NOTES: I've begun to notice a trend in my chapters... first I do a plot-builder, then an interesting chapter, then another plot-builder, then another interesting chapter, then... lol. Gomen! Anyways, I hope you like this chapter, and I plan to add some action (of more than one kind! ^_~) later on in the story!
Also, does anyone have information on Kouga, Rin, and maybe Naraku's "children"? I've only seen one Kouga episode, and none at all with the "children" or Rin, so I'm running on nothing for that kinda stuff, should I ever want to use it (in this fic or others), and I'd be very grateful to anyone who may send me info. Thanks!
DISCLAIMER: Rumiko Takahashi owns Inu Yasha. I own ten dollars, a box of pocky, and a teddy bear. If I'm sued, then ten dollars are history, the pocky shall be eaten before anyone gets it, and the teddy bear will have to be pried from my cold dead hands! So THERE! ^__^ Heheheee
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Kagome heard a groan, and rushed back to Shippou's side in fear that his condition had worsened. However, instead of one of the many frightening scenes her imagination had placed in her head, she saw that the kitsune child was beginning to wake up. Rin, who had contented herself with watching Kagome tend to Shippou, jumped up in earnest at his wakening.
Shippou sat up, grinning with joy at seeing Kagome safe, and beside him. He would have leapt to her, except that he ached all over and was in little mood to play at the moment. Kagome took care of the hugging part... he was immediately in her embrace. "Shippou-chan, you scared me! You should have known better than to sneak onto Sesshoumaru's land all alone like that!" However, her tone wasn't harsh at all.
Kagome looked back at Rin, silently inviting her to sit on the bed beside the both of them. She smiled as the girl accepted and then turned to Shippou. Kagome looked at him and asked "So are you going to tell me about your trip here or not?" Shippou nodded and started talking.
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Sesshoumaru was heading down the hall towards Kagome's room. He had allowed her the items she would need to tend to her friend's wound, though he knew it blemished his ruthless demeanor. He had already convinced himself that he had only permitted it because Rin had seen the incident, and he wouldn't let the child witness a death by those means. He also refused to think about why he would care what she saw, anyways.
He stopped in front of the room door when he heard Shippou talking about his arrival. "...And then Sango hit Miroku on the head again, and then I went to sleep. Then I woke up and saw you on this cloud-looking thing with Sesshoumaru and I followed you here!" It sounded like the child was finished talking, and he heard Kagome prodding for more information. Sesshoumaru was waiting to see if he would hear any news of his weak half-brother. Information could be very valuable, if used correctly.
"Shippou, what about Miroku and Sango? You just left them? They must be worried sick already!" Kagome's voice said.
"Oh, I drew an arrow facing the way I left so they could follow me. I bet they show up on Kirara any minute now!" gloated Shippou. Sesshoumaru heard Kagome sigh, and could tell that it was the end of this story time. He wondered about how valid it may be that Inu Yasha's group could arrive any time now, but ignored the thought for the moment. Better to leave that alone until they showed up. He had his guard, and they would last at least long enough for him to notice their arrival.
He turned and left them to themselves, passing the room and heading towards his own.
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"Kikyou..." Inu Yasha was searching what he could see from his position on the tree. Miroku and Sango backed to each other and each readied to attack, not ever trusting the undead woman that always seemed to mesmerize the hanyou.
The said woman stepped out from seemingly nowhere, and Inu Yasha jumped down to stand facing her. For the longest of minutes they did nothing but stare at each other, neither seeming to notice the other eyes on them. Finally, Sango broke the silence for them.
"What brings you here, miko?" Sango's tone was rather unfriendly. Kikyou stood a moment, not seeming to notice the question, before she turned her gaze from her once-lover to look at the speaker.
"I have come for Inu Yasha. Leave us be, youkai exterminator." She stated, simply and without emotion. Inu Yasha was still watching Kikyou, not quite daring to say anything yet. Not with his friends around to hear and speak of later, or with Kikyou around to hear and misunderstand. Miroku broke the silence that followed that.
"You were the one to erase Shippou's marking on the ground, am I correct?" He had one hand on the prayer beads that he kept over his cursed hand. Kikyou did nothing more than nod momentarily to this, her gaze on Inu Yasha once again. Miroku wanted more, and made it clear by asking her: "Why?"
Inu Yasha growled a warning to Miroku and Sango, hoping they'd leave for a while so he could deal with Kikyou on his own. However, Kikyou decided to answer the monk's question.
"The kitsune child ran off after my reincarnation. I need Inu Yasha here, with me, not following HER. I could point the both of you in her direction, but Inu Yasha must stay with me." Kikyou seemed to hold no emotion when she said this. Miroku nodded his understanding, knowing that Inu Yasha would choose on his own, but deciding to play along until they knew where Kagome was.
Kikyou almost seemed to smile then, as Inu Yasha walked closer to her and they embraced. He was hers. He would always be hers. She pointed her hand past the monk and exterminator, pointing in the direction she knew Kagome was in. "She is in the palace of the Western Lands." She watched the monk nod, and heard Sango mention something about Kagome still being with Sesshoumaru. Inu Yasha seemed not to have heard either statement.
Miroku and Sango shared a look, wondering what to do now about Inu Yasha. One glance from Inu Yasha, however, decided that for them.
They left without him, jumping on Kirara's back and heading towards Sesshoumaru's home.
Kikyou grinned in her victory.
Inu Yasha pretended not to notice any of it.
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Shippou was outside with Rin, playing with the annoyed Babysitter Jaken, as Kagome watched from the steps. Her mind ran over the time since Shippou showed up. Sesshoumaru had been uncharacteristically kind, though his attitude was otherwise unaffected. He had not only let her mend Shippou's wounds, but he had given her the supplies to do so, and then let Shippou stay once he was healed. In fact, it was partially bugging her how he hadn't made her work like the other servants of the place. The servants even grudgingly served her, though she could tell they disliked serving a human. Also, she couldn't get any of them to tend the flame that heated the baths while she bathed herself and Rin, so they had been washing in cold water.
Not that she minded. She was used to the streams and lakes during traveling with Inu Yasha and company. The part that bugged her was that they were only being so mean to herself and to Rin.
It was getting late out, and Kagome stood up. They still hadn't bathed today, and she knew that they were quite unclean. She also knew that youkai tended to have good noses, so it'd be best to stay clean around them. So she called Rin and Shippou to her, telling them to run to the room they shared and grab some spare outfits to wear after the bath. Both children ran off to the room, racing each other there. Kagome simply walked, moving far more slowly than the children.
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Sesshoumaru spared her a glance as she entered the room. She tried her best to not act surprised at his being there. She bent down under the bedding to pull out the chest of clothing she was borrowing, taking out another kimono to wear, and when she looked up again he was gone.
"Guess what, Kagome-neesan! Rin told Sesshoumaru-sama that the bath water was always cold, and Sesshoumaru-sama said that Rin, Shippou-san and Kagome-neesan could use his bathhouse! That water is always hot!" Kagome stood for a moment to think about this, wondering if he had really said that. Hadn't he told her that his bathhouse was off-limits? She sighed. He probably only changed his mind because of his soft spot for Rin (as she had decided it was that which made him keep the hyper little girl around). She smiled and led them down the halls and out towards the bath house that they had just been given permission to use.
This could even be fun.
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The bathhouse was actually a hot spring with walls built around it. Kagome's breath caught a little as they closed the screen behind them. This was certainly a luxury, after so many cold-watered baths, and she was ready to leap in without even undressing. She was very glad that Shippou and Rin were so young, because that gave her good company to add to the hot water. Oh yes, this would be very fun!
Once in the water, they took care of the business of scrubbing first, helping each other with their backs and hair (just for the fun of it, really). After that, Rin and Shippou began to show off their swimming skills as Kagome relaxed and cheered them both on. It was getting late, and she knew they would have to get out soon, but she was reluctant to leave the soothing waters. Just as she was about to gather herself and get them finished, she heard a sliding sound behind her. Turning, she saw Sesshoumaru in the doorway.
Sesshoumaru winced when Kagome shrieked. The sound hurt his ears. He slid the door shut behind him and laid his spare clothes on the ground, ignoring all of Kagome's comments about his being a pervert, and worse. He turned to face her, partially enjoying the shade of red her face was, and said, "This Sesshoumaru must bathe as well, and it is nearly night hours." He turned again to the clothing piles and striped, then entering the water along with the other three occupants.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin squealed, happy to see that he was going to watch her play too. She vaguely wondered why Kagome was completely red-faced, and why Shippou was hiding behind her, but instead of asking about it, she just tagged Shippou and said "Rin will race Shippou-san to that side over there!" Shippou nodded, casting a worried glance to the taiyoukai watching them, but swam for it when Rin said "go".
Kagome was up to her chin in the water, arms and legs covering what they could. She was in between glaring at Sesshoumaru, and trying to avoid looking at him. Her curiosity managed to get the better of her for a moment, and her eyes flickered over his figure, breaking off just before the waist. She did notice, however, that there was a slight smirk on his lips, and that upset her almost as much as knowing that he was staring at her form too.
If only she had the power to make him fall down with a single word, as she did Inu Yasha.
Sesshoumaru was very amused by her reactions to his being there. Certainly she couldn't think he held any interest in a human. Not in the way she seemed to be taking it. However, he had to admit to himself that she had a nice figure. He had noticed her looking him over, and took the action as giving him due right to do the same. However, his gaze covered her entire body, and he stopped himself from making any sound as he did so. My, but wasn't she lovely for a human! Maybe he had his father's curse in his blood after all, but at this moment it didn't matter to him.
With the sound of the children splashing around, he bathed himself, and then took up a relaxed stance. He noted how upset Kagome seemed when she realized that he was staying longer, and he moved a little closer to where she was huddled. This could be fun, seeing her reactions when she was this vulnerable. He knew he couldn't do much, not with Rin or Shippou nearby, but just getting closer to her seemed to make her uneasy. Somehow, this excited him.
Kagome kept her eyes lowered to the water, watching the ripples that each breath made on the surface. She was doing all that she could to ignore Sesshoumaru, but it was very hard when he was closing in on the little space she had to herself. How she wanted to just jump out and run, but to do that she had to actually get out of the water, and she held little faith that he would be modest and turn away for her.
It didn't help that he sported a grin that she had seen one too many times on Miroku's face before. Nor that he was within an arm's distance now. She met his gaze and shuddered. He smirked more.
Oh yes... this would be fun.
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NOTES: Okay, yes the rating is going up (just to be on the safe side). No, there won't be any *ahem* touchy-touching. This is more on the lines of his realizing that maybe he does like humans, and her realizing that maybe she likes him. Anyways, I won't tell any more just because I'd end up writing the next chapter. The next chapter will probably be a little on the long side, seeing as I'm going to get Sango and Miroku to show up again, and Kikyou and Inu Yasha are going to make a slight change of scene too. All in all, next chapter promises to be interesting, ne?
Also, I try to only keep the Japanese where it feels right, but if I confuse anyone with it, just say so and I'll add some kind of glossary of terms or something for ya! ^_^ Ok?
REVIEWS: (Hmm....)
Nubia: Thank you! And of course Sesshoumaru and Kagome will stay together! It may kill my fic if they don't, seeing as it's already been said to be a Kagome/Sesshoumaru fic... lol. And don't worry... I promise to finish it! I don't like to leave things unfinished once I've made it public. ^_~
DemonLady1: Was this soon enough? ^^;
PasoLover: I'm glad you're enjoying the fic. ^_^ Again, was the update soon enough? Lol
MysticalAngel4: Sorry... didn't mean to confuse you! Again, I forget to explain things, ne? ^^; You see, he was a while away, yes, but also remember how quickly he can move. If he were following them from a distance it would only make sense that he started to follow them when he woke up, only to find that they weren't leaving because of the missing Shippou and the erased arrow. That's how he caught up with them so quickly and got involved with the group again. Again, gomen! Didn't mean to confuse. ^^
Sukera: Thank you! Glad you approve ^_^
pruningshears: You know... that does make sense... maybe Kikyou IS the cure for writer's block... that or random killings of one Jaken toad-like youkai... lol. However, I also planned to have her in the fic, and that seemed a good place to pull her in. So... yeah. ^^; Thanks for the review... and if I told if she could get home ever again that could ruin the story! ^.~ (Added to the fact that I'm STILL trying to decide that! ^^;;; lol) Arigato!
Victoria: Thanks for the review, and once more... was this soon enough? ^^; heh Or do I have to light a fire under my chair again to get me going? (o.O);;;; Actually... don't answer that! ^^;;;;;
Micah17: Eh, sorry that the vacation didn't go well... ^^; Thanks for the compliments though! I shall keep up at it and hope it still qualifies as good work. ^_^ Thanks!
Thanks to everyone for reviewing! It keeps me alive! I'm also glad that no one's afraid to ask questions when I manage to confuse, so if you're confused by anything feel free to not only ask, but maybe pull out a large mallet if needed... (x_x) heh... Arigato! ^_^
Also, does anyone have information on Kouga, Rin, and maybe Naraku's "children"? I've only seen one Kouga episode, and none at all with the "children" or Rin, so I'm running on nothing for that kinda stuff, should I ever want to use it (in this fic or others), and I'd be very grateful to anyone who may send me info. Thanks!
DISCLAIMER: Rumiko Takahashi owns Inu Yasha. I own ten dollars, a box of pocky, and a teddy bear. If I'm sued, then ten dollars are history, the pocky shall be eaten before anyone gets it, and the teddy bear will have to be pried from my cold dead hands! So THERE! ^__^ Heheheee
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Kagome heard a groan, and rushed back to Shippou's side in fear that his condition had worsened. However, instead of one of the many frightening scenes her imagination had placed in her head, she saw that the kitsune child was beginning to wake up. Rin, who had contented herself with watching Kagome tend to Shippou, jumped up in earnest at his wakening.
Shippou sat up, grinning with joy at seeing Kagome safe, and beside him. He would have leapt to her, except that he ached all over and was in little mood to play at the moment. Kagome took care of the hugging part... he was immediately in her embrace. "Shippou-chan, you scared me! You should have known better than to sneak onto Sesshoumaru's land all alone like that!" However, her tone wasn't harsh at all.
Kagome looked back at Rin, silently inviting her to sit on the bed beside the both of them. She smiled as the girl accepted and then turned to Shippou. Kagome looked at him and asked "So are you going to tell me about your trip here or not?" Shippou nodded and started talking.
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Sesshoumaru was heading down the hall towards Kagome's room. He had allowed her the items she would need to tend to her friend's wound, though he knew it blemished his ruthless demeanor. He had already convinced himself that he had only permitted it because Rin had seen the incident, and he wouldn't let the child witness a death by those means. He also refused to think about why he would care what she saw, anyways.
He stopped in front of the room door when he heard Shippou talking about his arrival. "...And then Sango hit Miroku on the head again, and then I went to sleep. Then I woke up and saw you on this cloud-looking thing with Sesshoumaru and I followed you here!" It sounded like the child was finished talking, and he heard Kagome prodding for more information. Sesshoumaru was waiting to see if he would hear any news of his weak half-brother. Information could be very valuable, if used correctly.
"Shippou, what about Miroku and Sango? You just left them? They must be worried sick already!" Kagome's voice said.
"Oh, I drew an arrow facing the way I left so they could follow me. I bet they show up on Kirara any minute now!" gloated Shippou. Sesshoumaru heard Kagome sigh, and could tell that it was the end of this story time. He wondered about how valid it may be that Inu Yasha's group could arrive any time now, but ignored the thought for the moment. Better to leave that alone until they showed up. He had his guard, and they would last at least long enough for him to notice their arrival.
He turned and left them to themselves, passing the room and heading towards his own.
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"Kikyou..." Inu Yasha was searching what he could see from his position on the tree. Miroku and Sango backed to each other and each readied to attack, not ever trusting the undead woman that always seemed to mesmerize the hanyou.
The said woman stepped out from seemingly nowhere, and Inu Yasha jumped down to stand facing her. For the longest of minutes they did nothing but stare at each other, neither seeming to notice the other eyes on them. Finally, Sango broke the silence for them.
"What brings you here, miko?" Sango's tone was rather unfriendly. Kikyou stood a moment, not seeming to notice the question, before she turned her gaze from her once-lover to look at the speaker.
"I have come for Inu Yasha. Leave us be, youkai exterminator." She stated, simply and without emotion. Inu Yasha was still watching Kikyou, not quite daring to say anything yet. Not with his friends around to hear and speak of later, or with Kikyou around to hear and misunderstand. Miroku broke the silence that followed that.
"You were the one to erase Shippou's marking on the ground, am I correct?" He had one hand on the prayer beads that he kept over his cursed hand. Kikyou did nothing more than nod momentarily to this, her gaze on Inu Yasha once again. Miroku wanted more, and made it clear by asking her: "Why?"
Inu Yasha growled a warning to Miroku and Sango, hoping they'd leave for a while so he could deal with Kikyou on his own. However, Kikyou decided to answer the monk's question.
"The kitsune child ran off after my reincarnation. I need Inu Yasha here, with me, not following HER. I could point the both of you in her direction, but Inu Yasha must stay with me." Kikyou seemed to hold no emotion when she said this. Miroku nodded his understanding, knowing that Inu Yasha would choose on his own, but deciding to play along until they knew where Kagome was.
Kikyou almost seemed to smile then, as Inu Yasha walked closer to her and they embraced. He was hers. He would always be hers. She pointed her hand past the monk and exterminator, pointing in the direction she knew Kagome was in. "She is in the palace of the Western Lands." She watched the monk nod, and heard Sango mention something about Kagome still being with Sesshoumaru. Inu Yasha seemed not to have heard either statement.
Miroku and Sango shared a look, wondering what to do now about Inu Yasha. One glance from Inu Yasha, however, decided that for them.
They left without him, jumping on Kirara's back and heading towards Sesshoumaru's home.
Kikyou grinned in her victory.
Inu Yasha pretended not to notice any of it.
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Shippou was outside with Rin, playing with the annoyed Babysitter Jaken, as Kagome watched from the steps. Her mind ran over the time since Shippou showed up. Sesshoumaru had been uncharacteristically kind, though his attitude was otherwise unaffected. He had not only let her mend Shippou's wounds, but he had given her the supplies to do so, and then let Shippou stay once he was healed. In fact, it was partially bugging her how he hadn't made her work like the other servants of the place. The servants even grudgingly served her, though she could tell they disliked serving a human. Also, she couldn't get any of them to tend the flame that heated the baths while she bathed herself and Rin, so they had been washing in cold water.
Not that she minded. She was used to the streams and lakes during traveling with Inu Yasha and company. The part that bugged her was that they were only being so mean to herself and to Rin.
It was getting late out, and Kagome stood up. They still hadn't bathed today, and she knew that they were quite unclean. She also knew that youkai tended to have good noses, so it'd be best to stay clean around them. So she called Rin and Shippou to her, telling them to run to the room they shared and grab some spare outfits to wear after the bath. Both children ran off to the room, racing each other there. Kagome simply walked, moving far more slowly than the children.
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Sesshoumaru spared her a glance as she entered the room. She tried her best to not act surprised at his being there. She bent down under the bedding to pull out the chest of clothing she was borrowing, taking out another kimono to wear, and when she looked up again he was gone.
"Guess what, Kagome-neesan! Rin told Sesshoumaru-sama that the bath water was always cold, and Sesshoumaru-sama said that Rin, Shippou-san and Kagome-neesan could use his bathhouse! That water is always hot!" Kagome stood for a moment to think about this, wondering if he had really said that. Hadn't he told her that his bathhouse was off-limits? She sighed. He probably only changed his mind because of his soft spot for Rin (as she had decided it was that which made him keep the hyper little girl around). She smiled and led them down the halls and out towards the bath house that they had just been given permission to use.
This could even be fun.
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The bathhouse was actually a hot spring with walls built around it. Kagome's breath caught a little as they closed the screen behind them. This was certainly a luxury, after so many cold-watered baths, and she was ready to leap in without even undressing. She was very glad that Shippou and Rin were so young, because that gave her good company to add to the hot water. Oh yes, this would be very fun!
Once in the water, they took care of the business of scrubbing first, helping each other with their backs and hair (just for the fun of it, really). After that, Rin and Shippou began to show off their swimming skills as Kagome relaxed and cheered them both on. It was getting late, and she knew they would have to get out soon, but she was reluctant to leave the soothing waters. Just as she was about to gather herself and get them finished, she heard a sliding sound behind her. Turning, she saw Sesshoumaru in the doorway.
Sesshoumaru winced when Kagome shrieked. The sound hurt his ears. He slid the door shut behind him and laid his spare clothes on the ground, ignoring all of Kagome's comments about his being a pervert, and worse. He turned to face her, partially enjoying the shade of red her face was, and said, "This Sesshoumaru must bathe as well, and it is nearly night hours." He turned again to the clothing piles and striped, then entering the water along with the other three occupants.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin squealed, happy to see that he was going to watch her play too. She vaguely wondered why Kagome was completely red-faced, and why Shippou was hiding behind her, but instead of asking about it, she just tagged Shippou and said "Rin will race Shippou-san to that side over there!" Shippou nodded, casting a worried glance to the taiyoukai watching them, but swam for it when Rin said "go".
Kagome was up to her chin in the water, arms and legs covering what they could. She was in between glaring at Sesshoumaru, and trying to avoid looking at him. Her curiosity managed to get the better of her for a moment, and her eyes flickered over his figure, breaking off just before the waist. She did notice, however, that there was a slight smirk on his lips, and that upset her almost as much as knowing that he was staring at her form too.
If only she had the power to make him fall down with a single word, as she did Inu Yasha.
Sesshoumaru was very amused by her reactions to his being there. Certainly she couldn't think he held any interest in a human. Not in the way she seemed to be taking it. However, he had to admit to himself that she had a nice figure. He had noticed her looking him over, and took the action as giving him due right to do the same. However, his gaze covered her entire body, and he stopped himself from making any sound as he did so. My, but wasn't she lovely for a human! Maybe he had his father's curse in his blood after all, but at this moment it didn't matter to him.
With the sound of the children splashing around, he bathed himself, and then took up a relaxed stance. He noted how upset Kagome seemed when she realized that he was staying longer, and he moved a little closer to where she was huddled. This could be fun, seeing her reactions when she was this vulnerable. He knew he couldn't do much, not with Rin or Shippou nearby, but just getting closer to her seemed to make her uneasy. Somehow, this excited him.
Kagome kept her eyes lowered to the water, watching the ripples that each breath made on the surface. She was doing all that she could to ignore Sesshoumaru, but it was very hard when he was closing in on the little space she had to herself. How she wanted to just jump out and run, but to do that she had to actually get out of the water, and she held little faith that he would be modest and turn away for her.
It didn't help that he sported a grin that she had seen one too many times on Miroku's face before. Nor that he was within an arm's distance now. She met his gaze and shuddered. He smirked more.
Oh yes... this would be fun.
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NOTES: Okay, yes the rating is going up (just to be on the safe side). No, there won't be any *ahem* touchy-touching. This is more on the lines of his realizing that maybe he does like humans, and her realizing that maybe she likes him. Anyways, I won't tell any more just because I'd end up writing the next chapter. The next chapter will probably be a little on the long side, seeing as I'm going to get Sango and Miroku to show up again, and Kikyou and Inu Yasha are going to make a slight change of scene too. All in all, next chapter promises to be interesting, ne?
Also, I try to only keep the Japanese where it feels right, but if I confuse anyone with it, just say so and I'll add some kind of glossary of terms or something for ya! ^_^ Ok?
REVIEWS: (Hmm....)
Nubia: Thank you! And of course Sesshoumaru and Kagome will stay together! It may kill my fic if they don't, seeing as it's already been said to be a Kagome/Sesshoumaru fic... lol. And don't worry... I promise to finish it! I don't like to leave things unfinished once I've made it public. ^_~
DemonLady1: Was this soon enough? ^^;
PasoLover: I'm glad you're enjoying the fic. ^_^ Again, was the update soon enough? Lol
MysticalAngel4: Sorry... didn't mean to confuse you! Again, I forget to explain things, ne? ^^; You see, he was a while away, yes, but also remember how quickly he can move. If he were following them from a distance it would only make sense that he started to follow them when he woke up, only to find that they weren't leaving because of the missing Shippou and the erased arrow. That's how he caught up with them so quickly and got involved with the group again. Again, gomen! Didn't mean to confuse. ^^
Sukera: Thank you! Glad you approve ^_^
pruningshears: You know... that does make sense... maybe Kikyou IS the cure for writer's block... that or random killings of one Jaken toad-like youkai... lol. However, I also planned to have her in the fic, and that seemed a good place to pull her in. So... yeah. ^^; Thanks for the review... and if I told if she could get home ever again that could ruin the story! ^.~ (Added to the fact that I'm STILL trying to decide that! ^^;;; lol) Arigato!
Victoria: Thanks for the review, and once more... was this soon enough? ^^; heh Or do I have to light a fire under my chair again to get me going? (o.O);;;; Actually... don't answer that! ^^;;;;;
Micah17: Eh, sorry that the vacation didn't go well... ^^; Thanks for the compliments though! I shall keep up at it and hope it still qualifies as good work. ^_^ Thanks!
Thanks to everyone for reviewing! It keeps me alive! I'm also glad that no one's afraid to ask questions when I manage to confuse, so if you're confused by anything feel free to not only ask, but maybe pull out a large mallet if needed... (x_x) heh... Arigato! ^_^