"Show me how it ends.
It's alright, show me defenseless you really are,
satisfied and empty inside.
That's alright, let's give this another try,
if you find your family don't you cry."

-Breaking Benjamin 'So Cold'-

Not only was the tall Lord taken by surprise that this ningen recognized him, but surprised as well when the feel of familiarity spiked within his form. Of course, since he had no doubt perfected the art of masking his emotions, no such thing flickered across his face. It remained just as cold and ruthless as it did on a normal basis. He narrowed his eyes together, watching the miko with what could only be described as indifference.

"And I command that you tell me now how it is that you know me."

The woman's features did not change from their stoic expression. Giving him an even harder time to pinpoint exactly in his memory where she came from. He had never met a human that had such command over her emotions, if he had, he would have remembered with the upmost clarity. He watched as her dark head tilted to the side, it might have counted for confusion if it had been on any other face, but hers it looked like nothing more than a movement of her body.

"I would be disappointed if you knew me with only a slight glance in my direction. Truly disappointed if you had remembered such a trivial being as myself. But this might be able to jar your memory Lord Sesshomaru."

Pulling a bow that he had yet to see towards her front side, cocking an arrow into the string and pulling the string taunt till it seemed her bow might break with the tension. Now, what he saw then, was not a smile, nor an expression of emotion, it was a smirk, yet empty of the sarcarsm and menace that he would have normally flaunted. Hell, this woman was more cold with her emotions than he was, and that indeed was a hard feat to accomplish.

"Hai, Inu-yasha's miko wench. I can sense that you have yet to bed the half-breed. What happened, did he rut with the dead-one?"

He had at most expected to see hurt flash across her features, or maybe even indignation. He had even been tempted to put his hand over one of his ears, knowing that any moment she would blush and scream that it was none of his business. What he was not ready for, was for that strong hand to let go of the string and watch with cold eyes as the arrow was let loose. The taiyoukai should have seen it coming, should have been able to prevent the arrow complete it's path. But he felt disoriented, as if he watched the arrows movements in a fog, and had no way of preventing it's piercing goal.

He was thrown against the tree, the arrow lodged deeply in his right shoulder. Of course, he tried to move, tried to dislodge himself from the bark, but found that he could barely move. He fought off the spell of sleep that was starting to fall over him, but did not try to fight off the deep anger and rage that was starting to make his golden gaze bleed red.

"HOW DARE YOU IDIOTIC BI----"

His words were cut off when the miko approached him, her hand pulled back with such tension in her shoulders, he at first imagined she was made as a bow, before her momentum was released and the palm of her petite hand pulled flush against his cheek. Claw marks marred his beautiful skin, and he could actually feel the sting of pain. And yet even now, nothing trespassed across her stoic face.

"You would do well to remember that I am no longer the wench you met so long ago. I am one that demands respect as much as you do Lord Sesshomaru...."

She hissed out, emphasizing Lord with her human teeth bared. This brought a reaction from the demon, and he did nothing to hide his shock as his mouth seemed to settle into a tight clasp, a slender eyebrow rising up in question. Since when did he take such abuse from a human?

Her hand reached out and flickered the edge of her arrow with narrowed eyes. She locked her frozen blue with his own melted gold, anger swimming in the depths of his glare. "Now this does seem truly familiar. If I had not known any better Lord Sesshomaru, you are starting to follow in the footsteps of your brother, pinned to a tree under the spell of a miko. Nostaglic ne?"

She took a step back, as if she had seen the demon struggle against the arrow, in vain of course.

"I will leave you to your own thoughts for the day. I will return tomorrow, and I expect that you have calmed by then and will be able to speak with me in a mature manner, or I will be forced to gift upon you much pain."

----------

"You stole my passion,
Burned my everything.
Their all the same here,
Locked up change deep inside."

-Cold 'Sick of Man'-

Kagome had even surprised herself with how she had handled the Taiyoukai. She had almost expected her oldself to emerge and cringe in fright from his rage, almost expected him to be the one to shatter her mask. If the offer of friendship could not break it, if sorrow shared could not, than at least maybe rage in her direction, but still to no avail.

She had not even presumed she would reveal herself to the demon. while at the last few months before the battle with Naraku waged, Sesshomaru had seemed to slowly open up to his brother, and even Kagome, during the battle, he had never been seen. She was bitter towards him for that, but now was not the time to dweal on it, it would change nothing. What it was that had snapped her cool interior, and had urged her into action against him, was his comment about Inu-yasha and Kikyou. Even after six years, it was still an extremely sore subject for her that she hid tightly under her skin.

Not even her scent would have betrayed her feelings towards the demon. And yet she would remain true to her word. On the dawn of the next day, she would return to the tree and pull the arrow from his shoulder and let him free. What he did after that was his own accord, but whatever it was she would deal with it when it came. If her strange trust and large love before the battle had confused demons and humans alike, truly her now calm exterior with a frozen interior was just as confusing. No matter what form, no matter what mentality, she would always and forever remain an enigma to those outside of her person.

She sat silently in front of the burnt out fire, her person sitting on the fabric of her sleeping bag, her legs tucked carefully under her weight. She didn't seem to need the fire for anything particular. The season was warm, and even the nights could be muggy. She had no need for the light, as her senses had become slightly enhanced in her years of lonely traveling. Nor was there fish or some sort of food that she would need to cook. The fire wasn't needed, it was only a symbol of memories long gone. Had the group not huddled up to the fires to enjoy each others company?

Turning her gaze away from the burnt embers, she pushed her legs into the warmth of the sleeping bag, letting her upper body fall back against the ground as she tucked one arm under her head, the other resting against the flat of her stomach.

Why did she even bother speaking with Sesshomaru? She felt no need to befriend him, or even converse with him. 'Was it because he was the only one left that remembered me?'

Flicking the idea away with a swift shake of her ebony head, Kagome rested onto her side, her face remaining frozen as she slowly slipped into a sleep that was neither full of dreams or nightmares. A false facade of what sleep used to be to her. It did not restore her energy, nor give her hopeful images of the future. It was only a way for her to pass the time by.

-------

"I take you where you want to go,
I give you all you need to know,
I drag you down I use you up.
Mr. Self-destruct."

-Nine Inch Nails 'Mr. Self-destruct.'-

True, the human girl Rin had opened Sesshomaru to many different emotions and feelings, even more true that she had softened the taiyoukai, even if it wasn't as noticeable as some would like, it would be a lie to say that he had completely hardened back to his original stoniness since her death. She had shown him in her small span of life, that at some point emotions had to be shown, some of it had to be vented or surely the soul would rot. He didn't know quite why he had mentioned Inu-yasha and Kikyou. He felt no need to outright cause her emotional pain. He felt no strong urge to grip her heart in his hand and squeeze till she bleed tears. It had just slipped. Was it that he was distressed by the fact she could hide her emotions better than he?

Her scent was composed of nothing more than her physical scent. No emotional twinge. No strong surge of pain, anger or hatred in her smell. It was just.... a scent of eartly musk and muted rosemary. Though it had taken till later that night till he had noticed the change in her scent. Before, when she had been her bubbly, emotional self she had smelled of sweet honeysuckle and lavender. It was a warm and exciting scent, but now her scent was calm and collected. How indeed had that happened? Had she changed so much in.... five, six years? What happened that made her the way she was?

What happened during the battle with Naraku and afterwards?

These questions plagued his mind all through-out the night and deep into the next day. He had by than forgotten that the miko was to return to free him from his current position. He hated to admit that he was no longer in a rage for the way he had been treated, no more than an irritated curiosity to find out why she had reacted the way she did to him. He had been currently pulled deep into his thoughts when he finally heard the voice of the woman he was so currently bent on deciphering.

"I see that the elements have treated you kind during the night. It would be a shame to think that the weather would have turned from it's comfortable warmth to chill or even the threat of a rainstorm. I have come to the conclusion that it is quite uncomfortable and unrational to have to walk about in drenched fabric. Do you not agree Lord Sesshomaru?"

He turned to peek upon the form of the Miko as she stood in front of him once again. She was dressed in a top that favored the design of a kimono, but instead of falling down in the form of a skirt, it was disconnected from the pants that she wore on her legs. It was not the expected color of blue to match her eyes, nor white, which would seem to have matched her personality, a few years ago. But the fabric was tinged black, with no added decorations or patterns. Simple. Her petite feet were hidden in plain black boots that rode up to right below her knee's. Her long tresses had been restricted at the nape of her neck in a low ponytail by a slice of fabric. She was definitely not as he had originally remembered her. He couldn't believe that he had not noticed the extreme difference in her from his first encounter with her yesterday. Maybe than he wouldn't have been so careless with his words.

"Release me human. I tire of my body numbed by your arrow. You would do well to remember your place, and exactly who you are dealing with."

Of course, as soon as he said these exact words, he was aware that they were probably the wrong one's to say. It had been his arrogance and mouth that had gotten him into this prediciment to being with. He did not dare show his exasperation at being pinned to the tree, or his inability to speak nothing else but cruelty and surperiority.

"I see that even after a night to this tree you have still not learner that it is how you treat others that determines how you in return are treated. Does this mean that I must leave you to this tree for another night of contemplation Lord Sesshomaru?"

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Authors Note: This Chapter is slightly better than the others ne? I am also aware that Kagome might seem more cold than others might like, as well as Sesshomaru seemingly more forgiving of what has happened to him. I hope that their personalities will level out the more thatn I write of them. It only needs time.