Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I do not own Inuyasha. I do not own Inuyasha. I do not own Inuyasha.

Author's Notes: Okay. Only one reviewer told me I was being too passive-aggressive with Sesshomaru's character, so I think I did a pretty good job! He's so difficult for me to write. You'll have to forgive how late I've been with this chaptermy grandmother died a few days ago, and so everything leading up to her death (medical) was all chaotic and I just haven't had the drive. But thanks for the reviews!

Angel in the Abyss

Chapter 3- Deliverance

Inuyasha followed behind Sesshomaru, his eyes boring deep holes into his half brothers back as he did. He didn't trust Sesshomaru, nor did he trust the fact that he had said Kagome was fine and at the palace. None of his words added up; this was not the Sesshomaru he fought with each time they encountered each other. There was something deeper to this, Inuyasha mentally decided, or else he would have been flattened long ago.

"This has to do with Rin, doesn't it?" Inuyasha stated, his fangs showing with the grin that formed over his lips as Sesshomaru stiffened. "As long as Naraku is alive, he poses a threat to Rin, isn't that right?"

"It matters not to you what my reasons are for wanting Naraku dead just as you do." Sesshomaru responded. "You would be smart not to overstep your boundaries if you want Kagome to be alive when you see her next."

Growling ensued from deep within Inuyasha's throat, threatening Sesshomaru to try his hand at harming Kagome. It was confusing to Inuyasha as to why he was so protective of Kagome; it was an internal instinct to him. If Kagome's safety was threatened, he would do anything within his power to stop the threat; he had proven that time and time again. Even if he was not tied to her, he made it his business to watch over her with unfailing devotion.

Shaking his head as they came up to the palace gates, Inuyasha glanced around the home he had resided within when he was younger. The memories were few and blurred together, but he didn't allow them to render him senseless to his mission and reason for being there again. He wanted to and needed to get to Kagome, to be positive that she was still alive.

The giggles that echoed from the doorway were obviously Rin's; Inuyasha could remember the young girl's oblivious voice anywhere. Sesshomaru pushed the huge double doors opened, revealing the young girl, Jakken, and an uncomfortable Kagome. Rin smiled brightly before rushing toward Sesshomaru, saluting him before rushing off in the opposite direction, still giggling as she did. Jakken's staff remained close to Kagome, the threat of fire prevalent.

"Mi lord, you have returned!" Jakken stated, before scowling at Inuyasha. "Are you really going to allow him to step foot within the palace, Sesshomaru-sama? It has taken so long to remove the stench of his hanyou blood………"

Jakken was seeing stars soon after his comment as Inuyasha's foot sent him flying into the adjacent wall. He turned toward Kagome, watching her confused eyes cautiously before reaching out toward her shoulder.

"Kagome?" he asked, forgetting momentarily that she couldn't hear. "Kagome, what's wrong?"

Tears began to fall from her eyes, and she wiped at them vainly, remembering how much Inuyasha hated it when she cried. Kagome scrunched further away from his touch that she couldn't feel; nothing was making sense anymore. Allowing herself to look at him, she saw the hurt and relief buried within his eyes and suddenly felt extremely small.

Then her arms were flung around his neck, clinging to the only safety she could grasp. Inuyasha blinked a few times before calming enough to wrap his arms around her too. She was sobbing silently into his long silver mane, her body chilling to the touch as he attempted vainly to warm her skin. Suddenly noticing a completely inhumane thing about Kagome, he pushed her back, his eyes honeyed eyes calculating her with deep scrutiny.

"Her heart isn't beating." Inuyasha stated, his claws unconsciously grabbing Kagome's arms and digging into the flesh. "Why isn't her heart beating?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing. She is alive, I can assure that much; the stench of a living human is worse than that of a rotting one." Sesshomaru responded.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned, her voice cracking with her words. "What did I do? I can't hear you… I can't feel………"

Blinking back to reality, Inuyasha forced his palms away from Kagome's arms, inspecting the new wounds he had involuntarily produced. Blood seeped down her arms slowly, and Inuyasha's ears fell back upon his head when he realized it was his fault. Lifting her right arm slowly, he pointed to it. Kagome diverted her eyes to the new injuries; then she realized that Inuyasha wanted her to stop the blood before stained her clothing.

He never did like the smell of her blood.

Rin came barreling back into the room, taking a hold of Kagome's shirt sleeve and dragging her away from the brothers to a place unknown. Subconsciously Inuyasha attempted to follow her, but Sesshomaru's presence forced him to halt in midstep. Succumbing to the realization that his following Kagome was not going to get him farther from his half brother, Inuyasha faced Sesshomaru with that usual, deep, loathing scowl.

"What's wrong with her?"

Sesshomaru gave Inuyasha a cool look before answering. "If I knew this, would I need to bring you here and offer a truce?"

"You never said anything about a damn truce!" Inuyasha shouted, unable to control the raging emotions within his mind and body. "And I suppose you want to use Kagome as your bargaining chip?"

"No." came the curt reply. "I want to offer you a truce with no strings attached, little brother, because you obviously cannot take Naraku down on your own. As long as he is around, he shall come after me as well. You are not his only enemy."

"Feh." Inuyasha responded. "So I suppose we have to do some sort of political jargon or whatever Kagome calls ita treaty."

Sesshomaru shook his head, opening a doorway to an elaborately decorated sitting room. "No. I would believe that the word of a demon is more profound than anything you could scribble onto paper."

Inuyasha entered before Sesshomaru, seating himself in the usual position with tetsusaiga leaning against his shoulder, arms crossed and legs in a similar fashion. Sesshomaru followed closely afterward, deciding to remain in a standing position as he faced his seated brother.

"So we have called a truce. I will no longer hunt you down to retrieve tetsusaiga until after Naraku is defeated. But after that, little brother, be assured that I will once again be after your life."

"You'll be the one dying, Sesshomaru. I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon." Inuyasha responded, a lopsided, lethal smile upon his lips. "But since you instigated the truce, I'll accept."

"Wise, but your words are that of a fool." Came Sesshomaru's response. "I do not know the details of the final battle you had with Naraku. Please feel free to explain it to me."

Inuyasha mumbled a few choice words before setting his gaze back on Sesshomaru. "After you tell me where Rin took Kagome."

"To tend the wounds you gave her, obviously." Sesshomaru responded. "I did tell you that as long as you did not overstep your boundaries, Kagome would remain alive, did I not?"

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Inuyasha answered. "The last fight with Naraku. The only important part was that I was the only one capable of fighting with him, since everyone else was injured somehow or another. Kagome suddenly got the bright idea to run and get her bow that was hidden behind Naraku. She almost died in the process of getting to it, and then she told me to get out of the way. Naraku pushed me out of the way and turned toward Kagome. She shot her arrow and it hit Naraku directly in the forehead, then the miko power she placed into it and her life energy created a sea of debris. After it cleared, they were both missing and the jewel was completed."

"You're skipping details, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's eyebrow began to twitch, his mind formulating many ways to harm his older brother. "I told you what mattered, okay? When I went to investigate, there was no scent of Naraku or Kagome. I never could figure out why. According to Miroku, Naraku is still living somewhere because his wind tunnel still exists."

Sesshomaru appeared thoughtful over the occurrence momentarily before speaking. "I believe I know what happened. It's a power that full-blooded demons have had problems learning, but apparently somehow Naraku discovered its secret; it would explain the miko's inability to feel and hear."

"What?" Inuyasha growled. "What did he do to her?"

"There was enough time between when Kagome shot the arrow and the time it hit Naraku in the skull for him to cast a spell. The downside of it is that he did not complete it; had he, Kagome would be dead right now. In order to survive the attack, he needed to transport both of them from the area, which I believe happened while the debris exploded. Before that, though, he took her essence; part of her ability to live, and transported it into his body until he could rebuild his own strength. That is why Kagome is walking and capable of speaking; Naraku no longer needed those skills from her."

"Her essence……… it's not making any sense! Wouldn't Myouga have known about that?"

"I highly doubt it." Sesshomaru stated. "A demonic flea is not of high enough status on the demonic scale to have heard of the power. This is the first time I have heard of it begin used."

"So what you're saying is that somewhere, Naraku is using Kagome's life to sustain his own. If we killed him………"

"The miko would perish, also. Until every part of her survival that he took from her is no longer of use to him, everything that occurs to him shall, in turn, happen to her. But since has no demonic blood, the affects of her injuries will not be transferred his body."

Inuyasha gripped his sword tightly, standing suddenly. "I'm leaving, and I'm taking Kagome. Until you hear something else we could use, don't try and come to visit, you got that Sesshomaru?"

"I wouldn't dream of it, little brother."

Author's Notes: Okay. I have a really really bad feeling that this chapter sucked beyond all reason, but I'm really trying, I swear. : bows to you : It was so confusing, and if you are confused, don't worry, so am I. I think it will clear up later when I have more time to decide exactly what this 'spell' Naraku used is doing. Hope you liked! DROP ME A LINE!

Love and hugs—

Crystal Renee