Disclaimer: Lets see.....I have.....a notebook, some crappy school books, leftover Halloween candy, some lint, and an evil little sister whom I call Jaken.....nope...no Inuyasha.

~*~Chapter 3: New Kimono, New Feelings~*~

Kagome awoke before dawn, and could still see a lot of stars. The moon was half-full, or half-empty to some people. Rin was still asleep, curled up against Ah-Un. The dragon, too, was sleeping, but it's ears were pointed foward, always alert. Kagome looked around but couldn't find Sesshoumaru anywhere.

Kagome vagulaly remembered the dream she had had last night. Inuyasha had come to her again and continued telling her to run away, her dream self kept telling Inuyasha that she couldn't, every time she tried to run away Sesshoumaru caught her. But like in real life, the dream-Inuyasha wouldn't listen and continued telling her to run.

'Where is Sesshoumaru?' Kagome looked around, but still couldn't find the Taiyoukai. She got up slowly and continued looking for him. 'If he's not around, maybe I can run for it, like Inuyasha said to.' Kagome took another couple steps towards the woods, and froze as a twig snapped under her foot.

"Don't try it miko." Kagome's blood froze and she turned around. Sesshoumaru lay in the tree she had been sleeping by.

"You could hear me?"

"You make enough noise to wake the dead."

"I wasn't going to run away." Kagome said quickly.

"Who said anything about running away?" Sesshoumaru smirked.

"Well then, can I at least go take a bath? I'm sure there's a river or something around here." Sesshoumaru nodded slightly and Kagome walked off. She found the river quick enough, and found it freezing cold.

'What I wouldn't give for a hot bath.' Kagome held her breath and quickly got into the water, wanting to get out just as fast. The water was clear, and as the sun started to come up, Kagome could see little fish swimming away from her. When her teeth started chattering Kagome got out of the river, feeling awake and refreshed. Her school uniform however, was torn and dirty.

Suddenly Kagome was met with a cold blade pressed against her throat.

"Well, look what we got here." Kagome felt her blood run cold for a second time that day as a bandit came out of the bushes. The miko could only guess there was a second one holding the knife on her neck. Four more men came out and made a ring around Kagome. The man with the knife released her and Kagome saw she was surrounded.

"What do you want?" Kagome asked.

"You got a pretty short kimono on there." The men's grins reminded Kagome of Miroku's when he was about to do something perverted. Only there were more bandits and their faces were worse than Miroku's. They started coming closer and closer to Kagome, and when one grabbed her arm she screamed.

Sesshoumaru's ear twitched as he heard a scream. Ah-Un looked towards the source and even Rin turned her head towards the sound. Sesshoumaru growled low as his mind registered who was making the sound.

"Rin, stay with Ah-Un." Sesshoumaru took off and Rin clung to one of the dragons' head for comfort. The Taiyoukai growled again when he saw what he found, but smirked as well.

Kagome was fighting the men trying to grab her. One lay on the ground with what looked like a broken jaw. Part of her sleeve had been ripped off, and there were some bruises. She punched a bandit and turned around to backhand one behind her. But there were too many of them and the men jumped on her. Sesshoumaru could hear the miko try to bite and claw her way out, but she didn't have claws or fangs. Still, Sesshoumaru had to give her some credit for fighting.

"Stop this foolish humans." Sesshoumaru said, coming out from the trees. The men turned to face the youkai and laughed.

"That's some weird fur there." One bandit said. Their leader seemed most amused though.

"Just a human. Kill him." The other bandits attacked Sesshoumaru, who sliced through them boredly.

'How could they think Sesshoumaru was a human?' Kagome thought.

"Do you always go looking for trouble?" Kagome looked up and saw Sesshoumaru stareing back down at her. One hand was bloody, and suddenly turned green, his poison dissolving the blood right off.

"I don't go looking for trouble, trouble just seems to find me." Sesshoumaru smirked and headed back towards camp, Kagome following.

~*~*~*~

"There is a town nearby." Sesshoumaru stated while walking. Rin and Kagome sat on Ah-Un with Sesshoumaru leading. Jaken had shown up, much to Kagome's dismay. As soon as the toad had seen her, he started calling her a weak human and other names that Rin shouldn't have heard. Sesshoumaru had finally shut him up after sending the toad a death-glare. Thankfully, Jaken wasn't there long. Sesshoumaru handed him something and the toad ran off.

"How big is the village?" Kagome asked.

"Big enough to house more humans than I care for." Sesshoumaru replied.

"Can Kagome-chan and Rin get lunch there?" Rin looked up hopefully at Sesshoumaru. Kagome was still amazed at this. How was it that a little seven year old girl can hold the gaze of the Taiyoukai?

"You may, while you are there, get the miko a new kimono." Sesshoumaru said. "Get something nice."

"What's wrong with what I have on now?" Kagome asked, looking down at her school uniform and wishing she hadn't said that.

"Your so called kimono is indecent and filthy." Sesshoumaru said, looking at the dirt and blood stained outfit. He smirked and continued, "Not to mention, torn in a couple places." Kagome blushed a bright red.

"Can we go now Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin asked, shaking from either excitment or that permanent sugar rush all young children had. The youkai dropped some coins into the girl's hand.

"Return by sunset." Sesshoumaru said. Rin raced off with Kagome, or rather, Kagome was being dragged by Rin.

Kagome was amazed at the size of the town. It was more like a small city, at least twice the size of Kaede's village. People were rushing around, bartering or eating at the small restaurant. There even looked to be a day-care, a bunch of little kids were playing around under the watchful eye of some women. Some of the boys were chasing each other around with toy swords, while the girls played with dolls. Rin's eyes were wide, trying to take in everything at once.

The first stop was a stand that had lots of kimonos.

"What about this one Kagome-chan?" Rin pointed to a pretty pink kimono. Kagome looked at the price and shook her head.

"Sorry Rin-chan, it's too much."

"What's too much?"
"Sesshoumaru didn't give us that much money, and we still need some for lunch." Kagome sighed and continued looking through all the different kimonos.

"Kagome-chan! Kagome-chan! Rin found one!" Rin dragged Kagome to a nice pale green kimono, cranes were flying across the sleeves. It was cheap enough, nice...and not dirty or torn. "I think it's pretty Kagome-chan!"

'If I get this one, we won't have that much for lunch.' Kagome spotted another kimono, it was cheaper than the green one, but ugly. 'I don't have to eat, I'm not that hungry.' Kagome handed some money to the woman running the shop and was soon walking around town with Rin in a pale green kimono.

'Besides. Sesshoumaru said to get something nice.'

~*~*~*~

"Welcome." A thin woman greeted them at the front of the restaurant. She bowed and led them to a table. Kagome looked around and was surprised at how many people were there. From the outside, the restaurant didn't look that big, but on the inside....it was pretty big.

"Don't judge a book by it's cover." Kagome said.

"What was that Kagome-chan?" Rin looked at her. Their waitress had gone to a different table, but promised to come back.

"What was what Rin-chan?"

"Kagome-chan said 'don't judge a book by it's cover' what's that?"

"It's just a saying." Rin looked confused. "It means you shouldn't judge people just by how they look. Like this building, it looks small and old on the outside, but inside, it's large and cozy."

"Sesshoumaru-sama said something like that once!" Rin said. "Sess- Sesshoumaru-sama said.......ummm...ummm...oh yeah! Sesshoumaru-sama said....'not every thing looks as it appears to be'....ummm..yeah! That's what Sesshoumaru-sama said!"

"What can I get you two?" Kagome jumped at the sudden voice but smiled when their waitress had come back.

"Soup!" Rin chirped. The woman smiled and looked at Kagome.

"Oh, I'm fine thanks." The waitress nodded and walked off.

"You're not hungry Kagome-chan?" Rin asked.

"No. I'm not that hungry. I'll finish what you don't eat."

While Rin was wolfing down her soup, she told Kagome about her family and how they had all died when they were killed by bandits. She also told Kagome about finding Sesshoumaru hurt and trying to help him and how she was attacked, then Sesshoumaru brought her back to life.

'Wow.' Was all Kagome could think after Rin's story. Kagome ended up finishing Rin's soup, and when they were done they wandered around for awhile.

"Can Rin and Kagome-chan play with them?" Rin pointed to the group of kids playing under the eyes of the baby-sitters.

"Sure, we have some time left." Kagome walked after Rin, who was already saying 'hi' to everyone. 'Why not, I mean, how often does she get to play with kids her age?'

Rin was soon running around with the rest of the kids, playing what looked to be like tag.

'I never knew that tag went this far back.' Kagome watched Rin play while keeping an eye on the sun, wanting to get back before sunset. After awhile she too joined in with the fun, completely losing track of time.

"You talk funny." One boy said to Rin when all the kids seemed to be worn out. They were all sitting in a circle. Kagome was talking with the women, asking questions about hot springs and where they were.

"How does Rin talk funny?"

"Like that. You say your name instead of 'I'."

"So?"

"And who is that?" One girl asked Rin, pointing to Kagome.

"That's Kagome-chan!"

"It she your mom?"

"No. Rin doesn't have a mom or a dad."

"Why?"

"They were killed." Kagome heard this and listened to what they were talking about. Rin started talking about her family and how they were killed and how she was attacked by wolves. Once she said the name 'Sesshoumaru' the other women grabbed the other children and pulled them away from Rin. Kagome helped Rin up and looked at the others.
"What's wrong?" One little boy asked. "We were just talking."

"Don't play with her, children. She's evil."

"How is Rin evil?" Kagome asked. Rin clung to Kagome's kimono.

"The Taiyoukai hasn't killed her, but keeps her around like some sort of pet." one woman said. One of the others even picked up a rock and threw it at Rin.

It missed, but didn't miss Kagome's nerves.

"What are you doing?!" She cried as they threw another rock at her. Even the kids started picking up rocks and throwing them at Rin and Kagome.

"She is an evil child. Stand away girl." Some of the males of the village even came to see what was happening. Once they heard that it was the girl who traveled around with the Taiyoukai of the West, they too picked up rocks.

"I'm not going to let you hurt Rin!" Kagome cried again. Rin was shaking from fear, clinging to Kagome's kimono.

"Then we have no choice." All of a sudden a wave of sharp rocks were thrown at Kagome and Rin. Kagome tried to protect Rin from the rocks, but there were too many of them.

"They are not back yet." Sesshoumaru glared at the sun as it set. Ah- Un shook its head. Then something hit Sesshoumaru's ears.

'I'm not going to let you hurt Rin!' Sesshoumaru growled and headed towards the village.

Kagome stood over Rin, taking most of the blows meant for the little girl. Her body hurt from all the hits. 'I'm going to die. Not by Sesshoumaru's hands, but at the hands of these villagers.'

Suddenly there was a feral growl. All the villagers turned around....to be met by the Taiyoukai of the West.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru looked at Rin, who had been knocked out by a large rock. She watched as his eyes started turning a blood red.

"Leave." Sesshoumaru growled. The villagers backed off and Kagome ran, carrying Rin, to Sesshoumaru. The Taiyoukai grabbed her around the waist and took off, still growling.

"Thank you." Kagome said. Her body started hurting more.
"No thanks are nessicary. That was Rin's old village, I thought something looked faimlar about it. They never accepted Rin." Sesshoumaru landed and Kagome put Rin on Ah-Un's back. The dragon-horse-thing looked at the girl with concern.

"Will she be alright?" Kagome asked.

"Move miko." Kagome moved but gasped as Sesshoumaru slashed at Rin with a blade.

"What-" Kagome was about to yell at him when Rin opened her eyes and smiled.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" The little girl hugged the Taiyoukai's leg. "Sesshoumaru-sama! They were mean to Rin and Kagome-chan! Why were they mean Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"They never accepted you." Rin didn't hear his answer as she went over to hug Ah-Un. Kagome then noticed Sesshoumaru put Tenseiga back into it's sheath.

~*~

Later that night Jaken came back and Sesshoumaru handed the toad a scroll, who glared at Kagome and ran into the undergrowth. Rin had fallen asleep a long time ago, and like usual, Kagome couldn't sleep.

"What was that?" Kagome asked, not sure if she wanted to know or not.

"A note." Sesshoumaru said simply.

"A note? What do you mean?" Kagome asked, she never saw him write a note.

"Yes a note, a note that says if Inuyasha doesn't give me Tetsusaiga peacefully, your life is mine." Kagome gulped. She didn't like the sound of that.

~*~End Chapter~*~

WD: More of a filler chapter than anything....but I hope you like anyway.

~*~Reviews:~*~

Yura of the Hair: No, Fanfiction.net didn't take my stories down, I took them down myself to redo them. Now they are longer and hopefully better than my first posting of them.

Stacerue: Thanks! I hope you think it gets better as it goes.

Hyper Person: Yup...and it only gets weirder....*looks at rough drafts for later chapters*...what does Sesshou-chan want anyway?....

Skitoflame: The next chapter should be interesting......

Asia_chan: I'm glad I have caught your interest...I'll try not to make you wait long.