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Shadows

Chapter 15: Enter Sesshomaru

Kagome gaped at the Inu-demon who now stood in front of her with contempt in his eyes. "Since when have you been part Youkai, girl?"

Laughing nervously, she didn't know how to answer him, "Um…what?"

Raising an eyebrow at her response, Sesshomaru raised one clawed hand, "Where is that hafling, Inu Yasha?"

Before Kagome could answer, Rin ran over to Sesshomaru, "Sesshomaru-sama! This lady saved Rin!"

Looking down at the little girl, he looked at her with some surprise in his eyes, "Saved you?"

Rin nodded and then smiled at the Inu Lord, "Ah-huh! This icky snake thing threw Rin to the ground, and Rin was sure it was going to eat her! But this nice girl killed it and saved Rin!"

Sesshomaru looked at the girl, contemplating what she had said, then lowered his hand. Looking back at Kagome with his expressionless face, he asked her again, "Where is Inu Yasha?"

Before Kagome could speak though, there was a shout through the woods, "Kagome!" and a flash or red standing before her. "Sesshomaru! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Inu Yasha!" Kagome exclaimed, happy to see him. Sango and Miroku then flew into the clearing on a transformed Kirara.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled and ran over to her, holding her weapon as she cast a glance at Sesshomaru and company, "Are you alright?"

"Hai, Sango!"

"Inu Yasha" Sesshomaru sneered, "What have you done to this human girl? She smells like that of a demon, but she is not your mate."

Inu Yasha clutched the sheathed tetsuiga at his side, "What makes you think it was something I did!"

Miroku had also walked towards the girls, concerned for Kagome's safety. "Are you alright, Lady Kagome?"

"Yes, Miroku." Kagome turned her eyes towards Sesshomaru, "Inu Yasha has done nothing to me! I- I had a spell on me!"

Inu Yasha and Sesshomaru both looked at her. Inu Yasha's eyes held surprise, "A spell?"

Kagome nodded, "Yes…placed by my grandfather, I guess. I don't know how he could do that, but he did and Naraku found out and broke the spell over me. My father was a hanyou."

Inu Yasha was too surprised to speak. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, was not, "Then your even worse then a half-breed. Only a quarter demon. That will make killing the both of you much easier." He raised his hand again, about to call his whip to his hand.

Inu Yasha growled, "Don't you dare!" And put his hand back on his sword.

Before either one could take action, however, Sesshomaru felt something pull on his kimono. Looking down, he saw Rin. "Yes, what is it?"

Rin looked up at him and pleaded with her eyes, "Please, Sesshomaru-sama! Don't kill them! The lady saved me!" Tears were almost brimming in her eyes.

Moved again by something in the child he traveled with, Sesshomaru slowly lowered his hand, then looked at his half-brother and his companions. "For saving her life, I will not kill you, today." He then turned around and walked towards Jaken.

"Hey wait!" Inu Yasha yelled, but Sesshomaru continued to walk away from them.

Rin bowed to Kagome and giggled, then turned around and ran after Sesshomaru, with Jaken.

As the disappeared from sight, Inu Yasha turned around and glared at Kagome. "What were you thinking, just running away like that!"

Kagome lowered her eyes, "I…I didn't want to hurt anyone else."

Inu Yasha opened his mouth, but couldn't find any words to come. Sango took over for him, "Kagome, we know you wouldn't hurt us intentionally, you were under Naraku's control."

She could feel tears rising to her eyes, but she didn't care, "But, even after I wasn't under his control, I couldn't control what I was doing! That flash of light-"

"Healed us all," Miroku cut her off, showing where the cut was through his sleeve from the fight with Kohaku, but no cut underneath, "You weren't trying to hurt us Kagome."

As much as a surprise as this came to her, the tears wouldn't stop from rolling down her cheeks, "But…I…"

She was cut off again, but this time by Inu Yasha, who very uncharacteristically pulled her into his arms. "Don't worry about it Kagome…We're all fine"

When she said nothing, Miroku chimed in, "Let's head back to Kaede's, ok? I'm sure Souta and Shippo are anxious to see you!"

Kagome sniffled and smiled, pulling away from Inu Yasha. "Alright!"

*~*~*

After camping out for the night, the group began their journey home. The two day's travel it had originally taken them to get to Naraku's castle took only one day to get back. Kagome, even though she had some gained speed due to her new youkai powers was still not as fast as Inu Yasha, so she rode on his back. Sango and Miroku flew above on Kirara.

For awhile, as they soared through the forest, no one said a word.

'I wonder if he…thinks of me differently now?' Kagome asked herself, and glanced at the hanyou's face. 'He doesn't really look upset, but…' Steadying her self, she finally gatherered the nerve to ask him, "Inu Yasha…are you mad at me?"

Inu Yasha's brows furred and his eyes looked up at her, "Why would I be mad at you?" He questioned back, still racing through the forest.

Kagome sighed, "Well…that I'm…different now." Inu Yasha came to a halt so quickly that Kagome had to tighten her grip around his neck to keep from flying off, "What the heck did you do that for!" She yelled at him. Noticing her arms still around his neck like a vice-grip, she released them with a "sorry!"

After releasing him, he turned around to face her, "Why would I care what you are?" He asked coldly. How could she ask him something like that? After she could love him for whatever he was, human, full-demon, half-breed, she thought he would be turned away by something changing in her?

Kagome looked down at the ground, not knowing how to take the cold glare he was giving her, "I just…want to know if you will still…care for me even if I'm-"

Inu Yasha cut her off, grabbing her shoulders. "Look, you know it's hard for me to talk about…stuff like this so I'm only going to say it once, alright? I don't care! You could be 100% human or 100% demon, I don't care! I don't love you for what you are, I love you for who you are, whatever form that might take!" done with his little speech, he let go of her arms, and crossed them over his chest. "I can't believe you honestly think I would care-"

Now he was the one cut of by Kagome, who ran forward and wrapped her arms around him, "I'm sorry! I just…was feeling…I don't know! I know you're not like that!"

Inu Yasha uncrossed his arms and wrapped them around her, holding her to him. "Come one, let's get going back to Kaede's. I betcha they're dying to see you." Kagome nodded and soon they were off again, flying towards the village.

*~*~*

As they reached the village, the sun hang low in the sky, as it was almost nightfall. Letting Kagome off his back, the walked towards the hut. The curtain door flew open as two flashes flew out of the hut. One was red, the other black. Kagome soon found herself on the ground.

"Kagome! Kagome!" Shippo yelled as he clung onto her for dear life, "I thought I'd never see you again!"

Inu Yasha grumbled, "You have no faith in me or what, runt!" Shippo turned at stuck his tongue out at him.

Souta had his arms wrapped around his sisters waist. "Kagome! I'm so happy your ok!"

"Oh Souta!" Kagome whispered, and reached down to run her fingers through his hair. She was stopped by an unexpected surprise.

"Um, hey Souta? Since when did you have dog ears?!?"

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