Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Yes, it's very likely some other writer influenced this (I never claimed to be very original)… This IS a Sess/Kag… and.. it may or may not be AU.. right now I'm gonna keep my options open. I intended it to be AU, but I think it actually might be more interesting if it's not.. so.. right… we'll see.. I'll decide for sure in the next few chappies… Okay, so lots of weird stuff is revealed.. You know. .wait, I just decided. It's NOT AU…. Okay, it'll take a while for the whole story to make sense. Be patient. Enjoy!

He had been wrong about her. Clearly. When he saw her sitting there, lifeless against the stone fountain, he'd thought she was a broken doll, spiritless… Now he saw he was completely mistaken. The air in the small rented room was practically seething with her anger. She sat against the wall, glaring daggers at him.

He was sitting against the door, knowing he had to remain here or risk her attempting to escape. This was simply unacceptable. He had to get the girl under control. It was an absolute necessity. Everything was depending on it.

"Kagome." He spoke her name softly, but firmly.

Her response was a narrowing of the eyes.

He sighed. "I'm sorry. Look, the simple truth of the matter is…" He froze when her eyes filled with tears. They streamed silently down her perfect cheeks, a river of sorrow. The former Lord of the Western lands felt strangely broken. "I know that you didn't want this," he said, a little more gently. "Neither did I. But I need your help. My lands are in danger."

"Your lands?" A raised eyebrow accompanied her sarcastic voice. "Have you forgotten that you are the former Lord of the West, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

His eyes narrowed. He was trying to be kind and he was insulting him. "Do not take that tone of voice with me," he growled softly, dangerously.

"You know… he could never master that tone," she said in a strangely wistful voice. "He could never be threatening without being loud and idiotic."

He knew of whom she spoke. Inuyasha. An image of his black, human hair swimming in blood flashed momentarily before his eyes. And then he saw her standing over him, tears in her still cold eyes. Kikyo kneeled, staring at the dead human strangely. Then she had turned to Sesshoumaru. "I am… sorry," she had whispered. "I am… empty now." He had watched her crumble into dust.

Inuyasha was a fool, he thought, snapping his attention back to the girl glaring at him. And so am I, he thought. She looks nothing like Kikyo. I truly must be going blind.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Naraku must die."

"So why don't you kill him?"

Sesshoumaru scoffed. "Don't be a simpleton. I can't kill him like this."

"What do you want from me, Sesshoumaru? I can't kill Naraku… I failed, remember? Why can't you… leave me to my grief? Why can't you let me mourn them. Why can't you let me mourn him?"

"There is a magic that can reverse this," he said softly. "But only the Sacred Miko can perform the ceremony. We must travel far to the East. There… we can reverse this."

Clearly, this was news to her. "Are you saying… I can reverse your transformation?"

"Yes. You are going to help me become a youkai again, miko. I refuse to remain... human."

Wa BAM BAM! Surprised?