Update time! ^____^ Don't really have any A/N except that I don't own Inuyasha…lol. Well here's the update!:

~~~***~~~

When I woke up again, I noticed the sun was in a very different position. Miroku saw my eyes open and immediately shoved a plate under my nose. "Eat." He said simply. "We need to leave as soon as possible."

I heard a far away, low, angry growl from Sesshoumaru at this, but I glanced quickly at him with a look that said, 'It's okay—he's right, after all.' His muscles eased up and he turned away. I sat up slowly and took the meal. "Um, thank you Miroku. You're right, we should leave now." I took a few minutes to eat the meal, and then stood up with new energy. I nodded to everyone, and we began to pack up.

~~~***~~~

"This way." Sesshoumaru stated, pointing to the west. "My brother is there…I know it."

"Very well." Miroku said with decisiveness. "We'll go that direction. Lead the way, Lord Sesshoumaru."

Kirara mewed and grew to her full form. Shippo hopped into Sango's arms, and together with her husband they climbed on the big Kirara. I stepped up onto Sesshoumaru's back carefully, and he leapt into the air.

My heart suddenly fluttered. I was…nervous? 'This will be the first time I will see him since we arrived in this world.' I thought. 'What will he be like? Nice? Mean? Arrogant?' Of course! You couldn't have Inuyasha without arrogance! I chuckled a little. Inuyasha would probably be…no different from the one I knew. At least, that's what I kept saying to myself.

I glanced down at Sesshoumaru. 'I wonder what he's thinking right now…' He would be meeting his brother after such a long time. What would they say to each other? Would Sesshoumaru put aside his differences and learn to accept him? Or would they be bitter towards each other as always? I felt as though I could trust Sesshoumaru well enough to not start another fight…the same kind that landed us here. The same could be said with Inuyasha, I supposed. They would have to get along with each other, or all might be lost.

"Kagome?" I heard a voice call to me from below, breaking my thoughts away. "Kagome, you've been muttering to yourself for the past few minutes. Is everything okay?"

I blushed furiously. Was I saying all that…out loud? "Um…no, it's okay…forget anything I said."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "We're almost there, I think. Just a little more…" I rested my head on his shoulder. His grip tightened a little with protection and also a hint of love. We continued on.

~~~***~~~

Sesshoumaru and I landed on the grass softly. He straightened up and looked at me. "He's here, Kagome. Be on your guard…he might not be the person you know from the Feudal Era."

I nodded, then suddenly stood next to him and took his hand. "Sesshoumaru…you be careful too." I leaned forward to give him what had intended to be a kiss on the cheek, but he moved his head and instead my mouth pressed against his.

His eyes widened at me questioningly, and was about to reel me in for a second kiss when the others landed nearby. "I'll watch over you, Kagome…no matter what." He turned to them, with me, and said, "We're here. Inuyasha is close by."

Miroku nodded. "Well done, my Lord. But in which direction…?"

Sesshoumaru glanced around for a few moments, then turned back to us, looking to the north. "…There…I know it."

Sango stepped up. "Lead the way! Let's finally meet this Inuyasha guy I hear so much about…" We nodded and started down the path with Sesshoumaru leading the way to him.

~~~***~~~

He walked up to what appeared to be a small cottage in the middle of the forest. A tiny amount of smoke puffed out of the chimney. It was a puzzling scene. "This is where he is!?" I asked in disbelief. "This place is too CLEAN for Inuyasha to live here!"

Sango chuckled. "Is he really as ferocious as you say he is, Lady Kagome?" She approached the door bravely.

I gasped. "Now be careful, Sango…you never know, he might-"

But before I could finish my sentence, the door burst open.

My favorite half demon jumped from it. "I thought I heard some intruders! Who's there!?" He leapt closer to us to inspect further. "Who are-" Inuyasha's throat hitched suddenly. He stared at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes. "Sess…Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru chuckled. "Hello, Inuyasha."

He bared his teeth. "What're YOU doing here!?"

"Um…" I interrupted. "I'm sensing some hostility…"

Inuyasha scoffed. "I don't know who you are but you're right! If it wasn't for him our family might still have the throne! Now…leave!" Inuyasha brought his claws up to his face and flexed them quickly.

"But—NO!" I cried. "Inuyasha, don't! Let us explain! Just give us a chance to explain our story!"

"Leave!" He snarled. Inuyasha looked like he was about to lunge at us, but suddenly a figure appeared in the doorway, and he stood back.

"Don't hurt them." She said calmly. "Inuyasha…I know why they're here." She glanced at us and smiled. "Lady Kagome…Lord Sesshoumaru. Miroku, the Head Monk of the castle…his wife Sango, and their demon friends…Kirara and Shippo. You are welcome in our home. Come."

We looked at each other, puzzled. Inuyasha gave a 'Feh!' and walked back inside. He glanced back at us and shouted "Ya coming or not!? Or would you rather stare all day!?" I sighed at the apparent attitude he had taken, then motioned the others to follow.

Not surprisingly, Sesshoumaru's feathers were a little ruffled. "Inuyasha is the same as ever. It seems as though this will be a tough task to undertake."

"Yes…although maybe she can help. But, Sesshoumaru…" I quickly crept my fingers down his arm and to his hand. As he felt it his expression softened and he glanced slowly at me. He understood in my eyes.

"Don't worry." He whispered, squeezing my hand. "I won't start a fight with my brother…I know what you wish." He smiled. "You were mumbling about it during our travel here, remember?" I blushed furiously. "Now let's see what that woman has to say…" He paused in thought. "She intrigues me…she doesn't have a scent." Sesshoumaru glanced at me. "…And…she looks remarkably like you."

I nodded. "Yes…perhaps I'll tell you the story some day…" I turned back to the door. "Let's go."

~~~***~~~

"Please, sit down." Kikyo said softly. "My sister sent a letter about you…we've been waiting, haven't we, Inuyasha?" He nodded with his ears drooped. "Kaede told me the story." She motioned to some chairs. "You don' need to explain anything, Lady Kagome and Lord Sesshoumaru…tea?" She handed each of us a cup, which we took.

Shippo sniffed it. "Yuck! You guys actually drink this!?"

"Shippo!" I scolded. He lowered his head quickly and took another swift sip. "That's better." I smiled and turned back to Kikyo. "Thank you for the warm welcome. Well then, since you already know our story, and why we're here…to be blunt…can you help us? We've traveled so far and we're very hopeful for your positive answer."

She nodded. "Yes, I believe there IS something we can do…" Kikyo stood up. "Allow me to retrieve something for you…" She stood up quietly and went into another room.

When he heard the door click Inuyasha immediately glared at us. "Hmph…Kikyo told me why you're here and what you need. My answer is that you won't get it…that is, unless…"

I stared at him. "Unless what?"

Inuyasha looked away and said nothing. "…Forget it. I'm not helping you no matter what."

I heard a low, quiet growl from Sesshoumaru. "Our father did not wish you to become who you are now, Inuyasha. He must be very disappointed with you, deep in his grave."

"Shut UP!" He snarled. "Our father is ashamed at YOU for neglecting to take care of this land! Look around, Sesshoumaru! See what this land has become? You weren't there! You weren't there when you were needed most!"

Sesshoumaru didn't respond. Instead, he slouched down and rubbed his head with his hand slowly. I put my arm around him quickly. "…Sesshoumaru, what's wrong? Don't let him get to you…Sesshoumaru? Are you in pain? What's wrong?"

He stared into space for a few moments. "It's…strange. For some reason I can recall the memories Inuyasha is referring to perfectly. Memories I don't remember having before…they're only wisps, though. I don't understand." He looked at me. "Could it be, Kagome? Am I experiencing one of the symptoms Miroku had explained earlier?"

I nodded. "You're staring to turn into the real King…we don't have much time…Sesshoumaru, if we don't hurry, it'll be too late." I looked at Inuyasha. "We can't leave…remember? We need him to get out of here. Sesshoumaru, whatever he's mad at you about, we need you to patch things up if we're going to get anywhere in this place. You two need to make amends."

Before he could respond, Kikyo returned to the room once more. She was carrying something with a cloth around it. "The Emperor gave Inuyasha this right before he died." She pulled the material away to reveal the Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha's famous sword. "Here it is. Inuyasha hasn't really used it much—only to fend off any enemies that might be prowling around where we live." Kikyo handed it to him. Inuyasha unsheathed it, and the sword grew to its full form.

Inuyasha growled. "Forget it, I'm not-"

"-Perhaps you should stay for dinner?" Kikyo asked gently. "You must by very tired from your journey. Come, rest now."

Miroku shook his head. "That's very kind of you, but we really have no time to waste."

I took his arm and whispered to him, "Miroku, Kikyo is trying to buy us some time. If we don't convince Inuyasha to come with us then the wind Scar will never be created and Sesshoumaru and I will be stuck here forever."

He sighed. "If you say so…" I nodded satisfactorily. Miroku turned back to Kikyo. "Very well, we will accept your offer…but only for one day. Then we really MUST take leave."

She smiled. "Then I'll start preparing supper."

Shippo leapt off the chair and ran outside. Kirara followed. Sango and I offered to help with dinner, but Sesshoumaru pulled on my arm gently to signify for me to follow him instead. I looked at Sango, but she just smiled and waved us away. "They're such a happy couple." She said to Miroku once we left. "It's no wonder they're so compatible."

~~~***~~~

He led me carefully to a hill outside the place that overlooked much of the land. I rested peacefully against his chest and he put an arm under me protectively. The wind blew up slightly around us. 'What a great day.' I thought. 'So nice…' I snuggled closer to Sesshoumaru. We laid like that for a few moments.

"Kagome." He said softly from above. I looked up questioningly. "I think I know…why my brother is so bitter towards me."

"Oh." I sighed. That was the last thing I wanted to think about.

Sesshoumaru reached down and began to stroke my hair tenderly. He nuzzled the top of my head. "Yes…the picture has become clearer. It seems as though when my father was alive here, I was the older and seemingly more favored child. I was to be the one to inherit the throne. I don't think my father loved Inuyasha any less, but that's how it must've seemed to him. When Naraku took over…I'm sure he blamed me for it. Not only did I not take the throne…but neither did he. Instead, Inuyasha became the outcast of the demon society."

I reached up to rub his neck. "How do you know all of this?"

He sighed appreciatively. "I don't know…but something inside of me says it's true."

His muscles felt tense. Upon realizing this I shifted up to him and brushed my lips against his. "Sesshoumaru…it's not your fault. If we just remember who we are, we'll get through this, right? Try not to think about it."

His demon attitude kicked in and he struck his lips against me upon my touch. I curled into him, closer. His arms held me steady. Sesshoumaru was so…warm. I smiled in content.

"Kagome…" Sesshoumaru breathed. His eyes closed halfway and the kiss changed from fiery to sweet. I caressed his cheek and was about to press closer when suddenly his ears tensed and he pulled away. "Inuyasha approaches." He whispered. I nodded and we stood up.

Sure enough, his brother could soon be seen walking around the bend of the path. He glared at us for a moment, then motioned for us to sit down. We looked at him suspiciously, and then glanced at each other. I shrugged and we sat down with him.

"…Look," He began flatly. "As I said before, I know what you want. I know what troubles you. Sesshoumaru, I realize that you're not from this world. At first I had trouble believing it when Kikyo told me, but every time I look at you it makes more and more sense. Kikyo says you want to return to your true world with my help, correct?"

I nodded. "Inuyasha, are you married to Kikyo…?"

"I love her, but no. Kikyo is dead, and as you know, this isn't just a land for demons—it's also for the dead…for wandering souls. But when Naraku had slain my father and took the throne, I…had no place. After all…" He smiled bitterly. "…Only half of my blood is that of a demon. Therefore, neither the human or demon land would accept me. Fortunately I still had the sword my father gave me…the only thing I owned. From it I was able to stop all that opposed me…they spat at me and called me weak, but I showed them…" His eyes glowed a little. "But…it wasn't enough. I needed a place I could call home. And then, one glorious day I met my love, Kikyo. She was a neutral sort of person and didn't care what I was. So, she healed me up, and Kikyo and I built this house, where we have lived peacefully ever since."

"Oh." I said understandingly. "That explains it. Inuyasha, seeing how it wasn't THIS Sesshoumaru's fault, do you think you could put your feelings aside and help us out with our mission?"

He growled a little and stood up. "I need to think about it." Inuyasha answered flatly. "I'll give you my answer in the morning. Good night." He turned from us and walked away.

When he was gone I sighed. "That didn't exactly go as I had planned, Sesshoumaru."

He nodded. "Don't worry about it, Kagome. Inuyasha will come through for us. For now…" Sesshoumaru grasped my hand and traced around with his thumb. "Let us rest up while we can. Come." We walked down the path together back to everyone else. My mind felt uneasy, and I couldn't help but have the feeling of dread stay with me.

Review Responses:

sakurapetal13: Hehe, now there's an idea!

RoquesHeart: !!! COOKIE!!! Cookie cookie!!! *pounce* ^_____^ And yes, Kouga is a very very bad wolf.

kistune-chan3: lol, I never really thought mushrooms to be very holy…heh. Well thank you for saying so. ^_^

I: Good to know! Hope you can read this update!

Rabid-Inu-Girl: Hehe, yeah everyone does, don't they….=D

fluffy sama 13: Will do, thanks for reviewing!

zeddy200: Arigato! Glad ya like! Read some more, hehehe.

Ryurisano: Yeah, it's definitely different from all the others, ne? And I hope you like this update as well!

Sihara: lol, nope! That'd be a weird way of twisting things, heh.

Guardiun Angel15: Yay!! Glad you passed! ^___^ *pat* Happy, so happy…yes I'll put some more limeyness in, per your request! =D

Satu-Chan: lol, yeah it took long enough, ne?

fluffys_sidekick: *horrible blush* Thank you very much. Where did I come up with it…? Hmm…well I was toying around with the idea, and I was sitting at my desk, and I was like, what if they weren't actually a King and Queen, but rather, involuntary ones? That way they would be forced to fall in love! ^___^ And so, this fic was born…lol.

Vegetas4Life: !? What's going on? Have some reviews not been showing up or something? I've heard others complain too…anyways thank you!

Miko-Princess: Okay, will do! ^__^

wyldwolfrose: Arigato! Come and read again! Lol

puffin: Well we'll just have to see…hehehe. =D

samAura: lol, yes I suppose so…well then here's more to read!

…Hmm, guess that's all. *confused* That's odd, a lot of my regulars didn't review for that one. Lol, wonder where they went…FF.Net isn't hiding reviews is it? Is anyone having trouble reviewing? E-mail if that's the case so I can at least know, heh. Anyways, let me know what you think! Next chappy will have…um…stuff! Lol. R&R! Arigato, ja ne! ^______^