Chapter 3: The Beginning of Teamwork

Early that morning Sesshoumaru and Kagome set off to Fairy Fountain. Jaken watched them leave, and giving a long sigh as his gaze shifted from Sesshoumaru to the little child next to him who was waving vigorously at Sesshoumaru and Kagome. He still had no clue where Sesshoumaru was going, or when he would be back, if ever.

Kagome walked a little behind Sesshoumaru, sighing every now and then. She had woken up this morning, hoping that this was all a dream, but then she saw Sesshoumaru sitting across from her and instantly she knew, it wasn't.

And the little comment Sesshoumaru had made last night had still bothered her somewhat. She knew it shouldn't. In fact, if Inuyasha had made that comment, she would have just 'sat' him and be done with it.

But it was Sesshoumaru, and for some damn reason his opinion mattered. And she felt...somewhat guilty that he had to be here, with her of all people. Sometimes Inuyasha could really make Kagome feel like a crappy person to be around. And sometimes when he compared her to Kikyou, it made her feel even less of a person.

She would never match up to the great Kikyou, in Inuyasha's eyes.

"Where exactly is this Fairy Fountain?" Kagome shifted her thoughts and spoke the current question that popped up in mind out loud. "I mean if it's a fairy place than that means it has to be...hidden or something..." She concluded.

"It is." Sesshoumaru said after a moment of silence.

"Then... how are we going to find it?" Kagome asked slowly.

"This Sesshoumaru knows the land of Japan better than any other being alive." He snapped at her doubtfulness.

"Well then this Kagome is wondering why and the hell haven't you found Naraku if you know this land so well?" Kagome asked hauntingly, another quarrel beginning to rise. She studied Sesshoumaru and watched his muscles tighten at her question.

"Do you always speak out of place, miko?" Sesshoumaru asked her coolly, his voice capped with ice.

"Do you have such a short memory that you always forget my name?" Kagome mimicked his cold tone with one of her own. "Kami, Sesshoumaru! We are never going to get anywhere if we keep fighting like this!" Kagome sighed, exasperated.

"Indeed." Sesshoumaru snapped.

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Naraku watched the two, roaring with an evil laughter that echoed through the halls of his dark castle. Kanna sat in front of him, holding a mirror, her emotionless face never wavering. In her porcelain fingers she held a mirror that displayed the images of Sesshoumaru and Kagome walking through the forest.

"I couldn't have done better myself!" Naraku's face still twisted in an evil smile. "I shall use this to my advantage." He settled down and touched the image of Kagome's face through the mirror. "That miko shall be mine soon enough." His voice in a deep whisper.

Naraku leaned back against the wall of his castle and stared out a tiny window. The land outside was dark, the ground covered in a deep fog of purple miasma. His black orbs roamed over his land as he formulated a plan.

Kagome was now away from Inuyasha and in the care of cold youkai lord. Somehow... he had to convince Sesshoumaru to give him Kagome. Somehow he had to make Sesshoumaru want to give him Kagome.

But how?

His lips formed into a smile as an idea popped into his head. "Brilliant." He whispered to himself.

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Sesshoumaru glanced around as he walked through the forest. Trees began to change, they were greener and larger. It wouldn't be long until they reached Fairy Fountain. It wouldn't be long until he could be free.

A demon aura broke him from his thoughts of freedom as he stopped walking.

"Hey-" Kagome bumped into him, and began to ask why he stopped when she suddenly stopped speaking. "Youkai." She whispered softly, as if saying the word loudly might jinx them.

"Two." Sesshoumaru glanced around the forest from tree to tree, waiting for the two youkai to pop out. "Get behind me." He glanced down at the miko who was now standing next to him.

"No." She met his gaze, her sapphire orbs glittering with determination. "I can fight, you know. I'm not totally worthless."

Sesshoumaru's gaze slid from hers and to the two demons that were watching them with interest. "Is she the one, Yasui?" The two youkai were in humanoid form but they seemed to be tiger youkai. They had two strips on each cheek, one orange and one black. Their outfit was of similar color, and they each had a long tiger tail.

"Hai, Takai. This is the shard sensor. The one he told us about." Yasui flexed his claws and gave a taunting purr at Sesshoumaru. "He also said that if we can defeat dog boy, we can keep her." Yasui glanced at Takai. "Ready?"

"Hai." Takai licked his lips and locked gazes with Kagome. "Such a pretty prize."

Kagome narrowed her eyes and gave him a glare. "Ne, Sesshoumaru, are these guys related to that cat youkai we met up with early?" Kagome asked, she pretended to look dumbfounded.

The youkais' eyes flashed with anger and they let out a hiss. "We shall never be compared to those worthless demons. They soil the tiger name, proclaiming to be of our blood line." Yasui snapped.

"Oh now I see, the tigers are the barbarians compared to the cat. Oh it's all making sense now." Kagome smirked.

"You need to teach that wench only to speak when spoken too!" Takai let out another hissed and flexed his claws.

Sesshoumaru, however, was letting off a smirk himself. "That lesson would just be pointless for her." He replied indifferently. Sesshoumaru grabbed the hilt of his Tokijin and waited for the youkai to make their move.

"Ready, Yasui?" Takai cracked his knuckles and held out his hand, his palm aiming at Sesshoumaru.

"Hai, Takai." Yasui copied Takai's stance. "Tiger claw!" The both yelled as a yellow beam of energy the shape of a tiger's claw came from their palms, aimed at Sesshoumaru. And with Kagome chained to him, it was impossible to dodge. But this didn't worry Sesshoumaru.

In one fluent motion, Sesshoumaru unsheathed Tokijin and thrust the blade in the ground. The evil sword effortlessly repealed against the tigers' attack, sending it back at them. The two tigers, however, dodged the attack and then landed back on the ground in front of Sesshoumaru and Kagome.

"Trying to use our own attacks against us, how clever." Takai hissed.

"But it won't work." Yasui smirked.

Kagome knew Sesshoumaru couldn't fight as well with her chained to his ankle. And as soon as the tiger youkai found out about this, they would use it to their advantage. Kagome looked around. She didn't have her backpack, thus her bow and arrows weren't with her either. But she didn't need those, she just needed a conductor. A simple stick would be fine.

There! Kagome bent down and picked up a slender stick with a nice pointed edge. She could use this to conduct her miko powers into the youkai. But she only had one, so she needed to take down the stronger one of the two tigers first.

Her eyes fell on Yasui.

His aura was much stronger than Takai, and he seemed much older. She concentrated her miko powers and soon the stick glowed pink. She aimed it at Yasui's heart and then with all of her strength, she threw the stick.

Hit. It pierced through his heart.

"YASUI!" Takai screamed as he watched him vaporized. Yasui let out a scream in anguish and then soon he could be heard no more. "Yasui!" Takai cried more weakly. "You killed him, you wench!"

His youkai energy flared around him. Sesshoumaru, having enough of this youkai, held his sword in front of him. Evil youkai energy swirled around it. He slashed the sword in mid air, sending the youkai energy towards Takai.

Soon Takai joined his dead comrade.

Sesshoumaru slowly sheathed his sword and then turned around to gaze at the miko. Her eyes were dancing, and a smile formed at her lips. "Not so worthless after all, eh?" Kagome grinned as she looked back at the spot where Yasui stood. "Just imagine if that were you." She gazed back at him, her smile growing. "We kinda worked together there."

"I didn't need your help." Sesshoumaru said indifferently as he began walking.

"I know." Kagome shrugged following him. "But I gave it anyways."

"Giving when it isn't needed will get you no where." Sesshoumaru said flatly.

"Yeah well not giving at all will get you chained to a miko in the middle of Japan." Kagome knowingly stated.

Sesshoumaru grunted in reply. "Someone needs to teach you not to speak out of place." He grumbled after awhile.

"Ah, but you yourself said that would be a pointless lesson for me." Kagome shrugged, earning a glare of disapproval from Sesshoumaru. Kagome only smiled in return, she had seen it, when he first turned around, before the mask of indifference had been put in its place. She had seen in his golden depths a look of shock, shock at her skill in the fight.

A look Kagome never would forget.

"Ne, Sesshoumaru I'm hungry." She patted his stomach as they kept walking.

"I don't care." Sesshoumaru snorted and kept walking.

"So cruel." Kagome muttered.

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Inuyasha leaned against the tree and sighed. His amber orbs stared at the field of flowers below him. It was night and the group had convinced him to stop again. Perching himself on a tree branch, Inuyasha kept watch as the others slept.

It had also been a good time to ponder his feelings.

The jealous rage he had been feeling had been growing with intense heat. The thought of his brother touching his Kagome was angering him more than he ever imagined it would. The utter core of his being was shaking in rage at the idea of Sesshoumaru's demon claws near Kagome.

But the reason why he was feeling this was that Kagome was the only living part of Kikyou he had left. And even thinking that thought made his heart churn with guilt. No matter how hard he tried he could never see past the fact that Kagome is Kikyou.

Even though so many times Kagome had pointed out she was just Kagome. Ka-go-me. As she always said.

He knew he wasn't being fair to her. She deserved someone that would love her for Kagome, not for the Kikyou soul she possessed. And deep down, Inuyasha knew that's why he had feelings for her. Not for Kagome, but for Kikyou.

So to sum it up, Inuyasha didn't want Sesshoumaru near his Kikyou.

"Ugh." Inuyasha pressed his fingers to his temples and began creating small circles. He was so confused. He was confused before but now with Sesshoumaru in the equation, it just made everything worst.

"One step at a time." Inuyasha chided to himself.

Primary goal was to save Kagome, he concluded.

End of Chapter

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Moonchild: Whoop Whoop! Chapter three...DONE!

Kagome: I must say this is the most fun I have ever had in a fic

Inuyasha: Dammit MC! I'm barely in this damn fic!

Sesshoumaru: And that's why it's gotten more reviews than any fic MC has done.

Inuyasha: Shut up jerk!

Sesshoumaru: Seriously, have you checked your fan mail?

Inuyasha: Bastard! charges at Sesshou

Kagome: Sit.

.Thump.

Moonchild: Oh by the way, Inuyasha how was your trip with Yasei-hana?

Inuyasha: That damn wench put me in a pink dress. Thought it would be funny.

Moonchild: Ho ho ho! That's my Yasei. Ok I just want to say... the other day when I posted this fic... I got SO many great reviews, I was sitting at my computer on the verge of tears. I was so happy. My sister came in and was like, "Wtf?" Seriously though, I just want to thank everyone, it means so much to me.

Inuyasha: MC shut the hell up and close the damn chapter.

Moonchild: INUYASHA! If you interrupt my closing ONE MORE TIME I swear I will kill you in this fic and you won't even get to go to hell with Kikyou. Ok? I make sure that Kikyou lives FOREVER without you.

Inuyasha: Feh! Fine!

Moonchild: Thank you! Jez. Anyways... Inuyasha ruined a touching moment for you and me, my reader. I just want to thank you, so please send a review, but no flames! They make me cry in misery. By the way, yes I changed my name in case you didn't notice. I hated the other one, forgive. Also if you have read this fic before or it seems familar, no, I did not copy it from some other author. I AM the the other author. I posted it on A Single Spark.

Another thing, I haven't the clue how to reply to your reviews. Sorry but this place is extremely big and confusing.