God, I wish Nanashi could be a Yu-Gi-Oh cross! I want Yami, baby! Sorry this is a long chapter, and VERY WEIRD. Even though there is some K/N action here, it's not anything really romantic. Just some flashbacks. But there is some . . . citrus . . . EEEEWWW . . . And . . . oh, jeez, this is a disturbing chapter. There is DEFINITE adult content here—Kagome and Sesshoumaru, but it's not all between the two of them. The Naraku/Kagome scene is there simply because it was the single-most humiliating thing that he did to her, not because I'm trying to make this a K/N, but to show just what Naraku will do. I also suspect he was having some little private Kikyo fantasy, but it's there because I needed to make a point. It's important to the plot. And DON'T HATE SESSHOUMARU!! If anything, hate me, because I'm the author and he's my bitch and he did what I wrote him to do. If this whole story is going to end right so that I can start on the sequel, then he's got to do what I make him do. I BLED over this chapter; I had kittens over this chapter! Give me reviews; my soul needs to be replenished, as most of it is in this chapter. I busted my ass for this, people! And I don't even like this chapter!

*

Stunning didn't quite cover it. Gorgeous didn't quite cover it. Drop-dead shoot-me-in-the-ass-he's-so-freaking-sexy didn't even cover it. I think I may have swooned. Sesshoumaru, his hand clamped on my arm to keep me from walking into the arrow a moment ago, tightened, and he had this could-you-be-more-stupid look on his face. I was a bit busy being stunned by both the knockout in front of me and the way my eyes crossed when I saw how close the arrow was. It was notched and the string taut, and I don't think that mentioning to the guy that he was pretty much gorgeous in an ungodly way wouldn't stop him from shooting me, if he hated humans as much as Sesshoumaru tended to. In the typical fashion of a girl whose brain had turned to mush in the presence of a very attractive person, I managed to say "Um—Sessh—er—wha—"

He narrowed his eyes. "If you would remove your blasted arrow from my companion's face, you ignorant fool, I would very much appreciate it."

The demon gave him what passed as a bored look, and made no move to lower his bow. "Are you one to be giving orders in someone else's land, Lord Sesshoumaru? I think that you are in no position to give them to me, as rumor has it that you are . . . shall we say, regrettably human at the moment."

I think if he hadn't already thrown up three times in the past few days, he would have thrown up again. "Are you threatening me?"

A lazy smile. "No. Although I have no intentions of putting an arrow through this young thing here, so if you'll relax a little bit . . . she's far too beautiful to be maimed in such a way." So of course I turned a shade of scarlet previously unknown to mankind.

"Keep your hands to yourself, Nanashi," Sesshoumaru warned softly as the golden-haired demon touched my cheek lightly.

The arrow had since lowered from my line of sight, and the demon gestured for his other warriors to lower their weapons as well. "I raised no hand in threat, my Lord. Lady Saeko wishes to see you both—though whether to confirm the truth of your weakened state or take advantage of it, I do not know." I didn't want to dwell on what exactly the guy meant by that—I was a little busy watching Nanashi carefully. His eyes shifted color once, from iridescent blue to a darker color, almost violet—or deep, deep crimson. It seemed to suit him, but I was still a bit unnerved. No one should be that good-looking; it should just be illegal.

He raised his hand in the air and snapped his fingers, and the arrows were traded for spears, all of which were trained on Sesshoumaru mercilessly. My eyes widened. "Uh, was that called for?" I asked, a little uncertain as to whether I should say anything. "He didn't—"

"Be silent, girl," Sesshoumaru said smoothly. "I do not need you to fight my battles for me. It is merely a formality."

Some formality!

Nanashi turned to me. "Follow me. The Lady awaits you in her castle." And with that, he set off at a steady stride, me behind, followed by Sesshoumaru and his fan club of lethal weapons.

*

No one really said much until we reached the castle, but the armed and figuratively trigger-happy guards dispersed at the gate and Nanashi led us through the grounds to a courtyard, which was empty. He turned to me, ignoring the dark look he was getting from Sesshoumaru and giving me a small smirk that made my toes curl. "Tell me your name, human."

I swallowed. "Kagome," I fumbled once I found my tongue.

"A beautiful name. How did one such as yourself come to such deplorable company as Lord Sesshoumaru?" he wondered.

"By accident," Sesshoumaru snapped, "and it is no concern of yours."

"It is a concern of mine," came a new voice that sounded like the wind chimes at the shrine, "if you are truly being pursued by Naraku. Especially if you are in my lands. I desire no contact or interaction with Naraku, and I do not want the likes of you to bring him running."

"He seeks fragments of the Shikkon Jewel," he said sharply, "and so we would be best off if we left here immediately."

"I was under the impression you were here on business." The figure speaking came into view, and I hated her immediately. You know that phrase 'don't hate me because I'm beautiful'? She was more beautiful than Nanashi, and that was saying a lot. Even I, a straight girl all the way, couldn't help but notice just about everything about her and how damned perfect the bitch was.

Jealous? Nah.

Although if I was struck dumb by how gorgeous she was, Sesshoumaru didn't seem to bat an eyelash. If he knew her, then he was probably immune to her. Unless he was so used to seeing her that he didn't even have to imagine what—

Oh stop it. It's not like she's competition—especially if you're not even with him. I caught the way he didn't really even look at her with anything but annoyance, but I also caught the looks she was giving him—and they were definitely not annoyed. But then again, who didn't look at him once and do a double-take?

Oh for crying out loud. What kind of world was this when I was totally surrounded by beautiful people?? A very sick one, that's what.

Nanashi stood a little apart from me, arms clasped behind his back. "It seems that rather than business, he is taking great interest in his own life now. What of the girl, my Lord? Is this the child that people say you travel with?"

"This is the reincarnation of Kikyo," came the smart reply. "I know of no child." His words came back to me suddenly—his father had been killed because of a human woman with a child. No way would he give them an excuse to go after Rin.

Lady Saeko folded her arms. "Kikyo, you say? Well what a development. I did not imagine you would be so foolish as to show your face in my lands, girl."

I balked. Had she made someone's life miserable here, too? Great. When I got my hands on that sorry excuse for a priestess—ooh, she was infuriating! "But—I was told that Kikyo healed a lot of the villages in the land!"

"She healed the living," Saeko said shortly, her face unreadable. "But she also stole the souls of the dead. Only a week ago did we discover the truth and banish her from here."

Huh. "Looks like she's at it again," I sighed. "I seriously wondered if she was dead."

A skeptical look from the disgustingly gorgeous woman before me. "So you do not know her whereabouts?" she asked.

I shook my head. "I'd be perfectly happy if she just dropped off the face of the earth, personally. But she keeps showing up . . . I'm sorry if she caused your people any pain. I kind of hate her, myself."

"I see."

I glanced away under the heat of her emerald gaze and ran into the now-hazel eyes of Nanashi, who had an eyebrow arched with curiosity. "I wish a word alone with Lord Sesshoumaru, if you don't mind. Nanashi, escort the young lady to her temporary quarters. You may not be in them long, unless Lord Sesshoumaru chooses to remain. Should he do so, then dinner is within the half-hour."

I glanced up at the sky as Nanashi took me gently by the elbow and led me away. The sun was sinking below the treeline, making the sky above turn dark indigo to the east and golden-red to the west. I had a really bad feeling all of the sudden.

*

Sesshoumaru

I had the overwhelming urge to halt Kagome and the little whore Nanashi when he led her away—these lands were not friendly to humans, and I did not trust him at all. The moment I was out of Saeko's accursed presence, I was going to find the pair of them and get rid of him.

But I had a few problems of my own at the moment.

Saeko uncrossed her arms and studied me for a long moment. "When would you have visited for our treaty discussions?"

"I have had other pressing matters to attend. I would have come when it was convenient for me."

"And what if it had been inconvenient for me?"

"Then we would have had quite the dilemna, it seems."

Her face hardened. "You are too presumptuous for your own good."

"I did not presume anything," I replied shortly.

"You presume that I would have simply allowed you to come and go as you wish," she corrected.

A shrug. "So be it."

A moment of silence before she spoke again. "How long have you been human?"

I felt my already dark mood darken further. "Days."

"And how long do you plan on staying as such?"

"Long enough to see Naraku dead," I snarled. "He has placed this curse on me until his death—and I will see him killed before the next moon."

She nodded. "Then I assume humans are truly as weak as we assumed them to be."

"Not quite so. Their greatest weakness is their emotions," I corrected. "Such overpowering things . . . I do not understand why we were able to evolve and leave them behind, and yet humans are ruled by them. A true nuisance, they are."

"I see. Tell me, Lord Sesshoumaru . . . how is it you travel with this reincarnation of Kikyo? I was under the impression that the human girl who bore the distinction of traveling with Inuyasha was his woman, not yours."

I stiffened. How had she known that Kagome traveled with my brother? "She is not his woman, but neither is she mine. She was separated from her lot in a battle with Naraku. Right now, I am only trying to return to my lands. She joins me because it is safer to travel with me than it is to travel alone."

For your own safety, you are free to travel with me . . .

Oh, for the love of all things holy! Of all the times to—

"Safety in numbers," she chuckled. "What a concept, especially for two humans. I saw the way you looked at Nanashi when he led her away," Saeko added. "Do you fear for her?"

The urge to scoff was overwhelming.

" . . . Or do you fear for her affections towards you?"

The urge to scoff was nonexistent now.

"Pardon me?"

A smile that could have melted a glacier—or perhaps frozen a blazing inferno. "Your own affections are not so hard to see, mighty Lord. Perhaps it is this human form you are trapped in; perhaps it is the fact that I am no fool."

She was going to kill me. It was that simple—she would strike me dead in a jealous fit, and as a pathetic human, there was nothing I could do to stop her—I knew this was a bad idea. I had not wanted to approach the city in the first place, but I had obviously forgotten her own affection. Her reputation was dotted with acts of passion and desire, but there was a clear line of anger that kept many from crossing her. She was not merciful, and she was very unpredictable. In such a vulnerable state as this, I was a damned fool for forgetting it—and I would most likely pay for it.

"I did not imply that you were a fool."

"Tell me, Lord Sesshoumaru, how deep do your affections run for this girl?" she asked smoothly, no emotion betrayed in her porcelain face.

"I have no affections for her. She is a human."

"As are you."

"Yes, but I was cursed a human. She was born one."

"A fine point. But do not lie to me, Sesshoumaru," she warned carefully, and I saw a flicker of . . . something . . . anger? Annoyance? "If your affections did not lie elsewhere, then you would have let little stand in the way of our . . . ah, negotiations."

I folded my arms. "Or perhaps my affections never lay with you."

"Still forthcoming as ever."

"You bade me not lie to you."

"Indeed I did. What will you do if Naraku kills her?"

I sighed with exasperation. "Again, this implication that she holds any more ground in my mind than a mosquito."

"I was not referring to her place in your mind."

"In my stomach, then. She makes me sick to it, especially when she's trying to be understanding."

"Then you would not mind if Nanashi were to bed down with her this night?"

"I would not wish Nanashi bed down with anyone. Gods above only know where that's been," I replied with a sniff of disdain. "But should he choose to tarnish himself with mere human trash, then I bid him a fond farewell."

She laughed then. "Is it his company that is fond, or simply the farewell?"

I glanced away, not smiling but amused nonetheless. She gestured for me to walk with her, and we set down a path that was lined with candles and white flowering trees. Saeko certainly did not hide the wealth and power that came with her title, while I myself did not flaunt it.

"Tell me of this Naraku," she insisted, going from an interrogator and often times an adversary to girlish and talkative in a disturbing shift. I grew uneasy immediately—or more uneasy than I had been before, at least.

"From what I hear, he is a half-demon who was human until he summoned demons from all around to consume him," I told her. "He seeks now the final shard of the Shikkon Jewel, and has proved as of late to be very ruthless in getting it."

She nodded. "I see now why he pursues you," she said thoughtfully. I stiffened and began to change the subject, but Saeko reached out and touched my left arm gently, her fingers resting directly above the shard embedded there. "There is little you have ever been able to hide from me, Sesshoumaru," she told me with a smile.

And again the unease grew.

"I have little need of hiding things under some circumstances," I replied stiffly.

"So you are the bearer of the final fragment," she chuckled. "What a twist of fate, eh? I seem to remember you mentioning at the summit three years ago that you would have little to do with the Jewel, save destroy it if it came by your hand."

"Times change."

"So do people, apparently." Her hand did not leave my arm. "You remember what we discussed the last time I saw you." A statement rather than a question.

This was not going well at all. "I do." Why in the name of all the gods did she have to start this now? Was it because my situation was greatly compromised and I was very low on options? Selfish, intuitive, conniving bitch!

"Have you given it any consideration?"

"I have not." A lie. I had known the answer before she presented the question years ago, even before my thoughts had been polluted by a human . . .

I saw frustration darken her face for only an instant before her calm mask slipped back into place. This unreadable manner was infuriating. "I have requested many times though letters that you take it into account."

"My schedule as of late has been rather unforgiving."

"How unfortunate. It seems then that you have only this night to think about it, doesn't it?" she asked in an odd voice. "I have given you ample time to supply me with an answer."

"This is a very inconvenient time," I began angrily. "I am rather occupied with trying to keep myself alive as a weak, miserable human—I need no other pressing matters in my mind!"

"Your life," she informed me tartly, "is not what you should be concerned with now. In this place, none enter if I do not wish it. Naraku nor his spies will pass through my walls, nor will I let any harm befall you while you reside here—but you do so under the condition that you take into serious account what I placed before you those few short years ago. I do not offer such items lightly, and to see my offer cast aside so haphazardly is a deep offense to me. The fact that you do not even dwell on it bothers me greatly. Your worries in the outside world are a million miles away, Sesshoumaru. You have tonight to think it over," she said coldly.

I sucked on my teeth. "I see. I hope you find some more persuasive way to get me to combine our lands and rule with you, because this method of begging you have devised is not working. What happens should I say no?"

She shrugged. "I will see you on your way tomorrow, with directions to wherever you wish to go. I will leave you be until Naraku is defeated, but then I recommend that you watch your borders closely and your back even closer. I am not being unreasonable; such a rejection would certainly be ample cause to have you executed at dawn. But I will allow you to finish your mission before I seek to avenge my dignity."

"And as for your poor persuasion?"

"I have better methods planned, should the preliminary courting fail," Saeko said with a smile that made me queasy. "And a bargaining chip that I suspect will not fail me. But enough of these negative vibes between us. I believe Kagome and Nanashi will be headed to the dining hall now for dinner. Shall we be off?"

I nodded, now more uncertain than ever and suspicious and even a little afraid of this bargaining chip she spoke of. For my own safety, I doubted I would sleep heavily this night.

*

Kagome

Nanashi was such a perfect gentleman that I couldn't help but be suspicious of him—he was so damned polite as he showed me around, never actually touching me but definitely letting me know that a slight lapse in self-control could fix that real quick. Along our aimless tour of the castle, he made sure to show me my room and Sesshoumaru's room, which were next door to each other and had an adjoining bath and closet Then we made our way to the dining hall, which was actually outdoors underneath trees with tiny cherry blossoms on them. Light from the torches in the castle windows along with candles on the table itself gave it an unearthly sort of feeling, like it was on another planet or in a realm where everything was beautiful.

As we made our way there, I found that Nanashi was going against his no-touch thing—ever so casually, he had slipped an arm around my waist, and I realized with a guilty start that I didn't mind hardly at all. "So tell me, human, where is this place called Tokyo?" he asked.

I shrugged, my shoulder bumping into his at the movement. "It's . . . well it's actually pretty far from here. I'm the only Tokyo native around these parts." Not entirely a lie.

"Is your city beautiful?" he continued.

I nodded. "Very beautiful, in it's own way. All our homes are made of rocks and metal, though. But sometimes you'll find something there that is downright beautiful."

His eyes, now deep violet again, were fixed on me as we approached the table, which was adorned with foods that I now knew were delicacies. I couldn't name most of them, but I knew they were pretty hard to get ahold of. Sesshoumaru and Saeko were already seated, and I nearly jumped out of my skin at the look of pure murder he gave Nanashi. I disentangled myself from him quickly and took my seat across from Sesshoumaru. Nanashi took a seat right beside me.

"So tell me how you came to know Naraku," Saeko said as we began to eat.

I munched. "Well he kind of hates me because I look so much like Kikyo, plus he's always hated Inuyasha . . . the fact that we're all trying to complete the jewel doesn't help, either."

"Rumor has it that you were taken from your group by him recently," she pressed politely.

I uncrossed my legs nervously—what a wonderful subject she'd fallen upon. Great lady. "Yeah," I said shortly, hoping that a one-word answer would get the point across.

"And yet he didn't kill you. If he hated you so much, why let you live?" she wondered.

"Probably because I look like Kikyo."

"So the priestess is the reason he hates you, yet cannot kill you?"

"Sure. I didn't really ask him," I lied. "The man has issues, we'll leave it at that."

"I understood as much from Lord Sesshoumaru," she agreed. "I wish you luck on your quest to complete the Jewel and destroy him. He is not a foe I wish to cross in battle."

"Good idea."

"Do you have any plan on how to defeat him?" Saeko asked.

"Not really," I lied again. I did actually have a plan, but see if I told her.

"Have some wine," she insisted, gesturing to my cup.

"Oh, I don't know—I'm really not—" Was I about to say I wasn't legal? Jeez! 500 years in the past and I was worried about the cops busting me? Stupid, stupid, stupid. "—All right," I finally said, although it sounded more like "I'm not all right," as in I was crazy or something, rather than an argument followed by a submission.

I felt awkward even as I ate and listened to Saeko talk to Sesshoumaru and Nanashi, here in this place that I didn't belong. And by not belonging, I felt so damned out of place because they had all been trained in the politics of the situation, and I . . . well, I had not. So I decided to keep quiet—or, as Hojo used to say, "pipe down, Chachi." The evening itself, as it crawled by, was stressful, boring, and made me more than a little lonely. Oh, sure, I could have talked to Nanashi if I'd wanted to, but Saeko seemed intent on keeping both him and Sesshoumaru involved in conversation. So I sat quietly and nibbled on my food, no longer hungry, and listened to the discussion about land and boundaries and negotiations, all of which seemed to annoy Sesshoumaru, and then I heard Saeko mention a 'bargaining chip,' which made him fall silent. Whether it was with annoyance, pensiveness, or all-around speechlessness, I didn't know, but I've learned that a silent Sesshoumaru is not a happy one, and . . . well, we know what happens when the Center of the Universe isn't happy.

This was going to be a long night.

(Note from Kagome: In 20-20 hindsight, I had no idea how right I was.)

*

Sesshoumaru

Dinner was delightfully similar to having my limbs sawed off slowly, with a dull blade, and then tended with salt, fire, and other instruments of torture. Though he paid little direct attention to her, I watched carefully as Nanashi leaned in to Kagome ever so slightly, occasionally moving just a little closer to her. Saeko kept drawing me into some stupid conversation each time I tried to excuse myself and drag Kagome away—probably out of the castle and as far as I could get from this place. But alas, I was cursed to suffer just a little more, and begin to burn with anger at the smooth, almost innocent way Nanashi charmed her without saying a word. As soon as I had claws again, I was going to rip that son of a bitch limb from limb. The blush that crept across Kagome's cheeks made me even more furious. He was dead.

"Sesshoumaru, if you would mind walking with me," Saeko said, rising from her chair. Out of courtesy, I rose as well.

"I would mind greatly," I told her shortly.

She arched a fine eyebrow. "Oh, I see. I apologize; I have torn you away from your companion completely without a thought. Silly me . . . if you wish to return to her quarters with her for then night, then go on."

I folded my arms. "I wish to do nothing of the sort. I would like a word with her, however."

"Be quick, then; Nanashi will escort her to her room when you are finished."

Without a second thought, I stormed over to Kagome and dragged her out of earshot. "Stay the hell away from him."

Her eyes widened. "What?!"

"You heard me," I growled. "Stay away from him."

She blinked in surprise. "But—okay, if he's supposed to watch out for me, how am I supposed to do that?"

"Don't touch him. If you give him even the slightest idea that it's all right for him to approach you, then I don't know if I can—"

"Are you jealous?" Kagome exclaimed.

"I am not!" I snarled. "I know better than you the ways of these lands, and—"

"I am not easy!" she cut in. "I'm not going to jump into bed with him just because he's nice, okay? Thanks a lot, but I've held out around horny guys for this long, and I don't think that one more is going to change my mind."

"I hope you're right," I told her shortly. "Because he will try everything he can think of to change your mind. I have been around him before, and he is not to be trusted at all."

She sighed. "All right. I get it. I won't touch him. I'm tired anyways; I plan on going to sleep when I get into my room anyways—alone," she added meaningfully. But despite her defensive backlash, a small quirk was twitching at the corner of her mouth, as though she were biting back a smile.

There was nothing funny about this.

"Be sure that you do," I warned her, "because I have problems of my own to fend off tonight. I cannot keep a constant eye on you the entire time."

"Fine; good night," she told me, turning away to return to her 'host.' "I'd give you a good-night kiss, but somehow I don't think that would make things any better." She was being sarcastic.

I felt the emerald-green eyes of Saeko on us both, watching carefully and probably listening, too. I knew without turning around that Nanashi was watching as well, both gauging my every move. I acted without thinking. "You're right," I said with the slightest smirk, "It probably wouldn't." I reached out and caught her before she was out of reach, pulling her back to me and bringing my lips to hers.

She was frozen only a moment before she turned to me completely, hands on my shoulders carefully and her mouth opening slightly. I felt her eyelashes brush my cheek as her eyes closed, and I pulled her closer, shocked at my own actions but more shocked that she didn't slap me immediately, and drowning suddenly at this very . . . very human reaction to her mouth and taste and her body against mine . . .

I pulled back as suddenly as I had moved to claim her, at a loss for words. I kept my face carefully guarded, even as I looked down at her. The crimson across her cheeks was darker now than it had been when Nanashi made his moves one her, and I felt an obscure flash of pride at the thought.

It seemed that my face was not guarded carefully enough, however, because as she had been blushing prettily, she saw the pride and closed off immediately. "You—you're suck an asshole," she snapped in a low voice. "I would appreciate it if you didn't use me as your petty revenge! Good night." And with that, she stormed off, grabbing Nanashi by the arm and disappearing into the darkness with him, no doubt headed for her room.

I cursed violently. That was not supposed to happen—although whether I meant kissing her so suddenly or making her so angry, I didn't know. Saeko was at my side suddenly, her face thoughtful.

"That didn't go very well, did it?" she asked casually. I said nothing in return. "It seems, Lord Sesshoumaru, that this is as good a time as any to begin negotiations."

I stiffened. "I was under the impression that the decision was mine to make, not yours to persuade."

A slow, radiant smile. "Both, my Lord. You are free to choose as you will, but not before I have had my say in it."

What happened next was . . . unexpected, to say the least. Though we stood still, the world around us began to . . . speed up, I suppose, is the only word for it. We had done this before, stopped time around us and accelerated the rest of the world for whatever reason, but I had never experienced it as a human. It was (as many other things seemed to be when human) nauseating, to say the least. I became lightheaded almost immediately, a hand going to my forehead in a pathetic attempt to keep it from spinning off. In an almost separate reality, cherry blossoms rained around us, candles melted down ever so slightly, and I had the urge to throw up twice. But unfortunately, the latter was in my reality, so I had to control myself. I suspected in my own mind that along with the swaying of the world around me, I had eaten too little—although if I had nothing in my stomach, why would I want to discard what little I had?

Humans are truly illogical creatures.

The world finally ceased its incessant swaying, back and forth, up and down, side to side, here and there, this way and . . .

Even just thinking about motion proved to be nauseating.

I shook off the dizziness (and motion-sickness) and faced Saeko. "How far have you chosen to move?" I asked emotionlessly.

She shrugged. "A mere thirty minutes. Long enough for Nanashi to lead Kagome through the castle and return her to her room. I believe, in fact, that they have just entered her quarters. Would you like to drop in on them?"

"I would rather respect her privacy—"

This time, the world around us fell away, the colors fading and then becoming more bold in the colors of . . . a room? Nosy woman. In reality, we were not really there; our conscious minds had come to dwell there, but not our physical bodies. Which meant I was no longer feeling ill. Saeko stood at my shoulder, warmth radiating from her essence as she looked at the empty room. No . . . not empty. Kagome and Nanashi were standing before the door talking, their bodies appearing before me as though the air around them opened to reveal them. I could hear nothing they said, though.

Her face was open and smiling, hiding nothing from him, but I noticed with mild triumph that she was considerably far from him. The space between them was not intimate. Each time he became closer to her, she would point off behind her or turn to look at something, always managing to even them out again. At least she paid some attention to what I said, even if I suspected she was angry with me. Then the sound came, a little behind their words at first, but catching up slowly.

"I assure you, I'm not offended," Nanashi was telling her with an almost predatory smile. And yet she still looked up at him with the utmost trust—could she not see how he gauged her every move to see how it could be used to his advantage?

She smiled. "Well I'm sorry about it anyways—his timing is awful. He's just trying to stir up the water., is all."

"I'm sure you're right," he chuckled. "Your beauty and spirit had nothing to do with it, certainly." The teasing was obvious in his voice.

Kagome turned bright red with the flattery, and I felt my face darken. How could she be so easily charmed by such cheap words? Anyone could fling a well-timed compliment here and there—was she really so quick to accept someone as vile as Nanashi? He had seduced countless, killed countless more on a whim; of all demons I had encountered, he came in as one of the most evil, bested only by Naraku and—

And myself.

I felt my anger dissipate quickly, replaced by a heavy feeling that I had never felt before. Who was I to choose who she could flirt with and who she could not? Who did I think I was, acting as though I could protect her—and from what? From the few more evil than myself? Even Nanashi, whose deeds sickened me when I thought of him daring to speak to her as though he were her equal, was nothing compared to me. In my own mind, I was neck-and-neck with Naraku, who had hunted this girl with the intent of killing her, torturing her, taking her mind and body as though they were his. Even with all his horrible actions, I was not far behind him. Perhaps the only good thing I had even done was revive Rin from the dead, heal her body and soul and raise her myself. Jaken, though he often baby-sat, had little to do with how she grew up. I had always tried my damnedest to raise her myself, allowing little to no help from anyone else. She had done well this far, but under the supervision of one so . . . so evil, so cruel as I, how could I ensure that she grew up to be as good a person as—

As Kagome?

Defeat. That was the heaviness I felt. Not the disappointment of losing the Tetsusaiga, not the anger of being defeated in battle—I had been truly defeated by myself.

I turned away from the general flirtation before me. "I wish to see no more," I said flatly.

Saeko glanced at me. "Are you sure?" she asked. I glanced over my shoulder at the pair, in time to see Kagome balk in alarm as Nanashi kissed her gently before exiting.

"I am certain," I told her. I watched her face grow confused as she looked at the door, then she sighed and rubbed her eyes as though she were at a loss.

Saeko's green eyes fixed on me. "Perhaps we should jump ahead some more."

I began to counter her, but the world sped by without ever really moving again, and when I focused again (this time without feeling sick), Kagome had crawled into bed long ago and was sound asleep. Her sleep was not easy, however—her face shone in the faint light, damp with tears and pulled tight in . . . fear? A nightmare?

I realized then what Saeko planned to do. There was a reason she had earned her other nickname—the Lady of Dreams. Not because she was the one everyone dreamed about, but because she had in her power the ability to see what a person dreamed, demon or otherwise.

"Take me from this place immediately," I told Saeko sharply. "I have no desire to see this."

I didn't know where we were at first—all I saw was darkness. Swirling blackness, that seemed blacker in some areas than others. The swirls seemed to be almost solid, and it was difficult to breathe. Miasma? That was the only word in my mind.

"Why did Naraku allow Kagome to live?" wondered Saeko. "Why is she so hesitant to speak of it to even Inuyasha? She has said nothing of her time with Naraku to anyone. It is a dangerous thing she does," the Lady sighed, "keeping poison like this locked away in her. She does not feel the effects now, nor does anyone see them, but it will eat at her until she ceases to contain it within herself. She will become a shell if she does not speak of these horrors to anyone. They will destroy her, you know."

"I have seen it happen before," I told her with a sigh. "She will not allow it to go that far."

"And yet she speaks it to no living soul," Saeko murmured. "I for one am burning with curiosity—aren't you? She dreams of these horrors each night. Let us see what haunts her dreams."

I turned on my heel. "I will not stand for an invasion such as this. You are of noble blood—have you no respect for others? I will not dishonor myself by tolerating this rape of anyone's mind," I told her, storming away into the miasma.

Blackness enveloped me, and even though I walked a straight line, I found myself walking right back at Saeko and the picture that now grew around us. It was useless. I could only try to pay no heed to the events around me.

But what I saw drew me in, despite my resolve. It was the type of fascination that consumes a child, usually the kind that appeared when one watched the slow destruction of perhaps a village or the slaughter of an animal—it drew you in, no matter how much your mind told you to turn away. The fascination with the truly terrible.

I saw Kagome first, curled in around herself as though she wished herself dead, her dark clothes black with blood. But as this was a dream, the black clothes faded and were replaced by pure white, and now the blood was more obvious than ever. It seemed symbolic, really—the staining of an innocent. Before her stood Naraku, rid of the baboon he hid behind, wearing only loose-fitting pants. He held Kagome in his arms.

He what?? How dare he--

I heard them speak, though neither moved their mouths. "Pain is life, Kagome."

"Then I don't want to live."

"Neither did Kikyo. She wanted to be dead rather than live her life without Inuyasha. She died before she could taint the Jewel with her hatred."

"No, she didn't hate him . . . he broke her heart . . ."

"She hates him now."

"I don't care."

They were . . . conversing? In a normal fashion? Then why the blood, why her pain and broken spirit? Why did he hold her?

Now only her shirt was white; her pants were red and her hair pulled back loosely. She wore the clothes of a priestess. "I'm not Kikyo!" she whispered violently.

"You are Kikyo," Naraku told her. "You are more Kikyo than she herself ever was."

"I'm Kagome, dammit. I only housed her soul for a little while . . ." she sounded like she didn't believe her own words.

"You can give up her soul, and you can live your life as you would live it, not as she would," Naraku corrected, "but you are still her shadow. You exist only because she existed. You will never be known as Kagome, hero of the Shikkon Jewel, you will be remembered as the reincarnation of the great priestess Kikyo."

"I won't!" she protested weakly, but it sounded like the battle she fought was with herself, and she was losing.

The scene changed again, and I suspected that what had transpired was only a dream, not a memory. What rose around us next wasn't a dream. This was very vivid, each detail specific, each rock and stone set forever in this memory. Kagome hung in midair, head lowered in defeat, real blood flowing and not the memory of blood. Her shirt had been discarded, and she wore an old drape of Naraku's to cover herself and that ridiculous lace thing she wore beneath her clothes. Naraku had a hand around her throat, not cutting off her air or piercing her skin, but making it known that she was in his power. Her life was his to give and take.

"Return to Inuyasha if you wish," he told her in his low, amused voice. "Certainly there are those who you wish to return to more than he."

"Leave me alone," she begged, sounding utterly broken.

"Is that all you can do? Beg me?" he demanded with a chuckle. "I so clearly remember you stating that you would never beg me for anything."

"I don't care!" Kagome sounded near tears. "I just don't care anymore . . ."

"Should I kill you?" he wondered aloud. "Or would you like me to let you live?"

"I don't care," she repeated helplessly.

He frowned. "Well that makes things more difficult. I take no pleasure in taking the life from one who doesn't enjoy it."

Her chin touched her chest as she began to pass out. Naraku snapped his fingers suddenly, and Kagome's entire body became rigid, her face pointed to the heavens. He pushed aside the silk that covered her stomach and caressed the skin with his hands. "Unmarred," he murmured, fingers gentle and doing no harm. "Such a pure soul . . . you know, I suspect that's why you are hunted by all," he mused. "A light such as yours draws dark souls such as mine like a moth to flame. Both your mind and body have been untouched until our time together . . ."

I watched him with that morbid fascination, unable to do anything—this was no dream, it was a vision of things past and unchanging. I could do nothing but seethe in silence. As his hand brushed her stomach, her face seized up as though in agony at his touch, and she was crying silently, tears streaking her face and mingling with flecks of blood. The caress ceased suddenly, but his hand did not leave her skin. "I will return you to Inuyasha," he informed her finally, "with my stamp of approval. Let him know that what was once clean and beautiful is now tainted and scarred."

And with that, the hand that lay flat across her stomach and encompassed much of it began to burn into her, her flesh melting beneath his fingers as a wail was ripped from her throat. I made a move as though to help—how, I didn't know, but Saeko caught me.

"You can do nothing," she told me. "She is not living this; she is remembering it. You cannot alter what has already gone."

I fell still, but my whole body was tense and trembling with leashed rage. How dare Naraku—

The world faded again, and when it reappeared, we were in another unchangeable memory, spectators in a bad play, readers of a horrid novel. She still hung from the ceiling like a doll, suspended by an unseen force, but now Naraku stood before her in the clothes from her nightmare, the pants and no shirt.

"Tell me," he snarled, her face captive of his hands. His fingers pressed into her skin so hard that it turned white under the pressure, then red as his nails drew blood. "Tell me where they are!"

I won't, you can't have them, I will NEVER let you take them!

"You will give them to me, or you will beg for death," he growled, inches from her face, glaring into her eyes furiously.

I'll never beg you for anything! You'll have to kill me before you get them!

"I can find them," he hissed, eyes burning crimson with rage. "I can rip your mind open like a book and take them from you. Have you ever had your deepest, most secret thoughts pulled from your mind? It's very painful, almost as painful as having your heart removed, or your insides devoured. I can show you, if you'd like. I will show you if you do not tell me where you've hidden the shards!"

Then . . . then go for it, came the almost fearful reply. See what good it does you . . .

"I can make it hurt," he warned her, voice dangerously low. "I can truly make it feel as though your soul is being removed from your body—you remember how much it hurt when Kikyo's soul was taken. I can make that feel like a lover's touch in comparison."

Her dark eyes betrayed nothing but fear. You wouldn't—

"I would," Naraku told her. "But I can do much worse. It is one level of humiliation to experience agony as your mind is torn open and left naked before me. It is another level of humiliation entirely to have that kind of violation, that kind of rape, and enjoy it."

A flicker of confusion in the smoky depths of her eyes. She didn't understand what he meant.

He would not dare—

Spectator. I was only a spectator. Do nothing. This could not be changed, he could not be stopped. It had already happened, and there was nothing I could to stop it. She—she had never told me—never even alluded to something like this—

Kagome's eyes were fixed on him as he did what anyone who wishes to rape the mind and soul in such a fashion would do: he brought his lips down to hers, capturing her mouth as his fingers pressed into her temples. Her eyes grew wide with horror, then slid closed as a small noise escaped her mouth and her exhausted body was dropped from it's invisible string. She promptly fell into his arms, holding on to him for support and, as his mouth worked across hers, pressing herself to him as though she were hypnotized, or drugged. His lips left hers, travelling down her jaw to her neck, hovering over the artery and teasing it with his tongue, making her gasp for breath. His fingers moved against her temples ever so slightly, massaging them as though they itched to move lower, but the real pleasure that Kagome was feeling came from triggers in her mind that Naraku was manipulating, even as he harvested her mind and soul mercilessly. He nipped lightly at the skin, drawing blood, and her head fell back to give him further access as a groan came from her throat. I was shaking where I stood, keeping very still and trying not to lose control entirely in my slow, burning fury. This was no quick, hot grudge against Naraku for his evils—what I felt was a gradual ember grown into a raging and deadly blaze that would not burn out until he was dead—possibly not even then.

As I struggled to keep myself in check, Kagome nearly collapsed with the shock of the nerves he was tripping in her brain. It was a common thing for those skilled in the manipulation of the mind, and relatively easy—all that needed to be done was have a very strong telepath enter one's mind and tell the brain that this was happening, or that was happening, even if it wasn't. Kagome's exhaustion only heightened her brain's ready response as he sifted through her mind like the pages of a book. Naraku knelt down with her carefully, never pulling away from her and still ransacking her mental barriers, which I'm sure were strong for one with potential powers like Kagome. One hand left her temples to ease her onto her back gently, roaming her body freely on the way down and stopping to caress her in a few choice places on the way back up before returning to her head and searching for the shards she had hidden. His mouth remained on her neck, his tongue tracing the artery teasingly before his lips descended again, eliciting from her sounds of such shattering pleasure that he should never have been so privileged to hear.

And then suddenly his hands left her temples, a sign that he'd found what he was looking for. He lowered himself onto he, mouth finding hers again as her knees hugged his hips and invited him to—

Her breath had become quicker, more frenzied, as though she were approaching a pinnacle that almost frightened her . . . and then, with one last lingering kiss, Naraku pulled back and released the hold he had on her mind, sitting back with a smirk that was both winded and triumphant. For a few moments, Kagome lay with her eyes closed, trembling away the feeling of Naraku on her, and then . . . her eyes opened slowly, at first cloudy with passion, then clearing slowly and revealing pure horror. Humiliation followed it, shame, helplessness.

"What—" her voice sounded forced. She had not used it yet, save for the sounds he had drawn from her moments ago. "What did you do?" It was almost a sob.

Without a word, Naraku reached out and took both of her shoes, shaking them over his open palm and smiling as three jewel shards came tumbling out. With that, he moved next to her pants, searching the waist until he produced another as she scrambled to get away from his hands. He sighed and snapped his fingers, and as though there were chains around her wrist, she rose to a standing position as if she were being pulled by her arms. Now she hung with her hands over her head. Naraku pulled the bottom of her shirt up to her collarbone, exposing the lace garment that I never truly understood, and reached into it, seeking the jewel shards hidden against her breasts. She tried to move away from his hands again, but there was no escaping his search for what he desired. Kagome's eyes closed miserably as he removed the last shard from there, and pulled another from the handle of her bow and two from arrows. She hung her head, unable to look him in the eye as the tears that had formed long ago finally spilled over.

"I told you I could make it terrible," he told her, sweeping his ebony hair from his bare shoulders. "I could make it terrible by making it so delightfully wonderful . . ."

And then the scene faded into blackness. The miasma that hung disappeared, as did the forms of Kagome and Naraku. It was empty, save for myself and Saeko. From the darkness came Kagome's room, and she was curled up in her bed sleeping peacefully.

"Another dream," Saeko told me. "But not unchangeable."

I sat on the edge of her bed, exhausted from what was not reality. "How is this a bargaining chip?" I demanded, my voice both tight and, as already clarified, exhausted.

"You will see, Lord Sesshoumaru."

And then, not of my own accord, I dropped into a dead sleep full of dreams.

*

Kagome

I fell from nightmare to nightmare, one dream to the next, and all seemed more vivid and more terrible than before. I awoke between each dream with tears drying on my face. After a particularly vivid nightmare of remembering Naraku taking my jewel shards, I fell into a floating blackness that was warm and comfortable.

I wandered the black landscape for only a few moments before I saw her. She was as beautiful as ever, dressed in pure white that accented her green eyes. "What—what are you doing here?" I demanded. "I thought—am I dreaming?"

"Yes, you are," Lady Saeko told me gently. "But this dream holds no nightmares of yours, I promise you."

I hesitated before looking down at myself. I was wearing my old school uniform, green and white, even with the red tie on it. "What is this?" I asked carefully.

"A demonstration, if you will. You said to Nanashi earlier that Sesshoumaru tries only to disturb the water when it comes to you."

"Yeah, and?"

"And I wish to show you otherwise. I am always a hopeless romantic," she said with a sigh and a weak smile. "Follow me."

I did so. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see," was all she would say about it. "I will be shorter with you than I am accustomed to; you seem to be more open than some others I have dealt with. You need not see as much as I could possibly show you."

When the world opened up around me, going from blackness to an actual definable place, I became really confused. "What is this?" I demanded, repeating my phrase from moments ago. Had I been awake, I'm sure I would have had some problems, but as I was only dreaming this . . . it didn't matter. I wasn't exactly sure why I had put the Northern Lady into my dreams, unless I was a closet lesbian, but since I was only dreaming, I didn't dwell on it.

"The mind of Lord Sesshoumaru, in all it's splendor and glory," Saeko told me with a smile. "Pick a door. These are the doors to his dreams—not his hopes and dreams, mind you, but his dreams and his nightmares."

Before me was a room . . . an unending room, full of staircases that led to doors, staircases upside down, right-side up, sideways . . . it was like an M.C. Escher piece. Most of the stairways led to doors, but others led to walls, and still others simply stopped in midair. It was . . . disorienting, to say the least. "What in the . . ."

"This," she declared, "is the room where he hides his dreams—his fears—generally, his emotions. It is what we call a soul room, for those of us who acknowledge them. They were more commonly practiced in the land of the Pharaohs, usually for wayward spirits when two souls shared a body, much like you and Kikyo, but with its differences, and have been altered through their ancient magic, but for demons, this is where everything goes. To put it in terms you understand, it's like a junk drawer." I nodded to show that I understood what she meant. "Sesshoumaru's soul room is more vulnerable now that he is a human—anyone who enters his mind, be it on accident or on purpose, has access to it. Pick a door," she added, gesturing around. "You'll see what I mean. I personally don't know how one man has so many dreams and nightmares in one night; he must think on several planes so that each of them can have one."

"So—what now?" I asked uncertainly.

"Go through any door. It doesn't matter—it's all his hidden dreams, nightmares . . . I would steer clear of emotions, though. They are so repressed in him that they are consuming when dealt with."

"How do I know what to avoid?"

"You'll feel it," she informed me. "Believe me."

I said nothing to her as I wandered up a flight of stairs to one door, up the never-ending stairs, and opened it gently. With a sweep of wind, I was blown inside and into another world.

I saw before me two men—a younger Sesshoumaru and another man, older than him, but with the same white hair and golden eyes as both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. They knelt on the ground, the older one bleeding in many places. Sesshoumaru had several severe wounds, a few of which I couldn't see, but he wasn't as bad off as the other man . . . his father? Was that who that was? He was dying. It was obvious that he was dying.

"Don't move," Sesshoumaru commanded, touching the arrow in his father's chest hesitantly. The man flinched.

"Leave it, boy," he growled. "They win, this time."

"Exactly," his son snapped, "this time. Next time you will crush them—"

"Next time, you will crush them," he corrected tiredly. "Protect what I have protected for so long, boy. They will not have my land . . . and they will not have my son. Never give Inuyasha to them, Sesshoumaru. His heart is pure, like Keiko's was. Watch out for him, by the gods, don't let anything happen to him . . ."

"Be silent, Father," Sesshoumaru almost growled, his hand closing around the arrow. "Let me—"

His father's hand stopped him as he coughed up blood and seemed on the verge of fading entirely. "Keep the boy safe—he's just a boy, a child—watch out for him. Swear your life on it."

But Sesshoumaru said nothing to him. And the old man said nothing in return. A wet breath left him, and he seemed to . . . go out. As though his battery had died. Sesshoumaru lowered his head, and though I saw no tears, I didn't need to. I felt the tears he couldn't cry. His father was gone . . . truly gone, and the last thing he'd said was a plea to protect his brother, the reason his father had been killed. He had not been the son his father thought about on his deathbed. You didn't need to see tears to see that he was, for the time being, shattered entirely. He closed his father's eyes and removed his hand from the arrow, but stayed still for a very long time.

The vision before me faded, and in the fading picture, a door appeared. I didn't even have to leave to go on. I stepped right though, and found myself in Sesshoumaru's fortress. He was younger than before as he talked to his father, his mouth set in a grim line as a woman with thick black hair tamed only by a ribbon and deep violet eyes tended to a small child with white hair and liquid amber eyes as he slashed at bushes with his claws in an attack that I recognized instantly.

Inuyasha.

"So you bedded the help?" asked Sesshoumaru coldly.

"She's not the help, brat. And if you speak much louder, Saeko will hear you all the way in the North and jump all over this," his father snapped.

"So you bedded the help," Sesshoumaru continued, ignoring his father, "and had a pup with her? Have you lost your mind?"

"I've found my mind, boy," the man corrected.

"I take it you've forgotten my mother entirely."

"I have not. I simply dislike her with a passion."

"Then you don't mind if the sentiment is returned."

"It actually makes my day easier."

"Good," his son replied sharply. "My sole purpose in life is accomplished."

At that precise moment, the small child made a dive at Sesshoumaru, slashing his claws with a cry of "Iron reaper soul stealer!" and proceeded to slice through Sesshoumaru's armor, which clattered to the ground. He didn't wear the giant animal hide yet.

Sesshoumaru reached down and picked up the boy by the scruff of the neck, looking at him as though he were deciding how much he was worth. His nose wrinkled. "He smells atrocious. Honestly, don't you take some kind of pride in you children being pleasing to the nose?"

"Not your problem, boy," his father told him shortly.

Inuyasha was snarling at the moment, an odd sound for such a cute little thing, swinging his little claws and hitting nothing. "I don't smell—you do! You smell like you haven't taken a bath ever!"

"Oh do I," he replied thinly. "And does your pitiful nose smell anything beyond that?"

"'snot pitiful!" said Inuyasha proudly. "My nose is better than anyone's! An' so are my ears!"

"I see," his brother said in a voice that clearly stated he didn't see and had no desire to.

"Who are you, anyways?" demanded tiny Inuyasha sourly.

"I," Sesshoumaru told him, "am your brother, and so if you have any desire to use that pitiful nose of yours, I would learn a measure of respect, if I were you."

Inuyasha sniffed haughtily. "Mom says I don't have to, because I'm special."

"Really," replied Sesshoumaru with disinterest. "My mother says you're special, as well." His half-brother was too young to get the insult, but I snickered. Guess they used that one way back when, too.

Inuyasha stuck out his tongue when he could think of nothing else. Still holding him by the scruff of his neck, Sesshoumaru brought the boy so that they were nose-to-nose, glaring into the wide golden eyes with his own. "Let it be known that I do not like children," he told his tiny half-brother. "Except for dinner." And with that note of fear stricken into his brother, he tossed him down as any wolf would its cub and turned back to his father. "I believe my business here is finished," he said tightly, ignoring the man's smirk at the interaction between his sons. I suspected he was trying to disguise his pride.

"Then off with you. But don't let word out about the boy, Sesshoumaru," his father told him. "There are plenty of people who would jump all over this."

His eldest son turned away. "If you wish him safety in this time, then you should not have had him. But I will say nothing of this to another soul, be it living or dead."

And then that scene ended as well, like a projector that ran out of film. I wiped the smile off of my face, in case the next thing I saw was not a happy one. I opened the new door and stepped through.

The picture that blossomed before me really wiped the smile off of my face. Sesshoumaru was standing before Naraku now, who was wearing his baboon thing. I couldn't stop the shudder that passed through me.

"You didn't kill him, I notice," Naraku commented.

"There were complications. I feel no desire to feed you excuses."

"So he lives. And the human girl?"

"Alive as well. I grant you a favor by disposing of my brother," Sesshoumaru began, "and now I ask a favor of you as well. Leave the human out of this."

"The reincarnation of Kikyo?"

"I suppose. I can give you nothing else to go on, except that I request it."

"Could you tell me why the sudden interest in her?"

"I could not if I knew. I do not consider it an unreasonable request. I doubt that one so powerful as yourself should have any problems with it."

And that ended as well. He had actually asked Naraku to allow me to live? When was this??

I informed you just days ago that Inuyasha's wench was off-limits. I hope, for your sake, that you simply forgot.

That long ago? Damn. Maybe . . . maybe he wasn't such a jerk, after all. I just wished I knew the reasons behind the random act of kindness.

The next door appeared in front of me, and I passed through—and felt my jaw drop. It was a room, filled with semi-transparent people, all standing there before me. I saw . . . I saw Sesshoumaru, Saeko, Inuyasha, myself, Naraku, his father . . . another hundred people I couldn't name. What was this? Obviously not a dream.

I wandered through the frozen people, looking at each of them carefully, scoping out each tiny detail. I looked at myself for a long time—I wasn't that pretty. The girl before me was too perfect, and her boobs were too big. But beyond that, we were pretty much identical. When I reached Inuyasha, I leaned in to study him—here, in this image, he seemed too . . . human. Maybe this was Sesshoumaru's perception of us all—but then why was I so pretty? And—hey, why in the hell was I a C-cup in his mind?! Did he just think I was cute because he thought my boobs were big?!

On accident—purely on accident, I swear—I brushed up against the image of Inuyasha . . . and was overcome with emotion. Hatred, disgust, shame . . . it all flooded me. Sesshoumaru was ashamed that his father would ever sire a child like Inuyasha, who was so weak and emotional. And it wasn't just like that on the surface—that was a soul-deep thing. As in all the way down to his core, he hated him so much. Why? . . . No. He hadn't tried to save his father. He hadn't been there when the man needed him. And—jealously? Sesshoumaru was jealous of Inuyasha?

The concept flooded me, like the other emotions. Yes . . . on one level or another, Sesshoumaru loved his father more than anything else in the world, and he asked nothing of him but to be loved in return—somewhere in the deep caverns of emotional constipation, anyways. And he wasn't even granted that. He knew, somewhere, that his father loved him, but he was well aware of the fact that the man loved his half-breed son more than anything. I pulled back quickly to keep from getting sucked in.

If I touched them . . . maybe that was it . . .

I went to Naraku next, hesitant to even touch his image, but sucking it up and doing it anyways. Hatred was the only thing I could really tell was dominant. Disgust. But above all . . . hatred. And that was a soul-deep emotion, too. I delved a little deeper, and saw images from their fight that day in the woods, as I pressed myself back and did my impression of a tree. Another image from the day he turned human, of Naraku towering over him, ready to deal the final blow, and there was nothing he could do about it. The next image I found was . . . erm, fairly new, I could sense, and it blew them all away. Images of Naraku and me, from my nightmares and from the actual time I spent there, at his mercy. My eyes flew wide with horror as I saw . . . I saw myself with Naraku, in his arms, taut with sensations that he told my brain I was experiencing as he raped my mind . . . and he hated Naraku for it. How did he know? I had never—I wouldn't ever tell him about that, I would never tell anyone—

But he knew. And rather than hate me, think I was a—erm, tramp—for it, he looked at Naraku with the utmost hatred and the desire to spill his blood.

I pulled back from that well of emotions, shaken. I suddenly lost the desire to see what he thought of me. I had never planned on sharing those experiences with anyone—especially not Sesshoumaru—but he knew. How, why, for how long, I didn't know, but . . . he did. I sank to the floor by the hologram of Naraku's feet, putting my cool hands to my cheeks and sighing. I—how was I supposed to face him? After he knew that, about—about how weak I was, how easy it was for Naraku getting me to do—that, to react like that—how could I ever really look at him? And what did he think of me? I mean, it was all well and fine for him to hate Naraku for it, but how did that reflect on me?

I swallowed my self-pity and stood to face the phony Naraku, glaring for only a moment before moving on to the image of myself. The answers were here—right in front of me. I could see everything I wanted to know about where I stood with Sesshoumaru—what bothered him about me, what he liked best about me, how he felt in general. I could reach out and touch the image, and it would all be answered. It was so easy . . .

My hand froze in mid-air, inches from the hologram. Did I want to see? Did I have the right to? Just because I could didn't mean that I should. My own privacy had been invaded before; I had no urge to inflict the same invasion on anyone else. I watched my hand shake slightly with indecision.

Did it matter what I should and shouldn't do? I could find out once and for all . . .

But it wasn't my place to force the information, steal it from him . . .

What now?

*

I emerged before Saeko, an exhaustion to my step. "I've seen enough," I told her. "I just want to go back to sleep."

She studied me. "What did you see?"

"A lot." And that closed the matter.

"You have done well, for a human," she remarked. "I expected you to wander for hours through every part of his mind."

I shook my head. "It's not my business. I think I learned too much that he should have told me. I have no business here."

She nodded. "A mature decision, given your young age. Did you see something you didn't wish to see?"

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

"Very well."

The walls and staircases around us dissolved into blackness, and I felt the soft cushion of my bed appear beneath me. I was sitting in my bed, the darkness of the room surrounding me. A slow pin-light appeared at the foot of my bed, illuminating a still figure. Sesshoumaru? What was he doing there?

"What in the—"

"This is where I leave you," she told me, fading into the blackness as well. The pin-light disappeared from him, and he lifted his head slowly as he seemed to wake up. I watched him warily, until his fierce eyes fixed upon me finally. They revealed nothing, as always, but he seemed a little heavier—that was the aura he had, anyways.

"Kagome." He spoke my name as though it were a foreign word. "You're here."

"Um . . . yes, I am. This is my room, after all," I replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I—it's none of your business."

"If you're looking for a late-night roll in the hay," I said sourly, "you're outta luck. Sorry."

His eyes unfocused for a moment, as though something just occurred to him, and then he stood up and approached me. "You didn't tell me," he growled. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" I asked cautiously. "That you're outta luck? Umm—"

"Don't insult my intelligence by playing games!" he interrupted angrily. "Naraku! Why didn't you tell me what all he did to you?"

I felt the color leave my face. "You—"

"Why?" he snarled.

"It was none of your business!" I snapped suddenly. "Would you have cared either way?"

"I would have killed him—"

"Oh, coulda woulda shoulda," I scoffed. "What's done is done. I don't dwell on it."

"You do," he corrected hotly. "You keep it bottled up inside of you like a damn fool!"

"Like you don't do the same thing! You keep everything you've ever had the potential to feel bottled up in the same way!" I threw back.

"I do it for my own safety," he said in a low growl. "You do it because you don't want to face reality."

I stilled. "Excuse me?"

"You can't bear to think about it because you blame yourself," he replied coldly. "You cannot think about it because you can only see the things you should have done, when in reality the scenarios you come up with are completely inane. There was nothing you could have done when he searched your mind for your jewel shards. His control over your mind was as total as he could make it—but not total enough, it seems. It took him quite a while to break into your mind entirely and take the information he wanted. Why? Because you were strong enough to keep him out. I doubt greatly that he stayed in your mind any longer than needed, lest you see into his own mind. Your mental barriers were strong enough to keep him at bay, make him work for what he wanted, even as he manipulated your mind and body in ways that you could not control. I do know something of invading the mind," he added, "and so I do not speak blindly."

I had begun to shake not long ago. "You—you have no right to know any of that!" I managed, my words thick and forced. "It was my place to tell you, not yours to go find out for yourself. I don't even want to know how you found out."

"Good, because I don't want to tell you," he countered. "Know only that had you told me, I would not have turned you away. Your actions do not disgust me. The fact that he presumes to even think of touching you disgusts me. You—" he hesitated, as though debating whether he should go on. "You are too pure a person to be touched by anyone—not Naraku, not Nanashi, and not myself. The evils of this world have no place being around you."

I think I surprised him when I jumped on him and put my arms around his neck. "I don't care what you think," I said into his shoulder. "I wouldn't have told you anyways." His arms went around me awkwardly, and without disengaging myself from his hold, I leaned back with a sneaky smile. "Although fair is fair—you kiss me without permission, I kiss you," I added, leaning back in and planting a firm kiss on his lips.

He reacted almost immediately, pulling me tighter against him and sweeping his tongue into my mouth. I almost melted.

We pulled apart after a moment, but not by much. "I took your advice," I said breathlessly. "About Nanashi. Did my best to keep him off of me."

"I noticed," he murmured against my lips, not content to stay apart for very long.

"You wha—mmph," I added, now unable to ask how he had noticed when his lips crushed against mine again. Guess he didn't mind this whole kissing-thing too much, huh?

My hands rose to tangle in his hair, pushing the silky strands back and resting one hand on the nape of his neck, my other carefully watching out for his hurt shoulder. His own hands smoothed down my back, then rose up under the fabric of my shirt—my white shirt, the school uniform, for some reason. His skin on mine was like an aphrodisiac, and I was the one to open my mouth against his this time. He didn't protest.

With a possessive growl deep in his throat, and his arms still encircling me, he pushed us both down on my bed, with me on bottom, of course. This required a little bit of repositioning, so I settled on my back with my legs apart and he lay between them, not pressing his advantage by lowering his full weight on me but instead keeping himself propped above me.

After a moment, his mouth left mine and travelled down my jaw, leaving a scalding trail everywhere it touched, pausing briefly to nibble my earlobe before dropping to the area below my jaw. His lips assaulted the area, tongue caressing the skin above my vein and then his mouth descending to deliver searing kisses that left red marks. His mouth dropped further down, to my shoulder, and he nipped ever so gently before replacing his teeth with his lips. All the while, his fingers tapered down my sides and back up again, making me shiver.

Then . . . a new sensation where his mouth was, making me gasp. It hurt. My eyes snapped open as his fangs sank into my shoulder, right at the conjunction with my neck. Initially it hurt like hell, but the pain faded slowly as his mouth apologized to the offended skin.

"What was that for?" I managed when the pain subsided.

"Staking a claim, if you will," he murmured into my shoulder, his breath eliciting a shiver that almost made up for the pain.

"I'll show you claim," I muttered, slipping the silk from his shoulders and pulling a quick switch, shifting my weight so that we turned over and he was beneath me. He blinked once in surprise, golden orbs wide, and I flashed him a smile. "What, you're the only one who gets to have fun?" I murmured as my hands ran down his chest. Now he was the one who shivered. My lips trailed down his throat, brushing his collarbone as I delved lower and teased a single nipple with my tongue, smiling at the shuddering breath that left his lungs.

"Kagome—" he began uncertainly, then made a decision and pulled me back up to him, kissing me again and ceasing any power that I had over him. My legs were still on either side of him, and I could definitely feel that he—

Thunk. I hit the bed hard, then sat bolt-right up where I lay. What in the . . .

Already the sensations of his body against mine were fading, as any sensation from a dream would do upon waking. Dammit! I had known the entire time that I was dreaming . . . what a time to wake up!

I sighed and lay back down, very much alone now.

*

Sesshoumaru

The world seemed to sway a bit when I kissed her again . . . gods above, if she wasn't careful, I was going to lose control embarrassingly soon. This human body boasted nothing on self-control, I was discovering.

She pulled her mouth away from mine, her normally dark eyes light and playful. "I don't think so," she warned teasingly. My eyes grew wide as her mouth descended lower this time, not even slowing at my chest. Her hands ran down even quicker, racing down my stomach to grasp my—

The groan that escaped me could not be helped. My . . . er, problem grew even bigger as her tongue dipped into my navel, caressing my skin as though it were her hand, seducing my weak human body and making my muscles tighten in an attempt to control myself. She stayed there only a moment, though, before pushing aside the silk that adorned me and drawing her searing mouth lower. Gods above, she was going to—

"Kagome!" I groaned again, teetering humiliatingly close to my limit. Gods, she was intoxicating—

Her eyes lifted from their goal to fix on mine, and what I saw was like a bucket of ice.

Her eyes were green.

I made a move to scramble back from her, but the strength of a demon outweighs that of a man. Her hands trapped me where I was, and a slow smile crept across her stolen features. "Is there a problem?" she asked innocently, one hand wandering up my thigh to play between my legs.

I struggled to focus; unfortunately, all the blood had left my brain, and I could not pull a rational thought out to save my life. "You—but you—" How long? When had she replaced Kagome in this place—had there ever been a replacement? I saw no mark on her shoulder, which was good. How long? . . .

"Mmm," she replied, no longer interested as her lips began dropping feather-light kisses down my stomach. "Me what?"

"What are you doing?" I finally bit out, an angry edge in my voice.

"I thought it was obvious . . . oh, wait, that," she said, distracted from her task only when speaking. Just keep talking! "I just couldn't resist," she chuckled, further discarding my clothes. "You were here, so delightfully aroused, and the girl? She was in a dream, in all technicalities, so I simply allowed her to wake up. And here I am."

"Get out!"

"I don't think I will," Saeko replied, taking the skin on my hip into her mouth so fiercely that it left a mark that would take days to fade. My head tilted back and I swallowed the sound that bubbled up in my throat. "And to ensure that you don't actually make me leave," she continued, "I believe I'll throw in my bargaining chip. Cast me aside now, and I assure you, Nanashi will kill the girl. Not before having a little fun with her," she continued, "but in the end, he will kill her. A pity . . . I was rather fond of her. She had brilliant ideas for disposing of Naraku, really." Her breath tickled me as she spoke.

I balled my hands into fists around the sheets. "This, in exchange for her life?" I repeated in a strained voice. "You never cease to amaze me."

"Do we have a deal?" she purred, lips moving dangerously close to a place I would rather them not go.

"You have truly gone mad," I growled. "I will never return to you after this night."

"I would expect nothing less. I will take what I can get, when I can get it," she replied, and then her mouth descended fully and I lost myself.

(AN: You may all hate me now.)

*

Kagome

I awoke to Sesshoumaru shaking me awake. "Get up," he snarled impatiently.

I cracked an eye. "Huh?" The sun was barely rising.

"I hope you slept well," he snapped, "because we're leaving. Now."

I rolled out of bed groggily. "Fine. I'm up. What about breakfast?"

"Kill a rabbit or some other small animal," he told me sharply. "I will stay here no longer."

I sighed and followed him out of the room, then crept silently out of the castle itself without being noticed. So much for the Sesshoumaru from my dream. God, what a great dream. And of course I didn't get to pick it up where I left off when I finally fell asleep again.

Once we were far away from the castle/fortress and on our way again, he stopped me without a word and kissed me gently. Nothing involving unbridled passion or anything; just a kiss that came out of nowhere. "I am sorry for ever bringing you to that place," he growled, cupping my face in his hands.

"Why?" I asked, frowning.

Sesshoumaru hesitated before shaking his head and walking on. "It is better if you never know."

I sighed again and rubbed my shoulder—"Ouch!"

He glanced over his shoulder at me. "What now?" Slightly irritated—must not have slept well.

I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. "Nothing," I lied. "Scratched myself."

There was a mark on my shoulder, exactly where he'd bitten me in my dream.

*

AN: NO FLAMES. It was important to the plot, don't flay me alive! *Cowers* I love you all . . . if you review me, I'll never pull anything that wicked again!