Yo! Right this chapter is late because my friend decided I was being a hermit too much and took me out to breathe real polluted air! Let's all thank her! :D I'm still happy though because she is actually reading this and bitched at me to get it finished when it was her fault! :D It's my birthday on the 14th :D I'm going to be eighteen! Anyways! On with the story!

Joke: Did I ever tell you guys about the mole I had on the end of my dick? Well I went to the doctors to get it removed. And he told me that he'd remove it this time, but next time he'd report me to the RSPCA.

Disclaimer: I dun own jack diddly squat!


Chapter Eight: Reacquainting and Cleansings

"Kagome."

Her mouth cracked into an empty smile only to issue forth empty words, "InuYasha, it's good to see you."

He looked her over, 'She really has changed... but only to look like Kikyo more,' he met her eyes and the thought he just had changed, 'But she's still just Kagome... just... older and maybe... wiser?' he snorted at his own thoughts and turned his attention towards a shocked Sango in movement.

"Kag-Kagome? Is that really you?" he heard Sango whisper and watched as Kagome's mouth stretched into a smile that this time portrayed a warmth she once showed him before she'd left.

"Of course, silly. Who else could I be?" Sango knew better than to answer that question and returned the hug and bunny hopping Kagome had greeted her with.

InuYasha's eyes caught movement in his peripheral vision. His arms unfolded from the position they had taken on his chest when Kagome had smiled that smile of hers, that wasn't directed at him, to hang freely at his side as he watched the child, with one of those back packs on, that was obviously looking at him slowly make his way towards Kagome's back.

InuYasha smirked suddenly as he realised that the child's oddly coloured eyes were avoiding his own and instead opting for his eyebrow or just above where his ears would be in his human form. His eyes wondered from the child as he tugged gently on Kagome's pants leg to get her attention. As she turned her back on him something caught his attention.

"What's that on your back?" he thought out loud as magic that resembled that of his older brother's aura played over the mark that was his older brother's.

"My skin," she replied absently and oddly, concentrating on calming the demon child.

His anger grew at being dismissed and ridiculed on some level. He leapt the distance between them and poked her angrily in the back only to receive a growl from the child who was submissive just a moment ago. "That," and he poked again and the growls became deeper in pitch.

Kagome rocked slightly from the InuYasha poke, and thought for a time what it was he was getting at. 'Ah, that. Let's see if being vindictive paid off, all 13,500 yen of it.' She stood there musing the demon child's hair and eventually settling for coving his elfish like ears and replied in a tone she'd used on the sisters, on the rare occasion they talked to her, back at the facility, which boarded on bored, uncaring and slightly condescending, "A mark."

A slight growl started to emanate from behind her. 'Ding-ding-ding! –' before she could go 'Jackpot' the sound of the reed door being moved was heard and she watched as Sango's face was pulled into that of a Venus- flytrap just waiting for a fly to come along.

"InuYasha?"

Sango saw InuYasha wave Kikyo's questions to a stop and snapped her head in the direction of Miroku to find his Venus-flytrap imitation slide slowly into a scowl.

"So," an angry InuYasha began, "whilst we've been looking for Jewel shards, risking life and limb, you've been off, fucking my brother," ignoring his past store of 'wolf' in his olfactory memory, "and then you bring his bastard brat back with you."

Kagome's mental slots machine was on the blink, it usually 'ding-ding- dinged' when it showed '777'. Instead it showed a lemon and two cherries, with that in mind she turned to face him.

His look of anger and cockiness vanished as he saw her expression. Bitter sweet. Her body language calming stating, "You've just crossed the invisible line." It had been a long time but he recognised this pattern. He was going to become reacquainted with the taste of dirt, the brand in particular being that outside of the hut. He stood and waited for his subdued fate to come.

He met his subdued fate in an odd way, rather than the sudden glow and the taste of dirt filling his mouth, it was the taste of rust and salt as the inside of his cheek burst with the force of Kagome's punch soon to be followed by a round house, which left him crouched, with a blade pressed at his throat.

Sango held back the need to applaud. To say the least she was impressed with the back hand and the round house, but what really impressed her was the fact that Kagome pulled out the sword with the same movement as the kick. 'If she missed with the kick, she'd still be on the offensive with the sword.' She turned to Miroku who was still scowling at Kikyo. Shrugging she turned back to the scene to watch Kagome sheath her sword and InuYasha drop on his rear. He sat there, and in his daze he heard her speak.

"Don't you ever talk about Kiba like that," she stated calmly and he nodded dumbly. She turned to confront what seemed to be her mortal enemy. No matter which time she went to, Kikyo was always there to make her life a lot worse than it gave the impression to be.

"Why are you here?"

"I have my reasons."

"I'm pleased for you, what are they?"

A shadow passed across Kikyo's face, "Whilst you were off... gallivanting, I came to assist in the search for the Jewel shards."

Kagome's face held a look of perplexed confusion when she turned to the monk and exterminator, "Is that what he told you guys? That I just up and left?" Sango affirmed and Miroku continued to scowl.

He was mentally cursing, violently. Without a curse every other word the sentence that would have rung through his mind would sound like this, 'So it was that zombie who sent us off to risk life and limb, whilst she, no, no, no, it got comfortable with that dumb dog.'

"He told me that you couldn't take the pressure of hunting the shards. That your mentality was too fragile to even look upon a corpse," Kikyo continued.

Kagome looked at Kikyo wondering why she was lying to her face, giving up with a shrug she retorted, "Your right, it was hard to look at you without throwing up. But I pulled through uh? Come Kiba. The village folk are looking at us funny, especially the dead lady," Kiba dashed past Miroku and Sango and jumped into Kagome's arms.

"Oh, where's Shippo? Isn't he meant to be with you lot?"

"He should be with Kaede in the fields helping." Sango replied drawing up next to Kagome.

"Well it's nearly time for lunch, so he'll come running when he smells grub." Kagome walked by Kikyo and entered the hut and casually said what InuYasha's ears needed to hear, "Sit." That seemed to wake him from his stupor.
His hand slipped and his head lost its perch.

"My Lord?" came the attentive questionings of his messenger, man servant, and adviser.

He could felt it. That unknown pull of magic, that annoying ever present pull. It was stronger and healthier in its pulls for him to actually give it a seconds thought in three weeks. 'The rabbit has finally come out of its hole. It's time to resume the hunt.' He rose from his seated position behind his low table piled with missives and party invitations.

His adviser looked at him like he was a demon possessed, "My Lord? Is there something wrong?"

"Alert Jaken to ready the beast and Rin."

"My Lord?" Sesshoumaru was becoming weary of his slow minded adviser, Shojiro and his habit of not being able to fill in the blanks.

"I'm going for a walk."

"A long walk my Lord?" Sesshoumaru smirked remembering why he kept the fox demon around. When wit sparked in him, it was a very big spark, though short lived, "I shall inform your grandfather of your long walk my Lord, by your leave," he called the sparks time of death when Shojiro mentioned his grandfather. He was licking three hundred and fifty, yet he still had to leave messages telling him where he went. If he didn't, upon his return the old demon would be at the gates, mouth a foam, prattling on about how he was 'sick' with worry when in reality he was attention seeking.

Shojiro rose, rolled up a scroll, picked up several others with the same theme pattern, bowed and finally left. This walk would be good for him. He'd been at his home for two weeks and he'd watched the missives and letters pile up at his desk. He went through them, of course, and ignored all the letters and paid attention to his missives.

Soon the letter pile had grown out of hand, then his table and soon his office. To fix this problem he had servants prepare a goodly amount of ink and a few calligraphy brushes. He then invited Rin into his office and then made a quick exit.

In the time it took him to complete a few sword dances at the dojo, Daisetsu a fat, perspiring lump of a dragon demon, who had probably forgotten what it was like to change into his original form, stumbled through the dojo doors wheezing to collapses at his Lords feet.

"My Lord!" he managed at first, "My Lord! Your office! I tried to salvage your papers but they were too far gone! Lady Rin somehow managed to get in there and-,"Sesshoumaru left the room as though someone had just pasted wind leaving Daisetsu looking around to find that his Lord had been gone since he first entered the room.

He glided down halls towards his office to find Rin standing with ink up to her elbows, dribbling from her knees and some streaked on her face, pouting with Shojiro's rear berating her. His office looked like someone had thrown an ink bomb into it. Rin had forgone the brushes and dug right in with her hands and feet. She had done what he'd expected her to do, but due to her lack of control his office had suffered.

Sesshoumaru walked out of his temporary office and made his way to the castle gates with something similar to excitement. 'It seems that the rabbit is back in InuYasha's Forest. It is time that I checked on the whelp's health. Just to make sure he hasn't suffered from further brain damage.'

As he made his way down the halls, guards and servants alike made way. There was always something disturbing about their Lord smiling.
Kagome jumped her old yellow pack and proceeded to rummage through it until the group filled the hut. Anything edible had disappeared not that she thought it would last with InuYasha's dustbin like qualities.

"So Lady Kagome... just where have you been this long month?" Miroku asked upon entering the hut, InuYasha was the last to enter. She answered when everyone had found their seats.

"I was training to become a priestess and now I am," she grinned and returned to her rummaging. A few of her cleaning products had gone along with some girly stuff, 'Probably Sango.'

"And?" The monk prompted.

"Oh, right, well I've completed my training to the point where I didn't want to learn anymore, so now I'm back," a look of concentration blew across her face, "I had wondered why InuYasha hadn't preformed a return visit," she shrugged, "Who'd have thought that I could make a blood barrier without realising it," back into the bag she went.

All of her underwear was present (she only carried seven, one for each day). Her face showed concern now. All the electronic junk was present, CD player, torch, Souta's old game-boy and even some batteries. 'They're gone! Where could they have gone?!' She turned her bag out, spilling what was left of its contents on the floor.

"Kagome, is this really Sesshoumaru's child?" Sango asked as Kiba sniffed her. He even went as far as to sniff her rear, earning a 'back off' hiss from Kirara.

To this she snorted, "No, I met Kiba on my side of the well, after he saved my rear from getting eaten on a training mission. He's a wolf demon. Admitantly he's the same level type as Sesshoumaru but he isn't a dog demon. He comes from the House of the Wind, or what's left of it," she answered off handily smacking books and pens aside in her search. They were really gone. Her cotton and lycra mix panties were gone. Her comfy knickers, for when she was on her period, had gone.

"You're thinking 'Only you and InuYasha can pass through the well', aren't you Miroku?" he nodded and his look of confusion turned to that of interest, "Well I thought that too, but, the first time InuYasha came to retrieve me he didn't have any Jewel shards," Miroku nodded again, "All anyone really needs is a physical link to me I think, something that holds great meaning for the both of us and my magic."

Miroku nodded, again, "So the physical link between you and InuYasha is the necklace. But what about him?" he gestured in Kiba's direction.

She waved Kiba over and turned him around. She lifted his hair up and at the back was a shock of black. Kagome then proceeded to undo her braid. She felt around until she felt the change in hair texture and pulled out a clump of white hair.

"My link to him," she pointed at the ebony clump, "His to me," she waved her white clump, "They both have my magic in them, like my magic is in the necklace."

Seeing that Miroku was satisfied, and Kiba had gone back to inspecting Sango, Kagome glanced at InuYasha, "How many shards have you found then?"

"Eight."

"And where are they?"

"Where they rightly belong, with me," Kikyo spoke up.

Kagome looked at her and then held out her hand. As thought that wasn't enough incentive she waved her fingers so that Kikyo would get the point.

Kikyo did get it and managed to hug her haori closed. Kagome sighed, spun her wrist till it was palm up again and spoke, "Come," the shards shone their pink-lilac and slipped out of their dead priestess casing to rest neatly in Kagome's hand, "You should accept the fact that the torch has been passed onto me Kikyo. You stopped being the guardian fifty years ago. You really should stop trying to steal my light."

"We don't need you anymore Kagome, "said InuYasha easily, "Now that we have Kikyo you can go back and live your easy life."

Miroku and Sango waited for the tears and the scream of 'sit' closely followed by Kagome running out the hut. It never came.

"I couldn't give a rat's ass about what you think you need and what you don't. This has been my responsibility from the beginning of our meeting. I don't know when it was that I became the luggage on this trip but the rolls have changed InuYasha. The shards are mine, the Jewel is mine. End of story."

Before InuYasha could come up with a reasonably good retort Shippo made his grand entrance by attacking the reed door when it didn't move aside fast enough.

Kagome was shocked at what she saw. Shippo looked like death warmed up and allowed to congeal. His eyes were blood shot, and he had dark circles around his eyes either from lack of sleep or too much of it. Shippo's usual excited gait was slow it seemed to take all his concentration to just walk upright and when she tried to get his attention he ignored her and instead opted to sit and poke the non-existent fire. She took notice of his brown head wear.

Kagome reached out to touch him and he shrank back as though she were poison. Kagome grabbed him much like InuYasha would, by the scruff of his neck and his normal reaction to being picked up this way was to squirm. Shippo managed to wriggle free when they left the hut neck in hand. He landed on his fours and hissed at Kagome, his tail hairs puffed out giving the impression of being larger than they were. Everyone watched as he dashed off into the thicket and Kagome followed soon after. Kiba veered into his wolf form and joined the chase.

InuYasha and the gang made it just in time to hear Shippo squeal and see Kagome pull red air from the kit leaving him weak and unsure of where he was.

"Kag-,"InuYasha was cut off with a hand signal from her.

Kagome knelt and held out her arms, "Shippo, come to me," he looked scared and frightened, but she couldn't go any closer for fear he might fun back into the barrier. He had to be the one to choose which the real one was and which was not. He backed up to the barrier. It wasn't progressing the way she wanted too. She reached behind her to the smallest of the blades she carried with her, unsheathed it some and squeezed the blade till it bit into her flesh.

Shippo's nose flared as he scented the fresh blood that could come from no other. He turned back to her and ran blindly towards her soon to be enveloped in her arms. The safest place he knew.

Kagome released a breath she didn't know she was holding and squeezed the fox kit tighter. She was finally back Shippo had been released of the barriers influence and at last she'd found her comfy knickers. She just wasn't sure they'd ever be white again.

End of Chapter Eight

Oh! Be right back, I need a wee so bad! ::turns on some classical music:: Ok back now. Hopefully all my readers will like this chapter, though nothing much really happens that will be left for the next chapter :). Read and Review my lovelies. Notice how they are in bold lol.

Reply to Reviews

syrinxsong: Ok first things first, ::In the voice of Jackie Chan:: THANK YOU! She will when he's being a prick, but other than that she'll just dig on Kikyo lol.

Pixy-Misa-Misao-Amano: Thank you, will do and have done! :P

Hanoi: Thank you for your wonderful words :). Mke me happy knowing that someone thinks this highly of me lol. I liked the way that the manga portrayed her, if they didn't she wouldn't need saving as much lol, but your right, after a while the girl would get pissed of being saved and being useless in practically all the battles they run into. Here's the next chapter hun I hope you enjoy it as much as you did the others.

Crimson Colored Cloaked Figure: Hehe :D Here's the next chapter hun a lot earlier than the previous one!.

ra: lol I knew you were only teasing me, but I was so tired that I just couldn't think of anything cutting, like, I really wanted your e-mail address so I could post you porn, ok that wasn't cutting but well you know what I mean lol. And no grudges :) And I'm still going :)

demonswty: Hopefully this chapter has answered that question :). But, just in case no he isn't :P

madin-of-tv: Thank you so very fucking much xD

Cresntmoon102: Thanks for that :). Kiba is sort of like Kirara, will that be good enough? (I don't mean it in a mean way, by the way lol)

LadyAkina: Here's the update!

thelil'piratehellcats: Here's the next update hun, lol, your reviews always make me smile lol. ::pats Tenshi:: hope you don't have brain damage hun. Luv yaz both :)

inu-luver-2004: Thank you for your kind words, and hopefully I haven't kept you waiting too long :)

Madam Sorceress: Thanks! It could be called a half cliff hanger, but you have like safety ropes and crap lol. Anyways hope you enjoyed the chapter.

none: Here, here, here!

inuyasha1990: Well it's not really all that weird lol, she's been in a barrier where the time moves faster, so her hair has grown well faster and they don't have hair dressers at the facility unfortunately lol.

Jazzii: Thanks :) And I hope you enjoy this one.

Felis Canis: ::hands you a tissue:: There, there hun, heres the next chapter :)

Darkangel: Both Jonny Depp and Orlando Bloom were in Pirates of the Caribbean. OB is like his side kick or something.

Fire Mistress: Thanks you, hope you enjoy hun :)

inu-baby: Well you can wait no longer! 'Cause my baby has been born! The new chapter that is.

LionHeart823: I HAVE done :P Thanks for your kind words hun :)

Inuyasha-my-lover: :god like voice:: All your questions have been answered in this chapter... ::cough:: hopefully, and (sp) is boggling :)

W?W?Su: Have done and that is one really weird name, though unique in its quirky-ness.

Carli: Thanking you! If you manage to review again leave you e-mail addy k, and I'll post you when I update.

Tigeris: I had wondered where you went lol. And yes she's back, but no, the white haired kid isn't related to either of them. The Glossary was introduced with chapter7 so don't worry if you think you missed it :) and thanks for saying its good, well the level part anyways lol, that took me forever to think of. Heres the next chapter hun, and her training has made her, well, slightly distant, but that's all I'm saying on the matter! :P

Kay Out