The Partnership

"That was the wrong choice, Inu-Yasha. Very wrong." The man stated, anger covering his face. He faded back into the light, "Now, you will play on my terms."

The Shikon-no-Tama stayed where he had offered it, shattering before Inu-Yasha once more and shooting in every direction possible. One piece flew straight into Inu-Yasha's chest, forcing him to take a step back and put a finger to the wound that blood trickled from.

"Just remember that in my world, everything is backwards. You will be following in Kagome's footsteps. She has already completed the first task, and now you must go through it. If you manage to catch up, then you must convince her that you are who you say you are because to her you will not appear as you should." The bright light brightened.

"What the hell?" Inu-Yasha shouted as the ground seemed to fall away from his feet.

"Oh, and by the way, Kagome is alone with a boy named Jareth. I predict that by the end of this, neither of you will be friends." The voice mocked as Inu-Yasha fell forwards into the light.

He landed hard on his face in the dirt, knocking the wind out of him. With a growl he straightened and looked up.

His mouth dropped open.

Standing above him was a tall fair-haired yokai with a straight face and a glint in his golden eyes.

Inu-Yasha shot to his feet and glared at the taller demon, "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded furiously.

"I am here to complete these 'tasks'." The full demon informed his half-brother.

"Damnit, Sesshoumaru! I don't need you here! You're just going to get in the way!" Inu-Yasha growled.

The taller man's eyes sparked, though there was no other indication of emotion on his face, "Do not think I am here for you." The words were simple, a fact that was obvious to all.

All but Inu-Yasha.

"Then what the hell are you doing here?" Inu-Yasha ordered.

Sesshoumaru raised his chin, "Do you believe that it was only your friends who suffered the climate and weather?" he asked, the words mocking, the tone emotionless.

"I do not need your help!" Inu-Yasha said angrily, "I can do this on my own!"

"Unfortunately that is not your choice, nor is it an option. Were you not informed of the tasks?" he asked as if Inu-Yasha were inferior.

"No." Inu-Yasha said, "well...kind of. He mentioned them, but he didn't actually say what they were. But how would you know? You were here at the same time as me and he couldn't have been talking to the both of us at the same time."

"Couldn't he?" Sesshoumaru asked, "I believe this being is much more powerful than you realize." He turned away, as if the subject bored him, "And he seems fairly interested in that human of yours."

Inu-Yasha snarled, "How the hell would you know?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes went back to meet those of his half-brother, "He told me that she was the prize that you were to win, the jewel that you wish to steal from him. He also seemed very unsupportive of the relationship that you are trying to accomplish with that human."

Inu-Yasha glared at his half brother, "Don't say that as if it was the most sickening thing in the world." He said angrily.

"It is," his brother's voice said simply, without thought. Mating with a human was the most ridiculous thing for a demon to do, even a half-demon.

"Remind me who you're here for again?" Inu-Yasha said, looking to the sky with his finger at his chin, "Cuz' I know it ain't Jaken."

Sesshoumaru's eyes became slits, "Let's get this task over with," he hissed.

Inu-Yasha smiled at his power to get to his brother. He watched as the older demon hopped onto a huge boulder easily. He found himself following, filled with curiosity.

Sesshoumaru pointed a sharp fingernail at a strangely normal willow tree, "That is where we must go to find what we are looking for." He stated simply.

"And just what are we looking for?" Inu-Yasha asked skeptically.

"A Scroll of Inevitability." Sesshoumaru answered.

"What is that?" Inu-Yasha asked, the damn scroll sounded stupid.

"It's a riddle. We are to discover this scroll and bring it back to the voice." Sesshoumaru replied, annoyed with his brother's ignorance.

Inu-Yasha wanted to shout at his brother, wanted to strangle him, but if his words were true then in the end he would need him. And unfortunately he would probably need him alive. "This is only a temporary alliance." Inu-Yasha stated callously.

Sesshoumaru turned to the silver-haired boy at his side. He had always thought the younger demon incompetent, but now he knew something that he had never seen before. He saw something that only three had seen before. And those three were all human women. Perhaps this was not a good idea after all.

He turned back to the tree, no, he had to save the human girl that he had had to leave behind. She was dieing, he knew it. Even though that voice had stated that no deaths would come unless Kagome and her Jareth lost, he knew that he was losing the one person, the only friend, that he had ever really allowed himself to get close to. No, he had to do this, for her.

He bunched his strength and leapt towards the tree, he would fly the whole way there with the single leap.