Thought I would lighten the mood up a bit because it's been angsty. Don't worry, the next chapter will pick up the angst.

Disclaimer: I'm poor, what can I say? I can say that I own the plot, and I will fiercely defend it against plagiarizers. Hey, it took me a long time to come up with this stuff...

Correcting Mistakes

Chapter 6: Challenge

By: Remora29

Some days, Sesshomaru regretted the fact that he didn't kill InuYasha when he had the chance. Today was one of those days.

First, he had to deal with more humans in his castle. Rin, he didn't mind because she knows how to take care of herself and is always respectful. The humans in InuYasha's pack should take lessons from her. They're loud, nosy and just plain obnoxious. InuYasha's wench—for that is what Sesshomaru decided to call her after hearing her whine for the umpteenth time—feels that she is being treated unfairly and the castle is pervaded with the stench of her despair. Then there's the monk and the demon slayer. If Sesshomaru had to listen to Miroku's lame ass excuse about his hand being cursed one more time, he was going to put both of them out of their misery by slicing off the accursed limb. Hey, if he can get around and kick ass with one arm, so can the monk. The demon slayer, Sango, irked him because for all her bitching about the monk's lechery, he had the sneaking suspicion that she enjoyed it. If she liked it, then why was she complaining? Hell, there were some things that Sesshomaru would never understand about humans and Miroku and Sango's attitudes were one of them.

Sigh...his headache was only getting worse...

Next, he had to deal with that stupid Challenge. Stupid intended mate of his stupid ass brother can't decide whom she really wants so she goes and fucks up the mating process and leaves others to pick up the pieces. Damn, it wasn't like he didn't have other pressing matters to attend. Some lesser demons were trying to encroach on his territory and his own courting situation with Kagura was sorely lacking. Sure, they had kissed a few times, but she had been in the castle for six months and Sesshomaru had yet to touch her intimately. She kept saying she wasn't ready. Well damn, if he waited for her to be ready, he would be an old-ass man before he got any play. But could Sesshomaru focus on his problems? No, he had to arbitrate this damn Challenge and use his demon energy to set up the scenarios that his brother's wench would encounter.

Sigh...the more he thought, the more he wanted to maim his brother...

Finally, InuYasha himself was getting on his nerves. Yes, he knew that he had been betrayed. Twice, even, by essentially the same person (share a soul—share characteristics, no matter what the wench said to the contrary). Yes, InuYasha was having a hard time dealing with it, especially since his body had to remake itself (and Sesshomaru was glad he didn't have to deal with that shit, because frankly, it was just too painful), but damn, stop moping. Go kill something, take over some territory, terrorize some insolent demons, but don't sit in the garden and waste your life away! Sesshomaru partially blamed himself for his brother's situation—if he had taken him in as a child and raised him as a demon, he wouldn't be so prone to these debilitating emotions.

Today was just one of those days, and Sesshomaru really, really wished he had gotten rid of his nuisance of a brother years ago. Oh well, no use trying to change the past. He would not allow anyone to see his irritation, frustration or anger. He would present himself the way he always does—cold, aloof, and superior. The way a true Demon Lord should be. Now, to deal with the problems...

Breakfast that morning was a tense affair. Sesshomaru appeared to be the only unfazed by the recent events. Kagome was worried about what InuYasha had in store for her. Sango felt Kagome's apprehension, which caused her to worry. Shippou just wanted everyone to get along like before the Incident. Miroku was trying to decide when would be a good time to try and get into Sango's kimono. InuYasha looked like he wanted to kill them all, and Kirara just wanted some extra fish. Needless to say, no one was talking. Rin and Kagura decided to have breakfast outside since the weather was so nice and they didn't want to deal with the tension. After breakfast, Jaken escorted everyone to Sesshomaru's sitting room where Kagome would learn her fate.

"You know why you are here, correct?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome, Sango and Miroku all nodded.

"Then, you know that you, Higurashi Kagome, are to undertake a Challenge of your intended's choosing. This Challenge will consist of nine different tasks, all of which must be completed to InuYasha's satisfaction before you are enabled to proceed with the mating ritual. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru," Kagome replied. She really didn't understand everything that Myouga had told her in the days prior to their journey, but she knew enough that she thought she could successfully complete the tasks.

"Come here, Kagome," InuYasha told her. He didn't want to deal with her, but demon law demanded that he participate. He wished she would just hurry up and fail so this shit would be over and he could move on with his life.

Kagome looked apprehensively at InuYasha. He hadn't said two words to her since her arrival yesterday, and he looked like he would rather gnaw off his hand than touch her. She knew he was mad, but she was beginning to see it was so much more than that. He was devastated, and it was her fault. So, with much trepidation, Kagome approached InuYasha to see what he wanted.

"Kneel," he told her, preferring to talk as little as possible. Once she had kneeled in front of him, he placed a silver choker with a teardrop amethyst around her neck. He tried his hardest not to touch her skin, but when he was fastening the clasp, his fingertips brushed against her neck. InuYasha jerked his hand back as if he had been burned while Kagome frowned at his reaction. Once he was done, she rose and went back to sit with their friends.

"Kagome, I have placed upon you a necklace woven with demon magic, much like my former rosary," InuYasha told her, hesitating before mentioning his previous leash. "It will enable us to communicate with you when you are undergoing your trials and to use any magic necessary to set up those tasks. It also has the added bonus of functioning as a rosary," he finished with a smirk upon his face.

"Beg, Kagome!" he shouts, and Kagome does just that. Her body is violently thrown to the floor into a position of supplication. She falls heavily on her knees with her head banging into the tile. InuYasha looks satisfied with this discovery; Sango and Miroku look horrified.

"As you can see Kagome, the necklace subdues you when my brother says the word. It also will protect you if you encounter a situation that is too difficult to handle, like having a part of my brother with you at all times. It is unorthodox, but a necessary precaution seeing that you are human," Sesshomaru said, cutting through the murmurs.

Kagome thought over all that she had seen, felt and heard and decided that being bonded to InuYasha in this manner was not the worst thing that could happen. After all, if the choker could protect her with InuYasha's powers, it was like having a piece of him with her at all time, and that was a comforting thought. It meant that some small part of him still cared for her safety and that alone was enough to give her hope of reconciliation.

"Kagome, listen carefully. You are about to receive the restrictions under which you must complete these trials," Sesshomaru interrupted, not in a hostile fashion. Sure, she was human and devastated his brother, but if he help her finish these challenges and not fail, he could solve many of his problems at one time.

"Sango and Miroku, these restrictions involve you as well so you should pay attention," InuYasha stated, after Sesshomaru finished talking.

"Kagome, you have three days to complete any trial given to you unless otherwise stated at the beginning of your task. Since you are human, Sango and Miroku are allowed to accompany you, but they cannot interfere with your work. You must finish all trials yourself; they are only permitted to aid you in the event of an emergency and for your protection," InuYasha said, stopping himself to gauge their reactions.

"Shippou and Kirara are to remain at the castle with me. They cannot aid you in any way," InuYasha stated as Kagome moved to interrupt. "If you were a demon, you would not receive any help whatsoever. Be thankful for the help you are allowed and do not ask for more. As the choker is infused with my demonic energy, I will be able to communicate with you if you have any questions, but I am not obligated to answer them. Any questions so far," InuYasha inquired.

The room was silent as its occupants thought over all that they had been told. Sesshomaru and InuYasha had laid out the rules plainly, so they didn't really have any questions that pertained to them. Kagome was curious as to when she would begin her first trial, but InuYasha answered that question before she could ask it.

"Since you all arrived last night, Kagome will have to face her first trial the day after tomorrow. It is about love," InuYasha told them, with bitterness in his voice. He spat out the word love so viciously that it looked as if it hurt him to say it.

'Great going, Kagome. Make sure that the man doesn't believe in love any more. Wonderful plan.' she thought to herself. InuYasha's voice pulled Kagome out of her musings.

"I know that Hojo and your friends don't know of the seriousness of our relationship," InuYasha accused her. "I was in the future more than you thought and I know that boy thinks he still has a chance. I'm not as dumb as you think, Kagome," he replied to her astonished face.

"Love is unconditional, yet you wanted to set conditions. You loved me despite being a half-demon, yet scorned me because of my manners. Whenever I went to your time, I had to hide my ears so that people would not know what I am. You never had to hide here. You were embarrassed about how I acted so much that you always threatened me whenever I was around your friends. Because of these actions, I want you to go through the well and tell your friends the truth about us. That we are engaged to be married, even though you haven't finished the trial and that I'm not some rude, arrogant jerk that you picked up off the street and tamed. You will have to accomplish this task while acting the way that I normally act," InuYasha told her, smirking again at the look of horror on her face.

"I can't!" Kagome cried out, " my friends will think something is wrong with me. They'll shun me because I'm getting married too young or worse they'll try to talk me out of it and set me up with Hojo."

"Well, if you can't do it, then this engagement is finished because you will fail the Challenge. Think carefully, and let me know which is more important to you. Your friends' thoughts about your life or your intended mate," InuYasha said coldly. Even after treating him the way she did, she still was embarassed of him. It meant that she had learned nothing during their separation. She was still more concerned with dealings with others' feelings than his. If she couldn't deal with her friends' rejection when they didn't know of his heritage, how would she cope in his time where she would be shunned, taunted and cursed for her marriage to him? How would she deal with their children? Would she hide him and them away for acceptance? These thoughts bothered him. He didn't want to show how much it still hurt, so after a few tense moments, he excused himself from the room and retired to his chambers.

"Higurashi Kagome," Sesshomaru called, "you are here because you severed the mating ritual due to your misbegotten actions. Do not make the same mistake twice."

He turned to leave the room, but stopped at the door.

"One other thing—tell no one outside of this castle about the Challenge or you will forfeit," he told her, then continued his walk out of the door.

AN: Another chapter done. Sorry this is late--I wanted to put it up yesterday but for some reason I couldn't log in.

Review Responses:

Priestess kurumi inu's sister: Yeah, I feel the same way about the whole "betraying Kagome by seeing Kikyo" issue. They aren't together--she wants them to be together and he wants to be together as well, but there are unresolved issues. InuYasha made a promise to Kikyo and he has to keep it--it's a matter of honor. And for someone who has nothing but the clothes on his back and his sword, honor is very important. Don't worry though--I'm going to address this issue in the next chapter. It's going to get ugly...

Dragonlance: Sorry about the cliffie. I thought about putting in the stuff in this chapter in the last one, but it would have taken too long and since it had been months since I updated, I wanted to get the chapter out ASAP. I'm actually in graduate school getting my Master's in Public health. I'm finishing my Master's thesis as we speak.

Kiyana Va Sala: Yay! I'm glad you like my story. No, I didn't forget it, but all my writing time has been occupied by my thesis. Now that it's coming to an end, I'll have more time to write. I don't think InuYasha's a bastard--I just think he had to spend more time fighting to survive than contemplating others' feelings.