A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. I had a bit of writer's block. Heck, I still have writer's block. And I had so many ideas for other fics coming out it was hard to concentrate. At least I finally got inspired to finish my one shot, You Can't Go Home Again. It looks like this fics gonna end in like the next two chapters or so. I've had fun writing it.

Chapter Eleven

Hilton Hotel

Morocco

A knock on her door startled the wind youkai as she was about to pour a cup of coffee for herself. The hotel, unfortunately, supplied the horrid stuff as if it were going out of style and yet when she had asked for tea, they had given her iced and unsweet tea. Damn language barriers. She tightened the white, terry cloth robe around her slim frame and opened the door. "Hai? Nani desu ka?" His startled look at her tone and the use of her native language was enough to make her want to crack a smile, but she bit it back and sighed. The sooner she could get that katana and go home, the better. "What is it?" She asked again pronouncing every letter with perfect and emphasized accuracy.

The boy held out a bouquet of white flowers. "These were delivered for you this morning, ma'am." Her glare darkened at the use of that word and the boy gulped. As soon as she'd taken the bouquet from him, he nodded and started backing away. "Sorry for disturbing you ma...uh...miss...Enjoy your stay!" And he was gone.

She closed the door and plucked a card from within the blossoms. The writing on the card, had she had a heart, would have made it skip a beat.

Kagura,

Have your luggage delivered to my hotel. Room 305. You can pick up the key at the front desk.

Sesshomaru

Her curiosity piqued, she set the vase on the bedside table and went into the bathroom to get dressed. This was turning out to be an interesting and, hopefully, profitable day after all.

Two hours later the wind youkai, dressed in a black businesses pant suit and black heels made her way to the front desk of the Western Lands Casino Resort. Luckily the receptionist for that day was different from the one she'd seen the day before. She managed a polite demeanor and with much controlled gentleness stated, "There should be a key here for me. My name is Kagura."

The girl screwed her face up in thought and then started digging through a desk drawer before coming out with a silver key. "Ah, yeah, here it is. It's room 305 on the second floor. The elevators are over there and," she added before Kagura could leave, "Mr. Takahashi wanted me to inform you that you will be joining him for dinner in his suite at six thirty."

Her brow lifted curiously. "Oh? I received no such invitation."

"Mr. Takahashi doesn't issue invitations, Miss Kagura," the girl said with a bit of a sigh. "He issues orders and those of us who are smart follow them without question or delay."

"Is that so?" Kagura smirked and tucked the key into a pocket in her pants suit. "Well, I shall make sure to not keep him waiting."

Her room, she discovered, was a two room suite complete with kitchenette and living area. The bedroom was spacious and light, done in yellow and white with a full size canopy bed. The headboard and the furniture within the room were creamy white, the walls were butter yellow with paintings of flowers and landscapes by Monet. The bed covers were a lighter yellow color with golden accent pillows. The living area was spacious with a couch and chair and television. The furniture was white and the walls were a pale blue with deep gold and dark blue accents. More Monet reprint paintings adorned the walls. It was certainly more comfortable than the room she'd been staying in at the Hilton Hotel and a lot more expensive, she was sure. But then, since the one footing the bill owned the casino, it wouldn't be that big a deal for her. Perhaps he had come to his senses and was going to give her the Tenseiga.

Or maybe he found her as attractive as she did him?

Japan

"Varsha," Naraku's smooth voice drifted to the young red head and she reluctantly stood up, going to where he sat, reading the paper, "your sister has been successful, the Hiraikotsu has been recovered. Now, I want you there when the taijiya girl goes to pick it up. You will use that opportunity to discover where they're hiding."

Varsha rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. "What kind of master plan is it to let them have one of the items you so desperately want?"

Naraku's smile was sinister. "Once I've found their hiding place you and I will go there to retrieve the Hiraikotsu," he explained slowly as if he were talking to a half wit or an incompetent child. "While we're there we'll also collect the Tetsuseiga and the Shikon Pearl. It's called killing three birds with one stone, I do believe." He folded the paper neatly and placed it on the desk beside him.

"I thought the saying was two birds with one stone," Varsha commented, tapping her chin and looking to the ceiling in thought. She was, of course, only trying to irritate the quasi hanyou. At the moment it wasn't like he could do much to her - he needed her mental abilities too desperately to kill her at the moment. If he did, he'd have a hell of a time trying to find out where the brats had hidden themselves. "Three seems like a bit of a stretch."

He was upon her in a breath's time and roughly grabbed her chin in his hand, yanking her head to look at him. "I could just as easily call Kagura back here and have her accompany me in retrieving my things. Even Kanna would be able to perform that task," he hissed, venom lacing his voice. "It would be wise to remember that once you've found their sanctuary you will have outlived your usefulness." He released her, pushing her backwards as he did so, causing her to stumble slightly before regaining her footing. "Now, Kagura is dealing with the inu youkai at the moment for the Tenseiga. If she knows what's good for her she will not come back empty handed." His dark eyes now bored into hers. "I will not accept failure."

Realizing his meaning and knowing that it would be futile for her to even think of blotching this up, the mind youkai grimaced. "Hai. I will call you as soon as I know their hiding spot." She turned on the cell phone and clipped it to her belt as she walked out the door of the quasi hanyou's office with a sour expression. Kami, but she was tired of him using her and her abilities - she'd rather be dead than live like that.

Maybe if she were lucky the hanyou would kill her.

Cabin

Osaka, Japan

"Chikosho, Sesshomaru!" The enraged hanyou was no where near the house, but the others heard him clearly as he yelled into the phone at his older brother. "You can't just leave us stranded in the middle of the fucking mountains!"

"Oh, but can't I, Inuyasha?" His brother's voice was bored and quiet. "Or I could have you dropped off at the nearest jail for theft."

"What the hell are you going on about now?"

There was a sigh on the other end. "The Tetsuseiga, Inuyasha. You haven't lost it yet, I hope?" he heard Jaken say something in the background and then heard a yelp and a thump. Yep, Sesshomaru was just as abusive as always. "You've no business carrying around such a valuable object. You will return the katana at once."

"No fucking way!" Inuyasha exclaimed, his fist colliding with the nearest tree. "You just get a chopper here and get us to Kyoto and back. Tetsuseiga is in my possession now so get over it!"

"Listen, little brother, I do not have the time nor the patience to deal with you. Naraku has sent one of his employees to retrieve the Tenseiga and I've had my hands full dealing with her. Take the chopper to Kyoto, but know that as soon as Naraku has been disposed of I am coming for the sword." The dial tone buzzed in his ears and left him even angrier than before.

Western Lands Casino Resort

Morocco

She dressed slowly, taking extra care with her appearance for the dinner that night. To have to kill something so gorgeous would be an absolute sin so her only other option was to seduce Sesshomaru Takahashi into giving up his sword. Something that she was soon to discover would be a difficult task.

At the moment, however, she was making trips across the suite, trying to remember everything she needed. She had not brought anything with her from Japan (flying on a feather doesn't leave much room for luggage) and so she had had to shop for clothing and other necessaries before seeing the inu entrepreneur the first time. One good thing she could say about working for Naraku - the quasi hanyou paid well. Although good pay did not make up for her lack of freedom. A paid slave was still a slave.

Kagura took pain staking measures to make sure that every hair was perfectly in place. The dark locks were silky and slipped through her fingers when she tried to pin it and so she had had to use a sprits bottle of water to wet the strands as she used a curling iron to achieve a tamable body. By the time she was through with that, the bodice of her black slip was damp. While waiting for that to dry, she did her make up, a few light touches to highlight her 'natural' beauty.

The ocean blue velvet dress was slipped on last. It was spaghetti strapped and clung to her torso, but fell into a loose skirt that swished as she moved and ended just above her knees. Black heels completed the look and the wind youkai smiled approvingly at the reflection in the mirror. Her raven hair was pulled back in an ornate bun with her bangs and a few loose tendrils framing her face. Her eye make up was subtle to allow attention to be drawn to the deep red, thick lips but still caused her red eyes to sparkle. Sapphire tear drop earrings dangled from her pointed ears and a small necklace with matching sapphire drop and a simple gold, chain link bracelet adorned her neck and wrist.

"This is going to be easy," she muttered draping a black crochet shawl over her shoulders and headed for the door, telling herself her only motive was the Tenseiga. It wasn't like she really wanted to become involved an inu youkai, even one as stunningly handsome as Sesshomaru Takahashi. Besides, with Naraku still alive she was in no position to become involved with anyone, especially not the enemy.

Cabin

Osaka, Japan

Finally the onyx colored chopper landed in the clearing, pressing the grass down with the strong gusts created by the whirling blades. Kagome's hair whipped around her face, covering her eyes for a moment while Sango and Miroku tugged on the sleeves of her shirt, pulling her in the direction of the machine. Sango had been restless all morning, ready to get to Kyoto to retrieve the long missing heirloom that her family so coveted. It had been carved and used by the taijiya ancestor whom she was named for, she had explained when she told them that the boomerang had been recovered, and therefore it had a special meaning to her.

Inuyasha held the chopper door open and waited for the others to climb in before jumping in behind them and closing the door, giving the pilot a thumbs up to signal that they were ready for take off. He fell into the seat next to Miroku and fumbled with his seat belt while the others spoke.

"Now if only they could recover the sutras and the ofuda scrolls of my family's legacy," Miroku commented, sounding a bit melancholy. "Though, if they were housed in the same warehouse as Sango-chan's Hiraikotsu, they probably burned."

"Not necessarily," Sango told him, trying to comfort him slightly. "My father said that the Hiraikotsu was in a bunker under the warehouse. They just happened to come upon the secret entrance while cleaning up the mess from the fire."

"Why did your family decide to keep something like that anyway?" Kagome asked, genuinely curious. "I mean, it was the papers that gave them the curse of the Kazaana, right?" When he nodded she threw up a hand as if that should be answer enough for her confusion. "The curse wasn't supposed to be a good thing - it killed them in their early lives and their only hope was to find a woman to...be with...and produce a son who would inherit the Kazaana when they died and would have to start the circle all over again. How is that supposed to bring good fortune?"

"It isn't about bringing good fortune, Kagome chan." He closed his eyes and placed his hand before his face, bent parallel to his face, his thumb even with his nose (you know that look he gets when he spits out advise). "The Kazaana's ofuda and sutra scrolls are kept in my family along with the legends of the curse as a reminder that every day of our existence is a gift to be treasured and not wasted. We walk the path of this life never knowing when it may end, etcetera and etcetera. A sort of carpe dieum if you will." He opened his eyes and moved his right hand away from his face so that it was palm out in a 'scouts honor' type pose. "However, the Kazaana was not the only curse that affected my ancestor's hand. The other has yet to be lifted and there appears to be only one way to sedate it."

It was obvious that he was not going to continue until someone asked the inevitable question and he grinned as they warred with their inner selves over which one would break first. Sango pursed her lips together and turned her head so that she was looking out the window, arms crossed over her black tee shirt, hiding the red, metallic, broken heart decorating its front. The white sleeves of her long sleeved undershirt were rolled up slightly. She was determined to say nothing. Inuyasha was seemingly concentrating on some spot in the floor, acting as if he had heard none of their conversation, but by the way his ears swiveled in each direction, trying to determine from what direction the question would come from it was obvious he was just as curious as the girls. Kagome's gaze moved from the hanyou to her friend to the boy. She didn't want to ask. She knew the answer, but Miroku was going to keep waiting until someone did and this was going to be a long ride if they had to continue in silence with that stupid smirk plastered on the young man's face. Finally, she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"And what curse is that, Miroku-chan?" She asked, feigning curiosity as she clasped her hands together and forced a smile. "How do you keep it under control?"

His grin only widened. "The answer, Kagome-chan, is quite simple. The curse causes the accursed a great pain in his right hand and the only thing that seems to alleviate that pain is the feel of a nice, subtle, soft a-"

Western Lands Casino Resort

Morocco

"Ahem? Kagura-san?"

The onna youkai looked down upon a small greenish creature wearing a black suit and dark red tie. One side of her mouth curled slightly in a snarl of disgust. The thing was short and ugly. "I was told that I should meet Takahashi-san at this time. Where is he?"

The creature shuffled from one foot to the other. "He is here, Kagura-san," he assured her and moved aside so that she could enter. "He has simply had a few things that must be taken care of before he can join you." The little youkai narrowed his eyes thinking about the things Sesshomaru had had to take care of. It was disgusting the actions that his employer was taking for a ningen - a race that he had proclaimed many times to despise. "You are to make yourself comfortable as you wait for him."

"Arigatou gozaimazu. How long will he be?" She slipped the shawl from her shoulders and dropped it onto his head without a second thought as she walked passed him to sit in a white, overstuffed arm chair. "My patience with this horrid country is running thin and the sooner Takahashi-san hands over that katana, the happier I'll be."

"What gave you the impression that I was surrendering my sword?" The new voice was smooth and rich and came from behind her. Though she stiffened slightly, she did not turn around, simply crossed her legs, folding her hands in her lap, seeming to ignore him.

She could almost feel him smirking as he rounded the chair to sit across from her in its mate. By the time he faced her, his features were as cold and unreadable as usual. "Then what were your reasons?" She pretended to not care.

The inu youkai snapped his fingers and the green youkai scurried out of the room only to return a few minutes later with a tray of chilled wine and two glasses which he poured with only slightly shaking hands. "I've a different proposition for you."

Western Lands Apartments

Kyoto, Japan

His brother, it seemed, had acquired a good deal of property in his time at college, Inuyasha realized as the helicopter landed on the roof of an apartment building with the inu hanyou's family symbol painted on the concrete. The other young man stepped out behind him, rubbing his sore cheek. The young woman hadn't been able to reach him after his...unfortunate...answer earlier, but had, upon landing, dished out an appropriate punishment.

"You're an idiot," Kagome muttered under her breath as she walked out behind him. When he raised his brow in curiosity she rolled her eyes. "Does she have to break your jaw before you learn when to keep your mouth shut?"

He tried to frown, but ended up hissing at the stinging in his cheek. She had definitely not held back on that one. "Old habits die hard?" He gave her a crooked smile and turned his attention to trying to win back the affections of his lady once more. "I meant it as a compliment, Sango, you must believe me."

The dark haired girl pushed passed him, nose disdainfully in the air as her long ponytail swaying as she walked. "Then, onegai, spare me your compliments." She sent a violent glare in his direction and shook her head. Inuyasha stood by the door off of the roof and held it open for them to descend. The wind around them was starting to lesson as the blades of the chopper were finally starting to slow down and the pilot also joined them on their decent. A few quiet words with the hanyou and the man was gone into the darkness of the stairwell. The inu hanyou stuffed a piece of paper in his pocket and glared at the other three.

Kagome sighed and jogged to catch up with her friend glancing at a scowling Inuyasha as she passed him. "Sango-chan," she said quietly, linking her arm with hers, "I think he really is trying." Sango's brow raised in curiosity and disbelief and Kagome giggled. "Well, in his own way. He likes you, that much is obvious, but he really needs to learn a new way to show it..."

Inuyasha closed the door after the other boy had gone in, several steps behind the girls. "Can you really be that stupid?" the hanyou muttered causing Miroku to look around at him curiously. "For three days the four of us've been stuck together and even I can see she's not falling for that lecher act of yours."

"She'll have forgiven me by this afternoon," Miroku replied with certainty. "It never fails. I manage to say something to irritate her and she forgives me a few hours later." He smiled and watched the two girls descend in front of them, speaking quietly so that he could hear them, but knew that the hanyou was catching their every word by the way one ear was directed on them. "It would not be such a bad deal if Sango would take the next step in our relationship."

Sango sighed and glanced at the boys without moving her eyes. "He's never going to change."

Kagome shook her head. "Probably not, but at least he's a faithful lecher." She laughed and made a face. "Well, that's an oxymoron, isn't it? But it is true. In the months since I've known you, I've never seen him go after another girl like that."

Sango gave a light laugh. "You're right, but it would be nice if he were a little more romantic? If he could just not say such offensive things and keep his hands to himself..."

"He wouldn't be Miroku," Kagome finished. Sango sighed in resignation knowing it was true.

Inuyasha's ear twitched at the end of the girl's conversation and he rolled his eyes. "Both of you got problems," he muttered.

Western Lands Casino Resort

Morocco

"You've a proposition for me?" Kagura looked up at him with contained curiosity. "Should I be worried?"

The inu youkai leaned back in his chair and swirled the dark liquid in his glass. The little toad had gone to check on their food. "That is up to you."

Though she was intrigued, she fought to keep her expression as unreadable as his in an effort to not give anything away. "You wished for your freedom? If I could offer you that, what would you do for me in return."

A soft, seductive smile tugged on her red lips as she leaned forward, forgetting to feign indifference. "If you could give me that, I would do anything you wished..." Her lips parted slightly, revealing two fanglike canines, "...with extreme pleasure."

There was a flash of something in his golden eyes, but other than that his features remained deadpan. What was it that had darkened those eyes, she wondered, but had no time to find out as he had begun to speak again. "We will discuss the price later. First tell me what it is that Naraku holds over you that keeps you in his employ even though you despise him."

A noticeable depression settled over her and the smile was gone. "My life," she answered softly. "My heart."

"I was under the impression you disliked your employer and yet you say he holds your heart?" His lips pursed slightly. "You were lying before."

"Iie," Kagura insisted, "I did not lie when I said that I hated him. If I were to betray him, he would kill me. One flick of his wrist and my heart stops beating." She touched her chest where her heart would have been felt beating, but felt nothing against her warm skin. "It is how he keeps us under his control."

Sesshomaru was quiet and his ears gave a almost unnoticeable twitch as he realized what had struck him as so different about this woman. The light 'badum, badum' that usually accompanied the presence of any being was not there. It was as if she were empty. He understood then that Naraku had managed a way to take the heart from her while sustaining her life. "How was this possible?"

She looked down into the wine glass. So much for seduction and mimicking his indifferent demeanor...so much for her plans. "We, my sisters and I, are a part of him. When Onigumo joined with the youkai, it somehow gave him the ability to split parts of himself away from his body and we were formed," she explained slowly. "There is myself. I was the first and am, therefore, the oldest and I control the wind and the dead. Varsha was the second and has mind powers. The last so far is Kanna. She is but a child, but has probably the most effective of our abilities. She uses her power to suck the souls from living beings into a mirror." She smiled sadly and sighed, setting the glass on a table beside her. "Naraku has promised our freedom once we have helped him gather the items."

"And you believe him?" His voice showed how stupid he thought they were for believing the hanyou's empty promises.

"Of course not. Only his death will rid us of him." She raised her red eyes to him. "Are you willing to kill him to get what you want, Takahashi-san? What every it is you need me to do that you would offer me freedom, is it that important?"

His golden eyes narrowed. "I do not need you to do anything. I could perform the task myself, but I prefer to not dirty my hands with such a lowly business."

Before she could question him farther, the toad youkai returned. "The food is ready and the table has been set, Sesshomaru - san."

Kyoto, Japan

A young woman with bright red hair, dressed in dark blue slacks and a white shirt walked them down the stairs of the police station. "I'm glad that we could return your family's property to you, Sango-san," she said cheerfully. "It's amazing that the boomerang was found after all these years, don't you think? And by complete accident, too..."

"Hai, Varsha-san, it is." Sango kept her hands tucked in her jean pockets. "My otou-san was excited when he found out."

"Do you know who put it there or were you able to find any clues as too how the Hiraikotsu wound up in that warehouse?" Miroku questioned curiously.

Though the humans hadn't really noticed, Inuyasha detected the sudden change in her scent signaling her slight nervousness at the question. Something had been tugging at his senses since they'd first been introduced to this Varsha person. There was something familiar in her scent, but it was like there was something blocking his memory and it was beginning to bother him.

Kagome looked up at him when he growled low in his throat and nudged him with her elbow. "Nani desu ka?" She asked softly, knitting her brows, slightly worried. "Daijoubou desu ka?"

"Hai, daijoubou," he muttered, looking down at her. His features were drawn in a scowl, but she could see his impatience or ire was not with her, but at some other source. "There's just something not right. There's something familiar about her scent, but...I don't know...I can't think of it."

"Maybe you're just paranoid." Kagome smiled slightly. "It's fine. We're in a police station. What could possibly happen?" His look was all the answer she needed - more than she was willing to admit.

He growled again and narrowed his eyes at the woman leading the elevators that would take them to the basement evidence room where Hiraikotsu was stored.

Varsha was cheerfully explaining how they had been extra careful with the protection of the Hiraikotsu, but stopped them before they reached the elevators. "Nani?" Sango opened her mouth to speak further, but Varsha turned towards them, her cheerful expression replaced with a mischievous smirk.

"I have a confession to make," the red head said, pouting innocently. "I've been a very naughty girl." Before any of them could react, she had a tight grip on Kagome's shoulders, her nails beginning to dig into the human girl's flesh. Kagome's eyes seemed to go blank and she relaxed, hanging limply in Varsha's hold. Then just as quickly she released her and Kagome's knees buckled. Inuyasha caught her before she hit the floor and Varsha leapt backwards, out of their reach.

"I'd be careful about pulling people into your nightmares, if I were you. Could be dangerous, you know." She sprinted off, disappearing through the doors and into the crowded streets of Kyoto, but the last of her words echoed in their minds. "Sweet dreams, Kagome-chan."

By the time Inuyasha had been able to pass the now recovering Kagome to Miroku and start after the red haired youkai, she was gone and he growled evilly, hands clenching into a fist. Now he knew where he'd smelled that scent before. Everything made sense now. "Chikosho! That bitch!" He'd have knocked a hole in the nearest wall if he wouldn't have had to pay for it. "She was the one in the girl's room the other night when we were at Kaede's. That red powder I found...it had something to do with her."

"She works for Naraku," Kagome said softly, standing on her own now, rubbing her temples. "That woman has some sort of mental powers or something. She spoke into my head...did something to me..."

Japan
"Well?" The voice caught her off guard and Varsha turned, still buttoning a green shirt over a white tube top. She barely contained her grimace when she saw Naraku. "You had better not come empty handed."

She smiled sweetly and kept the shirt partly open to show the tube top underneath it. "Why would I do that? Of course I know exactly where they are going when they leave Kyoto." She reached up to her hair and undid the barrettes holding her bangs up so that they fell across her face. "Do you want to meet them when they return or do you want to give them a little time to get comfortable first."

"We will catch them off guard. Tonight."

"Kanna, I want you to keep an eye on Varsha and Kagura. They have become much too argumentative," Naraku told her once he and the child were alone in his study. His home was expansive, the money from his dealings keeping him living in luxury. The police, of course, suspected his backhanded ways, but had no proof and no means of gaining the proof necessary to convict him. There were no records to suggest that Naraku was Onigumo, only rumors. As far as anyone knew Onigumo was dead and Naraku was heir to a comfortable fortune.

"If they try anything suspicious you will warn me immediately so that they may be dealt with accordingly. Wakarimasu ka?"

The girl's expression never changed, her red eyes remained empty and focused on some point straight in front of her. "Hai, Wakarimasu," she answered quietly for she never spoke above a whisper. In truth, she was just as unhappy with her situation as her sisters. She longed to be free to play, to go to school, and be like other children, but she was better at hiding her longings than they were.

"Very good." Naraku's smile was twisted and he patted the girl's white hair. "Varsha and I are going to be out. Inform me the instant you hear anything from Kagura."

"Hai, Naraku-san."

Glossary

Youkai - daemon

Hai - yes

Nani desu ka - What is it?

Ona - woman

Katana - sword

Taijiya - youkai slayer

Hanyou - half daemon/half human

Kami - god

Chikosho - Damnit

Inu - dog

Wakarimasu ka - Do you understand

Wakarimasu - I understand

Ningen - human

Nani desu ka? - What is it?

Daijoubou desu ka? - Are you alright?

Reviewer Comments

Kogoro - Leaving? Awww, drat.

YashaFan1 - Probably Miroku and Sango as they've known each other longer. I really like the Kagura & Sesshomaru pairing and I think that had Takahashi-san not killed her off, then they would have had a relationship eventually.

Nekolover - Welll, that's kinda the idea behind the story. The safety net in this story is a metaphore. The catatonic state that Kagome and Inuyasha were in when they were children were only a part of their safety net. Several times in thoughts, Inuyasha has referred to Kagome as his light...she was the one that kept him sane while he was trapped in the cave of his mind. She was, therefore, his safety net and continues to be. According to Kaede he had no friends and no social life until he took the insentive to save Kagome from that first bomb. Suddenly he was thrown back into life and has made an unconscious decision to protect Kagome from Naraku. They are each other's safety nets.