A/N - Sorry for the lack of updates, but I have been sucked into the rather addicting world of 'Materia Magica'. Alas, I am still wildly addicted, but I have fought my way out long enough to update! Thanks for the reviews, you are all so awesome!

Garden (1)

I'll pretend that I want you
For what is on the inside
But when I get inside,
I'll just want to get out
I'm your first and last deposit
Through sickness and in hell
I'll never promise you a garden
You'll just water me down
I can't believe that you are for real
But I don't care as long as you're mine

Marilyn Manson

The think walls of the palace were visible in the distance. There was a gleam of blinding light reflected off of the copper pole that held the palace banner in place atop one of the high turrets.

Inuyasha, wanting nothing more than to get to the palace, save Kagome, and then return on their search for the shards, figured out a way to get there four times faster. He picked up Rin, who was beginning to lag behind, her small feet tired from their constant walking, and held her close to him.

"What are we doing?" she asked sleepily, burying herself in the think folds of his yukata.

"We're getting you home faster." he replied before taking off at a run. The air swirled past, cold in the frigid morning. At first Rin clutched onto him, afraid of falling off, but he kept a secure hold on her.

When finally he stopped, his breathing heavy and a thin film of sweat covering his body, Rin wriggled out of his arms, smiling up at the palace that she so loved. He went to grab her, afraid that Naraku was around.

"Rin, don't wander off!" he said gruffly, only vaguely aware of her sigh as he looked up into the trees, searching for any sign of the enemy. He was broken out of his reverie when he heard doors open. He tensed, his hand reaching for the Tetsusaiga. He relaxed a little when he saw that it was only Jaken coming through the front doors.

"Rin! Where have you been? I told you to stay there!" he yelled, but it was obvious he was happy to see the girl back. Rin ran over to him.

"I went with Inuyasha! And I was kidnapped by some woman, but he saved me." she said nonchalantly, as if it happened every day. Jaken's green face visibly paled, but he regained himself in time for her barrage of questions. "Where is Lord Sesshoumaru? We're looking for a lady. Her name is Kagome." the girl said. Inuyasha noticed the hesitancy in Jaken's voice when he answered her. His toad eyes glanced over to Inuyasha before he spoke.

"Now is not the time to bother them, Rin. Sesshoumaru is…busy and Kagome is…sleeping. Some other time, perhaps?" he asked Inuyasha. The hanyou didn't like the tone of fear in Jaken's voice.

"No, I want to see her now." he demanded, only his fear in leaving the girl alone outside keeping him in place.

"You must understand, both of them have been under a lot of stress. Maybe if you let me go get them, they can come out here?" Jaken pleaded. Inuyasha caught sight of Rin entering the palace and his resolve broke. He rushed past the toad and ran inside, not knowing where Kagome was but knowing where Sesshoumaru slept. He walked up the stairs and grabbed the handle leading into his brother's bedroom.

He froze when he caught Kagome's scent.

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Sunlight filtered into the room from the gothic window set high into the wall. It beat down on Kagome's face, warming her against the early morning cold. She felt her lips tighten into a smile when she thought of the events that had occurred the previous night. Then her heart sank. She didn't feel his body pressed next to her in the bed. 'Did he leave…?' she asked herself, almost too afraid of the answer to turn around and look.

For a moment Sesshoumaru was perplexed beyond reason. 'What have I done!' he mentally cursed himself, all but ready to leave the room quietly and never speak to the girl again, but he couldn't resist when she reached her hand backwards, worried that he wasn't there. He reached out and grabbed her hand, surprised at how relieved she was, heaving a sigh of relief so thoroughly felt it left her body limp. She turned and Sesshoumaru found himself looking into her dark eyes. He pulled her against his body and wrapped an arm around her, feeling her doze back off into sleep. 'You idiot, Sesshoumaru. How are you going to get out of this?' he asked himself, angry that he couldn't forget the way she looked at him, couldn't forget the things that she made him feel.

It wasn't until he raised his head a little that he heard heavy but rapidly fast footsteps coming up the hall stairs. He knew that Jaken couldn't possibly run that fast, and so he could only formulate one other conclusion. 'Inuyasha, here at last.' A thin thread of uncertainty ran through him, unsure of what his brother would do when he opened the door and found his love in his brother's arms. 'He'll want to fight me, of course. And he'll be blinded by anger, no doubt he'll lose and I can finish him once and for all…' he thought. He was sure that Inuyasha, upon seeing them, would not act out of reason. 'And the more he sees, the angrier he'll become…' he felt a sinister smile crawl onto his face. He could hear his brother outside the door now, pausing as if in uncertainty.

Sesshoumaru reached down to Kagome, who was now teetering between full consciousness and a drowsy state of sleep. He turned her face towards his and she began to question him, but before any words could fully form he pressed his lips gently on hers. She reached a hand up to run through his long hair and press herself closer to him.

When the door finally opened, he felt Kagome freeze and he smiled into their kiss. He turned his face slightly, forcing hers to turn as well, and he looked into the face of his brother. He relished in the look of pure hurt in his eyes, quickly chased by anger aimed directly at Sesshoumaru.

Just as he knew he would, Inuyasha had unsheathed the Tetsusaiga and rushed forth. Sesshoumaru pushed Kagome off of the other side of the bed and he jumped out, grabbing his kimono and putting on quickly. When the rubble had cleared, Inuyasha was standing in the middle of the now split in half bed, staring down at Kagome.

"Inuyasha…I…" she didn't know what to say. She grabbed the sheets and tried to cover herself as good as possible, feeling unbearably naked under his gaze.

"Just shut up, Kagome." he said, turning slowly to face Sesshoumaru again.

"How could you?" he asked, his voice quiet and deadly. Kagome could barely hear him, but Sesshoumaru's demon ears caught every word. He shrugged minutely, refusing to speak, knowing that his silence would only anger his brother more.

Sesshoumaru backed up, his arm reaching for the now-sharpened and blood free Tenseiga mounted on the wall. He held it by his side, a little distance away from his body, perfect for quickly striking. The look in Inuyasha's eyes was that of madness, pure rage.

"Inuyasha! Don't be rash; you'll tear the whole place down!" Kagome yelled, tempted to 'sit' him, but she knew that that would only damage his pride even further.

He brushed her words off, and ran towards his brother, the Tetsusaiga aiming for his chest. Sesshoumaru deflected it with the Tenseiga, only angering Inuyasha more. Kagome backed herself into the wall watching them fight; unsure of whom she wanted to win. Inuyasha was being sloppy with his moves and Sesshoumaru was having a very easy time dodging them. She gasped when Sesshoumaru's blade sliced Inuyasha in the arm. She resisted the urge to ask if he was alright, she felt it would be inappropriate.

Inuyasha thrust his sword forward, but Sesshoumaru moved by him with speed so fast Kagome could barely focus on him. He back up by the door, inches away from where Kagome stood.

Inuyasha stuck his fingers into his wound, making sure they were thoroughly coated with blood before he thrust them forth, yelling out "Claws of Blood!" The deep red blades shot forward, Sesshoumaru barely dodging them in the small space.

It wasn't until they heard a small shriek that they looked over to Kagome. One of the blades had hit the side of her upper chest, the sharp blade causing a huge chunk to be cut out. Blood spattered the wall and the last thing she saw before she passed out was Inuyasha crashing to his knees, pain evident on his face.

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A/N - This is short for a reason this time. I had it written completely and it turned out to be over 10 pages in MSWord, and I thought 'Damn, I wouldn't want to read all that!' so I separated it into two parts. The next part should be posted relatively soon. Now, review please!