Chapter 4- Sesshoumaru's Soft Spot & Kagome's Inner Struggle

Inuyasha sat in a tree near Kaede's hut. He didn't want to go too far incase Kagome work up, but he was so frustrated with his inability to do anything about her condition. The soft voices he heard slowly got quiet. He jumped down from the tree and peeked in the window. He saw Shippo, Kirara in her smaller version, Miroku, and Kaede had fallen asleep. Sango sat u beside Kagome. They clearly decided to stay up in shifts in case there was any change in her state. He was about to go in and tell Sango to go to bed he would stay with Kagome all night when he caught a scent.

He turned from the window and squinted at the shadow that was slowly coming toward him. Great, he thought, why does he always come at the WORST times? Inuyasha walked toward the cloaked figure coming towards him. They both stopped 5 feet from each other.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Inuyasha hollered, clearly not caring who woke up as he inquired about the motivations of the unwanted guest.

Sesshoumaru stepped out of the shadows. Rin stood behind him and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "I would appreciate it brother if you did not use that kind of language in front of Rin."

Inuyasha looked down at the small girl in shock, Since when did he start hanging out with humans?! Then he looked back to his half-brother angrily, "I'll use whatever language I want to. Now tell me what are you doing here?" He was careful to leave out 'hell' just because he wasn't in the mood to fight.

Sango must have heard the yelling because she stepped out of the hut and made her way to the brothers with her boomerang. She stood silently behind Inuyasha ready to attack.

"I smelled the blood of your wench and wondered what had befallen her." The monotone demon stated plainly.

"She isn't a wench." Only I can call her that, he inwardly thought, "and what do you care? You hate humans!"

At this the little girl looked up at the demon before her. She looked like she wanted to speak but couldn't. Sesshoumaru looked down at her with a glance he told her it wasn't true, then he turned angrily back to his brother. "Do not fill her head with such nonsense." The older of the two said.

At this Inuyasha was visibly shocked, but he went with it. "I doubt you're here because you are worried about Kagome's well being. Why are you really here Sesshoumaru?" He unconsciously placed a hand on the Tetsigua. While the half-demon might not have noticed his own movement, Sesshoumaru did.

"I am not here for that. I am here to let you know I saw a Luwi Assassin fleeing to the North. That is how I smelled the wen... Kagome's blood. The assassin reeked of it." He lowered his eyes once more to Rin, who almost appeared to be falling asleep leaning on the demon's leg. Then his golden eyes met his brothers. "I thought I should inform you of that." He started to turn back to where he'd come from when Sango pushed past Inuyasha

"Wait." She called to the shock of everyone, including herself.

Sesshoumaru turned and glanced at her welcoming her to continue. "Well," she said, not sure of why she wished to stop him, Inuyasha's going to kill me. "Your traveling partners look tired, and may not have the stamina of a demon. Maybe you should stay here and rest with us for the night." As she was still clinging to the handle of her boomerang, she nervously thumbed the leather strap.

Inuyasha's jaw dropped, but before he could berate the demon slayer the little girl with Sesshoumaru grabbed a handful of his haori, "please Sesshoumaru" she asked with big brown eyes that were impossible even for either of the demon brothers to resist.

Sesshoumaru stayed calm and even. "Fine, but just for tonight. We will leave in the morning."

"Wait." This time Inuyasha gave the command. "We need to go after the assassin! We need to leave NOW."

"It's too late tonight Inuyasha, we're all worn out, we need sleep."

He angrily turned to face her, "NO, she could die over the night, we need to go NOW!"

"She will not die." Sesshoumaru said after sniffing the air. Sango and Inuyasha turned to give him their attention. "The poison will only knock her out. It won't kill her... not for a while."

"You can smell that?" Sango asked

"Of course, I'm a demon aren't I? Show us where we will be sleeping. Rin, Jaken and I will be leaving in the morning, and you can go after the assassin then as well."

With that everyone walked past Inuyasha and into the hut. He stood still in shock of the events that had just happened, as Sesshoumaru came to tell me about the assassin? He...cares for a human girl? Sango invited him to stay here!?!?! At the last thought he turned and stormed into the hut.
She was surrounded by darkness, but luckily there was no more pain. Had there been pain to begin with? Or was it just a dream? She opened her eyes and only saw blackness. What's going on? I know my eyes are open.

The black was fading from a complete blackness to gray, almost as if someone was slowly turning on a light. But the room she was in stayed gray.

"Where am I?" Kagome asked worriedly. Silence answered her, "WHERE AM I?" she demanded

Your mind. An undistinguished voice answered.

She stepped back at the voice, but decided to ask it again. "What do you mean, my mind? Where are my friends? Who are you? What happened?"

Your friends are not here. This is YOUR mind, I am new soul.

"New soul? What happened to me?"

The voice seemed to snicker. You were shot with an arrow that was coated in my poisonous potion.

She got frantic at the word poison "I want to wake up! Let me wake up!!"

You cannot.

"Why not?!?!"

You need the antidote.

"What antidote?"

The antidote to the poison. There is a poison in your body, more like a potion, a connection potion. You and I are connected Kagome, and soon I will take over your body and you will cease to be.

"So..." her voice got extremely shakey, "I'm...going to...die?" The last word came out as a whisper even in her mind

Eventually.