Disclaimers: I only own a Sesshy plushie - the best I have under the circumstances…

Thanks to everyone who took time out to drop a review or comment regarding this story. I know I update very slowly but real life commitments tend to take precedence. Besides, I've got a really cool job as head editor of a local anime and manga magazine and am really swamped with work. But here's the latest chapter just for you - Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Cavern of Shattered Dreams

Two days later,

Entrance to the Cavern of Shattered Dreams

The craggy grey stone walls rose high above the ground and Kagome could not repress a shiver as she realised that the peaks were lost from view by the heavy clouds. It also did not help matters that the area around the place was that of a barren wasteland with what appeared to be gleaming bones and the remains of other less savoury things. Sesshoumaru was his usual stoic self but Jaken was muted. Ever since that temper tantrum she threw, the toad youkai had refrained from insulting her at every turn but the silence from him was no comfort. Kagome needed conversation and attention but neither of her two companions was willing to indulge her. She sighed inwardly.

At least, Sesshoumaru was behaving a little more kindly towards her. He spoke to her a little more often and even inquired about her life from where she came. Kagome had seized the opportunity to talk but after an hour of prattling on, she began to feel the pangs of homesickness. Perhaps that was why the youkai lord rarely spoke to her, he could not bear her sorrow at thoughts of her home. Kagome did not know whether to feel touched at his concern or upset at his silence. But since they were now at their destination, Kagome began to feel her nervousness returning. Was Sesshoumaru really going to kill her once he claimed Tessaiga?

Sesshoumaru motioned Jaken forward to confirm the location. The Staff of Heads cackled in glee and Sesshoumaru smiled slightly. His excitement was growing and he could almost feel the legendary blade within his hands. Moving into the shadow of the cave, he made his way through the piles of bone and the preserved carcasses of humans and other unidentifiable creatures. The Cavern of Shattered Dreams held its own legend and no doubt, these sorry fools had hoped to plunder its treasures for their own. Sesshoumaru did not care about wealth, he was satisfied materially – it was the companion to Tenseiga that he craved for.

He heard Kagome struggling to keep up and the periodic squeaks of disgust as she almost tripped over some dead body or skeleton. Realising that it was possible for her to sustain an injury before his goal was met, he paused and ordered Jaken to light a torch. The retainer hastily constructed one from the debris about them and lighted it with the power from his staff. Jaken then preceded his master and the flickering light of the torch threw strange shadows upon the dark walls. Kagome quickly caught up with them and kept as close to Sesshoumaru as she could without annoying him unduly. Sesshoumaru allowed her the closeness and discreetly brushed his kimono's sleeve against her as further reassurance. The girl relaxed slightly at the brief touch. She was beginning to read his subtle body language. 'Is it a good thing or bad?' he suddenly wondered.

His brief thought paused at the appearance of a massive door that halted their progress. The magical barrier before it pulsed and all three of them could easily sense its great power. Kagome felt her hair standing on end and she self-consciously rubbed her arms. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes as he tried to read the barrier's power. It was truly formidable. He knew that he could not break it, and that left the girl. Turning to look at her, he noted her reaction to it. She looked uncomfortable but was not panicking – a good sign. He needed her mentally stable for the job at hand.

"Kagome," he began, startling the girl from her thoughts. "Can you sense the barrier?"

"Y-yes. It's very strong," Kagome replied looking up at him. "You want me to break it, right?"

"Do it if you can," was the quiet reply. Kagome sensed the hidden meaning behind his words. For a moment, her heart almost wept at her death but she steeled herself against it. He had looked after her when all was said and done, and she could at least try.

Approaching the edge of the barrier, she tentatively reached out to touch it. As she made contact, the magic crackled and sparked around her hand but did not hurt her. It felt strangely warm and almost comforting. Probing further, she allowed her mind to relax and 'listen' to what it was trying to tell her. Her eyes closed and she stood halfway between the barrier and the outside. Sesshoumaru watched her closely noting the girl's dreamy expression as she seemed to 'communicate' with it. Time passed but nothing else happened. Frowning, he approached her and called out her name. There was no response. Coming to a decision, he decided to grab a hold of her and pull her out.

At the moment of his contact with her arm, the barrier thrummed and before he could pull the both of them back, a sudden force wrenched them in. Stumbling forward heavily, Sesshoumaru twisted to allow the girl to land on him as they tumbled through the barrier. Kagome was sprawled over his chest and she looked about in confusion at the sudden turn of events. Realising that she was straddling the youkai lord in a very compromising way, she hastily scrambled off blushing madly. Feeling oddly amused at her beet-red face, he stood up and calmly dusted himself down. He turned to look back and saw a frantic Jaken trying to get through. All the toad got for his pains though was to be violently flung back by the barrier.

Kagome had meanwhile wandered over to the heavy door that was deeply seated into the mountain. Her neck protested at having to bend backwards too far as she strained to see its top. Sesshoumaru was now standing beside her and he too wondered if he was strong enough to push it open. Touching a hand to the door's surface, he applied pressure testing its resistance. Suddenly, he saw a smaller hand pushing against the door and he realised that she was trying to help him. As he was about to tell her to step back, a loud creak echoed throughout the cave and the door shifted. It would make for an amusing sight if one could take in a very wide-eyed youkai dog and his equally goggle-eyed human companion.

Sesshoumaru gently pushed Kagome behind him as he stepped through the door. Kagome peeked from behind his back and almost gasped at the lighted chamber behind the door. It was a spectacular dome-shaped cave that glittered and sparkled from the gems embedded within its walls. The light came from the singularly enormous glowing jewel that hung from its centre, seemingly suspended in mid-air. The entire cave put Kagome in mind of the story 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves' that she had read some time back. The only thing that appeared lacking was the heaping masses of gold and jewels. The only thing that stood within the chamber was a low pedestal with what appeared to be an old sword sticking out of it. It was this that Sesshoumaru had been waiting a lifetime for – Tessaiga.

Moving swiftly through the cave, Sesshoumaru had eyes for only one thing. As he reached the pedestal, he paused as though offering it a silent prayer of thanks before reaching out to grasp its handle. There was a sharp crack and a moment later, he saw a very startled Kagome staring down at him. She scrambled backwards as he gave a loud growl and jumped to his feet. The force of the sword's barrier had thrown him over a dozen feet away. On top of that, he was experiencing an annoying ringing in his ears. Kagome watched as he glared at the offending sword and returned to stand by it. She got the hint.

As she reached out to touch it, she felt the same power flow through her. As with the earlier barrier, her hand only grasped the sword's handle but did not allow her to pull it out. The soft dreamy look clouded her eyes and she gave a lazy smile. Sesshoumaru could not help but think that she looked rather pretty for a human as she gave in to the blissful sensation. But the admiration was transient and he wondered if he should touch it again. He could feel Tenseiga softly pulsing and it too, seemed to be guiding him. Reaching out to grasp the handle, he allowed the girl's hand to serve as a buffer between the sword and his.

The only difference from that of the first time they had penetrated the barrier was the warm pulse that travelled through their hands. It was almost sensual in its touch and Sesshoumaru felt a small shiver of delight race down his spine. The proximity to the dreamy girl was further heightening the feeling and Sesshoumaru felt his body relaxing into the aura that surrounded them. Kagome was pressed against his chest and his left arm was holding her lax body against him. The sword Tessaiga pulsed and it echoed itself in Tenseiga. Sesshoumaru had little thought within his mind as his body automatically folded and the both of them gently fell by the pedestal seemingly locked in a lovers' embrace.

How much time passed, neither could guess. Sesshoumaru finally opened his eyes to see the bright glow of the cave's jewel suspended above him. Draped over his chest with her ebony hair flowing over his white kimono, Kagome was barely conscious. Her breathing was slow but she was not asleep. Kagome had no idea what was going on but she felt too relaxed and comfortable to want to move. She vaguely felt the slight movement of Sesshoumaru's chest as he breathed and heard the faint thumps of his beating heart. Both the sound and the movement lulled her into a sense of safety and peace. A small part of her mind tried to protest but she ignored it. She was luxuriating in the blissful sensations too much. Since her arrival, this was the only time she had felt so comforted… almost loved.

Forcing his hand to release the sword, Sesshoumaru felt his usual awareness returning. Something about the sword bothered him but he figured that he would have time to figure it out once they were back at the fortress. As Kagome's hand was still gripping the sword, she remained in her dazed state. Slowly pushing himself up, Sesshoumaru was vaguely appalled at his gentle treatment of her. He cradled her in his lap and tried to get her to let go of the blade. Finally after a few minutes of tugging, she did and blinked in wonderment. Turning around, she looked up into an unreadable face that then proceeded to arch an eyebrow. Cocking her head aside, she wondered at what he was trying to get at.

"I would like to get up," came his words and Kagome realised at what he was getting at. Looking down, she saw that she was very comfortably tucked into his lap. Her mouth rounded into an 'o' before she leapt off him in embarrassment. Despite himself, Sesshoumaru could not resist a smirk and he made sure she caught it. Her face darkening a deeper shade of red, Kagome could not help but wonder how she managed to get into such compromising situations. It just was not fair that she was constantly put on the defensive. But what was worse, she had a sneaking suspicion that the youkai lord was enjoying her discomfort greatly. Darn it!

Placing Tessaiga into its sheath that had been lying by the pedestal, Sesshoumaru felt jubilant at his victory. He then tucked the coveted blade in its place of honour by his side next to its companion Tenseiga. The two swords were now a comforting weight by his side and Sesshoumaru was in a very generous mood. The mystery of the barrier was locked into another corner of his mind to be dealt with at leisure. At this moment, he only wanted to savour the possession of his new sword and hoped to be able to try it out soon. Kagome walked beside him and they both proceeded to leave the cave.

As they exited the door, they felt it close behind them with a muffled boom. The barrier that had initially prevented them from entering had dissipated. Jaken had scrambled to his feet after hearing the door closing and waddled over as fast as he could.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Are you well? I have been so worried seeing how you have disappeared for over a day–" Jaken began before he was cut off by Kagome's cry of shock.

"What?! A whole day? But we were only in there for…" she ground to a halt and a frown crossed over her features. Sesshoumaru remained silent but thoughts were streaking through his mind. As far as he was aware, the entire thing could not have taken more than half a day at most. But recalling the strange lethargy that overtook him after releasing Tessaiga, he was not certain anymore. Whatever the case, it was time they made their way back to the fortress.

"Jaken," he summoned the suddenly attentive retainer. "We leave for the fortress immediately. Light the torch and proceed."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama," the toad youkai almost sang at the command. After being forced to wait for his master and the human wench to appear in the gloomy cavern, he was quick to lead the way out with the hastily prepared torch.

As they walked pass the graveyard of bones, Sesshoumaru and Kagome seemed to stand closer together. Jaken had glanced back a couple of times to make sure that they were sufficiently illuminated by the light and noticed the couple's nearness. For Sesshoumaru to stand that close to a human, something must have happened within the cave. Although he did not say anything, Jaken had a sneaking suspicion that things were going to be different from what it was before. He could not help but mourn for his master being ensnared by the human girl's witchcraft. The fact that he valued his life more kept his mouth shut and his mind active in trying to plot a way to get rid of the girl.

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Naraku's Palace

Kanna's mirror revealed the trio's progress towards the Cavern of Shattered Dreams. However, due to the interference caused by the powerful magical barrier, he had been unable to see within. Not that it mattered, Naraku was more than satisfied with what he had witnessed. The girl possessed the Shikon no Tama and that was all that mattered. Her uncanny resemblance to the miko Kikyo disturbed him but he pushed those thoughts aside to focus on the task at hand. He knew that Sesshoumaru must have had a purpose to brave the cavern but he was not sure for what. If it were something of power, then he, Naraku, would get it from him one way or another.

Summoning Kagura, he ordered her to release his newest 'child'. He allowed himself a wicked smile as he thought of the special abilities of his 'child'. As he continued to look out the window, he could see Kagura flying off within her feather boat with a darker shape sitting behind her. With his preparations complete, Naraku remained on his balcony to watch the events waiting to unfold within Kanna's mirror.

Kagura touched down some distance away from the cave and quickly dumped the cargo she had been carrying. She eyed the pulsing blob with disgust before relaying Naraku's command. The only assurance she had that the thing understood was a visible quivering before it oozed away into a dark corner of the woods. Settling herself downwind of the cavern, she patiently waited for the fun to start. She knew of Sesshoumaru's fighting abilities but the enemies he had fought were hardly taxing for the youkai lord. If Sesshoumaru managed to eliminate this new spawn of Naraku's, Kagura figured that the Lord of the Western Lands truly deserved his stature amongst the youkai.

In simple terms, Sesshoumaru could be her ticket out of Naraku's grasp and a freedom of her own. And Kagura could hardly wait for that day to come.

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Miroku, Sango and Kirara walked in companionable silence. The only thing that seemed out of place in this pretty picture of harmony was the red imprint of a hand across the monk's face. This had been the result of the straying hand of the priest fondling a certain private area of the woman's anatomy. Miroku was lucky Sango was not in a particularly murderous mood today. If she had been feeling otherwise, Hiraikotsu would have made an even greater impression on the man. As it was, Sango wanted to travel quickly and could not spare the time to nurse a badly bruised priest back to health.

After the centipede youkai incident and the subsequent introductions, the two of them had agreed that travelling together to search for Naraku would be a lot faster. This was in addition to the fact that the two of them made a rather good team. Despite her earlier misgivings about the priest, Sango had to admit that the man came in useful when it came to finding lodgings at night. When she had witnessed it for the first time, she had been appalled at his blatant lies and almost gave the game away. However, the luxuries of a hot bath and good food had changed her mind. They were not hurting anyone and the people who accommodated them were usually well off.

Currently, they were heading towards a possible destination where Naraku might be hiding. News of a large infestation of youkai had piqued their curiosity and they had set out post-haste. They could only hope that they were in time to catch the likely culprit behind the attacks. Unfortunately, Kirara had injured her paw during the youkai attack and Sango had no desire to force the fire cat into carrying them. She needed her at full battle strength for the upcoming fight and the little cat was now cradled in the exterminator's arms as they moved briskly down the road.

"There's something up ahead, Sango," Miroku spoke breaking the silence. His voice was serious and the woman stiffened in alertness. Setting Kirara down, she proceeded to unbuckle the Hiraikotsu from her back in preparation for any trouble.

"How far away, houshi-sama?" came the terse question and Miroku closed his eyes to better divine the trouble. Allowing his senses to travel beyond human ability, he soon located the problem area. Snapping up, he pointed towards the west.

"About half a mile away."

There was a soft swoosh and Kirara changed into her battle form. Sango looked at her youkai partner questioningly and the fire cat butted her gently in reassurance. Leaping aboard, she reached to pull the priest up. Miroku flashed her a quick smile of gratitude and they took off into the air. As they travelled swiftly, Miroku felt the youkai presence increase in intensity. There was something familiar about it and his heart began to beat faster. There was only one youkai that carried a taint as foul as the one he was sensing.

"Sango," he began while leaning forward to make himself heard above the wind. "I believe that our wish is about to come true. I sense Naraku's presence together with that youkai's."

Sango's eyes narrowed at the priest's words. Her hand tightened on the strap of Hiraikotsu as she thought of the pain she planned to inflict on that bastard. Kirara picked up on her mistress's mood and growled low in anticipation. Pushing itself, they all soon arrived. And they were shocked at the scene of devastation before their eyes.

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Author's Notes: I planned to write something exciting but it kind of turned out to be a very different 'exciting', if you catch my drift. *lol* I really don't know what possessed me to write it that way. I mean, I was thinking about how Tessaiga was created to protect those near and dear but somehow worked its premise into the concept of the barrier's properties. Boy, but I'll have to explain that one when I get to it. I hope it doesn't turn out to be a Star Wars blunder [where the Force was explained]. But then again, I'll probably keep it brief…

Anyway, further character development with the story so apologies to those of you expecting some Inuyasha-type violence and mass mayhem. I DO plan to have it in the next chapter though, so please stay tuned! Oh, and please leave me a little something in the box below to let me know what you think of this so far. Thanks!

Till then, ja mata ne!