A/N: Hiya! ducks reviewers rotton fruit Hey! Anyways, these excuses mean nothing to you, but I was internetless for over a week! It killed me, and I had about 60 emails (no junk) and ... Nevermind. You all don't care. ON TO THE STORY!

All's fair in love and war

Part 4

Kagome walked down the hallway, sighing. I love how mom tells me about things. Well, at least this time she gave me a little warning, unlike the last time… Kagome frowned and made her way down the stairs. At the bottom there was a girl, one from the advanced miko class, guarding a solemn looking door.

"You're not allowed here." The girl said, as if it was well rehearsed.

"Um, on Miroku's orders I'm to interrogate the victim." Kagome stated.

"Miroku? He never told me anything about that…" The girl was interrupted by footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Ah, Kagome. You're here early. Or maybe I'm just late… No matter. Euirku, you can go."

The girl, Euirku, nodded to Kagome and walked up the stairs. Kagome could hear her yawn halfway up. She turned her attention to Miroku.

"Hello, Lady Kagome." Miroku said pleasantly, pulling out a large key and fitting it into the keyhole on the gloomy door. Kagome nodded and said nothing; too fascinated about the action Miroku was performing. As he fit the key into the hole, it glowed bright purple. Kagome was sure it would burn Miroku's hand, but all the light did was fade out and die away.

"Interesting, isn't it? That was a locking spell, designed to keep whatever is on the other side to stay on the other side. It's immune to lock-pickers. Handy spell." Miroku chuckled at Kagome's amazement and opened the door. He allowed Kagome to walk in, then made to close it with Kagome inside.

"Wait, Miroku!" Kagome protested. Miroku paused, as she asked, "Aren't you coming in with me?"

"Lady Kagome, Inuyasha won't respond to me. If I stay in there all I'll be is a burden. Don't worry; I'll be right outside if you need anything. Good luck." Miroku winked and closed the door fully. Kagome shook her head and looked around. The dungeon was very large. Chains sat in a row on the wall, just begging to hold someone captive. Steel locks also bloomed from the ceiling, Kagome guessed to hang people by their ankles. Bones and rats made their home in the dungeon, and Kagome shuddered and looked around for the captive. She saw him, sitting limply in the back of the dungeon, eyes closed.

"Hey." Kagome walked over to him and sat down. She didn't bother to sit far away; she walked right next to him and plopped down there. Inuyasha's ear twitched but he didn't open his eyes. "Hey!" Kagome cried.

"Do you have to be so damn loud!" Inuyasha growled, cracking an eye open.

"Yes." Kagome smiled sweetly. "I'm sorry, but you weren't responding any other way."

"Feh." Inuyasha huffed and turned away as best he could; he was still bound by the hands and feet. Kagome frowned.

"Um, I'm here to . . . interrogate you."

"Taunt me is more like it." Inuyasha said.

"No! I'm only here because they made me come here to question you!" Kagome heaved.

"Well, you can just up and leave now, because I'm not telling you one thing." Inuyasha smirked. Kagome shrugged.

"Ok." She got up and walked away. Inuyasha blinked.

"That's it?"

"Yeah. I don't want to be here, and you don't want me here, and it's obvious that you aren't going to tell me anything. So, I'm leaving." Kagome winked and opened the door. Miroku looked up from where he was sitting.

"Done already?"

"Yes. I'm hungry. Will you go get me some food?" Kagome asked. Miroku blinked.

"Uh, sure… Stay here in case Inuyasha tries anything." He stood up and walked up the stairs towards the kitchen. Kagome nodded.

"Bring lots, I'm really hungry." She saw Miroku's shadow wave and she smirked and walked back inside. Inuyasha looked up at her.

"I thought you were done?" He said.

"I was. But Miroku told me to stay here in case you try something, and he's getting me some food."

"Couldn't you get yourself some food?" Inuyasha blinked.

"No. Well, I could, but then Miroku would have to stay down here and watch you, and that's not his job."

"Ah." There was silence, and Kagome sat down again. When Inuyasha looked at her questioningly, she answered, "I'm tired. It's midnight, you know."

"Yeah, I figured. But you can't tell down here." Inuyasha leaned against the grimy dungeon wall.

Kagome looked around and sighed. "I'm really sorry you got into this predicament, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha stared in disbelief at the girl in front of him. Here he was, trying to kill her, and all she could say was 'I'm sorry you got captured'.

"I'll try to help you out—" She was cut off by a beating on the door. She sighed and stood up, opening it to find Miroku. He looked behind her to be sure that Inuyasha was still there before handing her a loaf of bread and a jug of water.

"Here. This is all I could get before the cooks chased me out." Miroku grinned.

"Thanks." Kagome gratefully took the bread and water.

"Well, you should be getting back to your room. I guess we'll get no information out of him." Miroku stood aside, allowing her passage. She shook her head.

"No, I think I'll talk to him some more." She winked at Miroku and walked back to Inuyasha. Miroku shrugged and closed the door again. Kagome walked back over to Inuyasha for the fourth time and sat down in her usual spot. He glanced at the bread before quickly turning away. Kagome didn't notice.

"As I was saying, I can help you get out." She took a bite of the bread. Inuyasha looked at her warily, expecting deception. Kagome chewed thoughtfully. "I'm sure I could alter the spell binding you and let you loose—"

Inuyasha's stomach growled rather loudly. Kagome stopped talking and grinned widely.

"Why didn't you say you were hungry!" She asked the blushing hanyou. He looked at his feet in embarrassment. "Didn't they feed you?"

"No." Inuyasha stated. It was amazing. He had been a general in a war for fifty years, and no one had ever gotten him to blush before. He could literally feel the wall he had set up for emotion control collapsing around him. And it was this girl's entire fault. A mortal!

"Oh. Well, I can see why, seeing as you're going to be beheaded tomorrow morning." Kagome broke her bread in half and handed it to Inuyasha. He stared at it, but didn't move. "Come on, I'm giving it to you."

Inuyasha looked behind him at the spell that bound his hands. Kagome clapped hers in realization. "I'm sorry! Hang on, I'll have Miroku remove it!" She jumped up again and ran to the door, flinging it open. "Miroku!"

"Yes, Lady Kagome? Has he told you anything yet?"

"No, but I want you to unbind his hands." Kagome folded her arms.

"What?" Miroku asked, startled.

"Yeah. He's hungry, and he can't eat with his hands all bound up like that." She grinned. Miroku hesitated.

"I can't."

"Why?" Kagome raised an eyebrow.

"Your mother would kill me if Inuyasha took a swipe at you, whether or not you are able to protect yourself." He answered, eyes twinkling.

"I can set you up on a date with Sango."

"Done." Miroku walked into the dungeon and over to Inuyasha. He glared at the hanyou. "No funny stuff now." He held a hand up and the bindings on his arms and legs disappeared. Inuyasha rubbed the feeling back into his hands, frowning at Miroku.

"There you go, Kagome. Know that I will hold you to that date with Sango!" He closed the door, and the two were alone again.

"We need to just sit and not get up. That's what, six times in a half hour?" Kagome asked as she sat down, handing Inuyasha the bread again. This time Inuyasha took it greedily, munching on the treat.

"Yeah." Inuyasha mumbled through a mouth full of bread. Kagome smiled.

"Anyway, I could get you out before you get beheaded…" She trailed off as Inuyasha's head shot up.

"Beheaded?"

"Yeah. Didn't you hear me the first time?"

"I didn't comprehend it. When?"

"Tomorrow morning." Kagome looked solemn. Inuyasha frowned.

"No way in hell I'm getting beheaded by mortals." He said simply. Kagome giggled.

"You're so set on what you feel is right." She said, grinning. "I'll try to help you, but even though my mom's the general, there's not much I can do. Our king is really powerful, and he doesn't listen to anyone but maybe my mom."

"Why your mom?"

"Well, she's the general for one, and he loves her." Kagome shrugged. Inuyasha blinked.

"Wow." Humans are so weird. He thought.

"Yeah…" Kagome looked at her bread, trying to think of something to say. Inuyasha grinned.

"Well, I don't plan on dying any time soon, and—" Inuyasha stopped, glaring at the door.

"What?" She asked, peering where Inuyasha's golden eyes were looking.

"Someone's coming." Inuyasha whispered, barely audible. For some reason, Kagome felt like staying hushed as well. Inuyasha stood up, wobbling slightly. Kagome steadied him and frowned. Something wasn't right. Suddenly she heard what sounded like someone banging on the door. It was quiet for a moment before the door burst open.

A tall man stood there. At least, Kagome thought him to be a man until she saw the pointed ears and purple markings on his cheeks and forehead.

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha spit. Something had made him angry, quick. This demon must not be good news… Kagome thought.

"How did you get in?" Kagome demanded. Inuyasha looked at her oddly; she had guts, that was for sure. Not many living creatures, human or demon, dared to talk to Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru blinked and noticed the girl for the first time. When he spoke, it sent shivers up Kagome's spine. "I had a bit of fun with the palace guards. Don't worry, little girl, we won't be interrupted."

Kagome tensed. What happened to Miroku! Is he all right? "What did you do with the man outside?"

"He won't bother us anytime soon, if that's what you're indicating." Sesshoumaru chuckled and Kagome frowned, worry creasing on her brow.

"Sesshoumaru, why are you here?" Inuyasha took the attention off Kagome before his brother decided he got bored with her.

"Why, your dear king decided that you weren't capable of getting free by yourself, so he sent me to give the 'ittle half-demon a push." Sesshoumaru said mockingly. Inuyasha growled. "So, here I am, and you're coming with me."

Inuyasha bit his lip and turned to Kagome. "I'm sorry about your palace guards. I'll . . . I probably won't see you later, so good bye, Kagome."

Kagome swallowed and nodded, unable to talk.

"Cut the romance, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and raced to Kagome. "Hmm. The general's daughter, then." He grinned and Kagome shuddered at his cold eyes. "The king will enjoy your company…"

"Keep your damn hands off of her, Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha jumped in front of Kagome, growling.

"My, my. Such impudence. Well, she will die soon anyway. I'll let her off the hook today." He turned around and glanced over his shoulder. "Come, Inuyasha, before we're forced to kill even more of your precious humans."

"They're not my precious humans!" Inuyasha screeched.

"Whatever. Either way, hurry up." Sesshoumaru began walking towards the door. Inuyasha turned back to Kagome, blushing slightly.

"Well, um… Thanks for the bread…" He blushed again and ran after his brother. Kagome stood there, speechless. The prisoner escaped… he escaped. She smiled. Serves King Rei right. He's a nice man, but Inuyasha's nice too. It's not fair that he should be caged up. Suddenly it hit her where she was. She ran out of the dungeon, tripping over a lump.

"Miroku!" She called, bending down to see the fallen monk. He didn't move, but Kagome could see him breathing. She sighed in relief and positioned him on her back, slowly making her way up the stairs to the main floor. She could already see a crowd of people forming at the top and frowned. She didn't feel like dealing with all these people right now.

"Kagome! You're alive!" Yumiko ran over to her daughter, hugging her happily. "I'm so happy!"

"Alive? Why wouldn't I be?" Kagome asked, relieving Miroku to two servants who ran up to her as well.

"Look how the other guards wound up." Yumiko said grimly. Kagome glanced to the spot where she indicated and gasped. They were lying on their backs, eyes wide open in horror. The worst part that Kagome saw was that their eyes were white, clean through, almost as if glazed over.

"Oh no…" Kagome whispered.

"It looks like poison struck them, because hardly any blood was shed." Yumiko shook her head and turned back to her daughter. "But at least you're safe. And Miroku is fine, then?"

"Yeah, it looks like he was just knocked unconscious." Kagome stated. "It looked like Sesshoumaru knocked his head against the door."

"Sesshoumaru?" Yumiko asked.

"He's apparently Inuyasha's older brother. He looked like a full demon."

"Let's be thankful that he didn't kill you as well." Yumiko said a silent prayer to Buddha.

"Well, he was going to kidnap me, but Inuyasha saved me." Kagome smiled at that memory.

"What?"

"Inuyasha stopped his brother from taking me with him, and saved me." Kagome answered. "If he had taken me, I'd have surely been killed."

Yumiko was speechless. Luckily, she didn't have to say much because at that time Sango came running up. Kagome sighed, really too tired to deal with this right now.

"Kagome!" Sango ran up and hugged her friend. "Thank god you got out without a scratch!"

"How many people were killed, Sango?"

"They're still counting. I think it was up to fifteen before I left to find you." Sango shook her head. "It's so sad. But, you can tell me later, because you look drop dead exhausted.

Yumiko's motherly habits kicked in right about then. She looked at her daughter and scowled. "Kagome, you march right back up to that bedroom right now, young lady." She ordered in a commanding voice. Kagome happily obliged. Sango followed her as Yumiko went to talk to the king; the girl had strict orders to make sure Kagome went to bed immediately. She didn't have to worry, because as soon as Kagome hit the pillow she fell asleep, dreaming of a certain silver haired half-demon.

A/N: Ha ha! They meet! Finally… Well, hope you liked it. REVIEW! And stay tuned! Thanks! Hands reviewers an online cookie