GW: Okay, we're approaching a VITAL moment in this story. This is like...CLIMAX TURNING POINT STUFF...or I might just make you wait till next chapter. Heh...I am SO evil.

(Don't ask, I know that was pathetic.)

Rin and Jaken sat in the bushes outside of the mansion. Tenshi had left to do some meditating or something. When they both heard footsteps, they turned to see Naraku.

Rin backed up. "What are you doing here?"

He raised an eyebrow. (Note: We're talking REAL Naraku, not Baboon Pelt Puppet Man) "That really has nothing to do with you, little girl. But I sensed a very powerful force near here, and so I have come to absorb the source of this energy."

Jaken and Rin exchanged worried looks. Rin bowed slightly. "You must be talking about Tenshi. She...isn't here at the moment."

"Of course I am." Tenshi's voice floated down softly. They all looked up to see her standing in the trees, arms crossed.

Naraku's eyes showed the slightest bit of surprise. "You...are very powerful."

"No, you think? And I don't much like the idea of being absorbed by YOU. So weak...and such a horrible reek. What do you bathe in? Road-kill? BO?"

He seemed confused. "Road-kill? BO? What are these two things you speak of?"

She laughed slightly, but jumped to the ground. "I have a proposition for you..."

Sesshoumaru sat in his study. He glanced at the sealed bit of parchment. Why couldn't he break that stupid seal? He sat back, glaring at the bit of parchment.

He heard a soft knock on the door. Not paying attention, he continued to study the parchment. I've tried everything...blood, knife,...throwing it in a fire...not really on purpose, but hey..., he thought to himself.

The knock continued. He growled slightly. "What do you want you stupid bastard?"

Sango took a step back as the door swung open. She bowed as she entered.

He turned to see who had disturbed him. "Oh. Sorry. Thought you were one of those stupid guards."

She raised an eyebrow. "Did you just say 'Sorry'?"

He sat up at his desk. His face was slightly different now. She didn't know why, it was just...nicer, but it still kept it's cold beauty. "You want me to be mean?"

She shook her head. "Um...I wanted to ask if there were any other women I could talk to."

He shook his head. "Rin was the only one. But you can ask me some questions if you'd like."

She nodded. "Okay. Why did you take Rin as a daughter?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes glazed over. Sango was amazed at them. So wild and beautiful.

He looked up at her. "Have you ever had a younger sibling?"

She bit her lip at the thought of Kohaku. She tried to keep back tears, but they fell from her eyes.

He sighed. "I didn't mean to bring back painful memories."

"It's okay. I'm glad you reminded me of my brother. I need to think of him more often."

He decided to continue explaining. "Well, you know of my younger brother. Even if I always hated him; that doesn't mean I've never felt protective of him. When he was small, and I saw all those humans gaping at him and calling him a freak...I always got really angry. He might have been pathetic, but they were COMPLETELY human. They had no right to make fun of him. So as we grew older, my instincts to protect became sort of...hidden by the desire to get Tetsusaiga. And by the time I had met Inuyasha again, my hatred had become complete and I had convinced myself that he wasn't really my brother. So one day I found Rin...and the instincts came back. I saw those demons about to take her life and I just...felt like an older brother."

Sango looked at the ground. "Older brother...Older Sister...They have the same feelings. I was always sort of jealous of Kohaku, and same goes for him, but we still loved each other and I protected him until..." She shook her head. "Anyway, I get what you mean. So she's more like a little sister?"

"Yeah...I guess so."

"Why is Jaken so ugly?"

Sesshoumaru scratched behind his ear. "Er...because he's a stupid little-,"

Sango cut him off. "If you're going to raise Rin, you've got to cut back on the language."

He sighed. "Because he's an old bag."

Sango smiled. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"Well, actually..." he said pointedly.

She laughed. "Is that a tail or a boa?"

He sighed. "Why does everyone ask that?"

"So that they'll know it they can touch it without you feeling it."

He grinned, showing fangs.

She almost gasped. "That's more emotion than I believe you've ever shown."

He shrugged. "It's a tail. And feel free to touch it if you want. No one ever has before, even when I was a kid, so I kind of wonder what it would feel like."

She reached out. The silvery fur was soft. The softest thing she'd ever felt in her life. "Wow...this thing is like...it's wonderful."

He smiled slightly. "Thanks. I wash it every day."

But before Sango could continue questioning, a black-haired figure crashed through the wall.

Sango gasped. "Naraku? What the-?"

He laughed, then slashed out at Sango. Sesshoumaru jumped in front of her. He got the full force of the blow. Naraku laughed as the youkai lord went flying.

Naraku was about to attack the bleeding youkai, when a rather large bone boomerang decided to nearly chop his head off. He whirled to see Sango, looking about as angry as she'd ever been in her life.

"I won't miss next time." She caught Hiraikotsu.

Naraku laughed, and tentacles wrapped around her. They closed tightly around her hand, causing her to drop the boomerang. As they closed around her mouth, she bit into one very hard.

"Ow! You little-!" Naraku glared at her. "Those are attached, you know."

She raised an eyebrow. "That was sort of the point."

Sesshoumaru raised one poisonous claw, and swiped at Naraku. He howled.

"Man! That hurts!" He rapped a tentacle tightly around Sango's stomach and chest.

Rin and Jaken watched in concern. Tenshi, however, was livid.

"All he had to do was hit Sesshoumaru! Now he's started a war!"

Naraku used a sharp fingernail to slice Sango's side, but he did it slowly, painfully.

She whimpered. He did the same thing on her other side. Blood flowed down both sides.

Sesshoumaru then gathered all of his strength. He took one swipe, and the head of Naraku fell off. He stared as body and head dissolved. "A puppet," he growled.

He ran to Sango's side. He took out the Tensaiga. Killing the soul snatchers, he knelt next to Sango.

But all of this happened at a very bad time, for at that moment:

"SESSHOUMARU! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!?"

The demon glanced over his shoulder. His brother, that girl, a monk, a fox demon, and some sort of cat stood in the entrance that Naraku had made.

Sesshoumaru glared back at them. "I didn't do anything, but right now shut up, we need to help her."

Miroku looked at Sango. "Get away from her."

Sesshoumaru took out an herb, and crushed it on the wounds. Miroku watched.

"I said get away."

"I am the only one who can help her right now, so back off." Sesshoumaru continued to watch Sango.

Kagome looked at her friend. She didn't much like the idea of Sesshoumaru helping, but he WAS the only one who could do jack about whatever had happened. "How can I help?"

"Boil some water, and crush this up in it." He handed her a blue flower.

She nodded. He got a demon, and told it to lead the people to the kitchen. But Miroku and Kirara didn't leave. They both watched as Sesshoumaru picked Sango up and walked from the room.