BWAHAHAHAHAH! I am evil, aren't I? Leaving it hanging like that? I've gotten a lot of positive response to my fanfic, which pleases my munchkins and I. It has also geared me into writing this as fast as possible to satisfy the addicts. You asked for it; you got it: Chapter #3!

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Kagome watched the dagger of blood advance towards her, realizing too
late that she should react. She shrieked and dropped into a crouch,
turning away from the attack. Sesshoumaru's actions during this could
have only been described as supernatural. He thrust Inu Yasha away and
lunged towards Kagome, the dagger of blood grazing his upper arm as his
body shielded hers. Kagome, hearing the grunt that Sesshoumaru emitted,
looked up, shocked to see Sesshoumaru's arms around her shoulders. Her
mind's thoughts seemed to pass sluggishly through her head, one fact
reigning clear: He had saved her. Sesshoumaru had defended her and her
honor. Inu Yasha attacked her. Sesshoumaru squeezed Kagome's shoulders
once before he stood and faced Inu Yasha's, his golden eyes resembling
two shards of ice. He took off his trench coat, not bothering to wipe off
the blood that had stained it from the attack and his wound.

He changed his stance as he cracked his knuckles, standing in front of
Kagome. Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome as he said, "Go to somewhere safe.
This may be dangerous and I may not be able to protect you." Kagome,
confused, picked up the trench coat and quickly stepped back, blushing as
she murmured her thanks. Sesshoumaru nodded to her before he glanced at
his bloody cut. It was not deep, but still made stretching his left arm
painful. Sesshoumaru glared coldly at Inu Yasha as he remarked, "I
suppose this makes your sword useless. You betrayed the human you were
meant to protect and replaced the gap with your own foolish pride. Not
the wisest choice." Inu Yasha growled as he cast the sheathed Tessaiga
aside, before brandishing his claws and saying, "I don't need it to beat
you, bastard."

They lunged towards each other in the same instant, wounding their
opponent and landing on the opposite end of the room like samurai. Inu
Yasha gasped in pain and rage as he held his hand over his upper arm,
which was deeply wounded. Sesshoumaru grinned as he licked the blood on
his claws to clean them. "I plan to give back the wound you inflicted on
with a hundred times over. Then I shall repay you for the harm you would
have done to Kagome." Inu Yasha growled, his heart wincing at the thought
of Kagome. His feelings could not be neatly banished even though most of
them had converted to hatred. "Why are you even here?!" He yelled as he
turned to face the evil demon.

"Easy. Demons are immortal. Your human side filtered the purity of your
demon blood and shortened your life span considerably. I had to modify my
appearance a little to blend with the changing times but I was rewarded
for my patience in the end. You have no idea what it is like: waiting
hundreds of years for a single mortal so you can spend your lives
together. I let her slip through my fingers once and I am not letting her
do it again." Inu Yasha looked confused as he let his arms drop, letting
an unintentional whiny quality enter his voice as he said, and "She was
mine first, brother. You have no right." Sesshoumaru laughed, a short
harsh sound, as he continued with his speech, "I didn't know you could
claim ownership of a person. I am her only option for happiness. You want
to know something about that well? It goes back to Feudal Japan. And only
Feudal Japan. As soon as that era ends, the well becomes another pit in
the ground. I know, brother, I lived through it."

Inu Yasha growled as he said, "Do you really think I'll let Kagome go to
a bastard like you?" He pointed his claws at Sesshoumaru's throat as his
half-brother said, "Actually, Inu Yasha, you are the technical bastard.
And why do you care about her this much? Is it because you love her? Or
is it because you see her as your last chance with Kikyo?"

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Dudes, this is me again. It's late, so I'm signing off. Read and review!
I apologize for the slowness of this chapter; there was a bunch of stuff
I needed to explain. I'll get more action and romance in the next
chapter, otaku-in-training's honor! I'll give you a really long chapter 4
tomorrow or the day after to compensate for this one's shortness. -_-