Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Inuyasha. Nor do I own Kagome, Sesshoumaru, Rin, Kagome's family, or any of the other copyrighted characters that may or may not appear in this fic. So please don't sue me, and enjoy the story!

Notes: There have been some comments about Kagome being a spoiled brat, and I agree that her situation would definitely tend to spoil someone, but it's Kagome and I just can't see her that way. In some ways, however, she is very spoiled - for example she can't really relate to people who have lived less privileged lives because she's never been exposed to how they live. Also, she's been so sheltered that she doesn't have a working definition of reality outside of being rich, getting everything she wants, and being able to do whatever she wants. This comes into play later on when she meets Inuyasha, and again when she finally begins to understand just how bad things are for slaves. This really is an important part of the story because if she'd been working class or exposed to the harsher sides of life, she'd probably be too jaded to become inspired to make a difference.

Thanks so much for your reviews; they really helped me clarify this theme in my mind, and now I'll make it stand out more because I think it's a pretty important factor in the story.

Also, I'm going to be posting semi-quickly for the beginning of the story, especially since the chapters are short and I want to get into the plot quickly so you guys can see where I'm going with this. The downside is that I might have to slow down later since although I have a ton of ideas, getting them all to fit together in a way that makes sense and that flows with the rest of the story is starting to become a real challenge.

Learning to Let Go

Chapter 2: It Must be Fate.

Kagome wandered rather aimlessly through the MIT bookshop, pulling her books off the shelves as she ran across them. She loved the campus, and she was trying to relax and enjoy the atmosphere while keeping her mind off of her family and her rather lonely house.

She was studying one of her introductory course manuals when someone behind her said, "Kagome?"

The voice was hesitant, but with an edge of buoyancy that Kagome knew could only belong to "Rin!" she cried, throwing her arms around the other girl. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to school here!" Rin cried, the hesitancy replaced by her usual indomitable spirit and enthusiasm. "I'm living with my older sister in Cambridge and I'm buying my books for this semester."

"Rin, that's an such an amazing coincidence because I'm going to school here too! I just got into the area this morning and I'm trying to learn my way around and get ready for classes tomorrow."

Rin squealed and hugged her again. "This is going to be great! We can visit each other much more often now that we'll be going to the same school and living in the same area. I've missed you so much Kagome - my boarding school was awful. Everyone was so distant and snobby and mean. I couldn't wait to get out of there."

They spent a few more minutes catching up with one another and helping the other find their books. As they got ready to leave the two girls exchanged addresses so they could get together later in the semester.

"Do you like living with your sister?" Kagome asked offhandedly.

To her surprise, Rin paused. "You've never met Kikyo, have you?"

Kagome shook her head.

"She can be intense," Rin temporized. "And" she hesitated again.

Kagome blinked, surprised by this display of shyness in her usually outgoing and rather wild friend. "And?" she pressed.

"And she's got a slave. Sesshoumaru. And he's"

Kagome gasped in delight, sensing a possible source of her friend's careful demeanor. "Rin! Have you got a crush on him?"

Rin blushed crazily. "Kagome! Don't say things like that! He's a slave. I can't have a crush on him. And besides, he belongs to Kikyo, and"

"And?" Kagome was really eager to hear more now.

But Rin looked distraught. "She uses him I don't know why it upsets me so much, he's just a slave, you know. But there's something about it that just feels so wrong!"

Kagome put her arms around her upset friend, not sure what to say. Most people had slaves, and Rin's family had always owned them. Rin had never seemed bothered by it before, so either Kagome was right and Rin felt something special for this particular slave, or Rin's sister Kikyo really did abuse him horribly.

"Maybe you should talk to her about it," Kagome suggested hesitantly, not sure if she should involve herself in the situation.

Rin shook her head quickly. "Oh no. You don't know Kikyo - she wouldn't listen and she might take it out on him. I couldn't bear that."

Kagome shuddered slightly - it really did sound horrible. She didn't know much about slavery at all, and had mostly tried to forget the barbaric practice even existed.

"I'm sorry I can't help, Rin If you need to talk about it you can call me or come over. You know where I live."

Rin smiled gratefully at her friend's understanding nature and rubbed her eyes. "Thanks Kagome. You're the best."

"Good luck with your first day of classes!" Kagome called, waving as she walked toward her car.

"You too!" Rin called back, smiling her usual bright grin again.

Kagome did her best to forget about Rin's upsetting story as she drove home quickly, parking the car and bringing her books into the house. She put them on the shelves in her study, and then wandered downstairs to the kitchen.

To her surprise, the light on the answering machine was blinking insistently at her. "Who could have called?" she wondered hitting the play button.

"Hey there Kagome!" her aunt Matilda's voice rang out cheerfully into the quiet kitchen. "Looks like you're not in right now, but give me a call as soon as you get home! I have a surprise for you."

Mystified, Kagome dialed the number her aunt had left her. Her aunt picked up on the first ring. "Hello? Aunt Matilda? It's Kagome."

"Oh, Kagome! How great to hear from you. Are you all settled in to your new home?"

"Yeah," Kagome told her happily. "I love it - it's beautiful."

"Well," her aunt said, "I realized the other day when your mother told me that you were moving out of the house that I'd never gotten you a graduation gift - or a gift to congratulate you for getting into such a great school. So I decided that it was high time I found something nice to get for you."

Kagome was touched by her thoughtfulness. "That's really great of you Aunt Matilda, but it's not necessary. You've done so much for me over the years that it more than makes up for it."

"Silly girl - don't you know you never say no to presents?" her aunt teased. "No if ands or buts. I'm going to be picking you up around three in the afternoon tomorrow and taking you out to buy you your present - will you be done with all your classes by then?"

"Yes," Kagome told her curiously. "What exactly are you taking me out to buy? Is it something I need to be there for?"

"Most definitely. This is really something you have to pick out for yourself, but the cost is on me of course."

"What is it?" Kagome asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I'm going to buy you your very own slave," her aunt told her cheerfully, and Kagome felt her stomach drop out.

She gulped. "Th-that's really thoughtful of you, but isn't there something else you could get me? I don't really - "

"Oh Kagome. Don't be stubborn. I've seen the house your mother bought for you; it's much too big and lonely to live in by yourself. You need someone to do your laundry and cook you dinner and clean up after you. You're not used to living without any servants."

Kagome was silent. Much as she hated to admit it, the big house was rather lonely. She had only been here a day and already she wished there were someone she could sit down and talk to over dinner. But still, a slave?

"I can take care of the house without a slave," she told her aunt. "And if that were all I needed help with I could hire someone, not buy them."

"Don't be so obstinate, Kagome! You're a young woman living on her own for the first time, and slaves are the very best protectors there are. If you won't admit to being overwhelmed by housework then you can at least think of your own safety."

"I can take care of myself!" Kagome cried, mortified. "I don't need someone following me around and watching my every move like a a bodyguard!"

Kagome's aunt sighed. "I've made up my mind about this, Kagome. Your family agrees that it would be much better for you to have someone living with you than for you to be all alone in a new place."

"Did you tell them you were planning on buying me a slave?" Kagome demanded, her temper starting to flare. The nerve of this woman!

Matilda chuckled lightly. "Oh come now details are hardly necessary in these kinds of matters."

Kagome made a face.

"Anyway, dear, I understand you're opposed to the practice, but it's really not so bad. These men and women are trained from birth to serve you - they don't know how to live any other way."

"No one's given them the chance to live any other way," Kagome pointed out, but her aunt interrupted her again.

"I'm going to stop by your house at three tomorrow. If you would like to come help pick out your Pet then you are of course welcome. If not I'll just have to use my best judgment and register him in your name."

She was too busy grinding her teeth to say goodbye as her aunt wished her a good night and hung up. And she had thought she was getting away from overbearing people who liked to think they could tell her what to do, she thought sourly as she began to make herself some dinner.

She was still undecided about tomorrow. She supposed she had not choice but to go with her aunt after classes, but as for actually buying a slave - that was another story altogether. She'd just have to play it by ear.

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Okay! Now we're starting to get somewhere with the plot. As you can see, Sesshoumaru's going to be involved, and I've actually got a pretty important part planned out for him. Just for the record, I adore Sesshoumaru, and while it seems like he's got it bad for a lot of the story I promise promise promise he'll get his revenge - in all his classic, stoic, sadistic glory! And in the next chapter, Inuyasha makes his debut!