Author's Note: Sorry, but today's chap is mostly a filler with some cute interaction, but if you like it that'd make my day! Enjoy chapter 22 and please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or affiliated with Inuyasha, however this particular story is M-I-N-E! :)

A Friend for a Foe

"My Lord, if we ever see that mangy half-breed again, this Jakken will swear upon his life that he will personally take the initiative and—" SQUASH!

Inuyasha's foot connected with the small imp's body as the irritated taiyoukai kept stomping furiously through the forest.

Damn bastard! Next time I see him, I swear I'll rip him apart with my bare hands! And what the hell was with that nagging old hag?! Clean this, clean that; I swear I'll never touch another washcloth again in my life! Property damage compensation my ass! And what the hell was with her getting drunk after only one cup of sake!

Inuyasha continued to grumble inwardly, recalling the past few days of "punishment" at Kagura's home in the marshes. Now he was on his way to find his half-brother so he could deal out a beating to spite him for the incident. Inuyasha slowed in his tracks as he came across a hooded figure whose face was hidden behind a baboon mask. The…thing smelled utterly horrible, and Inuyasha couldn't help but narrow his eyes in suspicion as the figure stepped forward to block his path.

"Out of my way!" Inuyasha growled dangerously, but the phantom only chuckled at the command.

Jakken ran in front of his master, waving his arms frantically in yet another one of his bursts of rage and exasperation. "Why you insolent fool! How dare you disrespect the great and powerful Inuyasha-sama! You are lucky he hasn't—"

"I only wish to talk to you, Inuyasha-sama. I'm quite sure you would be interested in what I have to say." Red eyes glared at the small imp from behind the mask, silencing him immediately.

"Tch! I ain't got time to be messing around with the likes of you! Now outta my way!" Inuyasha forcefully pushed past the suspicious figure, but what the man said next stopped him dead in his tracks.

"You are looking for Sesshomaru are you not? If memory serves me correctly, you are his younger brother, no?"

"Half-brother!"Sharp claws appeared inches from the man's throat, but instead of the fear Inuyasha expected to see, a dark smile appeared on the man's barely visible lips.

"Pardon me, I did not mean to offend."

Inuyasha slowly retracted his claws, but continued keeping a fierce glare trained on the phantom. "Speak before I get impatient!"

"Of course, Inuyasha-sama. I wish to form an alliance against a common enemy; in this case, Sesshomaru."

"…I'm listening."

Another dark smile spread across the mysterious man's face as long-term plans began to form in his even darker mind. "I am most pleased to hear that."

"Sesshomaru, I am not going to stay here while the rest of you deal with the kitsune. I am going to help," Kagome said the words as calmly as she could, given Sesshomaru's irritable mood since last night. The last thing she wanted to do was argue with him, but with the way things were progressing, she knew she was close to giving him a very unsightly piece of her mind.

The object of her frustration was lazily lounging on a bed of furs while reading several scrolls that were borrowed from Ukitake herself. When she had awoken that morning, she found herself cradled against Sesshomaru's broad chest, his arms wrapped loosely around her. Though she remembered she had fallen asleep in his lap on the floor, she figured he must have moved her to the comfortable bed of white rabbit fur that had been provided by Ukitake before their arrival. Of course the moment she had opened her eyes a large wave of embarrassment had washed over her senses, and the only thing she could think to do was let out a scream of surprise before falling backward and landing on the floor. Sesshomaru had immediately come to her aid, but when he saw Kagome's face a hint of amusement clouded his eyes and the corners of his mouth had involuntarily quirked up in a slight smile. Before he could replace his expressionless mask, Kagome had seen him, and lifted an accusing finger in a fit of embarrassment as she proceeded to lecture him on decency and respect. Somewhere along the way, the topic had changed back to last night's argument on her interaction with the kitsune.

"My words are final, Kagome. You will no longer converse with any of the kitsune, and I will not argue with you on the matter."

"SESSHOMARU!" Kagome picked up a small pebble from the floor of the cave and hurled it at his shoulder in a fit of frustration. Of course the cool and collected hanyou never even flinched when the rock made contact, instead he gave the agitated woman a sidelong glance that bespoke his willful and stubborn nature.

"You can't keep me here you know!"

"Can't I?"

"Ugh! You're impossible! There is nothing going on between me and Shippo!"

"You are familiar enough with him to use his given name with no honorifics?" Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at her in displeasure, and Kagome brought her hands to her temples in an attempt to alleviate the headache that was starting to form.

"I told you it's not like that! In my world I practically raised him!"

"I will not argue the matter Kagome. The fox prince is a potential threat, and I won't allow you to put yourself in harm's ways. If you will not listen to me, then I will restrain you here even if I have to bind you to the bed."

Kagome's string of patience snapped, and she figured it was high time she showed Sesshomaru just how stubborn 20th century girls could get. "Sesshomaru," she said calmly before clenching her fists and yelling out the dreaded command as loud as she could, "OSUWARI!"

Sesshomaru realized Kagome's intentions a second before he hit the ground with a resounding BOOM! By the time the spell had worn off and the dust had cleared the girl was out of sight and had covered quite a bit of distance as she headed in the direction of Ukitake's castle. His first instincts were to run after the girl and drag her back kicking and screaming, and show her just how serious he was, but something in the back of his mind stopped him. Words his mother had spoken to him long ago began to arise in his mind, and Sesshomaru sat back as a memory long since forgotten resurfaced.

Sesshomaru had been a young boy of the age of seven at that time, though his intellect was greater and his attitude more mature than any other child of his age. His attention was previously occupied with studying when he heard the signs of his parents arguing. By the time he reached their room, his mother had successfully kicked his father out of the house, as she sat fuming over a piece of embroidery. When the beautiful woman had noticed him there, she had smiled softly at him and beckoned him to come forward. His mother was a woman of few smiles and even fewer emotions. She was often referred to as the Ice Princess, but his father had deeply loved her, and Sesshomaru knew that even though his mother rarely showed it, she had loved him, too. He respectfully approached her and waited for her to speak.

"I'm sorry you heard us fighting, love. Your father can be quite difficult at times."

"What did father do?" he had asked genuinely curious.

His mother had sighed in exasperation and continued her explanation while starring at the piece of embroidery the whole time.

"Your father can be very…possessive when it come to my interaction with other males, it seems."

"But isn't it father's right and duty to keep you close to him?"

Another smile had graced the woman's lips before she spoke. "Sesshomaru, women are social creatures by nature. We have the natural desire to befriend anyone we meet, be it male or female. Friendship is something that we can acquire easily, but love is a treasure that every woman wishes to search for earnestly. If you truly love someone, then you must trust them to return your love, and surely you shall be rewarded."

Sesshomaru opened his eyes as the words his mother had spoken set in. Perhaps he had been unnecessarily overprotective, and he reasoned that he had deserved Kagome's anger, though the subduing spell was a bit harsh. He breathed in a calming breathe before slowly rising and exiting the cave. Maybe giving her a chance to calm down was the best option, and he couldn't necessarily stop the girl from being the kind and caring Kagome he had come to treasure. He knew she would be friendly with anyone, because that was who she was, and though Sesshomaru didn't particularly like the idea of her friendliness with other males, he knew that changing that part of her would tear him up inside. So instead of acting rash and running after her, he left the cave to find the rest of their companions, however that did not mean he wouldn't keep a sharp ear and nose out for a particular fox prince that made his instincts run rampant with jealousy.

Other Author Note: Aww, a seven year old Sesshy! I'm really thinking of writing a prequel to Mirrored centered around Inu no Taisho and Sesshy's mom explaining how they met and how they fell in love. Of course it will kind of be a tragedy since she dies and all, but I sill think it would be a great story, and I can even put Inuyasha's mom in it, too. I'd like to know what you guys think, so please give me some feedback!