Hiya people! Have you ever had that feeling like if anything can go wrong, even the little things, it all will? Well that's what's been happening to me. You see, a friend I've known for years just moved to Malaysia, a friend's sister died, we moved, my radio broke, I started high school, my 14th birthday sucked ass, and my brother has been kicking his annoyance into overdrive. Just to name a few things.

KIKI: Just get it over with you frickin' fucked up ass sucking bitch.

As you can see Kiki's back. Speaking of which, considering I just spent a month and a half trying to find you and end up spending a years worth of baby-sitting money on bail because you got drunk and picked a fight inside the police station and kissed the chief, I think it wouldn't kill you to be even just a bit nicer.

KIKI: You said you wouldn't tell! You swore, you swore, you swore, you swore!

No I didn't.

KIKI: Oh. Yeah. Well . . . you should have!

Well I didn't. Now do the disclaimer before I tell more of your little adventure.

KIKI: Bitch, you wouldn't dare.

Really? You honestly want to try me? You think I wont?

KIKI: I thi- I think you wont.

Well, she went all the way to New York and right on top of the Lady of Liberty she-

Disclaimer: Lil' Pup doesn't not own Inu-Yasha and is a . . . never mind. Not worth the risk.

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"Lady Kagura!" Little Rin squealed as she saw who had returned with her lord.

"Your back, your back! Sesshomaru-sama said we'd never get to see you again, but your back! Did you two have a fight? Is that why we haven't seen you in so long?" Rin wrapped her arms tightly across the woman's waist and squeezed.

Kagura stood frozen for a few moments. No one had ever hugged her before. . . no one. . .

"Kagura-sama?"

A small smile graced Kagura's lips. She gently laid a hand on Rin's back and spoke in soft, sad tones,

"No. We didn't have a fight. I just . . . drifted away for awhile."

Rin looked up curiously.

'Why is Kagura-sama acting so strange? She seems almost frail. The last time I saw her she was so strong and seemed to not care what anyone thought of her. Not even Sesshomaru seemed to be able to put much more than a crack on her.'

"Umm, Kagura-sama? Now that you're here . . . your not going away again are you? Rin wants you to stay." She looked up at Kagura with a genuine look of hope.

"She won't leave. From now on she is to take care of you. Obey her well, Rin. I grow weary of chasing after you." Sesshomaru spoke.

At this, Jaken, who had been watching the wind witch with intense hatred, ruffled indignantly.

"B-but but my lord! I am supposed to take care of her! And that wind witch has kidnapped Rin once before. How do you know she won't attempt it again?" Jaken squawked.

"You cannot seem to take proper care of her. And unless you wish to explain how women work I suggest you do not insist upon it," Sesshomaru spoke in his warning tone and then walked away.

Jaken waited until his lord was out of hearing distance, even for Sesshomaru, and rounded on Kagura.

"Look you. I don't know what you're trying to pull, but if you harm Rin I will hurt you."

Kagura raised an eyebrow then turned to Rin.

"Why look, Rin. The toad is worried for you."

Rin smiled. She knew what Kagura was trying to do. She turned to Jaken.

"Awww, Master Jaken, that's so sweet. I didn't know you cared so much."

"WHAT? I am not worried for your sake, I am worried for mine! If I let anything happen to you, even outside of my care, Lord Sesshomaru would kill me!" He panicked.

"OH? So then let's go tell Sesshomaru you don't care if something happens to me!" Rin yelled as she ran toward Sesshomaru.

"What! What! Wait, you misunderstand Rin! Don't tell my lord that!" Jaken wailed as he hurried after her.

"Only if you'll get me some sweets next time we go to a village."

"I can't just go waltzing into a village! You know that you annoy-"

"Lord Sesshomaru! Guess what I found out!"

"All right! All right!"

"I found out that . . .."

"NO!"

"A caterpillar turns into a butterfly. Isn't amazing how something so icky and ugly turns into something so very pretty . . .?"

The twos voices faded as they ran off. Kagura would soon have to chase after them to keep Rin within eyesight.

Kagura just smiled after them. For a girl as sweet as Rin, Rin knew how to get just what she wanted. Maybe she could take Rin under her wind and teach her some things . . .

She couldn't get the girls last statement out of her head.

'Isn't it amazing how something so icky and ugly turns into something so very pretty?'

It was just intended as an innocent remark, but Kagura could not help but think about it. Could she, Kagura, wind sorceress, born of Naraku, be like the butterfly? Oh, she was attractive enough, but that's not what she meant.

She had been born of Naraku. That was the icky part. But what she did, how little she cared of anyone else's suffering short of her own, that was what made her ugly inside. She had cared for Kohaku. But only because she saw a bit of herself in him. And she had cared for Kanna. But Kanna only because she could care about nothing and go where she pleased. Kagura was jealous of her ability to detach herself from things. And after awhile that jealousy gave way to bitter affection. But the two of them had been the only company she knew would continue to come. She was bored and needed someone to talk to. If they had been strangers on the street she would have killed them on the street. In a strange way, much as she hated and it pained her to admit it, she had been a bit like Naraku. She had found use for them and so had in a sense befriended and worried about them. Not for them. For herself. If they died, she would be alone. Her friendship with them was just to spare herself some pain. It had little, if anything, to do with them. It was more of a no choice friendship really.

But she now voluntarily cared for Rin, and, even thought it would take some time to admit it to anyone beside herself, she cared deeply for Sesshomaru. This time it was not forced. It was out of real affection that she smiled at them. Cared for them. And it was out of love she was more than willing to die for them. And to think how little she knew of them. If just this small amount had awoken this softer side of her, could even more of them turn her into a butterfly, able to fly gently through the air without a cold hateful air about her? Or was her want of change making her a bit like Naraku again?

She shook her head again. It was becoming too difficult to think about it.

Kagura shifted her attention to the lands near the large castle. The sun was setting now. Kagura thought back to that morning, before she saw Sesshomaru, and smirked. She had had no home, and had wondered where she would have to go to find her home. She'd never had a home, a real home before, so how was she to recognize one if by chance she found it?

But now it seemed so very clear.

"Home . . . this is my home. . . from now on, I swear my soul to protecting these lands along side Sesshomaru. . . and I swear on my life to protect the girl . . . I'll teach her to protect herself and to sack the toad. . ." Kagura smiled,

"THAT SHALL BE MY PURPOSE,"

"Come on Kagome. You must have sensed a jewel fragment by now. It's been almost two months since you last sensed one." Inu-Yasha growled.

"Well I don't so please just quit asking me every ten seconds. I'll let you know when I sense one all right? That is my job after all, isn't it? To tell you when I sense a jewel shard?" Kagome huffed angrily.

For the past week she had stopped nearly blurting out 'sit,' so she had had nothing to do to rid herself of her anger. And Inu-Yasha had stopped carrying her for the past three days, and the heat was at least 98F. To top it all off she knew why he was avoiding her, and there was nothing she could do about it!

You see, she and Inu-Yasha had agreed by the first month of their travels that at least a week before her period she would tell him that it was coming. At first it was embarrassing, but Inu-Yasha had made it clear what would happen if she didn't tell him. As clear as if he were explaining it to an other youkai at least. Shippo maybe. But as a human Kagome was completely lost and just stuck to what he said because the words 'danger' and 'more youkai will be coming' had popped up several times. Something involving the words 'in heat.' It threw her off, but she did know that in animals it was when an animal was ready to mate. She didn't really know much about how it all worked with animals, let alone youkai, so she had no choice but to believe him on the things she didn't understand. Anyway, bottom line is if she didn't tell him then things were going to get bad. She understood this.

She noticed he avoided her as well on those times. And lately he seemed to notice even earlier than a week.

But it was hard to tell this month because he had steadily been distancing from her. It was like someone had pulled a curtain between them and had slowly been building a wall there. The not carrying her might just be part of it. But since it was so close to her time of the month she just assumed it wasn't. She knew Inu-Yasha better than anyone, yet there were times when even she couldn't understand his actions. She didn't like those times. And she downright refused to accept the idea that he wasn't carrying her because he just didn't want to. She wanted to believe there was a valid reason, that as soon as she was done with her time he would carry her again just like always.

She was willing to give up so much for him. And she would. But the only thing that kept her going right now in the feudal era is the thought that she was closer to him then even Kikyo. Not as loved maybe, but definitely closer. She knew there were things he would never share with Kikyo that without a second thought he had shared with her.

He had to let her near again. He just had to. At least near him she knew she stood as his closest friend. Family even.

But if he were to push her away. . .

How would she know where she stood in his heart?

"It's not your job. It's your own choice Kagome," Sango said smiling.

"Yeah, Inu-Yasha may be a jerk but he cant make you," Shippo nodded.

"If I remember correctly, you chose to stay with us. You haven't changed your mind on us I hope," Miroku gave her his flirtatious smile as though it would make her want to stay.

If anything it made her want to leave. She and Sango hated it when he looked like that. No matter how innocent he seemed.

"Yeah I guess. I mean, if it were your job you'd be getting something from it wouldn't you? But lately all you seem to get from it is hurt," startled, Kagome looked up.

Inu-Yasha stared down at her. When had he moved so close? And why had he whispered?

Inu-Yasha turned and for a brief moment she thought he was turning away from her again. That nothing had changed. But instead he kneeled down, his usual invitation for her to ride his back.

"You three ride on Kilala. We need to cover more ground. Hang on tight Kagome,"

It seemed she was not the only one making an effort to not accidentally hurt someone.

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Well? I thought it was a strange chapter, but I don't really know. I basically just typed and let the words flow out.

I think my chapters are getting better as I go along. Looking back on my first chapter it seems like crap. I thought it had been pretty good back then.

What do you think?

READ AND REVIEW.

See ya.

Lil' Pup out.