I'm sorry for the long wait! I've had finals week and different stuff, but nevertheless I'm getting out the next chapter. I also have responses to your reviews at the bottom, I'm sorry about taking a long time for that! Well onward, but not before the disclaimer!

I do not own Inu-Yasha, all belongs to Rumiko Takahashi! You go girl!

Oh, and on a special note, I've added dividers. ~*~*~ means a scene change, and *** means the focus of a certain person has changed.Also I would like to know if anyone out there knows how to make your work itailizied or bolded when you upload it. For some reason, mine won't won't show it, so for now thoughts will use the little ' ' things.





~Losing grace~





In an effort to calm the little girl, Sesshoumaru pressed Rin tighter against his chest.

Only moments before she'd come scampering to him crying and screaming bloody murder. Now the two were chasing after Jaken's trail to 'save' him, as she put it. If only she knew what the Yokai lord had in store for the toad. Leaving the child alone to frighten her was not a fitting punishment to the girl, but he would show Jaken what one was.

Then he smelled it, an odd stench that whispered evil and magic.

At the moment he realized what it was, his body convulsed. He fell on all fours leaving Rin a tumbling mass below him.

Trying to stop the spell from entering his body, he covered his mouth and nose, but it was too late.

The magic was taking effect on his body and mind, calling him somewhere. All his force couldn't stop his tendons and muscles from moving towards the source of the odor. The only sounds over his labored breathing were Rin's high-pitched yells.

Soon even those faded away and he was racing to an unknown place, abandoning the young girl behind him.





~*~*~





Bow and Arrow finally in hand, Kagome was ready for anything. The bad feeling in the pit of her stomach grew with each passing second.

Shortly after Inu-Yasha took off, Shippo had followed as wild as a child kitsune could be. It was obvious to her, Sango, and Miroku that this force controlled demons.

Worry written all over her face, she grasped Kirara's pale fur and ushered to move faster. The demon energy was growing rapidly, pressing down on her whole body harshly.

Squinting her eyes almost dangerously, the teenager readied herself for the encounter with this new demon.

And what a demon it was with her dark green eyes and extravagant clothing. Contrasting with her gold and red clothes were bright green vines entwined around her limbs, neck and hair. Kagome heard her long earrings clack when she turned her head to face the new arrivals.

Before the striking demon spoke, Kagome inspected her surroundings carefully. Inu-Yasha and Shippo kneeled next to the woman apparently awaiting any command. Adjacent to the two stood Jaken. Adding to her surprise, Inu-Yasha's half brother was also in the area, but he seemed to still be battling whatever possessed the additional demons. As she watched him, his eyes would shine gold from time to time and he'd pull away from the group. Then his features would turn bizarrely feral for Sesshoumaru and his body would inch in the direction of them.

Sure, she'd known the demon lord was strong, but now she perceived how powerful he could be in both body and mind. Pity grazed her heart slightly for how much pain he was going through trying to stop the demonic possession.

At least it was one less enemy to deal with for the moment.

Her mind set on the battle ahead, she faced Inu-Yasha, Shippo, and Jaken with their flaring nostrils, then the fine featured demon who had started this all. Anger surged through her placid blue eyes, warning the creature without words that this wasn't the time, especially since Inu-Yasha had finally returned.

Of course the woman shrugged it off like you would a fly and pursed her red lips together as if eating a lemon.

" So, you're the girl guarding the Shikon Jewel, I'd thought the half-breed would have stolen it by now."

The words stung her for some reason, but before she could come back with a snide remark, Miroku spoke.

" It's palpable you want the jewel, but would you trade it for our friends?"

" Who said anything about a trade? I, the demoness Treotha, am powerful enough to keep these demons as slaves and take the jewel by force, if need be."

She smirked deliberately making Kagome's blood boil. The entire endeavor she'd put into preventing her short temper from boiling over vanished in one aberrant second.

It wasn't enough that the demon female turned her friends against her and brought a lord to his knees in disgrace, but she'd interrupted a special moment between her and Inu-Yasha and had the nerve to claim him and the shikon. Without him she felt like she had nothing anymore, especially with the well closed up. No, she wouldn't stand for it.

" You.... You, Stupid Witch! Why don't you fight your own battles?!"

Sango, Miroku and even across the battlefield Sesshoumaru's face turned to the oppressive girl. It wasn't just the words, never had anyone seen her so furious before. The jewel seemed to be adding to her own power already swarming around her, a power that was extraordinary in it's own right, without any jewels.

At that moment the demon knew she had to act fast, or she'd have no chance at obtaining the jewel.

Behind Treotha's green irises she hid her small fear and demanded the possessed minions to attack, but was rudely cut short when a small dark haired girl stumbled into the hazardous meeting.





***





Sesshoumaru had just about lost the fight for control over his own body and thoughts, until he'd heard her enraged shout. It was exactly what he needed to remind him where he belonged, something familiar. For one second the blackness pulled away from his mind and body. In the midst of it he stared at her, really looked at the girl and he saw all the emotions churning around her small form. He'd only recently found she could hold such an array of feelings, and now he was taken back.

He only had a short instant to ponder about the puzzling girl when it was back, irritating as ever in its wrestle to have control. There seemed to be no rest for Sesshoumaru. It was hard to even see straight, if at all and he couldn't focus on the girl any more.

" Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Instantly he responded to the childish voice, rotating so he could see Rin's welcoming pudgy hands and childish face. Every thing his demon blood denied gushed through his brain, he wanted to go to her, to pat her head reassuringly, and protect her with the little bit of strength he had left. The demonic binds slipped out of him bit by bit as he took an embarrassingly sluggish step towards the child. Now he noticed that the human that troubled him so was moving to her as well, warning her she shouldn't be here.





***





Furious at the little human for ruining her chance to attack and pulling Sesshoumaru out of her spell, Treotha called forth Inu-Yasha.

" Kill that wench!"

Emotionless the half-demon pulled the Tetsusiga from its hilt and went after the prey.

There wasn't enough time for him to react, Sesshoumaru realized in a spilt second, but how could he just sit there and watch her die?

Through the agony of movement he pushed his body to try to stop something he knew he couldn't, and the idea that the great lord of the west couldn't do what he wanted to was unimaginable to him, like defeat.

" Stop Inu-Yasha!"

He looked up in time to see her figure spreading her arms out in protest as she had done to him once. Eyes set in determination she held her ground and yelled again.





***





" Inu-Yasha!"

Briefly he raised his head out of numb sleep and saw Kagome with eyes bold and full of hope. Judging by the surface of the Tetsusiga's handle and the incredible speed he was falling forward, he was about to kill that same person.

Startlingly, he couldn't move the blade out of its path. Gritting his teeth, he tried harder and harder to stop this horrible fate.

It was all in vain, but he wanted one last look at the female he suffered so much for, and received even more. Then he saw the string of fear, the lost hope against her recent fortitude and his heart contracted. He couldn't kill her, he could never.

With a new vigor he swung away from the trembling humans.





***





Mutely Kagome watched as a few strands of her hair floated down to the forest floor. Instinctively she felt her bangs. There was only a half an inch missing, but to a teenage girl things could get a little exaggerated.

" Inu-Yasha! Look at my hair!" She pointed to it, a tear gathering in her eye.

All demons in the area flinched painfully at the sound of her earth- shattering shriek. After the ringing in his ears ceased, Sesshoumaru looked at the girl again. He didn't understand the human to any extent. Sniveling about something so, so trivial as losing a bit of hair when she'd been on the verge of death was unreasonable, but he hadn't suspected the girl to be one of reason as she jumped so courageously in death's path to save one lone little girl. Nevertheless, deep down where no one would know he thanked her for it.

Out of the blue came Treotha's cold command.

" Jaken, Shippo kill the monk and exterminator! Inu-Yasha get your half- brother!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed darkly as the demoness muttered something to herself that he was sure only his ears picked up.

" I'll deal with the girl myself."

There wasn't much time to react as everyone was pulled into a pointless battle.

Sango and Miroku wouldn't have had so much trouble if Jaken didn't hold the staff of heads and they'd been familiar with Shippo's kitsune tricks, but they'd never battled their own allies before.

As for the lord of the west, he was still recovering from his inner battle for control, but Sesshoumaru would never show weakness. He took his brother head on even though this time, they were evenly matched.

Kagome sheltered the small girl from the energy being released everywhere and scanned the field for Treotha. She didn't have to look far because the woman was only a few feet away with a smile she wished she'd never have to look at again.

" The jewel girl, give it up."

In silent horror, she watched as the demon's vines pulled away from her body and shot straight for her. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the small marble glow evilly.

No, she was protector of the jewel, and she would fulfill her duty completely. Bow in hand, arrow aimed, heart set, she let go.

As her enchanted arrow hit the vines they melted as if affected by acid. Treotha saw how dangerous the weapon was and dodged quickly.

Before Kagome had time to reload her wooden instrument, it was knocked out of her hands angrily by another vine.

Instinctively she picked the young girl up and ran for dear life, dodging plants as well as possible. The weight in her arms made it even more challenging to stay out of the demon's grasp. This was a time she couldn't be weak, she couldn't stop, she couldn't show anything less than imperfection, and no one was capable of that. Unpleasantly she fell when a raggedy vine finally caught her ankle. Hearing the girl cry out, stirred her protective instincts and she clutched her to her chest firmly. The demoness was almost upon them, her hand reaching greedily for the jewel beneath her cotton shirt.

'If only I had my bow!'

" No! The jewel!"

Kagome cocked an eye open and gasped in surprised when she saw Treotha drag back a handless arm. To hers and the demon's misfortune, the appendage was still gripping the small sphere. Going off like a siren, the teenage girl threw the mauled hand away as far as possible.

The offender, Sango, stood on guard awaiting the reassuring feel of the boomerang in her hands.

While the demon was distracted, Kagome picked up the little girl and moved for her weapon.

" You will not escape!"





***





Treotha struck the human with an anger she hadn't normally possessed. Even as she went sailing through the air, she held the girl to her chest protectively. After hitting a tree trunk full force she fell into the patch of flowers below. She was motionless until the child screamed and started to bawl into the soft fabric of her shirt.





***





'What's that smell?'

The little girl was crying, but that wasn't the cause. There was a strange scent lingering in the air, tinged by demon power, but still sweet like the candy she ate as a kid.

Flowers, she was surrounded by flowers giving off the irregular fragrance. Quick as lightning she inspected every one of the demons being controlled.

Blazing nostrils, hurried breaths, it was starting to become obvious.

" Miroku! Sango! These flowers, kill them!" Frantically she began to rip the plants from the dirt.

Miroku and Sango wondered at her, pausing the battle for mere seconds. The girl had never been wrong, and the expression on Treotha's face confirmed she still wasn't.

Following her command, the monk and the exterminator landed in front of her.

" Kagome get ready to fly."

Nodding in agreement, she picked up the traumatized child and grabbed Sango's hand.

Almost immediately after the contact, she felt the searing heat from the staff of heads as she sailed through the air on Kirara's back. Absent- mindedly she pulled the little girl close and hushed her reassuringly.

When the bright light vanished, recently possessed demons were on the ground catching their breath, along with Sesshoumaru.

" Oh no!"

Kagome didn't hear the girl mutter while she looked over the lord. A huge gapping hole through his right shoulder bleed profusely. She was still surprised he had his leg by the giant slash exposing bone and tissue. Those were the only major injuries among his other cuts and bruises.

Nevertheless he seemed proud as he always had been. The pain had to be excruciating, but he forced himself to stand tall and ready. His quick intake of breath was the only sign pointing at his current struggle.

Regretful, she watched him turn his golden gaze to her. She searched despairingly for an emotion in that fierce stare, any emotion whether it was anger, or dare she say thankfulness, but she found nothing.

" You stupid bitch! I'll thrash you!"

Both her and the demon lord were sidetracked by his half brother's proclamation, which was more of an action by now.





***





Treotha growled irritably. She'd never live to claim the jewel if she didn't do something fast. Right now the half demon was her biggest threat, and her smallest was perhaps his brother. Sure he acted unaffected as any emperor would, but it was evident as a sore thumb to her he was suffering a great deal.

Smirking, she pulled her last resort from the beneath the folds of her clothes with her remaining hand.





***





In wonder, Kagome gawked at the demoness as she hurled halves of a seed at the dog demon brothers. She then pulled out two more and pressed them together forcefully.

A large crack sounded through the area followed by a brilliant illumination.

The feeling she got from the light oozed through her veins.

" Where's Treotha?" Miroku was searching fervently for a demoness Kagome knew had already escaped, but she also knew the bright light had been used for more than a distraction.

Sango confirmed her deepest worries, " No, the question is, where is Inu- Yasha?"

For the girl's comfort and her own she ran her fingers through the messing hair.

" Where's Sesshoumaru?"







Contact with Author:

Mala: S/K makes me smile too! I'm glad you like it!

Sierra-Falls: Well, here ya go! I'm glad I can interest some one.

Karebear: Yeah, I worked hard on it, S/K forever!

Momiji: Same here.

Hiromi: Who doesn't want this pairing? ( only the crazy people, or is it the sane ones?) :\

Danielle: Short but sweet, I hope, and here's the next chapter!

Laura: Thank you! I love praise, and yes, Sesshoumaru is one fine man. er demon. I'm glad you think they're in character!

O2: Wow, I feel special, special enough to submitt to your 'command'. Glad your open to different pairings.

Bunny: Thanx! Oh, I added a divider! I love critical criticism, believe it or not! Sesshoumaru could be a stalker, especially mine.. * smiles back *

Tasha: In truth, you'll probably get your wish, and yeah, I like leaving cliffhangers.

Claira: Well, here you go, and thank you for asking!

Izzy:...'-_- I wish I didn't know you!

Fangirl: That's okay, manga and anime are extremely influencing ( points to moon and stripes drawn on face in honor of someone special =)* and your about to find out.

Inuyashachic515: Good, nope, but I'm in some debate events, even though I don't have the class.

Yukiko: I probably will, unless I start to feel sorry for the poor half- demon.

Missy: Wow, a lot of people really like this pairing and I'll try.

Angelamisaki: Another fan?! =), Well thanx for the advice, that opens up a lot of possibilities, but if it does happen, it'll take a while.

Fallon: I'll try to keep it that way!

Isa: The people love fluffy! Yeah, I'm trying hard not to do that! I'm going to keep her in character as much as possible, and my idea of her character isn't anything like that.

Lord Kain: Sorry, it's going to be a S/K, ( Your sure are an open person!)

Dark Angel: I will, don't worry.

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