I'm back! Actually, I'm writing this less than five minutes after I posted the last chapter, so technically I never really left… but whatever! I'm back anyway!

Hope you like this chappie. I decided that I'd had enough fluff for a while, so you'll have to wait a while before I get to Sango and Miroku. Haha… anyway, r&r!

Disclaimer: I don't own anybody. Yet.

When morning rose, Miroku yawned and stretched to see Sango at the campfire, making breakfast. Her eyes glanced up at him for a moment, amused. She placed a finger on her lips and pointed upwards.

His eyes followed her gaze to see Inuyasha and Kagome, still settled as they were the night before. Miroku let a grin cross his face as he made his way over to Sango. "About time, too," he muttered under his breath. "I started to wonder whether or not we needed to butt in and force those two together."

Sango laughed quietly. "Yeah," she agreed, "they're the perfect match, if you ask me."

Miroku nodded along, his hand unconsciously creeping closer and closer…

Sango whipped around and smacked him. "HENTAI!" she yelped, forgetting Inuyasha and Kagome in her mad moment.

They jerked awake, Kagome nearly falling out of the tree. She added to the morning with a barely muffled cry. Inuyasha twisted around and caught her hand, gently lowering her down to the ground, his eyes boring furiously into Miroku's, which were still crossed with the force of Sango's blow. The exterminator rushed to help Kagome, a blush crossing her face. "Sorry, Kagome," she said quickly.

Inuyasha jumped down and stalked towards the fire, his fists clenched. "Stupid houshi," he mumbled, his eyes blazing angrily. Miroku wisely got out of his way.

Shaking her head, Kagome stretched. "Where are we headed today?" she asked. "Where would Sesshomaru be, Inuyasha? Have you got any idea?"

Myoga, Kirara, and Shippo ambled over. The flea spoke up, jumping onto the fire-cat. "You can just head into his lands and he'll show up to attack you for trespassing," he suggested. Inuyasha, between huge gulps of ramen, turned his amber eyes on the flea.

"Good idea, old man, but you're coming with us." Myoga winced, but nodded.

"How far are we from the border?" Miroku asked, sitting as far away from Sango as he could manage. He was not in the mood for another slap.

"Only a day's walk," Inuyasha answered.

"Good." When they had finished eating and packed up again, Kagome hoisted her pack up and nodded to her friends. "Let's go."

They walked for the whole day, looking out for any sign of Sesshomaru, but it wasn't until that afternoon that they passed into the border. After that point, Kagome's hand remained clutching her bow. Miroku gripped his staff, his right hand clenched in case the wind tunnel needed use. Sango's hiraikotsu was held at the ready, and Shippo even had a transforming leaf in his hand, just in case. Kirara had transformed into her larger form, her claws out and her teeth bared. Myoga was busy hiding in Inuyasha's hair as the hanyou gripped his sword hilt, his eyes flitting about from one end of the trail to another.

At last, night approached. The sun was setting, its last few rays barely touching the lands.

It was at this time, when they were just beginning to relax, that Sesshomaru chose to appear.

Inuyasha snarled. "Finally!" he muttered as a white blur shot from a nearby tree towards them. He held up the transformed Tetsusaiga to parry Toujikin and throw his brother back. His brother's evil sword hissed angrily as Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, glaring at his half-brother.

"Calm down, Fluffy," Inuyasha spat, and to the taiyoukai's surprise, the hanyou sheathed his sword. "We didn't come all this way to start a fight."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "Oh?"

Myoga hopped down in front of the youkai. "Lord Sesshomaru," he started respectfully, "do you remember, by any chance, someone by the name of Lady Raori?"

Sesshomaru slowly sheathed Toujikin, thinking over the name. "I do not," he replied, his eyes settling on the flea in mild curiousity. "Why? Who is this Lady Raori and how does she concern me?"

Myoga began his explanation. "She is a taiyoukai, ruling over a land far south of here. We have heard rumors that she has ventured up north and obtained a Shikon shard. We wish to get it back from her, but we do not know where she is. I do recall that she attended a meeting held by your father, and he always kept records of those that entered his realm. We came to you to ask if you would help us to find some record of Lady Raori."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "You assume much, flea," he said, his voice filled with hostility. "Why would I bother to help you?"

Kagome matched his glare evenly. "Because if you don't, and Naraku manages to complete the jewel, he'll have enough power to take over your lands," she said sternly. "He'll also probably kill Jaken and that little human girl that tags along with you… Rin, I believe her name is?"

Sesshomaru snarled angrily at her. "He would not be strong enough to do that."

"He's already just about equal to you," Kagome shot back, amazing the others. Inuyasha gripped Tetsusaiga, sure that Sesshomaru would lunge for her in an instant, but the taiyoukai merely listened as she continued. "Once he has all the shards, he'll be at least ten times stronger. And don't bother telling me you couldn't care less what he does, 'cause I know you do."

Sesshomaru hesitated. She was right, and he knew it. Closing his eyes, he tried to remember what his father had done with the files he used to keep on the other taiyoukai. "I believe that my father's records remain in the castle," he said quietly. "I recall having gone through them a few times in the past. With a little time, I believe I could find them again." His eyes opened again, settling on each of them in turn.

Inuyasha slowly spoke, knowing that this was the only way. "Will you take us to the castle?" he asked.

Sesshomaru glanced at him, his surprise barely showing on his face. For a moment they thought he would refuse, but at last he turned and set off at a walk.

Inuyasha let the ghost of a smile cross his face.

Myoga blinked in surprise as the taiyoukai strode away. "What? What's going on?" he asked, confused. "He's just leaving? How rude! I ought to—"

"We're s'posed to follow him, flea," Inuyasha hissed under his breath.

"Oh." The flea decided to shut up from then on, choosing instead to sit on Inuyasha's shoulder and mope as they set off after the quiet youkai lord.

Many thoughts whizzed through Sesshomaru's mind. He wondered vaguely why he was bothering to help his half-brother, but the answer floated across his consciousness before he could even ask himself the question. And he knew at once that he had no other choice. Too many things were in danger for him to simply turn his back.

His lands.

His pride.

And Rin.

He knew that he would never give up any of these, especially the last. He would fight for himself, for his lands, for his ward, even if it meant standing alongside Inuyasha. There were some things you had to put up with in order to get what you wanted. He was cold, yes, but he was also intelligent, and he could see that this was the only way. The evil hanyou was usurping too much power as it was. He knew he could not defeat Naraku alone, and he had no friends that he could ask to assist him.

But these people had come to him willingly, and his half-brother had lowered his pride to ask the taiyoukai for help. He could do the same and give them that help in return.

Who knew what could happen if he didn't?

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Sesshomaru shook himself. Glancing up, he saw that an entire hour had passed, and no one had said a word. They were moving slower than he would've liked. Had he not been traveling with this lot, he could be there by now and have already found the documents. In his impatience, he looked back at the others.

"Can you go any faster?" he asked, his voice completely even.

Inuyasha looked up, startled. "Yeah," he said, struggling to keep his attitude under control, remembering that his brother was their ally thus far in this. "Are we close?"

Sesshomaru nodded as he watched the girl situate herself on her half-brother's back. The monk, the kitsune, and the exterminator settled themselves on the fire cat and they all rose into the air, following the taiyoukai as he headed for his castle. Perhaps he could get the two female humans to keep Rin company while he worked to find his father's records. That would help, for the child had a talent for distracting him from his work.

As they took to the air, he glanced back, keeping his brother and the others in sight to be sure he didn't go too fast. There was no sense in losing them now.

So? You like? That was a long one...

I enjoyed writing this chappie… and I'll write more really quickly so you won't have to wait! I did always hate having to wait all the time for people to update. I definitely don't want to be one of those people who waits for forever to publish each chapter. So here you go – read this, and I'll have the next one up by tomorrow! I promise! r&r!