Author's Note: Blah blah blah doesn't belong to me blah blah not mine blah no one's going to sue me anyway. ..Knock on wood.

~

"Kaede…are you feeling any better?" Kagome stood behind the few temple attendants who were busy tending to the gash that Naraku had clawed into the old woman's shoulder. She had a certain pained groan to her voice, but assured Kagome that she was fine and that she had suffered worse in her life.

Kagome nodded, looking over to Inuyasha who was sitting in the corner, still sightless and grumbling unhappily about it. "This sucks…"

It had been maybe a half an hour or so since Naraku and his groupies had departed. Kagome seemed to have been the only one who came out of it with no problems, other than the inevitable bruising on her arm. Seeing that there was nothing she immediately needed to attend to, the maid walked over to Sesshoumaru and knelt by his side. The youkai prince had, until now, been sitting politely and silently to the side, having not made a noise since the last time his maid had come to check up on him. "Sesshoumaru-sama…Are you feeling any better? Is there anything you'd like me to get you?"

Kagome felt strangely maternal about the whole thing. She was so used to being cared for by the youkai lord; so used to him looking down on her, being able to do things that she couldn't do, that now it was strange and frightening to her that he was so helpless. "I could go get some tea…wait, could I?"

Without waiting for a response Kagome turned her body, looking back at the attendants that were swarming around the old priestess. "Kaede! Is there anyway I could make tea? Even to get hot water…Or maybe some hot cloths! Those always work when…"

"I'm fine." Sesshoumaru quietly cut into his maid's babbling, the world around him still a morphing black mass. He was curious to know the cause of this; why he and Inuyasha had been blinded and yet the old woman and the girl were completely unaffected. Of course it occurred to him that it must be something that crippled only youkai, but due to Kaede's current state she did not have the energy to explain, and promised them a proper debriefing the following day. Since the incident, his maid had been checking up on him almost every five minutes, hanging desperately on his very word as if he were terminally ill and on the brink of passing on. It was a strange feeling…He had never been treated that way before. He wasn't sure if he liked it, but it was an interesting change from the girl's usual reluctance to do anything that would potentially bring him amusement.

"Are you sure…? If there's anything I can get you just ask!"

Seven. Sesshoumaru mentally noted that number down. That was the seventh time she had said that. "Yes, I'm sure. Isn't there something else you could be doing?"

The last part had come out instinctively. After any repetitive annoyance, Sesshoumaru had trained himself to be as cold and distant as possible, as to not be bothered. Usually, this was something that worked wonderfully for him, but the truth of the matter was that he hadn't particularly minded Kagome's attention and almost immediately wished he could retract the words. He couldn't see her face, but as she fell into silence, he could almost picture her wounded expression.

"Oh…I'm…I'm sorry, Lord Sesshoumaru-sama…" He could hear her stuttering, her voice become slightly more distant as she presumably stood up. Whenever she said 'lord' he knew that something inside of her, usually her pride, had just been damaged.

He heard the rustling of her dress followed by a few footsteps, when a thought suddenly struck him. She wasn't very well going to go sit in a corner, or leave the building, so she would probably go talk to…

"I changed my mind." The youkai prince suddenly said. Her footsteps immediately stopped. "I would like you to go get me some tea."

Sesshoumaru couldn't tell, but inside out Kagome was relieved. "Of course!" She replied all too peppily. "Kaede, would you…well, where is…"

"Yuu, would you please show our guest here to the kitchen?" Kaede pointed her shaky hand to a girl that was kneeling to the opposite side of her wound. Startled, the woman nodded, standing and bowing deeply to Kagome. "Please, if you would follow me…"

There was nothing very distinguishable about her; around 20 years old, a smooth, white face, traditional Asian black hair pulled back in a bun, and clothing that much resembled Kaede's. Kagome followed her out of the room, down the hall, and to a room that was remarkably close by. "Here is the kitchen…The tea is in that cabinet to the right, and the fire has already been started, right over there…Well, I'm certain that you'd know how to do this, so, I will return to Kaede-sama now…"

The woman certainly sounded rushed, but Kagome could see she was not at all trying to be rude. She was just worried about Kaede, that's all…Although, Kagome did have to wonder what she meant by the comment, 'I'm certain that you'd know how to do this.' It wasn't an insult, really, but for some reason she could sense that there was some sort of hidden meaning behind it.

Ah! The tea! Kagome kicked herself in realization that she was wasting precious time. She wasn't certain just WHY she considered it precious, but Sesshoumaru, in his time of 'need' had asked for something and it was her job to get it done! She started her work busily, searching in the aforementioned cabinet for a small packet of simple mint tealeaves, placing them to the side and filling the kettle that was sitting next to the hearth with water. With that she shuffled over to the fireplace, hanging the kettle handle onto the rod that would hold it over the flames, taking great care to keep her hands at a safe height. With the packet of tealeaves opened and the water well on its way to boiling, Kagome found herself momentarily without a purpose, left with only her thoughts. Those thoughts being primarily on Naraku, and on what had just happened.

The emptiness in the room suddenly struck her, sending cold chills through her body. She had been so willing and ready to do something, anything to help Sesshoumaru that she hadn't considered the fear that being alone might create. Unconsciously her mind mulled over possible scenarios. What if Naraku comes back…? What if somehow he was able to regain his sight? What if he's waiting outside for me even now? He must be furious, and more dangerous than usual…She now wished more than anything that Sesshoumaru was around. When he was by her side, she was safe. Even if he was blinded…

There was an abrupt, unfamiliar 'thud' outside the door, causing Kagome to jump a little. She whirled around in place, staring anxiously at the door, half expecting Naraku to magically appear with a bloody cleaver or Inuyasha's head or…Kagome, you're being silly. She mentally scolded herself, taking a few deep breaths to keep the fear in check. He's gone…Sesshoumaru is just a few doors away…Nothing is going to happen. And yet, even with the self-reassurance, every little noise became a footstep, every little crinkle became a maniacal chuckle, and sometimes, when things became too silent, Kagome had to stop herself from whatever she was doing just to hold her breath and wait for any hints of the imaginary threat. When she had finally calmed down enough to turn her back to the door once again, the tea kettle let out a loud, piercing shriek, giving her another unpleasant start.

"Ah…ah…It's just the water…" She raised a hand to her chest, as if willing the beating to slow down by applying a little pressure. After she had calmed herself and the shaking in her fingers, the raven-haired girl grabbed a thin towel and with it wrapped her hands tightly around the handle of the screeching kettle, lifting it from the pole and away from the fire as quickly as possible.

With the dangerously hot container only a few inches in front of her, Kagome scuttled over to the counter, some drops of water sloshing out of the spout and making a low sizzling noise upon contact with the floor. In all of her anxiety she had thrown some amount of caution to the wind, subconsciously choosing speed over safety or efficiency. Relieved to finally have the weight lifted and the kettle rested safely on the counter, Kagome shakily went about pulling a small clay cup with sparkling glaze and a simple flower border from a shelf above the wooden sink. Grabbing the handle of the kettle once more, she tilted it over the cup, allowing the steaming water to pour in, pulling back only when it was on the brink of overflowing. She mentally kicked herself for the mistake. As she had been pouring, she was distracted by another sound (perhaps imagined) from outside, and temporarily took her attention off of the task in front of her. It would be dangerous for her to try walking back with an overflowing cup of hot tea, especially when she was as high strung as she was at the moment. So, with less care than she should have been exerting, Kagome wrapped two fingers around the cup and leaned her body to the side, tilting the cup and letting a decent amount of liquid out when…

"AAGH!"

The cup clattered into the sink as Kagome abruptly pulled her hands back, hot water sloshing out onto the counter and pooling on the floor. She hissed to herself, her fingers red and tender from the burning liquid. In the process of lowering the water level, she decided that she had been pouring it out too quick, and when she tilted the rim back a little the stream clung to the side and flowed down onto her fingers.

"Oww..ow, ow, ow…" She bit her tongue, willing herself not to cry out too loudly, leaning the weight back and forth between her feet distractedly while waiting for the burning sensation to die down. "Stupid, stupid…"

"Hm."

Kagome whirled her body around towards the origin of the noise, her breath catching in her throat as she half-expected Naraku to be standing there. "Se…Sesshoumaru-sama!"

She let out the heavy breath, carefully shielding her fingers. "You…You surprised me…What are you doing here?" She asked sincerely, suddenly remembering his condition. "You should be sitting down! Has your sight come back, yet…? The tea will be ready in a second, I'm so sorry for taking so long, I just had…had a few difficulties…"

Sesshoumaru listened to her gibbering, somewhat pleased and somewhat concerned. He had come as quick as possible when he heard her yell, but being unable to see he couldn't assess the situation properly. True, she sounded all right…Physically, at least.

"What happened?"

"Nothing, I just accidentally dropped some of the water on the ground and it startled me…" Even though he was blinded, Kagome could feel her master's eyes boring into her, motivating her to pick the cup up from the sink and shakily fill it up with water again. She winced with every touch, biting her lip to keep from whimpering and alerting Sesshoumaru to the pain. Opening up the packet of tea leaves and sprinkling them into the steaming cup, Kagome turned her head to Sesshoumaru and said in a voice that was more strained than she would have liked, "If…if you'd like to go back and wait, I'll be out in just a minute…I'm sorry to worry you, Sesshoumaru-sama, especially in your current state…"

"Oh? And what's that supposed to mean?" Sesshoumaru stepped into the room, straining his senses to try and draw out a mental image of the area. Kagome immediately stiffened up. "Nothing! I didn't mean it like that…I mean, that as in, I didn't mean that Lord Sesshoumaru-sama is any less intimidating than usual…No, wait!" She could feel the heat rising to her face, turning back to the cup of tea and swirling the water back and forth mindlessly. "I didn't mean…that…"

"What is wrong with you, human?"

"Nothing!" She repeated the word a few times, all too eagerly. "It's done now, so let's return to th-OW!"

Damn! She mentally cursed to herself, hopping up and down and kissing her fingers gently. She had been so busy being flustered that she had temporarily forgotten about the pain, and in her haste to get out of the uncomfortable situation, she grabbed the burning cup tightly in her hands.

Sesshoumaru took another step forward, eyes focusing on the black blob that was moving up and down in front of him. "You have five seconds to tell me what's wrong with you. I'm losing my patience."

Kagome could feel her cheeks burning in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Lord Sesshoumaru-sama…" She felt like such an idiotic distraction to him, and suddenly wished she were somewhere else, where she wouldn't be such a bother. "Really, I am…I burnt myself a little, when I was pouring the water, but…"

"Put it under cold water."

"…Huh?"

He sighed heavily, deciding he would have to take this into his own hands. Stepping up to his maid he gently took her wrist. "Where's the sink?"

Surprised and growing even more nervous, Kagome took a small step towards the wooden sink. "It's…right here." With his maid's guidance, Sesshoumaru was able to find the faucet and turn on the water, checking its temperature with his free hand.

"Do you know nothing? It's this hand, isn't it?" The youkai prince reached around Kagome, cradling her left hand in his own. She nodded a little, stuttering. "Y-yeah…"

With that, Sesshoumaru leaned her forward a little, holding her burnt hand under the stream of water. It stung a little at first, but slowly and surely the cool torrent began to soothe the raw skin. Kagome was surprised with the gentle way Sesshoumaru cradled her hand, and with the sophisticated way he was handling himself, even with little to no vision. The blush continued to burn powerfully on her face as she stared down at their hands. Sesshoumaru looked over to her face, his gaze meeting only darkness, and momentarily wished he could see her expression. "Sesshoumaru-sama…" She unexpectedly spoke, the mix of sound and darkness vaguely surprising him. "Do you think…Naraku will come back? Tonight?" She sounded so meek and helpless that Sesshoumaru's temporarily forgot about the burn. "No."

Kagome felt somewhat relieved to hear that from him, even with her relentless insecurities. "Thank you…Sesshoumaru-sama."

~

"Why didn't I get any tea?!" Sesshoumaru, Kagome, Inuyasha and Kaede were are sitting around the table, Sesshoumaru sipping his tea, Kagome rubbing her hand gently, Inuyasha leaning over the table to yell at the poor human girl, and Kaede still being tended to by two young women.

"Because you didn't ASK for any, Inuyasha." Kagome sighed, a bit irritated. Her anxieties had been put at rest, though. It was just good to be around a crowd again, no matter how small or impaired.

"Yeah, well, you're a maid, aren't you? It's your job to get things for us. Feh…Can't even do that right." He rested his elbow down onto the table, crossing one leg over his opposite knee and 'looking' to the side.

"No. It's her job to get things for me." Sesshoumaru delicately placed the cup of tea back down onto the table. Kagome restrained herself from speaking, just rolling her eyes in frustration.

"Girl, why you put up with these two, I just don't understand." The last few servants finally dispersed from around the old priestess, scuttling out of the room and leaving the foursome to chat.  Kagome couldn't help but smile, turning her body to Kaede. "It's harder than it looks."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something, but foreseeing the interruption Kagome held her hand out towards him. "Shut up, Inuyasha."

"Well…" Kaede pushed herself to her old, tired feet, hunching back a little to crack out some of the aches in her spine. "We all seem to be tired, so I think it's time we all headed off to bed."

The trio followed suit, standing and heading down towards the exit. "Kaede…" Kagome said, stopping to speak with the old woman in the doorway. "What are you going to do about the hole in the wall? If you'd like I could stay and clean things up…"

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha paused outside, listening to the conversation. "No, child, don't you worry about it. It's been an eventful night, and you need to go get some sleep."

"No, really, it wouldn't be a problem…Or how about I stay with you in case you start feeling worse? Or maybe I should go stay with Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, since they're impaired and they might need sight…"

"Oh get going, girl." Kaede placed a shaky hand on the maid's arm, pushing her towards the direction of her lonely room. "Naraku won't be coming back, so go to bed and we can talk more in the morning."

"What are you so worried about? Blind or not, I could still take Naraku on! I'll know if he's coming, so nothing is going to happen to you." Inuyasha yawned, speaking with a rough, deeper-than-usual voice. Kagome found some comfort in the promise, knowing that it was indeed the truth. Besides, she had been able to feel Naraku's presence before even Sesshoumaru, so she doubted she'd be caught off guard.

"A-All right…Good night…" Kagome gave a shaky bow, turning and walking quickly towards her room, not daring to look back. As much as she wanted to stay with Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, she knew she would just have to bite the bullet and face her fears. They were right, and she knew it. Naraku wasn't coming back. Naraku wasn't coming back. Naraku isn't coming back.

She slipped into her room, letting out a deep breath and closing the door behind her. "That's right…" She told herself. "Naraku isn't coming back."

"He's not?" A voice behind her innocently questioned.

Kagome let out a sudden bloodcurdling scream.

~

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were just about to enter their room when the high-pitched scream pierced through the darkness. It didn't take a youkai to hear it; it seemed like it rang miles into the forests around them.

Inuyasha, his ears twitching in immediate response, turned his head to his older brother. "What was…"

However, Sesshoumaru was already gone.

~

Kagome was clutching desperately to the wall, her eyes wide in horror and pinpointed to the man sitting behind her, sweat dripping down her forehead and her chest heaving up and down with her loud, heavy breaths.

"K-K-K-K-K-K-K-Kouga…!!"

The wolf prince was sitting calmly on Kagome's futon, one leg crossed over the other, much as Inuyasha often did. "What happened to you?"

Abruptly the door snapped open, the sliding frame slamming into Kagome's knuckle, causing her to reel back in surprise and pain. "ARGH!"

Menacingly looming at the door, claws tense and ready, was Sesshoumaru, his expression calm but his eyes alight with intensity. "…Kouga."

The frightened, injured, confused, startled, heaving Kagome looked between the two of them, rubbing her throbbing knuckle and feeling very woozy from the fear she had just experienced. She opened her mouth to speak, but she was too stunned. Her jaw just hung open like that, eyes wide and hands very literally trembling with the impulsiveness of the scenario.

"Yo. Sesshoumaru." Kouga flew a two fingered salute in the youkai prince's direction.

"Oi!" Inuyasha's face popped in behind Sesshoumaru's. "What's going on? Is the wench all right? Who's…" He lifted his head a little, taking a tentative sniff. "…Kouga?!"

"Eh?" A look of disgust crossed Kouga's face. "Dog breath is here, too?"

"What are you doing here?" Sesshoumaru asked sternly, his eyes temporarily darting to the side, to where he presumed his maid was. She hadn't moved, certainly, but she was hardly paying close attention to what was going on, as she felt she was about to black out.

Filled with indifference, Kouga flipped his thumb in the direction of the door. "We sensed all the commotion and decided to come check it out. Then when I caught scent of her…" His thumb was now pointed at Kagome. "I decided to come in for a visit."

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, of course, couldn't see any of this, and as such remained silent. Kouga caught the uncomfortable pause, raising an eyebrow at the brothers. "What's wrong with you two?"

Still, the youkai and hanyou said nothing. Kouga saw the hopelessness of this situation, and as such decided to look for the human for advice. He was rewarded with a very hard, very angrily thrown clay pot in the face. It did not shatter, but just temporarily crushed his nose, then dropping heavily down into his unexpecting lap. "OW!"

Kagome was on her feet now, hands tensed into claws at her side. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" She very nearly bellowed, surprising the wide-eyed wolf youkai with its strength and intensity.

"You can't just sneak into someone else's room! You just scared me half to death! Do you realize my heart stopped for a little while there?! Who do you think you are?!"

The room fell into silence. Even the sightless Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had been able to accurately pinpoint the human girl's location, visibly shocked with the audible display. Kagome's shoulders heaved up and down ominously, and if there had been anything else in the room she could uproot and throw at the wolf, she would've done it.

Wrinkling and unwrinkling his nose, Kouga finally found it in him to let out a little cough, raising his hand and rubbing his bruised face. "You've still got it in ya'…"

Even more upset by the comment, Kagome jut her lower jaw out in a gesture of her frustration.

Kouga nonchalantly pushed the slightly cracked vase from his lap, letting it fall to the floor and roll away with a 'thud.' "Now, I have to admit, I was a little afraid that Sesshoumaru might…"

"It's time for you to leave." The aforementioned youkai stepped into the room and to the side, leaving the leader of the wolf clan a large, obviously hint that he was no longer welcome.

Wisely yet reluctantly, Kouga stood to leave, realizing that there was no way he could go against the wishes of Sesshoumaru, to whom he already owed a large debt. "Well, it was really her I came to see, but I suppose it can't be helped…"

In the blink of an eye Kouga was in front of Kagome, her hands grasped tightly in his. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay long…But I promise I'll be back to see you soon. Don't forget my promise to you. We'll meet again soon."

Kagome's anger had almost immediately been extinguished by the act, replaced with confusion and even a little embarrassment. "…Eh?"

Before Sesshoumaru could let out a territorial growl, Kouga had flashed the girl a suave little salute, dashing out of the room and disappearing into the darkness in a vortex of thick blue wind, his two groupies peeking their heads out from behind some trees before bumbling along behind him.

There was a very heavy silence left lingering in the room. Inuyasha's head swung from the direction of the forest to the direction of the room a few times, eyes darting this way and that as he desperately tried to analyze the situation. "What just happened?!" He suddenly belted out. "Promise?! Did wolf breath touch you?!"

Kagome raised a hand to her forehead, gently applying pressure onto the temples. "Inuyasha…"

"What are you all doing out here?!" An old, tired, angry voice suddenly barked out at the trio. Kaede had been just about to rest down to sleep when she had been awoken by the scream, and begrudgingly she had come out to see what was going on.

"This is NOT a slumber party! There will be no loud, unnecessary noises at MY temple! Out! Out! Out!"

Inuyasha turned to her, fangs bared. "You're kicking us out?!"

"Out of this room I am! You need to go get some sleep! And I swear, if there's even ONE more thing, I will kick you out!"

The hanyou growled, hanging his shoulders and dragging his feet as he left, looking like a young child who was just scolded by his mother. Kaede shook her head in exhasperation, pulling her robes tighter around her and hobbling out behind Inuyasha.

"Faster, boy, faster!" Kagome could hear Kaede prod at Inuyasha, rewarded with his loud whines. "Stop your nagging, hag!"

"Phew…" Kagome let out a heavy sigh, stepping out of the room to meet Sesshoumaru. He was looking down at her with his normal unmistakable authority and superiority. She shrunk away some, slipping past him. "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama…I…I didn't see him, and when he startled me, I really thought that it was Naraku…"

Much to her surprise, the youkai prince just let out a little shrug, looking away. "I see."

They stood there like that for a little while, before Sesshoumaru let his shoulders down again, turning his body and taking a few steps away. "Ah…" Kagome had swirled her body towards him, a cold wind suddenly bustling past and sending her thin black dress swaying to the side, piercing through the material and making her body shiver.

He paused, turning his head to the side in acknowledgement of her. "Would…Would you like to stay with me…?" She turned her head to the side in embarrassment of the question. "I mean…just for a little while."

Sesshoumaru turned his body a little more, his eyes focusing on the black blob that was her face. Silently, he made up his mind, and nodded.

~

"It's a game that I used to play when I was younger…" Kagome was standing in front of Sesshoumaru, who was sitting down on the stone of the temple edge, his feet placed on the grass in front of them, indicating where the building ended and the forest began.

"Everyone would stand in a circle, with one person in the middle…" She spun her hands around her, indicating the imaginary circle surrounding her. "And they would sing a song, while everyone danced around. When the song ended, the person in the middle had to guess who it was standing behind him."

Sesshoumaru listened with amusement. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh…" Kagome stopped spinning, looking up at the sky. "Nothing, I suppose. I guess you wouldn't have played it, growing up in the castle…"

He didn't say anything. Kagome had started off the conversation by asking about whether the skull Sesshoumaru had brought to Kaede could be the virgin-eating youkai she had told him about earlier. He had replied with an 'I don't know,' and it ended there. Seeing that that wasn't going in any direction, she had asked him where he had grown up, and he curtly replied that it was in the castle. So, she told him it must've been great to grow up in a big place like that, with something to do all the time. Again, nothing. She was sitting down by his side, looking to the side uncomfortably. The crickets kept on chirping, the wind howled through the trees, and Sesshoumaru acted as if he didn't even know she was there. And so, to fill in the emptiness, Kagome began idly humming. The youkai's eyes swiveled in the girl's direction, and upon realizing she was under scrutiny, she had commenced to explain to him the origins. But now, with nothing more to say and nothing more to bring up, she was at a loss.

"Kagome Kagome
Kago no naka no tori wa
Itsu itsu deyaru
Yoake to ban ni
Tsuru to kame ga subetta
Ushiro no shoumen dare?"

She hummed the words without even thinking of them, as she had heard them so many times as a child that they came as second nature. She had always been teased about having the same name as a children's game, and her mother had even sang it to her as a lullaby.

Sesshoumaru just listened, wondering what had gotten into her. Sometimes she just acted so strange and unpredictable that he preferred to just listen to what she would say next, rather than to say anything himself. It did bother him, though…Kagome. Kagome, Kagome, Kagome. He had heard it before. It was in that dream…Was it because she had been playing this game? Or maybe foretelling tonight? The strange vision he had had earlier that day was just becoming hazier and hazier every minute. At the time, it had seemed so real, but now, like any dream, it was disintegrating and floating away into nothingness.

Kagome saw that her master was distracted, and sighed in defeat. Trying to converse with him wasn't really going anywhere. Giving up on the venture, she sat down a few feet away from him, resting her cold hands into her lap.

This was a bad idea…I should've just gone back to my room and shut my mo-…

"It wasn't all that interesting, really."

Kagome sat up with a start, looking over at Sesshoumaru. "…Eh?"

He sighed, exasperated. "Growing up in the castle. It wasn't all that interesting."

"Oh…really…?" Kagome crossed her arms tightly over her chest, pulling her shoulders close together, her eyes opened wide as she stared down at the ground in front of her. "Still…it's hard to imagine you as a young child at all…"

A little surprised by that comment, Sesshoumaru moved his eyes in her direction. The sight was slowly coming back to him, although the improvement was tough to detect in the middle of the night. "What do you mean?"

"Ah…oh, well…" She blushed a little, pulling her shoulders up next to her ears. "Are you going to take over the castle after your father?"

"If I want to, I suppose." His voice completely lacked expression or emotion, a mannerism that Kagome was begrudgingly becoming accustomed to.

"Well, do you want to?"

Sesshoumaru thought about it for a little while. It had occurred to him, yes, but no one had really ever asked him. Even his father has kept the question to himself, even though every once and a while it was subliminally hinted at, like when he was invited on political outings. Inuyasha was the favored son and Sesshoumaru realized this, but he also knew that his father was not so stupid as to leave Inuyasha in charge of his land. "I suppose. I don't really have any other plans."

"Hm…You'd be good at it." Kagome noted, feeling a little less embarrassed about saying something like that. It was, in fact, the truth. There was an expecting silence, and Kagome knew that this time she wouldn't be able to change the subject out of this one. "You're…just good at taking care of things." …Like me.

"It's more than just being 'intimidating.'" He stressed the last word, recycling it from the last conversation they had had, when she had told him that he wasn't 'any less intimidating than usual.' She shrunk back a little. "Well…If it's Lord Sesshoumaru-sama, I'm sure he can master any challenge placed in front of him."

Lord Sesshoumaru-sama.  He thought with a little amusement. It's that damaged pride again.

"Well!" She said all too eagerly, suddenly springing to her feet. "I believe I've taken up enough of Lord Sesshoumaru-sama's time." With a spin of her body, Kagome bowed politely for her master, eyes moving up to keep focused on his somewhat empty face. "Thank you for staying up with me."

He followed suit, looking neither pleased nor disappointed. As was accustomed for him, he turned and walked away without a word. Kagome smiled a little, watching his retreating figure. She realized she had never heard him say 'Goodbye' before, and she wouldn't be surprised if the words had never even once passed his lips.

A heavy gust of wind pushed by her, causing her to turn her body back into the direction of the open forest. The cool, swirling air around her seemed almost refreshing now, and she let her previously clenched arms droop down at her sides. The air was clean and cool, the crickets were chirping methodically in the background, and she was overcome by a warm, complete feeling of everything being right in the world.

Everything is right in the world…She repeated the words in her head, stepping out onto the grass-riddled ground, her socks soaking up some of the very early morning dew. It was well past midnight now, and she figured that it wouldn't be too long before the sun rose. Maybe everything is right in the world…She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and just letting the sensations wash over her. That's right…If I'm not with mom and Souta, the only place where everything is okay is with Sesshoumaru…

The wind blew past her again, in the opposite direction now, causing her hair to split and tangle in front of her face. She opened her eyes, letting them rest nostalgically on the ground in front of her. If she listened hard enough, it was almost like she could hear her family again. Her father, her mother, her grandfather, Souta…All the children she used to play with when she was young…In front of her mind's eyes, she could see them spinning around her, chanting and dancing without any cares in the world.

"Kagome Kagome
Kago no naka no tori wa…"

The wind died down.
"Itsu itsu deyaru?"

Her hair rested down on her shoulders.
"Yoake to ban ni
Tsuru to kame ga subetta…"

Sesshoumaru silently pulled his eyes away from the girl's spinning figure, a large portion of his sight having miraculously come back to him in the past ten minutes. Without a word he disappeared behind the temple's cold wall, leaving her to dance alone.
 "…Ushiro no shoumen dare?"

~

"Well, it's good to see all of you up so early." Kaede hobbled down the long hallway, bright with the rays of the morning sun that shone through the open door. Not only did it let in the light, it also let in the early morning breeze that seemed to bother only Kagome. The lack of sleep seemed to only be affecting her as well, and she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. While waiting for Kaede to arrive she had drooped forward and almost let her head fall onto the table multiple times, earning herself strange looks from both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha.

"I'm sure you all want to get straight down to business." She kneeled down when she had reached the pillow in front of the table, taking a few seconds to get herself adjusted. In the pause, Kagome felt it would be polite to ask about her condition.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me…Which reminds me, what about you two?" The old priestess switched her gaze from Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru answered the question before Inuyasha had the chance, glancing up at Kaede. "It has returned."

"Well, that's good…And you, girl? Did you survive the night?" Kagome was startled by the unexpected question, looking up at Kaede in a fluster. "Oh…Oh, yes! I'm just fine."

"Hm." The priestess responded, with some extent of resentment lingering in her voice. "Even after all that fuss you caused last night."

Kagome blushed, hanging her head down. "I'm sorry, Kaede…"

"Well…Nevermind that. Now then, about the Shikon no Tama…" She turned her head to Sesshoumaru, suddenly looking very serious. "I would still like you to take it to your father."

Inuyasha looked at the old woman, a questioning look crossing his face. "Eh? But what about Naraku? He'll probably try to get it again."

Kaede nodded. "Yes, that's true…However, if it is left here he will only come and terrorize this temple, where there is no protection." Reaching into the sleeve of her robes, Kaede pulled out a small black box, placing it onto the table in front of them. "I will trust your father to know what to do with it. From now on, it will be under his discretion."

Ceremoniously she pushed the gleaming black box in Sesshoumaru's direction. He accepted it, just as soberly, pulling it towards him and placing it onto the plush tatami floor at his side. "Now then." Kaede began. "I'm sure your next thought is what happened last night."

The three of them looked expectantly at Kaede, waiting for a long, detailed, drawn out explanation of the mysterious powers of the Shikon no Tama, and what effects it held on youkai and youkai alone. So, it goes without saying that her response surprised them.

"The truth is…I don't know."

Impulsively, Inuyasha slammed his hands down onto the table. "What? What do you mean you don't know?!"

"Calm down, Inuyasha!" The old woman shot back. "I mean it just exactly as I said it. I don't know. This temple has housed the Shikon no Tama for centuries, but still, its powers and mysteries are almost completely unknown to us." Her voice became much duller, as her one eye swiveled in the direction of Kagome. "I don't know why this girl can harness it. I only know of one other person who has ever been able to use it as a form of defense, and even then…It was hardly comparable to what you all witnessed last night."

Groaning as she shifted her body, Kaede moved her damaged shoulder this way and that. "It's strange, yes, but hardly something you should be complaining about. If Naraku shows up again you'd better hope that you've got her nearby, because as you should know by now, he's not a force to be underestimated."

Silently, Kagome wondered why it was that Naraku was staying in Inutaisho's home anyway. If he had as much power as everyone was suggesting, why couldn't he just find some property of his own?

"Is that all?" Sesshoumaru's smooth, calm voice cut through the confusion, as he politely collected the black box containing the Shikon no Tama. Kaede looked at him, her eyebrow questioningly raised.

"Yes…Yes it is."

"Wait." Kagome suddenly said, sitting up and looking intently at Kaede. "What is Naraku?"

The old priestess appeared shocked by the question. "What…what do you mean?" Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had also turned their questioning gazes in the young maid's direction. She shrunk a little under their combined scrutiny.

"Well…You said last night that a temple was no place for 'an unrest spirit'…" She muttered, embarrassed. Kaede frowned. "Naraku is nothing more than a physical soul…Left over from the hate and anguish of mankind, born in the field of battle…" Kagome listened, amazed by the story. Inuyasha sighed heavily, resting his elbow down onto the table and dropping his chin into his hand. Sesshoumaru just looked like Sesshoumaru.

"So…so they are real." Kagome said matter-of-factly, appearing deeply disturbed by the revelation.

"What do you mean, real?" Kaede asked her tentatively. "Naraku is not real in the sense of a heartbeat, or in the sense of requiring breath. He is a physical entity, yes, but he lives off the corpses of others."

Disgusted by the thought, Kagome winced. "So he can raise the dead?"

Again, a questioning, confused look crossed Kaede's face as her eyebrow lowered. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean…"

Kagome glanced over to Sesshoumaru, and then to Inuyasha, who were watching her with the same uncertainty. Did everyone know something she didn't? "Oh…Oh, nevermind…"

Sesshoumaru carefully watched his maid, his eyebrow raised. He realized that there was no way she could know about Naraku, but even he was somewhat confused by the meaning behind her last question.

"Anyway…Please, if there is nothing more, bring this to your father right away." With that closing comment, they all rose to their feet, Kaede's eyes closely following Kagome as she sheepishly moved to Sesshoumaru's side. The old woman watched with a heightened level of interest as the girl stayed close to the seemingly cold and uncaring youkai's side, without even the slightest hint of fear or intimidation.

"Thank you, Kaede!" Kagome whirled her body towards the priestess, bowing deeply. "For everything!"

"It was no problem." Kaede smiled despite her thoughts, waving her good arm back towards the trio. "You three take care of yourselves, now!"

"Don't you worry about us, hag." Inuyasha called back, nonchalantly waving his hand into the air, back still turned to the old woman. "Naraku doesn't stand a chance."

Sesshoumaru remained Sesshoumaru, saying nothing and not even sparing a glance back. And with one last goodbye, they were gone.

~

"Uwaaaa!" Kagome hopped out of the carriage, stretching her arms out as far and wide as they would go. It feels great to finally be out of there…!

Inuyasha hopped down out of his own compartment, looking a little sleepy, and in a few more moments Sesshoumaru gracefully lowered himself down after his maid. They had made it back to the castle, with no incident. The Shikon no Tama was safely by his side, and there were no signs of Naraku waiting in ambush. Kagome was just relieved to be back. It had only been two days, but they were two very, very long days. She was, however, surprised to see how much the land around them had changed. The trees were considerably grayer than usual, and the normally flourishing flora was wilting and losing its green glow. Without warning, winter was coming.

"Well…are you coming?" When Kagome had finished examining her surroundings, her eyes fell upon Sesshoumaru, who was standing expectedly at the door. She nodded energetically, quickly walking towards him, and meeting him at the entrance.

He looked down at her, questioningly, allowing her to slip into the castle before him. Now things can finally get back to normal…She thought warmly to herself, taking a deep breath and absorbing the familiar surroundings. Sango, Miroku, Shippou…There were so many people she wanted to talk to!

Sesshoumaru stepped in, silently shutting the door behind him. He watched as his human maid looked this way and that, examining the interior of the hallway as if it were her first time there in years. Yes…It was hard to believe she had only come here a month ago. Things just moved so quickly nowadays. She turned back to the youkai lord, looking up at him with those large, innocent eyes of hers, obviously waiting for him to proceed. Sesshoumaru had to forcefully hold back a grin.

Yes. Back to normal.

~

Yaaay! :D I'm so happy I got done with that totally random chapter filler. I did get some things done though, concerning Naraku and the Shikon no Tama. Now I can return to the fluffy cute relationships, like Kagome's friendships with M/S/I and to her relationship with Sesshoumaru. Kouga will come back soon too…and…yeah! I think I got a lot out of the way! I know nothing really happens in this chapter, even for a whopping 11 pages. T_T I trust you, things will get back to par, soon.

Everyone, thanks for reading! I hope I haven't disappointed you…Suggestions and the like are always welcome, by the way! Oh, and don't even worry about Kagome. I know she's totally out of character. It has nothing to do with her never being in this situation, it's all about me not having seen/read Inuyasha in a long, long, long time. I watched it the other day and I realized that I made Kagome into someone I wanted her to be, not who she really was. T_T And I really, sincerely apologize for that. I'll try, but…I guess I'd be better off just keeping her MY Kagome from now on. Come on…It's my first fic…I think I'm allowed some room for mistakes.

One more thing. There really IS a child's game in Japan called 'Kagome,' which you may or may not know about. I decided to use it in Japanese because I believe it's much, much prettier in Japanese, and easier to understand. But here's the translation.

Kagome, Kagome

When will the bird inside the cage

Come out?

At morning and night

When the crane and turtle slipped

Who is behind you?

That's pretty vague though. I could translate it literally, but it gets confusing. T_T Especially "Ushiro no shoumen dare?" Ushiro means behind and shoumen means front. If you THINK about it, it makes sense. It's referring to the person who is in front of your back. You know? Yeah..

JAA, MATA NE!