Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine. I love his little ears, though. Yes, I do.

Author's Note: I see you all, for the most part, agreed with me that I ended in an evil place. I apologize! I'm notorious for my cliffhangers. Do you know how easy they are to write? You just stop writing. Anywhere. But I hope this update came soon enough, and I pray that this chapter works………

Angel in the Abyss

Chapter 2- Contradiction

"What do you mean you found her?" Inuyasha shrieked, stomping his feet next to poor Myouga, sending the demonic flea flying to the ground. "You found her and you didn't bring her back? Myouga! She's out there alone!"

"Inuyasha-sama, I assure you I did all I could to get to Kagome-sama!" Myouga defended, standing once more and dusting off his clothing. "She could not hear me, I fear."

Calming from his sudden outburst, Inuyasha allowed himself to sit once more upon the ground, his brow furrowed in concentration. Kagome was alive, and Myouga had found her. It was a rush, a relief, and a coil of springing emotions that catapulted throughout Inuyasha's conscience and body that caused his sudden bout of confusion.

"Why didn't she hear you?" Inuyasha inquired, idly inspecting Myouga. "Did you try biting her?"

Myouga nodded quickly, assuring his lord that he had. "I sucked quite a bit of blood out of Kagome-sama, but she did not feel my bite, I fear. And her blood had a peculiar taste to it. It didn't taste the same………"

"Where is she?" Inuyasha demanded. "Tell me where Kagome is!"

Taken aback by his sudden demand, Myouga began stuttering out his responses, each one more confusing and chopped up than the previous. It was not normal for Myouga to feel so threatened by his lord, and that made him stumbled more over his explanation. The cringing and twitching eyebrow that adorned Inuyasha's head told Myouga he needed to come up with an excuse soon, or else he'd suffer the consequences of a rather painful squishing.

'Oh… the life of a flea…'

Squish.

"Myouga, tell me! I can't understand that mumbo jumbo you just said!" Inuyasha demanded, lifting his foot off of his vassal. "Tell me clearly. I need to find her!"

This time taking a chance to compose himself, Myouga once again stood and bowed before Inuyasha. "My lord, I discovered Kagome-sama wandering aimlessly near your brother's lands. I have yet to discover how she came to be near the Western Lands, but that is where she was last I saw her."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, and he swatted Myouga away once more. "You idgit, you cowered away at the last moment, and left Kagome there alone, didn't you? You know that bastard Sesshomaru will murder her!"

Without waiting for the revival of his vassal, Inuyasha shot off with his demonic speed through his forest, directing his path toward Sesshomaru's lands. Although he understood his chances were still quite slim, he had to get to Kagome before Sesshomaru discovered her. Not only was Kagome defenseless now, but with her inability to hear and feel, she would never know anything was prowling after her, and that was what frightened Inuyasha the most. He didn't want anything to happen to Kagome.

'Where am I?' Kagome thought to herself, pushing her way through the brush and thickets of foliage. 'It seems somewhat familiar, but still… it seems a bit off at the same time… I'm no where near Kaede's village…'

She traveled onward, twisting through the throngs of upheaved tree roots and dislocated stones and boulders. Internally, Kagome felt a chill, spiking her subconscious to be alert for unspeakable danger. Suddenly flowing along the forested area with greater speed, Kagome raced her way around the oddly constructed landscape.

'I think someone is following me… come on Kagome, there's no need to be such a chicken… it probably nothing anyway…' Kagome thought to herself, turning her way around a tree and stopping to catch her breath.

Kagome couldn't hear the sounds around her; all she could do was rely on her 'sixth' sense to predict danger. The hair on the back of her neck began to stand on end, and when she looked downward her uncovered legs, she saw the beginnings of goose bumps. Another chill ran throughout her spine, and she slowly lowered herself to a sitting position on the ground.

Billowing white pants made themselves present to her lowered line of sight. Biting her lip, Kagome's eyes scrawled up her visitor's body and attire, looking at the fur that adorned his shoulder and the scowl upon his face.

"So its Inuyasha's miko I smelled." Sesshomaru stated. "What gives you the right to be in the Western Lands?"

She blinked in response, shaking her head. Why couldn't she hear what Sesshomaru was saying?

"I can't hear you, Sesshomaru." Kagome answered. "I don't know what's wrong, I just woke up after the fight with Naraku and everyone else was gone………"

'So she can't hear me. And the fight between this miko and Naraku ended weeks ago… perhaps there is more to this I originally anticipated…' Sesshomaru thought, randomly withdrawing Tokijin and pointing it toward Kagome's throat.

"Stand." He stated, motioning with his hand what he expected her to do.

Kagome seemed to understand what Sesshomaru was asking and stood, her eyes never leaving the point of his sword. He looked absently behind him, motioning for Rin to come out from her hiding position amongst the piles of overthrown trees. She came bounding out, running and giggling around Sesshomaru's feet.

"Yes Sesshomaru-sama!" she beamed, grinning up at him and mock saluting him.

"Rin, can I trust you to lead this woman back to our home?" Sesshomaru asked. "I have something else I need to do that the moment."

Rin's grin widened before she bound forward. "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama! Rin can do that!"

"Jakken, follow her and be sure that Kagome doesn't try anything. I'm going to find my brother and see if he wants his…human miko back or not." Sesshomaru responded nonchalantly.

"Yes, mi lord!" Jakken answered. "But, may I ask… why are just offering the miko back to your brother, of which you've hated so long, because of his dishonorable hanyou blood?"

Sesshomaru gave Jakken a look that scared the toad down to his webbed toes. "I said I was going to ask him if he wanted her back. That doesn't necessarily mean he's going to get her."

"Kagome, where did you get off to?" Inuyasha grumbled, sliding to a halt before the forest that lead into Sesshomaru's lands. "I can't even pick up on your scent…"

Taking tentative steps into the forest, he rushed into the treetops, forcing his senses to their peak. He had to find Kagome, and he wasn't going to stop looking until he did. There was no end the train of thoughts Inuyasha had concerning what could happen if Sesshomaru found Kagome before he did; and none of the options were better than the one before it.

Stopping suddenly within the trees, Inuyasha looked down upon his brother, standing with his arms crossed over his chest and glaring upward. Bounding down out of the tree and standing upright before Sesshomaru, the pair began in a staring contest, each one waiting for the next one to make the mistake of moving.

"What, may I ask, Inuyasha, brings you here, to the place you know you are banned from?" Sesshomaru questioned.

Inuyasha cocked a grin, flexing his claws. "He was my old man, too, you forget that Sesshomaru. I used to live here. Just because I'm not welcome doesn't mean I'm not going to stop by."

"You risk your life." Sesshomaru responded. "But that is of no matter. I know why you have come here. You're looking for that miko, Kagome, are you not?"

"What do you know of it?" Inuyasha growled, his eyes bleeding the acid of his words. "If you even placed a claw on her, Sesshomaru, you bastard, I swear…"

Sesshomaru shook his head. "Such violent words, little brother. I'm willing to be nice to you, just this once. We both know that if the miko is still living, than so is Naraku. If you tell me what's going on, I'll give Kagome back."

"How can you give her back if you don't have her with you?" Inuyasha snarled.

"She's at the palace with Rin and Jakken. I'm baffled as to why she cannot hear anything." Sesshomaru stated. "I'm calling a truce for the time being. If you want Kagome back, you will come with me and we will discuss this."

Author's Notes: Argh. I have never written Sesshomaru's character before. I hope I didn't do too bad on this chapter. I know it's short, but I apologize……… forgive me?

Love and hugs—

Crystal Renee