, the noise, for a moment, he was stunned, unable to move, to speak. But he was a demon, and like all long-lived creatures, he adapted well. He had too.
Drawing upon years of training, he tuned out the unwanted scents, focusing on Kagome's unique one. He followed it to a house … or was it a shrine? He found it odd that this building alone of all those that he could see looked more like it belonged in his time. But it smelled old, and he remembered at time when he was young and he first came upon a demon castle that was being restored. Apparently, humans in this world had more than a little respect for their past.
Coming to the door, where the girl's scent was sharpest, his ears picked up her voice. "Is he going to be ok?" The demon was startled by the tremble in her voice, like she was about to cry. Not even when he had almost killed her upon their first meeting had she sounded so unsure. A quieter voice murmured something reassuring, and he could smell salt tears as well as hear the sounds of muffled sobs.
As he stood outside the door, arms crossed, wondering if he should announce his presence, the door flung open to reveal a shocked, teary-eyed Kagome. "Sessh-Sesshoumaru. What are you doing here?"
He looked down his nose at her, no emotion showing on his face. "You are late."
The girl looked back at something and winced. "I guess I am. Sorry."
"Kagome? Who's at the door?" someone called from within. Kagome answered with his name, and the woman, presumably her mother, replied, "Oh! Well invite him in!"
She turned back to him with a blush painting her cheek, "Umm, would you like to come in?"
He inclined his head in reply, and she stepped back to let him inside. Sesshoumaru blinked; despite the outward appearance of the house, the inside was much different than what he was used to. Suddenly, he realized that Kagome was introducing him to her mother. He inclined his head to her – his version of a bow – and went back to studying the room. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Kagome frown at his behavior, not that he cared. She nudged her mother into another room with a silent request and stalked over to him.
"Funny. I was under the impression that you had manners."
He glared at her for a moment before returning to more interesting sights. "You were wrong."
"Right. Well, since you don't seem to keen on leaving anytime soon-"
"I don't intend to say here forever," he interrupted, running a finger over the television. "What is this?"
Kagome sighed loudly and flopped down onto the couch. For a moment, he thought that she wasn't going to say anything, until she blurted out, "My grandfather is in the hospital. I have to go see him before I can go."
Sesshoumaru turned, a slight frown creasing his forehead. "Hospital?"
"He's sick. He might be dying." Her fists clenched at her sides and the youkai could tell that she was holding back tears.
He couldn't stand the sight. Crossing the three feet to where she was sitting, he gently wiped the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. Her head jerked up, surprise evident in her eyes, mixed with gratitude. "Don't do that," he snapped, his tail twitching in irritation. The feelings that her tears provoked bothered him; it wasn't like him to want to comfort a mere human girl.
A flash of pain washed over her eyes before she wiped it – and the rest of her tears – away with the back of her hand. With a fake smile plastered firmly on her face, she nearly told him off before her mother came back from the kitchen and cut her off.
"Kagome? Is your friend going to come with us?"
The girl shot Sesshoumaru a questioning look, and he shrugged. "I guess he is Mom." To the demon she said, "I can't very well leave you here to destroy my house now can I?" He chose not to dignify that with an answer.
Suddenly, a blur shot down the stairs and would have barreled into him if his reflexes were even a little slower. A young boy screeched to a stop in front of him. "Hey! You're not Inu-Yasha!"
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. Kagome noticed the growing murderous look in his eyes and stood, grabbing her little brother out of immediate danger. "Souta! Where are your manners?" At the same time, she sent him a look that said, don't piss him off. He seemed to the get message. He bowed with a contrite apology, and the demon lord seemed to relax a bit. Kagome introduced him as her brother before shoving him off to get their mother to explain things.
"Inu-Yasha is his hero," she explained when Souta was out of sight.
"Then I pity his foolishness," Sesshoumaru replied as he proceeded to fix the ruffles that Souta's sudden arrival had made in his perfect appearance.
He was just rewrapping his tail in its usual position when Kagome's mother once again returned. Sesshoumaru didn't make anything of it until she commanded, "Hold it right there." Kagome paled, and the demon lord was still trying to figure out what was wrong when he felt something – someone – petting his tail. Sesshoumaru froze when she started tugging on it, exclaiming, "Ohh, it's real!"
"MOM!" Kagome exclaimed, correctly interpreting Sesshoumaru's silent warning as a 'get your mother away from me before I kill her'. She tugged her mother away only for the woman to be replaced by Souta who very quickly attached himself so firmly to his appendage that Sesshoumaru was afraid that he would have to cut the boy off.
Maybe he should have stayed to fight his brother. It would have been a lot less painful.
***
Kagome knew her family was not exactly what you would call normal. She lived in a shrine, after all. Her grandpa was a nut. Her mom worked almost all the time, doing the jobs of two parents. Souta was, well, Souta. And she herself spent more time in a world other than in the one she was born in. In short, Kagome had gotten used to her families little quirks.
But she had never been so mortified in her entire life.
One of the most dangerous and powerful demons in the entire Sengoku Jidai had found his way to her house, and her mother just had to go and pull his tail. Why Sesshoumaru was being so tolerant with mere humans was beyond her, not that she was about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
When Souta attached himself to the youkai, Kagome nearly had a heart attack. Sesshoumaru didn't even turn; he just lifted his tail – Souta along with it – and glared at the boy. Souta grinned at him, and immediately launched into babble about how cool his tail was. Kagome was pretty sure that he interjected a question about where he could get one, but he was talking to fast to be absolutely certain.
It was odd that the demon lord didn't merely shake the boy away. But as Kagome got closer, she realized that he probably couldn't. Just as she was about to grab her brother, Sesshoumaru sighed and began to answer his questions. In response, Souta let go, but fired off a whole other round. With a start, Kagome saw the similarity between Souta and Rin. So that's why… Kagome grinned wickedly at the realization. Sesshoumaru had a soft spot for little kids!
Behind her, Kagome's mom cleared her throat impatiently, jingling her car keys. In the end, Sesshoumaru agreed to stay at Kagome's house with Souta, who in turn promised to show him all the wonders of the modern world. Retrospectively, as they walked through the halls of the hospital, Kagome decided that bringing Sesshoumaru here wasn't such a good idea after all. There was no way in hell that she could have got him into modern clothes anyway.
Grandpa was thrilled to see her – especially because they had brought him something palatable to eat (he hated hospital food). He looked terrible like that, hooked up to numerable machines, and barely able to move (his right side was paralyzed). But for his sake, and for her mother's, Kagome willed herself not to cry. Instead she smiled, and filled up his silence with her cheerful words.
They couldn't stay long; visiting hours in the ICU were strict and the nurse that was monitoring him kept to the rules. Kagome let her mother bid Grandpa goodbye first and waited until she left with the nurse before giving him a hug of her own. "Grandpa, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. For not ever listening to you before." He smiled at her, patting her cheek with his left hand, and she hugged him again. "I love you Grandpa," Kagome whispered, knowing that there was a very real chance that it would be her last chance to do so.
She had faced demons. She had fought for her life many times. She had made a deal with the figurative devil. But if you asked her, Kagome would have said without hesitation that the hardest thing that she had ever done was walk out of that hospital room.
***
The sight that greeted them on the other side of the well was most certainly not one that either of them expected. It looked as though a tornado had randomly sprung up and decided to do a little rearranging. Most of the trees surrounding the well were in shards, huge chunks of what used to be tree trunks were scattered around the clearing. And there seemed to be a new pathway to the village.
"Looks like my brother had a temper tantrum."
Kagome blinked, stunned, as she looked around at the mess. Inu-Yasha… Did he know that she had joined forces with Sesshoumaru? Is that what had made him so angry?
Her companion seemed to be utterly unconcerned with the reason for the hanyou's unusual behavior. He shoved the glaive into her hand roughly, and started on his way. When Kagome didn't immediately follow, he turned and barked, "Come on wench. We're leaving."
The girl snapped out of her trance immediately. "You're just as bad as Inu-Yasha ever was!" she scolded as she jogged to keep up. "I have a name you know! It's Kagome! Ka-go-me!" The demon lord allowed a small chuckle to escape. "Hey! How would you like it if I started calling you Fluffy!"
Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks and growled. "I am the Lord of the Western Lands, and you will address me properly wench."
Kagome passed him by, her glaive slung over her shoulder carelessly. "Whatever you say Fluffy-sama."
"Wench…" he growled again, warningly.
Kagome turned, all wide-eyed innocence. "Yes, Fluffy? Is there something you need?"
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. Kagome raised an eyebrow at him, still faking innocence. They stood in a good old-fashioned stand off for a few moments until Sesshoumaru finally looked away. It was obvious that the girl wasn't going to back down easily, and calling her by name wasn't too big a deal – especially if it meant that he wasn't compared to his brother anymore.
He started walking again. When he was a few feet ahead of her, he stopped and admonished his companion. "Come on Kagome. We have work to do."
The girl blinked a few times before she set off after the youkai with a grin.
***
"Get me the sword."
The girl blinked at Sesshoumaru. "Now?"
"Of course now." The demon lord crossed his arms over his chest and looked down his nose at Kagome. "We're here now."
Kagome's eyes widened as she realized that they were indeed only a little ways from the village. Her mind raced for an excuse not to go down there at this very moment. For one thing, she wasn't sure how much she trusted Sesshoumaru, despite her confident words before. It wasn't that she didn't intend to keep her part of the bargain; she just wanted to be sure that Sesshoumaru would keep his. And besides, she wasn't sure that she trusted herself around Inu-Yasha enough just yet to keep a straight face while doing what she had too to get Tetsusaiga away from him.
"I- I don't think that I can just yet," she blurted out when she noticed the youkai glaring at her.
He leaned down until they were just inches away from each other. "You aren't backing out of your part of the deal are you?" he asked threateningly while idly flexing his claws.
Kagome gulped, leaning backwards involuntarily. "Of course not. I just haven't entirely figured out how I'm going to get the sword away from Inu-Yasha. And besides," she continued, picking up speed, "he probably knows that we went down the well, right? So he's waiting for us, and it would be better to strike when he least expects it. Don't you agree?"
Sesshoumaru thought it over and found that he had to agree with her logic. Instead of replying right away, he turned to look north. "I heard of a rumor of what might be a jewel shard to the North. Let's go check it out." Without waiting for a reply, he strode off purposely, taking a route that would avoid the village altogether.
Kagome let out a breath that she had been holding in relief before bounding after him. It seemed that her luck was holding out after all.
***
"And then Inu-Yasha tried to go after her, but the well wouldn't let him pass." Shippou looked anxiously over at the furious hanyou who was pouting in the corner of Kaede's hut. When Inu-Yasha had landed at the bottom of the well with a sharp thud, they had all been shocked, even Kikyo, who usually showed no emotion.
The walking corpse was sitting very close to Inu-Yasha, who didn't seem to care. The kitsune couldn't understand why; she stunk of death, and her soul-stealers were creepy. Kaede was pointedly ignoring her older sister, who was returning the favor. She sat on the other side of the room at her worktable, crushing herbs while Shippou recounted the last few weeks. Sango and Miroku were a comfortable distance away from one another (for Sango at least) by the fire.
Shippou turned back to the old priestess. "So we came here after that." He thought it a better idea not to go into detail about that part of the journey. Never, in all the time that he had known Inu-Yasha, had he ever seen the dog-demon so angry. Normally he would have teased him mercilessly, but without Kagome around, he had learned to let up a little.
"I see," the old woman replied, setting down her mortar and pestle to stir a pot on the fire. In truth, she was worried. Kagome was smart, and she had learned enough about this world to be able to find a way to take care of herself, especially if Sesshoumaru was with her. Kaede didn't want to mention it aloud, but she had a feeling that the demon lord hadn't come to Kagome; rather, the truth was more the other way around. If that was the case, then Kagome wasn't in any more immediate danger than she had been since she first came through the well, perhaps even less so.
No, Kagome wasn't what bothered her. Rather, she was worried about Inu-Yasha. Without Kagome around, she could only imagine what would happen when the dog-demon realized that he was more or less free of the spell. Suppressing a shudder, she began to dish out food for everyone save her sister.
"Kaede-san, do you have any idea why the well wouldn't allow Inu-Yasha to go through?" Miroku asked quietly while they ate. The old woman was pleased to note that the others were ignoring Kikyo – who probably would have been able to answer the question better – as well. It wasn't that she held any resentment toward her sister; she still loved her as much as she ever had. But Kikyo was dead, and this zombie was nothing more than an impersonation.
"There are a few possibilities," she said slowly. "The well could have been sealed," here she made a point to glance at her sister's corpse, "or it simply cannot allow more than two people – including Kagome – through at any time."
"But we've never been able to go through," Shippou pointed out, indicating himself and the two humans whom he now sat between.
"As to that, child, I've no idea."
Inu-Yasha growled suddenly, standing upright and striding out of the hut. Kikyo followed, calling out to him, but the dog-demon didn't turn.
Shippou bounded over to Inu-Yasha's bowl and, upon finding it still full, began to clean it out for him. "He's been like that ever since we found part of a trail leading towards the well," the young kitsune explained helpfully at Kaede's questioning look.
She nodded slightly, rising to gather the dishes. Sango and Miroku got up as well to help, and Shippou bounded over with Inu-Yasha's now empty bowl. Suddenly, Sango grabbed the ladle out of the pot and beaned Miroku with it, leaving the monk with a very large lump on his head and a bemused expression on his face.
Sango shook the ladle at him. "One more time, Houshi-sama, one more time and I'm going to cut that hand of yours off."
Kaede chuckled. Some things would never change.
***
"Stop twitching," Sesshoumaru said for the thousandth time that morning.
Kagome's eyes snapped open and she growled, very much like a demon. "Why do I have to learn to meditate anyway?"
"It helps you concentrate in battle, focus your power. You'll be able to better control your innate powers," the demon explained. "Close your eyes, deeps breaths, clear your mind."
Kagome obeyed, but not before she got off one last remark. "That's easier said than done, you know."
Sesshoumaru knew, but he didn't say anything that would break her delicate concentration. Instead, he scanned the surrounding area out of habit. They were sitting in a large field several yards away from the road that they had been traveling on. Sesshoumaru was sure that it had been a battlefield at one point; he could still smell the death lingering in the still air. And the fact that Kagome had stepped on a spearhead was a good clue too. Thankfully, she had brought back some very sturdy shoes from her time.
Snapping his attention back to the girl – and her shoes – he checked to make sure that she was at least trying to concentrate. When a breeze blew past, she shivered and opened her eyes again. The demon lord was sure that it was cold – it was getting well into autumn after all – not that he was bothered by such things.
"I'm hungry," Kagome informed him in a tone that said that she was done meditating.
Sesshoumaru stood gracefully, "If you insist on eating constantly, then I'm teaching you how to hunt."
The girl huffed as she used her glaive to hoist herself up. "Hey! I'm not a demon you know, and I need to eat!"
"If you'd stop bounding all over the place then you wouldn't burn as much energy," Sesshoumaru pointed out. He turned without waiting for his answer and headed back towards the road. Kagome stuck her tongue out at his back before going after him. As soon as she had caught up with him, he began to give her pointers on catching prey.
Kagome cut him off halfway through, "Not that this isn't fascinating or anything, but why exactly are you telling me this?"
The youkai smirked, "Because you are catching dinner tonight."
Kagome burst out laughing, until she realized that Sesshoumaru was serious. "Hey, you're kidding right?"
"You'd better get started if you want to eat tonight," was all he said. Glancing up at the sky, he added, "It's getting dark."
"Fluffy!" Kagome protested when the demon settled down to wait.
He bit back a smile, "If you can't stomach hunting, how are you ever going to kill a demon?"
Kagome pouted, "But that's your job."
"I never said that I'd feed you."
"Fine! When I get gnawed to death by a rabid wolf then it's your fault!" Tightening a hand around her glaive, she stalked off.
Sesshoumaru leaned back against a rock and closed his eyes to wait.
***
Several hours later a muddy but happy Kagome stumbled back to where Sesshoumaru was waiting for her. His eyes widened slightly as he took in her disheveled state, but he was careful not to say anything. Proudly, she held up and equally muddy hare by the ears.
The demon sniffed, "Are you bleeding?"
Kagome plopped down with a sigh and held up her kill. "He bit me."
"So you killed it," Kagome nodded, and Sesshoumaru pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and handed it to her. She took it with a questioning look, "Now you get to skin it."
The girl looked from the dagger to the hare and back again. "Eww, Sesshoumaru!"
The demon chuckled and leaned back again. "Maybe you should wash it off first; there's a stream over there."
Grumbling the entire way, Kagome went off in the direction that the demon lord pointed. Sesshoumaru nearly chuckled, again. He didn't understand what it was about the girl, but she seemed to awaken his long-dead sense of humor. It was odd though; he couldn't remember the last time he had wanted to laugh.
A shrill scream rang out through the clearing. Before he realized what he was doing, the youkai was up and halfway to the stream. Kagome was standing at the bank with the blade of her glaive pointed at something in the water.
"Gimme my rabbit back you freak!" she was screeching. Sesshoumaru snorted when he saw what she was yelling at.
"You're freaking out over a kappa?" he asked her.
She spun with a shocked look. "Fluffy! He took my dinner, kill him!" she pointed behind her to the kappa, which was treading water with a bemused look on his face.
With a sigh, the demon lord leaned forward and plucked the hare out of the creature's grasp, handing it to Kagome. A slash of his claws, and all that was left of the kappa was some bits that were rushed away by the water. Kagome grinned at him, "Thanks Fluffy."
"You call me that again, and I'll let the next kappa who steals your dinner keep it."
Kagome sighed, "You're no fun, Fluf- I mean, Sesshoumaru."
He smirked at her. "By the way, was there any reason why you couldn't have done that yourself?"
"Of course there is," Kagome informed him. Sesshoumaru quirked his eyebrow at her in a silent 'Oh?' "That thing was icky."
Next time on 'Promises': Kagome learns that coming out of a fight completely clean is harder than it looks…
LL: *bribing Sesshy with dog treats so he won't kill her* So why exactly are you here? I mean, besides the fact that you fell for one of the oldest tricks…
Sesshy: I get the point already! Actually, I heard that your fic was pretty good, so I thought I'd come check it out.
LL: And…?
Sesshy: It was terrible! You let a, a ten-year-old glomp my tail! My tail is sacred; no one should be allowed to touch it!
LL: *sweatdrop* Someone seriously needs an attitude adjustment.
Review Responses:
Celestial: *grins* Does that answer your question? Thanks for reviewing!
lady love: Thank you! Thank you! *huggles* It's nice to know that someone reads my a/n. As for the characters, I really haven't decided who I'm gonna kill off yet (Kik's gotta go though, cuz she's already dead), but I know that Sesshy and Kagome live at least. It would be kind of hard to write a romance between them if one of them kicks it, after all. Thanks again!
Dijiil2: Here you go. Thanks for reviewing!
Yuko: Glad you liked it! Thanks!
Amanda: Down the rabbit hole he goes… *blinks* Well, that was kind of random… Thanks for reviewing!
Little Sister: Your welcome! Here's another response for you. *grin* I certainly couldn't make Sesshy hate Rin, she's just too darn cute! 'Sides it make for lots of Sesshy angst *evil chuckle* I mean… Sesshy won't hate Rin, yea, that's it! Heh, well anyway, about Kagome's grandpa, I honestly haven't decided yet, but I am basing his stroke off of my Grandmothers, and she lived for somewhere around five or six years after her first stroke. So really, I guess that it all depends on what kind of mood I'm in. Oh yea, and Inu gets plenty of sense beaten into him in this fic. *grin* Thanks for coming back!
ashlee: o.O Kagome has youkai blood? Would you know what episode her grandpa explains that in so I can check it out? Thanks for the review!
Voldersnort: Thank you! Here's another long chapter for you. I know what you mean about short chaps too; I hate it when a story that I really, really like updates and it's only a paragraph, drives me crazy. (B0b: Too late.) As for the Tetsusaiga scene, it starts in chapter 6, cause I have to establish a friendship between Sesshy and Kagome first. Thanks for reviewing!
tikimoof: Thanks for the review! More coming soon!
Dark Star: *blushes* Thank you! Actually, I wasn't trying to write it for any particular appeal, but I'm something of a tomboy, so that's probably why it came out the way it did. Thanks for reviewing! (both times! ^_^)
mc. UFO- N@OKI: Thanks for the review! I really glad you liked it! ^____^
ditzyhooch: Glad you liked it! Thanks for the review!
Me..: Thanks for reviewing! Hope that you liked all the tail glomping goodness! *chuckles*
Quimberly: *grins* Here you are! Thanks!
NinjaRage: Here's some Inu-kun for you. And no review can ever be too long. Thanks for yours!
Pearl: Here's the next chapter for you. Glad you liked it!
Lee: Hehe, can't you just see Jaken in an oversized pink dress and too big high heels? I can, even though they didn't have high heels back then. *evil grin* Oh yea, and wait until you see Kagome steal the Tetsusaiga from Inu-Yasha, if you like her now, you'll love her then. Thanks for the review!
Ishi: I'm not too sure about the glaive, but in kendo, they use the repetitive motions of katas to teach the basic moves. And Sesshy is also sparring with her everyday as well. Well, anyway, thanks for pointing that out, and thanks for reviewing!
P.t: Yup, I'm the queen of evil cliffhangers. Here's some more for you. Thanks for reviewing!
Raksha: Well, Kagome struck me as a very strong willed person (even if she is a little ditzy at times), and I figured that if she was pushed far enough, she'd end up like this. Ah, yes, Jaken in drag, makes for an interesting picture. *evil grin* Thanks for the review!
Lunakitty: Yup, Kagome got some brains! Thanks for reviewing!
The Vagrant: Glad you liked it. Thanks for the review!
saiyantamer: *glomps* Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!! I am slowly but surely reading through the manga translations. And it is "org.uk". Thanks again!
Sailor Silver Moon: I tried to keep Sesshy in character as best as possible, and I'm really happy that you think I did a good job! As for Kagome's outfit, I was kind of thinking of Sango when I thought it up, even though I know that it wouldn't be something that would be normal in the feudal times. Sesshy doesn't eat? What's the fun in that? Oh well. As for the servants, I was kind of thinking that they were more like slaves, remnants of his father's rule in the castle or something, and Sesshy doesn't actually pay much attention to them. Thanks for the criticism, I appreciate it!
Alex: *cackles* Ha! I'm corrupting you! Glad you liked it, and thanks for reviewing!
DemonBlade: I love making Sesshy squirm, don't you? *grin* Thanks for the review!
lil-inuyasha: Ah! I'm getting death threats! Cool. Hey, no one ever said I was normal. Thanks for reviewing!
JustAnotherPerson: Thanks so much!