Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim Inuyasha and all the characters of Inuyasha.


Kagome shielded her eyes from the red light emitted by the setting sun. The two stood on a ridge overlooking the valley where Naraku was.

"Is it just me, Sesshoumaru, or did today seem to pass by quicker than you could blink?" The miko asked quietly of the youkai standing next to her.

"It is just you, foolish girl."

Kagome smiled. She had expected such an answer from him. She had begun to pick up on the nuances in his rudeness. She could hear in his voice that he felt the same way.

"Are we continuing tonight?"

"Indeed."

"I see, so no sleeping for us?"

He merely turned and glared at her, at which she laughed slightly.

Sesshoumaru turned. "What an idiotic woman," he thought to himself as he stalked away.

Kagome followed in silence for several minutes, before she piped up again.

"Sesshoumaru?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think there are traps set for us?"

"Obvious question, wench."

"Okay, so there are? Then shouldn't we be more careful?"

He merely continued walking, not even acknowledging the last comment, causing Kagome to furrow her eyebrows and clench her fists.

She could not see, but he was smiling.


Souta approached the girl slowly. Her white hair was so beautiful. It almost glowed.

"Please, what is your name?" He asked softly.

She glared at him suspiciously.

"Please? Mine is Souta."

"Kanna," she intoned softly.

"Oh wow, that IS a very neat name!" Souta exclaimed. "Did you know you have very pretty hair?"

Her eyes widened slightly, before she stepped back and turned her mirror slightly again.

"NO!" Souta yelled, throwing his hands in front of his face. "Please don't – I've been unconscious too many times since I've been here. I just need somebody to talk to."

She lowered her mirror slightly, causing Souta to give her a ridiculously goofy smile. "I've never really liked girls," He began, "but most of the girls I know are really annoying. They are giggly, and loud, and they chase you around trying to kiss you." He blushed slightly. "You're not like that. It's kind of nice."

He took a step forward. "I mean, I don't really know anything about you. I guess I have a bad habit of making a mountain out of a mole hill." Souta smiled.

Kanna could not stop her eyes from widening, and Souta almost thought he saw a dash of color brush across her cheeks.


Kagome sighed. It was getting dark, and she was getting tired. She kept pinching herself in an effort to feel more awake, because she knew she must be energized for anything that Naraku threw her way.

Annoyingly, the little spurts of pain did nothing to keep her away. No matter how hard she pinched herself, the image of Sesshoumaru walking in front of her would continue to blur in and out of focus.

The youkai abrubtly stopped in front of her, at a fork in the path. He turned to face the miko, golden eyes slightly glowing in the dark.

"Kagome, which way should we go?" He asked.

She looked at him curiously, pointing to the right. When he turned his back, she pulled out an arrow and strung it on her bow. She breathed in slightly; aiming it directly at the youkai's back and shooting. She narrowed her eyes as his form collapsed and dissolved into dust.

"I cannot be so easily fooled, Naraku," She spat. "Sesshoumaru, for one would not call me by my name, and second, he would not ask for my opinion on which way to go. It seems you have overestimated our relationship."

Kagome looked around. The direction she would have gone if she had followed the fake-Sesshoumaru would have led her directly of a cliff. It was a fatal trap.

"DAMNIT!" She yelled. "Now I'm lost."


Sesshoumaru's eyes shifted slightly to the right, listening to the girl behind him. There had been a sudden change in her rhythm. Perhaps it was because she was getting scared? He felt suddenly tired, which alarmed him. Youkai do not get tired. He sniffed the air quickly, in an attempt to smell Naraku. Nothing unusual, except for the girl…

He turned quickly, striking his claws out suddenly to slash Kagome in half. He growled as she dissipated into the wind. "Naraku, it shall not be so easy…"

Kojiki's hands slammed upon the ground.

"Power…" He whispered.

A shadowy figure in a baboon pelt appeared at the opening of the cave.

"I take it the first trap failed?" He drawled.

Kojiki's wrinkled face looked up at Naraku with anger. "I need…more power."

A small smiled surfaced on Naraku's face as a hand surfaced from under the baboon pelt. It held a small, glowing shard.


Souta traced patterns on the ground with his finger.

"Hey Kanna," he said. "Do you know Inuyasha and Kagome?"

The girl nodded slightly.

"Kagome is my sister." Souta smiled, eyes still focused on the patterns he was tracing on the ground. "She's really strong and brave, unlike me. I wish I was like her, sometimes.

And Inuyasha is so cool! Sankontessou!" Souta yelled, waving his hand in the air as if it were he performing the attack. He smiled. "It doesn't work as well when I try to do it."


Kagome, now fully awake, hurried down a nondescript path, hoping for her life that it would somehow lead her to Sesshoumaru. She felt so…unprotected by herself. Despite this feeling, traveling with the taiyoukai had taught her a valuable lesson. She had more self confidence now when it came to defending herself. Kagome sighed, scanning the forest with her eyes. She had been so reliant on Inuyasha before…

A glimpse of a body between the trees made Kagome double take. A silhouette…who was it?

"Souta!" she nearly exclaimed when she recognized the figure. That was him, wasn't it?

She took two tentative steps toward him, and then began running. He seemed to get farther and farther away as she ran toward him. She saw red.

Kagome went nearly crazy, running through the brush to reach her kid brother.

'Why does he only seem farther away with every step I take?' Kagome thought to herself.

'A TRAP!' her mind screamed suddenly with realization. 'But I can't stop running, the spell is so strong!' Kagome struggled with herself. The spell had a firm grip on her physical body, and was trying to invade her mind.

'A tainted shard?' Kagome thought frantically. 'Could this spell be supported by the power of the shikon no tama?' Kagome's breath was labored and hard as she continued running.

"STOP!" She managed to choke out between breaths. Suddenly Kagome saw a cliff up ahead, that she was running straight toward. "Stop…"

She counted down her steps in horror as she ran off the cliff—


Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. Distress? The girl? Where was she? Sniffing the air, he picked up on the acute smell of distress and anguish. Following his nose, he disappeared in a blur.


"Kanna?"

The girl looked at the boy without expression.

"I don't feel very good."

She continued to stare, and Souta leaned against the wall. "I think something might be wrong. Something is certainly off…"


One-half of Sesshoumaru told him that he was headed in the wrong direction. The other half was relying on his senses. His sense of smell and hearing told him he was getting closer and closer to the girl. He could smell her fear, distress and aguish. Yet, his instinct told him that he was on the wrong track. He stopped, confused, and looked around. He had been traveling in this direction for quite some time. He should be near the girl by now. Where was she…?


Kagome awoke very painfully. "What…?" She mumbled, struggling to open her eyes. The light from above was so blinding that she couldn't open her eyes.

'What did I do to deserve this?' She cupped her hands over her eyes, slowly opening them. "Where…?" Her back and her head ached. She lifted herself up, eyes beginning to adjust to the light.

"Did I really fall? Was that a dream?" Kagome looked up, still shielding her eyes from the sun. The top of the cliff was fifty or so feet up. "How did I survive that? Shouldn't I be more hurt?" Kagome checked for any broken bones or tender spots. There were none.

"What the?" Kagome sat, puzzled, staring blankly into space. "Did I imagine the fall? Have I been here the whole time?" Kagome became frustrated. "What in the hell?" She shouted.

Sesshoumaru heard the foolish woman's voice as she shouted out some obscenity. He appeared next to her. "What, "he began in an annoyed voice "are you doing sitting on the ground?"

Kagome pointed above her to the cliff.

Sesshoumaru did not even look. "And why did you wander away?" He scolded.

Kagome looked at him, her eyes full of emotion. Hurt, anger, confusion, and fright. She was hurt and angry at him for scolding, confused and frightened by what had just happened.

Sesshoumaru had a mostly impassive and slightly annoyed look.

The next thing that she knew, tears began spilling of her eyes. Kagome cursed herself for crying in front of Sesshoumaru, but she simply could not take it any longer. Her whole situation was overwhelming, and it was evident as her body began to shake, as if under pressure. Her body buckled and she fainted.

She came to in a hut. Kagome saw in her peripheral Sesshoumaru, who was looking in the other direction.

"Sesshoumaru?" She mumbled.

"Well?"

"What the hell do you want?"

"Well, what happened?" He still was staring off into the other direction.

Kagome sighed in annoyance. "How about, how are you?"

He turned to glare at her for a moment.

If she was able to growl, she would have at that moment.

"I fell."

"Fell?"

"Yes, Goddamnit. I fell off the cliff."

"Woman, do not lie."

"Look, I don't know why I'm even still alive. But I am, and I'm not really even physically hurt."

Kagome began to stand up. "Where are we?"

Sesshoumaru turned sharply. "Lie down."

Kagome gave him a death stare. "I'm fine," She said curtly, continuing to hoist herself up. Her body felt really, really heavy.

Sesshoumaru took a step to her. "Lie down."

Kagome cocked her head to the side a little. "I'm fine." She angrily replied.

Sesshoumaru took her wrists, and she began to struggle. Falling back onto the bed, Kagome had a winded feeling. Sesshoumaru was on top of her.

"I…I'm fine. I'm not injured." She said, slightly nervously.

"Physically, yes. But your energy level is low. Very, very low. I've never felt it so low. You exhausted your energy source." He was still on her.

Kagome's stomach felt odd. "Would you…get off?" She asked quietly.

He took a moment to glare, then stepped off her. "Now tell me what happened."

Kagome sighed and began to tell the story. When she was finished, Sesshoumaru looked as if he was pondering something.

"It most likely took a lot of energy to keep that spell from invading your mind. However…"

Kagome sat up. "However?" She asked.

"I think you kept yourself from falling with you energy. Instead of falling, you floated."

Kagome thought for a second. She remembered seeing Kikyou float to the ground once. She remembered that day very well. "I did that?"

He nodded. She began to get up again. He pushed her to the bed again. She sighed, as he was on top of her again.

"Sesshoumaru, where are we?" She asked of him.

"We are in a hut that I found. You slept for a few hours. Now you're awake, as you have probably noticed. Your energy level is still low, and it is unwise for you to stand."

"I'll be fine."

"Shut up, woman."

He kissed her. A mere light brushing of lips against each other.

Kagome breathed heavily. "What…was that for?" Her eyes were wide.

He merely glared.

"Why did you do that?" She began to get tears in her eyes. "Why did you do that? Why would you play with my emotions like that? You know what I'm going through. My brother…Inuyahsa…My mother…these powers…And you…you…?" Kagome never finished her question, as he kissed her again.

And so she began to cry. She began to cry very hard.

Kagome realized at that moment that she had feelings for Sesshoumaru. Was she so fickle that she fell in love with every goddamned dog demon she met? She opened her eyes, dripping tears and stared in his eyes. "Why—"

"Kagome." He said quietly.


(I finally updated, friends, flamers, and readers! Sort of a cliff-hanger, no?)