Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and Company. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I DO, however, own Miri and Varsha. :) If I make up any more, I'll let you know.

A/N: Varsha is a made up character of mine. She is an incarnation of Naraku and is a mind control youkai. Her name means mind. Her attacks are Trance of the Cobra where, if she can touch the victim, she puts two fang like marks on their skin and uses the pendulum necklace to control their minds and actions. Copy Cat Attack She can use the same attacks that anyone else does once she's seen them. Or rather, she can create an illusion of the attack. So long as her opponent thinks that the attack is real and will hurt them, it will hurt them. The second they realize it's an illusion it becomes harmless. It's her last resort. Mists of Confusion she throws an illusionary dust at the person which causes them to become lost in their worst fears.

Chapter Eight

Rainbow Valley Retreat Facility

Osaka, Japan

There was a movement from outside the Goshinboku. She could just make out a pair of blue jeans and bare feet. "W-Who's there?"

"Crawl to the door and get ready to run when I tell you." Whoever it was hadn't answered her question, but she knew then that it was the voice that had kept her company for so long now. He kept his promise to protect her and she had been successful in bringing him to her forest, though she didn't know how. She crouched by the door, ready to spring up and out as soon as the signal was given. Just ahead and to her right, in the shadows, appeared two blood red eyes, staring back at her, daring her to move from the protective barrier of the sacred tree.

"H-he's h-here." Her lip quivered in fright.

"I can see that. Now get ready." She couldn't see the boy from where she was except for his blue jeans and bare feet. he seemed to crouch into a fighting stance facing her pursuer. "Ima! Now! Go!

Without waiting for any further instructions, she jumped and took off at a run as fast as she could. Behind her she could hear a roaring scream from the Red Eyes and a matching one from her savior, but she didn't dare look back. She just kept running until she left the security of the sacred forest into a patch of black existence, but she kept running from everything around her towards the light that she knew would offer her security and then...

Sunshine filtered through the blinds on her bedroom window and brought Kagome out of her dreams .She groaned slightly and turned, putting her back towards the window. Sango, her bed partner for the night (there were only a few unoccupied rooms), pulled the sheets up over her head to block out the unwanted daylight.

"What time is it?" Sango's sleep filled voice inquired.

Kagome forced her eyes open and searched the wall for the clock she knew would have to be around somewhere. "It's a little after seven," she answered groggily and yawned. "We really should get up. Mrs. Mizuna makes a really good omelet, but she won't be willing after eight." To prove her point, she pulled back the covers and stood, stretching and then slipped on a pair of fuzzy house-shoes. Sango groaned and finally decided to follow her to the kitchen where they met an already dressed Miroku who surveyed them with a half cocked grin making them almost regret coming down in their pajamas.

Though they were all still emotionally and physically exhausted from the previous day, the coffee in their hands and the smell of eggs through the downstairs was enough to get them ready to face the day - and the commotion that seemed to be going on outside.

Kaede and several of the security staff were greeting a very angry looking man. Their visitor stood at least three feet above the tallest security guard and had the same long white hair as a certain hanyou, minus the doggy ears. When Kagome leaned over Sango's shoulder to get a better look from the window, she could see that the newcomer's ears were in the normal area, but were pointed, signifying that this was indeed no human, but a youkai. He wore a khaki colored business suit and held a long case in one hand. The other was balled into a fist, but she got a good look at the long claws that donned each finger. Also, like the hanyou, this youkai sported gorgeous golden eyes. However, unlike the half youkai, his eyes were filled with hate and repulsion for that which stood before. him.

"That must be Inuyasha's brother." Miroku's observation broke into Kagome's thoughts and the young girl jumped slightly, looking at her friend. "They look alike, don't you think? I mean, obviously one's a full youkai and the other isn't and there are some drastic differences in their appearance, but they do look similar enough to put them in the same gene pool."

"Inuyasha mumbled something last night about his brother coming, didn't he? Sango inquired. "Something about keeping the swords safe from this Onigumo fellow?"

"Kami-sama, it's no wonder Inuyasha didn't want to tell him. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near someone that foreboding either," Kagome muttered.

"His aura is dark." They looked at Miroku when he made the comment and he blushed slightly. "Mine was a family of monks. The sacred powers were passed down from one generation to another. Though some of us decide to follow in our ancestor's footsteps, the majority have gone on to other things. But the abilities are still there. Your family line is of mikos, is it not, Kagome?" When she nodded he grinned. "You too should possess some sort of spiritual power then."

"Not that I've ever seen." She sounded a little tiffed at the fact.

"Stop crying already." His voice was harsher than he'd meant it to be. It was just he couldn't stand to hear that sound, not from the one person who brought serenity to his tortured existence.

"I'm trying..." her voice wavered and he heard her sniffle. "I miss my mommy and my jii-chan and my brother..."

His hands clenched into fists. "Then go back to them. Go home." He could feel her fear when he said those words. It washed over him with such amazing strength it was almost as if he were the one afraid instead of her.

"I-I can't." Her voice was a mere whisper. "He'll get me. Red Eyes is waiting for me. If I leave the Goshinboku, he'll find me. I can't leave, not ever."

"Yes, you can." Why did he feel the urge to help this person? He'd never even seen her. He didn't even know her name! Why did he feel the need to make her happy? Why did he care if she were safe or not? "Bring me there - like you did before. I'll keep the Red Eyes away and you can go home."

Her breath hitched in her throat. "But I...I don't know how I did it before. I didn't try...You just showed up." After a short pause she sighed. "It won't work. He'll kill me...he said he'd kill me."

How could he long to see something that made him so irritated kept safe? "No. He. Won't." He punctuated each word with a punch to the stone wall of his cavern. "I'll protect you. He won't hurt you. He'll never hurt you again."

"Domo arigatou gozaimazu." He could feel her smile and it made him relax. Now he just had to wait for her to bring him to her forest.

Inuyasha growled and threw the covers back off of his body. He hated those damn dreams! He'd thought he got rid of them, but here they were disturbing his sleep once more, making him yearn for the peace he'd felt when he was surrounded by her essence...locked deep away in the cavern of his mind.

He yanked a pair of gray sweatpants on over his boxers when a familiar scent reached his sensitive nose. Chikosho! He doesn't wait much time does he? He knew Sesshomaru would show up, but he'd expected him much later in the afternoon. Kami, but he hated facing his elder brother.

Without even considering his dress, or lack there of, he hurried down the steps, towards the front hall. Sure enough the bane of his existence stood looming over Kaede and the other college students. "Konnichiwa, little brother," the silver haired inu youkai greeted with barely contained contempt.

"Konnichiwa Onii-san." The formal greeting was bit out through clenched teeth. It was no secret to those watching that these two had a definite dislike for one another.

"Ano," Kaede said carefully, trying to break up the sudden death stare that had arisen between the brothers. "Kagome-chan, why don't you and the others take Sesshomaru-san to the drawing room and explain the situation to him while I see about some tea for our guest. You do drink tea, Sesshomaru-san? Or may I offer you something else in its place?"

The youkai looked down at the elder woman with a piercing golden gaze. "Tea will be acceptable, Doctor, arigatou."

Kaede nodded and turned, leaving them to themselves. With a nod, Kagome turned to lead them to the drawing room office when her eyes fell on Inuyasha's exposed, and quite muscular, chest. The cobalt orbs widened and a slight pink blush tinged the bridge of her nose. Before she could look away, his snarl reached her ears. "What're you looking at, wench?"

Her blush deepened and she forced her gaze to the floor. "Nothing, Inuyasha-kun, nothing at all. Gomen ne."

He frowned as he followed the rest to the room where he'd learned about their connection the day before and couldn't help wondering why she'd stared at him. Hadn't she ever seen a man's chest before? It wasn't that big a deal. Unless of course something about it disgusted her...it was a possibility. He was a hanyou after all.

It was all Miri, the youngest of the staff at Rainbow Valley, could do to keep Rin from going around the youkai that had been added to their guest list. The child was fascinated with him for some reason. As the day progressed it got harder and harder to keep tabs on the mute child and by noon she found the girl inspecting the inu youkai's toad looking valet with deep interest. He 'acked' and frowned angrily while she circled around him, awe in her features.

Miri quickly approached and took the girl's arm, causing her to scrunch up her face in a manner that would have been cute had Miri not been worried about offending the toad youkai. "I do apologize. Rin's been here so long...I don't think she's ever seen a youkai before and she's such a curious child."

"Do manage to keep the human out of my way. My employer would not stand for her to be near," the impish toad replied angrily. He was enjoying being able to boss someone else around for once as his employer literally walked all over him when given the opportunity.

They had just finished the explanations when Kaede reentered the room carrying a tray of glasses. A small girl, the one that had interrupted them the day before - Kaede had called her Rin - followed with a plate of pastries. She looked at Sesshomaru with large brown eyes and offered him a small smile as she sat the plate down in front of him and turned, skipping out of the room. Something had excited her.

"Your presumption was correct, Ms Miyazaki," the youkai said smoothly, ignoring the child who had stopped at the door to throw another smile over her shoulder before leaving. "The thief, Onigumo did manage to complete the merge before the fire that supposedly claimed his life. He has since changed his name and his mode of operations."

"How the hell do you know?" Inuyasha questioned sending an accusing glare to his half brother. "You working with him now?"

"I make my money in a fair business, arigatou, little brother. My businesses are completely legitimate. Thankfully other countries do not hold the same outlook on gambling as my own. (A/N: according to Travel Channel gambling for money is illegal.) I do, however, have sources who have dealt with the hanyou."

"What about otou's katanas? What will you do with them now that this bastard knows where they were."

"That, little brother, is my concern." His look took on a superior expression and Kagome couldn't help but feel he had an ego complex. "I will keep them safe from Naraku, as he now calls himself. It is none of your business what I do them."

"The hell it ain't! Tetsuseiga is my sword. Otou-san left it to me."

"Hai, demo, he instructed that I should keep it safe until I deemed you prepared to take on the responsibility. I have not yet and I highly doubt that I ever will."

"Damn you, Sesshomaru."

"Now, now boys," Sango interrupted, a pleasant smile plastered to her face. "We have more things to worry about than sibling rivalry."

"Hai, Sango-chan is correct. Mr. Takahashi, you do realize that this Naraku is extremely dangerous? He has killed many people already just because they stood in his way." Kagome furrowed her brow at his unconcerned manner.

"He'll be coming after you too, you know," Inuyasha said with a slight smirk. His brother needed to fear every once in a while. But it wasn't fear that coated Sesshomaru's scent, much to his dismay. It was egocentric confidence. No one could touch Sesshomaru Takahashi.

"And I will kill him when he does," the elder youkai stated as if it were a simple fact. "Until then, however, I believe it would be in the best interest of the swords that I take them to a secure location, unreachable by Naraku."

"And where would that be?" Kagome required curiously. Maybe she should place the Shikon Pearl in the case with the swords...

"I've been planning on visiting my casino in Las Vegas - America - for quite some time now."

Never mind

"You ain't taking my sword to America. You can take Tenseiga with you, but Tetsuseiga stays with me." Inuyasha held out his hands as if expecting his half brother to lay the sword in them.

"I do not think so, little brother. As I've said, before I will give Tetsuseiga to your care when I believe you are ready."

Kagome sighed. Could Inuyasha not get along with anyone? Even his own brother...Well, half brother. I guess Sesshomaru wasn't to thrilled about his father marrying a human. That was an understatement. The way he looked at her and the rest of the humans in the facility conveyed his sincere disgust at their inferiority. After what happened to his parents and now his brother acting so malicious towards him, it was no wonder Inuyasha was as withdrawn as he was. And it explained the pain that hid within the golden depths of his amber eyes.

"Will you be staying here, then?" Sesshomaru's question drew her out of her thoughts.

"No."

"What's it to ya?"

She and Inuyasha answered simultaneously. He gave her a blank look, blinking several times before he frowned angrily. "What do ya mean, no? Where are we gonna go?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, but we can't stay at the facility. If we stay the kids will be in danger. He was gonna kill me that night. He won't hesitate to hurt them and these children have enough problems already." Sango and Miroku nodded their agreement while Inuyasha's frown only deepened.

Jaken was sputtering some sort of complaint or disagreement with the powerful inu youkai when Kaede stepped outside. With a small sigh she noticed a curious little girl had hidden herself around the corner of the house and was watching the two, unaware that they could probably both guess she was there. When the white haired man turned his head slightly to look directly hat her - an annoyed warning glare if Kaede could read his features correctly - the child giggled and blushed before running back to the other kids.

"I am amazed," the older woman muttered, shock and contentment settling on her face. "That is the first sound she has uttered in six months." She glanced at the dog daemon, understanding he probably didn't care, but she was going to tell him anyway. "Her mother died several years ago, giving birth. The baby died as well. A year ago her father died of cancer. She stopped speaking that day. Made no noise at all. You'd think she'd make the perfect ward, ne? Her mother's step sister had custody, but she had a husband and kids of her own to take care of and said she didn't have the time or patience to deal with a mentally challenged mute, family or not. She left Rin with me until I could make her 'normal' but I'm afraid the child is as normal as she will become."

Sesshomaru's face remained emotionless, carved from stone, but within him swelled some emotion foreign to him, something he had never experienced and could not put a name to. For the first time in his life the great youkai was felling sympathy though he didn't know and wouldn't have admitted it if he did.

Jaken had been so annoyingly adamant when he came bursting in on their meeting, rambling about some resort in Morocco that the silver haired youkai had been distracted enough to leave the katana's case unguarded in the drawing room. Inuyasha seized the moment and expertly picked the lock with his claw.

"Inuyasha! What do you think you're doing?" Sango demanded, standing to stop him.

"I'm taking what's mine before my bastard half brother can run off with it. What do you think?" The case clicked and fell open, revealing two long swords. One looked a bit more worse for wear than the other. Instead of the glowing silver metal they had expected to see, the one was long and thin and horribly rusted, caked with what almost looked like dry blood. The hilt was wrapped in tattered black leather and just under the handle was what looked like a large tuff of silvery gray hair. The other looked cleaner, catching the sunlight on the polished blade. The handle was worn, but the leather had been oiled to keep it from cracking. When the others saw that Inuyasha reached for the rusted, battered blade, they shared similar looks of suspicion. What would anyone want with a sword that looked like that? The hanyou took the blade and snapped the case shut, locking it once more and then successfully hid the sword so that his brother would be none the wiser.

"Nani?" He questioned seeing their looks. "I'll clean it when Sesshomaru's gone."

"How'd it get so...ugly?" Kagome's question earned her a snarl from the boy.

"My dim wit half brother wouldn't let me near the sword so I couldn't clean it. Since he and Jaken can't touch it, it didn't get cleaned." Seeing their confused looks he smirked. "Youkai can't touch the sword. It's got a barrier that will only let someone with human blood touch it."

"A magical barrier?" Miroku looked interested now and leaned forward slightly, obviously wanting to know how this was done while the girls were only curious as to why.

Inuyasha sat up straighter, pleased at the fact that he knew something they didn't. "The sword maker who made them had a monk put a protection spell on the Tetsuseiga so that only he, the youkai who asked for it, their chosen successors, or someone with human blood could wield the sword. After all, it wouldn't do for just any old human hating youkai to be able to yield the fang of destruction, now would it?"

"Fang of destruction?" Sango raised her brow, not sure if she believed what she heard.

"Yeah. The swords were made from the fangs of the inu youkai that requested them. Tetsuseiga is the fang of destruction. Tenseiga is the healing fang. It can bring someone back from the other realm and it won't harm anyone that it slices. In battle it's useless." He chuckled. "Sesshomaru was beyond pissed when he realized which sword Otou-san gave him."

"Does it work?" Kagome asked, looking at the sword's hiding place and then at the case that still housed the other katana. "I mean, will Tenseiga really heal? And does Tetsuseiga really do what you say it does?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Don't know. Don't care. It's mine and that's all that matters."

In a small cafe in the center of Osaka a dark hared young man sat taking to a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties. They were a stark contradiction of one another. His hair was long, flowing to his waist in wavy black tendrils. His complexion was tanned and his eyes a rich chocolate brown. His lips were thin and pulled into an evil smirk. She, on the other hand, was short (her feet barely touched the pavement from her chair). Her hair was bright red and cut short, just below her ears, the bangs slightly longer than the back. Her eyes were bright green and her complexion was a pale porcelain. Her mouth was full and bright red with a slight smile tugging at the corners. Had it not been for the elf shaped ears, one might have simply classified her as a foreign human tourist. Her ears were the only outward sign that she was not just that.

"You understand then what you must do?" The man asked, narrowing his eyes in her direction as if trying to read her mind.

She smiled fully now. As if! She was the only one could that. "Hai, wakarimasu." She ran her finger, the nail long and painted bright red - around the rim of her teacup. "It will be an easy assignment." Her eyes lit up with hope though she tried to disguise it. "And once I've done this for you, you will keep you word, Naraku-san, and I will be free, ne?"

"Until I require your services again, hai, you will be free to do as you like. Within reason, of course," he added, his smirk returning.

The light of hope had disappeared and she looked at him with unmasked revulsion. Damn him! she thought mentally berating herself for trusting him. He gave his word! She briefly considered using her mental powers to persuade him otherwise or quite possibly even kill him, but quickly decided against it. With a resigned sigh, she stood and bowed. He'd kill her before she could complete the task. Her life hung precariously in his evil hands. He had created her and he could kill her with a simple squeeze of his fist. She had to turn away quickly to keep him from seeing the shimmery wetness in her green eyes and letting him know he'd won.

Varsha eyed the high brick wall and the locked gate that surrounded the estate. With so little spare land in Japan and so many depleted resources, it was amazing that the two sisters had been able to secure the property as well as they had. With a thoughtful tap to her chin with a long, thin finger, she contemplated how best to go about her entry and complete her mission. It would have to be at night, once the sun went down...Depending on the number of security guards at the gate, she could get to them fast enough to work her will on them, but with the presence of two youkai and a...She pushed her mind farther into the estate...a temperamental hanyou (he was currently throwing a fit if she judged correctly)...entry into the actual house would be far more difficult. She withdrew from her inquisition of the cohabitants of the home and took a deep breath, leg swinging arithmetically from the side of the branch on which she was perched, continuing her observation.

Sesshomaru hadn't even noticed the missing katana, much to their amazement and joy. Or perhaps he had noticed and decided not to comment on it...but that train of thought only led to mass confusion. After all of his statements about Inuyasha not being worthy enough to wield the sword he certainly wouldn't have just allowed the hanyou to steal it from him without some sort of comment...would he? It was hard to tell anything about what the inu youkai might be thinking.

"Well, whatever the case is," Kagome commented as she and Sango prepared for bed, "he didn't start a fight and for that I am thankful."

"Aa, me too. I was worried for a few minutes there that they might go all out, like American wrestlers or something."

Kagome giggled. She could picture the two in boxers, going at each other in the ring with the little monster called Jaken ringing the time bell and Miroku giving the play by play. That was just the sort of thing the hentai would do. She tried to give a serious, emotionless face when she turned to look at her friend. "I, Sesshomaru, shall vanquish you, you pathetic excuse for a youkai," she said, lowering her voice in a very bad impression of Sesshomaru.

Playing along, Sango tried to imitate Inuyasha's annoyed scowl. "Bring it on, kisama," she mocked, hand on one hip, pretending to brandish a sword in the other. "Can you smell what the hanyou is cooking!"

Both girls collapsed on the bed in a fit of giggles. If the two boys had heard what they said they would be dead for sure. Sesshomaru didn't seem to be much on humor and Inuyasha would be furious to have been berated in such a manner. Situating herself on her side of the mattress, Kagome smiled at the girl who had quickly become her best friend. "G'night, Sango-chan."

"Night, Kagome."

The night guards barely had time to register her before she had attacked. She grabbed their throats, one in each hand. Being youkai she was much stronger than they were. When she removed her hands, there were two glowing red marks on each of their necks. Needing them to get into the gate, she had not killed them. With a slight smile she touched the pendulum at the base of her throat. It also glowed a bright red. "Trance of the Cobra."

Their eyes became blank and she nodded. "Open the gates. Disarm the security codes."

As the gates opened and the last of the security codes was shut off, she touched the pendulum again and watched as the two guards fell lifelessly on the floor. Moving quickly, she had little time to play around before the youkai noticed her presence, she went at full speed to the house, breaking in effortlessly. During her observations and her simple mind touches with the other residents she had been able to discover which room belonged to the Shikon's guardress and she slipped in, making as little noise as possible.

Once in, Varsha held her breath. She had not expected to see two girls in the room. They slept with their backs to each other and it took Varsha a moment to realize which one she was after. Now she was worried. If the other girl woke she would have enough time to scream for help before she could attack and that would alert the youkai. She would never make it out.

Pushing all doubts aside, the red headed youkai moved around to the other side of the bed and reached into a small purse and pulled out a hand full of dust which she blue in Kagome's face. The girl took a deep breath as the dust tickled her nose. She jumped back and quickly exited the way she'd come.

Outside, on her way back to the gates, she once again touched the glowing red pendulum. Unfortunately for the guardress, Naraku did not want her dead just yet. He wanted her to suffer first. "Mists of Confusion."

The following scream told her that her job was complete.

Sango jolted up in bed and looked at Kagome as her face contorted with fear and she drew in another deep breath to scream once more. The entire household must have been alerted, footsteps were pounding the floor as people came to see what was wrong.

"Kagome-chan?" She shook her friend lightly. "Kagome? Wake up. It was just a nightmare. Wake up."

The girl didn't respond except to scrunch up her face as if she were in pain as tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. "Kagome? Onegai, wake up. Wake up. It's not real! You're okay! I promise! Onegai, just wake up!"

What happened next sent a chill down Sango's spine.

Kagome opened her eyes, clouded and unseeing, shimmering with tears, and screamed a blood curdling death scream before beginning to shudder and openly sob. Her eyes were open, but she was still dreaming, trapped in the nightmare.

"KAEDE!" Sango herself had screamed this time, frightened at her friend's condition. "Onegai! Kaede! Come quick!"

Glossary:

Goshinboku - Sacred Tree

Ima - Now

Youkai - daemon

Inu Youkai - Dog Daemon

Hanyou - Half youkai/Half Human

Domo arigatou gozaimazu - I thank you very much

Chikosho - Damn it

Konichiwa - Hello

Onii-san - elder brother

Ano - Excuse me

Arigatou - Thank you

Otou - Father

Hai - yes

Demo - But

Wakarimasu - I understand

Daijoubou desu ka - Are you alright?

Okaa - mom

Ne - just a basic ending question word like...right? true?

Hentai - pervert

Aa - yeah

Kisama - you bastard

Onegai - please

Reviewer Comments:

MintyFresh - hehe! Here's your Sesshy and Jaken!

Yashafan1 - Well...it just wouldn't do to have them acting buddy buddy...that's not Fluffy and Inu.

BagheeraShadow - Thank you! I look forward to writing more. :)

Kirei-Kitsune - Most of the ones on the Hero in the 21st Century site are on my recomendation list. http/nexus(dot)colum(dot)edu/user/nierodzik/html/fanfic(dot)htm And if you get the chance, you should read the Hero in the 21st Century comic that Baachan wrote. It's really good too. All the ones by Moonlight Shadow and then there's one called Temple of the Dog that I like. Also, check out my Favorite Stories list on if you want more of my recommendations from this site. :) I'm glad you liked it.